Chapter 63: Interlocking and Overlapping

Chapter 63: Staggered Overlap
It was highly likely that the bottom of the Lost Country ship had been traveling through subspace – this shocking piece of information made Duncan’s mood very subtle all of a sudden.

He had always known that the Lost Country was very strange and dangerous, but he had never thought that this ship could be so strange to such an extent – he did not know much about subspace, and his specialization might not even be as good as Nina’s history teacher, but at least he knew that subspace was the most dangerous thing in the world, and it was a place that could keep the saints awake at night, and make all the gods deeply fearful of the “sub-space”. The “Bottom of the Earth” that can make saints unable to sleep at night, and make the gods deeply afraid, that thing is so chilling that some superstitious sailors even dare not to say the word “subspace” out loud on the ship that is about to set sail.

Even if Subspace is not a rational deity that casts a gaze at people just because they call it by name, people are so afraid to mention the word at sea.

But the Lost Country, a ghost ship that has been wandering for a century, may have been partly sailing in subspace, and even …… have a door to subspace in the bottom of the ship.

The dim and dilapidated cabin opposite that door might be the structure on the Lost Country that had been completely eroded by the occupation of subspace – and that door, a seal.

Duncan subconsciously looked down at the deeply colored deck beneath his feet, his gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of planks to see that shattered cabin, and the chaotic light beyond it.

He suddenly felt as if he were standing over a powder keg that had been lit – the little gap that opened in that door was the fuse to the powder keg, and he didn’t yet know just how long that fuse was.

But after a brief moment of shock and nervousness, Duncan gradually reacted: the goat-head’s behavior seemed to reveal another piece of intelligence.

According to the panic it showed after hearing Alice’s words, it seemed that as soon as “Captain Duncan” peeped into the subspace through the crack of the door, something terrible would happen afterward.

Until now, that goat head is still in the captain’s room repeatedly confirming to Alice the captain’s mental state after that, confirming whether the captain said anything on the way back, whether he made any abnormal sounds, whether he brought out any unusual shadows.

But Duncan was well aware of his state, and he knew that he was all right now.

The “vision” behind the door had indeed alarmed him for a while, and he had indeed briefly considered whether to open the door – but it was all purely psychological, and he had not felt the slightest sensation in the process. He did not feel any influence of the …… “extraordinary power” in the process.

The flash of thought passed, and he did not feel that the door had any long-term effect on him.

Duncan bowed his head, looked at his hands, and confirmed in his mind over and over again that –

Here, his name was Duncan Ebnomar, captain of the Lost Country.

In another time and space, his name was Zhou Ming, an ordinary middle school teacher trapped in a single apartment in the Mist.

Perhaps …… it was the goat head who was overly nervous? It was just a doorway, not an open subspace passage.

The Lost Country was slightly rocking in the waves, the mast and cable came creaking and crunching, and the translucent sails of the spirit body were still a little unstable, showing the nervousness and …… “dereliction of duty” of the controller behind it.

Duncan looked up at the sails, suddenly set his mind, and said in a deep voice in the depths of his mind, “First mate, take your helm and control the sails.”

“Boat …… captain?” The goat head’s voice immediately rang out with a bit of panic, “Ah, yes! Yes Captain!”

Duncan didn’t say a word, just maintained his usual silent seriousness over the mental link as he waited for Goathead to speak, and the latter did break the silence within a few seconds, “Captain, I just heard from Ms. Alice that that door in the bilge of the …… ship opened a crack… …”

“Yes,” Duncan replied calmly, “I checked it.”

“You did check, Miss Alice said you confirmed what was on the other side of the door ……” Goathead seemed to be struggling with his wording, “Do you now feel… …I mean, a little trance? Across that door ……”

“Subspace, I know,” Duncan interrupted without waiting for Goathead to finish, “Do I look like I’m not mentally alert right now? Just don’t stammer so much when you speak.”

“Of course, you look nothing out of the ordinary!” Goathead immediately said, “Maybe I was overly nervous, after all, this kind of thing has never happened before, ever since you brought the ship back, the barrier between the Lost Country and subspace has been very stable, I …… didn’t expect the situation to change, and this is in no way a question to you.”

Drive the ship back? Drive it back from where?

