Ashes Of Deep Sea - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Touching the Flames

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Since personally taking the helm, Duncan possessed true control over the Lost Home. He could also sense all movements aboard the ship. Even so, out of caution, he still ordered the goat head to monitor the cursed doll’s activities at all times.

It was because he knew he was no expert in the field of the occult. He knew very little about the supernatural powers of this world. A walking, talking doll was far beyond his scope of knowledge. Alice’s words and actions might be harmless, but if the doll had other invisible influences, it was highly likely that he would not be able to tell.

The goat head was the expert in this field.

Even putting that aside, Duncan also knew that he could not monitor the situation on the Lost Home at all times. Although he had already decided to live in this world, if the opportunity emerged, he would still want to return to the world on the other side. When that happened, he would not necessarily be able to sense movements on the ship.

When Duncan thought of this, his gaze shifted slightly. He furtively cast a glance at the goat head on the nautical table. The latter stared back at him blankly with its eyeballs made of obsidian.

Would this goat head notice when he returned to the other world to his own single apartment? When he left the Lost Home, what would happen to the ship?

This sudden doubt caused Duncan to feel slightly irritated. However, he did not show his emotions under the blank stare of the goat head. Instead, he distracted himself by sensing what Alice was doing.

Of course, he had no interest in peeping, even if the other party was nonhuman. Hence, he merely maintained a rough sense of what was going on below deck. Even with just his sensory transmission with the Lost Home, he could at least determine Alice’s current location and ascertain whether or not she was attempting to destroy anything.

After all, beneath her harmless, elegant, and beautiful appearance, the doll was still a cursed doll. She was a dangerous individual with the designation of Abnormality 099.

For now, she remained in her room. She might be researching the room’s furnishing and setting up a resting place.

Duncan heaved a sigh of relief. The goat head to the side suddenly spoke up, “Captain, what do you plan to do next? If you feel bored, your loyal…”

“Shut up,” snapped Duncan as he glared at the goat head. Then, he placed both hands on the nautical table’s edge. As his will shifted, he once again experienced the sensation of his hands holding on to the ship’s wheel. The green flame flowed around his body like water.

Amidst the raging flame, Duncan’s body once again transformed into his astral form. The fire overflowed from the nautical table. Then, it went outside the captain’s quarters and moved to the upper deck. It twirled around one of the masts and moved along the main sheet. The half-transparent spirit sails on the mast fluttered in the wind as the fire swept through them.

As the main sails, staysail, and jibs adjusted their angles nimbly according to the wind, the gigantic three-masted barque began slowly accelerating on the boundless sea. Duncan looked at the nautical chart. As expected, the grey, white fog covering the nautical chart changed instantly. As the silhouette of the Lost Home advanced, the mist surrounding it dissipated.

After pondering briefly, he tried to focus his attention on the nautical chart. The green flame enveloped the surroundings of the nautical table. The flame worked like the extension of his body, carrying out his will. Under such an intricate connection, Duncan finally had a vague idea of the secret behind this nautical chart, which was also an extraordinary item.

As Duncan shifted his will, the silhouette of the Lost Home on the nautical chart enlarged. Then, it shrunk back to its original size.

Duncan was zooming in, and out of the images he saw on the nautical chart. Clearly, his bizarre idea yielded success. Currently, no matter how much he zoomed out, all he could see on the chart was fog looming over the ocean. However, Duncan had affirmed that this nautical chart was sufficient to record and present every single inch of the sea the Lost Home had ever explored. Furthermore, it could precisely display the details of the surroundings of the Lost Home in real-time.

Under the blank gaze of the goat head, Duncan did not show any changes in his facial expression. He turned a serious face as though he were a real captain, carefully examining the nautical chart. However, he felt a sense of thrill inside him.

He gazed at the flame ablaze on his body as his consciousness examined the condition of the Lost Home and detected the changes occurring to the nautical chart.

As expected, this bizarre green flame was the key to controlling the Lost Home and the many strange items on this ship!

It might be that this was the captain’s authority.

Duncan tried to figure out the power of this flame. He understood that if he wanted to truly control this ship and use it as his base to survive in this strange world, he had to figure out his abilities.

First of all, he needed to control this flame.

As for the following arrangements that the goat head mentioned…

Duncan looked at the nautical chart that was slowly changing before his eyes. As he saw the fog around the silhouette of the Lost Home slowly dissipate, he devised a simple plan.

Since he had insufficient understanding of this world and his chart was covered in fog, expanding his map was the right choice.

After all, sailing was for exploration.

Captain Duncan was a world boss that sailed the seas to the people of this world. Even if he and the Lost Home remained where they were on the sea, the world’s impression of him would not improve.

As to whether or not there would be any risk sailing aimlessly on this endless ocean, Duncan believed that before he took over the helm, the ship was already wandering the seas. Since the Lost Home had never moored itself, where was the additional risk?

Compared to when it was floating around aimlessly, with its sails up, it could at least clear the fog on the nautical chart. This at least put an end to the previous situation where it was passive and surrounded by the unknown.

Duncan stood up from the nautical table. The green flame surrounding his body gradually dissipated. However, he could sense that the half-transparent spirit sails on the masts did not disappear. A portion of the green flame lingered on the masts and the mainsheets. The remaining flame continued to carry out the captain’s will.

Combined with what he experienced when he took the helm, Duncan had a rough idea of how this ship functioned.

Even though this ship only raised its spirit sails in a blaze of flame after he took the helm, the ship did not rely on the captain’s power to raise its gigantic sails or automatically run its systems. This ghost ship had its own power source.

Duncan still had no idea what kind of power source this ship functioned on, but clearly, his job as a captain was to command the ship.

The ship would obediently execute his commands.

Duncan moved away from the nautical table. He turned to look at the tiny door at the end of the captain’s quarters.

Behind the door was the captain’s private bedroom. During his first few days of exploring this ship, he used that room as his resting spot.

Now, he needed a quiet space to investigate what else he could do as the captain of the Lost Home.

However, before that, someone had to look after the ship now that it was at full sails.

He looked at the wooden goat head at the edge of the nautical table and said calmly, “Take the helm.”

“Huh?” said the goat head, stunned. It sounded somewhat surprised as it said, “But Captain, you…”

“I have a business to attend to. Do not disturb me while I am busy,” said Duncan as he seemed to ignore the goat head completely. He gave his orders very naturally. Using his other senses and the information from the green flames that spread across the deck outside his cabin, he could see the various hidden connections in the ship’s depths.

Masts, ropes, sails, rudders, cannons…

Everything was invisibly connected. Some networks, like nerves or blood vessels, seemed to run throughout the ship. All these connections ended at the captain’s quarters.

The goat head was connected to all of this.

It might be that this mysterious and bizarre goat head was the embodiment of the Lost Home. Or it might be a control mechanism for taking over the entire ship during emergencies.

Duncan was not the builder of this ship. He naturally did not know the principles behind its workings. However, he believed that the true Captain Duncan would know what the goat head could do.

From a different perspective, the goat head, who kept claiming to be the first mate, should naturally be able to take over the helm in the place of the captain when needed.

Duncan needed to take some risks and try out new things. He had to make arrangements that a true captain would know and do.

After all, even the captain needed time to rest.

A second later, the goat head said in a joyful and noisy voice, “Ah, alright, captain. Rest assured, your loyal…”

Duncan ignored the goat head and waved his hand casually. He then entered his bedroom at the back of the captain’s quarters and closed the door behind him.