**June 14, Year Eight: Clear Skies**

  “Once again, the muffled whispers have returned, that strange sound that isn’t a sound—chaotic and dark. This wretched place is no place for a human.

  My first mate, Old John, suggested I try the fragrant ladies at the Red-Lipped Inn.

  I admit, the thought crossed my mind, but I managed to resist. I can’t squander the echo coins I’ve worked so hard to earn on such frivolities. I can’t afford to relax for even a moment if I want to get home.

  Humans are creatures of the land, and the fact that we find ourselves in the Undersea proves there’s a way back up. I must find it!

  I dreamt of my family again last night. I miss them, but I’m starting to forget what they look like…”

  Suddenly, the ship, the *Rat*, lurched violently, interrupting Charles Reed’s writing.

  The old oil lamp beside his diary illuminated his face. His black eyes and hair painted a typical Asian visage, but his skin was almost translucent, reminiscent of a movie vampire.

  From a modern perspective, Charles might even be considered somewhat handsome, yet his expression was heavy with fatigue, making him look utterly haggard.

  After straining to listen to the sound of the waves outside, Charles detected nothing unusual. He picked up his pen and continued to write.

  “I don’t need those special service workers; keeping a diary can improve my hallucinations too. I’ve been managing to sleep five hours a night lately—it's been ages since I’ve had such restful sleep.

  Of course, learning from the cautionary tales of those who wrote before me, I’ve chosen to write in a language only I can decipher: Chinese.”

  “Creeeak~~” A harsh metallic screech pierced the air, like something sharp was scratching at the hull.

  “Damn it.” Charles snapped his diary shut, furrowing his brow as he made his way to the round porthole.

  He peered outside, and the view was just as he had seen eight years ago: a lightless sky and a murky green sea forming a dark curtain in the distance.

  Darkness ruled everything outside, and in that darkness, something monstrous seemed to brew, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

  But in the Undersea, there were no stars, no moon—endless darkness was the main theme, and this darkness was precisely what proved everything was normal.

  Gazing at the seemingly normal exterior, Charles frowned even deeper. Years of sailing experience told him something was amiss. He decided to investigate.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  He opened the bedside cabinet, revealing hundreds of gleaming yellow bullets rolling with the waves.

  Drawing his revolver, he expertly loaded a bullet and strode toward the helm.

  “Captain, what brings you here so early? Your shift hasn’t even started yet,” the helmsman, a scruffy old man, inquired. Beside him, a teenager in a sailor's outfit slouched in a chair, his youthful face pale and devoid of color, much like Charles.

  “Old John, why is the *Rat* swaying? Is our course normal?” Charles asked, directing his question at the helmsman.

  He stepped forward and kicked the chair leg, jolting the teenager awake.

  “Ha! Probably just some underwater creature catching a whiff of our meat. You know, in the Undersea, those disgusting things outnumber the fish. Don’t worry, the *Rat* is an iron ship; they can’t break through,” the old man chuckled, stepping back to let Charles take control.

  Despite Old John’s reassurances, Charles remained on high alert.

  In this bizarre place, humans were no longer at the top of the food chain; survival depended solely on caution.

  Charles pressed a button on the old equipment, and the searchlight ahead blazed to life. He scanned the surface of the sea through the transparent glass.

  Between the sea and the helm lay a deck stacked with cargo; the entire ship was only about thirty meters long.

  “The route to the Coral Isles has been traversed by countless cargo ships. Those creatures wouldn’t come here just for fun. Something’s off,” Charles gripped the worn, reflective wheel, his brow furrowed tightly.

  Old John paused. “Could we have strayed from our course? That’s impossible; look, the beacon is still in the distance.”

  He pointed toward a faint light far away.

  In the starless Undersea, the only navigational aids were compasses and those brightly lit beacons along the route. As long as they could see the beacon, it meant the route had been established as safe by exploring ships.

  Just then, Charles’s pupils contracted to pinpoints as he swallowed hard. “How long have you been watching that beacon?”

  “Just a few minutes, I’ve been keeping my eyes on it,” Old John replied, his voice gradually lowering, a hint of fear creeping into his rotund face.

  After sailing for so long, they hadn’t passed this beacon. It was clear that the beacon was moving at the same speed as their steamship. Something was wrong!

  Suddenly, Charles sprang into action, hands spinning the wheel furiously, pulling hard to the left.

  With a metallic creak, the steamship began to turn. Thankfully, the *Rat* was quick to pivot, putting distance between them and that strange beacon.

  Before Charles could breathe a sigh of relief, the teenager pointed at the glass window, eyes wide in terror.

  “Captain! That thing is getting closer! So fast!! It’s catching up!”

  “Damn it!” Charles shouted into a nearby pipe, “Chief Engineer! Crank the boiler to the max! Something’s chasing us!”

  “Understood, Captain!” a hearty voice echoed from the iron pipe.

  Thick, black smoke billowed from the ship’s funnel as the steamship’s speed began to climb.

  “It’s still closing in!! It’s so fast! It’s going to catch us! What in the world is that monster?!”

  The boy’s voice rose in pitch due to sheer terror, trembling like a leaf, on the verge of collapse.

  “Deep! Close your eyes!!” With adrenaline coursing through him, Charles kicked the boy’s calf, sending him sprawling to the ground.

  Old John pressed the boy’s head firmly to the floor, his face reddening as he shouted, “Don’t look, don’t listen, don’t think!! The Captain will get us home!”

  Just then, a loud crash shook the ship, sending the two tumbling. Charles clung desperately to the helm to avoid being thrown off.

  “Captain, it’s hit us!”

  Charles’s face turned ashen, his jaw clenched tight.

  He leaned close to the pipe and hissed, “Chief Engineer!! Overload the boiler for thirty seconds!!”

  “Captain! That’s not possible! It’s too old!! It’ll explode!”