Chapter 284: Chapter 288 Touching the Frost
Waves began to stir on the sea.
The cold night wind blew across the ocean surface, causing the waves to surge and batter against the sturdy hull of the Holoss. Yet this massive ship maintained a stable posture, sailing full-speed northward as if ignoring the stormy weather.
The translucent sails of the Spiritual Body soared under the night sky, creaking sounds occasionally echoed between the ropes and masts. This living Ghost Ship seed to delight in the wind and waves, but the new crew mber aboard appeared rather burdened with heavy thoughts.
Fenna had learned about the truth of the Frost rebellion that occurred half a century ago from Duncan, including the bizarre and secretive Abyss Plan. Even today, half a century later, the sinister shadows of that dreadful plan still lingered.
Compared to the devastating fires that Prande had once encountered, the Abyss Plan in Frost presented a different kind of horrifying disaster—dark, icy, and intangible horrors churned in the sea abyss. A disaster might be about to happen, might have already happened, or even ended, yet in the cold night, no sound could outline the terror that was formless.
The Black Sun incident in Prande was a fierce and blazing war, whereas what transpired beneath the icy depths of Frost was a silent, twisted nightmare.
“According to Tirian, the Abyss Plan had ended, and all subsequent ramifications ceased with the death of the Frost Queen. But in reality, we have no evidence to prove that so Transcendent phenonon beneath Frost has actually stopped functioning—we don’t even know what it is. From beginning to end, the whole affair is shrouded in a fog. And now, Morris has received a letter from Frost, a signal reminding us that sothing is amiss in that northern City-State,” Duncan’s deep voice rose above the night wind before he paused and suddenly turned to Fenna. “Has Helena told you about the ‘anomalies’ in the northern seas?”
“Your Holiness?” Fenna blinked in surprise, shaking her head gently. “She didn’t ntion it. She just told to board the Holoss, but she didn’t actually tell what I should do.”
“She didn’t, huh…” Duncan murmured quietly, but he did not dwell on this topic. “Don’t think too much about it. Just get used to life aboard the ship. Don’t worry, I won’t give you any difficult tasks.”
He raised his head, looking at the deep night and the thin mist over the boundless sea.
“It’s quite late, better not to stay out on deck in the cold wind for too long—the night sea breeze isn’t friendly to body and mind.”
Fenna looked at Duncan with so surprise—her expressions had often been just as surprised throughout the day. Only then did she belatedly nod her head. “Ah, okay, thank you.”
While speaking, she fumbled on herself, pulling out a small piece of wood from her shirt pocket—it was a wave charm carved from Sea Breath Wood. Fenna held the charm to her lips, murmured a few prayers, then forcefully threw it into the sea outside the ship’s rail.
Duncan curiously watched Fenna’s action. “What are you doing?”
“That is a wave charm I personally carved from Sea Breath Wood. Followers of the Storm Goddess pray this way before voyaging,” Fenna explained casually. “Sea Breath Wood is considered favored by the Storm Goddess. Throwing its charm into the sea symbolizes an ancient sacrificial act. Praying while throwing the charm makes it easier to establish a connection with the goddess.”
She paused, then hesitated. “Do you mind these practices?”
“Ah, of course not. Like I said, the atmosphere on Holoss is more relaxed than you imagine,” Duncan imdiately replied with a smile and a shake of his head. “Morris often prays to the God of Wisdom too.”
Saying so, he waved his hand at Fenna and slowly walked toward the captain’s quarters. “I’m going back now. You should rest early.”
The sounds of surging waves filled the air as Fenna watched the tall figure slowly receding. Suddenly, she seed to rember sothing and called out behind Duncan. “Captain!”
Duncan stopped his pace but didn’t turn around. “Is there sothing else?”
Fenna opened her mouth, hesitating for a few seconds before finally speaking. “I want to apologize—for my past recklessness…”
“I don’t mind,” Duncan replied casually, waving his hand and walking away without looking back.
Fenna remained standing on the deck, seeming a bit distracted.
Behind her, in the churning sea, the wave charm carved from Sea Breath Wood had been bobbing in the waves for a long ti, until it was suddenly caught by a burst of spray and quickly pulled into the depths of the sea.
