Chapter 15 Touching the Flame

Chapter 15 Touching the Flame
Since taking the helm himself, Duncan has real control over the Lost Country, and is able to sense any movement on the ship – but even so, out of an abundance of caution, he orders Goathead to keep a watchful eye on the “cursed mannequin” at all times.

Because he knew that he was not an expert in the field of occultism, and he knew very little about the transcendent powers of this world, and a walking and talking mannequin was really beyond the scope of his knowledge, Alice’s words and behavior may be harmless, but if the mannequin lady had any …… invisible “influence”, he would not be able to sense any movement on the ship. “influences”, it was highly unlikely that he would be able to see them.

At this point, Goathead was more specialized than him.

And even if this point is put aside, Duncan also knows that he can’t keep an eye on the situation of the Lost Country all the time – although he has decided to survive in this world “over here”, but if the situation is necessary, he may still have to return to the door! “Although he had decided to survive on this side of the world, he might have to return to the Gate when the situation warranted it, and he might not be able to sense the movement of the Lost Country at that time.

At that last thought, Duncan’s eyes suddenly shifted slightly, and he gave the goat’s head on the edge of the navigation table an unmoving glance, which was returned by the obsidian orbs of the latter with a vacant stare.

When he returned to the “opposite side of the door”, when he returned to his bachelor pad …… did the goathead even notice? When he left the Lost Country, what was the situation on this ship?
The questions that suddenly surfaced made Duncan’s heart a little irritated, but under the goat head’s empty gaze, he did not show anything, but separated a sliver of his mind to pay attention to the situation on Alice’s side.

Of course, he didn’t have a penchant for prying – even if the other party was an ‘inhuman being’ – so he only had a general sense of what was going on below decks, but even through the sensory transmission between the Lost Country and the ship, he was able to determine at least Alice’s current position, and whether or not she was in any danger. and whether or not she had attempted to destroy anything.

After all, underneath that doll lady’s harmless, elegant and beautiful appearance was the essence of a cursed doll, a dangerous individual called “Abnormality 099” by the ordinary people of this world.

She was currently still in the room, probably studying the furnishings and setting up a resting place.

Duncan was slightly relieved, at the same time, the goat head beside him suddenly made a sound: “Captain, what are your next plans? If bored, your loyal ……”

“Shut up.” Duncan looked at the goat’s head, and then pressed his hands on the edge of the navigation table, along with the change of mind, the feeling of holding the rudder wheel with both hands once again surfaced in his heart, and the green flames also once again flowed through like water.

In the burning flames, Duncan’s body once again transformed into a spiritual body, the overflowing stream of fire spread along the sailing table, all the way to the outside of the captain’s room, spread to the upper deck, climbed up the mast, climbed up the cable, and made the translucent spiritual sails on the mast drumming with the wind.

As the mass of mainsails, sidesails, and jibs flexed and adjusted their angles in the sea breeze, the massive three-masted schooner began to slowly accelerate across the vast expanse of sea, and Duncan’s eyes fell upon the chart before him, and as expected, he saw the grayish-white mist that had coiled itself upon the chart change instantly-the silhouette representing the Lost Country was slowly moving forward, and the fog around the silhouette dissipated.

After a brief moment’s thought, he began to try to focus on the chart, the greenish flames surrounding the table, like an extension of Duncan’s limbs conveying the will of the captain, and in this subtle state of ‘connection’, Duncan finally vaguely realized what was going on with the chart, which was clearly a transcendent object as well.

With a thought, the silhouette of the Lost Country on the chart instantly enlarged a little, and then immediately shrunk to its original size.

Duncan was “zooming in” on the chart’s image, and this whimsical act was successful – although at the moment, no matter how much he zoomed in, all that could be seen around the edge of the chart was a haze, Duncan was certain that the chart was enough to record and present every inch of the ocean that the Lost Country had explored, and to present the details of the situation around the Lost Country with precision and in real time!

Under the hollow gaze of the goat’s head, Duncan’s face did not change expression, as if he were a real captain carefully observing the charts, but a vague excitement surfaced in his heart.

