Chapter 389: Stepping Aboard The Black Oak
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
Grasping the rungs of the rope ladder with a firm grip, Lawrence began his ascent, methodically pulling himself upward with each strenuous movement. Each step brought him closer to the ominous ship, which loomed above him like a shadowy beast. The vessel, aptly named the Black Oak, had a hull as dark as the midnight sky, a hue so intense it seemed scorched by fire, leaving behind a charred, somber shade. After a grueling climb, Lawrence finally hauled himself onto the deck.
The moment his boots touched the worn wooden planks, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He doubled over, bracing his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. A self-deprecating chuckle escaped him as he heaved for air, a rueful acknowledgment that his strength wasn’t what it once was.
Age had caught up with him, evidenced by his struggle to climb a rope ladder—a task that now required rest and recovery. His mind drifted back to his youth, a time when such exertion would have been effortless.
His reverie was interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. Shaking off nostalgia, Lawrence focused on Anomaly 077, a peculiar entity that had managed to scale the intimidating Black Oak. The figure, more mummified corpse than man, lingered near the edge of the deck, displaying an unexpected level of compliance.
Despite its daunting appearance, this creature, formerly a man, had shown a remarkable willingness to cooperate. Lawrence found it strange that such a fearsome anomaly, with high destructive potential, acted with apparent obedience. Given the unsettling reality that this dreadful mummy was his only ally, Lawrence put his reservations aside and adopted an authoritative tone.
“Is the boat secure?” he demanded, treating the creature as an indispensable crew member.
“Secured,” the mummy responded in a gravelly voice. Its hollow, sunken eyes flickered around the vacant ship before it spoke again, hesitantly. “It seems there’s no one else on board, Captain.”
“I’m not blind,” Lawrence snapped sarcastically, scrutinizing the deck himself.
The atmosphere aboard the Black Oak was thick with a peculiar fog, draping the ship in a gloomy shroud. The fog complicated efforts to take in the ship’s full details. Peering through the mist, Lawrence strained to make out the ship’s layout, uncannily similar to his own vessel, the White Oak. The resemblance was striking, with roughly seventy to eighty percent similarity. However, unlike his well-maintained ship, the Black Oak showed severe neglect—flaking paint, twisted and warped deck planks, and rust-like stains.
Without the fog, Lawrence could have easily mistaken the Black Oak for a long-abandoned version of his own ship. It was as though he had stepped into an alternate reality where his beloved vessel drifted aimlessly, forgotten, and succumbing to time and weather.
The mummy’s observations were accurate; there was no other living soul on the ship, adding to the eerie silence that enveloped them.
“But if there’s no one else here, then who dropped down the rope ladder?” Anomaly 077 asked, perplexed. “And when you signaled this ship, someone or something responded with a light. Who was behind that?”
Lawrence regarded the Sailor, a hint of admiration in his expression. “For an anomaly, your thought process is surprisingly logical,” he mused aloud. “But isn’t it odd to apply such logic to a ghost ship?”
The creature merely shrugged nonchalantly, lapsing into an unsettling silence.
Lawrence wasn’t content with the silence. He hadn’t brought Anomaly 077 to the Black Oak just to avoid leaving him aboard the White Oak. He intended to harness the anomaly’s unique abilities.
“Can you exercise your abilities on this ship?” Lawrence asked, his gaze intense. “Can you influence this ship?”
“Do you want me to ‘usurp’ it?” Anomaly 077 responded, surprised.
“No, I don’t expect you to usurp it,” Lawrence corrected firmly. “But I want you to gauge if your abilities can operate here. Can you sense the current state of this ship?”
Anomaly 077, also known as the Sailor, possessed a peculiar power. He could control and sometimes usurp anything classified as a “ship,” granting him unparalleled understanding and influence. Could the Black Oak reveal unusual characteristics under his scrutiny?
Lawrence was eager to exploit the anomaly’s abilities to unravel the mystery of the Black Oak.
Obediently, the mummy complied. He stood on the weather-beaten deck, arms outstretched, eyes half-closed as if reading the wind direction amidst the fog. Meanwhile, Lawrence’s gaze roved over the familiar items strewn about the deck.
The Black Oak…he was finally aboard the vessel that had haunted his dreams for years. Despite countless times revisiting past incidents on this ship in his dreams, the memories remained sharp and vivid. His life had been shaped by voyages, spurred by an unwavering determination to locate this ship. Now, standing on its deck, he was assaulted by uncertainties—questioning his judgment, doubting his perceptions, and pondering the ship’s very existence.
The sudden appearance of the Black Oak was profoundly strange. Its current state was anything but ordinary. Despite his emotional resistance, logic suggested this might not be the Black Oak he had been searching for.
Perhaps it was merely a manifestation created by an erratic supernatural anomaly beyond his control.
