Chapter 317 - 314: Torch

Chapter 317: Chapter 314: Torch

"I’ve tried using an alarm clock to force myself awake at night, but the sleep is too deep. I’m so out of it that I don’t even hear the alarm."

The cyclist said, sounding a bit helpless.

"But I did make some other discoveries..."

He fiddled with his electronic screen for a moment and sent Li Luo a video.

Li Luo opened it and was greeted by a familiar flash of white light.

"Is this that light?"

"That’s right. Keep watching, or just skip ahead a bit," the cyclist advised.

Following his instructions, Li Luo dragged the progress bar forward a little.

The content on the electronic screen was now completely dark.

Li Luo stared at it for a long time. It was just pitch black. She almost thought the screen was broken.

"It stays like this for the rest of the night, right until daybreak."

"What do you mean?" Li Luo didn’t quite understand what the cyclist was getting at.

"This is the night..." the cyclist explained. "That white light is on a timer. Shortly after everyone falls asleep, it disappears, and the entire Paradise Island is plunged into darkness until dawn."

"So my idea of using an alarm clock should work. As long as I can get past the period when the white light is on, I can wake up in the darkness and not fall back asleep. But I’ve tried many times, and I just can’t wake up."

Hearing the cyclist’s explanation, Li Luo finally understood.

’To investigate the night, you have to be there for it. That means I have to find a way to get past the period of white light and wake up in the darkness.’

"Why can’t you wake up? Not even a really loud alarm works?"

"No, the sleep is just too deep. If the alarm is too loud, it’ll attract unwanted attention, and I don’t want to get into trouble."

He looked at Li Luo and said seriously, "Fire Thief, if you also want to investigate the night, you’ll have to think about how to enter the darkness. You might need a torch."

"A torch?" Li Luo was confused by the cyclist’s words.

"Yes. Only by holding a torch can you enter the darkness and pass on the light," the cyclist continued, speaking in riddles.

Li Luo felt a little helpless. "Where am I supposed to find a ’torch’?"

"I don’t know. I’m not a Fire Thief. You should probably ask Prometheus," the cyclist said with a teasing smile.

"I have to get back to my ride. I haven’t hit my goal for today yet. If you need help again, just find me. I’ll do what I can."

He glanced at the still-pensive Li Luo, put on his goggles and mask, and quickly rode off on his bicycle.

Li Luo wanted to ask him more, but she found his figure had already vanished. He must have turned down another street.

’He means I need to find a way to enter the darkness...’ Li Luo looked at the Block and shook her head. ’But if even an alarm clock doesn’t work, what else is there?’

Suddenly, an idea seemed to strike Li Luo. She asked the Block, "Are you awake at night?"

"I sleep like a log, too..."

Mo Ling recalled last night’s experience with a sense of helplessness.

He wanted to stay awake, too, but he really couldn’t fight off that overwhelming drowsiness.

However, just as he was about to type this out on the electronic screen for Li Luo, another thought occurred to him: ’What if I stay hidden inside the Block and avoid looking at the white light? Could I get through that period of time that way?’

At this thought, Mo Ling quickly erased the words on the screen and rephrased his message.

"I can try to stay awake, but I need to know when the white light disappears."

’I’ll try hiding in the Block and only extending my vision after the white light is gone.’

Seeing this, Li Luo quickly pulled up the video the cyclist had just sent her.

The progress bar was marked with precise timings.

"After sunset, the lights turn on. An hour after they turn on, the hypnotic effect reaches its peak. It lasts for half an hour, then the lights dim and quickly disappear."

"So, an hour and a half after sunset, the white light will be gone."

Li Luo said to the Block, holding the electronic screen and sliding the progress bar.

Looking at the time on the progress bar, a plan formed in Mo Ling’s mind. ’So, if I hide inside the Block before sunset and extend my vision an hour and a half later, I can get past that period. I won’t be affected by the white light and can stay awake.’

Li Luo added, "If you can stay awake, you can wake me up. That way, we can both enter the darkness!"

"So, you’re my torch!"

...

「Evening.」

「Inside Fire Thief Studio.」

Li Luo sat at her desk, the Block floating beside her.

"Let me go over the plan again..."

"In an hour and a half, once the white light has faded, you’ll try to wake me up. Use this first."

Li Luo pointed to a white gong in front of her.

They had spent a long time during the day preparing props to wake her up. This was one of them, borrowed from a "drummer."

The gong was now hanging over the desk. Li Luo had tested it earlier—the sound was incredibly loud, deafening even.

"Try hitting the gong first to see if I react. If the sound doesn’t wake me up, then try this."

Li Luo pointed to a white bucket hanging from the ceiling.

The bucket was filled to the brim with water. To make sure it was effective, Li Luo had also added a lot of ice cubes.

Finding ice cubes on Paradise Island was truly difficult. Li Luo had spent a long time searching during the day and ended up having to buy them from the owner of a cold drink shop.

Two thin ropes were tied to the rim of the bucket above, holding it in place from both sides.

"You just have to break the rope on one side to spill the ice water on me."

Then, Li Luo patted her chair.

"After the water spills, if I’m still not awake, knock my chair over. The conditioned reflex should wake me up..."

"If I’m still not awake after all that, it proves this hypnosis is irreversible, and we’ll have to find another way."

Li Luo said worriedly, tapping on the desk.

She glanced at the sky outside the window, then at the time.

"It’s almost time. Let’s get ready."

Li Luo moved the gong on the desk a little closer, adjusted her seat to be directly under the bucket, planted her feet flat on the floor, and sat properly in her chair.

She gave the Block a hand signal, then closed her eyes in advance.

Mo Ling couldn’t see the sky outside either. He could only stare intently at the electronic screen on the desk, paying close attention to his surroundings.

The room gradually grew dark.

The white light on the walls began to glow faintly.

"The sun has set."

Seeing that faint glow, Mo Ling quickly retracted his vision and hid inside the Block, starting the timer on the Block’s internal screen.

’An hour and a half.’

Mo Ling watched the timer, but feeling it wasn’t safe enough, he added another ten minutes.

’One hour and forty minutes... that should be enough...’