I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 239

Calling it a village wasn’t quite accurate.

This was more like a natural forest formed by countless intertwined trees.

The branches and trunks of the trees had strangely fused together, interlocking and supporting each other. The junctions formed various passages that, though naturally formed, bore traces of artificial interference.

The pitch-black tree holes interconnected like an ant nest, winding and turning toward the forest depths, with no knowing where the other exits were.

The mermen’s arrival quickly attracted the attention of the creatures in those tree holes. They jumped down from the tree holes one after another, curiously gathering beside the fish swarm.

A tree root flew toward Jeff. The mermen were on high alert, with components flying up one by one, vigilantly aiming at the tree root.

But Jeff didn’t mind. After calling off the others, he allowed the tree root to coil around his body.

The tree root dispersed into tiny tendrils, drilling into Jeff’s body surface. Jeff also controlled his armor to separate, leaving gaps for the tree root to slowly enter.

“Who are you?”

When the tree root made contact with Jeff’s skin, a clear voice resonated through Jeff’s armor, echoing throughout the entire fish swarm.

After a while, another voice began transmitting through the fish swarm, it was some merman researcher’s explanation, “They used a consciousness communication method. The principle is unknown. Currently, it appears harmless and we can attempt to respond.”

Jeff didn’t answer but waited for something.

After receiving the report, Jeff began responding to the voice in the tree root.

“We are the mermen race.”

“What are you doing on our island?” The voice in the tree root was very vigilant, after all, the mermen’s commotion was simply too great.

“We’ve come seeking the method of immortality,” Jeff answered calmly.

“Immortality?” The voice was very surprised. “Did humans tell you about this?”

“Yes,” Jeff confirmed.

“We’re here to seek the method of immortality.”

Then Jeff began recounting the mermen race’s predicament without reservation…

“Maybe by breaking the limitations of lifespan, we can break the racial lock.”

“The so] called costs, the mermen race already has many.”

“We’ve tried all kinds of Relics, sacrificed many compatriots. They’d rather try those seemingly hopeless Relics than be forever trapped.”

“This time we’ve come to find the method of immortality, regardless of the cost.”

Jeff’s tone was firm and unquestionable.

After saying everything, he quietly waited for the response transmitted through the tree root.

But the tree root remained silent for a long time, seemingly digesting Jeff’s words.

After a long while, that voice finally came again.

“I’m sorry, we cannot say.”

“The Chali tribe will always guard immortality, not because it’s some treasure, but because the cost of immortality is too severe. Other races cannot bear it. For other races, this is more like a curse.”

“The mermen’s lock must be unlocked by yourselves. There is no key you want on this island.”

At these words, the entire fish swarm fell silent, the atmosphere becoming subtle.

“Whether the key fits the lock must be tested personally,” Jeff said slowly.

His tone carried a hint of warning.

The mermen race had never intended to negotiate from the beginning. Their attitude had always been tough.

Laying out their race’s crisis completely, if they were willing to help, everything would be fine. If they refused…

“There is no key here.”

After being refused again, the entire fish swarm stopped talking. The flying components around quickly circled, enveloping the entire forest.

When these dense black components floated into the sky, the mermen race’s power was truly displayed.

Jeff spoke again at this moment.

“What is… the method of immortality?”

Not dragging things out at all.

“You cannot bear it…”

Before the words were finished, a needle-like flying component flickered with red radiance, shuttling into the middle of the Chali tribe crowd and piercing through a villager’s body.

Before the villager could react, the wound emitted intense heat, instantly burning his body to ashes.

“What is the method of immortality?”

Jeff asked again.

No one answered.

So the reddening component again took a villager’s life.

“Does anyone want to answer?”

Jeff surveyed the Chali tribe members.

Only then did these Chali tribe members realize what was happening. The component’s attack came too quickly. They stared blankly at their companion burned to ashes, the tree roots on their bodies dancing about in fear as they scattered and fled.

The tree root entwined around Jeff quickly contracted, seemingly wanting to crush Jeff, but the tree root had no effect on the armor at all.

The glowing components formed a honeycomb-shaped protective shield composed of hexagons, protecting Jeff tightly.

“Capture them all.”

At Jeff’s command, the mermen behind him sprang into action.

In the blink of an eye, components and armor flew together throughout the forest. The Chali tribe couldn’t escape at all, being caught one by one by components and brought before Jeff.

“What is the method of immortality?”

The calm words fell again, but all the Chali tribe members knew this was death’s trumpet.

Red light flashed again, and a Chali tribe member quickly turned to ashes.

But they still kept their mouths tightly shut, no one willing to answer.

Seeing that these Chali tribe members weren’t falling for this approach, Jeff changed his rhetoric:

“If you tell us the method of immortality, the cost will also be borne by us mermen. This has nothing to do with you to begin with. Why bother?”

But his persuasion still didn’t make these Chali tribe members submit.

They were suppressed by components, kneeling on the ground, faces full of anger, tightly closing their mouths.

Seeing this situation, Jeff could only instruct within the fish swarm, “Use cognitive alteration…”

“Wait!” Just as Jeff was about to use other methods, an urgent call interrupted his words.

It was Bai Zhou, shouting from within his armor, “Let me try! I have a way to make them talk!”

His expression was extremely anxious, struggling desperately to break free from the armor.

Jeff noticed his strange behavior and controlled his armor to bring him forward.

“You have a method?”

“Yes! Give me control permissions for the armor!”

“Fine.”

Jeff didn’t seem to mind Bai Zhou’s strange behavior at this moment, nor was he worried about him causing any trouble.

With the overall situation in hand, he just looked at Bai Zhou indifferently and casually completely lifted the restrictions on Bai Zhou’s armor.

After sensing he could move freely, Bai Zhou controlled his armor and quickly began searching among the Chali tribe members kneeling on the ground.

His expression was both anxious and worried, his eyes reddening, even his movements somewhat trembling.

He stopped for a while in front of each Chali tribe member, lifting their faces to look carefully.

When he saw those dying Chali tribe members lying on the ground, he couldn’t bear to look and turned his head to another direction.

Finally, when Bai Zhou saw a Chali tribe member kneeling in the corner, he stopped in his tracks.

He tremblingly reached out his hands, cupping that Chali tribe member’s face. Immediately, tears burst from his eyes, then were quickly stopped by him.

His legs trembling, he also learned that Chali tribe member’s posture and slowly knelt down.

As if making a great resolution, Bai Zhou controlled his facial armor to slowly open. His gaze instantly intertwined with the Chali tribe member before him.

The tree roots on the Chali tribe member’s body also took the opportunity to coil around Bai Zhou’s neck.

In their gaze, the anger in that Chali tribe member’s eyes slowly turned to shock, pupils trembling.

“Master?”