Chapter 325: Handover
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com.
A faint yet peculiar force was resisting Duncan’s commands over the body. It even attempted to expel him from within.
This force had been there all along but only became prominent when Duncan considered heading to Frost.
Despite this resistance, he slowly walked to the wreckage’s edge, gazing at the calm sea below.
He spoke softly, “I assumed you had departed—typically, the soul leaves swiftly when the heart stops.”
He then fell silent, sensing the weak yet persistent force. After a moment, the body’s lips twitched slightly, “Leave…”
Understanding what was needed, Duncan closed his eyes gently.
On the oil-slicked sea surface, the body’s reflection was suddenly engulfed by dark green flames. The disfigured face from the explosion in the reflection trembled within the flames, transforming into Duncan Abnomar’s solemn visage.
“Hello,” the reflection of Duncan in the water addressed the body standing on the Seagull’s wreckage, speaking calmly, “I believe this method will facilitate our conversation.”
The disfigured body stood upright, with Belazov’s last bit of consciousness looking at the reflection in the water and the dark green flames. His lips moved again, producing a monotone, firm sound, “…Leave.”
In the reflection, Duncan pondered, “…You’re not asking me to leave your body; you want me to stay away from Frost?”
Belazov’s body remained silent. Though theoretically dead, it stood firm, refusing to heed the command to return to Frost.
“…You’re the first to resist—or at least, the first whose resistance I can perceive,” Duncan said calmly, “But you should know this feeble resistance is futile. You’re merely hastening your soul’s consumption, and at most, it would only delay me by a few moments.”
Belazov remained silent, standing as if already dead—but a faint glimmer of light lingered in his half-open eyes.
“…I retract my previous statement; your resistance does have meaning,” Duncan sighed after a pause, “Rest assured, I am not an enemy of Frost—I am here to aid your city-state and your people.”
He then fell silent for a few seconds, observing the still-standing body. After brief reflection, he whispered, “Reinforcements have arrived.”
Belazov’s body swayed slightly then. Perhaps Duncan’s words had an effect, or perhaps the stubborn, lingering soul had finally vanished. The sturdy body looked up at the distant city lights one last time before collapsing backward.
The weak resistance had disappeared as Duncan sat up, adjusting the charred strips of cloth on his body.
A swirling flame suddenly appeared beside him, accompanied by the sound of wings flapping from the vortex created by the flames. A large skeletal bird emerged from the vortex, circling above the nearby sea.
Almost simultaneously, Goathead’s voice entered Duncan’s mind: “There was no real need to ‘negotiate’ with him—that was merely a frail mortal soul.”
“Weak, yet deserving respect,” Duncan said as he extended his hand. Ai immediately flew to his side, and the blazing green flames transformed into a doorway, rising beside him. “I’m heading to Frost, which will be my main focus. You’ll be responsible for the Vanished. Also, tell Alice to prepare some bandages and a coat, and be ready for my command at any moment.”
The ghost flames flared up, and Duncan’s body merged with the fire. In the next instant, they transformed into the ascending flames beside Ai. A meteor-like streak of light shot into the sky from the sea, flying directly towards Frost.
…
Meanwhile, in the warm southern seas lay the elven-governed technological city-state of “Wind Harbor.”
Though it was the middle of the night, most of the city was enveloped in darkness. However, on Wind Harbor’s eastern edge, a hazy, warm glow illuminated all the buildings and streets. Elegant pointed towers and high-ridged houses, characteristic of elven architecture, basked in a rosy radiance. Hanging vines between houses and trees growing in narrow spaces appeared lush in the light.
This dreamlike scene could easily evoke memories of ancient times described in elven texts, filled with tales of forests and fantasies.
This unusual sight was not a natural part of the cityscape. The warm glow covering the eastern district emanated from the sea near Wind Harbor.
A massive, shining geometric structure floated serenely near the elven city-state. Though its largest boundary was over ten nautical miles from the city, the marvelous glow it emitted affected nearly half the city.
