Chapter 56 “Dive”
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As Duncan was served dinner, he hesitated to try the fish soup Alice had made. His reluctance wasn’t due to a lack of appetite but was caused by the unsettling incident where Miss Doll’s head accidentally fell into the boiling soup. This incident was no mere accident in Duncan’s eyes; it brought thoughts of curses and bad omens.
Observing Duncan’s hesitation and the untouched spoon next to his plate, Miss Doll looked distressed. Nervously clutching her skirt, she gathered the courage to ask him, her voice filled with worry and fear, “Captain, are you upset with me?”
Duncan, sensing the tension but wanting to alleviate it, turned to the distressed doll and reassured her, “If there’s anything troubling you about the ship, please don’t hesitate to share…”
“But… I’m not…” Alice interjected, clearly surprised by his answer.
Trying to lighten the mood, Duncan suggested, “Maybe stay out of the kitchen for a bit?” Noticing sadness in Alice’s eyes, he quickly added, “No, please don’t misunderstand. I value your effort and good intentions. Cooking is hard and prone to errors for the inexperienced. It’s best to go slowly and learn from each attempt.”
Alice’s face brightened at Duncan’s supportive words. With renewed enthusiasm, she asked, “So… may I try cooking again later?”
Duncan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “Just be extra careful next time.”
He reflected on Alice, often seen as a ‘cursed’ doll, and her earnest desire to find her role on the ship, the Vanished. She wanted to be helpful, and Duncan felt it wasn’t his place to prevent her from engaging in life on the ship, lest he seem like a tyrant.
He decided that letting Alice help in the kitchen, despite some mishaps, was safer than allowing her to handle ropes, anchors, or cannonballs, where the risks were significantly higher. The dangers in the kitchen were minor in comparison.
Turning his attention back to the fish soup beside him, Duncan acknowledged internally that the taste was quite ordinary. Given the limited spices on board, the dish was still commendable.
What more could Duncan realistically expect from two beings who lacked a true understanding of human culinary preferences?
Before he could reflect further, Alice’s voice softly interrupted his thoughts, “Um… Captain, would you like me to prepare something else for you? I’ve learned how to grill fish and make fried fish fillets from Mr. Goathead. I have some ready in the kitchen…”
“I’m not really feeling hungry,” Duncan replied, shaking his head. In reality, his body needed minimal food. He maintained a routine of eating three meals a day mainly to keep up some semblance of normal human life. The soup Alice had made earlier was surprisingly filling, enough to stave off any remaining hunger. Rising from the table, he announced, “I think I’ll take a stroll around the cabins.”
“You’re going to the cabins?” Alice asked, her voice filled with surprise. Her expression changed as a thought struck her, and she looked concerned as she tentatively asked, “While you’re there, could you perhaps check ‘below’?”
“Below?” Duncan echoed, puzzled.
Alice clarified, “The deeper cabins—I mean, the areas I’m not allowed to enter. There’s always this unsettling creaking noise coming from there. Sometimes, it even sounds like whispers beneath the floorboards. Could you investigate? I’m worried that something strange might be happening down there…”
Miss Doll’s anxious demeanor and the sincerity in her voice aroused Duncan’s curiosity.
The lower levels of the Vanished had been largely unexplored by him!
Unlike the busy upper decks, the lower decks of the ship had a creepy aura of danger and mystery. When he first took command, before mastering the ghost fire, he had only explored a few levels deeper before deciding to hold off on further exploration. He had planned to resume later, but circumstances had rapidly changed.
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Suddenly, a gruff voice interrupted his thoughts, coming from Goathead lurking in the shadows: “Ah, seems the bilge is acting up again. Captain, why not take a look for yourself?”
Before Duncan could respond, Goathead, unperturbed by his own interruption, continued eagerly: “Think about it, Captain. It’s been a while since you’ve checked on the lower decks. The bilge, submerged in the Boundless Sea for so long, deserves some attention… Why not bring your lantern? It’s right where you left it, behind the door… You’ve been so preoccupied with the upper decks that the crew below has grown restless. Their constant complaints are grating on my nerves. As someone who values silence, these nightly creaks are anything but soothing…”
Duncan gave Goathead a brief, silent glance, causing him to immediately fall silent.
Listening to Goathead’s rant only made the idea of descending into the depths of the ship even less appealing. Goathead’s words painted a grim picture of the lower levels, deeply influenced by the Boundless Sea, hinting at unexpected surprises for those who dared to venture there.
Despite the daunting task ahead, Duncan’s hesitation was brief. He knew he needed to extend his exploration to the entire ship, the Vanished, and confronting this sooner rather than later was essential. It was not in his nature to ignore potential threats simply because they were out of sight.
