Time has eroded the text, and the dislocation between inside and outside the border has distorted the carrier of the text into another appearance - on the old and tattered shroud, only a few messy words such as "Kalani", "Border", and "Leviathan" can be vaguely recognized. Even to distinguish these few words, one needs to fully exert the ability of observation and association.
Anomaly 077 stared at the shroud in front of him in a daze - this was the shroud that the captain ordered to be sent from the warehouse of the White Oak. Ever since he lost An Ning and became a member of the White Oak, this shroud has been placed in the storage room on the ship.
"I haven't looked at it carefully for a long time... No, I don't think I've ever looked at it carefully," Anomaly 077 muttered softly, and his withered fingers slowly stroked the traces of what looked like dirt on the surface of the shroud, which were actually mottled text, "I never found these words exist..."
"That's normal. If you don't look for it specifically, you would think that these marks are just insignificant dirt even if you see them," Lawrence said calmly. "If Martha hadn't been observant and thought of this possibility in advance, who would have connected the marks on this rag with Captain Kalani's log? What's more, there are only these few marks left... All the useful information has been erased."
"Yes, there are only a few traces left..." the sailor said frustratedly, "This can't be called a captain's log at all. These intermittent letters are of no use at all... It should have been a thick book, not a piece of 'rag' like this..."
"Perhaps this is related to your process of returning from the border to the Infinite Sea. The 'six-mile critical line' seems to permanently change the nature of certain things," Lawrence said. "It turned you into Anomaly 077 and Captain Kalani's log into the shroud on your body. But in any case, these are crucial clues, and 'he' needs these clues."
The "sailor" stood quietly beside the shroud, and suddenly became very quiet. He seemed to be having a fierce psychological struggle. After hesitating for a long time, he slowly nodded.
"Okay, take me there. 'He' has been waiting for a long time."
Lawrence immediately exhaled lightly, then took a half step to the side. Almost at the same time, an illusory green flame appeared where he had just stood.
The flames soared into the sky, and in the blink of an eye they changed from an almost transparent illusory form to a solid texture like flowing water. The captain's power spanned a long distance and was projected in the room with Lawrence as a beacon. Then, the center of the flames swirled and shrank, squirming and swelling, and a giant skeleton bird with a terrifying appearance rushed out from the vortex of flames!
The Sailor took a half step back when he saw this scene, staring blankly at the rotating flaming door and the giant skeleton bird hovering near the ceiling. He turned his head and looked at Lawrence: "… Is this thing really okay?"
"You're hesitating now?" Lawrence glared. "Don't tell me you don't want to go now - if 'he' comes over from the other side to pull you away, you won't be treated like this!"
The "sailor" immediately shrank his neck, and took two steps towards the flaming door with a tangled look on his face, but stopped halfway and asked: "Does this thing hurt?"
Lawrence walked over silently and came behind the "sailor".
The sailor suddenly shuddered all over, as if the goose bumps that had died more than two centuries ago were revived: "No, no, no, I'll go in, I'll go in by myself..."
As he spoke, he walked towards the swirling flame, then gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, reached out his hand to touch the vortex of flame, and instantly withdrew his hand: "Hey, damn, why does it seem a little hot... Captain, why don't we think of something else..."
Lawrence kicked him: "You're the only one who talks too much nonsense!"
The sailor's brief exclamation was lost in the roar of flames.
"Full of fuel, let's go!" The giant skeleton bird hovering near the ceiling let out a strange cry, and then rushed into the flaming gate - but the next second it came out of the gate again, grabbed the shroud placed aside with its claws, turned around and went back into the door.
Lawrence sighed softly.
But just as he was about to leave, the rotating and bulging flame gate suddenly crackled open, and Ai, who had just left, came out of the gate again.
The giant skeleton bird came up to Lawrence, and as Lawrence stared in amazement, it flapped its wings and made a hoarse and unpleasant sound: "Some fries, some fries, some fries..."
Lawrence was almost frightened by this "messenger". He took two steps back to stand firm. Then he realized that he had forgotten the important "sacrifice" and "medium" required to summon the messenger. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat: "I... didn't prepare..."
The giant skeleton bird tilted its head and stared at Lawrence's eyes with its empty eye sockets covered with flames. Lawrence's whole body gradually tensed up. In these few short seconds, Lawrence's mind had replayed many classic cases related to summoning and sacrifice that were circulated among the captains of the Infinite Sea.
