I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 185

“Children first.”

The researcher somewhat stammered as he explained his suggestion:

“First, children have pure and naive thoughts, without malice, and won’t lie. They’re more easily accepted by the little sprite than adults.”

“Second, the current shortage of Relics is mainly due to the increased population. Letting these children without Relics obtain Relics early, even if the Relic quality is poor, allows them to familiarize themselves with the Abyss in advance.”

“These children will also grow up, and these Relics will eventually become their combat power, protecting their safety in the Abyss and protecting the safety of all of Oasis City.”

“Also, the Wishing Fountain’s cost is forgetting wishes. You all know children’s wishes, they’re different every day. Today they want candy, tomorrow they want toys. Even if they forget, maybe the same wish will appear again in a few days. It won’t have a big impact on their personality.”

“Even more, they might remember their original wish right after coming out of the fountain. Compared to adults, children don’t have deep obsessions and will forget wishes less.”

“Finally, letting children make wishes, even if there are bad consequences, won’t affect our current combat strength…”

The researcher spoke more and more fluently, with increasing confidence, no longer showing the timidity from the beginning.

But someone couldn’t listen anymore.

“Enough!” The middle-aged officer slammed the table hard. “You’re gambling with our next generation!”

This angry shout made the researcher close his mouth and plunged the venue into silence.

But the elderly man didn’t seem to want everyone to think too long. His slightly hoarse voice rang out, interrupting everyone’s thoughts.

Only the middle-aged officer kept his hands firmly pressed on the table, not saying a word.

He maintained his previous posture, sitting at the table for a long time…

After a moment, the elderly man was the first to break the silence, seriously asking the officer, “How high is the Relic possession rate among young soldiers now?”

“Much lower than in our time,” the officer answered reluctantly. “Most of them were born in Oasis City, had no chance to obtain Relics, and don’t have the boldness we had back then to rush into ruins when we saw them.”

“However, current equipment and weapons are much more sophisticated. Many problems that previously required Relics to solve can now be solved through technology. They’re also better than us old folks at using various high-tech weapons…”

No one spoke; everyone was silently weighing the options.

The elderly man listened to the officer’s explanation, nodded, and asked again, “Do you think having a Relic would increase their survival rate?”

Hearing this, the officer clenched his fists. He already roughly understood what the elderly man meant, and squeezed out words through gritted teeth, “Yes.”

The conference room fell into another long silence.

“Those who agree with the research institute’s suggestion, raise your hands.”

But the elderly man didn’t seem to want to let everyone consider too long. His slightly hoarse voice rang out, interrupting everyone’s thoughts.

After saying this, the elderly man himself raised his hand.

Seeing this situation, many people also slowly raised their hands.

The researcher had never sat down and, after looking around for a moment, also raised his hand.

He didn’t look at the people in the conference room, just kept his head down, quietly looking at the table surface, as if he had already expected the voting result.

“Good. The majority agrees. Starting from this year’s eruption period, we’ll let age-appropriate children enter the Wishing Fountain to obtain Relics. The research institute will take the lead on this matter. Detailed arrangements for follow-up will be arranged in new meetings…”

After the elderly man slowly finished giving instructions, he pulled out his chair, stood up, and left the conference room from behind the middle-aged officer.

“That’s all for today. Meeting adjourned.”

People in the conference room gradually walked out, leaving only the officer alone.

Mo Ling floated by the window, silently watching all of this.

“This should be ten years ago. The Wishing Fountain was decided to be opened in a high-level meeting like this, and the rule of children making wishes was also established at this time.”

“Old Xu’s life also began to change direction, persisting in this for ten years.”

Mo Ling felt somewhat wistful.

After watching this meeting that decided Oasis City’s fate, Mo Ling didn’t know who was right and who was wrong.

The elderly man, researcher, and officer were all thinking of Oasis City, but their thoughts and choices were completely different.

Seeing the officer’s performance, Mo Ling also understood why those soldiers all tacitly permitted Old Xu’s behavior and would even secretly protect Old Xu.

Mo Ling had originally thought that Oasis City’s leadership opening the Wishing Fountain was very poorly considered, but he didn’t expect they had also experienced the same struggle.

Oasis City’s comfort had to be supported by powerful strength, and Relics were the simplest way to obtain power.

“Comfort also requires a price.”

Mo Ling floated in mid-air, looking at Oasis City from ten years ago.

Oasis City at this time wasn’t as prosperous, with only a few towers and incomplete facilities.

The pedestrians on the road didn’t look as relaxed, most people had grave expressions and walked hurriedly.

Not only that, but some buildings were also under vigorous construction.

With limited vision, Mo Ling couldn’t see into the distance, but he could still feel that Oasis City at this time had a big gap compared to ten years later.

As Mo Ling observed, he saw another patch of curved rainbow light appear in the distance, the same as what he had passed through to get here.

“Can I go back by passing through there?” While thinking this, Mo Ling moved toward that rainbow light.

It was a familiar feeling again. After a dazzling flash, Mo Ling arrived above an earthen clearing.

“Where is this again?”

It seemed he had arrived at an even earlier time.

There were no towers here, no paved roads, no various facilities, only some simple buildings that looked like they were constructed from sheet metal.

Although these buildings were simple, they were all very clean and particularly well-organized.

There were no more pedestrians in suits, only some Hunters in old combat uniforms coming and going.

They either carried huge packs or held various tools, everyone very busy.

“This should be the earlier Oasis City, or rather when it was still the Oasis Monitoring Station,” Mo Ling quickly figured out the situation here.

He hadn’t expected the mirage vapor to be recreating virtual images from this period.

By now, he had experienced three eras, all connected by that kind of curved rainbow light. As long as you crossed the rainbow light, you could reach other eras.

“It seems mirage vapor in different areas recreates different eras.”

Perhaps the different concentrations of mirage vapor caused this result.

The strange airflow at the rainbow light boundaries was more like division caused by different concentrations.

“Doesn’t seem artificial.”

Mo Ling speculated that because Oasis City’s strange earthquakes erupted in small ranges, the mirage vapor produced would only cover areas near the ground fissures.

This resulted in completely different mirage vapor concentrations in different areas, presenting virtual images from different eras.

And at the boundaries between two streams of mirage vapor, that strange rainbow light formed, constantly mixed by airflow and unable to condense into virtual images.

Mo Ling flew toward a patch of rainbow light and began observing.

Although the rainbow light was very dazzling, through it Mo Ling could still see some mirage vapor constantly swirling within, which made him more certain of his hypothesis.

Just as Mo Ling was carefully observing, a white bird suddenly burst out from the rainbow light.

Charging straight toward the Cube.

Mo Ling was already very alert, and seeing this situation, was startled into directly throwing a can from the Cube to block the bird’s path.

But he hadn’t expected that this can from the future would actually hit the bird’s head…