I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 203

The familiar dents and scratches—Mo Ling was very familiar with the marks on the cola can. This was the one he had used many times to practice his abilities.

It was also the one he had asked the little sprite to help bring to the future.

But at this moment, this cola didn’t feel old at all, as if time had no effect on it whatsoever.

Although aluminum cans take 200 years to decompose, the cola inside should have dried up long ago, right?

Just as he was thinking this, the little sprite shook the cola can, and the sound of liquid sloshing actually came from inside.

“I treated your request as a wish and judged it successful, so I can fix the cola can’s state,” the little sprite explained, seeing Mo Ling’s confusion.

So that’s how it was. Mo Ling suddenly understood.

However, the little sprite’s next words startled Mo Ling.

“I helped you fulfill your wish. Now it’s time for you to pay the cost,” the little sprite said seriously.

Mo Ling was instantly stunned.

He hadn’t expected this to be waiting for him.

Seeing Mo Ling’s dazed expression, the little sprite finally couldn’t help but laugh, saying very happily, “Just kidding. There’s no cost. I just want to ask you for a small favor.”

Hearing this, Mo Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief, “You scared me. Tell me what it is—I should help.”

“Good.”

Seeing Mo Ling agree, the little sprite pointed to the crack that hadn’t disappeared yet, “I’ll enter this cola can later. Please help me take it over there.”

The little sprite handed the cola can back to Mo Ling.

Although it didn’t look heavy, Mo Ling felt it was quite weighty when he picked it up.

Mo Ling looked toward the crack and asked in confusion, “The ocean?”

“Yes, take it to the ocean. That’s the Abyss Third Layer,” the little sprite nodded in confirmation.

Mo Ling nodded.

Gripping the cola can, Mo Ling found a place where no one was around and flew toward the crack in the sky.

He was in this state and didn’t know how long he could maintain it, so he had to quickly complete the little sprite’s request.

“You can go in. I’ll take you over there.”

The little sprite gathered all the surrounding golden light onto itself.

At this time, the Spiral Turtle had vanished without a trace. It seemed to have long since drilled into the ocean. That crack was still continuously flowing with seawater, irrigating the desert.

It looked back reluctantly at the original fountain’s location, then dove straight into the cola.

“Let’s go,” came the little sprite’s thin voice from Mo Ling’s hand.

While flying, Mo Ling couldn’t help but ask the little sprite in the cola can, “Why do you want to go to the Abyss Third Layer?”

“Because the future of Oasis City doesn’t include me.”

The little sprite was silent for a long time before answering Mo Ling’s question.

Future?

“What do you mean?” Mo Ling asked in confusion.

“Although I can’t see my own future, I know that the future of the oasis doesn’t have a Wishing Fountain. This role has disappeared, which means I either died or went somewhere else.”

The little sprite seemed very dejected.

“Oasis City never needed me in the first place. The current me is just a Relic with endless troubles for them.”

Hearing this, Mo Ling instantly understood.

For Oasis City, the little sprite could only be considered an uncontrollable Relic. During this crisis, it had also “punished” many people.

Although there were reasons for it, everything was indeed done by the little sprite itself.

No one would know why the little sprite did this. No one would understand the little sprite’s “final wish” plan.

Except for Mo Ling.

After thinking it through, Mo Ling was speechless.

It was clearly a Relic that had silently saved Oasis City, but the little sprite might still bear infamy because of it.

The humans of Oasis City would definitely be unable to understand the little sprite’s actions, and the Wishing Fountain would never be opened again.

If the little sprite continued to stay in Oasis City, its best outcome would be eternal imprisonment.

The Spiral Turtle had flown away, but Oasis City’s crisis needed a conclusion.

The little boy was the hero who saved Oasis City.

But what about the demon king?

“People will praise heroes and despise demon kings. This is the destiny of stories,” the little sprite explained. “The simpler the story, the easier it is for people to remember.”

“And easier for the public to accept.”

“Rather than things like ‘final wishes’ or ‘everyone’s sacrifice’—those can’t resonate with people.”

“Compared to a hero who saved the world, a non-human who saved the world cannot be accepted.”

“I understand humans.”

Hearing these familiar-sounding words, Mo Ling seemed to think of something and couldn’t help asking, “The world is a story? The protagonist can only be human?”

But Mo Ling’s words made the little sprite freeze.

After a long while, the little sprite asked speechlessly:

“Are you from the Dream Sect?”

“…”

This conversation seemed familiar.

“Ahem, I’m not,” Mo Ling quickly denied. “It’s just that what you said is very similar to what someone I know once said.”

“But aren’t you being too absolute? Are humans really that shallow?” Mo Ling still couldn’t agree.

“This isn’t shallowness. This is humans’ racial characteristic, just like Shell People also have racial characteristics. This is an unchangeable fact.”

The little sprite changed the subject, “Only humans would believe the world is a story, because from humans’ perspective, the world is indeed story-like, changing according to time and space, with beginning, development, climax, and conclusion.”

“What about from non-humans’ perspective?” Mo Ling asked curiously.

“Just think about Li Xiangyi’s perspective. That’s a non-human perspective. The world is composed of abstract scenes, without time and space. That she can still maintain normal human behavior now is already very impressive,” the little sprite sighed.

Hearing this, Mo Ling also recalled Li Xiangyi’s behavior. He could only say it was a bit peculiar compared to normal people, but hadn’t completely departed from the normal range.

“Will she really continue to live normally in Oasis City?” Mo Ling still found it hard to believe.

“I don’t know. I can’t see what happens after,” the little sprite answered straightforwardly.

During their conversation, they had gotten closer and closer to the crack.

From a distance, this was just a “crack,” but coming close, this opening that could let the Spiral Turtle through was more like a “canyon” that tore through the sky.

Endless seawater flowed from it, pouring into the desert.

Although it looked like just an ordinary can of cola, Mo Ling knew its experiences were probably the richest among all colas.

“Get close to the upper edge of the crack. I should be able to get in from there,” the little sprite reminded him.

Mo Ling nodded and flew toward the upper part of the crack.

The edges of the crack were like broken glass shards, very smooth, with even some fine cracks extending to the surroundings.

Only when he got close did he realize how great the impact force of that seawater was.

Under water pressure, seawater shot out from the crack like a leaking water pipe.

Not only that, but those fine cracks were still slowly expanding.