Chapter 390: Reunion After a Long Separation
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
For what seemed like an eternity, Lawrence felt as though he was living in a continuous, lucid dream. It was as if he were enveloped in a vivid mirage, completely aware of every detail around him. He was undergoing a profound transformation, a psychological shift that he understood more deeply than anyone else.
Lawrence knew that Martha, a significant figure from his past, was no longer present. The ghostly companion that seemed to follow him everywhere was merely a figment of his imagination—a painful truth he couldn’t ignore. His mental acuity, both conscious and subconscious, was extraordinarily sharp.
Compared to other sea captains of his era and experience, Lawrence’s mental resilience was remarkable. In the endless expanse of the sea, it wasn’t uncommon for captains to struggle with distorted mental states and a fragile grip on sanity. Despite the spiritual support from priests who traveled with these mariners, the life of a seafarer was fraught with more psychological risks than an average sailor might face. These captains, embarking on countless voyages, often described their profession with a chilling phrase:
“We are not just teetering on the brink of the abyss. Instead, we are being thrust headlong into its gaping maw.”
Yet, it was this mental torment that had given Lawrence a unique insight into the phantom “Martha.” He was acutely aware that the figure before him was unlike the hallucinations he had experienced in the past.
His thoughts drifted back to the vision of “Martha” that had appeared on the deck of the White Oak some time ago. On that day, First Mate Gus had also seen the spectral apparition of “Martha.”
Could that moment have been a turning point? Had everything crossed an unseen threshold? Had his imagination taken on physical form? Or had some mysterious force reached into his mind and brought this entity into existence? Was this a blessing in disguise? Or perhaps a trap laden with mockery?
“Martha…” Lawrence finally broke the heavy silence, his voice rough and hoarse, “Are you really here, standing before me?”
“As you can see,” the woman replied with a chuckle, “Would you like to touch me? I’m even warm to the touch.”
“You are real,” Lawrence breathed deeply, restraining the urge to step closer. “But… why? Has a mental projection of mine become real? Is this… the power of the sea?”
“You’re partly right,” Martha replied gently, shaking her head slightly. “Yes, this ‘sea’ has shaped me, as it has the Black Oak, but I’m not merely a figment of your imagination. I’ve been adrift here for many years, Lawrence. The ship and I are just two among countless ‘impostors,’ lost and wandering.”
Lawrence was stunned. “Impostors?”
“Yes, impostors—all created by a powerful force deep within the sea. I can’t fully explain what this force is, but it’s been here for an unimaginably long time, creating countless duplicates. Remember the ‘Seagull’ you destroyed not long ago? And Dagger Island…”
“All of them are ‘impostors’?” Lawrence’s eyes widened in shock. The realization hit him hard, making him understand that the chaos he was entangled in was far more sinister than he had imagined. “Wait, the Frost we encountered before…”
“Yes, that too. Everything here is an impostor,” Martha confirmed calmly. “This unknown force has thoroughly permeated this area, and anything that stays here long enough becomes its ‘replica.’ There are numerous aimless and vacant copies floating in the depths of the sea. What you’ve encountered is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Lawrence seemed to be in a trance, taking a while to collect himself. He stared at the apparition of his “wife” before him, “But… you seem different, you’re capable of conversation, the ship just fought alongside the White Oak…”
Instead of answering, Martha smiled serenely, an enigmatic expression on her face.
Lawrence stopped speaking, slowly regaining his composure. He looked down at his own spectral, translucent form and the quiet, green flame flickering on his body.
The Black Oak had come into being after the White Oak had undergone its “transformation” amidst the flames.
“You’ve connected the dots, Lawrence,” Martha’s voice was soft. “The only thing that can withstand a force as powerful as this sea is another force of greater power. Not even this sea can influence the spoils of the Vanished Fleet. You and I, we’re both ‘His’ spoils.”
As Lawrence listened, he felt a sense of disorientation. Suddenly, he noticed inconsistencies in Martha’s recent revelations—these were pieces of information that the “Martha” he had said goodbye to decades ago should not have known!
How was she aware of the Vanished? How could she know that the White Oak was Captain Duncan’s “spoils”?
“You’ve accessed my consciousness!” Lawrence’s eyes widened in sudden realization, his muscles tensing involuntarily. “You’re not the real Martha!”
The figure before him merely smiled, unperturbed by his reaction, as serene as she had been all those years ago. “If you’re looking for an exact, ‘unadulterated’ version of Martha, I’m afraid I must disappoint you, Lawrence. I’m not her. However, a part of ‘her’ does exist within me. Martha’s essence is a component of me, and the remaining part is extracted from your consciousness and memories… this sea acts like a mirror, constantly reflecting everything that passes over its surface, including consciousness and memories.”
