Chapter 243: 'Return”

Chapter 243 “Return”

Zhou Ming stood before the mirror, gazing silently at his reflection.

It appeared so vivid and lifelike that, if not for his hand reaching out to touch the cold, rigid surface, he might have questioned whether the person opposite was genuinely an “alternate self.”

After a considerable time, he finally averted his eyes from the mirror and peered into the expansive darkness that enveloped him.

How vast was this space? Could he walk endlessly if he proceeded outward? What was the essence of this shadowy expanse? Why had it materialized here, behind the Door of the Lost? What was the relationship between the Door of the Lost in subspace and the Door of the Lost in the real world? And, most crucially...

What was the text materializing in the darkness?

Zhou Ming stepped away from the mirror. As he did, the mirror quietly vanished, and the figure within it dissolved into the shadows. With each stride he took, more faint text appeared in the darkness, outlining everything related to him.

It resembled an in-depth personal record... documented in a vital database, the purpose of which remained a mystery.

Zhou Ming felt his imagination was insufficient. He attempted to rationalize everything he saw but acknowledged that, no matter how he contemplated, it all seemed like wild, unadulterated fantasy in the end.

He even started to believe in the existence of a “Doomsday Shelter Plan” and that he was someone who had unknowingly taken refuge within it. His solitary apartment served as his haven, and the text manifesting in this dark expanse was his registration file prior to entering the shelter.

In the darkness, his thoughts raced unrestrainedly. However, after an indeterminate amount of time, he abruptly collected his scattered thoughts.

“...I’ve wasted enough time.” He murmured softly.

No more clues could be found here, only illusions that could unsettle his mind. Regardless of whether this dark space genuinely concealed a monumental secret or if it was simply another ploy and enticement by the subspace, he should not squander any more time here.

Zhou Ming inhaled deeply, steadying his thoughts, and resolved to conduct one final examination and exploration of the dark space before departing.

He headed towards the distance, prudently and cautiously moving away from the door.

More text materialized beneath him—similar to what he had seen earlier but more precise and formal, resembling registration data used in official circumstances.

While quietly observing the text, Zhou Ming occasionally glanced back to verify the distance between him and the door, ensuring he hadn’t become disoriented in the darkness.

His caution increased with each step, and ultimately, he advanced only a few centimeters with every stride.

Suddenly, he realized that the text emerging beneath his feet had altered –

“?#% situation &... % whether @#?”

“[email protected]* approximately between 355 and *& potential presence of &... % % & ...”

Looking back, it seemed that this “consistency” might have indicated the true “exit” from the beginning!

With a vague answer in mind, Duncan sighed with relief and then proceeded to push open the door to the captain’s cabin.

After stepping through, he confirmed that the opposite side was not darkness, but his own bachelor apartment – everything in the room appeared normal.

Then he returned to the ship, this time pulling open the door to the captain’s cabin.

The familiar chart room, the exquisite furnishings, the familiar table, and the familiar Goathead on the table all provided a sense of solidity for the first time in his life.

Upon hearing movement at the door, Goathead immediately turned his head, its neck producing a creaking sound from the friction of the wood: “Name?”

“Duncan Abnomar, it’s me, I’m back,” Duncan instantly replied, guessing that the other party would certainly ask for confirmation – this Goathead could sense whether he had left the Vanished and might even be able to detect some kind of “change” in him to a certain extent. Its “name confirmation” seemed somewhat random on the surface, but there appeared to be a pattern to it. “I’ve been to a distant place.”

“Ah, Captain! You’re finally back!” Goathead immediately let out an exaggerated and attentive voice that’s as boisterous as ever. “You suddenly vanished from the ship, and I was really shocked! At least when you travel to the spirit realm, you usually leave your body here! But just now, all your aura was gone... And you came back from the deck? Where have you been?”

“All my aura was gone? Completely left the ship?” Duncan’s eyes shifted subtly with that thought.

He had indeed entered the suspected subspace with his physical body, not the “conscious projection” he initially thought!

He met Goathead’s dark gaze, hesitated momentarily, and spoke: “Don’t be scared when I tell you this.”

“Ah, don’t worry, your first mate is not only loyal and brave but also courageous and loy...”

“I went to subspace.”

Goathead: “...?!”

It took a full half-minute before the creature suddenly made a crunching sound as if its neck was about to snap: “Ca...Ca...Captain?! You said you...”

“I went to subspace if I didn’t go the wrong way,” Duncan said as he walked into the captain’s cabin and picked up the lantern on the shelf next to him. “Wait for me for a moment.”

Without waiting for Goathead to respond, he left the captain’s cabin with the lantern and hurriedly traversed the deck and multiple cabins, heading straight for the lowest level of the Vanished.

He passed through the “Final Door” and arrived at the broken lower cabin.

Between the fractured hull of the lower cabin, it was still the same dim and chaotic scene, with limited visibility revealing few details. It only showed turbulent light, shadow streams, and occasional flashes dancing and flowing in darkness.

And the most dangerous “Subspace Door” stood silently in the cabin’s center.

The door was tightly closed, without a single gap.