Chapter 345: Touching Down

The ominous entity known as “Seagull” had been brought to an abrupt halt, coming to a standstill in the midst of a violent turmoil. Following a relentless and ruthless onslaught of attacks, it was left in a horrific state of destruction, nearly obliterated into a heap of scattered debris. The once robust structure of the ship was no more, with every deck and piece of architectural wreckage now completely demolished. Shredded pieces of hulls and the remnants of the ship’s interiors were scattered across the surface of the water, signaling the aftermath of an intense battle.

Amidst the chaos, slow-spreading globs of dark mud floated in the water amongst the remains, along with residual flames that sporadically ignited parts of the wreckage. Thick plumes of filthy, acrid smoke spiraled upwards from the inferno, tainting the surrounding air.

The course that the Seagull had traversed was distinctly marked by an uncanny trail of a mud-like substance, which stretched over ten miles across the sea. This trail eerily mirrored the revolting trail left by a soft-bodied creature emerging from the water, its slime undulating with the rhythm of the sea waves and stubbornly refusing to dissolve away.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

The previously deafening roar of the coastal defense artillery ceased, and the pungent, lingering aroma of gunpowder smoke permeated the entirety of the nearby coastline. Colonel Lister found himself captivated by the distant sight of the flaming ship wreckage on the water’s surface. Only now did he dare to entertain the notion that the monstrous entity had indeed been brought to a complete halt. With a hesitant breath, he dared to shatter the newfound silence, asking, “Is it over?”

“It might just be the commencement of something far more complex,” replied Agatha, her voice slightly raspy. Her gaze flickered occasionally with an ethereal light as she continued to monitor the spirit realm, cautiously observing for any movement within the wreckage that could indicate a continued advance towards their city-state. “Remember, the troubles with the Seagull began after it returned from Dagger Island.”

Lister’s face darkened at this comment.

“When was the last communication we received from the island?”

“A few hours ago, a telegram was received assuring everything was normal,” Lister shared, a frown creasing his brow. “There were also no reported disturbances in the church’s psychic communications.”

“Colonel, we must quarantine Dagger Island immediately. From this point forward, we can’t afford to trust any messages from that island,” Agatha advised gravely, releasing a sigh. “I must return to the cathedral now. I anticipate a more extensive quarantine mandate will be enacted soon.”

“I appreciate your assistance, Miss Agatha.”

“It’s all in the name of preserving our city-state’s tranquility,” Agatha whispered. She then recited a brief proverb from the Book of the Dead, “Order in all things.”

...

Just half an hour before these events.

The distant rumbling of thunderous sounds had steadily increased in intensity, each wave of noise more concentrated than the last. Based on the direction from which these sounds were emanating, it seemed to be located near the eastern coast of the city-state.

Duncan lifted his gaze to the sky in the direction of the booming sounds. There, he could vaguely discern the emergence of rising clouds.

“What’s causing that noise?” Alice queried nervously, clutching her head in her hands as she turned to Duncan with a look of bewilderment. “Could it be thunder?”

A subtle twitch played at the corners of Vanna’s mouth as she remarked, “Shirley might indeed be lamenting her boredom, but I suspect she isn’t eagerly awaiting the opportunity to do homework in the city.”

Duncan waved his hand dismissively, “Regardless of her personal motivation, it’s important she puts more effort into her academics. Dog is already capable of reading the newspaper with relative ease, while she still grapples with the spelling of a dozen common vegetables. It’s a situation that gives me cause for concern about her future. If this continues, she won’t even be able to keep pace with Alice.”

Alice, whose academic performance was not significantly better than Shirley’s, scratched her head and offered an innocent, somewhat sheepish grin, “Hehe...”

Duncan responded with a deadpan expression, “Don’t mistake my comment as praise – the fact that you and Shirley together know fewer words than Dog is not something to be proud of.”

Alice was briefly taken aback, her brows furrowing in contemplation as she tried to gauge whether she and Shirley indeed had a smaller vocabulary than Dog. Meanwhile, the distant thunderous rumbling that had subtly underscored their conversation gradually began to dissipate.

“The sound has ceased...” Vanna noted, her ears attuned to the allaying reverberations from afar.

Duncan remained silent, but through their unique mental bond, he was already privy to what Ai had discovered at the distant source of the commotion.

Over a significant period of adjustment and acclimatization, Duncan’s connection with Ai had developed to an unprecedented level of intimacy and clarity. With sufficient concentration, he could not only share Ai’s sight and a range of other senses but could also channel a portion of his own power without needing to depart from his physical form.

In the eastern port area of Frost, a rotund white dove perched atop a tower, its round eyes riveted to the sight of the smoke-veiled sea and bustling port. The frenzied activity of soldiers darting about the port, as well as the spreading black “oil pollution” tainting the sea, were reflected in its eyes, which occasionally flickered with a faint green flame.

“There’s no immediate cause for concern,” Duncan declared, retracting his focus from the distant scene and offering a slight nod to Morris and Vanna, “It was an attempted invasion, but the defenders of Frost have managed to repel it.”

Vanna’s expression shifted perceptibly at the mention of an invasion, “Invasion?!”

“If my understanding is correct, the threat originated from Dagger Island. The Frost authorities must have grasped the gravity of the situation by now, making it increasingly difficult for anything dangerous to emerge from the island,” Duncan stated calmly, “Now, with Tyrian’s Mist Fleet also nearing Dagger Island, their presence will only serve to heighten Frost authorities’ state of alert. Given the heightened vigilance throughout the city, the covert cultists of Annihilation are likely to emerge from the shadows. Detecting their activities will be considerably easier then.”

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the unexpected knock on the door, prompting a look of surprise to fleetingly cross the ghost captain’s face.

Could they already be receiving guests this soon after moving in?

“I’ll answer the door,” Morris offered, making his way to the entrance. Upon opening the door, he let out a surprised exclamation, “You are...”

Standing in the doorway was a young girl, bundled in a white, heavy-duty coat and donning a woolen hat.