Deep Sea Embers
chapter-702

Filled with childlike wonder, Shirley leaned over the railing, gazing into the dark, seemingly Boundless Sea with eyes wide in awe as they shifted into the spirit realm.

The surrounding sea had turned pitch black, and the sky churned with a turbulent mix of black, white, and gray, creating a chaotic, oppressive atmosphere. Usual maritime landmarks were absent, replaced by strange, blurry shadows on the horizon that seemed to watch over the world.

Nearby, Dog lay on the deck, stretching his neck to pull on Shirley’s arm with a chain, his paws clinging to the wooden planks. He barked a loud warning, “Hey, don’t sway like that! Be careful not to fall off!”

“Why are you suddenly so cautious, Dog?” Shirley teased, nonchalantly sitting on the railing as she fixed her windswept hair. “Haven’t we always played on the deck before?”

“This is the deeper level of the spirit realm!” Dog replied urgently, his voice tinged with fear. “If you fall here, it’s not like before; you might never come back!”

Ignoring his warnings, Shirley continued to sit on the railing, her laughter echoing over the sea. It wasn’t until Duncan came over and playfully tousled her hair even more that she shifted her focus. “You weren’t this excited when we first set sail. What’s got you so thrilled about leaving the city-state now?”

Shirley expressed her dissatisfaction, “I’m tired of Wind Harbor. The city has nothing tasty to eat, just bookstores and mechanical workshops, no fun spots, and certainly no good food…”

Amused and slightly exasperated, Duncan looked at Shirley, who seemed genuinely upset by her culinary experiences in Wind Harbor. He reminded her, “The places we’re going to probably won’t have better food—actually, we’ll be at sea for quite a while.”

“That’s okay, the food here isn’t too bad, and at least I won’t be dragged around bookstores by Nina every day,” Shirley responded with a light laugh, viewing their departure as a welcome change.

“On the ship, you miss the city; in the city, you long for the sea…” Dog muttered from his spot on the deck, reflecting on Shirley’s ever-changing moods. “All you ever think about is having fun. These past days, Nina has practically visited every bookstore in the city…”

Shirley quickly dismissed him with a wave of her hand, saying in a slightly annoyed tone, “Oh, Dog, please stop nagging me like an old lady; it’s really starting to give me a headache…”

Duncan chose to remain silent, simply smiling as he watched Shirley and Dog’s routine bickering. Then, as if alerted by an unseen force, his gaze sharply turned, focusing on a specific point over the distant ocean.

Simultaneously, a shadowy figure appeared beside him. Agatha’s voice softly emerged from the shadows, informing him, “The Bright Star has completed its journey and is now seeking a portal to manifest at our location.”

Understanding the urgency, Duncan responded with a firm nod, “Understood, go ahead and guide Lucy on her path.”

As Agatha’s silhouette dissolved into the ether, Duncan watched as a surge of shadows rippled across the dark waters near the Vanished. These shadows intertwined and swirled, and from their chaotic dance, a vast, enigmatic, and awe-inspiring ship began to emerge from the mist. The Bright Star, initially a faint and elusive specter with only its rear visible, gradually solidified as it neared the Vanished, its once indistinct form rapidly gaining clarity and substance until it became fully tangible.

The Bright Star had made its majestic entrance into the spirit realm, aligning its course with that of the Vanished.

Perched on the railing, Shirley stretched her neck to take in the supernatural sight, exclaiming with animated wonder, “Wow—just look at that!”

Her attention was then drawn to a tiny, snow-white paper boat that gracefully rose from the deck of the Bright Star. Carried by a gentle breeze, it sailed across the murky waters between the two ships, eventually landing smoothly on the deck of the Vanished.

From this small vessel, Lucretia, dressed in black with raven hair, disembarked alongside her clockwork companion, Luni.

Alice, who had been drying fish on the deck, looked up at the arrival and joyfully called out, “Luni! You’ve arrived!”

Hearing her name, the clockwork doll turned, her mechanical face lighting up with delight as she opened her arms wide, exclaiming, “Alice!”

The two dolls enthusiastically clasped hands and twirled around the deck, their reunion brimming with joy that seemed to transcend their brief separation.

As Alice proudly displayed the day’s catch of sun-dried fish, she noticed Luni was particularly eager to share something as well.

