I'm Trapped in the Block

On the other side of the semi-circular opening stood a slender, black Mineral Race member. The material of its body was identical to that of the black structure.

He was currently raising his right hand, palm open. Magnetic field lines composed of black fragments extended from his palm, connecting all the way to the semi-circular opening above.

Then, he waved a hand toward the outside, gesturing for Li Luo and Mo Ling to enter.

’Should we go in?’

After a moment’s hesitation, Mo Ling still directed the Block to float inside.

Once the two had entered the stone pillar, the black Mineral Race member clenched his open right hand. The semi-circular opening quickly sealed shut, and the scattered black fragments returned to the pillar.

The pillar’s wall reverted to its original, unadorned appearance.

As if sensing Li Luo’s confusion, the black Mineral Race member explained, "That was a magnet. I’m from the Magnetite Race."

It dawned on Mo Ling. There were always some hard-to-understand types among the Mineral Race; it was difficult to wrap one’s head around them.

"Hello, we’re here to see the village chief," Li Luo said to the black Mineral Race member.

"You want to get out of the Thorn Stone Forest, don’t you?" The black Mineral Race member guessed Li Luo’s intentions directly. "I am the village chief. You can call me Ci Xing."

"As it happens, I also need a human’s help with something," Ci Xing said bluntly.

"You need a human’s help?" Li Luo was puzzled.

’What could possibly require a human’s help?’

"This is a relic, isn’t it?" Ci Xing looked at the Block again and asked after a moment of thought.

’He could tell right away?’

Mo Ling had assumed all the Mineral Race would mistake the Block for an Abnormal Vein Patient. ’As expected of someone who could become village chief.’

Li Luo was also very surprised. Just as she was about to answer, Ci Xing cut her off. "It seems so. But this relic looks a lot like us."

Then he muttered to himself, "How did I tell? It doesn’t have the magnetic field of a living organism, no signs of life at all. Every living creature has that kind of magnetic field."

Hearing Ci Xing’s muttering, Li Luo stood there, stunned and speechless.

It was as if Ci Xing had answered every question she was about to ask.

"This isn’t a Mind Reading Skill. I’m just guessing your general thoughts based on your body’s magnetic field. I’m not very familiar with human magnetic fields, so my guesses might be a bit off."

He then stared at Li Luo for a moment before speaking again. "Looks like I guessed right. Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you. I’m just used to direct conversations."

Li Luo’s gaze shifted from shock to suspicion.

’Mind reading through magnetic fields?’

"Guess what I’m thinking right now," Li Luo suddenly asked Ci Xing.

Ci Xing met her question with a deep gaze. After a short while, he replied with a helpless tone, "You’re thinking about what I’m guessing."

Ci Xing shook his head helplessly, as if many people had asked him this before.

"Still, I always feel it’s impolite to pry into others’ thoughts." Ci Xing extended his right hand, seemingly wanting to shake Li Luo’s.

’Another member of the Mineral Race who knows human etiquette.’

Li Luo hesitated for a moment before extending her hand for a brief shake.

The atmosphere relaxed as well. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Afterward, to put Li Luo at ease, Ci Xing explained his ability in more detail:

He could sense the general emotions of a living being through their body’s magnetic field. Then, based on the logic of their conversation, he could guess their thoughts. It was just a crude form of "Mind Reading Skill."

However, this Mind Reading Skill also allowed him to make an accurate judgment of a person right after meeting them.

"That’s why they made me the village chief, had me welcome the new Abnormal Vein Patients, and guide the ordinary Mineral Race and other intelligent life forms who get lost here," Ci Xing said, sounding somewhat troubled.

"But everyone is on guard around me after they learn about my ability. And I can’t help but guess. You understand, right?"

"It seems you do," he answered himself again.

There was one benefit to communicating with Ci Xing: you didn’t have to move your mouth.

After learning about his ability, Li Luo, probably finding it interesting, stopped talking and just let Ci Xing keep guessing.

The result was the two of them staring at each other, neither saying a word.

Li Luo finally broke the silence. "What did you want my help with?"

It was as if Ci Xing only just remembered the matter of needing help. He waved to Li Luo. "Follow me."

Ci Xing led Li Luo down a spiral staircase, explaining the history of the stone pillar building as they went.

This stone pillar wasn’t originally very large. Ci Xing had created it from magnetite to use as his own residence.

But ever since he was chosen as village chief, people were always coming to his home to tinker with various things.

Because magnetite could still be easily reshaped after construction, his home was expanded bigger and bigger, gradually turning into a public building.

Ci Xing was clearly very troubled as he spoke of this.

Unlike the Abnormal Vein Patients who engaged in artistic creation, Neon Village had many others who were interested in different things.

Among them were many Abnormal Vein Patients overflowing with curiosity, who began to study the entire Thorn Stone Forest.

These Researchers gathered in his home, and eventually, the stone pillar was transformed into something resembling a research institute, its interior completely at odds with its exterior.

At first, these Researchers focused on studying the environment of the Thorn Stone Forest and the different types of Mineral Race, systematically categorizing their findings.

Because of the knowledge in their minds, they were able to judge and classify these things very clearly.

But the Thorn Stone Forest wasn’t very large. Soon, there was nothing left in the entire Thorn Stone Forest for them to study.

Except for one thing—the reason for the war.

This was also the shadow that loomed over the entire Mineral Race.

Before becoming Abnormal Vein Patients, every member of the Mineral Race in Neon Village had been trapped in an endless war.

It wasn’t until they contracted the abnormal vein condition and gained emotions that something called a "thirst for knowledge" appeared in their hearts.

They desperately wanted to know: why were they fighting this meaningless war?

This question soon became the one thing all the Researchers wanted to figure out.

Initially, they believed the war might have lasted for so long that all the Mineral Race had forgotten its origin.

So, they wanted to trace it all the way back to find the true origin.

They had wanted to find someone who had lived for a long time and knew about the war, but Abnormal Vein Patients were ostracized and couldn’t travel to other mineral veins, let alone question those in the know.

Fortunately, some very old members of the Mineral Race had also come to Neon Village, but even they didn’t know how the war had started.

With no other options, the Researchers had to choose the last resort—archaeology.

The wars that took place within the Thorn Stone Forest would have left traces. As long as they could find the earliest traces, they could confirm when the war began.

As long as they could determine a timeline, even if they couldn’t find the origin of the war, they could at least form a partial history.

This would be a good start.

Archaeology was never something that could be accomplished overnight; they had to slowly work their way backward from the present to the past.

The Researchers began to dig downward.

To their great success, they soon found the earliest ruins of the war.

Furthermore, based on the remains of the Mineral Race left from the war, they were able to determine when the war began.

However, just when they thought they could proceed to the next step and search for the origin of the war...

Beneath the earliest war ruins, they unearthed something that made every Researcher’s blood run cold—

The ruins of a civilization.