Chapter 106 Beyond the Door

The subspace can contaminate everything outside of it, even reality and time itself, but this doesn't seem to be a problem for the Vanishing Ship.

Because in a sense, this ship is already part of the subspace—in fact, its keel is still sailing in the subspace.

You can't drive a person with zero Sanity Points insane, nor can you contaminate the Vanishing Ship that has been completely transformed by the subspace.

Listening to the goat-headed figure, Duncan looked thoughtful, but he didn't ponder for too long, because the goat-headed figure's voice came from the navigation table again, "Captain, you're starting to take an interest in things within the territory of civilization—you've always been focused on sailing beyond the frontier. Is there something in the city-states that is of great significance to you?"

Sailing beyond the frontier?

Duncan's heart stirred slightly, but the expression on his face remained unchanged. He answered casually, "Just curious, no reason needed."

"Ah, alright, you're the captain, you say so." The goat-headed figure replied immediately, then it was silent for two seconds, as if hesitating or thinking about something, before speaking in a low voice.

"Well, just in case, I want to ask you a question."

Duncan raised his eyebrows.

He heard a hoarse, low voice coming from inside the wooden carving, "Name?"

"Duncan Abnomal." Duncan was expressionless, his fingers lightly interlaced, but this time after saying the name, he suddenly laughed and asked in return, "Actually, I'm curious, what would happen if I said a different name?"

This was the first time he had asked this question, and it was the boldest "crossing the line" he had ever done—it was the life he had lived on this ship, the many contacts with the goat-headed figure, and the increasing understanding of his own strength and characteristics that finally allowed him to tentatively take this step.

Mutual testing and observation had established a basic understanding. Duncan's question revealed a fact that both sides tacitly understood, and the goat-headed figure fell silent for a long time after this question. A full minute later, its low, hoarse voice sounded again in the captain's room, "Then try not to tease me like that, Captain, the Vanishing Ship still needs you at the helm."

Duncan laughed.

Just as he thought, if the goat-headed figure had been the "Duncan Captain's" first mate for the past century, then its understanding of that ghost captain would probably exceed even the captain's understanding of himself. And considering that there were so many strange and extraordinary things in this world, would a "first mate" who knew the captain extremely well not notice the captain's changes, and would he not think of the possible situation?

Even the most cautious disguise has loopholes, and this loophole will become more and more obvious over time, but no one mentioned this loophole, which means that this level of disguise is just right and necessary.

The Vanishing Ship needs a captain, and this captain's name is "Duncan Abnomal." The things behind the name are not important, and whether the captain himself is real is not important, as long as there is a qualified person at the helm.

Duncan was just a little curious as to why it was him, and... whether the fact that he now possessed "self-will" was an unplanned situation, because according to his general understanding of ghost ships, if a cursed ship wanted to constantly "grab" people to be captains, then the selected person should be controlled by the curse, but he was obviously not restricted in any way.

But he didn't ask these questions, because the goat-headed figure's attitude was subtly reminding him:

"Some things are better left unsaid when everyone knows them."

This topic could end here before he understood all the secrets behind the Vanishing Ship.

"You still need your loyal first mate to serve you, and the Vanishing Ship still needs the great captain to personally take the helm, don't you think?"

The goat-headed figure's voice came from the side, sounding a little expectant, even eager.

Duncan turned his head and looked at the obsidian-carved eyes of the figure.

"Of course," he said with a smile.

Then he stood up and walked towards the door of the captain's room, "I'll be leaving for a while, you take care of the ship."

The goat-headed figure had returned to its usual sycophantic attitude, its tone cheerful: "Of course, your loyal (the following omitted...) will be here waiting for you to return, I wish you a pleasant..."

Duncan had already pushed the door open and walked out of the room, blocking the goat-headed figure's words behind the door.

