Chapter 189: Alice’s Test
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
After the initial exchange, Duncan realized he was no longer obtaining useful information from the Enders. They merely responded with unsettling smiles and an eerie silence, seemingly content as they savored the crisp, salty breeze from the Boundless Sea.
Despite this, their earlier words had left a deep impression on Duncan. One of the captives had made a comment questioning his humanity, which deeply unsettled him. He wondered if they had discerned something about him that others hadn’t. Had they somehow realized that the real Duncan was gone, replaced by an unknown entity?
Moreover, their mention of hiding not within a city-state but within a ‘cursed history’ puzzled him. Could it be that these strange Enders were not bound by ordinary concepts of time and space? Were they possibly residing in an alternate dimension?
Duncan cast wary glances at these erratic zealots, his mind turbulent, as he meticulously inspected his ship for any unusual signs or changes. His concern grew, fearing that something had transpired without his knowledge.
He was somewhat relieved to see that Goathead, which oddly served as the helmsman, remained diligently at its post in the captain’s room, engrossed in its duty and seemingly unaware of the unsettling conversation on deck. Therefore, it was unlikely that it had overheard anything.
As for the rest of the ship, everything appeared in order, with no evident anomalies or disruptions.
His attention then shifted to Alice, who was seated casually on a hefty wooden barrel nearby, holding her head in her hands. Apparently idle earlier, Miss Doll had taken the opportunity to tend to her own hair once again.
Having thoroughly scoured the ship and finding no cause for alarm, Duncan let out a weary sigh. He had already gathered enough insights from the Enders, and further interactions seemed pointless. Their deranged ramblings were starting to wear on him.
“From these individuals, I’ve gleaned more than enough valuable insights. Engaging with them any longer will merely be a futile exercise.”
Suddenly, as if jolted by an internal trigger, one of the Enders snapped back to reality. He raised his gaze to the ethereal sail overhead and, in a trance-like tone, asked, “Is it time for us to depart?”
Duncan met the captive’s gaze coldly and said, “You never had a rightful place on this ship. Nonetheless, before I decide to cast you into the sea, you might still prove useful.”
Surprisingly, instead of seeming intimidated, the ghostly captain’s words seemed to invigorate the Enders, their eerie smiles widening further. Despite Duncan’s firm grasp on the situation, this reaction still sent chills down his spine.
He called out, “Alice, come here.”
With agility, Alice repositioned her head correctly and swiftly made her way to Duncan’s side, asking, “You summoned me, Captain?”
Duncan cast a displeased glance at Alice and reprimanded, “Alice… please refrain from detaching your head in the future. Your joints are already fragile. Continuously removing your head will further compromise its attachment over time. Moreover, it seems your cognitive functions diminish whenever you do this.” He paused, his frown deepening, “Now, I need to carry out an experiment, so please control yourself.”
“An experiment?” Alice blinked, surprised. “What kind of experiment?”
“To determine if you still possess that involuntary beheading ability of yours,” Duncan replied, his eyebrow arching with a mix of skepticism and concern. “Surely you haven’t forgotten about that unique trait of yours?”
She responded with a thoughtful nod, “I did forget! But now that you’ve reminded me, it’s all coming back to me!”
Choosing to ignore the slight shift in Duncan’s expression, Alice turned to the trio of Enders and said, “Oh, hello there. I realized I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I’m Alice, the ship’s… resident chef?”
Duncan interjected, adding to her introduction, “Perhaps you should also inform them about your other, more unique designation,” he suggested nonchalantly. While doing so, he keenly observed the trio for any reactions. “She’s known as Anomaly 099.”
Recognition flared in the eyes of the Enders, and their once indifferent demeanor shifted dramatically, clearly disconcerted.
Savoring their reaction, Duncan quipped with a playful smirk, “Odd, I assumed you all were so desensitized that even the prospect of death wouldn’t faze you. Let’s make this interesting: remain close to Alice and survive, or face decapitation.”
