《Ashes Of Deep Sea》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Endless fog rolled outside the window as if the world had disappeared at the end of the fog. A ray of soft light from the sky was the only light that could penetrate through the fog, and it dimly lit the quiet room.


    Inside the slightly messy studio apartment room, Zhou Ming sat in front of the table. All the stuff on the table was violently swept to one side while the man with a depressed expression wrote swiftly on a book.


    ¡°Day 7. Nothing has changed. The fog outside the window still hides everything from me. The window is shut tight by an unknown force¡­ It¡¯s as if the entire room has been ¡®tossed¡¯ into an abnormal space¡­


    ¡°I have no means to contact the outside world. There¡¯s no running water or electricity either. But the lights can still be turned on and the computer too. It¡¯s still running even after I¡¯ve unplugged everything.¡±


    It sounded as if a gust of gentle wind was coming from the window, making Zhou Ming, who was diligently documenting his day in his diary, suddenly raise his head. Hope flickered in his weary eyes, only for him to realize it was all his own hallucination the next second. The pale white fog remained outside the window as if it was a cold and quiet world that had surrounded his room.


    He diverted his gaze to the window sill and noticed the hammer and wrench he tossed. Those were signs of his struggle to get out of his room through the window a few days back. Now, they were just heavy tools silently lying there. It looked as if they were laughing at his dire situation.


    Calmness returned to Zhou Ming¡¯s face a few seconds later. He was calm in an unusual way. He lowered his head once again to write in the book.


    ¡°I¡¯m trapped here and have no idea how to leave this place. For the past few days, I¡¯ve tried destroying the ceiling, walls, and even the floors, but despite all my efforts, not even a scratch was left on the walls. It¡¯s as if the room has become a box that¡¯s molded into this space with no means of escaping¡­


    ¡°Except for that door.


    ¡°But what lies outside that door¡­is even weirder.¡±


    Zhou Ming paused once again. He slowly read through the words he had written before aimlessly flipping through the pages. He saw the things that he had documented for the past few days. Those were words of despair, sentences of imagination, scribbles of desperation, and jokes to force himself to keep a cool mind.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if there was meaning to writing in his diary. He had no idea to who he was writing that gibberish. The truth was that he was never one to keep a journal. As a high school teacher with limited free time, he never had the time to do such a thing.


    However, now, whether he liked it or not, he had a lot of spare time.


    When he woke up one day, he learned that he was trapped inside his room.


    The view out the window was replaced by a thick fog, so thick that he couldn¡¯t see anything past it. It was also as if the cycle between day and night was gone. That time had stopped. Inside the dim room, the window was tightly locked, the water and electricity were cut off, there was no mobile signal, and no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t get any help from the outside world.


    It was as if he was in a ridiculous nightmare, and everything that happened in it went against the law of nature. However, Zhou Ming had tried everything and had one thing confirmed. He was not in an illusion and not a dream too. He was in a world where nothing made sense, and he was temporarily still normal.


    The man took a deep breath and looked at the door at the edge of his room.


    It was a regular and cheap white wooden door. On it was an old calendar from last year that he had forgotten to change. The doorknob had been turned so much that it was shiny. The floor mat was a little off-centered.


    That door could still be opened.


    If the sealed room was like a prison, then the cruelest part of the prison was that a door that could be open anytime remained. It was as if the door was tempting the prisoner to push it open. Yet the world outside that door was not the world Zhou Ming was hoping for.


    The old but warm hallway was no longer there. The lively street was nowhere to be seen either. There was nothing out there that he was accustomed to.


    Instead, it was an unfamiliar place that gave off an eerie vibe. It was also another trap that he could not escape.


    Zhou Ming knew there wasn¡¯t much time left for him to hesitate. There was no option for him to choose from to begin with.


    The ration he had left was the problem. To begin with, the few bottles he had were now a quarter of what they were. He had tried everything he could to get out of the sealed room and seek help, but now, only one option remained for him, to get prepared and look for a way to survive in what was outside the door.


    There was also the chance for him to discover the cause of the bizarre supernatural phenomenon happening to him.


    Zhou Ming took a breath and turned his head back to complete the remaining few paragraphs in his diary. ¡°Whatever the cause is, the only option I have left is to head to what¡¯s across the door. At least I can still find food on that weird ship. The exploration and preparation I¡¯ve done over there for the past few days are enough for me to survive on it. Although¡­ there was only so much I could do to prepare.


    ¡°Lastly, to anyone who arrives after me, if I never make it back, and if anyone manages to open the door to this room, please don¡¯t think of what I¡¯ve written in this diary as a mere fictional work. Everything in here really did happen despite how terrifying it sounds. There really exists a person called Zhou Ming who is trapped inside this crazy and strange space.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best to describe every weird phenomenon that happened after I arrived here and all the things I¡¯ve done to try and get out of this room. If there really is someone who¡¯s reading this, please, at least, remember my name. At the very least, remember that all of these happened.¡±


    Zhou Ming then closed the diary, tossed the pen into the container, and got up.


    He had decided it was time to leave before he was wholly sunken into a passive and desperate state.


    After a short ponder, he didn¡¯t head toward the door that was the only thing connected to the ¡°outside world.¡± Instead, he walked toward his bed.


    He concluded that he needed to be at his best to face whatever was in the ¡°foreign land¡± past the door. He knew that at that moment, his condition, especially his mental state, wasn¡¯t the best yet.


    Having no idea whether he could fall asleep or not, he still forced himself to lie down on the bed and entered a state of emptying his mind. It was still better than trying to wander on the ¡°other side¡± of the door when he was mentally exhausted.


    Eight hours later, Zhou Ming opened his eyes.


    The thick fog remained outside the window while the dim nature light still gave off a depressing vibe.


    Zhou Ming ignored the situation outside the window and took out the remaining food he had left. After ensuring he was at least 80% full, he walked toward the standing mirror in the corner of his room.


    The man in the reflection still had messy hair that made him look dispirited. The man was not attractive either. However, Zhou Ming stared at his reflection in the mirror as if trying to forever carve that look into his head.


    He continued to stare at the mirror for a few minutes until he started to mumble in a low voice. It sounded like he was trying to talk to the man in the mirror. ¡°Your name is Zhou Ming. At least, you are Zhou Ming ¡®here.¡¯ Zhou Ming is your name. You have to remember that.¡±


    After that, he turned to leave.


    He approached the door that he was very familiar with and took a deep breath before resting his hand on the doorknob.


    Besides his attire, he did not bring anything with him. No food or any weapons to defend himself with. That was his experience after ¡°exploring¡± the other side a few times. Other than himself, nothing could go through the door.


    The truth was that he even had to question if he was himself or not.


    Zhou Ming twisted the knob and pushed the door open. The dark and heavy fog rolled before him like a heavy curtain. He felt he could already hear the ocean waves among the mist that expanded indefinitely.


    He walked past that heavy fog and was met with the slightly fishy smell of the ocean wind. The sound of the waves became real instead of his own imagination. The floor he stood on rocked somewhat back and forth. He closed his eyes for a second and waited for the dizziness to pass before opening them again. The first thing he saw was a wide and open wooden deck, the tall spar that spanned high up into the dark clouds, and the seemingly endless ocean past the side of the ship.


    Zhou Ming lowered his head and looked at his body, which was a little more muscular than he had remembered. He was wearing an expensive-looking and exquisite but unfamiliar captain¡¯s uniform. On his vast and firm hands was a classic black flintlock pistol.


    He was right. He had to question if he was himself or not.

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    That was not Zhou Ming¡¯s first time going through the door to the ¡°other side.¡±


    A few days back, he woke up to find himself trapped in his room surrounded by a certain ¡°phenomenon.¡± After the mysterious fog covered the entire world, he discovered the ¡°other side¡± outside the door.


    That door was the only exit from his room.


    He could still recall the shock and helplessness he had felt when he first walked through that door and onto a deck. He also clearly remembered the panic when he lowered his head to see that his body had been switched. However, after that, he successfully gathered his guts to explore the world outside the door to find a way to get out of the place. He had yet to understand the things that had happened to him or the strange ship outside his ¡°room,¡± but he had gained some experience of the new world and had a fundamental understanding of the ship.


    Just like the last few times, Zhou Ming tried to use the shortest amount of time to eliminate the dizziness from passing through the door. He then proceeded to check the body he had and the pistol in his hand. He ensured every detail was the same in his memory before confirming that he still had the same thing before leaving the deck.


    ¡°Looks like my body will be switched without delay when I walk through that door¡­ It would¡¯ve been great if I could place a camera on the deck. I would love to check and see what this captain¡¯s body will do when I return to the room¡­


    ¡°Unfortunately, items of another world can¡¯t go through the door, so I can¡¯t bring a camera over¡­


    ¡°But, I did record myself with my phone in the room when I walked through the door. I can confirm that I¡¯ve walked into that black fog¡­ Does that mean that my body gets changed in the fog?¡±


    Zhou Ming mumbled. He knew it would look funny if others saw him talking to himself on the deck, but he had to make some noise. At least, he needed something to prove that he was still ¡°alive¡± on the empty ghost ship.


    As the wind with a slight fishy smell breezed past the deck, the black and blue uniform made out of materials unknown to the man flapped with it. He let out a sigh. Instead of walking out into the deck, he turned to look at the door behind him.


    He rested his hand on the doorknob.


    He turned it. If he pushed the door in, he would see the black fog once again. Past that fog would be the same studio apartment room he had lived in for a long time.


    However, he pulled the door out.


    The slightly heavy door creaked as it opened, showing the dim cabin inside. Under the faint light, he could see an exquisite tapestry on the wall, a decoration shelf with many ornaments on it, and a huge map table in the middle of the room. In the deepest part of the room was another door with a wine-red floor mat in front of it.


    The door he had walked through would lead back to his apartment room, while pulling the door open would lead to the captain¡¯s cabin. It seemed to him that the latter was the ¡°original function¡± of the door.


    Zhou Ming stepped into the cabin. When he got in, he would reflectively turn to look toward the left. A full-size mirror was hung on the wall, and through that mirror, he got to see what ¡°Zhou Ming¡± looked like at that moment.


    He was a tall man with thick black hair, majestic stubble, and deep eyes. Just his look alone was enough to pressure someone. He looked in his forties, but his heroic appearance and daunting eyes made him feel it was hard to tell his age. The exquisitely made captain uniform only elevated his unique status.


    Zhou Ming moved his head a little and made a funny expression. He had always thought of himself as a friendly and easy-going person. However, now, his appearance was the complete opposite of his personality. It only took a while for him to give up. The smile didn¡¯t make the man in the mirror look friendlier. Instead, it turned him from a dignified captain into a psychotic murderer.


    Just as he was doing that, a series of cracks could be heard from the map table. He wasn¡¯t surprised by it and turned to look at it. There was a wooden goat head carving on the table, slowly spinning toward him. It was as if the lifeless wooden carving had come to life, and the two obsidian embedded into the eyes were now staring at him.


    The thought of his reaction when he first encountered that made him chuckle a little. He walked towards the table as the head continued to turn slowly. ¡°Name?¡± A hoarse and gloomy voice came out of it.


    ¡°Duncan,¡± Zhou Ming calmly replied. ¡°Duncan Abenormmal.¡±


    The head¡¯s voice immediately switched from hoarse and gloomy to passionate. ¡°Good morning, captain! I¡¯m glad that you remember your name this time. How are you feeling today? How¡¯s your body? Did you get a good sleep last night? I hope you had a good dream. Also, today is a great day to raise the sails and begin our voyage. The ocean is calm, the wind is perfect, and the temperature is comfortable. There are no annoying navy or noisy crew with us. Captain, do you know of an annoying crew who¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re annoying enough.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t Zhou Ming¡¯s first interaction with the goat head, he could still hear the tremble in his voice; he glared at the head and managed to say, ¡°Silence.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Of course, captain. I know you prefer silence more than anything else! Your loyal first mate, who¡¯s also your second mate, boatswain, sailor, and navigator, knows this very well. Being quiet is a good thing. A person in the medical field¡­ or is it the philosophy field? Maybe the construction field¡­¡±


    Not only Zhou Ming¡¯s voice was trembling now, but his body also started to tremble a little from anger. ¡°I¡¯m ordering you to shut up!¡±


    When he mentioned it was an order, the goat head quietened immediately.


    Zhou Ming let out a sigh of relief and sat down in front of the map table. Now, he was the captain of the ghost ship that had no crew.


    Duncan Abenormmal. That was a name he was unfamiliar with and the last name that was hard for him to pronounce.


    The first time he walked past the black fog and stepped onto the deck, he had already known the name. He knew that the body he had on the ¡°other side¡± was called Duncan and that he was the ship¡¯s owner. He also knew that the ship was on an extremely long voyage. He knew all those information, but those were the only things he knew.


    The memory of the captain was cloudy and in fragments. It caused him to know nothing except for the vital information. He knew there was a shocking plan for the trip, but he had no idea where the destination was. It also seemed like the original of the ship, the original Duncan Abenormmal, had passed away a long time ago.


    The fragments of memory that remained in Zhou Ming¡¯s head were like the few strongest and deepest ¡°desires¡± that the ghost captain had left before leaving the world.


    His instinct told him there were a few issues with the original Captain Duncan¡¯s background. It was especially true when supernatural phenomenons ¨C the talking wooden goat head ¨C existed on the ship. He felt that the mystery surrounding the captain could mean that dangers surrounded him that he had never thought of before. However, he needed to become the captain to move safely about the ship.


    Just like the wooden goat head, other things on the ship would try to confirm his identity as the ¡°captain¡± all the time.


    Even the ship itself was trying to confirm his identity.


    It felt as if it was a type of safety measure and as if the captain would forget his own name at any time. If that were to happen, then something terrible and dangerous could happen. That would be why such an ¡°inspection mechanism¡± was installed on the ship.


    Although Zhou Ming had no idea what would happen if ¡°Captain Duncan¡± forgot his own name, he was confident that if he got the name wrong, the consequences would be terrible.


    Despite how friendly the goat head was, he could also tell that it was a dangerous object.


    However, as long as he pretended to be Duncan Abenormmal, everything on the ship would treat him nicely.


    He could tell that all the items on the ship weren¡¯t as bright as they seemed.


    Zhou Ming, or Duncan, returned from his short thought and looked at the opened sea chart on the table.


    The chart had no visible route, markers, continents, or even islands. The only things visible on the thick parchment were the grey and white masses rolling on it. Those grey and white masses were like fog covering the original route; the only thing he could distinguish from the chart was the barely visible shadow of the ship under the fog.


    Duncan, or Zhou Ming, had no voyage experience in his life. However, no matter how inexperienced he was, even he could tell that a ¡°real¡± sea chart did not look like that.


    It was evident that, like the wooden goat head on the table, the chart was also a type of supernatural item. However, he had yet to understand how to use it.


    Perhaps it had noticed that the captain had finally diverted his attention to the chart, the goat head that had been silent for a while suddenly moved again. Along with the cracking wood sound, it gently turned its head. It tried to move as quietly as possible at first, but it eventually gave up, and the cracking sound was so loud that it was impossible to ignore. In the end, it turned so fast that it felt as if there was a phone vibrating on the table.


    Worried that if it kept turning so fast, it would ignite itself on fire, Duncan turned to glare at it. ¡°You may speak.¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain! I want to remind you that today is a great day to raise the sails! Just as always, the Lost Home awaits your command! Will we be raising the sails?¡±

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The wooden goat head looked at Duncan, who was sitting by the map table with its black eyes. It was as if its obsidian eyes were flickering, but, in truth, it could not express emotion on its face. However, Duncan could clearly see the expectation on its face.


    That wasn¡¯t the goat head¡¯s first time urging him to raise the sails. The head would do it whenever he came into the captain¡¯s cabin.


    He could even feel the ship itself urging him to resume the journey so that it could end the aimless drift on the sea and return to the right path.


    Yet, Duncan remained silent. The powerful-looking face was dark as he slumped into a deep thinking process. He clearly found two different problems.


    First, he was the only person onboard the ship, and the vessel was inhumanely massive. The ship, Lost Home, relied on sails to move, and Duncan roughly put the ship¡¯s length at 150 to 200 meters long. To manage such a vast ship, he would at least need a dozen of years and even a few hundred years of experience as a sailor. He had no confidence in doing that alone.


    Second, even if he had the experience, another thing was stopping him from beginning the journey. He had no idea how to captain a ship.


    Duncan was slightly anxious. He tried to imagine what would happen if he asked the strange and annoying goat head how to captain the ship. After thinking of the response, he got even more worried.


    The goat head had no idea what its captain was thinking about. ¡°Captain, is something worrying you? If you¡¯re worried about the Lost Home¡¯s condition, then there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. The Lost Home is always prepared to sail to the world¡¯s edge with you. Or, could it be that you¡¯re worried that something unlucky might happen if we sail today? I know a little fortune reading. Which do you believe in? Constellations? Tarot? Or crystal ball? Now that I think about it, do you remember last time when the crystal¡­¡±


    Duncan tried his best to control his facial expression while holding back his urge to yell at the goat head. ¡°I¡¯ll go check the situation on the deck. Just wait here quietly.¡±


    ¡°I understand. But, I do have to remind you that the Lost Home has been drifting aimlessly for a long time. You have to take control of the helm soon and put the ship back on the right course,¡± the goat head replied. Then, with the cracking sound, it returned to its original position.


    It was as if the world had finally quieted down for Duncan.


    He let out another sigh of relief again. He started to calm down and picked the flintlock pistol off the table before getting up to leave the captain¡¯s cabin.


    The old flintlock pistol was found by him when he was exploring the ship. Along with the pistol was a one-handed sword. By his waist now hung the sword, and those two items were meant to be a form of protection when he wandered on the ship.


    It took him a long time to roughly learn how to use the two weapons in his past few days of exploration. However, up until now, he had yet to meet other living beings on the ship other than him.


    That was excluding items that could speak.


    The fishy sea breeze managed to calm Duncan¡¯s annoyance down a little. He walked onto the deck outside the cabin and subconsciously raised his head to look at the sky.


    The thick rainclouds still covered the sky up to the horizon¡¯s edge. He could not see the sun, moon, or even stars. Only dim light could pass through the cloud and faintly reflect off the seemingly endless ocean.


    The view had been the same for a very long time. Ever since Duncan arrived on the ship, the sky had remained the same. It even made him wonder if normal weather did not exist in the new world, that the thick rainclouds would forever loom over the ocean.


    Duncan turned around and looked at the door to the captain¡¯s cabin, quietly sitting at the end of the deck. On top of the door was a line of words, which he couldn¡¯t read, carved into the wall. However, when he focused on the line of words, he could understand what they meant in his head.


    ¡°Door of Lost Home.¡±


    ¡°The Door of Lost Home¡­ The Lost Home, huh?¡± Duncan mumbled before laughing mockingly at himself. ¡°This ship sure has a good name.¡±


    He then walked past the cabin and up the stairs at the edge of the deck to the quarter deck at the stern of the ship. There was a wooden platform, and that was the second best place with a wide view of the sea other than the crow¡¯s nest.


    A black helm sat quietly on the platform, waiting for the captain to steer it.


    Duncan frowned. He had no idea why a sense of urgency and anxiousness suddenly shrouded him, and these emotions seemed to appear whenever he looked at the helm.


    He did not experience such a thing when he headed to the quarter deck the past few times.


    A sudden chaotic wind swept past the deck, kicking the waves high up in the air as if to match the anxiousness inside him. Although the waves would not affect a ship as massive as the Lost Home, they still alerted Duncan. The next second, he turned to look toward the ship¡¯s bow.


    In front of the Lost Home and between the water and the murky sky, a seemingly endless and wall-like white fog appeared out of nowhere, making him widen his eyes.


    The white fog looked like it could surround the entire world and separate it from everything else. The ship was moving toward the fog fast, but rather than the humungous mist size, what made Duncan even more worried was that it reminded him of the endless white fog he could see from the window in his studio apartment room.


    The Lost Home was drifting straight toward it.


    Duncan had no idea what the fog was and what lay deep inside it, but he could feel that it was extremely dangerous. His survival instinct told him that getting swallowed by the fog was a bad idea.


    He instinctively rushed toward the helm but was quickly taken over by a sense of helplessness. Even if he had his hands on the helm, he didn¡¯t know how to steer the ship away from collision with the fog on his own.


    However, he still arrived at the helm. When he arrived, a hoarse and gloomy voice came from the bronze tube next to the helm connected to the captain¡¯s cabin. It was from the goat head. This time, the voice of the mysterious item sounded as if it was slightly panicking.


    ¡°Captain! We¡¯ve detected the collapse of the border in front of us. We are very close to the edge of reality! Please turn the ship back!¡±


    Duncan almost yelled back after hearing the goat head¡¯s panicked voice. ¡°Dude, do you think that¡¯s easy? Why don¡¯t you just make 80 men who know how to steer this thing appear instead of asking me to do it?¡± he screamed in his head.


    He then raised his head to look at the masts on the ship¡¯s deck. The desperation became even more prominent when he saw those masts. Even if he wanted to lower the sails, there were no sails for him to do that. The ship had no sails, and the masts were all empty.


    With his adrenaline rushing, he didn¡¯t even have time to consider all the weird terms that the goat head had said. His basic instinct made him subconsciously grab the helm in front of him that was slightly shaking for reasons he did not know.


    That was the first time he had put his hands on the helm of the Lost Home in the past few days. The strange phenomenons and the goat head had been repetitively urging him to steer the ship all those times, and he had been against the idea of ¡°steering¡± the ship. However, now, the hesitation was no more an option for him.


    He grabbed the helm tightly. His blank mind didn¡¯t even have the time to wonder how he was supposed to steer a giant ghost ship on his own.


    However, changes happened right after that.


    A sound that resembled a strong wind on the mountain and at sea exploded inside Duncan¡¯s head. It also sounded like tens of thousands of people cheering by the shore as the ship departed from the dock as if millions of sailors were cheering the captain¡¯s name on the pier. Amidst those were also hints of a bleak pirate song and the sound of terrifying waves.


    A ball of green flame suddenly appeared at the edge of Duncan¡¯s field of view. He instinctively looked at his palm and saw a ball of emerald green fire suddenly appear on the helm of the Lost Home, and it quickly spread like wildfire, covering his entire body almost instantly.


    Inside the raging flame, his body suddenly became something similar to a void. His captain uniform was now torn and wrinkled as if it had been soaked in seawater for hundreds of years. Duncan could vaguely see the bones on his body that had become something like a spirit. Fire danced on his crystal-like bones while eternal fire flew through his veins like water.


    Despite all the flames he saw, he didn¡¯t feel pain or the sensation of being burned. As the fire continued to burn, he could feel his senses spreading out in all directions.


    The flame started spreading from the quarter-deck, past the main deck, the port, the starboard, and the masts. The fire spread out and formed nets on the deck before slowly rising up the masts. They eventually formed huge sails that rose high up into the sky.


    The sails of the Lost Home had been lowered and were speeding towards the edge of reality that was crumbling.

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The ghostly green flame burned lively on him. His flesh and bone turned half transparent like a specter under the fire. With the fire burning and his hands on the helm of the Lost Home, Duncan¡¯s sense spread along with the fire until it covered the entire ship.


    It was then that he learned that he had no need for a crew,


    The Lost Home could raise its sails on its own. All it needed was the captain to steer the helm, and it could begin its journey.


    Duncan was a little panicked at first when the ghostly green flame appeared. However, after witnessing more than one supernatural phenomenon during his exploration on the ship for the past few days, he was able to force himself to calm down and keep his hands on the helm during the most crucial few seconds.


    Now, he had confirmed that the flame was a type of ¡°power¡± that could not harm him. Besides whether his body would return to its original state or not, from what he could see, the power of the flame was assisting him in controlling the ghost ship he was standing on.


    The sounds of waves and cheering in his head had subsided. Duncan felt that his mind was at its clearest. The Lost Home was like an extension of his own body, and he could feel the ¡°senses¡± coming from different parts of the ship. He had no knowledge or experience to qualify as a captain, but at the very least, he could steer the ship on his own.


    The ghostly sails that looked like fogs rose high up the masts. The gaff sails and main sail started to adjust their angles. Airflows coming from the ocean were chaotic, but it looked as if the sails were able to gain force through the winds. The huge Lost Home had ended its aimless drift and started to slow down with the help of the sails.


    Duncan tried to turn the helm in his hands, and he could sense the feedback from that motion in his brain. He could feel the enormous ship he was standing on starting to turn and steering itself away from the endless fog in front.


    However, it seemed like the turning speed was not enough. They were still closing in on the fog with no end. The scream of the goat head was suddenly transmitted through the bronze pipe next to the helm. ¡°Be careful! We¡¯re closing in on the limit of reality! We¡¯ll be falling into the Spirit World soon! Captain! We have to¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Duncan yelled back and interrupted the goat head. ¡°Rather than being annoying down there, why don¡¯t you find a way to help?¡±


    The goat head immediately quietened down. Just as Duncan thought it would stop annoying him, the hoarse and shrilling voice suddenly cheered through the bronze pipe, ¡°Give it your best! Give it your best! Don¡¯t give up!¡±


    Duncan turned to look at the bronze pipe, completely dumbfounded for a second.


    Then he suddenly felt that he had lost the sense of reality in his surroundings. He had accepted the strange phenomenon that had locked him in his room, he had accepted the supernatural power on the ship, and he had even accepted the fact that the green flame was slowly burning him. Still, he couldn¡¯t convince himself that the goat head that had been making him worry for his life would react in such a way. He knew that the goat head was abnormal from the beginning, but it was not making any sense now.


    However, the thick fog closing in did not give Duncan time to think or roast the goat head. Even though the Lost Home was already turning around at a quick pace, it felt as if it was more like a car drifting instead of turning because of its vast body. It felt as if the thick fog had a conscious and was actively chasing after its pretty. Thin fogs began to spread out of its edge, spreading so fast that they almost engulfed the Lost Home instantly.


    When the thin fog appeared, Duncan could feel that a strange change was occurring in his surroundings. The sunlight became even dimmer, and almost unlimited thin black lines appeared on the blue ocean water without him realizing it until now. The black lines were like hairs floating up to the surface of the water and dyed the entire ocean black so quickly that he could see it changing.


    Things that Duncan could not make out, their shapes and sizes, had also begun to appear inside the thin fog.


    ¡°We¡¯ve fallen into the Spirit World!¡± The goat head had stopped cheering with its hoarse voice. Duncan had no idea why, but it sounded as if the goat head was very far away, and he could faintly hear almost silent mumbles in its voice. It was as if there were a lot of voices of hatred and anger surrounding him. ¡°But, the Lost Home has yet to fall into it completely! Captain! You have to steer the ship! It can still sail as long as we have not yet sunken into the Silent Deep Sea! We can still make it out of here!¡±


    ¡°I can do that if I know where I¡¯m supposed to be heading!¡± Duncan silently roared. Mixed in with his voice were the crackles of the green flame, and it sounded as if it came from hell. ¡°I don¡¯t even know which is the right direction!¡±


    ¡°Trust your instinct, Captain! You have to believe in it!¡± the goat head yelled back through the bronze pipe. ¡°Your instinct is way more accurate than the chart!¡±


    Duncan became silent. A sense of helplessness took over his body, but he had no extra strength to argue with a weird goat head. Since it had told him to trust his instinct, he had decided to be bold.


    He thought about the last remaining sensation he had felt just a second before the fog had swallowed him. He grabbed the helm in his hand tightly and steered the ship towards the direction he believed was the exit.


    Terrifying howls could be heard coming from the entire Lost Home. The vast ship had drawn a perfect curve on the water that was completely black now. The wind was howling, and the fog was spinning, but amid the dim sunlight and thin moisture, Duncan could catch something slowly appearing among the mist in the corner of his eyes.


    The next second, he quickly noticed that it was another ship. The new ship was at least a size smaller than the Lost Home, and it was a white warship with black smoke coming out of its funnel in the middle of the ship.


    After drawing the perfect curve on the water due to the sudden turn, the warship had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was now speeding straight toward the Lost Home. Or, to be more precise, the Lost Home was now on a collision course with the warship.


    All Duncan could do when he saw that was yelling in his head. ¡°Holy cow! I will get into an accident for speeding in the Spirit World!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe that after exploring the strange new world for so long and failing to meet another living being, another ship would suddenly appear out of nowhere at such a crucial moment. ¡°Like, what are the chances?¡±


    ¡­


    The wind raged, and the waves trashed. The vast ocean was exerting its terrifying power of nature. Facing the natural forces that could tear through anything, the White Oak, a steam-powered warship, was squeezing every last ounce of energy to combat death.


    Laurence Creed, the White Oak captain, whose hair was already white, stood inside the warship¡¯s bridge. He did not feel safe despite being surrounded by sturdy walls and glass windows. He had both of his hands firmly on the helm of the ship. He could faintly feel the roars and spasms of the White Oak¡¯s struggles through the gears and connecting rod of the helm.


    Through the expansive windows, he could clearly see the huge waves of the ocean. However, something else was even more terrifying than the waves, the strange thick fog, and the almost indistinctly black lightning inside the mist, approaching them from far away.


    The White Oak was the most advanced steam-powered ship in the world. But, even the most advanced system could only make the warship the fastest on normal water. However, now, the ship and its captain had to face the edge of the crumbling reality and the piercing coldness radiating from the devilish palace of the evil god in the deepest part of the world.


    ¡°Captain! The priest can¡¯t hold it any longer!¡±


    The scream from the first mate could be heard from next to the captain. Laurance could hear the fear and shakiness in the first mate¡¯s voice. He raised his head to look past the bridge and at the prayer table set up in front of it. Evil-looking black and purple smoke rose from the table¡¯s incense burner. The respectable priest, who wore long dark blue robes, was trembling in front of the incense burner. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and his eyes switched back and forth from being sober to being crazy.


    Laurence¡¯s heart sank at that sight.


    He knew that the respectable priest was still on the human¡¯s side. He was using the last of his faith and purest soul to counter the summons from the ¡°Abyss.¡± However, all was futile now. The black and purple smoke from the incense proved that his prayers had been contaminated.


    Once the priest fell, every soul still sober on the ship could become a door that led toward the Silent Deep Sea and even the Subspace.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    The yell of the first mate could be heard again. Laurence interrupted his first mate, and determination could be seen in the middle-aged captain¡¯s eyes. ¡°Turn off the Holy Compass. We¡¯re going into the Spirit World.¡±


    The first mate¡¯s eyes widened as if the man who had spent more than half his life on water couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going into the Spirit World! At least, for the next 10 minutes, we¡¯ll be able to escape from the biggest shockwave caused by the collapse, and the priest will have the chance to catch a breath!¡± Laurence didn¡¯t hesitate to lay down his order again, but he explained himself a little this time. ¡°That¡¯s an order!¡±


    The first mate opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but decided not to. ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The crew quickly executed their captain¡¯s order while Laurence, still having control over the helm, took a deep breath. The Holy Compass stored deep inside the cabin was starting to go out. He could feel the shapeless force field surrounding the White Oak was beginning to weaken. Without the protection of the holy item, the ship started to sink into the Spirit World, a space between reality and the Silent Deep Sea.


    Thin fogs began to appear around them as the ocean water quickly turned black.


    It was a dangerous decision, but there were cases in the past where people managed to return to the living realm from the Spirit World. As a member of the Explorer¡¯s Association, he had read records that documented such an event countless times and even the survival guides written by those who had survived the trip.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad,¡± Laurence said to himself. All he needed to do was steer the White Oak into the edge of the Spirit World to hide from the thunderstorm. After that, he could use the advanced steam power on the ship to perform a dangerous ¡°Spirit World drift.¡± If luck was on his side, he could lead his crew back into the world of the living.


    Once he returned, he would immediately hand the famed ¡°Anomaly 099¡± in the storage to the archon of the City-state of Pland. He would not involve himself in the dirty works of the authorities anymore.


    That was the worst that could¡¯ve happened.


    Laurence tried to calm himself down.


    It was then he noticed a ship with three masts and a size bigger than the White Oak suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the horizon. The vessel moving forward suddenly turned to create a beautiful curve on the water and sailed quickly towards them.


    Captain Laurence looked at what was happening ahead of him, completely stunned.


    ¡°Fu-¡±

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As the vast shadow was about to run over them, everyone on the White Oak had witnessed a sight that would etch into their heads for the rest of their lives.


    It was an ancient yet majestic three-masted warship. In an age where steam-powered ships were the norm, the old full-rigged ship that emerged from the thick fog looked as if it had come out of an oil painting from a century ago. Its masts stood tall, its board was dragged, and its black wooden exterior was burning in green flame as if it was death itself. The huge illusion-looking and fiery sails flapped in nothingness. Even on the terrifying vast ocean, such a scene would only appear in the most horrifying shipwreck myths.


    ¡°We¡¯re running into it!¡±


    Some of the crew members yelled. These men lived their entire lives on the water and were known for their courage and roughness. However, even they screamed in terror and ran to look for places to hide on the deck when they saw the sight of such a vast ship. Some grabbed onto things that were secured onto the White Oak, and some even gave up and ducked with the ship still rocked back and forth by the thrashing waves. They were also known to be atheists, but they were all praying to the Wind Goddess Gemora or the Lord of Death Bartok at that time.


    The gods¡¯ powers could only reach so far in the vast ocean, but only those two main gods could view all of the humans equally.


    However, not all of the members had lost their calm. The first mate was the first to direct his attention to his captain, whom he trusted the most. He was well aware of the dangers that lurked around on the vast ocean and that the experienced captain was the key to deciding the fate of the ship and the entire crew. Laurence had navigated the sea for 30 years. Although the captain, who was past his fifties, was not as strong as he used to be, the experience he had attained through surviving on the ocean could still be the lifeline everyone needed.


    Clearly, the warship that had emerged from the thick fog did not journey in the real world. It looked more like something that would come from the Spirit World or somewhere even ¡°deeper.¡± If the ship was a natural phenomenon, they might be able to combat it with something supernatural.


    Old captains who had wandered through the vast ocean for a long time had a few encounters with supernatural phenomena, at the very least.


    However, the first mate only saw shock and fear on his captain¡¯s face.


    The old captain held the helm but wasn¡¯t moving at all. He did not notice that the vast masted ship¡¯s shadow already shrouded the White Oak. He only stared at the ship that was about to collide with them with his frozen expression. In the end, he finally managed to squeeze a couple of words out of his mouth, yet, his voice was even colder than the cold sea wind. ¡°I-it¡¯s the Lost Home¡­¡±


    ¡°C-captain?¡± The first mate was shocked by the words that had entered his ears. Just like everyone else who made a living on the ocean, he had heard about the same ship from crew members who were older, more experienced, and more superstitious. ¡°What did you say the ship is? Isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Lost Home!¡±


    It was as if Captain Laurence had not heard his first mate¡¯s voice. He only grabbed the helm of the White Oak firmly as if he was ready to roar at something. The moment his sentence ended, the towering Lost Home finally came in contact with the bow of the White Oak.


    Almost every screamed in terror.


    However, the impact that would shake the entire ship did not occur as they had thought. The vast ship burning in green flame was like a colossal illusion and passed through the White Oak deck as if a projector had formed it. The crew could clearly see the thick exterior, the dark cabin, the dimly lit hallway, the burning keel, and the Lost Home pillars. The sailors widened their eyes in terror as they watched themselves enter the ghost ship and have the burning green flame swoop past them like a fiery net.


    Just like his crew, Laurence stared at the flame approaching him. But, before that happened, he saw his first mate go through the flame. The first mate¡¯s body became a half-transparent spirit-like entity under the effect of the flame. The bones under the spirit body were burning like a fresh log. He then looked at the priest by the prayer table and saw the flame on him juggling between burning brightly and almost dying out. It was as if the god watching over the priest was using its remaining power to protect him from being swallowed by the Lost Home.


    The flame then finally touched Laurence. Just like everyone else, his body changed as well. A sense of tiredness, obedience, and fear swept through his body. The Ocean Protection Charm that he had kept on him reacted right away. A sensation of heat and coldness suddenly appeared on his body to help keep him sane, and in the midst of that, he ¡°walked¡± past the Lost Home¡¯s cabin and hallways.


    The dark and depressed-looking cabin swapped past him. Then, past the burning old wooden pillars wrapped by rotting ropes and surrounded by barnacles, he saw a huge storeroom. Inside it lay strange things that should be buried deep in the ocean. He then arrived at a fancy-looking cabin, and on the table in the middle of the room sat a wooden goat head.


    The goat head slowly turned around and coldly looked into Laurence¡¯s eyes.


    Laurence used all his strength to raise his head, finally seeing the person commanding the ship. Next to the classic helm stood a man dressed in a black captain coat. His tall figure made him look like a majestic yet terrifying man who ruled one¡¯s nightmare. That same man controlled the ghostly flame that surrounded the ship, and it seemed like the sea deep into the Spirit World was under his command.


    Laurence gave up and shut his eyes. He knew that he was now part of the Lost Home and that the nightmarish captain of the ghost ship needed a few sacrifices to satisfy his endless void and solitude.


    However, the next second, he gathered all his wits to open his eyes. It felt like he had gathered all the courage and insanity for the next few seconds. He recalled all the knowledge he had gained from the records he had read and legends he had heard and used his most sincere and calmest attitude to look at the terrifying captain of the Lost Home.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take everyone with you! I¡¯ll submit to you, so, please, let my crew live!¡±


    The tall figure did not reply. Instead, he turned to look coldly at the captain of the White Oak. There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes as if he was wondering why an insignificant mortal captain would dare to bargain with him.


    Laurence finally could not hold himself back and yelled, ¡°They still have families to take care of!¡±


    The figure standing on the Lost Home finally reacted to that. He glared at Laurence and said something. However, at the same time, a sound howl swooshed past them. In the midst of that, Laurence could faintly hear something from the captain of the Lost Home, but he couldn¡¯t make out a single word.


    The response from the Lost Home was lost in the howling sea wind.


    ¡°My apologies, but the wind is too big! I can¡¯t hear what you¡¯ve just said!¡±


    The next second, a loud commotion could be heard. Among the sound of the wind and the waves, he could hear the cheers of his sailors. He turned a little and saw the green flame subsiding while the remaining phantom of the ship slowly disappeared into thin air.


    Laurence gasped at that. He then quickly noticed that his hands, surrounded by the green flame from before, had returned to normal. Even the rest on the bridge with him had regained their standard bodies. The faithful priest was leaning on the prayer table while gasping for air. He continued muttering the Wind Goddess Gemora¡¯s holy name while the eerie black and purple smoke from the incense slowly dispersed. The smoke that rose from the bronze incense cauldron was now pure white.


    It took Laurence a long time for his quick breath to calm down. He then looked around as if he was suspicious of something and couldn¡¯t believe that the nightmare had ended. He was then interrupted by his first mate¡¯s exclamation. ¡°Captain! The ship! The Lost Home has left!¡±


    Laurence was a little dumbfounded. After a few seconds, he found himself mumbling. ¡°H-he let us live?¡±


    The first mate did not hear what his captain had said. ¡°Captain? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°That Captain Duncan¡­¡± Laurence instinctively continued to mumble, but he quickly clasped his mouth with his hand as if he had mentioned a taboo word. He promptly raised his head to look at his first mate and ordered, ¡°Hurry up and make a roll call! Check and see if everyone is still onboard!¡±


    The first mate immediately nodded. However, just as he was about to leave, Laurence stopped him.


    ¡°Also, check if anyone has boarded our ship¡­¡±


    The first mate was stunned for a second and quickly realized what his captain had meant. A hint of fear appeared in his eyes, and he took a deep breath. He ran out onto the deck as he prayed to the Wind Goddess.


    The bell rang throughout the White Oak, still voyaging in the Spirit World.

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    With the hasty bell rings, the sailors¡¯ hurried footsteps could be heard. Laurence and the second mate had already helped the priest, who was still breathing unevenly into the bridge.


    The old captain looked out the window and onto the ocean. The White Oak was still deep inside the Spirit World. Anything outside the ship was just thick fog, and the water was still dyed in black. However, the storm had already calmed down while the terrifying Lost Home was now nowhere to be seen. Seeing gave off a misconception that the storm and the collapsing of reality were caused by the ghost ship. It was as if once the Lost Home was gone, the disasters also left the White Oak alone.


    Laurence thought of all the terrifying legends about the Lost Home and its captain Duncan Abenormmal. It reminded him of the stories of the fleet that was swallowed by the edge of reality a century ago and the rest of the ships that sunk after running into the Lost Home. It made him realize that all the stories could have been true.


    However, what was important now was that the Lost Home had left, and the surrounding had calmed down for the time being. Although they were still deep inside the dangerous Spirit World, at least he and his crew had the chance to rest a little.


    Captain Laurence knew what he had to do next. He had to make sure if the Lost Home had taken anything from his ship or if it had left anything with them.


    And he knew he had to do it as fast as possible.


    He couldn¡¯t risk getting his ship back into the real world unless he had gotten rid of all the potential troubles. The reason was that things from the Spirit World would contaminate reality. However, if they remained in the Spirit World for too long, he and his crew would be affected by symptoms that couldn¡¯t be reversed.


    With the commotion on the deck, Laurence suddenly raised his head from his deep thought and looked at the priest in front of the incense cauldron, who was now looking better. With a serious expression, he asked, ¡°Mr. Ron, what¡¯s our stability looking like?¡±


    The priest coughed a couple of times before reaching into his chest pocket to take out an elegant small compass with many oceanic and holy symbols carved on it. He opened the metallic cover with a click, and the compass needle quickly spun, eventually stopping in a specific direction.


    ¡°We are now hovering in the outer layer of the Spirit World that¡¯s slightly closer to reality. The influence of the Silent Deep Sea on us is¡­ minimal.¡± The priest looked confused as he read the condition of the compass. ¡°That¡¯s weird. We¡¯re completely stabilized here. We are even barely sinking with the holy item shut off¡­ Cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Could it be that ¡®collision¡¯ with the Lost Home pushed us back onto the safe course?¡± Laurence bitterly laughed as he shook his head and made a joke to calm people down a little. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there exists a balanced point inside the Spirit World that prevents the things from reality getting ¡®pulled¡¯ by the deeper part of the Spirit World¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain, this is not the time to joke around,¡± the priest said before coughing again. Although he had stabilized his breathing, he wasn¡¯t in good condition yet. ¡°No matter what happens, I¡¯ll have to report this back to the church¡­ The appearance of the Lost Home is not something we can joke with. There are a lot of reports on encounters with the Lost Home, but those were all proven to be lies made up by the crew or illusions caused by supernatural phenomena. However, today, we witnessed it¡­ Oh, Goddess¡­ Captain, you must be mentally prepared to be grounded for a while once we get back to Pland.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Whether it¡¯s the church or the government, they won¡¯t let a warship that has just encountered a supernatural phenomenon embark. This is for the safety of the crew. The church and the government aren¡¯t the only organizations I have to report this too, but the Explorer¡¯s Association and¡­ Ehem¡­ my scary wife¡­¡± Laurence rubbed his temple, trying to soothe his headache. After a long sigh, he waved his arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave this for another time. You need your rest now. We¡¯ll still need the goddess¡¯s protection until we return to Pland.¡±


    The priest gently nodded. Not long after that, the first mate who had left for a while had returned.


    ¡°Captain, no one is missing, and we didn¡¯t get new members either!¡± The first mate did not wait for the captain to ask and started reporting. ¡°I personally checked all the sailors that had gathered on the deck and even went to check the mechanics that remained in the steam engine room. They can all accurately call out the name of their gods. I have confirmed that they are all alive.¡±


    ¡°Not a single one is missing?¡± Laurence¡¯s eyes turned wide immediately. It should be good news, but he couldn¡¯t believe the first mate¡¯s report. ¡°How about the Holy Compass?¡±


    ¡°The holy item is normal as well.¡± The first mate nodded. ¡°The members have already prepared the incense and the spirit oil. They are now waiting for your order to reactivate it.¡±


    Confusion was written all over the captain¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself once again. ¡°Did¡­ he really let us go?¡±


    ¡°I believe luck is on our side, captain.¡± The first mate shrugged. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose anything in the end. Maybe the scary ghost captain passed by and accidentally ran into us?¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± Laurence glared at his first mate in the eyes. ¡°If luck is on our side, we would never have run into¡­¡±


    Before the captain could even finish his sentence, hurried footsteps could be heard from out the door. A second later, someone pushed the entrance to the bridge open, and the boatswain, who was covered in sweat, entered. Fear was written all over the tall and muscular man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Captain! Abnormality 099 is missing!¡±


    The bridge immediately became silent. Everyone looked at each other without saying anything. Unable to explain the reason, Laurence was shocked for a second but quickly let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± he thought. ¡°Something abnormal happening after running into the Lost Home means everything is normal!¡±


    He was able to control his facial expression quickly. He walked toward the door as he hastily ordered his first mate to take over the helm before telling his boatswain to lead the way.


    Hurried footsteps echoed all over the White Oak¡¯s hallway. Laurence didn¡¯t take long to reach the deepest part of the steam-powered ship with the boatswain leading the way.


    A special cabin was now in front of him.


    The door to the cabin had a lot of mysterious symbols carved onto it. The heavy black door seemed like it was made out of black iron. The abstruse signs spread from the doorframe into the hallway as if they were forming a sealed cage to trap whatever was stored inside the cabin.


    Laurence glanced at the door to ensure that the heavy door and the symbols weren¡¯t destroyed. He then raised his head to look up into the ceiling. Just past the ceiling was the ¡°Holy Item Storage,¡± where the Holy Compass was stored at. The compass was an item to ensure that the ship would not be affected by the ¡°abyss¡± and acted as another safety device to ensure the cabin was sealed. It should have the power to make sure that the seal remains active.


    However, with both safety measures still in effect, the things sealed inside the cabin, the most important cargo on the White Oak, the Abnormality 099, also known as the Puppet Coffin, had disappeared.


    Laurence took a deep breath and walked up to the sealed door. With his brute strength, he pushed the heavy door open.


    The inside of the sealed room was brightly lit. The four vapor lamps on all corners lit the entire room. The lights in the room were on all the time.


    The boatswain¡¯s voice could be heard from behind Laurence. ¡°A sailor would come and check on the chains around the ¡°coffin,¡± and the ashes spread across the floor every two hours. However, because of the sudden appearance of the¡­ ghost ship, the chaotic moment caused the sailor tasked to check the room to miss his shift. He arrived seven minutes late and discovered that the Abnormality 099 had gone missing¡­¡±


    ¡°No. His arrival seven minutes late won¡¯t cause that thing to lose control. At most, we¡¯ll only see a few strange occurrences caused by the weakening of the seal. The worst would be us seeing a coffin running amok in this room. The layers of seals and the Holy Compass are not for shows.¡± Laurence shook his head with a deep frown. ¡°The current situation is that it has disappeared¡­ The item is missing from our ship. It has nothing to do with that sailor.¡±


    The boatswain reacted anxiously. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be the Lost Home,¡± Laurence said in a deep voice. ¡°That ¡®captain¡¯ has taken away Abnormality 099¡­¡±


    The captain then paused for a short while before letting out a sigh. ¡°Perhaps, we should consider ourselves lucky. The Lost Home would always take things it wanted with them. That captain came for the Abnormality 099 and not our lives.¡±


    The boatswain looked at the captain¡¯s expression and then at the empty, sealed room. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, ¡°Then¡­ How are we supposed to report this to the authority for losing such an important cargo¡­¡±


    Laurence turned to look at his boatswain and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°The Lost Home is considered a natural disaster. We still have the maritime insurance for that.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ will the insurance company compensate for this?¡±


    ¡°If they don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have the Explorer¡¯s Association issue a new bounty for the Lost Home.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut it!¡±

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The burning green flame was slowly dying out, and the ocean around the ship had also calmed down.


    Once he had confirmed from the goat head that the Lost Home was already out of the danger zone and could journey to wherever it wanted, Duncan had lifted his hands from the black and heavy helm. He lowered his head and saw the human body he had before and the deck of the Lost Home that had returned to normal once the fire was gone.


    However, he had a strange feeling that after all of that, many things had changed.


    He could tell that something was starting to change when he grabbed onto the helm of the Lost Home. After the green flame connected him to the ship and linked him to the ocean, he could still feel the shapeless connection that remained, even if the flame was already gone. He could feel every little detail that was happening inside the ship that he was standing on.


    Duncan slowly closed his eyes. He could faintly hear the whispers echoing from the deep dark hallway of the Lost Home. Strangely enough, the whispers sounded sweet to him. He could see that the inside of the captain¡¯s cabin was somehow lit. The white light flickered inside the glass of the lamp. He could hear the sound of the waves slapping on the exterior of the ship. It felt as if something was watching them from the waves, and he tried to search for the owner of the stare. However, the latter quickly hid as if it was alive.


    Duncan opened his eyes and let out a sigh. The spirit and fog-like sails on the masts fluttered with the wind as he walked toward the stairs that led to the main deck. The ropes by the stairs wiggled a little and started to retract.


    It was then that he understood that once he had accepted the helm, he had become the ship¡¯s captain.


    ¡°Captain, we are currently ascending at the border of the Spirit World. We¡¯ll soon return to the real world.¡± The goat head¡¯s voice could be heard next to Duncan, but this time, it didn¡¯t come from a bronze pipe but was transmitted directly into his head. The goat head sounded more serious when they got down to business and was less annoying than before. ¡°We¡¯re pretty lucky. We¡¯ve only ¡®shook¡¯ a little when we were in the deeper part of the Spirit World, and we are barely affected by the Silent Dead Sea.¡±


    The names of these places continuously appeared inside Duncan¡¯s head, the reality, the waters of the Spirit World, the Silent Dead Sea, and the Subspace that existed even more profound than those. He understood that these terms referred to the actual situation of the strange world he was in, but he had no idea what those terms meant.


    However, when the goat head addressed him as captain this time, he could faintly feel that its tone had slightly changed. He even started to think that if he told the goat head about his true identity, that he was ¡°Zhou Ming,¡± it would still listen to his order. That was one of the changes that had happened after he put his hands on the helm and successfully recovered from being shrouded by the green flame.


    However, he didn¡¯t rush to try that out after a short hesitation. He didn¡¯t ask the goat head about the Spirit World, the Silent Dead Sea, and the Subspace either.


    If it were a few days ago, he would¡¯ve been slumped into anxiety and restlessness. He used to want to learn about his surroundings as fast as he could, but now, he wasn¡¯t that eager anymore.


    Knowing that other ¡°humans,¡± ships, societies with orders, and even civilizations existed in that world was enough to give him hope. He even started to have a rough ¡°plan¡± for his future.


    Amidst his random thoughts, Duncan recalled the ship¡¯s detail that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere from the thick fog. He recalled seeing the thick smoke coming out of the ship and the mechanical structure of the ship that appeared inside his head when they collided with each other.


    ¡°That is a powered ship¡­ while the Lost Home is an old masted ship¡­¡± Duncan mumbled. ¡°But¡­ That¡¯s not entirely a modern ship.¡±


    There were a few mysterious cabins on that ship, and one of them was decorated like a ritual room. He also saw a lot of weird patterns and symbols on the ship¡¯s keel. They looked like decorations to him, but he felt they were more than decorations.


    ¡°Goat head,¡± Duncan suddenly said. As he had no idea what the goat head¡¯s name was, he just decided to address it with what came to mind first. ¡°The ship we crossed paths with, I think the captain was shouting something at me. What did he say?¡±


    ¡°The wind was too strong, so I didn¡¯t hear what he said,¡± the goat head replied, sounding as if it wasn¡¯t affected by how its captain was addressing him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it either?¡± Duncan frowned. ¡°His expression looked like he was ready to perish with me. I think he¡¯s saying something significant.¡±


    ¡°Wanting to perish with you is the normal reaction for a human, especially sailors. It¡¯s not that surprising at all. They are nothing more than ants to you. You don¡¯t have to worry about what he said.¡±


    The goat head sounded as if that was a given. Duncan, who was walking on the stairs to the deck, almost fell over. He was so surprised that his lips were twitching. ¡°Wanting to perish with me is the normal reaction for a human?¡±


    However, he immediately realized it might be wrong to ask. The question would¡¯ve exposed him pretending to be the real captain. It would show that he didn¡¯t know much about himself. That mistake could¡¯ve been because he was exhausted from the green flame or because his cautiousness was weakened after being one with the Lost Home. No matter what, that made Duncan nervous for a while, but it seemed like the goat head didn¡¯t even notice it.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for them to fear you,¡± the goat head said, sounding a little proud. ¡°Anyone who sails this vast ocean should fear you, just like how they fear the shadows between the old gods and the Subspace. Speaking of shadows, there used to be an outstanding engineer¡­ or maybe he¡¯s an agriculturalist? Perhaps a gourmet? Well, he said¡­¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t continue that conversation with the goat head. He was worried that he couldn¡¯t find anything to talk to the goat head on that topic ¨C the bigger reason being him not wanting to talk to the goat head because it would not stop talking and become even more annoying if people showed any signs of interest. The next second, his attention was attracted by something else on the deck.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Duncan stood in the corner of the deck and looked at the thing in front of the captain¡¯s cabin door.


    It was a wooden case that was a little longer than an average human. The finishing on the case was very exquisite. The heavy woods were perfectly and tightly nailed together and enhanced by a metallic object that looked like gold. The corners and sides of the case were decorated with complex carvings of patterns that looked like words or twisted hieroglyphs. It was something that shouldn¡¯t be on the Lost Home. At least it wasn¡¯t there when Duncan last left the captain¡¯s cabin.


    After a moment of silence, the goat head replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, captain. But, it should be our loot¡­¡±


    ¡°Loot?¡± It took Duncan a while to understand that. He circled the case twice and said, ¡°Why does this look like a coffin? But, it¡¯s much more elegant than a normal one. Wait¡­ If you say this is a loot, does that mean we ¡®got¡¯ this from that ship just now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a successful pillage, captain.¡± The goat head¡¯s voice turned serious with a hint of compliment. ¡°You always return with a full pocket. This is normal.¡±


    Duncan instinctively dropped his jaw a little. He never planned to steal anything from other people and had never pillaged the ship that passed through them. It also didn¡¯t make sense to him why a single coffin would be enough for a ¡°full pocket.¡±


    However, on second thought, he didn¡¯t say that out loud because it might not match his image as the captain of a ghost ship. Another important reason was that the engine-powered ship had already disappeared deep into the thick fog. He recalled the stare from the captain with a long white beard as if the older man was ready to perish with him. He concluded that it would almost be impossible to return the wooden case to the captain. That was why he decided to remain quiet for now.


    After a moment of hesitation, he placed his hands on the wooden case. At the very least, he had to know what was brought onto his ship after that ¡°accident.¡±


    His body was much stronger than he thought. The lid of the case wasn¡¯t as heavy as he had imagined. He slid the heavy black cover back a little with a light push. With another push, the lid slipped off the coffin.


    Duncan peeked inside the coffin and was dumbfounded by its content.


    ¡°It¡¯s a human?¡±


    Inside the case lay a beautiful young lady. Her silver hair spread over the base of the case like mercury. Her face was elegant and perfect, giving off a hint of nobility. She was dressed in a pretty purple and black dress. Her hands were placed in front of her body. She looked like a beauty who had been sleeping for a long time.


    It was as if she was a puppet.


    ¡°Wait! It is a puppet!¡±


    After a short observation, Duncan finally noticed her inhuman joints.

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    She was a puppet, a puppet that looked almost like a living human. Duncan almost could not realize that. She lay elegantly inside the wooden case. It was like a lady sleeping inside a coffin waiting for someone to wake her.


    Duncan almost thought that she would suddenly wake up.


    But that was just his imagination. The puppet lay silently inside the case, showing no reaction to her surroundings.


    Duncan carefully and closely studied the mysterious ¡°item.¡± There shouldn¡¯t be anything weird if she were an ordinary puppet, but her appearance resembled an actual human too much, to the point where the coffin itself gave off a dangerous vibe. Thinking of how the case suddenly appeared on the Lost Home had only made him even more cautious.


    After a short observation, Duncan was sure that the elegant and goth-looking puppet would not suddenly spring into life and surprise him. He let out a sigh of relief and asked the goat head with a frown, ¡°What do you think this is?¡±


    ¡°This is most likely an important cargo that the ship we¡¯ve encountered earlier was carrying,¡± the goat head immediately replied. Although it had expressed that it had never seen the eerie wooden case that had suddenly appeared on Lost Home before, it was still much more experienced in matters that happened on the sea. ¡°The symbols on the wooden case point towards the gods. There are dowels around it that were used to secure chains. This might mean that it used to be sealed. Delivering a sealed item on this cast ocean is a risky business. The ship we¡¯ve encountered might be an important one.¡±


    ¡°Sealed?¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes twitched a little as he quickly turned to look at the lid thrown to the side by him. The only reason he could easily open the coffin was that the lid was already broken when it appeared on the Lost Home. He didn¡¯t know a single thing about seals, but he was pretty sure the seal was already broken. ¡°So, is this something dangerous?¡±


    ¡°To those weak humans? Yes. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll pose any threat to us. ¡®Abnormalities¡¯ like this that are sealed by the humans using a special method aren¡¯t strong enough to stand straight in front of your power.¡±


    Duncan turned silent, and his expression turned serious. He was racking his mind now.


    The compliments from the goat head were pleasing to hear. Duncan would¡¯ve believed it if he was the real ¡°Captain Duncan.¡± However, the truth was that he was completely panicked.


    It was all because the goat head had confirmed that the puppet lying inside the coffin was a ¡°dangerous object,¡± although it was something that wouldn¡¯t be able to harm the real captain.


    It was true that he was now Captain Duncan, had taken over the captain¡¯s body and had even mastered some power. But, ¡°Zhou Ming¡± was still self-conscious enough to know that all of those didn¡¯t mean he was as strong as the ¡°real Captain Duncan.¡±


    His understanding of the new world, the ship, and even the body he was in were too little.


    Other than that, he was also sharp enough to notice the new strange term that the goat head had just brought up, the ¡°abnormality.¡±


    An abnormality was something out of the ordinary. It was a straightforward term, but Duncan could hear in the goat head¡¯s tone that the exception that it had mentioned was something even more special.


    Perhaps, in the world he was in, the word ¡°abnormality¡± didn¡¯t simply mean something that was not normal but was referring to a particular object, like the puppet lying inside the coffin.


    Unfortunately, he did not have enough reasons to ask the goat head about something that should be common in that world.


    With a silent sigh, he concluded that he needed to work harder to collect information and knowledge of the world. With a frown, he glanced at the puppet and made a decision. ¡°I have to throw that back into the ocean.¡±


    He hesitated a little before saying that. That hesitation was even more pronounced when he looked at the puppet.


    The reason wasn¡¯t something as simple as ¡°the puppet is beautiful.¡± It was because ¡°she¡± looked like a natural person sleeping soundly inside the coffin. The idea of throwing her back into the ocean made him feel like he was doing that to a real living person.


    However, it was that same hesitation that made him steel his heart.


    He already knew that there were a lot of mysterious and weird objects in the new world, even though the only thing he had come into contact with in this world was the Lost Home. Yet, the boat had already shown him a lot of things. The speaking wooden goat head, the masts that could raise their own sails, the lights that never went out, the strange and dangerous ocean, the terrifying Spirit World, and the endless fog.


    And, just a few minutes back, he even collided with an engine-powered ship that was carrying sealed cargo, and that cargo had mysteriously appeared on the deck of the Lost Home.


    As a person with reasons and cautiousness, he would never leave a thing that could endanger him on the ship despite how pretty she was.


    It might be a waste, but Duncan had decided to put the lid back onto the ¡°coffin.¡± Still worried, he quickly found some nails and a hammer from the cabin and ensured all sides of the case were sealed.


    He then pushed the coffin with the puppet to the edge of the deck.


    It was then the goat head¡¯s voice appeared inside his head. ¡°Captain, you can do anything you want with your loot, but I¡¯d like to humbly suggest you not do that. You don¡¯t have to be so cautious about it. It has been a long time since we got a loot¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut it!¡± Duncan interrupted the goat head with a simple command.


    The goat head became silent instantly. Duncan put strength into his leg and kicked the coffin off the deck.


    The heavy case fell straight into the ocean, which was no longer dyed in black. After a loud splash, it floated back up and started to drift towards the end of the ship.


    Duncan watched as the case slowly got further away until the poop deck completely covered his sight of it. He let out a sigh of relief before turning to look toward the horizon. He noticed that the fog had disappeared entirely, and the waves around the Lost Home had calmed down.


    The ship had completely left the ¡°Spirit World¡± and had returned to the real world.


    He could not spot the engine-powered ship that had collided with the Lost Home a while ago.


    Duncan frowned. He roughly calculated the time that had passed since that event and the speeds of both ships.


    Judging by the current situation of the ocean, the ship should still be in his sight.


    ¡°Is it because of this strange ocean? Or is it because of the ¡®Spirit World Voyage¡¯?¡±


    Duncan mumbled to himself, but something else quickly caught his attention.


    A ray of golden light had poked through the thick dark clouds in the sky for as long as he could remember.


    The golden sunlight slowly expanded while the heavy cloud started to thin out as if a giant hand had swept past it. The ocean that had remained dark for the past few days finally saw sunlight. Duncan stood on the forecastle deck of the Lost Home and watched as the clouds disappeared with his widened eyes. At that moment, he was touched by the scene unfolding before him.


    Since he learned the existence of ¡°this side¡± a few days back, and since he first started exploring the weird ship, the dark clouds had always loomed over the entire ocean. It was to the point where he almost thought that there was no sunlight in the new world and that it was always shrouded in darkness by the clouds.


    It had been a long time since he had last seen the sun. The thick fog had always blocked it, whether it was on the other side of the ¡°door¡± or Zhou Ming¡¯s studio apartment room.


    But, now, the sun had finally risen in the vast ocean.


    After so long having not seen the sun, he felt as if ¡°this side¡± had cleared up.


    Duncan instinctively took a deep breath and opened his arms wide so that he was ready to welcome the warmth of the sun. The thick clouds started to thin out quickly as if they were responding to him. At the moment where the sun shone the brightest, Duncan finally saw the enormous ball-like object that was radiating uneven rays all around it.


    Duncan¡¯s expression froze.


    His eyes, still widened, stared directly into the sky. The sun was glaring, but it was as bad as he remembered. he could still clearly see the object that hung high above the sky. He could see its exterior, covered in countless dense patterns, the light radiating all around it, and the two ring-like structures surrounding it.


    Duncan focused his sight on the rings, and he could barely tell that they were formed by a combination of complex and dense symbols. It looked like a supreme power had laid an eternal chain on the ¡°sun,¡± sealing it up in the sky.


    Duncan could not bathe in the sunlight which he had yearned for.


    There was no sunlight in that world.


    ¡°What is that?¡± he softly asked, his voice a little cold.


    ¡°Captain, that, is the sun, of course,¡± the goat head replied in its usual calm demeanor.

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The sunlight was bright.


    If the object that shone high up in the sky was the sun, then its ¡°sunlight¡± was indeed bright.


    Duncan had no idea how much time had passed since he started staring at the sky. He kept staring until his eyes began to feel tired, finally pulling his gaze back from the edge of the clouds. Yet, the image of the ¡°sun¡± remained in his sight and his mind. Even if he closed his eyes, he could vividly remember its appearance. An enormous ball object radiated a faint golden light, the twisted luminous flux around it and the rings that slowly orbited around the thing.


    That was not a Sun. That wasn¡¯t what a Sun was supposed to look like. Back in the world he was familiar with, even if he were on another planet, the star that hung high above the sky would never look like that.


    However, he knew that he had to accept the new reality.


    He was far from his home, far further away than he had imagined.


    It was so far away that the sun¡¯s appearance was something that his mind could not process.


    Duncan instinctively turned around and looked at the door that led to the captain¡¯s cabin.


    If he pushed the door, he could return to the room he had stayed in for a long time, to the studio apartment room.


    However, the outside of that room was entirely covered by the thick fog. The 30 square meters room was the only thing that remained from the home he was familiar with.


    The ¡°home¡± he could return to with a single push of the door was like a lonely boat drifting on the endless sea.


    After a long silence, the goat head suddenly talked inside his head. ¡°Captain, where are we heading next? Do you have a destination in mind?¡±


    ¡°A destination?¡± Duncan thought. There was no such thing in his mind. Even though he wanted to immediately create a perfect plan to explore the world and decide on the next destination, he had no chart that worked. He did not know what continents there were in this world, what powers controlled the lands, or if there was an end to this seemingly endless ocean.


    It wasn¡¯t only until a few hours ago that he had learned how to navigate the Lost Home.


    He pondered in silence. A few minutes later, he talked to the goat head through his mind. ¡°The ship we ran into not long ago, where did it come from?¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking of heading to that city-state?¡± The goat head sounded a little surprised, and it quickly dissuaded Duncan. ¡°Captain, I suggest we avoid the routes managed by the city-states¡­ At least, for now. You¡¯re the great Captain Duncan, but the condition of the Lost Home is¡­ not as good as it was. The nay¡¯s garrison and the church¡¯s guard would do everything they can to stop your¡­ advance.¡±


    Duncan was rendered speechless for a while. He suddenly wanted to know what the real ¡°Captain Duncan¡± had done in the past to anger so many people. It was as if his appearance was enough to scare the entire nation suddenly.


    Hearing the real meaning of the goat head¡¯s words, Duncan realized that the Lost Home and its ¡°captain¡± were not in their best states. There might even be a chance that the ghost ship and the captain had decided to roam the vast ocean because they were afraid to return to the port of civilization.


    A journey to the end of the world was just another way to say they were exiled.


    Duncan was facing a few problems now. He was in dire need of a way to understand the world he was in. He needed to find a way to get in touch with the ¡°civilized society.¡± whether it was for him to survive in the new world for a lifetime or for him to solve the mystery and find a way back to the ¡°home¡± that he was familiar with, he was at least sure that he couldn¡¯t keep wandering through the vast ocean. Yet, there was one other problem.


    It seemed like the ¡°civilized societies¡± in the world wouldn¡¯t welcome him.


    ¡°Captain Duncan¡± was like the final boss of a game roaming outside the cities to the citizens of this world. When he appeared in front of them, they would form a 25-man raid party to take him down.


    Duncan let out a sigh. He wouldn¡¯t be on the passive if he had a book to read, but the only method for him to get information was the annoying goat head. The only problem was that he didn¡¯t have enough confidence to overexpose his real identity to the wooden head.


    That was when he found it weird that there was not a single book on such a huge ship.


    A long and lonely journey was an extremely stressful environment for a seaman. Everyone had to have a way to relieve that stress. It might be hard for a regular sailor to find time to read, but for ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Unless he¡¯s illiterate?¡± he thought.


    He believed that it shouldn¡¯t be the case. A captain was a technical position that required a lot of knowledge. Even barbarians like the pirates would need a captain that could understand charts, able to navigate through the stars, and know how to plan a route.


    With those questions in his mind, Duncan randomly asked the goat head. He was cautious with his attitude, making it seem like a random question suddenly coming to his mind. The goat head¡¯s reply wasn¡¯t as hesitant as he thought it would be.


    ¡°Books? Reading on the ship is a dangerous thing to do. Those residing in the Silent Dead Sea and the Subspace are always waiting for a hole in the mortal¡¯s sanity. The only safe reading material is the ¡®bible¡¯ distributed by the church. That thing is safe, but it¡¯s pretty boring. I¡¯d rather wash the deck¡­ I thought nothing from the church has ever interested you?¡±


    Duncan raised a brow.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to read while sailing through the ocean? Only the ¡®bible¡¯ from the church is safe to read? What the heck is wrong with this endless ocean?¡± he thought.


    He felt he had learned something new about the world, but that new knowledge gave him more questions. Duncan could only force himself to not think of those things. He arrived at the edge of the starboard and looked far out into the sea and the sky.


    The golden ¡°sun¡± showered its ray, and its reflection on the waves made the water look like a piece of crinkled aluminum foil. If not for the weird appearance of the sun, it would¡¯ve been a spectacular scene to watch.


    ¡°I want to hear your opinion on something¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, Duncan finally carefully asked the goat head. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this aimless voyage. Maybe¡­¡±


    He was interrupted by a certain strange ¡°feeling¡± from his heart. It came from his connection with the Lost Home. It felt like the ship had come in contact with something. He then heard a loud thud that sounded like something heavy had fallen onto the deck.


    With a deep frown, Duncan pulled out the loaded flintlock pistol from his waist and the one-handed sword with his other hand before running toward the direction of the sound.


    He arrived at the poop deck, and the object he saw lying there made him drop his jaw.


    It was a fancy wooden case that looked like a coffin.


    It was that strange puppet.


    A shiver ran down Duncan¡¯s spine as he stared at the case that was still wet outside. It was as if the lid would suddenly throw itself open. He had also noticed the nails that he had used to seal the lid shut were nowhere to be seen.


    He had ensured that the nails were perfectly nailed in before he threw the case back into the ocean.


    After a few minutes of silence between him and the coffin, Duncan finally decided. With one hand gripping the pistol tightly, he poked the tip of his sword into the gap of the lid and tipped it open.


    With a light creak, the lid opened. The lifeless gothic puppet still lay silently inside the case, covered by a layer of red goose feather inner liner. She looked like a sleeping princess.


    Duncan stared at the puppet for a few seconds and opened his mouth to speak in a deep tone (in which he believed he had shown enough confidence and dignity). ¡°If you are alive, I would like to have a conversation with you.¡±


    After repeating the same thing once again, the puppet remained still.


    Duncan glared at her and finally said, ¡°Fine. Guess I¡¯ll have to throw you back then.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even hesitate to cover the lid right away. He then found the tools to nail the lid shut. He grabbed a metal chain and wrapped it around the case, using the hooks to seal it even tighter.


    After doing all that, Duncan stood up while clapping his hands in satisfaction. He nodded as he looked at the ¡°coffin¡± tied with the chain. ¡°Let¡¯s see you get out of that.¡±


    He then kicked the case back into the ocean without any pause.


    He watched the case hit the water and float up and drift away. Duncan let out a sigh and turned to leave the poop deck.


    Halfway down, he suddenly turned to look around and saw the case was still on the water.


    Duncan nodded, turned his head back, and suddenly turned toward the ship¡¯s rear again.


    The case was still floating and moving further away from him.


    ¡°Maybe I should tie a few things like the cannonballs onto it so it would sink¡­¡±


    Duncan gulped and slowly turned back to head toward the captain¡¯s cabin.


    ¡°You¡¯re treating that lady way too harshly.¡± The goat head¡¯s voice appeared in his head.


    ¡°Shut it! Did you just call the cursed puppet a ¡®lady?¡±


    ¡°That sure looked like a cursed puppet¡­ However, there¡¯s no curse on this vast ocean that can harm our great Captain Duncan. Captain, that lady is very kind and harmless¡­¡±


    Duncan was speechless.


    He did not understand why the goat head was so proud when it mentioned the curse of Captain Duncan and the Lost Home and their bad reputation.


    Perhaps it had noticed Duncan¡¯s silence and wavered emotion. The goat head quickly changed the topic. ¡°Captain, you wanted my opinion, aye? I have an idea¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this next time. I need to get some rest. Navigating the Lost Home was exhausting. Just shut up for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain.¡±


    The goat head turned silent, and Duncan returned to the captain¡¯s cabin. He stood in front of the map table and randomly scanned the chart.


    His sight was suddenly focused on one point.


    There was a slight change to the chart. A part of the grey and white matter that floated above the chart had disappeared. The area around the Lost Home had become clearer.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that this thing can track the Lost Home¡¯s route and update its surroundings in real-time?¡± he thought.


    He was now completely focused on the slight changes.


    However, that focus was interrupted.


    Deep inside his mind, the Lost Home sent another signal that it had come into contact with something to him. Duncan heard a loud thud from the deck behind the captain¡¯s cabin.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The ¡°coffin¡± was back.


    On the poop deck of the Lost Home, Duncan looked at the elegant wooden case lying silently in front of him without any expression. The water from the case slowly dripped down next to his foot. The water was proof that he did indeed throw the case back into the ocean and that it was drifting on the endless sea.


    The strange situation was terrifying, yet, unable to explain why Duncan was calmer than he thought he would be.


    Perhaps it was because he was already standing on a ghost ship that was full of mysteries itself, or maybe it was because he had just experienced an exciting and terrifying ¡°speeding¡± which almost resulted in a head-on collision, or perhaps it was because he had been conversing with the weird wooden goat head for the past few days. Duncan felt he had formed a type of immunity toward all the supernatural phenomena.


    The truth was that when he last tossed the ¡°cursed puppet¡± back into the ocean, he had a feeling that things wouldn¡¯t just end there.


    He lowered his head, and just as he had expected, the nails and the chains that sealed the lid shut had disappeared. He bent forward and used his sword to pry the lid open again.


    The gorgeous gothic puppet still lay quietly above the red liner with her hand resting above her other one. She looked elegant and peaceful.


    However, this time, Duncan clearly noticed that the edge of her dress was wet by the seawater. He could also smell a hint of the ocean fishy breeze from inside the coffin.


    Until then, other than returning on her own, the puppet didn¡¯t do anything that would seemingly endanger him. However, her act of returning to the deck was already more than enough to consider her a ¡°cursed object.¡±


    Duncan studied the puppet without any expression for a while before breaking the silence with a chuckle. ¡°I have the sudden urge to satisfy my curiosity¡­¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and headed to the door that was not far away as he wasn¡¯t worried about leaving the puppet on the deck anymore.


    Although he was still wary of the puppet and had no intention of letting her stay near him, his understanding of the goat head convinced him that leaving the puppet on the deck wouldn¡¯t cause too many troubles. Even if she were to attack him suddenly, the countless ¡°living beings¡± on the ship were more than enough to take her down.


    He also couldn¡¯t waste more time on the puppet as he had some ¡°preparations¡± to do.


    Duncan walked past the poop deck and opened the door that led to the hull beneath the main deck. He walked down the wooden stairs and easily navigated himself to another cabin. It was known as the ¡°gun deck,¡± where the cannons were stored at. The ancient front-loaded cannons sat on both sides of the deck. The front of the barrels was covered with wooden boards that had turned black from molds. Black firepower barrels and iron cannonballs could be found between each cannon. The dust that had gathered looked as if the weapons had been sitting there for over a century.


    Duncan scanned through the objects that looked ancient, and a question suddenly came to his mind.


    ¡°If there¡¯s no human other than me on board this ship, then¡­ who¡¯s going to manage and fire these cannons?¡±


    He wondered if, just like the Lost Home, he could automatically load the cannons and fire them without touching them.


    ¡°Then, what about the fresh water tank? Does it replenish on its own? And the damaged parts too. Do those repair themselves? Or¡­ could it be that this ship will never get damaged?¡±


    There were a lot of questions that popped into his head, and he couldn¡¯t find the answer to any single one of them.


    Duncan understood that there was still too much unknown to him about the ship. Despite having explored the ship to a certain extent for the past few days, he had only made his way through the upper section of the ship. The deeper parts of the ship were much scarier. Since his focus in the past was to get out of his ¡°studio apartment room¡± and return to his original world, he had not put much attention into learning about the Lost Home, causing him to lack the motivation to explore the other side.


    However, now, the ship had piqued his interest, or, to be more precise, he had more urge to control the ship now.


    The ship was his. Thus, he should learn more about the ¡°Lost Home.¡±


    That was probably one of the changes that happened after he placed his hands on the helm.


    Duncan shook his head and temporarily put his plan to explore the ship behind his head. He then approached where the cannonballs were stored at.


    After a few minutes, Duncan returned to the poop deck with a couple of cannonballs in his arms. Just as he had thought, the cursed puppet was still lying silently inside the coffin.


    ¡°Did she move or anything?¡±


    ¡°No, Captain,¡± the goat head replied in his head. It was as if he had been holding back for too long, and he started to talk in long sentences again. ¡°The lady has been as quiet as she looks. Cap¡¯n, you should¡¯ve trusted in me. She won¡¯t bring any harm to ye. Since she keeps coming back onboard, she must¡¯ve somehow connected to the Lost Home. A great gardener once said¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­¡±


    Duncan stared at the puppet inside the coffin without any expression.


    He had no clue if she could not move or was very good at pretending to be dead. Whichever it was, it didn¡¯t matter to him much.


    Now, he just wanted to satisfy his curiosity.


    The iron cannonballs were extremely heavy. When pirates would have traitors walk the planks, tying a cannonball to them would have even the most experienced sailor drown to death.


    Ducan first put four cannonballs into the coffin and returned to the gun deck to get four more.


    All eight cannonballs had filled the empty spaces inside the wooden case. The elegant and dignified gothic puppet was now surrounded by cold hard steel. It made her look more like a general than a princess now.


    At least, instead of being elegant, she looked as if she was cursed.


    Duncan sealed the lid again before pushing the case to the edge of the deck again. It was tolling on his body even though his body was now stronger than Zhou Ming¡¯s.


    He then threw a kick toward the back of the coffin and sent it to the ocean.


    The loud splash could be heard from above and the elegant wooden case sunk deep into the ocean.


    Duncan stood quietly by the deck and had his sight focused on where the coffin sank. He remained standing there for a while.


    The goat head suddenly interrupted him. ¡°Cap¡¯n, are ye regretting your choices? If ye feel bad for throwing away ye loot, the Lost Home can try and recover it using its anchor. Although that¡¯s now how we¡¯re supposed to use the anchor, it said it could try to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°But, ye have been standing there for a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    Duncan let out a sigh.


    There was no way he could tell the goat head that his foot was hurting.


    That was why he stood still as he tried to maintain the level of dignity a captain should have. He didn¡¯t move until he felt like he was a statue and started slowly moving back to the upper deck under the main deck.


    After a few minutes of silence, Duncan predicted it should be about time. He suddenly moved to the rear of the upper deck and opened the window between two cannons to check the situation out in the ocean.


    The goat head didn¡¯t remain silent for too long. It could not hold itself back and ask, ¡°Cap¡¯n, what are ye¡­¡±


    With his sight still focused on the ocean, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how that ¡®cursed puppet¡¯ keeps returning.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ because she¡¯s a cursed puppet?¡±


    ¡°I like how you can be content with superficial understandings, but I believe there has to be a process for her to return to our ship. She¡¯s pretending to be dead, but she keeps returning here. There has to be a reason. I¡¯m also sure that she can communicate with us¡­ but she refuses to do so for now. All I can do now is find out how she moves and force her to talk to us.¡±


    The goat head remained silent for a couple of seconds after hearing its captain¡¯s explanation. He suddenly asked, ¡°Cap¡¯n, are ye¡­ interested in it? This is a good thing! Ever since ye woke up, ye have been down and have lost interest in a lot of things! Ye loyal first mate and second mate and¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    After the goat head had quieted down, Duncan continued to study the sea. However, all he could see was the calm water.


    It was as if the coffin had sunk into the ocean and would not reappear on the deck again.


    However, after having experienced it twice, Duncan was extra patient now. He silently counted down as he waited and studied as the time slowly passed.


    It was as if he didn¡¯t notice that he was expecting the puppet to reappear again.


    It was then he spotted something tiny in his view.


    He saw something on one of the waves. It was an elegant wooden case riding the wave with the beautiful gothic puppet standing on top of it. She was using the lid of the coffin as a paddle to paddle herself forward.


    It was a gothic puppet swinging a coffin lid around as a paddle.


    All her elegance was gone, and she looked even more cursed now compared to her being surrounded by eight cannonballs.


    Duncan¡¯s eyes widened at the scene.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Duncan felt he could not forget this scene for his entire life. A beautifully decorated coffin rose and fell with the waves on the bizarre, boundless ocean. A goth doll, which seemed to be possessed by a mysterious power, sat upright in the coffin. As it rode the waves, it embraced a gigantic coffin cover in its arms.


    The doll did not appear happy.


    No matter how one looked at this, this was unnatural. For a moment, Duncan did not know whether he should be astonished that the cursed doll was moving or at her imposing manner as she held the coffin cover. He felt that this scene was in stark contrast to what he had imagined in the beginning. He had imagined many scenarios of how the other party got back onto his ship. However, he never imagined such a scene.


    While Duncan was momentarily stunned, the doll had already approached the Lost Home.


    Even though she used a coffin cover as an oar, her rowing speed was astonishing. She also had eerie agility and strength. Duncan carefully stuck his head out of the observation port. He saw the doll chuck the coffin cover back into the coffin. She then grabbed a piece of wood from the ship¡¯s stern and rapidly climbed up. She moved nimbly and swiftly as though an invisible rope was guiding her. As for the heavy-looking coffin, it eerily floated up from the ocean. It floated beside the doll as though it was weightless.


    Duncan hurriedly retreated into the ship before the doll noticed him.


    As for the doll, she had not discovered that the captain of this ghost ship was observing her from the shadows. She climbed up the stern of the Lost Home in the blink of an eye and landed on the deck with a somersault. She then waved a finger in the air, and the floating coffin beside her firmly landed at her feet. She then looked around, seemingly checking her surroundings. After she confirmed that there was no one about, she quickly tidied up her wet clothes and began to climb into the coffin.


    As she climbed into her coffin, she was blocked by a pirate sword suddenly appearing from the side. Next, she heard the rattling sound of a flintlock hammer being locked in place.


    The doll instantly froze. She turned her head and saw a ghost captain wrapped in green flames standing beside her and staring at her. The ice-cold voice that seemed to come from deep within the Spirit World said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve caught you, doll.¡±


    Before Duncan¡¯s eyes, the doll trembled. She seemed to be in shock. She instinctively wanted to dodge to the side, but her movements were a bit off in her haste. Her upper body shook, and Duncan heard a crisp cracking sound coming from her neck.


    Then, her head fell off.


    The doll¡¯s beautiful head fell off her body right before Duncan¡¯s eyes. Her silver hair scattered in the ocean breeze and wrapped around her head as it rolled to Duncan¡¯s feet. Her body remained beside the coffin in an escaping pose. She grabbed out at the air with one hand, as her head helplessly stared at Duncan and muttered, ¡°Help¡­help¡­help.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s heart stopped beating. Although he suspected that his heart no longer existed after he was burnt by the ghost flame, witnessing the scene of the doll¡¯s head still shook him. The ghost flame masked his astonished expression. The doll treated his momentary hesitation due to shock as some form of cold treatment. She did not notice that the terrifying Captain Duncan was even more nervous than she was. She repeated, saying, ¡°Help¡­help¡­my head¡­has fallen off.¡±


    Duncan finally reacted. He calmed his imaginary heart and tried his hardest to control his movements and voice. After observing the doll as calmly as he could for a while, he confirmed that although this cursed doll was bizarre in many ways, compared to her strange nature, she was more afraid of him as a ghost captain.


    Duncan realized that he had to keep his cool when he understood this.


    He still did not understand how this world worked. He was even less familiar with this cursed doll. Before he could completely control the situation, he relied the most on his identity as the terrifying Captain Duncan to guarantee his safety.


    On the other hand, he could not just leave this doll alone. Although events had developed beyond his initial predictions, the doll had finally interacted with him.


    He put away his flintlock gun but held his sword with his other hand. In close quarters, a flintlock gun with only one shot was clearly not as reliable as a sword. Moreover, the marksmanship he practiced in a hurry could not make him a seasoned marksman. He then used his free hand to grab the doll¡¯s head that had fallen to the floor.


    This sensation was too strange. Even though the other party was just a cursed doll, grabbing someone¡¯s head made Duncan feel uncomfortable. The slight warmth from the head nearly made him throw it away.


    This was too unnatural and strange.


    In the end, he managed to suppress his discomfort. He calmly looked at the head and asked, ¡°Do you need me to help you put your head back on?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can do it yourself,¡± Duncan said as he nodded. He then passed the head to the doll¡¯s hand that was fumbling around.


    He watched as the doll received her head skillfully and dexterously. She even tidied up her disheveled silver hair while she was at it. After adjusting the angle, she placed her head on her neck. With a crisp crack, the ball socket joint snapped into place.


    The entire process went smoothly. This was clearly not the first time this had occurred.


    Next, the doll¡¯s somewhat stiff face suddenly loosened up. She blinked and let out a long sigh, ¡°Phew, I survived.¡±


    Duncan was speechless.


    No matter how he looked at this scene, he felt he needed to quip. However, when he recalled his Captain Duncan persona and the fact that the many details about the doll were unknown, in the end, he could only nod expressionlessly at the doll, ¡°Very well. Now, come with me. You have come aboard my ship many times. We need to talk.¡±


    As he said this, the ghost flame that engulfed his body dissipated, and he returned to his original appearance.


    He mastered the ability to actively switch into his astral form when he grabbed hold of the Lost Home¡¯s helm. However, this was still something he had come in contact with in a hurry. He could not consider himself familiar with this ability for now, let alone use it as he pleased. Aside from steering the ship, he did not even know what other functions this ghost flame had. Just now, he had unleashed the ghost flame merely to leave an impression of strength on this strange, cursed doll and psyche himself up.


    Now that his impression had already been established and the doll was very cooperative, it was unnecessary to continue maintaining the burning flame and expending his energy.


    The cursed doll obediently stood up from the coffin. She then watched in astonishment as Duncan returned to his human form. Wide-eyed, she asked, ¡°You¡­you are not a spirit?¡±


    Duncan looked at her indifferently and answered, ¡°I can become one when I need to.¡±


    The doll held her head with one hand. There seemed to be a look of respect in her gaze.


    Duncan did not know what had impressed her. However, from the looks of it, her head did not seem secure. It might have nearly fallen off again from her bewilderment.


    He turned and walked towards the captain¡¯s quarters. Through his real-time connection with the Lost Home, he could sense that the doll followed behind him obediently after hesitating for a second or two.


    The beautiful but strange coffin floated close behind the doll as he expected. It seemed to follow her wherever she went.


    After a short while, Duncan brought the cursed doll to the captain¡¯s quarters.


    Under the lingering gaze of the wooden goat head, the ghost captain and the cursed doll sat on opposite sides of the nautical table. Duncan sat in his black armchair. The doll sat across from him, treating her coffin as a seat. She sat gracefully on the wooden crate.


    She was indeed elegant and dignified. When she sat down on the wooden crate quietly dressed in a gothic dress with her silver hair loose, she appeared very noble and beautiful, like a work of art that should be placed in a palace and guarded.


    Unfortunately, when Duncan looked at her, he immediately recalled the scene of this doll riding the waves and her head falling off.


    He sighed and returned to his cold, indifferent, and authoritative manner. He stared the doll in the eyes and asked, ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Alice.¡±


    ¡°Race?¡±


    ¡°Doll.¡±


    ¡°Job?¡±


    ¡°Doll. Why are you asking these questions?¡±


    Duncan thought about it and replied, ¡°To establish some basic understanding.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    On both ends of the wide nautical table, the captain of the Lost Home, Duncan, and the cursed doll, Alice, sat across from one another.


    The atmosphere between these two people was not harmonious, even though they could not be considered human.


    The doll, who called herself Alice, still appeared a little nervous. Even though the ghost captain in front of her had already guaranteed her temporary safety, when faced with Duncan¡¯s naturally imposing +10 appearance, even the cursed doll could not calm down.


    She was now maintaining her dignified manner as she sat on her coffin. However, her fingers that were slightly pinching her skirt betrayed her insecurity.


    Duncan fell silent for a moment. As he was lost in his thoughts, he observed the ¡°lady¡± before him.


    She was a doll that was powered by an unknown energy source. Her body was not one of flesh and blood. Yet, she could walk, talk, and even had a supernatural body that could maintain a specific body temperature. If this were in his old world, she would be featured on the show Approaching Science and at least appear in three or four episodes.


    Duncan did not know what sort of existence a doll like Alice was considered as in this world. However, after interacting with the goat head over the last few days, he had obtained lots of intel on the side. He knew that even though there were supernatural phenomena in this world, they were not familiar sights. As for the doll before him, Duncan speculated that she was a special existence even in this bizarre world.


    His conjecture was not baseless. The machine-powered ship that crashed head-on with the Lost Home was very new. The crew was also well-trained. He had witnessed this firsthand. Despite facing great terror, the sailors continued to man their stations. The ship also had many cabins and goods that Duncan could not figure out their functions. Many goods were labeled with complicated markings. The style of those markings was very similar to that of the markings on the surface of Alice¡¯s coffin.


    In other words, it was highly likely that such a cutting-edge ship was sent on an escort mission. It was sent to deliver this cursed doll, Alice.


    Duncan shifted his posture in his armchair. He stared at Alice with a soothing yet stern gaze. There was another incredible guest on his ship. This was undeniable.


    From a different perspective, this doll did not seem like a frightening figure. She appeared very timid.


    After all, when they first met and before he had said anything, her head had already fallen off in shock.


    ¡°May I ask¡­¡± Alice finally asked. She must have been forced to speak up as she could no longer stand the pressure from Duncan¡¯s prolonged silence and stare. ¡°Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± asked Duncan in a gentler tone. He finally retracted his stare that made her feel pressured.


    Alice was stunned for a moment. She seemed to be pondering the meaning behind Duncan¡¯s question. After a few seconds, she gently knocked on the beautiful coffin she was sitting on and replied, ¡°From here.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s expression instantly stiffened as he struggled to respond.


    ¡°Of course, I know that you were previously lying in the coffin,¡± he finally said after gently clearing his throat twice. ¡°However, I am asking where you are from. As in a location, do you understand? Do you have a hometown? Or a thing you can call your origin?¡±


    Alice thought about it carefully. She shook her head calmly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t remember clearly.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t remember clearly?¡±


    ¡°What hometown does a doll have?¡± Alice asked as she placed her hands on her legs. In a dignified manner, she replied thoughtfully, ¡°Most of my memories are of me lying in this coffin. I was transported from one place to another by other people. Occasionally, I could faintly sense people walking outside my coffin or guarding it. Ah, I also remember some hushed conversations. The people guarding my coffin were discussing some matters with terrified, nervous tones.¡±


    Duncan raised his eyebrows and inquired, ¡°What were they discussing next to you?¡±


    ¡°Just some boring stuff,¡± said the doll.


    ¡°I am curious about what they were discussing,¡± Duncan said very seriously. He believed that they were truly talking about some boring stuff, but currently, he needed to know everything he could about this world. Even some casual chatter between ordinary people of this world was good information.


    ¡°Alright. The most common name I heard was Abnormality 099. They seemed to use this designation to refer to me and my coffin. I don¡¯t like it as I already have a name,¡± said Alice as she tried to recall. ¡°Aside from that, I have occasionally heard them discussing seals and curses, but it is all a blur. When I was in the coffin, I would sleep, so I didn¡¯t pay too much attention to the movements outside.¡±


    The doll spoke at a steady pace. Then, she suddenly recalled something and added, ¡°However, I still remember the most recent conversation I overheard. It was before I came to your ship. The voices outside my coffin kept mentioning a place, the City-state of Pland. It seemed to be their destination¡­ I suppose it should also be my destination?¡±


    ¡°The City-state of Pland?¡± Duncan repeated as he retracted his gaze. He committed this name to memory.


    He finally obtained some helpful intel, even though he did not know when such information would come in handy.


    He then raised his head and stared at the doll before him. He continued asking, ¡°Was there anything else aside from that?¡±


    ¡°Aside from that, I spent most of my time sleeping, Captain,¡± replied the doll seriously. ¡°If you were sealed in a coffin and kept hearing dull murmuring around you, what else could you do aside from sleeping? Should I have done sit-ups in the coffin?¡±


    The corner of Duncan¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.


    She was an elegant beauty when she was dignified and had her head on. However, in reality, she could not only ride the waves by rowing on a coffin but could also talk crap that caught people off guard.


    He was rapidly forming a new impression of Alice.


    Nevertheless, on the surface, he still maintained the image of the steady and stern Captain Duncan. He merely hummed noncommittally and continued, ¡°So, aside from sleeping in the coffin, you know nothing about the outside world. You cannot tell me anything about the changes in the current world nor where any port or city-state is roughly located.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case, Captain,¡± the doll said as she thoughtfully nodded. Next, she seemed to realize something as her eyes widened. She looked at Duncan nervously and asked, ¡°So, do you plan to throw me overboard again because I am worthless to you?¡±


    Before Duncan could speak, Alice continued, ¡°Alright. I understand. This is your ship, after all. However, this time can you not stuff my coffin with cannonballs? Seriously, eight cannonballs are too much.¡±


    Duncan could tell that the doll was not in a good mood. However, she didn¡¯t dare to throw a tantrum.


    He was somewhat embarrassed. When he stuffed the cannonballs in the coffin, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that he would later have to discuss the situation calmly with the person involved. When he first saw Alice lying in the coffin, he assumed she would be a cursed doll like those portrayed in typical horror movies. His brain was packed with scenes of cursed dolls from the movies. He hadn¡¯t expected that this cursed doll before him did not seem like Ju-On; instead, she looked like she was from a noble quadrangle.


    Therefore, all of Duncan¡¯s preparations to fight against a horrifying curse had caused him embarrassment now.


    Luckily, Duncan was thick-skinned. Moreover, he had always looked solemn and grim, as though his serious expression was carved onto his face. Therefore, as long as his nerves worked fine, he could hold a perfectly stern expression. He ignored the embarrassment he felt from putting eight cannonballs in the coffin while he shook his head indifferently and said, ¡°I have not decided whether I should throw you off the ship. After all, you seem always to have a way of returning to my ship. I am just curious. Why do you keep returning to the Lost Home? I can tell that you are afraid of me and my ship. Since that¡¯s the case, why do you not stay away?¡±


    ¡°Is this ship called Lost Home? Alright, I am indeed somewhat afraid of you and your ship. Yet, compared to this, isn¡¯t the ocean¡¯s depths even more dangerous?¡± asked the doll as she quietly stared at the ghost captain before her. From her point of view, there was an endless dark void behind this tall, burly man. The void overlapped with the actual scene in the cabin. It was as though two worlds were being forcefully overlaid. Nevertheless, compared to this vast, suffocating darkness, the things that came from the depths of the boundless sea made Abnormality 099 feel threatened. She murmured, ¡°In this world, is there anything more terrifying than the deep ocean?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The deep sea was something to be feared.


    Alice was a doll, but she still had lively eyes that could sufficiently convey her emotions. Besides that, she had facial expressions that were beyond common sense. Hence, Duncan could make out her fear and resistance to the deep sea, rather, something in the deep sea. When he recalled the Spirit World he saw on the sea and the so-called supernatural phenomena of the boundary, he quickly realized that a great terror was hidden deep within the vast ocean he was in.


    Nevertheless, the Lost Home was voyaging across this endless ocean. The machine-powered ship he crashed into in the Spirit World was also sailing this ocean.


    Duncan couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the currently ethereal things to him. What do the continents in this world look like? Or did this world have land masses at all?


    However, the doll before him was unable to answer all his questions. Alice¡¯s memory was mainly fuzzy. Duncan speculated that her memory was either sealed off or suppressed by some force.


    He still remembered the things he observed on the machine-powered ship through his sensory connection with the Lost Home when the two ships crossed paths. The mysterious markings and religious setting on the other ship, as well as the symbols carved on the outside of Alice¡¯s coffin, clearly pointed towards a fact:


    As a cursed doll, people from civilized society would be apprehensive of her.


    Duncan gave the doll a pondering look. The latter looked back at him with a calm and serene gaze.


    ¡°Let me confirm once more. You cannot remember where you came from at all. You also cannot remember anything from your past clearly, correct?¡±


    ¡°I do not remember anything,¡± answered Alice thoughtfully. ¡°I can only remember lying in the coffin. However, I don¡¯t know why there seemed always to be a group of nervous people around me. They feared me emerging from my coffin and used various methods to seal me inside. To be honest, now that I recall all this, I suddenly feel that the nails you hammered into my coffin cover were actually kind of nice. Although you later added eight cannonballs, at least you did not pour lead into my coffin.¡±


    This time, Duncan did not pay heed to Alice¡¯s teasing. Instead, he asked, ¡°Where did your name come from? Who named you Alice? How did you get your name if you have never left the coffin and interacted with other people? Did you name yourself Alice?¡±


    Alice was dumbfounded.


    She seemed to sink into a state of confusion. She was stunned for more than 10 seconds. When Duncan contemplated the possibility of this doll experiencing a system crash, Alice regained her senses and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I knew from the start that I was called Alice. However, this name is not something I came up with. I¡­¡±


    As she mumbled in a daze, she subconsciously held her head with both hands. Duncan¡¯s eyes twitched when he saw her in such a state. He immediately stopped her from thinking further, saying, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember. You don¡¯t have to take your head off.¡±


    Alice was speechless.


    After this, Duncan asked Alice a lot of other questions. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t get much information from her responses.


    Just like she said, she had spent most of her time in a daze in the coffin since she was conscious. She maintained a state of half asleep and half awake. She knew very little about the outside world. Her only knowledge of the world was from the conversations she overheard while lying in the coffin. Sadly, the broken pieces of information she knew were insufficient to help Duncan understand the structure of this world.


    Even so, Duncan did not come out completely empty-handed. During his conversation with Alice, he at least managed to confirm a few things:


    In this world, there existed a power structure known as city-states. This term repeatedly appeared in the doll¡¯s narration. It seemed to make up her entire journey. This time, the original final destination of her journey was the City-state of Pland.


    It seemed to be a prosperous place. The sailors said it was an essential stop along many sea routes in their conversations.


    Next, Alice also had the designation of Abnormality 099. This seemed to be an official designation of the civilized world. As for the name Alice that she called herself, aside from Duncan and herself, no one else seemed to know about it.


    Lastly, Alice had been transferred from city-state to city-state. It appeared that she was not the only Abnormality being transferred around like this. During some voyages, she had heard her transporters mention other sealed crates in their conversation.


    From this, Duncan made a bold guess that shipping abnormalities around constantly was a necessary means to seal abnormalities and prevent them from escaping.


    Clearly, the team in charge of transporting Abnormality 099 this time had had a stroke of bad luck. Due to the Lost Home that appeared from nowhere, the doll they were transporting had escaped.


    Duncan could not understand. What was so frightening about this strange, cursed doll? What destruction would she cause if she escaped?


    After all, she seemed relatively harmless the whole time she was on the Lost Home.


    To be honest, Duncan was somewhat disappointed.


    Initially, he thought that he had finally encountered a means that could help him understand this world. To his surprise, the fellow lying in the coffin was as clueless about this world as he was.


    However, when he shifted his gaze to look at Alice, who was quietly sitting on the wooden crate again, he felt less depressed.


    At the very least, he gained a conversation partner on the Lost Home. She was but a doll. She looked terrifying when her head came off. She certainly had a lot of secrets. She talked trash sometimes.


    Nevertheless, she was much more normal than the garrulous goat head.


    In terms of strange and dangerous, the boundless sea, the Lost Home, and the strange things on board were all unsafe.


    From the perspective of others, Captain Duncan seemed to be the most dangerous being on the boundless sea.


    Duncan let out a sigh. His expression relaxed subconsciously. He asked Alice in a casual tone, ¡°I want to know. What will you do if I throw you off the ship again?¡±


    Alice blinked and asked, ¡°You will not stuff cannonballs in my coffin this time, right?¡±


    Duncan replied, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Alice continued, ¡°Will you nail me in?¡±


    ¡°Erm, no.¡±


    ¡°Pour lead inside?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Ahem, I mean that if I reject you staying on my ship¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I will row back here again,¡± said Alice as she sat up straight. She calmly said, ¡°I do not wish to be swallowed by the ocean. At least I will have a place to stay on your ship.¡±


    Duncan was shocked by this doll¡¯s calmness. He could not decide whether she was honest or shameless for a moment. After deliberation, he said, ¡°Could you be more subtle about your intention of staying here?¡±


    ¡°You already know the answer anyway, do you not?¡± said Alice with a smile. ¡°However, if I return, I might find a way to hide somewhere below deck so that you will not notice me. I will not carelessly come on deck again. It has only been a short while since I awakened. I did not think things through the last few times. Now, I have experience¡­¡±


    Duncan interrupted her and said, ¡°I can sense everything on this ship. I can even tell where each wave hits the hull.¡±


    The rest of Alice¡¯s sentence was cut off. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    With a calm look, Duncan continued. ¡°I can also choose to destroy you and use a more thorough method to prevent you from continuing to pester me and my ship.¡±


    The doll seemed to have never thought of this possibility. Her eyes widened in horror. Then, a cracking sound could be heard from her neck.


    Panicking, the doll caught her falling head. She quickly placed it back on her neck. Duncan could not possibly continue scaring her in such a state. He sighed in amusement. After Alice secured her head, he said, ¡°However, I think it¡¯s not bad to have a new crew member on board. I can keep you around if you promise to stay on the ship without causing trouble.¡±


    Alice exclaimed, ¡°You should have said so earlier! I was so frightened that my head came off!¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes twitched as he asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s with your neck?¡±


    With an innocent face, Alice replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t normally have so many chances to come out of the coffin and move around. How would I know why my body has such a problem?¡±


    Duncan silently stared at her for a few seconds. Then, he said with a serious expression, ¡°From the looks of it, being bedridden for long periods is bad for the neck.¡±


    Alice did not have a comeback for his joke.


    Duncan¡¯s mood improved as he looked at the speechless doll.


    ¡°Alright! Anyway, the Lost Home now has a new crew member. Follow me. I will assign you a place to rest.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Lost Home was huge, unbelievably huge. According to Duncan, its scale had exceeded the necessary limits as a sailing vessel.


    A ship of this scale would have more cargo space and cannons. It would also have a more solid construction and stability in the wind and waves. This meant that it was more than capable of challenging the most arduous voyages.


    However, Duncan currently had no plans for long voyages. This huge ghost ship gave him a sense of loneliness. Hence, having another crew member on board to talk to was not a bad thing.


    After all, this ship had plenty of empty guest cabins.


    The sound of footsteps broke the hallway¡¯s silence as Duncan brought the goth doll down the wooden stairs and to the cabins on the lower deck near the stern. They were right under the captain¡¯s quarters. From its construction, it was considered one of the vast ship¡¯s upper-class living quarters. Compared to the dark lower levels where a strange aura lingered, this place was comparatively brighter and tidier.


    Duncan stopped before a crew member¡¯s cabin and casually pushed open the wood-covered door.


    There was a poorly furnished single room inside.


    There were several single cabins like this on the ship. However, they had been unoccupied for a long time. There was no sign of them ever being lived in.


    During his preliminary exploration of the upper decks of the Lost Home, Duncan noticed these empty rooms. Back then, he did not think much about them. Now that he was personally in control of this ghost ship and knew that this ship could sail on its own, a sense of doubt began to grow in him.


    Since this ship did not need crew members, who were these cabins for?


    The single rooms in the upper decks were clearly for senior crew members like the first mate, second mate, and boatswain. As for the lower decks, there were large cabins with wide beds for regular crew members. Aside from that, the ship was also clearly equipped with a dining area and game area for a large number of people. Unlike the sails and rigging, it did not need people to control. These facilities were prepared for humans.


    However, this ship did not require crew members at all.


    Duncan frowned slightly. He believed that this ghost ship, which sailed independently on the sea now, should have once had crew members.


    At the very least, when the ship was first built, the designer included many facilities meant to be used by sailors.


    What exactly happened that resulted in this ship being in its current state? Where did the original crew members of this ship go? Had the real Captain Duncan always been the owner of this ship? What secrets did the goat head know?


    ¡°Captain?¡± a doubtful voice suddenly came from behind him.


    Duncan¡¯s thoughts were instantly interrupted as he had a scare. He then realized that it was the voice of the doll. For a moment, he had forgotten about Alice.


    Over the past few days, Duncan had already gotten used to living alone on this ship. He was accustomed to the voice of the noisy goat head. Now that Alice was here, he was not used to it.


    ¡°My name is Duncan. You can call me Captain Duncan. Of course, you are free to address me directly as captain as well,¡± Duncan replied as he quickly adjusted his facial expression. Then, he turned around to look at the doll and continued, ¡°This empty room will be your room from now on. Have a look.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Okay,¡± Alice replied while nodding. She poked her head out from behind Duncan and took a peek at the room. Then, she turned around and grabbed the crate which had been floating behind her. She placed it on her shoulder and carefully moved into the room.


    Duncan¡¯s mouth twitched when he saw Alice¡¯s coffin, which had been following her. He watched as the doll gently placed the coffin beside the bed. She meticulously checked the coffin¡¯s velvet lining before finally examining the room. Duncan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you have to carry this crate everywhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alice replied as a matter of course. ¡°Where else can I put it?¡±


    ¡°This coffin was once your seal. I thought you would be bothered by it,¡± said Duncan as he frowned. ¡°From the looks of it now, it is you who cannot leave it.¡±


    ¡°The people wanted to seal me up. The coffin did nothing wrong.¡± Alice sat on the coffin. She tapped it while asking, ¡°Do you want to have a seat as well?¡±


    Duncan shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pass. What do you think about this room?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s very nice,¡± replied Alice. She seemed quite happy as she looked around the poorly furnished room. She looked as though she was in a luxurious palace. ¡°Is that a wardrobe? I don¡¯t have any clothes to change into, so I most likely won¡¯t have any use for it¡­ but having one is nice. Oh, there is also a table. I can put things on it in the future, but I don¡¯t have anything to put on it¡­ Maybe I can put my head here? It would be easier to comb my hair that way.¡±


    ¡°As long as you are satisfied,¡± said Duncan. He watched the bizarre scene of the goth doll sitting on her coffin and planning out the usage of her room. She even mentioned some questionable use cases. Duncan slowly revealed a smile on his face. He then took half a step back, and his expression returned to normal as he said, ¡°You can rest first and get used to your new room.


    ¡°Aside from the stairs heading down to the lower decks, you may freely access this and the main deck. The place is not complicated. You should be able to figure out the layout of all the rooms quickly.


    I will be in the captain¡¯s quarters. You can find me there if you need anything. If I¡¯m not around, there is a goat head that can speak on the nautical table. He is my first mate.¡±


    Alice was nodding at first while listening to Duncan¡¯s introduction. When she heard him mentioning the goat head, her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, ¡°A goat head? Is it that black woodcarving?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you have noticed him.¡±


    ¡°I did notice it. But you said it could speak? And it is your first mate?¡± Alice was astonished as she mumbled, ¡°I thought it was just a¡­ This is unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°You are a doll that can move and talk,¡± Duncan said as he stared expressionlessly at Alice. ¡°Yet you find a talking goat head unbelievable?¡±


    Alice was momentarily stunned. She lowered her head to look at her hands. She seemed to have just realized the absurdity as she muttered, ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±


    Duncan shook his head. Then, he turned around and left. ¡°That¡¯s it for now. You may rest here. Find me if you need anything.¡±


    Behind him, Alice¡¯s voice rang, ¡°Aye, captain.¡±


    Duncan did not wander around the ship after leaving her room. Instead, he returned to the captain¡¯s quarters right away. He sat beside the enormous nautical table. The wooden goat head on the table immediately came to life. Creaking sounds could be heard as it turned its head towards Duncan.


    ¡°Ah! The captain is back. It seems like you have helped the lady to settle down. You see, she is exactly like I have described. She is a harmless lady. She will not pose any threat to your voyage. Moreover, she can chat with you and liven up your mood. I see that you have decided to keep her on the ship. What jobs do you plan to make her do? The Lost Home doesn¡¯t really require any crew. The deck will clean itself. The cannons will dust themselves. The water tank will fill itself. Perhaps she could be in charge of the kitchen? You always seem dissatisfied with the food here onboard. Ah, speaking of food, we must first replenish some ingredients. The hams and the cheese in the store might be too old. Even though tough sailors will not be picky about what they get to eat on the sea, the great Captain Duncan will surely¡­¡±


    Duncan felt as though his brain fluid was about to boil. Right then, he confirmed another matter: with this noisy goat head around. He indeed needed an ordinary person to talk to like Alice!


    ¡°Shut up.¡± He snapped as he glared at the goat head. After the latter shut up, he said, ¡°Just now, when Alice was around, you were very well mannered. For a moment, I thought that you had finally learned how to keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°One must not interrupt the captain when interviewing a new crew member. This is the law of the sea. Even as your loyal first mate, second mate, and boatswain¡­¡±


    Duncan did not wait for the goat head to finish speaking. The latter would never stop talking if he did not interrupt the goat head. He said, ¡°Remember to monitor the doll¡¯s movements for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah? You want me to monitor this lady? Are you still worried about her? Oh, that¡¯s right, a captain must be cautious.¡±


    ¡°She has many secrets and has not revealed all of them. It might be that she truly doesn¡¯t know herself. She might also be hiding them intentionally for her own reasons. Regardless, she is still a cursed doll and has the designation of Abnormality 099,¡± said Duncan plainly. ¡°The crew of the previous ship used multiple seals to prevent Alice from leaving her coffin. However, the sealed doll is now walking freely on my ship. I need some time to determine that Alice is truly a harmless doll. It is fine even if she is only harmless while aboard the Lost Home.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Since personally taking the helm, Duncan possessed true control over the Lost Home. He could also sense all movements aboard the ship. Even so, out of caution, he still ordered the goat head to monitor the cursed doll¡¯s activities at all times.


    It was because he knew he was no expert in the field of the occult. He knew very little about the supernatural powers of this world. A walking, talking doll was far beyond his scope of knowledge. Alice¡¯s words and actions might be harmless, but if the doll had other invisible influences, it was highly likely that he would not be able to tell.


    The goat head was the expert in this field.


    Even putting that aside, Duncan also knew that he could not monitor the situation on the Lost Home at all times. Although he had already decided to live in this world, if the opportunity emerged, he would still want to return to the world on the other side. When that happened, he would not necessarily be able to sense movements on the ship.


    When Duncan thought of this, his gaze shifted slightly. He furtively cast a glance at the goat head on the nautical table. The latter stared back at him blankly with its eyeballs made of obsidian.


    Would this goat head notice when he returned to the other world to his own single apartment? When he left the Lost Home, what would happen to the ship?


    This sudden doubt caused Duncan to feel slightly irritated. However, he did not show his emotions under the blank stare of the goat head. Instead, he distracted himself by sensing what Alice was doing.


    Of course, he had no interest in peeping, even if the other party was nonhuman. Hence, he merely maintained a rough sense of what was going on below deck. Even with just his sensory transmission with the Lost Home, he could at least determine Alice¡¯s current location and ascertain whether or not she was attempting to destroy anything.


    After all, beneath her harmless, elegant, and beautiful appearance, the doll was still a cursed doll. She was a dangerous individual with the designation of Abnormality 099.


    For now, she remained in her room. She might be researching the room¡¯s furnishing and setting up a resting place.


    Duncan heaved a sigh of relief. The goat head to the side suddenly spoke up, ¡°Captain, what do you plan to do next? If you feel bored, your loyal¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± snapped Duncan as he glared at the goat head. Then, he placed both hands on the nautical table¡¯s edge. As his will shifted, he once again experienced the sensation of his hands holding on to the ship¡¯s wheel. The green flame flowed around his body like water.


    Amidst the raging flame, Duncan¡¯s body once again transformed into his astral form. The fire overflowed from the nautical table. Then, it went outside the captain¡¯s quarters and moved to the upper deck. It twirled around one of the masts and moved along the main sheet. The half-transparent spirit sails on the mast fluttered in the wind as the fire swept through them.


    As the main sails, staysail, and jibs adjusted their angles nimbly according to the wind, the gigantic three-masted barque began slowly accelerating on the boundless sea. Duncan looked at the nautical chart. As expected, the grey, white fog covering the nautical chart changed instantly. As the silhouette of the Lost Home advanced, the mist surrounding it dissipated.


    After pondering briefly, he tried to focus his attention on the nautical chart. The green flame enveloped the surroundings of the nautical table. The flame worked like the extension of his body, carrying out his will. Under such an intricate connection, Duncan finally had a vague idea of the secret behind this nautical chart, which was also an extraordinary item.


    As Duncan shifted his will, the silhouette of the Lost Home on the nautical chart enlarged. Then, it shrunk back to its original size.


    Duncan was zooming in, and out of the images he saw on the nautical chart. Clearly, his bizarre idea yielded success. Currently, no matter how much he zoomed out, all he could see on the chart was fog looming over the ocean. However, Duncan had affirmed that this nautical chart was sufficient to record and present every single inch of the sea the Lost Home had ever explored. Furthermore, it could precisely display the details of the surroundings of the Lost Home in real-time.


    Under the blank gaze of the goat head, Duncan did not show any changes in his facial expression. He turned a serious face as though he were a real captain, carefully examining the nautical chart. However, he felt a sense of thrill inside him.


    He gazed at the flame ablaze on his body as his consciousness examined the condition of the Lost Home and detected the changes occurring to the nautical chart.


    As expected, this bizarre green flame was the key to controlling the Lost Home and the many strange items on this ship!


    It might be that this was the captain¡¯s authority.


    Duncan tried to figure out the power of this flame. He understood that if he wanted to truly control this ship and use it as his base to survive in this strange world, he had to figure out his abilities.


    First of all, he needed to control this flame.


    As for the following arrangements that the goat head mentioned¡­


    Duncan looked at the nautical chart that was slowly changing before his eyes. As he saw the fog around the silhouette of the Lost Home slowly dissipate, he devised a simple plan.


    Since he had insufficient understanding of this world and his chart was covered in fog, expanding his map was the right choice.


    After all, sailing was for exploration.


    Captain Duncan was a world boss that sailed the seas to the people of this world. Even if he and the Lost Home remained where they were on the sea, the world¡¯s impression of him would not improve.


    As to whether or not there would be any risk sailing aimlessly on this endless ocean, Duncan believed that before he took over the helm, the ship was already wandering the seas. Since the Lost Home had never moored itself, where was the additional risk?


    Compared to when it was floating around aimlessly, with its sails up, it could at least clear the fog on the nautical chart. This at least put an end to the previous situation where it was passive and surrounded by the unknown.


    Duncan stood up from the nautical table. The green flame surrounding his body gradually dissipated. However, he could sense that the half-transparent spirit sails on the masts did not disappear. A portion of the green flame lingered on the masts and the mainsheets. The remaining flame continued to carry out the captain¡¯s will.


    Combined with what he experienced when he took the helm, Duncan had a rough idea of how this ship functioned.


    Even though this ship only raised its spirit sails in a blaze of flame after he took the helm, the ship did not rely on the captain¡¯s power to raise its gigantic sails or automatically run its systems. This ghost ship had its own power source.


    Duncan still had no idea what kind of power source this ship functioned on, but clearly, his job as a captain was to command the ship.


    The ship would obediently execute his commands.


    Duncan moved away from the nautical table. He turned to look at the tiny door at the end of the captain¡¯s quarters.


    Behind the door was the captain¡¯s private bedroom. During his first few days of exploring this ship, he used that room as his resting spot.


    Now, he needed a quiet space to investigate what else he could do as the captain of the Lost Home.


    However, before that, someone had to look after the ship now that it was at full sails.


    He looked at the wooden goat head at the edge of the nautical table and said calmly, ¡°Take the helm.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± said the goat head, stunned. It sounded somewhat surprised as it said, ¡°But Captain, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a business to attend to. Do not disturb me while I am busy,¡± said Duncan as he seemed to ignore the goat head completely. He gave his orders very naturally. Using his other senses and the information from the green flames that spread across the deck outside his cabin, he could see the various hidden connections in the ship¡¯s depths.


    Masts, ropes, sails, rudders, cannons¡­


    Everything was invisibly connected. Some networks, like nerves or blood vessels, seemed to run throughout the ship. All these connections ended at the captain¡¯s quarters.


    The goat head was connected to all of this.


    It might be that this mysterious and bizarre goat head was the embodiment of the Lost Home. Or it might be a control mechanism for taking over the entire ship during emergencies.


    Duncan was not the builder of this ship. He naturally did not know the principles behind its workings. However, he believed that the true Captain Duncan would know what the goat head could do.


    From a different perspective, the goat head, who kept claiming to be the first mate, should naturally be able to take over the helm in the place of the captain when needed.


    Duncan needed to take some risks and try out new things. He had to make arrangements that a true captain would know and do.


    After all, even the captain needed time to rest.


    A second later, the goat head said in a joyful and noisy voice, ¡°Ah, alright, captain. Rest assured, your loyal¡­¡±


    Duncan ignored the goat head and waved his hand casually. He then entered his bedroom at the back of the captain¡¯s quarters and closed the door behind him.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The door closed behind Duncan, blocking off the blank gaze of the goat head.


    However, he could still clearly sense the Lost Home, sensing every minor movement in every corner of this ghost ship. Through this sense that felt like an extension of his own body, he saw that the sails of the Lost Home were adjusting their angles in the ocean breeze. The black wheel at the stern bridge turned slightly, causing the Lost Home to stabilize itself further on the ocean.


    Just as he had expected, the goat head had temporarily taken the helm. He began carrying out his responsibilities as the first mate cautiously and conscientiously. Nevertheless, Duncan could still take over the ship himself at any time.


    The Lost Home was less nimble and moving slower than when he was steering the ship. However, Duncan¡¯s current main objective was to dissipate the fog on the nautical chart further. He did not have a clear destination and course in the first place, so he was also not concerned about this effect.


    After ascertaining that the goat head was not pulling off anything funny and the goth doll below deck was obediently in her room, Duncan heaved a sigh of relief. He then looked around the room that was not too big.


    This was his private bedroom as the captain. It was also the most comfortable and elegant room in the Lost Home. Aside from a soft bed, a sizeable classic wardrobe and a rack with various strange trinkets stood against the wall facing the door. Facing the bed was a dark brown desk. However, there were no books on the desk, only a few display items, and writing and drawing apparatus.


    There was a window next to the desk. He could see far out into the ocean. There were also a few hooks on the wall next to the window. Duncan¡¯s pirate sword and flintlock gun that he was carrying before this hung from the hooks.


    Duncan came to the desk and placed the longsword and the flintlock gun somewhere he could easily reach them. He then opened a drawer in the table and inspected the gunpowder and lead bullets inside the wooden box.


    A small brass compass was placed next to the lead bullets and gunpowder sack. Duncan picked up the compass and saw the needle of the compass spinning randomly within its glass case. It was as though a formless, chaotic field was leading it. There was a line of characters carved into the bottom of the compass.


    ¡°We have all lost our homes.¡±


    Duncan casually toyed around with the compass in his hands. He watched as the compass needle turned around like it was drunk.


    He had already inspected these items many times. During his initial exploration, he had already discovered this room and the things inside it, including the line of characters that the true Captain Duncan should have left behind.


    After reviewing the information Duncan currently possessed, he sighed and then placed the compass on the table. He then lifted his right hand and rubbed his fingertips together.


    A cluster of small, green flames was lit at his fingertips. Under the light of the flame, half of Duncan¡¯s palm immediately appeared transparent and illusory, as though he was a spirit. However, while he was consciously controlling it, this flame did not spread everywhere like before, instead remaining above his fingertip like a candle flame.


    After the flame stabilized, Duncan brought his other hand close to it to feel its warmth. He then took a quill pen from the table and brought the end of the pen to the flame.


    He could not sense any heat, nor was the quill pen set on fire. Only a slight shade of green spread over the quill pen, causing it to glow faintly.


    Duncan did not sense any feedback from the quill pen. This was completely different from when he used the flame to touch the nautical chart and the wheel.


    Duncan committed this new experience to memory. This spirit fire had no temperature and could not ignite anything. It was highly likely that it only reacted to the abnormalities on the Lost Home and would react to ordinary objects.


    How would the flames react to abnormalities from outside of the Lost Home?


    Duncan pondered about this. For a moment, the silhouette of the goth doll, Alice, surfaced in his mind. She was an abnormality from outside of the Lost Home.


    Would she be affected by the spirit fire?


    However, he merely contemplated it briefly before casting this unbridled thought aside.


    Even though Alice was non-human and was the cursed Abnormality 099, she could speak, move about, and had her own individual body of thought. Now, she was also a crew member of the Lost Home. Duncan had already come to view her as a human subconsciously.


    He could not accept testing his flames on a live human. After all, he wasn¡¯t sure what profound effect his flames would have on the affected abnormality and whether it would cause them harm.


    Next, Duncan tested the flame out a few more times. While he inspected the nature of the flame, he ascertained whether the various items in the bedroom had supernatural characteristics.


    His gaze finally landed on the little brass compass with the message on it.


    The brass compass was lying on the table. The needle under the glass case was randomly spinning. As Duncan maintained his flames and looked at the compass with a mischievous gaze, he did not know whether he was seeing things. The needle seemed to freeze for a second suddenly.


    It then continued randomly spinning as though nothing had happened.


    Duncan was speechless.


    This item definitely reacted to his gaze just now!


    He was initially apprehensive about this compass. After all, there was a message left behind by the true Captain Duncan. He was very worried that the deceased ghost captain had left behind some of his power or some trap to ward off burglars, so he had not tested his flames on the compass. However, after he saw the compass reacting, he suddenly made up his mind.


    Duncan reached out his hand and picked up the compass. A cold touch reached his fingertips. After sweeping a glance at the needle that was still randomly spinning, he immediately placed the item in his right hand that was maintaining the spirit fire. He then slowly clenched his fist.


    The green flames instantly flowed like burning grease, seeping through the spaces between his fingers. A faint fire ignited rapidly on the surface of the compass. In the fire, there seemed to be countless phantoms rising and dissipating. The next moment, the randomly spinning needle suddenly halted and pointed to some location on the vast ocean.


    Duncan felt his heart stir. In an instant, he could sense the feedback from the compass. He was confident that this was indeed an abnormal item that the spirit fire could control. Yet, before he could analyze the feedback further, a force of attraction suddenly appeared and attacked him!


    Duncan felt himself losing balance. The next moment, his vision blurred. The furnishing in the captain¡¯s bedroom turned into nothingness. Even the walls and the ceiling disintegrated in an instant like snowflakes. Amidst the scattered light and shadows, endless darkness filled his vision.


    He stood dumbfounded in the center of the darkness. The alarm bells in his mind went off. His first reaction was to reach for his flintlock gun and sword. He discovered that only the brass compass was left with him the next moment. He was still grasping it in his hand.


    Duncan blinked. From his perspective, countless, wispy strands of light seemed to emanate from the brass compass.


    These light strands spread out into the darkness and weaved together a web that seemed to expand infinitely. In the interweaving light, countless starry lights appeared. Some of them were scattered, while some of them merged into rivers. The intertwined web of light was as brilliant as a galaxy.


    Duncan looked at the strange phenomenon before him in confusion. He was very cautious and somewhat uneasy. Nevertheless, he did not feel as though he was in danger.


    Instead, amidst the darkness, the web of light, and the starlight, he felt a long-lost peace of mind.


    A strange sensation suddenly swept over him. His gaze could not help but be drawn to a cluster of starlight in the web of light. He looked towards the cluster and felt the starlight was about to fall entirely into the darkness.


    He subconsciously reached out to the starlight.


    Right then, a tremendous attractive force swept over him. Duncan felt as though his soul flew up. He charged uncontrollably towards the starlight, about to fall into the darkness. The dense web of light woven by the compass swiftly retreated from his gaze. The galaxies coalesced from starlight around him and suddenly began to spin and change.


    As he flew forwards at tremendous speeds, he subconsciously looked at his right hand, grasping the compass. However, unbeknownst when the compass had disappeared without a trace. At the same time, just as he was about to touch the faint starlight, a shadow suddenly coalesced from the darkness in the corner of his eye.


    The shadow seemed to emerge naturally as though it had always been by his side. It followed him as he flew towards the faint light.


    Duncan could only vaguely distinguish that the shadow seemed to be a bird with outstretched wings. Before he could make out any further details, his vision went dark.


    He felt the weight of the real world spread throughout his limbs, followed by the stench of rotting limbs and the harsh sound of heavy iron chains dragging on the floor.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    There was a stench of cold, wet, rotten flesh and the noise of an iron chain dragging along the ground.


    Many strange sensations flooded Duncan¡¯s mind. He failed to open his eyes immediately. At this instant, he felt his soul was torn into two parts. One part was left on the Lost Home while the other was stuffed into an utterly foreign body. This body was akin to an old, broken machine. It was hard to maneuver around in it. His nervous system was cluttered with all sorts of sensations, with a mixture of numbness. He tried to open his eyes and exercise his fingers. However, he could not sense any of his body parts at all.


    This suffocating sensation lasted for a few seconds before the indescribable numbness in his nervous system gradually ceased. Duncan felt as though his body was awakening from a long hibernation. Slowly, he regained his ability to move.


    His eyes finally opened, and he examined the situation he was in.


    The space he was in was ill-lit, seemingly a crypt. Burning torches were hanging on the stone wall far from where he was. Under the flickering torchlight, Duncan slowly made out a horrifying scene in this confined space. He saw many men, or more precisely, many corpses, lying on the ground in a disorderly manner. The dead bodies were placed carelessly on the wet rocks and puddled ground. Most of them were garbed in tattered rags; only a few were still wearing complete clothes.


    Water condensed and dripped from the top of the cave. The sound of water flowing could be heard from a distance, indicating the presence of either an underground river or a drain. The sound of iron chains rattling came from the depths of a passageway connected to the cave, but the sound was fading.


    Duncan blinked his eyes and tried to figure out what was happening. He looked down at his right hand and saw a strange and frail palm, followed by torn clothes covering his arm. The brass compass which he had been holding had long disappeared.


    He looked to his side. He remembered seeing a shadow following beside him while traversing the web of light. The silhouette of the shadow looked like that of a bird. Of course, his search for the bird was in vain.


    The bird-like shadow seemed not to have followed him into this reality.


    Duncan clenched his fists slowly to subdue the fear and nervousness he felt. Then, he rubbed his fingers together.


    A very tiny green flame lit up at the end of his fingertips.


    This flame was far weaker than the green flame that Duncan was used to. However, he felt slightly at ease when seeing it. The moment the flame illuminated, he felt his cloudy mental state clear. Moreover, he could clearly sense a ripping and pulling sensation acting on his soul.


    He could distinctly sense that the other half of his soul was not here. He could feel the existence of the Lost Home. He could also detect the other half of his soul residing in his own body, sitting in front of the table and holding on to the brass compass.


    This sensation was miraculous. Duncan soon had a vague idea of what had happened.


    His soul had undergone some form of projection. Or it could be said that his spirit had expanded outwards. A part of his soul traversed an unknown distance and was currently residing in the body of a stranger.


    Under such a projection state, he could still clearly sense the existence of his own body.


    This was definitely related to the brass compass. Could it be that projection was the ability of that abnormal item?


    Duncan had his speculation. However, he did not allow his mind much time to wander into endless possibilities. He calmed down after making sure that his own body was safe on the ship and that his soul was still within his control and was only temporarily residing in this nameless body. He was now ready to explore what kind of situation his new body was in.


    Firstly, he was sure that he was not on a ship.


    He was on land that he failed to discover after drifting on the ocean for many days!


    Secondly, this gloomy cave did not look like a safe place. The scattered corpses did not look like a typical scene where people passed away peacefully. What unfortunate events did the actual owner of his current body go through to have been trapped in such a living hell?


    Duncan took a deep breath and sat up straight while supporting his body. Before this, this body had been leaning against a huge boulder. It was not a comfortable pose to be in.


    As Duncan drew in a breath and moved, he felt something was very off with his body. The air that he sucked in was quickly leaking out. There was a bizarre and empty sensation coming from his chest. Even his action of lifting his body was distorted.


    Puzzled, Duncan looked down and saw a massive hole in his body.


    The hole was right where his heart should be. His heart was gone. Cold air passed through his chest, along with the air Duncan drew in just now. In the end, the air dissipated in the damp surroundings.


    Duncan could even look behind him through the hole from a certain angle.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± he cursed.


    Duncan was usually a happy-go-lucky guy. He had also gained some experience in dealing with supernatural phenomena when he was on the Lost Home. Even then, he still broke out in cold sweat at this moment. He had goosebumps everywhere while his hair stood on end.


    After having the shock of his life, Duncan quickly realized that he was still moving and kicking.


    Even though his heart was missing, and his chest was penetrated with a huge hole, he did not feel any pain at all.


    ¡°Is this body¡­ a corpse?¡±


    A moment later, Duncan figured out the situation. He also had a clearer understanding of his current condition. He calmed down.


    Occupying the body of a dead person and moving around in it was nothing astonishing. After all, he had a ghost ship that could drive itself and a garrulous wooden goat head as a first mate. He was recently acquainted with a cursed doll that could detach her head and sail the boundless sea. Any one of the things he had encountered before this was more terrifying than a corpse moving and speaking.


    At the very least, he was only missing a heart. Alice¡¯s head could barely remain on her shoulders.


    He thought of all this and returned to his composed self at a speed that even shocked him. Then, he checked the mobility of his current body and tried to get used to moving in a weird state with a hole in his chest. After he was done adjusting himself, only then did he move towards the corpses left behind in the cave.


    ¡°As expected¡­¡± He mumbled.


    Duncan examined the first corpse and was not surprised when he saw a hole in the other party¡¯s chest.


    The corpse was garbed in tattered clothes, and the deceased was a pale-looking, middle-aged man. He looked like a beggar. He had been dead for a long time. However, his angry and bulging eyes still conveyed the struggle and despair he felt in the very last moments of his life.


    Duncan advanced forward and saw many corpses with missing hearts. All of them lay lifelessly on the cold rocks in a miserable state. There were only two exceptions. Two men had severe wounds on their heads. They seemed to have passed away from banging their heads forcefully against the rocks.


    Duncan could not help but begin a train of thought. It might be that these were two people who ended their own lives before experiencing the pain of having their hearts gouged out.


    Honestly speaking, the things in the cave were too intense for ordinary people to experience. Even Duncan lost his appetite after taking a look around the place. After he inspected the corpses¡¯ condition, he had to sit down on a clean stone a distance away from this place and pull himself together. As he calmed himself down, he tried to deduce the truth behind these events.


    These were horrific murders. Yet, judging from the way these corpses were cruelly and uniformly executed, they seemed to be more than just mere murders. There was a wicked sense of ritual to these murders.


    Duncan once again summoned the spirit fire. He sensed his connection with his main body. He knew that he could sever this projection of his at any given moment and return safely to the Lost Home.


    He felt that he needed to get to the bottom of what happened to this place, even if it was just to get hold of some intel about land.


    Duncan took in a breath and felt the air leave his lungs. He got up from the rock that he had temporarily rested on. He looked towards the passageway deep within the cave. He recalled that the sound of iron chains being dragged along the floor came from there.


    There were not just corpses in the underground space. Other people were also moving around inside. The people who could move around freely in this terrifying place should be able to provide him with some answers.


    Of course, it was unsafe to just barge into the passageway to check the situation, but Duncan did not mind.


    After all, he could escape whenever he wanted.

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Before he left the cave he was temporarily hiding in, Duncan first pulled off some rags from a nearby corpse and wrapped them around himself.


    It wasn¡¯t because he could not stand the cold in the cave; rather, it was to cover up his exposed chest. Even though the hole in his chest did not affect Duncan¡¯s existence at all, as a normal person, walking around with his chest cavity feeling chilling, was too much for him to bear. Covering himself up could at least bring him some comfort and reduce the strange sensation of air passing through him.


    Duncan also considered the possibility of suddenly encountering other people while moving around in the underground space. Needless to say, having a large hole in his chest would not be advantageous when striking up a conversation with strangers.


    Just like that, after he dealt with his wound, Duncan carefully left the spooky wet cave. He headed down the passageway connected to the cave and slowly ventured deeper.


    This body that he was temporarily possessing was not convenient to move in. Not only did the fatal wound in his chest affect his nimbleness, but Duncan could also clearly sense the fragility of his body. With these weak limbs, he couldn¡¯t even walk fast. It could not compare at all with the supernaturally strong body of the ghost captain.


    Duncan could not see his current appearance. However, from the parts he could see, he speculated that he should be a youth with a weak physique due to prolonged periods of severe malnourishment. Even though this body was currently controlled by the soul of a mighty ghost captain, it seemed that the strength of a soul could not make up for the physical limits of a weak body.


    Unfortunately, he had no choice at the moment. Duncan could only control this barely usable body and slowly explore the deep passageway. He knew that with the condition of his temporary body, he would be helpless if he encountered any dangers. He could only pray that he could continue using this shell for a while longer.


    The passageway was deep, wet, and dark. However, there were some hidden ventilation holes. A faint air current was constantly flowing past nearby. After a short distance, he saw torches and oil lamps hanging on the walls. These things proved that people had been around this place constantly.


    After walking down the passageway for a long period of time, Duncan suddenly discovered that it was very bright down the path ahead. Artificial markings began to appear in his sight. He saw a fork at the end of the passageway. The paths branching out from the fork had flat walls and high semi-circular vaulting arcs. The ground lined with bricks was dark and damp. There are two more channels of water running along the ground, with disgusting sewage flowing in them.


    There were openings of drainpipes on the walls on both sides of the path. Sewage flowed from some of these openings into the water channels below. They then flowed deeper into the darkness.


    ¡°A sewer?¡±


    Duncan soon had a better idea of the place he was in. The space he was in was a large-scale sewer system. The place where the corpses were hidden was most likely a natural cave that happened to be connected to it.


    A larger scale sewer. A natural cave connected to it. Dead bodies hidden in the cave.


    Countless speculations surfaced in Duncan¡¯s mind when he thought of these things. While his mind wandered into different possibilities, he scrutinized the condition of the sewer.


    The sewer system was huge, and it demonstrated exquisite craftsmanship. The main supporting pillars were made of reinforced concrete. This sewer system could even be used as an underground shelter during critical times.


    To have developed such a massive structure, the scale of the city above this sewer system would surely be enormous as well. Moreover, the city would have developed advanced technology.


    Technology was not something that existed alone. Countless related industries would surely support the production of any product. From the sewer system alone, Duncan could tell a lot about the city, such as its construction standard, city planning, materials available, level of maintenance, and life standard of the locals.


    This was enough for the currently information-deficient Duncan to obtain some precious knowledge about the civilized world.


    Duncan walked along the sewer. He suddenly stopped after just walking down a short distance. His gaze landed on a nearby wall.


    There was a lamp on the wall. It had an outer glass case and a solid-looking metal enclosure.


    Compared to the cave¡¯s torches and oil lamps, the wall lamp was clearly brighter. Within the sanded glass case was a steadily burning flame. The light it emitted was bright enough to light up a considerable part of the sewer.


    Duncan approached it to take a closer look. Everything outside the Lost Home, especially modern civilization creations, was extremely attractive to him.


    After observing it for a long while, Duncan finally figured out the lamp¡¯s light source. It was a gas lamp.


    The gas lamp appeared different from what he had seen from his resources. Aside from its appearance, the most apparent difference was that he saw a few fine symbols on the glass cover.


    The symbols had most likely been added when the lamp casing was created. The curving shapes seemed hieroglyphic. Duncan did not recognize these symbols. However, he immediately thought of the mysterious runes he had seen previously on the machine-powered ship and Alice¡¯s coffin.


    Even though the symbols differed, they had a similar ¡°vibe.¡±


    This was a sacred, ritualistic item.


    Duncan took a few steps back. He looked up and peered deeper into the sewer. He saw lit gas lamps on the walls every few meters.


    As an underground facility that was rarely visited except for essential maintenance, the lighting in this sewer was overkill. The outer shell of each gas lamp might have similar mysterious runes.


    Duncan sensed that these densely placed gas lamps seemed to be fighting against something in this dark, unvisited underground place. It was as though the civilized human world that they represented was opposing something.


    Duncan followed the path lit by the gas lamps. He paid close attention to the surrounding walls, the floor, and the ceiling for any valuable clues. Suddenly, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.


    He stopped between two gas lamps along a slightly darker section of the sewer. He looked up sideways and saw that high on the wall, near the ceiling of the sewer, something was painted in dark red paint.


    Duncan narrowed his eyes. After trying to make out what was being drawn for a long time, he finally made out the picture outlined by those harsh lines. He saw hands reaching for the sky, seemingly worshiping something. The hands were all facing a ball high in the sky that was emanating bright light.


    Beneath this picture was a line of crooked characters. The strokes contained intense passion and anticipation. The characters written were not of any language of Earth, but Duncan naturally understood what was written.


    ¡°The false sun will finally fall, and the true Sun God will be resurrected from blood and fire! All life belongs to the sun! All order belongs to the sun!¡±


    Duncan stood silently in the sewer. He looked where the light of the gas lamps was darkest, at the dark red graffiti, and at the brightly shining sun drenched in fresh blood and feverishly worshiped by people.


    He seemed to be prying into another world.


    Just like that, he stared at these things for a long time. Suddenly, rustling sounds emerged from deep within the sewer. Duncan could hear footsteps.


    He looked up in the direction of the sound. He saw a few figures wearing hooded cloaks walking toward him. The figures¡¯ faces were covered by their hoods. They appeared like sinister ghosts from deep within this dirty sewer.


    Duncan did not hide. In reality, there was nowhere to hide in this straight sewer. His improvised body could not perform advanced movements such as walking in blind spots. Hence, after pondering about it for a moment, he simply stood in the middle of the sewer and openly observed the approaching, suspicious hooded figures.


    Since this body could not even run, it was destined to be disposable. It was best to get some intel in exchange.


    Just then, a few hooded figures that emerged from deep within the sewer noticed Duncan.

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Of course, the hooded figures noticed Duncan, who was standing right in the middle of the sewer.


    Duncan still looked the same as when he left the cave. His thin and shriveled body was clad in tattered robes. The rags he hastily draped over his upper half covered the gaping hole in his chest. He stood there brazenly in the middle of the path. He looked as though he was terrified by the hooded figures who suddenly emerged. The latter was also very surprised. They were momentarily stunned. Then, the leader suddenly shouted, ¡°A sacrifice has escaped!¡±


    Next, Duncan saw them running towards him. Another person shouted as he ran, saying, ¡°Quickly! Stop him. Don¡¯t let him get away.¡±


    Duncan shrugged his shoulders. Expressionless, he watched the figures, who were clearly not good guys, as they ran towards him. After weighing the current situation, he had no intention of running at all. Yet, the other party still charged over towards him as one of them shouted, ¡°A sacrifice has escaped.¡± His companion followed up by shouting. ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    In the end, Duncan remained standing in the middle of the sewer. The fact that he did not run nor evade them made the atmosphere awkward. The shouting hooded figures running over clearly noticed something was up. Their shouting ceased involuntarily, but they continued running towards Duncan. Duncan could sense the embarrassment and anger from these hooded figures as they surrounded him from all sides.


    Duncan looked around at the figures around him. After hesitating, he said, ¡°Should I have run away just now? After all, the atmosphere seemed appropriate.¡±


    The hooded figures ignored Duncan¡¯s joke. They merely looked at the latter with vigilant and cautious gazes. They then looked behind Duncan. Two of the figures lowered their heads and had a brief exchange. Duncan overheard their conversation.


    One of them said, ¡°How did one of the sacrifices manage to escape?¡±


    The other figure replied, ¡°Could it be that the hyenas of the church have discovered this hiding spot? However, he does not look like he was released by someone else.¡±


    The first figure said, ¡°Whatever it was, we should bring him back first. Something seems off about this escaped sacrifice. We had better deal with him quickly.¡±


    ¡°We will let the emissary decide.¡±


    Duncan did not know where these people originated from at all. He was even less aware of who the other party referred to as ¡°emissary.¡± However, as he connected the dots between the things he had witnessed on his way here and the word sacrifice mentioned by the other party, he could already guess the truth of this place.


    He did not know how to react to being considered an ordinary sacrifice. He had no intention of putting on a show for these people. He was away from the Lost Home and was using a temporary shell. There were clearly very few things he needed to worry about. So, after observing his surroundings for a while, he directly asked them, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    When the hooded figures heard the sacrifice before them speaking calmly, they felt strange. Even though they wore black gauze masks that completely hid their faces, Duncan could still make out that they were surprised. One of the black-robed figures glared at him from beneath his mask. In a low voice, the figure said, ¡°You are not qualified to ask. Take him away!¡±


    A few black-robed figures immediately pressed in on him. However, before they could act, Duncan took the initiative to take a step forward. He declared, ¡°You do not need to do anything. I will follow you.¡±


    The black-robed figures exchanged glances. They must have felt that the sacrifice had a few screws loose. Regardless, the leading black-robed figure waved his hand and said, ¡°That is best. After all, you cannot get away. Follow us, and you might be able to receive glory in dignity.¡±


    A few black-robed figures surrounded Duncan, encircling him from all sides to seal off his escape routes. They then led him deeper into the sewer.


    The foul smell of the sewer was nauseating. Yet, these black-robed figures seemed oblivious to it as they calmly walked down the dirty, moldy path. Duncan remained silent, his face expressionless. As he followed these black-robed figures, he paid attention to their conversations. They did not interact much with each other. Nevertheless, he could occasionally hear the words Pland, archon, and church mentioned in their discussions.


    ¡°Is this place the City-state of Pland?¡± Duncan suddenly asked. He said this calmly, as though he was talking to someone he was familiar with.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± a black-robed figure replied involuntarily. However, he quickly realized something and looked at Duncan as though he had seen a ghost. He said, ¡°You are a rather calm brat. Do you know what is going to happen to you next?¡±


    ¡°I can roughly guess,¡± answered Duncan as he nodded his head. He even had a smile on his face. To test them, he asked, ¡°It is related to the true Sun God, right?¡±


    A few of the black-robed figures clearly stopped in their tracks for a moment. They seemed to have misunderstood something from Duncan¡¯s strange reaction. In a low voice, one of the figures asked his companion, ¡°Wait a minute. Could it be that he is also a disciple of the Lord?¡±


    ¡°That is impossible. He is obviously an escaped sacrifice,¡± retorted the other black-robed figure in a low voice. He then glanced at Duncan and said, ¡°You are quite clever. However, don¡¯t think that you will be spared from being a sacrifice. The Lord has already determined your fate. You had better accept it willingly.¡±


    Duncan did not express an opinion. He knew that his overly calm reaction had caused the hooded figures in front of him, who seemed to be cultists, to overthink and misunderstand. They most likely believed that he was acting calm to pretend to be a disciple in order to survive. However, only Duncan knew what was really going on.


    For him, moving around normally in this temporary body of his was already extremely difficult. The muscles on his face were as stiff as dead ends, so he was left with a calm, emotionless expression.


    Nevertheless, Duncan did not care what the cultists thought about him. He only wanted to gather as much intel as he could during this one-off exploration. Hence, he then asked, ¡°Do all of you believe that the current sun in the sky is fake? Do you think that it will fall sooner or later?¡±


    ¡°The false sun will finally fall!¡± shouted the cultist in unison. This was clearly a topic that could stir up these cultists. Just as he wanted, Duncan heard one of them enthusiastically and passionately respond, ¡°Even the church dogs have to admit that, in general history, the current sun in the sky is a twisted and grotesque thing that only appeared after the Great Annihilation! The Sun God truly brought life and order to the world. However, our Lord¡¯s power was usurped by that vile false sun. One day, it will fall from the sky!¡±


    Next, Duncan heard the surrounding cultists chant, ¡°The false sun will finally fall! The true Sun God will soon be resurrected! The excess water of the oceans will be cast back out into the emptiness of space by his might! The land will return to an era of abundance and stability!¡±


    As he listened to the cultists who were clearly beginning to rave, Duncan¡¯s mind raced. He knew that these passionate cultists could not be reasoned with. What they believed in was mostly distorted and tampered information. Nevertheless, the intel they revealed was worthy of reference.


    The current sun in the sky was a fake.


    The true sun had its power usurped.


    They firmly believed that the real sun was a fallen deity and that this deity would be resurrected from blood and fire.


    They also mentioned the excess water of the ocean and an era of abundance and stability. What did these terms mean?


    Duncan¡¯s mind was flooded with thoughts. The cultists calmed down after a short while. They still remembered their business and that they were escorting an escaped sacrifice. The cultists closest to Duncan reverted to silence while the two members at the back whispered to each other.


    ¡°Do you feel that this sacrifice is weird?¡±


    ¡°He seems a bit off. I am not quite sure why.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that when this sacrifice escaped, he spent too long in the lightless underground, and his will was affected by something?¡±


    ¡°That would be great. The Lord¡¯s might can purify him.¡±


    Duncan was listening to the conversation happening behind him. His attention was especially piqued by phrases like the lightless underground. However, just as he wanted to gather more intel from their discussion, the leading black-robed figure stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°We have arrived,¡± the black-robed cultist said in a low voice as cold as ice.


    Duncan felt it was a pity he could not hear more of their conversation. However, his attention was drawn to the scene before his eyes.


    Up ahead was the end of the path. It was the intersection point of a few sewers. In this wide space that was like a small underground hall, there was actually a gathering of black-robed cultists!

 Chapter 20 - Sacrifice

    Chapter 20 Sacrifice


    The sewer system was expansive. In Duncan¡¯s eyes, it had surpassed its singular function entirely as a city sewage system. The rune-marked gas lamps everywhere in the sewer and the reinforced structures that made it suitable to serve as a shelter gave him many conjectures about this underground facility¡¯s purpose.


    No matter what the designer¡¯s original intent was for this place, one thing was abundantly clear; deep within this gigantic facility, beneath the eyes of the world above, this cold, dark place had already become the breeding ground of some evil force.


    This was the nursery of a cult that worshiped the sun in name but sent chills down people¡¯s spines.


    This intersection point of a few sewers was a vast underground space. Solid concrete pillars held up the brick-laid dome. A network of metal-cast pipes crisscrossed across the dome like a spider web. Bright gas lamps illuminated the entire space, and the crowd assembled in this gathering place.


    At a glance, several hundred people dressed in black robes gathered here in this wet and dirty place. In the center of the crowd was a raised platform. On the platform, a tall figure similarly garbed in black robes. He was clearly the highest-ranking member among them.


    This man on the raised platform did not have a hood like the others; instead, he was wearing a golden mask. The mask was bizarre. It looked like a round plate that emitted endless light in all directions. Its surface was also covered with carved crack patterns.


    Behind this masked figure was a unique totem on the raised platform. It was a tall wooden pillar. On top of it, a burning ball of fire was fixed. The fireball¡¯s core seemed to be made from some form of metal. Its surface was perforated with tiny holes, and the flames shot out from these perforations.


    When Duncan was escorted here, this was what he saw.


    The black-robed figures in this gathering place also noticed him.


    ¡°We caught an escaped sacrifice on our way here,¡± said one of the black-robed figures who escorted Duncan. He walked forward and reported this to their leader on the raised platform. His tone indicated that he was seeking a reward. He continued, ¡°This sacrifice has been dwelling in the dark for too long, so its mind is somewhat confused. Please display your might and allow the glory of the Lord to descend on this pitiful body!¡±


    The cult leader wearing a golden mask on the raised platform turned around and stared at the expressionless Duncan. In a surprised, cold tone, he commented, ¡°An escaped sacrifice?¡±


    Duncan did not respond. He merely observed his surroundings curiously, including the cult leader¡¯s golden mask and the burning fireball totem behind him.


    These symbols might appear bizarre to the ordinary people of this world. However, Duncan recognized at a glance that these things mimicked the sun.


    Not the ball of light in the sky bound in massive flames and two rings of runes, but the sun that Duncan was familiar with burnt brightly and emitted endless light.


    These people were worshiping the sun. They seemed to worship a sun that had fallen since ancient times and treated it as some deity.


    With a calm expression, Duncan raised his head and looked at the black-robed priest looking down on him. Due to his dead facial muscles, his calm face made him look like he had lost his sentience in the other party¡¯s eyes.


    The priest wearing the golden mask locked gazes with Duncan for less than two seconds before he turned around and instructed a person next to the raised platform, saying, ¡°Go check out where the sacrifices are locked up. Report back quickly.¡±


    After giving his instructions, he nodded at the black-robed figures who escorted Duncan. His words contained a hint of praise as he said, ¡°All of you have done well. Even though this is a minor contribution in the eyes of the Lord, this will also become your eternal glory when sunlight once again shines upon everything.¡±


    Even with this mild, routine compliment, the black-robed figures appeared to have received tremendous praise. One by one, they were riled up, praising the true Sun God as they pushed Duncan up to the raised platform. Only then did the masked priest speak to Duncan, saying, ¡°O poor man who has gone astray, have you felt the deep cold among the lightless rocks and soil?¡±


    Duncan did not understand what the priest was saying at all. He could only silently look back at the latter. The priest was also clearly uninterested in the reaction of the sacrifice before him. His words were not directed at Duncan but rather at the surrounding crowd of believers and the Sun God he believed in.


    He continued, ¡°Cold and darkness are the sufferings left behind in this world by the false sun. Under the rule of the false sun, the dark sea ravaged the world. There were only small, scattered landmasses for life to scrape by on. Even on these landmasses, it was difficult for people to escape suffering. The shadows of the old days are still entrenched underground. In the lightless caves, their gnawing claws wiggle. The land was filled with hate and conflict. The breath of the evil god tainted the pure souls of humans.¡±


    He asked the crowd, ¡°How could we stand such suffering for so long? How could we stand such a twisted absurdity of a world under the false sun?¡±


    ¡°We cannot. We only wish for the Lord to return, for the true Sun God to once again descend upon the world with blood and burning flames to restore order and prosperity back into the world!¡±


    Instigated by the very provocative tone of this masked priest, Duncan could clearly sense the atmosphere of the gathering place change. The cultists dressed in black robes were riled up one by one. At first, they went along with what the priest said. They soon became fervent cries as they chanted, ¡°We only wish for the true Sun God to once again descend upon the world with blood and burning flames!¡±


    The priest on the raised platform said loudly, ¡°We only wish for the true Sun God to once again descend upon the world.¡± He then pointed at Duncan and continued, ¡°Today, the Lord will draw closer to awakening from his slumber. The fresh blood of the lost will tend to the wounds of the sun after its fall!¡±


    ¡°Bring up the sacrifice!¡±


    A few black-robed figures swarmed out from the side. However, Duncan was even quicker than they were. Without anyone pushing him, he climbed onto the altar.


    Even though this temporary body was not easy to move in, he could still climb onto a platform.


    After he climbed up, he came before the masked priest. The latter maintained his imposing and mysterious manner from when he gave orders. The change had occurred too quickly. Due to the way events unfolded beyond his previous experience, this cult leader could not react instantly. He exchanged glances with Duncan through his golden mask. It became bizarrely quiet around the altar all of a sudden.


    Duncan ignored the change in the surrounding atmosphere. He merely felt that he had gathered even more intel about this world. He was looking forward to seeing more rare sights before this temporary body expired.


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Duncan as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. Listening very carefully, he asked, ¡°Then? What will the next step be?¡±


    The masked priest was speechless.


    ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± asked Duncan as he frowned. However, because of his rigid facial muscles, his face didn¡¯t frown. He repeated, ¡°I said, what comes after that?¡±


    The priest finally reacted this time. Although he had a mask on, a confused look had clearly flashed past in his eyes momentarily. However, he quickly suppressed it. He then said in a low voice, ¡°The shadows in the darkness have indeed affected your mind. Nevertheless, do not worry. The almighty sun will end your suffering. Bring the sacrifice before the totem!¡±


    Two black-robed figures immediately came up to the raised platform from the sides. They dragged Duncan by his elbows towards the totem with a fireball at the top. Duncan did not quite understand this step, so he naturally had no way of cooperating in advance. However, he still maintained an unresisting state. Clamped between the two black-robed figures, he obediently stood below the burning fireball.


    Even though Duncan did not resist, the two black-robed figures clamped down on his elbows with extreme force. It was as though they feared that he would struggle intensely at the last moment. They were abnormally strong. Duncan even felt the bones of his temporary body split apart slowly in their grasp. He gave the two black-robed figures strange glances.


    Next, the masked priest walked toward him once again.


    Duncan¡¯s attention was immediately drawn toward him. He saw the priest take a uniquely designed dagger from his chest pocket. The dagger was strangely curved like a shriveled section of a finger. The blade was ink black, as though it was made of obsidian. The light of the fireball totem was reflected on the blade¡¯s surface and appeared bizarre and extraordinary.


    Duncan secretly prepared to sever his astral projection. He knew this was as much intel as he could gather with his temporary body.


    The cult priest¡¯s prayers resonated atop the raised platform, ¡°Almighty Sun God! Please accept this sacrifice! I offer up this sacrifice¡¯s heart. May you return in blood and fire!¡±


    Duncan immediately paused in terminating his astral projection. He looked at the cult priest before him as though he was a fool.

 Chapter 21 - A Successful Ritual

    Chapter 21 A Successful Ritual


    After hearing the content of the cult priest¡¯s prayer, Duncan immediately halted the process of canceling his astral projection to return to the Lost Home.


    The captain dumbfoundedly looked at the masked priest who had just completed the fanatic prayer. The dagger that seemed to be carved out of obsidian was raised high up in the priest¡¯s hands. The cultists around the sacrificial altar cheered enthusiastically as they recited the name of their ¡®lord,¡± the legendary ¡°True Sun God,¡± who had fallen and broken into pieces a long time ago.


    They wanted to offer the ¡°sacrifice¡± to the Sun God. More specifically, they were going to provide the sacrifice¡¯s heart.


    Duncan finally understood where the painful cries in the cave originated from. He also learned of the sins that those zealous cultists had committed.


    He then saw the masked priest take a step toward him. The priest raised the obsidian dagger, and a black flame appeared on the blade.


    The interesting supernatural phenomenon managed to pique Duncan¡¯s interest. He wondered if the dagger was also an ¡°abnormality¡± and if the priest was also a ¡°special human¡± who could control the supernatural power. He thought about how many unique humans actually existed in civilized societies and what their roles would be.


    At the same time, he expressionlessly watched as the dagger burning in black flame pierced his chest, making the sound of a blade piercing through a few layers of cloth.


    The flame burned beneath the cloth, but it didn¡¯t burn anything.


    The fireball burning on top of the totem behind him suddenly made an uncomfortable crackling sound. There was even a hint of unpitched sound that sounded like someone was screaming in pain. Duncan could faintly feel something starting to spread from the fireball. It was cold to ¡°touch.¡± He was having a hard time describing the feeling. It wasn¡¯t only because the sense of the body he had temporarily possessed had a muted reaction but also because it was not something he had felt before. However, he did understand one thing. In the supernatural world, the priest performing the sacrificial ritual was in trouble.


    The mutation that represented the sun on the totem immediately caught the attention of the cultists in the vicinity. There were a few gasps, and the room quieted down from the excited cheers. Even the two men in black robes, grabbing Duncan¡¯s arms tightly, looked as if they were stunned by something. They loosened their grips out of fear and immediately knelt in front of the totem. Even the priest, still holding the obsidian dagger, was frozen in his spot. The blade was still tightly in his hand, but he was now staring at the face of his ¡°sacrifice.¡± Duncan could see the confusion in his eyes through the holes in the mask.


    Duncan forcefully moved his paralyzed lips and managed to form a terrifying grin. He slowly raised his right hand and rested it on the priest¡¯s hand holding the dagger. The green flame started to flow from him like water onto the dagger.


    Almost instantly, Duncan could feel the ¡°feedback¡± from the dagger. However, weirdly enough, the feedback was weak and hollow. It was as if the dagger was a cheap imitation, a hollow shell with a hint of ¡°borrowed power.¡±


    However, whether the dagger was real or, an imitation didn¡¯t matter much to him.


    He smiled at the priest and slowly said, ¡°There are two things I want to say.¡±


    The next second, the priest could feel that an external force suddenly interrupted the connection between him and the obsidian dagger. It was as if his fanatic belief in the Sun God had unexpectedly run into an unbreakable wall and was cut off.


    ¡°First, I have a kind heart. Look at how kind I


    am.¡±


    Duncan ripped the cloth already torn by the dagger and exposed a shocking hole. Through the hole, the priest that hosted the ritual could see what was behind Duncan.


    ¡°Second, try not to feed your human sacrifices expired food.¡±


    Duncan gently pushed the priest back. He had no idea why the priest looked weak after the green flame had surrounded the obsidian dagger, to the point where the weak body that Duncan had possessed could easily push the tall and strong priest back.


    It wasn¡¯t until he was pushed back that the priest finally regained his wits. Fear and anger filled his head. With his body trembling, he raised his hand to point at Duncan and yelled at the top of his lung as if he was trying to calm the cultists down. ¡°You! You reincarnated filth! How dare you stain this holy sacrificial ritual! W-who¡¯s the necromancer behind this? Are you not afraid of the Sun God¡¯s power?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Duncan replied as he looked at the obsidian dagger in his hand that had been giving him feedback. He then raised his head to look at the priest in front of him. With the crackling sound still coming from the totem, he suddenly had a bold and excellent but unusual idea. ¡°You know what? I have the sudden urge to satisfy a curiosity of mine.¡±


    He then raised the obsidian dagger high up. With the panicked cultists in black robes watching, he pointed at the priest and yelled, ¡°Oh! Supreme Sun God! Please accept this sacrifice on the altar. I offer you his heart! I pray that you return from blood and fire!¡±


    The flame on the obsidian dagger rose, and the totem¡¯s cold sensation suddenly retracted. Duncan could see the fear in the priest¡¯s eyes under the mask. He wanted to leave the altar immediately, but the dagger was faster.


    The dagger flew out of Duncan¡¯s hand as if an invisible force guided it. With the black flame and a hint of green flame surrounding the blade, it stabbed the priest in his heart. The head of the cult let out a loud cry of pain before a hole appeared in his chest, and his heart was turned into ashes in almost an instant.


    The dagger then returned to Duncan¡¯s hand. It flew out of his hand and back in just a few seconds. The little to no power inside of it had been depleted.


    There were only two people on the altar. One had a heart, and the other didn¡¯t. Since the evil god wanted to feast on a human heart, there was only one that would lose their heart, the only one with his heart still intact.


    Despite coming to that logical conclusion, everything still went much more smoothly than he had expected. He did not expect the idea he got on a whim would actually work. After the priest had fallen dead, he glanced at the totem that had quieted down. ¡°So, he takes any hearts as long as it¡¯s offered to him?¡± he mumbled.


    Naturally, the fireball on the totem would not reply to his question. However, a few cultists around the altar had finally regained their wits. A considerable panic was unavoidable, but among the chaos, a few zealous cultists expressed their anger, an anger that overshadowed their fear of the unnatural occurrence from the totem.


    The closest to the altar shouted their god¡¯s name and charged toward Duncan. The action of these courageous cultists inspired others to follow suit¡ªa group of people dressed in black robes charged as if they had lost their minds. A few even took out the dagger and short sword they had brought.


    Duncan had planned to say, ¡°I¡¯ll sacrifice all the hearts on the altar to the Sun God¡± to test the appetite of the evil god, but when he spotted a few of the cultists having revolvers in their hands, he decided not to do that. He considered the time it took for the ritual to happen and the principle of ¡°accurate and haste within seven steps,¡± he showed the cultists a middle finger without hesitation and cut off the projection.


    ¡°They can go wild. I¡¯m heading back to Lost Home.¡± He grinned.


    At the same time, on the vast ocean, rhythmic footsteps could be heard on the deck of Lost Home.


    The puppet, Alice, left her room in her long gothic dress and headed to the captain¡¯s cabin.


    This time, the elegant wooden box did not follow the puppet. She left it in the room instead.


    The captain had said that she could move freely among the cabins below the main deck. She could also roam around the main deck, and if she had any questions, she could look for the captain in his cabin.


    Alice clearly remembered that.

 Chapter 22 - Rules

    Chapter 22 Rules


    Alice stopped in front of the captain¡¯s cabin door.


    The puppet lady raised her head and looked at the heavy black oak door. She noticed that on top of the frame was the carving of a sentence. ¡°Door of the lost.¡±


    There was no surprise that such a sentence would be carved on top of the door to the captain¡¯s cabin, but Alice still frowned. The thing she was curious about was not the door but why she could read the words.


    She had no memory of learning how to read, to be more precise, she had no memory of ever learning anything. She also could not remember ever spending time outside or even talking to another person. That was why she was confused as to why she had knowledge of the language she was reading.


    She could understand the words and even knew the purpose of everything that was placed inside the cabin. These were things that she would not be able to understand just by listening to other people¡¯s conversations while lying inside the coffin. ¡°Where did I learn these from?¡± she asked herself in her head.


    Up until that moment, Alice had never thought of such a question. However, after conversing with ¡°Captain Duncan¡±, the emotion of ¡°curiosity¡± suddenly appeared inside the puppet¡¯s calm mind.


    She thought about it and realized that the change had happened as soon as Duncan asked her about the origin of her name, Alice. The second he asked, she started to question many things that she thought were natural. She tried to remember the origin of her name, and then it felt as if something in her head had shifted.


    Alice had no idea if the change was good or bad, but she didn¡¯t like the feeling of not knowing. That was why she quickly shook her head and left the questions aside. She calmed herself down in front of the door before putting her hand on the handle and pushing the door forward.


    The door didn¡¯t move.


    Alice was stunned for a second. She tried to push again, but the wooden door felt as if it had been bolted down.


    Just as she wanted to try again, a hoarse and deep voice came from inside the cabin. It sounded as if it came from inside a tree. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ll have to pull on the door.¡±


    As it wasn¡¯t Captain Duncan¡¯s voice, it made Alice jump back a little. She was able to quickly recover and hurried reply with an ¡°oh¡±. She then pulled on the door and easily opened it.


    It was only then she recalled that the captain did pull the door open in the past when he brought her to the cabin.


    In the end, the knowledge in her head was still knowledge, not experience. Slumbering inside the coffin for too long had caused her to lack experience in survival. Alice reflected on that before carefully peeking her head into the cabin.


    There was no one inside the cabin. The prominent map table quietly sat under the light with the chart covered by a thin fog. Another thing on the table¡¯s edge was a black wooden goat head. It was slowly turning around and looked at the puppet with her obsidian eyes.


    ¡°Please, come on in. The captain is still busy. Ye can wait for him inside here,¡± the goat head said. It sounded more polite than Alice had thought. ¡°However, I would have to warn ye not to peek your head in to check the surrounding like what ye just did. It would make a sensitive being here on board the Lost Home feel like it was being hated on. It¡¯ll be trouble to calm it down. Also, if your head drops, I won¡¯t have the hands to help you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s talking! The wood head is really talking!¡± Alice exclaimed in her head.


    She had heard about it from the captain before, that the goat head on the table could talk, but she was still surprised by how much the goat head was speaking. It took her a while to reply, ¡°Ahh¡­ Okay. My head doesn¡¯t fall off that easily. I even made sure that¡­ Wait. Did you just say that there¡¯s a sensitive¡­ Could it be that there are other¡­¡±


    It was only then Alice noticed the information from the goat head¡¯s words. She got anxious right away and started to scan her surrounding. At that moment, she felt as if everything inside the captain¡¯s cabin, and even the entire Lost Home, had started to shake. They had become ¡°weird objects¡± like the weird goat head. The goat¡¯s voice then entered her ears. ¡°Is that even that surprising? Ye need a lot of manpower to run a huge ship like this. Do ye really expect the great and almighty Cap¡¯n Duncan will scrub the deck himself?¡±


    The goat head¡¯s words made a lot of sense. Alice¡¯s mind that had just woken up felt as if something was off with that, but after thinking hard and coming to no answer, she could only nod. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ So, there are a lot of objects like you on this ship?¡±


    e new


    ¡°There¡¯s only one loyal first mate on this ship. The rest aren¡¯t that bright. Ye don¡¯t even have to consider having a conversation with them. They have no interest in talking with other people.¡± The goat head interrupted Alice. ¡°However, considering that ye are new on this ship, it¡¯s normal that ye don¡¯t know the norms around here. As Cap¡¯n Duncan¡¯s first mate and second mate¡­ it¡¯s me responsibility to let you know the basic knowledge to survive on this ship since it¡¯s not right for cap¡¯n to do this. Miss, are ye ready?¡±


    Alice listened to the goat head dumbfoundedly. She had already forgotten her original goal of entering the captain¡¯s cabin. All she could think at that moment was how much the goat head could talk at once. It had already started to lead the conversation, especially after telling her all its titles. At that moment, all she could do was instinctively nod. ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ I see¡­ Okay¡­ Uh-huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. Next are the rules and regulations that every person on this ship should know. This will help newcomers like ye get used to the new surroundings and accept Cap¡¯n Duncan¡¯s protection on this vast ocean¡­¡±


    It was clear that the goat head was satisfied with Alice¡¯s reply. As it continued to speak, it shook its head and sounded glad.


    ¡°First, Cap¡¯n Duncan is the supreme lord of this ship. Everything the cap¡¯n said is always correct. The cap¡¯n¡¯s judgment is always right.


    ¡°Second, we can only move in regions that the cap¡¯n has allowed us to. Ye must not enter other regions unless the cap¡¯n allows it. Just pretend that those regions do not exist.


    ¡°Third, if ye entered the forbidden area and managed to make it out alive, ye must stay there and wait for the cap¡¯n to take you back. Either that or ye wait for ye death. Ye must not come back on ye own accord because ye won¡¯t be returning to the Lost Home.


    ¡°Fourth, the Lost Home is always on the right course. Ye shall not question the cap¡¯n¡¯s plan. If ye notice that the Lost Home¡¯s surrounding is not the same as what ye have expected, or if ye realize that the Lost Home has sailed into ¡®deeper¡¯ regions, it¡¯s all part of the plan.


    ¡°Fifth, the cap¡¯n will leave the ship from time to time and might not come back right away. The Lost Home will continue its voyage, but no one is allowed near the helm. The helm system will lack a sense of security when Cap¡¯n Duncan isn¡¯t around. The ropes at the poop deck will strangle anyone who shows the intention of ¡®treason¡¯.


    ¡°Sixth, there are only and only six basic rules on the Lost Home.


    ¡°Seventh, ye pull on the cap¡¯n¡¯s door to open from the outside.¡±


    It sounded as if it wasn¡¯t the first time the goat head had briefed a newcomer about Lost Home. Everything it said came out smoothly, but Alice was a little confused about the last two rules. ¡°Umm¡­ Mr. Goat Head, about the sixth rule¡­¡±


    ¡°The sixth rule is that there are six basic rules on this ship,¡± the goat head replied immediately without hesitation.


    Alice started to wonder whether she or the ¡°first mate¡± in front of her had a screw loose or not. ¡°But, didn¡¯t you mention the seventh rule?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The seventh rule is that you open the door with a pull from the outside,¡± the goat head naturally answered.


    Alice looked at the black goat head dumbfoundedly, starting to wonder if her brain was working right or not. However, she quickly realized that she did not have a brain. ¡°Umm¡­ Isn¡¯t there a contradiction?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no contradiction.¡±


    Alice opened her mouth as she heard the goat head¡¯s determined answer and looked at the obsidian eyes. However, she swallowed the question back.

 Chapter 23

    Chatper 23 Bird


    Alice wasn¡¯t well-versed in the norms of the world.


    However, from the hints of fear and anxiousness that she could hear from the small talks between the nervous sailors tasked with shipping abnormalities when she was lying inside the coffin, she still had a basic understanding of ¡°things that were out of the norm.¡±


    If something that wasn¡¯t normal still happened, ensuring one was safe and maintaining a safe distance before studying and analyzing the situation was the way of survival.


    Alice was still confused as to why she was labeled ¡°Abnormality 099,¡± as she didn¡¯t know what she was actually capable of or what she had done in the past to make the humans so wary of her. She had no idea what a typical mindset for an ¡°abnormality¡± with sentience was, but at that moment, she was thinking like a human.


    Since the goat head said there were six rules, it meant there were six. However, it did mention the seventh rule, and all Alice did was just memorized that as well.


    But, there was still a question lingering in her head, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I tried to push the door from outside earlier and can confirm that the door only opens with a pull, but why is that a part of the rules?¡±


    The wooden goat head silently looked into Alice¡¯s eyes. After two seconds of silence, it spoke in a short and simple sentence for the first time. ¡°Sometimes, it can be pushed open.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°If ye see the door is opened towards the inside, never go into it. Only the cap¡¯n has the right to walk through that door.¡±


    That was the first time the goat head had used such a serious tone with a hint of warning in his voice. It wasn¡¯t even that serious when he talked about the rules.


    Alice was a little shocked by the goat head¡¯s sudden seriousness.


    Yet, its tone returned to the normal lively one as if the last few seconds did not happen. ¡°Alrighty. That¡¯s the end of the introduction for newcomers. Let¡¯s talk about something else¡­ That¡¯s right. Miss, why are ye here in the captain¡¯s cabin? If ye are asking about some installations that ye don¡¯t know how to use, then there¡¯s no need to trouble the cap¡¯n. If ye want someone to talk to, ye can come to me. I¡¯m good at talking, and I know a lot about the achievements of the Lost Home¡­ You aren¡¯t interested in that? Then I can introduce you to the famous foods of the boundless sea. I¡¯m also quite well-versed in cooking¡­¡±


    The goat head went into its talkative mode again. Alice didn¡¯t even have the chance to interrupt it. It was too late for her to get out when she finally realized she was already stuck in it.


    The Abnormality 099, the puppet Alice, had run into the most terrifying thing after Captain Duncan.


    At the same time, in the bed chamber next to the cabin, Duncan silently listened to the conversation through the wall.


    He had just woken up. His soul had just returned from a faraway empty body to the Lost Home. He did not hear the initial conversation between the goat head and Alice, but he did overhear the rules that his first mate had mentioned and the talk about opening the door to the captain¡¯s cabin. It was a piece of important information that he did not expect to receive.


    Before Duncan could even digest the information he had received from the cultist, he got another one from the conversation between Alice and the goat head. Everything was essential to him, whether it was the weird rules or the hidden meaning in the goat head¡¯s words.


    Just as he had thought, the goat head knew about him returning to the ¡°other side¡± when he pushed the door in. To him, he was just returning to the studio apartment room, but to the Lost Home, it meant that the captain had ¡°temporarily¡± left the ship.


    The goat head wasn¡¯t even suspicious of that action and even treated it as something that Captain Duncan usually did.


    That only meant that the ¡°real Captain Duncan¡± used to push the door inwards and headed toward another mysterious ¡°world.¡± Not only that, but it had happened many times to the point where the goat head was used to it and even became part of the rules for the crews of the Lost Home.


    It was great news for Duncan as he didn¡¯t have to worry much when he returned to the ¡°other side¡±. Even if the ship had a new member, he could still openly disappear with that method and did not need to worry about others following him and discovering his secret.


    On the other side, a new worry appeared for him. It had something to do with the 6+1 rules that the goat head had mentioned.


    ¡°What do the rules mean? What¡¯s the reason for making such weird, dangerous, and conflicting rules? Why do a few of them sound like they are made to emphasize the captain¡¯s authority? Then, again, those strict restrictions sound more like they are meant for the crews to survive in a certain dangerous situation. Those established rules are to help the crews avoid unwanted and hidden dangers,¡± he thought.


    Duncan frowned as he pondered the danger that was mentioned in the rules. From the content of the rules, he could tell that the ¡°captain¡± was most likely the only person with complete freedom and all access to the ship. It seemed like he didn¡¯t have to worry about the ¡°hidden dangers¡± on the ship. It also looked like he was the one who established where the danger areas were, but the only problem was that it could only apply to the real ¡°Captain Duncan¡±.


    That was the most worrying part for him.


    However, he reminded himself of his exploration of the Lost Home and that he could move freely about the entire ship.


    The goat head had never reminded him of the ship¡¯s rules and had always treated him as the real Captain Duncan. He had never run into any ¡°weird danger¡± before, and it was impossible that a second ¡°captain¡± would suddenly appear out of nowhere to limit him.


    From that, it was clear that the dangers mentioned in the ¡°rules¡± did not apply to him, and he didn¡¯t have to worry about it.


    Duncan let out a sigh of relief and continued to eavesdrop on the conversation in the next room.


    Half a minute later, he cursed at himself for not having the ability to make himself deaf for a while.


    The trash-talking puppet and the talkative goat head had started their conversation and it was clear that the latter had the upper hand. Its endless words were like the waves from the boundless sea hitting the ship¡¯s side where even the one who wasn¡¯t in the conversation couldn¡¯t bear to hear it talking any longer.


    His first reaction was to think he had to find a way to save the puppet. Alice, who lacked social experience, could not face the goat head. Yet, after a moment of hesitation, Duncan decided not to do that.


    He had just completed a magical ¡°soul journey¡± and there was too much information and experience that he needed to sort. He needed to know what really happened to him and find out if he could control the process or not. From the current situation, projecting his mind to other places would be the best option for him to collect information on the lands.


    Under normal circumstances, he needed to worry whether the goat head would pay too much attention to him when he tried to research his new power inside the bed chamber. However, Alice was there to stall it; that was the best thing he could ever ask for.


    Duncan silently apologized to the puppet and looked at his right hand. His expression stiffened up right away.


    The brass compass that was a little bigger than a pocket watch was gone.


    He still clearly remembered himself holding it tightly in his hand not long ago.


    Duncan was in awe as he didn¡¯t realize the changes that had happened in his hand. Such a careless mistake was the first for him ever since he arrived on the weird ghost ship.


    The next second, he imagined grabbing something in his right hand and green flames began to appear in the gap between his fingers. He then stood up from the chair and was ready to use the connection between his spirit flame to the supernatural objects to check if there were any signs of abnormality in the bed chamber.


    However, the moment he got up, he suddenly froze. A slight connection had appeared deep down in his heart and he subconsciously turned to look at where it came from. In the corner of his eyes, he caught an illusion-like feather floating down.


    Duncan looked at where the feather landed. A phantom quickly appeared and manifested in front of him. It only took the phantom two to three seconds to gather and become snow-white¡­


    A snow-white dove.


    The lost brass compass was hung on its neck and a familiar obsidian dagger lay next to its leg.

 Chapter 24 - A Dove

    Chapter 24 A Dove


    The snow-white dove stood on the table, and on its neck was the brass compass that Duncan had been looking for. There was also a familiar obsidian dagger sitting next to its legs.


    Duncan looked at the dove a little dumbfoundedly and the dove stared back at him with the same expression.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to see the expression a bird was making, but Duncan could not explain why he could understand the dove¡¯s expression. Not only could he understand it, but he could also see a hint of intelligence in the dove¡¯s red eyes. The dove kept staring at him with its pea-sized eyes, but when Duncan stared back, one of its eyes continued to look at him while the other started to look at the ceiling before moving about to scan the room. ¡°A¡­ dove?¡±


    After a few seconds, Duncan finally managed to mumble as his lips twitched.


    ¡°Why a dove? Why would a dove suddenly appear? And why is my brass compass hung over its neck? How did that dagger get here?¡± he thought.


    In the end, he concluded everything in one sentence. ¡°Is it impossible for something normal to happen on this abnormal ship?¡±


    Just as Duncan¡¯s head was filled with questions, the dove that had been dazing off finally ¡°woke up¡±. It took two steps toward Duncan and once it was in front of him, it reached its head out and cooed brightly.


