"My sailor chief died again, killed by those things. How much longer do I have to endure days like this? I'm so damn tired of holding on.
"Sometimes I wonder, maybe I've already died, and this is Hell? But that can't be; the Demons in Hell are far cuter than those things. Nothing here makes sense, including the people.
"When I first arrived, I thought this place was at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, but I soon realized they had also made significant advances in the arcane. But even so, it's useless. Humans are as insignificant as ants, just scraping by, surrounded by countless deadly threats in the darkness. We're not the only communal civilization here."
Charles's diary entry was interrupted by a knock at the door. Outside, he heard the voice of Deep, the sailor.
"Captain, we're approaching Coral Main Island."
Charles walked to the bow and looked at the lighthouse flickering in the distant darkness, letting out a breath of relief. No matter what, they had finally arrived.
As the Rat drew closer, the massive island behind the lighthouse gradually came into focus. The gray-white of coral rock was the island's dominant color, and the various human dwellings perched upon it shared the same hue.
The port of the Coral Islands looked busy, with steamboats of all sizes coming and going. Rough sailors waved their hats and cheered, celebrating their survival.
This was a newly developed island. An island capable of supporting human life couldn't survive on coral alone; it needed resources from other islands, which was how cargo ships like the Rat made their living.
Among the crowds passing along the docks, many people had ears that curled inward; these were the natives of the Coral Islands. As long as one lived on the Coral Islands for more than five years, their ears would curl for reasons unknown. No one knew why.
But this did nothing to dampen the eagerness of migrants from other islands. Compared to the troubles elsewhere, a deformed ear was the mildest of side effects.
After a quick handover with the dock manager, Charles walked away with a grim expression. Just as he'd expected, they had lost over half their cargo. Not only had he failed to earn anything on this trip, he had actually lost a significant amount. The past two months had been for nothing.
It would take some time for the dock to dispatch supplies, giving the Rat's crew a brief respite.
Near the docks stood a jumble of buildings of varying heights. Some were inns for crews to rest, while many more were places for other sorts of relaxation.
Lining the lively streets were ragged beggars, sprawling or slumped over, muttering words only they could understand. These were all sailors driven mad by the Abyss-Sea; no one knew what they had been through. If you didn't want to end up like them, you had to live by the iron laws of the sea: Don't look. Don't listen. Don't think.
They were the lucky ones. In most cases, sailors who met with disaster at sea simply vanished along with their ships.
The doors of the Bat Inn were pushed open. In the brightly-lit hall, a group of brawny men who were drinking gave the new arrival a predatory once-over. But as soon as they caught the stench of the sea on Charles, they looked away as if nothing had happened. Anyone who made it back alive from braving the sea was not to be trifled with.
"I'm staying for five days. And I want food sent to my room."
"Five days' lodging is 630 Echo Coins. The delicious bread and mushroom soup is 30. Your total is 660."
In the damp room, Charles had his lunch. Food by the harbor was never any good. He tore the black bread into pieces and dropped them into the thick mushroom soup.
Even soaked in the soup, the bitter black bread was still rough enough to scratch his throat, but he was used to it by now.
Charles took a mobile phone out of his coat. While eating, he swiped aimlessly at its scratched screen, which remained as black as the sky outside.
The only sound in the single room was Charles's slow chewing.
"Captain, are you in there?" Old John's voice suddenly came through the door.
Charles quickly put the phone away. "Come in. The door's unlocked."
The first mate walked in cautiously, an apologetic look on his face. "Captain, I wanted to tell you... I'm quitting."
Charles's brow furrowed slightly. "Why? You've seen this kind of thing plenty of times."
He was always mentally prepared for someone to leave after a crew member's death. He had thought Deep, the one so scared he'd nearly pissed himself, would be the first to go. He never expected it to be Old John, who had stuck with him all this way.
John waved his hands frantically. "I'm too old. Sometimes I fall asleep at the helm, and that's too dangerous. And... and I want to get far away from the Abyss-Sea."
Charles's mood soured further, but he didn't try to stop him, believing it was better to part on good terms.
He placed a stack of paper notes on the table. "This is your share."
John took his payment but didn't turn to leave, standing in place with a hesitant expression.
"Is there something else?"
"Heh, Captain, you know... I've saved a bit, but most of my past earnings went to the ladies. This isn't enough to live out the rest of my days."
"What? You don't expect me to sponsor you, do you?"
"No, no, of course not. I know that's impossible. But, I've got something good I'd like to sell you. Since I'm leaving the ship, I won't be needing a weapon like this anymore."
As he spoke, John pulled out a Black Blade about the length of his forearm. It was more like an oversized dagger than a sword.
Charles shot the pudgy old man a puzzled look. It was true that this was the first mate's weapon, but he wasn't in need of a close-combat weapon.
"Captain, don't underestimate this blade—it's a relic!"
Charles had heard about these mystical items before, but he had never seen one himself.
The origins of relics were hotly debated. Some said they came from the sea, some from the legendary Land of Light, and others from unexplored islands. Whatever their source, it was certain that these items possessed special powers.
These powers were strange and varied. Using them always came at a price, and the price differed depending on the power.
Charles had once heard of a ring that sold for 580,000 at an auction on British Island. It could make the wearer briefly invisible, but the price was an unbearable itching all over their body.
"What's special about this blade?"
At Charles's question, John immediately perked up.
"This weapon is sharp. Very, very sharp." He brandished the blade and looked around at the furniture, seemingly eager to test it on something.
"Thanks, but no. I still think guns are more useful."
Relying on just his revolver against those Monsters left him feeling underpowered. Charles did want a relic for self-defense, but not a useless one.
The Abyss-Sea World's technology tree might have been lopsided, but the larger islands had electricity, guns, and cannons. In a world with firearms, what good was a peerless blade, especially one with side effects?
Seeing that Charles had no intention of buying, Old John grew anxious. "Captain, it has another Special Ability! If you hold it, your body's Healing Ability accelerates."
"Two abilities? Then what's the price?" Relics were strange things; the benefits and drawbacks were rarely equivalent. Sometimes, the upside was minuscule, but the side effect could make the owner's life a living hell.
"It's not too severe. If you hold it for a long time, you get an urge to kill yourself. As long as you don't hold it all the time, you'll be fine."
Charles took the Black Blade and was surprised by how light it was. It didn't seem to be made of iron; it felt more like plastic in his hand.
He drew the tip across his hand, making a small cut. The wound did indeed begin to heal slowly—not miraculously fast, but at about three times the normal rate.
The price is acceptable, and the benefit is decent. My ship doesn't have a doctor, so this can compensate for that deficiency to some extent.
Charles decided to buy the blade. It was a worthwhile investment; some expenses were simply necessary.
Since both men knew each other well, they didn't haggle for long. In the end, Charles bought the relic for 160,000 Echo Coins.