Deep Sea Embers

Time has eroded the text, and the dislocation inside and outside the border has distorted the carrier of the text into another look - on the old and tattered shroud, now only the words "Kalani", "Border" and "Li" can be vaguely recognized. "Wetan" and several other messy words, and even to distinguish these few words, you need to give full play to your ability of observation and association.

Anomaly 077 stared blankly at the shroud in front of him - it was sent from the warehouse of the White Oak by the captain's order. This shroud has been there since he lost his peace and became a member of the White Oak. Placed in a containment room on the ship.

"I haven't looked at it carefully for a long time... No, I seem to have never looked at it carefully," Anomaly 077 muttered softly, slowly rubbing what looked like dirt on the surface of the shroud with his withered fingers. , which are actually traces of mottled writing, "I have never found these writings exist..."

"It's normal. If you don't look for it specifically, usually even if you see these marks, you will just think that they are insignificant dirt," Lawrence said lightly next to him, "If Martha hadn't been keenly observant and thought of it in advance, With this possibility, who would connect the prints on this rag with Captain Kalani's diary? What's more, there are only so few traces left on it...the effective information has been erased."

"Yeah, there are only so few traces left..." the sailor said frustratedly, "This can't be called the captain's log at all. These broken letters are of no use at all... It was originally supposed to be a thick book. It shouldn't be such a 'rag'..."

"This may have something to do with your process of returning to the Infinite Sea from beyond the border. The 'six nautical mile critical line' seems to permanently change the nature of certain things," Lawrence said. "It turns you into Anomaly 077, turning you into anomaly 077. Captain Kalani's log becomes a shroud around you - but nevertheless, these are vital clues, and 'he' needs them."

"Sailor" stood quietly next to the shroud, and suddenly became very quiet. He seemed to be engaged in a fierce psychological struggle, and after hesitating for a long time, he slowly nodded.

"Okay, send me there, 'he' has been waiting for a long time."

Lawrence immediately exhaled softly, and then took half a step to the side, and almost at the same time, an illusory green flame appeared where he had just stood——

The flame soared into the sky, and in the blink of an eye it gained a solid texture like flowing water from an almost transparent illusory form. The captain's power spanned a long distance, and was projected in the room with Lawrence as a beacon. Immediately afterwards, the center of the flame spiraled and shrank, It squirmed and swelled again, and a giant skeletal bird with a terrifying appearance rushed out of the whirlpool of flames!

"Sailor" took half a step back when he saw this scene, staring blankly at the rotating flame door and the giant skeletal bird hovering near the ceiling, then turned to look at Lawrence: "...This thing really doesn't exist. question?"

"It's now that you think of hesitating?" Lawrence suddenly stared, "Don't say you don't want to go now - 'he' personally came from the opposite side and dragged you, that's not the treatment!"

"Sailor" immediately shrank his neck and took two steps towards the flame door with a troubled expression, but stopped halfway and asked, "Does this thing hurt?"

Lawrence walked over silently and came behind "Sailor".

"Sailor" suddenly became excited, as if the goose bumps that had died more than two centuries ago were resurrected: "Don't, don't, don't, I'll go in, I'll go in myself..."

As he spoke, he stepped towards the rotating flames, then gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He reached out his hand and touched the flame vortex, and then retracted his hand instantly: "Oh my God, it seems a little hot... Captain, why don't we Think about something else..."

Lawrence kicked out: "You are the only one who talks nonsense!"

Sailor's short exclamation disappeared in the roar of flames.

"Full of fuel, let's go!" The giant skeletal bird hovering near the ceiling screamed, and then rushed into the flame door - but the next second it emerged from the door, grabbed it with its claws and put it on the The shroud on the side turned and got back into the door.

Lawrence sighed softly.

But just as he was about to walk away, the rotating and bulging flame door suddenly crackled open again, and Ai, who had just left, emerged from the door again.

The giant skeletal bird came close to Lawrence, flapped its wings under the latter's stunned gaze, and made a hoarse and ugly voice: "Whole fries, whole fries, whole fries..."

Lawrence was almost frightened by the "messenger" and finally took two steps back to stand still. Only then did he realize that he had forgotten the important "sacrifice" and "medium" needed to summon the messenger, and he suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Came down: "I... wasn't prepared..."

