I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 333: Chapter 330: Lamp-Mending ”Person

’There are non-human creatures on Hell Island?’

The appearance of the Lamp Repairer from under the sheet truly surprised Mo Ling.

It was a short, humanoid creature composed of densely packed feathers. The feathers were messy and pitch-black. Beneath them was a layer of fine, soft-looking down.

’A humanoid black swan?’

For some reason, that thought surfaced in Mo Ling’s mind.

’What on earth is this creature? Or were they originally human and just... turned into this?’

Puzzled, Mo Ling immediately went to check the appearance of the other Lamp Repairers. As expected, they were all these strange ”feather people.”

Not only that, but Mo Ling couldn’t figure out where they were pulling the black stones from.

It seemed these feather people just had to place a hand on their bodies and rub, and a black stone would suddenly appear.

After stuffing the stone into a crack in the building, the Lamp Repairer would vanish. The stone would then slowly expand, repairing the entire crack until it merged seamlessly with the wall, leaving no trace.

’Lamp Repairers... those stones must be the source of the white light. The ’lamps’.’

At this thought, a wave of curiosity washed over Mo Ling.

Seizing the moment after a Lamp Repairer vanished and before the crack had sealed, Mo Ling sent a stone, along with a piece of the wall, into the Block.

The piece of wall quickly disappeared, but the stone remained.

Seeing that the stone hadn’t vanished, Mo Ling was instantly thrilled.

He had a faint guess about the rules on Hell Island. It seemed these black objects were all vessels for memories.

’If I’m not mistaken, this black stone is also someone’s memory.’

’I just don’t know if this is a human’s memory...’

Mo Ling hesitated for a moment, but still walked over and picked up the stone.

His vision blurred.

Mo Ling seemed to see countless feathers falling. They stuck together tightly, overlapping in layer after layer. One covered another, forming spiraling vortexes that spun like a storm, sweeping his consciousness into their midst.

...

”Slave 500! What are you spacing out for?! Get back to work!”

A sharp pain struck him. The owner of the memory turned his head to see a tall, ferocious creature standing behind him, shouting in a strange language and holding a glowing whip.

”Yes, sir. Right away.”

”Less talk, more work!” The tall creature raised its whip again.

Seeing this, the slave had no choice but to flee and throw himself back into his work.

’Sigh... when will this ever end.’

The slave reached into his pure-white feathers, pulled out a white stone, and laid it on the muddy ground before him.

He looked up. The muddy ground stretched out before him, endless and vast.

He looked back. The ground behind him was already completely paved with white stones, without a single gap in sight.

The slave turned to a companion paving the path beside him and whispered, ”How long do we have to keep paving? Are we supposed to cover this whole island?”

The companion glanced behind him. Seeing the overseer was gone, he replied cautiously, ”I heard it’s more than just this. This is only the first step.”

The companion looked at the slave and asked, ”You’re new here, aren’t you?”

The slave nodded. ”Yeah. They just caught me.”

The companion sighed. ”Just keep paving, nice and slow. Slack off when you can, just don’t get caught. They say they’ll let us go when we’re done.”

”What do they even want to do? Why do they need so many of these white light stones?”

”I don’t know. I heard they’re trying to seal something.”

Hearing this, the slave was instantly terrified.

”Seal what?”

”I don’t know. I just overheard an overseer mention it during some idle chatter. He said our white light stones have a suppressive effect on that thing. That’s all I know.”

As he spoke, the companion glanced to the side.

”The overseer’s coming! Quick, get back to work!” he whispered as a warning.

At that, the slave quickly turned back to his work and continued paving the road.

But his mind was still racing.

’Something that needs white light stones to be suppressed? Since when did our useless rocks have that kind of power?’

Lost in his confusion, he pulled another stone from his feathers and tossed it onto the ground.

But his casual action enraged the overseer behind him, who lashed out again with the whip.

”Pay attention! Pack the stones down tight! No gaps!”

The whip sent the slave sprawling to the ground.

Enduring the searing pain, he could only agree repeatedly.

”I know, I know, sir...”

He lay on the ground in agony. The feathers on his back had been torn off by the blow and now drifted down in front of him. Feathers that were once pristine and smooth had been sheared off at the root, blending in with the pure white ground.

”Sir, he’s new and a bit clumsy. Let me teach him,” the companion said, unable to bear it. He drew closer, trying to plead for him.

But all he got in return was an even fiercer lash from the overseer’s whip. It struck him across the face, carving a deep gash through his smooth feathers.

”So much damn chatter! Just do your work, why all the talking?! Got too much free time on your hands?”

After speaking, he glared viciously at the two of them, raised his whip again, and brought it down on the companion who was already on the ground.

”Work hard! No slacking!”

With that final threat, he turned and walked away.

Seeing the overseer move away, the slave forgot the pain in his own back and struggled to crawl toward his companion.

”Are you okay?”

The slave shook his companion’s body, but there was no reaction at all. He just lay there quietly on the ground.

”Wake up! What’s wrong with you?” The slave had never seen anything like this before and began to panic.

The other kinsmen in the distance looked over, their eyes filled with fear and pity, but they didn’t dare stop their work. In fact, their pace quickened.

”Can someone help him?” the slave pleaded, at a loss as he continued to shake his companion. But everyone else went on with their work as if nothing had happened.

The other overseers glanced in their direction, then turned away as if nothing was wrong.

No one paid them any mind.

On the edge of the pure white expanse, the slave held his companion’s body, rocking it for a long time, so long that he no longer felt the pain in his own back.

”Are you okay...?” he asked, his voice choked with sobs.

But his companion still lay quietly, without a single response.

A light breeze blew across the island, rustling the companion’s messy, filthy feathers.

The slave’s voice grew hoarse until he had no strength left to shout.

He carefully smoothed out the marks left by the whip on his companion’s body, gently tidying his feathers until they were neat.

”If you’re really tired, then... just get some sleep.”

The slave took a white light stone from his chest and placed it beside his companion. A white glow instantly flared, gently caressing the soft feathers.

”Good night.”