Chapter 5

Chapter 5 “Intertwined”

At this moment, everyone aboard the White Oak would describe what they saw as something they would never forget in a lifetime.Nêww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com

It was an old and majestic three-masted warship—in an age when steamships were no longer unusual, the old-styled galleon that emerged from the thick fog was a thing out of an old oil painting. Burning green flames spanned across the wooden hull, and the sails were so overpowering and ghostly that they struck a chord of the undead kind.

“We’re going to crash!!!” Some crewmember shouted. They are not one to shy away from danger, but this was too much for their mortal souls.

While most ran around like headless chickens looking for a place to hide, some stayed and grasped onto whatever they could find. However, a few had begun to pray and chant to the storm goddess Gomona or the lord of death Bartók.

In this boundless sea, the blessings of the gods may have waned, but only the power of these two gods granted some form of protection for their souls.

But not all the crew members were losing their cool. The first mate had set his eyes on the captain, someone whom he trusted the most. Dangers always accompanied the endless sea, and in dire situations like these, the captain’s experience always determined the life and death of its crew. Since Captain Lawrence had over thirty years of experience, he’s the best bet anyone could make.

Unfortunately, to the first mate’s disappointment, there’s only fear and shock on the captain’s face right now.

Acting as if he’s completely unaware of the danger coming at the White Oak, the old captain stared so hard at the emerging galleon that he nearly snapped off the wheel. “It’s... it’s the Vanished...”

“Ca... Captain?!” The first mate got startled by the name. Like everyone who made a living on the sea, he’s heard many stories from older and more superstitious sailors. “What did you just say?! That....”

The flaming undead finally reacted and began to move that jaw like it was saying something. Unfortunately, the loud whistling wind around them had utterly overtaken the sentence in the ears of the mortals.

“What did you say?! The wind is too strong for me to hear!!”

The next second, a loud noise blasted into Lawrence’s ears, mixed in with the wind and cries of the sailors outside. Finally, it’s over, the green flame had faded away under the afterglow of the light, and the remaining hull of the Vanished had dissipated into the murky fog behind the White Oak.

Gasping at the release, Lawrence immediately checked his body and found everything had returned to normal. The flesh that burned off had returned, and the priest lying next to the praying table was still breathing heavily. They’re all alive!

“Captain! The ship, the Vanished is gone!” The first mate yelled with an incredible voice.

Lawrence was distracted and delayed his response: “Did... he let us go?”

The first mate didn’t hear him clearly and asked again: “Captain? What did you say?”

“That Captain Duncan...” Lawrence muttered subconsciously but then slapped himself as if he had accidentally mentioned some forbidden word. Jerking up to face his first mate: “Fast, roll call the entire crew! I want to see who’s missing from the White Oak!”

The first mate immediately nodded and was ready to carry out the order when Lawrence added another sentence: “And make sure to see if there’s anyone extra on the ship!”

The first mate got taken aback by the second half but promptly understood with intense fear in those eyes. He kept whispering the storm goddess’s name while he turned for the deck and rang the gathering bell.