    Duncan looked at the bird speechlessly. Many different pirate captain images appeared inside his head and he looked at the captain uniform he was wearing. ¡°I mean, having a bird accompanying the captain seems like the standard in movies, but isn¡¯t it usually a parrot? What the heck is with this dove?¡±


    Once the dove heard that, it suddenly nodded as if it understood him and spoke in a weird and stiff female voice. ¡°Transfer complete!¡±


    That immediately stopped Duncan from mumbling and he felt like his saliva suddenly choked him. He stared at the white dove with his eyes widened, completely dumbfounded.


    He recalled the first time he stepped onto the boat. It was the same reaction he had when he met with the wooden goat head that could talk inside the captain¡¯s cabin.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t his first time on the Lost Home anymore. He was already used to all the strange occurrences in the new world. That was why he was only briefly surprised by the talking dove and was able to quickly recover from that. His expression turned serious as the green spirit flame flickered in his hand. He looked at the dove with caution and asked, ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    The dove tilted its head. It looked at Duncan with one of its eyes and the ceiling with the other. ¡°Incorrect address. Please double-check the address or contact the system manager.¡±


    A lot of question marks appeared inside Duncan¡¯s head.


    Unlike the dumbfounded expression he made, he was shocked and excited.


    The things the dove had said weren¡¯t something that would make sense in the new world. Those weren¡¯t words that the goat head or the cultist would understand. Instead, they were terms that the earthling ¡°Zhou Ming¡¯ was familiar with.


    Yet, the dove did not notice the changes in Duncan¡¯s expression. It nibbed its feather and shook the brass compass hung over its neck before casually walking on the table.


    After taking a few steps, it jogged to the obsidian dagger and moved it toward Duncan. It then spoke in the same weird female voice. ¡°Take this Solar War Ax to obtain the glory of battles!¡±


    Duncan suddenly got up from his chair. His movement was so sudden that it sent the chair flying back and made a loud creak as it scraped through the wooden floor. He glared at the calm-looking dove as a weird and comical emotion filled his head.


    The dove was not something from the Lost Home. To be more precise, it was not something from this world.


    The sentence that it said was something that only ¡°Zhou Ming¡± would understand.


    Perhaps his sudden action was too loud and could be heard from the next room. The goat head suddenly spoke to him through telepathy. ¡°Cap¡¯n, are ye alright?¡±.


    Duncan did not move his gaze away from the dove. He knew the goat head did not have the nerve to look into what was happening inside his chamber. He replied in his usual low and calm voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Miss Alice wants to speak to you. Should I¡­¡±


    ¡°Help me keep her company for now.¡± ¡°Aye, Cap¡¯n.¡±


    Duncan sighed and turned to look at the door that led toward the sea chart room.


    The goat head continued to talk to Alice. The puppet tried to leave a few times but was stopped by the wooden carving. Duncan knew he had to save the unfortunate puppet, but he had a more pressing matter to attend to.


    ¡°Sorry, Alice¡­¡± he silently apologized.


    Duncan returned to the table and was ready to test if he could normally converse with the dove. It was then he realized something that he had not noticed before.


    The spirit flame flickering in his right hand had faintly extended itself to a long ¡°flame string. The burning string was like a strand of long hair that spanned more than a dozen centimeters long before disappearing into nothingness.


    The exact string made out of the green flame was on the dove¡¯s body. It was very well hidden underneath its wing. The other end also expanded for a few centimeters and disappeared.


    Duncan frowned and raised his right hand. As the flame flickered, the dove on the table suddenly disappeared.


    In the next instance, it reappeared on his shoulder. It lowered its head a little too nimble on Duncan¡¯s hair while cooing brightly.


    Duncan then flicked his finger, and the dove on his shoulder teleported back to the table.


    The brass compass still hung on the bird¡¯s neck and its shining exterior was now enveloped in the green flame.


    was now


    Duncan frowned even more. ¡°Is it connected to that compass?¡±


    He was now sure that the dove had some connection to him. It was a type of connection stronger than his connection to the Lost Home. That would explain why the bird knew of ¡°knowledge¡± that only he would know, knowledge of Earth. However, he couldn¡¯t explain why the dove had suddenly appeared.


    After a long ponder, he could only set his sight on the strange brass compass.


    From the time he started testing the spirit flame up until then, every abnormal event that had happened originated from the compass. From his experience of soul traveling to possessing a dead body and then to the disappearance of the compass that reappeared on the dove¡¯s neck, the compass was the source.


    After staring at the dove for a while, Duncan reached his hand out for the compass.


    He wanted to take it and study it.


    The dove did not run away or try to stop him. However, Duncan¡¯s finger could not touch the compass and went through it, feeling the soft feather of the dove instead.


    It was as if his fingers had passed through a projection.


    The dove hopped a couple of times as if it felt a little ticklish from the touch. It suddenly opened its mouth to talk. ¡°Today is KFC¡¯s Crazy Thursday! 50% discount¡­¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes twitched a little, and he tried again only to confirm that removing the compass from the dove was impossible. It seemed like the thing had undergone some change and had become an illusion-like object tied to the dove. It was impossible to touch or remove it.


    Another reason would be that the dove was the true form of the compass.


    There were a lot of guesses that Duncan wasn¡¯t even sure if they were right or not. The only thing he could confirm was that the appearance of the dove was connected to ¡°soul travel¡± that he had experienced by using the brass compass. The compass could¡¯ve changed its appearance at the same time as that event happened.


    Perhaps that was the feature of the brass compass, an ability it had as a type of ¡°abnormality,¡± or to be more precise, it was the ¡°price¡± to pay for using it. As for the malfunctioning dove, it wasn¡¯t because of the compass but because of the Earthling ¡°Zhou Ming¡±.


    There was no way Duncan could prove all his speculations unless he could find an instruction manual for abnormalities onboard the Lost Home.


    Now, the problem that he had to solve was how to handle the strange dove.


    After a while, he decided to give the dove a name first.


    a


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to name you,¡± he said to the dove in a serious tone as he gently tapped the table with his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m sure you understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡±


    The dove tilted its head and its two pea-size eyes fleetingly looked at him. ¡°Aye?¡±

 Chapter 25 - Hard to Communicate

    Chapter 25 Hard to Communicate


    The dove tilted its head and thought that Duncan did not hear what it had said. It then said its name in an even more clear and louder voice. ¡°Ai!¡±


    Duncan finally understood what the bird meant. ¡°Are you saying that your name is


    Ai?¡±


    The dove proudly nodded and strolled on the table happily.


    Duncan could not help but rub his temple. He felt conversing with the bird would be harder than with the goat head. The hardest part was the linguistic style that the dove was using. ¡°Do you know how you are born? Or¡­ do you know how you come here?¡±


    The dove thought for a while as its two eyes looked in two different directions. ¡°Error! This page has failed to load! Please refresh!¡±


    Duncan looked at the dove speechlessly again.


    He realized that he could not understand what the dove was thinking about. He wasn¡¯t even sure if what it had just said a moment ago was tied to his question.


    However, he was sure that the bird could think and was earnestly conversing with him.


    The only problem was it had a unique way of ¡°conversing.¡±


    Duncan then exchanged a few sentences with the dove that called itself ¡°Ai,¡± The conversation did not differ far from the previous one, where they sounded like they minded their own business. If one were to say that they were conversing with each other, others would argue that there was not a single connection between their sentences. On the other hand, the dove would always reply to Duncan¡¯s questions to the point where some answers sounded legit.


    Having not made any progress after the conversation, Duncan could only frown and complain, ¡°What the freaking heck is this¡­¡±


    He felt it would take him a long time to understand the dove; in the meantime, he still had to deal with the talkative goat head.


    The dove sat on the table before the captain and blinked its eyes innocently. It would occasionally tell him bout the 50% discount.


    Duncan didn¡¯t mind the bird¡¯s weird way of talking and started to rub the flame between his fingers. There was one thing he had confirmed. Even though the brass compass had merged with the dove in front of him, fundamentally, it was still an ¡°abnormal item¡± he could control.


    As the green spirit flame on his hand grew stronger, the flame between Ai¡¯s feathers also burned brightly. The brass compass in front of its chest opened with a loud snap. Under the transparent glass, the phantom-like needle started to slow down under Duncan¡¯s will. The mysterious symbols on the compass face also began to burn with the flame.


    Ai didn¡¯t even show any reaction to the process. It was as if it was bathing in the spirit flame awaiting Duncan¡¯s order.


    Before the brass compass was fully activated, Duncan put out the flame.


    After the short test, Duncan came to a conclusion.


    ¡°The compass is still functional. It only has a new and weird ¡®medium¡¯ now. I¡¯m not sure what ability the dove has yet, or how it can help¡­


    ¡°I also don¡¯t fully understand the compass yet. It¡¯s best not to do a second ¡®travel¡¯ until I¡¯m fully prepared¡­ I¡¯ll have to take note of the changes happening on the dove and the compass next time¡­


    ¡°The dove and I are connected. The connection will deepen even further when I activate the spirit flame to the point where I can control where the dove appears¡­ However, that¡¯s all I can do¡­


    ¡°It is clear that Ai has her own will. She can move wherever she wants and won¡¯t follow all my commands. That is different from the ¡®objects¡¯ on the Lost Home.


    ¡°She can speak, so she must have the ability to think and to judge a question¡­ Compared to other abnormal objects, Ai is more similar to Goat Head.¡±


    Duncan concluded that all in his head with all the information he had gathered. After that, he rested his sight on the obsidian dagger.


    Its hilt looked like a mummified finger, while its black blade was shiny.


    That was the same dagger that the priest who wore a golden sun mask and was hosting an evil sacrificial ritual in the sewer had used. Judging from that, Duncan could tell it was a ¡°ritual dagger.¡± Duncan had projected his soul to the gathering at the City State of Pland. Only his soul had returned from there, which was why he believed that everything only happened over there and nothing would follow him back. Yet, the dagger was now sitting on the table before him.


    After a moment of hesitation, he reached his hand out to pick the dagger up.


    He could feel the cold and hard hilt from his hand and confirmed that it was an actual object.


    Duncan then let out a hint of the green flame to envelop the entire dagger. From the void he could feel, the power inside the dagger seemed to have been depleted.


    Just as he had concluded at the ritual, the dagger was not a real ¡°abnormal item¡± but the side product of something powerful or a temporary item that had power fused into it through a human method.


    Although Duncan had yet to understand the system of ¡°abnormal items¡± in the world, he was sure that the dagger wasn¡¯t rare and even thought it was a mass-produced item.


    ¡°Did you bring this back?¡± He raised his head to look at Ai, resting on the table, and swung the dagger in his hand. ¡°Is it for me?¡±


    The dove looked at him with its red eyes without moving. It wasn¡¯t reacting to his question.


    Duncan was confused.


    He asked the question once again, and the dove remained silent. It was as if it had suddenly become a lifeless statue.


    The sudden changes made Duncan frown slightly again. Just as he was about to use the spirit flame to see if he could forcefully wake it up, the dove suddenly came ¡°alive¡± again. It did a couple of hops and said, ¡°Take the Solar Battle Ax! Take the Solar Battle Ax! Take the¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine! Fine! I get it. You don¡¯t have to reply to all the same questions, geez¡­¡± Duncan waved his hand and forced the dove to quiet down as he tried to structure his next question. ¡°Then, do you know how you brought this dagger here? Or, more precisely, can you bring an actual object from the soul travel?¡±


    After a short pause, the dove lowered its head to peck Duncan¡¯s finger. ¡°Special offer! Free shipping!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s just say that I understood that.¡±


    Duncan let out another sigh. He was already at his limit on conversing with the bird.


    He then stood up and turned to look towards the sea chart chamber.


    The friendly conversation between the goat head and Alice was still going on.


    It had been a long time since the puppet last spoke, but the goat head had just begun to talk about the 17 ways to stew seaweeds.


    Duncan felt that he had to go and save his only (and most normal-looking) crew.


    He had also been staying inside the bed chamber for too long. He had also made some suspicious commotion too. He was sure that he had to head to the sea chart chamber so that the goat head would not get worried.


    Before he left, he looked at Ai, still running around on the table.


    ¡°Do I take her out with me? How should I explain this?¡± he thought.


    After two seconds of hesitation, he grabbed the dove and put it on his shoulder.


    AH


    If he were going to move about the Lost Home for a long time, the dove would also accompany him for a long time. He had no idea what the bird¡¯s habit was, but as an ¡°abnormal item¡± with the ability to think and communicate, it would be hard to hide like a lifeless object.

 Chapter 26 - Starless Night

    Chapter 26 Starless Night


    The truth was that when Duncan learned that the dove on his shoulder could talk, it was hard for him to remain calm, no matter how good he was at dealing with surprises.


    He would rather have a typical parrot on his shoulder as a regular pirate captain would, or even a monkey would suffice.


    Yet, he had already pushed the door open, and there was no turning back for him.


    was


    Inside the sea chart chamber, the goat head was excitedly explaining the 12th myth of the stewed fish and vegetable to Alice. Its black head suddenly turned toward Duncan, sounding even more excited. ¡°Ah! Cap¡¯n! Ye are finally here! Miss Alice here is a wonderful person to talk to! It has been years since me is able to have such a good conversation. Ye know that¡­¡±


    Duncan ignored the talkative goat head and turned his attention to the victim in front of the sea chart table. The headless puppet was sitting on the chair up straight with her head in her hands. She was covering her ears tightly.


    Even then, Alice¡¯s expression looked as if her soul had left her body, as one would have after sitting through a whole day of mathematics class. She didn¡¯t even react when Duncan approached her.


    Duncan looked at the puppet speechlessly.


    ¡°She suddenly took her head down,¡± the goat head explained before the captain even asked. ¡°Although, I don¡¯t know why she did that.¡±


    The power of the goat head¡¯s talkativeness was strong enough to make a cursed puppet remove her own head so that she didn¡¯t have to hear more of it.


    Duncan was rendered even more speechless by that. It was then the goat head finally noticed a new being coming out with the captain. It turned its head a little and suddenly stared at the dove on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hmm? Cap¡¯n, the thing on ye shoulder¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Ai. She¡¯s my new pet.¡± Duncan gave a brief introduction and tried to use as few words as possible to prevent any suspicion from the goat head. At the same time, he was studying its reaction.


    ¡°Your pet?¡± The goat head showed clear signs of being stunned for a second, and then it looked like it came to an assumption itself. ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t feel that ye have left the ship a while ago, Cap¡¯n. Did ye perform the Spirit World Walk? Is that ye loot from the Spirit World Walk?¡±


    ¡°The Spirit World Walk?¡±


    That was a term that Duncan had yet to hear before. It made him think of the brass compass that he had found inside the bed chamber and the words that the real Captain Duncan had left. He also thought of the unique experience of projecting his soul to a faraway place. He believed the incident was what the goat head had talked about and nodded without expression. ¡°I just wanted to take a walk.¡±


    After he said that, the goat head exclaimed as he thought about how it would react. ¡°Ah! As expected of the great Cap¡¯n Duncan! Bringing a loot back from a simple Spirit World Walk! Is that a dove? She must have a special power for you to bring her back as a pet! Huh? Why did ye hang ye compass on her? Could that¡­ Me apologies, Cap¡¯n! Ye judgment is always correct! But, what¡¯s so special ¡¯bout this dove? Could it be that she¡­¡±


    Duncan was able to notice something from the goat head¡¯s respective tone. He was also glad to hear that the goat head could recognize the brass compass hung over Ai¡¯s neck and that it was extremely important to the real Captain Duncan. It was so important that the goat head felt weird seeing it being worn by a new ¡°pet.¡±


    Even if it felt wrong, there was nothing he could do because the compass was now ¡°tied¡± to the dove. Not only that, but, judging from the reaction he got from controlling the spirit flame, it seemed that the dove was the actual form of the dove.


    Duncan was racking his mind, but he did not show any expression on his face. Just in that few seconds, Ai, who was still silently standing on his shoulder a moment ago, suddenly cooed. It flapped its wing to fly and land in front of the goat head.


    The goat head stared at the dove while the latter tilted its head before pecking the wooden head. ¡°Do you want to top up?¡±


    Duncan¡¯s expression froze up.


    ¡°An abnormal item with a sentience?¡± The goat head was stunned, but it quickly adjusted itself. ¡°The dove can speak?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget that you can speak too?¡± Duncan reminded.


    Ai the dove hopped as it started to mumble, ¡°Is that normal? Is that normal? Is that normal¡­¡±


    Duncan quickly snapped his finger. With the flicker of the green flame, the dove walking on the table suddenly disappeared and reappeared on his shoulder.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an abnormal item with sentience and under my control.¡± Duncan nodded. ¡°Any more questions?¡±.


    ¡°Huh? Of course not! There¡¯s no more question!¡± the goat head quickly replied. ¡°Everything is in our great Cap¡¯n Duncan¡¯s control!¡±


    Duncan quickly ended the conversation and shifted his attention to Alice, who was still hugging her head and dazing out. Perhaps because of his eye-opening or chest-opening experience, he wasn¡¯t as easily surprised as he used to be. Or maybe, it was because he was used to seeing the puppet removing her head and thought that she looked cute instead.


    He reached his hand out and gently tapped the puppet¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wake up.¡±


    Alice¡¯s body trembled a little as if she was woken up from a nightmare. Her head that was in her hands started to move as she talked. ¡°Ca-ca-ca¡­¡±


    ¡°Put your head back on first.¡±


    Alice realized her head was off and hurriedly put her head back on. After a loud clip that signaled her head was attached back to her body, her speech finally returned to normal. ¡°Ah! Captain! You¡¯re finally back. Did something¡­ Did Mr. Goat Head finish talking?¡± ¡°No,¡± the goat head on the table immediately replied. ¡°We were talking about some myths regarding stewed fish and vegetables. We can continue this next time¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Duncan issued a simple command.


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    Alice clearly trembled a little when the goat head started talking again. Seeing a cursed puppet showing the sign of fear in her eyes was a sight. Even after the captain had ordered the goat head to shut up, she still hesitantly glanced toward the map table.


    Duncan even believed that the puppet would not enter the captain¡¯s cabin for a very long time after this.


    ¡°So, do you need anything from me?¡± he finally curiously asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alice¡¯s looked a little lifeless as if she had forgotten entirely about her intention after having that long conversation with the goat head. However, she managed to recover a few seconds later. ¡°Ah! Right! I wanted to ask if there¡¯s any place that I could shower on this ship. The seawater got into my case, and my joints are a little¡­ uncomfortable.¡±


    The puppet showed a clear sign of being embarrassed after saying that. However, the one who was even more awkward was Duncan, as he was the one who threw her and the wooden case back into the ocean.


    He even repeated that a few times.


    He tried to suppress that awkwardness and maintained his calm expression and tone. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted to ask?¡±.


    Alice reservedly sat on the chair. ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°To many ships that go on long voyages, clean water is a precious resource. Bathing is a luxury,¡± Duncan replied in a serious tone but followed up with a grin. ¡°But, you¡¯re lucky as the Lost Home is not a normal ship. Our supply of fresh water is not finite. Come with me. There¡¯s a place to shower in one of the cabins under the middle deck.¡±


    Alice immediately stood up. She didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room as the goat head, even for a second longer.


    Just before he left, Duncan turned to look at the goat head and said, ¡°Continue to take the helm.¡±


    After that, he pushed the door open and brought Alice onto the deck.


    Night had already fallen.


    The sky above the boundless sea was empty.


    After having rain clouds covering the sky for a few days, that was Duncan¡¯s first time standing under a clear sky after arriving in this world.


    He suddenly stopped and raised his head to look at the night sky without moving.


    The sky was completely dark. There was no star nor the sign of another planet or a moon.


    The only thing he could see was a faint white crack spanning the entire sky. Countless tiny cracks stemmed out of the big one, spreading in all directions in the night sky as if blood was slowly soaking a cloth.


    The ¡°white crack gently lighted the night sky above the boundless sea.¡± It was at least twice brighter than the moon on Earth.

 Chapter 27 - Lack of Common Sense

    Chapter 27 Lack of Common Sense


    From a certain point of view, the starless and moonless night sky with a crack across had a more significant impact on Duncan than the ¡°sun¡± that was sealed by two rings.


    No matter how abnormal the sun was, it could still light the land that he was at. As an Earthling with scientific knowledge, the ¡°sun¡± was no more than a star among billions of stars.


    All the warped abnormalities were limited under the ray of the sun. In the sky, outside of the sun¡¯s reach, were countless stars. Although, for a being that was trapped by gravity, the place where the sun reached was their entire world. At the very least, Duncan could still understand and accept that concept.


    However, high up in the night sky, Duncan did not see anything that could be referred to as a ¡°star.¡± There were no stars or moons and no galaxies.


    Only a crack dimly lit the sky, with even fainter white fog-like light spreading from it. It was a mechanic that he could not understand.


    It was as if the boundless sea was covered by a snow-white night.


    The phenomenon was further away than the sun in the faraway void. It was a bigger abnormality.


    Duncan remained quiet as he stared at the sky. A lot of questions and presumptions filled his head.


    ¡°Where are the other planets? Do those not exist here? Or¡­ is the world I¡¯m standing on in the galaxy¡¯s no-man¡¯s land? Could it be that the other planets are too far away? Then, what is the white crack that spans over the entire sky? Is it a crack in space or a structure that can be touched? Or, is it just an illusion that floats in the sky of the dangerous boundless sea?¡±


    ¡°Captain?¡±


    Finally, a voice pulled Duncan back from his thought. Alice, the puppet, anxiously looked at the captain, who had suddenly stopped walking. She noticed that his expression had darkened, and it scared her. ¡°Are you alright? Could it be that the weather is changing? Is a storm approaching? I did hear from the sailors when I was in the case that¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Duncan replied gently. He pulled his attention back from the sky and calmly looked at Alice. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong,¡± he answered as if to himself and Alice.


    ¡°Then, are we¡­¡±


    Duncan strode forward as if nothing had happened. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You can clean yourself there if you ever want to or need to.¡±


    The world had shown the outsider once again how weird it was. It seemed as if the world had an unlimited stock of strange things.


    Not knowing how many surprising events or objects the world still had to offer, Duncan realized that if he were to get shocked by every occurrence, he would have to live his life like that forever.


    Having lived more than 20 years on Earth, there was one experience that he had obtained that would suit his current situation the most.


    If a problem exists, try to solve it. The problem would not disappear because of denial, just like the sky would not become a starry one just because he decided to ignore it.


    There had to be a logical explanation behind everything. No matter how strange or absurd a phenomenon was, he could not deny its existence. Unable to understand the phenomenon was his problem, not the world¡¯s problem.


    As the captain of Lost Home, Duncan felt he had a lot of time to learn about his new world.


    Alice had no idea why the captain remained silent throughout the short journey down the deck. She could tell that he was slightly depressed, but that atmosphere that he gave off disappeared once they arrived at the cabin.


    Duncan had led the puppet to where she could shower. It was a bathroom that was prepared for the crew. For an old full-rigged ship, having a toilet was a ¡°luxury.¡± Under normal circumstances, such a facility would not be open to regular crews.


    The survival condition for such a ship in old times was terrible. Little fresh water, rotten food, lousy health care, and mental illness from long voyages had troubled every explorer who challenged the sea. Even on Earth, most problems still existed before the industrial era.


    According to Duncan, some of the oldest sailing ships didn¡¯t even have toilets prepared for average sailors. They would empty their bladders and rectums on the edge of the ship into the ocean, a process where the wind direction had to be taken into account. Cleaning one¡¯s body was an even bigger challenge. They would use spare sails as buckets, and washing their bodies with sea water was the norm among the sailors. More would even go weeks, and even months, without cleaning themselves.


    In the end, a little hygiene problem was nothing compared to scurvy, plague, and mental pressure.


    However, ironically, onboard the ghost ship everyone feared, those survival problems were solved.


    The fresh water on the Lost Home could be replenished automatically. The food stored in the storage showed no signs of rotting. The ghost captain could not get sick. The sea voyage did not cause Alice¡¯s spine problem.


    Other than the sudden spike in blood pressure from conversing with the goat head, the living condition on the ship was perfect.


    ¡°The pipe next to the bathtub is connected to the water tank. You can get water from that. The plug for the tub is hung over there. Don¡¯t lose that. Also, we are currently only limited to using cold water, but I don¡¯t think that would be a problem for you.¡±


    Duncan swiftly explained the facility inside the bathroom. Those were things that he had learned from exploring the ship for the past few days.


    ¡°I just want to wash my body. The seawater inside my joints is making me uncomfortable.¡± Alice didn¡¯t even mind showering with cold water. Instead, she showed excitement as she listened to Duncan¡¯s introduction. ¡°I¡¯m just a puppet. I don¡¯t need hot water.¡±


    Duncan nodded, but his expression quickly changed. After a short hesitation, he glanced at Alice and asked, ¡°Umm¡­ Do you know how to shower? Have you experienced these¡­ life experiences?¡±


    Alice was surprised by the question. A few seconds of pondering later, she replied with a serious expression, ¡°I¡­ should be fine, I guess? I just have to take my limbs off and wash them. I can attach them back after that.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes widened.


    He stared at Alice as she looked back at him innocently.


    ¡°Have you ever thought of how you will attach them back?¡± Duncan was glad that his question let him know that the puppet that had lived inside a wooden case her whole life had no such experiences. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can help you with that.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯d advice against you detaching your limbs all the time.¡± Duncan reminded in a serious tone. ¡°Not even when you can do that.¡±


    ¡°Why so?¡± Alice was confused.


    ¡°The more you remove them, the easier it would be for them to come off.¡± Duncan was utterly speechless. He had never expected that he would have to pay so much attention to detail when he allowed the cursed puppet to stay on the ship. It was something that neither dramas nor novels had mentioned before. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you suddenly break into pieces from just walking around. There¡¯s no one onboard who knows how to repair a puppet.¡±


    He paused and added. ¡°Your spine problem is already serious enough as it is.¡±


    Alice pictured the scene of that happening and shrunk a little. ¡°I see¡­ I understand. I think I know what to do now.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Duncan looked at the puppet with almost no life experience before turning to leave. ¡°I still have a lot to do. Don¡¯t cause me too many troubles.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± Alice happily nodded. Just as Duncan was about to leave through the door, she suddenly said, ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right. Captain¡­¡±


    Duncan stopped and slightly turned his head back. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but you don¡¯t seem that scary.¡± Alice looked at Duncan¡¯s back and thought for a while before saying the following. ¡°The goat head said that you¡¯re the scariest captain in the boundless sea, that you¡¯re the disaster to all voyages, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But, listening to how you speak, you sound more like a worrying parent¡­¡±


    Duncan did not turn around. A few seconds of silence later, he suddenly asked, ¡°How did you even know the concept of parents? Do¡­ do you have a family?¡±


    Alice paused before slowly shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s drop it. If you don¡¯t cause any trouble, I¡¯ll make sure you live a comfortable life on this ship.¡±


    ¡°I will, Captain.¡±

 Chapter 28 - Pale White Night

    Chapter 28 Pale White Night


    Horror stories weren¡¯t exact replicas of real-life situations. The biggest difference was that living in the real world meant having many minor details to worry about.


    Details like whether a live cursed puppet needed to maintain its joints, whether Alice would suddenly break into pieces if she kept removing her limbs, or even if the cured meat and cheese on the ship were rotten or not were something that Duncan had to worry about.


    Also, whether superheroes who worked during the day and fought crimes at night had to sleep or not, or even if the superheroes had to go grocery shopping after defeating the villains, were such details that the authors committed.


    The characters in novels would always live a life without many worries and come and go pretty quickly, just like how cursed puppets only needed to come out from beneath the chair to scare people suddenly, or the captain of a ghost ship had no need to worry if the cured meat and cheese had gone bad or not after a century.


    However, in reality, a cursed puppet would feel uncomfortable being soaked in seawater, and they even had to worry about how to wash out the salt stuck inside their joints.


    Duncan stood outside the bathroom and let out a deep sigh. He realized even more that having determination would not be enough for him to live on the ship for a long time.


    He still had to worry about many problems, especially after the number of crews had increased.


    Duncan was aware of the fact that there weren¡¯t a lot of supplies on the ship.


    The ship had an unlimited supply of fresh water, but that was the only thing that wasn¡¯t finite. The food inside the storage would not replenish itself after being consumed, and there were only cured meats and cheese to consume. Although the food showed no sign of rotting because of the Lost Home¡¯s unique feature, Duncan still suspected that the food had been in storage for a century.


    Other than that, there weren¡¯t any suitable clothes for Alice to change into (even though the cursed puppet had never mentioned needing to change). There wasn¡¯t anything that could help them pass the time, things like a set of chess or poker cards. The boundless sea was borderless, but the Lost Home had no proper way of obtaining supplies. Another problem was that there was no reliable port for the ship to park at so that it could be maintained and repaired, and he had no method to get in touch with the civilized city-states either.


    It seemed as if the goat head had never thought of such worries, but Duncan had already started to think about it in a serious matter. He had first to change the situation where they lacked supplies and resources.


    He would then have to build a connection with the ¡°city-states.¡±


    Wandering endlessly on the ocean was highly inconvenient for information gathering. Information about the world had to be sought on the land. That was one of the things that Duncan had realized the most after experiencing the ¡°Spirit World Walk.¡±


    Even if it wasn¡¯t for information gathering, he had to be able to communicate with the ¡°city-states¡± for his mental health. He had to get in touch with a civilized society. He was worried that the long voyage would turn him into a twisted, dark, and solitary ghost ship captain.


    Thinking of that, Duncan turned his head a little to look at Ai, the dove quietly pecking its feather on his shoulder.


    His eyes were set on the brass compass.


    The dove tilted its head to look at its ¡°master¡± and suddenly said, ¡°Build another base! Spread the creeps out! Hey! Do you know how to play this or not?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t react to the dove right away. Most of the time, it would act like it had gone crazy, but there were times when its¡¯ words would make sense, to the point where it would make him wonder if the dove was actually bright or crazy.


    Judging from the current situation, the Spirit World Walk was his only method to ¡°head¡± to the city-states.


    Even though there were a lot of uncertainties about using that method, such as strange events like Ai suddenly appearing after he tried it last time, he still knew that it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to try it out again. It wasn¡¯t only for information gathering but also because he wanted to test and master the ability.


    Another essential matter, like the Spirit World Walk, was the ¡°special power¡± of the ritual dagger that Ai had brought back with it.


    After a moment of silence, Duncan decided to directly ask the dove, ¡°Do you know how did you bring back that dagger?¡±


    The dove thought deeply and said in a deep tone, ¡°You need more crystal ores.¡±


    Duncan was rendered speechless by the reply. He eventually decided to stop communicating with the dove for the time being. He believed that testing it out himself in the next Spirit World Walk would be more reliable than asking the bird.


    Alice learned to get fresh water from the pipe inside the cabin after a few failed tries. She also thought of a way to clean herself.


    Since they were on a ship, she could only shower with cold water. But, as a puppet, it wasn¡¯t a big issue to her.


    Before hopping into the bathtub, Alice checked everything inside the bathroom.


    She tapped on the huge oak barrel and then at the pillars that supported the room. Next, she kicked the floor with her toes before standing on tiptoes to pull on the rope and hook dropping down from the ceiling.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Alice,¡± she happily greeted all the things she touched, just like how she greeted the goat head. ¡°I¡¯ll be living on the ship from now on.¡±


    Not a single thing replied to her, and she didn¡¯t mind it.


    The goat head had once told her that the Lost Home was alive, and many of the objects on the ship were alive.


    They might not have a real ¡°sentience¡± like the goat head, and some of them might not even have the ability to communicate, but it didn¡¯t stop Alice from treating everything on the ship as ¡°neighbors¡± that she had to greet.


    The Lost Home was alive, just like her.


    After making sure her greeting was decent, Alice was even happier. She removed her elegant dress and awkwardly climbed into the bathtub made out of an oak barrel.


    The first thing she did was remove her head from her body to clean it, as the joint that connected her head to her body was already loose to begin with.


    The puppet believed that her thought process was reasonable.


    After another day of hustle, the City-state of Pland finally quieted down at night. Under the dimly lit sky, the busy people in the city dubbed the ¡°Pearl of the Sea¡± eventually went to sleep.


    Some guards kept the city safe at night in the dark and quiet city.


    On the highest floor of the tallest building in the City-state of Pland, the ¡°Great Bell Tower,¡± a grey-haired and abnormally tall young lady stood in front of the window. The lady had beautiful facial features, but a terrifying scar spread across her left eye. She was taller than most men and wore light grey armor and a battle skirt. Her defined muscles and perfect figure showed that she was well-trained. Just beside her, where she could easily reach, was a greatsword that seemed faintly shining. On the sword¡¯s hilt were runes that signified the wave, while the blade had wave-like patterns.


    The sound of gears turning could be heard behind the lady. The gears of the bell tower were moving in a stable motion powered by the steam engine. The complex gears and connecting rods stemmed past the ceiling and the floor to put the four clocks and mini planetarium hidden in the deepest part of the building.


    Judging from the machine¡¯s noise, the vast and precise machine operated smoothly, and no evil energy affected the holy steam core.


    Yet, Judge Fanna was still restless. It was as if something was about to happen or had already happened. She was annoyed at the fact that she wasn¡¯t able to do anything to solve her premonition.


    Footsteps could be heard from the stairs. The grey-haired lady who stood by the window turned around. She saw a priest wearing the robe of an ocean flamen ascending the stairs. The priest held a bronze incense cauldron in his hand, with clean smoke slowly surrounding him.


    The priest approached the pillar of the machine core in the middle of the room. He took the old incense cauldron that was hung on the pillar down and replaced it with the one he had brought. He observed the smoke from the incense and made sure that the smoke was able to float around the gears and connecting rods before chanting the name of the Wind Goddess. After that, he turned to look at the grey-haired lady.


    ¡°Madam Judge, good evening. Are you watching over the city alone again?¡±

 Chapter 29 - Those Who Protect the City

    Chapter 29 Those Who Protect the City


    Gods with supreme power lived in the cornerstone of the world, watching the world turn from a place that surpassed space and time. Believers would be able to peek into the future through the hidden connection with their gods, at things that could happen in a dark corner that people might not know about.


    The peeks weren¡¯t restricted by space and time but came with the risk of being corrupted by the subspace. However, to believers with strong wills, the dangerous yet powerful ability was what they could rely on to protect the fragile civilization in the endless ocean.


    The faithful judge had already seen a similar vision for the past few days.


    In a state between reality and dream, she saw the edgeless ocean dyed black with loud thunder roars coming from deep within the ocean. The sea was split into two by a space between the water that led straight down to the seafloor. A ship burning in bright flame slowly rose from the seabed, floating up into the sky like an airship. Following the ship was a shapeless giant shrouded in starlight and it started to walk toward the City-state of Pland.


    In her whole life, Fanna, the judge, had only twice seen bad ¡°premonition¡± on such a huge scale.


    It once happened when she was still a child. She was woken up from a nightmare where she was covered in blood. Not long after that, she lost her parents in an ambush by the cultists, leaving that scar on her face for the rest of her life.


    The second one happened four years ago. In her dream, she saw a black sunrise from beneath the city-state. With that, they were able to destroy the city-state¡¯s biggest Sun God cultist base. Now, the cultists still bared their fangs toward Pland from the complex and old tunnels underneath the city-state and got into meaningless conflicts with guards from the church all the time.


    Now, it was the third time she had such a premonition. She saw a ship returning from the deep sea, bringing a nameless giant to this world.


    She lied to the priest in front of her. The premonition she had seen was very clear. It was so clear that she couldn¡¯t sleep for the past few nights.


    The priest looked at the lady¡¯s soft and calm grey eyes. After a long hesitation, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you didn¡¯t get anything good from praying to the goddess?¡±


    ¡°The goddess does not remind us of all the dangers we will face. Sometimes, it¡¯ll be a difficult test for us,¡± Fanna calmly replied. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Any news from the Explorer¡¯s Association?¡±


    The priest nodded right away. ¡°The association has just contacted us. The holy item with them has detected that the ship has appeared in the southeast region. However, the telegraph seems broken and we can¡¯t contact the ship. We can only confirm that the ship is on the right route and is approaching Pland¡¯s region.¡±


    ¡°It suddenly disappeared from the holy item¡¯s detection and reappeared out of nowhere in a region far away from the original route. We can¡¯t contact it and it¡¯s approaching here¡­ It¡¯s also transporting the abnormal item before it disappears.¡± The judge started to frown. Her instincts from dealing with abnormal items in the past warned her to be careful. ¡°I remember the ship is called the White Oak, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The White Oak. The captain is Laurence Creed, a member of the Explorer¡¯s Association. He¡¯s an experienced captain. Since they are transporting a special item, they contacted us before they departed from the City-state of Lunsar,¡± the priest replied after a short pause. ¡°Also, the priest accompanying the voyage is registered with the Deep Sea Association.¡±


    ¡°A fellow peer, huh? I hope the situation isn¡¯t that bad.¡± Fanna sounded serious. ¡°I can tell something is wrong with the ship. The route from Lunsar to Pland is considered a ¡°safe zone¡± under the control of the Explorer¡¯s Association. And, yet, the ship disappeared from the holy item¡¯s detection. I have reasons to believe that the White Oak had temporarily left the real world and headed into a place it shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Notify the guards at the harbor. I want them to keep a close watch on the White Oak once it reaches our port. No one and nothing is allowed to leave the ship until all inspections are done. Did the sheriff¡¯s department say anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your uncle¡­ the archon has ordered the sheriffs to control the port and its surrounding. They¡¯ve raised the security level and until the restriction is removed, all the ships will only arrive at and depart on the reserved port at the west.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Uncle is a cautious man, after all.¡± Signs of relief could finally be seen on Fanna¡¯s face. ¡°Everything should be fine as long the normal sheriffs don¡¯t get themselves involved in this.¡±


    The priest looked at Fanna¡¯s grey eyes once again as he carefully chose his words. ¡°Do you think that the ship¡­ is ¡®contaminated¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet. However, ships that eventually return to the real world are rarely normal. Perhaps something on the boat has been mutated into an ¡®abnormal item¡¯, or the mental state of the sailors has been affected. There are cases of suddenly having an extra sailor or the captain suddenly switched¡­ It¡¯s never wrong to raise our alerts when a ship has shown an abnormal phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°I pray to the goddess that the ship and its crew remain safe.¡± The priest put his hand on his chest and prayed. ¡°O¡¯ Wind Goddess, please protect those who challenge the great


    sea.¡±


    ¡°I pray that they survive.¡± Fanna also closed her eyes and lightly prayed, reminding the priest. ¡°However, if they are unfortunate, we¡¯ll have to be prepared as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±


    Fanna nodded, and just as she was about to shift her attention back to the city outside the window, hurried footsteps from the stairs stopped her.


    A guard wearing a black and silver-lined uniform with a badge that reflected a wave and a dagger on his chest arrived at the top of the bell tower.


    ¡°Madam Judge!¡± the guard greeted as he gasped for air. ¡°We¡¯ve found a sacrificial altar of the Sun God cult in the sewer and caught a group of cultists!¡±


    Fanna¡¯s expression turned serious almost instantly. ¡°The cultists who worship the Dark Sun? Wait, are you saying it¡¯s an altar, not a hiding place? Are you saying that they are doing sacrificial rituals again?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a location where they perform their rituals! We even found evidence that they¡¯ve just performed one recently!¡± the guard quickly explained. ¡°We also found a lot of dead bodies in a dungeon near the altar! Most of their hearts have been sacrificed! However¡­ something is wrong with the scene.¡±


    Fanna could see the confusion in the guard¡¯s eyes. She grabbed the heavy greatsword blessed by the Wind Goddess next to her and flung it over her back. ¡°Lead the way! I have to personally check this out!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    The bell tower was filled with hurried footsteps and the banging noise when the heavy sword clashed with the light armor. Fanna arrived at the plaza in front of the bell tower and found a handful of guards standing by and waiting for her order. Two steam-powered pedipulators were parked at the edge of the plaza. Cracking noise could be heard from the machines that looked like spiders.


    Fanna did not stop. She signaled the guards and walked straight toward one of the pedipulators. The machine was twice the size of a two-wheel horse cart and looked like a resting spider when parked. At the end of its metal limbs were wheels that would help travel through flat surfaces and metal claws for other terrains. On each side of the main body were two seats with rotary machine guns.


    Standard technology would do little to no damage to abnormal items and supernatural phenomena. However, strong firepower could be used to deal with the cultists controlling the abnormal items. Naturally, such a huge machine would be limited in the sewer, but it was enough to serve as a blockade.


    The spray of 8-millimeter holy rounds could instantly send a massive group of cultists attempting an escape to meet their gods in the subspace.


    The grey-haired and grey eyes judge jumped onto one of the pedipulators. She stood tall under the night sky while two other guards sat in the seats with the guns. With the increased pressure in the cylinder and pressure pipes, hisses of steam could be heard and white smoke was sent out from all the limbs. The enormous mechanical spider got up and with a single leap, it jumped onto the main road before speeding toward the sewer entrance with its wheels.

 Chapter 30 - Chaotic

    Chapter 30 Chaotic


    The huge and heavy machine spider folded its long limbs into its torso and used the wheels attached to the limbs to glide along the road. Fanna the Judge stood steadily on top of the machine. The slightly cold and fishy sea breeze made her brain a little clearer.


    The cultists who worshipped the Sun God were a severe problem for modern civilization, and, unfortunately, there was more than one such serious problem.


    Ill intentions were directed toward the mortal world from the subspace all the time, and there would always be humans who tried to obtain such evil powers. In the struggle between ancient gods and humans, twisted items from old civilizations, tabooed heirs, and contaminated decays hid in the deepest parts of the city-states, waiting for their time to destroy the order and structure of human society.


    Out of all the threats, the cultists of the Sun God had proved to trouble those who protected the City-state of Pland the most.


    Not only were they cultists, but also a product of the lost history of the old world. Compared to most blinded cultists, those who worshiped the Dark Sun were more dangerous as they were tied down by a certain ¡°faith.¡± Despite the fanaticism and twisted beliefs of the complicated lower-level members, those who led the cult had a ¡°core belief¡± that had never been changed for the past thousands of years.


    The belief was expanded from the ¡°Beginning of Order¡± that was formed under the old sun. Not only was a system formed out of it, but also a ¡°True Solar Calendar¡± that was not accepted by modern civilization. They deeply believed that they were the descendants of the lost civilization and would do anything to revive the glorious old civilization.


    As a judge of the Deep Sea Church, Fanna wasn¡¯t interested in the heresy of the cult. However, she knew that it was through the existence of such heresy that the cult of the Sun God could become stronger and more united than other cults. The cult was able to survive despite the countless attacks from the church, and they continued to grow in the shadow of the city-states.


    Yet, Fanna was still surprised that the cult managed to revive its base in Pland after being defeated.


    After an all-out attack four years ago, the Sun God cult¡¯s structure in Pland was destroyed. The recent reports stated that the cultists had moved their core members to the nearer city-states like the City-state of Lunsar and the City-state of Mough, and even to city-states that were further away from Pland. Those who remained in Pland were stubborn people who didn¡¯t have the status to move to other states.


    These cultists hid in the sewer, escaping the hunting of the guards through their understanding of the sewer and the twisted blessings of the Dark Sun. Their numbers had decreased in the past four years, and all that they could do now was struggle to survive.


    However, their numbers suddenly increased to the point where they would risk exposing themselves by performing sacrificial rituals. She could not understand where they gained their confidence from.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that something big is going to happen?¡± Fanna thought to herself. ¡°That it¡¯s a big enough reason for them to risk destroying themselves to draw the Dark Sun¡¯s attention to Pland?¡±


    The vibration and noise from the engine and the slight smoky smell from the leak of the steam-engine pipes stopped Fanna from thinking of something unnecessary. She raised her head to look into the sky.


    The ¡°Wound of the World¡± hung high up in the sky. The dim white light gently lit the tops of the uneven houses, chimneys, and towers in the City-state of Pland. The squad was now moving across the edge of the industrial area where the huge pipes connected to steam engines stood so tall that they looked like the blood veins of giants that pierced through the sky.


    Fanna briefly thought of the past¡ªthe terrifying night that she would never forget. It was a night filled with the stench of blood. Her uncle carried her out of the fire. On the streets were people acting like corpses after getting caught up in a large-scale illusion, and corpses of different shapes and sizes. She and her uncle escaped through the pipelines of the factory, where the stench of blood and chemicals almost made her puke.


    The sudden vibration from the spider-like machine pulled Fanna back from her memory.


    They had finally reached the end of the flat road and had arrived at the abandoned area at the edge of the city. The road was uneven, and they had to stop traveling on wheels. The long limbs of the machines were extended, and they started to run past the rough terrain.


    Not long after that, the squad arrived at the entrance of an abandoned sewer.


    Another eight-man squad was already waiting for them there. They had already locked the area down to prevent unauthorized citizens from entering.


    Fanna greeted her subordinates and followed them into the deeper part of the sewer.


    Past the long and dirty paved path that led to a tomb, Fanna finally arrived at the gathering area of the cult. Many guardian warriors had gathered there, and priests from the church were performing the cleansing ritual.


    A temporary ritual altar was set up in the middle of the hall. The wooden altar seemed to have been burned. On top of the altar was the blasphemy totem that the Sun God cultists had built. The totem had been burned as well, but its basic structure remained intact.


    Around the altar were more than a few dozen cultists with their hands tied. Most of them were trembling, while a few were mumbling their cursed prayers.


    However, since the ritual was interrupted, the Wind Goddess had already noticed the situation, and their prayers would never reach their god.


    SW


    Not far from the altar was a cave where the bodies of the sacrificed could be found. The victims who had met a terrifying fate were placed on top of linens decorated with rune drawings. The undertaker, who had rushed to the scene, was now checking the condition of every dead body.


    A few priests from the church were walking around the altar as they gently shook the bronze chains in their hands. White smoke was coming out of the incense cauldrons tied to the end of the chains. As soon as the smoke contacted the floor around the altar, it would be dyed in an ominous black shade before more white smoke would take the contaminated black shade away. The aura of the Black Sun that remained at the scene was slowly being cleansed by repeating that process.


    ¡°Madam Judge! Over here! This is where we realized something was wrong!¡± The young guardian pointed at the few corpses by the altar. ¡°Please watch where you are stepping The floor is kind of dirty.¡±


    Fanna walked past the corpses and frowned when she noticed the condition of one of the corpses.


    It was the corpse of a cultist who wore a golden mask. She didn¡¯t even need to ask to know that he used to be the cult priest who was in charge of the sacrificial ritual.


    On the chest of the cult priest¡¯s corpse was a scary-looking hole.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Fanna asked. ¡°Did he sacrifice himself in the heat of the ritual? I¡¯ve never heard of such a rule in the cult of the Black Sun.¡±


    ¡°This is what¡¯s weird. He didn¡¯t sacrifice himself.¡± The guardian who led Fanna there shook his head with a slightly weird expression. ¡°According to the cultists who are still alive¡­ their ¡¯emissary¡¯ was sacrificed by one of the sacrifices¡­¡±


    ¡°Sacrificed by one of the victims?¡± Fanna raised a brow. ¡°What kind of absurdity is that?¡±


    ¡°It does sound crazy.¡± The guardian sighed. ¡°The truth is that most of those who were still alive were already half-mental when we arrived.¡±


    ¡°Half-mental?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was clear that something very wrong had occurred during the sacrificial ritual. Most of them went crazy, and some even started to kill their own. It¡¯s as if the others were¡­ ¡®monsters¡¯ that had been possessed in their eyes. That¡¯s also why the sheriff patrolling around was able to notice them as they ran out of the sewer like maniacs¡­ When we arrived, only a few of them were still calm enough to answer our questions, and they said that the victim had sacrificed their emissary.¡±


    ¡°Went crazy? Killing their own? Possessed?¡± Fanna¡¯s expression turned serious immediately. ¡°Did you guys check and see if they were contaminated by the Black Sun?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t find any evidence that they were contaminated. It¡¯s more as if they went crazy on their own. It¡¯s as if their spirits were broken by something,¡± the guardian replied and pointed at a young lady in a black robe who walked back and forth between the cultists. ¡°Miss Heidi has arrived as well and has confirmed that they weren¡¯t contaminated by the Black Sun. We have no choice but to rely on hypnotism for this.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Residual

    Chapter 31 Residual


    Fanna looked up at the woman in a black dress who was inspecting the mental conditions of the cultists. The woman noticed her gaze and greeted her back.


    The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, yet she had a mature temperament far beyond her years. Her long black hair was curled up at the back of her head. The faint blue crystal earrings on her earlobes reflected the light of the nearby gas lamps as they jiggled.


    ¡°So, Heidi has also come. Did the Town Hall send her?¡± Fanna asked the young guardian beside her.


    The guardian replied, ¡°No. When the incident occurred, Lady Heidi just happened to be nearby. When she heard the news, she immediately rushed over here. Is there anything wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Although Heidi is an employee of the Town Hall, she has cooperated with the church for a long time. When we go back, just make up an on-site registration for her,¡± said Fanna as she shook her head. She quickly turned her attention back to the matter at hand. She inspected the cult priest who had died from having his heart removed. While she did this, she asked, ¡°What did the cultists who could still communicate say? What was the situation?¡±


    ¡°Their words are very confusing. Two of them mentioned that the ordinary sacrificial rite had already ended when someone suddenly caught an escaped sacrifice near the gathering place. Hence, the emissary decided to sacrifice the latter to the Sun God,¡± stated the guardian as he reported their statements. ¡°The two cultists were standing far away from the altar, so they did not manage to see what exactly happened. They merely said that the sacrifice did not die even with his heart removed. He instead called upon the Sun God and declared the emissary as the sacrifice. In the end, the emissary was sacrificed.¡±


    ¡°A person chosen as a sacrifice called upon the name of the evil god and sacrificed the officiant of the ceremony?¡± questioned Fanna. It was as though she had just heard a fairy tale. She felt that the whole thing was extremely absurd. However, these words were uttered by a church guardian who was highly trained, loyal, and reliable. She could only take it seriously. She had a strange look on her face as she said, ¡°How could such an absurd thing happen? If that were possible, how many sacrifices at cult rituals could kill the cult priest with just their words?¡±


    ¡°I never said it wasn¡¯t absurd. Even the clumsiest cult priest would hold absolute authority when officiating the ceremony. How could he possibly lose control over the ceremony to such an extent with just a weak ordinary person uttering some words? Moreover, we have inspected this cult priest. He indeed has traces of being eroded by projections from the Deep End of the World. This is a true baptized person. Based on the cultists¡¯ descriptions, he was holding a blessed ceremonial dagger at the time.¡±


    The young guardian shook his head as he said this. He then walked up next to another corpse.


    ¡°Come take a look at this. This is the sacrifice who killed the cult priest.¡±


    Fanna looked at the guardian before turning her gaze toward the corpse. The next moment, she narrowed her gaze.


    It was a skinny youth. Due to being overly scrawny, his physique even appeared like that of a teenager. The most abnormal part of his body was a gaping hole in his chest.


    Fanna stated, ¡°He had already been sacrificed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this man had already been sacrificed. Combining the traces we found here and the confession of the cultists, this man most likely had already lost his heart before he was pushed onto the altar,¡± the guardian said in a serious tone. ¡°Hence, the actual situation back then was that a walking corpse walked up onto the platform before the eyes of the crowd. He then killed the cult priest officiating the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Is this the work of a necromancer?¡± mumbled Fanna to herself as she thought. ¡°That is not right. The power of the Black Sun greatly restrains the power of necromancers. It is impossible for the corpses they control to just walk up before a totem of the Black Sun. Was it an undead controlled by an abnormality?¡±


    ¡°Have you checked the lamps nearby?¡± she asked as she suddenly looked up at the guardian beside her. ¡°Within a 500-meter radius, is there any underground space completely devoid of light?¡±


    The guardian replied, ¡°We have inspected the place, and there are no such caverns. Even the cultists know the dangers of the lightless underground. They left behind torches and oil lamps in the caves where they disposed of the corpses. In this respect, they were very cautious.¡±


    Fanna fell silent for a while. She was deep in doubt as she bent over the youth¡¯s corpse. She closely inspected this man that had killed an extraordinary person before a crowd and caused the ritual to go entirely out of control. She reached out to flip open the corpse¡¯s rigid eyelids, attempting to find some residual trace of supernatural power.


    Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She seemed to see the corpse of the youth slowly open its eyes. Faint green fire leaped out of its hollow eyes. A tiny spark flashed on the tip of her outstretched right index finger, dissipating in the wind.


    Fanna¡¯s gaze lingered momentarily, and she immediately drew the dagger on her waist with her left hand. Without hesitation, she swung the dagger and cut off her right index finger. She then twirled it around and stabbed it into the forehead of the corpse. The dagger carved with runes suddenly burst into flames which consumed the corpse completely.


    She did all of this in less than a second. The instant the corpse was consumed by flames, she had already gotten up and retreated two steps. She then took out sacred oil that had been blessed from her waist pouch. After pulling off the cork with her teeth, she poured the oil inside over her right hand, which was bleeding heavily. When the sacred oil came in contact with her flesh, a large cloud of white smoke immediately burst forth.


    Excruciating pain washed over Fanna, but her facial expression did not change in the slightest. She saw that the guardian, who had been beside her all this while, had already swiftly drawn the steel sword from his waist. With a slash, he cleaved off the head of the burning corpse. He then threw a potion of seaweed extract and silver powder into the flames.


    With continuous explosions and flames that suddenly shot into the sky and almost licked the ceiling, the beheaded corpse was burnt to ashes in the blink of an eye.


    The vast flames did not spread toward the other corpses around them.


    The other guardians around reacted one by one. Half of them immediately drew their rune steel swords and surrounded Fanna, while the other half took out large caliber revolvers and swiftly formed a perimeter. The two priests present also pulled out the revolvers hidden under their long robes. They then used incense burners to apply blessings to the revolvers as they chanted the name of the Wind Goddess, Gemora. They also kept pointing their firearms toward the cultists, who broke into a frenzy due to these changes.


    ¡°Lady Judge!¡± called out the young guardian wielding a steel sword as he came to Fanna. ¡°Are you alright? Just now¡­¡±


    ¡°Some power remained in the body of the sacrifice. This power bypassed the defenses bestowed upon me by the goddess and even bypassed my psionic alerts,¡± explained Fanna as she waved her hand. Her gaze landed on her right hand. The blessing of the goddess had begun to take effect. Her index finger, which the dagger had sliced off, was wriggling and recovering slowly. However, even though she felt the intense pain subsiding, she could not calm down at all.


    ¡°Something is off. This is not just the work of the Black Sun. Another powerful force might have visited this sacrificial rite. This power has not left completely. It is after something,¡± this judge swiftly determined. ¡°Take all witnesses and evidence back to the church and closely guard them. All investigations and interrogations after this will be carried out within the church. This area is to be completely purified. Are there any people elsewhere?¡±


    A guardian to the side immediately answered, ¡°There are. We rescued a group of reserve sacrifices locked up in another cave nearby. They are now temporarily placed in the adjacent pipe room.¡±


    ¡°Bring them back to the church as well. Although they are victims, they also need to be strictly inspected before returning them home,¡± Fanna quickly said. She then remembered something and asked, ¡°What about Lady Heidi? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°I am here.¡± A calm woman¡¯s voice cried out. This psychiatrist wearing a black dress that the Town Hall hired, walked over towards Fanna. She nodded at the latter and reassured her, saying, ¡°You need not worry. I missed everything. What happened here?¡±


    ¡°Just like in many classic stories, the cultists disturbed something even more evil than they were,¡± said Fanna as she glanced at the psychiatrist. ¡°I strongly recommend that you take extra precautions when you inspect and hypnotize these cultists later. A power that shouldn¡¯t be here has appeared, and it has left behind residual energy.¡±

 Chapter 32 - Breakfast on the Lost Home

    Chapter 32 Breakfast on the Lost Home


    The night passed, and the white scar that covered the entire sky gradually dissipated. Duncan stood on the helm deck, looking up at the sky. He did not miss any detail during this transition period between night and day.


    He saw the scar slowly become transparent and ethereal, as though the world was waking up from a dreamscape. The gray-white light mist emanating from it first merged with the sky, and then the scar itself did so as well. Throughout the entire process, this scar¡¯s position did not shift.


    Duncan blinked. New speculation loomed in his mind. Since the scar in the sky did not change position, did that mean it was not a distant astronomical body? Was it just a mark on the background of the atmosphere, an illusion that would move at the same speed as the boundless sea?


    Or was the planet where the boundless sea was on, if it genuinely was a planet, coincidentally moving at the same pace as the scar? Or was the scar actually moving, but due to his observation time being too short, his naked eye could not detect its movement?


    Various speculations emerged in his mind. However, Duncan knew clearly that before he had ample evidence and reliable experimental data, these speculations would remain mere hypotheses. There were countless possible ways to explain natural phenomena, but everything was moot without theory and evidence to back them up.


    The sun rose.


    A golden halo appeared on the horizon. Then, a gigantic body of light suddenly surfaced from the ocean, followed by radiant multi-colored light. A ball of light sealed by two layers of runes appeared in Duncan¡¯s vision.


    The rune constructs slowly churned. The sun rose solemnly. This impressive process seemed to emit some sound. A low, powerful, slow imaginary hum reverberated in Duncan¡¯s mind. However, it suddenly disappeared when he tried to focus and hear the sound.


    He frowned and doubted whether he had been hallucinating. However, the memory of the sound was so vivid that he could not deny that he had heard it for real.


    Was that the sun¡¯s announcement to the world as it rose? Or was it one of the many illusions of the boundless sea?


    No one could answer Duncan¡¯s query. The boundless sea kept all of its secrets as usual. The pigeon Ai perched comfortably on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. It then suddenly stood up and flapped its wings vigorously. It looked at the sea¡¯s surface and chirped loudly, ¡°Give me some fries! Fries!¡±


    Duncan could not help but laugh. He glanced at this strange pigeon. He suddenly felt that it was not bad to have this bird around. The weird words that this pigeon occasionally uttered always made him feel a sense of nostalgia for his own world.


    ¡°Unfortunately, there are no fries on the ship,¡± Duncan replied as he played with the pigeon¡¯s beak. He then turned and headed towards the captain¡¯s quarters. He added, ¡°However, you are right. I should make something to eat.¡±


    After a short while, the captain of the Lost Home prepared a traditional ghost ship breakfast for himself. Duncan used the nautical table in the captain¡¯s quarters as a meal table. He placed a few plates next to the nautical chart on the empty parts of the table. Today¡¯s breakfast, yesterday¡¯s dinner, lunch, and every other meal were the same. His meals consisted of jerky, cheese, and water.


    Duncan sat before the nautical table. He thoughtfully and habitually put on a napkin. The goat head silently sat opposite of him. To Duncan¡¯s left was the cursed doll Alice who had come to greet him bright and early. The strange pigeon sat to his right on the table.


    Duncan suddenly felt that this scene was beginning to match his setting as a ghost captain. There was a wooden goat head that represented demons, a cursed doll he could not get rid of, a talking bird who was well-versed in the knowledge of this alternate world, and a ghost captain at the head of the table. If a picture of this scene was taken, it could serve as the poster of a movie without any editing


    W


    However, only the people present here knew about the current state of rations on the Lost Home.


    Duncan sighed as he looked down at the food on his plate. The movie poster scene ended, and he returned to the reality of having simple meals on the Lost Home.


    He took a bread knife and carved out the cheese with force. The sound of hard objects rubbing against each other could be heard. He then used his fork to stab at the jerky to the side. The jerky and the plate collided, emitting loud clanging.


    Alice watched this scene curiously. In the end, she could not help but ask, ¡°Captain, are today¡¯s meals the same as yesterday¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°They will be the same tomorrow as well,¡± replied Duncan as he looked up at the cursed doll. ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    Alice thought for a moment. Then, she picked up a piece of jerky. She threw it into her mouth and chewed twice vigorously. She then spat it out and exclaimed, ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste good at all.¡±


    ¡°Even if it were tasty, you wouldn¡¯t be able to eat it. Do you have a stomach?¡± asked Duncan as he extended his hand and took the remaining half of the jerky from Alice¡¯s hands. ¡°You actually tried it when I asked you to.¡±


    He looked at the food on his plate worriedly as he said this.


    This was the only food he could find on the ship. The jerky tasted like thick salted pieces of cardboard. The cheese was like loose sandy firewood. No matter how he tried to process it, it still had a strange smell. He also tried to boil the jerky in water, bake it and fry it. However, no matter how much effort he put into it, the food¡¯s texture and the flavor did not improve.


    At the very least, the food did not spoil and would not poison him to death. The bad news was the passing of time had resulted in these unspoiled foods being in a state unsuitable for consumption. Duncan had reason to believe that the cheese was several generations older than he was. It would have been at least a century old if the jerky was still alive.


    The captain of the Lost Home might not need to worry about scurvy. However, Duncan was still yearning for a healthy diet. At the very least, he hoped that the food on his plate could at least be younger than he was.


    He would accept it if they were the same age.


    The Lost Home supply procurement and land exploration plan he had been pondering yesterday surfaced in his mind again.


    However, these plans would not come to fruition overnight.


    Duncan sighed and continued to cut away at the ¡°wood¡± on his plate with a vengeance. Ai, who had been watching beside him all this while on the table, walked over curiously. The bird glanced at its master and then at the food on the plate. It asked, ¡°Are our mineral ore reserves insufficient?¡±.


    Duncan looked at the pigeon. He then pinched some cheese crumbs that had fallen on his plate and threw them at the pigeon. Ai bent down and pecked at the crumbs twice. Immediately, it froze and stood still as if it was suddenly dead.


    The bird was stiff for a good three to four seconds before it suddenly came back to life. It flapped its wings and flew up to a rack to the side. With an exasperated voice, it said, ¡°Even if I die of starvation today, I will not eat this. I would rather jump overboard than eat this.¡±


    Duncan felt hurt. As for the goat head opposite him, who had remained silent all this while, with much difficulty, it finally began to emit the creaking sound of rubbing wood as it stifled a chuckle.


    Before it started a fire with its rubbing, Duncan nodded his head and said, ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± responded the goat head. It finally had the opportunity to speak. It immediately said, ¡°Since yesterday, I have been meaning to ask about the guest you brought¡­Ai, if I recall correctly¡­why is it that I can¡¯t seem to understand what it is saying? I pondered all night the meaning of topping up Q coins.¡±


    Duncan raised an eyebrow. He never imagined that the goat head managed to hold it in until now. He had underestimated its self-control!


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay it any heed. This bird¡¯s thoughts are bizarre,¡± said Duncan, not stopping with his woodwork. He used the knife and fork in his hands to chop away at his cheese as he recited the response he had thought of, ¡°It seems to use a language that only it can understand to communicate. Once familiar with its speech, you can roughly guess what it is trying to say.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± said the goat head pensively. ¡°I feel there is some form of hidden logic to its words. It is as though there is a complete, self-consistent set of knowledge hidden behind its words. Did you discover Ai while walking in the Spirit World? If so, could it be a projection from the Deep End of the World? As you are aware, the deeper you venture into the Spirit World, the more likely for projections from different dimensions to surface. Among them, there is no shortage of lost eras that we know nothing of. There are even fragments of the future. Could Ai be something from another dimension?¡±


    Duncan paused his cutting momentarily for a split second, at speed invisible to the naked eye. He then continued as usual. In a calm voice, he said, ¡°Then I hope you will one day figure out the logic behind Ai¡¯s language.¡±


    The goat head might have just been randomly running its mouth and guessing, but the information it disclosed stirred Duncan up involuntarily.


    When he was traversing the Spirit World, had his soul approached the deeper end of the world? The deeper he ventured, the more likely he would encounter projections of different dimensions? Scenes from different timelines might even emerge in these projections?


    While Duncan was in the Spirit World, he had not seen any of this. However, the goat head was right about one thing: Ai was indeed from another dimension.


    Then, was this pigeon brought to this world by an Earthling called Zhou Ming? Or was it truly as the goat head speculated and it was from the deeper end of this world?

 Chapter 33 - Fish

    Chapter 33 Fish


    His breakfast tasted like chewing wax, yet the texture was worse than wax.


    After finishing his unsatisfying breakfast, Duncan¡¯s mood did not improve from having his stomach filled. Conversely, his mind was full of speculation due to the intel mentioned unintentionally by the goat head. Hence, he was getting somewhat frustrated.


    He saw Ai strolling on the nearby rack. He felt that he was overthinking.


    He always believed that this pigeon spoke the language of Earth because it was born with the soul of an Earthling. He believed that when he was in the Spirit World, the individual Zhou Ming reacted to his brass compass, giving birth to this weird bird, Ai.


    However, what if the situation was not so?


    What if it was as the goat head said? Was this pigeon just an illusion who escaped from the Deep End of the World and coincidentally took form beside him?


    Then, was the language of Earth uttered by Ai from time to time unrelated to the memories of Zhou Ming? Perhaps Ai¡¯s language was a projection of history recorded by this world?


    The possibilities behind this made Duncan terribly upset.


    Alice stood up. Her voice interrupted Duncan¡¯s thoughts as she asked, ¡°Should I wash the dishes?¡±


    Duncan gave the doll a strange look. The latter scratched her hair awkwardly and said, ¡°I thought that since I am already on this ship, I should make myself useful. Otherwise, it would appear like I am freeloading.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t eat at all,¡± Duncan reminded her. ¡°Nevertheless, you have a good heart. Send the plates to the galley and talk nicely with the sink. If the sink doesn¡¯t mind, you may wash the plates.¡±


    After saying this, he stood up before Alice could respond. As he walked towards the captain¡¯s quarters, he said, ¡°I will go inspect the deck. Don¡¯t disturb me unless you have something to discuss.¡±


    The pigeon strolling on the rack flew down to Duncan¡¯s shoulder and left the room with him, leaving Alice at the nautical table exchanging glances with the goat head.


    ¡°The captain doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, is he?¡± Alice cautiously asked the goat head after hesitating for a bit.


    In a deep voice, the goat head answered, ¡°The captain¡¯s mood is like the weather of the boundless sea. Don¡¯t speculate about it. Just accept it.¡±


    Alice did not wait for the goat head to continue and quickly asked, ¡°By the way, just now, the captain asked me to discuss with the sink. How should I discuss things with it?¡±


    ¡°Simple. When you try to wash the dishes, if you get drenched in water, it means that the sink doesn¡¯t like you. That being said, do you know how to wash the dishes? If you don¡¯t know, I have some theoretical experience¡­¡±


    Before the goat head finished, Alice swiftly cleared up the cutlery on the table. As she dashed to the door, she replied, ¡°No need, I will learn to do so myself. Thank you, Mr. Goat Head. See you again!¡±


    The captain¡¯s quarters suddenly became quiet. Only the black goat head remained on the table. It watched with a blank stare as everyone left.


    After a long while, a sigh could be heard from the nautical table. The goat head said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if I had legs¡­¡±


    Its gaze then returned to the nautical chart.


    The fog surrounding the Lost Home was gradually clearing up. The goat head still had to diligently carry out the task of manning the helm given by the captain.


    With precise control, the gigantic ghost ship that was alive nimbly adjusted its sails¡¯ angles as it continued to sail the boundless sea. The goat head started to hum a sea shanty passed down from some unknown age. A gruff, hoarse humming echoed through the captain¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°Hoist the sails, hoist the sails, sailors away from home, continue on.


    Among the waves, amidst the noise, we are but a plank away from death.


    Trim the jib, and spread the mainsail. Let the ropes go and grab the ship¡¯s rail. We have reached the middle of the ocean!


    Stay away from fish, away from fish. The sailors want to chart a course across where the fish are entrenched.


    Stay away from fish, away from fish. We want to reach the shore safely. Spicy wine and a fireplace await ahead¡­¡±


    Duncan strolled around the supply room and the kitchen. He then returned to the center deck of the Lost Home.


    No matter how many times he searched, he could not find anything more edible than jerky and cheese on this ship.


    Fortunately, he did not need to eat maggot-infested biscuits like the sailors during the Age of Exploration on Earth. Unfortunately, this ship did not even have maggot-ridden biscuits.


    He cast aside all these thoughts of his for now. He came to the side of the deck with a silent Ai.


    As he gazed far out into the boundless sea, he kept thinking to himself,


    ¡°No matter what, I need to find a way to replenish the daily necessities on the Lost Home. Although I cannot be too particular about the quality of life on a ghost ship, I can¡¯t truly live like a spirit.¡±


    ¡°Alice might need to wash and change her clothes. There are no suitable clothes for her on this ship.¡±


    ¡°I need to quickly establish relations with the city-states on land. The Lost Home has already been lost at sea for far too long. The city-states might have developed to a level that even the goat head could not predict. From the appearance of the sewer before, at least the City-state of Pland is a prosperous and advanced city. The revolvers carried by the cultists are proof of the technological advancement of human society.¡±


    ¡°An ancient ghost ship will not necessarily be that invincible before civilization with a century of development. The legacy of the Lost Home still exists, but it would be bad if that is the only thing it still has.¡±


    Duncan looked at Ai on his shoulder.


    After he rested today, he might need to attempt a Spirit World Walk again.


    ¡°Coo coo?¡±


    Ai tilted its head. It finally acted like an ordinary pigeon.


    Duncan could not help but smile. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a flash of light on the ocean¡¯s surface.


    His attention was drawn to the light. He subconsciously glanced over the ship¡¯s railing. He then noticed that there was indeed something swimming beneath the waves.


    After hesitating for a moment, Duncan suddenly slapped his forehead. ¡°Sigh. What a fool I am! This is the ocean! Aren¡¯t there fish in the sea?¡±


    This sudden possibility immediately improved Duncan¡¯s mood. He realized that wanting to establish relations with the city-states on land and a stable supply of resources for the Lost Home were not matters that could be resolved overnight. Nevertheless, couldn¡¯t this vast ocean itself help him out?


    There were fish in the sea. He already had enough jerky and cheese on this ghost ship!


    Duncan¡¯s passion for fishing was ignited. He recalled that there were offshore fishing rods stored in one of the warehouses beneath the deck. There were also holders on the shipboard that were used to secure the fishing rods in place. As for bait, he wondered whether jerky and cheese were good enough for the deep-sea fish.


    While the cursed doll was washing dishes and the speaking goat head was focusing on sailing the ship, the captain of the Lost Home was busy gathering the necessary equipment he needed from below deck.


    Duncan soon found the things that he needed. He carried three offshore fishing rods and the baits back onto the deck. He clumsily set up the fishing rods on the shipboard. After putting some bait on the hooks and casting the lines into the water, he moved an empty barrel towards where the rods were and used it as a stool.


    Actually, Duncan had never tried deep-sea fishing before. His limited fishing experience came from fishing from a pond and a creek near his hometown. He had no idea whether his whim would yield any results. Nevertheless, since he was free anyway, there was no harm in giving it a try. He would use this moment as an opportunity to recuperate before he ventured into the Spirit World again. At the same time, he was hopeful of improving his diet through this.


    Duncan sat in between the few fishing rods. He gradually calmed down while waiting patiently for fish.


    The sea was calm today. The sky was rather cloudy, but there was no sign of a storm approaching


    Duncan sat on the barrel and leaned against a winch used to hold the ropes in place. He slowly closed his eyes amidst the gentle swaying motion of the ship.


    Unbeknownst when, he sank into a half-awake, half-asleep state.


    He dreamed of walking on the calm ocean barefooted. The water was blue while the sun was warm.


    The ¡°normal¡± sun he was familiar with was hanging high above the sky. It was bright but not scorching hot.


    He heard the sound of water splashing. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a group of fish leaping out of the calm water nearby.


    The fish were tiny and golden in color, each the size of a palm. They blew bubbles while in midair. They swayed their tails sideways as though they were swimming in the water. They formed a moving circle around Duncan.


    The fish swimming in midair gradually closed in on Zhou Ming. He stared at them curiously. Their eyes were round and covered in a layer of dense and tiny scales. Their mouths gulped for air. As they moved, ripples akin to water propagated in the space behind them.


    Zhou Ming suddenly felt that these fish were beautiful.


    They were also very fragrant.


    They would definitely be very, very delicious.

 Chapter 34 - Bountiful Harvest

    Chapter 34 Bountiful Harvest


    The sudden sound of waves awakened Duncan from his dreamscape.


    He opened his eyes. Only thin, faint silhouettes of the illusions he had seen during his half-asleep, half-awake state remained. He only remembered that he saw fish swimming in the air. The fish that surrounded him seemed exceptionally delicious. However, what did they look like again?


    Could fish swim in the air?


    Duncan blinked his eyes. The strange feeling of reality and the dreamscape torn apart and blended again stumped him for a short while. He looked at the three fishing rods he had fixed to the shipboard. He did not see any signs of fish taking the bait. The waves were growing bigger in the distance. They beat against the hull of the Lost Home.


    The waves grew larger at a rate perceptible to the naked eye. Stronger waves began to surge constantly from afar. The gigantic hull of the Lost Home shook in the waves and the wind. The sound of waves splashing against the hull filled Duncan¡¯s ears.


    Duncan looked at the sky and deduced that the weather was still fine. Even though there were more waves than usual, there would probably not be extreme weather conditions, such as a powerful storm.


    ¡°This might not be good weather for fishing,¡± he muttered as he considered packing up the fishing rods. Right then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tip of one of the fishing rods bend all of a sudden!


    The strong fishing line, specially made for deep-sea fishing, instantly tensed up. The stubby and rigid offshore fishing rod seemed to have caught something big. The entire top half of the rod curved like a bow, accompanied by an ear-piercing screech. The shipboard also emitted the sound of rubbing wood under tremendous force. All of this told Duncan one thing.


    A fish had come! A big fish!


    He instantly discarded the idea of calling it a day. The passion of a fishing maniac burned within his chest. With two steps, he reached for the fishing rod and grabbed it to prevent it from falling overboard. With his other hand, he began to adjust the tension of the line.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it! How could I possibly come out empty-handed!¡± Duncan muttered to himself excitedly.


    He struggled with the behemoth on the other end of the line. This was a difficult battle. The creature on the other side of the line was not planning on letting itself get caught without a fight. A considerable force tugged at the fishing rod. Even with Duncan¡¯s strength and the support of the shipboard, they were merely at a stalemate.


    The waves around the Lost Home grew larger. However, for Duncan, this minor shaking was insignificant.


    He was mad at this stubborn prey. He was also worried that this long-awaited opportunity to improve his rations would slip away before his eyes.


    The fishing line had reached its critical point of tension. The big fish was about to escape from his grasp.


    After a long stalemate, Duncan finally made a decision. A clump of green flames suddenly emanated from the fishing rod in his hands.


    The green flames burned brightly and spread like water rapidly along the fishing rod and line. The spirit fire burned along the fishing line, forming a line of fire that extended into the ocean. The next moment, an illusory green flame appeared deep under the water around the Lost Home. Under the light and outline of the green flames, a gigantic silhouette could be seen in the water.


    This silhouette appeared like a mass of meat that extended and contracted irregularly. It covered a radius of several hundred meters around the Lost Home. Along its outline, many dark creatures were constantly changing and growing emerged. It was as though thousands of limbs were wiggling in the ocean, churning the water around the Lost Home and controlling the surging waves.


    Duncan heard strange movements coming from the water. While he maintained the stalemate with his prey, he curiously peeked his head over the rail to take a look.


    He did not see anything at all, only the rising and falling waves. Nothing much had changed.


    He clearly felt the resistance from the fishing rod weaken ever so slightly compared to before.


    His prey was beginning to lose strength. This fact caused him to reveal a radiant smile on his face.


    He began to reel in line with force, gradually pulling his prey out of the ocean.


    Alice was startled by the roaring and whistling coming from outside the cabin. She could feel intense tremors coming from beneath her feet. The furnishing in the cabin began to make a series of clanging sounds. She quickly grabbed onto a railing to prevent herself from falling. There was a look of surprise on her face as she thought to herself, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The Lost Home was shaking as though a massive storm was rampaging outside. A low, suppressed sound came from deep within the ancient ghost ship. It seemed to be roaring furiously as it fought against the terrors from deep within the ocean, against some behemoth that was attempting to consume it.


    Everything in the cabin was clanging. At first, Alice thought that this was just because of the collisions caused by the ship shaking. Soon, she realized that the shaking did not cause the noise from the objects. The objects were talking among themselves. However, Alice could not understand this language that only the Lost Home itself understood.


    She only knew that something was going on outside.


    The doll decided to go up on deck to take a look. She stumbled as she ran out of the cabin. She supported herself against the wall to prevent herself from falling as she headed up to the deck.


    After nearly stumbling over flailing ropes and crashing wooden buckets, she finally reached the top of the stairs. She pushed open the wooden door, constantly flapping in the wind, and saw astonishing giant waves on the boundless sea.


    The sky was as black as ink-a thick, ominous cloud formed above the ship. The black layer of cloud seemed to descend upon the ocean¡¯s surface. Giant waves as tall as city walls churned and surged beneath the dark cloud. They rose and fell as though they were surrounding the Lost Home!


    This was the first time Alice had encountered such a situation. She did not know whether this was the normal condition of the ocean. However, she knew that she needed to find the captain.


    She looked around the deck and took no time to locate Captain Duncan standing beside the deck¡¯s railing


    The surrounding waves were annoying. However, they were an insignificant disturbance to Duncan, who was on the verge of success. Under the feedback of the fishing line and the green flames, he could clearly sense that his prey had already stopped fighting back. He was gradually yanking the gigantic creature to the surface.


    ¡°Come on up!¡± he shouted happily, giving the fishing rod in his hand one last jerk.


    A colossal fish leaped out of the ocean. It was truly massive, almost half his size.


    In that split second, Duncan locked gazes with the fish in midair.


    It was pretty ugly.


    This was the first thought that came to his mind.


    It was indeed a hideous fish. The surface of its black body seemed to be covered with some bumpy growth. There were also strange gray and white patterns randomly spread across the fins on both sides of its body. On its head, there were many bone spur-like structures. Its blank white eyes looked at Duncan beneath these bone spurs.


    Duncan felt very uncomfortable. He thought that the fish was looking at him maliciously.


    The next moment, he saw the fish start twitching suddenly. Its eyes, staring at him, exploded for some reason and blood flowed instantly from them.


    The fish fell onto the deck with a heavy thud, twitching frantically as though it was being electrocuted. A few seconds later, it stopped moving. Fresh blood oozed out of its mouth and eyes onto the deck.


    Duncan watched in surprise as this ugly fish rapidly died at his feet. He vaguely recalled something he had read. Most of the fish in the deep sea were indeed very ugly. Due to living in environments with extreme water pressure, their blood vessels would explode due to the difference in pressure after being fished up to the surface. They would even die very quickly because of this. Was this the same for the fish of this world?


    While he was stunned, he could hear splashing


    Duncan curiously looked towards the sound. He saw many smaller, peculiar-looking fish landing on the deck.


    Their appearances were similar to the ones before, but they were only around half a meter long. Just like the larger fish, their bodies bled intensively, and they soon perished.


    Duncan was somewhat stunned and took some time to react. He said, ¡°Are these fish dumb or what? Why would they follow their companion to death?¡±


    Alice grabbed the side rail tightly. She stared nervously at the sight of the brutal fighting not far away. It was enough to drive ordinary people crazy. She saw Captain Duncan standing at the side of the deck. The green flames on his body were burning brightly. He was like a burning giant fighting against the ocean. Three hook chains extended from the deck beneath his feet. One of the chains was burning with terrifying, intense flames.


    She saw a gigantic silhouette suddenly emerge from the boundless sea. Then, a tentacle thicker than even the main mast of the Lost Home appeared. Countless, evil-looking eyes opened on the surface of the tentacle. Numerous sharp teeth ground and snapped between the eyes as though they were about to tear the entire ship to pieces.


    Alice screamed. She wanted to warn Duncan to take shelter. She also wanted to rush forward to help him. However, the tentacle crashed into the captain before she could put any of her thoughts into action.


    She watched as Captain Duncan raised his head. Under the light of the radiant flames, the captain¡¯s face revealed a look of joy from a bountiful harvest. He stared at the countless eyes on the tentacle as they stared back at him.


    The next moment, the eyes on the tentacle suddenly exploded, and the mouths of sharp teeth let out an ear-piercing, painful cry. The tentacle then snapped off. It was as though the gigantic creature hidden beneath the waves had taken the initiative to sever its connection with the tentacle. The heavily injured tentacle was left behind on the deck of the ship.


    The tentacle fell on the ship with a loud crash. From the point it was severed, filthy, dense flesh and blood rained down on deck before the captain¡¯s feet.

 Chapter 35 - Calm and Normal

    Chapter 35 Calm and Normal


    The ocean had calmed down.


    Alice stared at the tentacle lying on the deck. Viscous flesh and blood containing an enormous power also fell beside the captain¡¯s feet. They soon lost their vitality. At the same time, the gigantic creature lingering beneath the Lost Home dived deeper into the ocean. After sacrificing one of its tentacles, the creature swiftly left the region where the Lost Home was. It seemed to be fleeing in a hurry.


    While the gigantic shadow descended into the depths, the ocean quickly regained its tranquility. The dark cloud looming over the sky also cleared up instantly.


    Perhaps that was not a dark cloud after all.


    Alice took a glance at the sky. She remembered the shape of the dark cloud. Based on how it dissipated, she slowly realized that the dark cloud was connected to the shadow underwater.


    The dark cloud was a shadow cast onto the sky by the gigantic creature in the ocean.


    The sound of fire crackling could be heard coming from the side of the deck. It put a halt to Alice¡¯s wandering thoughts. She quickly looked for the captain. He had regained his usual composure. The burly man had a big grin on his face. After noticing Alice, he waved his hand, signaling her to get closer.


    When Alice approached him, Duncan kicked the big fish on the deck and said with a happy tone, ¡°Look! I caught a big fish!¡±


    ¡°A¡­big fish?¡± Alice had a blank expression as she repeated his words. She took a look at the lump of flesh beside Duncan¡¯s feet. It was still wiggling. Countless, half-opened eyes stared adamantly at the sky even though they had exploded into a bloody mess. The razor-sharp teeth glistened with a cold light in between the eyes.


    Following Duncan¡¯s kick, half the eyes on the severed tentacle blinked. They then all closed completely.


    ¡°Yes, it is a big fish,¡± said Duncan happily. ¡°Take a look. It took quite an effort for me to drag this out of the ocean.¡±


    Even though she was just a doll, Alice felt the corner of her eye twitch as though she had muscles. She tried to say something but did not know where to start correcting him on this topic.


    She looked at the ¡°fish¡± at Duncan¡¯s feet.


    A big, ugly fish was lying there. It was black with pitted skin. It had strange gray-white patterns near its fins. Bone spurs extended from its head, and a pair of lifeless fish eyes looked back at her.


    There were also many small fish scattered across the surrounding deck.


    Alice suddenly lost all her expressions and words. Wide-eyed, she stared at the scene before her. There were fish on the deck. She was sure that they were not fish just a second ago.


    The doll who lacked life experiences had never experienced a moment of doubt in her life before. Yet, at this very instant, she questioned everything in life. She was even wondering whether she was dreaming. The tentacle, the lumps of blood and flesh, where had they all gone?


    Perhaps her momentary bewilderment was too apparent; Duncan immediately noticed Alice¡¯s abnormal behavior. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the doll and asked, ¡°What is the matter? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alice opened her mouth to speak. However, just as she was planning to correct him, the code the goat head told her before suddenly surfaced in her mind.


    On the Lost Home, Captain Duncan was the absolute authority. His words were the absolute reality. If the real world contradicted Captain Duncan¡¯s words, they were to follow the captain¡¯s judgment.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Alice quickly said. Next, as though to cover up her overly tense tone, she hastily changed topics. She said, ¡°Captain, the storm just now was really frightening.¡±


    ¡°Storm? Did you mean the waves?¡± Duncan asked as he looked doubtfully at the doll. ¡°The waves just now were indeed big, but they are far from being called a storm. That being said, you have not seen a real storm.¡±


    Alice said, ¡°You are right.¡±


    Since Captain Duncan categorized the storm, which almost covered the entire sea area, as ¡°waves¡±, then waves they would be. Since Captain Duncan believed that the things he caught were fish, fish they would be.


    ¡°I can sense that you are somewhat nervous. Are you okay?¡± Duncan acutely detected that there was something off with Alice¡¯s tone. With a look of concern, he stared at his first crew member and asked, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re seasick? Can you get seasick?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that the ship was rocking too hard just now¡­¡± Alice gazed at the captain, who seemed genuinely worried about her and was unsure whether she should feel at ease or even more afraid. She changed the topic of conversation and asked, ¡°Oh, right. What do you plan to do with these¡­fish?¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± said Duncan as he immediately smiled. ¡°Of course, we will eat them!¡±


    Alice was instantly dumbfounded. She said, ¡°Eat them?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do with them? Didn¡¯t you notice? The food on the Lost Home is too monotonous.¡± Duncan was clearly in a great mood as he continued, ¡°I plan to cut this big fish into smaller portions. I will make half into a stew and roast the remaining half. I will cure the smaller fish with salt and make them into dried fish.¡±


    He disclosed his plan with great delight. Even though he sounded confident, he had no idea whether he would succeed. His cooking skill was average at most. Besides that, he had never processed such a huge fish before. As for dried fish, he knew how to make them in theory, but he had never done so in real life.


    However, he would never know his skill if he had never tried.


    The only risk was food poisoning.


    Duncan still retained some reason despite his joy at the bountiful harvest. He carefully inspected the big fish at his feet, trying to guess whether this gift from nature was poisonous.


    The most reliable method, to be sure, was to find an unlucky soul to try it out first.


    He first thought of the goat head in the captain¡¯s quarters but immediately eliminated it as an option. He then glanced at the cursed doll before him. She wouldn¡¯t do as well.


    Alice did not have a stomach at all.


    Finally, he looked at the pigeon on his shoulder.


    The pigeon also tilted its head and looked back at him.


    Ai did not appear like an ordinary creature. However, if Duncan wanted to find a living creature of flesh and blood on this ship, he was only left with this pigeon.


    After a short while, Duncan brought his spoils and left the deck. It was almost lunchtime, and he could not wait to improve the rations on the Lost Home.


    Alice stood in a daze where she was for a while and then came before the door to the captain¡¯s quarters.


    She initially did not want to see the goat head. Ever since she experienced this first mate¡¯s ability to nag, she even developed a sense of reverence for the entire captain¡¯s quarters.


    If possible, she would avoid the place.


    However, today¡¯s incident was too bizarre. She felt that she had to consult the more experienced goat head about whether this was normal on the Lost Home.


    She had not gone against the crew member¡¯s code. Finding out more about the situation should not violate taboos.


    After hesitating for a short while, Alice finally gathered the courage to open the door to the captain¡¯s quarters.


    She was surprised to see that the goat head was already turned towards the door and was staring straight at her. It was as though it had been expecting her arrival.


    ¡°What happened outside?¡± the goat head asked succinctly. This was a stark contrast from its usual self.


    Judging from its abnormal behavior, Alice sensed that something was indeed off. She immediately closed the door, went to the nautical table, and told the goat head everything she had witnessed.


    After she finished her narration, the goat head sank into silence, which was not a usual occurrence. For a whole minute, it did not speak a word.


    The wooden goat head was incapable of making any facial expressions. However, Alice could sense that what happened just now was beyond the comprehension of this first mate.


    Alice panicked. She subconsciously leaned forward, asking, ¡°Is this abnormal for the Lost Home? Could it be that the captain is truly¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything on the Lost Home is normal.¡± The goat head was finally awakened from its silence. It quickly interrupted Alice¡¯s speculation as though it was trying to fix a flaw. It said, ¡°Listen. Everything on the Lost Home is normal. It will forever be so. The great Captain Duncan is being his usual self as well.¡±


    Alice protested, saying, ¡°But¡­judging from your response¡­¡±


    ¡°Things have exceeded my expectations, but that is because I have insufficient imagination and knowledge,¡± the goat head¡¯s words slowly become eloquent. It was returning to normal from its shock. After that, its mood began to improve. Its tone became more excited and energetic as it said, ¡°Yes, great Captain Duncan. He should be even greater and more powerful! There is nothing out of the ordinary, Miss Alice. Listen here. Everything is standard on the Lost Home. Let the captain do what he thinks is right. Do not discuss this matter any further. You only need to remember this:


    There is fish in the kitchen of the Lost Home, and fish is delicious food.¡±

 Chapter 36 - When Day Turns Into Night

    Chapter 36 When Day Turns Into Night


    Cooking a meal from such a giant fish wasn¡¯t an easy feat.


    It wasn¡¯t just about the technique. It also required stamina and strength.


    Fortunately, Duncan was driven by his sense of duty as a fisherman and his passion for improving his diet. This gave him plenty of energy to deal with the big fish that he managed to catch today.


    He worked for a long time in the kitchen and finally managed to dismantle the bone spike on the head of the hideous fish. After that, with great difficulty, he managed to cut up its fat body into many pieces. The meat on the head of this strange fish was quite sparse, so he decided to toss it aside first. But there was some high-quality meat on the belly and back of it, which were very suitable as ingredients in the Lost Home¡¯s kitchen.


    Although it seemed strange that the captain was working in the kitchen personally, Duncan enjoyed it. That said, he wondered what the ordinary folks would think when they saw him like this, given how terrified they were of the ship. Would they be shocked at how the ghost captain could carry out normal daily activities in such an approachable manner? Or would they compliment his outstanding fishing skills?


    While separating the meat of the strange fish into portions, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he thought about those questions. He started thinking that perhaps there would really be a day when he could invite some people onto his ship as guests. The Lost Home wouldn¡¯t always be synonymous with disaster, and he didn¡¯t plan to be a cruel, cold-blooded ghost captain forever. After learning more about this world, naturally, he had to start adapting to the civilization here.


    Duncan decided that when the time came, he would treat the guests on his ship to a fish meal.


    After cutting the fish into portions, Duncan stored most of it in a wooden barrel half-filled with sea salt. He then pushed the bulky barrel into the storeroom deep inside the kitchen. He intended to prepare the rest of the fish later on. He was going to dip them in salt and then sun-dry them on the deck. If nothing goes wrong, the sea breeze will turn them into dry fish jerky.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t find any spirits with a high alcohol content on the ship. Otherwise, he would have had more ways of preparing the fish.


    Of course, it¡¯s a good thing to have fresh fish to eat every day, but Duncan knew that fishing depended on luck. He had a rather good catch today, but that didn¡¯t mean that the same would happen in the future. He had to think about how to store the excess food.


    Although the meat jerky and cheese on the Lost Home showed no sign of decay or rotting, Duncan wasn¡¯t sure if it was because there was something special about the ship or something special about the jerky and cheese. He didn¡¯t want the fish that he had taken great effort to catch to go bad.


    Salt-cured fish is still better than the salt-cured meat that was made a century ago. At least it¡¯s a change of flavors.


    Duncan left the meat that looked the most tender and fresh. He threw them into a pot together with the meat jerky to make a stew. The meat jerky was used as a seasoning in his cooking process.


    This primitive cooking process was ruining the previous meat. Any real chef would get high blood pressure if they saw what Duncan was doing to this top-grade fish. The best way to prepare such fresh, tender fish meat is to make it into sashimi or gently sear it in a pan. Duncan knew that as well, but he decided to cook it this way to be safe.


    He didn¡¯t recognize this fish that he caught from the ocean, so he didn¡¯t dare to just eat it. Although theoretically, fish from the ocean wouldn¡¯t carry parasites that are harmful to the human body, and the ¡°ghost captain¡± was probably immune to ordinary poison and venom, but who could know for sure?


    Compared to the other preparation processes, stewing is the best way to cook unknown ingredients.


    He had to use this method to ensure that this fish was actually edible before considering other ways of cooking it.


    Halfway through the afternoon, he finally finished preparing lunch.


    He scooped up a bowl of fish soup and put it on the table. The alluring aroma it made was extremely appetizing. Despite that, Duncan cautiously picked up a piece of fish meat, blew on it to cool it down, then placed it in front of Ai, the pigeon.


    Of course, pigeons don¡¯t eat meat, but Ai wasn¡¯t an ordinary pigeon.


    Duncan needed to satisfy his curiosity. There were too many things that he needed to try on the Lost Home.


    As for what to do if this abnormal pigeon actually got poisoned after eating the fish¡­Duncan had prepared for that as well.


    Firstly, he had already tried his best to prepare the fish, so letting the pigeon try it was not essential. Secondly, if something really happened to Ai, Duncan could immediately pull it into its astral form with his green fire. He had tried it before. In its astral form, the feedback from Ai was the same as the brass compass. She was basically an ¡°object¡± controlled by his spirit fire. He could even disintegrate Ai¡¯s astral form and teleport it to any position around him. In such a state, ordinary poison would definitely not work on her.


    Ai tilted her head to one side and looked at Duncan. After confirming that the fish was meant for her, she pecked on the table beside the fish, then looked at Duncan before turning her gaze toward the ceiling. ¡°Are you sure this fruit is ripe?¡±


    Duncan said, ¡°Just say, are you going to eat


    it?¡±


    Ai flapped her wings a little, then mocked Duncan¡¯s tone and parroted, ¡°Just say, are you going to eat it?¡±


    Then it lowered its head and pecked at the cooled fish meat at a surprising pace. It managed to finish the meat in a few quick bites, despite it not looking like food meant for pigeons at all!


    After finishing the meat, Ai craned its neck and started strutting around on the table arrogantly. It seemed to be in a very good mood. After walking one round, it returned to Duncan and said loudly, ¡°Delicious! Delicious!¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the pigeon. For some reason, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but think-this little guy is able to copy what I say, change his mind, and repeat his own words!


    With these three characteristics, it basically embodies a human (Earthling). Based on the principle of freedom in form, this little dude might just be considered a human on Earth¡­


    After a while, Duncan confirmed that the pigeon had no adverse reactions to the meat, which made him feel at ease.


    The captain of the Lost Home and his pet started feasting quietly in their kitchen.


    The fish tasted amazing, just like Duncan had experienced in his dream.


    The sun gradually went down and approached the edge of the high walls at the fringes of the city. The tall chimneys, pipes, and towers in the City-state of Pland were showered in the golden rays of sunset.


    In the city¡¯s central area, the majestic chime of the great bell resounded from the highlands, where the Great Church of the Wind was located. It was followed by the sharp whistle of a pressure relief valve as large swaths of white mist spewed out from the top of the towers on the wings of the church. It was as though clouds had shrouded the sky above the highlands, reflecting the golden sunlight from the surface of the ocean.


    This was the signal that day was crossing into the night. It was a warning that the power of the sun was dissipating rapidly. The Wound of the World was about to take over the skies.


    Order in the world would transition from stability to precarity from this point on. The influence stemming from the ¡°deep end¡± of the world was strengthened rapidly as the night fell. This process would continue until the second day when the sun rises again.


    At night, cautious individuals would choose to stay at home. People who had to leave their homes would try their best to stay in brightly lit places. The gaslights blessed by the clergy would be able to chase away the malice in the darkness as much as possible.


    Regardless of the circumstances, this was a large, prosperous, and stable city-state. Under the legion of the holy Great Church of the Wind, even the influence of the Deep End of the World was suppressed to a safe value. The abnormal phenomena that happened in the city occasionally were inconsequential and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. All ordinary citizens knew how to protect themselves behind their doors. There were also guards from the church that patrolled the city at night, taking over from the sheriffs to ensure order in the city at night.


    However, regardless of how bright a streetlight was, there would still be dark shadows that its brilliance could not reach. Even under the noses of the church guards, some fools yearned for darkness and chaos. They feared and resented the existing order in the world and fanatically looked forward to a ¡°beautiful era¡± that they hadn¡¯t even seen themselves.


    Fortunately, in the city-state, where the power of law and order took the dominant position, these subverters could only curl up and hide in the shadows.


    Near the border of the city, at the entrance of an abandoned underground sewer, several individuals donning black robes had curled up in the corner of a room.


    This was once a resting room for workers maintaining the sewer. It had been abandoned and forgotten due to changes in city planning. This unkempt corner became a safe harbor for cultists after frantically escaping from the light. A dim oil lamp was hung on the wall. Its flickering flame illuminated several depressed, terrified faces lined with hatred.


    A man in a black robe, around 30 years old, lay on the ¡°carpet¡± made of tattered cloth. He gritted his teeth. His face was pale, and his breath was weak and unstable. The others spoke around him. Someone cursed softly, ¡°Those damned church dogs¡­¡±


    ¡°We lost many of our people. Even the emissary died during the ritual¡­¡± Another person said, with a husky voice, ¡°Why did the holy ritual suddenly lose control¡­¡±


    ¡°The sacrifice¡­ it must be because of the sacrifice. He¡¯s clearly a minion of our enemy¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen,¡± One of the men suddenly turned his head, seemingly listening for something. He pointed upward and said, ¡°It¡¯s the sound of the dusk bell and steam whistle.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s going to be night soon,¡± said the person who had started cursing first. He had a deep voice. He then looked at his ¡°comrade¡± lying on the ground, clearly in critical condition. ¡°Damn it¡­ I hope he survives tonight¡­¡±

 Chapter 37 - Life and Death

    Chapter 37 Life and Death


    The sounds of the dusk bell and steam whistles, representing the passing of the day, echoed through the moist, dark slopes and vertical wells. It resounded softly through the shady, claustrophobia-inducing sewage pipes. This signal of the night approaching made the cultists hiding in the abandoned resting room even more upset.


    One of them caught a critical illness-an illness that no one could diagnose. Now, he was going to die. He was going to die in this dim, underground world.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive right now,¡± a cultist said hesitantly as he looked at the ¡°comrade¡± lying on the ground. He could see the frail man¡¯s eyes open slightly. His eyeballs were turning slowly in his eye sockets. This poor guy could still hear what was happening around him, but he didn¡¯t have enough strength to open his eyes anymore.


    ¡°He¡¯s only alive for now,¡± another cultist said with a deep voice. ¡°The bell of dusk has already rung. He cannot die in this room. Our lord¡¯s blessings will help him to receive peace in the darkness.¡±


    The fingers of the man lying on the ground sheet twitched a little. He clearly understood the situation that he was in at that moment, and he didn¡¯t want to just die like this. But death had already caught on to his shadow tightly. Based on the current situation, his dear comrades of the Sun were already considering moving this potential hazard out of the shelter before death actually descended upon him.


    The room was shrouded in an extremely depressing silence. It was so quiet that the faint breaths of the dying man became clearly audible. Finally, after a very long period of dead silence, the man in a black robe who cursed the Church of the Wind broke the silence. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while, at least¡­ people don¡¯t change when they just die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while then,¡± the cultist with a deep voice agreed. He looked toward the man lying on the ground sheet, struggling to breathe. He couldn¡¯t help but start mumbling again. ¡°Why did he suddenly get sick? Are you guys sure that it¡¯s just a regular disease?¡± ¡°I know him¡­ he owns an antique shop that¡¯s almost closing down in the lower city area. His shop was pretty much full of fakes,¡± another cultist who hadn¡¯t spoken said. ¡°He was already ill before this and had never been healthy. I think it¡¯s because he stayed in the sewers for too long and got scared by those people just now. It caused his illness to flare


    up.¡±


    Listening to his fellow cultist¡¯s explanation, the cultist, with a deep voice, finally felt a little more at ease. Although he wasn¡¯t a ¡°priest¡± with admirable status, he had been with the Sun for many years. Now, he could at least be considered an ¡°expert¡± in the occult. He knew the kind of consequences that a failed ritual would have¡ªconsequences that are mysterious, far-reaching, and dangerous. Every single follower participating in the ritual might become a carrier of this mysterious danger. This person, who had suddenly become extremely ill and frail, might just be the ¡°carrier.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the rule which stipulates that ¡°all followers of the Sun are brothers,¡± as well as several cultists around him who couldn¡¯t make up their minds, he would have thrown this unfortunate guy into the darkness outside a long time ago.


    After a long silence, this cultist suddenly moved. He took out a light gold talisman and stuffed it into the ill man¡¯s shirt at his chest.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± another cultist asked curiously.


    ¡°I exchanged this holy talisman from the emissary at a heavy price,¡± he said in his deep voice in a sincere tone. ¡°I hope the lord can bless our brother. Perhaps the brilliance of the Sun can stop the darkness from corrupting him further.¡± The other two cultists immediately cleared their doubts. They looked in awe at their senior, who had just given away his talisman. They clenched their fists and put them on their foreheads, praying softly and chanting, ¡°All followers of the Sun are brothers¡­¡±


    The man with a deep voice clenched his fist as well and placed it on his forehead. Then, he chanted softly with the others, ¡°All followers of the Sun are brothers.¡±


    After the sun had lowered completely below the horizon, the moonless, starless night sky once again appeared in front of Duncan. The pale white crack stretched across the sky. Its cold light lit up the boundless sea and the Lost Home.


    Duncan stood on the deck at the tail of the ship. He retracted his gaze and sighed softly.


    Regardless of how often he looked at it, he could not see stars from the pale, cold gleam. After all, they were non-existent in the first place.


    However, compared to the last time he looked at this starless sky, his mood was clearly much better this time.


    One reason was that he had already accepted the strange oddities of this world. He had been spontaneously adapting to his life now. Another reason was that the fish he caught today were pretty decent by any standard.


    Duncan is a very optimistic person. So any tiny improvement in his life is worth being happy for. Besides, the gift of nature was much more generous than he had imagined.


    If he continued at this pace, even if he couldn¡¯t establish a stable connection to civilization on land, he could at least improve his quality of life on the ship.


    As his thoughts went astray, he turned to look at the pigeon standing on his shoulder. He said jokingly, ¡°Hey¡­ do you think things would be easier if I did some pirate stuff? Like, find a busy maritime route and rob some ships or whatever¡­¡±


    The pigeon tilted its head, and its two eyes looked in different directions, neither of which Duncan could follow. ¡°Seriously? Seriously? Seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s not who I am,¡± Duncan laughed and said. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s so much easier said than done. At least I need to find a busy route for any pillage to happen.¡± This ocean was vast yet empty. Duncan didn¡¯t know how far the Lost Home had drifted away from civilization. Ever since he ran into the ship that was in charge of transporting Abnormality 099, he hadn¡¯t spotted any other vessels in his sight. So even if he wanted to rob someone, he didn¡¯t know where to find his victim.


    Just then, a voice sounded from beside him and cut off Duncan¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Captain, are we going to rob someone?¡±


    Duncan looked toward where the voice came from. Alice was sitting on a plank high up above, looking at him curiously.


    Under the light from the pale gash in the sky, the gothic doll wearing a royal dress sat high above on the ghost ship. Her mercury-like hair gave off a cold gleam in the night. She sat in a very formal and upright manner, and her eyes were filled with curiosity. This scene looked like an old and mysterious painting.


    Duncan was rather surprised for a moment. After experiencing several ¡°incidents¡± that caused great turmoil, he had almost forgotten about this lady doll. Initially, she gave him a noble, elegant, and mysterious impression when she was lying in the wooden crate. Now, when Duncan saw Alice in this quiet state, he felt a little stunned.


    But Alice didn¡¯t know what the captain was thinking. So she asked again, out of curiosity, ¡°Captain, are we going to rob somebody?¡±


    That question kind of ruined her image.


    Duncan looked at the doll, not sure how to react. ¡°Do you like robbing people?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alice shook her head and answered. ¡°It looks quite boring.¡±


    ¡°But I ¡®robbed¡¯ someone and took you to my ship,¡± Duncan smiled and reminded her.


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s true,¡± Alice thought about it for a while, then nodded and said. She then asked, ¡°Are we going to rob someone now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Duncan waved his hand and said before walking back to the captain¡¯s room slowly. ¡°I find robbery quite boring. In contrast, strolling around is much more suitable as a form of exercise after a meal.¡±


    Duncan returned to the captain¡¯s room. After briefly assigning the job of manning the wheel, he returned to his bedroom and closed the door.


    He had already decided that he was going to head to the Spirit World for the second time tonight.


    But unlike last time, this time, he would test his ability using ¡°Ai,¡± the pigeon.


    A ghostly green flame flickered at Duncan¡¯s fingertip. At one particular flicker, the pigeon, which was strolling around on the table, vanished before appearing again on his shoulder.


    Duncan felt the faint connection between Ai and him. He gradually calmed down and started recalling the feeling when he activated the brass compass last time. Then, he started trying to use the spirit flame on his hand to communicate with Ai¡­


    The formless green flame turned into a thin line and started coiling around Ai¡¯s wings. The next second, the entire white pigeon was engulfed in flames!


    As the flame burned, the pigeon¡¯s feathers turned into a phantom state. The green fire that was leaping rapidly had seemingly reconstructed its flesh and bones. Ai raised its wings in the fire. The brass compass that was hung on its chest suddenly opened up. The mysterious runes on the face of the compass flickered faintly. The pointer in the needle started spinning like crazy before finally pointing into the distance. Everything around him started to disintegrate and dissipate. The familiar darkness once again appeared in Duncan¡¯s eyes. Right after that, the familiar flow of luminescence and then the countless speckles of light.


    Duncan followed the feeling in his heart and looked toward the light, looking for the next suitable target to make contact with.


    Suddenly, he was reeled in by one of the starlights.


    He didn¡¯t know if this was the ¡°instinct of captain Duncan¡± which goat head often spoke of, but he decided to go with it. Regardless of who was behind that starlight, he was now fated to be with captain Duncan.


    In the abandoned sewers on the edge of the City-state of Pland, the cultists who believed in the Sun God had escaped from the church guards. They sat in complete silence. No one spoke a single word.


    The world above ground had already sunk into the deep darkness of the night. In the underground world, only a faint, flickering light protected the abandoned room.


    Regardless of how cruel, ruthless, and inhumane the cultists were, they felt nervous and fearful as they faced the approaching darkness.


    On the tattered groundsheet beside them, the man was breathing his final breaths.


    As they listened to his breaths getting shorter and more difficult, several pairs of eyes looked toward the dying man in unison.


    They stared unmovingly at the ¡°comrade¡± on the groundsheet. Everyone knew at that point that this person wouldn¡¯t live through the night.


    Under the gaze of these eyes, the man¡¯s chest puffed up one last time. Then, finally, he exhaled the final breath of his life.


    ¡°May the Sun continue to illuminate your soul in the darkness,¡± the cultist beside him said slowly in a deep voice. Then, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Get him¡­¡±


    The next second, he swallowed whatever he intended to say.


    Right in front of his eyes, the ¡°corpse,¡± whose eyes were shut tight, started breathing again.

 Chapter 38 - Disconnected

    Chapter 38 Disconnected


    The corpse was breathing. It was as though he took a still at the edge of the afterlife before returning to the human world again.


    All the black-robed cultists in the room looked at the man, stunned at the sight of him breathing again. Some of them didn¡¯t even realize that he had actually ¡°died¡± just now. The shift from life to death and back was so brief that it was hard to tell if one didn¡¯t look closely. They simply felt their dying ¡°comrade¡¯s¡± breath suddenly become stable and energetic again. It made them feel astonished.


    The next second, the man lying on the ground opened his eyes.


    It seemed that he had stayed in the dark for too long, to the point that the dim light from the flickering oil lamp dazzled his eyes. He blinked as he tried to adapt to the light. Then, his eyeballs slowly started turning as he seemed just to notice the three black-robed cultists coming closer to him.


    ¡°All hail the lord!¡± A younger cultist finally regained his senses and started exclaiming, ¡°You survived! I thought you were going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on! No! Get back!¡± The cultist, with a deep voice, suddenly realized something. He stretched his arm out and blocked the others, then looked at the man who had just awoken with cautious eyes. As he slowly stepped backward, he said with a threatening tone, ¡°His breathing stopped completely just now, I am sure of it¡­ Something isn¡¯t right!¡±


    Duncan finally got used to the environment around him, and the noise that sounded like tinnitus started to fade away from his mind. He looked at the people surrounding him. The first question that came to mind was ¡ª Why still these people? Why is he still in the sewers?


    Spirit World Walking should be completely random. When he picked his target, he had been choosing based on instinct with no logic. Yet somehow, both times when he opened his eyes, he ended up amid these cultists. What kind of sinful bond did he have with these people?


    However, the next moment, he realized something wasn¡¯t right based on the reaction of the people around him. Then, he noticed the black robe that he was wearing.


    Duncan went silent for two seconds, then understood what was going on.


    Last time, he was the sacrifice that the cultists were sacrificing. Then, he closed and opened his eyes. Now he is a cultist himself.


    He really had some strange bond with these people.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right!¡±


    Just then, a hostile, deep voice snapped Duncan¡¯s brain out of its chaotic state after waking up. He looked toward where the voice was coming from and met a cold, highly alarmed gaze.


    The man was looking at him coldly. Beside him, two other black-robed cultists realized what was happening and backed off as they changed into an on-guard stance.


    Duncan was startled for a moment. He suddenly realized he might have possessed a corpse just like he did last time.


    He just revived a corpse in front of these cultists!


    After understanding the situation at hand, the nervous reactions of these cultists made complete sense to him. Duncan¡¯s brain started working at full throttle. He could feel the lingering numbness in his body. It was difficult for him to move right now. It seemed pretty difficult for him to make any big movements right under the noses of these cultists. He needed to figure out a way to calm these people down first. Just as he tried his best to think of a solution, fragments of vague, blurry memories started to appear in his mind!


    In those fragmented memories, he suddenly ¡°remembered¡± many experiences that didn¡¯t belong to him. Duncan remembered how ¡°he¡± hid in the sewers. He remembered how ¡°he¡± offered his money to the emissary of the Sun. He remembered how ¡°he¡± participated in the cult¡¯s dark, insane, and bloody rituals to cure his illness. ¡°He¡± drank the blood of someone innocent in exchange for the ¡°blessings of the


    sun.¡±


    At the end of a string of chaotic memories, he ¡°saw¡± the scene of the sacrificial ritual. He saw many people wearing the same robe as him, standing beside the tall altar. The young sacrifice was pushed up the platform. The young sacrifice had a strange, stiff expression on his face and threw the entire ritual into chaos¡­


    He saw the ¡¯emissary of the Sun¡± being sacrificed for his heart, and everyone around the altar went insane. The followers of the cult started killing each other as roaring flames flowed out from the Sun totem. Yells of anger and eerie mumbles filled the gathering place. The original owner of this body ran away with several other followers¡­


    Duncan didn¡¯t know how long he was in a daze. Perhaps it was only an instant. The turbulent memories calmed down once again. A pathetic yet detestable life turned into a string of pale fragments in his mind. They became a sort of ¡°nutrient¡± at the bottom of his heart, ready for him to read at any time.


    These were the memories of the original owner of this body, it wasn¡¯t much, but there was no doubt about its origin.


    Duncan blinked. This new development didn¡¯t happen during his previous Spirit World Walk.


    Previously, he didn¡¯t get any memory of the corpse he possessed. The ¡°sacrifice¡± had a completely empty brain¡­ Why did such a change happen this time?


    Is it because the body that he possessed is still ¡°fresh¡±? Or is it because ¡°Ai,¡± the pigeon, amplified the power of the brass compass? Duncan slowly sat up from the ground. He didn¡¯t know the reason behind these changes, but this wasn¡¯t a good time to space off. These nervous cultists had definitely noticed something wrong with how he ¡°revived¡± from death.


    As Duncan sat up, all three cultists took half a step backward. Then, the black-robed man with a deep voice put his hand at his waist and broke the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Tell me, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Ron,¡± Duncan recalled for a brief moment, then naturally said the name he had just learned from the memories. ¡°Ron Strain.¡±


    ¡°His name is Ron,¡± a young cultist standing opposite him immediately said with a hushed voice to the deep-voiced man who was their de facto leader now.


    But the deep-voiced man didn¡¯t let down his guard at all. He continued staring at Duncan unmovingly. Then, he started chanting in an odd accent and tone, ¡°In the name of the Sun, may the Lord¡¯s brilliance shine upon the world. In the name of the Sun, may the Lord¡¯s blessings descend!¡±


    Duncan was startled by the cultist who suddenly started acting like an insane man. Then, he felt a scorching heat on his chest. He subconsciously reached into his robe to grab the thing that was giving off the heat under his clothes. He saw a golden sun talisman. Strange waves of heat were coming off the surface of the talisman!


    The next moment, the talisman burst into intense flames. The flame seemed full of malice as it pounced toward Duncan¡¯s heart!


    ¡°The light of the Lord is burning him!¡± Upon seeing what was happening, the cultist chanting the strange prayer immediately realized what was happening. He drew the short blade from his waist and called out, ¡°His soul was swapped! Kill this filthy, blasphemous creature!¡±


    The other two cultists were slightly slower, but they reacted soon. One moment, they thought that Duncan was a ¡°comrade.¡± The next moment, they drew their daggers and swords and pounced toward him as they yelled, ¡°Kill him!!¡±


    Duncan grabbed the sun talisman burning violently as he watched the three figures pounce toward him. The next second, another shadow appeared at the corners of his eyes!


    An undead bird, covered in ghostly green flames and looking like a spirit, tore through the air. It flew across the roof with cold flames and let out a strange, sharp scream. As its wings flapped, formless ashes and fragments of feathers fell from it.


    Of course, the ¡°undead bird¡± also attracted the attention of the three cultists. They subconsciously looked up at ¡°Ai,¡± who was in its astral form.


    The next moment, their movements slowed down as though their connection to the real world suddenly became far away and slow. The three blacked robe men¡¯s bodies moved like a laggy, low-framerate animation, leaving afterimages in the air. They landed on the ground with movements so slow that it was almost whimsical, then finally came to a halt about two meters in front of Duncan.


    Their eyes were filled with intense shock and fear as they watched the undead bird circle on the roof before landing on the black-robed ¡°comrade¡± in front of them. They watched the sun talisman burn in the man¡¯s hand. But the next moment, the golden burning flames turned into a ghostly green color, the same color as the flame on the undead bird.


    Duncan squeezed the sun talisman in his palm. Strands of green spirit flames coiled on the surface of the talisman. Flames shot out of the talisman and circled in front of him before stopping like a little pet. It slowly resolved around his arm as though it was trying to please Duncan.


    Duncan held the sun talisman that was now wholly modified and controlled by him. He walked toward the three cultists calmly and casually. He looked into their shocked eyes and said regretfully, ¡°It would have been so much better if you just pretended that you didn¡¯t notice anything.¡± The next moment, the figures of the three cultists started to flicker vigorously in the air. Then, they vanished.


    The undead bird, surrounded by green flames and almost like a skeleton, hopped a few times on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. It let out a sharp and hoarse chirp in between the tackling of the flames. ¡°Oops, this page had disappeared. Would you like to refresh it?¡±.

 Chapter 39 - Captain Steps Foot on Land

    Chapter 39 Captain Steps Foot on Land


    The pigeon said those words in its usual whimsical, joking, and idiotic tone.


    But now, it was an undead ghost bird with spirit flames burning all over its body. One can see the flaming skeleton and tendons beneath its translucent flesh and blood. Its chirps were mixed with the explosive crackling of the flames. It almost sounded like the agonizing shrieks of tortured souls when the gates of hell are opened.


    Reality had proven that sometimes, the supernatural wasn¡¯t very far away from the whimsical.


    The spirit flames coiling around Duncan continued to burn. He watched as the three cultists disappeared in front of his eyes, but he wasn¡¯t sure about the principle behind what happened.


    All he knew was that it was Ai¡¯s ability.


    A few seconds later, after confirming that the three cultists weren¡¯t going to return, he turned his head slightly to ask the pigeon standing on his shoulder, ¡°¡­Where did you move them to?¡±


    Ai flapped its wings a little and combed its fine feathers with its beak. After a while, it suddenly replied, ¡°Back to the shadows!¡±


    Duncan frowned. Recently, he started to learn the real meaning behind what Ai said. He asked, ¡°Do you mean that¡­ you exile them to some¡­ parallel dimension? Or have you changed them into a state that cannot be touched?¡±


    The pigeon raised its head and looked at Duncan with its dodgy eyes. ¡°Coo coo!¡±


    Now it¡¯s pretending to be a real pigeon.


    But Duncan was convinced that he had learned the truth now. He jabbed Ai¡¯s head with his finger, then looked around the dimly lit ¡°shelter¡± again.


    Under the illumination of the flickering flame from the oil lamp, everything in the room was decently visible. The followers of the God of Sun that once hid here had now completely vanished from the face of this world. The only person standing here now is a ghost captain who had possessed the body of a cultist and his pigeon.


    But somehow, Duncan had a strange feeling. He could feel that the three cultists were still here. They were right beside him, trapped in this room. They were stuck in a rift between dimensions that couldn¡¯t be detected by any means.


    He could even feel the cultists screaming and struggling in vain. He could feel their desire to touch the real world once more. He could feel their despair as they were permanently blocked outside of reality by an invisible wall.


    This feeling remained abstract speculation until Duncan saw evidence for it: At one of the flickers of the flame from the oil lamp, when the light and shadows crossed in just the right way, he saw a mark on the wall near it. It looked like a mark from a short sword slicing at it. When he looked toward it again, the flame from the oil lamp flickered again, and the marking disappeared.


    That was the last time that the three followers of the Sun managed to come into contact with the real world.


    Duncan exhaled lightly, then brought the pigeon and left the room.


    Outside the abandoned resting room, there was a passageway that was a lot narrower than the corridors of the sewers previously. The long and deep passageway extended in two directions ¡ª one connected to a branch road and the other to a slope upwards.


    Even though this area was abandoned, the city management still did basic maintenance work on the underground infrastructure. At the very least, the gaslight on the sides of the passageway was still lit.


    Duncan quickly judged the directions of the passageway, then figured out a path to the surface based on the memory fragments in his brain. He quickly walked toward the passageway that connected to the slope upward.


    He walked faster and faster.


    He started to smell the fresh air. A light breeze from the surface blew on Duncan¡¯s hair. He could hear some vague noises coming from afar. It seemed to be the boom of some sort of machinery from the factories on the surface. There was also the sound of waves from even further away. That was the sound of the tides hitting the reefs near the coast.


    Duncan started to run a little.


    After shedding its spirit flames, Ai, the pigeon, returned to normal and flapped its wings on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. It chirped happily, ¡°The era calls us! The era calls us!¡±


    Duncan suddenly stopped. He stared into the pigeon¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t speak when we¡¯re outside. Normal pigeons don¡¯t talk.¡±


    Ai pondered for a while, then flapped its wings forcefully and answered, ¡°Aye, captain!¡±


    Duncan was surprised that this pigeon actually replied to him directly for once. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a coincidence or something else, but soon, he wasn¡¯t bothered by it anymore.


    He had to get ready to greet this world.


    He couldn¡¯t go out there with the black robe that he was wearing. Based on the memory that he ¡°devoured¡± from this body, this suspicious-looking black robe was only used for the secret rituals by the followers of the Sun. If he walked on the city streets on the surface in these clothes, he would probably be tied to a tree and beaten by a team of sheriffs.


    The City-state of Pland enforces a strict curfew on all of its citizens. Roaming around at night seemed to be a very dangerous thing to do. For ordinary citizens to go outside at night, they needed a permit and must ask for permission from the government beforehand. Obviously, this cultist that he had possessed didn¡¯t have these legal permits, so he had to evade the night patrol if he wanted to move around in the city.


    The people maintaining order in the city at night were known as ¡°Guardians.¡± They seemed to be armed forces belonging to the Deep Sea Association. Based on the memory fragments, the original owner of this body was extremely fearful and hostile toward these armed priests¡­


    He took off the black robe before walking on the slope leading to the surface. He was wearing ordinary clothes under the black robe, clothes that wouldn¡¯t be suspected while walking outside.


    He contemplated whether he should just burn the black robe, but the flame and smoke could attract the attention of the night patrol. So, in the end, he simply rolled up the rob and hid it in a corner somewhere near the slope.


    The sun talisman could also bring him trouble, but it might contain precious information. After hesitating for a long while, Duncan decided to bring it with him. He could use this talisman for experiments after returning to the Lost Home. Maybe Ai can bring it back for him.


    He could research this thing on the Lost Home without worries.


    He covered up his tracks of hiding the black robe, then tidied up his demeanor to look like an ordinary citizen as much as possible instead of a cultist hiding in the sewers. After doing all that, he stepped foot on the sloping corridor.


    The path after that wasn¡¯t very long.


    Duncan walked briskly on the slope. The air, which was becoming fresher and fresher, filled his lungs. He could clearly hear the sounds from the faraway factories and ocean. After a few minutes, he saw the light spilling onto the stairs not far ahead.


    He quickly took a few more steps forward. The pale, cold light finally shone on him.


    He stepped foot on the surface. Solid, stable ground bathing under a pale, dim light.


    Duncan¡¯s eyes widened. He saw a city. A city that represented a human civilization on the boundless sea. The giant gash stretched across the skies above the city, emanating light that illuminated the neatly tiled roofs, towers, and buildings further away. In an area a short distance ahead, he could see the older and slightly shabby-looking region at the edge of the city. At a highland, further along, he saw many majestic, grandiose buildings. That was the ¡°upper city region¡± where the great church and town hall was located.


    Duncan suddenly started laughing. He didn¡¯t make any noise, but he laughed so hard that he could barely breathe.


    But after a while, he stopped his laughter. He took a deep breath in the cooling night breeze, then started taking big strides toward a specific direction in the memory fragments.


    The cultists also had ¡°normal lives.¡± Other than a few ¡°priests¡± who preyed on and scourged the people full-time, the cult of Sun actually operated like most other cults. They depended on a significant number of ordinary folks to support their operations. These low-level followers who were tricked by the cult were mainly poor citizens in the lower strata of society. They were old people who had no one else, teenagers who hadn¡¯t seen the real world, or people like the original owner of the body that Duncan had possessed.


    He was an ordinary folk who no one cared about, had a terminal illness, and opened a scammy antique shop in the lower city area, struggling to pay the taxes and live his day-to-day life.


    The pathetic life of this antique shop owner, ¡°Ron,¡± had ended. The debts he owed to some evil deity out there had been wiped out as he breathed his last breath. However, he still left a position in this world¡­ And Duncan was very interested in that position.

 Chapter 40 - Landing

    Chapter 40 Landing


    Fanna jolted awake from a strange and chaotic dream to realize that the sky outside her window was still dark. The cold, pale light from the Wound of the World shone on the window sill carved with the runes of the deep sea. It appeared peaceful and serene.


    However, the scenes from that strange dream were still fresh and vivid in her mind.


    A ship. A large ship burning with green spirit flames. It sailed over from somewhere far out in the horizons, where the sky and the ocean met. It rolled onto the entire Pland City like a mountain. Within the spirit flames, she could hear countless screams and bleak songs booming in unison, as though it was attempting to overthrow the entire world with its noise.


    Just as the huge ship arrived, a burning sun rose from deep within the City-state of Pland. It was not the sun that everyone knew. It was not the sun that was bound by ancient runes. It was the ¡°Ancient Sun¡± that the believers of the cult of Sun had described. It was a celestial body that burned intensely. It rose from deep within the city. Its flames melted the ground, everyone in the city melted like wax sculptures, and their liquified remains flowed on the streets.


    The great church of the Deep Sea association stood quietly in the middle of this living, burning hell of earth. She prayed to the church in her dream, hoping to receive guidance from the Wind Goddess. However, all she heard from the church were noisy and meaningless rings from the bell. She received no revelation¡­


    Fanna sat up from her bed, then walked to the window in her pajamas. She looked at the peaceful city and the ¡°Wound of the World¡± in the sky, but her heart grew more and more agitated.


    A few moments later, the young judge retracted her gaze toward the city. She went to the dresser near her bed and pulled out the drawers.


    There was a dagger lying in the drawer of the dresser. It was a curvy dagger used for rituals. The runes symbolizing the Deep Sea Association gleamed slightly at the base of the blade. It seemed to be ¡°resonating¡± due to stimulation from some unknown force.


    Fanna¡¯s eyes were fixated on the gleaming runes for several seconds. Then, she used the blade to cut the center of her palm. As blood seeped out from the wound, she placed her hand on her chest and softly chanted the name of the Wind Goddess, attempting to ask for guidance from the deity.


    Yet, for some reason, all she could hear were faint, possibly illusory sounds of oceanic waves. She usually entered the ¡°Spirit Detection¡± state very easily, yet today, nothing was happening. It was as though an invisible screen had suddenly shrouded her, cutting off her connection to the Wind Goddess, Gemora.


    Fanna¡¯s brows started to furrow.


    It was extremely rare for a follower¡¯s connection with her god to be disrupted. Still, it wasn¡¯t unimaginable ¡ª the projection and relation between the Subspace and the real world are very complicated. It was impossible to understand for an ordinary human being. Even a god¡¯s power can sometimes be affected by the Subspace, the Silent Deep Sea, and the Spirit World, causing it to be weakened or amplified. Furthermore, there was also eternal conflict and turmoil between the gods and the ancient deities. In some extremely rare cases, some followers might suddenly become unable to hear the voices of their gods.


    But Wind Goddess Gemora¡­ it shouldn¡¯t happen to her.


    The boundless sea surrounded the civilization of ordinary humans. The Wind Goddess¡¯s power penetrates through all dimensions and affects the entire reality. Any god can lose connection to the real world, even the god of death might leave loopholes like ¡°revivers,¡± but the Wind Goddess¡­ it was impossible.


    That was also why the Deep Sea Association could become the most powerful religious organization in the entire Boundless Sea.


    Was it her problem?


    Naturally, Fanna started to doubt her own condition. But when she looked at her palm, she saw the wound she had just cut starting to heal quickly.


    The Wind Goddess¡¯s blessing is still valid, and there was no delay in its effects.


    Fanna started thinking about the chaotic dream she had just now and the ill omens she had seen in the past few days.


    All these things must be connected somehow.


    The ghost ship was burning with green flames¡­ ghost ship¡­


    Fanna started thinking as quickly as she could. Her expression suddenly became serious as she referenced the occult knowledge she had accumulated.


    She wasn¡¯t an expert in ships or sailing and rarely encountered those seemingly ridiculous, superstitious rumors. But even in the orthodox church books, one particular ghost ship held a special status.


    It is a ship of misfortune that returned from Subspace. Its captain was a horrifying figure that caused the 13 Islands of Villecelin to be swallowed by the collapse of the border a century ago, Duncan.


    Fanna immediately stood up behind the dresser. Then she remembered that it was the middle of the night right now. The document archive of the great church is closed, just like any other library in the city.


    For safety reasons, she shouldn¡¯t talk about the ¡°prophetic dream¡± with anyone else within a few hours after it happened. If this dream was really pointed toward ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± there was a great possibility that he would establish a connection in reverse through the dream and detect her talking about him with someone else.


    After all, that was a ¡°ghost¡± that managed to return from the Subspace.


    The safest thing to do right now was to wait patiently, wait for the sun to, once again, take the dominant position in the world, and wait for the connection established by the dream to dissipate gradually. Then, she can go to the archives and read the relevant documents or discuss these omens with the bishop at the church.


    Regardless, these prophetic dreams might really be pointing at ¡°Captain Duncan¡± and reminding her that the Lost Home from the myths and legends had its eyes on Pland. If that were the case, as the guardian of the city, she had to stop the ghost captain of terror from docking at their coast at all costs¡­


    A tall and slim figure quickly walked across the streets of the lower city area. His slender silhouette cast a thin shadow beneath the gaslight on the street.


    This was a completely unfamiliar city, with entirely unfamiliar buildings, and the only thing guiding him was completely unfamiliar memories in his mind. The streets appeared exceptionally desolate and eerie during the curfew hours.


    Yet, Duncan¡¯s mood was exceptionally good while walking in an environment like that.


    SU


    He had succeeded. Not only did he successfully Spirit World Walk a second time, he even managed to control a body to come to the surface. He managed to come to the surface of the City-state of Pland.


    He was coming into contact with the civilization of this world. He was seeing the buildings of this era and the technologies of this era with his own eyes.


    On top of that, he was using a complete body, a body that doesn¡¯t have his chest cavity exposed or an ¡°open mind.¡± This normal-looking body allowed him to move freely and conveniently to do whatever he wanted.


    To be honest, the health condition of this body wasn¡¯t very good either. Even if he could ignore most of the ailments on this body while possessing it via Spirit World Walking, Duncan could still clearly feel that it wasn¡¯t healthy. But he had no complaints. He even felt that this was very normal.


    Based on the experience from the past two attempts, Spirit World Walking allows him to occupy bodies that have been dead for less than a certain amount of time. If a body was completely healthy and energetic, it couldn¡¯t possibly be dead!


    Duncan heard a dog barking in the distance near the end of the street, prompting him to slow down his footsteps. He turned and hid in the shadow between two buildings.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a guard dog belonging to the church guards on night patrol, but there was nothing wrong with being cautious.


    Above the buildings, large pipes stretched across and between the low-rise buildings. The light from the pale ¡°Wound of the World¡± spilled through the gaps between those pipes and cast patchy rays on the ground beneath. Occasionally, steam would leak out from the valves on the pipes, forming blurry mists in the night sky.


    The barks faded into the distance.


    Duncan came out from his hiding spot. He looked around the street, then calmed the pigeon that was moving around on his shoulder uneasily before walking toward the street opposite him, following the directions from his memories.


    There was an aged door between a row of small buildings that were maybe two or three stories tall. A dirty sign hung above the door. Dusty windows desperately needed cleaning on the walls beside the door. This was a shop. It looked quite big, but clearly lacked care as well as customers.


    This was the place that the memory fragments guided Duncan to.


    He came before the door of the old door and raised his head to look at the sign. The words on it were barely readable in the dark.


    ¡°Ron¡¯s Antique Shop,¡± Duncan mumbled softly, ¡°That¡¯s a straightforward name¡­¡±


    After that, he started looking around the door. Because the memories in his mind weren¡¯t very clear, it took him quite a while to find the backup key from a hidden hook below one of the windows.


    The original owner of this body didn¡¯t bring the key with him and didn¡¯t bring any item that could be used to identify him or find this antique shop. It seemed to be the habitual cautiousness of an experienced cultist. However, in front of a ghost captain that could plunder his memories, these efforts were all in vain.


    Duncan opened the main entrance of Ron¡¯s Antique Ship, then immediately closed the door after entering.


    The wooden door closed with a bang, but the sound didn¡¯t propagate very far into the night. The sign hung above the door tilted slightly due to the shudder caused by the door closing. The letters on the sign started to twist and wiggle under the pale light from the sky. In a blink of an eye, new words appeared on the wooden board¡­


    ¡°Duncan¡¯s Antique Shop.¡±

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 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 accumulated near the display window, the Visitor could imagine how wretched the owner¡¯s life had become.


    The first thing he saw were the shelves near the walls on both sides, where large vases, sculptures, and totems of obscure meaning were placed 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.


    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 the lamp fixed on the wall.


    It was an electric lamp.


    Duncan¡¯s eyebrows immediately furrowed slightly.


    The style of the lamp was foreign, with an iron frame and a murky lampshade that felt exotic, but no matter how one looked at it, the structure of the tungsten filament bulb within was clear ¡ª¡ª the lamp¡¯s source of light came from electricity.


    In this world, was electricity already so widespread? Did the common households in the Lower City District also use electric lights?


    Then why were the sources of light used in the sewer earlier gas lamps and oil lamps, torches? Why were the street lamps outside also gas lamps?


    A great confusion surfaced, which Duncan found utterly illogical, especially in the environment of the sewer ¡ª¡ª the existence of open flames, the use of flammable gas in gas lamps posed obvious disadvantages compared to the cleanliness and safety of electric lights!


    Originally, he thought that technological limitations forced the city¡¯s managers to use gas lamps 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 is common sense¡± and ¡°that¡¯s how the city is planned¡±.


    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 ¡°common 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 the late night, a small light lit in the closed antique shop could still be explained as ¡°the shopkeeper getting up and moving around at night¡±, but suddenly brightening the whole place 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 people coming 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 ninety-eight apiece claiming 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 glass 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 place could be the first ¡°landing spot¡± on land for him, the captain of Homeloss.


    An ¡°outpost¡± to learn about the world on land, 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 become 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, contemplating 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 black-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 more comfortable 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 much larger and more mysterious dangerous Sun God Church.


    If his memories were correct, four years ago Plunder City-State had launched 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.


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    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 available, 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 accidentally disrupted by him was probably just an insignificant ripple before the start of this big event.


    Duncan didn¡¯t have any particular 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 - Chapter 42: Chapter 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 on land, 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 a common man who needed a normal social life; he depended on the conveniences modern civilization provided for survival, required communication 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 hidden compartment 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 tender commonly 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 ¡°Sola,¡± with another currency, the ¡°Peso,¡± worth one-tenth of a Sola, also circulated. The cash Duncan found added up to just over two hundred Solas, and according 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 more complex. Apart from a washroom, there were two rooms, one large and one small, as well as a utility room shared with the adjacent building. The two rooms were located on either side of the staircase landing 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 a layer 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 black 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 relatives 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 that last breath of the body¡¯s original owner.


    He put down the photo and pondered what level of expenditure such a black and white photograph would be among the commoners 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, completely 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 his last 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 placed 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 available 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 relatives 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 his last 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:


    ¡°¡­Flames, or more precisely, the specific flames 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 flames and steam¡­ The convenience of clean electricity cannot replace the exorcising effect of fire, nor can it keep large 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 glazed over.


    He remembered the gas lamps, torches, oil lamps commonly seen in the sewers and the gas street lamps on the city streets, as well as the curiosity he felt when he saw the electric lamp in the shop.


    So¡­ that was the reason behind all these ¡°strange¡± situations?


    Even at a certain risk, to use open flames in the sewers, and to light the streets with gas lamps 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 the complex 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 extremely complicated 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 contemplation, Duncan slowly put the book back in its original place.


    Because he completely failed to understand it.


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    As an Earthling, even though he had been a teacher, he couldn¡¯t comprehend 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.


    The gas lamps burning in the sewers, the electric lights lit in the shops, and the steam mechanisms depicted in books made from the combined wisdom of countless people, all subtly revealed a kind of¡­ resilience.

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 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 related to steam mechanics and engineering principles, with occasional complaints about certain teachers or classmates interspersed throughout.


    This made it easy to deduce that the occupant 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 Solar 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 a large 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 hidden compartment, 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 obviously lacked 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 a common gun, let alone comparing 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 places 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 glanced at the pigeon while briskly heading towards the doorway, speaking quickly, ¡°You stay in the room and wait for my command. Also, do not speak if there are strangers present.¡±


    Ai Yi immediately flapped its wings and flew toward a nearby cabinet, ¡°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 you come 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 particularly 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.


    According to the memories he had absorbed, this girl should be the ¡°niece¡± of the original owner of this body, and his only relative.


    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 related to this girl¡ªa child with deep brown hair, the last 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 not come 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 classmate¡­ 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 again later? 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 shopping later. 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 displayed the letters: Duncan¡¯s Antiques.


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    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 display window alongside. Leaning forward, he looked at his face reflected in the dirty glass.


    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 his last in the sewers.


    Duncan slowly straightened up, hearing the City-State gradually coming 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 a large Heretic hub. That¡¯s quite the news!¡±

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 44: An Ordinary Persons 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 successfully destroyed a Sun God Heretics¡¯ gathering spot and captured a large 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 beautiful lady¡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 this lady 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 eerie combination 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 villains 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 place 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 occasionally 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 becoming 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 displayed 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 most common 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 on land 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 on land 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 footsteps coming from the direction of the stairs.


    The young girl with brown hair rushed down, then skidded to a stop at the stair landing, clutching a pillar 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 relative she had in the world, and one she depended on for life¨Ceven if this relative 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 explain 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 place the newspaper and cake on it, while Nina seemed to suddenly relax. 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¡­¡±


    Before Duncan could reply, Nina had already disappeared up the stairs, and after a little while, she returned, carefully carrying a large 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 glanced at Duncan and began, as if she had said it countless times before, ¡°Dr. Albert has said if you could eat breakfast regularly 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 uncomfortable and tense, he picked up the cake he had set aside earlier and opened the package, placing 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.¡±


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    However, Nina was stunned, just staring blankly 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 out laughing, 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 - Chapter 45: Chapter 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 undulating 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 vehicles coming 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 gaze coming from beside her, Nina, who was eating her cake, suddenly looked up. She curiously glanced at Duncan, ¡°Uncle Duncan, aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    Duncan glanced at the food on her plate, ¡°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 flavor 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 occupied¡ªtheir ¡°parts¡± were complete and intact, the death hadn¡¯t been long, and his soul had almost seamlessly restarted the body¡¯s vitality, completely different from the previous, open-hearted corpse.


    He now had breath, his blood was circulating, 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 calculations 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 plagued 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 related 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 the common people.


    Nina was studious, with the uncle¡¯s memory indicating that the girl had good results in all her courses.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have classes this morning,¡± Nina nodded, ¡°just two history classes 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.¡±


    Nina was startled, her gaze towards her ¡°Uncle Duncan¡± somewhat blank 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 according 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 his language 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 the last 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 a complete 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 the last bit of soup in his bowl, ¡°The afternoon is history class¡­ 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 Annihilation¡­ 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 related concept of the Great Annihilation?¡±


    Today¡¯s Uncle Duncan was strange, although she couldn¡¯t quite place what was strange, he was different from usual.


    But Nina didn¡¯t think too much about it¡ª¡ªcompared to her uncle¡¯s slightly strange behavior, this simple young lady 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 Annihilation 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 archaeological community acknowledges the Great Annihilation as taking place 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.


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    Elves? Senkin people? Gyplo people? What is going on here? Are there intelligent groups other than humans on the land? 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 to come from the other side:


    ¡°¡­Different city-states have varying records of the Great Annihilation, but what they hold in common is that the era before the Great Annihilation, 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 and land lacked so-called ¡®border of reality¡¯¡­


    ¡°The era after the Great Annihilation 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, with land making up less than ten percent of the old world, split into large and small islands or ¡®fog-enshrouded realms.¡¯ Today¡¯s various city-states are established on relatively stable islands, and different ocean-going vessels serve as the means of communication and exchange between the islands.


    ¡°In the early days of the Deep Sea Era, the survivors of the old world suffered severe setbacks, and the old civilization was almost completely 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 it lasted less than a hundred years, it left behind a legacy of profound influence on future generations. This includes the most primitive and rudimentary classification 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 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Anomalies and Visions

    Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Anomalies and Visions


    The Great Annihilation 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 occurred in this world and realized that this world had not always been as strange and dangerous as it is now¡ª


    According to historical records, the world before the Great Annihilation was a prosperous and safe paradise.


    Back then, the ocean was not the ¡°Endless Sea,¡± and the limited seas did not cover over ninety-five percent of the world¡¯s surface as they do today. Back then, humans lived on vast and safe lands, 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 explain the critical event of the ¡°Great Annihilation¡± in detail. Despite the archaeological community¡¯s continuous efforts, the great discrepancies in ancient history among different City-States and ethnicities persisted. No one knew how the so-called Great Annihilation 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 ninety percent of the land, and the survivors of the remnants of civilization built City-States and fleets on the remaining islands and pieces of land. 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 foreign land 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 become particularly 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 particularly 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 only lasted 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 classifying ¡®anomalies¡¯ and ¡®phenomena¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°A classification 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 his common knowledge on the subject.


    Nina nodded, recalling what she had learned in class, ¡°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 isolated¡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 as large as a house, while larger 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 place or operate according 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.¡¯


    ¡°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 becoming 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 defy common 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 places. 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 uncontrollable anomaly to a nearby island, which by 1835 was recognized and elevated to a phenomenon, later known as Fungus Island¡ªbut in 1844, the great saint Paladin gave his life to contain Fungus Island within his urn. Consequently, the phenomenon ¡®Fungus Island¡¯ was deregistered that same year, turning back into an ¡®anomaly,¡¯ known as ¡®Paladin¡¯s Mushroom Urn,¡¯ and is now sealed in the crypt of the Sacred Relic vault under the cathedral of Rensa City-State¡­¡±


    Duncan was completely engrossed in listening to everything Nina recounted, his mind racing, while he kept a composed 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!


    Establishing communication with the mainland 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 to compress 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:


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    It represents knowledge accumulated 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 blank slate 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 class¡ª


    ¡°¡­so last class, 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 scholars as ¡®the eternal zeroth law,¡¯ automatically given precedence over all other laws in books and papers related 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 - Chapter 47: Chapter 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 relative 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 accessed 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.


    The completely 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 plagued 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 the large 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 flapping 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 flashed by in your room!¡± Nina exclaimed 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 too late, as Nina had already pushed open the ajar bedroom door, revealing the pigeon hiding inside.


    Ai Yi was perched atop the cabinet, with one claw holding a French fry to its beak, and the sudden opening of the door left the pigeon frozen in place, crane its neck to stuff a French fry with one claw, its two mung-bean eyes staring blankly at Nina and the opposite wall.


    Then it saw Duncan, flapped 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 cabinet 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, landing 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¡¯t complain 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 black 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¡¯s large candlesticks burned silently, the holy flames brightening the room, and Gomona¡¯s statue stood high upon the altar. This goddess had no face, her head covered with a black 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.


    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 had come 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 and launch 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¡­¡±


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    As Fanna spoke, her tone was serious. She glanced at the statue behind the bishop, her expression becoming 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 collapsing border, plummeting into the shadow of the Subspace. In the decades that followed, although there were eyewitness reports claiming the Homeloss reappeared in the real world, none had solid evidence. Many scholars are doubtful of the ship¡¯s ¡®return voyage¡¯¡­¡±


    The young Judge continued, glancing 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 scholars 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 - Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Vigilance

    Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Vigilance


    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-black robes as if he were bathing in divine grace.


    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 clamor¡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 to land. 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 fine layer 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 characteristic common to many apparitions or anomalies with a tendency to induce terror: making those who came in contact with them become 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 become a source of complacency and ultimately lead the individual unknowingly to become 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 display a deliberate avoidance to the prophetic dream just now¡­ so the influence must have occurred 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¡± that lay in the Black Sun ritual site, the flash of green flame 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 Black 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 have come in¡ªall the case files only mention matters related 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 placid, yet a stormy power seemed to be brewing in his eyes, ¡°In the holy name of Gomona, Judge, do you still have clear, complete 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, placing the bronze censer at the feet of the sacred effigy, he spoke steadily, ¡°What happened at that time?¡±


    And so, Vanna laid bare every detail that occurred 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 flames dancing in its eye sockets, how the flames 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 desolate 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 Flame falling upon the soul means that physical cleansing through severing limbs is ineffective, what you get is merely deceptive solace¡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 vigilant, more alert.¡±


    ¡°It is a lapse, but not a mistake,¡± the elderly man shook his head, ¡°you possess great power, but as a Judge you are still a little lacking 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¡¯t come 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¡¯s last word, her expression gradually becoming 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, becoming 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?¡±


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    ¡°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 planes, 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 in comparison¡­ Plunder City-State is the largest 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 make landfall.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: 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. Unlike common 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 relatively stable and bountiful reality;


    Descending from reality is the Spirit Realm, which strays from human comprehension. 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 accounts of the Ancient Crete Kingdom, the gods established a covenant within the cornerstone. This covenant is the source and standard of all laws of the world. This order cascades downward, defining the laws 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 scholars have exhaustively studied this ¡°layered structure¡± and have found no fault in this model. Today, it has become the universally accepted ¡°World Standard Model¡±.


    In this standard model, mortals from the dust of the earth may fall into deeper places but seldom can anyone return from the ¡°deeper layers¡± to the ¡°shallow layers¡±. Even if there are occasional 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 become the most preposterous anomaly in this world¡ªit contradicts the common understanding of the World Standard Model.


    On the other hand, the existence of Homeloss does conform to the classic 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 accomplish 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 scholar 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, coming and going without trace. The Pope who sits upon the ark wields the power to command 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 had come 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 explain 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 Black 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 Black 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 Black 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, a large 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¡¯.¡±


    ¡°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 ¡®revelation¡¯ 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 Black Sun.¡±


    ¡°¡­Crazy bunch,¡± Vanna couldn¡¯t help but curse softly, ¡°For the resurrection of that dark, blasphemous Sun, how many lives have they claimed!¡±


    ¡°We call it the Black 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 two languages 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 Black Sun, there¡¯s also a mysterious and terrifying Ghost Ship captain¡ªif Homeloss and the Black 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 Black 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 accompanied 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 Black Sun before the situation escalates. 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¡­¡±


    ¡­


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    ¡°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 particularly gourmet, but both Duncan and Nina relished their meal.


    It had been a long time since Duncan had enjoyed such a regular lunch, and Nina too had not had a normal lunch like this in a while.


    Duncan was beginning to like this place.

 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 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 claim 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?¡±


    Duncan glanced 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 the largest 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 placed 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 the last step and drag the last 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 vigilant and promptly report any heretical activities around them. During this time, you should also try not to wander places 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 plans with classmates 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 explained, ¡°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-State law 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 class 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 but come to our public school in the Lower City District? Half the class 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 class 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 being late for Mr. Morris¡¯s class.


    Of course, the city had public transportation, and even in the relatively 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 occupied 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, accompanying 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 classification 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 become 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 collapse of the Ancient Crete Kingdom.


    Influence range¡ªworldwide, units affected¡ªunlimited, self-operating and moving, beyond human interference, fitting the definition of a phenomenon.


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    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, lasted a mere century but left countless legacies that still benefit the world today.


    The word ¡°Crete¡± in ancient language means ¡°eternal night.¡±


    That was a century-long night.


    All of this was written in Nina¡¯s history textbook.

 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Dual-Line Operation

    Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Dual-Line Operation


    This world had experienced astonishing historical changes. With the ¡°Great Annihilation¡± as a midpoint, the entire world¡ªeven fundamental principles¡ªunderwent a momentous upheaval, such that the era of the deep sea after the Great Annihilation 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 Annihilation, attempting to extract the true appearance of history from the fragmented and even contradictory archives of various city-states.


    Unfortunately, perhaps because the succession 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 more complete and credible account of history prior to the Great Annihilation.


    No one knew what the world during the Order Era really looked like.


    But fortunately, the world since the ancient Crete Kingdom had a relatively clear historical succession 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 scholars believed that the reason why the civilization of the Deep Sea Era had extended to the present day under extremely adverse conditions was largely thanks to that miracle illuminating the world:


    The phenomenon 001, the Sun.


    This was the largest and most powerful phenomenon currently known to mankind¡ªin fact, because its scale was so immense and its existence so ¡°natural,¡± many scholars were debating whether the Sun was a phenomenon or a natural occurrence. 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 deeper layers 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.


    According 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 Annihilation?


    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 particularly paranoid and twisted, unacceptable 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 Annihilation.


    In some way, the heretics possessed a piece of the true history¡ªunfortunately, that true history had become 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 explained by the loss of a stellar 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 cabinet next to him, calling down Ai Yi, who was sharpening its beak on top of it.


    The pigeon landed 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 cabinet, 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 placed there a long time ago.


    Every bottle had one, and none had ever had any effect.


    Duncan smiled, closed the drawer and cabinet, 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 flapped its wings, letting out a proud coo, ¡°Honey, express delivery is on me!¡±


    Duncan nodded, then lay down in a comfortable 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 classes at school in the afternoon and some other matters to attend to after that; she would be busy until late, so Duncan had already discussed with her to stay one more night at the school dormitory and come back after school the next afternoon.


    During this time, Duncan planned to investigate the details of Spirit Realm travel and, according to his previous concept, test whether he could control the movements of both bodies without completely cutting off the soul projection.


    Based on his perception of the Homeloss from ¡°this side,¡± this should be feasible.


    When occupying 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 flame 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 ¡°airlane¡± in this dark expanse.


    Duncan¡¯s consciousness surged along this airlane, 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.


    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, according 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 manipulate a puppet with twenty-eight joints.


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    But after several attempts, he successfully 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 collapsed onto the floor¡­


    Duncan sighed, ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯ve got a long way to go in practice.¡±


    (Book recommendation 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 - Chapter 52: Chapter 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, doing completely 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 play 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 related 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 flapping 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 successful!¡±


    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 circulating within this Transcendent artifact, which had been completely seized and transformed by his Spiritual Body¡¯s flame. 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 glanced 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 successfully 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 and land.


    With a plan 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 delay, 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 was completely 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 more comfortably 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 glanced 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 glanced 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 perfectly completed 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?


    ¡°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 popular 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.


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    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 - Chapter 53: Chapter 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 young lady¡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 glanced at the expressionless Duncan, ¡°Captain, you¡¯re not mad, are you? I can explain¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you were trying to help, just unsuccessfully,¡± Duncan glanced 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 have complete 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 become 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 from last time?¡±


    Duncan glanced at the Sun Emblem in his hand¡ªhe had left the strong liquor in his room and casually took the emblem with him, planning to study it when he was bored.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trophy,¡± he nodded, ¡°Just like the ceremonial dagger from last time.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Worthy of the great Captain Duncan! You always come 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 uncontrollable 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 accepted 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, ninety-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 slapped across his face, bringing fresh confusion. He fiddled nonchalantly 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¡­ Alas, among all types of ¡®scions¡¯, only they would stir up such trouble.¡±


    Duncan suddenly realized the mountain goat head¡¯s occasional 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 unacceptable to the civilized world. The mountain goat head referred to them as ¡°remnants of ancient relics¡±;


    Although there was a large 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 class¡­ 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.


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    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 occurred.


    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 - Chapter 54: Chapter 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 particularly 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 become 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 undulating 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 or later, 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 planning 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 vigilant 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 place, 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 the last 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 become 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 gas lamp shone brilliantly, dispelling the gloom of the church¡¯s underground facilities. The deep-sea runes carved into the lengthy corridors exuded a comforting power. These runes, containing symbols of waves and coasts interlinked, seemed to sketch out an invisible gigantic net, 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 place calming her somewhat agitated mind.


    The Storm Goddess, commanding 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 scholars even believed that the entire world was dual in nature¡ªthat in some dimension, there existed a ¡°Land of Exhaustion,¡± a complete mirror image of the sea and dry land. It was an endless expanse of parched earth, with sparse rivers and oases scattered within the desolation, and that land even possessed an intelligence civilization that was quite similar to the real world, reflecting its myriad creations¡­


    These absurd speculations, 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 uncontrollably. This was due to the overly tranquil psychological suggestion brought by the ¡°Mirror Image of the Storm,¡± which maximized the comfort 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.


    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 accept the worship of all people, surrounded by an aura of infinite authority. Meanwhile, underground, the statue of the Goddess had hands clasped 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 clasped 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.


    A large table was placed in the center of the room; Ms. Heidi, dressed in a black 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 empty large syringe, wriggling thorny vines, and a golden spike that seemed to still bear traces of blood.


    ¡°Oh, Lady Fenna, your timing is impeccable,¡± said Ms. Heidi, turning to greet her upon hearing the door. ¡°I have just completed 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¡¯¡­¡±


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    ¡°This is standard equipment for a mental health physician¡­ Okay, I admit I use them more frequently than a regular 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 wry comment 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 the complexity 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 - Chapter 55: 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 collaborated 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?¡±


    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 glanced 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 becoming 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¡¯s company¡ªa friend of similar 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 glaring 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 blankly at the tall lady before him.


    Fenna suddenly turned back and asked, ¡°Was the heretics¡¯ mutual slaughter 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 slaying 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 untrained commoners 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 relax, 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 blankly 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 flames.


    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 a large 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 doll lady had come 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 glanced 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?


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    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 - Chapter 56: 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 the lace decorations at the hem of her clothing, ¡°Captain, are you angry?¡±


    Duncan, exhausted in both body and spirit, glanced 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¡­ accidents can happen when one is not skilled. You¡¯ll get the hang of it later.¡±


    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 had comparatively 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 who lacked 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 regular 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 places she wasn¡¯t allowed to go,¡± Alice explained, ¡°I always hear squeaking and creaking sounds coming 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 place 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 flame, so he had stopped short of exploring the deeper chambers on his previous attempts¡ªof course, he indeed had plans to further explore in the future, but it seemed that plans 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 oil lamp? 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 become 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 or later, he was going to conduct further exploration of the Homeloss¡¯s other structures, and it was better to do it sooner rather than later¡­ Reason told him that it was better to act sooner rather than later.


    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 were completely 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 would come tomorrow, who knew whether Homeloss would collide with the offspring of the deep sea or colliding with the collapsing boundaries of reality in the next second.


    Moreover, Goat-Head had just mentioned: the bilge needed the captain¡¯s soothing.


    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 the lantern that Goat-Head had mentioned.


    It was a very old lantern with a copper frame that was wider at the top and narrowing down into a hexagonal prism, with glass lampshades set into the copper frame, appearing somewhat blurry. But inside the lampshade, Duncan did not see anything like a wick.


    He did not show curiosity, nor did he ask Goat-Head. After a brief and silent contemplation, he tried to activate the eerie green Spiritual Body flame and infused this power into the lantern.


    A bright green flame immediately leaped and burned inside the lampshade, and the ancient lantern began to release a continuous glow.


    Wherever the light from the lantern 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 and landed 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 the lantern, it had still passively completed the ¡°transformation¡±.


    Duncan looked down at the lantern 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¡± that combined 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 the lantern 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 successfully ¡°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 the lantern, 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.


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    An odd dimness loomed around the stairway sloping downwards, and in the darkness, one could only faintly see the supporting pillars 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 oil lamps¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there are lights down there,¡± Duncan said slowly, holding the lantern, his voice low as the power from the lantern suffused the area, allowing him to see much clearer than before into the cabin below, ¡°¡­it¡¯s just that the lights down there are black.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Alice blinked, taking a moment to grasp the concept, ¡°There¡¯s black light?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t respond at once, just slowly walked down with the lantern until Alice followed him; then he softly said, ¡°After all, we¡¯re already below the surface of the Endless Sea.¡±

 Chapter 20

    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 gas lamps adorned with runes seen throughout the sewers, as well as the reinforced structures that seemed capable of serving as shelters, led him to speculate 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 massive complex, away from the gaze of the world above, this dark and chilly place had become 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 pillars. Metal pipes crisscrossed near the dome like a spiderweb, while the bright gas lamps illuminated the entire space and the gathered crowd at this ¡°junction.¡±


    A quick glance revealed that at least a few hundred robed figures had congregated in this dank and musty locale. Amidst them was a raised platform protruding from the ground, upon which stood another figure, clad in a similar robe but notably taller¡ªit was clear that this individual held the highest status among the congregation.


    The figure on the platform 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 flames in all directions, its surface also etched with numerous fragmented cracks.


    Behind this masked figure, atop the platform, was a peculiar totem¡ªa tall wooden stake, with a fireball blazing at its tip. At the core of the fireball seemed to be some type of metal, pocked with many small holes, from which the flames furiously erupted.


    When Duncan was ¡°escorted¡± to this place, this was the scene that lay 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 platform¡¯s ¡°leader,¡± his tone not without a hint of self-congratulation, ¡°This sacrifice has spent too long in the darkness and has become 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 platform 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 place curiously, including the golden mask on the Cult Priest¡¯s face and the totem of the blazing fireball behind him.


    Perhaps, to the common people of this world, these symbols would be deemed bizarre and strange. But he recognized almost instantly what they were attempting to emulate¡ªthe Sun.


    Not the Sun as it was now in the sky, bound by flames and two layers 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 black-robed Cult Priest who towered above on the platform. Perhaps due to the decay of his facial muscles, his composed 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 platform, ¡°Go check the place 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, becoming excited as they praised the ¡°True Sun God¡± and pushed Duncan to the front of the platform. 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 charlatan 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 of land allowing creatures a meager existence. Even upon these shattered lands, 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 black-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 platform 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 black 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, completely 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 black-robed individuals stepped up onto the platform, grabbing Duncan by the arms and leading him towards the totem pillar 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 black-robed men.


    Despite Duncan not making any resistive movements, the two black-robed individuals still gripped his arms with great force, as if they feared the sacrifice might make a last-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 black-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 blade black as if forged from obsidian, reflecting the firelight from the totem, creating a peculiarly eerie appearance.


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    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 platform:


    ¡°Most high and holy Sun God! Please accept 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

    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 a layer of pitch-black flames.


    This eye-catching supernatural phenomenon instantly piqued Duncan¡¯s curiosity. He speculated 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 play.


    Meanwhile, with an expressionless face, he watched as the dagger, burning with black flames, stabbed down, plunging straight into his chest with a hollow thud, as if piercing through several layers of tattered cloth.


    The flames burned inside for a moment but caught nothing.


    Behind him, on the totem pillar, the burning fireball suddenly emitted a series of alarming 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 occupying 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 occurred on the totem pillar, ¡°symbolizing the sun,¡± immediately caught the attention of the closest believers. Accompanied by a few suppressed exclamations, 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 pillar with reverence. Even the obsidian dagger-wielding priest froze in place, maintaining the gesture of holding the blade 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 flames 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 impenetrable 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 flames 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 the large 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 glanced 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 noises coming from behind at the totem pillar, 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 declared in front of a group of black-robed believers who were still in a state of chaos and panic:


    ¡°O most high and holy Sun God! Please accept 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 flames 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 blazing black flames 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 drained completely.


    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 clearly come 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 a large group of robed figures charged mindlessly forward, some even drawing short swords and daggers hidden beneath their robes.


    Duncan had actually planned 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 a lavish 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 could come directly to the captain¡¯s cabin to find him.


    Alice remembered this very clearly.


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    (Time to recommend a book! The first recommendation for this book comes 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 man comfortably 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! Here comes the chicken soup!¡±)

 Chapter 22

    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 Displaced¡¯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¡±.


    She had no memory of learning how to read, in fact, she had no memories of ¡°learning¡± anything, nor did she remember accumulating 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 knowledge come 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 if coming from a piece of decayed wood: ¡°The door opens outward, lady.¡±


    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 severely lacking 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.


    ¡°Please come in, lady, 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 the last 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 belatedly 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, becoming ¡°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 consider communicating with them¡ªthey have no interest in communicating 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 some common sense that is essential for survival on this ship; after all, the captain would never condescend to explain such things to newcomers¡­ 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 had completely 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 newcomers 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 plan, 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 plan.


    ¡°Fifth, the captain will occasionally 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 explained the ¡°common sense¡± to new crew members more than once; he recited the rules smoothly and naturally, but Alice immediately noticed something odd about the last 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¡­¡±


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    ¡°Seventh, the captain¡¯s cabin door opens outward.¡± the goat-head answered very naturally.


    Alice stared blankly 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-black eyes, Alice opened her mouth, but suddenly she swallowed back all her questions.


    (Mamma mia!)

 Chapter 24

    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 blank expression, and the pigeon returned the look with an equally blank 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?


    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, classic images of many pirate captains from his memory suddenly floated into his mind. Then he glanced 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: ¡°Transmission complete!¡±


    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 accustomed 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 flame started to emerge from one hand. He watched the pigeon before him warily, ¡°Where did you come 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 seemed completely 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 solar-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 glance 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 to communicate 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 flame 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 flame 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 flames 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 flames.


    Duncan¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°¡­Related 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 explain 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, becoming 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 speculations that not even Duncan himself was sure he should believe flashed 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.


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    As for now, he had to figure out what to do with this¡­ abnormal pigeon.


    After a brief moment of contemplation, 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

    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 that communicating with this bird was even more peculiar than with a goat head, mainly due to the pigeon¡¯s elusive style of language: ¡°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¡­ seriously communicating with him.


    It just obviously had its own understanding of ¡°communication.¡±


    Duncan had a few more exchanges with the pigeon who claimed 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 occasionally, 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 normal communication 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, occasionally 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 flames 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 flame rose, and almost simultaneously, green flames sprang up in the gaps of Ai Yi¡¯s feathers, while the brass compass at its chest ¡°snapped¡± open with a pop. Beneath the transparent glass 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 flame, as if waiting for Duncan¡¯s command.


    Before the brass compass was fully activated, Duncan voluntarily dispersed the flame.


    In the testing process, Duncan was also silently summing up in his mind,


    ¡°The compass 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 this compass 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 the compass and the pigeon.


    ¡°There is a connection between the pigeon and me. This connection becomes more apparent when the spectral flame 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 its commands 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 gaze landed on the obsidian knife.


    The handle was twisted like a dried, contorted finger, the blade gleaming with a dark reflection.


    This was exactly what the gold-masked priest, robed in black 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 flame, letting it coil around the blade of the dagger. From the hollow and void feedback, it was indeed evident that any transcendent power once contained within the ritual dagger had completely 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 particularly 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 become a lifeless statue.


    The sudden change alarmed Duncan, but just as he was about to use the spectral flames to give Ai Yi a stimulant shock to see if he could forcefully wake it up, the bird suddenly ¡°came to life¡± again. It hopped in place twice, clamoring loudly, ¡°Take up this solar-powered war-axe, take up this solar-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 places, 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 of communication 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 doll lady 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).


    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 glanced at Ai Yi, who was running around on the table.


    Should he take this pigeon out with him? If he did, how would he explain it?


    Duncan hesitated for only two seconds before decisively grabbing the pigeon and placing 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 and communicate, 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, claiming it as his new ¡°spoils of victory¡±¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to explain anything to the goat-headed man; a captain need not explain to his first mate.


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    The first mate would do his own guesswork.


    As for the occasional strange utterances of the pigeon (which to the locals of this world would surely be incomprehensible), there was no need for explanations.


    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 with composure.


    The pigeon proudly puffed up its chest, announcing as if proclaiming, ¡°Authentic good herbal tea, authentic good voice, welcome to watch by¡­¡±

 Chapter 26

    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 with composed 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 blatantly 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 classes, showing no reaction even when Duncan approached her.


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°She pulled off her own head,¡± the goat-head explained 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-black 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 succinctly, 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 explanation, ¡°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 brass compass 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 with compliments, ¡°Ah! Truly befitting the great Captain Duncan, even a simple excursion into the Spirit Realm brings back trophies¡ªIs this a pigeon? To become your pet, it must have extraordinary qualities, mustn¡¯t it? You even hung your compass 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 flattery; he had a hunch that the goat-head recognized the brass compass now hanging on Ai Yi¡¯s chest and that the compass was very important to the real Captain Duncan¡ªimportant enough that it should not be casually placed on a freshly emerged ¡°pet.¡±


    But even realizing this impropriety, he was powerless to do anything, for the compass was now ¡°bound¡± to the pigeon and, according to the feedback from the control of the Spiritual Body Flame, the pigeon seemed to be the very embodiment of the compass!


    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, flapping its wings.


    The goat-head¡¯s black 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 flame, 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 glance toward the navigation table.


    Duncan suspected that for a considerable time to come, 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?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alice¡¯s expression was a bit dull as if her original purpose for visiting the captain¡¯s cabin had been completely forgotten amidst her conversation with the goat head, but a few seconds later she remembered, ¡°Ah right, I just wanted to ask, is there a place on board where I can take a bath? My wooden box got seawater in it, and now my joints feel a bit¡­ uncomfortable.¡±


    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 flashed 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 place 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 place with a goat head.


    Before leaving the room, Duncan glanced 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.


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    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-black 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

    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 accept 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 not comprehend, continuously diffusing a pale white mist.


    The whole Endless Sea was enveloped in this snowy, pale night color.


    Beyond the sun lay 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 other planets? 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-black, 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 Storm coming? 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 become somewhat oppressive, but this oppressive feeling vanished instantly once they arrived at the destination cabin.


    Duncan brought the doll miss to a place to bathe, a bathroom prepared for the upper-tier sailors¡ªFor a classic sailing ship, such a bathroom was considered a kind of ¡°luxury¡± facility, normally not meant for the common 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 the common 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, compared to scurvy, plague, 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 spoilage. 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 uncomfortable,¡± 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 glanced 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 truly lacked that kind of experience, ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that.¡±


    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 glance 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?¡±


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    ¡°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

    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 becomes 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 ship lacked replacement 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 to lack a reliable ¡°home port¡± for docking and repairs, let alone channels of communication with civilizations on land.


    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 current lack of supplies on Homeloss.


    Furthermore, he was thinking about how to establish contact with the ¡°City-States¡± on land.


    Drifting aimlessly at sea was an extremely inefficient method of exploration. Information about this world had to be obtained from land, 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¡± on land and engage with the civilized world¡ªotherwise, he was really worried that after a long period of drifting, he might actually become 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 occasionally 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 the land City-States.


    Although this method seemed too uncertain and mysterious mishaps such as ¡°Ai Yi¡± had occurred after its last use, Duncan knew he would soon undertake another walk in the Spirit Realm¡ªnot only to collect intelligence from the land 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 distant lands.


    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 up communicating 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 pillars 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.¡±


    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 to communicate, 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 doll lady thought her plan 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 succumbed 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 young lady with grey-white hair and an exceptionally tall and straight posture was standing before a window overlooking the city district.


    The lady 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 clad in silver-grey light armor and a battle skirt. She was clearly well-exercised, with muscular 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 blade shimmered with a light reminiscent of water ripples.


    Behind the lady, the sound of mechanical operation was continuous¡ªthe core of the Grand Clock Tower was running smoothly under the power of the steam engine, with complex and precise gear and rod structures penetrating 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. The lady with grey hair turned toward the sound, and saw an Ocean Priest clad 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 pillar in the center of the room, removed the old incense burner hanging from the pillar¡¯s railing, and replaced 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-haired lady at the window.


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    ¡°Good evening, Your Honor the Judge¡ªare you on night watch again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having bad premonitions, especially of late¡ªand particularly 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

    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 occurring 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 flame of civilization within this endless expanse of ocean.


    The devoted Judge has seen a similar vision for several days in a row now.


    In a state between sleep and wakefulness, she saw an endless ocean dyed in ink black, 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 ablaze with flames, 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 occurred 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 the largest Sun God cult enclave that had infiltrated the City-State¡ªTo this day, the undying minions of those Heretics still hide in the massive, complex, 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 the lady 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 accompanying 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 places 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 are completed¡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 relaxed 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 seldom completely 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 replaced captain¡­ For any ship that has exhibited abnormal phenomena, it¡¯s never wrong to be exceedingly vigilant.¡±


    ¡°Alas¡­ I hope that the ship and its crew are all well,¡± the priest couldn¡¯t help but place 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 black uniform with silver trim, a badge of waves and a dagger emblazoned 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!¡±


    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 a large 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 clashed against the metallic shoulder plates 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.


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    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 flat 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 manipulating 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 a large 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 recommend 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

    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 vigilant 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 Black 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 cult lay 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. According 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 indoctrinated lackeys who lacked the qualification to move with the bishop group in Plunder.


    These minions hid in the sewers, completely relying on their knowledge of the underworld and the twisted blessings the Black 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 years later, they suddenly gathered again, even daring to risk exposure by conducting a sacrificial ritual at a meeting place¡­ 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 their last spark, the heretics would draw the Black 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.


    ¡°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 ahead lay 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 unrelated 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 place¡ªhere, she saw more guardian soldiers, as well as church priests performing the purification ritual.


    A temporary sacrificial platform was situated right in the center of the congregation area; the wooden platform seemed as if it had been scorched by flames. On the platform, 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 platform 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 blasphemous prayers without sound.


    But with the ritual site having been destroyed, and the Storm Goddess¡¯ attention turned to this place, these heretical prayers were utterly ineffective.


    Not far from the sacrificial platform were the bodies of the victims found in nearby caves, laid 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 platform, 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 platform to be immediately stained with an ominous black shadow. More white smoke carried away these contaminants¡ªthe aura left here by the Black Sun was being cleansed bit by bit in this process.


    ¡°Your Honor, Judge, please come this way. This is where we¡¯ve found something amiss,¡± the young guardian pointed at several bodies beside the sacrificial platform 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 Black Sun.¡±


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    ¡°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, ¡°According 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 place 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 Black Sun?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find traces of external contamination; it looks more like a spontaneously occurring madness¡ªthe factor causing the insanity is rooted within their own psychic world,¡± explained the guardian, pointing towards a young lady walking among the heretics, dressed in a black gown, ¡°Miss Heidi is here already. If we confirm that these heretics aren¡¯t tainted by the Black Sun, we¡¯ll have to think of solutions in terms of hypnotism.¡±

 Chapter 31

    Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Vanna raised her head to look at the lady in black, 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 a composure that seemed far beyond her years. Her long black hair was coiled up behind her head, and the pale blue crystal earrings dangling from her earlobes reflected the light of a nearby gas lamp.


    ¡°¡­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 occurred. 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 the communicable 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 weak common 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 ¡®deeper layers¡¯ of our world, a true ¡®Baptized¡¯, and according 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 glanced at the guardian and then her gaze fell on the completely 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 Black Sun has a significant suppression effect on necromancers; their controlled walking dead couldn¡¯t blatantly approach the Black 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 a completely 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 oil lamps; they were very cautious in this regard.¡±


    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 flashed ¡ª she thought she saw the young man¡¯s corpse slightly open its eyes, with pale green flames 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 flames that completely engulfed the body.


    It took her less than a second to do all of this, and the moment the body was consumed by the flames, 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 flames.


    Accompanied by continuous booming noises and the flames that suddenly shot high up, nearly licking the ceiling, the mutated corpse turned to ashes in the blink of an eye.


    Yet this sizable flame 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 drew large-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 alarms,¡± 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.


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    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. There¡¯s not only the ¡®Black Sun¡¯ here, there might also be another powerful force that visited this sacrificial ritual¡­ and this force has not completely 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 black 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 classic tales tell, the heretics have summoned something more sinister than themselves,¡± Farna glanced at the ¡°psychiatrist¡±. ¡°I strongly suggest that you take extra precautions when examining these heretics and conducting hypnosis on them later¡­ There was a presence here that should not have been, and it lingers.¡±

 Chapter 32

    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 become 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 speculation 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 planet upon which the Endless Sea was located (if this was indeed a planet) 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 explanations, 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 declaration 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, as comfortable as ever, perched on Duncan¡¯s shoulder. Suddenly, it stood up and started flapping its wings vigorously, looking out to the sea and loudly chirping, ¡°Fries! I want some fries!¡±


    Duncan couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He glanced 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 played 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, placing several plates beside the sea charts on the empty surface. Today¡¯s breakfast, like last night¡¯s dinner, yesterday¡¯s lunch, and every meal before, consisted of jerky, cheese, and plain 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 had come 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 plate ¨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 plate.


    Curious, Alice watched this and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Captain, isn¡¯t today¡¯s meal the same as yesterday¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°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 plate 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 plate would be younger than himself.


    Even the same age would do.


    The ¡°Homeloss Supply and Inventory Plan¡± and the ¡°Land Exploration Plan¡± 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 plate 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 glanced at its owner, then looked at the contents of the plate, ¡°Are the crystal mines depleted?¡±


    Duncan glanced 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 suddenly coming to life. It flapped 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 to communicate with people using a language 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 that language, there¡¯s a complete 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, displaying information from lost eras, or even fragments from the future. Is it possible that Ai Yi is talking about things from another temporal dimension?¡±


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    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¡¯s language.¡±


    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 soul come closer to a ¡°deeper layer¡± of this world? The deeper one went, the more one could see projections from misaligned spacetimes? And those projections could even display 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 indeed come 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 deeper layer of this world?

 Chapter 33

    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 speculations stirred up by the inadvertent information mentioned by the goat head.


    He glanced 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 ¡°Earth language,¡± 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¡± place, and had happened to condense into form right by his side?


    Then the occasional ¡°Earth language¡± Ai Yi spouted would be unrelated to Zhou Ming¡¯s memories and would become 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 flapped its wings and landed on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, accompanying 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 speculate, just accept 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 splashed 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!¡±


    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 clamor, we¡¯re but a plank 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 fireplace 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 palatable 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 on land as soon as possible. Homeloss has been drifting at sea for too many years, the city-states on land 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 glanced 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 but laugh, 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 slapped 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 with land and providing Homeloss with stable supplies wouldn¡¯t be accomplished 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 accompanying ¡°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 splashing water and looked in its direction, only to see a group of fish suddenly jumping out of the calm water nearby.


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    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, undulating like ripples.


    Zhou Ming suddenly found these fish beautiful, and also¡­


    Delicious.


    They must be very, very delicious.

 Chapter 34

    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 grew larger. Within visible range, stronger waves succeeded 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 to latch 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 blazed 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 I come 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 flames 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 flame burning its way along, forming a straight line of ¡°fire¡± that entered the water. In the next second, a ghostly green flame outline suddenly emerged deep in the water surrounding the Homeloss, and under the illumination and delineation of the pale green flames, a vast shadow began to surface in the water.


    The shadow resembled an irregular 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 noises coming from the sea, and while maintaining his standoff with his ¡°prey,¡± he peeked curiously outside.


    He saw nothing but the undulating 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 clanking 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 clanking, 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 place¡ªthey were making noises, communicating with each other, but Alice couldn¡¯t understand this language that only the Homeloss itself could comprehend.


    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 black 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, undulating 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 success, 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.


    A large 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 uncomfortable; 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, landing on the deck as well.


    They looked similar to the one that was half-human in size but were only about a half meter long and, like the large fish¡ª when Duncan laid eyes on them, they were already profusely bleeding and soon lay gasping for breath.


    Duncan was somewhat dazed, and it took him a while to come to his senses, ¡°Little Calabash 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 flames that blazed 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 flames.


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    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 flames, 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, splattering all over the place, some landing at the captain¡¯s feet.

 Chapter 35

    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 also completely 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 flames 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-like lady to come over.


    Seeing Alice approach, Duncan kicked at the large 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 fish lay 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, lacking 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 plan to do with these¡­ ¡®fish¡¯ that you¡¯ve caught?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Duncan instantly laughed, ¡°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 plan 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 upcoming plans, but although he sounded confident, he was quite unsure whether he could succeed¡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 the large 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 glanced 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 moment later, 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 planned 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 occurrence on the Homeloss.


    She had not violated the crew¡¯s code of conduct, just inquiring about the situation, so it should not be taboo.


    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 to come.


    ¡°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.


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    Alice grew nervous, leaning forward subconsciously: ¡°Is this not a normal occurrence 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 becoming 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

    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 physical labor.


    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 becoming 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 but laugh. He mused that perhaps one day he might warmly invite some guests aboard¡ªHomeloss wouldn¡¯t be synonymous with disaster forever, nor did he plan 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.


    After completing 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 planned to process the smaller pieces later, curing them and hanging them to dry on deck. If all went well, they would become 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?


    In comparison, 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 belated ¡°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 placed 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 plan 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 glancing fleetingly between Duncan and the ceiling, ¡°Is this melon ¡®ripe¡¯ enough?¡±


    Duncan replied, ¡°Just say whether you¡¯ll eat it or not.¡±


    Ai Yi flapped 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 elements combined, it was practically a light of humanity (Earth), according 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.


    ¡­


    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 highlands rang out, accompanied by the sharp whistling of steam escaping from relief valves. A large cloud of white steam burst forth from the towers flanking the cathedral, enveloping the sky above the highlands like layers 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 places¡ªthe gas lamps 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 occasional 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 black robes huddled in a corner.


    This place was once a temporary resting room for sewer maintenance personnel, but now forgotten with the changes in urban planning, the neglected corner had become a refuge for heretics fleeing in haste¡ªa dimly lit oil lamp hung on the wall, its flickering light revealing faces filled with gloom, fear, and resentment.


