I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 367: Chapter 364: Pure White Hub

The Feathered Ones were buried within the pure white island they had built with their own hands.

Their lives became the energy that sparked Paradise Island’s activation, and their souls sank into its core, becoming its main control program.

Paradise ran perfectly, without a single error. After the battle for Paradise Island, the Hell Beasts were sealed away in their cage.

One by one, the races on the island departed.

Upon returning to their homelands, they would speak of Paradise Island’s pure white splendor. They would vividly recount the magnificence of the great war, telling of the noble cause that united all races, who set aside their hatreds to fight as one. They would sigh with relief that the long war in the abyss was finally over, that civilization could at last enjoy a long-awaited peace and develop in tranquility.

But no one would remember the Feathered Ones, who had squatted on the ground, laying the stones for the entirety of Paradise Island, one by one.

History only records the great battles and mighty heroes. It doesn’t write about the ”unimportant” things.

Compared to a story about piling up stones, people would rather hear about some hero’s struggle against the Hell Beasts—a tale full of twists and turns, fraught with peril...

Peace was hard-won, and everyone looked toward that bright future.

But on Paradise Island, white feathers piled high. A lonely figure of light sat in a vast ocean, no longer able to remember its own origins...

...

The figure of light murmured on, recounting all of this to Li Luo.

Its voice was devoid of emotion, like an observer softly telling a story that did not belong to ”them.”

Li Luo listened quietly until the figure of light gradually fell silent.

”What is your name?” she asked the figure of light softly.

”Slave 500,” the figure of light answered quietly, its head lowered. ”I’ve forgotten everything else...”

Whenever it tried to recall the past, its body flickered, and the luminous patterns on its feathers grew faint and indistinct.

Li Luo sighed. She decided not to press the figure of light about its past any longer.

She lifted her head and looked at the white sky.

”I have finished bearing witness. I have no more questions.”

Li Luo didn’t know what to say. As she saw it, everything about this island was a tragedy.

However, there was one more thing that concerned her.

”The robots on the island... after they become Guardians, are they also converted into white light-stone energy to sustain Paradise Island?”

”Yes,” the figure of light replied.

”Why... why would they do that?”

Li Luo asked, confused. ’Could it really just be to protect humans?’

...

”Yeah, why would you do that?”

Meanwhile, in another part of the central core, Mo Ling, whose head had turned into a Block, posed the question to the Terminal beside him.

After falling into the ”well,” his head had changed into a Block, and he had landed among a sea of feathers. However, this place didn’t seem to be the same one Li Luo had fallen into. The Terminal had also conveniently landed right next to him.

This was the very center of the core. Countless feathers drifted in the air, projecting scenes from various locations within.

That was how Mo Ling had been able to watch the conversation between Li Luo and the figure of light.

”To wait for a future that can be changed.”

The Terminal answered Mo Ling’s question.

Ever since landing in the core, the Terminal had been studying Mo Ling’s Block head, seeming quite interested in his current form.

”A future that can be changed? What’s that?” Mo Ling paid no mind to the Terminal’s scrutinizing gaze and pressed on.

”A future where both humans and robots can escape the influence of Paradise Island,” the Terminal explained.

”As robots, we will do everything in our power to protect humanity. That’s why I proposed this deal to Paradise Island. This way, when the island runs low on energy, it will prioritize converting the robots on the island, ensuring the safety of the humans.”

”But this is ultimately just a stopgap measure. The true key... is you.”

”Me?” Mo Ling asked, pointing to himself in confusion.

”Yes. You can change the future,” the Terminal said with certainty. ”You will find a way to save everyone on this island.”

Hearing the Terminal’s confident words, Mo Ling was stunned.

”Are you that sure I can save everyone on the island? Is that the future you saw, too?”

The Terminal shook its head. ”The reason I’m so sure is precisely because I *can’t* see it.”

It stepped across the feathers and came to stand before Mo Ling.

Then, it slowly bent its towering frame, placing a mechanical arm on Mo Ling’s shoulder.

”I formally request that you save everything on Paradise Island.”

Seeing the Terminal suddenly become so solemn, Mo Ling’s mind went blank.

”I...”

For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond and could only stare blankly at the Terminal.

”Can’t Si Yang do anything? Isn’t it the chief architect?”

”No. It only has operational authority, not the authority to shut it down. Not even the main control program can stop this conversion. It’s part of Paradise Island’s ’survival’ instinct. The island wants to exist forever, just as a human cannot stop their own heart from beating.”

”Then what am I supposed to do?” Mo Ling asked, lost.

”I don’t know.” The Terminal shook its head. ”You should think of something yourself, just like you once called out my name.”

”It was only when I first learned your name that I realized the future could be changed.”

”Originally, a ’Terminal’ was never supposed to appear on Paradise Island. But because of your name, an extra piece of information was generated during the current induction, which allowed ’Terminal’ to be reborn.”

”And it is precisely because of the appearance of ’Terminal’ that this deal between the robots and Paradise Island exists, delaying the conversion of the humans on the island.”

”The name ’Terminal’ should have vanished into history long ago. It was you who pulled me back out, allowing a new story to be told.”

”Do you understand? I should have been a nonexistent character. There was no ’me’ in the future. But a single sentence from you changed everything.”

”Into the dark future long ordained by the gods, you tossed a wild, burning fire.”

”That one sentence was the spark that set the whole night ablaze.”

”But the night is not yet over. We need a new flame—a fire that can burn through the entire future and send everything into chaos.”

The Terminal spoke to Mo Ling with great earnestness. Although its words were confusing, Mo Ling could still feel its desperate longing.

”A flame?”

”Yes, a flame,” the Terminal affirmed.

Mo Ling looked at his own hands.

He had never thought there was anything special about himself. If they were talking about fire, the arsonists on Hell Island were far more impressive than him.

The Terminal had said so much, yet it hadn’t told him exactly what he was supposed to do.

But it seemed the Terminal had left the choice to him, wanting him to decide for himself how to resolve the island’s crisis.

Mo Ling began to ponder as well.

But after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t come up with a solution.

Finally, he could only venture a suggestion:

”How about... we try dismantling Paradise Island?”