Ashes Of Deep Sea Chapter 769

Chapter 769: Chapter 766 “Helmsman Chapter 769: Chapter 766 “Helmsman Abnormality 077 was the “route” itself–the key secret leading to the external barrier, hidden deep within the quirky traits that identified it as an “abnormality” from the very beginning!

In the upper layers of the Spirit Realm, the mirrored Homeloss continually repeated the process of the sea collapsing and reorganizing. The scenery of a distant foreign land flickered through Duncan and Agatha's vision like a poorly connected image, driven by the obsession originating from the Sea Song, trying to guide the Homeloss to its “destination”…

However, inside the relatively stable, closed-loop sanctuary of the Eternal Veil, the power of Abnormality 077 could not take effect correctly–thus, the route kept collapsing and misaligning, accumulating immense power in the process.

Once Homeloss truly underwent a spatial Transition, this power would find an outlet in the real dimension, transforming into a ferocious Storm.

Duncan raised his arm toward the distant horizon; flames spread and rose from the surface of the sea, the power sufficient to brew a storm ignited by him, and was rapidly extinguished in a harmless combustion.

Then he disconnected the “link” with Agatha and returned directly to the real dimension.

The sailor still stood at the helm on the bridge, tightly gripping the dark and heavy ship's wheel, his whole body tensed as if he was ready to snap at any moment–Noticing that the captain's gaze had turned back to him, he immediately spoke, “Captain, you see what I'm doing here…”

Duncan nodded, “You can let go now.”

No sooner had he spoken than the sailor on the bridge “sprang” almost from in front of the wheel, as if what he had been holding was not a wheel but a scorching lump of magma. The mummified body ran to the furthest spot from the wheel on the bridge in the blink of an eye, then clung tensely to the railing while casting nervous glances at nearby ropes and buckets, occasionally sweeping his gaze back to the wheel he had just held, his eyes filled with tension and even panic.

Seeing Abnormality 077 appearing so nervous and guarded, Duncan suddenly experienced a complex surge of emotions–for some reason, he thought of Captain Karan's figure standing in the chaotic mist, the hazy illusion who had gripped the wheel on the platform in the mirrored world, and the Sea Song's long, disoriented drift in the skewed flow of time…

The ugly, shriveled mummy cowered in the corner of the bridge, nervously observing everything around him–on his body, the “first officer” who had persisted until the end in the time-space disorientation seemed to have been completely corroded away, leaving only the log left by the captain of the Sea Song, along with the “route” that had merged with him.

Duncan stood silently for a long time, finally sighed softly, and approached the evasive sailor.

“Captain, I've completed my task, right…” the sailor cautiously began, as if fearing that he hadn't performed well enough moments before and might have to “take the helm” once again.

“This time you did,” Duncan said, staring into the sailor's eyes with an especially serious expression, “but this was just a test. When we venture deeper into the Eternal Veil, I will need you to take the helm again–the official helm, until we reach the place where the Sea Song once arrived.”

The deep creases on the sailor's face crumpled suddenly; he instinctively shrank back, but since he was already against the railing, there was nowhere to hide–however, he soon noticed the gravity in Duncan's eyes, which made him hesitantly stop his evasive movement.

“Homeloss needs your navigation,” Duncan said with an especially sincere tone, “Listen, you did not lose the 'route' left by Captain Karan; that route is within you, you are the route itself–your 'abilities,' the Transcendent phenomena you stir up, are actually the influence of this route, and now we need it–I need your help.”

The sailor hesitated. It was the first time he had seen the ghostly captain in such a form, and this sincere attitude was directed at himself, which made him feel an indescribable… emotion. It seemed like a long time since he had felt this kind of emotion.

“I… Is that okay?” the sailor muttered, not daring to speak too loudly, “Touching this ship feels like it's going to devour me…”

“You have the qualifications to steer,” Duncan said calmly.

The sailor seemed a bit shocked, dazed in his surprise.

“I know this is a lot of pressure for you–not many in the world would dare to steer the Homeloss and not feel mental pressure, but you are the first mate of the Sea Song, you have completed long voyages unimaginable to ordinary people, you are qualified to steer here,” Duncan paused, then nodded solemnly, “If you are willing, I will, in my capacity as captain of the Homeloss, bestow upon you the position of helmsman during our border voyage.”

At this, he suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something, then added very seriously, “Of course, you can still refuse, don't worry about any consequences–I will think of other methods, and even if you want to return to the White Oak now, you can.”

