I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 312: Chapter 309: The Reason One Must Slumber

A clamor of voices slowly brought Mo Ling back to consciousness.

’I have to wake up! There’s danger!’

Mo Ling shot up in bed and sent the Block flying into the air.

Then it slammed straight into the ceiling.

With a THUD, the Block hit the ceiling hard enough to make it tremble.

”What’s wrong?”

Startled by the commotion, a nearby Li Luo asked in surprise, ”Did something happen this early in the morning?”

She hurried over to the Block as it descended, concernedly checking the spot where it had hit and wiping away the dust with a tissue.

”Did you sleep badly? Have a nightmare?” Li Luo asked gently.

Mo Ling still hadn’t fully come to his senses.

He cautiously expanded his field of view.

Sunlight streamed in through the round window, illuminating the pure-white bed. Outside, the streets were bustling with activity—the source of the clamor he’d heard.

People were energetic and radiant, chatting excitedly. The calls of vendors echoed from the shops lining the street.

Robots weaved through the crowds, moving in orderly lines as they carried out their duties.

The innkeeper had opened her door and was sweeping the entrance with a broom, smiling and greeting every passerby.

”Good morning.”

”Good morning.”

...

Li Luo stood nearby, watching the Block with a worried expression.

Seeing that Li Luo was safe, Mo Ling sighed in relief.

He hadn’t had a nightmare. In fact, he had slept soundly. Once he’d fallen asleep, he hadn’t woken up at all.

He’d simply woken up to find it was morning.

The sleep had been exceptionally restful. Mo Ling felt as though all his fatigue had been erased. The panic and struggle he’d felt before falling asleep had vanished without a trace.

It made him feel like he had been overreacting.

”It’s nothing,”

Mo Ling replied via his electronic screen.

He just found the whole situation very strange.

’But nothing actually happened...’

Everything was normal.

Everyone had just slept through the night. It was as if the white light truly was just meant to give people a peaceful rest.

But Mo Ling was still deeply puzzled.

”Yesterday, before you went to sleep, did you feel an irresistible urge to sleep?” Mo Ling asked.

”I did, but I just thought I was exhausted,” Li Luo replied with a nod.

”Did you only start feeling sleepy after the lights came on?”

Li Luo read Mo Ling’s question and thought for a long moment, her brow furrowing.

”I think you’re right. The lights did make me a little dizzy. At first, I thought it was just for illumination. But if what you’re saying is true, then the light really does induce sleepiness. It seems this island still holds many secrets.”

Li Luo quickly understood what Mo Ling was implying, and her expression turned serious.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

”Guests? It’s me,” the innkeeper’s voice called from outside.

Li Luo hurried to open the door.

”What is it?”

”I was just sweeping outside when I thought I heard a loud noise,” the innkeeper said, peering into the room with a puzzled look. ”Did something happen in here?”

”You must have heard wrong,” Li Luo denied at once.

”Alright,” the innkeeper said with a nod. She looked at Li Luo. ”Did you sleep well last night?”

”Yes, I fell asleep early and slept very deeply.”

The innkeeper smiled. ”That’s because of the lights—the same ones you asked me about turning off yesterday.”

”The lights?” Li Luo looked astonished. She hadn’t expected the innkeeper to already know what they did.

”Yes, the lights. All the lights on the island have that effect. It’s why everyone here goes to bed early and stays well-rested. No one lingers outside at night, either. If they’re caught outside when the lights come on, they might just fall asleep right there on the street.”

The innkeeper chuckled softly as she said this.

”What happens if they fall asleep on the street?” Li Luo pressed.

”If a Night Watcher doesn’t find them, they’ll just sleep there all night and get up the next day. But the Night Watchers almost always find them. They’re usually brought straight to an inn. I often take in people who didn’t make it home in time.”

”That sounds like a lot of trouble...” Li Luo was perplexed. ”So why have these hypnotic lights at all? Isn’t it dangerous? What if someone falls asleep somewhere unsafe?”

The innkeeper shook her head at Li Luo’s question. ”That won’t happen. The Night Watchers protect everyone’s safety. It’s their duty. The lights are just to ensure people sleep soundly, nothing more.”

”But aren’t the lights a bit redundant?” Li Luo pressed. ”They don’t seem to do anything besides make people sleep on a schedule.”

”That’s not it. The regular sleep schedule is to help people better perform their identities,” the innkeeper explained.

”A bad night’s rest affects your work the next day, doesn’t it?”

”Yes...” Li Luo nodded.

The innkeeper continued, ”There’s another thing. Many of the identities on Paradise Island can only emerge at night. For example, Night Watchers, Lighthouse Managers, Lamp Repairers, Stargazers, Night Runners...”

”If the daytime identities don’t go to sleep, they’ll encroach on the nighttime identities’ space. Think about it. If Paradise Island became a ’Nocturnal City’ like Dawn City, would those identities have any room to exist?”

”What would the Night Watchers watch over? Night Runners would have to deal with crowded streets. Lamp Repairers wouldn’t dare extinguish the lights, and Stargazers would never be able to find peace and quiet...”

”There are daytime identities, and there are nighttime identities.”

”On Paradise Island, identity is the most important thing. To lose your identity is to lose your purpose. When we fall into a deep sleep, we’re also protecting the purpose of others’ existence.”

The innkeeper looked at Li Luo and spoke with great seriousness.

She was still smiling. The morning sun shone on her face, giving her a unique sense of warmth and friendliness. The stiff, robotic feeling from the previous night seemed to have vanished completely.

After listening to the explanation, Li Luo could only manage a dazed nod.

”So we have to fall asleep?”

”Yes. You are of the day, Fire Thief. The night is not your concern.”

”And what if I belonged to the night?” Li Luo pressed.

”Then the lights would force you to stay awake. That is the rule of Paradise Island. The Researcher should have told you. It’s the boundary of identity, as clear as the line between day and night. No one can blur it.”

The innkeeper paused.

”Speak of the devil... that’s the Researcher now. She must be looking for you. I’ll go let her in. One moment.”

With that, the innkeeper headed down the winding corridor, leaving a bewildered Li Luo behind.

She stood rooted to the spot, looking as if she hadn’t quite processed the innkeeper’s explanation.

’To think that after all this, we’d circle right back to ’identity’.’

Li Luo looked toward the Block, a helpless expression on her face. ”More rules...”