《Ashes Of Deep Sea》 Chapter 1 - 1 That day, a heavy fog set in. Chapter 1: Chapter 1 That day, a heavy fog set in. Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The dense fog outside the window churned relentlessly, as if the entire world had vanished beyond its limits, with only the vague light of day prating the mist to illuminate the room, maintaining a sort of semi-dimness. In the moderately disheveled bachelor apartment, Zhou Ming was hunched over the desk, with the clutter pushed roughly to one side, and he, looking worn and haggard, was writing furiously: ¡°Day seven, the situation remains unchanged, the thick fog envelops everything outside the window, the windows have been sealed by an unknown force¡­ The entire room seems to have been ¡®cast¡¯ into some abnormal space¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no way to make contact with the outside world, no water or electricity, yet the lights stay on, and theputer can be powered up¡ªeven though I¡¯ve unplugged it¡­¡± It was as if a soft whisper of wind suddenly came from the direction of the window. Zhou Ming, who had been buried in his journal, suddenly looked up, a faint light flickering in his weary eyes. However, the next second, he realized it was just an illusion; the pallid dense fog still clung stubbornly outside the window, a silent world indifferently enveloping his tiny sanctuary. His gaze swept over the windowsill, where he saw the wrench and hammer tossed there in disarray¡ªtraces of his attempts to leave the room over the past few days. Yet now, these tough and coarse toolsy there quietly, as if mocking his predicament. Secondster, Zhou Ming¡¯s expression calmed again¡ªwith this abnormal calm, he lowered his head once more and went back to his writing: ¡°I am trapped, in a predicament without a clue. In the past few days, I¡¯ve even tried dismantling the ceiling, walls, and floor, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t make even the tiniest mark on the wall. This room has be like¡­ like a box ¡®cast¡¯ with the space, with no way out¡­ ¡°Except for that door. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°But the situation beyond that door¡­ is even more bizarre.¡± Zhou Ming stopped once more, slowly examining the words he had just written, then casually flipping through the journal, perusing his entries from the past few days¡ªoppressive words, meaningless meditations, irritated scribbles, and the cold jokes written in an attempt to rx his mind. He didn¡¯t know what the point was in writing these, didn¡¯t know who might see these nonsensical entries one day. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even someone ustomed to keeping a journal¡ªbeing a middle school teacher with very limited free time, he didn¡¯t have much energy to devote to it. But now, willing or not, he had plenty of free time. He woke up to find himself trapped in his own room. Outside the window was the never-dissipating fog, so thick that nothing could be seen beyond it, and the world seemed to have lost its cycle of day and night. The room was filled with a constant dull light, the windows were locked, utilities cut off, and no amount of noise made within the room could summon rescue from the outside world. It was like an absurd nightmare, everything operating contrary to naturalws, but Zhou Ming had exhausted all means to confirm one thing: there are no illusions here, nor are there dreams, only a world that has ceased to be normal and a self that, for the moment, is still sane. He took a deep breath, his gaze finally resting on the only door at the far end of the room. A in and inexpensive white wooden door, with a calendar he had forgotten to rece sincest year still nailed to it, remaining until today. The doorknob shone from wear, and the doormat was ced a bit askew. That door could be opened. If this sealed and altered room was like a cage, then the most malicious part of the cage was that it actually preserved a door that could be opened at any time, constantly luring the prisoner to push the door and leave¡ªbut whaty beyond that door was not the ¡°outside¡± that Zhou Ming desired. There were no familiar yetforting corridors, no sunny streets bustling with lively crowds, none of the everything he knew. There was only an unfamiliar and unsettling foreignnd, and ¡°over there¡± was just as much an inescapable predicament. But Zhou Ming knew that the time left for him to hesitate was running out, and the so-called ¡°choice¡± had never been there from the start. His food supply was limited, and only a quarter remained of the few jugs of mineral water. He had tried every method to escape and call for help in this enclosed room. Now, the only path left before him was to prepare himself to seek a chance of survival ¡°on the other side¡± of the door. Perhaps there will still be an opportunity to investigate and rify what has caused this bizarre and supernatural predicament. Zhou Ming took a light breath, bowed his head, and left the final few paragraphs in his diary: ¡°¡­ But regardless, the only choice left now is to head to the opposite side of the door, at least on that strange ship I can still find some food. The explorations and preparations I made there over the past few days should be enough to allow myself to survive on that ship¡­ although the preparations I was able to make were truly limited.¡± ¡°To whoeveres after, if I fail to return and someday someone, maybe a rescue worker, opens this room and sees this diary, please don¡¯t dismiss everything I¡¯ve written as a ludicrous tale¡ªit really happened. Despite the terror, there truly was a person named Zhou Ming trapped in a crazed and eerie temporal-spatial anomaly.¡± ¡°I did my utmost to describe in this diary all the abnormal phenomena I saw and recorded every effort I made to escape. If there really is a ¡®someone whoes after,¡¯ please, at the very least, remember my name, at least remember that all this ever happened.¡± Zhou Ming closed the diary and tossed the pen into the pen holder next to him, slowly rising from behind the desk. It was time to leave, before finding himselfpletely trapped and out of options. But after a brief contemtion, he didn¡¯t head straight for the only door leading to the ¡°outside world.¡± Instead, he walked over to his bed. He must face the ¡°foreignnd¡± opposite the door in perfect form¡ªand right now, especially his mental state, was not nearly good enough. Zhou Ming didn¡¯t know if he could fall asleep, but even forcing himself to lie on the bed and empty his mind would be better than going to the ¡°other side¡± in an overly fatigued mental state. Eight hourster, Zhou Ming opened his eyes. Outside the window, there was still only chaotic mist. The indistinguishable daylight of Sky Light carried a gloomy oppressiveness. Zhou Ming directly ignored the view outside the window. He took out some food from his limited stores, ate till he was mostly full, and then stood in front of the dressing mirror in the corner of the room. The man in the mirror still had messy hair and looked fairly disheveled, with no particr air of sophistication, but Zhou Ming still stared intently at his reflection as if to burn the image permanently into his memory. He did this for several minutes, then spoke to himself in a low voice, as if to the person in the mirror, ¡°Your name is Zhou Ming¡ªat least on ¡®this side,¡¯ your name is Zhou Ming, and you must always remember that.¡± Only after that did he turn around and leave. Standing in front of the all too familiar door, Zhou Ming took a deep breath and ced his hand on the handle. Except for his clothes, he didn¡¯t carry anything extra with him, neither food nor defensive equipment. This was the experience gained from several previous ¡°explorations¡±¡ªbesides himself, he couldn¡¯t bring anything else through the door. Actually, he even felt that perhaps this ¡°self¡± was questionable, because¡­ Zhou Ming turned the handle, pushed the door open, and was met with a mass of swelling, writhing grey-ck mist, like some curtain, and amidst the unpredictably shifting fog, he seemed to already hear the sound of the waves in his ears. Stepping through thatyer of mist, the somewhat fishy sea breeze hit him full on, the phantom sound of waves beside him became real, and a slight rocking sensation came from underneath his feet. After a momentary dizziness, Zhou Ming opened his eyes, and what entered his sight was an expanse of spacious wooden deck, towering masts standing beneath dark, gloomy clouds, and a borderless sea that was gently undting beyond the ship¡¯s railings. Zhou Ming looked down and saw a body stronger than he remembered, a set of exquisitely crafted and expensive-looking butpletely unfamiliar captain¡¯s uniform, a pair of hands with thick joints, and the ssically designed, beautiful ck flintlock pistol he was holding in his own hand. Yes, even the ¡°self¡± was questionable¡­ Chapter 2: Captain of the Homeloss Chapter 2: Captain of the Homeloss Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This was not Zhou Ming¡¯s first time passing through this door to ¡°the other side¡±. Days ago, when Zhou Ming woke up to find himself trapped by some sort of ¡°anomaly¡± in his own room, with a thick fog obscuring the whole world, he discovered this strange ce on ¡°the other side¡± of the door. After all, that door is now the only exit from his ¡°room¡±. He still remembered the bafflement and helplessness he felt the first time he pushed open the door to see the deck outside, and the shock and panic when he first looked down and saw his body had changed, but after that, in a bid to find a way out of the predicament, he had bravely conducted several sessful explorations on ¡°this side¡±, and although he still didn¡¯t understand what had happened to him, nor did he understand what this strange ship that appeared outside his ¡°room door¡± was about, at least, he had gained some experience and had begun to understand a bit about this ship. As before, Zhou Ming forced himself to shake off the dizziness that came with passing through the door as quickly as possible, then immediately checked this body¡¯s condition, he examined the short gun in his hand,paring all the details from memory, and finally confirming that the items he carried were consistent with those he had when hest left the deck. ¡°¡­It seems each time I pass through this door, the body ¡®switches seamlessly¡¯¡­ It would be great if I could ce a camera on the deck here, then I could confirm whether this body changes when I push open the captain¡¯s room door to return to my apartment room¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the items from the two ¡®worlds¡¯ can¡¯t pass through the door, and I can¡¯t bring a camera over here¡­¡± ¡°However, the phone I left in the apartment did record the scene of passing through the door from that side before, and I indeed walked through that ck fog¡­ So is it true that the body ¡®transforms¡¯ upon passing through the fog?¡± Zhou Ming muttered to himself, knowing he might look somewhatical standing on the deck talking to himself in the view of others, but he needed to make some noise, on this deserted and eerie Ghost Ship¡­ he needed a bit of evidence to prove he was still ¡°alive¡±. A fishy and salty sea breeze blew across the deck, stirring the unidentifiable ck and blue fabric of the captain¡¯s outfit he wore, Zhou Ming sighed softly, but he did not walk towards the deck. Instead, he turned to look at the door behind him. He ced his hand on the doorknob. Twisting the knob, and then by pushing the door inward, he would see a grey and ck dense fog, and passing through the fog, he would return to the bachelor apartment he had lived in for many years. He put strength into his hands and pulled the door open. The somewhat heavy oak door creaked open, and inside was a somewhat dimly lit cabin, where underneath the dim light you could see a beautifully woven tapestry hanging on the wall, a shelf with numerous decorative items, and arge navigation table in the center of the room, with another small door lying at the end of the room and a wine red carpet in front of it. Pushing the door open would lead back to his bachelor apartment, pulling it open led to the captain¡¯s room¡ªand thetter was, of course, the ship¡¯s ¡°standard feature¡±. Zhou Ming stepped into that captain¡¯s room and, as he passed the doorway, he nced to his left out of habit¡ªa full-length mirror was fixed to the wall beside the door, reflecting Zhou Ming¡¯s current appearance clearly. There stood a tall man with thick ck hair and a stern beard, deep-set eyes that seemed to exude an authority¡ªeven anger¡ªjust from his appearance. He appeared to be over forty, but his heroic looks and intense gaze seemed to blur that impression of age, and the finely made captain¡¯s uniform he wore articted a sense of exceptional status. Zhou Ming moved his neck slightly and then pulled a face at the mirror¡ªhe considered himself an easygoing and friendly person, which was quite at odds with the image in the mirror, but soon he gave up on this attempt, as he felt the reflection did not be friendlier at all, but rather from a dignified captain to something more like a psychotic serial killer¡­ While Zhou Ming was performing these movements, a soft clicking sound came from the direction of the navigation table, he looked unsurprised toward the source of the sound, only to see a wooden goat¡¯s head statue on the table slowly turning its face toward him¡ªas if the lifeless wood awakened at this moment, those Obsidian eyes embedded in the wooden visage eerily watching this way. The memory of the panic he felt the first time he witnessed this strange scene shed through his mind, but Zhou Ming just curled his lips in response, approaching the navigation table as the wooden goat¡¯s head also kept turning its neck, a hoarse and somber voice came from its wooden throat, ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Duncan,¡± Zhou Ming responded calmly, ¡°Duncan Ebnomal.¡± The wooden goat¡¯s head went from hoarse and somber to warm and friendly immediately, ¡°Good morning, Captain, pleased to see that you still remember your own name¡ªhow are you feeling today? How¡¯s your health today? Did you sleep wellst night? I hope you had nice dreams. Also, today is an excellent day to set sail. The sea is calm, the wind is favorable, cool andfortable, and there are no annoying navies or morous crewmen, Captain. Do you know what an annoying crewman is¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re being annoying enough,¡± Zhou Ming said, almost ring at the creature despite having dealt with this weird goat¡¯s head not for the first time, and his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, ¡°Quiet.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, of course, Captain, you prefer silence, your loyal first mate and second mate and bosun and sailor and lookout are very aware of this. Silence has many benefits; there was once someone in the field of medicine¡­ or perhaps philosophy or architecture¡­¡± Zhou Ming now felt not just his head trembling but even his bronchi started to shiver along: ¡°What I mean is, I order you to be quiet!¡± As soon as the word ¡°order¡± left his mouth, the goat¡¯s head finally quieted down. Zhou Ming let out a slight sigh of relief, stepped forward, and sat down at the navigation desk¡ªnow, he was the ¡°captain¡± of this empty Ghost Ship. Duncan Ebnomal, a strange name, a mouthful of a surname. The moment he first stepped through thatyer of dark gray mist onto this ship, he knew all this in his mind: he knew his body on ¡°this side¡± was called Duncan, knew he owned this ship, knew the ship was sailing on a journey far beyond imagination¡ªhe knew these things, but that was all he knew. The memories retained in his mind were so hazy and thin that only those key paragraphs stood out, while the rest of the details werepletely nk. It was as if he knew the ship had an astonishing sailing n but had no idea where it was supposed to go. The ship¡¯s original owner¡ªthe real ¡°Duncan Ebnomal¡±¡ªseemed to have died a long, long time ago. And those things lingering in Zhou Ming¡¯s mind were more like the deepest, most intense ¡°impressions¡± left in the world by a ghost captain after hisplete death. Instinct told Zhou Ming that there was a big problem behind this identity of ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± especially with the supernatural phenomena on the ship (the wooden goat head that could speak). The mystery surrounding Captain Duncan could even mean some danger he had never imagined, yet he had to use this name in order to move about safely on the ship. Because, just like the wooden goat head earlier, certain things on the ship were always trying to confirm ¡°the identity of the captain.¡± Even the ship itself was always confirming the identity of the captain. This felt like some kind of safety measure, almost as if the captain of the ship might really forget his own name at any moment and that forgetting his name would lead to some extremely terrible and dangerous event. Therefore, ¡°verification means¡± were set up all over the ship. Zhou Ming did not know what consequences ¡°Captain Duncan¡± would face if he forgot his name, but he believed that getting his name wrong would definitely not result in anything good. After all, even the wooden goat head on the navigation desk didn¡¯t seem like any kind of benevolent being. N?v(el)B\\jnn But if he assumed the name of Duncan Ebnomal, then everything on the ship seemed quite friendly. In any case, they appeared not to be very intelligent. Zhou Ming¡ªor perhaps he should be called Duncan now¡ªended his brief contemtion and recollection and then looked at the chart spread out on the table. However, there was nothing on that chart that could be recognized: no sailing routes, markings, ornd, not even an ind in sight. The only thing visible on the rough, thick parchment surface wererge patches of gray and white clumps surging up and down, as if blocking whatever navigation routes originally existed on the paper. The only discernible feature in the center of the chart was the silhouette of a ship faintly visible through the thick fog. Duncan (Zhou Ming) had no experience in setting sail out at sea in his past decades of life, but even someone unfamiliar with sea charts would surely know that ¡°normal¡± charts don¡¯t look like this. Clearly, like the wooden goat head on the desk, this chart was also some kind of supernatural item¡ªonly Duncan hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to use it. It seemed that as the captain¡¯s attention finally fell on the sea chart, the goat¡¯s head that had been quiet for quite some time on the table finally stirred again. It began to make a creaking wooden friction sound, and its neck twitched slightly at first, but soon the creaking became impossible to ignore¡ªas if its entire head had gone into vibration mode and began to twitch uncontrobly on the pedestal. Duncan, fearing that the thing would continue and start a fire on his navigation desk with wood friction, finally couldn¡¯t help looking at it: ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Excellency Captain¡ªI must emphasize again that today is a fine day for setting sail. Homeloss is, as always, awaiting yourmands! Shall we set sail?¡± Chapter 3 - 3 Wandering at the Border Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Wandering at the Border Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The wooden goat head with its rigid, jet-ck face watched Duncan seated behind the navigation desk, its obsidian eyes seemingly flowing with a strange light¡ªthough in reality, the thingcked any capacity to produce expressions. Yet Duncan distinctly read a sense of expectation in that wooden visage. In fact, this wasn¡¯t the first time the goat head had urged him to ¡°set sail¡±; every time he came here, the goat head would prompt him once more. He even felt that the ship itself was constantly pressuring him,pelling him to end this aimless drift at sea and set sail for the proper course at the earliest opportunity. However, Duncan fell silent. His inherently dignified face was now clouded with shadows, and amidst deep thought and reticence, he became acutely aware of two problems: Firstly, he was the only person aboard the entire ship, which was insanely huge in size¡ªfor a sail-powered vessel, this ship known as ¡°Homeloss¡± was roughly estimated by Duncan to be between one hundred fifty and two hundred meters long. To maneuver such a massive behemoth, it would take dozens or even hundreds of experienced sailors, so how could he, alone, steer it? Secondly, setting aside the professional factors mentioned above, there was a critical issue hindering his nautical journey¡ªhe didn¡¯t know how to sail. Duncan felt a bit anxious. He forced himself to imagine what would happen if he consulted with this eerie and noisy goat head on how to pilot the ship, and the thought only increased his anxiety. Yet the goat head had no inkling of its captain¡¯s thoughts; it simply asked, ¡°Captain, do you have any concerns? If you¡¯re worried about the condition of Homeloss, rest assured, Homeloss is always prepared to sail with you to the world¡¯s end. Or are you worried about setting sail today being inauspicious? I have some knowledge of divination¡ªdo you trust any particr method? Astrology, incense, crystals, all are fine. Speaking of crystals, do you remember¡­¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Duncan strained the muscles in his face, suppressing the impulse to engage in a life-or-death struggle with the wooden goat head before speaking sternly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the deck to survey the situation¡ªstay here in silence.¡± ¡°As you wish¡ªbut I must remind you, Homeloss has been drifting aimlessly for far too long. You must takemand of her as soon as possible, to return this voyage back to its proper course¡­¡± The goat head spoke, and then, apanied by the sound of wood rubbing, it finally returned to its original posture. Duncan immediately felt the world settle. He let out a gentle sigh of relief, the resonance in his head gradually calming, and then picked up the flintlock pistol on the table and rose from the captain¡¯s quarters. This flintlock pistol, which seemed to have seen many years, was found by him during his explorations on the ship, along with a single-handed sword that currently hung at his waist, and these two items were his assurance of safety while moving about the ship. Over thest few days of exploration, he spent a long time roughly learning how to use these two items¡ªalthough, so far, he hadn¡¯t encountered any living beings other than himself on the ship. Talking ¡°objects¡± don¡¯t count. The salty sea breeze hit his face, and with it, Duncan¡¯s slightly irritated mood calmed down. He stepped onto the deck outside the captain¡¯s cabin and subconsciously looked up at the sky. The dense clouds still veiled the entire sky within sight; no sun, moon, or stars could be seen through the cloud cover, just the murky sky light enveloping the boundless sea. This scene had persisted for a long time. In fact, ever since Duncan arrived on this ship, he had only seen such a sky¡ªleading him to wonder if normal weather even existed in this world, or if this gloomy, cloud-covered vista was the eternal celestial phenomenon of this sea region? Duncan turned around. He saw the door to the captain¡¯s quarters standing silently there with a row of letters carved in an unfamiliar alphabet above the lintel. As his gaze focused on those letters, their meaning directly and clearly imprinted itself in his mind: ¡°The Disced¡¯s Door.¡± ¡°The Disced¡¯s Door¡­ Homeloss, huh,¡± Duncan muttered to himself, then added with a touch of self-mockery, ¡°This ship does have a fitting name.¡± Then he stepped past the captain¡¯s quarters and took the stairs along the edge of the deck up to the upper deck at the stern. Here was a wooden tform, the most open viewpoint on the entire ship aside from the lookout tower. A hefty ck helm awaited the helmsman¡¯s arrival silently atop the tform. Duncan furrowed his brow. For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of urgency and restlessness that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere the moment heid eyes on the steering wheel. He had never felt this way in his previous visits here! As if to respond to the restlessness in his heart, a senseless and chaotic wind suddenly blew across the deck, and the previously calm sea surface instantly churned with waves. Although the squall was not yet strong enough to affect the massive ¡°Homeloss,¡± Duncan¡¯s rm bells were ringing. The next second, driven by intuition, he looked in the direction of the bow. A boundless, barrier-like wall of white fog seemed to appear out of thin air on the sea surface directly in front of the Homeloss, shrouded between the chaotic blur of sky and sea, making his eyes widen in shock! It was a wall of fog that seemed to wrap around and iste the whole world, bearing down like an insurmountable cliff connecting heaven and earth. More rming to Duncan than its heart-stopping scale was its striking resemnce to the boundless haze outside his apartment window that popped into his mind. The Homeloss was sailing straight for that fog wall! Duncan didn¡¯t know what that thick fog was, nor whaty beyond it, but he instinctively sensed immense danger. His survival instincts told him that being swallowed by that fog was nothing good! He subconsciously rushed towards the tform where the ship¡¯s wheel was located¡ªa tremendous sense of helplessness enveloped him: Even if he took the helm, how could he steer such a colossal ship away from the fog wall by himself? Yet, instinctively, he found himself before the steering wheel. And almost at the same moment, he heard a hoarse and somber voiceing from a copper tube next to the steering wheel that connected to the captain¡¯s cabin, the voice of ¡°Goat Head¡±¡ªand this time, the tone of that uncanny entity carried a hint of panic: ¡°Captain, a border copse has appeared ahead, we are approaching the limit of reality! Please adjust course immediately!¡± Hearing Goat Head¡¯s panicky voice, Duncan almost cursed out loud¡ªadjusting course was easier said than done, why didn¡¯t he just conjure a hundred and eighty proficient sailors on the spot to steer this thing! He then looked up again towards the direction of the mainmast only to see bare masts standing on the deck, which only intensified his despair¡ªeven the idea of setting sail was a fantasy since, in fact, the ship didn¡¯t have sails at all; those masts were bare! In his emotional turmoil, he didn¡¯t even have time to ponder the bizarre terminology that Goat Head had blurted out; his instincts simply drove him to grasp the steering wheel, which seemed to be trembling ever so slightly. For several days now, this was his first time deliberately cing his hands on the helm of the Homeloss¡ªprevious eerie urrences on the ship and Goat Head¡¯s persistent urging had always made him wary, and he had been resistant to the idea of ¡°taking the helm.¡± But now, he no longer had the chance to hesitate. He gripped the wheel tightly, his mind too nk to contemte how he might control a ghost ship seemingly deserted but for himself. And then, the transformation happened in the next instant. A tumultuous roar like a mountain cry and tsunami explosion sounded in Duncan¡¯s mind, as if thousands of cheering people were standing ashore to see off a ship, as if hundreds of sailors were shouting the captain¡¯s name on deck, and among them seemed to be mixed with the mncholy of sea shanties and invisible mighty waves. A green me appeared on the edge of his vision. Duncan instinctively looked at his palms and saw a greenish fire suddenly burst from the wheel of the Homeloss, sweeping over with astonishing speed, quickly enveloping his entire body. In the fierce ze, his fleshly body suddenly became hollow and unreal, his captain¡¯s uniform tattered as though it had been soaked in the sea for decades or even centuries, and beneath the suddenly spectral-like flesh, Duncan could vaguely see his own bones¡ªhis crystal-clear bones leaping with mes, the undying fire flowing within him like water. However, he felt no pain or heat. In the raging mes, he only felt his awareness spreading outward in all directions. The fire spread from the helm down, sweeping across the deck and the ship¡¯s side, climbing the mast, the mes weaving into an intricate web, and then breathing upwards from the deck, spreading along the lone masts and intertwining into billowing sails in the blend of sea and mist. The Homeloss set sail before the swiftly copsing border of reality. (Oh my, what a surprise! PS: A new side story for ¡°Sword of Dawn¡± has been uploaded, which theoretically should be thest one, so everyone is wee to check it out~~~) Chapter 4: 4 Spirit Realm Speedboat Chapter 4: 4 Spirit Realm Speedboat Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Eerie green mes zed upon his body, his flesh and bones turned into a semi-transparent spiritual form within the fierce fire. Duncan manned the helm of the Homeloss within this river of mes, and his perception seemed to spread along with the mes, eventually extending to the entire ship. It turns out, it didn¡¯t need any crew at all. The Homeloss could set sail on its own, only needing the captain to steer, ready to sail at any moment. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om When the eerie green mes burst into the air, Duncan was thrown into brief panic, but the supernatural phenomena he had witnessed more than once on this ship over the past few days forced him to calm down and not to let go of the steering wheel during those crucial seconds. Now, he was finally certain that the mes were some kind of ¡°power¡± that was harmless to him¡ªregardless of whether his body could recover afterward, at the very least, the power of the mes appeared to be aiding him in controlling this ghost ship beneath his feet. The jubnt roar in his mind gradually faded, and Duncan felt his mind was clearer than ever before. The Homelossmunicated with him in diverse indescribable ¡°touches,¡± as if it was an extension of his own limbs. Although he stillcked the knowledge and experience that a qualified captain should possess, at least now he had the ability to control the ship single-handedly. The sails, like gossamer mist, billowed on the mast, and the various staysails and jibs began to adjust their angles automatically. The airflow above the sea surface was in disarray, yet these spiritual sails seemed to draw consistent power from the invisible turbulent winds. The Homeloss ceased its aimless drifting and began to stabilize under the push of the sails. Duncan attempted to turn the steering wheel in his hands, feeling a tangible force feedback rush into his mind. He could sense that the vast ship below him was finally beginning to turn, trying to move away from the boundless fog ahead. But the turn wasn¡¯t fast enough, the endless fog was still inching closer. From beside the wheel, a voice shrieked through the copper pipe, ¡°Warning, approaching the limits of reality¡­ We¡¯re about to fall into the Spirit Realm! Captain, we need¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Duncan bellowed, interrupting the goat head¡¯s voice, ¡°Rather than bbering underneath, think of something useful to help!¡± The goat head went silent, but just as Duncan thought it had finally quieted down, that hoarse, piercing, and somewhat chilling shout suddenly came through the copper pipe again: ¡°Push! Push! Push!¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡± At that moment, everything around him felt unreal. He had epted the strange urrences he¡¯d encountered, the supernatural powers aboard the ship, and even the fact that he was being slowly stewed by a ball of green fire. Yet, he couldn¡¯t imagine the goat head, which had given him a strong sense of danger and strangeness from the beginning, making such an astonishing move¡­ That thing had been weird from the start, but now it was too much! But the rapidly approaching fog left no time for Duncan to think orin. Although the Homeloss had already begun to turn swiftly¡ªa movement that could almost be described as drifting considering the ship¡¯s massive size¡ªthe dense fog in the distance seemed to be consciously chasing its prey, casting out vast swaths of thin mist from its edges that quickly enveloped the entire space around the Homeloss. The instant the thin mist rose from the sea surface, Duncan keenly felt an odd change in the surroundings. The sky light suddenly dimmed, and the once blue seawater inexplicably teemed with countless, thread-like ck lines that floated up from beneath the surface, quickly turning the entire ocean pitch ck. Within the mist, it seemed as if innumerable figures began to emerge. ¡°We¡¯ve fallen into the Spirit Realm!¡± The goat head¡¯s morous and eerie cheering finally subsided. Its shouts now seemed toe from an extremely distant ce, interspersed with a multitude of low, murmured whispers, as if numerous malevolent voices surrounded Duncan, ¡°But the Homeloss hasn¡¯tpletely gone under¡ªCaptain, hold the helm. As long as we don¡¯t sink to the Mysterious Deep Sea, the Homeloss still has the power to maintain a heading. We can still get out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s provided I know which way to go!¡± Duncan roared in a low voice, his words mixed with the crackling of green mes, as ifing from hell, ¡°I¡¯ve lost my sense of direction!¡± ¡°Intuition, Captain, intuition!¡± the goat head yelled through the copper pipe, ¡°Your intuition is more urate than the markings on a sea chart!¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± A sense of helplessness washed over him, but Duncan no longer had the energy to argue with a weird goat head. Since it suggested relying on intuition, he might as well just go for it¡ª Following that faint sensation remaining from before the mist had risen, he clenched the steering wheel tightly and used all his strength to turn in the direction he believed in. The Homeloss from top to bottom let out a series of chilling howls. The massive ship traced a remarkable arc over the nowpletely ckened sea surface, with the wind howling and the mist swirling. In the dim sky light and the fog, Duncan caught a glimpse of something emerging within the mist with the corner of his eye. The next second, he saw it was a ship, a white vessel with a ck smokestack in the middle that was smaller than the Homeloss. At the end of the stunning arc traced by the Homeloss, the ship suddenly appearing from the fog was heading straight toward them¡ªor rather, the Homeloss was heading straight for it. A scream was all that was left in Duncan¡¯s mind: ¡°Mother clucker, there¡¯s trouble with street racing in the Spirit Realm!¡± Throughout his long exploration of this strange world, he hadn¡¯t seen another living soul, so why on earth would a ship suddenly appear now? What are the odds of this happening at the same time? ¡­¡­ ¡°` The gales howled and towering waves surged, as the Endless Sea unleashed its fearsome might. In the face of nature¡¯s force, strong enough to rupture the transcendent, the ¡°White Oak¡± strained the steam engine¡¯sst bit of power tobat the fate of death. The captain, Lawrence Creed, with his graying hair, stood in the pilot¡¯spartment. The sturdy walls and ss windows of thepartment seemed to offer him no sense of safety. His hands gripped the ship¡¯s wheel tightly, as if the dying groans and convulsions of the White Oak resonate directly into his brain through the series of gears and rods behind the wheel. Through the broad windows, he clearly saw astonishingly huge waves rising outside the ship¡¯s side. More terrifying than the waves, though, was the eerie thick fog that rolled and spread over the distant sea, and within it, the asional glimpse of ck lightning. The White Oak was the most advanced steamship in the world, but even the most sophisticated machinery could only guarantee that the ship would surge with power in ¡°normal¡± seas. Yet, what it and its captain now faced was a copsing boundary of reality, a bone-chilling cold spreading from the vile pces of evil deities rising from the world¡¯s underbelly. ¡°Captain! The priest can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± The first mate¡¯s piercing cry came from the side, Lawrence heard a slight hoarse echo in the other¡¯s voice. He then looked forward at the control panel, and saw ominous purple-ck mes rising from the censer ced on the prayer table. The respectable and loyal clergyman in the deep blue robe sitting in front of the censer was trembling, with madness and rity flickering alternately in his eyes. Lawrence¡¯s heart sank. He knew that the honorable priest still stood with humanity, using hisst devout belief and purest, most sacred soul to ward off the call from the ¡°depths of the world.¡± But this resistance was thest of his strength; the purple-ck smoke rising from the censer was clear evidence that the corruption had breached the prayers. Once the priest fell, every lucid mind on this ship could be a gateway, a door to the Mysterious Deep Sea, or even to Subspace. ¡°Captain!¡± The first mate¡¯s voice came again from the side. Lawrence interrupted him. The middle-aged captain¡¯s face was resolute: ¡°Temporarily shut down the Sacred Relic beacon¡ªwe are sinking into the Spirit Realm!¡± The first mate was bbergasted, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his own ears: ¡°Captain?!¡± ¡°Into the Spirit Realm¡ªthis way, at least for ten minutes, we can dodge the most ferocious wave of the border copse, and the priest might have a chance to recover,¡± Lawrencemanded again, undeniably, only this time he added an exnation, ¡°Carry out my orders.¡± The first mate¡¯s mouth opened as if he had more to say, but then he clenched his teeth: ¡°You are the captain!¡± The crew started swiftly executing the captain¡¯s orders. Lawrence, who was personally at the helm, took a deep breath. The Sacred Relic beacon in the depths of the ship was gradually going out. He could feel the invisible protective field that enveloped the White Oak weakening rapidly, and without the protection of the Sacred Relic, the ship was sinking little by little into the ¡°Spirit Realm,¡± theyer between reality and the Mysterious Deep Sea. A mist formed over the surrounding sea, and the water began to turn gradually cker. It was dangerous, but historically, not all ships that had sunk into the Spirit Realm state failed to return to the human world. As a member of the Explorers¡¯ Association, he had pored over many such records and various ¡°survival guides¡± written by survivors. How much worse could it get? He just needed to let the White Oak dodge a storm on the edge of the Spirit Realm and then make a thrilling ¡°Spirit Realm Drift¡± with the surging power of its advanced steam engine. If luck was still on his side, he would be able to lead his crew back to the human world. Then to promptly hand over that damned ¡°Abnormality 099¡± in the cargo hold to the Governor of the Plunder City-State and from then on, never meddle in official matters for the rest of his life. It couldn¡¯t get any worse. Lawrence consoled himself with this thought. Then he saw a three-masted sailship, substantiallyrger than the White Oak, abruptly appearing on the horizon, shrouded in darkness. It was charging with an unstoppable momentum, cutting a spectacr arc through the waters, and bearing down like a thunderbolt¡­ Captain Lawrence stared nkly ahead. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± (Damn it! Another surprise! Thank you for your enthusiasm and support, and thanks to the Silver Alliance of ¡°No More Integrity¡±¡­ Big cute, today, another chapter will be added =.= However, this update pace is only for today¡­ After all, my body isn¡¯t as strong as it used to be 233) ¡°` Chapter 5 - 5 Interwoven Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Interwoven Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The massive shadow bore down, and every person aboard the white oak ship witnessed a moment that would imprint itself in their memories for life. It was a three-masted warship that appeared ancient and majestic¡ªIn an era when steamships were no longer a rarity, the sailing warship that materialized from the dense fog seemed as old as if it had stepped right out of an oil painting from a century ago. Its masts towered high, its sides steep, the ck wooden hull aze with ghostly green mes. The enormous sails billowed in the void, imprinted with the images of roaring phantoms andyers of fierce mes¡ªsuch a scene, even upon the terrifying Endless Sea, only appeared in the scariest of maritime disaster legends. ¡°We¡¯re going to collide!¡± Cries came from the crewmen, known for their rough and hardy dispositions. Even they lost theirposure in the face of such a colossal vessel. They shouted, ran about, some trying to find shelter on deck, others clung to anything that might secure them, and still others knelt amidst the pitching and rolling seas, praying with a sincerity never before mustered, invoking the names of the Storm Goddess Gomona or The Master of Death, Bartok. Aboard the Endless Sea, the blessings of the gods had already waned, but only these two deities continued to watch over all their children with equal regard. But not all of the crew had lost their cool. The first officer immediately looked to his most trusted captain, knowing that on the perilous Endless Sea, the experienced captain was always key to determining the fate of the entire ship. Lawrence had been at sea for over thirty years, and though this captain past fifty might no longer possess the strength of his youth, the experience he had umted on these waters might yet secure a slim chance of survival for all. The vessel that had emerged from the dense fog clearly was not a ship that sailed the realm of reality, but seemed more like something from the Spirit Realm or ¡°even deeper.¡± If it were some kind of Transcendent phenomenon, then perhaps it could be countered with some form of Transcendent power. Seasoned captains sailing on the Endless Sea had at least some experience with Transcendent phenomena. However, the first officer saw only fear and shock on the captain¡¯s face. The old captain stood motionless at the helm, as if utterly oblivious to the ship nowpletely enveloped in shadow. He stared fixedly at the looming ship ahead, his facial muscles as tense as if sculpted in stone. Eventually, a few words squeezed through his clenched teeth, colder than the wind above the Chill Sea, ¡°¡­It¡¯s the Homeloss¡­¡± ¡°Captain?!¡± The first officer was startled by the name that floated to his ears. Like everyone who made a living on the Endless Sea, he had also heard this name from the mouths of sailors older, more seasoned, and more superstitious than himself. ¡°What are you saying?! That¡­¡± ¡°The Homeloss!!!¡± Lawrence acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard the first officer¡¯s voice. He grasped the wheel of the white oak firmly as if to roar at something, his voice roaring hoarsely. And almost simultaneously as his words fell, the towering body of the Homeloss finally touched the bow of the white oak. Almost all the sailors screamed. Yet the ground-shaking impact they anticipated did not ur¡ªthe giant ship burning with green mes passed through like an borate phantom, its howling mes sweeping across the deck of the white oak, through the thick hull, the shadowy cabins, the dimly lit corridors, the dragon bones, and the pirs aze¡­ The sailors¡¯ eyes widened with terror as they watched themselves collide with the phantom of the Ghost Ship, and the green mes swept past like a fiery beside them. Lawrence watched the mes howl towards him, but before that, he first saw them pass over the first officer¡ªThe first officer¡¯s body instantly transformed into a spectral Spiritual Body in the ethereal fire, the bones within burning like kindling. He then saw the priest by the prayer altar, the mes on his body flickering, as if the deity behind him was still protecting him from being devoured by the Homeloss with a fragile blessing. The same mes then enveloped Lawrence. He saw his own body undergo the same transformation, and a strong sense of fatigue, submission, and fear filled him. His hidden Ocean Amulet began to take effect, maintaining his sanity with a sensation alternately burning and cooling. With thest of his sanity, he ¡°passed through¡± the cabins and corridors of the Homeloss. He was met with the oppressive ship¡¯s cabin, then it whooshed away, ancient wood pirs wrapped in decayed ropes and barnacles engulfed in green fire. He saw a vast cargo hold, silently filled with bizarre items that should have been buried deep at sea, and then a luxurious cabin with a wooden goat¡¯s head ced on the center table. The goat head turned, regarding Lawrence¡¯s eyes with indifferent scrutiny. Finally, Lawrence mustered all his strength to lift his head, and he saw the figure at the helm¡ªthe towering presence standing by the ssic ship¡¯s wheel, draped in a ck seafarer¡¯s uniform, exuded an awe-inspiring and terrifying authority like the master of nightmares,manding all specter mes, and even the deep sea of the Spirit Realm seemed to yield before his majestic aura, as it tore open a rift behind him. Lawrence resignedly closed his eyes¡ªhe knew that he was now part of the Homeloss, and the nightmarish captain required some sacrifices to satisfy his endless void and loneliness. But the next second, he mustered the courage to open his eyes again, feeling as if all the bravery and madness of his life had converged into these few seconds. He recalled the knowledge he had obtained from books and legends, and calmly and sincerely watched the fearsome captain standing atop the Homeloss. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take everyone¡ªtake me, spare my crew,¡± he said. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om However, the towering figure did not answer. He simply cast a cold gaze in Lawrence¡¯s direction, his eyes seemingly tinged with a hint of curiosity¡ªas if wondering why a mere mortal captain dared to negotiate with him. Unable to contain himself any longer, Lawrence let out a roar, ¡°They all have families!!¡± The figure standing on the Homeloss finally reacted. He stared in Lawrence¡¯s direction, as if saying something, but a loud whooshing noise arose, and amidst the sound, Lawrence only vaguely heard some movements, but couldn¡¯t make out a single word. The response from the Homeloss was swept away in the roaring of the waves¡ª ¡°What did you say?! The wind is too loud, I can¡¯t hear!!¡± The next second, a tumultuous noise rushed into Lawrence¡¯s ears, mixed with the sound of the wind, the sea, and the shouts of sailors outside. From the corner of his eye, he saw green mes rapidly fading away, and thest remaining phantom of the Homeloss vanished cleanly from the air like fog. Lawrence took a deep breath and then noticed that his hands, which had been burned to a crisp by green mes, had somehow returned to their original state. Even the other people in the bridge had once again be flesh and blood. The devout priest was gasping for breath next to the prayer stand, incessantly chanting the holy name of the Storm Goddess Gomona, while the ominous purple-ck smoke from the incense burner gradually dispersed, with pure white smoke rising from the brass burner cover. It took Lawrence a while to catch his breath, and then he looked around in bewilderment, as if unable to believe the nightmare was over, until the voice of the first mate came from beside him, ¡°Captain! The ship¡ªthe Homeloss has left!¡± Lawrence was a bit dazed, and it took him a few seconds to murmur to himself, ¡°¡­he actually let us go?¡± The first mate didn¡¯t hear him clearly, ¡°Captain? What did you say?¡± ¡°That Captain Duncan¡­¡± Lawrence muttered subconsciously, but then as if he had inadvertently mentioned a taboo word, he pped himself before abruptly looking up at the first mate, ¡°Roll call for the whole ship, now! See if anyone is missing from the ship!¡± The first mate immediately nodded and was about to leave when Lawrence abruptly called out to him again, ¡°And see if there¡¯s anyone extra on board!¡± The first mate was taken aback, then realized the implication, a sh of surprise and fear in his eyes. He took a deep breath, whispered the name of the Storm Goddess, and then quickly ran out to the deck. Aboard the White Oak, which was still sailing in Spirit Realm state, the assembly bell rang as ominously as a death knell. (There should still be a post at noon~~) Chapter 6 - 6 The Disappearance of the "Cargo Chapter 6: Chapter 6 The Disappearance of the ¡°Cargo Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The assembly bell rang out, followed by the hurried and chaotic footsteps of the sailors. Captain Lawrence stayed in the steering room with the second mate and the still out-of-breath priest. The old captain gazed out at the sea from the window. At this moment, the White Oak was still deep in the Spirit Realm. The sea outside the hull was shrouded in fog, and the water remained as ck as ink, but the storm had stopped, and the dreadful Homeloss had disappeared without a trace¡ª which inevitably gave the illusion that the previous storm and even the copse of the reality boundary were all brought about by the Ghost Ship, and now, all cmities seemed to have drifted away from the White Oak along with the ship¡¯s departure. Lawrence thought of the frightening legends about the Homeloss and its captain, Duncan Ebnomal. He pondered the fleet swallowed by the reality boundary more than a century ago and the ships that had sunk in the Mysterious Deep Sea after encountering Homeloss, suddenly feeling that this was not at all impossible. But regardless, now that Homeloss had left and the surrounding sea temporarily returned to calm, although still in the perilous depths of the Spirit Realm, at least he and his crew had a chance to catch their breath. Next, Lawrence had to determine what precisely the Homeloss had taken from¡ªor left behind on¡ªthe White Oak. And he needed to find out quickly. Without eliminating all hidden dangers, he dared not recklessly bring the ship back to the real world; some things brought out from the Spirit Realm could cause terrible contamination in reality, but if they stayed in the depth of the Spirit Realm for too long, he and his crew would be irreversibly affected. Listening to the noiseing from the deck, Lawrence suddenly raised his head from his thoughts and looked at the priest who was sitting in front of the incense burner, hisplexion somewhat improved. He spoke with utmost seriousness, ¡°Mr. Ron, how stable are we now?¡± The priest coughed twice and then took out a small, exquisitely craftedpass, its surface engraved with many nautical symbols and holy symbols. After snapping open the metal cover, the needle on thepass immediately began spinning rapidly, eventuallying to a steady halt at a certain position. ¡°We¡¯re at the surfaceyer of the Spirit Realm, slightly closer to the real world. The influence from the Mysterious Deep Sea is¡­ very weak,¡± the priest observed the state of thepass needle and suddenly looked puzzled. ¡°Strange¡­ we¡¯repletely stable here. Even with the Sacred Relic turned off, there¡¯s almost no¡­ cough, cough¡­ sinking.¡± ¡°Perhaps that ¡®collision¡¯ with the Homeloss bumped us onto a safe course,¡± Lawrence let out a bitter smile and shook his head, trying to lighten the mood with a dry joke. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there are subtle equilibrium points in the Spirit Realm that can protect things from the real world from deeper ¡®pulls¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Captain, that joke was too cold.¡± The priest said, coughing again. Though he had caught his breath, he was far from okay, ¡°Cough, cough, regardless, what happened today must be reported to the Church¡­ Homeloss¡¯s appearance is no small matter. There have always been reports of encounters with Homeloss over the past decades, but they were allter proved to be nonsense from sailors or mass hallucinations caused by phantom anomalies. But today, we truly witnessed it¡­ Goddess above, you better be prepared not to sail again anytime soon after returning to Prand.¡± ¡°I understand¡ªneither the Church nor the City-State authorities would allow a ship that just faced a phantom disaster to return to the open sea, it¡¯s a safety measure for everyone. And it¡¯s not just the Church I have to report to, the City-State, Explorers¡¯ Association¡­ Ah, and my terrifying wife¡­¡± Captain Lawrence pressed his forehead hard, sighed deeply, and waved his hand, ¡°But let¡¯s not talk about that now. You need to rest. Until we reach port, this ship will need the blessing of the Goddess.¡± The priest nodded lightly, and soon after, the first mate who had left not long ago returned to the steering room. ¡°There are no less and no more people aboard,¡± the first mate reported immediately, even before the captain could ask, ¡°I personally checked the sailors assembled on the deck and went to the engine room to check the machinists stationed there. They could all urately recite the names of the gods they worship, they are indeed alive.¡± ¡°Not a person missing?¡± Lawrence widened his eyes in disbelief. Although it should be good news, he was hesitant to trust the first mate¡¯s report, ¡°What about the Sacred Relic beacon?¡± ¡°The Sacred Relic is normal,¡± the first mate nodded promptly, ¡°The navigator is preparing the incense and essential oils, waiting for yourmand to restart the Relic.¡± Listening in disbelief, Lawrence murmured to himself again, ¡°¡­ Did he truly spare this ship?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to good fortune favoring us, Captain,¡± the first mate spread his hands, ¡°We haven¡¯t lost anything; perhaps that fearsome Ghost Ship Captain just happened to be passing by, or it might have been an idental collision.¡± ¡°Do you believe that yourself?¡± Lawrence red at his first mate, ¡°If we were really favored by good luck, we would not have encountered it at all¡­¡± He was cut off mid-sentence by a surge of frantic footsteps outside the door, followed by someone bursting through the steering room¡¯s door, a perspiration-drenched boatswain appearing in front of Lawrence. The tall man¡¯s face was etched with terror. ¡°Captain! Anomaly 099 is gone!!¡± The bridge fell silent instantaneously, everyone exchanged looks, yet for some reason, Lawrence felt a sense of relief after the brief shock¡ª Thank goodness, since encountering the Homeloss, they had finally found something amiss on the ship, and that was a good thing! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But then he immediately controlled his facial expression, hastened towards the doorway, and urgently ordered the first mate to take over the helm while instructing the boatswain to lead the way in front. Urgent footsteps echoed in the passageways of the White Oak¡¯s cabins, and soon Lawrence, led by the boatswain, arrived at the deepest part of this steamship. A special chamber appeared before him. The door of this chamber was covered with dense, arcane symbols, and the heavy, dark door seemed to be forged from a single piece of ck iron. Mysterious symbols extended from the edge of the doorframe to the corridor, faintly forming a kind of closed cage, meant to bind whatever was kept inside the chamber. Lawrence nced at the door, making sure the door and the surrounding symbols were undamaged, then looked up¡ªdirectly above the Sealed Chamber was the ¡°Sacred Relic Room¡± where the Sacred Emblem Compass was ced, a device critical in ensuring the ship was unaffected by the ¡°Deep¡± and also a secondyer of insurance for maintaining the seal of the chamber. Even when off, it should keep the barrier of the Sealed Chamber intact. Yet, despite bothyers of protection being undamaged, the contents of the Sealed Chamber, the most critical cargo of the White Oak¡¯s voyage, anomaly 099¡ªthe Doll Coffin, had vanished. Lawrence took a deep breath, stepped forward, and forcefully pushed open the massive doors of the Sealed Chamber. Inside the Sealed Chamber, the lights were fully on, suspendedmps hanging from four pirs brightly illuminated the center of the room. However, the ¡°cargo¡± that should have been there had disappeared without a trace, leaving only several crisscrossing chains and some white-grey ashes scattered on the floor. The boatswain¡¯s voice came from behind Lawrence: ¡°ording to the sealing requirements for anomaly 099, the room was always to be lit, and every two hours, a crew member would enter to reinforce the chains around the ¡®coffin¡¯ and scatter bone ash on the floor. But when that¡­ Ghost Ship appeared, due to the chaotic situation, the sailor who was on duty failed to enter the room on time. He was almost seven minuteste, and by the time he did, anomaly 099 was gone¡­¡± ¡°Just seven minuteste wouldn¡¯t cause it to go out of control, at worst, the seal would weaken and there might be some disturbance, the worst-case scenario being a coffin moving about in this room¡ªthat¡¯s all. The multipleyers of seals and the restraining power of the Sacred Emblem Compass are not just for show,¡± Lawrence frowned and shook his head, ¡°but now it has disappeared¡­ The cargo has left the ship, and it has nothing to do with that sailor.¡± The boatswain¡¯s expression grew tense: ¡°Then you mean to say¡­¡± ¡°It has to be the Homeloss,¡± Lawrence spoke gravely, ¡°that ¡®captain¡¯ took anomaly 099¡­¡± He paused, then sighed softly, ¡°Perhaps we should be grateful that the Homeloss only takes what it wants. That captain came for anomaly 099, not our lives.¡± The boatswain looked at his own captain¡¯s face, then at the empty Sealed Chamber, hesitating for a long time before finally asking, ¡°So¡­ having lost such important cargo, how do we exin it to the City-State authorities¡­¡± Lawrence looked at the boatswain and vigorously patted his shoulder. ¡°The Homeloss is considered an act of God; we have maritime insurance.¡± ¡°¡­Do insurancepanies cover this sort of thing?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t pay out, let the Explorers¡¯ Association issue a new bounty on the Homeloss¡­¡± ¡°Captain, are you being a bit rash¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Chapter 7: The Puppet Chapter 7: The Puppet Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The towering green inferno that zed in the night had begun to steadily fade away, and the surrounding sea also started to calm down. After he verified with the goat-headed entity that the Homeloss had left the perilous waters and could now navigate on its own, Duncan removed his hand from the gloomy steering wheel. He was now looking down, his eyes catching sight of his body which had once again taken on flesh and blood, as well as the deck of the Homeloss which had returned to normal after the green mes were extinguished. But deep down, he had a feeling¡ªthat many things had changed. He could feel that the moment he grasped the steering wheel of the Homeloss, something had changed. The green mes had connected him with this ship, and even with the sea itself. Even though the mes had now receded, he could still feel this invisible bond, and sense every detail of the great ship beneath his feet. Duncan slowly closed his eyes. He heard faint whisperinging from the shadowy corridors within the Homeloss, whispers that carried an inexplicable familiarity. He saw that thentern in the captain¡¯s quarters had been lit, with a ghastly light flickering within its ssy cover. He listened to the sound of waves striking the hull, and beneath those waves, it seemed as if therey a profound gaze. But when he tried to locate the source of that gaze, it seemed to consciously hide its existence¡­ Duncan opened his eyes and let out a soft breath. The ethereal sails atop the Homeloss¡¯s masts billowed in response. He walked toward the stairway leading to the deck, and the ropes beside the staircase wriggled aside to make way. He realized¡ªonly after he had chosen to take the wheel did he truly be the captain of this ship. ¡°Captain, we are surfacing from the edge of the Spirit Realm and will soon return to the real world,¡± the voice of the goat-head came from beside him, but this time not through themunication pipes on the ship; it was directly in Duncan¡¯s mind. When it came to serious matters, it sounded much more solemn and was far less noisy, ¡°We were fortunate. At our deepest, we only ¡®shook¡¯ a bit in the loweryers of the Spirit Realm and were hardly affected by the Mysterious Deep Sea.¡± The real world, the Spirit Realm, the Mysterious Deep Sea, and what seemed like the deeper Subspace¡­ These unusual terms sequentially emerged in Duncan¡¯s mind; he knew they pointed to the genuine state of this strange world, yet he still did notprehend their true meanings. N?v(el)B\\jnn However, listening to the goat-head address him as ¡°Captain¡±, Duncan faintly sensed a subtle shift in its tone. He even spected that even if he revealed the identity of ¡°Zhou Ming¡±, the goat-head would still obey hismands¡ªthis was the change that hade about now that he had manned the wheel and sessfully recovered from the ¡°green fire¡±. But after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he refrained from such an attempt, nor did he inquire of the goat-head about the Spirit Realm, the Mysterious Deep, or the Subspace. If it had been a few days earlier, he would have been engulfed in anxiety and unrest, desperate to understand his situation. But now, he seemed in no hurry. This world had other ¡°people¡±, other ships, orderly societies, other civilizations. This was enough to make him conjure many aspirations for the future out of thin air and even formte some ns, though they were still quite nebulous at the moment. Lost in thought, Duncan remembered the details of his encounter with the ship that had emerged suddenly from the dense fog, remembered the conspicuous smokestack on the other vessel, and the mechanical structures that appeared directly in his mind as they passed by the Homeloss. ¡°That was a mechanically powered ship¡­ while the Homeloss looks more like a sailing battleship from a bygone era¡­¡± he muttered to himself, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t entirely a mechanical ship¡­¡± There were chambers on that ship whose purposes were unclear. They were arranged as if they were scenes from some ritual. Along the spine of the vessel, one could see many strange patterns and symbols that looked like decorations, yet they went beyond mere ornamentation. ¡°Goat-head,¡± Duncan suddenly spoke, not knowing the name of the entity. He instinctively used the name in his mind, ¡°When we ¡®intersected¡¯ with that ship just now, the man who seemed like the captain was shouting at me. What did he say?¡± The goat-head appeared unconcerned with the captain¡¯s name for it. It readily epted and quickly replied, ¡°The waves were too high; I couldn¡¯t make it out.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t catch it either?¡± Duncan frowned slightly, ¡°¡­I always felt like his expression was so tragically determined, as if he was ready to go down with me. Whatever he was shouting must¡¯ve been something important.¡± ¡°The desire to go down with you is a normal human reaction, particrly among sailors. It isn¡¯t something to be overly concerned about, and their cries before futile resistance certainly don¡¯t warrant your attention¡­¡± The goat-headed¡¯s reply seemed to be taken for granted, but Duncan, who was walking up the stairs to the deck, almost stumbled, shaking the corners of his mouth in shock, ¡°Is it a normal human reaction to want to perish with me?¡± No sooner had he spoken than he felt somewhat amiss, for it seemed like he was exposing vulnerabilities in his identity as ¡°captain,¡± revealing ack of understanding of his ¡°own¡± situation. This might have been due to the excessive energy consumption from the green fire just now, or possibly because the sense of merging with the Homeloss had lowered his vignce. Regardless, it made Duncan instantly a bit nervous¡ªbut the goat-headed seemed to have not noticed at all. ¡°They fear you, which is normal,¡± said the goat-headed with a tone that seemed almost proud, ¡°Anyone who sails the Endless Sea should fear you, just as they fear the old gods and the shadows in the Subspace. Speaking of shadows, did you know that a distinguished engineer¡­ possibly an agriculturalist or a gourmet once said¡­¡± Duncan wisely did not continue this topic, fearing that continuing the conversation would make it difficult for him to maintain consistency (of course, a more important reason was his real unwillingness to engage with the goat-headed, as thetter would babble incessantly once it found an audience). Moreover, the next second, another item on the deck diverted his attention. ¡°¡­What on earth is this?¡± Duncan stood at the edge of the deck, staring in astonishment at something at the doorway to the captain¡¯s cabin. It was a wooden box over a meter in length, its craftsmanship appearing quite exquisite. Dark, unnamed wood was tightly pieced together and fastened with what seemed like golden metal, reinforced at the corners where intricate patterns¡ªlike text or deliberately distorted pictograms¡ªwere etched. This box was definitely not from Homeloss! Duncan hadn¡¯t seen it when he left the captain¡¯s cabin earlier! After a moment of silence, the goat-headed¡¯s voice rose again: ¡°¡­Don¡¯t recognize it, but it should be a war prize¡­¡± ¡°A war prize?!¡± Duncan didn¡¯t catch on immediately. He walked around the box twice, ¡°This thing looks like a coffin, but far more exquisite than a normal one¡­ Wait, war prize, you mean this thing was ¡®taken¡¯ from that ship just now?!¡± ¡°A sessful acquisition, captain,¡± the goat-headed replied gravely, with an undertone of ttery, ¡°Your voyages always bring forth bounty; it¡¯s your standard performance.¡± Duncan unconsciously opened his mouth, pondering that he hadn¡¯t intended to take anything from the other ship. What sort of hunt or ¡°return with a full load¡± was this? But then he thought twice, afraid that saying this would not fit the image of ¡°captain.¡± More importantly, the mechanized ship had by then vanished into the depths of the sea fog. Recalling the white-bearded captain from earlier, whose eyes seemed to burst with rage as if ready to die together with Duncan, he guessed it was no longer possible to return this item and thus kept all his thoughts to himself. He stood in front of the coffin-like exquisite box, noticing that its lid seemed to be loose, and it looked as though it could easily be opened with a single pull. After some hesitation, he ced his hand on the lid of the box¡ªat the very least, he had to figure out what exactly his recent ¡°Spirit Realm racing¡± had brought onto the ship. His body was stronger than he had imagined, and the lid was not as heavy as he thought it might be. He barely exerted any force when the dark lid began to rise, creating a small opening, which he then fully lifted. Duncan looked inside the box, dumbfounded. ¡°A person?¡± Inside the boxy a beautiful, young woman¡ªher silver-white hair spread out like mercury within the box. Her features were delicate and wless, exuding a noble and aloof aura. She was dressed in an elegant, purple-ck court gown, hands crossed over her front, as if she were in a deep,sting sleep. Perfect as a doll. ¡°No, this really is a doll!¡± Upon closer inspection, Duncan suddenly noticed the other¡¯s unnatural joint structure. Chapter 8: The Sun Chapter 8: The Sun Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A lifelike doll, so exquisitely crafted that for a moment even Duncan almost couldn¡¯t tell it apart from a real person¡ªshey quietly in that luxurious wooden box, like ady sleeping in a coffin, waiting for someone to awaken her. Duncan truly felt that she would wake up the next second. But it was only an illusion; the dolly still in the box, unresponsive to the surroundings. Duncan observed this eerie¡­ ¡°thing¡± with wariness and caution¡ªa doll in itself was not strange, but its too-lifelike appearance and the coffin-like wooden box instinctively made him sense danger. Considering the mysterious appearance of this box on the Homeloss, no wonder he was on alert. After a long observation, Duncan finally assured himself that the morous Gothic doll inside the box wouldn¡¯t suddenly jump out and surprise him. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief before frowning and turning to Goat Head, ¡°What do you make of this situation?¡± ¡°This must be the important cargo previously escorted by that ship,¡± Goat Head immediately replied, although it had indicated before that it didn¡¯t recognize the strange wooden box that suddenly appeared on the deck. Its experience with maritime matters was evidently more extensive than that of Duncan, this impostor captain, ¡°The exterior of the box has symbols pointing towards deities, and there are bolts around it for securing chains. This might suggest it was once in some sealed state¡ªtransporting sealed entities across the Endless Sea is extremely risky, and that ship seemed quite significant.¡± ¡°Sealing?¡± Duncan¡¯s eyelids twitched involuntarily, soon followed by a nce at the lid of the box that had been fully opened by him. The lid was already broken when it arrived on the Homeloss, which was why he could easily move it. Even though he didn¡¯t understand anything about seals, he believed the seal must have been broken, ¡°So this thing is dangerous?¡± ¡°It is very dangerous for those fragile ordinary people, but I do not believe it poses any threat to you¡ªthe kinds of ¡®anomalies¡¯ that can be sealed away by someone with special skills cannot resist the might of Captain Duncan.¡± Duncan was silent, his expression grave, yet his thoughts were in turmoil. The ttery from Goat Head sounded appealing¡ªif he truly were Captain Duncan, perhaps he would have believed it. But he wasn¡¯t, which made him all the more anxious inside. Because Goat Head¡¯s words had made it clear that the doll lying in the coffin was a ¡°dangerous good¡±! It just didn¡¯t pose a threat to the real captain, that¡¯s all! Although he was now masquerading as Captain Duncan, and seemed to have taken over thetter¡¯s body and some power, Zhou Ming was quite self-aware¡ªhe didn¡¯t believe that made him the same as the ¡°real Captain Duncan.¡± His understanding of this world, this ship, and even his current body was still too little. Additionally, he had keenly noticed a new peculiar term in Goat Head¡¯s words¡ª¡±anomaly.¡± Anything out of the ordinary is an anomaly, which seems like an ordinary word, but the emphasis in Goat Head¡¯s speech made him vaguely realize this word might have a special meaning here. Perhaps, in this world, the word ¡°anomaly¡± signified not just something ¡°beyond the norm,¡± but a certain category of things? Like¡­ a doll lying in a coffin, for example. Unfortunately, he had no proper reason to inquire about what should be mon knowledge¡± here. After reflecting that he still needed to cautiously gather information and umte knowledge, Duncan, his brow furrowed, gave the doll onest look as if he had made a certain decision, ¡°I should throw it back into the sea.¡± When he said this, there was a hint of hesitation, especially while looking at the doll, this emotion became particrly evident. Of course, it wasn¡¯t simply because ¡°the doll is pretty.¡± Instead, it was because¡­ ¡°she¡± really looked too much like a living person asleep in a coffin that when he thought about throwing her back into the sea, Duncan even felt as if he was discarding a living person overboard. But this hesitation ultimately reinforced his determination. For he had long known that many strange and bizarre entities existed in this world¡ªeven though so far, his encounter in this world was limited to just the Homeloss. But even on this ship alone, he had seen a talking goat head, a self-sailing mast, an eternally lit shipntern, that strange and dangerous ocean, the ominous Spirit Realm, and the endless sea fog¡­ And just now, he had collided with a mechanical ship in this eerie sea, transporting a sealed entity that mysteriously ended up on the deck of the Homeloss. As a rational and cautious man, he must not keep something that likely contained strange and dangerous powers nearby just because the doll looked pretty. Regretfully, Duncan eventually firmly covered the ¡°coffin¡± again, and out of concern, he fetched nails and a hammer from the cabin and earnestly added a round of iron nails to the coffin. Lastly, he pushed the ¡°coffin¡± with the doll inside to the edge of the deck. Goat Head¡¯s voice reached his ears, ¡°You are free to dispose of your trophy as you please, but I still humbly offer a suggestion. There is no need to be so cautious. It has been a long time since the Homeloss added any trophies¡­¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Duncan cut off the goat-headed man¡¯s babble with a curtmand. The goat-headed man fell silent as Duncan kicked the so-called ¡°spirit coffin¡± forcefully, sending it plummeting straight into the sea. The heavy wooden box dropped vertically from the edge of the deck, crashing into the sea, which had returned to its normal color, with a dull thud before rising back to the surface and gradually drifting toward the stern of the Homeloss. Duncan watched the box floating away with the waves until it waspletely obscured by the ship¡¯s stern, then he let out a slight sigh of relief. He then looked up into the distance, and saw that the fog above the sea hadpletely dissipated, leaving the azure Endless Sea undting gently around the Homeloss. The ship hadpletely exited the ¡°Spirit Realm¡± and returned to the real dimension. On the nearby sea surface, there was no sign of the mechanical ship that had briefly intersected with the Homeloss. Duncan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he swiftly calcted the time psed since the two ships crossed paths and their respective speeds. ording to the current situation on the sea, that ship should not have vanished from sight so quickly. ¡°¡­Is this also because of this bizarre sea, or is it rted to the so-called ¡®Spirit Realm navigation¡¯?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn Doubts surfaced in Duncan¡¯s mind, but soon his attention was drawn to something else¡ª He saw a streak of golden light suddenly break through the depths of the gloomy clouds that had never scattered in the sky above the sea. Bright golden sunlight began to fill the sky, and the thick, curtain-like clouds seemed to be swept away by invisible hands, gradually dispersing. The gloomy sea surface, dark for who knows how long, was slowly being illuminated by sunlight¡ªDuncan stood at the bow of the Homeloss, his eyes wide as he watched the clouds dissipate, feeling an inexplicable stirring at this moment. Ever since he learned of the existence of ¡°this side,¡± ever since his first exploration of this strange ship, the relentless clouds had always shrouded the entire ocean, so much so that he had almoste to believe this world simply had no sun, that this world was perpetually enshrouded in dense clouds. He had been separated from the sunlight for too long, even on the ¡°other side¡± of the ¡°door,¡± in Zhou Ming¡¯s bachelor apartment, the heavy mist outside the window had long blocked out the sun. But now, the Endless Sea had cleared up. After a long absence from sunlight, he finally felt in ¡°this side¡± of the world the sensation of seeing daylight again. Duncan took a deep breath subconsciously, stretching out his hands toward the direction where the sunlight shone. The heavy clouds responded as if in empathy, rapidly dissipating and fading away, leaving the massive orb shrouded by countless twisted streams of golden light toe into view at the most dazzling moment of the Sky Light. All expressions on Duncan¡¯s face froze the moment he spread his hands to embrace the sunlight. He stared with wide eyes into the sky, the sunlight was blinding, but not in a way he was familiar with. He could clearly see the object hanging in the sky, see its orb shell with countless dense, intricate patterns, see the brilliant light flowing out from around it, and see the two concentric ring structures that were slowly rotating around the central orb against the backdrop of intersecting light streams. Duncan squinted his eyes, barely making out that the two rings seemed to be connected by numerous fine andplex runes, as if some supreme power had inscribed an eternal bond in the heavens, imprisoning the ¡°sun¡± in the sky. Duncan hadn¡¯t managed to embrace the sunlight he had longed for. This world had no sunlight at all. ¡°What is that?¡± he spoke softly, his voice low and somewhat icy. ¡°Why, that is the sun, Captain,¡± the goat-headed man¡¯s voice was as calm as ever. (Dang it! These days, I will try to maintain double updates¡­ until my stock of manuscripts is depleted or my energy fails to keep up, haha.) Chapter 9 - 9 Going and Returning, Again and Again Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Going and Returning, Again and Again Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The sunlight was very bright. If that glowing object high in the sky was indeed the sun, then its ¡°sunlight¡± was¡­ truly very bright. Duncan didn¡¯t know how long he had been staring at the sky until his eyes became sore and unbearable. Only then did he finally divert his gaze from the clouds. However, the ¡°sun¡¯s¡± image remained deeply etched in his retina and mind. Even with his eyes closed, he could vividly recall its appearance¡ªthe faintly golden, luminous sphere, the twisting streams of light surrounding it, and the still concentric rings orbiting around the sphere. The sun wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this; it shouldn¡¯t be like this¡ªnot in the world he knew, not even under the skies of an alien would the stars look like this. But now he had to ept the truth. He was in a foreignnd, far beyond what he had ever imagined. Even the sun had transformed into something beyond hisprehension. Duncan subconsciously turned his head back, looking at the door in front of the captain¡¯s quarters. Pushing the door inward would take him back to the room where he had lived for many years, back to his bachelor¡¯s apartment. But outside that room, a thick fog had long since obscured the whole world. His familiar ¡°homnd¡± had, in a certain sense, been reduced to that final thirty-square-meter cabin alone. The ¡°home¡± that seemed just a door-push away was in fact another solitary vessel sailing the sea. In the midst of an extended silence, the voice of the goat-headed figure suddenly broke through to Duncan¡¯s ears, ¡°Captain, where shall we go next? Do you have a navigation n?¡± A navigation n? How could Duncan possibly have something like that¡ªalthough he too wanted to immediatelye up with aplete scheme to explore this world, to settle the course of their voyage, he didn¡¯t even have a proper nautical chart at hand, let alone any knowledge about thends, the powers that be, or whether there was an end to this boundless Endless Sea. It was just a few hours ago that he had learned how to pilot the Homeloss. Yet he pondered and, after several minutes, spoke in his heart, ¡°The ship that collided with the Homeloss earlier, where did ite from?¡± Do you intend to go to those City-States?¡± The goat-headed voice sounded surprised, and then it began to caution him, ¡°I would advise you not to approach the seaways controlled by those City-States¡­ at least not now. Although you are the great Captain Duncan, the current condition of the Homeloss¡­ is not what it used to be, and the City-State¡¯s naval guards and the church¡¯s pdins will certainly fight with all their might against your¡­ assault.¡± Duncan was momentarily at a loss for words. He suddenly wanted to know what exactly the ¡°Captain Duncan¡± he had reced had done in the past to arouse such animosity, so much so that even showing his face in the worldly realm seemed to instantly provoke a 25-person raid¡­ Listening to the subtle implications in the goat head¡¯s words, Duncan also realized that the condition of the Homeloss and himself as a ¡°captain¡± might not be as good as it ttering portrayed on a regr basis¡ªcould it be that the ghost ship captain and his vessel¡¯s lurking in the distant seas were actually because they did not dare to return to the ports of the civilized world? It¡¯s truly a journey to the ends of the world by another name for exile! Duncan felt a touch of vexation. He urgently needed to find a way to understand this world, toe into contact with the ¡°civilized society¡± of this world, whether for the sake of surviving here long term or to unravel the mysteries and return to his own familiar ¡°homnd.¡± He couldn¡¯t continue to drift aimlessly on this limitless ocean. The problem was¡ª The ¡°civilized society¡± of this world didn¡¯t seem to think so. In the eyes of the locals, ¡°Captain Duncan¡± was like a world boss wandering outside the main city, one that must be confronted with a 25-person raid as soon as he appeared within sight¡­ Duncan sighed¡ªif there were but a book to read aboard the ¡°Homeloss,¡± he wouldn¡¯t be so passive. His only source of information here was the rambling goat-head, but he did not dare to expose too much of himself before the goat-head at this stage. But then again¡­ how could there not be a single book on such arge ship? N?v(el)B\\jnn The lonely, prolonged sea voyage was an extremely stressful environment for those living on the sea. People needed some way to relieve the pressure. Ordinary sailors might not have much time for reading for entertainment, but the distinguished ¡°Captain Duncan¡±¡­ couldn¡¯t possibly be illiterate, could he? After all, the ¡°captain¡± was a technical upation that required a high level of knowledge. Even the roughest and wildest pirates needed a captain who could understand nautical charts, knew astronomy, and could calcte navigation routes. With doubts in his mind, Duncan casually asked¡ªhis question was cautious, trying to appear as if he was just mentioning it in passing, and the goat-head¡¯s response was without hesitation: ¡°Books? Reading books at sea is a dangerous thing. The shadowy depths and the creatures of the Subspace are always waiting for moments when a mortal¡¯s mind shows weakness, and the only safe reading material are those ¡®ssics¡¯ distributed by the church. Those are safe but reading them is dryer than scrubbing the deck¡­ Haven¡¯t you always been uninterested in the church¡¯s materials?¡± Duncan¡¯s eyebrows shot up. How could reading a book at sea be dangerous? And only the church¡¯s ¡°ssics¡± were safe to read? What kind of serious illness did this vast expanse hold? Feeling as though he had gained a little more knowledge about this world, but with new puzzles emerging, Duncan could only forcefully suppress these new queries. He moved to the ship¡¯s rail, gazing out towards the boundless seawater and sky. That golden ¡°sun¡± poured down torrents of light, and the reflections on the sea were like shimmering, golden foil¡ªif one discounted the too-peculiar appearance of that sun, it indeed made a beautiful scene. ¡°I want to hear your advice,¡± he said carefully to the goat-head after weighing his words, ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of this aimless sailing, and perhaps¡­¡± He was only halfway through his sentence when a strange ¡°feeling¡± suddenly surged from the bottom of his heart. This feeling came from his connection with the Homeloss, as if some ¡°foreign object¡± had suddenly touched the ship. Next, he heard a ¡°thud¡± from the stern, as if something heavy had struck the deck. Duncan¡¯s brow furrowed, and he immediately drew the readied flintlock pistol at his waist, and his other hand unsheathed the longsword. He then rapidly ran toward the direction of the sound. A momentter, he arrived at the stern deck, and the sight of an object lying there left him stunned. It was the ornate wooden box, reminiscent of a coffin. It was the eerie doll. A shiver ran down Duncan¡¯s spine as he stared at the still-wet box, as if it might burst open on its own any second, and then he noticed the nails around the lid had vanished without a trace. They were the nails he had driven in before throwing the box into the sea, nails that were supposed to be very secure. After facing off warily by the box for several minutes, Duncan finally made up his mind. He gripped the flintlock pistol tightly in one hand and probed the crevice of the box lid with his longsword, then pried it open with force. The ornate lid creaked open, and the lifeless Gothic doll stilly inside, enveloped in the red velvet lining, like a princess in slumber. Duncan stared at the doll for several seconds before speaking in a solemn tone (he believed he exuded sufficient authority at that moment), ¡°If you¡¯re alive, then get up and talk to me.¡± After repeating this twice, the doll still didn¡¯t move an inch. Duncan looked at her sternly and finally said indifferently, ¡°Very well, then I will have to send you back.¡± Having said that, he didn¡¯t hesitate to cover the lid again, fetched tools, and nailed a crisscross of coffin nails over the box. After nailing it shut, he found a chain and, using the existing hooks on the box, secured the lid tightly. After finishing all this, Duncan stood up, satisfied, and patted his hands, nodding slightly at the ¡°coffin¡± he had thoroughly secured with bands and an extrayer of coffin nails, ¡°This time, you should not be able to rise from your coffin.¡± Then, without any hesitation, he kicked the box back into the sea again. Watching the box hit the water, then watching it bob with the current as it drifted away, Duncan breathed a sigh of relief, before turning to leave the stern. But halfway through, he suddenly turned back to look again in the direction where the box was floating off. The box was still drifting on the surface. Duncan nodded, continued walking away, and then suddenly looked back again. The box was still afloat on the surface, now very far away. ¡°Perhaps I should have put a cannonball or something inside, so it could sink¡­¡± Duncan muttered to himself before finally turning and slowly heading towards the captain¡¯s quarters. ¡°You¡¯re somewhat harsh on thedy,¡± the voice of the goat¡¯s head came into his mind. ¡°Shut it¡ªdo you call a cursed doll a dy¡¯?¡± ¡°Well, it does seem like a cursed doll¡­ But what curse in the Endless Sea could rival that of the Homeloss and the great Captain Duncan? Captain, actually thedy is quite mild and harmless¡­¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± Why was this goat¡¯s head always so proud when mentioning the curses and infamy of the Homeloss and Captain Duncan? Perhaps sensing Duncan¡¯s disquiet in the silence, the goat¡¯s head quickly changed the subject, ¡°Captain, you said earlier you wanted to hear my advice, what exactly¡­¡± ¡°Later, I need to rest for a bit¡ªI¡¯ve depleted my energy steering the Homeloss through the Spirit Realm. Keep quiet for now.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± The goat¡¯s head fell silent, and Duncan returned to the captain¡¯s quarters. He approached the navigation table, his gaze casually sweeping over the sea chart. The next second, his gaze suddenly solidified. There seemed to be a subtle change in the sea chart¡ªthe grey-white patches that had been covering the entire paper as if alive and writhing appeared to dissipate a bit, and the sea around the Homeloss was bing clearer! Could this thing be updating the information around the vessel in real-time as the Homeloss sails? Duncan immediately went to the navigation table, intently focused on the subtle changes on the sea chart. But his concentrated state was quickly interrupted. In the depths of his mind, the Homeloss sent a signal of ¡°contact with foreign object,¡± and immediately after, a ¡°thud¡± sounded from the deck behind and to the side of the captain¡¯s quarters. Chapter 10 - 10 Elegance Isn’t So Elegant Anymore... Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Elegance Isn¡¯t So Elegant Anymore¡­ Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The ¡°coffin¡± has returned. On the stern deck of the Homeloss, Duncan watched expressionlessly as the ornate wooden boxy quietly before him, the droplets of water on its edges falling to his feet, confirming that his memory of throwing the box into the sea was not false, confirming that this thing had indeed been drifting in the sea not long ago. Such a bizarre situation would be enough to send a chill down anyone¡¯s spine, however, for some reason, Duncan felt calmer than he had imagined at this moment. Perhaps it was because he was on the already strange Ghost Ship, or perhaps it was because he had just gone through a thrilling ¡°Spirit Realm Drift¡± and a collision incident not long ago, or maybe because he had been dealing with a simrly strange goat-headed figure for several days, Duncan seemed to have developed some immunity to the world¡¯s odd and supernatural phenomena. In fact, even when hest threw this ¡°cursed doll¡± into the sea, he had vaguely guessed that things would not end so simply. He looked down and, unsurprisingly, found that the iron nails previously hammered around the coffin and the chain that encircled it had both vanished without a trace. Then he bent down and once again used the pirate sword in his hand to pry open the lid of the ¡°coffin.¡± The gorgeous Gothic doll stilly quietly in the center of the red velvet lining, hands crossed, serene and elegant. But this time, Duncan clearly noticed the traces of the doll¡¯s hem being wet by the seawater¡ªa faint, fishy odor came from the inside of the coffin lid. Up to this point, other than disappearing and reappearing time and again, the eerie doll didn¡¯t seem to have any other out-of-line or dangerous actions. But just the act of ¡°going anding back¡± was already a standard attribute of a ¡°cursed item.¡± Duncan watched the doll expressionlessly for a while, then suddenly smirked and broke the silence, ¡°I suddenly want to satisfy my own curiosity¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the cabin entrance not far away, leaving the doll on the deck without a worry. ¡ªAlthough personally, he was wary of the doll and did not want to keep it by his side, based on his understanding of the Homeloss and the goat-headed figure, he knew that temporarily leaving the doll on deck wouldn¡¯t pose too much of a problem, as even if she became violent, the many ¡°living things¡± aboard the ship would be more than capable of handling it. During this time, he had some ¡°preparations¡± to make. Duncan crossed the stern deck, opened the wooden door leading to the lower deck, and confidently descended the wooden staircase of unknown age to reach the deck below, which housed the cannons¡ªold-fashioned muzzle-loading cannons rested quietly on either side of the deck, moldy and ckened wooden boards covered the adjacent portholes, and dark barrels of gunpowder along with solid cannonballs were piled up between the gun positions, as if they had been umting for a century. Duncan¡¯s gaze swept over these items, that appeared remarkably ancient at a nce, and he suddenly thought of something¡ª On this ship, he had not seen a second ¡°human¡± figure besides himself, so who was operating these cannons? Could it be that, just like the Homeloss itself, these cannons are also able to load and fire on their own when the timees? And what about the ship¡¯s freshwater tanks? Are they being replenished automatically? What about damaged areas? Are they being repaired on their own? Or rather¡­ does this ship even have a concept of ¡°damage¡±? Questions surfaced one after another in his mind, yet he couldn¡¯t think of how to begin exining them. Duncan was well aware that his knowledge of the ship was far too limited, though he had conducted some exploration over the past few days, he had only a rough understanding of its upper structure. The deeper areas of the ship were far more mysterious and formidable than the upper deck, and since he had been hoping to leave his ¡°solo apartment¡± and return to the normal world on Earth, he had not focused his main efforts on the Homeloss, resulting in ack of motivation for his actions ¡°here.¡± But now, he suddenly had a greater curiosity about the ship, or rather¡­ he had a stronger ¡°sense of control.¡± This was his ship, and he ought to understand this ¡°Homeloss.¡± Perhaps this change had urred after he took hold of the wheel. Duncan shook his head, momentarily setting aside his ns for further exploration and subsequently went to where the cannonballs were stored¡­ Momentster, Duncan, carrying several cast-iron cannonballs, returned to the stern deck, and as he had expected¡ªthe cursed doll was still lying honestly in the wooden box. ¡°Did she make any movements just now?¡± ¡°Absolutely none,¡± came the voice of the goat-headed figure immediately, as if it had been holding back for too long, it rambled on as soon as it began speaking, ¡°Thedy is as quiet as she looks, you should trust my judgment, she is harmless to you. Since she has returned to the ship time and time again, perhaps that indicates some connection between her and her coffin with the Homeloss. A great gardener once¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Duncan watched the doll in the coffin expressionlessly. It was uncertain whether she truly could not move or if she was still pretending to be asleep¡ªDuncan didn¡¯t care either way. He was about to satisfy his curiosity. The cast-iron cannonballs, simr to solid iron balls, were extremely heavy. When executing mutineers aboard the ship, tethering one of these balls was enough to ensure that even the most seasoned sailor met his end at sea. Duncan ced four cannonballs into the coffin¡ªthen he returned to the cabin, and carried another four. The eight cannonballs nearly filled all the remaining space in the wooden box, and now the elegant and graceful gothic doll was surrounded by a circle of cannonballs, looking¡­ exceedingly martial. The grace was all but gone, but the eeriness was genuinely significant. Duncan sealed the coffin lid once more and then, with considerable effort, pushed the wooden box to the edge of the deck. Even with his current physical strength, performing this task wasn¡¯t easy. Finally, he kicked the coffin into the sea. A heavy ssh sounded as the exquisite wooden box entered the water vertically and sank straight down. Duncan stood still at the edge of the deck, watching the spot where the box had sunk for a long time without moving. The voice of the goat¡¯s head entered his mind, ¡°Captain, are you having second thoughts? If you regret discarding this trophy, Homeloss can try to fish the box back up with the anchor. Although it¡¯s not the correct use of an anchor, the anchor says it can give it a try¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°But I notice you¡¯ve been standing at the edge of the deck for quite a while¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Duncan let out a light breath. In front of the obsequious goat¡¯s head, he couldn¡¯t admit that his toes hurt. So he stood on the deck in pain for several minutes, striving to maintain the solemnity that a majestic captain should have, until he finally began to recover his energy, then he casually went back down to the upper cabin below the deck. After quietly waiting a few more minutes, when he estimated it was about time, Duncan suddenly moved to the observation window between the two stern cannons in the upper cabin and focused intently on the surface of the sea. It didn¡¯t take long for the goat¡¯s head, which had been quiet, to be impatient, ¡°Captain, what are you¡ª¡± Without taking his eyes off the sea, Duncan replied, ¡°I¡¯m quite curious about how that ¡®Cursed Doll¡¯ managed toe back.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Er¡­ because she¡¯s a ¡®Cursed Doll¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­I appreciate your uninquiring attitude, but I believe, even if she is a cursed doll, there must be some process for her to return aboard. She wants to pretend she¡¯s ¡®dead,¡¯ but keepsing back to the ship. I believe there must be a reason, and that she must have the capacity tomunicate¡­ but now she¡¯s refusing tomunicate, so I can only try to catch her patterns and forcibly establish a conversation with that individual.¡± Hearing Duncan¡¯s exnation, the goat¡¯s head fell silent for two seconds before tentatively asking, ¡°Captain, you seem¡­ suddenly more spirited? Ah, this is indeed a good sign! Ever since you woke upst time, you seemed unhappy and appeared to have lost interest in many things. Your loyal first mate and second mate and¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Once the goat¡¯s head fell silent, Duncan continued to closely observe the sea. In his line of sight, only a calm sea was visible in the direction of the stern. The ¡°coffin¡± seemed to have really sunk to the deep sea, to reappear no more. With his past experiences, Duncan was exceptionally patient this time. He silently calcted the time, silently waited, silently observed, letting time slip by. He seemed not to notice that he was actively anticipating the doll¡¯s reappearance. Then, a small shadow really did appear in his field of view. During a rise and fall of the waves, that shadow rushed into Duncan¡¯s sight¡ªit was an exquisite wooden box that broke through the sea surface like a lonely boat in the wind and waves, and the beautiful gothic doll stood in the box, holding her splendid coffin lid in amanding pose, desperately paddling through the waves. A gothic doll standing in a coffin and waving a coffin lid, sailing through the wind and waves. The grace was all but gone, now the eeriness was truly damn more eerie than eight cannonballs. Duncan was deeply shocked. (Damn!) Chapter 11 - 11 Alice Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Alice Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Duncan felt that he would probably never forget this sight¡ªa gorgeously adorned coffin bobbing on the waves of the dangerous Endless Sea, with a Gothic automaton standing within, its arms wrapped around a massive coffin board, swiftly riding the wind and waves toward him¡­ And it didn¡¯t seem very happy about it. No matter how you looked at it, the scene was too eerie and bizarre, so much so that for a moment, Duncan didn¡¯t know whether to be more surprised that the cursed doll was indeed moving on its own, or to be astonished by her demeanor, swinging the coffin board with such a forceful presence. He just felt the whole thing was contrary to his initial imaginings¡ªhe had pictured several times how she might return to the ship, but he had decidedly not anticipated¡­ this scenario. And in the brief moment that Duncan stood there, spellbound, the automaton had already approached the stern of the Homeloss. Despite using a coffin board as a tool, her speed in the water was astoundingly fast, coupled with a strange agility and strength. Duncan cautiously poked his head out of the observation port and saw the automaton toss the coffin board back into the coffin, then swiftly reach out and grab a piece of protruding wood at the stern, and start climbing rapidly upward¡ªas though invisible ropes were pulling her¡ªand meanwhile, the heavy wooden trunk eerily lifted straight out of the sea and hovered beside the doll, as if it had lost its weight. Duncan quickly drew his head back before the automaton noticed him. Apparently unaware that the captain of the Ghost Ship had been stealthily observing her, the automaton mbered up the towering stern of the Homeloss in the blink of an eye and flipped onto the deck. She then waved her finger in the air, causing the floating coffin tond steadily at her feet. Afterward, she looked around, observing the situation on the deck, and once she confirmed there was no one around, she quickly straightened out her somewhat damp gown and began to crawl into the coffin with hands and feet. Midway through, she was blocked by a pirate sword that suddenly appeared beside her¡ªfollowed by the clicking sound of a flintlock pistol¡¯s hammer being cocked, that reached her ears. The automaton¡¯s movements stiffened instantly. She tried to turn her head and saw a ghost captain wrapped in green mes standing coldly beside her, watching her with an icy and profound voice that seemed toe from the depths of the Spirit Realm, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve caught you, automaton.¡± In front of Duncan¡¯s eyes, the automaton visibly trembled. She appeared startled and instinctively tried to move to the side, but in her haste, her movement went awry. Her upper body swayed, and Duncan heard a crisp ¡°click¡± from her shoulder and neck area. Then her head fell off¡­ Right before Duncan¡¯s eyes, a beautiful head tumbled from the doll¡¯s body, her silvery locks spreading out in the sea breeze, entwining around the head as it rolled to his feet¡ªwhile the doll¡¯s body still maintained the posture of preparing to flee next to the coffin, one hand aimlessly clutching at the air, the head helplessly staring at Duncan, mouth opening and closing: ¡°Help¡­ help¡­ help¡­¡± To say that Duncan¡¯s heart stopped at that moment wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration¡ªthough he doubted whether his heart even still existed while being burned by ghostly mes, the sight of the automaton¡¯s head dropping was still a tangible shock to him. However, the fierce ghostly mes masked his horrified expression, and in his astonishment, his moment of hesitation was mistaken by the automaton as a form of indifferent treatment, so much so that Miss Automaton didn¡¯t realize that the fearsome Captain Duncan seemed even more nervous than she was, just kept repeating, ¡°Help¡­ help¡­ my head¡­ fell off¡­¡± Duncan finally came to his senses. He calmed the small heart that existed only in his imagination, trying his best to control his actions and voice, observing the automaton with the greatest calmness andposure, determining that this ¡°cursed automaton,¡± though possessed of various strange aspects, seemed to be more afraid of himself, the ¡°Ghost Ship Captain,¡± than her own eerie nature. With this fact clear, Duncan realized he must maintain hisposure. He didn¡¯t understand this world, nor did he understand this cursed automaton, and before he could fully control the situation, his identity as the ¡°terrible Captain Duncan¡± was the greatest assurance for safety. On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t just ignore the automaton before him¡ªthough the turn of events had not quite matched his initial expectation, the result was that this doll could, after all,municate with him. He put away the flintlock pistol and kept holding the sword in his other hand¡ªin close quarters, the single-shot flintlock was a less reliable option than a sword, all the more because his hurriedly practiced marksmanship was far from making him a proficient gunman. Then with his free hand, he picked up the doll¡¯s head thaty on the ground. The sensation was exceedingly odd. Although he knew she was merely a cursed doll, the feeling of picking up a ¡°head¡± still made Duncan¡¯s insides squirm, and the slight warmth emanating from the head nearly provoked him to throw it away. It was all too bizarre and ominous. But ultimately, he suppressed those unusual feelings that welled up within him, and looked calmly into the head¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do you need me to help you put it back?