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    A black-robed person around thirty lay 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 black-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 glancing 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

    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.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive now¡­¡± a heretic hesitated as he spoke, glancing 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 clamped 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 black-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 their last breath.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± the deep-voiced black-robed heretic conceded, glancing 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 explanation from the person beside him, the deep-voiced black-robed heretic finally relaxed somewhat¡ªthough not a high-status ¡°priest,¡± he had devoted himself to the Sun for many years and had become 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 black-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 clasped their hands into fists on their foreheads, devoutly and softly chanting, ¡°All children of the Sun are siblings¡­¡±


    The deep-voiced black-robed man also clasped his hand into a fist on his forehead, joining in the low chanting, ¡°All children of the Sun are siblings.¡±


    ¡­


    After the sun had completely 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, compared to the last time he had witnessed a starless night, his mood had improved considerably.


    On one hand, he had accepted 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 the land 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 sea lane 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,¡± Duncan laughed, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s easier said than done¡ªrobbing requires finding a trade lane with merchant ship activity, after all.¡±


    The vast sea was desolate; 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 to commit 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 plank 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 classical 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 to commit robbery now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Duncan waved his hand and walked unhurriedly towards his captain¡¯s quarters, ¡°I also think robbery is quite boring¡ªcompared 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 the last time and closed the door.


    He had decided that tonight he would undertake his second soul-walk in the Spirit Realm.


    However, unlike the last time, this time he planned 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 to communicate with Ai Yi through the Spiritual Body fire in his hand¡ª


    The invisible green flames turned into a thin thread, wrapping around Ai Yi¡¯s wings. The next second, the white pigeon was suddenly enveloped in blazing flames!


    In the midst of the fire, the pigeon¡¯s feathers all took on an ethereal form, the rising green flames 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 his last breath.


    Listening to his increasingly low and difficult gasps, several pairs of eyes involuntarily turned toward the dying man.


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    They stared fixedly at the ¡°comrade¡± 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 one last 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 black 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 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 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 black.¡±


    In the lower deck, there indeed was light¡ªat least structurally and in layout, the compartments she saw had the same support columns, and on those columns hung oil lamps that never went out. The lamps were burning, but the flames seemed to cause the areas around the lamps to be darker than those farther away.


    Yes, the closer one got to an oil lamp, the dimmer the light became, with the lamps themselves almost enveloped in shadows, faintly outlining their forms. Conversely, areas further from the oil lamps gradually brightened¡ªthe furthest corners of the ship¡¯s cabin were almost as bright as those on the upper decks.


    The stairwell had seemed particularly dim from above because there were two lamps 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 glanced 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 nonchalance, as if accustomed to these bizarre occurrences, his actual thoughts mirrored Alice¡¯s exactly¡ªeven the spiritual body of the pigeon on his shoulder suddenly flapped 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 the lantern in his hand, trying to discern the environment within the interplay 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 the lantern in Duncan¡¯s hand followed the normal rules of illumination: bright around the lantern, 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¡± oil lamps were extinguished, would this become a bright place?


    For a moment, Duncan actually harbored the bold thought of extinguishing the oil lamps of this deck to see what phenomenon would occur, 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 flames can dispel strange dangers¡±¡ªin that statement, it was actually the ¡°flame¡± 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 become ¡°inverted,¡± and under such inversion, the only trustworthy thing was the ¡°flame¡± itself?


    Could this also indirectly explain why the light emitted by ¡°electric lamps¡± had no demon-repelling effect¡ªbecause those emitted only light, lacking the ¡°flame¡± 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¡± oil lamps on the support columns burned quietly on either side, with various ropes scattered around the columns. As Duncan walked between them, the hanging oil lamps 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 flame itself remains faithfully guarding the treasures of Homeloss.


    He looked towards the quietly burning lamps and nodded slightly, as if showing recognition and gratitude.


    The next second, all the oil lamps in the ship¡¯s cabin flared up visibly, with flames surging beneath each of the glass 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 stimulating the oil lamps.


    Alice followed, the doll observing her surroundings carefully. She saw the large wooden barrels and some plank crates piled up in the corner of the cabin, as well as some sealed rooms and corridors leading to unknown places, 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 carry large 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 the large 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 to complete.


    However, now, this exploration plan that may have once existed had dissipated with the wind. The ambitious Homeloss had become 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 the layout 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 doll lady 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 glanced 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 incomplete. Only those threats deemed controllable or of a special nature and closer to the general populace were made public. Abnormalities and phenomena that ordinary people had no chance of encountering were clearly not included.


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    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 isolated from civilized society, thus never interacting with the general population.


    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 - Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Hold

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Hold


    Duncan had always been curious about what made this self-proclaimed ¡°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 occasionally 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 when compared 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 replace 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 replaced 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 available 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 of combating 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, according to Nina, the ranking of anomalies and phenomena might have some uncertainties, and it wasn¡¯t always possible to make a clear comparison 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 uncontrollable 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 glanced 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 access such ¡°classified information¡±? The ¡°antique industry connections¡± left by the heretic Ron were obviously no good, as most items in that store had histories not extending beyond last week¡­


    Duncan mused silently while continuing his walk; the eerie green spiritual fire burned quietly in the lantern 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 the lantern, 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 the lantern, 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 becoming clearer in his mind and giving off a subtle ¡°touch¡±¡ª


    The last 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 just coming to a cabin below sea level scares you this much,¡± Duncan suddenly said to Alice following him, ¡°Then why insist on coming?¡±


    ¡°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 your lack 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 become neurotic just standing in a cabin below the waterline, just by thinking about the surrounding seawater¡­ Stop picking at the lace 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 relaxed 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 noncommittal. He looked towards the end of the corridor and saw a staircase sloping downward that had already come into view.


    That was a deeper place, 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 Fire lantern, 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 access 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 the lantern, 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 the lantern 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:


    ¡°The last door at the bottom of the hull.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Alice curiously looked at the letters on the doorframe, ¡°The last 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 ¡°last 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!¡±


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    She shouted loudly, while Duncan did not respond for a moment¡ªhe too was staring dumbfounded at the surroundings.


    The deepest layer of Homeloss, immersed in the Endless Sea¡ªthe hull structure was fragmented!


    Everywhere he looked showed the cabin completely 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 - Chapter 59: Chapter 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 the largest piece of wooden debris and looked back in the direction he had come from.


    That ¡°final door¡± still stood silently in its place, fixed on a floating plank, with a dark staircase behind it that slanted 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, the latter 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 and composed appearance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said flatly, ¡°the Homeloss is a ship beyond your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s beyond imagination¡­¡± Alice remarked in awe. Duncan¡¯s composed 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 to completely different dimensions!?


    This also explained 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 the lantern 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 similar phenomena occurred 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 overlap? 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 explain 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 a lantern 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?¡±


    ¡°¡­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 the lantern¡ªthe moment he stepped out, he tensed every muscle and nerve in his body, ready for any accident that might occur 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 the latter 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-black 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 classic 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 glance in that direction, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so, it appeared after we came over.¡±


    Duncan hummed noncommittally and cautiously approached the door with the lantern in hand.


    In fact, in this eerie cabin, he already didn¡¯t need the illumination of the lantern. 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 the lantern¡ªthis was necessary caution.


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    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 this lantern.


    The newly appeared door looked unremarkable, a pitch-black panel that did not differ much from the ¡°last 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 - Chapter 60: Chapter 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 Fire lantern and the dim chaos that filled the entire cabin, every line on the letters seemed to be coated with a layer 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 to come from behind this door¡­¡±


    Duncan stood still, sternly watching the wooden door from which the knocking had come. 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 the lantern 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 not completely 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 the lantern 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 placed a computer, 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 hair lacking 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!


    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 one last 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 suddenly laughed.


    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.


    The latter, pierced by the blade, opened his mouth as if to scream; hazily, a series of hoarse and noisy sounds entered Duncan¡¯s ears, while he remained completely 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 flapped 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 occurrence 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 place is honestly quite eerie, and I¡¯m getting nervous again¡­¡±


    Duncan hummed noncommittally in response and, taking Alice with him, turned to walk towards the ¡°final door¡± that led to the staircase.


    This place was simply too sinister; even he didn¡¯t want to linger any longer.


    After this, no further abnormalities occurred.


    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.


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    He suddenly relaxed, 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 - Chapter 61: 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 a lasting 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¡¯s lantern 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.


    He compared what he saw with his memory, confirming that the dim and dilapidated 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 what lay 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 black eyes turning toward the sound of the door.


    As Duncan turned to hang the lantern, 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 from laughing 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 calculating 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 plan. After composing his expression to its usual seriousness, he said nonchalantly, ¡°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 welcome 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 playing 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 have completely forgotten the matter of making a late-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 flapped 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?¡±


    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 succession¡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 exclamation 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 kitchen later¡­¡±


    ¡°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 was completely 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 Subspace lay on the other side of it¡­


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    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 - Chapter 62: Chapter 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 doll lady 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 glared 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: ¡°¡­¡±


    Alice cautiously glanced 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 become 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 glanced 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¡­¡±


    Her latter 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 glamorizing 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 declared 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 available 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 glass with a mischievous smile, ¡°But I¡¯m really curious about something¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah? What are you curious about?¡±


    ¡°Do cursed dolls really become 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 glanced at his usually noisy companion, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡±


    Goat Head struggled for a bit, finally squeezing out, ¡°You truly are the most terrible calamity 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 flame erupted, and the spectral bird-shaped Ai Yi descended from the flames, landing 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 Realm lately? Is there something on land 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 become a bit more interesting.¡±


    This was his calculated response: the statement didn¡¯t reveal any specific details and didn¡¯t expose his lack 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 calamity of the Endless Sea could also be a fun-loving person¡ªbecause a fun-loving person accommodates everything.


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    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 planning 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 flatter and support him. However, hearing the latter part, his blood ran cold¡ªthis cooperation turned into fanning the flames, 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 planning 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 a lack of trust, adding another layer 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 plans until I give a direct order.¡±


    ¡°Your command will be diligently followed, captain.¡±

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 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 according to the old rules.


    In the Goat Head¡¯s perspective, City-States on land held no significance, the mortals within them were laughably 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 explanations to change his and Homeloss¡¯s modus operandi was the safest approach.


    He took one last 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 Yi complete 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 penetrate 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 the last 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 flapped 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 enlarging in front of him and transforming into a flowing stream of light.


    He then saw that there was a barely perceptible ¡°connection¡± between this undulating light stream and himself¡ªsimilar 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 much larger 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 undulation 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 delayed 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 overlapping 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 he completely 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 blankly 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 successfully 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¡± accident? Because the flames from the Homeloss had spread to the White Oak?


    Duncan mulled over this suspicion, speculating on the various properties his Spectral Flame 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 surveillance. 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.


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    After some contemplation, 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 plan 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 surveillance 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 - Chapter 64: Chapter 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 occurrences.


    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 their later 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 incomes that far exceeded what residents of the City-States could imagine, along with ¡°occupational 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 yet complete, 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 taken command 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 the latter 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 become rapidly clear and stabilized, feeling his control of this body shift from remote manipulation 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, welcome 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 slap 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 table lay 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 place. All these unrelated 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 was complete 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 been completely 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 blade 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 shell lay 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 accept ¡°inspection¡± immediately when watched by the captain.


    According 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 during combat, 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 become an unremarkable chunk of iron.


    Duncan was contemplative.


    If he were to take this shell back, would it become 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¡¯t come back), so¡­ could the ship¡¯s ammunition be replenished? And how would newly added shells become ¡°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 regular ships, easily. Items brought aboard were just ¡°external items,¡± and if they couldn¡¯t successfully 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 glanced at the pigeon that had hopped onto the windowsill and was gazing blankly outside.


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    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 the last item.


    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 - Chapter 65: Chapter 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 a larger 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 become 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 enough comparative 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 plan¡­ or rather, an idea.


    Since Ai Yi could transport items unharmed between the land 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 the land 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.


    Thinking that the only usable crew member under his command 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 villains 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 plan 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 become 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 the large pile of items he had brought over. He was not planning 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 places to hide things on the second floor of the antique shop, and Nina could come 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 place for these items.


    The Sun Amulet could be hidden on his person, the salted fish could be placed 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 placed 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 similar in style; the dagger and projectile were more inconspicuous thrown in that pile of broken fakes¡­


    As for the last item, the cheese taken from the kitchen of Homeloss, Duncan also found a good place 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 glanced 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 home later today. Before that, he planned 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 and landed on his shoulder, bopping its head and beaming proudly, ¡°To the Twin Immortal Bridge, take Chenghua Avenue¡­¡±


    Duncan shot a glare at the bird. He had planned 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 Flame without delay.


    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 finally laughed 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 a common 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. According 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 place 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 bustling commerce 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-class 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 clamp 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 flapped its wings innocently and cocked its head at him.


    ¡°Go cling to the roof.¡±


    ¡°Coo, coo.¡±


    Ai Yi flapped its wings and flew out of the bus, cursing in ¡°coos¡± as it went.


    The young ticket seller was stunned, watching the man who communicated 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, accompanied 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.


    Duncan comfortably leaned back in his seat, feeling the tremble and acceleration as this mechanical creation operated.


    Steam machines were great, civilized society was great, technological progress was great.


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    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 - Chapter 66: Chapter 70: One of Us

    Chapter 66: Chapter 70: One of Us


    In a world where transcendent phenomena existed and the land was blocked by an endless ocean, with the City-State¡¯s guardians and anomalies engaged in endless struggles, how did ordinary people survive?


    Duncan still lacked 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 platforms and sometimes at the roadside, always with passengers boarding and alighting. The silent driver occasionally spoke a few words to the conductor, but mostly he focused on driving, while the young conductor occasionally 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 platform where many passengers boarded.


    Duncan curiously observed the scenery at the platform, 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.


    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 black 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 flapped down from the roof, landing 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 platform and intersection, tracking the figure in the black coat.


    The person in black 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 black 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 populated 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 becoming 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 place of many Sun God Believers.


    As he had anticipated, more ¡°Sun Heretics¡± gathered in the shadowy corners of this City-State; the group annihilated earlier in the sewers was just a part of these roach-like Heretics.


    He didn¡¯t know what these Heretics really aimed to accomplish, 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, black-clad 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 collar of his coat, covering half of his face¡ªand almost the next second after this action was completed, 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 black-clad man he had been tracking also startlingly among them, watching him warily, while a tall, lean young man whispered something to his companion 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 vigilant.


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    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 planned 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 plan 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 - Chapter 67: Chapter 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 blandly 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, your large gathering is much more conspicuous than my amulet.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a bearded man opposite him involuntarily exclaimed, ¡°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 plan 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 seemed completely 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 relaxed, but the tall and skinny leader in front of him still maintained caution, ¡°Three others escaped with me, but we got separated. Now, I have completely lost contact with the church¡ªuntil I ran into you guys, the Sun has given me guidance.¡±


    The tall and skinny man hummed noncommittally, 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 successful.


    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 dilapidated 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 dilapidated 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 place he and Nina lived was already the bottom level community of the city, but now he realized with a sudden understanding that the rundown antique shop was actually a ¡°respectable place¡± within the Lower City District.


    In the row of dilapidated 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 unwelcome 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 black-clad 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 proclaim 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, accumulating 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 glanced at the irate man in black, 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 to comment 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 place, or perhaps this prosperous steam metropolis itself was filled with countless gutters suitable for nurturing dark, blasphemous things.


    A group of people crossed the partially collapsed perimeter wall of the factory and opened an iron door leading to the underground structure. Duncan originally planned 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 place 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 gas lamps on the walls, which could no longer be lit, remaining¡ªthe darkness was dangerous, even the heretics knew that, hence they lit oil lamps fueled by whale blubber all around underground. Under the glow of the numerous oil lamps, 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 available?


    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, ¡°Relax, 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 glanced 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.


    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¡­¡±


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    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 flame, 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, stayed complacently 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, ¡°Welcome back to the glory of the Lord, brethren.¡±

 Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 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 ¡°compatriot¡± just because Duncan took out a Sun Amulet, nor did they readily trust his account 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 seemed completely unaware of any changes in the power contained within this Transcendent object, and after expressing a welcome to the new compatriot, 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 black robes but were dressed like ordinary citizens. They were not wearing hoods that concealed their faces but were openly exposing them.


    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¡­¡±


    ¡°We come 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 arrived last week, but before we could establish contact with the local compatriots, 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 are compatriots 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 noncommittally and then heard the first Believer he had spoken with comment, ¡°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¡ªa large 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 planning 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, ¡°compatriots¡± who were already familiar with each other. Hiding their identities during gatherings was pointless.


    Dressed as common citizens now, they were better able to flee at the first sign of their stronghold being compromised 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 black hair and a petite figure stood about a dozen meters away.


    She was wearing a black dress trimmed with white lace, elegant and serene in appearance, looking to be around the same age as Nina, and most notably, around her neck hung a dark red collar 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 definitely come from this young lady!


    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 place 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 declared 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 placed 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 had come 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!¡±


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    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 already completed 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 the common believers.


    It seemed now¡­ could this so-called Sun Mask actually be a ¡°communication 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 - Chapter 69: Chapter 73 Incomplete Memory

    Chapter 69: Chapter 73 Incomplete 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 black 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 suddenly coming from ahead¡ªafter donning the golden mask, the leader had become 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:


    ¡°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 becoming gentle and friendly.


    ¡°However, before we proceed with today¡¯s assembly, let us first welcome two brethren¡ªthey were once ensnared by darkness in these challenging times but, fortunately, guided by the Lord, they have rejoined our community¡­ 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 black 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.


    ¡°Welcome 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 finally landed 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 glances 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 the latest updates.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s ears immediately perked up.


    ¡°Currently, a large 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 still lack 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¡¯ plan 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 solar 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 explain the situation again:


    ¡°Based on intelligence we have, that shard first appeared in the world eleven years ago and likely triggered some kind of large-scale Transcendent phenomena¡ªpossibly a major fire, abnormal high heat across an entire district, or mass spontaneous human combustion, 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 occurred 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 been lax, the Deep Sea Church¡¯s hounds have a particularly keen sense of smell¡­ they have become alert.¡±


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    As the leader explained the current situation to the surrounding congregation, Duncan¡¯s mind raced, particularly fixated on the ¡°eleven years ago¡± timeline¡ªaccording 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 a large fire, holding his dying niece in his arms, a building blurred out of focus burning and collapsing behind him, and in the distance, the twisted dark streets of the city like shadows, countless frantic people running and screaming¡­

 Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 74: Theres 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 related 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 his last, 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 claimed 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 related 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 blaze, and years later, the child¡¯s only remaining relative 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 become 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 glances 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 noncommittally, 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, ¡°According 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 occurred? Was there an error during the transfer of memories to this body? Or was it that the fire back then hadn¡¯t occurred 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 voice coming 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 similar 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 accident 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 occurred in the Lower City District eleven years ago but also to the unusual events in Plunder City-State in recent times.


    ¡°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 slaughter from the Deep Sea Church due to the ritual¡¯s failure, the attempt was not entirely fruitless¡ªthe stimulation 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¡¯s largest 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 flame!


    The pungent smell was coming from the flame.


    ¡°Filthy impurities¡­ the flame has been deceived!¡± The leader glanced 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 sigh coming from across him¡ª


    The sigh came from the girl in the black dress, a young lady named Sherry, who shook her head regretfully, ¡°I knew A-Dog couldn¡¯t be relied on. His disguise couldn¡¯t last three hours.¡±


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    Before her words even finished, a burst of pitch-black flames suddenly erupted beside the girl!


    The flames 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 black fire, crackling as the flames flowed down. The part of the flame 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 black 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 - Chapter 71: Chapter 75: Becoming One

    Chapter 71: Chapter 75: Becoming One


    As soon as he saw the situation before him, Duncan, who had been ready to boldly step forward and declare ¡°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 play.


    It turned out there was more than one traitor in the crowd¡ªthat girl in the black 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 black skeletal giant hound summoned by the girl. The Obliteration Sect sounded like no ordinary community 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 black 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 clanking 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 oil lamps set around the room, as if stimulated by some unknown force, flared up all at once!


    The bright flames of the oil lamps illuminated the entire basement like daylight; above each lamp 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 flame 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 aflame, in a strange echo of the oil lamps¡¯ 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 place 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 blazing 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 oil lamps, 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 black suddenly made her move!


    Sherry suddenly lunged forward; her arm burning with dark flames sharply raised, and the black 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¡¯s command, 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¡­


    Just then, a series of gunshots suddenly rang out!


    The Sun Cultists wielding revolvers finally found an opening. After realizing that close combat 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, blasted a gun-wielding heretic away. The heretic¡¯s head slammed into a distant pillar, 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 explain 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 not lasted very long. The black-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 he completed the list again, the fight was over.


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    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, the last ¡°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 that last target, dragging the dog behind.


    Her hostility was undisguised.

 Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 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 particularly nervous. To be fair, he knew he had almost no combat 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 delaying 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 Flame, which was highly effective against all transcendental things; this flame 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 explain his amazing skeletal condition to Nina after going back¡­


    So, he just stood there calmly, leisurely watching the girl in the black dress approach him, watching the black 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, completely 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 Flame 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 human language. 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 black flames, ashes, and pitch-black 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 in combat¡ªalthough the girl was strong and ruthless, with a strange and unpredictable fighting style, she clearly lacked 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 glance at it and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    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 alarm, ¡°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 glance at Duncan, and then said hesitantly, ¡°You¡­ look like¡­ or do you not¡­¡±


    Duncan withdrew his gaze and looked towards Sherry.


    The black-dressed girl was watching this side with uncertainty¡ªshe had finally put away her initial hostility, replaced 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 glance, 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 glanced at the pitch-black 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 relationship 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 gaze landed on the chain between the girl and the Abyssal Hound.


    According 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.


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    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 relation, 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 blazing fireball came flying from the side!

 Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 77: Reflections on Fire

    Chapter 73: Chapter 77: Reflections on Fire


    A roaring explosion burst in the basement, a blazing 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 backlash combustion momentum, swept into the fireball, allowing Duncan to seize the fireball that shot from the corner of the basement from thin air. This blazing fire was almost immediately imbued with a layer 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 it landed, and it jumped in without hesitation, pulling Sherry along with the dark iron chain. The latter, 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 the last 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 particularly vigorous Heretic had launched a sudden attack.


    Duncan¡¯s mood started to sour subtly; he looked again towards the direction from which the fireball had come, 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 oil lamps and torches set up around the basement seemed to be mystically summoned, as one after another they took on a layer 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 one lamp 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¡­¡±


    The last of the lamp lights turned into a ghostly green spiritual flame, 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 or later.


    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 contemplation, ¡°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 the last 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 flames!


    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 relaxed completely 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 Shroud lay 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 flames, ¡°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 blazing flames, 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 flames that scorched the soul¡ªor rather, it was precisely because of his transcendent powers that he was turned to ashes in this backlash from the spiritual fire.


    The spiritual fire finally began to extinguish. The Sun Priest leaning against the corner had been completely 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 flames, 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 flames would become 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 he commanded the Holy Shroud to self-destruct cautiously, and as it turned out, the Holy Shroud had faithfully executed the command.


    But he didn¡¯t expect the spreading flames 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 black-gray ashes.


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    They were similar to the ashes left after the Holy Shroud was destroyed.


    Duncan had never tested his spiritual fire on living people, let alone used the flames to actively take a life, and this cult priest must count as the first true sacrifice under his flames.


    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 - Chapter 74: Chapter 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 contemplation 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, lanterns 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 flame 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 flame 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 flame 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 flame obediently followed his command, silently dissipating into the air.


    Duncan began to smile¡ªhe was, and would always be, the master of this flame.


    After the spiritual fire disappeared, the basement¡¯s ambience quickly shifted from ominous to ordinary, and the green lanterns 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 related 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 place.


    While pondering, Duncan turned his head to look at the dove perched on his shoulder, coming 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 flapped 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 flash 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 delay!


    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 and landed on his shoulder¡ªflapping its wings, the spectral body transformed back into a white dove, proudly tilting its neck, ¡°Teleportation successful!¡±


    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 had come 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 not coming 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¡¯t completely dark yet; he should be able to catch the last 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 clad in black coats that were a mix of church style, somewhere between a trench coat and a suit, showing not only large revolver holsters but also finely crafted longswords that seemed out of place in the current era.


    Those two in the black coats also had another conspicuous item at their waists: lanterns 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¡¯s law enforcers affiliated with the city hall and guardians under the church.


    The law 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 secular and ecclesiastical powers exchanged duties.


    It was a unique ¡°scenery¡± of this world.


    The four of them didn¡¯t seem to notice Duncan.


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    Duncan walked by them with ease¡ªdespite having hesitated for a second, he quickly reminded himself that he was innocent.


    A law-abiding citizen isn¡¯t committing 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 noise coming 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 - Chapter 75: Chapter 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 oil lamp.


    In the flickering lamp 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 black 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 black and white edges, carefully adjusted the wick of the oil lamp 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 flat 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 glanced 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 black 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?¡±


    The Abyssal Hound seemed to recall a terribly terrifying sensation, its bones clacking 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 overlapped voices screaming simultaneously. When he looked at me, I felt every fate from my birth to my demise laid out flat on the ground for display. Let me tell you, the last 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 feebly laid 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 glance, 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, play up the charm, maybe find a backer¡­¡±


    Before the girl finished speaking, the black iron chain clanged, 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 leave completely 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 collapsed 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 black 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¡¯s completely dark now, and the street lights have just come 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 oil lamp on the old dining table, ¡°Turn off the lamp later, 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 planned the positioning and quantity of ¡°street lamps,¡± the most basic demon-warding devices, spread throughout the city. The gas lamps could ensure the entire district was protected after nightfall, making it safe to use either electric or oil lamps 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 dilapidated than the Lower City District, the number of gas street lamps was far fewer than in other areas. These street lamps were barely enough to maintain safety between day and night, and such a ¡°barely sufficient¡± state was obviously not comforting enough.


    Thus, in poor districts, flame-lit oil lamps and grease candles became essential for every household.


    If the street lamps were delayed even momentarily, the flames at home could at least temporarily fend off the darkness after sunset.


    Of course, another important reason many poor families used oil lamps and candles was that they couldn¡¯t afford the relatively 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 flame in that old lamp.


    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¡­¡±


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    ¡°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 - Chapter 76: Chapter 80 Home Visit?

    Chapter 76: Chapter 80 Home Visit?


    Before the last glow of twilight faded from the horizon, Duncan saw the familiar facade of the antique shop.


    The gas street lamps 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 already come 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 footsteps coming 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 planned 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 I come back late, 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 getting late,¡± 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 shipping lanes were relatively 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 shipping lanes, 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 in comparison to the deep sea regions, making even nearshore fishing an extremely specialized, hazardous task that required knowledge and skills beyond the ordinary.


    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 explained clearly, so he simply didn¡¯t explain 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, planning to use the head part first ¡ª the rest could be strung up with a rope and hung in the cabinet to dry further, possibly enhancing its flavor.


    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 she last 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 is coming 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 plan was filled with Spiritual Fire, swords, and over a hundred Homeloss side guns.


    But he had never anticipated in his plans 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 accept the home visit. He didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    Duncan looked at Nina¡¯s somewhat nervous reaction and was thoughtful.


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    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 he coming tomorrow?¡±

 Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 81: Memory Bias

    Chapter 77: Chapter 81: Memory Bias


    A scholar 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 relationship 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 relationship with such a professional might bring unexpected conveniences in the future¡ª a reputable old scholar 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 but laugh, thinking that his cooking skills were only slightly better than Alice¡¯s, and yet there were times when he was complimented 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.


    ¡°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 vanished completely with the last breath of a man gone astray.


    Nina silently broke the hard bread, soaking it bit by bit in the flavorful soup.


    Duncan suddenly reached out and tousled the child¡¯s hair.


    Nina looked up in surprise, ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Uncle¡¯s new dish research is a success,¡± Duncan said seriously.


    Nina stared blankly 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 glanced at her, then seemed to suddenly remember something and casually mentioned, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m planning to clean up the shop a bit lately. If you see any weird and unfamiliar things on the first floor, don¡¯t mess with them.¡±


    He was preparing for the upcoming inter-location commuting 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 to completely 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 plan, 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 young lady.¡±


    He thought carefully, it seemed that ¡°hardworking¡± was the only complimentary 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 young lady? 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 her laughter, emitting a ¡°huffing¡± sound as she continued to eat. After trying a piece of fish, her eyes widened in surprise, ¡°This is delicious!¡±


    Duncan laughed, 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 particularly 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 occurred in the Upper City District¡­ Many things I had no memory of at that time; it was only later when hearing adults talk that I began to piece things together¡­¡±


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    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, ¡°But later 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 - Chapter 78: Chapter 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, lacking 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. Occasionally, 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 occupied retained that same event¡ªa fire in which ¡°he¡± had escaped a collapsing, 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.¡±


    According 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 occurred.


    Thereafter, the Sun Shard lay 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 relative 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 before completion 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 becoming 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 all lacked 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 account 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 explain why many people¡¯s memories also completely lacked 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 already committed 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 occurrences, 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 black and white in archives from over a decade ago, all could be twisted and replaced¡ªsomething he might not have believed in before, but now, he believed in it more than anyone else.


    Because the place 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 occurred 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 Black 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 flames rising everywhere, spreading across the entire district visible to her eyes¡­


    The young Judge, clad 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 if comforting 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.


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    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.¡±


    ¡°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 - Chapter 79: Chapter 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 medicine combined 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 you come 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 display,¡± 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 recommended 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 I come 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 flames everywhere. You were carrying me out of the blaze. I even clearly remember us escaping the city area through the factory pipes, and nearby, a burning building was gradually collapsing¡­¡±


    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 flames.¡±


    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 at comforting 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 ¡®Black 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 Black 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 according to the interrogation results later 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 accurate 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 related¡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 have communicated 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 explained.


    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 secular aspect, I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°The secular aspect?¡± Fenna frowned slightly, about to say what connection this ghost ship Homeloss could have with ¡°secular¡± 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 the comprehension 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¡­ They command their own powers separately on the Endless Sea, maintaining a cool and even tense relationship 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 related 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.¡±


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    Fenna frowned as she looked at her uncle, ¡°So are you hoping they would come 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 Vesrelan Thirteen Islands 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 become 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 flagship 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?¡±


    ¡°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 - Chapter 80: Chapter 84: Captain Duncans 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 related 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 relationships¡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 in combatting 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 Veserlan¡¯s thirteen islands, he too had close friends and family members, loyal sailors and lieutenants under his command, 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 captains commanded a mighty ship, continuously circling on the fringes of the civilized world, their relations 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 relations 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 Abnormal commanded 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 occasions, 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 mysterious lady an honorary membership medal, but no one knows whether she accepted 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 flagship and over a dozen warships under his command, effectively becoming a semi-official power in the Chill Sea apart from Cold Harbor and Frost. The islands he occupied 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 scholars believed that during the Frost rebellion, Tirian fought for the Queen until the last 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 speculations by the populace. Considering the character of the two captains, they likely had no interest in explaining their actions to the world, but one thing was certain: The re-emergence of Homeloss demanded their attention and even possibly their vigilance 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.


    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 welcomed 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 to comfortably 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 was largely 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¡± becoming 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 logistics company?¡±


    The pigeon immediately jumped aside and flapped 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 was completely baffled, ¡°¡­¡±


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    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 vocabulary was a complete 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 officers coming 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 - Chapter 81: Chapter 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 his composure. 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 to come 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 Sola¡±¡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 places a high priority on cracking down on criminal activities within the City-State, especially lately. Any effective report will earn a substantial and tangible reward,¡± the younger officer explained 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 the commotion over there, I didn¡¯t dare to look closely¡­ What exactly happened?¡±


    The two officers exchanged glances, 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 according 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 Proland¡¯s secrets hidden away in these decrepit, winding alleys. And when the heretical dangers stirred, they too would seek refuge in such places.


    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 place was indeed prone to heretic activities¡ªhe still had the Sun Emblem in his pocket.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder,¡± he sincerely thanked them. Although the average competence 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 to complete.¡±


    The young sheriff turned back before leaving, ¡°If you come across any leads in the future, you are welcome 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. He laughed, ¡°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 not late¡ªand by the way, when is Mr. Morris coming for a home visit?¡±


    ¡°This afternoon, I only have one class 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 particularly 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-State lately¡­ It¡¯s one thing to run into trouble accidentally, but how can you deliberately seek out that danger?¡±


    Duncan looked at the seventeen-year-old girl somewhat dumbfounded.


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    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 - Chapter 82: Chapter 86 A Better Plan

    Chapter 82: Chapter 86 A Better Plan


    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 to come home. He had promised.


    ¡°Ai Yi, come here.¡±


    A thought flashed in his mind, and a green flame 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 flapped 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 Alarm.¡±


    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 articulate 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 flapped 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 flapped 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, and laid it on the counter. He looked at the map while recalling the layout 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 a comfortable 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 plan, 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.¡±


    Duncan leaned against the chair, sensing Ai Yi¡¯s location while plotting his plan in his mind, feeling more and more that it was perfect¡ªthe draft of his whistleblower letter, interrogation plan, arrest and transfer procedures were all laid out. Now, all that was missing was something called ¡°Sun Believer,¡± the two-legged walking moneybag.


    The only thing still needing consideration in the complete plan was how to explain 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 outcome 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 account 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 account 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 account¡± in this world. Afterwards, if his activities in the human world expanded, managing the flow of funds would become more convenient¡ªeven without considering the future, he could omit his address when writing whistleblower letters, leaving just an account 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 plan.


    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 plans 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 dilapidated, abandoned factory, guards clad in black coats with silver linings had already put up a blockade. Judge Fenna, wearing light armor and carrying a blessed greatsword, accompanied 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 place, 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 Heretics lay chaotically spread across the floor. Beyond these bodies of Sun Heretics, no signs of the Assailants were found¡ªno additional bodies and not even scraps of additional clothing.


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    Fenna slightly furrowed her brow.


    This was a one-sided crushing battle, where the Assailants¡¯ 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 - Chapter 83: Chapter 87 Fennas 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 assailants 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 oil lamps left in the basement; nearby, a priest took out special powders and potions from a toolkit to analyze whether the oil lamps 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 flame leaves marks on everything that changes.


    If a transcendent-level battle had occurred here, traces of it would definitely have lingered in the flames.


    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.


    A complete set of clothes was scattered on the ground, amidst fine black ash, suggesting an easy thought¡ªthat a person had once laid here.


    ¡°Undoubtedly, it¡¯s some kind of transcendent power; judging from the traces, it could be a variant of aberrant flames,¡± Fenna assessed briefly, then spoke to the forensic officer beside her, ¡°Ordinary flames couldn¡¯t turn a person to ash like this while completely preserving the clothes.¡±


    ¡°The wall shows impacts; this heretic seems to have been slammed into the wall by a great force, then incinerated by flames,¡± 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 place 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 successfully 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 assailants!¡±


    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 their compressed 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 assailants had performed bullet-removal surgery on themselves at the scene, or the assailants 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 assailant, 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 of large 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 places them as enemies of the Sun Heretic, but it¡¯s unclear if they stand with us¡­


    ¡°Notify all guards and law 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 assailant who had disrupted the gathering might look like: a two-meter-tall man wielding a giant Wolf Fang Club or meteor hammer, skilled in combat and steadfast, with the ability to summon flames.


    It should be something like that.


    ¡­


    Duncan smiled as he saw off the second customer of the day, watching the plump lady walk away slowly, feeling quite pleased.


    The lady was a regular 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 produced last 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 Soland Dynasty that were manufactured last Wednesday.


    The regular 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 solars, 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 occasionally checking on the Homeloss or controlling his own body aboard the ship to stroll on the deck, watching Alice hilariously 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.


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


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    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 black cane, with hair and bow tie immaculately 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 glance that this gentleman was not an ordinary customer.


    ¡°See anything you like?¡± he smiled, playing the part of a genuine antique shop owner, ¡°If it¡¯s fated, take it with you.¡±

 Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 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 display windows, the cheap iron shelves, and the so-called ¡°antiques¡± almost randomly placed 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 the common 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 displayed 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 place 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 congratulate them on finding a gold brick in a pile of garbage. There¡¯s only one real antique in the entire shop, and they happened to come 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 to lack 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 miscellaneous 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 miscellaneous 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 placed 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, playing 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 glance 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 placed 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 glanced 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 exclaimed 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.


    ¡°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 scholar, 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 blade 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 blade sharp enough to slice paper, and not a single flaw 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 flaw 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!¡±


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    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 - Chapter 85: Chapter 89 Ninas Strangeness

    Chapter 85: Chapter 89 Nina¡¯s Strangeness


    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 voice coming 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 had come for a home visit rather than a regular 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, scholarly 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 according 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 just come 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,¡± Duncan laughed lightly, his tone unusually serene¡ªhe had to admit the old man indeed had an accurate perception of people, but he trusted that even the most discerning eyes couldn¡¯t see the secrets hidden inside his own shell, so he was completely 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 similar 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 off last 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 man lamented, ¡°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 class, sleeps during study periods, and even gets distracted during lab classes¡ªin last week¡¯s chemistry class, she even accidentally lit the lab bench on fire. Such situations had never occurred 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 class lately?¡± 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 unusual lately? 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 recently compared 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 words coming 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¡­¡±


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    ¡°An accident eleven years ago,¡± Duncan said, ¡°The official record mentions that incident, the chemical plant leak in Sixth District.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the old man sighed, ¡°I remember that accident; my daughter and I happened to be near the Cross District. When the chemical plant 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 plant was sabotaged by them¡­¡±


    Duncan¡¯s mind stirred, nonchalantly asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t a big fire also occur 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 - Chapter 86: Chapter 90: The Antique Shops 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 were completely 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 class 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 blamed 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 gaze landed 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 displayed in an antique store were for sale.


    He had come 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, placed elsewhere, was merely a regular 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 misplaced, awaiting wealthy, destined patrons. Take Mr. Maurice here¡­ wasn¡¯t he a person of destiny?


    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 the complete 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 revelations, such a dagger from a century ago, although not abundantly available, 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, lacking 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 relationship 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 incompetence, 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 accumulating 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 solars, 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 explain the reasons for his pricing, while Duncan listened but his mind was already rapidly calculating¡ª


    In the Lower City District, the entire monthly expenses for an average family of three only amounted to a little over two hundred solars¡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 income 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 to lament about the staggering gap between the ordinary life in the Lower City District and the so-called ¡°refined hobbies¡± of the upper classes.


    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 a large 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 contemplating 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 a compartment behind the counter.


    The old man was sharp-eyed and noticed right away that the tag from some glass 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 Glassworks¡¯ 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, then laughed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡ªthank you very much for your ¡®gift.¡¯ Hopefully, it will make my daughter nag me less.¡±


    As he spoke, he accepted 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.¡±


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    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 scholar 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 income from the Lower City District for a collectible he took a fancy to?

 Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Chapter 91: Disordered History

    Chapter 87: Chapter 91: Disordered History


    The so-called ¡°public school¡± of the Plunder City-State was nothing like the real universities in the Upper City District¡ªthese schools, subsidized by the City Hall, were not intended to cultivate true scholars. Their greater purpose was to train skilled workers for the factories in the Lower City District and for the Church¡¯s steam engines, while providing basic literacy education to the masses in the process.


    Given this premise, one could imagine the level of resources available at the public school in the Cross District.


    It was Duncan¡¯s first encounter with Morris, but even at first glance, he could tell that the old man¡¯s scholarly achievements were extraordinary. He was a real expert who could accurately identify an artifact from a pile of junk at first sight and precisely state its date and historical background. An expert like him would be more than sufficient for a university in the Upper City District.


    To be matter-of-fact, having his wealth of knowledge in the Cross District¡¯s public school was a sheer waste. Nina had said that hardly any of her classmates cared about what the old gentleman was teaching. For them, staying awake through a class was respect enough for the teacher¡¯s efforts.


    Moreover, Mr. Morris had been able to produce a significant sum of money to purchase a dagger from a century ago¡ªsomeone who carried a checkbook around didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary citizen.


    Duncan thought for a while, finding it too abrupt to ask outright ¡°How come you have so much money?¡± But rephrasing it with the art of language seemed more natural:


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite curious. How come a scholar like you stays and teaches at the public school in the Cross District?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the first to ask that,¡± Morris seemed to have grown accustomed to such questions, and with a faint smile, he carefully packed away his belongings while speaking, ¡°There¡¯s nothing special, really. I¡¯ve just grown old and tired of the overly tense academic atmosphere in the Upper City District universities. Rather than compete with young folks for the already scarce resources, I prefer finding a quieter place to complete my own research¡­ And besides, in my later years, it¡¯s nice to pass on my knowledge to more young people, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The old man seemed to withhold the full truth, but Duncan noticed the other did not wish to delve too deep and did not press on, merely commenting casually, ¡°However, I heard from Nina that her classmates don¡¯t really value the knowledge you teach¡­ In this Lower City District where life is tough, isn¡¯t searching for the glory of the Ancient Crete Kingdom a bit too far off?¡±


    ¡°Even in the deepest, darkest alleys, as long as a perceptive mind continues to think, ¡®history¡¯ is always valuable,¡± Morris shook his head, ¡°It is because of the history of thousands of years that we have been able to reach today.


    ¡°Human life is fleeting. It is the continuation and reverence of history that allows the lifespan of civilization to far exceed that of individuals. This is also key to what distinguishes us from those strange, blind creatures in the deep sea¡ªthey have longevity but do not understand the recording of civilization, so they can never eradicate us.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re not wrong. Here in the Lower City District, few people are willing to listen to my lengthy discourses¡­ But if I have taught even one student, I feel that my years have not been wasted.¡±


    Morris spoke at a steady pace, then seemed to suddenly realize something, showing a mild and apologetic smile, ¡°Sorry, professional habit¡ªI¡¯ve been a bit preachy.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I think it¡¯s a valuable ¡®preach,¡¯¡± Duncan quickly waved his hand, ¡°In fact, I¡¯d quite enjoy talking with you¡ªyou see, you¡¯re a history expert, and I¡¯m an antique dealer. In a way, we¡¯re in the same line of work.¡±


    ¡°In the sense of being a ¡®teacher,¡¯ we are also in the same line of work,¡± Duncan silently added in his mind.


    ¡°Honestly, if I were to go by my first impression upon entering this antique shop¡­ I really wouldn¡¯t believe the word ¡®colleague¡¯ coming from your mouth,¡± Morris spread his hands, ¡°But now, I do believe it to some extent¡ªyou at least have one genuine item.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s expression was composed as he thought to himself that it was not just one genuine article¡ª the moment the old man wrote the check, Duncan had already mentally gone through all the storerooms on the Homeloss; if he weren¡¯t worried about shocking the market, he might even have planned out the d¨¦cor for the eighth branch¡­


    Calming his mind, Duncan continued to maintain a casual demeanor with a gentle smile, ¡°I hear from Nina that you have a greater expertise in ancient history, especially the history surrounding the Ancient Crete Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, there¡¯s only ¡®after¡¯ and no ¡®before¡¯,¡± Maurice immediately corrected, ¡°The Ancient Crete Kingdom marks the beginning of the Deep Sea Era civilization. Before the ancient kingdom was the Great Vanishing event, a breakpoint in civilization, and no one can clearly describe what the world was like before that point¡ªonly contradictory terms in the wild stories passed down by the City-States.¡±


    Duncan pondered, ¡°A breakpoint in civilization¡­ almost like a ¡®horizon limit¡¯ stretching across the river of history¡­¡±


    Maurice, hearing this term for the first time, asked, ¡°Horizon limit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a concept. Applied to the ¡®Great Vanishing¡¯ event, you can think of it as an invisible wall through time. Everything on the other side of the wall can¡¯t transmit information to this side¡ªwhether it¡¯s optical observation or the causal connections of objects, they all get cut off at that boundary. You can never stand on one side of the boundary and know what happened on the other, as if the timeline of all things only suddenly appears from that border.¡±


    ¡°Quite an interesting analogy!¡± Mr. Maurice¡¯s eyes widened slightly, even glowing faintly with excitement, ¡°A horizon limit straddling history¡­ a wall through time¡­ indeed, very apt! Mr. Duncan, forgive my initial misperception and¡­ undervaluation of you. You¡¯re more professional than I imagined. Do you also frequently study ancient history?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know much about ancient history. I just have a flexible way of thinking and sometimes come up with wonderful metaphors,¡± Duncan modestly replied, knowing he should appear somewhat uninformed right now, ¡°But I am really curious about the Great Vanishing period¡­ You just mentioned that the orthodox academic world does not have any accepted history from before the Great Vanishing, but there are many contradictory records in the ¡®unofficial histories¡¯ of the City-States. What are those records like?¡±


    ¡°Just tales from those unofficial histories¡­ Nevertheless, I¡¯ve also studied some,¡± mused Maurice, speaking slowly, ¡°For instance, there was a record in the Plunder City-State that was a manuscript copy from the year 1069 of the New City-State Era, the original of which is untraceable. That manuscript describes the world before the Great Vanishing as follows:


    ¡°The world was a sphere, floating in the vast cosmos, adorned with countless celestial bodies as stars in the night sky. There was one sun in the sky and three moons. Mankind occupied three continents, among which one was perennially icebound. Thus, people built a device called ¡®the Dome¡¯ to envelop the continent, creating the ¡®Eternal Spring.¡¯ The energy for this Dome was modeled after the sun in the sky, fueled by a component in seawater, nearly everlasting¡­¡±


    Maurice paused briefly here, seemingly giving Duncan time to think, remember, and organize his thoughts, before continuing:


    ¡°Near Cold Harbor, on an island, explorers found a record etched in stone, also describing the world before the Great Vanishing. Scholars exhausted themselves deciphering it, only to be perplexed¡ª


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    ¡°The stone tablet described that a place called ¡®Mother Star¡¯ had been exhausted, and the people were all aboard a colossal vessel known as ¡®Abinex.¡¯ This giant ship could traverse the cosmic sea, fueled by dust and gas captured from the void. The ship sailed for forty-seven thousand days and nights and was suddenly caught in ¡®a tremendous flash and whirlpool.¡¯ Soon after, the vessel disintegrated and vanished in the vortex, while the survivors lived on from the sea, leaving memories of their home in the caves.


    ¡°Of course, these accounts pale in comparison to the strange tales left by the elves of Light Breeze Harbor.


    ¡°Elves, with their millennium-long lifespans, should have a more detailed and reliable history than other short-lived races. Yet, for some reason, the history of Light Breeze Harbor is the most fragmented and bizarre of all City-State histories. Many of their scrolls have even been twisted by an unknown force into unreadable ¡®lost volumes,¡¯ which had to be sealed and stored due to severe contamination. However, in the nursery rhymes passed down by word of mouth among elves, the world before the Great Vanishing is described thusly:


    ¡°The world was a dream, a breath of the great demon Saslouka in his half-awake, half-dreaming state. The elves were born out of this Dreamscape, sustaining Saslouka¡¯s slumber. But one day, the demon suddenly dreamt of a great flood, woke up startled, and consequently, the flood leaked from his dream into the real world. The elves were swept out of their peaceful and harmonious homeland by the flood into the real world¡­ The demon Saslouka disappeared upon awakening, and the elves could never return to that tranquil home, settling down in the Deep Sea Era that followed the flood.¡±

 Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Chapter 92 Endless Speculation

    Chapter 88: Chapter 92 Endless Speculation


    Maurice sighed.


    ¡°When we, archaeologists who delve into the annals of history, exhaust our lives and strenuously reach the towering wall of the Great Erasure, scouring artifacts and comparing texts to catch a glimpse of the view beyond that wall, what we face are these baffling and bizarre phenomena.¡±


    The old man wore a deep fatigue and dejection on his face, like a traveler who had journeyed for most of his life, still unable to see the destination at the end of the road, yet forced to accept reality.


    ¡°The history prior to the Great Erasure is fragmented and contradictory, with the records from different city-states resembling a collection of bizarre stories, or disjointed dreamscapes¡­ There is no decisive evidence to prove which record is correct, nor a theory that can integrate these conflicting elements.¡±


    Duncan, however, remained silent for a moment, his thoughts undulating like ocean waves, baptized in the information storm described by the incredible ¡°apocryphal fragments¡± spoken of by Maurice.


    As an ¡°outsider¡± who had lived through the information age and possessed good associative thinking, he could imagine or conjecture some things from the descriptions given¡ª


    A dome covering the entire continent could be some kind of man-made ecological apparatus, an energy system deriving from the same source as the sun, likely using the substances in seawater as fuel¡ªpossibly fusion technology.


    The great ships that navigated the void, powering themselves by capturing cosmic dust and gas clouds, might represent one or several colonial starships.


    As for the so-called demons¡¯ dreamscape¡­ the seawater coming from the dreamscape to reality¡­ this he could not imagine at the moment, but it sounded like a fantastical concept, quite different from the technological atmosphere in the earlier historical segments.


    He could find explanations or guesses for many things, but no matter what, they could not be pieced together.


    Just like Maurice said, they were more like disconnected dreams, sketching out completely different ¡°prehistoric histories.¡±


    Contradictory and fragmented, they were wholly insufficient for reconstructing the world before the Great Erasure.


    ¡°Perhaps you are right, that there is a ¡®limit of vision¡¯ regarding the pivotal event of the Great Erasure,¡± Maurice¡¯s voice came from across the counter, interrupting Duncan¡¯s train of thought, the old man supporting his forehead, his tone somber, ¡°We are unable to observe the ¡®events¡¯ on the other side of the vision limit, making the history before the Great Erasure an eternally untraceable concept to us.¡±


    Watching Maurice, full of emotion, Duncan¡¯s thoughts did not cease, and gradually, a rather bold idea emerged: ¡°What if¡­ what if these records are all true?¡±


    Maurice looked up surprised, regarding Duncan, ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°What if these records are all true, and each city-state or each race documented history that truly represents the world ¡®before the Great Erasure¡¯ as they perceived it?¡± Duncan said pensively, stroking his chin, ¡°Maybe our ancestors from ten thousand years ago really came from entirely different ¡®homelands,¡¯ with distinctly different civilizations? The Great Erasure trapped these exiles from different worlds on this Endless Sea, and the descendants of the exiles barely recorded what they knew before their civilization¡¯s continuance was entirely severed. Ten thousand years later, these became the ¡®contradictory histories¡¯ that perplex scholars¡­¡±


    His thoughts were active, and after a pause, he continued, ¡°Perhaps the essence of the Great Erasure was not an end of the world, but rather a ¡®Great Transfer¡¯?¡±


    Maurice stared at Duncan in amazement, suddenly saying, ¡°¡­ Brock Bendis¡¯ school of thought? The World Drift theory? It¡¯s a rather obscure school, have you really delved so deep into ancient history?¡±


    That was a compliment, yet Duncan was somewhat taken aback: So someone had already thought of this possibility?!


    Blinking his eyes, he didn¡¯t let his surprise show, merely continuing as if following the topic, ¡°Just some bits and pieces of knowledge, but I quite like this conjecture.¡±


    ¡°I, too, like this conjecture¡ªeven though it¡¯s obscure,¡± Maurice shook his head, ¡°But like all other conjectures, without evidence, it can only remain a conjecture.¡±


    ¡°Clarke¡¯s School once hypothesized that Subspace interference distorted all historical records,¡± Morris said. ¡°The Lentim School believes that the world before the Great Annihilation consisted of countless isolated lattices, while the people of the Bologna City-State even think that the world before the Great Annihilation never existed at all¡ªthat all records of prehistoric history are illusions conjured by shadows in Subspace¡­¡±


    ¡°I must not say this, but even some heretical cults have their own understanding of world history. Devotees of Subspace who worship the Doomsday Preachers firmly believe that the end of the world has already begun. It is chasing down the river of history, devouring our civilization. The conflicting historical records of the various City-States are the result of real history gradually being torn apart by Subspace. The Great Annihilation is a barrier standing before the end of days, and when history after the Great Annihilation also gradually becomes corrupted and torn, it will be the day our entire world falls into Subspace¡­¡±


    The more Duncan listened, the more astonished he became, and after a long while, he shook his head subconsciously, ¡°I had no idea there were so many bizarre hypotheses¡­¡±


    ¡°Ordinary people would not delve into such fields. After all, studying history in the mystical sense is a dangerous endeavor,¡± Morris noted. ¡°But one thing is clear: If thousands of scholars have dedicated their lives exhaustively to a field with no sight of a way out for hundreds or even thousands of years, then they must have proposed every possible hypothesis.¡±


    Duncan slowly grasped the old man¡¯s meaning.


    For those who had truly spent their lives buried in books and artifacts, to propose a hypothesis that could explain the current situation was easy¡ªas scholars, they never lacked imagination or vision.


    What they lacked was evidence¡ªthe evidence to prove even a single hypothesis.


    ¡°¡­Has no evidence been left at all?¡± Duncan asked. ¡°Not a single piece of ¡®physical evidence¡¯ from before the Great Annihilation that could prove some ¡®apocryphal¡¯ tales to be true?¡±


    ¡°So far, none has been discovered,¡± Morris spoke slowly. ¡°Ten thousand years and periods upon periods of Dark Ages have passed, innumerable City-States have risen and fallen in the Endless Sea; it¡¯s too difficult for anything from the Ancient Era to survive¡­ What has been passed down is either manuscripts of unreliable origin or orally transmitted stories, which might also have been altered in the process of transmission.¡±


    Duncan fell silent for a moment.


    In the depths of his spirit, on the distant Homeloss, the waves were gently undulating, the boundless ocean ever-pervasive, covering the entire world.


    And covering all possible truths.


    He could not help but sigh, ¡°Studying ancient history is truly fraught with difficulties.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what we face is not only the shattered ¡®years¡¯ but also the current status with nothing to rely on,¡± Morris exhaled deeply. ¡°On the limited land of the City-States, anything that could be unearthed would have been found by now. If not, it means that whatever could prove our history is hidden where mortals cannot reach.¡±


    ¡°Like at the bottom of the sea?¡± Duncan suddenly interjected.


    ¡°The bottom of the sea? Ha, such a thrilling and bold assertion,¡± Morris laughed. ¡°But indeed, this is the remaining desperate hope of many historians who have reached their wit¡¯s end¡­ There¡¯s evidence at the bottom of the sea, mountains of artifacts, cities of ancient civilizations, ruins that explain everything. But what¡¯s the use? Dive down, and we can only touch shadows; mortals cannot reach the deepest parts of this world.¡±


    He paused for a moment and then continued, ¡°However, this has indeed given rise to another conjecture¡­ Although it¡¯s not considered a formal doctrine, many have speculated that the ¡®lost world¡¯ from history is actually beneath the surface of the Endless Sea, even precisely positioned between the Mysterious Deep Sea and the Spirit Realm at a certain ¡®depth¡¯¡ªthe world before the Great Annihilation is sleeping at that depth.¡±


    ¡°Why would they say that?¡± Duncan asked curiously, his interest piqued by the seemingly serious yet unfounded hypothesis.


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    Morris pondered for a moment before explaining, ¡°Because many fragments of ancient history mention that the world before the Great Annihilation was covered by a ¡®sky full of stars,¡¯ and as everyone knows, the ¡®sky full of stars¡¯ is right at the boundary between the Mysterious Deep Sea and the Spirit Realm.¡±


    Duncan nearly choked on his own saliva: ¡°Cough, cough¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Morris was startled by Duncan¡¯s reaction. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be anything inconceivable¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just got a bit too engrossed and choked,¡± Duncan quickly gestured with his hand, ¡°The starry sky between the Mysterious Deep Sea and the Spirit Realm, of course, I know, I certainly know¡­¡±

 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Chapter 93 "This is Common Sense

    Chapter 89: Chapter 93 ¡°This is Common Sense


    Duncan quickly adjusted his expression and mindset to not appear like a common sense-deranged ¡°foreigner,¡± yet his thoughts could no longer settle down, surging unstoppably like a stormy sea.


    As it turned out, when you suddenly arrive in a bizarre and unusual world, no matter how strong your adaptability is or how on point your disguise, there¡¯s always the possibility of being slapped in the face by some mundane ¡°common sense¡±¡ªordinary historical knowledge can be systematically learned, and profound professional knowledge doesn¡¯t need to be considered in daily life, but ¡°common sense¡± only hits you in the face when you least expect it.


    In the sky of this world, there are no stars; this is common sense.


    The starry sky of this world lies in the Mysterious Deep Sea, at the border between the Spirit Realm and the Mysterious Deep Sea; this too is common sense.


    Faced with this second point of so-called ¡°common sense,¡± Duncan could only curse internally.


    He had never ventured into this field, nor had he reached such depths¡ªhe had once sailed the Homeloss through the deep Spirit Realm and had seen chaotic light streaming from Subspace in the lower cabins of the Homeloss, but he had never seen that ¡°starry sky¡± between the Mysterious Deep Sea and the Spirit Realm¡­ which happened to be his current ¡°blind spot¡± in cognition.


    While he was conversing with Morris, he was rapidly contemplating in his mind.


    Stars¡­ hidden deep under the water¡­ what kind of strange and bizarre sight would that be? Was the so-called ¡°starry sky¡± mentioned by Morris the same as the ¡°starry sky¡± he knew of? What exactly was the nature of the place where the Spirit Realm met the Mysterious Deep Sea? Was it an even more profound and dark ocean? Or was it merely a special spatial structure named after an ocean?


    For some reason, Duncan suddenly thought of a girl named Sherry, and her inseparable pet and weapon ¡°A-Dog.¡±


    A-Dog was an Abyssal Hound, which, according to the world, was a kind of ¡°demon¡± summoned from the unfathomable depths of the deep sea.


    Duncan couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of physiological structure a Skeleton Hunting Dog would have, but from its appearance, it clearly wasn¡¯t an ¡°aquatic creature¡±¡­ so one could boldly speculate that the so-called ¡°Mysterious Deep Sea¡± wasn¡¯t necessarily a ¡°sea.¡±


    It could be an extremely vast and bizarre space, and moreover¡­ enveloped by a starry sky.


    As Duncan sketched out a possible spatial model of the Mysterious Deep Sea in his mind, Morris noticed that the antique shop owner in front of him was somewhat distracted. The elderly gentleman curiously looked at Duncan, ¡°Do you also dabble in Astrology?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ a bit interested,¡± Duncan forced a smile, thinking to himself that after he had accepted the fact that this world had no stars in the sky, suddenly hearing the term ¡°Astrology¡± felt particularly odd, ¡°Exploring a starry sky hidden so deep¡­ That wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a dangerous endeavor, but fortunately, we can also observe the projection of the starry sky through indirect scientific means¡ªthis should be thanks to technological advancements. After the advent of the Spirit Realm lenses, the incidence of navigators going insane during navigation has greatly decreased,¡± Morris chuckled. He seemed not to have found someone willing to talk about these issues in a long time and was now quite engaged in the conversation, ¡°You know, a century ago, the navigator¡¯s role was consistently the highest mortality position on long-distance ships¡­ In fact, I always wanted to collect a set of the earliest Spirit Realm lenses, but unfortunately, I¡¯ve had no way to do so.¡±


    Duncan blinked; he didn¡¯t pay attention to the last thing the old man was talking about. In his heart, a longstanding question suddenly found an answer:


    In a world where the sky had no celestial bodies, how did long-distance ships calibrate their course?


    The answer was still ¡°Stargazing¡±¡ªobserving the projection of the ¡°starry sky¡± reflected from the depths of the Spirit Realm through special scientific instruments.


    Before the year 1800 in the new City-State calendar, navigating for ships was even a lethal task.


    After all, ordinary ships didn¡¯t have real-time updated ¡°sea charts¡± like the Homeloss, which resembled satellite positioning, nor did they have a reliable ¡°Goat First Mate.¡±


    ¡°You really are a learned man,¡± after discussing many more issues, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but sincerely express, ¡°Nina is lucky to have a teacher like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also pleased to see she has an uncle like you,¡± Morris nodded with reserved pride, ¡°Now all my doubts have disappeared. You¡¯re not only a competent guardian but also broad in your interests and eager for knowledge, honestly¡­ it¡¯s been a long time since I have had such a pleasant conversation.¡±


    As the old man spoke, he sighed lightly, ¡°Everything is fine with my life now, tranquil, peaceful, without the trivial matters of the Upper City District, the only problem is that most of the time it¡¯s difficult to find someone willing to listen to these dull matters¡­ Even the colleagues I work with often can¡¯t keep up with my thoughts. It¡¯s rare for someone to listen to me as much as you have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very willing to be your audience,¡± Duncan immediately showed a smile upon hearing this, ¡°I have a special interest in history.¡±


    ¡°It shows,¡± Mr. Morris smiled comfortably, then glanced towards the display window, suddenly realizing how time had flown, and hurriedly stood up, ¡°Oh, goddess above, have I really been here an entire afternoon?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you¡¯re welcome to stay the night,¡± Duncan casually said, ¡°You can try my cooking.¡±


    ¡°¡­I should still be able to catch the bus back to Cross District,¡± Morris glanced at the gradually sinking sun, politely declining Duncan¡¯s invitation, ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I¡¯d better go home, the city has been uneasy recently, and not returning all night would worry my family.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense¡­ then I won¡¯t keep you,¡± Duncan thought for a moment, stood up to see him out, ¡°I¡¯ll call Nina down,¡±


    Just as Morris was about to say something, Duncan had already turned and called up to the second floor, ¡°Nina! Mr. Morris is going home, come down and say goodbye to your teacher!¡±


    Footsteps came from the stairs, and Nina, dressed in a home-long dress, ran down lightly. First, she greeted her teacher, and then, surprised by the twilight outside, she turned to Duncan, ¡°You¡¯ve been talking for so long?!¡±


    ¡°We had a very pleasant conversation,¡± Maurice said with a smile, ¡°Your uncle is well-read and eager to learn, and we discussed a lot about historical issues.¡±


    Duncan, standing by his side, kept a serious face and nodded silently.


    The so-called exchange was actually just the old gentleman talking non-stop by himself, while he pretended to understand, nodding and bluffing along. Since the old gentleman himself had said so, Duncan certainly wouldn¡¯t say more¡ªbesides, to be fair, he thought he was quite a qualified listener, occasionally asking some questions to keep the conversation going. Wasn¡¯t that the best environment for an old scholar who usually struggled to find someone to listen to his ramblings?


    However, Nina looked suspiciously from her uncle to the delighted old gentleman and wondered when exactly her uncle had become so broadly interested and eager to learn. But when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she swallowed them back down. Then, suddenly becoming a bit anxious, she tugged at Duncan¡¯s sleeve and murmured, ¡°Did you talk about me?¡±


    ¡°Just a little incident at school,¡± Maurice, despite his age, had very good hearing and immediately caught the girl¡¯s quiet murmur, ¡°Your uncle will tell you¡ªdon¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a snitch.¡±


    While saying this, the elderly man picked up the walking cane he had set aside upon entering and checked the ancient dagger in his pocket, then said goodbye to the pair and slowly walked out the door.


    After the old man left, Duncan glanced at the sky outside and simply hung the ¡®Closed¡¯ sign on the door, locking the entrance of the shop¡ªby this time, there didn¡¯t seem to be any more business coming their way.


    Moreover, he had just made a tidy sum from a recent transaction; the regular ¡°business¡± suddenly seemed less urgent.


    As Nina watched Duncan busy himself with locking up and tidying the counter, she felt a swarm of questions bubbling up within her, but before she could voice any of them, Duncan suddenly raised his head and looked at her with a smile, ¡°How about I take you to buy a bicycle in a couple of days?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Nina was caught off guard, ¡°Why¡­¡±


    ¡°I received a bonus from the city hall before, and we had enough money,¡± Duncan said as he waved the check in his hand, ¡°then just now we had a big sale, so I think¡­ we can afford to live a bit more comfortably. At least a bicycle will always be very useful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Big sale¡­¡± Nina finally caught on, ¡°Ah, did you really sell that dagger to Mr. Maurice?¡±


    ¡°Sold it,¡± Duncan nodded, ¡°Sold it for over three thousand solas.¡±


    Nina: ¡°¡­!?¡±


    The girl, who had a good sense of money, was startled by this figure and then looked at her Uncle Duncan with a strange expression.


    ¡°A teacher comes for a home visit, you chat with him for an entire afternoon, and then you sell him something for over three thousand solas¡­ What if word gets out!¡±


    Duncan thought for a moment, seriously remarking, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t our shop become famous?¡±


    Nina: ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Duncan spread his hands: ¡°What else then? The old gentleman took a fancy to it, I couldn¡¯t just give it away¡ªIt¡¯s rare to have a genuine article in the shop.¡±


    Nina stood with her hands on her hips, puffing up her cheeks, but in the end, the breath she had been holding back suddenly turned into a smile.


    (Time to recommend a book~~ The title is ¡°I Stand Below Billions of Lives¡±; the introduction is posted directly below:


    What would you do if one day you transmigrated and became a planet?


    Would you be perplexed, terrified, or ecstatic?


    Regarding this, a certain transmigrator has something to say:


    My dear children living on me¡ª


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    Stop fighting!!!


    If you don¡¯t stop, I will teach you how to be proper humans personally!


    Ahem.


    In short, this book tells the story of a cautious and careful father, lovingly caring for his children.


    (The young man¡¯s phone number hadn¡¯t been used for a long time and was transferred, resulting in the writer¡¯s account getting canceled¡ªsomewhat pitiful))

 Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Chapter 94 Ninas Strange Dream

    Chapter 90: Chapter 94 Nina¡¯s Strange Dream


    The sky on the street was gradually darkening.


    After seeing Morris off and tidying up the ground floor shop, Duncan finally found time to discuss with Nina what her teacher had mentioned during the home visit.


    After all, this was actually the main reason for Mr. Morris¡¯s visit today¡ªalthough the two of them had gotten off-topic eventually.


    ¡°Have you not been resting well recently, or are you not feeling well?¡± At the dining table on the second floor, Duncan asked with concern as he spread butter on a slice of bread, ¡°I heard from your teacher that this has been going on for several days now.¡±


    Nina was clearly nervous. She had guessed that her teacher would bring up these issues today, but until recently, she had never thought that her Uncle Duncan would really start to pay attention to her situation at school¡ªa feeling of being cared for after a long absence, yet also uneasy, was spreading in her heart: ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been feeling¡­ sleepy.¡±


    ¡°That seems to confirm what Mr. Morris said,¡± Duncan observed Nina¡¯s expression seriously, ¡°Is it due to physical reasons, or something else? If there¡¯s something on your mind, you can tell me.¡±


    Having said that, he paused, then cautiously added, ¡°Of course, at your age, you might not want to discuss some things with an adult like me, which is normal, because you are growing, you have an independent personality and your own thoughts, all of which should be respected¡ªbut you have to remember, seeking help when facing difficulties is not shameful. If I can help, feel free to speak up, and we¡¯ll figure it out together.¡±


    He tried to make his words sound reliable and kind, which was not easy, as he had never needed to take care of a relative of this age before, but he had some experience with students, so he was conversing with Nina based on that experience¡ªhe felt his approach was gentle and trustworthy enough.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m really okay, really!¡± Nina seemed a bit unaccustomed to such a kind uncle, but deep down she was not resistant, she vigorously waved her hands, meeting Duncan¡¯s gaze, ¡°I¡¯ve just been feeling sleepy lately, always waking up suddenly when I sleep, and sometimes having dreams.¡±


    ¡°Dreams?¡± Duncan frowned, suddenly thinking of something, ¡°Nightmares? Could it be about the fire when you were a child?¡±


    Perhaps because he was currently focusing on the Sun Shard and the unresolved case from eleven years ago, he subconsciously thought of that event, but Nina shook her head: ¡°No, it¡¯s not about my childhood.¡±


    ¡°What is it then?¡±


    ¡°I always dream that¡­ I¡¯m standing at a very high place, like a tower in the city, and then the area below is pitch black, scattered with ruins and ashes,¡± Nina recalled, speaking slowly, ¡°The ruins and ashes seem like a massive scar, stretching from the center of the Lower City District through the Cross District and extending to the edge of the Upper City District, as if about to tear the city apart. I was trapped in that high place, wanting to leave, but blocked by invisible walls¡­¡±


    Nina recalled, then suddenly gently shook her head: ¡°The dream is always like this, and although it¡¯s scary¡­ there¡¯s nothing particularly terrifying appearing, no danger approaching, just watching the city being scarred by something unknown, and then I¡¯m stuck in place, unable to move. Every time I wake up, I feel very tired, and then I start feeling sleepy in class the next day¡­¡±


    Duncan listened attentively to the girl¡¯s description, his brow slowly furrowing.


    What Nina described¡­ was not the fire from her childhood she had experienced, nor a scene Duncan remembered.


    It was more like a static ¡°display,¡± revealing to her a scene from an unknown time and space manifested by Pland.


    If this were Earth, Duncan would just consider it a recurring strange dream, but in this bizarre and unusual world, he couldn¡¯t help but be alert.


    Previously, Nina remembered a fire that only existed in her and Duncan¡¯s memory, followed by her continuous, seemingly ¡°prophetic¡± strange dreams.


    ¡°When did you start having these dreams?¡± Duncan asked with a serious expression.


    ¡°About a week or two ago? Maybe even earlier¡­ I can¡¯t really remember,¡± Nina took a sip of vegetable soup, her voice slightly muffled, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention to it at the time¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Duncan wanted to say ¡°You should have spoken up earlier,¡± but then he suddenly remembered that at that time, Nina¡¯s ¡°uncle¡± had been a despicable man indulged in heretical activities and alcohol, and she had no reliable person around her to confide in, so he swallowed his words and instead asked, ¡°Have you consulted any professionals? Like a doctor?¡±


    Nina looked up, ¡°Do you mean a psychiatrist?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a mental health practitioner.¡± Duncan thought for a moment and immediately nodded.


    In this world, a ¡°mental health practitioner¡± was an indispensable occupation because there were too many entities lurking in the night and the Mysterious Deep Sea that watched the City-State, significantly affecting the mental states of ordinary people. This ethereal influence often resulted in various issues¡ªnightmares, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, cognitive distortions, and even personality disorders¡ªplaguing many individuals. Consequently, treatment techniques in this field had developed to unfathomable extents¡ªthe most skilled practitioners could even use Transcendent powers to correct warped minds.


    Nina¡¯s frequent bizarre dreams should also belong to the range of ¡°symptoms¡± concerning these mental health practitioners.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet,¡± Nina mumbled, ¡°Their consultation fees are rather expensive¡­ It¡¯s just some strange dreams.¡±


    ¡°But these strange dreams have started to affect your life,¡± Duncan said gravely. ¡°Continually dreaming such bizarre scenes might be a dangerous sign, and you should have also learned about this at school.¡±


    While he spoke, Duncan was rapidly considering options¡ªNina¡¯s continuous nightmares indicated that there was definitely something wrong. In any case, since he was living in a strange and unusual world, he had to be vigilant about these Transcendent ¡°elements.¡± However, as he himself was an outsider in theoretical aspects, professional help was necessary.


    This was a good chance for him to get in touch with civilization¡¯s ¡°professional¡± individuals to see how they dealt with events possibly involving Transcendence.


    Nina was evidently still hesitant, but under Duncan¡¯s serious demeanor, she finally gave in, ¡°Then¡­ then how about we make a trip to the community church during the weekend? We can ask the Deep Sea Priest there for a calming blessing which costs very little. If that doesn¡¯t work, we can consult a specialized mental health practitioner, okay?¡±


    Church? Deep Sea Priest? A clergy member that worships the Storm Goddess Gomona?


    A thought struck Duncan; he suddenly felt this was a good option¡ªhe was equally interested in those who served deities.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s settle on that,¡± he immediately nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll be going to the museum over the weekend anyway. We can head to the church afterward.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    After dinner, as usual, Nina went back to her room early, and Duncan returned to his own room and immediately saw Ai Yi lounging on the windowsill.


    The dove had flown outside all day and had returned without any success.


    Duncan casually closed the door and walked towards the window. Seeing his owner, the dove lazily lifted its wings to greet him, uttering exasperated coos, ¡°Destroy, hurry up, I¡¯m tired¡­¡±


    ¡°You indeed had a tough day,¡± Duncan observed the bird¡¯s nearly lifeless demeanor, realizing it had indeed been a tiring day. He approached and removed the ¡°Heretics Detector¡± from the dove¡¯s back, comforting it, ¡°This task isn¡¯t easy after all. They all hide very deep, and moreover, the Deep Sea Church has been vigilant lately. They¡¯re likely to be even more cautious¡­¡±


    The dove rolled its eyes and shook its wings but continued to lie there motionless.


    Seeing this, Duncan burst out laughing, ¡°Even so, this kind of work still needs to be done in the future¡­ Of course, flying the whole day is indeed too strenuous. I will ensure a better balance between work and rest for you.¡±


    He had decided to treat the search for heretics within the city as an ongoing task for this phase. Although, after making one ¡°big deal¡± today, he wasn¡¯t pressed for money and didn¡¯t have to rely on ¡°hunting¡± to supplement his household. However, troubling these heretics was still meaningful in itself.


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    On one hand, this could potentially catch a big fish from among the heretics to fulfill his need for intelligence¡ªheavy-grade clergymen were likely to know more secrets about the ¡°Sun,¡± and they might also know more about the Sun Shard from eleven years ago, which was of particular interest to Duncan.


    On the other hand, there seemed to be a seeming wild, Transcendent young girl moving around the City-State, continuously troubling the Sun Cultists. She might also know some secrets of the Transcendent world. Duncan wanted to try his luck to see if he could discuss with her about the Mysterious Deep Sea and Profound Demons¡ªafter speaking with Morris, he was now very curious about the ¡°starry sky¡± above the Mysterious Deep Sea.


    Noticing Duncan¡¯s serious expression and realizing his fate of forced overtime in the future, Ai Yi human-like, sighed deeply.


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± The bird¡¯s tone was full of sorrow, ¡°We¡¯ve already ended up behind a sad, thick barrier¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­ Your vocabulary is quite rich!¡±

 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Chapter 95 Infiltration

    Chapter 91: Chapter 95 Infiltration


    Another small group of Sun Heretics, who had infiltrated aboard smugglers¡¯ ships from Cold Harbor, were apprehended and imprisoned in a church near the harbor district.


    Fenna, the Judge, returned from the subterranean prison area beneath the church to the rest chamber of the upper sanctuary, where the bishop in charge of the church in this district was already waiting.


    ¡°Judge Fenna,¡± the somewhat gaunt bishop greeted the young Judge with a salute, ¡°May the waves protect your soul.¡±


    ¡°May the waves protect your soul,¡± Fenna returned the gesture to the bishop and, with somewhat weary steps, walked toward a chair to the side, ¡°This is already the second group of Sun Heretics thrown into prison in the harbor district alone, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we caught a dozen people three days ago¡ªthey were discovered and stopped in time while attempting to kill a citizen. Now this is the second group; they were performing dark rituals in an apartment building when a meter reader became suspicious,¡± the bishop nodded, with a hint of worry in his eyes, ¡°Unknowingly, so many heretics have infiltrated¡­ Thankfully we discovered them early, otherwise who knows how many people their dark rituals could have harmed.¡±


    ¡°Plunder is a transportation hub on the Endless Sea, and with everything being calm in the past four years, many have let their guards down,¡± Fenna nodded, ¡°However¡­ it¡¯s still uncertain whether we found them early or late. Those heretics who arrived earlier may have been operating in the shadows for some time, only recently being exposed.¡±


    The bishop glanced at the Judge¡¯s expression and, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, asked, ¡°I heard that many people have been caught in other areas as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, nearly every district,¡± Fenna did not conceal the truth, ¡°Now, in the dungeons below almost every church, there are Sun Heretics that have been apprehended¡ªsome with just a few people, others with dozens¡­ but mostly they are the lowest-level minions, moving around within the city-state to scout for information. Having received little training, they were easily exposed¡­ The high-ranking priests have yet to be discovered to this day.¡±


    As Fenna spoke, her tone also involuntarily grew serious, her face marked with subtle concern.


    Since the heretical followers¡¯ actions of searching for the ¡°Sun Shard¡± had been exposed, the authorities of Plunder and the church had quickly responded, initiating a massive covert manhunt throughout the city and actively mobilizing citizens to report and screen for suspects. The results of this series of actions were indeed plentiful¡ª


    In an extremely short time, a large number of heretics who had not managed to react were caught, nearly filling the underground prisons of various churches. Their number almost equaled that of all the heretics found within the city-state in the past four years.


    However, to this day, only the mindless minions acting chaotically had been captured, at most some low-level priests wielding ¡°mass-produced Sacred Relics¡± and freshly blessed. The truly powerful high-ranking forces continue to hide in the shadows.


    This left Fenna feeling somewhat irritable and uneasy.


    ¡°There are results every day, but we¡¯ve still not caught their ¡®main body,¡¯ giving me the feeling that the situation is still deteriorating out of sight,¡± she said to the bishop in front of her, ¡°With so many heretics operating within the city-state, there must be a high-ranking leader coordinating behind them, but this ¡®commander¡¯ has yet to reveal themselves.¡±


    After a moment of contemplation, the bishop slowly spoke: ¡°According to the results of the interrogations so far, these minions only respond to the ¡®messenger¡¯s¡¯ orders, and the so-called ¡®messengers¡¯ are a group of low-level priests. They listen directly to the voices from the Scions through counterfeit sun masks¡­ Do you think there could be a Scion of the Sun already lurking inside the city-state?¡±


    ¡°A Scion of the Sun lurking inside a human city-state? To be honest¡­ it is logically unlikely,¡± Fenna¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, ¡°Although they possess great power, they also have a clear ¡®trace of presence.¡¯ Their filthy, foul stench simply cannot be hidden¡­ There are churches and patrolling guardians all over the city-state; theoretically, there shouldn¡¯t be any ¡®blind spots.¡¯


    ¡°So it¡¯s merely speculation,¡± the district bishop shook his head, ¡°I know that Scions of the Sun find it hard to hide in civilized society, but those low-level ¡®messengers¡¯ really do carry Sun Masks with them. Even if they¡¯re not directly controlled by the Scions, they¡¯re certainly in contact with them to some extent¡­ After all, mass-produced Sacred Relics are still Sacred Relics, and the Heretics would consider the cost of their actions¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t make arrangements without purpose.¡±


    Fenna curled a finger to her chin and, in a moment of thought, suddenly spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ve looked at yesterday¡¯s interrogation record, those heretics were mainly inquiring about the Transcendent event that occurred in the City-State eleven years ago¡­ Do they believe it¡¯s related to the Sun Shard?¡±


    ¡°It seems that way now,¡± the district bishop nodded, ¡°Though we don¡¯t know the source of their information, they appear quite certain that it was the Sun Shard that triggered the ¡®Chemical Plant Riot¡¯ in Plunder eleven years ago¡­ I remember that you were also¡­¡±


    Saying this, he stopped abruptly, his gaze falling on the notable scar near Fenna¡¯s left eye, and he bowed his head slightly, ¡°My apologies, I misspoke.¡±


    Fenna subconsciously lifted her hand, brushing over the scar on her face, but soon she gave a nonchalant smile and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just a scar, and you¡¯re not wrong. I too was a witness to that riot, there¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Among those in the riot, there were figures from the sect of Heretics as well. The vandals captured after the incident counted over a hundred Sun Heretics,¡± the district bishop said solemnly, ¡°But now, the Sun Heretics who¡¯ve infiltrated the City-State are inquiring about the event from eleven years ago¡­ It¡¯s as if they truly don¡¯t know what exactly happened here back then. Don¡¯t you find that strange?¡±


    ¡°¡­Either the Sun Heretics in Plunder City-State acted on their own eleven years ago, which is why the Heretics from other City-States don¡¯t know the truth here, or¡­ The appearance of the Sun Shard in Plunder eleven years ago was an accident, or possibly the work of some third party, and those heretics involved in the riot were just being used as pawns,¡± Fenna said coolly, ¡°According to the interrogation records from back then, the ¡®vandals¡¯ who were captured indeed appeared to be out of their minds. Their madness and loss of control didn¡¯t seem to stem from their own volition, but rather it looked more like they were influenced by a powerful force.¡±


    ¡°¡­Chasing after twisted and strange objects, only to be dominated and driven mad by such forces, becoming fuel for the fire of chaos, and in the end, discarded in the ashes¡­¡± The district bishop sighed, ¡°It¡¯s indeed a life of utmost tragedy.¡±


    For a moment, Fenna didn¡¯t speak. She simply stood up silently and walked over to the window of the rest room.


    Through the window, she could gaze distantly upon the port area¡ªthe complete lockdown of the entire port had ended, with many docks and piers now back in use, yet Pier One was still under the highest level of lockdown, and the beautiful, brand-new steamship ¡°White Oak¡± remained quietly docked at the end of the pier, monitored continuously according to schedule and undergoing a daily purification ritual.


    The crew of the White Oak had been transferred to the central cathedral¡ªas individuals who had come into close contact with the Homeloss, they were now under the highest level of surveillance.


    Heretics following the Black Sun imprisoned beneath the cathedral, a ship that had encountered the Homeloss docked above in the harbor, and a group of sailors who had met face to face with Captain Duncan living inside the central cathedral¡­ The thought alone was headache-inducing.


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    The sun was gradually setting, but it wasn¡¯t yet the transition between day and night. The district bishop lit several oil lamps in the room ahead of time, their flickering flames reflecting on the window glass.


    Fenna withdrew her gaze from the port area, ¡°I heard that the emergency dossier for anomaly 099 has been distributed to the port area?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it just arrived this afternoon. Would you like to review it?¡± As he spoke, the district bishop pulled out the neatly folded dossier from his side, ¡°Somehow, it arrived later than expected.¡±


    ¡°Let me see it,¡± Fenna reached out for the dossier, quickly reading it by the dying light of the sunset through the window, and offhandedly explained, ¡°It¡¯s normal to be a bit late¡ªthe loss of control of anomaly 099 is quite special, since it broke its seal during direct contact with the Ghost Ship. The bishops of all City-States had to carefully weigh the wording and direction of information in the dossier to prevent this document that¡¯s about to be distributed to all ships from creating too many ¡®direct connections¡¯¡­ Otherwise, what should help captains avoid risks could instead inadvertently link them with the Homeloss.¡±


    In the dimming sky light as the sun neared its set, the oil lamp closest to Fenna suddenly flickered¡ªaccompanying the unwitting utterance of ¡°Homeloss,¡± the flame in the lamp crackled softly.

 Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 96 Gaze

    Chapter 92: Chapter 96 Gaze


    Inside the captain¡¯s quarters of the Homeloss, Duncan, who had been sitting with his arms crossed in front of the window and resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes.


    He glanced at the familiar furnishings of the room and checked on the state of his body, letting out a slight sigh of relief.


    Now, he¡¯d once again transferred his primary consciousness back to Homeloss, leaving his other body in the antique shop at Plunder City-State, awkwardly controlling it as it tidied up the first-floor shop and hung a ¡°Closed¡± sign on the door.


    The Duncan in captain¡¯s quarters slowly stood up from the chair, stretching his limbs as he looked towards the nearby desk. There he saw the pigeon Ai Yi leisurely strolling along the edge of the desk. The sun mask previously delivered here still lay quietly on the table, glowing with enchanting colors under the setting sun streaming in through the window, as if an illusory flame flowed through the golden patterns.


    The Duncan in front of the antique shop hung up the ¡°Closed for the evening¡± wooden sign and turned to greet a neighbor who just happened to be returning home. A faint smile on his face, he engaged in a chat about the day¡¯s weather and recent business dealings with this ¡°old neighborhood buddy.¡±


    His expression outside the antique shop was a bit stiff, his speech somewhat slow, but the neighbor didn¡¯t suspect anything¡ªafter all, a former gambler who had been drowning in alcohol, now living conscientiously, was surprising enough. A little slowness in response was nothing compared to that; how lively could someone whose body had been damaged by alcohol be?


    Back in the captain¡¯s bedroom, a slight smile appeared on Duncan¡¯s face. After remotely controlling his ¡°interaction shell¡± to complete a social interaction attempt, he casually picked up the sun mask lying on the desk.


    There was still much to be done in Plunder City-State, but not everything could be accomplished overnight, especially since there was a strict curfew in the City-State after nightfall. It was best for his human body to stay quietly in the shop at night to avoid attracting attention¡ªafter sunset, it was time for the ¡°true self¡± on Homeloss.


    He planned to use this time to study the mask he had obtained from the Sun Priest.


    The mask felt cool to the touch, seemingly cast from pure metal, heavy, and quite substantial.


    Looking at the golden object in his hand, Duncan¡¯s thoughts suddenly became active; his first thought was whether this thing was made of pure gold¡ªif so, perhaps after studying it, melting it down could fetch a tidy sum of money¡­


    Although he was temporarily free of financial pressures in the City-State, cash was something humans could never have too much of in society; what if it was needed in the future?


    The Heretics of the sun cult had a variety of loot that could be used for gathering information, reporting in exchange for bounties, or acquiring transcendent items relevant to oneself. And of course, it was perfectly normal to sell off any excess transcendent items that were of no use after a bit of processing and refinement¡­


    This was called diversified, sustainable exploitation.


    Pondering for a moment, Duncan suddenly touched his chin and thoughtfully exclaimed, ¡°The Sun Cultists are truly treasures from head to toe¡­¡±


    The strolling Ai Yi suddenly stopped, tilted her head to look at Duncan, and let out a sharp female voice, ¡°Be a person, be a person!¡±


    ¡°You, a bird, have no right to lecture me,¡± Duncan glared at the pigeon, then immediately began to rub his fingertips together, preparing to summon the Spectral Flame to ¡°cleanse¡± the mask inside and out and conduct a thorough ¡°test¡± after gaining control.


    A clump of faint green flames ignited at his fingertips. Just as Duncan was about to channel the flame into the mask, he suddenly heard a vague voice, as if whispering from the depths of his heart:


    ¡°¡­might inadvertently link them to Homeloss¡­¡±


    Duncan¡¯s movements halted abruptly.


    He looked at the pigeon beside him, ¡°Did you hear anything?¡±


    The pigeon thought for a second, flapping its wings off-key as it started to sing loudly, ¡°Listen~ to the sound of the sea weeping~ lamenting for whom¡¯s heart was hurt again~¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have asked you!¡± Duncan quickly pinned the pigeon down, thinking to himself that his communication with this bird was like a damn quantum state¡ªwhat was said and what was heard were never certain. After pinning the bird down, he immediately focused his spirit, attempting to trace back to the fleeting ¡°perception¡± that had emerged in his heart when the ¡°whisper¡± sounded.


    He was sure¡ªhe had not heard a phantom voice! He was certain he¡¯d heard a voice, a voice of a young and calm woman!


    And with that voice, he also vaguely perceived a ¡°connection,¡± much fainter than the one between him and his ¡°remote shell,¡± but it definitely existed!


    Duncan put aside the matter of the golden mask and glanced again at the Spectral Flame that was quietly burning at his fingertips.


    The faint connection also seemed to be based on the burning of the fire.


    He slightly closed his eyes, sensing the ¡°direction¡± that the flame was giving him, and in the ensuing darkness, he seemed to see a glimmer of light emerge before his eyes.


    That glimmer faintly resembled a ¡°window,¡± with shadows moving within it, but he couldn¡¯t see or hear clearly what was happening on the other side of the window.


    Even so, Duncan felt the guidance of the flame in the dark¡ªhe opened his eyes and searched in the direction where the faint light had appeared, only to suddenly see a mirror hanging beside the door.


    It was just an ordinary oval mirror with a simple and dark wooden frame, not any Transcendent item, just like those used in many ordinary homes.


    But Duncan could feel that his flame now needed a medium to strengthen this connection that had suddenly formed¡ªthinking of the vague scenes he had seen in the dark and the direction he had faintly sensed, the mirror seemed quite suitable.


    Mirrors, in many esoteric rituals, occupy a very important position, seen as a symbol of ¡°insight¡± and as a tool to extend the mind¡¯s perceptual abilities, to observe truths that are normally invisible and unknowable.


    Duncan approached the mirror and casually touched the flame in his hand to its surface.


    The green Spiritual Body flame rippled like water upon the glass mirror, a thin, faintly glowing channel instantly formed, and in the next second, the glimmering window Duncan had seen in the darkness appeared crystal clear on the mirror¡¯s surface!


    He leaned in curiously.


    Within the gently rippling light screen, he saw a room lit by lamplight, where an exceptionally tall lady was standing near a window, reading something by the twilight of the Sky Light, seemingly completely unaware of the gaze that was observing the room through the glass beside her.


    Fenna¡¯s gaze moved across the documents, confirming the content word by word.


    This was a notice jointly discussed and drafted by the bishops of various City-States and personally reviewed and approved by the Pope seated in the Storm Cathedral; the discussion of the notice was completed remotely under the state of Psychic Resonance, with the entire process watched over and protected by the Goddess, to ensure that the text on the notice wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by any anomalies or phenomena during drafting.


    Such extremely special documents had one purpose: to inform every Voyager sailing the Endless Sea that a superior anomaly had slipped beyond the control of the civilized world.


    This was necessary.


    An uncontrolled anomaly on the Endless Sea wouldn¡¯t disappear forever from the eyes of the world, and though the deep sea swallowed everything, it never swallowed the ¡°anomalies¡± that fell into it. Those uncontrolled anomalies often wandered the fringes of the civilized world in even more unpredictable and difficult-to-prevent ways, like wolves prowling around a pasture, chasing and threatening the safety of Voyagers, almost every year, sailors set out to sea died at the hands of uncontrolled anomalies.


    As the keepers and sealers of these anomalies, each church had the responsibility and obligation to inform all the captains who might encounter them as soon as they lost control of an anomaly under their care¡ªno one thought this would damage the ¡°face¡± of the church, because it was the church¡¯s duty and obligation.


    Timely notices of uncontrolled situations could perhaps save a ship unfortunate enough to encounter an anomaly one day in the future or give an uncontrolled anomaly the chance to be resealed and contained.


    Under normal circumstances, such notices would be issued to port authorities within twenty-four hours of the uncontrolled event, but the notice concerning ¡°Anomaly 099¡± was a bit late.


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    Because this uncontrolled incident not only involved Anomaly 099 ¨C Puppet Coffin but also Phenomenon 005 ¨C Homeloss.


    The Pope and the bishops had to carefully consider the content of the document to ensure that, while the information disclosed was accurate, it avoided drawing the attention of Homeloss upon people reading the document.


    Fenna¡¯s expression was as still as water as she read the document, confirming whether the words in the document matched the sacred and intangible prayer structure, to avoid the gaze of the Ghost Ship captain.


    And in the gap of light and shadow on the windowpane beside her, a gap that neither she nor the regional bishop noticed, Duncan was straining to peer at the content on the document.


    Ghost Ship captain in shock.jpg.

 Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Chapter 97 Who Is Making the List?

    Chapter 93: Chapter 97 Who Is Making the List?


    The perspective presented in the mirror seemed to be based on a windowpane, and Duncan felt as if he were a person pressed against the window, observing the scenes inside the room through the glass. Inside was an exceptionally tall young woman whose profile looked somewhat familiar.


    Upon reflection, Duncan remembered where he had seen that face before¡ªit was Fenna Wayne, the much-admired Judge from Purland!


    Her image had appeared in the newspapers.


    Why was he seeing such a scene? Why would he suddenly see, through a window, this follower of the Storm Goddess? Some kind of hidden connection? When had this connection formed? Why hadn¡¯t he noticed it before, but now suddenly sensed this invisible ¡°line¡±?


    In an instant, countless thoughts emerged in Duncan¡¯s mind, but the next second, the jumble of thoughts was interrupted by something he glimpsed in the mirror.


    He clearly saw the document that Miss Judge was reading.


    It was a document written in a strict format, with the Holy Symbols of the Storm Goddess printed on it. The opening sentence read: ¡°Hereby notified to all captains on the Endless Sea and their accompanying priests and guides, anomaly 099-Doll Coffin has recently become uncontrolled. Witnessed by the Most Holy and Luminous, the cursed object has become lost in the storm. The following is a public notice of this uncontrolled situation and its characteristics¡­¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes gradually widened. Beyond Fenna¡¯s shoulder, he read about anomaly 099 in a format that seemed like a particular kind of prayer. He saw the dangerous Curse endowed with beheading power, saw the origin of the Doll Coffin, saw records related to ¡°Alice Guillotine¡±¡­


    In astonishment, his gaze moved down the document, and at the bottom, he saw the record of the attack on the Homeloss. However, the key part of the last sentence was hidden behind the Judge¡¯s towering figure, no matter how hard he tried to see.


    Duncan leaned left and right in front of the mirror, his anxiety driving him to subconsciously mutter, ¡°Move aside, move aside¡­¡±


    Fenna in the resting room suddenly felt as though a breath of wind had passed by her ear. She instinctively looked to the side and saw a crack in the window through which the cool evening breeze from the sea entered.


    The flames of the oil lamps in the room flickered, with their soft light dispelling the malevolence that spread across the heaven and earth as night approached, giving her an especially secure feeling.


    She put the document aside and turned to the District Bishop, ¡°Put it away. The City-State Bishops must have dealt with it thoroughly; it¡¯s very secure.¡±


    The District Bishop nodded, moving to put away the document while also brightening the room¡¯s electric lights, which dispersed the dimness of the day-to-night transition with a glow even brighter than that of the oil lamps: ¡°Do you still need to rush back to the Central Cathedral tonight?¡±


    ¡°Valentin is waiting for me to discuss matters,¡± Fenna nodded slightly, ¡°Recently, there¡¯s been unrest in the City-State, and we may need to conduct a large-scale prayer event to strengthen the Cathedral¡¯s protection over the entire City-State.¡±


    As she spoke, she looked up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The lightbulbs inside brightened the room as though it were broad daylight: ¡°¡­ah, if only electricity had the power to repel evil spirits as well. It¡¯s so bright, and its range far surpasses that of flame¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± said the District Bishop, opening his hands, ¡°Unfortunately, electricity lacks Holiness.¡±


    Fenna shook her head, not saying anything else. After bidding farewell to the District Bishop, she walked out of the resting room.


    After Fenna had left, an oil lamp near the window started to flicker slightly, then returned to calmness.


    The view in the mirror slowly faded, and as the green membrane receded, the glass once more reflected the objects inside the captain¡¯s quarters.


    In that moment, as the Miss Judge turned her head, Duncan had managed to make out the line of text at the end of the document¡ªthe most useful information to him consisted of but a few words:


    ¡°Anomaly 005-Homeloss.¡±


    ¡°So the classification for the Homeloss really is ¡®anomaly¡¯¡­ And to think its number is so high,¡± he mused thoughtfully as he returned to his desk, but then a question arose, ¡°On the other hand, just how are these numbers assigned?¡±


    Nina¡¯s textbooks mentioned many anomalies and apparitions, their numbers and names, and also alluded to the ancient kingdom of Crete as the origin of this ¡°list¡± and its associated rules. However, the specifics of how these anomalies and apparitions were numbered, and by whom, were not detailed¡ªonly that the churches had the right of interpretation and the duty to announce, and that under normal circumstances, the lower the number, the stranger and more dangerous the anomaly or apparition, or the more significant its historical status¡ªat first, Duncan hadn¡¯t given it much thought, but now the question suddenly occurred to him.


    Were these numbers arranged in order of discovery?


    If they were arranged by order of discovery, then the Homeloss, with only a hundred years of history, couldn¡¯t possibly occupy such an early number, as there were certainly older anomalies on this world, and theoretically, all the higher numbers would have already been taken.


    But if the arrangement wasn¡¯t based on the order of discovery, but rather on the degree of danger, wouldn¡¯t these numbers need constant adjustment? Whenever a new anomaly or apparition was discovered, a reevaluation of its danger level would be required, necessitating a recalculation of the entire ¡°ranking,¡± a process that would be cumbersome and impractical to use.


    Though the textbook stated that the danger level of anomalies and apparitions didn¡¯t necessarily correlate one hundred percent with their ranking, it also explicitly mentioned that in the vast majority of cases, the anomalies and apparitions with lower numbers were more dangerous and terrifying.


    That raised a very thought-provoking question: If the existing list of anomalies and mirages was relatively stable and not easily changed, then the person who arranged it must have been almost prophetic. When creating the list, he would have nearly predicted the ¡°ranking¡± of each anomaly and mirage. Not only did he accurately assign positions to new discoveries, but he also had to leave ¡°empty spots¡± in the chart for powerful anomalies and mirages that would appear in the future.


    Duncan Ebnomal suddenly became suspicious of this ¡°list¡± and its maker after seeing the description ¡°Anomalous Phenomenon 005¡ªHomeloss,¡± but he quickly set these doubts aside for the moment.


    Because there was something more important than the mysterious rules behind the ¡°Transcendent Anomaly Ranking¡±¡ªAlice.


    That cursed doll from the Harmony Doors actually had such a significant background!


    ¡°I¡¯m stepping out for a bit.¡±


    Duncan casually said to the pigeon on the table and then stepped out of the captain¡¯s quarters.


    The goat head in the chart room, hearing the door stir, immediately squeaked and creaked as it turned its head. Upon seeing Duncan, it started to speak out of routine, ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Duncan Ebnomal¡ªnever mind that for now, where is Alice?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the great ship¡­¡± The goat head, having confirmed the name, was about to ramble on in its usual habit but got cut off by the captain after just a few words. Its throat squeaked from being interrupted, and then it realized, ¡°Are you looking for Miss Alice? She might be in her room counting her hairs¡­¡±


    ¡°Counting her hair?¡± Duncan was taken aback, ¡°What new peculiarity has she added¡­ never mind, I¡¯ll go check myself. You keep steering the ship.¡±


    After dropping this comment, he didn¡¯t wait for a response, turned around, and briskly left the captain¡¯s room, leaving the goat head gazing bewilderedly at the door that had snapped shut again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get a chance to say more¡­¡± After a while, the goat head finally caught up, sounding thoroughly dejected, ¡°Is my conversation-starting ability weakening¡­¡±


    No sooner had the goat head finished speaking than it saw the door to the captain¡¯s quarters crack open, and pigeon Ai Yi sauntered out through the gap, fluttering its wings to land on the table.


    ¡°Talking for five bucks?¡± The pigeon cocked its head, blinking its small eyes.


    ¡°Sure, sure, as long as I have someone to chat with, it¡¯s all good!¡± The goat head perked up immediately, adhering to the standard that everyone on board was crewmate and not fussy about its conversation partner, ¡°What do you want to talk about? Can you actually speak normally? I always feel that you¡­¡±


    ¡°Get some fries.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The goat head was baffled, ¡°No, I mean, are you truly aware that you¡­¡±


    ¡°Get some fries.¡±


    ¡°¡­If what you want to talk about is the cooking of seafood delicacies¡­¡±


    ¡°Get some fries.¡±


    ¡°Can you say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Get some fries.¡±


    Goat head: ¡°¡­¡±


    Duncan wasn¡¯t paying any attention to the commotion in the captain¡¯s quarters after his departure. He walked straight through the upper deck and quickly arrived at the sailor¡¯s cabins below. After gathering his thoughts in front of Alice¡¯s door, he knocked and announced, ¡°Alice, it¡¯s me.¡±


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    A stammering voice soon came from inside, ¡°Please¡­ please¡­ come in¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the hesitation, Duncan subconsciously raised his eyebrows before pushing the door open wide.


    There sat the doll, clad in a gothic long gown, in front of a dressing table next to the bed, facing a mirror. She held her own head in her hands, with her silver-white hair cascading down like a waterfall¡ªthe head turned its gaze towards him, and a beautiful, delicate smile gradually spread across her face: ¡°Cap¡­ cap¡­ captain, good¡­ good¡­ evening¡­¡±


    Duncan said, ¡°Put your head back on.¡±


    ¡°Bobble.¡±

 Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Chapter 98 Alice Knows Nothing

    Chapter 94: Chapter 98 Alice Knows Nothing


    Imagine this scene: you¡¯re on a creaking ghost ship, pushing open a wooden door at the end of a hallway. An oil lamp flickers dimly, swaying gently. In the trembling light, a headless doll in a gothic dress sits in front of a vanity mirror, holding its own head in its hands. The head turns toward you, slowly revealing a stiff smile¡­


    Duncan felt that if he hadn¡¯t already spent so many days on this ship and grown so familiar with Alice, he would have whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger in an instant.


    But Alice was completely oblivious to the eerie atmosphere she had just created. She obediently ¡°popped¡± her head back onto her neck, her responsiveness quickly returning, and she greeted Duncan with a bright smile, ¡°Good evening, Captain! Were you looking for me?¡±


    It was only then that Duncan collected himself, eyeing the doll with suspicion for a long while, ¡°What are you doing here? And why did Goat Head say you were in the cabin counting hairs?¡±


    Alice moved her neck from side to side and straightened her slightly disheveled hair with her fingers, her expression a bit awkward, ¡°Just¡­ seeing how much hair I have left.¡±


    Duncan looked at the doll as if it were dim-witted, and then his eyes finally caught sight of something at the edge of the table: a spool of thread that had tumbled out from who-knows-where, wound with several strands of silvery-white hair, its origin obvious¡­


    Duncan was expressionless: ¡°¡­¡±


    Alice noticed where the captain¡¯s gaze was directed and immediately picked up the spool, earnestly explaining to Duncan, ¡°You see, this one is called Miffy, this one is called Perly, this one is called Phemia, and this one¡­ its name is¡­¡±


    Duncan was shocked, ¡°You even named every single strand of hair that fell out?!¡±


    ¡°For remembrance,¡± Alice said with solemnity, her seriousness tinged with a hint of sadness, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? I¡¯m a puppet, and puppets can¡¯t grow their hair¡­ If one day it all falls out, at least I can hold this list and reminisce about the good times we had¡­¡±


    Duncan was bewildered by the puppet to the point of temporarily forgetting his purpose for coming here, and after staring dumbfounded for a moment, he finally managed to choke out, ¡°I only mentioned that in passing¡ª you didn¡¯t have to take it to heart¡­ And no wonder you¡¯ve been staying in the cabin these past few days; you¡¯ve been busy doing this? Counting hairs and naming the ones that fall out?¡±


    Alice nodded harmlessly, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    With a grave expression, Duncan finally sighed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look around the City-State for you later, see if there¡¯s a craftsman skilled in this that can help you¡­¡±


    Alice was startled, ¡°You¡¯re going to kidnap someone and bring them to the ship?¡±


    Duncan glared at her, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a few wigs to have on hand! Does it sound reasonable for a Ghost Ship that¡¯s a moving natural disaster to abduct a puppeteer from a human City-State in the Endless Sea?¡±


    ¡°That moving natural disaster sneaking into a human City-State to buy wigs doesn¡¯t sound very reasonable either¡­¡± Alice mumbled subconsciously, but she quickly swallowed the rest of her words, ¡°Ah, never mind, hehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop with the silly laughter,¡± Duncan felt a sudden drain of strength and waved his hand dismissively, finally remembering the real reason for his visit, ¡°Never mind that, you¡¯ve got me sidetracked from important matters¡ªAlice, sit down. I came to you with serious business.¡±


    Seeing the captain¡¯s stern expression, Alice knew it wasn¡¯t a time for jokes. She quickly put away the spool, briskly sitting down on a wooden chest by the bed¡ªsitting upright with her hands folded on her lap, the epitome of grace and dignity.


    Duncan, on the other hand, sighed, wondering why his resolve always seemed so easily broken in front of Alice¡ª even when he first came to this world, he could maintain his composure and indifference in front of Goat Head, and even when he possessed the body of a victim facing a room full of corpses, he could keep his expression stoic. But facing this overly sinister doll, his expression and demeanor always teetered on the brink of collapse.


    On reflection, it must be the power of the style¡ªAlice¡¯s style was truly hard to resist.


    He gestured with his fingers and a chair immediately screeched its way over to him. He sat down, trying to regain his grim and authoritative demeanor, and fixed his gaze into Alice¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Lei Nora¡ªdoes that name mean anything to you?¡±


    ¡°Lei Nora?¡± Alice blinked, a genuine look of confusion on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of her¡­ Sounds like a woman¡¯s name? And it gives the impression of elegance and nobility¡­ A friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, she should be your ¡®acquaintance¡¯, but you say you don¡¯t know her¡­ fair enough, I believe you,¡± Duncan was not particularly surprised by Alice¡¯s response, and he continued to ask, ¡°What about Frost City-State then? Are you familiar with it? Any impressions?¡±


    ¡°Frost City-State? I¡¯ve heard of it when I was inside the box, it seems to be a city-state atop the Chill Sea, and there¡¯s a place called Cold Harbor. It¡¯s the gateway between Frost and the central sea area,¡± Alice pondered, ¡°But that¡¯s all I know, just the names.¡±


    ¡°And ¡®Alice Guillotine¡¯?¡±


    The doll looked puzzled, ¡°Alice I know, that¡¯s my name¡ªI¡¯m Alice¡ªbut what¡¯s a guillotine?¡±


    Duncan proceeded to ask several more questions, each response much the same.


    And this situation was essentially within his expectations.


    Alice was completely clueless about all of this, just like she had described on the day they first met; she had no idea about her past, didn¡¯t know the truth behind ¡°anomaly 099,¡± was oblivious to the existence of the Frost City-State, and had never heard of the Frost Queen who had passed away half a century ago.


    Even though she looked exactly like the Frost Queen.


    Duncan had not expected many direct answers when he asked these questions, he simply wanted to test, to see if Alice would have any special reaction upon hearing these ¡°keywords¡± ¡ª now that the test was over, the puppet remained that na?ve puppet.


    He was confident that this timid creature wouldn¡¯t dare to disguise her true reactions in front of him ¡ª her intelligence probably didn¡¯t support her in performing such sophisticated maneuvers.


    So¡­ perhaps he should focus not on the puppet, but on the ¡°coffin¡±?


    Duncan¡¯s gaze grew keener as he turned his attention to the ornate, hefty wooden chest belonging to Alice.


    The gorgeous chest that once contained the puppet still sat in the room, now with Alice comfortably perched atop it.


    Alice was quite fond of her chest, using it as a seat and for storage, sometimes even sleeping inside it ¡ª despite there being a normal bed in the room.


    ¡°Open the chest and let me see inside,¡± said Duncan.


    Alice felt a bit puzzled but quickly hopped down and casually opened the chest.


    Duncan stepped forward to look inside.


    The wooden chest was lined with soft red velvet, and a small pile of trinkets lay haphazard in a corner: a comb, a spool of thread for winding hair, a small mirror, and a few metal ornaments.


    ¡°I found these on the ship, in other cabins,¡± Alice pointed to the corner of the chest, carefully explaining, ¡°I asked Mr. Goat Head, and he said they were ownerless, I ¡­ Can I keep them? I think they are pretty¡­¡±


    Duncan glanced at the old ornaments.


    Perhaps a century ago, others on this ship had adorned their hair or chests with these very items.


    They were evidence of Homeloss¡¯s once connection to the human world.


    ¡°You can keep them, they are yours,¡± Duncan nodded, but then his eyes suddenly caught sight of a small object within the pile of trinkets and he couldn¡¯t help but reach out to pick it up, ¡°This thing¡­¡±


    It was a delicate hairpin, so finely made it seemed out of place on Homeloss. It resembled a silver-white feather, its edges adorned with bits of froth, and despite a century having passed, it still looked as pristine as when it was new ¡ª this starkly contrasted with the other weathered items.


    Duncan furrowed his brow, not knowing why, but upon seeing this hairpin, he felt an inexplicable sense of¡­ nostalgia.


    Even a name was on the verge of slipping out.


    But he couldn¡¯t recall the name that was about to escape his lips.


    Duncan blinked; he was somewhat taken aback, unsure what this sudden emotion welling up from within was about, but gradually, he understood.


    Just as he had known the name ¡°Duncan Ebnomal¡± upon first coming aboard this ship¡­ he had once again touched upon the residual ¡°echo¡± within his own body!


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    He looked down at the hairpin in his hand, pondering how such a delicately small object could resonate with the greatest disaster of the Endless Sea, but soon, Alice¡¯s voice startled him from his reverie, ¡°Captain? Captain, are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t give you this hairpin,¡± Duncan came back to his senses and spoke to Alice, but he then felt that might be a bit too harsh for the puppet lady, so he added, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some new ones in the City-State later ¡ª these are all very old.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Alice immediately showed a delighted expression, ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too quick to praise me,¡± Duncan shook his head, casually pocketing the hairpin, ¡°We still haven¡¯t finished our serious talk¡­ Alice, I have something to tell you next, it concerns your ¡®nature,¡¯ and you need to listen carefully.¡±


    (Promotion time~ This time it¡¯s Mr. Toad¡¯s new book ¡°Chronicles of Extraordinary Immortals¡±; an indescribable world of immortality, Mr. Toad¡¯s books probably don¡¯t need much introduction, just go read it~)

 Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Chapter 99 The First Step of Testing and Control

    Chapter 95: Chapter 99 The First Step of Testing and Control


    After confirming that Alice had no reaction to any of the ¡°key terms¡± and that she was completely unaware of the ¡°beheading¡± ability, Duncan decided to share the situation he had just grasped with this confused cursed doll.


    Because by that time, he had developed a suspicion: perhaps the key to the anomaly 099-Doll Coffin wasn¡¯t the doll Alice¡­ but her ¡°coffin.¡±


    On the Endless Sea, where the wind and waves were gentle, the cabin gently swayed with the motion of the waves. In the flickering light of the oil lamp, the ghost ship captain narrated the past and present of the Doll Coffin¡ªthus scaring the doll nearly into a ball.


    Duncan looked expressionlessly at Alice, who was now sitting in the corner of the bed, her back against the wall, hugging her head: ¡°Do you need to be this nervous?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this sounds really scary!¡± Alice¡¯s tone had changed, like a regular human girl who had just listened to a ghost story, ¡°What indiscriminate beheading, what stopping only after killing everyone within range, what constantly expanding territory¡­ This¡­ I had no idea!¡±


    ¡°Now I believe you really didn¡¯t know,¡± Duncan glanced at Alice, ¡°but this indeed is information about the anomaly 099-Doll Coffin.¡±


    Alice propped up her head and looked at Duncan stiff-necked: ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I have two speculations now. First, the aforementioned ¡®beheading¡¯ incidents might be an unconscious ability of yours, as you are an anomalous object. It¡¯s very possible that your power is just a passive area effect and that even your previous ¡®slumbering¡¯ state wouldn¡¯t prevent the beheading effect from occurring.¡±


    Duncan spoke as he slowly rose from his chair and approached the ornate wooden box, touching the box with the tip of his longsword.


    ¡°Second, the ¡®beheading¡¯ power of the Doll Coffin might not come from you, the doll, but from your ¡®coffin.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Coffin¡­ you mean my box?¡± Alice¡¯s eyes widened slowly, her gaze unconsciously following Duncan¡¯s movements to the wooden box by the bed. This slow-to-catch-on doll seemed only now to realize: ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°The full name of anomaly 099 is ¡®Doll Coffin¡¯¡­ In other words, you and your wooden box together make up the complete ¡®anomaly 099,¡¯ and when I first met you, I subconsciously thought you were the ¡®dominant part¡¯¡­ because at that time, I wasn¡¯t clear about the complete name ¡®Doll Coffin¡¯,¡± Duncan stroked his chin, pondering as he spoke, ¡°Thinking about it now, the term ¡®Doll Coffin¡¯¡­ seems to emphasize the latter half?¡±


    Alice blinked, her brain churning quite a bit before she finally slapped her palm: ¡°Oh! I¡¯m just an accessory to this box!¡±


    Duncan looked expressionlessly at the foolish doll: ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to sound so proud of that.¡±


    Alice seemed oblivious to Duncan¡¯s teasing tone. She just looked worriedly at her wooden box, speaking with a hint of anxiety: ¡°Then this means¡­ my box has been ¡®beheading¡¯ people? But I¡¯ve lived in it for so long and haven¡¯t felt it to be so evil and dangerous¡­ nor have I sensed any special powers from it¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re a part of the entire anomaly 099. Can your feelings be reliable?¡± Duncan frowned, ¡°Besides, feel your own neck. I suspect the reason your head falls off so often is precisely because of sleeping too long in this box!¡±


    Alice suddenly felt the captain was right, her expression immediately becoming complicated, but then she was a bit puzzled: ¡°But if that¡¯s the case¡­ if ¡®beheading¡¯ is an inherent property of my coffin, then it¡¯s been on the ship for so long without its powers activating, how come?¡±


    Her words met Duncan¡¯s heavy gaze, and the belatedly aware doll Miss suddenly felt an unspeakable pressure crashing down on her head¡ªshe had relaxed a bit after living on the ship for a while, now suddenly recalling what kind of person this captain was before her.


    Duncan watched the doll silently until Alice curled up into an even smaller ball before he said in a low voice: ¡°Besides you, the only human-shaped creature on this ship is me. Are you suggesting¡­¡±


    ¡°No suggestion whatsoever!¡± Alice almost jumped up, hastily waving her hands as she spoke, ¡°Hear out my excuse, I meant this box¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to do anything to you,¡± Duncan looked at her helplessly, ¡°You are now a crew member of the Homeloss, and I am your protector on the Endless Sea. You really don¡¯t have to be so afraid¡ªcan you sit properly? It gives the impression as if I did something to you.¡±


    Alice then uttered an ¡°Oh¡± and slowly moved back to the edge of the bed, but Duncan¡¯s mind wandered to other thoughts because of Alice¡¯s interruption¡ªindeed, whether the Doll Coffin¡¯s main body is the doll or the coffin, the anomaly 099 had been on the Homeloss for so long now, well beyond the cycle of its ¡°checks,¡± and yet the anomaly had always seemed harmless¡­ clearly, it was due to suppression.


    ¡°`


    Was it the Homeloss that suppressed it, or was it herself, this ¡°captain¡±?


    Duncan looked down at his own hands.


    He knew he possessed a considerable amount of power. Not only did it allow him to completely take over the life of a heretic named ¡°Ron,¡± it was even bizarrely potent enough to make Alice, a higher-level anomaly, tremble at first sight and caused ¡°A-Dog,¡± a Profound Demon, to tuck its tail between its legs. He had yet to understand the nature of this power, but that didn¡¯t hinder his growing recognition of his own uniqueness.


    On the other hand, the Homeloss was ranked fifth in the phenomena of the Endless Sea ¡ª it was a ¡°phenomenon,¡± not an anomaly.


    This meant that as long as one was within the range of the Homeloss, there would be a twenty-four-hour, continuously effective ¡°field¡± exerting influence on every target within its range.


    With the suppression of captain plus ship, Anomaly 099 was naturally harmless, but if he really were to take Alice to the Plunder City-State as planned¡­ the situation was likely to spiral out of control.


    Therefore, he had to understand a series of things ¡ª whether the main body that produced the effects of Anomaly 099 was the puppet Alice or the wooden chest? Was it himself, the captain, or the Homeloss that suppressed Anomaly 099? If Alice and the chest were separated, would the effects of Anomaly 099 still occur? If the suppression effect came from him, the captain, what would be the range of this suppression?


    His thoughts branched out ¡ª


    If the ¡°coffin¡± was what produced the beheading effect, would it then be safe to take Alice alone to the Plunder City-State? If the ¡°coffin¡± was a separable anomalous element, could his flames also exert influence on it alone? If he completely commanded the chest with his flames, would that be akin to controlling the originally uncontrolled beheading effect? Like using flames to control Ai Yi and the brass Compass?


    A whole pile of questions arrayed in Duncan¡¯s mind, gradually forming a complex set of comparative test plans. But at the end of those plans, he dishearteningly realized one thing:


    He lacked many of the necessary conditions to conduct tests.


    The Homeloss was not a qualified testing ground, since the Ghost Ship¡¯s power would interfere with the accuracy of the results, and he lacked suitable test subjects ¡ª because the beheading effect of Anomaly 099 was too lethal¡­ lethal to the ¡°testers.¡±


    Duncan raised his head and looked at Alice, who was obediently sitting on the bed side ¡ª the puppet miss was somewhat anxiously looking at her most beloved chest, all of her inner turmoil seemingly etched on her face.


    As if noticing the captain¡¯s gaze, Alice suddenly broke the silence. In a low voice, she said, ¡°Ever since I became conscious¡­ I have always lived in this chest. It¡¯s my bed, my home, and my Shelter. When I sleep inside it, I feel very safe.¡±


    Duncan remained silent, simply silently observing the puppet before him.


    ¡°Now I understand why those humans were so terrified,¡± Alice extended her hand and gently caressed her wooden chest, ¡°they were afraid of ¡®us.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I was actually planning to bring you to the Plunder City-State the next time I traverse the Spirit Realm,¡± Duncan said in a deep voice, ¡°I need a helper there.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes seemed to light up, but then they dimmed, ¡°Ah, that won¡¯t do¡­¡±


    ¡°The plan has been postponed, but not cancelled,¡± Duncan¡¯s expression and tone remained largely unchanged, ¡°We just need more time to confirm your¡­ ¡®your¡¯ power, to master the conditions under which this ¡®Beheading¡¯ effect occurs. Human City-States on land have all sorts of cunning ways to seal off or even utilize various anomalies, and we are here on the Homeloss, where we can do more.¡±


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    Alice glanced at Duncan quizzically, realizing from the captain¡¯s tranquil and profound gaze that this was not empty words of comfort.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡±


    Duncan thought for a moment, then raised his fingertips and ignited a clump of dim flames.


    ¡°First, we might need a little fire.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Chapter 100: Truth and Fiction in History

    Chapter 96: Chapter 100: Truth and Fiction in History


    ¡°Captain, are you sure this is really okay?¡± Alice looked anxiously at the small flame in Duncan¡¯s hand, her hands continuously clutching at the lace decorations on the edge of her clothing, ¡°Don¡¯t burn down my house¡­¡±


    Duncan cradled a flame of spiritual fire in his hand while looking for a spot to start by Alice¡¯s ¡°spiritual coffin,¡± he turned back to glance helplessly at the doll, ¡°My flame of spiritual fire is completely under control¡ªdon¡¯t you trust my power?¡±


    As soon as Alice heard this, she quickly waved her hands and said, ¡°I trust, I trust¡­¡±


    Duncan then shifted his gaze back and steadied his spirit.


    With the current conditions on the Homeloss, conducting a full test on Alice¡¯s ¡°spiritual coffin¡± was unlikely, but this did not mean that he couldn¡¯t do some ¡°preliminary research.¡± Having grown ever more proficient in controlling the flame of spiritual fire, he had already begun to faintly grasp some methods of using this flame to investigate the secrets within transcendent artifacts.


    He still dared not use this flame on Alice¡¯s body, but as for researching her wooden coffin¡­ that was a different matter altogether.


    After making some preparations, Duncan finally reached out slowly, extending the tip of the flame to the surface of the luxurious wooden box.


    The flame, like a phantom reflection, silently sank into the box, and Alice¡¯s eyes widened as she carefully observed the movement before her. After a brief two or three seconds of silence, she saw a phantom-like blaze suddenly spread out in her field of vision¡ª


    The flame of spiritual fire began to burn on the wooden box, burning from the inside out! In the blink of an eye, the entire box took on a semi-transparent texture, and within this seemingly real yet illusory scene, the vigorously burning flame rapidly filled every detail inside the box, as if it were reconstructing its ¡°skeletal¡± structure!


    ¡°Hey, Captain Captain, it¡¯s burning, it¡¯s burning!¡±


    The doll exclaimed in alarm, but her shouts went unanswered¡ªDuncan¡¯s attention at that moment was completely focused on controlling the flame and perceiving the ¡°spiritual coffin.¡± His expression solemn, he watched the flickering flame and the ethereal wooden box, while Alice¡¯s voice seemed to drift from another world to his ears.


    Duncan¡¯s mind grew calmer; he felt the surrounding quiet down, and even the never-ending winds and waves of the Endless Sea seemed to recede from his perception. He felt his power seep into an immensely vast ¡°place,¡± and more and more ¡°perceptions¡± began to funnel into his consciousness through the channel established by the flame¡ª


    This was nothing like the sensation he had when using the flame to modify the Sun Amulet!


    If he had to compare, transforming the Sun Amulet with the flame felt as easy as filling a water cup, whereas now he felt like his flames were pouring into a large lake, nonstop¡ªthe scale between the two was not at the same level.


    Was this the gap between mass-produced transcendent items and a Rank 099 anomaly?


    A sudden enlightenment struck Duncan and in that flash of thought, he felt the connection with the flame finally hit a peak¡ªhis power¡¯s transmission abruptly became as smooth as a flowing river, and immediately after, a flood of ¡°memories¡± surged into his mind!


    Sounds of waves¡­ waves crashing against an unfamiliar coastline, the biting Frost wind sweeping over tall walls, towering ramparts standing in the distance, vaguely as if encased in ice, and then people¡­ swaying, dim, just silhouettes of a crowd¡­


    Duncan¡¯s vision floated somewhere, seemingly about two or three meters above the ground. He looked around in astonishment, but he could only see unfamiliar City-States and high platforms along the coastline. He saw countless shadows crowded around the high platforms; they seemed like a vague throng of people, but he couldn¡¯t make out any one of them clearly.


    Buzzing and rumbling sounds came from all around, sounding like whispered conversations, yet surprisingly loud and noisy. Duncan struggled to differentiate them, only to realize they were not the sounds of people talking, but countless ¡°thoughts¡±¡ªthe chaotic and intermingled thoughts in the mind, the murmurings under tense and stifling atmospheres, prayers to the gods, and pleas made in fear.


    Those ¡°shadows¡± did not speak, yet their voices swept over the coastal high platform like a Storm.


    A thought struck Duncan¡¯s heart, and he suddenly turned around.


    Under the distant, pale, and dim Sky Light, he saw a towering object.


    A guillotine¡ªits sharp blade glimmered with a cold light in the dimness.


    Associating with the little historical knowledge in his mind and thinking about the origin behind Anomaly 099, Duncan realized where he was.


    He looked toward the base of the guillotine, and as his recognition gradually solidified, a hazy figure beneath it also swiftly became clear.


    He saw that queen, the Frost Queen who had been executed by the rebels half a century ago¡ªher silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her light violet eyes still shone brightly in the dimness. She stood in the chill wind dressed in a slightly thin gown, yet she clenched her teeth, refusing to let her body shake even slightly.


    Indeed, she had the same face as Alice.


    A sense of strangeness arose in Duncan¡¯s heart as he looked at the woman who shared Alice¡¯s exact appearance. Even though he knew this was the real figure from history, he couldn¡¯t help but have the image of the lively marionette aboard the ship spring to mind first, when suddenly, a voice that seemed to come from nowhere interrupted him¡ª


    ¡°Your time has come, ¡®Queen¡¯ Frost.¡±


    The voice was cold and distant, yet it seemed to pierce through the curtain of history, resonating beside the guillotine.


    The next second, Duncan saw two apparitions suddenly materialize by the guillotine. The two figures approached the Frost Queen as if they wanted to force her arms down and make her kneel before the blade, yet the queen¡¯s posture remained unyielding, the tall apparitions appearing as weak and powerless as children.


    Duncan heard the surrounding noise suddenly become more tumultuous than before, and the countless shadows began to quiver. Interspersed were distinct shouts¡ªand once again, that cold and distant voice rang out, this time with an added touch of anger, ¡°Silence! Maintain order at the execution ground!¡±


    More phantoms materialized around the guillotine, and the Frost Queen was finally subdued beneath the chilling instrument of death. She knelt in the cold dust, continuing to lift her head and calmly gaze at the high walls of the City-State in the distance, while overhead, the sharp, heavy blade started to rise amidst the creaking and groaning of the winch¡­


    Duncan frowned. Although he knew these were merely echoes of historical records, he couldn¡¯t help but instinctively step forward as he watched the face of ¡°Alice,¡± reaching out his hand¡­


    But just as he was about to ¡°move,¡± the Frost Queen by the guillotine suddenly turned her head slightly¡ªshe looked in the direction of Duncan, at the place which, in her time, should have been empty, and opening her mouth, she spoke clearly and softly:


    ¡°Whoever you are, please do not contaminate history.¡±


    Duncan stopped in astonishment, and right after that, he heard someone by the guillotine exclaim in shock, ¡°Who are you talking to?!¡±


    The Frost Queen, however, had already averted her gaze. She seemed to have suddenly realized something, and a semblance of relief appeared on her originally icy countenance. She turned her head, seemingly directed at the executioner beside her, and said, ¡°Proceed, before the sun sets.¡±


    The guillotine plummeted sharply.


    Darkness, vast and boundless, surged from every direction, and the apparitions from history began to tear into fragments of light and shadow. Duncan felt his connection to ¡°here¡± rapidly weakening, knowing that this ¡°echo¡± was nearing its end. Within the disintegrating visions drifting away, he could still hear bits of the chaotic, broken voices, faint and intermittent, only catching fragments¡ª


    ¡°¡­ The Frost Queen is dead, we have severed Homeloss¡¯s channel to return to the real world¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Lei Nora attempts to build a second Homeloss¡­ Colluding with the shadows of Subspace, the evidence is conclusive, deserving of death¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ The new Governor will reshape order soon, all materials related to the ¡®Abyssal¡¯ exploration program will be destroyed¡­ Those who report promptly may still have a chance at forgiveness¡­¡±


    ¡°Pursue the rebel ship Sea Mist and the deserting navy at all costs¡­ Alive or dead, irrelevant¡­ Wait, what¡¯s that noise¡­ Get out, this place is collapsing!¡±


    Cries of alarm, shouts, the colossal noise of things breaking and collapsing, the roaring, surging waves¡­


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    Duncan suddenly broke free from the boundless darkness, as if returning to the surface from a deep dive. In the last moments of darkness, he heard a series of thunderous crashes, sounding as though an entire cliffside had collapsed into the sea from the shoreline.


    He had witnessed a piece of history and heard it tumble into oblivion within the darkness.


    He had seen a phantom in history, one that pleaded with him not to contaminate history.


    Slowly opening his eyes, he saw the familiar cabin and heard the familiar sound of waves. He also saw the familiar marionette sitting at the head of the bed, amusingly popping its head off with a ¡°pop,¡± then stuffing it back on again with equal gusto.


    Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡±

 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Chapter 101: Open-minded Alice

    Chapter 97: Chapter 101: Open-minded Alice


    Duncan watched Alice with an expressionless face, as if he were looking at an idiot.


    The historical echo in his mind had not yet completely dissipated, the calm yet penetrating gaze of the Frost Queen from half a century ago still occupied his mind¡ªbut this residual image, which should have provoked a flurry of thoughts, now ran smack into Alice, the idiotic doll, shattering into pieces and gradually transforming into a farcical figure amidst her ¡°bobbling¡± head movement.


    After staring for a long time, Duncan finally couldn¡¯t help himself, ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Captain!¡± Only then did Alice belatedly realize, and she quickly propped up her head to look at Duncan, ¡°Oh, I always felt like there were a few strands of hair caught inside my neck joint¡­¡±


    Duncan, expressionless, ¡°If you keep pulling at it, you¡¯ll have to come up with a new name for the new hair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of one! If they fall out, I¡¯ll call them the Williams family¡­¡±


    Duncan had to exert great effort to control his expression and restrain himself from throwing the doll out of the cabin.


    After a few seconds, he finally sighed deeply, his mind gradually calming down.


    To be fair, Alice¡¯s presence had indeed brought a bit of a joyful atmosphere to the dreary Homeloss, but sometimes it was just too much joy¡­ Even Goat Head couldn¡¯t keep up with the doll¡¯s rhythm at times, and Duncan was mostly baffled by the structure of the thing¡¯s head.


    It might as well be solid.


    Duncan¡¯s gaze swept over Alice, and he couldn¡¯t help but recall what he had seen in that dark space¡­ the ¡°echo.¡± He grew serious as the details of that echo made him frown slightly.


    He was certain¡ªit was the Frost Queen, Lei Nora, executed by the rebels half a century ago, the ¡°prototype¡± of the doll Alice, mentioned in the background details of anomaly 099; he had seen that ¡°execution¡± scene, and the trigger was undoubtedly derived from the ¡°Spiritual Body Coffin¡± in front of him.


    The flame of the Spiritual Body had established a connection between him and the coffin.


    But what was the nature of those images? Was the ¡°coffin¡± consciously telling him something? Were they ¡°images¡± passively recorded? Memories of anomaly 099? Were they actual historic fragments, or were they a distorted, amended ¡°illusion¡±?


    His mind conjured the calm gaze of the young queen looking at him, remembering her soft plea¡ª


    ¡°Whoever you are, please do not contaminate history.¡±


    Who was that statement meant for? Was it really meant for him? Did that phrase actually transcend time and space? Or was it just an illusion created by the coffin, reacting to his own ¡°visit¡±? And after the queen said those words, there was a slightly startled voice below the guillotine, asking who she was speaking to¡­


    The consecutive reactions were so real it was almost chilling.


    As for the end of the ¡°echo,¡± the voices that came from the darkness also particularly intrigued Duncan.


    The Frost Queen was executed by the rebels, and one of her ¡°crimes¡± was ¡°attempting to bring the Homeloss into the real world¡± and ¡°building a second Homeloss,¡± as well as a ¡°Deep Abyss¡± plan, which seemed to have also led to the queen¡¯s abandonment by her allies¡­ But he had never heard Goat Head mention these things!


    Goat Head often boasted to him about the ¡°great deeds of the Homeloss,¡± like how many ships it swallowed on which route, how much commotion it caused in which City-State¡ªeven though eight out of ten of his stories were not reliable. But if a City-State ruler had ever ¡°colluded¡± with the Homeloss, he would have mentioned it long ago¡ªGoat Head could make up three thousand words about nothing, let alone such a big matter!


    Unless¡­ that story was false, a crime fabricated by the rebels against the queen.


    ¡°Captain? Captain, are you alright?¡±


    Alice¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side, interrupting Duncan¡¯s wild thoughts.


    Duncan exhaled softly, forcibly suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and glanced at Alice, trying to find a trace of the Frost Queen, Lei Nora. But he shook his head shortly after, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just saw a bit of ¡®record¡¯ preserved in the coffin.¡±


    ¡°Record?¡± Alice asked with widened eyes, curious, ¡°What kind of record is it?¡±


    ¡°The moment the Frost Queen was beheaded, half a century ago,¡± Duncan said indifferently, ¡°I saw her¡ªindeed identical to you.¡±


    Alice instinctively touched her neck, the doll miss unsure whether to feel nervous or to think it¡¯s nothing unusual, struggled for a while before finally managing to say, ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m really that Frost Queen? That I didn¡¯t die after being beheaded but was transformed by Transcendent powers into my current form?¡±


    Duncan thought for a long time and spoke honestly, ¡°If you remain silent, motionless, and just lie quietly in this box, I might indeed think so.¡±


    Alice responded, then didn¡¯t quite catch on.


    However, she quickly dismissed this doubt from her mind and seriously looked at her own ¡°Spiritual Coffin.¡± ¡°So, after you burned it with¡­ ¡®fire,¡¯ did it undergo any changes? Did you successfully control it?¡±


    Duncan then refocused his attention on the wooden box and carefully sensed the residual connection between himself and the box.


    The fire had receded, yet the traces left by the flames were permanent.


    In his intangible perception, he could clearly ¡°see¡± the mark he left in the Spiritual Coffin and feel the delicate strands of connection between him and it. This was somewhat similar to his link with the mutated Sun Emblem, but even more complex and subtle.


    Putting aside the huge mystery brought about by the information recorded in the Spiritual Coffin, he had indeed established a connection with it. However, unlike the structurally simple Sun Emblem, he was clueless about how to control the Spiritual Coffin.


    He couldn¡¯t even sense the existence of an option to ¡°control¡± it.


    He could only be sure of one thing: The Spiritual Coffin was now very stable, very¡­ ¡°tame.¡±


    After the touch of flame, it seemed to have been completely ¡°tamed,¡± just like¡­ a part of Homeloss.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, perhaps we need further testing to know if it¡¯s safe, and then more tests to determine whether the ¡®Beheading¡¯ effect originates from the Spiritual Coffin or you,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°But from what I can feel now, it¡¯s very ¡®subdued,¡¯ just like the other items on Homeloss¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he turned to look at the doll beside him.


    ¡°The key now is you¡ªdo you feel anything abnormal?¡±


    Alice curiously pointed at herself, ¡°Me? I don¡¯t feel anything, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°You and your wooden box were originally one entity, you together are ¡®Anomaly 099.¡¯ Now that I¡¯ve usurped the Spiritual Coffin¡¯s permissions with fire, you, this doll, might be affected,¡± Duncan looked at Alice earnestly; he knew the doll responded slowly and thus had gradually grown accustomed to explaining things clearly to her, ¡°Move your body, and tell me if anything feels off.¡±


    It was only then that Alice realized what was happening and hastily got up to check herself. She ran around the room twice and then jumped in place. Finally, she returned to the front of the box and beckoned to her Spirit Coffin.


    The wooden box didn¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s not obeying!¡± Alice exclaimed in shock, finally noticing a major issue, ¡°Before, it would float up whenever I commanded it to!¡±


    Duncan¡¯s heart stirred¡ªat the moment Alice beckoned to the wooden box, he indeed felt the Spiritual Coffin respond, but¡­


    The Spiritual Coffin was waiting for his command.


    His eyebrows twitched suddenly, and he felt a bit embarrassed, ¡°Possibly¡­ after the encounter with the fire of the Spiritual Body, the Spiritual Coffin now sees me as a higher-leveled ¡®master¡¯.¡±


    Alice stared dumbfounded at the captain in front of her, and then her expression visibly began to show hurt feelings.


    ¡°But no worries, I can lift my own restrictions on it,¡± Duncan saw the doll¡¯s pitiful expression and felt even more embarrassed, quickly waving his hand, ¡°It will still obey your commands.¡±


    Alice paused, then turned again to beckon to her wooden box¡ªthis time, she finally saw it respond to her commands as usual.


    Miss Doll immediately beamed with joy. After letting the box fall back to the ground, she immediately threw herself onto its lid, ¡°That¡¯s great! I thought you were going to be disobedient from now on!¡±


    With a nuanced expression, Duncan watched as Miss Doll swiftly transitioned through her emotions, and after a long pause, he managed to say, ¡°Sometimes¡­ I really envy your carefree attitude towards life.¡±


    After hearing the captain¡¯s words, Alice gave a puzzled look, took a while to react, and still didn¡¯t quite understand¡­


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    ¡°Never mind, as long as you¡¯re happy,¡± Duncan sighed, ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alice looked down at herself, ¡°I don¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all, and¡­ I even feel like it¡¯s better than before?¡±


    ¡°Better than before?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but I feel¡­ relaxed? And there¡¯s a feeling of peace and security?¡± Alice thought for a moment, trying hard to find the words to describe her feelings, ¡°It¡¯s kind of like the peace I felt lying inside the box, but now I¡¯m standing outside the box, and I feel just as secure¡­¡±


    As Doll voiced her thoughts, she didn¡¯t wait for Duncan to analyze and dismissed her own concerns with a nonchalant wave of her hand, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s not a bad thing anyway!¡±

 Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Chapter 102: Nemesis of the Goat Head

    Chapter 98: Chapter 102: Nemesis of the Goat Head


    Alice accepted very openly that her box had been remodeled into a part of the Homeloss, then quickly dismissed the matter of the Frost Queen, Lei Nora, from her mind¡ªthe extent of her open-mindedness left Duncan trailing in the dust.


    According to the doll-like lady herself, she was so composed because all of this was ¡°extraneous¡± to her.


    ¡°After all, I now reside on this ship and have no plans to leave, so it¡¯s no big deal that my box has become part of the Homeloss. The matter of the Frost Queen is even simpler¡ªI don¡¯t even know her,¡± Alice reassumed her seat on her wooden box cover, wearing a pleasant smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I am her or what kind of person she once was. After all, that was half a century ago¡­ Let history be history.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re at ease,¡± Duncan merely watched Alice¡¯s light purple eyes and nodded slowly after a long while.


    In the end, he chose not to bring up the ¡°details¡± echoed in the reverberations nor mentioned the words the Frost Queen, Lei Nora, uttered unexpectedly before her execution.


    After all, even if he had mentioned it, the doll-like lady surely would not know anything¡­ Her worry-free state was rather pleasant.


    ¡°That will do for now. We now have a preliminary understanding and control over your ¡®spiritual coffin,¡¯ but whether the beheading effect of ¡®anomaly 099¡¯ can also be controlled requires more tests in the future,¡± Duncan sighed softly, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Captain, take care~~¡±.


    Leaving Alice¡¯s room, Duncan returned to the deck, pondering the issues he had encountered as he slowly walked toward the captain¡¯s quarters.


    He had intended to confirm whether the beheading power of anomaly 099 was controllable, but in the end, he did not resolve this issue. Instead, he inadvertently stumbled upon a half-century-old chapter of history¡­ The Frost Queen, executed by the rebels, the charges of her collusion with Homeloss, and some mysterious ¡°Abyssal Plan¡± kept swirling in his mind, refusing to fade away.


    And aside from those, there was another matter that bothered him.


    Duncan reached into his chest and took out something.


    It was a small hairpin, resembling a silver-white feather surrounded by waves.


    In any case, it didn¡¯t seem like something a rugged male sailor would own.


    As he looked at it, he felt a distant and blurry sense of nostalgia. This hairpin¡­ seemed to hold a special significance for the ¡°real Captain Duncan¡±.


    With many questions in his mind, Duncan knew that he couldn¡¯t directly ask Goat Head about this.


    He kept the hairpin and returned to the captain¡¯s quarters heavy-hearted. Goat Head was still diligently controlling the ship there. To Duncan¡¯s surprise, Dove Ai Yi, who was supposed to stay in the bedroom, was also with him.


    The bird was arrogantly perched on Goat Head¡¯s horn, proudly rubbing its beak on Goat Head¡¯s forehead.


    As Duncan opened the door and saw this scene, he curiously asked, ¡°When did you two get so chummy?¡±


    The Dove flapped its wings arrogantly without saying a word, while the Goat Head creaked and turned its head around, its eyes made of Obsidian staring straight at Duncan: ¡°Great Captain¡­ Next time you walk with Ai Yi in the Spirit Realm, could you bring back some fries?¡±


    Duncan was taken aback, ¡°¡­why are you also starting with this ¡®fries¡¯ thing?¡±


    Goat Head¡¯s voice trembled slightly, ¡°Please, get some fries¡­ consider it for silencing your Dove¡­¡±


    Duncan stared dumbfounded at the bird and goat duo, guessing what might have happened, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°So, you¡¯ve finally met your nemesis, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed the subject seventy-six times! Seventy-six! I¡¯ve exhausted all my knowledge, reviewed a thousand years of history, discussed everything from poetry to cooking, from divine sacrifices to pig breeding! But all I get back is ¡®get some fries¡¯,¡± Goat Head¡¯s voice sounded almost desperate, ¡°How do you usually deal with this Dove?¡±


    ¡°Simple, just talk less with it. If you don¡¯t talk to it, it will quiet down soon enough,¡± Duncan shrugged, ¡°I guess you can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Goat Head thought for a moment and sighed, ¡°¡­then please, get some fries next time.¡±


    Duncan neither agreed nor disagreed but just waved at Ai Yi. The Dove immediately fluttered over and landed on his shoulder. Then he sat down in his chair and turned to Goat Head, seemingly casually, ¡°The ruler of Frost City-State half a century ago, Frost Queen Lei Nora¡ªdo you know anything about her?¡±


    ¡°The Frost Queen? The one executed by the rebels half a century ago?¡± Goat Head was momentarily stunned. ¡°I have indeed heard of this matter. It seems that decades ago we even fought a battle near there with them¡­ But aside from that, we haven¡¯t had more dealings. Why do you suddenly bring this up?¡±


    Duncan calmly gazed into Goat Head¡¯s eyes; he knew this ¡°first mate¡± was not lying.


    Goat Head was truly unaware of the affairs of the Frost Queen, as the Homeloss had never made contact with the Frost City-State.


    Not only had there been no contact, but the Homeloss had even clashed with that city-state¡¯s guard troops in the past¡ªas it had with other city-states and ships on different routes.


    Since in Goat Head¡¯s memory the Homeloss had never been an ally of the Frost City-State, it indicated that the charges the rebels pinned on the Frost Queen half a century ago were completely fabricated.


    Of course, to conclude this now might still be a bit premature after all; it¡¯s an old story from half a century ago, and buried history might still hold many twists and details. He is here with only the first mate¡¯s side of the story; this first mate might just be telling the truth as he knows it, but his knowledge might not necessarily be the whole truth¡ªthough none of this really mattered.


    Duncan wasn¡¯t intent on exonerating the Frost Queen from half a century ago right now; he merely wanted to know about matters related to the Homeloss and Alice.


    ¡°Did you know? Alice¡¯s appearance is identical to that of the Frost Queen from half a century ago¡ªthe so-called Anomaly 099, very likely born from the Endless Sea curse after the executed Frost Queen,¡± he casually spoke while playing with a pigeon perched on his shoulder, ¡°and the main ¡®charge¡¯ the Frost Queen faced back then was her collusion with the Homeloss.¡±


    Goat Head suddenly froze.


    It was rare for Duncan to see this fellow caught off-guard.


    ¡°Collusion with the Homeloss?!¡± After several seconds, Goat Head finally burst out laughing uproariously; he found the situation utterly ridiculous, ¡°Don¡¯t mind my loud laughter, but those human beings from the city-states are so foolish and weak, they probably blame the Homeloss¡¯s curse even if they trip while walking out the door! Such a ¡®charge¡¯ is ridiculously fabricated!¡±


    He paused, then continued: ¡°But you say Miss Alice looks a lot like that Frost Queen? That really is¡­ incredible. If Miss Alice truly is a transformation of that Frost Queen¡­ then this matter is filled with irony.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if there truly is such a connection, it is indeed filled with irony,¡± Duncan leaned back, resting comfortably against the back of his chair, ¡°The Frost Queen never had contact with the Homeloss during her lifetime, yet the rebels framed her with a charge of conspiring with the Homeloss. Now, half a century later, Alice has indeed become a crew member of the Homeloss¡ªthe crime those rebels forcefully pinned on her has transcendentally become a reality across time.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you rushed to find Miss Alice as soon as you returned; you found crucial information about Anomaly 099,¡± Goat Head immediately started to flatter, ¡°Truly worthy of the great Captain Duncan, each of your voyages always yields results! This reminds me of a saying by a navigator, or perhaps it was a¡­¡±


    Duncan quickly shot Goat Head a stern look and casually removed the pigeon from his shoulder, placing it in front of Goat Head: ¡°You two chat.¡±


    Goat Head: ¡°¡­!?¡±


    ¡­


    Inside the central cathedral of Plunder City-State, Fenna handed a document she had just signed to her attendant: ¡°Deliver this document to the western church¡ªthis is the last search warrant.¡±


    The young guardian warrior took the document: ¡°Yes, Judge.¡±


    Fenna sighed softly, moving her slightly stiff neck from handling paperwork. It felt more tiring than dealing with pens than swinging a greatsword and battling heretics.


    At the edge of the desk, an oil lamp was quietly burning, and bluish smoke was curling up from a brass incense burner¡ªtwo essential protective measures for handling paperwork at night¡ªeven within the sacred cathedral.


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    ¡°Hope no more troubles arise tonight.¡±


    The young miss Judge stretched and couldn¡¯t help murmuring.


    As if in response to her murmur, just as Fenna¡¯s words fell, a slightly frantic and sharp bell sound suddenly came from the direction of the main building of the cathedral!


    The guardian warrior, who had just taken the document and hadn¡¯t yet left the room, stopped in his tracks upon hearing the bell. He looked out the window in confusion, then back to his superior, who had only half stretched: ¡°The night bell tolls¡­ What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the summoning bell,¡± Fenna quickly discerned the message conveyed by the bell, her expression turning serious, ¡°Seven consecutive short rings, from the ¡®Tomb of the Nameless King¡¯¡­ Could it be that a new anomaly or apparition has been discovered?¡±

 Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Chapter 103: The Tomb of the Nameless King

    Chapter 99: Chapter 103: The Tomb of the Nameless King


    The evening bells rang three times, and before the third toll, Fenna had already arrived at the cathedral.


    The old bishop Valentin had been waiting there, a highly respected elder draped in a black cleric¡¯s robe, silently standing in prayer before the statue of the Storm Goddess Gomona. Hearing someone enter the sanctuary, he didn¡¯t turn around, knowing it was Fenna.


    ¡°Fenna the Judge,¡± Valentin said gravely, ¡°The Storm Cathedral has issued an order to summon the Listener.¡±


    ¡°The Storm Cathedral itself?¡± Fenna exclaimed in surprise, quickly stepping in front of the statue, bathing herself in the bright glow of the lamps. ¡°Can it be that they¡¯ve found new anomalies or omens?¡±


    ¡°If it were merely new anomalies or omens, the bells would not have rung three times,¡± Valentin shook his head. ¡°It is the Tomb Guardian from the ¡®Crypt¡¯ who has sent the message directly, stating that there is some activity with the body of the unnamed king. Although it¡¯s still unclear what message He intends to convey, it seems¡­ the existing list of names is undergoing changes.¡±


    As he spoke, the old bishop turned his head and quietly looked into Fenna¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This time we need to send a Listener into the inner parts of the Crypt, to receive intelligence directly from the body of the unnamed king. Currently, the rotation falls to the Deep Sea Church, and the Listener will be selected from the followers of the Storm Goddess¡ª the specific individual has not yet been determined, both you and I are on the list of candidates.¡±


    Fenna composed herself and calmly asked, ¡°When do we depart?¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Valentin nodded and gestured for Fenna to follow. He walked towards the back of the goddess¡¯s statue, where a door embellished with many Holy Symbols was already open, revealing a long and profound corridor beyond. ¡°The Spiritual Energy channel is ready.¡±


    Fenna bowed to the statue of Gomona, then turned and followed the old bishop¡¯s footsteps.


    They passed through that door, and the long corridor, until two devout Believers reached the deepest part of the ancient church¡ªa special chamber located at the end of the corridor.


    This was a small room, unlike the cement and brick structure of the main church, this diminutive chamber was constructed entirely of stone. The gray, irregular stones fitted tightly together to form the walls and roof of the room. In the center of the room was a recessed fire pit where flames crackled and burnt vigorously¡ªbut no fuel could be seen at the base of the flames, as if they were conjured from the air.


    Aside from the central flame, there was no furniture in the entire chamber, only the continuous, faint sound of flowing water coming from nowhere in particular. Every wall appeared damp, and even the floor seemed constantly traversed by tiny flowing streams¡ªgiving the sensation that this stone chamber wasn¡¯t just any room within the cathedral, but rather¡­ a submerged cavern beneath the sea.


    Fenna, not her first time in this chamber¡ªas a Judge of the City-State, with status equal to a bishop¡¯s, she also had the right to use the ¡°Spiritual Energy channel¡± here. This inconspicuous room was, in fact, the ¡°portal¡± for constructing the Spiritual Energy channel.


    In the central church of each City-State, there were facilities like this, and each congregation had similar technologies¡ªthe priests of the Storm Goddess used such ¡°submerged caverns,¡± whereas the priests of the God of Death constructed interconnected pathways in ¡°pale crypts.¡± These seemingly grim and oppressive installations actually performed a miraculous function: they could extract the user¡¯s spirit and transport it into a vast, interconnected realm of Spiritual Energy. No matter how distant these City-States lay from one another, no matter how fierce the storms on the Endless Sea.


    It was a miracle realized with the gods¡¯ blessings, allowing churches spread far across the Endless Sea to communicate promptly, and in more ancient times, when ocean-going vessels were not as reliable as they are now, this was the only means many City-States had to maintain communication and confirm each other¡¯s survival.


    The door to the chamber slowly closed, the heavy, dark metal door emitting a dull thud. The complex runes inscribed on the twin doors began to race across the surface, intertwining and gnashing like living entities, sealing the room completely.


    Fenna and Valentin stood together by the fire pit at the center of the room. They lowered their heads, gazing at the leaping sacred flames, silently reciting the holy name of the Storm Goddess Gomona.


    The phantom sound of flowing water came continuously from all around, growing louder with the chanting of the holy name. Gradually, the sound of flowing water merged into the sound of waves, even starting to roar, while a damp scent filled the room. As the heaviness of the moist air intensified, Fenna saw the trickling streams on the ground suddenly swell into churning waves, rising rapidly.


    She watched the flames in the center of the room, burning fiercely as ever amid the rising waves.


    Fenna closed her eyes, serenely allowing the illusory seawater to completely submerge her.


    The icy sensation quickly vanished, and when she opened her eyes again, she no longer saw the rock chamber like a submerged cavern, but instead a vastly wide space of chaos¡ªan apparent plaza, boundless and majestic, supported by numerous grand columns in the distance. The tops of these columns appeared shattered and dispersed into the distant sky, and a muddled flow of light shrouded the space above the plaza. Something seemed hidden in the depths of that light, yet it was beyond the reach of mortal eyes.


    Fenna steadied her spirit, and she saw that the plaza was already filled with many figures¡ªmerely silhouettes of black shadows. Although their faces were indiscernible, through the familiar aura each shadow radiated, she could confirm that they were all devout saints of the Storm Goddess¡ªfrom various City-States as well as from the various mobile cathedrals and even the saints from the Storm Cathedral.


    Only ¡°saints¡± could become the alternative ¡°Listeners¡±¡ªbecause some ¡°voices¡± can only be fully heard by powerful saints while maintaining clarity of mind.


    ¡°It seems we are the last to arrive,¡± a shadowy figure approached, drifting in and out of solidity. Fenna recognized him as Bishop Valentin before he even spoke. The old man¡¯s tone seemed slightly embarrassed, ¡°The last time there was a meeting, I was also the last to arrive¡­¡±


    ¡°Do the saints from other City-States live in secret chambers or what¡­¡± Fenna muttered under her breath, ¡°every time the convocation is announced, it takes less than ten minutes for them to gather half the people¡­¡±


    ¡°Since twenty years ago, when Saint Folson wrote ¡®first¡¯ on the register at the meeting site, they¡¯ve started competing to arrive early,¡± Valentin shook his head, ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t understand it¡­ the Goddess won¡¯t grant any special attention for this.¡±


    Fenna expressed neither agreement nor disagreement, but at that moment, a sudden roar arose from the end of the crowd, interrupting her thoughts as well as the conversations among the shadowy saints.


    Fenna and Valentin simultaneously looked up, only to see the ground in the center of the plaza rising¡ªan ancient, shattered cobblestone began to ripple like water waves. Amidst the overlapping ripples, a massive object rose rapidly, first the pale spire, followed by its tilting stone walls and primitive columns.


    In almost an instant, the object entered Fenna¡¯s full view¡ªa massive building constructed of giant pale stones.


    It was a gloomy ¡°palace,¡± a structure erected in an already lost epoch, its silhouette embodying a pyramid at the core, surrounded by numerous obelisks and towers. No City-State on earth featured such an architectural style, and its low and oppressive atmosphere did not seem designed for the living.


    To call it a palace was perhaps less accurate than calling it a vast tomb.


    In fact, it was indeed a tomb¡ªa mausoleum belonging to some ancient and powerful being.


    Like everyone else, Fenna¡¯s gaze uncontrollably fell upon the base of the great pyramid. Under the watch of countless eyes, the mausoleum¡¯s gates finally began to open slowly.


    The heavy, pale stone doors receded to either side, revealing a very tall figure slowly walking out from within.


    That was the Tomb Guardian of the Nameless King¡¯s burial chamber.


    In Fenna¡¯s eyes, it was difficult to say whether ¡°he¡± was still a living human.


    His body was wrapped in layers of mummification linen, half of his body and linen blackened as though scorched. The other half was entwined with heavy rune shackles, the somber chains extending directly from his flesh, their tips twined with pulsating veins and nerves¡ªthis ancient Tomb Guardian, a terrifying creature made of flesh, iron restraint, and deathly curse, stepped out from the Nameless King¡¯s tomb, taking heavy footsteps towards the gathered shadows in the plaza.


    Despite it not being her first time seeing the ¡°Tomb Guardian,¡± Fenna subconsciously took a breath, feeling her muscles tense.


    Then, she saw the Tomb Guardian head straight towards her.


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    The choice had been made.


    Without hesitation, the Tomb Guardian passed by everyone in the plaza, halting before Fenna. His head, entwined with linen and chains, bore only one exposed eye, which calmly looked at her¡ªeven though Fenna was already quite tall, the Tomb Guardian still towered a full head above her.


    ¡°You, may enter the burial chamber,¡± the Tomb Guardian spoke, his voice as hoarse as if coming from a corpse. He then raised his right hand, which looked scorched by fire, clutching a feathered pen and a roll of parchment.


    ¡°Record what you hear,¡± the Tomb Guardian instructed succinctly.


    (Mama mia!)

 Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 104: The Note

    Chapter 100: Chapter 104: The Note


    Looking at the feather pen and parchment handed to her by the Tomb Guardian, Fenna took a deep breath to quickly steady her emotions.


    ¡°How long may I stay inside?¡± she looked up and stared at the nameless Tomb Guardian.


    The Tomb Guardian slightly bowed his head, this being that simultaneously embodied life and death seemed to seriously judge the strength of the soul before him and gave a chilling response, ¡°A moment, or eternity.¡±


    This answer implied that the message soon to be conveyed from the tomb would be brief and singular, yet it might point towards a very dangerous ¡°origin¡±, where the Listener risked death.


    Fenna nodded slightly and withdrew her gaze from the Tomb Guardian.


    She stepped towards the massive tomb not far away, with the Tomb Guardian following close behind. Rusted chains dragged on the ground, screeching sharply, while the gathered shadows in the plaza merely watched silently as a chosen saint approached the sepulcher.


    Before the tomb¡¯s grand entrance, Fenna stopped. She looked up at the towering pale stone doors, whose ancient, desolate aura subtly moved her.


    She had not seen the tomb for the first time in a Spiritual Energy congregation, but it was her first time being chosen to enter the tomb as ¡°the Listener.¡±


    Anomaly 004, ¡°Tomb of the Nameless King¡± ¡ª this ancient sepulcher, situated in some bizarre temporal rift, wasn¡¯t under the control of the Deep Sea Church. Instead, it was guarded and shared in turn by various orthodoxies. From the outside, it had the distinct architecture of the Ancient Crete Kingdom, and current evidence suggested that the tomb indeed was a legacy left by that ancient kingdom ¡ª yet no one knew who built it; nor did anyone understand why this ancient tomb had turned into an ¡°anomaly.¡±


    People only knew that the master of the tomb would intermittently convey some messages to the outside world. The contamination carried by these messages, in most cases, was lethal to mortals. And yet, these messages were reliable, precise, even able to directly reveal the ¡°true information¡± of certain powerful anomalies and phenomena.


    Whenever the master of the tomb conveyed a message, a Tomb Guardian would emerge from the sepulcher and select a Listener to enter the tomb ¡ª the Tomb Guardian himself was part of Anomaly 004, nameless, dutifully committed, and keeper of secrets. He would prioritize souls close to the congregation plaza, but if none were there, he would take willing candidates from all over the world.


    In the days before the patterns of Anomaly 004 were summarized, such ¡°random selections¡± had claimed hundreds of lives ¡ª until thousands of years ago, the emergence of a natural-born saint broke this terrible cycle for the first time.


    That saint returned alive from the Tomb of the Nameless King to the world of the living and disclosed the first sacred gift from the ¡°Nameless King¡±: the original list of anomalies and phenomena.


    While it was common knowledge that the classification and list of anomalies and phenomena were gifts from the Ancient Crete Kingdom left for posterity, few knew that this gift actually entered the world through such means ¡ª the ancient kingdom left behind Anomaly 004, which, after hundreds and thousands of failed summons, succeeded in publishing the initial catalog.


    And since then, the churches gradually grasped the method of approaching the tomb via Spiritual Energy congregations and actively sending saints to become ¡°Listeners,¡± thus rendering this ancient anomaly relatively safe for human use.


    ¡°Enter the tomb, prepare to listen,¡± came the Tomb Guardian¡¯s deep and hoarse voice from behind. Fenna then stepped forward.


    The sound of the stone doors slowly closing came from behind, and the breath of the Tomb Guardian also dissipated into the air at the same time ¡ª the ancient custodian merged back into the tomb, now monitoring through invisible senses every move of the soul that had entered the grave.


    Pale flames ignited on either side of the corridor leading to the burial chamber, and Fenna walked along the path lit by the flames towards the heart of the tomb, her eyes scanning the walls on either side where one could faintly see¡­ ¡°carvings¡± as if etched out forcibly with fingernails.


    ¡°Move straight ahead, do not look back.¡±


    ¡°Do not ask the Tomb Guardian about the identity or name of the master of the tomb.¡±


    ¡°Do not run, do not shout, do not pray to any deities.¡±


    ¡°Maintain humility and reverence, but do not kneel.¡±


    ¡°Once in the burial chamber, do not speak.¡±


    These were warnings left over innumerable ages by countless ¡°Listeners¡± ¡ª in ancient times, the vast majority of Listeners died on this very path, and only one in a hundred or even one in a thousand might be strong enough to leave these ¡°instructions¡± as a warning for posterity before their own death.


    These precious pieces of ¡°advice¡± had already been written in the books used by various churches to train saints, and Fenna knew them by heart, daring not to forget a single word or phrase.


    However, at this moment, Fenna suddenly became curious again¡ªshe had heard of the advice left by her ancestors in this crypt, yet she hadn¡¯t expected to find only these pieces of advice. What about those who had become hysterical, those who had fallen into insanity, those who had lost hope in despair and had desperately pleaded or even rabidly destroyed? Had they not left any traces in this crypt?


    Human nature is complex. Before the churches successfully controlled vision 004, Tomb Guardians had brought hundreds, perhaps thousands of people here. Among those people, there surely must have been some who experienced mental breakdowns, some who cursed their fates, and it would have been unavoidable for some to leave behind mad ravings or even curses on the walls of the crypt¡­ but along the way, all Fenna had seen were the encouragements and reminders left by her forebears, as though¡­


    Only those steadfast and noble souls were allowed to leave their mark here.


    Fenna was somewhat puzzled in her heart, but in the end, did not call out to the Tomb Guardian to ask about her doubts.


    In theory, she could have spoken to the Tomb Guardian during the crypt phase; this would not have violated the ¡°rules¡± of the tomb. The Tomb Guardians themselves indeed had records of responding to visitors and proactively answering questions, but this was the first time Fenna had entered here as a listener. She was very cautious and did not dare to do anything unnecessary.


    So, under this nerve-wracking condition, the young Judge finally arrived at the end of the crypt¡ªthrough the flickering light ahead, she could already see the ¡°Tomb of the Nameless King¡± in its deepest part.


    She stepped across the stone doorway at the end of the hallway.


    A broad and primitive tomb chamber appeared before her eyes.


    Within the vast pyramid-shaped room, the sloping pale stone walls were covered with unclear patterns. Two rows of dark brown metal braziers were distributed on both sides of the entrance, burning with pale flames and emitting a hazy smoke, yet in the center of the tomb chamber, there was no sign of a coffin or anything of the sort¡ªthere was only a stone chair, and upon that chair sat the tomb¡¯s master.


    It was a headless body, seemingly that of a large man¡ªhis limbs were firmly bound by chains, his arms and chest covered with thick black fur, like that of an animal. His feet were deformed and twisted, resembling the misshapen limbs of an animal, or as if they had been scorched by flames, presenting a charred and rotting appearance.


    The body sat quietly on the throne, seemingly unresponsive to Fenna¡¯s visit.


    But Fenna remembered what she had been taught. The moment she saw that ¡°Nameless King,¡± she took out the parchment and the quill pen, concentrating her mind to prepare for the imminent spiritual contamination, while getting ready to record what she would hear¡­


    Fenna opened her eyes.


    She saw herself lying on the ground of the gathering square, where distant and towering broken pillars connected the chaotic sky with the fractured earth, and further away, groups of dark figures were gathering.


    A few shadows were moving toward her, one of which appeared to be Bishop Valentin.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake. Leave,¡± said the hoarse and low voice of the Tomb Guardian, suddenly coming from beside her. Fenna, startled and struggling, lifted her head and to her shock, realized she was lying at the entrance of vision 004. In the corner of her eye, she saw the tall Tomb Guardian turning to enter the stone door of the tomb, followed by a thunderous rumble¡ªthe massive tomb structure rapidly sinking beside her and disappearing into the ground of the square.


    Fenna had yet to comprehend what had happened when a few shadows had already reached her side, one of which spoke with Bishop Valentin¡¯s voice: ¡°Fenna, are you all right? I saw you walking out of the tomb and then you just fainted at the door¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Fenna slowly propped up her body, feeling as if all her strength had been drained out, but now it was gradually returning, which helped her mind to slowly clear up, ¡°How long was I inside?¡±


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    ¡°A moment,¡± said another saintly figure solemnly beside her. ¡°You entered the door, then the door closed for a moment, and next you walked back out from inside.¡±


    Fenna stared for a moment, then she heard Bishop Valentin speak again: ¡°What about the parchment? What did you write down?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, the parchment!¡± Fenna finally became fully alert and immediately felt something indeed in her hand. She quickly raised her hand, and in the next second, her gaze froze.


    The initially whole piece of parchment in her hand had, for some reason, been torn to just a few centimeters long scraps, and on the tiny scrap of paper, there were only a few hasty numbers and letters:


    ¡°Anomaly 099 ¨C Puppet.¡±

 Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Chapter 105 After the Dissolution of the Assembly

    Chapter 101: Chapter 105 After the Dissolution of the Assembly


    ¡°`


    Anomalous Item 099-Doll.


    This was the only content on the parchment, the only piece of information Fenna had brought back after returning from the Tomb of the Nameless King.


    At the sight of those few scribbled letters, Fenna¡¯s expression became somewhat blank. She could feel that Bishop Valentin, standing at her side, along with several other figures, was similarly plunged into astonishment. After a brief silence, one of the saints¡¯ dark shadows finally spoke up with a heavy voice, ¡°An existing ¡®anomaly¡¯ has been altered out of thin air¡­ and it happened beyond the gaze of the civilized world.¡±


    ¡°It has fallen into the hands of Homeloss,¡± another saint nodded in agreement, ¡°Perhaps that Ghost Ship captain did something¡­¡±


    ¡°But what kind of change could have produced such a result?¡± The saint who had spoken earlier appeared worried. ¡°The difference between a ¡®Doll Coffin¡¯ and a ¡®Doll¡¯ isn¡¯t just a few letters¡­ and this change has directly touched the Tomb of the Nameless King, even causing the Tomb Guardian to suddenly summon listeners to enter the tomb chamber to convey this piece of information¡­¡±


    The saints were discussing seriously in hushed tones, their gazes eventually converging back on Fenna. She had by now gradually recovered and, with the help of Bishop Valentin, stood up, looking at the remaining scrap of parchment in her hand, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember at all what happened in the tomb chamber, only that I was walking through the tomb corridor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very common to forget experiences in the tomb chamber; it¡¯s your psyche protecting itself. That¡¯s why listeners need the parchment and feather pen provided by the Tomb Guardian to record useful information,¡± Bishop Valentin slowly explained. ¡°But for your parchment to be left with only these few words¡­ that¡¯s rather odd.¡±


    Fenna stared blankly at her own hands for a long while before muttering hesitantly, ¡°Was it me who tore up the parchment¡­¡±


    ¡°In theory, it could only be you,¡± Bishop Valentin looked at her. ¡°There would be no one else in the tomb. The Tomb Guardian never interferes with the communication between listeners and the master of the tomb chamber, and the tomb chamber master would do no more than convey a message.¡±


    Fenna¡¯s heart was filled with confusion, but before she could say more, a deep and solemn female voice suddenly came from the edge of the square, interrupting the saints¡¯ exchange, ¡°The moment to end the gathering is near.¡±


    The saints immediately stood erect and looked toward the direction of the voice. Fenna quickly composed herself and looked toward the figure at the far end of the square who had uttered the sound¡ªa woman in what seemed to be regal attire, stood there in silence, watching the gathering of saints.


    The woman¡¯s silhouette had no attendants by her side. Alone, she exuded sufficient dignity and presence. Her silhouette, like the other ¡°souls,¡± was also a black shadow, but her shadow was clearer and more solid than anyone else¡¯s, solid enough that one could vaguely make out the contours of her face, identifying her as a woman of grace and elegance.


    Fenna bowed slightly to the figure with reverence.


    That was the leader of the Deep Sea Church, the Storm Goddess Gomona¡¯s proxy in the mortal realm, the Pontiff of the Storm Cathedral. This Transcendent, blessed by the divine, was so powerful that her soul had undergone a transformation, and she could even present a complete human appearance in this gathering of Spiritual Energy.


    Bear in mind that even the ¡°saints,¡± whose powers far exceed those of ordinary Transcendents, could barely maintain a human outline in this council.


    Fenna felt the Pontiff¡¯s gaze on her.


    ¡°You have done well, Saint Fenna,¡± the Pontiff nodded gently, her voice authoritative yet kind, alleviating Fenna¡¯s slightly despondent mood, ¡°Listeners bringing back any amount of information from the tomb chamber is always uncontrollable. And often, the information listeners bring back isn¡¯t limited to what is written on the parchment.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that¡­¡± Fenna looked up curiously, boldly asking.


    ¡°The less content left on the parchment, the more dangerous the message from the tomb chamber master, it¡¯s your spiritual warning driving you. It made you destroy the words you had written in the tomb chamber to prevent those dangerous truths from being revealed¡­ Having this piece of information is enough. It¡¯s sufficient for the Storm Cathedral to use as a reference when plotting our future course, and to offer special prayers to our Lord for guidance.¡±


    Fenna listened intently to the Pontiff¡¯s words; her mind gradually settled.


    She knew this was not just empty comfort¡ªthe Pontiff wouldn¡¯t do something meaningless. If her Eminence said so, it meant that the Goddess had, to a certain extent, approved of this matter.


    She had brought back information of sufficient value from the Tomb of the Nameless King.


    ¡°Disperse for now,¡± the graceful lady said softly, ¡°This gathering is concluded. The Storm Cathedral will carefully evaluate the signal conveyed by Anomalous Item 004¡ªshould the need arise, I will issue a decree or once again convene the saints.¡±


    ¡°`


    Fenna quickly refocused her mind and bowed respectfully in the direction of the Pope before her figure gradually dissipated in this vast and chaotic space. The other saints¡¯ figures followed closely after, one silhouette after another vanishing from the square. In the blink of an eye, silence returned to the place.


    In the vast assembly area, only the ancient and cracked stone bricks, pillars supporting the chaotic firmament, and the spiritual projection of the Storm Pope Helena remained.


    This Pope, blessed by Gomona, had not left. After dismissing the assembly, she stood quietly in the square, motionless, staring at the empty space in the middle of the square.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Helena suddenly turned her head to look not far from her side¡ªwhere the air began to ripple like water waves. In an instant, a tall and thin figure appeared in her sight.


    The tall and lean figure seemed to be dressed in robes, and just like Helena, his features were faintly discernible¡ªit was a stern and elderly male.


    Following this, another figure appeared beside the tall and elderly man, a short and chubby old man, with a recognizable face and a friendly smile.


    ¡°Banster,¡± Helena first nodded to the tall and solemn old man, and then turned to the short and chubby old man with a friendly smile, ¡°Rune¡ªwhat, you all have some free time? Aren¡¯t the death faction and the Academy of Truth supposed to patrol the borders?¡±


    ¡°The border has been stable recently, with reliable surveillance left in place,¡± said Banster, the tall and elderly man, succinctly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve temporarily handed over the task of patrolling the borders to trustworthy people,¡± the short, chubby old man called Rune added, nodding, ¡°We primarily came to check on your situation¡­ It looks like the civilized world is not so peaceful.¡±


    ¡°The last time a situation like this occurred at a tomb, it was also during the watch of the Deep Sea Church,¡± Banster said expressionlessly, ¡°Was it a hundred years ago?¡±


    ¡°Feigning ignorance,¡± Helena said calmly, ¡°Of course, it was a hundred years ago¡ªthat was when I entered the tomb as a listener. I wasn¡¯t the Helmsman of the Storm Cathedral back then, I remember it very clearly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you went in last time; I also remember it very well,¡± Rune, the short and chubby old man, stroked his beard, reflecting with some emotion, ¡°You were thrown out of the tomb as soon as you entered, disoriented for a long time before regaining clarity. And just like that young lady today, the parchment you brought into the tomb was left with only a small scrap of paper with a few hastily scribbled letters¡­ Helena, do you still remember the message you brought from the tomb a century ago?¡±


    The Helmsman of the Storm Cathedral fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, ¡°I remember very clearly¡ª¡¯Vision 005-Homeloss¡¯.¡±


    Rune nodded gently, ¡°Exactly, you were the first to bring back the news that Homeloss had turned into a vision¡­ And the few letters you brought back were confirmed just a month later. The phantom of the Homeloss swept past the edge of the death faction¡¯s grand graveyard, and poor Banster watched helplessly as his newly built and not yet inaugurated escort ship was swallowed whole, leaving nothing but the ribbon used for the cutting ceremony¡­¡±


    The leader of the death faction, Pope Banster, looked expressionlessly at Rune.


    Helena, as though she hadn¡¯t heard Rune¡¯s last few words, remained lost in thought. After a long while, she slowly began, ¡°Whether it¡¯s ¡®dolls¡¯ or ¡®doll coffins,¡¯ they are just an ¡®anomaly¡¯ ranked close to the hundredth place, incomparable to the fifth-ranked vision.¡±


    ¡°There is no comparison, but you also know, the key issue isn¡¯t the information left on the paper¡ªit¡¯s those parts that couldn¡¯t be left behind,¡± Rune said, his expression gradually becoming serious, ¡°It¡¯s those truths that could verge on breaking the spirit of a saint, forcing an instinctive drive to destroy and bury them in the tomb¡­ The name changed from Doll Coffin to Doll for Anomaly 099, which in itself isn¡¯t much, but it¡¯s the related yet hidden information that is truly fatal¡­¡±


    ¡°The only speculation now is that it¡¯s related to that Ghost Ship,¡± Helena said, ¡°But a few days ago, when I sought enlightenment from the Lord¡­¡±


    She suddenly stopped, then shook her head as if deciding not to continue the topic.


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    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Frem come?¡± she looked at the two figures in front of her, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he always enjoy a spectacle?¡±


    ¡°Frem and his Fire Transmitter Church are busy with something very important,¡± Rune said with a smile, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do for all the leaders of the four orthodox churches to gather here for the excitement¡­¡±


    ¡°Something very important?¡± Helena frowned, ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Patrolling the borders,¡± Banster stated tersely.


    Helena: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Chapter 106 Duncans Gift

    Chapter 102: Chapter 106 Duncan¡¯s Gift


    The illusory seawater disappeared as swiftly as a dreamscape at dawn, and Fenna¡¯s spirit returned to her body once more. After taking a deep breath, she abruptly opened her eyes and saw that she was still standing in that stone chamber, resembling an underwater cave, with a raging fire burning before her.


    She turned to her side and saw Bishop Valentin also opening his eyes.


    The memory from the assembly of Spiritual Energy was still vivid in her mind. Fenna instinctively looked at the palm of her hand¡ªof course, it was empty. The piece of parchment that only existed at the assembly site had not been brought into the real world.


    ¡°We had only just issued a notification, informing the captains of the distant seas about the ¡®Puppet Coffin¡¯ going out of control,¡± Bishop Valentin sighed, ¡°and now it seems we have to issue a new notification.¡±


    Fenna moved her wrist slightly, contemplatively looking at the bishop, ¡°The question is¡­ how should the notification be written? Apart from the fact that Anomaly 099¡¯s name has changed, we know nothing¡­¡±


    The old bishop didn¡¯t speak immediately, evidently finding it a rather thorny issue as well.


    Fenna had brought back a message from Vision 004, but that message was merely the new name of Anomaly 099. Perhaps she had indeed heard more comprehensive information from the tomb¡¯s owner, or even the new traits after Anomaly 099 was renamed ¡°Puppet,¡± but that part of the content had clearly been left forever in the main tomb chamber with the shredded parchment.


    ¡°At this stage, we can only announce the situation of Anomaly 099¡¯s renaming from ¡®Puppet Coffin¡¯ to ¡®Puppet,¡¯ and revise the description of all traits of Anomaly 099 as ¡®possible mutations,¡¯¡± Valentin finally said after a long silence, ¡°Being an anomaly within the first hundred, its change of name is certain to bring about a series of chain reactions. Its power, triggering conditions, sealing conditions, and even external traits are very likely to have changed as well. To continue treating it according to old intelligence could be disastrous¡­¡±


    Fenna silently nodded her head.


    The number of Anomaly 099 had not changed, and its absolute dangerousness and eerie level may not have varied greatly, but to humanity, it had now transformed from a known anomaly to an unknown one¡ªthe experience built upon countless human lives was thus rendered useless, and ¡°unknown¡±¡­ had become its greatest danger.


    If after the last notification, the captains upon the Endless Sea encountering Anomaly 099 still had a chance to try and recontain and seal the ¡°Puppet Coffin¡± using old data, then starting today¡­ the only choice for anyone encountering the ¡°Puppet¡± was to immediately get away and hope that the Four Orthodox Guardians could seal it again.


