Chapter 820: Chapter 817: The Journey is Coming to an End

Homeloss and the Brilliant Starship sailed through a uniformly grey-white backdrop.

This long journey at the world’s end seems to be gradually drawing to a close–even without Duncan mentioning it, everyone aboard has vaguely sensed the approaching end.

Now, everyone had gathered around the long table in Homeloss’s cabin, even Rukrecia, who had temporarily entrusted her own ship to the puppet Luny and the rabbit Rabi.

The “Sea Witch” sat beside Duncan, while the little doll Niru, who had only recently become an official crew member of the Brilliant Starship, sat obediently on the shoulder of her mistress. It was her first appearance here, and she was currently carefully clutching Rukrecia’s hair while curiously observing her surroundings.

Sherry found it quite amusing to watch the exquisite little doll dressed in a fancy doll’s gown, and when the latter turned her head towards her, Sherry suddenly raised her hand and made a scare: “Hey ha–”

Niru immediately cried out in a soft voice, clutching Rukrecia’s hair tightly.

Following the surprise, Miss Witch lifted her hand and patted the doll’s arm, causing Niru to lower her head with grievance, muttering softly, “Mistress, she scared me.”

Sherry immediately shrugged her shoulders and turned her head away, pretending to be seriously listening to the captain’s speech.

Duncan didn’t mind the commotion beside the long table. He just glanced at Sherry before continuing to speak about the current situation within the Endless Sea:

“…The undead move amongst the living in the cities, and no one remembers the original purpose of the graveyards and the crematoria. The dead wander in confusing, while the living increasingly fall into a haze. No one dies anymore, nor are there any newborns… To an outsider, the world’s contortion would be unimaginable, yet no one notices these anomalies. All discrepancies are ‘explained’ or ‘ignored’ by the subconscious, and this is the ‘current state’ of the entire world.”

“The situation with the Deep Sea Church… is similar to that of the current Death Church. The core parts of their respective doctrines have now turned into incomprehensible ‘profane archetypes’. Though people still blindly maintain their ‘daily lives’, this kind of ‘world correction’ will likely not last long.”

Everyone around the long table remained silent, even Sherry, who had been playfully teasing the doll earlier, quieted down upon picturing the eerie and terrifying scenes within the City-State.

Duncan’s gaze then settled on Fenna not far away.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked softly.

“Cognitive restructuring… isn’t such a simple matter,” Fenna’s complexion was not good, she frowned slightly, and after hearing the captain’s words, she shook her head with a bitter smile, “I was about to forget about the ‘waves’. Your sudden call for us just now made me recall all that, making me feel as if… the whole world has undergone a ‘tear’.”

Miss Judge took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, seemingly still struggling to adjust her state, her expression complicatedly continuing, “Now two starkly different ‘cognitive systems’ are fiercely battling within my psyche. I am clearly aware that certain ‘things’ do truly exist, but another cognition tells me that it’s an incomprehensible, nonexistent thing. I know the former cognition is correct, yet I cannot deny the second… They both have taken root in my heart, like…”

She pursed her lips, seemingly unable to find a suitable way to describe it.

“Like ‘hydrophobia’?” Duncan then asked calmly.

“Water being poisonous’?” Fenna pondered, then nodded with a wry smile, “Perhaps. Compared to various tangible abominable filth, cognitive-level problems are always so tricky to deal with.”

“…I had my doubts, whether it was necessary to reinforce and stabilize your ‘cognitions’,” Duncan said slowly, his gaze sweeping around the room. As his eyes fell on each person, a pale green flame burned quietly throughout the cabin, its light reflecting upon everyone, as if soaking into their souls and minds, stabilizing their ‘cognitions’ on the side of the ‘captain’, “But considering the plans ahead, I must ‘strengthen’ you with flames, because only then can you become my most solid ‘anchor’.”

Hearing Duncan’s words, Rukrecia’s expression visibly changed slightly. She seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained quiet, just staring intently at her father.

“…Next, we’ll arrive at Bartok’s ‘node’,” Duncan continued calmly as if ignoring the various emotional gazes on him, “It will be the last node on the ‘external barrier’ formed by the four deities. After completing the final marking, Homeloss will return to the starting point of this ‘pilgrimage’… the Leviathan Islands.

