I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 217

Inside the ancient-style wooden house, a hunched and withered old merman sat at a table, earnestly reading a wooden book in his hands.

The surface of this wooden book also had a strange oil shine, looking like it had been waxed, very new.

Dense merman text was carved on the book, crooked and twisted, like little small fry of different degrees of curvature. Some little small fry also had decorations similar to horizontal, vertical, left-falling, and right-falling strokes beside them.

Mo Ling looked at this peculiar writing and just felt a bit dizzy.

After closing his eyes, those little small fry seemed to remain before his eyes, swimming around on his eyelids.

One little small fry curled into a ball, drilling out from under a “horizontal” stroke, coming into the empty book. Light in the shape of “left-falling and right-falling” strokes fell along the book, sprinkling into the dark carved grooves.

“This is…”

“Moon?”

For some reason, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in Mo Ling’s mind, and he understood the meaning of this peculiar writing at once.

“This means ‘moon.'”

Looking at other characters, there would also be this little small fry.

The little small fry was like a witness, watching everything on Merman Island head toward destruction:

Creatures turned to bones.

Rocks turned to mud.

Civilization became dregs.

Life dissolved in the fog sea.

…

This was the consequence after fog spread. The Merman Ancient Texts didn’t describe it very exaggeratedly, just plainly narrating all this, then calmly and patiently explaining the holding of the Sea Moon Ceremony.

There was one little small fry wandering among the characters. It seemed this little small fry had always been experiencing the scenes within these characters, like a comic—this little small fry was the protagonist, always present in the scenes.

This comic-like writing form actually didn’t affect the original meaning expression, but instead made the scenes more vivid and lifelike.

Only by looking at these characters would the character meanings transform into scenes, automatically playing in the mind, simple and clever.

Without realizing it, Mo Ling had become immersed in the scenes of this wooden book, following that little small fry wandering among various characters, watching the scenes in the book continuously appear around him.

Too marvelous.

This Merman Ancient Text’s immersion was too strong. Every merman who could understand it would definitely project themselves into the little small fry within, personally experiencing a death adventure.

Looking ahead, there was a group of little small fry gathered together in a circle, with a “horizontal” stroke in the center and a “vertical” stroke reaching to the sky above the “horizontal.”

Looking at this symbol, Mo Ling had another flash of inspiration and understood what it expressed.

“This is… sea!”

Looking toward other characters, Mo Ling continued looking at the book.

“This is about the Sea Moon Ceremony records.”

“Fog spreads, all things decay.”

That was two little small fry biting each other’s heads and tails. They bit each other’s tails and wouldn’t separate no matter what, forming an olive-like shape.

In merman writing, this meant “sacrifice” and “ritual.”

“Sea… moon… ceremony…”

Three intersecting merman characters crossed together. Their scenes weren’t separated, but had a marvelous connection between them.

Regarding how to hold the Sea Moon Ceremony, the ancient text also explained it in an “experiential” way, as if this had actually happened before, incredibly real.

Just like that little small fry, just a lofty witness.

Having personally experienced it, yet completely isolated from the world.

“Who exactly wrote this?” After reading the Sea Moon Ceremony records, Mo Ling only had this question in his mind.

It seemed like the ancient text’s author had personally witnessed that scene of destruction.

And had also personally seen the sea moon rise and dispel the fog.

Had Merman Island really been destroyed by fog before?

But wasn’t Merman Island still existing just fine?

Mo Ling had originally thought that mermen civilization wasn’t advanced, and this “Merman Calendar” might just be a mystical folk book, adding some subjective personal views based on natural laws, then mixing in various fabricated supernatural nonsense, all jumbled together.

But now it seemed like this was like a diary?

A diary without time, purely for recording the author’s personal experiences.

This also explained why later mermen who saw this book would have such strong identification.

What could be more real than a diary?

Just seeing this book, Mo Ling as an outsider had already started wild speculation, half-believing and half-doubting the Sea Moon Ceremony, let alone the native mermen.

At this time, the old merman was still earnestly reading the “Merman Calendar” in his hands, not noticing the two visitors.

It wasn’t until Jeff spoke up to remind him that the old merman came back to his senses.

“Great Chieftain, I’m back. The captain had me bring you a case of alcohol.”

The old merman’s eyes were somewhat cloudy. Seeing the alcohol in Jeff’s hands, he tremblingly put down the ancient text in his hands.

He slowly stood up from his chair and walked to Jeff’s front, his movements somewhat sluggish.

“Well done, Jeff.” Strange and twisted merman language floated from his mouth, but compared to Jeff’s full-bodied voice, this Great Chieftain’s voice was very hoarse and weak.

Just then, Mo Ling realized a strange problem, “Why can I understand merman language?”

When they first came ashore, he clearly couldn’t understand those mermen’s language.

But now he could completely understand it, without any obscurity.

“When did it start?”

His vision slid toward the Merman Ancient Text on the table. Mo Ling was somewhat surprised, “Is it because of this book?”

Could this book also have the function of making people learn merman language?

After thinking for a moment, Mo Ling felt it wasn’t that simple.

“Maybe it’s because of the Cube.”

When he was in Oasis City before, he could also understand Shell People’s language.

However, regardless of why he could understand it, having no language barrier was always a good thing.

Li Luo on the side saw Jeff and the Great Chieftain chattering away, so she took out a translation device from her bag and wore it by her ear.

“Are all the goods stored properly?” the Great Chieftain asked.

“Stored properly. Tomorrow we’ll transport them to the Moon Altar.”

“Good.” The Great Chieftain obviously trusted Jeff very much and didn’t ask more, but looked toward Li Luo on the side, “This human friend, what brings you to visit the mermen village?”

His tone was very gentle.

Hearing the Great Chieftain’s words, Li Luo repeated her desire to take a ship.

However, after learning of Li Luo’s intention, the Great Chieftain apologetically shook his head.

“I’m really sorry, friend. The other side of Merman Island has many reefs. Because of the spreading fog and the long distance, human ferries have all suspended service, no one dares to come.”

The Great Chieftain sighed, “That’s why all our recent trades go to Glass Island, but very few ships are willing to come.”

He carefully took the alcohol from Jeff’s hands and placed it on the table.

Li Luo was very surprised to hear such news and froze in place.

But the Great Chieftain’s next words were good news:

“The Sea Moon Ceremony is coming soon. After the Sea Moon Ceremony ends, the fog will disperse and navigation will resume. If you don’t mind, please stay in the village for a while.”