His gaze swept over the flames rising from his own body, while his consciousness sensed the state of the Lost Country, sensed the changes taking place in the charts.

This strange green flame was indeed the key to controlling the Lost Country ship, and it was also the key to controlling many strange items on this ship!
Perhaps …… this is the power of the “captain”?

Duncan speculated on the power of the flame, he understood that if he wanted to really control the ship and use it as a basis to survive in this strange world, he had to understand his own ability.

First and foremost, was complete mastery of this flame.

As for the “next arrangement” that Goathead had just mentioned ……

Duncan looked at the slowly changing charts in front of him, and looked at the white mist slowly dispersing around the silhouette of the Lost Country, and the plan in his heart was very simple.

Since he didn’t know enough about this world, and since the map was full of fog, it was definitely right to open the map first.

After all, opening a ship was to go out and make waves.

Anyway, the image of “Captain Duncan” in the minds of the locals in this world is a world boss who goes around in the wild areas, so even if he and the Lost Country ship stayed honestly at sea, there would not be any improvement in the public opinion. As for the risk of wandering aimlessly on the sea, Duncan thought so – before he personally “took the helm”, the ship had been drifting around, and the Lost Country had never anchored, so how could there be “extra risk”? What was the “extra risk”?
Sailing under “sail” at least cleared the fog from the charts, as opposed to the blind drifting that had been the case before, and it put an end to the passivity and fog that had characterized the previous situation.

Duncan stood up from behind the navigational table, the green flames on his body gradually dissipated, but in his perception, the translucent spirit sails on the masts of the Lost Country did not disappear, and part of the green flames on the masts and cables still burned, continuing to carry out the will of the captain.

Combined with the situation he observed when he was at the helm, Duncan’s heart vaguely realized something.

Although this ship only raised the sails of the spirit body in the flames after he took the helm, no matter the huge scale of the sails or the many things running automatically on this ship, they are not relying on the power of the “captain” himself! –This ghost ship has its own power source.

Though he didn’t know what the “energy” was that made the ship move, it was clear that all he had to do as the captain was to “give orders” to the ship.

The ship would then faithfully carry out the captain’s orders.

Duncan stepped away from the navigational table and turned his head towards the small door in the deepest part of the captain’s cabin.

Behind that door was his separate sleeping quarters as captain, and he had used that room as a resting stronghold during the first few days of exploring the ship.

Now, he needed a quieter environment in which to properly study just what else he could do as captain of the Lost Country.

But until then, the ship, which had gone into sail, had to be watched over.

He looked to the wooden goat’s head on the edge of the sailing table and said in a very matter-of-fact tone, “You take the helm.”

“Huh?” Goathead froze, his tone a bit surprised, “But Captain, you ……”

“I have something to do, don’t bother me during this time.” Duncan, however, seemed as if he did not care at all about what Goathead was going to say, and just instructed very naturally, while in his other perception, in the information that came from the green flames spreading along the deck outside the cabin, he could clearly see the various …… connections hidden in the depths of this ship.

Masts, cables, sails, rudders, guns ……

All things are connected invisibly, some kind of “veins” like nerves or blood vessels running through the ship, and all these “connections” finally converge to the captain’s office.

The goat’s head was vaguely connected to all of this.

Perhaps this mysterious and bizarre goat’s head is the “Lost Country” itself? Or is it some kind of “control mechanism” to take over the ship in case of emergency?
Duncan was not the builder of the ship, naturally he did not know how the ship operated, but he thought that if it was the real Captain Duncan, he would know what the goat’s head could do.

On the other hand, it was only logical that Goathead, who always called himself “First Mate”, should be able to take over the helm for the Captain if the situation demanded it.

Duncan needed to take a little risk, to make arrangements that he had never made before, but that a true captain must know and must do.

After all, there was always a time for the captain to rest.

A second later, a pleasant yet raucous voice came out of the goat’s hair, “Ah, yes Captain, don’t worry about being busy, your loyal ……”

Duncan ignored it and simply waved his hand casually as he turned and walked into his sleeping quarters, located deep within the captain’s quarters, closing the door behind him.

(End of chapter)