I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 204

“Be careful,” the little sprite reminded.

Mo Ling approached the crack, but didn’t put the cola can in first. Instead, he first touched the edge of that water flow with his fingertip.

However, what greatly surprised him was that his finger could only feel the cool, icy water flow, with no impact sensation at all.

“What’s happening?”

He carefully placed his finger into the water flow, and it was the same feeling.

“No impact force?”

Mo Ling steeled himself and slowly put his hand into the turbulent seawater. The seawater seemed to hit a hard rock, split into two streams, and flowed around it.

But Mo Ling still felt no impact force.

His hand seemed fixed in the seawater.

This immediately reminded Mo Ling of those hard beds and shells in Dream Layer 0.

Why would it be like this?

In his amazement, Mo Ling walked directly into the seawater, using his body to split the water flow in half.

But his skin still felt no force, only the cool, icy sensation—that was the touch of seawater.

Even though it was such violent water flow, why was the sensation so calm?

Mo Ling flew toward the crack like this, even crossing over the crack and arriving in a patch of blue seawater.

He had actually come to the other side of the crack so easily.

Due to the crack’s existence, a rotating whirlpool appeared on the sea surface, with water flow converging toward the whirlpool’s center.

Mo Ling turned his head and could still see the sky on the other side of the crack.

The cola can was firmly gripped in Mo Ling’s hand and wasn’t washed away by the seawater either.

Sunlight shot down through the sea surface, making the seawater sparkle with waves.

Approaching the crack and seeing that turbulent seawater, Mo Ling had thought putting the cola can into the sea would be very difficult, but he had actually done it easily.

“Alright, you can open the cola can now,” the little sprite’s voice sounded very surprised. It probably hadn’t expected Mo Ling to succeed so easily either.

Mo Ling picked up the cola can, pulled open the tab, and let the dark cola inside flow into the ocean.

At the same time, a golden light also flew out following the overflowing cola.

The cola was quickly swept away by the water flow without a trace, leaving only that golden light, which spun in the air for a moment before transforming into a human shape.

The strangest thing was that this golden human figure also had a cube on its head, like a golden light replica of Mo Ling.

That human figure was actually very similar to Mo Ling, with a blurred form.

“How did you become like this?”

The little sprite spread its hands, “It’s our race’s characteristic. We take on the appearance of whoever releases us. The genie from Aladdin’s lamp also has a human appearance, doesn’t it?”

Hearing this, Mo Ling was startled, “The genie is also from your race?”

The little sprite nodded, “Yes, it’s much more capable than me. It can fulfill three wishes at once, and the cost is much simpler too.”

“It seems I don’t need to worry about you,” the little sprite also said in surprise.

Before Mo Ling could digest this shocking revelation, he saw the little sprite, which had already become humanoid, flying toward the crack.

“You should go back first. I’ll handle this crack,” the little sprite said to Mo Ling after observing the continuously expanding crack for a while.

“How do you plan to handle it?”

“Seal it up,” the little sprite said seriously. “If this crack continues to expand, it will affect Oasis City’s safety and might even impact the entire Abyss Second Layer.”

So that’s it. The little sprite having Mo Ling bring it to the sea was still for Oasis City.

“The protective wishes haven’t ended yet.”

The little sprite gently repeated someone’s wish:

“I like to drink beer alone on the rooftop, watching the brilliant starry sky, counting the stars in the heavens. The starry sky that people on Earth see should be exactly the same as what’s seen from the Abyss, right? I hope such relaxing days can happen often in the future.”

The little sprite looked at Mo Ling and said firmly, “As long as this crack exists, the starry sky the people of Oasis City see will be different from Earth’s.”

“This starry sky is also one of the objects of protection.”

“…”

After hearing this, the two cube heads looked at each other in silence.

For a long time.

Mo Ling nodded and flew toward the crack.

When passing by the little sprite, Mo Ling couldn’t help but ask, “How do you plan to seal this crack?”

“Don’t worry,” the little sprite said easily. “As long as a wish is made, nothing can’t be realized. This time I’ll do it personally.”

While speaking, it pointed out a beam of golden light with its hand, hitting the edge of the crack.

The struck crack instantly vanished.

Seeing this scene, Mo Ling nodded with relief.

“Aren’t you going back?”

“No, I should go search for my own wish.”

“Your own wish?” Mo Ling was somewhat puzzled.

“Yes,” the little sprite answered very seriously. “Do you remember I once asked you whether the future me was happy?”

Mo Ling thought about it. The little sprite had indeed asked this when he had just entered the historical virtual images and first encountered it.

“I figured it out later. Even if I turn others’ wishes into my own, I won’t be happy, because those are ultimately others’ wishes.”

“The process of fulfilling wishes is also part of the wish.”

“Since I became conscious, I’ve always lived for others’ wishes, continuing the obsessions in others’ hearts. Essentially speaking, I’m no different from Shell People.”

“Salvation, protection, love… these are all others’ obsessions. These wishes gave me so-called ‘independent thought,’ but I’m actually just a ‘collective wish.'”

“My actions are all choices made under the guidance of this false ‘independent thought.’ While I manipulate wishes, I’m also trapped by them.”

“This is my cost.”

“An inescapable cost.”

The little sprite looked at Mo Ling and said with utmost seriousness:

“I want to try abandoning these wishes that trap me, removing all the obsessions I’ve already fallen deep into.”

“Breaking free from this prison called wishes.”

“After that, I’ll find my own wish.”

“Then, fulfill it.”

Listening to the little sprite’s words, Mo Ling’s heart was already extremely shocked.

What would a wish-granting race that abandoned wishes ultimately become?

He couldn’t imagine…

With countless thoughts, it ultimately turned into a single blessing, “I hope you can succeed.”

“Thank you.”

The little sprite raised its hand, seemingly wanting to high-five Mo Ling.

Mo Ling was stunned for a moment, then slapped his hand up, but hit nothing.

His palm passed through the golden light without any sensation.

“Clap!”

The little sprite jokingly provided a sound effect and waved goodbye to Mo Ling.

Both cube heads looked at each other, then turned and passed by each other.

“See you in the future.”

“See you in the future…”

Mo Ling crossed the crack again, following the water flow back into the sky.

Looking back.

On the other side of the crack, golden light flickered. Golden threads spread to the crack’s edges and began repairing.

That enormous crack began to contract visibly, and the gushing water flow became less and less.

Soon, the crack had become very small, and the sharp edges like broken glass had also become smooth.

Golden light flickered at the crack’s edges, but the repair speed also began to slow at this point, as if the smaller the crack became, the harder it was to mend.

Finally, the crack stuck at a strange shape.

That was an… olive.

The water flow seemed blocked by some force and no longer seeped out.

Just like that, a blue olive with golden-glowing edges floated in the air.

Within the olive, blue waves rippled.

In a trance, Mo Ling seemed to see through this blue olive an endless ocean, with countless marine creatures wandering within.

Swimming farther and farther, piercing through the wave light.

Swimming toward the boundless universe…