Ashes Of Deep Sea Chapter 759

Chapter 759: Chapter 756 The Voyager Chapter 759: Chapter 756 The Voyager In the thick fog that seemed a tangible viscous fluid, the pristine hull of the Sea Song moved like a ghost, as if it could vanish into the boundless mist at any moment.

It was unclear when it had begun, but the roar emitted by the steam core had transformed into a bizarre, deep moan mingled with layered echoes. Sharp shrieks intermittently came from the pipes, and murmurs as if someone was talking in their sleep were mixed within those shrieks.

“The machinery has begun to be possessed…” a Tech-Priest reported to the captain as he returned from the engine room, “The effect of the soothing incense is diminishing.”

“Disconnect the differential engine's power shaft, switch all machinery to manual control, release steam core pressure to the yellow zone–replace the Boiling Gold Catalyst in two hours,” the captain commanded calmly, “Rotate personnel in the engine room every three hours.”

“Yes, Captain.” The Tech-Priest bowed his head and, in a fleeting moment, his voice suddenly turned unusually hoarse and deep, as if his chest had been broken open and uncontrolled air was rushing out of his lungs, however, it seemed no one noticed this–the Priest left, and the stern-faced captain watched his back before turning away her gaze.

In the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed a patch of mottled Corrosion on the balustrade beside the captain's seat, the marks of decay slowly expanding, much like the passing of time, the dissolving of years.

But in the next second, those rusted patches vanished from her sight like illusions. She was startled and before she could react, she heard a low, indistinct voice in her mind, a voice both familiar and eerily comforting, whispering to her:
“Ah… you have arrived… my little fish… swim and swim… return to the currents…”

The gentle sound of waves echoed in her ears, as if immersed in water, a cold sensation meandering on her skin. The captain felt a moment of dizziness, yet suddenly, she startled awake from it.

Someone was shouting in the distance, it was the ship's first mate: “Captain! There's something in the fog!”

The captain immediately snapped to attention and turned to look sideways from the bridge. Through the broad ship cabin, she suddenly saw a faint green glow gradually rising in the mist, like a massive beast slowly advancing toward her, the glow's outline gradually solidifying and sketching another ship's silhouette in her view.

A colossal ship with a towering bow and semi-translucent sails emerged from the mist. It appeared from behind and glided like a breeze, easily catching up to the Sea Song, even with its steam core running at full power. The ship was shrouded in a hazy “distortion,” making it hard to discern the details on the ship, but the captain of the Sea Song recognized the distinct features of that large ship instantly–
“It's the Homeloss!” the captain exclaimed in disbelief, “How could it appear here!?”

“That ship is coming!” “Homeloss!?” “Wasn't it at Light Breeze Harbor?!” “It's getting close!”

Several exclamations erupted from the bridge, and then the first mate quickly came by the captain: “Captain, that ship is approaching us.”

“… Send a light signal, ask for their intentions,” the captain contemplated briefly before commanding, “All hands on alert, increase pressure in the chapel boiler–this is the border, do not rashly trust anything you see, it might not be the 'Homeloss' we know.”

The first mate immediately took the command, then the lights on the side of the Sea Song started flashing a series of signals, the intense lights piercing the thick fog, calling silently in the unknown waters of the frontier.

Everyone on the bridge watched tensely as the silhouette of the large ship in the mist approached, becoming increasingly elusive and ghostlike from a certain distance. After a while, the captain suddenly saw a dazzling light near the bow of the Homeloss– the light flickered in the mist, rhythmically repeating.

Had the Ghost Ship really responded to the light signal, initiating a communication?

Many eyes intently watched the flickering light, while the captain watched the signal and gradually furrowed her brow. A moment later, the first mate hurried over: “Captain, the Homeloss signals a salute to us… nothing else.”

The captain's brow furrowed, a look of confusion crossing her stern face for the first time, but her confusion was soon interrupted–she noticed in the corner of her eye that the large ship's silhouette in the mist was rapidly moving away.

The Homeloss's Spiritual Body sails billowed high, silently accelerating in the mist. It almost instantly overtook the Sea Song, rushing toward the unknown reaches of the farther sea, its massive silhouette swiftly vanishing into the flowing fog.

“That direction is…” Suddenly realizing something, the first mate exclaimed softly, “Captain, the 'Homeloss' is heading towards 'Its' direction!”

