Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 858: Decommissioned

Two hours later, the deck of the Narwhale was in a mess, looking like a storm had passed through it. Empty liquor bottles and plates were strewn across the messy tables.

The drunk crew members huddled together, allowing the first mate to tattoo a miniature Narwhale somewhere on their bodies. Both veteran and new crew members of the Narwhale were present, joining in the fun.

Every single crew member received a miniature Narwhale of varying sizes in different places. It was unknown why the first mate drew it that way, but it definitely had something to do with the fact that he was so drunk that he could barely recognize the people before him.

Everyone was happy, and they had the right to be happy. After all, those who had encountered a Divinity and made it back alive in the Subterranean Sea were extremely rare.

In the face of the Divinities of the Subterranean Sea, they felt like they no longer had to flee powerlessly; for the first time ever, they managed to resist a Divinity, and their drunk selves felt like they could take on a Divinity or two.

"By the way, Captain, what exactly happened back there?" Dipp asked. He was sprawled out on the deck, dead drunk.

Hearing this, the other crew members looked over. They were curious as well. It was a fact that they managed to survive an encounter with a Divinity, but no one knew what exactly had occurred except for their captain.

Charles tore open the last half-meter-long black lobster in front of him. He dipped the greenish meat inside in a dip made out of lemon and water before stuffing it into his mouth. He chewed on it a few times before turning to his crew.

"What's past is past. Try not to think about those beings. Otherwise, they might end up noticing you."

A shiver went down everyone's spine, and they all sobered up. Indeed, the Divinities were so bizarre that everything they did was beyond human imagination.

Realizing that the atmosphere was starting to become a bit odd, Charles raised his glass and tapped it on the table. He lifted it over his head and said, "Come on, everyone. Let's not think about such things. Cheers!"

The crew members erupted into cheers.

Charles' gaze swept over their faces one by one, and finally, his gaze landed on his first mate, Bandages.

"Weister, is everything fine at home?" Charles asked, his voice filled with a rare tinge of tenderness.

The eyes beneath the white bandages stared at Charles. "Hmm... it's not bad..."

"From now on, you no longer have to sail out to sea. Take good care of your family, and… thank you for helping me manage the island's affairs."

Bandages looked at his captain in surprise. Their relationship was deep enough that both of them were willing to risk their lives for each other, but this was the first time Bandages had heard such words from his captain.

"You're a better governor than me. Really, it seems like managing an entire island comes naturally to you. I actually feel like you were once a governor but you simply forgot it.

"However, it's a good thing, and you should make good use of it in the future."

Charles turned to someone else, James. "Big Guy, thank you for staying with me all those years back then. To be honest, if it hadn't been for your support, I wouldn't have been able to sail for so long.

"And thank you for your efforts on the island over these years. I know you have quite a troublesome job, but if it hadn't been for you, the island's many industries wouldn't have been so stable."

"Huh?" James fell into a daze. He was so shocked that he even began to speculate that perhaps Charles had been replaced by a bizarre creature from the sea. At this moment, Charles was speaking in a completely different way compared to his usual paranoid self.

"Nico, before we set sail, I had someone buy the entire Coral Archipelago for you. You should go back there and resume your post as a governor."

"Dipp, I've always seen you as family. I'm sorry I couldn't find a way to turn Deep Dwellers back into a human being. Fortunately, everything that you want is on the island, and you also have a wife who loves you a lot. I believe you'll live a great life on the island."

"Huh?" Dipp sat up, feeling something amiss.

"Linda and Audric, you two are vampires, so the light of Dawn One is fatal to both of you. If you get carried away, you can end up dying. Don't sail anymore, either. I suggest you live your life on Dark Crystal Island. Of course, this is just a suggestion. The choice is still up to you."

"Norton, don't stop your treatment of maintaining your humanity. You're human, not a monster. I've passed down orders to Hope Island's intelligence department to search for a way to turn you back into a human being. Once they find a solution, they'll notify you as soon as possible."

"Planck. You're just an ordinary person, but you've been immensely helpful to us as the cook of the Narwhale…"

Charles went on to speak to the crew members one by one. Everyone put down the glass in their hands and stared at their captain with bewildered looks.

There was definitely something wrong here. Their captain's words were ominous, sounding like they were his last words. Everyone couldn't help but feel that something big was about to happen.

Clang, clang, clang!

A clanging noise echoed as Charles tapped his steel finger on the hard tabletop.

Everyone held their breath as they stared transfixed on Charles.

"All right, I'm sure everyone here is done eating, so I want to take this opportunity to announce something to everyone. The Narwhale is officially decommissioned from today onward."

"Captain!"

"Why?!"

"No, this can't be, Esteemed Governor!"

"Mr. Charles, we can still help you!"

The crew members were instantly agitated.

Charles raised his right hand, and the commotion died down.

With a complex expression, Charles swept his gaze across the faces of his crew members. "You said that you're going to help me on this expedition, and the expedition is over. We've accomplished our mission, and the Narwhale will no longer sail from today onward."

Hooonk!

The Narwhale's steam whistle sounded, and a puff of black smoke burst out of the Narwhale's smokestack.

Just then, the attentive Bandages noticed something wrong. He didn't find it strange that the Narwhale was decommissioned, but Charles' tone of voice suggested more than just that.

"Wait, no… you're going to... leave... Hope Island...? Where… are you… going?"

Charles smiled wordlessly. He stood up and walked up to Bandages. He patted his first mate's shoulder and said, "This island is our home. According to our old rules, the first mate will take over in the captain's absence. Bandages, protect our home for me."

With that, Charles reached out and grabbed Lily, who looked extremely worried, before walking up to Sparkle. He didn't even wait for everyone's reaction.

"Goodbye, everyone. I am truly fortunate to have met you all in this crazy and despair-filled world, but we will never meet again. Farewell, my family."

Swoosh!

Charles' figure vanished with a flash of white light, and he reappeared in his luxurious bedroom inside the Governor's Mansion.

Charles stood frozen, looking around the place where he had spent so many years. He suddenly felt a bit reluctant to leave.

A few seconds later, Charles opened the bottom drawer of his desk and took something out from the inside before putting it into his pocket.

Then, he stood up and took his left hand bone from Sparkle's arms before walking toward the other jars nearby.

Skull and scalp, a chunk of his stomach, eye, heart, ear, and a jar full of organ specimens that he had obtained from the ruins of the Foundation—these were what Charles had lost in the seascape.