I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 133

They thought they would have to sneak in again, but the chapel doors were wide open, and a group of robed figures stood neatly inside the hall.

With hands devoutly pressed to their chests, they chanted a sacred song.

When the song finished, they filed out of the chapel and walked down the steps. The last one gently closed the door.

Seeing Bai Zhou, he made a few hand signs and then slowly left.

After the robed figure left, Li Luo couldn’t wait to ask, “What did he say?”

Bai Zhou cautiously looked around, making sure no one was nearby, then carefully replied, “He said the Lord of True Speech is sick. Don’t disturb him.”

“The Lord of True Speech is in this chapel?”

They exchanged glances, looked around, then quietly opened the chapel doors and slipped inside.

It was indeed empty.

The chapel was specially designed, sunlight streaming in through high openings. Though all the stone bricks were black, the place was unusually bright.

“Look over there,” Bai Zhou said, pointing to a strange patch of light on the wall.

It was a patch of black light.

“Why is there black light?” Mo Ling felt his understanding of the world was being shattered.

Color is the brain’s perception of different frequencies of light.

When there’s no light, what you perceive is black.

Yet the light before their eyes was truly black, it could make the surroundings bright, while maintaining darkness inside itself.

Bai Zhou curiously walked up, looking at the black light, muttering, “This is the first time I’ve ever seen black light.”

Just then, a robed figure suddenly appeared behind him, a huge hood covering the entire head, the face hidden, a slightly hoarse voice coming from within.

“This is light created by the power of language. The most basic creation is black, unless you add words for color. But it also has to satisfy the characteristics of light, so it ends up with this strange property.”

“The word for ‘light’ in this language is pronounced something like ‘tta,’ like the sound that bursts forth at the moment heaven and earth split. It needs to be both subtle and thunderous-a contradiction that’s almost impossible for human vocal organs to produce.”

As he spoke, he raised his palm, and a ball of black light blossomed in his hand, then vanished as he clenched his fist.

Mo Ling was startled by the sudden appearance of the robed figure and was about to attack, but suddenly realized something was off.

He could understand what this person was saying!

This robed figure wasn’t twisted!

Mo Ling’s vision instantly penetrated his body, but all he saw was empty air.

His appearance was like a thin membrane, an empty “model,” with nothing inside.

Mo Ling couldn’t find any twisted organs either.

The appearance of this robed figure also startled Bai Zhou, who quickly summoned his water tentacle, watching the figure warily.

“Now I’ll ask you a question. Please pick the option below that is not a plant.”

“A. Birch.”

“B. Mimosa.”

“C. Penguin.”

“D. Thorns.”

The robed figure sighed and answered, “C, right? You don’t need to test me. I’m not twisted.”

He seemed rather helpless about Bai Zhou’s questioning.

But Bai Zhou didn’t stop, asking all ten questions. Only after the robed figure answered them all did he withdraw his water tentacle.

“Now it’s your turn to ask me,” Bai Zhou said seriously to the robed figure.

“No need. I know you’re not twisted,” the robed figure replied, not wanting to ask.

But just as with Li Luo, Bai Zhou insisted, making him pose a question.

In the end, the robed figure reluctantly thought of one, asked Bai Zhou, and Bai Zhou answered easily.

After confirming each other, Bai Zhou couldn’t wait to ask, “Who are you?”

The robed figure said calmly, “Everyone here calls me the Lord of True Speech.”

At these words, Bai Zhou summoned his water tentacle again, surrounding the Lord of True Speech, his gaze full of vigilance.

But the Lord of True Speech stood there calmly, more like an interrogator, sizing up Li Luo and Bai Zhou.

“You haven’t been twisted either, is it because of a Relic?” he asked.

Neither of them answered, but he didn’t care, turning to the chapel doors and uttering a strange syllable. A black lock appeared out of thin air, sealing the doors.

Seeing how skillfully he used Word Spirit , Bai Zhou grew even more wary, his water tentacle tightening, trying to bind him.

But something unexpected happened, the tentacle passed through the Lord of True Speech as if through air.

He had no physical form; Bai Zhou’s tentacle waved through him for a long time, unable to make contact.

The tentacle was blocked by the Lord of True Speech’s figure, as if it had clipped through a model.

“The water ability comes from the diving helmet, right? You’re using identity recognition to avoid distortion, if I’m not mistaken,” said the Lord of True Speech.

He then looked at Li Luo’s donkey ears with curiosity. “Never seen that Relic, it must work the same way. You two are clever.”

His tone was utterly sincere, not mocking, but at this moment it felt oddly out of place.

“I get it. You’re trying to escape the Black Tower, aren’t you?” He easily guessed their intent.

But then he shook his head, looking a bit dejected. “Not yet. The Black Tower won’t let anyone leave right now. Even I’m trapped. Now that there are two more of you, it’s even less likely to open.”

“I know you have a lot of questions. Ask whatever you want. Since we’re all trapped here, we’re companions now,” the Lord of True Speech said, unconcerned by the tense atmosphere.

Bai Zhou kept probing with his tentacle, but it found nothing, so he finally withdrew it.

“That ritual book, did you write it?” Bai Zhou asked, confused.

The Lord of True Speech looked puzzled. “Ritual book?”

Bai Zhou took out the tattered book from his robe and held it up to the Lord of True Speech.

Seeing the book, the Lord of True Speech suddenly understood.

“Yes, I wrote this. What about it?” He didn’t seem to think of it as a ritual book.

Mo Ling was confused. The book’s complex content and steps were clearly deliberate.

And the “ascension” of the robed figures was obviously guided by someone, maybe even accelerating their distortion.

As Mo Ling pondered, the Lord of True Speech reached out and took the ritual book from Bai Zhou’s hands.

Wasn’t he untouchable?

To Bai Zhou’s shock, the Lord of True Speech picked up the book and started reading, becoming more and more absorbed, marveling at the content.

“Which genius rewrote this for me?”