Even when the surrounding environnt changed too drastically, she still had to step in to maintain it. So, in a way, she could be considered a professional. And it was difficult for everyone to perceive these changes.
More than half an hour passed, but the surroundings remained unchanged. Thick fog still enveloped the ship. Seeing this, Juanlu stood up and said, "It looks like we won’t be getting out anyti soon. I’ll go make so food for you." With that, Juanlu walked towards the kitchen.
From breakfast until now, they had remained in a state of high alert. So delicious food might ease their nerves, fill their stomachs, and replenish their strength. The silver thread still connected to him. Even when the al bell jingled, their surroundings remained unchanged.
Everyone, full from food and drink, once again waited on the deck.
"How much longer is this going to take? I hope it doesn’t suddenly catch us off guard; at least give us so ti to prepare," Jason said, leaning back in his chair, bored.
Not long after he spoke, the entire ship began to shake violently. Everyone imdiately stood up.
A breeze began to blow. The once-calm sails billowed, and the ship’s speed instantly increased. However, the speed kept increasing, and they could feel the ship’s course beginning to change, while the thick fog around them started to thin out.
A rhythmic, pattering sound ca from the bow; it was the Sound of Dawn, seemingly trying to convey sothing.
Alka listened, then turned to the others. "Be careful! Hold on tight! There’s a large whirlpool ahead!"
Hearing this, everyone imdiately grabbed onto nearby objects. Ropes shot out one after another, binding them securely to prevent them from being thrown overboard. Matilda, new to this, was clearly struggling to adapt, but Julia beside her was offering simple guidance and explanations.
The ship began to move swiftly to the left, its speed constantly increasing.
Only when the surrounding thick fog completely dissipated could everyone finally see their surroundings. They were on the edge of a massive whirlpool, and from their position, they could see its center. It was a pitch-black chasm, and nothing could be seen clearly within it. They could only see the surrounding seawater continuously flowing into it. The whirlpool’s imnse pull left their ship with no chance to maneuver. They could only be passively dragged towards it.
"Damn it, what do we do now?" Jason asked nervously.
Alka looked at the whirlpool, then at the mbrane enveloping the ship.
"Perhaps... that is the road to the Endless Sea."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at him.
"Huh?"
"See this mbrane?" Alka continued. "It’s the protection Matilda’s grandfather arranged for us."
Looking at this mbrane, everyone could only hold their breath and steady themselves.
At this mont, Chadite, gazing at the sea’s surface, suddenly froze. The first to notice sothing was wrong with her was Er, perched on her shoulder, continually nudging her head.
"Chadite, what’s wrong? Hey! Wake up!"
Hearing Er’s anxious voice, the others looked over, only to see Chadite staring blankly at the sea’s surface. Her mouth opened. "Mom?"
Tears slid from the corners of her eyes. However, when the others followed her gaze, they still saw only the raging whirlpool; nothing else had appeared.
Julia and Matilda, who had just boarded, imdiately wanted to check Chadite’s current state.
However, a similar change ca over Pororo. He, too, was staring blankly at the sea’s surface.
"Cousin? Why are you here?"
His cousin was none other than the deceased Sang Kaka.
This ti, when Jason, Alka, and Lucilia looked over, they truly saw the figure of the sailfish rman Sang Kaka on the sea surface. He was moving swiftly across the water’s surface, occasionally leaping into the air and smiling at them.
Alka rubbed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he saw not only Sang Kaka. He saw the parents of this body, the ones who had greeted him when he first boarded the Sea Fist; his close friend Hamr; Matt, the cook they called Uncle; and Liboka, with whom he’d had the least interaction. The figures of all these people appeared on the sea surface, looking at him. These were all people he had t and who had died since he ca to this world.
Why were they here?
Where did these hallucinations co from?
Alka turned to look at the others. He realized that everyone else on board had fallen into the sa state as Chadite: staring blankly at the whirlpool’s surface, mouths slightly agape, muttering.
This is bad.
Clearly, this was so kind of large-scale illusion.
But Alka didn’t know what had caused it.
Seeing this, Alka imdiately willed the Dream Catcher on his chest to erge. Masses of pink mist rapidly emanated, enveloping everyone and forcibly dragging them into a dream. Everyone imdiately closed their eyes and fell into a deep sleep, their bodies going slack, held securely by the ropes.
"Sound of Dawn, quickly! Shake them!"
Hearing Alka’s words, the ropes binding everyone started shaking rapidly. Then, everyone suddenly jolted awake, their eyes snapping open as they warily scanned their surroundings. Seeing the clarity return to their eyes, Alka finally sighed with relief.
This thod worked.
Only then did everyone realize they had apparently just been caught in so kind of illusion.
"Alright! Now’s not the ti to dwell on that! Hold on tight, we’re about to go in!" Alka shouted.
During the ti they had been lost in the illusion, the ship had been drawn to the very brink of the whirlpool. Looking over, they saw they were about to follow the Spiral down into the dark Abyss.
"AHHHHH!"
Screams rose and fell, then vanished completely.
The Sound of Dawn disappeared into the center of the whirlpool.
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