Lawrence walked into the bridge, and the first mate, Gus, immediately greeted him. Many crew members stood behind the first mate, looking at their captain with some anticipation.

Lawrence's gaze swept over these subordinates and friends who had been with him for many years. After a long while, he took a light breath, a smile appearing on his face: "We can go home. Set sail!"

The expression on the first mate's face visibly relaxed, but then he couldn't help but ask: "What about the *Ghost Ship*?"

"The *Ghost Ship* will embark on another journey," Lawrence nodded lightly, and said to everyone: "Captain Duncan will go south to do more important things. He ordered the *White Oak* to return to the normal routes of the civilized world according to the original navigation plan. According to the plan... we will first go to Cold Harbor for supplies and complete the purchase order, and then return to Pland!"

"What about the future?" First Mate Gus listened to the captain's words, still with a worried expression on his face. Obviously, like everyone on the ship, this Frost trip was too unexpected and too long for him.

"When the news of going home came, he still couldn't believe that everything would really return to its former state."

"We..."

"We will still make a living on this sea. The *White Oak* has obtained a passage permit, and the waterways of the civilized world will continue to be open to us. The only change is... from now on, Captain Duncan will always watch over all of us," Lawrence said calmly.

When the order came from the *Ghost Ship*, we, as the fleet, had to respond, but at least not now. Sailors, now we can go home!

The bridge was silent for more than ten seconds, and then someone finally started clapping. Gradually, more people clapped, followed by cheers that were long overdue!

The news of being able to go home spread throughout the ship in an instant, reaching the ears of every sailor!

This long and unexpected journey was finally coming to an end. A thrilling and bizarre adventure would be deeply imprinted in everyone's mind.

The joy of returning home diluted all kinds of worries about the future. New boiling gold catalysts were sent into the steam engine room, and the roaring whistle resounded throughout the boundless sea, as if the entire ship was cheering for the upcoming journey home!

Lawrence came to the edge of the front deck, quietly looking at the distant, rippling sea. The endless sea lacked reference objects, and it even gave people the illusion that the ship was still in place, but the direction of the waves and the sea breeze blowing in his face told him that the *White Oak* had set sail!

He lowered his head to look below the ship's rail, and saw the silhouette of the *White Oak* like a dark cloud reflected under the undulating sea.

At the front of the ship shrouded in darkness, the sparse lights looked blurred and heavy!

Martha's voice came from the small mirror in his chest: "Everyone is very happy. It seems that when the joy of going home arrives, familiar life will also return together, but you should remind them that not everything will return to the past. We have established contact with the *Ghost Ship*. No matter how much freedom Captain Duncan gives us, this connection with the Subspace is destined to change many things..."

We should prepare for this curse and blessing!

Lawrence was silent for a moment, and then said softly: "Like the changes that happened to the *Bright Star* or the *Sea Mist*?"

They will no longer age or die, but they will gradually deviate from the category of living people. This ship will slowly transform into a living thing. Some parts of it will suddenly seem to learn to think.

And the existence of the inverted reflection of the *Black Oak* will gradually infect the *White Oak* with all kinds of terrifying rumors and strange tales.

Soon someone will be afraid of this newly born cursed ship, and the passage permit issued by the church cannot solve this problem...

Martha said unhurriedly, as if she was not predicting the future for Lawrence, but stating the past that had already happened, outlining the fate that the *White Oak* would inevitably face next in her vast and mixed cluster memory!

But Lawrence just listened quietly. When Martha finished speaking, he said softly: "Perhaps your prediction is right. Those changes will gradually happen, but at least not today. Today is the joy of the boys and girls returning home."

They will return to warm Pland before the end of this year, embrace their family and friends, and tell them about this incredible adventure as human beings. And I will do everything possible to keep the *White Oak* active on all the busy routes, to contact the church, the Explorer Society, and the city-state caravans, not just to fulfill Captain Duncan's orders, but also to make this ship a respected symbol before it becomes a terrifying curse!"

There was no response from the small mirror, but Lawrence felt a breeze blowing beside him. In the small area that suddenly filled, a hazy shadow walked out of the mist and gently hugged him from behind!

That touch was so illusory and gentle, like a dream.

"Old man."

"What's wrong?"

"So handsome."

Thick, lead-like chaotic clouds covered the sky, and turbid, dim light replaced the previous bright and warm sunlight. A hazy mist covered the entire sea within sight, and on the sea covered by this mist, strands of black shadow like hair were rapidly gathering, and finally turned the entire sea into a pitch-black expanse!

