The sudden voice startled everyone, causing them to jump. They frantically searched for its source, even though they were almost certain that no beast would dare to intrude in such dense fog. The voice made them uneasy once more, reminding them of the sinister nature of their location. Right! It was as if a lost mory had found its way back to her. This was the heart of the Mist of Death, a graveyard for fearless sailors and countless ships. Here, restless spirits lingered, unable to leave.
A cold gust of wind swept through, dispersing the thick mist on the deck, leaving only patches of fog that began to take shape slowly. Captain Columbus and Sea Breeze felt their hearts drop to their stomachs, while Chang Long squinted at the figure forming before them, her mind racing with recognition.
"Captain Levin,"
Chang Long exclaid in shock. The figure materializing from the mist was the sa man who had warned her in her dream. Behind him stood others, n and won alike. Captain Levin gave a faint smile and repeated his question.
"Need so help?"
Captain Levin looked at the ship's helm with barely contained excitent. His form, now tangible, allowed him to feel the damp, salty mist and hear the thundering beat of his heart. It made him want to shout across the calm waters. The ghostly crew, adjusting to their newfound physical forms, began to recall their sailing skills.
Captain Columbus and Sea Breeze were still stunned by the scene before them. Just monts ago, the Bloodied Angel had been teeming with restless sailor spirits, offering to assist in navigating the ship. Though initially relieved, they doubted how intangible ghosts could help steer a ship through the Mist of Death. But now, those sa spirits had taken physical form and were wandering the deck, chattering noisily. Even the spirits under Chang Long's command road freely, shaking their hands with amusent.
"What... What is going on, Chang Long? How did these ghosts gain physical form?"
Sea Breeze asked, baffled, as Captain Columbus stuck close behind him like a shadow.
"It's one of my profession skills. They wouldn't be able to help steer the ship as spirits, right?"
Chang Long replied with a smile.
"No wonder those sailor spirits seed so deferential to you,"
Captain Columbus said warily. He had sowhat prepared himself to encounter ghosts during this journey but never imagined they would manifest in such numbers—or be so chummy.
"Look at it this way, Captain. With them guiding us, we won't need to worry about leaving Bloodied Angel nor about getting lost in the fog and dying here."
Sea Breeze, now in better spirits, interjected.
"How can we be sure they're really here to help? What if they just sail us around in circles and deliver us straight to that monstrosity outside?"
Captain Columbus, however, still had doubts. He did not trust these stranger spirits.
"We'll deal with that if it happens,"
Chang Long replied calmly, her eyes fixed on Captain Levin. She suspected he was not an ordinary AI, much like her spirits or even Kitsune.
"It seems they're ready, Lord of Spirits. Tell us where you wish to go, and we'll follow your command,"
Captain Levin said, noting that his crew had readied the ship for departure. Chang Long nodded and gave him her destination.
"Sail toward the heart of the northern archipelago, to the Abyssal Sea."
"Head for the heart of the northern archipelago! We set sail for the Abyssal Sea!" Captain Levin's booming command was echoed enthusiastically by the newly embodied crew, their voices brimming with excitent. The Abyssal Sea, a legendary destination where none had set foot on had sailors dreamt of visiting at least once in their lives, was ntioned in many wondrous tales. Perhaps it had been seen long ago, back when the central island of the northern archipelago had not yet sunk beneath the waves.
"Why so silent, Devi-chan?"
Chang Long turned to look at Devi-chan, who had been unusually quiet.
"Just recalling my youth. Back when I had just started exploring the seas, I once ca here."
Devi-chan's words caused Chang Long, Captain Columbus, and Sea Breeze to perk up instantly.
"What? You've been here before?"
Chang Long asked in disbelief, her abrupt movent causing her mana to drop significantly.
"Yes, but it was a long ti ago. The foggy paths are full of illusions. You have no idea what you might encounter in this fog. The spirits you see around the outer edges of the Mist of Death are nothing compared to the ancient souls waiting deeper within. They will test you in ways more brutal than you can imagine."
