Do as I say! I know my ship!”


    After barking at the boiler room, Charles looked down at his first mate on the ground, “John! Get half the cargo off the ship!”


    He knew that in critical moments, hesitation was not an option. Survival was paramount.


    “Aye!” The chubby old man kicked open the door to the cockpit and rushed out.


    Listening to the splashes of cargo hitting the water, Charles felt his heart bleed.


    Fortunately, the series of measures proved effective. After several more collisions, the lighter Rat began to accelerate, gradually pulling away from the thing behind them.


    When a real beacon finally appeared at the bow, Charles, drenched in cold sweat, slowly released his grip on the helm.


    The trembling teenager crawled to Charles’ feet, clutching his thigh tightly.


    “Cap…tain, I just… I just saw—”


    Charles pinched the boy’s cheek, stopping him from continuing.


    “What was the third thing I told you before you came on board?”


    “‘Don’t look at or think about the monsters in the water unless they come near our ship, and even if you see them, don’t speak of it…’”


    “Good. Now stand up, drop the anchor, and then notify everyone on board to gather on the deck. I’m going to take a headcount.”


    Charles released his grip and stepped out of the cockpit. The deck was a mess, with water everywhere and ropes floating on the surface, swaying back and forth.


    Wading through the water up to his calves, Charles reached the stern, which was indented like it had been struck by a massive hammer. It was coated with some unknown black slime that emitted an uninterrupted stench.


    The shape made it easy to imagine the size of the creature that had rammed the ship. But eight years of sailing had worn away Charles’ curiosity. He was now considering other problems.


    “Fixing this is going to cost a fortune…” Charles was frustrated, feeling further from his dream.


    Just then, the whispering sounds returned, as if seeping out from the surrounding darkness.


    “ph…nglui mglw…nafh…”


    “Damn it!” Charles, his brow furrowed, clenched his fist and repeatedly banged his forehead with the back of his hand, using the pain to dull the annoyance caused by the whispers.


    As he saw the other crew members gathering on the deck, Charles lowered his hand and walked over.


    Upon seeing their captain approach, the men of varying heights quickly formed a line. Regardless of their appearance, their faces were as pale as Charles’.


    “John, First Mate, assisting the captain and organizing various work plans, responsible for cargo stowage plans, helmsman from 12 to 24,” the fat old man said first.


    Next to Old John stood a strong, tall man with blue clothes covered in engine oil. After the first mate finished, he quickly followed.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “James, Chief Engineer, responsible for maintaining the normal operation of the boilers; also in charge of propulsion systems and additional equipment, boilers, and lubrication, cooling, and fuel.”


    Next to the big man was a thin, tall man, resembling a pole.


    “Fre, Cook, responsible for the crew’s meals.”


    Following the cook was the pale-faced Deep, who seemed to still be recovering, his body swaying.


    “De…ep, Able Seaman, responsible for deck cleaning, and the maintenance and repair of anchors, cables, and loading equipment.”


    Charles quickly scanned the four men in front of him and immediately noticed someone was missing. “Where’s the bosun?”


    The men looked at each other, none answering.


    “AAAAAH!!” Suddenly, a horrific scream came from below the deck.


    “Something’s boarded! Get your weapons!” Charles led the group as they rushed forward.


    When they reached the dimly lit crew quarters, a chill shot up their spines.


    In the dark cabin, there were only two people. One stood, the bosun of the Rat, his face filled with terror.


    The other lay on the ground, his identity indiscernible as his skin had been stripped away. Without the protection of his skin, each time his body touched the ground, the bloodied man trembled in pain.


    He lay vaguely on the floor, screaming and struggling hopelessly, his breaths growing weaker.


    “Jim! Find out his identity!” Charles quickly drew his revolver.


    The bosun, fear on his face, crawled over and leaned in to listen to the mutilated head.


    After a few seconds, he turned around, panic-stricken, and pointed at Charles, “Captain, he… he says he’s you!”


    “Me?”


    Hearing the chaotic footsteps of the crew behind him, Charles pointed the gun at the bosun.


    “Charles, Captain, responsible for the safe transport and administrative management of the ship, ensuring the safety of the vessel and the crew’s lives and property to the utmost, handling all matters decisively and prudently in emergency situations, helmsman from 0 to 12! Bosun! Report your duties now!”


    “Kill him! He’s not your captain anymore!” the bosun pointed at Charles in terror.


    Bang! As Charles pulled the trigger, a bloody hole appeared in the bosun’s forehead, and what flowed out was not blood, but a semi-solid dark yellow liquid.


    Realizing the truth, the shot bosun’s body began to twist and change. His mouth split back to his ears, his limbs rapidly expanded, and with a strange howl, he charged at Charles.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bullets quickly rained down on the bosun, his skin tearing like a sack, revealing the dark, rotten, twisted torso beneath, resembling the skin of a toad.


    After all six bullets were fired, the monster still wasn’t dead, spreading its limbs wide as it lunged at the humans before it.


    Charles, as if experienced in such situations, showed no panic on his face. He rolled to the side, avoiding the monster’s attack.


    Even as he dodged, his hands were busy reloading his revolver, and he fired another six shots in quick succession.


    Under the assault of twelve bullets, the monster’s reversed joints softened, and it collapsed powerless to the ground.


    Charles, panting heavily, glanced at the corpse that instinctively revolted against human sensibilities, then turned to look at his terrified crew.


    “Don’t just stand there, throw this abomination overboard,” Charles said, walking towards the now-motionless bloody corpse.


    Ignoring the overwhelming stench of blood, he straightened the creature’s head with his hands. When he saw that one of the front teeth was missing, Charles knew that this was his real bosun, and the other had been an impostor from the depths.


    A flash of pain crossed Charles’ face, but he quickly composed himself, reloaded his gun, and began to patrol his ship, searching for any other intruders.


    Deep followed First Mate John as they struggled to move the body.


    The young sailor looked suprised at his companion and said, “The captain is incredibly skilled.”


    “Haha, of course, that’s why he’s the captain and you’re just a sailor. He was just like you when he first came on board.”


    “Really? What was Captain Charles like when he first joined?”


    “That’s a long story. It’s been about seven or eight years. I was a third mate on another ship when Charles drifted in from the sea. When I first met him, he couldn’t even speak.”


    “Really? How did he become the captain?”


    “The old captain took pity on him and let him follow us at a distance. When we returned to the dock and realized he wasn’t a monster, he stayed on our ship. He learned to speak and to be a sailor at the same time. Not long after he started talking, he announced his plan to lead all of humanity back to the land of light with his own ship. We all laughed and thought he was crazy.”


    “What happened then?”


    “Then, he worked his way up from sailor to bosun, and from bosun to third mate. When we all thought he would move from third mate to second mate, he actually saved up and bought a second-hand cargo ship, the very Rat we’re standing on now.”