Duncan keenly caught the information revealed in Goathead’s words and quickly guessed some truth, but he did not show any difference, just said as if casually, “As far as I can observe, that doorway is still stable now, but I do not rule out the possibility that it may widen further – I’d like to hear your opinion on that. ”

“…… Stability right now would be good news, Captain,” Goathead said without question, just looking very sad, “As for my advice …… I honestly don’t know what to do anymore, you left that door open and closed it with your own hands, you never told me what the plan was after this, you never mentioned what kind of changes would happen after this, and you’ve always handled the bilges yourself ……”

“…… As well,” Duncan said immediately and smoothly, “you don’t think you have much advice in that regard.”

It looked like Goathead didn’t know all the information about the door at the bottom of the hatch either.

It only knows that the opposite side of the door is subspace, and only knows that once the door is opened it will never be good, and more information …… is in the hands of the “real Captain Duncan”. But now where to find the “real Captain Duncan” to go?

“Captain ……” at this time the voice of the goat’s head once again sounded in the brain, “What are your next arrangements?”

Arrangements? What arrangements? Is it possible to run away to land? With Captain Duncan’s reputation as an enemy of the world, I’m afraid that as long as the Lost Country ship appeared in the coastal waters of any city-state, it would attract a whole fleet of ships to chase and intercept it, so what else can we do but to continue drifting in the sea with this ship?

Duncan rolled his eyes and helplessly tilted his head to look at the sky, while Aey, who had previously run to the mast and pretended to stand guard, then fluttered down and landed on his shoulder, nodding his head while staggering, “It’s a trap! Abandon ship and escape!”

“Escape? Escape p……” Duncan said subconsciously, but then reacted, “Wait, you can hear me and Goathead talking?”

He had been conversing with Goathead through a mental connection, why would this pigeon suddenly fly down and say such a seemingly appropriate phrase?

The pigeon flapped its wings with a condescending expression, “Don’t talk to me mom chicken, I have my own understanding!”

Duncan was suddenly a little curious about what pigeon soup tasted like.

But he hadn’t forgotten that Goathead on the other side of the room was waiting for him to speak, so after settling down, he ignored the pigeon over his shoulder that owed him stew and continued in his head, “Just do your own thing, I’ll keep an eye on that door from time to time, as always.”

“As you wish, Captain!”

The Lost Country’s stance gradually stabilized, the sails re-angled to keep the massive ship moving forward across the infinite sea.

The bow of the ship broke through the waves, and a crashing sound came from the fine waves lapping against the hull.

Duncan ended his conversation with Goathead as he slowly made his way to the edge of the deck and looked out at the dark, heavy sea at his feet.

The sea reflected the cool, pale glow of the World’s Creation.

He would keep an eye on the door at the bottom of the bilge, but merely “keeping an eye” on the door would not change anything.

He needs more knowledge, he needs to further understand and control his own power, perhaps …… need some help.

The ship didn’t have any of those things, but the city-state of Prand might.

Tomorrow, Nina would return from school, and for the rest of the day, she would return to the antique store every day after school – her “Uncle Duncan” would have to be there as well.

She would have to transfer her “main consciousness” to the city-state before then – until she could skillfully control two bodies at the same time, switching perspectives so often was a last resort.

At the same time, he had to let Ai do further tests.

He wanted to try to see if Ai could bring the things on the Lost Country to the antique store, and if he could, he wanted to confirm whether there was an upper limit to its carrying capacity, and whether there would be the problem of “lost bag” when carrying more items ……

While all the plans were brewing in his mind, Duncan’s eyes were unconsciously watching the waves outside.

The reflection of the world’s creation in the sea looked hazy and chaotic, and the shimmering light was like an invisible stream of light.

The World’s Creation?
Duncan froze, he suddenly felt that the view of the sky reflected in the sea had a certain plausible familiarity.

He jerked his head up and looked toward the huge, scar-like crack in the sky.

Huge “wound”, filled with chaotic dark shimmering light, the sky around the wound is escaping light fog, a closer look, the so-called light fog …… is actually countless overlapping entangled, blurred light flow.

Just like …… the scenery presented outside the broken cabin at the bottom of the Lost Country.

(End of chapter)