I'm Trapped in the Block

Captain Su saw that Li Luo was also ready to head deep into the cave and asked, "Li Luo, are you short on any supplies?"

Li Luo thought for a moment, then said, "Food."

A small bag of canned food was brought over. Li Luo swung it onto his back.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Captain Su didn’t delay. He gave the command, "Let’s move out."

He took the lead, entering the cave directly, with a few of his subordinates close behind.

Mo Ling and Li Luo were in the middle of the formation.

Piloting the Block into the cave, the fleshy granules welcomed it, pushing the Block inward on a sliding course.

After a turn, the cave sent the Block down a slope.

The transport speed began to increase. The fleshy granules squirmed faster and faster, pushing the Block downward like an intestine.

Mo Ling saw that behind the fleshy granules, the cave walls were indeed lined with small, mushroom-like fungal strains. Further back was a white, fleshy mycelium.

Inside the robust mycelium were fibrous structures that contracted and swayed with incredible resilience, surging up and down like waves.

Although the cave twisted and turned, Mo Ling, inside the Block, didn’t feel like he was being thrown around at all. Instead, the ride was exceptionally soft.

As the speed increased, the fleshy granules elongated, eventually enveloping the entire Block.

Mo Ling quickly straightened his body and braced himself against the metal wall, but the shaking still made him dizzy and disoriented.

Finally, the fleshy granules began to decelerate the Block.

After a period of buffering, Mo Ling saw the exit.

It was an opening identical to the entrance on the surface, angled downward and aimed at the top of a giant mushroom.

The Block was tossed onto the mushroom cap, pressing a deep pit into its soft flesh before slowly bouncing back.

Seeing they had finally reached their destination, Mo Ling quickly maneuvered the Block back into the air.

This was a vast subterranean world. Countless stone pillars, so tall they seemed to touch the sky, propped up a pitch-black ceiling.

But life here was particularly lush, with enormous mushrooms and bioluminescent plants growing everywhere.

This reminded Mo Ling of a specific period—the Carboniferous.

The air was warm and humid. After only a short while, the Block was already covered in beads of water.

The vegetation looked incredibly dense and lush, especially the ferns, which occupied a large portion of the undergrowth, their roots entrenched in the damp soil.

There were also many massive-looking insects, perfectly matching the Carboniferous period’s nickname: the "Age of Giant Insects."

Soon after, Mo Ling saw Li Luo and the soldiers arriving right behind him.

Captain Su had already contacted the soldiers who had descended earlier. Soon, those soldiers returned to the side of the tunnel exit.

"Why were you so reckless? You knew it was safe down here, why didn’t you go back and report?" Captain Su berated them.

The soldiers repeatedly admitted their mistake and kept explaining themselves. Only after they reported the direction the little lamb had fled did Captain Su stop scolding them.

Once everyone had gathered, Captain Su began assigning tasks. One person was to return to the surface to report, while a few others would stay behind to establish a camp.

He, meanwhile, would take the majority of the group to explore this underground world.

Li Luo walked to the side and pulled up a small blade of grass. He noticed that the broken stem didn’t dissolve into transparent Theseus Cells.

He reported this to Captain Su, who quickly had the soldiers inspect the surrounding flora and fauna.

The results of the inspection showed that among the nearby plants and small animals, some were Theseus Cell organisms, while others were normal cellular lifeforms.

"Captain, the fleshy granules inside the tunnel are normal cellular organisms, but the mushroom we used for cushioning on the way down is a Theseus Cell organism."

’A mixed zone like this exists?’

After a short rest, Captain Su led the team in the direction the little lamb had fled.

The ground vegetation was incredibly dense, and the terrain was uneven. Fallen branches lay hidden beneath the low-growing plants, making progress extremely difficult.

There were also areas not covered by the bioluminescent plants. These were pitch-black, so the team had no choice but to mark them and go around.

Before long, the team encountered something strange.

In their path, a group of tarantulas the size of human heads were fighting two red-eyed dragonflies, each with a wingspan of over two meters.

The tarantulas leaped into the air, relentlessly tearing at the dragonflies’ wings.

The dragonfly tried to fly higher but couldn’t shake off the tarantulas. After its wings were bitten off, it fell onto the plants below.

It was then swarmed by the tarantulas on the ground, and in an instant, fluids gushed everywhere.

The ruptured corpse of the red-eyed dragonfly quickly dissolved into a transparent liquid, which the tarantulas gathered around to drink.

The remaining red-eyed dragonfly swooped down to counterattack. It had just managed to snap off one of the tarantula’s legs when it was attacked in the exact same manner and fell from the sky.

The tarantula with the severed leg, while leaking blue body fluid, began to slurp up the transparent liquid left by the dragonfly.

The blue fluid dripped onto the plant leaves, staining them blue.

Mo Ling piloted the Block closer, getting a crystal-clear view.

"Are they hunting Theseus Cell organisms?"

The swarm of tarantulas looked up at the Block, ignored it, and continued their feast.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they circled the team a few times before wandering off, seemingly uninterested.

"Why aren’t they attacking us?" a soldier asked, gripping his weapon.

"Maybe they’re full?"

"From just two dragonflies? How could they be full?"

Everyone was clueless. Captain Su had someone make a note of the event and then ordered them to keep moving forward.

Gradually, Mo Ling piloted the Block ahead. Since it could fly, he began to take on the role of a scout.

Before long, Mo Ling discovered signs of a battle.

Looking ahead, he saw transparent liquid and pieces of some kind of clothing scattered everywhere. He quickly turned back to tell Li Luo what he’d found.

Upon hearing the news, the team quickened their pace and rushed toward the battle site.

When they arrived, they finally saw the two parties engaged in combat.

One side consisted of humanoid beings slightly shorter than humans. Their limbs and figures were remarkably similar to humans, but they were beautifully slender with distinct curves.

Their skin was exceptionally smooth and silver-gray in color. Their silvery-white hair was light and flowing, and their facial features were quite pleasing to the human eye.

If not for their long, pointed ears and pitch-black pupils, they could easily be mistaken for humans.

These beings were dressed in light clothing and were speaking Abyssal in fearful tones.

The other party, however, was the familiar little lamb.

It had grown much larger. Its legs had become thick and powerful, allowing it to stand upright on the ground at chest height to a person. Its two long horns were spinning like chainsaws.

Its powerful muscles couldn’t be hidden by its matted gray wool. White flashes sparked continuously from its hands, and its cold gaze was fixed on the fleeing humanoids.

Any of the humanoids who tried to attack were struck down by liquid chains that shot out from the lamb’s body before they could even get close.

The situation was critical.

"Attack!" Upon seeing the lamb, Captain Su decisively gave the order.