I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 357: Chapter 354: The Beauty of Construction

Si Yang climbed onto his new body and returned to Silk Island.

He told his kin everything he had seen outside—the myriad civilizations and races, and the construction abilities he had learned.

The Silk Race had always built things using their instincts; it had never occurred to them that other races could achieve the same results through different methods.

”We... we shouldn’t be so complacent anymore...”

At the same time, Si Yang decided to impart the knowledge he had learned to his kin.

Soon, knowledge of construction spread throughout all of Silk Island.

As a race naturally gifted in construction, the Silk Race grasped these new building skills with incredible speed. Before long, Si Yang had nothing left to teach.

Simultaneously, all sorts of buildings began to appear on the island. These were all built by the Silk Race themselves, fusing architectural styles from different civilizations. Every single structure was a masterpiece of exquisite craftsmanship.

Without even realizing it, Si Yang once again became the ”worst” one.

Sometimes, the gap in talent is not something that can be bridged by effort alone.

’Would it have been better if I hadn’t told my kin about this knowledge?’ Si Yang often wondered.

But seeing his people’s lives improving day by day, he cast such selfish thoughts to the back of his mind.

He would rather be useful to the Silk Race than be far ahead of them.

During his time drifting abroad, he had come to a deeper understanding of Si Ling’s words: everyone has their own strengths. There’s no need to compare yourself to others; you are simply you.

Before long, Si Yang decided to set out to sea again. He felt his knowledge was still insufficient. Since his people disliked the sun, he, the one who loved it, would be the one to bring back knowledge for them.

This time, all of his kin came to the shore to see him off.

Si Yang drifted farther and farther away, bathed in the brilliant sunlight.

Afterward, Si Yang resumed his travels across the Infinite Sea.

This time, he had a clearer idea of what he was looking for.

Every place he went, he would learn about the local architectural styles, and from those styles, he would come to understand different methods of construction.

The richer a race’s civilization, the more varied its architectural styles.

Tombs, temples, prisons, dams... These were all types of structures he learned to build after gaining a deep understanding of different races’ cultures.

He didn’t just look at a building’s exterior; he also sought to understand its historical evolution, its cultural significance, and the stories behind it.

He would chat all night with an old man guarding a tomb about stories from the battlefield, and he would sit before a temple, listening to the worldly wishes of the people.

The old man mumbled about how all his comrades had died in a war. He was just a deserter who had hidden under a pile of bodies to survive. After returning, he built these tombs. Looking at the tombs was like looking at his comrades.

The old man’s heart was also trapped here. He may have escaped the battlefield, but he could never escape the bone-deep guilt.

People came and went from the temple amidst the curling incense smoke. The worshipers brought their worldly troubles with them; every person had their own worries and difficulties.

It was just like when the temple was first built: a group of people with restless souls placed their hearts within its walls.

Rather than building a temple to pray to a god, it was more like building a safe house to put their own minds at ease.

Praying to the gods... it was all just for peace of mind.

Si Yang understood.

The creators of those magnificent structures were not the high-and-mighty rulers, but the common people who pieced them together brick by brick.

They—each and every one of them—were a piece of history.

Si Yang’s perspective slowly changed. Now, he felt that—

—construction was not simple at all.

He returned to the island again and told his kin the stories he had heard from all over the world.

”As long as you build with a heart full of reverence, every building will produce a miraculous effect.”

Si Yang had thought that this time, his kin on the island would also quickly grasp this method of building with ”heart.”

However, no one could understand Si Yang.

The buildings they constructed had no heart.

Si Yang looked at the empty, shell-like buildings on the island and sighed.

’One who doesn’t truly empathize with those stories cannot create that kind of architecture. No amount of technical skill will help.’

When some of his kin wanted to ”optimize” a temple’s long eaves, replacing them with a material-saving, sturdier dome, Si Yang would tell them:

”Why are a temple’s eaves made so long? Because passing travelers sometimes need to take shelter from the rain. They don’t want to disturb the local deity, so they stand under the eaves outside the temple. But the deity is benevolent. It made the eaves longer to shelter these travelers, protecting them from the lashing wind and rain.”

These were not things one could consider just by mastering building techniques.

Many seemingly redundant parts of a building have special meanings. Some are born from the experience of ancestors, some from humanitarian considerations, and others represent auspicious fortune.

His kin could quickly master the rigid, step-by-step construction processes and even use their innate talent to optimize them. But because they didn’t know the stories behind the buildings, they couldn’t create architecture with a soul.

Si Yang didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. He could only suggest that his kin go out to sea themselves to learn about these buildings.

But his people disliked the sunlight and were unwilling to bake under the sun at sea. They would rather hide on the island than go out and see the world.

Si Yang didn’t know what to say to that.

’Everyone is different.’

And so, Si Yang continued to set out to sea from time to time, journeying across the vast ocean.

This continued until a messenger from the Walrus Race arrived on Silk Island, inviting the Silk Race to participate in the encirclement and annihilation of the Hell Beasts.

”The building capabilities of the Silk Race would be a great help in our construction of Paradise Island.”

The Walrus Race messenger said that many races had joined this operation. Even some races who were originally at war had temporarily set aside their hatred to resist the Hell Beasts together.

Hearing the messenger’s explanation, the Silk Race understood the gravity of the situation, but they were still unwilling to leave Silk Island.

Only Si Yang stepped forward.

”I’ll go. I will represent the Silk Race.”

The messenger nodded, told Si Yang the location of Paradise Island, and then hurriedly rushed off to the next island.

Not long after, Si Yang decided to head for Paradise Island.

He had been to sea many times and was already familiar with the journey.

Just as before, his kin came to the shore to see him off.

”You have to come back. I still want to hear your stories about architecture.”

Si Ling loved listening to Si Yang talk about the outside world. Although she also disliked the sun, she was full of longing for the world beyond and often pestered Si Yang with all sorts of questions.

She took out a ribbon and tied it to Si Yang’s core mycelium.

”What’s this?” Si Yang asked, curious.

”It’s a gift from me. You don’t need my help to build a body anymore, so this simple thing is all I could make for you.”

Si Yang didn’t know what effect the ribbon had, but he felt a sense of warmth.

’Some things are warmer than the sun.’

”You have to come back.”

”I will.”