Devi-chan's words left the group speechless. The na Mist of Death was clearly not chosen lightly, but its true horrors remained a mystery.
The Bloodied Angel drifted further into the dense white mist at a creeping pace. Chang Long's Spirit Realm skill seed to affect only the ship's imdiate area, as wispy spirits continued to float around them, appearing lost in their own dreams. Occasionally, one would let out a scream, startling Chang Long.
The ship was silent. Even a deep breath felt as though it might shatter the fragile peace onboard. Deeper into the fog, visibility vanished entirely. No matter which direction they looked, there was only endless white. They could not see each other, not even their own hands held close to their faces. No one dared to move or call out. The only source of comfort was the faint glow of the large lantern hanging at the prow.
Thud!
The ship collided with sothing, producing a loud crash and sending shockwaves throughout. Chang Long stumbled forward, tumbling several tis before her Spirit Realm skill automatically deactivated. The spirits reverted to their intangible forms as the dense fog scattered, revealing the scene ahead.
A massive, pitch-black ship lay wrecked on jagged rocks. Its hull was so dark and shadowed that the interior was utterly obscured. The Bloodied Angel seed to have struck a smaller rocky outcrop nearby. Sea Breeze imdiately began inspecting the damage, paying no heed to his own injuries. Captain Columbus, anwhile, seed to have montarily forgotten they were in the Mist of Death, a place teeming with vengeful sailor spirits.
Chang Long pulled her battered body upright and peered at the black ship before her. Thanks to her spirit-related profession, she could see the otherwise invisible specters crowding the ship, all of them staring intently at her group. The spirits' gazes brimd with hatred and ravenous hunger, sending chills down her spine. Turning back to the Bloodied Angel, she noticed that the spirits accompanying them had gathered into a faint misty cluster at the stern, clearly terrified of the black ship.
"Captain Levin,"
Chang Long called to the spectral captain, who stood among his crew. Captain Levin shook his head helplessly and spoke with a note of despair.
"I'm sorry, but we're surrounded. Unless you find a way forward, we'll be trapped here forever."
Sea Breeze and Captain Columbus turned pale at his words and hurried to regroup with Chang Long. She turned her gaze to Ackeran, the silent sorcerer spirit whose expression was grim.
"What!"
Chang Long exclaid in alarm.
"It's as they said. You must board that ship and retrieve the rmaid's Heart. It will guide your ship to the correct path without straying."
Ackeran replied in his calm, steady tone.
"But even for spirits, that place is perilous. Be extrely cautious."
Chang Long felt cornered, unable to see a clear path forward through the Mist of Death. Then she recalled the spectral guide who had claid to know the route to the Abyssal Sea. If he knew that, surely he would also know how to escape this mist and the vengeful sailors.
Her instincts proved correct; the spirit indeed knew the way out. However, the solution ca at a steep price: unparalleled bravery. The only way forward required boarding the haunted ship teeming with vengeful spirits and finding the rmaid's Heart hidden within.
"Look, that ship seems to be a dungeon,"
Sea Breeze said, pointing toward the ship. A pathway leading up to its deck was visible, marked by a wooden sign from the ga system. The sign read:
"Haunted Ship: Players below Level 50, Beware!"
"What's the plan, Captain?"
Chang Long asked Captain Columbus, whose face had turned pale at the prospect of entering the haunted ship.
"If it's necessary, we have to go in."
The young man forced himself to suppress his fear. Chang Long smiled approvingly at his bravery, then glanced down at her bracelet and pet-sealing ring.
"Huh? Little Jade's completely petrified. What's going on?"
She noticed her dragon, part of her quest, had turned to stone for no discernible reason. Although she was worried about Little Jade, she was more concerned for her loyal pets. The dragon's cultivation was far less important to her than the well-being of her steadfast companions. After confirming that both her pet-sealing ring and bracelet for Hulu were functioning normally, she let out a relieved sigh.
