Ashes Of Deep Sea
Chapter 703 - Chapter 703 Chapter 700 Return

Chapter 703: Chapter 700: Return Chapter 703: Chapter 700: Return Duncan stood before that massive black throne for a long time.

He knew it was another part of the “fragment” after Saslouka had fallen apart, yet this “fragment” could no longer leave the throne–it had been permanently anchored to this point in time as one of the founding cornerstones of the Shelter during the deep-sea era, becoming a part of the vast system left by Navigation I.

But he was suddenly curious… Did the other “kings” know about this? When the Crawling King decided to “build” part of the remnants of the Dreaming King into the Shelter, how had they discussed it?

“Make the most of what you have,” the Tomb Guardian replied indifferently to Duncan’s question, “Back then, they didn’t have many resources at their disposal. Anything that could be useful had to be utilized–if the creator’s plan failed, it would be used in the next one.”

Duncan nodded slightly, then left the platform where the throne stood and strolled onto the walkway. As he slowly walked past those mottled ancient columns and was about to reach the end, he suddenly stopped, “Do you have anything else to show me?”

“There is nothing more,” the Tomb Guardian said slowly, “This is everything.”

“It seems it is time to leave, then,” Duncan looked up at the twilight-like chaos overhead in the “sky,” simulated by some unknown light source, “The people outside are still waiting for news.”

“I will see you out,” the Tomb Guardian said with a bow.

“Mhm,” Duncan nodded, but just as he was about to step onto the ramp, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, “Oh, one more thing.”

The Tomb Guardian looked at him.

“Perhaps–I mean, perhaps, I might see the ‘creator’ you speak of, even though I do not yet know if it will be successful or what state the ‘creator’ is in, but if I can meet him, is there any message you would like me to relay?”

The Tomb Guardian fell silent suddenly, and after a long time, he slowly shook his head, “It probably won’t matter–the facility is about to shut down, all connections with the outside world will be severed after you leave, until the system reaches its critical point… Even if you do meet our creator by then, I will not receive any messages anymore.”

Duncan watched the Tomb Guardian for a moment and silently nodded his head.

But as he turned away, the Tomb Guardian suddenly spoke again, “Wait, you… please do pass on a message for me.”

Duncan turned back, his expression especially serious, “Speak.”

“Tell him…” The Tomb Guardian hesitated for a moment as if organizing his thoughts, then spoke with an unusual solemnity, “We are honored to have completed our work.”

“I will convey that,” Duncan nodded, turned, and walked up the long slope back to the passage.

The Tomb Guardian followed beside him, walking silently with Duncan on the road leading out of the crypt.

As they were about to reach the exit, the tall guardian suddenly broke the silence, “From now on, they need not respond to the call–remind those gathered shadows outside that no matter what messages come from here, they should no longer approach this place.

“There will be no new names on the register, and no new messages guiding them. The Shelter has traversed all the known paths laid out at its inception; our observation has come to an end. Going forward, even the creator had not calculated the future… No one knows what lies within that future.

“May their days ahead be… all… well…”

With each word he spoke, the voice of the Tomb Guardian became more hoarse and deep, and with each step he took, his footsteps seemed a bit heavier–as signs of time passed emerged upon him, the scent of rotting death began to surface, and what had been a pure white robe was now a tattered shroud, while chains with a sealing effect seemed to emerge from within him, gradually entwining him.

Then, the sound of the heavy door opening came from ahead.

The ancient and majestic crypt door opened, and Duncan stepped out from Mirage 004.

He was the only one in history to have left through that door in a conscious state.

The figures waiting near the door instantly gathered around, and Fenna was the first to reach Duncan’s side. She moved to support Duncan’s arm (although he did not need the support), her face showing considerable concern, “Are you all right?”

“Of course, I’m fine,” Duncan said offhand, as he turned to look back–but he could no longer see the Tomb Guardian in the dark tomb passage, only a pulsating, writhing shadow receding into the hallway, causing him to frown, “How long was I in there?”

“Just a moment,” Helena’s voice came from the side, “We heard a brief and strange noise from inside the crypt, and then the door reopened, and you came out.”

“Just a moment?” Duncan frowned.