¡± ¡°On¡­ own¡­ own¡­¡± ¡°Alright, you do it yourself.¡± Duncan nodded, casually handing the head to the doll¡¯s hands iling in midair. Then he saw those hands skillfully and dexterously catch her own head, quickly tidying the slightly disheveled silver hair, and adjusting the angle before cing the head back onto the neck¡ªwith a crisp ¡°click,¡± the ball-and-socket joint perfectly aligned. The entire process was as smooth as drifting clouds and flowing water, clearly not the first time for such a feat. Immediately following, the somewhat stiff face of the puppet became lively, she blinked her eyes and breathed out, ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m alive.¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± No matter how he looked at it, he felt he should make ament, but considering his persona as ¡°Captain Duncan¡± and the unclear specifics of the situation with this puppet, he ultimately just nodded to the puppet expressionlessly, ¡°Good, nowe with me¡ªyou¡¯vee aboard my ship several times, and we need to talk.¡± While speaking, he dissipated the ghostly mes that were coiled around him, returning to his initial appearance. Voluntarily transforming into ¡°Spectral Form¡± was a power he¡¯d mastered after taking hold of the wheel of the Homeloss, but since this was something he¡¯de into contact with suddenly, he was far from proficient at it, not to mention leveraging this power, aside from using it to steer the ship he didn¡¯t even know what else it was capable of¡ªthe outburst earlier was simply to create a strong image in front of the eerie cursed puppet and to bolster his own bravado. Now that the image had been established and the puppet was cooperating, there was no need to maintain the me at the expense of his energy. The obedient cursed puppet stood up from beside the coffin, and then with surprise, she witnessed Duncan reverting to his human form, her eyes wide, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not a ghost?¡± Duncan nced at her indifferently, ¡°When necessary, I can be.¡± The puppet lifted a hand and steadied her head, a look of awe in her eyes. Duncan wasn¡¯t sure what she was awed by, but it was apparent her head still wasn¡¯t quite secure¡ªit had likely nearly fallen off again from the fright. He turned and walked towards the captain¡¯s quarters, and through his real-time connection with the Homeloss, he could sense that the puppet had hesitated for a second or two before obediently following him. As expected, the ornate and bizarre ¡°coffin¡± floated closely behind the puppet, as if she had to take it with her wherever she went. Momentster, Duncan led the cursed puppet into the captain¡¯s quarters. Under the haunting gaze of the wooden goat head, the Ghost Ship captain and cursed puppet sat opposite each other at the navigation table, Duncan seated in his dark back chair, while the puppet miss sat elegantly and demurely on the wooden box that resembled a coffin as her seat. She was indeed elegant and demure; when she sat down, remained silent, her silver hair spread out, dressed in a gothic-style long dress atop the wooden box, she looked as dignified and beautiful as an artwork that belonged in a pce, surrounded by guards. Unfortunately for Duncan, the mere sight of her reminded him of her surfing the waves and the process of splitting up¡­ He sighed, resumed his indifferent and authoritative manner, and stared into the doll miss¡¯s eyes, ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Alice.¡± ¡°Species?¡± ¡°Puppet.¡± ¡°upation?¡± ¡°Puppet¡­ why do you ask these questions?¡± Duncan thought for a moment, ¡°To get a basic understanding.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn Chapter 12: The Ghost Ship Captain and the Cursed Doll Chapter 12: The Ghost Ship Captain and the Cursed Doll Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At the grand navigation desk, the captain of the Homeloss, Duncan, and the cursed doll Alice sat facing each other. N?v(el)B\\jnn The atmosphere between the two (although both may not be human) was anything but amicable. The doll, who called herself ¡°Alice,¡± still looked somewhat nervous. Despite the Ghost Ship captain¡¯s promise of temporary safety, in the presence of Duncan¡¯s naturally intimidating face¡ªa solid +10 to awe¡ªit was clear even the cursed doll couldn¡¯t feel at ease. She sat with dignified poise on top of her own coffin lid, but the fingers secretly clenched together, clutching the hem of her dress, gave away her unease. Duncan, meanwhile, remained silent, thoughtfully observing thedy¡­ dy¡± before him. A doll driven by some unknown force, a being that was clearly not made of flesh and blood yet could speak, walk, and even had some body heat¡ª¡±a supernatural entity.¡± If this were back in his hometown, it would be a subject for ¡°Approaching Science¡±¡ªand it would easily make up three and a half episodes. Duncan didn¡¯t know what kind of existence dolls like Alice represented in this world, but during his days of interaction with the Goat-Headed, he had managed to glean some information indirectly. He knew that although ¡°transcendent phenomena¡± existed in this world, various transcendent beings were notmonly seen. And the doll miss¡­ Duncan suspected that even in this enigmatic world, she must belong to some special existence. His spection was not without basis¡ªthe mechanical-powered ship that collided head-on with the Homeloss was quite new, and it had a well-trained crew. He had seen with his own eyes that, despite being in great terror, many of the sailors had held on to their posts. Moreover, there were manypartments and items on that ship whose purposes were unclear, withplex runes marked on many items, and the style of those markings was very simr to the symbols on the surface of Alice¡¯s ¡°spirit coffin¡±¡­ In other words, such a state-of-the-art vessel¡¯s purpose of sailing was most likely to escort¡­ or rather, ¡°transport¡± the cursed doll, Alice. Duncan adjusted his position in his seat and watched Alice with a rxed but serious gaze¡ªthere was no doubt that his ship had gained a significant ¡°guest.¡± But on the other hand, the doll miss didn¡¯t seem to be a frightening person. In fact, she appeared to be quite timid. After all, she had gotten so frightened at their first meeting that her own head had fallen off without him having said anything. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Perhaps it was Duncan¡¯s prolonged silence and gaze that had imposed too much pressure, for Alice finally couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°and¡­¡± ¡°Where are you from?¡± Duncan finally withdrew the intense gaze that had been somewhat overpowering and asked in a more amenable tone. Alice seemed to pause for a moment as if she was interpreting the meaning of Duncan¡¯s question. After a few seconds, she gently tapped the ornate wooden box beneath her with her finger, ¡°From here.¡± Duncan¡¯s expression instantly became a bit rigid: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I, of course, know that you were lying in this box before,¡± he coughed lightly twice, ¡°but I am asking where you are from¡ªlocation, do you understand? Do you have a homnd? Or something that could be considered a starting point?¡± Alice thought carefully and then shook her head candidly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Where does a doll have a homnd?¡± Alice folded her hands neatly on herp, answering solemnly and dignifiedly, ¡°Most of my memories are of lying in this box. Iy here being transported from one ce to another, asionally sensing vaguely that there are people moving or standing guard outside the box¡­ Ah, I also remember some low conversations. Those people guarding my wooden box, they talked about some things in a fearful and tense tone¡­¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Discuss some matters? What were they discussing around you?¡± ¡°Just some boring trivialities.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve grown curious,¡± Duncan said seriously¡ªhe believed those might really be just boring trivialities, but now he truly needed to understand this world as much as possible, even the idle chatter of ordinary people. ¡°¡­All right, the most frequently heard term is ¡®anomaly 099¡¯¡ªthey seem to use that to refer to me and my wooden box, but I don¡¯t like it, I have a name,¡± Alice recounted, ¡°Besides that, I asionally heard them talk about seals and curses, but those memories are mostly hazy. I sleep in the box and don¡¯t really listen to the noises outside.¡± The doll spoke at a rxed pace, then as if suddenly remembering something, she added, ¡°However, I do remember the recent stuff. That must have been before I came aboard your ship, the voices outside the wooden box often mentioned a ce, Plunder City-State, that seems to be their destination¡­ should that also be my destination?¡± ¡°Plunder City-State?¡± Duncan¡¯s gaze grew introspective as he silently noted the name in his mind. He had finally learned something useful, even though he had no idea when this piece of information woulde in handy. He then looked up, focusing once again on the doll miss before him, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Besides that, I spent most of the time sleeping, Captain,¡± Miss Doll said earnestly, ¡°When you¡¯re locked in a casket-like box, with muffled, drowsy whispers constantly seeping into your ears, what else can you do but sleep? Do sit-ups in your coffin?¡± The corner of Duncan¡¯s mouth twitched. Graceful and beautiful with her head firmly on, but in reality, not only would she sail the seas nimbly atop a coffin lid but she¡¯d also suddenly spout out jaw-dropping nonsense. He quickly constructed a new image of Miss Alice in his mind. But on the surface, he still maintained theposed and dignified demeanor of Captain Duncan, merely acknowledging with a nomittal hum before continuing, ¡°So, other than being drowsy in the wooden box, you know nothing about the outside world, you can¡¯t tell me about the current changes of this world, nor can you point out where any specific port or city-state is located.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the case, Captain,¡± Miss Doll nodded solemnly, then as if suddenly realizing something, her eyes widened slightly and she looked at Duncan nervously, ¡°So¡­ are you nning to throw me overboard again? Because I¡¯m of no value anymore?¡± Before Duncan could speak, Alice quickly continued, ¡°Alright, I understand, after all, it¡¯s your ship, but could you not stuff cannons into the box this time? To be honest¡­ eight cannons is slightly excessive¡­¡± It was clear that Miss Doll was not in the best of moods¡ªbut she didn¡¯t dare to explode. Duncan felt awkward too, his embarrassment stemming from not considering that he would have to discuss packing cannons into the box like a rational person afterward¡ªback then, he only saw Alice in the box as a typical cursed doll from a horror movie, with images fitting that scenario flooding his mind¡­ Who would have thought this cursed doll came not from ¡®Ju-On¡¯ but from a Quadrangle Courtyard? So the preparations he made to fight a terrible curse were now a source of embarrassment. But what made Duncan good was his thick skin, and that formidable and stern face carved onto him like it had been chiseled with an axe, allowed him to maintain hisposure as long as his nerves didn¡¯t short circuit. Thus, he forcefully ignored the embarrassment brought by the eight cannons, simply shaking his head nonchntly, ¡°I have yet to decide whether to throw you overboard again, especially since you seem to find a way back onto the ship every time. I¡¯m just curious, why do you insist on returning to the Homeloss? Clearly, you¡¯re very wary of me, and of this ship¡ªso why not stay away from this danger?¡± ¡°The ship is called the Homeloss? Well, I am a bit¡­ afraid of you and your ship, but isn¡¯t the deep sea far more dangerous?¡± Miss Doll quietly watched the ghost captain before her, in her view, this tall man was backed by a vast expanse of dark void, oveying with the real scenery of the ship¡¯s cabin, as if two worlds were forcibly stacked together. Butpared to the suffocatingly immense shadow of voidness, those things from the ¡°deeper¡± parts of the Endless Sea posed a greater danger to her, known as anomaly 099, ¡°In this world, is there anything more terrifying than the deep sea?¡± (Holy moly!) Chapter 13 - 13 Prolonged Bed Rest is Bad for the Cervical Spine Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Prolonged Bed Rest is Bad for the Cervical Spine Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The deep sea is truly something to fear. Alice, although a puppet, still possessed animated eyes that conveyed emotions and facial expressions that defiedmon sense. Therefore, Duncan could clearly perceive from her expression a fear and aversion to the deep sea¡­ or perhaps to some ¡°things¡± in the deep sea. Considering the encounters he had at sea before, with the Spirit Realm and so-called border phenomena, it was easy for him to realize that this vast ocean was definitely hiding great terrors. Yet the Homeloss was sailing on this boundless expanse of sea, and that mechanical ship he had bumped into at the Spirit Realm was sailing these same waters too. This couldn¡¯t help but pique his curiosity about something even more distant¡ªwhat is thend in this world like? Or rather, does normalnd even exist in this world? However, the puppet before him couldn¡¯t answer his questions. For most of the time in Alice¡¯s memory, she had been in a drowsy state, which Duncan judged to be the effect of some kind of seal¡­ or ¡°suppression¡±. He still remembered observing the cabin of that mechanical ship as he passed by it, through Homeloss¡¯s extensive sensors. The mysterious runes, abundantly symbolic religious decorations, and the symbols engraved on the exterior of Alice¡¯s ¡°spirit coffin¡± all pointed to one thing: This ¡°cursed doll¡± was certainly deeply feared in ¡°civilized society¡±. Duncan looked meaningfully at the puppet miss in front of him, who returned a serene and gentle gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s confirm one more time, you have no recollection of where you came from, and you can¡¯t remember any of your past experiences, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Alice answered earnestly, ¡°Ever since I had memory, I¡¯ve been lying in thisrge box¡ªalthough I don¡¯t know why, there always seemed to be a group of anxious people around me. They were so afraid I woulde out that they sealed the box in every way they could. To be honest, looking back, I suddenly find the circle of nails you hammered into my lid kind of friendly¡­ even though youter added eight cannonballs, at least you didn¡¯t pour lead into it, right?¡± Duncan didn¡¯t pay attention to Alice¡¯s nonsense this time, but instead continued to ask, ¡°Then where did your namee from? Who named you? If you really have never left the box or had contact with others, how did you get a name? Did you give it to yourself?¡± Alice suddenly froze. She seemed genuinely perplexed, maintaining a dazed state for a good ten seconds, and just as Duncan was beginning to worry if the puppet also had a ¡°crash¡± setting, the puppet miss started moving again: ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t remember, I¡¯ve known my name to be Alice from the beginning, but it was not a name I gave myself, I¡­¡± Muttering in confusion, her hands instinctively went to her head, a gesture that made Duncan¡¯s eyes twitch, so he quickly interjected, ¡°Alright, if you can¡¯t remember, let¡¯s leave it at that, you don¡¯t need to pull your head off¡­¡± Alice: ¡°¡­¡± Afterward, Duncan asked the puppet miss in front of him many questions, but unfortunately, most of them remained without answers. Just as the puppet miss herself described, for the most part since she became conscious, she had spent her time in a drowsy state within that ¡°spirit coffin¡±, alternating between sleep and semi-consciousness. She knew very little about the outside world, with her only knowledgeing from conversations she overheard from outside her coffin while half-asleep. These fragmented pieces of knowledge hardly helped Duncan form an outline of this world. But even so, Duncan had note away empty-handed¡ªthrough his conversations with Alice, he at least ascertained a few things: This world had something known as a ¡°City-State¡± structure; this term came up repeatedly in the puppet miss¡¯s narrative, almost epassing her entire journey, and her original destination was to be a City-State known as ¡°nd¡±.¡± It seemed to be a prosperous ce, with sailors saying in their conversations that it ¡°holds an important position on many trade routes¡±. Furthermore, Alice also had a designation known as ¡°Abnormality 099¡±, and apparently, this was some kind of ¡°official¡± term within the civilized world. As for the name ¡°Alice¡± she referred to, so far, apart from her and Duncan, there seemed to be no third person who knew of it. Finally, Alice had been transferred from one City-State to another, and she was not the only ¡°Abnormality¡± to be moved this way. On certain journeys, she overheard those responsible for the ¡°escort¡± mentioning words such as ¡°other sealed chambers¡±. Duncan boldly spected that perhaps this continuous movement of ¡°Abnormalities¡± was itself a necessary action to seal the abnormalities and prevent them from ¡°escaping¡±. And it was clear¡ªthe team responsible for transporting Abnormality 099 had run into bad luck this time, as the unpredictably appeared Homeloss had already helped the ¡°puppet¡± to escape. Only, it was unknown what terrifying aspects this strange cursed doll possessed, and what kind of destruction her escape might bring. After all¡­ she seemed quite harmless while on the Homeloss. Frankly speaking, Duncan was quite disappointed. He thought he had finally found someone who could help him understand this world, but the person lying in the coffin was just as confused as he was. But when his gaze swept over Alice, who still sat quietly on the wooden box, that disappointment faded a little. At least, he now had someone to talk to aboard Homeloss¡ªalbeit she seemed like a doll, albeit her head detaching was horrifying, albeit she surely had many more secrets, albeit she asionally spat out some trash talk. But she was still more normal than that incessantly noisy goat-head painting. And speaking of weird dangers¡­ this Endless Sea, this ship called Homeloss, the bizarre things on this boat, which looked safe? Even from an outsider¡¯s perspective, ¡°Captain Duncan¡± seemed to be the most dangerous entity on the Endless Sea. Duncan exhaled a breath, his expression unconsciously softened a bit, and he asked with an air of casual chat, ¡°I wonder, if I were to throw you overboard again, what would you do?¡± Alice blinked, ¡°Would you still stuff me with cannonballs this time?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then would you still nail nails into me?¡± ¡°Er¡­ no.¡± ¡°Fill me with lead?¡± ¡°No¡­ cough, what I mean is, if I refuse to let you stay on the boat¡­¡± ¡°Then I would just row back again,¡± Alice said withposure, her face serene, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to be devoured by this sea, at least your ship provides a ce tond.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn Duncan was taken aback by the doll¡¯s frankness, to the point where he didn¡¯t know whether to call her honest or thick-skinned; after pondering, he managed to say, ¡°You could be a bit more tactful¡­¡± ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± Alice said with a smile, ¡°But if Ie back, I might find a way to hide somewhere in the cargo hold where you won¡¯t find me, and not brazenly run up to the deck again. My awakening time is short. I hadn¡¯t thought things through on my previous returns, but now I have experience¡­¡± Duncan cut her off, ¡°My perception extends throughout the entire ship, I can even pinpoint the location of every wave that hits the hull.¡± Whatever Alice was going to say next was stifled, ¡°Ah¡­¡± Duncan continued calmly, ¡°And I could also choose to destroy youpletely, to prevent you from pestering me and my Homeloss ever again.¡± The dolldy seemed to have never considered this possibility, she instinctively widened her eyes, then there was a click near her neck¡­ The headless doll scrambled to catch her own head and started frantically pressing it back onto her neck; Duncan couldn¡¯t keep the atmosphere going and could only sigh with a bitter smile, waiting for Alice to secure her head back on before he continued, ¡°However, I¡¯ve suddenly thought that having an extra crew member on this ship might not be a bad idea¡ªif you can behave yourself on this boat, I can assign you a position.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve said so earlier! You scared my head off!¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help but twitch the corner of his eye, ¡°So, what exactly is the deal with your neck?¡± Alice looked innocent, ¡°I don¡¯t know! I usually don¡¯t get that many chances to e out and about¡¯; how would I know why my body has this problem¡­¡± Duncan silently observed Alice for a few seconds, then said earnestly, ¡°It appears that lying in bed too long is not good for the cervical spine.¡± Alice: ¡°¡­¡± Observing the speechless dolldy, Duncan suddenly felt a bit better. ¡°Alright, to sum it up, Homeloss has gained a new crew member¡ªfollow me, I¡¯ll show you a ce to rest.¡± Chapter 14 - 14 Harmless New Crew Member Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Harmless New Crew Member Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Homeloss was massive, surprisingly so¡ªfor a sail-powered vessel, it seemed to Captain Duncan to have far exceeded the necessary limits. Such magnitude meantrger cargo holds, more cannons, a sturdier structure, and a more stableportment in the face of wind and waves¡ªall of which suggested that it was more than capable of facing the harshest of long-distance sailing challenges. But the present Duncan had no ns for any distant voyages, and this unusuallyrge Ghost Ship only served to deepen his sense of solitude. Having an additional ¡°crew member¡± who could talk wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing after all. After all, therge ship was full of spare ¡°guest rooms¡±. Footsteps broke the silence in the corridor as Duncan descended the wooden staircase with the Gothic automaton, heading down to the lower deck cabins just beneath the captain¡¯s quarters. Structurally, this would be considered the ¡°first-ss residential area¡± of therge ship, which,pared to the lower levels that were dark, gloomy, and slightly eerie, was somewhat bright and clean. Duncan stopped in front of a crewman¡¯s cabin and then casually pushed open the wooden door that was ajar. Inside was a sparsely furnished single room. There were several of these single cabins on the ship, all long since idle, showing no signs of having been used. After his initial exploration of Homeloss¡¯s upper regions, Duncan had noticed the existence of these empty rooms but hadn¡¯t thought much of it. Now that he had taken charge of the Ghost Ship and learned the secret of its autonomous sailing, a question naturally arose. If the ship didn¡¯t require a crew¡­ then who were these crew quarters intended for? The single rooms in the upper deck cabins were obviously meant for the first mate, second mate, boatswain, and other senior seamen, while in the lower levels there weremunal sleeping quarters prepared formon sailors. In addition, there were dining rooms and card rooms on the ship clearly designed for multiple people¡ªunlike the sails and ropes that didn¡¯t require manual operation, the existence of these facilities was intended for ¡°people¡±. But this ship did not need a crew. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Duncan furrowed his brows slightly. He was beginning to realize that this Ghost Ship, now sailing alone on the sea, must have had a crew at some point in its history. At least when it was first built, it was designed with reasonable crew facilities for seafarers¡¯ use. So what exactly had happened that turned the ship into what it was now? Where had the original crew of the ship gone? Was the real ¡°Captain Duncan¡± the owner of the ship from the beginning to the end? And what did that peculiar goat head know about the inside story? ¡°Captain?¡± A puzzled voice suddenly came from behind. Duncan¡¯s train of thought was immediately interrupted, and he jumped in surprise before realizing it was the automaton girl¡¯s voice¡ª he had forgotten about Alice¡¯s presence for a moment. Over the past few days, Duncan had be ustomed to being the only living person on the ship, and even the goat head¡¯s noisy voice had be familiar. Now, suddenly having Alice around, he felt a bit unustomed. ¡°I am Duncan, you can call me Captain Duncan¡ªor of course, Captain, if you prefer,¡± Duncan quickly rposed his expression before turning to look at the automaton girl who followed him, ¡°This empty room will be yours from now on, go ahead and take a look.¡± ¡°Ah, okay!¡± Alice nodded, leaned over Duncan¡¯s shoulder to peek into the room, then turned to grab the wooden chest that had been floating behind her, hoisted it onto her shoulder, and carefully carried it inside. Seeing the ¡°coffin¡± that was always with Alice, Duncan could hardly suppress the twitch at the corner of his mouth as he watched the automaton girl ce the ¡°coffin¡± next to the bed with extra care and then meticulously check the velvet lining inside. Only then did he start to look around the room¡¯s furnishings and couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°So, you intend to keep this chest with you at all times, do you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alice responded matter-of-factly, ¡°Where else would I put it?¡± ¡°The chest was once your Curse; I thought you would care about that,¡± Duncan frowned, ¡°It seems now you can¡¯t do without it.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the box that sealed me in; it was those people,¡± Alice said as she sat on the box, patting its lid, ¡°Would you like toe in and sit as well?¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°No need, how do you find this room?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s very nice,¡± Alice seemed quite pleased as she looked around the shabby furnishings of the room, as though she were in a grand pce, ¡°Is that a wardrobe? I don¡¯t have any clothes to change into, so I probably won¡¯t need it¡­ But it¡¯s nice to have a cupboard. Oh, and there¡¯s a table, I could put things on it in the future, but I don¡¯t seem to have anything to put there¡­ Perhaps it could be used for my head? It would make it more convenient whenbing my hair¡­¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re satisfied,¡± it was a strange sight to see a gothic doll nning her life while sitting on a coffin, especially when some rather dubious items were included in her ns. However, a slight smile slowly appeared on Duncan¡¯s face as he took half a step back, his expression returning to normal, ¡°You can rest here for a while and get used to the environment. ¡°Apart from the stairs leading to the lower levels, you may move freely on this deck and the main deck; theyout here is notplex, and you should be able to grasp the locations of all the rooms quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the captain¡¯s cabin, you cane find me there if you need anything¡ªif I¡¯m not there, there¡¯s a talking goat head on the navigation desk, he¡¯s my first mate.¡± Alice had been listening and nodding up to this point, but her eyes widened at thest two sentences, ¡°A goat head?! That dark wooden carving?!¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯ve already noticed it.¡± ¡°I did notice¡­ but you¡¯re saying it can talk?! And it¡¯s your first mate?¡± Alice was full of amazement, ¡°I thought it was just a¡­ That¡¯s just too unbelievable!¡± ¡°¡­ You are a talking and walking doll,¡± Duncan looked at Alice expressionlessly, ¡°And yet you find a talking goat head unbelievable?¡± Alice paused, looked down at her hands as if justing to a realization, and murmured, ¡°Ah¡­ I suppose not?¡± Duncan shook his head and walked away, ¡°That¡¯s all for now, you rest here;e find me if you need anything.¡± Alice¡¯s voice followed from behind, ¡°Alright, Captain.¡± After leaving, Duncan didn¡¯t go anywhere else, but went straight back to his captain¡¯s cabin. He sat down by therge navigation desk where the wooden goat head immediately came to life, creaking and turning its head to face Duncan: ¡°Ah! The captain¡¯s back! It looks like you¡¯ve settled thatdy in¡ªYou see, just like I said, she¡¯s a gentle and harmlessdy, no threat to your voyage at all, and she can even keep youpany and relieve your boredom. I see you¡¯ve decided to keep her on board, do you n to assign her any duties? The Homeloss doesn¡¯t really need people, the decks clean themselves, the cannons polish themselves, and the bilge maintains itself¡­ Perhaps she can manage the kitchen? You seem to be always dissatisfied with the ship¡¯s food¡­ Ah, speaking of food, we should probably restock some provisions first, those dry salted meats and hard cheeses might be a bit old, although the rugged sailors won¡¯t fuss over sea food, but the great Captain Duncan surely¡­¡± Duncan felt as if his brain were boiling, in that moment he became even more certain of one thing: with this noisy goat head around, he truly needed a ¡°normal conversational partner¡± like Alice! ¡°Shut up,¡± he red fiercely at the goat head, and only after it had quieted down did he continue, ¡°You were rather well-behaved when Alice was here, I thought you had finally learned to keep quiet.¡± ¡°A captain can¡¯t be interrupted when interviewing new crew members, that¡¯s the rule at sea, even if I am your loyal first mate and also the second mate and boatswain and¡­¡± Duncan didn¡¯t let the goat head finish (in fact, if he hadn¡¯t interrupted, this goat head would never finish), ¡°Keep an eye on that doll¡¯s movements these days.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ah? Keep an eye on thatdy? You still don¡¯t trust her? Oh yes, necessary caution is a part of being a captain¡­¡± ¡°She has many secrets, and she hasn¡¯t told us everything, perhaps because she herself truly doesn¡¯t know, or maybe¡­ she¡¯s deliberately hiding something for some reason. Regardless, she is ultimately a ¡®Cursed Doll¡¯ with the title ¡®Anomaly 099¡¯,¡± Duncan spoke tly, ¡°The people on that ship used multiple seals to keep Alice from leaving the wooden box, but now the sealed doll is freely moving about my ship. I need a little time to confirm that Alice really is a harmless doll¡­ even if it¡¯s only harmless on board the Homeloss.¡± (Holy mother!) Chapter 15 - 15 Touching the Flame Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Touching the me Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After taking the helm himself, Duncan gained true control of the Homeloss and could sense any movement on board¡ªbut even so, out of caution, he still ordered Goathead to keep an eye on the ¡°cursed doll¡± at all times. He knew he was no expert in the field of mysticism and had little knowledge about the supernatural forces of this world, and a doll that could walk and talk was certainly beyond his understanding. Alice¡¯s behavior might be harmless, but if that Miss Doll had some kind of¡­ ¡°influence¡± invisible to the naked eye, he was very likely to overlook it. In this regard, Goathead was more professional than him. Moreover, even setting that aside, Duncan knew he could not keep an eye on the Homeloss all the time¡ªeven though he had now decided to survive in ¡°this side¡± of the world, there might stille a time when he had to return to the world ¡°on the other side¡± of the door. And when that time came, he might not be able to sense what was happening on board the Homeloss. At the thought of thetter, Duncan¡¯s eyes suddenly showed a slight change. He nced at Goathead by the edge of the navigation desk without any noticeable reaction. The Obsidian eyes of thetter met his gaze with a hollow stare. When he returned ¡°to the other side of the door,¡± when he went back to his own bachelor apartment¡­ Did Goathead notice anything? What was the situation on the Homeloss when he departed? This sudden question made Duncan somewhat irritable, but under Goathead¡¯s hollow gaze, he showed nothing and instead diverted a fraction of his attention to check on Alice¡¯s situation. Of course, he had no interest in voyeurism¡ªeven if the other party was a ¡°non-human existence.¡± Therefore, he merely sensed the situation below deck in a general sense. If only through the connection with the Homeloss, he could at least confirm Alice¡¯s current location and whether she was attempting to damage anything. After all, beneath that harmless and graceful exterior of the Miss Dolly the nature of a cursed doll, a dangerous individual known as ¡°Anomaly 099¡± by themon people of this world. She was still in her room, possibly genuinely examining the room¡¯s furnishings and arranging a ce to rest. Duncan breathed a little easier. Meanwhile, Goathead suddenly spoke up, ¡°Captain, what are your next arrangements? If you¡¯re feeling bored, your loyal¡­¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Duncan nced at Goathead, then ced both hands on the edge of the navigation desk. As his thoughts shifted, the sensation of holding onto the wheel returned, and the green mes once again flowed like water. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In the burning mes, Duncan¡¯s body once again transformed into a Spiritual Body. The flowing fire spilled out along the navigation desk, spreading outside the captain¡¯s quarters, up to the upper deck, crawling up the masts and the rigging, causing the half-transparent sails of spiritual substance to billow with the wind. With the main sails, staysails, and jibs deftly adjusting to the sea breeze, the huge three-masted ship began to elerate slowly across the vast ocean. Duncan¡¯s gaze fell on the navigation map before him, and as expected, he saw that the grey-white mist on the map also changed instantaneously¡ªthe silhouette representing the Homeloss was moving forward, and the surrounding mist dissipated with it. After a short contemtion, he began to try focusing his attention on the chart. A greenish fire enveloped the navigation desk, conveying the captain¡¯s will like an extension of Duncan¡¯s limbs. In this subtle ¡°connection,¡± Duncan faintly realized the secrets of this obviously Transcendent nautical chart. With a thought, the silhouette representing the Homeloss on the chart instantly erged a bit before shrinking back to its original size. Duncan was ¡°zooming in¡± on the map, and this whimsical act proved sessful. Although currently, no matter how much he zoomed, all he could see at the edge was a mist. But Duncan was now certain that the chart was capable of recording and presenting every inch of ocean explored by the Homeloss, and it disyed the details around the Homeloss precisely and in real-time! Under Goathead¡¯s hollow stare, Duncan¡¯s face remained expressionless, as if a true captain was seriously observing the chart with a stern expression. However, a faint excitement emerged within him. His eyes swept over the mes ascending from his body, while his consciousness sensed the state of the Homeloss and the changes happening on the chart. This eerie green me indeed was the key to controlling the Homeloss, and it was also the key to controlling many odd items onboard the ship! Perhaps¡­ this was the ¡°captain¡¯s¡± authority? Duncan pondered the power of the me. He understood that if he wanted to truly control this ship and use it as a base to survive well in this strange world, he would have to figure out his abilities. First was to fully master this me. As for the ¡°next arrangements¡± Goathead mentioned earlier¡­ Duncan looked at the chart before him, which was slowly changing, at the white mist that was slowly dissipating around the silhouette of the Homeloss, his own n was quite simple. If he didn¡¯t know enough about this world, if the map was shrouded in mist, then opening up the map was definitely correct. After all, setting sail is all about seeking adventure on the open sea. Anyway, Captain Duncan¡¯s image in the hearts of the locals of this world has always been that of a world boss who roams the wilderness. Even if he and Homeloss simply stayed at sea, it wouldn¡¯t improve their reputation. As for whether aimlessly sailing the ocean would pose any risks, Duncan thought this¡ªif the ship had been drifting around before his personal ¡°steering,¡± and since Homeloss had never anchored, where would ¡°additional risks¡±e from? Compared to the previous blind drifting, navigating under ¡°full sail¡± could at least disperse the fog on the nautical charts, thus putting an end to the wholly passive, fog-enshrouded state. Duncan stood up from behind the navigation desk, the green mes on his body gradually dissipating. However, in his perception, the translucent spiritual sails on the mast of Homeloss had not disappeared. A portion of the green mes that clung to the mast and ropes continued to burn, carrying out the will of the captain. Combining this with the observations made during his time at the helm, a realization gradually dawned on Duncan. Although it was after he ¡°took the helm¡± that the spiritual sails had risen amid zing mes, both the massive sails and the many automatic operations on the ship did not rely on the strength of the ¡°captain¡± himself¡ªthe Ghost Ship had its own source of power. Even though he didn¡¯t yet know what the ¡°energy¡± that set the ship in motion was, it was clear that all he had to do as the captain was to ¡°issuemands.¡± Then the ship would loyally execute the captain¡¯s orders. Duncan left the navigation desk and turned to look at the small door at the far end of the captain¡¯s cabin. Behind that doory his private chamber as captain, which he had used as a rest base during the initial days of exploring the ship. Now, he needed a quiet environment to properly research what else he could aplish as captain of Homeloss. But before that, someone needed to watch over the ship, which was now under full sail. He looked at the wooden goat head at the edge of the navigation desk and said in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°You take the helm.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The goat head paused, sounding a bit surprised, ¡°But Captain, you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy with something. Do not disturb me during this time.¡± Duncan, seemingly indifferent to what the goat head was about to say, gave his orders as a matter of course. Meanwhile, through his other senses, with the green mes spreading along the ship¡¯s exterior deck, he could clearly perceive the various¡­ connections hidden deep within the ship. The masts, the ropes, the sails, the rudder, the cannons¡­ All were invisibly linked, awork akin to nerves or blood vessels threading through the ship, and all these ¡°connections¡± ultimately converged in the captain¡¯s quarters. The goat head was implicitly linked to all of this. Perhaps this mysterious and eerie goat head was ¡°Homeloss¡± itself? Or was it some sort of ¡°control mechanism¡± for taking over the entire ship in emergencies? Since Duncan was not the ship¡¯s builder, naturally he did not know the principles behind its operation, but he thought that if he were the real Captain Duncan, he would surely know what the goat head could do. On the other hand, the goat head, which always imed to be the ¡°First Mate,¡± should naturally be capable of steering in ce of the captain when needed. Duncan needed to take a slight risk, to make arrangements he had never made before, but which as the true captain he must know and would inevitably have to arrange. After all, even captains need to rest sometimes. A secondter, the goat head issued a cheerful and nagging sound: ¡°Ah, very well Captain, go ahead with your business. Your loyal¡­¡± Duncan ignored it, simply waved his hand dismissively, turned, and walked into the bedroom at the far end of the captain¡¯s cabin, casually closing the door behind him. Chapter 16: Walking in the Spirit Realm Chapter 16: Walking in the Spirit Realm Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The doors behind him closed, cutting off the hollow gaze of the goat¡¯s head. But Duncan could still perceive the Homeloss with rity, feeling every minute change aboard the Ghost Ship¡ªin this empathy that felt like an extension of his own limbs, he ¡°saw¡± the Homeloss¡¯s sails meticulously adjusting their angles to the sea breeze, and the ck helm at the ship¡¯s stern steering ever so slightly, further stabilizing the Homeloss amidst the waves. As he had expected, the goat¡¯s head had temporarily taken over the helm, diligently fulfilling its duties as the first mate¡ªthough Duncan could take over the ship himself at any time. Whenpared to when he steered directly, the Homeloss was somewhat less agile and slower, but Duncan¡¯s main objective now was to further disperse the fog on the sea chart; with no clear destination or route in mind, he wasn¡¯t bothered by this minor impact. After confirming there were no unusual movements from the goat¡¯s head and that the gothic automaton below deck was staying quietly in its room, Duncan let out a light sigh and nced around the not-sorge cabin. This was his private quarters as captain and the mostfortable, well-decorated room on the Homeloss. Besides a soft bed, there was a ssic wardrobe against the wall opposite the door and a shelf with many strange objects, while a dark brown desk stood opposite the bed, though there were no books on it, just a few decorations and tools for writing and drawing. Next to the desk was a window through which he could look out at the distant sea; on the wall beside the window were several hooks¡ªhis pirate sword and the flintlock pistol he was now carrying had hung from these hooks before. Duncan walked to the desk, set the longsword and flintlock pistol in a convenient ce, then opened the drawer to check the gunpowder and lead shot in a wooden box. A small brass Compassy beside the lead shots and powder bag. Duncan picked up the Compass and saw the needle under the ss case still spinning wildly, as if it were being pulled by an invisible, chaotic force field, and engraved on the bottom was a line of tiny text¡ª ¡°We are all wanderers.¡± Duncan absentmindedly yed with the Compass in his hand, watching the needle spin around as if it was drunk. All these things here were things he had checked many times. In the initial exploration, he had found this room, and these items, including that line of text, must have been left by the real Captain Duncan. After mentally reviewing the information he had, Duncan exhaled slowly, set the Compass back on the table, and then lifted his right hand to gently rub his fingertips. A small green me ignited at his fingertips, and under the glow of the me, Duncan¡¯s palm immediately took on a transparent and ethereal quality, resembling that of a Spiritual Body¡ªbut under his deliberate control, the me did not spread as it had before but hovered above his finger like a candle me. Once the me was stable, Duncan used his other hand to feel the me and then took a feather quill from the side to touch the me with the quill¡¯s end. Feeling no heat and the quill not igniting, only a tint of ghastly green spread along the shaft, casting a faint glow on the feather. Duncan did not ¡°feel¡± any feedback from the quill, which was utterly different from when he used the me to touch the sea chart or the helm. Duncan silently noted the new experience¡ªthat the ¡°Spiritual Body¡¯s Fire¡± neither had temperature nor ignited anything, and it was very likely to interact solely with ¡°anomalous¡± things on the Homeloss, showing no feedback to ordinary objects. So what about ¡°anomalous¡± objects from outside the Homeloss¡­ Would the me react then? Duncan pondered, and for a moment, the image of a gothic automaton shed in his mind¡ªAlice, wasn¡¯t she an ¡°anomaly¡± from outside the Homeloss? Would she be affected by this fire of the Spiritual Body? But it was just a fleeting thought, which he immediately cast aside. Even if Alice was not human, even if she was the cursed ¡°Anomalous 099,¡± she was also a sentient individual who could speak and walk, and now a ¡°crew member¡± of the Homeloss; Duncan had subconsciously begun to regard her as a ¡°person.¡± He couldn¡¯t ept using living beings to test his mes¡ªafter all, he wasn¡¯t sure what far-reaching effects the me might have on the affected ¡°anomalies,¡± or whether it would be harmful. Next, Duncan had conducted several tests, checking the properties of the me while trying to determine if there was anything with transcendent attributes hidden behind the various objects in the bedroom. Eventually, his gazended on the small brass Compass inscribed with ¡°a message.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The brass Compassy silently on the table; its needle spun erratically under the ss cover. But Duncan couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that when he rested his ¡°malevolent¡± gaze upon it while maintaining the me, the needle seemed to pause for a moment. Then, it resumed spinning in ce as if nothing had happened. Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± That thing had definitely reacted to his gaze just now! Initially, he was wary of the Compass, as it bore the handwriting of ¡°the real Captain Duncan,¡± and he feared that the ghost captain, long since dead, might have left some kind of power or ¡°trap¡± on his personal item to ward off thieves. Therefore, he refrained from testing the Compass with the me. But after witnessing the reaction it produced, he abruptly made up his mind. Duncan reached out and picked up the Compass, the cool touch reaching his fingertips. After ncing at the still erratically spinning needle, he ced the Compass into his right hand, which was sustaining the Spiritual Fire, and slowly clenched his fist. The ghostly green me flowed instantly like burning fat, spreading through the gaps between his fingers. The surface of the Compass quickly ignited with a faint ghostly light, and within the mes, countless phantoms surged and dissipated. In the next instant, the erratic needle stopped abruptly and pointed directly to a certain direction over the vast sea. Duncan¡¯s heart stirred. In that instant, he clearly felt the ¡°feedback¡± from the Compass, confirming it indeed was an ¡°anomalous item¡± that could be governed by the Spiritual Fire. But before he could focus on the details of the feedback, a sudden and overwhelming ¡°gravity¡± assaulted him! Duncan felt his body sway momentarily, and in the next second, his vision blurred. The furnishings of the captain¡¯s cabin had, unbeknownst to him, dissolved into nothingness, and with them, the surrounding walls and ceiling disintegrated like snowkes, disappearing in the flurry of light and shadow that filled his sight with boundless darkness. Standing bewildered at the heart of this darkness, rm bells rang in Duncan¡¯s mind. His first instinct was to reach for the firelock and Longsword at his side, but in the next second, he realized that all that remained was the brass Compass, still sped in his hand. Duncan blinked, and as he did, countless fine, threadlike lightwaves began to emanate from around the brass Compass. These lightwaves spread and intertwined in the darkness, weaving endlessly outwards, and between the interwoven lights, countless starlight spots emerged, some scattered and isted, some converging like rivers. Against the backdrop of the lightwork, they shone with the brilliance of a gxy. Duncan watched the marvel unfolding before him, feeling vignt yet uneasy, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel any sense of danger, and even¡­ Between the dimwork of lights and starry points, he felt an unfamiliarfort and relief he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. The next second, a strange sensation arrived, and Duncan¡¯s gaze was involuntarily drawn to a cluster of starlight within the interwoven light. He looked at the cluster, which seemed precariously close to plunging into the darkness. He instinctively reached out towards the starlight. A tremendous pull came at that moment¡ªDuncan felt as if his soul was lifted. He found himself rushing towards the dimming light, and the densework of lightwaves from the Compass receded in his vision. The rivers of starlight formed by the gathering stars also suddenly began to twist and turn! As he hurtled forward, he subconsciously looked at his right hand, gripping the Compass, but saw that it had disappeared without a trace. At the same time, just before he was about to touch the dim starlight, he glimpsed a shadowy figure emerging from the darkness out of the corner of his eye. The shadow seemed to have been there as naturally as his own, apanying him and plunging towards the dim light point just as he did. Duncan could barely discern that the figure was a bird in flight. Before he could make out the details, all went dark. A heavy sensation from the real world hit his limbs and he was also assaulted by the revolting stench of rot and the grating sound of heavy chains dragging across the floor. (Damn it!) Chapter 17: The Cave Chapter 17: The Cave Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Cold, dampness, the stench of rotting flesh, the noise of iron chains scraping against the ground. Many strange perceptions flooded into Duncan¡¯s mind, but he couldn¡¯t manage to open his eyes at first¡ªthe moment he felt as if his soul had been split into two parts, one part still on the Homeloss, yet another stuffed into apletely unfamiliar body, a body like an old, broken machine, difficult to control. The jumbled and chaotic sensations collided in his nervous system, apanied by a certain numbness and dullness, he tried to open his eyes, to move his fingers, but couldn¡¯t feel those corresponding body parts at all. This ufortable sensationsted for several seconds, until atst the indescribable numbness and dullness in his nervous system began to fade away. Duncan felt his ¡°body¡± awakening from a long hibernation, gradually regaining the ability to move. He finally opened his eyes and saw the situation around him clearly. What met his gaze was a dim, cave-like space, with burning torches inserted into distant stone walls, their flickering mes casting terrifying images around him, Duncan saw many people¡ªor rather, many dead bodies¡ªscattered haphazardly across the damp, water-soaked mud and stones, most in tattered clothing, though a few still d in intact garments. There were congealed droplets falling from the top of the cave, and in the distance, one could faintly hear the sound of filthy water flowing in an underground river or drain, while the sound of chains scraping seemed toe from deep down a passage connected to the cave, getting fainter. Duncan blinked, trying to figure out what had happened¡ªhe looked down at his right hand, and what he saw was an utterly unfamiliar and frail palm, and the ragged clothes on his arm, while the brass Compass, which he had been holding, was nowhere to be seen. He looked up again at the area beside him, he remembered seeing a shadow following him as he moved through the webs of starlight and light, a shadow that looked like a bird, but as expected, he found nothing. The bird-like shadow did not seem to have followed him to this reality. Duncan slowly clenched his hand, forcibly suppressing the panic within, and then tried to rub his fingers together. A cluster of very faint green mes emerged from his fingertips. It must be said, this me was indeed much weaker than what Duncan was ustomed to, but he still felt a bit of reassurance, and as the me began to burn, his still somewhat disoriented mind perked up, and he felt a clearer connection and tearing on a spiritual level. He vividly sensed that part of his spirit was not here, he sensed the presence of the Homeloss, sensed himself sitting in front of a desk, hand holding a brass Compass. This feeling was extremely peculiar, but Duncan soon had an inkling of what his current situation was: His mind had experienced¡­ some sort of projection, or an extension, and the projected part had traversed an immense distance and now inhabited another strange body. Even in this state of projection, he could still clearly feel the presence of his ¡°real body¡±. This must be rted to that brass Compass! Could this be the power of the ¡°anomalous item¡±? Duncan came up with some conjectures in his mind, but he did not let wild thoughts upy too much of his time. After confirming that his real body was still safe and sound, and his mind was still in control, currently inhabiting a distant, nameless body only temporarily, he settled down a little and prepared to ascertain what was going on with this ¡°new body¡±. First and foremost, one thing was certain, the surrounding environment was definitely not on a ship. This wasnd¡ªthe verynd he had not been able to find after so many days adrift at sea! Second, this gloomy cave didn¡¯t look like a pleasant ce, the scattered bodies around didn¡¯t resemble a normal ¡°burial¡± scene, and the body he now upied¡­ how unlucky must it have been to be trapped in such a hell on Earth? Duncan took a deep breath and propped himself up to sit¡ªthis body had been leaning against arge rock, a posture far fromfortable. It was this inhtion and motion of sitting up that made Duncan suddenly feel a huge anomaly in his body¡ªhe felt the air he breathed in instantly let out, an empty, eerie feelinging from his chest, the act of sitting up deformed. Duncan looked down in surprise and saw arge hole. The hole was where his heart should be, the insides naturally gone, a cool breeze passed through it, mixed with the breath that Duncan had just inhaled which hadn¡¯t yetpletely dissipated, eventually escaping into the damp air. Duncan could even see the scene behind himself clearly from a certain angle. ¡°¡­ What the fuck?!¡± Even someone as tough as Duncan, who had seen a fair share of ¡°the world¡± aboard the Homeloss, felt a cold sweat break out this instant. His goosebumps seemed to sprout like a densely packed forest, and every hair on his body stood on end! After the initial shock, he quickly realized: he was still standing here just fine, even managing to curse. Despite his heart flung out and a gaping hole in his chest, he didn¡¯t feel any pain from his body! ¡°Is this¡­ a corpse?¡± A momentter, Duncan hade to his senses. He understood his condition better and quickly calmed down. upying a corpse and getting up to move might not be something to be shocked about, after all, he had a Ghost Ship that could sail on its own and a wooden goat first mate that could drive people crazy with its noise. He had recently encountered an Eli that could act independently, skilled at sailing through the Endless Sea. Which of these wasn¡¯t more astonishing than ¡°a dead man talking¡±? At least he had only lost his heart for now¡ªAlice¡¯s head often wasn¡¯t even on her neck¡­ With these chaotic thoughts spinning in his mind, Duncan recovered his Calmness at a surprisingly fast rate. Then he checked the mobility of his body as it was now, and after a short while, adapted to the awkward movements caused by the hole in his chest. Only then did he step towards the bodies dumped in the cave. ¡°As expected¡­¡± Looking at the first body, Duncan wasn¡¯t surprised when he saw the horrifying hole in the chest. It was a middle-aged man with a gaunt face and ragged clothes, who looked like a beggar on the street. He had been dead for some time, but his eyes were wide open in anger, still conveying his struggle and despair in thest moments of his life. Duncan continued forward to see one after another heartless corpse, lying miserably on the cold stone floor. There were only two exceptions¡ªthese two had fierce wounds on their heads, seemingly the result of their heads forcefully striking the stone, killing them instantly. Duncan couldn¡¯t help but specte¡ªperhaps these were two people who had chosen to end their lives before undergoing the agonizing heart removal. Honestly, the things in this cave were a bit too stimting for the average person. Even Duncan felt overwhelmed after inspecting all the bodies. He had to sit down on a rtively clean stone, slightly further away, to sort out his condition. While calming down, he spected about the truth behind all this. Clearly, this was a heinous murder¡ªbut the method of killing was too cruel and uniform, suggesting it was not just a murder, but also hinting at some kind of evil¡­ ritualistic feeling. Duncan summoned the Spectral me again, feeling the connection between himself and his ¡°physical body¡±. He knew he could sever this ¡°projection state¡± at any time and return to the safety of the Homeloss. But he felt he needed to understand what exactly had happened here. Even if only to acquire some information about thend. Duncan exhaled, feeling the draft through his chest, and rose from therge rock where he was temporarily resting. He looked towards the deeper tunnels of the cave, remembering that the sound of the chains scraping hade from that direction. This underground space held not only bodies, but other people were active too. Those who could move freely in this horrific ce¡­ could probably provide him with some answers. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was, of course, not very safe to barge in and inspect, but Duncan didn¡¯t care¡ª After all, he now had quite a heartless attitude. Chapter 18 - 18 Sewers Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Sewers Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before leaving the cave where he had taken temporary refuge, Duncan wrapped some torn cloth from nearby corpses around his body. This was not due to an inability to withstand the chill in the cave but rather to cover up his exposed heart to some extent¡ªeven though the hole in his chest did not affect Duncan¡¯s ¡°survival,¡± as a normal person at heart, wandering around with a chilling breeze passing straight through was indeed too bizarre. Wearing something at least provided some mentalfort and reduced the eerie sensation of the ¡°draft.¡± Moreover, Duncan also considered the possibility of suddenly running into other people while navigating this underground space¡ªlogically, having a gaping hole in his chest might not be conducive to conversations with strangers¡­ Thus, after a simple treatment of his ¡°wound,¡± Duncan carefully left the gloomy, damp cave. He entered a corridor connected to the cave and began to slowly make his way deeper. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om This temporarily upied body was not ¡°convenient.¡± Not only did the fatal breach in the chest restrict agility, but Duncan could also distinctly feel the frailty of this body. Its overly thin limbs couldn¡¯t even walk briskly, which was nothingpared to the robust body of the ¡°Ghost Ship captain,¡± clearly exceeding the strength of mere mortals. Though Duncan couldn¡¯t see the full picture of his current body, judging from the parts he could see, he guessed it belonged to a young person, a youth weakened by prolonged severe malnutrition¡ªdespite the powerful spirit of a Ghost Ship captain currently operating this body, it seemed that the spirit¡¯s strength could not ovee the physical limitations brought on by this weak vessel. Unfortunately, he had no other options. Duncan had to control this barely usable body to slowly explore the deep corridors, knowing that in the state of this temporary body, he would likely be helpless if any danger arose. He could only pray that the shell wouldst a while longer. The corridor was deep, damp, and dark. Yet, it seemed there were hidden venttion holes, with a slight breeze continuously flowing nearby. Every so often, he could spot torches or oilmps hung on the walls, signifying ongoing activity in the area. After traveling a great distance along the corridor, Duncan suddenly discovered that the path ahead opened up, with man-made signs starting to appear in view¡ªhe saw a branching path at the end of the corridor, with the connecting roads featuring smooth walls and high semi-circr arch ceilings. The ground, paved with bricks, was dark and damp, with two channels running along both sides filled with nauseating sewage. On the walls on either side of the road, there were openings resembling drain pipes, with sewage flowing out of some of them into the channels below, carrying the filth towards darker ces afar. ¡°¡­Sewer?¡± Duncan quickly realized that he was facing a fairlyrge sewer system, and the ce he had previously hidden bodies seemed to be a natural cave structure directly connected to the sewer. A huge sewer system, a natural cave connected to it, and concealed corpses. In Duncan¡¯s mind, countless spections popped up instantly, and as he conceived various theories, he also carefully observed the details of this ¡°sewer¡± before him. The structure was massive and skillfully built, with the main supporting parts seemingly made of reinforced concrete, which could even serve as some sort of underground shelter if necessary. To construct such an entity, the city above the sewer must be sizable as well, and its technologies would have to be quite advanced. Technology doesn¡¯t exist in istion¡ªevery engineering product is invariably supported by countless rted industries and technologies in sync. Even a sewer could reveal to Duncan the construction, nning, materials, maintenance standards, and corresponding residential lifestyle concepts of its location. This could allow the severely information-deprived Duncan to obtain some precious data from the world of civilization. Duncan walked along the sewer, but after a short distance, he suddenly stopped and turned his attention to the wall nearby. Embedded in that wall was amp¡ªa light fixture with a ss casing, covered by what appeared to be a sturdy metal cage. Compared to the torches and oilmps in the cave, themp fixed in the wall was clearly brighter, the matte ss casing harbored a me burning steadily and brightly enough to illuminate a considerable distance in the sewer. Duncan leaned in to observe closely. To him, for now, everything from outside the Homeloss, especially the creations of modern civilization, held immense allure. After observing for half the day, Duncan finally figured out what the light source in front of him was¡ªa gasmp. But this gasmp seemed somehow different from the ones he had seen in documents, not only in style but most notably by the delicate symbols he saw on its ss cover. It appeared these symbols had been added at the beginning of themp¡¯s manufacture, curving and twisting into shapes resembling hieroglyphs. Duncan did not recognize these symbols, but they immediately made him think of the mysterious runes he had seen before on the mechanical ship, as well as on Alice¡¯s ¡°coffin¡±. Despite the differences in content, there was a simr¡­ ¡°temperament¡±. It was something sacred, ceremonial in nature. Duncan stepped back and looked towards the deeper parts of the sewer, seeing a brightly burning gasmp on the wall at regr intervals. For an underground facility that was visited by people only for necessary maintenance, the lighting seemed almost excessive. Moreover, each of these gasmps¡¯ casings might bear simr mysterious ¡°runes¡±. It gave Duncan the feeling that these densely distributedmps were actuallybatting something in this dark, unvisited underground¡ªthe ¡°world of human civilization¡± they represented was fighting against something. Duncan walked along the road illuminated by the gasmps, his eyes simultaneously scanning for any valuable clues on the walls, ground, and arches around him. Suddenly, something caught his peripheral vision. He stopped between two gasmps, in a spot that was darker than the rest of the sewer, and looked up at an angle to see something painted with dark red paint high up on the wall, near the sewer¡¯s arch. Duncan squinted, straining to make out the image created by the roughly drawn lines¡ªhe saw pairs of hands reaching towards the sky, as if worshiping something, and in the direction where those hands were gathered, there was a sphere radiating immense light. Below this image of worship and gathering was a line of crooked text. The strokes of the letters quivered as if they contained intense fervor and anticipation. The characters were not from anynguage on Earth, but Duncan naturally understood¡ª ¡°The counterfeit sun shall fall, and the true Sun God will resurrect from blood and fire! All life returns to the Sun, all order returns to the Sun!¡± Duncan stood quietly in the sewer, his gaze fixed on the gasmp¡¯s dimmest intersection of light, looking at the dark red graffiti, at that sun seemingly soaked in blood, radiant and fervently worshipped. It was as if he was staring long into another world. He stared like this for a while until a noise suddenly came from deep within the sewer, and footsteps reached Duncan¡¯s ears. He quickly looked towards the direction of the sound, only to see several figures in robes walking towards him, their faces shrouded in the shadows of their hoods, appearing like grim ghosts in the depths of the filthy sewer. Duncan did not hide¡ªindeed, this straight expanse of sewer had almost nowhere to conceal oneself, and his inconveniently temporary body was incapable of performing advanced maneuvers like ¡°blind spot positioning¡±. So after briefly considering his options, he simply stood brazenly in the middle of the sewer, calmly watching the hooded figures approaching, who looked suspicious no matter how one saw it. If this body couldn¡¯t run and was meant to be disposable, he might as well trade it in for some information. The next second, the hooded figures emerging from the depths of the sewer noticed Duncan. (Damn it!) Chapter 19 - 19 Underground Meeting Hall Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Underground Meeting Hall Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The robed figures with hoods naturally noticed Duncan standing unmoved in the middle of the road. Duncan still looked just as he did when he had left the cave, his thin and emaciated body wrapped in tattered clothes, with a piece of rag temporarily covering therge hole on his chest. He stood brazenly in the middle of the road, but appeared to be startled by the sudden appearance of the ¡°hooded people¡±¡ªwho, evidently, were just as surprised. They paused for a moment before the leader suddenly shouted, ¡°One of the sacrifices has escaped!¡± Immediately after, Duncan saw them running toward him, with one person shouting as they ran, ¡°Quick! Stop him! Don¡¯t let him get away!¡± Duncan shrugged his shoulders and just continued to watch, expressionless, these figures who didn¡¯t look like good news running toward him. After assessing the situation, he had no intention of running, but the others kept rushing over and yelling, ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± ¡°One of the sacrifices has gotten away!¡± As a result, Duncan¡¯s straightforward action of standing immovably in the middle of the road had made the situation rather awkward. The shouting people obviously felt something was off halfway through their charge and involuntarily stopped their cries, but they had to keep running toward him, and Duncan could almost smell their embarrassment mixed with irritation under those dark hoods¡ªthen these embarrassed and annoyed figures surrounded him from all sides. Only then did Duncan look around at the people surrounding him and, after hesitating for a moment, said, ¡°Should I have made a run for it just now? After all, it¡¯se to this¡­¡± But the robed figures seemed not to hear Duncan¡¯s attempt at humor. They only gave him a wary and cautious nce before turning their attention to the area behind Duncan. Two of them quickly bent down for a quick, hushed exchange; Duncan could just make out their conversation: ¡°Why did one run out?¡± ¡°Could the Church¡¯s hounds have discovered this hiding spot¡­ but he doesn¡¯t look like he was let out¡­¡± ¡°Take him back first, this escapee sacrifice seems off¡­ We need to deal with it quickly.¡± ¡°Let the Messenger decide.¡± Duncan had no idea what these people were all about, nor did he understand what they meant by ¡°Messenger,¡± butbining the things he¡¯d seen on the way with the term ¡°sacrifice¡± they mentioned, he was already vaguely guessing some of the truth here. He didn¡¯t know how a ¡°normal sacrifice¡± was supposed to react, nor did he have any intention of ying along with these people. Outside of Homeloss and inhabiting a temporary shell, he had significantly fewer concerns to weigh, so after observing his surroundings for a moment, he simply asked, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± The robed people were visibly taken aback when the ¡°sacrifice¡± before them spoke so calmly. Despite their hoods beingpletely covered with a ck veil that hid their faces, Duncan could sense their surprise. One of the robed figures red at the ¡°sacrifice¡± through their veil, his voice deep and threatening, ¡°You have no right to ask questions¡ªtake him away!¡± The robed figures moved forward immediately, but before they couldy hands on him, Duncan took a step forward, ¡°No need for that, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± The robed figures looked at each other, probably thinking that this ¡°sacrifice¡± was mentally off in some way, but the leader gestured dismissively, ¡°That¡¯s for the best, you can¡¯t escape anyway¡­ Come with us, you might yet meet glory with dignity.¡± Thus, the robed figures closed in around Duncan, sealing off all of his potential ¡°escape routes¡± front, back, and to the sides, and led him deeper into the sewer. The foul stench of the sewer was nauseating, but the robed figures seemedpletely unfazed, walking boldly along the moldy and filthy path as if it was nothing. Duncan remained expressionless and silent, following the robed figures while attentively listening to their conversations. They didn¡¯t talk much among themselves, but Duncan still caught useful words like ¡°Plunder,¡± ¡°Governor,¡± and ¡°Church¡± during their infrequent exchanges. ¡°Is this the Plunder City-State?¡± Duncan suddenly asked, sounding as casual as if chatting with a friend. ¡°Obviously¡­¡± one of the robed figures reflexively responded, but then quickly caught himself, giving Duncan a demonic nce, ¡°You¡¯re remarkably calm, kid, do you know what¡¯s going to happen next?¡± ¡°I can guess,¡± Duncan nodded, even allowing a small smile to cross his face before he ventured another question, ¡°The true Sun God¡­right?¡± The robed figures paused visibly for a moment, perhaps misinterpreting Duncan¡¯s unusual reaction as something else entirely. One of them whispered to hispanions, ¡°Wait, could he also be a Believer of the Lord?¡± ¡°Impossible, he¡¯s clearly an escaped sacrifice¡­¡± another figure in a ck robe said in a low voice, then nced at Duncan, ¡°You¡¯re quite clever, but don¡¯t think that you can avoid the sacrifice like this¡­ The Lord has already decreed your fate, you¡¯d best ept it dly.¡± Duncan neither agreed nor disagreed. He knew it was his overly calm reaction that led these people, who he suspected to be heretics, to the wrong assumptions. They probably thought he was feigning calm and disguising himself as a ¡°believer¡± in an attempt to survive, but only Duncan knew the real situation. The body he had temporarily taken over could barely perform normal actions, his facial muscles as stiff as if in the throes of necrosis¡­ hence the calm, expressionless face! But he didn¡¯t care what these heretics were thinking. He just wanted to gather as much information as possible during this ¡°one-time exploratory operation.¡± Therefore, he casually asked, ¡°Do you think the current ¡®sun¡¯ in the sky is a fake sun? Do you believe it will eventually fall?¡± ¡°Of course, the false sun will inevitably fall!¡± This was clearly a topic that excited the heretics, and Duncan got the enthusiastic and fanatic response he was hoping for from one of them, ¡°Even the church¡¯spdogs have to admit in theirplete history that the sun in the sky appeared after the Great Annihtion as a freakish monstrosity! It was the Sun God who truly brought vitality and order to all beings, yet our Lord was usurped by that despicable fake¡­ That vile pretender will eventually fall from the sky!¡± Then, Duncan heard the surrounding heretics responding in kind, ¡°The false sun will eventually fall!¡± ¡°The true Sun God will soon awaken!¡± ¡°The superfluous seawater of the world will be expelled by the Sun God¡¯s mighty power back into the void of space, and the earth will return to an era of fertility and stability!¡± Listening to the words of the heretics, which were beginning to show signs of getting carried away, Duncan¡¯s thoughts were racing. He knew these fanatic heretics couldn¡¯t be reasoned with in the usual way, and that most of their beliefs were likely twisted and distorted information, but he still found some of the information they leaked worth considering¡ª The ¡°sun¡± hanging in the sky is a falsehood¡­ The true sun has been robbed of its authority¡­ They believe that the true sun is a fallen deity and are convinced that this deity will ¡°rise from blood and fire¡±¡­ They also mentioned the excess seawater of the world and spoke of a fertile and stable era¡­ What did these words mean? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Duncan¡¯s mind was swirling with thoughts, but after a while, those few heretics calmed down. They remembered their duty; they remembered they were escorting an escaped ¡°sacrifice.¡± The ones closest to Duncan resumed their silence, while the two at the end of the group muttered to each other: ¡°Do you feel there¡¯s something sinister about this ¡®sacrifice¡¯?¡± ¡°He seems a bit off¡­ I¡¯m feeling uneasy.¡± ¡°Maybe this sacrifice¡¯s mind got¡­ when he escaped earlier and stayed too long in the lightless underground,¡± ¡°All the better, the Lord¡¯s might will purify him.¡± Duncan, listening to the conversation behind him, paid particr attention to the phrase ¡°the lightless underground.¡± However, just as he hoped to gather more information from their exchange, the lead figure in the ck robe stopped. ¡°We have arrived.¡± The voice of the dark-robed heretic was deep and cold. A slight regret surfaced in Duncan¡¯s heart, but soon after, his attention was captured by the scene before him. Ahead was the end of a path, the convergence of several sewage channels, and in this space as wide as a small underground hall, there stood the assembly site of the heretics in ck robes! Chapter 20 - 20 Sacrifice Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Sacrifice Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The scale of this sewer system was incredibly vast, so much so that, in Duncan¡¯s eyes, it had clearly surpassed the mere necessity of ¡°city sewage disposal.¡± The gasmps adorned with runes seen throughout the sewers, as well as the reinforced structures that seemed capable of serving as shelters, led him to specte wildly about the true purpose of this subterranean facility. Regardless of what the architects had originally intended, one fact was starkly evident: deep within this massiveplex, away from the gaze of the world above, this dark and chilly ce had be the breeding ground for some sort of malevolent force. A cult, ostensibly worshipping the Sun God, that could only evoke a sense of chill in those who beheld it. At the intersection of several corridors within the sewer was a spacious underground chamber, its dome built of bricks and stone and supported by solid concrete pirs. Metal pipes crisscrossed near the dome like a spiderweb, while the bright gasmps illuminated the entire space and the gathered crowd at this ¡°junction.¡± A quick nce revealed that at least a few hundred robed figures had congregated in this dank and musty locale. Amidst them was a raised tform protruding from the ground, upon which stood another figure, d in a simr robe but notably taller¡ªit was clear that this individual held the highest status among the congregation. The figure on the tform did not wear the hood that adorned the others; instead, a golden mask graced his visage. The mask¡¯s design was bizarre, resembling a disc radiating endless mes in all directions, its surface also etched with numerous fragmented cracks. Behind this masked figure, atop the tform, was a peculiar totem¡ªa tall wooden stake, with a fireball zing at its tip. At the core of the fireball seemed to be some type of metal, pocked with many small holes, from which the mes furiously erupted. When Duncan was ¡°escorted¡± to this ce, this was the scene thaty before his eyes. The gathering of robed figures also took notice of him. ¡°On our way to the assembly, we caught an escapee meant for sacrifice!¡± one of the robed figures who had escorted him stepped forward and spoke deferentially to the tform¡¯s ¡°leader,¡± his tone not without a hint of self-congrattion, ¡°This sacrifice has spent too long in the darkness and has be somewhat delusional. May you bestow your might so that the glory of our lord may descend upon this pitiable body!¡± The golden-masked Cult Priest on the tform turned toward Duncan with an expressionless face, his tone carrying a trace of surprise and chill, ¡°An escaped sacrifice?¡± Duncan, however, showed no reaction. He was merely observing the ce curiously, including the golden mask on the Cult Priest¡¯s face and the totem of the zing fireball behind him. Perhaps, to themon people of this world, these symbols would be deemed bizarre and strange. But he recognized almost instantly what they were attempting to emte¡ªthe Sun. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Not the Sun as it was now in the sky, bound by mes and twoyers of Rune Circles, but the Sun he knew, radiating glorious beams of light, burning fiercely. These people were genuinely worshipping the Sun, venerating what appeared to be a Sun that had ¡°fallen¡± in some ancient era, and they did so as if it were a deity. Duncan raised his head and looked squarely at the ck-robed Cult Priest who towered above on the tform. Perhaps due to the decay of his facial muscles, hisposed demeanor seemed more to the other like a numbness devoid of Spiritual Intelligence. The golden-masked priest locked eyes with Duncan for less than two seconds before turning his head, instructing someone standing beside the tform, ¡°Go check the ce where the sacrifices are held, quickly report back.¡± After the order, he nodded at those who had ¡°escorted¡± the sacrifice back, his tone carrying a touch of praise, ¡°You have done well. Even minor contributions to the cause will transform into eternal glory for you when the True Sun once again shines upon all creation.¡± A lukewarm praise given perfunctorily, a few robed individuals seemed to receive immense encouragement, bing excited as they praised the ¡°True Sun God¡± and pushed Duncan to the front of the tform. The masked priest then addressed Duncan for the first time, ¡°Poor soul, who has strayed¡­ Could you feel the deep chill amidst the lightless stones and earth?¡± Duncan could not grasp what this chatan was saying, leaving him silent and waiting. The priest, apparently, did not care about the ¡°sacrifice¡± before him. His words were not so much for Duncan to hear as they were for the surrounding congregation and the Sun God he so fervently believed in: ¡°Cold and darkness are the afflictions left to this world by the false sun. Under the dominion of the false sun, the vast ocean of gloom and shadow ravages the earth, with only fractured patches ofnd allowing creatures a meager existence. Even upon these shatterednds, people struggle to escape suffering. The remnants of the old shadows lie beneath the ground, and in the lightless caverns, they writhe their devouring tendrils. Hatred and strife fill the surface world, the pure souls of mankind tainted by the breath invoked by the Evil God¡­¡± ¡°How do we endure this enduring torment? How do we bear the twisted and grotesque world brought upon by the false sun?¡± ¡°We cannot bear this any longer, we only wish for our Lord to return, we yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth once more, to burn fiercely from blood and fire, to bring back order and prosperity to mankind!¡± Under the stirring tone of the masked priest, Duncan could clearly feel a change in the atmosphere of the assembly. The ck-robed followers became agitated one after another, first echoing the sentiment, then the echoes turned into fervent cries, ¡°We yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth once more! To burn fiercely from blood and fire!¡± ¡°We yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth once more! To burn fiercely from blood and fire!¡± ¡°We yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth,¡± the priest on the high tform said loudly, and then pointed at Duncan, ¡°and today, our Lord will awaken further from his slumber¡ªthe blood of the wanderer will soothe the wounds from the Sun¡¯s fracture!¡± ¡°Bring the sacrifice up!¡± A few in ck robes surged forward, but Duncan was faster¡ªthey didn¡¯t even need to push, as he flipped himself up onto the altar. This body wasn¡¯t much for use, but it was capable of climbing onto an altar. After climbing up, he came before the masked priest, who still maintained the dignified and mysterious pose from when he had given the order. The shift happened so suddenly,pletely beyond the usual unfolding experiences, that the cult leader was caught off guard. Separated by a golden mask, he and Duncan stared at each other, and suddenly the area around the altar fell into a bizarre silence. Yet Duncan seemed to have taken no notice of the change in atmosphere. He only felt that he had collected more intelligence about this world and was very much looking forward to whether he could witness more rare phenomena before this ¡°temporary body¡± was disposed of. ¡°So, what then,¡± Duncan rubbed his hands with a certain inquisitive anticipation, asking very seriously, ¡°What¡¯s the next step?¡± The masked priest: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t catch that?¡± Duncan frowned¡ªthough because the muscles on his face weren¡¯t very responsive, it wasn¡¯t a clear frown, ¡°I said, what are we supposed to do next?¡± It was then the priest finally came to his senses. Although separated by a mask, there was a moment of confusion in his eyes, but he soon spoke with a deep voice: ¡°The shadows in the darkness have indeed affected your mind, but fear not, the most high and holy Sun will end your suffering¡­ Take the sacrifice to the totem!¡± Immediately, two ck-robed individuals stepped up onto the tform, grabbing Duncan by the arms and leading him towards the totem pir topped with a fireball. Duncan was not familiar with this step, naturally he couldn¡¯t ¡°cooperate in advance,¡± but he remained non-resistive, honestly standing under the burning fireball, ¡°restrained¡± by the two ck-robed men. Despite Duncan not making any resistive movements, the two ck-robed individuals still gripped his arms with great force, as if they feared the sacrifice might make ast-ditch struggle to break free. Their strength was immense, and Duncan could even feel the bones of this temporary body beginning to crack slightly, which made him look at the two ck-robed men with significant surprise. And immediately following, the masked priest came over again. Duncan¡¯s attention was drawn immediately, as he saw the priest pull out a strangely-shaped dagger from within his robes. The dagger was twisted and warped like dried and contorted joints, its de ck as if forged from obsidian, reflecting the firelight from the totem, creating a peculiarly eerie appearance. Duncan silently prepared to sever the ¡°soul projection,¡± knowing that this temporary body had probably collected as much intelligence as it could. The Cult Priest¡¯s prayer began to echo on the high tform: ¡°Most high and holy Sun God! Please ept the sacrifice upon this high altar! I offer you the heart of this sacrifice, may you return from blood and fire!¡± Duncan immediately stopped the act of severing the soul projection and looked at the cult priest before him as if he was looking at an idiot. (Damn it!) Chapter 21: Good News, The Ceremony Went Very Smoothly Chapter 21: Good News, The Ceremony Went Very Smoothly Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Upon hearing the content of the prayer recited by the cult priest, Duncan immediately stopped his attempt to sever his soul projection and return to the Homeloss. He looked at the mask-wearing priest who had just finished the fanatical prayer as if he was staring at a fool. He watched the priest raise a small dagger, seemingly carved out of obsidian, high into the air. He observed the believers surrounding the altar get excited, chanting in unison the name of their ¡°lord,¡± the ¡°true Sun God¡± said to have fallen and shattered many years ago in legend. They intended to offer him, their ¡°sacrifice,¡± to the Sun God, specifically by offering the sacrifice¡¯s heart. Now Duncan finally understood the grisly scene he had witnessed in that cave earlier, realizing the mad and sinister acts of these heretics. Then, he saw the mask-wearing priest take a step towards him, the surface of the raised obsidian dagger in the priest¡¯s hand suddenly emanating ayer of pitch-ck mes. This eye-catching supernatural phenomenon instantly piqued Duncan¡¯s curiosity. He spected whether this dagger was also some sort of ¡°anomalous¡± item, whether the priest before him was a ¡°special human¡± capable of wielding transcendent powers, how many special beings like this existed in this world¡¯s civilized society, and what social roles they might y. Meanwhile, with an expressionless face, he watched as the dagger, burning with ck mes, stabbed down, plunging straight into his chest with a hollow thud, as if piercing through severalyers of tattered cloth. The mes burned inside for a moment but caught nothing. Behind him, on the totem pir, the burning fireball suddenly emitted a series of rming crackles and pops. Mixed within those sounds seemed to be a tearing, dizzying noise. Duncan faintly felt as if something was spreading out from that fireball¡ªan icy and crazed ¡°touch.¡± He struggled to describe the sensation, not only because of the dull senses of the body he was temporarily upying but also because it was beyond any experience he had ever had. He only knew one thing: in this world where transcendent phenomena truly existed, the sacrifice ritual being conducted by the priest before him had undoubtedly encountered major trouble. The anomaly that urred on the totem pir, ¡°symbolizing the sun,¡± immediately caught the attention of the closest believers. Apanied by a few suppressed exmations, the scene quickly quieted down from its frenzy. Even the two figures in dark robes who had been firmly restraining Duncan¡¯s arms seemed as if they were deterred by something, releasing him in terror and kneeling down before the totem pir with reverence. Even the obsidian dagger-wielding priest froze in ce, maintaining the gesture of holding the de while staring intently at the face of the ¡°sacrifice.¡± Through the holes in his mask, Duncan could see a pair of eyes engulfed in confusion and chaos. Duncan twisted his stiff mouth into a grotesque smile, slowly raised his right hand, and rested it on the priest¡¯s hand that clutched the obsidian dagger. Threads of green mes flowed like water, infiltrating and slowly winding around the dagger. Almost instantly, Duncan felt a ¡°feedback¡± from the dagger, but strangely, this feedback felt weak and hollow, as if the dagger were a mere imitation, an empty shell housing only a trace of ¡°borrowed power.¡± But to him, whether the dagger was an imitation did not matter. He smiled at the priest, saying in a leisurely tone, ¡°I have two things to say.¡± The next moment, the priest felt the connection between himself and the obsidian dagger abruptly disrupted by some external force. His sincere and fanatical faith in the Sun God seemed to have smashed against an imprable barrier as if directly severed. ¡°First, I am a broad-minded person¡ªsee, this broad.¡± Duncan tore off the already tattered cloth, now further slit by the dagger, revealing a ghastly gaping hole. Through the terrible hole, the priest officiating the sacrifice ceremony could even clearly see the scene behind Duncan. ¡°Second, try to avoid offering your lord expired food.¡± Duncan gently pushed the priest¡¯s hand away. For some reason, after he entwined the obsidian dagger with the green mes of his spiritual body, the priest seemed to have lost much of his strength, allowing Duncan¡¯s now frail and powerless body to easily push therge and strong priest away. After being pushed back, the priest seemed to snap back to reality, engulfed by immense terror and anger. His muscles quivering, he pointed at Duncan as if a loud shouting would restore order to the ritual site: ¡°A resurrected abomination! This is a resurrected wraith! You have desecrated this sacred sacrifice! Abomination¡­ Who is the audacious necromancer behind you?! Are you not afraid of the Sun¡¯s might?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Duncan nced at the obsidian dagger held in his hand, feeling the weak feedback from it as he casually spoke. Then he looked up at the priest before him, listening to the popping noisesing from behind at the totem pir, when a bold and brilliant idea suddenly struck him, ¡°But I do have a sudden urge to satisfy my curiosity.¡± Having said that, he suddenly raised the obsidian dagger in his hand, pointing it at the mask-wearing priest and loudly dered in front of a group of ck-robed believers who were still in a state of chaos and panic: ¡°O most high and holy Sun God! Please ept this sacrifice upon the altar! I offer you the heart of this offering, may you return from blood and fire!¡± The next second, he saw the mes burst forth from the obsidian knife, and the cold sensation that had been spreading from the totem behind him suddenly drew back and aimed at the masked priest not far away. Duncan saw the priest¡¯s eyes fill with terror, as if he wanted to leave the altar at once, but the knife was faster¡ª The knife flew out of Duncan¡¯s hand, drawn by some invisible force, wrapped in zing ck mes and entwined with a faint green fire, and pierced straight into the priest¡¯s chest. With a shrill scream, the chest of the cult leader was punctured, and his heart turned to ashes in an instant. The next second, the knife was back in Duncan¡¯s hand, and with this back and forth action, the bit of power contained within it seemed to have finally drainedpletely. It was known that within the range of the cult¡¯s sacrificial altar were two people: one with a heart, one without. And a certain Evil God today definitely wanted a human heart to taste¡ªso, who would lose their heart? Obviously, it would be the one who has a heart. Even if this logic held, the smoothness of the whole affair still exceeded Duncan¡¯s expectations. He couldn¡¯t believe that his wildly imaginative ¡°trial¡± would actually work. It wasn¡¯t until he saw the cult priest fall that he turned his head to look at the now peaceful totem behind him and muttered in a strange tone, ¡°So as long as the words are right, anyone can provide the offering?¡± The fireball atop the totem would, of course, not answer his question, but the heretics around the altar had by this time clearlye to their senses. A great panic was inevitable, yet amidst the chaos, there were fervent believers who erupted in anger¡ªan anger that even surpassed the fear they felt when the totem had shown ominous signs! A few heretics closest to the altar were the first to react, rushing towards Duncan and chanting the name of the Sun God. These boldest of believers soon spurred on many more, and arge group of robed figures charged mindlessly forward, some even drawing short swords and daggers hidden beneath their robes. Duncan had actually nned to shout ¡°I sacrifice the hearts of everyone on the altar to the Sun God¡± to test the appetite of this bizarre Evil God, but when he saw that some of the charging heretics were even pulling revolvers from their bosoms, he immediately discarded the idea. Considering the time it took for the ritual to take effect and the ¡°seven steps to swift and sure¡± rule, he flipped off the group of heretics in a neat and tidy fashion and severed his soul projection state. Let those maniacs go crazy. He was going back to the Homeloss. At the same time, on the vast Endless Sea, rhythmic footsteps sounded on the deck of the Homeloss. The automaton Alice, dressed in avish Gothic gown, left her room and came to the captain¡¯s cabin door. The exquisite wooden box was not following behind the doll this time; she had left it inside her room. The captain had said she was free to move around the lower deck cabins, walk about on the deck, and if there was anything she didn¡¯t understand, she coulde directly to the captain¡¯s cabin to find him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Alice remembered this very clearly. (Time to rmend a book! The first rmendation for this bookes from writer Shanxia Xiaodaoren¡¯s ¡°The Lazy Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty¡±. Here¡¯s the blurb: Zhu Yijing, the grandson of Emperor Zhengde of the Great Ming Dynasty and the biological son of Empress Dowager Kangning, looked at his proud elder brother, his judicious second brother, and his impassive, inscrutable mother¡­ Hmm, it seems he doesn¡¯t have much to do? Thus, the young manfortably donned the hat of disgrace that is the transmigrator and began his salty fish life of idleness and waiting for death. Until a bowl of chicken soup came his way. ¡°Ahahaha! Herees the chicken soup!¡±) Chapter 22 - 22 Crew Code Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Crew Code Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Alice stopped at the door to the captain¡¯s quarters. Miss Doll looked up and gazed at the dark oak door before her, noting the line of words written in beautiful cursive letters on the door frame: The Disced¡¯s Door. It wasn¡¯t strange for such a line of words to appear on the door frame of the Homeloss¡¯ captain¡¯s quarters, but Alice still subconsciously furrowed her brow¡ªher curiosity was not about the door itself, but about why she recognized ¡°text¡±. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om She had no memory of learning how to read, in fact, she had no memories of ¡°learning¡± anything, nor did she remember umting any experience of moving about outside or conversing with people, yet this knowledge seemed to be naturally present in her mind. She could understand the letters on the door frame of the captain¡¯s quarters and knew the purpose of various objects in the room, but such things could not be learned simply by lying in a wooden box listening to conversations outside¡ªso where did this knowledgee from? Before today, Alice had never considered this question, but somehow, after talking to that ¡°Captain Duncan¡±, the concept of ¡°curiosity¡± suddenly emerged in her doll mind which was supposed to run forever smoothly. She thought back carefully and the change seemed to have happened after Duncan inquired about the origin of the name ¡°Alice¡±¡­ At that moment, she doubted some of the things that seemed natural in her mind and began to try to recall the origin of her name, and then, something in her mind loosened. Alice didn¡¯t know whether this loosening was good or bad, but she didn¡¯t like the feeling of confusion, so she quickly shook her head, put this little doubt aside, adjusted her mindset at the captain¡¯s quarters door, and then put her hand on the oak door handle, pushing it forward slightly. The door did not budge. Alice paused for a moment and tried pushing again, but the wooden door felt as if it was entirely made out of steel and did not move at all. Then, as she was about to try once more, a voice suddenly came from inside the captain¡¯s quarters¡ªa hoarse, low voice, as ifing from a piece of decayed wood: ¡°The door opens outward,dy.¡± It wasn¡¯t Captain Duncan¡¯s voice. Alice was startled, but she quickly came to her senses, hurriedly said ¡°Oh,¡± and pulled the door outward¡ªthis time, the door opened easily. Only then did she recall that when the captain previously brought her here, he indeed had pulled the door outward. It seemed that the ¡°life knowledge¡± that appeared out of nowhere in her mind was after all just knowledge; herself, who had been sleeping in a wooden box for years, was still severelycking in real-life experience¡ªAlice reflected on this briefly, and then carefully peeked into the captain¡¯s quarters. There was nobody in the captain¡¯s quarters; the conspicuous navigation desk sat quietly under the light, with a thin mist over the surface of the sea chart, and the dark wooden carving of a goat¡¯s head was turning its gaze from the edge of the desk, its eyes hollowly staring at her, crafted from obsidian. ¡°Pleasee in,dy, the captain is busy. You can wait for him here,¡± said the goat¡¯s head, more polite than Alice had imagined, ¡°Also, try to avoid peeking like that. It makes some of the overly sensitive crew of the Homeloss feel disliked, and it¡¯s troublesome to appease them¡ªnot to mention it would be a problem if your head fell off again. I don¡¯t have hands, so I can¡¯t help you pick it up¡­¡± It really did talk! This woodcarving was truly speaking! Although Captain Duncan had mentioned that the goat¡¯s head on the navigation desk could talk, hearing a woodcarving rattling off so much to her out of the blue still took Alice aback. She reacted after a moment and replied distractedly, ¡°Ah, sure, but my head isn¡¯t so prone to falling off, and thest time it was attached, I even made sure¡­ wait, what do you mean by ¡®overly sensitive¡¯ on the Homeloss¡ªcould it be there are others on this ship¡­¡± Alice btedly realized the information implied in the goat head¡¯s words. She suddenly looked around in astonishment and nervousness; in this moment, she felt as if every object in the captain¡¯s quarters, perhaps even on the entire Homeloss, was shaking in the dim light, bing ¡°strange objects¡± like the eerie goat¡¯s head, while the voice of the goat¡¯s head continued to reach her ears: ¡°Is that strange? To manage such a huge ship takes many hands; did you think the great Captain Duncan would personally go to scrub the decks?¡± This goat¡¯s head actually made sense. Alice¡¯s recently awakened and not fully bright mind felt there was something not quite right about the situation but could only nod after a long thought: ¡°You have a point¡­ So, there are many like you on the Homeloss¡­¡± ¡°The captain¡¯s loyal first mate is the only one, and the rest are a bunch of not so bright fellows; you don¡¯t need to considermunicating with them¡ªthey have no interest inmunicating with people,¡± the goat-head didn¡¯t wait for Alice to finish and interrupted her, ¡°But considering you are new on board, it¡¯s normal not to understand many principles and rules. As Captain Duncan¡¯s most loyal first mate, and also second mate, and¡­, I need to tell you somemon sense that is essential for survival on this ship; after all, the captain would never condescend to exin such things to neers¡­ Lady, are you ready?¡± Alice listened in a daze. She had already forgotten her original purpose for visiting the captain¡¯s cabin, feeling that every time this goat-head spoke, it was a rapid-fire string of words, and after a few exchanges, the rhythm of the conversation hadpletely shifted out of her hands, especially when the other party suddenly rattled off a series of titles, making her feel like her whole head was buzzing. When he finished speaking, she could only nod subconsciously: ¡°Ah, ah, okay¡­ okay?