Chapter 17 “Cave”
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Duncan was enveloped by a chilling cold and the damp, sour air filled with the revolting stench of rotting bodies, enduring an unsettling sensory ordeal. The constant scraping of iron chains dragging across the hard ground heightened his discomfort, sending shivers down his spine. At that moment, he found himself unable to open his eyes, feeling as if his essence had been torn apart. It seemed that a part of his soul still clung to the Vanished, while another part was trapped within a body that felt bizarrely alien. This borrowed body was like an ancient, decrepit machine that resisted his control. Overwhelmed by a tumult of chaotic sensations, he felt numb and detached from his physical self. Despite his attempts to open his eyes and move his fingers, he was dismayed to find he could barely perceive these familiar parts of his body.
This intense feeling of estrangement lasted for several excruciating seconds before the mysterious numbness began to fade, and the dulling effect on his senses slowly lifted. It was as though Duncan’s “body” was awakening from an extended dormancy, gradually reclaiming its lost mobility.
After considerable effort, he managed to open his eyes to survey his surroundings.
Duncan found himself confined within a vast, dungeon-like space. The flickering light from torches on distant stone walls cast an eerie glow, revealing the grim scene around him. His gaze fell upon numerous bodies—remnants of lives long extinguished, carelessly scattered across the damp earth and rugged terrain. Many of the corpses were scantily clad, and a few still had fragments of clothing on them.
Moisture collected on the dungeon’s cold ceiling, dripping steadily, while somewhere in the distance, he could hear the sound of water trickling, likely from an unseen underground river or drain. The sinister noise of iron chains seemed to come from a deep passageway connected to the cavern, gradually fading into the distance.
Blinking, Duncan tried to make sense of this perplexing turn of events. He looked at his right hand and saw the unfamiliar, skeletal appearance of his palm. Tattered clothing hung loosely from his arm. The brass compass he had held before was nowhere to be seen.
His eyes moved to his side, remembering the vague shape of a shadow that had accompanied him through the starlight and the grid of light. The shadow had taken on the form of a bird, but a quick glance confirmed its absence.
It seemed that the bird-like apparition had not followed him into this physical reality.
Trying to control his rising anxiety, Duncan slowly clenched his hand and tried to rub his fingers together.
Suddenly, a faint wisp of green flame sparked to life at his fingertips.
Despite the flame being significantly weaker than what Duncan was used to, it still provided him some comfort. As the delicate flame flickered, his disoriented mind experienced a moment of clarity, making him increasingly conscious of a spiritual disconnection and an unknown link.
He became acutely aware of a strange split in his consciousness; part of his awareness was missing in this reality. Instead, he sensed an echo of the Vanished’s presence and a disconcerting feeling of seeing his other self seated at a desk, holding the brass compass.
This sensation was deeply unsettling, yet Duncan quickly understood the unusual nature of his situation: his consciousness had undergone a form of projection or extension. A portion of his psyche had spanned an immense distance and found itself in a completely foreign body.
In this projected state, Duncan could still clearly sense the existence of his “original self.”
This must be related to the brass compass! Could this be how the “anomalous item” manifested its power?
Duncan considered this possibility, but he decided not to dwell on this train of thought for too long. After reassuring himself that his original self was safe and his consciousness was still intact, despite temporarily residing in a distant and unnamed body, he regained some measure of calm. He resolved to uncover the mysteries of this “new body” he now occupied.
Firstly, one thing was clear: he was definitely not on a ship.
He was on land—a land that had eluded him despite his days adrift at sea!
Secondly, the dark, oppressive cavern seemed far from welcoming, and the bodies scattered haphazardly around him did not resemble a typical “burial” site. How had he ended up imprisoned in this dreadful place within the body he currently inhabited? What sequence of unfortunate events had led to this?
Taking a deep breath, Duncan managed to push himself into a sitting position. His body had been slumped against a large, jagged rock, far from comfortable.