"Are you alright, Chang Long?"
Sea Breeze asked as he noticed her sigh. He and Captain Columbus were preparing themselves for the haunted ship dungeon, with the captain making sure to bring along garlic, a cross, and protective talismans.
"Oh, I was just thinking about unsealing my pets. We could use the extra help in battle. Unseal Hulu. Unseal Brownie."
A magnificent rainbow kirin leapt elegantly from the bracelet, while the clumsy Brownie landed with a plop on the ground. Hulu shook his mane lightly to stretch, while Brownie got up from the floor, groaning softly.
"Sorry about that, Brownie. Were you sleeping?"
Chang Long picked up the little thieving field mouse, gently stroking to console him.
"Not at all, master. I was brainstorming a dramatic entrance from the ring, but, uh, it didn't go quite as planned,"
Brownie replied with a spirited tone that trailed off sheepishly.
"It can talk!"
Captain Columbus and Sea Breeze exclaid in unison, their eyes unblinking with excitent. Neither had encountered a non-humanoid monster capable of speech before.
"Of course I can talk. What's the big deal? I've been talking since the day I was born,"
Brownie shot a withering glare at the two n, speaking with none of the respect he showed Chang Long.
"Hulu, we'll need your help. We're going in there to find the rmaid's Heart,"
Chang Long said, pointing toward the haunted ship. Hulu nodded and walked over to stand beside Kitsune, his pint-sized senior.
At Chang Long's words, everyone turned their gaze toward the haunted ship, including Captain Columbus, while Sea Breeze and Brownie continued their lively squabble.
Inside the haunted ship, the darkness was oppressive, and the stench of decay filled the air. The floors were littered with debris, skeletal remains, and small scurrying creatures. The eerie wail of the wind and distant, ghostly screams echoed endlessly, making Captain Columbus nearly paralyzed.
Before long, Chang Long's Vampire's Eyes activated automatically, allowing her to see as clearly as if it were a moonlit night. To her surprise, her party mbers also seed to benefit from the skill as long as they were in a party with her as leader.
"Vengeful Sailor Beasts, Level 38, have appeared!"
The system notification drew everyone's attention to the source of the rattling noise ahead. The Vengeful Sailor Beasts were reanimated, rotting corpses. One eye remained in its socket, while the other was nowhere to be seen. Each creature weakly held a sword, shambling forward with decaying movents. Captain Columbus let out a piercing scream of terror, startling even the surrounding spirits into scattering.
"Captain!"
Sea Breeze scolded loudly.
"Sorry! I panicked! Look at them—they're beyond horrifying."
As Captain Columbus's words faded, the rattling sounds grew in number from ahead, making his face turned pale.
"What a voice you've got, Captain. You've probably woken the entire ship,"
Chang Long said with a dry laugh before turning to give orders to her pets.
"Kitsune, breathe fire."
Kitsune obeyed. The Vengeful Sailor Beasts shrieked in pain, their ragged swings now wild and erratic. However, the force of their blows was strong enough to splinter the sturdy wooden deck beneath them.
Chang Long was the first to charge into battle, sword in hand. Brownie perched on her shoulder in a combat-ready stance. Kitsune and Hulu flanked her, with Sea Breeze and Captain Columbus following close behind.
Shunk!
"Eww, Master. Its eyeball stuck to my sword."
Brownie shuddered in revulsion as he held up a tiny sword—a size of a toothpick—impaled with a grotesque eyeball belonging to one of the beasts for Chang Long to see.
"Ugh, just shake it off,"
Chang Long sighed, annoyed, while she continued fighting. Brownie, however, stared at the eyeball with disgust.
"Shake it off, huh? Guess that's the only way to avoid touching this disgusting thing."
With that, Brownie gripped the sword with both his tiny (front) paws, lifted it high above his head, and swung it forward with all his might. The motion worked—the eyeball flew off into the air. Landing directly into Sea Breeze's face.
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