¡± ¡°Very well, then here are several rules that Homeloss¡¯ crew must know, which will help neers adapt faster, and fully embrace the protection from Homeloss and the great Captain Duncan while on the perilous Endless Sea¡­¡± The goat-head seemed very satisfied with Alice¡¯s response, shaking his wooden head as he spoke, his tone clearly smug¡ª ¡°First, Captain Duncan is the absolute master of Homeloss, Captain Duncan is always right, even if reality conflicts with Captain Duncan¡¯s word, adhere to Captain Duncan¡¯s judgement. ¡°Second, any crew member may only roam in areas allowed by Captain Duncan. If Captain Duncan hasn¡¯t ordered an area to be open, it is absolutely forbidden to step half a foot in, because those areas do not exist. ¡°Third, if you have set foot in an unauthorized area and you happen to still be alive for the time being, you must stay put and wait for Captain Duncan to bring you back, or peacefully await death¡ªabsolutely do not attempt to return on your own because what you are returning to is not Homeloss. ¡°Fourth, Homeloss is always on the correct course, do not question the captain¡¯s navigation n, if you find that the scenery surrounding Homeloss differs from what you expected or discover that Homeloss has entered a ¡®deeper¡¯ sea area, then this is part of the normal navigation n. ¡°Fifth, the captain will asionally leave the ship, but he will certainly return. While the captain is away, Homeloss will continue to sail normally, but all crew members are strictly forbidden from approaching the stern¡¯s helm¡ª the steering system feels insecure when the captain is gone, and the ropes at the stern will strangle all those who show any ¡®usurping¡¯ behavior. ¡°Sixth, on Homeloss, the basic rules for crew members are only these six. ¡°Seventh, the door to the captain¡¯s cabin opens outward.¡± The goat-head seemed to have exined the mon sense¡± to new crew members more than once; he recited the rules smoothly and naturally, but Alice immediately noticed something odd about thest two rules: ¡°Wait, Mr. Goat-head, you just said in the sixth one¡­¡± ¡°Sixth, on Homeloss, the basic rules for crew members are only these six.¡± the goat-head replied immediately, without any hesitation when mentioning these basic rules. Alice momentarily wondered if she was the one with the problem or if the ¡°first mate¡± was the issue: ¡°But just now you also mentioned a seventh rule¡­¡± ¡°Seventh, the captain¡¯s cabin door opens outward.¡± the goat-head answered very naturally. Alice stared nkly at the dark goat-head wood carving on the table, doubting her ears before beginning to doubt her brain¡ªbut soon she realized she didn¡¯t have a brain, and so she confirmed once more, ¡°Aren¡¯t these two¡­contradictory?¡± ¡°Not at all contradicting.¡± Listening to the goat-head¡¯s confident answer and looking into his hollow and pitch-ck eyes, Alice opened her mouth, but suddenly she swallowed back all her questions. (Mamma mia!) Chapter 23 - 23 Birds Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Birds Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Alice didn¡¯t understand much about the world. But at least, she had heard countless times the low, fearful, and tense conversations from within the wooden boxes, from the crew and guards who were particrly nervous because they were responsible for escorting an abnormal entity. Through these snippets of overheard speech, she had formed a rudimentary understanding of what constituted the ¡°unusual.¡± If something obviously defiedmon sense yet existed tangibly, then the first thing to do was to adhere strictly to established safety rules, considering research and analysis only after maintaining a safe distance¡ªthis was the way to survive. Alice didn¡¯t really feel the reality of being ¡°Abnormal 099.¡± She didn¡¯t know what she could do, or what she might have done, to inspire such fear and caution in humans. She was not sure how, as a Spiritual Intelligence ¡°abnormality,¡± she was supposed to think in a way that was considered ¡°normal¡±¡ªright now, she thought like any other person. If the mountain goat head said there were exactly six rules for the crew, then there were six. And if the mountain goat head mentioned a seventh rule, then she would remember this seventh rule. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but express some doubts, ¡°I just tried pushing the captain¡¯s room door, and indeed it opens outwards¡ªas something so expected, why is it emphasized particrly in the rules?¡± The wooden mountain goat head silently watched Alice¡¯s eyes and, after a full two seconds, replied with an unprecedented brevity, ¡°Sometimes, it can open inwards.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°If you see the door opening inwards, never go in. On the entire Homeloss, only the captain is entitled to do that.¡± This was the first time since their earlier conversation that the mountain goat head spoke with such severity and even a hint of intimidation, even more so than when he had been exining the crew rules earlier. Alice was startled by the unexpectedly solemn tone. But then, the tone of the mountain goat head became light again, as if the serious topic never happened. He began cheerfully, ¡°Well, the mandatory introductions for a new crewmember are now over, let¡¯s talk about something else¡­ Oh right, Miss, did youe to the captain¡¯s room for something? If you don¡¯t know how to use the ship¡¯s facilities, there¡¯s no need to trouble the great Captain Duncan. If you¡¯re looking for a chat, then you¡¯vee to the right ce, I¡¯m very good at finding topics and know countless great tales about this ship¡­ You¡¯re not interested in great tales? Well then, I can introduce you to some of the most famous dishes on the Endless Sea, I do have some culinary knowledge¡­¡± Once the mountain goat head got going, Alice found no chance to interrupt, and by the time she realized something was terribly wrong, it was already toote. Abnormal 099, the doll Miss Alice, faced the second greatest terror aboard Homeloss, second only to Captain Duncan himself. Meanwhile, in a bedroom separated by a mere wall from them, Duncan was quietly listening to the noisesing from the chart room. He had just awoken, his soul returning to the Homeloss from a distant shell. He hadn¡¯t heard the initial conversation between the mountain goat head and Alice, but he had heard the ¡°crew rules,¡± as well as the discussion about the captain¡¯s room door opening outwards. Important intelligence, unexpected gains. Duncan hadn¡¯t even digested the information he had gathered from the Heretics before he overheard the conversation between the mountain goat head and Alice. Both the bizarre and eerie ¡°crew rules¡± and the information from the mountain goat head¡¯s words were of utmost importance to him. Indeed, when he himself pushed the captain¡¯s room door inwards to return ¡°to the other side,¡± the mountain goat head knew of it. To him, this action was like returning to his own bachelor pad, but for the Homeloss on this side, it seemed to imply ¡°the captain has temporarily left.¡± The mountain goat head had no doubt and regarded this as a behavior that Captain Duncan himself would have. So¡­ had this ship¡¯s original ¡°true Captain Duncan¡± also pushed open the door to the captain¡¯s room and then went to some mysterious ¡°world¡±? And had this been done not just once, resulting in it bing something that the mountain goat head took for granted, and even a part of the crew rules of the Homeloss? To Duncan, this was good news; it meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much when returning ¡°to the other side¡± in the future. Even if new crew members joined the ship, he could disappear from everyone¡¯s sight in this manner without raising suspicion, without anyone imitating and discovering his ¡°secret.¡± But on the other hand, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but have inevitable concerns¡ªrted to the ¡°6+1¡± crew regtions the goat-headed figure had deliberately mentioned. What did these crew regtions really mean? What were these rules, sounding bizarre, dangerous, and even contradictory, based on? Some uses seemed to emphasize the captain¡¯s authority, but the true situation was clearly more than that. Those strict behavioral restrictions appeared more like survival protocols for the crew amid an environment of lurking dangers, rules established to avoid invisible threats. Duncan frowned slightly as he pondered his real position within these regtions¡ªjudging from their content, he, as the ¡°captain,¡± seemed to be the only individual with utmost freedom and initiative. He didn¡¯t need to worry about the ¡°unseen risks¡± on the ship, and he himself was the arbitrator of many risk factors. But¡­ all these were predicated on him being the ¡°real Captain Duncan.¡± This was precisely the most worrisome part. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Yet, he suddenly remembered his recent exploration aboard Homeloss, and the fact that he had been moving around the cabins at will. The goat-headed figure had never reminded him about the crew regtions, treated him as the real Captain Duncan, and he didn¡¯t encounter any ¡°mysterious dangers¡± while moving on the ship, nor was there any possibility of a second ¡°captain¡± popping up to set activity restrictions for him. From this perspective, the dangers referred to in the ¡°crew regtions¡± by the goat-head seemed indeed irrelevant to him. Duncan let out a soft breath and continued to listen attentively to the noisesing from the chart room. Half a minuteter, he wished he could shut off his own ears. The chattering doll and the noisy goat-headed figure were engaged in conversation, with thetter clearly dominating. The incessant babble flowed like the waves of the Endless Sea within the chart room, so overwhelming that Duncan, hidden in the bedroom and observing secretly, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He felt he needed to go out and rescue the poor dolldy. Alice,cking in social experience, was clearly no match for the goat-head, but after a moment¡¯s hesitation, Duncan still stopped himself. He had just finished an astonishing ¡°soul journey¡± and had much information to sort out and experiences to summarize. He needed to understand what had just happened, to determine whether this process was controble¡ªfor now, the ability to project his spirit afar seemed to be the most useful tool for collecting information onnd in the future. Normally, he would worry that burying himself in his room to study his new abilities for too long might draw unnecessary attention from the goat-head, but now he had an Eli outside to distract that noisy creature¡­ It was better than perfect. Mentally apologizing to the dolldy, Duncan looked down at his right hand, and in the next second, his expression froze. The brass Compass, slightlyrger than a pocket watch, had disappeared without notice. And he clearly remembered that until recently, he had been holding tightly to that Compass! Duncan¡¯s eyes became instantly sharp because he hadn¡¯t noticed any changes in his hand, and such inattention and negligence had never happened before since he came aboard the odd and mysterious Ghost Ship. The next second, he clenched his right hand, and a faint green Spectral me then quietly appeared between his fingers. He immediately stood up from behind his desk, ready to use the connection between the Spectral me and Transcendent phenomena to check for any abnormal traces in the entire bedroom. But as he stood up, Duncan¡¯s movements abruptly halted. A subtle connection emerged from the depths of his heart, and he instinctively looked in the direction it came from. In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a few feathers, seemingly real yet illusory, fluttering down from the air. Duncan looked in surprise at where the feathers had fallen and saw an apparition swiftly emerging and solidifying before his eyes. In just two or three seconds, the apparition had taken the form of a snow-white¡­ Dove. The missing Compass hung from the dove¡¯s chest, and a familiar Obsidian daggery quietly at the dove¡¯s feet. Chapter 24: Pigeons? Chapter 24: Pigeons? Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The pristine white pigeon stood dumbly on the table, its neck adorned with the brass Compass Duncan had searched for half a day, and the familiar Obsidian knife rested at its feet. Duncan looked at the pigeon with a slightly nk expression, and the pigeon returned the look with an equally nk expression. Discerning expressions on a bird¡¯s face is not an easy task, but for some reason, Duncan felt he could understand the pigeon¡¯s look. Not only could he understand its look, but he even felt he could see a kind of ¡°wisdom¡± shining in those slightly reddish eyes¡ªthe bird¡¯s mung bean-like eyes stared straight ahead. When Duncan¡¯s gaze met the pigeon¡¯s, one of its eyes shifted its attention towards him, while its other eye seemed to keep staring at the captain¡¯s cabin ceiling, with an erratic and drifting line of sight. ¡°A pigeon?¡± It took several seconds for Duncan to finally twitch the corners of his mouth and mutter subconsciously. Why a pigeon? Why did a pigeon suddenly turn up out of nowhere? Why was his brass Compass still hanging around this pigeon¡¯s neck? And how did the knife get there? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Or to sum up in a sentence: on this abnormal ship, could anything normal ever happen?! While Duncan was full of question marks and murmurs in his heart, the pigeon that had been stunned for a long time seemed to finally ¡°wake up.¡± It nodded its head, took a few steps on the table, came close to Duncan, stretched its neck, and emitted a loud ¡°coo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Duncan watched the bird in silence, and for some reason, ssic images of many pirate captains from his memory suddenly floated into his mind. Then he nced down at the captain¡¯s uniform he wore, ¡°It does seem standard for a captain to have a bird by his side, but shouldn¡¯t that be a parrot¡­ What¡¯s the deal with a pigeon?¡± As soon as the pigeon heard Duncan¡¯s words, it nodded solemnly, emitting a somewhat strange and rigid female voice: ¡°Transmissionplete!¡± All the murmurs in Duncan¡¯s heart and mouth were abruptly cut off. He nearly choked on a gulp of saliva, staring at the white pigeon before him with a look of utter astonishment. He remembered the feeling when he first set foot on this ship, when he met a talking goat head in the captain¡¯s cabin. But at least this was not his first day on board the Homeloss, and he had grown ustomed to the anomalies of this world, so the pigeon speaking was only surprising to him for a moment. In the next second, his expression turned serious, and a faint green Spiritual Body me started to emerge from one hand. He watched the pigeon before him warily, ¡°Where did youe from?¡± The pigeon tilted its head, one eye fixated on Duncan, while the other wandered haphazardly ceilingward: ¡°Address error, please recheck the address, or contact the system administrator.¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡± More than just a moment of expressionless stupor, his heart was now stirring with even greater turmoil! The things this pigeon was saying¡­ it did not seem to fit the ¡°style¡± of this world, unlike the goat head, or Alice, or any of those robed Heretics. Instead, it sounded more like the terms that ¡°Zhou Ming¡± from Earth would understand! Yet, the pigeon seemedpletely oblivious to the changes in Duncan¡¯s gaze and expression, simply lowered its head to peck at its wings, jangled the brass Compass hanging on its chest and then started to strut contentedly on the table. After pacing a few steps, it ran over to the Obsidian knife, flicked it a few times toward Duncan with its paw, and emitted the same peculiarly toned female voice from earlier: ¡°Take up this sr-powered battle axe and embrace the glory of battle!¡± Duncan suddenly stood up from the desk, the chair scraping noisily against the floor. He fixed a deathly stare at the still innocently unperturbed pigeon before him, while an extreme sense of bizarre humor filled his mind. This pigeon simply could not be something originally from the Homeloss, or even from this world! The words it spoke, only ¡°Zhou Ming¡± would understand what they meant! Perhaps the noise from the chair was too loud, even audible in the chart room, as Duncan suddenly heard the goat head¡¯s voice in his mind: ¡°Captain? Are you alright?¡± Duncan kept his gaze fixed on the pigeon on the table, knowing that the goat head dared not directly peer into the situation within the captain¡¯s cabin. So he answered with a subdued voice, as calmly as ever, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Miss Alice is here to see you, shall I¡­¡± ¡°You take care of her first.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Duncan exhaled, turning to nce back at the door leading to the chart room. The Goat Head¡¯s cacophonous barrage continued, and Miss Puppet had tried several times to get up and leave but was stopped each time. Duncan thought he should go and rescue the unfortunate puppet, but now¡­ he had something more important to confirm. Hang in there a bit longer, Alice. Duncan sat back down at his desk, preparing to try tomunicate with the pigeon in front of him using normal speech, and it was at this moment that he suddenly noticed something he hadn¡¯t paid attention to before¡ª A faint ¡°fire line¡± seemed to extend from the spiritual fire that flickered between his right fingers. The me was as thin as a strand of hair and dissipated into the air after extending out a dozen or so centimeters. There was also a wisp of pale green me entwining the odd pigeon, hidden in the gaps under its wing feathers, with the other end extending into the air and vanishing just as it did. Duncan frowned, raised his right hand, and with a thought, the mes danced, and the pigeon on the table vanished instantly. The next second, the pigeon appeared on his shoulder, pecking at Duncan¡¯s hair and making a loud noise: ¡°Coo-coo!¡± Duncan flicked his finger again, and the pigeon on his shoulder reappeared on the desk. The brass Compass hung on the pigeon¡¯s chest, its shiny casing reflecting the green light of the mes. Duncan¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°¡­Rted to this brass Compass?¡± He was now certain that there was a definite connection between himself and the pigeon, an even tighter one than between him and Homeloss. This might also exin why the pigeon ¡°knew¡± some Earth-derived ¡°knowledge¡± that only he was aware of. He just wasn¡¯t sure why the pigeon had appeared. After much deliberation, the only suspect he could think of was that peculiar brass Compass. From his testing of the spiritual fire to now, all the abnormalities had started with this brass Compass. Whether it was the soul travel experience before, or the experience of spiritually projecting into a corpse, to the Compass disappearing out of the blue and reappearing hanging on the pigeon¡¯s chest¡­ The origin of everything seemed to be this object. Duncan stared at the pigeon for a while, then reached out for the Compass. He wanted to take down the object to study it properly. The pigeon did not dodge or resist, but Duncan¡¯s fingers couldn¡¯t touch the surface of the brass Compass¡ªthey passed right through and touched the pigeon¡¯s soft, fluffy chest feathers instead. It was as if he reached through an illusion. The pigeon hopped on the spot, seemingly tickled by Duncan, and opened its mouth as if to say, ¡°Today is KFC¡¯s Crazy Thursday, W-me 50¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes twitched, and after two more incredulous tests, he finally confirmed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to remove the brass Compass from the pigeon¡ªthe object had clearly undergone some metamorphosis, bing an illusion bound together with the pigeon that couldn¡¯t be touched or removed. Or to say¡­ the pigeon was now the true form of the brass Compass? Many spections that not even Duncan himself was sure he should believe shed through his mind in an instant, but the only thing he could be certain of was one: the appearance of this pigeon was inextricably linked to his experience with the brass Compass and ¡°soul travel,¡± and this experience might have also changed the form of the brass Compass. This might just be the inherent nature of the brass Compass as a sort of ¡°abnormal object,¡± or perhaps a ¡°use price.¡± As for why the pigeon was so odd¡­ it wasn¡¯t because of the Compass, it was because of Zhou Ming, the Earthling. All of this was still unverifiable or irrefutable unless Duncan could find an instruction manual for the various oddities aboard Homeloss. As for now, he had to figure out what to do with this¡­ abnormal pigeon. After a brief moment of contemtion, he decided to first give the pigeon a name. ¡°I need to give you a name,¡± he tapped the desk lightly with his finger and said very seriously to the pigeon, ¡°I think you should be able to understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± The pigeon tilted its head, its mung bean-sized eyes flickering as it looked at Duncan: ¡°Eli?¡± (Holy moly!) Chapter 25 - 25 Difficult Communication Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Difficult Communication Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The pigeon cocked its head, probably feeling that Duncan hadn¡¯t heard clearly, and quickly repeated, its voice even louder than before: ¡°Ai Yi!¡± Finally, Duncan understood what the bird meant, ¡°You mean your name is Ai Yi?¡± The pigeon nodded proudly and strutted about on the desk: ¡°Coo coo!¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help but rub his temple, feeling thatmunicating with this bird was even more peculiar than with a goat head, mainly due to the pigeon¡¯s elusive style ofnguage: ¡°Do you know how you came into being? Or¡­ how did you appear here?¡± The pigeon pondered for a moment, its misty eyes simultaneously looking in different directions: ¡°Oh no, the page is gone, try refreshing?¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± He found he couldn¡¯t understand what went on in the bird¡¯s head at all and couldn¡¯t be sure if its suddenly blurted out sentences were connected to the current topic. But he was absolutely certain that this bird was thinking and was very¡­ seriouslymunicating with him. It just obviously had its own understanding of munication.¡± Duncan had a few more exchanges with the pigeon who imed to be ¡°Ai Yi,¡± and the result was that their conversation always maintained a parallel frequency, basically talking past each other. If you said there was a connection, it was hard to see where it intersected. If you said there wasn¡¯t any, well, the pigeon did respond to every question¡­ and asionally, it appeared to actually answer Duncan¡¯s questions. After much conversation with little progress, Duncan could only frown mumble, ¡°What kind of bizarre thing is this¡­¡± He felt it would probably take a long time for him to establish normalmunication with this bird, and this process might even be more difficult than getting used to the goat head¡¯s noise. The pigeon, however, squatted on the desk opposite him, blinking its innocent little eyes, asionally mumbling its demand for V50. Duncan didn¡¯t pay attention to the bird¡¯s mumbling but curled his fingers and gently rubbed them together, watching the green mes leap at his fingertips, he was at least sure of one thing¡ªthe brass Compass, although fused with the pigeon before him, was still essentially an ¡°anomalous item¡± that he could control. The spectral green me rose, and almost simultaneously, green mes sprang up in the gaps of Ai Yi¡¯s feathers, while the brasspass at its chest ¡°snapped¡± open with a pop. Beneath the transparent ss case, the slightly ethereal needle started to stabilize with Duncan¡¯s will, and the dial marked with many mystical symbols gradually filled with fire. Ai Yi didn¡¯t react much throughout, just naturally basking in the spectral me, as if waiting for Duncan¡¯smand. Before the brasspass was fully activated, Duncan voluntarily dispersed the me. In the testing process, Duncan was also silently summing up in his mind, ¡°Thepass still works¡­ It just has a strange ¡®medium¡¯ now, and it¡¯s too early to determine what effect this pigeon will have, maybe some kind of assistance¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not clear about the details of thispass yet. It¡¯s best not to try a second ¡®jump¡¯ until I am fully prepared¡­ Next time I test, I should always watch for any changes in thepass and the pigeon. ¡°There is a connection between the pigeon and me. This connection bes more apparent when the spectral me is induced, and I can even control to a certain extent where the pigeon appears¡­ but that¡¯s as far as the control goes¡­ ¡°¡®Ai Yi¡¯ clearly has its own will, moves on its own thoughts, and itsmands aren¡¯t always executed, which is different from other ¡®items¡¯ on Homeloss. ¡°It can speak, has some ability to think, and can judge issues independently¡­ Compared with ordinary anomalous items, this pigeon seems more akin to the goat head¡­¡± Duncan concluded some of the information he had discerned, and finally, his gazended on the obsidian knife. The handle was twisted like a dried, contorted finger, the de gleaming with a dark reflection. This was exactly what the gold-masked priest, robed in ck and presiding over the evil sacrificial ceremony in the sewer gathering, had held. Judging by its use, it should be a ¡°ritualistic knife.¡± Duncan reached the gathering, presumably located under the Plunder City-State, via spiritual projection, and his return was also in spirit. He thought this process was entirely on a mental or spiritual level, but now the ritual knife was lying tangibly before him. After some thought, Duncan reached out and picked up the knife. The cool, hard sensation was vividly transmitted to him; it was an item that truly existed. Duncan released a bit more of the spectral me, letting it coil around the de of the dagger. From the hollow and void feedback, it was indeed evident that any transcendent power once contained within the ritual dagger hadpletely dissipated. As he had surmised at the sacrifice site, this object wasn¡¯t a true ¡°anomalous item,¡± but seemed more like a byproduct of transcendent force or perhaps a temporary item artificially ¡°imbued¡± with power. Although Duncan was not clear about the categorization of ¡°anomalous items¡± in this world, he guessed that this dagger was likely not a particrly rare item¡ªat least¡­ it appeared to be mass-produced. ¡°Is this what you brought back?¡± He looked up at Ai Yi, who was resting on the table, and lifted the obsidian dagger, ¡°And it¡¯s specifically for me?¡± The pigeon stared straight at Duncan with its little red eyes, motionless, not reacting to the question at all. Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡± He asked again, but the pigeon remained still, as if it had suddenly be a lifeless statue. The sudden change rmed Duncan, but just as he was about to use the spectral mes to give Ai Yi a stimnt shock to see if he could forcefully wake it up, the bird suddenly ¡°came to life¡± again. It hopped in ce twice, moring loudly, ¡°Take up this sr-powered war-axe, take up this sr-powered war-axe, take up this¡­¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I get it, you don¡¯t have to answer every question I asked just now,¡± Duncan quickly motioned with his hands, trying to silence the pigeon while he reorganized his words, ¡°Then do you know how you managed to bring this dagger over? Or is it that you can carry ¡®physical objects¡¯ when shuttling between ces, is that so?¡± The pigeon pondered for a moment and pecked at Duncan¡¯s fingers, ¡°Full discount, free shipping on every item.¡± Duncan: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll pretend I understood.¡± He sighed, feeling he had reached the limit ofmunication with this bird. Then he stood up from the desk and looked toward the sea chart room. The goat-headed man and Alice were still outside, and their eager and friendly exchange continued. The dolldy had been silent for a very long time, and the goat-headed man had just started to recount the seventeenth way to cook seaweed stew. Duncan felt it was necessary to save his only crew member (and surprisingly the most normal one in tone). n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om On the other hand, he had stayed in the cabin for too long, during which he had caused some abnormal noise, and he thought it was necessary to show his face outside, to set the goat-headed man¡¯s mind at ease. However, before leaving, he hesitated and nced at Ai Yi, who was running around on the table. Should he take this pigeon out with him? If he did, how would he exin it? Duncan hesitated for only two seconds before decisively grabbing the pigeon and cing it on his shoulder. He was going to be active on the Homeloss for a long time, and this pigeon would surely be following him for the foreseeable future. He was still unaware of the bird¡¯s life habits, but as an ¡°anomalous item¡± with the ability to think andmunicate, it would hardly be hiding somewhere like an inanimate object. The addition of another ¡°passenger¡± on the ship was not something that could be concealed, and hiding it now would damage the image of ¡°Captain Duncan¡± more if it were to be exposed in the future. So, he might as well bring the pigeon out openly, iming it as his new ¡°spoils of victory¡±¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to exin anything to the goat-headed man; a captain need not exin to his first mate. The first mate would do his own guesswork. As for the asional strange utterances of the pigeon (which to the locals of this world would surely be iprehensible), there was no need for exnations. Let the goat-headed man and Alice figure it out for themselves. With the plump pigeon on his shoulder, Duncan stood up and adjusted his appearance before walking towards the sea chart room withposure. The pigeon proudly puffed up its chest, announcing as if proiming, ¡°Authentic good herbal tea, authentic good voice, wee to watch by¡­¡± Chapter 26: Starless Night Chapter 26: Starless Night Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Truth be told, Duncan suddenly realized that, even if his nerves were as thick as the main house beam, it would be very difficult for him to walk withposed strides when the pigeon on his shoulder began to speak. At this moment, he wished he could be like a normal pirate captain, with a parrot¡ªor at worst, a monkey¡ªperched on his shoulder. But he had already pushed open the door leading to the chart room, and it was impossible to turn back now. In the room with the navigation desk, the goat-head was enthusiastically jabbering about the twelfth legend of fish stew, when the sound of the captain¡¯s quarters opening finally interrupted the chatterbox. Its dark wooden head immediately swiveled towards Duncan, its tone rising with evident delight, ¡°Ah, Captain! You finally came out¡ªI must say, Miss Alice is an excellent conversationalist. I haven¡¯t had such an enjoyable chat in years, you know¡­¡± Duncan tantly ignored the goat-head¡¯s loud babbling and immediately turned to the victim across the navigation desk, only to see the headless doll sitting upright in a chair, cradling her own head in her hands and pressing firmly against her ears. Even so, Alice¡¯s gaze was still as vacant as if she had just sat through twelve consecutive advanced math sses, showing no reaction even when Duncan approached her. Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She pulled off her own head,¡± the goat-head exined before Duncan could speak, ¡°Although I¡¯m not quite sure why she would do that¡­¡± Just how intolerable must the goat-head¡¯s rambling be to force a cursed doll to pull off its own head as a defense against the noise?! While Duncan was shocked, the overly enthusiastic goat-head finally noticed the strange creature the captain had brought with him. Its wooden head turned slightly, and the pitch-ck eyeballs suddenly fixed on the pigeon on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Hmm? Captain, what is this on your shoulder¡­?¡± ¡°Its name is Ai Yi, and from now on, it¡¯s my pet,¡± Duncan said sinctly, using as few words as possible to avoid potential pitfalls, while also observing the goat-head¡¯s reaction to this news. ¡°Your pet?¡± The goat-head was clearly taken aback, then seemed to conceive its own exnation, ¡°Ah, the Homeloss did indeed sense that you briefly left the ship¡­ Did you go on a sojourn to the Spirit Realm? Is this a trophy you brought back from your excursion into the Spirit Realm?¡± Spirit Realm excursion? An unfamiliar term suddenly surfaced, and Duncan thought of the brasspass kept in the captain¡¯s quarters, the handwriting left by the real Captain Duncan, and the extraordinary experience of soul translocation, which made him correspondingly nod indifferently after feeling that the guess was about right, ¡°Just a brief diversion.¡± As Duncan finished speaking, the goat-head unsurprisingly began withpliments, ¡°Ah! Truly befitting the great Captain Duncan, even a simple excursion into the Spirit Realm brings back trophies¡ªIs this a pigeon? To be your pet, it must have extraordinary qualities, mustn¡¯t it? You even hung yourpass around its neck? Does this mean¡­ Ah, of course, your judgment is always correct. But what is special about this pigeon? Could it be that it¡­¡± Duncan heard something subtle in the goat-head¡¯s ttery; he had a hunch that the goat-head recognized the brasspass now hanging on Ai Yi¡¯s chest and that thepass was very important to the real Captain Duncan¡ªimportant enough that it should not be casually ced on a freshly emerged ¡°pet.¡± But even realizing this impropriety, he was powerless to do anything, for thepass was now ¡°bound¡± to the pigeon and, ording to the feedback from the control of the Spiritual Body me, the pigeon seemed to be the very embodiment of thepass! Duncan¡¯s mind raced with thoughts, yet his face remained impassive. During this moment of distraction, Ai Yi, who had been quietly perched on his shoulder, suddenly cooed loudly and flew toward the goat-head, pping its wings. The goat-head¡¯s ck eyes instantly focused on the pigeon, which acted quite importantly, tilting its head and pecking the goat-head¡¯s face with its beak, ¡°Want to top-up Q coins?¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A being with Spiritual Intelligence?!¡± The goat-head was also clearly stunned, but then snapped out of it, sounding extremely surprised, ¡°This pigeon can speak?!¡± Duncan gently reminded from the side, ¡°You can also speak.¡± Pigeon Ai Yi took a couple of steps on the table, mumbling to itself as it walked away, ¡°Does it make sense, does it make sense, does it make sense¡­.¡± Upon seeing this, Duncan promptly rubbed his fingertips together and with a sudden leap of green me, the pigeon walking on the table vanished into thin air, reappearing on his shoulder the next instant. ¡°Yes, a being with Spiritual Intelligence, and directly under my control,¡± Duncan confirmed to the goat-head with a nod, ¡°Any more questions?¡± The goat-head hurriedly replied, ¡°Ah¡­ certainly not, of course not, all is well then¡ªeverything is in the great Captain Duncan¡¯s control.¡± Duncan then ignored the goat-head and quickly concluded the conversation before turning his attention to Alice, still cradling her head in a daze¡ªperhaps the previously broadening experience had further strengthened his nerves, or maybe he had gotten used to the sight after seeing it a few times, but he now found Alice¡¯s head-cradling daze not so weird as it was somewhat¡­ endearing. He reached out and patted the doll Miss¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Wake up, wake up.¡± Alice¡¯s body jolted as if she had awakened from a long nightmare. The head she was holding in her hands then began to speak, its mouth opening and closing, ¡°Ship¡­ ship¡­ ship¡­¡± Duncan said, ¡°You should put your head back on first.¡± It was then that Alice realized what she needed to do, hurriedly and clumsily reattaching her head. After the click sound of the joint closing, her voice finally became smooth, ¡°Ah, Captain, you¡¯re back? Something seemed to have happened¡­ Is Mister Goat Head done talking?¡± The goat head on the table immediately spoke, ¡°No, we just got to some legends about fish stew, a topic we can continue another time¡­¡± Duncan was concise, ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Alice, who was standing to the side, visibly shuddered the moment the goat head began to speak, showing a look of horror on her face, the cursed doll¡¯s expression. Even after the goat head obediently closed its mouth following the captain¡¯s order, she still cast a wary nce toward the navigation table. Duncan suspected that for a considerable time toe, the doll mistress would not set foot in the captain¡¯s cabin again. With that thought, he finally asked out of curiosity, ¡°You came to see me, what¡¯s the matter?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°I¡­¡± Alice¡¯s expression was a bit dull as if her original purpose for visiting the captain¡¯s cabin had beenpletely forgotten amidst her conversation with the goat head, but a few secondster she remembered, ¡°Ah right, I just wanted to ask, is there a ce on board where I can take a bath? My wooden box got seawater in it, and now my joints feel a bit¡­ ufortable.¡± Toward the end, the expression on the doll Miss¡¯s face was noticeably awkward, but the person who should have been more embarrassed was actually Duncan¡ªsince it was he who had thrown her box overboard. And not just once, but several times. A twinge of embarrassment shed through his heart, but Duncan tried hard to keep his facial expression unchanged and his tone indifferent, ¡°Just for that?¡± Alice sat restrainedly in the chair, ¡°Just¡­ just for that.¡± ¡°For many ocean-going vessels, fresh water is an extremely valuable resource, and taking a bath is a luxury that needs to be restrained,¡± Duncan began seriously, but then suddenly he smiled, ¡°However, you¡¯re in luck, Homeloss is no ordinary ship, and fresh water is not an issue here. Follow me, there is a ce for bathing below the mid-deck cabin, to get there we must first go through the upper deck.¡± Alice immediately stood up¡ªshe truly did not want to stay a second longer in a ce with a goat head. Before leaving the room, Duncan nced back at the goat head, ¡°You keep steering.¡± After giving the instruction, he stood up, opened the door of the captain¡¯s cabin, and led Alice up to the deck. The night had already fallen at this moment. The night sky over the Endless Sea was clear. After many days of cloudy weather, this was the first time Duncan stood under the clear night sky of this world. He suddenly stopped, looked up at the sky, and gazed motionlessly at the night canopy. The night sky was pitch-ck without a star, devoid of any celestial bodies. The only thing visible was a faint greyish-white ¡°crack¡± that seemed to tear through the entire sky. The crack sprawled across the horizon, its edges fraying into intricate fissures like flesh ripped open, with a dim greyish-white halo slowly radiating outwards from the crack, like a bloodstain spreading in a deep pool of water. This sprawling ¡°pale scar¡± across the sky lit up the entire Endless Sea, shining more than twice as bright as the moonlight Duncan remembered. Chapter 27 - 27 Insufficient Knowledge Reserve of Common Sense Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Insufficient Knowledge Reserve of Common Sense Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In a certain sense, the starless sky marred only by a single scar impacted Duncan even more than the ¡°sun¡± confined by the Rune Circle. Because no matter how abnormal the sun was, it still shone only upon the world beneath Duncan¡¯s feet, and in the consciousness of Duncan as an Earthling, the so-called ¡°sun¡± was nothing more than one of the countless celestial bodies. All twisted and strange phenomena were confined under the light of the sun. Beyond the sunlight in the sky, there could still be an infinite number of stars¡ªalthough for a creature bound by gravity, the world under the sunlight was practically their entire world, at least Duncan could understand and ept the scale of these anomalies. But now, in the night sky, Duncan could not see any celestial body that could be called ¡°stars.¡± There were no stars, no moon, no distant Milky Way. There was only a torn scar, spreading across the heavens in a manner that he could notprehend, continuously diffusing a pale white mist. The whole Endless Sea was enveloped in this snowy, pale night color. Beyond the suny the further reaches of the void, and even greater abnormalities. Duncan said nothing, just staring intently at the sky while countless questions and conjectures swirled in his mind. Where were the others? Did they not exist from the start, or was it that the world under his feet was situated in a cosmic vacuum so distant from other stars that the night sky here was pitch-ck, devoid of stars? And what was that pale scar stretching across the sky? A tear in the fabric of space? A tangible celestial structure? Or merely an illusion, floating above the perilous Endless Sea? ¡°Captain?¡± Finally, a voice pulled Duncan out of his silence. The doll Alice looked nervously at the Ghost Ship captain who had suddenly stopped in his tracks. His face had turned even more solemn and grim than before, frightening her, ¡°Are you all right? Is the celestial phenomena changing? Is there a big Storming? I¡¯ve heard the sailors outside the box mention this¡­¡± ¡°¡­Nothing at all.¡± Duncan said softly, then suddenly diverted his gaze from the sky to Alice, his expression indifferent as if in response to her, he repeated as though for himself, ¡°Nothing at all.¡± ¡°So we¡­¡± Duncan began to walk forward again, his expression so calm it was as if nothing had happened, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to the cabin¡ªyou can also wash up there if you need to.¡± This world once again revealed its eerie and bizarre nature to the foreigner, and it seemed that the strangeness was far from over. Duncan realized that an astonishing number of wonders awaited him in the future, and if he startled at every single one, he would spend his life in constant surprise. If the decades of life experience on Earth had taught him anything useful for the present, it was this: If a problem truly exists, think of a way to solve it. The problem won¡¯t disappear just because one denies it, just as the bizarre sky before him won¡¯t turn into a glittering starry night due to his doubts. There must be a reason that this world presents itself as it does. If all things can exist here, then that is an undeniable fact. No matter how absurd or peculiar a phenomenon might be, it still objectively exists¡ªIf he couldn¡¯t understand it at the moment, that was his problem, not that of the world. As the current captain of the Homeloss, Duncan felt that he might have a long time to slowly understand this world. Alice did not know what the silence of the captain during the journey was about, she only knew that the atmosphere around Duncan had suddenly be somewhat oppressive, but this oppressive feeling vanished instantly once they arrived at the destination cabin. Duncan brought the doll miss to a ce to bathe, a bathroom prepared for the upper-tier sailors¡ªFor a ssic sailing ship, such a bathroom was considered a kind of ¡°luxury¡± facility, normally not meant for themon sailor. In olden times, the living conditions aboard ocean-going sailing ships were quite dire, with limited fresh water, rotten food, poor medical care, and psychological problems caused by long voyages troubling every explorer who challenged the seas. On Earth, many of these problems even remained unresolved until the early Industrial Era. As far as Duncan knew, the early ocean-going sailing ships on Earth did not even have toilets prepared for themon sailors; personal matters were typically handled over gratings facing the sea (and one had to mind the wind direction), and bathing was even more problematic¡ªsome sailors made do by using spare sails as tubs, rinsing themselves with seawater, while many sailors from the Age of Sail simply chose not to bathe for weeks or even months. After all,pared to scurvy, gue, and the collective hysteria caused by immense mental pressure, a bit of a hygiene issue seemed the least important. But isn¡¯t it ironic that on a Ghost Ship feared by all, these terrible living conditions were actually resolved? The freshwater tanks on the Homeloss would replenish themselves, and the food stored in the warehouse showed no signs of spoge. The ghost ship¡¯s captain wouldn¡¯t get sick, and Alice¡¯s neck problems were not caused by sailing. Besides feeling her blood pressure rise whenever she interacted with the goat-headed crew member, the ship was actually quite habitable¡­ ¡°The pipe next to the bathtub leads to the freshwater tank. Just draw water directly from there. The bathtub plug is hanging over that side, don¡¯t lose it¡ªWe¡¯re limited on amenities for now, so the ship doesn¡¯t supply hot water, but you probably don¡¯t mind that.¡± Duncan was introducing the amenities of the ship¡¯s cabin to Alice, and these rather ordinary experiences were all the results of his explorations over the past several days. ¡°Being able to wash up is enough, having saltwater in the joints is really ufortable,¡± said Alice, not picky at all. She looked around the cabin with curiosity and excitement, nodding her head as she listened to Duncan¡¯s instructions, ¡°I am just a doll, no aspirations for a hot water bath.¡± Duncan nodded, but then his expression became a bit strange. He nced at Alice and hesitated, ¡°Speaking of which, do you know how to bathe? Do you have this kind of¡­ ¡®life experience¡¯?¡± Alice actually paused for a moment, then pondered seriously before saying, ¡°It should¡­ work? Just disassemble the joints and rinse them, then put them back after washing¡­¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡± He looked at Alice, and Alice likewise looked back at him with an innocent face. ¡°Have you considered how you¡¯re going to reassemble them by yourself after taking them apart?¡± Duncan knew his casual question was a real reminder. The doll who had never left her box trulycked that kind of experience, ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that.¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Alice: ¡°¡­ I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°And I strongly advise against frequently disassembling your joints,¡± Duncan reminded her earnestly. ¡°Even if your body structure allows for it.¡± Alice was a bit confused: ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ll wear out if you do it too much,¡± Duncan finally gave in, having never anticipated dealing with so many ¡°detail issues¡± with a cursed doll on a ship. These things were never mentioned in novels, films, or TV series, ¡°I certainly don¡¯t want you walking on the deck and then suddenly falling apart right before my eyes. There¡¯s no one on board who knows how to maintain doll joints.¡± At that, he paused for a moment and then added, ¡°Your neck problem is serious enough.¡± Alice imagined that scene and involuntarily shrank her neck: ¡°Ah, okay, I understand¡­ I¡¯ll figure out what to do¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯d be best,¡± said Duncan before preparing to leave with a still somewhat unsettled nce at the doll with not much life experience. ¡°I have a lot to deal with¡ªdon¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡± ¡°Alright, Captain, thank you, Captain,¡± said Alice cheerfully. But just as Duncan was about to exit the cabin, she suddenly spoke up again, ¡°Ah, right, Captain¡­¡± Duncan stopped and lightly turned his head: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Captain¡­ I suddenly feel like you¡¯re not that scary,¡± Alice said, carefully choosing her words as she looked at Duncan¡¯s retreating back. ¡°The goat-head said you¡¯re the scariest captain on the Endless Sea, the most unpredictable disaster of all sea routes, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°But it seems like you¡¯re pretty easy to talk to, and you¡¯re kind of like a worried parent¡­¡± Duncan didn¡¯t turn around, only silently pausing for two seconds before suddenly asking, ¡°Where do you get the concept of family¡­ do you have a family?¡± Alice hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook her head: ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t talk about matters of parents. Just stay honestly on the ship, and I¡¯ll arrange your life on this Ghost Ship.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, Captain.¡± Chapter 28 - 28 Pale Night Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Pale Night Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Real life is different from bizarre stories, and the biggest difference is that when you live in reality, you have to consider a plethora of real and trivial details¡ª Does a moving cursed doll need joint maintenance? Will Alice constantly disassembling her joints cause her to suddenly fall apart while walking one day? And are the salted meat and dried cheese on the ghost ship expired? Does a superhero who entertains by day and fights evil forces by night ever sleep¡ªand do the evil forces that fight against superheroes normally need to go to the supermarket to buy things? Stories never tell you these things. In stories, the characters are always as pristine as snow and as fleeting as the wind. In stories, a cursed doll only needs to emerge from a corner to scare people, just as the captain of a ghost ship never worries about only having century-old salted meat and hard cheese aboard. In reality, a cursed doll after soaking in seawater bes itchy all over, and taking a bath requires figuring out how to deal with the salt crystals in the joints¡­ Standing outside the cabin, Duncan sighed, realizing more clearly that surviving on this ship long-term would take more than just determination. He also had to consider a whole array of practical problems, especially after the number of crew members increased. Duncan was well aware the ghost ship wasn¡¯t overflowing with supplies. The ship had an unlimited supply of fresh water, but only fresh water. The food stored in the pantry, after consumption, didn¡¯t replenish itself, and the only edible things were salted meat and hard cheese. Due to the Homeloss¡¯s unique nature, there were no signs of rot, but Duncan reasonably suspected they had been stored for at least a century. Besides, the shipcked recement clothing suitable for Alice¡¯s size (though the cursed doll had never mentioned such a need), and there were no means of entertainment¡ªnot even a set of chess or a deck of cards. The Endless Sea was vast and boundless, but it was difficult for Homeloss to get real supplies from this vast ocean. The ship seemed tock a reliable ¡°home port¡± for docking and repairs, let alone channels ofmunication with civilizations onnd. The goat-head didn¡¯t seem to have ever considered this problem, but Duncan was now seriously pondering¡ªit was necessary to find a way to improve the currentck of supplies on Homeloss. Furthermore, he was thinking about how to establish contact with the ¡°City-States¡± onnd. Drifting aimlessly at sea was an extremely inefficient method of exploration. Information about this world had to be obtained fromnd, which was Duncan¡¯s deepest realization after ¡°walking in the Spirit Realm.¡± Putting that aside, even for the sake of his own mental and physical health, he had to try to make more contact with those ¡°City-States¡± onnd and engage with the civilized world¡ªotherwise, he was really worried that after a long period of drifting, he might actually be a twisted, gloomy, and reclusive ghost ship captain. Thinking this, Duncan turned his head slightly to look at the pigeon Ai Yi, who was neatly perched on his shoulder, preening its feathers. His gaze primarily fell on the brass Compass on Ai Yi¡¯s chest. The pigeon cocked its head to look at its ¡°master¡± and suddenly blurted out, ¡°Start a sub-base! Lay a mycelium mat! Hey, do you know how to operate it?¡± Duncan was silent for a moment. Although the pigeon was mostly erratic, the things it asionally blurted out were so apt that one couldn¡¯t help but suspect it was feigning foolishness. As it stood, ¡°walking in the Spirit Realm¡± seemed to be the only viable method to reach thend City-States. Although this method seemed too uncertain and mysterious mishaps such as ¡°Ai Yi¡± had urred after itsst use, Duncan knew he would soon undertake another walk in the Spirit Realm¡ªnot only to collect intelligence from thend but also to quickly verify and master a very useful ability. Just as important as the Spirit Realm walks was the ¡°special ability¡± of the pigeon Ai Yi to bring back a ritual dagger from the distantnds. If it could bring back a dagger, could it carry more items? What were the patterns and limitations of this bird¡¯s item transport? Could this process be controlled intentionally? After some thought, Duncan decided to directly ask the pigeon, ¡°Do you know how you brought back that dagger?¡± The pigeon pondered and replied gravely, ¡°You need more crystal ore.¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± He decided to temporarily give upmunicating with the pigeon; it would be more reliable to try himself during the next Spirit Realm walk. ¡°` ¡­ In the ship¡¯s cabin, Alice finally figured out, fumblingly, how to use the water pipes, and roughly grasped how a bath ought to be taken. On the limited conditions of the Ghost Ship, she could only take a cold bath, but for a living doll, this was not an issue at all. However, before jumping into the tub, Alice decided to first greet everything in the cabin. She patted the huge oak barrel and knocked on the pirs supporting the cabin. She kicked the floor beneath her feet with the tip of her toe and reached up on tiptoe to fiddle with the ropes and hooks hanging from the ceiling. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Alice,¡± she cheerfully greeted these cold entities, just as she had greeted the gentleman with the goat¡¯s head before, ¡°I will be living on this ship from now on.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Nothing in the cabin responded to her greeting, but Alice didn¡¯t mind at all. The gentleman with the goat¡¯s head had said that the Homeloss was alive, many things on this ship were alive. Although they did not seem to have the same ¡°Spiritual Intelligence¡± as the goat¡¯s head, nor even the ability tomunicate, that did not prevent Alice from treating the entire Homeloss as a ¡°neighbor¡± who deserved to be greeted. The Homeloss was a living thing, and so was she. Convinced her greeting was courteous and appropriate, Alice felt even happier; only then did she slip off her splendid dress and clumsily climb into the oak tub filled with water. First step, remove the head for a rinse¡ªafter all, the joints on the neck were never that sturdy. The dolldy thought her n was very sensible. ¡­ The night in Plunder City-State finally settled after a day of hustle and bustle, and the prosperous ¡°Pearl of the Sea¡± gradually sumbed to slumber under the pale glow of the night sky. But amidst the quiet darkness, there were watchmen keeping an eye on the city after it had fallen asleep. Atop the ¡°Grand Clock Tower¡±, the tallest building in Plunder City-State, a youngdy with grey-white hair and an exceptionally tall and straight posture was standing before a window overlooking the city district. Thedy was beautiful, yet her appearance was somewhat fearsome due to a prominent scar crossing over her left eye. She stood taller than most men and was d in silver-grey light armor and a battle skirt. She was clearly well-exercised, with muscr limbs and even lines, and a giant sword that emitted a faint silver glow was within easy reach. The handle of the sword was engraved with runes symbolizing waves, and the de shimmered with a light reminiscent of water ripples. Behind thedy, the sound of mechanical operation was continuous¡ªthe core of the Grand Clock Tower was running smoothly under the power of the steam engine, withplex and precise gear and rod structures prating the roof and floor, driving the four clock faces above and the mimicry orrery hidden deep within the building. By the sound of it, this massive and intricate machine was operating very well, and no evil force had disturbed the sanctity of the steam core. Yet, Judge Vanna felt a nagging unease in her heart, a dreadful premonition as if something were about to happen, or had already happened, and she was destined to be incapable of stopping it, which made her irritable. Footsteps came from the direction of the staircase. Thedy with grey hair turned toward the sound, and saw an Ocean Priest d in a long robe approaching from the stairway entrance, holding a copper incense burner with purifying smoke slowly coiling around him. The priest approached the core pir in the center of the room, removed the old incense burner hanging from the pir¡¯s railing, and reced it with a new one. He watched the smoke drifting from the incense, ensuring it floated unobstructed around the moving gears and rods before he softly recited the name of the Storm Goddess and turned to the grey-haireddy at the window. ¡°Good evening, Your Honor the Judge¡ªare you on night watch again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been having bad premonitions, especially ofte¡ªand particrly tonight.¡± ¡°Bad premonitions? In what way?¡± the priest asked, lifting his head, his deep eyes filled with concern, ¡°Has the Goddess sent you an omen?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not such a clear message,¡± the young female Judge shook her head, ¡°I just have this vague feeling¡­ that something is drawing near the city.¡± ¡°` Chapter 29 - 29 The Protectors of the City Chapter 29: Chapter 29 The Protectors of the City Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gods of supreme might dwell within the foundations of this world, observing the operation of the universe with a perspective transcending time and space. Devout believers who pledge their spiritual power to a deity can, to a certain extent, glimpse the trajectory of the imminent future or changes urring in unknown corners of the world through a hidden connection with the divine. This act of peering is not bound by time and space and carries the risk of being corroded by Subspace, but for those believers with unwavering resolve, such dangerous yet powerful forces are their greatest rely on when protecting the fragile me of civilization within this endless expanse of ocean. The devoted Judge has seen a simr vision for several days in a row now. In a state between sleep and wakefulness, she saw an endless ocean dyed in ink ck, followed by thunderous noises rising from the depths of the sea; the ocean split asunder, revealing a terrifying trench that reached down to the seafloor, and from it ascended a huge ship aze with mes, floating slowly in the air like an airship, followed by an invisible giant cloaked in starlight, stepping towards the direction of Plunder City-State. In Judge Vanna¡¯s life to date, premonitions of such terrifying scale had only urred twice. The first time was in her childhood when she woke from a nightmare soaked in blood, only to lose her parents in an attack by Heretics, leaving a lifelong scar on her face. The second time was four years ago when she saw a dark Sun God rise from beneath the City-State in her Dreamscape, leading to the eradication of thergest Sun God cult enve that had infiltrated the City-State¡ªTo this day, the undying minions of those Heretics still hide in the massive,plex, and ancient tunnel systems beneath Plunder, entangling in meaningless skirmishes with the Church¡¯s guardians. This was the third time¡ªshe saw a ship returning from the deep sea, bringing with it an indescribable giant to this world. She lied to the priest before her¡ªThe omen she witnessed was so vivid that it kept her, a Judge, awake for nights on end. The priest, after hesitating for a long time upon seeing the calm gray-white eyes of thedy before him, eventually spoke up, ¡°But when you prayed to the gods, it seemed you received no unfavorable response?¡± ¡°¡­The Goddess doesn¡¯t necessarily warn of all risks, sometimes trials are exactly the test,¡± Vanna replied calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this; is there any news from the Explorers¡¯ Association?¡± The priest immediately nodded, ¡°The liaison from the Association just sent a message; the Sacred Relic at the Association¡¯s headquarters has sensed the appearance of that ship in the southwestern waters. However, there seems to be a problem with the ship¡¯s telegraph equipment, and now it¡¯s out of contact. We can only confirm that the ship is approaching the outskirts of Plunder at a normal cruising speed and heading.¡± ¡°¡­Having vanished from the Sacred Relic¡¯s perception for a while, then mysteriously reappeared far from its scheduled course, currently uncontactable, heading straight for the City-State¡­ and it was carrying out a mission escorting abnormal items before losing contact,¡± the Judge¡¯s brows knit tighter, her intuition honed by years of dealing with the strange and eerie was pulsating, prompting her to be on guard, ¡°I recall the name of that ship is the Oakwood, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the Oakwood, with Captain Lawrence Creed of the Explorers¡¯ Association at the helm, an experienced captain. Due to the special nature of its cargo, the ship had reported to the Church before setting sail from Rensa,¡± the priest recalled as he spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right, the apanying priest on board is a registered cleric of the Deep Sea Church.¡± ¡°A brother of the Church¡­ I hope the situation isn¡¯t too dire,¡± Vanna said with a grave tone. ¡°Anyway, something is not quite right with that ship. The entire route from Rensa to Plunder is within the ¡®stable zone¡¯ controlled by the Explorers¡¯ Association, yet the ship had disappeared from the Sacred Relic¡¯s perception¡­ I suspect the Oakwood might have briefly left the real world, and may have even¡­ ventured to ces it should not have.¡± ¡°Notify the port guards, as soon as the Oakwood docks, to keep a close watch on the ship; no person or object is to leave the vessel until all inspections arepleted¡ªHave there been any reactions from the security forces? ¡°Rest assured, your uncle¡­ The Governor has already ordered the security officers to lock down the area around the port and raised the port¡¯s alert level. From now onwards, until the alert is lifted, all ships entering or leaving Plunder will temporarily dock at the reserve harbor on the west side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡ªmy uncle has always been careful,¡± Vanna¡¯s tense face finally rxed a bit. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t involve the ordinary people from the security forces in this matter, it should be fine.¡± The priest looked into Fanna¡¯s pale grey eyes and, after choosing his words carefully, said, ¡°Do you think¡­ that ship has been ¡®contaminated¡¯?¡± ¡°We cannot be certain now, but ships that leave the real world, even if they eventually return, are seldompletely normal. It could be that some items on the ship have unknowingly transformed into ¡®anomalies¡¯, or it might be a mental illness hidden deep within the crew¡¯s hearts, or even an extra sailor and a reced captain¡­ For any ship that has exhibited abnormal phenomena, it¡¯s never wrong to be exceedingly vignt.¡± ¡°s¡­ I hope that the ship and its crew are all well,¡± the priest couldn¡¯t help but ce his hand crosswise over his chest, chanting the name of the Storm Goddess, ¡°May the Storm Goddess protect those who brave the sea.¡± ¡°May they all be well,¡± Fanna likewise lowered her eyelids, softly offering her blessing, followed as if to remind the priest before her, ¡°But if they are unfortunate enough not to be ¡®well¡¯, we must be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Fanna nodded, but just as she was about to redirect her attention back to the district outside the window, a rush of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the direction of the stairs. The next moment, a guardian wearing a ck uniform with silver trim, a badge of waves and a dagger emzoned over his chest, hurried up from the stairway. ¡°Your Excellency Judge!¡± the young guardian gasped for breath and immediately spoke with urgency, ¡°We have found a Sun God-worshipping heretical sacrificial stronghold in the sewer, and we¡¯ve caught a bunch of believers!¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Fanna¡¯s expression turned extremely serious in an instant, ¡°Those who worship the dark sun, the heretics? Wait, you said you found a sacrificial site¡­ not a hiding spot? They dare to carry out sacrificial rites again?!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a site for performing sacrificial rituals, and we¡¯ve found evidence of sacrifice ceremonies,¡± the guardian spoke quickly, ¡°Moreover, we discovered arge number of victims in a cavity not far from the ritual site¡ªmost of whom had already been sacrificed their hearts. However¡­ there¡¯s something off about the site of the ritual.¡± Fanna read an absurd and puzzled look on the guardian¡¯s face. She picked up the heavy longsword blessed by the Storm Goddess and slung it over her back as she swiftly made her way toward the stairs, ¡°Lead the way, I will inspect the scene personally.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The heavy blessed longsword shed against the metallic shoulder tes with a crisp sound. Quick steps passed through the long staircase inside the bell tower, and as Fanna reached the small square in front of the bell tower, she saw several members of the guardians already assembled there on standby. Two steam-powered walkers were parked at the edge of the square, their spider-like mechanical bodies emitting continuous clicking sounds. Without lingering, Fanna simply gave the guardians a signal to move out and headed straight for one of the walkers¡ªa huge machine the size of two double-wheeled carriages, resembling a mechanical spider crouching on the ground. Its steel limbs were fitted with wheels for gliding on t surfaces and steel hooks for dealing with special environments, while the upper shell of the walker was equipped with rotating barrel guns in the firing cockpits on either side. Pure technological creations have little effect on ¡°anomalies¡± or ¡°phenomena,¡± but overwhelming firepower can kill those heretics manipting anomalies from the shadows¡ªof course, these things can¡¯t be fully utilized in the sewage system, but they are quite useful for blocking doors. Holy 8mm bullets scatter, and in the blink of an eye, they can send arge group of heretics fleeing to the Subspace to serve their gods. The grey-haired, grey-eyed Judge jumped onto the shell of the walker, standing steady with her longsword against the night sky. Two other guardians swiftly climbed into the firing cockpits on either side of the shell. Following a sequence of hissing sounds from the pressurizing and depressurizing cylinders and conduits, white steam blew out from the joints of the walker¡¯s limbs. The massive mechanical spider promptly rose and leaped onto the nearby main road, then rushed towards the nearest sewer entrance in gliding mode. (It¡¯s time to rmend a book again. The title is ¡°Stepping into the Unscientific,¡± a tech-savvy novel. It¡¯s been plugged several times and is still bouncing around lively. Now at 1.4 million words, it¡¯s fast approaching ten thousand subscriptions. If interested, you could check it out.) Chapter 30 - 30 A Messy Trace Chapter 30: Chapter 30 A Messy Trace Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The massive and heavy mechanical spider folded its long limbs into its abdomen and, using the wheel structures on the sides of its limbs, glided at high speed along the straight road, while Judge Vanna stood steadily atop the carapace of this mechanical creation, the slightly fishy night breeze blowing through the streets, the cold air making her mind even more clear. Those who worshipped the Sun God as heretics were a significant threat to modern civilization¡ªand unfortunately, they were not the only such threat. There are always malevolent gazes cast toward the human world from the depths of Subspace, and always foolish mortals who attempt to touch those ominous powers; in the collusion between primordial beings and mortals, there are also twisted creatures, forbidden offspring, and residual corruption lurking deep within the City-States, always ready to stir and attempt to pry apart the social order. Among all these threats, the followers of the Sun God were the most vignt and vexing for the protectors of the Plunder City-State. They were not just heretics but also products of some lost history of the old world. More dangerous than most blindly foolish heretics, these worshippers of the ck Sun had what one might call ¡°convictions¡±¡ªas fanatical and distorted as they were, and though their lower ranks were a mixed bag, among the upper echelons of this detestable culty certain ¡°core beliefs¡± that had remained unchanged for thousands of years. These beliefs revolved around the ¡°Era of Order¡± under the light of the olden Sun, not only constituting a system in itself but also having a corresponding, unrecognized by modern civilization, ¡°True Sun calendar.¡± They firmly believed they were descendants of an ancient civilization long lost and that this past glory would be restored. As a Judge of the Deep Sea Church, Vanna was not overly interested in the heretics¡¯ perverse doctrines, but she knew that it was the existence of such doctrines that gave the followers of the Sun God a unity and stubbornness that was far beyond other heretics, allowing them to survive tenaciously after repeated strikes and to grow within the shadows of numerous City-States. But their resurgence in Plunder was still somewhat unexpected to Vanna. Ever since the unprecedented crackdown four years ago, the Sun God¡¯s believers in Plunder had been severely weakened. ording to several investigation reports, those heretics should have relocated their primary members to nearby Rensa, Moco, and even farther away to Cold Harbor City-State, leaving only the most ignorant and indoctrinatedckeys whocked the qualification to move with the bishop group in Plunder. These minions hid in the sewers,pletely relying on their knowledge of the underworld and the twisted blessings the ck Sun bestowed upon them to evade the pursuers. Over four years, their numbers dwindled, and the only thing they had left was to cling to a feeble existence. Yet today, four yearster, they suddenly gathered again, even daring to risk exposure by conducting a sacrificial ritual at a meeting ce¡­ Who had given them the audacity? Or to say¡­ was something major about to happen in this City-State? Was there a cause significant enough that, even at the risk of extinguishing theirst spark, the heretics would draw the ck Sun¡¯s gaze to Plunder? From within the mechanical spider came the vibrations and noise of the continuously operating steam core, and a faint fragrance wafted out from the steam release valves, carried by the night breeze. Vanna temporarily set aside her random thoughts and looked up at the sky. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Creation of the World¡± hung high in the night, its pale luminescence illuminating Plunder¡¯s uneven mix of houses, chimneys, and towers. The action squad was now moving through the edge of the industrial zone, where the massive steam and thermal fluid pipes crossing between factories were like the arteries of giants threading through the sky above the streets. Vanna faintly recalled the past, the most profound and terrifying night in her memory¡ªon that midnight filled with the scent of blood, her uncle carried her as they fled from the inferno, the streets were full of people caught in a mass hallucination, walking corpses and fluctuating shadows of flesh, they escaped along the factory pipes, the stench of blood and the chemical grease seeping from the pipes was nauseating¡­ Suddenly, a vibration from the mechanical spider at her feet jolted Vanna from her memories. The smooth road came to an end aheady the abandoned district on the outskirts of the city area, with uneven and bumpy terrain, the two mechanical spiders ended their gliding mode, stretching out their long limbs to move rapidly over the rough surface. Before long, the squad arrived at the entrance to an abandoned sewer. Another team of eight was already on standby, having sealed off the nearby area to prevent unrted personnel from approaching the entrance. Vanessa greeted the subordinates here and then followed the person in charge directly into the bowels of the sewer. Through the profound corridors, through the filthy paths, Vanessa finally arrived at that secret meeting ce¡ªhere, she saw more guardian soldiers, as well as church priests performing the purification ritual. A temporary sacrificial tform was situated right in the center of the congregation area; the wooden tform seemed as if it had been scorched by mes. On the tform, one could still see the desecrated totem set up by the Sun God¡¯s worshippers¡ªthat totem had been burned by fire, but its basic structure remained intact. Surrounding the tform were dozens of heretics, their hands bound and crouched on the ground. Most of them were shivering, while a few moved their lips silently, murmuring their sphemous prayers without sound. But with the ritual site having been destroyed, and the Storm Goddess¡¯ attention turned to this ce, these heretical prayers were utterly ineffective. Not far from the sacrificial tform were the bodies of the victims found in nearby caves,id upon linen cloths with runes drawn upon them. Morticians who had hurried over were examining the state of each corpse. Several church priests walked around the tform, the bronze chains in their hands swaying gently. From the censers at the end of these chains, white smoke emitted, touching the ground near the tform to be immediately stained with an ominous ck shadow. More white smoke carried away these contaminants¡ªthe aura left here by the ck Sun was being cleansed bit by bit in this process. ¡°Your Honor, Judge, pleasee this way. This is where we¡¯ve found something amiss,¡± the young guardian pointed at several bodies beside the sacrificial tform and said, ¡°Please be careful, the ground here is not very clean.¡± Vanessa walked straight towards those bodies, and upon seeing the condition of one of them, she involuntarily furrowed her brow. It was a heretic wearing a golden mask¡ªundoubtedly, the priest directly in charge of the sacrificial ceremony at this sacrilegious site. There was a terrifying hole in his chest. ¡°¡­What happened here?¡± Vanessa frowned, ¡°Did this fanatical heretic get too excited at the end of the ceremony and sacrifice himself? I¡¯ve never heard of such a custom among those who worship the ck Sun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the bizarre part¡ªhe was not a victim of self-sacrifice,¡± the guardian who had brought Vanessa there immediately shook his head, speaking with a strange expression on his face, ¡°ording to the heretics we captured¡­ their ¡®messenger¡¯ was sacrificed by a sacrificial victim¡­¡± ¡°Sacrificed by a sacrificial victim?¡± Vanessa instantly raised her eyebrows, ¡°What kind of madness is that?¡± ¡°Indeed, it sounds like madness,¡± the guardian spread his hands helplessly, ¡°In fact, when we arrived, most of the heretics here were already in a state of near-insanity. Many of them had taken to killing each other, and it seems as though they had started to see each other as ¡®monsters¡¯¡­ possessed by some horrifying entity. It was their crazed breakout from the gathering ce that alerted the nearby patrol officers, leading to the exposure of the situation¡­ By the time we got here, there were only a few left who were coherent enough to answer questions, and those few who could still speak fluently insisted it was a sacrificial victim that sacrificed the messenger.¡± ¡°Driven to madness? Killing each other? And believing that others are possessed monsters?¡± Vanessa¡¯s expression immediately turned grave, ¡°Was an examination done? Is it a result of corruption by the ck Sun?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t find traces of external contamination; it looks more like a spontaneously urring madness¡ªthe factor causing the insanity is rooted within their own psychic world,¡± exined the guardian, pointing towards a youngdy walking among the heretics, dressed in a ck gown, ¡°Miss Heidi is here already. If we confirm that these heretics aren¡¯t tainted by the ck Sun, we¡¯ll have to think of solutions in terms of hypnotism.¡± Chapter 31 - 31 Remnants Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Remnants Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Vanna raised her head to look at thedy in ck, who was checking the mental state of some heretics. Noticing Vanna¡¯s gaze, she too lifted her head and nodded slightly in her direction. The woman appeared to be in her early twenties but possessed aposure that seemed far beyond her years. Her long ck hair was coiled up behind her head, and the pale blue crystal earrings dangling from her earlobes reflected the light of a nearby gasmp. ¡°¡­Heidi is also here¡­ Did the city hall send her?¡± Vanna asked the young guardian by her side. ¡°No, Lady Heidi just happened to be nearby when the incident urred. She came over directly after hearing the news¡ªis there a problem?¡± ¡°No, nothing. Although Heidi is an employee of the city hall, she has also been working with the church for a long time. All she has to do is make a record of the scene when she gets back,¡± Vanna shook her head and quickly refocused on the matter at hand. She inspected the Cult Priest who had died in delirium and casually inquired, ¡°What else did themunicable heretics say? What exactly happened at that time?¡± ¡°Their speech was very confused. Two of them mentioned that the normal sacrificial ceremony had already ended, but then someone caught a runaway sacrifice near the assembly area, so the messenger decided to offer this sacrifice to the Sun God¡­¡± the guardian recounted, ¡°Those two heretics were standing far from the altar and couldn¡¯t see the specifics of what was happening. They only mentioned the sacrifice was stabbed through the heart but did not die. Instead, the sacrifice shouted the name of the Sun God and designated the messenger as the sacrifice¡­ and then the messenger was sacrificed.¡± ¡°¡­A person designated as a sacrifice shouted the name of an Evil God and just like that sacrificed the person conducting the ceremony?¡± Vanna felt like she had heard some unbelievable tall tale. It seemed absurd to her, but since the words came from a well-trained, trustworthy church guardian, she had no choice but to take it seriously, which made her expression turn peculiar. ¡°How could such an absurd thing happen¡ªif that¡¯s possible, then wouldn¡¯t many victims at the scenes of heretical sacrifices be able to turn the tables on those heretic priests just by speaking up faster?¡± ¡°Exactly, even the most inept priest dominates the ritual. How could a weakmon person utter a single sentence to disrupt the ceremony to such an extent¡ªand we¡¯ve also examined this priest. He indeed bore traces of Corrosion from the ¡®deeperyers¡¯ of our world, a true ¡®Baptized¡¯, and ording to the testimony of the heretics at the scene, he was holding a ritualistic dagger blessed with a benediction in his hand¡­¡± As the young guardian spoke, he shook his head and then moved to another body lying nearby. ¡°But¡­ take a look at this, this is the ¡®sacrifice¡¯ who ¡®counter-killed¡¯ the priest.¡± Vanna nced at the guardian and then her gaze fell on thepletely lifeless body. In the next second, her eyes sharpened. It was a frail young man, so gaunt that his physique was more akin to a boy¡¯s, and the most striking abnormality on him was the gaping hole in his chest. ¡°¡­He has been sacrificed¡­¡± ¡°Yes, this is a sacrifice who has already been offered. Combining the traces at the scene and the testimonies of the heretics, this ¡®sacrifice¡¯ had probably lost his heart before being brought onto the altar,¡± the guardian said solemnly, ¡°So¡­ the real situation was that a walking corpse, in full view of everyone, walked onto the altar and killed the priest conducting the ritual as a sacrifice.¡± ¡°¡­Necromancer¡¯s trickery?¡± Vanna mused to herself. ¡°No, the power of the ck Sun has a significant suppression effect on necromancers; their controlled walking dead couldn¡¯t tantly approach the ck Sun¡¯s totem¡­ Was it a re-animated being under abnormal control?¡± ¡°Have you checked the lighting around here?¡± she suddenly raised her head to look at the guardian beside her, ¡°Within a five-hundred-meter radius, is there apletely dark underground space?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve checked, there are no lightless pits¡ª even the heretics are aware of their danger. In the caves where they discard bodies, they¡¯ve left torches and oilmps; they were very cautious in this regard.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn Farna didn¡¯t speak immediately but instead bent down in front of the young man¡¯s corpse with a heavy sense of doubt. She meticulously examined this ¡°sacrifice,¡± which had, in full view of everyone, been offered to a Transcendent and caused the ritual to spiral out of control. She stretched out her hand to turn over the stiff eyelids, attempting to find any traces of heretical powers left on him. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, it seemed like a faint glimmer shed ¡ª she thought she saw the young man¡¯s corpse slightly open its eyes, with pale green mes flickering within those empty sockets. A tiny spark shot out onto the fingertip of her extended right index finger then promptly dispersed with the wind. Farna¡¯s eyes sharpened, and in an instant, she drew the dagger from her waist with her left hand and, without hesitation, sliced off her right index finger, then in a backhanded move, she nailed the dagger into the corpse¡¯s forehead. The cult priest dagger, engraved with runes, suddenly burst into fierce mes thatpletely engulfed the body. It took her less than a second to do all of this, and the moment the body was consumed by the mes, she had straightened up and backed away two steps. Then she quickly took out the blessed holy oil from her waist, bit off the stopper, and poured its contents over her right hand, which was frantically bleeding ¡ª upon contact with the flesh, the holy oil let out a sizzling noise and emitted a thick white smoke. A piercing pain rushed forth, but Farna¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. She saw that the guardian who had been by her side had quickly drawn his steel sword and decapitated the burning ¡°sacrifice¡¯s¡± head. He then threw a concoction mixed with seaweed extract and silver powder into the mes. Apanied by continuous booming noises and the mes that suddenly shot high up, nearly licking the ceiling, the mutated corpse turned to ashes in the blink of an eye. Yet this sizable me didn¡¯t spread to any of the other corpses nearby. The surrounding guardians had already snapped into action, with half of them drawing runic steel swords to form a protective circle around Farna, while the other half drewrge-caliber revolvers to quickly form a perimeter. The two priests on-scene also drew the revolvers hidden under their robes, blessing the muzzles with their censers while chanting the name of the Storm Goddess Gomona and continuously aiming at the heretics who were agitated by the sudden changes in their surroundings. ¡°Your Excellency Judge!¡± A young guardian holding a steel sword approached Farna then, ¡°How are you? Just now¡­¡± ¡°There was some force remaining in that ¡®sacrifice¡¯, a force that bypassed all the protections bestowed by the Goddess, and even my Spiritual Energy rms,¡± Farna gestured dismissively, her gaze on her right hand ¡ª the Goddess¡¯s blessing had taken effect, and the severed index finger was wriggling, slowly regenerating; yet even as the intense pain began to subside, she didn¡¯t feel reassured at all. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. There¡¯s not only the ¡®ck Sun¡¯ here, there might also be another powerful force that visited this sacrificial ritual¡­ and this force has notpletely left. It¡¯s still plotting something,¡± the Judge quickly made her assessment. ¡°Move all the people and evidence away, take them to the church for strict custody, and conduct all the inspections and interrogations within the church. This scene needs to undergo thorough purification¡­ Are there others elsewhere?¡± A guardian nearby immediately replied, ¡°Yes, we rescued a group of ¡®intended sacrifices¡¯ from another nearby cave earlier. They¡¯re currently being temporarily sheltered in an adjacent pipe room.¡± ¡°Take them too, to the church ¡ª even though they are victims, they must undergo strict inspections before we can let them go home,¡± said Farna quickly, and then as if she had just remembered something added, ¡°What about Miss Heidi? Is she alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± a calm female voice responded from nearby at that moment. The ¡°psychiatrist¡± hired by the city hall, dressed in a ck skirt, walked over unhurriedly and nodded at Farna, ¡°No need to worry, I didn¡¯t react at all just now ¡ª so what exactly happened?¡± ¡°¡­ As many ssic tales tell, the heretics have summoned something more sinister than themselves,¡± Farna nced at the ¡°psychiatrist¡±. ¡°I strongly suggest that you take extra precautions when examining these heretics and conducting hypnosis on themter¡­ There was a presence here that should not have been, and it lingers.¡± Chapter 32 - 32 Breakfast on the Homeloss Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Breakfast on the Homeloss Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The night faded, and the pale scars filling the sky began to dissipate gradually. Duncan stood on the stern deck, looking up at the sky, not missing a single detail of the day-night transition. He saw the scar be transparent and illusory, bit by bit, like a dream awakening. The gray-white mists that seeped out around it merged with the sky first, followed by the body of the scar ¨C yet throughout this process, the position of the ¡°scar¡± never changed. Duncan blinked and a further spection rose in his mind: If the mark in the sky hadn¡¯t changed its position, did that mean it wasn¡¯t some distant astronomical structure? Could it be a mere ¡°imprint¡± on the backdrop of the atmosphere, a mirage that moved in synchrony with the Endless Sea? Or was it because the upon which the Endless Sea was located (if this was indeed a) and the scar were in perfect synchronous motion? Or perhaps the scar was indeed moving, but the movement was imperceptible to the naked eye due to the short observation period? Various conjectures bubbled in his mind, but Duncan knew all too well that without sufficient evidence and reliable experimental verification, these conjectures were just that ¨C conjectures. A natural phenomenon could have a myriad of possible exnations, but without theoretical and evidential support, it was all talk. The ¡°sun¡± rose. First came a golden brilliance at the horizon of the sea, and then a massive luminous structure abruptly emerged from the surface of the sea. With the resplendent glow of dawn, the light sphere secured by a dual rune structure appeared in Duncan¡¯s line of sight. As the rune structure revolved slowly, the sun ascended majestically, a process that seemed to have a sound of its own ¨C a low, powerful, and slow rumbling that echoed in Duncan¡¯s mind. Yet when he concentrated to listen, the sound suddenly vanished. He frowned, doubting whether he had just experienced an auditory hallucination, but the memory the sound left was so vivid he could not deny it. Was it ¡­ the sun¡¯s deration to the world as it rose? Or was it just one of the many illusions brought by the Endless Sea? No one could answer Duncan¡¯s question, as the vast and boundless Endless Sea continued to guard all its secrets as usual. The pigeon Ai Yi, asfortable as ever, perched on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. Suddenly, it stood up and started pping its wings vigorously, looking out to the sea and loudly chirping, ¡°Fries! I want some fries!¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help butugh. He nced at the whimsical pigeon and suddenly felt that having such a creature around wasn¡¯t so bad ¨C its odd outbursts always gave him a sense of ¡°homey familiarity.¡± ¡°Sadly, there are no fries on board,¡± he said as he idly yed with the pigeon¡¯s beak, turning to walk towards the captain¡¯s quarters, ¡°but you¡¯re right about one thing, it¡¯s time to find something to eat.¡± Shortly thereafter, the captain of the Homeloss prepared his traditional breakfast characteristic of a ghost ship ¨C Duncan used the navigation table in the captain¡¯s quarters as a dining table, cing several tes beside the sea charts on the empty surface. Today¡¯s breakfast, likest night¡¯s dinner, yesterday¡¯s lunch, and every meal before, consisted of jerky, cheese, and in water. Duncan sat at the navigation table, carefully and ceremoniously spreading a napkin for himself. A goat head statue stood quietly opposite him. To his left, the cursed doll Alice, who hade to say hello early in the morning, and on his right, the peculiar pigeon perched on the tabletop. Suddenly, Duncan felt that this scene was apt for his persona as the ¡°Ghost Ship Captain¡± ¨C a goat carving representing a demon, a cursed doll he couldn¡¯t discard, the Eloquent Bird with knowledge of the Otherworld, and the ghost ship¡¯s captain at the head of the table. This scene needed no editing to be a movie poster. But only those on board the Homeloss knew the true state of its provisions. Duncan sighed, looking down at his te ¨C the movie-poster-like scene was over, now followed by the stark reality of daily sustenance aboard the Homeloss. He picked up the knife and forcefully cut into the cheese, the sound of hard objects rubbing against each other squeaking and cracking. He prodded the jerky with his fork, which clinked crisply as it collided with the te. Curious, Alice watched this and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Captain, isn¡¯t today¡¯s meal the same as yesterday¡¯s?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s will be the same as well,¡± Duncan looked up at the cursed doll, ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± Alice thought for a moment, picked up a piece of jerky with her hand, chewed on it vigorously, then spat it out immediately with a ¡°ptui ptui¡±: ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste good at all!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stomach it even if it¡¯s tasty¡ªyou have a stomach?¡± Duncan took away the remaining half-strip of jerky from Alice¡¯s hand, ¡°You really tried it when I told you to.¡± As he spoke, Duncan looked at the food on his te with some concern. The only food they could find on the ship was like this: the jerky tasted like thick cardboard with salt, and the cheese was like friable wood mixed with sand. No matter how it was processed, it always had a strange smell. He had tried boiling the jerky in water, baking it, or pan-frying it, yet, after much effort, he couldn¡¯t make the taste or texture any better. The good news was that the food was at least not rotten and wouldn¡¯t poison anyone. The bad news was that the relentless passage of time turned these non-rotten substances into something extremely ill-advised to swallow. Duncan had every reason to believe the cheese was older than he was by several cycles, and if the jerky were alive, it had surely witnessed the rise and fall of a century. The captain of the Homeloss might not worry about scurvy, but Duncan still yearned for a healthy diet¡ªat least, he hoped the food on his te would be younger than himself. Even the same age would do. The ¡°Homeloss Supply and Inventory n¡± and the ¡°Land Exploration n¡± that he had considered yesterday once again surfaced in his mind. But these were not achievable in a short time. Duncan sighed and continued to cut the ¡°firewood¡± on his te with a vindictive attitude, while Ai Yi, who had been tilting his head and watching for a while on the table next to him, walked over curiously. The bird first nced at its owner, then looked at the contents of the te, ¡°Are the crystal mines depleted?¡± Duncan nced at the pigeon and casually tossed it some cheese crumbs that had fallen off. Ai Yi pecked at them twice, then froze as if it had crashed, standing motionless¡­ The bird stayed frozen for a good three or four seconds before suddenlying to life. It pped its wings frantically and flew to a nearby shelf, uttering a frantic noise, ¡°I¡¯d rather starve to death, die out there, jump off here, than eat¡­¡± Duncan felt a bit wounded, while the goat head, which had finally quieted down across the table, couldn¡¯t help but produce a creaking sound of wood friction. Before the creature began carving out its firestarter, Duncan finally nodded, ¡°Speak, if you have something to say.¡± ¡°Yes, captain,¡± the goat head finally had the opportunity to speak and immediately started babbling, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask since yesterday, this creature that you brought with you¡­ its name is ¡®Ai Yi,¡¯ right? Why can I never understand what it says? I pondered all night, what exactly does ¡®recharge Q-coin¡¯ mean?¡± Duncan¡¯s eyebrows lifted¡ª he hadn¡¯t expected the goat head to hold out this long before asking the question, underestimating its self-control! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; this bird¡¯s way of thinking is very peculiar,¡± Duncan continued his carpentry without stopping his hands and casually said the excuse he had prepared long ago, ¡°It seems tomunicate with people using anguage that only it can understand. Listen to it enough and you can roughly guess what it¡¯s trying to say.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The goat head pondered on its own, ¡°But I always feel like there¡¯s a certain logic hidden in its words¡­ as if behind thatnguage, there¡¯s aplete and consistent set of knowledge¡­ Did you find Ai Yi while you were traveling in the Spirit Realm? Could it possibly be a projection from the deep depths of the Underworld? You know, the deeper you go, the more likely you are to encounter projections from misaligned spacetimes, disying information from lost eras, or even fragments from the future. Is it possible that Ai Yi is talking about things from another temporal dimension?¡± Duncan¡¯s work of cutting paused imperceptibly for a moment, then continued as if nothing had happened, and he said in an even tone, ¡°Then I wish you luck in figuring out the logic behind Ai Yi¡¯snguage.¡± The goat head¡¯s words might just be a wild guess, but the information revealed inevitably stirred up waves in Duncan¡¯s heart! During his travels in the Spirit Realm, had his soule closer to a ¡°deeperyer¡± of this world? The deeper one went, the more one could see projections from misaligned spacetimes? And those projections could even disy scenes from different timelines? Duncan hadn¡¯t seen any ¡°scenery from different timelines¡± while walking in the Spirit Realm, but there was one thing the goat head got right¡ªAi Yi did indeede from another temporal dimension. So¡­ was this pigeon brought to this world by a person named ¡°Zhou Ming¡± from Earth, or was it, as the goat head suggested, from a deeperyer of this world? Chapter 33 - 33 Fish Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Fish Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This breakfast tasted like chewing wax¡ª and it was even worse in texture than wax. Having finished a rather unsatisfying breakfast, Captain Duncan¡¯s mood didn¡¯t improve with his full stomach; instead, it grew slightly agitated due to a bunch of messy spections stirred up by the inadvertent information mentioned by the goat head. He nced at Ai Yi, the pigeon who was leisurely strolling on a nearby shelf, and felt the wild thoughts in his mind grow more absurd. He had always believed that this pigeon, which spoke ¡°Earthnguage,¡± was born because it carried the soul of an Earthling. He thought it came into existence when ¡°Zhou Ming¡± somehow reacted with the brass Compass during his travels in the Spirit Realm. But what if¡­ things were not like that? What if, as the goat head said, this pigeon was merely a phantom that had run out from a ¡°deeper¡± ce, and had happened to condense into form right by his side? Then the asional ¡°Earthnguage¡± Ai Yi spouted would be unrted to Zhou Ming¡¯s memories and would be a projection of some historical segment recorded by the world itself¡­ The possibilities behind this made Duncan restless. Alice stood up, her voice interrupting Duncan¡¯s wild thoughts, ¡°Do you need me to wash the dishes?¡± Duncan looked at the doll-like miss with some surprise, and she scratched her head awkwardly, ¡°I just feel that since I¡¯m on the ship, I should find something to do. Otherwise, I¡¯ll just be freeloading¡­¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t eat,¡± Duncan reminded her, ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice that you¡¯re offering ¡ª take the dishes to the scullery and have a talk with the sink. If it doesn¡¯t mind, then you wash.¡± Having said that, he didn¡¯t wait for Alice¡¯s response and stood up, heading toward the door of the captain¡¯s cabin while casually saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to inspect the deck, don¡¯t disturb me unless it¡¯s important.¡± The pigeon that had been wandering on the shelf immediately pped its wings andnded on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, apanying him as they left the room, leaving Alice to stare at the goat head over the navigation table. ¡°Is the captain in a bad mood?¡± After hesitating for a moment, Alice cautiously asked the goat head. The goat head spoke in a deep tone, ¡°The captain¡¯s mood is like the weather over the Endless Sea, don¡¯t specte, just ept it.¡± Alice didn¡¯t wait for the goat head to continue speaking and quickly followed up with, ¡°Right, the captain just told me to negotiate with the sink¡­ How do I negotiate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You wash things. If you get sshed all over, it means the sink doesn¡¯t like you ¡ª speaking of which, do you even know how to wash dishes? If not, I have some theoretical experience¡­¡± Before the goat head could finish, Alice swiftly cleared the tableware from the table, and while running toward the door, she shouted, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll learn, thank you, Mr. Goat Head, goodbye!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The captain¡¯s cabin suddenly became quiet, leaving only the dark goat head on the table, its hollow eyes staring in the direction everyone had left. After a while, a sigh came from the navigation table, ¡°How good it would be to have legs¡­¡± Then its gaze returned to the sea chart. The fog surrounding the Homeloss was still dissipating leisurely, and the task of steering given to it by the captain still needed to be carried out properly. With precise control, the massive and ¡°alive¡± Ghost Ship nimbly adjusted the angles of its sails, continuing its voyage on the Endless Sea, while the goat head hummed an old sailing song that had been passed down through the years¡ªa coarse, grating ¡°hum¡± echoing through the captain¡¯s cabin: ¡°Set sails, set sails, sailors far from home push forward; ¡°Amidst the wind and waves, amidst the mor, we¡¯re but a nk away from death; ¡°Furl the jib, unfurl the mainsail, let loose the ropes, hold tight the gunwale! We have reached the middle of the sea! ¡°Stay away from the fish, stay further from the fish, sailors must surpass those broods¡¯ patrolled routes; ¡°Stay away from the fish, stay further from the fish! We must safely reach shore¡ªspirits and the firece are just ahead¡­¡± Duncan walked around the storeroom stocked with supplies, spun another round in the kitchen, and finally returned to the midsection of the Homeloss¡¯s deck. No matter how many times he searched, he couldn¡¯t find anything on the ship more ptable than dried meat and cheese. The good news was he didn¡¯t have to eat maggot-infested biscuits like the sailors from Earth¡¯s age of sail, but the bad news was that there weren¡¯t even maggot-infested biscuits on the ship. He set aside those wild thoughts for a moment, taking the quiet Ai Yi with him to the edge of the deck. Gazing out at the vast sea, he constantly pondered: ¡°¡­ No matter what, I must find a way to replenish the necessities aboard Homeloss¡­ Although one shouldn¡¯t be too picky about the quality of life on a ghost ship, I simply can¡¯t live like an actual ghost¡­ ¡°Alice might need a change of clothes, and there are none suitable for her on this ship. ¡°I must establish contact with a city-state onnd as soon as possible. Homeloss has been drifting at sea for too many years, the city-states onnd might have developed beyond what even that goat head could have anticipated during this time. From what I saw in the sewer before, at the very least Plunder City-State is a powerful and advanced metropolis. The revolvers carried by those heretics also speak to the technological progress of human society¡­ ¡°The ancient ghost ship may not be invincible in front of a civilization that has developed over a century, Homeloss still has its reputation, but it would be problematic if only the reputation remains¡­¡± Duncan nced at Ai Yi on his shoulder. Perhaps¡­ after recharging today, he should try another ¡°Spirit Realm Walk.¡± ¡°Coo coo?¡± Ai Yi tilted her head, finally making a sound that a normal pigeon would make. Duncan couldn¡¯t help butugh, and just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed what seemed to be a flicker of light on the sea nearby. Attracted by the movement, he unconsciously looked out over the ship¡¯s railing a few more times, and soon noticed that indeed, there seemed to be something swimming beneath the surface of the water nearby. After hesitating for a moment, Duncan suddenly pped his forehead. ¡°Hey! My reaction¡­ this is the sea! Aren¡¯t there fish in the sea!