    The chamber fell silent for a while as both Fenna and Valentin pondered their own thoughts. After some unknown length of time, Fenna suddenly broke the silence, ¡°¡­All numbers of anomalies and visions originated from Vision 004, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Valentin nodded, ¡°Why do you suddenly ask?¡±


    ¡°I am thinking¡­ about the anonymous corpse in that tomb and the always silent Tomb Guardian, exactly ¡®who¡¯ they are,¡± Fenna mused, ¡°They are clearly not human, nor even beings from this reality¡ªnot gods, nor the shadow of ancient deities in the Subspace¡­ Why would a vision capable of interacting with the outside world ¡®help¡¯ humanity in this way? And how did the owner of the tomb ascertain the list of anomalies and visions?¡±


    Valentin looked into Fenna¡¯s eyes, and only after she rattled off all her questions did he sigh, ¡°This is your first time entering the interior of the tomb as a listener. Most people, like you, will leave with many such questions¡­ Unfortunately, as the years go by, while our understanding of anomalies and visions has grown, the essence of Vision 004 remains beyond reach. That tomb¡­ it never explains information related to itself.¡±


    ¡°I recall you also entered that tomb,¡± Fenna turned her head, curiously looking at the old bishop, ¡°What was the information you brought back? Was it also related to anomalies or visions?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Valentin shook his head, ¡°While in most cases, the information revealed by the tomb is related to anomalies or visions, the owner of the tomb occasionally conveys other things, sometimes even very¡­ odd and useless information. When summoned by the Tomb Guardian, no one can be certain what the owner of the tomb wants to communicate, the only certainty is that the information from the tomb is genuine¡­¡±


    Fenna still looked at the old bishop with curiosity, ¡°So, what was the information you brought back¡­?¡±


    The bishop seemed a bit conflicted, ¡°It wasn¡¯t very useful, just¡­ a single sentence¡­¡±


    The bishop¡¯s intent to avoid was obvious, but Fenna was a persistent person and did not pick up on the old man¡¯s attitude, ¡°So what was it specifically?¡±


    Valentin reluctantly glanced at the persistent Judge and spread his hands, ¡°July 24th, clear weather in Prand, southeast wind at force four to six¡­¡±


    Fenna: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that; sometimes the messages are just like this,¡± Valentin covered his forehead, ¡°anomalies and apparitions are unpredictable, and this ¡®unpredictable¡¯ manifests in all sorts of ways. I just happened to catch a particularly special one¡­ If you¡¯re going to laugh, could you turn around? I¡¯m already at such an age¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Fenna strained to keep a straight face, then turned away before adding, ¡°But to be honest, I¡¯m kind of jealous. Even a simple weather forecast would be better than the bizarre and eerie experiences of today¡ªno news is good news, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, I guess I¡¯ll just take your word for it¡­¡±


    ¡­


    On the edge of the Upper City District, inside an older standalone house, Heidi looked expressionlessly at her father, who appeared somewhat uneasy: ¡°¡­So, you went on a home visit to a student¡¯s house a couple of days ago, you spent several hours chatting leisurely with the parents, but only took about twenty minutes to talk about the student? And when you left, you forked out over three thousand solaras for an old dagger and a fake crystal pendant made of glass?!¡±


    Morris was seated behind a table, which had a purple crystal pendant (the tag had been removed) on it, and behind him a shelf was filled with all sorts of collectibles. He wiped his forehead, where not a trace of sweat existed, looking a bit embarrassed: ¡°The pendant was free, a gift with the purchase¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re presenting it to me as a birthday gift? Isn¡¯t that an even bigger problem?!¡± Heidi could not help but cover her forehead, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you at least pretend that it was carefully chosen¡­¡±


    Morris thought for a moment, then spread his hands helplessly: ¡°I really couldn¡¯t find a second genuine item in that store, there wasn¡¯t much to choose from¡­¡±


    Heidi: ¡°¡­¡±


    After a few more seconds of indignant confrontation, she couldn¡¯t hold it in and let out a sigh of surrender: ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s not the first time¡­ How do you always end up being such an easy mark?¡±


    ¡°This time I didn¡¯t suffer a loss! It was that Mr. Duncan who lost out,¡± Morris immediately said, ¡°The dagger I bought was twenty percent cheaper than the market price¡­¡±


    Heidi was shaking her head in resignation but suddenly froze when she heard the name her father mentioned: ¡°The owner of that antique shop is named Duncan?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, he¡¯s Duncan Strain,¡± Morris said nonchalantly, ¡°There¡¯s always been rumors that he¡¯s a drunkard and a gambler, but I realized they were just malicious when I actually met him. The man is genuinely witty, humorous, and knowledgeable¡­ Hm? What¡¯s with that look? Is there something wrong with that name?¡±


    Heidi opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said: ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve been dealing with a very tricky ¡®case¡¯ recently, which happens to involve this name; just hearing it makes me a bit jittery.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very common name, plenty of people have the same name,¡± Morris nodded in agreement but then seemed a bit concerned, ¡°What kind of case is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your field of expertise, so don¡¯t ask. It¡¯s definitely not the same person,¡± Heidi waved her hand, ¡°A fearsome Ghost Ship captain and the owner of an antique shop in the Lower City District¡ªcould they possibly be the same person?¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely impossible,¡± Morris exhaled in relief as he listened; he knew his daughter often helped the city hall and even the church as a consultant in handling dangerous cases, sometimes even those related to Transcendents. Naturally, he got a bit anxious in this regard, but now he relaxed and turned his gaze to the crystal pendant on the table, ¡°So, do you still want this pendant or not¡­¡±


    ¡°I want it! Of course, I want it!¡± Heidi snatched the pendant from the table, ¡°It¡¯s rare that you remember to bring me a gift, even if it¡¯s just a promotional item¡­¡±


    Morris pondered and then seriously made a suggestion: ¡°¡­Actually, you could pretend that I spent over three thousand solaras to buy you this pendant, and the dagger was the freebie.¡±


    Heidi placed the pendant around her neck, giving Morris a look: ¡°If you really spent over three thousand solaras on this, I¡¯d have to drag you to my treatment room, even if I had to tie you up!¡±


    (Book recommendation time~ A friendly recommendation for ¡®My Stand-in Is Steve.¡¯ To be honest, Minecraft fan fiction is quite rare, so here¡¯s a shoutout. If you have time, please give it some support~)

 Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Chapter 107: Highly Contagious

    chapter 103: chapter 107: highly contagious


    the gentle waves undulated softly, and the homeloss sailed smoothly on the endless sea. after many days of sailing, this ancient ghost ship still hadn¡¯t found any islands or navigation marks that could serve as sailing landmarks.


    the seemingly endless voyage appeared to have no conclusion, yet its captain still had many matters to attend to.


    duncan returned to the captain¡¯s quarters once again, where the golden sun mask still lay quietly on the table. however, before that, there were other things he needed to contemplate.


    alice¡¯s matters could be arranged later, the follow-up testing and research on ¡°anomaly 099¡± weren¡¯t urgent, and the frost rebellion half a century ago was not something to be investigated right now. but apart from these matters, there was one thing closely related to him.


    duncan raised his head and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall.


    the green flames that once floated on the mirror¡¯s surface had long since dissipated, and the vista of a distant place that once appeared in the mirror was now gone without a trace. however, duncan could still faintly feel that the weak and vague ¡°connection¡± had not vanished with the disappearance of the mirror¡¯s reflection¡ªit still existed, and it pointed towards the majestic cathedral at the heart of plunder city-state.


    the connection felt somewhat like the ¡°link¡± he had with the ¡°antiquities shopkeeper¡± and the ¡°white oak,¡± yet even weaker, more ethereal, and if one had to describe it¡­ it resembled some kind of derivative, a ¡°secondary channel¡± extended from a clear and definite connection.


    duncan closed his eyes slightly, and on the table beside him, ai yi¡¯s brass compass quietly opened a slit, within which a quiet green flame burned silently.


    duncan returned to that dark space filled with countless stars and streams of light.


    but this time, he did not perform ¡°spirit realm walking.¡± instead, he maintained the critical state of entering the spirit realm walk, observing carefully the flow of faint light in the dark space and the specks of starlight.


    first, he saw the brightest ¡°star,¡± which pointed towards the antique store, representing his other shell, which was cleaning the warehouse and casually taking stock of the goods in inventory;


    then, he saw a hazy and formless light mist, much larger than ordinary stars, representing the ¡°white oak,¡± a steamship that had once collided head-on with homeloss and had been thoroughly burnt by his spiritual fire;


    finally, he discerned that ¡°star¡± with which he had a faint connection amid the haze of indistinguishable starlight.


    duncan leaned in curiously, wanting to observe this cluster of starlight closely.


    but as soon as he approached, he felt a subtle repulsion emanating from that cluster of starlight.


    the repulsive force wasn¡¯t strong, seemingly just a pure and steadfast will protecting itself. duncan felt that if he forcibly extended his spiritual fire, he could burn away this subconscious protection¡ªyet he immediately stopped and maintained a distance from the starlight.


    the owner behind this starlight should be the judge called ¡°fenna,¡± a storm saint, a powerful transcendent¡ªreckless contact might first disturb the owner of the starlight, and in a worse scenario, might even alarm the ¡°deity¡± standing behind the saint.


    with his current limited understanding of the deities of this world, duncan was not ready to take this risk.


    moreover, from another perspective, this subtle sense of repulsion might also be a reminder of the different natures present in these starlights¡ª


    when he first occupied the shell of that ¡°sacrifice,¡± he hadn¡¯t felt any repulsion. nor did he feel any when he took over the dead heretic ¡°ron¡¯s¡± body. so why was there this sense of repulsion around fenna¡¯s starlight?


    was it because she was still ¡°alive¡±? was it because the mental power of a living person would instinctively defend against indescribable corrosion? or was it because of¡­ the so-called protection of faith and divine grace?


    duncan backed away a bit, pondering the significance of the starlight in this dark space while gradually extending his hand towards another cluster of starlight closest to him.


    he stopped at the last moment before touching that cluster of starlight.


    no sense of repulsion.


    he then tried many more times around him, none of the stars ever repulsed his approach¡ªand within some stars, he vaguely sensed some new¡­ ¡°elements.¡±


    he felt the vibrant sense of life and even the instinctive trembles and cringes of those stars¡ªthat was the instinctive retreat of life when faced with the irresistible shadow of death.


    duncan returned to a zone of darkness where starlight could not reach and looked down at his own hands.


    green flames wandered through the darkness, sketching eerily realistic shadows between his fingers.


    it seemed that with the increasing number of journeys through the spirit realm, his control and perception of flames had become more precise and sharp. he could now sense the presence of vitality within those stars!


    duncan slightly furrowed his brow and looked into the far reaches of the endless darkness. the specks of light stretched densely into the chaotic black, looking almost magnificent from afar.


    out of caution, he had never ventured far into this dark space, but just by gazing at the scale of the starlight, he could imagine how numerous these points of light were.


    at first, he thought that the starlight here represented only ¡°corpses¡± that had just died and met certain conditions, as his first two ¡°attachments¡± involved inhabiting bodies. but now, as he felt the presence of life from some of the stars, it seemed his initial speculation was mistaken.


    not only were there deceased among these specks of starlight, but there were also the living; it was merely a coincidence that he initially occupied two bodies.


    that ¡°judge¡± named fenna was also among these lights, and she was undoubtedly alive.


    then¡­ could the countless stars here truly represent all the living and dead in the world?


    duncan furrowed his brow in the darkness. the idea emerged so naturally in his mind and seemed plausible, but he shook his head quickly, feeling he could not yet jump to that conclusion.


    although there were many points of light here, and the world¡¯s population was much lower than earth¡¯s, the stars within sight probably did not match the world¡¯s entire population. moreover, the living were one thing, but how should the number of the dead be defined?


    did it include all the deceased from ancient to modern times or only those with remaining corpses? and should it count any remaining corpse, or was there a time limit after death to make the count?


    additionally, there were clusters of light like the ¡°homeloss¡± that appeared here¡­ how could the projection of a whole ship be explained?


    therefore, it was still too early to define the stars here as ¡°the dead and living of the world¡±¡ªat least not until he had sufficient evidence to be certain.


    regardless of how these points of light were connected to the real world, one thing was very clear: most of the starlight did not repel duncan¡¯s approach. only the light from the ¡°saint¡± fenna produced a self-protective reaction.


    perhaps this was the influence of the deity she believed in.


    duncan became slightly curious about the power of ¡°faith¡± in this world.


    but however strong the protective barrier fenna established through faith, it was evidently flawed¡ªit had not prevented the captain of the homeloss and her from forming a deep and hidden connection.


    so only one question remained: when and how was this connection established?


    duncan pondered seriously in the darkness, considering any intersections he might have had with the judge he had never met, wondering why such a connection would emerge from nowhere. after dismissing one speculation after another, a very audacious idea suddenly came into his mind¡ª


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    could it have been the ¡°sacrifice¡± he initially inhabited?


    duncan recalled the first time he set foot on the land of the plunder city-state, remembered the solar sacrifice¡ªwhere he, as the sacrifice, had caused a commotion at the event, subsequently leaving the ¡°shell¡± he had inhabited behind at the scene. not long after, judge fenna led a raid on the heretics¡¯ stronghold, capturing heretics left at the site, where she certainly dealt with the ¡°remains¡± left behind.


    strictly speaking, his only ¡°intersection¡± with judge fenna could have only happened at that time.


    just a body he once occupied, just a place they had both been present.


    ¡°this is¡­ the connection?!¡± the more duncan thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and he couldn¡¯t help but look down at his hands in astonishment. after a while, his surprised expression turned into an extremely awkward, resigned smile, ¡°what kind of space-time companion infection route is this¡­¡±

 Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Chapter 108: The Illusory Scorching Sun

    chapter 104: chapter 108: the illusory scorching sun


    duncan was beginning to understand why the world so deeply feared and despised homeloss, viewing its captain as though he were a plague.


    for in a certain sense, this ¡°moving disaster¡± truly was like a plague.


    in a space of darkness and chaos, duncan gazed quietly at the flames dancing between his hands, feeling the power contained within this flame which was extremely docile towards him.


    fire was the most special existence in this world¡ªit was not only the medium of light and warmth but also the safeguard that allowed mortal civilization to develop amidst crises. it maintained the balance of order between the transcendent realm and the real world and symbolized the gods¡¯ blessings and protection for the mortal world.


    in the vast majority of fields involving transcendents, ¡°fire¡± occupied a special position and played a significant role.


    yet, his flame seemed to carry inherent dangers with its¡­ traits, even within the transcendent realm, it was more fearsome than all other flames.


    it possessed the ultimate contamination, secrecy, usurpation, and blasphemous power.


    based on the information known so far, the spiritual body¡¯s fire had the trait of contaminating and distorting transcendent items, could be used to possess the corpses of the dead, and could even hide within the living souls. not even the power of saints could completely eradicate it¡ªas long as the right moment came, the flames would ignite within the soul, establishing a secret channel to homeloss.


    this was akin to an almost unnoticeable and incurable plague, and at least for now, the so-called ¡°saints¡¯¡± powers seemed to have no effect on this kind of flame.


    duncan sighed softly.


    currently, he had no idea what use the faint connection he had established with fenna might serve, but at least for now, it seemed that all he needed was the right ¡°medium¡± along with a certain ¡°opportunity,¡± and he would be able to directly see and hear what was happening near that saint. based on what he had perceived next to the ¡°mirror,¡± he should also be able to project his power to some extent near the saint¡ªthe most effective method would probably be to contaminate the ¡°fire¡± near the saint.


    when the channel was establishing, he distinctly perceived the presence of ¡°fire¡± near fenna, which responded to his scrutiny. coupled with his past experience in controlling the spiritual body¡¯s fire, he was certain that ¡°fire¡± must be a condition for establishing the connection.


    as for the specific what the appropriate ¡°medium¡± and ¡°opportunity¡± were¡­ the former could tentatively be confirmed as the ¡°mirror¡± and ¡°fire¡± acting as carriers for the projection channel (or in the transcendent realm¡¯s ¡°professional terms,¡± called ¡°ceremonial props¡±), as for the latter¡­


    duncan recalled the sentence he had heard when the connection was suddenly established:


    ¡°¡­ might actually link them with homeloss ¡­¡±


    he had sensed the channel¡¯s establishment immediately after hearing this sentence, so the opportunity was likely tied to this phrase.


    ¡°the word ¡®homeloss,¡¯ then¡­¡±


    duncan¡¯s understanding of the transcendent realm was limited, but even with that little understanding, he knew the special role ¡°names¡± played in the transcendent realm.


    the name ¡°duncan ebnomal,¡± the name ¡°homeloss,¡± both held power.


    he had a tentative answer in his mind:


    when fenna, the ¡°carrier,¡± uttered the name ¡°homeloss¡± near the flame and mirror, her connection with homeloss would be instantaneously strengthened. if at that moment, duncan on this end actively responded to this ¡°call,¡± the channel would be established.


    with his thoughts gradually calming, duncan retracted his gaze from the distant ¡°stars.¡±


    he had no disagreement with the deep sea church, and he bore no ill will toward the young judge miss, naturally not intending to use this connection to harm her. however, if this connection could occasionally provide him with valuable information¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing.


    the space of darkness and chaos and the glimmers of light receded like flowing water, and duncan opened his eyes to find himself back in his own bedroom.


    the golden sun mask, modeled after the sun god, lay quietly by his hand, while the dove, ai yi, perched nearby on a desk, dozing off.


    this bird had been sent to chat with the goat-headed one, but for some reason, the latter did not want to talk and thus sent the bird back.


    after a moment¡¯s hesitation, duncan reached out and picked up the sun mask.


    although some minor episodes had occurred and he had unexpectedly bumped into plenty of unexpected information, things were finally back on track¡ªhe had time to study the ¡°sun sacred relic.¡±


    he first flipped the mask back and forth several times to confirm the details of its design and the specifics of its material. however, during his examination, he suddenly noticed a small chip in one corner of the mask.


    a dim hue was faintly visible through the chipped location.


    duncan furrowed his brow, and the next second, the pigeon that had been dozing on the table suddenly opened its eyes, flapping its wings and hopping around as it squawked, ¡°it¡¯s iron with copper plating! iron with copper plating!¡±


    hearing the bird¡¯s words, duncan felt even more that the damaged part of the mask was sore to the eyes. he hurriedly scratched at the blemished spot with his fingernail and studied it carefully for a moment before finally concluding with an expressionless face¡ª


    it really was iron with copper plating, not even gilded.


    because some corners of the mask were even starting to turn green¡­


    ¡°this is a swindle!¡± the psychological gap made duncan finally unable to resist muttering to himself. he looked dejectedly at the weighty lump of iron in his hand, recalling his initial ¡°resale¡± plan when he was about to study the mask, feeling a chill in his heart, ¡°i was still hoping to fleece those heretics a bit more¡­ even mass-produced relics shouldn¡¯t be faked like this, right?!¡±


    pigeon ai yi, listening to duncan¡¯s grumbles, rolled its eyes and flapped its wings as it cried out, ¡°is your fruit even ripe?¡±


    it took a moment for duncan to understand what the pigeon meant¡ªwas it saying, ¡°is everything in your shop genuine?¡±


    he recalled the stack of modern industrial rejects in his shop and looked at ai yi expressionlessly: ¡°shut up.¡±


    having said that, he no longer paid any attention to the bird next to him and instead focused his attention on the golden mask.


    after confirming that this gadget was indeed a worthless mass-produced item, his ¡°test¡± was free of worries.


    a cluster of faint green flame rose at his fingertips and flowed over the surface of the golden mask like water, then under duncan¡¯s control, it gradually infiltrated the interior of the ¡°sacred relic.¡±


    a mass-produced relic was still a relic, and even if its true material was iron plated with copper, the runes engraved inside it and the sun-shaped design on its surface were certainly capable of exerting transcendent powers. since that sun priest could use this thing to communicate with his ¡°deity,¡± it meant that this sun mask could be analyzed and researched according to the laws of transcendent items.


    duncan had considerable experience in the field of transcendent item research, and his main approach was to set fire without hesitation¡ªthe last practical instance was when he set ai yi¡¯s coffin box ablaze with green fire, which proved to be a very effective research method.


    feeling the flame gradually penetrating inside the mask, duncan also concentrated his spirit, beginning to perceive the information that might be contained within the transcendent item.


    this was a mass-produced thing, and its ¡°presence¡± definitely couldn¡¯t compare to eli¡¯s puppet sarcophagus. duncan believed he should be able to quickly understand the functionality and operations of this object and subvert it to become his own.


    with that thought, he peered into the depths of the mask for the truth¡ªhowever, the next second, the development of events exceeded his expectations!


    a boom like thunder suddenly exploded in his mind, as if he had ¡°blasted¡± open a passage deep within the ordinary mask. as he delved into the mask¡¯s interior, his spirit violently encountered a massive and searing power that overflowed from all sides. then, he felt as if he had ¡°passed through¡± a channel, or opened a door, and a grandiose, magnificent illusion flooded into his brain!


    it might have been just one second, maybe even shorter. it was just a few fleeting images¡ªin these images, he saw a solitary, fiery burning fireball hanging in the dark void of space.


    the sun, a true, burning, gravity-emitting¡­ star.


    amidst the incredible heat and the tearing force of gravity, duncan faced the scorching sun, yet he did not turn to ashes within it¡ªthe star seemed to be nothing more than a phantom from ancient times. it retained the majesty and might that it once truly possessed but couldn¡¯t actually affect the real world in the slightest degree.


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    stunned, duncan watched as this blazing sun in the illusory realm gradually turned an angle within his view.


    behind the sun was a pale, dark flesh and billions of coiled, withered tentacles stretching over countless kilometers. these detestable limbs together encircled a gigantic eyeball that was half-open, half-closed, already decaying for who knows how many eons.


    the fierce solar corona was burning fiercely atop a false shell woven and supported by blood and tentacles¡ªreleasing the might of something trying desperately to mimic the ¡°sun,¡± yet in the end, a mere counterfeit.


    a faint, ethereal voice, almost like an illusion, began whispering beside duncan¡¯s ear:


    ¡°usurper of flame¡­ extinguish me¡­ please¡­¡±

 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Chapter 109 "Usurper of Fire

    chapter 105: chapter 109 ¡°usurper of fire


    a violent sensation of freefall came upon duncan suddenly, stripping his spirit swiftly from before the blazing sun. he felt as if he were being dragged by a powerful gravity through a deep and lengthy tunnel, the raging burning corona and the flesh that supported it quickly receding from his vision¡ª the next second, he felt a solid touch on his back.


    that was the back of his seat.


    duncan opened his eyes abruptly, gasping heavily. his heart had never thumped so vigorously, and in his retinas, it seemed as if the blinding light cast by that burning star still lingered.


    the terrifying truth beneath that sea of fire was imprinted even more intensely in his mind.


    a few seconds later, those strong impressions finally began to subside in his mind, leaving only that ethereal phrase echoing in the depths of his memory¡ª


    ¡°usurping flame, extinguish me, please¡­¡±


    duncan furrowed his brows slightly; he was sure he had really heard that sentence.


    was this¡­ something ¡°the sun¡± had conveyed to him? did it sense his prying and then send out this¡­ call for help to him?


    duncan rubbed his forehead, recalling every detail of that intense sun while speculating about the true nature of this ¡°call for help¡±.


    without a doubt, that was what the followers of ¡°the true sun¡± worshipped, the ¡°real sun¡± they spoke of.


    to be honest, in that brief moment when he first saw it, duncan truly felt a surge of emotion in his heart. he was overwhelmed by the fiery ocean of that intense sun, almost believing he had seen the ¡°sun¡± from his own memories, his own understanding¡ªthat he had seen the star he had observed on earth¡­


    his emotions were as turbulent then as his astonishment and bewilderment were when he saw the truth behind the sun.


    the front of that sun indeed matched ¡°the true sun¡± perfectly, consistent with what the sun cultists described, but that scene was merely the shell of the sun¡ªit housed an indescribable thing inside.


    duncan remembered those pale, murky pieces of flesh and the withered, decaying state displayed by the tendrils wrapped around the pupil.


    that ¡°creature,¡± encapsulated by the shell of the sun, seemed to be not in good shape.


    in fact, duncan even thought it was already ¡°dead¡±¡ªthat feeling of lifelessness was so strong, that even just sneakily glimpsing it from afar, he could feel the ¡°death¡± emanating and hitting him in the depths of his soul.


    it was essentially a burning corpse of an ancient god.


    and that ancient god¡¯s corpse was pleading with him, hoping someone would come to extinguish the flames on its body.


    a corpse pleading for help was both contradictory and terrifying, bizarre and surreal, yet fitting the already abnormal ¡°logic¡± of this world.


    duncan gradually organized his chaotic thoughts, recalling that during his brief peek, there was one particularly notable aspect¡ªthe name ¡°the sun¡± had called him¡ª¡±usurping flame¡±.


    was that indescribable piece of flesh really addressing him? did it genuinely sense the approach of this unexpected visitor and therefore made a sound? was it not just babbling in a haze of confusion?


    if that plea for help indeed was directed at him, then this was a very clear indication¡ªusurping flame¡­


    duncan lowered his head, gently twirling his fingertips, observing a cluster of flames quietly burning there.


    the green fire of his spiritual body obediently awaited his command, ready to contaminate other fires, to usurp other aberrant powers.


    the next second, duncan dispersed the spiritual body fire in his hand.


    regardless of whether ¡°the sun¡± was truly speaking to him, regardless of what the other party meant by ¡°usurping flame,¡± these were not matters he could attend to right now¡ªthe hidden cultists of the plunder city-state were still lurking in the dark, and he had neither the ability nor the standpoint to deal with the ¡°sun god¡± behind those heretics.


    besides, how was he supposed to ¡°help¡± that burning sun? use the small flicker of his spiritual body¡¯s fire to engulf and burn a huge blob of matter? he¡¯d die of exhaustion before he could burn through it all! and besides, just because the other party was begging him for help, it didn¡¯t mean that thing was on ¡°his side¡± ¨C who knows what would happen after extinguishing that sun, what if the flame was a seal, and extinguishing it would awaken something unspeakable inside the sun that would then wreak havoc in all directions? would it still remember his ¡°favour¡± of helping to ¡°put out the fire¡± then?


    having dealings with something akin to a deity so casually was hardly a wise move.


    duncan shook his head, feeling somewhat sentimental¡ªthis so-called ¡°sun god¡± was indeed not the sun he was familiar with.


    perhaps he would never see real ¡°sunlight¡± again in this world.


    the golden mask, modeled after the sun, still lay quietly on the table, its surface luster a bit dim, as if it had already exhausted its internal energy.


    duncan reached out to pick up the mask, but the moment his fingertips touched it, a soft sound of cracking entered his ears.


    the mask, which was originally very sturdy (and plated with copper), seemed to have weathered millions of years of erosion and the next second turned to dust in his hands, dissipating with the wind.


    ai yi hopped over and opened her wings in front of duncan, gesticulating: ¡°happy, slap, gone!¡±


    however, duncan did not mind this bird¡¯s aggravating behavior; a vague realization began to dawn on him¡ª


    the mask was ultimately just a mass-produced ¡°sacred relic.¡± those sun cultists seemed to excel in creating these sorts of limited-efficacy forgeries through various rituals. these forgeries had some of the mighty powers of the genuine items but were ultimately worrisome in longevity.


    the function of the sun mask was likely to act as a channel of communication, with the lower-ranking priests using it to connect with the deities or deities¡¯ ¡°offspring¡± they worshipped. just now, he had used the fire of the spiritual body to forcibly unlock all the power of the mask, giving it a fleeting effect akin to a ¡°genuine article,¡± allowing him to glimpse the appearance of the sun god through the channel ¨C which exhausted the ¡°lifespan¡± of the mask in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°maybe i should find a way to get a real one in the future¡­¡± looking at the ashes dissipating in the air, duncan mused, ¡°this thing can¡¯t even last three seconds before burning out¡­¡±


    he did not plan to really ¡°save¡± any sun god, but he was still interested in the secrets guarded by those sun cultists and was also curious about the history before the great annihilation. he felt he would continue his research in the transcendent realm; the wool on those heretics¡­ he had to keep shearing as needed.


    but as his research went deeper, he would have to find a way to shear some high-quality wool.


    after taking a brief rest to recover his spirits, duncan left his bedroom.


    the goat-headed navigator, who was spacing out next to the navigation table, immediately turned his head at the sound. he first checked to see if the pigeon had followed him out and sighed with relief after finding duncan alone: ¡°ah, great captain, your loyal subordinate omitted here has been diligently steering for you, how was your recent ¡®voyage¡¯? i sensed your soul went to a distant place again, but it wasn¡¯t to a human city-state this time? if you¡¯re planning another long trip next time, you might think about¡­¡±


    ¡°how much do you know about the ¡®true sun god¡¯ worshipped by those sun cultists?¡± duncan waved his hand dismissively, cutting straight to the question.


    after dealing with this goat-head for a while, he had gotten to grips with its temperament and had become more confident in his ¡°captain identity.¡± in conversation and questioning, he no longer acted as carefully as he did at first, and it didn¡¯t matter to ask some questions unrelated to the essence of homeloss casually.


    this also served to probe just how much this peculiar goat-head knew about the transcendent realm.


    ¡°true sun god?¡± the goat-head was taken aback, then hesitantly said, ¡°honestly, i¡¯m not too clear, i just know that those followers of the sun god are both insane and foolish, but i don¡¯t know what deity they serve¡­ however, the ¡®blessing¡¯ of the sun god does exist. those cultists, when their devotion reaches a certain level, do receive some weird and strange powers, which is also why this cult has been able to grow¡­¡±


    as he spoke, the goat-head slowly came to a realization: ¡°ah, why do you suddenly bring this up? don¡¯t tell me you just now¡­¡±


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    ¡°i was just thinking, if a so-called ¡®deity¡¯, was being roasted over a fire by its own believers, and the believers are completely unaware of it, working overtime to stoke the fire every day, mistaking the ¡®grease¡¯ dripped from the deity¡¯s body as blessings sent down by the deity¡­ then that would be quite ironic,¡± duncan mused, ¡°it¡¯s something out of hell¡¯s jokes that seems too much even for hell.¡±


    the chart room grew quiet, the goat-head didn¡¯t pick up the conversation, which made duncan look at him in surprise, ¡°why are you silent? you¡¯re usually quite talkative, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    the goat-head opening up somewhat sullenly: ¡°¡­the topic is too awesome, i dare not speak, i dare not ask, i can only say, the captain is insightful¡­¡±


    duncan burst into laughter.


    whether it was an illusion or not, he began to feel that even this goat-head in front of him was not as ominously dangerous as at first, and the atmosphere on the ship¡­ seemed to be slowly getting better?

 Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Chapter 110: What a Coincidence

    chapter 106: chapter 110: what a coincidence


    plunder city-state, in the antique shop of the lower city district, duncan held a copy of the city-state weekly behind the counter, seemingly reading the newspaper content casually.


    suddenly, he blinked twice, his previously unfocused gaze sharpening as he glanced at the newspaper in his hand and nonchalantly turned it upside down.


    the front page headline detailed a recent major event in the city¡ªthe esteemed bishop valentin of the deep sea church would soon preside over a massive prayer event, during which bells and steam whistles from over ten churches across the city would sound to summon the power of the storm goddess to bless the city.


    as a prelude to this prayer event, governor dante wayne had congratulated the cathedral last night and presented a gift¡­


    printed on the front page was the image of the city-state¡¯s governor¡ªa middle-aged man with a stern expression, grey hair, tall and thin figure, and most notably, a frightening scar on his face, with a prosthetic eye replacing the original.


    clearly, these were the remnants of some deadly accident.


    duncan¡¯s gaze slowly swept over the newspaper, but his mind envisioned the face of the young judge named ¡°fenna¡±¡ªwho similarly had a scar near her eye, though it did not affect her vision but was quite conspicuous.


    he recalled the intelligence he had recently gathered:


    governor dante wayne of the city-state was judge fenna¡¯s uncle, and both had scars from the same incident. it had happened eleven years ago near the cross district in an area known as the ¡°sixth street,¡± where a factory leak and a heretics¡¯ riot occurred. dante wayne and fenna wayne were injured by the mob, leaving them with permanent scars, which had now made them staunch supporters of the deep sea church and active combatants against heretic activities in the city-state¡­


    this information was no secret in the city-state, found in both official records and common rumors. anyone in the lower city district could easily hear about these events.


    yet again, eleven years ago, and the ¡°factory leak¡± in the sixth street¡­


    duncan silently turned to the next page of the newspaper, pondering and connecting various clues he had gathered recently.


    sun shard, nina¡¯s memories of a great fire, nina¡¯s recent nightmares, the accidents that befell judge fenna and governor dante, and the girl named ¡°sherry,¡± seemingly investigating the truth, of unknown origins¡­ all these elements revolved around the ¡°factory leak¡± incident on sixth street eleven years ago. currently, the sun cultists were stirring in the city again, their ¡°sun god¡± a blazing entity, akin to an evil god.


    that entity was still crying out for help.


    duncan wasn¡¯t yet ready to deal with this sun god, but he worried about the nameless fire brewing in the shadows touching nina.


    he had released a pigeon early in the morning to gather clues about the heretics in the city-state, and it was still out there roaming. nina was upstairs packing her books, soon to head for school, as the streets outside the shop gradually buzzed to life, the sound of carriages and pedestrians flowing in through the door, bringing fresh vitality and vigor.


    suddenly light footsteps came from the stairs, the old wooden floorboards creaking softly. nina hurried into duncan¡¯s line of sight, her book bag in one hand and a loaf of bread for lunch in the other, ¡°uncle! i¡¯m off to school!¡±


    ¡°slow down, don¡¯t trip. there¡¯s still plenty of time,¡± duncan looked helplessly at her, then remembered something, ¡°right, isn¡¯t today your trip to the museum?¡±


    ¡°yes! i made plans with a classmate!¡± nina turned back with a radiant smile, ¡°i won¡¯t come back for lunch. i¡¯ll go straight to the museum with my classmate. you¡¯ll have to fix something to eat yourself.¡±


    ¡°got it, got it,¡± duncan smiled and waved his hands, then repeated his caution, ¡°slow down. watch for cars on the road¡­¡±


    ¡°alright, alright, goodbye, uncle!¡±


    with her cheerful shout and brisk footsteps, accompanied by the doorbell tinkling, nina¡¯s figure vanished from duncan¡¯s sight.


    she crossed the street in front of the antique shop and sprinted into the morning light of plunder.


    as duncan watched nina leave, he remembered the previous ¡°home visit¡± and what mr. morris had told him:


    nina had few friends at school, and most classmates didn¡¯t interact much with her.


    but even if she had few friends, it seemed there were one or two classmates close enough to invite her to the museum, and clearly she was happy about it, a good sign indeed.


    he had inquired yesterday, and the classmate going to the museum with nina was a quiet girl also from the lower city district; the two had recently become friends and were on good terms.


    duncan put down the newspaper in his hands.


    nina had already gone to school and would not return in the afternoon, and as it was a weekday, the antique shop was unlikely to see much business.


    staying here to mind the store seemed like a waste of time, and perhaps he could take a stroll in the city and¡­ investigate some matters.


    duncan sensed ai yi¡¯s current location in his mind, issued a ¡°continue patrolling¡± command to the pigeon, then put on his coat, hung the ¡°temporarily closed¡± sign at the door, locked up, and headed to the nearby bus station.


    the bus station was crowded, as it was peak time for people to commute to work and school. duncan blended into the crowd and came up to a standing sign next to the station, looking at the route map it displayed.


    his gaze fell on one of the routes¡ªthe clear print of a location stood out: the sixth district.


    the place mentioned in official records where a ¡°factory leak¡± had occurred.


    duncan withdrew his gaze, patiently waiting among the crowd. buses came and went, and several steam engine-driven buses carried away half of the people on the platform. after a long wait, he finally saw an old bus shake its way from the end of the road, the number on the front of the bus showing that it was the one he was waiting for.


    duncan squeezed onto the bus along with a large group of people.


    the old bus was crammed full of passengers hurrying to work, with every seat and aisle filled. duncan quietly made his way to a spot near the rear door, patiently waiting for the bus to start.


    accompanied by the hoarse effortful roar of the steam engine, the severely overloaded bus started moving. the ticket collector began to struggle his way through the sardine-packed crowd, calling out for people to buy their tickets as he made his way to duncan. his deep blue uniform was so compressed it was misshapen.


    ¡°sixth district,¡± duncan said to the ticket collector with a friendly smile.


    the weary ticket collector, disoriented by the jostling, paused at the sound of duncan¡¯s voice, seemingly baffled, and asked, ¡°huh? where are you going to?¡±


    duncan furrowed his brow, ¡°sixth district¡ªi saw it on the route map, doesn¡¯t this bus go there?¡±


    the ticket collector stalled again, then looked up hastily at the route map on the side of the carriage, and as if suddenly waking from a dream, he hurriedly nodded, ¡°oh right, of course it goes there. not many people go there usually, i almost forgot¡­ four pence.¡±


    not many people go to the sixth district? it had been eleven years since the accident; hadn¡¯t the area around that factory been rebuilt yet?


    a flicker of doubt crossed duncan¡¯s mind, but he purchased a ticket without showing any concern, then watched as the ticket collector struggled back into the crowd like a warrior forging through enemy ranks.


    now, it was just a quiet wait for the bus to reach the station.


    but just then, he suddenly felt a gaze nearby.


    that gaze was very brief, as if it had accidentally swept over him and then hurriedly moved away. however, duncan¡¯s senses were exceptionally sharp. not only did he feel that the gaze was indeed ¡°directed¡± at him, but he also faintly sensed a flavor of¡­ fear and evasion, which immediately made him curiously follow his instincts to look back.


    in the next second, he saw a small figure among the crowded passengers at the back of the bus, attempting to shrink away.


    he saw the figure, and the figure saw him¡ªthus, the latter instantly stopped, standing rigidly in place as if even scared to dodge further.


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    it was a girl wearing a black skirt, looking about nina¡¯s age, with a peculiar collar around her neck adorned with a small, delicate bell¡­


    it was sherry.


    duncan raised an eyebrow, hardly expecting things to align so coincidentally, then slowly made his way through the crowd toward the girl¡ªwho by now had completely stiffened, watching duncan approach with a face full of tension and even some fear, not daring to continue dodging or even to turn her head.


    duncan slowly approached her, smiled, and greeted the girl, ¡°we meet again¡ªat this time, are you going to school?¡±


    sherry mustered all her courage and managed a smile, although before, in front of gary, she had bravely declared her intent to leverage influential connections. now, recognizing how frightening duncan could be, her smile looked more pained than weeping, ¡°hello¡­ hello¡­¡±

 Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Chapter 111 Lecture from the Big Shot

    chapter 107: chapter 111 lecture from the big shot


    the bus was crowded to the brim during the rush hour for work, and even at the back of the vehicle, scarcely any space could be found. the diminutive sherry was squeezed in the midst of the crowd, neck shrunk, too frightened to move, resembling a pitiable little animal.


    if duncan hadn¡¯t personally witnessed how she swung a dog to knock over a room full of heretics, he would have truly believed this girl was ¡°harmless to humans and animals.¡±


    he slowly squeezed his way to sherry¡¯s side; his large adult body carved out a slightly more spacious corner for the girl and left a gap conducive for conversation. duncan keenly noticed that sherry¡¯s body was trembling slightly¡ªshe was very nervous, even to the point of fear.


    ¡°what are you afraid of?¡± he glanced at sherry, ¡°i¡¯m not going to swallow you whole.¡±


    sherry grimaced, ¡°you¡­ you prefer to eat cooked?¡±.


    duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    he could probably guess why the girl was so frightened. after all, that ¡°dog¡± had peered through his human guise to see some of the ¡°real situation¡± beneath, and after its escape, it must have embellished its experience to its mistress, inevitably leaving a deep impression on her.


    he didn¡¯t know what image he currently portrayed in sherry¡¯s mind, but it was probably similar to how the captains on the endless sea saw the homeloss; the kind you¡¯d preferably start writing your will upon sighting, and you¡¯d better write it quickly, too, because death typically came faster than legacies¡­


    duncan was also helpless in this situation. he wanted to appear as friendly as possible but could not help that a demon from the mysterious deep sea had a different ¡°vision¡± than humans. the ¡°black sun¡± was still calling out to him for help in the illusion, earnest in its plea, but every time he thought about what lay beneath the corona shell, he couldn¡¯t help but remain vigilant.


    he just hoped that his image in the eyes of the abyssal hound was somewhat more pleasing than the sinister evil god he saw inside the sun, at least having a proper set of facial features¡­


    thinking of the abyssal hound, duncan slightly furrowed his brow, looking at the girl in front of him: ¡°is ¡®the dog¡¯ with you now?¡±


    sherry swallowed hard and reluctantly answered, lowering her voice, ¡°the dog¡­ usually hides where others can¡¯t see¡­ but it can ¡®know¡¯ what¡¯s happening around me¡­¡±


    ¡°oh, then send my regards to it,¡± duncan nodded, ¡°we parted in a hurry last time, and i still have many questions i didn¡¯t get a chance to ask.¡±


    the moment he said this, he felt sherry shudder again¡­


    ¡°relax,¡± duncan sighed helplessly. he seemed to faintly sense strange glances directed his way, ¡°why are you so nervous talking to me? i have no ill intentions toward you or the dog.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s¡­good to hear¡­¡± sherry stiffly nodded and, seemingly attempting to seem more relaxed on purpose, struggled to find a topic. her gaze finally settled on duncan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°you¡­ you haven¡¯t brought your pigeon with you this time?¡±


    ¡°pets aren¡¯t allowed on the bus,¡± duncan said offhandedly, ¡°i let it out to hunt.¡±


    sherry stared at him in disbelief, her words fragmenting, but then she quickly nodded, ¡°oh right, you are correct, pigeons are quite suited for hunting, sharp-eyed and fast¡­¡±


    her train of thought was a bit muddled, looking like she didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but then the bus suddenly jolted, and the conductor¡¯s voice came from the middle of the vehicle, cutting off her disjointed thoughts: ¡°sixth district! anyone getting off?¡±


    at the conductor¡¯s call, sherry visibly breathed a sigh of relief. she hurriedly hopped to her feet, clamoring to get off, then pushed forward while hurriedly bidding duncan farewell, ¡°i¡¯m getting off now. it was nice to see you today. next time we can¡­¡±


    then, before she could finish speaking, she saw duncan squeeze over as well, his expression shifting from brilliant to grim in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°i¡¯m getting off here too,¡± duncan stated expressionlessly.


    sherry¡¯s expression froze on her face, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to say she wasn¡¯t getting off now¡ªespecially since this big shot might be intending to follow her. continuing to play tricks might anger him, and then she really might be cooked and eaten¡­


    fully imagining this scenario, the girl was thoroughly scared, and just then she heard the conductor urging them, so she shrank her neck and began walking stiffly towards the exit.


    but as soon as she reached the door, she heard the conductor¡¯s voice suddenly come through, ¡°wait a minute, child, did you not buy a ticket?¡±


    sherry was stunned for a moment, looking somewhat astonished at the ticket inspector in the deep-blue uniform as if she had never expected to be stopped, never expected her fare evasion to be discovered. but in that brief moment of distraction, the inspector had already verified the situation, ¡°you didn¡¯t buy a ticket, i remember now. you first¡­¡±


    ¡°this child, i know her. she might have just lost her ticket,¡± duncan¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside her, ¡°let me buy her another one.¡±


    the inspector turned his head doubtfully to look at duncan, then at sherry, who was looking anxious. after pondering for a moment, he just nodded, ¡°alright then.¡±


    duncan fished out a few coins to buy sherry a ticket, then followed her out of the carriage, alighting at an empty, old platform.


    the bus was packed with passengers, but only the two of them got off at sixth street.


    duncan first looked around to gauge the area, but all he saw was the typical scenery of the lower city district. although the buildings around were somewhat old, and there weren¡¯t many pedestrians near the station, it wasn¡¯t as utterly dilapidated as he had imagined¡ªthe aged shops along the street were still open for business, and although there were fewer pedestrians compared with other bustling districts, there were still people walking on the streets. in the distance, factory chimneys emitted smoke, and he could see a paperboy riding a bicycle across the intersection at the end of the alley.


    overall, it was just a quieter, less developed district, but it seemed that the residents were living their normal lives.


    the factory leak that had happened here eleven years ago seemed to have left some impact, though it wasn¡¯t as serious as he had imagined¡­


    after quickly surveying the surroundings, duncan turned his gaze back to sherry.


    the girl had stood obediently still after getting off the bus, like a small animal trapped in a snare, motionless. even though duncan wasn¡¯t initially paying attention to her, she didn¡¯t make any move to escape.


    completely resigned to her fate.


    duncan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her harmless appearance, thinking that if he hadn¡¯t seen her ferocious fighting spirit with his own eyes, he might have been deceived by her current guise.


    he shook his head and approached sherry, ¡°what are you doing in the sixth street area?¡±


    sherry immediately stood up straight, ¡°i¡­ i heard the scenery here is good!¡±


    duncan looked her up and down, ¡°i¡¯ve been wanting to ask since earlier. are you really¡­ playing the good girl?¡±


    ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m not pretending!¡± sherry immediately stood even straighter, ¡°i¡¯ve always been very well-behaved!¡±


    duncan shook his head. he had seen plenty of kids suddenly act well-behaved and cute. this girl¡¯s skills were far from polished, but he didn¡¯t say much more. instead, he looked up at the streets in the distance and casually started, ¡°the sixth street area¡­ eleven years ago, there was a factory leak here, and it¡¯s said that heretics were behind the sabotage.¡±


    sherry blinked, seemingly puzzled, ¡°why are you suddenly bringing this up?¡±


    ¡°come off it, stop playing dumb. you were previously asking about the incident from eleven years ago at the sun cultists¡¯ stronghold,¡± duncan glanced at sherry before walking forward, ¡°this place is the focus of all official records. the factory that ¡®leaked¡¯ is up ahead.¡±


    sherry paused for a second, then hurried to catch up with him, bustling along with her short legs and looking at duncan in amazement, ¡°are you¡­ also investigating the accident from eleven years ago?!¡±


    seemingly assured that the boss wasn¡¯t going to eat her (at least not for the time being) and that they shared a common purpose, she became a bit more courageous and even dared to ask questions proactively.


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    ¡°yeah, i¡¯m somewhat interested,¡± duncan nodded noncommittally, but he stopped after a few steps and curiously looked at sherry, ¡°do you often evade fares?¡±


    sherry opened her mouth to answer, ¡°i¡­¡±


    duncan read her expression and knew what was up. he shook his head, ¡°it¡¯s not good to evade fares.¡±


    upon hearing that, sherry almost burst into tears¡ªshe had been lectured by old dog, scolded by the uncles and aunties in the neighborhood, even reprimanded by the city-state¡¯s law enforcement, but she had never expected to be randomly lectured one day by someone like the evil god. and for a big shot like him to lecture her about not evading fares on the bus¡­ had the moral standards in the subspace really gotten that high?!


    ever since old dog had described to her the terrifying entity residing within ¡°mr. duncan,¡± she had begun to associate this imposing figure with the shadows of the subspace.

 Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Chapter 112: The Ruined District

    chapter 108: chapter 112: the ruined district


    sherry cautiously trailed alongside duncan. the temporary quiet atmosphere not only failed to relax her, but rather intensified her sense of oppression and fear lingering in the silence¡ªshe knew that these fearful emotions were not entirely her own, they largely stemmed from ¡°adog.¡±


    adog was feeling scared, and its emotions spread to her through a symbiotic shackle.


    to mitigate this oppressive feeling in the silence, she muttered softly, ¡°actually, i used to skip fares without getting caught¡­ adog helped me cover it up¡­¡±


    ¡°are you referring to the ¡®disguise¡¯ the abyssal hound did for you?¡± duncan arched an eyebrow. he remembered that sherry, using some sort of ¡®disguise¡¯ power from adog, had infiltrated a cult¡¯s den. that disguise seemed to be some type of cognitive confusion ability, but he quickly shook his head, ¡°it feels utterly unreliable. it was seen through last time, and this time you were even caught by the ticket seller.¡±


    upon hearing that, sherry instantly felt full of grudges¡ªwhere was there ever a problem with adog¡¯s disguise! wasn¡¯t it because it was nullified by the gaze of some terrifying being that it was exposed? was it appropriate for such an important figure to joke with her like this¡­


    but she dared not voice these grievances, and after stifling them for a long while, they turned into a dry laugh, ¡°ah haha¡­ you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    duncan shook his head, not caring what sherry was thinking about, but rather curious about the girl¡¯s investigation, ¡°why are you interested in that ¡®accident¡¯ from eleven years ago?¡±


    sherry suddenly fell silent. she instinctively didn¡¯t want to respond to this question, but then she pressed her lips together, realizing that concealing this matter seemed pointless in front of an entity almost like a subspace shadow, and she spoke in a low voice, ¡°it¡¯s nothing much, just trying to figure out¡­ my parents¡¯ matter¡­¡±


    after saying this, she quickly added, ¡°such matters must seem boring to an existence like you, i¡¯m aware. our human familial obsessions must look so trivial to you¡­¡±


    ¡°no, i understand,¡± duncan interrupted her before she could continue rambling, as he could almost guess how sherry viewed him. her words, if spoken, would probably contain a lot of bluff, ¡°that¡¯s indeed a very important reason.¡±


    he looked at sherry with a more serious gaze, ¡°were your parents involved in that ¡®leak¡¯ incident eleven years ago? or were they attacked by heretics?¡±


    sherry looked at duncan with some surprise; she didn¡¯t quite understand why such a significant figure would care so much about this matter. still, she nodded honestly, ¡°they¡­ disappeared eleven years ago¡­ well, disappear sounds too dramatic, they died, but their deaths were sudden and unclear¡­ and then adog and i had to rely on each other¡­¡±


    the girl¡¯s voice grew lower, these memories clearly not pleasant for her. duncan did not let her continue, ¡°how did you meet adog? those sun cultists claim you are a believer of the obliteration sect and say only its believers can summon profound demons, but you seem to deny this claim.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t believe in any ¡®sects¡¯! i only fucking believe in myself!¡± sherry exclaimed impulsively but then quickly quieted down, attempting to maintain a well-mannered and polite demeanor, ¡°i met adog¡­ just eleven years ago.¡±


    duncan suddenly stopped walking, looking into sherry¡¯s eyes, ¡°eleven years ago? so¡­¡±


    ¡°just after that so-called ¡®factory leak¡¯,¡± sherry also stopped, bowing her head as she explained, ¡°i don¡¯t remember the details, and adog says it doesn¡¯t remember either¡­ it might have been summoned by some obliteration believer, but whoever summoned it must have been taken out by the guardians of the deep sea church, and then it just inexplicably ended up bound to me¡­¡±


    sherry was concealing a lot, and many details were skipped over in her vague and brief account.


    duncan could sense the girl¡¯s concealment and evasion but didn¡¯t take it too seriously.


    it was a very normal form of self-protection. even in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful being, she was instinctively avoiding exposing all her secrets.


    he could possibly use threats to force sherry to reveal more, but that might not yield the whole truth. moreover, there was a lack of fundamental trust between him and the girl at this moment, so it was appropriate to leave the topic there for now.


    duncan shook his head, looking at the somewhat dilapidated streets and the passersby who were noticeably more idle and slow-paced compared to other districts, he remarked with a hint of lamentation, ¡°¡­ you hardly see any kids around here. everyone on the streets is either old or middle-aged, even young people are scarce.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s typical of old districts,¡± sherry responded as if it were to be expected, seeming quite informed, ¡°those who can afford it have moved to the cross district. those who can¡¯t move are either old or just idling through life. plus, it¡¯s not like you can find community schools in these kinds of districts, so naturally, children wouldn¡¯t stay¡ªthey must have all followed the adults and left¡­¡±


    listening to sherry¡¯s serious analysis, duncan just hummed noncommittally.


    he could imagine the aging population trend of the old city district, but even so, the gloomy atmosphere on the street was a bit too concerning.


    lost in thought, duncan¡¯s gaze landed on an elderly man with white hair sitting in front of a street shop, seemingly basking in the sun but now giving the strangers a somewhat confused look.


    duncan, accompanied by sherry, walked straight over.


    ¡°good morning,¡± duncan greeted the sun-basking senior, ¡°we¡¯re from the fourth district and were wondering¡­ how to get to the church?¡±


    he didn¡¯t actually care where the church was; he was just making small talk with the locals.


    ¡°the church? the church hasn¡¯t been open for a while, heaven knows where that nun went,¡± the sunbather awakened a bit from his lethargy and curiously sized up the newcomers, ¡°it¡¯s really rare, we normally don¡¯t have outsiders willing to come here¡­ what are you here for?¡±


    ¡°just visiting a friend,¡± duncan replied casually, ¡°not many people willing to come? why is that?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s that damn factory,¡± the old man complained bitterly, clearly dissatisfied with the state of abandonment in the district, ¡°for so many years! the area around the factory is still a complete mess with not a blade of grass growing. everyone says the chemicals leaked back then were never properly cleaned up. even people from nearby districts detour around this place, who would dare come close¡­¡±


    duncan exchanged looks with sherry, then spoke again, ¡°i saw an old newspaper saying that the area around the factory had been cleaned up though¡­¡±


    ¡°what the newspapers say¡­ newspapers say lots of good things! they also said the new governor would revitalize the west city industrial zone!¡± the old man spat to the side, ¡°and what happened? west city is worse by the day, and our old factory here is still a ruin¡­ let me tell you, when that factory was still here, this was a good place, cross district was among the richest stre¡­


    the old man, once he started complaining, wouldn¡¯t stop, grateful for the rare stranger listening to his grievances. this erased the earlier lethargy from sunbathing in an instant, and seeing this, duncan quickly interrupted, ¡°right, i noticed there aren¡¯t many children around¡­ not many young people either, did they all move away?¡±


    ¡°move? no one¡¯s moved from here; at least we have our old houses. can¡¯t easily afford the rent in other districts, can you?¡± the old man shook his head, ¡°not many young people because the young people have all aged, children¡­ pff.¡±


    the old man suddenly sighed.


    ¡°this place, hasn¡¯t seen a child born in eleven years!¡±


    ¡°eleven years with no newborns?!¡± duncan finally widened his eyes slightly, ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°how could that be fake? i have lived here most of my life,¡± the old man rolled his eyes, ¡°if you ask me, it¡¯s all because of that factory¡­ the land around the factory got contaminated¡­¡±


    duncan didn¡¯t say a word, just slowly stood up straight, his gaze shifting towards the end of the street, looking at the location of the derelict factory he had found on the map earlier.


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    sherry, by his side, was still curiously conversing with the old man, asking about the factory, asking about the residents who remained in the cross district, asking how many people had moved from here over the past eleven years.


    however, the old man seemed to have lost patience, waving his hands irritably, muttering some complaints, and mostly giving perfunctory responses to sherry¡¯s questions.


    ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± duncan suddenly said to sherry, shifting her attention before the irritable girl could erupt, then he looked back at the old man, who had resumed sunbathing, and nodded slightly, ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°oh, you¡¯re welcome,¡± the old man waved a hand, ¡°safe travels.¡±


    (and it¡¯s book recommendation time again, from mr. fox¡¯s ¡°the abyss express,¡± a lively underground (netherworld) adventure story¡ªyes, i¡¯ve recommended it before, and now i¡¯m recommending it again!)

 Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Chapter 113: Searching for a Great Fire

    chapter 109: chapter 113: searching for a great fire


    walking along the road, sherry seemed a little frustrated, ¡°why won¡¯t that old man answer my question! it¡¯s like he didn¡¯t hear me when i was talking to him¡­ is it because i¡¯m short that i get so little attention?!¡±


    ¡°i think the main reason isn¡¯t your height, it¡¯s that you kept asking him about the factory,¡± duncan glanced at the girl with a slight turn of his head, ¡°and instead of wasting time on a local who doesn¡¯t want to cooperate, wouldn¡¯t it be better to take a look at the factory yourself?¡±


    sherry pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say much more. ahead of her and duncan, at the end of this street, the factory that had been abandoned eleven years earlier was faintly visible.


    in the lower city district, many factories were located near residential areas, some separated from living quarters by a mere wall¡ªlimited land in the city-state and the blockade of the endless sea meant that city planners couldn¡¯t allocate enough plots for industrial facilities. steady ground was almost everywhere crammed with people, naturally negating concepts such as ¡°industrial relocation¡± or ¡°suburban resettlement.¡±


    most people in this world were too preoccupied to consider the health risks of industrial pollution. for the general public, the security enhancements brought about by modern technology development were obviously more important than the risks posed by factories¡ªgas lamps, heavy firepower, steam networks, pharmaceuticals, and mechanical ships. these innovations had nearly tripled the population of the new city-state era compared to older times, and anyone familiar with the mechanisms of modern city-states could clearly recognize a fact: factories were the skeleton and flesh of modern civilization, already inseparable from the city-state.


    in fact, according to nina¡¯s textbook, these factory facilities were not just clustered in the lower city district. even though city planners tried hard to transition particularly hazardous facilities to the edges of the city-state, some things had to be situated right in the heart of the city, even next to grand cathedrals¡ªlike the sacred great bell tower and the ¡°central steam core¡± that delivered ¡°holiness gas¡± throughout the city.


    these were essentially huge machines containing terrifying energy and great risks, yet they were still placed beside the heart of the city.


    in nina¡¯s engineering and mechanics textbooks, the authors explained this specially: people had to ¡°endow the sacred steam with holiness,¡± and rely on the power of the cathedrals to ensure the punctual operation of the bell towers¡ªmachines were not just machines, they were sacred and pure hearts, supporting the operation of modern civilization. it was necessary to place these pristine steels under the watchful eyes of deities, to prevent the shadows of subspace from contaminating their oil and bolts.


    duncan recalled the content he had read on nina¡¯s textbooks, then looked up at the still-deserted factory standing in the district, feeling a strange sense of wonder.


    this bizarre world¡­ really challenged his values at every turn.


    he and sherry arrived in front of the factory, where a thin and partially collapsed fence was the only boundary between the factory and the surrounding residential area. between the plant and the nearby living areas, they could see a narrow ring of wasteland¡ªa desolate tract of land where nothing grew, strewn with scattered bricks and stones, and rusted pieces of scrap metal.


    no matter how important factories were to the city, no matter how accustomed people were to living with them day and night, factories were still factories. when these behemoths lost control, they still left huge scars in the city.


    but in the precious land of the city-state, for such a scar to be left unattended for eleven years still seemed odd to duncan.


    ¡°the land in the city-state should be very valuable,¡± he said, standing at the edge of the wasteland and looking thoughtfully at the abandoned buildings in front of him, ¡°leaving it like this¡­ doesn¡¯t really make sense.¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t that old man just say it? the pollution hasn¡¯t been cleaned up properly¡­¡± sherry seemed less concerned about it, ¡°some pollution can only fade away with time.¡±


    ¡°perhaps¡­¡± duncan shook his head, his gaze moving between the series of pipes and tanks at the edge of the factory area, trying to reconstruct the original scene of the accident that had occurred there. he saw several segments of broken pipes, and noticed a tank whose base had collapsed, the whole tank lying down, pressing into the nearby building debris, looking like the carcass of a massive beast.


    judging from these scenes alone, it did seem like a leakage accident had occurred here.


    but duncan¡¯s brow was still slightly furrowed.


    the sunbathing old man had said that the area around the factory was still contaminated, and the pollution had even resulted in the lack of newborns in the entire sixth street district for the past eleven years. yet around this factory, there were no warning signs, nor any patrolling or guarding personnel.


    the situation was not reasonable. although it was not any major anomaly, these slight inconsistencies still bred doubt.


    ¡°do we¡­ really have to go in?¡± sherry¡¯s voice rose from beside him, her expression seeming a bit tense, ¡°there might actually be pollution here¡­¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t your abyssal hound give you some advice?¡± duncan glanced at sherry, ¡°it¡¯s deserted here, you could let the abyssal hound out for some air, and besides, i don¡¯t believe you¡¯re truly afraid of the so-called ¡®pollution¡¯ here¡ªyour nervousness seems a bit too fake.¡±


    sherry evaded duncan¡¯s gaze, raising her hand while replying, ¡°alright, alright¡­ it¡¯s just that abyssal hound isn¡¯t feeling very well¡­¡±


    no sooner had the girl finished speaking than the crackling of leaping flames suddenly appeared out of nowhere next to her. following that, a pitch-black blaze spread across her arm and half her body¡ªflames congealing into chains, and within the dense smoke and dark flames at the end of the chains, the figure of the abyssal hound emerged.


    duncan watched the process with curiosity, and only after the abyssal hound appeared did he smile and nod at it, ¡°long time no see, abyssal hound¡ªyou all ran off pretty fast last time.¡±


    ¡°left in a rush, left in a rush, please don¡¯t take it amiss,¡± as soon as abyssal hound made an appearance, it clenched its tail tightly. hearing duncan¡¯s voice made it visibly shrink by half an inch. while trying hard to draw in its limbs, it carefully lowered its head, ¡°do you have any orders? i¡¯m skilled at many things, carrying dishes, sweeping, amusing children, anything really¡­¡±


    the abyssal hound hadn¡¯t finished speaking when sherry covered half her face, assuming an ¡°as if i haven¡¯t been cowardly enough on this journey, and yet you can stoop even lower¡± expression. duncan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, pointing at the factory ahead, ¡°i don¡¯t have any orders, just need to borrow your eyes¡ªyou can see some things that ordinary people can¡¯t, right? take a look at that factory, tell me, what¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°who would have thought, you¡¯d value my ability to see,¡± abyssal hound immediately started flattering modestly but still turned its head toward the factory while muttering, ¡°i was observing this factory just now and didn¡¯t notice anything¡­ looking at it now is the same, just an abandoned¡­¡±


    abyssal hound¡¯s voice suddenly came to a halt, then it abruptly lowered its body, letting out a threatening growl from deep in its throat¡ªbut the next second, it shook its head in confusion, voicing its doubt, ¡°huh?¡±


    seeing this, sherry immediately grew tense: ¡°abyssal hound, what did you see?!¡±


    ¡°i¡­ i don¡¯t know, just for a moment, i thought i saw¡­ fire? it seemed like a huge fire, like a giant wave surging out of the factory, but¡­ it disappeared in the blink of an eye¡­¡±


    abyssal hound¡¯s voice was filled with skepticism, but sherry became excited: ¡°are you sure you saw fire?! a real large fire?!¡±


    abyssal hound shook its gigantic skeletal head: ¡°it was just a fleeting image, could have been an illusion. after all, i¡¯m a profound demon, occasionally having illusions or being a bit mentally unsound is perfectly normal¡­¡±


    ¡°but a large fire is different!¡± sherry¡¯s voice was urgent, ¡°we¡¯ve been looking for so long, and finally found traces of a ¡®large fire¡¯, it must be here, abyssal hound, it has to be¡­¡±


    sherry was halfway through her excited speech when she suddenly felt a large hand on her shoulder. her words stopped short, and a belated sense of tension set in. her neck stiffened as she turned, only to see the formidable ¡°mr. duncan¡± serenely watching her.


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    ¡°why do you have such a big reaction to ¡®large fires¡¯?¡± duncan looked into sherry¡¯s eyes and slowly asked.


    ¡°i¡­¡± sherry opened her mouth, ¡°nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°you, too, are looking for a ¡®large fire¡¯ from eleven years ago, aren¡¯t you?¡± duncan paid no attention to the girl¡¯s attempt to change the subject. he had suddenly made a connection from sherry¡¯s abnormal reaction, ¡°a fire not recorded in any official record, yet one you experienced firsthand, right?¡±


    sherry was a bit stiff, she slowly swallowed, ¡°how¡­ how did you¡­¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m also looking for it,¡± duncan smiled, ¡°looks like i¡¯ve come to the right place.¡±

 Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chapter 114: Erased Traces

    chapter 110: chapter 114: erased traces


    in front of the dilapidated, abandoned factory, the abyssal hound ¡°a-gou¡± gazed with vacant eye sockets at the crumbling structures as if trying to observe the ruins from another dimension.


    sherry stood next to a-gou, looking around a bit nervously. after glancing at duncan¡¯s expression, she whispered hesitantly, ¡°a-gou, is there really no ¡®residual pollution¡¯ here?¡±


    ¡°if you mean ¡®chemical spill¡¯ as ordinary people call it, rest assured, any pollution here likely dissipated years ago,¡± a-gou¡¯s voice rumbled from his throat, ¡°but if it¡¯s pollution from certain transcendent realms, that¡¯s uncertain.¡±


    ¡°did you find anything?¡± duncan asked.


    ¡°¡­ no, really nothing,¡± a-gou hung his head slightly, ¡°i just saw a flash of¡­ ¡®fire¡¯ a moment ago, but now there¡¯s nothing; it might just be some kind of ¡®echo,¡¯ a memory solidified and left behind by these ruins¡­ many transcendent forces can leave similar traces in the real world, but to understand what kind of transcendent force it is¡­ i¡¯m afraid we need to go in and take a look.¡±


    ¡°then let¡¯s go in,¡± duncan nodded and stepped toward a gap in the abandoned factory, ¡°you guys follow too.¡±


    sherry hesitated, but she followed, and a-gou shook his head from side to side, the dark chains rattling. the abyssal hound looked curiously and cautiously at duncan walking in front, ¡°sir¡­ why are you also interested in the event from eleven years ago? ah, of course, i¡¯m just casually asking, a bit of trivial curiosity. someone like you surely has your reasons¡­¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a personal interest,¡± duncan cut off the abyssal hound¡¯s words, ¡°don¡¯t be so overly nervous in front of me, it makes me uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°right, right, not nervous, we¡¯re not nervous¡­¡±


    listening to their obviously nervous response, duncan simply shook his head helplessly, then glanced curiously at sherry beside him, ¡°in your memory, there was a major fire, but besides you, no one else remembers its existence, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ yes,¡± sherry nodded, realizing something, ¡°by your tone¡­ you also know about that fire, don¡¯t you? it really existed, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ yes, i know. so now i¡¯m more curious about who erased the traces of that fire,¡± duncan said softly, nodding slightly.


    at the same time, his mind was filled with turmoil¡ªhe never expected things to align so coincidentally, nor did he expect that aside from himself and nina, there would be a third person in plunder city-state who knew about that ¡°disaster.¡± his chance meeting with sherry, their joint investigation, the fire traces that were erased, the illusion a-gou just had¡­ it all seemed to be drawn together by an invisible force, as if planets orbiting the sun.


    this feeling of various elements being drawn together by invisible forces had made him cautious.


    nina¡¯s textbook had briefly described some ¡°common knowledge¡± of the transcendent domain, mentioning how powerful anomalies or phenomena often possess the ability to interfere with the course of reality and could even guide certain events to occur like writing a script. too many coincidences or continuous clues are often precarious ¡°omens¡± which usually imply that the involved individuals are already influenced by some anomaly or phenomenon, unwittingly participating in or even advancing such events.


    against such intangible and harmless influences, his ¡°spiritual body fire¡± was essentially useless.


    thinking this, he couldn¡¯t help but steal a glance at sherry.


    the girl and ¡°a-gou¡± were cautiously guarding against any disturbances in the factory ruins. she seemed to have no excess complicated thoughts, perhaps his sheer presence, a ¡°great terror,¡± kept her from any distractions.


    ¡°¡­ this looks just like an ordinary ruin¡­¡± a-gou¡¯s deep voice broke duncan¡¯s contemplation, ¡°i don¡¯t sense any transcendent forces.¡±


    sherry looked up, examining the crisscrossing pipes and the warped and deformed beams of the ceiling.


    this was the first ¡°factory hall¡± they entered after coming into the factory, severely damaged in an accident eleven years ago. a powerful explosion had pierced its roof, causing the high pipes to rupture and the building materials to collapse. sunlight streamed through the large hole above, making the scene resemble the jagged skeleton of a dead beast.


    yet aside from the explosion and collapse, there was absolutely no trace of a ¡°fire¡± in the factory hall.


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t look like there was ever a fire here¡­¡± sherry muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°no traces of fire, that¡¯s the biggest problem,¡± duncan¡¯s deep voice suddenly came from beside her, as he also looked up at the broken pipes and roof structure, his brow slightly furrowed, ¡°this level of damage, and clearly there was an explosion, would inevitably involve some form of accompanying fire, no matter the scale. there should at least be some traces of burning in the factory hall¡­ but there¡¯s not even a trace of a flame having been here.¡±


    duncan¡¯s voice fell, and a-gou immediately spoke gravely, ¡°yes, the way it looks here now, it¡¯s as if all elements related to ¡®fire¡¯ had been deliberately erased, yet because it¡¯s been erased too cleanly, it has left a more conspicuous void.¡±


    ¡°was it erased¡­¡± duncan muttered softly, slowly walking deeper into the factory. when he passed an abandoned, twisted machine, he stopped and casually glanced at a hole in the wall nearby.


    he suddenly stopped walking, his eyes widening slightly.


    fire! a towering inferno!


    he saw a sea of flames rising from the other side of the hole, saw the whole barren land outside the factory rolling with flames like a surging ocean, leaping into the air and plunging toward the ground, flowing toward the nearby streets and houses, with thick smoke billowing up and countless frantic people running through this hellish mirage!


    this horrifying and intense scene had suddenly entered duncan¡¯s field of vision, but the next second, just as he turned his head to call sherry over, the fiery scene suddenly dissipated.


    duncan blinked hard and walked up to the hole to look outside, only to see a barren land and a few dilapidated houses at its edge that were uninhabited.


    a-gou noticed duncan¡¯s unusual actions and immediately asked, ¡°did you find something?¡±


    ¡°i saw it too just now, fire,¡± duncan answered gravely, ¡°but it disappeared as i turned around.¡±


    ¡°then it seems the ¡®echo¡¯ left here is strong,¡± a-gou immediately analyzed. ¡°to reappear twice in such a short time is not a mark left by ordinary transcendent powers. it seems that the ¡®sun shard¡¯ the heretics are looking for indeed appeared here¡­ but i don¡¯t know what triggers the ¡®echo¡¯¡­¡±


    duncan said nothing; he just slowly returned to the position where he had first seen the ¡°echo¡± and stood there thoughtfully looking at the spot where he had stood before.


    it seemed as though there was nothing here.


    after a moment of thought, duncan suddenly raised his hand and gently rubbed his fingertips.


    a cluster of faint green flames quietly emerged from his hands.


    the moment a-gou saw the faint green flame, he suddenly shrank his neck and then stepped back three or four steps, while sherry, accompanied by the clanging sound of black chains, also stepped back half a step, looking horrified at duncan, ¡°are you¡­ are you really planning to go through with this?¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s there to be afraid of,¡± duncan looked emotionlessly at the pair, ¡°this isn¡¯t meant to roast you.¡±


    as his voice fell, he pointed his fingertips toward the ground.


    the faint green flame seemed to become a flow of water, silently falling to the ground, and the next second, a translucent spiritual body of fire rippled and spread across the surface, instantly sweeping a few meters around duncan¡¯s feet!


    sherry looked at the scene with uncertainty, suddenly widening her eyes, ¡°ah!?¡±


    where the flames swept through, something suddenly emerged from the seemingly empty ground.


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    it was a pile of ashes, a curled up figure that faintly resembled a human!


    it was a human being turned to ash, staring in the direction duncan had just been looking at before dying.


    suddenly, sherry thought of something, she lifted her head, surveying the empty factory.


    and under duncan¡¯s deliberate control, the faint green fire of the spiritual body swept through the entire factory like a breeze.


    thus, the traces that had been erased were finally briefly unveiled before the visitor.

 Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Chapter 115: The Origin of the Invisible Veil

    chapter 111: chapter 115: the origin of the invisible veil


    the ethereal green spiritual body¡¯s fire flitted across the entire factory like a drifting play of light and shadow, taking only a few seconds. this disturbance, stemming from a higher transcendent power, was like a gust of wind lifting the veil laid upon ¡°reality,¡± thus revealing the concealed truth underneath to sherry and duncan.


    ashes, nothing but ashes, human-shaped ashes, shapeless ashes, charred walls, melted rooftops, the twisted and brittle casings of machines licked by flames, and heaps of molten material that had almost lost their outlines were piled together. the entire factory area seemed like a flaming inferno that had just cooled down not long ago. the fire was out, but the might that had melted everything still seemed to linger in the air.


    sherry stood in the center of the remnants of the fire scene, her gaze somewhat vacant, while ah dog silently approached her side and gently propped up her body with his bony and jagged back.


    soon, the ethereal green fire of the spiritual body faded away, and everything within the factory reverted to its original state.


    duncan looked at his hands with a tinge of regret¡ªafter all, this was just an ¡°ordinary¡± body, incomparable to his original form. the spiritual body¡¯s fire he could call upon was also quite limited; in the situation of spreading flames across a wide area, it could only be maintained for such a brief moment.


    yet, even that brief moment of ¡°re-enactment¡± was enough to reveal a crucial truth.


    ¡°there really was a big fire¡­ i knew i hadn¡¯t remembered wrong¡­¡± sherry muttered to herself, ¡°i¡¯ve been looking for it for eleven years, and it turns out to be here¡­¡±


    ¡°but this fire has been erased,¡± ah dog spoke in a low voice, ¡°some force has woven a veil over the real world, filtering out all traces related to the ¡®fire¡¯¡­ this veil could even block the sight of the profound demons¡­¡±


    ¡°is it the sun shard? or the one who brought the sun shard to the city-state in the first place?¡± sherry frowned, then she suddenly noticed that duncan had been unusually silent since earlier and couldn¡¯t help but glance at him, ¡°what do you make of this¡­¡±


    ¡°the fire scene here doesn¡¯t quite match my memories,¡± duncan shook his head before sherry could finish her sentence, his gaze slowly sweeping across the factory¡¯s equipment, recalling the details he saw when the veil was briefly lifted, as well as remembering the scene of the great fire from his memories. recalling the details of the building and its surroundings as ¡°he¡± had fled the scene with nina, he finally confirmed his judgment was correct, ¡°it¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°ah?¡± sherry was startled, ¡°the big fire in your memory¡­ isn¡¯t here?¡±


    ¡°the discrepancies in the details are too great,¡± duncan declared somberly, and slowly began to walk towards the factory¡¯s exit. his gaze passed through the fallen gates and looked at the decrepit streets in the distance, ¡°or to be more precise, the entire landscape of the sixth district¡­ seems off.¡±


    sherry unconsciously exchanged glances with ah dog and asked in a lowered voice, ¡°what do you think is going on?¡±


    ¡°how should i know, i¡¯m just a dog,¡± ah dog shook his head, ¡°and eleven years ago, i was even more confused than you.¡±


    duncan heard the soft conversation between sherry and ah dog behind him, and he slightly turned his head, ¡°this factory, is it the only suspicious place?¡±


    ¡°it might be¡­¡± sherry said uncertainly, ¡°at any rate, according to what i¡¯ve found out, this factory was the center of the chaos eleven years ago.¡±


    duncan did not agree or disagree, but for the following two hours, he, sherry, and the abyssal hound checked all the accessible areas of the abandoned factory.


    strangely, apart from the ¡°veil¡± covering reality, they found no traces of transcendent powers or items left behind.


    ¡°this doesn¡¯t add up¡­¡± after a cursory check of the last building, ah dog finally voiced his own suspicions, ¡°that ¡®veil¡¯ covering the fire scene must have been the work of transcendent forces, but after scouring the whole factory area, we didn¡¯t find the ¡®source¡¯ of the veil¡­ that¡¯s not reasonable.¡±


    ¡°there has to be a source?¡± sherry¡¯s voice carried a bit of curiosity.


    duncan was curious as well, but he didn¡¯t show it, maintaining a stony face while silently waiting for ah dog to speak¡ª


    who would¡¯ve thought that the only transcendent expert on the scene would be a dog¡­


    a-dog himself hadn¡¯t thought too much about it. as a profound demon, many of the knowledge realms of the transcendent were common sense to him. he casually started to explain, ¡°the force that conceals the traces of the great fire is obviously a sustained power, and this power must have a source to maintain it until now. moreover, just now¡­ after mr. duncan¡¯s flames subsided, the veil closed again, which also indicates that there is something behind this veil sustaining it¡­ it could be a powerful anomaly, or it could be a powerful transcendent being. in any case, whatever it is, it must exist somewhere in the city-state¡­¡±


    while speaking, the abyssal hound raised its head, its hollow eye sockets sweeping over the distant streets and further afield to the urban districts.


    ¡°we didn¡¯t find the source of the veil within the factory area, which means that whatever is supporting the veil is projecting its power from afar toward this place, or¡­ it might be that the scope of the veil is beyond imagination, and we have only lifted a small corner of it. if it¡¯s the latter¡­¡±


    a-dog said, suddenly lowering his voice with a hint of anxiety, ¡°if it¡¯s the latter, then this might be quite troublesome to deal with. a regular ¡®anomaly¡¯ simply couldn¡¯t have such a large coverage area! that would likely be a spectacle, an unknown spectacle¡­¡±


    ¡°the sun shard definitely isn¡¯t a regular ¡®anomaly.¡¯ after all, according to those heretics, that shard is the body of the sun god,¡± sherry suddenly interjected, ¡°perhaps it is a method used by the sun shard to conceal itself.¡±


    ¡°¡­a higher anomaly with the tendency to think? to prevent being controlled, it actively creates a veil to erase all traces of its existence and hide somewhere behind the veil?¡± a-dog mused, ¡°that¡¯s certainly possible. if that really is the remains of a deity, it could indeed have the capacity to think before awakening.¡±


    sherry rubbed her chin, thinking seriously, then as if suddenly realizing something, she looked at a-dog in surprise, ¡°are you really that knowledgeable? you can¡¯t even read¡­¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a profound demon! i¡¯m a shadow evolved from the flesh of the saint! this knowledge has been branded in my memory from the moment i was born, okay?¡± a-dog jangled the chain irritably, ¡°and speaking of illiteracy¡­ are you in any position to talk?!¡±


    duncan watched with amusement as sherry and her abyssal hound interacted. this strange combination had many secrets, which intrigued him deeply. but before he could ask anything, sherry seemed to suddenly remember something. she looked up nervously at the sky, saw that the sun was slowly moving toward its zenith, and exclaimed, ¡°ah! it¡¯s noon already!¡±


    duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°do you have other arrangements?¡±


    ¡°i¡­¡± sherry said nervously, ¡°i must get home before noon!¡±


    duncan watched the girl quietly, ¡°didn¡¯t you say your parents were no longer around? who is there to lecture you if you return home late?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not about being lectured¡­ it¡¯s an appointment i made with someone!¡± sherry hurriedly waved her hands, seemingly a bit braver in front of duncan after the exploration in the factory, ¡°maybe¡­ can we continue another time?¡±


    duncan glanced at the abyssal hound next to her, which immediately retracted its neck, ¡°it¡¯s up to you, sir. if you want to continue investigating, i and sherry¡­¡±


    ¡°no need,¡± duncan shook his head, ¡°continuing the search here won¡¯t yield any more results. let¡¯s wait until we find new clues. since you have other matters, you should go.¡±


    sherry¡¯s face lit up with surprise, as if she did not expect the boss to let her go so easily. but she didn¡¯t dare to run away directly, so she cautiously confirmed, ¡°then¡­ a-dog and i will be leaving, okay? and if you want to find us later¡­¡±


    but duncan just flashed a slight smile, kindly watching her, ¡°if it¡¯s meant to be, we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


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    he smiled warmly at sherry and a-dog, and in his line of sight, on the dark chain that linked to the abyssal hound, a small green spark quietly smoldered.


    this was the result of his deeper understanding of the ¡°spiritual body¡¯s fire¡± after accidentally establishing a connection with fenna last time, a small experiment.


    the mark he released was more intense than the flame left on fenna, yet gentle and harmless.


    sherry suddenly felt a chill run through her ¨C despite his smile being so warm, she felt a shiver coming on.


    but in the end, she controlled her expression and bid farewell as politely as possible before quickly leaving with a-dog.

 Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Chapter 116 Everything is Normal

    chapter 112: chapter 116 everything is normal


    sherry, with adog in tow, hurried away. duncan¡¯s gaze shifted from the distant intersection and resettled on the ruins of the factory.


    after the fire of the spiritual body had died down, the invisible curtain closed once more, and the factory returned to its ¡°normal¡± appearance¡ªthe traces of the fire had been completely erased, and ash omnipresent, hidden within nothingness.


    duncan¡¯s gaze slowly moved upward, to the sky above the factory.


    he imagined there being a veil-like curtain that quietly enveloped the surroundings, hiding the truth beneath reality. although the sixth district had only a few residents, there were still thousands, and right under their noses, this invisible curtain had veiled the truth for eleven years.


    the residents had even completely forgotten about the fire in their memories¡ªthey simply thought it was ¡°chemical pollution¡± from the factory that had led to the district¡¯s dilapidation.


    at this point, duncan suddenly furrowed his brow.


    the truth inside the factory was a fire, and adog also confirmed that there was no chemical pollution residue around the factory. since there was no ¡°pollution¡±¡­ then why had there been no newborns in the sixth district for eleven years?!


    if it wasn¡¯t chemical pollution causing the generation gap¡­ could it be some force within the transcendent realm, preventing the emergence of a new population in the sixth district?


    duncan thoughtfully stared at the sky.


    it seemed¡­ that this invisible curtain was even larger than he had imagined.


    ¡­


    ¡°did we really¡­ make it out?¡±


    in a dingy alley some distance from the sixth district, sherry poked her head out from the shadows, carefully checking to see if any law enforcement officers were patrolling nearby while whispering to a corner of the wall.


    crouched in the corner was a dark, viscous shadow, as if the tangible darkness had a sticky quality, from which adog¡¯s voice emerged, low and indistinct: ¡°it¡¯s not us who escaped, someone powerful let us go.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s the same damn thing,¡± sherry waved her hand dismissively, uncaringly sitting on the ground, ¡°shit, i was scared to death¡­ i didn¡¯t even dare to breathe hard, couldn¡¯t swear, had to act all obedient¡­ adog, you have no idea¡­¡±


    ¡°i know, i see more than you do, remember?¡± came the ghostly voice from the shadows, ¡°how does it feel, walking with a smiling subspace shadow compared to dealing with a bunch of menacing law enforcers and guardians?¡±


    ¡°¡­stop it, i¡¯m cold,¡± sherry rolled her eyes, ¡°it¡¯s all because of that terrifying story you told me last time. if i knew nothing, i¡¯d be fearless today¡­ why does such a significant person pretend to be a ¡®normal person¡¯? they even ride the bus like everyone else, even buying a ticket! who would have thought to encounter him this way!¡±


    adog fell silent for two seconds: ¡°¡­maybe it¡¯s just a whim, or perhaps they are watching you. what i fear most is this¡­ we¡¯ve already dealt with such beings; i guess our fate is already tangled¡­¡±


    sherry shivered slightly, cautiously asking, ¡°you mean¡­ we¡¯ll really meet him again? spare me¡­¡±


    ¡°did you forget his parting words?¡± adog sighed, ¡°he will find us.¡±


    sherry stayed silent, head lowered, and after a moment, adog suddenly added, ¡°what? scared? regretful? it might be a bit late now¡­ i warned you before. stepping into the transcendent realm, you should be ready to deal with all sorts of powerful forces¡ªmost of which are beyond human comprehension¡ªif you had listened to me a few months ago and stopped investigating old matters, you could still be living your peaceful life¡­¡±


    ¡°regretful my ass!¡± sherry lowered her head, interrupting adog¡¯s speech fiercely, ¡°i have never regretted it from the start, and i won¡¯t in the future! stop talking such disheartening crap to me!¡±


    ¡°alright, alright, i¡¯ll stop¡ªhave you rested enough? we should be moving soon, didn¡¯t your ¡®new friend¡¯ arrange to meet?¡±


    ¡°i¡­ i¡¯ll wait another two minutes,¡± sherry scratched her head, her voice a bit muffled, ¡°my legs are a bit weak, just a bit longer¡­¡±


    a¡¯gou had stopped speaking, only emitting a hoarse purring sound before the writhing shadow in which it hid began to shrink, gradually merging into sherry¡¯s shadow.


    ¡­


    at lunchtime, fenna stuffed bread smeared with jam into her mouth, swallowing huge bites while glancing at the briefings on the table beside her. feeling somewhat choked, she casually grabbed a glass nearby and gulped down several large mouthfuls.


    uncle dante¡¯s voice came from the opposite side of the table, laced with resignation, ¡°fenna, eat a bit more gracefully¡ªand don¡¯t drink the wine like it¡¯s water.¡±


    ¡°heretics won¡¯t wait. the faster we eat, the sooner we can dispatch these heretics to meet their maker,¡± fenna looked up at her uncle while struggling to swallow the food in her mouth, ¡°besides, this isn¡¯t some outdoor banquet¡­¡±


    ¡°a family meal should still be conducted with proper manners¡ªyou¡¯ll never get married at this rate,¡± dante watched his niece, who was of marriageable age yet had never brought a boyfriend home, with a headache, ¡°well, it¡¯s more like you¡¯re already unmarriageable¡­¡±


    fenna¡¯s eating finally slowed, the young judge somewhat embarrassed, ¡°i¡­ the duties of a judge are quite¡­¡±


    ¡°the deep sea church doesn¡¯t forbid priests from marrying. judges also have normal families, and i¡¯ve read the ¡®storm scripture¡¯ as well,¡± dante shook his head, ¡°seriously, are there really no suitable candidates?¡±


    fenna bowed her head, poking at the bread on her plate with a dinner knife, ¡°mainly, there¡¯s no one strong enough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­we should probably ask if an oath can be taken back,¡± dante sighed, looking worried, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have made that vow so carelessly during your initiation, especially the first one, demanding someone strong to be by your side. bishop valentin should have stopped you¡­¡±


    fenna¡¯s head lowered further, and despite her tall stature, her face was flushed with embarrassment, and her voice slightly muffled as when she was chastised in her younger years, ¡°an oath is a sacred vow made before the goddess and cannot be rescinded lightly, and¡­ it wasn¡¯t carelessly made. almost every female guardian makes that vow; it¡¯s a symbol of courage bestowed by the storm, also to prove to the goddess¡­¡±


    dante silently watched his niece who stood a head and a half taller than him, ¡°have you ever considered that one day you might train yourself to be unbeatable?¡±


    fenna, ¡°¡­ that¡¯s for the second and third parts of the oath, right¡­¡±


    dante, ¡°¡­ sigh.¡±


    this was a subject the uncle and niece brought up every now and then in the past two years, and every time it ended awkwardly, this instance was no exception.


    however, fenna quickly adjusted her mood, finishing the battle on her plate with astonishing speed, then gathered the documents beside her and stood up to leave, ¡°i¡¯m done eating, uncle¡­ hmm?¡±


    fenna suddenly stopped, staring at dante wayne¡¯s face in surprise, she pointed at his ruby prosthetic eye, ¡°uncle, the wound around your eye is bleeding¡­ are you alright?¡±


    ¡°huh?¡± dante was momentarily stunned, quickly touching his face and upon seeing the blood on his hand, hastily got up to fetch a mirror to inspect his ruby eye¡ª he was shocked to see the edge of the ruby eye slowly seeping blood, trickling down around the scarred folds, not much but quite alarming.


    ¡°don¡¯t move,¡± fenna quickly came over, pressing her hand near dante¡¯s eye while softly reciting words from the ¡®storm scripture¡¯, ¡°may the sea breeze moisturize the limbs and restore this flesh and blood to its original state.¡±


    under the divine prayers, dante felt a slight itch near his wound, and the slight bleeding soon stopped, he said with a bit of resignation, ¡°no need to make a fuss over it, this isn¡¯t the first time in these years¡ªafter all, it¡¯s cold minerals and metals, and occasional ¡®minor conflicts¡¯ with the flesh are normal.¡±


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    but the expression on fenna¡¯s face was none the more relaxed, she still stared intently at dante¡¯s ruby eye, asking after some time, ¡°are you feeling anything else? any burning pain? or seeing some illusions through that ruby eye?¡±


    dante blinked, looking at fenna; his blessed ruby eye clearly reflected everything in sight¡ª


    flames blazed behind fenna, ash and burn marks scattered around the dining room, disfigured charcoal, and molten remains dripped from the ceiling like grotesque omens.


    the ruby eye was slightly warm, then gradually returned to being ice cold.


    dante smiled, ¡°of course not, everything is normal.¡±

 Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Chapter 117: Museum

    chapter 113: chapter 117: museum


    getting off the car, heidi stepped onto the stone square in front of the museum and couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. the cool, slightly salty sea breeze blew, as if it also swept away the tiredness and anxiety accumulated after her continuous work, bringing her a sense of relief.


    the young psychiatrist had not taken a vacation in almost a month, and recently she had been dealing with frenzied heretics almost daily. she even felt that the madness in the minds of these heretics was gradually infecting her own spirit, making her struggle with insomnia and vivid dreams every day.


    fortunately, today she did not have to think about those crazy cultists and their deformed minds.


    another gust of sea breeze came from the end of the street, lifting heidi¡¯s skirt. she raised her hand to hold down her long dress and the wide-brimmed hat on her head, and looked up at the large white building in front of her with streamlined domes and beautiful side buildings.


    this ocean museum located in the cross district was one of the largest¡ªand most legendary¡ªmuseums in the plunder city-state.


    heidi stepped towards the museum while not far away, a guide was introducing the background of the museum to the tourists. the guide¡¯s penetrating voice reached heidi¡¯s ears:


    ¡°¡­this large building, constructed in 1802, was originally the property of the parl brothers overseas shipping company. in its heyday, it served as the largest storage center in plunder, swallowing enormous wealth and was seen as a symbol of the zenith of plunder¡¯s commercial prosperity. but an upheaval in 1822 completely changed the fate of this building¡­¡±


    someone timely asked, ¡°what happened then?¡±


    ¡°it is said¡ªjust said¡ªthat, at the time, one of the parl brothers¡¯ ocean-going vessels encountered a strange dense fog on its return voyage. in the fog, the unfortunate ship came upon a blazing ghost ship and passed it by¡­


    ¡°the cargo ship eventually escaped the dense fog and even safely returned to the port, but the shadow of madness remained deeply in the hearts of all the crew members at the time, and quickly spread throughout the entire parl brothers¡¯ fleet. in the following months, all the ships under the parl brothers began to encounter terrible disasters, with crew members rebelling, disappearing, or even conducting bloody sacrifices to please unknown deities¡­


    ¡°sailing ships encountered storms on what should have been calm seas, or collided with icebergs in warm waters, rebellious sailors detonated explosives, damaged boilers, or even hunted their colleagues¡­ such bizarre disasters repeated one after another, ultimately completely ruining the parl brothers¡¯ business, forcing their shipping company to file for bankruptcy reorganization at the end of that same year¡­


    ¡°after that, the parl brothers divided their remaining property and donated a part of it to the city-state authorities, including this building right here¡­ it underwent numerous renovations and changed functions several times until 1855 when it was finally turned into an ocean museum and has continued to this day.


    ¡°it is said that even today, the shadows of nearly a century ago still linger in this ocean museum¡­ the shadows of the parl brothers occasionally return to the museum, temporarily staying in their former offices, or employees wearing the shipping company¡¯s uniforms appear in the exhibition area, confusedly asking visitors for the location of the offices¡­


    ¡°of course, of course! these are all just rumors, and the museum has been inspected and blessed by church clergy, and there is a team of guards stationed here permanently, ensuring no transcendent disasters occur. everyone can rest assured and visit¡ªbut if you are really interested in these thrilling and bizarre legends, you might also try the ¡®adventure escape room¡¯ on the side of the museum, however, you¡¯ll need to go to the square¡¯s chapel for a temporary baptism and a willpower test before experiencing the room¡­¡±


    the voices of the guides and tourists gradually faded away as heidi walked past the crowd, yet suddenly felt her steps become heavy.


    a century-old maritime trade warehouse, disastrous sea fog, cursed fleet, shadows lingering in the museum¡­


    having dealt daily with heretics and hearing various ¡°rumors¡± through official channels recently, heidi suddenly felt that choosing the museum as a vacation sightseeing spot might not be a good idea¡­ she might even be better off visiting the lower city district, or following her father¡¯s coaxing to check out that quirky antique shop.


    but after hesitating for less than two seconds, the young psychiatrist suddenly made up her mind and strode toward the main entrance of the museum.


    telling some perfectly thrilling stories when introducing attractions is a common tactic for guides, and over half the thrillers in the world involve elements like sea fog, ghost ships, and mutinous sailors. the museum has ghost stories, and the antique shop might have even scarier things than ghost stories¡ªcould she, a psychiatrist who deals with mental illnesses daily, be scared of this?


    nobody could stop her from enjoying the hard-earned vacation! not even the evil gods of subspace!


    with a resolute determination and swift steps, miss psychiatrist, like a warrior ready to march into battle, marched past the ticket checkpoint, through the museum¡¯s main gate, and into the nearly century-old historic building.


    the visitors in the museum were fewer than expected, perhaps because it wasn¡¯t a public holiday. the first floor¡¯s hall even seemed a bit deserted.


    a few museum guides were assisting some visitors who were having trouble finding their way to the main exhibition area. at the end of the first-floor hall, a giant whale skeleton and various exquisite ship models were mounted on the towering wall, and a person dressed as a captain was introducing knowledge about early sailing warships to a group of children.


    two girls, who looked about sixteen or seventeen and were probably still in school, were walking together towards the main exhibition area¡¯s entrance, chatting and laughing along the way, seemingly in good relationship.


    the lighting inside the venue was bright, creating a comfortable atmosphere.


    heidi breathed a sigh of relief and followed the two young girls towards the hall of the main exhibition area, ready to enjoy the quiet time.


    then, she smelled something strange.


    it smelled¡­ as if something was burning¡­


    near the cross district, duncan stepped out of a steam bus. he bought a leisure magazine from a nearby newsstand, planning to kill some time with it.


    the investigation near the factory ruins hadn¡¯t made much progress. after sherry and a dog had left, he¡¯d wandered around the sixth district for a long time and asked the locals for information. it was clear that as ordinary citizens, they could not peer behind the ¡°curtain¡± to the truth. the residents of the sixth district only remembered the snippets of official information disclosed, and everyone believed the decline of the district was due to chemical pollution left by the factories and the negligence of the city-state authorities¡ªthis matched exactly with what the sunbathing old man had revealed.


    the truth was covered by a ¡°curtain,¡± and the records in reality were manipulated. the intelligence disclosed by the city-state authorities was just the manipulated version, but duncan couldn¡¯t conclude just from this that the ¡°curtain¡± was set by the plunder city-state¡¯s town hall or the church¡ªbecause in this world where transcendent phenomena existed, a powerful anomaly or abnormality could blind everyone¡¯s eyes.


    in the face of strong anomalies and abnormalities, even so-called ¡°reality¡± was a canvas that could be smeared and altered.


    now, it seemed that the source of the ¡°curtain¡± wasn¡¯t in the factory, and might not even be in the sixth district. if the so-called ¡°source¡± was the sun shard, then it must be hidden even deeper.


    without more clues, the investigation could not proceed.


    duncan sat down on a bench by the road, casually reading the contents of his leisure magazine while pondering his next steps.


    the sun cultists were searching for the sun shard, stirring unrest in the city-state; nina¡¯s memories and dreamscape subtly pointed towards the sun shards¡ªthere was likely some connection between her and the shards; he himself had glimpsed the true sun through the sun mask, that indescribably sinister entity had seen him and had even spoken to him, asking for help¡­


    unknowingly, he seemed to have entangled himself in a messy skein of threads.


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    plunder city-state, his first touchpoint in this world¡¯s civilized society, he thought it would be a peaceful, prosperous, and tranquil place, but the ¡°first stop¡± turned out to be quite tumultuous.


    duncan sighed and shook his head slightly. just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed an abnormal plume of smoke rising over a nearby district.


    there were glimpses of flames amidst the smoke.


    duncan hesitated for a moment, then stood up from the bench. he noticed that many other people on the street also saw the smoke and flames; many pedestrians were stopping in their tracks, followed by a scene of people panicking and running across the street, and cries were heard shouting,


    ¡°the museum is on fire! the museum is on fire!!¡±

 Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Chapter 118 Fire Scene

    chapter 114: chapter 118 fire scene


    thick smoke billowed up, with flickering firelight mixed in the haze. people ran and screamed in the streets, and duncan¡¯s eyes widened slightly the moment he heard the cries.


    the museum¡­ the marine museum near cross district¡­ nina!


    nina was visiting the marine museum near cross district with her classmates that very afternoon, in the direction from which the smoke was rising!


    duncan took a step to rush towards the museum, but soon realized it wouldn¡¯t be easy to run there from this district. even if the smoke was visible, the winding roads would waste a lot of time, and taking a taxi was impractical¡ªnot to mention the lack of convenient and adequate transportation, even if he could flag down a car, it was unlikely anyone would want to take him to that dangerous fire.


    duncan rapidly calculated in his head. he was urgent but did not lose his composure; after quickly organizing his thoughts, a bold idea came to mind.


    ¡°ai yi!¡± he suddenly ordered in his mind, quickening his pace as he darted into the shadows of a building in a nearby alley.


    a flash of green spiritual fire passed by, and ai yi, who was patrolling nearby, appeared out of thin air and flapped its wings, settling on duncan¡¯s shoulder.


    duncan turned to glance at the dove and had already sorted out his thoughts:


    it was known this bird could carry physical matter through space, ensuring the ¡°cargo¡± remained intact during the process, and it was also known this bird had a sufficient carrying capacity, having never reached its limit in several tests.


    could it possibly ¡°transport¡± him to the museum?


    this bold thought quickly solidified, and duncan also felt a slight sigh of relief within¡ªhe had never tried letting ai yi carry a living person through teleportation before since it was an extremely dangerous experiment. he had not found a suitable heretic willing to sacrifice for research recently. initially, he planned to arrange a human trial after ai yi had some ¡°hunting¡± success, but this situation arose unexpectedly¡­ however, it turned out well.


    since he could not find a tester, he might as well use his fearless body and soul as the first experimental subject¡ªafter all, at least ai yi could ensure the ¡°cargo¡± itself remained intact during transport, meaning at least his body could arrive completely intact at the district where the museum was located. and if his body really died again during transmission due to mysterious forces¡­ then he could simply project his soul again from homeloss.


    ¡°i need you to transport something,¡± duncan said, touching ai yi¡¯s wings, ¡°to the museum at cross district¡ªthe large white building you flew over this morning.¡±


    ai yi cocked its head, its intelligence understanding duncan¡¯s intentions from the sight of the smoke rising in the sky: ¡°a trip on the spur of the moment?¡±


    ¡°just tell me if you can do it.¡±


    ¡°right now¡­¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    without a word, the dove vigorously flapped its wings, and a burst of green spiritual fire erupted out of nowhere, transforming it into a spiritual bone dove. it then soared up, quickly swirling around duncan¡ª the next second, the eerie green flames flashed and disappeared, and duncan had turned into a stream of light, vanishing in the vortex formed by the flames.


    a second later, a snow-white dove burst out from the shadows deep in the alley and quickly headed towards the dense black smoke column over the next district.


    near the cross district marine museum, firefighters rushed from the fire station had begun trying to combat the sudden blaze. thanks to cross district¡¯s relatively good infrastructure and the museum¡¯s special status as a public place, there were not only permanent fire units nearby but also adequate emergency water pumps and exits. as firefighters began their efforts to extinguish the fire, some people trapped in the museum had already escaped through evacuation exits on both sides of the main building and gathered anxiously at the edge of the square.


    people discussed in panic about the flames that burst suddenly in the corridors and hallways, the strange and eerie booms from deep within the museum, and certain distorted, bizarre shadows¡ªsome were clearly hallucinating under severe stress, describing eerily terrifying scenes to others around them, which only spread the panic further.


    professional personnel had already taken action. the clerics from the square¡¯s church and the permanent guardians were experienced in dealing with premonitions of contamination caused by group psychological stress. two priests had entered the crowd, lighting incense near the most agitated individuals to calm their overly excited emotions, while a few guardians began separating the crowd, taking those potentially contaminated away for subsequent psychological soothing and will testing.


    near the museum square, and a few dozen meters away in the shadows of a building, a cluster of green light suddenly surged.


    the eerie green fire twirled and concentrated, forming a gateway out of thin air. duncan stepped out from it, the threads of flame wrapped around him dissipating in the wind, and he walked out of the shadows, with the dove ai yi flapping its wings and settling steadily on his shoulder.


    duncan looked back at ai yi, recording the new experience in his mind, as well as his sensations during the ¡°live teleportation.¡±


    as he had expected, ai yi arrived at the museum by ¡°flying¡± rather than ¡°instantly arriving¡± as he usually did when transporting between the antique shop and the homeloss.


    this indicated that ai yi¡¯s ¡°transportation¡± had to be based on anchor points¡ªwhen transporting between the antique shop and homeloss, the anchor points were the ¡°antique shop owner¡± and the ¡°captain.¡± however, when carrying one of the anchors, ai yi could only honestly fly through physical space.


    as for the feeling of being carried by ai yi while flying¡­ it was quite peculiar.


    during the process, he did not lose consciousness but also could not smoothly observe his surroundings. connected through the spiritual body¡¯s flame, he could vaguely share ai yi¡¯s perception, even catching glimpses of overhead views and feeling the air brushing past his body. yet, all these ¡°shared feelings¡± seemed to be separated by a curtain, not as clear and direct as his own body.


    perhaps¡­ this was because ai yi¡¯s body structure was vastly different from humans, or it could be because ai yi had its own will, preventing full control.


    but these were minor issues, and duncan did not care right now¡ªthe emergency unlocking of ai yi¡¯s ¡°new function¡± today was already a significant gain. he could ponder over any details later. currently, the most important thing was to confirm nina¡¯s condition.


    flying was certainly not as fast as transporting. it took him a few minutes to ¡°fly¡± over from the nearby district, but compared to running or using regular transportation, this speed was already quite astonishing¡ªhe hadn¡¯t delayed much on the way.


    duncan had already seen the burning large building. he saw that the main building of the white museum was split into three levels, with the fiercest fires on the first and second floors. dense smoke billowed from several windows on the second floor, with explosive flames spewing and undulating out of a few windows, and smoke trailing from the roof where faint flames sporadically emerged.


    the distribution of the fires seemed as though a massive column of fire had erupted from the first floor of the museum, piercing through several floors and the roof.


    firefighters had activated several hydrants at the edge of the plaza. massive jets of high-pressure water were being sprayed at the main building of the museum in an attempt to cool the exterior walls and prevent the century-old building from collapsing catastrophically while some survivors gathered at the edge of the plaza, being comforted by priests or answering inquiries from officials.


    duncan headed straight toward those survivors, all the while checking to see if nina was among them.


    halfway there, he heard some survivors tremblingly describe what they had seen¡ª


    ¡°¡­the fire just suddenly appeared out of thin air! it really came out of nowhere! it was as if it had been burning for a long time, but no one had seen it until it suddenly emerged!¡±


    ¡°there was a shrieking sound, a sharp shriek, like a devil laughing!¡±


    ¡°¡­a person all burned up crawled out of a room, oh, goddess above! that was someone in old clothes from decades ago¡­ he crawled out of the room, but that room hadn¡¯t been on fire before! the fire only started after that person crawled out!¡±


    the survivors at the edge of the plaza were in extreme panic, many jabbering about the terrifying scenes. duncan approached them and saw a deep sea church official with short black stubble and wearing a priest¡¯s robe frowning deeply.


    ¡°the panic is too high, one-third of the people are mentally unstable, these folks show signs of contamination by transcendent powers¡­¡± the deep sea priest said in rapid-fire to a nearby guardian warrior, ¡°there might be something unclean in the museum¡­ when can the cathedral support arrive?¡±


    ¡°at least half an hour.¡±


    ¡°¡­no, that¡¯s too late. if there really is something unclean, looking at this scale, it might get out of control within ten minutes¡­¡± the black-robed priest glanced at the museum one last time, then suddenly turned to an attendant next to him, ¡°please have the sheriffs handle this area.¡±


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    following that, he swiftly tore off his priest robe, revealing a black short-sleeve shirt and pants underneath, then raised the ¡°storm scripture¡± in his hand and prayed loudly and briefly¡ª


    ¡°please bear witness! we march forth unwavering!¡±


    the other guardians also called out in unison, ¡°please bear witness!¡±


    after the prayers, a faint mist started to swirl around the storm believers, encircling their bodies like ocean waves. next second, they strode boldly towards the still fiercely burning building.


    (push book recommendation from demon monk hua wuzhao¡¯s ¡°carrying a door wherever i go¡±: earthling cao xin dies in a car accident, transmigrates to a world with scarce resources, and acquires a ¡°bronze immortal gate¡±¡­)

 Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: 119 Chapter "A Pair of Friends

    chapter 115: 119 chapter ¡°a pair of friends


    from discerning the potential loss of control over transcendent powers inside the museum, to performing self-blessings and storming into the fire, it took these storm believers under the deep sea church only a dozen seconds.


    duncan watched as these people charged towards the fire. subsequently, the firefighters in the square began to cooperate skillfully, using their fire hoses for coverage as they cooled down the museum entrance and cleared a path. another team, hanging the emblem of the deep sea church and items like amulets over their standard protective gear, also rushed into the museum.


    sheriffs at the edge of the square took over the task of comforting remaining civilians and started arranging for nearby churches to receive those marked as potentially mentally contaminated survivors from the fire scene.


    well-trained and tightly coordinated, this was not only rehearsed countless times but seemingly battle-tested countless times.


    this is the sight presented by city-state, a prosperous civilization surviving to date in a world filled with supernatural phenomena¡ªquickly identifying the shadow of the transcendent amid disasters, suppressing the corrosion before it erupts beyond what mortals can bear. both transcendent beings and ordinary people were thoroughly educated and trained, honing these fundamental response measures to near muscle reflex¡ªthis was how the community maintained its survival.


    duncan observed all this, but he hardly had time to marvel¡ªhe checked the disheveled survivors at the edge of the square and did not spot nina among them.


    suddenly, he looked up towards the direction of the museum.


    from the fiercely burning museum, a somewhat familiar aura emanated.


    he started walking towards the museum, but after just two steps, a sheriff stopped him, ¡°sir, it¡¯s dangerous ahead, please leave it to the professionals.¡±


    duncan glanced at the sheriff, nodded, and turned away.


    tangling with the official personnel on site would not only waste time but would also hinder the professionals¡¯ work. practical as ever, duncan briskly gave up on the museum¡¯s main entrance, quickly circled to another side of the square, and then slipped into a shadow¡ªthe next second, a dove flew across the square and dove straight into a window of the museum where flames were cursing.


    some people in the square witnessed this scene but merely thought it was a poor dove, stunned and disoriented by the thick smoke and blaze, lamented briefly, and turned away.


    inside the museum, however, duncan stepped out from a whirl of ghostly green flames.


    smoke, firelight, and heat waves attacked him all at once.


    duncan was not afraid of these elements, but he could feel his flesh body¡¯s functions getting affected by the fiery environment; walking further in, his soul might survive, but this body would surely be unusable.


    however, he was not reckless¡ªbefore storming in, he already knew what he had to do.


    flames were everywhere, and flames¡­ were very obedient.


    duncan held his breath; a stream of ghostly green flame trickled under his feet and, in the blink of an eye, vanished into nothingness. within that brief contact, he had established an invisible connection with the surrounding flames¡ªjust as he had with the flames at the sun cultist gathering in the abandoned factory¡¯s basement, he sensed the flames¡¯ submission around him.


    even the scorching air currents began to change, no longer affecting the breathing of this body.


    duncan took a gentle breath and walked towards the fire-blocked door.


    ¡°recede.¡±


    and so, the flames receded and slowly extinguished, revealing a corridor filled with thick smoke and lingering fires behind him.


    duncan glanced back, observing the wall signs nearby, and deduced that the place where he ¡°landed¡± was likely an office at the edge of the main exhibition area, and the corridor in front must be one used by museum staff, leading to the primary exhibition space; to one side were stairs or elevators leading to other floors.


    he walked into the corridor, searching forward while focusing his mind, trying to locate nina in the museum¡ªbut honestly, he had no assurance he could successfully ¡°pinpoint¡± her.


    after all, this was his first time attempting such a feat¡­ although his perception now exceeded that of ordinary people, and goat head had said ¡°the captain¡¯s intuition is the most accurate compass,¡± this advanced operation of sensing someone¡¯s presence from afar still felt like a completely unfamiliar territory to him, almost a skill one would only read about in stories.


    he attempted this now purely because, back in the square, he had sensed a hint of a familiar aura from the museum, §ï§ä§à §Õ§Ñv f?r_sub this thought to him_lst jordan.


    duncan continued advancing through the corridor, flames retreating and extinguishing around him, yet still unable to sense nina¡¯s location. suddenly, however, he sensed something else.


    ¡°hmm?¡±


    duncan murmured doubtfully, his gaze drawn towards the direction from which the sensation came¡ªjust not far ahead, beneath the stairs on a lower floor, a ¡°mark¡± becoming increasingly clear in his perception was slightly throbbing.


    the owner of this mark seemed to be in a lively and buzzing state.


    duncan hesitated only for a moment before quickly running towards the sensation, navigating through the retreating, extinguishing fire, across stairs that were starting to become fragile and loose, all the while extending his control over the flames as far as this body could endure, suppressing the building¡¯s blaze as the ¡°mark¡± in his mind became more defined, until he could faintly hear the ¡°voice¡± coming from the mark¡ª


    ¡°¡­hand? hey, these are just minor injuries on my hands, they¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days¡­¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because i¡¯ve always been strong¡­¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, the gap under the door is blocked, the smoke won¡¯t come in for now¡­ you¡¯re really smart to know there¡¯s a water room here¡­ uh, did you check the map in advance? did the teacher talk about it in class? safety education¡­ uh¡­ i might not have listened carefully, ahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°did you say you saw a dog just now? you must¡¯ve seen wrong, there are no dogs around here, ahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­what about this unconscious woman here? you don¡¯t know either? okay¡­ at least she¡¯s still alive¡­ don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely be rescued¡­¡±


    i hadn¡¯t misheard; it was sherry¡¯s voice.


    duncan recognized the mark; it was the same ¡°flame¡± he had left on sherry not long ago, and her voice was now coming through that mark into his mind.


    the familiar scent he had felt momentarily in the plaza also seemed to come from this mark¡ªhe hadn¡¯t actively contacted the mark, but because he was too close, he had passively sensed its presence.


    this ¡°mark¡± was the first duncan had actively released, so he was still unfamiliar with many of its traits, but now it seemed that the connection between the spiritual bodies¡¯ flames was more useful than he had imagined.


    amidst slight emotion, a hint of confusion also arose:


    sherry was talking with another person, seeming to be her friend¡­ who was she with?


    ¡­


    the enclosed water room became a temporary shelter, its narrow, confined space blocking the disaster steadily approaching from outside. the sound of water running from the sink nearby still filled the room, the electric light had gone out, and the flickering light coming in through the window was the only light source here. nina was carefully curled up next to the sink, close to counting her own heartbeat.


    abnormally rapid.


    her new friend, the girl named sherry, was checking the door and windows¡¯ seals. her hands were burned by flames, but she kept moving around as if nothing had happened, and not far from her a lady lay on the ground¡ªnina didn¡¯t know this lady; she had just seen her get knocked unconscious by a fallen brick while blindly fleeing into this place and had dragged her in here with sherry.


    judging by her clothing, this lady was clearly not a poor person from the lower city district like herself, but someone from the upper city district¡­ unfortunately, in the face of disaster, respectable people and the poor from the lower city district weren¡¯t all that different.


    the sound of water in the sink suddenly decreased and gradually stopped.


    ¡°¡­the main water pump has stopped working,¡± nina, who had been listening to the sounds around them all this time, suddenly said, ¡°the fire is very big.¡±


    her ¡°new friend,¡± who was even shorter than her, came over and squatted down in front of her, their eyes level in the darkness.


    ¡°are you very scared?¡± sherry asked softly.


    ¡°i¡¯m really afraid of fire¡­¡± nina hugged her legs tightly, her voice trembling a bit,


    ¡°really, really afraid of fire.¡±


    ¡°¡­actually, i¡¯m pretty scared, too,¡± sherry said after a two-second pause, ¡°okay, the most¡ªthe thing i¡¯m most afraid of is fire¡­¡±


    ¡°you wouldn¡¯t know it,¡± nina shook her head, ¡°you were charging around just now.¡±


    ¡°because i¡¯m afraid, i charge around,¡± sherry sprawled down casually, ¡°because i¡¯m so scared, once i stop, i¡¯d definitely not dare to rush in again¡­ but now it¡¯s fine; the two of us are damned stuck here, no place to run, just have to wait like two idiots.¡±


    nina touched sherry¡¯s arm in the darkness and suddenly discovered that the other was also trembling.


    indeed, she was really scared.


    ¡°you¡¯re swearing,¡± nina said softly, ¡°i thought¡­ you were a very well-mannered good student.¡±


    ¡°at this point, don¡¯t friggin¡¯ pretend; i¡¯ve always been like this,¡± sherry said, her soot-blackened face wearing a brilliant smile, ¡°and¡­ never mind.¡±


    it seemed like she wanted to tell nina something but swallowed it in the end. then she looked back at the door and asked, ¡°quick, use that good brain of yours to analyze how long we can survive here?¡±


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    nina looked up, ¡°i¡­ don¡¯t know, but as long as we can keep the smoke out, it¡¯s temporarily safe. this room is very sturdy, and it¡¯s at the staircase corner; it probably won¡¯t collapse for a while.¡±


    sherry responded nonchalantly and then hesitated for a moment before slowly starting again, ¡°right, i mean¡­ if, i¡¯m just saying if, i had a way to get us out, but it might be kind of scary, would¡­ you want to try it?¡±


    ¡°a way?¡± nina looked puzzled at her, ¡°what way?¡±


    ¡°just¡­¡± sherry stood up but then sat back down again, ¡°ah, forget it, let¡¯s wait a little longer, it¡¯s not time yet, not time yet¡­¡±


    nina: ¡°?¡±

 Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Chapter 120 Rescue

    chapter 116: chapter 120 rescue


    time seemed to suddenly slow down, slow down to a crawl; in the darkness and the gradually approaching heat, nina felt her mind uncontrollably racing¡ª


    she seemed to recall her childhood smallness, the chaos she¡¯d create ¡°helping¡± her uncle in the antique shop as they ran up and down, her uncle fabricating stories behind those ¡°antiques,¡± recalling her first day of school, the first time she saw a steam machine in her textbook, the first time she received praise from a teacher, the first time she made a friend¡­ and the first time she lost one.


    her mind was muddled, consciousness increasingly confused.


    smoke began to slip into the room bit by bit, affecting her breathing and her stream of thoughts.


    and those scattered memories all eventually morphed into images engulfed by flames.


    a great fire¡­ a great fire that existed only in memory seemed to blaze before her eyes once again.


    nina gazed absently at the ground nearby, as if at any second it would suddenly burst into flame, but just then, she felt an icy hand rest on her forehead.


    ¡°are you okay?¡± sherry looked at her ¡°friend¡± with some concern, ¡°your eyes just glazed over¡­ and you were mumbling something under your breath.¡±


    ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m fine,¡± nina quickly shook her head and grasped sherry¡¯s arm, ¡°thank you¡­ i just suddenly thought of my family.¡±


    ¡°family¡­¡± sherry hesitated at these words, then seemed to ask casually, ¡°who do you have at home?¡±


    ¡°just an uncle¡­ my parents haven¡¯t been around for many years, i grew up with my uncle,¡± nina thought for a moment, her head slowly sinking into her knees, ¡°i promised him i¡¯d come home early today¡­¡±


    ¡°you¡­ you must be very close with your uncle, right?¡± sherry seemed a bit uncomfortable with the topic, as if unsure how to comfort a friend, speaking as if grasping for words, ¡°what does he do?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s just an ordinary person, we run an antique shop in the lower city district, he takes care of it alone¡­¡± nina said slowly, quickly gesturing with her hands when she noticed sherry¡¯s surprised look, ¡°it isn¡¯t the kind of impressive antique shop you¡¯re thinking of, there are no real valuables.¡±


    ¡°that still sounds impressive!¡± sherry quickly offered a compliment, ¡°a shop owner! owning a shop of your own, even if it is in the lower city district¡­ so life at your home must be pretty good, right?¡±


    ¡°actually, it¡¯s quite ordinary,¡± nina continued to gesture, ¡°my uncle hasn¡¯t been well for a few years, and the business isn¡¯t doing so great, we haven¡¯t saved much money¡­ but i think my uncle is really amazing, he can even talk with mr. morris for ages! he knows a lot, mr. morris always says he¡¯s a learned man¡­¡±


    after listening to nina¡¯s tale, sherry nodded as if very seriously, ¡°then when we get out of here, i definitely want to meet your uncle¡­¡±


    nina smiled, was just about to say something, but suddenly heard a loud noise from the direction of the entrance¡ªnext second, the already flimsy washroom door was kicked open from the outside and came crashing down with a clang!


    the instant she saw this, nina¡¯s first reaction was to fear that the corridor¡¯s flames would roar in, fuelled by the broken door, a knowledge she had gleaned from school, but the next second, she saw a familiar figure step through the entrance¡ªno flames materialized as she had envisioned.


    sherry too was startled by the thud of the breaking door; she turned around in shock, stiffening upon seeing the figure at the doorway.


    she saw the shadow of the subspace silently standing at the entrance, and in her peripheral vision, the last flicker of flame seemed to cower and dissipate at the figure¡¯s feet. with a trace of fear, she attempted to step back¡ªthere was a fraction of a second when she even considered whether to send nina, her new ¡°friend,¡± out but before she could act, nina had stood up behind her.


    ¡°uncle duncan?!¡± nina looked at the figure in the doorway with delight, all fear and repression seemingly dissolving with the appearance of that silhouette.


    ¡°nina?¡± duncan looked at the girl with some surprise¡ªhe had actually followed the ¡°mark¡± left on sherry to find this place, intending to locate sherry the summoner then continue the search together for remaining parts of the museum but didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon nina directly.


    next second, his gaze fell on sherry.


    so¡­ the conversation he had heard through the ¡°mark¡± before, it was nina talking with sherry¡­ nina¡¯s classmate who said they should travel together was sherry?!


    quickly piecing things together in his mind, duncan realized what was happening and promptly noticed the rapid change in sherry¡¯s expression. before this transcendent summoner with whom he had a certain ¡°affinity¡± could speak, he stepped forward, scanning their surroundings, ¡°it seems like both of you are okay.¡±


    next second, he noticed a third person in the room: a young lady in a long dress lying unconscious on the floor but apparently still alive.


    sherry finally regained her ability to think. she abruptly recalled what nina had said earlier and after a moment, her neck stiffly turned as she looked at nina with an expression as if she had seen a ghost, ¡°nina¡­ he is¡­ your uncle?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡± nina said happily, then rushed over to duncan in a few steps, ¡°uncle, how come you are here?! is the fire outside extinguished?!¡±


    ¡°not yet, but the flames are under control,¡± duncan replied casually. he knew that such a vague answer would seem highly suspicious under normal circumstances, but now nina was clearly in a state of confusion, and the startled girl just clutched at his arm, repeating, ¡°that¡¯s great, i thought today i would have to¡­¡±


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s talk about everything once we get out; this isn¡¯t the place for it,¡± duncan interrupted nina, then his gaze swiftly swept over sherry and the lady who was lying on the ground, ¡°we need to take this lady with us.¡±


    ¡°ah¡­ okay!¡± nina belatedly realized what was needed and hurried over to try to lift the woman. sherry also rushed over to help¡ªbut due to the height difference, it wasn¡¯t easy for them, so duncan stepped forward, ready to do it himself.


    but as he reached out to help the woman up, something suddenly caught his eye, causing him to pause.


    it was a familiar-looking amethyst pendant.


    duncan paused, slowly recalling the home visit by mr. morris and some of the details mentioned during the conversation.


    ¡°uncle?¡± nina¡¯s voice came from beside him, interrupting duncan¡¯s thoughts.


    duncan shook his head gently, glanced at nina, then his gaze seemed to casually sweep over sherry and he smiled slightly, ¡°it¡¯s a small world.¡±


    after speaking, he helped the woman up, then with the assistance of the two girls, he picked her up on his back.


    the group left the utility room. there were no flames to be seen in the corridor outside the utility room, and even the thick smoke had mostly dissipated ¡°for unknown reasons.¡± sherry looked ahead at the pitch-black corridor and hesitated before asking, ¡°which way should we go?¡±


    duncan looked up, just about to point out a direction, but suddenly, through the ¡°fire power¡± that had earlier engulfed the museum, he sensed something. with a thought, he changed the originally intended path and swiftly headed toward another exit, ¡°this way.¡±


    guided by the retreat and instruction of the flames, they quickly left the area. shortly after their departure, a squad appeared around the corner of the corridor near the utility room.


    it was the squad of deep sea church guardians who had previously rushed into the blaze.


    the squad was dirty and sooty, but the ocean¡¯s blessing had yet to wear off their bodies¡ªthey had charged in with a resolution to die if necessary but had narrowly escaped harm due to the sudden rapid retreat of the fires inside the museum.


    ¡°the fire here is out too,¡± the priest leading the team murmured with a slight frown as he observed the surroundings, ¡°even the smoke has dissipated.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s good that the fire is out,¡± a guardian whispered.


    ¡°it is good, but normally, a fire of this scale wouldn¡¯t extinguish so easily,¡± the priest said in a solemn voice. suddenly, he noticed the violently destroyed door of the utility room.


    ¡°somebody has been here¡­¡± a guardian swiftly approached to inspect, confirmed the traces near the door, and expertly took out an incense burner and prayer book. he then donned a set of specially made lenses on his head.


    the lens set looked like a half-helmet made of brass tubes, cranks, and a series of lenses, with complex runes etched around the edges of some of them.


    this guardian placed the incense burner on the ground and then started adjusting the lens set on his head, observing all the residual clues in the vicinity.


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    ¡°no residual transcendent powers¡­ they are ordinary people, the exact number is uncertain, their presence is very chaotic,¡± the guardian rapidly reported, ¡°they¡¯re likely tourists who were trapped earlier¡­ the door was destroyed from the inside, it looks like someone broke the door from outside to rescue them.¡±


    ¡°are you sure there are no transcendent powers?¡±


    ¡°none.¡±


    ¡°¡­continue the search upstairs.¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±

 Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Chapter 121 Miss Psychiatrist

    chapter 117: chapter 121 miss psychiatrist


    in front of an emergency exit on the western side of the museum, duncan, nina, and sherry burst into the open air. when fresh air and bright sky light appeared simultaneously, sherry couldn¡¯t help cheer, ¡°fantastic! we made it out!¡±


    duncan glanced at the girl, but before he could say anything, he suddenly felt a light movement from the young lady on his back¡ªunder the stimulation of the fresh air and the jostling they had endured, she finally woke up.


    duncan quickly found a place nearby and gently set her down.


    heidi slowly came to her senses.


    her forehead throbbed as if it had been smacked with a plank, followed by discomfort in her lungs from inhaling a small amount of smoke. these were the first sensations heidi became aware of as she regained consciousness. then, she abruptly opened her eyes and began to cough violently.


    after the tremendous confusion and severe coughing, she suddenly realized she had been rescued¡ªshe was somewhere outside the museum, surrounded by bright sunlight and fresh air, with several figures in front of her.


    ¡°you¡¯re awake,¡± nina squatted down beside the young lady, looking at heidi with concern as she opened her eyes and tried to adjust to the surrounding light, ¡°how do you feel? is anything hurting?¡±


    ¡°my head hurts¡­ did you two save me?¡± heidi¡¯s eyes finally focused and adjusted to the bright outdoor light. she quickly assessed the situation and recognized the two young girls, ¡°ah, it¡¯s you two¡­¡±


    ¡°you know us?¡± sherry blinked, speaking reflexively.


    ¡°don¡¯t know you, but i remember seeing you at the museum,¡± heidi shook her head, sitting up and looking around, ¡°cough cough¡­ what happened to me¡­?¡±


    ¡°you were knocked unconscious; nina and i dragged you to a safe place for a while, then my uncle rushed into the fire to save people and brought you out too,¡± nina explained quickly, ¡°you¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°uncle¡­ ah, this gentleman? thank you¡­¡± heidi¡¯s gaze quickly fell on duncan, and as she spoke, she tried to stand up, seemingly intending to bow as a sign of gratitude but almost fell over again before she could complete the gesture.


    duncan steadied her, ¡°no need for formalities.¡±


    ¡°thank you,¡± heidi stood weakly, bowing her head in thanks while feeling the residual fright, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for you, i would certainly have been burned alive in there¡­ that fire was terrible¡­ i really can¡¯t thank you enough, i don¡¯t know how i could possibly repay¡­¡±


    ¡°no need for such distant words,¡± duncan said with a smile, looking at the lady, ¡°we actually have some connection¡­ do you know mr. morris?¡±


    heidi paused, her expression turning to one of confusion as she looked at duncan, ¡°that¡¯s my father¡­ you know him?¡±


    ¡°that pendant,¡± duncan gestured at the purple ¡°crystal¡± pendant on heidi¡¯s chest, ¡°came from my shop.¡±


    heidi looked down at the pendant on her chest, her expression somewhat blank, ¡°¡­ ah?!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a small world, isn¡¯t it?¡± duncan laughed, extending his hand, ¡°let me introduce myself properly, duncan strain. i run an antique shop in the lower city district. this is my niece, nina, and this one over here¡­¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sherry!¡± sherry immediately spoke up, as if afraid that if she was too late to introduce herself, her name would be spoken by some profoundly evil entity and become tainted with a curse of some sort, ¡°you can just call me sherry!¡±


    ¡°heidi underwood,¡± heidi shook duncan¡¯s hand, her head still feeling slightly dizzy, but she was trying her best to adjust, ¡°i¡¯m a psychiatrist.¡±


    ¡°a psychiatrist?¡± duncan raised his eyebrows unconsciously, ¡°you are a psychiatrist?¡±


    ¡°ah, yes, might look a bit young¡­ but i am a fully licensed psychiatrist,¡± heidi said with some pride, then began searching her person. it took her a while to find a wrinkled business card. she handed it to duncan with both hands, ¡°here¡¯s my card. if it could be of use to you, i am willing to offer my consulting services for free anytime¡­¡±


    a highly-licensed psychiatrist from the upper city district might indeed be a connection worth having.


    duncan took the card, glanced over it, and saw an address for a clinic in the upper city district, heidi¡¯s name, license number, and a code consisting of five digits and letters.


    beneath that line of code was a note: express code.


    duncan¡¯s gaze lingered briefly on the ¡°express code¡± line. he remembered that it seemed to be a part of the pland postal system, but it was different from regular mail. in some part of the lower city district, he had seen facilities dedicated to the dispatch and reception of ¡°express¡± items, but the original owner of his body had never used this service.


    because it was very expensive, postage was nearly ten times that of a normal letter, and the original owner of this body had no friends or relatives worth the high cost of emergency communication.


    duncan vaguely knew that this special ¡°mail¡± was delivered quickly through high-pressure steam pipelines and standardized capsule containers. not only could it send letters, but it could also deliver small packages. even accounting for the last leg of manual processing and potential delivery times, it would take at most a few hours to deliver a piece of mail to any corner of city-state.


    well¡­ he could only admire that it was indeed a luxury worthy of an upper city district high-class psychiatrist, even their appointment requests were made with such expensive gadgets¡­


    after reflecting on this for a moment, duncan carefully stored the business card away and then heard heidi suddenly ask, ¡°by the way, do you need to undergo¡­ a post-disaster spiritual assessment?¡±


    duncan looked at her puzzledly, and the young psychiatrist miss quickly explained, ¡°of course, it¡¯s free¡ªi don¡¯t mean anything by it. mainly, after an accident, it¡¯s easy for people to have mental issues, especially in a museum where many historical artifacts are present. serious mental stress combined with the influence of certain artifacts¡­ can easily leave a shadow on the spiritual level.¡±


    heidi seemed to be carefully choosing her words, trying to convey some very professional and sophisticated¡ªsometimes even removed from ordinary life¡ª¡±knowledge¡± to the people in front of her. she was a bit worried that such ¡°science popularization¡± might seem offensive, so her tone and demeanor were as sincere and gentle as possible. duncan recognized her efforts in this regard, but his thoughts were elsewhere¡ª


    he, of course, did not need any spiritual assessment. having been a ¡°captain¡± for so long, he had some understanding of his own special nature. to say nothing of the psychological pressure brought on by such a fire, even if something emerged from the mysterious deep sea to greet him personally, it would be the other party needing a sc, not him.


    as for sherry¡­ did this warrior woman, who could fight heretics and profound demons for three hundred rounds, need a spiritual assessment? the psychological shock she suffered in the entire fire probably wasn¡¯t as significant as the shadow left by seeing herself kick open a door afterward¡­


    but nina¡­ nina might truly need the help of a psychiatrist.


    not just because of today¡¯s fire, but also because of her poor mental state over the past few days and those dreams with a hint of premonition.


    this needed a professional¡¯s touch; his own powers were of no use in this area. he had discussed with nina the possibility of visiting a church when they had the chance, but now that a high-class psychiatrist was offering help¡­ it would be foolish to refuse free service.


    ¡°nina might need help,¡± duncan looked at his ¡°niece,¡± gently ruffled the girl¡¯s hair, ¡°but not just because of today¡¯s fire¡ªshe¡¯s been having strange dreams lately, and her mental state is not good.¡±


    nina immediately muttered, ¡°i¡¯m actually okay¡­¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s free, you know,¡± heidi said with a smile, pointing at herself, ¡°my usual consultation fee is¡­ ow, ow, ow!¡±


    she accidentally poked at the place on her body that had been hit by a brick. it had swollen up quite a bit, and it was easy to touch accidentally.


    ¡°that¡¯s right, free. why not take advantage if there¡¯s no charge,¡± sherry, who had been quiet for a while, also joined in the chatter, ¡°she still owes us a favor¡­¡±


    ¡°well¡­ okay then,¡± nina hesitated for a moment before finally nodding lightly, but then she looked at heidi with some confusion, ¡°what does a spiritual assessment entail? can it be done here? do i need to answer some questions, or fill out some forms?¡±


    ¡°we need at least a quiet environment, and i need to be in a better state¡ªat least this big bump on my head needs to go down a bit,¡± heidi explained with a smile, ¡°i am a professional, unlike those shoddy doctors who ask a few questions and then give you a diagnostic report. how about this, tomorrow is a school holiday, if miss nina has time, i will come to visit in the afternoon¡ªi will ask your father for your address.¡±


    she paused and then gingerly touched the wound on her forehead.


    ¡°as for now, i need to find a place to treat this wound¡­ hiss¡­¡±


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    ¡°there are peace officers maintaining order in the square, and medical staff,¡± duncan thought for a moment, ¡°do you need us to accompany you? your current state¡­¡±


    ¡°no need, i¡¯ve fully regained consciousness,¡± heidi waved her hand and then looked back at the museum still emitting wisps of smoke, a trace of fright on her face along with unabashed regret, ¡°ah¡­ there goes my rare holiday¡­ all spoiled.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s bad to have a holiday spoiled for sure,¡± duncan commented offhand, ¡°but fortunately, we¡¯ve just survived a disaster, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°alright¡­ that¡¯s a good point,¡± heidi said, and then sighed, murmuring to herself, ¡°ah, i just hope certain heretics and roaming sky light can stay quiet for a bit, so at least my next holiday can come sooner¡­ ah, sorry, i shouldn¡¯t complain about these things to strangers, you must find it amusing.¡±


    duncan: ¡°¡­?¡±

 Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Chapter 122: The Figure at the Edge of the Square

    chapter 118: chapter 122: the figure at the edge of the square


    after finding out the location of the nearby rescue point, heidi covered her head and left on her own, but duncan had no intention of dealing with the ¡°official personnel¡± there¡ªnot least because he now had sherry by his side, a girl capable of summoning profound demons who clearly didn¡¯t want to deal with the deep sea church.


    as duncan watched heidi¡¯s figure gradually fade into the distance, he sighed gently, then turned to look at nina, ¡°are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± nina was still somewhat frightened, having been subconsciously gripping duncan¡¯s sleeve all this time. only now did she suddenly let go, and then, somewhat surprised, she looked at duncan, ¡°you haven¡¯t said yet, why were you at the museum?¡±


    ¡°i happened to be nearby on business,¡± duncan said with a smile, ¡°and then suddenly i heard the museum was on fire, so i came to rescue you.¡±


    before she could say anything else, he reached out and ruffled the girl¡¯s hair, comforting the frightened nina, ¡°it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all over now, and you¡¯re not hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­i¡¯m not a child anymore!¡± nina shook her head, then her gaze landed on sherry standing beside her. just as she was about to speak, a strange expression suddenly appeared on her face as if she had suddenly recalled something dissonant; she sized up the girl in front of her, ¡°sherry¡­ why do i suddenly feel¡­ you seem a bit¡­¡±


    a second ago, sherry¡¯s attention had been entirely on duncan. seeing nina¡¯s reaction, her face instantly showed visible panic. her eyes slightly widened as she glanced again at duncan, her expression now filled with even more fear.


    seeing the change in her expression, duncan was struck by a thought, for the girl¡¯s expression was exactly like the time she¡¯d been caught fare-evading on a bus. he thoughtfully glanced at nina and then briefly recalled his dealings with sherry and the identity she was now assuming¡ª


    it was known that both times he had interacted with sherry, nina had been at school. it was also known that sherry¡¯s true character was extremely nasty and brash, certainly not that of a ¡°quiet good girl.¡± additionally, it was known that one of the profound demon¡¯s abilities was to disrupt normal human judgment to maintain a disguise¡­


    and her current ¡°identity¡± was a new friend nina had met at school, a persona full of holes.


    duncan stroked his chin, placed his hand on nina¡¯s shoulder, and, nodding towards sherry, asked, ¡°do you really know her?¡±


    ¡°yes, her name is sherry, and she¡¯s a new friend of mine, but¡­¡± nina furrowed her brow, ¡°but for some reason, i suddenly can¡¯t remember when she started showing up at school¡­¡±


    duncan turned and quietly stared at sherry, who was now trying her best to be unnoticed, and after a long time softly spoke, ¡°you still have a chance to explain yourself, or i might¡­¡±


    before he could finish his sentence, sherry burst forth in a rapid flurry, ¡°i¡¯m sorry i was wrong i just wanted to investigate things so i sneaked into the school but i really haven¡¯t hurt nina and just now at the museum i even helped block the wood from hitting her you really have to believe me i really didn¡¯t know she was related to you i don¡¯t grasp the interests of such great figures please just let me¡­¡±


    duncan hadn¡¯t even managed to speak the rest when he was stunned by the tearful outburst of this girl, his first thought being that this girl had an exceptional talent, perhaps usable as a sparring partner for the goat-head¡­


    then he cleared his throat, interrupting sherry¡¯s rapid speech, ¡°not a relative; she¡¯s my niece.¡±


    as he said this, his gaze also fell on the hands of sherry.


    there were traces of being scorched by flames, though under her astonishing healing power, only faint scars remained. it seemed she had indeed been injured in the museum.


    if she wasn¡¯t lying (and she probably didn¡¯t dare), then she must have truly been trying to protect nina.


    of course, sherry didn¡¯t know what duncan was thinking, and at this moment, she was nearly in a state of mental blankness, ¡°if you say she¡¯s your niece then she must be¡­¡±


    at this moment, nina finally began to vaguely understand. she looked at her uncle in surprise, then at her ¡°friend¡±, ¡°wait, you two¡­ do you know each other? and sherry, why did you¡­¡±


    ¡°met by chance,¡± duncan said lightly, not letting sherry speak since it was uncertain what she might reveal in front of nina, ¡°it looks like we have a lot to talk about, don¡¯t we, sherry?¡±


    sherry was nearly crying, her face mournful as she looked at duncan, ¡°if you say so¡­¡±


    ¡°you say so.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°uncle, don¡¯t be so harsh on sherry,¡± nina was still confused, but she could see that her new friend, for some reason, was very afraid of her uncle, and that her uncle was not very kind to sherry, which made her a bit uneasy but also somewhat puzzled, ¡°my head is all muddled right now¡­ can someone explain to me what exactly is going on?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s go home and talk slowly,¡± duncan sighed softly, looked up to see the museum emitting plumes of smoke, then turned in the direction he had come from, ¡°it¡¯s too chaotic here, and you two with your dusty and dirty appearance need to hurry back and take a bath and change clothes.¡±


    sherry stammered, ¡°do i¡­ do i have to come along too?¡±


    then she nodded vigorously without waiting for duncan to speak, ¡°you¡¯re right!¡±


    duncan sighed, somewhat amused. it seemed that no matter what sherry intended by approaching nina, she would definitely be harmless in nina¡¯s vicinity from then on. shaking his head, he prepared to take the girls and leave.


    just at that moment, his gaze swept across the edge of the museum square.


    an elusive figure near the crowd at the edge of the square suddenly captured his attention.


    he was a tall, thin male figure wearing a black coat, his back to this side, gazing in the direction of the fire. the style of his coat resembled a long trench coat, its lengthy hem almost concealing his entire body. the most bizarre aspect was the large black umbrella he was holding in this clear weather.


    in calm and not excessively sunny weather, a tall, thin man wearing a trench coat and holding an umbrella while looking at a fire scene was a bit odd anywhere, yet many people were gathered at the edge of the square, and not one glanced toward the umbrella-man.


    ¡°uncle?¡± nina noticed duncan had stopped and curiously looked in the direction he was gazing, ¡°is there something over there?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s a person holding an umbrella on a clear day, quite strange,¡± duncan said casually.


    ¡°a person holding an umbrella?¡± nina paused, ¡°where? i don¡¯t see him¡­¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t see him either,¡± sherry also rubbed her eyes and curiously followed duncan¡¯s gaze, ¡°you might have seen it wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°none of you saw him?¡± duncan frowned instantly. he glanced at sherry and nina, but when he returned his gaze to the direction of the square, the figure with the umbrella had somehow disappeared.


    ¡°uncle?¡± nina looked at duncan with concern, ¡°are you feeling unwell from inhaling too much smoke earlier?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine, maybe i just ¡®saw it wrong¡¯.¡± to keep nina from worrying, duncan simply shook his head and spoke indifferently.


    however, his gaze still lingered there, and before withdrawing his view, he gave one last profound glance in that direction.


    if it were merely an eccentric umbrella carrier, it would be no significant matter.


    but if it were a figure only he could see, that was a different story entirely.


    he remembered that figure.


    ¡­


    fenna arrived near the ocean museum with a team of elite guards, but by the time she arrived, the unexpected fire had nearly ended.


    a bedraggled deep sea priest with several guards, fresh from rushing out of the fire, approached the judge.


    ¡°the fire extinguished suddenly on its own,¡± said the deep sea priest, after saluting fenna, ¡°but we didn¡¯t find any trace of transcendent power at the scene.¡±


    ¡°extinguished on its own?¡± fenna¡¯s expression hardened upon hearing the priest¡¯s report, ¡°did you lead the team into the fire based on some suspicion?¡±


    ¡°among the civilians escaping the scene, many exhibited severe panic and hallucinations; i suspected transcendent contamination in the museum,¡± the priest nodded, ¡°but we found nothing upon searching¡­ the only anomaly was the flame dying out spontaneously.¡±


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    at this, the priest made a gesture of prayer to the goddess and added, ¡°but it is due to the fire dying down that my guards and i were able to get out unscathed.¡±


    after pondering briefly, fenna nodded slightly, ¡°alright, after the fire is completely out i will arrange for a thorough search of the museum to see if there are any signs of artifacts transforming¡­¡±


    after giving these brief instructions, the young judge lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over the civilians receiving aid and reassurance, as if searching for something in the crowd.


    at that moment, a voice suddenly called from not far away, ¡°fenna! i¡¯m here!¡±


    fenna looked up and saw a disheveled heidi waving vigorously at her through the crowd.

 Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Chapter 123 Sealed in Memory

    Chapter 119: Chapter 123 Sealed in Memory


    Heidi, panting heavily, ran up to Fenna. Nearby guards, upon seeing her approach, instinctively wanted to step forward to stop her but quickly recognized the disheveled, dirt-covered lady as the senior advisor to the city hall and church and immediately let her through.


    ¡°You¡¯re leading the team personally,¡± Heidi said in surprise as she looked at Fenna, fully armed, and then glanced at the elite church group behind her. ¡°And you brought so many people?¡±


    ¡°A fire at the museum is no ordinary situation,¡± Fenna replied briefly. She then looked Heidi over several times to make sure her friend was unharmed before she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It looks like your vacation is ruined.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®ruined again!¡¯¡± Heidi said with a sad but resigned expression. ¡°Why am I always so unlucky¡­ah, it hurts¡­¡±


    Fenna noticed the unique large bump on Heidi¡¯s head, stepped forward, and casually touched near her friend¡¯s wound, while glancing in the direction from which Heidi had just run, her brows slightly furrowed. ¡°Did you just escape?¡±


    ¡°I was saved¡­¡± Heidi sighed, feeling more comfortable as the pain on her forehead gradually faded. Her attention focused more sharply, and then she paused as if suddenly remembering something. She quickly scanned her surroundings and then suddenly moved closer to Fenna. ¡°I need a quiet and blessed environment, preferably inside a church.¡±


    Seeing her friend¡¯s suddenly serious expression, Fenna quickly understood. She didn¡¯t ask any questions but turned to instruct her own priests. ¡°Take over the scene, seal off the museum, upgrade the contamination level to Spirit Realm¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Heidi interrupted in a low, urgent voice: ¡°Deep Abyss level.¡±


    ¡°Adjust to Deep Abyss level, evacuate all civilians within two hundred meters around the plaza!¡± Fenna ordered in shock. Then she turned to a priest with a short beard. ¡°Take us to the nearest church, we¡¯ll need a private prayer room¡ªprepare incense number 16.¡±


    The priest, who had just escaped from the fire, immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, please follow me; it¡¯s near the square.¡±


    Fenna and Heidi quickly left the square and rode with the guide priest to a community church near the plaza. Before they arrived at the church, Fenna noticed Heidi¡¯s complexion starting to unnaturally flush red.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Fenna¡¯s brows furrowed tightly as she touched Heidi¡¯s forehead, the high temperature under her fingers making her voice instantly change. ¡°Why is it so hot?!¡±


    ¡°I might have come into contact with something ¡®in the museum,¡¯¡± Heidi quickly explained. ¡°I used self-hypnosis to lock some information deep in my memory. The effect of the hypnosis just ended¡­ I am gradually remembering.¡±


    Listening to Heidi¡¯s narrative, Fenna¡¯s eyes slightly widened as she rapidly made a judgment¡ª


    A severe Transcendent phenomenon contamination, simply the cognition of which could impact the real world.


    ¡°Stop remembering immediately, slow down your thoughts,¡± Fenna put her hand on Heidi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look into my eyes, shift your focus elsewhere! If necessary, hypnotize yourself again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Heidi took a deep breath. She stared into Fenna¡¯s eyes, deep and serene like the ocean, struggling to control the memories slowly surfacing in her mind, trying not to recall that majestic and grand stream of fire, not to recall the sea of fire churning in the pitch-black void. Yet, those memories still seeped out, like blood oozing from a wound, uncontainable.


    But suddenly, a slight coolness coming from her chest made Heidi, who felt almost engulfed by flames, sober up a lot.


    She looked down subconsciously, only to see the glass ¡°crystal pendant,¡± worthy only as a freebie in an antique store in the Lower City District, faintly glowing at her chest.


    That minor glow was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, yet it served as an anchor firmly rooted in the real world, pulling back her dispersing spirit.


    The next second, she heard the priest¡¯s voice coming from ahead, ¡°We have arrived at the church!¡±


    Under the personal escort of Fenna the Great Saint, Heidi was quickly taken into the church. Because the priest had already sent a spiritual message to the church, a prayer room had been prepared, and the powerful soothing and protective incense was already lit.


    In the faint smoke from the incense, the statue of the Storm Goddess Gomona quietly overlooked Heidi and Fenna as they hurried into the room.


    The priest was left outside the prayer room¡ªhe might not be able to withstand the spiritual contamination that could occur next.


    As Heidi set foot into the prayer room, Fenna heard the illusory sound of waves ringing in her ears, and she felt as though a supremely great existence was gazing directly at her soul. Following that, all the candles in the church began to burn fiercely, crackling and popping amidst the intense flames!


    She looked up at the statue of the Storm Goddess, which seemed to have suddenly become distant and majestic. An indescribable aura of authority was exuding from the statue, slowly focusing around Heidi.


    ¡°The Lord is watching¡­¡± The visions in the prayer room startled Fenna, but she quickly breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Heidi, noting that the flush on her face was fading, ¡°You are safe now. Release your memories, let us see what you have seen.¡±


    Heidi didn¡¯t speak, merely nodding her head. Then, she casually took off one of her earrings, which had a small mechanism at its end. She used her fingernail to trigger the device, ejecting a sharp spike just a few millimeters long.


    Without hesitation, she tightly clenched the earring with the protruding spike, allowing the blood to seep out from her palm.


    This was the deepest mental suggestion she had branded into herself at the beginning of her career as a mental therapist¡ªwhen the platinum spike pierced her palm, it could release all the impurities sealed in her memory.


    The next second, the illusory and overlapping sound of waves in the prayer room became extremely distinct, all while the burning candles turned dim and flickered. The entire room seemed to be draped with a swaying, blurred veil of gauze; multiple layers of this gauze moved around the statue of the goddess, reflecting faint, blurry illusions¡ª


    That was a scene Heidi had urgently sealed in her own memory.


    It was only a fleeting glimpse of the momentary truth.


    Within the shimmering phantom veils, Fenna saw what Heidi had seen:


    In a pitch-black void, a column of flames surged skyward, more blazing than any fire in the world, more breathtaking than any power created by humans¡ªa flame-wave sweeping across and engulfing everything. Even a saint like Fenna tensed her muscles upon seeing it!


    How far did that flame surge in the darkness? Tens of thousands of kilometers? Millions? Or even further?


    What was it? Pure flame, or something more primitive that could touch the eternal truths?


    Fenna didn¡¯t know when she held her breath, watching the column of flames rise in the darkness, then watching it gradually fall. The flowing fire, like a viscous paste, formed a fierce and irregular arc in the void darkness, until the vision gradually faded, until the surrounding illusory waves of sound slowly calmed down. She remained stunned for a long time.


    It was after a while that she suddenly felt as if sea wind were moisturizing her thoughts; the tender consolation of the Storm Goddess brought her back to her senses. She looked at Heidi, only to find Heidi staring at her in astonishment.


    ¡°Is this¡­ what you saw in the museum?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ maybe¡­¡± Heidi¡¯s heart thumped wildly. Although this was extracted from her own memory, the effect of self-hypnosis had still surpassed her imagination, ¡°But this thing¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem like an ¡®artifact¡¯ that could be displayed in a museum¡­¡±


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    ¡°This couldn¡¯t be any ¡®artifact¡¯,¡± Fenna said quickly, ¡°Even if we can¡¯t judge its scale, but just by intuition, I know it couldn¡¯t possibly be stored within any building¡­ You couldn¡¯t have seen it in the real world.¡±


    Heidi paused, frowning tightly, and after a long time, cautiously spoke, ¡°I might have seen it while I was unconscious¡­ and performed self-hypnosis while unconscious. What I saw might not be its physical form or entity, but rather I saw its ¡®projection¡¯ on a mental level.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Fenna looked at her, ¡°I am not questioning your abilities as a mental therapist, but¡­ it¡¯s not easy to temporarily contain spiritual contamination in an unconscious state.¡±


    ¡°I am confident,¡± Heidi said slowly but firmly, nodding her head, ¡°I received rigorous training at the Academy of Truth, where I could contain hazardous information with my subconscious mind even when my main consciousness was out of control, but because self-hypnosis in such situations is uncontrollable, it results in the loss of many key pieces of information, so I can¡¯t tell you what the specific circumstances were when I saw this ¡®projection,¡¯ nor do I know what the opportunity or medium was.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, I trust your professionalism,¡± Fenna scrutinized Heidi for a while before softly exhaling, ¡°It seems¡­ you really saw something incredible, huh.¡±

 Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Chapter 124 Reflection of Fragments

    Chapter 120: Chapter 124 Reflection of Fragments


    In the prayer room filled with the scent of incense and watched over by the statue of the goddess, two long-time friends fell silent at the same time, the only blessing descending from the deity gently soothing their unsettled hearts, while the faint and gentle sound of waves gently echoed in Fenna¡¯s ears, the whispers of the Storm Goddess Gomona.


    The goddess was still paying attention here, unprecedented attention.


    After an unknown amount of time, Heidi gradually calmed down, and cautiously broke the silence, ¡°What exactly did I see?¡±


    Fenna hesitated for a moment before quietly speaking, ¡°Perhaps¡­ that is exactly what those Sun Heretics have been searching for.¡±


    ¡°The Sun Heretics have been searching for it?¡± Heidi paused, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Shard,¡± Fenna gently nodded without waiting for Heidi to finish, ¡°Perhaps only the Sun Shard is worthy of the scene of might you saw in the vision.¡±


    While saying this, Fenna slowly raised her head, gazing at the statue of the Storm Goddess, and murmured thoughtfully, ¡°After all¡­ those heretics claim that the Sun Shard is a fragment that fell from the so-called ¡®True Sun¡¯¡­¡±


    Heidi was stunned for a moment, her expression slightly changing, ¡°If such a thing really appeared in the real world, Plunder City-State couldn¡¯t possibly still be unscathed¡­¡±


    ¡°So the artifact must be in some kind of sealed state,¡± Fenna nodded, ¡°The information shows that eleven years ago the Sun Shard appeared in Plunder City-State, but it seems that what was called an appearance at that time was probably just a slight leakage of power, and for the past eleven years, it has been dormant¡­¡±


    ¡°And now those Sun Heretics want to awaken that thing?!¡± Heidi looked horrified, ¡°Are they trying to destroy the whole of Plunder?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a newcomer to dealing with heretics,¡± Fenna glanced at Heidi, ¡°Aren¡¯t you familiar with their mental state? For those fanatical heretics, bringing the ¡®Black Sun¡¯ to wake, sacrificing one or two city-states is nothing to them; they would not even mind letting the entire world blaze, serving as kindling for the resurgence of the Sun God!¡±


    Heidi stood with her mouth agape, speechless for a long while, while Fenna calmed down before slowly continuing, ¡°Now the most critical problem is, what exactly happened when you saw that vision¡ªwhat happened to you, what happened around you, what happened to the museum itself, understanding these will help us understand in what state that shard is dormant, and where exactly it is sleeping.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t remember the details,¡± Heidi tapped her forehead gently, ¡°But now I can roughly confirm that I saw its projection while I was unconscious, and I performed emergency hypnosis on myself to preserve important clues¡­ Let me think, at that time I was rescued by someone and temporarily placed in a room on the first floor of the museum¡­ Based on what they told me after I came out, that room was near the main exhibition area¡­¡±


    As Heidi struggled to recall, she pondered in thought and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t we conclude that the clue is in the museum?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, from a mysticism perspective, what you saw was not the shard itself but a fraction of its ¡®shadow¡¯ leaked into the real world by a gigantic transcendent entity. The museum might not be where the shard is dormant, there might just be a ¡®rift¡¯ there, and when in a state of unconsciousness, your mental barrier weakens, allowing your consciousness to accidentally cross this rift and see the scene on the other side.


    ¡°These rifts hovering on the edge of reality are often not fixed, it might have been in the museum before, but it likely has shifted to some other location by now.¡±


    Fenna patiently explained, then suddenly shook her head, ¡°Of course, we will still conduct a highest-level search of the museum and maintain surveillance thereafter, considering anomalies and apparitions always have their irregular moments. Maybe the shard truly is present there in some form of sealed medium, and even if it isn¡¯t, we might still find some clues in the aftermath of a fire, explaining why the ¡®rift¡¯ happened to appear in the museum¡­


    ¡°But this subsequent search does not concern you anymore. For safety reasons, you¡¯d best stay away from that museum for the next month.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d rather keep my distance from this matter,¡± Heidi immediately nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough misfortune already!¡±


    Fenna quietly observed her friend, who seemed unlucky from childhood, as if wanting to say something but ultimately remained silent. She just sat silently beneath the goddess¡¯s statue, after half a minute of silence she suddenly spoke, ¡°Who exactly rescued you?¡±


    ¡°Two girls who are still in school and a man who looked to be in his forties,¡± Heidi thought for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s also a coincidence, one of those girls just happened to be a student my father visited at home a few days ago, and the gentleman is her uncle¡­ Have I mentioned him to you? His name is Duncan Strain, an antique shop owner.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a bit allergic to the name ¡®Duncan¡¯ now,¡± Fenna¡¯s mouth twitched visibly, ¡°though I know it¡¯s definitely not the same person¡­¡±


    ¡°The first time I heard that name from my father, I reacted the same as you,¡± Heidi shrugged, ¡°Speaking of which, I promised that gentleman to assess his niece¡¯s mental state at their home tomorrow afternoon, and to formally thank him at the same time¡­ Today everything has been so chaotic, I hurriedly said goodbye without proper courtesy.¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not only the ¡®niece¡¯ who needs a psychological assessment,¡± Fenna¡¯s expression suddenly became serious, staring directly at Heidi, ¡°All three of them need it.¡±


    ¡°Why did¡­¡± Heidi subconsciously started to speak, but then she realized, ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, they were all by your side, and you saw the form of the Sun Shard in your coma,¡± Fenna stared into Heidi¡¯s eyes, ¡°If that truly was a remnant of an ancient god, its contamination might have spread to them through your consciousness. Though the extent of this spread might have been slight, it could still be fatal for ordinary people.¡±


    Heidi was dumbfounded.


    ¡­


    In the antique store in the Lower City District, Duncan had already closed the shop early and was sitting relaxedly behind the counter, with Nina and Sherry sitting opposite him, one on each side.


    Both girls had taken a bath in the simple upstairs bathroom, Nina had changed into fresh clothes, but Sherry was still wearing her black dress¡ªnot that Nina was unwilling to lend her clothes, but the difference in their sizes was a bit too much, and Sherry had voluntarily refused the few sets of clothes that were too large for her.


    Of course, whether she had other concerns when refusing was unknown¡­ Maybe she thought accepting Nina¡¯s clothes was akin to accepting a gift from a follower of the Evil God? Only she knew.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the counter, was Ai Yi leisurely pacing back and forth.


    Behind it, a large heap of fries was stacked on the table¡ªthese were what Duncan had promised it.


    Ai Yi got the fries it had been longing for, Nina safely returned home, Duncan saved his niece, and further familiarized himself with the power of fire.


    Everyone was happy.


    Except for Sherry.


    She was almost crying¡ªshe felt like crying several times today.


    ¡°So¡­ Sherry, you¡¯re not actually my classmate¡­ You just used some kind of¡­ ¡®Detective Skills¡¯ to sneak into the school to investigate some matters,¡± Nina looked at her hard-won friend with a complex expression, ¡°And you don¡¯t even like steam and machinery¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even understand those textbooks¡­¡± Sherry carefully started, responding to Nina¡¯s words but occasionally glancing at Duncan, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    However, Nina seemed to not notice Sherry¡¯s apology; she was just very confused and furrowed her brows, ¡°But how did you manage it? I¡­ now that I think about it, you always seemed to appear suddenly in my classroom, and then you were often around me, but you never attended classes normally, and even the nearby teachers and students seemed not to notice you, you¡­¡±


    Sherry quickly glanced at Duncan again, making sure his expression was still calm before she murmured softly, ¡°It¡¯s actually a bit of Transcendent skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Transcendent?¡± Nina widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°Are you a church investigator?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not from the church, I¡­¡± Sherry glanced at Duncan again, remembering the instructions he had given her when Nina went upstairs to bathe, although still completely confused about why this boss was playing the ¡°pretend to be human¡± game in this antique store, she rigorously followed his instructions, ¡°I¡¯m kind of a wild¡­ a wild Transcendent¡­¡±


    Nina looked surprised: ¡°There are wild Transcendents?!¡±


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    ¡°If they are unregistered, isn¡¯t that wild?¡± Sherry seemed to have given up on everything, speaking with a kind of resigned intensity, ¡°Aren¡¯t those troublesome people in the church usually the ones who refer to people like us that way?¡±


    Nina was taken aback, listening to Sherry¡¯s explanation, then looking her up and down several times. This scrutinizing gaze made Sherry uncomfortable, and she instinctively dodged, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really awesome!¡± Nina suddenly blurted out seriously.


    Sherry was momentarily at a loss: ¡°¡­that¡¯s what amazes you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Chapter 125 Getting to Know Each Other

    Chapter 121: Chapter 125 Getting to Know Each Other


    Nina¡¯s focus seemed to be on a very subtle aspect, but for Sherry, this was a good thing.


    She had, from the bottom of her heart, considered the seemingly innocent and ordinary girl before her a Subspace Shadow¡¯s kin¡ªand not just any kin but one akin to a favored daughter. The less negative impression she made in front of this kin, the higher her own chances of survival in front of the big boss would be.


    But Nina was unaware of the myriad thoughts hidden beneath Sherry¡¯s awkward and rigid smile. At the moment, the girl was surprised and a bit excited, for she had never been in such close contact with a real Transcendent (visits to the church didn¡¯t count). Her understanding of these matters was limited to books, and in her eyes, Sherry, who seemed to use some ¡°supernatural illusion¡± to sneak into school and investigate, was already shrouded in a mysterious and formidable aura.


    She even momentarily forgot the slight ¡°deceit¡± the other had played on her and turned all her attention to the extraordinary life and adventures of a Transcendent¡ªthough these adventures were mostly conjured up by her own imagination: ¡°Where do you usually live? Do you have your own secret base or something? Or belong to a mysterious organization?


    ¡°Do you hide in caves? Or places like sewers? Do you have a warehouse-like place to store various ritual items?


    ¡°Are you born with special abilities, or do you have some powerful Transcendent item? Are you one of those legendary ¡®Arcane Mages¡¯? I¡¯ve heard of this ancient profession. Arcane Mages can cast Spells without relying on any gods, and they say their power comes from their bloodline¡­


    ¡°What do you normally eat? Do you have to drink herbal concoctions or the strange blood of animals often? Huh? You eat normal food? Really?¡±


    Nina¡¯s questions poured out one after the other, nonstop, and Sherry broke out into a cold sweat while trying to cope¡ªNot because she couldn¡¯t answer the questions, but because Duncan was beside them!


    Since the beginning of their conversation, Duncan had been silently observing Sherry, with a smile that was warm and friendly¡ªas if he were a parent accommodating a child¡¯s classmate who came to visit.


    Simple, friendly, harmless.


    But at his smallest smile, Sherry would break into a sweat.


    ¡°You seem to be quite afraid of my uncle,¡± even with Nina¡¯s slow reactions, she couldn¡¯t help but notice Sherry¡¯s odd behavior. Coupled with her recall of the other¡¯s reactions back at the museum, she couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°What¡­ exactly happened between you two?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ nothing at all! Really!¡± Sherry nearly jumped to sit upright, flailing her hands, ¡°I¡­ what could possibly happen between me and your uncle? I¡¯m just a child¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Duncan felt something was off. He knew he couldn¡¯t let the two girls go on freely any longer and hastily, before Sherry could blurt out more nonsense, he coughed lightly to interrupt her: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing. She was just caught by me fare-dodging once.¡±


    ¡°Just for that?¡± Nina looked at Sherry in surprise, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t leave such a big impression¡­ But Uncle¡¯s right. Dodging fares isn¡¯t good.¡±


    Tears were nearly falling from Sherry¡¯s eyes: ¡°I really won¡¯t dodge fares again, is that enough?!¡±


    Nina nodded and then, as if she remembered something, she looked seriously at Sherry: ¡°Then¡­ can you tell me what exactly you¡¯re investigating? Is being friends with me also part of your ¡®investigation¡¯?¡±


    Sherry¡¯s body stiffened, her eyes started to drift to the side, but halfway through, they met Duncan¡¯s calm gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m investigating the fire from eleven years ago,¡± Sherry suddenly lowered her head slightly, as if she had suddenly understood something or simply given up, her voice low, ¡°The one the official records mention, the leak at the factory in District Six¡­¡±


    ¡°The fire from eleven years ago?¡± Nina immediately widened her eyes, her tone carrying shock, ¡°Wait¡­ you know about the fire from eleven years ago?!¡±


    ¡°¡­You know about it too?!¡± Sherry seemed equally surprised, standing up from her chair, ¡°You also experienced that fire?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know. My parents died in that fire¡ªI was six years old then, and it was Uncle Duncan who saved me,¡± Nina spoke rapidly, subconsciously gesturing with her hands, ¡°But everyone has been saying that the toxic smoke in the streets confused me, they all deny there was such a fire. Even the newspapers later stated it was just an accident at a factory¡­¡±


    ¡°That year¡­ I was also six years old. My parents died in that fire too, I remember it clearly,¡± Sherry looked straight into Nina¡¯s eyes, ¡°But people around me also told me there wasn¡¯t any fire¡­ No wonder, no wonder the Abyssal Hound said it smelled a familiar scent on you¡­¡±


    As her words finished, Duncan¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side: ¡°So, it was the Abyssal Hound that guided you to approach Nina and infiltrate the school¡ªand you didn¡¯t know why you had to do it, which is why you were so surprised after hearing Nina¡¯s words.¡±


    Facing Duncan¡¯s calm gaze, Sherry quickly nodded, while Nina showed a somewhat puzzled look, ¡°A¡¯Gou? Who is A¡¯Gou?¡±


    ¡°A¡¯Gou, it¡­¡± Sherry began, but hesitated the next second. She glanced at Duncan, then back at Sherry, ¡°A¡¯Gou is my friend, it¡¯s right beside me, but its appearance might be a bit scary¡­¡±


    Although Sherry said this, she felt extremely strange inside¡ªbecause right there was a Subspace Shadow, countless times more frightening than A¡¯Gou, sitting beside them, and this Subspace Shadow was constantly in Nina¡¯s company. Yet Sherry had to comply with the ¡°personal hobby¡± of a big shot, pretending that A¡¯Gou was the scariest entity here and to regard the big shot as an ordinary human¡­


    To be fair, she usually utilized A¡¯Gou¡¯s disguise capabilities to move around, had dealt with Heretics, City-State Sheriffs, and even the priests of local churches. But all those added up were still not as nerve-wracking as sitting in this antique shop for ten minutes.


    To her eyes, this unremarkable shop was almost on the same level as a Subspace entrance.


    Yet, Nina was merely looking around curiously, searching for ¡°A¡¯Gou¡± beside Sherry. She peered around for quite a while before curiously asking, ¡°Then, could you let ¡®A¡¯Gou¡¯ come out to meet me? Since it¡¯s your friend¡­ what do I have to be afraid of?¡±


    Sherry still hesitated, but then Duncan suddenly tapped the table gently and said to Nina, ¡°Then you should be mentally prepared. I¡¯ve seen ¡®A¡¯Gou,¡¯ and it¡¯s really ugly.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m even more curious now,¡± Nina became more intrigued upon seeing the reactions from Uncle Duncan and Sherry, ¡°I really want to meet Mr. ¡®A¡¯Gou¡¯ and find out why Sherry¡¯s friend has such a strange name¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright then, since you wish to see it,¡± Duncan shook his head with a hint of resignation and looked toward Sherry, ¡°let A¡¯Gou come out to say hello, after all, it¡¯s also a ¡®guest¡¯ today.¡±


    Under normal circumstances, Sherry would never expose the secret of herself and A¡¯Gou, because in the order of the City-State, associating with Profound Demons was an extremely taboo affair. The clerics of the Deep Sea Church could confront her with eight-pound cannons and six-barreled machine guns if they sensed even a hint of the Profound.


    However, now, a being of the Subspace Shadow¡¯s level was requesting her to summon A¡¯Gou.


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    She nodded, and then slowly raised her arm.


    The next second, to Nina¡¯s astonishment and a touch of nervousness, pitch-black flames and thick smoke suddenly rose beside Sherry!


    Chains extended from the flames, and at the end of the smoke and black fire, the figure of the Profound Demon took shape.


    The Abyssal Hound appeared amidst the flames and quickly curled up into a ball in one second, using its front paws to hug its head, concealing its most frightening eye sockets, and greeted Nina from within a wisp of smoke with its muffled voice, ¡°Good evening, miss. I am A¡¯Gou, Sherry¡¯s friend and guardian hound. My appearance does not conform to human mainstream aesthetics, but you can regard it through an abstract and generous view. Then I¡¯m merely a pile of cleverly stacked bones and a clump of oddly colored flames¡­¡±


    Duncan looked at Sherry indifferently, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen a dog that¡¯s so emotionally appealing in my life¡­ and in terms of personality, it¡¯s quite adorable.¡±


    Nina, on the other hand, was dumbstruck. After staring at A¡¯Gou for a long time, she finally let out an exclamation, ¡°Ah!¡±


    Sherry quickly interjected, ¡°I told you, you might get scared¡­¡±


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    But before she could finish her sentence, she heard Nina continue after her exclamation, ¡°That¡¯s pretty amazing!¡±


    Sherry: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hello¡­ you there?¡± Taking advantage of Sherry¡¯s momentary stupefaction, Nina had already begun tentatively greeting A¡¯Gou, ¡°Mr. A¡¯Gou? Uh, are you a ¡®sir¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Profound Demons do not possess a gender, but if you wish, you can address me as such,¡± A¡¯Gou replied in a muffled tone, seeming a bit surprised as well, ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°Not really, even though it does look quite scary,¡± Nina pondered for a moment, her face breaking into a brilliant smile, ¡°But I¡¯m quite brave~¡±

 Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Chapter 126: What Did You See?

    Chapter 122: Chapter 126: What Did You See?


    Watching Nina¡¯s expression shift from shock and tension to pure excitement and curiosity within moments, Sherry couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, ¡°This is beyond bravery already¡­¡±


    However, Nina didn¡¯t hear a word Sherry was muttering. Her attention was wholly captured by the dark mass of the Skeleton Hunting Dog in front of her. After jumping off her chair, she circled the beast twice, meticulously examining it from top to bottom¡ªshe was finally startled when she saw its hollow eye sockets filled with blood, but that was the extent of her scare.


    ¡°How awesome¡­¡± She repeated, even looking as though she wanted to reach out and touch the Skeleton Hunting Dog¡¯s bony head, but at the last second, she withdrew her hand and looked up at Sherry, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a Transcendent being¡­ What is the Skeleton Hunting Dog? A creature summoned by a spell? Or¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a demon,¡± Sherry answered bluntly, as if trying to instill a sense of the dog¡¯s danger in Nina, ¡°The most dangerous kind of demon.¡±


    Nina seemed a bit intimidated indeed. She probably hadn¡¯t expected this seemingly polite, albeit ugly, creature to actually be a ¡°demon,¡± her face full of disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a demon?¡±


    ¡°To be precise, a Profound Demon,¡± the Skeleton Hunting Dog said as it slightly lifted its head, its hollow eye sockets staring at Nina. ¡°Miss, this might be your first time seeing a Profound Demon. Don¡¯t let my presence give you the wrong impression of Profound Demons. My kin are diverse, yet they all share one common trait¡ªthey are particularly brutal and heartless¡­¡±


    ¡°Profound¡­¡± Nina paused, finally snapping out of the novelty and tension of encountering a Transcendent being for the first time, recalling what she had read in books, ¡°Sherry, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Just as you see, I¡¯m bound to a Profound Demon,¡± said Sherry, lifting her arm to show Nina the chain fused with her body, ¡°which is why I don¡¯t want people to know my secret. If the members of the Deep Sea Church knew, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw me into a fire, or perhaps into the Endless Sea.¡±


    Sherry¡¯s expression was solemn. Nina, perceiving something from her serious demeanor, gave Sherry a complex look and then glanced back at the Skeleton Hunting Dog: ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve read in books that the Mysterious Deep Sea teems with frenzied evil creatures, remnants expelled from the body of The Saint, governed by chaos and madness from birth to extinction, but Mr. Skeleton Hunting Dog seems¡­¡±


    ¡°The Skeleton Hunting Dog is special,¡± Sherry said tersely. ¡°Normal Profound Demons lack a heart and don¡¯t comprehend human emotions, but the Skeleton Hunting Dog does¡ªeven though it doesn¡¯t know why it has gone through such a change, this change makes it impossible for it to survive in the Mysterious Deep Sea.¡±


    Nina looked confused, nodding her head slightly, ¡°Oh.¡±


    As she spoke, she fell into a brief silence, then suddenly scratched her head, looking distressedly at Duncan, ¡°Uncle, my mind feels all messy.¡±


    Recalling the chaotic events of her day and her interactions with Sherry, and looking at the Skeleton Hunting Dog before her, a surreal sense of absurdity belatedly surged within her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve experienced too much today,¡± Duncan¡¯s calm and soothing voice came, like a candle flickering in the dim light, stabilizing Nina¡¯s suddenly bewildered mind once again, ¡°A bit of confusion is normal.¡±


    Nina blinked, finally realizing something she had been overlooking since earlier, and fixed her gaze on Duncan, ¡°Uncle, if you knew Sherry all along¡­ did you also know her secret? Do you know the Skeleton Hunting Dog?¡±


    ¡°Earlier than you,¡± Duncan said with a faint smile, ¡°but I didn¡¯t know she was the ¡®friend¡¯ you mentioned.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Nina hesitated for a moment, ¡°Are you also investigating the incident from eleven years ago? Are you two investigating it together?¡±


    ¡°Sort of, we¡¯ve collaborated occasionally,¡± Duncan nodded.


    ¡°¡­Why do I feel like you¡¯re only keeping me in the dark?¡± Nina muttered somewhat belatedly, ¡°And about the investigation of the incident eleven years ago¡­ What secret does that incident hold?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, but we both acknowledge that there was a big fire that year, one that was erased,¡± Duncan said gravely, his gaze on Nina, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did keep it from you because it¡¯s too dangerous for you now.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Uncle?¡± Nina suddenly felt a bit angry, ¡°Aren¡¯t you in danger?!¡±


    Before Duncan could respond, both the Skeleton Hunting Dog and Sherry covered their faces, with Sherry even muttering softly, ¡°Of course your uncle is in danger. He¡¯s the most dangerous¡­¡±


    Duncan simply gave Sherry a look and then gently shook his head at Nina, ¡°Uncle is an adult, and believe me, I¡¯m far more capable than you might think.¡±


    Nina¡¯s gaze swept back and forth between Duncan and Sherry, her expression changing several times as countless thoughts spun through her mind. Just when Duncan thought she might become stubborn or act like a typical rebellious teenager, Nina suddenly sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark,¡± she said, looking up at the sky outside as if the whole conversation had never happened, ¡°I¡¯ll go cook¡ªSherry, you should stay too. It¡¯s not safe to travel at night.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah?¡± Sherry was momentarily taken aback, unable to keep up with Nina¡¯s train of thought. Then she hurriedly waved her hands, ¡°Oh, no need, no need! Mr. Dog and I can hurry back and still make it¡­¡±


    But before she could finish, Duncan¡¯s voice came from nearby, ¡°Stay over, the sun will set in a few minutes¡ªthen the streets will be filled with guardians. Do you really want to cross the martially controlled district under those circumstances?¡±


    Sherry stiffened all over. She turned to look at the sky outside the shop and then at Duncan¡¯s calm expression, finally realizing that there was no way she could leave the antique shop today.


    ¡°Well¡­ alright then,¡± the girl sat down despondently, trying to force a smile as she looked towards Nina, ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°No need, I always do the cooking at home,¡± Nina smiled, walking towards the staircase leading to the second floor. But just as she was about to step on the stairs, she suddenly stopped. Standing there, she stared intently at Sherry for several seconds before speaking, ¡°Sherry, are we friends?¡±


    Sherry was startled, her first instinct was to glance at Duncan, who, however, looked away, leaving her no choice but to turn back to Nina. After a brief yet uncomfortable silence, she shook her head, ¡°¡­no.¡±


    But then, she nodded her head, ¡°But I can try.¡±


    Nina chuckled, seemingly satisfied with the less-than-definite answer, as if she had received the perfect response. She quickly ran upstairs, her footsteps hurried and light.


    A bit dazed, Sherry watched her ascend to the second floor when suddenly a calm voice drifted from beside her, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    It was Duncan speaking.


    Sherry jumped, quickly straightened up, and turned towards Duncan, ¡°Thank you for what?¡±


    ¡°Nina doesn¡¯t have friends at school,¡± Duncan, accustomed to her overly anxious reactions, spoke evenly, ¡°So, a couple of days ago, when she mentioned she had made a new friend at school, she seemed very happy.¡±


    Sherry blinked in confusion, not quite understanding.


    ¡°So first, thank you for not perfunctorily telling Nina that you are her friend, and second, thank you because you said you could try.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t quite understand,¡± Sherry was even more puzzled now than before, ¡°Are you just playing a normal person here? Nina¡­ she seems completely oblivious to how special you are. Even at school, she¡¯s almost invisible. If not for Mr. Dog guiding me, I would have missed her entirely on my first visit. Logically, being someone under your care, a ¡®Follower¡¯ like her¡­¡±


    ¡°Not a follower, a niece,¡± Duncan stressed once more, then gazed at her seriously, ¡°Now that Nina has left, I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead¡­¡±


    ¡°Did Mr. Dog guide you to get close to Nina?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Because Mr. Dog ¡®smelled¡¯ a specific scent on Nina? It concluded that she¡¯s related to the big fire eleven years ago?¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What kind of scent was it? Was it the same as that from the factory, or something else?¡±


    This time Sherry didn¡¯t answer. Her gaze shifted to Mr. Dog.


    Under Duncan¡¯s gaze, Mr. Dog hesitated for a few seconds before finally bowing its head:


    ¡°There are countless ashes floating around her, Mr. Duncan.¡±

 Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Chapter 127: Dinner Together

    Chapter 123: Chapter 127: Dinner Together


    Some things are simply not meant to be discussed in front of Nina.


    Listening to A-dog describe the scene, Duncan felt his heart skip a beat.


    Ashes floating around him¡­ lots of ashes¡­ what did that imply?


    In that factory shrouded by curtains, everywhere was filled with hidden ashes¡ªashes were the traces that flames had once burned, the proof that a great fire had existed, symbolizing that which had been destroyed. Then the ashes by Nina¡¯s side¡­


    He raised his head, looking toward the staircase leading to the second floor.


    Nina was busy in the kitchen on the second floor, and the faint sounds of cooking could be heard from here¡ªthe clink of utensils sounded cheerful as the optimistic girl, who had been through a lot that day, still managed to stay in a good mood.


    He withdrew his gaze and looked at Sherry, sitting across from him.


    ¡°So, after A-dog told you it had found a very suspicious target, you found a way to sneak into the school, and tried to find clues around Nina. Meanwhile, you also began approaching those Sun Cultists active in town, trying to find clues from them, to uncover the secret of the fire that happened eleven years ago¡­¡±


    Sherry gently nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing what you¡¯re actually looking for isn¡¯t the Sun Shard, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the point in finding the Sun Shard?¡± Sherry retorted, ¡°To find a flame and then demand why it burnt? What I¡¯m looking for¡­ is the person who set the fire that year.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just an ordinary flame,¡± Duncan said quietly, gazing intently into Sherry¡¯s eyes, ¡°If that really was a shard of the Sun¡­ its power could do more than merely burn down a factory. Sherry, you¡¯re doing something very, very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest and don¡¯t get mad,¡± Sherry thought for a moment and said humbly with her head down, ¡°I feel that sitting in front of you is dangerous enough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Haha, maybe,¡± Duncan was momentarily taken aback and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Then he got up from behind the counter and slowly walked toward the staircase leading upstairs, ¡°I¡¯m just giving a friendly reminder, of course, it¡¯s up to you to decide what to do.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Sherry suddenly stood up, but hesitated, pausing for two seconds before continuing, ¡°By your attitude¡­ Did you not know about Nina¡¯s special situation before?¡±


    Duncan stopped in his tracks and, after a moment of contemplation, raised his hand to point at his eyes, ¡°It seems the ¡®vision¡¯ of this body I¡¯m using now isn¡¯t that great. Indeed, I haven¡¯t noticed some things.¡±


    This body¡­


    Sherry keenly picked up on these few words but dared not ask anything. She just curiously watched as he continued to walk upstairs, wondering, ¡°What are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°Doing what? Of course, I¡¯m going upstairs to eat,¡± Duncan glanced down as if it were a matter of course and stated, ¡°You guys come up too. It¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    Dinner time.


    What¡¯s it like to have a meal at the house of a Subspace big shot?