“There, your journey on the border will also come to an end.”

Duncan spread his hands, his voice low and subdued as he looked around the long table, moving his gaze across familiar faces until his eyes finally rested on Nina.

She was the first “human” he knew in this world, his first formal “contact” with the civilization trapped in Shelter, his… “anchor of humanity.”

Nina sat by his side, this always sensible girl seemed to always notice “Uncle Duncan’s” thoughts one step ahead. Even at this moment, she showed no great surprise, but after a moment of silence, she looked up, “Are you going to do the next part alone?”

Duncan met the girl’s gaze: “…Yes.”

“Is it dangerous? Is it far?” Nina asked again.

“It’s hard to describe it as ‘dangerous’ or ‘not dangerous.’ It’s something… that only I can complete, but you won’t be able to comprehend the process,” Duncan thought for a moment, and then explained seriously, “I will be traveling to a place even farther than the world’s end–so far that even the gods cannot reach it, a place beyond all earthly measures… Yes, that far, very far.”

“Will you still come home?” Nina kept her gaze fixed on her Uncle Duncan–an inquiry she had posed before.

This time, Duncan did not hesitate one bit: “Yes, homecoming.”

His answer was so assured and swift that even Nina seemed a bit taken aback.

“You’re not lying?” She furrowed her brows, asking with some doubt as if she hadn’t expected such a definitive reply in the first place.

“Yes, I’m certain–but had you asked me earlier, perhaps I really would have hesitated,” Duncan said with a serious face, “But now, I can assure you, if there really comes a day in the future when you are waiting for me to come home, then I will definitely come home.”

Nina frowned, and as she fell into thought, Morris’s voice came from the side: “What do you need us to do?”

“After Homeloss departs, you will follow the Brilliant Starship back home,” Duncan looked towards the elderly gentleman across the table and nodded slightly, “Agatha will bring Homeloss’s ‘reflection’ and attach it to the Brilliant Starship. Sailors will then take the helm–through this, you’ll be able to activate the ‘course’ left by Sea Song, and return to the Endless Sea via the nodes of the Storm Goddess.

“After returning to the Endless Sea, you will head to the City-States of Frost, Prand and Light Breeze Harbor, and with Lawrence currently staying in Pharrellon at the western border, it’s as though I have ‘eyes’ that can watch over the entire world–I want you to wait for my command. When I have finished my preparations beyond this world, something… momentous will happen.”

“Something momentous?” Fenna furrowed her brows unconsciously.

“…The world’s end,” Duncan stated calmly, “I will orderly ‘end’ this world, and retrieve all its data before this ‘mathematical machine’ completely collapses.”

He knew that nobody present would understand what he meant by “information of everything” and “mathematical machine”, not even Morris, but he still spoke his mind clearly.

Those present might not know what the mathematical machine is, but they at least understood what “the world’s end” meant.

After a moment of silence, Sherry was the first to break it: “…oh my…”

But apart from her, everyone else’s responses were surprisingly calm.

“It seems you all trust me a great deal.” Duncan looked around the group, a smile suddenly appearing on his face.

“After what we’ve been through in Prand, Frost, and Light Breeze Harbor, what’s left not to trust?” Fenna suddenly laughed, “There are countless ways you could easily bring about destruction, but you always chose to save as much as possible–by now, even if you said you wanted to kill me, I’d probably think I was living all wrong…”

“Gomona would be sad to hear you say that,” Duncan said with a resigned smile, “When we first met, you came at me with a flying kick.”

Fenna: “…You said you wouldn’t bring that up.”

Duncan shook his head with a smile, waved his hand, and looked towards the others.

“The ‘end’ of the world is a necessary step to ensure the birth of a new world and a long-lasting peace after its formation. I’ve found a way to preserve everything that exists in this world while ending the old one; on this front, you can indeed be at ease.”

“And… what comes after that?” Sherry finally couldn’t help but speak up. Despite not fully understanding much of the topic, she was keenly aware that the captain hadn’t completed his thought, “What happens after the world has ended… where are we? And where are you? When will this ‘new world’… arrive?”

Duncan smiled and looked into Sherry’s curious eyes.

“Blink your eyes.”

Sherry blinked her eyes, curious.

“For you, the new world will have arrived right after that.”

Duncan spoke softly.