Chapter 1 Duncan

Duncan opened the door to the captain's cabin and stepped inside. The black goat head on the chart table immediately turned its gaze in silence, watching the doorway in the dim light.

"Duncan Abnomal—I'm back," Duncan said casually, waving his hand. Then he glanced out the window, "Where are we now?"

Before entering the captain's cabin, he had already noticed that the Vanishing Sea had passed through that dark fog. Now, the fog in the nearby waters had turned to a normal grayish-white color, and under the light, the heavy fog was silently undulating in the distance.

"We arrived at the six-mile boundary line fifteen minutes ago, and the fleet is waiting for your orders," the goat head said, creaking as it turned its head, seemingly still carefully examining the captain who had entered the room. "You... seem to have gone to a very far place, or been gone for a long time. For a moment, I almost didn't recognize you."

Listening to the goat head's slightly uneasy muttering, Duncan simply waved his hand. Then, instead of heading towards the chart table as usual, he slowly turned around, as if searching for something. His eyes fell on the lantern hanging on the wall next to him.

The simple, antique brass lantern hung quietly on its hook, looking unremarkable. When unlit, it seemed like an ordinary object.

He reached out, took the lantern from the wall, and examined it closely before his eyes.

"Are you going to the hold?" the goat head's voice came from behind, with a hint of doubt. "The hold is very calm right now, it shouldn't need soothing, and we are on the boundary..."

"No, I'm not going to the hold," Duncan interrupted the goat head. Then, carrying the lantern, he came to the chart table and casually placed it on the table. "How much do you know about this lantern?"

The goat head was visibly stunned, somewhat puzzled as to why the captain would suddenly ask such a question after "going out" once. But it quickly reacted, thinking as it spoke, "If you're asking about the use of this lantern, then I've already told you. But if you're asking about its origins... then I can only say that it was already here when I arrived."

"So, this lamp was one of the original things on the Vanishing Sea," Duncan frowned slightly, thoughtfully saying. Then he suddenly thought of something he had never asked before, "Wait, then how do you know the use of this lamp? Who told you its function? And many other things on the ship..."

"...This ship told me," the goat head hesitated for a moment, speaking in a somewhat serious tone. "I know what every single thing on this ship is for. Most of the information comes from the ship's own 'memory', and a small portion comes from..."

It hesitated for a few seconds, its gaze falling on Duncan.

"A long time ago, when the 'Captain' could still think and communicate occasionally."

Duncan nodded, not pressing further. Then he focused his attention on the lantern again.

The goat head couldn't help but become curious. It carefully examined the very familiar lantern, and also noticed the serious expression on the captain's face. "Is there... something wrong with this lamp?"

"...It's nothing wrong," Duncan hesitated for a moment, realizing that he couldn't risk discussing the things "on the other side" of that door in front of the goat head. So he could only ask indirectly, "I'm just curious, does this lamp have any other uses besides providing comfort when patrolling the hold?"

"As far as I know... that's its only purpose," the goat head thought for a moment, answering very seriously. "It's something the captain carries with him when patrolling the dark places. That's how the ship itself remembers it too... Perhaps, you could ask Miss Lucrezia?"

Duncan thought about it, and just then, a shadow suddenly surged in the mirror not far away. Then Agatha's figure appeared in the shadow, "Captain, we have received a signal from the direction of the lighthouse, asking if anything happened."

Duncan breathed a sigh of relief, got up and temporarily hung the lamp back on the wall—the Radiant Star and the three church warships serving as escorts and guides were still waiting for him to issue instructions.

At this stage, the border exploration mission was still more important—after all, this was not the safe "inner sea." Wasting time on the six-mile boundary line was not a good idea.

"Let Vanna contact her compatriots, let those church warships approach the 'Lighthouse', and notify 'Sailor' to stand by at the stern—we are preparing to 'cross the border'."

"Yes, Captain." Agatha immediately lowered her head to accept the order, her figure gradually disappearing into the mirror.

Then Duncan left the captain's cabin, strolled across the foggy deck, and followed the stairs on the side of the captain's cabin to the towering stern deck.

The grayish-white fog shrouded the endless sea. The sea surface was as calm as a mirror, the sky was dim, but there was a uniform "twilight" different from sunlight and the Creation of the World, permeating the depths of the clouds and fog, so that the entire sea area would not completely fall into darkness.

This "twilight" was a unique phenomenon in the border sea area, and it still existed even on days when the sun disappeared.