Upon hearing his words, Alice leaned closer to Duncan and whispered, “Captain, when you make statements like that, you genuinely come across as a villain…”
A touch incredulous, Duncan retorted to the puppet, “Whose side are you really on?”
One of the Enders, choosing this moment to speak, intoned solemnly, “Death is but a minor interruption for us… An insignificant hiccup in our vast journey. You naive souls, who have rebuffed the wonders of subspace and remain ensnared by the tangible constraints of this realm, will never comprehend the profound truths of life and death…”
Seizing the opportunity, Duncan playfully nudged Alice, “You heard him, right? Now, that’s the speech of a true villain.”
Alice simply nodded in acknowledgment, murmuring, “Ah, I see.”
Gazing upwards, Duncan’s attention was captured by the luminescent rift in the night sky. “Exactly how long have these individuals been on board?”
Alice pondered for a moment before responding, “It has been several hours, hasn’t it? My internal clock is usually accurate!”
Duncan reflected, “A few hours… which means the guillotine’s cycle would have taken place at least once during that time.” He paused, contemplating the implications. “Regardless, it’s time for the next phase of our experiments.”
Alice looked at him, her eyes wide with confusion. “The next phase? How exactly do you intend to proceed?”
“From what I can discern, your guillotine ability hasn’t been triggered yet. Whether that’s due to the influence of the Vanished or my presence is yet to be determined,” Duncan mused aloud, carefully observing the trio of captives. Seeing that their heads were still firmly attached to their bodies, he continued, “Once another few hours pass, ensuring another cycle of your ability has elapsed, I intend for you and these three to momentarily depart from the Vanished.”
Alice’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Leave the Vanished? But where would we go?”
Miss Doll frantically scanned their surroundings, noting nothing but the vast expanse of the open ocean. There wasn’t a speck of land as far as the eye could see.
Duncan hesitated for a moment, realizing he hadn’t worked out that particular detail. His overarching idea was to maintain a safe distance from both the ship and any populated areas, minimizing the risk of unintended harm.
“We have several lifeboats attached to the ship’s side, all in prime condition. I can lower one for you to use during this experiment.” Duncan tried to reassure her, locking eyes with Alice. “It’s just for a short period. You’ll simply drift a bit on the sea. Don’t worry, the Vanished will hover close by. We won’t abandon you.”
Upon hearing this, Miss Doll instinctively recoiled. “So, I’m supposed to drift aimlessly on the open sea again?! The last time was traumatic enough! Plus, the sea looks eerie and almost desolate at night. What if you can’t spot us? Or a strong wind generates a huge wave that flips the boat over? Or if the boat gets overturned…?”
Before she could delve further into her fears, Duncan interrupted with an exasperated sigh, “Enough! Do you really believe every possible calamity will befall you? I’ll have Ai fly overhead to keep a watchful eye. And seriously, what’s there to fear? Remember when I cast you into the sea previously? You ingeniously used your box as a makeshift raft and paddled back to the ship. Not even eight cannonballs could deter you then!”
Alice tried to muster a response but found herself momentarily speechless, memories flooding back. Still, she couldn’t suppress her apprehension, casting a wary glance at the vast expanse of the Boundless Sea. “Alright, Captain, if you insist. Just… make sure you don’t lose track of me.”
Duncan sighed, thinking to himself, “How did she go from that fearless, wave-surfing adventurer I initially encountered to… this?” He wondered if prolonged time on the ship had somehow diminished her former resilience.
Bro this is literally every AI NPC teammate I get in strategy games. I play some shogun 2, enemy AI pulls out a massive army and relentlessly assaults me no matter how many of their leaders I slay. I ally with them and they can barely raise one army of peasants and are always getting attacked.
Omg you’re right, she is like an AI. In some ways more than the bird. She’s like the “radiant AI” they boasted about in some Elder Scrolls game which just ended up with villager NPCs with the same voice saying 2 lines over and over to each other. Or a wall, I remember some would talk to walls while being all polite.
Nice chapter, translation!
Now he’s actively enjoying torture