The world turned into a bizarre phantom that had lost its color, and the *Ghost Ship* raised its spiritual sails on this dark sea. The invisible "wind" billowed the sails, causing the ship to traverse the sea at a speed far exceeding the real world!

On the platform at the stern of the *Ghost Ship*, Duncan was personally in charge of the helm, and the goat head's voice entered his mind. "I have safely sunk into the Spirit Realm. The *Ghost Ship* is currently sailing stably in the shallow area."

Duncan hummed, turned his head, and nodded to Nina, who was standing not far away, curiously watching him steer: "We have safely sunk into the Spirit Realm."

Nina nodded, half-understanding. For her, driving a ship—especially a sailing ship from a century ago—was something she couldn't understand at all!

Standing on the other side, Vanna couldn't help but cover her forehead after hearing Duncan's words: "Um, no matter how many times I hear it, it still feels spooky to put the two words 'safe' and 'Spirit Realm' together. Is it really possible for the saying 'safely sink into the Spirit Realm' to exist in the world...?"

Duncan just smiled when he heard this: "It requires skill, but in the Spirit Realm state, we can sail at an extremely fast speed and don't have to worry about hitting most obstacles in the real world. After all, it's a very long journey from Frost to Zephyr Port!"

"Zephyr Port... I've only seen this place in books..." Nina's eyes showed a hint of longing.

"The books say that it is a city-state built by elves, and it is also one of the most important parishes of the Academy of Truth, second only to *Mokha*. I heard that there are the most advanced differential machines and steam cores in the world, and mechanical technology and mathematics are very developed..."

"What the books say is true, but the books often overlook one point—Zephyr Port is not only leading in technology, but it is also one of the most important strongholds of the Explorer Society," Morris said to Nina with a smile.

Because the entire city-state is close to the edge of civilization, countless pioneering fleets and explorers use Zephyr Port as a supply point and intelligence exchange hub—and those explorers who come and go bring all kinds of food from the entire civilized world to the city-state. Therefore, Zephyr Port also has the reputation of being the gourmet capital..."

Nina listened to these common, unseen knowledge with full of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. At the end of the listening, her eyes suddenly lit up: "Are there sweet pancakes there too?"

"There should be." Morris thought for a while and nodded.

"Pland has a developed commerce, and many merchants have also established routes from the central sea to the south. Pland's food will naturally be spread there!"

Nina became happy. She climbed onto a large wooden barrel next to Duncan, sat on it, and swayed, her legs dangling on the edge of the barrel.

"That's great... There's delicious food and cutting-edge machinery. I'm starting to look forward to it..."

Duncan glanced at Nina, who was swaying on the wooden barrel, and then glanced at the deck around the wooden barrel—

Several ropes were slightly shaking in the open space between the rudder and the wooden barrel, looking embarrassed and humble!

These ropes thought that Nina, this "crew member," was too close to the "rudder" at this moment, but they were also afraid of the sun's brilliance!

That was, after all, a big slap! (*Da bi dou* is internet slang referring to a slap to the face)

"Don't sway on the barrel, be careful of falling," Duncan shook his head and said to Nina. "Also, don't get so close to the rudder, it's not safe!"

Nina immediately reacted and quickly said "Oh" and jumped onto the deck, then retreated to a safe distance!

The ropes near the rudder relaxed. They were safe!

Nina was only quiet for a while, and then she suddenly thought of something else!

"We're going to see that... Ms. Lucretia, right?" She leaned against the railing at the edge of the bridge, blinked her eyes, and looked at Duncan, her tone slightly nervous. "Is she easy to get along with?"

"She should be okay." Duncan's expression was a little subtle. When he tried to think about this question from Nina's perspective, this subtlety became more and more serious.

Lucretia is a scholar who is obsessed with research, and other than that, she doesn't seem to be difficult to talk to—she has always been like this in front of me, but I really don't know what she is usually like!

"Actually, I'm a little nervous," Nina stuck out her tongue. "I heard that she is called the 'Sea Witch.' That Captain Lawrence said that she is a cold and eccentric witch, and she will curse those who disturb her research. Many famous adventurers are very afraid of her..."

Duncan looked at Nina while holding the helm!

Tirean is still a notorious pirate—don't you think he is quite polite when he is in front of you?

"That seems to be the case!"