"So many wonderful landscapes, so many secrets waiting to be explained..."

A voice suddenly came from not far away. Duncan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Morris standing on the edge of the stern deck, staring at the distant mist in a daze.

The old scholar was wearing a somewhat old windbreaker and holding an unlit pipe in his hand. He had a look of emotion on his face, and after noticing the captain's gaze, he turned his head and showed a somewhat self-deprecating smile.

"I'm just a little emotional, Captain—at a time when the world is about to come to an end, I've seen so many things worth studying for several lifetimes. I can't help but feel a little regretful."

Duncan didn't say anything, but silently came to the old scholar's side and looked up in another direction.

A towering lighthouse stood quietly in the thick fog.

Strictly speaking, it was a composite structure composed of a lighthouse, a church, and a steam-powered platform—a large power port driven by a steam core was its base. On the power floating island was built a towering church with a deep-sea style, and the central part of the church served as the base of the lighthouse. The solemn black structure wound upwards along the main tower, forming a spiral outer tower. Between each spiral, sacred steam pipes could be seen. And at the very top of the entire structure was the raging "torch."

That was a blessed flame. In the prayers of the church, it burned brighter than any ordinary light—even in the endless fog of the border sea area, its light was enough to penetrate the thick fog.

But it was still difficult to penetrate the chaos beyond the six-mile boundary that no longer obeyed "order."

"That is the 'Lighthouse' established by the Deep Sea Church on the eastern border. There are three similar lighthouses, controlled by the other three major churches respectively," Vanna's voice came from not far away. She didn't know when she had also come to the stern deck. "I heard Her Majesty Helena say that these lighthouses are the highest achievements that various churches can currently come up with in border operations—they can maintain communication and navigation for a period of time after ships cross the six-mile boundary line, and that's all."

The sound of a steam whistle echoed in the nearby sea area. The three church warships responsible for carrying out the piloting mission detached from the formation, slowly passing by the Vanishing Sea and the Radiant Star, heading towards the lighthouse standing in the thick fog.

They had completed their responsibilities—the next "cross-border" operation was no longer something they could participate in.

The task of the living was over, and it was time for the "ghost ship" to complete its task.

Slightly hesitant footsteps gradually approached. Duncan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Anomaly 077 walking over hesitantly.

He was wearing a "navy uniform" that he didn't know where he found, covering the pile of tattered rags on his body. The size of the uniform was not very suitable, and it looked loose and baggy on a shriveled corpse.

"This was sent by someone from the church..." Anomaly 077 noticed the captain's gaze and immediately raised his hand. "I thought I should dress solemnly... it doesn't hurt to be solemn."

Duncan nodded and casually asked, "Are you ready?"

"...Actually, I'm still a little nervous," the sailor subconsciously tugged at the buttons on his chest, but quickly straightened his body and tried to look reliable. "But I'm ready."

Duncan didn't say anything else, but glanced at the direction of the Radiant Star and called out in his heart, "Lucy."

"I'm here, Dad."

"Sailor is about to take the helm, you have to get as close as possible to the Vanishing Sea," Duncan said very seriously. "Next, I will no longer suppress the influence of 'Anomaly 077' and will further spread its power. If everything goes well, the Radiant Star will also be affected—we will enter the 'correct route' and sail towards the place where the Storm Goddess sleeps."

Lucrezia's voice sounded calm and firm, "I understand, I will keep up."

Duncan nodded, took a deep breath, and looked at Anomaly 077 who had already arrived in front of the helm.

"...Helmsman, fulfill your duty."

"Yes, Captain!"

The sailor shouted loudly with all his strength and volume, in his signature raspy voice. Then he took a step forward and tightly grabbed the dark, heavy helm.

Almost instantly, the ghostly green firelight that permeated and rose around the Vanishing Sea flickered visibly. Then it began to spread outwards, enveloping the Radiant Star!

In a sudden creaking sound, as if space itself was being squeezed, the figures of the two ships suddenly began to become illusory—then they gradually adjusted their postures and began to accelerate towards the depths of the thick fog.

And just as it crossed the border, Duncan heard the steam whistle sound.

First were the three church warships that had performed the escort mission, then the church lighthouse standing on the border of the thick fog, and then the large and small ships affiliated with the Deep Sea Church docked near the lighthouse.

The steam whistle sounded one after another at the end of the world—the Vanishing Sea and the Radiant Star accelerated again in the farewell of the mortal world, leaping over the curtain.

(End of chapter)