The captain did not respond, she merely stared ahead, as if in the moment the Homeloss departed, she peered through the gaps in the fog and saw a distant destiny.

A low, gentle murmur echoed in her ears–
“Little fish… you've all done well, now it's time to rest, do not fear… every weary soul has a destination, if you cannot return, this is your new home…”

A sense of peace, as if emerging from the soul itself, descended, and amidst the slight trembling of her spirit, the captain slowly closed her eyes, “…bear witness…”
She abruptly opened her eyes, and within her deathly pale orbs, it seemed as if a ceaseless storm was reflected, “…witness my return–I have not yet finished my mission.”

Scattered memories suddenly revived in her mind, the lost segment of the journey in the misaligned flow of time returned to her memory. She recalled the long period after crossing the border, all the trials and darkness, the lost sea at the end of the thick fog, the stagnant island in the ancient times, the massive temple, the graveyard of colossal beasts, and the deceased deities in the temple–and her hometown, now enveloped by nightfall.

“…you must cross that border… cross the critical line of Six Nautical Miles… They are calling out to the mortal world, go find Them… bring our greetings, bring back Their messages…”
Helena's instructions still echoed in her ears, but it seemed like something from several centuries ago; now only a vague impression remained.

The captain shook her head and slowly started walking toward the helm, her captain's uniform somehow weathered into ragged shreds. The once polished and bright bridge had become a rotten, collapsing ruin under the sea winds and the passing time, all lights extinguished, the thick fog creeping in through the broken windows, flowing and spreading over the bridge.

The place was empty, there was no sight of any crew; it seemed as if everyone had left long ago–they all remained by the Lord's side, in that eternal resting place.

The captain walked past those empty spots, staggering on the ship that seemed to have been adrift for centuries, but suddenly, she noticed a figure swaying next to the helm.

Hearing the noise, the figure slowly turned his head.

He was gaunt and grotesque, like a corpse weathered by the sea wind for a century, his face shrunken and twisted into a horrifying form.

It was an ugly mummy–but the captain soon recognized it as her first mate.

The mummy spoke, its voice raspy like sand grinding, “Captain, welcome back to the ship–it seems it's not time for your retirement yet.”

“…you've also stayed,” the captain said–only then did she realize her voice had also turned equally gruff and terrifying.

“Yes, I still have work to complete,” the first mate murmured, “The others have rested, but I had a dream where a Ghost Ship burning with green fire appeared, you asked me to signal it… Ah, I woke up from that signal. I don't like that ship–the 'Homeloss,' it even disrupted the peace bestowed upon me by gods… those damned green flames, now I can't rest anymore.”

The captain paid no attention to the incessant chatter of the first mate–although she noticed that the first mate seemed to have undergone many changes, her groggy mind made it difficult to focus on these trivial matters–she merely made her way laboriously to next to the helm, watching the first mate busying about, “Can the ship still sail?”

“No,” the first mate turned his head, showing a terrifying grin, “The steam core has long stopped, the hull below has corroded into a pile of ruins, there is no power to speak of.”

“…then what are you doing?”

“Moving the ship, Captain,” the first mate slowly said, “Hold its wheel, think of oneself as a ship… it will move, Captain, sooner or later we will pass through this boundless fog, back to that damned Endless Sea…”
The captain slowly sat down, she listened to the first mate's prattle for a long while before finally speaking softly as if to herself, “Then I should also find something to do.”

“Then I suggest you leave some records,” the first mate said, “I don't know what changes will occur after we cross that border again, but changes will definitely occur, you might not be yourself, I might continue to transform into another appearance, we might not even remember who we are, what we have done–only the sacred writing can leave valuable guidance…”
Sacred writing…
The captain slowly blinked her eyes, her thoughts clearing up slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she finally reached out her hand, feeling for something in the worn pocket of her coat.

It was her logbook–every captain had one.

It too had been baptized by the years, but the sacred blessed paper had survived weathering and corrosion, the writing still recognizable.

She bowed her head, taking a pencil from another pocket, and slowly began recording on a new page–
“I am Karan, the captain of the Sea Song, this is the record I leave on my journey back…
“We have found 'Them'–roughly half a century after crossing the Six Nautical Miles threshold.”

Chapter end

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