Ashes Of Deep Sea-Chapter 241 - 245 Big Trouble Ahead

Chapter 241: Chapter 245 Big Trouble Ahead

Duncan fell silent in deep thought.

It was the first time that Goat Head had revealed so much about the secrets of Subspace to him, and it was the most open and straightforward communication they had ever had.

Before today, Goat Head had always shown a great aversion to Subspace, avoiding the topic whenever possible and never directly answering Duncan’s roundabout questions. At that time, its attitude seemed to stem not only from concerns about the stability of Homeloss but also from worries about the stability of “Captain Duncan.”

But today, its attitude had softened—after the captain had run to the Subspace, shut the door, and then returned as if nothing had happened.

It seemed that Goat Head had finally put its mind at ease and dared to share what it knew.

Goat Head claimed to know only a little and didn’t guarantee the accuracy of the intelligence. But for Duncan, even the information it shared now was enough to ponder for quite a while—it had not only exceeded his current understanding of Subspace but perhaps also surpassed the depth of research by scholars of the civilized world.

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After a long period of thought, Duncan finally looked up, his gaze contemplative as he stared into Goat Head’s eyes, “…You knew so much.”

“Somewhat…but I never intended to deceive you,” Goat Head’s voice sounded somewhat nervous, “When it comes to things related to Subspace, the less you know, the better because often, knowledge is contamination. But now it seems, the great Captain Duncan obviously does not need to worry about this…”

“I’ll take that as a sincere compliment,” Duncan said offhandedly. He then scrutinized Goat Head again, not content, “Is this really all you know? Are there more details, like the identity of the pale one-eyed giant…”

“You really put me in a difficult position,” Goat Head replied with a sense of helplessness, “to be frank, my memory…has had some issues. Much has been forgotten ‘on the other side,’ and I’m left only with these superficial impressions.”

Duncan silently observed Goat Head’s eyes for a long time before finally looking away.

Goat Head indirectly admitted to something else—it was not an original “crew member” of the ship but came from “the other side,” from Subspace!

Had Homeloss brought something out of Subspace in the process of disengagement, which then turned into Goat Head? Or had Goat Head intentionally caught a ride, escaping Subspace of its own volition? Was it a trade?

For some reason, Duncan’s mind once again conjured the image of the pale giant who had died on the edge of celestial debris.

Subspace was filled with remnants of the shattered old world, but those remnants seemed to be more than just debris… Goat Head appeared to have come from Subspace, and it possessed cognition, the ability to think, and even to communicate. Were there other beings similar to it within Subspace? Or, if it returned to Subspace, would Goat Head transform into something else, becoming… something like the pale giant? Was that why it so resisted the idea of “going back”?

Many questions surfaced in Duncan’s mind, but ultimately, he did not directly ask them.

Because he knew that questions directly targeting Goat Head and potential questions regarding “Captain Duncan” would be absolutely unanswered—this involved the stability of Homeloss in the material dimension.

So he let out a gentle breath, stood up, and gestured for a temporary end to the topic.

Bright sunlight filtered through the window, falling on the gracious, classic furnishings of the captain’s quarters, emitting a hazy luster amidst the dust.

“I missed the sunrise today,” Duncan suddenly said, “Did the sun rise as usual today?”

“Yes, the sun rose on time at sunrise,” Goat Head immediately responded, “It seems the delayed sunrise before was just an anomaly, Anomaly 001 is still functioning normally.”

“… Once a problem occurs with an entity like Anomaly 001, the fear will be forever imprinted on people’s hearts. Those who noticed the ’15 minutes’ probably won’t welcome the sunrise as easily as before,” Duncan shook his head gently, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, “Wait, do you remember when the sunset was yesterday?”

“Sunset?” Goat Head thought for a moment, then uncertainly began, “The sunset was on time and wasn’t affected. What is this quest—Ah!”

“You’ve realized,” Duncan shifted his gaze away from the window, “Yesterday’s sun delayed its rise by fifteen minutes but set on time. This indicates something.”

“… It traversed the sky at a faster pace than usual yesterday,” Goat Head belatedly realized, “Anomaly 001… can consciously adjust its trajectory?”