The Vanished was a vast ship, impressively long and equipped with a complex arrangement of levels and compartments within its hull. Duncan was intimately familiar only with the upper sections of the ship—the main deck, the high-status cabins, the ammunition storage just below the deck, the gunnery stations, the storage facilities, the freshwater reserves, and some of the crew’s quarters. These areas all sat above the waterline; the spaces below were extensive, largely unexplored, and swallowed by the vastness of the Boundless Sea.
Despite his limited familiarity with the entirety of the ship, Duncan had been named its captain. The Vanished had become his fortress in this strange world, serving as his primary command center. While he could afford to neglect other aspects and remain contentedly ignorant of some details, he understood the critical role the ship played in his survival. Now, realizing the full scope of the ship’s capabilities, Duncan recognized that, in severe emergencies, the Vanished could truly be his life-saving sanctuary.
The persistent urging from Goathead about the need for the captain to inspect the bilge was something Duncan could no longer ignore. He had long neglected the lower cabins, and if this neglect continued, the risk of a significant mishap was increasingly likely.
Motivated by this realization, Duncan promptly stood from his chair and moved towards the door to fetch the lantern as Goathead had suggested. The lantern was a unique artifact, an antique with a slim, hexagonal prism-shaped copper frame housing a glass lampshade, giving it a mystical appearance. Inside, a wick-like element added to its enigmatic allure.
Duncan chose not to express any curiosity or seek further advice from Goathead. After a brief moment of contemplative silence, he attempted to evoke the green ghostly fire from within himself and direct it into the lantern. Almost immediately, a vibrant cluster of green flames sprang to life inside the lampshade, casting a steady, distinctive light that brightened the nearby area.
Where the light of the lantern reached, it created a haunting yet calming atmosphere. Within this light, Duncan experienced a peculiar sense of peace and control, as if he could subtly feel his influence expanding along with the light of the lantern, visualizing intricate details of his environment wherever the light touched.
Suddenly, Ai, the dove, fluttered in and landed on Duncan’s shoulder. She had transformed into her spectral undead bird form—not through Duncan’s conscious effort, but seemingly triggered spontaneously by the light of the lantern. This vision set off a flurry of thoughts in Duncan’s mind, leading him to speculate on the potential effects.
The lantern appeared to extend his own power into the environment, effectively creating a “force field” that combined detection, alert, and control functions, making it particularly suitable for extended exploration in unfamiliar or dangerous territories.
“Captain… may I accompany you?” Duncan turned to see Alice already behind him. The inquisitive doll was examining the lantern intently, her expression bright with anticipation: “I haven’t explored the lower level yet! Mr. Goathead said I couldn’t go down there without your permission…”
Duncan paused for a moment to consider her request. After a brief reflection, he nodded in agreement, “Very well.”
He wasn’t entirely sure what might be lurking in the lower reaches of the ship, but he understood it was a part of the Vanished. Given his recent assumption of command, he believed the bilge would not present any severe dangers. Additionally, having Alice by his side could prove advantageous, as he might lean on her for assistance should the need arise.
On the mapping table, the enigmatic goat head remained silent and unresponsive, making no comments on their plans. From its vantage, the idea of the captain inspecting the Vanished with an assistant in tow appeared completely normal.
Outside the captain’s cabin, the night had fully descended, enveloping everything in darkness. The eerie glow from the World’s Creation shone over the ocean, casting an ethereal light on the ship’s abandoned deck and the spectral sails that fluttered softly in the wind.
Equipped with his lantern and flintlock rifle, Duncan, accompanied by Alice, made their way across the deserted deck. They moved towards the topmost cabin and approached the stairs, reaching the boundary of his previous explorations.
“It’s dreadfully dark down there,” Alice observed, standing at the top of the stairs and peering uneasily into the dark void below. “Isn’t there any source of light down there? The rest of the ship is lit by these oil lamps that seem to burn eternally…”
“There is light,” Duncan assured her, lifting the lantern to his eye level. The mysterious green flame inside provided him with a unique insight into the conditions of the lower decks. “It’s just that the lights here are not sources of brightness, but rather, they cast shadows.”
“…Pardon?” Alice looked momentarily puzzled, struggling to understand his meaning. “The lights are… dark?”
Duncan didn’t respond verbally but continued forward, his lantern cutting a swath of light through the darkness. He gestured for Alice to follow, calmly reminding her, “Don’t be alarmed; remember, we are deep beneath the surface of the sea.”
Alice is kind of annoying. The MC should keep some distance.
Wah wah wah
True
Nah, Alice is like a cute, curious daughter.
The dove is kinda like the jacks sparrow and the curse of the Black pearl that they got from the Aztec gold