Chapter 360: Docking

Sea captains who relied on advanced navigation technology were intimately familiar with the celestial realm. The stars provided unparalleled precision in navigation. These constellations served as unwavering guides, helping seafarers maintain their course even when they ventured into uncharted waters or faced hallucinatory challenges, guiding them back to reality and safety.

However, seafaring captains weren’t the only ones fascinated by the “starry sky.” Scholars dedicated their lives to unraveling its mysteries, seeking the universe’s hidden secrets. Astrologers studied the celestial patterns to predict the fate of individuals and events. Certain underground organizations revered the starry sky as a sacred source of wisdom and divine revelation. They engaged in risky practices, trying to master arcane truths about demonic entities, often risking their sanity. These secret societies frequently fell prey to shadow demons or allied with malevolent forces, drawing the attention of ecclesiastical authorities and city-state rulers. Yet, those who engaged most frequently with the “starry sky” were the sea captains, using various spirit realm lenses as they voyaged across the Boundless Sea.

Having spent much of his life sailing the treacherous ocean, Lawrence was highly knowledgeable about the starry sky. He was skilled in observing it and aware of the potential dangers.

He placed his face into the hollow of the spirit realm lens, a gesture of reverence towards the celestial bodies, and began to whisper the name of the deity he worshipped, harmonizing with the blessing imparted by a priest.

As a mysterious power spread and his spiritual strength and faith heightened, Lawrence first heard a soft sound like water accumulating in a basin. He inhaled the faint, briny scent of seawater, and it felt as if his entire face was submerged underwater.

New navigators, attempting to gaze at the starry sky for the first time, could easily panic at this stage. The illusion of being “drowned and suffocated” could disturb their mental equilibrium, allowing intrusive, disturbing thoughts to creep in. Hence, a novice’s first attempt at stargazing required an assistant to pull them away from the spirit realm lens before they devolved into a grotesque, squirming pile of mangled flesh. This acclimation process could take weeks.

For Lawrence, this was not an issue.

He understood that the “seawater” enveloping him represented the power of the Storm Goddess Gomona—deities would not harm their loyal devotees. He knew he could now open his eyes.

Slowly, Lawrence opened his eyes, finding stars illuminating the heavens and filling his vision.

He gazed at an unfathomable expanse of endless darkness. At the fringes of this void, chaotic waves of light flickered, echoes of the spirit realm that lay deeper in the world. Within the darkness were concentrated points of radiant light, forming clusters of various sizes and textures—some like fluffy clouds, others like spiraling whirlpools, and others like winding rivers. This breathtaking array of light points sketched out a cryptic vista that humans had yet to fully comprehend.

Deep within the celestial tapestry, crevices between some stellar clusters faintly disclosed shadows distinct from the surrounding blackness. They resembled fractured lands afloat amidst the depths of starlight, interconnected by dim, pale “rivers” that induced a disorienting, frightful sensation with just a glance.

This was an area even further removed from the spirit realm, the dread-inducing birthplace of shadow demons—the abyssal deep sea, segregated by the studded stars.

Lawrence meticulously managed his gaze, avoiding plunging too deeply into the abyss to evade alerting the capricious, mindless demons. Concurrently, he concentrated on ascertaining his exact location amidst the stars.

Then he spotted an inconspicuous glimmer that appeared to be a lost singularity drifting aimlessly among the celestial bodies.

Lawrence fixed his eyes on the star, studying it intently for a long time before knitting his brows together.

Could their position be… in the vicinity of Frost’s coast?

The old captain felt a jolt of apprehension as he cautiously began to manipulate the cylindrical device’s control lever with both hands. A flurry of small lenses on the apparatus instantly sprang into motion, modifying Lawrence’s perspective of the “starry sky.”

After multiple cross-checks, he confirmed that they were indeed positioned near Frost’s coast, close enough to see Frost’s main island.

In that instant, Lawrence perceived a transient fluctuation before his eyes.

The celestial landscape, saturated with countless points of light, abruptly plunged into darkness before re-emerging into its usual state.

Taken aback, Lawrence’s initial impulse was to readjust the control lever to recalibrate his view. However, his years of wisdom made him halt midway and swiftly raise his head.

A flickering starry sky could signal a malfunction in the spirit lens. Any irregularities during star observation required immediate disconnection from the view.

