The loud panting sounds entered Klein’s ears in a slow and rhythmic manner. It left a chill running down his spine as he felt an inexplicable sense of horror, but he didn’t feel any dangerous foreboding.
It wasn’t only him. Cattleya, Frank Lee, and the other pirates also heard the panting sounds. They either turned their heads, looked outside, raised their weapons, or were on high alert, showcasing their rich experience.
After trying to discern the source, Klein discovered that the intense panting stemmed from the ruin ahead of them. It originated from a spot between the peak made of stones and stone columns.
At that moment, Bloodless Heath Doyle floated out of the shadows. He clasped his head and softly grunted in pain.
“There’s a corpse…
“There’s a corpse there!”
“Quickly circle around that area and do not approach it!”
Her voice contained a magnetic allure that jolted everyone awake. The sailors rushed out of the dining hall and headed for spots that needed help. Under Navigator Ottolov and Boatswain Nina’s instructions, they adjusted the sails and changed direction, passing by the ruins from a relatively great distance.
Only when the peak formed by stone and stone columns vanished beyond the horizon did Bloodless Heath Doyle lower his hands; his expression no longer in pain.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein narrowed his eyes. He felt that this Rose Bishop, the second mate of the Future might be a huge latent risk on this voyage.
This wasn’t because of his contempt towards Beyonders of the Secrets Suppliant pathway, but a judgment he made from combining the Admiral of Stars’s description and how Heath Doyle had reacted.
He had yet to have breakfast.
At this moment, beer was splashed across the floor. Butter had been splattered everywhere. All kinds of food—roasted fish, toast, white bread—were strewn across the floor or hanging off of something. All of them had become somewhat dirty.
This was at odds with Gehrman Sparrow’s persona!
When he decided to wait for lunch, Cattleya instructed the chef, “Prepare breakfast for the rest once more.
“Leave this to Frank. P-perhaps he has uses for it.”
After a while, he finally had breakfast which wasn’t as sumptuous as before. It was a smoked pork sausage and two utterly burnt toast, as well as a cup of unsedated light beer that was treated as water.
Due to them traveling through very dangerous waters with the possibilities of mishaps happening at every turn, Klein showcased his eating skills from back when he was studying in college. He only spent one to two minutes to finish the breakfast just like he did back in his college’s mess hall.
He left the pirates’ dining hall and came to the deck. He was having an after-meal stroll while also observing his environment.
At that moment, the sea still appeared as though it was illuminated by a midday sun as it was colored gold.
Klein stopped and looked into the distance and saw a point of light ahead expanding.
Under the sun’s illumination, the point of light was producing coruscating, multi-colored lusters due to the refraction. It was a like a gigantic and transparent gem.
As the Future continued forging ahead, the point of light gradually revealed itself.
It first parted before becoming clear. It was comprised of four gigantic columns made of pure diamond.
They were like legendary columns that held up the sea. They extended downwards and stably stood there, holding up a sizable floating island.
Above the floating island, the soil was charred black without any hint of greenery. In its depths, the lights had such an abnormal brightness that it outshone the midday sky.
Suddenly, there was a long screech that was emitted from the island.
It was loud and unrestrained, but it gave people a hair-raising sense of danger.
Before long, Klein heard the galloping sounds of horses as he saw two steeds that seemed to be tempered from gold rush out of the floating island. Behind it was a beautiful chariot which was similarly made from gold.
At this moment, Cattleya’s voice was amplified as she hurriedly had it resound in every corner of the Future.
“Look down!
“Don’t look at it!”
Klein was never one to put on a brave front. He subconsciously lowered his head upon hearing those words and looked at his leather boots.
He noticed that the sunlight which illuminated the deck was becoming brighter before it dimmed and was rapidly restored to its former brilliance.
“It’s alright now.” Cattleya’s voice sounded in the ship again without any obvious emotional fluctuations.
Only then did Klein look up. He discovered that the two steeds tempered from gold and the beautiful chariot they pulled behind it had vanished. The diamond pillar silently supported the floating island as resplendent glows swirled around it.
A pirate who stood about seven to eight meters away from him had already vanished. Standing there were two pitch-black footprints.
Looking at the ashes floating in midair, Klein vaguely knew the outcome of not lowering his head.
He didn’t suggest visiting the floating island to explore it. He left the Future to pass it by and head forward.
In the rest of the time, the sea was like the outer world. There were only the undulating waves, the vastness, silence, and endlessness.
Klein occasionally saw fire embers floating on the surface of the sea, but he didn’t find any signs of marine creatures, including mermaids.
Time ticked by, and lunch was soon underway.
Just as Klein was about to leave the deck for the dining hall, he suddenly realized that his surroundings had darkened!
The sky which had remained in a midday state no longer had any sunlight as it was covered in rich darkness.
This change was so sudden and fast that Klein’s first reaction was to wonder who had switched off the lights!
Silently, the Future was covered in a layer of resplendent stars that illuminated paths in every direction.
Cattleya’s voice that contained a magnetic allure was once again magnified as it resounded in everyone’s ears.
“Return to your room or find any corner you can and make yourself fall asleep.
“Then, wait until you wake up naturally.”
Puzzled, Frank Lee asked loudly, “What will happen if I don’t sleep?”
At that moment, his voice boomed like a speaking bear.
Cattleya stood behind the window of the captain’s cabin and said, “When we wake up, we will find you gone, never to be found again.”
He returned to his room, and using the starlight which hadn’t been extinguished on the Future, he unfolded a paper crane and picked up a pencil to quickly write:
“What should be taken note of when traveling to the dangerous waters on the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea?
“Where can I find mermaids there?”
Putting down the pencil, he folded the crane. Without taking off his coat, he lay in bed and, with the help of Cogitation, quickly fell asleep.
In a hazy world, he suddenly jolted awake, clearly knowing that he was dreaming.
On top of the boulder, Cattleya sat alone. She hugged her knees and leaned her body forward as she stared at the mountain opposite them.
She was still dressed in the black classical robe that exuded an air of mystery. Her expression wore an indescribable look of confusion.
At that moment, she didn’t move at all; it was as though she was a stone sculpture.
Before he could ask, he was stunned by the vast scene before his eyes. It was a feeling that struck a blow to his body and soul.
In front of the boulder was a bottomless cliff and across the cliff was a mountain which was covered with countless palaces, spires, and majestic city walls.
These buildings were opulent and stacked in circles. Just one of them was abnormally huge and didn’t resemble a human’s residence. Combined together, it had an indescribable sense of epic proportions that seemed legendary or mythical.
The sun hung far away as it cast the colors of the sunset onto the city as the light seemed to be frozen.
“This is a dream shared by all of us…” Cattleya continued sitting there, hugging her legs as she said as though she was in a reverie.