At the colossal geometric structure’s edge was a temporary research facility established by city-state authorities—a massive floating-like port on the calm sea, with power devices at the edge spewing steam and smoke skyward. Complex mechanical work towers loaded and unloaded cargo ships docked at the port, while small speedboats shuttled between the floating base and the glowing geometric structure, working tirelessly.
These speedboats entered the glowing geometric structure to transport personnel, supplies, or exchange vital information with research vessels near the “core stone sphere.”
All these intricate, bustling, and efficient processes were calculated and coordinated by the enormous steam-powered differential engine at the floating base’s center.
At that moment, a “magic battleship” with a completely different style from local vessels was docked next to the elven-built floating base.
It was the ship of the “Sea Witch” Lucretia, the Bright Star.
The clockwork doll, Luni, walked briskly onto the Bright Star’s upper deck, where her mistress stood, gazing at the sea base’s beautiful, elaborate tower.
“Mistress,” Luni approached Lucretia from behind and bowed slightly, “Scholar Taran El’s research team has returned from the ‘core stone sphere’ vicinity and is currently resting at the base. When do you plan to meet him?”
“In the afternoon,” Lucretia replied without turning her head. “Let the elven scholar rest for a while. Since we towed this glowing object to Wind Harbor, he hasn’t had much rest. I’m genuinely concerned he might collapse on my ship.”
Clockwork doll Luni considered for a moment: “We can meet him at the sea base without having him board the ship.”
Lucretia: “…Luni.”
“Yes?”
“Your sense of humor has improved.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
The corner of Lucretia’s mouth twitched, and she looked again at the base’s central tower. The pressure release pipes on either side of the tower were currently spewing mist, indicating that the differential machine’s power device was automatically balancing the overall load. It seemed Master Taran El had indeed brought back a wealth of valuable information this time.
“The elves truly possess remarkable mathematical and mechanical abilities. Bringing that object to Wind Harbor was the right decision,” Lucretia sighed softly. “Only here could such a large-scale research team be organized at any time, with such high-level facilities provided.”
“Mok could also do it,” Luni said. “After all, it is the Academy of Truth’s headquarters. The number of scholars and research conditions there are even better than here.”
“It’s too far away and too close to the central seas. I don’t intend to let the Bright Star tow a massive ‘extraterrestrial object’ through the main shipping routes. It would disturb inland city-states that haven’t experienced much turbulence,” Lucretia shook her head. “Not to mention the Church of the Four Gods speculates it’s a fragment from Vision 001. Objects of this caliber… It’s better to study them on civilization’s outskirts.”
Luni pondered for a moment and bowed slightly: “Your judgment is well-reasoned.”
Lucretia didn’t react to the clockwork maid’s compliment, silently contemplating other matters. Suddenly, she seemed to sense something, and her expression changed slightly.
“I need to step away for a moment. My brother is looking for me.”
With that, the “Sea Witch” transformed into a flurry of colorful confetti, swirling across the deck like a whirlwind, spiraling through a distant open window, and returning to the captain’s quarters.
In the captain’s quarters’ center, the intricate lens and crystal ball device on the table began emitting a faint glow and a continuous, slight vibrating sound.
Lucretia’s figure emerged from the colorful confetti. She walked over to the crystal device, raised her hand, and activated the image within the crystal ball.
The face of the “Iron Admiral” Tyrian appeared inside, and the background behind him seemed different from the familiar room she usually saw.
“Brother?” Lucretia furrowed her brow, not immediately noticing the background behind him. “Why are you suddenly looking for me?”
Tyrian smiled enigmatically, “Can you guess where I am?”
Once more, O7 General Belazov
Even in Death, his duty holds strong!
O7
wait, did goathead had access to telepathy, sharing info directly with MC consciousness somehow? I perhaps have missed it even after 300+ chapters, but the moment I read it, I got so f—-ing surprised. I was not expecting that type of communication with the rather terrifying first mate. and having been trained by this and lotm, I always second guess what seems normal at first.
I will keep looking to see if it happens again, perhaps I have indeed missed it somehow. but in my memory, most of their communication was physically there, often when MC was coming or going somewhere, as he didn’t stay too much in one place so far.
it was there at the start and has been shown a couple times
me too it seems we skim read these chapters subconsciously