This was a safeguarding protocol established by countless forebears, often at the tragic expense of their lives.

Lawrence massaged his furrowed brow, glanced at his timepiece, and noticed that only a few minutes had passed.

Engrossed in his task, Lawrence was set on inspecting the entire lens apparatus, intending to conduct another observation after eliminating potential faults and ensuring the equipment’s safety.

But then an unexpected knock at the door disrupted his plans.

“Captain!” came the first mate’s voice from beyond the door, “Captain, are you done with your observation? We’ve picked up a signal!”

A mild frown formed on Lawrence’s face. He contemplated for a moment, decided to postpone his work, and promptly strode to the door. As he opened it, he found his first mate waiting outside.

“We have received a response from Frost,” the first mate glanced around the observation room, ensuring everything was in order before turning back to Lawrence, “They have granted us permission to enter their coastal waters and dock at the harbor.”

Squinting slightly, Lawrence felt a strange unease. Given the earlier unusual occurrences in the observation room, he asked seriously, “Have you had visual confirmation of Frost’s main island?”

“We have indeed sighted it,” the first mate affirmed with a nod, “The mist has lifted, and our course was slightly awry—just a minor deviation, but we’ve made the necessary adjustments.”

Lawrence cast a glance back at the observation room, his expression becoming grim.

“Captain?” Sensing Lawrence’s peculiar mood, the first mate asked with concern, “Did you encounter something unusual?”

“There was an anomaly in the observation room earlier… And according to my observations, we should be at Frost’s coast by now. There’s no way we couldn’t have spotted Frost due to fog or minor navigational deviations,” Lawrence voiced his concerns in a low tone, “Have the mechanic check the spirit lens assembly for malfunctions. I’ll go up top to assess the situation.”

“Understood, Captain.”

Swiftly, Lawrence exited the lower deck, weaving through the cabins of the White Oak, and arrived on the upper deck.

He chose not to return to the bridge but instead stationed himself on the foredeck, casting his gaze out to survey the scene.

A sprawling city-state lay directly ahead, with its coastal structures and harbor facilities in clear view. The fog had retreated, revealing the gently rolling waves of the sea. Thick and wispy clouds were scattered across the sky, with streams of faint sunlight piercing through, casting a weak glow on the distant sea and the city-state.

Everything in sight appeared normal in Frost, devoid of any irregularities.

A puzzled frown creased Lawrence’s brow as he redirected his gaze skyward.

Aside from a larger accumulation of clouds, he didn’t spot anything amiss.

After a few moments, he retreated from the deck, making his way back to the bridge. Simultaneously, a sailor at the telegraph machine received another welcoming message from the harbor at Frost.

Lawrence glanced at the transcribed note the sailor had jotted down.

The message was brief but clear: “Harbor is open for arrival, welcome to Frost.”

After blinking, Lawrence began to question his earlier trepidation. He wondered if the minor glitch in the spirit lens and the lingering sea fog had amplified his unease. However, everything around him appeared perfectly ordinary.

“We’ll proceed to dock.”

“Acknowledged, Captain.”

…

After a while, Duncan and his group exited the “Second Waterway,” parting ways with Nemo in the covert tunnel connecting to the waterway.

They had thoroughly searched the collapsed, blocked passageway for a substantial time but had discovered no leads. They hadn’t found any additional “mud,” nor had they located any openings or remnants indicating how the “mud” could have infiltrated the passage.

Likewise, they had failed to find the mysterious area where “Crow” had disappeared.

It seemed they had hit a dead end.

“I’ll ensure Crow receives a fitting burial. Please relay to Captain Tyrian that Crow died a brave warrior’s death—he was a proud member of the Mist Fleet,” Nemo respectfully removed his hat and bowed slightly to Duncan within the hidden passage.

“I’ll make sure he gets the message,” Duncan responded solemnly, looking directly at Nemo, “And our investigation into this matter is far from over.”

Nemo lifted his gaze to meet Duncan’s determined stare.

“Crow has left us with vital clues; he undoubtedly reached somewhere significant. The ‘counterfeit’ couldn’t have manifested out of nowhere within the Second Waterway,” Duncan asserted, “I’ll continue searching. If necessary, I’ll examine every single brick and patch of soil in this city-state.”

Nemo nodded, acknowledging Duncan’s resolve, before they parted ways to continue their respective missions.

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