As he inhaled and straightened up, Duncan felt an odd sensation in his body. It was as though the air he breathed in vanished immediately, leaving a hollow, ghostly feeling in his chest. Even the simple act of sitting up felt oddly distorted.
Intrigued by this abnormality, Duncan looked down and saw a gaping hole.
The hole, located where his heart should have been, was completely empty. A cold breeze flowed from the void, mingling with the breath he had just taken in and not fully exhaled, before finally dissipating into the dank air.
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From a certain angle, Duncan could even see the scene behind him with alarming clarity.
“… What in the world?!”
Despite his resilient nature and the experiences he had aboard the Vanished, Duncan couldn’t stop the cold sweat that erupted at that moment. He felt his skin tingle with goosebumps as a shiver ran down his spine!
However, after experiencing a wave of intense terror, Duncan realized he was still standing upright, his vitality intact, enough so that he even had the energy to swear aloud.
Despite the obvious absence of his heart and a cavernous void in his chest, this body did not register any sensations of pain.
“Could this be… a corpse?”
After a brief moment, Duncan managed to collect his thoughts and further understand his peculiar situation.
Inhabiting a lifeless body and possessing the ability to move and function might not be as unsettling as it seemed initially. After all, he was still capable of steering a spectral ship, and his first mate was a wooden goat with an uncanny knack for driving him to the brink of madness. Recently, he had even encountered a cursed doll capable of independent action and navigating the Boundless Sea. Could any of these experiences be less daunting than “a corpse that converses”?
At least now, he had only lost his heart. He thought of Alice, whose head was frequently detached from her neck…
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Duncan quickly regained his composure and proceeded to assess the abilities of his current body. He adapted to the odd mechanics of movement dictated by the abnormality in his chest before navigating his way towards the lifeless bodies scattered around the cavern.
“As I suspected…”
Duncan approached the first corpse and was unsurprised to see the grotesque cavity in its chest.
The deceased was a middle-aged man with a worn-out appearance and ragged clothes, resembling a beggar one might encounter on the streets. The man had died some time ago, but the fervent glint still trapped in his eyes testified to the struggles and desolation he must have faced in his final moments.
Duncan continued, finding one heartless body after another, each sprawled pitifully on the cold stones. Only two exceptions stood out—two corpses with horrific head injuries, likely caused by a violent collision with the rocky floor, resulting in their immediate deaths.
Duncan pondered—perhaps these were individuals who chose death over the agonizing ordeal of having their hearts removed.
Admittedly, the contents of this cavern were overwhelming, even for a seasoned sailor like Duncan. After examining all the bodies, he found a relatively cleaner stone in a more secluded part of the cavern to sit and collect his thoughts. Gradually calming his nerves, he began to piece together the grim reality.
It was evident that he had stumbled upon a dreadful scene of mass murder. However, the chillingly methodical and uniform manner of the killings suggested a sinister, ritualistic intent behind the acts.
Duncan conjured the ghostly flame once more, acutely feeling the psychic tether that linked him to his “original self.” He was aware of his ability to sever ties with this “projected state” at will and return to the safety of the Vanished.
Yet, Duncan felt it was crucial to understand the events that had occurred here, even if it was just to gather some information about the land.
He took a deep breath, feeling the sensation of wind passing through the hollow in his chest. Rising from the rock he had chosen as his temporary seat, he turned his attention toward the path that stretched deeper into the cavern. He remembered that the unsettling sound of iron chains scraping against each other had come from that direction.
The subterranean realm was not solely populated by lifeless bodies; there were others who moved around. These beings, who could freely traverse this nightmarish terrain, might possess the answers he sought.
Embarking on a journey to further explore the situation undoubtedly involved risks, but Duncan was undeterred. After all, he was currently in a state of relative tranquility.
Wow… Such a cold joke….
Thanks for the chapter!
wow!! this is such an interesting development!!!
So…. I guess the compass allows him to possess other corpses? Maybe there are more conditions attached or maybe it allows him to posses other people’s body. The flickering of that star probably meant that the guy he currently possesses was at his deaths door?
‘Open heart’ seriously lol