He stood on the stern deck, gently exhaling a breath. A strange sense of relief floated in his heart. The morning sun was spreading across the sea, making the entire deck seem to be filled with a warm atmosphere, and the door connecting the captain's room stood quietly in front of Duncan, the letters "Gate of the Lost" on the door frame shining in the sunlight.

He pressed the handle and gently pushed forward.

Inside the captain's room, the goat-headed figure sensed that the captain had temporarily left the Vanishing Ship.

It was silent, everything in the room was silent, even the entire ship was silent, but after a few minutes, a low creaking sound suddenly came from below the floor, followed by various subtle sounds as some of the furnishings in the room began to sway slightly.

The goat-headed figure's voice then broke the silence, muttering to itself, "Oh, mother... not angry, right... should not be angry, right... I'll be damned, really not angry, right..."

Various subtle sounds in the room became more obvious.

"I know, I know... it's not like I wanted to ask the name every now and then! Isn't this for navigation safety! At least there's some preparation in case we suddenly fall back into subspace... don't make a fuss, don't make a fuss, I'm still in a mess here... or you guys can ask next time! If you can't, then don't make a fuss... you also know that I'm the only one with a mouth on the whole ship..."

"That doll? Are you guys crazy? What does she know... wait, when did you guys get so close? Weren't you fighting all day... feeling bad after bullying her too much? Can it be like this?"

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse, disperse, focus on the journey, the captain might come back anytime, he might ask about the progress of the voyage... Anchor, can you learn how to paddle? Swinging it around will provide some power, I saw the propellers of those steamships... alright, never mind, I didn't say anything... or you two lifeboats can jump down and paddle? Alright, never mind, I didn't say anything either..."

The various sounds in the captain's room gradually calmed down.

The goat-headed figure silently sighed and continued to control this enormous ghost ship in the direction of the city-state of Pland.

On the mist-shrouded sea chart, the flashing light point where the city-state was located was a little closer.

......

Zhou Ming pushed open the door of his studio apartment and stepped into the familiar world.

Outside the window, the mist was still shrouded. The world he was familiar with was still only this small.

And everything in the room remained as it was when he left. The bedding on the bed was a little messy, the book on the bedside table was still open, and the computer screen in the corner flickered with a faint light. The "No Network Connection" prompt popped up again and again in the lower right corner.

Duncan gently breathed a sigh of relief and walked leisurely to the display shelf at the end of the room.

The miniature model of the Vanishing Ship was still lying quietly in the compartment, in the same position as when he had last placed it.

Duncan picked up the lifelike ghost ship "model" and opened the door of the captain's room again to take a look inside.

The navigation table was still empty, and the goat-headed figure was nowhere to be seen.

Duncan thought for a while, put the Vanishing Ship back in its original position, then turned around and came to the desk, ready to sit down and rest, and take the opportunity to sort out the known information and his thoughts in this familiar and quiet environment.

But suddenly, his gaze was attracted by something on the desk.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a "thing," but some strange... phenomena.

He saw some very, very tiny flames constantly jumping on the empty desk. The tiny flames were like sparks, and under the outline of these faint, ghostly green flames, some vague outlines were appearing and disappearing in the air.

It was as if something was condensing on the desk, but it was condensing too slowly and was stuck in the state of almost forming.

Duncan sat down at the desk and quietly watched the jumping flames and the scenery that was faintly appearing in the flames. The ghostly green firelight reflected on his face, and his slightly thin face gradually became serious.

He recognized that some of the outlines outlined by the dancing flames were places he was familiar with—they were some districts of Pland!

He could even make out some of the details of the city-state's coast.

The fire was burning, and Duncan remembered that the order he had given to the fire was to continue chasing and hunting those "things" holding black umbrellas.

Now it had spread to almost every corner of the city-state.

The prey... was everywhere?!

Duncan's brows furrowed little by little. He thoughtfully tracked and identified the trajectories of the flames, looking for the patterns of their gathering and the direction they might converge next, like a hunter tracking the scent of prey.