…
Inside the captain’s quarters, the goat’s head creaked and raised its head, looking up at the entering Duncan. “Ah, Captain, have you finished pacifying the new crew mber? What an incredible day it has been—a high priestess who follows the Storm Goddess has beco your crew mber. This could be seen as a sort of trophy, I believe…”
Duncan glanced at the goat’s head. “Say that in front of Fenna next ti.”
“…Can’t win.”
“Then no more nonsense,” Duncan retorted casually, glancing down at the sea charts as he passed. “Where are we now? What’s the situation with the Sea Mist?”
“Sea Mist is still sailing at full speed, but it adjusted its course slightly twice not long ago. From the position, it may have approached the secret base of the Mist Fleet,” the goat’s head imdiately responded. “We should be able to enter the Chill Sea before dawn, then sail north for four or five days until we’re near Frost… Are we going directly there, or will we conduct covert operations in the nearby sea?”
“Don’t expose us yet,” Duncan said. “I’m not planning on making ‘warm contact’ with the Frost City-State Guards.”
“Yes, Captain.”
After a mont of thought, Duncan added, “Also, after Sea Mist anchors, move closer to investigate—without revealing ourselves—the location and surroundings of that secret port in Tyrion. It shouldn’t be difficult for Holoss, given its capacity to linger in the Spirit Realm for extended periods.”
“Ah, of course, that’s easy,” the Goat Head imdiately agreed. “But… what do you want with scouting that secret port?”
“If Frost is indeed in trouble and it’s related to the secrets beneath the sea abyss, I suspect Tyrion will take action. Watching him is effectively watching Frost. If the conditions are suitable, we’ll lurk near the Sea Mist.”
The Goat Head imdiately took the order: “Understood.”
Duncan nodded and walked toward his bedroom.
“I’m going to try to ‘scout’ the situation toward Frost. Do not disturb unless necessary.”
“Yes, Captain!”
The bedroom door closed behind him.
Duncan sighed softly, sat down at the desk, and flexed his sowhat stiff neck and shoulders.
Ai Yi, who had been ditating by the window, woke up startled, fluttered his wings, and jumped onto the table, tilting his head as he looked at his master: “Light snack, or full lodging?”
Duncan gave the pigeon a glance: “Walking the Spirit Realm.”
As he spoke, the brass Compass hanging on Ai Yi’s chest snapped open, a green fla rose from within, and instantly, the scenery in Duncan’s vision changed!
He had returned to that space filled with endless stars and lines, shrouded in boundless chaotic darkness.
Ai Yi’s figure erged from the dark, a skeletal bird wrapped in spiritual flas, circling around him.
Yet he didn’t imdiately move or touch any nearby cluster of starlight. Instead, he first settled his mind, carefully observing those flickering lights and sensing the faint aura emanating from them.
Indeed… as Holoss continued to move away from Prand and approach Frost, the starlight he saw in this space also changed!
Duncan looked up, sensing his own body back in Prand, and followed that sensation into the deep darkness, seeing a dimly lit point at a great distance.
He then withdrew his gaze from afar and looked at the bright “stars” in front of him.
After a brief mont of reflection, he approached so of these points cautiously and touched a few of them.
He didn’t directly occupy the bodies these points represented. Instead, he read the shallow information behind these lights—emotions, perceptions, and even fragnted superficial consciousness.
Cold, tension, fuel prices, steam supply, town hall, Frost…
After touching a few points, Duncan withdrew his will.
Continuing to touch these points representing “living beings” could evoke widespread panic and soon draw the attention of the City-State Guards, encounters with unknown churches he wasn’t ready for yet.
The intelligence he had gathered was sufficient—the information retrieved from those few points confird that these starlights represented the residents of Frost.
At least a part of them.
Duncan’s gaze swept through the dazzling starlight, looking for individuals whose light was dim, faint, and whose vitality was fading.
He needed a suitable body to serve as an outpost for gathering intelligence.
Monts later, a cluster of faintly flickering light suddenly caught his eye.
“That’s the one!”
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