When a xx wizard tried to summon a shadow from the spirit world, he prepared the wrong sacrifice and was slapped to death on the wall by the shadow's powerful backlash; when a xx cultist tried to summon a demon, he used insufficient sacrifices and was slapped to death on the wall by the furious demon; when a xx saint of truth was studying ancient relics, he accidentally triggered a spell to summon evil spirits, but because he did not prepare any sacrifices, he had to slap the out-of-control evil spirits to death on the wall...
Lawrence didn't quite understand the temper of the strange messenger named "Ai" beside the captain, but after a quick assessment, he felt that it would be difficult for him to slap the bird to death against the wall.
So he swallowed nervously and began to regret his careless behavior - although in theory they were all followers of Captain Duncan, God knew whether this "messenger" who looked inhuman would have the concept of "colleagues"...
Then he saw the giant skeleton bird in front of him suddenly retract its head and turn around to fly towards the flaming gate, cursing as it flew: "What a crap shift, they don't even pay me for overtime, what a crap shift, they don't even pay me for overtime..."
Then the terrifying messenger disappeared into the room along with the door.
Lawrence: “… ?”
…
Duncan looked at Abnormal 077, who was almost thrown out of the portal by Ai, and turned his head to look at the pigeon spirit who seemed to be still angry and pacing around on the coffee table. He felt a little confused: "What's wrong with this pigeon?"
Alice scratched her hair and said, "I don't know, but she doesn't look very happy..."
"... Never mind, just give it something to eat, and it should be happy again."
Duncan waved his hand casually, gave a casual instruction, and then turned his attention back to Abnormal 077, who was holding his waist and staggering to his feet.
"Long time no see, 'Sailor'."
The abnormal 077, who was getting up reluctantly and seemed to be trying to avoid eye contact with other people in the living room, heard the captain greet him. He trembled visibly, as if he could no longer escape. He finally stood up straight and looked around cautiously in nervousness.
"Um... Captain, long time no see. Long time no see for everyone. Long time no see for everyone..."
He walked around, greeting everyone in the living room, just as he had done every time he was in Captain Duncan's presence, but suddenly he stopped.
Helena stood not far away.
The female pope who was in charge of the Deep Sea Church stared quietly at the mummy in front of her. Seeing the shriveled, skinny and scary appearance, she frowned little by little, as if she was trying to recall the appearance of the first mate of the Sea Song whom she had met in person not long ago. However, no matter what, she seemed unable to connect the loyal and determined first mate with the hunched over "Anomaly 077" with a scary face in front of her.
After observing for a long time, Helena finally broke the silence: "I can't recognize you."
"Yes, we haven't seen each other for more than two hundred years - maybe even longer," the mummy grinned and made a hoarse and unpleasant sound. He slowly took two steps towards Helena, as if he wanted to salute, but he raised his hand and gestured and then put it down, "... I can't remember the gesture."
"Are you the first mate of the Sea Anthem?" Helena asked - although the question seemed unnecessary.
"Yes, that's what I remember," the "sailor" said, raising his hand and pointing to his head, "but those messy impressions are buzzing here, and I can't remember too many details. I only remember that before we set sail, Captain Kalani and I received your personal blessing on the Ark. You anointed our wrists with ointment... The sun hadn't completely set at that time."
Helena hesitated for a few seconds: "... Yes, that happened not long ago."
"For me, it was a long time ago," the "sailor" muttered, looking back in Duncan's direction, "I have told you everything I know. Captain Lawrence should have reported to you the parts I didn't mention, right?"
Duncan nodded, walked to the low table, and picked up the dirty, tattered "rag" without paying any attention to its disgusting texture. "Is this the 'shroud' that Lawrence mentioned?"
Several eyes in the living room were focused on Duncan's hand at the same time. Helena couldn't help but take a step forward. The "sailor" nodded: "Yes, it is... There is Captain Kalani's handwriting on it. Although I don't know why it has become like this, it should be the captain's log of the Sea Song... Before Captain Kalani disappeared, she left it to me. This is one of the few things I remember clearly."
Duncan looked through the "writing" on the tattered piece of cloth and slowly frowned: "... It's completely unrecognizable."
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid it had already become like this when I returned to the Infinite Sea," the Sailor shook his head, "That border... It prevents us from bringing the secrets of the world outside back home."
Duncan listened silently and thought quietly. Everyone in the living room fell silent unconsciously, and only the ticking of the clock echoed in the silence.
After a long while, Duncan suddenly raised his head and said, "Do you mind if I do some 'radical' tests on it?"
(End of this chapter)