¡± The sudden ¡°possibility¡± boosted Duncan¡¯s spirits; he realized that establishing contact withnd and providing Homeloss with stable supplies wouldn¡¯t be aplished overnight, but couldn¡¯t the vast and boundless sea itself lend a hand? There were fish in the sea¡ªand he had had enough of the dried meat and cheese on the ghost ship! Duncan¡¯s enthusiasm was sparked, and he remembered that there were heavy-duty fishing rods for sea fishing in one of the storage areas below the deck, and positions for securing the fishing rods along the railing. As for bait¡­ he wondered if dried meat and cheese would work? And so, while the cursed puppets washed dishes in the pantry and the talking goat head focused on steering, the captain of Homeloss busied himself between the deck and the cabin. Duncan soon found what he was looking for. He carried three heavy-duty fishing rods and the apanying ¡°bait¡± back to the deck, and somewhat awkwardly secured them to the railing. After baiting the hooks and casting the rods, he brought over a nearby empty bucket to serve as a seat while he waited. Duncan actually had no experience with sea fishing¡ªhis entire fishing experience was limited to the pond and a small river near his old home. He didn¡¯t know if his impulsive action would really catch any fish, but he had time on his hands, so why not try? He took it as a means to rest before his next journey to the Spirit Realm, while also keeping hope alive for future improvements in his meals. Duncan sat down between the fishing rods and slowly regained his calm as he waited. Today¡¯s sea conditions were fairly stable, with some clouds in the sky but no signs of a storm brewing. Sitting on the bucket with his back against a winch used to secure ropes, Duncan softly squinted his eyes in the gentle rocking of the ship. At some point, he drifted into a half-dream, half-awake state. He dreamed that he was walking barefoot on the calm sea, the water azure blue, the sunlight warm. The familiar and ¡°normal¡± sun hung high in the sky, bright but not scorching hot. He heard the sound of sshing water and looked in its direction, only to see a group of fish suddenly jumping out of the calm water nearby. They were a school of small, golden fish, about the size of a palm. They exhaled bubbles in the air, wagging their tails as if swimming, slowly circling around Duncan. These fish swimming in the air gradually approached, Zhou Ming curiously watched them, their round bulging eyes, their fine scales, their opening and closing mouths, and the faint traces behind them, undting like ripples. Zhou Ming suddenly found these fish beautiful, and also¡­ Delicious. They must be very, very delicious. Chapter 34 - 34 Harvest Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Harvest Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°` A sudden sound of sea waves abruptly awakened Duncan from his dreamscape. His eyes snapped open, and the phantasm he observed in his half-dreaming state had vanished, leaving only a faint silhouette. He could only remember something about seeing fish swimming in the air, and those fish around him seemed extraordinarily delicious¡ªbut what did those fish look like again? Fish¡­ swimming in the air? Duncan blinked, a strange feeling of reality and dreamscape tearing and blending confusing him momentarily. He looked towards his three fishing rods, secured on the rod holder, and saw no indication of a bite, while the sea in the distance was already starting to heave, wave after wave crashing against the Homeloss¡¯s hull. Then the waves grewrger. Within visible range, stronger waves seeded each proceeding wave, continuously surging from afar. The massive body of the Homeloss swayed in the storm, with the sound of the surging waves filling his ears. Duncan looked up at the sky to see that the weather was still good¡ªjust a bit more wavy, but probably not something that would lead to extreme weather like a major storm. ¡°This might not be good weather for fishing¡­¡± He muttered, pondering whether to reel in the rods. But at that moment, he caught sight of one of the fishing rods bending dramatically from the corner of his eye! The robust fishing line designed for sea fishing instantly became taut, and the short and sturdy sea fishing rod seemed totch onto something big, its entire front part bending like a bow along with a grating noise of creaking and squeaking. The rod holder was also making the sound of wood rubbing under the pull of this great force, all of which signaled to Duncan: A fish! A big one! He immediately discarded the idea of resting and reeling in the rods. The enthusiasm of a fisherman zed in his chest as he made two steps and reached the ¡°struck¡± rod, one hand grabbing it to prevent any slip from the holder, the other hand slowly adjusting the tension of the line. ¡°I knew it! How could Ie up empty-handed?¡± Duncan excitedly muttered to himself, beginning a fierce struggle with whatever massive thing was at the other end of the line. It was a hard fight, the entity at the end of the fishing line clearly not intending to make capture easy, pulling against the rod with such force that even with Duncan¡¯s strength and the support of the rod holder, the standoff seemed precarious. The waves around the Homeloss grew little by little, but to Duncan, this slight rocking was nothing. He was simply angered by the stubborn ¡°prey¡± and also worried that the chance to improve their diet that had finally appeared would slip away for no reason. The fishing line stretched to its limit, and the big fish was about to break free from his grasp. After an indeterminate period of deadlock, Duncan steeled his heart and suddenly a cluster of eerie green mes spread from his hand that was holding the rod. The spectral fire burst fiercely, spreading like water and quickly flowing along the fishing rod and line, the Spiritual Body me burning its way along, forming a straight line of ¡°fire¡± that entered the water. In the next second, a ghostly green me outline suddenly emerged deep in the water surrounding the Homeloss, and under the illumination and delineation of the pale green mes, a vast shadow began to surface in the water. The shadow resembled an irregr mass contracting and expanding, almost covering the entire sea surface within hundreds of meters around the Homeloss. Its fringes extended into numerous dark entities that constantly transformed and proliferated, like thousands of arms writhing and waving in the ocean, stirring the waters around the Homeloss, controlling the invisible surges and tides of the Endless Sea. Duncan heard some strange noisesing from the sea, and while maintaining his standoff with his ¡°prey,¡± he peeked curiously outside. He saw nothing but the undting waves, not much changed from before. And he could distinctly feel the opposing force transmitted through the fishing rod weakening somewhat. The prey was running out of strength¡ªa fact that spread a brilliant smile across his face. He started to reel the line tighter, gradually dragging his catch out of the water¡­ ¡­ Alice was startled by the roaring and howling that came from outside the cabin. The violent shaking began under her feet, causing all the items in the room to make a series of nking noises. She quickly grabbed a nearby railing to prevent herself from falling, an expression of confusion and doubt on her face, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The Homeloss was shaking as if a huge storm was raging outside, and from the depths of this ancient Ghost Ship came low, oppressive strange sounds. It was as if it was roaring, bellowing, resisting the terror of the deep sea, fighting against some colossal beast that was trying to devour it. Everything in the cabin was nking, and at first Alice thought it was just the collision caused by the shaking of the ship. But she soon realized that many of the noisy items were actually chattering in ce¡ªthey were making noises,municating with each other, but Alice couldn¡¯t understand thisnguage that only the Homeloss itself couldprehend. All she knew was that something might be wrong outside. The doll-like Miss decided to check the deck¡ªshe staggered out of the cabin, using the walls to prevent a fall, and headed towards the deck. ¡°` After nearly being tripped by the wildly flying ropes and the barrels bouncing haphazardly around her, she finally reached the end of the staircase, she pushed open the wooden door that swung continuously in the storm, and saw the terrifyingly huge waves forming on the Endless Sea. The sky was as ck as ink, and the ominous, thick clouds had almost solidified into oppressive masses that pressed close to the ocean¡¯s surface. Towering waves rumbled and surged under the dark clouds, undting menacingly around the Homeloss! For Alice, it was the first time seeing such a spectacle, and she didn¡¯t know if this was normal for the sea, but she knew she had to find the captain at this moment. She scanned the deck and, without much difficulty, spotted Captain Duncan standing on the edge of the deck. ¡­ The wind and waves were somewhat bothersome, but for Duncan, on the verge of sess, these were just trivial ¡°disturbances.¡± With the feedback from both the fishing line and the green fire, he could clearly sense that his prey had stopped struggling, and the massive creature was gradually being pulled to the surface. ¡°Come on up, you!¡± He shouted joyfully, pulling the fishing rod in his hand with a final fierce tug. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Arge fish leaped out of the water¡ªit was really big, almost half his size. In that brief moment, Duncan locked eyes with the fish suspended in the air. ¡°¡­Pretty ugly.¡± That was his first thought. The fish truly was extremely ugly, its dark and dull body seemed to be covered with some sort of proliferative outgrowths making it rough and uneven, and bizarre gray-white patterns sprawled haphazardly along the fins on either side. Bone-like structures were visible around the fish¡¯s head, and a pair of hollow, whitish eyeballs stared down Duncan from beneath those spiky projections. Duncan felt ufortable; he actually felt the fish was giving him a malevolent stare. But in the next instant, he saw the fish suddenly convulse, and for some reason, its eyes exploded on their own, instantly streaming with blood. The fish fell heavily onto the deck, writhing and thrashing madly as if electrocuted, and became still in just a few seconds, with blood seeping out of its mouth and burst eyeballs, slowly dripping onto the deck. Duncan watched somewhat bewildered as the hideously ugly fish quickly became lifeless at his feet. He vaguely remembered knowledge he had read in books: most deep-sea fish were indeed quite ugly, and due to living under high pressure for extended times, they indeed tended to suffer from ruptured blood vessels and rapid death after being brought to the surface due to the pressure change¡ªso the fish in this world were like that too? Just as he was stunned by this realization, a crackling sound suddenly reached his ears again. Curious, Duncan followed the sound and saw several smaller ¡°strange fish¡± follow suit,nding on the deck as well. They looked simr to the one that was half-human in size but were only about a half meter long and, like therge fish¡ª when Duncanid eyes on them, they were already profusely bleeding and soony gasping for breath. Duncan was somewhat dazed, and it took him a while toe to his senses, ¡°Little Cbash saves grandfather? Delivering them in a row?¡± ¡­ Alice clung tightly to the railing beside her, watching nervously the vicious battle happening not far away that would drive any ordinary person insane. She watched as Captain Duncan stood at the edge of the deck, his body enshrouded in billowing green mes that zed sky-high. He stood like a towering inferno, confronting the ocean. Three hooked chains stretched out from the deck beneath his feet, one of which was alight with terrifying mes. She saw a huge shadow appear in the Endless Sea, and then, a tentacle almost thicker than the mainmast of Homeloss emerged from the water, its surface covered with malevolent eyes. Countless sharp teeth gnashed and chewed between the eyes, as if it was about to bite the entire ship to pieces the next moment. Alice almost cried out; she wanted to warn the captain to dodge, to rush forward to help, but before she could act, the tentacle came crashing down towards the captain. She saw Captain Duncan lift his head, and under the raging mes, a look of harvest joy appeared on his face¡ªhe gazed at the countless eyes on the tentacle, and those eyes also gazed back at him. The next second, all the eyes on the tentacle burst open violently, and hundreds of sharp teeth emitted a piercing and agonizing shriek. Subsequently, the tentacle was cut off as if a massive entity hidden beneath the sea¡¯s surface willingly severed the connection with the tentacle, abandoning the grievously damaged end directly onto the deck. The tentacle crashed to the ground with a thud, and filthy, viscous blood and flesh spilled from the severed end, sttering all over the ce, somending at the captain¡¯s feet. Chapter 35 - 35 Calm and Normal Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Calm and Normal Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The sea had calmed down. Alice saw the tentacle fall onto the deck, along with some bits of flesh that contained a powerful force; life quickly faded from these remnants. At the same time, some immense creature lurking beneath the sea around the Homeloss began to rapidly dive deeper¡ªafter sacrificing one tentacle as a ¡°price,¡± it quickly retreated from the waters where the Homeloss was located, its departure almost resembling a hasty escape. As this giant shadow submerged back into the deep sea, the ocean restored its calm at an astonishing pace, and the dense, ink-like clouds in the sky alsopletely dissipated. ¡­Those might not have been clouds at all. Alice looked up at the sky, recalling the appearance of the clouds from before. She remembered the contours of the clouds as they vanished, and finally managed to faintly associate them with the shadow that had been in the water around the ship. The heavy clouds in the sky seemed like a shadow, cast by some colossal creature in the sea. The crackling sound of mes burning came from the edge of the deck, interrupting Alice¡¯s trance. She quickly looked toward the captain¡¯s direction, only to see the captain had reverted to his usual demeanor: the tall man¡¯s face bore a cheerful smile as he noticed Alice standing not too far away and gestured for the doll-likedy toe over. Seeing Alice approach, Duncan kicked at therge fish at his feet, his tone slightly rising, ¡°Look, I caught a big fish!¡± ¡°Big¡­ big fish?¡± Alice looked somewhat bewildered as she gazed at the mass at Duncan¡¯s feet. Among the twisting, writhing flesh, countless eyes, split open and bloody, were still staring half-open at the sky, while sharp, jagged teeth gleamed with a metallic sheen between the orbs. With Duncan¡¯s kick, half of the eyes on the severed tentacle suddenly blinked, but then all closed for good. ¡°Yes, a big fish,¡± Duncan said cheerfully. ¡°You see, it took quite an effort to haul this thing up.¡± Though merely a puppet, Alice felt a muscle in the corner of her eye twitch at that moment. She opened her mouth to speak but was at a loss where to begin correcting the topic. She looked down at the ¡°fish¡± by Duncan¡¯s feet. An ugly big fishy there¡ªdark and uneven skin with bizarre grey-white patterns near the fins, bone spurs protruding from its head, and a pair of lifeless fish eyes confronting her gaze. Many ¡°small fish¡± were scattered across the surrounding deck. Alice suddenly lost all expression and speech, staring wide-eyed at the scene before her, at the ¡°fish¡± lying on the deck, at these things that just a second ago were not ¡°fish¡±. Toy-like Miss Alice,cking in life experiences, did not yet understand the concept of ¡°doubting one¡¯s life,¡± but at that moment, she indeed began to doubt everything, even questioning whether she was ¡°dreaming¡±¡ªwhere had the tentacle and those fragments of flesh gone? Perhaps her momentary stupor was too evident, as Duncan immediately noticed Alice¡¯s odd behavior. He raised an eyebrow, looking at the doll-like girl, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something amiss?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Alice opened her mouth, but just as she was about to correct something, the rules Goat-head had told her suddenly sprang to mind. Aboard the Homeloss, Captain Duncan was the ultimate authority, his words the absolute ¡°fact¡±¡ªif the real world contradicted Captain Duncan¡¯s words, then his judgment was to be trusted. ¡°There¡¯s no problem at all!¡± Alice quickly recovered, speaking swiftly as if to cover the nervousness in her tone and hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°By the way, Captain, that storm just now was quite frightening¡­¡± ¡°Storm? Are you talking about that wave?¡± Duncan looked puzzled at the doll-like miss, ¡°That wave was indeed no small matter, but it hardly qualifies as a storm¡­ Though, that¡¯s right, you haven¡¯t seen a real storm.¡± Alice: ¡°¡­You are right.¡± If Captain Duncan called the storm that had nearly covered the entire sea area a ¡°wave,¡± then it was a wave. If Captain Duncan believed the things he caught aboard were ¡°fish,¡± then those things were fish. ¡°¡­I sense you are a bit tense, are you truly alright?¡± Duncan still noticed something off in Alice¡¯s tone. He looked at his ¡°first mate¡± with some concern, ¡°Are you seasick, perhaps? Can you get seasick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just that the boat was rocking a bit too much just now¡­¡± Alice looked at the captain, who showed a look of concern, unsure whether to feel relieved or more afraid, and could only awkwardly switch topics, ¡°By the way, what do you n to do with these¡­ ¡®fish¡¯ that you¡¯ve caught?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Duncan instantlyughed, ¡°To eat, of course!¡± Alice¡¯s expression instantly froze: ¡°¡­Eat?¡± ¡°What else? Haven¡¯t you noticed that the food supply on the Homeloss is too monotonous?¡± Duncan was clearly in a good mood, ¡°I n to split this big one, stew some and roast some; these slightly smaller ones will be salted to make dried fish¡­¡± He happily talked about his uing ns, but although he sounded confident, he was quite unsure whether he could seed¡ªhis cooking skills were just average, and he had no experience dealing with such huge sea fish. Moreover, his knowledge of making dried fish was purely theoretical, with no practical hands-on experience. But how would he know without trying? The only problem¡­ was to not upset his stomach. In his joy over the bountiful catch, Duncan still kept a bit of rationality. He looked cautiously at therge fish at his feet, guessing whether this gift from nature could be poisonous. The safest method would be to find some unfortunate soul to taste it first. His first thought was of the goat head in the captain¡¯s cabin, but he immediately dismissed the idea. Then, he nced at the Curse doll opposite¡ªit was also not an option. Alice didn¡¯t have a stomach. In the end, he looked at the pigeon on his shoulder. The pigeon also cocked its head to look at him. Ai Yi did not seem like a normal creature, but if he had to choose a living, flesh-and-blood being on the ship, it seemed the pigeon was the only option left¡­ A momentter, Duncan left the deck with his ¡°harvest¡±¡ªlunchtime was approaching, and he couldn¡¯t wait to improve the Homeloss¡¯s meals. Alice stood there in a daze for a while before approaching the door of the captain¡¯s cabin. She had not nned to look for the goat head. Ever since she experienced the ¡°first mate¡¯s¡± incessant chatter, she had developed a deep respect for the entire captain¡¯s cabin. If possible, she did not want to step into the captain¡¯s door on her own volition. But today¡¯s events were too strange, and she felt it necessary to consult with the experienced Mr. Goat Head to see if this was a normal urrence on the Homeloss. She had not vited the crew¡¯s code of conduct, just inquiring about the situation, so it should not be taboo. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om After hesitating for a full ten seconds or more, Alice finally mustered the courage and pulled open the captain¡¯s cabin door. The next second, she was startled to see that the goat head had already turned towards the door, staring dead at her¡ªit looked as if it had been waiting for her toe. ¡°What happened outside?¡± The goat head asked, uncharacteristically concise. Alice sensed something was off from the other¡¯s abnormal demeanor, quickly shut the door behind her, approached the navigation desk, and told everything she had seen. And after her words had fallen, the goat head fell into an uncharacteristically deep silence¡ªfor as long as a minute, it didn¡¯t utter a word. The wooden goat head couldn¡¯t make any expressions, but Alice could clearly feel that matters seemed a bit beyond the ¡°first mate¡¯s¡± judgement. Alice grew nervous, leaning forward subconsciously: ¡°Is this not a normal urrence on the Homeloss? Could it be the captain really¡­¡± ¡°Everything on the Homeloss is normal,¡± the goat head finally snapped out of its silence, answering swiftly as if it was trying to plug a leak hastily and cut Alice off, ¡°Listen, everything on the Homeloss is normal, always normal, and the great Captain Duncan is as always!¡± ¡°But¡­ I was just looking at your reaction¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little beyond my expectations¡ªbut that¡¯s due to my limited imagination and cognition,¡± the goat head¡¯s speech flowed quickly and smoothly, and it seemed to be regaining its usual state bit by bit. Then, its mood visibly started to rise, its tone bing both passionate and excited, ¡°Yes, the great Captain Duncan¡ªhe should indeed be even greater and more powerful! There¡¯s nothing abnormal, Miss Alice, listen, everything on the Homeloss is as usual! Let the captain do what he thinks is right, and don¡¯t continue this topic¡­ from today on, just remember this fact: ¡°There are fish in the kitchen of Homeloss, and fish is a delicious ingredient.¡± Chapter 36: The Alternation of Day and Night Chapter 36: The Alternation of Day and Night Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Preparing such a huge fish for lunch was no easy feat. It was not only a matter of skill, but also one of physicalbor. Fortunately, the mission-driven spirit of the fisherman and his passion for improving the crew¡¯s diet jointly fueled Duncan, energizing him to tackle the big catch of the day. After a long time bustling around the kitchen, he finally managed to remove the spiky bones from the ugly monster fish¡¯s head and, after some stumbling, divided its plump body into several pieces. The monster fish¡¯s head, practically meatless, was temporarily set aside; the belly and back, however, contained some good-quality parts, perfect for bing ingredients aboard the Homeloss. It was somewhat odd to see the captain himself bustling in the kitchen, but Duncan thoroughly enjoyed it¡ªhow the ordinary people who regarded the Homeloss with dread would react upon witnessing this scene, he did not know. Would they be shocked to find the fearsome Ghost Ship¡¯s captain showing such an approachable and domestic side, or would they first admire Duncan¡¯s excellent fishing skills? While cutting up the monster fish into pieces, Duncan suddenly thought of this and, in high spirits, couldn¡¯t help butugh. He mused that perhaps one day he might warmly invite some guests aboard¡ªHomeloss wouldn¡¯t be synonymous with disaster forever, nor did he n to be a cold-blooded and ruthless Ghost Ship captain. After further understanding the world, he would naturally integrate with contemporary civilized society. By then, he¡¯d have his guests aboard enjoy the fish. Afterpleting the simple butchering, Duncan stored most of the fish meat in barrels lined with sea salt and pushed the hefty barrels into the back of the kitchen¡¯s storeroom. He nned to process the smaller piecester, curing them and hanging them to dry on deck. If all went well, they would be salted fish dried in the sea breeze. It was a pity there was no strong liquor on board, or there would have been more ways to process the fish. Having fresh fish to eat every day was surely wonderful, but Duncan knew fishing was all about chance. Today¡¯s bountiful catch might not be repeated in the future¡ªhe had to consider how to preserve any surplus ingredients. After all, although the dried meat and cheese stored on the Homeloss showed no signs of rot, he couldn¡¯t be sure whether this was due to anything special about the Homeloss itself or if there was something unusual about the ¡°dried meat¡± and ¡°cheese¡±. It would be a shame if the hard-caught fish went to waste. Salted fish was at least better than century-old salted meat, even for a change of taste. Duncan kept the most tender pieces that looked to have the best texture and threw them into a pot along with the dried meat to stew¡ªthe dried meat acted as seasoning in this process. This was a wasteful practice; any real chef witnessing Duncan¡¯s method would see their blood pressure surge through the roof. The delicate fish meat was best suited for making sashimi or moderate grilling¡ªDuncan was aware of this but he chose this method for safety¡¯s sake. He dared not carelessly eat raw the unfamiliar creature caught from the sea, although theoretically, sea fish shouldn¡¯t carry parasites harmful to human bodies, and as a ¡°Ghost Ship captain¡± he probably wouldn¡¯t be affected by ordinary toxins. But what if? Inparison, stewing was the most effective way to safely prepare unfamiliar ingredients. He wanted to try it this way first to confirm that the fish was indeed edible before considering other methods. By the time it was nearly mid-afternoon, his bted ¡°lunch¡± was finally ready. A bowl of fish soup was served, and the delicious taste made Duncan¡¯s appetite soar, but before digging in, he prudently first forked a piece of fish meat, cooled it, and ced it before the pigeon Ai Yi. Pigeons, of course, don¡¯t eat meat¡ªbut ¡°Ai Yi¡± could hardly be called a normal pigeon. Duncan needed to satisfy his curiosity; aboard the Homeloss, he had too many things to try. As for what he¡¯d do if the ¡°abnormal pigeon¡± actually got poisoned after eating the fish meat¡­ Duncan had a n for that too. First, he had processed the ingredients as thoroughly as possible, and letting the pigeon taste it was just a formality. Secondly, if Ai Yi did show signs of distress, he could immediately pull it into a Spiritual Body state using green fire¡ªhe had tried this before. In the Spiritual Body state, Ai Yi, like the feedback from the brass Compass, would be like an item controlled by the fire of the Spiritual Body. He could even disassemble and reassemble Spiritual Body Ai Yi and teleport it to a designated position next to him. Under such circumstances, ordinary toxins would surely be ineffective. Ai Yi cocked its head to look at Duncan¡¯s actions, and after confirming that the piece of fish meat was intended for it, it first pecked at the table beside it, its eyes ncing fleetingly between Duncan and the ceiling, ¡°Is this melon ¡®ripe¡¯ enough?¡± Duncan replied, ¡°Just say whether you¡¯ll eat it or not.¡± Ai Yi pped her wings, mimicking Duncan¡¯s tone, ¡°Just say if you¡¯re going to eat it or not!¡± Then she lowered her head and pecked at the cooled fish flesh with surprising speed. In just a few nibbles, she had finished off what didn¡¯t look like bird food at all! After eating, Ai Yi stretched her neck and then strutted proudly across the table. She seemed very pleased and, after circling around, returned in front of Duncan, loudly chirping, ¡°Delicious! Delicious!¡± Duncan watched the pigeon with his mouth agape, suddenly thinking to himself¡ªthis creature now embodied ¡°pigeon, delicious, and parrot¡± all in one! With these three elementsbined, it was practically a light of humanity (Earth), ording to the flexible ¡°free nine-square grid.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to consider it an Earthling¡­ After a while, Duncan confirmed that the pigeon was not showing any abnormal reactions and finally put his mind at ease. The captain of the Homeloss and his pet were thus hiding in the kitchen feasting on food supplies. The fish was indeed delicious, just as Duncan had dreamed. ¡­ n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The setting sun was inching toward the high walls at the city¡¯s edge. The towering chimneys, pipes, and towers of the Plunder City-State were gradually bathed in a pale golden glow. In the city central, the loud bell from Storm Cathedral on the hignds rang out, apanied by the sharp whistling of steam escaping from relief valves. Arge cloud of white steam burst forth from the towers nking the cathedral, enveloping the sky above the hignds likeyers of clouds, reflecting the golden sunlight from the sea. This was the signal for the day-night transition¡ªa reminder that the power of the sun was about to wane rapidly and the Creation of the World would soon take dominance in the sky. The order of the mundane world would shift from stability to instability after this transition, and the influence from the world¡¯s ¡°depths¡± would strengthen quickly as the night set in, continuing until the sun rose the next day. At night, the cautious stayed at home, and those who had to go out made sure to stay in brightly lit ces¡ªthe gasmps blessed by clergy could dispel the night¡¯s malice to the greatest extent. Nevertheless, this was still a prosperous and stable great City-State; under the protection of the sacred Storm Cathedral, even the deepest influences of the world were suppressed below a safe threshold. The asional anomalies that appeared in the city were minor issues, and ordinary citizens knew how to ensure the safety within their homes. Furthermore, the church guardians took over the duties of the peace officers at night to maintain order in the city after dusk. But like the shadows that escape even the brightest streetlight, there were always fools longing for darkness and upheaval under the very noses of the church¡¯s guardians, fearing and loathing the existing order of the world, and feverishly anticipating an ¡°era of bliss¡± they had never seen themselves. Fortunately, in a City-State where the forces of order were dominant, these subversive elements could only cower in the shadows most of the time. On the fringes of the City-State, in the depths of an abandoned sewer entrance, a few figures in ck robes huddled in a corner. This ce was once a temporary resting room for sewer maintenance personnel, but now forgotten with the changes in urban nning, the neglected corner had be a refuge for heretics fleeing in haste¡ªa dimly lit oilmp hung on the wall, its flickering light revealing faces filled with gloom, fear, and resentment. A ck-robed person around thirtyy on a makeshift bed of rags, clenching his teeth, pale-faced with weak and chaotic breaths. Others sat near him; one muttered in a low voice, ¡°Those damned church hounds¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve lost many brethren, and our messenger died during the ritual¡­¡± another said hoarsely, ¡°How could the sacred ritual lose control so suddenly¡­¡± ¡°It was that sacrifice¡­ it¡¯s clear it was because of that sacrifice, he obviously was a pawn of the heretics¡­¡± ¡°Listen,¡± said a ck-robed person suddenly, making a gesture of listening intently and then pointing upward, ¡°It¡¯s the sound of the evening bell and the steam whistle.¡± ¡°¡­Nightfall is upon us,¡± the first to curse in a low voice said anxiously ncing at their ¡°brother¡± lying on the makeshift bed, who was clearly in a dire state, ¡°Damn¡­ I hope he makes it through the night¡­¡± Chapter 37 - 37 Life and Death Cycle Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Life and Death Cycle Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The evening bell and steam whistle, harbingers of day turning to night, echoed faintly through the deep, damp slopes and vertical shafts. Their reverberations within the dark and cramped sewers made the heretics hiding in the abandoned rest area grow even more disheartened. One of them had contracted a severe illness, the cause of which was unknown, and now he was going to die¡ªdie in this dimly lit underworld. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°He¡¯s still alive now¡­¡± a heretic hesitated as he spoke, ncing at his ¡°brother¡± lying on the ground, seeing the other¡¯s half-open eyes slowly rolling in their sockets. The unfortunate man could still hear the noises around him, but he no longer had the strength to fully open his eyes. ¡°But only for now,¡± another heretic, with a deep voice, said, ¡°The evening bell has tolled, and he must not die in this room¡ªthe lord¡¯s shelter will bless him to find peace in the darkness.¡± The man on the floor twitched his fingers twice, clearly understanding his predicament. He did not want to die just yet, but death had tightly mped onto his shadow, and from the looks of it, his dear ¡°Sun brethren¡± were already considering moving this ¡°risk¡± out of the shelter before true death descended upon him. An extremely oppressive silence enveloped the room so that even the dying man¡¯s faint breathing became audibly clear. After an unknown period of dead silence, the ck-robed man who had previously cursed the Storm Church suddenly broke the quiet, ¡°Wait a bit longer, at least¡­ one doesn¡¯t immediately turn upon drawing theirst breath.¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± the deep-voiced ck-robed heretic conceded, ncing at the man struggling to breathe, and couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°But why did he suddenly fall ill like this? Are you sure this is just a normal illness?¡± ¡°I know him¡­ He runs an antique shop that¡¯s nearly closing down in the Lower City District, full of fakes,¡± a heretic who had been mostly silent spoke up, ¡°He had been sickly to begin with, never really well; probably stayed too long in the sewers and was frightened before, which led to the exacerbation of his illness.¡± Listening to the exnation from the person beside him, the deep-voiced ck-robed heretic finally rxed somewhat¡ªthough not a high-status ¡°priest,¡± he had devoted himself to the Sun for many years and had be something of an ¡°expert¡± with substantial knowledge of mysticism. He was well aware of the many long-term and hidden dangers that linger after a failed sacrifice ceremony, and every believer who had participated in that ceremony could potentially be a ¡°carrier¡± of these hidden dangers. The man who had fallen into extreme weakness¡­ could potentially be such a ¡°carrier¡±. If it weren¡¯t for the principle of ¡°all children of the Sun are siblings¡± and a few fellow believers who were looking on, unwilling to harden their hearts, he would have thrown this unlucky man into the vast darkness outside already. After a long silence, the ck-robed heretic made a move, pulling a pale gold amulet from his bosom and stuffing it into the chest of the barely-breathing ¡°brother¡±. ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡± a heretic beside him asked curiously. ¡°This sacred amulet, I exchanged it from a messenger at a great cost,¡± he said, his voice low and sincere, ¡°May the grace of the lord protect our brethren; the brilliance of the Sun could perhaps spare him from further corrosion in the darkness.¡± The two heretics beside him immediately took his word for it, admiring the senior member of the church who had ¡°given¡± the amulet. They sped their hands into fists on their foreheads, devoutly and softly chanting, ¡°All children of the Sun are siblings¡­¡± The deep-voiced ck-robed man also sped his hand into a fist on his forehead, joining in the low chanting, ¡°All children of the Sun are siblings.¡± ¡­ After the sun hadpletely sunk below the horizon, the starless, moonless sky once again appeared before Duncan, with pallid fissures stretching across the heavens, casting a cold glow over the Endless Sea and the Homeloss, which was sailing upon it. Duncan stood near the aft deck, retracting his gaze from the sky and letting out a slight sigh. No matter how many times he looked, he could never see the stars that simply weren¡¯t there in that cold, pale light. But,pared to thest time he had witnessed a starless night, his mood had improved considerably. On one hand, he had epted the various oddities of this world and was actively adapting to his current life; on the other, the fish today had indeed been quite good. He was an optimistic person; any minor improvement in his life was a cause for joy¡ªlet alone the bounty from nature, which turned out to be more than he had anticipated. At this rate, even if he couldn¡¯t establish stable contact with thend in the short term, he could at least improve the living conditions on the ship. Lost in his musings, he turned his head to look at the pigeon perched on his shoulder and said with a joking tone, ¡°What do you say¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be simpler if I did something a pirate captain ought to do? Like, finding a busy seane to rob¡­¡± The pigeon cocked its head, its eyes seemingly looking in different directions, ¡°Does it sound right, does it sound right, does it sound right¡­¡± ¡°True, that¡¯s not like me,¡± Duncanughed, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s easier said than done¡ªrobbing requires finding a tradene with merchant ship activity, after all.¡± The vast sea was deste; Duncan did not know how far the Homeloss had drifted from civilized society. Since the collision with the ship carrying unusual No. 099, he hadn¡¯t seen another vessel in sight¡ªit was as if he wanted tomit piracy but didn¡¯t know where to find a victim. Just then, however, a voice suddenly came from the side, interrupting Duncan¡¯s reverie: ¡°Captain, are we going to engage in piracy?¡± Looking in the direction of the voice, Duncan saw Alice sitting on a tall nk nearby, looking over curiously. Under the glow of the pale scar in the sky, the Gothic doll in a courtly gown sat high on the Ghost Ship, her silvery hair reflecting a cold shimmer in the night. She sat with grace, eyes filled with curiosity¡ªthe scene was like a ssical and mysterious painting. For a moment, Duncan was taken aback¡ªafter several episodes of ¡°real-life chaos,¡± he had almost forgotten the elegant and mysterious impression that Miss Doll had initially given him whilst lying in the wooden box. Thus, seeing Alice in a state of tranquility, he was momentarily startled. Alice, unaware of what the captain was thinking, simply repeated her question out of curiosity, ¡°Captain, are we going to engage in piracy?¡± This statement rather contradicted her image. Duncan looked at the mannequin with a bemused smile, ¡°Do you enjoy robbing others?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Alice shook her head, ¡°It sounds quite boring.¡± ¡°But you were ¡®robbed¡¯ by me onto the ship,¡± Duncan reminded her with a smile. ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± Alice thought about it, then nodded and asked another question, ¡°So, are we going tomit robbery now?¡± ¡°No,¡± Duncan waved his hand and walked unhurriedly towards his captain¡¯s quarters, ¡°I also think robbery is quite boringpared to that, a walk is more suitable as an after-dinner exercise.¡± Upon returning to his captain¡¯s cabin, Duncan briefly instructed the man with the goat¡¯s head to take the helm, then he entered his bedroom just like thest time and closed the door. He had decided that tonight he would undertake his second soul-walk in the Spirit Realm. However, unlike thest time, this time he nned to test this ability through ¡°Ai Yi,¡± the pigeon. A cluster of faint green sparks jumped at Duncan¡¯s fingertips, and in the instant the fire danced, the pigeon that had been strolling on the table blinked out of sight, only to coalesce on his shoulder again. Feeling that faint connection between himself and Ai Yi, Duncan calmed his mind and then began to recall the ¡°feeling¡± he had when he activated the brass Compass for the first time, attempting tomunicate with Ai Yi through the Spiritual Body fire in his hand¡ª The invisible green mes turned into a thin thread, wrapping around Ai Yi¡¯s wings. The next second, the white pigeon was suddenly enveloped in zing mes! In the midst of the fire, the pigeon¡¯s feathers all took on an ethereal form, the rising green mes seemed to reshape its flesh and bones, Ai Yi spread its wings within the fire, and the brass Compass hanging on its chest ¡°clicked¡± open¡ªthe dial, engraved with many mystical runes, twinkled faintly, and the needle at the center crazily spun before pointing straight ahead into the distance. The scenery around crumbled away, and the familiar dark space appeared before Duncan¡¯s eyes, followed by the familiar streams of light and countless little ¡°lights¡± twinkling like stars. Duncan followed his intuition as he gazed at the starlight, searching for the next suitable ¡°target¡± to engage with. Suddenly, he was drawn to a cluster of starlight. He didn¡¯t know if this was what the man with the goat¡¯s head always referred to as ¡°Captain Duncan¡¯s intuition,¡± but he decided to follow this feeling¡ªno matter who was behind that starlight, they were now destined to meet with Captain Duncan. ¡­ In the abandoned sewer at the edge of the Plunder City-State, the few Sun God Heretics who had escaped from the church guardians sat in silence without speaking. The world above had sunk into the deep night, while the underground world was only sheltered by a faint light in the abandoned room. Even the most brutal and inhuman Heretics felt tense and terrified in this encroaching darkness. On a worn cloth bedding beside them, a dying man was about to take hisst breath. Listening to his increasingly low and difficult gasps, several pairs of eyes involuntarily turned toward the dying man. They stared fixedly at the rade¡± lying on the ground, and everyone was very clear that he would not live through the night. In the gaze of several pairs of eyes, the man on the cloth took onest heave with his chest¡ªhe breathed out his final breath in this life. ¡°May the Sun God shine upon your soul in the darkness,¡± a low-voiced Heretic in a ck robe said slowly, and then waved his hand, ¡°Take him¡­¡± The next second, his words were suddenly choked back. In front of him, the body that had been lying with closed eyes began to breathe again¡­ Chapter 38: Offline Chapter 38: Offline Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The body was breathing, as if it had wandered on the edge of death¡¯s domain before circling back to the living world. The ck-robed cultists in the room stared nkly at this scene, some of them not even realizing that the man before them had actually ¡°died¡± once, because the moment of life and death was so fleeting that without close attention, it was almost imperceptible. They only felt that the breath of the dying rade¡± somehow became suddenly steady and strong, which was quite astonishing. The next second, the man lying on the ground opened his eyes. It seemed he had been in the dark for too long, so much that even the not-so-bright oilmp in the room felt blinding. He blinked, adjusting to the light, then his eyes slowly moved, as if only just now noticing the three ck-robed figures gathered around him. ¡°Praise the Lord for His protection!¡± a rtively young cultist finally realised what had happened and could not help but exim excitedly, ¡°You¡¯ve pulled through! I thought you were going to¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Something¡¯s wrong! Back off!¡± the cultist with the deep voice suddenly came to a realization. He stopped the others¡¯ movements and stared intently at the man who had just awakened, retreating while saying in a threatening tone, ¡°His breathing hadpletely stopped, I¡¯m absolutely sure of it¡­ something¡¯s not right!¡± Duncan finally got used to his surroundings, and the ringing noise in his head also faded away. He saw clearly the figures surrounding him, and his first instinct was¡ªhowe it¡¯s still these people when I open my eyes? Why am I still in the sewer? Traveling through the Spirit Realm was supposed to be random, and when he had chosen his destination, he had done so following his Intuition, clicking randomly. Yet he couldn¡¯t believe that both times he opened his eyes, he ended up among these heretics. What kind of cursed fate was this? But immediately afterward, he sensed something was off from the reaction of those around him, and the next second, he noticed the ck robe on his body. Duncan fell silent for two seconds, his mind suddenly clear. In thest round, he had been a sacrificial offering to the heretics, then closed and opened his eyes, and now he was a ¡°heretic.¡± He really was fated with these people. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s not right!¡± Just then, a hostile, low voice suddenly interrupted Duncan¡¯s post-¡°awakening¡± mental disarray. He looked towards the voice and immediately met a wary and cold gaze. The owner of that gaze was coldly watching him, and beside him, the other two ck-robed cultists also btedly realized something was amiss and began to retreat, taking defensive postures. Duncan was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized¡ªhe might have, just like thest time, possessed a corpse. He had yed dead right in front of these heretics! After figuring out the situation, the nervous reactions of these cultists also seemed logical. Duncan¡¯s mind raced, feeling the lingering numbness within the body that hadn¡¯t entirely dissipated, making action difficult. To make a move under the watchful eyes of several cultists didn¡¯t seem easy. He had to find a way to calm these people down¡ªjust as he was quickly searching for a way out, bits and pieces of fragmented, vague memories suddenly began to surface in his mind! Among those fragmented memories, he ¡°recalled¡± many experiences that weren¡¯t his own¡ªhe remembered ¡°himself¡± hiding in the sewers, ¡°himself¡± offering his wealth to the envoy of the sun, ¡°himself¡± participating in those dark, mad, bloody, and sinful ceremonies to heal diseases, drinking the blood of the innocent to obtain the ¡°Sun Amulet¡¯s blessing¡±¡­ At the end of that series of muddled memories, he ¡°saw¡± the scene of a sacrificial ritual, saw many people dressed in ck robes like himself standing beside the high tform, and a young sacrificial offering being brought up to the tform, with a stiff and eerie expression, plunging the whole ritual into chaos¡­ He saw the ¡°envoy of the sun¡± sacrificed by the heart, all the people around the altar fell into madness, cultists killing each other, surging mes spilling over from the sun¡¯s totem, angry roars and empty murmurs filled the gathering ce, and the original owner of this body, along with thest few cultists, fled in disarray¡­ Duncan didn¡¯t know how long he was dazed, perhaps it was just a moment, but the surging foreign memories in his mind calmed down again. A pathetic and despicable life was turned into a series of pale fragments lying at the bottom of his heart¡ªas if a sort of ¡°nourishment.¡± This was the memory of the original owner of this body¡ªalthough not much remained, its source was without question. Duncan blinked, an alteration that had not urred during thest ¡°Spirit Realm walk.¡± Last time, he had not gained any memories from the possessed corpse, the brain of that ¡°sacrifice¡± was nothing but a nk te¡­ Why had there been such change this time? Was it because the shell he now upied was still ¡°fresh¡±? Or was it because the pigeon ¡°Ai Yi¡± had strengthened the power of the Brass Compass? Duncan slowly rose from the ground, knowing that no matter the reason behind this change, now was not the time to be dazed. Those tense heretics had clearly realized that his ¡°resurrection¡± process was abnormal. And as Duncan stood up, the three heretics also immediately took a half step back, followed by the deep-voiced man in a ck robe breaking the silence with one hand on his waist, ¡°Don¡¯t move just yet¡ªtell me, what is your name?¡± ¡°¡­Ron,¡± after a brief recollection, Duncan quite naturally said the name he¡¯d just extracted from his memories, ¡°Ron Strine.¡± ¡°His name is Ron.¡± A younger heretic in the opposite group immediately lowered his voice to say to the man who had be their apparent leader with the deep voice. However, the man in the ck robe did not let down his guard, merely continuing to re at Duncan, before suddenly chanting in a strange and arcane tone, ¡°In the name of the Sun, may the Lord¡¯s light shine upon all, in the name of the Sun, may the Lord¡¯s blessings descend!¡± As Duncan listened to the heretic across from him suddenly spout madness, he was momentarily stunned, before feeling a burning sensation in his chest. He instinctively reached into his clothes to pull out the object heating up beneath them, only to see it was a golden Sun Amulet¡ªstrange waves of heat were emanating from the surface of the amulet! The next second, the amulet suddenly burst into fierce mes, mes that seemed filled with malice, lunging straight for Duncan¡¯s heart! ¡°The glory of the Lord is backfiring on him!¡± Upon witnessing this, the heretic who had been chanting prayers reacted instantly, drawing a short sword from his waist and shouting loudly, ¡°His soul has been reced! Kill this heretical abomination!¡± The other two heretics were clearly a bit slower to act, but soon caught on as well; those who had thought Duncan was a ¡°brethren¡± moments before unhesitatingly drew their short swords and daggers, charging at him full of murderous intent while loudly calling out, ¡°Kill him!!¡± Grasping the now fiercely burning Sun Amulet, Duncan watched as three figures rushed towards him. In the next instant, another shadow suddenly appeared at the edge of his vision. A necromantic bird enveloped in eerie green mes, like a ghostly spirit, tore through the air, carrying a cold me stream as it swooped over the roof. It emitted a strange and piercing screech, scattering invisible ashes and feather fragments with each p of its wings. The three heretics naturally had their attention drawn to this ¡°necromantic bird¡±; they instinctively looked up at ¡°Ai Yi¡± who had taken on the Spectral Form. The next moment, their movements all slowed down as if the connection between them and the real world suddenly became distant and sluggish. The figures of the three robe-d men, as if in a jerky stop-motion animation, left ovepping afterimages in mid-air; they slowly descended in motions so slow they seemed absurdlyical and finally came to aplete halt in front of Duncan, less than two meters away. Their eyes were filled with immense terror as they watched the necromantic bird circle the ceiling beforending on the body of their fellow ck-robbed ¡°brethren¡± opposite them. They saw the man¡¯s Sun Amulet still burning fiercely, but the next second, the mes became an eerie green, adopting the same form as the mes on the ¡°necromantic bird.¡± Duncan pinched the Sun Amulet in his hand; the green mes of the Spiritual Body twisted and wrapped around the amulet¡¯s surface; the mes that burst forth from the amulet circled halfway in front of him before settling down obediently, as if pleasingly coiling around his arm. Holding the Sun Amulet that had beenpletely overtaken and altered, he approached the three heretics at a leisurely pace, looking into their horrified eyes with an involuntary sense of regret in his tone, ¡°It would have been much better if you had pretended to know nothing.¡± The next second, the figures of the three heretics flickered violently in midair and then vanished without a trace. The ¡°necromantic bird,¡± wrapped in green fire and resembling a skeletal creature, hopped twice on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, and amidst the crackling of the ming fire, it let out a sharp and hoarse cry, ¡°Ah, the page is missing, try refreshing?¡± Chapter 39 - 39 The Captain Steps on Land Chapter 39: Chapter 39 The Captain Steps on Land Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The pigeon¡¯s words were always amusing in both content and tone, silly andical. However, it now was an undead bird entirely engulfed in Spectral mes, its translucent flesh revealing bones and tendons flowing with fire, its cries intermixed with crackling explosions, like the wails of wronged spirits leaking out when the gates of the Underworld swung open. As it turned out, there wasn¡¯t such a great distance between the sinister and theical after all. The Spiritual Fire that wrapped around Duncan continued to burn, and he watched as the three heretics vanished before his eyes, yet he couldn¡¯t be sure of the principles behind this process. All he knew was that this was Ai Yi¡¯s ability. A few secondster, after confirming that the three heretics were truly gone, he slightly tilted his head and asked the pigeon on his shoulder, ¡°¡­ Where did you take them?¡± Ai Yi pped her wings and used her beak to preen her now translucent feathers, after a moment¡¯s dy, she suddenly blurted out, ¡°Returned to the shadows!¡± Duncan frowned, having begun to learn how to understand the true meaning behind Ai Yi¡¯s words, ¡°¡­ You mean, you exiled them to some kind of¡­ parallel dimension? Or did you turn them into some kind of intangible state?¡± The pigeon raised its head, its eyes flitting uncertainly as it looked at Duncan: ¡°Coo coo!¡± It had started pretending to be a real pigeon again. But Duncan believed he had grasped the truth, he pressed his finger against Ai Yi¡¯s head, then once more surveyed the dimly-lit ¡°Shelter.¡± In the flickering light of the oilmp, everything in the small room was clear, the believers of the Sun God who had once hidden here hadpletely vanished from this world, leaving behind only a ghostly captain who had taken over the body of a heretic, and his pigeon. Yet, Duncan had a feeling¡ªas if he could sense that those three heretics were still here, right beside him, trapped within the room, caught in some dimension that could not be detected or touched by any means. He could even ¡°feel¡± the heretics¡¯ futile screams and struggles, sensing their desire to reconnect with the real world, yet facing the despair of being forever blocked from reality by an invisible barrier. This feeling spread invisibly until at one moment, Duncan saw the proof: in one of the swings of themp, through a perfectly-timed y of shadows, he suddenly saw a mark on the wall nearby that looked like it had been made by a vicious sh from a short sword¡ªbut when he looked again, the me flickered, and the mark had disappeared without trace. That was thest contact those three believers of the Sun had with the real world. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Duncan exhaled softly, and with the pigeon, he turned and left the room. Outside the abandoned lounge was a corridor much narrower than the sewers Duncan had previously encountered, a deep, long corridor that stretched out on both sides, one end leading to a fork in the path, and the other connected to a slope ascending upwards. Even in an abandoned area, the city¡¯s caretakers seemingly maintained the most basic upkeep of these underground facilities¡ªat least, the gasmps along the corridor were still lit. Duncan judged the direction of the corridor and, based on the fragmented memories in his mind, mapped out a route to the surface; soon, he stepped toward the sloping path that led upward. He quickened his pace. Fresh air began to emerge, a cool breeze blowing in Duncan¡¯s face, and he heard vague, distant noises¡ªthese seemed to be the sounds of some factory machinery operating all night on the surface, along with fainter sounds of waves¡­ the sounds of night wavespping against coastal rocks. Duncan nearly broke into a jog. Ai Yi, the pigeon who had shed the Spectral mes and returned to normal, pped her wings happily on his shoulder, eximing, ¡°The era is calling! The era is calling!¡± Duncan suddenly stopped and stared into the eyes of the pigeon, ¡°Don¡¯t talk carelessly outside¡ªnormal pigeons don¡¯t talk.¡± Ai Yi thought for a moment, then pped his wings vigorously, ¡°Aye captain!¡± Duncan was taken aback, as the pigeon had surprisingly responded correctly to him for once. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was a coincidence or something else¡ªbut he quickly stopped pondering over it. He had to prepare himself for this world. The ck robe on his body was definitely not something he could wear outside. In the memories ¡°devoured¡± from another, such suspicious robes were only used at the secret ceremonies of the Sun God¡¯s believers. On the city streets above ground, this attire was asking to be tied to a tree and beaten by seven or eight city guards. In the Plunder City-State, a rather strict curfew was enforced. Wandering at night seemed to be a particrly dangerous affair, and ordinary people wanting to go out at night had to hold a pass and report in advance¡ªthe heretic he had possessed clearlycked these legal proceedings, so to move around the city, he would have to avoid those who patrolled at night. The people responsible for maintaining order in the city at night were called ¡°Guardians,¡± and apparently, they were an armed force under the Deep Sea Church. In the muddled memories devoured into his mind, the owner of the body he now upied deeply dreaded and was hostile toward those armed priests¡­ Duncan swiftly organized the memory fragments in his mind. Since they were inherited from a corpse, most of these fragments were chaotic and unclear. He was unable to piece together theplete trajectory of a ¡°modern civilized society member,¡± nor could hepileplete information about the Plunder City-State. But even the most basic parts were enough to give him an approximate idea for his next steps. First, he removed the ck robe before the ramp leading to the surface¡ªunderneath was normal clothing that wouldn¡¯t arouse suspicion on the streets. He considered whether he should incinerate the ck robe, but fire and smoke would likely draw the attention of the night patrols, so in the end, he just rolled up the ck robe and hid it in a nook near the ramp. The Sun Amulet was also something that could bring trouble, but it may also contain valuable information. After much hesitation, Duncan decided to take it with him¡ªhe could perform another test with the amulet when he returned to the Homeloss to see if Ai Yi could bring it back too. He could study it safely on the Homeloss. After making sure he covered any traces of hiding the ck robe and dealing roughly with his appearance, he made himself look like an ordinary citizen rather than a heretic floundering in the sewers in a pitiful state of evasion. Once he finished all this, he stepped onto the ramp. The journey ahead wasn¡¯t too far. Duncan hurried up the ramp, the increasingly fresh air filling his lungs. He could clearly hear the distant sounds of factories and the waves, and after a few minutes, he even saw a cool glow appearing on the steps not far ahead. Moving forward a few more steps, the cool glow finally engulfed himpletely. He had arrived at the surface. Solid, steady, the earth bathed in the pale light. Duncan¡¯s eyes widened; he saw a city, a city standing above the Endless Sea, a representation of human civilization¡ªthe great scar across the sky spanned above the city, illuminating the meticulously arranged rooftops, towers, and buildings further away. Not far in front of him was the slightly dpidated edge of the city, and on the high ground further away, he could see many distant and magnificent buildings¡ªthe ¡°Upper City District,¡± where the great cathedrals and city hall were located. Duncan suddenlyughed, he didn¡¯t make a sound but he wasughing so hard that he couldn¡¯t catch his breath. However, just momentster, he forcibly stopped hisughter, took a deep breath in the cold night wind, and then strode in a direction he remembered. Heretics also had their ¡°normal lives.¡± Apart from a few ¡°priests¡± who solely wreak havoc on the people as their profession, the Sun Church and most other heretic organizations depended on a vast number of ordinary people to sustain their operations¡ªthese beguiled lower-level believers were mostly the impoverished citizens of the lower city strata, neglected elderly, na?ve youths, or like the body Duncan now upied¡­ An unnoticed, gravely ill, ordinary person, struggling with life and taxes in the Lower City District while running a deceitful antique shop. The pathetic life of this antique shop owner named ¡°Ron¡± was over. His debt to some evil deity was cleared with hisst breath, but he had left a ce in this world¡­ a ce that Duncan quite fancied. Chapter 40 - 40 "Landing Chapter 40: Chapter 40 ¡°Landing Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fanna woke from a bizarre and chaotic dreamscape to find the world outside still cloaked in the deep of night¡ªthe cold, pale glow of the Creation of the World shone on the windowsill engraved with deep sea runes, exuding a sense of peace and tranquility. Yet the scenes from that bizarre dreamscape remained vividly etched in her mind¡ª A ship, a great ship engulfed in green ghostly mes, sailed in from the boundary between the sea and the sky, rolling over the entire Plunder City-State like a mountain overwhelming all in its path. Amid the ghostly mes, countless cries and deste songs thundered in unison, as if moring to overturn the entire world. As the colossal ship descended, she also saw a sun rising from the depths of the Plunder City-State¡ªnot the familiar sun bound by ancient runes, but a celestial body aze like the ¡°ancient sun¡± described by the sun¡¯s believers. It rose from deep within the city-state, its mes melting the earth, and all the people flowed through the streets like melting wax figures. In the heart of this fiery, melting purgatory stood the silent cathedral of the Deep Sea Church. In her dreamscape, she prayed to the cathedral, hoping for guidance from the Storm Goddess, yet the cathedral only returned a noisy and meaningless ring of bells, without a single sign of divine intervention¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Fanna sat up from the bed and walked to the window in her pajamas. She nced at the still ¡°Creation of the World¡± above the calm city and felt her restlessness bubbling more intensely. Momentster, the young Judge withdrew her gaze from the city and approached the vanity near her bed, pulling open a drawer without much thought¡ª In the vanity drawery a dagger, a curved and twisted ceremonial dagger. The runes symbolizing the Deep Sea Church glimmered at the base of the de, resonating faintly as if stimted by some mysterious force. Fanna¡¯s gaze lingered on the flickering runes for several seconds before she drew the de across her palm, creating a wound. As blood seeped out, she ced her hand across her chest and murmured the name of the Storm Goddess in an attempt to seek the deity¡¯s guidance. However, for some reason, all she heard was the illusory roar of the waves¡ªshe couldn¡¯t easily enter the ¡°spiritual-energy-sensitive¡± state that she usually essed with little effort. It was as if an invisible barrier had suddenly enveloped her, cutting off her connection to the Storm Goddess Gomona. Fanna¡¯s eyebrows knitted together bit by bit. It¡¯s exceedingly rare for the connection between a believer and a deity to be disrupted, but not beyond imagination¡ªthe mapping rtionship between Subspace and the real world is arcane andplex, utterly iprehensible to human wisdom. Even the powers of the deities can be affected byyers of influence from Subspace, the Mysterious Deep Sea, and the Spirit Realm, showing temporary fluctuations in strength. In addition, with the ceaseless strife and contention between gods, and between gods and ancient gods, it was possible for some believers to suddenly find themselves deaf to the voices of their gods. But it should not be this way with the Storm Goddess Gomona¡­ The Endless Sea surrounds human civilization, and the Storm Goddess¡¯s power prates all dimensions and influences the whole of reality. All deities might lose contact with the real world, even Death itself asionally leaves loopholes such as the ¡°Revived,¡± but the Storm Goddess¡­ it¡¯s impossible. This was also one of the reasons why the Deep Sea Church was the most powerful church on the Endless Sea. Could the problem lie with herself? Naturally, Fanna began to doubt her own state. But looking at her palm, she saw that the wound she had just made was already healing quickly. The blessings bestowed by the goddess were still active, without the slightest dy. Fanna recalled the noisy, bizarre nightmare and the ominous omens she had witnessed over many days. There must be a connection between all these things. The ship aze with green mes¡­ Ghost Ship¡­ Her mind raced as it recalled andpared the esoteric knowledge she possessed, and then her expression suddenly became serious. She was not an expert in the field of navigation and rarely came into contact with those absurd tales that circted among superstitious sailors, but even in the orthodox scriptures of the church, there was one Ghost Ship that held a special ce. It was an ominous ship that had returned from Subspace, its captain the terrifying Duncan, who had caused the copse and obliteration of the thirteen inds of Vessend a century ago. Fanna rose abruptly from behind her vanity, but then she remembered¡ªnow it was the middle of the night, and the archive of the cathedral, like any other library, would be closed. Moreover, for safety reasons, it was best not to discuss content rted to this dreamscape with anyone during the hours just after the ¡°premonitory dream¡± had ended¡ªif this dreamscape truly pointed to the infamous ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± then he might be able to sense mortal discussions about him through the connection established by the dream. After all, it was a ¡°ghost¡± that could return from Subspace. The safest course of action now was to wait patiently until the sun reimed its dominant ce in the world, until the connections formed by the Dreamscape gradually dissipated, and then to consult the archives for relevant material, or discuss these ominous premonitions with the Archbishop of the Church. Regardless, if these premonitory dreams truly pointed to Captain Duncan, if they were indeed warning her that the legendary Homeloss was eyeing Plunder City-State greedily, then as the Guardian of the City-State, she must stop at nothing to prevent that terrifying ghost captain froming ashore¡­ ¡­ A tall, thin shadow quickly moved across the deserted streets of the Lower City District, its slender silhouette casting a fleeting outline under the gasmps. Apletely unfamiliar city,pletely unfamiliar buildings, memories that seemed correct but uncertain, and the curfewed civilian district that appeared deserted and eerie. Yet, as Duncan walked down such back alleys, his mood was exceedingly pleasant. He had seeded¡ªnot only in making his second journey through the Spirit Realm, but also in sessfully possessing a body toe above ground, to the surface of Plunder City-State. He was in contact with the civilization of this world, observing the architecture of this era, the technology of this era. And he was using aplete body¡ªneither open-minded nor wildly imaginative, this outwardly normal body would facilitate all his movements toe. To be honest, the health of this body was not really good, even though walking in the Spirit Realm allowed most of the body¡¯s ailments to be ignored, Duncan could clearly feel the suboptimal health of this body, but he had noints about it, even finding it natural. After all, from these two experiences, the bodies upied during a walk in the Spirit Realm were corpses within a certain time after death¡ªcould a vibrant jumping body be a corpse? A distant barking of dogs came from the end of an alley, Duncan cautiously slowed down his steps, and hid himself in the shadow between the buildings. He didn¡¯t know whether it was a patrol dog led by a Church Guardian on night watch, but being careful was never a mistake. Above the nearby buildings, there were huge pipe structures stretching over low houses, the light from ¡°Pale Scars¡± sprinkled intermittently between the pipes, asionally steam leaked from the valves between some pipes, forming a hazy mist in the night. The barking of the dogs faded away. Duncan stepped out from his hiding spot, looked around the street for any activity, and after casually soothing Ai Yi, the pigeon on his shoulder, he crossed the street, following his memory. Between a row of low two- or three-story buildings was an old door, hanging above was a dirty sign, and on either side of the wall were dusty, poorly maintained disy windows¡ªthis was a shop, seemingly not a small one, but clearly neglected and doing little business. This was the ce fragments of memory in his mind led Duncan to. He arrived at the old door, looked up at the sign, and saw a row of letters barely distinguishable in the darkness: ¡°Lorne¡¯s Antique Shop,¡± Duncan murmured, ¡°quite a straightforward name¡­¡± Having spoken, he began to feel around the entrance. As the memories in his mind were not very clear, he searched for a long time before he found a spare key on a hidden hook under a windowsill. The body¡¯s original owner did not carry the key with him, nor did he carry any identification or items that could be used to find this antique shop, which seemed to be the caution of an experienced heretic¡ªbut for a ghost captain who could take memories, such superficial caution was meaningless. Duncan opened the door of Lorne¡¯s Antique Shop, quickly slipped inside, and fastened the door behind him. The wooden door banged shut, but the sound did not carry far into the night. The sign hanging above the door shook slightly from the vibration, and the letters on the sign squirmed in the pale, cold night, and in the blink of an eye, new text appeared on the wooden board¡ª ¡°Duncan¡¯s Antique Shop.¡± Chapter 41 - 41 Inside the Antique Shop Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Inside the Antique Shop The interior of the antique shop was just as Duncan had guessed ¡ª¡ª filled with disorder, decay, and a dismal appearance of doing poor business. Even just by looking at the dust umted near the disy window, the Visitor could imagine how wretched the owner¡¯s life had be. The first thing he saw were the shelves near the walls on both sides, whererge vases, sculptures, and totems of obscure meaning were ced on low, steady surfaces. Behind these shelves, the wall was gridded for smaller ¡°merchandise¡±. The counter faced the entrance, a long bar, and the racks behind it were also dusty, filled with dark-hued frames and small trinkets. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Behind the counter, there was also a staircase leading to the second floor, which looked dim and its structure was not clear at the moment. There was also a small door under the staircase which, in his ¡°memory¡±, should lead to the storage area at the back of the shop ¡ª¡ª half of the space cluttered with various items. It was hard to believe that the Heretic whose body he now possessed managed to live off such a shop, which seemed like somewhere no one would visit, and still had surplus money to offer to the priests of the Sun God. Duncan walked towards the deep counter; the old wooden floor creaked a bit. As he passed the stairs, he noticed themp fixed on the wall. It was an electricmp. Duncan¡¯s eyebrows immediately furrowed slightly. The style of themp was foreign, with an iron frame and a murkympshade that felt exotic, but no matter how one looked at it, the structure of the tungsten fment bulb within was clear ¡ª¡ª themp¡¯s source of light came from electricity. In this world, was electricity already so widespread? Did themon households in the Lower City District also use electric lights? Then why were the sources of light used in the sewer earlier gasmps and oilmps, torches? Why were the streetmps outside also gasmps? A great confusion surfaced, which Duncan found utterly illogical, especially in the environment of the sewer ¡ª¡ª the existence of open mes, the use of mmable gas in gasmps posed obvious disadvantagespared to the cleanliness and safety of electric lights! Originally, he thought that technological limitations forced the city¡¯s managers to use gasmps as the light source for the sewer, but now it seems¡­ at least in the Plunder City-State, technology had advanced to the level where electricity had entered ordinary homes! A huge sense of incongruity filled Duncan¡¯s heart. He tried to search the fragments of memory in his mind for corresponding knowledge, but only got the answers ¡°this ismon sense¡± and ¡°that¡¯s how the city is nned¡±. It seemed that either this knowledge was not made public, so that the Heretic he was bound to was ignorant of it, or this knowledge was so fundamental that it did not leave a strong enough impression in the Heretic¡¯s mind. Consequently, after death, the associated memory quickly blurred, leaving only the impression of being mon sense¡±. With a confusion that was temporarily unresolved in his heart, Duncan reached out and turned on the electric light ¡ª¡ª with a click of the switch, bright light immediately illuminated the area near the staircase and the counter. There was another switch on the opposite wall for controlling the lighting in other areas of the first floor of the shop, but Duncan did not intend to touch it for the time being. Now in the quiet of thete night, a small light lit in the closed antique shop could still be exined as ¡°the shopkeeper getting up and moving around at night¡±, but suddenly brightening the whole ce might attract unwanted attention. Using the limited light near the staircase, Duncan¡¯s gaze first swept over the nearby merchandise. The first thing that caught his eye was a wooden totem less than half a meter tall, with strange facial patterns painted in red and blue, and next to it, there was what seemed to be an antique vase made of ceramic ¡ª¡ª they had price tags in front, with exorbitantly high prices marked on them. The original price was four hundred and twenty thousand, after the discount, three hundred and sixty. It gave off an air of self-abandonment. Duncan¡¯s gaze quickly shifted and swept across the entire shop. If there were even one authentic item in here, he¡¯d run the Homeloss headfirst into Plunder¡¯s city walls. The fakes couldn¡¯t be faker, no need for a real collector to authenticate, any person with normal intelligence wouldn¡¯t believe that this antiques shop in the Lower City District would sell genuine antiques¡ªis it possible for someone who¡¯s truly into antiques to start a market in such a poor area? The oldest thing in the store is probably that sign hanging at the door¡­ But Duncan wasn¡¯t surprised by the store¡¯s existence¡ªit was understood that the shopkeeper knew he was selling fake stuff, and the peopleing here to buy didn¡¯t expect to put a thousand-year-old statue in their homes, everyone was clear on that, civilians from the Lower City District also needed a way to fulfill their own spiritual needs¡ªthe sign ¡°Antiques Shop¡± at the door wasn¡¯t hung up for others to see, but for the customers themselves. After all, beneath Earth¡¯s flyovers, there are those selling jade, with bracelets at ny-eight apiece iming to be from old pits with ice varieties, and if you¡¯re not careful going home and knock against the door frame, a scatter of ss shards could fall¡ªdon¡¯t the sellers and buyers know the drill? Duncan wasn¡¯t interested in the shopkeeper¡¯s troubled past life, he was focused on one thing only: this ce could be the first nding spot¡± onnd for him, the captain of Homeloss. An ¡°outpost¡± to learn about the world onnd, about modern civilized society. He had already made a decision in secret, that if conditions allowed for ¡°walking in the Spirit Realm,¡± he would maintain his current body as much as possible, and use the ¡°antiques shop¡± as a cover to operate within Plunder City-State. And if the training for Ai Yi went well, if Ai Yi could really control the stable transfer of ¡°real objects¡± between Homeloss and Plunder, this antiques shop would also be a secret transshipment warehouse. Duncan went behind the counter and sat down in a chair, carefully sorting through the fragments of memories in his mind, contemting every possible source of trouble. The original owner of this body was a believer in the Sun God, but was also the lowest member in the entire church hierarchy. Due to the city-state authorities¡¯ continuous crackdowns on heretic activities, the living space for followers of the Sun God in Plunder had been squeezed to the limit. The members were extremely cautious in their contacts, wearing full hoods and masks outside of any gatherings, and many of the lower members¡¯ connections to higher-ups in the church were limited to just one or two specific ¡°contacts.¡± This was undoubtedly a good thing for the current Duncan¡ª This meant that even within the heretics, only that one person knew ¡°his¡± true identity and contact methods, and once that person was gone, then no one would know of ¡°his¡± unspeakable heretic identity. He could walk right in front of the city-state¡¯s authorities, his identity a clear and upright good citizen. And the better news was that after carefully sorting through his memories, Duncan confirmed that this biggest risk had already disappeared. Because ¡°his¡± contact was one of the three ck-robed heretics he had seen when he first awoke¡­ Those unfortunate three had been duped by a pigeon. He felt a little more at ease in his heart and shifted to a morefortable position in his chair. After the biggest risk disappeared, if there was still something to worry about, it would be the other Sun God believers who had participated in the sacrifice ceremony at the underground meeting, as well as those believers¡¯ backers¡ªthe muchrger and more mysterious dangerous Sun God Church. If his memories were correct, four years ago Plunder City-State hadunched a severe strike against the Sun God Church within the city, and since then this heretic faith had been in decline within the city-state. Far from holding any ceremonies, they would be grateful just being able to hide themselves well, not getting caught by the church guardians. But now, these extremely low-key heretics had done something quite high-profile. The purpose of the sacrifice ceremony was to please the gods, while another was to gather power or enhance the god¡¯s influence on the real world¡ªthose heretics in the gathering, including the high priest ¡°Visitor¡± who held the ceremony, were actually just the grassroots members of the Sun God Church. Would these grassroots members spontaneously organize such a big event? The fragments of Duncan¡¯s memory weren¡¯t very plentiful, and a low-ranking heretic would not be privy to the core secrets of the church. But just from the information that was avable, he guessed that those suddenly active heretics must have been acting on instructions from higher up. That sect that worshipped the ¡°True Sun God¡±¡­ They wanted to do something big in Plunder, and the sacrifice ceremony that was identally disrupted by him was probably just an insignificant ripple before the start of this big event. Duncan didn¡¯t have any particr attachment to the ¡°Plunder City-State,¡± but if he wanted to use it as a starting point for development, then he had to consider what kind of impact a bunch of fanatics like the ¡°Sun God believers¡± could have on him with their antics in the city-state. Chapter 42 - 42 What is Seen in Books Chapter 42: Chapter 42 What is Seen in Books The city under curfew was not suitable for exploration, and Duncan stayed in the antique shop all through the night¡ªdriven by the excitement of setting foot onnd, he tirelessly explored the entire building. The original owner of this body was indeed a heretic, but while he was a heretic he was also amon man who needed a normal social life; he depended on the conveniences modern civilization provided for survival, requiredmunication with others, and day-to-day necessities. He needed to deal with the entire city. All of this would leave behind plenty of clues, allowing Duncan to roughly infer the way of life in Plunder City-State and a general idea of this era¡¯s technological level and civilian status, even with his memory fragments being hazy and indistinct. In a hiddenpartment behind the first-floor counter, he found a small amount of cash, including a handful of loose coins and several blue and green bills of varying denominations. These are legal tendermonly used in most City-States, jointly certified and issued by the Governors of the City-States and the Endless Sea Commerce Guild. The primary currency unit is known as the ¡°S,¡± with another currency, the ¡°Peso,¡± worth one-tenth of a S, also circted. The cash Duncan found added up to just over two hundred Ss, and ording to the intelligence from his memories, this amount was roughly enough for a family of three to survive for about a month in the Lower City District. It seemed that even though business in the shop was dismal and most of his belongings had been donated to the church, the original owner of this body still maintained a basic standard of living¡ªthis meant that this ¡°antique shop¡± had its own stable customer base. The entire first floor of the shop only had two sections, with two-thirds being the front sales area located before the staircase, and the remaining one-third was the ¡°warehouse¡± behind the staircase door. There was also a door at the back of the warehouse, which was the building¡¯s back door and presumably the entrance for receiving goods. The structure on the second floor of the shop was a bit moreplex. Apart from a washroom, there were two rooms, onerge and one small, as well as a utility room shared with the adjacent building. The two rooms were located on either side of the staircasending on the second floor; they were fairly clean. Beyond that, there was a small kitchen on the second floor, but it looked like it hadn¡¯t been used in at least half a month; everything was covered with ayer of dust. After checking everything, Duncan went back to the main bedroom on the second floor. He looked at the room, which was even smaller than his bachelor apartment, and his gaze fell on the small dresser next to the bed. There was a picture frame there, inside¡­ was a ck and white photo. In the photo was a family of three: a modestly dressed young couple with a little girl who appeared to be only four or five. They stood in a courtyard setting with evident artificial marks, each wearing a faint smile as they looked towards the camera. Duncan approached the picture frame, picked it up, and examined it carefully while cross-referencing the blurry and chaotic clues in his memory. The original owner of this body¡­ was not in the picture. The people in the photo seemed to be close rtives of this body¡¯s original owner¡­ very dear to him. As he gazed at the young couple, Duncan felt a faint sense of longing rise from the depths of his memories. However, more information about the photo remained unclear; it seemed¡­ more memories about them had disappeared from this world along with thatst breath of the body¡¯s original owner. He put down the photo and pondered what level of expenditure such a ck and white photograph would be among themoners of the Lower City District, what stage of development the world¡¯s photography technology had reached, and what principles the equipment used was based upon. Meanwhile, his gaze shifted to the neatly arranged bed, conjuring a faint sense of curiosity in his mind. Would a heretic,pletely engulfed by the Sun worship, have lots of time to keep a room so tidy on a daily basis? If the storefront on the first floor was noticeably neglected, how did this bedroom achieve such meticulousness? He stepped outside the room and went to the smaller room across the staircase, observing the equally tidy bed and desk. He sorted through his memories, confirming that the original owner of his body had left the shop several days ago to attend a secret congregation of Sun God believers¡ªthis was hisst departure, the details of the memories were fuzzy, but there seemed to be no impression of cleaning up the house before leaving. So¡­ was there someone else? Was there someone else living with this ¡°heretic?¡± A family member? Duncan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he searched for corresponding clues in his mind while approaching the desk in the small room. His eyes scanned over the neatly stored papers, pens, and stationery, eventually resting on a book. That book was ced in the most conspicuous position on the desk, with a dark blue cover featuring a pattern of gears and rods. Elegant, ornate letters spelled out the title: ¡°The Craft of Steam and Gears¡ªGeneral Textbook III¡± Duncan furrowed his brows, already vaguely aware that this room should belong to ¡°another person¡±, yet subconsciously picked up the book. On the Homeloss, there were no books avable for reading, and he had found not a single piece of paper or article to read in the master bedroom or elsewhere in the shop¡ªperhaps this book could help him understand the matters of this world. After flipping open the cover, the illustrated inner pages caught his eye¡ªit was indeed a ¡°textbook¡± detailing engineering crafts and the principles of steam machinery, and between the sections of the textbook, there were many annotations left by the book¡¯s owner. The delicate and pretty handwriting seemed to belong to a young woman. Duncan rubbed his forehead; the original owner of this body seemed to have no rtives or friends, as most of the images or ¡°impressions¡± in his memory carried a cold and lonely color, but after sorting through the memories several times, he finally vaguely ¡°recalled¡± someone¡­ a girl with dark brown hair. That appeared to be the only figure the heretic named Ron might consider a concern when he breathed hisst breath. Duncan¡¯s gaze fell upon the pages of the book; he didn¡¯t bother to read the specific technical jargon and diagrams, but specifically looked at sections like the editor¡¯s introduction and discussions of concepts. A line of text suddenly caught his eye: ¡°¡­mes, or more precisely, the specific mes released by burning the fat from the deep sea and the crystalline minerals from the shallows, are the cornerstone that supports the operation of modern society and the protection of our civilization¡­¡± ¡°The prosperity and order of modern civilization are built upon the foundation of mes and steam¡­ The convenience of clean electricity cannot rece the exorcising effect of fire, nor can it keeprge machinery running smoothly and consistently¡­ Experiments have proven steam to be the most stable form of power when affected by deep space influences¡­¡± ¡°In this chapter, we will discuss the three typical architectures of steam cores and elucidate the mechanical principles and design concepts within¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes slightly zed over. He remembered the gasmps, torches, oilmpsmonly seen in the sewers and the gas streetmps on the city streets, as well as the curiosity he felt when he saw the electricmp in the shop. So¡­ that was the reason behind all these ¡°strange¡± situations? Even at a certain risk, to use open mes in the sewers, and to light the streets with gasmps when electric power had reached a certain level of development, was it all because ¡°fire¡± could resist ¡°dangerous and bizarre¡± encroachments to some extent? Indescribable emotions welled up in Duncan¡¯s heart, and his gaze continued downward, to theplex diagrams, dense annotations, and the earnest notes left by the book¡¯s owner. That was machinery he couldn¡¯t understand at all. And it definitely wasn¡¯t the ¡°steam engine¡± he knew from his previous life. The precise gears, the extremelyplicated cylinders, and the interconnected pipes and valves between the parts far surpassed the concept of a steam engine; they resembled more of a device that might leap out of a fantasy catalog, exuding an aesthetic that was contradictory and bizarre. This was the ¡°heart¡± that supported the advancement of this world¡¯s civilization. In contemtion, Duncan slowly put the book back in its original ce. Because hepletely failed to understand it. As an Earthling, even though he had been a teacher, he couldn¡¯tprehend the steam power mechanisms in this book that had developed to the ultimate state. Nevertheless, a vague enlightenment emerged at the bottom of his heart: The development of civilization in this world seemed to follow a path starkly different from his understanding. To survive in a world full of crises, the realm of mortals also presented a bizarre and fantastical appearance, but no matter how strange the world, as long as it could still be called ¡°civilization¡±, there must be reasons and logic for its development up to this point. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The gasmps burning in the sewers, the electric lights lit in the shops, and the steam mechanisms depicted in books made from thebined wisdom of countless people, all subtly revealed a kind of¡­ resilience. Chapter 43 - 43 Good morning, Mr. Duncan Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Good morning, Mr. Duncan Duncan put the book back and checked the other furnishings in the room, but didn¡¯t find anything of value¡ªthe room was sparsely furnished and appeared to be seldom used. The most valuable clues were that book and the two old notebooks in the desk drawer. The notebooks were filled with content rted to steam mechanics and engineering principles, with asionalints about certain teachers or ssmates interspersed throughout. This made it easy to deduce that the upant was a young person of school-going age. Duncan slowly sifted through the fragments of memory in his mind, and after restoring everything in the room to its original state, he returned to the master bedroom. After sitting on the edge of the bed and pondering for a while, he stood up and approached the nearby wardrobe, almost instinctively pulling open a drawer, guided by muscle memory. A few bottles of strong liquor were quietly hidden in the back of the drawer, along with half a pack of painkillers and nerve-soothing pills left behind in this world by a heretic named ¡°Ron.¡± He had a severe illness that had deteriorated to the point of being incurable. Low-quality liquor and temporarily effective painkillers were staples in the drawer, but these trinkets obviously did nothing to prolong the life of a person afflicted with disease. Therefore, this man, who had lost hope in life, turned to the Sr Sect. Missionaries told him that the healing power of the Sun God could solve all incurable diseases and purify the body and mind of the converted. To some extent, the believers did fulfill that promise: They had bloody, bizarre rituals that used fresh blood as a medium to transfer the vitality of innocent people into the bodies of sick believers. Duncan didn¡¯t know the principle behind the ritual or whether it could truly cure terminal illnesses. He only knew from remaining fragments in his memory that a heretic named ¡°Ron¡± indeed improved after the ceremony and became even more devoted as a believer of the Sun, even donating arge portion of his fortune to the ¡°Messenger.¡± However, Duncan wasn¡¯t concerned with what had happened among those dead heretics. He reached further back into the drawer, skillfully found a hiddenpartment, and after fumbling inside for a bit, he found a revolver and a box of well-kept bullets. The Plunder City-State didn¡¯t prohibit the possession of firearms, as long as one had the proper legal procedures. Yet an antique dealer living in the Lower City District obviouslycked the funds and status to obtain a gun permit, so this was unquestionably an illegally possessed weapon¡ªout of caution, the original owner of this body had left the gun in the room instead of bringing it to the meeting. He probably used it to protect his store normally, but now the gun belonged to the captain. Of course, Duncan knew that it was just amon gun, let aloneparing it with the ¡°anomalies¡± aboard Homeloss; even the seemingly outdated flintlock he had on the ship might possess a special power that surpassed this revolver. But he was a practical man; he knew that his actions in the Plunder City-State were not like those on board the ship, for his current body was made of flesh and blood, and many ces in this city were decidedly unsafe. After all, he couldn¡¯t let the pigeon ¡°pigeon¡± people every time there was an incident¡ªAi Yi¡¯s movements were too noticeable and could easily draw unwanted attention from the church forces in the city. Just then, a faint noise suddenly caught Duncan¡¯s attention. He heard the sound of keys rubbing from the direction of the front door of the shop on the first floor, followed by the noise of the door opening and hurried footsteps. Duncan quickly secured the revolver close to him, and only then did he notice that it was already broad daylight outside the window¡ªhe had been busy in the antique store all night, and the pigeon, Ai Yi, suddenly started peeping on his shoulder, ¡°You have a new message!¡± ¡°Be quiet,¡± Duncan immediately nced at the pigeon while briskly heading towards the doorway, speaking quickly, ¡°You stay in the room and wait for mymand. Also, do not speak if there are strangers present.¡± Ai Yi immediately pped its wings and flew toward a nearby cab, ¡°Aye captain!¡± Duncan promptly left the room, and just as he reached the staircase, he heard that the hurried footsteps had already climbed the steps, followed by a young and urgent girl¡¯s voice calling out from below, ¡°Uncle Duncan? Have youe back?¡± The next second, a girl dressed in a brown long skirt and a white shirt, with dark brown long hair, entered Duncan¡¯s line of sight. The girl appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, slim and petite, with her hair seemingly damp with the morning dew. Her features weren¡¯t particrly striking but had the youthful beauty befitting her age. She widened her eyes in surprise and delight as she looked at Duncan standing at the top of the stairs on the second floor. Duncan, however, did not respond. He just stood silently on the second floor, bathed in the sunlight streaming in from a narrow window behind the staircase, casting his figure in silhouette, hiding his expression in the haziness. He watched the girl for several seconds before finally speaking slowly, ¡°What did you just call me?¡± ¡°Duncan¡­ Uncle?¡± There was a moment of surprise on the girl¡¯s face, followed by a slight tension. She held onto the handrail of the staircase beside her, cautiously peering up as if trying to discern the expression of the middle-aged man upstairs through the backlight, ¡°Is something wrong? Have you¡­ have you been drinking again? You haven¡¯t been home for days¡­ I noticed the light on downstairs just now¡­¡± The girl¡¯s expression and voice both caught Duncan¡¯s eye and ear; she clearly did not know (or had never considered) how to hide her emotional responses. ording to the memories he had absorbed, this girl should be the ¡°niece¡± of the original owner of this body, and his only rtive. Duncan vaguely realized that the girl did not think there was anything wrong with what she said, unaware that the ¡°Duncan Uncle¡± she spoke of was a misnomer from the very beginning. Where was the problem? Why would this girl, who theoretically should have no knowledge of his secret, so naturally utter the name ¡°Duncan¡±? A torrent of conjectures whirled through his mind; at the same time, Duncan found fragments of memories rted to this girl¡ªa child with deep brown hair, thest person the original owner of this body had some lingering affection for in this world. ¡°Nina,¡± Duncan¡¯s expression did not change, his tone neutral, as the storm of thoughts in his mind did note through, ¡°Did you stay at school yesterday?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been staying at school these past few days,¡± the girl downstairs replied promptly, ¡°I thought you would, as usual, stay out at least a week, so after tidying up the house, I went to stay with a ssmate¡­ Mrs. White, who manages the dormitory, agreed. I came back in a hurry today because I realized I had left a book at home¡­ Are you okay? You feel¡­ off¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit groggy from sleep just now.¡± Duncan responded with ease, then began to walk toward the first floor, harboring an extremely far-fetched hypothesis in his mind that he now had to confirm. He passed by Nina on the stairs, the young girl on the staircase moving aside while curiously looking into Duncan¡¯s eyes, and it was only when he was almost down to the first floor that she suddenly asked, ¡°Uncle Duncan, will you be going out againter? Will you¡­ be staying at home for a few more days?¡± ¡°¡­ It depends,¡± Duncan did not look back, as he was still unsure whether the expression on his face was natural enough. He merely answered his ¡°niece¡¯s¡± question in the way he remembered he should, ¡°I¡¯ll just check the door. If there¡¯s nothing going on, I¡¯ll be home these next few days.¡± ¡°Ah, okay, then I¡¯ll go shoppingter. We¡¯re running low on groceries at home¡­¡± The girl spoke briskly, hurrying up the stairs with quick footsteps, her tone carrying a certain lightness. Duncan had already reached the shop¡¯s doorway. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door. He turned around, looked up at the sign hanging above the shop¡¯s entrance. The old, dirty sign clearly disyed the letters: Duncan¡¯s Antiques. The first few letters looked as old as the rest, with no signs of recent alteration, as if it had always been that way. Duncan frowned slightly, slowly approaching the disy window alongside. Leaning forward, he looked at his face reflected in the dirty ss. It was indeed a stranger¡¯s face, not belonging to the stern and gloomy captain of the Ghost Ship, but a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, sunken eyes, showing signs of weariness¡ªthe face of Ron, the Heretic who had breathed hisst in the sewers. Duncan slowly straightened up, hearing the City-State graduallying alive around him. The crisp sound of bells clinking at doors of shops opening in the morning, the sound of bicycle bells, and the voices of pedestrians filled the street. Someone walked past the antiques shop, seemingly a neighbor living next door. A greeting reached Duncan¡¯s ears: ¡°Good morning, Mr. Duncan¡ªhave you seen today¡¯s newspaper? The Deep Sea Church appears to have taken down arge Heretic hub. That¡¯s quite the news!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Chapter 44: An Ordinary Person’s Breakfast Chapter 44: Chapter 44: An Ordinary Person¡¯s Breakfast A copy of the Plunder News costs twelve pesos, equivalent to a meager breakfast, or the cheapest dessert in Cross District¡ªthe paper can be bought from newsboys on the street, or one can walk a bit further to the newsstand at the end of another street. Duncan, with a few coins in his bosom, purchased a local newspaper at the newsstand. The middle-aged owner, engrossed in reading, waved his hand to signal self-service after hearing the clink of Duncan¡¯s coins in the box, without ever lifting his head. Duncan peeked at what the other was reading and found it to be an analysis article on a past lottery draw, adorned with colorful lines sketching out all kinds of unrealistic fantasies. He looked down at the newspaper he had just bought, and the front-page headline was the news he was most interested in: The respected Church Guard under the leadership of Judge Fenna Wayne sessfully destroyed a Sun God Heretics¡¯ gathering spot and captured arge number of followers on site, while also rescuing several citizens¡­ The photo of ¡°Her Excellency the Judge¡± was printed beside this piece of news. Contrary to Duncan¡¯s expectations, it was a young woman, with a conspicuous scar over her left eye, yet she could still be considered a beautifuldy¡ªshe stood with her subordinates, towering a half head above every man surrounding her. The Judge, dressed in tight, light armor and a battle skirt, also carried a two-handed greatsword as if she had stepped out of the era of cold weapons, resembling a knight of medieval paintings¡ªhowever, behind thisdy and a group of Church Guards, one could see a huge Steam Armored Robot, which even had conspicuous turret structures on it¡­ A curious and eeriebination of styles, paradoxical yet harmonious. Duncan¡¯s gaze lingered on this photograph for a long time. The news of the Heretics¡¯ meeting point being eradicated was good news for him as he could see those viins caught and punished for human sacrifices without worrying about his own identity being exposed, and on the other hand, he was more focused on the various pieces of information the photograph revealed. A female Judge specialized in dealing with Heretics, fully armed Steam Armored Robots, Church armed troops equipped with both cold and firearms¡­ Information that was extremely difficult to obtain on the Homeloss could be clearly seen in a civilized society with just a twelve-peso newspaper. As Duncan had thought before¡ªwith Homeloss aimlessly adrift for a century, the times had changed. Even without considering ¡°who could fight better¡± from such a superficial perspective, the mortal civilization represented by the Plunder City-State had developed to a stage that could be described as¡­ fascinating. The intersection was not a good ce to read a newspaper. Duncan casually rolled up the paper and tucked it away, remembering Nina, the ¡°niece¡± at the antique store, was waiting for him, so he turned back. A local who inherently trusted him was obviously a better source of information than wandering aimlessly around the city alone. As for the Homeloss, Duncan was not worried¡ªeven in a state of Spiritual Projection in the Spirit Realm, he could still sense the situation on the Homeloss, and the state of his other body, with the goat-head man at the helm and Eli looking quite well-behaved. He should be able to act here a little longer. After all, the original crew rules of the Homeloss stated that ¡°the captain asionally leaves the ship,¡± so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for the captain to take a leisurely stroll in the Spirit Realm for a couple of days, right? Moreover, with the continuation of Spiritual Projection, Duncan felt he was gradually bing more proficient in controlling this special ¡°spiritual projection.