Chapter 29. The Eye in the Sky
"Where did you go?" Charles asked as he raised his gaze off the nautical chart and looked at the mouse that just came in through the door.
"I went out to play," Lily replied in a dejected tone.
"Are you hungry yet? There's some food on the table."
"Let the other mice have it. I've eaten," Lily, looking seemingly dispirited, climbed onto the bed and laid down on the pillow.
Seeing the unusually moody mouse, confusion was written all over Charles' face. He couldn't figure out what had gotten into her. Hadn't the previous incident blown over?
However, he couldn't be bothered to indulge in her sulking. Grabbing her by the tail, he placed her on the table.
"I found a few books about operating a cannon for you. Swiftly go through them. I will bring you to the harbor for practice tomorrow."
Lily stared at the towering stack of books and felt an instinctive rejection toward them. "I don't want to read them. And I already know how to operate a cannon!"
"Cut the nonsense. Becoming a qualified gunner is not so simple. Since you are a member of my ship, I have to make sure that you meet the benchmark. The sea is filled with all sorts of anomalies, your slight deficiencies could cost everyone their lives."
Charles opened one of the books and tossed it toward the white mouse.
Under the captain's oppression, Lily began to reluctantly consume books that were beyond her age.
However, under such high-pressure circumstances, Lily's frustration and sadness were quickly overshadowed. A cheerful Lily soon re-emerged and was constantly complaining to Charles all day long.
Being pestered by the white mouse all day long, the usually quiet Charles also started speaking more. For the first time, the atmosphere in the room felt slightly livelier.
Half a month soon passed and Lily had completed her basic training. Charles, along with the rested crew, were ready to embark on a new mission.
Since the Danger Level 5 island they had explored previously was the farthest one on the edge, this time Charles claimed the mission to explore the northernmost sea region.
Under usual circumstances, exploring the open sea was considered more safe than stepping foot onto an unknown island. However, things were hard to predict in this subterranean sea.
The crew was surprised to see that the white mouse, Lily, had returned to join them. With Charles' subtle hinting, however, no one dug too deep into the matter. They only knew one thing—mouse or not, the Narwhale had a new gunner.
Black smoke billowed from the smokestacks of the Narwhale once again, and her magnificent silhouette gradually disappeared under the watchful eyes of the dockworkers.
Life at sea was as calm as usual, with the exception of occasional creatures climbing aboard. But those were also swiftly dealt with.
Entering uncharted waters for the second time, the crew seemed to be much more composed than before. The absence of casualties in their previous mission definitely contributed to a higher morale and enthusiasm among the crew.
Even though they had only rested for half a month, every crew member exuded confidence. Second Mate Conor even wanted to refer his cousin to join them and earn some fortune.
The crew often speculated in private on how long it would take before they discovered a new island and could enjoy prosperity under the wings of their captain.
At the bridge, Charles held a pen in his hand. He was calculating the ship's current position on the nautical chart based on her speed and direction. This was supposed to be the job of a navigator, but he had personally taken on the role for now. Precision was crucial, since any slight discrepancy in the measured coordinates could result in a significant error when determining the ship's location.
After triple confirmation that their coordinates were accurate to the decimals today, Charles turned around and headed toward his quarters, wanting to write in his journal about today.
However, as soon as he stepped out the door, he felt an unexplainable unease.
Standing at the door, Charles turned around and his eyes scanned the bridge.
At the size of half a classroom, the Narwhale's bridge was considerably larger than that of S.S. Mouse.
At the moment, Boatswain Dipp was manning the helm while First Mate Bandages was overseeing the navigation from the side. The two were engaged in conversation.
"First Mate Bandages, have you heard? James actually secretly got married! He didn't even invite us to his wedding! Say, don't you think he's a terrible friend?" Dipp complained.
"Steer 15 degrees to port… Increase speed by 5 knots…" Bandages instructed nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by Dipp's grievances.
As his gaze scanned the room, Charles finally found his source of unease. He directly approached Bandages and tore off the bandages on his amputated leg.
Much to his surprise, a portion of Bandages's thigh that had been previously bitten off by Anna had regenerated. The newly regrown section was a striking juxtaposition of pale, fair skin against his original ink-black tattooed skin.
Dipp had clearly noticed the miraculous situation and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh my gosh! A severed leg can actually grow again? Are you an octopus from the sea?"
"Don't stare around when manning the helm!" Charles shouted and the inquisitive sailor quickly retracted.
Pointing at Bandages' regrown thigh, Charles asked, "Can you explain what happened? I've not heard of Fhtagnists possessing the ability to regenerate lost limbs."
"I… I don't know… My memories are a mess… I've been to many places…and encountered many things, but my memories will disappear…"
Bandages held his head in his hand with a pained expression. "I don't think my name is Bandages… But I'm not sure…"
This guy seems like he has a story too. Charles signed inwardly and patted Bandages on the shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay. If you can't recall the past, then don't dwell on it. You only need to remember that now, you are the first mate of the Narwhale."
Seated on the stool, Bandages raised his head and the corners of his lips raised into an awkward smile, "Thank…you, Captain."
With that, Bandages then took out a black, long needle and started skillfully pricking away on his newly regrown thigh. A row of small letters appeared: Captain Charles can be trusted.
"Bandages, actually, you don't have to—"
"Captain! There's a situation! Look out the window!"
Hearing Dipp's flustered shouts, Charles immediately turned his gaze toward the window.
Bright yellow flakes swirled and fluttered down. The scene reminded Charles of falling snow on Earth. However, the subterranean sea didn't even have a sky, so how could there be snow?
Confronted with such an anomaly, Charles swiftly gave orders in his capacity as a captain.
"Everyone, retreat to the cabins and evacuate from this area at full speed."
Bright yellow "snow" accumulated rapidly on the deck and the atmosphere on the Narwhale grew increasingly tense.
With a muffled roar, the smokestacks started emitting thick, black smoke.
Charles stared intently at the dark expanse of the sea, his senses heightened, and he couldn't even afford to blink.
Woosh~ Woosh~
A howling sound echoed through the air, and the once calm waters churned with waves.
Is this… Is this wind? There's wind in the subterranean sea? Could it be that we are nearing a passageway to the surface? A ludicrous thought flashed through Charles' mind.
Suddenly, Charles realized something and his pupils contracted to the size of a pinpoint. He seized the red lever and pulled it with all his might. Above the bridge, where the searchlights were supposed to illuminate the sea surface, the lights swiftly turned upright and pointed towards the sky.
Charles dashed out of the room and looked upward. In that instant, his entire body trembled inexplicably as an indescribable fear engulfed him completely.
Directly above the Narwhale, a gigantic eye that covered half the overhead expanse was staring straight at him.
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