The sailor listened, now understanding the captain's intention, but still needed a little time to think–there seemed much he was hesitant about.

But after thinking for a long time, he finally made up his mind. After revealing a somewhat terrifying smile, he slowly nodded, “Alright, I'll do my best.”

The moment his words fell, many subtle sounds suddenly came from around–
Near the steering console, the ropes rustled, the barrels on the rear deck gently swayed, the tightly stretched ropes on the masts screeched and squeaked, deep in the cabin, some ancient and massive structures seemed to be whispering something–
All the sounds gradually converged, resembling… applause and welcome.

The sailor listened in surprise to the noises around him, looking a bit puzzled and helpless, but gradually, he seemed to understand it all–the creased and pockmarked skin suddenly smoothed out on his face, as he smiled like long ago, the very first time he had been promoted aboard the Sea Song.

Duncan also smiled, extending his hand to gently pat the sailor's shoulder, “Very well, just do your best–now go back and rest, we are still far from the border rendezvous point.”

The sailor left the steering console, and as he walked towards the deck, he still seemed a bit dizzy. It took a while before his shaky figure gradually disappeared into the night.

Duncan shook his head, withdrawing his gaze from the mid-deck, then caught a glimpse, out of the corner of his eye, of the figure crouching not far away.

Alice crouched at the edge of the steering console, complaining to a coil of rope on the grounds, “When I came aboard, you all didn't welcome me like this… you even clapped just now…”

The ropes slowly writhed on the ground, an end poking through and flapping against the nearby railing as if explaining something.

“An initiation ritual for the helmsman? What is that?” Alice widened her eyes in surprise, “And this too? Didn't I have an initiation ritual… has it been done? When?”

“…Huh? That time in the kitchen was it!? Why didn't you say so sooner! I thought you were blocking the door to fight… Good grief, that day almost wrecked the kitchen, and dinner was delayed…”
Duncan had intended to speak to Alice, but when he saw this scene, he stopped abruptly and expressionlessly watched the interaction between the figure and the rope end. It took him a long while before he turned his head stiffly.

The girl's communication with these things on the ship seemed to become more and more preposterous…
At that moment, his heart stirred, and soon he heard the goat-headed figure speak in his mind, “Captain, did you authorize a temporary helmsman?”

“Do you disapprove?” Duncan returned to the helm of the Homeloss, diving towards the Spirit Realm while responding in his mind, “Are you concerned about an 'outsider' taking this position?”

“No,” the goat head responded immediately, “The captain has the authority to appoint or dismiss any crew member and to create or remove positions aboard. The helmsman you recognize is recognized by the Homeloss, but… I worry about what might happen to that 'sailor' after he completes this task.”

Duncan kept silent for a moment.

“It appears you've thought of it,” the goat head said unhurriedly, “He is a man who should have vanished in the torrent of time, like ashes after firewood burns out. On the day he returns to the Endless Sea, he should have disappeared from this world–yet Karan's logbook became a shroud that bound his body, and Sea Song's final directive became a 'voyage' which fixed his humanity, turning him into an unending corpse…
“Now, he has only one last task to complete–the final task given to him by Captain Karan.

“And now, Captain, you've granted him the duties of a helmsman… he has the chance to complete his mission.”

In the cool night sea breeze, Duncan gazed at the dark sea in the distance and finally broke the silence after a long time, “I know–and actually, the 'sailor' knows too.”

The goat head remained silent.

“We will have a journey afar…”
Duncan suddenly said softly, recalling a book he had just read, and the lines by the famed “mad poet” Puman within it–
“We will have a journey afar
“At the end of time…”
…
The door to the room gently closed; the mummy returned to his room, slowly sitting on his own berth–the cabin lights were bright and warm, but for a long time, he had been unable to feel these temperatures.

He lay down slowly in this cold and empty world, with fragmented and disordered memories of the Sea Song circling in his mind, distant as if from another person's life.

He murmured softly, reciting Captain Karan's favorite lines–as they sparkled in the fading memories, like the sand under the night sky faintly glowing:
“… The dust-covered sails will rise again,
“To sail us towards places long forgotten.

“On that most fitting day,
“Prepare to embark…
“We all become sailors,
“Setting sail to foreign lands when the wind rises.”

The sailor turned over; his dehydrated, deformed eyes slowly closed.

He still couldn't fall asleep.

But there was a faint smile on his face.

The day of return was drawing near.

Chapter end

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