I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 441: Chapter 438: The God Leaves, the Tea Cools

”Let me pour you another cup.”

Old Xu took the Waterman’s cup and poured the clear water inside out onto the ground.

The Waterman stared blankly as the water seeped into the courtyard soil, seemingly wanting to take it back, yet feeling helpless.

Old Xu picked up the teapot and refilled the Waterman’s cup.

Black tea leaves rushed from the spout into the cup, swirling in the water for a moment before settling at the bottom.

The Waterman said nothing, simply watching the scalding tea.

It seemed to understand now.

As Old Xu poured, he said softly, ”You can’t have tea without tea leaves. It’s those dregs, as ugly as they look, that make the tea rich, fragrant, and flavorful.”

Listening to Old Xu’s meaningful words, the Waterman nodded lightly.

It, a former god, was now like an obedient student, listening to Old Xu’s lesson.

”No one has ever taught me this before.”

”Is that so? Where are you from?” Old Xu asked curiously, taking the opportunity to inquire about this unknown visitor’s identity.

”From the third layer.” The Waterman’s answer was brief, not going into detail.

”The third layer is quite beautiful,” Old Xu praised.

”It is very beautiful.” The Waterman’s gaze returned to the teacup. The leaves had settled again, and a faint wisp of white steam drifted into the air.

The Waterman reached out, trying to grasp the white steam, but it couldn’t be caught.

The steam drifted upward, past the tall buildings of Oasis City, and rose toward the sky.

Surrounded by the tall buildings, the Waterman also looked up at the sky, at the single beam of light.

”I have to go.”

”Finish your tea before you leave,” Old Xu said, pointing to the cup.

”No.”

The Waterman gently caressed the cup for a moment, then carefully pushed it away from the edge of the table.

”Thank you,” it suddenly said to Old Xu.

”It’s nothing,” Old Xu waved his hand dismissively.

The Waterman smiled at him, then dissolved into a stream of water, rising into the sky and following the wisp of steam to some unknown destination...

...

”It never drank the tea,” Old Xu pointed at the cup on the table, which had already grown cool.

”Just what is that thing?”

Although Old Xu had remained calm while dealing with the Waterman, the drastic fluctuations in the danger level had kept him on edge the entire time.

Hearing Old Xu’s question, an image of the Waterman began to appear on the blue Olive. Old Xu quickly took out an electronic screen and recorded the image.

”A god?”

After finishing the recording, Old Xu asked in confusion.

”What a strange god.”

Just as Old Xu was about to make small talk, a commotion was heard from outside the alley.

”That must be the guards. You should go. If they see you, they’ll definitely question you. You need to hurry if you want to catch it.”

Old Xu understood the priorities. He walked toward the alley entrance to buy the Olive some time.

”Let’s go. Keep chasing,” Mo Ling said. Although he really wanted to stay and ask about Old Xu’s recent situation, the most important thing right now was to find the escaped god.

”Okay.” The Little Elf’s voice was full of nostalgia, but it didn’t hesitate, immediately directing the Olive to fly upward.

”Its trail hasn’t disappeared yet.”

The Olive spun, shooting straight up into the clouds.

Immediately after, it exited the clouds on a strange trajectory and suddenly plunged into a river at the foot of a mountain.

The forest alongside the river was lush and green. It seemed they were no longer in the desert.

”It’s speeding up. We have to go faster.”

The Olive suddenly shrank, its speed increasing dramatically. It followed the river upstream until it reached a waterfall that seemed to stretch to the sky.

Turbulent water crashed down from above as if the sky were leaking. Next to the waterfall were some man-made structures.

”It’s an elevator. It went up to the surface,” the Little Elf said, its tone somewhat serious.

”The surface?” Mo Ling hadn’t yet grasped what that meant.

”The surface, Earth, Dawn City... you can call it whatever you want. I don’t know what it’s planning,” the Little Elf said as it controlled the Olive, merging it into the waterfall and transforming it into a single droplet that shot upward against the current.

Mo Ling felt the endless rush of water around him. When his vision cleared, they had reached the top of the waterfall.

At the top of the waterfall was a wide river. Many buoys with flashing lights were placed on its surface.

The crashing river water filled the surroundings with a dense mist. Thankfully, the flashing lights allowed them to faintly make out the outline of the riverbanks.

”It seems to be raining.”

Prompted by the Little Elf, Mo Ling finally noticed a light drizzle falling from the sky, the hair-like strands of rain tapping against the river’s surface.

In the hazy distance, Mo Ling saw the countless silhouettes of buildings reaching for the sky, like giant beasts in the fine rain.

”That’s Dawn City.”

Dawn City appeared and disappeared in the rainy mist, and the flashing lights of the buoys were somewhat disorienting.

”I’ve found it,” the Little Elf said as it flew toward the distant high-rises.

This was the first time Mo Ling had ”personally” come to Dawn City, albeit through the Olive’s perspective.

He had always been curious about what wonders this city, built above an abyss, truly held.

The rain gradually grew heavier, and the towering buildings became increasingly blurry.

The sky darkened, and lights on the skyscrapers flickered on. The Olive’s wide-angle view captured the bizarre and brilliant neon lights, which shimmered on and off in the rain. Some merged into a solid sheet of light, while others floated alone in the air.

The Olive shot upward against the raindrops.

”This is... Dawn Tower.”

This seemed to be the tallest building in Dawn City. The wind and rain were more intense here, and the increasingly heavy drops smashed against the Olive’s rippling surface, further blurring Mo Ling’s vision.

”It’s there!”

The Little Elf cried out in alarm as they reached the top of Dawn Tower.

There, on the edge of the rooftop, stood a humanoid figure made of water.

It stood motionless, looking down over all of Dawn City, letting the rain beat down on its body.

The Little Elf quickly controlled the Olive to pursue it, landing on the rooftop.

The moment they landed, the Little Elf said bluntly, ”Go back right now, and I’ll return the god’s authority to you.”

The Waterman didn’t respond, merely continuing to look down upon Dawn City.

The rain grew heavier still. Giant raindrops hammered the rooftop. The Waterman looked as if it was about to collapse, its form blending completely into the downpour.

”I can’t go back yet. I have to correct my mistake,” the Waterman said calmly.

”Mistake?” The Little Elf didn’t understand what the Waterman meant.

”It was a mistake from the very beginning. The Idle Ones weren’t wrong, the Joyful Ones weren’t wrong—it’s all just their nature. I was the one who was wrong. My wrong choice gave birth to them.”

”If I hadn’t split myself in the beginning, none of this would have happened.”

”It’s time to start everything all over again...”