    Sherry didn¡¯t know how to describe to people the myriad of bizarre thoughts that had flashed through her mind while following the big shot upstairs. She was nervous yet expectant, curious yet fearful, knowing well this could very well be just an ordinary meal, yet she couldn¡¯t help but guess what astonishing and bizarre items might appear on the dining table.


    In this seemingly ordinary antique shop lived a Subspace Shadow, a nest of the Subspace Shadow¡ªthe collapsing crevice between the real world and the deepest layers. And in such a nest¡­ even if the spawn of the Evil God appeared at the dinner table, it would seem quite normal to her.


    With all these wild guesses and an anxious heart, Sherry went upstairs and arrived at the slightly cramped kitchen, then saw what was on the table.


    It was nothing more than a plate of freshly heated hard bread, a bowl of vegetable soup most common in the Lower City District, and some tomato and mushroom sauce.


    The most eye-catching thing on the table was just a bowl of fish soup¡ªthe pale soup was dotted with pieces of cut and processed fish that were unrecognizable in their original form; the aroma wafted over, enticing Sherry¡¯s stomach to growl.


    ¡°I made some soup out of the leftover salted fish,¡± Nina said with a smile to Duncan and then looked at Sherry, ¡°This fish was bought by uncle, try it, it tastes really good!¡±


    Sherry sat down at the table somewhat dazedly, her gaze sweeping over the common dishes, prompting Duncan beside her to chuckle, ¡°What, the food is too ordinary, and that takes you by surprise? Or does it not suit your taste?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, no, no¡­ it¡¯s much better than what I usually eat¡­¡± Sherry replied reflexively and then quickly added, ¡°But I really didn¡¯t expect it to be so ordinary.¡±


    ¡°This fish looks kind of strange,¡± A-dog also peered over at the food on the table and muttered in a muffled voice, ¡°I feel like¡­ I sense something familiar?¡±


    ¡°What do you know about gourmet food?¡± Sherry glanced at it and said, ¡°You, who normally nibble on stones as if they were crackers¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. A-dog isn¡¯t eating?¡± Nina asked in surprise upon hearing this.


    ¡°Profound Demons don¡¯t eat human food¡ªin fact, they don¡¯t need to eat at all,¡± Sherry nodded, ¡°Only occasionally when they feel the need to gnaw they¡¯ll crunch on stones and steel plates.¡±


    Upon hearing this, A-dog immediately started shaking its head with a grunt, ¡°You¡¯re making me a little sad saying that, you¡¯ve forgotten how I managed to steal food to feed you outside? Occasionally I also eat a bit of¡­¡±


    As it spoke, A-dog leaned close to the edge of the table, peering into the bowl of fish soup. However, after staring at the soup for two seconds, the rest of its statement abruptly stopped.


    ¡°`


    The next second, the Abyssal Hound abruptly withdrew its gaze, zipping back to its original spot, where it lay motionless.


    Sherry was puzzled by this reaction, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Doggie?¡±


    Doggie¡¯s first instinct was to look at Duncan, but what it saw was his mild smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like fish?¡± asked the indescribable vortex of light and shadow with a laugh.


    Doggie¡¯s head swiveled from side to side, and suddenly, it felt that the seemingly kind and friendly conversation, the gentle and amiable smiles, and the camaraderie of the cooperative investigation were all just illusions. Within the depths of that indescribable twisted light and shadow, there was nothing but terror!


    A ¡°Deep Sea Offspring,¡± a being of a higher rank than itself, had been chopped up and stewed into a soup, even its very essence had truly become ¡°food¡±¡­ This horrifying act was unfolding right there, at the dining table!


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like to eat fish.¡±


    The Abyssal Hound muttered gruffly.


    In the corner of its eye, that freshly prepared fish soup still steamed, emitting a scent that humans would find delightful.


    It knew that the contents of that bowl were indeed ¡°fish,¡± no matter what it had once been; it was now fish.


    The essence of the offspring had been twisted and altered long ago; if not for the pair of eyes the Saint of the Abyss had blessed it with, even it wouldn¡¯t be possible to recognize what those chopped-up pieces of meat used to be.


    Nowadays, it was indeed harmless food, even if Sherry consumed it, there would be no problems.


    But Doggie was adamant that it wouldn¡¯t go anywhere near that dining table today!


    Duncan was unaware of why Doggie had such a strong reaction to the fish soup, but he presumed it had something to do with the peculiar diet of the Profound Demons; he didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    His attention was on Nina.


    There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary with Nina, though she may carry a few additional concerns, this sensible child had chosen a way to handle her feelings that wouldn¡¯t make anyone uncomfortable.


    On the other hand, Duncan already knew that Nina had something ¡°hidden¡± around her.


    Or to put it another way, the immense and invisible ¡°curtain¡± that lay within the factory was also invisibly spreading, enveloping her.


    He dared not jump to conclusions yet, nor could he be certain of what the ash swirling around Nina truly meant, but there was no doubt, she must have been in an exceptionally unique position during that devastating fire eleven years ago.


    Just as unique as that factory was.


    Yet Nina knew nothing; she had been living in ignorance for eleven years.


    ¡°Uncle?¡± Nina finally noticed Duncan¡¯s gaze and looked puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t reply but merely reached out, gently stroking the top of Nina¡¯s head.


    Nina froze for a moment, then began shaking her head from side to side, ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid anymore!¡±


    ¡°I know, you¡¯re not a little kid,¡± Duncan smiled as he said this, tiny specks of a ghostly green light flashed and disappeared within her shaking hair, ¡°but you¡¯re still a child.¡±


    Nina puffed out her cheeks slightly.


    ¡°Uncle, are you going to keep going on ¡®investigations¡¯ with Sherry?¡± she finally couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°Within safe bounds,¡± Duncan answered very seriously.


    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you not go?¡±


    Duncan shook his head: ¡°No.¡±


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    Nina fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Then what can I do?¡±


    ¡°Eat well,¡± Duncan revealed a slight smile, pointing at the dining table, ¡°then sleep well, study well, and most importantly, take good care of yourself, and trust your Uncle Duncan.¡±


    Nina stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth, her cheeks bulging.


    ¡°Mhm, I got it.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chapter 128: Changing Course

    Chapter 124: Chapter 128: Changing Course


    The second floor of the antique shop was not large; aside from the kitchen and washroom, there were only two rooms, one was Duncan¡¯s, and the other belonged to Nina¡ªSherry, who was staying overnight temporarily, clearly had no choice but to share a bed with Nina.


    ¡°Actually, I could sleep in the hallway¡­¡± Sherry said, looking a bit uneasy as she watched Nina busily preparing for her, ¡°Or I could just lay out a bed on the first floor¡­¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do,¡± Nina said as she looked up briefly towards the direction of the room door¡ªUncle Duncan had already gone back to his room, leaving just the two of them here, plus ¡°A-Dog¡± who was lying next to them, dozing off, ¡°How could we let a guest sleep in the hallway, and besides, the first floor¡­ the first floor is all Uncle¡¯s ¡®treasures,¡¯ he would never agree to that.¡±


    ¡°His treasures?¡± Sherry was taken aback, recalling what she had seen on the first floor¡ªshe had been too nervous before to take a good look around, but now that she thought about it, the first floor seemed to be nothing more than a pile of cluttered junk. To say that it was the ¡°collection¡± of a Subspace Shadow seemed a bit far-fetched.


    But she quickly realized: here, ¡°Mr. Duncan¡± was nothing more than an ordinary person, and Nina seemed genuinely unaware of her ¡°uncle¡¯s¡± other identity.


    With that in mind, Sherry¡¯s expression became somewhat strange. Under the bright light of the electric bulb, she glanced quickly at Nina and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re not really mad, are you?¡±


    Nina stopped making the bed, raised her eyebrows, ¡°Mad? Why would I be?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been lying to you for quite some time,¡± Sherry said quietly, feeling awkward and speaking in a lower voice than she had in her entire life. But ever since she met ¡°Mr. Duncan,¡± she had grown more and more accustomed to speaking softly, ¡°I only approached you because A-Dog hinted at it. But I didn¡¯t expect you to trust me so easily, or¡­ to accept me as your ¡®friend¡¯ so readily. I think you should be a little bit angry.¡±


    ¡°¡­ No one has really spoken to me at school for a long time, I thought¡­¡± Nina mumbled something but quickly shook her head, ¡°But I¡¯m really not angry, whatever the reason, you still truly kept me company, talked to me, shopped with me, and went to the museum.¡±


    Sherry, however, didn¡¯t quite accept Nina¡¯s candid response. If anything, she was more accustomed to a much colder social environment, and it felt particularly strange for her to be next to Nina, who always seemed to radiate warmth, ¡°You really are a strange person.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Nina finished making the bed and sat down, tilting her head slightly, ¡°But a long time ago someone said the same thing about me¡­ ¡®This child has such a generous heart,¡¯ I think that was the phrase.¡±


    While speaking, she waved Sherry over, ¡°Come sit up here, why are you just standing there like that?¡±


    Sherry hesitated before sitting down beside Nina, feeling extremely odd inside.


    She had never imagined things would turn out like this.


    She was being watched by a Subspace Shadow, forced to take refuge in its ¡°lair;¡± she shared a room with one of the Subspace Shadow¡¯s ¡°kin,¡± and A-Dog had been curled up in fear since a while ago. She knew the true danger of her current situation, how bizarre and precarious it was, possibly a hair¡¯s breadth from death¡ªyet when she opened her eyes, all she actually saw was the warm glow from the lamp and a girl smiling warmly.


    ¡°The light from the electric bulb is really bright¡­¡± Sherry mumbled, perhaps to break the tension, or maybe just making conversation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have electric lights where you live?¡± Nina was surprised.


    ¡°I live in¡­ an even older district, they don¡¯t have electric lights there,¡± Sherry said, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°After dark, we have to use oil lamps.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nina opened her mouth, feeling slightly awkward, then changed the subject somewhat stiffly, ¡°Do you want to change into pajamas? You can wear mine. I have one from two years ago that should fit you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed early today. Tomorrow is a rest day, and in the morning I¡¯ll take you around the neighborhood. We can also buy you a new dress; your skirt has been burned.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t have any money.¡±


    ¡°Then consider it a gift from me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    ¡­


    Duncan stood at the windowsill of his bedroom, quietly looking out toward the direction of the sixth district, his expression becoming serene.


    The two girls had already gone to sleep in the next room. He didn¡¯t know if Sherry was tired after everything that happened today, but Nina definitely was.


    He slightly closed his eyes and turned his head to ¡°look¡± to the side.


    In the darkness of his vision, two small green flames flickered to life.


    That was the direction of the room next door; the two flames were the ¡°marks¡± he had left. One of them came from Sherry, the other¡­ pointed out Nina¡¯s location.


    To this day, Duncan still didn¡¯t know what the circling ashes around Nina meant, nor did he know what secrets were buried in the City-State, where that ¡°Curtain¡± came from, or who was controlling everything behind the scenes.


    But he could feel he was drawing closer to the truth of eleven years ago, slowly prying open the dense fog that hovered over this city-state, a fog formed by some transcendent element.


    Leaving the ¡°mark¡± on Nina was one layer of insurance, which would allow him to detect her status immediately and serve as a point of location in an emergency. Moreover, if he ever figured out what the ¡°ashes¡± around Nina were about, he could also use the power of the mark to intervene at once¡ªat the very least, he could isolate Nina from the harmful transcendent forces around her.


    But having just one layer of insurance was not enough.


    Duncan glanced at his hands.


    This body was still too weak, too far removed from his true form. The amount of power that could be transmitted from his true form and the power this body could wield were limited, and the hidden dangers within this city-state might exceed his expectations.


    He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.


    The next second, Duncan, who was on the Homeloss, opened his eyes and rose to push open the door of the captain¡¯s quarters.


    The goat-headed figure¡¯s grating voice came without delay, ¡°Oh, great Captain! Your loyal below omitted is calibrating¡­¡±


    ¡°Which direction is Plunder City-State?¡± Duncan glanced at the goat-headed figure and cut it off with practiced ease.


    ¡°Plun¡­ Plunder City-State?!¡± Caught off guard, even the wooden face of the goat-headed figure showed a moment of surprise, but quickly it recovered, its tone suddenly filled with excitement and surprise, ¡°Plunder City-State! The human city-state! Is the great Captain Duncan finally setting out on a plundering expedition? Is this your target of attack? Are we to strike directly at the harbor, or raid the merchant ships passing by the city-state? We could also slowly corrode the near seas of the city-state, gradually blockading its coastline; the city-state navy might be a pro¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t make unnecessary arrangements,¡± Duncan walked straight to the navigation desk and tapped on the surface, ¡°I only asked you, in which direction is Plunder City-State.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright, alright, as you wish¡ª¡±


    The goat-headed figure¡¯s tone dropped lower, and as it started to speak, Duncan noticed a flashing bright spot suddenly appeared on the edge of the chart shrouded in fog.


    ¡°The Plunder City-State you¡¯re seeking¡­ should not be too far off,¡± the goat-headed figure said respectfully, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s regrettable that the chart has slept for too long; it can only mark the approximate location of Plunder. The sea conditions and landmarks along the way are still shrouded in the unknown¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks very far,¡± Duncan glanced at the bright spot in the mist and gauged the range of the known seas around the Homeloss, furrowing his brow slightly, ¡°At full speed, how long will it take to approach the near seas of Plunder?¡±


    ¡°Half a month? Perhaps a month? Actually, that¡¯s quite fast, we haven¡¯t truly reached the borders of civilization yet,¡± the goat-headed figure babbled on, ¡°You could also choose to have the Homeloss proceed at full speed through the Spirit Realm, but that¡¯s not very safe, though the Spirit Realm itself doesn¡¯t pose much of a threat to us, the Mysterious Deep Sea has many daredevils who may cause trouble¡­¡±


    The Mysterious Deep Sea¡­


    Duncan thought of ¡°Adog¡± subconsciously, but soon shook his head, ¡°Then let¡¯s sail in the real seas for now, approaching Plunder City-State¡ªlast question, can we approach without being detected by the city-state?¡±


    He stared into the goat-headed figure¡¯s eyes.


    As the ¡°captain¡± of the Homeloss, his inquiry was somewhat risky.


    Because he should have completely mastered this ship, fully understanding its capabilities.


    Yet, he asked anyway, testing his ¡°first mate¡± bit by bit.


    No emotion could be seen in the obsidian-crafted eyes of the goat-headed figure; it just quietly met the captain¡¯s gaze. After a few seconds of silence, it spoke as usual, ¡°¡­We can hide in the mist, and if necessary, briefly submerge into the sea wave¡¯s fractured reflections. By doing so, at least fifteen nautical miles from the coast, human city-states and their ships will not be able to detect the approach of the Homeloss.


    ¡°But any closer than that won¡¯t work¡ªthe divine gaze would notice, the city-state¡¯s great cathedral would sound the alarm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all a century-old experience,¡± Duncan¡¯s expression remained tranquil, ¡°Does it still work now?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the goat-headed figure¡¯s tone was light, ¡°A mere century¡ªgods wouldn¡¯t have made much progress in this century.¡±


    Duncan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Very well, then let Homeloss approach Plunder City-State while keeping itself hidden.¡±


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    ¡°May I ask?¡± The goat-headed figure spoke, ¡°You¡­ what exactly do you intend to do?¡±


    ¡°Just a test,¡± Duncan thought for a moment, a slight smile appearing on his face, ¡°To see if the wifi would get any better like this.¡±


    Goat-Headed Figure: ¡°¡­wi¡­ what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Why not let Ai Yi explain it to you later?¡±


    ¡°No! Your loyal below omitted does not care to know what that means at all!¡±

 Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Chapter 129: The Dark Night

    Chapter 125: Chapter 129: The Dark Night


    ¡°`


    Homeloss set sail at full speed.


    In the pale glow cast by the Creation of the World, the semi-translucent sails of the Spiritual Body filled without wind, as if controlled by countless unseen hands, making squeaking and creaking sounds. The complex system of masts and ropes rapidly and sensitively adjusted their angles. Duncan felt the deck beneath his feet slightly sway and tilt, pointing the ship¡¯s bow towards a certain direction in the Endless Sea. The sound of tiny waves hitting the hull mingled with the ¡°sensory signals¡± emanating from Homeloss itself, gently reverberating in the depths of his mind.


    For some reason, just as the ship changed its course, Duncan felt as if the atmosphere aboard had subtly transformed. The scenery around remained identical, but¡­


    He seemed to hear the ship let out a satisfied, soft sigh.


    Duncan left the captain¡¯s cabin and casually walked onto the deck, where he looked up into the night sky, watching the billowing sails and towering masts. He then gently tapped a nearby railing, thoughtfully saying, ¡°Are you also bored with aimless drifting?¡±


    Homeloss did not speak, merely emitting a slight creak from below the deck. Nearby, several ropes made rustling noises, slithering like snakes around Duncan.


    ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t cute, and it¡¯s even a bit scary,¡± Duncan glanced at the ropes, ¡°Last time, you scared Alice into a frenzied run, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The ropes shook in place for a moment, then quickly slipped away.


    Duncan took a deep breath, preparing to enjoy the refreshing night breeze at sea, but suddenly, a distant ¡°touch¡± appeared in his consciousness.


    At first, he didn¡¯t realize what it was, but then he quickly understood that this sensation originated from Plunder City-State.


    Inside an antique shop on the second floor in Plunder City-State, Duncan suddenly blinked and immediately looked in a certain direction¡ªtoward the neighboring room belonging to Nina.


    In his vision, a cluster of ghostly green flames was flickering rapidly¡ªnot from Nina, but from the mark left on Sherry.


    The cluster of flames sensed the growth of Transcendent power, and perceived that the host¡¯s emotions were fluctuating abnormally.


    What happened to Sherry?!


    Duncan didn¡¯t hesitate much, as he got up and rushed to Nina¡¯s bedroom door, knocking lightly, but there was no response from inside.


    He hesitated for a moment, but the next second, he sensed the mark on Sherry pulsate again.


    There wasn¡¯t time to think too much¡ªDuncan pushed open Nina¡¯s room door.


    As usual from when she was a child, Nina had the habit of not locking her door while sleeping.


    The bedroom was dim, with only the faint light from a streetlamp outside casting shadows of the room¡¯s contents. Within his range of sight, Duncan saw nothing abnormal.


    Sherry and Nina were quietly sleeping on the bed, one¡¯s head towards the foot of the bed, and the other lying horizontally on the other¡¯s belly.


    ¡­Their sleeping positions were quite artistic.


    Of course, Duncan wasn¡¯t interested in how the girls were positioned. He now noticed Sherry¡¯s furrowed brows, and on her arm, which she normally used to summon her Abyssal Hound and coexist with her chains, a thin black pattern was slowly creeping.


    Duncan frowned slightly, then activated the mark left on Sherry, trying to use the unique properties of the Spiritual Body fire to locate the source of the ¡°Corrosion¡± in the room.


    In his view, Sherry¡¯s current state, combined with the warning from the mark, unequivocally signaled that Transcendent power was causing Corrosion.


    A tiny green flame rose beside Sherry, its ghostly light illuminating the surroundings, but the flickering flame eventually remained stationary.


    There was no Corrosion in the room.


    Duncan¡¯s brow furrowed as he moved closer, observing Sherry¡¯s tightly knitted brows.


    Uncertain of how much the Spiritual Body fire would affect a living person, he couldn¡¯t release a large burst of flame to ¡°scan¡± the entire room like he would in a factory, but even the slightest spark of Spiritual Body fire should have reacted to unfamiliar Transcendent powers.


    Corrosion¡­ not in the real world? On a mental level? Or something else?


    Duncan pondered for a moment, then seemingly thought of something, and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him as he returned to his own bedroom. There, he saw Ai Yi napping on the windowsill.


    ¡°Spirit Realm wander.¡±


    Among a series of ¡°cooing¡± protests from Ai Yi after being awakened, Duncan entered the dark space filled with endless twinkling stars again. He then calmed himself and¡ªas he had sensed the White Oak and Fenna before¡ªsensed his own ¡°marks¡± among the surrounding stars.


    This was not difficult because the mark was intentionally left by him, far clearer and more stable than the ¡°sparks¡± on Fenna. Almost instantly, Duncan locked onto the starlight belonging to Sherry¡­


    In the darkness, Sherry opened her eyes to find herself sleeping in a bed both familiar and strange.


    ¡°`


    She groped in the darkness and sat up, her mind sluggish for quite some time before she slowly regained clarity. She looked around in confusion, finally distinguishing some outlines of objects from the darkness.


    Memories, familiar yet distant, began to awaken as she could clearly see her surroundings, and Sherry finally opened her eyes wide.


    The next second, she jumped off the bed, emitting a string of curses that were extremely irritant, even trembling, displaying signs of fear and tension through her shaking voice: ¡°Damn, damn, damn¡­ X! FMD, not this again, not this again! My X!¡±


    Her loud swearing shattered the tranquility of the darkness, yet the curses didn¡¯t belong to the Sherry she recognized but to a younger, more juvenile voice that only existed in her memories. She landed on the floor, noticing her arms and legs had returned to their thin, childlike state. She wore a light pink nightgown, identical to one from her memories, complete with a familiar, clumsily stitched little dog on a torn sleeve cuff.


    ¡°No fucking hassle me anymore! No fucking hassle me anymore!¡±


    Sherry shouted in the dark room, rushing toward the closed door, punching and kicking the mottled wooden boards. However, the door remained immovable, as solid as if made from reinforced concrete. She used her head to ram and her teeth to bite at the doorknob: actions purely for venting that proved utterly futile. She could only keep banging herself against it with her petite body as time passed, as the morning light began to seep through a nearby window, as the last voice she wanted to hear at this dawn approached from outside.


    She heard someone getting up in the neighboring room, footsteps, sounds of tidying up.


    She heard one set of footsteps approaching the door, a very gentle, very familiar voice softly inquired, ¡°Sherry, Sherry? Are you up? Are you still angry?¡±


    Sherry suddenly halted her assault on the door, as if drained of all strength, she leaned against the wooden panel, using all her might to stick close to it, not wanting to listen yet greedily catching every noise coming from outside.


    ¡°Sherry, Dad and I are going to buy you a cake, today is your birthday¡­ Let¡¯s not be angry when we return, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Sherry suddenly spoke, initially a faint murmur, but soon the murmuring turned into screams, ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave! Don¡¯t leave!¡±


    She finally began to cry and shout, knowing it was futile, yet screaming aloud: ¡°Don¡¯t leave! Don¡¯t go out! Don¡¯t go out, damn it! Don¡¯t go out!¡±


    However, time moved to the next second, as if etched into her brain, the memories could not be rewound¡ªthe footsteps outside faded.


    The sounds of picking up a bag, the distant and blurred conversation of her parents, the door handle turning, opening the door, closing it, the keys turning once and then half a turn.


    Sherry slowly sat down in the darkness, beginning to count her heartbeats.


    By the one thousand two hundredth heartbeat, cries of alarm from a fire came from afar.


    By the one thousand six hundredth heartbeat, the acrid smell of smoke and suffocating fumes began to seep through the crack under the door.


    ¡°`


    By the one thousand eight hundredth heartbeat, the streets were already filled with frantic shouting, and a blinding red light flooded through the windows as if the entire City-State had been cast into molten magma.


    By the two thousandth heartbeat, a heavy, muffled thump came from the direction of the front door¡ªit had been broken through, as if some gigantic beast were stepping heavily towards the locked room step by step.


    Then, the door of the room finally fell down¡ªthe wooden door, which Sherry could never have opened with all her strength, now shattered like torn paper.


    A terrifying creature appeared there, a massive black demon dog, a nightmare assembled from bones, shadows, smoke, and scorching ashes. To a six-year-old child, this demon from the Abyss seemed almost overwhelmingly large, and now its empty, blood-red eye sockets had already locked onto the ¡°living being¡± in the room.


    Sherry calmly stared at the Abyssal Hound that had appeared before her.


    This was an Abyssal Hound¡ªbut not yet her ¡°A-Dog.¡±


    Not the one with a ¡°heart,¡± not the one that would rummage through the trash for food to feed itself, not the one that tried to tell lame jokes to amuse her but ended up teaching her only a string of swear words.


    The Abyssal Hound stepped into the room.


    The sounds of flesh and bone being chewed filled the air.


    Sherry lay on the floor, feeling her limbs being devoured by the demon dog, the heart-wrenching pain piercing through the veil of her eleven-year-old memory, spreading slowly and numbly in her mind as she continued to count her heartbeats, wondering when A-Dog would truly become her A-Dog, and calculating how much longer she would have to stay here¡ªbased on past experience, was it a week? Or two?


    Her consciousness gradually began to scatter, even in this pitch-black Dreamscape, the distant, dull, and numb pain finally caught up to her, and through her increasingly blurred vision, she suddenly saw a figure appear on a bed not far away, within the deepest shadows of the darkness.


    That figure seemed not to have appeared suddenly; it was as if it had always been there, from the beginning of this dream, from every dream, and even¡ªSherry didn¡¯t know why she would come up with such a startling thought¡ªeven from eleven years ago.


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    There he sat, yet it was only now that she had noticed his presence for the first time, as if the long-standing fog had suddenly parted, allowing her to glimpse the existence behind it.


    A faint, eerie green flame appeared from nowhere, illuminating the face of the figure, somber and majestic¡ªSherry had never seen this face before, but she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.


    ¡°No offense intended.¡±


    The somber and majestic figure spoke.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Chapter 130: Your Notorious Reputation Is Known to All

    Chapter 126: Chapter 130: Your Notorious Reputation Is Known to All


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend.¡±


    Just as the figure started to speak, Sherry suddenly heard a ¡°boom¡± from nowhere¡ªan unreal booming that existed neither in this dreamscape nor in the memory, it exploded directly in her mind, and amidst this booming, the distant sounds of flames burning and crowds crying out in chaos instantly dissipated.


    The entire world suddenly became incredibly silent.


    The next second, Sherry noticed her body had changed¡ªshe had reverted to her seventeen-year-old self, no longer wearing the familiar nightgown from her memory but now dressed in her usual black skirt. Her arm, which had been devoured by the Abyssal Hound, had somehow restored itself¡ªa pitch-black chain extended from her arm, at the end of which A-dog seemed to be sleeping, quietly lying in the corner of the room, the blood-red glint in its eyes flickering dimly.


    Sherry suddenly sat up, startled and tense, looking at the figure sitting on the bed.


    She didn¡¯t know who this figure was, but she knew that a powerful being had penetrated the Profound Curse and invaded her dreamscape.


    Even she, the ¡°master of the dreamscape,¡± couldn¡¯t detect the intruder in advance, which indicated that the invader was a presence too powerful to contend with.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?!¡±


    Duncan slowly stood up, presenting himself as ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± his original posture in this conscious-level world, oppressive in height, making Sherry subconsciously take a half step back.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me in this form before, it¡¯s normal for you to react this way,¡± Duncan said gravely, ¡°I sensed you were having a nightmare and came to see.¡±


    ¡°I sensed¡­ came to see¡­¡± Sherry blinked, slightly confused, before catching on slowly, ¡°Wait, you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s reintroduce myself, I¡¯m Duncan,¡± the gloomy yet authoritative man revealed a slight smile, ¡°Duncan Ebnomal.¡±


    He gave his name because he was not worried about Sherry daring to share this encounter¡ªeven if she were foolhardy enough, that timely wise Abyssal Hound would make her keep this matter buried within herself forever.


    ¡°Duncan¡­ Mr. Duncan? You are Mr. Duncan?!¡± Sherry¡¯s eyes widened in shock, a feeling of palpitations quietly spreading within her, but then she was confused again, ¡°But aren¡¯t you called Duncan Strain? What is Ebnomal?¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    Her reaction momentarily confounded him, making him pause for two seconds before he spoke curiously, ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t heard of this name?¡±


    After a thought, Sherry honestly shook her head: ¡°No.¡±


    Then it dawned on her, her face marked with fear, ¡°Should I¡­ have heard of this name?¡±


    Duncan suddenly realized this girl truly hadn¡¯t heard of the name ¡°Endless Sea Moving Catastrophe.¡± Her reaction was genuine, and regardless of how fierce Captain Duncan¡¯s reputation was, it seemed some people truly had limited knowledge, which indeed was somewhat deflating. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°¡­are you illiterate?¡±


    To his surprise, Sherry actually lowered her head in silence.


    ¡°Forget it, that¡¯s not important,¡± seeing her reaction, Duncan immediately ended the topic, his gaze slowly sweeping across the small room. By this time, the noise and fires in the streets outside had already calmed down, resembling a hastily concluded drama, leaving only dark red chaotic light spreading outside the window. Duncan¡¯s gaze fell on Sherry, his expression serene, ¡°This is what you experienced back then, right?¡±


    Sherry still had her head lowered: ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I did not intend to pry, but I discovered your secret in the process of entering,¡± Duncan expressed sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Sherry was stunned, never having expected that this Evil God-like terrifying being was actually apologizing to her. Her mind¡¯s turmoil swiftly converged into waves of cold sweat, and she hurriedly stepped back two steps, ¡°No¡­ no, it¡¯s okay, how can you apologize to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless, snooping on a lady¡¯s dreamscape is not polite¡ªeven if it¡¯s a ¡®small¡¯ lady like you,¡± Duncan revealed a slight smile, then his gaze fell on the Abyssal Hound, ¡°When will it wake up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sherry appeared somewhat at a loss as she looked at A-dog sleeping, ¡°This nightmare has never changed like this before, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    She had only gotten halfway through her sentence when she heard a faint sound of bone fragments clinking from within Adog¡¯s body. The next second, Adog, who had been in a deep sleep just a moment before, slightly shook its head, the red light in its hollow eye sockets slowly brightening. The next second, the terrifying giant hound suddenly stood up.


    Perhaps the nightmare from the moment before still had some lingering effects, causing Sherry to take a half step back instinctively, but she quickly recovered and stepped up to Adog¡¯s side.


    ¡°Sherry¡­¡± Adog finally began to wake, suddenly noticing the room around it. Its gaze fell on Sherry¡¯s arm in the next second, its tone tinged with a hint of panic, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just a nightmare,¡± Sherry smiled and stepped forward to hug Adog¡¯s huge and hideous skeletal head, ¡°You had a nightmare too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Adog kept repeating in a low voice, while the chain that linked it to Sherry rattled, ¡°Does it hurt? Does it hurt a lot?¡±


    Sherry awkwardly turned her head, ¡°Stop being melodramatic¡­ there are strangers watching us¡­¡±


    ¡°Strangers?¡± Adog paused, finally noticing that there was another person in the room. Then, it clearly recognized Duncan¡¯s appearance, saw his captain¡¯s uniform, and his gloomy and imposing face. More importantly, it could see the cascading green flames floating behind Duncan.


    ¡°Holy crap!¡± Adog suddenly exclaimed, pulling Sherry behind him reflexively the next second, positioning his huge body between Sherry and Duncan. Its bones clattered and shook, but it still tried hard to look in Duncan¡¯s direction, ¡°Is¡­ is that the Ghost Captain!?¡±


    Duncan raised an eyebrow upon seeing the reaction, ¡°Sherry doesn¡¯t recognize me in this form¡ªyou do?¡±


    ¡°Adog?¡± Sherry quickly caught on, ¡°Adog, have you seen him?¡±


    ¡°Seen him? At this time, all the Profound Demons that have seen him are mostly sent to Subspace!¡± The black smoke inside Adog fluctuated, its tone carrying terror, ¡°The moving disaster of the Endless Sea¡­ why is he in your Dreamscape?!¡±


    ¡°Endless Sea moving disaster?¡± Sherry was still confused, ¡°Why have you never mentioned this to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! There¡¯s too much I haven¡¯t told you¡ªthe world is full of disasters, we can¡¯t cover them all, and under normal circumstances, who would think you¡¯d meet a Ghost Captain on land!¡±


    Sherry listened in bewilderment, seeming to want to ask something else, but Duncan suddenly broke the silence¡ªhe quietly gazed at the defensive Abyssal Hound, ¡°I thought only people of the real world were this afraid of me, I didn¡¯t expect to have such a reputation among the Profound Demons too.¡±


    Adog stepped back slightly, maintaining a fully concentrated defensive stance as it spoke, ¡°You underestimate yourself¡ªyour notoriety is known from the Mysterious Deep Sea to the real world, even the heartless Profound Demons know to instinctively avoid your Homeloss¡­ honestly, if the Profound Demons had hearts, even the fear demons of the Gray Ashes would probably tattoo your image on their backs to embolden themselves¡­¡±


    Duncan thought for a moment, suspecting that the other party was actually praising him¡ªin its own supposed way.


    Meanwhile, Sherry overheard Adog¡¯s faint mutterings¡ªthrough the spiritual connection established by the chain, she was the only one who could hear, ¡°Sherry, I¡¯ll try to entangle this shadow while you try hard to wake up. He is likely just a Spiritual Body projection, I can hold him off for a while, and once you break free from this Dreamscape, he won¡¯t be able to follow¡­¡±


    Sherry didn¡¯t catch on immediately¡ªor rather, she and Adog weren¡¯t quite on the same wavelength, ¡°Ah¡­ then what?¡±


    Adog spoke urgently, ¡°Then you hurry to the next room, seek help from that important person¡ªsay you¡¯re entangled by the Homeloss, be earnest, even offer to become his follower for protection if needed. We can¡¯t worry about safety now; being torn apart by the Homeloss and dragged into Subspace is far more dangerous than becoming a follower of a Subspace Evil God¡ªat least the latter still counts as ¡®alive¡¯¡­¡±


    Sherry showed no reaction.


    ¡°Sherry?¡± Adog grew more anxious, ¡°Sherry, don¡¯t space out! Use this disruption in the Dreamscape, figure out how to wake up! Let the big shot handle the big shot; it¡¯s our only¡­¡±


    Adog cut off halfway when Sherry finally responded in their spiritual connection:


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    ¡°Adog¡­ the two big shots you¡¯re talking about seem to be the same person¡­¡±


    Adog: ¡°¡­?¡±


    The conversation in the spiritual connection took only an instant.


    The Abyssal Hound somewhat dazedly lifted its head.


    In its view, the Ghost Captain, holding the fire of Spiritual Bodies, simply quietly watched this side, revealing a smile as cold and dark as Subspace.

 Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Chapter 131: Breaking Free from the Dreamscape

    Chapter 127: Chapter 131: Breaking Free from the Dreamscape


    Duncan looked at the nervous A-Dog and revealed the most affable smile he could muster¡ªhe felt there might have been some misunderstanding between them, and it was best to clear it up sooner rather than later.


    But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a flash of blood in A-Dog¡¯s eyes¡ªeven though it was hard to read any emotional change from a bony skull, he felt a moment of intense turmoil in the Abyssal Hound.


    The next second, he heard A-Dog¡¯s faltering voice: ¡°Are¡­ Are you the ¡®Mr. Duncan¡¯ we have been dealing with these past few days?¡±


    Duncan was startled, and then glanced at Sherry beside him.


    He hadn¡¯t seen any interaction between A-Dog and Sherry, but evidently, these two beings, chained together, had a convenient means of sharing information.


    ¡°It is I,¡± Duncan said with a slight smile, his tone gentle, ¡°Is there anything else I need to explain? Or is there something you would like to know?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± A-Dog almost yelled out, his entire body retreating, ¡°We do not need to know any ¡®knowledge¡¯ or ¡®truth¡¯. We have no intention of prying into your mysteries!¡±


    ¡°I still feel like there might be some misunderstanding between us, but it seems more and more unclear,¡± Duncan sighed, shaking his head somewhat helplessly, ¡°Let¡¯s leave it to time to slowly help us build trust. As for now, I have some things I¡¯d like to understand.¡±


    A-Dog hung his head: ¡°Please¡­ Speak.¡±


    Duncan furrowed his brow; he was actually quite curious why he, a notorious ghost ship captain in the real world, also had such a significant impact among the Profound Demons, since the Mysterious Deep Sea was a ¡°place¡± especially close to the Subspace. The demons dwelling in the depths of the sea should have been closer to those ¡°basic shadows¡± compared to the mortals of the real world, and accordingly, they should not be so fearful and repulsive towards the Homeloss returning from the Subspace.


    However, it seemed that these beings, considered ¡°dangerous existences¡± to humans, were just as afraid of the Homeloss, which puzzled him.


    But before figuring out this problem, he was primarily concerned with the present ¡°nightmare¡±¡ªthis one from the depths of Sherry¡¯s memory, likely revisiting the truth of eleven years ago.


    ¡°I want to know about this Dreamscape,¡± he spoke while his gaze shifted to Sherry, ¡°I know this is a painful memory for you, and you can refuse if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t want to talk about,¡± Sherry responded, merely shaking her head lightly, ¡°I should thank you, really. You interrupted this nightmare, letting me suffer less¡­ As you¡¯ve seen, that was what I went through back then.¡±


    ¡°Great fire¡­¡± Duncan nodded lightly, then looked back at A-Dog, ¡°What I saw, was it how you first ¡®met¡¯ Sherry?¡±


    A-Dog turned his face away: ¡°I was just a Profound Demon back then.¡±


    ¡°How did you suddenly get a ¡®heart¡¯?¡± Duncan asked curiously, ¡°From what I just saw, you had almost killed Sherry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± A-Dog fell silent for a few seconds, his ugly head shaking slightly, ¡°When I first gained self-consciousness, the scene I saw was Sherry barely breathing on the ground.¡±


    Duncan looked deep into the Abyssal Hound¡¯s eyes, then his gaze followed the chain on its neck and saw Sherry¡¯s black, contorted body that was fused and symbiotic with the chain.


    ¡°Did you then¡­ merge together?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Sherry said softly, her head bowed, hiding her eyes and expression in the shadow of her hair, ¡°I don¡¯t really remember clearly, I was only six then, and for a long time afterward, things were quite muddled¡­ If you¡¯re really curious about how I slowly developed this relationship with a Profound Demon who almost killed me, maybe you could bring a psychiatrist over to hypnotize me, perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Sherry¡¯s words were suddenly interrupted, and then she was startled to feel a large, warm hand resting on the top of her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not trying to rip open your wounds, I just want to know the details of what happened eleven years ago,¡± Duncan gently touched the girl¡¯s hair, understanding that his questions were not very pleasant for Sherry, who had just escaped from a nightmare. ¡°You should know that the incident eleven years ago wasn¡¯t just about the appearance of the Sun Shard, there were countless heretics active, and the Abyssal Hound¡­ theoretically, it should have been a summoned creature of the Obliteration Sect.¡±


    Sherry lifted her head in a daze as she heard Duncan continue, ¡°A demon-like creature from the Mysterious Deep Sea suddenly acquiring human characteristics is itself a ¡®mutation¡¯. Have you ever considered that this mutation might also have been influenced by some catalyst back then?¡±


    Sherry blinked and said somewhat slowly, ¡°The Sun Shard?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ no one knows exactly what form the Sun Shard takes, or what its power is, merely in the doctrines preached by the Sun Cultists, the ¡®True Sun God¡¯ does not have the authority to ¡®bestow humanity¡¯ or anything similar,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°so whatever gave Argo humanity might have been something other than the Sun Shard¡­ something else.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that there might have been more than just the Sun Shard in Plunder City-State eleven years ago?!¡± Sherry finally snapped to attention, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Just a suspicion,¡± Duncan gently patted Sherry¡¯s shoulder before withdrawing his hand, ¡°because I¡¯ve always felt there¡¯s a significant inconsistency: the Sun Shard is a ¡®Sacred Relic¡¯ directed towards Sun Cultists, and according to those heretics, its power is quite simple, only really pertaining to the ¡®True Sun God¡¯ in mysticism. Yet, in the chaos eleven years ago, the heretics captured included members of the Obliteration Sect and Doomsday Preachers, who certainly have nothing to do with the ¡®True Sun God¡¯¡­ what were they doing there?


    ¡°Of course, it could be explained that the power of the Sun Shard is so great that even those who don¡¯t believe in the Sun God were affected, causing them to go mad on the same day, but that doesn¡¯t explain why an inherently frenzied demon like Argo suddenly gained reason¡ªwhat¡¯s that about?


    ¡°There are even more suspicious aspects if we delve further, including but not limited to the canopy over the ¡®fire¡¯, the lingering memories in your mind and Nina¡¯s, the bizarre phenomena in the sixth district¡­ all these inconsistencies have been attributed to the Sun Shard, but now that I think about it carefully, is it really all the power of the ¡®Sun Domain¡¯? The so-called True Sun God would be incredibly omnipotent then.¡±


    Duncan voiced his doubts, some of which had arisen even before today, but had grown firmer after seeing Argo¡¯s mutation from eleven years earlier.


    Perhaps the fire eleven years ago was indeed triggered by the Sun Shard, but there was definitely something else at play in the whole event!


    Sherry was still a bit dazed. She wasn¡¯t very good at dealing with these complex issues, and while zoned out, she heard Argo¡¯s voice hastening in her mind: ¡°Sherry, are you alright? Did him touching your head just now release a curse? Are you still lucid? You¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sherry replied somewhat amusedly in her mind, ¡°Argo, you worry too much.¡±


    ¡°No kidding, shouldn¡¯t I be worried! You¡¯ve just had direct contact with a pollutant powerful enough to drive a normal person insane instantly!¡± Argo¡¯s voice was frantic, ¡°What do you feel?¡±


    Sherry thought for a moment, unsurely touching the top of her head.


    The last time someone had stroked her hair like that, comforting her softly like a child, had been many years ago.


    ¡°¡­Warm and cozy.¡±


    She said absentmindedly in a light voice.


    Argo was immediately alarmed: ¡°Sherry, did your mind really get messed up?¡±


    ¡°¡­Shut up!¡±


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    But Duncan didn¡¯t know what Argo and Sherry had exchanged in that brief moment, he just looked thoughtfully at the window suffused with a dim red light and suddenly asked, ¡°What¡¯s outside?¡±


    Sherry blinked, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Duncan raised his hand, pointing towards the window: ¡°Outside the room, what¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Sherry blinked, suddenly realizing that in this recurring nightmare that constantly troubled her, a choice that shouldn¡¯t have been possible had suddenly appeared, ¡°I never considered this question. Every time I dream, I am trapped in this room¡­¡±


    ¡°But now you¡¯ve broken free,¡± Duncan walked to the door of the cabin, turned back, and said softly, his words like a lure in the darkness, presenting an unprecedented choice to Sherry and Argo, ¡°Why not try, while lucid¡­ to see what the edge of your own dreamscape looks like?¡±

 Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Chapter 132: Edge of the Dreamscape

    Chapter 128: Chapter 132: Edge of the Dreamscape


    ¡°Would you like to take a look at the edge of your own Dreamscape while awake? What does it look like?¡±


    Duncan said with a smile, but his words sounded to Sherry like a low, tempting call that seemed to emanate from the dark depths of the sea. A shudder rose within her heart, and she instinctively resisted the suggestion, yet an irrepressible urge surged within her¡ª


    In this nightmare that had tormented her for eleven years, outside this locked cabin, on that street she had never laid eyes on eleven years ago¡­ what could possibly be there?


    She subconsciously took a slight breath and turned her head towards the small window nearby.


    A withered, blood-like crimson hue filled the little window, obscuring any view of the street outside¡ªin that dawn illuminated by a great fire eleven years ago, she never managed to glance outside. Thus, in this Dreamscape, the scenes beyond the window remained shrouded in chaotic light, indistinct and vague, even the living room outside this room. Looking through the doorway, all she could see was a dim, hazy darkness.


    The Dreamscape reflected her own memories and cognition. Eleven years ago, she couldn¡¯t escape this cabin. Today, eleven years later, was it really possible for her to walk out of this room?


    ¡°Can a person really walk around in their own Dreamscape¡­¡± Sherry murmured uncontrollably, ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s outside¡­ Could it be just emptiness out there?¡±


    ¡°A Dreamscape is the projection of a person¡¯s subconscious, and the subconscious tends to remember some ¡®details¡¯ that even the person is unaware of,¡± Duncan¡¯s voice came from the direction of the doorway, ¡°Perhaps you were trapped in this room eleven years ago, but the light and shadows from outside the window, the sounds, and the things you remembered through ¡®Intuition,¡¯ all fill in your Dreamscape. Among these details, we might glimpse some clues.


    ¡°Of course, the decision is yours. If you refuse, I won¡¯t continue to probe into your Dreamscape¡ªI¡¯ll stay here, and rest assured, as long as I¡¯m here, this nightmare will not continue. Sleep peacefully, and tomorrow there will still be a bright morning.¡±


    Sherry bit her lip lightly, then, as if summoning great strength, made up her mind, ¡°I¡­ want to go out and see.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Duncan nodded, stepping aside to clear the doorway, ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡±


    A Subspace Shadow, a roaming disaster, had proactively offered to walk with her¡ªan invitation that should have been terrifying. Yet, for some reason, Sherry felt a sudden release of tension this time.


    It was as if a warm light had suddenly appeared in this endless, dark nightmare, allowing her to relax a little.


    She felt she must be going mad, slowly losing her mind in the company of the Evil God.


    Duncan followed behind Sherry, and they both stepped through the wooden door of that small room, entering Sherry¡¯s living room from her childhood memories.


    The Abyssal Hound was also beside them, looking very tense, carefully watching the surroundings and occasionally cocking its ears to listen, attentive to any unusual sounds from the street.


    Surprised, Sherry asked, ¡°What are you doing, Abyssal Hound?¡±


    ¡°Scouting,¡± replied Abyssal Hound in a grave tone, ¡°We¡¯re moving into unknown territory within the Dreamscape¡­ ahead lies regions that don¡¯t exist in your memory. Theoretically, the further we go, the more likely we are to encounter manifestations of your subconscious imagination and intense emotions. And in a state dominated by fear, these imaginations and emotions tend to create some¡­ less than friendly entities.¡±


    Sherry was amazed, ¡°You know about this too, Abyssal Hound?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Abyssal Hound shook its head, ¡°I am, after all, a bona fide Profound Demon¡­¡±


    Duncan, however, wasn¡¯t paying attention to the conversation between Sherry and Abyssal Hound. He was busy observing the living room for any clues.


    A hazy, chaotic darkness enveloped the rather shabby hall as if an unyielding mist pervaded the space. He saw wooden shelves placed against the wall, tables and chairs on one side of the living room, and an old wall clock, its hands blurred and twisted like flickering smoke, spinning senselessly round and round.


    In the center of the living room floor, deep scratch marks were visible.


    They were the traces left by Abyssal Hound when it had burst in years ago.


    Beyond that, there was no blood, no bodies, nor any signs of fire damage¡ªthe ¡°fire¡± seemed constrained to the street outside, or perhaps it never spread to the interior of the room in Sherry¡¯s subconscious.


    They passed through the living room and approached the main door.


    This door was broken with a large hole, only the frame and some fragmented woodwork still clinging to it, clearly also the work of the Abyssal Hound.


    Beyond that lay the street devoured by fire.


    Sherry suddenly halted.


    Having come this far, she realized all at once what it was she truly feared and resisted.


    ¡°Sherry?¡± Abyssal Hound noticed Sherry¡¯s hesitation and curiously lifted its head for a look.


    Clamping her lips tight as if she hadn¡¯t heard Abyssal Hound¡¯s words, Sherry stared at the street beyond the door, at that mist pervaded by distorted red light, feeling every cell in her body, every nerve tensing, shrinking back in fear.


    It was as if she saw her parents who had never returned after leaving the house, lying right outside the front door. She didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what the scene would look like, didn¡¯t dare to think what might happen the moment she stepped out.


    Then, she heard the sound of chains lightly clinking.


    Abyssal Hound stepped forward, poked its head out toward the direction of the street, then retracted it.


    ¡°Sherry, it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing scary outside, and if there is¡­ you can¡¯t really tell anymore.¡±


    Sherry looked at the Abyssal Hound¡¯s hollow eye sockets with some surprise, and she pursed her lips, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then she took a step out, stepping out of the door of her home from eleven years ago.


    A thin fog filled the street, and within the thin, dark red mist, the outlines of houses and streetlights could be faintly seen, along with the twisted and undulating road surface.


    In the distance, the buildings trembled unnaturally within the mist, their structures burned down to frames by the great fire, presenting shades of pitch black or dark red. Their edges quivered like formless flames, and from time to time, there were crackling and popping noises coming from nowhere, as if the fire was still spreading in unseen places.


    Tiny sparks, dust, and ashes floated in the air, mixed with a pungent smell.


    Duncan frowned slightly.


    The fire on the street had already gone out, leaving only the traces of burning, with ashes everywhere and those suspicious molten piles in the corners of the street, proving the fire¡¯s real existence.


    But he didn¡¯t see any clues that might be related to the Sun Shard.


    But on second thought, this seemed normal¡ªafter all, this was just Sherry¡¯s Dreamscape, a stage woven by her memory, perception, and imagination, not truly bringing everything back to eleven years ago.


    With that thought, he followed Sherry at a slow pace down the street that had been scorched by the great fire.


    Suddenly, his steps came to a halt.


    Sherry turned back in surprise, ¡°Mr. Duncan?¡±


    Duncan furrowed his brows and waved his hand, listening intently to the sounds around him.


    Just now, he had thought he heard a faint voice whispering something by his ear.


    He listened carefully for a while, then suddenly walked over to a pile of ashes by the roadside.


    It was a pile of twisted black ashes with some charred fragments that seemed not fully burned, even with sparks still silently burning next to the ashes. If one looked closely, they could barely make out the outline of a curled-up¡­ ¡°person.¡±


    Duncan stared at the ashes for a long time, then slowly bent down, listening closely¡ª


    ¡°¡­I¡­ don¡¯t want to¡­ die¡­¡±


    The heap of ashes murmured softly.


    Duncan¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    And Sherry, who was following closely behind him, also heard the whisper, her reaction being more straightforward:


    ¡°What the fuck is this?!¡±


    Duncan turned back slightly, and Sherry hurriedly adjusted her terms, ¡°Uh, I mean, this is so scary¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I actually prefer the candid you,¡± Duncan¡¯s mouth twitched. He had been startled by the murmur from the ashes himself but was completely overshadowed by Sherry¡¯s outcry. Then his gaze fell on more piles of ashes on the street.


    Quiet, continuous, overlapping voices murmuring accompanied the floating ashes and sparks on the street, entering the ears of both him and Sherry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± ¡°Help¡­¡± ¡°¡­to go home¡­¡± ¡°Who will help me¡­¡±


    A chilling sensation spread through the bottom of their hearts, and Sherry instinctively moved closer to the Hound, feeling her muscles tense up.


    She dared to swing an Abyssal Hound at the Heretics, yet lacked the resistance to this pure eccentric evil.


    Moreover, this was her own nightmare¡ªthe hardest thing to fight against is always the terror within one¡¯s own heart.


    But at that moment, she suddenly became puzzled:


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    Is this really my nightmare?


    Is this purely a Dreamscape? On the ¡°edge of a Dreamscape¡± that was far removed from her memory and cognition, why were there these ¡°cries for help¡± that she should never have encountered or imagined?


    Sherry looked at Duncan subconsciously but saw that he was also turning his gaze toward her, his deep eyes filled with scrutiny and thought.


    ¡°This might not be simply a Dreamscape,¡±


    Duncan said in a grave voice.

 Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chapter 133: The Strange Shadow

    Chapter 129: Chapter 133: The Strange Shadow


    To be fair, Duncan was not an expert in the Transcendent realm, nor was he knowledgeable about the disciplines related to the Dreamscape and the spiritual domain. Nevertheless, he faintly discerned that the scenery displayed on this street should be more than just what Sherry ¡°saw in her dream.¡±


    Because the whispering ashes for help gave him a peculiar d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡ª


    He thought of that factory, thought of the people burned to ashes in the fire, hidden behind the curtain.


    Of course, the ashes in the factory did not call for help¡ªthe ashes gave him a more direct and intense signal: they let him directly see the ¡°echo¡± of the fire that occurred eleven years ago.


    Subconsciously, Duncan believed there was some connection between the ashes on the street in Sherry¡¯s dream and those in the factory.


    He raised his head and surveyed the surroundings. In the trembling dim red light, the entire street depicted the aftermath of a great fire, with incessant falling sparks and dust, innumerable piles of ashes, and suspicious dark shadows imprinted on the nearby walls.


    ¡°You were only six years old then, and even if you observed a lot subconsciously, it shouldn¡¯t be enough to sustain such a massive dreamscape¡ªlet alone create these calling remnants and such a vast illusion in the distance.¡±


    Duncan softly spoke, and his voice made Sherry, who was somewhat anxiously uneasy, suddenly feel a bit more grounded.


    Sherry raised her head and looked at Duncan standing beside her¡ªMr. Duncan now didn¡¯t resemble his everyday appearance. Here, he presented himself as a gloomy and authoritative captain, honestly quite terrifying. Even without an Abyssal Hound¡¯s ¡°True Sight,¡± she could feel a profound pressure emanating from him.


    But in this increasingly unfamiliar nightmare, such a powerful presence still provided her with some reassurance: at least for now, this entity stood on her side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move forward and see how far the dreamscape can extend.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside her, and Sherry blinked, then quickly grasped the Abyssal Hound¡¯s leash to follow him.


    Surrounded by the continuous faint whispers for help from countless ash piles, the two of them and the dog traversed the street covered with remnants and sparks, gradually heading towards the twisted, wavering shadows of the building cluster.


    They walked on the street for an indeterminable duration, with Duncan seriously observing the changes in the nearby scenery along the way; what struck him as odd was that the landscape on the street remained the same as always.


    There were no additional distorted illusions, nor did it become more blurred, bizarre, or show any ¡°dangerous dream constructs¡± like the Abyssal Hound had described.


    Duncan suddenly stopped, his brow slightly furrowed.


    ¡°Mr. Duncan?¡± Sherry looked at him curiously, ¡°Did you discover something else?¡±


    ¡°¡­How far have we departed from the ¡®origin¡¯? Duncan raised his head and looked back in the direction from which he and Sherry had come; the house where they started had already vanished into the hazy red mist.


    ¡°¡®The origin¡¯?¡± Sherry paused, ¡°Oh, you mean the room where my dream started? It should be¡­ quite far by now, I think we¡¯ve walked at least half a city block.¡±


    ¡°Sherry, something isn¡¯t right,¡± the Abyssal Hound also suddenly realized something and anxiously regarded the surrounding mist, its voice grave, ¡°Let¡¯s stop for a moment.¡±


    Sherry still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation, her expression puzzled: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Dreamscapes are centered around the subconscious perception of the Dreamer as the ¡®core¡¯, and your cognitive foundation in this dreamscape is that room, along with all your memories and emotions contained within,¡± the Abyssal Hound rapidly explained, ¡°Areas outside the room are ¡®imaginary supplements¡¯ of the dreamscape; theoretically, the farther away you move from that room, the more these imaginarily supplemented scenes should deviate from logic and common sense, and the edges of the dreamscape should become more absurd, dangerous, and might even feature precipitous cliffs that appear out of nowhere, but we have walked so far¡­ and this dreamscape still continues!¡±


    Duncan listened and gently nodded his head¡ªhe did not have as precise and complete a theoretical understanding as the Abyssal Hound, but his guess was much the same.


    Sherry finally caught on, her breath lightly taken: ¡°So¡­ I should have already walked out of my own realm of dreamscape. Theoretically, this place should either be distorted beyond recognition or should be nothingness¡­ So where are we exactly now? Is this still my dream?!¡±


    No one could answer Sherry¡¯s question, Duncan could only look around with a thoughtful expression.


    Everywhere he looked were streets blackened by fire, the city area after the disaster like an ugly scar, deeply cleaved into the City-State, and this mark of fire extended endlessly into the distance, its reach unknown through how many city blocks.


    He looked in another direction and saw some towering buildings nearby. One of the factory¡¯s distillation towers pierced the sky straight through the smoke and haze, its surface tangled in pipes and its skeleton rugged, resembling a bizarre mountain peak.


    Duncan couldn¡¯t help but stare at the tall distillation tower, thinking that if he stood atop it, he might be able to overlook the entire burning city.


    Suddenly, his gaze froze.


    The scene Nina had once described to him emerged in his mind:


    From a great height, he looked down upon a city scorched by fire, its streets like a scar running through the entire City-State¡­


    This was the scene Nina had seen in her dream¡ªonly from a different perspective!


    An astonishing speculation sprang into Duncan¡¯s mind. He turned to Sherry, ¡°We¡­ might have entered another Dreamscape.¡±


    ¡°Another Dreamscape?¡± Sherry was startled, ¡°Whose dream?¡±


    ¡°Nina¡¯s¡ªfollow me.¡± Duncan said briefly, then promptly started walking toward the direction of the distillation tower.


    He didn¡¯t summon Ai Yi in the Dreamscape for transport because firstly, he didn¡¯t know if the pigeon could enter this dream via the Spirit Realm like him. Secondly, he still needed Ai Yi outside to ¡°stand guard¡± and monitor if any other Transcendent forces interfered with their action.


    Luckily, the distillation tower wasn¡¯t far from this street block; it was just a factory next door, connected by a straight alley between two blocks.


    Sherry followed, utterly confused as to why Mr. Duncan insisted they had entered Nina¡¯s dream. Meanwhile, Duncan walked briskly, occasionally looking up at the towering structure.


    He was trying to spot Nina.


    If this was indeed Nina¡¯s dream, her figure should be standing atop the distillation tower¡ªit was the highest building in sight and perfectly fit the position to oversee the entire fiery scene.


    However, as the two of them and the Abyssal Hound neared the factory, Duncan had not seen any figure on the distillation tower.


    He was slightly puzzled, yet before he could think further, a strange sensation of being watched suddenly came from not far away, making him abruptly stop.


    Duncan looked toward the direction where he felt the presence, and in his line of sight, a figure dressed in a bizarre black long coat, tall and thin, holding a large black umbrella, had somehow appeared at the corner of the alley!


    In this Dreamworld littered with traces of fire, the emergence of such a strange umbrella-carrying figure was utterly bizarre. And this time, not only did Duncan see that figure, but Sherry next to him also stopped abruptly.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone over there!¡± Sherry exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Did you also see it?¡± Duncan asked subconsciously, and as his words fell, a muffled, eerie muttering suddenly emerged from the direction of that figure.


    It was not any language known to Duncan, and the overly complicated, twisting tremolo and multiple echoes made him question if it was a language at all, but he nevertheless detected a hint of astonishment in that voice¡ª


    The umbrella-carrying ¡°strange person¡± seemed utterly surprised, as if he had never expected to encounter some wandering ¡°uninvited guests¡± here.


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    And right when the muttering fell, the eerie figure with the umbrella suddenly moved!


    Duncan could not see clearly what the other did, but his sharp peripheral vision keenly noticed several shadow-like figures suddenly darting out from the hem of the long coat. They were purely ¡°shadows,¡± rapidly surging toward him along the nearby walls and streets. Meanwhile, the distant figure with the umbrella vanished into thin air, and the next second, his body, using one of the swiftly approaching shadows, reappeared, teleporting directly in front of Sherry!


    But by then, Sherry had already reacted, and in sync with the Abyssal Hound, she too had a reaction speed just as fast. Before the figure had fully materialized and could make a move, she had already suddenly raised her right hand¡ª


    ¡°Either way, throwing a punch can¡¯t be wrong!¡±


    The girl yelled loudly, with an unusual excitement; the black chain in her hand creaked and twirled as she swung the hound round and smashed it toward the figure!

 Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Chapter 134: Feast in the Fire

    Chapter 130: Chapter 134: Feast in the Fire


    Sherry¡¯s fighting style was as it had always been.


    Simple, brutal, effective, with a sense of freewheeling boldness¡ªthe iron chains whistled through the air, proclaiming equality among all beings.


    The shadowy figure that had leaped through the shadows seemed not to have anticipated that the girl accompanied by Profound Demons¡ªa ¡°Summoner¡±¡ªwas essentially a close combatant. According to normal logic, closing the distance at first sight of a spellcasting profession and initiating a melee would definitely be the right choice. But when the distance was closed, and it was suddenly discovered that the caster had whipped out a meteor hammer, the situation became a different matter entirely. Thus, the scene Duncan had seen before replayed:


    The iron chains creaked, Sherry smashed down, and the shadowy figure was solidly hit on the spot, emitting a thunderous ¡°bang¡± and almost whistling as it was sent flying backward!


    With a ¡°boom,¡± the figure was directly smashed into a nearby building, still ablaze with lingering fires, kicking up a cloud of smoke and sparks, followed by silence.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± The smoothness of the fight was unexpected; even Sherry herself hadn¡¯t had time to react. She held her chain in one hand while warily surveying the distance, ¡°Why do I feel the impact¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, a cry of alarm suddenly rang out from the other end of the iron chains: ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Sherry¡¯s muscles instantly tensed, and the next second, she finally noticed that the shadow at her feet had somehow become a bit darker than before. Then, a vague ¡°whip¡± that couldn¡¯t be clearly seen sprang out from the shadow!


    The black whip, carrying a vicious air-splitting sound, headed straight for Sherry¡¯s neck. In the nick of time, she sharply dodged backward but was still struck on the arm, blood spraying everywhere.


    Sherry clicked her tongue, seemingly indifferent to the pain; she quickly retreated, and that¡¯s when she noticed that part of her shadow had stayed in place, and the strange, tall, thin man holding an umbrella rapidly emerged from that shadow. She had now seen clearly what had struck her¡ª¡±whip¡± was actually a ¡°limb¡± extending from beneath the man¡¯s clothes!


    The shadow seemed to swirl with thick smoke, containing undulating, deforming flesh that seemed to be constantly rotting and regenerating, a grotesque sight that was nauseating and chilling to behold.


    Sherry only glanced at the tentacle-like limb, feeling a wave of nausea well up inside her, and in the next instant, she heard the strange umbrella-holding man utter a low, muffled murmur. The weird ¡°limb¡± extending from his garment¡¯s hem transformed into a whip once more, sweeping towards her face.


    She instinctively lifted the chains, ready to swing her dog again, but just at that moment, a ghostly green glow suddenly appeared at the edge of her vision.


    With the emergence of this eerie green glow, she noticed that the tall figure across from her suddenly froze, as if some innate fear had abruptly halted his movement. In an instant, the figure swiftly moved backward, and a thick black smoke churned beneath the large black umbrella, with low, indistinct roars coming from within. Meanwhile, the green flames almost grazed the edge of the smoke, casting a ghastly color over the smoke under the light of the Spiritual Fire.


    Sherry instinctively glanced in Duncan¡¯s direction, and she saw him standing quietly in place while phantom flames spread from him in all directions. Wherever the flames reached, from the buildings nearby to the fire sparks floating in the air, even the silhouettes of distant buildings, everything began to take on a shade of ghostly green!


    It was as if some spreading plague was infecting everything touched by those bizarre flames!


    Was this the power of this great being? Or was it merely the tip of an iceberg of his strength?!


    A surge of surprise and suspicion arose in Sherry¡¯s mind, but she had no time to ponder. The rapidly retreating Assailant was clearly suppressed and intimidated by the Spiritual Fire in the surrounding environment. Following the principle that one shouldn¡¯t hold back in a fight, Sherry took advantage of the opponent¡¯s weakness to swing her chain again, putting all her strength into smashing her dog on the Assailant!


    The feedback, weirder than before, traveled up through the dog¡¯s senses. Sherry felt as though she had smashed into a pile of rotting flesh. She saw the figure with the black umbrella shatter directly under the impact, accompanied by a nauseating tearing sound, the black ¡°coat¡± burst apart, and several shapeless chunks of flesh wrapped in thick smoke fell from the clothing. They started to scurry around like they had wills of their own, all the while continuing to split into smaller fragments as they ran.


    Countless overlapping, piercing cries came from within each piece!


    It was an absolutely terrifying and bizarre scene¡ªtwisted, black, alien limbs split apart, moving, dividing, and scurrying across the street still covered in embers, with sharp cries that seemed capable of piercing the sanity of mortals, echoing incessantly, growing more numerous and stranger as the pieces kept splitting until it seemed that the entire world was filled with their ear-piercing, mournful screams!


    For the first time since the fight had begun, Sherry felt truly horrified. She gripped the chains in her hands, uncertain how to counter these continuously splitting, squirming pieces with her usual ¡°tactics.¡± But soon she noticed that these fragmented pieces had no intention to keep fighting¡ªthey were, in fact, unanimously fleeing.


    Escape from the still-spreading green flames.


    Now they had splitted into hundreds of pieces, moving like a swarm of black insects through the street, frantically escaping through the gaps in the green flames, toward the far end of the street. Among them, pieces were continuously captured by the nearby Spiritual Fire¡ªa mere careless brush or just a spark touching them would immediately allow the flames to spread over, burning through them in an instant!


    But the burning was not the end, it was merely a beginning¡ªthe fragments engulfed by the Spiritual Fire did not die, but suddenly turned around and began to hunt, attack, and devour those chunks of flesh that had not yet escaped from the blaze and had not been touched by the green flames.


    Everything happened so quickly that within half a minute, half of the fleeing, bloodied fragments in the streets had been consumed by the Spiritual Fire¡¯s corrosion. Those that were corroded by the green flame preyed on their ¡°brethren¡± just a second before, while a faint green wall of fire closed in at the end of the street, completely blocking all escape routes.


    The flaming scene had become a hunting ground, where thousands of fragments from the same black-clad Assailants turned into a fray of battling swarms. The ongoing screams finally subsided, but they were replaced by an even more spine-chilling sound¡ª


    That was the sound of chewing that filled the entire street.


    The Assailants attempted to disassemble and flee, now they had become a feast for themselves.


    Sherry felt goosebumps rise all over her body, and she could feel the trembling of Ah Dog beside her. She quivered slightly on these ash-strewn streets, but the next second, she felt a warm hand rest upon her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Duncan soothed Sherry in a soft voice, ¡°Insects fear fire the most.¡±


    Sherry¡¯s shoulder twitched, and a bizarre mix of emotions surged within her. The comfort of being safeguarded and soothed by a mighty presence combined with the chilling sensation of being watched by an indescribable entity. She mustered her courage to glance at Duncan beside her, only to see his brow deeply furrowed.


    ¡°To be honest, it is a bit disgusting,¡± Duncan said to Sherry as he looked at the feasting ¡°swarm,¡± his remark resonating with sincerity.


    Who would believe that!


    ¡°Indeed¡­ indeed¡­¡± Sherry meekly agreed, accepting whatever the boss said, ¡°It is a bit revolting¡­¡±


    ¡°Luckily it¡¯s almost over,¡± Duncan said with a slightly relaxed tone.


    It was almost over.


    The sounds of flames spreading and feasting on the street began to dwindle, and both the predators and prey were finally exhausting their life force, turning into heaps of ash that scattered in the wind. The strange Assailants thus turned to nothingness, and the spreading Spiritual Fire also began to gradually retract and fade away.


    It was only then that Sherry finally swallowed, looking at those tiny drifting heaps of ashes, and asked with some courage, ¡°Is it¡­ all over?¡±


    Duncan shook his head, ¡°¡­not necessarily.¡±


    Sherry looked at Duncan with surprise and confusion, only to see him walking forward. The last fragment of the Assailants emerged from a nearby heap of ashes, that shapeless, abhorrent flesh shuddered and wobbled as if attempting to flee but stopped after moving just a few steps.


    Duncan stopped in front of that fragment, crouched down, his fingertips alight with a hint of green fire.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many thrilling and bizarre tales, and these stories taught me one lesson,¡± Duncan began to explain to Sherry, ¡°If you suddenly discover that your enemy has the ability to split, then you better assume the first one you encounter is just a fragment¡ªalways assume there¡¯s an original hidden behind the fragments, kept as a device for lazy authors to write sequels.¡±


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    With a light tap of his finger, he ignited the green flame on the surface of the last fragment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of sequels, even less so of an inexplicable original lurking behind the scenes, waiting to jump out and strike when the heroes let their guard down.¡±


    The green flame blazed fiercely as the filthy fragment suddenly trembled. Following that, it sprouted many insect-like appendages from its base, which propped it up as it shakily stood.


    Duncan slowly stood up, quietly observing the last remaining fragment of the Assailants.


    ¡°Go home, and take my gift with you.¡±

 Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Chapter 135: The End of the Dreamscape

    Chapter 131: Chapter 135: The End of the Dreamscape


    The spiritual fire gathered and submerged into the flesh fragments.


    The fire-contaminated remnants shakily rose, then sped up and swiftly disappeared at the end of the street.


    This mass of flesh, no longer capable of thought, embarked on a journey home¡ªbut whether it could truly return to a ¡°source¡± entity, or if it would dissipate along the way or be intercepted and purified by something was uncertain even to Duncan.


    He merely avoided all potential dangers within his capabilities.


    After Sherry began fighting that bizarre shadow, Duncan quickly analyzed the origins of the ¡°Assailant¡± appearing in the nightmare, hypothesized about its abilities, and after seeing its reaction to the spiritual fire, he further confirmed that this seemingly random Assailant was likely a splintered ¡°Pathfinder.¡±


    Faced with the spiritual fire, the Assailant showed no will to fight; its first reaction was to tear itself apart and break out in all directions, which could perhaps be interpreted as a panic-stricken escape, but more so as a ¡°Pathfinder¡± attempting to send away information¡ªif this massive dreamscape was indeed woven by some hidden mastermind, then the emergence of Duncan as an ¡°Intruder¡± was undoubtedly significant intelligence.


    Duncan thoughtfully watched the direction in which the chunks vanished. After moving a certain distance, they disappeared into a cloud of rising dust, which further confirmed his suspicion:


    The sudden appearance of the Assailant meant it was more familiar with this dreamscape than Duncan and Sherry were, knowing more convenient ways to move and some invisible ¡°pathways¡±; hence, the umbrella-wielding figure had been able to appear nearby without him noticing.


    In comparison, he, Sherry, and A-Dog, as newcomers to this exploration mission in the dreamscape, seemed like headless flies, making it tricky to locate those hidden figures.


    But it didn¡¯t matter¡ªthe seeds of fire had been spread, and a faint connection still lingered dimly within his perception; Duncan believed that the flames he had dispersed would yield some results. As soon as that bit of spiritual fire started to spread, a clearer perception would be formed, and he would eventually find some hidden figures in the spreading fire¡ªthen Nina and Sherry wouldn¡¯t have nightmares anymore.


    ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± Sherry, somewhat frightened, looked at Duncan, who had suddenly fallen silent, and hesitated for a long time before plucking up her courage to speak, ¡°Do you know what that thing just now¡­ was?¡±


    She was referring to the Assailant with the black umbrella.


    ¡°¡­Hard to say,¡± Duncan pondered for a moment, then shook his head, but then he looked thoughtfully at the street that had been scorched and said, ¡°But do you remember the figure I mentioned on the way back from the museum, standing at the edge of the square?¡±


    ¡°The one only you could see?¡± Sherry immediately recalled, ¡°Ah, the one that attacked us just now was that figure you saw¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure it¡¯s the same one,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°But it¡¯s definitely the same ¡®kind¡¯, and I suspect it¡¯s related to those Heretics who worship the Sun God¡ªboth times it appeared in scenes related to ¡®fire¡¯, which is very suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Related to those Heretics¡­¡± Sherry blinked, quickly catching on, ¡°Could it be the ¡®Scions of the Sun¡¯ that those Heretics talk about?!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s suspect that for now, even though there¡¯s no evidence,¡± Duncan sighed lightly, ¡°But more than the identity of the Assailant, I¡¯m more concerned about why this thing would appear in your and Nina¡¯s ¡®Dreamscape¡¯¡­ What connection is there between the museum scene and your dreams?¡±


    While saying this, he looked up, his gaze sweeping over the tall tower.


    At the top of the tower, Nina¡¯s figure was still not visible¡ªbut Duncan was almost sure this was the place Nina had seen in her dreams.


    ¡°Is this really Nina¡¯s dream?¡± Sherry was also curiously looking around, her face full of disbelief, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°She mentioned this dream to me, and in the dreamscape, she stood on that tallest distillation tower, overlooking the City-State after the fire,¡± Duncan pointed at a nearby tower as he explained, ¡°This location is about two blocks away from the cottage in your nightmare. Although I don¡¯t know the reason, your dreams are evidently interconnected at a deeper level.¡±


    Sherry was amazed, seemingly wanting to ask more, but suddenly, A-Dog, who was nearby, seemed to have spotted something: ¡°Hey Sherry, look, it seems like the umbrella that guy was holding is still here!¡±


    Sherry and Duncan simultaneously looked in the direction A-Dog pointed, and indeed, a large black umbrella was quietly lying on the edge of the street!


    Just now, their attention had been focused on the Assailant, and after its main body split, the umbrella had been left by the roadside, temporarily unnoticed by anyone.


    Duncan stepped forward, finally seizing the opportunity to closely observe the large black umbrella, but upon seeing the inner layer of the umbrella, he could not help but exclaim, ¡°Huh.¡±


    He had imagined what this umbrella, always held by the assailants, might look like¡ªit could be a transcendent item engraved with runes, or perhaps it looked ordinary but possessed many unusual traits. In any case, given the strange and terrifying abilities and forms of the assailants themselves, the style of this umbrella should certainly have developed in a sinister direction.


    However, the underside of the umbrella was drastically different from what he had expected¡ª


    He saw an extremely complex man-made structure; hexagonal, intricate lattices densely arranged on the framework, forming something akin to¡­ solar panels. Between the deep purple lattice gaps, he saw fine tubes and wiring. In the center of the umbrella, there seemed to be a sophisticated device that served as some sort of control hub, connecting the handle to the surrounding lattice array. Its precision and complexity far surpassed any steam mechanisms in the Plunder City-State.


    Duncan stared dumbfounded at the object.


    Technology, his first reaction was technology!


    This thing was definitely not a transcendent item, nor did it resemble some ¡°anomalous¡± items in style, and it was certainly not a device manufactured by the current City-State civilization. This umbrella was an extremely sophisticated and complex technological artifact.


    It¡­ came from a civilization that modern City-States could not comprehend!


    ¡°What is this thing?¡± Sherry looked at the structure inside the umbrella, shocked and puzzled. She couldn¡¯t understand at all what it was, and lacked the knowledge from another world that Duncan had. She only felt that it was a hundred times more complicated than she imagined, having a dizzying effect. She instinctively reached out her hand, ¡°It looks like¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch!¡± A-Dog suddenly interrupted Sherry, ¡°This looks like some kind of desecration prototype.¡±


    Sherry was startled, ¡°Desecration prototype? What is that?¡±


    ¡°Something from some taboo history that should not exist in the real world, yet was forcibly retained in the real world,¡± A-Dog said gravely in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it to you¡­ because I don¡¯t understand the principles behind it myself. Just remember, in the long river of history of this world, some histories are ¡®locked down¡¯, and the things born from these forbidden histories are desecration prototypes, and typically, their mere existence is harmful to the biological beings of the real world¡­ Never touch them if you see one!¡±


    Sherry immediately withdrew her hand nervously, while Duncan glanced thoughtfully at A-Dog, ¡°Is this also the ¡®knowledge¡¯ innate to the Profound Demons?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± A-Dog shook his head, ¡°Not all Profound Demons know this, but I was born closer to the head of the Profound Saint, so I have a bit more knowledge in my brain.¡±


    Duncan hummed noncommittally and kept his gaze on the strange black umbrella. Just then, seemingly due to the loss of some ¡°support,¡± the umbrella suddenly began to disintegrate and collapse rapidly before his eyes.


    The intricate lattice structure gradually became translucent, the framework and wiring faded and turned into grayish-white debris that drifted away with the wind. The core complex device also melted and flowed down like heated wax. Just before this object completely dissolved, Duncan caught a glimpse of tiny text on some part of the device from the corner of his eye.


    It was not the common language used by the City-States today, nor any other language he was familiar with¡ªbut the meaning of those words still emerged in his mind:


    ¡°K-22 Spectral Filtration Crystal Core.¡±


    The next second, including this final component, the entire umbrella dissipated with the wind.


    Duncan slowly stood up, and just then, Sherry, who was standing next to him, suddenly exclaimed in a soft voice, ¡°Ah! What¡¯s wrong with my hand¡­¡±


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    Duncan looked at Sherry¡¯s arm and saw that not only her arm but her entire body was gradually becoming translucent and blurry.


    Sherry was instantly terrified, ¡°Save, save, save¡­¡±


    ¡°Save my ass!¡± A-Dog interrupted Sherry directly, ¡°That means you¡¯re waking up! It¡¯s your first time waking up normally from this Dreamscape¡ªshouldn¡¯t you be thanking Mr. Duncan?¡±


    Sherry then realized, hastily looked at Duncan, but saw that his figure was also fading away in the Dreamscape.


    Duncan smiled and waved at the young girl, ¡°Good night, and good morning¡ªdon¡¯t forget to wake Nina up for breakfast later.¡±

 Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 136: An Ordinary Morning in the Antique Shop

    Chapter 132: Chapter 136: An Ordinary Morning in the Antique Shop


    A touch of morning light illuminated the Plunder City-State, which had slumbered through the night. The sun, locked by twin Rune Circles, rose slowly in the sky like a blazing wheel, and under the formidable might of anomaly 001, the night¡¯s non-terrestrial beings began to fade away at last.


    The shadows in the alleys, the whispers in deserted places, the murmurs amongst the coastal waves, the gaze of nothingness in the depths of the lanes, and the entangling Dreamscape.


    Sherry opened her eyes.


    She saw the unfamiliar ceiling, and through the nearby window, the sunlight fell upon the bedside cabinet and the adjacent desk. The room, clean and tidy, was a simple cottage, but still much nicer than where she lived.


    She smelled the aroma of food and heard some noise coming from the kitchen direction. She saw Nina sprawled out, sound asleep on the bed. Today was a rest day, and the girl could indulge in a lazy morning because she had an ¡°uncle¡± to depend on, ready to serve her breakfast when she woke up.


    Sherry sat up somewhat dazedly and took a few seconds to fully recall why she was there and her experiences in her dream.


    Then she nudged Nina beside her, ¡°Nina, time to get up¡­ It¡¯s time to wash up and have breakfast.¡±


    Nina responded groggily, ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy¡­ let me sleep a little longer¡­¡±


    Sherry was momentarily startled; she didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    It had been too long since she¡¯d lived this kind of life, so long that there was a chasm of eleven full years¡ªbut she still vaguely remembered that she too had been like this once, that she too could do this.


    Slowly she climbed out of bed, put on her own clothes, and while listening to the various sounds from outside, she reminded herself that this wasn¡¯t some peaceful and tranquil safe haven¡ªit was essentially a nest, one that a Subspace Shadow and his kin had whimsically dressed up in this guise¡­


    But this nest somehow felt more like ¡°home¡± than where she and the dog lived.


    Sherry was a little distracted, but just then, Nina¡¯s voice suddenly broke her train of thought, ¡°Wow! Is it that time already?!¡±


    Sherry turned around and saw Nina, her hair a mess, sitting on the bed with wide eyes. Nina looked up at the window, then noticed Sherry standing beside her, shook her head, and said, ¡°Sherry? Why are you¡­ Ah, right, you stayed over at my place last night¡­¡±


    Then Nina promptly hopped off the bed while chattering away, ¡°Ah, no time to talk, I need to make breakfast¡­¡±


    Mid-chatter, she heard noises from the kitchen and smelled the food, paused for a moment before suddenly realizing, ¡°Oh, uncle is making breakfast today¡­ that¡¯s right, uncle has been feeling better lately¡­ Oh no! School! I¡¯m going to be late for school!¡±


    Before she finished speaking, Nina dashed towards her desk to gather her things but stopped short after two steps, looked up at the calendar on the bedside cabinet, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s wrong, today is a rest day¡­¡±


    Then she spun around on the spot, and with another dive, her head hit the pillow again, ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleep for two more minutes¡­¡±


    Throughout this, Sherry looked on, befuddled as she watched Nina jump out of bed and perform a rapid sequence of dizzying actions, only to end up back where she started as if nothing had happened, with Sherry finding no opportunity to get a word in. It wasn¡¯t until Nina hit the bed again that Sherry hesitantly moved closer, but before she could speak, she saw Nina spring up once more, stretching widely, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m awake now.¡±


    Sherry: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Sherry?¡± Nina turned around, looking spirited at Sherry, ¡°What¡¯s with that expression?¡±


    Sherry: ¡°Do you¡­wake up like this every morning?¡±


    Nina, puzzled: ¡°Ah? Like what?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡± Sherry gestured wildly, struggling to find a way to explain, ¡°you jump up, then you do this, then that, and then this and that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I tend to get confused when I wake up in the morning,¡± Nina actually deciphered the correct information from Sherry¡¯s magical and abstract body language, nodding while beginning to change clothes, ¡°But I¡¯m completely awake now! By the way, Sherry, did you sleep well last night? I¡¯m not very still when I sleep, I hope I didn¡¯t bother you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Sherry was about to reply when a flood of memories hit her. She remembered the confined little cottage, that morning, the receding footsteps and the locked door, and the Abyssal Hound bursting in through the door¡­but after that was an incredible adventure, a bold exploration.


    A little bizarre, a little scary, but¡­ pretty impressive.


    ¡°I slept very well,¡± she smiled, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite restless when I sleep too. The dog always says that one day I¡¯m going to dismantle my own bed in my sleep.¡±


    ¡°Uncle used to say the same about me,¡± Nina, now dressed, let out a final yawn, took Sherry¡¯s hand, and headed for the door, ¡°Let¡¯s go now, I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡±


    Thus, Sherry was bewilderingly led out the door, and then she saw Duncan coming out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron, having obviously just finished cooking.


    ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± Sherry became apprehensive subconsciously, even witnessing it firsthand made her feel peculiarly dissonant thinking about such an entity cooking in the kitchen. But she quickly suppressed this dissonance and respectfully lowered her head to greet him, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°`


    Just as the boss had instructed, treat this place like any ordinary place and make yourself at home like a normal person.


    Although she herself had no idea what it was like to visit someone¡¯s home normally, saying hello in the morning was never wrong.


    ¡°What¡¯s for breakfast?¡± Nina had already headed toward the kitchen, craning her neck to look behind Duncan as she went, ¡°It smells delicious!¡±


    ¡°I fried up some little sausages that I bought on my way home yesterday,¡± said Duncan offhandedly as he pressed down on Nina¡¯s head, forcibly turning her toward the bathroom, ¡°Go wash your hands first!¡±


    Then he glanced at Sherry, hands on hips, ¡°And you too, don¡¯t just stand there. Go wash your hands, and while you¡¯re at it, wash your face!¡±


    Sherry was taken aback but hurried after Nina to wash her hands and face, and then she was the first to return to Duncan with her hands outstretched, ¡°¡­All clean.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she started to feel embarrassed, suddenly feeling a bit foolish: for someone nearly an adult, to show her hands to an adult after washing them was more the behavior of a seven-year-old child than a seventeen-year-old¡ªshe didn¡¯t know why she had such a brain fart all of a sudden.


    But Duncan didn¡¯t seem to mind that, he just nodded and while turning to head back to the kitchen, asked casually, ¡°How did you sleep?¡±


    Sherry looked down, ¡°Well, good¡­better than before.¡±


    ¡°Did the injury you received in the Dreamscape affect you in reality?¡± asked Duncan.


    Sherry was startled, remembering that she indeed seemed to have been whipped by some eerie Assailant in her Dreamscape, she promptly raised her left arm and was shocked to see a faint scar!


    Thanks to her robust Self-Healing Trait, the scar had almost healed by now, and it didn¡¯t even feel sore, but there was no doubt that her body in reality had received the same injury when she got hurt in last night¡¯s Dreamscape!


    And at that time, she was as good as trapped in the Dreamscape, so even though her body in the real world was injured, she couldn¡¯t wake up.


    Duncan saw the mark on Sherry¡¯s arm, and his gaze briefly stiffened, then he nodded lightly.


    The abnormal phenomenon wasn¡¯t beyond what had been foreseen.


    That eerie Dreamscape¡­ it couldn¡¯t just be a simple dream.


    ¡°It seems that injuries sustained in that Dreamscape do affect reality in sync,¡± he said seriously to Sherry, ¡°in the future, unless you¡¯re with me, don¡¯t explore that Dreamscape on your own. You¡¯re a strong fighter, but that type of creature that can split, is not affected as much by it.¡±


    Sherry quickly nodded, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Duncan thought for a moment and then added, ¡°Also, if you get trapped in that nightmare again, you can call out directly to me.¡±


    Sherry paused, seemingly a bit slow to catch on, ¡°Call out to you?¡±


    ¡°Call my name, the complete one I told you in the Dreamscape,¡± said Duncan indifferently, ¡°Or, call for Homeloss¡ªpreferably next to something like glass or a mirror that has reflective properties, so I can hear you more clearly.¡±


    As Sherry listened, she suddenly realized something; at the same time, through her mental bond with her dog, she could feel a surge of anxious emotions from the other side.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you asking me to become one of your wards?¡± she asked, looking up with a mix of nervousness and confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what ¡®wards¡¯ are, and I¡¯m not asking for anything from you, but you¡¯re a friend of Nina¡¯s and now you¡¯re acting with me¡ªjust a little extra care, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Sherry took a deep breath, yet she dared not reply rashly. Just then, Nina¡¯s cheerful voice suddenly sounded from the kitchen doorway, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    ¡°No need to answer me now,¡± Duncan whispered to Sherry, then looked up at Nina, ¡°Why did it take you so long to wash your hands?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get the sleep out of the corners of my eyes,¡± Nina said, rubbing her eyes, ¡°rubbed them so much it almost hurts¡­¡±


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    ¡°Drink more water these days,¡± Duncan said, resigned, glancing at the girl before asking casually, ¡°By the way, did you have that dream again last night? The one where you¡¯re standing up high, looking down over a fire.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nina thought for a moment and shook her head, ¡°Last night I dreamt that a horse and then a cow were lying on top of me. It was so heavy¡­ Uncle, why are you suddenly asking this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, just remembered that the psychiatrist is visiting today,¡± Duncan shook his head, dispelling the contemplation from his face momentarily, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    (Time to recommend a book, and this time it¡¯s ¡®The End of Technology¡¯ from Bucket of Pudding. It¡¯s under the science fiction category, and as for its type¡­ perhaps an everyday life story from the perspective of a super genius? In any case, I highly recommend everyone to check it out.)


    ¡°`

 Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Chapter 137 "Two Descendants

    Chapter 133: Chapter 137 ¡°Two Descendants


    North of Pland and the city-state of Rensa, beyond the bustling ¡°Great Cross Route,¡± an eternal and cold breath loiters over the seascape known as the ¡°Chill Sea.¡± Under the influence of this seemingly never-dissipating mysterious cold air, the entire Chill Sea displays a visage distinct from other places.


    Here, the sea water shows a profound quality starkly different from warmer regions. Tiny ice fragments often appear where currents meet the islands. Periodically, colossal icebergs rise from below the sea surface, forming temporary barriers or movable lands. These serve as navigational markers or emergency shelters for some sailors making their living in the Chill Sea. Various mysterious cold fogs, icy winds, and phantasmal light phenomena add unique scenic features to this cold maritime area, bringing countless bizarre legends that impart a mystical aura to the two major city-states of Frost and Cold Harbor.


    However, more frequently discussed by captains making a living in the Chill Sea than these predictable icebergs and mostly legendary transcendent phenomena are the terrifyingly real yet enigmatically shrouded fleet active since half a century ago¡ªled by Tirian Abnormal, the son of Duncan Ebnomal, its influence spans a third of the Chill Sea¡¯s routes, known as the Mist Fleet.


    At the edge of an island concealed by special currents and fog barriers, a steel warship with a gunmetal grey hue and rigid lines, its bow jutting high, was quietly docked in the shipyard. Crew members and sailors bustled about, loading the warship with fuel, fresh water, and ammunition.


    If someone familiar with the history of the Frost City-State were standing here, they would immediately notice the sailors still dressed in Frost Navy uniforms from half a century ago and see the white badges worn on their shoulders or chests¡ªsignifying mourning in the Frost tradition.


    In the captain¡¯s quarters atop the warship, a man in a black naval cloak was perusing some documents.


    This man was slim, with a high nose and deep-set eyes, his black hair short and neat. Over his left eye was a black eyepatch made from unknown leather, giving him an even more somber appearance, reminiscent of the notorious ¡°Ghost Captain.¡±


    A large, brightly feathered parrot perched on a nearby wooden stand intently watched a brass device beside the slender man¡ªit was a complex assembly of lenses surrounded by a ring of arms and smaller lenses, with a large crystal ball at its center, luxurious and full of a mysterious ambience.


    Without looking up, the slender man said, ¡°Perly, if you touch it, I¡¯ll send you to the Brilliant Starship next month to be with the puppets and ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Ah, cruel!¡± the large parrot immediately shrieked, shaking its perch, ¡°Ah, cruel! Tirian is such a cruel captain!¡±


    ¡°¡­I really should find out which bastard taught you that,¡± Tirian Abnormal frowned, ¡°Can¡¯t you say something else?¡±


    The large parrot flapped its wings pridefully: ¡°Perly learned by himself! Perly learned by himself!¡±


    Tirian rubbed his forehead, ¡°Dammit, there¡¯s that line too¡­¡±


    Just then, a knock suddenly came from the side, interrupting the exchange between Tirian and the parrot.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Tirian turned and said.


    The door to the captain¡¯s quarters opened, and a tall, bald man walked in.


    His skin was pale, like that of a long-dead body, and his eyes harbored a perpetual murky gloom. A faint fishy smell wafted around him, mixed with a chilling, almost tomb-like coldness.


    A walking corpse, a lingering remnant of a deceased soul.


    Tirian looked at the ¡°living dead¡± entering the room: ¡°Aiden, how much is left for the fuel uptake?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nearly complete, Captain,¡± the tall bald man named Aiden slightly bowed his head, his voice hoarse and rough, a faint cold mist escaping his mouth and nose as he spoke, ¡°The boilers are preheating now.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tirian nodded slightly, ¡°Any movement from Cold Harbor?¡±


    ¡°Quiet as a stone,¡± Aiden¡¯s tone carried a hint of disdain, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare offend our territory¡ªeven with only half the Mist Fleet in the Chill Sea, those cowards lack the courage to cross the line.¡±


    ¡°They are wise and adept at precisely calculating the losses and gains, just like half a century ago,¡± Tirian chuckled, ¡°Then go prepare, we¡¯ll depart on schedule.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±


    The cold breath of death lingered as the first mate pushed open the door and left the room, with Tirian¡¯s gaze gradually retracting.


    His first mate was an ¡°undead,¡± and in fact, aside from him the ¡°Long-Lived One,¡± everyone in the Mist Fleet was this type of being, teetering between life and death.


    His loyal subordinates had faithfully served in this fleet for half a century.


    In a way, he himself, cursed by Subspace to never die, was no different from his crew members.


    Tirian shook his head, and just then, the brass device at his side suddenly emitted a mechanical sound¡ªturning towards the noise, he saw the complex levers and lenses moving rapidly and arranging themselves in a specific pattern, focusing the lens at the center of the Crystal Ball. The next moment, the Crystal Ball emitted a faint glow, and a blurry image emerged.


    A young lady with black straight hair, clad in a black silk dress, with delicate features exuding a hint of cold mystery appeared in the Crystal Ball¡ªbehind her, one could faintly see many Magical Mechanisms operating automatically and specks of phosphorescent light floating in the air.


    ¡°Lucrecia,¡± Tirian glanced at the lady in the Crystal Ball and nodded slightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to remember to send greetings before your brother embarked.¡±


    The young lady in the Crystal Ball was about to speak, but paused upon hearing Tirian¡¯s words, ¡°You¡¯re leaving today?¡±


    Tirian frowned, ¡°¡­ didn¡¯t you send greetings because I was leaving today?!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the lady, carrying an air of a mystic mage, shook her head calmly, ¡°My Deep Sea Detector exploded.¡±


    Tirian¡¯s lips twitched, then he heard his sister continue, ¡°Everything else is easy to fix, but I can¡¯t find a replacement for the core crystal lens.¡±


    Tirian remained expressionless.


    ¡°Do you have any new ones? I¡¯ll trade you border minerals and samples for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Only two City-States can produce the Spirit Realm lenses that meet your precision requirements, and the main trade channels are controlled by the Academy of Truth, the number that circulates outward is extremely, extremely¡­ limited,¡± Tirian finally couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°It¡¯s only been two months since the last time you wrecked your detector¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve found a very interesting sample, possibly drifted up from the Abyssal Sea,¡± Lucrecia said.


    ¡°¡­ Samples from the Abyssal Sea won¡¯t work either, although those things really can be sold to the Academy of Truth¡­¡±


    ¡°I also collected phantasms left from the collapse of the border.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Tirian rubbed his forehead with a headache, ¡°Mainly, I really don¡¯t know where to find you a new set of lenses right now¡­¡±


    Lucrecia pondered, ¡°Robbery?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t always rely on robbery,¡± Tirian sighed, ¡°The Mist Fleet is preparing for legitimate operations, we¡¯re primarily relying on protection fees now¡­¡±


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    ¡°Oh, then forget it,¡± Lucrecia finally shrugged; her first part of the statement relieved Tirian, but the latter half made the renowned pirate leader tense, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Oh well, I can¡¯t possibly stop your exploratory plans,¡± Tirian eventually sighed helplessly (he didn¡¯t know how many times he had sighed in just these few minutes), ¡°Tell me about your situation, my ¡®respectable¡¯ great explorer sister¡­ You wander the frontiers of the civilized world all day, have you really discovered any signs that our world is heading towards its end?¡±


    ¡°I can detect your mockery, brother,¡± Lucrecia said expressionlessly, ¡°You¡¯ve always been disdainful of my urgency, never really cared about what I¡¯ve discovered at the border. I understand that you are focused on more practical matters, and hence I appreciate even more that you have provided all possible help even when you don¡¯t understand. But don¡¯t forget, our father¡­ the warning he once made.¡±


    ¡°¡­Our world is just a heap of dying embers¡­¡± Tirian leaned back in his chair, murmuring as if sighing, ¡± I still don¡¯t know what exactly he saw that day, but one thing is clear, he was already mad when he made that warning¡ªand you are repeating the same actions he once took, even trying to uncover the truth that drove him to madness.¡±


    Tirian shook his head and looked seriously at the figure in the Crystal Ball, ¡°Lucrecia, one Homeloss in this world is already bad enough.¡±

 Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Chapter 138 Brilliant Starship

    Chapter 134: Chapter 138 Brilliant Starship


    ¡°In a world where just one Homeloss exists, could things possibly get any worse?¡±


    In the divination room lit by dim candlelight, Lucricia sat quietly on a high-backed chair with a velvet cushion. She gazed at the crystal ball resting on the table, yet her mind inexplicably drifted back to events long past, on an afternoon a century ago¡­


    That figure, now slightly blurred in her memory, stood on the deck, against the gradually sinking sun on the horizon. His tall frame appeared as a flickering, phantom flame in the sunset, and in a deep, suppressed tone she had never heard before, he told her,


    ¡°Our world is but a cluster of dying embers¡­¡±


    By now, she certainly knew that her father had already succumbed to madness by then and that he would soon completely abandon his humanity to willingly embrace the ¡°blessing¡± of Subspace. Yet, she still occasionally wondered, what if she had spoken more with her father that day, earnestly asked about the meaning of his words, or what he had seen on the edge of the world; would things have turned out differently?


    Perhaps her father¡¯s madness was inevitable, perhaps the creation of Homeloss was a predetermined fact engraved in the river of time¡ªimmutable. But at least, she would have known how it all happened, known where to seek the truth¡ªinstead of now, aimlessly wandering the borders in this cursed ship where even the Church inspectors dared not tread.


    ¡°Lucricia, are you still listening?¡±


    Tirian¡¯s voice suddenly emerged from the crystal ball, startling the young lady who had been somewhat lost in thought at the table. Lucricia shook her head, casting aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.


    ¡°Brother,¡± she said solemnly, looking into the crystal ball at Tirian, her tone becoming serious, ¡°do you remember the last words Father said before he sailed to the borderlands? That time he didn¡¯t let us follow¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember,¡± Tirian nodded, ¡°he said he had found a clue to anomaly 000 and was going to find ¡®a cure for this world.¡¯ He refused not only the two of us but also a few other escorting ships¡ªafter he and Homeloss returned, both he and that ship had changed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, all the crew on Homeloss stopped speaking, as if struck by a Curse of Silence. Father was still sane enough to communicate with us then. He said he had not found anomaly 000, then claimed that even if anomaly 000 existed, it was not the origin point causing the world¡¯s distortion, that the supposed cure never existed from the start¡ªuntil the day he told us on the sunset deck that ¡®the world is a bundle of embers,¡¯ he had never revealed anything related to that trip to the borders¡­¡±


    Tirian inside the crystal ball fell silent, and after an unknown length of time, it was Lucricia who spoke again, ¡°After that, I made contact with the Church fleets patrolling near the borders, including the Fire Transmitter, deep-sea clerics, scholars from the Academy of Truth, and even those gloomy death cultists. I asked around about anomaly 000 but they all claimed such a numbered anomaly or phenomenon could not exist¡­¡±


    ¡°I asked around too,¡± Tirian¡¯s voice deepened, ¡°I received the same replies¡­ there are no anomalies or phenomena numbered zero in the world, not because there are none currently, but because there is no corresponding ¡®slot¡¯¡ª


    ¡°The list originally leaked from the Tomb of the Nameless King had already detailed all numbers. Every undiscovered or unformed anomaly and phenomenon has its own slot to fill, even ¡®mycelium bottles¡¯ and ¡®fungus islands¡¯ that evolved over the course of history had their slots planned in advance, but at the start of the entire list, there was simply no zero position¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s why I say, Father was probably not in his right mind even before he left for the borders; he couldn¡¯t have been unaware of this information.¡±


    At this point, Tirian suddenly halted, then raised his head to look at Lucricia in the crystal ball, his expression becoming particularly serious, ¡°Why bring up this topic suddenly? We haven¡¯t spoken about this for half a century¡ªwhat are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t dive headfirst into that grand wall of fog like Father,¡± Lucricia, rarely expressive, managed a slight smile this time, ¡°I am looking for clues left by Father, certainly not to tread his old path.¡±


    Tirian was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, ¡°¡­.That¡¯s good.¡±


    Lucricia then fell silent; the siblings, separated by vast distances and having rarely met in person over the past century, each harbored their own thoughts. It was only when the distant, faint sound of a whistle from Sea Mist reached through the crystal ball that Lucricia finally broke the silence, ¡°Are you really going to Prandt? Because of that Governor¡¯s ¡®invitation¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®invitation¡¯ doesn¡¯t matter, I don¡¯t care about the safety issues of that City-State, but that Governor mentioned in the letter that Homeloss has reappeared in the real world, convincingly so; I must check it out,¡± Tirian spoke earnestly, ¡°That ship hasn¡¯t reappeared in nearly half a century, its sudden appearance is indeed suspicious.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Lucricia asked, ¡°Half a century ago, you encountered Homeloss once when you were in Frost¡­ was it really Homeloss you saw at that time?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Absolutely, though unbelievable, it was indeed Homeloss,¡± Tirian¡¯s voice was deep, ¡°I could never confuse the positions of its masts or the distribution of its rigging.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ the man standing on the ship then, was it really ¡®Father¡¯?¡±


    Tirian slightly lowered his head, his face hidden in the shadows, ¡°¡­It¡¯s him, although I wish it weren¡¯t.¡±


    Luny looked at her brother through the crystal ball and hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, ¡°Be very careful, if it really is him, you¡¯ll be in great danger.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Tirian sighed softly, ¡°he has now become a frenzied ghost completely warped by subspace. I wouldn¡¯t take him lightly¡­¡±


    Luny shook her head expressionlessly, ¡°No, what I mean is, if it really is father, seeing you¡¯ve turned the Sea Mist into a big pile of iron, he¡¯d strike with even more force than half a century ago.¡±


    Tirian was stunned for a moment and then his eyes widened, ¡°What do you mean by that? This is an efficient modernization! What¡¯s wrong with steam boilers and rapid-fire cannons! And you have the nerve to criticize me¡ª I at least kept parts of it intact, while your ship doesn¡¯t have a single piece of the deck from the Brilliant Starship anymore¡­¡±


    The crystal ball went dark.


    Luny exhaled softly and stood up from her chair.


    Her brother was still spirited, his curiosity about modern things thrived momentarily upon stimulation, which was good.


    In the endless eternity, the most dreaded thing was mental decay, the rotting of the soul.


    A series of light footsteps accompanied by the friction sound of mechanical gears and spring mechanisms came from the darkness. Luny followed the sound and saw a clockwork magic doll with a feminine appearance walking towards her ¡ª it resembled her by sixty percent but was overtly adorned with rivets and mechanical joints. The main material of its shell, crafted from fine steel and ceramics, was fashioned into a maid¡¯s dress, which looked somewhat eerie and terrifying under the dim light.


    As the doll approached, the ticking from its spring mechanism continued, and when it reached Luny, it handed her a cup of tea. Its articulated mouth clicked as it spoke in a slightly stiff and monotonous female voice, ¡°Mistress, please enjoy your tea.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Luny took the teacup and asked casually, ¡°Luny, where are we now?¡±


    The magic doll named Luny responded, ¡°The Brilliant Starship has just passed ¡®Foghorn Island¡¯ and is now sailing on the edge of the Eternal Veil. Would you like to enjoy the view outside?¡±


    ¡°¡­Open the dome,¡± Luny took a sip of the tea and placed the teacup back onto Luny¡¯s tray, ¡°it¡¯s daylight, and I should catch some sun.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡±


    Luny bowed slightly and backed away.


    As the clockwork doll finished speaking, the entire ¡°Divination Room¡± suddenly shook slightly!


    The creaking of mechanical devices intensified, and the buzzing and rustling sounds of gigantic springs and magic units, mingled like a concerto, filled the air. Amid countless gears and slides, the walls of the room began to retract and unfold, and the originally dimly lit room was instantly brightened by sunlight¡ªunder the sunlight, the entire room bloomed slowly like a mechanical flower, eventually unfolding into a stage-like appearance.


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    This was the upper deck of the Brilliant Starship. The ¡°Sea Witch¡± Luny¡¯s room bloomed at the forefront of the deck into a towering stage, and around this blooming mechanical flower, the entirety of the Brilliant Starship could be seen¡ª


    The ship had been split in two.


    The front half of the ship had been drastically transformed, adorned with countless runes and magical contraptions, making it look less like a ship and more like a huge magical mechanism. Various exotic materials gathered from border regions or the sea had reconstructed the ship¡¯s deck structure, lending a bizarre, hallucinogenic color to everything in sight, almost as if an unending magic ritual was ongoing among those intricate arrays and crystals;


    Meanwhile, the ship¡¯s rear half presented a stark contrast¡ªthere, half of the ship¡¯s body appeared ghostly with a translucent form, shrouded by a veil thin as mist, wherein fleeting phantasmal lights floated, faintly revealing that section¡¯s structure still maintaining the original appearance of the ship¡ª


    A sail warship built a century ago, vaguely resembling the style of the Homeloss.

 Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Chapter 139: The People Defending the Border

    Chapter 135: Chapter 139: The People Defending the Border


    A century ago, the Brilliant Starship and Sea Mist, much like the Homeloss, were both escort ships.


    However, few people knew what those two legendary warships had been through after parting ways with the Homeloss and how they gradually transformed into their current state.


    Commanded by ¡°Iron Marshal¡± Terrian, Sea Mist, after several handovers, became a main warship of Frost City-State, known to people as the ¡°Unsinkable Ship¡± and the ¡°Breathing Corpse.¡± The ship was heavily damaged multiple times in battle, yet it seemed as if a deathless soul dominated it, allowing it to struggle out of an almost certain fate of sinking time after time, slowly turning into an iron behemoth with almost every defiance of shipbuilding principles in its repeated transformations.


    It was said that the ship would directly consume steel and seabed deposits for sustenance, growing out turrets and armor plates bit by bit during its unmanned night voyages.


    As for the Brilliant Starship, inherited by the ¡°Sea Witch¡± Lucresia, it maintained an even denser veil of mystery since it seldom approached the civilized world¡ªin fact, apart from a few members of the Explorers¡¯ Association and the church fleets that often patrolled the frontier, ordinary captains on the Endless Sea hardly had a chance to lay eyes on the ship.


    Those who were fortunate enough to see the Brilliant Starship described it thus:


    ¡°It clearly no longer belongs entirely to our reality. That ship has truly sunk at least once, and during its journey in the Endless Sea, it lost half of its structure. One side of it remained like a ghost vessel, a remnant from a century ago, while the other half, under the power of the witch, twisted into bizarre shapes, with the bow draped with cursed objects from the deep sea. It was cluttered with clanking machinery and magical gear. The crew had long perished, replaced by soulless clockwork automatons and cursed dolls running about the deck.


    ¡°Without a doubt, that ship is a corpse sailing through the seas¡ªor rather, half of a deformed corpse, dragging along its half soul.¡±


    Lucresia¡¯s gaze drifted slowly over her command ship, nodding slightly with satisfaction.


    The Brilliant Starship was in good shape, and her crew was content.


    She knew how the world described her ship¡ªand how they described her brother¡¯s Sea Mist. She knew many captains feared them, second only to their father who had returned from Subspace.


    But she did not care; she rarely interacted with humans on a regular basis, and those she did engage with were either incredibly brave, possessed profound knowledge, or had at least experienced some true adventures. Those people could communicate with her in a rational manner, which was enough.


    She and her brother were still considered part of the real world, seen as ¡°standing with humanity,¡± despite many feeling that both Sea Mist and Brilliant Starship were cursed; the aforementioned perceptions would not change.


    Ultimately, in a world teeming with curses, where nearly every City-State lived amidst countless abnormalities and apparitions, where even modern human civilization was described as ¡°cursed,¡± it was reasonable to reserve some room for two such peculiar ships.


    Lucresia walked slowly from her mechanical-flower-like ¡°stage¡± toward the bow deck, where two clockwork puppets wearing comical masks clinked past her, and a large doll made of velvet, silk, and ribbons ran up to her, chirping in a thin voice, ¡°Mistress! Mistress! Good morning! Good morning!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost noon,¡± Lucresia said offhandedly, bypassing the doll to stand at the bow and gaze into the distance.


    There she saw a majestic gray-white wall of fog, standing like a colossal curtain at the world¡¯s edge on the distant sea, connecting the sky and ocean in an imposing and grand posture.


    That was the ¡°Border.¡±


    The grand wall of fog had many names¡ªWorld¡¯s Frontier, Grand Mist, Mist Barrier, but its most official term was the ¡°Eternal Veil.¡±


    However, Lucresia preferred to simply call it ¡°Border.¡±


    That¡¯s how her father had once referred to it.


    Normally, the Eternal Veil acted like a circular barrier, encompassing all known seas and undulating slightly within a fixed range, never shrinking nor expanding, just a constant natural phenomenon.


    But on rare occasions, part of the barrier would suddenly ¡°appear¡± within the boundaries of civilization and cause catastrophic disasters during its inward collapse, dragging nearby physical matter into the deeper realms of the world and even opening gateways directly to Subspace¡ªthese terrifying disasters were known as ¡°Border Collapses.¡±


    For captains frequently navigating the Endless Sea, Border Collapses were more dreadful than storms, turbulent currents, or mass hysteria.


    The only good news was that such collapses were infrequent.


    Lucresia spent most of her time in the Border regions, observing and studying the Border, and had even tried to deduce the underlying mechanisms of its sudden inward collapses¡ªher father had done the same a century ago.


    Yet, to this day, no one had unraveled the secrets behind this veil.


    What had her father discovered, or ¡°heard,¡± that made him suddenly decide to cross through the mist in search of Anomaly Zero?


    Lucresia withdrew her gaze from the borderland.


    In the borderland, one should not stare at the Eternal Veil for long. Although there was no clear evidence that the dense fog could devour one¡¯s mind or influence thoughts, watching any target on the surface of the Endless Sea, especially in places far from the civilized City-States, naturally carried risks.


    Heaven knew what things could spread with a ¡°gaze.¡±


    A melodious steam whistle broke the calm of this borderland sea.


    Lucresia looked toward the sound and saw small silhouettes suddenly emerging from the edge of the thick fog wall. The silhouettes gradually approached and finally outlined ships.


    There were three vessels, the newest steel warships powered by robust steam cores, heading towards the location of Brilliant Starship, but it was just a chance encounter.


    The other party sounded the whistle first, a greeting¡ªin this borderland, meeting anyone who wasn¡¯t an Evil God from Subspace was a cause for joy.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Luny approached, her clockwork maid¡¯s voice mechanically emanating, ¡°It¡¯s the Church¡¯s patrol fleet¡­ visual confirmation, Fire Transmitters.¡±


    ¡°¡­Only the Fire Transmitters and Storm Cultists would patrol so close to the Eternal Veil,¡± Lucresia muttered softly, ¡°A bunch of daredevils.¡±


    ¡°Should we respond?¡± Luny asked.


    ¡°¡­ Sound the whistle in greeting,¡± Lucresia whispered, ¡°To our civilization that still endures.¡±


    ¡­


    Today, the antique shop had few customers, with only an unremarkable pair of ornaments sold in the morning, after which no one else stepped through the door.


    Nina sat next to the counter with a mechanical engineering textbook, studying its intricate mechanical structures intently, occasionally picking up a sketchbook next to her to doodle in the blank spaces. Duncan sat inside the counter, curiously flipping through Nina¡¯s history textbook while casually making notes in his own notebook.


    Only Sherry had nothing to do. She wanted to go home but didn¡¯t dare to leave. She wanted to chat with Nina but didn¡¯t understand the material Nina was studying. Extremely bored, she wandered between the nearby shelves several times before finally muttering, ¡°Is reading really that interesting?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting!¡± Nina looked up, ¡°And I have my final exams coming up. I need to hurry and revise.¡±


    Duncan also glanced at Sherry. ¡°If you¡¯re really bored, you could find a book to read too¡­ I have a Brief History of the City-State Era here, interested?¡±


    Sherry looked at the books near Duncan, opened her mouth, and her face showing an awkward expression, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t read¡­¡±


    Duncan stopped reading abruptly, and Nina also looked up in surprise.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised,¡± Sherry, feeling somewhat hurt by their reactions, widened her eyes, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve told you I sneaked into school, I¡­ is it so strange that I never went to school, that I was raised by a dog¡­¡±


    Duncan was indeed surprised, but seeing Sherry¡¯s reaction, he felt more reflective, ¡°You not knowing how to read but still managing to sneak into school confidently; I don¡¯t know whether to call you overly confident or too trusting of Ardog¡¯s unreliable cognitive interference capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Ardog¡¯s cognitive interference capabilities are very reliable!¡± Sherry immediately defended, ¡°It just¡­ just¡­¡±


    The girl¡¯s face turned slightly red, seemingly hesitant to continue, but Duncan guessed what she wanted to say and showed a slight smile, ¡°You¡¯re already arguing with me¡ªlook, it¡¯s not that scary, is it?¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s right, my uncle is so kind,¡± Nina, the na?ve girl, randomly chimed in, ¡°He used to be a bit irritable for a while, but he¡¯s all good now!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Sherry opened her mouth but suddenly didn¡¯t know how to communicate with the ¡°uncle and niece¡± in front of her. After struggling for a while, she couldn¡¯t even form a second word.


    Duncan smiled and shook his head, but just as he was about to say something more, a slightly familiar scent suddenly appeared in his senses!


    Duncan was momentarily startled. The next second, he recognized who the scent belonged to¡ª


    Fenna! The young Judge was approaching the antique shop¡­ and quickly!

 Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 140 Two Guests

    Chapter 136: Chapter 140 Two Guests


    In Duncan¡¯s perception, Fenna¡¯s presence was rapidly approaching the antique shop, and she wasn¡¯t moving in a straight line. She would frequently change directions, with abnormal pauses in her movement.


    A Judge from the Upper City District, suddenly visiting this antique shop in the Lower City District? And with such a bizarre trajectory?


    The moment the young Deep Sea Judge¡¯s presence appeared in his perception, Duncan slightly furrowed his brows and then subconsciously glanced at Sherry.


    Could it be because of Sherry? Had the Deep Sea Church finally discovered a ¡°Summoner¡± walking with Profound Demons hidden in the city? Or was it because of himself? His own actions were always careful, and there was absolutely no slip up that could point towards Homeloss, at most, the original Sun Cultist identity of this body might be exposed¡­ But that shouldn¡¯t be enough to alarm a distinguished Judge, right?


    The purposeful and circuitous path of that approaching presence was definitely not of someone casually passing by, but of someone with a strong intent.


    His thoughts rapidly fluctuating, Duncan casually glanced at Nina who was reading beside him, stood up, and went towards the entrance of the antique shop.


    Sherry noticed his actions and subconsciously followed, ¡°Mr. Duncan? What¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay in the shop.¡± Duncan looked at Sherry, who should be classified as a ¡°heretic¡± regardless, and instructed her to stay put. Then he moved to the store¡¯s entrance to look in the direction from where the presence was emanating.


    And then he understood why Fenna¡¯s presence was approaching so rapidly¡ª


    She had driven there.


    A deep grey steam-powered vehicle screeched to a halt in front of the antique shop. The door opened and two people stepped down¡ªone was Fenna, who, despite being in casual clothes, was still exceptionally tall, and the other was Miss Heidi, the mental physician he had met once before.


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He slightly reflected on the chaotic thoughts that had flooded his mind when he first sensed the rapidly approaching presence, realizing he shouldn¡¯t have assumed all matters related to the Transcendent to be so ethereal and swift. The brief pauses in Fenna¡¯s approach were probably her waiting for traffic lights¡­


    Then he saw Miss Heidi energetically waving at him and cheerfully greeted, ¡°Mr. Duncan!¡±


    Duncan¡¯s mouth twitched. Seeing Fenna in casual attire, he realized he had overthought the situation but still deliberately took an extra look at the Judge as he approached and managed to express a fittingly surprised tone, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you must recognize her; there¡¯s nobody in this city who doesn¡¯t¡ªour respected Judge, Miss Fenna Wayne,¡± Heidi said with a teasing smile, ¡°but today she¡¯s on leave, so just relax¡ªshe¡¯s my friend. After hearing about the museum incident, she insisted on coming over to offer her thanks¡­ and to inquire about a few things.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡± Duncan¡¯s surprise had a hint of authenticity this time, something he hadn¡¯t anticipated, ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t expect you to bring such a distinguished person¡­¡±


    ¡°Calling me ¡®distinguished¡¯ is a bit too much, Mr. Duncan,¡± Fenna, who had been assessing the antique shop owner discreetly since the beginning, now spoke with a smile. Her voice was slightly husky and low, with a magnetic texture¡ªalthough for Duncan, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had heard the Judge¡¯s voice, ¡°Just treat me as a regular customer. As Heidi said, I¡¯m on leave today¡ªI came mainly to thank you for assisting Heidi at the museum, and to casually understand a few things¡­ please rest assured, this isn¡¯t an official inquiry.¡±


    Understand a few things?


    Duncan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much; he just maintained his usual friendly smile and turned to invite the two special guests inside, ¡°Then let¡¯s not stand at the door, please come in¡ªjust in time, it¡¯s quiet in the shop today; now it can liven up a bit.¡±


    While saying this, he walked towards the antique shop. Upon entering, the first thing he saw was Sherry, who was curiously poking her head out to check what was happening outside. He casually ruffled the girl¡¯s hair, ¡°Behave calmly.¡±


    Sherry blinked, ¡°Calmly for what¡­¡±


    The next second, she knew why she needed to be calm.


    She saw the Judge, the pinnacle of the Plunder City-State Church¡¯s martial might, stride in. The big sister, towering over one meter ninety, walked past the little dwarf who was less than one meter sixty, bringing not just a visual oppression.


    Sherry almost blurted out subconsciously, ¡°Wow¡­ wow, you¡¯re really tall!¡±


    Fenna instinctively stopped, gave a glance at the girl who stood beside her with a strange expression and her muscles all tensed up, and nodded friendly, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s called Sherry,¡± Duncan chimed in casually, ¡°helps out at my shop. She was also at the scene when the museum incident happened. Miss Heidi must have mentioned her to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Sherry?¡± Fenna nodded, matching the description she had heard to the person before her eyes, ¡°Indeed, a cute little sister.¡±


    At this moment, Nina, who was reading next to the counter, heard the commotion and ran over. The first thing she saw was the impressively tall Fenna. She recognized the famous Judge and exclaimed in surprise, much like Sherry had.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like going out with you,¡± Heidi, who had been standing behind Fenna and unnoticed by Nina, could not help but speak up, ¡°Once you stand there, all the attention is drawn to you¡ªI¡¯m supposed to be the protagonist today, okay?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to attract attention in this way either,¡± Fenna looked at her friend expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ve tried to make myself look as ordinary as possible today.¡±


    ¡°¡­Never mind, I¡¯m used to it.¡± Heidi sighed, then greeted Nina and Sherry, before taking out the gift she brought, and handing it to Duncan.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what you¡¯d like, but it¡¯s impolite to visit without a gift. This is from my father, for you. He said someone with such broad interests in history and the occult like you would appreciate this.¡±


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s too kind of you. It was no trouble at all,¡± Duncan said politely, taking the gift¡ªa wooden box that seemed to have some years on it. He opened it on the spot, looking puzzled at the contents, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    It was a book, a fine and valuable one by the looks of it, something that scholars from the Upper City District would keep in their collections. On the rich purple hardcover were beautifully ornate letters:


    ¡°The City-State and the Gods¡±


    ¡°This is a book from my father¡¯s collection, now quite rare to see on the market,¡± Heidi said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a work by the great natural and theological scholar Maldino Victor from a century ago, describing the historical changes of the City-State era and the influence of various divine faiths, including the Four True Gods, on civilized society. He thought you would like this sort of thing.¡±


    Duncan silently admired the beautiful book in the box, slowly revealing a smile.


    ¡°Of course, I really like it, please thank Mr. Morris for me.¡±


    After exchanging pleasantries and getting comfortable¡ªsince there were no customers that day¡ªDuncan simply closed the door of the antique shop and turned the fairly spacious first floor into a reception area.


    Nina moved two chairs over, Duncan made the best coffee the shop had to offer for their guests, Sherry pretended to arrange the shelves but actually found a corner to minimize her presence, and Fenna curiously examined the seemingly unremarkable little shop. Meanwhile, Heidi had already placed her ¡°medicine box¡± on the counter and began talking to Nina: ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point. I heard you¡¯ve been troubled by nightmares lately, and you¡¯re often in a daze?¡±


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    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not exactly nightmares, just a strange recurring dream¡­¡± Nina didn¡¯t expect Miss Heidi to be so brisk. She was taken aback for a moment before answering, ¡°I keep dreaming that I¡¯m standing in a very high place, like on top of a tower, and then I see several blocks below have been burnt to ashes. There aren¡¯t any scary things appearing though¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Heidi gestured with her hand while opening the medicine box and casually continued, ¡°Recurring scenes, high places, fires, and no frightening, tangible things, but the dreamscape repeatedly visiting causes an inability to relieve mental fatigue¡­ Let¡¯s have a look¡­¡±


    Nina peeked into Heidi¡¯s medicine box, immediately noticing the chisels, axes, saws, and various bottles and jars, and instinctively shrank back a bit: ¡°Um¡­ Miss Heidi¡­ can I forgo the treatment? I actually think my condition isn¡¯t that bad¡­¡±


    Duncan also caught sight of the contents of Heidi¡¯s medicine box, his eyebrows twitching, ¡°Pardon my boldness¡ªis this truly necessary for mental treatment?¡±


    Was this elegant and gentle physician actually a psychiatrist or a vet?!

 Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 141 Mr. Duncan, Honest and Reliable

    Chapter 137: Chapter 141 Mr. Duncan, Honest and Reliable


    It turned out that in this world, filled with bizarre elements, ¡°Mental Treatment¡± was a skill far harder than Duncan had imagined¡ªit had surpassed what the word ¡°skill¡± could describe and headed directly toward what one might call ¡°craft¡±¡­


    Fortunately, the box of things Heidi brought wasn¡¯t for Nina. Seeing the terrified expressions on the faces of the uncle and niece, the mental therapist Ms. flashed a smile that said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen this reaction from my clients far too often.¡± She then pulled out a printed form from the bottom of the box and handed it to Nina, ¡°You can start by filling this out roughly.¡±


    Nina breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°I thought these¡­ tools were prepared for me.¡±


    ¡°This is what I use for my job¡ªwhen working for the authorities and the church,¡± Heidi chuckled, ¡°I often deal with extremely paranoid and stubborn threats, and ordinary methods can¡¯t pry open their heretically fortified skulls.¡±


    The more Duncan listened, the more he felt something was off. Sherry, who was beside him and tried to make herself inconspicuous yet couldn¡¯t help but eavesdrop, instinctively shrank her neck. She quickly moved to a farther spot, pretending to dust the shelves while mentally communicating through her link with the hidden Ah-Dog, ¡°So scary, so scary¡­ This place is terrifying¡­ Mr. Duncan is already scary enough, why did a Judge appear¡­ And that Heidi¡­¡±


    Ah-Dog¡¯s voice resonated within her, sounding even more ethereal, ¡°How the hell would I know why! Who knows why we¡¯d get caught by a Ghost Ship captain on land, and while being with a Ghost Ship captain, a Judge from the church would pay a visit¡ªhas either the world gone mad or have we? Would you believe it if you said it out loud?¡±


    While Sherry covertly paid attention to the noises near the counter, she frowned and murmured in her mind, ¡°Who would believe that, it¡¯s like telling a fish it would die in a car accident¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t mention ¡®fish¡¯, I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Sherry was startled, ¡°Ah-Dog, since when did you start fearing fish?¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t talk to me, don¡¯t let the Judge notice anything¡ªalthough theoretically I¡¯m in a hidden state, by Mr. Duncan¡¯s side, I always feel like my abilities are hit or miss¡­¡±


    Sherry quickly gathered her thoughts and walked towards another end of the shelf, while the people by the counter clearly didn¡¯t pay much attention to the inconspicuous Sherry.


    Nina, looking at the form before her, noticed that it was filled with fairly standard psychological assessment items, no different from the psychological measurement forms she¡¯d fill out in school before a Mysticism lesson or visiting a museum, only with slightly more questions and a few uncommon ones.


    As she began filling it out, she said curiously, ¡°I heard you mention earlier that your treatment methods were more professional, so I thought you wouldn¡¯t use these ordinary forms¡­¡±


    ¡°Filling out forms is the basic step in psychological measurement, but unlike those amateurs, their diagnosing often ends after the form is filled,¡± Heidi smiled while she took off a purple crystal pendant around her neck and fiddled with it, saying casually, ¡°My treatment only truly begins as you fill out the form.¡±


    Fenna¡¯s gaze inadvertently fell on Heidi¡¯s crystal pendant, curious, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you wearing that new pendant these past few days¡­ You seem to really like it?¡±


    Heidi paused, looked down at the pendant in her hand, as if remembering something, but then shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s just a rare gift from my father¡ªthat said, Fenna, did you know? This pendant was ¡®bought¡¯ from this shop.¡±


    She emphasized ¡°bought¡± as if trying to forcefully deny the fact that it was merely a complimentary item. Duncan, standing nearby, smiled and nodded lightly, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a product of this store¡ªmay this pendant bring you good luck.¡±


    Fenna couldn¡¯t help but take another glance at the clearly counterfeit ¡°crystal¡± pendant, almost blurting out: Such a renowned scholar as Morris fell for this too?!


    But she restrained herself considering Duncan present at the scene; the words hovered near her bronchus and then returned to her lung lobes. Meanwhile, Nina swiftly completed the form, pushed it to Heidi, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve finished, do you see any problems?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve observed everything as you filled it out¡ªincluding all your subtle expressions and movements,¡± Heidi straightforwardly collected the paper, and said bluntly, ¡°You have a psychological shadow lurking for many years? Have you had additional stress recently causing you to recall this shadow occasionally? Your bizarre dreams have eased these past days¡­ Has the stress disappeared, or has it transitioned?¡±


    Nina unwittingly widened her eyes as if something deep had been touched upon, then she instinctively glanced towards Duncan with a hesitant expression on her face.


    ¡°We need a quiet and private environment for further psychological easing and release,¡± Heidi looked up at Duncan and said, ¡°Of course, this firstly requires the permission of you, her guardian, and Ms. Nina¡¯s cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs,¡± Duncan nodded, looking at Nina, ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nina nodded obediently with not a sign of protest, though a hint of nervousness still lingered in her eyes, which did not escape Heidi¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nina, it¡¯s just simple mental relaxation techniques¡ªyou really have no problem at all, it¡¯s just a bit of stress and anxiety,¡± Heidi said with a reassuring smile, her calming aura seemingly emanated from her smile, which effortlessly smoothed away the tension in Nina¡¯s heart. She casually closed her medical kit and set it aside, ¡°I think we don¡¯t even need any tools, incense, or medication; I¡¯ll just ask you a few questions.¡±


    Only then did Nina fully relax. She nodded at Duncan and then walked upstairs with Heidi.


    The sound of their footsteps gradually faded away up the staircase.


    Sherry was still hiding far away, busily tidying the junk in the corner.


    Eventually, only Duncan and the Judge sitting opposite him remained by the counter.


    Today was the first time Duncan had met face-to-face with the Judge who, by a strange twist of fate, had left the imprint of the Spiritual Body fire on her. At this very moment, he could more clearly perceive the imprint in Fenna¡¯s body, feeling how this originally faint imprint was slowly growing stronger due to his proximity.


    Even without physical contact, the spark was still replenished from the ¡°source,¡± and began to smolder and spread within Fenna¡¯s soul.


    After realizing this, Duncan consciously controlled the growth of the imprint¡ªhe didn¡¯t want the mysterious Storm Goddess to notice this imprint, as it would cost him the loss of Fenna, a unique ¡°node.¡±


    He was curious about Fenna, strictly speaking, about her priestly status and the faith behind her.


    From another perspective, Fenna was also curiously observing the place and ¡°Mr. Duncan¡± sitting opposite her.


    She had indeed come here today to join Heidi in expressing their thanks, but there was another reason: there were far too many suspicious aspects in that museum fire.


    Theoretically, it was impossible for the fierce fire to extinguish abruptly¡ªHeidi had seen a projection resembling a Sun Shard in the fire, and Duncan, a mere commoner, had rushed into the fire to save people, emerging unscathed with the trapped individuals¡ªalthough no concrete evidence could be found to interlink these facts, her intuition told her that she should check out this antique shop.


    ¡°Mr. Duncan,¡± Fenna was the first to break the silence, her expression calm as she looked at Duncan, ¡°About the fire at the museum, I have some things I want to understand, may I?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Duncan nodded reassuringly, ¡°I was at the scene; I should be able to provide some information.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation,¡± Fenna nodded lightly, ¡°You rushed in to save people, and the fire in the museum was still burning at the time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Duncan nodded without hesitation¡ªsince he didn¡¯t know how much information the Judge had, he decided to tell the truth about some potentially incriminating details, ¡°The fire was huge, especially in the direction of the corridor leading to the main exhibition hall; it was almost completely ablaze.¡±


    ¡°But you all came out unscathed in the end,¡± Fenna continued to inquire, ¡°Can you tell me what happened after you entered the museum?¡±


    Duncan appeared thoughtful, pondering for two or three seconds before responding uncertainly, ¡°I, too, find it unbelievable that I got out alive¡­ but at that moment, the fire in the museum just went out, can you imagine? It wasn¡¯t extinguished by the external fire hoses, nor did it burn itself out after the flammable material was consumed¡ª it just went out suddenly, even the smoke disappeared¡­¡±


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    As he recalled his astonishment, he gestured with his hand, ¡°It must have been a blessing from the goddess, right?¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, there was a crashing sound from where Sherry was¡ªshe had accidentally knocked over a wooden sculpture in the corner.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± he immediately turned and shouted, just like a true store manager reminding his staff, ¡°The base of that thing has already been broken once by me and is now glued back together; don¡¯t knock it off again!¡±


    ¡°¡­ May the goddess protect everyone in the City-State,¡± Fenna¡¯s expression subtly changed as she looked into Duncan¡¯s eyes, ¡°It¡¯s clear, you are a truly¡­ honest man.¡±


    Duncan looked serious and straightforward: ¡°That¡¯s right, we who run a business should never deceive people.¡±

 Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Chapter 142 Inquiry and Treatment

    Chapter 138: Chapter 142 Inquiry and Treatment


    Duncan¡¯s expression was very sincere, carrying a confidence and determination that said, ¡°If I open my doors to sell fakes, I have to make sure that my dupes die with their eyes wide open, and if you can find something genuine in the back warehouse, I don¡¯t need this shop anymore.¡± Nina, evidently struck by this honesty, took a moment to respond, ¡°Your honesty¡­ is indeed very impressive.¡±


    ¡°Any more questions about that fire?¡± Duncan asked, unperturbed by the oddity in her tone. ¡°I heard afterwards that the entire museum was sealed off on the day of the incident?¡±


    ¡°In fact, we highly suspect that there were Transcendent factors influencing the museum fire,¡± Nina didn¡¯t hide this suspicion, for speculations about it had already spread throughout the streets and alleys. The city hall¡¯s mystics also publicly urged citizens not to approach the museum square lately. For the people of City-State, the existence of Transcendent incidents was not something that needed to be kept secret, only the details and truths behind them, ¡°The fire died down extremely rapidly, far beyond normal¡­ Mr. Duncan, please think back, did you really not see or hear anything unusual after you entered the museum?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Duncan, frowning. ¡°With the situation as it was at that time, where would I have found the spare capacity to notice any changes in the fire? After all, I am just an ordinary person, not a trained guardian.¡±


    At this, he paused and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Does the church suspect that those of us who escaped from the fire might be involved with the ¡®Transcendent factor¡¯ behind it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my personal suspicion,¡± said Nina seriously. ¡°Please forgive me, but being vigilant against all uncontrolled Transcendent threats in City-State is the duty of a Judge. Moreover, I have no intention of suspecting you as the main culprit of the fire¡ªTranscendent powers can contaminate ordinary people, regardless of whether the individual has any subjective intentions. I am concerned that you may have been passively involved in some Transcendent influence during the fire, which is also a concern for your safety.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Duncan replied, now more open than before since he wasn¡¯t the slightest bit angry. The Judge before him was genuinely discharging her duties. ¡°So, having observed this place for quite some time, have you discovered any clues?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I haven¡¯t found anything,¡± Nina shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no residual Transcendent power here, and the distribution of shadows and flow of auras both inside and outside of the building are quite normal. I think¡­ you truly are just ordinary people caught up in a Transcendent event.¡±


    Duncan thought for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Maybe¡­ you should check more carefully? What if there¡¯s some residual Transcendent power here that hasn¡¯t been detected? As you said earlier, it¡¯s also for our safety¡­¡±


    ¡°I have confidence in my judgment,¡± Nina asserted confidently without letting Duncan finish, puffing out her chest with firm conviction, ¡°Blessed by the Goddess¡¯s grace, my eyes are the most effective detection tools. Especially during the daytime, no heretical forces or deep shadows can escape my sight¡ªeven the most adept at hiding Evil Gods and demons cannot hide from me!¡±


    No sooner had Nina finished speaking than a clatter came from not far away. Sherry had finally knocked the base off the wooden sculpture she was fiddling with.


    ¡°I¡­ was trying to find a safer place for it¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave that stuff alone! If it comes to that, go wipe the windowsill!¡± Duncan said helplessly to Sherry, who was trying hard to play the part of a shop assistant, and then turned back to Nina, squeezing out after a long pause, ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°The kid seems a bit clumsy,¡± Nina glanced at Sherry briefly, then remarked offhandedly, ¡°And she looks¡­ a little nervous, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just helping out for the first day,¡± Duncan told the truth, ¡°Not an official shop assistant, just a friend of my niece¡¯s. She¡¯s here to learn a few things and to help out with family expenses. Kids from the Lower City District usually start earning money earlier.¡±


    Nina nodded, finding the explanation quite normal, then pondered a moment before looking back at Duncan, ¡°I¡¯d also like to confirm one more thing¡ªafter leaving the museum, did any of you experience any lasting discomfort? Have you had any nightmares?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t answer immediately.


    Someone had nightmares. Not only did Sherry have nightmares, but she also saw incredible things with him at the edge of the Dreamscape¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t say that.


    The Judge before him, although a ¡°positive character¡± upholding the order of City-State, viewed Sherry in the eyes of the authorities and church as an undeniable Heretic. In a world strung tight with nerves, even the most just and fair Judge would find it hard to show much tolerance or empathy to a ¡°Heretic¡± at a first meeting.


    ¡°No, everything¡¯s normal,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°But may I ask what kind of nightmares? If anything similar happens to us in the next few days, I would like to be able to confirm it right away and seek help from the nearest church.¡±


    ¡°It must be related to flames,¡± Fenna answered, ¡°extremely vast flames that surge violently in the darkness of the void, bending during the eruption to form a magnificent arc¡ªconsidering that you¡¯ve just narrowly escaped from a fire, recent traumatic shadows could also be causing you to dream of similar scenes in the recent period. Ordinary people can¡¯t distinguish between normal dreams and the nightmares influenced by Transcendent forces, so I suggest you seek help from the nearest church as soon as you dream of flames.¡±


    Duncan furrowed his brows.


    Flames surging violently in the darkness of the void, a spectacular arc-shaped flame¡­


    This did not sound like Nina¡¯s dreams, nor Sherry¡¯s dreams, nor was it the scene of the fire-ravaged ruins he had seen the night before.


    If he had to say, Fenna¡¯s serious expression while describing that sight inexplicably reminded him of something else¡­ the Sun Shard.


    Only the shard of the sun could possess the might described, and make a Judge look so solemn.


    Duncan pondered for a moment, carefully adjusting his words within the framework of the persona ¡°concerned citizen,¡± before suddenly speaking, ¡°May I ask out of curiosity¡­ is this related to the Sun Cultists that have been causing trouble in the city lately? Those heretics seem to be always doing something with the sun, flames, sacrifices, and the like, it sounds like they¡¯re about to set fire to the city at any time.¡±


    There were Sun Cultist activities within the city, and the authorities were hunting them down; this was common knowledge. Fenna didn¡¯t think too much about it and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not ruled out that they are behind this¡­ but you just need to know enough, don¡¯t inquire too deeply; it¡¯s very dangerous for ordinary people.¡±


    As a high-ranking Judge, Fenna was aware that not long ago, a cultist hideout in an abandoned factory had been reported and demolished, and she had even gone to investigate the site in person, but there was no need for her to personally understand more details. Thus, she was unaware that the ¡°concerned citizen¡± who initially reported the heretics¡¯ hideout was the antique store owner standing before her.


    Duncan didn¡¯t bring up his own action of reporting either, as he had already vaguely confirmed his suspicions from Fenna¡¯s answer and was thus lost in thought.


    Even the church¡¯s higher-ups believed this matter was related to the Sun Cultists; it must indeed be the Sun Shard¡ªduring the fire at the museum, the Sun Shard¡¯s influence had briefly appeared in the real world, alerting Fenna who later dealt with the site.


    Then were the ¡°dreamscape scenes¡± Fenna described¡­ the actual appearance of the Sun Shard?!


    A colossal flame, furiously bursting forth in the darkness of the void¡­ this was entirely different from what Duncan had initially imagined when he first heard the name ¡°Sun Shard¡±!


    In his original conception, something like the ¡°Sun Shard,¡± chased and sought by the heretics and that could seal the Evil God slumbering in the City-State, should have been something ¡°abnormal,¡± a tangible, substantial entity with a spurious connection to the sun but actually not much to do with the real sun. However, if he went by Fenna¡¯s description¡­


    Duncan tried to supplement his imagination, recalling his impression of the ¡°sun¡± as a person from Earth, and eventually felt more and more that the thing¡­ seemed like a ¡°solar flare¡±?!


    Leaving everything else aside, just by visual appearance, that was essentially a solar flare ejected into space!


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    His expression unchanged, his mind, however, was turbulent¡ª


    So the Sun Shard¡­ was literally what that TM stood for?!


    Meanwhile, at the same time, upstairs in Nina¡¯s bedroom, Heidi had completed the routine questioning and guidance for the ¡°patient.¡±


    She had roughly confirmed that Nina¡¯s dreams were not ordinary nightmares or merely due to mental stress-induced recurring dreams, but whether these dreams were affected by Transcendent factors required further determination.


    ¡°We may need a brief and moderate hypnotic treatment,¡± Heidi picked up the amethyst pendant in her hand, speaking in a calm tone to the girl before her, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, just follow my guidance and answer some questions.¡±

 Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Chapter 143 Hypnosis

    Chapter 139: Chapter 143 Hypnosis


    Watching the crystal pendant in Heidi¡¯s hand gently sway, Nina swallowed nervously¡ªalthough she was told to relax, this was her first time receiving hypnotherapy, and she found it hard to control her reaction.


    And while her gaze was captured by the pendant, she also noticed a seemingly simple stone bracelet on Heidi¡¯s wrist. The bracelet, woven with tough silk cord, was strung with many colorful pebbles, some of which bore rune-like marks.


    Noticing Nina¡¯s gaze, Heidi smiled and shook her wrist, ¡°I am a ¡®student¡¯ of the Academy of Truth, following and serving the God of Wisdom Rahm¡ªalthough it may not look it, my registration says that I am a clerical worker.¡±


    Clerical worker¡­ not only a mental health physician but also a member of the Academy of Truth?


    Nina had certainly heard of the Academy of Truth¡ªdespite its name suggesting a scholarly institution, in reality, this ¡°Academy¡± was one of the four major religious orders of the pantheon of gods. Along with the Deep Sea Church, the Death Sect, and the Fire Transmitter Church, they maintained the civilization order of the Deep Sea era. Unlike the other three churches, the ¡°theological¡± presence of the Academy was not strong, instead favoring pure knowledge inheritance and the research and promotion of cutting-edge technology. Its believers also built relationships based on mentorship and schools of thought.


    Other churches rooted themselves in chapels and sanctuaries, spreading faith and organizing masses on a daily basis. However, the Academy of Truth established countless universities and laboratories in each City-State, where the daily routine for high-ranking clerics seeing lower ones was to throw a difficult question at them, to see if their faith in the Lord had reached the passing score¡ªit was indeed a unique style.


    It was precisely because of the Academy of Truth¡¯s special ¡°style¡± that it had the fewest members among the four major religious orders, with even fewer having the qualification to wear the emblem daily and be officially recorded as clerical workers¡ªbecause the questions were really hard.


    In an average university, it was not certain that a few would qualify to devote themselves to Rahm each year, let alone someone like Nina, a poor child who studied in the public schools of the Lower City District.


    To her, Heidi suddenly seemed to be enveloped in an aura, one that, far from relaxing her, only made her more nerve-wracked.


    This was the awe of a vocational high school student with aspirations when confronted by the valedictorian of a top university.


    Heidi certainly noticed the change in Nina¡¯s expression but was unconcerned, instead casually playing with the pendant in her hand, and began speaking in the same calm tone of voice as before, ¡°Can you tell me about your childhood? You mentioned earlier that your parents died in an accident, that incident might be the shadow in your heart¡­ Would you tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t talk about,¡± Nina thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ve told many people, but everyone thinks I was too young back then to remember clearly, they think I¡¯m talking nonsense¡ªEleven years ago, there was a leak in a factory in District Six, and at that time, there were many Heretics destroying things everywhere. Later, a lot of people were arrested, do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Heidi nodded, ¡°I was only in my teens at the time, and when the accident happened, my family happened to be staying near Cross District, we also saw the rushing crowd¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember a big fire at the time?¡±


    ¡°A big fire?¡± Heidi tilted her head slightly, unconsciously stopping her play with the crystal pendant, ¡°What fire?¡±


    ¡°See, you don¡¯t know about that fire either¡ªbut in my memory, there was always a big fire, and my parents died in that fire, but everyone says I remembered it wrong¡­¡±


    Heidi listened quietly to Nina¡¯s account and after a while, nodded gently before asking again, ¡°So this should be the shadow in your heart, you fear a fire that only you know exists, and you worry that at any time, this bizarre phenomenon will reappear and take away the people around you, with no one to help you¡ªnot even anyone to notice your plight.¡±


    Nina nodded lightly.


    ¡°Have you had any stress recently?¡± Heidi asked further, ¡°In terms of your studies, your daily life, these recent pressures might magnify the long-standing gloom in your heart¡­¡±


    Nina fell silent for a moment before speaking hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s probably because my uncle has been in poor health, and it¡¯s been getting worse lately, which worries me¡­¡±


    She paused, then hurriedly added, ¡°Ah, but now his health is better, and I feel like I¡¯ve relaxed a lot too, and these past few days, I haven¡¯t had that strange dream¡­¡±


    ¡°Worried about a family member¡¯s health, hm¡­¡±


    Heidi mused softly. As she listened to the girl across from her murmuring as if in a dream, she watched Nina half-asleep leaning against the headboard and casually set down the crystal pendant.


    As a ¡°psychiatric doctor¡± who studied at the Academy of Truth and dealt with the Transcendent realm, she didn¡¯t need to use methods like shaking pendants or lighting medicated smoke for hypnosis treatments¡ªjust a few words would suffice.


    The only purpose of this pendant was to attract Nina¡¯s attention, helping her relax and lowering her defenses against ¡°words.¡±


    Miss Psychiatrist let out a soft sigh and looked tenderly at Nina, who had completely relaxed and was gradually falling into a deeper sleep.


    ¡°You can tell you¡¯ve had a tough life¡­ all the tension and anxiety are buried deep within you, and you¡¯ve grown used to this way of life. You hope it will make those around you more comfortable, yet you neglect yourself¡ªnow just relax, have a good sleep, leave all the pressure in a dreamscape that will soon dissipate. When you wake, those anxieties will no longer concern you.¡±


    In the half-dream state, Nina¡¯s voice softly arose, ¡°¡­Thank you¡­¡±


    Heidi smiled and, to further help Nina relax, she seemed to ask nonchalantly, ¡°By the way, your uncle was ill before? What disease did he have? I saw Mr. Duncan earlier, and he seemed quite healthy.¡±


    Nina was silent for a longer time before she spoke softly, ¡°Just a bit of physical weakness, he¡¯s¡­ completely recovered now¡­¡±


    However, Heidi could no longer hear Nina¡¯s response.


    The moment she asked the last question, she had already slumped at the foot of Nina¡¯s bed, falling into an even deeper dreamscape than her patient.


    On Heidi¡¯s right wrist was a handwoven bracelet made of stones¡ªa common identifier worn by Believers from the Academy of Truth, symbolizing that the wearer was a monk trained rigorously, graced by the God of Wisdom Rahm, and steadfastly against the mad power of heresy. Each runic stone on it represented a divine attention from Rahm.


    Seconds after a flicker of light, one of the agate stones on the bracelet emitted a slight cracking sound before disintegrating quickly into dust and vanishing with the wind.


    Down in the shop on the first floor, Fenna was asking Duncan a few more questions, partly to understand if there were any details overlooked from the museum fire, and partly to confirm if Duncan and the others were affected by the Sun Shard.


    In the conversation, the initial awkwardness and estrangement of a first meeting gradually faded, and the atmosphere became friendlier and more familiar.


    Duncan could feel that the ¡°Judge¡± from the Deep Sea Church, who held a high position, was truly concerned about the safety of the survivors from the fire¡ªnot just to combat heresy or investigate clues. Her attitude was genuinely and earnestly sincere.


    He did not know if this young Judge could care so much for every person in the City-State or if it was just out of a connection with Heidi that she showed concern for the few people in the antique shop. Yet, Fenna¡¯s demonstrated sincerity was enough to leave a good impression on him.


    ¡°Speaking of which, Miss Heidi and Nina have been upstairs for a while, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    In the course of the conversation, Duncan thought of his niece and subconsciously looked up at the stairs leading to the second floor.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Fenna realized as well after being reminded and slightly furrowed her brows, ¡°Usually Heidi¡¯s treatment sessions are quite swift¡­¡±


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    ¡°¡­I think you can¡¯t use Miss Heidi¡¯s usual treatment method as a standard, physical hypnosis and kinetic anesthesia are swift on anyone,¡± Duncan¡¯s lips quivered, ¡°But the time they¡¯ve taken is indeed too long¡­ Could something have happened?¡±


    Fenna shook her head, ¡°No, Heidi is a trained professional from the Academy of Truth; she wouldn¡¯t mess up a typical hypnotic treatment. She must have gotten into a conversation with Nina, she does that sometimes¡ªtoo much dealing with paranoid heretics, and talking to a normal person is like a novelty to her. Shall we go check on them?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡±


    Duncan and Fenna then rose to go upstairs, arriving one after the other at Nina¡¯s room. Before they could even push open the door, they simultaneously heard noises from the room¡ª


    Two overlapping snoring sounds.

 Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Chapter 144 Fennas Vigilance

    Chapter 140: Chapter 144 Fenna¡¯s Vigilance


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, so sorry, I don¡¯t know what happened¡­¡± Heidi said, her face flush with embarrassment. As a seasoned psychiatrist who had even managed to complete all her studies under the strict standards of the Academy of Truth, her discomfort was indescribable¡ªfrankly, the moment Fenna had to snap her out of it with an exasperated look, Heidi almost felt like her career had come to an end¡­


    At this time, Nina, who had just been roused from sleep on the bed, was also baffled. She had no idea what had happened and looked on in confusion as Heidi apologized to her. Eventually, she turned her gaze to Duncan beside her, ¡°Uncle Duncan, what¡¯s happened? Why is Miss Heidi¡­¡±


    ¡°The psychiatrist who was hypnotizing you just now was sleeping even more soundly than you,¡± Duncan replied with a helpless expression and sighed while pointing at the bedside, ¡°She was drooling all over the floor.¡±


    His words were quite direct, and the moment they were uttered, Heidi¡¯s head dropped even lower.


    In this awkward and chaotic atmosphere, only Fenna maintained a stern look. She scanned the entire room first, as if searching or sensing something, before finally focusing on Heidi, ¡°Are you really okay? Why did you fall asleep during the hypnosis session?¡±


    Hearing her friend¡¯s serious tone, Heidi began to come around. She furrowed her brows and carefully recalled the events, then shook her head faintly after a moment, ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. It must have been due to excessive exhaustion, and I let myself relax too much after the session was completed.¡±


    ¡°The treatment is complete, is it?¡± Fenna still seemed a bit concerned and followed up with another question.


    ¡°It is,¡± Heidi nodded after another period of serious thought, ¡°I asked Miss Nina some questions; it was only after she answered that I drifted off.¡±


    Duncan noticed Fenna¡¯s unusually solemn expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, just a bit worried about Heidi¡¯s condition. She¡¯s never had this kind of issue,¡± Fenna shook her head, ¡°But perhaps, as she said, she¡¯s just been overworked¡ªshe¡¯s been working continuously, and even her precious day off was ruined due to the museum fire.¡±


    Hearing this, Nina immediately blurted out an apology to Heidi, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it seems I¡¯ve taken up your rare day off¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± Heidi quickly waved her hands, ¡°And if you think about it from another angle, I actually had a good sleep here¡ªI haven¡¯t slept this soundly in a long time.¡±


    After making sure that Heidi was indeed fine, Fenna looked up at the sky outside the window and stood up, turning to Duncan, ¡°It¡¯s getting late; it seems we should say our goodbyes and leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to rest a bit?¡± Duncan showed the concern befitting the host, ¡°Miss Heidi still looks quite tired.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better now,¡± Heidi said with a slight smile, ¡°It¡¯s not safe to be outside at night, and I need to be home before the sun sets¡ªmy father worries a lot about these things.¡±


    Accepting her reason, Duncan didn¡¯t press further. He helped Nina off the bed and then turned to the day¡¯s guests, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you downstairs.¡±


    He escorted Heidi and Fenna to the front door on the ground floor, just as the sun was slowly sinking toward the distant horizon.


    Fenna went to start the vehicle¡¯s steam core. The unbelievable steam-powered machine of this world seemed to require no boiler preheating to start up quickly; Duncan watched as the dark grey vehicle quickly hummed into action. Heidi, before stepping out the door, suddenly turned back. She glanced at Nina and then settled her eyes on Duncan.


    ¡°You seem to be a very capable guardian now, but there was a time when you seemed to neglect Nina a bit¡ªher mental tension and anxiety stem from that,¡± the psychiatrist said earnestly and directly, ¡°Of course, her condition has improved significantly. The counseling session should make things even better, but even the best treatments need reinforcement, and the finest healing for the mind comes from the care of family.¡±


    Nina¡¯s mental tension and anxiety? And was that before he had taken over this body?


    Duncan realized then and nodded to Heidi, expressing his gratitude, ¡°Thank you for your help. I¡¯ve not been in the best state recently, and that¡¯s been my negligence.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I should really have a thorough talk with you. Communication with the family after the treatment process is also an important step, but there simply wasn¡¯t enough time today,¡± Heidi exhaled in relief and stepped back half a step, ¡°I¡¯ll go home and sort through Nina¡¯s situation again and write up some follow-up suggestions to send to you in a letter.¡±


    The two special guests finally bade farewell and left.


    As Duncan watched the car, which stood out in the Lower City District, disappear into the streets at sunset, he let out a sigh of relief; his first face-to-face interaction with the ¡°Judge¡± from the church was more peaceful and smooth than he had expected.


    After Fenna and her companion had left, Sherry finally emerged from a corner on the first floor. The girl looked anxiously toward the door until she saw Duncan and Nina return and then dared to approach, ¡°Are they really gone?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, don¡¯t worry,¡± Duncan glanced at Sherry with a helpless tone, ¡°You¡¯re hiding too obviously. That¡¯ll only make people more suspicious, you know? Lucky for us, the Judge didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared! That¡¯s a Judge! The highest martial power of the Church within the City-State!¡± Sherry¡¯s eyes widened as she explained anxiously, as if fearing that Duncan didn¡¯t grasp her concern, ¡°The highest-ranking clergy I usually deal with are just the community church priests and the patrolling guardians, and I still have to avoid them¡ªespecially with Dog around, as you well know¡­¡±


    She paused, then sighed, ¡°Ah, of course, you wouldn¡¯t understand how I feel. To a being like you, there¡¯s probably no difference between a Judge of the City-State and a community church priest¡­¡±


    Nina looked at Sherry, then turned to glance in the direction where Fenna and Heidi had left, furrowing her brows, ¡°Sherry, as a ¡®wild supernatural being¡¯ like you¡­ would the Church really arrest you? You haven¡¯t done anything wrong; both Miss Heidi and Miss Fenna are nice people¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯ve done something wrong,¡± Sherry sighed, ¡°The Church won¡¯t arrest all wild supernatural beings, because in this world some people gain supernatural powers for odd reasons. They¡¯re not all heretics, and the Church turns a blind eye to some supernatural beings who live their lives quietly among the populace¡ªbut they would definitely arrest me and Dog because according to their standards, anyone associated with Profound Demons or Subspace, regardless of their current state, is a potential heretic.¡±


    Nina frowned, lost in a realm she had never encountered before. Sherry¡¯s words had plunged her into a brief dilemma, but Duncan soon broke her indecision, ¡°Nina, how are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine,¡± Nina responded promptly, ¡°I think Miss Heidi¡¯s ¡®treatment¡¯ worked well. After talking with her for a while and taking a short nap, I feel much more relaxed!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Duncan nodded lightly, said no more, and started walking toward the staircase. Only then did Sherry seem to realize something, glancing outside at the darkening sky and letting out a mournful cry, ¡°Ah, I was planning to go home today¡­¡±


    ¡°Just wishful thinking,¡± Duncan replied without turning back, ¡°With the way it¡¯s getting dark outside, do you really plan to outwit the Church¡¯s guardians at night?¡±


    Nina laughed too, stepping forward to pat Sherry on the shoulder, ¡°Just stay here and settle down; it¡¯ll be great to have someone to chat with before bed¡ªand we can talk about going home tomorrow!¡±


    ¡­


    On the way back to the Upper City District, Fenna gripped the steering wheel while Heidi, who sat in the passenger seat, was yawning, ¡°Yawn¡­ I had such a good sleep¡­¡± she said before asking casually, ¡°So, what did you talk about with the antique store owner? Notice anything amiss?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing unusual,¡± Fenna replied while keeping an eye on the road ahead, ¡°The store owner is just an ordinary person, and so is that girl Sherry. There¡¯s no sign that the antique store has been influenced by any supernatural power or evil will; they really must have just been lucky to escape. What about you? Did you find anything during your time with Nina?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s normal,¡± Heidi nodded as well, her hand stroking the crystal pendant she had put back on, with the bracelet of stone beads, representing the Academy of Truth, slipping slightly on her wrist¡ªwith one bead missing, which she seemed not to care about, ¡°But Nina mentioned something during the hypnosis ¡®treatment¡¯ that was a bit odd.¡±


    ¡°Odd? What was it?¡±


    ¡°She mentioned a fire she experienced as a child, the factory leak incident from eleven years ago,¡± Heidi said offhandedly, ¡°But you know, eleven years ago there wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    She stopped mid-sentence as the sound of abrupt braking and the vibration of the car interrupted her. Fenna suddenly stopped the car and looked at her friend wide-eyed, ¡°A fire?! Nina said she remembers a fire from eleven years ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± Heidi seemed baffled, ¡°Why such a reaction?¡±


    Fenna didn¡¯t speak for a moment, her face changing rapidly, but Heidi could sense something from her friend¡¯s reaction, ¡°Should we turn around and go back now? We could ask more about it¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Fenna shook her head after a moment of contemplation and then refocused on the road ahead.


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    The car started moving again, the scenery of the streets on both sides speeding away in the increasingly dim light.


    Heidi looked at her friend in the driver¡¯s seat, worried and confused, seemingly about to ask something, but before she could speak, Fenna gently shook her head.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re confused, but don¡¯t ask yet. Until I confirm some things, don¡¯t mention this to anyone else.¡±


    After pausing, she seemed to speak to herself in a low voice, ¡°Perhaps¡­ we¡¯ve been a bit too hasty today.¡±


    (¡­)

 Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Chapter 145 Heidi and her family

    Chapter 141: Chapter 145 Heidi and her family


    Haidi wisely did not press further.


    She knew that she and Fenna were different; although she was nominally a ¡°clergy¡± with accreditation from the Academy of Truth, she was better at pure research and contemplation rather than directly confronting those dangerous, secretive forces. Indeed, she could pry secrets from the minds of heretics and tease out the heretical shadows left behind by mass hallucinations, but this was starkly different from the work of a Judge.


    She herself lacked sensitivity to certain threats.


    But Fenna was someone who had been confronting heretics and secret forces head-on for years, and she might have already keenly sensed the presence of some shadow¨Ctoday¡¯s visit to the Lower City District probably inadvertently disturbed something.


    As they were getting close to home, Haidi asked a question, ¡°Is there a problem with that antique shop?¡±


    ¡°The antique shop is normal,¡± Fenna slowly decelerated the vehicle, her expression thoughtful, ¡°but there might be something abnormal in our City-State.¡±


    The sky had completely darkened, the bell for the change of day and the whistle from the central steam core sounded at the same time, penetrating the clouds above the City-State in the sunset. In the Upper City District, the gas lamps along the streets had been lit a half-hour early. Arriving at her doorstep, Haidi heard the sound of the car diminishing into the distance.


    There was a curfew at night in the city, but the decree only applied to common folk lacking the ability to protect themselves. The Church¡¯s Judges were clearly unaffected¨CFenna still had to check on the museum before returning to the cathedral and meet with the guards responsible for the scene blockade, her days off often went by without real rest.


    Haidi inadvertently recalled her own disrupted day off and let out a sigh before entering her house.


    The living room was lit but empty, and quietness pervaded the house. The day maids responsible for cleaning and laundry had gone home before sundown, leaving the large house feeling a bit desolate.


    However, Haidi had long been used to this; her father was the kind of man who once holed up in his study, could not be easily called out, and her mother, with her health issues, often rested in the bedroom. The house, a bit too spacious for a family of three, was mostly this quiet every day.


    But this didn¡¯t mean that the large house was devoid of warmth¨CHaidi had a very good relationship with her parents, and it had always been so.


    She expertly hung up her coat, put away her hat and portable medicine box, glanced at the lit study without disturbing her father who might be deeply immersed in reading, and as usual, went to her parents¡¯ bedroom and knocked, ¡°I¡¯m back¨Care you in there?¡±


    Her mother¡¯s voice came from inside, tinged with helplessness and a bit of feigned annoyance, ¡°You¡¯re back so late!¡±


    Haidi stuck her tongue out at the door and quickly composed her expression before entering with a smile, murmuring, ¡°I went out with Fenna, what¡¯s there to worry about, she could fight off the entire city with one hand¡­¡±


    The room¡¯s lighting was dim because too bright of a light would irritate her mother¡¯s eyes¨Cher mother had suffered from chemical fumes during a factory leak eleven years ago, which had left her vision impaired.


    Haidi adjusted to the dim light before she saw her mother leaning against the headboard, dressed in soft pajamas, weaving a unique rope craft from Plunder City-State by touch. In the shadowy glow, her mother looked up at Haidi with a mix of resignation in her voice, ¡°You¡¯re always hanging around Fenna; you¡¯ll end up unmarried just like her. I know it; she sneaks off to the marital aid center every weekend, then picks someone to beat up, and the church receives complaints daily¡­¡±


    Haidi¡¯s expression became quite amused, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that¡­ Fenna is already a Judge¡­¡±


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s a Judge, she¡¯s the one who ate lunch at our house for several years¨Cever since her uncle became Governor, he¡¯s been all about the City-State,¡± the old lady muttered nonstop while her hands moved quickly, ¡°In my opinion, the problem is with the upbringing she got from her uncle, the girl¡¯s too single-minded. At her baptism, she insisted on making a vow, she might as well, but she took on all three major vows at once to prove her devotion when most normal nuns just choose one; because of that, she¡¯s now stuck unable to marry¡­¡±


    As her mother rambled on, Haidi could only smile awkwardly. When the old lady paused for breath, Haidi seized the chance to change the subject and looked at the craft in her mother¡¯s hands, ¡°Are you almost finished with that?¡±


    ¡°I weave and I unravel, now I am finally a bit satisfied,¡± her mother smiled, showing off the piece that resembled a dazzling ribbon¨Ccomplex structures woven meticulously from fine ropes, adorned with pretty stones and colored beads, a unique skill of Plunder City-State known for its complexity, long hours of work, and believed to bring blessings and ward off evil, ¡°I wonder if it will be ready when you find a nice young man¡­¡±


    Haidi looked at the nearly finished rope craft and delicately suggested, ¡°Then maybe¡­ you could unravel it one more time, maybe it will be ready in time¡­¡±


    ¡°You are really teasing me!¡±


    Heidi hurriedly wore a smile and turned to leave the room.


    Her mother¡¯s nagging voice came from behind her. Heidi casually closed the door and then tiptoed, preparing to head to the kitchen. But just as she was about to walk away, she saw her father standing in the hallway.


    Morris, with his refined demeanor and sparse white hair, looked helplessly at his sneaky daughter, ¡°I heard you come home quite a while ago¡­ Did you upset your mother again?¡±


    Heidi quickly waved her hands, ¡°No, no, we were just chatting.¡±


    ¡°Did you deliver the gift to Mr. Duncan?¡± Morris asked.


    ¡°I did¨CMr. Duncan was very pleased,¡± Heidi nodded and then couldn¡¯t help but take another look at her father, ¡°But I really didn¡¯t expect you would part with your beloved book collection¡­¡±


    ¡°That was just one item from my collection¨Che saved your life,¡± Morris said indifferently, ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough. I need to go thank him in person in a couple of days.¡±


    Heidi suddenly remembered her ¡°little mishap¡± during the hypnosis treatment she conducted for Nina today, and her expression turned somewhat awkward, ¡°You don¡¯t need to¡­ be so formal, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about being formal. Mr. Duncan saved your life and not only am I your father, I¡¯m also Nina¡¯s teacher. On the other hand, Mr. Duncan is a keen and enthusiastic antiques dealer with a strong desire to learn. From a social standpoint, it¡¯s a relationship worth cultivating,¡± Morris explained casually, ¡°I like a phrase Mr. Duncan often uses, it¡¯s called ¡®fate¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, your point makes sense, makes sense,¡± Heidi, already feeling a headache coming on as her father, not particularly good at socializing himself, started to impart social etiquette on her, ¡°Next time you visit, just visit, please don¡¯t buy random things anymore, okay¡­¡±


    ¡°That will depend on whether or not there are any collectibles that interest me,¡± Morris said offhandedly. He then paused to think and seemingly in a casual manner asked, ¡°Did you go with Fenna today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, she had the day off, so I took her car.¡±


    Morris thought again, his expression hesitant, ¡°You seem¡­ quite close with Fenna.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been close with her for years now, haven¡¯t I?¡± Heidi was bewildered, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I just feel¡­¡± The old man suddenly stuttered, and for some reason, he was reminded of a phrase Mr. Duncan, the antique dealer, had mentioned during his last visit,


    ¡°Girls¡¯ school, could be¡­¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Heidi, seeing her father acting out of character, couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Morris suddenly snapped back to reality, feeling his previous train of thought might have been a bit too outrageous. He quickly tried to gather his composure and change the subject to prevent his daughter from noticing anything amiss. In that brief moment of shifting his gaze, his eyes suddenly fell upon Heidi¡¯s wrist.


    On the charm bracelet symbolizing the protection of the God of Wisdom Rahm, a red agate bead was missing.


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    The old man¡¯s expression suddenly changed, but then he noticed Heidi¡¯s completely normal demeanor and quickly forced himself to control his emotions, making an effort to remain calm and seemingly casual, ¡°Did you lose a bead from your bracelet? Did it accidentally come off?¡±


    ¡°Bracelet?¡± Heidi was startled and looked down at her wrist, where she saw the missing section of string. However, her expression seemed completely unsurprised, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there always one missing here?¡±


    There was always one missing?


    Morris slowly controlled his breathing and heartbeat while managing his emotions and thoughts, as if he feared his own intense ¡°ideas¡± might attract some dangerous attention. At the same time, he also began to recall the last time he saw his daughter¡¯s charm bracelet and what it looked like.


    After two seconds, he finished controlling his thoughts and safeguarded them before slowly easing his mood, asking in a tone as normal as any other day, ¡°By the way, you only went to that antique shop today, right?¡±

 Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Chapter 146 "Ashes

    Chapter 142: Chapter 146 ¡°Ashes


    Heidi did not notice anything unusual in her father¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded calmly, ¡°I just went to Mr. Duncan¡¯s antique shop with Fenna, had a few words with Mr. Duncan, then administered hypnotherapy to Nina, and afterward, Fenna and I returned together.¡±


    When she got to the end, she hesitated for a moment, pondering whether to tell her father about the things regarding the fire that she had learned from Nina, as well as Fenna¡¯s strange reaction to hearing about it. But in the end, she decided against it.


    She still vividly remembered Fenna¡¯s uncharacteristically grave expression in the car; there might be dangerous secret powers involved in this matter, and it could be severe enough that speaking up might invite prying eyes¨Calthough her father, like her, was also a true Believer of the God of Wisdom Rahm, and could be considered half Transcendent, he was similar to most Believers in that he resembled a pure scholar more than someone adept at dealing with those dangerous entities directly.


    Maurice still wore a calm and gentle expression on his face as he nodded lightly and said, as if offhandedly, ¡°You did spend quite some time there¡­ Did you lose track of time chatting with Mr. Duncan? He indeed is someone with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no, not exactly,¡± Heidi suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed, ¡°it¡¯s just that¡­ the hypnotherapy with Nina took a little longer than expected.¡±


    ¡°During Nina¡¯s hypnotherapy?¡± Maurice¡¯s eyebrows raised when he heard his student¡¯s name, ¡°Did it not go smoothly? Is her mental state poor? Was it affected by the museum fireincident?¡±


    At her father¡¯s barrage of questions, Heidi couldn¡¯t help but want to roll her eyes, ¡°You really care about your student, don¡¯t you¨Crelax, she¡¯s doing fine. She was just a bit anxious, and after my relaxation guidance, she¡¯s completely fine now and won¡¯t be affected during the final exams. The delay I was talking about¡­ was because of something else.¡±


    Maurice made a curious sound, ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Aha, I might have been a little too exhausted lately,¡± she said with an embarrassed, dry chuckle, ¡°After putting her under hypnosis, I fell asleep too and slept straight through until evening¡­¡±


    ¡°You fell asleep yourself during Nina¡¯s hypnotherapy?¡± Maurice¡¯s expression finally changed slightly, but he quickly regained composure, ¡°That¡¯s not like you.¡±


    ¡°People are prone to lapses now and then, and besides, it¡¯s been so long since I had a holiday,¡± Heidi said impatiently, waving her hand, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. I¡¯m an adult now, yet both you and mom get so worked up if I¡¯m late, it¡¯s just one question after another¡­¡±


    Maurice just quietly looked at his daughter for a few seconds, then his face returned to its usual gentle expression, and he smiled, shaking his head, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t ask anymore¨Cthere¡¯s still food in the kitchen, just heat it up. I¡¯ll go and check on your mother.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Heidi nodded, said goodbye to her father, and then headed to the kitchen. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back, ¡°By the way, you were planning to visit that antique shop later on, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maurice stood at the bedroom door, the hallway wall sconce casting a dim yellow light, creating mottled shadows on his aged face, ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    ¡°I left in a hurry today and didn¡¯t have a proper talk with Mr. Duncan about Nina¡¯s situation. I am going to write a letter, if you could take it with you when you go.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Maurice nodded, then muttered to himself as if speaking to himself, ¡°I need to go there again¡­¡±


    After Heidi left, the elder historian with graying hair just quietly stood at the bedroom door. He appeared to be deep in thought and after nearly ten seconds, he finally exhaled softly and pushed open the dark-colored wooden door.


    The light in the bedroom was still dim; with only a small wall light on, the decorative style of the room was elegant, the faint yellow light barely illuminating the outline on the bed.


    Maurice turned, carefully locked the door, and slowly approached the bedside.


    ¡°My dear, are you alright?¡± he spoke softly to the pile of writhing ash that maintained a human outline on the bed.


    From within the pile of floating, writhing ash that vaguely resembled a human shape, a soft whispering sound emerged as if tenderly responding, and among the ashes, the almost-finished rope knot ribbon made a soft friction noise. The beautiful silk rope, pulled by the ashes, slowly wove in and out, steadfastly tying one knot after another.


    ¡°Yes, truly beautiful. Your craftsmanship has always been outstanding,¡± Morris heard the reply amidst the faint murmuring and smiled as he praised his wife¡¯s knitting skills. ¡°The one you knitted for me is still hanging in my study.¡±


    The room fell silent, and in the dim light, time seemed to be deceived, freezing at this moment. But after half a minute, Morris broke the silence, ¡°Heidi went out today and when she came back, a red agate bead was missing from her bracelet.¡±


    The pile of ashes on the bed suddenly stilled, emitting a low grunt.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s still unclear what exactly happened; if that was an instance of our Lord Rahm¡¯s protection kicking in, it indicates that Heidi faced a danger today that could¡¯ve breached her mental safeguard, but she herself is unaware of anything, and I did not notice any malicious intent around her,¡± Morris spoke slowly, ¡°It seems more like she unwittingly brushed past ¡®something,¡¯ inadvertently triggering the bracelet¡¯s protection¡­¡±


    Morris suddenly stopped and listened to the low whispers emanating from the ashes.


    ¡°Hmm, after my reminder, Heidi noticed the missing part on her bracelet. Therein lies the problem¨Cshe believes that the red agate never existed,¡± Morris nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a form of self-defense, possibly stemming from her intuition or perhaps from the ¡®enlightenment¡¯ of the God of Wisdom. But either way, this protection is preventing her from delving further into certain matters¡­


    ¡°Me? I want to investigate it on my own, by myself.¡±


    The pile of ashes on the bed undulated slightly.


    Morris shook his head, ¡°There might be some risk, so I will pray and perform divination in advance, but I must make the trip¨Cactually, I¡¯ve been to that place once before. It seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary antique shop, inhabited by a diligent shopkeeper and an eager-to-learn child. At that time, I didn¡¯t sense any malice or evil lurking there¡­


    ¡°So if the danger materialized in the shop during Heidi¡¯s visit today, then the shop¡¯s owner might also be threatened¨Cmy student lives there, and I must check on her.


    ¡°After all, I am her teacher and a servant of the God of Wisdom¡­¡± Morris said softly, then heard an almost indiscernible whisper from the pile of ashes on the bed. He listened intently for a long time before slowly shaking his head.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t disturb the cathedral¡­ though their involvement might be more effective, their overly decisive approach could harm my student. To the guardians of the church, the priority of suppressing heresy and eradicating evil is too high, and moreover¡­¡± Morris paused, sighed softly, and continued, ¡°Besides, I¡¯d rather not draw the attention of the cathedral, after all¡­ I am a wavering heretic in hiding.¡±


    His voice was low as he gently gazed at the pile of ashes on the bed, at¡­ his wife who had died in a great fire eleven years ago.


    At her lingering shadow in this mortal world.


    The ashes slowly rose, seeming to coalesce into an arm-like shape, gently caressing Morris¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡± Morris bowed his head as if speaking to himself, yet as if confessing to some unseen entity, ¡°I am a man whose faith has faltered, too cowardly to fully fall¡­ The God of Wisdom granted me eyes to see through deception on that day, yet I weakly closed them, making unrealizable wishes. I wanted to keep you in this world, yet couldn¡¯t completely fool myself¡­ Instead, I¡¯ve trapped myself in this most awkward position¡­¡±


    He lifted his head and gently grasped the drifting wisp of ash, his fingers passing directly through the dust.


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    ¡°How I wish I could be ignorant, like Heidi, so I could clearly see your other form¡­ I haven¡¯t seen you in eleven years.¡±


    A soft voice came from the ashes, like sand rubbing together, like a warm little fire crackling, and as Morris listened to this sound, his mind gradually calmed.


    ¡°I understand, I understand¡­ all this will end, the curtain must eventually fall on the stage, regardless of what day my wish is responded to, the time will come for the destined price to be paid. I have long been prepared to vanish cleanly and completely from this world when it comes to collect, not even the shadows of Subspace will be able to touch the real world through this ¡®wish,¡¯ but¡­¡±


    Morris lifted his gaze to the contour of ashes in the dim light.


    ¡°But, until that day comes¡­ stay with me a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Chapter 147: Appearing in the Real World?

    Chapter 143: Chapter 147: Appearing in the Real World?


    ¡°Uncle Duncan, I¡¯m off to school!¡±


    With a cheerful greeting, Nina darted downstairs. She turned to wave at the second floor, then headed towards the front door.


    The rest day had ended; it was a school day again.


    But before she reached the door, Nina suddenly stopped. She saw a figure swaying behind a nearby shelf¨Cit was Sherry.


    ¡°Ah, Sherry,¡± Nina said happily, waving at the girl in front of her, ¡°I was wondering where you went¨Cshall we go together?¡±


    ¡°Together?¡± Sherry blinked, confused, ¡°Go where?¡±


    ¡°To school. Today is¡­¡± Nina began instinctively, but then she remembered halfway and her face showed an awkward expression, ¡°Ah, sorry, I forgot¡­¡±


    Sherry wasn¡¯t her classmate and didn¡¯t attend school; their pleasant times spent in the campus were merely a play¨CNina knew this, but after all, it had indeed happened. Many times, she still forgot.


    Sherry¡¯s face also showed an odd expression for a moment, and a hint of apology flashed in her eyes, but she quickly recovered and shook her head gently, ¡°I won¡¯t join you, my¡­ ¡®Scout activities¡¯ at that school are done.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nina pursed her lips, returning to her usual smiling self quickly, ¡°Sorry, I forgot. Shall I go ahead then?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sherry nodded, but then seemed to remember something, adding, ¡°By the way, Nina, I¡­ I¡¯m going home today.¡±


    ¡°Going home?¡± Nina paused, seemingly unable to process the two words. In just two days, she had naturally come to consider Sherry as part of this place, so when the latter mentioned going home, Nina was a bit slow to grasp the concept, ¡°You won¡¯t be here?¡±


    ¡°I have to go home; I was only staying here temporarily,¡± Sherry explained, waving her hands, as she conveyed what she had wanted to say for a while. ¡°I mentioned it to Mr. Duncan too, and he agreed.¡±


    Nina fell silent, a bit dazed, and after a few seconds, she hesitantly spoke, ¡°Then¡­ will you come back?¡±


    If she could, she wouldn¡¯t come back¨Cmaybe even steal a ticket to flee to Frost to dodge the bullet.


    The thought of fleeing crossed Sherry¡¯s mind, but she immediately felt as if eyes were piercing through the floorboards from the second floor onto her. She instinctively shrank her neck, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll come to visit if I have the chance, I don¡¯t live that far, haha, ha¡­¡±


    Nina tilted her head, not sure why, but she felt Sherry¡¯s reaction just now was a bit odd. However, she didn¡¯t think much about it and was soon cheery again, satisfied with the promise of ¡°visiting whenever possible.¡± She waved happily, turned, and ran out the door like a gust of wind, disappearing into the street outside the antique shop.


    Sherry watched Nina run off like a breeze and only snapped back to her senses after a moment when she realized a figure was standing on the nearby stairs, watching her calmly.


    She hurriedly turned around and bent in a bow with a politeness that was rare for her, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Duncan!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve become much more polite, which suits a girl your age,¡± Duncan said lightly, descending the stairs slowly, ¡°Did you clear things up with Nina? You¡¯re going home today?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ clarified it,¡± Sherry said, her head bowed low, her voice barely audible as if afraid that the boss might retract the settled matter, ¡°You agreed too; I can leave today.¡±


    ¡°Why have you become nervous again? You were fine yesterday. Does your nervousness reset every morning?¡± Duncan shook his head, half amused, half exasperated. He stepped forward and gently patted Sherry¡¯s slender shoulder, ¡°Relax, I never said I¡¯d confine you to a particular place; it was merely an invitation to stay as a guest for two days. You can go back whenever you want¨Cand come back whenever you wish.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I understand,¡± Sherry nodded repeatedly, then slightly helplessly added, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not that nervous. It¡¯s Ah Dog that¡¯s always on edge. Whenever you¡¯re nearby, it instinctively gets nervous, and then its nervousness transfers to me.¡±


    ¡°Ah Dog, huh¡­ well, that can¡¯t be helped. Its nervousness seems to originate from Profound Demons¡¯ keen senses,¡± Duncan shrugged, then looked at Sherry, ¡°But are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider? You could stay here. The place you and Ah Dog stay doesn¡¯t seem very comfy and it¡¯s not safe at night either. Comparatively, this is a safe place.¡±


    A Subspace Shadow claiming its lair was a safe place was a statement with both plausible and absurd features. Yet, after pondering for a while, Sherry found no point to argue against it (primarily due to lack of courage), thus, she ended up with a silly laugh, ¡°Ah¡­ aha ha¡­ that¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I was just saying; don¡¯t dwell on it,¡± seeing her reaction, Duncan knew what was happening, and he waved it off, ¡°Go if you want to go, but you know how to reach me now. If you find new leads on those Sun Cultists, remember to call me anytime.¡±


    Sherry silently nodded.