His mind swirled with confusion until the look of bewilderment on the Sailor’s face brought him back to reality.
“What’s the situation?” Lawrence asked.
“I…I don’t know how to put it,” the Sailor stammered, staring at the deck, visibly confused. “Captain, I…I can’t feel the existence of this ship.”
“What do you mean you can’t sense the ship’s existence?” Lawrence exclaimed. He had considered the possibility that the Sailor’s abilities might fall short, but he hadn’t predicted such an odd revelation. “Then where on earth are we standing?”
“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t explain…” The Sailor seemed startled by Lawrence’s reaction but stood his ground. “We are indeed standing here. This place exists, but in my perception, it doesn’t…or at least, it isn’t here.”
Puzzlement etched itself across Lawrence’s face. He was certain the mummy wasn’t trying to deceive him. But this knowledge did little to alleviate Lawrence’s disarray.
After internal deliberation, he took a deep breath, lifted his lantern high, and directed his gaze towards a point at the far end of the deck.
The golden glow from the lantern trembled amidst the fog, mapping out an invisible path ahead.
“Captain, where are we going?” The Sailor asked.
“To the bridge,” Lawrence replied calmly. “The captain should be on the bridge.”
As his statement hung in the air, he proceeded along the illuminated path. The Sailor hesitated before catching up, his stride awkward due to a limp. Curiosity threaded his voice as he inquired, “You mean…the captain of this ship? Are you familiar with the captain of the Black Oak?”
Lawrence’s stride faltered momentarily before continuing. “Yes, I know her quite well.”
The Sailor nodded, slipping back into respectful silence.
Moments later, Lawrence stood before the entrance to the bridge.
A red metal door, slightly ajar, loomed before him, silently inviting him inside.
“You open the door.”
With the lantern in one hand, Lawrence drew a revolver from his waistband with the other, signaling for the mummy to move.
“Alright,” the mummy sighed, stepping forward. He gripped the door handle and pushed it open effortlessly.
Inside, Lawrence discovered an abandoned bridge, devoid of human presence. A thin layer of fog danced around the chairs and navigation equipment. At the front, the unmanned ship’s wheel gently rocked back and forth.
“There’s no one here either,” the mummy stated, disappointed.
“I can see that,” Lawrence responded, his tone dry as he stepped into the bridge.
Holding up his lantern, he cast out the shadows. His eyes rapidly swept over the weather-beaten equipment and vacant seats, finally settling on the ship’s helm.
The captain should have been here.
But there was no trace of the captain.
Lawrence sighed, both disappointed and strangely relieved. “As expected, you’re not here.”
“No, I’m here.” A soft, feminine voice echoed from the side.
Taken by surprise, Lawrence felt a shiver down his spine. The uncanny green flame that clung to his body surged higher. In the next second, he spun around, drawn to the source of the voice.
A woman stood there, in her prime, donned in a captain’s uniform. Her waves of hair cascaded over her shoulders, arms crossed over her chest. Her composed expression hinted at deep-seated resignation.
“Ah, a woman has materialized,” Anomaly 077 exclaimed, then, realizing the gravity of the situation, asked, “Captain, should I remain silent?”
Lawrence glared briefly. “Yes, stay silent.”
“Understood, captain.”
Despite the interruption, it diffused some tension. Lawrence capitalized on this respite to regain composure, his mind buzzing. How to break the ice? What to say first?
In the past, he had engaged in countless conversations with “Martha.” They had shared many imaginary years in his illusions. Yet, now, Lawrence found himself at a loss for words. He couldn’t converse with Martha as effortlessly as in his dreams.
This hesitation led to a realization.
The Martha before him was a unique entity, existing outside his subconscious mind!
Maybe the Black Oak is some sort of metaphysical representation of the White Oak or rather of Lawrence himself (or his mental state)?
The last few chapters often mentioned that Lawrence is no longer in his prime, is getting weaker, was preparing to retire, and so on.
All that fits to the Black Oak: An old worn down ship on it’s last legs.
That would also explain the reflection in the mirror: Lawrence IS the White Oak due to being it’s Captain and being connected with it through the green flames, thus the reflection also IS Lawrence / White Oak but as Lawrence is no longer in his prime, so is the reflection of the White Oak no longer in it’s prime.
That leaves us the question of who or what then is Martha?
Maybe Lawrence’s subconscious? The White Oak itself personified?
That would explain why she helps him.
Maybe mental polution he got over the years?
A Subspace Shadow that inhabitants his mind?
Maybe even a mix of it all?
What seems certain is, that she can manifest herself now due to the Realm they are in now, as while she existed before in his mind no one could see her.
I’m so confused right now. Martha is Lawrence’s wife, right? Truly married, not just an illusion created by Lawrence’s Imagination, right?
Yes. Martha was his wife. She and the ship Black Oak disappeared some time ago. Lawrence came to Frost to try to find them on this trip.