¡± Perhaps before long, he could try to simultaneously control the activities of both bodies¡ªmaking it even less of a worry regarding the ship¡¯s conditions while he walked in the Spirit Realm. Just then, a sweet scent suddenly wafted over from the side, causing Duncan to stop in his tracks and look beside him. He saw a street-front cake shop, with freshly baked pastries being disyed outside. This was the Lower City District of the Plunder City-State; naturally, there were no high-end pastry shops here, but even the cheapest, coarsest pastries made Duncan halt in his steps. He still had a few coins in his pocket, less than twenty pesos in total, but it was more than enough to buy a piece of cake. After hesitating for a moment, he approached the cake shop and paid for the mostmon honey cake¡ªthe shop used some coarse, thick paper as packing material, rough to the touch. Walking to the antique store with the newspaper and cake in hand, Duncan¡¯s mood inexplicably brightened. Walking the streets, talking to people, buying things, returning to one¡¯s residence. Such simple activities gave him a feeling as if from another lifetime¡ªhe savored the sensation of breathing onnd meticulously and regarded these ordinary daily experiences as precious aspects of life. Life on the Homeloss was actually not bad, the goat-headed crew was noisy but reliable, and Alice was an interesting fellow, but experiencing life onnd was not too shabby either. Before long, Duncan returned to the front of the antique shop and, before pushing the door open, he still looked up first at the sign above the shop¨Cthe letters ¡°Duncan¡¯s Antique Shop¡± still quietly printed on it, with the antiquated texture that seemed unchanged for nearly a decade and a half. He pushed the door open, and the bell clinked crisply, followed by a burst of hurried footstepsing from the direction of the stairs. The young girl with brown hair rushed down, then skidded to a stop at the stairnding, clutching a pir beside her and staring at Duncan with wide eyes, her expression tense and worried. ¡°Uncle Duncan, where did you go?¡± she spoke rapidly, ¡°You said you were just going to look outside, but then you vanished¡­ I thought you had gone to the tavern or the gambling den again¡­¡± Duncan looked at the girl before him with a bit of surprise, he could tell that she was genuinely tense and worried about something. She was concerned about the only rtive she had in the world, and one she depended on for life¨Ceven if this rtive was a degenerate and irascible drunkard who indulged in gambling and who was secretly mixed up in the bloody dealings of heretics. A feeling he couldn¡¯t clearly define or exin began to emerge, but there was no change in his expression, ¡°I just went out for a walk, and picked up some things on the way.¡± As he spoke, he walked toward the shop¡¯s counter, intending to ce the newspaper and cake on it, while Nina seemed to suddenly rx. She then hurried back upstairs, saying rapidly as she ran, ¡°Uncle, just wait a moment, I¡¯ll bring down the breakfast¨Cyou surely haven¡¯t eaten breakfast at this time, I made corn and beetroot soup¡­¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Before Duncan could reply, Nina had already disappeared up the stairs, and after a little while, she returned, carefully carrying arge tray down. On the tray was a simple breakfast for two. Duncan looked somewhat dazed at the girl bustling about, watching her adeptly clear a spot on the counter and arrange the food, then move to the side to bring an extra chair for herself¡­ Her movements were especially deft and carried a cheerful energy the source of which was unknown. Duncan observed her busyness, thinking to assist but realizing he couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to interject. He had dealt with plenty of young people her age, but he had hardly ever seen a child as diligent and efficient as her. On Earth, she should be just of high school age, even here, she looked like a student. Suddenly, Duncan considered how living with an uncle fallen into heresy mustn¡¯t be easy¨Cyet this girl named Nina seemed to have fully adapted to this life that could not be described as happy, and she could still find things to support her in life. ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Nina was ready with everything at this point; she nced at Duncan and began, as if she had said it countless times before, ¡°Dr. Albert has said if you could eat breakfast regrly and maintain a good mood, in the long run, that would be more effective than spirits¡­ even more than painkillers.¡± But Duncan was silent for a moment, just quietly watching Nina, and before her expression could turn ufortable and tense, he picked up the cake he had set aside earlier and opened the package, cing it in front of Nina. Nina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, looking puzzled at the item in front of her, ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± ¡°Cake, bought from the street corner,¡± Duncan said offhand, ¡°You¡¯re growing, so you should eat something nutritious for breakfast.¡± However, Nina was stunned, just staring nkly at the cheap pastry in front of her, taking a long time before finally seeming to snap out of it and murmuring almost to herself in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re really alright, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine,¡± Duncan replied with a quite natural expression, ¡°I just suddenly remembered, it¡¯s been a long time since I bought you any sweets.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been over a year¡­¡± Nina mumbled, but then she suddenly burst outughing, while picking up the cake fork, ¡°Let¡¯s have half each then, Dr. Albert also said you need something nutritious.¡± Duncan felt odd but after a moment of silence, he nodded. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Chapter 45 - 45 History Chapter 45: Chapter 45 History This feeling was quite wondrous. Duncan could distinctly sense things happening far away¡ªhe could feel the Homeloss drifting on the Endless Sea, the living Ghost Ship constantly charting new courses under the control of a goat-headed figure, a cursed puppet with a not-very-sturdy head wandering around the ship¡¯s cabin as if familiarizing itself with the environment like an explorer, the deep, dark sea undting around him, concealing countless bizarre creatures within. However, in his other line of sight, he was sitting in an antique shop in the Lower City District of Plunder City-State, the voices of people and the sounds of vehiclesing in from the streets, which only seemed to highlight the quietness inside the shop, where a human girl named Nina was sitting opposite him, nibbling on the district¡¯s cheapest cake. He was Captain Duncan, the ruler of the Homeloss, the moving disaster of the Endless Sea¡ªyet he sat here like an ordinary person, eating his breakfast, immersed in the tranquil depths of the city life. Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt that a part of his heart, constantly suspended and uneasy, was settling down bit by bit. It might have been the nerves stretched tight on the Ghost Ship, or something else entirely, but he felt that, either way, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Noticing the gazeing from beside her, Nina, who was eating her cake, suddenly looked up. She curiously nced at Duncan, ¡°Uncle Duncan, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Duncan nced at the food on her te, ¡°Is that enough for you?¡± ¡°Yes, eating too much sweets isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Duncan nodded and took a bite of the cake, savouring the rich vor he hadn¡¯t tasted in a long time, feeling the crude sweetness slowly dissolve in his mouth¡ªthen, he distinctly perceived this body beginning to process the food he had eaten. His heart settled a little more, knowing things were as he had expected. This body was more ¡°user-friendly¡± than the first he had temporarily upied¡ªtheir ¡°parts¡± wereplete and intact, the death hadn¡¯t been long, and his soul had almost seamlessly restarted the body¡¯s vitality,pletely different from the previous, open-hearted corpse. He now had breath, his blood was circting, and his heart also beat¡ªalthough the pace seemed a bit slow, it was probably still within the range of normal people. He need not worry about the body¡¯s decay any longer, nor about making calctions for immersing in preservatives, and in this way, it was also less likely that he would be exposed in front of ordinary people. However, there was one thing Duncan was still uncertain about. He knew that this body must have been diseased¡ªwithin the memories he had devoured, the negative impression of being gued by chronic illness was deeper than all others, and the strong spirits and painkillers he had found in the cupboard were clear proof of that. He didn¡¯t know exactly what illness the body had suffered from before, because the memories rted to the time and trigger of the illness seemed to be from long ago and were quite blurred. But one thing was clear: at this moment, apart from the sense of weakness imparted by a normal human constitution, he did not feel any other ailments in this body. Had the disease disappeared? Had the body self-healed because of wandering in the Spirit Realm? Or was the soul that had projected here ultimately limited in perception, so much so that he actually could not feel the body¡¯s issues, and the body¡¯s health was actually still deteriorating? Duncan pondered while quietly continuing his meal, then suddenly looked over at Nina across from him, eating, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to school today?¡± Nina lived in the Lower City District, not well off economically, but the Plunder City-State had clearly developed to a stage where basic education was fairly widespread. She was currently attending a school jointly operated by the church and the city hall, specializing in steam mechanics¡ªa type of ¡°vocational high school,¡± mainly aiming to supply skilled Steam Artisans to factories and churches. Nina¡¯s tuition was half paid by her uncle, with the other half covered by a stipend from the city hall. For a city-state in the industrial era, training such craftsmen, even with government subsidies, was a very worthwhile endeavor¡ªand it was undeniable that such purpose-driven schools had at least solved the problem of literacy for themon people. Nina was studious, with the uncle¡¯s memory indicating that the girl had good results in all her courses. ¡°I don¡¯t have sses this morning,¡± Nina nodded, ¡°just two history sses in the afternoon. Also, I need to tell Mrs. White this afternoon that I won¡¯t be staying in the dormitory these next few days¡­¡± Duncan suddenly ceased the task at hand and looked at Nina seriously, asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you think staying here to take care of someone like me would hold you back from many things? Living at the school for a long time might be more helpful for your studies.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Nina was startled, her gaze towards her ¡°Uncle Duncan¡± somewhat nk before she suddenly became upset, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk like that! You¡¯re just sick, all you have to do is take your medicine honestly ording to the doctor¡¯s advice¡ª¡ªmy parents entrusted you to me¡­¡± ¡°It was your parents who entrusted you to me,¡± Duncan corrected earnestly, using the memories in his mind to organize hisnguage before speaking, ¡°You were only six years old at that time.¡± ¡°But now I¡¯m seventeen,¡± Nina puffed her cheeks and stabbed her fork forcefully into thest small piece of cake, ¡°Your ability to take care of yourself is even worse than mine¡ª¡ªif I really moved out, it wouldn¡¯t take you three days to turn the room into aplete mess. In fact, you could let me help manage the shop, at least with cleaning, the windows are so dirty they are almost impossible to see through¡­¡± Duncan listened somewhat helplessly to the girl¡¯s endless preaching, he hadn¡¯t expected his offhand ¡°test¡± to elicit such a strong reaction from her. But gradually, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. From this girl named ¡°Nina,¡± he felt a warmth¡­ a cozy warmth, as if basking in sunlight. ¡°Alright, I was just speaking off the cuff,¡± he shook his head while stirring thest bit of soup in his bowl, ¡°The afternoon is history ss¡­ how are you doing in history recently?¡± ¡°Uncle Duncan, are you really okay?¡± Nina asked, her eyes wide with surprise, ¡°You never¡­well, at least for the past two years, you have never asked about my school.¡± Duncan opened his mouth to say something, but the girl across from him continued on her own, ¡°We¡¯ve been talking about ancient history recently, Mr. Morris has been teaching us about the events after the Great Annihtion¡­ Honestly, it¡¯s quite interesting, ancient history sounds like it has a lot of parts that are like stories, far more interesting than modern and contemporary history.¡± Duncan thought for a moment, looking serious, ¡°You sound like you¡¯re learning well? Then I will test you, what is the rted concept of the Great Annihtion?¡± Today¡¯s Uncle Duncan was strange, although she couldn¡¯t quite ce what was strange, he was different from usual. But Nina didn¡¯t think too much about it¡ªpared to her uncle¡¯s slightly strange behavior, this simple youngdy was happier that Uncle Duncan had finally perked up and seemed to be in a good mood. She was delighted that Uncle Duncan¡¯s question was exactly what she had just mastered. So, with a proud smile, she began to recount the knowledge she had just learned to Duncan: ¡°The Great Annihtion happened about ten thousand years ago¡ª¡ªalthough for unknown reasons, culturally distinctive minorities like the elves, Senkin people, and Gyplo people record inconsistent times in their own calendars, but generally speaking, the archaeologicalmunity acknowledges the Great Annihtion as taking ce at the end of the Order Era ten thousand years ago¡­¡± Duncan listened with a calm expression. Inside, his mind was full of question marks. Elves? Senkin people? Gyplo people? What is going on here? Are there intelligent groups other than humans on thend? And elves¡­ is this the same concept as the ¡°elves¡± in his understanding? Are there still elves city-states living in the era of steam industry in the Endless Sea? Some very strange images involuntarily emerged in his mind, while Nina¡¯s voice continued toe from the other side: ¡°¡­Different city-states have varying records of the Great Annihtion, but what they hold inmon is that the era before the Great Annihtion, the Order Era, was far more prosperous, stable, and safe, with vast continents and seas not as boundless as they are today, and both the sea andndcked so-called ¡®border of reality¡¯¡­ ¡°The era after the Great Annihtion is called the ¡®Deep Sea Era,¡¯ which has continued up to the present and shows no signs of ending. The most notable feature of the Deep Sea Era is the Endless Sea covering almost the entire world, withnd making up less than ten percent of the old world, split intorge and small inds or ¡®fog-enshrouded realms.¡¯ Today¡¯s various city-states are established on rtively stable inds, and different ocean-going vessels serve as the means ofmunication and exchange between the inds. ¡°In the early days of the Deep Sea Era, the survivors of the old world suffered severe setbacks, and the old civilization was almostpletely destroyed. The ¡®Ancient Crete Kingdom¡¯ that first rose from the ruins is considered the earliest civilization progenitor of the Deep Sea Era that can be traced back to our time, and although itsted less than a hundred years, it left behind a legacy of profound influence on future generations. This includes the most primitive and rudimentary ssification of the anomalies and phenomena of the Deep Sea Era, as well as a wealth of valuable experience for surviving in the Deep Sea Era¡­¡± Chapter 46: Anomalies and Visions Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Anomalies and Visions The Great Annihtion was the turning point for all history in this world and also marked the beginning of the so-called ¡°Deep Sea Era.¡± Thanks to Nina, Duncan finally pieced together a rough understanding of the catastrophic changes that once urred in this world and realized that this world had not always been as strange and dangerous as it is now¡ª ording to historical records, the world before the Great Annihtion was a prosperous and safe paradise. Back then, the ocean was not the ¡°Endless Sea,¡± and the limited seas did not cover over ny-five percent of the world¡¯s surface as they do today. Back then, humans lived on vast and safends, and even the seas were free of dangerous phenomena like the Spirit Realm, Subspace, and the like. The ¡°Era of Order¡± recorded in the historical books felt more like the world Duncan knew¡ªalthough modern people would look back at the Ancient Era, a time without ¡°anomalies,¡± with awe and disbelief, to Duncan, it was this current world that was thoroughly off. The historical books did not exin the critical event of the ¡°Great Annihtion¡± in detail. Despite the archaeologicalmunity¡¯s continuous efforts, the great discrepancies in ancient history among different City-States and ethnicities persisted. No one knew how the so-called Great Annihtion had happened, nor what the entity behind that disaster was¡ªimmense chaos and fog shrouded that drastic change, and beyond the fog was already the present Deep Sea Era. Seas from an unknown origin submerged over ny percent of thend, and the survivors of the remnants of civilization built City-States and fleets on the remaining inds and pieces ofnd. The Endless Sea and the sea mists brought with them phenomena called ¡°anomalies¡± and ¡°phenomena,¡± which still threaten the existence of civilization to this day. Nina was unaware that a ghost ship captain from a foreignnd was absorbing knowledge from her words, thinking it was just her uncle testing her¡ªUncle Duncan hadn¡¯t been in such a good mood for a long time, and she felt quite delighted, even cherishing the moment because she was worried that at any time her uncle would turn back into his previous self¡­ and, based on past experience, this was almost inevitable. As soon as the alcohol wore off, or the painkillers ran out, Uncle Duncan would be particrly irritable, angry, and hysterical. So before Uncle Duncan had another episode, she wanted to show him all the progress she¡¯d made¡ªit might keep his good mood going for another day or two. ¡°¡­Mr. Morris is particrly interested in the history of the Ancient Crete Kingdom; he is an expert in that field. He told us that, although the Ancient Crete Kingdom onlysted for a hundred years, it was the first civilization to rise from the ruins and confront the anomalies and phenomena after the advent of the Deep Sea Era. The experience they garnered over a hundred years still guides the majority of people in the world today¡ªmost importantly, their method of ssifying ¡®anomalies¡¯ and ¡®phenomena¡¯¡­¡± ¡°A ssification method for ¡®anomalies¡¯ and ¡®phenomena,¡¯ you say? You¡¯ve learned this already?¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows, his words still guided by curiosity. He had been very concerned since he had started listening, and now he became even more convinced that in the eyes of the ordinary people of this world, those illogical things must be strictly distinguished. Some things are called ¡°anomalies,¡± some even having codes, while others¡­ seem to be separately known as ¡°phenomena,¡± unlike his previous impression of them all being broadly categorized as ¡°anomalies.¡± He had never heard such detailed knowledge about this from Goat Head on Homeloss, and now the things Nina learned in school finally filled the gap in hismon knowledge on the subject. Nina nodded, recalling what she had learned in ss, ¡°Mr. Morris taught us the simplest differentiation between anomalies and phenomena, namely the scale. ¡°Typically, anomalies are smaller in scale, often limited to a single object, an animal, or even a ¡®person¡¯; ¡°Most anomalies can be moved by humans, and their range of influence is limited. Many anomalies at any given time may even affect only a single target, and with the knowledge of specific methods, most anomalies can be safely sealed or isted¡ªsome of the less harmful anomalies can even be ¡®utilized¡¯ like tools, through certain methods.¡± ¡°The scale of phenomena is far greater than that of anomalies; even the smallest phenomenon is asrge as a house, whilerger ones can cover entire city-states, or even more¡­ to an unimaginable extent. ¡°A fair number of phenomena cannot be moved by humans; they are either fixed in one ce or operate ording to their own will, and their influence far exceeds that of anomalies. Usually, within their effective range, phenomena can affect an infinite number of targets, which is why they can almost be equated with ¡®natural events,¡¯ hence the term ¡®phenomena.¡¯ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Unlike anomalies, nearly all ¡®phenomena¡¯ cannot be sealed or controlled. They exist in the world like natural events, operating undisturbed by the outside world and naturally affecting everything within their range that meets the criteria. And because most phenomena are dangerous, people only have two choices: to stay away from these dangerous phenomena or to use specific methods to prevent themselves from bing targets of the effects¡­ ¡°Fortunately, the most dangerous phenomena usually do not move. Pioneers have helped us identify these dangers, allowing us to safely maintain our distance from them¡­¡± Nina spoke seriously, then, as if suddenly remembering something, she quickly added, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, the old gentleman also specifically mentioned to us that these judgments and characteristics are only ¡®usually effective¡¯¡ªanomalies and phenomena defymon sense. Therefore, no matter how much people try to summarize their experiences, there will always be anomalies and phenomena that suddenly appear and do not fit into any definition, and sometimes anomalies and phenomena can even switch ces. There have also been cases of phenomena being interfered with and destroyed by human efforts. ¡°For example, in the year 1830 of the new city-states chronology, Rensa experienced an anomaly that went out of control known as ¡®Mycelium.¡¯ The local church guardians paid a heavy price to exile this uncontroble anomaly to a nearby ind, which by 1835 was recognized and elevated to a phenomenon,ter known as Fungus Ind¡ªbut in 1844, the great saint Pdin gave his life to contain Fungus Ind within his urn. Consequently, the phenomenon ¡®Fungus Ind¡¯ was deregistered that same year, turning back into an ¡®anomaly,¡¯ known as ¡®Pdin¡¯s Mushroom Urn,¡¯ and is now sealed in the crypt of the Sacred Relic vault under the cathedral of Rensa City-State¡­¡± Duncan waspletely engrossed in listening to everything Nina recounted, his mind racing, while he kept aposed expression to mask the surges of emotions within him. In this short breakfast, he had collected more information than he had garnered over his many days aboard Homeloss! Establishingmunication with the maind and setting up an outpost in a surface city-state was indeed the right approach¡ªcivilized society is where the majority of the world¡¯s information converges! He unconsciously looked at the girl still speaking before him, feeling quite enlightened. A civilization that has normally developed to the industrial stage would definitely try its best topress and summarize the basic knowledge required for social operation into its education system. A child living within this system might hardly realize that the textbooks they interact with on a daily basis are such a treasure trove: It represents knowledge umted over countless years by many people, further refined over years into the most appropriate structure for learning. The books construct the world¡¯s most intricately ¡®nutrient-dense packets¡¯ with the aim of transforming a nk te of a person into a functioning cog of society with the least possible investment of time and effort. This is something even Nina, who usually loves to study, cannot fathom¡ªonly Duncan, this ¡®foreigner,¡¯ can appreciate how precious this knowledge is and how easily it can be absorbed. However, Nina was oblivious to what Duncan was pondering; she was merely recalling something her respectable history teacher had said in ss¡ª ¡°¡­sost ss, Mr. Morris ended with these words: ¡®People have summed up countless patterns through their dealings with ¡®anomalies¡¯ and ¡®phenomena,¡¯ but there is only one rule that is truly always valid: no matter how many patterns we identify, there will always be anomalies and phenomena that appear in the world that do not fit those patterns.¡¯ ¡°This rule is also referred to by schrs as ¡®the eternal zerothw,¡¯ automatically given precedence over all otherws in books and papers rted to the field. It has led to the famous ¡®Perpetual Anomaly and Phenomenon Misalignment Law,¡¯ which to this day has never been disproved¡­¡± Chapter 47 - 47 In Front of the Icon Chapter 47: Chapter 47 In Front of the Icon Nina was overjoyed because it had been a long time since she had enjoyed a normal meal with Uncle Duncan and talked about the events at school, let alone seen a smile on his face. It even reminded her of the past, of a time before her uncle had fallen ill¡ªafter losing her parents at the age of six, this man, who was like a father to her, became her only rtive in this world. But four years ago, that mysterious disease, which even doctors couldn¡¯t diagnose, had transformed her uncle, and those years had been honestly quite unbearable. Her uncle still provided for her schooling and maintained the basic necessities of life, but Nina could feel that everything about the ¡°future¡± had gradually faded from this familiar and cozy shop, dissipating amongst the strong alcohol, pills, and those sinister and oppressive gatherings with her uncle¡¯s dubious ¡°friends.¡± She no longer hoped for life to return to how it was years ago, but the slightest improvement in the situation was worth celebrating. Duncan was also pleased because he had finally essed more information about this world and had touched upon its historical context¡ªeven just a part of it gave him the joyful sensation of lifting the fog. Thepletely lost prehistoric ¡°Era of Order,¡± the ¡°Great Extinction¡± event that reshaped the order of all things, the ongoing Deep Sea Age, anomalies, and phenomena spread across the world¡­ These things he had no knowledge of or only a superficial understanding were now taking on a more defined shape. After breakfast, Nina stood up to clear the tableware. She was quick and efficient, clearly used to these domestic tasks¡ªwithout a doubt, she was also the one tidying the bedroom upstairs. A man who was gued by severe illness, led a decadent life, and devoted most of his energy and passion to the affairs of a cult clearly wouldn¡¯t do such things. But watching the young girl bustling about, Duncan eventually couldn¡¯t help himself. He stood up and took therge tray from Nina¡¯s hands, ¡°I¡¯ll carry this for you¡ªlooks like you¡¯re struggling to get it upstairs.¡± Nina looked at Duncan in surprise. She was about to say something when he had already taken big strides towards the stairs. The girl hurriedly followed, reminding him from behind, ¡°Uncle, be careful, the doctor said your condition is still unstable¡­¡± ¡°The doctor¡­ Dr. Albert?¡± Duncan didn¡¯t turn around. As he climbed the stairs, he searched his fragmented memories for a corresponding impression but found only fleeting glimpses, ¡°It¡¯s okay, after all, he¡¯s been unable to diagnose the cause until now, and the most effective medicine he¡¯s prescribed are just painkillers.¡± ¡°¡­Still, you should listen to the doctor¡¯s advice,¡± Nina followed Duncan to the second floor, muttering as they walked towards the kitchen, ¡°At least he knows how to maintain a healthy lifestyle¡­¡± Nina¡¯s speech cut off mid-sentence as the sound of pping wings suddenly disrupted her actions. She and Duncan simultaneously looked towards the source of the noise, only to see a shadow flit past the slightly ajar door of the master bedroom. ¡°Uncle Duncan, something shed by in your room!¡± Nina eximed in surprise and then swiftly grabbed the doorknob, ¡°Could it be that cat from next door¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s attempt to stop her came toote, as Nina had already pushed open the ajar bedroom door, revealing the pigeon hiding inside. Ai Yi was perched atop the cab, with one w holding a French fry to its beak, and the sudden opening of the door left the pigeon frozen in ce, crane its neck to stuff a French fry with one w, its two mung-bean eyes staring nkly at Nina and the opposite wall. Then it saw Duncan, pped its wings twice, making a loud noise, ¡°Ah¡­ coo?¡± Duncan¡¯s eyelid twitched, and he saw the wide-open window nearby, which clearly served as Ai Yi¡¯s escape route¡ªbeyond the window and in the distance, he could make out a dock basking in the sunlight. This pigeon had gone to the dock to snag some fries¡­ ¡°A pigeon?¡± At this point, Nina finally caught on, staring at Ai Yi on the cab in astonishment, ¡°Uncle Duncan! There¡¯s a pigeon in your room!¡± ¡°I see it,¡± Duncan said expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know it.¡± Ai Yi immediately tossed away the fries and fluttered over,nding on Duncan¡¯s shoulder and shaking his head. ¡°Well, it flew in this morning,¡± Duncan sighed, ¡°It¡¯s probably someone else¡¯s tame pigeon, but it¡¯s not very smart. I fed it a bit and now it won¡¯t leave.¡± Ai Yi listened and cooed loudly. If there were no strangers present and Duncan hadn¡¯t given an order earlier, Ai Yi would certainly have started loudly expressing agreement with ¡®Ah, yes, yes¡¯ by now. But Nina had no doubt about her uncle¡¯s story. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the pigeon and then cautiously approached, watching the pigeon¡¯s reaction while asking Duncan, ¡°So¡­ are you going to keep it? Can I keep it?¡± The girl¡¯s thoughts were written all over her face; in her eyes, Ai Yi was just a beautiful and cute white pigeon. Ai Yi tilted its head and looked at Duncan, letting out a questioning coo. Duncan suddenly felt that this bird was easier to understand when it wasn¡¯t speaking¡­ After a moment, he pretended to hesitate before nodding, ¡°You can¡ªbut only if the pigeon wants to stay. It might fly away at any moment, so don¡¯tin when it does.¡± Nina¡¯s face lit up with joy: ¡°That¡¯s great! I knew Uncle Duncan, you were actually a reasonable person!¡± ¡­ Within the central prayer chamber of the Deep Sea Cathedral, the City-State Bishop Valentin, dressed in a ck robe trimmed with gold, stood solemnly in front of a statue of the Storm Goddess. He was tall and thin with sparse white hair, and his eyes were as calm as deep waters. The prayer chamber¡¯srge candlesticks burned silently, the holy mes brightening the room, and Gomona¡¯s statue stood high upon the altar. This goddess had no face, her head covered with a ck veil, and her long dress depicted with wave patterns fell from her body to the edge of the altar. Even as a stone statue, the divine power was clear, and the entire statue radiated a strong presence. Anyone standing around the statue could feel a vague sense of being watched and protected. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om This feeling of being watched and protected was real, and it was under this protection that Fanna felt confident enough to discuss with the bishop everything she had seen in the Dreamscape. ¡°¡­If what you saw in the Dreamscape is correct, then it is indeed the Homeloss.¡± City-State Bishop Valentin turned around to face the young Judge who hade to seek his counsel early in the morning¡ªdespite the church hierarchy wherein the Judge, in charge of martial matters, and the City-State Bishop, in charge of liturgical matters, held parallel ranks. It was normal for a Judge to seek the Bishop¡¯s advice or even guidance when dealing with transcendent events. ¡°So it really is the Homeloss?¡± Despite already having an inkling in her mind, Fanna couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes on hearing the bishop¡¯s judgment, ¡°I thought¡­¡± ¡°You thought that ship was now just a legend, like those various ghost ship tales that superstitious sailors bluster about in the taverns?¡± Valentin knew what Fanna was going to say. The sparse-haired old man shook his head, his tone grave, ¡°The existence of the Homeloss is acknowledged by all City-States and the Church. It isn¡¯t a tale, but something you could find in the church archives.¡± ¡°I know, the Homeloss did indeed exist. The archives in the City-State of Prand even have some of its construction blueprints andunch records from over a century ago, but all these verifiable records only go as far as when the Homeloss was still a ship sailing in the real world, only as far as Captain Duncan was still human¡­¡± As Fanna spoke, her tone was serious. She nced at the statue behind the bishop, her expression bing increasingly cautious when mentioning certain terms. ¡°The key point is that the ship was clearly recorded as having sunk into the Subspace¡­ A century ago, thousands of refugees from the Thirteen Isles of Vesseran witnessed their homes and their soil, along with that ship, being devoured by the copsing border, plummeting into the shadow of the Subspace. In the decades that followed, although there were eyewitness reports iming the Homeloss reappeared in the real world, none had solid evidence. Many schrs are doubtful of the ship¡¯s ¡®return voyage¡¯¡­¡± The young Judge continued, ncing at the elderly man before her. ¡°Is it really possible for something swallowed by the Subspace to reappear in the real world?¡± ¡°¡­Until now, nothing except the Homeloss has ever returned to reality after falling into the Subspace. Even with the Homeloss, there are only subsequent eyewitness reports, and schrs across fields doubt the ship¡¯s return voyage. That is indeed the case. However, that is not the crux¡­¡± The old man said, his gaze suddenly fixed on Fanna, his face assuming an unusual seriousness, ¡°The crux is, Judge, are you afraid of something?¡± Chapter 48 - 48 Vigilance Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Vignce In front of the sacred effigy of Gomona, the Storm Goddess, the blessed candle burned tranquilly, supplemented by the Sky Light that cast down from the dome above, enveloping the City-State Bishop in his pitch-ck robes as if he were bathing in divine grace. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Thus it was in this light that Bishop Valentin lifted his head, serenely gazing into Vanna¡¯s steadfast grey eyes. His words seemed to carry a form magic. Faintly, Vanna heard the soothing sound of ocean waves surging in her mind, followed by a thunderous mor¡ªthe power of the goddess, with aid from an external force, finally broke through the veil and exploded at the depths of her heart. Suddenly, Vanna took a deep breath, as if she¡¯d surfaced from drowning in deep waters, returning abruptly tond. Her chest heaved violently; her heart hammered. The omnipresent gaze of the deities felt crushing her, and in her semi-stupor, she heard Valentin¡¯s voice continue to reach her ears: ¡°The existence of Homeloss is chronicled in history, and the prophetic dreams you experienced are objectively real. With these two factors present, your natural response should be to first assume the threat is real and then seek a solution. But your earlier subconscious questioning of the existence of Homeloss indicates you are avoiding the message conveyed by the prophetic dreams on a subconscious level. ¡°Judge, your subconscious denial of Homeloss¡¯s existence is evidence that the ship is real¡ªand it seems, indeed, to be approaching the civilized world¡¯s frontier.¡± Vanna felt a fineyer of sweat form on her forehead, but the veil that had always blocked her connection with the goddess seemed to have vanished, lightening her heart considerably. The words of the City-State Bishop made her realize something: Unbeknownst to her, she had been influenced by Homeloss! This was a characteristicmon to many apparitions or anomalies with a tendency to induce terror: making those who came in contact with them be disoriented and subconsciously ignore and deny the reality, thereby increasing the influence upon them without their awareness! This subconscious neglect and denial were an instinctive response for intelligent beings to protect themselves, a mindset to avoid danger. However, when it came to contact with anomalies, this instinctive response could be a source ofcency and ultimately lead the individual unknowingly to be a victim of the apparition or anomaly! As a Judge who frequently dealt with transcendent powers, Vanna was deeply knowledgeable about these matters. She never imagined, however, that she would fall into such a ¡°psychological trap¡±¡ªhad her strong willpower really failed to take effect? ¡°I don¡¯t know when I came under its influence,¡± she said frankly. Before the Bishop, a fellow devout believer, she didn¡¯t shy away from admitting the weakness she had exposed¡ªbeing affected by an anomaly or apparition to the point of psychological distress was not unusual, and shame and concealment would be of no help. ¡°I came straight here after waking from the prophetic dream. I haven¡¯t spoken to anyone, nor have I touched any books, antiques. I believe I haven¡¯t been exposed to any outside corrosion during this process.¡± ¡°But you did disy a deliberate avoidance to the prophetic dream just now¡­ so the influence must have urred earlier,¡± the Bishop said pensively, his gaze intent upon Vanna¡¯s face, as if observing every shift in her expression and the rhythm of her breathing. ¡°Recently, have you been in contact with anything unusual? It might be the¡­ contamination from Homeloss, leaving an anchor point in your subconscious ahead of time.¡± ¡°Recently¡­¡± Vanna frowned, then suddenly recalled the ¡°sacrificial offering¡± thaty in the ck Sun ritual site, the sh of green me in the eyes of the offering, and her own finger that was amputated. Her eyes widened in realization, she stared intently at the Bishop: ¡°The day before yesterday, I led a team to clear the sewers of that ck Sun cult site, was there any report after that about some unnamed contamination present? Did any report mention a contaminated ¡®offering¡¯?¡± The Bishop shook his head: ¡°No, you sent those heretics to the Cathedral and then left immediately after.¡± A chill ran through Vanna¡¯s heart: ¡°What about the others who participated in the operation that day? Has anyone reported anything of this nature?¡± ¡°No reports havee in¡ªall the case files only mention matters rted to the Sun Heretic.¡± Under the gaze of the Goddess¡¯s sacred effigy, the Bishop and Vanna looked into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°It appears we have found the first moment when the contamination ¡®came ashore,''¡± said the Bishop, exhaling softly, his expression still cid, yet a stormy power seemed to be brewing in his eyes, ¡°In the holy name of Gomona, Judge, do you still have clear,plete memories of that night?¡± Vanna took a deep breath: ¡°In the holy name of Gomona, I remember every detail of that night.¡± The Bishop nodded, turned, and lit specially crafted incense, then, cing the bronze censer at the feet of the sacred effigy, he spoke steadily, ¡°What happened at that time?¡± And so, Vannaid bare every detail that urred in the sewer ritual site, as she recollected from her memory¡ªshe didn¡¯t omit a single detail. With the help of the holy incense, her memory and thoughts were clearer than ever before; the events of that night felt as vivid as if they had happened to her just anew¡­ She remembered how the sacrificial offering suddenly opened its eyes, the green mes dancing in its eye sockets, how the mes leaped onto her finger but were promptly purified by her decisive action. On the way back to the Cathedral, she had silently reassured herself, ¡°The contamination has been thoroughly cleansed, the contamination has been thoroughly cleansed, the contamination has been thoroughly cleansed¡­¡± ¡°` She was muttering these words all the way, and all the guardians walking with her were muttering these words as well! Not a single one of them felt there was anything amiss! Now, recalling that scene is terrifying and bizarre¡ªbeneath the deste night sky, a squad of the church¡¯s guards passed through the silent and deserted streets, each person continuously whispering the same sentence to themselves until they returned to the church. During this process, they still believed they were carrying out their duties normally: watching over the recently captured heretics, cleaning up the polluted ritual site, escorting the heretics back¡­ ¡°¡­Spectral me falling upon the soul means that physical cleansing through severing limbs is ineffective, what you get is merely deceptive sce¡ªthe correct procedure is to immediately light spices, scatter holy oil on the ground to arrange a temporary sanctified area, then call upon the Goddess¡¯s power with a prayer ritual, to execute the cleansing of the ¡®spiritual body.¡¯ ¡°¡­This is my fault,¡± said Fana, her voice heavy, ¡°I should have been more vignt, more alert.¡± ¡°It is apse, but not a mistake,¡± the elderly man shook his head, ¡°you possess great power, but as a Judge you are still a littlecking in experience. Fortunately, you have now rid yourself of the influence, indicating that the ¡®corrosion¡¯ left on that offering wasn¡¯t very strong, it merely caused you psychological interference¡­ Through the incense ritual just now, I was able to roughly determine its intensity.¡± He paused here, as if weighing and judging something: ¡°The guardians who acted with you should have been less affected, they were just standing around you, and their influence should quickly diminish with prayers in the church. ¡°On the whole, although the pollution you were subjected to was sinister and eerie, because the source has been severed, the subsequent effects aren¡¯t dreadful. Based on your performance just now and the feedback from the incense, even if you didn¡¯te here today, you would have realized something was wrong in a few days. ¡°Compared to this, what we need to worry about more is the future.¡± ¡°The future¡­¡± Fana repeated the Bishop¡¯sst word, her expression gradually bing serious. Yes, the future¡ªthe matter has not yet concluded. The vision heralded by the premonitory dream was a warning sent down by the Goddess¡ªthe experiences she had encountered so far were perhaps just the prelude to a storm. ¡°The Homeloss has not appeared within the boundary of civilization for many years now, and many believe it has returned to Subspace, bing one amongst the many shadows in the deepest reaches of the world, but it now seems that Captain Duncan¡¯s attachment to the real world remains.¡± Bishop Valentin said slowly, while he turned around to gaze upon the Storm Goddess¡¯s holy image. ¡°A century ago, the Homeloss plunged into the depths of the Subspace. Although there is no definite evidence, many witness reports have mentioned that there was a great storm lingering in the nearby Endless Sea at the time, the ship¡¯s fall was, to an extent, influenced by the storm¡­ ¡°Storms are the dominion of our Lord.¡± Fana frowned, ¡°You think Captain Duncan seeks¡­ vengeance against the deity?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡ªregardless of a ghost returning from Subspace, imagining one seeking revenge on a deity is inconceivable. Deities reside in their divine realms, divine realms hidden above reality, and all things in the world fall downwards from the higher nes, never have I heard of anyone who could travel upwards to the ¡®divine realms¡¯ beyond reality¡­ ¡°But if Captain Duncan seeks to exact revenge on the Lord¡¯s representatives on earth¡­ the possibility is much higher. ¡°The sacred Storm Cathedral patrols the world for the Lord over the Endless Sea, most of the time sailing on secret routes, invisible to all, and inparison¡­ Plunder City-State is thergest anchor point of faith for the Storm Goddess in the world besides the Storm Cathedral¡­ it is also an anchor point of faith that anyone can visit. ¡°From this perspective, it¡¯s quite logical for that vengeful spirit to choose Plunder to makendfall.¡± ¡°` Chapter 49: Two Approaching Storm Clouds Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Two Approaching Storm Clouds ¡°` The gods reside in a divine realm far removed from the reality of the mortal world. People believe this special dimension is the cornerstone of the world. Unlikemon knowledge, this ¡°cornerstone¡± is not at the bottom but rather at the apex of all dimensions. The ancient texts of the Ancient Crete Kingdom describe the world structure they understood as follows: At the very top lies the world cornerstone, guarded by eternal truth and order. Within the cornerstone exists the divine realm, perpetually self-sustaining; Descending from the divine realm is the reality where mortal beings reside, who bask in the afterglow of order and thrive in the rtively stable and bountiful reality; Descending from reality is the Spirit Realm, which strays from humanprehension. In this realm, the blessings of the gods diminish while twisted and bizarre powers begin to prevail; Descending from the Spirit Realm is the Mysterious Deep Sea, wholly unsuitable for life and dominated by strange forces. It can hardly be considered part of the material world and more like a reflection of nothingness; Passing through the Mysterious Deep Sea is the very bottom of the world¡ªthe depths of Subspace, where ancient gods of extreme danger and all sorts of malevolent entities reside in their true forms. In the ounts of the Ancient Crete Kingdom, the gods established a covenant within the cornerstone. This covenant is the source and standard of allws of the world. This order cascades downward, defining thews that govern the world, permeating all things mortal, and as the ¡°depth¡± increases, the power of order weakens and is gradually overshadowed by Subspace. The ¡°cornerstone¡± where the gods reside and Subspace are like two endpoints of the world, with ¡°order¡± flowing unidirectionally between them. This ancient gift to humanity was inaugurated by a brilliant civilization in the Deep Sea age 10,000 years ago. Throughout the long years, countless schrs have exhaustively studied this yered structure¡± and have found no fault in this model. Today, it has be the universally epted ¡°World Standard Model¡±. In this standard model, mortals from the dust of the earth may fall into deeper ces but seldom can anyone return from the ¡°deeperyers¡± to the ¡°shallowyers¡±. Even if there are asional lucky ones who return from the Spirit Realm to reality, no one has ever heard of an existence so bold as to reach the divine ¡°cornerstone¡± dimension from reality. It is for this reason that the return of Homeloss from Subspace to reality has be the most preposterous anomaly in this world¡ªit contradicts themon understanding of the World Standard Model. On the other hand, the existence of Homeloss does conform to the ssic statement concerning abnormalities and anomalies: ¡°The Permanent Misalignment Law of Anomalies and Phenomena¡±. No matter what though, Bishop Valentin and Fanna do not believe that the Ghost Ship¡¯s captain has the ability to seek revenge against the Storm Goddess¡ªeven if he had the will, he couldn¡¯t aplish such a deed. For the ¡°cornerstone¡± and the real world are discontinuous; unlike the continuous falling and material interchange between reality and the Spirit Realm, and between the Spirit Realm and the Mysterious Deep Sea, so far no schr has found direct evidence of a connection between the ¡°cornerstone¡± and the real world. Not even the deities can descend their influence directly, resorting only to methods like projection and edicts. How could a Ghost Ship possibly counterattack the divine realm? Since vengeance cannot be had directly on the Storm Goddess herself, the remaining choice is naturally her followers in the mortal world. The Storm Cathedral, headquarters of the Deep Sea Church, is a ¡°Pilgrimage Ark¡± that sails hidden upon the Endless Sea,ing and going without trace. The Pope who sits upon the ark wields the power tomand storms on behalf of the Lord. He is not an easy target. Thus, the Plunder City-State, with its fixed location on the sea, visible target, and openness to outsiders, inevitably became the better choice: eighty percent of the inhabitants within the city-state are followers of the Storm Goddess. Fanna had already concluded that the Ghost Ship¡¯s captain hade for revenge¡ªafter all, it was a storm that plunged Homeloss into Subspace a hundred years ago, and she could think of no other reason that could exin why, after disappearing for so many years, Homeloss suddenly returned to the realm of reality and targeted the Plunder City-State. But what exactly does the Ghost Ship¡¯s captain intend to do? Fanna furrowed her brows, deep in thought, and slowly spoke, ¡°Bishop Valentin, do you think¡­ Homeloss has something to do with the recent activities of the Sun Believers in the city-state?¡± After pausing, she added, ¡°Last night in my Dreamscape, I saw a burning sun and Homeloss both appear in Plunder. The simultaneous arrival of both disasters might be a premonition given to me by the Goddess¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t forget, in the underground sacrificial site, that corrupted ¡®offering¡¯ killed the priest of the ck Sun, which was a ¡®messenger¡¯ who had received baptism,¡± the bishop shook his head, ¡°At least at that sacrificial site, the standing of Homeloss seems to be in opposition to the ck Sun.¡± ¡°` Vanna remained silent for a moment, lost in thought upon listening to the bishop¡¯s words. The old man opposite her spoke again after a brief silence, ¡°About those worshipers of the ck Sun, this morning I indeed received some intelligence from the Rensa City-State¡­¡± Vanna immediately lifted her head, ¡°Intelligence?¡± ¡°The Sun Heretics are not only rekindling in Plunder but have been making moves in many City-States. Recently, arge group of Sun Heretics have been passing through Rensa and Moco ports, converging towards Plunder. Some were caught,¡± the elderly bishop nodded, ¡°During the interrogation, those heretics mentioned ¡®Sun Shard¡¯.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Sun Shard¡­ the remnants peeled off after the disintegration of the ¡®True Sun God¡¯ mentioned by the heretics?¡± Vanna suddenly caught on, ¡°They think there is a piece of Sun Shard hidden in Plunder?¡± ¡°It seems to be the case for now. I don¡¯t know where those heretics got their information, or even if it was a ¡®revtion¡¯ they received in their madness. In any case, they are now convinced that a fragment of their ¡®master¡¯ is hidden in this city,¡± Bishop Valentin said with a calm expression, ¡°and they see this as the hope for the revival of the ck Sun.¡± ¡°¡­Crazy bunch,¡± Vanna couldn¡¯t help but curse softly, ¡°For the resurrection of that dark, sphemous Sun, how many lives have they imed!¡± ¡°We call it the ck Sun, but to them, their Sun God shines brightly, embodying the most genuine order¡ªyou can¡¯t expect those deranged heretics to have any conscience while they¡¯re stained with blood,¡± Valentin shook his head, ¡°They firmly believe what they say and do is just. Dealing with them, there are only twonguages that work best, one is caliber, and the other is weight.¡± Upon hearing the bishop¡¯s remarks, which had a touch of the Deep Sea Church about them, Vanna¡¯s mouth twitched involuntarily, ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to be busy.¡± ¡°The Endless Sea is never calm, and the City-State lies within the Endless Sea,¡± Valentin said, ¡°Captains have to face the storms at sea, we have to face the storms brought by the folly of the mortal world. Judge, be prepared. The Plunder City-State may be about to face a challenge.¡± ¡°Two challenges,¡± Vanna corrected seriously, ¡°In addition to the followers of the ck Sun, there¡¯s also a mysterious and terrifying Ghost Ship captain¡ªif Homeloss and the ck Sun aren¡¯t allies, then our problems just doubled.¡± Bishop Valentin pondered briefly, ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s another possibility¡ªbased on the situation at the sacrificial site in the sewers, Homeloss might end up fighting with the followers of the ck Sun?¡± ¡°¡­Then two problems would merge into one earth-shattering trouble, Bishop Valentin,¡± Vanna said, looking at the old man who had clearly started to think divergently, ¡°A Ghost Ship returning from the Subspace and a group of heretics fighting over a Sun Shard in the Plunder City-State, possibly apanied by a descent of the dark Sun. I can¡¯t think of a worse scenario.¡± Valentin sighed and had to concede Vanna was right. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll first work with the public safety officers to capture those Sun Heretics infiltrating the City-State, and eliminate the threat of the ck Sun before the situation esctes. That¡¯s the more achievable goal,¡± Vanna said. Once she had lifted the spiritual interference of Homeloss on herself and entered a field of her expertise, her thinking was clearly more active, ¡°As for that Ghost Ship¡­ we have no knowledge of its next move; we can only do our best to monitor the Spirit Realm and the surrounding seas of the City-State¡­¡± Speaking of which, the young Judge couldn¡¯t help but shake her head, her expression stern and helpless, ¡°Damn it, who knows what a ghostly captain might do next¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°I think I want some more ketchup¡­¡± Duncan gestured to Nina across the dining table, ¡°Just pass it here, I¡¯ll add it myself.¡± Nina immediately handed over the ketchup, ¡°Here you go, Uncle Duncan.¡± It was now noon, and Duncan and Nina were enjoying their lunch in the small kitchen on the second floor. The food from the antique shop was simple¡ªa local Plunder specialty of savory pancakes, served with ketchup or spicy sauce, along with a vegetable soup¡ªnot particrly gourmet, but both Duncan and Nina relished their meal. It had been a long time since Duncan had enjoyed such a regr lunch, and Nina too had not had a normal lunch like this in a while. Duncan was beginning to like this ce. Chapter 50 - 50 The Public Vision Chapter 50: Chapter 50 The Public Vision After lunch, Duncan watched as Nina cleared the table. He had intended to help with the dishes, but was forcibly stopped by her im that ¡°the doctor said Uncle shouldn¡¯t be in contact with cold water due to his poor health¡±, so he could only lean near the staircase, reading the morning paper while watching the girl bustling in the kitchen. This scene, so reminiscent of the daily life in an ordinary household, gave him an oddly strange feeling. Just then, Nina¡¯s voice came from the kitchen, ¡°Uncle Duncan, is there any news in the paper?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Duncan nced down at the newspaper, first noticing the date ¡°August 14th of the City-State Calendar, year 1900¡±, and then the news about the Church¡¯s Judge leading a team to arrest dozens of Heretics: on the entire front page of the paper, this was probably the most significant headline. ¡°It says here the Judge led a team to capture dozens of Sun Heretics,¡± he said casually, ¡°and it mentions that this is thergest heretic congregation the Church has cracked down on in nearly four years. There¡¯s also a bit about reminding the citizens to be cautious at night and to identify any heretical beliefs among their associates.¡± ¡°Ah, I heard about that on my way here too!¡± Nina efficiently ced the cleaned dishes in the cupboard, ¡°It¡¯s scary, I remember my teacher saying that those who worship the Sun even sacrifice living people to the Sun God¡­ who would be so crazy as to believe in such a cult?¡± Duncan suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say because whatever he said felt too delicate¡ªfor should he mention that he had recently had a full experience of being a sacrifice on the altar, or should he admit that his niece¡¯s uncle was such a crazy Heretic? However, one thing was clear from Nina¡¯s reaction; she obviously didn¡¯t know her ¡°uncle¡± was a Sun Heretic¡ªshe even held the normal values of ordinary people, thinking that the living sacrifices to the Sun God were terrible. In her eyes, ¡°Uncle¡± was just a bit of a hot-tempered man due to illness, someone who drank a bit too much and had some ¡°weird friends¡±. The body he now inhabited may have once belonged to a thoroughly blood-stained man, but at the least, he had truly raised Nina to this day, and so far, had kept the girl away from the faith of the Sun God. Maybe one day in the future, a Heretic named ¡°Ron¡± would indeed degenerate to thest step and drag thest of his kin into the endless Abyss, but at least until today, that had not happened. And it would not happen in the future either. ¡°Uncle? Why have you suddenly gone quiet?¡± Nina was curious about the silence behind her, and she turned her head to look at him with concern, ¡°Feeling unwell again?¡± ¡°No, just a bit distracted,¡± Duncan came to his senses and shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re right, it is indeed a heinous act¡­ The paper also mentioned that citizens should be vignt and promptly report any heretical activities around them. During this time, you should also try not to wander ces other than school and home.¡± Nina nodded, but then let out an ¡°ah¡± of hesitation, her face showing a somewhat reluctant expression, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve made ns with ssmates to visit the museum in a couple of days¡­¡± ¡°The museum?¡± Duncan asked casually, ¡°Which museum?¡± ¡°The one near our school, by the edge of the Upper City District¡ªthe Ocean Museum,¡± Nina exined, ¡°I heard they recently have an exhibit on offshore mineral samples¡­ is that alright?¡± ¡°If you want to go, then go,¡± Duncan thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°With church guardians and City-Statew enforcement patrolling everywhere, those Heretics wouldn¡¯t dare to be so bold as to make a move these couple of days.¡± Nina happily nodded, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Are you going back to school this afternoon?¡± Duncan asked again. ¡°Yes, I have history ss in the afternoon. I wouldn¡¯t want to miss Mr. Morris¡¯s lecture,¡± Nina nodded, ¡°He¡¯s quite famous in the field of history¡­ But it¡¯s strange, why would a well-known teacher like him not teach at the university in the Upper City District bute to our public school in the Lower City District? Half the ss doesn¡¯t like history; they just sleep through his lectures¡­¡± Duncan shook his head frankly, ¡°How would I know?¡± Joke aside, he barely knew Nina, let alone the Mr. Morris that taught history¡ªhe would need to dig through several hours of memories just to figure out where the public school Nina attended was located¡­ And even if the original owner of this body did know something about his niece¡¯s current situation, it probably wasn¡¯t much¡ªby the time Duncan took over his life, he had clearly been mired in the heretical faith of the Sun for far too long and too deep. Since Nina had ss in the afternoon, she didn¡¯t stay in the antique shop long after lunch. She hurriedly gathered her things, grabbed her textbook that she¡¯d left at home, and the girl dashed out of the house¡ªthere was nearly an hour¡¯s journey from the antique shop to the public school in the Lower City District, and she couldn¡¯t afford to waste a minute if she wanted to avoid beingte for Mr. Morris¡¯s ss. Of course, the city had public transportation, and even in the rtively backward Lower City District, steam-powered trams and trackless buses would pass through the streets, but these required a fare of four to six pesos. Nina smiled and told Duncan that running more often is good for health. If she had a bicycle, her journey to school would be much easier¡ªDuncan had seen people riding these vehicles on the streets of the Lower City District. In a society that had developed steam machinery, industrial products like bicycles weren¡¯t so expensive that ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford them, but to the residents of the Lower City District, they were certainly not cheap. A most ordinary bicycle might require half to a full month¡¯s living expenses for a family of three¡­ It was indeed a burden. Duncan didn¡¯t know where the identity he currently upied would take him in the future, but watching Nina jog away and disappear around the corner of the street, he always felt¡­ that if he could afford it, he should probably be kinder to this girl. Even if it were just for the vegetable soup and salty pancakes from earlier. Moreover, she was a diligent and studious student. Perhaps he should seriously consider ways to make money in this ¡°civilized City-State.¡± With all sorts of thoughts whirling in his mind, he put down the newspaper in his hands and slowly walked to the end of the second-floor corridor, and after opening the narrow window, he gazed out, somewhat absent-mindedly, at the city streets bathed in sunlight. In this world, ¡°anomalies¡± and ¡°phenomena¡± had long been part of the civilization process, apanying its development. Neither the authorities nor the Church hid the matters of the Transcendent realm from the public. Even a schoolgirl like Nina could directly learn about anomalies and phenomena from her textbooks. She even knew about the ssification standard for anomalies and phenomena left by the Ancient Crete Kingdom and still in use today; she also knew a portion of those anomalies and phenomena that had their patterns explored and were publicly codenamed and identified. Yes, this part of the knowledge was even open to the entire society¡ªalthough not all of it. The authorities of each City-State and the Church both recognized a list; on this list, the most famous or dangerous anomalies and phenomena had their own special codes. These codes were not permanently unchanging; under special circumstances, some anomalies and phenomena might be eliminated or undergo Transformation, and their codes might be transferred or be vacant. But no matter how they changed, one thing was certain: Anomalies and phenomena that possessed a unique code and name were definitely either especially dangerous or powerful. The authorities publicized part of the list of anomalies and phenomena to ensure that every citizen was aware of these specific dangers so that everyone had the basic knowledge to protect themselves. On the other hand¡­ it was because some anomalies and phenomena were just too close to people¡¯s daily lives. These things had even permeated every corner of ordinary people¡¯s lives and every link in society¡¯s functioning. People could see them at any time; there was no way to hide them, nor was there a need to. Duncan raised his head and silently observed the sky. Phenomenon 001, Sun God. The massive celestial body traversing the sky, the great phenomenon that dominated the heavens during the Endless Sea era, was born on the morning of the second day after the copse of the Ancient Crete Kingdom. Influence range¡ªworldwide, units affected¡ªunlimited, self-operating and moving, beyond human interference, fitting the definition of a phenomenon. Historical records state that on the day the ancient kingdom fell, the seas raged, City-State crumbled, and the first dynasty¡¯s members nobly met their deaths in the dark, their blood saturating the ocean. Consequently, Phenomenon 001 rose from the sea, and since then, there was peaceful daylight over the Endless Sea. The Ancient Crete Kingdom, the first City-State civilization established by the survivors after the beginning of the Endless Sea era,sted a mere century but left countless legacies that still benefit the world today. The word ¡°Crete¡± in ancientnguage means ¡°eternal night.¡± That was a century-long night. All of this was written in Nina¡¯s history textbook. Chapter 51: Dual-Line Operation Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Dual-Line Operation This world had experienced astonishing historical changes. With the ¡°Great Annihtion¡± as a midpoint, the entire world¡ªeven fundamental principles¡ªunderwent a momentous upheaval, such that the era of the deep sea after the Great Annihtion and the Order Era before it could almost be considered two entirely different ¡°worlds.¡± But even so, there were still people who persistently organized the historical materials passed down since the Great Annihtion, attempting to extract the true appearance of history from the fragmented and even contradictory archives of various city-states. Unfortunately, perhaps because the session had been too thoroughly severed, or possibly because the contradictions in the city-states¡¯ records were too chaotic, to this day, people had not been able to find a moreplete and credible ount of history prior to the Great Annihtion. No one knew what the world during the Order Era really looked like. But fortunately, the world since the ancient Crete Kingdom had a rtively clear historical session left behind¡ªdespite the rise and fall, separation, and reunification of city-states on the Endless Sea, at least the continuity of civilization itself had never ceased. Memories of the ancient kingdom were preserved in books, carved into megaliths, or passed down from generation to generation in ancient, secretive families, and associations. Though much was scattered, some threads remained. And schrs believed that the reason why the civilization of the Deep Sea Era had extended to the present day under extremely adverse conditions wasrgely thanks to that miracle illuminating the world: The phenomenon 001, the Sun. This was thergest and most powerful phenomenon currently known to mankind¡ªin fact, because its scale was so immense and its existence so ¡°natural,¡± many schrs were debating whether the Sun was a phenomenon or a natural urrence. However, the initial batch of chroniclers after the destruction of the Ancient Crete Kingdom, who were survivors of the ancient kingdom, referred to it as Phenomenon 001. This ancient designation had thus been passed down and remained unchanged to this day. Clearly, not all phenomena were terrifying and harmful. Phenomenon 001 brought safety for half the time to this world. During the daylight illuminated by the Sun, the pollution from the deeperyers of the world was almost entirely suppressed below the sea level, and it was this consistent daylight that made the development of various city-state civilizations possible to this day. ording to the records left by the Ancient Crete Kingdom, after the onset of the Deep Sea Era and before the appearance of Phenomenon 001, an entire century passed in which the world was shrouded in night¡ªthe dim, cool glow of the Creation of the World illuminated the Endless Sea for a hundred years. Therefore, the people of the ancient kingdom would call their nation ¡°Evernight,¡± even using it to refer to their own era of existence. Duncan stood before the narrow window, thoughtfully looking at the world bathed in sunshine. What was the world like before the Great Annihtion? Before the dreadful century of perpetual night arrived, had the Sun ever shone upon everything in this world? It must have, for regardless of how much contradiction and gaps there were in the ancient records of different city-states, there was one point they all shared: the Order Era was a time of light, safety, and prosperity. But regardless, that prosperous and bright era was gone, and today¡¯s Endless Sea was illuminated by Phenomenon 001. Everyone knew this and was grateful for the daylight it brought. Thus, in such an era, the group that worshipped the ancient ¡°True Sun¡± and even used it to attack the current Sun in the sky, calling it a ¡°false sun,¡± appeared particrly paranoid and twisted, uneptable to the public. Their attack was not just on the Sun in the sky; they were attacking the support on which human civilization struggled to survive in the Deep Sea Era to this day. Yet Duncan knew that the Sun worshipped by the heretics¡­ was very likely the true appearance of the Sun that had existed before the Great Annihtion. In some way, the heretics possessed a piece of the true history¡ªunfortunately, that true history had be the source of their distortion in this era. Duncan didn¡¯t believe the grand vision of the heretics could be realized, nor did he believe that they could really fabricate a burning fusion star through human sacrifices. The distorted state of this world far exceeded imagination. The current appearance of the Deep Sea Era could not simply be exined by the loss of a ster body. After all, not even a single star was present in this night sky. Duncan returned to his room, closed the door, and beckoned to the cab next to him, calling down Ai Yi, who was sharpening its beak on top of it. The pigeonnded on his shoulder and cocked its head, ¡°Who is summoning the fleet?¡± Duncan ignored the bird, instead walked to the bed, and found the Sun Emblem he had previously hidden in the corner of the bedding. Then, after giving it some thought, he approached the cab, opened the door and found the drawer with the strong liquor, taking out two bottles. There seemed to be something stuck on the liquor bottles; Duncan curiously turned the bottles to see a small note affixed, with Nina¡¯s handwriting: ¡°Drink less.¡± The note seemed to have been ced there a long time ago. Every bottle had one, and none had ever had any effect. Duncan smiled, closed the drawer and cab, took two bottles of wine and the Sun Emblem back to the bed, and prodded Ai Yi to make sure it saw what he was holding. ¡°If possible, try to bring them to the Homeloss.¡± The pigeon immediately pped its wings, letting out a proud coo, ¡°Honey, express delivery is on me!¡± Duncan nodded, theny down in afortable position, beginning his preparations for the shuttle. He had been away from the Homeloss for too long, and even though the ship wouldn¡¯t run into any troubles without him watching, the captain couldn¡¯t just keep himself locked up in his room forever. Nina had sses at school in the afternoon and some other matters to attend to after that; she would be busy untilte, so Duncan had already discussed with her to stay one more night at the school dormitory ande back after school the next afternoon. During this time, Duncan nned to investigate the details of Spirit Realm travel and, ording to his previous concept, test whether he could control the movements of both bodies withoutpletely cutting off the soul projection. Based on his perception of the Homeloss from ¡°this side,¡± this should be feasible. When upying this ¡°fresh¡± body, the connection between himself and the physical Homeloss was clearly much stronger and more stable, giving him both confidence and inspiration. With his thoughts slowly settling down, Duncan exhaled lightly, a faint green me ignited on his shoulder, crackling and popping as Ai Yi, in an instant, turned into the form of a spectral bird, with its brass Compass popping open at the chest. Boundless darkness, glowing lines, twinkling stars¡ªthe familiar tide of sensations rushed in, and the path back to the Homeloss was the brightest ¡°aine¡± in this dark expanse. Duncan¡¯s consciousness surged along this aine, and in the blink of an eye, he felt his main consciousness waking up in the captain¡¯s quarters of the Homeloss. But before fully leaving that dark space, he forcefully executed a ¡°brake¡± by leveraging his control over the spiritual fire and his soul, attempting to maintain the connection with that ¡°antique shop¡±¡­ Inside the captain¡¯s quarters of the Homeloss, Duncan slowly opened his eyes. He looked down at his hands, then around the room, seeing familiar furnishings and hearing the familiar sound of waves. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He slowly rose from the chair, and deep within his consciousness, the sensation of another body came through clearly! A smile gradually spread across Duncan¡¯s face as he began, ording to his understanding, to try and sense and control his other body located in the antique shop through that distant connection. He tried several times. In the antique shop upstairs in Plunder City-State, the shopkeeper lying quietly on the bed suddenly opened his eyes! The next second, that body lying on the bed started moving its head in a stiff manner, observing the room like a zombie from left to right, then slowly moved its hands and feet as if forcing a rusted machine to function, initiating movement in its limbs. If a stranger had witnessed this scene, they probably would have panicked and gone to the nearest peacekeeper to report that someone had been possessed by an evil spirit. Looking at it from another angle, perhaps such a report wouldn¡¯t be entirely wrong? Inside the Homeloss captain¡¯s chamber, Duncan entertained these bizarre thoughts while clumsily ¡°remote viewing¡± and controlling that body to move. It was difficult; to direct physical movement from a remote connection without the consciousness being inside the body was harder than teaching a novice to manipte a puppet with twenty-eight joints. But after several attempts, he sessfully got the body located in Plunder City-State to sit up from the bed! The next second, the imagery transmitted telepathically to his mind suddenly spun wildly. The body had copsed onto the floor¡­ Duncan sighed, ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯ve got a long way to go in practice.¡± (Book rmendation time! The book is titled ¡°I Kidnapped the Timeline,¡± by Cut Cut Cut. It¡¯s a sci-fi genre novel about rewriting timelines to avoid an apocalyptic future! Check it out if you¡¯re interested~) Chapter 52 - 52 The Captain is Not at Home Chapter 52: Chapter 52 The Captain is Not at Home One will, paying attention to two perspectives, controlling two bodies, doingpletely different things¡ªthis was a quite novel experience for Duncan. It was also an extremely difficult challenge. He believed that he could no longer be considered an ordinary person, but even so, it was not easy to control two bodies without any burden. He worked hard to get used to this multitasking sensation and after a lot of effort, he barely managed to get the body in the antique shop back to bed, continuing to y dead. However, based on the feedback from the depths of his consciousness, he believed that he would eventually be able to master this multitasking skill¡ªit just required a lengthy period of familiarization and training. After settling the body in the antique shop properly and leaving some attention there, Duncan finally let out a sigh of relief. Ensuring a connection with the ¡°remote body¡± immediately after ending his walk in the Spirit Realm was the most crucial matter, directly rted to whether his hard-won foothold in the civilized world could be used for a long time, and having managed this task, he felt much more at ease and had the energy to pay attention to other things. Just then, the sound of pping wings came from beside him. The pigeon Ai Yi ran to Duncan in two or three steps. The bird stood tall, its eyes and tone filled with thick pride, ¡°Transmission sessful!¡± Duncan¡¯s gaze passed over the pigeon and fell on the table behind it. A pale golden Sun Emblem and two bottles of strong liquor were quietly sitting there. A smile slowly emerged on Duncan¡¯s face and then it became more and more radiant. Viable! It was possible for this pigeon to carry ¡°goods¡± during its travels in the Spirit Realm! And it was not limited to Transcendent items; it could also transport ordinary items! With a satisfied smile, he stood up and took a few items from the table, first checking the Sun Emblem to confirm that faint power was still circting within this Transcendent artifact, which had beenpletely seized and transformed by his Spiritual Body¡¯s me. Then he picked up one of the bottles of liquor, uncapped it and brought it to his nose, the strong aroma of alcohol immediately hit him. Duncan nced down at Ai Yi, who had begun strutting proudly on the table. Efficient, high-quality, and with free shipping¡ªhe was starting to like this prattling pigeon. The pigeon immediately noticed its ¡°owner¡¯s¡± gaze and quickly ran to Duncan¡¯s side, pecking at the table with its beak, loudly demanding, ¡°Some fries! Some fries!¡± ¡°There are no fries on the ship for the moment, but I think that won¡¯t be a problem soon,¡± Duncan said cheerfully, grabbing the pigeon and holding it in his hand, eye to eye with its mung bean-sized eyes, ¡°I just don¡¯t know what the limit is for each material transmission you perform, whether it¡¯s limited to inanimate objects, and whether there is a risk of ¡®lost packages¡¯¡­ We¡¯ll need to test this several more times¡­¡± The pigeon pondered for a moment, its neck craning, ¡°Lost packages? Oh, the page is gone¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m worried about; your name always makes me feel it¡¯s not quite reliable,¡± Duncan¡¯s thoughts diverged for a moment. The fact that the pigeon had sessfully transported more items to the Homeloss made him very excited. It led him to think of more viable trials, not just limited to shipping supplies to the ship. However, the pigeon¡¯s erratic intelligence and faulty logic always prevented him from lowering his guard. After much thought, he still felt multiple tests were necessary before establishing a ¡°supply line¡± between the Homeloss andnd. With a n in mind for his next steps, Duncan finally got up from his chair, walking toward the door to the chart room, but he stopped after only two steps. He moved the joints of his body around on the spot and stretched out his limbs, feeling the sensation in his extremities. Agile, strong, with no sense of fatigue or dy, as though he had only been sitting at the desk for a short while. Yet he was well aware that he had ¡°left¡± the Homeloss for over a day; while walking in the Spirit Realm, his body was left sitting at the captain¡¯s desk, maintaining that posture the whole time. Duncan paid close attention to the condition of his limbs. With the precise grasp of his own body¡¯s condition, he was nearly certain that this body had maintained exactly the state it was in the moment he left for the Spirit Realm, as if¡­ at the moment his consciousness left, the body had fallen into some sort of ¡°stasis.¡± Is this also part of ¡°Captain Duncan¡¯s¡± special powers? Or is it because I am actually half a ghost now, so I feel tireless like a ghost? He pondered curiously but waspletely clueless. He had begun to understand the history of this world, the rise and fall of the City-States, but he couldn¡¯t unravel the secrets of his own body. However, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad thing, his body didn¡¯t require much ¡°maintenance,¡± which meant he could morefortably allocate some of his energy elsewhere. Duncan was someone who could let things go easily, or rather, he was skilled at setting aside puzzles he couldn¡¯t solve at the moment. Once he had reconciled this in his mind, he went to the door and pushed open the door to the chart room. Captain Duncan was back. The oak door creaked softly, breaking the silence of the chart room. The next second, the wooden carved goat head at the edge of the navigation table suddenly made a crackling sound. The piece of wood quickly turned its head towards the source of the sound, and under its hollow gaze, it slowly began, ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Duncan Ebnomal,¡± Duncan nced at the goat head, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Ah! The great Captain Duncan has returned to his loyal Homeloss! Sorry, Captain, your journey through the Spirit Realm was a bit longer this time, so I need to reconfirm¡­ after all, these are the rules you set. How do you feel? Mood? Body? How was this lengthy journey through the Spirit Realm? Did you find anything interesting? Would you like to share with your loyal first mate and others as omitted below about this journey? Did you notice I just used ¡®as omitted below¡¯? Miss Alice said this makes conversation more concise, you might prefer it more concise like this¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, your idea of being concise is lost in all that nonsense at the end,¡± Duncan nced at the noisy creature, ¡°While I was away, did anything happen on the ship?¡± ¡°Ah, Captain Duncan¡¯s severity and humor are as consistent as ever, you¡¯re correct¡ªthe ship is all normal, your loyal as omitted below perfectlypleted the steering task you entrusted. Also, Miss Alice came by twice, but it was nothing major, once she was fighting with the ropes, and another time with the anchor chain¡­¡± Duncan was about to move through the chart room to check on the deck, but he paused when he heard the goat head¡¯s words. He was puzzled, ¡°Why was she fighting with the ropes and anchor chain?¡± While he was wandering the Spirit Realm, he could sense what was happening on the Homeloss, but he didn¡¯t pay too much attention, only vaguely sensing Alice wandering around the ship ¡°exploring¡±¡­ How could she have such a lively time on the ship while he was away? N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Oh, actually Miss Alice meant well,¡± the goat head quickly answered, ¡°She felt it was bad to do nothing on the ship, so she wanted to find some work to do and went to organize the ropes and maintain the capstan¡ª but I forgot to tell her that the ropes are ticklish and the anchor chain needs a nap¡­¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you angry, Captain?¡± The goat head¡¯s sudden silence made it nervous, and it wiggled its wooden head back and forth, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal, and besides, a ship¡¯s new member always needs some time to blend in with the old sailors¡ªnow they have entered the ¡®fighting¡¯ stage, which means Miss Alice is fitting in with the crew quite fast. In fact, she¡¯s quite popr aboard the Homeloss, most of the¡­¡± The goat head was only halfway through its words when a series of urgent footsteps suddenly came from the deck outside. The door to the captain¡¯s quarters was then yanked open, and Alice rushed in, ¡°Mr. Goat Head, why do the cannonballs in the ammunition depot keep rolling around and not letting me¡­¡± Duncan looked at Alice in silence. Alice also noticed Duncan standing by the navigation table, and her whole body stiffened awkwardly as she faced him. ¡°Well, this is the third time,¡± the goat head on the navigation table let out a sigh, ¡°This time she was fighting with the cannonballs¡­ I admit, Miss Alice¡¯s blending process on the ship has been a tad too boisterous¡­¡± Alice shrank her neck (possibly reinforcing her joints) and looked nervously at the expressionless Duncan, ¡°Captain, you¡¯re back, huh¡­¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Duncan nodded, his face impassive, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve had a good time on the ship while I was away?¡± Alice: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 53 - 53 "Descendants Chapter 53: Chapter 53 ¡°Descendants During her ¡°departure¡± from the Homeloss, Alice¡¯s activity on the ship was slightly beyond Duncan¡¯s¡­ expectations. He had always thought the Gothic doll was a depiction of an elegant and proper youngdy¡ªthough she did headbang, surf, and trash talk, she was indeed graceful and quiet under normal circumstances. Careful about what she did on the ship, honest and dutiful in unfamiliar environments, and even just lying quietly like an ordinary doll in her box when she had nothing to do, projecting an image of being utterly harmless. But now, it seemed that she was only quiet when he was around? The suddenly somber atmosphere in the room made Alice feel a bit nervous, and she cautiously nced at the expressionless Duncan, ¡°Captain, you¡¯re not mad, are you? I can exin¡­¡± ¡°I know you were trying to help, just unsessfully,¡± Duncan nced at the doll and spoke with a hint of helplessness in his voice, ¡°but since you also know that many things on this ship are ¡®alive,¡¯ could you check with me or my first mate next time you want to do something?¡± Alice immediately nodded vigorously, loudly promising, ¡°Of course, Captain, no problem, Captain!¡± Then she quickly turned toward the goat head, muttering quietly, ¡°Is there such a thing as attempted helpfulness?¡± The goat head, unusually concise, replied, ¡°There is now.¡± ¡°Alright, if you really want to help, go check on the fish drying on the deck, or organize the storeroom in the kitchen, make some space. We might have a chance to replenish the food on the Homeloss in the future,¡± Duncan sighed, then said to Alice, ¡°Don¡¯t deal with the cannons below decks and the ammunition storage¡ªthey don¡¯t haveplete intelligence like the goat head, those dangerous things just react instinctively to external stimuli, and if the ammunition storage thinks it¡¯s been damaged or invaded, I can only use a broom and dustpan to save you.¡± Upon hearing this, Alice instantly shrank her neck and quickly agreed, turning to leave the captain¡¯s quarters. However, watching the doll leave, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but break into a faint smile. She was indeed a fascinating fellow¡ªthe slight chaos was inconsequential, and this lifeless Ghost Ship had really be lively thanks to her ups and downs. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re in a good mood, Captain,¡± came the voice of the goat head nearby, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re holding something in your hand¡­ what¡¯s that? Is it your gain from your travel to the Spirit Realm this time? Like that dagger fromst time?¡± Duncan nced at the Sun Emblem in his hand¡ªhe had left the strong liquor in his room and casually took the emblem with him, nning to study it when he was bored. ¡°It¡¯s a trophy,¡± he nodded, ¡°Just like the ceremonial dagger fromst time.¡± ¡°Oh! Worthy of the great Captain Duncan! You alwayse back full, and what¡¯s more, with such extraordinary items that clearly possess magical powers¡­ wait, isn¡¯t that a Sun Amulet?¡± ¡°You recognize this thing?¡± Duncan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Correct, a Sun Amulet. A few audacious heretics handed it to me¡ªit was hard to refuse.¡± ¡°I¡­ do know a bit¡­¡± The goat head seemed to be observing the emblem carefully, sounding a little hesitant, ¡°Those madmen who follow the ancient True Sun consider this object a Sacred Relic. They believe that by casting it in metal in the image of the True Sun and quenching it with human blood, they can infuse the Sun¡¯s power into the emblem, and through this method mass-produce Transcendent objects with modest power¡­ Such amulets are symbols of status among the higher-ranked Sun followers, and tools they use to recognize their brethren, distinguish believers from heretics¡­¡± ¡°Distinguishing believers from heretics, huh¡­ it does have that function,¡± Duncan realized, ¡°Although I personally feel it¡¯s not very useful.¡± ¡°What happened to those reckless heretics afterward?¡± The goat head hesitated as it spoke, ¡°They are often paranoid and ignorant lunatics. Even the most contemptible pirates are unwilling to deal with these fanatics chasing after ancient artifacts. If they dared to offend¡­¡± ¡°They are no longer in this world,¡± Duncan watched the change in tone of the goat head while controlling his own expression, ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have much liking for these self-titled ¡®Scions of the Sun¡¯ either?¡± After dealing with the mountain goat head for so long, Duncan had roughly figured out the odd ¡°first mate.¡± He was fairly certain that as long as he, ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± managed the ship well, the mountain goat head wouldn¡¯t cause any uncontroble incidents. On this basis, his courage when speaking with the other party had been gradually growing. Now, he could cautiously take the initiative to inquire about some information. ¡°Who would like those madmen who follow the ancient True Sun? The ¡®light¡¯ and ¡®order¡¯ they aspire to are no longer epted in this world,¡± the mountain goat head answered Duncan¡¯s questions as usual, ¡°Even Homeloss bathes in the sunlight of this era, and even the evil spirits wandering in the Mysterious Deep Sea would not prefer the ¡®sun¡¯ from before the age of the deep sea¡ªprobably only those heretics would think the resurrection of the True Sun is a good thing¡­¡± The mountain goat head paused here and then added with a hint of sentimentality, ¡°But then again, ny-nine percent of those heretics are just a bunch of brainwashed fools. They don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re following or worshipping. They regard the so-called ¡®Scions of the Sun¡¯ as prophets and saviors and pine for the ancient world described by these scions as if it were heaven. But in my view, the Scions of the Sun don¡¯t even consider those fervent believers as their people¡­ They are no different from the scions in the deep sea.¡± Scions of the Sun? What does that mean? And it sounds like there are also deep-sea scions? What on earth is that?! Duncan¡¯s mind raced, a whole new unfamiliar term pped across his face, bringing fresh confusion. He fiddled nonchntly with the Sun Emblem in his hand as if asking offhandedly, ¡°Scions of the Sun? I haven¡¯t encountered them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal; the Scions of the Sun dare not casually show their faces in the civilized world, not even if they disguise themselves as humans. The church¡¯s hounds could sniff out the scent of heresy from their shadows in a minute¡ªeven in the end, being ¡®scions¡¯ of sorts, as remnants of ancient relics, they should rightly stay hidden in history¡¯s gutters¡­ s, among all types of ¡®scions¡¯, only they would stir up such trouble.¡± Duncan suddenly realized the mountain goat head¡¯s asional babbling was actually quite beneficial¡ªalthough nine thousand out of its ten thousand words a day were nonsense, it could still blurt out useful information if he was lucky! Owing to not having fully grasped the mountain goat head¡¯s background, Duncan¡¯s ¡°probing¡± also had to be indirect; he dared not ask too overtly, but even with such indirect questioning, he quickly grasped many clues he hadn¡¯t been able to gather in Plunder City-State¡ª Scions appeared to be rather important intelligence; this world harbored creatures called ¡°scions,¡± and without exception, they were uneptable to the civilized world. The mountain goat head referred to them as ¡°remnants of ancient relics¡±; n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Although there was arge number of believers worshiping the True Sun God, it seemed that the vast majority were just insignificant pawns, ignorant, blindly following, and brainwashed ¡°madmen.¡± Within their ¡°church¡± hierarchy, there were members of a higher status, ruling ss¡­ the ones called ¡°Scions of the Sun¡±; These Scions of the Sun did not often show themselves in the civilized world. It seemed they had secret retreats unknown to the world and remotely influenced the Sun God¡¯s sects, covertly collecting offerings and energy; Lastly, and most importantly for the current Duncan, The mountain goat head held utter disdain for those heretics and the ¡°Scions of the Sun¡± behind them. This indicated that Homeloss, or rather ¡°the real Captain Duncan,¡± was not on the same side as those called ¡°scions¡±¡ªin fact, they were probably hostile factions. It seemed telling the mountain goat head about his interactions with the ¡°Sun¡¯s heretics¡± during his journey through the Spirit Realm was the right decision¡ªotherwise, who knows when he would have learned of this useful information. Such overly secretive knowledge wouldn¡¯t be found in Nina¡¯s textbooks. Duncan left the captain¡¯s quarters, holding the Sun Amulet thoughtfully as he walked on the deck of Homeloss. There were many types of scions, and based on the intelligence provided by the mountain goat head¡ªthat scions are remnants of ancient relics¡ªalong with the fact that the Sun Believers worship a True Sun from before the Great Obliteration, he had reasonable suspicion that these so-called scions might very well be products of the Great Obliteration, possibly dating back to the ¡°Era of Order¡± before the Great Obliteration urred. There were ¡°Scions of the Sun¡± above the sea level, and ¡°Scions of the Deep Sea¡± within it. Duncan found himself at the ship¡¯s railing, his curiosity piqued as he peered out at the enigmatic deep blue sea. In the sea¡­ turns out, there¡¯s more than just fish. Chapter 54 - 54 Underground Sanctuary Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Underground Sanctuary In the end, Duncan didn¡¯t figure out exactly what ¡°Scions¡± were. The goat-headed being was vague on this matter, and it seemed because it didn¡¯t know the details of these ancient beings that roamed the fringes of civilization either. As for Duncan, he could only summarize a concept from the limited clues¡ª Scions were the products of ancient times, and they harbored hatred for the modern world. They possessed weird and dangerous powers and stayed hidden and unassuming in the dark. Except for the Scions of the Sun, other ¡°Scions¡± rarely appeared in the civilized world but threatened the safety of explorers in the peripheral areas. And among all this information, there was one particrly intriguing point: The Scions of the Sun seemed capable of disguising themselves as humans¡ªonly the transcendents of the Church could distinguish disguised Scions of the Sun from ordinary people. Duncan thought of the recent changes in Plunder City-State and the ¡°Believers of the Sun¡± who, after staying low-key for so many years, had suddenly be active. Behind the heretics¡¯ high-profile activities¡­ were they under the orders of the ¡°Scions¡±? What were those ancient and weird beings plotting against Plunder City-State? Duncan stood on the edge of the deck of Homeloss, gazing for a long time at the undting sea below. There were Scions in the deep sea too, ancient beings different from the Scions of the Sun, ¡°they¡± threatened the safety of the long-haul fleets between City-States. Duncan was both wary and curious about these deep-sea creatures. He believed that although he had not dealt with these things, as long as the Homeloss still wandered the seas, sooner orter, he would encounter these weird creatures. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to make some extra preparations in advance. Whether gathering intelligence, further mastering his own powers, or unraveling the potential of Homeloss, he was nning for the future. Of course, he did not fear the hidden dangers of the deep sea¡ªafter all, he had been drifting on the boat for so long. He could guess there were many mysterious things in the deep sea. The Scions were just one of the countless weird threats. Too many lice do not itch, and too many debts are not worrisome. As the captain of Homeloss, he had a lot more to be vignt about here. He pondered on the deck for a long time and realized that what he should worry about most was whether the ¡°supply line¡± he had just recently secured would be affected¡ªwould those deep-sea Scions impact his fishing? Though the carrier pigeon Ai Yi had the ability to transport materials, its carrying capacity and reliability were still uncertain. Moreover, Plunder City-State was an orderly ce, and the supplies delivered to the ship had to be paid for, so the supply line might not be of use anytime soon. Considering the bountiful catch from thest fishing trip still fresh in his memory, Duncan was well aware that the improved living conditions aboard the Homeloss ultimately depended on nature¡¯s bounty. And now those ¡°Scions¡± had be a concern¡ªthey might affect nature¡¯s bounty. Duncan was somewhat worried; he only hoped that the ominous things in the sea wouldn¡¯t interfere with his fishing activities. ¡­ The bright gasmp shone brilliantly, dispelling the gloom of the church¡¯s underground facilities. The deep-sea runes carved into the lengthy corridors exuded aforting power. These runes, containing symbols of waves and coasts interlinked, seemed to sketch out an invisible gigantic, enveloping the entire underground structure of the building in a sacred and tranquil atmosphere. Fenna walked through the Underground Sanctuary of the church, this holy and silent ce calming her somewhat agitated mind. The Storm Goddess,manding the most powerful forces over the Endless Sea, was not only a symbol of the ferocious ¡°Storm.¡± This ancient deity also wielded the powers of tranquility and sealing. Just as the sea has two faces, calm and storm always coexisting harmoniously, the authority of the Goddess was the same¡ªthe Underground Sanctuary of the cathedral symbolized the ¡°Mirror of the Storm.¡± In this world, many deities have dual aspects or embody such dual characteristics. The god of death also governs vitality, and the god of wisdom also holds the authority over lunacy, foolishness, and madness. Ordinary people might not fully understand this aspect, but as a high-ranking church official, Fenna was very knowledgeable about it. She also knew that because of the dual nature of many deities, some extremely controversial and even heretical thoughts had arisen. Some schrs even believed that the entire world was dual in nature¡ªthat in some dimension, there existed a ¡°Land of Exhaustion,¡± aplete mirror image of the sea and drynd. It was an endless expanse of parched earth, with sparse rivers and oases scattered within the destion, and thatnd even possessed an intelligence civilization that was quite simr to the real world, reflecting its myriad creations¡­ These absurd spections, built entirely on conjecture, were of course not recognized, and even Bishop Valentin of the enlightened Plunder City-State scoffed upon hearing such theories. To use the old man¡¯s own words, the existence of a Subspace beneath this world was already headache-inducing enough without folk theologians adding more to it, right? Suddenly, Fenna shook her head, gathering back her uncontrolled thoughts. In the quiet of the Underground Sanctuary, it was all too easy for a person¡¯s thoughts to wander uncontrobly. This was due to the overly tranquil psychological suggestion brought by the ¡°Mirror Image of the Storm,¡± which maximized thefort provided by the Goddess¡¯s Shelter, weakening the psychological barriers of mortals to their utmost. This effect was intangible yet powerful, and even a well-trained Judge like herself was not immune. However, this special environment also had its uses. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om For example, making some fervent and mad Heretics speak. Fenna stopped at the end of the corridor of the Underground Sanctuary; here were several doors leading to various ¡°interrogation rooms,¡± and in the hallway between the doors stood a silent statue of the Storm Goddess. This statue differed from the one above in the church¡ªthe aboveground statue had open arms as if to ept the worship of all people, surrounded by an aura of infinite authority. Meanwhile, underground, the statue of the Goddess had hands sped in front of her, serene and gentle, as if it were a girl listening attentively. Regardless of which statue it was, both had their faces veiled in light gauze¡ªsymbolizing the inscrutability of the divine. This depiction with hands sped and listening was another pose of the Storm Goddess: the Girl of the Calm Sea. She suppressed the waters below the sea level, safeguarding the tranquility of the City-State¡¯s underground world. Fenna bowed before the statue of the Girl of the Calm Sea, then turned to push open the door of a nearby interrogation room. The sound of the turning door hinge broke the silence of the facility. As the door opened, a spacious yet dimly lit room appeared before Fenna. Arge table was ced in the center of the room; Ms. Heidi, dressed in a ck gown, was just rising from her seat at the table, and opposite, in a chair with restraining chains, sat a Sun Heretic, quiet and still. The heretic¡¯s eyes were lifeless, leaning crookedly against the armrest as though both reason and strength had been drained from his body, leaving only chaos behind. The room was still filled with the strong aroma of incense. Ms. Heidi¡¯s medical box on the table contained an emptyrge syringe, wriggling thorny vines, and a golden spike that seemed to still bear traces of blood. ¡°Oh, Lady Fenna, your timing is impable,¡± said Ms. Heidi, turning to greet her upon hearing the door. ¡°I have justpleted a ¡®treatment.''¡± Fenna¡¯s gaze swept over Ms. Heidi¡¯s medical box, her expression as stoic as ever, ¡°Honestly, I still find it hard to associate your set of tools with ¡®treatment¡¯¡­¡± ¡°This is standard equipment for a mental health physician¡­ Okay, I admit I use them more frequently than a regr doctor might,¡± Ms. Heidi said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°But what can I do if I¡¯m employed by the town hall and often assist the church as a ¡®Hypnotist¡¯? The ¡®patients¡¯ I deal with are never just normal patients, especially these Heretics. Rocking crystals and low-frequency swings are no match for a triple dose of ¡®Midnight Elixir.''