    After what felt like a dreamy two days, she had finally obtained permission to leave this place, and the chance to distance herself from this formidable presence. But when the opportunity truly arose, she suddenly found herself somewhat at a loss.


    Chatting happily with a ¡°friend,¡± living under the care of an ¡°elder,¡± enjoying the warmth of the bedroom, the bright lights, tasty food, and a peaceful life free from the fear of nightmares and the need to hide from the guardians.


    She had been permitted to leave now.


    For some reason, Sherry suddenly had an absurd thought¨C


    A bright world had briefly opened its doors to her, and now, those doors were about to be closed.


    Just recently, this was what she had longed for¨Cin fact, it still was; she was just¡­ somewhat conflicted.


    In the psychic link, she suddenly heard Agou¡¯s low murmur, ¡°Our lives are going to be back on track, Sherry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, back on track.¡±


    Sherry murmured softly in her mind, then lifted her head, intending to say goodbye to Mr. Duncan.


    But at that moment, Mr. Duncan¡¯s expression subtly shifted.


    In the depths, he sensed a flash of an aura far away, one of the marks he had left!


    ¡°Mr. Duncan?¡± Sherry noticed the sudden seriousness on his face and immediately became a bit nervous, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I sensed an aura,¡± Mr. Duncan interrupted Sherry softly, looking into the distance, ¡°It seems to be coming from that direction.¡±


    Sherry was momentarily at a loss, ¡°An aura?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small flame I left for that ¡®little bug,''¡± Mr. Duncan slightly lowered his head, gazing into Sherry¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do you remember the umbrella-wielding assailant who attacked you at the edge of the Dreamscape?¡±


    Sherry paused, then her eyes widened, ¡°The fragment you sent ¡®home¡¯? But¡­ but that was in the Dreamscape world¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was an assailant that appeared in the Dreamscape,¡± Mr. Duncan¡¯s voice became suggestive, ¡°But now I¡¯ve sensed that mark in the real world.¡±


    Sherry stared wide-eyed. She suddenly remembered what Mr. Duncan had told her in that nightmare:


    Perhaps, it was more than just a dream.


    ¡°Sherry,¡± Mr. Duncan¡¯s voice suddenly came, breaking the girl¡¯s reverie. He slightly lowered his head with a smile, ¡°Before we head home, do you want to come scout with me one more time? Of course if you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to go!¡± Sherry immediately responded before he could finish, so decisively that she even startled herself. Then, as if to ease the awkwardness, she explained, ¡°That¡­ ¡®thing¡¯ appeared on the street after the great fire, it must be related to that fire from years ago¡­¡±


    Mr. Duncan pressed on Sherry¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°How will we get there?¡± Sherry inhaled softly. ¡°Are you certain of the exact location of that thing? Are we going to take the bus like last time¡­¡±


    Mr. Duncan shook his head with a smile, ¡°Now, I have a more convenient mode of transportation.¡±


    Sherry paused, about to ask what this convenient mode of transportation was, when from the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw a shadow swoop down from the second-floor staircase, accompanied by a series of shrill, strange female voices: ¡°To Erxianqiao, take Chenghua Avenue¡­ Plenty of seats! Seats in the back¡­ Seeds, beverages, mineral water! Tuck in your feet on both sides!¡±


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    The sudden appearance of the swift shadow and the strange voices startled Sherry, but once she could see what it was, her eyes widened even more than before: It was that bizarre pigeon! The pigeon that could eat nearly its own size in fries in one meal!


    The next second, under Sherry¡¯s astounded gaze, Ai Yi quickly circled in the air, and green flames rose around it. In the blink of an eye, the clumsy-looking white dove transformed into the terrifying Spiritual Body Bone Dove.


    Sherry: ¡°¡­?!¡±


    Her neck stiffly turned as she seemed to want to confirm something with Mr. Duncan, but before she could speak, her vision blurred¡­


    Amidst Ai Yi¡¯s continuous chirping of ¡°Plenty of seats, seats in the back,¡± a vortex resembling a fiery doorway flashed past, and the next second, a swift white dove burst out of the antique shop and flew straight into the distance.

 Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Chapter 148 Overlapping

    Chapter 144: Chapter 148 Overlapping


    A swift white shadow darted through the old and dirty alleyways of the Lower City District, over the crisscrossing pipes and pressure-relief structures above the factory area, past desolate stations and deserted streets, and finally slipped into a narrow, shabby lane.


    A pale green flame suddenly bloomed, spreading wildly in the air like a doorway, and the vortex within the gate briefly expanded before Duncan stepped out from it.


    Immediately following was the still somewhat dazed Sherry.


    Duncan looked back at the girl behind him, gave her a once-over, then spoke in a deep voice, ¡°How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m okay,¡± Sherry was still reeling, but her confusion was more due to the disorientation caused by suddenly being whisked through dimensions by the big shot rather than any physical discomfort. She looked up at Ai Yi, who had returned to its Bone Dove form and was now perched on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, and after a long pause, she finally reached out with telepathy to communicate with A Dog, who was hidden within her Spiritual Body, ¡°A Dog, can you beat this dove?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t ask, the answer is no,¡± A Dog¡¯s voice sounded muffled, ¡°Not just birds raised by the big shot, but even fish stewed by him, I can¡¯t beat¡­¡±


    Sherry was taken aback, ¡°Why suddenly mention fish?¡±


    ¡°Because I can tell that, with this person, there is likely nothing that abides by common sense¡­¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t know that Sherry was whispering with A Dog; he was simply rechecking Sherry¡¯s condition and sensing the state of the mark he had left on her. Only then did he completely ease his mind.


    In fact, he was confident in Ai Yi¡¯s ability to transport living beings, not only because he had tested it with his own now-mortal body but also because, after that, he had Ai Yi perform numerous ¡°live experiments¡± with various animals on the outside. All the tests were perfect, confirming that the dove could safely transport living targets¨Cbut even with so many tests, he still subconsciously checked on Sherry¡¯s condition.


    After all, Ai Yi was mysterious and filled with puzzles, and no one knew how many special traits it had yet to reveal. Using the ¡°Bone Dove Express¡± warranted extra caution.


    After confirming Sherry¡¯s condition, he then turned his attention to their surroundings.


    The view before him was a quiet, mean lane, at the end of which one could faintly see the old street scenery, with decrepit piping facilities stretched overhead from houses on both sides, some of their connections leaking slight hisses of steam.


    This was a common sight in many areas of the Lower City District.


    But Sherry immediately realized where they were.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Sixth District?¡± She widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°Mr. Duncan, did you sense the mark appear here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Sixth District, we¡¯ve come back here but¡­¡± Duncan exhaled slowly, then frowned lightly, ¡°but the sensation of the mark faded a minute ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­Faded? Did it go out?¡±


    Sherry asked in surprise, but Duncan didn¡¯t give an answer, instead looking thoughtfully in a certain direction.


    In Sherry¡¯s ¡°Dreamscape,¡± he had implanted a flame within the remnants left after the Assailants split, instructing it to return to its ¡°original body.¡± Shortly after, he lost the sensation of that flame as Sherry¡¯s Dreamscape ended¨Cuntil just now, when the mark suddenly appeared in his awareness again, guiding him here.


    To the Sixth District in the real world.


    The Spiritual Body fire that should have spread within the Dreamscape had suddenly sent signals back in the real world¨CSherry¡¯s own Dreamscape, the fringes of which connected with the scenes from Nina¡¯s dream, the umbrella monster that attacked Sherry in the nightmare had appeared at the real fire scene at the museum¡­


    Unconsciously, many contradictory yet vaguely connected clues linked together in Duncan¡¯s mind, feeling as if he was about to touch that invisible veil.


    Or rather, that vast veil, although shrouding the entire City-State, still retained a ¡°gap¡± somewhere in the Sixth District¨Cat some place they had previously overlooked.


    He looked towards the last direction from which the mark sent a ¡°signal¡± in his perception.


    The trace of the mark only appeared for a short period and had quickly faded away a minute ago, but Duncan did not think the flame he left behind had been extinguished¨Cdespite not being able to pinpoint its location accurately, he could still sense that the flame was still burning, and even growing stronger than before.


    Since the flame still burned and grew, it indicated that its ¡°mission¡± was not yet over¨Cit was still chasing, consuming, and assimilating the Assailant, even possibly spreading into a large fire. Its brief appearance in the Sixth District followed by a quick retreat could be due to an unstable ¡°veil¡± in this area, with a gap that had briefly opened and closed, causing a crossover connection between two dimensional worlds.


    He needed to find that gap, the one that seemed to connect the Dreamscape and reality.


    Days later, Duncan was leading Sherry through the desolate and dilapidated streets of District Six once again, this time they didn¡¯t waste their time asking the locals for information but headed straight to the deepest part of the district.


    ¡°That abandoned factory is in a different direction¡­¡± Halfway, Sherry lifted her arm and pointed to a large building in the distance.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to that factory,¡± Duncan said quickly, ¡°this way.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Sherry followed his response, scurrying to keep up with Duncan¡¯s pace.


    The withered leaves drifted with the wind, landing under Sherry¡¯s feet. As she stepped on them, the light crackling sound of breaking beneath her seemed like the crunch of charred wood, or the faint popping of tiny flames.


    She looked around, only to see the ordinary streets, with old houses lined along, standing amid the falling leaves, facing the intruders with cold indifference.


    Suddenly, Sherry noticed something was wrong.


    She realized she hadn¡¯t seen a single pedestrian for some time.


    District Six was indeed quiet, with few pedestrians in most parts, and the few residents who were there seemed listless, indifferent, and solitary. But it was never so deserted that there were no people at all!


    An uncomfortable feeling began to spread from the bottom of her heart, eerily reminding her of the dreamscape where she had been trapped. She subconsciously moved closer to Duncan, not expecting him to suddenly stop¨Cthump, she bumped into his back.


    In the next second, Sherry had prepared her entire last will in her mind, and envisioned three styles of tombstones, but it quickly occurred to her that those crushed by the Subspace Shadow likely wouldn¡¯t leave a body behind¡­


    Duncan¡¯s calm voice interrupted the girl¡¯s fleeting chaotic thoughts: ¡°It seems we have arrived.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very, very sorry I really didn¡¯t mean to please you¡­huh?¡±


    With an instinctive burst of apologies, Sherry then realized that the dignified figure before her didn¡¯t seem angered. Following this, she noticed that she had stopped in front of a building that looked long-forgotten.


    It was a church.


    A community church commonly found in Plunder City-State stood at the end of this small path.


    It had the characteristic slim spires of Deep Sea churches, black roof tiles, and white stone walls, but they were covered with hanging withered vines and decayed filth. The grand doors, although slightly ajar and featuring complicated sacred runes, were starting to decay. The stained-glass windows were also shattered, nearly reduced to twisted iron shapes. Through the cracks in the door and the holes in the windows, one could dimly see a shadowy interior.


    This had once been a sacred place, but an aura of ruin and abandonment now permeated every crack between its bricks.


    ¡°¡­Is this the ¡®church¡¯ that old man near the intersection mentioned last time?¡± Sherry recalled their last investigation in District Six, ¡°I remember he said a nun lived here, but that nun wasn¡¯t often in the church¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond just ¡®not often¡¯ to explain this level of disrepair,¡± said Duncan casually, as he stepped toward the church door, ¡°rather than the nun being out often, it seems this place has been forgotten for as long as eleven years.¡±


    Sherry watched him walk towards the church, instinctively feeling averse and tense about the building. However, after a moment of hesitation, she still followed Duncan¡¯s footsteps.


    The next moment, Duncan pushed open the church door that was ajar, and the inside scenery of the small church became vividly clear to both him and Sherry.


    Warm, bright candlelight caught Sherry¡¯s eye. The clean and tidy small church was lit up brightly, and at the end of the neatly arranged pews, the statue of the Storm Goddess Gomona stood silently amidst the light.


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    A nun, who had been kneeling in front of the statue praying devoutly, heard the door and stood up, turning around.


    She saw the visitors at the entrance, her face revealing a gentle smile: ¡°It¡¯s been a very long time since anyone visited this church.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ it seems we¡¯ve got the right place,¡± Duncan said quietly, looking at the smiling nun with a composed expression, ¡°the breach in the veil.¡±


    He blinked, and in his eyes, the smiling nun at one moment retained the appearance of a living person, but at the next, became a heap of writhing human-shaped ashes. Behind her, the church exhibited a bizarre superimposed state¨Cthe flames burned fiercely on the intact pews; ash and sparks fell from the ceiling; the scene after the fire and the intact church overlapped in a strange and tearing display.


    It was as if two entirely different realities had been forcibly merged within this church.

 Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Chapter 149: Behind the Curtain

    Chapter 145: Chapter 149: Behind the Curtain


    The community church, apparently abandoned for countless years on the outside, was brightly lit and clean inside. At the same time, in Duncan¡¯s eyes, the brightly lit interior was distinctly overlaid with a dilapidated scene as if ¡°another reality.¡±


    It gave Duncan a feeling that this small church seemed like an ¡°erroneous space¡± superimposed upon reality or a forgotten place stuck in the cracks of time and space. Two entirely opposite histories had once intersected here, yet the church remained at the point of intersection, its internal time having never moved forward since then.


    It had neither been destroyed nor survived that great fire.


    Then¡­ did the nun who stayed alone in this church know anything?


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since anyone has visited this church,¡± the nun in the black priestly robe repeated softly again, smiling as she lifted her head, her gaze seemingly passing through Sherry and Duncan standing in front of her, ¡°Where do you come from? Strange faces¡­ You aren¡¯t residents here, are you?¡±


    Before her was a bright and warm scene, yet Sherry suddenly shrank her neck under the nun¡¯s smiling gaze, inexplicably feeling a chill and nervously whispering to Duncan, ¡°I¡­ I feel weird about this place¡­ It looks so dilapidated from outside, but inside¡­¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t respond, merely patting Sherry¡¯s shoulder casually. From the girl¡¯s reaction, he guessed she could probably only see one ¡°side¡± of the church, likely the side that wasn¡¯t destroyed. But now he didn¡¯t know how to explain his guess to Sherry¨Cwould releasing the Abyssal Hound now allow it, with its ¡°eyes,¡± to see the true situation here?


    However, it was better not to let Sherry rashly summon the Abyssal Hound until he understood more about the nun¡¯s background.


    ¡°We¡¯re just passing through,¡± Duncan said calmly to the nun, as if he was just a normal visitor to the church, ¡°Have you always been here?¡±


    ¡°I? I¡¯ve always lived in this church,¡± the nun nodded gently, ¡°I¡¯ve always been here praying to the great existence.¡±


    ¡°But people in the district say that the nun of the church hasn¡¯t been back for a long time,¡± Duncan said, observing the nun¡¯s reaction, ¡°They say the church has been neglected, as if it has been abandoned for a long time.¡±


    The nun listened quietly to Duncan¡¯s words, yet there was no strong reaction, as if her heart had eternally calmed.


    She just showed a faint smile, ¡°Oh, is that so, but I¡¯ve always been here¡­ Perhaps they¡¯ve forgotten the days of prayer and mistakenly thought the church was closed.¡±


    Duncan neither agreed nor disagreed, but he had already confirmed that not only the church but even the entire Sixth District outside had issues.


    This abandoned church was deep within the district, visually seeming abandoned for over a decade! For the ordinary people of this world, a church was not just a place for spiritual comfort¨Cit also functioned as a facility to maintain regional safety, to ward off evil forces after nightfall, and as a healing place for civilians troubled by mental issues or nightmares¡­ such an essential facility lay wasted for eleven years, yet the residents of the Sixth District strangely felt nothing amiss, merely casually stating, ¡°the nun hasn¡¯t been around recently¡±?


    Imagine a community without water or electricity for eleven years, yet the local inhabitants felt nothing wrong, and when asked by outsiders, they would simply mention, ¡°The utilities department hasn¡¯t been working recently.¡± How bizarre is that scenario!


    As for the nun inside this church¡­ Duncan still wasn¡¯t certain whether this occasionally visible figure of human ash was what it appeared to be, but through initial conversations, he could feel that she seemed¡­ to harbor no hostility.


    Not only was there no hostility, but her line of thinking also appeared to be in a strange state. It couldn¡¯t be said she lacked rationality, but she was definitely not lucid.


    Duncan indirectly asked a few questions, and the nun in the church calmly answered each one, and her calm response itself¡­ was a manifestation of her lack of lucidity.


    Because under normal circumstances, if a stranger suddenly ran into the church and bombarded the attending nun with a bunch of irrelevant questions, the nun would have found it extremely strange.


    She had rationality¨Cbut not much of it.


    ¡°Would you like to pray? Or do you need help with calming and exorcising?¡±


    The nun asked softly with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s not necessary,¡± Duncan shook his head and then looked around, as if asking casually, ¡°By the way, where are the guardians of this church?¡±


    Every church should have guardians stationed within, even the smallest community church in a slum area had a troop of guardians sufficient to handle common threats, and this church was no exception.


    ¡°Guardians¡­ the guardians are resting in the church, they will only appear after nightfall,¡± the nun¡¯s smile remained unchanged, ¡°Are you looking for the guardians for something?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t reply, just slowly scanned the benches next to the nun.


    In his sight, the phantasms of a great fire destroying everything, of ash and ruins piling up, overlaid on the brightly lit church like layered films, and in that overlapping other dimension, there were scorched corpses.


    ¡°Are the guardians resting there?¡± Duncan raised his hand, pointing nearby, but in Sherry¡¯s eyes, there were only two rows of empty benches.


    The nun paused, looked where Duncan had pointed, and after a moment softly said, ¡°Shh¡­ they are sleeping.¡±


    Duncan hummed in response, then casually asked, ¡°Can we look around?¡±


    ¡°Of course, the church is open for visitors,¡± the nun nodded gently, ¡°Please feel free to explore. I must continue praying¨Cif you need any help, please call for me.¡±


    After saying this, the strange nun truly turned and walked toward a statue of the goddess not far away, leaving Duncan and Sherry to themselves.


    It wasn¡¯t until the nun had left that Sherry, who had been tense the whole time, suddenly let out a breath of relief. At this point, she couldn¡¯t be afraid of Duncan, as the church¡¯s omnipresent eerie atmosphere had even put their hidden dog, Abyssal Hound, on edge. The unusual tension was transmitted directly into her mind through their psychic link, causing her to instinctively draw closer to Duncan, ¡°What¡­ what is going on with this place¡­ this nun feels creepy, she looks normal but seems entirely not normal¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems there are two churches here,¡± Duncan said in a low voice, explaining simply, ¡°One has been burnt down, and one is still intact, both overlaying this point in time and space, and the nun in the church¡­ neither alive nor dead.¡±


    Sherry was stunned, and after a full half-minute, she spoke in confusion and astonishment, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Duncan glanced at her, ¡°You should read some books sometime¨Cor I can teach you.¡±


    Then, without waiting for Sherry¡¯s reply, he walked deeper into the church.


    The nun had said the church was open for viewing, so he was certainly going to ¡°look around.¡±


    Sherry hesitated for a moment before quickly following Duncan¡¯s footsteps. They crossed the neatly placed benches, passing by statues and prayer podiums at the end of the benches.


    The serene nun was already kneeling before the Storm Goddess¡¯s statue, hands pressed against her chest, devoutly praying to the divine as if she had completely forgotten about their visit, as if she had been kneeling there continuously for the past eleven years, maintaining an unbroken prayer.


    Duncan blinked, and the nun turned into a writhing human-shaped pile of ashes stacked next to the charred praying podium, with flickering bits of firelight falling from the dome like scattered leaves.


    He suddenly felt a sensation, lifting his head to look at the statue of the Storm Goddess above.


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    The long-robed statue stood quietly on a high pedestal, with a stark crack abruptly running across its head!


    In that brief moment, Duncan saw a core truth overlaid on the twin churches. He clearly saw that a dark, dim crack had opened in the position of the goddess¡¯s head, within the crack were faintly discernible shadows of chaos, like the orientation of a terrifying eye, its pupil reflecting scenes that should not belong to this reality. The aura of ¡°Holiness¡± that should envelop the statue of the goddess had completely vanished, leaving only coldness and emptiness on this eerie stone sculpture!


    In the next instant, that horrific scene disappeared completely, and Gomona¡¯s statue still stood quietly on the high pedestal, majestically overlooking the surroundings, emitting a reassuring and awe-inspiring dignity.


    Suddenly, the nun kneeling before the statue of the goddess opened her eyes, she turned her head slightly and calmly looked at Duncan.


    ¡°Do you wish to pray to the goddess?¡±

 Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Chapter 150: The Secret in the Underground Sanctuary

    Chapter 146: Chapter 150: The Secret in the Underground Sanctuary


    ¡°Do you wish to pray to the goddess?¡±


    To be honest, Duncan¡¯s instinctive reaction at that moment was that there was something wrong with Gomona, the Storm Goddess¨Cit was this seemingly protective deity¡¯s dangerous other side that cast a terrifying shadow deep within the City-State, and the occasional distorted appearance of the statue was evidence of that.


    But the next second, another doubt arose: if there really was something wrong with Gomona, why were the other churches around the city normal?


    He had indeed seen other Deep Sea Churches before¨Cthere was a community church near the antique shop, and there was one next to that ocean museum as well. Even though he hadn¡¯t entered to investigate thoroughly, he had lingered nearby, and the aura those churches emitted¡­ was clearly different from the eerie church in front of him.


    He had also encountered other clergy, including entry-level priests and guardians, as well as Judges like Fenna, who resided at the pinnacle of the City-State. All these people who served the Storm Goddess day and night seemed completely normal, even more resolute and clearheaded than most.


    He ignored the nun and looked up at the statue.


    After the fleeting glimpse just moments ago, the eerie crack in the statue¡¯s head had not reappeared. Even in another aspect overlaid within the church, the statue was merely blackened by smoke, as if that crack had sensed something and actively hidden itself away.


    Duncan frowned.


    This church¡¯s peculiarity was clearly an exception. Thus, if it wasn¡¯t the Storm Goddess who was at fault¡­ the scene he had just witnessed could possibly be explained as some force using this church as a node, attempting to erode reality.


    But what exactly was it?


    The form of that crack bore no relation to the Sun God and didn¡¯t remind him of a Sun Shard either. If anything¡­ the dim shadows surging within the fracture made him think of the chaos outside the hull of the ¡°Homeloss.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to pray to the goddess?¡±


    The nun¡¯s voice came again. She showed neither impatience nor urgency but seemed to repeat the question again and again like a triggered keyword whenever Duncan and Sherry stood beside the statue.


    Sherry seemed a bit at a loss, instinctively looking towards Duncan, who finally responded calmly, staring at the nun: ¡°Are you praying to your goddess?¡±


    This should have been a straightforward question, to which any normal believer would have responded affirmatively, but the nun¡¯s reaction made Sherry¡¯s eyes widen.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± the nun said calmly, shaking her head as if she saw no issue with her response, ¡°I am just praying, He asked me to pray here.¡±


    Duncan immediately frowned, ¡°Who is ¡®He¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The Supreme Being.¡± The nun smiled.


    Yet, the gentle smile from the nun sent a chill through Sherry.


    ¡°I do not pray to any deity,¡± Duncan stated flatly, subtly pulling Sherry back a half step away from the prayer stand, ¡°including your goddess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a pity,¡± the nun sighed softly, then bowed her head again, no longer paying any attention to Duncan and Sherry.


    Duncan stared at the shifting ash in human form for a few seconds, making sure it truly was no longer paying him any mind, then turned to walk elsewhere.


    The small chapel was limited in size, with virtually nowhere to hide; apart from the main hall where the statue was enshrined, there were only a few rooms connected to it and a basement.


    Duncan first led Sherry to check the surrounding rooms, finding nothing of particular importance. Lastly, they found a staircase leading down to the basement at the end of a corridor outside the main hall.


    ¡°Are we really going down there?¡± Sherry looked uneasily at the dark staircase before her, instinctively glancing back towards the main hall, ¡°Could that weird nun suddenly come killing our way?¡±


    ¡°That ¡®nun¡¯ is clearly trapped in the main hall and cannot stray too far from the statue,¡± Duncan shook his head. ¡°But if she really comes at us¡­ we¡¯ll have no choice but to take action. After all, with that posture¡­ it¡¯s hard to say she¡¯s still a living human.¡±


    Swallowing nervously, Sherry¡¯s courage was usually vast, but however bold, this was her first time stirring trouble in a Deep Sea Church chapel. A deep-seated nervous reverence accumulated over years caused her heart to thump wildly.


    But she knew she better not refuse¨Cshe had some sense of which was more dangerous, a nun transformed from a commoner or a shadow from the Subspace.


    At that moment, Duncan suddenly spoke again, startling Sherry just as she had made up her mind, ¡°By the way, summon Ah Dog.¡±


    Sherry¡¯s eyes widened in an instant, ¡°What?! Summon Ah Dog? In the Storm Goddess¡¯s church?!¡±


    ¡°This place might no longer be the Storm Goddess¡¯s church,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say what is dominating here now¨Cgo ahead and summon Ah Dog. Look, even I am standing here in this ¡®church,¡¯ could a Profound Demon be more out of place than me?¡±


    Thinking about it, Sherry felt there was some reason in his words, but mainly because she dared not disagree, she had no choice but to honestly raise her arm and summon Ah Dog into the real world.


    Black fiery flames and swirling smoke surged upward, and the gigantic Abyssal Hound appeared in front of Duncan in an instant.


    Just as the summoning finished, Ah Dog professionally sprawled right under Duncan¡¯s feet, its skeletal tail wagging like a five-speed electric fan, ¡°Greetings to you, great Dun¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, save the formalities,¡± Duncan waved his hand to cut him off before he could finish. He already had an annoying goat head bothering him and truly did not want another similar-style dog added to the mix, ¡°You must have already felt that there¡¯s something off with this church. Take a look with your own eyes¨Cnext, I might need your ¡®keen sight.''¡±


    Ah Dog promptly got up from the ground, turned its head to survey the surrounding corridors, and the staircase leading down to the basement, its hollow scarlet eye sockets flickering with light.


    ¡°This is a truly sinister place¡­¡± the Abyssal Hound¡¯s voice was hoarse and deep, ¡°It¡¯s dizzying to look at¡­¡±


    After pausing, as though making further judgments, it slightly turned its head to Duncan and said, ¡°It¡¯s somewhat similar to the situation in that abandoned factory we visited before, but it¡¯s even more distorted here. This distortion has nearly reached the threshold that the real world can withstand¡­ Yes, it seems we have indeed found a crucial ¡®point¡¯ on this veil.¡±


    ¡°The distortion has nearly reached the threshold of the real world, no wonder I can observe it directly,¡± Duncan nodded knowingly, his gaze then fell on the stairs ahead, ¡°The entire church has been checked, what remains¡­ should only be this basement. According to the structure of most Deep Sea Churches, the area ahead should be what is referred to as the ¡®Underground Sanctuary.''¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get excited,¡± Ah Dog wagged its ugly head, the chains on its neck clattering, ¡°This is the first time in my life that I¡¯m legitimately entering the forbidden grounds of the Deep Sea Church¡­ I¡¯ve never seen what it¡¯s like down there!¡±


    Sherry gave Ah Dog a strange look, ¡°Can you not act like some pervert getting ready to sneak into a women¡¯s restroom?¡±


    Ah Dog: ¡°¡­¡±


    Duncan ignored the dysfunctional duo, having already passed Ah Dog and walked down the steps, arriving at the great doors leading to the Underground Sanctuary.


    As a small community church, the so-called ¡°Underground Sanctuary¡± was merely a spacious basement, and the door to the Underground Sanctuary was a sturdy oak door, reinforced and blessed with steel frames and holy runes.


    Duncan placed his hand on the door, giving it a light push, and found it unlocked. However, when he pushed harder, he felt some resistance as if something was blocking the door from the other side.


    ¡°There¡¯s something behind the door.¡± Duncan stepped back slightly, observing the dark oak door in front of him.


    Somehow, when he arrived at the doorway to the Underground Sanctuary, the eerie ¡°superimposition¡± scene had receded, and all he could see was this sole door.


    It seemed that the ¡°two branches¡± overlapping in the church had converged here, leaving only the sole ¡°reality.¡±


    ¡°Shall we break the door?¡± Sherry had followed him up, already lifting the chain in her hands, her expression eager to try it out, while Ah Dog also readied itself¨Cspecifically by grabbing its head with its paws, assuming the form of a morning star.


    ¡°¡­It might destroy evidence,¡± Duncan stopped Sherry, who was ready to use her traditional skills of swinging the dog. He placed his hand on the rune-covered door, a tiny flame sparked between his fingers, which quickly traveled along the etched grooves on the door, ¡°Theoretically, this door should belong to Transcendent items, so¡­¡±


    In the next second, the once-blessed sanctuary door turned into fuel for the spiritual fire, burning fiercely with a pale green light, loyally following the ¡®master¡¯s¡¯ command.


    It burned itself out.


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    And as the door vanished in ash and smoke, the object that had been blocking it from the other side also appeared before Duncan and the others, collapsing to the ground with a thud.


    It was a nun in a black robe, covered in wounds, still holding a longsword in her hand, still glaring angrily at something in the darkness even in death.


    Sherry saw the face clearly, a chill rising from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°Is that¡­ the nun we saw earlier?!¡±


    (End of the month~ Double votes start now~ If you have votes, cast one~)

 Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Chapter 151 The Fear of Profound Demons

    Chapter 147: Chapter 151 The Fear of Profound Demons


    Duncan bent down to examine the scene.


    It was indeed the nun¨Cthe same nun who had spoken to Duncan and Sherry not long ago and who, theoretically, should have been praying in the main hall at the moment.


    But now she lay here, dead near the entrance of the Underground Sanctuary, and until the moment Duncan pushed the door open, she had been using her body to firmly blockade it.


    It seemed she was trying to prevent something from entering the Underground Sanctuary. However, considering her state before she collapsed, it looked as though she had been desperately fighting against something within the Underground Sanctuary and had closed the doors before she died, to stop that thing from getting out.


    ¡°It looks¡­ as if she just died¡­¡±


    Sherry, bravely edging closer now, peeked over Duncan¡¯s shoulder and after two or three seconds, she cautiously spoke up.


    ¡°Yes, it seems she hasn¡¯t been dead for long, even¡­¡± Duncan said, as he placed his hand on the nun¡¯s arm, ¡°she still has warmth.¡±


    The body at the entrance of the Underground Sanctuary retained a residual warmth. Her horrendously wounded body was smeared with blood that had yet to dry, which gave Duncan the impression that the battle in the basement had still been ongoing when he and Sherry had first stepped into the church; the nun was alive at that time, and even¡­ she might have still been breathing when they began to explore the church.


    But that was impossible.


    The church had been deserted for eleven years, and the supernatural phenomena in the Plunder City-State had occurred eleven years ago as well. If this church was indeed a ¡°key node¡± on the curtain, then everything here should have happened and ended eleven years ago. The nun, who fought in the Underground Sanctuary until her last moment, couldn¡¯t possibly have just drawn her last breath now.


    With a grave expression, Duncan slowly stood up and directed his gaze towards the opposite side of the door.


    As he had expected, the community church¡¯s Underground Sanctuary was nothing more than a slightly spacious basement. There was no light in the sanctuary, not even the Everlasting Oil Lamps and gas lamps that were supposed to ward off evil spirits; all were extinguished. Only the faint light pouring in through the doorway illuminated the interior, where in the dimness, one could vaguely make out the silent figure of a female deity¡¯s statue standing in the center of the basement. Pillars adorned with scriptural tapestries lined both sides of the sanctuary, along with niches for storing Holy Artifacts.


    Duncan stepped over the nun¡¯s body and began to search for traces of battle within the basement. He spotted cuts and notches on the walls and columns, pits from gunshots, and scorches from flames¨Call signs of combat.


    But he could not find the ¡°enemy¡±¨Cthe ¡°invader¡± the nun had desperately fought against before her death.


    He turned his head to look at the Abyssal Hound following behind Sherry, keeping its head low and cautiously scanning the surroundings: ¡°Ah-Gou, can you make anything out?¡±


    ¡°Signs of severe time-space distortion¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to have the same kind of ¡®reality overlap¡¯ phenomenon as above in the surface church, but the time-space distortion here is more severe than anywhere else,¡± Ah-Gou spoke with extra seriousness. As the only Transcendent expert in the trio, its analysis was clearly much more systematic than Duncan¡¯s wild guesses. ¡°To my eyes, the entire Underground Sanctuary is shrouded in a thin mist. The incorrect time-space has completely replaced reality, but¡­ aside from the time-space distortion, I can¡¯t find anything else.¡±


    ¡°What about the ¡®invader¡¯ who attacked this place?¡± Duncan frowned, ¡°The nun couldn¡¯t possibly have been fighting air in a battle of wits, could she?¡±


    ¡°There are no invaders,¡± Ah-Gou sniffed¨Cthough it didn¡¯t have a respiratory system¨C¡°no scent of living beings, nor the scent of Profound Demons or creatures from the Spirit Realm.¡±


    Pausing, it then added, ¡°Please trust my judgment in this regard; the Abyssal Hounds excel at hunting. Distinguishing the scent of prey in the environment is a basic skill for a predator, unless¡­¡±


    Duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Unless?¡±


    Ah-Gou quickly glanced around, seemingly becoming very cautious. It lowered its voice as it approached Duncan, ¡°Unless something from the Subspace slipped out¡­ I can¡¯t track that, but if it is something from the Subspace, you should be more familiar with it than I am¡­¡±


    At that, Duncan instantly became expressionless, ¡°Sorry, not familiar with it.¡±


    Ah-Gou quickly lowered its head, ¡°If you¡­ If you say you¡¯re not familiar, then you¡¯re not familiar¡­¡±


    ¡°¡±


    Duncan pondered for a moment. He knew that A-Gou certainly didn¡¯t believe his words, but he was indeed not familiar with Subspace. On the other hand, A-Gou¡¯s words had reminded him¨C


    He recalled the crack he had glimpsed in the main hall of the church while observing the statue of the Storm Goddess, the chaotic light and shadows leaking from that crack, and the bizarre visions he had seen under the hull of Homeloss.


    Could it really be something from Subspace that had gotten out?


    ¡°If it really is something that escaped from Subspace,¡± Duncan furrowed his brows as if talking to himself, ¡°how could it directly break into the Storm Goddess¡¯s Sanctuary? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be the place with the strongest defenses? And from the traces at the scene, the invader doesn¡¯t seem to have broken in from outside; rather, it appears to have materialized in the Sanctuary and launched an attack outward¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± A-Gou shook his head, ¡°the secrets of the Four Great Churches are a blind spot in the knowledge of Profound Demons, and Subspace is universally recognized as taboo. Even fear demons wouldn¡¯t pry into such secrets¨Cactually, in my eyes, humans are an even crazier race than demons when it comes to this field. They dare to study Subspace and haven¡¯t had any accidents for so many years¡­¡±


    ¡°Human beings have always been a very bold race,¡± Duncan casually remarked and then looked at A-Gou, ¡°but I am somewhat surprised. Mysterious Deep Sea is closely adjacent to Subspace, yet you Profound Demons are more afraid of that place than humans? Isn¡¯t Subspace essentially right next to your home?¡±


    ¡°People who live next to volcanoes don¡¯t drink lava because they like it,¡± A-Gou drooped his head, explaining to the boss, ¡°Living next to Subspace makes us more aware than humans of how terrifying it is to fall into it.¡±


    Duncan became thoughtful and asked the question he hadn¡¯t managed to ask last time: ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why you, like humans, are also afraid of Homeloss¡¯s return from Subspace?¡±


    A-Gou shrank his neck, very cautiously glanced at Duncan as if afraid that discussing this topic might inadvertently anger the owner of Homeloss before him. But since the boss had started the topic, he dared not continue, so he just honestly said, ¡°Actually¡­ if Homeloss had only returned from Subspace that wouldn¡¯t be so scary. The key is, during the initial period, the ship kept ¡®falling¡¯ back into reality from Subspace, like oscillating between two dimensions, passing through Subspace and reality again and again¡­¡±


    Duncan had simply asked casually, but he didn¡¯t expect to hear such information. Suddenly his heart stirred, ¡°Oscillating between reality and Subspace?¡±


    ¡°Yes, every time it would pierce through Spirit Realm and Mysterious, dragging along everything it encountered on its way, like a wildly careening cannonball,¡± A-Gou said with an obvious residual fear, ¡°I even remember a terrifying scene to this day. The ship, like an everlasting comet of fire, fell from the upper layers, flames enfolding screaming humans and a distorted hull. The fight-blind Profound Demons scattered in panic, but in the blink of an eye, they were swept into the flames by the immense force, and those humans were instantly merged into strange, twisted clumps that were then shredded and scattered into the depths of the Mysterious¡­


    ¡°Homeloss smashed through various dimensions this way, and fell deep into Subspace, then after a couple of days, it came out from below again, and¡­ did it all over once more.¡±


    As A-Gou spoke, he swallowed hard, and the sound of rough friction and the movement of corrosive substances came from his throat.


    ¡°At that time, even some of the blinder and duller Profound Demons halted their struggles temporarily. Every day, they would just blankly stare in the direction of Spirit Realm, fear even surpassing slaughter to become their new instinct¡­ and I was one of the ones with the deepest imprint of fear at that time.¡±


    Duncan listened with a wooden expression and finally managed to get a word out: ¡°Then¡­ I see why you have such a big psychological shadow now.¡±


    A-Gou dared to lift his head and look at Duncan, ¡°You¡­ you really didn¡¯t know about these things?¡±


    Duncan nearly lost control of his expression¨Che didn¡¯t know crap! He didn¡¯t do this! Why should he have to shoulder such an old, hefty blame?!


    But his complaints were confined to muttering in his heart. In front of A-Gou, he could only continue to keep a straight face: ¡°¡­Maybe I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    A-Gou: ¡°¡­¡±


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    Seeing the deeply stricken look on this Abyssal Hound, Duncan let out a sigh and had to add: ¡°I¡¯ll pay attention in the future.¡±


    His tone was very sincere.


    A-Gou was moved and dared not make a move.


    Meanwhile, Duncan fell into brief contemplation afterward.


    If everything A-Gou said was true, did that mean Homeloss¡­ had gone through a period of complete loss of control? It wasn¡¯t simply returning from Subspace, but rather, for a considerable amount of time, it had been ¡®oscillating¡¯ between reality and Subspace?!

 Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Chapter 152: When in Doubt...

    Chapter 148: Chapter 152: When in Doubt¡­


    Duncan had not expected that a casual question would elicit such important intelligence about Homeloss from the lips of A-dog¨Cdespite having heard this Abyssal Hound describe Homeloss¡¯s formidable reputation in the Mysterious Deep Sea before, who could have imagined that such a reputation was hammered out in such a crude and violent manner?


    A Ghost Ship continuously oscillating between subspace and the real dimension, like a shell darting back and forth between the roof and the foundation, shook through the ¡°floors¡± of the Spirit Realm and the Mysterious Deep Sea with each oscillation, leaving no blade of grass in its wake. Everything it touched was dragged into subspace¡­ and it sounded like this had been going on for quite a while!


    No wonder a Profound Demon like A-dog had such deep-seated fear of Homeloss¨Chow could anyone not have their legs turn to jelly if a natural disaster that had been randomly wreaking havoc suddenly stopped and its captain cheerfully came to greet you? Even if A-dog didn¡¯t have any muscles in its legs, they would have to twist!


    After all, although the ship was now stationary in the real dimension, what if¡­ some Ghost Ship captain wanted to pop back to subspace for a visit?


    However, more than the havoc Homeloss had once wreaked, Duncan was concerned about the state of the ship itself and what the real Captain Duncan was like at that time.


    Was the ¡°oscillation¡± deliberately caused by the real Captain Duncan, or was it some kind of uncontrolled drifting? Did Goat-head know the situation at that time? If it was intentional, what was the purpose of ¡°Captain Duncan¡± and Goat-head doing so? If it was all due to loss of control¡­


    That would be even more intriguing.


    Could Homeloss lose control again?


    Homeloss had always been Duncan¡¯s biggest backing and where his true body resided. The safety of the ship was equivalent to his own safety. He explored and controlled the ship to further ensure this safety, but if the entire ship posed a risk of loss of control, even suddenly ¡°crashing¡± back into subspace from the real dimension¡­ then what was the use of his current control over Homeloss?


    Could he pull back a Ghost Ship that was madly charging towards subspace?


    The current stable sailing of Homeloss on the Endless Sea might only be a temporary state of balance. Its true state of being might actually be ¡°out of control¡±¨Cthis possibility uncontrollably spread in his heart, causing Duncan to feel an involuntary annoyance.


    And what annoyed him even more was the door at the bottom of Homeloss leading to subspace and Goat-head¡¯s tense reaction upon learning that the door had opened a crack, which seemed to tacitly confirm his worries¨C


    Homeloss was unstable, and subspace¡¯s call for the ship had never ceased for a moment.


    Duncan inhaled softly, subtly calming his mood.


    No matter how much he thought, he currently lacked the power to get involved with matters related to subspace¨Chis understanding of the mystic domain was still too limited.


    If he wanted to accumulate knowledge related to subspace, engaging more with transcendent events was one way to go, especially this church right in front of him, this¡­ church that might have been invaded by subspace.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pay more attention to this place,¡± Duncan shook his head, ¡°If it¡¯s true that something from subspace has invaded the Underground Sanctuary, then the events from eleven years ago might be more complex than anyone imagined¡­¡±


    He looked up at the once-sealed door.


    ¡°The nuns struggled against the door before they were killed in battle, probably to prevent the thing inside the sanctuary from escaping outside. But can a door really hold back an invader from subspace?¡±


    ¡°Invasions from subspace also depend on the situation,¡± said A-dog thoughtfully, ¡°In most cases, the real world is under effective protection from the gods¡­ well, although I¡¯m not very fond of Them, the real world really is well-protected, making it difficult for subspace to directly influence reality. What manages to cross over is usually not the original entity, but rather projections, corruption, or even illusions cast by the human mind¡­¡±


    A-dog suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence, nervously looking at Duncan.


    In his eyes, the vortex of light and shadow within this human body was chaotically active, with the madness enough to drive demons insane continuously emerging.


    This Ghost Ship captain returned from subspace¡­ Goddamn it, he¡¯s the biggest subspace invader in this place!


    ¡°Go on, then what? What about the subspace invasion?¡±


    The ¡°embodiment of a subspace invasion¡± lowered its head, curiously asking about the affairs of the subspace invasion.


    ¡°I¡­ I mean, under normal circumstances, the sacred installations in the church can block a subspace invasion¡­ and since the invaders are not their original selves, cutting off the invasion pathway will quickly dissipate their presence in the real world¡­¡± A-dog swallowed hard, struggling to explain the matters of subspace invasion to the subspace invader himself, ¡°Of course, what horrific price must be paid in that process is another matter altogether¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened,¡± Duncan nodded in understanding, then looked at the nun lying on the ground with even more admiration, ¡°She must have given her all in an attempt to prevent that disaster.¡±


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t succeed, did she?¡± Sherry¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside him. Since the matters Duncan and A-Dog were discussing were either too high-level or too frightening, she had not found an opportunity to interject, ¡°The fire still broke out eleven years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°The fire eleven years ago was caused by a Sun Shard, but we have found traces of what seems like Subspace in this church. How the two are connected is still unclear,¡± Duncan shook his head, then, as if suddenly struck by a thought, slowly approached the statue of the goddess in the center of the Underground Sanctuary, a thoughtful expression on his face, ¡°However¡­ I am suddenly curious about something.¡±


    He tilted his head back to look at the statue of the goddess¨Cslightly different from the Gomona statue in the church above ground¨Cthat stood in the dim light without any sign of damage.


    ¡°What are you curious about?¡± Sherry followed and cautiously glanced at the statue, whispering.


    ¡°What is the Storm Goddess doing?¡± Duncan raised his hand, pointing at the statue, ¡°The church has been invaded, the clergy died in battle, and outside there¡¯s only a phantom praying incessantly like a lingering soul. Why is there no reaction from the goddess here? At the very least¡­ shouldn¡¯t she give some warning to the believers in other churches, so they could come to aid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand much about matters related to the gods, but this does seem suspicious,¡± A-Dog said, grumbling in agreement, ¡°Although the gods don¡¯t have a close relationship with the mortal world, they do pay close attention to their ¡®sanctuaries.¡¯ These buildings where believers gather serve as ¡®anchors¡¯ between the gods and the mortal world. Now that one of these anchors has been silently removed, and eleven years have passed¡­ yet no signal has been sent out, something¡¯s off.¡±


    Thinking it through, Duncan suddenly raised his right hand, and at his fingertips, a small flame materialized out of thin air, its pale green glow illuminating the statue¡¯s surroundings.


    Chains rattled and A-Dog immediately stepped back two paces, ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°When in doubt, use a little fire,¡± Duncan said with a smile, ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll reveal something hidden.¡±


    A-Dog was taken aback, about to remind him that they were in an Underground Sanctuary, and that they might attract the attention of Gomona herself, but before the words could escape, he held them back¨Cthis place had already been turned upside-down, never mind its remaining holiness, and now this big shot was about to do his job of ¡®Subspace invasion.¡¯ Why bother saying anything?


    Still, it stealthily backed away a few steps and also pulled Sherry a little further away.


    If divine punishment or something of the sort were to strike down, the big shot might not fear it, but A-Dog and Sherry wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it.


    Duncan noticed A-Dog¡¯s actions but didn¡¯t pay them any mind.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t want to draw the Storm Goddess¡¯s attention onto himself, but in the main hall of the church above, he had already ascertained that this ¡°sanctuary¡± had been utterly corroded, with Subspace powers lingering even on the statue. Considering the anomalies here had remained hidden for eleven years without detection, the connection between the deity and this place had clearly been severed long ago.


    Now, this once holy place was devoid of sanctity, leaving only shadows behind.


    The Spiritual Fire burned silently, falling onto the ground like droplets of water, its faint and illusory flame quickly rippling throughout the Underground Sanctuary, soon enveloping the entire room.


    Then, the flames that had spread to the edges silently flickered out.


    Sherry and A-Dog exchanged glances. After a long while, Sherry ventured cautiously, ¡°Did you¡­ find anything?¡±


    Duncan looked at the little flame still dancing on his fingertip with some surprise, then back at the empty Underground Sanctuary, where nothing had happened.


    Could it be that there really is nothing here? Or is the power of the fire insufficient to pry open the ¡°veil¡± that covers this place?


    He frowned, and just at that moment, a very faint whisper, almost like an illusion, reached his ears¨C


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


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    Startled, Duncan abruptly looked toward the direction of the sound.


    The statue of Gomona stood silently in the darkness.


    (Book recommendation time! This time I am recommending ¡°The Young Priest in the Containment of Divine Anomalies¡± by Xueyu Xinfeng. The story takes a mysterious path, featuring elements of gaming, otherworlds, foundation lore, and D&D. The author is actually one of my readers, so I wanted to give them a shoutout. You can support their work if you have time~


    Also, during the double rewards period, I¡¯m eagerly asking for monthly votes =.=)


    ¡°`

 Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Chapter 153: Temporal Lockdown

    Chapter 149: Chapter 153: Temporal Lockdown


    In the darkness, the statue of the Storm Goddess Gomona still stood silently at the center of the Underground Sanctuary, her face veiled by a thin gauze, overlooking the mortal world.


    Of course, if one were to strictly distinguish according to doctrine, the ¡°Goddess¡± in the Underground Sanctuary was another aspect of Gomona and should be named ¡°Maiden of the Quiet Sea.¡±


    Duncan stared intently at the cold stone sculpture, and he was certain he had heard a voice just now, a whispered murmur as if from a dream, coming from that statue.


    However, Sherry and Dog, close at hand, had shown no reaction so far¨Cclearly, he was the only one who had heard the voice.


    ¡°Mr. Duncan?¡± Sherry also noticed Duncan¡¯s strange behavior at this time. She widened her eyes a bit nervously, unconsciously clinging to Dog, ¡°Did you find something?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear anything just now?¡± Duncan casually snuffed out the flame on his fingertip and cautiously moved closer to the statue of the Maiden of the Quiet Sea while asking in a low voice.


    ¡°Voices?¡± Sherry and Dog looked at each other, shaking their heads, ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    The goddess statue had no reaction to Duncan¡¯s approach and no further voices came through.


    Duncan felt he might have been a bit rash this time.


    He just felt that the link between the Storm Goddess and this church had been severed. When he had called out Dog and burned down the church doors earlier, no anomalies had occurred, so he became increasingly unrestrained in his exploration, not expecting that a single flame would attract the attention of that ¡°divine being¡±¨Cif that questioning voice was indeed from Gomona.


    From this, he reflected a bit inwardly, deciding to be more cautious next time he acted impulsively.


    While reflecting inwardly, he suddenly came up with a question:


    Judging by the state of this church, it had clearly been completely abandoned and forgotten before he and Sherry entered. The connection between the Storm Goddess Gomona and this place was also evidently sealed off. By logic, his flame should have been an ¡°invading force¡± in this church, and after burning, it should have made the corrosion and sealing of the church even worse than before. It was like setting another fire on top of already severely burnt ruins, but why¡­


    After his own flame passed through, the connection between the Storm Goddess and this place seemed to have briefly intensified!?


    Wasn¡¯t he an invader? Shouldn¡¯t his flames be quite destructive to the orderly power of a deity? How come it ended up empowering the Goddess?


    The more he thought about it, the more confused Duncan became, but he didn¡¯t let his mind wander for too long.


    After all, he couldn¡¯t be sure whether the vague whisper was Gomona¡¯s voice or not. He was merely making wild guesses based on that assumption. The more pressing matter at hand¡­ was to consider how to deal with this troublesome church.


    After the whisper disappeared, there was no follow-up. Duncan didn¡¯t know what a goddess normally keeps herself busy with, but she didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to keep watching this place, and the rest of the Underground Sanctuary maintained its initial appearance. The flames he had released hadn¡¯t unveiled any ¡°curtain¡± like they had in the abandoned factory.


    He didn¡¯t sense the situation on the other side of the ¡°curtain¡± either. The flame he had left in the umbrella-wielding freak¡¯s split body was still without a trace. He could only ascertain that the flame was still burning, and had even begun to spread, yet he couldn¡¯t touch the ¡°dimension¡± where that flame resided.


    This church was indeed an important node on the curtain, but with his current state and the influence of the distance between Homeloss and Plunder City-State, it was difficult for him to summon a greater scale of flames or cause more commotion here.


    Having weighed these thoughts quickly in his mind, an idea faintly formed in Duncan¡¯s heart.


    It was time to play the role of ¡°Enthusiastic Citizen Mr. Duncan¡± once again.


    This church had been concealed to this day; some mysterious force had continuously blocked outsiders¡¯ prying into this place. So, what if¡­ he were to forcefully lift this lid?


    He was curious how the Deep Sea Church of Plunder City-State would react to this, and even more curious about what actions the Storm Goddess might take¨Cif he couldn¡¯t open the curtain here, then he might as well turn this place into a major news story.


    Of course, it probably wouldn¡¯t work to report it to a few patrolling watchmen as he had done before; that might actually get the first team of investigators killed. As for how to turn this place into big news in a reliable and effective manner¡­ that required some serious consideration.


    While contemplating, Duncan unconsciously revealed a slight smile on his face, the kind of smile a schemer wears when plotting a major scheme. However, this smile startled Sherry and Dog who were beside him, especially the latter who tucked his tail in fright: ¡°Dun¡­ Dun¡­ Mr. Duncan, do you have a plan?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Duncan waved his hand dismissively: ¡°Nothing much, just planning to contribute to the maintenance of City-State order.¡±


    Dog grumbled in his throat, thinking that no one would believe these words, not even the lunatic demons of the Mysterious Deep Sea. Just now, the big fellow¡¯s expression was unmistakably that of a Subspace invader who finally understood the concept of a Subspace invasion and was preparing to execute it¡­


    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s nothing more to see here,¡± Duncan said, unconcerned by Sherry and the dog¡¯s reactions. He glanced back at the icon of Gomona for a moment with a meaningful look, then turned and walked toward the exit, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay here for long.¡±


    The group walked briskly toward the exit, but before leaving, Sherry couldn¡¯t help but stop: ¡°Mr. Duncan, what about¡­ what about the dead nun?¡±


    Duncan too stopped and silently observed the lady who had died in battle.


    She was young, tragically so. She was not a combat-ready guardian of the church but died here in the darkness of the Underground Sanctuary, sword in hand.


    Suddenly, Duncan realized a problem.


    Nuns¡­ why would a nun be guarding the sanctuary? Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t there be a squad of specially trained guardians stationed here?


    He recalled the scene he had seen earlier in the main hall.


    The squad of guardians seemed to have died in the church¡¯s main hall¡­ and according to the scene he had witnessed in the ¡°superimposed reality,¡± those guardians had not died in battle but seemed to have just collapsed while praying on the benches.


    The guards who were supposed to be stationed at the Underground Sanctuary died suddenly in the main hall without any signs of battle. The nun who was supposed to stay in the main hall died alone in the sanctuary, fighting an invader that seemed like Subspace, leaving behind no trace after the fight. The church was then sealed and forgotten, with some kind of ¡°echo¡± of the nun returning to the main hall, continuing the daily prayers¡­


    Duncan¡¯s attention returned to the present, and after quietly observing the nun for a few seconds, he spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t bury you. You¡¯ll have to stay here, perhaps someone will come to uncover the truth of that year.¡±


    This matter really needed the hands of a ¡°professional.¡±


    Duncan stood up and walked towards the exit leading to the main hall, while Sherry, unable to hold back, called out from behind, ¡°Ah, are we just going to leave her here?¡±


    ¡°This is called preserving the scene,¡± Duncan did not look back, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The investigation here is not over, but for what comes next, we don¡¯t need to do it ourselves.¡±


    Sherry made a noise of half-understanding and, with the dog in tow, followed Duncan¡¯s footsteps. They left the Underground Sanctuary and headed for the stairway that led to the main hall.


    A slight knocking noise came from behind them.


    Duncan abruptly stopped and turned toward the direction of the sound.


    A dark wooden door stood at the entrance to the main hall; it was slightly ajar, reinforced with steel and rivets, with faintly visible holy symbols etched onto the door.


    Sherry turned and looked back, her eyes widening in terror.


    Then she turned back to see Duncan, his face stern and his expression as deep as water.


    ¡°The door¡­ the door¡­¡± Sherry pointed toward the door, her mouth opening and closing several times, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°I saw it,¡± Duncan interrupted her, then stepped back to the sanctuary entrance and looked at the dark door, gently pushing on it.


    The door wasn¡¯t locked, but there was resistance when he tried to push further.


    It was barricaded from the other side.


    He withdrew his hand and thought quietly for a few seconds, restraining the impulse to set the door ablaze with a flick of a finger.


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    He already knew what lay behind that door, and the overly strange phenomena here made him give up the idea of trying brute force over and over again.


    ¡°Twisted space-time¡­ It¡¯s truly become twisted to a certain degree.¡±


    At the same time, in the Upper City District, the solemn-faced Fenna ended her daily prayers in the Mysterious Deep Sea Church. After arranging today¡¯s tasks with her subordinates, she dismissed her attendants and came alone to the depths of the grand and sacred building.


    This was the church¡¯s archives. Under the gaze of the Storm Goddess, it contained all those records involving Transcendents, those not suitable for public disclosure.


    In a sense, this place held the history of the Plunder City-State, the church¡¯s ¡°memory¡± of this land.

 Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Chapter 154: Archive Library

    Chapter 150: Chapter 154: Archive Library


    The caretaker of the archive was an aged old priest, bent at the waist, his sparse white hair in disarray, adorned atop with a complex set of lenses made from brass cranks and crystal panes, with a scent of machine oil emanating from his being.


    The old priest sat behind a dark-hued circular desk, intently studying what appeared to be a mechanical creation akin to a Rubik¡¯s cube through the lens assembly, using some delicate tools to disassemble the cube into a pile of components. The brilliance of the gas lamp shone on these parts, giving them a glittering glow.


    As Fenna approached, her tall figure blocked the light to the side, prompting the old priest to lift his head and push aside the lenses from before his eyes. Seeing who it was, he smiled, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the Judge¨Cwhat assistance do you need today?¡±


    ¡°Where can I find the City-State¡¯s disaster records from around the year 1889?¡± Fenna nodded to the old priest and inquired.


    ¡°Disaster records for the year 1889?¡± The old priest murmured while tapping a section of the large circular table, which promptly emitted a gentle sound of mechanical friction. A panel within the table slid down, and a mechanical stand laden with numerous cranks, numbered dials, and switches rose from within.


    Accompanied by the squeaking and creaking of machinery in motion, the old priest deftly manipulated the switches and dials of the intricate device. After entering the required information, Fenna heard the characteristic low roar of large machinery in operation. She felt the floor beneath her feet slightly vibrating as innumerable gears and linkages joyfully rotated under the propulsion of the steam core. Soon after, a crisp ¡°ding¡± issued from the mechanism in front of the old priest, and a printed strip of paper subsequently emerged from the machine.


    ¡°Go straight ahead on this path, turn left at the third row of shelves, turn right at the end, and a shelf will have lights turned on¨Cthat row with the lights is the one you need. The content is quite mixed, all incidents that can be considered disasters are recorded, including the smallest steam-related injuries. If you need help, ring the bell.¡±


    While speaking, the old priest passed over the strip of paper¨Cgrasped in a prosthetic hand, a brass-made palm and forearm with sophisticated mechanical structure, and through a transparent window on its back, one could see gears ticking away inside.


    Fenna thought to herself that this might be a veteran guardian retired from the front lines¨Camong the ecclesiastical departments of the Storm Church, such veterans were not uncommon.


    Their bodies had been maimed, and with blood and sacrifice, they had proved their faith and loyalty. The assistance of steam mechanisms or magic prosthetics enabled them to continue serving the church, and working with archives formed part of the final repose for some of these old soldiers.


    In a certain sense, of course, this was preferential treatment for the warriors¨Crelatively leisurely and comfortable, the archive department was suitable for ¡°retirement,¡± and from another perspective, it was also an excellent application of their abilities¨Cthese old soldiers may no longer be fit for combat against the heretics, but their will remained steadfast, and guarding books and archives¡­ always required a steadfast will.


    A wave of respect emerged in Fenna¡¯s heart as she received the strip of paper with both hands, bowing slightly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to put the books back after you¡¯re done, and don¡¯t touch those that aren¡¯t listed,¡± the old priest waved his hand, ¡°many books here have been placed for a long time, don¡¯t disturb them needlessly.¡±


    Having said that, he returned to his ¡°work¡± and paid no further attention to Fenna.


    Fenna did not mind, simply carrying the strip with the book listings towards the depths of the archive. Grand enough to be described as ¡°majestic,¡± rows of shelves neatly lined up on either side of her, each linking to the dome above, like eternal sentinels standing in formation, gazing down upon the tiny human figure below. Bright electric lights and precisely positioned gas lamps alternated between the shelves, lighting up the place brightly and leaving not a single dark shadow buried between even the deepest shelves.


    Fenna found the shelf mentioned by the old priest¨Ca row of small light bulbs illuminated on the shelf, signaling the files she was permitted to peruse.


    The files were not placed low, but fortunately, Fenna was tall enough to retrieve the books without the need for a ladder, which was a relief.


    Pushing ladders up and down such an enormous library would not be an easy task.


    She took a deep breath, located the starting point of the file on the shelf, pulled out the archive labeled with a number, and began rapidly flipping through it.


    What she was looking for was simple: the great fire from eleven years ago, or rather, the fire that had been disguised as a factory leak incident.


    In truth, it was not her first time investigating this incident¨Cas a Judge, she naturally had a keen sense for all ¡°unusual phenomena,¡± which also included events that happened to her own person. Once she knew that she alone remembered the fire from her childhood, she had privately sought out some records from that time, but those cursory investigations yielded no results.


    At the time, she quickly put the matter out of her mind.


    Because no matter what, she was only twelve years old when that accident happened. She was neither a believer of the goddess nor did she have an exceptional mind¨Ca panicked child who inhaled poison smoke could easily have some incorrect memories. There was no need to overthink it. So after perusing some public archives, she let the issue go.


    But now, she suddenly discovered that there were others in the Plunder City-State who had experienced the fire that lingered in her memory.


    The doubts and numerous speculations that had been put aside surged up in an instant, and her ¡°professional alertness¡± as a Judge rang wildly in her mind.


    It was also because of this professional alertness that she declined Heidi¡¯s suggestion to ¡°return to the antique shop¡± at the time and waited discreetly until today when she ran straight to the goddess-favored archive to investigate the unpublicized original materials.


    The reason was simple; there was a dangerous scent to this affair¨Cerasing a great fire sounded easy, but it actually involved the cognition and memories of thousands of people. Moreover, this event was also tied to the destruction wrought by the heretics in those years. If all this was the work of some ¡°behind-the-scenes manipulator,¡± that manipulator would certainly not sit idly by and allow anyone to detect this truth.


    The memories lingering in her mind, the memories lingering in the mind of a girl named Nina¡­ these ¡°remnants¡± could very well be oversights by the manipulator. The ¡°person¡± hidden behind the scenes may not have noticed these oversights yet, but if he did¡­ she was not afraid, but Nina and her uncle, as well as a girl named Sherry, were all ordinary people.


    That¡¯s why she had refused Heidi¡¯s suggestion at the time and also insisted that Heidi not bring up the matter again afterward¨Con one hand, she did not want to startle the snake out of its hole and aimed to carry out her investigation under the radar; on the other hand, it was to avoid involving the innocent.


    Before gaining certain intelligence, she absolutely could not show any excessive attention to the antique shop beyond what was necessary.


    Slowly flipping through the archives in her hands, Fenna¡¯s thoughts undulated continuously.


    For some reason, as soon as she sensed a shadow, she developed an illusion of being watched and trailed by an omnipresent gaze. This awful feeling of being under surveillance from the dark was like a thorn in her side, making her slightly irritable.


    She put down the file in her hand and reached for another one nearby.


    Simultaneously, she also thought about the recent events in the City-State.


    The Sun Heretics active in the city had already been arrested in significant numbers. It seemed that the City-State¡¯s resolute actions had effectively deterred those heretics, or perhaps their channels of infiltration indeed had been completely destroyed. In any case, the number of Sun Heretics in the city had greatly decreased, filling up the heretics¡¯ detention cells beneath the major churches to the brim.


    And the purpose of the Sun Heretics¡¯ activities in the City-State had already been uncovered.


    Searching for the ¡°Sun Shard¡± that made a brief appearance eleven years ago and might still be hidden somewhere.


    Sun Shard¡­ the great fire eleven years ago¡­


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    The ¡°illusion¡± that Heidi had glimpsed in the museum before.


    Fenna stopped flipping through the files, as some clues that hadn¡¯t previously caught her attention suddenly connected, becoming more prominent as she re-examined her memory of the fire.


    ¡°These events are connected¡­ the great fire eleven years ago definitely existed¡­¡± the young Judge took a soft breath. Simultaneously, her eyes inadvertently scanned some of the text on the archives:


    ¡°¡­X month X day, XX district, a violent heretic worship incident, three households built altars at home, offering fresh blood and prayers to some unknown evil entity never recorded before, causing widespread panic and nightmares among nearby residents. The sacrifice ceremony was later denounced and destroyed, but the evidence left at the scene could not be tied to any known Evil God or malevolent spirit¡­


    ¡°Theoretically, that sacrifice ceremony should have been ineffective, likely a blind attempt by ignorant fools for personal desire. However, the collective panic and nightmares of the local residents indeed occurred. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the region had indeed been affected by Transcendent forces¡­¡±

 Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Chapter 155: Suspicions

    Chapter 151: Chapter 155: Suspicions


    Fenna¡¯s gaze lingered on this record for a few seconds, and the Judge¡¯s sharpness let her sniff out something noteworthy from these brief phrases.


    Sacrificial acts of heresy suddenly emerging among ordinary residents, targeting a nonexistent entity¨Csacrificial actions that utterly failed to meet ritual requirements had actually drawn the attention of transcendental powers. Isolated incidents of mental disorder, with no follow-up investigation¡­


    Fenna suddenly remembered something, put the file in her hand down, and hurriedly flipped through another record she had just seen.


    In the year 1889, a bit earlier, an armed assault happened in a street-side shop in the Lower City District. This incident should have been managed by the public security bureau and not appear in the church¡¯s archives, yet the post-incident investigation proved that the assailant¨Ca ¡°customer¡± who suffered a sudden mental disorder inside the shop¨Cinsisted he saw a blasphemous shadow in the store¡¯s display window and wielded a knife to ¡°counterattack¡± against the ¡°unseen entity¡¯s pursuit.¡±


    In subsequent inquiries, the church discovered traces of heretical worship in the shop¡¯s basement. However, the sacrificial symbols on the site were jumbled and indiscernible, not pointing to any effective entity. Through interrogation, it was learned that the shopkeeper, who conducted the sacrifices in private, had no understanding of mystical rites at all, his haphazard sacrifice was guided by ¡°unknown instructions.¡±


    As before, a haphazard sacrificial ritual, theoretically ineffective, sparked mental disorder in a small area, again with no further investigative conclusions.


    Fenna slightly furrowed her brows. These two events seemed to have no connection with the factory leak from eleven years ago or the fire that was erased¨Ctimewise, they didn¡¯t match up either. This was not the focus of her investigation today, but the consecutive mention of two similar incidents of heretical worship in such close records touched a nerve in her as a Judge.


    Moments later, she put down the two files she was holding and continued searching the shelves for subsequent volumes, this time paying extra attention and actively looking for records of incidents that might be related to heretical worship.


    After an unknowable amount of time, she suddenly stopped.


    The third record was still at some point before the ¡°factory leak¡± incident, occurring on the edge of the Upper City District. A maid working in a wealthy household suddenly went mad, grievously injured three servants and the male owner of the house, then locked herself in a storeroom. By the time the church guardians and the public security officer arrived and broke in, the maid had already taken her own life.


    In the storeroom, symbols of sacrifice carved with a dagger were found, made by the deceased just before her death. The maid¡¯s room also revealed traces of heretical sacrifice¨Conce again pointing to another nonexistent entity, and the sacrificial procedure did not comply with any standards. However, unlike the previous records, the ineffective sacrifice did not drive others insane, but rather the sacrificer herself.


    There were already three of them¡­


    If Fenna was only slightly concerned when she saw the first two records, her expression turned completely grave upon seeing this third record.


    She rapidly arranged the information from these records in her mind, analyzing them based on the timing and locations of their occurrences.


    The incidents were dispersed, independent of one another in time, unrelated in location, and there were theoretically no connections between the people involved.


    Moreover, there was nothing related to the factory leak from eleven years prior, and no traces of the Sun Heretic were found in the subsequent investigations.


    Fenna concentrated and continued to search for more records. It wasn¡¯t long before she found the data on the factory leak.


    It was a major incident, its impact widespread, and the number of captured heretics was nearly the highest in recent decades. Therefore, the whole thing was recorded in a separate file, a thick and hefty file filled with numerous pictures and interrogation reports.


    But it did not take Fenna long to go through the entire contents of the file.


    Because she had seen these contents many times before in other places, in the past few years, she had reviewed files related to this old case more than once.


    It seemed that even in this archive deep within the church, there was no more information about the factory leak from eleven years ago.


    Fenna put the file concerning the factory leak back in place and continued to look through more records when she suddenly realized something:


    After the ¡°factory leak¡± incident, there were no more records appearing like the previous three cases of ¡°heretical worship.¡±


    Yet, the factory leak happened in the middle of the year, leaving half a year¡¯s time after it.


    This gave Fenna a feeling as though all the ¡°ineffective yet somehow effective¡± heresy cult events had cropped up right before the factory leak, and after the incident, they became a turning point; all the heretical worship had come to an abrupt stop thereafter¡­


    Of course, this could also be explained by common sense: after the factory leak accident, the church and authorities had arrested thousands of Heretics, and this large-scale crackdown had cleared up the City-State¡¯s heretical forces, so it was quite normal for there to be no heretical worship incidents in the following half a year.


    However, for some reason, she always felt that the logic behind these seemingly unrelated events should not be so simple.


    She paused next to the large bookshelf and, after pondering quietly for a long time, returned to the starting point, pulling out the first file about ¡°heretical worship¡± and flipping through it while musing.


    The events were too scattered, drowned in a mess of disaster records. If it hadn¡¯t been for her sudden, bullheaded determination to sort through them today, and the suspicion already planted in her heart, she probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything unusual when she first received these materials. Yet once noticed, the discordant and uncomfortable sensations took root in her heart like a seed, making it difficult for her to ignore the warnings from her intuition.


    While Fenna was earnestly reviewing the materials, a measured pace of footsteps suddenly came from nearby, accompanied by the faint scent of machine oil mixed with incense.


    Fenna looked up to see the old priest responsible for managing the archives approaching her.


    As he walked, he limped, making it obvious that it wasn¡¯t just his right hand that had been injured; his legs had suffered as well.


    ¡°There are not many people around in the archives at this time, so I came over to see,¡± said the old priest with a smile, ¡°Have you found the materials you were looking for?¡±


    Fenna exhaled softly and put the file back in its place, ¡°I found some materials, but not the answers I was looking for.¡±


    ¡°Answers?¡± the old priest asked curiously, ¡°What kind of answers do you want?¡±


    ¡°¡­How long have you been here?¡± Instead of answering directly, Fenna suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a long time, let me think¡­ nearly twenty years,¡± the old priest said with a smile, ¡°Ever since my hand and leg were blown off by those heretical fanatics¡¯ homemade bomb, I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    After some thought, Fenna curiously asked, ¡°Is it usually this quiet here? Does anyone else come to consult these archives like I do?¡±


    ¡°Most of the time, it is very quiet here¨Cthere are some who come to consult the archives, but not many,¡± the old priest replied with a smile, ¡°Books are a person¡¯s memory of the world, and this archive is where memories lie deepest¨Cstored here are ¡®old cases¡¯ that have been dealt with or ¡®confidential scrolls¡¯ deemed unsuitable for public disclosure. Once filed away, they are buried deep in the annals of history along with the past.


    ¡°Every day in the City-State, countless new things happen, and everyone is busy moving towards tomorrow; who has that much time to come back and flip through these sealed documents. And moreover¡­¡±


    The old priest suddenly paused there, raising his head to quietly gaze at the stacks of scrolls reaching up to the dome, taking a while before he softly continued.


    ¡°And moreover¡­ the archived documents sometimes are not just a record of the past but might contain ¡®history¡¯ itself sealed within those pages. Our world¡¯s past, present, and future all rest on unstable foundations, and rifling through too much in this archive can be detrimental to one¡¯s well-being.¡±


    ¡°¡­That sounds somewhat like a warning from the Fire Transmitters.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Fire Transmitters like to caution about such things. They guard history and are always worried about something creeping over from ancient times, contaminating the roots of our world¨Cthey are excessively sensitive on this matter, so much so that some people even think that the Doomsday Preachers spreading ¡®end-of-the-world contamination theory¡¯ are Fire Transmitters who have fallen¡­¡±


    As he spoke, the old priest chuckled and shook his head, ¡°I had close friends from the Fire Transmitter sect when I was young, and naturally, I heard plenty of their theories. Even though their direction differs from the teachings of the Storm Goddess, they all belong to the orthodox gods, and some of their ideas are certainly worth considering.¡±


    For some reason, as she listened to the old man speak, Fenna¡¯s thoughts also gradually calmed down. She held a measure of respect for this elder who had dedicated most of his life to the church, and at this moment, she did not mind engaging in more conversation with him, so she casually asked, ¡°Do you still keep in touch with those friends?¡±


    ¡°No more contact,¡± the old man slowly shook his head, ¡°One morning, I suddenly realized I never knew their names, so most likely they have already been martyred¡­¡±


    (A new month begins, and it¡¯s time for double monthly votes, everyone gives some votes~~)

 Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Chapter 156: The Missing Years

    Chapter 152: Chapter 156: The Missing Years


    The old man¡¯s tone was very calm, as if he was telling a story with which he just happened to have been involved for a while.


    ¡°Sorry for being talkative, old age makes one prone to chattiness,¡± the priest smiled and said to Fenna, ¡°Do you have friends from other religious sects?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have a good friend who is a cleric at the Academy of Truth,¡± Fenna thought for a moment, ¡°but she doesn¡¯t talk to me much about the precepts of the God of Wisdom Rahm.¡±


    ¡°Believers of the God of Wisdom, eh¡­ That¡¯s normal. Their creeds usually require a college degree to understand, and sometimes even a passing score in higher mathematics,¡± the priest nodded as if it were a matter of course, ¡°By contrast, the followers of the Death God are the easiest to deal with¨Cafter all, we all have to die.¡±


    With that, the old man paused and looked curiously at the neatly arranged files behind Fenna, ¡°Judge, can you tell me, what are you looking for?¡±


    Fenna suddenly hesitated.


    She didn¡¯t know whether she should reveal that secret to the old priest before her. The hidden fire could very well point to a very dangerous shadow, and she was not sure if that ¡°shadow¡± was somehow monitoring the City-State or if the old man could actually help her. Speaking rashly might startle the quarry.


    But after a brief hesitation, she decided to reveal some information.


    This was the deepest part of the Deep Sea Church, a sacred place under the care of the Storm Goddess, and this old priest guarding the archives was a steadfast warrior. He remained here to provide help to visitors in such situations.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a file¨Cnot exactly a file because it might never have existed,¡± Fenna began cautiously, ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s a clue, from June 1889, possibly pointing to a big fire, but all the relevant information has been erased.¡±


    ¡°A fire in 1889?¡± the priest pondered, ¡°I do not remember any fire¡­¡±


    He suddenly stopped, thoughtfully looking at Fenna.


    ¡°So, the erased information includes our memories as well, right?¡±


    ¡°At least the memories of the people,¡± Fenna nodded slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t have enough evidence, other than my ¡®cognition.¡¯ I have no way to prove the existence of that fire, and I am unsure of what force is manipulating these events, I¡­ am just doubting.¡±


    She suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. As a Judge, she was accustomed to questioning and investigating, but this situation was completely different from the usual. She didn¡¯t know the target of her suspicion, not even sure whether it was human or ghost. She had launched her investigation based only on her own thoughts, which was entirely unlike her usual calm and steady style of behavior.


    However, the old priest before her just nodded calmly, ¡°Your devotion and character are evidence enough, Judge.¡±


    As the priest finished speaking, he quickly walked to a column between the nearby bookshelves and knocked on several specific protrusions with his mechanical arm. The next second, a deep rumble came from beneath the floor and the squeaking and creaking sounds of gears and connecting rods followed suit.


    The doors of the archive closed, and part of the bookshelves began to move slowly. Some drew closer and converged, while in the cleared area, pillars engraved with many complex runes slowly rose from the floor.


    With the rising of those pillars, the soft sound of waves gently resounded in Fenna¡¯s mind.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to go to such lengths,¡± Fenna was somewhat taken aback by the priest¡¯s actions, ¡°It¡¯s just the preliminary investigation¡­¡±


    ¡°PAST experiences tell me there is no ¡®preliminary¡¯ in investigations against a great threat,¡± the priest slowly approached Fenna, raising his brass-forged mechanical arm, ¡°and I believe a thing that can interfere with cognition on a large scale, even erasing specific historical events, is a ¡®great threat.''¡±


    ¡°¡­But your hasty sealing of the archive could draw a lot of attention.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, the archive is randomly sealed several times a month to ensure that the sacred devices and bookshelves here get some exercise,¡± the priest laughed, showing his uneven teeth, ¡°¡®Do not let the ancient scrolls be quiet for too long,¡¯ that¡¯s the rule.¡±


    ¡°Then I have no more questions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve looked at many records just now and from your expression, you must have found something,¡± the priest nodded, ¡°I can help.¡±


    ¡°I found some records about ¡®heretical worship¡¯ ¨C although they don¡¯t directly relate to the incident I¡¯m investigating and the records themselves are very fragmented, they didn¡¯t feel right,¡± Fenna spoke frankly, ¡°These heretical worships have common characteristics and were predominantly occurring in the first half of 1889, then abruptly ceased after the leak incident in the 6th district factory¡­¡±


    The priest listened intently to Fenna¡¯s description and then, with her guidance, located the corresponding archive materials.


    ¡°These are the ones,¡± Fenna pointed to the documents that had been unearthed, ¡°Rituals of sacrifice that should be ineffective, substantial psychological damage, though all small in scale, they are indeed acts of heretical worship. The closing reports of all the cases seem normal, with the culprits caught and judged, but I believe that each of these cases¡­ was not thoroughly investigated.¡±


    ¡°For cases of this scale, capturing the involved and putting them on trial would normally be considered sufficient investigation. But you¡¯re right, when several similar events stack up¡­ the situation is different,¡± the priest flipped through the archives, furrowing his brow, ¡°Everyone involved in the sacrifices was ¡®mysteriously beguiled,¡¯ yet the source of the beguilement can never be traced¡­¡±


    He muttered to himself and suddenly looked up.


    ¡°Judge, did you only check the archives from 1889?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fenna nodded and then quickly realized, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°What you are interested in did indeed happen in 1889, but have you considered that these bizarre cases of heretical worship might not have started in 1889?¡± the old priest spoke quickly, immediately looking up to another row of shelves, ¡°The earlier records are here, the third row from the bottom upward; all of them are available for review.¡±


    Fenna immediately approached those archives, joining the old priest in examining the records within the case files.


    Shortly thereafter, they nearly simultaneously discovered similar accounts of heretical worship events in the case files each was perusing.


    1888, 1887, even as far back as 1886, there were incidents.


    ¡°Here¡¯s another record¡­ a sacrificial event in the port district, and over here, just two months apart from the last entry!¡±


    Fenna flipped through the casebook in her hands, her heart pounding rapidly. She looked up at the old priest to share her findings, only to notice him standing still as a statue in front of the bookshelf, staring intently at a certain spot.


    ¡°Have you found something?¡± Fenna immediately furrowed her brows, asking with a hint of nervousness.


    ¡°There are no records for 1885,¡± the old priest muttered as if speaking to himself, ¡°They should be right here, in this row, right after 1884¡­ but now it goes directly from 1884 to 1886¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here,¡± on the edge of Sixth District, Duncan turned to glance at the direction he and Sherry had come from and let out a sigh, ¡°Further investigation here probably won¡¯t yield anything more.¡±


    They had spent a long time in that small church, but with their combined knowledge of esoteric studies being less than that of a dog, they were obviously not capable of unraveling the mysterious space-time lock phenomenon in the Underground Sanctuary.


    Before they left, the Underground Sanctuary had returned to its initial state, and the Nun, suspended between ashes and the living, continued to pray devoutly in the main hall of the church, seemingly unaffected by Duncan and Sherry¡¯s departure.


    The church¡¯s exterior remained dilapidated, its surroundings still desolate and empty.


    However, Sherry wasn¡¯t too concerned about the secrets within the church anymore.


    ¡°I¡­I really can go home?¡±


    She looked at Duncan with a nervous manner, her voice revealing a mixture of trepidation and an indistinct hesitance.


    ¡°Of course, you can. I never restricted your freedom to leave,¡± Duncan smiled, ruffling her hair. Although Sherry was about the same age as Nina, her frail and delicate stature always made him treat her as if she were a much younger child, ¡°The investigation for today is over; you can go home now.¡±


    Sherry subconsciously turned to look in the direction of her home, wanting to step forward but hesitating, ¡°Then¡­ will we continue the investigation later?¡±


    ¡°Of course, this matter is far from over,¡± Duncan raised an eyebrow, ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to leave?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, no!¡± Sherry quickly waved her hands in denial, ¡°I was just¡­ wondering about the next investigation¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to contact you, and you can come find me anytime,¡± Duncan smiled again as he ruffled Sherry¡¯s hair, ¡°And it¡¯s not just for investigations, if you run into any sort of trouble, you can also come directly to me.¡±


    Sherry blinked, feeling something odd, but eventually nodded lightly. However, before she turned to leave, her curiosity couldn¡¯t help but win out as she asked, ¡°So¡­ what are your plans next?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Duncan was momentarily startled before replying, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy a bicycle this afternoon.¡±


    Sherry was taken aback, ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m buying a bicycle,¡± Duncan repeated seriously, ¡°I promised Nina, and it¡¯s been several days. I need to keep my word today. Is there something wrong with that?¡±


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    Sherry opened her mouth, struggling to speak, before finally managing to say, ¡°Ah¡­ A-Dog said you were supposed to be doing things related to a Subspace invasion¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, a shadow suddenly burst out of the air next to them, with A-Dog¡¯s gruff voice urgently shouting from within, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡±


    The next second, the shadow vanished as if it were smoke blown away¨Cclearly A-Dog was terrified of being seen if he showed his face outside.


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He held back a reply for a long time, finally releasing a resigned laugh, ¡°Alright then, now the invader from Subspace is off to buy his niece a bicycle¨Cwe¡¯ll part ways here.¡±

 Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Chapter 157: The Captains Big Shopping Spree

    Chapter 153: Chapter 157: The Captain¡¯s Big Shopping Spree


    Dengken spoke the truth¨Che really had run off to a store near the Cross District to buy a bicycle for Nina after parting ways with Sherry.


    By the way, he was doing something he had planned long ago but had kept putting off until today due to various things: opening a bank account for himself.


    Inside the Plunder City-State Bank, Dengken was waiting for a clerk to finish preparing the last form for him; the waiting process was boring, so he turned his attention to observing his surroundings.


    Perhaps because it wasn¡¯t a day off, and there weren¡¯t many citizens from the Lower City District who needed to conduct bank business, this rather small bank lobby seemed quite tranquil. Three out of the five service windows were idle, with staff in black uniforms chatting behind them, while the bright lights shone on the counter glass, casting a lazily gleaming halo.


    Dengken looked up and saw long iron pipes extending near those counters, the pipes running up to the ceiling like slender pillars and arranged neatly above, stretching to some place behind the hall. A low, rhythmic clacking sound came from the floor beneath, as if some mechanical device was operating underground.


    Finally, the clerk prepared the last item on the form and handed it to Dengken, saying as a matter of routine, ¡°After confirming everything is correct, sign at the end. There are your account and seal pattern. The service fee for a bearer account is 6 sollars and 5 besols.¡±


    Taking the form, Dengken curiously examined its contents and spontaneously conceived numerous speculations about the civilization and economic systems of this world¡¯s city-states. However, as he wasn¡¯t an expert in this field, after musing for a moment, he focused on the end of the form¨Cremembering the short string of numbers at the top, he signed his name and handed over the form with the service fee.


    The clerk took the form, glanced at it casually, and then placed it into a punch machine. Accompanied by a brisk clack, the punch machine created a dazzling array of holes in the blank frame on the edge of the form, and then the clerk rolled up the paper, stuffed it into a metal tube, and dropped it into one of the pipes next to the counter.


    The sound of metal clashing was heard, followed by the closing of the pipe, and the hiss of steam pressurizing, along with the sound of an object rapidly sliding through the pipe reached Dengken¡¯s ears. As he followed the sound with his eyes upward, he noticed a slight tremor in one of the pipes connected to the ceiling¨Cthat document had been sent to some remote place.


    ¡°Just wait a moment,¡± said the clerk behind the counter offhandedly, ¡°if the pipes aren¡¯t faulty today and the machines on the other side are in good condition, you should get your receipt within half an hour¨Cif that fault light over there turns on, though, you¡¯ll have to come back tomorrow.¡±


    An extraordinary process.


    For Dengken, none of this was very efficient, but for this world, it represented the pinnacle of progress that city-state civilization had striven to develop since the advent of the Deep Sea Era.


    He watched all of this with both curiosity and emotion, and at the same time, he overheard a conversation between clerks¨Cat the counter next to him, a young man was exclaiming, ¡°I hear that the Academy of Truth is in touch with the head office, saying they want to install some new machine that could increase the head office¡¯s processing efficiency by several times¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called a large difference engine¨CMoco¡¯s city-state banks have been using them for a while. Actually, there are some in Plunder City, too¨Ca few smaller ones at the tax office and the mathematics research institute, and even in the cathedral I heard they¡¯re used to manage archives,¡± the clerk sitting across from Dengken chimed in nonchalantly, ¡°if you ask me, the head office is just now thinking of this, it¡¯s already ridiculously behind the times.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really concern us,¡± another idle clerk joined the conversation, ¡°That thing is both expensive and cumbersome. Including the steam core that acts as a power source, along with the matching punch machine, and an analyzer, a whole difference engine set could fill this entire hall¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Academy of Truth is also organizing people to study the next generation of difference engines? It seems they can be half the size, with performance not far off from the current large machines, and run on electric power instead¡­¡±


    ¡°Electricity? Without a steam core? What if the machine gets possessed while operating? That thing needs to continuously process a huge amount of data; without the sacred protection of steam, the bearings and gear assemblies are way too susceptible to attracting evil spirits, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°How would I know¡­ Maybe there needs to be a pastor standing next to it, doing mass with incense for the machine while it calculates¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Then it feels like the miniaturization hasn¡¯t saved much trouble, but instead takes up an additional clergyman¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, how much space does a pastor take, and how much does half a difference engine take? Do you know how expensive the downtown property prices are¡­¡±


    It seems that no matter the world, people¡¯s idle chitchat while slacking at work is just as wild and aimless. The bank clerks¡¯ topics soon shifted from difference engines to city-state housing prices, but on the other hand, their casual conversation was so peculiar and interesting to Dengken¨Che was so engrossed that he even forgot the boredom of waiting.


    But this idle chat didn¡¯t last long; following a clang in a nearby transfer pipe, everyone¡¯s discussion about ¡°whether housing prices or pastors are more expensive¡± was finally cut off.


    The clerk opposite Dengken opened the brass pipe next to the counter and pulled out a metal small tube¨Cthis one was obviously a different model from the one sent earlier, seeming sturdier, with a complex locking mechanism at the seal. It took quite some effort with a special tool for the clerk to open the lid and retrieve the item inside.


    It was a rectangular metal plate no larger than half a palm, stamped with letters and symbols, the edges dotted with randomly arranged holes of various sizes. The series of numbers that Dengken had just memorized was imprinted on one end of the plate.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your seal card,¡± the clerk handed the metal plate to Duncan, ¡°You can use it at any bank in Plunder City-State or the banks of the Endless Sea Commerce Association in other city-states¨Cbut transactions in other city-states would have a delay of three to seven days, due to the transmission time for cross-sea telegraphy or Spirit Realm communications.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Duncan took the metal plate and curiously examined this artifact that seemed to represent the level of technology in the city-state civilization; he scrutinized the delicate holes, while at the bank counter, he discovered the machine that read these metal plates.


    These creations, utterly different from those on Earth yet also representing humanity¡¯s wisdom, were the ¡°footprints¡± of the city-state civilization of the deep-sea era up to the present day.


    ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± came an inquiry from behind the counter.


    ¡°Ah¡­ no, thank you,¡± Duncan came to his senses, smiled, and rose from his chair, but before leaving, he seemed to remember something abruptly, pausing in his tracks to ask offhandedly, ¡°By the way¡­ can machines really be possessed by evil spirits?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they can, what¡¯s so strange about that?¡± The clerk immediately replied as if it were a question that required no contemplation on her part, ¡°Apart from Subspace, anything in this world can be corrupted, isn¡¯t that common knowledge?¡±


    Duncan was taken aback; he had just asked the question in passing, but her answer, for some reason, touched his thoughts, giving him a fleeting twinkle at the bottom of his heart.


    A moment later, he nodded gently: ¡°¡­Indeed, apart from Subspace, anything in this world can be corrupted.¡±


    Then he left the bank.


    As per his plan, he still had a major shopping spree to undertake today¨Cbesides buying Nina a bicycle, his shopping list had a whole stack of items listed that could scare Nina out of her wits.


    The income from the dagger he sold to Old Mr. Morris, together with the reward for reporting heretics, was enough to support a family of three living carefree in the Lower City District for one or two years. And since most of that money had not yet been touched, Duncan felt it was time to put it to good use.


    So, for the next half-day, Duncan virtually swept through the markets and shops near the Cross District¡­


    Around four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, in a shadowy alley near the Cross District, Duncan clanged as he put down the last package, and he sighed with relief.


    He looked at the mountain of goods before him with satisfaction.


    Flour, vegetables, seeds, spices, fresh meats, cured ingredients, various dried mushrooms, wines¨Cand cheese.


    Cheese that was edible, normal, younger than him.


    Moreover, there was even a pile of pots, pans, ladles, and many things ¡°Duncan thought might be useful.¡±


    Transporting all these items to the ship, Homeloss, would undoubtedly revolutionize its living environment.


    At the very least, the kitchen would now be able to produce stable human meals.


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    Duncan nodded with satisfaction and casually called out, ¡°Ai Yi!¡±


    The fluttering sound came from above a nearby building, and Ai Yi landed neatly on his shoulder.


    The next second, after glancing at the goods on the ground, the pigeon exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re not messing with me, are you?¡±


    Before the words were finished, the bird tilted and fell straight to the ground¨Calthough Duncan hadn¡¯t yet said what he wanted it to do, this clever creature had obviously realized its predicament.


    But Duncan just chuckled, catching the free-falling pigeon mid-air, ¡°No worries, if you can¡¯t carry it back in one go, you can make a few trips¡­¡±

 Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Chapter 158 Rose Doll House

    Chapter 154: Chapter 158 Rose Doll House


    To tell the truth, there actually wasn¡¯t much stuff piled up in the alley. After all, Duncan was just one person, and even though he had bought a bicycle in advance to carry goods, there was a limit to how much he could haul at once. Ai Yi¡¯s reaction was actually quite understandable¨C


    That bird was bargaining; it hoped to score some more fries.


    From a certain perspective, the bird was really easy to understand.


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Duncan, holding the pigeon, brought it close to a basket of potatoes. ¡°This is called a potato, also known as a spud.¡±


    Ai Yi blinked its mung bean eyes, carefully inspecting the basket of items for a long time before actually catching on, and suddenly it stretched its neck eagerly, ¡°Delicious! Delicious!¡±


    ¡°Good to know. Work hard, and this whole basket is prepared for you¨Cby the time the fries are fried, there¡¯ll be enough to stuff you to death dozens of times,¡± Duncan chuckled sneakily, casually tossing the pigeon out, ¡°Send these items back to Homeloss¨Cjust place them on the deck, ¡®I¡¯ will be there to receive them.¡±


    Ai Yi flapped its wings in the air. Before landing, it was enveloped by a faint green flame. After transforming into an undead bird, it circled around the pile of goods twice. The ¡°cargo¡± within the flames began to dematerialize swiftly, but suddenly, it paused and landed on top of the goods, cocking its head at Duncan, ¡°Do you need to specify the next memory address?¡±


    Duncan was taken aback for a moment before he realized the bird was asking what it had to do next¡­


    Then he couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself¨Cin the bird¡¯s vocabulary there were too many bizarre and diverse terms. It was as if every creation from human interactions on the internet was stored in its mind. Although he had managed to guess the bird¡¯s meanings from its phrases while living with it for a while, most of the time his communication with Ai Yi was just barely skirting what he knew¡­ Couldn¡¯t it try to speak a few words of normal human language?


    Nonetheless, despite his inner grumbling, Duncan still nodded in response to Ai Yi, ¡°You take care of these first, I still have more to buy¡­¡±


    This time, Ai Yi was truly startled. It soared up into the sky, and a large ball of flame enveloped and swept away the heap of goods on the ground in the blink of an eye. As it quickly disappeared from Duncan¡¯s view, it kept squawking loudly, ¡°So terrifying! So terrifying!¡±


    Seeing this, Duncan merely shrugged his shoulders and turned to the bicycle he had just bought.


    It was a very ordinary bike, with a black frame, shiny silver hubs and handlebars, a brand-new bell, and a sturdy, practical basket and rear seat¨Cnot particularly distinctive, neither pretty nor ugly, but its biggest advantage was probably its decent quality.


    Duncan had intended to carefully select a pretty female bicycle for Nina, but after looking around the shops in the Lower City District, he gave up on the idea¨Csimply because there weren¡¯t any.


    In the Lower City District, a bicycle was just a bicycle, an aid in life but also a tool for production. All the bikes were more or less the same, without specialized styles like male, female, mountain, or road varieties. People of different body sizes could adjust the handlebars and seats for comfortable riding, and beyond that, there were no other functions or definitions for bicycles.


    Most ordinary people in this world didn¡¯t seem to have the luxury of pursuing or customizing a ¡°more refined life.¡±


    In the ¡°Deep Sea Era¡± city-states, a lot of things were ultimately different from the ¡°another world¡± Duncan was familiar with¨Ceven if they looked like similar things, many details were filled with characteristics unique to this world. And it was precisely these misleading things¡­ that kept reminding Duncan of the fact that he was ¡°in a foreign land.¡±


    He got on the bike, and this brand-new mode of transport was light and handy, quickly taking him away from the alley and toward the nearby bustling commercial district.


    Nina would like the bike.


    Leaving the Cross District, he headed northwest, riding up towards the higher streets, and then he would truly arrive in the Upper City District¡¯s territory¨Cgenerally speaking, the citizens of Plunder called this ¡°the real boundary line of decent living,¡± unlike the Cross District, which could only be considered a ¡°place for middle-class citizens to embellish their facades.¡±


    Different from Duncan¡¯s initial expectations, although Plunder had clear administrative boundaries between the ¡°Upper¡± and ¡°Lower¡± City Districts, there were no physical barriers between these two districts. Going from the Lower to the Upper City District merely required passing through some completely open crossroads¨Calthough there were security officer¡¯s posts at these crossings, it was clear that they didn¡¯t prohibit the citizens from passing through.


    Of course, this was the situation during the day. According to what Duncan had found out, the Upper and Lower City Districts did enforce strict restrictions at night¨C even if one had a nighttime pass, crossing between the two districts¡¯ checkpoints would still require extra procedures.


    But now it was daytime, and the crossroads were free of any impediment.


    Duncan directly entered the Upper City District¨Cfor the first time since he had set foot in this city-state.


    He had to admit, the Upper City District truly was a completely different place from the Lower City District.


    This was reflected in every aspect¨Ccleaner and broader streets, more imposing and magnificent buildings, newer and more advanced city facilities, and a number of gas streetlights and ¡°Night Shelters¡± that clearly surpassed those in the Lower City District.


    Duncan slowly came to a stop in front of a small pavilion near the intersection.


    It was a Night Shelter, intended to assist those citizens who had not returned home in time for various reasons after nightfall. The sign at the entrance of the pavilion provided a simple explanation:


    ¡°Providing night-time shelter, equipped with gas lights, Soothing Holy Oil, and the ¡®Storm Canon.¡¯ Please lock the door upon entering and wait for rescue, as the night guards hold safety keys.¡±


    In the Lower City District, Duncan had also seen similar facilities, but there were only one or two in an entire district, and they looked mottled and old, he was not sure if they could still be used.


    Duncan withdrew his gaze, mounted his bicycle, and continued to ride slowly along the street.


    His eyes occasionally swept over the shops lining the road.


    The dazzling windows and the elegant and refined displays within them were incomparable to the shops in the Lower City District, but Duncan was not concerned with these insignificant details.


    He still had many things to buy, procuring supplies for Homeloss had been a matter too long delayed, and¡­


    Duncan stopped his bike in front of a roadside shop and looked up, a slight smile on his face.


    There were some things you couldn¡¯t buy in the Lower City District¨Conly the ¡°respectable people¡± of the Upper City District would spend a lot of money and effort on certain things unrelated to survival, such as what was before him.


    He locked his bicycle and stepped forward to push open the door of the shop. Accompanied by a crisp and pleasant bell sound, a plump old woman who had been reading a newspaper behind the counter looked up. She wore a kind smile and stood up, saying, ¡°Welcome to Rose Doll House¡­ Oh, a gentleman, are you here to choose a companion for your loved one or a younger family member?¡±


    ¡°Just looking around,¡± Duncan replied briefly, then raised his head, curiously observing the shop known as ¡°Rose Doll House.¡±


    In his line of sight, there were dolls of all kinds¨Cexquisite, elegant, mysterious, cute, playful¡­ dolls.


    From outside on the street, he had seen through the window into the shop, but only upon entering did he realize that the space inside was even larger than it appeared from outside, and almost every visible spot was filled with things related to dolls, even under the stairs was stuffed with various styles of storage boxes and stands, as well as accessories large and small and bodies waiting to be assembled.


    It was a shop specializing in the sale of dolls and related items, with a classic style and a quiet, mysterious atmosphere.


    And in this large doll shop, there was only one very kind-looking old lady tending the store, with Duncan as the sole customer.


    The classic shop filled with dolls, the smiling old woman, the single customer.


    Duncan was captivated by the dazzling array of dolls, while the shop owner looked curiously at this unfamiliar customer.


    Men browsing in a doll shop was not rare; respectable men of the Upper City District often gave exquisite dolls as gifts to their partners or younger relatives, and some men even had the hobby of collecting dolls¨Cwhat really made the old woman curious as the shop owner was the plainness of the customer¡¯s attire.


    Duncan wore an old jacket he was accustomed to, not the attire of the wealthy who lived in the Upper City District¨Cand dolls, as collectibles, were anything but cheap.


    However, the old lady just took a curious glance and quickly averted her gaze.


    It wasn¡¯t polite to judge customers by their clothes, and a mature businessman shouldn¡¯t judge a customer by appearance¨Cfurthermore, everyone had the right to appreciate the goods.


    After looking around for a while, Duncan finally looked away and exhaled softly.


    He had to admit, he was a bit dazzled by the choice.


    The doll craftsmanship of this world was more developed than he had imagined, those myriad parts with names he couldn¡¯t even recall¡­ ¡°accessories,¡± had exceeded his understanding of dolls.


    ¨CHis understanding of dolls was limited to the worthless crew members who were cowardly and incompetent, with problematic necks and not even a properly functioning brain.


    Duncan looked towards the plump old lady, thinking it best to humbly inquire about the workings of dolls from a professional¨Cespecially regarding joint care and hair planting.


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    But before he could speak, he suddenly froze.


    He stared absent-mindedly at the old woman in front of him, who quickly caught on and smiled, pointing to her ears: ¡°Elves from the Plunder City-State are indeed rare.¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He had to admit, elves from the Plunder City-State were perhaps truly rare, and this was his first time seeing one in his life.


    But what astonished him even more was the thought that in this world, there could be a plump elf grandmother¡­

 Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Chapter 159: Who Isnt Persecuting Whom

    Chapter 155: Chapter 159: Who Isn¡¯t Persecuting Whom


    After the advent of the Deep Sea Era, the intelligent races that survived from the old world and established City-State civilizations were not solely humans¨Capart from humans, there were the Gyplo People, the Senkin People, and the Elves, three other species that existed in this world, each developing their own civilizations.


    This was knowledge written in Nina¡¯s textbooks, which Duncan had been familiar with for a long time, and he had been immensely interested in these ¡°alien races¡± mentioned in the textbooks, particularly the Elves¨Ca race always featured in various fantasy tales and surrounded by an aura of mystery, and truly existing in this world, sparking his curiosity to no end.


    Nina¡¯s textbook illustrations had once depicted the appearance of Elves to Duncan; the image showed them with long, pointed ears and slim figures¨Cso beautiful they were, indeed, indistinguishable as male or female.


    This directly established his initial impression of the ¡°Elves¡± in this world: a species with lifespans reaching a thousand years, universally attractive, elegant, and mysterious.


    However, in this superficial initial perception, he had never sketched what millennia-old Elves might look like as they aged¡­ He hadn¡¯t even considered that this race would exhibit the changes in appearance that come with aging, just as humans do.


    But now he knew that his understanding of the ¡°Elves¡± in this world was far too superficial.


    The owner of the ¡°Rose Doll House¡± was an Elf, a plump, kind-faced old Elf lady¨Caside from the signature pointed ears and green pupils, and the traces of beauty that could vaguely be discerned from her youth, she looked no different from an ordinary elderly lady next door.


    Staring at others is impolite.


    Duncan quickly realized this and hurriedly withdrew his excessively curious gaze, awkwardly touching his chin, ¡°This is my first time seeing an Elf.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t worried that his ¡°ignorant rusticity¡± would reveal anything, because it was indeed rare to see Elves in the Plunder City-State.


    Each major race had its own City-State, and because travel was inconvenient in the Deep Sea Era, most citizens seldom left their homeland throughout their lives, with only the brave ocean explorers and merchants shuttling between City-States¨Cand they were merely passers-by, almost never settling down in a different race¡¯s City-State¨Cthis was the same for all major City-States, where over ninety-nine percent of the residents were the ¡°dominant race.¡±


    Someone who lived in their own City-State and rarely ventured out might never encounter an ¡°alien race¡± individual living on the opposite side of the city in their entire life.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite normal,¡± the old Elf lady chuckled, ¡°There are probably not even a hundred Elves in this city, including those dozen or so who have holed up at the mathematics research institute for two hundred years and never venture out¨Ccan I help you with anything?¡±


    Hearing the old woman¡¯s reminder, Duncan remembered his original purpose and looked back at the dolls crammed into the display windows, counters, and stair spaces, while pondering and speaking, ¡°I would like to buy some doll-related items, and if possible, I¡¯d also like to ask some questions about dolls¡­ but I was overwhelmed as soon as I came in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it seems you are a ¡®novice¡¯,¡± nodded the old lady, ¡°Are they female dolls? Are they part of your own collection, or¡­¡±


    ¡°Female, my own ¡®collection¡¯,¡± Duncan replied offhand, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt there was something odd about it and involuntary twitched the corner of his mouth, ¡°This hobby isn¡¯t strange, is it?¡±


    He had been better off not asking, but once he did, it felt even stranger¡­


    ¡°Of course not, collecting and taking care of dolls is a hobby of taste,¡± the old lady didn¡¯t react much, probably the confidence of one who has seen much after running a centuries-old shop, ¡°Are you looking to buy some clothes or accessories for your doll?¡±


    Duncan thought for a moment, ¡°Let¡¯s start with a wig¡­¡±


    ¡°Over here,¡± the old lady led Duncan towards a corner of the shop, while continuing to ask, ¡°What size is your doll? Quarter size? Or third size?¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­ it¡¯s the same size as a real person.¡±


    The old lady¡¯s steps involuntarily paused, and she turned around, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite rare. A life-sized doll? That must be quite valuable, I imagine?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Actually, I¡¯m not quite sure how much she ¡®is worth¡¯,¡± Duncan tried to keep a straight face while fighting off the awkward feeling inside, ¡°She was a gift from someone¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it sounds like you have a very generous friend,¡± the old lady smiled, opening a wooden chest near the circular counter and placing its contents onto the nearby countertop, ¡°Life-sized dolls are rare and so are their accessories, all here¨Cthere are wigs and also hair ornaments.¡±


    Duncan coughed twice and leaned in while muttering under his breath, ¡°I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s generous or not, he¡¯s just a captain¡­ It¡¯s a complicated matter.¡±


    His gaze fell on the items the elderly woman had brought out.


    Exquisitely crafted and well-maintained, they were clearly the product of considerable effort by the creator.


    He carefully selected, all the while imagining how Alice would look wearing these items, then he found he couldn¡¯t continue the thought.


    ¡­ The idea that the elegant, beautiful, and mysterious cursed doll would one day go bald and have to rely on wigs was just too much cognitive dissonance, even he found it almost unbearable.


    And this was an idea he had come up with himself.


    But Duncan quickly steeled his resolve, operating on the principle that since he had started the torment, he might as well go all the way¡­


    He picked out a splendid golden wig with matching silver hair accessories.


    Yes, silver hair accessories¨Cas a luxury item accessible only to high society, nothing about the doll¡¯s paraphernalia was cheap!


    Looking at the wig set before him, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but imagine how Alice might react to these gifts¡­ The simpleton might burst into tears, or she might turn and run, just like anyone facing their fate in terms of hair volume, a mental adjustment process was needed. But no matter how Alice would react in the end, he himself was beginning to feel quite pleased now.


    During the selection process, he casually inquired, ¡°By the way, could I ask about some doll maintenance issues?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied the kindly old woman with a smile, ¡°dolls do require meticulous care.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ what should I do if the doll¡¯s joints are frequently loose?¡± Duncan asked, gesturing as he organized his words, ¡°It¡¯s mainly the neck and head connection, the ball joint. For some reason it has loosened, and the head keeps falling off.¡±


    ¡°Wear and deformation of the ball and socket can cause joint looseness¨Cif it is not due to neglect or rough treatment later on, it must be that the initial design or materials were inadequate,¡± the elderly woman immediately responded. ¡°If it has reached the point where it frequently falls off, ordinary repairs won¡¯t do much. You might consider replacing the joint altogether.¡±


    She paused, then added, ¡°However, replacing joints for large dolls isn¡¯t easy. You probably won¡¯t be able to do it yourself, you could bring the doll here, and I could help with the replacement¨Cjust charging for the parts.¡±


    After hearing this, Duncan thought it didn¡¯t sound quite reliable.


    Alice¡¯s ¡°guillotine¡± ability was secondary; the main issue was that Abnormality 099 wasn¡¯t an ordinary doll! Could her joints even be replaced?


    If he mentioned going into the City-State for surgery, needing to disassemble the whole neck and put in a new one, she might just run off¡­


    So Duncan glossed over the topic and instead began inquiring about techniques for doll hair implantation¡­


    The shop owner lady patiently explained many things to him, and after finishing, she added, ¡°¡­ From what you say, your doll comes with her own hair. For such dolls, retouching or adding more hair later on is difficult to perfect unless done by the creator themselves. Plus, you said her head joint is also problematic. I suggest you simply order a new head sculpture¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    The shop owner lady remained enthusiastic, ¡°Looking at your reaction, you seem hesitant? Don¡¯t worry, our shop is known for excellent craftsmanship, and for hundreds of years, we have never disappointed a customer¨Cthere hasn¡¯t been a single complaint from our regulars¡­¡±


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    Duncan thought to himself that the old lady¡¯s ¡°regulars¡± probably couldn¡¯t even be found in the bones now, let alone come to complain, but obviously, he couldn¡¯t say that out loud, so he could only smile awkwardly and made up an excuse to brush it off, ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the issue¡­ it¡¯s just, if the head is replaced, then she wouldn¡¯t be the same, right?¡±


    He said it off the cuff, but to his surprise, the old lady¡¯s eyes lit up, and her smile became even more genuine, ¡°Ah, your way of thinking is quite remarkable. Many people treat dolls merely as objects and, even if they cherish them, few would consider them as you do.¡±


    Duncan suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, ¡°Ahem, that makes me feel a little guilty now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± the old lady sighed, ¡°Dolls need to be cared for attentively. The moment they are given human form, they should not be treated as inanimate any longer. There¡¯s this saying among puppeteers¨Cthat dolls given meticulous care have their own souls. You should even believe they possess their own joys and sorrows¡­¡±


    At that moment, in Duncan¡¯s mind emerged the image of Alice¡¯s harmlessly chuckling ¡°heh heh,¡± and he nodded vigorously, ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right.¡±

 Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Chapter 160: The Most Outstanding Puppeteer

    Chapter 156: Chapter 160: The Most Outstanding Puppeteer


    Onboard the Homeloss, the brilliant sunlight was shining on the freshly scrubbed upper deck, where a spiraling green flame was gradually dissipating above the deck. Alice stood by an open space, staring dumbfounded at the large pile of items that had appeared.


    ¡°This¡­ this¡­ what is this?!¡±


    The doll lady cried out in astonishment, and just as her words ended, Duncan¡¯s voice came from not far away, ¡°Stuttering as if your brain¡¯s fallen out¨Chaven¡¯t you ever seen pots, pans, ladles, fruits, and vegetables?¡±


    Alice turned her head somewhat stiffly, gave Duncan a look, and then took another serious look at the pile of supplies that had suddenly appeared on the deck. She put her hands on her hips, justifying herself, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them!¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I really haven¡¯t,¡± Alice continued assertively, ¡°I¡¯ve been in a box for so many years, where would I have seen these things?¡±


    Duncan immediately paused, then slapped his forehead, ¡°¡­I forgot. Alright, you make a good point. In some ways, you¡¯re even more ignorant than Sherry.¡±


    Just as Alice was about to step forward to study the pile of things that Ai Yi had suddenly teleported over, she turned her head with puzzlement upon hearing Duncan¡¯s words, ¡°Sherry? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Someone I met in the City-State; maybe one day you¡¯ll have the chance to meet her,¡± Duncan pondered, ¡°I think you might have a lot in common with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Alice acknowledged and quickly cast the thought aside. Then she approached the pile of supplies on the deck, circling around it curiously.


    ¡°So this is flour¡­ this is meat? It¡¯s different from the dried meat on board¡­ these are vegetable leaves? They seem so fragile, and they¡¯re cool to the touch¡­ what¡¯s this round thing¡­ oh, it broke¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with the eggs!¡± Duncan saw the naive doll was about to create a mess and hurriedly stepped forward to swat away her wandering hands, ¡°These are for improving conditions on board.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Alice let out her signature giggle, a bit embarrassed as she withdrew her hand, ¡°I¡¯m just a bit curious¨CI¡¯ve only heard of many of these things.¡±


    Duncan looked at the doll helplessly, yet he also felt a bit of understanding for her.


    In Alice¡¯s mind (if such an organ truly existed in her head), there was a wealth of ¡°innate knowledge.¡± She knew how to communicate with people, was aware of many things in the world, and even accumulated her initial impressions of the world by ¡°listening¡± to the sounds outside her box. But ultimately, she had always been under seal, and strictly speaking, her true contact with the world was only a recent affair. Moreover, her first encounter upon emerging was with the Homeloss, a place absolutely unsuitable as a ¡°starting village¡± for beginners.


    She lacked a real understanding of the actual world.


    For a while, she could only interact with the things on the Homeloss, and the ship¡¯s limited space and objects had been relatively easy for her to get accustomed to. But now, Duncan had brought a whole load of fresh items from the human City-State right to the doll¡¯s presence.


    Even a piece of green vegetable or a bag of flour was an incredible item to Alice.


    ¡°Human City-States really are incredible places¡­¡± the doll lady remarked sincerely while gazing at the pile on the deck and at the colorful packaging, ¡°It must be much, much bigger than the ship, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s big, but much smaller than the Endless Sea,¡± Duncan replied offhandedly, observing the wonder and anticipation in Alice¡¯s eyes, and was reminded once again of the promise he had made to her.


    He had said he would take Alice to see the City-State.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the troubles in the City-State soon and figure out the secrets about you,¡± he told the doll in front of him earnestly, ¡°Just be patient for a while.¡±


    Alice immediately showed a beaming smile, ¡°Okay!¡±


    As always, blissfully oblivious.


    But just watching this carefree doll, Duncan felt the anxiety he had accumulated in Plunder City-State begin to fade bit by bit. He breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the items on deck, ¡°Let¡¯s move them to the kitchen together¨CAnd these miscellaneous items over here, take them to the captain¡¯s cabin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright!¡± Alice immediately agreed, and then while stepping forward to help, she asked, ¡°Will we use these for dinner tonight?¡±


    Duncan gave her a skeptical look, ¡°We could¡­ but do you know how?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Alice said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, ¡°But I can always ask Mr. Goat Head for some tips. He claims his culinary skills are astonishing and that he hold over ninety percent of the world¡¯s cooking secrets¡­¡±


    ¡°You believe that too easily!¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the food ingredients I¡¯ve managed to get with great difficulty. I will cook dinner. If you really want to seriously learn how to make something edible, just watch how I do it. Don¡¯t learn from that goat head¨Che doesn¡¯t even have a digestive system.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Alice nodded, and then glanced at Ai Yi pacing on the deck nearby. Her eyes shifted curiously, ¡°Will Ai Yi be going ¡®over there¡¯ later?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it has more things to deliver later.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still buying things?¡± Alice asked curiously, ¡°What else are you buying?¡±


    Duncan turned to look into the Puppeteer Miss¡¯s eyes and, after a moment, a faint smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m buying something for you.¡±


    Alice: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡­


    In the Plunder City-State, within the ¡°Rose Doll House¡±.


    Duncan felt that the kind elf matriarch might have misunderstood him, but he had no intention of explaining.


    Mainly because there was no way to explain¨Cwhat could he say? Could he say that he actually had a doll with a soul, capable of joy and sorrow, and that this doll was recently troubled by its thinning hair? Putting it optimistically, the old lady would probably run off to the church to report him¡­


    In the eyes of the ¡°Rose Doll House¡± proprietor, Duncan had become a true connoisseur who loved dolls and was willing to pour considerable effort into this hobby¨Cin the upper echelons of Plunder society, there were many who bought dolls, and not a few who were enthusiastic collectors, but rarely did someone show such a heartfelt concern for dolls as this gentleman did today. It gave her the impression that when the gentleman talked about his ¡°doll¡±, he was referring not to an item but to a living person, perhaps even to a friend about whom he cared deeply.


    Not even many Puppeteers would feel as he did.


    The two chatted enjoyably, and Duncan finally learned much about dolls from a professional (although he didn¡¯t know how much of this knowledge could be applied to Alice), while the proprietor of the doll house, clearly not having encountered such a kindred customer in a long while, couldn¡¯t help but laugh and sigh after their conversation, ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this city for three or four hundred years, outlasted seventeen Governors, and met countless humans¨C and yet hardly any of them truly understood ¡®dolls¡¯¡­ Ah, I know this might be uncomfortable for you to hear, but in my view, humans are certainly a much colder species than Elves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with elf society,¡± Duncan chimed in, hoping to encourage her to share more about elves, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard¡­ In the Elven City-State of Light Breeze Harbor, there gathers the world¡¯s most outstanding craftsmen? The Elves¡¯ unique handicrafts are famous around the world¡­¡±


    ¡°Elves are indeed adept at delicate crafts, as we are naturally sensitive to both mathematics and art¨Cthe world¡¯s famous Puppeteers are mostly Elves,¡± the old woman said matter-of-factly with a tone of taken-for-granted pride. However, she quickly changed the subject, ¡°But speaking of the profession of Puppeteers, many of my peers from other races have a certain prejudice against Elves¡­ They often say that Elves don¡¯t truly possess such exceptional talent for crafts and the reason we have so many master Puppeteers is simply because we live long enough to learn by continual practice¡­¡±


    Duncan was a bit at a loss for how to continue the topic, ¡°Well, I suppose professional rivalry is the same everywhere. What is your opinion on these comments?¡±


    The old woman chuckled, ¡°Me? I think they¡¯re right!¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I do think they¡¯re right,¡± the old woman emphasized again, her face bright with amusement, ¡°Anyway, every year on the Day of the Dead I go to a few of my old colleagues¡¯ graves and greet them by saying, ¡®You were right¡¯¨Cif they have the guts, they should come back and hit me!¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


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    Are all Elves in this world like this? Why does he feel something is off about this picture?!


    ¡°Ah¡­ just kidding,¡± seeing the expression on Duncan¡¯s face, the old woman then shook her head, ¡°In truth, there aren¡¯t so many enemies. We¡¯ve just been fellow travelers during such brief periods, and if we¡¯re talking about the profession of Puppeteers¡­ I¡¯ve always believed that the most outstanding Puppeteer in the world is not some ¡®master¡¯ among the Elves, but a human.¡±


    ¡°A human?¡± Duncan asked offhandedly.


    ¡°Yes, your average human these days probably doesn¡¯t know this name anymore¡­¡± the old woman said somewhat wistfully, ¡°Her name is Lucresia Abnormal, the famous ¡®Captain Duncan¡¯s¡¯ daughter. She was the most outstanding Puppeteer I have ever seen¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°?!¡±

 Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Chapter 161 Another Connection

    Chapter 157: Chapter 161 Another Connection


    In the eyes of the ¡°Rose Doll House¡± shopkeeper, the world¡¯s greatest puppeteer was a human named Lucresia Abenomar, the daughter of the famed ¡°Captain Duncan.¡±


    As soon as the old lady let out these words, the entire shop fell silent for several seconds, followed by Captain Duncan¡¯s earth-shattering coughing fit, ¡°Cough cough, cough cough cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you all right, sir?¡± The shopkeeper was immediately frightened by Duncan¡¯s reaction, just like any elf who has long dealt with short-lived races, her face instantly expressed concern that the human before her might drop dead on the spot, ¡°Do you need a doctor?¡±


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ I¡­ cough, I¡¯m fine,¡± Duncan finally managed to stop his coughing, but it still took him a moment to wave off the old lady¨Cbecause at the same time, he also had to calm down the Cursed Doll who had been startled by his coughing aboard the Homeloss, ¡°I just got choked on some saliva. What were you saying again? Lucresia¡­¡±


    ¡°Lucresia Abenomar, the lady of the Brilliant Starship, one of Captain Duncan¡¯s children,¡± the shopkeeper said with a face that read ¡°this is all recent news, why do you humans make such a big fuss over it,¡± ¡°the world¡¯s greatest puppeteer¡­¡±


    Duncan, who had just managed to catch his breath, suddenly choked on his saliva and into his lungs again upon hearing the old lady¡¯s words: ¡°Pfft¨C¡±


    At the same time, on the deck of the Homeloss, the doll Alice, who had just been frightened by Captain Duncan¡¯s severe coughing, was startled again by his exclamation ¡°Holy shit,¡± and the puppet lady, holding a large basket of vegetables and fruits, looked stupefied at the captain, who was acting strangely today, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Duncan took a breath, slowly calming his emotions. Having mastered dual-body control over time, he almost panicked again at this moment. To avoid acting too bizarrely back in the City-State, he had no choice but to wave at the doll before him, ¡°You go on to the cabin for now, I have something to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡± Alice still looked at him suspiciously, her pale violet eyes reflecting Duncan¡¯s face, ¡°Do you want me to check your body, maybe give you a back tap or help you catch your breath¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know how?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Off you go!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    After finally sending away the naive doll, Duncan quickly refocused his attention on Plunder City-State. He lifted his eyes and looked seriously at the slightly plump elf old lady, ¡°That famous Captain Duncan¡­ the legend of the Homeloss¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t just blurt out that name!¡± the shopkeeper hastily interrupted Duncan¡¯s words, ¡°An ordinary person like you doesn¡¯t know, but carelessly uttering the name of such a grand terror and curse could bring misfortune upon you! Be careful, or that ship might come to you in your dreams!¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right,¡± Duncan choked for a moment and nodded with effort, holding back the odd feeling in his heart, ¡°So, that captain¡­ Not only has a daughter named Lucresia, but he also has a son, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from a hundred years ago, I¡¯ve even met them both. The son is Tirian Abenomar, who later became some sort of general for the Frost Queen, but didn¡¯t last long before a rebellion broke out in Frost, and he gathered a group to become pirates. The daughter is Lucresia Abenomar, the world¡¯s most outstanding puppeteer¡­¡±


    The old lady prattled on, then paused, and started to reflect, ¡°But these are all events from many years ago, at least they are for humans¡­ In Plunder, few people bring up their stories anymore, even in the elven city-states, people don¡¯t dare to discuss matters related to that ship, but what¡¯s the harm, really? The siblings aren¡¯t insane like their father, they¡¯re still capably fulfilling their roles as captains¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Duncan immediately widened his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re saying they¡¯re still alive?!¡±


    ¡°Alive, indeed. It¡¯s said they were cursed by the Subspace, granting them eternal life,¡± the old lady lamented, ¡°They might live even longer than me¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you really all right, sir?¡± the shopkeeper finally couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°You¡¯ve been looking pale since a while ago, you don¡¯t like this topic? It¡¯s normal, most humans don¡¯t seem to enjoy hearing about this, they¡¯re afraid even in broad daylight¡­¡±


    ¡°I dare to listen, I dare to listen,¡± Duncan said, immediately snapping to attention at the mention. He quickly composed his expression and posture, nearly staring fixatedly at the shop owner. ¡°Could you tell me a bit more about the siblings? And you said just now¡­ you¡¯ve seen them both?¡±


    ¡°A century ago,¡± the old woman began with a reflective tone, ¡°I had my shop on this street back then. The siblings came here to shop. Lucresia bought a one-third scale Magic Doll, and Tirian paid for it. They were still young then, and their father¡­ he was still a normal human being. Oh, but I shouldn¡¯t mention him. Mustn¡¯t speak of him.


    ¡°And then another decade or so passed, and on my way to Rensa to exchange ideas with colleagues, I met Lucresia again, by herself. By then, she had become an outstanding Puppeteer and Mechanic Master¡­ the automaton-driven Magic Dolls she created were even beyond what I could make¡­¡±


    The shop owner rambled on, sharing tales that would be considered historical to most humans but were merely personal memories for her.


    It seemed that no matter the race, the elderly enjoyed reminiscing and chattering away; as long as someone initiated the topic, there was never an end to such conversations.


    Duncan¡¯s turbulent thoughts had yet to settle, but his face had regained composure. He perked up his ears, absorbing every word the old woman said, capturing the astonishing intelligence without missing a single detail.


    For the ordinary people of the City-State, the story of the century-old cursed captain and his cursed children was just a distant tale; but to an Elf who had lived here for several centuries, many so-called ¡°secrets¡± were just part of her earlier experiences¨Cshe spoke a lot about Lucresia, and also mentioned Tirian and his ¡°Sea Mist¡± a few times.


    However, her knowledge about Tirian and the ¡°Sea Mist¡± was clearly less than it was about Lucresia.


    ¡°Tirian Abnormal pledged loyalty to the Frost Queen, which was half a century ago, not too far from today. Some of the older humans have heard of it,¡± the shop owner commented casually, ¡°but that¡¯s all they¡¯ve done¨Cheard. The City-States around the Chill Sea were more closed off decades ago, and their interactions with Plunder were limited¡­¡±


    Duncan¡¯s heart thumped in his chest. Of course, he knew who the Frost Queen was; his family even had a life-sized Frost Queen doll that hopped around all day. But he had never imagined that the queen executed by rebels half a century ago would establish another connection with him¨Cin the form of an ¡°eldest son¡± whose existence he himself had only just learned of.


    ¡°The Frost rebellion, half a century ago¡­¡± he chose his words carefully, striving to appear as a casual customer fascinated by gossip, ¡°I¡¯ve read about it in history books, but they¡¯re rather vague¡­¡±


    ¡°That affair was indeed vague,¡± the shop owner waved her hand dismissively, ¡°It is said to be connected to ¡®that ship,¡¯ who would dare to record it clearly?¡±


    ¡°Did Tirian Abnormal become a pirate after the Frost rebellion, leading his crew?¡± Duncan asked again, ¡°Is he still active around the Chill Sea?¡±


    ¡°He seemingly is,¡± the shop owner recalled, ¡°Anyways, more than twenty years ago, a compatriot of mine who did business on the seas said so.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ do Tirian and Lucresia still communicate?¡±


    ¡°How would I know that?¡± The shop owner waved her hand again. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary old woman with a shop here on the streets of Plunder. At most, I met them once in earlier years and happen to remember a bit more than what you humans do. How could I know everything?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that makes sense.¡±


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    Duncan smacked his lips, realizing he might have shown a bit too much interest in the matter, and wisely refrained from asking further.


    At that moment, however, the old woman opposite him seemed to suddenly remember something. She stood up from behind the counter, ¡°Ah, right, speaking of Lucresia, I just remembered something. I¡¯ve had it for quite a few years now, don¡¯t know if you¡¯d be interested?¡±


    While speaking, the shop owner walked toward a short door in the corner near the stairs. Opening the door, she rummaged through a storage room for what seemed like ages before pulling out a box over half a meter long from the deepest part and placing it on the counter.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Duncan looked at the item she brought out with curiosity.


    ¡°A doll,¡± the old woman revealed with a kind smile, carefully opening the lid, ¡°Her name is Niru¨Cremember what I just mentioned? Many years ago, Lucresia and her brother bought a doll here in my shop. That doll, in fact, was one of two sisters. She took the older sister, named ¡®Luny.¡¯ This one left here, her name is ¡®Niru.''¡±

 Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Chapter 162 "Niru

    Chapter 158: Chapter 162 ¡°Niru


    Duncan quietly observed ¡°Niru,¡± lying in the box.


    It was just a common ball-jointed doll, perfectly reflecting the ¡°court girl¡± style popular in the Plunder City-State a century ago, with beautiful golden curls and a lace-filled dress. Its arms had the old-fashioned spherical joint structure that was more conspicuous than that of Alice. Its face was made of porcelain, showing the old-fashioned doll¡¯s characteristic seam structure around the mouth and eyes.


    Frankly speaking, the doll was exquisitely made and preserved very well, making it hard to believe it had been lying in a box for a century. Although it couldn¡¯t compare to dolls like Alice, which almost resembled real people, this little one called ¡°Niru¡± could also be described as beautiful.


    A hundred years ago, Lucrescia had bought another doll called ¡°Luny¡± from this shop, which was a pair to this little one, and now, the one left behind, ¡°Niru,¡± lay quietly in its box in front of Duncan.


    Duncan himself had casually walked into the shop today, initially intent on just buying a wig for Alice and to inquire about maintaining dolls.


    Fate is really a strange thing.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it has been preserved for a century,¡± Duncan mused, ¡°It¡¯s only slightly aged.¡±


    ¡°Elves make things that are famous for their durability¨Cafter all, we usually use them for a very long time. I wouldn¡¯t boast about my craftsmanship as masterful, but it should exceed many of my peers. I wouldn¡¯t want my creations to fail to last even a couple of centuries.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, but this would be considered an antique for humans,¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows. He quickly came out of his reverie, realizing that the well-preserved doll in front of him was not just a simple item, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can afford this.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten he had made more than a year¡¯s living expenses for an ordinary person from Mr. Morris with just a century-old dagger. This finely crafted and well-preserved doll¡­ couldn¡¯t possibly be cheap.


    ¡°Antique? I hadn¡¯t really thought of that,¡± the shop owner smiled with a pleased expression on his chubby face, ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. In fact, if you buy the wig and the matching silver hair accessory, I can sell you the doll at cost¨Cthe original cost from back then, one hundred forty-two solas.¡±


    This time, Duncan was surprised, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It might just be fate,¡± the shop owner slowly said, ¡°Niru has been lying here quietly for many years, always without a rightful owner to take her away. This ¡®sister¡¯ left alone is really lonely, and today there have been no customers here all day, except for you, a gentleman who loves dolls and discussed so much with me. Even bringing up Miss Lucrescia who took ¡®Luny¡¯ away a hundred years ago, I feel it might be guided by fate¡­¡±


    ¡°Fate¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s mouth twitched. He usually loved to use this word to deceive others, but he didn¡¯t expect to be duped himself, and then he realized, turning his gaze towards the elderly elf lady, ¡°So the real situation is that it can¡¯t be sold, right?¡±


    Shop owner: ¡°¡­It¡¯s fate.¡±


    ¡°Because it has some contact, however slight, with the cursed ¡®Ebunomal¡¯ family, so it can¡¯t be sold at all, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­It truly is fate.¡±


    ¡°Does this doll have any other curses? Like, if thrown away, it comes back on its own? Or it might go into the kitchen to find a knife while someone is asleep¡­¡±


    The old woman finally widened her eyes, her voice rising an octave: ¡°I specifically had priests exorcise it! I still have the exorcism certificate¡­¡±


    Duncan chuckled, ¡°See, it can¡¯t be sold because people suspect it carries a curse, right?¡±


    Old woman: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I own an antique store in the Lower City District,¡± Duncan sighed, ¡°A store in the Lower City District, you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t love dealing with businessmen, especially ones like you,¡± the old woman shook her head and sighed, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s indeed the reason. Niru hasn¡¯t been sold for a long time, and the longer it stayed, the older it got, so we just stored it in the warehouse¨Cif you really want it, take it at a discount price of seventy-five solas, at least let me recover the cost of the exorcism from back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Duncan agreed before she could finish.


    Regardless, he had developed a significant interest in this doll. Although there was no evidence of any connection between the little one and Lucrescia, just by the factor of ¡°fate,¡± he decided to buy this doll.


    This was a subconscious reaction after he suddenly learned that a pair of ¡°children¡± had appeared ¡°by himself¡±: you never know when the siblings would appear, and who knows what trouble might happen then. Now seeing something related to Lucrescia¨Che¡¯d rather secure it and examine it later.


    In a world filled with Transcendent powers and various strange things, items with such ¡°connections¡± often play a role in mysticism.


    ¡°Then ¡®Niru¡¯ is yours,¡± the elderly shop owner was a bit stunned by Duncan¡¯s swift response, perhaps regretting not asking for a higher price, but she soon shook her head, pushed the box containing the doll forward. Before Duncan reached out, she couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°You need to take good care of this child¡­ Although I can see that you¡¯re a gentleman who truly loves dolls, I still want to remind you not to treat Niru as a cheap commodity.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Duncan took the wooden box, closed the lid, and then looked at the wig and hair accessory he had chosen, ¡°How much for these two together?¡±


    ¡°425 Sora, non-negotiable,¡±


    Duncan instantly grimaced, as if he were experiencing a toothache.


    In the Lower City District, this was the living expenses of two months for an entire family! But in the Upper City District¡­ it was only enough to buy two accessories for the rich¡¯s luxury items.


    He was even slightly shaken at that moment, thinking about giving up, but he quickly dismissed the thought.


    This was the gift he had promised to Alice (although Alice might feel a bit complicated when receiving the gift). On the other hand, considering today¡¯s find in this doll shop, the price seemed somewhat acceptable.


    After slightly comforting himself like that, Duncan took a deep breath, ready to obediently pay.


    Just as he was about to pay, he suddenly remembered something and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Right, why did Lucrecia only take Luny, but not take ¡®Niru¡¯ as her sister?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± The shop owner asked, her expression turning mysteriously deep, ¡°That matter¡­ is another secret related to the Ebunomal Family.¡±


    Duncan subconsciously leaned in closer, ¡°Now I¡¯m even more curious.¡±


    ¡°Then settle the bill first.¡±


    Duncan, a bit startled, paid with a chuckle, ¡°Can you tell me now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing much,¡± the elderly shop owner said nonchalantly as she took the money, ¡°Those two kids didn¡¯t have enough money back then¨CLucrecia was tearful when she left, even said that she would definitely take Niru too once she had enough money, but it looks like she¡¯s forgotten¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Was it that this old lady had an eccentric style, or did all elves in this world have some kind of serious issue?


    ¡­


    On the Homeloss, which was slightly swaying with the rise and fall of the sea waves, Alice returned to the upper deck after transporting the last batch of items to the ship¡¯s cabin, where she immediately saw the captain, who was quietly standing near the ship¡¯s rail, seemingly lost in thought.


    ¡°Captain~~¡± the doll lady cheerfully approached, ¡°I¡¯ve delivered all the items to the cabin! The ingredients and kitchen utensils to the kitchen, other items to the captain¡¯s quarters!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Duncan came back to his senses, he let out a sigh of relief, his gaze finally focusing on Alice, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­ are you okay now?¡± Alice looked at Duncan up and down, hesitantly asking, ¡°Your face suddenly turned strange earlier, are you really all right?¡±


    Duncan shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a minor issue.¡±


    His mind was still a bit scattered, filled with the names Terian and Lucrecia that had suddenly sprung up, along with the potential trouble behind them. Looking at Alice, who undoubtedly had some connection to the Frost Queen and was a cursed doll, his thoughts were even more troubled, but eventually, he held back many things.


    Regardless of any connections with the Frost Queen, Alice was just a doll who knew nothing after all; discussing certain things with her¡­ might as well go find Sherry, who was illiterate.


    At least Sherry had a somewhat literate dog by her side.


    He turned his head, looking at the pigeon staying on the deck, whose figure flickered in the air for a moment before disappearing in a burst of flames.


    Alice curiously watched the spot where the flames vanished, ¡°Did Ai Yi go ¡®delivering goods¡¯ again?¡±


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    ¡°Yes, not much this time,¡± Duncan nodded slightly, then smiled at Alice, ¡°It¡¯s your gift.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°A gift? Really for me?! Captain, you really¡­¡±


    Before the doll lady could finish, a green flame vortex suddenly appeared above the nearby deck¨CAi Yi blinked, completing the teleportation from Plunder City-State to Homeloss in the ascend of flames, and a batch of new items appeared before Alice¡¯s eyes.


    The doll was suddenly at a loss for words.


    The first thing that caught her eye was a wig¡­

 Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Chapter 163: Exhausted Physically and Mentally from Communication

    Chapter 159: Chapter 163: Exhausted Physically and Mentally from Communication


    The Bone Dove, enveloped in Spectral Flame, circled twice above the deck. Out of the flames, cargo from the Plunder City-State materialized, and Alice stared blankly at the object that first appeared before her for a long while before finally lifting her head to look at the captain.


    Honestly, Duncan almost thought that the doll would cry and run away at this instant¨Cit was the most likely reaction he anticipated from Alice. But after a long staring contest between the simple-minded doll and himself, she finally nodded blankly, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°You really bought me new hair!¡± The next second, Alice¡¯s face lit up with joy as if she had received the most heartwarming gift, ¡°I thought you were just joking last time! Mr. Goat Head said that wigs for dolls are quite expensive¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    The persecution he had eagerly awaited did not happen, and his malicious plan had faced a major failure from the very beginning¨Cthe supposed victim was beaming with joy, filled with heartfelt gratitude.


    Duncan felt like an entertainer who had lost his source of amusement.


    ¡°Captain? Captain, why are you spacing out again?¡± Alice¡¯s voice suddenly rang out, snapping Duncan from his reverie. She held the wig on tiptoe, her face nearly touching Duncan¡¯s nose, ¡°You¡¯ve been daydreaming a lot today¡­¡±


    Duncan blinked and drew his face back a bit, looking at the cursed doll with a puzzled expression, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so broad-minded¨Cweren¡¯t you quite upset when we talked about wigs last time? I thought receiving this gift would at least cause you some internal struggle¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m upset about losing hair, why would I be upset about getting new hair?¡± Alice blinked, as though she found Duncan¡¯s worldviews questionable, and explained, ¡°I¡¯m a doll!¡±


    Duncan finally realized where the problem lay.


    Alice was usually so lively aboard the ship, bouncing around. Apart from her surprisingly sturdy cervical spine, she looked just like an ordinary human, and having been around her for so long, he unconsciously treated her as one¨Coverlooking her unique perspective as a doll¡­


    As a doll, why would she care about wearing a wig! Would humans care about changing into a new pair of shoes?


    ¡°Forget it, I must¡¯ve thought too much,¡± Duncan covered his face and waved his hand, as the greatest disaster of the Endless Sea once again felt unable to maintain his composure around Alice, ¡°Anyway¡­ as long as you like it.¡±


    ¡°I do like it!¡± Alice chirped, holding the wig then craning her neck to see the rest of the items on the deck, ¡°And these other things¡­¡±


    ¡°This is for you too,¡± Duncan sighed, trying to ignore the visual shock of an elegant Gothic doll holding a wig in high spirits, and turned to pick up a box from the deck, ¡°Open it and see.¡±


    Alice curiously opened the delicate little wooden box to find a set of silver hair ornaments, made of diamond-shaped thin plates, lying quietly against the velvet lining.


    Her surprise lifted her gaze to the captain, who nodded slightly at her.


    ¡°Last time, I took away the feather hairpin you found in the cabin,¡± Duncan spoke casually, ¡°I promised you a new one, and now I¡¯m keeping that promise.¡±


    Alice stared for a long while before it dawned on her, her smile containing an unprecedented happiness: ¡°Thank you, Captain! You¡¯re too kind!¡±


    ¡°Not so loud,¡± Duncan was startled by the doll¡¯s suddenly high-pitched voice that made his ears buzz and couldn¡¯t help but wave his hand, ¡°It¡¯s just a hair ornament, no need to get so worked up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the hair ornament, it¡¯s also the new hair you bought me!¡±


    Duncan felt a bit embarrassed, a strong sense of shame washed over him as if his plan to tease had turned into a heartfelt thank-you from the recipient: ¡°¡­ don¡¯t mention that wig anymore¡­¡±


    But Alice, oblivious to the captain¡¯s nuanced feelings at the moment, was completely immersed in her joy. Soon, she naturally noticed the last wooden box on the deck.


    It was a wooden box over half a meter long¨Cor rather, a chest¨Cwith elegantly simple decorations and brass locks and hinges, exuding a sense of luxury.


    And for some reason, it reminded her of her ¡°house¡±.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Alice set aside the wig and hair ornament in her hand and moved forward with curiosity, pushing the wooden chest, then looked up to ask.


    ¡°I bought it from the doll shop as well, but it¡¯s not for you,¡± Duncan said offhandedly, ¡°You can open it and take a look.¡±


    Alice uttered an ¡°Oh,¡± and with curiosity, she opened the chest.


    A delicately crafted, classically styled young girl doll lay quietly inside a wooden box.


    Alice: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°You can call her ¡®Niru¡¯,¡± Duncan¡¯s voice came from the side, ¡°but unlike you, she¡¯s just an ordinary doll¡­ probably.¡±


    Alice, however, didn¡¯t respond for quite some time. Nearly ten seconds later, she finally moved with a click-pop sound, and her head fell into Niru¡¯s box and rolled together with the small doll inside¡­


    ¡°Help¡­ help¡­ help me¡­¡±


    Duncan sighed, expertly picked up Alice¡¯s head and put it back in place, looking helplessly at this embarrassing creature: ¡°Do you really need to react like this?¡±


    Alice just held her head with both hands, straightened her neck, and then stared at her captain with wide eyes full of disbelief: ¡°Captain, you¡­ you¡¯ve got a new doll¡­¡±


    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Duncan felt there was something off as soon as he heard this and quickly interrupted her before Alice could blurt out more rubbish, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, Niru is different from you, she won¡¯t be running and jumping around like you, and what do you mean by ¡®got a new doll¡¯? You make it sound like I have some sort of peculiar collecting habit.¡±


    ¡°Then why would you buy a doll if not because¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a very special reason for this,¡± Duncan breathed out softly, stood up, and gazed at the distant surface of the Endless Sea, trying to suppress the nonsense in Alice¡¯s silly head with a serious and deep expression on his face, ¡°This doll named ¡®Niru¡¯ and another named ¡®Luny¡¯ were originally a pair. Many years ago, my daughter took ¡®Luny¡¯ with her, and now by coincidence, I¡¯ve discovered ¡®Niru¡¯, covered in dust in a shop. I thought¡­ I should buy her.¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t conceal the information he had just learned and spoke of it naturally¨Cas it was, he now had to play the role of ¡°Captain Duncan¡± well, and from this persona, he had to ¡°naturally know about his children¡¯s affairs.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened unsurprisingly, staring at her captain in confusion.


    ¡°Captain¡­ you have a daughter?!¡± The doll clutched her head as if afraid it would run away from shock the next second, ¡°This¡­ this is the first time I¡¯m hearing about this!


    Duncan sighed internally, thinking he himself was also hearing about it for the first time¡­


    But he maintained the same expression on his face, merely nodding slightly: ¡°Is that so strange? I also have a son, and I haven¡¯t seen either of them for a century.¡±


    ¡°You have a son too!?¡± Alice¡¯s surprise grew even stronger, and she stepped back twice. Then her eyes whirled around as her brain processed the information, and she suddenly blurted out, ¡°Then they must have a mother too?¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    In that instant, it was just a stare down between the two.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to regret starting this conversation with you,¡± Duncan finally sighed after a long while, his face showing signs of weariness, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ oh! Okay!¡± Alice¡¯s mind apparently filled with wild guesses, paused for a moment, and then nodded repeatedly. She then looked down at ¡®Niru¡¯ in the wooden box and had a sudden realization, ¡°Ah, that feather-shaped hairpin I found in the cabin last time¡­ Could it be your daughter¡¯s?¡±


    Duncan neither confirmed nor denied.


    He wasn¡¯t sure about this himself, but considering the nostalgic feelings that had involuntarily risen in his heart when he saw that hairpin, it was probably not far from Alice¡¯s guess.


    He then noticed that Alice was sneakily sizing him up, noticing the strange, hesitant expressions that occasionally crossed the doll¡¯s face.


    ¡°Just speak your mind,¡± he said coolly, ¡°sneaking glances like that is even ruder than speaking without restraint.¡±


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    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, nothing, I was just¡­¡± Alice waved her hand, hesitating before speaking, ¡°I was just suddenly feeling¡­ you seem to still have some humanity in you.¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­ Is that supposed to be a compliment?¡±


    Alice suddenly hesitated, then, as if she remembered something Mr. Goat-Head had taught her, showed an apologetic face: ¡°Ah, sorry Captain, I shouldn¡¯t have insulted you by saying you have humanity¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ thank you,¡± Duncan sighed, waved his hand, looking utterly drained, ¡°take your gift and go back, I want to be alone for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±

 Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Chapter 164: Call Not Answered

    Chapter 160: Chapter 164: Call Not Answered


    Alice cheerfully left, looking like she could stay happy for many more days, while Duncan remained alone on the deck, staring at the wooden box containing ¡°Niru.¡±


    He had controlled his ¡°alter ego¡± located in Plunder City-State to leave the Upper City District, and was now cycling back to the antique store. Before leaving the doll shop, he had discussed many things related to Lukecrecia and Terian with the old lady shop owner, but it hadn¡¯t yielded much more.


    As the shop owner herself had said, she was just a normal citizen whose lifespan just happened to be longer than that of humans and who had personally experienced some events many years ago. However, beyond an initial meeting and some hearsay, her knowledge about the two ¡°Duncan descendants¡± was quite limited.


    Meanwhile, on the Homeloss, Duncan was immersed in thought.


    His body apparently had a son and a daughter, even still living ones, and it seemed that these siblings were no ordinary people¨Cone had once been loyal to the Frost Queen and had now become the biggest pirate head in the Chill Sea, while the other had long been on the fringes of the civilized world, engaging in mysteriously secretive explorations, reverently referred to as the ¡°Witch of the Sea¡± by captains.


    Such a pair of ¡°children¡± only brought Duncan feelings of trouble and a bit of tension now.


    He was the ¡°Duncan¡± captain of Homeloss, and it looked like he must continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Therefore, he needed to figure out how to maintain this identity, but what if one day¡­ he actually encountered those siblings? What should he do?


    Should he show fatherly love and filial piety? Or should he show ruthless severity? Should he greet them, or should he coldly pass them by?


    According to the store manager¡¯s story, a hundred years ago, the Terian siblings had a ¡°breakup¡± with their father. After a mysterious ¡°family conflict,¡± Sea Mist and Brilliant Starship broke away from their flagship, Homeloss, which was publicly known.


    But what actually happened back then might only be known by the three parties involved.


    Duncan sighed softly.


    Regardless of what the real situation was at the time, one thing seemed certain: his relationship with the siblings did not seem to be one where fatherly love could be shown¨Cif they did meet, it might be best to push toward the unfortunate direction of family affairs¡­


    He bent down and picked up the wooden box containing ¡°Niru.¡± Inside, lined with velvet, the doll girl of just a few tens of centimeters height lay quietly. This little fellow, born a hundred years ago, was now a new ¡°member¡± of the Homeloss.


    Did ¡°she¡± really have a connection with Lukecrecia? Or rather, did Lukecrecia still keep the doll named ¡°Luny¡± that she had bought a hundred years ago by her side?


    Duncan hadn¡¯t thought much when he bought Niru, but now his thoughts became active, holding the wooden box, he returned to his captain¡¯s quarters.


    Goat head was steering the ship as usual. As soon as Duncan opened the door and entered, his perennially noisy voice immediately rang out, ¡°Ah! The great captain has returned to his loyal captain¡¯s quarters. It seems you have transported a lot of goods from the City-State. Your loyal subordinates are very concerned about the health of the ship¡¯s food. If you don¡¯t mind, I will personally guide Miss Alice to become a qualified¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, stop fussing with that doll over some recipe. I don¡¯t want my next meal to look like a pot of Profound Demons¡¯ vomit,¡± Duncan glared at Goat head, ¡°Where are we now, how far from Plunder?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we are still speeding toward Plunder, and we have successfully accelerated in the Spirit Realm several times¨Clike ¡®skipping stones¡¯ on the edge of the real world. Now Homeloss is only ten days¡¯ travel from that City-State,¡± Goat head immediately said cheerily, ¡°I estimate that soon, you will feel a significant surge of power during your walks in the Spirit Realm¨CHomeloss¡¯s influence will become the greatest aid in your activities within the City-State¡­¡±


    Duncan silently looked at Goat head, who stopped his prattle and after being silent for two seconds, suddenly blurted out, ¡°The loyal first mate always understands the captain best.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Duncan nodded and walked toward his bedroom holding the box, but soon he stopped, rapidly weighing and combining words in his mind before asking casually with a calm expression, ¡°What do you think would be Terian and Lukecrecia¡¯s reaction if they saw me again?¡±


    This was a careful probe after careful consideration, a question he crafted to sound normal, not arouse suspicion, yet gather some information.


    He didn¡¯t ask Goat head for his opinion about the siblings, as such a question would be too blunt, nor did he inquire about past events between Homeloss and the siblings, as this would reveal his own circumstances¨Cthe nature of the question he ultimately chose was more in line with his identity and his relationship with Goat head.


    Goat head visibly hesitated, his voice delayed a long time before reaching Duncan¡¯s ears, ¡°Do you mean¡­ your children¡­ Sorry, captain, I don¡¯t know if I should talk about your family matters since you rarely mention them to me, but if I must say¡­ if I really must¡­¡±


    Normally quite articulate, Goat head actually stuttered several times before finally continuing, ¡°If I really must say, I think we might end up fighting with Terian again, just like we did at Frost, considering he always likes to solve problems with cannons, and as for Miss Lukecrecia¡­ she would probably stay far away¡­¡±


    Duncan remained noncommittal, but suddenly, he realized two things!


    First, he remembered the Goat-Head had once revealed that initially, ¡°Homeloss¡± had fought a battle near Frost City-State, and that battle had been fought against Tyrion!


    Second, Goat-Head¡¯s initial reaction was peculiar, and he specifically emphasized that Duncan rarely talked about those siblings¡­ Could it be that Goat-Head had not actually interacted with the siblings? Was his understanding of them solely based on what Duncan ¡°mentioned¡±?


    Wasn¡¯t this guy on ¡°Homeloss¡± from the very beginning?!


    Duncan¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, but his face showed nothing as he simply nodded to acknowledge Goat-Head¡¯s response before continuing his steps silently back to his own bedroom.


    The thick oak door closed behind him, blocking the view from Goat-Head in the chart room and gradually calming Duncan¡¯s nerves.


    He took a long breath, took ¡°Niru¡± out of the wooden box, and placed her on his desk. He stared at the doll for several minutes before finally speaking, ¡°Hello, my name is Duncan.¡±


    Of course, the doll did not respond.


    She was really just a doll.


    Duncan suddenly felt his behavior was a bit foolish. He laughed awkwardly to himself and thought, fortunately, no one aboard had the guts to pry into the captain¡¯s bedroom. Then he opened the drawer beside him and took out an item.


    It was a small, exquisitely crafted hairpin with a design of waves and feathers.


    This was an ¡°old object¡± Alice had found in the ship¡¯s cabin.


    Duncan quietly gazed at the small hairpin, and just like before, that strange nostalgic feeling began to spread from the bottom of his heart.


    It seemed like the only trace of ¡°humanity¡± left by the original owner of this body, existing in his heart as fragments of indifferent emotions.


    ¡°This is probably Lucracia¡¯s¡­¡± Duncan muttered softly to himself, ¡°Was it a gift that was never given, or the only memento she left on this ship after she left¡­¡±


    He slowly picked up the hairpin, gently flipping it in the sunlight. The sunlight, passing through the window, caused the silver edges of the hairpin to glow brightly.


    A small green flame emanated from Duncan¡¯s fingertips, quickly engulfing the hairpin, then the flames flowed in the air, wrapping around the doll ¡°Niru.¡±


    Duncan calmed his mind, trying to feel if there was any Transcendent power lingering inside these two objects, or even a slight ¡°connection¡± that could point to ¡°somewhere far.¡±


    However, the flames quickly vanished, and neither the doll nor the hairpin reacted.


    Was it because they were truly just ordinary mundane items, or was it because Lucracia was currently at the frontier of the civilized world, too far away, that the ¡°connection¡± in these items was too weak to be captured even by the Spiritual Body fire?


    Duncan frowned, letting the flames spread again, and with a mindset he could not fully explain, he attempted to call out, ¡°Lucracia¡­ Lucy?¡±


    He used the nickname of Lucracia¨Cperhaps, the bond established by this nickname was slightly stronger than her formal name?


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    Nothing happened.


    Duncan waited for a long while, and in the end, he could only extinguish the flame in disappointment.


    At the same time, in a distant frontier, at the edge of the eternal curtain, the clockwork doll ¡°Luny,¡± whom Lucracia had transformed countless times and was now nearly an ¡°alchemical life¡± or ¡°engineering creature,¡± suddenly stopped wiping the table.


    A series of loud whirring of gears and bearings echoed from inside it, followed by a series of ¡°squeak, squeak¡± noises.


    The key in Luny¡¯s back snapped out and fell to the ground, while the alloy-enhanced arm stiffly drooped down, and a wisp of blue smoke slowly emerged from the seam at the back of the maid¡¯s shell¡­

 Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Chapter 165 Lucresias Pressure

    Chapter 161: Chapter 165 Lucresia¡¯s Pressure


    Accompanied by a series of strange noises, the clockwork automaton stiffened and came to a complete halt like a rusted machine, and at almost the same moment, Lucresia in a nearby chamber sensed the anomaly in her creation.


    The cabin door was flung open violently, and a whirlwind of colorful papers swirled into the room, converging into a human form. The ¡°Witch of the Sea,¡± Lucresia, stepped out from the flurry of papers, and at first glance, saw Luny, who had slumped and was sitting by the table, her head hanging low.


    ¡°Luny?¡± Lucresia hurried forward, and immediately noticed a winding key that had fallen onto the floor beside her. She picked up the key, then proceeded to tap on the mechanism on the back of the clockwork puppet, ¡°What happened?¡±


    A series of intermittent creaks came from inside Luny, and after a moment, some of her parts finally resumed function, and a severely detuned and deformed voice rose from her chest cavity, ¡°Old master¡­ is looking for you¡­¡±


    With a clang, the winding key in Lucresia¡¯s hand dropped to the ground.


    Luny turned her head toward the sound, instinctively reaching out to feel for her winding key, wanting to insert it back into her back, but her motion seized up halfway, and the sound of gears idly turning ensued.


    Lucresia¡¯s complexion changed dramatically at the mention of ¡°old master,¡± her pupils quivering, but the sound of malfunctions inside Luny quickly jolted her back to reality. She shook her head abruptly, forcibly suppressing the myriad of chaotic thoughts while embracing the clockwork automaton¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Luny, standby.¡±


    The clockwork puppet slowly closed its eyes, ¡°Command received, Luny is beginning standby.¡±


    Moments later, in a brightly lit chamber deep within the Brilliant Starship, Lucresia was bustling beside a workbench.


    This was a laboratory that even the headquarters of the Academy of Truth might describe as ¡°fully advanced,¡± with a spacious room equipped with intricate mechanical devices and pressure pipelines supplying energy to various systems. Amidst the countless machines were auxiliary equipment inscribed with magical runes, and many glowing crystal containers and reactor vessels. A dozen automated automata were tending to these self-operating devices, allowing Lucresia to concentrate fully on the work in front of her.


    Before the ¡°Witch of the Sea,¡± Luny lay quietly on a large workbench.


    The clockwork automaton had been disassembled, the replica maid¡¯s dress set aside. Her aurichalcum skeleton and various brass mechanisms nearly covered the platform, with only the part of her above the chest remaining intact, positioned at the edge of the platform. She stared blankly at her dismembered body, occasionally blinking.


    ¡°Can¡­ repair¡­ good?¡± The untuned voice sounded from Luny¡¯s chest cavity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just that the transmission mechanisms suddenly seized, causing deformation of the bearings,¡± Lucresia said actively working without looking up, ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work, but the repair process itself isn¡¯t complicated¨Cyour ¡®heart¡¯ isn¡¯t damaged.¡±


    Luny slowly turned her eyeballs, observing her ¡°heart¡± placed at the center of the workbench.


    It was a delicate brass sphere, composed of countless complex and precise metal pieces. It hovered quietly over a pile of parts, its metal plates shifting positions occasionally, revealing the inscribed structure within. When the plates aligned at the proper angle, one could clearly see the bright runes etched inside, and at the center of those runes floated an even finer object.


    That was a segment of a finger¨Cextremely delicate, and very fragile, finer than that of a human infant, crafted meticulously by a Puppeteer a hundred years ago.


    This was the true core, the true essence of the automaton ¡°Luny¡±¨Cthe last testament of a puppet from a hundred years ago left in this world.


    Lucresia noticed Luny¡¯s gaze and looked up, her own movements halting for a moment.


    After a brief pause, she resumed her busy work and spoke almost casually, ¡°I transformed you like this, have you ever resented it?¡±


    ¡°Luny¡­ why resent?¡± the automaton¡¯s head on the workbench uttered in a stiff voice, ¡°Mistress¡­ gave Luny life, for which¡­ Luny is happy¡­¡±


    ¡°But all of this was initially just a whim of mine¨Cand for that whim, I discarded your original body,¡± Lucresia said calmly, ¡°For a very long time at the start, I wasn¡¯t aware that you developed real thought due to the border¡¯s influence. I just thought of you as a machine and conducted many reckless ¡®experimental modifications¡¯.¡±


    Luny did not respond to her mistress but, after being silent for a moment, suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re tense, you¡¯re preoccupied¨Cunder normal circumstances, Mistress wouldn¡¯t talk about these nonsensical things.¡±


    Lucresia was silent for two or three seconds, ¡°¡­do you remember what you said just now? After I arrived at the dining room and woke you up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Memory retrieval failed, Luny does not remember.¡±


    ¡°You told me, ¡®old master¡¯ is looking for me.¡±


    A series of strange noises came from the chest cavity of the clockwork puppet, not due to malfunction, but from confused thought processes.


    ¡°Do you really not remember?¡± Lucresia lifted her head, quietly watching Luny¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Memory retrieval failed, Luny does not remember.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then it seems my fearsome father does not want to give me any chance to probe into his affairs,¡± Lucresia¡¯s face revealed a complicated smile, she slowly dismantled a deformed gear, her tone somewhat elusive, ¡°He just sent a one-sided signal, telling me¡­ he knows where the Brilliant Starship is, he knows how to find me¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid.¡±


    ¡°Frightened to death¨Cbut more than fear, what I¡¯m feeling is a kind of¡­ sorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sorrow? Why?¡±


    Lucresia looked into Luny¡¯s eyes, and after a long time, she gently shook her head, ¡°This emotion is too complex for you; you probably can¡¯t understand it yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Luny will try to understand in the future,¡± the clockwork doll replied and then asked another question, ¡°Do you think the old master is giving you some kind of warning?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, but it indeed seems like a warning,¡± Lucresia whispered, ¡°almost like a declaration before a hunt¡­ He¡¯s returned from subspace, and he¡¯s become more elusive than the last time he came back. Maybe I should remind my brother¡­¡±


    ¡°You should indeed remind Mr. Terian. He has already set off for Plunder, and the Governor of Plunder said that the Homeloss is approaching that city-state.¡±


    Lucresia nodded slightly and didn¡¯t say much else, simply continuing to busy herself.


    ¡­


    Duncan carefully placed ¡°Niru¡± into the antique wooden box and returned the feather-shaped hairpin to the drawer.


    Then he stared at the wooden box containing ¡°Niru,¡± worried.


    As a grown man, he always felt that having a doll with a girlish style in his own bedroom was somewhat inappropriate.


    But apart from keeping it in his bedroom, he couldn¡¯t think of a better place.


    Even though the first test hadn¡¯t yielded any results and no clues leading to anything transcendent had been discovered within the doll ¡°Niru,¡± it was, after all, an item related to ¡°Lucresia.¡± Since he wasn¡¯t sure if it might be of use in the future, he dared not let the doll out of his sight.


    After much deliberation, Duncan still sighed and temporarily placed ¡°Luny¡¯s¡± box by his bedside.


    ¡°If you really have something special about you, you¡¯d better ¡®show your hand¡¯ quickly,¡± he said to the ornate classical box, shaking his head slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be like Alice. You don¡¯t have to be thrown into the sea before you perform any feats against the storm-tossed waves.¡±


    Of course, the wooden box didn¡¯t respond, but Duncan didn¡¯t care.


    He walked to the window and glanced outside at the sky.


    Night had fallen, and the Creation of the World¡¯s pale, gloomy light was shining over the Endless Sea.


    The powerful force from the sun that dispelled evil was fading in the real world, and twisted, ominous, corrosive forces were gradually rising throughout the world. At this time, humans entered the Dreamscape, seeking refuge from the world¡¯s interference with their sanity.


    But for Duncan¡­ he had never felt any discomfort in the night, nor had he ever seen those shadows that filled ordinary people with dread.


    Night was the time when his thoughts were sharpest.


    He returned to his desk and quietly spread out a sheet of white paper, then picked up a steel pen from beside it.


    These were things he had just bought from the Plunder City-State.


    After a short contemplation, he wrote down lines of text:


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    In 1889, the Sun Shard appeared, sparking the great Plunder fire;


    Underneath the Sixth District factory¡¯s curtain, there lies a ¡°reality¡± destroyed by the fire;


    Within the community church of the Sixth District exists a suspected locked time loop, where two completely opposite realities overlap inside the church;


    The ¡°humanity¡± of Mr. Dog is of unknown origin, but it¡¯s clear his influence isn¡¯t from the Sun Shard¡¯s power;


    The statue of the goddess inside the Sixth District church is suspected to be influenced by subspace rifts, the Nun in the Underground Sanctuary seems to have perished in the struggle against the subspace invasion¡­

 Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Chapter 166: Captain Hou Ru Enters the Dream

    Chapter 162: Chapter 166: Captain Hou Ru Enters the Dream


    Over this period of time, Duncan had written down the known pieces of intelligence one by one on paper, drawing lines between them according to their degree of connection. Interspersed among these clues were Nina and Sherry¡¯s memories of the great fire and their respective ¡°dreamscapes,¡± which had clearly become altered.


    After laying out all the clues, Duncan then started a new line at the end of this chart. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought, and during his deliberation jotted down a few sentences¨C


    First, in this world, everything but subspace can be ¡°polluted.¡±


    Second, the reality of this world is built on an unstable foundation: space is unstable, time is unstable, and even reality itself may not be as unshakeable as people perceive it to be.


    Third, the power of subspace has invaded Plunder! The apparitions in the church of the Sixth District are proof¨CThe Sun Shard from eleven years ago might not have been the crucial link in this whole affair after all. From a dimensional standpoint¡­ subspace is more likely to have caused the current abnormalities in Plunder!


    Duncan set down his steel pen, looking at the three points he had written down¨Cthese were not clues, but ¡°premises¡± and ¡°conclusions¡± deeply related to the current state of Plunder.


    His gaze fell on the first point, the briefest one, which happened to be the foundation of everything. The ¡°inspiration¡± for this had come from a phrase he had inadvertently overheard while opening an account at the City-State bank.


    He reflected thoughtfully for a moment, then picked up a pen beside him and drew a line from this point to one of the clues above¨Cthe church in the Sixth District that was in a state of spatial-temporal lock.


    Pollution began at the church, manifesting as spatial-temporal chaos and the overlay of different ¡°world lines.¡± Its level of pollution was quite high, so high that it seemed to have even affected the Storm Goddess¡¯s monitoring of reality¡­ So how was this pollution achieved? Was it really just the church itself that was polluted?


    He remembered the words he said when bidding farewell to Sherry¨Cthis matter should be made a bigger deal, but ordinary citizens reporting it would hardly suffice.


    Lost in thought, a slight smile crossed Duncan¡¯s face. He then turned his head to look at the pigeon strutting back and forth on the windowsill.


    The pigeon suddenly stopped in its tracks, staring straight at Duncan: ¡°There¡¯s a murderous aura!¡±


    Duncan ignored it completely, snapping his fingers.


    A tuft of ghostly-green flame burst forth from the compass on Ai Yi¡¯s chest. The compass opened, and the needle spun. The boundary between reality and illusion blurred in an instant. Duncan¡¯s surroundings flickered, and he was already in the state of walking within the Spirit Realm, that familiar space of dark chaos and the billion points of starlight swelled into view.


    He stood quietly in the depths of darkness, took a gentle breath, and calmed himself down. Then, following a subtle sense, he moved towards a dot of starlight not far away.


    He approached that starlight, and without actually touching it, clearly perceived the young Judge¡¯s mind¨Copposite this cluster of starlight was Fenna¡¯s spirit.


    Compared to the first time he¡¯d found this point of starlight, Duncan could feel that the connection between himself and Fenna had strengthened considerably. Their last visit to the antique shop had reinforced their bond, and these strengthened connections were now going to be useful.


    Duncan turned his head to look at the darkness beside him, where the spectral form of Ai Yi was idly spinning in the air. Noticing its ¡°master¡¯s¡± gaze, the bird immediately came closer: ¡°Who¡¯s calling the fleet?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how we connected with Sherry¡¯s mind last time?¡±


    Ai Yi thought for a moment, tilting its head: ¡°I¡¯ll need a raise!¡±


    ¡°It will indeed be more difficult this time. After all, the other party is a devout saint, likely to have a firmer will than Sherry, and it might even attract the attention of the Storm Goddess,¡± Duncan nodded slightly, but still stretched out his finger and inched closer to the starlight. ¡°However, now that my connection with Fenna is strengthened, if we only engage in a shallow communication without causing any harm, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°After all, this is just a fervent ship captain¡¯s righteous complaint.¡±


    The next second, his fingertip touched the starlight.


    Layers and layers of illusory ocean sounds seemed to come from the far and boundless distance, yet vanished in a moment. Duncan didn¡¯t even have time to notice the existence of those ocean sounds before he felt contact with a mind.


    ¡­


    Fenna rubbed her eyes, lowered her head, and saw that she was holding a thick file in her hands. She raised her head again and found herself sitting in her room, facing her vanity. In the mirror of the vanity, her reflection showed a slightly tired face.


    A moment of disorientation rose from the bottom of her heart, but she quickly shook her head, recalling what she had been doing.


    She continued her investigation into the heretical worship documents of the Plunder City-State before 1889¨Cafter leaving the archives, she had borrowed some of the documents she hadn¡¯t managed to examine in detail from the old priest in charge and brought them back to her home.


    At the archives, she and the old priest had noticed the peculiar absence of documents from 1885, but in the end, they had been unable to find those vanished records. This unusual incident aroused her alertness, and as a Judge tasked with investigating heretical events, this would be among the main focuses of her continued investigation.


    She arranged for the clerical priests to consult the archives in other parts of the City-State, to retrieve corresponding years¡¯ security reports from the municipal hall, and to dispatch guardian squads to visit and surveil those places where unorthodox worship incidents had occurred in the past. She considered consulting with Bishop Valentin to see if further guidance could be obtained from the Storm Goddess¡­


    Fenna had a rough plan for follow-up actions in her mind, but before any of these actions could be initiated, she needed to first complete a compilation of all unorthodox worship incidents between the years 1886 and 1889.


    She glanced outside and saw the Creation of the World hanging high in the night sky, its pale glow scattering across the City-State.


    She lowered her head again and noticed that she had only gone through half of the thick archive documents. Perhaps the prolonged reading had caused eye fatigue, making the text appear somewhat blurry.


    Wait, that¡¯s not right!


    Fenna suddenly realized something, then swiftly closed the document in her hands and turned to look out the window.


    It was midnight, the time when the influence of the Creation of the World was strongest¨Creading at this time was extremely dangerous. Even the specially trained librarians would avoid reading any text during the midnight hour, let alone her, who was now facing a highly dangerous historical document borrowed from the archive!


    A professional clergy would not make such a mistake¡­ This was not reality, but her own Dreamscape, one that was being influenced!


    Fenna¡¯s eyes sharpened as she realized the invasion of her Dreamscape. She began to search for the trace of the intruder in her surroundings, and the very next second, she saw the existence of the invader¨C


    Right in front of her, on the dressing table and within the oval mirror framed by patterns, stood a sullen and majestic figure, silently in the dark, with ethereal green flames quietly burning at the edges of the mirror.


    The figure watched Fenna calmly through the mirror and, upon seeing her lift her head, revealed a faint smile, as a deep voice came from the mirror, ¡°Good night, Fenna, we meet for the first time¨Cbut I have been watching you for a long time. You may call me¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain Duncan!¡± Before the voice from the mirror had finished, Fenna had already reacted, and then the experienced Judge leaped backward two meters, while kicking the round stool in her way. As soon she landed, she immediately focused her mind and drew her great sword out of thin air, swinging it down in a leaping slash!


    Duncan: ¡°¡­?!¡±


    With a loud bang, the entire dressing table shattered, the mirror directly smashed into a shower of glass shards by the tremendous force, Duncan¡¯s phantom becoming scattered shards of light before Fenna¡¯s eyes.


    The tiny glass shards clattered to the floor, and Fenna clutching her great sword tightly, looked around sharply like a lioness ready for battle. Meanwhile, she began to pray softly and tried to use the mental control techniques she¡¯d trained with daily to break free from the tainted Dreamscape and forcibly awaken herself.


    However, just as she felt she was about to reach the reality, that deep and majestic voice echoed once again¨Cresounding heavily in her ears:


    ¡°Your reaction surprises me.¡±


    Fenna¡¯s eyes widened as she looked in the direction of the voice, only to see the dressing mirror shards scattered throughout the room.


    In each shard, the ethereal flames began to rise quietly, and within each one stood Captain Duncan, silently in the dark.


    This legendary terror, the moving disaster of the Endless Sea, watched Fenna, who was on full alert, with a hint of reluctance.


    ¡°Relax, child, I just want to discuss a matter with you,¡± the voices of thousands of Captain Duncan vibrated through Fenna¡¯s will, ¡°It regards Plunder¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it the mirrors¡­¡± the young Judge muttered to herself suddenly.


    Duncan: ¡°Hmm?¡±


    But Fenna did not answer; instead, she suddenly tilted the tip of her great sword diagonally against the ground and then fiercely punched the blade!


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    A loud explosion burst forth, the powerful impact transformed into controlled sound waves that echoed wildly in the room. The next second, every smooth, reflective surface in the room turned to dust, leaving not a single piece of mirror behind!


    The room fell silent as Fenna gently exhaled, slowly straightening her posture.


    She saw Captain Duncan standing quietly in front of her.


    No matter how she blinked or moved her gaze, Captain Duncan stood silently in the center of her vision, looking into her eyes.


    ¡°Your guess is not quite accurate; it¡¯s not the mirrors, but anything that reflects like a mirror,¡± the spectral captain¡¯s somber and authoritative voice directly entered her mind, ¡°Now, I am in your lens.¡±

 Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Chapter 167: High-Level Reporting

    Chapter 163: Chapter 167: High-Level Reporting


    To be honest, Duncan somewhat regretted his words as soon as he uttered them¨Che was genuinely afraid that Fenna, this blunt girl, would destroy her own eyes on the spot¡­


    The reaction of the young Judge exceeded his expectations. He had imagined that once he, a top villain, showed himself, it would definitely provoke strong hostility from Fenna. However, he hadn¡¯t expected her actions to be so decisive and swift, deducing the critical elements of a Dreamscape invasion and mirror medium almost instantaneously and taking targeted countermeasures, which was completely different from the initial invasion of Sherry¡¯s Dreamscape.


    She even tried her best to avoid communicating with him, the invader, which was an ¡°emergency measure¡± to prevent the spread of mental contamination during a Dreamscape invasion.


    The fact proved that the gap between a trained high-ranking Judge and an untamed Transcendent was not slight. If it weren¡¯t for Duncan¡¯s own powers being so bizarre and the entire invasion process being completely built on Fenna¡¯s own psyche, perhaps any lesser invader would have been detected and thrown out by the Judge at the first confrontation.


    Now, Fenna had quieted down and was just silently watching the Ghost Ship Captain appear in the center of her vision¨Cshe hadn¡¯t been impulsive enough to destroy her own eyes, perhaps because she had realized that the Dreamscape had been thoroughly invaded and ordinary expulsion methods were mostly ineffective.


    She closed her eyes; Duncan still stood before her, in the darkness, looking increasingly gloomy, his figure indistinct under the illumination of the Spiritual Body¡¯s fire.


    ¡°What do you want to do,¡± the young Judge finally spoke, her voice as cold and hard as steel, ¡°how did you invade my Dreamscape?¡±


    Her attitude was full of hostility, yet Duncan found it amusing¨Cthis Judge¡¯s demeanor was a stark contrast to the polite and composed manner she had shown when visiting the antique store.


    Who knows what her reaction would be if one day she were to discover the true nature of that antique shop.


    ¡°I just came to tell you one thing,¡± Duncan spoke straightforwardly, ¡°if you truly care about the safety of the City-State, you might want to visit the small church on Sixth Street.¡±


    After he spoke, he closed his mouth, standing quietly amidst the flames, maintaining a mysterious and majestic aura.


    Fenna was stunned by the Ghost Ship Captain¡¯s response.


    In that moment, it was as if something pierced through a veil in her mind, unveiling a corner that had always been hidden¨CSixth Street, small church, these words were strongly etched into her brain, leaving her momentarily dazed.


    But compared to this moment of daze, the reality of her Dreamscape being contaminated by Captain Duncan spurred a stronger disturbance in her mind. She tried to pray to the Goddess in her heart, but the Goddess¡¯s power could not penetrate this layer of illusion. She watched the ¡°Captain¡± with full vigilance but could not discern any emotional clues from his gloomy figure.


    A few seconds later, she finally gritted her teeth slightly and tried to maintain her composure as she said in a deep voice, ¡°You invaded a Judge¡¯s Dreamscape just for¡­ this?¡±


    ¡°You can judge for yourself,¡± Duncan said lightly, ¡°I am looking forward to what you will find there.¡±


    As he said this, he began to feel the connection with the Dreamscape rapidly destabilizing.


    A strong force of rejection was taking effect.


    He noticed that Fenna had not calmed down as it seemed on the surface¨Cdespite seemingly conversing with him, this young Judge was resisting the invader with her willpower every second, her determination so strong that she was struggling to the brink of awakening!


    This made Duncan realize that their communication had to end quickly. After conveying the necessary information, he should leave behind a mysterious image and gracefully step back.


    He didn¡¯t plan on explaining too much to her, nor did he expect to be able to clarify his friendly stance or establish even the slightest trust with Fenna through a few words¨C¡°Captain Duncan¡± and ¡°City-State Judge¡± were not the type of adversaries that could be resolved with mere words. Explaining too much would only make him seem suspicious and might even divert Fenna¡¯s attention to unnecessary directions.


    The Spiritual Body fire spreading in the darkness gradually receded, and Duncan¡¯s figure began to slowly back away from Fenna¡¯s view.


    But just in the last few seconds before the connection was about to break, Fenna couldn¡¯t help but demand, ¡°What are you really plotting against Prand?¡±


    Duncan raised his head in the darkness, and suddenly, a strong sense of mischief surged within him.


    He gazed at the young Judge through the Dreamscape, his lips slowly curling up under the eerie green glow of the Spiritual Body fire. Fenna heard the most absurd and puzzling phrase she had ever heard since becoming a Judge:


    ¡°Order some fries.¡±


    The Dreamscape abruptly collapsed, the connection completely severed.


    In the chaotic void of darkness, Duncan slightly stepped back, observing the flickering starlight before him.


    The Bone Dove-shaped Ai Yi flew through the darkness, flapping its wings and landing on his shoulder.


    ¡°No matter what she is going to wildly conjecture next, one thing is certain,¡± Duncan glanced at Ai Yi and murmured as if talking to himself, ¡°The sixth district, the small church, these two key pieces of information have already caught the eye of the Storm Cathedral¡­ Whatever their reason, they will definitely launch an intense investigation there.¡±


    Duncan¡¯s approach was simple and effective¨Call he needed to do was to lift the lid on that small church in the sixth district, to draw the attention of the Deep Sea Church, and as for whatever Fenna and her fellow priests might contemplate afterwards, that was completely irrelevant.


    The largest moving disaster in the Endless Sea directly sought the Judge in a dream to report heresy and corruption within the City-State; this matter would keep those priests occupied endlessly, but before they exhausted themselves, they would throw everything they had at that small church¨Cto uncover whatever secrets might be hidden there.


    Of course, during this investigation, Fenna might also waste some energy due to the existence of Homeloss, but that was just a minor detail.


    Finally, remembering what he did as the Dreamscape neared its end, a smile appeared on Duncan¡¯s face.


    ¡°How about some fries?¡± Ai Yi, perched on his shoulder, noticed the smile and tilted her head, ¡°Sliced thin as hash?¡±


    ¡°¡­Your speech is becoming more fragmented,¡± Duncan frowned, ¡°But making some fries tomorrow morning is doable, and it¡¯s a good chance to teach Alice how to make some proper food.¡±


    ¡­


    Fenna suddenly opened her eyes.


    There was no light in the room, only the pale, cold glow of the Creation of the World streaming through the window, casting mottled shadows on the furniture in the dim light.


    Her heart was beating violently, her head felt as though it was stuffed with burning hot iron bars, a throbbing pain resulting from severe spiritual power depletion and high stress pulsated between her temples, and her nightgown, soaked with sweat, clung coldly to her skin, making her extremely uncomfortable.


    But this discomfort was nothing compared to the contaminated dream she had just experienced.


    Fenna sat up cautiously in bed, taking a careful look around, then slowly blinked, closed her eyes, and opened them again.


    Each time, her heart violently thudded twice¨Cshe was testing whether she had really escaped the Ghost Ship captain¡¯s ¡°phantom,¡± yet simultaneously fearful that his figure would appear directly in her field of vision the next second.


    Not until she confirmed she had escaped the intrusion, and that this place was indeed the real world, did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Being a Judge for so many years, she rarely felt this nervous.


    Fenna left the bed and walked to the dressing table nearby.


    The dressing table stood intact, reflecting only her own image in the mirror.


    She stood in front of the mirror for several seconds, as if to inspect every detail in her reflection, before she vigorously shook her head, pulled open the drawer, and took out a small dagger inscribed with runes of storms and waves.


    Holding the Holy Artifact, she cut her skin to let the blood soak the runes, then prayed to the Storm Goddess.


    In the short prayer, she heard the gentle sound of waves in her ears; the Goddess¡¯s blessing was as comforting as ever, soothing her anxious mind.


    After reestablishing the connection with the Goddess, Fenna finally relaxed¨Cthen she quickly changed out of her sweat-soaked nightgown, dressed in her outer garments at great speed, grabbed the great sword near her bed, and walked out of the room.