“Alice! Look at this, my mistress has upgraded me with a new…” Luni’s voice bubbled with excitement as she reached up to her head and, with a gentle tug and a distinct “pop” sound, detached her head right in front of everyone on deck.

Alice, usually calm and composed, was momentarily taken aback by this surprising act—but quickly composed herself, realizing this was Luni’s new special feature. Her expression turned to one of delighted surprise: “Ah, you can do that too!”

With a nonchalant gesture, she detached her own head from her neck, joining Luni in a quirky yet endearing moment, both holding their heads aloft as they giggled together, “We… are… now… the same!”

Following this, the two dolls began to engage in playful antics on the deck, much to the amazement and shock of the other onlookers.

While initially intending to discuss the Bright Star’s adaptation to the spirit realm with Lucretia, Duncan found himself captivated by the odd display from Alice and Luni. He was momentarily convinced that even the most peculiar corners of subspace would scarcely offer such a spectacle. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he regained his composure and approached Lucretia, who was walking towards him, “What’s going on here?”

Lucretia, also slightly shocked by the scene, glanced at the dolls as she explained, “…I just made some modifications to Luni… After her head accidentally detached last time and caused some issues, she’s been incessantly asking me about Alice’s detachable head. Eventually, I got fed up and decided to modify her joints…”

Pausing, Lucretia observed the dolls flaunting their detachable heads with a mix of bewilderment and resignation, “…But I didn’t expect this!”

“…Well, as long as they’re enjoying themselves, dolls… have their own peculiar ways of entertainment and interaction,” Duncan remarked, trying to regain his focus despite the distracting antics of Alice and Luni. He redirected the conversation to the matter at hand, “…Did the transition go smoothly?”

Lucretia, momentarily distracted by the dolls’ frolic, refocused on Duncan’s repeated question. She tapped her forehead thoughtfully and began, “It was somewhat chaotic, but manageable…”

As she directed her attention towards the Bright Star, steadily navigating beside the Vanished, her thoughts became clearer.

“This is the first time the Bright Star has ventured so ‘deeply’ into such navigation… Typically, only its stern partially enters the spirit realm. To be completely ‘submerged’ like this… it’s an entirely new ‘experience’ for both the ship and myself.”

Duncan smiled, his voice tinged with excitement, “The journey will be swift. The Vanished is well-versed in deep diving the spirit realm. Moreover, the White Oak and Black Oak have previously escorted the Vanished at these depths. In this realm, it will take us less than two days to meet up with the ‘returning ship’, and we’ll be well hidden from any prying eyes.”

Lucretia, momentarily silent, looked up at Duncan. She visualized her father, surrounded by ethereal green flames, his expression filled with confidence and pride, just as she remembered him.

After a brief pause to shake off her nostalgia, she asked, “What’s the latest on the church’s movements?”

Duncan provided an update with casual confidence, “We’ll be joined by two modest-sized fleets from the Storm Church and the Death Church. The Storm Church has sent their flagship ‘Tide’ along with its accompanying vessels, while from the Death Church, we’re expecting the ‘Resolved’ and ‘Unresolved,’ two well-known sister warships, and their support ships. These are said to be quite formidable,” he explained nonchalantly. “However, what I truly value is the expertise the crews bring. In the unpredictable and peculiar waters of the border seas, the insights of a learned scholar can often be more valuable than sheer firepower.”

With a note of caution in her voice, Lucretia interjected, “But sometimes the knowledge of a scholar can bring greater dangers… Near the border, those restless ‘shadows’ tend to surface more frequently than elsewhere.”

Duncan, with a raised eyebrow showing mild intrigue, responded, “Isn’t that preferable?”

Lucretia seemed taken aback for a moment, her response trailing off into silence.

Changing the subject, Duncan asked with a gesture of his hand, “Let’s set that aside for now. How is the ‘saint’? Did you bring it along this time?”

Lucretia confirmed with a quick nod and a subtle, satisfied smile, “It’s here, securely locked in the deepest holding cell of the Bright Star. You can rest easy; its condition is stable. I’ve rejuvenated its vitality as much as possible while ensuring this ‘Saint’ has no way to escape. Should the need arise, I can bring it out at any moment.”

“Not just yet,” Duncan replied, shaking his head slightly as he looked toward the tumultuous, dark horizon of the seas, “We’ll summon the ‘Saint’ when we reach the ‘holy land’ of those Annihilators. That will be its time to serve our purpose.”