Chapter 297 - 297 One hundred and fifty-four

Words : 1453 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

297: One hundred and fifty-four. Arrival 297: One hundred and fifty-four. Arrival The ship’s thick smokestack belched dense smoke that merged with the night sky. The ship, with its helm set hard to starboard, began to turn. Lu Li walked towards the stern, followed by an old man, with the captain trailing even further behind. Once at the stern, Lu Li stood in front of the deck railing, gazing at the dim outline of Seaview Cliff as it gradually receded. The journey and the experiences at Seaview Cliff may have come to a temporary close, but they had left Lu Li without any hope in this world. Both the frequent appearance of anomalies and the breath spreading towards the land painted a picture of an impending doomsday for this place. And that day would not be too far off. It was a shame that he had already parted ways with Friday. If she were here, Lu Li could have tried asking her—she seemed to know everything. In any case, he would need to start preparing a refuge as soon as he got back. “You seem to be filled with confusion,” said the old man, walking up beside Lu Li, his palm resting on the railing as he wistfully looked out into the dark beyond the ship. “Can you tell that from my back?” Lu Li asked, still fixed on the darkness where he imagined Seaview Cliff to be. “I am fifty years old,” said the old man with an amiable chuckle, sharing the wisdom that comes with age. “Is there anything I can help you with?” Lu Li could not discuss the theory of world collapse with this old man, but he indeed had some questions he wanted answers to. “I saw a cabin at Seaview Cliff. It was completely empty.” The old man replied, “Long ago, Seaview Cliff was an outer lighthouse for Belfast. But as the deep sea filled with dangers and became less frequented, it became harder for ships to sail far, and Seaview Cliff began to be abandoned. Not long ago, it was repurposed for Alliance Personnel to keep watch. I remember the guy on watch; he had an old monkey about as old as he was, but he disappeared some time ago.” “Rescue teams have gone to search for him, but I’m not clear on the follow-up. I guess they didn’t find him. Just as you’ve seen, the deep sea is becoming more and more dangerous. I think you would have realized that at Seaview Cliff.” Lu Li certainly realized that, and he even believed this world wouldn’t hold out much longer. He asked, “There was a strange shadow in the cabin at Seaview Cliff. Is that related to the disappearance of the watchman?” The old man’s expression gradually turned serious, “Could you describe that shadow to me?” “It might lower Sanity Value.” The old man shook his head gently, “Usually only forbidden knowledge and twisted existences, as well as certain special content, can affect our Sanity Value. If the shadow you speak of isn’t one of these, even if it were an Evil Spirit, it wouldn’t matter much.” At this point, the old man raised his arm to show the Sanity Value Counter strapped to his wrist. “Moreover, we have this.” Lu Li nodded and described the shape of the shadow and how it attacked. “It might be a vengeful spirit or an Evil Spirit... Thank you for the information, I will convey it to the Alliance. Also, don’t forget to sell this information to the traders; they want everything.” The old man’s familiarity with the inner workings led Lu Li to guess, “Were you an investigator before?” “No, I was a Night Watchman.” Lu Li did not continue the inquiry but instead asked, “What happened to the ship that brought me here?” The atmosphere tensed in an instant, and the old man paused slightly before whispering, “It has disappeared.” “We found no trace of it in the surrounding sea, and the messengers cannot locate anyone from the ship.” The old man’s voice trailed off, and the aft deck fell into silence as a result. The quiet didn’t last long, with both of their gazes falling simultaneously onto the deck nearby. An elliptical black shadow emerged from the deck, rolling to the edge of the ship’s side, and then off the vessel. Lu Li thought of something at that moment, calmly withdrew his gaze, and observed the old man, only to discover that the old man was also watching him. “Is there something over there?” Lu Li asked the old man ahead of time. He couldn’t expose his Sanity Value, at least not until he had earned enough shillings. “Old problems, you know, I’m ‘retired’ now.” The old man didn’t think much of it and pointed to his head, “Alright, let’s head back to the cabin. The deep sea is very dangerous after dark; it’s best not to stay outside for too long.” The two turned and walked towards the cabin, with the old man still talking, “When you get back to the cabin, you can take a bath, then have a good meal and a sound sleep. By morning, we will have arrived at Rodest Port.” “Should I go to the investigator’s base to report voluntarily?” Lu Li hadn’t forgotten about the event that may or may not have been completed on him. “No need, the investigator’s judgment panel will be waiting for you at the dock to verify your physical condition and the specifics of this incident; after that, you’ll just wait for them to tally your completion and rewards.” The old man greeted the captain, and the three of them returned to the brightly lit and warm cabin together. The captain led Lu Li to the door of an upper-cabin room, which, while not as luxurious as the one from the sailing ship three days before, was almost as nice. The captain and the old man didn’t disturb Lu Li any further and left the room. The light from the fireplace’s charcoal fire was warming to both body and soul, so Lu Li pulled the curtains closed over the port window and sat by the dining table to wait. A few minutes later, two sailors brought in buckets of water for bathing and a set of clothes to change into. After they left, Lu Li locked the room door, undid his gun holster and placed it within reach, wiped down his body with a damp towel, then picked up the clothes the captain had prepared for him: a white shirt, black trousers, and a tailcoat. The latter Lu Li was indifferent to, while the former was his everyday attire. The fine stitches and silky feel indicated they were not cheap, much better than the clothes Lu Li bought in Sailor Street. However, the clothes were a bit tight, making it somewhat difficult for Lu Li to move around in them. Perhaps he could ask a merchant if they would buy the clothes after he got back. After waiting a while longer, someone knocked on the door and a serving cart was pushed into the room, with plates being set out on the dining table one by one. A roast chicken, a portion of foie gras, a large bowl of caviar, and a plate of white bread still exuding the fragrance of wheat. There was even a chef holding a carving knife, ready to slice the roast chicken for Lu Li. Lu Li ate without being reckless but also not with elegance. He chewed silently on his food, and at one point asked, “Will we run into any trouble on our way back?” “No monster dares to bother the Maria,” the chef replied with an ignorant smile full of pride and self-assurance. The last one to make a similar statement was the Immortal Giant, missing to this day. Lu Li had only a small bite of the caviar and foie gras, but the roast chicken and white bread were much more to his taste. After finishing his meal and seeing the chef pack everything up and leave with the cart, Lu Li locked the door, slipped into the soft bed, and sank halfway into it. Hopefully the night would pass without incident. Lu Li thought as he gradually drifted off to sleep. In the light sway of half-sleep, it didn’t seem much time had passed before a gentle knock woke him, followed by a polite voice outside the door. “Mr. Luli, we will soon arrive at Belfast.”

Chapter 297 - 297 One hundred and fifty-four

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