    Moments later, a steam-core driven private car broke the tranquility of the Upper City District¡¯s city center; under the bright gas street lamps, Fenna drove straight to the cathedral.


    She had to inform Bishop Valentin about what happened today at the earliest opportunity, including the suspicious details she had previously uncovered in the archives¨Cthe complexity of the situation had far exceeded her expectations, and it was no longer an event that a Judge could resolve alone.


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    If necessary, Homeloss might even need to contact the Storm Cathedral, which was patrolling the Endless Sea.


    Fenna¡¯s gaze was determined, her breathing steady, her thoughts clear.


    But suddenly, a hint of hesitation arose.


    She recalled the bizarre scene at the end of the dream.


    What on earth did he mean by ¡®how about some fries¡¯?

 Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Chapter 168: Warning Signs Spread

    Chapter 164: Chapter 168: Warning Signs Spread


    Bishop Valentin, groggy from sleep, immediately woke up when he met Judge Fenna, who had rushed to the church in the dead of night. As soon as he heard the first sentence Fenna uttered, the old man was fully alert.


    ¡°Captain Duncan entered your Dreamscape?!¡± The elderly bishop stared at Fenna, dumbfounded, even doubting whether he was still dreaming, ¡°The Ghost Ship captain approached you¡­ just to give you a location to investigate?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely¨Cthough I know it sounds incredible,¡± Fenna nodded vigorously. On the way here, she had anticipated the old bishop¡¯s reaction, but she couldn¡¯t help it as her own confusion was no less than Valentin¡¯s, ¡°The small chapel in the Sixth District¡­ I have had little interaction with that Ghost Ship captain, and this information was the most crucial he disclosed.¡±


    The old bishop fell silent for a moment. He turned around, gazing at the statue of the Storm Goddess at the end of the cathedral, and after what felt like forever, he finally broke the silence, ¡°Fenna, do you remember the contamination you contracted at the scene of the cult ritual in the sewer? After that, we conducted a remedial purification, but now it seems¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand what you mean,¡± Fenna took a light breath, her expression still calm, ¡°It looks like our purification was never successful. The ¡®Homeloss¡¯ is still pursuing me, and that Ghost Ship captain¡­ has extended his power into my dreamscape.¡±


    ¡°Are you still coherent?¡± Valentin turned back, quietly gazing into Fenna¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Coherent. I tried it on the way here; I can completely recite my name and the Goddess¡¯s name and also recite passages from the ¡®Storm Scriptures,''¡± Fenna nodded, ¡°For now, the contamination remains superficial, only affecting my dreamscape and not yet spread to my physical actions and speech in reality.¡±


    ¡°The contamination is superficial but cannot be completely eradicated, like an irreversible countdown¡­¡± Valentin¡¯s voice was low, his eyes filled with deep concern, ¡°And yet you are still the Judge of the Plunder City-State, and no one can replace you on short notice¡­¡±


    Fenna knew what the old bishop meant.


    She had been contaminated by a superior Transcendent force. As the church¡¯s Judge, her ¡°fortress¡± was already being breached, and a soon-to-be-breached fortress was unreliable because no one knew how severe the mental contamination would become. No one knew if Fenna who woke up the next morning would still be Fenna, and while she still served the Storm Goddess now, the next moment¡­ no one knew whom she might serve.


    If an ordinary guardian or priest became contaminated, an easy solution would be to carry out a confinement and exorcism ritual, or, in times of peace within the City-State, her assistant could temporarily take over while she retreated to the deepest sanctuaries of the cathedral for the highest standard of ¡°secure isolation¡± and ¡°divine purification,¡± but¡­


    Now she, as ¡°Judge,¡± found herself in an irreplaceable position. Even if they sought help from the headquarters of the Storm Church, the problem wouldn¡¯t be resolved anytime soon.


    ¡°¡­I cannot leave my post,¡± Fenna shook her head after a brief contemplation, aware that she was posing a difficult challenge to the old bishop, but she had to continue performing her duties, ¡°I have a very bad feeling; we are facing a true, significant crisis. This crisis might not necessarily stem from ¡®Homeloss¡¯ or the ¡®Sun Shard.¡¯ A bigger shadow lurks within the City-State, and in such times, I cannot hand over the duties of a Judge to anyone, not even to my most trusted assistant.¡±


    Valentin picked up a hint of unusual gravity in Fenna¡¯s tone and immediately frowned slightly, ¡°A crisis beyond ¡®Homeloss¡¯ and the ¡®Sun Shard¡¯? What have you found out recently?¡±


    ¡°¡­I investigated some matters at the archive, which I was supposed to tell you tomorrow morning, but given the circumstances, the urgency level needs to be heightened,¡± Fenna nodded, her tone noticeably serious, ¡°I questioned the timeline of the ¡®Sun Shard¡¯s appearance in the Plunder City-State and consulted records from 1889 and earlier years, where I found a massive, frequent, but less urgent¡­records of heretical worship¡­¡±


    As Fenna continued, Bishop Valentin slowly widened his eyes.


    ¡°These records just sat quietly in our archive?¡± Valentin exclaimed incredulously, when Fenna finished speaking, ¡°All this time, no one noticed? Not even the missing 1885¡­¡±


    ¡°No one noticed; our City-State seems as if someone ¡®stole¡¯ a part from it. Some apparent ¡®realities¡¯ just vanished from everyone¡¯s sight,¡± Fenna spoke solemnly, ¡°And this kind of ¡®disappearance¡¯¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like something the ¡®Sun Shard¡¯ could cause.¡±


    Valentin gripped his staff tightly, his knuckles whitening from the force.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a link between this and the message ¡®Captain Duncan¡¯ conveyed in the Dreamscape?¡± he suddenly asked.


    ¡°Uncertain, but firstly, ¡®stealing reality from the City-State¡¯ is not a capability of ¡®Homeloss¡¯; secondly, if it were the Ghost Ship captain doing this, he wouldn¡¯t have a reason to further contaminate my dreamscape, giving me crucial clues¨Cit doesn¡¯t match the captain¡¯s chaotic and violent style noted in the records,¡± Fenna analyzed calmly, ¡°Unless¡­ he suddenly changed his nature, becoming a cruel devil playing tricks on the world, or¡­¡±


    ¡°Or?¡±


    ¡°Or turned into a conscientious person concerned for the City-State¡¯s safety,¡± Fenna spread her hands, ¡°seeing a danger and reporting it to me.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough. That is practically a ¡®Subspace¡¯ level joke,¡± Valentin immediately coughed, then glared at Fenna, ¡°Don¡¯t make such jokes with me, knowing that we are under the scrutiny of a superior Transcendent being. It makes me question your mental state.¡±


    Saying this, the old man thumped his chest to regain his breath and then fixed his eyes seriously on Fenna¡¯s, ¡°Who knows about the anomaly discovered in the archive, apart from you?¡±


    Fenna thought for a while and shook her head, ¡°Only I know, I went to investigate it myself¡­¡±


    She suddenly paused as if her thoughts had hit a snag, but then shook her head again, ¡°I went to investigate the archives myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ If there is a conscious black hand behind this matter, then he probably hasn¡¯t realized that the conspiracy has been exposed,¡± Valentin sighed and had to agree with what Fenna had just said, ¡°You really can¡¯t leave your post now¡­ You must already have an investigation plan for those archives, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, including coordinated actions with the city hall.¡±


    ¡°Start immediately tomorrow, I will provide you with all the assistance,¡± Valentin immediately nodded, ¡°Also, I will report the incidents here to the Pope, hoping that the Storm Cathedral can provide us with some support¡­¡±


    While speaking, the old man pondered for a few seconds and then asked, ¡°Can you still pray to the Goddess normally?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fenna promptly responded, ¡°My connection with the Goddess has not been affected by that dreamscape.¡±


    Valentin frowned, ¡°But the Goddess didn¡¯t reveal or warn you about the mental contamination you suffered?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Fenna hesitated for a moment but still nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°The Goddess did not warn me.¡±


    Valentin stroked his chin, and after a moment of deep thought, suddenly looked directly into Fenna¡¯s eyes, ¡°During this time, you must return to the cathedral to rest at night. Do not sleep outside the cathedral. Also, you must always carry the ¡®Storm Canon¡¯ when you are out, and if you feel unusually tired or fatigued while on the move, you must immediately go to the nearest cathedral. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, I hope you don¡¯t think this is some kind of harsh treatment or a doubt,¡± the bishop sighed, and although Fenna¡¯s response was firm, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You cannot leave your post now, and there is no higher-ranking cleric in the Plunder City-State who can be your ¡®supervisor¡¯. This is a necessary arrangement to ensure you can fulfill your basic duties¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I certainly understand,¡± Fenna showed a faint smile and reassured the old bishop, ¡°I am as aware as you of the dangerous nature of what we are combating. Compared to those predecessors who sacrificed due to a lack of experience and theory, it¡¯s a great fortune that we can fight under the protection of rules.¡±


    Pausing, she continued, ¡°About that small church in the Sixth District¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be investigated, regardless of what purpose that ¡®Ghost Ship Captain¡¯ had in finding you, we need to inspect that church,¡± Valentin slowly nodded, ¡°Also¡­ I just briefly tried to recall and couldn¡¯t remember who is in charge of that church. It seems there really is some situation there.¡±


    ¡°Good, I will personally lead a team there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Valentin nodded slightly, then looked curiously at Fenna, ¡°Besides the matter of the small church, what else did the Ghost Ship Captain tell you?¡±


    This question made Fenna¡¯s expression turn odd right away.


    Valentin, ¡°¡­Why that expression?¡±


    ¡°He¡­ indeed said another sentence to me, a very baffling one,¡± Fenna¡¯s face was filled with hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t know if we should take it seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°What shouldn¡¯t you take seriously? The more baffling the content, the more likely it could be key to everything!¡± Valentin suddenly widened his eyes, ¡°What did he say exactly?¡±


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    Fenna hesitated for two more seconds, finally took a deep breath, and said gravely, ¡°Straight-up fries.¡±


    Valentin, ¡°¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, the bishop finally spoke again, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°As true as my faith in the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, then that is indeed¡­ quite baffling¡­¡±

 Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Chapter 169: Entering the Curtain

    Chapter 165: Chapter 169: Entering the Curtain


    ¡°Watched closely? Making fries is really simple¨Cjust make sure not to burn or undercook them. You don¡¯t need to keep an eye on it the whole time, neither do you have to taste for seasoning. Got it?¡±


    On the morning aboard the Homeloss, Duncan directed a nervous Alice in the kitchen with a serious face, while in front of them, the fries, still a bit pale, tumbled in the hot oil, continuously sizzling.


    ¡°I¡­ I got it!¡± Alice watched the sizzling pot intently without blinking, one hand tightly gripping a kitchen knife, beside her on the cutting board were badly shaped chunks of potatoes¨Cthese were supposed to be used for other dishes.


    Duncan glanced at the frying pan, then looked at the person next to him, nodding slightly. He thought to himself that such a simple task shouldn¡¯t be messed up again, but then he noticed the kitchen knife in Alice¡¯s hand, feeling a bit uncomfortable, ¡°¡­Can you put the knife down first? Don¡¯t always carry it around after you¡¯re done chopping.¡±


    A doll armed with a kitchen knife in the kitchen, exuding a murderous aura (towards the potatoes), somehow didn¡¯t bode well.


    It felt as if, in the next second, the background music would switch to something thrilling, and then a health bar that could pierce the screen would pop up above Alice¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh¡­ oh!¡± Alice suddenly realized, quickly placed the knife back, and waved confidently at the captain, ¡°Captain, you can go back! I¡¯ve learned this now. You and Ai Yi just wait to eat!¡±


    Duncan stared at Alice for a long while, making sure the doll wouldn¡¯t cause any more trouble before he finally relaxed slightly. Soon after, a sense of emotion naturally emerged¨C


    After such a long time, he could finally have a stable output of fries on Homeloss!


    ¡­


    In the antique shop on the second floor, by the dining table, Nina, her head plastered with a medicated patch, suddenly looked up curiously at her uncle, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve been wanting to ask, why were you frowning all morning¡­ and you seemed to suddenly relax just now, sighing¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I? I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡± Duncan was startled, and his attention instantly spanned the vast space, falling on this small antique shop, then he shook his head smiling, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just remembered some accounting stuff, did the calculations in my mind just now, and figured it out.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nina nodded, ¡°I thought so, you seemed all tensed up just now.¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t respond, just maintaining a calm smile, though inwardly he muttered¨CThis girl has quite an eye for detail.


    At this moment, Nina peeped towards the little window at the end of the second-floor corridor facing the street, hesitated for a moment before whispering, ¡°Sherry didn¡¯t come today.¡±


    ¡°¡­ She has her own place to live,¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at the girl opposite him looking lonely, ¡°Plus, you have school today; there¡¯s no time to go out and have fun with her.¡±


    ¡°I should ask about where she lives exactly,¡± Nina continued, ¡°so if she can¡¯t come to me, I can go to her.¡±


    Duncan was silent for a second or two before softly asking, ¡°Do you really like this new friend? Considering you haven¡¯t actually spent much time together.¡±


    ¡°Sherry is really nice, she even saved my life in the museum,¡± Nina promptly replied, ¡°and¡­ and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what?¡±


    ¡°And when she was staying here, I would chat with her and Ah Gou in the evenings, learning about her life¨Cshe¡¯s always lived with Ah Gou in the slums, in a small alley where there aren¡¯t even street lights at night, and the houses leak when it rains. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Nina,¡± Duncan suddenly interrupted the girl in front of him, his expression becoming slightly stern, ¡°Friendship can¡¯t be built on the basis of sympathy, especially for kids like Sherry.¡±


    Nina paused, then slowly reached up to touch her hair by the temple as she met Duncan¡¯s gaze, ¡°Uncle, you just said something quite philosophical¡­¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But Uncle, you really made me think¨CI might feel a little sympathy,¡± Nina continued, ¡°but¡­ I just want her to have a better life. I can tell, even though she always seemed mysteriously tense when living here, she was actually very happy, me¡­ am I being presumptuous in making such judgments for her?¡±


    Duncan gave no immediate answer, seemingly lost in brief thought before he chuckled and shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, let¡¯s ask Sherry about her place next time we see her. For now¡­, hurry up and finish your meal, school time is almost here.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Nina nodded obediently, then as if something struck her, her face lit up with excited anticipation, ¡°Speaking of which, can I ride that new bike to school today?¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Duncan lifted his eyelids and refused without hesitation. ¡°Have you forgotten how badly you fell last night?¡±


    While he spoke, the events from when Nina got home last night flooded his mind¨Cthe moment she laid eyes on the shiny new bicycle parked on the first floor, her excitement almost made her jump on the spot. Then, she rushed to ride it and within about thirty seconds, she crashed at the doorstep¡­


    She still had a bandage on her forehead.


    ¡°I¡­ I thought riding a bike would be easy,¡± Nina said, lowering her head in embarrassment. ¡°I saw my classmates could¡­¡±


    Duncan sighed.


    He should have seen it coming. If there were no bicycles in the antique store, and Nina had no friends for these years¨Chow could she possibly have had a chance to learn to ride? He completely overlooked this when he bought the bicycle.


    ¡°Take the bus to school today. Don¡¯t run, we can afford the bus fare now,¡± Duncan took out a few coins and placed them in front of Nina. ¡°When you come back, I¡¯ll teach you to ride¨Cit¡¯s not hard. With your smarts, you¡¯ll probably learn in a few days.¡±


    Initially, Nina seemed a bit disheartened, but she quickly brightened up and nodded happily. ¡°Oh!¡±


    After a while, Nina joyfully ran out of the big door of the antique store. Duncan stood at the small window on the second floor of the antique store, watching as the girl¡¯s figure crossed the streets bathed in morning light, running towards the nearby bus stop.


    The noise of more and more carriages and crowds echoed through the alleys, and the district was gradually awakening under the sunlight. The golden-red sun spread along the distant rooftops, creating an illusion of a splendid curtain ascending.


    Formed by flames, a curtain sweeping over the entire City-State.


    Duncan¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened, and he frowned deeply at the distant, densely-packed houses.


    The grand image of the curtain of flames sweeping over the City-State vanished from the light, as if that very moment in his mind was just an instant, baseless fantasy.


    However, Duncan¡¯s furrowed brows did not relax in the slightest. He continued to stare into the distance, as if trying to find another layer of reality overlapped with that glorious dawn¨Cfor several long minutes, he finally slowly shifted his gaze.


    He thought for a moment, then waved at the air beside him: ¡°Ai Yi.¡±


    The next second, a cluster of bluish-green flames exploded in the air. From within the fiery burst, a specter bird spiraled into form. Ai Yi, flapping his wings, landed on Duncan¡¯s shoulder, belching loudly as he crowed, ¡°Burp¡­ who is calling¡­ burp¡­ the fleet?¡±


    Duncan¡¯s emotions became disordered instantly. He turned his head, gaping at the pigeon that had swollen considerably: ¡°¡­How much did you eat on the ship?¡±


    Flapping his wings and stretching his neck vigorously, Ai Yi replied, ¡°The moment to feast on provisions has come¡­ burp!¡±


    Duncan looked emotionlessly at the bird, and after a moment sighed, ¡°No wonder Alice had trouble preparing the cargo. It turns out you snatched it all¡­ Well, let¡¯s consider it not wasted. Can you still fly? To the Sixth District.¡±


    The pigeon suddenly made a loud, ecstatic noise: ¡°Mission must be accomplished! Mission must be accomplished!¡±


    The next second, a flash of fire at the small window on the second floor of the antique store, and a bloated, fat pigeon leapt from the window, wobbling towards the direction of the Sixth District.


    At the same time, in the depths of the Sixth District, two dark gray steam cars drove along the empty and quiet streets.


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    Tall and imposing, Fenna sat in the back seat of one of the cars, her giant sword beside her, quietly watching the sights of the street outside.


    Due to uncertainty about the status of the small church, Fenna chose not to enter the district directly with the eye-catching steam walker but instead opt to lead a section of elite troops discreetly, while the support team remained on standby in nearby districts.


    Upon entering the Sixth District, she immediately sensed the ¡°atmosphere¡± here¡­ something was very off.


    An overabundant lack of vitality in the community, scattered, sluggish residents unresponsive to external stimuli, and the deteriorating infrastructure, even beyond what the Lower City District could tolerate.


    An aura lingered everywhere here¨Cthe entire district felt to her as though time had solidified in a crevice forgotten by people.

 Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Chapter 170: Loosen

    Chapter 166: Chapter 170: Loosen


    After a long while, Fenna finally withdrew her gaze from the car window.


    Her main purpose for coming here today was to investigate the small chapel, but after entering the sixth district, she had sensed that the atmosphere of the entire area was abnormal, making her feel as if every inch of this district perhaps needed to be investigated.


    After some contemplation, she reached out her hand and picked up a thick stack of documents that were placed on the nearby seat.


    These were records from the city hall, obtained through the authority of the Judge and the relevant provisions in the ¡°Special Executive Regulations for Abnormal Events.¡± On her way here, she had already read through part of this data.


    The documents from the city hall were not top secret, nor did they involve any high-profile Transcendent events or unresolved, major cases. On the contrary, what Fenna had brought were the most basic things¨C


    Gas meter records, electricity billing situations, shop taxes, water supply, heating, waste management, law enforcement patrolling¡­


    As the pages turned, Fenna¡¯s gaze swiftly scanned through the documents.


    If her years as a Judge had taught her any ¡°case handling experience,¡± one lesson was absolutely crucial¨C


    The traces of Transcendent phenomena often hid within the most ordinary everyday occurrences.


    Surrounded by the Endless Sea, abnormal and supernatural phenomena pervaded the human world. Under the looming threat of these forces, the ¡°daily life¡± in the City-State was the world¡¯s greatest treasure. Ordinary people of Plunder might have taken peaceful days for granted, but those warriors who fought against abnormalities and abnormalities year-round knew well¨C


    A ray of morning sunlight, a meal hot on the table, street vendors calling out, and a goodnight before sleep; all these were continuous miracles.


    These were breathtaking views constructed by mortals in this unstable world over ten thousand years.


    Any Transcendent phenomena intruding would leave its mark on this miraculous sight.


    ¡°Have you noticed anything amiss?¡± asked the voice of the Guardian driving the car from the front row. The young church warrior had noticed Fenna¡¯s slightly furrowed brow, ¡°Are there missing municipal records?¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, all the municipal records are complete,¡± Fenna gently shook her head. ¡°The water, gas, electricity, heating, and pollution records are all there, and they are maintained at a very balanced value, exceptionally logical.¡±


    ¡°Then your expression¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no law enforcement cases,¡± Fenna slightly lifted her eyelids. ¡°Law enforcement cases are absent, and so are the birth records and the death records of residents.¡±


    The Guardian driving the car widened his eyes slightly. In the rearview mirror, Fenna could see the young man¡¯s incredulous expression.


    ¡°A clear anomaly, right?¡± Fenna whispered. ¡°A district, all these years, no change in population, not a single law enforcement incident, not even fights or brawls. Even the safest places in the Upper City District can¡¯t achieve this level, but all the records of water, electricity, and gas are intact. It gives the feeling as if¡­¡±


    She paused, her gaze shifting towards the window: ¡°As if all the residents here are docile phantoms¡­ They quietly exist in this enclosed area, neither increasing nor decreasing, without internal conflicts or external communications, just quietly undergoing normal ¡®resource consumption¡¯, regularly sending a ¡®all is normal here¡¯ signal to the city hall. And yet, despite such blatantly abnormal situation, it has been overlooked for many years.¡±


    The inside of the car fell silent, only the dull sound of the steam core operating could be heard. After an indeterminate amount of time, Fenna suddenly felt a jolt from the car body.


    ¡°We have arrived at that small chapel.¡±


    Fenna raised her head and saw through the car window the community chapel that had somehow disappeared from the ¡°sight¡± of the large cathedral.


    From the outside, it seemed as though it had been abandoned for over a decade.


    This was the place where the terrifying Ghost Ship captain had directed her.


    Fenna¡¯s mind involuntarily flashed back to those burning ghostly flames and the somber, imposing figure forever fixed in her central vision. The next second, she sharply inhaled, quietly chanting the holy name of the Storm Goddess Gomona, picked up her weapon, and opened the car door.


    A cold, bleak wind blew from the end of the street, lifting the dried leaves beside the road. The black-clad Guardians followed alongside the Judge, cautiously closing in on the abandoned chapel.


    Stepping on the fallen leaves, a faint crunching sound was heard, sounding almost like fire consuming rotten wood, crackling.


    Suddenly, a flapping of wings came from above her head, and Fenna, amid the swirling leaves, looked up to see a white dove flapping its wings and landing on the spire of the church.


    The dove tilted its head, seemingly curiously watching the guardians moving around.


    ¡°A white dove¡­ a sign of calm seas, perhaps¡­¡± An odd thought suddenly crossed Fenna¡¯s mind, then she dismissed the sudden appearance of the dove and moved forward to gently push open the slightly ajar doors of the chapel.


    Warm, bright light entered her vision, and a nun with a gentle smile on her face appeared before her.


    ¡°Hello, sister, it has been a long time since anyone visited this church¡­¡±


    The nun¡¯s gentle voice echoed into the ears of the guardian warriors.


    ¡­


    One after another, gas lamps were neatly arranged between the shelves, the bright light dispelling the shadows among these ancient scrolls. Slow, heavy footsteps reverberated between the shelves, interspersed with the low mumbling of the old priest:


    ¡°Row seven, column six, row seven, column six¡­ The records from 1885, they should be here¡­ they should be here¡­¡±


    The old priest stopped in front of a bookshelf, he looked up and saw the giant bookshelf quietly towering over him, the scrolls that bore the memory of the City-State¡¯s history neatly arranged within this giant¡¯s bones and flesh.


    His gaze fell upon a few archives, and he slowly reached out his hand.


    The sound of slightly rusted friction came from his brass mechanical limb.


    ¡°At last, I found it!¡± The old priest¡¯s eyes suddenly shone with brilliance, his tone filled with barely concealable excitement, ¡°To think it was hiding here¡­ After searching for so long with Fenna the Judge!¡±


    His fingers touched those documents.


    The slow, heavy footsteps echoed between the shelves again, mixed with the low mumbling of the old priest: ¡°Row seven, column six, row seven, column six¡­¡±


    ¡°At last, I found it!¡± excitement sparkled in the old priest¡¯s eyes, he reached out to the archives, the rusted creak of his brass mechanical limb filling the air, ¡°To think it was hiding here, after searching for so long with the Judge!¡±


    His fingers were about to touch those documents.


    The slow, heavy footsteps echoed between the shelves.


    ¡­


    Suddenly, the old priest halted.


    He lifted his head, his neck as stiff as if rusted, and he quietly watched the huge bookshelves neatly lined up before him, each gas lamp burning between the shelves, and columns decorated with wave patterns silently standing among the shelves.


    A sudden gentle sound of waves surged within his heart, momentarily clearing the haze in the old man¡¯s mind.


    Had the archive¡¯s protection been activated? Who activated it? Why? Was it himself? When had he activated these protections? What was he doing here?


    With a start, the old priest instinctively reached for the large-caliber revolver at his waist, but the next second, he noticed something odd about his body.


    His once agile arm had become inexplicably stiff and heavy, the grating sound of parts rubbing together sounded almost like a pile of long-discarded scrap metal being crushed against each other.


    He looked at his brass mechanical limb in astonishment, only to see an arm covered with rust, verdigris, and filthy liquid seeping from the metal seams staining the entire limb; his gaze continued downward to see a tattered coat and a left leg constantly oozing black oil.


    It seemed as though he had been trekking through this archive for many years.


    The old priest stared blankly at the marks left on his body, the sealed memories finally beginning to loosen at this moment, and he suddenly remembered many things, many things as distant as if they had happened in a past life¨CThe visit of the Judge, investigating the records, weird records of heretical worship, the missing years¡­


    Then the Judge had left the archive, and he had stayed, continuing the search for the missing records of the year 1885¡­


    The gentle sounds of waves resurfaced, a little clearer than before, yet still as if muffled by a thick curtain, as if coming from another dimension.


    But it was this distant, ethereal sound of waves that suddenly made the old priest¡¯s mind even clearer than before, and as his memory loosened, his reasoning and judgment swiftly returned, and the next second, he realized what might be happening.


    A massive anomaly¨Cnot simply an anomaly, not a malevolent Transcendent being, not a puppet master or a supernatural phenomenon, but a massive anomaly!


    Plunder City-State was at the center of a massive anomaly!


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


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    The old priest exclaimed, turning to drag his no longer agile body towards his post.


    The next second, he forcibly stopped dead in his tracks.


    A strange black figure had appeared in the archive without warning.


    Inside the enclosed space, this odd figure held up a bizarre black umbrella¨Cas if to block out the pervasive sunlight.


    (Recommendation time, a friendly recommendation from this fish, ¡°The Resurgence of Tricks,¡± a background world view of the resurgence of mystery and occult powers. The author is also one of the readers, feel free to support them~~)

 Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Chapter 171: A Crossroads in History

    Chapter 167: Chapter 171: A Crossroads in History


    The figure was very tall, even taller than Judge Bifana. The figure was extremely thin, as if what was wrapped under the heavy, dark overcoat were just withered flesh and blood. He was holding a large umbrella inside this sealed room, and the lowered surface of the umbrella obscured the face of the uninvited guest¨Chowever, it only took one look for the old priest to spot the blasphemous and twisted shadows on the other¡¯s body.


    ¡°Remnants of the Black Sun?¡± the old man exclaimed in astonishment as he looked at the figure, followed by an angry shout, ¡°You dare to step into this holy archive!¡±


    The next second, a loud bang shattered the tranquility of the archive, and the old priest had already drawn the large-caliber revolver from his waist. The blessed bullets, carrying firelight and thunder, were fired, but perhaps the old man¡¯s limbs were too slow, for before the sound of the gunshot, the figure had already moved¨Ctwo shadows shot out from under the hem of his coat, one intercepting the bullet mid-air, and the other shadow instantly covered a distance of ten meters, striking the old priest¡¯s shoulder.


    A grating sound of metal friction rang out, and the old priest¡¯s body was thrown sideways, crashing into a nearby bookshelf. The huge bookshelf shook violently, and countless books and scrolls fell to the ground.


    The strange, umbrella-carrying shadow stepped forward, walking towards the direction where the old priest had fallen. A low and chaotic murmuring came from within its body, sounding like filthy flesh boiling in a pot.


    However, the next second, a roar erupted from the pile of collapsed books, and soon after, the old priest leapt out¨Chis hand now held a sharp steel longsword, which emitted a sharp whistling as it swiftly slashed towards the figure invading the archive.


    The invader suddenly halted, and the black umbrella tilted slightly to block the fierce blow. Sparks flew between the sword and the ribs of the umbrella, followed by the old priest landing and continuing his assault without pause. The longsword turned in an arc and then slashed at an angle towards the side of the invader!


    The longsword spun, metal clashing against metal, and the old man¡¯s mechanical limbs let out a low, hoarse roar. The storm swordsmanship, honed over decades, unleashed its power after many years of silence, as continuous as the unending waves at sea. A slew of circular cuts cascaded towards the blasphemous enemy. Amidst the arcs cut by the longsword, layers of phantom waves could be seen taking shape¨Cthese ethereal waves grew more tangible and weighty, eventually showing the impact and might of real ocean waves!


    The Storm Goddess¡¯s power surged within the endless arc cuts, the heavy pressure of the waves pouring into the specially forged steel longsword. Each slash carried the salty sea breeze and made the air and ground around tremble slightly.


    The black umbrella in the invader¡¯s hand was exceptionally sturdy. Despite more than ten slashes, it remained unshaken. However, the figure itself was steadily retreating, gradually pushed back to the edge of a nearby bookshelf by the relentless wave assaults, and an irritated growl mixed with murmuring, filled with bewitching power, emitted from within.


    But the old priest had long closed off all unnecessary perceptions, completely ignoring the noise from the invader. He knew his attacks could not stop. Storm swordsmanship required this ceaseless pressure. Like waves that cannot halt halfway, the strength of these remnants, cleaved from the Scions of the Sun, should not be underestimated. If his own pressuring ceased, the enemy would escape the fray the next second.


    Meanwhile, the old priest was filled with suspicion¨Chow had this blasphemous residue infiltrated the archive? This church, imbued with the goddess¡¯s power and countless layers of defenses, from the inside out, not even the Scions of the Sun themselves would breach it unnoticed¨Chow then had an invader escaped detection?


    Could it be¡­ this residue did not enter through the normal structure of time and space?


    Just then, a sharp sound of something tearing through the air suddenly arose. The old priest¡¯s muscles instantly tensed up, and this seasoned warrior instantly reacted without stopping his sword but subtly adjusting its angle, ready to meet the invader¡¯s sneak attack.


    Agony shot up from beneath his ribs.


    The continuous flashes of sword light stopped, and the old priest gazed in shock at the tentacle that had pierced his body, watching as blood slowly dripped from the tattered edges of his clothes. The brass prosthetic emitted intense heat, and the heavily worn and rusted gears made one last clattering noise, grinding to a halt with squeaks and creaks.


    Another second passed before the old priest realized what had happened¨Che had grown old.


    He and the gears on his body had aged.


    With a revolting noise, the hideous tentacle slowly retracted back into the clothes of the invader. This unearthly being slowly approached the old man, who was now propped up by his longsword, desperately trying not to fall. It set down its black umbrella, revealing a continuously swelling and deforming ¡°head¡± that resembled a blooming flower of flesh. A hoarse voice emitted from its ¡°petals.¡±


    It was a barely discernible universal language:


    ¡°Go tell your god, this ugly age is over. The sun will rise again from history¡­¡±


    ¡°History¡­¡± the old priest¡¯s body trembled. He had not yet succumbed, but no longer had the strength to lift his sword. Suddenly, realization dawned on him, ¡°You¡¯ve tampered with history?!¡±


    The invader seemed to laugh, though it was merely a blossoming flower of flesh. Its quivering ¡°petals¡± and disordered teeth seemed to convey a semblance of mirth, ¡°On the day the great fire was kindled, everyone¡¯s wishes were fulfilled.¡±


    The elderly priest slowly bowed his head, as life swiftly faded from his aged body. It seemed he finally gave up his struggle in this world and began to wait serenely for the final moment¡¯s arrival.


    The invader appeared rather bored by this outcome and reopened its umbrella, ready to depart.


    However, in the next second, a roaring noise of metal friction suddenly erupted as the previously still mechanical limb came to life again with the sound of gears turning and oil pumps pressurizing. Taken aback, the invader turned its head, only to see a flash of the sword rapidly striking.


    ¡°Please bear witness!¡±


    The elderly priest let out a fierce roar as the steel longsword, without any hesitation, chopped at the invader¡¯s body¨Cwith no umbrella to block it, no tentacles to interrupt, the force of the entire blade nearly tore through the enemy¡¯s body like ripping open a piece of torn fabric.


    The invader was split in two by the sword, its severed body parts falling to the ground.


    Yet in the next second, both halves of the cut body began emitting foul sounds of flesh wriggling, as countless tiny fleshy tendrils sprouted from within, beginning to gravitate towards each other and reassemble.


    The invader began to reshape itself, and an angry growl emanated from within it.


    But the elderly priest had already lowered his sword tip and his body slowly collapsed to the ground, his clouded eyes watching as the invader steadily rose again, a smile of relief appearing on his face.


    He knew that even his last bit of strength couldn¡¯t kill the monster¨Cfor it was the remnants of the Scions of the Sun, far beyond what a dying, aged guardian could contend with using just a steel sword. But at least, he had proven his loyalty to the goddess in his final moments.


    The Storm had borne witness, it was time to end.


    The invader got up again, and in its irritation, tendrils filled with contaminated power spread from its body, their edges bristling with sharp teeth.


    However, in the elderly priest¡¯s vision, he saw a great fire ignited behind the invader, a great fire engulfed the archive, the entire church burning fiercely.


    The goddess¡¯s statue collapsed in the distance with a thunderous crash.


    An image of Prand consumed entirely by flames emerged before him, a history branch where ¡°the Sun Shard had descended successfully, and the guardians of Prand were completely annihilated¡± appeared before his eyes.


    The old man¡¯s consciousness slowly sank into this contaminated and created history branch, yet suddenly, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of something else.


    A clump of ghostly green flames was spreading surreptitiously within the blazing inferno, flitting through the cracks between light and shadow, through the fiery illusions, dividing and flowing everywhere.


    Behind a collapsed bookshelf nearby, a clump of ghostly green flames seemed to suddenly ¡°sniff¡± out something, and in an instant, darted over like a hound that had found its prey, viciously pouncing on the invader preparing to strike its final blow.


    The elderly priest watched all this in a haze, his consciousness floating between reality and fantasy, unable to discern whether what he was seeing was real or an illusion. He saw the invader suddenly enveloped by the green flame, the body containing the power of the Scions of the Sun melted away as if made of wax, and he heard the invader¡¯s dying screams echoing throughout the archive, filled with unbelievable madness and terror.


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    Then, all became silent.


    The sea of fire receded, the contaminated history temporarily retreated into the depths behind the veil, and the archive, situated between two branches of history, fell into a deadly silence, unvisited and forgotten.


    Only an old man who had died in battle with a sword lay quietly on the ground, his half-open, half-closed eyes gazing into the distance¨Cone reflecting the Prand that had survived in peace, the other the history branch of the Sun¡¯s destruction.


    And he belonged to neither¨Che hadn¡¯t perished in that great fire, nor had he survived it.


    The slowly cooling blood flowed out from under the elderly priest¡¯s body as if directed by a powerful will, quietly coursing over the ground and coalescing into a trail of footprints that stretched slowly towards the nearby caretaker¡¯s console¡­

 Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Chapter 172: Fennas Discovery

    Chapter 168: Chapter 172: Fenna¡¯s Discovery


    Fenna stood silently in front of the staircase leading to the Underground Sanctuary, looking at the black door that had just been restored before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Three hours ago, she had led her team to this abandoned church and had seen the warm and bright lights inside, the main hall where everything seemed normal, the silently praying nun, and the clean and tidy pulpit.


    Two hours ago, she had shaken off that obviously odd nun, led her guardians to this Underground Sanctuary, and upon opening the doors of the sanctuary, she had seen the truth within¨Ca subspace plunged into darkness, a sword-wielding nun who seemed to have died in battle not long ago, the scattered marks of combat in the basement, and the absence of the infiltrators.


    Two minutes ago, she had completed a meticulous scout of the Underground Sanctuary and, along with her subordinates, had brought the body of the nun out from the Sanctuary, preparing to send it to the Central Cathedral for autopsy and burial.


    Then, as everyone watched, the body of the nun that had been brought outside the Sanctuary turned to ashes that dispersed with the wind, while the door to the basement, which had been violently pried open two hours earlier, was instantly restored to its original state. Now it stood quietly at the end of the staircase, as if mocking the explorers standing on the stairs.


    ¡°Judge¡­¡± a bearded guardian warrior approached Fenna with a low voice, ¡°It seems that there is some kind of time loop here¡­¡±


    Fenna nodded slightly, saying nothing.


    What emerged in her mind was the terrifying dreamscape of the previous night, as well as ¡°Captain Duncan¡± who had invaded and contaminated her dream.


    The words of the ghost captain echoed in her mind, ¡°¡­If you truly care about the safety of the City-State, why not visit the sixth district, take a look at that small church¡­


    ¡°I look forward to your discoveries there¡­¡±


    Was this what ¡°Captain Duncan¡± wanted her to see? A sealed timescape, a small church contaminated and isolated by some unknown force, a nun who had died fighting against a mysterious infiltrator? Why did he want her to see these things? What did it all mean?


    Fenna frowned deeply. When she had set off this morning, her mind was filled with thoughts about the Homeloss and the schemes of the ghost captain, pondering whether the other party was guiding her to this small church to corrupt or attack her, the Judge, in some way. But now, she suddenly began to doubt her initial judgment.


    Could it be¡­ that ghost captain just wanted to provide her with a clue? Like a helpful bystander¡­ reporting a heretic within the City-State to her?


    The thought emerged in Fenna¡¯s mind¨Cat not too long ago, she had jokingly said the same thing to Bishop Valentin, but now she couldn¡¯t help but run this absurd joke, at the level of subspace, through her mind again.


    The next second, the young Judge shivered, her expression stern.


    She was actually associating that ghost captain with being ¡°harmless¡±; this must be the effect of his mental contamination working! She mustn¡¯t continue thinking it¡­


    ¡°Judge?¡± The voice of a subordinate came from beside her again, pulling Fenna out of her reverie. The bearded guardian wore a worried expression, ¡°Did you¡­hear or see something?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I am perfectly lucid,¡± Fenna shook her head, responding to her seemingly reliable subordinate. She knew that before setting off, this subordinate had been in contact with Bishop Valentin and was likely also tasked with ¡°monitoring¡± her, the superior officer. And she had no complaints about this¨Cafter all, she had been contaminated by Captain Duncan; it was normal to be on a mission even with shackles on now.


    ¡°The timescape here has reset. Shall we go down again?¡± the subordinate asked.


    Fenna pondered for a moment, then turned her head and asked, ¡°What is that ¡®nun¡¯ in the main hall doing?¡±


    ¡°She is still praying,¡± replied a guardian who had just returned from the main hall, ¡°It seems that nothing we do outside the main hall attracts her attention.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Fenna nodded lightly, her eyes landing on the door at the end of the stairs. After a long moment, she bit her lip, ¡°Go down again.¡±


    She led the guardians back to the entrance of the Underground Sanctuary, pushed the door, and felt the familiar resistance again¨Cthe door was blocked from the other side by the body of the nun.


    Last time, she instructed her subordinates to pry open the door hinge with a crowbar, opening the passage without damaging the runes on the door as much as possible.


    This time, she pressed her hand against the door panel, took a gentle breath, and then suddenly clenched her fist and swiftly knocked on the door.


    Within one-hundredth of a second, the entire door vibrated in a way that human senses could not detect, and then the sturdy door suddenly shattered into endless dust. Wood shavings and metal particles fluttered down, only to be repelled and blown away by the aura swirling around Fenna.


    The body of the nun fell behind the door, unscathed except for her original wounds.


    It wasn¡¯t until then that the guards on the scene heard a very deep hum, which seemed to diffuse into the brain and then vanished in the blink of an eye.


    The warriors cast their awe-filled gazes towards the young Judge, while Fenna, accustomed to these looks, had her longsword slung across her back and took a lantern from her waist with her left hand. As soon as the door had shattered, she stepped forward.


    The glow from the lantern once again lit up the dark underground space, revealing a scene identical to what they had seen upon their first entry, just as expected, the time and space here had returned to the starting point.


    After another careful scouting, Fenna and the warriors returned to the side of the nun who had died in battle.


    Not long ago, Fenna had attempted to take the body of the nun out of the Underground Sanctuary, but now she realized that this body had likely become a part of the ¡°cyclic lockdown¡± of this aberrant time and space, unable to leave this place anymore.


    Quietly gazing at the nun¡¯s blood-stained face, Fenna pondered for who knows how long before she suddenly said softly, ¡°¡­Are you still fighting in this cyclical time and space¡­¡±


    A brief silence fell over the Underground Sanctuary until a guard¡¯s voice suddenly broke it, ¡°Judge, what do you think¡­ she was fighting against?¡±


    Fenna thought quietly, and after a long time, she raised her head thoughtfully, analyzing the information they had:


    ¡°The Underground Sanctuary is an excellent sealing environment; once the door is closed, it becomes a prison;


    ¡°The fate of the church¡¯s guard troops is unknown, but it¡¯s clear they didn¡¯t partake in the battle here;


    ¡°The nun locked herself inside, armed, which means she anticipated a battle before entering;


    ¡°There are no traces of intruders, and given the closed-loop structure of time and space here, the invaders should also be repeating the cycle here. Even if the invaders were to flee quickly, they wouldn¡¯t have had time to erase all the evidence at the moment we opened the door¡­¡±


    The surrounding guards listened to their superior¡¯s analysis, and suddenly someone realized, ¡°Clerics only seal themselves off and prepare for an ¡®endgame¡¯ battle in one situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s only one situation,¡± Fenna said softly, slowly standing up, ¡°when a cleric realizes a door to Subspace is about to open within their own soul.¡±


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    ¡°A Subspace invasion!¡± A guard exclaimed in a low voice, ¡°She was fighting against¡­ her own shadow?! But¡­ how is that possible, this is a church, and¡­¡±


    ¡°And no alarm was ever received from this church,¡± Fenna interrupted before her subordinate could finish, her voice heavy. She knew well how many things were amiss here, ¡°A cleric completely corrupted by Subspace becomes a vessel, opening a gate to Subspace within their soul, but usually, there is a process to this, especially in an environment like a church. Even in dire situations, the on-duty personnel should have had the chance to send out an alarm. But now it seems the contamination the nun suffered progressed very rapidly¡­ so rapidly that she only had time to grab her longsword and lock herself in here¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment and then mused, ¡°¡­Or perhaps an alarm was sent out, but its transmission was disrupted by Subspace interference, preventing it from reaching outside the church.¡±


    ¡°¡­But this isn¡¯t a ship sailing on the sea,¡± a guard mumbled incredulously, ¡°this is land, the church is under widespread protection, how could the power of Subspace corrupt a priest so quickly and sever the entire area¡¯s external communications?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, something isn¡¯t right, everything here isn¡¯t right, but what¡¯s even more wrong is¡­¡± Fenna said in a low voice, scanning the Underground Sanctuary as the lantern¡¯s radiance illuminated the dim walls and pillars where countless menacing secrets seemed to lurk, ¡°if Subspace once tainted this place, where has it gone now?¡±

 Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Chapter 173: The Fire is Spreading

    Chapter 169: Chapter 173: The Fire is Spreading


    Subspace pollution does not dissipate on its own, just as justice does not assert itself ¡ª after so many years of battling against the deep, distorting shadows of the world, Fenna was all too aware of this.


    If this church had once been polluted by subspace, and if the nun on duty had already fallen to the pollution, then the thing that invaded this place would certainly not just disappear on its own ¡ª considering the eerie ¡°echo¡± of the nun in the main hall of the church and the somewhat off atmosphere of the entire Sixth District, the great doors of the Underground Sanctuary had clearly failed to block the invaders of this land, so¡­ where had the invading subspace force gone now?


    Fenna lifted the lantern in her hand, in which whale oil imbued with holy power burned quietly, illuminating everything in the Underground Sanctuary as the light touched it. The marks of blades and bullet strikes scattered across the walls seemed like texts repeatedly inscribed by a closed-off space-time, calmly recounting secrets to her.


    ¡­Texts?


    Fenna suddenly knitted her brows, as if a flash of lightning had streaked across her mind.


    If the nun who died here in the Underground Sanctuary had foreseen her own fate at the moment she closed the doors, might she have tried to leave some record by some means to warn the investigators who would come after?


    That would be the expected response of a well-trained holy servant!


    ¡°Check here again,¡± she abruptly raised her head and ordered the warriors beside her in a loud voice, ¡°All the traces, sword cuts, bullet marks, bloodstains, all of it ¡ª this sister might have left behind some kind of message before she fell in battle!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The guardians swiftly got into action, scattering in all directions with lanterns in their hands, starting a more thorough and targeted search in this Underground Sanctuary that had already been searched once.


    Fenna, of course, was not idle herself. Having realized that the fallen nun might have left a message before her death, she returned to where the other had died, back to the entrance of the Underground Sanctuary, carefully examining the ground and walls near the door.


    ¡ª She had just completely shattered the doors of the Sanctuary, but she believed that there would not be a message on that door, for the Sanctuary¡¯s door was part of a precise sealing mechanism, and it bore the Holy Symbols of the Goddess. Leaving marks on it would weaken the Sanctuary¡¯s defenses, something the nun would not have done.


    The nun holding the longsword still lay serenely on the ground, her uncoagulated blood flowing slowly beneath her.


    Fenna crouched down next to the nun¡¯s body, carefully inspecting her from head to toe, then, after considering the angle at which the nun had fallen when she had broken through the door, she surmised the position and orientation of the nun at the time of her death. Bending at the most likely angle, Fenna then pried open the tightly clutched hand of the nun, checking the state of the longsword.


    Suddenly, her movements stopped.


    Fenna¡¯s gaze fell on the ground beside the nun.


    There was a series of sword marks, which at first glance appeared to be chaotic etchings, as though the imprints on the ground had been made by someone who could not steady their sword as they neared death.


    In previous inspections, Fenna and her subordinates had overlooked these marks, but this time, the young Judge finally realized that these seemingly random scratches were actually a ¡°message¡± that had been severely distorted and then etched repeatedly.


    ¡°Here,¡± she lifted her head and spoke out to the guardians who were searching around, then dropped her gaze again, carefully discerning the intelligence within the sword marks.


    After a while, she made out a few characters:


    ¡°1885¡±


    It was merely a string of numbers.


    The guardians had gathered around, standing beside Fenna, and from those sword marks, they too discerned this string of numbers. The bearded guardian at the head, obviously unaware of what the characters meant, looked at his superior officer in confusion: ¡°Judge, these numbers¡­ Judge?¡±


    He saw shock spread across Fenna¡¯s face ¡ª at the sight of that string of numbers, her eyes had widened as if thunder had boomed inside her heart, and even the usually steadfast and composed Judge couldn¡¯t control her expression.


    Fenna came to her senses amidst her subordinates¡¯ cries, taking a deep breath, her heart pounding furiously. Memories of searching alone through the archive resurfaced, recalling those strange records of heretical cults, the archives going back from the year 1889, and the missing records from 1885¡­


    All these memories, finally converged on this Underground Sanctuary, on these chaotic sword marks before her eyes: 1885.


    ¡°It¡¯s the year 1885¡­ she¡¯s reminding us with her last breath that she actually died in the year 1885¡­¡±


    Fenna murmured to herself, but the guardians surrounding her exchanged looks of confusion, with one frowning and asking, ¡°But why did she specifically emphasize that year?¡±


    ¡°To prove that she didn¡¯t die in the year 1889¡­¡± Fenna began instinctively, but she cut herself off as realization dawned upon her, her face likewise displaying incomprehension, ¡°Right¡­ why would she emphasize that year¡­ If she died in 1885, she couldn¡¯t possibly know that a disaster would strike the City-State four years later¡­¡±


    The young Judge was plunged into confusion. A multitude of clues had surfaced and seemed to be on the verge of converging, but there was a gaping chasm preventing her thoughts from fully connecting.


    If the numbers left by the Nun were meant to indicate the year of her death, then that year must hold particular significance, hiding within it the ¡°warning¡± she sought to convey. But¡­ what warning could be so tightly linked to the year 1885?


    Had the Nun seen something before her death? Could she have foreseen the records of 1885 disappearing from the cathedral¡¯s archives? Or did she know why those records would disappear?


    Alas, the truth had faded with her cooling blood, lost to the passage of time. With the closing of the Underground Sanctuary¡¯s gates, the secrets known by the Nun were fated to remain undiscovered, her life-spanning attempt to impart a series of incomprehensible numbers to Fenna all that was left.


    Fenna raised her head and saw the attending guardians focused on her, their gazes filled not just with concern but also with wary observation.


    ¡°I visited the cathedral¡¯s archives before,¡± she gathered her thoughts and said to her subordinates, ¡°and for some reason, all the records from 1885 were missing. Now it seems that year is definitely¡­¡±


    She stopped abruptly.


    Scenes of her seeking records in the archives inexplicably flashed through her mind again, as if another force was insistently reminding her, drawing her back to those memories of walking among the massive bookshelves. Amidst these recollections, she suddenly heard the faint sound of waves.


    Fenna¡¯s eyes slowly widened.


    She still couldn¡¯t recall anything other than her solitary search through the archives, but she was now aware there might be a problem with her memories from there¨Cher spiritual talent was sounding an alert, and the goddess was warning her, too!


    ¡°Return to the cathedral,¡± she suddenly said to the guardians beside her, ¡°I need to make a trip to the archives!¡±


    The guardians exchanged looks, unsure why the Judge was so anxious and serious, but they quickly stopped hesitating and immediately accepted the order.


    As the guardians prepared to depart, one of them glanced at the ground next to them and suddenly cried out, ¡°The writing is disappearing!¡±


    Fenna immediately looked in the direction of the voice, a faint green light reflected in her eyes.


    Her breath caught in her throat.


    On the ground, the marks carved by the dying Nun were gradually vanishing, like pencil scribbles being erased from paper, and where the sword marks were disappearing, tiny green flames almost imperceptible to the naked eye flickered¨Cthese ¡°sparks¡± seemingly originating from an undetectable dimension, now suddenly appearing before the eyes of those in the material world.


    Fenna was all too familiar with these green flames!


    It was their master who had led her to this church!


    In that moment, endless speculations surfaced in her mind¨Cabout the Homeloss, the Ghost Ship¡¯s captain, Subspace, and the numbers ¡°1885¡±¨Cyet none of the guesses seemed to fit.


    No one could explain what role the Ghost Ship¡¯s captain was playing. Fenna couldn¡¯t understand why their flames were erasing those marks right before her eyes, but one thing was clear¨Cshe couldn¡¯t stay here long; she had to return to the cathedral immediately.


    In the blink of an eye, the marks on the ground had disappeared, and the mysterious green light had gradually vanished from everyone¡¯s sight.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t go near that part of the floor, be careful in case the flames are still spreading outside the visible spectrum,¡± Fenna warned her subordinates, ¡°Now, withdraw from this church¨CTeam Two will stay outside the church and establish a blockade to wait for orders, the rest will follow me back to the cathedral.¡±


    The guardians responded in unison, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Fenna nodded, then after a moment¡¯s thought, she further instructed, ¡°Also, notify the standby troops in the nearby blocks¡­ seal off the entire Sixth District.¡±


    Fenna led the guardians through the main hall of the small church.


    A guardian glanced unconsciously towards the statue of the goddess and suddenly exclaimed, ¡°That praying ¡®Nun¡¯ has vanished too!¡±

 Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Chapter 174: The Eve of the Storm

    Chapter 170: Chapter 174: The Eve of the Storm


    The nun who had always been praying quietly before the statue of the Storm Goddess was gone.


    Only the empty floor remained in front of the pulpit, the bright gas lamps illuminating the vacant main hall and rows of seats, where Fenna and the guardian warriors searched through the not-so-large main hall without finding the peculiar ¡°nun.¡±


    Fenna, of course, knew that the nun probably ¡°did not exist¡± from the start¨Cthe real body of the other party had clearly died in the Underground Sanctuary years ago, and what remained in the main hall was nothing more than a phantom of her prayers. However, the sudden disappearance of this phantom still made everyone feel uneasy amidst their confusion.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one in this corridor or the small rooms!¡±


    Finally, the last two guardian warriors who went to scout returned to the main hall, their report confirming something: the nun¡¯s ¡°phantom¡± had indeed completely vanished from the church.


    Fenna¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as her mind raced¨C


    The phantom had disappeared, but when had it happened?


    Was it when she entered the Underground Sanctuary for the second time? Was it when she saw the sequence of numbers written by the real nun just before her death? Or¡­


    Was it when the eerie pale green flames ignited out of nowhere, erasing the traces on the ground?


    If it was the former, then the disappearance of the phantom could likely be due to her role as an ¡°Observer from the real world,¡± which had shattered a part of the illusion here. However, if it was the latter¡­ it meant the ghost captain had made a move.


    The ghost captain, while erasing the traces within the Underground Sanctuary, had also erased the nun¡¯s phantom in the main hall¨Cfor reasons unknown to anyone.


    There would be no more discoveries by continuing to stay here; the urgent matter was to inform Bishop Valentin of the current intelligence, and then go to the archives to confirm the warning signs she had just sensed.


    Fenna quickly led her team out of the church, they crossed the grand entrance of the church and looked back to see, as expected, the church in its completely deserted and dilapidated state.


    Fenna sighed in relief; at least she had safely left this eerie place with her subordinates. Then, suddenly feeling a hunch, she instinctively looked up at the top of the church.


    A plump white dove was perched on the high spire, cocking its head to look over here, utterly harmless in appearance.


    Why was this dove still here?


    Fenna couldn¡¯t help but be a bit curious, but soon dismissed these minor doubts. After arranging for personnel to stay around the small church, she turned and got into her car, heading back to the main cathedral.


    The white dove took flight, swiftly leaving the church.


    But the dove did not fly far¨Cafter leaving the field of vision of the guardians stationed around the church, it dove straight into a nearby alley.


    A brilliant green spiritual flame rose fiercely in the deserted alley, transforming into a gate and vortex, from which Duncan stepped out of the blaze. He then slightly knit his brows and looked thoughtfully in the direction of the church.


    It was the right decision to expose this matter, attracting Fenna and the ¡°official power¡± behind her indeed yielded results beyond expectation¨Cthe investigation was moving forward; professionals were indeed professionals, their knowledge far exceeded that of amateurs like Sherry and A-Dog.


    When he was close enough, Duncan was able to eavesdrop on the surroundings of his target directly through the ¡°mark¡± he left on them. As the mark on Fenna had been enhanced during her last visit to the antique store, this eavesdropping even allowed Duncan to some extent, to perceive the young Judge¡¯s emotional fluctuations¨Che had stayed in the air above the church the entire time with Ai Yi, ¡°observing¡± the guardians¡¯ scouting process through such monitoring.


    Duncan stood quietly in the shadows of the alley, pondering and sorting through the intelligence he had just obtained.


    The nun likely confronted her own ¡°Subspace Projection¡±¨Cthere were no other invaders; the invader came from the ¡°crack¡± in her own soul?


    The clergy of this world¡­once completely overwhelmed by contamination, actually turn directly into a ¡®channel¡¯ that connects Subspace with the real world?


    Is it only the clergy who are like this, or do all humans have this hidden danger, with the clergy posing even greater risk once contaminated?


    Among all the intelligence, this was the point that captured Duncan¡¯s attention the most, also leaving him surprised and confused.


    Duncan didn¡¯t know much about the several gods of this world and their churches, but at least through observing over time, he could confirm that these churches¡¯ stance was on the side of order and protection. The clergy ensured the safety of the City-States in the Transcendent realm, and they also formed the most staunch line of defense against the ¡°deep¡± contamination of the world.


    However, he now knew that this resolute defensive line, under certain conditions, became a ¡°conduit¡± between the real world and Subspace¡­ Why was that?


    If this transformation could occur in all humans, given the right conditions, not just in clerical figures, then what did it mean?


    The Subspace, feared by people, seemed to have a more complicated relationship with the real world and ordinary mortals than he had initially thought¡­


    Besides this piece of intelligence, there was also the string of numbers, ¡°1885,¡± left by the nun.


    Indeed, it was a detail that Duncan and Sherry had not discovered during their previous investigation here¨Ca detail that now took Duncan by surprise.


    If Fenna¡¯s judgment was correct, the nun had not died in the Sun Shard incident of 1889, but had passed away in 1885. And for the years that followed, this chapel must have been enveloped by distorted time and space!


    What did this mean?


    Duncan¡¯s thoughts surged as he slowly raised his hand. He gently rubbed his fingertips, and a tuft of ghostly green flame quietly ignited within his line of sight.


    He could distinctly feel the Spiritual Fire spreading¨Cin the invisible dimensions, throughout the ¡°other side¡± of Plunder City-State, and sending him faint feedback.


    This was his third confusion.


    Not long after Fenna discovered the numbers in the Underground Sanctuary, they vanished into thin air. There had been a brief appearance of Spiritual Fire at that time, and the young Judge surely thought it to be the handiwork of ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± but in reality¡­


    Duncan was more bewildered than she was.


    He hadn¡¯t erased the numbers himself; he was clueless as to why the flames he had released would suddenly appear in the Underground Sanctuary and specifically burn away the numbers ¡°1885¡±¨Cit gave him the feeling as if the fire hadn¡¯t spread to the church through space, but had spread through time to the year 1885!


    Duncan suddenly froze.


    Maybe¡­ this wasn¡¯t an illusion¡­


    For some reason, he suddenly recalled the time he studied Alice¡¯s wooden chest, remembering the moment he glimpsed half a century back when the Frost Queen was executed, and the advice he heard¨C


    ¡°Please do not contaminate history¡­¡±


    Duncan¡¯s face grew solemn, his brow furrowed bit by bit. He thought about a phrase he had heard not long ago:


    In this world, anything but Subspace could be contaminated.


    ¡­


    Fenna hurried back to the Cathedral, intending to go straight to the archives to confirm the severe discordance she remembered. Still, she decided to first report her findings from the small church in District Six to Bishop Valentin.


    After hearing Fenna¡¯s account, Valentin remained silent for a long time. He pondered with furrowed brows for quite a while, then muttered with an expression like he was nursing a toothache, ¡°Subspace¡­ indeed, it¡¯s the most troublesome of all troublesome matters¡­¡±


    ¡°As we were preparing to leave, the numbers pointing to the year 1885 and the nun praying in the main hall had both disappeared, seemingly related to that ¡®Captain Duncan¡¯s¡¯ powers,¡± Fenna added, ¡°But we did not stay in the church to conduct repeated tests, fearing the risk of contamination spreading.¡±


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    ¡°Prudent, indeed,¡± Bishop Valentin nodded slightly, ¡°We can¡¯t be sure of what stance this Ghost Captain has for now. While he indeed provided us crucial information, he also erased some of the clues¡­ In any case, he is not our ¡®friend.''¡±


    Fenna pondered for a moment, then looked at the elder before her, ¡°Has there been any response from the church headquarters? Have you reported the situation here to His Holiness the Pope?¡±


    Valentin glanced at Fenna, nodding as he spoke, ¡°I have reported the entire situation to the Storm Cathedral. His Holiness the Pope has indicated that support will be sent as soon as possible¨Cbut the cathedral ship is still a distance from Plunder, and even the swiftest courier ship would find it hard to arrive within a few days, so¡­ we must be prepared to rely on ourselves.¡±


    As he spoke, the old Bishop sighed softly and turned to gaze at the saintly image of the Storm Goddess.


    ¡°Disaster is brewing, and we know not when it will erupt. Whether Plunder, this jewel of the seas, can clear the clouds, rests on our own skills now.¡±

 Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Chapter 175 Dark Clouds O

    Chapter 171: Chapter 175 Dark Clouds Over the City


    The sky had darkened without notice, thick clouds layering heavily above the City-State, a tangy, saline sea breeze sweeping through the streets as though intending to pour the cold air directly into one¡¯s bones.


    Old Captain Lawrence stepped out of the church¡¯s grand entrance, shrugging his neck against the chilling wind. Looking up at the sky, he began to grumble about the miserable weather, ¡°Bloody hell, such rotten luck. Just when I¡¯ve finally finished the quarantine observation, I have to trudge home through this wind for half an hour¡­¡±


    On the church square, pedestrians hurried along, a rain seemed imminent; everyone was preoccupied with clothes left out to dry or windows left unclosed at home, but the first thing the old captain thought of was his temperamental wife¨Che had been ¡°quarantined for observation¡± in the church for many days without sending a single message home; how could he not expect a severe tongue-lashing or even a black and blue ¡°welcome¡± of love?


    Lawrence rubbed his arms and hands together, sighed, and braced himself against the cold wind ahead. But just two steps forward, he caught a glimpse in the corner of his eye of a church guard hurrying toward him, while a little further away stood that young Psychologist who provided counseling¡­ what was her name, Heidi or Hailie?


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Lawrence murmured instinctively, then saw the guard arrive in front of him, performed a polite bow, and then seriously extended his hand to block Lawrence¡¯s path, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Captain Lawrence, we¡¯ve just received an emergency notice, you still¡­ cannot leave.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I already finished my observation period?¡± Lawrence had a premonition at the sight of the guard, but could not help but show his frustration, ¡°You better have a good reason.¡±


    ¡°The specifics cannot be disclosed, but¡­¡± The young church guard seemed to have difficulty saying it, yet he proceded with a matter of fact manner, ¡°It is a direct order from the Judge¨Cthe situation has changed, all those who had contact with Homeloss must continue to stay in the church.¡±


    Lawrence¡¯s mouth twitched upon hearing the three words ¡°Homeloss,¡± knowing that he had to abide by the instructions, but the bad mood was uncontrollable, the old captain frowned, ¡°Alright, extend it, I understand¨Cbut who¡¯s going to explain this to my wife? I¡¯ve been away for¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Heidi¡¯s voice came from the side just as the captain didn¡¯t finish his sentence, ¡°Do you have any concerns?¡±


    Lawrence turned to look at Heidi¨Cwith the days spent in isolation at the church, he had some dealings with the young Psychologist, and he knew that despite her youthful appearance she was indeed a reliable ¡°expert¡± and had indeed helped him and the crew alleviate many tense and frustrated emotions. His expression softened, ¡°I¡¯ve been away from home too long, my wife isn¡¯t exactly the gentle type¨CI¡¯m supposed to be on vacation after finishing the last sea consignment, I can¡¯t spend the first half of my holiday in quarantine at the church and the second half healing in bed¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed, no one wants to go through something like that,¡± Heidi sighed with empathy, then pulled out a glass vial of medicine from her medical bag and handed it to the old captain, saying, ¡°But things are complicated right now, it¡¯s best to follow the Cathedral¡¯s instructions for now¨Cdon¡¯t worry, someone will contact your family.¡±


    ¡°What is this stuff?¡± Lawrence took the vial, looking skeptically at the liquid inside, then back at Heidi with suspicion¨Cthere were always some strange things in this Psychologist¡¯s medicine chest that made one nervous.


    ¡°Sedative, soothing, and also somewhat enhances mental protection,¡± Heidi replied offhand, ¡°Preparing for the next stage of quarantine observation.¡±


    ¡°Damn, no exceptions, then¡­¡± As soon as Lawrence heard the words ¡°next stage of quarantine,¡± he winced, then uncorked the vial and downed the salty, bitter liquid, handing back the empty tube to the Psychologist.


    The effects of the medicine became apparent quickly, with the old captain shivering in the cold wind, his eyes shifting, before settling into a state of calm and letting out a complex, long sigh.


    ¡°Do you need me to walk you back?¡± Heidi asked, observing the captain¡¯s expression with a gentle voice.


    ¡°No need, I know the way,¡± Lawrence¡¯s mood was a bit downcast, but soon showed resignation, shaking his head, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to stay and have someone to talk to; those novice monks are actually quite interesting to chat with¡­¡±


    He turned and walked towards the church¡¯s grand entrance alone, with two guards waiting to escort the old captain back to the place of isolation.


    However, just as he was about to enter through the grand doorway, Heidi¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, as a Psychologist, I must give you sincere advice¨Cit¡¯s about time you retired, the Endless Sea is not good for your mental health.¡±


    Lawrence did not respond vocally, simply waving his hand from afar to show he had heard, then his figure slowly disappeared into the towering, solemn doors.


    The square was left with only Heidi carrying her medical chest and a guard clad in a black long coat.


    The guard looked towards the old captain with a hint of respect in his eyes.


    Then the guard turned his head, looking at the Psychologist beside him, ¡°Miss Heidi, do you know what happened exactly?¡±


    Heidi rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re with the church and you don¡¯t know, how would I, a ¡®consultant from outside¡¯ sent by the City Hall, know?¡±


    ¡°But you and His Excellency the Judge¡­¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me anything, and since yesterday, I haven¡¯t even seen her face,¡± Heidi shook her head, then curiously glanced at the guardian warrior in front of her, ¡°though I heard she suddenly issued a bunch of investigation tasks? This morning, a team of clerical priests even ran to the city hall to borrow archives¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, a whole bunch of investigation tasks,¡± the guardian sighed, ¡°Borrowing archives, visiting communities, checking a load of old accounts, and even setting up checkpoints at the harbor to monitor twelve French fries vendors¡­¡±


    Heidi: ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°So now even we are guessing what on earth has happened,¡± the guardian sighed and looked up at the gloomy sky, ¡°Tsk, this damn weather.¡±


    ¡­


    Morris sat at his desk, his fingers gently brushing over the rough edge of a thick tome, as his thoughts slowly calmed down until he could hear his own heartbeat clearly.


    He lowered his head, slowly opened Rahm¡¯s Scripture in front of him, skillfully turned to the chapters about psychical protection and wisdom discernment, and silently recited the admonitions inside.


    After completing the most basic self-suggestion and mental reinforcement, he stood up, lit the candles and incense on the desk in sequence, and dripped extracted essential oil into three bunches of candle flames.


    In the suddenly rising flames, he watched his reflection in the mirror before the ritual altar, his face showing a somewhat self-mocking smile.


    ¡°I really have gotten old¡­ Luckily, I can still perform these ritual details precisely.¡±


    The crackling sound of the candles gradually grew faint, and the smoke from the incense formed a lingering cloud above the mirror, which obscured the old man¡¯s view, making it difficult for him to see his own reflection clearly. At this point, the protection of his mind and the blessing from the God of Wisdom Rahm were fulfilled.


    ¡°I have strayed from you for eleven years¡­ You are still willing to look after me,¡± Morris sighed softly as the ritual completed so smoothly, ¡°Do you still have any expectations of me¡­¡±


    The room remained silent, of course, the God of Wisdom wouldn¡¯t just appear, but Morris still listened carefully, as if he could hear the divine charges in the silence, his expression gradually becoming serene as he opened a drawer next to him.


    A bracelet strung with brightly colored stones lay quietly in the drawer, there were twelve stones in total.


    Morris hesitated for a moment, then picked up the bracelet and wore it.


    In that instant, he felt a clarity in his mind, as if a veil that had covered him for years was suddenly lifted, then he took another look at the layer of smoke still gathered in front of the mirror and finally made up his mind, pushed open the door, and left the room.


    Heidi was not at home, and the empty mansion seemed extraordinarily quiet.


    The bedroom he shared with his wife was not far to the left, the door ajar, dim and silent within.


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    Morris touched the stone bracelet on his wrist, daring not to cast his gaze toward the ajar door, and hurried down the hallway as if fleeing, then passed through the living room, walked out the front door, started the car parked in the courtyard, and drove toward the Lower City District.


    At the same time, a white dove quickly flew over the low, old buildings of the Lower City District.


    Unnoticed, the dove flew through the second-floor window of Duncan¡¯s Antique Shop, and moments later, a faint green flame flashed behind the window.


    Duncan emerged from the flames, glanced at the terrible weather outside, then looked at the clock hanging on the nearby wall¨Cthere was still a short time before Nina would return home from school.


    He went downstairs, opened the shop door, moved a chair out, and just sat there at the doorway, his expression serene as he watched the street ahead, silently pondering.

 Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Chapter 176: Warm Family

    Chapter 172: Chapter 176: Warm Family


    Nina appeared in Duncan¡¯s line of sight¨Cthe girl was trotting all the way, a pleasant smile on her face, and as soon as she saw her uncle sitting at the door of the antique shop in a daze, she picked up her pace and raised her hand to wave, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Duncan was jolted out of his reverie, and he set his thoughts aside for the moment, rising to greet his ¡°niece.¡± Seeing the girl out of breath, he paused slightly and knitted his brows, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you money for the bus? Why did you run back after school?¡±


    After stopping in front of Duncan and catching her breath, Nina scratched her head with a bit of embarrassment and then reached into her backpack, searching for something. After a long while, she produced a small paper packet and handed it over, ¡°I¡­ on my way back, I passed by Dr. Albert¡¯s clinic¡­¡±


    Duncan took the packet and felt it, realizing it contained a few pills.


    ¡°Dr. Albert said that using alcohol for pain relief, though your health has improved and you¡¯ve successfully quit drinking, quitting alcohol forcefully can cause adverse reactions in someone who¡¯s been drinking for a long time,¡± Nina explained in a low voice, ¡°This is medicine to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. You can take one if you feel unwell¡­ Also, Dr. Albert said if your health hasn¡¯t worsened recently, you can completely stop the medication you were on before. But he still suggests you visit his clinic for a thorough examination when you have time¡­¡±


    Duncan silently listened to Nina¡¯s soft, even somewhat cautious explanation without speaking for a long time. Only after she finished did he silently tuck the small packet of pills carefully close to his body.


    Then he reached out and placed his hand on Nina¡¯s hair, gently ruffling it.


    ¡°Uncle?¡± Nina looked up with a hint of confusion, only to see Duncan¡¯s face bearing an indescribable seriousness, even a touch of worry. This made her sensitive mind suddenly uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling ill? Or¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Duncan suddenly smiled, bending down slightly to look into Nina¡¯s eyes, ¡°but from now on, don¡¯t use your bus fare to buy me medicine¨Cthere¡¯s no shortage of money at home, you can carry more pocket money on you¡­ and ask me for more if it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Nina looked at Duncan somewhat blankly, feeling that her uncle had suddenly become a bit odd without being able to pinpoint exactly what was amiss. It took her quite a while before she hesitantly nodded, ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡±


    Then, after thinking a bit, she peeked into the shop, her face revealing a look of anticipation mixed with hesitation, ¡°Uncle, about that¡­ you said you¡¯d teach me to ride a bike after school¡­¡±


    ¡°The weather isn¡¯t good right now,¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°it might rain.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just at the entrance,¡± Nina whispered eagerly, clutching Duncan¡¯s arm, ¡°if it rains, we can immediately go back¡­¡±


    Duncan laughed and nodded helplessly, ¡°Alright, put your backpack away, and I¡¯ll teach you to ride a bike¨Cbut only for a little while, dinner isn¡¯t made yet.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Nina let out a small cheer and then ran into the antique shop like charging forward, tossing her backpack onto the counter, and pushing out a brand-new bike. Her pushing was clumsy, and she struggled by the doorway for a while before she finally managed to get the bike to Duncan.


    ¡°¡­Actually, I think you need to learn how to push a bike from scratch,¡± Duncan sighed amusedly at Nina¡¯s awkward movements, then moved forward to steady the handlebars, ¡°but seeing how eager you are, get on first¨CI¡¯ll hold the bike for you, so you can get a feel for pedaling and balancing while moving.¡±


    Nina nodded obediently and, once Duncan steadied the bike, grabbed the handlebars tightly and clambered onto the seat, emphasizing anxiously as she exerted effort, ¡°You must hold it steady, uncle! Don¡¯t let go, please!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, just trust me¡­¡±


    A briny, cool breeze swept through the antiquated streets of the Lower City District, lifting leaves and dust among the dilapidated buildings, with dark clouds hanging low. The impending rain seemed indecisive, lingering in the sky without falling to earth for a long time.


    In front of the antique shop, on a small open ground, rose the girl¡¯s excited and nervous exclamations, the intermittent ringing of the bike bell, and Duncan¡¯s occasional guidance and teasing.


    A classic black sedan stopped on open ground near the antique shop, and an old man in an old-fashioned scholar¡¯s wool coat, holding a cane and wearing a low bowler hat, pushed open the car door and looked up toward the direction of the antique shop.


    Morris saw the familiar, old-fashioned store, as well as the uncle and niece practicing cycling in the open space in front.


    The common street scene of the Lower City District, warm and ordinary family routine; everything looked so normal, and even under the melancholy street scene with the low clouds and chill autumn winds, the scene not far away appeared exceptionally warm and peaceful.


    Yet Heidi had spent only half a day in the antique shop and exhausted one of the protections of God of Wisdom Rahm¨Cand that was with the protection of a Deep Sea Judge.


    And after the incident, neither Heidi herself nor Judge Fenna had detected any abnormalities.


    Morris took a breath, and despite the normalcy of the scene, his heart began to beat faster.


    He then bit his lip and refrained from rashly greeting the uncle and nephew in front of the antique shop. Instead, he decided to first complete his observation of the shop¨Cif possible, he really didn¡¯t want to involve unrelated people in Transcendent events.


    The old man fumbled in his coat pocket and pulled out a monocle with a thin gold chain. The delicate chain was clipped to the inside of the pocket on one end, and connected to the frame on the other. The frame was engraved with the name of the God of Wisdom Rahm in ancient Cretan script, along with numerous Holy Symbols. Within the transparent lens, a faint light seemed to shimmer.


    ¡°May wisdom grant me the eye of insight, enlighten my mind, let me see the truth, and penetrate the fog¡­¡±


    Morris whispered a few words of prayer and then placed the monocle over his eye. He then turned his gaze towards the antique shop and ¡°opened¡± his eye that he had sealed voluntarily eleven years ago¡­


    Morris blinked, lowering his gaze to the monocle in his hand, seeing Rahm¡¯s name and the numerous Holy Symbols inscribed upon the frame. Within the transparent lens, a faint light shimmered.


    ¡°May wisdom grant me the eye of insight¡­¡±


    He whispered a few words of prayer, put the monocle over his eye, and raised his head¡­


    Morris blinked, lowering his gaze to the monocle in his hand.


    A sudden cold breeze swept across from the other side of the street, carrying with it a deep murmur. The old scholar abruptly stopped the action he was about to continue, then suddenly lifted his right wrist.


    A bracelet strung with colorful stones and silk thread adorned his wrist, bearing eight stones.


    The chilly wind blew, carrying with it roadside leaves and the cold of deep autumn. The sounds in Morris¡¯s ears seemed to fade away, the hustle and bustle of the street and the distant church bells all seemed as if coming from another world. He heard only his own heart pounding, the sound of his blood pulsing like thunder, and amidst this heartbeat, only the sound from one direction remained clear¨C


    A girl¡¯s voice, cheerful yet a bit anxious, ¡°Uncle, hold on tight! Ah, it¡¯s tilting¡­ the bike is going to fall!¡±


    A middle-aged man¡¯s voice, warm and gentle, with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve got it, it won¡¯t fall¨Cyou just straighten the handlebar¡­ keep pedaling forward, that¡¯s how it is with bicycles, as long as you pedal and hold the handlebar straight, you won¡¯t fall.¡±


    ¡°You have to hold on tight! I¡¯m going forward now!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m right behind you.¡±


    Morris suddenly heard another sound. It was the creaking of bones and joints, and with this sound, his field of vision before his eyes began to shift and turn slightly¨Che took a second to think, and finally realized what was happening.


    He was slowly turning his head, shifting his gaze from the antique shop to the open space in front of the shop door.


    A strong sense of warning surged from his soul. The bracelet, still with eight stones, emitted a low strange moan as if sobbing. Each stone turned searing hot, as if desperately trying to pull a drowning man out of the water, straining against his reason in vain. Morris was still capable of thought; he knew the blessings he had cast upon himself before setting off had been activated and were taking effect, but that was all the thinking he could manage¨Chis neck kept turning, his sight involuntarily focusing on the most dangerous direction.


    Close your eyes! Close your eyes! Close your eyes!


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    Innumerable voices exploded in his mind, yet Morris¡¯s reason could not move his muscles to complete even this simplest of actions. His head turned slowly, and then at last, with his blessed eyes ¡°open,¡± he saw the direction from where the sounds were coming.


    He saw a frenzied, writhing vortex of light and shadow, a mirror that seemed to simultaneously reflect all times and spaces, crushed into fragments. These fragments melded together, forming a barely human silhouette, a giant strewn with starlight on its surface, hunched over carefully¡­


    Assisting with the upsurge of an arcing blaze.


    The world exploded in Morris¡¯s mind, then all went quiet.


    (Time for book recommendation: this time from Bahrun, ¡°The World Doesn¡¯t Need a Succubus to Save It,¡± still by a friend and reader, a fantasy-style light novel with a million words. The main character is a half-succubus male, worth checking out for those interested.)

 Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Chapter 177 Madness Threshold

    Chapter 173: Chapter 177 Madness Threshold


    After a thunderous boom, the world went quiet.


    Maurice felt his consciousness drifting, seemingly completely detached from his shell. He didn¡¯t know where he was, what year it was, and, for an instant¨Cor possibly for a long stretch of years¨Che even forgot his own name. He simply floated, mindlessly, in an abyss of chaos and nothingness, surrounded by incomprehensible streams of light and shadow and a silence as deep as death.


    It took Maurice an excruciatingly long time to piece back together his shattered thoughts and mend the incomplete humanity within him¨C


    He remembered now. His name was Maurice, resident of the Plunder City-State, a historian by trade. Today, he was to visit an antique shop in the Lower City District to discern what nearly claimed his daughter¡¯s life.


    He figured it out.


    It was the warm family of Subspace.


    Countless roars and ear-splitting noises like the earth tearing apart finally erupted again in the void of quiet chaos, things he could now perceive, almost shattering his newly coalesced humanity once more. However, just before total obliteration could occur, he ¡°saw¡± a cloud of chaotic nothingness suddenly converge from all directions, enveloping all his senses.


    This ¡°smoke¡± shielded his mind, isolating him from the surrounding noise and the erratic flow of light and shadows with a protection called ¡°Ignorance and Dullness.¡± Once again capable of thought, Maurice peered through that smoke and noted that he could no longer discern the maddening knowledge and truths. Deep within the endless fog, only a twinkling light captivated his attention.


    It was a glow made of many large and small light sources, with a red light at the center the size of a human head, surrounded by dozens of blue, green, and red specks, flickering rapidly in a pattern that seemed random yet contained some sort of¡­ ¡°reason.¡±


    Amidst the myriad streams of light and shadow, these methodically twinkling lights became the anchor that completely stabilized Maurice¡¯s mind. After a moment of shock, he realized what the flickering lights were¨C


    He was facing the God of Wisdom, Rahm.


    In every university and laboratory of the Academy of Truth, depictions of Rahm were present, and Rahm¡¯s Scripture also contained corresponding verses¨Cthis deity, who held both wisdom and foolishness, bore no human form, hiding in the mist, occasionally revealing an outline that was a plane dotted with lights, with dozens of points circling a round glow.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Maurice jolted to attention, quickly paying homage to the matrix of lights that had sheltered him, ¡°Are You guiding me?¡±


    However, those flickering ¡°lamps¡± didn¡¯t respond to the old scholar, only emitting a vague, deep tremor. After some time passed, Maurice finally heard Rahm¡¯s ¡°voice¡± in the recesses of his mind¨C


    ¡°Return, touch, understand, convey¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Maurice looked at the cluster of lights, perplexed. He couldn¡¯t comprehend Rahm¡¯s intentions, but the elusive God of Wisdom didn¡¯t grant him the opportunity to inquire further¨Cwithin the next second, a strong rejection surged, and in an instant, Maurice was ¡°ejected¡± from this chaotic and terrifying place.


    His body wobbled, his brain seething like boiling liquid, as the mundane world¡¯s information flooded his senses¨Cthe cacophony of traffic on the streets, the distant tolling of bells, the chill wind, the clear ring of a bicycle bell.


    Then came the rapidly approaching footsteps, the concerned voice of a girl¨Cvery familiar, it was his ¡°student.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Maurice?! What brought you here¡­ Are you alright?¡±


    Maurice, in a daze, looked up to see Nina standing before him, but in the next second, the girl in front of him transformed into a blaze of arcing flames, its surroundings engulfed in ashes that seemed to cover the entire City-State¨Cthen morphed back into human form.


    His gaze rigidly shifted to the side, spotting a giant shimmering with starlight looming over him. The giant¡¯s interior swarmed with maddening light and shadow, yet this giant suddenly turned into a middle-aged man with a familiar face, looking down at him with concern, his eyes filled with the shadows of Subspace.


    The distant streets trembled, the ground beneath his feet writhed, the storefronts¡¯ windows and doors went from normal to void-like black caverns, the sky hung down askew, cascading flames and amorphous limbs flickered in and out of the clouds; a passerby on a bicycle rushed past nearby, his body momentarily transforming into fragmented concrete before returning to normal.


    Maurice struggled to lower his gaze to his wrist.


    On it was a bracelet strung with colorful stones, four in total.


    But the stones didn¡¯t continue to crumble, nor did his sanity slide any further towards madness. The world in his eyes was severely distorted, yet his ability to think and judge had recovered¡­ at least partly.


    The old scholar swiftly discerned his current state¨Cunder the protection of Rahm, he had attained a temporary balance known as the ¡°Madness Threshold.¡±


    He had gone mad¨Cyet the god allowed his madness to assume the guise of sanity.


    Perhaps he could recover, but he must find a way to do so before Rahm¡¯s protection ended, before all the pebbles shattered; otherwise, the temporary Madness Threshold might collapse at any moment, and no one would be able to rescue his sanity from the frenzy.


    As Morris pondered slowly and with difficulty, Nina and Duncan were also looking with concern at the old man, whose state was clearly askew.


    They had been practicing cycling when they suddenly saw Morris standing on the empty ground next to them. Nina had intended to run over to greet him but realized halfway that something was wrong with the old man¡¯s expression.


    Blank, hazy, unresponsive to the world around him, he looked as though he was standing asleep with his eyes open.


    ¡°Could it be sudden dementia?¡± Duncan muttered, waving his hand in front of Morris¡¯s face, then turned to look at Nina, ¡°Has your teacher been like this at the Academy these past few days?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Nina shook her head, supporting the old man¡¯s arm as she spoke, ¡°The teacher has always been in good health; how could he suddenly become demented!¡±


    ¡°People of advanced age are unpredictable,¡± Duncan said, taking the other arm of Morris and then glancing up at the sky, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk here any longer, looks like it¡¯s about to rain; let¡¯s get the old man inside first.¡±


    ¡°Nina responded with a sound of understanding and together with Duncan, they supported the bewildered Morris into the shop. She then ran back to the open space outside, moving the bicycle indoors.


    Duncan eased Morris down on a chair beside the counter. At this moment, it seemed as though the old man regained a bit of his ability to think. He sat down with a rigid expression, his head slowly turning left and right until his gaze finally settled on Duncan.


    ¡°Return, touch, understand, transmit¡­¡±


    Rahm¡¯s voice resonated abruptly in his mind.


    The vestiges of Morris¡¯s sanity seemed to grasp these few words.


    Was this the will of the God of Wisdom? To continue contact with this¡­ ¡°entity¡± in front of him?


    In Morris¡¯s eyes, Duncan momentarily stabilized into a human shape. Although all the scenery around him continued to tremble and warp, at least he could not see the true form of the stellar giant for the moment, and reason was gradually gaining the upper hand.


    Morris had realized that this ordinary-looking ¡°antique shop owner¡± definitely should not exist in the real world.


    And even his ¡°student,¡± the girl who always smiled gently, eternally sunny and optimistic, was not a normal human being.


    To keep staying here, to keep interacting with this ¡°family¡± meant he might soon surpass the balance point of the Madness Threshold and slide into the abyss of permanent madness.


    Yet the voice of the God of Wisdom seemed to take root in his mind, compelling him to sit motionless. Meanwhile, a more audacious thought began to gradually fill his heart.


    In the ¡°Madness Threshold¡± under divine protection, even if his sanity veered toward lunacy, it would not completely lose control. As long as he didn¡¯t cross that critical point, he could even confront the Subspace while maintaining his self, preserving his humanity¡­


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    It was said that the greatest yet maddest seekers of knowledge in the Cretan Kingdom would actively use this, and after a lifetime¡¯s preparation, they would embrace the ¡°Madness Threshold¡± through potions and rituals. In the sole opportunity of their lives, they would peer into the truths of Subspace and bring precious knowledge back to the human world, then nobly accept death.


    Now, it seemed he stood on the same ¡°battlefield¡± where those sages of the Cretan era once stood.


    Slowly, a change came over the old gentleman¡¯s blank and stiff face. He began to smile, his cloudy eyes looking at Duncan, and he spoke slowly, ¡°Good day, Mr. Duncan.¡±


    Duncan looked at the changes in the old man¡¯s expression and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.


    This old man¡­ why does his smile suddenly seem so terrifying?

 Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Chapter 178: Friendly

    Chapter 174: Chapter 178: Friendly


    Duncan cautiously observed the old man¡¯s expression before him. The eerie feeling had not dissipated since it had begun, and he could clearly tell that there was something off about Morris¡¯s current state. Unfortunately, he was not a doctor.


    ¡°Should I look for a doctor?¡± he asked with concern. ¡°How are you feeling now? Do you have dizziness or nausea, or perhaps you feel mentally absent?¡±


    Morris rubbed his forehead.


    In his ears, Duncan¡¯s voice seemed to mingle with a thousand overlapping screeches, and alongside the sound waves entering his ears came dazzling, colorful ¡°information¡± which seemed filled with knowledge incomprehensible to humans. Each moment tested his mind, but even on the brink of the Madness Threshold, he managed to maintain his sanity and slowly shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just need a little rest¡­¡±


    This being before him, whose true nature he did not know, had shown him concern. However, Morris dared not ponder what the ¡°true situation¡± under this facade of care might be. Perhaps a thousand eyes were watching him, or swarms of wriggling teeth and tongues? Were those caring words whispers from Subspace, or howls from the Mysterious Deep Sea? He thanked God Rahm for this moment of foolishness, sparing him from overly focusing on that truth.


    He simply tried to respond normally, on a human level.


    Meanwhile, he attempted to actively shut down the ¡°Eye of Truth¡± he had opened upon alighting from the car¨Ca divinely endowed ability that followers of the God of Wisdom beckon when exploring the world. However, it seemed now¡­ its cost was indeed worthy of the dangers bestowed by the four gods.


    He failed. The Eye of Truth had opened and could not be closed in a short time¨Cand what use would closing it be? His mind, sinking into Madness Threshold, wouldn¡¯t simply recover upon closing his eyes¡­


    Morris thought sluggishly, pausing a while before slowly beginning, ¡°I¡­ just came to say thanks¡­ Oh yes, thanks¨C for my daughter, once again I thank you for your help in the museum, she asked me¡­¡±


    He suddenly stumbled, hesitating for several seconds before continuing, ¡°She asked me to bring a letter over, it¡¯s in my pocket.¡±


    The old man groped, taking out a carefully sealed envelope from his pocket and handing it to Duncan who opened it in front of him. It contained a report on Nina¡¯s physical and mental health along with ¡°doctor¡¯s recommendations.¡±


    This was a summary Heidi had made after hypnotically treating Nina last time; she had mentioned her intention to send a letter specifically about it, which Duncan remembered.


    ¡°No need for so much courtesy. At that time, stepping in to help was my instinctive reaction,¡± Duncan put away the letter, earnestly speaking to Morris, ¡°Also, please thank Miss Heidi for me¨CNina¡¯s been much better since the hypnosis session, and she hasn¡¯t had those strange dreams these days.¡±


    Morris nodded, pressing his temples with his fingers, guiding himself to not stare into Duncan¡¯s eyes while forming his words, ¡°And how have you been these days?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m doing well,¡± Duncan felt a bit perplexed, thinking the way the old man started the conversation was odd, ¡°Healthy, spirited, good spirits¨Cjust that today¡¯s awful weather is a bit depressing, nothing else is wrong.¡±


    Weather?


    Could this minor change in weather really make an Evil God feel ¡°depressed¡±¨Cwas this the latest joke in Subspace?


    Morris felt a bit better than before and even found himself inwardly murmuring to these words from Duncan. Meanwhile, he heard Nina¡¯s voice not far away, ¡°Uncle! I¡¯ve parked the bike and closed the shop door! The wind is getting stronger¡­ How is Mr. Morris doing?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s much better, but he didn¡¯t tell me about any discomfort just now,¡± Duncan looked back at Nina approaching, ¡°Maybe later you can stay with the old man, and I¡¯ll send an ¡®express message¡¯ or a telegram to Miss Heidi to come over¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m fine,¡± Morris suddenly raised his voice, waving his hands urgently before Duncan could finish, ¡°Don¡¯t make her come over, it¡¯s just an old problem, I just need to rest for a while.¡±


    Duncan was startled by the old man¡¯s sudden intense reaction, and after surveying Morris and confirming his condition and demeanor, he nodded, ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t go. Nina, go upstairs and make some soup, a warm meal might make Mr. Morris feel better.¡±


    Nina blinked, slightly confused as she scanned between Duncan and Morris, feeling an odd atmosphere but soon nodded obediently, ¡°Oh!¡±


    The girl cheerfully ran up the stairs, her footsteps gradually fading away.


    And as Nina left, Morris also felt a slight decrease in his mental pressure¨Calthough compared to the immense pressure brought by Duncan, this relief was almost negligible. Yet, he still sighed in relief.


    Subsequently, the elderly man who deals with history daily paused for a moment, then cautiously chose his words before saying, ¡°Was my behavior just now inappropriate?¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes remained focused on Maurice¡¯s changes. Initially, he found the other¡¯s words and deeds peculiar today, but gradually, he seemed to discern a familiar ¡°feeling¡± from the old man¡¯s reaction. While recalling where this sense of familiarity came from, he casually replied, ¡°It was indeed strange, so what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Maurice fell silent for two or three seconds before he spoke again, his voice low and cautious, ¡°My profession often deals with history and knowledge, which makes my mind occasionally quite sensitive.¡±


    He was just trying to probe, to see what the attitude of this ¡°Subspace existence,¡± who always appeared amicable and hadn¡¯t caused any trouble here, was really like.


    Upon hearing this meaningful statement, Duncan immediately furrowed his brows; suddenly, he knew what that familiar feeling was about!


    Maurice¡¯s strange reaction had also occurred in another familiar ¡°person¡±¡­ A Dog!


    The Abyssal Hound beside Sherry, that Profound Demon with the special ¡°True Sight¡±! A Dog was similarly terrified and anxious when it saw him¨Cbecause it could see some ¡°true circumstances¡± beneath his human exterior. However, the difference is that A Dog is a Profound Demon with a very high resistance to corruption, whereas Maurice is a fragile human, making the latter¡¯s reaction more intense, which means¡­


    Duncan faintly guessed the truth and immediately looked up into Maurice¡¯s eyes, ¡°You saw something you shouldn¡¯t have, right?¡±


    Maurice gently inhaled a breath of cold air.


    But the next second, the anticipated apocalypse did not descend¨Cquite the contrary, he felt the mental strain he was enduring quickly diminishing, even to the extent that he could bear it as a human without the protection of Rahm!


    Without a sound, Duncan transferred his ¡°main consciousness¡± to the Homeloss, controlling the antique shop¡¯s shell through ¡°remote¡± techniques used only within the Spirit Realm.


    Through the practice over this period, he could still command the distant body and sense its surroundings, even while remotely controlling it; the only effect was that the power he could employ was somewhat weaker¨Cbut there were no enemies here anyway.


    He wanted to see if this could make Maurice feel a bit better.


    ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    Duncan¡¯s deep, gentle voice arose from the side, startling Maurice back to awareness.


    The elderly man quickly looked up and saw Duncan¡¯s stable, clear, and harmless human form, while, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that the surroundings had also stabilized.


    The chaotic lights and shadows had disappeared, the noise was gradually subsiding, and the torn houses, flowing flames, and wriggling, distorted dark entities had all vanished from view¨Chis mental state was rapidly recovering, and the dangerously close Madness Threshold showed signs of improvement.


    He looked incredulously at Duncan, who then nodded apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I hadn¡¯t expected a human to have such a ¡®keen eye¡¯¨CI¡¯ve only ever scared a Profound Demon before, but their nerves are much tougher than humans¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am much better,¡± Maurice swallowed, finding recovery not particularly pleasant as he could feel his heart beating as if it would burst, but nonetheless, it did restore most of his cognitive abilities¨Cand allowed him to extract useful information from Duncan¡¯s words, ¡°I¡­ Ah, I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d see your true form, I¡¯ve become too complacent in life away from my faith over the years¡­¡±


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    Duncan paid no mind to Maurice¡¯s mutterings.


    He was thinking rapidly, considering how to resolve the situation at hand.


    After all, this great historian was no A Dog¡­ While the latter could be frightened into compliance, such brusque tactics would not work with the old gentleman.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± he suddenly said amid his thoughts, ¡°why can you see?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Maurice opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then honestly confessed, ¡°I am a follower of Rahm, the God of Wisdom.¡±

 Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Chapter 179: One Should Have Some Self-Awareness

    Chapter 175: Chapter 179: One Should Have Some Self-Awareness


    Duncan recalled the content he had seen in books.


    The God of Wisdom Rahm, one of the four gods who sheltered the world during the Mysterious Deep Sea era, held two contradictory powers just like the Storm Goddess and the Master of Death¨Che was the giver of wisdom but also bore the holy names of ¡°The God of Foolishness¡± or ¡°Gospel of Dullness.¡±


    The number of Believers following this deity was small, and they often required stringent tests before they were allowed to convert, but once they successfully took refuge in this god, Believers would receive two types of blessings.


    The first was wisdom, allowing mortals to perceive the truth, grasp knowledge, more easily understand the operation of all things, and discern realities that might interfere with their fate.


    The second was dullness, which could erect a barrier called ¡°ignorance,¡± keeping people away from truths that were too premature, away from the pollution and temptation of Subspace¨Cin this dangerously enveloping world, the dull were the most blissful and fortunate.


    Clearly, during the Mysterious Deep Sea era¨Cwhere abnormalities and otherworldly manifestations abounded, madness lay beneath the deep sea, and ominous clouds crowded the surface¨Cthe significance of the two blessings bestowed by Rahm was profound¨Calthough there were few Believers of the God of Wisdom, they were without exception the elite of civilization.


    Sounds of Nina bustling in the kitchen above and the gradually decreasing noise of horses and carriages on the street outside could be heard, making the ground floor of the antiques store seem exceptionally comfortable and quiet amidst these everyday sounds.


    Duncan sat behind the counter, fingers of both hands interlaced on the surface, thoughtfully sizing up Mr. Morris.


    The blessing of the God of Wisdom was a good thing, but evidently, His followers, due to their professional habits and the instinctive pursuit of knowledge, faced even greater dangers in their everyday lives.


    Even gods couldn¡¯t stop a wipe-triggering output¨Cif this old gentleman, a historical researcher, were in another script, he likely would have grown tentacles a foot long by now.


    By that point, Duncan had already realized what was happening. He was somewhat confident about his own special nature, but at this moment, he was more curious than anything, ¡°Can all Believers of the God of Wisdom see through my situation like you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid only those who are the most outstanding and most favored by the God of Wisdom can¡­¡± Morris rubbed his head, the sound of Duncan¡¯s voice still mixed with some piercing noise to his ears, but fortunately, most of it was already comprehensible to humans, ¡°You might find it ironic¡­ but most Believers of Rahm aren¡¯t actually qualified¡­ to have their minds taken by you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you are especially blessed,¡± Duncan muttered with a slightly odd expression, especially when he said the word ¡°blessed,¡± which felt awkward no matter how he thought about it, ¡°Your place¡¯s ¡®blessings¡¯ are really fatal¡­ Wait a second, why weren¡¯t you affected last time you came?¡±


    Morris was somewhat surprised, unsure whether Duncan truly didn¡¯t know or was maliciously pretending to be an ignorant mortal, but under the current circumstances, he dared not let his thoughts wander and could only concentrate as he answered, ¡°Even Believers blessed by Rahm aren¡¯t always using the ¡®Eye of Truth.¡¯ Last time I came, I didn¡¯t use any Divine Power, but this time¡­¡±


    The old man gave a wry smile and raised his hand to point at his eye¨Cthe monocle previously used to enhance the ritual¡¯s effect had been removed, yet one of his eyes still shimmered with a faint white light; a floating halo could also be seen between the sclera and the pupil, which was quite distinguishable when looked at closely.


    Duncan was curious, ¡°¡­So you can¡¯t terminate this effect now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve tried, to no avail,¡± Morris shook his head, ¡°And even if I succeeded, it would not make much difference. I have already seen¡­ your form.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t want this,¡± Duncan felt a bit guilty, ¡°Will you recover after you go back, or will you need some special Treatment?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Morris opened his mouth, feeling especially strange. In his earlier years, he had imagined whether his constant study of history might cause him to establish a connection with some eerie and dangerous entity, and what a terrifying face-to-face encounter with an entity from Mysterious Deep Sea or Subspace would be like, yet he never expected this situation¨C


    He truly saw a madness-inducing Subspace Shadow, and this ¡°Shadow¡± was polite, even cordially concerned about a human who was frightened by ¡°It.¡±


    But the concern from a being from Subspace¡­ was it really the kind of concern that humans could understand?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the old man finally shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m much better now. After you withdrew your¡­ presence, I think I should be alright.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Seems like I¡¯ll have to be careful when I move around the City-State in the future¨Cthere are individuals like you with keen eyes among the humans, and that¡¯s a troublesome matter,¡± Duncan nodded, then asked with some curiosity, ¡°So to speak, you didn¡¯t come today just to ¡®have a look¡¯ by passing by¨Cwhy did you open your ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯ outside the antique store, what were you looking for?¡±


    A pang of alarm struck Morris¡¯s heart.


    He met Duncan¡¯s gaze, and all he saw was an ordinary middle-aged face with a touch of curiosity and concern. However, around this face, in between the shelves behind him, those trembling, distorted things began to emerge little by little.


    Not until Duncan¡¯s voice suddenly rose again did the distortions in Maurice¡¯s vision once again restore to their original state.


    ¡°You¡¯re hesitating, you have concerns, you don¡¯t want to answer this question,¡± Duncan read the emotions in the old gentleman¡¯s eyes, while his own heart began to form an answer, ¡°Does it have something to do with Miss Heidi?¡±


    ¡°How did you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Heidi is a spiritual therapist, and it seems she¡¯s also a believer of Rahm¨Cthough she doesn¡¯t seem as ¡®seasoned¡¯ as you,¡± Duncan replied indifferently, ¡°Now that I think about it, she seemed a bit off when she left with Miss Fenna last time¡­ Considering your reaction to my question just now, it¡¯s not hard to make the connection.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, as you said,¡± Maurice sighed, knowing he could no longer hide the truth, ¡°After Heidi returned, I discovered a layer of her mental protection had been breached. At the time, I thought it was due to something dangerous in this antiquity store; I hadn¡¯t expected¡­¡±


    He sighed again, looking across at Duncan.


    But Duncan was already frowning.


    Heidi¡­ That young spiritual therapist had only performed a hypnosis treatment on Nina in the antiquity store, and her mental protection was breached?


    He had no knowledge of this incident¨CHeidi herself didn¡¯t seem to have noticed at the time!


    Maurice looked uneasily at the middle-aged man across the counter, who seemed lost in thought. Not daring to intrude with questions, he took advantage of the brief silence to control his own thoughts, repairing the damage to his mind, while sneakily glancing at the pebble bracelet on his wrist.


    There were still four colored pebbles.


    The protection from Rahm was very calm.


    Finally, he let out a slight sigh of relief, and at that moment, Duncan finally lifted his head from his contemplation.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know anything, does she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Heidi doesn¡¯t know anything,¡± Maurice quickly responded, his mind clear as usual when it came to matters involving his daughter, ¡°She didn¡¯t even realize her protection had been damaged, let alone knowing why I came here today¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t bother her. I just want to express my apologies to you,¡± Duncan said politely, ¡°Consider it a repayment for the help you offered at the museum that time.¡±


    At this point, he paused, and a question sparked his curiosity, ¡°Could you describe in detail what you saw just now¨Cif it¡¯s not too much trouble?¡±


    Maurice didn¡¯t respond immediately, so Duncan explained, ¡°I¡¯m very curious to know how I appear in the eyes of different ¡®Observers¡¯¨Ca mirror can¡¯t resolve this.¡±


    Duncan was genuinely curious about this matter, and understanding his ¡°true form¡± as seen by others might even help him to master his special powers and unravel the mysteries of his being more quickly.


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    Maurice hesitated for a moment, the non-human horror he had seen at the door of the antique store flashed through his mind once more, even unsettling his recently calmed mind. Yet under Duncan¡¯s intense gaze, he eventually swallowed and began to speak in a low voice:


    ¡°I¡­ saw you as a giant filled with chaotic light streams, draped in starlight, standing on a twisted, bizarre street. You were supporting Nina¨Cshe was an arc of flame erupting violently¡­¡±


    Duncan had been nodding slowly while listening to the first part, thinking that his image indeed matched his reputation in the Endless Sea. But upon hearing the latter part, his eyes suddenly bulged, and he nearly choked, ¡°Cough¡­ cough cough¡­ What did you say? What is Nina in your eyes?!¡±


    Startled, Maurice responded without thinking much, ¡°An¡­ an arc of flame erupting violently¡­ Is there a problem?¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Chapter 180: Historians Speak of History

    Chapter 176: Chapter 180: Historians Speak of History


    What¡¯s the problem? This is a huge problem!!


    Duncan stared at the old man before him, and quickly realized that Maurice did not understand what the jetting flame stream he saw meant¨Cthis scholar did not know about the Sun Shard, and he very likely mistook Nina for another ¡°Transcendent being,¡± such as Duncan¡¯s own follower, or something else that had escaped from Subspace.


    Indeed, that¡¯s what Maurice thought. The moment he saw the jetting flame stream, he regarded his ¡°student¡± as a being similar to Duncan. As to why this ¡°Subspace family¡± looked like a giant in one instance and like a flame in another, he didn¡¯t think too deeply about it¨CSubspace oddities were the norm, after all, and that place wasn¡¯t known to have any living people; the big shots could look however they wanted¡­


    However, now that he saw Duncan¡¯s reaction, Maurice finally started to vaguely realize that the situation might be different from what he had guessed.


    ¡°Nina, she¡­¡± The old man hesitated to speak. After experiencing that kind of fear and shock just now, he actually felt a trace of worry¨Cworry for his student.


    He even found this concern a bit laughable because that jetting flame stream¡­ whatever it was, clearly seemed powerful beyond belief. Such a powerful entity could not possibly still be his fragile and ordinary student.


    Duncan shook his head.


    ¡°Nina is different from me¨Cshe¡¯s a normal person, always has been,¡± he said slowly, his expression very serious, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know that there¡¯s anything special about her. As for the flame stream you mentioned¡­ that might be ¡®something else.''¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t quite understand.¡±


    Duncan looked at Maurice for a while before deciding not to bring up the Sun Shard directly. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject, ¡°Do you know about the so-called ¡®True Sun God¡¯ worshipped by the Sun Cultists?¡±


    ¡°True Sun God?¡± Maurice frowned, not understanding why the other party suddenly steered the conversation in this direction, but he quickly responded, ¡°Of course, I have some understanding. After all, those Heretics have been around for a long time, and many of their sacrificial activities are actually part of historical research.


    ¡°The True Sun God is how they refer to their deity, but usually, followers of the orthodox gods don¡¯t speak of it that way¨Cwe call it the ¡®Black Sun¡¯ or ¡®Dark Sun God,¡¯ and in some older texts, ancient scholars referred to Him as the ¡®Wriggling Solar Disk.''¡±


    ¡°Wriggling Solar Disk?¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows. He had heard of the Black Sun, but this name was new to him, and it instantly reminded him of the sight he once saw through that Sun Mask¨Can impressive corona covering decaying limbs, a burning, bizarre ancient god.


    ¡°Yes, outside the professional field, this name is rarely mentioned because it¡¯s a record passed down from the time of the Ancient Kingdom, and the original manuscript was written in Cretan script. This led to the name ¡®Wriggling Solar Disk¡¯ having an esoteric inclination, and widespread dissemination among common folks might have detrimental effects.¡±


    Maurice nodded, detailing this aspect while discussing academic field matters. It was as if he had forgotten the terrifying ¡°reality¡± behind Duncan and had returned to the days when he had visited the antique shop, conversing joyfully with the shopkeeper.


    He even felt as if the buzzing noise in his head had unwittingly disappeared.


    ¡°Ancient Crete Kingdom¡­¡± Duncan exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Those Heretics who worship the Sun God have such a long history?!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, although it¡¯s unbelievable, those who worship the Wriggling Solar Disk can even be traced back to the heyday of the Ancient Kingdom. And considering that the phenomenon 001-True Sun rose from the sea after the collapse of the Ancient Crete Kingdom¡­¡± Maurice paused for a moment, seemingly conflicted for a few seconds before he continued, ¡°The truth is, the orthodox academic world and the Church of the Four Gods have always been reluctant to discuss this issue directly¨Cconsidering the time period when the phenomenon sun rose, the faith in the Black Sun actually pre-dates the history of phenomenon 001¡­¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t make a sound for a while.


    The history of the Black Sun being older than the history of the phenomenon sun is a very logical fact, yet one that even the Church of the Four Gods is reluctant to acknowledge.


    Acknowledging this fact meant acknowledging another¨Cthe claim made by the Sun Cultists was true:


    ¡°The True Sun God was the real sun in the Ancient Era, and the later veiled sun was a ¡®blasphemous creation¡¯ that had stolen the sun¡¯s sovereignty.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, what those Sun Cultists say is true, before the Deep Sea Era, it was their ¡®Lord¡¯ who illuminated this world,¡± after remaining silent for half a minute, Duncan suddenly spoke, ¡°If we go by the standard of ¡®antiquity equates legitimacy,¡¯ they are the orthodox.¡±


    ¡°The academic community is riddled with factions and manifold theories, and this is the most heretical of all¨Ctheories so heretical they almost step into the realm of apostasy,¡± Maurice sighed, ¡°but the existence of many manuscripts from the Ancient Crete Kingdom makes this issue unavoidable.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say those heretics possess some truth,¡± Duncan shook his head slightly, ¡°but this doesn¡¯t change the fact that their beliefs are now very dangerous to the world, after all, regardless of what their Lord was like before the Deep Sea Era, His current state¡­ tsk tsk.¡±


    Maurice listened, then suddenly realized.


    He woke from the calm aura of discussing academic matters with an acquaintance, looked at Duncan with uncertainty, and asked, ¡°Wait, are you implying¡­ could it be that you¡­¡±


    ¡°I happened to have seen Him once,¡± Duncan thought for a moment, feeling it was necessary to share some substantial information with the old gentleman, as he had freeloaded so much knowledge from the scholar, ¡°How should I put it¡­ it was so pitiful that I couldn¡¯t bear to look, and there was no hope of recovery. I don¡¯t believe the actions of those Sun Cultists can save their Lord¨Crather, I think they¡¯re pushing their Lord towards an even more deranged and distorted direction.¡±


    He paused, then looked at the opposite gentleman, ¡°Would you like me to describe what He looks like now? Maybe you could have some spiritual¡­¡±


    Maurice had felt his mind trembling since Duncan had started speaking, and now, seizing the brief pause, he suddenly exclaimed, ¡°No need!¡±


    Then, as if he felt this was somewhat offensive, he quickly coughed twice, and said with a serious and reverent face, ¡°This is not the knowledge I should come into contact with.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh right, sorry,¡± Duncan was taken aback, realizing his mistake, and quickly waved his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss this subject anymore. Let¡¯s talk about the Black Sun belief in the real world¨Cthose heretics are always trying to resurrect their master, but their crude and brutal human sacrifices never work. Historically, have they ever achieved any ¡®results¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The havoc wrought by the Sun Heretics is not small, but to truly speak of ¡®resurrecting the Sun,¡¯ how could such a thing be within mortal power?¡± Maurice recalled, speaking slowly, ¡°To my knowledge, there are only a few instances on record where the power of the Black Sun has manifested on a large scale in history.


    ¡°The earliest record is from the end of the Chaotic Dynasty, after the collapse of the Ancient Crete Kingdom, when many City-States were constantly breaking out in turmoil and famine. The Sun Heretics took advantage of the chaos and created a bloody great sacrifice in a City-State called ¡®Charon¡¯; later, they summoned a giant living Fireball that floated above Charon for five days before dissipating, ultimately melting the entire City-State into a slab of glass.


    ¡°Another incident occurred during the Classical City-State Era, with the specific causes now unclear. The result was that several small City-States on the edge of civilization disappeared overnight¨Ceyewitness records indicate that a gigantic glowing rift appeared in the sky, with a sun-wheel rising from within; the City-States were pulled out of the sea by tremendous gravity, torn into thin strips, and then fell into it.


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    ¡°The most recent incident occurred at the beginning of the New City-State Era and is the most mysterious one, because that disaster left no eyewitness reports, no damage reports, no evidence, no records, no one knew or remembered it, and it¡¯s even uncertain in what year and where exactly it happened¡­¡±


    Duncan listened with astonishment until he couldn¡¯t resist speaking up, ¡°Nobody knows it happened? How can it be called a large-scale manifestation of the Black Sun¡¯s power? Do people even know which City-State was attacked?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that eerie. It goes beyond the realm that a regular scholar would study, but my position at the Academy of Truth has allowed me access to some relevant documents,¡± Maurice nodded, speaking with grave sincerity, ¡°That incident did indeed happen, because one morning, the most sacred ¡®Pillar of Annals¡¯ in the Fire Transmitter Church suddenly bore a line of text.


    ¡°That line referred to a City-State that didn¡¯t exist at all, consisting of just one sentence:


    ¡®Wilhelm¡¯s final message, the Black Sun descends from the annals of history, we have failed.''¡±

 Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Chapter 181: History, Pollution, and Black Sun

    Chapter 177: Chapter 181: History, Pollution, and Black Sun


    ¡°On the ¡®Pillar of Eras,¡¯ a line of text suddenly appeared¨Cabout a City-State unknown to all, a battle unknown to all, a failure and sacrifice unknown to all¨Ca piece of history that existed in no one¡¯s memory, leaving behind only the faintest imprint after its demise.


    And even this exceedingly brief sentence, I¡¯m afraid, was conveyed to the real world at the cost of countless lives of the Fire Transmitters.


    After hearing Morris¡¯s words, Duncan briefly fell into a baffled silence before plunging into deep thought.


    Church of the Fire Transmitters¡­ He knew the general situation of the sect.


    After learning that there was a ¡°Faith of the Four Gods¡± in this world, he became deeply interested in these gods who had a tremendous influence on the workings of the mortal realm. Morris had previously sent him a book that contained much information about the Church of the Four Gods, so he had come to understand the churches of the four major gods, among which he thought the Fire Transmitters were the most unique.


    The core belief of the Fire Transmitters, or perhaps their ¡®faith,¡¯ differed starkly from those of the other three gods. The concepts of storm, wisdom, and death followed by the other three god¡¯s believers were relatively easier to comprehend, whereas what the Fire Transmitters followed was ¡®history,¡¯ a more elusive matter.


    History is the memory of civilization, passed down through the ages like a torch¨Cthis was the core of the Fire Transmitters¡¯ faith. They believed that civilization began with ¡®fire¡¯ and that ¡®fire¡¯ symbolizes its continuation to this day. Countless threats in the world attempt to disrupt or distort the transmission of this torch, and combating these threats to ensure the stable continuation of civilization¡¯s torch was their mission.


    The Fire Transmitters followed and worshipped the ¡®Ever-Burning Torch¡¯ Tarrikin, a giant who stood at the beginning of civilization. It was said that He retained and guarded the first bonfire ignited by mortals, incorporating this bonfire as part of His own body. He discerned the correct history from the leaps and branches of flames and engraved it onto His own body. As civilization progressed, this giant grew ever larger. Once He reached His limit, the civilization of mortal men would achieve true safety, with no one able to threaten the correct continuation of history, not even the Subspace.


    This was the original text in the book that Morris had brought, and it was also the most important passage in the ¡®Scripture of the Torch¡¯ held by the Fire Transmitters.


    To Duncan, the last part of these descriptions seemed like just wishful thinking by the believers, a pie in the sky drawn by the church, whose credibility was questionable. However, the descriptions of ¡®Fire Transmitters guarding history¡¯ were likely true.


    History can be corrupted, and naturally, it can be protected, and vice versa.


    ¡°¡­So they¡¯ve done this once before¡­¡± Duncan suddenly muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Morris, who hadn¡¯t caught on in time, asked, ¡°They¡¯ve done it once before? What do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just talking to myself,¡± Duncan shook his head slightly, looking very seriously at the elderly man before him, ¡°The intelligence you¡¯ve brought is extremely important.¡±


    ¡°The intelligence I brought?¡± Morris was a bit confused, ¡°Do you mean the third record I mentioned? The one that appeared on the Fire Transmitters¡¯ Pillar of Eras?¡±


    Duncan nodded slightly, then suddenly frowned again, ¡°But there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. Does the Black Sun have the authority to corrupt history?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Morris hesitated, clearly, this was somewhat beyond his expertise as a ¡®history specialist,¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not very clear about the authority issue of the Black Sun. Probably only those experts who specialize in combating the Evil God would know. But as far as I know, theoretically, the Black Sun shouldn¡¯t have this ability¡­¡±


    Duncan nodded thoughtfully, while Morris looked somewhat uneasily at the man before him, who seemed to be contemplating as the ¡®Subspace Shadow.¡¯


    ¡®Mr. Duncan¡¯ had been very polite and patient all along, discussing academic issues with him, asking questions and thinking from time to time, just like the last time he visited the antique shop. However, the visions and noises that occasionally appeared in Morris¡¯s mind still continuously reminded him, making him realize that he was walking on the edge of the Abyss.


    ¡®Mr. Duncan¡¯ seemed to have developed an interest in the Fire Transmitters, in the ¡®corruption and protection of history.¡¯ Why was that? Was this being, who possibly hailed from Subspace, planning something? Was God of Wisdom Rahm asking him to stay in contact with them to gather information on this matter? What was the relationship between this Subspace Shadow and the God of Wisdom? Could it be some kind of opposition?


    Was he now participating in the machinations of gods? Was he acting as the ¡®eyes and ears¡¯ of the God of Wisdom spying on his opponents?¡±


    Chaotic thoughts ebbed and surged in Morris¡¯s mind, and he became increasingly cautious. Upon realizing the ¡°role¡± he might take on, he even developed a sense of mission, feeling as if Rahm stood right behind him, observing ¡°Mr. Duncan¡± through his eyes.


    Meanwhile, as the old man was lost in thoughts, Duncan finally ended his contemplation. He suddenly looked up, half curious and half wistful, and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s incredible that those ¡®Sun Heretics¡¯ have caused so much trouble and still thrive to this day¡­ Have the normal folks in every City-State never thought of completely exterminating these lunatics?¡±


    ¡°Exterminating an Evil God Cult is not so easy,¡± Morris awoke from his reflections, shaking his head subconsciously, ¡°The heretics¡¯ beliefs seep in like mercury, infiltrating everywhere. No matter how many you eliminate, there will always be new ones emerging. Ultimately, this is because their ¡®deity¡¯ behind them is still active¨Cwhile the corresponding Evil God still exists, the corruption and infiltration into mortals will never cease. You should know, even if every adult in a City-State dies, leaving only the purest newborns, among those newborns, there will naturally arise minds that have been bewitched¡­¡±


    Morris spoke and shook his head, ¡°Some people just live their lives normally, being honest and diligent for most of their lives, but because of a moment of weakness in some failure, a flicker of fear in some terror, or having seen or heard something they shouldn¡¯t have, they can become heretics overnight, filling their minds with forbidden knowledge, donning black robes, becoming followers of the Evil God. How can we ever completely clean up such heretical corruption?¡±


    At this, the old man glanced at Duncan involuntarily, his gaze turning a bit peculiar.


    Duncan looked puzzled, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Forgive my impudence,¡± Morris took a deep breath and mustered his courage, ¡°but you should be quite familiar with this kind of corruption among mortals, right?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t catch on at first, it took him two seconds to realize what Morris meant, then he looked helpless, ¡°I don¡¯t engage in that¨CI¡¯m usually very law-abiding, and when I see heretics, I immediately report them to the nearest sheriff.¡±


    Morris: ¡°¡­?¡±


    The old gentleman clearly had a lot to say but dared not utter a word.


    Feeling the topic was off-track, Duncan quickly waved his hand before Morris could speak, ¡°I understand what you mean, that the followers of the Evil God are just ¡®manifestations¡¯, the biggest issue is the ¡®Evil God¡¯ itself can¡¯t be eliminated, so their corruption keeps spawning new generations of cultists like a lingering poison, and the guardians can fight for ten thousand years but can¡¯t clean them up¡­ But is the influence of the Black Sun really that strong? I¡¯ve seen that unfortunate being, He¡¯s nearly dead, can barely interact with the mortal realm, even speaking to me requires borrowing light to revive, and yet He still contaminates the mortal world?¡±


    Morris¡¯s mouth twitched involuntarily, ¡°The state of the Black Sun might be bad in your eyes, but we¡­ are just fragile mortals¡­¡±


    Duncan felt an indescribable strangeness in his heart and wanted to say to the old man on the spot, ¡°I am also a human, what part of me doesn¡¯t look human?¡± but considering the old man¡¯s health, he awkwardly held back.


    As Morris subconsciously voiced his thoughts then suddenly seemed to remember something, pausing briefly before adding, ¡°However, your doubts might point towards a key issue. If the state of the Black Sun is as bad as you say, His contamination of the mortal world indeed shouldn¡¯t be this strong, at least not to the extent of making Sun Heretics so troublesome¡­ Perhaps this all relates to those beings called ¡®Scions of the Sun.''¡±


    ¡°Scions of the Sun¡­¡± Duncan murmured thoughtfully, his mind involuntarily recalling the tall, thin dark figure that had appeared in Sherry¡¯s Dreamscape.


    Although he had no solid evidence, he always felt that creature was probably connected to the legendary ¡°Scions of the Sun.¡±


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    The Black Sun was already in decline, no longer able to illuminate this world, yet the influence of the Black Sun¡¯s scions continued, perpetuating the Black Sun¡¯s influence, making the Sun Cultists indestructible, their threat ever growing.


    But there remained an unresolved question:


    The Black Sun did not have the capacity to contaminate history, and certainly His scions couldn¡¯t either.


    However, early in the new City-State history, from messages from the forgotten City-State ¡°Wilhelm,¡± it was said that ¡°the Black Sun descended from history,¡± and now Plunder City-State also showed signs of historical contamination, what was going on?


    Could it be¡­ that someone was ¡°helping¡± the Black Sun revive from history?

 Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Chapter 182: A Peaceful Tomorrow Will Still Come

    Chapter 178: Chapter 182: A Peaceful Tomorrow Will Still Come


    The noise in his mind rose and fell, as though a massive source of interference hovered around his brain, now close, now distant. The antique shop in his view maintained its stability; however, from time to time, dark things flitted between the shelves, as if to show the reckless Visitor a perilous truth from Subspace.


    Morris sat cautiously in front of the counter, containing his thoughts and emotions. In the brief lucidity granted by the God of Wisdom Rahm, he pondered each question with limited and earnest effort.


    The conversation continued. As long as the man opposite him, whom he referred to as ¡°Mr. Duncan,¡± delighted in it, Morris, as the ¡°companion,¡± was obliged to entertain him.


    However, Duncan was not talking at the moment¨Che too was deep in thought, contemplating matters related to the Black Sun and the contamination of history.


    After a deathly silence filled with piercing noise, Morris suddenly heard a deep voice from the other side, ¡°One last question. If something really is contaminating history, how would you resolve that issue?¡±


    ¡°Is someone really¡­ contaminating history?¡± Morris asked slowly, raising his head and looking at Duncan with confusion. ¡°Who do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who,¡± Duncan said indifferently. ¡°It might be Subspace, the Black Sun, or some other heretical deity. In any case, if something is trying to contaminate history, how should it be resolved? How do the Fire Transmitters deal with such a crisis?¡±


    Morris paused for a moment and then shook his head hesitantly, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t answer that. It¡¯s beyond my scope of knowledge. Even for the Fire Transmitters, probably only the most powerful saints or the Chosen Ones know the secrets within the course of history¨Cafter all, most Fire Transmitters are like the Storm Church¡¯s guardians, their day-to-day work involves eliminating heretics and purifying contamination. True contamination of history is almost impossible to happen¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed, my question was too probing, burdening you,¡± Duncan sighed lightly, realizing that his curiosity had probably put considerable psychological pressure on the old man before him, so he decisively ended the current topic, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today.¡±


    A wave of unprecedented relief suddenly swept over Morris, and he instantly relaxed.


    His mind had been foggy ever since the conversation began, his thoughts intermittent. Many questions surfaced, but he couldn¡¯t organize them. Now that Duncan was willing to end the conversation voluntarily, there was nothing he wished for more.


    Duncan, on the other hand, lifted his head and glanced outside through the glass display case.


    Judging by time, sunset was still a while away, but the gloomy sky had already turned everything outside pitch black. The gas street lamps had lit up prematurely, casting their bright yellow glow on the streets, while the somber clouds above made the Lower City District seem as if it had been plunged into night early.


    ¡°The weather looks bad,¡± Duncan withdrew his gaze and looked at the old man opposite him. ¡°Would you like to stay? Nina should already have the meal prepared.¡±


    A surge of panic suddenly pounded in Morris¡¯s heart, and he remembered a saying popular in the Academy of Truth, describing those most legendary Scholars pursuing knowledge with the fiercest zeal¨C


    ¡°Swimming through Subspace, boasting before the Evil God, witnessing the strife of gods, scrounging a meal with their kin.¡±


    If he were to consider this antique shop, now occupied by ¡°Mr. Duncan,¡± as Subspace, if Mr. Duncan¡¯s status was on par with that of the deities, if there really was a clash between this Shadow of Subspace and the God of Wisdom, then he had now achieved three out of the four great wonders¡­


    At this moment, going upstairs for a bowl of soup seemed like it would indeed make him a legend on the spot!


    Morris was amazed that he could spare a thought for such chaotic things at a time like this, but he carefully formulated his language, ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, you want to leave, right?¡± Duncan didn¡¯t let the old man finish before nodding in understanding, still somewhat self-aware. ¡°Although I would say that with this poor weather, staying for a hot bowl of soup might be better for you, it seems that the comfort it offers isn¡¯t quite enough compared to the pressure you¡¯ve been under sitting across from me?¡±


    Morris quickly stood up and nodded as he took the opportunity, ¡°Frankly, every minute and second here is a torment¨Cof course, I mean no offense, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to explain. I understand,¡± Duncan waved dismissively, his expression carrying a bit of resignation, ¡°If there was a more relaxed way of meeting, I¡¯d still like to have a proper talk with you about history and the gods. I¡¯m very interested in knowledge¨Cthe kind without malice, but it looks like that won¡¯t happen this time.¡±


    Standing beside the counter, Morris fell silent upon hearing the words from across. After a while, he met Duncan¡¯s gaze, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve been distracted several times and almost forgot the ¡®truths¡¯ I¡¯ve witnessed. Your¡­ curiosity and friendliness are so genuine, like talking with a friend. I¡¯ve never met anyone as approachable as you, a¡­ a¡­¡±


    The old man stumbled, seemingly unable to find the right term of praise. Seeing this, Duncan chuckled, ¡°No need to search for the right words. Just don¡¯t report me to anyone after you leave.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! I would never do that!¡± Morris started waving his hands vehemently as if afraid Duncan might misunderstand something, ¡°After all, you definitely saved Heidi¡¯s life, and you¡¯ve been friendly throughout. I have no reason to report you¨Cespecially considering¡­¡±


    The elderly gentleman hesitated for a moment and spread his hands with a bitter smile, ¡°Judging by your demeanor, you don¡¯t seem to fear any sort of ¡®reporting,¡¯ do you¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be bothersome,¡± Duncan said offhandedly, ¡°but probably not a big problem.¡±


    Then he paused slightly, looked up in the direction of the second floor, and turned his gaze back to Morris, ¡°If the weather clears up tomorrow, Nina will go to school as usual.¡±


    ¡°Nina¡­¡± Morris blinked, remembering the arc of flame he had seen, as well as the matter he had just discussed with Duncan, especially the part about the Black Sun, and connecting it to the attitude Duncan had just displayed, he already vaguely guessed something, ¡°Is Nina¡­ related to what those Sun Heretics worship¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish the question because Duncan gently shook his head.


    ¡°Nina is just Nina, you don¡¯t need to be curious about the secrets behind her,¡± Duncan said softly, ¡°Treat her as usual, and nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Morris nodded slightly, for some reason feeling more relieved after hearing Duncan¡¯s words, then he stepped back a couple of steps, ¡°Then I should take my leave, please say goodbye to Nina for me¨CI¡¯m not in the right state to ¡®see¡¯ her right now.¡±


    Duncan hummed a response and came around from behind the counter to escort the elderly gentleman to the front door.


    The street was nearly devoid of pedestrians, save for the glow of streetlights illuminating the cloud-covered City-State, with the cold wind twisting and turning between the buildings, carrying an increasingly heavy dampness.


    Morris tightened his overcoat and pressed down on the short top hat he was wearing, but before heading to his car, he couldn¡¯t help but stop and look back once more at Duncan, who was still standing at the storefront.


    What he saw was a middle-aged man with a peaceful smile; the distant street scene occasionally flickered, but no longer looked as terrifying and abnormal as at the beginning.


    ¡°Mr. Duncan,¡± Morris suddenly said, ¡°you actually like this place a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Right, I am quite fond of it,¡± Duncan smiled and waved to the old man, ¡°So go home in peace, Pland will safely welcome tomorrow¨Cand every day that follows.¡±


    Morris took off his hat, nodded gently at Duncan, and turned to walk to his car parked by the roadside.


    Duncan didn¡¯t take his eyes off the car until it started up and disappeared at the end of the street.


    But he didn¡¯t go straight back inside; instead, he stood at the door, deep in thought.


    The first question on his mind was whether the old man would actually report him after heading back¡­


    The conclusion was extremely unlikely¨Cif he had just been an ordinary Heretic, or even a slightly higher-ranking Sun Priest, then Morris, as a faithful Believer of the true gods, would have certainly reported him without hesitation. However, today, Duncan suspected that in the old man¡¯s eyes, he might be seen as possessing the visage of an ancient god, and the probability of being reported had therefore almost dropped to zero.


    The reason was simple¨Cif you report a few Heretics, a couple of security officers could wrap them up easily, if you report a Cult Priest, a few guards could take them down on the spot, but what if what was entrenched here was a Subspace Evil God? To what level would one have to report that?


    Forget the community church, even reporting to the Bishop of the City-State would be pointless¡­


    Muttering a couple of sentences to one¡¯s own God of Wisdom would be more reliable than reporting to the church.


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    Even without considering all that, Duncan wasn¡¯t actually that concerned about Morris potentially making a report.


    After all, even Fenna, the Judge at the pinnacle of strength within the Storm Church, seemed a bit too green in his eyes¡­


    What Duncan was more concerned about right now was actually Nina¡¯s condition.


    The surging, burning arc of flame¡­ This was the ¡°truth¡± that Morris, with the Eye of Truth bestowed by the God of Wisdom, had seen in Nina.


    ¡°Sun Shard¡­¡± Duncan looked up at the darkening sky outside, muttering to himself in a low voice, ¡°What on earth is the Sun of this world¡­¡±

 Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Chapter 183: Nighttime Invasion

    Chapter 179: Chapter 183: Nighttime Invasion


    ¡°Nina hurried downstairs in dismay upon hearing that the teacher had already left, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, complaining a bit, she said, ¡°Uncle, why didn¡¯t you ask him to stay? Letting the teacher leave in such terrible weather¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be dark soon,¡± Duncan replied, locking the front door and speaking casually as he headed towards the stairs. ¡°He drove here; a little rain shouldn¡¯t affect him too much.¡±


    ¡°But the teacher looked like he was feeling unwell,¡± Nina followed Duncan up the stairs, muttering to herself, ¡°He should have rested a bit more¡­¡±


    Duncan thought about it for a moment, pondering that if the old man did rest a bit more here, it might not just be a matter of feeling unwell anymore¨Cthere was a chance of a catastrophic failure in willpower checks, not to mention seeing the Creation of the World tonight, let alone tomorrow¡¯s sun¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t explain that to Nina, so he just uttered a few evasive phrases and moved on to the dining table on the second floor.


    Nina had already prepared the steaming hot meal¨Cbeet soup, roast bread, vegetable rolls, and sliced ham.


    Clearly, there was an extra portion.


    ¡°We¡¯ll save what¡¯s left for breakfast tomorrow,¡± Nina murmured, then looked up at Duncan curiously. ¡°What were you and the teacher talking about? I couldn¡¯t hear clearly from upstairs, but it seemed like you were having quite the animated discussion¡­¡±


    Duncan silently watched Nina, having been observing her like this since she came upstairs. As always, she was bustling about with a smile, never showing true anger even when complaining, always busy with endless tasks, as if she had boundless energy and was perpetually looking forward to tomorrow.


    Duncan could only see this side of Nina; he didn¡¯t have Morris¡¯s eyes that could ¡°see through reality,¡± nor could he see the blazing flame within her.


    If he hadn¡¯t heard it with his own ears just now, he would never have imagined that the Sun Shard, which affected countless people, was quietly ¡°sleeping¡± here right under his nose.


    The Sun Shard¡­ What exactly is it?


    Duncan had once thought it was a tangible, Transcendent object, and had later determined through various clues that it was a severed sunbeam. However, now he realized that this object might be sleeping within Nina¡¯s body¡­


    If that thing truly originated from a ¡°star¡± that he was familiar with, what kind of transformation would a star need to undergo to shed such a strange¡­ ¡°fragment¡±?


    ¡°Uncle Duncan?¡± Nina noticed the gaze from across the table and shifted awkwardly. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, nothing at all,¡± Duncan shook his head gently, tearing the bread as he casually asked, ¡°By the way, have you been feeling unwell lately? Have you had that strange dream again?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Nina waved her hand, ¡°The hypnosis session Miss Heidi did last time worked pretty well. I haven¡¯t had any weird dreams since then, and I¡¯ve been feeling quite energetic every day.¡±


    She paused, then looked at Duncan with slight concern. ¡°Uncle, is something wrong? I feel¡­ you¡¯ve been acting a bit strange, especially after your conversation with Mr. Morris¡­ Ah, it¡¯s not because of my test scores last time, is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not, don¡¯t worry about it; your teacher certainly didn¡¯t come here to complain,¡± Duncan suddenly raised an eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Nina nodded and started eating. At that moment, Duncan seemed to sense something and looked uncertainly towards a direction outside the window.


    ¡­


    In the Lower City District, within a dilapidated and dim alley, the hastily lit gas lamps finally dispelled the surrounding darkness just before night enveloped the streets completely. Under the drowsy light of the gas lamps, Sherry was lying on the windowsill, staring blankly at the dark street outside.


    The raspy sound of a chain could be heard from behind her, as Ah Dog spoke, ¡°Staring outside again? What¡¯s there to see?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep. It¡¯s so early, and there¡¯s nothing to do,¡± Sherry grumbled. ¡°So boring¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ How about we go out tomorrow and continue troubling the heretics?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Feels like it¡¯ll be fruitless,¡± Sherry thought for a moment and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know if the church guys suddenly got competent, but recently it seems like the heretics in the City-State have been wiped clean, you can¡¯t even smell them¡­¡±


    ¡°Recently, all the Sun Cultists in the city have indeed disappeared, likely they¡¯ve been completely captured,¡± A-Gou approached, lazily lying down by Sherry¡¯s feet, ¡°but I think you¡¯re not bored just because of this¡­¡±


    Sherry immediately rolled her eyes, ¡°Then what else could it be?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you missing ¡®that place¡¯?¡± A-Gou lifted his head, a faint light dancing in his hollow blood-red eye sockets, ¡°You miss that warm house, that bright room, the piping hot meals, the days someone would wake you up and hurry you to eat, or perhaps¡­ you miss that girl named Nina from Subspace? Or even that Mr. Duncan¡­¡±


    ¡°STFU! Annoying!¡± Sherry abruptly yanked on the iron chain in her hand, harshly interrupting A-Gou, ¡°I¡¯m not some crying whining little brat, I¡¯m not that weak!¡±


    A-Gou was unfazed by Sherry¡¯s harsh reaction, ¡°¡­Yearning for light and warmth is not a weakness, it can only prove that you are still human.¡±


    ¡°Eeek¡­¡± Sherry suddenly shivered, then looked disgusted, ¡°How can you suddenly turn so cheesy? You¡¯ve even started talking all fancy, saying it proves I¡¯m still human¡­ Are you complimenting me or saying I¡¯ve made no progress over the years?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve merged with me, a Profound Demon, for eleven years, you¡¯ve truly become a demon. Openly acknowledging your human side isn¡¯t a bad thing,¡± A-Gou shook his ugly large head, ¡°Besides, don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s not just this chain that binds me to you¨Cif there¡¯s any change in your emotions, how could I not understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Shut up,¡± Sherry turned her face away, looking outside irritably, ¡°If you keep blabbering, I¡¯ll really take you to see Nina tomorrow, then I¡¯ll stay with Nina and you can accompany Mr. Duncan, we¡¯ll both have a bright future¨Cscared yet?¡±


    A-Gou finally fell silent.


    Yet after a moment of quiet, Sherry couldn¡¯t help but kick the Abyssal Hound beside her with her toe, breaking the silence, ¡°Stop worrying, aren¡¯t you still with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cheesier than I am,¡± A-Gou shifted slightly, the iron chain rattling, ¡°Stop, if you keep talking, I¡¯m going to throw up¨Cthen there will be another hole in the floor.¡±


    The Abyssal Hound muttered, but through their connected minds, Sherry could feel that ¡°A-Gou,¡± who had once nearly devoured her alive yet also raised her, suddenly felt better.


    In the dim twilight and the faint light of the street lamps, the frail girl pursed her lips, hiding a small smile.


    This was just right, everything was back on track, the familiar days had returned, just continue on¨Cdon¡¯t think about that peace and warmth that don¡¯t belong to you, especially when that peaceful and warm place is still haunted by a shadow from Subspace.


    That warmth was too dangerous.


    Sherry let out a soft sigh.


    However, the next second, she subtly furrowed her brows, sensing something malevolent approaching, feeling the hairs on her back stand on end.


    A-Gou suddenly stood up from his lying position, the massive Abyssal Hound erupting with black smoke and flames, its blood-red hollow eyeballs blazing red, scanning the room with vigilance and hostility.


    The room was dark, to save money, Sherry had turned off the oil lamp on the table the moment the street lamps lit up, and now only the light from the street lamps outside illuminated the room, the dim light filling the space, casting bizarre, splotchy shadows of the simple furniture on the floor and walls.


    In the simple home, everything was plain and visible, familiar and straightforward.


    However, for some reason, Sherry suddenly felt as though the furnishings in the home were unfamiliar¨Cbetween the patchy light and shadows, from the corners of tables and chairs and the cracks at the foot of the bed, an out-of-place and discordant breath continuously seeped out!


    Sherry instinctively tightened her grip on the chain, ¡°A-Gou!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± A-Gou growled in response, ¡°I¡¯m looking! Something is entering here¡­ surrounding us¡­ Damn! What is it, I¡¯m dizzy!¡±


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    Before the Abyssal Hound finished speaking, Sherry suddenly noticed that the light from the street lamps entering the room through the windows began to twist and dim!


    It was as if a heavy black curtain had suddenly enveloped the entire house, the once clear street view outside the windows obscuring all at once, the light from the street lamps shattered into disjointed fragments, turning into pale glimmers falling inside the room, followed by those pale glimmers and ubiquitous shadows simultaneously wriggling, accompanied by a series of nauseating low murmurs and strange noises, several figures emerged abruptly from between the lights and shadows¨C


    They were in tattered black robes, their arms exposed beneath the robes thin as kindling, black tomes hanging at their waists, as if soaked in ink-like filth, a continuous drip of suspicious black liquid seeping from the books, each with a twisted iron emblem hanging on their chest, in the center of which flickered a murky pale flame.


    This leader in black robes pointed his finger toward Sherry, incomprehensible hoarse syllables issued from beneath the hood, ¡°You shall perish¡­¡±


    A-Gou¡¯s cry finally reached Sherry¡¯s ears, ¡°F*cking Doomsday Preachers!!!¡±

 Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Chapter 184: Attack of the Doomsday Preacher

    Chapter 180: Chapter 184: Attack of the Doomsday Preacher


    ¡°Get back, you filthy beasts!¡± A-Gou¡¯s roar thundered like exploding lightning, reverberating through the dilapidated hut, while those attackers clad in tattered black robes, resembling ascetic monks, were clearly shocked to hear a Profound Demon articulate human speech with reason¨C and the next second, something even more astonishing happened.


    Sherry swung her chain and hurled the Abyssal Hound she was holding directly at the nearest ¡°Doomsday Preacher.¡±


    She didn¡¯t really understand much about Doomsday Preachers, vaguely aware they were another group of heretics, even more fanatical, more extreme, worshipping ¡°the Master¡± that was Subspace itself. Sherry had no idea why a bunch of lunatics like these had suddenly appeared in Plunder City-State, nor why they had found her, but that didn¡¯t matter¨C


    Her experience fighting in filthy backstreets and alleys taught her one thing: when faced with danger, don¡¯t bother with incomprehensible matters, just roll up your sleeves and get the damn job done!


    The massive Abyssal Hound, like a cannonball, whizzed through the air and smashed into one of the black-robed ¡°preachers.¡± After the dull thud of flesh and bone colliding, the assailant was sent flying backwards and crashed solidly against a nearby column, twisting into an unnatural angle before sliding to the ground.


    Sherry yanked the chain to drag A-Gou back to her side, then swung it in a wide arc towards another enemy.


    But in that brief moment, the few figures in black robes had already reacted¨Cclearly, they were more experienced in combat than those lowest-level Sun Cultists that Sherry had encountered before. Even when faced with such a rare combat style and falling into a momentary bewilderment, these bastards quickly regrouped and managed to scatter and dodge as the Abyssal Hound lunged at them.


    One of them narrowly dodged A-Gou¡¯s skeletal head, moving to the side while raising a hand towards Sherry. From beneath the hood came a hoarse, grim shout, ¡°Thou shalt exhaust thy strength!¡±


    ¡°Quit your goddamn mumbling, what the hell are you even saying!¡± Sherry was extremely irritable at that moment, and hearing his esoteric outcry only fueled her rage further. She stepped, twisted her waist, turned around, and the chain in her hand whooshed out, slamming A-Gou¡¯s skeletal body right into that screaming Doomsday Preacher, sending him flying.


    However, it was during those few flicks of the chain that Sherry suddenly felt something wrong with her body.


    She felt a bit tired, not too severe, but the sensation of fatigue was definitely there.


    At the same time, she felt a buzzing in her mind, her rage seeming to rampage uncontrollably in her chest, impulsively urging her to abandon all defense and rush forward to meet her enemies in mutual destruction. The urge pounded violently, almost causing her head to throb and swell.


    Out of nowhere, a strange squeaking and cracking sound reached her ears. Sherry looked toward the source of the noise and saw the assailant she had just sent flying now crawling up from the ground. The attacker¡¯s body was drenched in blood, many bones clearly broken; however, this ¡°Preacher¡± seemed to ignore the pain that would have incapacitated an ordinary person and, whilst spouting blood, raised both hands high: ¡°My brethren, shall not die by the curse of flesh and blood!¡±


    After this delirious proclamation, the surrounding Doomsday Preachers suddenly seemed to gain boundless courage and strength. The next second, Sherry watched in horror as these lunatics¡¯ bodies began to transform¨Ctheir gaunt frames swelled and contorted, thick bone spurs and resilient muscle whips grew and extended from their limbs like weapons, their bodies tearing and reshaping in immense pain to become hideous and grotesquely twisted¨Cand yet these maniacs seemed to fall into a state of inexplicable ecstasy amidst their agony, cheering, shouting, and praising, before lunging at Sherry with renewed fervor.


    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± Sherry certainly wasn¡¯t about to sit around waiting for these assailants to cause more trouble. As the body of the first Doomsday Preacher began to transform, she whirled her chain with a whoosh, smashing the dog into the nearest enemy. The enemy was smashed to the point of broken tendons and shattered bones; though not dead immediately, his mutation process was instantly halted. However, just by raising her arm, Sherry felt more fatigue than before and a sharper, more agonizing surge of violent impulse in her mind.


    She even started hearing noises that didn¡¯t exist, with each muscle in her body feeling as though it were being gnawed upon by invisible fangs, suffering cruel and brutal pain, as if every fiber of muscle was about to detach from her body.


    ¡°These ¡®Preachers¡¯ willingly embrace the madness of Subspace! Their words and figures carry contamination!¡± Dog¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Sherry¡¯s mind, fraught with unprecedented urgency, ¡°Don¡¯t let them keep spouting off! Whichever son of a bitch opens his mouth, you smash that one! Don¡¯t look them in the eyes, don¡¯t listen to their cries!¡±


    In a flash, a cold gleam suddenly appeared on the edge of Sherry¡¯s vision. She instinctively tried to dodge but still got her arm pierced by a bone spur. As she hastily swung the chain to retaliate, she felt her limbs twice as heavy as before. This time, her vision even began to blur with dark afterimages.


    Another Doomsday Preacher took the opportunity to spread his arms again, loudly uttering a venomous prayer: ¡°Thou shalt incur an injury that will not heal¡­¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Screw the hell off!¡± Sherry, swinging the dog around, smashed the crazed, spine-covered mutant ¡°Preacher¡± into the wall. But the next second, she suddenly felt a fierce pain in her back.


    A bone spur, like a long spear, came from a treacherous blind spot and plunged deep into her back. Had her body not become as tough and resilient as a Profound Demon¡¯s from years of ¡°Demon Symbiosis,¡± she would probably have been pierced straight through.


    Sherry¡¯s body involuntarily pitched forward, while Dog abruptly stepped in front of the assailant seeking to strike again, opening its mouth to expel a highly corrosive mixture of black flame and acid.


    The assailants were temporarily pushed back, but Sherry was in very bad shape. She propped herself against a nearby wall, feeling the blood continuously flow down from her back, feeling her muscles twitch uncontrollably throughout her body.


    The Doomsday Preacher¡¯s corruption had taken its effect¨Calthough the Profound Demons¡¯ resistance allowed her to withstand this abnormal state better than ordinary people, because she was caught off guard with weakening and curses at the start, she could now clearly sense her body gradually¡­ losing control.


    Her blood was boiling, the noise in her mind was intensifying, her muscles were twitching, she saw smokes rising from the wound on her arm, where instead of healing, the torn flesh was sprouting up grotesque, disgusting new flesh, and blood, as if with a life of its own, was moving around the wound, coagulating, taking shape.


    The injury on her back was likely in a similar state.


    ¡°¡­Fuck, all this effort, just to kill three¡­¡±


    Sherry spat out a mouthful of blood to the side and chuckled with a grimace.


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad,¡± A-Gou¡¯s grumbling voice came from nearby. The voice of the Abyssal Hound sounded somewhat dispirited¨Cas the first line of defense when Sherry was contaminated, it was actually affected even more severely by those Doomsday Preachers, ¡°These are all priest-level ascetics, not the kind of rabble that gets swindled into donating money at basement meetings¡­ You fought them, it¡¯s almost like assaulting a church district¡­ You didn¡¯t get a bad trade.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell, a bunch of grown-ass men ganging up on a harmless little girl, you adults really have no shame,¡± Sherry lifted her head, her face smeared with blood, and looked at the Doomsday Preachers who were gathering around her, her eyes filled with ferocity, ¡°What did I ever do to you?¡±


    There were still three standing Doomsday Preachers, who had all transformed into monstrous creatures with skeletal frames and flesh grotesque. The tattered robes hung on their mutated bodies like shrouds, appearing even more sinister in the dim light.


    Of course, they didn¡¯t respond to Sherry, just as a hunter would not negotiate with his prey.


    Sherry coughed out blood and looked around.


    The commotion from the fight was significant, yet until now it hadn¡¯t drawn the attention of any guardians, nor had it disturbed the neighbors. The scene outside the window remained hazy, the street unusually quiet.


    Clearly, the entire house was enveloped by some sort of ¡°barrier,¡± a thorough preparation made by the assailants before making their move.


    The furniture was destroyed.


    The walls and columns were shaky and unstable.


    The only wardrobe was shattered by a shockwave during the fight, the few pieces of clothing and the small drawer for loose change fell to the ground, soaked in corrupted blood, corroded away by acid.


    The most valuable oil lamp in the house was knocked over as well, its shade shattered on the floor.


    ¡°All the little things I had, smashed to pieces by you,¡± Sherry could no longer support herself, her body slowly slid towards the floor, but she still looked up, at the enemies who had raised their bone spikes ready to strike, ¡°You bastard things, I¡¯ll make sure to splatter your faces with blood¡­¡±


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    The bone spikes pierced down through the air.


    Then they slowed in the blink of an eye, casting multiple overlapping afterimages, finally freezing mid-air.


    A streak of green flame abruptly appeared in the room, which should have been completely shrouded by the barrier. Within the flames, a huge and fierce skeletal bird circled and danced midair, and a shrill, strange female voice entered Sherry¡¯s ears¨C


    ¡°Our warrior is engaged with the enemy¡­ Teleport successful!¡±


    (Time to recommend a book, this time it¡¯s from Aikanxue¡¯s Big Goose ¡°Spreading Faith in a Text Game.¡± It¡¯s an urban genre, emmmmm¡­ This is a novel about saving the world by cultivating both in a text game and reality. The author is still one of our fellow readers, everyone can go support it~)

 Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Chapter 185 Each in Peace

    Chapter 181: Chapter 185 Each in Peace


    The undead bird, formed of illusory flesh and crystalline bones, let out a sharp, ear-piercing and strange female voice, surrounded by the rising, burning green flames¨Cand sentences that no one could understand.


    Sherry¡¯s already muddled consciousness suddenly snapped to alertness as she gaped at the bizarre bird that had burst in. She watched it circle again in the air while the figures of the Doomsday Preachers around her froze into odd stances, as if¡­ ¡°theatergoers¡± in a ¡°cinema¡± had suddenly stopped moving because of a jammed reel.


    One of these monsters had been mid-step when frozen, leaving his body nearly floating in mid-air, appearing eerie, horrifying, yet somewhat amusing.


    The undead bird circled once more, and this time, doors and whirlpools of green flame opened in the air. Soon after, a tall figure stepped out and came before Sherry.


    ¡°I remember reminding you that you could ask for help when you encounter difficulties,¡± Duncan said, looking down silently at the girl lying on the ground, covered in blood, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you seek me out?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I forgot,¡± Sherry blinked, quickly realizing that the contamination and curses from the Doomsday Preachers began to recede rapidly at Duncan¡¯s arrival, and as the piercing noise and chaotic thoughts in her head subsided, her mind gradually cleared, revealing a face twisted with confusion and bemusement, ¡°My mind was messy just now¡­ Yes, these guys kept yelling non-stop, making my head pound¡­¡±


    Duncan slowly turned his head to glance at the assailants frozen mid-air by Ai Yi¡¯s high ping strike.


    It was his first encounter with these strange¡­ creations. They resembled people clothed in tattered garments, yet their bodies were so mutated they barely looked human. Their limbs were twisted, bone spikes protruding from every joint, faces contorted with both fanaticism and an almost comical ugliness¨Cslightly uglier than the Meteor Dog.


    Duncan frowned and turned back to Sherry, ¡°Did they beat you? Where did they come from?¡±


    ¡°They were the ones who beat me up!¡± Sherry immediately said aloud; as she did, she felt something was off, but quickly brushed aside that odd sensation, ¡°I have no idea where these guys came from. The dog said they are Doomsday Preachers, followers of those crazies in Subspace¡­¡±


    ¡°Doomsday Preachers¡­ following those from Subspace?!¡± Duncan was initially indifferent, but his expression changed slightly after hearing the latter half of Sherry¡¯s words, then he seemed to recall something and quickly turned to Ai Yi, ¡°Don¡¯t release them yet!¡±


    As he spoke, the frozen figures of the Doomsday Preachers showed signs of flickering out of existence, but Ai Yi quickly flapped its wings and the three assailants about to be isolated from reality were suddenly pulled back to the physical dimension, with Ai Yi¡¯s sharp cry echoing in the room: ¡°Connection established, connection established!¡±


    ¡°Take them aboard the ship,¡± Duncan nodded to the pigeon spirit, ¡°I¡¯ll receive them on the deck over there.¡±


    ¡°Mission will be accomplished! Mission will be accomplished!¡±


    After two loud cries, Ai Yi rapidly carved a fiery vortex in the air, and the figures of the three Doomsday Preachers disappeared in the blink of an eye amidst the rising flames of the Spiritual Body.


    In the dimly lit room, only Duncan, the Meteor Dog, and Sherry remained, along with the three bodies of the Doomsday Preachers crushed into pancakes by the Meteor Dog nearby.


    Sherry stared blankly at the unfolding events, baffled at how the Subspace Believers, who nearly ended her and the dog¡¯s lives, disappeared from the room in the blink of an eye¨Cthis ¡°battle¡± ended so bizarrely and effortlessly, it could hardly be considered a battle at all.


    Mr. Duncan hadn¡¯t even lifted a finger. From start to end, he hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the Doomsday Preachers¡¯ tactics or special curses; he just appeared, seemed a tad curious about those guys, and nonchalantly abducted them as if picking stones from the roadside.


    He probably didn¡¯t even realize that the Heretics had any ¡°combat ability.¡±


    Just then, Duncan¡¯s voice suddenly broke through Sherry¡¯s random musings, ¡°How are your injuries?¡±


    Sherry snapped out of her thoughts about how scary Mr. Duncan was and, out of habit, wanted to show off her resilience, pretending to be indifferent to her injuries. But as soon as she attempted to speak, she grimaced and yelped in pain, feeling heart-wrenching agony in her back and arms that elicited an involuntary curse, ¡°Damn it, it hurts like hell¡­¡±


    Duncan looked at her with concern, ¡°Do you need to go to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Sherry snapped back to reality, grimacing as she tried to push herself up, ¡°I don¡¯t have money¡­¡±


    Duncan looked stunned, ¡°Is this about money? You¡¯re in this state!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished,¡± Sherry finally sat up, ¡°My physique is unusual; going to the hospital would definitely raise suspicions. If the church notices, I can¡¯t explain it away. And look¨C¡±


    As she spoke, she lifted her arm to show Duncan her wound.


    The wound was healing¨Cnow that the Doomsday Preachers¡¯ curse and contamination receded, her self-healing ability had restored. The gruesome tear had stopped bleeding, the polluting matter pushed out by the squirming flesh, and the new tissue¡¯s growth was visibly swift.


    Even the deepest wound on her back was progressively healing. It still hurt, but Sherry knew she would live.


    ¡°Just as long as those Doomsday Preachers don¡¯t keep nagging, I¡¯m not afraid of them,¡± Sherry declared hardheadedly, tilting her head back, ¡°Normally a wound like this wouldn¡¯t have me lying on the ground¡­ ow, it hurts¡­¡±


    A faint crackling sound suddenly came from not far away, interrupting Sherry¡¯s muttering.


    She and Duncan both looked towards the source of the sound, only to see that it came from the body of a dead Doomsday Preacher. Somehow, the deformed and mutated body had turned into lumps of grey-white, like weathered rock, and started to crumble, flaking off piece by piece. The residue peeled off, turning to dust before it even hit the ground, swiftly disappearing.


    As the Preacher¡¯s corpses continued to erode away, the room shrouded in veils changed as well¨Cthe shadows lurking outside the window began to retreat rapidly. The light from the streetlamps, reaching from the direction of the road, returned to normal, and the unnatural shadows and pervasive cold malice in the room also dissipated along with them.


    ¡°¡­The Doomsday Preachers offered themselves up to the Subspace, now it¡¯s time to pay the price,¡± Meteor Dog¡¯s muffled voice rose, answering Duncan¡¯s confusion, ¡°This scum will be devoured by the Subspace, leaving not even a speck of dust in the real world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, these Heretics die rather eco-friendly deaths,¡± Duncan mused, ¡°sure saves the hassle of cleaning up the scene.¡±


    Then he turned to Sherry, ¡°Feeling any better? If you are, then come with me.¡±


    As he spoke, a cluster of faint green flames appeared in the air, and Ai Yi flew out from among them, circled once, and then landed on his shoulder.


    ¡°Go with you?¡± Sherry was taken aback, ¡°To where¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not planning to spend the night here today, are you?¡± Duncan gestured towards the mess in the room, ¡°Does this place look livable to you?¡±


    Sherry slowly got up, leaning against the wall, her eyes sweeping over the old house that she and Meteor Dog had relied on each other for many years.


    Everywhere was the wreckage of smashed furniture, everywhere were the remains of things corroded away, valuable or not, all destroyed cleanly.


    Actually, there weren¡¯t many possessions to begin with.


    Sherry¡¯s eyelids drooped, and for a moment, she remained silent.


    ¡°The patrolling Guardians don¡¯t seem to have noticed the commotion here, we can still gather some belongings,¡± Duncan sighed, knowing Sherry¡¯s state of mind but unable to offer any consolation, ¡°But no matter what, this place is definitely not fit to live in anymore¨Cnot even considering the destroyed items, you have to consider the possibility of more attacks. Even though we don¡¯t currently understand why the Doomsday Preachers targeted you, you¡¯ve been marked by them¡­¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t continue.


    He knew that Sherry was a child far more mature than she appeared, having grown up in harsh conditions up until now, she should be aware of priorities.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ gather some things,¡± Sherry said, her voice subdued.


    ¡°Need help?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°No need,¡± Sherry shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s¡­ not much.¡±


    Her belongings were indeed scarce.


    Duncan only waited for a short while before Sherry had collected the things she wanted to take from various nooks and crannies, which were only some inconspicuous old objects, including an almost tattered old rag doll and a few articles of old clothing that hadn¡¯t been destroyed, as well as two slightly misshapen little iron boxes that seemed to contain jingling trinkets.


    She put all these things into an old small suitcase, then came up to Duncan with her head humbly low, ¡°I¡¯ve finished packing.¡±


    Meteor Dog turned to glance at the small suitcase in Sherry¡¯s hand and muttered gruffly, ¡°You¡¯re taking all this with you¡­ So we¡¯re not coming back?¡±


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    Sherry didn¡¯t respond.


    Duncan quietly looked at the girl in front of him, and a gentle smile slowly spread across his face.


    He stepped forward and patted the girl¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading home.¡±


    The green flames soared, and the spectral bird spread its wings amidst the fire, blocking Sherry¡¯s last glance back at the cottage.

 Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Chapter 186: Local Products from the City-State

    Chapter 182: Chapter 186: Local Products from the City-State


    On the first floor of the antique store, Nina sat anxiously on a chair next to the counter. She occasionally got up to glance outside the display window, only to see the deserted street under a streetlamp before she would check the door again to ensure it was still securely closed.


    She had the urge to go outside several times, but stopped herself just before her hand touched the doorknob, recalling her uncle¡¯s hurried instruction before he left¨Cdo not leave through this door, stay home and wait for his return.


    ¡°Uncle really¡­¡± Nina sat back behind the counter once again, muttering to herself, ¡°He insists on going out after dark even though there¡¯s a curfew¡­ If the night patrol guards find him, they will surely detain him again, and it¡¯s so dangerous¡­¡±


    She did not know how many times she had muttered this.


    Finally, she heard some slight noises at the door¨Cfootsteps suddenly sounding, followed by the noise of turning the door lock¨C


    Nina abruptly looked towards the door and saw it being pushed open. The bell hanging at the entrance chimed clearly and pleasantly, and that familiar figure finally appeared in her sight.


    ¡°Nina, I¡¯m back,¡± Duncan said, looking at the girl who was quickly walking from beside the counter, a slight smile on his face, ¡°See, it¡¯s not too late.¡±


    Nina rushed over in a few steps and crashed into Duncan¡¯s chest, immediately followed by a flood of complaints: ¡°Not too late! What time is it now! It¡¯s so dangerous to go out during the curfew, and you didn¡¯t even tell me what you were going to do, just let me wait at home¡­¡±


    Nina¡¯s complaints were like a storm at sea, ceaseless as they whipped up, but suddenly, she noticed a small figure hiding behind Duncan, and her complaining stopped abruptly.


    Sherry, carrying a small suitcase and lowering her head, emerged from behind Duncan, somewhat nervously and awkwardly waving at Nina: ¡°Nina¡­ and me.¡±


    Duncan turned around and closed the shop door tightly to avoid any nosy passersby noticing their situation, while Nina, after getting a good look at Sherry, widened her eyes: ¡°Sherry?! You¡­ how did you come, and you¡¯re with uncle¡­ wait, there¡¯s so much blood on you!¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry,¡± Sherry quickly waved her hands, although the wounds on her back had not completely healed, she still tried to show a bright smile as usual, ¡°Just ran into a little trouble, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    ¡°How is this a little trouble!¡± Nina frantically took the small suitcase from Sherry¡¯s hands, quickly checking the bloodstains on her, and soon noticed the torn spots on Sherry¡¯s clothes, suddenly turning pale with fright, ¡°How¡­ how badly are you hurt! We must find a doctor right away! You¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really okay, hey calm down,¡± Sherry quickly grabbed Nina¡¯s hand, her face helpless, ¡°You forgot that I¡¯m not a normal person¡­¡±


    Nina opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more, but suddenly heard Duncan coughing by her side.


    ¡°Cough, cough,¡± Duncan interrupted the increasingly chaotic conversation between the two girls, his gaze resting on Nina, ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions now, Sherry¡¯s injuries shouldn¡¯t be a concern¨Ctake her upstairs first to take a bath and change clothes; we¡¯ll explain everything afterwards.¡±


    Nina¡¯s gaze shifted back and forth between Sherry and Duncan, confusedly agreeing while Sherry rubbed her stomach, somewhat embarrassed: ¡°Um¡­ is there anything to eat¡­ I¡¯d like to eat something first¡­¡±


    Perhaps because too much energy was consumed during the process of recovering from her injuries, she felt very hungry now¨Ccompared to this, the pain from her wounds didn¡¯t seem so urgent.


    ¡°Ah, yes there is!¡± Nina startled for a moment, then quickly reacted, ¡°Just so happens we prepared extra dinner tonight¡­ I¡¯ll go heat it up for you!¡±


    Nina quickly ran up the stairs, and the sound of her footsteps gradually faded away. Sherry stayed behind, slightly dazed, and looked around to see the familiar first-floor shop filled with fake antiques, a not so clean display window, and Mr. Duncan standing nearby with a half-smile.


    After several seconds of being stunned, she softly muttered, ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re back,¡± Duncan said with a smile, bending down to pick up Sherry¡¯s small suitcase and began walking forward, ¡°We¡¯d better discuss how to explain your injuries now and think of a reasonable reason to let you stay here regularly¨Cthough I don¡¯t think that reason needs to be very hard to come up with, Nina would probably be very pleased to have you stay.¡±


    Sherry, dazedly watching from behind, suddenly perked up and quickly took a few steps to catch up with Duncan, reaching out for her own suitcase while hurriedly saying, ¡°I can do it myself! I can¡­¡±


    Duncan smiled and shook his head, looking ahead.


    The pale, cold glow of the Creation of the World shone on the vast, boundless ocean, the gently undulating waves reflecting the fragments of light, the cool night breeze blowing over the deck, fluttering the hem of the captain¡¯s uniform.


    Duncan stood on the deck of the Homeloss, watching the three ¡°Doomsday Preachers¡± who still hadn¡¯t regained consciousness but were slowly transforming back into human form.


    Could these twisted creatures actually turn into normal people?


    Footsteps approached from nearby, and Duncan turned to see Alice¡¯s silver-white hair fluttering in the night breeze¨Cher gothic doll dress flapping as she ran over, excitedly shouting, ¡°Captain, captain, Mr. Goat Head just told me you brought more stuff onto the deck? Did you buy something else from the human City-State¡­¡±


    Alice stopped abruptly mid-sentence, puzzled, as the lively doll came to a halt next to the captain, gazing confusedly at the three ¡°humanoid creatures¡± lying on the deck.


    After a moment of stunned silence, the doll cluelessly turned her head towards Duncan, ¡°Captain¡­ is this also a specialty from the human City-State?¡±


    ¡°¡­Suppose so,¡± Duncan thought for a moment, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them anywhere else, they just keep popping up in the City-State.¡±


    Alice murmured vaguely, scratching her head, feeling an itch¨Ca sensation of her brain wanting to develop, but unable to.


    ¡°They look¡­ human, right?¡± the doll muttered. ¡°Captain, what are you doing bringing three of these things onboard? They can¡¯t be something you bought, right?¡±


    ¡°Not bought, picked up on the way.¡± Duncan responded offhandedly to the scattered thoughts of the doll, while he kept an eye on the three Heretics from Subspace, almost completely returned to human form. He noticed one of them showing signs of awakening, which finally eased his mind.


    It seemed Ai Yi¡¯s teleportation process was as reliable as ever; these heretics were still alive, and even capable of waking up.


    So¡­ could Ai Yi start transporting regular people to the ship as well?


    Duncan began to consider this, his mood gradually improving.


    He had always wanted to find some heretics and use them as ¡°experiment subjects¡± to test Ai Yi¡¯s long-distance teleportation capability, the special environment of the Homeloss, as well as Alice¡¯s guillotine power, but had never found the opportunity.


    The Sun Cultists in the City-State were almost entirely captured in a sweep by the Deep Sea Church and now crammed into various churches, while scattered cultists fled and hid. He had given up looking¨Cyet he hadn¡¯t expected to encounter this situation tonight.


    A few heretics worshiping Subspace had inexplicably appeared.


    What else could Duncan say? He could only be grateful for nature¡¯s gift¡­


    And while he was pondering, the ¡°gifts of nature¡± on the deck finally began to wake up.


    One of the Doomsday Preachers suddenly twitched his body, a hoarse and low murmur coming from his throat, followed by his skinny arm suddenly propping up his body. The worshiper of Subspace sat up, staring bewilderedly at the unfamiliar surroundings.


    The gentle waves and cold sea breeze stimulated his altered nerves influenced by Subspace, and a gentle, deep voice came from the side, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°This place¡­¡± The heretic slowly turned his head, his cloudy eyes reflecting the figures of Duncan and Alice. His brain sluggishly processed thoughts, and after several seconds, he suddenly stood up, facing Duncan with hostility and taking a small step back, ¡°Who are you?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, you haven¡¯t seen me before,¡± Duncan smiled, watching the other two Doomsday Preachers gradually awaken, his voice low as he spoke, ¡°Welcome aboard the Homeloss¨Cyou can call me Captain Duncan.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Homeloss?!¡± The first awakened heretic paused, clearly recognizing the name. After a brief moment of astonishment, his eyes widened, ¡°Is this¡­ is this on that Ghost Ship that returned from Subspace?!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, it seems you know the situation. That makes our conversation simple,¡± Duncan nodded, ¡°First, I have some questions¡­¡±


    Before he could continue, he saw the heretic suddenly raise his arms high, ecstasy seemingly flooding his mind, causing him to cry out, ¡°Subspace! You have finally opened your doors to us! Eternal life amid apocalypse! Salvation amid disaster! All destruction, all revival! The Ark of Promise has descended¡­ The Ark of Promise has descended!¡±


    Duncan¡¯s next words were instantly stifled¨C


    What in the world was wrong with this heretic¡¯s brain?!

 Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Chapter 187: The End of the Sermon

    Chapter 183: Chapter 187: The End of the Sermon


    The subspace believer who had just awakened fell into an inexplicable frenzy upon realizing they were aboard the Homeloss, raising their hands and shouting unintelligible words in a fervor that sent Alice backing away in fear¨Cthankfully, she caught her head just in time to keep it from falling off.


    ¡°This local specialty is terrifying!¡± Miss Puppet¡¯s eyes were wide open as she tucked herself behind Duncan, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    Duncan had no idea¨Che hadn¡¯t even finished asking his question!


    Then, the other two Doomsday Preachers woke up, and upon understanding their situation, they too fell into the same ecstatic state as the first, crazily chanting about the ¡°Ark of Promise¡± and ¡°the gates of Subspace.¡± Regardless of what Duncan and Alice said, they were beyond communication.


    By this point, Duncan had an inkling of why these Doomsday Preachers were so ecstatic¨C


    They were fanatics chasing after subspace, and Homeloss was a Ghost Ship returned from subspace. Could it be that in the eyes of these madmen¡­ Homeloss was considered some kind of divine ¡°miracle¡±?


    Were they fanatical Believers witnessing a miracle?


    But this fervor seemed a bit too excessive.


    The three Heretics huddled together, crying, laughing, and shouting, praising the greatness of subspace while calling upon the Homeloss. Occasionally, they would even emit sounds uncanny for a human throat, their trembling howls as if truly originating from the roars of subspace. In the end, they all knelt together and began to kiss the deck of the Homeloss!


    This final spectacle provoked the previously spectating Alice. Miss Puppet¡¯s eyes blazed as she grabbed a mop nearby and whacked it down on a Heretic¡¯s head, ¡°My freshly washed deck!¡±


    Before Alice¡¯s words fell, two buckets and several mop handles scampered over, beating the fervent Believers without mercy¨Cthe uncontrollable shouts of the fanatics, the reprimands from Alice, and the clamor of colliding buckets and mops suddenly mixed together, turning the usually quiet Homeloss into a noisy commotion.


    Duncan stood by, astonished, the spectacle of the ¡°Cursed Puppet and her lackeys beating up the intruders¡± leaving him deeply shocked. His first thought was curiosity about when the puppet became so close with things on the deck, and his second was to step forward and stop this farce, ¡°Stop!¡±


    The buckets and mops instantly halted, while Alice couldn¡¯t resist whipping a Doomsday Preacher with the mop once more before kicking him. She then stomped away, grumbling, ¡°My freshly washed deck, and they lick it all over¡­¡±


    ¡°Although I do find their actions somewhat disgusting, there¡¯s no need for this¡­¡± Duncan looked helplessly at the puppet, then turned to address the Heretics who had just been beaten up, ¡°Have you calmed down yet?¡±


    The Doomsday Preachers lay on the ground, but despite the past beating, they showed no signs of faltering or fear, still eerily spirited with a haunting smile on their faces. Their seemingly frail and lean bodies endured the pain with astonishing tolerance, almost as if they had abandoned the normal human sense of pain.


    Upon hearing Duncan¡¯s words, one of the preachers slowly turned his head. He stared into Duncan¡¯s eyes, and after a long moment, his chaotic eyes finally focused. Then, producing a chilling laugh, he said, ¡°Ha, haha¡­ The gatekeeper of the promised land, the ghost at the helm, the navigator of the Ark! I can see¡­I can see your heart! How sad¡­you were granted this bliss, yet you reject His gift¡­ You were worthy of entering the promised land, yet you refuse it! You¡­fool!¡±


    Duncan frowned slightly.


    Alice immediately leaned in from behind, ¡°Captain, shall I beat him up again?¡±


    The nearby buckets and mops also hopped over, swaying behind Alice.


    Like lackeys, and the lackeys of those lackeys.


    ¡°Just be quiet over there for a bit,¡± Duncan motioned with his hand, staring at the Doomsday Preacher who was still giving him a strange laugh, his expression unchanged, ¡°It seems you know a lot about me, this ¡®Ghost Ship Captain.''¡±


    ¡°Subspace whispers your name¡­ whispers of your foolish refusal¡­¡± The heretic grinned, blood from the beating dripping down from the corner of his mouth, writhing like a living thing upon his chin as if they were tentacles, ¡°You had the blissful qualification, why then did you flee¡­ Do you not know that Subspace is the eternal and ultimate destination for everything? You had already reached the end¡­ why did you turn back from that endpoint?!¡±


    Duncan merely watched the cultist¨Cuncertain whether he had gone mad or was simply caught in fanaticism¨Cwith an unreadable face but inwardly unsettled.


    These fervent followers of Subspace indeed had something about them; their deranged beliefs not only granted them bizarre powers but also seemed to have truly unveiled to them some secrets about Subspace¨Cwhat this man before him was saying¡­ a part of it might actually be true.


    Captain Duncan escaping from Subspace? Rejecting Subspace¡¯s blessings?


    Could it be that after Homeloss had fallen into Subspace back then, the real ¡°Captain Duncan¡± hadn¡¯t completely succumbed to madness as rumors claimed? Homeloss¡¯s return journey from Subspace¡­ was it, in fact, a successful flight? Did ¡°Captain Duncan¡± still possess some rationality at that time?


    When, then, did he become utterly mad? And when did he die?


    Duncan suddenly recalled the goat-headed being¡¯s attitude when facing Subspace¨Cwary, resistant, even faintly panicked.


    This seemed to provide indirect confirmation of the Doomsday Preacher¡¯s words, a confirmation of that escape.


    Afterward, the Doomsday Preacher fell back into his demented state, muttering to himself incomprehensibly, breaking out into fits of joyous laughter, or smacking his own body, while his two companions remained unconscious throughout, lost in unsettling mental confusion.


    These followers of Subspace were even more insane than the Sun Cultists Duncan had encountered, further removed from the rationality of the real world¨Cthey seemed to be perpetually in a state of mental instability, their thoughts drifting between reality and Subspace, unable to think or communicate normally unless someone was talking to them or they were on a specific mission.


    Was it because of Subspace¡¯s influence? Or had they deliberately destroyed their own sanity as a means to embrace Subspace more fully?


    What puzzled Duncan even more was¨Chow did such mad, strange heretics, whose appearance had even altered, manage to move about within the City-State?


    These lunatics, just walking down the main street, would hardly go unnoticed, probably getting surrounded and gunned down by the security¡¯s steam-powered walkers within five paces!


    After a while, seeing that the Doomsday Preachers showed no signs of coming to their senses, Duncan was forced to take the initiative again, ¡°Why did you attack Sherry?¡±


    The three heretics reacted, one of them lifting his head in his dazed state, swaying to and fro, ¡°Attack? Attack who?¡±


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    ¡°The thing you just did,¡± Duncan¡¯s voice was cold and stern, his demeanor like still water, ¡°You attacked a girl with an Abyssal Hound¨Cwhy attack her?¡±


    ¡°Attack¡­ oh, attack¡­¡± The dazed cultist suddenly grinned widely and began shouting, ¡°We were merely putting everything back on track, allowing the right history to descend smoothly! Holes, flaws, a minor hidden danger¡­ must eliminate the hidden dangers¡­ She was supposed to die in the right history, she should not have lived! With her alive¡­ flaws keep appearing¡­¡±


    ¡°The right history?¡± Hearing the heretic¡¯s mad gibberish, Duncan¡¯s gaze subtly changed, he caught on to key information, reacting instantly, ¡°There are problems with the history line of Prand? You did it?!¡±


    ¡°Problems? No problems, no problems¡­ We are just setting everything on the right course!¡± The frenzied cultist tilted his face, his eyes alight with the fervor of a martyr, ¡°This world should all return to the right track! That doomed fate has been delayed for so many years, everyone has defied the grace of Subspace, defied the fate that was meant to occur! We are correcting history to the right trajectory!¡±


    ¡°Correcting history to the right trajectory!¡± The other two Doomsday Preachers, as if infected, also started shouting praises fervently, one of them even stood up after shouting, hands raised high as if declaring some truth, ¡°Only by going back on track, after total extinction can there be a rebirth! Subspace will devour everything and Subspace will also Reshape everything! The fire is extinguished, embers hard to rekindle¡­ Only by lighting a second bonfire can the world survive through that grace!¡±

 Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Chapter 188 The Maniac

    Chapter 184: Chapter 188 The Maniac


    The clues seemed to be connecting.


    The history of Plunder exhibited signs of contamination, and within the small church in the sixth district lay a twisted, sealed spatial rift. On the sacred statue of the Storm Goddess hid a bizarre Subspace crack, and Subspace¡­ could contaminate everything outside of it.


    Sherry was one of the few who remembered the great fire of that year. When the fire roared to life, she should have perished like everyone else, but she somehow merged with an Abyssal Hound and survived in a daze. While everyone¡¯s perception was twisted due to the contamination of history, she retained the memories of the fire from that time.


    Now, a group of Doomsday Preachers had attacked Sherry¨Cthese madmen worshipping Subspace were delirious and spouted nonsense, yet every sentence did not stray from ¡°correct history¡± and ¡°loopholes¡±.


    Of course, Duncan would not believe the absurd ¡°truths¡± they spoke, and he listened contrarily to their version of the ¡°correct history¡±. But one thing was clear¨Cthese Heretics were inextricably linked to the chaos of Plunder City-State¡¯s history, and the Subspace force behind them was the arch-culprit of everything. And those like Sherry, who remembered the fire of that year¡­ were the archenemies in the eyes of the fanatics who sought to contaminate reality with incorrect history.


    But not all questions had been answered.


    How did these lunatics suddenly find Sherry, this ¡°loophole¡±? What was the connection between historical contamination and the ¡°Black Sun¡±? The Black Sun did not possess the capability to contaminate history, so what role did the ¡°Sun God¡± play in all this? And most importantly¡­


    Nina, the suspected carrier of the Sun Shard, would she also be targeted by these Heretics?


    Duncan¡¯s gaze was icy as he watched the three delirious Doomsday Preachers, slightly lifting a finger¨Ca cluster of ghostly green flames suddenly ignited on one of them, scorching the body of the Heretic, which could be considered a ¡°Transcendent item¡±. He suddenly screamed and curled up on the ground, which also brought sudden quiet to the other Doomsday Preachers.


    ¡°Fire¡­ blasphemous fire¡­¡± one Heretic¡¯s eyes bulged, even the delirious and pain-desensitized followers of Subspace revealed fear upon seeing the green flames, ¡°Blasphemy, blasphemy¡­ oh you blasphemous thing!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be consumed by fierce flames, then continue to cooperate with my questions,¡± Duncan commanded flames to rise up from the deck, creating an interwoven net of fire that surrounded the three Heretics, searing their spirits and bodies, ¡°I ask you, how exactly do you contaminate history? Did it start in the sixth district?¡±


    ¡°We are bringing history back on track!¡± Even intimidated by the Spectral Flames, the Doomsday Preachers did not abandon their spiel. One of them threw back his head and shouted, ¡°The sixth district¡­ The sixth district was just a failed attempt, but it was nothing, nothing¡­¡±


    The sixth district was just a failed attempt?