¡± ¡°¡­I strongly suspect the reason you always inject Heretics with a triple dose is that your giant syringe can only hold a triple dose,¡± Fenna made a wryment to her familiar acquaintance before shaking her head. ¡°But that¡¯s not important. What matters is that you manage to pry open these people¡¯s mouths¡­ So tell me, what have you found?¡± ¡°A lot, and the findings are peculiar,¡± replied Ms. Heidi at once. ¡°I¡¯ve conducted deep hypnosis on several Heretics and employed some special techniques. Now I can almost confirm¡­ these Heretics who participated in the sacrificial ritual were likely not insane from a loss of control during the ritual¡­¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t go mad after the ritual went awry?¡± Fenna frowned immediately. Although after speaking with Bishop Valentin she knew theplexity of the case would exceed expectations, Heidi¡¯s words still took her by surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve searched through their memories and found that their thinking¡­or rather, their cognitive logic, was already disordered before the final failed ritual began. To be more precise, it seems like these Heretics were affected by some sort of¡­cognitive filter from before the start of the ritual, to the extent that in their memories¡­ Hmm? Lady Fenna, you don¡¯t seem too surprised?¡± Chapter 55: The Soup for Dinner Chapter 55: Chapter 55: The Soup for Dinner Fenna¡¯s expression, devoid of surprise, certainly did not fool Heidi, a ¡°mental therapist¡± who often coborated with the church. She immediately guessed something from the Judge¡¯s reaction. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she cautiously asked, ¡°It seems¡­ that there¡¯s a significant issue with this incident?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Fenna nodded. ¡°A significant issue indeed.¡± Thinking to herself, Heidi quickly spoke while packing up her medical kit, ¡°I¡¯m off tomorrow, and I might be for a while¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Heidi, you may have already been linked to this case,¡± Fenna nced at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but everyone present at the scene, including myself, was once exposed to some form of cognitive pollution. The mental issues you¡¯ve seen in these heretics happened to all of us too, only¡­ thanks to the Goddess¡¯s blessing, the contamination wasn¡¯t deep, so now we¡¯ve ¡®awakened.''¡± ¡°Damn, I knew this job would lead to something like this,¡± Heidi said, stopping her packing. She touched her forehead. ¡°I should have listened to my father and taken over his business as an antique appraiser, or even my mother¡¯s suggestion of bing a history teacher at a public school in the Cross District. That would have been much safer than dealing with heretics.¡± ¡°Look on the bright side, at least your current job allows you to maintain a decent living in the Upper City District,¡± Fenna shook her head. In Heidi¡¯spany¡ªa friend of simr age and a longtime acquaintance¡ªher demeanor was much more approachable than with her subordinates. ¡°But let¡¯s talk about your findings. They might help the church and the city hall get a handle on the situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually quite straightforward, an obvious inconsistency,¡± Heidi sighed, revealing the clues she unearthed from the heretics¡¯ subconscious, ¡°On the night of the sacrificial ritual, a sacrifice went berserk in front of the Ancient Sun¡¯s totem and somehow sacrificed the officiating priest instead. Based on the clues we found at the scene, the one who triggered the disorder was actually a ¡®corpse¡¯ that had been sacrificed before. He came back to life and walked up to the altar, right?¡± Fenna nodded. ¡°Of course, I remember it clearly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the problem lies¡­ If this sacrifice had already been offered once before, then why didn¡¯t any of the heretics on the scene recognize him? Ordinary heretics might be one thing, but why didn¡¯t the priest himself recognize that the sacrifice in front of him had been sacrificed by his own hands not long before?¡± Fenna slowly furrowed her brow. ¡°The heretics witnessed a sacrifice that had been offered once before reappear before their eyes yet no one perceived anything abnormal¡­ Their memories had been tampered with, their cognition distorted.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t notice this ring inconsistency either, did we?¡± Heidi spread her hands with a bitter smile. ¡°In fact, until an hour ago, I hadn¡¯t realized that I had overlooked such an obvious issue. And only now have I learned from you that my own mental state had also been affected.¡± Fenna fell silent for a moment and turned to face the heretic who was still in a daze. Under the dual hypnotic effects of heavy doses of neurotropic drugs and potent incense, the heretic swayed his head slightly, gazing nkly at the talldy before him. Fenna suddenly turned back and asked, ¡°Was the heretics¡¯ mutual ughter after the chaos of the ritual also due to cognitive confusion?¡± ¡°Yes, in their memories I ¡®saw¡¯ some flickering images,¡± Heidi replied. ¡°These images seemed to have left a very strong impression on them, making them firmly believe that other attendees of the ritual were possessed or controlled by evil spirits. They didn¡¯t think they were ying their fellows, but believed they were exorcising the evil spirits within them¡­¡± ¡°This is probably a warning from their soul¡¯s instincts¡ªheretics are still followers, and behind them, there¡¯s a malevolent Ancient Sun ¡®blessing¡¯ these people. When bizarre and immense dangers emerge, these blessed followers are likely to sense something,¡± Fenna analyzed based on her experience. ¡°Their crazed delusions more or less hinted at the truth, unfortunately, those untrainedmoners didn¡¯t know how to interpret these warnings and fell into collective madness instead.¡± Heidi, looking seriously at Fenna, hesitated a few times before finally speaking cautiously, ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s really behind all this? Something even more sinister than that Ancient Sun?¡± Fenna thought for a moment, then shook her head gently, ¡°Better not to ask, Heidi. Your connection to this case isn¡¯t deep, but if you delve further, some irreversible bonds might be formed.¡± ¡°Alright. Since even you, as a Judge, say so, I¡¯d better protect my own life,¡± Heidi said, picking up her now packed medical kit. ¡°I really need to take a break¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not running away. There¡¯s an exhibition at the Marine Museum in a couple of days that I¡¯m quite interested in.¡± Fenna nodded. ¡°Visiting the Marine Museum is a good way to rx, and the Goddess¡¯s blessing is also imbued in those exhibits.¡± Heidi smiled, picked up her medical kit, and walked towards the door, but just as she was about to push it open, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Fenna uncertainly, ¡°You¡¯re sure¡­ the pollution really subsided?¡± ¡°Rest assured, of course it has,¡± Fenna spread her hands in resignation. ¡°It¡¯s just some ¡®residual effects¡¯ we caught up with. You¡¯ve stayed in this tranquil Underground Sanctuary for so long, the Goddess¡¯s blessings have already cleansed the impact on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved then,¡± Heidi finally exhaled, pushing open the door. ¡°See you next time, Judge Fenna.¡± Fenna watched as Ms. Heidi left the room. Beside her, the Sun Cultist, bewildered by the potent incense and neuro drugs, half-opened his eyes and stared nkly at Fenna. Modern civilization¡¯s drugs, incense passed down from ancient times, the serene environment of the sanctuary, and the Sun¡¯s ¡°blessing¡± deeply embedded in the soul, these chaotic powers entwined, converged, creating subtle influences within the heretic¡¯s body. In the heretic¡¯s eyes, Fenna¡¯s figure appeared hazy and blurred. He saw this Judge standing in front, her posture erect and resolute. He saw a vague silhouette standing behind Fenna, nearly transparent, surrounded by green mes. This tall illusion stood quietly behind Fenna, its face expressionless. ¡­ Duncan sat expressionlessly in the chart room, watching the doll Alice busying herself in front of him. She brought over arge tray, on it shiny tableware, and a steaming bowl of soup. It smelled, possibly, like fish soup. Clearly, after getting more familiar with the environment aboard the Homeloss, this dolldy hade up with a new idea, to ¡°do something for the captain in her own way.¡± ¡°Dinner?¡± Duncan curiously watched the doll as she set the tableware and fish soup in front of him, ¡°How did you suddenly think of making this?¡± ¡°I finished organizing the kitchen¡¯s pantry, then saw the¡­fish in the bucket,¡± Alice said, her face full of smiles and pride, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work on the ship I can¡¯t help with, but cooking, I can definitely do. From now on, I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts,¡± Duncan didn¡¯t quite know what to make of this odd doll, but faced with Alice¡¯s sincere smile, it was hard for anyone to refuse. He was just a bit curious, ¡°But as a doll, can you cook?¡± ¡°I can learn; it seems quite simple,¡± Alice replied matter-of-factly, ¡°Just ask Mr. Goathead about the basics; he¡¯s told me lots about cooking¡­¡± Duncan expressionlessly nced at the nearby Goathead, then back at Alice. A wooden sculpture and a doll made from an unknown material, neither equipped with a digestive system, yet here they were discussing cooking¡ªone daring to teach and the other daring to learn? He didn¡¯t know what to feel but took the soup spoon and stirred the fish soup, thinking at least it smelled right. However, the next moment, his action froze. After a moment of silence, he fished a long, silver-white hair from the spoon. ¡°Your hair fell into it.¡± Duncan said expressionlessly. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not that I dropped my hair in it,¡± Alice immediately waved her hands, ¡°My head fell in¡­ But don¡¯t worry, I fished it out right away, all by myself, without any help!¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡± Chapter 56: The Lower Level Chapter 56: Chapter 56: The Lower Level This matter was really too sinister, and so Duncan had never been able to bring himself to eat that bowl of fish soup. After all, just the thought of the doll Miss¡¯s head bobbing and rolling in the soup pot made him feel as if his dinner scenes were sprinting straight towards curses and the Grim Reaper¡ªeven though Alice¡¯s true form was actually cheerful to no end, the incident of her head falling into the pot was still a bit too horrifying¡­ The doll Miss seemed a bit hurt; she looked at the food Duncan had set aside, her hands clutching thece decorations at the hem of her clothing, ¡°Captain, are you angry?¡± Duncan, exhausted in both body and spirit, nced at the doll, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re unhappy with aboard the ship, you can tell me directly¡­ ¡± ¡°Ah? I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Then try not to enter the kitchen again¡­¡± Duncan said offhandedly, but he quickly noticed Alice¡¯s increasingly dejected expression and ultimately couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and change his tone, ¡°Never mind, your intentions were good, and actually, I¡¯m quite pleased, but cooking¡­ idents can happen when one is not skilled. You¡¯ll get the hang of itter.¡± Alice immediately perked up, ¡°So I can still try again in the future?¡± Duncan restrained himself for a long moment, finally nodding, ¡°Just¡­ be cautious.¡± He had given this some thought: it was obvious that the cursed doll couldn¡¯t stand the current way of life on the Homeloss, and perhaps she really had a certain ¡°trait¡± that required her to do something on this ship to settle down; she was, after all, a thinking, individual personality, and Duncan felt he couldn¡¯t always treat this doll with dismissal. Compared to that, letting Alice help in the kitchen was better than letting her continue to fight with ropes, anchor chains, and cannonballs¡ªat least the pots and pans aboard the Homeloss hadparatively better temperaments. He looked down at the fish soup to his side; to be fair, the taste of the soup was actually quite normal. Despite the ship¡¯s limited seasonings, it was perfectly cooked, and for a doll whocked both taste and a digestive system, the fact that Alice could achieve this level based solely on the theoretical knowledge she had heard (and that too from a goat head who also didn¡¯t consume human food) was truly remarkable. Two creatures who didn¡¯t need human food had managed to concoct a meal fit for humans¡ªwhat more could Duncan ask for? He figured that if the doll was just a bit more careful, she should be able to handle the work in the kitchen¡ªthis way at least he, as the ship¡¯s captain, wouldn¡¯t have to cook himself anymore. ¡°Then¡­ Captain, would you like me to make you something else?¡± Alice¡¯s voice came from the side, interrupting Duncan¡¯s thoughts, ¡°I also learned to bake fish and make fish fillets from Mr. Goat Head, we have the ingredients in the kitchen¡­¡± ¡°Not for now, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Duncan shook his head; his own body didn¡¯t actually require much food, and his regr three meals a day were maintained merely to keep up the habit of being a ¡°human.¡± At this moment, a bowl of Alice¡¯s excellent soup had dissipated his appetite for the rest of the day, so he simply rose from the table and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a walk through the ship¡¯s hold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to the hold?¡± Alice was taken aback for a moment, and then as if remembering something, her expression grew a bit tense, ¡°Then¡­ could you check on ¡®down below¡¯?¡± ¡°Down below?¡± Duncan furrowed his brow. The deeper chambers¡ªthe ces she wasn¡¯t allowed to go,¡± Alice exined, ¡°I always hear squeaking and creaking soundsing from down there, and sometimes it sounds as if someone is muttering under the floorboards. Could you check¡­ to see if something is amiss down there?¡± Seeing the doll Miss¡¯s slightly anxious expression, Duncan¡¯s heart gradually began to sink. The depths of the Homeloss¡­ that was a ce he had yet to explore! Because the deepest part felt eerily dangerous, and at that time he hadn¡¯t ¡°taken the helm¡± nor had he mastered the power of the Spiritual Body¡¯s me, so he had stopped short of exploring the deeper chambers on his previous attempts¡ªof course, he indeed had ns to further explore in the future, but it seemed that ns couldn¡¯t keep up with changes. Just then, the voice of the goat head came from the side, ¡°Ah, it sounds like the bottom of the hold is getting restless; Captain, will you go down to have a look?¡± Before Duncan could even speak, the goat head began to ramble on, ¡°Come to think of it, you really haven¡¯t checked down there for a long time. The hold needs some pacifying by the captain; you know, it has been soaking in the Endless Sea after all¡­ Are you taking your oilmp? It¡¯s still in the usual spot, right behind the door¡­ You¡¯ve been active on the upper levels recently, and the fellows below have been making quite the racket¡ªyou wouldn¡¯t believe how annoying they¡¯ve been. Ah, I¡¯m a lover of quiet, can¡¯t stand those creaking and squeaking sounds in the middle of the night¡­¡± Duncan silently gave the goat head a look, prompting him to quiet down at once. Frankly, after hearing some of the content the goat head had prattled on about, he suddenly felt even more aversion to that eerie hold¡ªit sounded as if it had been heavily influenced by the deeper reaches of the Endless Sea and had be a structure that, even aboard the Homeloss, was considered ¡°off.¡± But the feeling of aversion only lingered in his mind for less than a second. Sooner orter, he was going to conduct further exploration of the Homeloss¡¯s other structures, and it was better to do it sooner rather thanter¡­ Reason told him that it was better to act sooner rather thanter. The Homeloss was huge, not just in length, but its chambers also extended far below, divided into many levels. The areas Duncan was familiar with were currently only the upper structure of the ship¡ªincluding the deck area, the upper hold beneath the deck with the ammunition depot and cannon area, and the next level down with the storage, fresh water tanks, and some of the crew¡¯s quarters. Based on his previous explorations, he could fully imagine just how vast the structures might be below these areas, hidden in the darkness. These structures were located below the waterline and, judging by the depth, they werepletely submerged in the Endless Sea. Dark, eerie, echoing with hollow wind sounds or howls¡ªthe deeper they went, the more sinister the environment inside the Homeloss became. Duncan did not understand his ship¡ªthis situation could not drag on indefinitely. He was now the captain of the ship, Homeloss was his foothold, and it was his base of operations in this world; he could not afford to be so ignorant about his own foundation¡ªeven just to survive for a long time on the Endless Sea, teeming with abnormalities and phenomena, he had to clearly understand the potential and dangers of Homeloss. Who knew whether a crisis woulde tomorrow, who knew whether Homeloss would collide with the offspring of the deep sea or colliding with the copsing boundaries of reality in the next second. Moreover, Goat-Head had just mentioned: the bilge needed the captain¡¯s soothing. N?v(el)B\\jnn The ¡°captain¡± had not gone down to the lower decks for too long¡­ If this continued, it seemed that something bad would happen. Duncan stood up, went to the door, and found thentern that Goat-Head had mentioned. It was a very oldntern with a copper frame that was wider at the top and narrowing down into a hexagonal prism, with ssmpshades set into the copper frame, appearing somewhat blurry. But inside thempshade, Duncan did not see anything like a wick. He did not show curiosity, nor did he ask Goat-Head. After a brief and silent contemtion, he tried to activate the eerie green Spiritual Body me and infused this power into thentern. A bright green me immediately leaped and burned inside thempshade, and the ancientntern began to release a continuous glow. Wherever the light from thentern shone, an eerie atmosphere somehow spread, but standing within this light, Duncan suddenly felt an inexplicable calmness and sense of control; it was as if he could faintly sense his own power spreading with the light, and every detail of things touched by the light clearly reflected in his mind. Suddenly, the pigeon Ai Yi fluttered over andnded on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. It had already taken on that translucent shape of a ghostly bird¡ªthough Duncan had not actively ¡°activated¡± the pigeon, under the illumination of thentern, it had still passivelypleted the ¡°transformation¡±. Duncan looked down at thentern in his hand and thought it might be something useful¡­ It seemed to be able to spread his power into the surrounding environment with minimal loss and maintain a ¡°force field¡± thatbined detection, early warning, and even controlling capabilities. This Trait was obviously quite suitable for long-term exploration in unfamiliar or dangerous areas. ¡°Captain¡­ may I join you?¡± Duncan turned around and saw Alice standing behind him, curiously looking at thentern while also wearing an eager expression: ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the lower levels yet! Mr. Goat-Head said I couldn¡¯t go down without your permission¡­¡± Duncan thought for a moment and gave a slight nod, ¡°Yes, you can.¡± He still didn¡¯t know what was in the lower decks, but anyway that was a part of Homeloss, and since he had sessfully ¡°taken the helm,¡± there shouldn¡¯t be any great danger in the bilge. Bringing this automaton along might even lend him a hand. Goat-Head, left on the navigation table, did not voice any opinion, apparently, in its view, it was quite normal for the captain to inspect Homeloss¡ªbringing a helper was equally so. Outside the cabin, night had gradually fallen, the cold glow of Creation of the World illuminated the sea surface, shining on the empty deck of the Ghost Ship, with the translucent Spiritual Body sails billowing in the air, slowly adjusting their angles without human control. Duncan, holding thentern, armed with his side-sword and flintlock pistol, walked across the empty deck with Alice, passing through the two upper deck cabins, and down the wooden stairs towards the depth of Homeloss¡¯s cabin. The stairs at the end of the sailor¡¯s cabin were where Duncan had previously stopped his exploration. An odd dimness loomed around the stairway sloping downwards, and in the darkness, one could only faintly see the supporting pirs and some wall structures of the cabin. ¡°This is so dark below,¡± Alice stood at the top of the stairs, looking nervously at the dim environment below, ¡°Isn¡¯t there lighting down there? Everywhere else has those ever-burning oilmps¡­¡± ¡°No, there are lights down there,¡± Duncan said slowly, holding thentern, his voice low as the power from thentern suffused the area, allowing him to see much clearer than before into the cabin below, ¡°¡­it¡¯s just that the lights down there are ck.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Alice blinked, taking a moment to grasp the concept, ¡°There¡¯s ck light?¡± Duncan didn¡¯t respond at once, just slowly walked down with thentern until Alice followed him; then he softly said, ¡°After all, we¡¯re already below the surface of the Endless Sea.¡± Chapter 57 - 57 The Timid Alice Chapter 57: Chapter 57 The Timid Alice The captain¡¯s words were like the chilly night wind, piercing through the increasingly dim staircase. Alice instinctively hugged her arms and followed Duncan even closer behind. As they descended further, she finally understood what the captain meant by ¡°the light is ck.¡± In the lower deck, there indeed was light¡ªat least structurally and inyout, thepartments she saw had the same support columns, and on those columns hung oilmps that never went out. Themps were burning, but the mes seemed to cause the areas around themps to be darker than those farther away. Yes, the closer one got to an oilmp, the dimmer the light became, with themps themselves almost enveloped in shadows, faintly outlining their forms. Conversely, areas further from the oilmps gradually brightened¡ªthe furthest corners of the ship¡¯s cabin were almost as bright as those on the upper decks. The stairwell had seemed particrly dim from above because there were twomps hanging on either side¡ªvisually, it was as if these lights were actively emitting darkness, neutralizing and engulfing the cabin¡¯s inherent brightness. Alice stared at the overall darkness of the ship¡¯s cabin and mumbled after a long while, ¡°Does this¡­ does this make any sense¡­?¡± ¡°You, an illogical automaton, are here talking to me about logic?¡± Duncan nced at the visibly anxious Alice. ¡°Beneath the sea level of the Endless Sea, it¡¯s the very notion of logic that is the most illogical.¡± While he spoke with an air of nonchnce, as if ustomed to these bizarre urrences, his actual thoughts mirrored Alice¡¯s exactly¡ªeven the spiritual body of the pigeon on his shoulder suddenly pped its wings, echoing the sentiment: ¡°Does it make any sense at all¡­?¡± Duncan ignored the noise from the pigeon on his shoulder and instead carefully observed the ship¡¯s cabin he had never set foot in before, adjusting the angle of thentern in his hand, trying to discern the environment within the intery of light and shadow. Below the waterline of Homeloss¡­ the lighting inside the cabin was ¡°inverted.¡± The fixtures seemed not to emit light but to absorb the existing light in the space, as if¡­ some form of ¡°world mirror.¡± However, the ghostly glow emitted by thentern in Duncan¡¯s hand followed the normal rules of illumination: bright around thentern, growing dimmer with distance. Was there a principle behind this? Was it merely the influence of the Endless Sea or a mix that included Homeloss¡¯s own traits? Was the cabin¡¯s ¡°bright environment¡± real? If those ¡°light-absorbing¡± oilmps were extinguished, would this be a bright ce? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om For a moment, Duncan actually harbored the bold thought of extinguishing the oilmps of this deck to see what phenomenon would ur, but he abruptly suppressed this patently misguided notion the next instant. He could not put out the lights here¡ªeven if it seemed that these lights were causing the entire cabin to darken, there must be a reason why they were lit! Suddenly, he remembered something from Plunder City-State; the information he had obtained was that ¡°burning mes can dispel strange dangers¡±¡ªin that statement, it was actually the ¡°me¡± itself that had the effect, not the light it produced. Could this indicate that in certain conditions, the world¡¯s light and dark could indeed be ¡°inverted,¡± and under such inversion, the only trustworthy thing was the ¡°me¡± itself? Could this also indirectly exin why the light emitted by ¡°electricmps¡± had no demon-repelling effect¡ªbecause those emitted only light,cking the ¡°me¡± element? ¡°Captain?¡± Alice¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side, the automaton miss¡¯s voice carried tension and concern, ¡°Is there something abnormal here?¡± ¡°Nothing abnormal,¡± Duncan replied impassively while slowly stepping forward. The ¡°light-absorbing¡± oilmps on the support columns burned quietly on either side, with various ropes scattered around the columns. As Duncan walked between them, the hanging oilmps made slight crackling sounds, and the ropes on the ground slowly writhed backward, making way for the captain. For some reason, a thought suddenly surfaced in Duncan¡¯s mind: Illusions of light and shadow are brought by the deep sea; below the unreliable sea level, only the me itself remains faithfully guarding the treasures of Homeloss. He looked towards the quietly burningmps and nodded slightly, as if showing recognition and gratitude. The next second, all the oilmps in the ship¡¯s cabin red up visibly, with mes surging beneath each of the ss enclosures. The entire cabin grew even darker¡­ Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± He suddenly regretted praising too soon and thought he should have waited until he was ready to return before stimting the oilmps. Alice followed, the doll observing her surroundings carefully. She saw therge wooden barrels and some nk crates piled up in the corner of the cabin, as well as some sealed rooms and corridors leading to unknown ces, muttering softly, ¡°This looks like a storeroom too¡­ Could this have once been a cargo ship?¡± ¡°If it were a cargo ship, the goods wouldn¡¯t be stored so deep within¡ªthere¡¯s a concept called transportation cost,¡± Duncan shook his head and said offhandedly, ¡°These are all supplies for long ocean voyages, to be used by Homeloss herself during extended trips.¡± Alice blinked, ¡°Supplies for a long voyage?¡± Duncan didn¡¯t utter a word but moved forward to check some of the goods closest to him. Some of the barrels contained a kind of grease, dark brown and viscous in texture yet without a strong smell, likely some form of fuel. But it had obviously been stored here for a very, very long time¡ªDuncan even suspected these fuels were ¡°stock¡± from before Homeloss became a ghost ship. They might have been intended for lighting or warding off evil, but once the ship turned into a ghost ship, many things in the cargo hold like these became useless. In another set of barrels, Duncan saw something familiar. Cheese older than himself, salted meat that could split rocks. Duncan silently resealed the lids. On this level, most of the space was filled with stockpiled supplies. Even though many of them now seemed superfluous aboard the current ghost ship, it was enough to confirm his previous judgment of Homeloss: This ship, at least at the time of its construction, had been prepared for some kind of oceanic exploration. It could carryrge amounts of supplies, and there were strict safety measures between the various supply storerooms to prevent the spread of fires or damage to provisions from pests or rodents. Considering therge number of cannons on the upper deck and the sizably stocked ammunitions depot, he could nearly guess the kind of ambitious exploration dream Homeloss once harbored¡ªthe most remote of routes, the most perilous of journeys, facing the deadliest of environments and the most vicious of enemies. Such an expedition would require a full crew of loyal and excellent sailors, as well as a resolute and unwavering captain toplete. However, now, this exploration n that may have once existed had dissipated with the wind. The ambitious Homeloss had be the most terrifying natural disaster on the Endless Sea, with the sailors nowhere to be found, leaving only a ghost captain who still controlled this aimless Ghost Ship. He and Alice continued moving forward, passing several independent storerooms and entering a corridor. If theyout of this level corresponded to the one above, then the staircase leading further down should be deep within this hallway. ¡°I feel¡­ it¡¯s getting more sinister¡­¡± The dolldy hugged her arms, looking around cautiously while speaking softly, ¡°Did you hear that? The sound of wind? How could there be wind in the ship¡¯s cabin?¡± ¡°I heard it, don¡¯t be nervous, it¡¯s normal,¡± Duncan replied casually, then nced at the doll, ¡°Why are you so timid? You have the designation ¡®Abnormality 099,¡¯ don¡¯t you?¡± As he spoke, he also thought of the information he had obtained from Nina before¡ªin this world, there were many registers of ¡°abnormalities¡± and ¡°phenomena¡± open to the public. These registers helped people avoid everyday dangers or identify signs of out-of-control anomalies, but they were iplete. Only those threats deemed controble or of a special nature and closer to the general popce were made public. Abnormalities and phenomena that ordinary people had no chance of encountering were clearly not included. He had tried to inquire about Abnormality 099 from Nina, but the girl had never seen this designation in her textbooks. This implied that this ¡°Cursed Doll¡± either had a special secret, serious enough to be suppressed by the authorities and the Church, or¡­ her danger level was so high that she was always strictly isted from civilized society, thus never interacting with the general poption. Either reason was sufficient to add a hint of mystery to Miss Doll in Duncan¡¯s eyes. Yet this doll, shrouded in enigma, merely shrank her neck upon hearing Duncan¡¯s words, with a look of nervousness: ¡°Just because I have a designation doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m brave. I¡¯m Abnormality 099, not Courage 099¡­¡± Duncan sighed. He thought to himself that this creature must be the most embarrassing abnormality in this world. It¡¯s a wonder those sailors who escorted her before were so nervous¡­ Chapter 58: The Hold Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Hold Duncan had always been curious about what made this self-proimed ¡°Alice,¡± a Gothic doll, so special and dangerous that her escorting sailors were so nervous and that she held the anomalous title 099 in a world brimming with dangerous and bizarre phenomena. Indeed, a doll capable of moving autonomously and possessing reason was certainly eerie, and the sight of her asionally clutching her head and running haphazardly or acting separately was truly horrifying. But in Duncan¡¯s view, this was far from sufficient to meet the criteria for a ¡°higher-tier designation,¡± especially whenpared to the intelligence he had learned from Nina: Anomalous 196-Blood, a dangerous anomaly sealed in the underground sanctuary of the Plunder Church. Its main body equated to the total blood volume of an adult male. This anomaly exhibited certain cognitive traits, moving and spreading on its own, and actively attempting to rece the blood of nearby suitable ¡°hosts¡± before escaping in their bodies. The method to halt its spread was to keep it divided in twenty-two blood vials and frozen¡ªhowever, if anyone within a ten-meter radius bled, the seal broke immediately, and the blood of those bleeding would be reced by Anomaly 196, which would also take over the host¡¯s sanity. This anomaly ignored any countermeasures below those of saints and would unconditionally kill suitable hosts. As one of the most dangerous anomalies managed by the Plunder City-State, the information regarding Anomalous 196-Blood was always avable to the public to ensure that if the anomaly were to leak into the city district, the authorities could quickly locate and deal with it. Duncan didn¡¯t know what the term ¡°saint¡± implied, but from the name alone, he knew it corresponded to some incredibly powerful transcendent level¡ªperhaps the Judge named Fenna mentioned in the newspapers was one such saint. And how many such saints capable ofbating Anomaly 196 could there be in the entire Plunder City-State? This was only Anomaly 196, ranking close to two hundred¡ªwhereas Alice¡¯s designation was Anomaly 099. Within the top hundred. Although, ording to Nina, the ranking of anomalies and phenomena might have some uncertainties, and it wasn¡¯t always possible to make a clearparison of strength and weakness between different anomalies and phenomena, generally speaking, the higher-ranked anomalies and phenomena tended to be more dangerous or more bizarre and uncontroble in their ¡°traits.¡± Otherwise, they were those that had caused astonishing destruction or had led to significant historical events, thereby securing their unique top-tier designation through historical notoriety. However, a designation within the top hundred implied traits and levels of danger that were extremely problematic for the civilized world, or it meant stirring up some astonishing act in history. But this cursed doll named Alice¡­ Duncan nced back at Alice, who was obediently following him. Noticing the captain¡¯s gaze, she immediately lifted her head and returned a harmless yet somewhat timid smile, ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Expecting this creature to understand her own danger was unlikely¡ªDuncan thought it might be better to consult the historical archives of the Plunder City-State. But how could an antique store owner from the Lower City District ess such ¡°ssified information¡±? The ¡°antique industry connections¡± left by the heretic Ron were obviously no good, as most items in that store had histories not extending beyondst week¡­ Duncan mused silently while continuing his walk; the eerie green spiritual fire burned quietly in thentern he carried, gradually permeating deeper into the cabin, and the ambient light altered by the bizarre environment of the cabin¡¯s bottom mixed with the light from thentern, creating a dizzying and hallucinatory array of lights and shadows. To outsiders, this scene would likely appear extremely eerie and terrifying. Yet, Duncan felt a faint calmness in his heart; his power seeped into the light of thentern, like a trickle of water, gradually infiltrating the depths of the ship¡¯s cabin that had been sealed for who knows how many years. This previously unknown structure of the ship¡¯s base was bing clearer in his mind and giving off a subtle ¡°touch¡±¡ª Thest uncontrolled area of Homeloss was getting back on track, and Duncan could increasingly feel that, with his exploration, the slight ¡°agitation¡± manifested by various things in the cabin around him was gradually settling. Indeed, as Capricorn had said, the bottom of Homeloss had some ¡°anomalies¡± due to long immersion in the Endless Sea, but as long as the captain personally came down to soothe it, the order on the ship would gradually be restored. ¡°You really are scared of the deep sea, even justing to a cabin below sea level scares you this much,¡± Duncan suddenly said to Alice following him, ¡°Then why insist oning?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t think this through!¡± Alice forced herself to remain calm, ¡°I thought, no matter where we go, it¡¯s still on the ship¡­ I didn¡¯t have the concept of ¡®a cabin below the waterline¡¯! I¡¯m just a doll!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have a digestive system yet you study cooking¡ªdon¡¯t use being a doll as an excuse,¡± Duncan said offhand, ¡°You need to make up for yourck of knowledge about the ship.¡± Disheartened, Alice uttered an ¡°Oh,¡± while Duncan, after a brief silence, curiously asked, ¡°Why are you so afraid of the deep sea? Or rather¡­ why does the thought of ¡®being submerged in the sea¡¯ terrify you? I know the deep sea is dangerous, many people are scared of it, and you¡¯ve said this reason before, but it seems your nervousness is more severe than I expected. You be neurotic just standing in a cabin below the waterline, just by thinking about the surrounding seawater¡­ Stop picking at thece on your clothing; Homeloss doesn¡¯t have spare clothes for you. If it gets damaged, you¡¯ll have to sew it yourself.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Alice quickly rxed her grip a bit, but then unintentionally started pulling on the button again, ¡°I¡­ I had never thought about that before. I¡¯m just scared, is it not okay to be scared?¡± Listening to the nervous tone of the doll, Duncan remained nomittal. He looked towards the end of the corridor and saw a staircase sloping downward that had alreadye into view. That was a deeper ce, possibly leading directly to the bottom of the hull¡ªthe part of the ship that touched the Endless Sea the deepest. Duncan and Alice stood at the top of the staircase and looked down. With the light emanating from the Spiritual Firentern, they did not see the structure of the cabin below, but instead, a door stood in the dark depths. Upon seeing that door, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but frown. The structure here was actually quite abnormal. First of all, the path to the bottom of the hull seemed excessively long¡ªthe stairs between the upper cabins were continuous and allowed quick ess to each cabin level. However, on this level, the stairs leading deeper were located at the end of the corridor, requiring passage through almost an entire warehouse area, which undoubtedly affected the transit efficiency inside the ship. Secondly, there was an additional door under the stairs. Duncan hesitated for a moment, still picked up thentern, and slowly walked down. Alice was even more hesitant, but eventually followed obediently¡ªnow letting herself go back to the upper levels was utterly unthinkable; it was safer to follow the captain. Soon, Duncan reached the door. He lifted thentern to illuminate the surroundings and began searching for any text surrounding the door¡ªthen a row of letters unexpectedly appeared in his view on the doorframe: ¡°Thest door at the bottom of the hull.¡± ¡°What does this mean?¡± Alice curiously looked at the letters on the doorframe, ¡°Thest door at the bottom of the hull¡­ under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t the sign on the door indicate the room¡¯s function?¡± ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s a warning,¡± Duncan pondered as he withdrew his gaze from the doorframe, his hand now on the doorknob. He cautioned the doll beside him before pushing the door open, ¡°If we find any other doors inside, don¡¯t touch them.¡± Alice nodded nervously and then saw Duncan push open that st door at the bottom of the hull.¡± An unusual pale light was advancing towards them. They stepped forward, entering a wide-open space. After clearly seeing the situation opposite the door, Alice¡¯s eyes widened instantly, ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± She stuttered for a long time before finally mustering a sentence: ¡°Captain! The bottom of the ship is shattered! It¡¯s shattered!¡± She shouted loudly, while Duncan did not respond for a moment¡ªhe too was staring dumbfounded at the surroundings. The deepestyer of Homeloss, immersed in the Endless Sea¡ªthe hull structure was fragmented! N?v(el)B\\jnn Everywhere he looked showed the cabinpletely split into pieces, numerous gigantic cracks, and faintly glowing voids with hundreds of cabin fragments scattered and floating in the space, yet maintaining some kind of ¡°disordered order,¡± preserving the hull¡¯s supposed outline and structure. Beyond the numerous fragments and massive cracks, Duncan could clearly see the ¡°scenery¡± outside the hull¡ª It was not the deep, dark Endless Sea he had imagined, but a pale, dim emptiness and numerous, obscure lights darting fast through the nothingness. Chapter 59 - 59 This door leads to Homeloss Chapter 59: Chapter 59 This door leads to Homeloss Duncan and Alice stood at the top of the stairs leading to the bottom of the ship, witnessing a bizarre and horrifying spectacle¡ªthe bottom of the Homeloss was in a state of disarray and fragmentation, and beyond the shattered cabins was evidently a kind of void suffused with an endless, dim, twilight glow. Was this the true ¡°structure of the ship¡¯s bottom¡± of the Homeloss? Then what was that thing outside the fragmented cabins? Could such a sight exist beneath the sea level of the Endless Sea? Duncan cautiously took two steps forward and entered the fragmented cabins. He stepped onto thergest piece of wooden debris and looked back in the direction he hade from. That ¡°final door¡± still stood silently in its ce, fixed on a floating nk, with a dark staircase behind it that nted upward¡ªhowever, around the door, there were no walls that should have been there, only emptiness. The door was solitary, floating in this space. Duncan carefully walked around to the back of the door and found nothing; through the open doorway, he could directly see the opposite, broken cabins. ¡°Captain¡­¡± Alice¡¯s voice came through, tense. The automaton looked around fearfully before her gaze finally settled on Duncan, ¡°This¡­ This is normal, right?¡± Duncan actually felt even less certain than the automaton, after all, thetter could blindly trust the captain for a moment, but where could he, as that ¡°captain,¡± find such confidence now? However, seeing Alice¡¯s anxious demeanor, and recalling the ¡°crew rules¡± that the goat-headed had mentioned, Duncan still forcefully controlled his unease and maintained his usual stern andposed appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said tly, ¡°the Homeloss is a ship beyond your imagination.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s beyond imagination¡­¡± Alice remarked in awe. Duncan¡¯sposed demeanor seemed to reassure her a little, and she began to curiously examine the broken ship structures as well as the chaotic light and shadows outside, ¡°Captain, outside¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s water, does it?¡± Duncan thought for a moment, then curiously asked Alice, ¡°Do you think this is below the surface of the Endless Sea?¡± Alice was startled, ¡°Ah? Why do you ask me?¡± Duncan looked indifferent, ¡°Because you have the experience.¡± ¡°It was still you who threw¡­¡± Alice blurted out involuntarily but quickly swallowed her words, then sincerely answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ The sea is surely filled with water, even if the Endless Sea is off, below the surface there would certainly be water. But outside here, it looks like¡­ like¡­¡± ¡°A void filled with chaotic streams of light,¡± Duncan shook his head and slowly walked forward. He came to the edge of the wooden debris under his feet, looked down at the flowing light and shadows outside the cabin, ¡°The bottom of the Homeloss¡­ isn¡¯t inside the Endless Sea.¡± Alice was puzzled, ¡°Ah? Then where is this?¡± Duncan did not speak, appearing enigmatic¡ªactually because he didn¡¯t know either. But he still had a vague guess: perhaps, was this ship actually navigating simultaneously in several different dimensions? On the surface, the Homeloss appeared to be sailing on the Endless Sea of the real world, but in reality, different parts of the ship belonged topletely different dimensions!? This also exined why the deeper into the Homeloss one went, the more eerie and gloomy the cabins seemed to be¡ªperhaps the eeriness and gloominess were not inherent to the cabins themselves¡­ Then if this dim and chaotic space outside the cabin is not the Endless Sea, what could it be? It didn¡¯t look like the Spirit Realm, nor did it resemble the dark space seen during the Transition through the Spirit Realm¡­ Could it be something ¡°deeper¡±? More profound? Subspace? With numerous guesses and hypotheses swirling in his mind, Duncan slowly drew out the pirate sword from his waist, then held up thentern with one hand, and the Longsword with the other, cautiously probing towards the edge of the fragment beneath him. He was very careful. Although the gaps between these fragments looked like one could jump over them with a single step, he did not rashly stride across but chose to test with the Longsword first. Who knew if something would suddenly emerge from these cracks, swallowing anyone who dared to cross recklessly. The next second, he widened his eyes in surprise. He saw the tip of the Longsword disappear, and on the edge of the fragment opposite the crack, a piece of the sword¡¯s tip emerged abruptly. Duncan frowned, tested in different directions, and simr phenomena urred again. He finally began to understand slowly. ¡°` The areas that seemed to be cracks were actually still continuous in space! The seemingly fragmented structure of the ship¡¯s hull was in fact still intact! ¡°` He stood up straight and looked around at those cracks and the light and shadows flowing outside the cracks, gaining an understanding in his heart: these ¡°broken¡± scenes were merely an optical result, which had not affected the spatial continuity. The body of Homeloss had not cracked here, but for some reason, the ¡°images¡± from outside the hull appeared inside the ship. But what was the reason for this? Was it a spatial ovep? Or was it a faulty projection from a higher dimension to a lower one? Duncan subconsciously summoned all the reliable and unreliable knowledge in his mind, trying to exin the bizarre phenomena here, while Alice next to him looked at the captain with a puzzled face as he made strange moves near the edge of the cracks, now shining antern everywhere and then poking around with a Longsword. After watching for a long time, she finally couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Captain, are you performing some kind of special pacifying ritual to¡­ pacify the cabin?¡± Duncan turned his back to Alice and silently sheathed his Longsword, stiffly replied, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Oh! How impressive!¡± Alice¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, ¡°So do you need to perform a pacifying ritual for every single piece here?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough,¡± Duncan said, keeping his face stern and his scalp hard, and quickly diverted her attention before the overly curious doll could speak again, ¡°Let¡¯s move forward.¡± As he spoke, he stepped forward cautiously, holding thentern¡ªthe moment he stepped out, he tensed every muscle and nerve in his body, ready for any ident that might ur while crossing the crack, but nothing happened. Just like the test with the Longsword earlier, he ¡°skipped¡± the process of crossing the crack and proceeded directly to the fragment on the opposite side, as if walking in a normal ship cabin. Alice looked amazedly at the captain walking in front, moving with apparent disregard for the cracks beneath his feet, and followed suit, but she became nervous while crossing the crack and eventually couldn¡¯t resist the urge to hurry forward with a jump¡­ And then naturally she bumped headfirst into Duncan ahead of her. Duncan felt a sudden gust of wind behind him, followed by something hitting his back solidly, causing him to instinctively turn around with a swift motion of his hand¡ª The next second, he looked expressionlessly at the headless doll scurrying around behind him, while Alice¡¯s head rolled several meters away, stuttering, ¡°Sorry¡­ sorry¡­ sor¡­¡± ¡°Stay put, I¡¯ll pick it up for you,¡± Duncan sighed and, while internally questioning why he brought this useless doll down, quickly caught up with Alice¡¯s head, which had rolled away, and picked it up with ease. ¡°Have you considered putting a screw in your neck¡­¡± Alice¡¯s head, though, seemed not to hear thetter part of Duncan¡¯s gibes; her eyes suddenly widened, looking in a certain direction, ¡°There¡­ there¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s a¡­¡± Duncan frowned and turned his head towards the direction Alice¡¯s head was frantically indicating with her eyes. A pitch-ck wooden door stood silently on the fragment at the end. A door¡­ there was actually another door, indeed another door! When he saw the hint on the door at the top of the stairs earlier, Duncan had thought there might be this ssic situation, yet when he now saw an additional door in this ¡°hull space,¡± he still couldn¡¯t help but be startled! By this time, Alice¡¯s body had also stumbled over. Duncan handed her head back to her while looking at the door, ¡°Was there such a door over there just now?¡± Alice ¡°popped¡± her head back onto her neck, moving her cervical spine while taking a nce in that direction, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so, it appeared after we came over.¡± Duncan hummed nomittally and cautiously approached the door with thentern in hand. In fact, in this eerie cabin, he already didn¡¯t need the illumination of thentern. The chaotic, dim light seeping in from the outside of the cracks was dismal but sufficient to maintain the most basic brightness of the entire space. Nevertheless, he continued to hold thentern¡ªthis was necessary caution. Although Goat Head had not mentioned anything about this, Duncan had decided that as long as he was below the waterline in the cabins, he would never extinguish thisntern. The newly appeared door looked unremarkable, a pitch-ck panel that did not differ much from the st door¡± at the end of the staircase, nor from most of the doors used in the cabins of Homeloss in style and material. Duncan looked up and, above the doorframe of this door, he saw a line of letters as if they were cast in bronze: ¡°This door leads to Homeloss¡±. ¡°` Chapter 60 - 60 Opposite the Door Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Opposite the Door This door leads to Homeloss. The letters on the door frame, cast in brass, appeared as though they had withstood a century of time. In the light of the Spiritual Firentern and the dim chaos that filled the entire cabin, every line on the letters seemed to be coated with ayer of solidified time, exuding an aura of ancient mystery. Duncan stared at the line of letters for several seconds before turning away expressionlessly. Alice¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside him, ¡°Hey? Captain, are we leaving already? Don¡¯t we need to check this door? Even if we don¡¯t open it¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to see here, this is the end of the hold,¡± Duncan said offhandedly. But just then, a faint knocking sound suddenly arose, stopping him in his tracks. Duncan turned around to look at Alice standing behind him, and she nervously looked around before finally turning to face the dark wooden door: ¡°The sound seems toe from behind this door¡­¡± Duncan stood still, sternly watching the wooden door from which the knocking hade. He patiently waited several seconds before hearing two more taps¡ªthe sounds faint and muffled, as if through a decidedly thick curtain, as if the door were enveloped by some invisible entity, but this was surely no illusion. After a brief but intense moment of consideration, he finally returned to the door, with Alice approaching as well, nervously attentive to the noises that might follow. Duncan held thentern in one hand and gripped his longsword tightly in the other, carefully observing the dark wooden door before him, when suddenly he realized that it was notpletely closed¡ªon the side of the door, there was a gap of about one centimeter. The door was ajar, as if someone had left in a hurry and forgotten to close it, or as if some ¡°thing¡± inside had deliberately left a gap, beckoning the unwary to visit. Duncan picked up thentern and cautiously shone it inside, peering through the gap at the opposite side of the door¡ªhis other hand, though, already had the longsword poised next to the gap, ready to thrust at any ¡°thing¡± that might emerge. However, he could never have anticipated what he would see¡ª On the other side of the gap was a room. A small room that seemed to have seen years pass by. The wallpaper on the walls was dim and wrinkled, with fittings that seemed to have been neglected for some time. Directly facing the door, there was a single bed with a table beside it, on which were ced aputer, books, and a small ornament. A tall, thin figure was hunched over the desk writing feverishly, that silhouette dressed in an ordinary white shirt bought from a street stall, with unkempt haircking grooming, a body clearly not exercised, appearing somewhat too thin. Duncan¡¯s eyes were glued to the familiar everything on ¡°that side,¡± to the room, to the figure hunched over writing, and that figure seemed to feel something too, he stopped writing, abruptly looked up, and ran toward the door. The figure ran over, staring intently through the gap at the outside, at Duncan. Duncan stared back at him, at the familiar face¡ªthat was his own face! N?v(el)B\\jnn After staring at each other for a few seconds, the figure on the other side of the door suddenly became agitated. He began to push the door forcefully, seemingly trying to get out, but the door was as immovable as if cast with the space. He then attempted to break the lock, prying at the gap with tools, and pounded on the stubborn door as if desperately trying to escape, to no avail. The person inside finally gave up on this futile attempt. He pounded near the gap once more, then shouted something loudly through the door¡ªbut from outside, only vague, ethereal noises could be heard, not a single word was clear. Duncan watched all of this, shocked and bewildered, watching that ¡°other self¡± trapped in the room, he knew what the man inside wanted to do¡ªhis gaze slowly falling on the door handle beside him. The handle was within easy reach. From this side, the door might very well be easy to open. Yet he just looked at the handle, not making the slightest move to take action. The trapped man seemed to fall into despair. He shouted onest time, finding that his voice could not reach outside, and then ran back to the desk. He bent over quickly to write something on a paper, then hurried back, showing the sheet of paper to Duncan. Through the gap, Duncan saw the scrawled words on the paper: ¡°Save me! I¡¯m trapped in this room! The windows and the door won¡¯t open!¡± Duncan suddenlyughed. His smile, through the gap, met the eyes of ¡°Zhou Ming¡± trapped in the room, who finally widened his eyes in surprise, as if offended by the mockery and gradually filled with anger. The next second, Duncan¡¯s pirate sword suddenly lunged forward, going through the narrow gap, directly stabbing into the ¡°Zhou Ming¡± on the other side. Thetter, pierced by the de, opened his mouth as if to scream; hazily, a series of hoarse and noisy sounds entered Duncan¡¯s ears, while he remainedpletely unfazed, simply pushing the sword hilt in further, whispering close to the door: ¡°You don¡¯t have to write in Chinese if you can¡¯t.¡± Throughout the journey, the pigeon Ai Yi, who had been very quiet, also suddenly pped its wings, making a hoarse voice: ¡°This is an illusion, what are you hiding?¡± The next second, the figure on the other side of the door began to melt like a wax figure and vanished rapidly into the distorted and chaotic light and shadow. The very real and familiar-looking room also quickly shed its disguise before Duncan¡¯s eyes to reveal its true form: a dim and ancient cabin, empty and sealed within time and decrepit decay. The longsword in his hand conveyed an empty sensation, as if from the very beginning, it had pierced nothing but air. Was the space opposite this ¡°extra door¡± just a ship cabin? Duncan was unexpectedly observing the situation on the other side of the door crack, but no matter how he looked, it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary ship cabin. But¡­ was that ship cabin truly ¡°real¡±? Duncan slowly withdrew the longsword that had probed through the door crack, gently let out a sigh of relief, and took a half-step back. The strange urrence he had just experienced remained deeply etched in his mind. He didn¡¯t know if it was merely an illusion or something else, but one thing was certain¡­ there was something about this door that was far more peculiar and dangerous than he had imagined. If the illusion reflected on the other side of that door was based on a distortion of his own memories and perceptions, it meant the danger beyond surpassed the capabilities of himself, ¡°Captain Duncan.¡± If the illusion wasn¡¯t based on his personal perceptions and memories, but rather something ¡°fabricated¡± as a set piece by something else¡­ the situation was even worse. Because in this world, no one should know what that room looked like, nor should anyone know of the existence of the individual ¡°Zhou Ming.¡± Yet, the ¡°thing¡± behind this door did. He took a deep breath. His caution had been justified, and under no circumstances should he open this door. At the same time, he felt a chill of fear¡ªbecause there really was a moment, when he looked at the door handle, when he had thought: to open the door and let ¡°himself¡± out. ¡°Captain¡­¡± Alice¡¯s voice suddenly came, startling Duncan from his thoughts. He looked up at the doll, and saw an expression of concern mixed with fear. ¡°Captain, are you all right? What¡¯s behind that door? You look so serious¡­¡± Duncan shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, what¡¯s behind this door isn¡¯t for you to see¡ªwe¡¯ve explored all the way to the ship¡¯s hold. It¡¯s time to head back.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to push the door, attempting to see if he could close it. The slight gap that the door revealed was truly disconcerting. But the door didn¡¯t budge¡ªdespite using considerable force, it remained as immovable as if fused with the space itself. Just like those sealed windows in his bachelor apartment. Duncan thoughtfully withdrew his hand¡ªthis door couldn¡¯t be closed, but he was even less inclined to try to open it any further. ¡°Ah? Oh¡­ oh, okay!¡± Alice didn¡¯t dwell on the captain¡¯s attempt to close the door. She was startled at first but quickly recovered, her face brightening with a happy expression, ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry back, this ce is honestly quite eerie, and I¡¯m getting nervous again¡­¡± Duncan hummed nomittally in response and, taking Alice with him, turned to walk towards the ¡°final door¡± that led to the staircase. This ce was simply too sinister; even he didn¡¯t want to linger any longer. After this, no further abnormalities urred. They made their way smoothly through the fragmented ship¡¯s hold, past the cargo hold with the inverse lighting, through the dark stairways and corridors, returning to the cabins above the waterline. The moment she returned to the normal cabin, Alice felt her body suddenly lighten, as if some previously unnoticed oppressive shadow had been dispersed from around her. She saw the lights return to normal, and the cabin no longer felt gloomy and oppressive. As for Captain Duncan beside her¡­ The captain looked no different from before, as if he had felt no oppression earlier and now felt no additional relief. The environment deep within Homeloss hadn¡¯t seemed to affect him. However, the captain was clearly very silent on the way back, appearing to be weighed down with heavy thoughts. ¡°Captain, are you tired?¡± Alice asked tentatively, ¡°Would you like me to make you something to eat? You hardly ate any dinner¡­¡± Duncan paused his thoughts and looked at the doll beside him. On Miss Doll¡¯s face was an expression of sincere concern¡ªjust like Nina. He suddenly rxed, and the slight gloom in his heart seemed to quietly recede. ¡°Just don¡¯t drop any weird stuff into the pot this time.¡± ¡°My head isn¡¯t a weird thing!¡± ¡°Especially your head.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Chapter 61: Unsteady Navigation Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Unsteady Navigation Duncan led Alice back to the upper deck of the Homeloss¡ªthe cold Creation of the World still suspended high in the night sky. Duncan thought he had been exploring inside the ship for a very long time, even suspecting that an entire night had passed, but now, looking at the deep night sky, he seemed to have only spent a few hours below. Yet, it was during these mere hours that he witnessed such bizarre and extraordinary circumstances that left asting impression on him. He still remembered the cabin with the inverted lights and shadows, and especially that door at the bottom of the hull¡­What exactly was behind that door? Duncan¡¯sntern had gone out, and together with the doll he slowly made his way to the captain¡¯s cabin, neither of them speaking much¡ªthe doll seemed to be rehearsing cooking in its head, while Duncan¡¯s attention was fixated on the deck structures around them. Hepared what he saw with his memory, confirming that the dim and dpidated cabin opposite the door was indeed a part of Homeloss, whose style matched perfectly and whose structure had a vague continuity. Moreover, now that he recalled, it seemed that there was something more in the depths of that decrepit cabin, hidden in the darkness. That was Homeloss¡¯s unknown ¡°hidden area¡±¡ªan area that not even Duncan, the captain himself, could sense or detect. Did the goat head know about that door? Did it know whaty behind it? Should he ask it? They reached the captain¡¯s cabin. Though Duncan¡¯s mind was still tumultuous, he entered the door with Alice and saw that the goat head was still quietly positioned on the navigation table, its hollow ck eyes turning toward the sound of the door. As Duncan turned to hang thentern, he heard Alice already greeting the goat head with a hint of excitement, ¡°Mr. Goat Head! I went down to the lower decks with the captain! The very bottom of this ship is incredible! The lowest cabin is all split apart¡ªand there¡¯s also a very strange door!¡± Duncan suddenly felt no longer torn about how to start a conversation with the goat head¡ªhe almost forgot that he had an inquisitive and unknowing doll with him, and Alice¡¯s chatter had opened up the scene. He struggled to keep fromughing out loud and pretended to tidy up quietly while listening intently to the conversation between the two ¡°crew members¡±. He heard the goat head¡¯s voice, with an unsurprised tone, ¡°I knew you¡¯d be astonished! Miss Alice, now you realize how great Homeloss is, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s a ship that can sail safely across different dimensions at the same time!¡± Listening to this, Duncan felt a stir in his heart. The situation was indeed as he had guessed; the bizarre scenery outside the cracks in the bottom of the ship¡­ was certainly because it no longer belonged to the space-time of the Endless Sea! At the same time, he was quickly calcting in his mind: Alice¡¯s curiosity about the strange sights beneath Homeloss was overwhelming, she seemed reluctant to ask too many questions of him, the ¡°captain,¡± preferring instead to inquire with the chatty goat head. But if he continued to stand there eavesdropping, it would seem odd and suspicious, and it might even cause the goat head to steer the topic toward him¡ªif it threw a ¡°You should ask the captain¡± at Alice, he wouldn¡¯t know how to respond¡­ With this thought, he immediately made a n. Afterposing his expression to its usual seriousness, he said nonchntly, ¡°You two chat here, I¡¯ll take a walk outside¡ªGoat Head, Alice is now part of the crew. You can tell her anything about the ship that isn¡¯t too secretive.¡± Upon hearing this, Alice¡¯s face immediately lit up with a joyful smile, and the goat head readily agreed, ¡°Of course, Captain, your loyal subordinates always warmly wee new members¡­¡± Duncan left the captain¡¯s cabin, pushing the door behind him. But the moment he left the captain¡¯s cabin, he refocused his mind, leveraging the close connection between himself and Homeloss, and carefully paid attention to the movements inside the captain¡¯s cabin. As he concentrated, his vague perceptions became clear, real-time monitoring, a vivid reflection of everything in the captain¡¯s cabin ying out in Duncan¡¯s mind. He ¡°saw¡± Alice promptly take a stool and sit opposite the goat head, excitedly recounting her exploration of the lower decks of Homeloss, describing the bizarre scenes at the bottom of the hull. She seemed to havepletely forgotten the matter of making ate-night snack for the captain¡ªbut Duncan didn¡¯t mind at all. He appreciated the puppet¡¯s divine assist at the critical moment. Under the night sky, Ai Yi suddenly pped his wings and fluttered onto a nearby mast as if standing guard, while Duncan walked slowly forward just like he was normally patrolling the deck. In his mind, however, the conversation within the captain¡¯s quarters came through clearly. Alice had brought up that bizarre door with Goathead, her tone tinged with tension, ¡°¡­That door looks a bit scary, the captain won¡¯t even let me get close to it¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t get close, not just you, even I can¡¯t touch it¡ªdon¡¯t give me that look. I know I have no hands or feet, but the ¡®touch¡¯ I¡¯m talking about is another kind of¡­ contact, control, understanding, spying, you get it? That door is untouchable in this sense¡­ If you touch it, you¡¯re done, got it?¡± Alice seemed to have been startled by Goathead¡¯s unusually stern tone and hesitated for a second or two before speaking, ¡°Then¡­ what exactly is that door?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As Duncan walked on the deck, he focused his attention but then heard Goathead fall silent suddenly; after a long time, he spoke in a deep voice without directly answering any questions, ¡°You surely haven¡¯t touched that door, right?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t touched it!¡± Alice replied in a hurry but then she hesitated before adding with less certainty, ¡°Although¡­ although the captain leaned in to peek, he looked through the crack of the door and poked at something on the other side with his sword¡­¡± After Alice¡¯s words fell, Duncan suddenly felt the entire ship shake, followed immediately by all the main sails and side sails making a low moaning sound in the wind and all the masts and ropes creaking in session¡ªand all these things were currently being controlled by Goathead! He looked up in surprise at the swinging masts and ropes as if he could sense the momentary panic of the controller behind them. In his mind, an exmation came from the captain¡¯s quarters, it was Goathead¡¯s voice, ¡°What did you say?! A crack in the door? The door cracked open?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± Alice sounded as if she had been frightened, ¡°The door was ajar, with a crack, about¡­ about as wide as a finger¡­¡± ¡°The captain took a peek through the crack on the other side? And then? He poked with his sword¡­ Did he change at all then? When he took you away, did he seem hesitant or dazed?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alice replied immediately, ¡°The captain¡¯s expression was very serious, and he quickly took me back. He seemed to be thinking about something on the way but wasn¡¯t dazed at all¡ªah, he also discussed cooking with me, I need to go to the kitchenter¡­¡± ¡°Forget the kitchen for now! Do you know what¡¯s behind that door?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ what¡¯s behind that door?¡± Alice¡¯s voice carried a mixture of confusion and fear. She had never seen Goathead so seriously urgent before¡ªit was as if the ship was about to sink. Goathead¡¯s tone suddenly became very low as he slowly said, ¡°Behind that door is Subspace.¡± Duncan stopped in his tracks on the deck. Behind the door, Subspace? He waspletely astonished, the huge waves stirring in his heart almost interfered with his monitoring of the captain¡¯s quarters, but then he thought of another thing¡ª The shattered bottom of the ship, the dim, chaotic light and shadow flux outside the crack¡ªit appeared that Homeloss was sailing in different dimensions, and its bottom was obviously in a different space-time from the real world. And there was a door at the bottom, and Subspacey on the other side of it¡­ Could it be that the lower half of Homeloss was actually navigating in Subspace?! And if Goathead¡¯s words were to be believed, this state of navigation seemed unstable? Not only did the bottom require the captain¡¯s constant pacification, but that door theoretically should have been closed tightly, yet now it had cracked open¡­ What did this mean? Could it mean there was a problem with the ¡°seal¡± of the bottom? Or was something from Subspace trying to enter Homeloss? He recalled his own attempt to close that door before leaving the bottom of the ship, yet no matter how hard he tried, the door remained firmly open just a crack¡ªas if fused with space itself. At the time, he hadn¡¯t thought much of it, but looking back now, a bizarre idea involuntarily surfaced in his mind. Perhaps¡­ when he tried to close that door, something on the other side was resisting him, preventing him from shutting that passage¡­ Chapter 62 - 66 A Beautiful Morning on Homeloss Chapter 62: Chapter 66 A Beautiful Morning on Homeloss ¡°Alice! Get your head together!¡± The wonderful morning on the Homeloss started with the captain roaring energetically on the deck. Duncan stood outside the captain¡¯s cabin, pointed at a doll¡¯s head hanging from a nearby beam, and, after twitching the corner of his eye for quite some time, finally spotted a doll¡¯s body dressed in a deep purple gothic gown frantically standing up and taking down the hanging head. With a crisp ¡°pop¡± in the air, the dolldy put her head back on and then trotted over, giggling, ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¡°Hehe what hehe? What are you doing hanging your head by my door so early in the morning?¡± Duncan red at the cursed doll, who made mischief every now and then; honestly, who wouldn¡¯t be startled by a head swinging in the wind at the door when you open it first thing in the morning? It¡¯s also lucky that he had spent a long time on this ship and had tougher nerves than before. Otherwise, he might have been scared breathless, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were on lookout¡ªthere are pigeons for that!¡± ¡°I washed my hair this morning¡­¡± Alice said cautiously, shrinking her neck, ¡°My hair never dries, so I thought hanging it higher might catch some wind¡­¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Alice cautiously nced at Duncan, ¡°Captain¡­ are you angry?¡± ¡°You¡­ make sense.¡± Duncan struggled for a while and could only squeeze out these words from his bronchi, trying to control the twitching of his facial muscles while having to admit, at least from Alice¡¯s ¡°anomaly 099¡± lifestyle perspective, hanging her head up higher to catch some wind made perfect sense¡ªon this ship, the winch even took a nap out of habit, and the bucket for swabbing decks rolled to the stern to bask in the sun every afternoon. Living on this ship indeed required an open mind. From this perspective, Alice, a doll adapted to life on the ship, had really be one with the Homeloss¡­ ¡°As long as you¡¯re not angry, Captain!¡± Alice immediately brightened up with a grin. She seemed to have adapted to, or perhaps even understood, the captain¡¯s temperament. She still respected the formidable ghost captain, but no longer had the pure fear she initially harbored. She seemed much more open now, even daring to haggle with the captain, ¡°Then can I still hang my head¡­¡± ¡°Not at all¡ªanywhere but by the door of the captain¡¯s cabin works. Find your own spot,¡± Duncan nced at the doll, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see a crew member¡¯s head hanging or a headless body floundering in front of the door every time I open it.¡± Alice could only humbly bow her head, ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Duncan still looked at her, thoughtful. ¡°Captain?¡± Alice felt a bit uneasy under his gaze, ¡°Why are you staring at me¡­¡± ¡°I just suddenly thought of something,¡± Duncan pondered and then said, ¡°You lose hair, right? Do you also lose it when you wash it? Then¡­ does it grow back?¡± Alice was stunned for a moment, her expression like that of the pigeon Ai Yi when suddenly stuck. After a long while, her eyes suddenly widened, looking at Duncan in astonishment, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I never thought about that! Captain, you¡­¡± Hertter words almost sounded like a sob, and she dared not finish her question, which was essentially asking ¡°Are you a devil, Captain?¡± She feared saying such a thing might invite a scolding from Mister Goat-Head, on the grounds of underestimating the captain¡¯s authority while excessively morizing the image of the foremost marine disaster¡­ Duncan was unconcerned about what Alice had hesitated to say; his mind had already drifted: ¡°You see, although you can walk, jump, and talk, your body is still like a real doll¡¯s, not needing food or water, and limbs can be forcibly popped back on. So, can I assume that your hair is a non-renewable resource, that if washed too much, you¡¯d go bald¡­ or even brushing it too much could cause the same?¡± Alice was nearly in tears: ¡°Captain, why would you think of such scary things¡­¡± Duncan: ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve wanted to ask ever since you cooked that fish head soup.¡± Alice, despite her sadness, paused at that remark, ¡°But all I cooked was fish soup¡­¡± Duncan dered confidently, ¡°Nonsense, if it¡¯s got fish, a head, and broth, why shouldn¡¯t it be fish head soup?¡± Alice, ¡°¡­Captain, you make sense.¡± A beautiful morning aboard the Homeloss began with everyone agreeing on what was reasonable. Miss Doll seemed distracted as she left; she appeared to suddenly have a significant life decision to ponder. Duncan¡¯s mood brightened. He breathed the sea breeze and then had a simple breakfast¡ªconsisting of fish slices Alice made yesterday, chopped cheese, and strong liquor from Plunder City-State. It might not have been delicious, but it was currently the best meal avable on the Homeloss. Inside the chart room of the captain¡¯s cabin, Goat Head curiously looked at the cheerful Duncan, ¡°Captain, what happened to Miss Alice? I noticed she was distracted when she returned to her cabin. She even bumped into the door twice¡­ She seemed deeply troubled?¡± ¡°She¡¯s facing a significant challenge in her life. I think for a long while you won¡¯t have to worry about her fighting with the weird things on board,¡± Duncan swirled his wine ss with a mischievous smile, ¡°But I¡¯m really curious about something¡­¡± ¡°Ah? What are you curious about?¡± ¡°Do cursed dolls really be bald if all their hair falls out?¡± Duncan seriously discussed with Goat Head, ¡°Such supernatural beings, shouldn¡¯t they have some transcendent power to ensure¡­ well, a certain state? Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get to discuss this with Alice before she ran off.¡± Goat Head, ¡°¡­¡± Duncan curiously nced at his usually noisypanion, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± Goat Head struggled for a bit, finally squeezing out, ¡°You truly are the most terrible cmity of the Endless Sea¡­ I couldn¡¯t dare ask such a question.¡± Duncan shrugged his shoulders and stood up from behind the navigation desk. ¡°I need to take another leave,¡± he told Goat Head, snapping his fingers. A burst of green me erupted, and the spectral bird-shaped Ai Yi descended from the mes,nding on his shoulder, ¡°As usual, you will take the helm.¡± ¡°Understood, captain. Your loyal subordinate will not disappoint you!¡± Goat Head immediately replied with rising intonation and curiously added, ¡°Captain, you seem¡­ quite interested in traveling to the Spirit Realmtely? Is there something onnd that caught your interest?¡± Duncan didn¡¯t immediately respond but pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°I have recently discovered that, after a century of development, this world has be a bit more interesting.¡± This was his calcted response: the statement didn¡¯t reveal any specific details and didn¡¯t expose hisck of knowledge, while reasonably setting the stage for him to show more frequent interest in the terrestrial world, which could also serve as a ¡°justifiable motivation¡± for the Homeloss to return to civilized society if needed. And this answer should not overly contradict ¡°Captain Duncan¡¯s¡± image. The greatest cmity of the Endless Sea could also be a fun-loving person¡ªbecause a fun-loving person amodates everything. Goat Head showed no unusual reaction, as if whatever decision Captain Duncan made was to be expected, ¡°Oh, you are right. After so many years, those weak City-States must have developed something interesting enough to pique your interest and alleviate your boredom¡­ In that case, should Homeloss make preparations? Are you nning to invade Plunder, Rensa, or perhaps the northern Frost?¡± Duncan had been nodding along with the first part of Goat Head¡¯s words, appreciating his top minion¡¯s effort to tter and support him. However, hearing thetter part, his blood ran cold¡ªthis cooperation turned into fanning the mes, and he had to quickly interrupt, ¡°When did I say I wanted to invade City-States? It would be a pity to destroy such interesting developments.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, you are right. My suggestion was too rash,¡± Goat Head immediately altered his tone, ¡°I thought you were nning to take the ship for a spin there¡­ Since you have no such intentions, my suggestion should be disregarded. Actually, that¡¯s also good. After all, the big City-States do have some strength; getting too close would be somewhat risky¡­¡± ¡°In the future, do not bring up invading City-States casually,¡± Duncan looked at Goat Head with ack of trust, adding anotheryer of caution, ¡°We¡¯ve been off-track with the world for a hundred years. Now, I want to reacquaint myself with the changes in civilized society, which may involve many long-term adaptations¡ªdo not make any superfluous ns until I give a direct order.¡± ¡°Yourmand will be diligently followed, captain.¡± Chapter 63 - 67 New Connections Chapter 63: Chapter 67 New Connections The Goat Head was a dangerous fellow, Duncan had known this from the start¡ªnot only because it was an anomalous entity with an unknown background, but also because it had been loyal to the real Captain Duncan and even now, continued to operate and think ording to the old rules. In the Goat Head¡¯s perspective, City-States onnd held no significance, the mortals within them wereughably ignorant, the weak City-State fleets were mere fodder, and plundering and killing them¡­ was a ¡°routine¡± rightfully owed to Homeloss. Duncan didn¡¯t know how long it would take to adjust the Goat Head¡¯s way of thinking, but he knew the process had to be subtle¡ªusing some reasonable exnations to change his and Homeloss¡¯s modus operandi was the safest approach. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He took onest look at the Goat Head quietly standing by on the navigation table, having confirmed that it had taken over Homeloss¡¯s sails and steering system, and then pushed open the door to enter his cabin. This afternoon, Nina would return to the antique shop, and before that, he needed to have the Dove Ai Yiplete more test items. The door to the captain¡¯s cabin closed, and the Goat Head silently watched the direction of the door in the dim light, remaining silent for who knows how long, until it confirmed that the captain¡¯s consciousness had embarked on a journey through the Spirit Realm, then it muttered to itself in a low voice, ¡°Really unaffected by the Subspace¡­¡± In the dimness, the wooden carved Goat Head turned creakingly, seemingly surveying the room, yet its gaze seemed to prate the room, surveying the whole ship. ¡°Homeloss, Homeloss¡­ what terrible thing did you dredge up back then¡­¡± ¡­ Duncan had returned to that familiar dark space, feeling his will extend among countless stars and slender lines of light, with the endpoints of this trajectory being Homeloss and the antique shop in the Plunder City-State. It seemed that as the time of this ¡°dual-line connection¡± elongated, this sensation grew clearer; he didn¡¯t even need to focus deliberately now to sense the situation on the side of the antique shop¡ªand he could remotely control the body there to do some simple daily activities. This was obviously a good thing, as an antique shop owner who spent more than half the time ¡°asleep¡± was certainly doubtful, and even just getting up and standing at the door for a minute or two could ward off many unnecessary stares. Duncan didn¡¯t immediately ¡°transmit¡± his main consciousness to the Plunder City-State but stopped in the dark space, carefully sensing the changes around him before turning to look beside him. In the vast darkness, the Bone Dove Ai Yi was silently circling, its spectral body continuously sprinkling specks of green fire as it flew, and at the center of Ai Yi¡¯s circling area were some blurry apparitions. Among those apparitions were the Sun Amulet previously brought aboard Homeloss, an ancient short dagger, a piece of cheese, a round cannonball, and a stiff piece of dried salted fish. These were all ¡°test items¡± he had prepared before setting off, aimed to further assess Ai Yi¡¯s ability to carry items and the changes during the carrying process. The short dagger, found in the ship¡¯s cabin, potentially belonged to a sailor and was a thoughtless ¡°ordinary item¡±. The cheese, taken from the kitchen, possessed the property of not spoiling. The cannonball was from the ammunition depot, while the dried salted fish was part of thest fishing catch, just dried these days¡ªnot thoroughly dried yet, but already quite stiff. Duncan watched Ai Yi circling around these apparitions and nodded slightly, ¡°So this is how you always carry items.¡± Ai Yi pped its wings, emitting a raspy, sharp cry, ¡°Hold steady, sit tight, hold steady, sit tight!¡± Duncan smiled briefly, then focused his mind, preparing to project his main consciousness. But just as his attention condensed, he suddenly saw an unusual dim light emerge at the far end of the light stream pointing towards the Plunder City-State! Duncan immediately stopped, surprised by the light flickering in the midst of countless dim stars¡ªthe light seemed to have been there all along, only turning from darkness to brightness the moment his attention was concentrated, as if suddenly noticed, it began to emit a clear presence. What was that? Intrigued, Duncan tried to move towards that dim light, and with just a thought, he had already crossed the vast darkness, the dim light quickly erging in front of him and transforming into a flowing stream of light. He then saw that there was a barely perceptible ¡°connection¡± between this undting light stream and himself¡ªsimr to the connection between his main body on Homeloss and the spare body in the antique shop. Was this¡­ another potential spare body? The thought crossed Duncan¡¯s mind, but he quickly shook his head¡ªthe flowing light in front of him was muchrger in scale than those representing ¡°bodies¡±; such a vast expanse of light¡­ it was less like representing a potential spare body than some enormous item that had established a connection with him. In hesitation, he made up his mind and carefully stretched out his hand to touch the light¡­ The next second, a massive and unfamiliar ¡°perception¡± suddenly flooded into his mind¡ªhe couldn¡¯t see the surroundings clearly, but felt the sea breeze against his body, the slow undtion of the waves around him, and the movement of many people around and even over his body. He heard conversations from all directions, but all the voices were so jumbled together and seemingly behind a thick curtain, he couldn¡¯t make out anything clearly. He vaguely realized that he was sensing the environment through the perspective of a colossal entity, but this entity was not suitable for his spirit to descend directly into, or perhaps there was some force protecting this thing, blocking his power from entering, thus all his perceptions were dyed and obscured. The colossal entity seemed to be stationed near the coast, with many people gathered around. A tense and solemn atmosphere pervaded the crowd; they seemed to be dealing earnestly with some dangerous element, each conversation somber yet concise. Duncan tried hard to concentrate, wanting to make out what these muffled, curtained voices were discussing. After a long struggle, he finally heard a word repeatedly mentioned from these buzzingly ovepping voices¡ªthe ¡°White Oak.¡± Duncan pulled back his hand that had touched the stream of light, looking bewilderedly at the flickering luminescence in front of him. The luminescence floated in the darkness, faintly outlining the ghostly image of a ship. White Oak¡­ the name seemed somewhat familiar, but hepletely couldn¡¯t remember when he had heard it. Duncan thought hard and recalled, finally dredging up some vague impressions from deep within his memory. He remembered the ship he had first collided with in the Spirit Realm state when he was at the helm. When the Homeloss passed through the other vessel, he had seemed to see its name on the side of the other ship¡¯s hull¡­ The ship, it was apparently named the White Oak. Then, he remembered the newspaper he had bought in Plunder City-State. An inconspicuous section in it had also mentioned this matter, stating that the White Oak, a deep-sea ship that had been missing for several days, was set to dock soon¡­ Duncan stared nkly at the floating luminescence. This was the White Oak, the one responsible for transporting anomaly 099. The old captain who had once tried to shout to him and his crew seemed to have sessfully reached Plunder City-State¡ªthat was quite a relief. Clearly, he had formed a connection with this ship. Could the connection have been established after that ¡°Spirit Realm collision¡± ident? Because the mes from the Homeloss had spread to the White Oak? Duncan mulled over this suspicion, specting on the various properties his Spectral me might possess while also pondering how the link with this steamship might be useful. After drifting on the Homeloss for so long, he greatly valued every connection he had with the civilized world. It appeared that although the White Oak had docked, it was still in some sort of lockdown, under surveince. Those anxious individuals were probably ¡°professionals¡± from the City-State, specifically dealing with Transcendent phenomena. Evidently, for the people in the city-state, a ship that had wandered lost at sea posed a risk, and the experience of close contact with the Homeloss might also be a significant issue pending review. Duncan was somewhat conscious of his own and Homeloss¡¯s notoriety by now. After some contemtion, Duncan cautiously stepped back, no longer touching the mist of light in front of him. As the top boss of the Endless Sea, he didn¡¯t n to deal with the city-state¡¯s protectors, and not knowing the specifics of those ¡°Transcendent experts,¡± he also didn¡¯t want to expose the fact that the White Oak had established a connection with ¡°Captain Duncan.¡± He didn¡¯t want the link between him and this steamship to be discovered and eradicated¡ªsince the connection was already established, firm like an anchor under the sea, he could afford to wait. The surveince on the White Oak would eventually be lifted. Then, he might be able to calmly chat with the old captain. And find out just what the old captain had been trying to shout over the roaring storm back then. Chapter 64 - 68: Reliable Pigeon Express Chapter 64: Chapter 68: Reliable Pigeon Express A cool sea breeze suddenly swept across the deck, causing Captain Lawrence, who had just stepped outside from the interior, to rub his arms subconsciously¡ªbut he didn¡¯t know if the prickling sensation was due to the cool sea breeze or because of what the young Judge had told him. Anomaly 099, the Doll Coffin, possessed not only the ability to move and break free but also the capacity to continually expand its influence. It could constantly assess targets within its range, executing an unconditional beheading. Only saints might resist this near-causal effect of beheading¡­ During the past half-month voyage, he and his crew had been living in close quarters with this dangerous anomaly¡ªalthough the truth was that aside from the final encounter with the Homeloss, the transport mission had been uneventfully safe. Yet, upon reflection, he still felt a touch of fear. But it was just that, fear after the fact. He was a member of the Explorers¡¯ Association, a seasoned maritime explorer. His work involved dealing with the Endless Sea¡ªunlike those fishermen who only sailed in the safer coastal waters, the majority of his seafaring life had been spent dealing with all sorts of anomalies and supernatural urrences. When taking on anomaly transportation tasks, the authorities or the church would always inform him of the risks involved with the process, and this information was usually the shortest part of the entire contract agreement, typically just one line: This mission poses a fatal risk, specific details cannot be disclosed. Every captain making a living between City-States knew what they were up against, and more than half of them were haunted by their fatal profession in theirter years¡ªyears of grappling with the Endless Sea, anomalies, and supernatural phenomenon always left their mark on one¡¯s fate. Many of his peers had already retired; some were trapped in endless nightmares, others endured mental anguish due to various curses, or came back from long voyages with physical disabilities¡­ or worse. Captains and sailors on ocean-going vessels had ies that far exceeded what residents of the City-States could imagine, along with ¡°upational illnesses¡± that surpassed any other profession. Captain Lawrence didn¡¯t consider himself a very noble person; he was in this line of work primarily for the money. Of course, he had a keen passion for exploring the sea in his youth, but like most people, youthful passion is hard to sustain throughout life, and now¡­ he felt it was time to extinguish that passion. It was best to retire while his mental state was still normal, while the Endless Sea had not yet ensnared his fate. Lawrence sighed softly and turned to walk slowly toward the direction of the captain¡¯s quarters. The search and questioning of the entire ship by the clergymen were not yetplete, and before that, he could not leave the White Oak. After that, he was to be transitioned with everyone to the church to undergo quarantine observation and a series of mental assessments. His gaze swept over the familiar fixtures of the ship. This was a good ship, and it was new. He had only takenmand of it five years ago. In the colloquialisms of captains on the Endless Sea, ¡°the honeymoon between captain and ship has not yet passed.¡± To be honest, retiring did feel a bit reluctant. But retiring now was better than dying on some future voyage or spending thetter half of his life in a madhouse. ¡­ In the Lower City District of the City-State, inside the old Duncan¡¯s Antique Shop, the middle-aged man lying on the bed upstairs slowly opened his eyes, the somewhat stale and moldy ceiling came into Duncan¡¯s view. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Duncan exhaled lightly, feeling his perception of this body be rapidly clear and stabilized, feeling his control of this body shift from remote maniption to direct mastery. After a few seconds to adjust, he used his arms to push himself up energetically. The pigeon, Ai Yi, fluttered over, pecking at its beak near his bedside and squawking, ¡°Darling, wee home. Would you like to eat first, take a bath, or¡­¡± Duncan was just about to stretch when Ai Yi¡¯s words caused him to nearly cramp up, and he smacked the pigeon on the head, ¡°Where did you learn all these phrases?!¡± Clearly not an ordinary bird, Ai Yi took the p from Duncan unfazed and casually sidestepped, continuing to chatter, ¡°A punch ¡®thwack¡¯ right in the nose, blood gushing, nose crooked to the side, as if opening a soy sauce shop¡­¡± Duncan immediately set the nonsensical bird aside and stopped paying attention to it, rising from the bed to look at the table not far away. On the tabley all the experimental items that he had prepared aboard the Homeloss: the Sun Amulet, a dagger, cheese, cannonballs, and a salted fish. Everything was in ce. All these unrted items together, and there were no instances of Ai Yi losing any of them. This pigeon turned out to be more reliable than he had initially believed. Duncan moved forward, checking each item on the table. Confirming that everything wasplete and undamaged, he couldn¡¯t help but look back at the pigeon pacing on the bed, and a bit of appreciation for the bird fluttered in his heart. Then he saw Ai Yi pacing steps around the head of the bed; by this time, she had her back turned and had reached the passage ¡°When Ruda looked back, he saw Zheng the Butcher lying on the ground¡±¡­ Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± He tucked away the admiration in his heart, and then sat down at the desk to start checking the condition of those ¡°goods¡± one by one. First was the Sun Amulet, which was unchanged¡ªas a transcendent item that had beenpletely transformed and controlled by the fire of a Spiritual Body, it still calmly flowed with a gentle power within. It seemed that traveling to the Spirit Realm twice had not affected the amulet¡¯s traits. The dagger without transcendent properties also seemed unchanged; apart from its antique style, its de was still sharp, and its sheath, well maintained. Duncan¡¯s gaze fell on the block of cheese brought from the Homeloss¡¯s kitchen. The cheese showed no abnormalities and remained in an inedible state. It had not, as Duncan had imagined, rapidly spoiled or vanished into thin air after leaving the Homeloss. He then looked at the artillery shell¡ªthe shelly quietly on the table, unresponsive to the captain¡¯s scrutiny. Duncan pushed the shell, then tapped its cast-iron shell. The transcendent trait had faded from the shell. On the Homeloss, even the shells were ¡°active,¡± which of course didn¡¯t mean that each shell had an independent ¡°thought,¡± but the ship¡¯s entire ammunition system was controlled by a unified ¡°consciousness,¡± and as ¡°sub-units¡± of this consciousness, the Homeloss¡¯s shells would even adjust their positions and ept ¡°inspection¡± immediately when watched by the captain. ording to Duncan¡¯s observations over a period of time, the Homeloss¡¯s weapon system should be controlled by two ¡°consciousnesses¡±: one for the ammunition system and the other for the several dozen cannons below the deck, each likely responsible for the loading and firing duringbat, controlling every ¡°member¡± within their own systems. This shell in front of him obviously lost control from its higher consciousness upon departure from the Homeloss and had be an unremarkable chunk of iron. Duncan was contemtive. If he were to take this shell back, would it be part of the ammunition depot again? Would the Homeloss still ¡°recognize¡± this ¡°sub-unit¡± that had left and then returned? His thoughts extended further¡ªthe ammunition aboard the Homeloss was limited; shells fired would not return (the eight shells used to weigh down Alice¡¯s storage hadn¡¯te back), so¡­ could the ship¡¯s ammunition be replenished? And how would newly added shells be ¡°sub-units¡± of the Homeloss? Extending his thoughts a bit more: Could the Homeloss upgrade its cannon system? More advanced cannons, more advanced shells¡ªwould these things work aboard that ship? The Homeloss was a ghost ship, which meant it was difficult to supply and¡­ ¡°improve,¡± like regr ships, easily. Items brought aboard were just ¡°external items,¡± and if they couldn¡¯t sessfully integrate into the Homeloss, then these external items wouldn¡¯t have the convenience of ¡°self-operation¡± like the ship¡¯s other facilities. But if there was a way to make these things part of the Homeloss¡­ then that ghost ship might exhibit even greater power. And have better living conditions. Duncan couldn¡¯t help but think a lot in this area. The more he interacted with the modern Plunder City-State, the more he felt that the Homeloss from a century ago wasn¡¯t as bright and perfect as its illustrious reputation¡ª That ship might possess strange and terrifying power, but it didn¡¯t even have electric lights, nor potato fries; its weapon system was still the old muzzle-loaded cannons, and their effectiveness was questionable, and again, no potato fries. While the sails of the Spiritual Body were handy, having a set of steam machinery as an auxiliary power source clearly wasn¡¯t bad either. Yet the ship didn¡¯t even have a boiler to heat water. And no potato fries. Duncan silently nced at the pigeon that had hopped onto the windowsill and was gazing nkly outside. The pigeon turned its head, blinking its mung-bean eyes at him: ¡°Go to the docks for some fries?¡± ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t mention fries,¡± Duncan responded with a subtle mood, then turned his attention to thest item. N?v(el)B\\jnn A salted fish, a natural delicacy harvested from the depths of the ocean and processed, tasted not bad and belonged to the ¡°outside of the items of the Homeloss.¡± After the excursion through the Spirit Realm, this salted fish appeared to have no change. He would make a soup with it for Nina tonight. Chapter 65 - 69: City-State Life Chapter 65: Chapter 69: City-State Life After inspecting all the test items, Duncan gained a deeper understanding of Ai Yi¡¯s transportation capabilities and the properties of the items on Homeloss. Ai Yi could transport various items simultaneously, including organic, inorganic, transcendent, and ordinary items. The type of items did not affect the stability of the transport process, nor did the transport process affect the properties of the items themselves; Some items on Homeloss that obviously had the ¡°ability to move¡± were ¡°sub-units¡± under arger controlling consciousness, such as projectiles that were sub-units of the ammunition system. Once these sub-units left Homeloss, they would lose their mobility and be ordinary objects; The transportation process did not seem to exhaust Ai Yi¡¯s ¡°energy.¡± Whether it was initially carrying a ceremonial dagger or now carrying a bunch of items at once, the bird returned still lively. Of course, this might be because the ¡°cargo¡± transported so far was too little and far from reaching its capacity limit; So far, only the transportation of items of different types had been tested, and it was not yet known whether Ai Yi¡¯s transport ability had limitations on ¡°weight¡± or ¡°volume.¡± More tests were required. Duncan methodically summarized the known information and only after confirming that everything was thought through did he breathe a sigh of relief and slowly leaned back in his chair. He knew that the tests he had conducted so far were still very imperfect. Many potential variables were not thoroughly considered, even considering the ¡°test item categories,¡± and the samples he selected were too few to gather effective data. In the future, he intended to select even more types of items and to test Ai Yi¡¯s transport limits and the stability of multiple transports with different item weights and volumes. Only with enoughparative samples would the test data be reliable and credible. He was very cautious in this regard, and this caution was not without reason¡ªhe had a very bold n¡­ or rather, an idea. Since Ai Yi could transport items unharmed between thend and Homeloss, and it did not restrict the type of items, then¡­ could it transport people? If it could transport people, could it transport people who weren¡¯t exactly human? For example¡­ Alice? Duncan knew that one person¡¯s abilities were limited. Relying solely on his own ability to navigate the Spirit Realm as a link between Homeloss and thend City-State, he would eventually encounter problems of insufficient manpower and oversight. Having an assistant would significantly improve the situation. The pigeon Ai Yi¡¯s demonstrated transportation ability gave him an excellent idea. Of course, Alice was not an ideal assistant candidate. This ¡°anomaly 099¡± with a high-ranking number was elegant and mysterious when idle, but as soon as she became active, her inept and useless nature was immediately apparent. However, Duncan currently had no other options. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Thinking that the only usable crew member under hismand was a good-for-nothing who could even stew herself while cooking, Duncan could not help but sigh. The precarious position of Homeloss as an enemy of the world really troubled him; he figured that he would not likely find allies in the human world. If he had to find them, he might only attract a group of immature viins who looked forward to the apocalypse upon waking up each day, cut gas pipelines on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and engaged in demonic sacrifices on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and skirmished with church guardians on Sundays¡­ This type of riff-raff could indeed hit it off with those like Goat-Head quickly. They could n invasions of different City-States in their free time but were hardly the help Duncan wanted. ¡°Ah, Alice is at least obedient,¡± Duncan sighed as he stood up, muttering to himself, ¡°With proper training, she might be able to grow¡­perhaps.