The giant skeletal bird tilted its head and stared into Lawrence's eyes with its empty eye sockets covered with flames. The latter's whole body slowly became tense. In these few seconds, Lawrence's mind was already spinning like a lantern. I reviewed many classic cases related to summoning and sacrifice that were circulated among the captains of the Infinite Sea——

When the XX wizard tried to summon the shadow of the spiritual world, he prepared the wrong sacrifice and was beaten to death by the shadow's powerful counterattack. The XX cultist used insufficient sacrifices when trying to summon the demon and was beaten to death by the furious demon. On the wall; XX The Saint of Truth accidentally touched the spell to summon evil spirits while studying ancient relics. As a result, he had to slap the out-of-control evil spirits to death on the wall because he did not prepare a sacrifice...

Lawrence didn't quite understand the temperament of the strange messenger named "Ai" next to the captain, but he made a simple judgment and felt that it would be difficult for him to slap the bird to death on the wall.

So he swallowed nervously and began to regret his careless move - although in theory everyone was a follower of Captain Duncan, God knows whether this "messenger" who didn't look like a human being would. There is the concept of “colleagues”….

Then he saw the giant skeletal bird in front of him suddenly retracted his head, turned around and flew towards the flame gate, cursing as he flew back: "No overtime pay for any bad work, no overtime pay for any bad work." Give……"

Then the terrifying messenger disappeared into the room along with the door.

Lawrence: "...?"

…

Duncan looked at Anomaly 077, which was almost thrown out of the portal by Ai, and then turned to look at the pigeon spirit who seemed to be still angry and was pacing around on the coffee table. He felt a little confused: "What's wrong with this pigeon?" ?”

Alice scratched her hair when she heard this: "I don't know, I don't seem to be happy anyway..."

"...No matter, let's get it some food. It should be happy again."

Duncan waved his hand casually, and after giving a casual instruction, his attention returned to Anomaly 077, who was standing up unsteadily while holding his waist.

"Long time no see, Sailor."

He was slowly getting up, seeming to be trying his best to avoid eye contact with other people in the living room. 077 heard the captain actively greeting him, and his body trembled visibly. It seemed that he could no longer escape. He finally stood up straight, and was a little nervous. He looked around heartily.

"Um...Long time no see, captain, long time no see everyone, long time no see everyone..."

He walked around in circles, 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 in charge of the Deep Sea Church quietly stared at the mummy in front of her. Looking at the shriveled, skinny, and terrifying appearance of the other person, she frowned a little bit, as if she was trying to recall the time she had personally met not long ago. She had met the appearance of the first mate of the Sea Song, but no matter what, she seemed unable to connect the loyal and resolute first mate with the hunched-over "Abnormal 077" with a terrifying face in front of her.

After observing for a long time, Helena broke the silence: "I don'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 voice. He slowly took two steps towards Helena, as if he wanted to do it. He saluted, but he raised his hand to make a gesture and then put it down again, "...I can't remember that gesture."

"Are you the first mate of the Sea Song?" Helena asked - although this question seemed unnecessary.

"Yes, that's what I remember," "Sailor" said, raising his finger to point at his head, "but those messy impressions are buzzing here, and I can't remember too many details. I just remember that before setting sail, Captain Kalani and I received your personal blessing on the ark, and you anointed our wrists with oil... The sun hadn't completely set at that time."

Helena hesitated for a few seconds: "...Yes, that happened not long ago."

"It's been a long time ago for me," "Sailor" muttered, looking back in Duncan's direction, "I've told you everything I know, and Captain Lawrence should also tell you the parts I didn't mention. Did you report it?"

Duncan nodded, came to the low table, reached out and picked up the dirty, torn-looking "rag" - without paying any attention to its disgusting texture: "This is the 'shroud' Lawrence mentioned. cloth'?"

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. "Sailor" nodded: "Yes, it is... there is Captain Kalani's handwriting on it." , although I don’t know why it became like this, but it should be the captain’s log of the Sea Song... Before Captain Kalani disappeared, she left it to me. It is one of the few times that my memory is very clear. thing."

Duncan looked at the "writing" on the broken piece of cloth and slowly frowned: "...it's completely unrecognizable."

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid it will have become like this when I return to the Infinite Sea," "Sailor" shook his head, "That border...it prevents us from bringing home the secrets from outside the world."

Duncan listened silently and thought quietly. Everyone in the living room unconsciously became quiet, and only the ticking of the clock echoed in the silence.

After a long time, Duncan suddenly raised his head: "Do you mind if I do some 'radical' tests on it?"