    Duncan immediately furrowed his brow, the other party did not answer directly, but still revealed some crucial information!


    Firstly, the great fire of that year was indeed the work of these Subspace followers and not, as he had initially thought, merely a wildfire caused by the manifestation of the Sun Shard. Secondly, these Heretics¡¯ attempt to contaminate history appeared not to have been entirely successful¨Cthe fire from eleven years ago did not achieve the expected effect!


    Following that, another key year number suddenly came to mind¨C1885.


    That was the number Fenna discovered in the Underground Sanctuary of the small church, pointing to the year the Nun perished in battle, which should theoretically mark the time when the church was invaded by Subspace forces.


    And the fire that erupted eleven years ago took place in 1889, four years after the death of the Nun.


    This meant that four years after the church was invaded, these Doomsday Preachers orchestrated the fire of 1889¨Cwhich they referred to as a ¡°failed attempt¡±.


    A timeline seemed to gradually clear up in Duncan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You actually failed twice,¡± Duncan said solemnly, watching the Doomsday Preacher being scorched by the Spectral Flame, ¡°In 1885, you invaded a small chapel, hoping to spread historical contamination from there as the origin. But a nun sacrificed her life to thwart your plans, sealing that year¡¯s ¡®invasion¡¯ and her own ¡®death¡¯ in the Underground Sanctuary;


    ¡°Four years later, in 1889, you launched a second plan to start a huge fire in the 6th district where the chapel was located, aiming to overwrite reality with a historical branch where a ¡®City-State was destroyed by raging fire.¡¯ But once again, you failed. The fire was erased without a trace by an unknown force and couldn¡¯t continue to burn¡­


    ¡°Then you lurked in the City-State until today, always looking for opportunities to continue this plan. Until you found Sherry¨Ca loophole, thinking the failure of the original plan was related to her survival, and so you wanted to eliminate this ¡®risk¡¯ first?¡±


    The Spectral Flame blazed fiercely, and the Doomsday Preacher curled up within it. Even a body that knew no pain seemed to struggle against the agony of the soul being directly incinerated. However, the madman showed no intention of answering the question; instead, he slowly stretched his lips into a spine-chilling smile as he looked at Duncan.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer, I can see the answer in your eyes¨Cyou mock and resent, which means I¡¯m right,¡± Duncan continued calmly, unaffected by the provocation, ¡°I have another question¡­ What exactly is your connection with ¡®Black Sun¡¯? Was the fire of 1889 ignited by a Sun Shard¡­ did you orchestrate that?¡±


    The Doomsday Preacher remained silent.


    Duncan spread the flames to the other two individuals, watching them curl up and convulse in the fire, but still not receiving a word in response.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t talk, then I can only guess,¡± Duncan sighed, waving his hand to dispel the flames¨Che had realized that such simple ¡°suffering¡± had no meaning for these madmen who embraced Subspace. Their body and mind had long since mutated into something inhuman, ¡°I guess, you have some sort of cooperation with those Sun Believers¡­ No, perhaps you collaborate with the Scions of the Sun behind those believers? You help those Scions of the Sun resurrect their ¡®master,¡¯ and the way to resurrect¡­ is by summoning the sun from ¡®history¡¯?¡±


    Watching the Heretics still maintain their silence, Duncan paused briefly before continuing: ¡°In the early history of the new City-States, there was an unknown City-State called ¡®Wilhelm,¡¯ known only by name. The last message this City-State left behind spoke of ¡®Black Sun descending from history¡¯¡­ So, this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve done this, calling forth a sun that should have extinguished from history¡­ And this summoning process itself is the greatest pollution of history, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    When all the scattered clues suddenly pieced together, when all the lines gradually connected into one, things that were once incomprehensible, even unthinkable, became imaginable facts. At this moment, Duncan¡¯s imagination and memory operated at high speed, transforming the known, the unknown, and the knowable into distinct orbits in his mind.


    Of course, there were many questions left unexplained¨Cfor example, how exactly did this group of Doomsday Preachers collude with the Sun Cult, or how they managed to summon the sun from history, or whether the ordinary Sun Cultists and priests were aware of these upper-level secrets, he still had no answers.


    And even those things he had just thought of were largely based on speculation; without the confirmation of the Doomsday Preachers before him, he lacked the key evidence.


    The Spectral Flame on the deck gradually receded, leaving only a ring of fire around the three Heretics. Duncan stood before this blaze, expressionless, looking down at the ¡°preachers.¡±


    ¡°There must be more Doomsday Preachers infiltrating the City-State than just you few, right?


    ¡°Where are the others hiding? What do you plan to do next? Continue to eliminate what you call ¡®loopholes¡¯? Or wait for an opportunity to create greater contamination?


    ¡°Still refusing to answer?¡±


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    Duncan¡¯s questions were thrown out one by one, and finally, one of the Heretics moved.


    This gaunt madman slowly twisted his mouth, lifting his gaze to Duncan, his voice hoarse and unclear: ¡°We are not hidden within the so-called City-States¡­ We hide in this cursed, twisted history, which has begun and will not cease¡­ What the Fire Transmitter failed to do, you cannot do either, ¡®Captain¡¯¡­¡±


    His grin widened, the smile chilling to witness. His voice was deep, as if laced with enchantment and coldness: ¡°I just saw how glaringly bright your humanity is, where did you pick that up from?¡±


    Duncan¡¯s eyes subtly shifted, taking a step forward, his voice grave and restrained, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­I wish you a pleasant day, ¡®Captain,''¡± the preacher suddenly switched personas, from a frenzied Believer to a courteous citizen. Slowly rising to a crouch, sitting on the deck, though his gaze seemed to pass through Duncan, sweeping over the vast and desolate Homeloss, ¡°Ah¡­ the promised land, the Ark of Promise¡­¡±

 Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Chapter 189 Alice Test

    Chapter 185: Chapter 189 Alice Test


    After that, Duncan never heard any valuable intelligence from the mouths of those Doomsday Preachers again.


    They simply sat silently on the deck, seeming to enjoy every second of breathing in the Endless Sea breeze as much as possible, meeting Duncan¡¯s questions either with vacant, indifferent stares or with deranged, confused laughter.


    But the last sentence they had spoken before was deeply imprinted in Duncan¡¯s mind.


    These madmen who followed Subspace, whose sanity was in chaos, whose san values might already be negative¡­ seemed to have acquired theoretically impossible knowledge through their frenzied faith, knowledge of truths that theoretically should never have leaked.


    They ¡°saw¡± that there was an abnormal ¡°humanity¡± inside ¡°Captain Duncan,¡± and this humanity was ¡°picked up¡± ¡ª what did this sentence imply? Could it be that they recognized the soul inside his shell had already been replaced?


    And these Heretics had also mentioned, they had not been hiding within the City-State¡­ but within cursed history? What did that mean? Could it mean that these crazed Doomsday Preachers didn¡¯t actually exist in normal spacetime, which is why they could evade the City-State¡¯s guardians¡¯ surveillance with such strange behavior?


    Duncan silently watched the Doomsday Preachers with their weird smiles, his thoughts undulating. He was also paying attention to the entire ship¡¯s condition, sensing if there were any changes to the Homeloss.


    The goat-headed helmsman was still honestly steering in the captain¡¯s quarters, seemingly unaffected by the commotion on the deck.


    All parts of the Homeloss were operating as normal, and the words of the Doomsday Preachers had no effect on the ship.


    Alice was sitting on a large barrel not far away, idly organizing her hair with a bored expression ¡ª the Gothic doll¡¯s mind could not keep up with the topic between the captain and the Heretics and had wandered off long ago.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Duncan finally let out a light sigh.


    The time he had wasted on these Heretics seemed a bit long, and he even felt somewhat influenced by their mad words.


    He had already received quite a bit of useful information from these people, and it seemed there would be no more to gain, so there was no need to continue wasting emotion on the lunatics.


    Just as Duncan¡¯s expression began to change, a Doomsday Preacher suddenly lifted his head, his chaotic eyes reflecting the Homeloss¡¯s hollow, unreal sails, muttering as if in a daze, ¡°Is it time to disembark?¡±


    ¡°There was never a place for you on this ship,¡± Duncan said expressionlessly, looking at him, ¡°but before I throw you overboard, you might still be useful.¡±


    All three Doomsday Preachers lifted their heads, slowly spreading their mouths into strange smiles.


    Despite their elated behavior when they had just boarded, even going so far as to kiss the deck passionately, now, hearing Duncan¡¯s words, they showed no sign of loss or fear.


    Originally, Duncan thought they would at least resist, would try to stay on this ship by force, or even try to reach the Subspace, their dearly held ¡°Promised Land,¡± but none of that happened¨Conly a peculiar numbness filled their eyes.


    It was as if in a moment unknown to others, most of their personalities and memories had suddenly left these bodies, or as if they had suddenly heard some ¡°calling¡± in destiny and then calmly accepted their fate.


    Duncan frowned but did not probe what these already deranged Heretics were thinking; instead, he turned to look at the Gothic doll who was daydreaming not far away: ¡°Alice, come here.¡±


    The doll immediately reacted, deftly placing her head back onto her neck, jumped down from the barrel, and trotted over to Duncan: ¡°You called for me, Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­Could you not always remove your own head? The joints are unstable as it is, and your intelligence seems to drop each time you take it off,¡± Duncan started with a frown of complaint, then shook his head, pointing at the three Heretics, ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to do some testing on you.¡±


    ¡°Testing?¡± Alice paused, ¡°What kind of testing?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if your uncontrollable ¡®guillotine¡¯ power is still there,¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten about that.¡±


    ¡°I forgot!¡± Alice nodded vigorously, ¡°You reminded me just now, and I¡¯ve only just remembered!¡±


    Then she ignored Duncan¡¯s subtly changing expression and turned to greet the ¡°Doomsday Preachers,¡± ¡°Hello, I forgot to introduce myself just now, my name is Alice, and I¡¯m the ship¡¯s¡­ chef?¡±


    ¡°You should tell them about your other identity,¡± Duncan said flatly. While speaking to Alice, his gaze rested on the Heretics, ¡°Anomaly 099.¡±


    The three Doomsday Preachers finally showed a change in their expression. One of them couldn¡¯t help but take a look at Alice, his face suddenly taking on an air of gravity.


    ¡°I thought you were truly numb to the extent that you didn¡¯t fear death,¡± Duncan noted the change but still remained calm, ¡°So, I hope you fear-nothing madmen who aren¡¯t afraid of Subspace will like the following arrangements¨Cyou just need to stay near Alice and then either survive or be beheaded and die.¡±


    Alice, listening to the side, suddenly leaned in and muttered, ¡°Captain, you sound like a villain when you say that¡­¡±


    Duncan looked at the artificial being in surprise: ¡°¡­Whose side are you on, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Death has no meaning for us¡­¡± While Duncan and Alice were whispering, one of the Doomsday Preachers finally spoke up. He glanced at Alice, actually took a step forward, his expression laced with mockery, ¡°It¡¯s just one more pause in this long journey¨CYou who refused the grace of Subspace, dull and obsessed with the illusion of the real world, will never know the truth beyond life and death¡­¡±


    Duncan quickly tugged at Alice¡¯s arm, ¡°Did you hear that? That¡¯s what a villain sounds like¡­¡±


    Alice nodded, ¡°Oh.¡±


    After that, Duncan ignored the Preachers¡¯ reactions. He looked up at the night sky where the Creation of the World hung and suddenly asked, ¡°How long have these people been on board?¡±


    ¡°Several hours now, I guess?¡± Alice thought about it, ¡°I¡¯m pretty accurate when it comes to the sense of time!¡±


    ¡°A few hours¡­ which means the testing and activation period for the guillotine must have passed at least once,¡± Duncan pondered, his eyes on the puppet before him while recalling the descriptions related to Anomaly 099¡¯s Traits, ¡°But it¡¯s still not safe¡­ Let¡¯s wait a bit longer, then conduct another round of tests.¡±


    ¡°Another round of tests?¡± Alice blinked in confusion, ¡°How will we test?¡±


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s fairly certain that your beheading ability hasn¡¯t activated, but it¡¯s not yet clear if it¡¯s due to the influence of Homeloss or me,¡± Duncan glanced at the Doomsday Preachers as if to doubly ensure their heads were still in place while he spoke, ¡°In a few more hours, after ensuring at least one cycle of your ability¡¯s testing and activation period has passed, I want you and these ¡®Preachers¡¯ to temporarily leave Homeloss.¡±


    Alice paused at this, ¡°Temporarily leave Homeloss? Where would we go then?¡±


    She looked up, gazing beyond the ship¡¯s railing, taking in the Endless Sea that stretched to the horizon. The sea was calm at the moment, its entire surface bathed in the pale glow of the Creation of the World, giving the impression of an endless snowy plain. In this boundless sea¡­ there was nowhere to land.


    Duncan gave it some thought.


    Now that he had found the ¡°material¡± for testing Alice, he still needed a ¡°test site¡± that would eliminate his own interference to ensure the rigor of the testing process. This site couldn¡¯t be on densely populated land and had to be outside of Homeloss; it seemed he didn¡¯t have many other options.


    ¡°There are a few lifeboats in good condition. I¡¯ll let one down and then temporarily sever its connection with Homeloss,¡± Duncan looked into Alice¡¯s eyes, ¡°You¡¯ll drift at sea for a while¨CI¡¯ll have the ship wait nearby, I won¡¯t abandon you.¡±


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    The artificial lady shrank her neck as she listened to the captain¡¯s plan: ¡°Drift at sea again? I have a psychological trauma over this! And the visibility at night is so bad, what if you lose me? What if a storm sweeps away the lifeboat, what if it capsizes¡­¡±


    Duncan cut her off before she could finish her rant: ¡°Stop, stop, stop, with all these ¡®what ifs.¡¯ Can¡¯t I just have Ai Yi circle overhead and keep watch¨CAnd speaking of which, aren¡¯t you scared of not being able to get back to the ship? When you were given a coffin board, you managed to sail back through the waves, eight cannonballs couldn¡¯t keep you down. This time, you at least have a couple of proper oars!¡±


    Alice¡¯s complaints were stifled, but only for a moment. She then looked worriedly at the nearby sea and the Subspace Believers who were neither human nor ghostly, delirious and chaotic, tugging at Duncan¡¯s sleeve with determination, ¡°Captain, you promised, don¡¯t you dare lose me later!¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help feeling this artificial being grew more useless the longer it stayed on the ship¨Cshe wasn¡¯t even as good as when she was braving the waves on the Endless Sea, back then, she at least had a foolish drive¡­

 Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Chapter 190: Vanished Like Yesterday

    Chapter 186: Chapter 190: Vanished Like Yesterday


    The Creation of the World hung high in the night sky, a cold wind swept over the Endless Sea, and the broken waves gently floated around. The small boat rocked and swayed, like a dream that was about to wake before dawn.


    But Alice didn¡¯t actually know what it meant to ¡°dream.¡± She had slept for a very, very long time but had never truly dreamed like humans do. She guessed that dreaming must be similar to this state.


    Floating in a vast, vast place, her thoughts also drifted about.


    She lifted her head and saw only the sea in the distance; the remote lights of the Homeloss seemed like tiny candle flames hovering over the surface of the water. This even gave her the feeling that the whole world had disappeared, leaving only herself, the small boat beneath her, and the boundless Endless Sea.


    Oh, and the three Doomsday Preachers tied up with ropes across from her.


    The doll miss shifted her gaze from the distance and curiously observed the Heretics tied up in front of her.


    These were humans, the nasty kind¨CAlice didn¡¯t know much about humans, but she knew there were good people and bad people among them. Good people did very good things; Captain Duncan would praise them; sometimes, he even helped them. Bad people did very bad things; Captain Duncan would despise them; sometimes, he even reported them. And these three in front of her¡­ belonged to the type the captain liked the least.


    They believed in Subspace, followed malicious doctrines, and would kill anyone for the faux righteousness they concocted¨Ceven attacking a poor little girl who relied on her dog for company. If the guardians of the City-State discovered them, they would shoot them dead in the streets without hesitation. If the sailors at sea found them, they would hang them from the masts¨C even the most vicious pirates, upon finding them, would stuff these madmen into wooden crates and throw them into the sea as a way to seek protection from the Storm Goddess.


    But now they were tied up, quiet, and showed no signs of crazy outbursts¨CAlice still remembered the terrifying state of these people when they first arrived on the ship, as agitated as if they had taken the wrong medication.


    As time passed, these Doomsday Preachers became more and more docile.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± After holding in for a long time, Alice couldn¡¯t help but speak out. She felt really uncomfortable here, although she knew this was a necessary ¡°safety test¡± to let her move about in human City-States, the feeling of drifting over the Endless Sea still left her unsettled.


    One of the Doomsday Preachers responded to the doll¡¯s voice. His skeletal head slowly lifted, staring into Alice¡¯s eyes, ¡°Foolish filth, crude shell¡­ Your soul is pale and empty. Subspace will not take you in¡­¡±


    Alice was stunned for a moment, and it took her a few seconds to react, ¡°Hey, why are you insulting me?¡±


    However, the Doomsday Preachers opposite her only emitted a series of hoarse and unpleasant laughter. Facing the fear-inducing ¡°anomaly 099,¡± they seemed to have no fear at all.


    Or maybe, as they themselves claimed, they had transcended the concept of life and death and no longer cared about the arrival of death in the real world.


    Alice could only hold her annoyance, but after a while, she shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡±


    Another Doomsday Preacher looked up at her and remained silent.


    Alice kept talking to herself, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be angry. You could complain a bit, after all. You are the ones tied up, not me. You are the ones undergoing this beheading test, not me. The captain always said, ¡®Don¡¯t get too carried away when the wind is favorable, for a big wave can capsize the boat, and if a person jumps too much they might lose their life¡¯¡­ And since you¡¯ve fallen to this state, I, being generous, will allow you a few unrestrained words.¡±


    The Doomsday Preachers silently sat in the cabin, listening to the doll rambling on as if they had completely blocked her out. But after a while, Alice noticed that these men had some ¡°little movements¡± ¡ª


    They were subtly examining each other¡¯s heads, occasionally moving their necks, and sometimes cautiously glancing this way with puzzlement in their eyes.


    Alice thought for a moment and felt that these men might be curious as to why their heads were still on their necks.


    These Heretics apparently knew about anomaly 099. Perhaps they truly weren¡¯t afraid of dying, but their curiosity was still present¨Chaving been so close to anomaly 099 for so long, they couldn¡¯t comprehend their own survival.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a bit afraid,¡± Alice suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that your heads will suddenly fall off¨CCaptain said I have the ability to behead people; I was startled when I heard that for the first time. Humans are different from me; human¡¯s heads can¡¯t be put back on once they¡¯ve fallen off¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings came from above. Alice curiously looked towards the direction of the sound and saw the pigeon, Ai Yi, suddenly flying towards the distance. Then, not long after, it flew back from the direction of the Homeloss, carrying green flames on its body.


    Ai Yi circled above the surface of the sea near the small boat, the ghostly green fire soaring into the air, and within the grand vortex of flames, an ornate wooden chest emerged out of thin air and then plopped onto the sea nearby.


    ¡°My chest!¡± Alice¡¯s eyes widened in amazement, and she exclaimed with surprise; then, the words ¡°sweeping before stepping out¡± surfaced in her mind, and her head almost fell off her neck¨Cbut then she noticed a piece of paper stuck to the wooden chest, quickly paddled the boat over with an oar at hand, and after getting closer, she took off the note and saw a line of words written on it:


    ¡°The guillotine ability might also be related to your wooden box; both should be sent for testing. Also, you must be imagining again that I want to throw you off the ship¨Cdon¡¯t overthink it, come back quickly after the test is complete.¡±


    Alice looked at the note over and over, struggling to make sense of its content.


    She was illiterate¡­


    But soon on the back of the note, she saw something else¨Ca crudely drawn sketch that depicted her rowing back to the ¡®Homeloss,¡¯ ending with a smiley face.


    Thus, the doll-like lady understood¨Cregardless of what was written on the front of the note, the captain had no intention of sending her away.


    Relieved, she carefully tucked away the note and casually lifted the wooden box from the sea with a ¡°thump,¡± tossing the actually quite heavy box onto the small boat with one hand. Only then did she look up at the several heretics opposite her, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    The preachers gave no response, but she didn¡¯t mind and mumbled to herself, ¡°Although the captain said you deserve to die, he also said if you really manage to survive the test, he won¡¯t kill you¨Che plans to bring you back to the city-state, for something¡­ what was it called¡­¡±


    The doll-like lady stumbled a moment, trying to remember what the captain had said, ¡°Oh, to demonstrate the citizens¡¯ concern for the safety of the city-state¡­ He said you are each worth at least seven bicycles. What is a bicycle?¡±


    ¡°Subspace will grant us warmth¡­ Subspace will grant us peace¡­ Subspace will bestow blessings upon all that perishes, after the end has come as promised¡­¡± mumbled a Doomsday Preacher ambiguously, seemingly in response to Alice¡¯s incessant talking, or perhaps merely engaging in some kind of blasphemous prayer, ¡°We walk through the end, abandoning this cursed flesh, our minds will transcend that barrier, and in the new world, our eyes will open once again¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Alice was confused, ¡°What are you muttering about?¡±


    The Doomsday Preachers stopped responding to her, and after that did not give any further response.


    Until sunrise, all they did was bow their heads, murmuring endlessly about matters related to Subspace, about the end of a time continuum, about an apocalypse that is destined and justified to come. Amid the rolling waves and the sound of water slapping against the boat, there was only the incessant muttering of these madmen.


    This was an atmosphere that could send chills down the spine of an ordinary person, and their prayers could curse the weak-willed, snaring them in the shadows that seeped from the depths of the world. Yet Alice sensed only annoyance.


    Having received the captain¡¯s note, she was no longer afraid of this drifting journey, left only with utter boredom.


    But the tedious wait was finally over.


    A streak of dawn light appeared on the distant sea. In the faint morning glow, the ¡®Creation of the World¡¯ in the sky quickly faded, and the sun that was doubly sealed by runes slowly emerged from the sea, ascending into the sky.


    Dawn had broken.


    Alice hadn¡¯t beheaded anyone.


    The doll-like lady cheerfully watched the sunrise, stood up from beside the wooden box, and turned to the heretics, ¡°Hey! It¡¯s dawn! You¡¯re still alive! We can go back now!¡±


    However, the three Doomsday Preachers still didn¡¯t respond to her. They just hunched there in the cabin, heads bowed, muttering softly, calling out for the ¡°attention¡± of Subspace one last time in the fleeting darkness before the sunlight could flood the cabin.


    Not until Alice raised her voice once more did one of them finally lift his head. The heretic glanced at the sunlight steadily spreading across, a bit dazed, but gradually, a strange smile appeared on his face.


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    ¡°Oh, our day is over¡­¡± the madman murmured, then slowly turned his head to look at Alice¡¯s gem-like, perfectly sculpted eyes, his smile weirdly mixing insanity and serenity, ¡°Doll, we shall meet again one day.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Alice was startled, ¡°What do you mean? You can¡¯t just disappear into thin air¡­¡±


    The sunlight spread.


    The figures of the three Doomsday Preachers silently vanished with the morning light, like ephemeral shadows of the past day.


    ¡°Run away, could you¡­¡± Alice finished the sentence out of inertia and then, widening her eyes, exclaimed, ¡°You really did run away, huh?¡±

 Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Chapter 192: Ark of Promise

    Chapter 188: Chapter 192: Ark of Promise


    In the chart room, as always, sunlight from the Endless Sea streamed through the portholes, casting a brilliance upon the antiquated artifacts that had gathered a century¡¯s worth of time. The black goat-head statue sat quietly in the corner of the chart table, controlling the direction of Homeloss, while the surface of the ancient sea chart was enveloped by rolling, thin mists. Within these swirling layers, the trajectory representing the known routes stretched straight toward a certain direction, moving forward.


    At the end of the course lay the Plunder City-State. The shimmering point of light had now appeared in the fog ahead and was slowly closing the distance to Homeloss, barely perceptible to the naked eye.


    The door opened, and Duncan¡¯s silhouette appeared in the doorway.


    The goat-head statue immediately stirred, its wooden neck creaking as it turned its head toward the source of the sound. ¡°Ah, the great captain has come to his faithful deputy! How are things going for you? You have been busy since yesterday, do you have a good mood today? Today¡¯s weather¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop, there¡¯s no need to repeat such greetings several times a day.¡± Duncan interrupted before the other could finish, his gaze then casually lingering on the face of the goat-head statue for a moment.


    The goat-head, as always, showed no expression, and its obsidian-crafted eyes remained eerily cold. It watched from the table with a non-human quality in its gaze.


    But there was no dangerous aura, nor anything different from usual.


    It seemed that the statue was always seriously following Duncan¡¯s orders. Duncan had instructed it to focus on steering, and it merely focused on steering.


    ¡°Captain, you seem to be heavily burdened?¡± The goat-head¡¯s voice rang out, carrying a familiar, obsequious enthusiasm, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve captured some prisoners¡­ but they don¡¯t seem to be on board anymore?¡±


    ¡°They disappeared after the sunrise,¡± Duncan casually moved to the navigation desk and sat down, ¡°They were a few Doomsday Preachers.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Doomsday Preachers¡­ troublesome and dangerous fellows indeed. They are indeed hard to capture, always appearing and disappearing mysteriously,¡± the goat-head immediately began to prattle as Duncan knew it would. Once a topic was brought up, it would produce a stream of nonsense which, however, often contained useful information without needing much probing, ¡°But what did they do to provoke you? Those insane preachers usually don¡¯t show themselves much and, compared to Sun Cultists or the cult of obliteration, they are much more low-profile and rare¡­¡±


    ¡°They attacked a human I was observing, and I captured them incidentally for Alice to test her abilities,¡± Duncan said offhandedly while observing the goat-head¡¯s reaction, ¡°They also babbled a lot of nonsensical stuff related to Subspace¡­ How much do you know about these heretics?¡±


    ¡°I would advise you not to pay too much attention to their insane ¡®sermons,''¡± the goat-head immediately said, ¡°Just frequently invoking the name of Subspace can attract dangerous attention, let alone dealing with those madmen who follow Subspace. Of course, someone as great as you might not be affected, but listening to them always isn¡¯t good¡­¡±


    It paused briefly, then continued, ¡°I tell you, my understanding of those lunatics is limited, and not many in this world know about them. Doomsday Preachers should be considered the strangest among various heretic groups, expert at disappearing without a trace, with fragmented and incoherent thinking, and unlike common heretics, who have a large number of low-level followers¨Cthey are far fewer in number and lack anyone who can communicate normally¡­¡±


    The goat-head rambled on, the nonsense increasing towards the end, but even amidst this verbosity, Duncan still picked up some key pieces of intelligence.


    According to the goat-head, Doomsday Preachers were far fewer in number compared to two other equally troubling heretical forces, the followers of the sun and the cult of obliteration. Based on current records and observed patterns of activity, their number might only be in the thousands, possibly even fewer.


    Typically, heretical groups had a large number of ordinary people forming a ¡°lower tier of Believers,¡± who were powerless and led normal social lives apart from their corrupted thinking, essentially indistinguishable from ordinary people. However, Doomsday Preachers lacked such a base structure¨Cwhenever they appeared, it was always as powerful ¡°clergymen.¡±


    No one knew how a cult operated and sustained itself without this lower-tier support, just as no one understood the specific process of conversion among ordinary people by Sun Cultists and servants of obliteration.


    Additionally, though Doomsday Preachers bore the word ¡°preacher¡± in their name, it seemed they had almost no instances of successful ¡°preaching¡±¨Ctheir sanity had long evaporated, and their language and logic were alien to common folks. Despite always muttering some ¡°truth¡± related to Subspace whenever they showed up, any person of sound mind wouldn¡¯t listen to their trickery, and the weak-willed¡­ would have been turned into monsters by Subspace contamination beforehand.


    In other words, it was theoretically impossible for Doomsday Preachers to increase their numbers through ¡°preaching.¡±


    Lastly, Doomsday Preachers were extremely elusive, very much so.


    Duncan had already experienced this firsthand.


    Having claimed to know little about Doomsday Preachers, the goat-head nonetheless revealed substantial information.


    ¡°A group of preachers so deranged they can¡¯t even ¡®preach¡¯ anymore¡­¡± Duncan stroked his chin, muttering thoughtfully, ¡°So where did the original Doomsday Preachers come from?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± the goat-headed figure¡¯s neck creaked and groaned as it swayed, ¡°Maybe it sprouted directly from subspace¡­¡±


    Duncan did not pay attention to the goat-head¡¯s clearly fabricated ¡°subspace joke,¡± nor did he share his own ¡°non-linear speculation¡± about the Doomsday Preachers.


    He just pondered, if someone like him who had just encountered a Doomsday Preacher could come up with such speculation, what then could the long-standing guardians and bishops in the human city-states, those who continuously battled heresy, possibly know about the group of subspace believers? Did they have a more complete theory to explain the oddities of those lunatics?


    ¡°Captain, you seem to be very interested in those Doomsday Preachers?¡± In the silence, the voice of the goat-head suddenly broke the quiet in the room, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you with such a serious expression¡­¡±


    Duncan looked up and quietly glanced at the goat-head.


    ¡°What do you think, if a city-state¡¯s history had been contaminated, could it still be saved?¡±


    He suddenly asked this.


    Calmly and casually, as if merely discussing a mundane ¡°academic speculation¡± during leisure.


    The goat-head was stunned (although its rigid face was originally expressionless), and it took two or three seconds before responding, ¡°Historical contamination? Oh, that¡¯s a high-level topic, sounds like something only subspace could pull off¡­¡±


    ¡°Only subspace could pull off such a thing?¡± Duncan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Besides subspace, this inherently chaotic and dangerous entity where time, space, and causality are all entangled, what else could so easily pollute the history of a city-state?¡± the goat-head casually said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing in this mortal world that possesses such power¡­ oh, not to say there isn¡¯t one; speaking of power alone, there might be one so capable, but that thing hangs in the sky¡­¡±


    Listening to the goat-head¡¯s rambling, Duncan felt a jolt in his heart.


    Subspace itself has chaotic time and causal relationships?


    This was the first time he heard such clear and direct information related to subspace.


    And along with this information emerging in his mind, he remembered a phrase the Frost Queen had said to him in that illusory vision¨C


    Please do not contaminate history.


    He frowned, temporarily supressing the complex thoughts in his mind, and turned his gaze back to the goat-head, which immediately noticed the captain¡¯s stare, stopped its chatter, and quickly responded, ¡°Ah, no wonder you suddenly took interest in those Doomsday Preachers¡­ Could it be that they¡­¡±


    ¡°They might have stirred up a big mess,¡± Duncan murmured, ¡°which makes me somewhat¡­ restless.¡±


    He quietly watched the eyes of the goat-head, which also looked back expressionlessly, as if observing each other, yet seemingly with no additional communication.


    ¡°The city-state has its guardians, and those Fire Transmitters watching over the course of history,¡± the goat-head began to speak, ¡°no matter what those Doomsday Preachers stir up, they pose no threat to you, even if they could contaminate history, they can¡¯t contaminate you and Homeloss¡­¡±


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    ¡°Can¡¯t contaminate me and Homeloss, you say?¡±


    ¡°¡­We returned from subspace, Captain,¡± the goat-head slowly said, ¡°everything in the world can be contaminated¨Cbut subspace is an exception, and we¡­ have already stayed in subspace long enough.¡±


    Duncan frowned, and for some reason, the frenzied words once spoken by those Doomsday Preachers suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    After a moment of silence, he couldn¡¯t help but murmur softly, ¡°Ark of Promise¡­¡±


    (Book recommendation time! The book¡¯s title is ¡°Standing Below Billions of Lives,¡± by author Chen Laite. Actually, this book was promoted once before, but unfortunately, it was reported and went into a period of closure. Now the content has been renewed and reborn, featuring the interesting story of a mentally ill young man who refuses unpaid overtime and runs away from home in a magical world. If interested, check it out.)

 Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Chapter 193 "Captain

    Chapter 189: Chapter 193 ¡°Captain


    Subspace could contaminate everything beyond itself, including reality and time itself, yet this didn¡¯t seem to be a problem for Homeloss.


    In a sense, the ship had already become a part of subspace¨Cindeed, its hull was still navigating through subspace at that moment.


    You cannot drive a person with zero sanity into madness, nor can you contaminate the Homeloss, which had been thoroughly transformed by subspace.


    Listening to the goat head¡¯s words, Duncan Ebnomal showed a contemplative expression, but he didn¡¯t ponder for long because the goat head¡¯s voice came from the navigation desk again, ¡°Captain, you¡¯ve started taking an interest in matters within the civilized boundary¨Cyou used to be focused solely on voyaging beyond the frontier. Does something in the City-State hold special meaning for you?¡±


    Voyaging beyond the frontier?


    Duncan¡¯s heart stirred slightly, but his facial expression remained unchanged, as he casually replied, ¡°Just a simple interest, no need for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay, you¡¯re the captain, what you say goes,¡± responded the goat head immediately, followed by two seconds of silence, as if hesitating or contemplating something, before it finally spoke in a low voice, ¡°Well then, just in case, I¡¯d like to ask you a question.¡±


    Duncan raised his eyebrows.


    He heard the hoarse, deep voice emanating from within the wood carving, ¡°Your name?¡±


    ¡°Duncan Ebnomal,¡± Duncan replied impassively, his fingertips lightly crossed over each other, but this time, after uttering his name, he suddenly laughed and quickly asked back, ¡°I¡¯m rather curious, what would happen if I gave a different name?¡±


    It was the first time he¡¯d asked this question, and it was also his boldest ¡°transgression¡± to date¨Cwas it the life he¡¯d led on this ship, the many encounters with the goat head, and the increasing understanding of his own powers and traits that had finally led him to take this step?


    The mutual probing and observation had established a fundamental tacit understanding, Duncan¡¯s counter-question revealing a fact both parties were aware of but left unspoken, and after this question, the goat head fell into a prolonged silence. Only after a full minute did the captain¡¯s quarters reverberate with its low, hoarse voice again, ¡°Then, please spare me the jokes, Captain. Homeloss still needs you at the helm.¡±


    Duncan laughed.


    As he had suspected, if the goat head had been ¡°Captain Duncan¡¯s¡± right-hand man for the past century, then it probably knew the Ghost Captain even better than the captain knew himself. Considering all the strange and transcendent entities in this world, how could an extremely knowledgeable ¡°first mate¡± not notice a change in the captain, not consider the possible scenarios?


    Even the most cautious disguise has its flaws, and the fact that nobody had mentioned it meant that these flaws were obvious and necessary to some extent.


    Homeloss needed a captain, and that captain¡¯s name was ¡°Duncan Ebnomal.¡± It didn¡¯t matter what lay behind that name or whether the captain himself was real; all that mattered was having someone qualified at the helm.


    Duncan was just curious about why it had to be him, and whether his own ¡°Self-Will¡± was an unexpected development, because from what he knew about ghost ships, if a cursed vessel needed to ¡°grab¡± people to be captains, then those chosen should be under the curse¡¯s control, yet he was clearly unfettered.


    But he didn¡¯t voice these thoughts, as the goat head¡¯s demeanor subtly reminded him:


    Some things, everyone knows them; no need to state them too plainly.


    Until all the secrets behind Homeloss were unraveled, this topic could come to a close.


    ¡°Still needing your loyal first mate at your service, and Homeloss still needing its great captain personally at the helm, what do you think?¡± came the goat head¡¯s voice from the side, sounding somewhat hopeful, even eager.


    Duncan turned his head, gazing at the Obsidian-carved eyeballs of the other.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said with a smile.


    He then stood up and headed for the door of the captain¡¯s quarters, ¡°I¡¯m going to step out for a moment; keep an eye on the ship.¡±


    The goat head returned to its usual obsequious manner, its tone pleasant, ¡°Of course, your loyal subordinate will wait here for your return, wish you a good¡­¡±


    Duncan had already pushed the door open and left the room, blocking the rest of the goat head¡¯s words behind it.


    He stood on the aft deck, exhaling softly, a strange relief rising within him. The morning sun was spreading over the sea, lending the whole deck a warm and comforting atmosphere, while the door leading to the captain¡¯s quarters stood quietly in front of Duncan, the letters ¡°The Door of The Displaced¡± glistening in the sunlight.


    He pressed the handle and gently pushed forward.


    Inside the captain¡¯s quarters, the goat head sensed that the captain had temporarily left Homeloss.


    It was silent, everything in the room was silent, even the entire ship was silent, but after a few minutes, a low creaking sound suddenly emerged from beneath the floorboards, followed by some of the room¡¯s furnishings beginning to sway slightly, producing various faint noises.


    The voice of the goat¡¯s head broke the silence, muttering to itself, ¡°Geez¡­ not angry, right¡­ should not be angry¡­ I mean, really not angry¡­¡±


    The various tiny sounds in the room became more pronounced.


    ¡°I know, I know¡­ it¡¯s not that I want to keep asking for names every now and then! It¡¯s for navigation safety! Just in case we fall back into Subspace, at least we¡¯d be prepared¡­ Stop fussing, stop fussing, I¡¯m already all over the place¡­ How about next time you ask! If not, then keep it down¡­ You know I¡¯m the only one on board with a mouth¡­


    ¡°That doll? Are you guys crazy? She doesn¡¯t know the situation¡­ Wait, when did you get on such good terms with her? Aren¡¯t you always fighting¡­ Feeling guilty for bullying her too much? Can it really be like this?


    ¡°Alright, alright, everyone scatter, focus on the journey, the captain might return at any time, he might ask about the progress of our voyage¡­ Anchor, can¡¯t you learn to swim? Providing some power when you swing, I¡¯ve seen those steamships¡¯ propellers¡­ Alright then, forget I said anything¡­ Or maybe you two lifeboats could jump in and mess around? Okay, okay, forget I said that too¡­¡±


    The sounds in the captain¡¯s quarters gradually subsided.


    The goat¡¯s head sighed silently and continued to steer the massive Ghost Ship towards the direction of Plunder City-State.


    On the sea chart shrouded in mist, the twinkling light where the City-State was located drew nearer by a bit.


    ¡­


    Zhou Ming pushed open the door to his single apartment and stepped into the world he was familiar with.


    Outside the window, the mist was still enveloping everything, and the world he knew was still confined to this small area.


    Inside the room, everything remained as it was when he left, the bedcovers were somewhat messy, the book on the nightstand was still open, and the computer screen in the corner flickered faintly, with the ¡°Network Disconnected¡± prompt popping up again and again in the bottom right corner.


    Duncan breathed a sigh of relief and strolled over to the shelving unit at the end of the room.


    The model ship Homeloss still lay quietly in its compartment, exactly where he had last placed it.


    Duncan picked up the intricately detailed Ghost Ship ¡°model,¡± then opened the door to the captain¡¯s quarters and peeked inside.


    The navigation desk was still empty, the figure of the goat¡¯s head was not to be seen.


    Duncan pondered for a moment before returning Homeloss to its original spot, then turned and walked over to the desk, preparing to sit down and rest, and organize the intelligence he knew and collect his thoughts in this familiar and quiet environment.


    But all of a sudden, his gaze was drawn to something on the desk.


    To be precise, not something, but a rather strange¡­ phenomenon.


    He saw very, very tiny flames continuously leaping on the empty desk top, like sparks chaining together, and under the outline of these faint and eerie green flames, there were vague outlines appearing and disappearing in the air.


    It was as if something was taking shape on the desktop, yet the coalescence was too slow, getting stuck in an almost-formed state.


    Duncan sat down in front of the desk, quietly watching those dancing flames and the outlines faintly appearing amidst the fire, the eerie green light reflecting off his face, lending his slightly gaunt features a solemn air.


    He recognized that the outlines traced by the flickering flames were places he was familiar with¨Cthose were some of the streets of Plunder!


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    He could even make out some details of the City-State¡¯s coastline.


    The fire was burning, and Duncan remembered that he had commanded those flames to persistently chase and hunt down those ¡°things¡± with black umbrellas.


    Now it had nearly spread to every corner of the City-State.


    The prey¡­ is everywhere!?


    Duncan¡¯s brow furrowed bit by bit, thoughtfully tracking and distinguishing the paths of those spreading flames, searching for the patterns in their congregation, and the directions they might converge on next, like a hunter tracking the scent of his prey.

 Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Chapter 194: Transmission

    Chapter 190: Chapter 194: Transmission


    Fenna once again found herself within the archives.


    Even though she herself did not understand why she had returned there, a sense of disharmony and impending crisis seemed to be chasing her like an unseen shadow, compelling her to continuously recall the details of her previous searches in the archives and constantly feeling that she might have forgotten something.


    Of course, another reason for her return to the archives was that there was nowhere else to go at the moment.


    As her connection with the Homeloss had been intensifying, she was actually under round-the-clock surveillance¨Cshe remained a judge of the Plunder City-State, but this was only because no one could replace her in her crucial duties at the moment; therefore, apart from necessary attendances, she had to stay in the cathedral.


    The encounter with ¡°Captain Duncan¡± in the Dreamscape was anxiety-inducing, and the clues found in the small chapel in the Sixth District were unsettling; in the solemn and holy archives, she could somewhat block out the surrounding gazes and interferences, allowing herself a moment of respite.


    Footsteps echoed through the empty archives, row upon row of towering shelves stretched up to the ceiling like giants standing silently in her line of sight, and the ancient scrolls quietly slept on the shelves, overlooking the young judge passing below.


    Fenna raised her head, gazing at the shelves that stretched out before her in her vision, recalling once again her previous experience of searching for documents here, while a middle-aged priest responsible for managing the archives quietly followed not far behind her, with his lantern casting a warm, soft glow.


    Entering the archives, searching for the records of 1889, discovering suspicious traces of heretical sacrifices, using this clue to widen the search, finding records of heretical sacrifices between 1889, and finally noticing the abnormal disappearance of the corresponding archives from 1885.


    These memories combed through her mind over and over¨CFenna could no longer remember how many times she had recalled them; they were now so vividly present in her mind, seamlessly perfect from start to finish, with no trace of any flaws or distortions.


    But Fenna¡¯s brow was gradually furrowing.


    The young judge suddenly stopped, and the middle-aged priest following behind her also stopped.


    ¡°Judge, Your Honor?¡± the middle-aged man called from behind.


    Something isn¡¯t right, something is off¨CI definitely wasn¡¯t alone when I first came to look for the documents, someone was with me¡­ but who was it?


    Fenna seemed not to hear the voice behind her, merely frowning and thinking hard; she remembered again the small chapel in the Sixth District and the nun who had died in battle in 1885¨Cthe chapel that had disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight, even Bishop Valentin had forgotten its existence over the years, a situation so similar¡­


    I, too, have experienced a similar ¡°forgetting,¡± everyone has forgotten the same thing, so I can¡¯t detect the void in my memory, nor can anyone else remind me¡­ but what exactly have I forgotten, and since when did I start forgetting?


    ¡°Judge, Your Honor?¡± the middle-aged priest¡¯s voice came again from behind.


    Fenna felt the Power of Storm gathering; the middle-aged priest¡¯s hand had already discreetly approached his waist.


    ¡°How long have you been a custodian here?¡± Fenna suddenly asked.


    The Power of Storm dissipated; the middle-aged priest lowered his hand again, bowing slightly, ¡°Seven years¨Cfrom after I retired, I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°There is more than one custodian here, correct?¡± Fenna asked again.


    ¡°There are two, plus another lady older than me who is responsible for the night shift, also retired from the guard.¡±


    Fenna spoke casually as she continued to slowly walk between the shelves, chatting, ¡°Two people¡­ can you manage?¡±


    ¡°We manage alright. The archive custodian¡¯s job isn¡¯t very demanding. Security is maintained by visible and hidden guards, while tasks like moving and sorting are done by servants and novice monks. It¡¯s only during the filing and retrieval of documents that we need to handle personally¨Cmost of the data here, once stored, doesn¡¯t get ¡®moved¡¯ again, so there¡¯s not much work,¡± the middle-aged priest explained earnestly. ¡°However, because the custodian¡¯s position requires spending long hours in the archives surrounded by volumes, it¡¯s essential that the appointed clergy is steadfast and experienced, no matter how small the workload is.¡±


    At this point, the middle-aged priest paused, then added, ¡°Of course, with only two people, it can still be quite troublesome if a special situation arises. I¡¯ve always felt it would be better to add another person, a rotation of three would be more reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Three-person rotation¡­¡± Fenna murmured to herself, then asked, ¡°The archives from 1885 still haven¡¯t been found?¡±


    ¡°They have not,¡± the middle-aged priest shook his head, ¡°After you mentioned the anomaly here, we organized a team to check the entire archive; hundreds of servants and novice monks were used, but to no avail.¡±


    Fenna hummed a response, then fell silent, standing quietly in front of one of the shelves lost in thought, while her silence made the priest behind her tense.


    Fenna noticed the other¡¯s tension and laughed, shaking her head, ¡°No need to worry so much; I¡¯ve only met that ghost captain once, I¡¯m not out of my senses yet. Besides, who knows how many eyes and detection devices are watching in and outside the archive now? If I notice something unusual, I will alert immediately¨CI still have that professionalism.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me,¡± the middle-aged priest sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve already seen too many comrades disappear from this world due to a moment¡¯s carelessness.¡±


    Fenna remained silent, her gaze shifting towards the end of the bookshelf, where the archive administrator usually stayed¨Cshe had walked a circle around the massive shelves and returned near the entrance.


    She seemingly saw a slightly hunched figure sitting there.


    The young Judge suddenly widened her eyes.


    The figure had vanished.


    The middle-aged priest noticed something, ¡°Judge, did you see something?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it was nothing¡­ no, let¡¯s go have a look.¡±


    Fenna quickly uttered a phrase and started to advance without waiting for a response. She walked faster and faster until she was almost running towards the massive curved desk, where she closely examined the table that contained numerous intricate mechanisms.


    There was no one beside the table, and the few items on it were fully visible.


    Fenna walked behind the desk and looked it up and down.


    From the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed something¨Cseveral scattered small parts were carelessly abandoned behind a panel on the edge of the table, the parts had rusted, seeming as if they had been discarded for many years, and judging by their outlines¡­ they appeared to be part of a mechanical cube.


    For some reason, the moment she saw these parts, Fenna felt a peculiar smell¡­ it seemed like incense mixed with mechanical grease, and something burnt had an acrid smell.


    The middle-aged priest holding the lantern followed up, curiously following Fenna¡¯s line of sight, and asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°Who left these things here?¡±


    ¡°There are traces on the desk.¡± Fenna had already found other clues next to those parts, which looked like oil stains but also seemed like deliberately created drawings upon closer inspection.


    Her heart thumped wildly, a piercing noise seemed to echo repeatedly in her mind, and even the peripheries of her vision began to tremble uneasily. Between those quivering shadows, it seemed like fire was burning and leaping, but these highly uncomfortable sensations not only didn¡¯t bring chaos, but rather made her heart slightly excited¨Cher spirit was pulsating, she was observing and touching Transcendent traces, the clues she sought¡­ indeed existed in this archive!


    Mentally invoking the name of the Storm Goddess Gomona, Fenna reached out to the side, ¡°Hand me the lantern.¡±


    The middle-aged priest immediately handed over the ¡°administrator lantern,¡± which was protected with Holy Symbols and fueled by holy oil, ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Fenna took the lantern and carefully brought the light close to the area with the oily traces on the desk. Under the light, it seemed like fine dust or mist appeared out of thin air and then quickly faded, and between the light and shadows brought by the flame, she finally saw the ¡°stains.¡±


    They were dark red blood, seemingly like someone who was on the brink of death had used trembling fingers to draw with their own blood on the desk, forming something that looked like a cluster of bonfires, with a cylindrical object standing in the middle of the fire.


    This was nothing like any of the Holy Symbols used by the Deep Sea Church, nor was it any kind of blessing from the Storm Goddess Gomona.


    Yet, Fenna still recognized this symbol¨Cit was unexpectedly the mark of a Fire Transmitter.


    Fire Transmitters? Why would the mark of a Fire Transmitter appear in a chapel of the Deep Sea Church?


    A sudden confusion arose in Fenna¡¯s mind. Although the four gods were indeed in the same alliance, and the churches of the four gods had many cooperative relationships, the Holy Symbols of each faction, being highly symbolic, would normally not appear within the sanctuaries of other churches under normal circumstances, but why¡­ would the mark of a Fire Transmitter appear here?


    Fire Transmitters¡­ the small chapel in the sixth sector¡­ the forgotten people, the forgotten events, another Plunder hidden beneath the real world¡­


    Fenna¡¯s breathing suddenly became rapid, and at this moment, she finally understood.


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    This symbol was a warning, a solitary guardian¡¯s only message left for reality from his lonely battlefield, already forgotten by all.


    ¡°Someone has tainted history!¡±


    The young Judge suddenly exclaimed loudly and abruptly turned to look at the middle-aged priest following behind her.


    The archive was empty.


    As if from the beginning, there was only her.

 Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Chapter 195 Disappearance

    Chapter 191: Chapter 195 Disappearance


    With a clang, Dante Wayne¡¯s silver fork dropped onto the plate.


    The sound of the falling fork was a bit shrill in the somewhat cavernous dining room, startling the maid who was standing by. She quickly came forward to ask, ¡°Mr. Dante?¡±


    Dante didn¡¯t respond to the maid¡¯s inquiry. The City-State Governor remained sitting there, stunned, as if his soul had temporarily left his body. After a good while, he suddenly blinked, his consciousness seemingly snapping back to the surface from the brink of drowning ¨C the sounds of the real world boomed in his ears¨Che took a sharp breath, hearing the maid¡¯s voice again, ¡°Mr. Dante, are you alright?¡±


    Dante Wayne stared blankly at the fork that had fallen onto the plate, slowly reached out to pick up the fork, and noticed his hand was shaking violently. Countless intertwining, chaotic memories shuttled and overlapped in his head; he felt a burning pain near his eye sockets, as if his Ruby prosthetic eye was burning hot.


    Suddenly, he turned his head and, before the maid could speak for the third time, he broke the silence with a somber tone, ¡°Has Fenna sent someone with any messages?¡±


    The maid paused, looking at the respected Governor with some confusion, ¡°¡­ Who is Fenna?¡±


    The next second, the maid was startled by the Governor¡¯s sudden ashen face and ominous aura.


    Dante Wayne¡¯s face changed dramatically, as if even the air pressure around him dropped. He was silent for several seconds, but eventually, he managed to maintain a calm demeanor and waved the maid off, speaking as evenly as possible, ¡°Please leave for now, and don¡¯t come in.¡±


    Confused and a bit tense, the maid left, and the dining room fell completely silent. Dante Wayne sat quietly at the end of the dining table, alone.


    As if for the past eleven years, he had been sitting at the table like this, living alone in this expansive mansion.


    Layer upon layer of tumultuous, disordered memories continued shuttling through his brain; ¡°realities¡± from different dimensions seemed to overwrite his memory, but Dante just sat there quietly, letting his memory be constantly rewritten, murmuring as if in a dream, ¡°Fenna is still alive¡­ Fenna is still alive¡­¡±


    He suddenly looked up.


    At the other end of the dining table, a figure had appeared at some unknown time.


    It was himself¨Cat least, it appeared to be another version of himself.


    It was a gray and white figure, dressed just like Dante Wayne, with the same face and hairstyle, even the wrinkles on the back of the hands were identical, but the features of the figure were slightly blurred, and its eyes were just two hollow and sunken caverns filled with endless void and eeriness.


    Dante quietly watched the gray and white ¡°self¡± across the table. The figure also lifted its head to quietly observe him. After a long time, the gray figure suddenly grinned, revealing a silent smile, its sunken eye sockets reflecting a tumult of disordered light.


    The thing spoke, its skin shifting and cracking with the movement of its lips, ¡°Ah, your heart has finally developed a hole, ¡®Mr. Myself¡¯.¡±


    Dante Wayne stopped his continuous murmuring and stared hard at the figure sitting across from him, his own ¡°reflection¡±: ¡°What have you done?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know either; it just happened, the surprise came too quickly, a hole annihilated itself,¡± the thing across the table shook its head, ¡°But don¡¯t you want to see this? You no longer need to bear the pressure of the truth, nor need to worry about any responsibility or future¡­ Everything is returning to the right track, and eternal relief and peace await everyone, just like the promise you received many years ago¨Ceveryone¡¯s wish will be fulfilled¡­¡±


    Saying this, the thing slowly stood up from across the table, its face twisted into a broken smile, ¡°I understand your heart very well, just as I understand my own¡­¡±


    Dante Wayne also slowly stood up. There were no weapons in the dining room, but he always carried a short dagger with him, and now he gripped that sole weapon tightly, staring down the gray figure, ¡°Nothing but a void, a hollow shadow¡­ Do you presume to understand the human heart?¡±


    ¡°I am your Spiritual Body reflected in the Subspace¡­¡± the gray figure spread its arms, seemingly unconcerned by Dante¡¯s hostility and provocation, ¡°Subspace understands everything, including that shallow, laughable human heart¡­ Come, kill me, then see me once again, we haven¡¯t played this game for a long time¡­¡±


    The gray shadow¡¯s words stopped abruptly.


    Dante Wayne looked across the dining table in bafflement. He saw a clump of green flame that had spread from nowhere, pouncing on the phantom like a predator smelling its prey. The phantom tried to dodge it, but the flames seemed to defy the laws of space and burned fiercely upon it.


    Piercing howls and strange cries came simultaneously, the sharp sound waves instantly shattering all the glass in the dining room. However, these sounds were trapped within the space and could not escape¨Cso, layers of sound waves echoed in the dining room, becoming more bizarre and chill-inducing.


    Dante Wayne watched blankly as his Subspace projection twisted into a strange, writhing ¡°grease¡± in the flames and from it continued to emerge hisses and howls. He could barely make out a few words amidst the venomous curses, and only one word had some meaning: ¡°Homeloss!¡±


    This word was almost bellowed out by the ¡°grease¡± as it exhausted its voice.


    Then the grease too was consumed by fire, leaving only pale ashes in the flames. Dante Wayne stared blankly at this all, and the next second, a searing, intense pain suddenly filled his entire body.


    The burning of the subspace projection now had a reverse effect on the physical body.


    The dagger fell to the ground, and the Governor¡¯s robust body immediately dropped, Dante curling up in agony, feeling as if he, too, was being consumed by fierce flames. This belated fiery ordeal was tearing and destroying his spiritual body and mind. In the hallucinatory flames that rose into the air, he saw the spreading green flames slowly circling around him, but they showed no real intention of coming up to ¡°hunt.¡±


    The spiritual fire took one last turn in front of the Governor, flickered twice, and then rapidly spread elsewhere.


    Dante even felt that the fire ¡°spat¡± at him, as if to express disdain for food that did not meet its taste.


    He felt he might already be delirious from the pain of being burned by the flames.


    The next second, all the pain disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived, and Dante¡¯s consciousness felt like a spring stretched to its limit, suddenly released with a snap. This sudden release was the final blow that destroyed his consciousness, an intense dizziness came over him, his vision went black, and the perception of the whole world began to rapidly fade away.


    And just before he completely lost consciousness, he heard the sound of the door opening, the maid¡¯s cries of alarm, and the confused footsteps of others who had been disturbed.


    ¡­


    Fenna calmly surveyed the empty archive room, attempting to find the trace of the middle-aged priest.


    In the first two minutes, she didn¡¯t move from her spot, didn¡¯t rashly try to leave, nor did she touch any of the objects within sight.


    This was to prevent triggering a contamination source after falling into some kind of hallucination, which would allow her sanity to be invaded.


    Not until she confirmed that all the items in her sight were physical entities, and after she had taken protective measures for her own mind, did she go behind the arch-shaped desk of the administrator and decisively pressed a button underneath the desk.


    That was the alarm bell.


    As the bell rang out, it echoed continuously in the empty archive room.


    Fenna then lowered her head to look at the lantern in her hand.


    The middle-aged priest had disappeared, but the lantern he had lent her was still in her hand. The lantern continued to give off a soft, warm glow. Despite the fact that the archive room was not dark, the flame of the oil, which bore Holiness, seemed to dispel something, forming a hazy halo within a few meters¡¯ radius around her.


    Fenna did another round in the administrator¡¯s resting area but still couldn¡¯t find any trace of the priest.


    The alarm was still going, sharp, piercing, anxiety-inducing.


    Fenna returned to the front of the arch-shaped desk, her gaze falling on the pile of scattered parts and the symbols written in blood.


    As the bell tolled emptily, no one entered the place.


    The young Judge suddenly realized¨C


    It wasn¡¯t the middle-aged priest who had disappeared.


    It was her.


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    The very moment this thought rose from the depths of her mind, Fenna felt the ¡°atmosphere¡± around her change, as if a veil was suddenly lifted to reveal another dimension overlapping reality, and she suddenly widened her eyes to see boundless flames igniting everywhere in the archive room!


    And in that roaring sea of fire, a silhouette holding a black umbrella stood not far in front of her, unnoticed until then.


    The figure was tall and thin, exuding an otherworldly aura. He raised an arm toward Fenna within the flames, and a low, hoarse voice came from within him, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Fenna only heard one syllable before she took down the greatsword that normally required two hands to hold, then with one hand gripping the lantern and the other lifting the greatsword, she launched a leaping slash from three meters away.


    ¡°Heresy!¡±

 Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Chapter 196: Reckless Player Selection

    Chapter 192: Chapter 196: Reckless Player Selection


    Fenna didn¡¯t actually recognize the figure that suddenly appeared in front of her at first, as it was entirely obscured by a long black trench coat and a large black umbrella, and her own consciousness was momentarily shocked by the sudden peek behind the curtain, causing her to lose her usual sharpness.


    But as the monster spoke in a hoarse, low noise, as the filthy, blasphemous aura exuded, and as it revealed its corrupted, decaying outline with a lift of its hand, she recognized it.


    It was a Sun Heretic.


    That simplifies things¨CFenna liked simple things.


    The heavy alloy broadsword roared terrifyingly through the air, the holy lantern dispelled the impure air, and Fenna¡¯s leap high into the sky resembled a massive wave. As she descended, her strike carried with it the force of a crashing wave¨Ctons of seawater pressure concentrated in one sword strike. The umbrella-wielding Sun Heretic clearly hadn¡¯t anticipated such a decisive attack, losing the opportunity to dodge and hastily lifting the black umbrella to block.


    Then, like a small boat shattered by a giant wave, both the person and the umbrella were split in two.


    The remnants of the Scion flew apart, foul and blasphemous flesh splattered along the way, and the tough alloy umbrella also broke in half, falling to the ground with the sound of clashing metal, the break site between its ribs and handle continuously sparking small blue flames, with scattered crystals cracking out from its frame, quickly losing their lustrous light.


    Fenna crushed the fallen components underfoot, yet her gaze had already noticed that the severed flesh nearby had started to rapidly wriggle, regenerate, and consolidate. Not much later, the tall, slim figure in a long black coat reappeared amidst the fire, its grotesque true form clearly visible to Fenna without the obstruction of the black umbrella.


    Its head bloomed like a flower of flesh, its body composed of countless twisted, entwined tentacles. At this moment, the flower of flesh emitted an angry and mournful howl, a sound potent enough to knock an ordinary person unconscious, but it brought a slight smile to Fenna¡¯s face.


    Regeneration Ability does not equate to invincibility; this thing was weakened, and without the protection of that bizarre black umbrella, it appeared to be in great pain.


    The young Judge nonchalantly clipped her lantern to her waist, adjusted her sword stance, and took large strides toward the monster, but suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a momentary distortion in the flames beside a bookshelf.


    Years of combat experience and sharp intuition made her abruptly stop and turn around, and the next second, a coiled tentacle emerged from the distorted flames, and a red-hot shard of steel, swept up by the tentacle like a cannonball, came whistling toward her!


    At the same time, the Sun Heretic who had just completed regeneration suddenly turned into a dark shadow, launching a sneak attack from the side. His body, amidst a brief transformation of light and shadow, reached a few meters beside Fenna, lashing out with two bloody flesh whips from his hands, targeting Fenna¡¯s neck and back.


    Fenna clicked her tongue, twisted her body, and wielded her sword, unexpectedly using the huge sword like a spear and hurling it at the attacking Sun Heretic. With great momentum and force, the sword smashed the assailant and pinned him against a wall several meters away. Simultaneously, a scorching steel plate flew towards Fenna¨Cshe raised her hand to block it, and the red-hot steel stopped as though it had hit a mountain. Where her fingers gripped, the metal visibly twisted and curled from the heat between the steel and flesh, hissing.


    ¡°It seems that you are the ones causing trouble.¡± Fenna, seemingly without pain, casually tore the steel plate in two and tossed it aside, while beckoning behind her. The giant sword that had impaled her enemy was then drawn back to its master¡¯s hand by an invisible force, bringing with it the still writhing and screaming remains of the Scions of the Sun.


    Fenna flipped her right hand, casually dropping the nailed creature onto the ground, and walked forward without turning back, leaving behind only the words, ¡°You regenerate here first; I¡¯ll go purify your accomplices.¡±


    The mass of flesh pierced by the sword screamed manically, emitting obscenities and furious curses from Subspace, yet Fenna, having calculated its regeneration speed, knew its recovery was greatly reduced after another critical hit and the loss of the Black Umbrella¡¯s protection. She confidently strode towards a burning bookshelf nearby¨Canother figure emerged from the flames, the second Sun Heretic.


    The one who had thrown the steel plate was this guy.


    Looking at the Judge confidently striding towards him, the tall, thin shadow issued a series of indistinct, deep murmurs. Amidst the disgusting, squelching sound of its limbs, numerous tentacles extended from its ¡°coat.¡±


    ¡°Fear, anger, confusion¡­ it seems you do have emotional responses and are not just mindless ¡®fragments¡¯ as many believe,¡± Fenna proceeded, being wary of more potential assailants while calmly speaking¨Cshe was not one to speak unnecessarily, but against these blasphemous murmurs from chaotic monsters, the reasoned words of a clergy were an effective weapon as well. ¡°Scions of the Sun¡¯s remnants¡­ Since you¡¯re here, it means there¡¯s at least one main body of the Scions of the Sun lurking nearby¡­ Where is it? Deep in the inferno? Outside the church? Or perhaps¡­¡±


    The creature launched an attack, a shadow leaping from its side and viciously striking towards Fenna¡¯s neck.


    Fenna slightly sidestepped and casually caught the tough, barbed tentacle, quickly shaking her wrist.


    ¡°¡­ in the great fire of 1889? In the small church from 1885?¡±


    The tentacle in Fenna¡¯s hand burst into a cloud of blood mist. The explosive blood mist quickly traveled along the tentacle towards the creature, until the entire tentacle, along with a third of the creature¡¯s body, suddenly exploded. This shockwave was fully absorbed, and the next second, Fenna had charged to the back of the creature, her great sword raised high and then swung horizontally like a baseball bat at the creature¡¯s waist.


    With a loud bang, the screeching of the creature abruptly stopped as it flew like a dirty clump of meat, landing near the remains of the first Scions of the Sun.


    The remnants of the first Scion were nearing the end of regeneration; within the wriggling flesh, one could vaguely make out the tall, thin shape and what seemed to be a mimicry of a protective shell¨Can ¡°black coat.¡±


    Fenna approached the two Assailants, looking down upon the monsters from her perch.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why Black Sun can be involved in the contamination of history, or what kind of surprises the ¡®entity¡¯ behind you has prepared for me,¡± she declared, ¡°one thing is certain,


    ¡°I will fight here to the end, to see if you really are endless¨Ceither I will fight my way out of here, or¡­ I will have proven my loyalty and orthodoxy to the goddess.¡±


    The great sword was raised, followed by¡­


    A series of meticulous slashes.


    Fenna¡¯s strategy was straightforward¨Cthe Scions of the Sun had powerful regeneration abilities, but even the strongest regeneration isn¡¯t invincible. As long as their recovery required resources, it wasn¡¯t an issue to deal with them.


    A fine mince would do, and if that wasn¡¯t enough¡­ cut twice.


    ¡­


    Sherry opened her eyes to see the unfamiliar ceiling and the sunlight streaming through the nearby window.


    The bed she was in was very comfortable, the blanket had a fresh, dry scent¨Csuch dryness was rare in the slums, where the oldest pipes and clogged sewers converged, the air always damp with an odd smell, blankets air-dried for three days could only fully soak up the sewer¡¯s stench into the fabric and batting.


    Sherry lay there quietly, the touch too comfortable to even want to turn over, but eventually, she propped herself up and looked around.


    Nina was no longer in the room, and judging by the sunlight coming through the window¡­ it was probably close to noon now.


    ¡°Spot,¡± Sherry called softly, ¡°how long have I slept?¡±


    Spot¡¯s voice immediately arose in her heart: ¡°It¡¯s at least 10:30 now, maybe 11:00¨Cyou fell asleep right after eating and bathing last night, you¡¯ve been out cold for at least twelve hours¡­ It¡¯s normal after such exhaustion.¡±


    Sherry was still a bit groggy, the events of the day before felt dreamlike, floating in her mind; it took her a long time to sort through her memories, confirming what had truly happened and what was part of the bizarre Dreamscape during her sleep.


    Then she lifted her head and looked towards a corner of the room.


    A shabby little box was quietly sitting there.


    Ah, that was her entire past ten years¡­ hers and Spot¡¯s everything.


    ¡°We really¡­ moved here, huh,¡± Sherry murmured to herself, ¡°Spot, it¡¯s like a dream.¡±


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    ¡°Stop it, I¡¯m freaking out right now, Mr. Duncan is cooking in the kitchen, I damn well can¡¯t even think about what I¡¯ll see on the dining table later¡­¡±


    ¡°Spot, why do you have such a big issue with the food here? You¡¯ve brought it up more than once¡­¡±


    ¡°Darn, just don¡¯t ask¡­¡±


    Listening to Spot¡¯s complaints, Sherry suddenly laughed.


    The sunlight today was truly lovely.

 Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Chapter 197: The Sunshine is Bright

    Chapter 193: Chapter 197: The Sunshine is Bright


    The sunlight outside the window was bright and cheerful, as if the atrocious weather of the extreme before was but a distant dream. Only the water stains on the windowsill and the damp ground in the streets confirmed that late last night, a heavy rain had indeed fallen¨Cthe sunny weather that followed seemed just right for indulging in sleep at home.


    However, Sherry had already slept enough. She had never slept this long in one go, and the hint of hunger nudging at her stomach was urging her to get up.


    Because lying in bed on an empty stomach was an unpleasant memory for her¨Cat a younger age, she had used sleep to get through the hungriest of nights. If it weren¡¯t for A-Dog¡¯s waking and support, she might have left this world on one of those cold, hungry winter nights.


    When hunger crossed a certain threshold, one could brush shoulders with death in their sleep. This was one of Sherry¡¯s precious life experiences.


    She left the soft and comfortable bed, got dressed, and just then, a series of brisk footsteps came from outside the door.


    ¡°Sherry! Are you awake? I heard some noise!¡±


    It was Nina¡¯s voice.


    Sherry paused for a second, and hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡±


    The door was pushed open, and Nina appeared at the doorway, garbed in a white shirt, short jacket, and a light brown plaid skirt. She immediately noticed Sherry, who had just changed her clothes, and a smile spread across her face, then she quickly walked over, ¡°You really slept a long time! How are you feeling now? Does your back still hurt? How about your wounds¡­ let me see, let me see¡­¡±


    ¡°The consumption was quite large, so I slept for a long time¡­ I¡¯m fine, really,¡± Sherry awkwardly dodged the overenthusiasm of Nina, but the usually mighty Sherry¡¯s dodging and resistance seemed utterly feeble in front of Nina. In the end, she obediently turned around, allowing Nina to check the injuries on her back and arms, ¡°They are just minor wounds. I¡­ have strong regeneration ability, and also¡­ eh, that tickles, don¡¯t¡­ ahaha¡­ stop, it tickles!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really all healed!¡± Nina finally released Sherry, who had started hopping and dancing to the side to evade. She looked at her friend with astonishment, as if observing some rare creature, ¡°There was such a big wound just last night, and now not only has it disappeared, but there isn¡¯t even a scar left¡­ How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I have Demon Symbiosis with a Profound Demon. A-Dog¡¯s trait includes a tough body and Regeneration Ability,¡± Sherry was straightening out her dress¨Cher clothes from yesterday had been damaged in the fight, and the one she was wearing now was another old piece brought from home, also one of the few belongings she had rescued after that attack, ¡°Actually, my regeneration ability could be even stronger, but A-Dog said I¡¯m malnourished which discounts the regeneration¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you should eat well while you¡¯re here. Uncle¡¯s cooking has really improved,¡± Nina immediately said, and then became curious, ¡°Um¡­ Are all those like you¡­ I mean, those with Demon Symbiosis, are they all this powerful?¡±


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    ¡°It specifically depends on which demon one is symbiotic with¨Cif it¡¯s an Abyssal Hound, it imparts toughness and regeneration ability, as well as a certain enhancement in perception. Symbiosis with a Scare Demon results in willpower and resistance to mental tarnishing. Then there are all sorts of other demons, I don¡¯t know the specifics¡­ In any case, those who have Symbiosis with Profound Demons are the most disorderly among Transcendents. Those demons, in order to act in the physical dimension, are always very generous to their symbionts¡­¡±


    At this point, Sherry suddenly paused, her expression becoming serious as she looked into Nina¡¯s eyes, ¡°That said, I suggest you not get too involved with this field¡­ You should already know, under normal circumstances, the symbionts with Profound Demons are the crazies from the Obliteration Sect. They¡¯re not like me, and their demons are not like A-Dog.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯m not a kid,¡± Nina hurriedly waived off the comment, but her curiosity was still evident, ¡°But have you seen other Demon Symbiosis individuals? I mean, those Obliteration Believers¡­¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen them, and I don¡¯t want to. Just hearing A-Dog describe them is disgusting enough. If I did see them, I would certainly b¡­ well, beat them up and then report them to the marshals,¡± Sherry said, frowning, ¡°Nina, you¡¯re asking so many questions today¡­ You didn¡¯t ask this much when you saw A-Dog before. Besides, aren¡¯t you supposed to be at school today?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to live with us from now on, of course I need to know more about you. I heard from Uncle that your house was destroyed by a gas explosion and you have nowhere to go¡­¡± Nina said seriously, all the while pulling Sherry by the hand toward the direction of the kitchen, where the aroma of food was drifting in. She noticed that the entire second floor was silent, and couldn¡¯t help but become curious, ¡°Is Mr. Duncan not in?¡±


    ¡°Uncle has gone downstairs; he said he was receiving some guests and asked us to eat on the second floor first,¡± Nina explained as she pulled Sherry to the kitchen door, then seemed to remember something and quickly veered toward the bathroom, ¡°Oh right, wash hands. We should wash our hands before eating, or Uncle will nag again.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ oh.¡± Sherry was confusedly dragged around by Nina, not knowing if it was because she was hungry or had slept too long. She felt dizzy, but¡­ this feeling seemed not too bad.


    At the same time, by the counter on the first floor of the antique shop, Duncan was carefully explaining something to the person opposite him. Seated across from him was a young lady dressed in a refined and elegant long gown, wearing a fine mesh veil, with blond hair, and a face that was dignified and beautiful.


    Dignified and beautiful blond lady (x)


    It was Alice wearing a wig ()


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s about it. There are many, many common senses you need to understand to live in human society, but as long as you grasp the most basic parts, that¡¯s enough for your current range of activities. Also, there¡¯s not much for you to do in this store. Start by becoming familiar with the simplest tasks, like cleaning and organizing the shelves,¡± Duncan finally finished explaining what to be aware of here, but still looked at the blond girl sitting upright with concern, ¡°¡­Do you also remember the things I taught you on the ship?¡±


    ¡°I remember, I remember!¡± Alice quickly nodded with vigor, but after nodding twice, she seemed to remember something and quickly reduced the amplitude of her nods, giving a very dignified and graceful bow, ¡°Please rest assured, I remember clearly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the amplitude of your nod should be small, it seems you at least remember that,¡± Duncan breathed a sigh of relief and his gaze immediately scanned over Alice, checking the details one more time.


    Golden wigs were used to cover her original silver hair, a bit of makeup was applied to adjust the details of her features, and a veil was used to cover the lower half of her face. She wore silk long gloves on her hands and a lace-decorated collar around her neck to conceal the special joint details.


    Basically, everything that could be disguised was managed.


    Of course, if someone who was extremely familiar with the Frost Queen Lei Nora or someone who had closely observed Transcendent 099 were standing here, they might still notice something suspicious about the features of this ¡°blond girl,¡± but the likelihood of such an occurrence was negligibly small.


    The Frost Queen had been a figure from half a century ago, and those who had come into close contact with Transcendent 099 were almost certainly no longer alive.


    Ordinary people, even the guardians of the church, would definitely not recognize that the Alice they saw at this moment was the out-of-control cursed doll.


    Duncan couldn¡¯t help sighing softly in his heart.


    He had originally planned to wait a while longer before bringing Alice to human society to ¡°see the world.¡± He thought of spending a few more days teaching the doll aboard the ship properly. However, he couldn¡¯t bear the doll¡¯s wistful gazing into the distance while idling by the railing and her restless murmuring when she had nothing to do, so he moved up the schedule.


    Still, within his capabilities, he had urgently crammed her with common knowledge and instilled the most basic ¡°norms,¡± hoping it should be enough.


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    Probably.


    Now, Nina and Sherry were eating upstairs, and he had found the timing to let Ai Yi escort the doll from the ship to the shop to get acquainted with the environment. The first thing Alice did upon arriving here was to curiously touch and look around everywhere. He had to work hard to get her ¡°pinned down¡± next to the counter, but even so, he could tell that this doll was hardly paying attention to his lectures.


    She began to look around again, maintaining as much of a dignified posture as possible, but the darting glances and the moving neck couldn¡¯t fool anyone.


    Duncan could only say, putting together the poised sitting posture and the restless gaze, that it was truly Alice¨Celegance and silliness were two states that seemed to coexist in a superimposed state within one individual¡­


    And after a series of looking around, her attention finally returned to Duncan with an unmistakable focus and¡­ curiosity.

 Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Chapter 198 Alices First Day Out in the World

    Chapter 194: Chapter 198 Alice¡¯s First Day Out in the World


    Duncan was a little creeped out by the direct gaze of the doll, but after a few seconds of calm, he couldn¡¯t help frowning and asking, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Alice honestly replied, ¡°Looking at you.¡±


    Duncan had a bewildered look on his face, ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about me?¡±


    ¡°The first time I saw you speak with¡­ this appearance,¡± Alice said incredulously, ¡°Although you mentioned before that you have another body and identity here, it¡¯s still so incredible to actually see it! Captain, your current appearance is completely different from when you¡¯re on the ship. You¡¯re not as tall or as grim, um¡­ you look more like a good person¡­¡±


    As soon as Duncan heard this, his eyes widened, but before he could speak, Alice hurriedly added another sentence, ¡°Ah, I shouldn¡¯t speak ill of you, Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you not to blindly follow that goat-headed idiot! Complimenting someone as a good person isn¡¯t speaking ill¨Ccomplimenting me is the same!¡± Duncan glared at her, feeling his brain shaking, ¡°And did you forget my reminder? Here in the City-State, don¡¯t call me ¡®Captain¡¯, call me Mr. Duncan or Manager, got it?¡±


    Alice shivered and retracted her head slightly, ¡°Ah¡­ Right! Remembered it, Manager¡­ I mean Mr. Manager!¡±


    ¡°¡­You might as well just call me Mr. Duncan,¡± Duncan sighed with a weary expression, ¡°At least you¡¯re more familiar with that name, there¡¯s a lower chance of messing it up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, Mr. Duncan.¡± Alice quickly nodded in agreement, but as soon as she lowered her head, she heard Duncan remind her again with resignation, ¡°Don¡¯t lower your head, your head will fall off¨Cif you drop your head in front of everyone, your trip to the City-State would be over.¡±


    Alice let out an ¡°Oh,¡± and then frowned and thought for a moment, ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve heard Ai Yi mutter a similar sentence to what you just said, but it wasn¡¯t like that¡­ It said, ¡®Don¡¯t lower your head, the crown will¡­''¡±


    ¡°Do you have a crown on your head?!¡± Duncan glared, ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing but a wig on your head¨Cit¡¯s on there tighter than your actual head!¡±


    Alice pondered for a moment: ¡°Heh heh¡­¡±


    She was quiet for less than two seconds before suddenly starting to stare at Duncan again, and this time she spoke before he could, ¡°Captain¡­ Can I touch your face?¡±


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    Duncan looked puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but why?¡±


    Alice had already reached out as soon as she heard the words ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± It seemed that after leaving the authoritative ¡°main body¡± of Captain Duncan, the doll¡¯s courage had inflated to unprecedented levels. She stepped forward, pinching the cheeks of Duncan¡¯s current body, eyes filled with amazement, ¡°Incredible! This is real! When I saw you on the ship, I thought your face was carved out of stone!¡±


    Duncan felt extremely awkward, dodging backwards while opening his mouth helplessly, ¡°Have you had enough? That¡¯s about¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he heard two light footsteps coming from the direction of the staircase. Then came Nina¡¯s clear and cheerful voice, ¡°Uncle, Sherry and I have finished eating! What are you busy with down here¡­?¡±


    Duncan turned his head with a blank expression, and Alice still had her hand outstretched. Nina stood at the second-floor staircase, staring dumbfounded at the scene next to the counter, looking at the elegant and beautiful lady who seemed to be a noblewoman from the Upper City District, who had appeared in the shop at some unspecified time. Sherry almost bumped into Nina, ¡°Hey, why did you suddenly stop?¡±


    Alice briskly withdrew her hand and placed her crossed hands on her lap, sitting straight and dignified in front of the counter.


    As prim and proper as a gorgeous doll displayed in the window of the Rose Doll House.


    It took Nina a while to come to her senses. She hesitated to walk down the stairs, carefully observing the beautiful lady sitting across from Duncan. Sherry, following her, also saw the situation on the first floor, but her mind was entirely on something else¨C


    ¡°Argo Argo, look, what is that sitting across from Mr. Duncan¡­ Is it a person? Can you beat it?¡±


    Argo¡¯s voice took a long time to respond, sounding extra cautious, ¡°I can¡¯t see too clearly through your eyes, but the more I look, the less it looks like a person¡­ Not sure if I can beat it, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t fight her.¡±


    Sherry was stunned, ¡°Why? You can¡¯t even tell what that is, why are you so scared?¡±


    ¡°Of course! She dared to pinch Mr. Duncan¡¯s face!¡± Argo¡¯s voice sounded feeble, ¡°Just for that, if she wanted to stew me, I¡¯d volunteer to chop the wood¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Argo, you¡¯re getting more and more embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°This is called judging the situation¨Cdo you know how many humans spend their whole lives¡¯ wisdom just to grasp this essence of survival?¡±


    Sherry ignored Argo.


    During their conversation, she and Nina had reached the first floor. She saw Nina approach the pretty young lady sitting in front of Duncan and heard their conversation begin.


    ¡°Uncle, who is this lady?¡± Nina asked curiously, her eyes surreptitiously sizing up Alice next to her, filled with surprise and speculation¨Cshe had never seen such a beautiful woman before, nor had she seen any young lady behave as intimately with her uncle as she had just witnessed. Her intense curiosity made her eyes sparkle slightly.


    ¡°Oh, let me introduce you,¡± Duncan cleared his throat twice to ease the awkwardness from before, then calmly raised his hand to point, ¡°Her name is Alice. Remember I mentioned before about recruiting another pair of hands for the shop? That¡¯s her.¡±


    After finishing his introduction, he immediately pointed towards Nina and Sherry: ¡°This is my niece, Nina, and this is Sherry, who is staying here temporarily for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Alice immediately greeted them proactively, this time remembering Duncan¡¯s instructions, sitting up straight with the perfect nod, reining in her previously boisterous demeanor and greeting them in the most polite manner possible.


    However, it was perhaps due to some indelible ¡°texture¡± unique to an android that Alice¡¯s restrained manner seemed to Nina and Sherry as an ineffable elegance and breeding, as well as a certain mysterious and reserved temperament.


    The two girls¡¯ first encounter with this simple-minded android culminated in an epic misunderstanding.


    ¡°You¡­ hello,¡± Nina said nervously, swallowing hard as if afraid of leaving a bad impression, and nodded at Alice, ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡±


    Sherry followed suit with her greeting, also a bit nervous, but her anxiety stemmed more from what A Dog had said earlier, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m very¡­ very happy to meet you too.¡±


    Then the room fell into a stalemate, both parties keeping straight faces, neither one speaking.


    Sherry and Nina didn¡¯t know what to say next; the beautiful and elegant lady in front of them seemed almost out of place in the Lower City District, making the two girls feel like anything they might say would displease Miss Alice.


    As for Alice, it was even simpler¨Cher mind was mostly empty.


    And occasionally filled with mush.


    Fortunately, Duncan had anticipated such a situation and knew exactly what was happening the moment he saw the awkward silence; he promptly coughed to break the silence: ¡°Ahem, Sherry, how¡¯s your injury?¡±


    ¡°Injury¡­ Oh! It¡¯s completely healed!¡± Sherry was startled for a moment before realizing and straightened up, responding to Duncan as if giving a report, ¡°And I ate a lot just now, not hungry at all now!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you that¡­ but I¡¯m glad you enjoyed today¡¯s meal,¡± Duncan said with a smile, ¡°Rest up these next few days, I¡¯ll cook you some nutritious food to restore your Vital Energy. Nina, do you have any plans for today?¡±


    ¡°I was just about to take Sherry to shop in the next street over,¡± Nina promptly said, ¡°To buy her a couple of new dresses and some shoes¨Cher clothes are pretty old.¡±


    Saying this, she turned her head towards Sherry, emphasizing before the other could speak: ¡°It¡¯s a welcome gift for when you moved in, it¡¯s rude to refuse.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Sherry opened her mouth, momentarily unsure of what to say and eventually nodded, ¡°Well then, thank you¡­ and thank you, Mr. Duncan.¡±


    Duncan nodded and a smile spread across his face, ¡°Then don¡¯t wander too far, come back before evening¨CSherry, you take good care of Nina.¡±


    Sherry immediately straightened up, her voice so loud it startled Nina: ¡°Yes, Mr. Duncan!¡±


    Afterward, the two girls bid farewell to Duncan and Alice and set off towards the door, with Nina muttering as they walked, ¡°Why did you suddenly shout like that, it startled me¡­ Uncle? My uncle isn¡¯t scary.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I was being polite, I¡¯ve been learning manners lately¡­¡±


    Listening to the receding murmurs of the two girls, Duncan couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself, then turned his head, only to see Alice staring straight at him again.


    ¡°What are you staring at me for?¡±


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    ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­ you¡¯re quite different here than on the ship,¡± Alice said seriously, looking at Duncan and sizing him up before she spoke, ¡°You¡¯re much more approachable than you were on the ship!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t dwell on the unnecessary,¡± Duncan said with a resigned smile, well aware of why Alice felt this way¨Ceven he knew that he had always been on edge on the ship, and although he had relaxed a bit recently, it was nothing compared to the freedom he felt in the City-State. He didn¡¯t elaborate on the matter, and quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your situation¨Cwithout legal documentation, it¡¯s best not to draw attention in the Upper City District. For now, just help out at the antique shop. That will help you adapt to the environment and give me a hand. When I¡¯m out, you stay by the counter. When customers come, just¡­ wait, I¡¯ve just thought of a problem!¡±


    Duncan suddenly paused and looked at the android in front of him with a peculiar expression, taking several seconds before speaking hesitantly, ¡°Do you¡­ know what money is?¡±


    Alice¡¯s face showed curiosity: ¡°What is money?¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Chapter 199: The Historians Vigilance

    Chapter 195: Chapter 199: The Historian¡¯s Vigilance


    Duncan felt he had been careless.


    He had considered that Alice lacked the common knowledge required to live in the human world, but he hadn¡¯t realized the extent to which this lack of knowledge could reach. He originally thought that after she arrived, she could at least help out a little in the store, but he didn¡¯t expect that she didn¡¯t even recognize money.


    But this was quite reasonable.


    After all, she didn¡¯t need to spend money while lying in the coffin¡­


    ¡°Ah, while Sherry and Nina are not around, I might as well continue tutoring you,¡± Duncan sighed, abandoning his plan to go out that afternoon, ¡°First, I need to introduce you to the most basic things in the human world, like currency¡­¡±


    He paused and sighed again, ¡°Looks like I really need to start a literacy class for you and Sherry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sherry, she¡¯s the really short girl we just met, right?¡± Alice immediately caught on, her face lighting up with joy. It seemed to her a delightful thing to meet someone new, ¡°I heard you mention that she¡¯s a¡­ what¡¯s it called, ¡®illiterate,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be happy about!¡± Duncan knocked on the table, ¡°And even Sherry is better than you¨Cat least she knows how to dodge a fare!¡±


    Alice: ¡°What¡¯s dodging a fare?¡±


    Duncan: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Heidi sneezed forcefully.


    She got up to close the living room window, rubbing her nose and muttering about the recently unpredictable weather, then looked up with some concern at her father sitting near the coffee table.


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    School had let out, and the annual autumn break for all Plunder City-State¡¯s public schools would last over two months. During this period, her father didn¡¯t have to report to school and typically had few social engagements, so usually, he would spend this time buried in the City-State¡¯s libraries or, like today, leisurely staying at home.


    But for some reason, Morris looked quite off today.


    He held a newspaper in his hands, but his gaze wasn¡¯t focused on it at all. He had been sitting on the couch in a rigid posture for nearly an hour now, appearing to be lost in thought about something, and he had even ignored the midday maid¡¯s inquiry earlier.


    Heidi frowned.


    Ever since returning from Mr. Duncan¡¯s antique shop, her father seemed continually absent-minded, occasionally showing strange expressions, ignoring others, and deeply engrossed in thought.


    He even avoided going to his study¨Cas if instinctively resisting books.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Heidi finally couldn¡¯t help but ask as she got up and came over to Morris, bending down to inquire with concern, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    After asking twice, Morris finally heard his daughter¡¯s voice, hastily lifted his head, felt the buzzing in his head subside slightly and then waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Oh, didn¡¯t you go to the church, city hall, or the clinic today?¡±


    ¡°The church and city hall work was finished long ago, and the clinic is closed today,¡± Heidi¡¯s brow remained unfurrowed, ¡°I remember you asked that this morning already.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I? I forgot.¡±


    Morris gently tapped his temple, speaking somewhat hesitantly.


    He knew he wasn¡¯t in great shape, but he couldn¡¯t explain the problem to his daughter.


    He couldn¡¯t casually disclose information about a subspace existence¨Cnot only because it might enrage Mr. Duncan, but also because handling these pieces of information improperly could lead to contamination affecting Heidi.


    A deep buzzing noise arose in his mind, interrupting Morris¡¯s thoughts, but the noise soon subsided, stabilizing his thoughts again.


    Mental noise, this was a lingering effect since he returned from the antique shop.


    But in fact, compared to yesterday, this aftereffect had diminished manifold.


    Morris knew he should be grateful¨Che had not only preserved his life after directly facing the shadow of subspace but also his sanity. It was the protection of the god of wisdom and Mr. Duncan¡¯s goodwill that had taken effect. He retained some symptoms caused by the ¡°Madness Threshold,¡± but after a simple self-assessment, he was certain these would swiftly lessen over time, and there was nothing to be nervous about.


    However, before the symptoms completely disappeared, he feared Heidi would have to worry about him for a while longer.


    Suddenly, Morris furrowed his brows, remembering his daughter was an excellent psychiatrist¨Che couldn¡¯t let her continue to notice there was something abnormal about his mental state.


    At that moment, Heidi¡¯s voice came again, ¡°Did you talk with Mr. Duncan yesterday? I feel like you¡¯ve been distracted ever since you came back¡­¡±


    ¡°About some¡­ topics in the knowledge domain, very profound knowledge,¡± Morris struggled internally as the information about ¡°Creeping Day Wheel¡± surfaced uncontrollably in his mind, recalling the intelligence Mr. Duncan had disclosed about the current state of Black Sun. He used tremendous willpower to control these pieces of ¡°knowledge¡± that seemed to possess lives of their own and were chaotically moving through his mind, and smiled at Heidi, ¡°Quite brain-consuming, I haven¡¯t figured it out yet, so I¡¯ve been absent-minded today¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about this now, I just remembered, didn¡¯t you arrange to go to the theater with a friend during the rest day?¡±


    Heidi paused, ¡°¡­Friend? I don¡¯t remember¡­ having any arrangement to go to the theater with any friend¡­ Are you sure you didn¡¯t remember it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did I remember wrong?¡± Morris rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling a pulsing heat near his temples, his memory blurry as if something forgotten was waking up in his consciousness, ¡°But I clearly remembered, you mentioned the day before yesterday, a friend¡­ what¡¯s his name, a very tall one, also very familiar to me¡­¡±


    Morris¡¯s actions of massaging his temples gradually became agitated. He started tapping his forehead with his fists, mumbling, which immediately made the slightly puzzled Heidi feel inexplicably nervous. She quickly crouched down and took the old man¡¯s hand, ¡°Are you alright? Is it a headache? Do you want¡­ me to do some hypnosis relaxation or soothing guidance? Or should we find another doctor¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a doctor, no,¡± Morris waved his hand forcefully. His mind was again filled with noise, but this time the noise was different from the previous ¡°mental noise.¡± It seemed desperate to convey some information, desperate to awaken something, he felt as though another consciousness was waking up in his brain¨Cstill his own, yet subtly different from his current thoughts, ¡°I just need to remember, remember something very important¡­ Heidi, you have a friend, listen, you have a friend, very important¡­¡±


    Heidi¡¯s face showed increasing worry and tension. She gripped Morris¡¯s other hand tightly, her words unconsciously taking on the power of soothing guidance, ¡°I certainly have friends, but who are you talking about exactly¡­¡±


    But Morris was already unable to hear Heidi¡¯s words.


    He felt a sudden thunderous noise inside his head, as if all the noise compressed to be released in an instant, followed by the long troubling mental noise disappearing completely, while a massive amount of bizarre memories surged from the depths of his consciousness. In a daze, he seemed to see that scene again¨Ca giant, full of starlight, a giant formed by twisted, crushed mirrors, then, he saw green flames, the flames burnt, the fog cleared.


    This time, he didn¡¯t suffer mental damage from seeing the giant; on the contrary, the impressions that surfaced in his mind seemed to carry a strange, mighty force, piercing through an invisible veil.


    The old man suddenly raised his head, staring intently into Heidi¡¯s eyes, ¡°Where is Fenna?¡±


    Heidi hesitated, ¡°¡­Fenna? Who is that?¡±


    ¡°The City-State¡¯s Judge, one of your best friends, the Governor Dante¡¯s niece¡­¡± Morris spoke slowly, his breathing had steadied down, his eyes regaining the depth and sharpness of former days, the noise was gone, the giant¡¯s figure disappeared, but two simultaneous yet distinctly different memories remained in his mind, and he could clearly discern all the discrepancies in those memories as if he was browsing through two historical scrolls unfolded before him¨Cdistinguishing history and seeking truth, this was one of his best skills, ¡°You don¡¯t remember, do you?¡±


    Heidi hesitated, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know who you are talking about, but I am really worried about your state¡­¡±


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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m in very good condition now, but we should worry about Fenna,¡± Morris suddenly stood up, his expression more serious than ever, ¡°Heidi, our City-State might be facing a serious problem, we need to take action.¡±


    Instinctively, Heidi also stood up, sensing an unexplainable reviving spirit in her father, yet utterly clueless about what had happened, ¡°Action? What are we to do?¡±


    ¡°You go to the cathedral, find Bishop Valentin, tell him¡­¡± Morris spoke quickly, but stopped halfway, hesitating seriously before shaking his head, ¡°No, Fenna might be in trouble because she realized the truth¡­ when you find Bishop Valentin, just say you seek asylum, the highest level of protection, tell him I asked you to do this, say that the most distinguished historical scholar of Plunder City-State asked you to do this, don¡¯t say anything else¡­¡±


    Heidi listened bewilderingly, already sensing that some dangerous and urgent issue was taking place, something that couldn¡¯t be spoken directly, hence she controlled her urge to ask questions and prepared to follow her father¡¯s instructions, but then she noticed Morris picking up a coat nearby, her eyes widening slightly, ¡°What about you? What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Go to the antique shop,¡± Morris said gravely.

 Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Chapter 200 Interception

    Chapter 196: Chapter 200 Interception


    ¡°`


    The morning had been sunny, yet now, for some unknown reason, the sky had grown heavy¨Cgrey clouds and a thin mist descended over the Plunder City-State, casting the distant bell tower and chimneys into vague ink-wash silhouettes against the murky backdrop, while cold winds gusted erratically, stirring the colorful banners on nearby towers into a wild flap.


    Two cars left the Underwood Family estate, one heading straight onto the main thoroughfare, speeding towards the city center, and the other turning onto a shortcut leading to the Lower City District, driving off into the distance under the gloomy skies.


    Morris sat in the driver¡¯s seat, cautiously steering the vehicle along the path while glancing outside at the weather.


    The skies had darkened further since a moment ago, and the chaotic wind seemed on the verge of howling, wildly smacking the colorful flags on a few nearby towers.


    This abrupt turn in the weather gave him an uncomfortable feeling, also reminding him of the last time he had visited that antique store.


    The weather had been just as terrible then.


    The old man raised his right hand to pat his forehead, hoping to feel more alert, while also casting a sidelong glance at the string of stone beads on his wrist.


    Among the intricately knotted cords, only four colored beads remained, these divinely blessed stones twinkling weakly in the gloomy Sky Light, exuding a calming aura.


    Rahm¡¯s protection could save scholars from death when they encountered knowledge beyond their comprehension, but this protection was only marginally effective against the real danger of Subspace Shadows. Morris had no idea what awaited him at the antique store this time, nor if these beads could protect him as before.


    Yet, he still set out for the antique store.


    As long as he kept his curiosity in check, as long as he refrained from using his ¡°Eye of Truth,¡± as long as he didn¡¯t foolishly scrutinize Mr. Duncan and the various objects around him, he would be safe¨Cthe Subspace Shadow was friendly (although that was incredible), and as long as he didn¡¯t overstep, it wouldn¡¯t harm him.


    It might even offer help.


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    Morris took a deep breath, slowing his racing heart.


    He knew he had brushed against some terrifying truths hidden beneath the peaceful facade of the City-State, and as a historical scholar, he had an inkling of what these truths were. Yet, he hadn¡¯t chosen to report directly to the Church but had instead sought out an indescribable entity from Subspace.


    It was undoubtedly an act of defiance, even heresy.


    However, he still made that bold decision.


    Heidi had gone to the cathedral. Her act of seeking refuge and the cryptic messages she¡¯d sent should alert Bishop Valentin to the situation. Before he left, Morris had said a brief prayer. If Rahm was still watching over him, he had fulfilled his duty to warn the Church. Now, he headed to the antique store¨Cwith three courses of action at play, the chances of success were at least improved.


    Fenna might be in trouble, and as a Judge of the Deep Sea Church, even she wasn¡¯t safe, which made Morris reluctant to put all his hopes in the Church.


    He just hoped that, at the very least, the cathedral itself wasn¡¯t compromised, hoping¡­ his decision to send Heidi there for refuge and to warn them had been the right one.


    A sudden clap of thunder roared, and following the thunderous boom, raucous noises echoed from afar.


    Busy driving while pondering these matters, Morris flinched at the unexpected disturbance, instinctively looking towards the source of the commotion and faintly discerning thick smoke rising above a distant building.


    It seemed lightning had struck and ignited the roof¨Cterrible weather, terrible luck.


    That building was directly on his path, prompting Morris to mutter a curse before deciding to take an alternate side road, turning the car into it.


    But he hadn¡¯t driven far before a pack of rabid-looking wolf-dogs burst into the alley ahead, followed by a stumbling, drunken man wielding a club, chasing after the crazed animals. Noticing the car entering the alley, the drunkard cursed and rushed forward, waving his club as if to intercept.


    ¡°What kind of lunatic¡­¡± Morris furrowed his brow, pressing hard on the horn, hoping to snap the drunkard out of his stupor and clear the way. However, the horn seemed to only embolden the man, who cursed louder, charged in front of the car, and brought the club crashing down on the hood with a loud thud.


    Startled by the noise, Morris suddenly realized something, immediately fixing his gaze on the drunkard¡¯s eyes, and commanded in a deep voice, ¡°Modazoro¡¯s Geometric Law!¡±


    ¡°`


    Complicated and jumbled knowledge and memories suddenly flooded the drunken man¡¯s brain, sparking a brief thought storm in the surface of his consciousness. The brute, who on a normal day likely never used addition or subtraction beyond double digits, immediately let out a pained and terrified scream, and ran away in madness.


    Maurice immediately restarted the car and drove straight past the mad dogs still frantically barking on the roadside, charging towards the increasingly gloomy streets ahead.


    Having shaken off the temporary trouble, no trace of relaxation appeared on Maurice¡¯s face; instead, when a sudden large ditch appeared in his field of vision and a steam pipe by the road unexpectedly burst, sealing off the path with steam, his bad feeling finally got confirmation.


    It wasn¡¯t that the weather had turned bad out of nowhere, it wasn¡¯t that trouble had suddenly sprung up, it wasn¡¯t that his own luck today was poor.


    Something was obstructing him¨Cobstructing him, the ¡°one who perceived the truth,¡± from moving forward.


    This was not a forceful obstruction or a directly fatal threat; the series of accidents seemed more like some kind of ¡°stress response,¡± akin to an auto-operative alarm rule.


    How was this alarm rule activated? How had ¡°they¡± found him? Was it because of his ¡°awakening¡±? Or was it a specific action?


    He had only vaguely perceived the truth and had not engaged in direct confrontation with the hidden enemies behind the scenes, yet he had already encountered this series of ¡°obstacles.¡± Then what about Fenna? What exactly had she discovered, and what had she encountered that caused her entire being to disappear from this dimension of reality?


    Maurice silently recited the Holy Name of Rahm and glanced out of the corner of his eye at the several colored pebbles on his wrist. He steered around the obstacles ahead and chose a main road leading to the Fourth District.


    On the open and straight road, how were ¡°they¡± planning to obstruct him?


    Maurice blinked, and suddenly, he saw another figure besides his own in the rearview mirror.


    A ¡°person¡± wearing a tattered monk¡¯s robe, withered and shriveled like a skeleton, sporting a grotesque smile on his face, was sitting in the back seat, looking at Maurice¡¯s eyes through the reflection of the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Maurice,¡± the withered and strange figure suddenly spoke, surprisingly polite, ¡°Where are you heading to?¡±


    ¡°I should have realized¡­ when Mr. Duncan and I were discussing the ¡®Wilhelm Transmission Incident,¡¯ I should have known it was you so-called ¡®Preachers¡¯¡­¡± Maurice slammed on the brakes and slightly turned to look at the figure sitting behind him, ¡°¡­when did you sneak onto this car?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say, might have been yesterday, or maybe in 1889¨Cright when you and your wife first bought this car,¡± the gaunt figure seemed to be smiling, his shriveled flesh crinkling into a mass, ¡°You¡¯re in such a hurry, do you have an urgent matter?¡±


    Maurice responded with silence, but the gaunt Doomsday Preacher didn¡¯t seem to mind, continuing very politely, ¡°Wherever you¡¯re going, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you through¨Cbut I won¡¯t take your life, after all, regardless of everything, you once prayed to the Subspace during that great fire, which somewhat makes you our half-brethren¡­ Ah, you don¡¯t still remain unaware of whom you prayed to at the time, do you?¡±


    Maurice¡¯s face underwent a couple of rapid changes, eventually settling into a wry smile, ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°As we often say, Subspace is the promised land; it will answer all the desires of living beings and grant fulfillment fairly¡­¡± The Doomsday Preacher raised one hand, speaking devoutly and gently, then his gaze rested on Maurice, ¡°What will you do next? Try to expel me? I have studied the power granted to the Believers by the God of Wisdom; they say your words can turn knowledge and memories into power, making the uttered words as forceful as bullets. I¡¯m quite curious to witness¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!¡±


    Six deafening gunshots abruptly exploded inside the car; the Doomsday Preacher¡¯s words were cut off as he was turned into a corpse by the large caliber revolver, with two shots to the heart and one to the forehead.


    The withered body rapidly disintegrated into pale fragments, then dispersed like dust in the wind.


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    Maurice pulled his right hand from the angle covered by the side seat, a revolver still smoking in his grip.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got bullets, why waste words with you¡­¡±


    The elderly scholar muttered a few words, hastily reloaded the revolver, and once again started the car.


    He knew that his journey was still not easy; who knows what might be blocking his path ahead¨Ckilling one mentally defunct Doomsday Preacher couldn¡¯t end it all.


    This Doomsday Preacher might even persist in troubling him tomorrow¨Csince this fellow dared to board this car, it showed that he simply didn¡¯t care about his death at this moment.

 Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Chapter 201 Penetration

    Chapter 197: Chapter 201 Penetration


    Fire, everywhere was rampant, roaring fire, or else it was the aftermath of ash-laden ruins left by flames consumed. Churches destroyed by the inferno, bell towers obliterated, the City-State itself seemed to have been devastated by fire.


    Hot, dry winds howled through the charred remains of the church plaza, lifting whirls of ash, while tiny sparks cascaded from the great bell tower, and scorched banners drooped and fell in the breeze.


    A tall figure clad in light armor stepped onto the square, a heavy broadsword in hand, striking a trail of sparks against the searing ground.


    Fenna¡¯s hair tips had singed from the astonishing heat of the environment around her, her armor showed signs of damage with some wounds still bleeding beneath the breaks, the flesh within twitching and slowly knitting together.


    In her right hand, she wielded the sword, while in her left she held a massive Gatling gun, its hefty ammo box strapped to her back¨Cshe had removed the weapon from a half-destroyed steam walker in an armory she had passed by not long ago, finding it fairly easy to handle.


    The hot wind came, carrying the scent of ashes into her nostrils. Fenna narrowed her eyes slightly, observing the distant streets and the rising plumes of thick smoke and red glow against the street backdrop.


    In this ¡°history,¡± all of Plunder had already been burned to the ground.


    The fire had spread since 1989, unnoticed for eleven years, until it engulfed the entire city, and slowly calcified the City-State in a state of ruins.


    Even the power of the Storm Goddess had been severely twisted and interfered with¨CFenna felt increasingly unable to sense the moisture of the sea breeze, the longer she stayed here.


    To burn down a City-State was easy, but to do so without the gods¡¯ notice was difficult. The heretics exploited a loophole in history and possibly even used the divine authority of the Black Sun to disrupt the gods¡¯ judgment of the mortal realm.


    But¡­ where exactly were those heretics?


    Suddenly, a deep, hoarse whisper came from the shadows between nearby buildings. The whisper was filled with sacrilegious, malicious strength. Shadows congealed from the whispers out of thin air, forming enticing illusions. But Fenna didn¡¯t so much as glance in the direction of the growing shadows or the whispering voices. Instead, she casually lifted the Gatling gun in her left hand and pulled the trigger towards another direction, seemingly empty.


    The deafening roar exploded above the plaza, brass casings fell like rain, and as the flames swept through, the air suddenly revealed a tall, thin figure that had been hiding in the chinks of light and shadow, now forced to show itself. In a panic, it could only use its many tentacles and a black umbrella it held to block the oncoming barrage of bullets¨Cand just as it defended itself, a roaring wave exploded fiercely!


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    Fenna hurled her great sword, wrapped in the Power of Storm, and it smashed down with a thunderous crash, impaling the creature, flinging it ten meters away, and firmly nailing it to the ground. Then, without a second thought for the skewered Assailant, she spun around, sidestepped, and casually grabbed and pulled free a twisted and deformed street lamp post, smashing it mightily into the side.


    The second hidden Assailant was struck down by the lamppost, its head, grotesque like a bloom of flesh, shattered into a pile of gore. Its remaining parts writhed and squirmed violently on the ground, until Fenna swung the massive Gatling gun around and unleashed a storm of searing bullets.


    ¡°Two-person stealth ambushes¡­ it seems your tactics end there,¡± muttered Fenna, casually discarding the severely bent lamppost and beckoning back her storm-wrought great sword. She propped the sword by her side while still holding the Gatling gun, continuing to point it execution-style at the splattered remains of the creature on the ground.


    Several seconds later, she frowned.


    ¡°No regeneration?¡±


    The young Judge bent down to confirm that the pile of remnants that had once been part of the Scions of the Sun was just lying there motionlessly on the ground. Not only was there no sign of regeneration, but the remains had already started to lose moisture and vitality rapidly, withering into a heap of dry, charred waste before her very eyes.


    Why was this happening? Why had these remnants lost their Regeneration Ability? Was it because their main body had suddenly weakened? Or had these remnants been greatly diminished for some reason?


    Fenna watched the scene with confusion and vigilance, then suddenly looked up as if sensing something, staring intently at the alleyway not far away.


    A mass of green fire appeared in the darkness, quickly gathering and spreading at the edge of the square. Then, as if it sensed something, it pounced on the corpse of the Scions¡¯ remnants!


    Burning, consuming, growing.


    Before Fenna¡¯s eyes, the invading green flames consumed the lifeless flesh as if a predator was relishing its prey.


    The young Judge¡¯s eyes hardened instantaneously, her gaze locked onto the spreading green flames with extreme vigilance. A web of thoughts and speculations surged through her mind, but the flame seemed to ignore her¨Cflowing past her surroundings, prowling around the square before flowing away into the distance.


    Thoughtfully watching the fire spread and flow, Fenna took a step and walked deeper into the City-State.


    ¡­


    Torrential rain poured down, connecting the skies to the earth with curtains of water. The sudden downpour from the dark clouds seemed like a long-conspired, now evident plot, washing away everything in the Plunder City-State.


    But even the force of the storm could not stop Morris¡¯s progress¨Cuntil, inevitably, his car broke down.


    The old scholar decisively abandoned the idea of restarting the vehicle, knowing that the obstructive forces would only intensify since the Doomsday Preacher had, at some moment unknown to him, cursed him. This Curse would not allow him to fix the car.


    But the Doomsday Preacher¡¯s ¡°proclamation¡± was not an unsolvable spell. Generally speaking, it only provided varying degrees of guidance or interference with ¡°events,¡± and the longer the duration and the larger the coverage area, the more powerful the force needed, resulting in greater consumption.


    He could not stop in this storm.


    Morris opened the car door, and the bone-chilling wind and rain hit him all at once, instantly drenching him and even blowing him into a stagger.


    But the old man simply reached to hold his hat in place, while his other hand clenched the walking stick tightly as he stepped into the chaotic, blurry curtain of rain.


    He didn¡¯t carry an umbrella, for in this weather, an umbrella was futile.


    He was now very close to the antique shop, just half a block away. In slightly better weather, he might have even seen the store¡¯s sign.


    But under the current severe conditions, all he could see was a vast expanse of rain and the nearest few shops on either side of the street, their doors and windows firmly shut.


    Morris trudged through the downpour, not knowing how long he had walked, until finally, he saw the familiar storefront come into view.


    The old man instinctively quickened his pace.


    The curse that the Doomsday Preacher had laid upon him seemed to finally be losing its potency; the headwind that had been blowing against him the whole time was gradually weakening. The chill it carried no longer bit to the bone as it had at the beginning, and though the rain was still dense, it no longer pelted his body like stones.


    Just a few steps away from the antique shop, Morris suddenly heard a voice near his ear¨C


    ¡°Stop, you¡¯ll regret it!


    There¡¯s no redemption ahead¡­ Plunder will only be swallowed by another disaster!


    History is about to be exchanged¡­ What you¡¯re saving is no longer the true reality, but an echo on a misguided path¡­¡±


    Morris¡¯s pace didn¡¯t falter for a second; he broke into a run and nearly crashed through the door.


    In that instant, the voice at his ear suddenly vanished, as if it had never existed.


    The cold wind and sudden rain were also shut out behind the door.


    Morris stumbled a few steps forward, the water from his clothes dripping onto the floor. The warm and bright interior momentarily disoriented him.


    He faintly heard voices coming from upstairs, two young girls chatting. One of them was Nina: ¡°It¡¯s raining so hard!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it came down suddenly¡­ Luckily we listened to your uncle and came back early.¡±


    ¡°My hair got wet too¡­ Sherry, could you help me dry the back of my hair?¡±


    Morris shook his head, allowing his somewhat numb thoughts from the cold wind and rain to slowly clear. He looked up toward the counter.


    In the warm light, a blond lady in a dark purple, elaborate gown sat quietly behind the counter, casting a curious glance his way.


    A very pretty lady, but Morris didn¡¯t pay much attention to her appearance.


    What he noticed was the detached and elegant aura around her, along with the mysterious and tranquil atmosphere that seemed to linger around her.


    She appeared not to be sitting in an antique store in the Lower City District, but rather in a serene court garden, surveying him¨Can abrupt Outsider¨Cwith a detached and calm gaze, rich in grace.


    Morris felt he might have sensed something¡­ non-human about the lady, but the next second, he reined in all his perceptions.


    There was a ¡°newcomer¡± in Mr. Duncan¡¯s antique shop whom he had never seen before, but no matter who this newcomer was, one must never pry carelessly.


    Then, a greeting came from across the room: ¡°The rain is heavy outside, sir. Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­ I¡¯m looking for Mr. Duncan,¡± Morris paused before hastily responding, ¡°It¡¯s very important! Isn¡¯t he in the store?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± the mysterious and elegant lady smiled, ¡°He said his blood pressure was a bit high, so he¡¯s resting on the second floor.¡±


    Morris looked astonished: ¡°Blood pressure¡­ a bit high?¡±


    The blond lady behind the counter shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened¨Chis mood wasn¡¯t very good after we finished discussing history and forgeries.¡±


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    History and forgeries?!


    Morris¡¯s heart skipped a beat, wanting to ask more, but just then, he heard footsteps descending the stairs, followed by Mr. Duncan¡¯s voice: ¡°Alice, do we have visitors?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Duncan! An elderly man I don¡¯t recognize!¡±


    Morris looked up and saw Mr. Duncan standing on the stairs, half of him illuminated by light, the other half shrouded in shadows.


    He saw Morris and his face light up with surprise and curiosity.

 Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Chapter 202 Rescue

    Chapter 198: Chapter 202 Rescue


    Duncan looked at Mr. Morris standing on the first floor with some surprise, taking note of his disheveled appearance and the peculiar expression on his face.


    He slowly came downstairs, greeting the elderly scholar, ¡°Good morning¨Cwhat happened? You look like you¡¯ve run through wind and rain to get here.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Duncan,¡± Morris regained his composure, momentarily setting aside the mysterious blonde lady nearby. He took off his thoroughly soaked hat while moving forward, ¡°I need your help¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain this to you, nor am I sure if you are willing to intervene, but¡­ I¡¯ve discovered that Doomsday Preachers are active in the city, tampering with Plunder¡¯s history, I¡­¡±


    The man hesitated, suddenly faltering.


    It seemed like he abruptly realized how rash and impulsive his request for help was, realizing he was seeking assistance from an unclearly allied entity from the Subspace¨Cwould Mr. Duncan help him? And why should he? Did the survival of humanity and the continuity of the City-State mean anything to Duncan? What threat could Doomsday Preachers pose to him?


    So rash, was his act simply based on the friendly demeanor this Subspace entity had previously shown, or because he had coincidentally shown interest in certain matters last time?


    Morris paused for a moment, then saw Duncan nod gently.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    These chaotic stars, the shattered mirrors, the titans of light and shade¨Ca mortal husk, spoke to him calmly, standing on the staircase.


    ¡°You¡­ know?¡± Morris froze but then quickly reacted, his expression turning peculiar, ¡°Ah, right¡­ of course, you don¡¯t need me to remind you, I¡­¡±


    The old man tossed his hat aside, slapped his forehead as if he realized his own folly, and murmured, ¡°How foolish of me to think you wouldn¡¯t notice the anomalies in the City-State, then you must also know about Fenna¡­¡±


    Duncan frowned slightly, ¡°Fenna? The City-State Judge who is very close to Heidi? What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Fenna¡­ ¡®disappeared¡¯,¡± Morris hesitated, surprised by Duncan¡¯s reaction, but instinctively continued, quickly adding, ¡°I don¡¯t mean she¡¯s missing, but that from today she just vanished from the real world, Heidi has forgotten her existence, so have others, even the City-State¡¯s newspapers¡­¡±


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    Duncan quickly walked down the stairs as Morris spoke, realizing the gravity of the situation, and his expression grew severe, ¡°Sit down. Let¡¯s talk it over slowly. Alice, prepare some hot tea¨Cdo you remember how?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Duncan.¡±


    Morris watched the elegant and mysterious blonde lady rise immediately upon Duncan¡¯s command, while he also noticed each of her movements was slightly peculiar¨Cher actions were minimal, marked by a strange caution and restraint, reminiscent of those well-bred from ancient noble families, which piqued his curiosity about her identity.


    However, his curiosity gave way to the current situation.


    After sitting down at the counter, he immediately relayed the abnormalities he noticed on his way here to the ¡°antique shop owner¡± in front of him.


    Duncan listened solemnly throughout, not interrupting Morris until he finished speaking, then almost sighing softly murmured, ¡°Doomsday Preachers¡­ indeed a troublesome lot.¡±


    ¡°These lunatics, exiled from the real dimension since ancient times, always emerge suddenly from the cracks of time, dedicated to disrupting historical continuity, posing a significant threat to the stability of the real world¡­ But they seldom have the chance to escalate matters to this extent,¡± Morris spoke in a deep tone, ¡°Normally, the protection of the gods prevents the Doomsday Preachers¡¯ infiltration, while Fire Transmitters constantly fortify historical ¡®barriers.¡¯ This time, those lunatics must have used some other power to break the blockade¡­¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s your tea, sir,¡± Alice approached, placing the hot tea on the counter.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Morris quickly thanked her. He truly needed a hot tea to warm himself after his journey through wind and rain, but after taking a sip, he couldn¡¯t help but spit out, ¡°Pfft¨C¡±


    Across from him, Duncan¡¯s expression was indifferent, ¡°Make do with it. At least she really found where the tea leaves are, although she¡¯s questionable in her measurements.¡±


    Morris looked at the mysterious lady named Alice in confusion, only to find her leaning against the stairs, lost in a trance.


    ¡­Who exactly is this mysterious person?


    Duncan casually chewed on the tea leaves, affirming something in his mind.


    Indeed, the Transcendents of this world have noticed the ¡°non-linear¡± trait of the Doomsday Preachers, and they have targeted countermeasures.


    However, it seemed these measures weren¡¯t always effective.


    He closed his eyes slightly, and at the far end of his dark vision, a distant green flame suddenly leaped up.


    Morris curiously watched Duncan suddenly begin to ¡°rest with closed eyes,¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Fenna is still alive,¡± Duncan opened his eyes, his expression calm, ¡°She is just¡­ outside of Plunder City-State at this moment.¡±


    ¡°Do you know her exact location and condition?¡± Morris¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. His primary purpose was to report ¡°historical contamination.¡± Mentioning Fenna¡¯s situation was merely incidental; from his perspective, Duncan should have no particular connection with the City-State Judge. But Duncan had already focused his ¡°sight¡± on Fenna.


    ¡°I am keeping an eye on her; she¡¯s a capable Judge,¡± Duncan stated calmly with a nod, then suddenly stood up from behind the counter, ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Maurice stood up in surprise, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    As Duncan was heading towards the stairs, he stopped at Maurice¡¯s question and looked back slightly, ¡°I¡¯m going to bring Fenna back¨Cand see what¡¯s going on ¡®over there.''¡±


    He then paused, observing Maurice¡¯s disheveled state, ¡°Would you like to go upstairs and take a hot bath and change clothes? I¡¯m a bit bigger than you, but you should be able to fit into my clothes.¡±


    Taking a bath in the Subspace lair and then put on the Evil God¡¯s clothes?!


    ¡°Four Great Achievements of the Mad Scholar¡± did not even dare to mention these two things!


    Maurice suddenly felt his scalp tighten and quickly shook his head, ¡°No, no, no need, I will just wait here¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, make yourself comfortable,¡± Duncan nodded and then proceeded up the stairs.


    Upon reaching the top, he immediately saw Nina and Sherry standing at the staircase.


    Sherry looked uneasy; upon seeing Duncan, she came up to him immediately, ¡°Mr. Duncan, has something happened?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°We just heard some noise coming from the first floor,¡± Sherry wrung her hands, looking down as if she had done something wrong, ¡°Actually, it was Dog who heard it. He said the Doomsday Preacher appeared again, something about historical contamination, and someone named Fenna has disappeared? It sounded like a very important person¡­¡±


    Nina also looked uneasy, clearly more confused than Sherry, ¡°Uncle, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just some minor issues,¡± Duncan, seeing the two girls vaguely sensing impending turmoil and feeling nervous, pondered for a moment before comforting them, ¡°Just stay inside and relax, or if you¡¯re bored you could go downstairs and chat with Mr. Maurice. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Sherry uttered an ¡°Oh,¡± while Nina seemed hesitant. After holding back for a while, she couldn¡¯t help but step forward and grab Duncan¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Uncle, I feel¡­ I feel a bit scared. Is everything really okay? Also, what¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    Duncan paused and looked quietly into Nina¡¯s eyes.


    As he had noticed before, Nina was quite sensitive¨Cshe was not unaware; she was just overly sensible.


    But now, the situation barely crossed the boundaries of her ¡°sensibleness.¡±


    ¡°You see, I am actually quite powerful, Uncle,¡± Duncan suddenly smiled, placing his hand on Nina¡¯s head, ¡°but now I can¡¯t explain it to you¡­ Stay with Sherry for a while, and once everything is over, I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s happened.¡±


    With just that much reassurance, Nina relaxed, nodding obediently with a soft voice, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Nina and Sherry went downstairs.


    Duncan then controlled his expression and quickly went back to his room, summoning the pigeon Ai Yi who was busy devouring french fries aboard the Homeloss.


    ¡°We need to find someone,¡± Duncan said sternly as soon as he saw the pigeon appear, not waiting for it to speak, ¡°Important business, urgent matter. After that, you¡¯ll get double the ketchup.¡±


    Ai Yi jumped up immediately in place, ¡°Loyalty unspeakable, loyalty unspeakable!¡±


    Duncan sighed softly, once again focusing his mind, sensing a distant, flickering flame.


    That was the mark he had left on Fenna.


    The events surrounding Fenna were unexpected for him, but this accident also brought unexpected outcomes.


    Through the ¡°window¡± of Fenna, he had sensed something else just now¨Cthose were the flames he had released in Sherry¡¯s ¡°Dreamscape!¡±


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    Those flames had briefly appeared in a small chapel in the Sixth District, and then, as the curtain closed again, they disappeared without a trace. He could only confirm that the flames were still spreading, but he had always been unable to pinpoint their location until now¡­ Now, he could distinctly feel the presence of those flames, feel that they were around Fenna!


    Although he didn¡¯t know how all this had happened, one thing was undeniable¨C


    Fenna had reached the other side of the curtain.


    Now, this powerful Judge, carrying Duncan¡¯s ¡°mark,¡± had become Duncan¡¯s conduit to the influence that curtain.


    ¡°Spirit Realm walk.¡±

 Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Chapter 203: Both Sides of the Curtain

    Chapter 199: Chapter 203: Both Sides of the Curtain


    The torrential rain poured down, the entire City-State was enveloped in an unprecedented downpour.


    It was as if the sea had overturned, endless abysses gazing down from the sky onto the earth, as though the world had plunged into The Abyss, with pitch-black clouds hanging heavy like iron above, endless rains scourging the ancient bell towers, skyscrapers, and fortifications of City-State, and moreover, continuous surges of waves streaming from the sea as if to form some sort of siege, encapsulating the entire City-State from all directions.


    Even the dullest of individuals could sense an eerie atmosphere from this abnormal downpour, leading citizens to flee back to their homes in panic; every door and window was tightly shut, the street¡¯s homeless rushed into the nearest Shelters or relief centers, and those less fortunate scurried into sewer entrances or pipe interchange stations¨Cplaces that at least had gas lamps and sacred steam to provide a minimal sense of security on this deluge-stricken day.


    Heidi reached the plaza of the Storm Cathedral amidst this violent storm¨Cperhaps still under the goddess¡¯s protection, the rainfall around the cathedral was slightly lesser than everywhere else, but this minor reduction in rain only intensified Heidi¡¯s worries.


    The lighter rain at the cathedral compared to other places was evidence that this storm was indeed connected to Transcendent powers.


    The cathedral¡¯s guards opened the grand doors, and Heidi rushed out of her car and into the sacred triple-pointed archway; the few steps took soaked her to the bone with icy rainwater.


    However, she no longer cared about these things because the moment she entered the cathedral, she felt the agitated atmosphere around her, a spiritual warning, a reminder that at the center of this place a ghostly ¡°conflict¡± was gradually unfolding.


    A silent monk received her and, upon her insistent request, notified Bishop Valentin who was praying in the main hall of the Sanctuary. Amidst anxiety and unrest, Heidi waited for three minutes and finally saw the venerable old man appear before her.


    She noticed that the bishop was dressed in full ceremonial garb, a heavy triple-tiered crown neatly placed on his head, his hand holding a long Holy Staff, and at his waist, hung the ¡°Storm Codex¡± adorned with silver and gems.


    This was not attire for ordinary days but that reserved for extremely significant ceremonies, these heavy and splendid decorations being a burden enough to tire a robust adult while walking. Yet, Valentin advanced with steady and imposing steps, and his eyes seemed to conjure thunderstorms, his aura transcendent and full of Holiness¨Cthese sacred objects momentarily stripped the old man of his mortal identity, transforming him into some symbolic shell as he approached Heidi with a grave expression to face the ¡°psychologist¡± who visited the cathedral amidst the harsh weather, ¡°Child, what has happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I need Shelter, the highest level of Shelter!¡± Heidi immediately responded, remembering her father¡¯s particularly serious reminder just before he left, and said with a solemn expression, ¡°I need the entire Storm Cathedral on alert, to protect me¨Cthe child of City-State¡¯s most distinguished historian.¡±


    ¡°The most distinguished historian of City-State¡­¡± Bishop Valentin quietly watched Heidi¡¯s eyes, his gaze seemingly flashing with lightning, after which he slightly closed his eyes and gently nodded, ¡°I have received your request, child. The Cathedral will provide Shelter, you are safe now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Heidi deeply inhaled, her eyes not leaving the old man once she saw Valentin¡¯s attire, she knew the Cathedral had seemingly entered a ¡°pre-battle state¡± before her arrival, ¡°May I ask¡­ what exactly has happened?¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s war,¡± Valentin stated calmly, ¡°Someone has waged war on City-State¨Ca storm not blessed by the goddess has descended on City-State, that was the signal of war beginning. But it wasn¡¯t until your arrival that I finally knew who the opponent was.¡±


    ¡°War?!¡± Heidi was utterly stunned, ¡°Who is the enemy? Where are they?¡±


    Valentin quietly watched Heidi, and after a long pause, softly said, ¡°It¡¯s City-State¨C


    ¡°A City-State that has been obliterated from history.¡±


    A thunderclap exploded, shaking the entire cathedral violently. Heidi jumped in fright, lifting her head to look at the clattering glass windows and the heavy chandeliers swaying overhead. Amidst this shaking and swinging, she suddenly felt a faint tremor¨Cdifferent from the thunderclaps.


    It was the roar of numerous steam-powered walkers assembling in the plaza, and the rumble of the cathedral¡¯s steam tanks rolling out from the garages.


    In terror, Heidi turned her head to look at the bishop standing solemnly before a statue of the goddess, and she hurriedly asked, ¡°Are the enemies coming?!¡±


    ¡°The enemies have already arrived,¡± Valentin murmured, his whispers still distinct amidst the continuous thunderclaps, ¡°They arrived years ago¡­¡±


    ¡­


    With a thunderous crash, the longsword smashed down, scattering the obstructive debris like dust, and Fenna wielding a sword stepped over a section of collapsed roadway to see the buildings in front collapsing like wax figures in fire, the hot and heavy ash blanketing the road like snow, with remnants ofembers dancing and scattering amongst the ash and rubble. A suspicious humanoid figure wriggled slowly within those hot ashes, presenting an eerie and miserable sight to behold.


    Fenna restrained herself from focusing too much on those writhing humanoid ashes.


    She knew they were all citizens of City-State, people she was familiar with, protected, and loved; they died in this fire that would burn the entire City-State, no one from the entire City-State was spared.


    In this part of history, they had perished, yet were transformed by unquenchable flames into these horrifying and pitiful phantasms.


    These scenes disturbed her emotions and judgment.


    The young Judge pressed her dry, pale lips, feeling her respiratory tract gradually burn in the ash-filled air, sensing her strength waning and reminded herself once more¨C


    This never happened, nor would it ever happen.


    She looked up and gazed toward the end of the street.


    Between the writhing ashes and leaping sparks, a ghostly green flame occasionally flashed by¨Can imprint left in this erroneous history by a fearsome Ghost Captain. The stance of the Ghost Captain in this event was bizarre and unclear. Fenna could not see through the opponent¡¯s true purpose at all. She only knew that the opponent¡¯s power had somehow blended into the background and was spreading everywhere in the destroyed Prand, subtly opposing the force that twisted history.


    At the end of her sight was the destination of her journey, one of the ¡°targets¡± she had set for herself in this destroyed Prand.


    A small chapel, still maintaining its main structure despite the fire, stood quietly at the end of the street.


    She had walked through almost half the City-State to get to this small chapel in the sixth district.


    Strictly speaking, she had fought her way through almost half the City-State.


    Holding her sword, Fenna moved past all obstacles. The chapel door had already collapsed, revealing a dimly lit hall that now appeared before her.


    The hall no longer had the warm, bright lights, nor the neat and sacred prayer altar, nor the calm, praying young nuns.


    Fenna directly bypassed this ruin and went to the back of the main hall, where she found the tilted staircase leading underground.


    A dark wooden door stood quietly at the end of the staircase.


    Fenna sighed gently, easing the pain and fatigue in her joints all over her body, then descended the stairs¨C


    The rotating machine gun she had previously dismantled from the treadmill had already broken and been discarded along the way. Now, all she had was the massive, loyal sword that had been with her for many years.


    With the sword in hand, she approached the door and gently pushed it.


    The door was locked, but only with a latch; it wasn¡¯t barricaded from the inside.


    Faintly, she could still sense the fluctuating air and hear noises from behind the door.


    With force in her hand, the fragile lock did not last more than half a second before breaking with a metallic tearing sound. With that, Fenna pushed open the great door of the Underground Sanctuary.


    A startled and tense young voice came from beyond the door, ¡°Don¡¯t open the door!!¡±


    Simultaneously with this voice, a vague noise seemed intertwined within it.


    ¡°Your junior,¡± Fenna pushed the door open, her sword scraping and sparking against the ground as she entered, the stubborn lantern at her waist still emitting light, illuminating the already dark Underground Sanctuary. ¡°Your sister in arms.¡±


    The sanctuary was lit by a faint light.


    A nun with a long sword stood cautiously underneath a statue of a goddess, fully alert and watching Fenna as she entered¨Cshe was wearing an old-fashioned nun¡¯s robe from 1885, and her face was still young.


    She was about the same age as Fenna when she fell.


    Fenna looked at the fully alert nun across from her and sighed softly.


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    As she had imagined, only within this corrupted, twisted veil could she step into this sealed Underground Sanctuary before the nun¡¯s death¨Cthe brief moment before the nun¡¯s death was part of the contamination in history.


    The small chapel in the sixth district was the first point of distortion.


    The young Judge had finally investigated the most crucial information, but¡­ how should she report all this?


    ¡°Sister?¡± The long-sword-bearing nun adjusted to the sudden light, and only now seemed to realize that all the lights in the Underground Sanctuary had gone out, and that she had been standing in darkness without knowing when it happened. Something seemed to be stirring in the dark below her feet; she lifted her head, looked at the tall female figure in the faint light, and finally discerned the emblem of the Storm Cathedral on the opponent¡¯s armor and sword. ¡°Are you from the Cathedral? Leave quickly! The contamination here is already out of control, while I still have¡­¡±


    Fenna shook her head, moving forward slowly, ¡°I¡¯m here to help you.¡±

 Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Chapter 204: Instant Teleportation

    Chapter 200: Chapter 204: Instant Teleportation


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you.¡±


    ¡°Help me?¡± Upon hearing Fenna¡¯s words, the young nun furrowed her brows in confusion. Only then did she notice some details in the other¡¯s equipment.


    That indeed was the attire and insignia of the Storm Church, yet it was unlike any standard issue she was familiar with. She had never heard of any high-ranking female church official using such a grotesque longsword in battle¨Cclearly, the sword was custom-made and not meant for ordinary guardians.


    The ¡°battle sister¡± standing before her, who looked as young as herself and unusually tall, was from an era she did not recognize.


    The young nun fell silent for a few seconds, then said calmly, ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°1900.¡±


    ¡°I died in battle today, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fenna advanced calmly, ¡°it seems you already know what happened.¡±


    ¡°The Doomsday Preachers. I don¡¯t know how they accomplished it, but they opened a subspace rift within the church. I sounded the alarm to the outside, but received no response¡­¡±


    A subspace rift opened within the sanctuary of gods?!


    Fenna felt a shock in her heart. This unprecedented situation escalated her confusion. Then she heard the young nun quietly ask, ¡°Did I succeed today?¡±


    ¡°¡­At least in this invasion, you did,¡± Fenna looked up, meeting the nun¡¯s eyes, ¡°You sealed both your death and their intrusion back in 1885.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± the nun sighed in relief and slowly raised her longsword. Meanwhile, a low, creeping noise emerged from the nearby darkness. It sounded like some slippery, sticky limbs crawling on the floor or something emerging from a pool of viscous liquid. Although invisible to the naked eye, it was indeed beginning to enter this reality, ¡°The rest should be straightforward.¡±


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    Fenna also slightly raised her huge sword: ¡°This is my area of expertise.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the nun suddenly turned her head and asked, ¡°Are you prepared on the ¡®other side¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­We did not receive the alarm you sent out, so there were no extra preparations,¡± Fenna spoke calmly, steadying her breath to its optimal state, ¡°But¡­ the Guardians are always ready.¡±


    A roar came from the darkness, and the creature from subspace finally formed a malevolent projection in this sealed timeline.


    At once, the lantern at Fenna¡¯s waist was triggered, sparking furiously as if to burn all its fuel in moments, almost bursting from its enclosure. The longsword and the massive sword vibrated with a humming tremor, eventually creating a thunderous sound from their clashing.


    Fenna saw the ghastly shape of the shadow¨Cit appeared as an amorphous blob of sludge, with the young nun¡¯s image continuously twisting at its core, and bizarre, misshapen hands and feet sprouting from tendrils at its edges. It was a profane entity crudely attempting to mimic human form but failing due to a misunderstanding of the rules of this dimension¨Cwith repulsive limbs rapidly crawling toward them!


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s up to you, sister.¡±


    The young nun¡¯s voice resonated from the side, and as the creature appeared, she lowered her longsword and pulled out a silver dagger engraved with many patterns. She glanced at the rapidly approaching monster, gave Fenna her final entrustment, then calmly plunged the dagger into her chest.


    The moment the nun¡¯s heart stopped, the creeping monster also seemed to suffer a heavy blow. Its amorphous surface suddenly burst with dozens of mouths of various sizes, followed by piercing, noisy screams from each one!


    Fenna heard the sound of the nun falling behind her, but she did not turn back, instead stepping boldly toward the ¡°sludge¡± projected from subspace. As she raised her giant sword, she prayed softly and solemnly, ¡°Please bear witness¡­¡±


    The battle ended.


    Even swifter than eliminating the remnants of a Scion of the Sun.


    At this time point, what appeared in the Underground Sanctuary was only a projection that had infiltrated reality from the hollow soul of a lowly clergy member. Although it came from subspace and was constrained by the ¡°gateway,¡± it didn¡¯t possess much power¨Cthe only issue was that, in this sealed timeline, the projection would forever remain bound to the nun.


    Now, this detestable cycle seemed to have finally ended.


    Fenna watched as the ¡°sludge¡± gradually disappeared, let out a soft sigh of relief, turned, and returned to the side of the now-deceased young nun. She knelt on one knee, bowed her head, and said, ¡°Thank you for your noble sacrifice.¡±


    The next second, she saw the nun¡¯s corpse begin to gradually disappear, vanishing into thin air like a phantom from the past.


    Then, the doors of the Underground Sanctuary slammed shut with a bang, and traces of sword slashes and bullet impacts abruptly began to surface on the surrounding walls and floor. Hollow, empty roars erupted from nowhere, followed by bloodstains appearing on the ground and slowly extending towards the tightly closed doors¡­


    The horrendous cycle continued, everything that had once transpired in the Underground Sanctuary began to operate on schedule. Her intervention as an Outsider had merely created a ripple in this pre-determined history, a ripple that was smoothed out almost instantaneously.


    ¡°How can this be¡­¡± Fenna rose to her feet in bewilderment, unable to believe the sudden traces appearing in the Underground Sanctuary, ¡°This is just a piece of contaminated hist¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the corner of her eye caught a flash of eerie green light in the dark corner. In the next second, that small flame abruptly expanded into a massive vortex, a doorframe, and a tall imposing figure emerged from the flames and stepped forward.


    She heard the tall figure speak to her,


    ¡°Because the contamination is deep, and the culprits have already noticed your awakening and resistance¨Csimply eliminating a subspace invader can no longer correct the sequence of historical misplacements, Fenna. The source of the contamination is no longer this small church, but the entire City-State.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Captain Duncan!¡± Fenna¡¯s eyes widened instantly. She had sensed the power of this Ghost Ship captain infiltrating ¡°this side¡± when she saw the green flames spreading, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to appear directly here, inside the Underground Sanctuary. Instinctively, she gripped her longsword tightly, almost reflexively launching an overhead slash, but at the last moment, she forcefully stopped herself, instead watching the figure warily, trying to determine if it was the real entity or just an illusion in her field of vision, ¡°What do you want?!¡±


    ¡°To take you back to the real world,¡± Duncan said indifferently as he looked at her, ¡°I thought you would greet me with an overhead slash like last time.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know that attack is useless against you. It¡¯s impossible for your real body to be in front of me,¡± Fenna¡¯s muscles all tensed to their optimal state, ¡°You said you are taking me back to the real world? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Is it that hard to understand? Don¡¯t you need help right now?¡± Duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Or do you have a way to walk out of this veil by yourself? Just by recklessly navigating the City-State?¡±


    Fenna¡¯s eyes twitched unconsciously, watching the Ghost Ship captain before her with great suspicion.


    What does this dangerous mariner disaster truly intend?


    However, Duncan didn¡¯t bother to explain further to her, instead suddenly raising his right hand, and a cluster of jumping green flames appeared at his fingertips.


    Fenna gasped, lifting her longsword while she took a small step back, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Sending you back to the real world, what else?¡± Duncan replied casually, ¡°But I haven¡¯t done this before, so I still need to see whether it actually works. If it¡¯s successful, you¡¯ll just go back; if it¡¯s not¡­ we¡¯ll consider other methods.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Try?¡± Fenna looked at the infamous Ghost Ship captain in front of her, confused by his seemingly incongruous actions, but as she saw the fire in his hand expanding, all her doubts momentarily gave way to vigilance and resistance, ¡°Stop, or I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°The battles have begun in the real world, Fenna. The storm is ravaging the City-State, your real enemies have already become alert,¡± Duncan suddenly interrupted the young Judge, his gaze fixed intensely on Fenna¡¯s eyes, his tone solemn, ¡°Compared to acting alone here, the battlefield outside needs you more¨Ctouch this flame, or I¡¯ll make a move.¡±


    Fenna stared fixedly at the flame in Duncan¡¯s hand, unmoving.


    To be fair, even if she didn¡¯t know who Duncan was, a normal person seeing such an ominous thing would definitely not touch it.


    Duncan, of course, was aware of this, so he was just being polite to Fenna.


    While the girl was focusing hard, a trail of hidden burning fire suddenly spread beneath his feet, and the next second, a grand wall of fire erupted in front of Fenna, sweeping over her ferociously!


    Fenna¡¯s hair stood on end, eyes widening, and the next second, she swung her longsword furiously, leaping high with a shout, ¡°Other¡­¡±


    The wall of fire swept past, and the young Judge¡¯s figure vanished amid the fierce flames.


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    On the deck of the Homeloss, a brief burst of eerie green flames appeared, then disappeared immediately.


    In the drenched streets of the Plunder City-State, a tall female figure abruptly materialized from mid-air, roaring as she swung her sword down, ¡°¡­end!¡±


    A trash bin was split into two by Fenna¡¯s jump slash, leaving a wind slash mark over ten meters long on the ground.


    Fenna lifted her head in astonishment, blankly watching the world drenched in downpour around her.


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 Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Chapter 205: Accelerate

    Chapter 201: Chapter 205: Accelerate


    Maurice sat on the first floor of the antique shop, waiting anxiously for time to pass.


    The storm still raged outside the window, with cold winds howling. The sound of the wind and rain, after being dampened and weakened by the doors and windows, turned into an even more unsettling strange howl. It was like waves striking an isolated island in a storm, coming from all directions over and over. And beyond the nearby display window, the scenery across the street was no longer visible.


    Nina and Sherry also came down to the first floor. The two girls ran to the window and watched the storm outside with nervous apprehension, occasionally whispering to each other.


    However, that mysterious lady named ¡°Alice¡± seemed to be completely free of such nervousness. She too was gazing out the window, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity and pleasure, a kind¡­ a kind of pleasure that Maurice could not understand.


    ¡°The scenery in the City-State is really interesting,¡± Alice suddenly spoke up, her abrupt voice carrying an inexplicable magnetism and penetration amid the noise of the wind and rain, ¡°but it seems like all of you are very nervous¡­ Is it that terrifying?¡±


    ¡°Miss Alice, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Nina turned her head curiously toward the sound, having heard the conversation.


    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s interesting,¡± Alice said with a smile, modestly shaking her head, ¡°and Mr. Duncan will take care of all the problems.¡±


    ¡°Miss Alice, do you know what exactly is happening?¡± Nina bit her lip and bravely asked. She looked into Alice¡¯s eyes¨Cthe eyes of a beautiful lady, who seemed to have a good relationship with her uncle and whom she had never met before, ¡°It seems¡­ you really trust Uncle Duncan?¡±


    ¡°I do trust him,¡± Alice replied matter-of-factly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what has happened, but Mr. Duncan will solve it in the end.¡±


    Her overtly candid attitude left Nina briefly at a loss for words, not knowing how to continue the conversation. It was then that a particularly loud peal of thunder exploded outside the window, startling everyone and cutting off the conversation in the shop.


    Sherry and Nina instinctively covered their ears and drew in their necks, while Maurice, after a brief moment of astonishment, seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up toward the window.


    ¡°Fenna has returned¡­¡±


    The old man murmured to himself, then repeated it again, this time louder: ¡°Fenna has returned!¡±


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    ¡°The Judge?¡± Sherry turned around in surprise when she heard Maurice shouting, ¡°What about the Judge? What do you mean by coming back or not?¡±


    Maurice, however, did not pay attention to Sherry¨C he didn¡¯t know how to explain the matter. He simply took a deep breath. Despite it being a chaotic and fragmented memory in his head that suddenly came together out of nowhere, he felt as if he had seen a ray of sunshine on a stormy day, and he calmed down entirely.


    The old man reached out and picked up the teacup beside him.


    At that moment, he even felt that the tea, which was difficult to swallow, tasted a bit better.


    The green fire wall faded, and the dim Underground Sanctuary was restored to its former state, leaving only the last flicker of flame quietly floating next to Duncan, allowing him to see this place hidden in darkness.


    Fenna had already left ¡°this side¡± and now reached the other side of the veil.


    She was like a vibrant beacon, outlining the trajectory through the veil for Duncan clearly. Duncan could feel how she left this place¨Cand could confirm that his own ideas were established.


    He exhaled softly, looking up toward the position where Fenna had been last.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, that dive attack was really terrifying.¡±


    He muttered softly to himself, then turned and walked toward the entrance of the Underground Sanctuary, approaching the firmly closed door.


    The doors had closed again, and a body, covered in scars, sat slumped against them. She pressed her body tightly against the doors, a Longsword clutched in her hand, surrounded by sword marks and bloodstains.


    Among those crisscrossing sword marks, the Nun had carved the numbers ¡°1885¡± with her last bit of strength, barely discernible.


    The cycle continued as ever, in a looping pattern.


    History had solidified here, and Fenna¡¯s intervention had not stopped the cycle of this locked time loop from continuing. Although she was indeed powerful, she had not yet the ability to interfere with the flow of time and space.


    Duncan stood quietly beside the Nun for a moment, and then slowly extended his hand. Just then, the Nun¡¯s body moved slightly. She slowly lifted her head, her weak eyes barely opening as she curiously and confusedly observed the unexpected guest before her.


    ¡°Oh, as I had deduced earlier, you hadn¡¯t yet died at the moment you were holding back the doors,¡± Duncan said calmly, facing the Nun¡¯s gaze, ¡°Is there anything you wish to say?¡±


    ¡°I had a brief dream. I dreamt that a sister in battle appeared here; she tried to give me peace within this loop, but she failed,¡± the Nun spoke softly, ¡°She really came here, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She did all she could, but this is not her forte¨Cshe has returned to her own battles,¡± Duncan bent down, placing his hand gently on the blade of the Nun¡¯s Longsword. Small sparks of Spiritual Fire flickered at his fingertips, moving fluidly like water along the edge of the sword, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you also a guardian of the City-State?¡± The nun seemed to no longer have the strength to fully open her eyes. She lowered her eyelids, murmuring softly as if caught between sleep and wakefulness, ¡°I have never seen you¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not,¡± Duncan gently shook his head, ¡°but I can be for the moment.¡±


    The nun, however, seemed to no longer hear his voice. Her eyelids closed completely, as if she was slowly stepping into a Dreamscape. In the final moment before the eternal slumber took her, her lips moved slightly, whispering, ¡°¡­please bear witness¡­¡±


    ¡°I have witnessed.¡±


    A pale green flame rose into the air, sweeping across Duncan¡¯s line of sight as his words fell, engulfing everything¨Cthe nun and her Longsword, as well as the bloodstains around, all turning to ashes within the flames. Under his deliberate control, any Transcendent power involved was completely stripped away in this one conflagration.


    Once the flames burned out, they consumed not only a body, but also the closed cycles of time and space. In the dim Underground Sanctuary, only a tiny spark remained, jumping on the ground, meandering through the sword scars, and just before disappearing, it burned away the string of numbers ¡°1885.¡±


    Duncan quietly waited until everything had ended, then he shook his head with a sigh and walked forward to pull open the great door that led to the cathedral ruin¡¯s ground structure.


    For the first time since 1885, this door was opened from the inside of the Underground Sanctuary.


    Duncan ascended the steps, walking up the long staircase to the ground level of the small cathedral ruins. He passed through the collapsed main hall, through the rows of abandoned pews, and the ash that filled the floor, walking towards the street outside.


    The pale green flames reappeared like phantoms, gathering out of the air beside him, spreading and burning along his path. The Spiritual Fire, which had been spreading within the shadows before he arrived, sensed their master¡¯s approach, resonated, and began to blaze fiercely within the small cathedral ruins.


    When Duncan stepped out of the door and turned back to look at the small cathedral ruins, the entire structure was engulfed in a majestic Spiritual Fire.


    Further in the distance, at every corner of the neighborhood, nearby, and even at the ends of the City-State, more clusters of Spiritual Fire were leaping, spreading, and blazing fiercely, forming torches of various sizes that gradually connected into a blanket.


    They were all Spiritual Fires that had suddenly entered an ¡°activated¡± state upon sensing Duncan¡¯s presence inside the veil.


    Unconsciously, they had already spread to such a vast area.


    And as these fires burned, Duncan felt something stirring to life within the City-State¨Cthe rising and falling roars echoed, the ashes and dust in the streets stirred, and scarlet flames rose everywhere, presenting a formidable sight.


    Duncan looked up towards a direction deep within the City-State, ¡°Starting to get nervous now might be a bit too late.¡±


    ¡­


    Onboard the Homeloss, Duncan pushed open the door of the captain¡¯s cabin. He strode to the navigation table, rested his hands on it and studied the sea chart, his voice low, ¡°How far are we from the City-State?¡±


    ¡°Oh, great captain, less than two days¡¯ journey remains,¡± came the eager voice of Goat Head immediately, ¡°Theoretically, we might now encounter merchant ships running business routes in the City-State or the navy¡¯s patrol vessels¡­¡±


    Duncan listened to Goat Head¡¯s rambling without interrupting, simply mulling over something, then suddenly stood up from the navigation table and pushed open the door of the captain¡¯s cabin to walk out.


    Goat Head¡¯s voice came in surprise from behind, ¡°Ah, captain, what are you going to do?¡±


    Duncan had already left the captain¡¯s cabin with long strides. He crossed the aft deck and climbed the staircase, reaching the platform above the captain¡¯s cabin. Offhandedly, he replied in his mind, ¡°I¡¯m going to helm myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes! Captain!¡±


    Goat Head gave a resounding acknowledgment. The next second, Duncan felt a slight trembling throughout the Homeloss. To his senses, the ship seemed to suddenly come ¡°alive,¡± every living part of it invigorated.


    As he took hold of the wheel, the ship, which was already prepared, immediately entered its optimal state¨Cthe semi-transparent sails of the Spiritual Body billowed out further, the tight ropes vibrated in the air, the hull murmured lowly under the slap of the waves, and the sea around the entire vessel seemed drawn by an inexplicable force, with waves coming in layers as if pushing the ship forward!


    The Homeloss¡¯s speed abruptly increased.


    Feeling the distance between himself and that body in the antique shop shrink, Duncan let out a soft breath.


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    But suddenly, a strange sensation emerged from the depths of his heart.


    It was a subtle sense of being perceived from afar, being seen as a ¡°target.¡±


    As if the very moment he took the helm, something had sensed the existence of this ship and was heading straight for it.


    Duncan furrowed his brow, looking in the direction from which the subtle sensation came. Almost at the same time, he heard Goat Head¡¯s voice rise in his mind:


    ¡°Captain, the Sea Mist has appeared nearby.¡±

 Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Chapter 206: Encounter Battle

    Chapter 202: Chapter 206: Encounter Battle


    A steel warship with a towering bow sailed across the vast Endless Sea, while a thin layer of cold fog hovered and undulated within hundreds of meters around the ship¨Cthis fog was just like the curse that clung to the Sea Mist in the frozen seas to the north, and even though they were now in the relatively warmer central waters, the coldness within the fog remained dense and undispersed.


    On the deck of the steel warship, six triple-barreled main artillery cannons and dozens of secondary guns of various sizes were already in readiness for battle, with the undead sailors, shrouded in chill, moving busily between facilities, preparing for potential combat.


    Below the deck, in the ammunition storage, elevators clattered as they transported powder bags and shells to the turrets¡¯ transfer chambers, while other sailors operated the pipe hubs scattered around, checking the delivery and pressure of the sacred steam and grease throughout the vessel.


    At the stern of the warship, a small church had lit its independent boiler, and steam pipes on top of the church spewed plumes of vapor into the sky. Accompanied by the sound of the church¡¯s steam whistle, the scent of incense mixed with the steam and gradually enveloped the entire deck.


    An undead priest dressed in a somber long robe stood in the prayer room of the ship-borne church, solemnly lighting incense and candles before the statue of the Storm Goddess¨CGomona. This priest, with his shriveled, pale skin, appeared quite old; one side of his skull was caved in, and the corresponding half of his body seemed perpetually soaked, presenting an eerie wetness as if still immersed in the sea, while in his eyes, the milky whites seemed to eternally churn with twin dark clouds, faintly reflecting the flickering candlelight before the goddess¡¯s statue.


    Before the priest stood the statue of the Storm Goddess Gomona¨Ca protector of every ship upon the Endless Sea, even if those ships were manned by the deceased. The base of this statue sat on top of a large pipe, with many smaller pipes stretching out like blood vessels into every corner of the church; the lower half of it was buried deep into the hull, penetrating through several decks, all the way down to the ballast chamber¨Cthe darkest and coldest room that connected directly to the Endless Sea.


    A fully equipped ship-borne church, an independent church boiler, as well as sacred steam pipes that penetrated all decks, had become the standard configuration for every warship that needed to sail and fight for long periods on the Endless Sea since the great military technological revolution of 1835 among the City-States. These facilities effectively prevented the outbreak of mental contamination within a ship under high-pressure, harsh, casualty-ridden combat conditions, or the collective mental breakdown of sailors leading to their capture by Subspace.


    From a certain perspective, the beginning of the great revolution in technology in 1835 could even be traced back thirty-five years, all the way to the ¡°Homeloss incident¡± in 1800¨Chumanity¡¯s most advanced exploration vessel, the finest explorers, plunged directly into Subspace after a lengthy voyage, a direct shock to everyone concerned with maritime endeavors.


    The priest withdrew his gaze from the statue, but thoughts related to the Homeloss and the ship-borne church before him involuntarily stirred within him.


    His icy, numb brain and heart, which had stopped beating for half a century, were restless and anxious about what was about to happen.


    ¡°May you protect us,¡± the priest bowed his head, praying devoutly to the goddess, ¡°We shall confront the shadows of Subspace head-on, please bear witness¡­¡±


    Suddenly, an electric bell beside him rang out, and a small light flashed at the communications desk.


    The priest approached the communications desk and opened the corresponding brass tube: ¡°This is the church¡­ Yes, the grease and steam are in place, blessings have arrived.¡±


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    On the bridge, the captain of the Sea Mist, Tirian Abnormal, stood quietly at his station, gazing at the seemingly calm sea in the distance.


    His eyes ached slightly, his mind echoed with frustratingly low murmurs, and next to him sat a brass mechanical device of intricate and complex construction, comprised of intermeshing gears, several delicate Compasses, and numerous arc-shaped tracks, at its center a half-spherical bowl supported by three brass columns.


    At that moment, about one-third of the bowl was filled with fresh blood, which rolled and boiled as if alive; the entire brass device, trembling, was continuously adjusting the angles of its gears and Compasses, with its many pointers aiming towards the distance.


    The first mate, Aiden, approached Tirian with a nod: ¡°Captain, all units are prepared, and the church has just sent feedback¨Cthe goddess¡¯s blessing has descended.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Homeloss is right ahead,¡± Tirian murmured so softly it was almost to himself, then he turned to glance at the brass machine beside him, ¡°I think ¡®he¡¯ must have felt me, too.¡±


    The gaze of the first mate Aiden also fell on the brass device, especially the boiling blood.


    This pale, bald man spoke in a deep voice, ¡°The blood compass will guide those bound by blood to reunite, but this item never brings good fortune or reunions¡­ It only points to slaughter and desolation.¡±


    ¡°That fits the situation,¡± said Tirian indifferently, as at the edge of his vision, a misty dark dot seemed to be emerging faintly, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s really here, pointing straight at Pland.¡±


    ¡°We could open fire,¡± the first mate couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°Actually, we could have done that just now.¡±


    ¡°¡­ No, keep closing in, we need to be within close-firing range,¡± Tirian shook his head, ¡°Half a century ago we already tried, artillery fire from certain distances will never land on the Homeloss; that ship is influenced by some kind of distorted space-time, with a disconnection and misalignment between it and our current dimension.¡±


    Aiden bowed his head, ¡°¡­Yes, the Sea Mist will continue to advance.¡±


    ¡­


    Duncan put down the monocular he held and hung it back at his waist, then continued to grasp the wheel tightly.


    He had seen that ship.


    Sea Mist, as its name suggested, was shrouded in a mist of thin ice, which didn¡¯t look normal at all.


    But what truly took him by surprise was not the seemingly transcendental ice fog, it was the attitude the ship itself exhibited¨C


    It was an extremely advanced steel warship, boasting heavy armor, towering smokestacks, a bridge structure with sensible design and majestic style, and advanced, multi-gun turrets that brought to mind the main guns of a battleship.


    All this did not look like something a century-old ship could be equipped with¨Clet alone retrofitted; it was hard to imagine how a sailing warship could be transformed into this.


    This brought to mind some of the rumors related to the Sea Mist and the Brilliant Starship that he had heard while making inquiries in the City-State.


    For instance, Tirian¡¯s warships would devour metals from the seabed and the remains of the defeated, and grow and modify themselves during the unobserved midnight.


    Now it seemed that there was some logic to the birth of these rumors¨Cjust like if you had to explain why a ¡¯59 suddenly performed a faster-than-light jump, you could only say that the machine spirit was greatly pleased¡­


    Duncan shook his head, temporarily casting aside the discordant thoughts in his mind.


    The Sea Mist showed no intention of retreat and appeared to be ready for battle; Homeloss didn¡¯t have time for evasive maneuvers, a head-on confrontation seemed inevitable.


    He didn¡¯t understand naval battles, but in theory, he shouldn¡¯t have to worry about fighting¨Cthe cannons on Homeloss could handle everything that was coming.


    He was just a little¡­ dazed, and in that daze, there was also a touch of nervousness and¡­ anticipation.


    Tirian Abnormal, the captain of Sea Mist, one of Captain Duncan¡¯s son and daughter.


    Theoretically, Duncan¡¯s current identity was the pirate chieftain¡¯s father.


    He never would have thought that he¡¯d be encountering the Sea Mist under such circumstances¡­ Wasn¡¯t that ship supposed to be in the Chill Sea? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be busy raiding and collecting protection money in that icy region? What was it doing here?


    Tirian seeking out daddy? A tender father-son relationship?


    Unimaginable.


    The tale of Captain Duncan sounded more like the storyline of unfortunate family affairs.


    ¡°Captain,¡± came the enthusiastic voice of Goat-head, ¡°Sea Mist has entered firing posture. Should we adjust our heading?¡±


    Adjusting heading to avoid the first salvo¡¯s direct hit, while positioning the ship to bring the smallest profile into the combat position and allowing as many of their own guns as possible to be at firing angle¨CGoat-head was clearly prepared for an artillery duel.


    Duncan raised his eyebrows, ¡°You sound like you¡¯re looking forward to it?¡±


    ¡°Sea Mist is a good opponent. First of all, it can¡¯t beat us, and secondly, it dares to fight us,¡± Goat-head¡¯s voice was filled with delight, ¡°And lastly, it¡¯s very resilient¨Cthe ship is full of the Undead, and even the ship itself has a bit of the ¡®unsinkable undead¡¯ trait. If Homeloss wants to stretch its limbs, there¡¯s no better target.¡±


    ¡°¡­In other words, the kid can take a beating, right?¡± Duncan commented offhandedly when suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed several clouds of fog emerging in the far distance around Sea Mist and slowly dissipating.


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    After a short while, he suddenly heard the shrill wailing from the sky above, accompanied by a powerful force diving straight towards Homeloss¡¯s position.


    Sea Mist had fired the first shot¨Cwith its technological superiority as a steel warship, it had the range advantage and was able to initiate the attack even if it delayed to close-range firing, it could still fire before Homeloss.


    Duncan¡¯s heart tensed for a moment, and then he saw huge water spouts rising one after another near Homeloss, where each powerful hit from the battleship-grade main gun demonstrated extraordinary force, causing Homeloss¡¯s massive body to slightly shake.


    But not a single shell hit Homeloss¨CSea Mist¡¯s first round of firing was all for naught.


    Duncan watched the spouts fall one by one, and thought that this might just be a normal occurrence in a sea battle¨Cwithout guided weapons and modern fire control computers, the hit rate of ship cannons was probably at that level.

 Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Chapter 207: A Kind Father and a Filial Son

    Chapter 203: Chapter 207: A Kind Father and a Filial Son


    The battle began.


    The fight commenced with the Sea Mist¡¯s first round of cannon fire. Thunderous booms reverberated across the entire sea area as cannonballs whistled through the sky and plunged into the ocean at the end of their parabolic paths, stirring up towering columns of water and small chaotic surges.


    The first round entirely missed, as did the second, until finally, during the third round, the barrage from Sea Mist barely grazed the side of Homeloss.


    Towering Spectral Flames blazed between every seam and mast of Homeloss. Duncan clutched the ship¡¯s wheel, steering the massive Ghost Ship like a moving mountain range of fire across the sea. The majestic bow broke through the waves ahead, stirring up a series of white foam and ripples on either side of Homeloss. In the corner of his eye, Duncan caught a swift shadow diving toward the stern deck.


    It was a cannonball from Sea Mist¨Cafter several misses, the iron battleship seemed to finally have adjusted its aim. A cannonball hurtled unerringly toward the rear of Homeloss; this time, there was no avoiding it.


    Sudden evasive maneuvers by spinning the steering wheel wouldn¡¯t happen in reality. Homeloss, massive in structure, still had to obey the most basic laws of physics when traversing the real world¡­ probably.


    The ship was about to be hit.


    But in the next moment, Duncan suddenly felt his vision sharpen immensely. He could track the complete trajectory of the slightly tilted descending cannonball, see the distorted heat waves around it, feel the airflow pushed by the shockwave, observe the glowing red projectile, and the blurred dents on the body of the shell¨Che watched that blazing iron, and the iron responded to his call.


    Just as it was about to strike Homeloss, the surface of the cannonball from Sea Mist suddenly burst into eerie flames¨Calmost as if it had been instantly infected and assimilated by the Spiritual Fire surrounding Homeloss. It quietly transformed into a green meteor, gently falling in a slow, bizarre arc into the fiery sea rising above Homeloss.


    The cannonball, burning with eerie green flames, landed on the deck of Homeloss with a thud, causing what seemed like a tremble throughout the entire ship¨Cbut no additional damage followed.


    ¡°A neat catch!¡± bellowed a voice that sounded like it was from a goat-headed creature, suddenly resonating in Duncan¡¯s mind, snapping him back to reality, ¡°Captain, how did you manage that?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ It was instinctive; I didn¡¯t think much about it,¡± Duncan replied casually, then almost immediately, more whistling sounds crossed the sky, attacking relentlessly.


    His nerves instantly tensed, and while slightly adjusting the course of the massive ship Homeloss, he tracked those falling shadows from the sky. In the next second, one green ¡°meteor¡± after another weirdly emerged above the burning body of Homeloss.


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    But Duncan¡¯s ability to catch was not unlimited. As the distance between Homeloss and Sea Mist decreased, the latter¡¯s cannon fire became more precise and fiercer. Its many secondary and close-defense guns finally came within effective range. When a barrage of shells fell from the sky, some finally evaded Duncan¡¯s sight and struck the body of Homeloss.


    Amid the continuous explosions, Duncan saw a section of the hull near him suddenly get struck by something. A shadow pierced through the wooden planks, causing severe tearing damage before plunging into the sea. The struck hull exploded into countless fragmented pieces¨C


    Those torn, broken structures scattered, soaring upward and then abruptly stopping, hovering in the air, synchronized in posture with Homeloss.


    This was an utterly bizarre sight; it was as if those shattered structural pieces of the ship in the real dimension were still unified with Homeloss in some higher dimension¨Cthey appeared visually fragmented, yet the pieces were still tightly connected!


    This instantly reminded Duncan of the ship¡¯s hull, thinking of the shattered yet still functional walls that navigated and soaked in the Subspace.


    The next second, he watched as those fragments from the hull began to slowly fall and return, swiftly reconstructing as if time had reversed.


    Duncan finally looked away from the hull.


    This was the first time he witnessed Homeloss taking damage and also the first time he saw the ship repair itself¨Cthis ship could heal itself so rapidly! And that ¡°healing,¡± it seemed to simply revert the ship¡¯s condition to before it was damaged?


    He finally understood why a modern, fully armed iron battleship like Sea Mist couldn¡¯t defeat a century-old Ghost Ship.


    Subspace had completely transformed Homeloss, placing the entire ship within a bizarre spatial-temporal structure¨Cit simply couldn¡¯t be defeated by ordinary firepower in the real dimension!


    The voice of the goat-headed creature rang in his mind again, dripping with pride: ¡°Captain, Homeloss is the best ship in the world, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ To be fair, indeed it is.¡±


    ¡°What are your plans next?¡±


    Duncan slightly lifted his head, peering at Sea Mist, which was now approaching closer, ¡°¡­ March on and discipline the child along the way. Idle time is idle time, right?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Captain! That ship is charging over at increased speed!¡± Aiden¡¯s voice arose in the bridge, tinged with a slight nervousness, ¡°Something is off¡­ Our attacks are even less effective than that hurried skirmish half a century ago, more than half of our cannonballs just mysteriously disappeared into the fire sea of Homeloss!¡±


    ¡°I see it,¡± Teryian stood upright on the bridge, his gaze fixed on the Ghost Ship that was accelerating and already beginning to slightly adjust its course. His hands unconsciously tightened around the railing in front of him, his expression as dark as an impending storm, ¡°Half a century has passed, ¡®he¡¯ has become stronger than last time¡­¡±


    ¡°Should we still fight?¡± asked the first mate loudly, ¡°Looking at it now, it might not be so easy to drive that ship back into Subspace like last time! And I think your father must be very angry¡­ That ship¡¯s speed is simply freakishly fast TMD!¡±


    Tyrion merely scowled, and after several seconds of silence, he said in a deep voice, ¡°¡­continue to engage.¡±


    As he uttered these words, his gaze remained fixed on the burning large sailing warship, focused on the rear deck of that ship.


    He knew that was where the Homeloss¡¯s helm was located, and in those distant, yellowed memories, his father always stood there.


    Was he still there now? Was he watching the Sea Mist?


    Great plumes of smoke rose from the sea, followed by the faint rumbling that reached his ears.


    ¡°Homeloss is firing!¡±


    A sailor cried out in alarm.


    Tyrion still stood steadily on the captain¡¯s chair, like an iceberg standing in the Chill Sea, but he soon furrowed his brows.


    The Homeloss hadn¡¯t fully adjusted to a suitable angle before firing; instead, it had entered the path of the Sea Mist at a slightly tilted arc and fired while on the move.


    This meant that only about one-quarter of the side cannons could be brought to bear.


    Was it just symbolically retaliating? Did it not intend to battle the Sea Mist to the death?


    That was not his father¡¯s style, nor did it align with the experience from their encounter half a century ago¨Cduring that battle half a century ago, the Homeloss had fought the Sea Mist to the bitter end, until both ships were severely damaged before ceasing the fight.


    The outcome of that battle pushed the Homeloss¡¯s repair capabilities to their limit, forcing it to temporarily retreat into the Subspace, while the Sea Mist almost sank and took three full years to re-emerge on the Endless Sea.


    But the current situation did not allow Tyrion to continue pondering.


    The Homeloss¡¯s retaliation came¨Ccompared to the Sea Mist¡¯s initial and secondary rounds all missing, each shot fired by the Ghost Ship upon entering effective range was terrifyingly accurate.


    Dozens of blazing green fireballs streaked across the sky from above the sea, crashing onto the steel warship like meteors, causing thunderous roars as the Spiritual Fire boiled.


    Streaks of radiance floated around the Sea Mist, sacred relics and the shipborne chapel activate automatically to counteract the spread of the flames¡¯ corruption, but the steel warship¡¯s hull was still instantly riddled with terrifying voids¨Cthe burning iron shells seemed like fireballs falling into snow, everything they touched, whether wood or steel, was melted, devoured, and erased in the blink of an eye.


    Even the strongest armor became meaningless¨Cthe Homeloss¡¯s attack did not rely on kinetic energy or explosions to take effect, but rather on a higher-dimensional absorption and Transition, with the Sea Mist being erased under the falling shells like a pencil drawing under an eraser, half of its main cannons scraped away in the first round, and several holes capable of sinking a normal ship appearing on its hull after the second round.


    The Sea Mist¡¯s attack was forced to cease, even its power rapidly diminishing almost immediately.


    Tyrion¡¯s eyes widened.


    Something was wrong¡­ This was completely different from last time!


    He did not recognize this ship; this was not the Homeloss he remembered!


    And amidst this shock, he noticed that the Homeloss had suddenly stopped its bombardment.


    The Ghost Ship unfurled all its sails, enveloping the entire sea area in massive waves, its speed suddenly soaring to the extreme as it charged directly towards the Sea Mist.


    ¡°¡­hard to port! Dodge! Dodge!¡±


    First Officer Aiden suddenly roared, and the helmsman had already begun desperately turning the wheel, trying to steer the warship below them away from the impending collision¨Cyet all efforts failed.


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    ¡°The helm¡¯s failed!¡± the helmsman cried out in terror, ¡°It¡¯s turning on its own! We¡¯re heading straight into it!¡±


    Just as the helmsman had said, the Sea Mist was actively meeting the Ghost Ship.


    Tyrion had already noticed this anomaly; he heard the machinery below hissing unnaturally, heard all the windows around clicking, saw the remaining turrets on the deck lower their barrels one by one, and within the large voids punched out by the Homeloss, green flames were rising higher with each wave.


    This was a nightmare unheard of in that fierce battle half a century ago¨C


    The Sea Mist recognized its own flagship.

 Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Chapter 208: A Conversation After 100 Years

    Chapter 204: Chapter 208: A Conversation After 100 Years


    On the vast Endless Sea, two cursed warships headed straight toward each other, the ocean around them stirred by an invisible force into restlessness, even affecting the nearby sky.


    The cold fog around Sea Mist spread, and large patches of ice began to appear on the ocean surface. These areas of ice shifted continuously like whirlpools, covering several nautical miles. Though the sea had been calm, now the waves surged, each stronger than the last, mixed with chaotic gusts of cold wind, while Homeloss was enveloped in layers of eerie green flames, pushing through all the extreme weather conditions straight towards the steel warship at the center of the ice.


    Sea Mist also accelerated, all its engines roaring like dying beasts, the rudder adjusting itself without human control. The shipborne church¡¯s whistle sounded incessantly, the sacred sound now resembling a death knell¨Cthe undead sailors stood on deck, at the guns, behind each porthole, watching helplessly as their warship sped toward the burning Ghost Ship. On the bridge, Tyrion could even faintly see the figure at the high stern of Homeloss.


    He saw a tall man gripping the steering wheel, standing firm like a rock amidst the storm, with an indifferent gaze fixed on him.


    So similar to someone he remembered.


    And then, unsurprisingly, the two ships ¡°collided.¡±


    The anticipated destructive impact and disintegration did not occur.


    In the next minute, the crew of Sea Mist had the fortune to experience a bizarre and eerie ¡°spectacle¡± similar to the original encounter with the White Oak¨Ca burning Ghost Ship loomed like a mountain, crushing over them, and amidst the flaming spirits, everything¡¯s boundaries blurred. Sea Mist turned into a Spiritual Body, and its sailors turned into Spiritual Bodies, the scene resembling one phantom crashing into another.


    First mate Aiden stared in horror, seeing Homeloss¡¯s bow and masts rushing headlong towards him, then, without any harm, passing right by. He momentarily entered a cabin in Homeloss, ancient columns and flaming lanterns nearly brushing his ears as they whizzed past¨Cfinally, he saw the tall figure behind the wheel on the soaring deck of Homeloss.


    Tyrion instinctively stepped back, but the next second, he straightened up, as if heeding advice from his childhood once whispered by his father¨C


    ¡°Never retreat, never bow to the storm!¡±


    Thus he held up his head, facing the storm before him¨Chis father, taken by Subspace and returned to the earthly realm.


    Then, they were face to face, Homeloss¡¯s structure at the stern directly entering the bridge, Duncan¡¯s position merely a few steps away from the captain¡¯s seat on Sea Mist.


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    At that moment, it felt as if the entire world fell silent.


    A solemn, deep voice reached everyone¡¯s ears, ¡°I¡¯m very busy.¡±


    Tyrion was stunned, his eyes widening as he suddenly looked toward the source of the voice.


    However, this brief encounter had already ended. The two swiftly sailing phantoms overlapped only for an extremely brief instance. Homeloss, as ghostly as a gust of wind, swept past Sea Mist. By the time Tyrion could react, he found that he and his crew had returned to their corporeal states.


    He hastily ran to another observation window and saw Homeloss speeding towards Plunder¡¯s direction¨Cleaving Sea Mist far behind.


    The steel warship slowly came to a stop on the ocean, the invisible force that had been driving it subsiding. Now it was once again under the control of the helmsman. The severely damaged engine system was shut down with great effort by the sailors, and restarting it seemed no easy task.


    ¡°¡­What just happened?¡± Aiden scratched his smooth head, the sturdy first mate looking puzzled, ¡°That ship¡­ just left? Weren¡¯t we supposed to fight to the death?¡±


    The boatswain spoke hesitantly, ¡°¡­It seemed like it didn¡¯t intend to fight us to the death from the beginning, it didn¡¯t even slow down, just rolled over us¡­¡±


    ¡°It was terrifying, I even felt my heart start beating again¡­¡±


    The crew¡¯s murmurs reached Tyrion¡¯s ears, but he had no interest in listening. His mind was echoing with that brief phrase¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy.¡±


    That was his father talking¨Cunemotional, not at all like a family reunion greeting, almost cold like it was addressed to a stranger, but it was definitely a coherent, intelligible human phrase.


    Not a mad scream unique to Subspace.


    ¡°Captain,¡± First mate Aiden approached, looking uneasy at the silent Tyrion, ¡°What do we do next?¡±


    Tyrion snapped out of his thoughts, looking up, ¡°Can the ship still move?¡±


    ¡°Not really, the engine is off for now; repairs will take some time. Plus, many got hurt in the recent clash¡­ serious injuries, the kind that take a while to clear up,¡± Aiden shook his head, his shiny forehead gleaming, ¡°But the most unbelievable thing is that those who took a direct hit from Homeloss¡¯s cannons are actually unharmed. Cannons one and three completely disappeared, but the people in the turret fell into the holes unscathed¡­¡±


    ¡°The ones shaken by the shockwaves were badly injured, but those directly hit survived?¡± Tyrion confirmed in surprise, then furrowed his brow, ¡°How could that be¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ your father didn¡¯t strike to kill?¡± Aiden glanced at his captain and cautiously said, ¡°From the bombardment of the Homeloss, it just seemed to want to stop the Sea Mist¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Tieryan said reflexively, then shut his mouth and, after a few seconds of silence, he gently shook his head. ¡°Hurry and restore power to the ship while sending a message to Plunder, saying that we¡¯ve done everything to intercept, but the Homeloss is still heading towards the City-State¡­ Let the massive Navy of the City-State figure out the rest. We¡¯ve done our part.¡±


    Aiden immediately left to carry out the orders, but soon came rushing back in a hurry. ¡°Captain! We can¡¯t make contact with Plunder!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t make contact?¡± Tieryan frowned. ¡°Is it because the signal was disrupted by the recent battle?¡±


    ¡°No, we can still receive signals from the patrol points in the deep sea, but not from Plunder¨Cnot any signals,¡± Aiden swiftly said with a puzzled expression. ¡°It¡¯s like Plunder has disappeared from the radio¡­ At this distance, that¡¯s simply impossible. And it¡¯s not just the telegraph; even the spiritual energy calls to the church aren¡¯t getting any responses!¡±


    ¡°No response from the spiritual energy calls either?!¡± This time, Tieryan¡¯s expression visibly shifted, and he thought again of the Homeloss¡¯s determined rush towards Plunder, an intense unease finally stirring in his heart. ¡°When did the communication stop? Is someone monitoring the telegraph station?¡±


    ¡°The last call was yesterday when we were doing our routine reporting with the Port Authority of Plunder, and communications were still normal,¡± Aiden recalled, speaking rapidly. ¡°Captain, what should we do? Should we return?¡±


    He paused then, his expression somewhat hesitant. ¡°This situation¡­ It¡¯s already gone beyond the original plan.¡±


    Tieryan¡¯s face remained taut, and for several seconds, he didn¡¯t speak, finally letting out a deep sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to Plunder¨Cset sail as soon as the Sea Mist is restored.¡±


    Aiden looked startled, but after a brief moment of surprise, the loyal first mate braced himself. ¡°Yes, Captain!¡±


    ¡­


    The turbulent sea around them gradually returned to calm, leaving only the sound of waves reaching their ears.


    The deafening roar of the cannons seemed still to echo in Duncan¡¯s mind, causing him to reflexively scratch his ear¨Cclearly still unaccustomed to the sudden encounter.


    The voice of the goat¡¯s head reached his ears: ¡°You sped straight towards the Sea Mist just now; I thought you wanted to speak to Tieryan, especially since¡­ this counts as a particularly meaningful ¡®reunion.''¡±


    ¡°I did think so initially,¡± Duncan responded nonchalantly, ¡°but then I suddenly changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­ After meeting, I suddenly realized I didn¡¯t know what to say,¡± Duncan said frankly. Having come clean in a way with the figure of the goat¡¯s head, he was no longer as cautious as before, ¡°After all, we¡¯re not close.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, you decide,¡± the goat¡¯s head seemed indifferent, ¡°But you better still think about how you¡¯re going to get along with that pair of ¡®children.¡¯ Everyone is quite hardy; sooner or later you¡¯ll have to meet them, and good family relationships are crucial to one¡¯s fate. Remember, there was once a¡­


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Duncan smoothly interrupted the other¡¯s drifting topic and then seemed to suddenly remember something, his expression turning peculiar, ¡°Speaking of which, we¡¯re missing a person this time; it¡¯s quite regrettable.¡±


    ¡°A missing person? You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Alice wasn¡¯t there; she was helping out at a store in the City-State,¡± Duncan¡¯s tone was leisurely, even cheerful. ¡°I just remembered, Tieryan once served under the Frost Queen, and Alice wears the Frost Queen¡¯s face¨Cimagine if Alice had been on the ship just now, how interesting that would have been. I bet Tieryan would have been pondering it for days¡­¡±


    The goat¡¯s head: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? You usually talk a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for me to comment on your family affairs¡­¡± the goat¡¯s head replied, ¡°But now that you mention it, I also think that would¡¯ve been quite a scene to witness¡­ What if we make another trip, this time bringing Miss Alice¡­¡±


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    Of course, Duncan dismissed the fanciful suggestion. He fell silent for two seconds before suddenly saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were such a reveler.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®reveler¡¯?¡±


    Duncan didn¡¯t answer, suddenly raising his head to gaze in a specific direction across the distant sea.


    Just in that moment, aboard the Homeloss, Duncan distinctly sensed his own body located within the Plunder City-State, even sensing flames spreading throughout the city.


    As he had previously anticipated, once the Homeloss was close enough, the connection between the ship and Plunder¡­intensified!