Duncan spoke gravely, “At least, it consciously sped up yesterday to ensure ‘sunset’ occurred at the correct time.”

Goat Head sounded hesitant, “Is that… a good thing? This means Anomaly 001 has a certain self-repair function, even though there was a small glitch, it’s consciously ensuring that the world runs smoothly…”

But Duncan did not speak again.

While Goat Head’s attitude seemed optimistic, Duncan felt no relief from Anomaly 001’s “self-adjustment.” Instead, he felt greater tension after confirming that the sun had intentionally sped up for a day.

Because he knew a principle—when a vast, ancient system that no one was guarding suddenly began to use its own reserves to self-repair, it oftentimes didn’t mean the problem would be solved; instead, it was a signal that issues had accumulated to a dangerously critical point!

Duncan couldn’t help but come to the window, completely opened it, and looked up at the sky to observe the immense luminary that illuminated the world, as well as the two rings of runes that encircled the body of light.

Anomaly 001 emitted a bright light, but it wasn’t blinding, and Duncan could even stare at it with some difficulty.

But suddenly, Duncan’s gaze froze.

He was staring intently at the sun, at the runes on the edge of the ancient anomaly, carefully discerning, until he finally confirmed that he was not mistaken.

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On the outer ring of the double runes, under the brilliance that obscured less intense rays, there seemed to be a faint… gap.

…

Inside the antique shop in Prand, Duncan, who was sitting behind the counter overseeing Sherry, Alice, and A-Dog’s copying of letters, suddenly lifted his head and then, under the astonished gaze of three “students,” quickly walked out of the shop door and stepped onto the open ground in front of the antique shop to look up at the sky.

After a good while, when his fragile human body began to feel a bit dizzy and his eyes hazy, Duncan closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Nina, who had been helping to teach Sherry and the others letter recognition, ran out worriedly, “Uncle Duncan, what’s wrong?”

Duncan lifted his head and gently ruffled Nina’s hair.

“It’s nothing, just came out to check the weather.”

“Check the weather?” Nina looked up doubtfully at the clear sky, “Can’t you just glance outside from within the shop on such a sunny day… Ah, is something going to happen again?”

As she spoke, Nina suddenly lowered her voice and sneakily moved closer, clutching Duncan’s sleeve, “Did you think of something aboard the ship? Are we going to have an adventure?”

“… Adventure, adventure, where are there so many risks to seek?” Duncan, unable to help but laugh at the girl who had been obsessed with the idea of an “exciting new life” ever since learning about Homeloss, said, “Wouldn’t you rather the world was at peace?”

Nina embarrassedly stuck out her tongue, and Sherry, who had come to the door out of curiosity, stood dumbfounded after hearing Duncan’s words. She remained stunned for a while, then turned her head to mutter to A-Dog, hiding in the shadows, “The captain says he likes world peace.”

A-Dog gave no response.

Sherry frowned and repeated herself, then, at an angle blocked by the doorframe, she tugged at the chain that seemed fused with her arm, “A-Dog, didn’t you hear what I said?”

At last, A-Dog’s voice came from the shadows, “I’m memorizing the alphabet, don’t interrupt my learning.”

Sherry: “… You actually took your studies seriously?!”

“Nonsense, Mr. Duncan will check our work later… Miss Alice is even more diligent than you!”

Sherry paused, “Homework? What homework?”

However, A-Dog didn’t answer her.

Because Duncan had already returned to the door with Nina, and Sherry’s last muttering fell upon the former’s ears.

“Homework is something that if you don’t do, I’ll be quite upset,” Duncan said, smiling at Sherry, who had suddenly become stiff, “Go back and copy the alphabet ten times.”

Sherry almost cried out, “Then… how about you just beat me instead…”

“Really?”

Sherry shivered, “No, no, no, I’ll go copy the alphabet now!”

Duncan shook his head, then temporarily arranged for Sherry, A-Dog, and Alice to self-study and instructed Nina to supervise, while he pondered once more in front of the display window while gazing at the sky outside.

Anomaly 001… serious trouble might indeed be afoot.