¡± Even if she couldn¡¯t be an assistant, letting that figurine meet the world outside would be good. After all, she had been locked in a coffin for so many years; she didn¡¯t even know what the outside world looked like. After organizing his thoughts, Duncan began to tidy up therge pile of items he had brought over. He was not nning to return to Homeloss yet, and many items could not be carried personally, so naturally, they had to be stored in the shop. There weren¡¯t many ces to hide things on the second floor of the antique shop, and Nina coulde up at any time to help clean the room. Some items that clearly did not look like daily necessities would appear especially suspicious in the room (like a century-old projectile). However, after brief consideration, Duncan found a suitable ce for these items. The Sun Amulet could be hidden on his person, the salted fish could be ced directly in the kitchen, appearing perfectly reasonable, and the century-old projectile and the century-old sailor¡¯s dagger were even simpler¡ª Duncan took those two items directly to the ground floor shop and ced them in an inconspicuous corner near the counter¡ªafter all, this was an antique shop, and it was filled with all sorts of messy items simr in style; the dagger and projectile were more inconspicuous thrown in that pile of broken fakes¡­ As for thest item, the cheese taken from the kitchen of Homeloss, Duncan also found a good ce for it. The trash bin. After handling all this, Duncan dusted off his hands, which were not actually dusty, and was quite satisfied with his arrangements. He then nced outside at the sky. The ¡°sun,¡± confined by dual rune restrictions, was hanging high in the sky, and it was just noon. Nina would return hometer today. Before that, he nned to go out and walk to further understand the city. Anyway, it looked like the antique shop wouldn¡¯t do much business today. The weather was somewhat chilly, so Duncan put on a dark brown coat and tidied his somewhat messy and decadent hair before leaving the house. He tried to make his worn-out body, tormented by alcohol, drugs, and illness, look sprightly before leaving the antique shop. The moment he stepped outside, a fluttering sound of wings came from the second floor. The pigeon, Ai Yi, flew out of the room on its own andnded on his shoulder, bopping its head and beaming proudly, ¡°To the Twin Immortal Bridge, take Chenghua Avenue¡­¡± Duncan shot a re at the bird. He had nned to let the pigeon stay on the second floor to watch the house since having a pigeon on him when going out was too conspicuous and strange. Anyway, there was a Spiritual Fire connecting him and Ai Yi. If anything happened, he could summon it to his side using the Spectral me without dy. He just hadn¡¯t expected to forget to remind it, so the bird ¡°boarded¡± on its own. Seeing the bird looking so cunning and pleased with itself, Duncan finallyughed helplessly and sighed, ¡°¡­Alright, if you love to follow, then follow.¡± With the pigeon on his head, he made his way to the main road opposite the antique shop, walked along the main road for a short distance, and heard a crisp bell sound mixed with the operation of a steam machine, approaching from afar. Looking up, he saw a double-decker bus colored brown with blue stripes driving along the main road, gradually stopping near the bus station. That was amon public transport in the Plunder City-State, powered by a steam machine, with a fare of six bisis, covering most of the Lower City District. ording to the route map posted on the back of the bus, its line had two more stops that passed through the edge of the Upper City District, a ce called Cross District. Duncan remembered ¡°Cross District.¡± He knew that the district and its surrounding area were regarded as the ¡°boundary¡± of the Plunder City-State. There, one could find bustlingmerce and decent residences. Many residents from the Lower City District considered the Cross District a goal and dream for moving up in life, while many middle-ss citizens who couldn¡¯t afford the high costs of the Upper City District but wanted to live decently also resided there¡ªthere were cinemas, museums, and several upscale restaurants. Nina¡¯s school was near the Cross District, and the museum she mentioned was also next to the Cross District. Duncan thought for a moment and quickly walked to the station, boarding the bus before it departed. The bus was not crowded, more than half of the seats on the first level were empty. Standing next to the driver¡¯s cab was a ticket seller in a deep blue uniform. This young woman, with shoulder-length hair and simple makeup, instinctively reached for the ticket mp upon seeing someone board. But then she noticed the pigeon on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sorry, no pets on the bus. It¡¯s the rule,¡± the young woman said, pointing at the pigeon on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°including pigeons.¡± Duncan looked at Ai Yi. Ai Yi pped its wings innocently and cocked its head at him. ¡°Go cling to the roof.¡± ¡°Coo, coo.¡± Ai Yi pped its wings and flew out of the bus, cursing in ¡°coos¡± as it went. The young ticket seller was stunned, watching the man whomunicated with the pigeon and the pigeon that seemed to understand human speech, speechless for a long while. ¡°Is it okay now?¡± Duncan had to speak up to remind the somewhat dazed ticket seller, pointing towards the roof, ¡°You can¡¯t really control a bird on the roof, can you?¡± The ticket seller then snapped back to reality: ¡°Ah¡­ yes¡­ It¡¯s six bisis for a ticket, an all-day pass.¡± Duncan reached into his pocket, brought out two coins, and received a blue ticket. He then found a seat by the window and settled down quietly, ready to enjoy his first bus ride in this world. The steam machine started up, apanied by a slight vibration and mechanical friction noise; the bell on the bus¡¯s front also crisply rang, and then the bus slightly shook, the scenery outside the window moving backward. Duncanfortably leaned back in his seat, feeling the tremble and eleration as this mechanical creation operated. Steam machines were great, civilized society was great, technological progress was great. He would definitely have to install a set on Homeloss¡ªif only just a boiler to heat water, then they could have hot showers on the ship too. Just as his thoughts began to wander, he felt the bus suddenly shake, and the scenery outside the window slowly came to a stop. The young ticket seller opened a window near the front of the bus, leaning out and shouting, ¡°Boarding? There are seats! All big seats!¡± Duncan paused, then chuckled to himself. In that moment, he suddenly felt that this City-State, still foreign to him, immediately brimmed with a lively, homely atmosphere. Chapter 66 - 70: One of Us Chapter 66: Chapter 70: One of Us In a world where transcendent phenomena existed and thend was blocked by an endless ocean, with the City-State¡¯s guardians and anomalies engaged in endless struggles, how did ordinary people survive? Duncan stillcked understanding of the City-State, but at least in the parts he had seen, the ordinary people still lived in an environment of order and stability¡ª They worked, studied, and rested; they ran shops and exchanged what they had; they would go out on rest days to theaters and restaurants, parks and ports; they would visit museums and chat with neighbors after dinner¡ªthey led lives that were not very exciting but were generally stable. Steam-powered buses stopped and started intermittently, sometimes at tforms and sometimes at the roadside, always with passengers boarding and alighting. The silent driver asionally spoke a few words to the conductor, but mostly he focused on driving, while the young conductor asionally looked up at the roof¡ªas if she was still concerned about that pigeon. Duncan sat in his seat, observing everything around him with curiosity, watching these everyday lives of ordinary people. It seemed, apart from the need to understand the anomalies and phenomena in the world and to treat this knowledge as a sort of ¡°safety rule,¡± the lives of these ordinary people were not much different from what he had seen on Earth. As the bus neared the Cross District, it stopped again, this time at a tform where many passengers boarded. Duncan curiously observed the scenery at the tform, looking at the distant chimneys and the crisscrossing steam pipes above the buildings. Suddenly, he felt an unusual heat rising near his chest. The heat came from the Sun Amulet he had carefully concealed! While appreciating the scenery, Duncan paused and instinctively touched the spot where the amulet was hidden. The next second, he felt the amulet not only heating up but also trembling slightly. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He didn¡¯t know what was happening, but clearly the amulet was resonating with something nearby¡ªthrough the connection already established between himself and the amulet, he awkwardly sensed the source of this resonance. The next second, his eyes locked on a figure quickly moving through the crowd outside the window. The figure was wearing a ck coat and looked like just an ordinary passerby, but the ¡°sense of direction¡± from the Sun Amulet unmistakably pointed towards that person! Duncan immediately stood up from his seat and quickly walked towards the door of the bus. As his thoughts shifted, the pigeon, Ai Yi, received instructions and pped down from the roof,nding on his shoulder. The conductor standing near the door watched this scene in surprise and muttered softly after Duncan got off the bus, ¡°How is that pigeon trained¡­¡± But this small episode from everyday life quickly faded from Miss Conductor¡¯s attention as she turned to look at the new passengers, ¡°Come here to buy tickets¡­children need to buy tickets too, that¡¯s clearly over one meter tall¡­ Four years old? That can¡¯t possibly be four, it¡¯s full fare once you¡¯re over the line!¡± By then, Duncan had already stepped into the crowd, briskly navigating through the densely packed tform and intersection, tracking the figure in the ck coat. The person in ck moved quickly, the dense afternoon crowd allowing them to easily dodge being spotted. In fact, within just a few minutes, the figure had already disappeared from Duncan¡¯s sight. Yet, the resonance from the Sun Amulet still remained, the ¡°sense of direction¡± from deep within the amulet continuously guiding Duncan in the right direction. Duncan continued to follow the guidance of the Sun Amulet while rapidly considering his next steps. Undoubtedly, the person in ck was suspicious, and the amulet must have sensed something to react so suddenly¡­perhaps it sensed a kindred power from the ¡°True Sun God.¡± From the goat-headed being, Duncan knew that the amulet possessed the ability to recognize kin and guide towards the ¡°Sun¡¯s Blessing.¡± Typically, only the Sun God¡¯s Believers could use these features or feel the guidance of the amulet. Duncan had once usurped control of the amulet with the fire of his Spiritual Body, but at that time, he thought his fire had also destroyed most of the amulet¡¯s abilities. However, it now appeared¡­ its ability to recognize was still intact! Only now, this ability was serving him¡­ Guided by the amulet, he gradually left the crowded main thoroughfare and meandered into a sparsely popted narrow path. He once again spotted the suspicious figure¡ªhurriedly passing through the intersection ahead, seemingly oblivious to the tracker behind him. Faintly, Duncan felt the badge on his chest grow hotter than before, its resonating sensation bing clearer and stronger. Duncan quietly activated the Spiritual Body¡¯s fire, reading the information transmitted by the Sun Amulet, and masses of targeted ¡°perceptions¡± immediately flooded his mind. It was a subtle feeling¡ªalthough the Sun Amulet did not possess the Trait of thought, Duncan could almost feel the amulet excitedly conveying messages to him, telling him where other Believers who did not worship the Sun God were located. He even wanted to remind the amulet to show some restraint¡ªafter all, not long ago it was still a sacred artifact of the Sun God, and it shouldn¡¯t be so excited that it acted like a hand warmer. At the same time, he was increasingly certain that he was approaching a secret gathering ce of many Sun God Believers. As he had anticipated, more ¡°Sun Heretics¡± gathered in the shadowy corners of this City-State; the group annihted earlier in the sewers was just a part of these roach-like Heretics. He didn¡¯t know what these Heretics really aimed to aplish, but he knew these Heretics must understand matters of ancient history, Sun worship, and the Order Era far better than Nina¡¯s teachers. To delve deeper into the secrets of this world, one had to engage with Transcendent forces; it was difficult to approach the church and city authorities through normal means, but Heretics were much simpler¡ªjust blend in with them. Or beat them into submission. Duncan thought this as he suddenly stopped. He had reached the end of a narrow street, and the sneaky, ck-d man had just slipped into a nearby alley. The signal from the Sun Amulet was clear and strong, and no passersby were visible in the vicinity. Through the Sun Amulet, he sensed more ¡°fellow signals¡± approaching his location. Duncan silently pulled up the cor of his coat, covering half of his face¡ªand almost the next second after this action waspleted, he heard many footsteps emerging from the shadows of nearby buildings. One figure after another appeared. There were about a dozen people, dressed indistinguishably from ordinary citizens¡ªafter all, no Heretic would walk around in robes in the daylight downtown just as no professional assassin would wear a conspicuously white hooded cloak in the busy city streets. Only the continuous heat and targeted signals from the Sun Amulet assured him that these people emerging from all around were indeed followers of the True Sun. Duncan raised his head, looking towards the alley¡¯s end and saw the ck-d man he had been tracking also startlingly among them, watching him warily, while a tall, lean young man whispered something to hispanion before raising his head to look this way. ¡°This is private territory, why are you sneaking in here?¡± the tall, thin man spoke, seemingly trying to cultivate an impression that ¡°we are all ordinary citizens here, and your sneaking around is suspicious.¡± Since they were unclear about Duncan¡¯s background, they hesitated to act rashly and remained vignt. Duncan mumbled internally that his amateur tracking skills really weren¡¯t cut out for this professional activity, but he was also curious about how these Heretics nned to deal with him, their tracker¡ªdid they intend to pretend to be a group of dedicated criminal forces to scare him off, or did they n to diligently push forward their Heretic agenda and tie him up as a meaty offering to their Sun God? ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± the tall, thin man frowned, speaking impatiently. As his words fell, the surrounding figures subtly moved half a step forward, subtly forming a circle, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you¡­¡± Duncan shrugged his shoulders and casually pulled out the Sun Amulet from his chest, his tone sincere, ¡°I¡¯m one of you.¡± Let¡¯s blend in first, perhaps more words will be extracted. If they don¡¯t believe, then we¡¯ll have to fight. Chapter 67 - 71 Gathering in the Gutter Chapter 67: Chapter 71 Gathering in the Gutter In the moment Duncan took out the Sun Amulet, there was a few seconds of silence on the scene¡ªhis phrase ¡°one of our own¡± floated ndly in the air, resulting in a dozen pairs of eyes looking at each other with surprise and caution before the tall and skinny man who seemed like a leader suddenly lowered his voice and said urgently, ¡°Put it away quickly! Beware of church spies nearby!¡± The amulet actually worked? Did this thing really have such persuasive power among the Sun Cultists? Duncan was amused inwardly but maintained his impassive and mysterious demeanor on the surface, half his face covered, as he put the amulet away and said indifferently, ¡°If there really are church spies around here, yourrge gathering is much more conspicuous than my amulet.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a bearded man opposite him involuntarily eximed, ¡°That won¡¯t be the case. At most, gathering like this would only draw the attention of the city guards for disturbing the peace¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The tall and slender leader immediately silenced his subordinate¡¯s pointless babble, then his gaze fell on Duncan, ¡°This is necessary caution¡ªafter all, the city is not safe right now. Come over here, and don¡¯t make any redundant movements.¡± Duncan calmly walked towards the other side, and the man sized him up carefully. After a long look, the tall and skinny man asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you a Believer living in this city?¡± After thinking for a moment, Duncan nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± The original owner of this body did indeed live in the city, and he was living in the city now. On these patently obvious questions, he decided to tell the truth. His n was simple: to somehow blend in with these Heretics, then see if he could garner any news. Without exposure, he would listen and ask more; if exposed, he would have Ai Yi transform and dispatch them all. The tall and skinny man seemedpletely unaware of the dangerous thoughts tumbling around in the mind of the ¡°church brother¡± before him but immediately followed up with another question, ¡°As far as I know, the Deep Sea Church attacked¡­¡± ¡°The gathering in the sewers, where a Sun ritual was underway. The ceremony spun out of control, and we lost many people¡ªbut I escaped,¡± said Duncan, without any psychological burden, and at the same time, he paid attention to the reactions of the Sun Cultists around him. He could feel the tense atmosphere among these people had visibly rxed, but the tall and skinny leader in front of him still maintained caution, ¡°Three others escaped with me, but we got separated. Now, I havepletely lost contact with the church¡ªuntil I ran into you guys, the Sun has given me guidance.¡± The tall and skinny man hummed nomittally, then his gaze fell on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°My pet,¡± Duncan blurted out, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? It¡¯s just an ordinary pigeon.¡± Ai Yi timely shook her head, letting out a loud ¡°coo.¡± ¡°This pigeon sure has a loud voice¡­¡± The tall and skinny man seemed to finally let down his guard, probably subconsciously feeling that the strict and disciplined bunch from the church wouldn¡¯t have the habit of wandering around the city with a bird; he nodded, ¡°Follow me, it¡¯s not safe to talk out here.¡± Duncan felt a sigh of relief in his heart, thinking that the first step of muddying the waters had seemingly been sessful. Then he followed the group of Heretics, heading deeper into the alleyway. This alleyway was deeper than he had imagined; it seemed to lead to the most forgotten and gloomy underbelly of the dpidated district. The group of Heretics led Duncan through twists and turns, past old piping systems that continuously released steam, through filthy paths gushing with sewage, and eventually into a cluster of low and dpidated buildings. The deeper they went to this prosperous steam capital, the darker and more ruined aspects of it became undeniably exposed before Duncan. He had thought that the ce he and Nina lived was already the bottom levelmunity of the city, but now he realized with a sudden understanding that the rundown antique shop was actually a ¡°respectable ce¡± within the Lower City District. In the row of dpidated houses along the road, most seemed lifeless and appeared to have been abandoned for some time, but in the shadows of a few houses, one could sense numb or gloomy stares, as if the homeless were hiding in this forgotten district, indifferently watching the unwee guests entering their territory. Ultimately, these grim gazes quickly withdrew¡ªthe ten or so people led by the tall and skinny man were evidently intimidating enough to instill fear in the squatters of this area. ¡°See that? This is the most prosperous City-State on the Endless Sea, Prand,¡± the ck-d man who first caught Duncan¡¯s attention grumbled to himself, as if speaking to himself, yet seemingly for Duncan to hear, ¡°It¡¯s the same everywhere. Rensa is like this, Cold Harbor is the same, even the Elves¡¯ so-called ¡®Land of Peace and Justice¡¯, Light Breeze Harbor, is just the same¡­ They proim that their so-called ¡®Sun¡¯ fairly illuminates the world, bringing light and order to all things, but how much sunlight can there be to talk about in these gutters?¡± Duncan did not respond, merely looked up, and saw steam and fuel pipelines from the Upper City District and industrial areas crisscrossing above the buildings overhead, with giant valves and pressure structures that resembled many bizarre and enormous creatures crouched atop the surrounding low and broken-down buildings. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in these pipelines, making the sewage between the buildings emit an unpleasant stench. The polluted water was mostly condensation formed from leaking steam pipes nearby, umting day by day in the Lower City District, mixed with the chemical agents from the factories as the city functioned. Duncan didn¡¯t need to live in this city for long to roughly guess how such ¡°city abscesses¡± appeared. Duncan silently nced at the irate man in ck, his expression still indifferent. Whether seduced by the progeny of the sun or driven by the harshness of life, the heretics¡¯ existence indeed had its reasons¡ªbut what of it? These heretics who believed they had been forced by the City-State to live in the gutters still ended up in the Lower City District, capturing the helpless poor to be used as live sacrifices¡ªthe countless ragged people in that cave, not a single one of them came from the respectable Upper City District. As a ¡°foreigner¡± still not quite familiar with this world, Duncan felt it unnecessary toment too much on the City-State, but at least as a former sacrifice, he thought these heretics were quite despicable. In silence, he finally reached the heretics¡¯ stronghold. The stronghold was underground at an abandoned factory. These heretics, scurrying through the gutters, seemed to always find the right gutter to transform into their gathering ce, or perhaps this prosperous steam metropolis itself was filled with countless gutters suitable for nurturing dark, sphemous things. A group of people crossed the partially copsed perimeter wall of the factory and opened an iron door leading to the underground structure. Duncan originally nned to observe the situation within the factory to satisfy his curiosity about the ¡°Steam Era¡±, but never found the opportunity. Instead, he was taken directly down an inclined staircase to the heretics¡¯ ¡°secret base¡±. This ce may have once been the warehouse of the factory, or perhaps some sort of machinery room, but now it was clearly emptied out, with only the residual piping system on the roof and the gasmps on the walls, which could no longer be lit, remaining¡ªthe darkness was dangerous, even the heretics knew that, hence they lit oilmps fueled by whale blubber all around underground. Under the glow of the numerous oilmps, Duncan saw that there were still a dozen or so heretics gathered there. After the Church had heavily struck a sacrifice site, there were still so many Sun Believers gathered together? Where did these heretics spring from? Could it be like mushrooms and moss, they simply grew out of any gutter avable? Duncan looked around the spacious underground room at the gathered figures with some surprise while the heretics watched him, a sudden stranger, with curiosity and caution. Then the tall, thin man approached, followed closely by several robust-looking followers, positioning themselves around Duncan. Duncan frowned, ¡°What, do I need to be searched again after entering? I wasn¡¯t aware of this rule.¡± ¡°If you really are a spy from the Church, a search would be useless,¡± the tall, thin man said, extracting a strip of cloth from his embrace and handing it to Duncan, ¡°Rx, it¡¯s just a more rigorous verification, necessary caution¡ªwe¡¯ve lost many brethren over the years for various reasons. Take it, and then follow my chant.¡± Duncan nced at the object handed to him and saw it was just a dirty cloth strip, seemingly torn from old clothes, with dark brown stains on it that resembled dried blood. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Was this another tool used by the Sun Believers to verify their brethren? Duncan was inwardly surprised, thinking that these professionals who were constantly on the run did not seem to be very capable fighters, but their skills at preventing infiltration and internal betrayal were certainly maxed out. He then took the object handed over and heard the tall, thin man begin to murmur some sentences, ¡°In the name of the Sun, may the Lord¡¯s brilliance shine upon all¡­¡± Duncan immediately found it eerily familiar¡ªhe had just heard a heretic recite this to him not long ago! That heretic had also given him an amulet. Without any change in expression, Duncan slightly raised his hand, and a green me, unnoticed, seeped into the seemingly ordinary cloth strip in his hand, after which he put on a straight face and followed the chant of the tall, thin man before him. The cloth strip, which seemed to have been soaked in bloodstains, stayedcently in his hand, showing no reaction. The tall, thin man¡¯s gaze rested on the cloth for a long time before he finally nodded slightly, smiling as he took back the strip from Duncan¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Wee back to the glory of the Lord, brethren.¡± Chapter 68 - 72: Intelligence at the Assembly Hall Chapter 68: Chapter 72: Intelligence at the Assembly Hall To be fair, these heretics were actually quite cautious. They didn¡¯t believe this strange patriot¡± just because Duncan took out a Sun Amulet, nor did they readily trust his ount of what had happened in the sewer sacrificial site; they observed Duncan¡¯s words and behavior all along the way and even performed an additional verification after arriving at the gathering to confirm this stranger¡¯s identity¡ªgiven that they were a group of cultists always in hiding, they had done their best. But all their screening measures treated Duncan as a ¡°normal human being.¡± Such methods were meaningless to the captain of the Homeloss. The tall and thin leader took back the inconspicuous cloth strip from Duncan¡¯s hands; he seemedpletely unaware of any changes in the power contained within this Transcendent object, and after expressing a wee to the newpatriot, he raised his hand to point towards a corner of the gathering, ¡°Compatriot, rest here for now. There¡¯s more than one unfamiliar face around here.¡± Duncan nodded and walked towards the nondescript corner, paying attention to every face that appeared at the gathering. Contrary to what he had seen at the sewer sacrificial site, he was surprised to find that these Sun Believers were not dressed in the iconic ck robes but were dressed like ordinary citizens. They were not wearing hoods that concealed their faces but were openly exposing them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Out of curiosity, he asked the Believer beside him, ¡°Do you not need to hide your faces at this gathering?¡± The Believer he addressed seemed very surprised, ¡°¡­Do the local Believers of the Plunder City-State always cover their faces when they gather?¡± Duncan frowned slightly, ¡°You aren¡¯t from Plunder¡­¡± ¡°Wee from Rensa,¡± another Believer beside him said openly, after confirming that the stranger was truly a fellow church member, the followers of the Sun here had obviously let down their guard, ¡°Everyone arrivedst week, but before we could establish contact with the localpatriots, that attack happened¡­¡± ¡°Are all the people here from Rensa?¡± Duncan was somewhat surprised; he finally understood why there were still so many Sun Believers in the city after the destruction of the sewer sacrificial site. ¡°Yes, those gathered here arepatriots from Rensa, but there are teams from other City-States as well. Everyone is dispersed in different strongholds,¡± another Believer joined the conversation, ¡°Sigh, we¡¯ve all heard more or less about the situation in the Plunder City-State; over the past four years, that damn Governor and the church¡¯s hounds have been striking at our cause¡­ You¡¯ve had it tough too, but thankfully, it¡¯s all past.¡± Duncan nodded nomittally and then heard the first Believer he had spoken withment, ¡°That pigeon on your shoulder is really¡­ quite unique.¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes twitched. He knew that there was more than one person paying attention to the pigeon on his shoulder. If you really had to say, a pigeon was no strange matter, but showing up with one on your shoulder to a gathering was odd. He could only casually dismiss it, ¡°It¡¯s my pet; it can help me with a lot of things.¡± While he brushed it off, thoughts were rapidly surging in his mind¡ªarge influx of Sun followers was pouring into the Plunder City-State, which confirmed a previous suspicion of his: The usually low-key Sun Church had suddenly staged such a high-profile event in the sewers; these heretics were indeed nning something big! His fishing in troubled waters and mixing into the crowd had unexpectedly led him in the right direction! At the same time, he also understood why the heretics attending this gathering didn¡¯t disguise their faces but dressed as ordinary citizens. In the sewers previously, the Sun Believers¡¯ fully concealing outfits and the system of single-line contact among lower-level followers were to counter the church¡¯s repeated purges and to avoid internal betrayal or key members being captured and leaking secrets; it was a desperate choice made by the local church under dire circumstances. These newly assembled crowds from the various City-States in Plunder had obviously not yet gained such experience¡ªthey were merely heretics after all, not a well-disciplined special forces team. On the other hand, they had no need for such Disguises: those gathered here all rushed from the same City-State, patriots¡± who were already familiar with each other. Hiding their identities during gatherings was pointless. Dressed asmon citizens now, they were better able to flee at the first sign of their stronghold beingpromised and to scatter and blend among the civilians in the loosely managed Lower City District. As Duncan pondered this, his gaze swept over the assembly. Suddenly, he felt a gaze fixed on him. He immediately followed the sensation and saw the owner of the gaze. A girl with short ck hair and a petite figure stood about a dozen meters away. She was wearing a ck dress trimmed with whitece, elegant and serene in appearance, looking to be around the same age as Nina, and most notably, around her neck hung a dark red cor adorned with a delicate silver bell. While it looked somewhat endearing, it was also conspicuously bizarre. When Duncan looked her way, the girl naturally shifted her gaze elsewhere¡ªher transition was seamless, but Duncan was certain that the stare had definitelye from this youngdy! Why was there such a young child among this group of heretics? Duncan couldn¡¯t help but wonder, and then he took another look at the girl¡¯s attire¡­ For some reason, he felt she was out of ce in this environment. While he was reflecting on this, the sound of a door hinge turning suddenly came from not far away. The tall and thin cult leader ordered the door of the basement to be closed. Then, he walked towards the center of the assembly. All eyes immediately focused on this leader, and Duncan also gathered his thoughts, paying attention to the changes in the situation. He saw the tall man standing confidently amid everyone¡¯s gaze, his somber face sporting a slight smile, before he pulled out an object from his chest and raised it high above the congregation. It was unmistakably a pale golden Sun Mask¡ªidentical to the one worn by the Cult Priest who had presided over the sacrificial ceremony in the underground assembly hall. ¡°Offer reverence to the glory of the Lord, silently chant the sacred words under his gaze,¡± the tall man dered in a voice filled with devoutness, ¡°Bow your heads to this blessed mask, and may the protection of the Scions of the Sun dwell within it, guiding the brothers and sisters gathered here.¡± The surrounding believers immediately began chanting the name of the True Sun God in unison, then they clenched their fists in front of their foreheads and bowed in a gesture of respect¡ªnot to the tall man in the middle of the assembly, but to the golden mask, as if the mask itself were the actual entity of a higher being, while the man holding it was just a vessel. Duncan blended in with the heretics, going through the motions, but he had no idea what the so-called sacred words were, so he mumbled a few lines of multiplication tables and started to seriously observe their actions, deducing the significance behind each step of their ritual. The tall, thin man solemnly ced the mask on his face. The next second, Duncan immediately sensed¡­ some kind of change in the man. He couldn¡¯t exactly describe the feeling; it was as if the man had adopted a new air the moment the mask was donned, or as if an additional shadow had merged with his figure. Duncan watched the golden mask fashioned after the sun, noticing the lines on the mask seemed to be subtly moving¡ªas if the mask hade to life at that moment, as if a distant and powerful consciousness had projected its faint forces onto the mask, endowing the otherwise ordinary object with transcendent qualities. The ordinary person wearing the mask was, with this single action, with this brief ritual, transformed into a symbol of some divine power. The believers around him began to praise in unison, ¡°May the glory of our Lord endure forever! May the way of our Lord descend upon the mortal world!¡± Duncan had gotten to the sixth line of the multiplication table, and his mind raced with recollections. He had seen the Cult Priest wearing the golden mask at the sewer gathering, but at that time, the Priest had alreadypleted the ¡°donning¡± process. Moreover, at the time, Duncan was still unclear about the surroundings, and the temporary body he was using was not in good condition, so he hadn¡¯t realized there was anything special about the seemingly ordinary golden mask and hadn¡¯t wondered why the mask-wearing Priest was called ¡°messenger¡± by themon believers. It seemed now¡­ could this so-called Sun Mask actually be a munication device¡± used by the hidden Scions of the Sun, outside of civilized society, to remote control believers, to observe the world? Or more precisely, some kind of Spiritual Projection device? Suddenly realizing this was an interesting item, Duncan¡¯s gaze at the golden mask shifted slightly. This thing¡­ maybe it was fated for him. Chapter 69 - 73 Incomplete Memory Chapter 69: Chapter 73 Iplete Memory Duncan quickly averted his gaze from the golden mask, allowing himself to lower his eyes slightly like the ordinary believers around him, pretending to be ready to listen intently. He had not yet heard anything useful and couldn¡¯t afford to draw the cult group¡¯s attention too soon. Just as he lowered his head, that feeling of being watched swept over him again. Duncan frowned slightly, following the sensation, and sure enough, it was the same girl in a ck dress with a strange bell around her neck who was secretly observing him¡ªand when he turned his gaze toward her, she subtly looked away. This puzzled Duncan. He was sure he didn¡¯t know her, and there was no information about this girl in the memories of his body¡¯s original owner¡ªwhy would a follower of the Sun God take such frequent interest in him? Was it truly because the dove on his shoulder was exceptionally quaint? His mind wandered for a moment, then he heard the voice of the believer¡¯s leader suddenlying from ahead¡ªafter donning the golden mask, the leader had be an embodiment of some sort of divine power, with a voice that turned deep and authoritative. Duncan couldn¡¯t tell if the leader was deliberately altering his tone or if the mask had somehow blended another consciousness into his voice: n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°The prayer is over, the Lord has witnessed our devotion and awe¡ªthe grace has already illuminated our souls, brothers and sisters, be grateful, we have endured another difficult day in this dark world, bringing us one day closer to the day the fierce sun revives and order is reshaped.¡± The masked ¡°priest¡± spread his arms, speaking in a tremendously beguiling tone. Then, his gaze suddenly fell on a corner among the believers, his tone bing gentle and friendly. ¡°However, before we proceed with today¡¯s assembly, let us first wee two brethren¡ªthey were once ensnared by darkness in these challenging times but, fortunately, guided by the Lord, they have rejoined ourmunity¡­ Introduce yourselves briefly, if you may.¡± Two brethren? Duncan suddenly remembered that the leader did indeed mention earlier that there were other unfamiliar faces in the gathering apart from himself, and immediately he looked in the direction the leader was gazing upon¡ªhe saw the girl in the ck dress. Somehow, he wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°You can call me Sherry,¡± the girl stepped forward naturally, speaking openly, ¡°My parents were both believers, but they were unfortunately killed by the minions of the Deep Sea Church four years ago. I have been hiding in Cross District ever since, without contacting other brethren¡­ Thank goodness you came.¡± Her voice was low, sounding gentle and obedient, hardly associating such a child with the bloodthirsty heretics. ¡°Wee back among us, young sister,¡± the leader nodded, then looked around at the believers, ¡°Sherry¡¯s parents were victims of a purge by the Church four years ago. We found their names in the list from that year¡ªnow for the other brother.¡± The leader¡¯s gaze finallynded on Duncan. ¡°Duncan, living in the Lower City District,¡± Duncan stepped forward ebulliently prepared, ¡°A few days ago, the Deep Sea Church sabotaged a sacrificial ritual in the sewers, and I am a survivor.¡± He kept it brief, but his demeanor was sincere enough, and the news of the Deep Sea Church raiding the sewer cult site had been widely known, even making the front pages of several newspapers. As a result, as soon as he finished speaking, a few believers began whispering amongst themselves, the leader in the center of the assembly nodded and supplemented, ¡°This is also a thoroughly tested fellow who, even after suffering at the hands of those hyenas from the Deep Sea Church, still strived to return to the embrace of the Lord¡ªhe has the mark of the blessed as proof, he is credible.¡± The leader¡¯s words were followed by nces cast toward Duncan by those believers unaware of the circumstances; some nodded, some sighed, and Duncan continued to cover most of his face, reciting the multiplication table in reverse¡­ ¡°The brief introduction has concluded,¡± said the leader, finally addressing the topic of Duncan¡¯s interest, ¡°We shall now announce thetest updates.¡± Duncan¡¯s ears immediately perked up. ¡°Currently, arge number of co-religionists are still converging into the City-State, including staunch Believers and powerful messengers and priests, our power is gradually increasing within the City-State, and the day of reshaping order is approaching¡­ ¡°But it is undeniable that the minions of the Deep Sea Church have also reacted. Recently, the City-State authorities have been more severe in checking the influx of people, and several of our gathering points have been destroyed by the authorities. Therefore, our brethren in the city must be careful, and the collection of offerings can be slowed down¡ªThe Scions of the Sun have issued a directive, we have already collected more than half of the needed power, there are still vacancies, which the Scions of the Sun will handle personally¡­¡± The surrounding Heretics seemed to be greatly moved and began to praise the Sun God¡¯s kindness and greatness. Duncan immediately thought of the sacrificial ritual he had seen in the sewers¡ªthese Heretics were indeed collecting power through that kind of ritual, and it seemed¡­ had those called the ¡°Scions of the Sun¡± actually participated personally this time? It seems that these Heretics stillck the power they need, as the city hall and the church in Prand had already noticed their activities, but if those Scions were to enter the fray¡­ the Heretics¡¯ n might still advance! At that moment, he heard the leader continue, ¡°Our main task right now is to pinpoint the exact location of the Sun Shard. Remember, our goal is always to bring the True Sun back into the world, and recovering the lost Sun Shard is the most crucial link!¡± Duncan¡¯s mind stirred¡ªSun Shard? What is that? Could gathering a pile of Sun Shards fire up the Spear of Adon? He felt the dove on his shoulder suddenly restless, as Ai Yi vigorously shook his body and emitted a low cooing from his throat. Through the connection transmitted by the Spiritual Body¡¯s fire, he could vaguely sense what the dove wanted to do. It wanted to nag, to nag loudly, urging Duncan to take up the sr energy battle-axe and rally more troops again. But it could not speak¡ªit was just a dove here. And that really irritated it. ¡°Quiet,¡± Duncan could only mutter softly, while he stroked the dove¡¯s head with the back of his hand to soothe it. Meanwhile, a Believer closer to the leader asked, ¡°Do we have any way to determine the approximate location of the Sun Shard? Is there a way to¡­ detect it?¡± ¡°The Sun Shard is currently in a dormant state and cannot be detected by any means,¡± the leader shook his head, ¡°But the Lord has already given guidance, that shard should be hidden near the Lower City District of Prand. Also considering that new co-religionists have joined today, let me exin the situation again: ¡°Based on intelligence we have, that shard first appeared in the world eleven years ago and likely triggered some kind ofrge-scale Transcendent phenomena¡ªpossibly a major fire, abnormal high heat across an entire district, or mass spontaneous humanbustion, group illusions; these are now the directions of our investigation. ¡°The City-State authorities have detailed records of Transcendent phenomena over the years, and our esteemed Devotees are already attempting to find these records. Ordinary people living in the Lower City District might still remember the ¡®strange events¡¯ that urred here eleven years ago. Our task is to gather clues about these events to deduce the position of the Sun Shard. ¡°But be cautious, any probing must be done carefully, although the authority¡¯s control over the Lower City District has always beenx, the Deep Sea Church¡¯s hounds have a particrly keen sense of smell¡­ they have be alert.¡± As the leader exined the current situation to the surrounding congregation, Duncan¡¯s mind raced, particrly fixated on the ¡°eleven years ago¡± timeline¡ªording to the leader, eleven years ago was the day a certain Transcendent object known as the ¡°Sun Shard¡± made its appearance in the world, but Duncan noticed this timeline for another reason. Eleven years ago, six-year-old Nina lost her parents. Seemingly due to a major fire. Just a coincidence? Are such coincidences possible? Duncan tried to organize the scattered, broken memories in his mind, but much of them had dissipated with the death of this body¡¯s original owner. He tried to recall, but could only remember one or two vague fragments: his body¡¯s original owner ran out of arge fire, holding his dying niece in his arms, a building blurred out of focus burning and copsing behind him, and in the distance, the twisted dark streets of the city like shadows, countless frantic people running and screaming¡­ Chapter 70 - 74: There’s a Mole, Terminate the Deal Chapter 70: Chapter 74: There¡¯s a Mole, Terminate the Deal Duncan ultimately failed to excavate more memories from his mind. Despite the fact that the original owner of this body indeed had deep concerns for Nina, and the matters rted to Nina were indeed the most profound memories in his mind, years of illness and the abuse of strong liquor and drugs had severely damaged these memories. By the time the heretic named Ron breathed hisst, there wasn¡¯t much warmth left in his numb brain about his family. Only one thing was certain: there had indeed been a great fire eleven years ago in the Lower City District¡ªit had imed the lives of Nina¡¯s biological parents and permanently altered the child¡¯s life trajectory. This might have been a coincidence, but there was also the possibility that this incident was indeed rted to the ¡°Sun Shard¡± these Sun Cultists were searching for. The Sun Shard, which had appeared unexpectedly in the city, ignited a massive fire. Innocent citizens lost their lives, a child became an orphan in the ze, and yearster, the child¡¯s only remaining rtive had fallen into the ranks of the heretics following the Sun Shard¡­ It was as if there was a cursed fate revolving around the sun, trapped by its gravity. Just then, a cultist in the surrounding crowd suddenly spoke up, interrupting Duncan¡¯s thoughts, ¡°I¡¯ve been inquiring around about some information from the local residents these few days and have not heard about any notable fire in the Lower City District eleven years ago¡­ However, someone mentioned that there was once a factory leak. Toxic gas from a storage tank spread through several streets, causing many people to fall into hallucinations and madness. That incident even made the newspapers.¡± Duncan looked up in surprise to see an ordinary-looking female cultist speaking. However, before he could seriously consider what she said, he noticed the gaze of the leading heretic turn towards him, ¡°Companion, you happen to be a local from here. Do you know anything about this?¡± Duncan was startled and suddenly realized that he had be the focus of the scene¡ªfor these foreign cultists trying to gather intelligence, him being a ¡°local living in Plunder¡¯s Lower City District¡± was undoubtedly a great source of information! Noticing several nces directed at him, he thought for a moment and then decided on his response, ¡°I wasn¡¯t living here eleven years ago, so I¡¯m not clear on the specifics, but I have indeed heard about the factory leak¡­¡± While saying this nomittally, he looked towards the female cultist who had just spoken, ¡°Was there really no fire in the Lower City District eleven years ago?¡± ¡°At least from what I¡¯ve inquired, it seems that way,¡± the cultist nodded, ¡°ording to what I¡¯ve been told, there hasn¡¯t been a significant fire in Plunder¡¯s Lower City District for at least twenty years¡­ There have been minor incidents like kitchen fires, but those obviously aren¡¯t what we¡¯re considering.¡± Duncan blinked and said nothing. He clearly remembered that Nina¡¯s parents had died in a fire eleven years ago! The fragments of memory in his mind even had images of ¡°him¡± fleeing the fire scene with Nina! Where had the mistake urred? Was there an error during the transfer of memories to this body? Or was it that the fire back then hadn¡¯t urred in the Lower City District? Or¡­ was it simply because the cultist in front of him hadn¡¯t managed to find out the real situation¡­ A faint doubt arose in his mind because the matter involved Nina and ¡°himself,¡± he subconsciously became focused on this matter. Just then, he heard another voiceing from the opposite side, it was the girl named Sherry, ¡°The factory leak incident eleven years ago¡­ Was that the one in District Six?¡± ¡°District Six? Hmm¡­ That seems correct,¡± the female cultist nodded, ¡°It¡¯s said that the incident had a significant impact because the chemical substance left many people with aftereffects. To this day, many residents in the Lower City District still remember it.¡± A few cultists nearby nodded in agreement, suggesting they too had heard simr information. ¡°Factory leak¡­¡± The leader in the center of the gathering suddenly broke the silence. His deep and authoritative voice interrupted the conversations among the cultists, ¡°A production ident that is made public is very likely to be a supernatural event disguised by the authorities, and it coincides exactly with the timeline from eleven years ago¡­ This is a very important clue. Next, we will investigate in this direction to see if this so-called factory leak is pointing towards the sacred Sun Shard.¡± The cultists on the scene nodded immediately in response. The masked leader then said, ¡°In addition, we must not only pay attention to the transcendent event that urred in the Lower City District eleven years ago but also to the unusual events in Plunder City-State in recent times. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Although the Sun Shard is still sleeping, its day of awakening is approaching, and its activity is increasing daily. Four years ago, our church brethren attempted to awaken the shard prematurely. Although the attempt failed at that time, even drawing the frenzied ughter from the Deep Sea Church due to the ritual¡¯s failure, the attempt was not entirely fruitless¡ªthe stimtion from the awakening ritual further deepened the connection between the Sun Shard and the real world, enough for it to wield the power to interfere with reality for a short time before it fully awakes. This might help us locate it. ¡°Pay close attention to the newspapers in the city-state and the rumors in the streets and alleys. Any event that seems out of the ordinary could potentially point to the Sun Shard. Don¡¯t overlook any clues, understood?¡± The cultists bowed their heads one after another, respectfully receiving the orders. Duncan noticed another critical point mentioned by the leader: Four years ago! Four years ago, the Deep Sea Church in Plunder City-State indeed destroyed the city¡¯srgest Sun Heretic stronghold. The event was said to be enormous, and it was also the battle through which the current Judge of the city-state, ¡®Fenna,¡¯ established her authority¡ªand since then, the Sun Cultists in the city never recovered, up until today. Until now, all Duncan knew was this surface-level intelligence. It appeared that the real truth behind the incident was that the Sun Cultists in the city had attempted to awaken a Sun Shard that was sleeping somewhere?! Unnoticed, a string of hidden truths from the past unfolded before Duncan, and he quickly pieced together the fragments of information in his mind while pondering how to extract more information from these heretics. But just then, a strange odor suddenly invaded his nostrils. It smelled like burning sulfur mixed with the pungent stench of some sort of chemical agent. The next second, the ordinary cultists around also caught the distinct and piercing odor. Some looked at each other, seemingly searching for the source of the smell, while the leader standing in the center of the gathering reacted immediately, pulling out a Sun Amulet from his chest¡ªa Sun Amulet that looked identical to the one Duncan carried, its surface was burning with a ghostly, semi-transparent me! The pungent smell wasing from the me. ¡°Filthy impurities¡­ the me has been deceived!¡± The leader nced at the burning Sun Amulet with a voice filled with shocked anger, ¡°Among us hides a heretic!¡± The scene instantly erupted into chaos, and Duncan¡¯s first reaction was that he had been exposed, though he didn¡¯t know how. However, the Sun Amulet carried by the leader seemed to have finally identified him as a heretic who didn¡¯t believe in the sun at all. With that thought, he sighed softly and was about to release the pigeon, but before he could act, he heard another sighing from across him¡ª The sigh came from the girl in the ck dress, a youngdy named Sherry, who shook her head regretfully, ¡°I knew A-Dog couldn¡¯t be relied on. His disguise couldn¡¯tst three hours.¡± Before her words even finished, a burst of pitch-ck mes suddenly erupted beside the girl! The mes appeared out of nowhere, shaped like fire, but as dark as shadows. It ignited on the girl¡¯s arm and, in one second, spread to nearly a third of her body. Next, Sherry¡¯s right half seemed to turn into kindling for the ck fire, crackling as the mes flowed down. The part of the me in mid-air turned into a dark chain that fell to the ground. The part that hit the ground quickly solidified into a gaunt, burning monster! It was an Abyssal Hound¡ªa giant dog-like creature half as tall as a person, formed from countless twisted, stacked bones. What should have been flesh was filled with burning ck fire and writhing shadows. Its head was gaunt and fierce; where its eyes should have been, there was nothing but empty sockets filled with blood-red mist, radiating endless hunger and malevolence! A dark chain extended from the giant hound¡¯s neck all the way to Sherry¡¯s arm, seemingly merging with the girl¡¯s body. ¡°An Abyssal Hound¡­ a Summoner from the Obliteration Sect?!¡± The leader in the middle of the gathering burst into rage upon seeing the scene, ¡°What does this mean?! Do you worshippers of the abyss intend to wage war against the followers of the sun?!¡± Chapter 71 - 75: Becoming One Chapter 71: Chapter 75: Bing One As soon as he saw the situation before him, Duncan, who had been ready to boldly step forward and dere ¡°the traitor is none other than myself,¡± immediately faded back into the shadows without a trace, instead watching the assembly¡¯s situation with the detached attitude of someone watching a y. It turned out there was more than one traitor in the crowd¡ªthat girl in the ck dress had given him a sense of dissonance from the beginning. Originally, Duncan thought it was merely because her youthful and quiet demeanor didn¡¯t fit in with the heretical assembly, which had led to his impression, but it turned out to be something else entirely. He noticed that the meeting¡¯s leader mentioned two terms: Abyssal Hound, Obliteration Sect. The Abyssal Hound obviously referred to the ck skeletal giant hound summoned by the girl. The Obliteration Sect sounded like no ordinarymunity organization that could be officially registered at city hall¡ªcould it be the girl really wasn¡¯t a follower of the Sun God but from another heretical cult?! How many bizarre and dark sects were there in this world, lurking in the shadows? As Duncan¡¯s thoughts raced, the girl who had summoned the Abyssal Hound slightly raised the ck chain on her arm; while assuming a defensive posture, she scanned the gathering with a corner of her mouth curled in a mocking smile, ¡°Obliteration Sect¡­ Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have much to do with them¡ªunlike you mutts, who need to serve an Evil God just to sleep soundly, I act only for myself!¡± ¡°Your excuses won¡¯t fool anyone; only the Obliteration Sect knows how to summon the anomalies from the Mysterious Deep Sea. I urge you to surrender, heretic. You stand on the Sun God¡¯s territory, and even the dark magic of the Abyssal Hound won¡¯t protect you!¡± The leader in the center of the meeting fixed his eyes on Sherry, his voice deep and threatening, ¡°Speak, what is your purpose? Obliteration and the Sun may not be allies, but they¡¯ve never been enemies either. Why would you disguise yourself to infiltrate our sacred gathering?¡± ¡°I just wanted to dig out some information from your not-so-bright heads,¡± Sherry said, lifting the corners of her mouth. A series of nking sounds rang out from the chains connected to her body, and the mysterious metal links began to move like living things, ¡°And as I¡¯ve said, I am not from the Obliteration Sect¡­!¡± Before the girl could finish her sentence, a series of crackling noises suddenly rang out from all around. The oilmps set around the room, as if stimted by some unknown force, red up all at once! The bright mes of the oilmps illuminated the entire basement like daylight; above eachmp a small fireball formed, and those fireballs, like miniature suns, began to emit tremendous energy. The leader in the center of the gathering, unaware, had at some point tightly gripped his Sun Amulet. The sharp me spikes on the edge of the amulet pierced his palm, and as blood seeped into the amulet, it burned like fat, setting the leader¡¯s entire hand ame, in a strange echo of the oilmps¡¯ sudden change. Clearly, this seasoned Cult Priest had only been using a few words to stall for time¡ªwithout Sherry noticing, he had activated some kind of transcendental ability. ¡°Surrender now, heretic,¡± a threatening voice came from beneath the golden mask. ¡°The power of the Sun God has sealed off the entire assembly area. I am aware of you Heretics¡¯ abilities; you can borrow spells from the demons you summon and use these curses to harm others. The shadowy breath of the Abyssal Hound is indeed terrifying¡ªbut this ce is sealed, neither you nor your dog can borrow any power from the Mysterious Deep Sea!¡± Duncan¡¯s fingers twitched slightly in his pocket as he pondered whether to intervene. Even though it seemed like two heretical factions fighting like dogs, that girl named Sherry might also know something, and now it seemed she was clearly outnumbered. Just then, the leader in the golden mask extended his hand, gripping the zing Sun emblem, towards Sherry. The voice from beneath the mask was deep and seductive, as if an invisible force was mixed into his tone: ¡°Give up your resistance, convert in the realm of the Sun God, then tell me all you know, and the merciful Sun will forgive your sins¡­ Kneel down, young sister¡­ you can¡¯t use your spells¡­¡± However, faced with the threat from the Sun Priest, Sherry seemed utterly indifferent; she just turned to look at the burning oilmps, and then at the Sun Cultists around her, who were already drawing short swords, daggers, and even revolvers, and asked calmly, ¡°Maintaining this constraining force field must be quite exhausting, right?¡± The Sun Priest let out a cold snort, ¡°Humph, the power granted by my Lord¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when the girl in ck suddenly made her move! Sherry suddenly lunged forward; her arm burning with dark mes sharply raised, and the ck chains whistled through the air. The Abyssal Hound, several times the size of a normal hound, swung full circle with her momentum, and with a terrifying bang, it ¡°smashed¡± right into the Sun Priest¡¯s chest! The crisp sound of breaking bones was clear. The Sun Priest, who had been focusing all his energy on maintaining the barrier, didn¡¯t have time to react and was sent flying by the impact like a rag doll, smashing into the wall opposite, motionless. Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± This he truly hadn¡¯t expected. By the time it was said, it had already happened. This sudden turn of events left all the heretics at the scene unresponsive. The Sun God¡¯s followers were still waiting for their leader¡¯smand, when, the next second, they saw their boss flying out. And then, the whooshing sound of chains cutting through the air once again split the silence! Sherry once again raised her arms, the dark iron chains rattled sharply, and with a surge of strange power, she swung the Abyssal Hound like a meteor hammer. The massive hound traced a terrifying arc in the air, and after several loud thuds, several heretics were sent flying out, spitting blood! This time, the heretics finally reacted. Ignoring the shock in their hearts, they all roared and charged towards the girl who was raising the iron chains again. A dozen daggers and swords flew through the air, but what greeted them was the whirling Abyssal Hound and the girl¡¯s cursing, ¡°Go to hell with your master, you bastards!¡± The colossal hound flew through the air, and the heretics were sent flying with broken bones and torn muscles. Sherry¡¯s handling of the meteor hound was nothing short of transcendent; the battlefield was a whirl of iron chains and baying hounds, with the girl darting and weaving, raising the dog and felling foes repeatedly¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Just then, a series of gunshots suddenly rang out! The Sun Cultists wielding revolvers finally found an opening. After realizing that closebat was utterly futile against the girl of strange strength, they didn¡¯t hesitate to pull their triggers. Brass bullets sliced through the air, two striking the chains and creating bright, fleeting sparks, while several others burrowed into Sherry¡¯s body. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The girl¡¯s body suddenly staggered as the impact and pain of the bullets entering her flesh made her nearly lose her footing. However, the next second, just when the heretics thought the tide had turned, the whooshing sound of chains filled the air once more. ¡°Abyssal Hound! Block the pain for me!¡± The hound, spun high into the air, let out a chaotic roar, and the next second, sted a gun-wielding heretic away. The heretic¡¯s head mmed into a distant pir, ending up as a junior version of Alice¡­ And the Meteor Dog at the center of the gathering was now more ferocious than before! Duncan quietly took two steps back, lowering his presence while waiting for it all to end. He was mainly concerned about getting blood on himself¡ªhis clothes were new today, and it would be hard to exin to Nina if he returned home stained. As for that warrior woman who was a master at handling the Meteor Dog¡­ she likely didn¡¯t need his help. She seemed to be in fine form. The battle had actually notsted very long. The ck-dressed girl¡¯s Meteor Hound was exceptionally powerful and fast. This inescapable underground room was essentially a private hunting stage for her, while Duncan stood silently counting multiplication tables in a corner. Before hepleted the list again, the fight was over. And after all the heretics were beaten into a mass, the underground room finally fell silent. Sherry eventually stopped, clenching the iron chains that bound the Abyssal Hound, panting heavily in the center of the room. Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a figure standing in the corner. She finally noticed Duncan, thest ¡°heretic¡± in this gathering space. Despite being astonished and confused by the calm demeanor of this odd ¡°heretic,¡± Sherry did not hesitate and walked towards thatst target, dragging the dog behind. Her hostility was undisguised. Chapter 72 - 76: The Dog Understands Human Nature Chapter 72: Chapter 76: The Dog Understands Human Nature Watching Sherry walking over with murderous intent, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but sigh, thinking that this trouble would inevitably fall on his head after all. He wasn¡¯t particrly nervous. To be fair, he knew he had almost nobat experience, and the girl in front of him looked like a female warrior who could charge in and out seven times at Changban Slope, but he wasn¡¯t panicky at all. Firstly, he had a pigeon skilled at dying cuts; Ai Yi¡¯s ability was effective immediately within its range, activating faster than a bullet. If Sherry really swung her dog at him, it was likely to be defeated by the pigeon¡¯s high ping, then die from a lost packet. Next, he controlled the Spectral me, which was highly effective against all transcendental things; this me could even control the Homeloss. The Abyssal Hound before him probably wasn¡¯t more troublesome than the demons and ghosts on the Homeloss, right? In the worst-case scenario, he would just wrap himself in a fiery possession, and then it would be his area of expertise: my dear girl, I see that this dog has a connection with me¡­ Lastly, and most importantly, this body wasn¡¯t his real one. At this moment, he was merely using an incarnation; from a physiological standpoint, this incarnation seemed alive, but in essence, ¡°it¡± was still just a corpse driven by ghostly power. Duncan didn¡¯t need the body to remain physiologically intact to move it, just like that heartless ¡°incarnation¡± in the sewers earlier. He just needed this body to ¡°exist,¡± and he could keep using it. He even suspected that if his current incarnation was chopped into pieces, he could still control it to return home in batches¡­ The only worry was, if he ended up with a broken body from Sherry¡¯s meteoric hunting dog, how would he exin his amazing skeletal condition to Nina after going back¡­ So, he just stood there calmly, leisurely watching the girl in the ck dress approach him, watching the ck iron chain in her hand swaying in mid-air, while the strange and terrifying Abyssal Hound followed slowly at its master¡¯s side with unfathomable steps. Due to the fierce battle earlier, the girl¡¯s arms and cheeks were smeared with blood,pletely destroying her initially quiet and obedient impression, instead highlighting a sinister danger. ¡°You¡¯re not scared, there must be something fishy,¡± Sherry stopped two or three meters in front of Duncan, frowning at the ¡°Sun Cultist¡± in front of her, while her right hand was already stealthily, slowly lifting, ¡°Have you decided to give in?¡± Duncan thought for a moment, ¡°What if I said I¡¯m not with them, would you believe me?¡± As he spoke, he surreptitiously rubbed his fingers in his pocket, allowing the ethereal Spectral me to slowly travel between his clothes and skin, in case the girl decided to smash him with the dog without a word. Sherry paused, an expression of ¡°Are you f*cking kidding me¡± slowly emerging on her blood-stained face, ¡°You think I¡­¡± Before she could finish, the Abyssal Hound beside her suddenly spoke humannguage. From its intertwined bone throat came a hoarse, deep voice, ¡°I believe.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah?¡± Sherry looked at her summoned creature in astonishment, ¡°A-Dog, did you hit your head? This¡­¡± ¡°Hold on a second,¡± the Abyssal Hound shook its head and then walked to the side under Duncan¡¯s wooden gaze, stretching its neck, ¡°Vomit¡ª¡± The loud sound of vomiting echoed through the bloodstained basement; the horror demon from the Mysterious Deep Sea turned the river upside down, throwing up countless choking, stinging ck mes, ashes, and pitch-ck pollutions that resembled acid. The concrete ground hissed as it was corroded by those pollutants, quickly forming a depression. Duncan watched emotionlessly, wondering if he had discovered Sherry¡¯s weakness inbat¡ªalthough the girl was strong and ruthless, with a strange and unpredictable fighting style, she clearlycked stamina. The key was her fighting style; people could take it, but dogs couldn¡¯t. So there was an awkward silence on the scene for two or three minutes, until the Abyssal Hound¡¯s vomiting finally subsided. Duncan couldn¡¯t help but nce at it and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn The dog immediately lowered its head, with its tail, coiled from bones, tightly tucked between its legs, ¡°I appreciate your concern, I hope my rudeness hasn¡¯t offended your eyes. Do you have any further instructions? If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± Before Duncan could figure out what was wrong with the dog, Sherry cried out in rm, ¡°A-Dog, are you really okay? Did I really damage your brain?! You¡¯re never this polite when talking to humans, whoever stands opposite you won¡¯t be able to keep their mother safe for¡­¡± Duncan already had a vague understanding, suddenly looking at the ferocious Abyssal Hound with a profound gaze. Based on the bits and pieces he overheard from the mouth of that Sun Priest, it seemed that this ¡°Giant Hound¡± was indeed a demon summoned from the Mysterious Deep Sea. Without considering what the Obliteration Sect was all about, or what strange things there were in the Mysterious Deep Sea, or why it was possible to summon dogs, one thing was clear: The ¡°dog¡± feared itself, the demon from the Mysterious Deep Sea, it¡­ likely had a ¡°vision¡± different from ordinary humans. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Duncan asked indifferently, ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± the Abyssal Hound replied without even raising its head, ¡°Really don¡¯t recognize¡­ but you must be a big shot, no doubt about that¡­¡± Duncan frowned and asked again, ¡°In your eyes, I don¡¯t look like a human, do I?¡± The Abyssal Hound hesitated for a moment, carefully raised its head to nce at Duncan, and then said hesitantly, ¡°You¡­ look like¡­ or do you not¡­¡± Duncan withdrew his gaze and looked towards Sherry. The ck-dressed girl was watching this side with uncertainty¡ªshe had finally put away her initial hostility, reced instead with deep astonishment and caution. This girl seemed a bit reckless, but obviously not a fool. After her ¡°pet dog¡± showed such abnormal behavior consecutively, even the most headstrong character would cool down at this point and start to sense that something was amiss. She quietly tightened the chain between her and the Abyssal Hound, while stealthily stepping back half a step, watching Duncan carefully, ¡°You just said that you¡¯re not with them¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Duncan spread his hands, ¡°You might not believe me, but I also sneaked in to gather intelligence¡­¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± Sherry said crisply. This time it was Duncan who was a bit surprised; he suddenly found that the impression the girl gave him kept changing. At first nce, he thought she was a quiet and obedient child, but then she showed a violent and bloody side. Just now he thought she was recklessly single-minded, yet now her speed in adapting to the situation and conceding to the slope was even faster than he had imagined¡­ What kind of family could raise such a child? With strange thoughts in mind, Duncan was also a bit thrown off by her overly crisp attitude. He gathered his wits before posing his question, ¡°Why did you look at me twice during the gathering just now?¡± ¡°It was ¡®Ah Dog¡¯ who kept paying attention to you,¡± Sherry answered reluctantly but still cooperated, ¡°I was just curious and followed its gaze¡­¡± ¡°Ah Dog? Is that this one?¡± Duncan frowned and nced at the pitch-ck Skeleton Hunting Dog, ¡°I just heard that Sun Priest mention the Obliteration Sect¡ªis that a church worshipping the Mysterious Deep Sea? What¡¯s your rtionship with this Obliteration Sect?¡± ¡°I have nothing to do with them!¡± Sherry immediately asserted emphatically, ¡°They worship the Mysterious Deep Sea; that¡¯s their business. Ah Dog and I know each other for a different reason!¡± Duncan¡¯s gazended on the chain between the girl and the Abyssal Hound. ording to the intelligence he had just received, worshipping the Mysterious Deep Sea, being able to summon demons from the Mysterious Deep Sea, and under normal circumstances, using the power of demons to cast ¡°spells¡± in battle seemed to be the hallmark of the ¡°Obliteration Sect.¡± The Sun Priest had also made this judgment because of the Abyssal Hound that Sherry had summoned¡ªalthough he suffered a heavy blow due to his misjudgment, Duncan believed that at least under ¡°normal circumstances,¡± this information should be correct. The only problem was the quirky girl in front of him. She seemed very resistant to being associated with heretics¡ªeven though she owned a hound from the Mysterious Deep Sea. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s no rtion, then there¡¯s none,¡± Duncan shook his head, then asked, ¡°So why are you here, what are you investigating?¡± Sherry pursed her lips; she seemed to not want to answer this question, but incessant tense signals released by the hunting dog beside her made her realize that this seemingly unremarkable middle-aged man could be extremely dangerous, and that it would be best to cooperate with him. ¡°I¡­¡± Sherry opened her mouth, but just as she was about to speak, a loud boom suddenly erupted in the basement, and a zing fireball came flying from the side! Chapter 73 - 77: Reflections on Fire Chapter 73: Chapter 77: Reflections on Fire A roaring explosion burst in the basement, a zing fireball suddenly flew in from the side¡ªbut before the fireball got close, Duncan had already reacted. His perception was much faster than his body, he had sensed the abnormal energy the moment it appeared in the basement, and without thinking further, he instinctively raised his hand to block! A slight burning sensation came from his fingertips, but the next second, the erupting Spiritual Fire, with a bacshbustion momentum, swept into the fireball, allowing Duncan to seize the fireball that shot from the corner of the basement from thin air. This zing fire was almost immediately imbued with ayer of ghostly green, and the exploding energy instantly became tame, beginning to burn quietly in his hand. Duncan just held the now ghostly green fireball and slowly turned his head towards the direction of the attack. At that instant, as he turned his gaze, the Abyssal Hound known as ¡°A-Dog¡± immediately leaped backward. A rift filled with countless shadows and dark mist appeared in the spot where itnded, and it jumped in without hesitation, pulling Sherry along with the dark iron chain. Thetter, before diving into the rift, spat forcefully to the side, spitting several bloodied bullets onto the ground. The next second, the duo disappeared from the basement. Duncan turned around in surprise only to see thest scene of the girl¡¯s skirt disappearing into the rift¡ªthe strange human-hound duo had fled in the blink of an eye. He still had a truckload of questions unasked! And all because a particrly vigorous Heretic hadunched a sudden attack. Duncan¡¯s mood started to sour subtly; he looked again towards the direction from which the fireball hade, and saw that the Cult Priest wearing the sun mask was leaning crookedly against the corner of the wall, barely maintaining the posture of an uplifted arm. He seemed astonished that the fireball he summoned with all his might was not only seized out of thin air but had even been usurped, his eyes looked stupefied even behind the golden mask. ¡°Not finishing off your foe is not a good habit¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s face darkened, muttering about a girl who doesn¡¯t know to finish off her foes after a fight, he slowly approached the severely injured and not yet dead Cult Priest. He was still holding the quietly burning ghostly green fireball, and the power emanating from it was quietly spreading throughout the basement. With each step Duncan took, the oilmps and torches set up around the basement seemed to be mystically summoned, as one after another they took on ayer of ghostly green. Under the pressing sinister firelight that kept approaching, the masked Sun Priest finally felt a fear stronger than at any other time¡ª He felt his connection with the Sun God rapidly weakening, as with the ¡°usurping¡± of onemp after another, the Sun God¡¯s gaze left his soul like the melting snow in spring! Amid the immense fear, a tremulous voice finally came from beneath the mask, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not just any heretic; what exactly are you¡­¡± Thest of themp lights turned into a ghostly green spiritual me, and Duncan stopped in front of the priest, slightly bowing his head, his face especially sinister under the illumination of the Spiritual Fire, ¡°I hadn¡¯t finished asking my question before you interrupted me; that was very rude. Didn¡¯t your mother teach you manners?¡± While speaking, he took note of the state of the Sun Priest. He felt he might have misjudged Sherry¡ªthe Heretic¡¯s chest was half crushed inwards, with the broken ribs probably having pierced his heart and lungs, undeniably a fatal injury, theoretically leaving no necessity for a coup de grace. The priest was still alive because some profoundly mysterious and powerful force was hanging onto his life, perhaps the so-called ¡°Sun God¡± of these heretics. Still, Duncan could clearly see the life departing from the priest¡¯s body rapidly; each breath was growing weaker, death was inevitable sooner orter. Though the reason was unknown, obviously the Sun God¡¯s blessing was quickly leaving the priest. ¡°It seems the blessings bestowed by the Sun God aren¡¯t that reliable,¡± Duncan shook his head, his words filled with contemtion, ¡°Your master has already left you.¡± He was just expressing his feelings aloud but didn¡¯t expect that these words would provoke the already dying priest, who suddenly burst out with thest of his energy in a surge of immense rage, and unexpectedly pulled out a blood-stained cloth from his sleeve! ¡°I offer my body to my lord! May the Holy Shroud cleanse the heretic before me!¡± The priest shouted, his golden mask smeared with filthy blood clots and visceral fragments as he held up the ¡°Holy Shroud¡± high and offered to his master the most thorough, most insane sacrifice¡ª He sacrificed everything he had, just to ignite the Holy Shroud, determined to perish along with the heretic who had stolen the mes! N?v(el)B\\jnn However, Duncan merely watched this ultimate frenzied sacrifice calmly¡ªalthough he had indeed jumped when the priest had suddenly pulled something out of his sleeve earlier, he rxedpletely once he saw what it was. It was the strange strip of cloth that the other party had used to verify their ¡°fellowship¡± when they had just entered the gathering¡ªDuncan hadn¡¯t expected this cloth to have such an incredible name as ¡°Holy Shroud.¡± As Duncan had predicted, the Holy Shroudy quietly without any reaction; the cult priest¡¯s most extreme sacrifice did not awaken any miracles. Beneath his mask, his eyes revealed a hint of confusion. The cult priest struggled to support himself, staring in desperation at the Sacred Relic in his hand which showed no sign of movement, stubbornly coughing up another mouthful of filthy blood, ¡°I offer this body to the lord¡­¡± ¡°I guess, what you want is this.¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t watch any longer, shook his head, and pointed to the blood-stained cloth. In the next second, a cluster of ghostly green fire erupted! The spiritual fire ignited the Holy Shroud, ignited the filthy blood coughed out by the cult priest, and ignited the flesh of this madman. The priest screamed in horror and anger amidst the mes, ¡°No no no¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be this way¡­ The lord will not abandon, the lord¡­ the lord will punish you, you heretic¡­ who exactly are you?!¡± In the zing mes, the cult priest¡¯s voice finally began to weaken and fade, and even his transcendent life force, supported by supernatural powers, could not withstand the mes that scorched the soul¡ªor rather, it was precisely because of his transcendent powers that he was turned to ashes in this bacsh from the spiritual fire. The spiritual fire finally began to extinguish. The Sun Priest leaning against the corner had beenpletely burned, leaving only a set of scattered clothes and that golden mask modeled after the sun. Even the so-called ¡°Holy Shroud¡± had been burned to ashes in the mes, having acted as the ¡°medium.¡± Duncan frowned. Honestly, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen a corpse¡ªthe ¡°sacrifices¡± and the priest that had been ¡°sacrificed¡± in the underground cave had already steeled his nerves. He was only somewhat surprised at this moment. Normally, his spiritual fire was only meant to affect transcendent items. He had tested this on various objects on the Homeloss¡ªtranscendent items devoured by the mes would be possessions of Captain Duncan, but if they weren¡¯t transcendent, even a piece of paper would remain unaffected by the spiritual fire. The spiritual fire had produced actual burning effects just now, activated intentionally by him. He was concerned that the heretic might actually use the Holy Shroud to create some mischief, so hemanded the Holy Shroud to self-destruct cautiously, and as it turned out, the Holy Shroud had faithfully executed themand. But he didn¡¯t expect the spreading mes to turn the cult priest to ashes as well¡ªthis didn¡¯t align with the findings he had made after the initial tests. It was normal for the Holy Shroud to be destroyed since it was a transcendent item and could be affected by spiritual fire; The survival of the cult priest¡¯s clothes was also normal, as those garments were clearly ¡°mundane¡± items, and spiritual fire would seem like a mere phantom from a parallel dimension to mundane items, having no effect¡ªunless those clothes themselves were enchanted or interwoven with transcendent materials; The golden mask surviving unscathed was also normal, as Duncan was very interested in this obviously transcendent item and had immediately issued orders to protect the mask from damage in the fire. So¡­ why did the heretic turn to ashes under the spiritual fire? Duncan crouched down with confusion, carefully examining the ck-gray ashes. They were simr to the ashes left after the Holy Shroud was destroyed. Duncan had never tested his spiritual fire on living people, let alone used the mes to actively take a life, and this cult priest must count as the first true sacrifice under his mes. At least, the first under his conscious control. Slowly, a bold thought emerged in Duncan¡¯s mind. Could it be¡­ that this type of ¡°mundane¡± person, who had received ¡°blessings¡± for worshipping a specific deity, could also be considered ¡°transcendent items¡±? Chapter 74 - 78 Conclusion Work and the Awareness of a Good Citizen Chapter 74: Chapter 78 Conclusion Work and the Awareness of a Good Citizen Duncan¡¯s contemtion yielded no results, for he didn¡¯t know where to find another breathing Sun Cultist to test his conclusions. These kinds of things were a matter of fate. Duncan slowly stood up,nterns of spiritual fire flickered gently, casting eerie shadows in the enclosed space of the basement, and his thoughts began to drift and expand again. Believers who have faith in deities and receive blessings might be considered ¡°transcendent objects¡± by the spiritual fire, so¡­ what about ordinary people? Would this me have any additional effects on ordinary people, aside from the superficial ¡°light and shadow effects¡±? If not, then to what extent does one have to believe in a deity for the me to see them as a valid ¡°transcendent target¡±? Heretics who worship Evil Gods can be burnt, but what about those who worship good deities? Duncan watched the dim green lights in the room and suddenly smiled faintly. ¡°They are people.¡± Thus, all his ruminations halted at mere thought; he didn¡¯t continue down that path. The me was a powerful force, and power itself was not guilty, but a weak will could very likely lead to corruption. Since discovering he wielded power beyond imagination, Duncan constantly reminded himself of this¡ªno matter how renowned ¡°Captain Duncan¡± was, no matter how powerful the spiritual fire was, he had to always be aware of his boundaries as ¡°human.¡± He could not dehumanize others just to test or understand his own strength¡ªeven in this other world, even if those he faced were not necessarily ¡°human¡± in the standard sense. Acting in battle was one thing; preying on the weak to satisfy one¡¯s curiosity was quite another. Duncan exhaled softly, looking at the dim green fireball still burning on his hand, and with a wave, he dispersed it. The me obediently followed hismand, silently dissipating into the air. N?v(el)B\\jnn Duncan began to smile¡ªhe was, and would always be, the master of this me. After the spiritual fire disappeared, the basement¡¯s ambience quickly shifted from ominous to ordinary, and the greennterns one by one returned to their initially bright and pure state. Duncan surveyed his surroundings, considering amidst the wreckage what to do next. The strange girl named Sherry had disappeared, and it seemed she had escaped using some transcendent method. Duncan had no clue about this and didn¡¯t know where to look for her¡ªa true pity. He had so many questions to ask, but now it seemed there was no chance. But Duncan always felt he might encounter that girl again sometime¡ªnot an unfounded guess, but because it was clear the girl¡¯s aim was to trouble these Sun Cultists, to probe something from amid these heretics. Lately, the activities of the Sun Cultists in Plunder City-State were at their peak, with countless such gatherings operating in the darkness. Considering Sherry and ¡°Adog¡¯s¡± modus operandi¡­ They were bound to eventually stir up some major chaos. Duncan carried the usurped Sun Emblem on him, which allowed him to sense the activities of the city¡¯s Sun Cultists. Although it seemed the range of the emblem¡¯s senses wasn¡¯t that great, as long as he casually strolled around the city when he had nothing else to do, he might stumble upon some new excitement. As for cleaning up this mess, Duncan had no interest. He merely picked up the golden mask left by the Sun Priest from the ashes on the ground and carefully wiped off the ash and dust that clung to its surface¡ªthis was his spoils of war, to be taken back to Homeloss for study. The priest had been burnt to a crisp, and all items rted to transcendence on him had turned to ash; the Sun Mask was practically the only ¡°relic¡± he left in this world. ¡°¡­ A palm-sized amulet is one thing, but this might be a bit too big¡­¡± After weighing the Sun Mask in his hands a few times, Duncan muttered thoughtfully, ¡°And there¡¯s a chance it could be detected using special methods if encountered by professionals from the Deep Sea Church¡­¡± It would be difficult to carry the mask back to the antique shop safely, and even if he managed to bring it back, Nina might discover it, which could lead to troubles. The best course of action would be to send it straight to an absolutely safe ce. While pondering, Duncan turned his head to look at the dove perched on his shoulder,ing up with a new idea to test¡ªcould the dove carry the item back to Homeloss by traveling through the Spirit Realm on its own without him? The pigeon cocked its head, locking eyes with Duncan, ¡°Eighty for the big hammer, forty for the small one!¡± Duncan chuckled, ¡°Let¡¯s call it overtime. I¡¯ll find a way to get you some fries on Homeloss¡ªsee if you can teleport this mask to the ship by yourself.¡± The pigeon instantly pped its wings and, while flying toward the mask in Duncan¡¯s hand, let out its distinctive sharp female voice, ¡°I was going to refuse, but you¡¯re offering too much!¡± Before the words even faded, Duncan saw a sh of light and shadow, and the pigeon, along with the mask, vanished from his sight¡ªwhile deep in his consciousness, he distinctly felt Ai Yi¡¯s presence suddenly appear in the captain¡¯s quarters of Homeloss. There was hardly a second¡¯s dy! What a quick pigeon! Could it always teleport objects this fast? Duncan had barely acknowledged this in his mind when his vision blurred, and Ai Yi, in Bone Dove form, materialized out of thin air andnded on his shoulder¡ªpping its wings, the spectral body transformed back into a white dove, proudly tilting its neck, ¡°Teleportation sessful!¡± Duncan noticed the state in which the other emerged and nodded to himself, finding the situation reasonable: It made sense for the Bone Dove to be faster than Ai Yi. Then he straightened his clothes, ensuring there were no suspicious bloodstains on him and no trace of his presence at the scene (in fact, from the moment he entered, he hadn¡¯t touched anything, fearing he would leave fingerprints or the like), and carefully used his sleeve-covered fingers to open the iron door, retracing his steps through the stairway he hade by to get back outside. The sun, constrained by dual Rune Circles, was gradually sinking towards the horizon, and the gorgeous evening sky spread along the uneven, haphazard rooftops of the Lower City District, with the pale crack high in the sky flickering into view amidst the twilight. Seeing the sky darken, Duncan immediately dismissed the idea of continuing his investigation in the city¡ªNina would be home from school soon. He couldn¡¯t let his reputation as ¡°Uncle Duncan,¡± which had just started to improve, be tainted by noting home at night. Duncan quickly left the abandoned factory, following the route in his memory toward the main road, passing through twisted alleys, through intersections clouded with foul-smelling wastewater, until he gradually heard the distant sound of traffic. It wasn¡¯tpletely dark yet; he should be able to catch thest bus. But then Duncan stopped in his tracks. At a nearby intersection, he spotted four uniformed figures¡ªtwo of them wore dark blue uniforms with epaulettes, holstered batons and revolvers at their waists, while the other two were d in ck coats that were a mix of church style, somewhere between a trench coat and a suit, showing not onlyrge revolver holsters but also finely crafted longswords that seemed out of ce in the current era. Those two in the ck coats also had another conspicuous item at their waists:nterns decorated with runes, obviously for patrolling at night. The uniformed four at the intersection seemed to be handover, Duncan paused for a moment, then quickly realized: They were the City-State¡¯sw enforcers affiliated with the city hall and guardians under the church. Thew enforcers maintained order in the city by day, while guardians protected the peace of the City-State under the cover of night, and now, with the sun slowly setting, the time of day-to-night transition was approaching¡ªit was the moment when secr and lesiastical powers exchanged duties. It was a unique ¡°scenery¡± of this world. The four of them didn¡¯t seem to notice Duncan. Duncan walked by them with ease¡ªdespite having hesitated for a second, he quickly reminded himself that he was innocent. Aw-abiding citizen isn¡¯tmitting a crime by walking around before dark. One of the church guardians carrying out the handover finally noticed the approaching figure, the tall young man lifted his head, saw Duncan and, gesturing with his hand, called out loudly, ¡°Citizen! It¡¯s getting dark; head home quickly, it¡¯s not safe outside.¡± ¡°Gentlemen! I¡¯d like to report something,¡± Duncan quickened his pace, walking up to them and spoke earnestly, ¡°I heard a lot of noiseing from that abandoned factory over there, and earlier, I saw many suspicious figures sneaking in and out¡­¡± He paused, then added, ¡°I read in the newspaper that everyone should actively report any unusual gatherings and strange noises in the vicinity¡­¡± Chapter 75 - 79: Dim Lights in the Narrow Alley Chapter 75: Chapter 79: Dim Lights in the Narrow Alley Somewhere deep in a dingy alley away from the abandoned factory, an inconspicuous, old house suddenly lit up with an oilmp. In the flickeringmp light, the simple and worn furnishings of the house were visible, along with the slightly moldy ceiling, faded and peeling wallpaper, and a slowly shrinking ck crack in the corner of the room. A terrifying Skeleton Hunting Dog was lying next to this crack, motionless as if it had no strength left, like a dead dog. On the other end of the dark iron chain, Sherry, dressed in a long skirt with ck and white edges, carefully adjusted the wick of the oilmp before moving to the window to anxiously check the outside sky. ¡°¡­the ¡®Creation of the World¡¯ is out,¡± the girl sighed lightly, ¡°Luckily, I got home before night fully fell; otherwise, I might have died in some stinky ditch like a dog.¡± Not far away, the Abyssal Hound lying t on the floor immediately lifted its head, its throat emitting a hoarse, splitting sound, ¡°Speak for yourself, don¡¯t bring dogs into this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still able to talk? I thought this transition through the Mysterious Deep Sea cost you half your life,¡± Sherry turned her head and nced at the dog, ¡°Can you talk now? Why did you suddenly run away¡ªand using the most dangerous transition through Mysterious Deep Sea? Didn¡¯t you say there are countless demons in the Mysterious Deep Sea waiting to chew up that ck skeleton of yours?¡± ¡°I can get around the many demons in the Mysterious Deep Sea. I might not beat them, but I can outrun them. But just now¡­ if I hadn¡¯t run immediately, I probably couldn¡¯t have escaped,¡± the Abyssal Hound finally seemed to catch its breath and slightly lifted its head to look at Sherry, ¡°You should be thankful I react quickly. When that terrifying fellow diverted his gaze, I opened the crack. Otherwise, as long as his eyes were on us, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to open the escape route!¡± Sherry frowned, slowly approaching the Abyssal Hound, ¡°So, what exactly happened? Why are you so scared? This guy named ¡®Duncan¡¯¡­ Have you seen him before? Is he some big shot from the obliteration church? Or is there a Profound Demon standing behind him?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn The Abyssal Hound seemed to recall a terribly terrifying sensation, its bones cking all at once before lowering its voice and muttering, ¡°Never seen him, I don¡¯t recognize him.¡± Sherry suddenly stared wide-eyed, ¡°You¡¯re this scared and you¡¯ve never seen him?¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯ve never seen him, as a Profound Demon, I can ¡®see¡¯ shadows more terrifying than death!¡± the Abyssal Hound suddenly lifted its head, its hollow, red eye sockets intensely ¡°staring¡± at Sherry, ¡°Inside a human¡¯s shell stuffed with a swirling vortex of light and shadows that even drives me mad just looking at it! You tell me, how can I not be scared?!¡± Having said this, it paused as if to organize its words to describe its feelings to Sherry, a fellow human. After a long time, it slowly began, ¡°When he spoke, I could hear a thousand ovepped voices screaming simultaneously. When he looked at me, I felt every fate from my birth to my demiseid out t on the ground for disy. Let me tell you, thest time I felt this terrified, I had merely glimpsed ¡®The Saint¡¯ from afar in the Mysterious Deep Sea! But, The Saint wouldn¡¯t move. Today, we met someone who could move and act!¡± Sherry was creeped out by the dog¡¯s scary tone and gaze (though its eyes were just glowing hollows), but still instinctively muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything back then¡­ I even thought he seemed kind¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why sometimes I really envy you humans with your slow and inefficient perception¡ªthis barrier of ignorance is truly a treasure bestowed by the world. It lets you die smiling in the midst of insane, twisting disasters,¡± the Abyssal Hound feeblyid down again, ¡°Keep being blindly ignorant. This world can be a bit better¡ªfor unfortunate little dogs like me, it¡¯s not so lucky. Every now and then I see things that would scare me to death¡­¡± ¡°¡­how the hell can there be such a cowardly Profound Demon like you in the world,¡± Sherry couldn¡¯t help but give the dog a sidelong nce, then as if struck by a thought, hesitated and said, ¡°But now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I kind of feel like we shouldn¡¯t have run¡­ If he really is as powerful as you say, then maybe tying up with him could be beneficial! Look, he was quite nice to us just now, even asked us questions, and it seems he doesn¡¯t get along with those sunlight bastards either, isn¡¯t this an opportunity? I could act cute, y up the charm, maybe find a backer¡­¡± Before the girl finished speaking, the ck iron chain nged, and the dog that was lying dead a second ago suddenly sprang up, ¡°Stop that crazy notion immediately! Your chaos is almost enough to open a Subspace passage!¡± Then, it paused before continuing anxiously, ¡°Listen, never deal with those who wear human shells but harbor indescribable inner beings. They are more cunning than pure demons, more vicious than real humans. Their seemingly amiable talks are always just the appetizer to a feast¡ªdespite his friendly demeanor just now, do you think, after you¡¯ve told him everything you know, he would let you leavepletely intact?¡± It seemed the Abyssal Hound¡¯s unprecedented stern tone had an effect, and Sherry seemed somewhat subdued, finally giving up her bold ideas, but still murmuring, ¡°Alright, alright¡ªbut why do you sound like a nagging mother, Dog?¡± The Abyssal Hound copsed to the floor, ¡°Nonsense, I raised you!¡± Sherry huffed, then looked outside the window. Seeing the night slowly falling, she stepped towards the window. The ck iron chain stretched taut, and as the girl moved, the reluctant Abyssal Hound, lying down to rest, was helplessly dragged along the ground. This massive, heavy Profound Demon was casually dragged back and forth by Sherry, appearing surprisingly weightless in her hands, ¡°What are you trying to do now, can¡¯t you let me rest for a bit, today has been so exhausting¡­¡± ¡°Am I the one mainly putting in the effort in fights, being at the forefront?¡± Sherry didn¡¯t turn her head as she looked outside, ¡°I¡¯m checking the situation outside¡­ It¡¯spletely dark now, and the street lights have juste on.¡± ¡°After all, this is a poor district. The fact that the authorities can ensure these street lights maintain the most basic demon-repelling capabilities is already pretty good; don¡¯t expect them to light up before dusk like in other districts,¡± A-Gou muttered, then turned to look again at the oilmp on the old dining table, ¡°Turn off thempter, oil is quite expensive.¡± Sherry pursed her lips, ¡°¡­Let¡¯s turn it off before going to sleep, otherwise it¡¯s too dark in the house.¡± A-Gou¡¯s stomach growled, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Within the City-State, the city¡¯s managers and builders had strictly nned the positioning and quantity of ¡°streetmps,¡± the most basic demon-warding devices, spread throughout the city. The gasmps could ensure the entire district was protected after nightfall, making it safe to use either electric or oilmps inside houses, even safe to turn off the room lights after the street lights were lit. But even in bustling cities, there are forgotten corners; in areas even older and more dpidated than the Lower City District, the number of gas streetmps was far fewer than in other areas. These streetmps were barely enough to maintain safety between day and night, and such a ¡°barely sufficient¡± state was obviously notforting enough. Thus, in poor districts, me-lit oilmps and grease candles became essential for every household. If the streetmps were dyed even momentarily, the mes at home could at least temporarily fend off the darkness after sunset. Of course, another important reason many poor families used oilmps and candles was that they couldn¡¯t afford the rtively high costs of electric retrofitting. Electric lights were bright, clean, and safe, and in secure districts, they were already the preferred choice for household lighting. But in this small hut in the slums¡­ What still brought Sherry and A-Gou a sense of security was only the flickering me in that oldmp. In the dim firelight, the voice of the Abyssal Hound broke the silence, ¡°¡­Do we still need to go out and act during this period?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Continue to mess with those ¡®Sun bastards¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about gathering intelligence from them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more or less the same¡­ but from what we¡¯ve seen today, even they don¡¯t seem to know exactly what happened eleven years ago; they were also asking the locals¡­¡± ¡°This is because today¡¯s people just happened to be from Rensa; maybe next time we¡¯ll find something.¡± ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°A-Gou, next time you weave a Disguise for me, just make it convincing, don¡¯t get exposed halfway through again.¡± ¡°I just hope we don¡¯t run into that terrifying person from today again¡ªI suspect our presence was exposed in advance because of such a strong ¡®disturbance¡¯ on the scene¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, whatever you say¡­¡± Chapter 76 - 80 Home Visit? Chapter 76: Chapter 80 Home Visit? Before thest glow of twilight faded from the horizon, Duncan saw the familiar facade of the antique shop. The gas streetmps on both sides of the road were already lit, the slightly yellow light illuminating the sign above the door and the dusty walls. The windows on either side of the entrance shone brightly; clearly, Nina had alreadye home¡ªshe had turned on the lights on the first floor and was waiting for Duncan to return. Strictly speaking, from Duncan¡¯s perspective, he had only just met Nina, but for some reason, when he saw the light on the first floor, he felt an inexplicable¡­guilt. Was this guilt because he had been out and not returning home? Duncan stepped forward, pushed open the door of the antique shop, and the bell hanging at the entrance chimed crisply. The next second, he heard a quick rush of footstepsing from the direction of the stairs. A girl in a simple long dress seemed to fly down from upstairs like a breeze. ¡°Uncle Duncan!¡± Nina stopped on the stairs, looking surprised and delighted to see Duncan appearing at the door, her eyes reflecting slight astonishment, ¡°I thought you were¡­¡± ¡°I just went around the city and didn¡¯t realize it was getting dark,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°Sorry, I actually nned to pick you up from school in the Cross District, but then something unexpected came up.¡± ¡°You went to the Cross District?¡± Nina looked at Duncan, surprised and confused. She sized him up, as if checking whether her uncle had been drinking outside again or was under the influence of drugs, ¡°To pick me up¡­from school?¡± Uncle Duncan showed a side both strange and familiar, leaving Nina unsure how to react. ¡°I was just curious about how things are going at your school,¡± Duncan said casually, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. From now on, don¡¯t worry about me going out drinking or hanging out with ¡®friends.