Chapter 2

Chapter 2 “The Captain of the Vanished”

This is not the first time Zhou Ming had passed through this door to the “opposite side.”

Since a few days ago, after he found himself trapped in his room by some freaky “phenomenon, he’s been coming through to seek help since it’s the only exit presented before him.

He still remembered the first time the door opened. It was the same wooden planked deck, the exact change to his body, and the courage he mustered to explore this “side” several times for help. But try as he might, no answer came, nor does he understand the strangeness of this ghost ship connected to the “door.” Nevertheless, he’s at least gained some experience to get a preliminary understanding of this vessel.Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

Like the previous times, Zhou Ming used the shortest time possible to rid himself of the dizzying grog of crossing over. Then he checked the condition of this body for the first time and the gun hanging from his waist. Everything’s like he left it from the last visit.

“It seems my body will ‘seamlessly switch’ every time I pass through the door... If only I could place a camera on this side to see what happens. That way I can confirm whether this body will change too when I go back. Shame, the objects of the two ‘worlds’ aren’t interchangeable...”

“Oh well, at least I know I did walk into the fog and not just drop unconscious from my apartment according to the recording on that side.”

Zhou Ming muttered to straighten his theories. He knew talking to himself on the open deck would appear weird to an outsider, but who’s to mock him anyways? There’s not a soul in sight on this ghost ship, and this was his way of proving he’s still “alive.”

As the salty breeze blew across the deck and hit his blue and black uniform of unknown material, Zhou Ming sighed softly and turned around to face the door again.

Placing his hand on the doorknob to turn it again, he pushed it inward to reveal the grayish black fog from which he came. Beyond this was the familiar apartment that he’s lived in for so long.

But he didn’t go through it this time; instead, he closed the door and pulled it back to reveal the captain’s quarter. Inside was a dimly lit cabin with exquisite tapestries hanging from the walls, a shelf with multiple ornaments, and a large mapping table at the center footed by a burgundy carpet.

That’s how the “door” worked. By pushing it open, it would lead you back to the apartment while pulling leads into the captain’s room – the latter being the supposed norm.

He did get the distinct feeling that he was on some grand sailing plan but knew next to nothing about the so-called plan or where it was headed. As for the actual ship owner, the real “Duncan Abnomar” seemed to have died a very long, long time ago.

So what exactly was happening with him? Think of a person being imprinted with an “impression.”

Instinct told Zhou Ming there’s a big problem behind the identity of Captain Duncan, especially in the presence of the supernatural phenomena (the talking wooden goat head) on this ship. However, he didn’t have much choice in the matter. Not only does the goat head would try to confirm his identity whenever he crosses over, but the ship itself would also occasionally do the same. This measure could only be described as insidious by the real owner...

It didn’t help either when the goat head on the mapping table looked like some sort of evil gargoyle from the old stories.

But with the cons aside, the ship was quite amiable if he endured the Duncan Abnomar name. It’s not like any of the stuff here looked very intelligent anyways.

Zhou Ming – perhaps Duncan now – ended his brief contemplation in memory lane and unfolded the chart on the mapping table.

There were no identifiable routes, markers, or land on the chart – not even an island. On its rough and thick parchment surface, there were instead large patches of gray-white blobs that were constantly churning and undulating to obscure the original routes mapped on the map. However, there’s one image on it that didn’t get muddled up – the silhouette of a ship looming in the thick fog

Duncan (Zhou Ming) has not much experience in setting sail using the old techniques, but even the dumbasses of modern society would know a “normal” chart couldn’t look like this.

Apparently, like the wooden goat head on the table, the chart was some kind of supernatural object—it was just that Duncan hadn’t yet summed up its use.

Seemingly noticing the captain’s attention had finally focused on the chart, the goat’s head, which had been quiet for a long time on the table, moved again. It started to make clicking sounds like wood rubbing against wood. At first it was still restrained, but that promptly reached the point of being unignorable of vibrating like a sex toy.

“Fine, say it.” Duncan was afraid this seizuring darn thing would put the table on fire at this rate.

“Yes, Captain — I repeat, today is a good day to set sail, and the Vanished is waiting for your orders as always! Are we going to raise the sails?”