I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 308: Chapter 305: The Rules of Paradise

Once again, there was no name, only an ”identity.”

Li Luo stared at the electronic screen, a little lost.

”Researcher?”

”Yes, that’s my identity: Researcher,” Lin Nian said with a smile. ”It’s considered a very good identity to have on Paradise Island. It comes with a lot of power and broad boundaries, so you’re not too restricted.”

”Boundaries...” Li Luo heard a familiar word. It was a word she had only heard aboard the *Paradise*, spoken to her by a robot.

”The people on Paradise Island have to live according to their identities, too? They can’t cross the boundaries?” Li Luo immediately grasped the meaning behind Lin Nian’s words.

”Of course. It’s the rule. Don’t you think it’s great? Everyone has something they’re supposed to do, and everyone has their own purpose. It’s not like in Dawn City, where some people are running around frantically while others have nothing to do at all.”

Lin Nian still wore a gentle smile, but the joy of seeing an old friend had completely vanished from Li Luo’s face.

Lin Nian was sensitive to the change in Li Luo. Seeing her doubt, she quickly took her hand.

”Let me show you around. You’ll understand the importance of these identities in a bit.”

She pulled Li Luo right along with her, heading toward the white buildings of Paradise Island.

Soon, she had led Li Luo into a building that resembled a restaurant.

Everything was, once again, a pure, clean white.

The tables, chairs, utensils, counter... all of it was a vast expanse of white. Even the people coming and going wore identical white clothes, making Li Luo, in her combat suit, stick out like a sore thumb.

But the people in white didn’t give her any strange looks. They were all busy with their own affairs, focused on their food. If their eyes happened to meet Li Luo’s, they would just smile and nod. They were very friendly.

”Everyone’s pretty great, right? Paradise Island really is a place that can calm your soul,” Lin Nian said, still full of pride.

Li Luo could only give a perfunctory nod.

Lin Nian led Li Luo to the counter and started chatting warmly with a chubby, good-natured man.

”Chef, how are the dishes today? Same old, same old? Bring them out and let me ’research’ them.”

The chubby man wasn’t offended by Lin Nian’s teasing. Instead, he just shook his head with a smile and produced a menu.

”Noodles, dumplings, rice... those are the usual. But we have steamed fish today, brought back by the outbound boat. It tastes pretty good. So go on and research it well. Don’t let down your title as a Researcher.”

”...”

The two bantered back and forth like this, and Lin Nian introduced Li Luo to the Chef.

And so, another name was added to Li Luo’s friend list—

”Chef.”

”Why don’t you two have a seat? I’ll bring out your food,” the Chef said to them with a smile after a moment of idle chat.

”Go on, then...”

After that, Li Luo and Lin Nian sat at one of the white tables, waiting for their food to be served.

Lin Nian glanced at the counter and whispered, ”The people here are all pretty friendly, don’t you think?”

Li Luo nodded.

”That’s the benefit of having an ’identity.’ See that Chef? He looks perfectly ordinary, but do you know what he used to do?”

”What did he do?”

”He was the leader of a Hunter Corps from the fifth level of the Abyss. His relic can lower the ignition point of any object. Unless something is completely non-flammable, his relic will cause it to burst into flames instantly.”

”That’s why the relic is called ’Flashpoint.’ It’s an incredibly powerful combat relic, but its cost is terrifying. Every time it’s used, it lowers the user’s own ’flashpoint,’ making them more and more irritable until they’re a walking powder keg.”

”But look at him now. No matter how much I tease him, he doesn’t get angry. He’s actually very gentle. And that’s all because he’s on Paradise Island.”

”On Paradise Island, an ’identity’ is a rule. The ’Chef’ identity means he has to accept criticism from customers. He can’t lose his temper and flip tables. This identity even suppresses his rage. That’s why he won’t get mad at all when you make fun of his food.”

Li Luo was a little surprised to hear Lin Nian’s explanation.

”A rule from an identity can suppress the cost of a relic?”

”Yes. It overrides the cost. You might think this island’s system of identities is like playing house, where everyone gets a label and just lives their life, but it’s not as simple as it looks on the surface.”

”The moment an identity is defined, a layer of restriction is applied—one that can even limit the effects of a relic’s cost.”

”To be able to suppress such a powerful relic by simply abiding by an ’identity’—who wouldn’t be willing to pay a price like that? That’s also why the Chef stays on Paradise Island.”

As she spoke, Lin Nian glanced toward the kitchen again.

The chubby Chef was intently watching a steamer while directing a nearby robot to chop vegetables. He didn’t look at all like the leader of a battle-hardened Hunter Corps.

Li Luo looked over as well, but her face was still filled with confusion.

”But doesn’t that mean the identity has twisted the Chef’s sense of self? He can’t even get angry at a customer.”

”Oh, he can. If he wanted to, he could poison the food. It’s just that the relic’s influence is restricted, like there’s a protective shield covering all relics. Of course, this also means he can’t use his relic anymore.”

Lin Nian then directed Li Luo’s attention to a person in the restaurant riding a bicycle.

He was even riding the bicycle while carrying dishes, which looked very strange.

”That’s the ’Cyclist.’ He once used a very powerful relic to protect a monitoring station, and its cost was that he would never be able to move again. But after coming to Paradise Island, his identity overrode the cost of that powerful relic, which is why he can move around like this.”

”For the people on Paradise Island, an identity is just a form of protection. Most of the people who come here are seeking that protection.”

Hearing this, Li Luo immediately looked at Lin Nian.

Noticing Li Luo’s probing gaze, Lin Nian quickly waved her hands.

”Not me. I just think Paradise Island is very peaceful, so I decided to stay. I gave myself an identity according to the island’s rules, too. A Researcher, you know? I can research anything, and it’s a bit more freeing...”

Li Luo listened, lost in thought.

”So, are you saying this island’s ’identity’ system is just a relic phenomenon?”

”Yes.”

”Which relic does it come from?”

Lin Nian shook her head. ”I don’t know yet. I’ve been on Paradise Island for a long time and have researched the source of this relic phenomenon, but I’ve never found an answer. It’s not even in the records of the first exploration team that came to this island. The rules seem to have formed on their own...”

As she said this, a puzzled expression appeared on her face.

”However, I have a theory now...”

”I suspect that the island itself... is a relic.”