Chapter 409: Twins
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
In the midst of the chaotic roar of artillery fire, a mysterious ghostly doppelganger of a ship had materialized. It fearlessly charged across the battlefield, capturing the attention of everyone present. The crew aboard the Sea Mist and even the imitation warships lurking in the mist were left dumbfounded by its appearance.
Tyrian, catching Aiden’s voice through the cacophony, turned his attention to his first mate. “Captain, the ship that just streaked past emerged from the fog. Should we launch an attack?” Aiden asked, his voice cutting through the noise.
Everyone on the bridge turned their eyes to Tyrian, recalling his earlier orders: Any unfamiliar vessel entering the battlefield should be presumed an enemy.
“Attack my foot!” Tyrian retorted after a moment of tense silence. “Do you think we stand a chance of catching up? And did you see the silhouette of that ship under the water?”
Aiden paused before replying, “Yes, I saw it. The shadow appeared to be engulfed in an eerie, ghostly flame.”
As soon as Aiden’s words faded, a deep, resonating rumble emanated from the Sea Mist’s hull. At the same time, a whistle blasted from above the deck. The ship, altered by some mystical power and once a protector of the Vanished Fleet, seemed to acknowledge Aiden’s observation.
“The ship has sensed it too,” Aiden said, turning back to Tyrian, his face a mix of emotions. “Captain, any idea what that ship could be?”
“Maybe it’s something my father put in place,” Tyrian replied seriously. “Don’t question it too much. Focus on the battle. And inform our allies, including the Frost Navy, not to obstruct that peculiar ship… although, given its speed…”
Tyrian was interrupted by a transmission received by the sailor monitoring the radio. Rising to his feet, the sailor announced, “Captain! The Frost Navy’s ‘Sea Owl’ reports an unusual, super-speed ghost ship heading towards Frost. They’re asking if it’s one of ours.”
Tyrian sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We can’t reveal details about the Vanished. Just say it’s an ally and leave it at that. Once things settle down, I’ll get in touch with him personally.”
“Understood, Captain!”
The cannons continued their relentless barrage, and the misty battlefield remained engulfed in fire and explosions. Amid the chaos, Tyrian’s contemplative gaze pierced through the fog, watching the direction in which the peculiar ship had disappeared.
…
“I believe we just collided with something!” Lawrence exclaimed, rushing back to his workstation from the porthole. He addressed a small mirror on his desk, his eyes darting anxiously between the mirror and the ominous view outside. The dark, foggy sea seemed to be teeming with shadowy entities, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion.
The White Oak sped through these phantom images.
In the mirror, black fog swirled, and a female adventurer in a captain’s uniform emerged. “We didn’t collide with anything,” Martha assured him with a mirthful smile. “We almost did, though.”
“An almost collision is still terrifying!” Lawrence snatched up the mirror and hurried to the window. “What’s our current speed?!”
“Exceptionally fast—insubstantial illusions can glide through the waves as swiftly as the wind,” Martha replied, smiling at Lawrence through the mirror. “Remember when you promised to make the White Oak and Black Oak the finest vanguard exploration ships? We’re currently at a seven or eight.”
“That was a figure of speech!” Lawrence’s eyes widened in panic. Just then, another colossal illusion nearly skimmed past his porthole, a towering bridge and distant-pointing gun turrets embroiled in battle with adversaries from another realm. The White Oak-Black Oak barely missed its primary cannon.
Lawrence sighed in resignation. “Forget it, as long as we’re safe. What’s the current situation outside?”
“We’re navigating through a war zone,” Martha replied steadily.
“Who’s in conflict?”
Martha glanced around before answering. “In the tangible world, it’s the Frost Navy fighting the Mist Fleet. Their opponents are the illusory duplicates transitioning from the mirror realm into the real world.”
A heavy unease settled in Lawrence’s chest. “Has the end time arrived?”
“It appears so,” Martha said gently. “The mirror world is intersecting with the real one. The final ‘anti-phase’ process is underway.”
“So soon? I thought you said this process wouldn’t start prematurely?”
“I could only estimate loosely. Since our departure from the counterfeit fleet, my connection with the mirrored dimension has weakened. Someone has hastened the mirror’s anti-phase process…”
Lawrence fell silent, gazing at the tumultuous sea and the parade of illusionary shadows. “Are we still navigating the mirrored sea?”
“Yes, we’re still in the mirror realm,” Martha confirmed. “But the boundary between the mirror world and reality is fading—we’re running out of time.”
“What will happen once the anti-phase process completes?” Lawrence asked.
“When a city-state becomes a spawning ground for ancient deities, what do you think will happen?” Martha replied calmly.
Lawrence began to knead his temples. “Damn it, how far are we from Frost?”
“We’re almost there,” Martha said, pointing outside the window. “I can see the glow of the port. Ships spanning half a century of wrecks and countless duplicates are converging. But they seem to be ignoring the Black Oak for now.”
Lawrence nodded, his face serious. He picked up the mirror, opened the door, and headed towards the bridge. “What do you need me to do once we dock at Frost?”
“Locate their stronghold. The energy creating and sustaining this mirror realm is deep within Frost. I can sense its approximate location,” Martha said, her smile fading to a solemn expression. “Once you start the search, the counterfeits around the city-state will react. I’ll devise a strategy to keep them at bay.”
“Can the Black Oak and White Oak fend them off alone? You mentioned many ships are congregating…”
“We’re part of the Vanished Fleet, Lawrence,” Martha said reassuringly. “And we’re not the only ones in this fight.”
Lawrence looked thoughtfully out the window at the shadowy ships battling in the distance. As the minutes ticked by, the boundary between the mirrored world and reality grew more indistinct. Soon, the entire sea, including Mirror Frost and Real Frost, would be ablaze.
“I understand,” Lawrence said, turning from the window. He continued towards the bridge. “But how do we handle the ‘entity’ embedded in the city-state? If it’s an ancient god or a fragment of one, our conventional weaponry might be ineffective.”
He reached the bridge, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. His first mate, second mate, the ship’s pastor, and his crew—all were waiting. The anomaly 077—Sailor—sat upright with a crew hat on its head, observing with childlike curiosity.
Martha’s voice came from the mirror: “You will receive assistance.”
Surprised, Lawrence glanced at the mirror. “Assistance?”
“Yes, assistance. They’ve been battling within this mirrored world for years, trying to penetrate the city-state’s core. Find them. You won’t need to explain your purpose. They will support you… most likely.”
“Most likely?!”
“I can’t guarantee it because I don’t know their true nature or capacity to communicate with humans. Even though I’ve spent years here, my freedom has been significantly curtailed.”
“Alright, I understand,” Lawrence sighed. “Who are they?”
“They call themselves… the Queen’s Guard.”
Damn things are really picking up! Hopefully we can see Alice’s people get to work.
No way… I just thought of something crazy…
Remember the ritual that the Queen did that confused the Bishop… what if the Queen knew about the cloning process and a part of her entered the mirrored Frost.
And the Queen Guards later through the sewage entered to fight with the Queen. It could also explain why only after the death of the Queen did Alice and the Coffin appear.
So, who was the one that got executed by the rebels? Real or fake Ray Nora?