“I didn’t intrude upon your consciousness; rather, your consciousness naturally imprinted a part of itself onto me. Can you accept that?”
Lawrence parted his lips to respond, his face a mix of emotions. Finally, he managed a melancholic smile, raising his hands in resignation. “I don’t know. I never considered how I would react upon truly confronting you. I… I’m uncertain how to deal with this… ‘version’ of you. I’m still confused about the nature of your existence.”
He raised his gaze, and for the first time, the veteran sea captain, who had weathered innumerable terrifying ordeals in the Boundless Sea, appeared a bit lost.
He rarely let his guard down in front of anyone, except his wife.
Martha silently studied the no-longer young Lawrence. After a prolonged silence, she let out a small chuckle. “You’re exactly as you used to be, always seeking my advice in pivotal moments.”
She stepped forward, raised her warm hand, and placed it on Lawrence’s shoulder.
“You need to remain resolute and make informed decisions…”
Lawrence’s brows knitted slightly, a look of bewilderment sweeping across his face.
“Excuse me, sir,” Martha turned to address the unusually quiet Anomaly 077. “The master of the Vanished Fleet would greatly appreciate your collaboration.”
The cadaver clothed in sailor’s attire shuddered, wordlessly turned around, and left the bridge.
A wave of understanding seemed to wash over Lawrence, and he quickly called out, “Wait…”
But the bridge door had already shut behind the departing figure.
Anomaly 077 darted swiftly down the corridor beyond the door. He faintly heard Captain Lawrence’s final outcry from within, “Martha, I’m over sixty this year!”
He didn’t have the heart to eavesdrop on the conversation that followed.
A short while later, the creak of the door hinge announced someone’s exit. Anomaly 077 recoiled, cautiously turning his head just in time to see the female explorer standing in the doorway, an uninhibited, merry grin adorning her face.
Close on her heels, Lawrence too stepped out, grimacing noticeably. Upon noticing Anomaly 077 by the door, he shot him a sharp warning look. He quickly grabbed his cheek, wincing even more profoundly.
Anomaly 077 immediately diverted his gaze, attempting to meld into the scenery as a real corpse might.
Clearly, he had been subjected to a harsh reprimand.
“Have you come to terms with it now?” Martha pivoted her head to ask Lawrence, her face highlighted by a beaming smile.
Lawrence, cradling the tender spot on his head, couldn’t comprehend how Martha could inflict such potent blows on his nearly ethereal form. All he knew was that these subtleties were no longer important. “I can accept it, I can accept it…”
In the Boundless Sea, one needed a broad-minded perspective to tackle all surprises thrown their way.
After all, as it presently stood, if he couldn’t handle it, Martha would step in to aid him. The female explorer’s forthright demeanor remained unchanged from all those years ago, while he had matured into a man in his mid-fifties…
“So, next, we should concentrate on the urgent issues at hand,” Martha proposed with a smile, leaning casually against the door with her arms crossed. “Remaining trapped here isn’t a feasible long-term solution.”
Upon hearing this, Lawrence quickly brushed aside his intricate contemplations, his expression swiftly morphing into one of stern solemnity. “Martha, I’ve been wanting to ask you, what exactly is the state of this sea? Do you have any information about a way out of here?”
“…I wish I could provide the answers you’re seeking, but I’m afraid I have to apologize,” Martha replied after a moment’s pause. “Even though I’ve been aimlessly drifting here for many years, in the end, I and this ship are merely one of the innumerable counterfeits trapped here. However, one thing I am sure of… the entirety of the sea is centered around ‘Frost’. If there indeed exists a portal that intersects with the real world, it’s most likely situated within Frost.”
Did she just…?
Yeah, they did it
Of course not, she just smacked his head, that’s what I understand
The White finally joined with the Black
They were just having a friendly… spar.
Yeah. They were just sparring, like ol’ good time’s sake…
Did they do the deed?
You shouldn’t expect any little ghosts being spawned here anyway. I don’t think these phantasmal sailors resemble their original versions close enough for that.
Horny thoughts begone. She reprimanded him. It says further down that she smacked his head.
His wife in Pland should be the hallucination he has been dealing with previously/recently?
It would be weird for him to get a new wife with this relentless search, she was described as an ex-explorer, and he was hesistant to drink the anti-psychotics, yet she made him.
doesn’t he have a wife in Poland ??
Imagine like flashback when his wife reprimanded him he talked to her like that. Read this chapter again you will understand.
I feel like… the wife in pland is just his illusion. His real wife probably died years ago.
Yes, it was specifically shown when he departed Pland that his wife had been dead for some time and he had been treating his hallucination of her as real. Heidi also alluded to it when she talked with him and gave him his medicine.