June 14th, Year 8 of the Journey - Clear Skies


    "Those vague whispers have returned to my ears, a sound that isn’t a sound, chaotic and dark. This wretched place is no fit for a man.


    My first mate, Old John, suggested his remedy - to seek out the fragrant ladies at the Red Lip Inn.


    I admit, the thought tempted me, but I resisted. I can’t squander the hard-earned Echo Coins on such indulgences. I must remain vigilant for the sake of returning home.


    Humans are creatures of the land, yet here we are in the underground sea. It proves there’s a way back to the surface, and I will find it!


    I dreamed of my family again last night. I miss them, but their faces are becoming blurred…"


    The sudden sway of the Rat interrupted Charles Reid’s writing.


    The old oil lamp beside the diary cast a light on its owner’s face - black pupils, black hair, a typical Asian appearance, but his face was pale, almost transparent, like a vampire from a movie.


    By modern standards, Charles was somewhat handsome, but now his expression was heavy with fatigue, making him look haggard.


    After listening intently to the waves outside for a moment, Charles, finding nothing amiss, picked up his pen and continued.


    "I don’t need those special service workers; writing in my diary helps with the hallucinations. I’ve been sleeping five hours each night recently, the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in ages.


    Of course, learning from those who wrote diaries before me, I write in a script only I can understand - Dothraki."


    A harsh metallic screech from outside, like something scratching the bottom of the ship with sharp nails, interrupted him.


    “Snap.” The diary was closed, and Charles, with a furrowed brow, walked towards the round porthole.


    He peered out to see the same sight as eight years ago - a lightless sky and dark green sea merging into a curtain of darkness in the distance.


    Darkness ruled everything outside, as if monsters were brewing within it, exuding an eerie atmosphere.


    But in the Sea of Earth, where there are no stars or moon, endless darkness is the norm, and darkness here means everything is normal.


    Staring at the seemingly normal view outside, Charles’ brow furrowed even more. His years of sailing experience told him something was off. He decided to investigate.


    Charles opened the bedside cabinet, where dozens of golden bullets rolled back and forth with the sway of the sea.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Drawing his revolver from his waist, he skillfully loaded it and headed towards the cockpit.


    “Captain, you’re up early today. It’s not your shift yet.”


    At the helm was a bearded, chubby old man. A teenager, around seventeen or eighteen, wearing a sailor uniform, was slumped in a chair to his left. Both had the pale faces of Eastern Europeans, like Charles.


    “First Mate, why is the Rat so shaky? Is our course correct?” Charles asked John, the helmsman.


    As he spoke, he walked over and kicked the chair leg, waking the teenager.


    Seeing his captain, the boy quickly wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and scrambled to his feet.


    “Haha, probably those underwater things smelling our flesh again. You know, in the Sea of Earth, those disgusting creatures are more plentiful than fish. Don’t worry, the Rat is a steel ship; they can’t break in.” The chubby old man stepped back, handing the helm over to his captain.


    Despite the first mate’s report, Charles remained on high alert.


    In this mysterious place, humans were no longer at the top of the food chain. Survival here depended on caution alone.


    Charles pressed a button on the old equipment, and the spotlight ahead blazed to life. His eyes scanned the sea surface through the transparent glass.


    Between the sea and the cockpit was a deck stacked with cargo. The ship, not very large, was about thirty meters long.


    “The route to the Coral Islands has been traversed by many cargo ships; those things wouldn’t come here to bother us. Something is off,” Charles said, gripping the polished helm, his brow deeply furrowed.


    Old John hesitated, “Could we have strayed from the course? That’s impossible, look, the beacon is still in the distance.”


    He pointed towards a faint light in the distance.


    In the starless underground ocean, besides the compass, the only thing that could guide the way was the bright beacons placed along the route. As long as the beacon was visible, it meant the route was a safe one explored by ships.


    Just then, Charles’ pupils suddenly contracted, and he swallowed hard. “How long have you been looking at that beacon?”


    “Probably for a few minutes, I’ve been staring at it,” Old John replied, his voice trailing off, a look of terror spreading across his chubby face.


    After sailing for so long, they hadn’t passed the beacon yet. Obviously, the beacon was moving at the same speed as their steamship—it was a trap!


    Suddenly, Charles sprang into action, his hands frantically turning the helm, pulling hard to the left.


    With a screech of metal, the steamship beneath them began to turn. Thankfully, the small ship was quick to maneuver, and the Rat started to put distance between itself and the strange beacon.


    Before Charles could breathe a sigh of relief, the teenager pointed behind them, his eyes wide with terror.


    “Captain! It’s closing in on us! It’s so fast!! It’s going to catch up!”


    “Damn it!” Charles shouted into a nearby pipe, “Chief Engineer! Maximize the boilers! Something’s on our tail!!”


    “Aye, Captain!” a hearty voice echoed back through the metal tube.


    Dark smoke billowed from the ship’s chimney as the steamship’s speed began to climb.


    “It’s still closing in!! It’s so fast! It’s almost upon us! What the hell is that monster!”


    The teenager’s voice pitched higher with extreme fear, his body shaking like a sieve, as if he were about to collapse.


    “Deep! Close your eyes!!” Charles, his nerves stretched to the limit, kicked the teenager’s shin, knocking him to the ground.


    John, beside him, forced the boy’s head down, his face red as he shouted frantically, “Don’t look, don’t listen, don’t think!! The captain will get us home.”


    No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud crash echoed through the cabin, causing it to shake violently. The two men on the ground rolled into a heap, with Charles gripping the helm tightly to avoid being thrown off.


    “Captain, it’s ramming us!”


    Charles’ face was ashen, his cheeks slightly bulging from clenching his teeth.


    He leaned close to the pipe and roared, “Chief Engineer!! Overload the boilers for thirty seconds!!”


    “Captain! We can’t! This thing is too old!! It’ll explode!”