Shrouded Seascape

The massive Narwhale slowly floated upward in the dark expanse, steadily approaching its destination.

At the bridge, Dipp's nervous gaze alternated between the compass and his wristwatch. Next to him stood Charles and Nico, who mirrored his actions.

The compass needle was supposed to be pointing south, but it was jumping uncontrollably as if it was electrified.

"Five minutes up. Turn right." As the steering wheel rotated, the hovering Narwhale began to change direction.

After several iterations of the same scene, the compass's erratic movement gradually subsided, and the three men finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Captain, the Foundation's map is really helpful! Without their map, anyone venturing into this cursed place would surely be lost," Dipp remarked as he continued to steer the ship.

Charles glanced at the map in front of them. The detailed map was drawn by himself. As a skilled artist, he made sure the map was detailed down to the T.

"Don't get distracted. Our current course is dangerously close to the purple zone. We need to navigate carefully. If that thing appears, we'll be in deep trouble."

"Captain, why did you redraw the map? Wouldn't it be easier if you just brought along the metal disk that the Foundation gave you?" Nico asked with a puzzled expression.

The hand-drawn map in Charles' hand turned to the second page. "Using a hand-drawn map is the same. Though it's not as convenient as a holographic map, it's only a little bit more cumbersome.

"Moreover, what if we brought the communication device along, and the Foundation had actually planted a tracking program in it? Our lives would be entirely in their hands by then. It's always better to keep our guards up," Charles explained.

He had been caught in an ambush once and he had no intention of letting it happen again, even if he had a collaborative relationship with the Foundation at the moment.

Nico nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get it. I don't fully trust those guys either."

Seeing that the latter part of this current route would be safe, Charles stuffed the map into Nico's hands and headed out of the bridge. "Keep an eye on things here. I'm going to check the rest of the ship."

"Leave it to me."

After leaving the bridge, Charles began his patrol, going from one cabin to the next. Though it was a mundane task, it was a crucial one that he needed to do daily. Even with Lily's mice on watch, he believed an extra layer of security couldn't hurt.

He inspected each area carefully—the galley, mess hall, fuel storage, water tanks, turbine room, crew quarters—to make sure every nook and cranny of the Narwhale was secure.

When he stepped into the crew quarters, he saw the crew members on break playing cards. Among them was the hunched green figure of Norton.

Controlling his green, towering body, he used a set of hands to play the cards while another to scribble notes and communicate with the others.

Are you guys teaming up against me just because I have no eyes? How is it possible that I haven't won even a single round so far?

Grinning from ear to ear, Audric quickly retorted, "No way! Are we that kind of person? I'm telling you, having eyes or not makes no difference. When I was blind last time, I could win whenever I wanted to win. It's not about vision but luck and skill!"

The vampire sailor beside, Sniffler, chimed in, "Yeah, exactly! Don't try to weasel out of this. You've already lost three liters of blood, and I’m keeping track of it."

Clutching his neck with a hand, Planck cursed, "You lot are crazy! You guys are even thinking of drinking Norton's blood? Are you sure it's even drinkable?"

"Well, about that… we have to try first before passing judgement. Who knows? It might be delicious."

Listening to their banter, a sense of satisfaction rose within Charles as he stepped out of the room. He was worried that Norton wouldn't be able to adapt and had even considered retiring the latter.

However, it seemed Norton was still very much himself and still fitted in with the rest of the crew.

After inspecting the rest of the ship, there were only a few small cabins that he had yet to check. As there was limited space on the Narwhale, having a personal cabin was a privilege reserved for the captain, first mate, second mate, and Grace.

With Second Mate Nico on duty, Charles took a quick look into the former's room that was laden with the smell of perfume before moving on to the first mate's quarters.

Knocking on the door, Charles pushed aside the green vines hanging at the entrance. The moment he stepped into Bandages' room, he felt like he had entered a lush green rainforest, and the air smelled incredibly fresh.

Despite the limited space in the room, it was filled with an array of interwoven, flourishing plants.

"Can't you control this ability of yours? It seems like a waste," Charles remarked.

Bandages shook his head and pointed to the wide-open window on the right wall. A row of trumpet-like black leaves lined the parapet. "It's not much of a waste… These plants… can collect… the moisture… in the air…"

Surprised, Charles walked over to the plants. He was astonished to see a dusty, gray membrane within the spiral-shaped leaf and also tiny droplets of water on the membrane.

"Impressive! Where did you find those plants? If you have more and they bloom in time, it would be an easy solution to the freshwater problem on the ship!"

"I modified it… I underwent the…revised relic ritual… by the Foundation… I found a relic… that matches the relic… in my body… So… there are some new changes… to my abilities."

Charles' brows furrowed slightly at the remark. He was feeling slightly upset that Bandages had experimented on himself so recklessly.

"At the very least, you should have let someone else test out the procedure first. Why did you use it on yourself directly?"

Bandages shook his head. "It's okay… The risk… isn't too… big… It's worth the gamble… The situation below… can't wait…"

With that, a vine curled around a piece of paper and brought it before Charles. Charles unfolded it and realized that it was a handwritten letter by Bandages' younger brother.

Brother:

How are you doing up there? Mom, Sis, and I are really worried about you. I've been working at the canning factory for half a year now.

All our food is being made into cans now, even seaweed, so we've been working overtime in the factory. My hands are all wrinkled and with boils from the constant work.

However, knowing that you might be eating the canned food that I've been making... I don't feel that tired anymore.

Sis is working at the newly opened machine factory. She says her job is to paste some labels on the machines. You don't have to worry about her, the factory is on higher ground, and the work is easier, too. Mom is with her as well.

Yesterday, it was a rare day off, so we rented a boat and went to the area above our old basement unit. Mom didn't say much but I could feel her sadness.

Brother, if you can, please retrieve the darkness. I'm the only man left in the family since you're not here. But I have to admit that I'm really scared seeing the sea rising every day. Our living spaces are getting more and more crowded. Some people even had no choice but to even sleep on boats.

Hanks Mark

Cosyjuhye's Thoughts

Charles' selfishness is irking me to no tomorrow -_-