“It’s always like this,” Fenna nodded nearby, “No matter how long you feel you’ve been inside the crypt, to those outside it’s just a moment. The scholars in the church believe this is because the time flow within Mirage 004 is isolated from the outside…”

Rune raised his hand, “Let me add, this theory was first proposed by me a thousand years ago.”

Listening to the words coming from beside him, Duncan remained silent. He turned to gaze at Vision 004, which had once again fallen into quietude. Inside the solemn ancient burial tomb a deep rumbling sounded, followed by a gradual descent.

In the blink of an eye, the magnificent Cretan architecture had vanished from everyone’s sight.

At that moment, Fenna noticed the gravity and solemnity deep in Duncan’s expression, prompting her to ask, “If it’s you… you should still retain the memories from inside Vision 004, right? What did you see in the tomb?”

Duncan was silent for a moment, then he nodded slightly.

“What I saw and heard inside Vision 004 should be different from previous ‘Listeners’… I came to understand the truth behind the construction of this facility, as well as its related future. However, first…”

He lifted his head, his gaze sweeping over the gathering of souls in waiting, then settled on Helena and the other three popes.

“Have everyone else leave first. After I tell you the truth about the tomb, you can decide how to communicate with your own saints.”

…

Gentle waves undulated outside the window, and a refreshing breeze blew into the room. Alice opened the round window at the side of the captain’s cabin, allowing fresh air to enter. She stood in the sunlight and breeze, squinting her eyes with satisfaction.

“A room should always be aired out; the captain always forgets to open the window,” the doll Miss remarked, hands on hips, as if talking to herself, yet seemingly to her ubiquitous “friends” aboard the ship, “Things will get moldy if left for too long!”

No one inside the room responded to her mutterings. Even the usually noisy goat’s head was unusually quiet, appearing to doze by the edge of the chart table, eyes half-open.

Suddenly, the goat’s head jolted upwards, beginning to look around.

It saw the doll Alice cleaning nearby and then noticed the “Skull of Dreams” not far from its side, uttering a garbled grunt.

Alice immediately leaned in curiously, “Hey, Mr. Goat’s Head! What’s wrong?”

The goat’s head moved its neck slowly, creaking like wood rubbing against wood as it mumbled, “Strange… I feel like I just had a dream.”

Alice’s eyes widened in surprise, “Ah? Didn’t you say you can’t dream?”

“That’s why it’s strange…” the goat’s head mumbled, “Although the captain says I can dream, in theory, I can never perceive myself dreaming… But just now, I spaced out, and it felt like I was in a dream.”

Alice’s curiosity was instantly piqued, so she put aside the duster in her hand, sat across from the goat’s head, and continued the conversation, “Speaking of which, sometimes I doubt if I can dream too, but I never remember anything when I wake up… Do you remember what you dreamed just now?”

The goat’s head glanced at the doll across from it, curiosity plastered on her face, and began to speak with an increasingly peculiar tone, “I dreamed… that I was sitting on a very large chair, and I sat there for many, many years… People were running all around me, bustling about, and then…”

It paused for a moment, its stiff face seemingly trying to frown, “And then there were many, many children… those running around… suddenly they all became my children…”

Alice leaned forward with her hands propping her chin, her eyes growing wider as she listened, absorbing the goat’s head’s every word, and suddenly burst out, “They all had goat heads like you?! How did they run around? Bouncing?”

The goat’s head was taken aback, “…I think you’re misunderstanding, that’s not the point…”

However, it didn’t get a chance to correct the doll’s imagination–right as it was about to continue, the door to the captain’s cabin was suddenly flung open.

Duncan’s tall figure appeared at the doorway.

Alice immediately forgot about their earlier conversation and smiled as she rose from behind the chart table and walked towards the door, “Captain’s back!”

Duncan casually pinched Alice’s cheek as he stepped into the room.

The goat’s head turned its head, its gaze falling on Duncan with a hint of confusion, “You seem to have gone to a… peculiar place?”

Duncan didn’t answer the question, just walked over to the chart table and after adjusting his seat, he looked at the goat’s head on the table very seriously, and slowly began,

“I have something to tell you, but don’t panic…”