I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 226

While marveling, Mo Ling also discovered that whether mermen or these pseudo-mermen, they all had very high trust in the ancient texts.

“Like some kind of behavioral guide.”

Initially, Mo Ling thought the Merman Ancient Texts only recorded some very rough things, like human history books, recording major events that had happened.

But since personally seeing those ancient texts, Mo Ling realized his understanding was biased.

Compared to “history books,” the Merman Ancient Texts were more like some kind of “diary,” recording past events in detail.

At the same time, this also increased their credibility.

“Nothing is more trustworthy than predecessors’ personal experiences.”

But normal people write “narrative essays” in their diaries, not “expository essays.”

Diaries are records one writes for oneself.

So no one would “teach” themselves.

Things like these wouldn’t appear in diaries.

For example, a diary might write “I used a key to open the door,” not “I used a key to open the door because the door lock’s mechanical structure is like this—latch, body, pull tab…” then conveniently draw a diagram.

This was also a kind of technical barrier, because these “principles” were just some kind of ignorable common sense in the recorder’s eyes.

“This is the limitation of literary forms.”

While possessing both authenticity and continuity, diaries would inevitably carry the recorder’s one-sidedness and subjectivity.

This was the price…

Li Luo on the side, after hearing Jeff’s explanation, looked thoughtful, her gaze at the sphere still somewhat confused.

“What are these spheres that trapped the Decay-eaters used for?”

“Arranging the Moon Altar,” Jeff said. “These spheres need to be placed in corresponding positions.”

“What’s the purpose?” Li Luo pressed.

Jeff shook his head, “I don’t know. The ancient texts only record how to arrange them, not the specific purpose.”

Hearing the conversation between Jeff and Li Luo, Mo Ling also realized the problem:

The Merman Ancient Texts were “diaries,” that’s right.

But they didn’t know why they operated this way.

“You don’t know the specific purpose, yet you still risk such great danger to arrange them?” Li Luo was somewhat surprised.

They actually risked so much for an arrangement of unknown purpose?

Jeff looked at the confused Li Luo, also picked up a sphere from the ground, and slowly explained, “It’s precisely because we don’t know the specific purpose that we must arrange everything in detail.”

“Because we can’t distinguish the function of components, we don’t know which are key parts and which only serve ‘aesthetic’ purposes, so we can’t make any reductions. Any seemingly minor link might be a crucial point.”

“Incomplete mastery of the technical system means we can only do this, use the stupid method, completely copy the entire chain without any simplification or omission.”

“Like you humans assembling machines, we’re just a group of assemblers who completely don’t understand component functions, assembling the ‘Moon Altar’ machine.”

“Moreover, this step is particularly complex, making it more likely to be a relatively important step.”

Jeff sighed helplessly.

To prevent accidents, they could only copy exactly without any modifications.

After Jeff finished speaking, Li Luo also nodded in understanding.

“How should these spheres be arranged?”

“Put them in the slots,” Jeff said, looking around and pointing to the center of a runic line in the distance, where there was a very hidden gap.

The runic lines looked very thin from a distance, but actually walking onto the Moon Altar, one discovered these runic lines were as wide as roads, with gaps hidden in the carved merman script.

That was exactly the eye position of a little small fry. If Jeff hadn’t specifically reminded them, no one would have thought that was a slot.

The gap was a inward-concave hemisphere, exactly matching the size of the Immortal Wood spheres.

“No wonder Immortal Wood had to be processed this way.”

Mo Ling had previously wondered why Immortal Wood had to be made into sphere shapes, wouldn’t sticks be better for hunting?

Or made into net pieces to throw directly into the sea.

Wouldn’t that be more efficient for catching Decay-eaters?

At this moment, the answer was right before his eyes—to pair with the slots.

The mermen had already arranged the next step.

“Can I place it now?” Li Luo asked curiously.

“Of course, try it.”

Getting an affirmative answer, Li Luo took the sphere and walked near that slot.

Then she crouched down and carefully placed the sphere inside.

The sphere smoothly rolled in, getting stuck in the groove. There seemed to be a strange suction force fixing the sphere in place.

When Li Luo tried to pull it out again, the sphere was already firmly embedded in the groove, motionless.

The little small fry on the runic line suddenly had eyes.

Suddenly, the fog stopped…

The sea breeze disappeared.

In an instant, the air near the little small fry suddenly solidified.

The rhythmic sound of waves also disappeared in that moment.

The spheres still rolling on the ground suddenly stopped.

Even the movements of everyone present suddenly became stiff.

…

Mo Ling had been staring at the slot. Seeing this eerie change, he immediately became nervous.

“What happened?”

He immediately rose higher, extending his vision as far as possible, covering the entire area.

“Everything stopped?”

Mo Ling saw a shocking scene. Within a spherical area of about fifty meters in diameter around the fish eye, all things had stopped moving.

Outside the spherical area was completely normal.

Whether objects or people, all were fixed within this space.

The only thing that could move within this spherical area was the Cube.

However, Mo Ling soon discovered another moving thing.

The runic lines!

The little small fry that had been “given eyes” began swimming in this solidified area!

It was real swimming, not an illusion!

The little small fry seemed to suddenly come alive, beginning to circle the entire spherical area along the interconnected merman script.

It was like a newborn life, curiously looking around, and would interact with the scenes in the merman script.

The little small fry jumping into the sea would splash water.

Drilling into fish schools, it would lead the schools running around.

Swimming to the moon, it would glow from the moon’s illumination.

It would also quickly flee from the sun, be chased by sharks, get stranded on land, bouncing and jumping to other characters…

However, these interactions only appeared within the spherical area.

Whenever reaching the edge of the spherical area, the little small fry seemed to hit a wall, unable to get out.

After swimming at the edge for a while and realizing it was blocked, the little small fry would swim back.

Then continue roaming in the runic lines…