¡¯ If Ie backte, it¡¯s because I¡¯m handling proper business, okay?¡± Nina looked at Uncle Duncan in a daze as he entered the house and shut the door, observing his steady, spirited demeanor and subconsciously nodding. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± Duncan said as he walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor, speaking to Nina who stood at the foot of the stairs, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not¡­ yet,¡± Nina answered, still seemingly hesitant in getting used to her uncle¡¯s recent change, ¡°When I came back and saw you weren¡¯t home, I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d return tonight, so¡­I didn¡¯t make dinner. But I bought some bread, and was thinking of¡­¡± ¡°Only eating bread isn¡¯t nutritious enough, let¡¯s go, there¡¯s some good stuff in the kitchen,¡± Duncan was about to step up the stairs when he turned back and smiled at Nina, ¡°I¡¯ll cook today.¡± Uncle Duncan cooking? Nina felt like she was hearing a fantastic tale, but before she could ask, she saw Duncan stepping briskly upstairs and hurried to follow him. At the same time, she noticed Ai Yi securely perched on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, which made her a bit surprised, ¡°Uncle, has this pigeon been with you the whole time?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite clingy,¡± Duncan said casually, ¡°Oh, by the way, I have named it Ai Yi.¡± ¡°Ai Yi? For a pigeon¡­that¡¯s a strange name¡­¡± Nina scratched her head, already following him to the second floor. Watching as Duncan actually headed towards the kitchen, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you buy something?¡± ¡°Actually, just some dried salted fish,¡± Duncan found the salted fish he had stashed in a kitchen cupboard, held up the stiff ingredient for Nina to see, his expression quite proud, ¡°Don¡¯t judge by its looks, it makes a tasty soup.¡± ¡°Fish?!¡± Nina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Is today some special day? Fish is so expensive, usually we don¡¯t¡­¡± She finally saw the dried fish in Duncan¡¯s hand more clearly. The unimpressive-looking item puzzled the girl, and she blinked for a while, ¡°What kind of fish is this? I¡¯ve never seen it before?¡± Duncan knew Nina would react this way. Residents of the City-State, of course, had seen fish¡ªdespite the dangerous nature of the Endless Sea, with deadly creatures called ¡°Spawn¡± threatening human safety in the deep sea, not all marine areas were as bizarre and extreme as the deep sea regions. Protected by the gods and the defensive systems of the City-State themselves, the shallow waters near the City-States and a few divinely favored shippingnes were rtively safe. These areas often provided valuable resources for the civilization of the City-States. People collected seafood and minerals from nearby marine areas and hunted whales and other fish of great industrial value in the god-protected shippingnes, using these resources to sustain the survival of the City-State and support industrial development. Under this premise, the profession of ¡°fisherman¡± certainly existed. However, the seas of this world were ultimately unlike Earth; even the safe maritime areas were safe only inparison to the deep sea regions, making even nearshore fishing an extremely specialized, hazardous task that required knowledge and skills beyond the ordinary. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Fish, for those living in the City-States, was a known yet expensive food material. Even though the sea was right beside them, brimming with countless fish. Nina hadn¡¯t eaten fish for many years ¡ª even before her uncle fell ill, a civilian like her rarely saw fish served at the table. As rare as ordinary fish were, not to mention gifts from the deep sea. Duncan even doubted whether the deep-sea fish he caught on the Homeloss had ever appeared within the Plunder City-State before ¡ª let alone a civilian girl like Nina, perhaps even the Governor and the high-ranking clergy of the City-State hadn¡¯t had the chance to taste this delicacy. Nina was in for a treat today. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what species it is, just wait to eat,¡± Duncan knew some things couldn¡¯t be exined clearly, so he simply didn¡¯t exin and turned back to the kitchen to start preparing tonight¡¯s dinner. The strange fish was not small, sizable even after being dried. Using it to make soup wouldn¡¯t finish it in one go, so he cut the salt-dried fish into two sections, nning to use the head part first ¡ª the rest could be strung up with a rope and hung in the cab to dry further, possibly enhancing its vor. Uncle really started cooking. Watching the familiar figure busy in the kitchen, Nina felt as if she were dreaming. She didn¡¯t care at all about the strange fish her uncle had brought out; she didn¡¯t even care about tonight¡¯s dinner. Compared to these trivial matters, the changes in her uncle were the strangest and most worthy of her attention. The sound of the knife hitting the chopping board rang out, the gas stove hissed, and the broth in the pot bubbled. Nina felt somewhat dazed. How many years had it been since shest saw such a scene? A hint of hesitation appeared on her face before she seemingly made up her mind. At the kitchen door, she said to the busy figure inside, ¡°Uncle, tomorrow¡­ Mr. Morris ising for a home visit.¡± ¡°Home visit?¡± Duncan, busy cooking, was momentarily stunned. ¡°Mr. Morris¡­ your history teacher?¡± Nina nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°They make home visits at that school?¡± Duncan tossed the prepared fish pieces into the pot and, while putting the knives into the sink, looked back at Nina in surprise. ¡°I thought that was a ¡®feature¡¯ only of the schools in the Upper City District.¡± ¡°The school¡­ indeed doesn¡¯t have this rule,¡± Nina said cautiously, paying attention to Duncan¡¯s reaction. ¡°But Mr. Morris is somewhat special, he¡­ pays extra attention to his students.¡± Duncan was silent for a moment. The situation had slightly exceeded his expectations. He hadn¡¯t expected that his own ¡°Captain Duncan¡± activities in the City-State would suddenly involve dealing with such a situation! He had considered dealing with the church, with the sheriff, even with the City-State navy and the military police ¡ª willing or not, his backup n was filled with Spiritual Fire, swords, and over a hundred Homeloss side guns. But he had never anticipated in his ns that there would be an old man teaching history at a public school. How did reality always turn out to be so unexpectedly peculiar? ¡°Uncle?¡± Seeing Duncan not responding for a long time, Nina couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit worried. ¡°Are you unwilling? I can talk to Mr. Morris¡­ actually, I already spoke to him today. I told him you were not well, so we couldn¡¯t ept the home visit. He didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Duncan looked at Nina¡¯s somewhat nervous reaction and was thoughtful. It seemed that Mr. Morris had likely made requests for home visits before. So how many times had Nina rejected him with the same reason? ¡°¡­He teaches history, right?¡± Duncan suddenly asked again. Although she didn¡¯t understand why her uncle would ask this again, Nina still nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, I was just thinking of dealing with a professional in the field of history,¡± Duncan smiled, ¡°What time is heing tomorrow?¡± Chapter 77 - 81: Memory Bias Chapter 77: Chapter 81: Memory Bias A schr who for some unknown reason ended up teaching history at a ¡°public school,¡± a teacher who was well-versed in ancient history and seemed to have a good rtionship with Nina, his arrival was an unexpected situation for Duncan¡ªbut also an opportunity. Mr. Morris¡¯s expertise in his professional field would inevitably help Duncan solve many problems, and establishing a good rtionship with such a professional might bring unexpected conveniences in the future¡ª a reputable old schr inevitably had certain connections in the City-State. Nina didn¡¯t know why her Uncle Duncan had suddenly agreed to a home visit, nor did she think much about it, feeling unusually happy. This illusion even made her feel as if her life was really changing for the better, gradually¡­ returning to the past. Outside, the night grew deeper as the pale, cold light of the Creation of the World illuminated the windowsill of the second floor of the antique shop, and the quiet night gradually fell over the entire city. In this world filled with bizarre things, most people had little to speak of in terms of nightlife. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat,¡± Duncan called to his ¡°niece,¡± who was lost in thought by the window. He brought the stewed fish soup to the table, along with the bread Nina had bought in the afternoon and the onion rings he had just casually fried. In his view, this dinner was not sumptuous, but considering the ¡°fish¡¯s¡± uniqueness, this meal could be considered a feast in the Lower City District, ¡°We have to get up early for school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, Uncle Duncan.¡± Nina agreed obediently and came to the table, the aroma of the fish soup already wafting through the air. She sniffed in surprise and looked at Duncan somewhat incredulously. ¡°It smells delicious¡­ Uncle, when did your cooking skills get so good?¡± ¡°Is this considered good cooking?¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help butugh, thinking that his cooking skills were only slightly better than Alice¡¯s, and yet there were times when he wasplimented for being good at it. ¡°Was my cooking really that bad before?¡± ¡°It was worse than ¡®bad¡¯ before. You used to cook by the standard of ¡®edible but not enjoyable,¡¯ and despite your terrible skills, you always ambitiously experimented with new dishes, dragging me along to ¡®test for poison¡¯ with you¡­¡± Nina babbled nonstop, reminiscing about the past with an almost animated joy, ¡°There was one time what you made was so inedible that even you couldn¡¯t eat it. You had to throw it in the trash and then dragged me to the family restaurant across the street for lunch. When we came back, we saw the neighbor¡¯s dog vomiting in front of the trash bin by our door, and ever since then, dogs have avoided you¡­¡± While talking, Nina¡¯s voice suddenly dropped again. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Forget it, those incidents were years ago, and you¡¯ve never liked me bringing them up¡­¡± Duncan remained silent. In the memories retained by this body, there was no trace of what Nina was recalling¡ªthese were almost the only fond memories she had of her time with her uncle, yet they had vanishedpletely with thest breath of a man gone astray. Nina silently broke the hard bread, soaking it bit by bit in the vorful soup. Duncan suddenly reached out and tousled the child¡¯s hair. Nina looked up in surprise, ¡°Uncle?¡± ¡°Uncle¡¯s new dish research is a sess,¡± Duncan said seriously. Nina stared nkly at Duncan, her expression changing several times, numerous thoughts swirling in her mind. Finally, all her expressions turned into an irrepressible smile, ¡°Uncle, your serious look is so funny!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of adults,¡± Duncan nced at her, then seemed to suddenly remember something and casually mentioned, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m nning to clean up the shop a bittely. If you see any weird and unfamiliar things on the first floor, don¡¯t mess with them.¡± He was preparing for the uing inter-locationmuting and the turnover of ¡°materials¡±. As Ai Yi¡¯s abilities were developed, he would inevitably have to frequently transport goods between Homeloss and the antique shop¡ªa situation difficult topletely hide from Nina¡¯s eyes¡ªso it was better to give her a heads-up. Nina didn¡¯t suspect a thing and quickly nodded. Duncan then continued, ¡°Also, I¡¯m thinking about adding a person to help in the shop, so if I¡¯m out during the day, someone can stay behind to watch over things¡ªof course, this is just a preliminary n, it might not happen, just letting you know in advance in case you suddenly see a stranger in the shop and find it strange.¡± This time, he was setting the stage for Alice¡¯s arrival¡ªthough it was just a precursor. To have Miss Doll enter the City-State required much consideration, and transporting her was merely the least noticeable part of it; he had to figure out how to prevent Alice¡¯s ¡°doll¡± truth from being discovered¡ªAlice¡¯s appearance was almost indistinguishable from a real person¡¯s; covering her joints with long gloves would solve most issues, at most wearing a veil to hide her face, which was even more refined than that of a real person¡¯s. These were minor issues. The real problem¡­ was her head. He was bringing Alice over to help him, and it wouldn¡¯t do for her to always be performing acts of scurrying about in cowardice in public. Nina looked at Duncan in surprise, ¡°Uncle, are you actually hiring for the shop too? This is a big deal¡­ Do you have someone in mind? What kind of person is it?¡± Duncan thought for a while, trying to filter out a string of not-so-positive adjectives from his mind, before sternly saying, ¡°There¡¯s an initial target, a¡­ hardworking youngdy.¡± He thought carefully, it seemed that ¡°hardworking¡± was the onlyplimentary term left to describe Alice. Then he saw a subtle change in Nina¡¯s expression. The girl looked her uncle up and down several times, finally unable to resist, ¡°A youngdy? Uncle, are you¡­¡± Duncan was experienced, and seeing Nina¡¯s demeanor, he immediately knew what she was thinking, promptly tapping his finger on the table, ¡°Eat your food! Stop letting your mind wander!¡± Nina tried to stifle herughter, emitting a ¡°huffing¡± sound as she continued to eat. After trying a piece of fish, her eyes widened in surprise, ¡°This is delicious!¡± Duncanughed, casually tearing some bread to throw to the pigeons pacing around nearby as he spoke, ¡°Then eat more; there¡¯s still some in the kitchen.¡± On the quaint second floor of the antique shop, Nina and her uncle Duncan concluded their simple yet long-overdue dinner. After everything was cleared up post-dinner, Duncan stopped Nina as she was about to head back to her room to rest. He had something he wanted to confirm. ¡°Nina,¡± he looked at the girl who had just finished tidying the dishes and came out of the kitchen, ¡°I have something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Nina was curious, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you still remember¡­ what happened when you were little?¡± Duncan considered his approach while recalling the information he had heard at that Heretics¡¯ gathering, ¡°It was when you were six years old.¡± Nina frowned, not knowing why her uncle would suddenly bring up something from eleven years ago, but she still pondered along. It had been eleven years since that event, and she was only six years old then, so her recollections weren¡¯t particrly emotive. ¡°I was very young then and don¡¯t remember much, but I remember that day was chaotic¡­ with adults everywhere in disarray. Some said there was a factory leak near Cross District, others said there was a mass frenzy on Lower Third Street, and even incidents urred in the Upper City District¡­ Many things I had no memory of at that time; it was onlyter when hearing adults talk that I began to piece things together¡­¡± Duncan thought for a moment, looking into Nina¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do you remember there being a big fire? I led you away from the fire scene, and your parents¡­ it was in that fire that they¡­¡± He was merely testing the waters with his mention, but unexpectedly, Nina¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, ¡°A big fire? Uncle, so you also remember there was a fire that day?!¡± ¡°¡­ Of course, I remember,¡± noticing Nina¡¯s reaction, Duncan realized there was definitely something amiss about the incident, ¡°Is there something wrong with my memory of the fire?¡± ¡°I remember there was a fire, a very big fire,¡± Nina said excitedly, talking rapidly, ¡°Butter when I told the adults around me, no one remembered the incident; they all said I had just been scared senseless, and that there was no fire¡­ I even went looking for the newspapers from that time as I got older¡­¡± She paused, her expression turning peculiar as she slowly shook her head, ¡°But even the newspapers didn¡¯t mention any fire¡­ All the records only mentioned a factory leak, with chemical substances causing widespread hallucinations¡­¡± Chapter 78 - 82: The Fire that Exists Only in Dreams Chapter 78: Chapter 82: The Fire that Exists Only in Dreams Nina went back to her room to sleep. In this world, most people went to bed early and rose with the dawn¡ªthe time after the sun set was dangerous, and the faint glow from the Creation of the World would lead to the most severe degree of distortion across the globe. Even with the protection of city lights, people had to face the night cautiously. Unable to go out and gather,cking many forms of entertainment, reading books at night wasn¡¯t as dangerous as reading at sea, but it could easily lead to mental exhaustion, auditory and visual hallucinations. asionally, it would even attract unwanted peering from the darkness. Therefore, considering everything, the safest method was to go to bed early and wait for the sun to rise the next day. Duncan, however, did not feel the slightest bit sleepy. He turned off the lights in the room and stood near the window in his shirt, casually admiring the night view of Plunder City-State beneath the night sky while recalling his conversation with Nina after dinner. Nina remembered a great fire, and the body¡¯s residual memory he upied retained that same event¡ªa fire in which ¡°he¡± had escaped a copsing, burning building with a six-year-old girl, while chaotic crowds and pervasive fog filled the distant streets. Yet only the two of them remembered this fire¡ªNina had brought it up with other adults, only to be dismissed as ¡°confused memories after a child is frightened.¡± The newspapers from eleven years ago clearly recorded ¡°the truth¡±: at that time, at the boundary of the Lower City District and Cross District, there was only a factory leak that caused mass hallucinations, with no record of a fire. Duncan frowned slightly, another dubious point was on ¡°himself.¡± ording to Nina, ¡°Uncle Duncan¡± actually didn¡¯t remember the fire either, and it had always been only her who remembered the incident. When she was young, she even mentioned the fire to Uncle Duncan (who should have been ¡°Ron¡± at the time), and he, like the other adults, thought she had ¡°misremembered after being frightened.¡± But now, Duncan¡¯s memory contained images of the fire¡ªthose were the deepest recollections of the body¡¯s original owner. Where did the problem lie? Why was it that in Nina¡¯s memory, her uncle had no recollection of the fire, yet Duncan found corresponding images in the deepest memories of this body? Had Nina¡¯s uncle been lying all along? Or had the memory been sealed until a Ghost Ship captain took over the body, causing the deepest memories to surface? Duncan tapped the window frame unconsciously with his finger, silently sorting through the timeline in his mind. He integrated the information he had obtained from the Sun Cultists: Eleven years ago, the Sun Shard first appeared within the territory of the Plunder City-State, and the Transcendent phenomena it caused could have affected a wide area. Also eleven years ago, Nina became an orphan. In her and Duncan¡¯s memories, there was a fire at that time, which happened in the Lower City District¡ªbut apart from them, no one else remembered this fire, nor was there any evidence to prove it ever urred. Thereafter, the Sun Shardy dormant within the City-State, without any further anomalies. The only record left from the event of that year was the ¡°Cross District factory leak incident.¡± Over several years, Nina and her only rtive depended on each other for survival. Four years ago, followers of the Sun God within Plunder City-State attempted to awaken the dormant Sun Shard ahead of time and performed a dangerous sacrifice ritual. However, it was extinguished beforepletion by the newly promoted Judge-in-training Fenna, whose team dealt a heavy blow to the cult¡¯s influence. After a massive crackdown, the Sun God Church was expelled from the City-State. Although the ritual did not reach the final step at that time, the ¡°awakening¡± attempt by the Heretics might have had some effect, and the Sun Shard began to gradually awaken from its dormancy. It was around that time that Nina¡¯s ¡°uncle,¡± upon whom she depended, contracted a strange illness and, under the torment of sickness, gradually fell into depravity, eventually yielding to the enticement of the remaining Sun Cultists in the city and bing one of their minions. Time moved to not long ago, when activity from the Sun Shard began to attract Sun Cultists back to the city. The Heretics, lying low for four years, performed the sacrifice ritual again, and what followed¡­ was Duncan¡¯s intervention. Throughout the timeline, many events seemed vaguely interconnected, yet allcked key evidence. The most suspicious event was from eleven years ago¡ªwhat Transcendent phenomena did the Sun Shard truly trigger at that time, and did the fire really exist? Did the City-State authorities erase the true ount of that incident, wiping away the traces of the fire? And then, considering maintaining order, did they publicly announce the whole event as a mass hallucination caused by a factory leak? But this didn¡¯t exin why many people¡¯s memories alsopletelycked any recollection of the fire¡ªunless the authorities went to great lengths to Reshape the memories of all parties involved. Moreover, there was one more thing¡ªin this world, anomalies and phenomena were public knowledge; even children knew of the existence and dangers of Transcendent things, and the authorities were clearly aware of this, always adhering to a policy of ¡°announcing dangers in advance to ensure citizens have self-preservation knowledge¡± to govern the city. If it was indeed just a fire caused by Transcendent forces¡­ why hide it? Unless¡­ there was a bigger issue behind that fire, such that even the mere disclosure of the information could lead to a spread of dangerous elements spiraling out of control. Duncan suddenly furrowed his brow. ¡°` Or perhaps there was another possibility. The characteristics of Transcendent phenomena are odd, and often the harm they cause is not limited to the physical aspect, they can even distort human cognition, to the point where they contort evidence alreadymitted to paper¡ªwhat if the memories of the event by the people, the cognitions, even the records of the City-State authorities and the Church, have all been tainted by the Sun Shard? Duncan felt that perhaps his mind was going a bit too far, as a ¡°novice¡± who was only half-versed in the field of anomalies and supernatural urrences, his imagination might be getting a bit too carried away, but on the other hand, once this thought emerged, it seemed unstoppable. Memories of the people, records of the authorities, even things written in ck and white in archives from over a decade ago, all could be twisted and reced¡ªsomething he might not have believed in before, but now, he believed in it more than anyone else. Because the ce where he was standing was now called ¡°Duncan¡¯s Antique Shop.¡± Here, everyone recognizes their old neighbor, Mr. Duncan, the antique shop owner. Duncan let out a sigh of relief, lowered his head, and looked through the second-floor window at the gas-lit streets below. Now only one question remained. Whether or not the fire that urred eleven years ago really existed, whether or not the Sun Shard contaminated the memories of the parties involved, and the records left by the City-State, there was one key point: Why did Nina remember that fire? ¡­ In the Upper City District, within a mansion belonging to the Governor. Fenna awoke from a nightmare. But this time, the nightmare had nothing to do with the ck Sun, nor did it point to the Homeloss returning from the Subspace¡ªshe had simply dreamed of her childhood suddenly. In that night filled with fog, smoke, blood, and frantic crowds, she, at just twelve, was carried on her uncle¡¯s back, fleeing from the mob¡¯s attack. In the dream, she seemed to return to that helpless, fragile state once more, her proud martial skills and powerful divine arts rendered useless, she could only flee in panic, pursued by madmen and shadows, crossing pipes and valves above the factories with her uncle, looking down in terror at the city through the smoke and heatwaves, seeing boundless mes rising everywhere, spreading across the entire district visible to her eyes¡­ The young Judge, d in her sleeping gown, sat up in bed, took a deep breath, and gazed out of the window¡ªthe clear radiance of the Creation of the World still hung high in the sky, and the clock hanging near the window showed that it had just passed midnight. She felt as if she had sunk into a nightmare for a century. Fenna got up, turned on the electric light, went to the vanity, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She whispered the name of the Storm Goddess to regain the inner calm and let out a sigh as ifforting herself, ¡°At least now I don¡¯t dream about that ship anymore¡­¡± Her voice had just fallen when she suddenly heard footsteps from the corridor outside, followed by a knock on the door: ¡°Fenna? Did you have a nightmare, Fenna?¡± It was her uncle¡¯s voice¡ªthe Governor, the most revered man in the City-State. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Fenna steadied herself, then straightened her clothes and went to open the door. Dante Wayne stood at the door, this middle-aged man with gray hair and gray eyes, not too burly, obviously just woken up as well, casually draped a coat over himself, and looked at his niece with concern as she opened the door. Having lost an eye in an earlier incident, he now possessed a ruby-made eyeball that featured intricate gold patterns within; around the eye socket were ferocious scars from eleven years ago, giving his face an intimidating appearance. But Fenna was already used to it; she knew her uncle was actually a kind and just man. ¡°I had a nightmare,¡± she said, rubbing her eyes, her voice tinged with resignation, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake you up.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve been a light sleeper in my old age,¡± Dante Wayne looked at Fenna with concern, ¡°Did you dream of your childhood again?¡± ¡°Yes, I dreamt of that time again.¡± ¡°` Chapter 79 - 83: Ghosts Entangled with Reality Chapter 79: Chapter 83: Ghosts Entangled with Reality Uncle brought some herbal wine to calm the nerves, and the strength of the medicinebined with the alcohol finally eased Fenna¡¯s slightly agitated mood. She opened the balcony doors, stood on the balcony, and gazed towards the distant cathedral. Dante Wayne¡¯s voice came from behind her, ¡°Every time youe back to stay, you have nightmares, and they¡¯re always about your childhood.¡± ¡°¡­ As a Judge, this is a sign of weakness I shouldn¡¯t disy,¡± Fenna¡¯s voice was low; she was significantly taller than her uncle, but in front of this elder who had raised her alone, she never minded showing her true feelings. ¡°I¡¯m very troubled.¡± ¡°¡­ Have you talked to Heidi?¡± ¡°She rmended four brain surgeries and two neural puncture therapies,¡± Fenna sighed. ¡°Considering our long friendship, I refrained from taking action.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s her style; she doesn¡¯t interact much with normal people,¡± Dante Wayne shook his head. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that after all these years, you are still haunted by that nightmare from that night.¡± ¡°I always thought I had moved past it,¡± Fenna massaged her brow. ¡°Maybe it really has to do with this big house; whenever Ie back here, I dream of those scenes¡­ Maybe I should consider performing another exorcism on this house, or I always feel that this building has trapped the shadows of that disaster¡­¡± Uncle Dante pondered for a moment and didn¡¯t offer any objections, but he asked thoughtfully, ¡°Does your nightmare still include that fire?¡± Fenna nodded. ¡°Yes, there were mes everywhere. You were carrying me out of the ze. I even clearly remember us escaping the city area through the factory pipes, and nearby, a burning building was gradually copsing¡­¡± She paused, her gaze falling on her uncle, ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t remember the fire, do you?¡± ¡°Not just me; no one remembers it,¡± the somber City-State Governor slowly shook his head. ¡°I only remember the pipeline that leaked poison gas and those crazy heretics¡­ Many people were involved that night, but it seems only you witnessed a sea of mes.¡± Fenna didn¡¯t speak for a long time, just silently reflecting, before she finally spoke softly, ¡°Aside from the ¡®fire,¡¯ my memories align with yours¡­ I didn¡¯t understand anything back then, but now I¡¯m very clear, it must be some Transcendent power influencing, and even after all these years, and my promotion to a Saint, the influence still hasn¡¯t faded.¡± ¡°This means either the influence is of a supremely high order, leaving a lifelong mark on your soul, or the source of the influence didn¡¯t disappear with the resolution of that incident but has continued to hide somewhere in the City-State¡ªover the years I have been investigating this, but unfortunately, there has been no progress.¡± Dante Wayne¡¯s tone carried a hint of apology at the end; he was not only sorry for being unable to alleviate his niece¡¯s troubles but also regretted his inability to clear up an old case in his role as the City-State Governor. The scars left by that ¡°Great Chaos¡± eleven years ago were too enduring. Fenna knew that the matter was not only a knot in her own heart but also a constant worry for her uncle. However, she wasn¡¯t good atforting others. After thinking for a while, she could only veer the conversation off-topic, ¡°I remember that a lot of heretics were caught back then. From the aftermath, that incident was even bigger than the ¡®ck Sun¡¯ incident four years ago.¡± ¡°Yes, thousands were captured, so many that I started to doubt how so many heretics could hide in the City-State of Prand,¡± Dante Wayne sighed, ¡°and it wasn¡¯t just one sect¡­ There were followers of the ck Sun, heretics worshipping The Saint of the Abyss, and even doomsday preachers who worshipped Subspace itself¡­ Those vermin from the sewers all came out that night, wreaking havoc in their madness.¡± Fenna looked at Dante, ¡°But ording to the interrogation resultster on, none of the thousands of saboteurs caught could be considered the ¡®mastermind,¡¯ and not a single one knew why they caused chaos that night. Instead of saying those heretics were organizing destruction, it would be more urate to say they just simultaneously exploded into madness, falling into a state of collective loss of control.¡± Dante remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, then suddenly looked into Fenna¡¯s eyes, ¡°Your irritation can¡¯t just be because of the bad dream you had¡ªdoes suddenly bringing this up have something to do with the recent instability in the City-State?¡± Fenna didn¡¯t avoid the question, ¡°It indeed is somewhat rted¡ªthe Sun Heretics are gathering in the City-State, searching for an ¡®anomaly¡¯ known as the Sun Shard, and the Homeloss almost simultaneously reappeared in the real world, its ¡®course¡¯ vaguely pointing towards Prand. Although it¡¯s hard to see any direct connection between these two events, the feeling of these turbulent currents¡­ always reminds me of the chaos eleven years ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered all ports to strictly inspect person movements and havemunicated with governors from other City-States. Many Sun Heretics were found on ships, and we¡¯ve essentially cut off their way into the City-States. As for those who have already infiltrated Prand¡­ it mainly depends on the actions of the Church. The guardians are professionals in finding and locking down transcendent criminals,¡± he exined. As he said this, the middle-aged governor suddenly stopped. He seemed to carefully consider whether some issues should be brought up now but after a moment of hesitation, he finally made up his mind, ¡°As for the matter of the Homeloss, I can¡¯t be much help in the transcendent domain, but in the secr aspect, I have an idea.¡± ¡°The secr aspect?¡± Fenna frowned slightly, about to say what connection this ghost ship Homeloss could have with ¡°secr¡± matters, when she suddenly remembered something, ¡°Wait, are you saying¡­¡± ¡°The captains of the pioneer exploration ship Brilliant Starship, Lucresia Abnormal, and the pirate leader of the northern seas, captain of the Sea Mist, Tirian Abnormal,¡± Dante said slowly, ¡°Homeloss is indeed a ghost ship beyond theprehension of reality, but as long as it was once part of the real world, the real world would have left its ¡®anchors¡¯¡­ I wonder what the response of Captain Duncan¡¯s children would be to their ¡®father¡¯ reappearing.¡± Fenna¡¯s eyes slowly widened. She was used to resolving enemies straightforwardly and violently, but she had never considered this angle regarding the Homeloss. However, she quickly frowned, ¡°But I heard that those two hardly interact with the City-State forces¡­ Theymand their own powers separately on the Endless Sea, maintaining a cool and even tense rtionship with all City-States.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite normal, after all, they are the children of that ghost ship captain, and the Brilliant Starship and Sea Mist were originally the two escort ships of the Homeloss¡ªalthough they parted ways a century ago, in the eyes of most City-States, anyone rted to that ghost ship captain means curse and danger; rather than them distancing from the City-States, it¡¯s the City-States that actively avoid them.¡± Fenna frowned as she looked at her uncle, ¡°So are you hoping they woulde to help Prand fight against their father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an idea, but worth a try,¡± Dante asserted earnestly, ¡°after all, we know that the Brilliant Starship and the Sea Mist parted ways with the Homeloss over a century ago. Lucresia and Tirian broke up with their father before the Vesrn Thirteen Inds incident, and half a century ago, there were rumors that some ocean-going captains witnessed the Sea Mist battling illusions of the Homeloss in the northern seas¡ªat that time, the Homeloss had already be the legendary Ghost Ship. This might indicate the captains¡¯ stance when facing their ¡®father.''¡± ¡°Half a century ago¡­ At that time, the Sea Mist was still the gship under the Frost Queen, and Captain Tirian might just have been acting on orders to protect the City-State,¡± Fenna mused, slowly speaking, ¡°but you¡¯re right, at least this is enough to prove that the Sea Mist indeed has a record of confronting the Homeloss.¡± But she still had some doubts, pondering for a few seconds before voicing her concerns, ¡°What if the Brilliant Starship and Sea Mist ignore Prand?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s just an attempt,¡± Dante said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll spread the news and find ways to send the information about Homeloss reappearing and heading towards Prand to those two captains¡¯ tables¡ªI¡¯ll just do that much, what reaction those two captains have will be up to them.¡± Chapter 80 - 84: Captain Duncan’s Children Chapter 80: Chapter 84: Captain Duncan¡¯s Children Even as ghosts, they were once part of the real world. A century ago, the Homeloss fell into the Subspace, and however terrifying it is today, it was built by the craftsmen of the real world, just like Captain Duncan, who was once human before turning into a shadow of the Subspace. To ordinary sailors, everything rted to the Homeloss invariably had to be cloaked in veils of ¡°curse¡± and ¡°strangeness,¡± as if that horrifying ghost captain was directly spawned from the Subspace, an entity without human emotions or rtionships¡ªa natural disaster roaming over the Endless Sea. In many people¡¯s minds, ¡°Captain Duncan¡± was like a natural phenomenon symbolized by his mere existence, with no need to trace its origins. Fear built high walls in the minds of mortals, preventing them from thinking about what details might lie beyond those walls. However, as a Judge specializing inbatting this kind of fear, Fenna knew how to discern the real parts from a series of legends, exaggerations, and murmurs. The terrible captain of the Homeloss¡­ Before he became a human, before the incident at Vesen¡¯s thirteen inds, he too had close friends and family members, loyal sailors and lieutenants under hismand, and he also needed to dock for supplies and dealings with City-State authorities. He could not have been born a moving natural disaster. Captain Duncan had two children, his eldest son Tirian Abnormal and daughter Lucresia Abnormal¡ªand they are still alive today. It is said that some cursed power prolonged their lives, allowing these two captains to wander the world as immortal as their terrifying father. Each of these captainsmanded a mighty ship, continuously circling on the fringes of the civilized world, their rtions with all City-States either cold or veiled in opposition, so much so that many people could hardly imagine Duncan having children active in the world. Only a few who were well-versed in history and rational enough understood their story. On the other hand, though their rtions with the various City-States were cool, these two captains at least still stood on the side of humanity¡ªthe terrible curse of the Homeloss had not led them to follow in Duncan¡¯s footsteps. Ms. Lucresia Abnormalmanded the Brilliant Starship, a powerful vanguard exploration ship. She was keen on exploring the limits of the world, reportedly reaching the edge of the known world, where she witnessed phenomena beyond ordinary people¡¯s imaginations. No one knew precisely what she sought at the edge of the world, but on very rare asions, she sent emissaries to certain City-States¡¯ Explorers¡¯ Association and shared some of the knowledge she discovered on her voyages¡ªthe only benign connection proving she still stood with humanity. It is said that the Explorers¡¯ Association of Cold Harbor City-State even awarded this mysteriousdy an honorary membership medal, but no one knows whether she epted this¡­ ¡°honor.¡± Tirian Abnormal was more ¡°approachable¡± to the human world than his sister, yet also more dangerous¡ªa half-century ago, he had served the Frost City-State in the northern seas, and now, he is the most powerful pirate captain of the Chill Sea. This capricious captain controlled nearly half of the main shipping routes in the Chill Sea, with the Sea Mist as his gship and over a dozen warships under hismand, effectively bing a semi-official power in the Chill Sea apart from Cold Harbor and Frost. The inds he upied had grown to a capability that could rival City-States, far exceeding the concept of a ¡°pirate gang.¡± As for how Captain Tirian transformed from a general under the Frost Queen to a pirate leader, opinions varied¡ª Some said he was the mastermind behind the Frost rebellion half a century ago, the very person who pushed the Frost Queen to the guillotine, and he then looted the City-State¡¯s wealth to build a formidable pirate gang. Another contrasting theory: a minority of schrs believed that during the Frost rebellion, Tirian fought for the Queen until thest moment; his subsequent turn to piracy and frequent attacks on ships between Frost and Cold Harbor stemmed from despair and a fixation on avenging the Queen. Fenna didn¡¯t know how much truth or falsehood there was in these chaotic spections by the popce. Considering the character of the two captains, they likely had no interest in exining their actions to the world, but one thing was certain: The re-emergence of Homeloss demanded their attention and even possibly their vignce in preparing for battle. After all, more than a century ago, these siblings betrayed Homeloss with their respective ships¡ªand now, their enraged father had returned from the Subspace. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Of course, as Dante Wayne had said, this is also just a contingency¡ªbetter to have and not need, but one shouldn¡¯t put all their hopes on this card alone. What one could truly rely on was one¡¯s own strength. ¡­ When the clock tower of the district church rang, a special rhythm of a steam whistle also broke the silence of the night, gradually awakening the slumbering City-State. The sunlight began to spread along the distant buildings, the ¡°Creation of the World¡± in the sky faded away in the sunlight, and sounds of carts and pedestrians came from the streets. The city, surrounded by the Endless Sea, had endured another night and safely weed the sunrise. Nina got up early to prepare breakfast, and the aroma of mushroom sauce and toast helped Duncan dispel his human body¡¯s morning drowsiness. Listening to the sounds of bicycle bells from the street, he suddenly said, ¡°Do you want a bicycle?¡± ¡°Bicycle?¡± Nina was momentarily stunned, then shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s expensive¡­ and I don¡¯t really need it.¡± ¡°It would make going to school a bit easier,¡± Duncan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money, I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± He had given this matter serious thought¡ªthe antique shop might not look like much, but judging from the rotation of goods in the warehouse and the cash stored in the shop, it actually seemed to have a steady sales volume, at least enough tofortably support two people. Nina¡¯s current financial struggle was entirely because her original uncle had donated more than half of the family¡¯s wealth to a cult, and the rest wasrgely squandered on alcohol, casinos, and drugs. Now that this decadent lifestyle had ended, and the major wasteful expenses were blocked, he didn¡¯t need to do anything else but maintain the normal business of the shop to provide Nina with a slightly better life than before. Of course, he didn¡¯t know how to run a shop, and the few procurement channels he remembered were a bit fuzzy, but¡­ that could be adapted to gradually. Most importantly, he needed to let Nina truly settle down and get used to the transformation of her ¡°uncle¡± bing reliable again. Nina lowered her head, nibbling softly on her somewhat stale bread, and after a while, repeated, ¡°That¡¯s expensive¡­¡± Duncan opened his mouth, about to say something, when suddenly he heard a knock from downstairs. ¡°So early¡­ and someone¡¯s here before we even opened?¡± Nina, hearing the knock, paused and muttered subconsciously, then got up and headed outside, ¡°I¡¯ll go down and see what¡¯s going on!¡± The girl hurried down the stairs, and Duncan casually broke off a piece of bread and tossed it to a pigeon pacing the table, ¡°What do you think¡­ besides running the store, what other quick ways are there to make money¡­ maybe you should start a logisticspany?¡± The pigeon immediately jumped aside and pped its wings in frustration, ¡°You¡¯re not just teasing me.¡± Then it began to ramble about various confused things¡ªlike it¡¯s someone held a long weapon, and someone else threw punches that made their opponent spin like a top, followed by looking up to see a streak of blood fill the screen, leaving the brothers sweating¡­ Duncan waspletely baffled, ¡°¡­¡± He understood that the pigeon couldn¡¯t talk when Nina was around, hence its frustration, but he absolutely couldn¡¯t understand what had gone through the bird¡¯s mind after holding back for so long¡ªits vocabry was aplete mess! However, before he could respond to the pigeon, Nina¡¯s voice suddenly came from downstairs¡ªher tone sounded a bit tense, ¡°Uncle Duncan! There are¡­ two police officers here to see you¡­¡± Police officers? Two officersing to find him early in the morning? Duncan was startled, immediately ordered the pigeon to stay in the room, and then swiftly went downstairs. As soon as he reached the ground floor, he saw Nina, looking nervously back at the staircase, and the two officers, both in dark blue uniforms, standing at the entrance of the antique shop. Chapter 81 - 85: Remuneration Chapter 81: Chapter 85: Remuneration Duncan steadied himself and walked toward the two police officers at the door. He felt clear of conscience¡ªafter all, he hadn¡¯t caused any destruction, nor had he had any conflicts with the authorities. Although Captain Duncan Strain¡¯s reputation preceded him, what did the mobile natural disasters of the Endless Sea have to do with an honest and upright antique shop owner? Upon reflection, the most suspicious thing he had done was attend a heretic gathering¡ªafter which he had enthusiastically reported it! Wait¡­ Reported? Suddenly recalling this fact, Duncan faintly guessed the reason for the police officers¡¯ visit. His steps toward the door became even more confident, but Nina clearly didn¡¯t share hisposure. She rushed to meet her uncle as he descended the stairs and spoke in an urgent, hushed voice at an angle the officers couldn¡¯t see, ¡°Uncle, you have toe clean to the officers when they ask you questions¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s stride faltered, and he gave his ¡°niece¡± a strange look. ¡°Is that the image you have of me?¡± Nina looked somewhat aggrieved at her ¡°uncle,¡± whose reputation was not the best, someone who frequently had people knocking on his door due to drunkenness or brawls in gambling dens. ¡°What else would bring the officers here to look for you?¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­¡± He sighed helplessly, approached the shop¡¯s entrance, and greeted the two officers in dark blue uniforms with a brilliant smile, ¡°Good morning, gentlemen. May I help you with anything?¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan Strain,¡± the elder of the two officers began in a polite yet formal tone, ¡°We¡¯ve located this address based on the registration¡ªthe clue you reported to the patrol officers yesterday has been verified, and on behalf of the city hall, we would like to thank you for your contribution to maintaining the City-State¡¯s order. As a token of our appreciation, we¡¯ve brought you a reward.¡± As he finished speaking, the younger officer stepped forward and handed over a rather thick envelope. Nina¡¯s eyes widened at the scene. Duncan had already guessed the officers¡¯ intent; he figured it was a follow-up to his previous report about the heretics¡¯ den, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to actually deliver the reward to his door. He took the envelope, somewhat surprised, and saw the one-time wax seal at the opening marked with ¡°435 S¡±¡ªfor residents of the Lower City District, this was a substantial amount of money. ¡°So, there¡¯s money to be had¡­¡± Duncan squeezed the envelope, feeling the thickness of the cash, ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought that much about it at the time.¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a reward¡ªthe Governor ces a high priority on cracking down on criminal activities within the City-State, especiallytely. Any effective report will earn a substantial and tangible reward,¡± the younger officer exined with a smile. ¡°Moreover, the clue you provided¡­ was quite exceptional.¡± Hearing this, Duncan¡¯s interest peaked, and he asked casually, ¡°By the way, when I heard themotion over there, I didn¡¯t dare to look closely¡­ What exactly happened?¡± The two officers exchanged nces, then took a couple of steps into the shop. Nina paused for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening and hurried to close the shop door. ¡°We were not present at the scene. The Guardians are handling the matter, but ording to the information we received¡­ the scene was quite grisly,¡± the younger officer said, not yet fully adept at the detached delivery of his senior. ¡°You did the right thing by not approaching recklessly and immediately reporting to the patrol officers. Otherwise, you would surely have been in danger.¡± After the young man finished speaking, the other officer also added, ¡°The specific details need not concern ordinary citizens; we¡¯re just here to remind you¡ªrecently, there¡¯s a rise in heretic activities within the city. Do not mention your report and the reward you received to outsiders.¡± Duncan paused, then quickly grasped the implication. This was the Lower City District, where the filth and poisons converged, the darkest of Prnd¡¯s secrets hidden away in these decrepit, winding alleys. And when the heretical dangers stirred, they too would seek refuge in such ces. Although the antique shop¡¯s street was considered one of the more respectable parts of the Lower City District, a fair distance from the poorest slums, from the perspective of harboring the unwanted, the whole Lower City District was much the same. Moreover, regardless of the possibility of heretics lurking among the ordinary people of the Lower City District, ¡°a person who reports to the authorities and collects a reward¡± here was also likely to be viewed with suspicion by others. The local officers were aware of this and gave a routine warning out of goodwill. Duncan thought about it and decided their warning was warranted. This ce was indeed prone to heretic activities¡ªhe still had the Sun Emblem in his pocket. N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Thank you for the reminder,¡± he sincerely thanked them. Although the averagepetence of most local officers was unknown to him, at least these two had made a good impression on him, ¡°Would you like to rest here for a while?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± the senior officer waved his hand and turned toward the shop door, ¡°We still have a patrol toplete.¡± The young sheriff turned back before leaving, ¡°If youe across any leads in the future, you are wee to report them in a timely manner¡ªthe safety of the City-State affects each and every one of us.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Duncan pinched the paper bag in his hand, a sincere smile on his face, ¡°I¡¯ve always been a good citizen concerned about the order of the City-State.¡± The two sheriffs left the ¡°enthusiastic good citizen Mr. Duncan¡¯s¡± antique shop, and it wasn¡¯t until the two uniformed figures had disappeared into the street that Nina finally snapped back to reality and looked at her uncle¡ªUncle Duncan was opening the paper bag, counting the bills of blues and greens inside. The pleasing sound of the paper flipping gave her a sense of reality, ¡°Uncle¡­ is this really a reward from the City Hall? You actually¡­ really¡­¡± The girl opened her mouth for a long time but, in the end, she didn¡¯t dare to ask, ¡°You actually really did a good deed.¡± But Duncan knew what Nina was thinking and what she was doubting. Heughed, ¡°It¡¯s just that I reported some illegal activities on the way home yesterday¡ªUncle has always been enthusiastic about public welfare.¡± Nina: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m quite surprised by the high reward,¡± Duncan didn¡¯t wait for Nina to speak and pondered again, looking at the banknotes in his hand, murmuring, ¡°This makes money faster than doing business¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say it out loud: based on the intelligence obtained earlier, there were who knows how many heretics from various City-States hiding in the city. That¡¯s all money! Nina was slow to react, ¡°Uncle, what did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Duncan waved his hand, while ruminating on this new money-making scheme and casually said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go to school? Leave early so you¡¯re notte¡ªand by the way, when is Mr. Morrising for a home visit?¡± ¡°This afternoon, I only have one ss in the afternoon,¡± Nina said, seeming to recall something, ¡°Uncle, are you going out today?¡± Duncan nodded, ¡°Hmm, I have to step out, but I¡¯ll be back before your history teacher arrives.¡± Upon hearing this, Nina cast a suspicious look, ¡°Uncle, what are you going to do?¡± Duncan¡¯s smile was particrly bright, ¡°Uncle is going out hunting.¡± He already had an idea. Since the Sun Emblem was so effective, and the authorities were so generous with payouts, it was silly not to take advantage of the opportunity¡ªafter all, even without the ¡°report and get paid¡± factor, he would have caused trouble for the heretics just to ensure the stability of his surroundings, so why not benefit once more by alerting others about them? But Nina was a clever girl. Even if she didn¡¯t know the other details about Duncan, she immediately guessed what her uncle meant by ¡°hunting¡± and her delicate eyebrows immediately wrinkled with concern, ¡°¡­Uncle, what you¡¯re doing is wrong. Just yesterday you talked about running the shop honestly, about sorting things out in the shop, about hiring staff¡­¡± ¡°Caring about the City-State¡¯s public order and running a shop honestly are not in conflict,¡± Duncan said with a broad gesture, ¡°You go to school; Uncle knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± However, what he didn¡¯t anticipate was Nina¡¯s reaction¡ªshe simply found a chair and sat down. ¡°Nina?¡± ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Nina looked up, gazing intently at Duncan. Duncan: ¡°Well¡­ actually¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to watch you,¡± Nina stubbornly sat there, ¡°The sheriffs just said that it¡¯s been unsafe in the City-Statetely¡­ It¡¯s one thing to run into trouble identally, but how can you deliberately seek out that danger?¡± Duncan looked at the seventeen-year-old girl somewhat dumbfounded. He suddenly realized that she truly cared about him¡ªin her stubborn belief in what was right and safe, she was concerned about ¡°Uncle Duncan, who has been seriously ill for years, weak in body, reckless in actions, and recently desperate to make money.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a bicycle,¡± Nina muttered, head bowed. ¡°Go to school,¡± Duncan suddenly sighed and went forward with a smile, gently patting Nina¡¯s head. Nina looked up in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Duncan said earnestly as he looked at Nina, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll wait for you here in the shop.¡± Chapter 82 - 86 A Better Plan Chapter 82: Chapter 86 A Better n Nina went to school, as she had many times over many years, once more putting her faith in the promise her uncle made to wait at the shop until she returned home after school. Perhaps she no longer believed him but still stubbornly acted as if she did. Duncan stood behind the first-floor window of the antique shop, watching Nina¡¯s quick-moving figure turn the corner of the street and disappear from his sight. Uncle Duncan would be there in the shop waiting for her toe home. He had promised. ¡°Ai Yi,e here.¡± A thought shed in his mind, and a green me streaked through the air, materializing the form of a pigeon in front of Duncan. The bird cocked its head, eyeing its master with its mung bean-sized eyes. Through the connection established by the spiritual fire, Duncan could clearly feel the pigeon¡¯s location and its condition¡ªthough he was not yet able to fully share the senses, the level of perception he had was already enough for many tasks. Duncan lowered his head, looking into Ai Yi¡¯s small eyes, ¡°You¡¯re quite clever, aren¡¯t you? You understand everything I say and are capable of doing a lot, right?¡± The pigeon immediately pped its wings proudly, ¡°Loyalty cannot be spoken, loyalty cannot be spoken!¡± ¡°I have a bold idea now that I want you to try,¡± Duncan said with a smile, and then drew from his bosom the sun badge that had turned into a ¡°Heretics Proximity rm.¡± He carefully wrapped the badge in a cloth to prevent it from being exposed to ordinary people, then tied it cautiously to Ai Yi¡¯s back using a strip of cloth. The pigeon cooperated from beginning to end, even helping Duncan knot the cloth with its beak, seeming to fully understand what its master intended, as intelligent as a human except for being unable to precisely articte its own thoughts. ¡°Just fly erratically around the city, and when the badge heats up, search for the resonating location, ideally pinpointing a specific building,¡± Duncan instructed seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll track your location¡­ Start in the Lower City District and the Cross District, avoid the Upper City District because I¡¯m not familiar with it and can¡¯t determine addresses solely by location.¡± The pigeon pped its wings and cocked its head, ¡°Some fries?¡± Duncan sternly replied, ¡°If you manage to locate one, I¡¯ll bury you in fries.¡± Without another word, the pigeon pped its wings and dashed toward the door, seemingly afraid its master would change his mind. Duncan watched with a smile as the pigeon flew further and further away into the sky. He keenly tracked the bird¡¯s current position and its surrounding environment. Then, he went back into the room, fetched a map of Plunder City-State, andid it on the counter. He looked at the map while recalling theyout details of the Lower City District in his mind and continually confirmed the bird¡¯s location through his perception. This was easier than he had anticipated¡ªthe connection formed by the spiritual fire was even more stable than at the beginning. Ai Yi¡¯s flight path was almost a clear and bright line in his mind, with a map and memory to assist, locating the bird was not challenging at all. This was a good method. Duncan breathed a sigh of relief, shifted into afortable position leaning on the counter¡ªhe had promised Nina he wouldn¡¯t ¡°seek trouble¡± outside, and he intended to keep that promise. But he could send the pigeon out to hunt while he stayed home to write the report¡­ Frankly, this was a better n, as the flight-capable pigeon could search far more efficiently around the city than he could by driving¡ªof course, there was also a downside, that once a heretic nest was discovered, there was no way to infiltrate and gather information, only report value remained. But Duncan didn¡¯t mind this minor regret. Based on his experience from attending past meetings, those easily found were just low-level heretics gathering information, and their intelligence value was limited. If Ai Yi truly sensed a ¡°big fish¡±¡­ he had other methods to ¡°fish out¡± that big one alone. After all, Ai Yi¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t limited to just carrying a sensor around¡ªits primary job was working as a courier¡­ If they found a big fish, Ai Yi could just open a door on the spot and teleport the person to Homeloss, where his body was stationed on the ship, making it more convenient to interrogate in detail. It just so happened he had never tried using the pigeon to teleport humans, and he couldn¡¯t experiment with innocent civilians¡ªbut it was different for those cult priests who had nothing better to do than murder and make sacrifices. When necessary, they could be ¡°expendable.¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Duncan leaned against the chair, sensing Ai Yi¡¯s location while plotting his n in his mind, feeling more and more that it was perfect¡ªthe draft of his whistleblower letter, interrogation n, arrest and transfer procedures were allid out. Now, all that was missing was something called ¡°Sun Believer,¡± the two-legged walking moneybag. The only thing still needing consideration in theplete n was how to exin to Nina about the reward money from the authorities when his whistleblower letter did indeed work¡ªhe had promised the girl not to go ¡°hunting.¡± Thinking hard, Duncan suddenly remembered something¡ª In this world that had evolved to the Industrial Age, there was such a thing as ¡°banks.¡± This was an inevitable oue and a necessary condition of economic and productive development. Although banking systems in this world were nowhere near as convenient or widespread as those on Earth, they still had basic ount features. The City-States across the Endless Sea even built an interconnected financial system with this¡ªalthough maintaining this system was far more difficult than on Earth, they still managed to establish it. The original owner of his body didn¡¯t blend in well and had never opened a bank ount at the City-State bank¡ªthis was quite normal in the Lower City District, as usually only the respectable people of the Upper City District reached the ¡°level¡± needed to deal with banks, but the bank itself was open to all citizens. There was a bank in the Cross District. With this in mind, Duncan decided he would go to the Cross District in the next day or two to establish his first ¡°bank ount¡± in this world. Afterwards, if his activities in the human world expanded, managing the flow of funds would be more convenient¡ªeven without considering the future, he could omit his address when writing whistleblower letters, leaving just an ount number. Of course, whether this was feasible would still need to be tested, as the original owner of his body didn¡¯t have much experience (or to be precise, much positive experience) dealing with City-State security departments, but Duncan thought it was a reasonable n. In this not-so-safe world, anonymous whistleblowing was a normal choice for many concerned citizens under cautious considerations. As for today¡­ he decided to simply stay inside the antique shop. This wasn¡¯t entirely because he wanted to strictly adhere to his ¡°promise¡± with Nina, but because this was his first time locating someone using the power of a Spiritual Body after letting the pigeon fly so far, and his inexperience required him to focus extra hard, thus needing a stable environment. Another reason was that he really should seriously do a day¡¯s ¡°business¡±¡ªthe shop hadn¡¯t opened since it came into his possession. Duncan stretched, stood up behind the counter, and slowly approached the front door, hanging the ¡°Open for Business¡± sign outside. He now had some ns and a new scheme, and all this began just because he had made a promise with a seventeen-year-old girl¡ªwhat an interesting experience. ¡­ Near the Cross District, within a dpidated, abandoned factory, guards d in ck coats with silver linings had already put up a blockade. Judge Fenna, wearing light armor and carrying a blessed greatsword, apanied by two Deep Sea Priests, walked down the sloped staircase to the abandoned space on the factory¡¯s first underground floor. Everything here remained as it had been initially¡ªafter the first batch of guards had received the whistleblower report and discovered this gathering ce, they had sealed off the scene until now. The vast basement reeked intensely of blood, coupled with a pungent smell from chemically burned materials, and the bodies of Hereticsy chaotically spread across the floor. Beyond these bodies of Sun Heretics, no signs of the Assants were found¡ªno additional bodies and not even scraps of additional clothing. Fenna slightly furrowed her brow. This was a one-sided crushing battle, where the Assants¡¯ strength far exceeded these mainly ordinary Heretics, and it seemed the incident happened so suddenly that a considerable number of these Sun Heretics were killed without even having the chance to resist. Who took action? A Wild Supernatural Being with a personal vendetta against these Heretics? Another powerful heretical cult? Or some out-of-control bloody sacrifice, where these self-destructive heretics summoned from the ¡°Deeper Levels¡± a creature they couldn¡¯t possibly control? The young Judge was lost in thought. Chapter 83 - 87 Fenna’s Investigation Conclusion Chapter 83: Chapter 87 Fenna¡¯s Investigation Conclusion The meeting hall was left with only the scattered corpses of the heretics, and no evidence that could prove the identity of the assants was found, which presented great difficulty for the investigation. But one thing was certain: the perpetrator of this attack was definitely not an ordinary human. A special pungent smell lingered in the air, a sign that the ¡°fire¡± had been contaminated. Fenna carefully examined the oilmps left in the basement; nearby, a priest took out special powders and potions from a toolkit to analyze whether the oilmps contained substances that should not exist in the real world. Fire is the most special thing in this world. Fire represents visible order, the handwriting when gods established the covenant for the world, the proof that ¡°civilization still exists¡±¡ªthe burning me leaves marks on everything that changes. If a transcendent-level battle had urred here, traces of it would definitely have lingered in the mes. After the priest got busy, Fenna returned to the center of the basement, looking at the body of a Sun Heretic who had died there. ¡°Several dozen fractures throughout the skeleton, as if struck directly by a rampaging bull; it¡¯s hard to imagine what kind of weapon could cause this,¡± a forensic officer nearby said. ¡°Pure brute force blunt trauma, no traces of any spell.¡± ¡°Brute force blunt trauma¡­ enough to break dozens of bones in one hit?¡± Fenna frowned slightly. ¡°What is this? A one-meter-diameter meteor hammer?¡± The forensic officer shook his head. ¡°More suspicious than that is the ash at the end there.¡± Fenna walked to the end of the basement and saw the ¡°ash¡± the other was talking about. Aplete set of clothes was scattered on the ground, amidst fine ck ash, suggesting an easy thought¡ªthat a person had onceid here. ¡°Undoubtedly, it¡¯s some kind of transcendent power; judging from the traces, it could be a variant of aberrant mes,¡± Fenna assessed briefly, then spoke to the forensic officer beside her, ¡°Ordinary mes couldn¡¯t turn a person to ash like this whilepletely preserving the clothes.¡± ¡°The wall shows impacts; this heretic seems to have been mmed into the wall by a great force, then incinerated by mes,¡± said another priest on the scene. ¡°This heretic alone was killed by a transcendent power here¡ªand it¡¯s a type of transcendent power we¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°Moreover, we found a spot on the basement floor severely corroded by an unknown force, but no residual physical substances were found. This might also be the effect of a transcendent power.¡± ¡°It could be a spell cast by someone, or it could be from an anomalous object,¡± Fenna offhandedly noted. ¡°Was this ce discovered because of a report by a citizen?¡± ¡°Yes, an attentive citizen heard unusual noises at the abandoned factory during the transition from day to night, and reported to the rotating city guards and protectors at the street corner,¡± the priest nodded in response. ¡°These heretics actually covered their tracks well upon entering the City-State and sessfully infiltrated the Lower City District. They would have likely continued hiding if not for this attack.¡± ¡°Now that one hideout has been exposed, it likely means there are more hidden in the shadows,¡± Fenna said solemnly. ¡°The seedy alleys of the Lower City District are the focus of this period¡¯s investigation. We need to¡­¡± Before she could finish, a protector hurriedly approached from the side, holding something in their hand. ¡°Judge, take a look at this!¡± Fenna immediately looked up and saw that the protector was holding a small tray containing several blood-stained, slightly deformed copper bullets. ¡°We found two revolvers that had been fired at the scene. These bullets were likely fired from those guns,¡± the protector reported, ¡°The blood on the bullets is most likely from the assants!¡± Fenna¡¯s gaze fell on the bullets, and she instantly noticed the deformation of the bullet heads¡ªthe bullets were stained with blood, indicating they had entered flesh and blood bodies, yet theirpressed and deformed state suggested it was not caused by soft, fragile flesh. Unless each bullet had struck bone, or¡­ the person shot possessed extremely strong physical strength. And how did these bullets, already lodged in a body, end up at the scene? Fenna thought carefully and concluded there were only two possibilities: either the assants had performed bullet-removal surgery on themselves at the scene, or the assants had special physical abilities that allowed them to forcibly eject the bullets from their bodies. Regardless of the possibility, one thing was clear: this powerful assant, despite being shot numerous times, had effortlessly eliminated all heretics here and calmly removed the bullets from their body after the incident. Fenna looked at her own hands. She was capable of doing such things but, precisely because she could, she understood how immensely challenging it was for mere mortals of flesh and blood. ¡°The ones who killed these heretics must have been a Transcendent with significantly enhanced physical abilities, using some type ofrge blunt weapon,¡± Fenna turned and spoke to an attendant after pondering, ¡°The opponent is experienced, resolute, and extremely strong. Considering the weapon used, the individual is likely very tall and may possess some sort of fire power. Our initial assumption ces them as enemies of the Sun Heretic, but it¡¯s unclear if they stand with us¡­ n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Notify all guards andw officers to be on the lookout for anyone fitting the above description. If a suspect is spotted, report back first, and avoid rash contact.¡± The attending guard bowed his head immediately, ¡°Yes, Judge.¡± Fenna exhaled softly, roughly sketching in her mind what the assant who had disrupted the gathering might look like: a two-meter-tall man wielding a giant Wolf Fang Club or meteor hammer, skilled inbat and steadfast, with the ability to summon mes. It should be something like that. ¡­ Duncan smiled as he saw off the second customer of the day, watching the plumpdy walk away slowly, feeling quite pleased. Thedy was a regr at the store, and today she had taken a liking to a pair of vases that she wanted as a gift for her new neighbors. The vases, sourced from a wholesale market, were producedst week but had an eight-hundred-year history¡ªoriginally priced at over two hundred thousand, discounted to twenty-six thousand, including a pair of stone sculptures from the Snd Dynasty that were manufacturedst Wednesday. The regr customer knew the items were fake, but she believed Duncan the store owner was genuine all the way. After throwing several crumpled banknotes into a drawer, Duncan sat down behind the counter, feeling slightly more at ease. At least for now, running this antique store was a novel and intriguing affair for him. Of course, the financial gains from such small transactions were limited¡ªthe two vases along with the two sculptures earned him just over six srs, and only two customers had visited the shop all morning. He wasn¡¯t sure if this ¡°customer traffic¡± was good or bad on an ordinary day, but it obviously wasn¡¯t as promising as reporting heretics. Duncan partly focused on Ai Yi¡¯s situation. The pigeon was currently flying low over the fourth district. Unfortunately, the Sun Amulet tied to its back hadn¡¯t shown any response so far. This was normal¡ªwhile many heretics had infiltrated the Plunder City-State, they weren¡¯t so widespread that they were everywhere. Moreover, they dispersed their activities deliberately, hiding in forgotten nooks and crannies, making them hard to spot. Hunting required patience, after all. Duncan leisurely enjoyed the quiet moment, keeping an eye on the pigeon while asionally checking on the Homeloss or controlling his own body aboard the ship to stroll on the deck, watching Alice hriously scramble as she fought with the oddities on board. Suddenly, he felt his peculiar life wasn¡¯t too bad. Just then, a crisp and pleasant ring of the doorbell came from the front door, interrupting his idle musings. ¡°Wee.¡± As Duncan casually greeted, he looked up towards the entrance and saw an elderly gentleman with graying hair pushing the door open. This was a meticulously dressed old man, wearing a crisp and clean deep brown coat, shiny leather shoes, and carrying an indiscernible ck cane, with hair and bow tie immactely styled. His attire didn¡¯t seem typical of the Lower City District; it rather resembled something from the Cross District or even the Upper City District. Duncan didn¡¯t have much concept of the so-called ¡°respectable people¡± of this world, but he could tell at a nce that this gentleman was not an ordinary customer. ¡°See anything you like?¡± he smiled, ying the part of a genuine antique shop owner, ¡°If it¡¯s fated, take it with you.¡± Chapter 84 - 88: There is a Genuine Article Chapter 84: Chapter 88: There is a Genuine Article The old gentleman walked into the antique shop, curiously examining the surroundings¡ªthe aged disy windows, the cheap iron shelves, and the so-called ¡°antiques¡± almost randomly ced about¡ªperfectly embodied the positioning of the shop: In the entire store, except for the money taken, there wasn¡¯t a single thing that wasn¡¯t fake. However, this elder gentleman, who didn¡¯t at all resemble themon folks of the Lower City District, was still looking over the items in the shop with great interest until Duncan¡¯s voice came from the direction of the counter; only then did he finally turn his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting saying,¡± the elder gentleman chuckled, ¡°taking away what¡¯s fated¡­ Putting aside the objects themselves, the sentiment is quite beautiful.¡± ¡°Actually, fate alone isn¡¯t enough¡ªyou also need money,¡± Duncan returned the smile, ¡°Fortunately, everything here is inexpensive¡ªare there any items you wish to buy?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not here to buy anything,¡± the elder gentleman opened his mouth, ¡°Actually¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Duncan enthusiastically continued: ¡°Whether you buy or not, it¡¯s good to have a look around, maybe you¡¯ll find something that catches your eye?¡± The elder gentleman couldn¡¯t help but show a hint of helplessness on his face: ¡°These¡­ your goods are all fakes.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Duncan as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, ¡°Real items wouldn¡¯t be disyed here¡ªmy store doesn¡¯t even have a security gate, it relies on the thieves not making a profit.¡± The elder gentleman¡¯s face twitched noticeably, probably never expecting such a candid attitude from the proprietor of a shop selling fake antiques, and it took him several seconds to respond: ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Those who are good at self-persuasion see this ce as an antique shop to fulfill themselves. Those who are realists treat it as a variety store, appreciating the value for money. And for those who are both in denial and in recognition of reality, I congratte them on finding a gold brick in a pile of garbage. There¡¯s only one real antique in the entire shop, and they happened toe across it¡ªextremely fated. Anyway, the main point of spending thirty to fifty is for the happiness. Even if you¡¯re majorly duped here, it won¡¯t go over a hundred, and you still get a modern industrial creation. If you think about it, isn¡¯t that also quite a good deal?¡± The elder gentleman listened to Duncan¡¯s twisted justifications, seemingly perplexed due tock of social experience in this area, and then, suddenly, his gaze fell on a corner next to the counter, with a subtle change in his expression. Duncan had been fully engrossed in the joy of doing business, but when he noticed the change in the elder gentleman¡¯s gaze, his heart stirred, and he immediately thought of something. Before he could speak up, he saw the elder gentleman reaching towards that corner: ¡°This item¡­¡± Among a pile of misceneous items, he had found an ancient-looking dagger, exceptionally well-preserved. He took the dagger out. It was the very object Duncan had earlier hidden in the pile of misceneous goods, an old relic from the ship Homeloss¡ªone of the only two genuine antiques in the entire store. The other one was a cast-iron cannonball ced even deeper within the pile. At first, Duncan had thought about diverting the elder gentleman¡¯s attention, but then he noticed the change in the man¡¯s expression and his professional demeanor while examining the pattern on the dagger¡¯s sheath; Duncan immediately realized something: This elder gentleman might be a ¡°professional.¡± Duncan furrowed his brow, his eyes sweeping over the dagger. Actually, it wasn¡¯t a big deal¡ªthis item was not a Transcendent object, nor did it carry a Curse or any such ¡°sea-borne speciality.¡± Though it came from the ship Homeloss, in essence, it was no different from ordinary ¡°antiques.¡± An utterly ordinary item, and an overreaction would be suspicious. ¡°This item¡­¡± the elder gentleman repeated, raising his head to look at Duncan with some surprise, ¡°Is it also one of the ¡®goods¡¯ in the store?¡± The gentleman spoke euphemistically, but his implication was quite clear: How did a real item get mixed into this pile of fakes? Was it a mistake at work? Seeing the elder gentleman¡¯s reaction, Duncan guessed he was someone knowledgeable. At this point, ying dumb would be inappropriate; instead, a fitting acknowledgment was due. So he toned down his smile, taking on an air of deep mystery: ¡°You see, you¡¯ve just encountered something destined for you.¡± Then he cleared his throat, a serious look on his face: ¡°Most items in the store are on sale, some exceptions apply¡ªfor instance, the one in your hands.¡± The older gentleman immediately turned around to nce at the shelves, his eyes sweeping over the ¡°modern crafts¡± with price tags discounting from hundreds of thousands to just tens, and who knows what he imagined, but he immediately found the seemingly rundown but intimidating antique shop to be mysterious and interesting. He carefully ced the dagger on the counter as if about to ask about the price, but just then, the sound of a bell chiming suddenly came from the door, interrupting his action. Duncan looked up towards the store entrance and saw Nina¡¯s figure. ¡°Uncle Duncan, I¡¯m back!¡± Nina called out to the direction of the counter without even lifting her head as she entered, ¡°Has Mr. Morris arrived yet?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t seen him,¡± Duncan nced around the inside of the shop, ¡°I was just entertaining¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the elderly gentleman in front of him cleared his throat twice and then raised his hand, pointing to himself: ¡°My name is Morris.¡± Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Mr. Morris!¡± Nina also noticed the elderly gentleman at the counter and eximed in surprise, then she became obviously nervous as every student who runs into a teacher after school would, snapping to attention and standing up straight, ¡°Good afternoon!¡± Duncan looked back and forth between Nina and the old man, his gaze shuttling between them twice, feeling the atmosphere finally turning awkward. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°I wanted to introduce myself from the start,¡± the older gentleman spread his hands helplessly, ¡°but you interrupted me before I could speak and then began to show me the items in the store¡­¡± Nina also realized what had happened and immediately noticed the dusty-looking dagger on the counter, quickly stepping forward: ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t buy it! Everything in our shop is fake!¡± Duncan looked at the girl with a peculiar expression, thinking to himself how incredibly honest this child was, selling out her family¡¯s business in less than a second in front of her teacher¡ªalthough given the quality of the goods in the shop and Morris¡¯s expertise as a history schr, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference whether she sold them out or not¡­ On the other hand, Mr. Morris shook his head after hearing Nina¡¯s words, pointing to the dagger on the counter: ¡°This piece is real.¡± Nina was stunned: ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°This dagger should be from a century ago and was one of the preferred tools and daggers of sailors from middle City-States like Rensa, but due to the closure of the forging workshops and the corrosion from sea storms on items at sea, there are very few in existence today, and most are in terrible condition¡­¡± As Morris spoke, he carefully picked up the dagger from the counter, drawing the de a little and continued with an astonished tone: ¡°I¡­ I have never seen one in such good condition. It¡¯s as if it was still being used recently, with a de sharp enough to slice paper, and not a single w throughout¡­¡± ¡°It even has its original scabbard,¡± Duncan added from the side, ¡°If you look closely, you will find that even the buckle at the back of the scabbard is original.¡± Upon hearing this, Morris quickly inspected the scabbard and fittings of the dagger with even more surprise in his eyes: ¡°This¡­ I really didn¡¯t notice before¡­ My goodness! It¡¯s as if it was just taken from a sailor¡¯s pocket from a century ago! If I weren¡¯t so confident in my own judgment, I¡¯d almost suspect this to be an astonishing imitation¡­ but it even has the pattern at the handle¡¯s junction and a unique w at the end of the handle¡­¡± He suddenly paused with a puzzled look, looked up at Duncan, then at Nina next to him, the history expert suddenly unsure: ¡°It¡¯s really not a fake?¡± Hearing this, Nina quickly waved her hands: ¡°Uncle can¡¯t make something this real¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s eye twitched as he looked at his niece: ¡°Go upstairs and do your homework!¡± Nina was taken aback: ¡°I don¡¯t have homework today¡­¡± ¡°Then go read a book!¡± Nina stuck out her tongue and took small steps towards the staircase, but after a few steps, she looked back at her history teacher: ¡°Mr. Morris, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re here for a home visit¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I have a lot to discuss with Mr. Duncan,¡± Morris said with a beaming smile, the elderly gentleman looking quite radiant, ¡°Go upstairs and read¡ªdon¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t snitch on my students behind their backs.¡± Nina looked puzzledly at Uncle Duncan and her teacher¡ªshe seemed not to have expected this ¡°home visit¡± to start in such a manner. But the next moment, she unexpectedly revealed a slight smile. The girl ran lightly up the stairs. Chapter 85 - 89 Nina’s Strangeness Chapter 85: Chapter 89 Nina¡¯s Strangeness n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Watching Nina swiftly run up the stairs, Duncan hadn¡¯t quite grasped what was happening just yet, only scratching his head in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s this child giggling about¡­¡± Then he heard Mr. Morris¡¯s voiceing from beside the counter, ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re nothing like the impression I had of you, Mr. Duncan.¡± ¡°Nothing like your impression?¡± Duncan raised an eyebrow, ¡°What impression did you have of me?¡± As he spoke, he stepped around from behind the counter to hang a ¡°Temporarily Closed¡± sign on the door and brought a chair over to the counter¡ªafter confirming that the visitor was a teacher who hade for a home visit rather than a regr customer, it wouldn¡¯t have been appropriate to have him keep standing. ¡°Thank you,¡± Mr. Morris nodded in appreciation and took a seat, looking towards Duncan with a gentle, schrly smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t met you before, but I¡¯ve heard through certain channels about Nina¡¯s family situation. I apologize for my directness, but ording to what I¡¯ve heard, Nina has an uncle who¡¯s an abusive alcoholic and gambler, and this has led to a very harsh home environment so severe that she has almost no friends at school¡ªother students tend to avoid dealing with her.¡± Duncan was making coffee on the side, and upon hearing Mr. Morris¡¯s words, his actions involuntarily paused for two seconds before he unhurriedly finished his task. He returned to the counter carrying two cups of coffee, pushing one toward the old man, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I only have this cheap stuff¡ªthe best coffee in the Lower City District is no better than this.¡± He sat down opposite the old man, each holding a steaming cup, the ancient dagger lying between them, but now neither was paying it any attention. ¡°To speak strictly¡­ all those rumors are true,¡± Duncan slowly said, ¡°I fell ill before, well, quite a severe illness¡ªduring which painkillers were ineffective, I could only rely on strong liquor to numb the nerves. It was a period of decline, unfortunately coinciding with Nina¡¯s crucial teenage years. Looking back, it seems the impact on her was even more significant than I had thought.¡± Mr. Morris observed Duncan intensely, finally speaking thoughtfully after a long moment, ¡°Is that so? But you don¡¯t seem like someone who has juste out of a downfall, it¡¯s more like you¡¯ve never fallen, always been an active, optimistic gentleman, your wit and humor in conversation don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ve been affected by alcohol.¡± As he spoke, he tasted the coffee from his cup without passing any judgment on it, merely remarking casually, ¡°I think I have a pretty good eye for people.¡± ¡°Perhaps I just adjust quickly,¡± Duncanughed lightly, his tone unusually serene¡ªhe had to admit the old man indeed had an urate perception of people, but he trusted that even the most discerning eyes couldn¡¯t see the secrets hidden inside his own shell, so he waspletely calm, ¡°Nina¡¯s almost an adult, and I¡¯m her only guardian. I need to take some responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­Regardless, that¡¯s good for the child,¡± Mr. Morris looked deeply at Duncan, ¡°She¡¯s at a critical stage in her studies. Although many say that graduating from a public high school only leads to turning screws in factories, they always overlook one thing: knowledge itself is a precious asset. It always shows its worth one day in your life, often when you no longer have the chance to return to school.¡± The elderly man sighed as he spoke, shaking his head, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that most of the parents I¡¯ve dealt with don¡¯t see it this way¡ªthey focus on getting their children to graduate and find jobs as quickly as possible.¡± Duncan felt a sense of kinship upon hearing this, ¡°Mr. Morris, I know these words well! I used to say simr things when I was a teacher to students or their parents, but no one listened¡­¡± However, he quickly restrained his feeling of camaraderie, considering the environment he was currently in, he slightly shook his head: ¡°Because this is the Lower City District, Mr. Morris¡ªyour view is indeed wise and foresighted, but most people here really do need to pay offst month¡¯s bills soon, you can¡¯t say their vision isn¡¯t long-range for that.¡± ¡°Indeed, many would like to look further ahead, but the high walls of daily life always block our view of the distance,¡± the old manmented, ¡°Sorry, being steeped in books all the time, one tends to overlook the practical problems of life¡­ You are a very thoughtful person, it seems my worries were unnecessary.¡± ¡°Worries?¡± Duncan frowned, ¡°Speaking of which, has Nina been having any problems at school recently? Has her academic performance declined?¡± ¡°Her grades have always been very good, but recently¡­ she does seem somewhat distracted,¡± Mr. Morris carefully chose his words, ¡°She daydreams in ss, sleeps during study periods, and even gets distracted duringb sses¡ªinst week¡¯s chemistry ss, she even identally lit theb bench on fire. Such situations had never urred before¡­ at least not with her.¡± After saying this, the gentleman paused, then added, ¡°In the test a couple of days ago, her grades hadn¡¯t really dropped, but if this state continues, it¡¯s hard to say how her grades will turn out at graduation¡ªthough the career options after graduating from a public high school are indeed limited, assembling machines in factories in the Lower City District and maintaining steam cores in churches in the Upper City District are not the same. As Nina¡¯s guardian, you should start taking this seriously.¡± ¡°Nina has been frequently distracted during sstely?¡± Duncan furrowed his brows, ¡°She hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about this to me.¡± ¡°At her age, girls definitely don¡¯t tell you much,¡± Morris shook his head, ¡°At first, I thought something might have happened at home, or her ¡®drunk uncle¡¯ had done something recently that was affecting her behavior at school; hence, I came to do this home visit. But now it appears¡­ it¡¯s not for these reasons.¡± Duncan did not speak immediately, only seriously trying to recall if Nina had shown any abnormalities in front of him recently, recalling Nina¡¯s daily routine. After a few seconds, Morris asked again, ¡°You are the person who knows her best. Has the child been experiencing anything unusualtely? Like not resting well or not feeling well?¡± Duncan thought for a long time, only to spread his hands helplessly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m ashamed to say, I can¡¯t think of an answer.¡± He couldn¡¯t think of an answer¡ªhe didn¡¯t even know Nina a week ago! How could he know if the child had undergone any changes recentlypared to before? Morris didn¡¯t seem very surprised by Duncan¡¯s response; he probably had lowered his expectations for ¡°Nina¡¯s uncle¡± based on local rumors and now simply said habitually, ¡°You should pay more attention to her¡ªespecially at her age, mere material support is not enough.¡± Upon hearing this, an idea suddenly popped into Duncan¡¯s mind: ¡°Could she be in love?¡± Truth be told, this idea was somewhat influenced by Zhou Ming¡¯s experience as a teacher¡­ However, after hearing this, Morris showed a somewhat odd expression, giving Duncan a strange look, ¡°That¡¯s an all-girls school¡­¡± Duncan thought for a moment, seriously responding, ¡°Girls¡¯ schools are possible too.¡± Morris¡¯s eyes widened slightly. The old gentleman, who had always been engrossed in academia, was greatly shocked! ¡°Cough, well, I was just speaking offhand,¡± Duncan quickly realized the topic might be too far-fetched upon seeing the old man¡¯s reaction and quickly coughed to interrupt the awkwardness, ¡°I¡¯ll have a good talk with Nina¡­ she should be willing to speak to me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ oh, of course,¡± the old man finally reacted, seemingly still immersed in shock, his wordsing half a beat slow, ¡°As far as I know¡­ Nina is a very honest and frank child. If you talk to her seriously, she probably won¡¯t resist too much.¡± Duncan nodded, ¡°Anything else going on? Has Nina been acting differently at school in any other ways recently?¡± ¡°Other than being distracted and spacey, not really,¡± the old man thought for a moment and shook his head, ¡°Actually, the main reason I came today was to discuss this matter and to get a better understanding of her real family situation¡­ Oh right, speaking of which, Nina¡¯s parents are because of¡­¡± ¡°An ident eleven years ago,¡± Duncan said, ¡°The official record mentions that incident, the chemical nt leak in Sixth District.¡± ¡°I see,¡± the old man sighed, ¡°I remember that ident; my daughter and I happened to be near the Cross District. When the chemical nt leaked, it caused a big stir; the affected crowd even briefly reached the edge of Upper City District¡­ Subsequent investigations also mentioned that many Heretics were causing chaos that night, and the chemical nt was sabotaged by them¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s mind stirred, nonchntly asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t a big fire also ur in Lower City District that same night?¡± ¡°A big fire? I don¡¯t recall any fire,¡± Morris frowned, ¡°Are you mistaken?¡± ¡°¡­ It seems I am mistaken,¡± Duncan pressed his forehead, smiling, ¡°I really should stay away from alcohol.¡± Chapter 86 - 90: The Antique Shop’s First Big Deal Chapter 86: Chapter 90: The Antique Shop¡¯s First Big Deal As I expected, Duncan had anticipated Maurice¡¯s reaction; he broached the subject simply to confirm his suspicions. Just as the intelligence he had previously gathered indicated, ordinary people like Maurice werepletely unaware of the great fire¡ªthat fire existed only in Nina¡¯s and his own memory. To be precise, before he took over this body, that fire had been confined to Nina¡¯s memory alone. The topic shifted quickly, and Maurice did not harbor any suspicions about the odd subject. He then proceeded to introduce Nina¡¯s academic and ss situations to Duncan and inquired about her family circumstances. It was evident that this caring teacher had long wanted to delve into these matters, but the abysmal, degenerate lifestyle of Nina¡¯s uncle had postponed this conversation until today. The memories Duncan inherited from the body were limited, and he was unclear about many of the teacher¡¯s questions. Fortunately, his nimble thinking and robust imagination helped him manage the past, while for those issues he couldn¡¯t handle¡­ he med it on the previous life¡¯s decadence, harm caused by alcohol, vowing to reform going forward¡­ Having experienced numerous ¡°home visits,¡± he was well-acquainted with the typical questions and focal points of teachers, even though he now found himself in a different world and a different identity, some of that experience still proved useful. Once the ¡°serious matters¡± were finally discussed, it was not surprising that Mr. Maurice¡¯s attention turned to his second point of interest. The old gentleman¡¯s gazended on the well-preserved antique dagger on the counter, his eagerness unmistakable, ¡°Is this item¡­ for sale?¡± Duncan immediately smiled, ¡°This is an antique store.¡± Of course, the antiques disyed in an antique store were for sale. He hade to realize that, although the dagger came from Homeloss, selling it seemed to pose no risk¡ªHomeloss had many items, and not all were connected to the Transcendent. Such a dagger, ced elsewhere, was merely a regr antique¡­ what harm was there in selling it? Compared to the slew of fakes in the store, Homeloss¡¯s stock was a veritable gold mine! Once his thoughts were in order, Duncan felt a sense of liberation, suddenly recognizing that he had always been sitting on a treasure trove¡ªthe junk he regarded as trivial was merely wealth misced, awaiting wealthy, destined patrons. Take Mr. Maurice here¡­ wasn¡¯t he a person of destiny? N?v(el)B\\jnn Maurice, however, was oblivious to the thoughts swirling in the head of the antique store owner as his attention was wholly devoted to the well-preserved dagger before him. After much hesitation, he cautiously asked, ¡°How much?¡± Duncan hesitated¡­ The answer was not so clear, for even with theplete memories of this body, he didn¡¯t know how to price it¡ªsince the day this store opened, it had never sold a genuine item¡­ Furthermore, there was no standardized pricing for antiques; he was utterly out of his depth. What would be an appropriate price to call out at this moment? Duncan quickly mulled it over, eliminating the option of setting a price in the range of 200,000 to 300,000 as seen on the store tags¡ªeven though the dagger was real and in excellent condition, it was only a little over a century old. Additionally, based on Mr. Maurice¡¯s earlier revtions, such a dagger from a century ago, although not abundantly avable, was not unique. The sailors of that era had used it as a utility knife¡­ this inevitably limited its value. Not ancient and not unique,cking a special historical background, a modern item of great condition but ordinary collectible and aesthetic value. Mr. Maurice seemed very fond of it, which might slightly raise the price, but there was a limit to how much¡ªafter all, he was still Nina¡¯s teacher, and that rtionship had to be considered. After musing for a brief moment, which took no more than a few seconds, Duncan finally shook his head, smiling, ¡°You make an offer¡ªMr. Maurice, you are Nina¡¯s most respected teacher, and I really can¡¯t set a price as I would with ordinary customers.¡± He was acutely aware of his limited knowledge, and setting a credible price seemed harder than keeping a goat silent for three days. Setting it too high or too low would reveal his ipetence, so he might as well provide an opportunity for Mr. Maurice to help judge the value. He believed Mr. Maurice might guess his intention. As for whether he would lose out on this transaction¡­ Duncan was rather open-minded. It was a transaction cost him nothing to acquire, so how could he lose¡ªgaining an unexpected revenue in this unprepared situation, while also umting some experience and meeting a professional in the historical field, was indeed quite a win. Maurice pondered seriously. He wasn¡¯t overthinking; most of his attention was fixated on the dagger. ¡°Three thousand¡­ three thousand four hundred srs, that¡¯s my estimate,¡± Maurice finally spoke. He seemed to have carefully considered the figure, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you might find this price a bit low, but considering the era of the dagger and its historical positioning¡­ such non-unique collectibles significantly depreciate in the market. Of course, its condition is excellent, which is rare, but we must also consider not every collector will be interested¡­¡± The elderly gentleman seemed to be struggling to exin the reasons for his pricing, while Duncan listened but his mind was already rapidly calcting¡ª In the Lower City District, the entire monthly expenses for an average family of three only amounted to a little over two hundred srs¡ªand most civilians in the Lower City District barely broke even each month, if they managed to save at all. This dagger was almost equivalent to a year and a half¡¯s ie for an ordinary household in the Lower City District. That was the value of a ¡°real deal¡± here, and it wasn¡¯t even that expensive of a ¡°real deal.¡± He didn¡¯t know whether to marvel at the antique trade¡¯s saying, ¡°Open for three years, closed for three years,¡± or toment about the staggering gap between the ordinary life in the Lower City District and the so-called ¡°refined hobbies¡± of the upper sses. Perhaps he should marvel at just how wealthy this old gentleman was. ¡°Deal,¡± he exhaled softly, smiling at the old man. He didn¡¯t consider haggling to be a waste of effort. After all, this was arge sum of money for both Nina and him at the moment¡ªfar more than what they would get for reporting a heretics¡¯ nest. He had been contemting ways to make money not long ago, yet now it seemed less urgent. Life is unpredictable. However, Maurice felt Duncan agreed too eagerly, which made him feel a bit apologetic, ¡°Actually¡­ you¡¯re at a loss at this price. Normally, considering the number of these daggers left and their condition, it should be at least ten to twenty percent more expensive¡­ but¡­¡± The old man touched his nose, seemingly a bit embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯ve recently spent quite a lot on collecting antiques, and I¡¯m a bit short on¡­¡± The old gentleman was more honest than Duncan had expected. ¡°I think this is a very good price. Let¡¯s consider the difference as ¡®fate¡¯,¡± Duncan said with a smile, and then as if he suddenly remembered something, he got up and walked behind the counter, ¡°Oh, to celebrate this ¡®big business¡¯, I have a little something extra for you.¡± Maurice looked curious and expectant, only to see Duncan pull out a small amethyst pendant from apartment behind the counter. The old man was sharp-eyed and noticed right away that the tag from some ss workshop was still on the pendant. Maurice: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This pendant has the effect of calming the mind and warding off evil spirits. The crystal has been blessed and can guide one through illusions and curses. Ancient hypnotists used it to protect their minds from the dangers lurking in the Dreamscape,¡± Duncan pushed the pendant forward, his expression serious, ¡°It has protected generation after generation¡­ Now it¡¯s your destiny¡­¡± Maurice hesitated and pointed at the tag on the pendant, ¡°But it says ¡®John¡¯s ssworks¡¯ on here¡­¡± ¡°I know, forgot to take it off,¡± Duncan unceremoniously removed the tag, ¡°This is just a free gift. How many genuine articles do you think I have to give away in my shop?¡± Maurice paused, thenughed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡ªthank you very much for your ¡®gift.¡¯ Hopefully, it will make my daughter nag me less.¡± As he spoke, he epted the pendant, then fumbled in his pocket for a while, pulling out a checkbook, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring so much cash with me¡ªthis check can be cashed at the Plunder City-State bank in either the Cross District or the Upper City District, does that work for you?¡± Duncan smiled, ¡°Of course.¡± As he said this, his gaze fell on Maurice¡¯s check. He had had some doubts when Nina first mentioned her history teacher, and today, having actually met Mr. Maurice, his doubts resurfaced. Whether from his dress, his daily conduct, or his professional knowledge in history and antiques, this gentleman clearly wasn¡¯t ordinary¡ªeven without knowing the situation in the Upper City District, Duncan could tell that such a schr belonged in a university there, not in a public school in the Cross District. Even disregarding other factors, there was an obvious question: Could an ordinary public school history teacher really so easily part with a year and a half¡¯s ie from the Lower City District for a collectible he took a fancy to? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!