I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 42

“This is a disaster for the entire Transparent Tribe, a disaster for the whole world!” the elder said passionately.

The soldier could only patiently explain, “They won’t fill the world. Dead creatures become nutrients and enter the natural cycle, whether they’re Transparent Tribe or Flesh Tribe.”

But the elder refused to believe it, angrily retorting, “You Flesh Tribe just don’t understand. You’re undying things yourselves, so you defend yourselves.”

“Our tribe has tried for generations to solve this, making countless efforts.”

“At first, our prophet tried to reconcile with the Flesh Tribe, but they didn’t care, just slaughtered us and ignored the disaster.”

“After so many years, we gave up on reconciliation. Only by fighting and driving out the Flesh Tribe can we save the world.”

The elder grew more and more agitated.

The soldier spread his hands at his companions, indicating he couldn’t communicate.

Then the elder apologized to Captain Su, “Sorry, I got emotional. It wasn’t directed at you.”

“The Flesh Tribe here have fought us for so long, I can’t help but lose my temper when talking about this.”

Captain Su waved it off as no problem.

Mo Ling felt the same as the soldier: helpless and amused.

“That prophet really was something, coming up with such a disaster scenario. What a charlatan.”

The more Mo Ling thought about it, the more he felt the Transparent Tribe were truly ignorant.

Even the always expressionless Li Luo puffed her cheeks, unable to hide her smile.

Before long, the group reached an area full of giant mushrooms, the caps glowing faint blue.

“We’re almost there,” the elder said excitedly, unconsciously picking up the pace.

Within the mushroom forest, all kinds of man-made structures appeared, mostly stone.

Small, haphazardly placed fields were fenced in, growing stunted crops.

There were also short, conical stone piles made from identical pebbles.

These piles clustered together, like ritual objects.

“What are those?” a soldier asked the Transparent Tribe elder.

“Those are gravestones,” the elder explained.

The soldier was puzzled. “Don’t you turn into water when you die? Why do you need gravestones?”

But the Transparent Tribe’s actions soon explained the gravestones.

They went to the stone piles, dug a pit, and put in weapons and clothes stained with their people’s liquid.

Then they gathered matching pebbles and smashed them into the pit with force.

They did this angrily, not like honoring ancestors, but like attacking enemies.

More and more pebbles were thrown, eventually forming a pile.

Not only that, but they smashed leftover pebbles onto the existing gravestones.

After one person finished, others would come and continue smashing.

This funerary culture left everyone stunned.

When only the last pebble remained, the Transparent Tribe formed a circle, each holding a pebble, standing around the pile, closing their eyes and reciting:

“Transparency born of the gods, souls born of heaven and earth.

Break undying wood into curved bows.

Forge undying thorns into daggers.

Weave undying skin into armor.

Shape undying bone into blades.

Drive out undying things.

Erase undying souls.

The transparent body disperses, endless memory endures.”

……

After the eulogy, they all smashed the last pebble onto the pile.

The ritual was complete.

The stone landed firmly, forming a perfect conical pile.

After watching the Transparent Tribe’s funeral, Mo Ling finally understood.

Their weapons and clothes were made from what they called “undying things.”

So this strange funerary culture only arose after the Flesh Tribe arrived in this world.

“I never expected the Flesh Tribe’s influence on their culture to be so deep.”

But because of their ignorance, the influence seemed almost comical.

After the funeral, the elder led the human team deeper in.

The stone buildings grew more numerous, built beside giant mushrooms, and the architecture became more ornate.

At first, it was simple stone houses of irregular blocks. Later, they saw tall buildings of worked stone bricks.

Finally, there was even a temple like the Parthenon.

The temple was supported by tall columns, with a double-sloped roof and triangular pediments at both ends, adorned with exquisite carvings.

Not long after seeing the temple, shouting came from ahead.

“Not good! The Flesh Tribe might be invading!”

Sure enough, inside the village, two groups were fighting fiercely.

One side was the familiar Transparent Tribe.

The other was a race of towering people.

They looked like demons from Earth mythology, with horns, wings, over two meters tall, and incredibly strong.

Their skin was bright red, with magma-like glowing lines, and they wore rough clothing.

These demons were extremely powerful, easily handling the Transparent Tribe’s attacks, full of fighting spirit as they swung their weapons.

Even arrows from the Transparent Tribe were batted away with a flap of their wings; the arrowheads couldn’t even pierce their skin.

The Transparent Tribe with the group quickly joined the battle.

Captain Su raised his hand, signaling everyone to hold position.

Mo Ling piloted the cube closer to the battlefield, observing from above.

A figure who seemed to be the leader, dressed in ornate clothing and covered in mysterious runes, stood atop a giant stone and shouted,

“The Flesh Tribe are too much! Our living space is already so small, and now you come to oppress us! You even attack our village-what do you want?”

Below, a demon retorted, “What do you mean, attack your village? We just came to talk, but as soon as we arrived, the Transparent Tribe ambushed us. You attacked us first!”

“Enough talk! Hand over the Flesh Tribe people you’ve captured. Don’t stall for time, or your village won’t survive.”

Hearing this, the Transparent Tribe leader shook with anger. “We haven’t captured any of your people!”

Neither side would back down. Even as they fought, they kept arguing.