After dinner, Charles began to patrol the Mouse, ensuring everyone's safety.

  He didn't know what had caused the sailors to disappear, and in a situation where the enemy was hidden and he was exposed, he could only use this clumsy method for now.

  The atmosphere on the ship had returned to what it was before; everyone was on edge, trying to keep themselves visible to others, fearing they might vanish without a sound.

  Charles wasn't sure if his method had worked or if that thing had left, but the Mouse had been quite peaceful for the past few days.

  Four days later, Charles stood at the bow, gazing out at the dark sea in the distance. “We’ll be back on the marked shipping lane in three days at most; it should be safe then.”

  Estimating the time to return to the island, Charles turned to Anna, who was sitting on the anchor machine. “Let’s go check the turbine room.”

  “I’m not going,” Anna said impatiently. “I feel like an idiot wandering around with you every day. What’s there to see in this tiny place? If you want to go, go by yourself.”

  “Don’t let your guard down; it’s dangerous for you to be alone.” Charles gently pulled her arm, but she shrugged him off.

  “Oh, I’ve said I’m not going! Why are you so annoying? Besides, isn’t that mummy up there watching? What danger could there be?”

  Charles looked up through the transparent glass and saw Bandage clearly at the helm.

  “Fine, you stay here and rest. I’ll be back soon.” Charles opened the hatch and headed for the turbine room at the lowest level.

  As the power core of the entire steamship, the turbine room was very hot. As soon as Charles entered, he saw the bare-chested chief engineer James adding fuel, with the sailor Deep panting beside him.

  “Captain, I really can’t take it anymore; let me go up, this place is too hot!” Deep complained with a frown.

  “For the safety of our comrades, just endure a little longer.”

  “Whatever man-eating monster there is won’t come down here; it’s so hot that only a big guy like me could stand it!”

  Charles walked over to James and patted his sturdy shoulder. “Thanks for your hard work. The insulation on the new ship will be much better.”

  James smiled sheepishly, “I’m used to it; aside from the heat, working down here is pretty easy.”

  “When we get the new ship, you won’t be able to handle it alone down here. You’ll be the chief engineer, managing the first, second, and third engineers.”

  To Charles's surprise, James seemed to be frightened by his words and quickly stepped back, waving his hands like a fan. “No, no, I can’t manage people; let someone else do that. I’ll just handle the firing, really!”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Just as Charles was about to reassure his crew, a loud crash echoed from the nearby pipes, followed by a mournful cry from the Mouse as everything tilted at a sharp angle of 75°.

  Stumbling to the ground, Charles quickly realized that the sudden tilt of the ship must mean something had gone wrong with the helmsman. He crawled to the communication pipe and shouted, “Bandage!! If you hear me, respond quickly!!”

  But all he heard in response was the sound of flesh being torn and Bandage’s pained groans.

  “Damn it!” Charles pulled out his revolver and, bracing himself against the swaying, crawled toward the staircase. “You two, come with me! There’s been an incident in the cockpit!!”

  As Charles rushed onto the deck, he saw a panicked Anna rushing toward him with tears in her eyes. “That mummy… that mummy!!”

  Charles and the others rushed into the cockpit and were met with a scene of chaos. Dark red blood splattered everywhere, turning the cockpit into a mess.

  Bandage, who should have been steering, lay on the ground like a rag doll, torn and battered. Aside from the numerous wounds on his body, his right leg was completely severed.

  Charles rushed to the injured Bandage, unsure where to place his hands for a moment. After two seconds, he tore away the bandages from Bandage's face and checked for a pulse.

  Feeling a faint breath, Charles let out a slight sigh of relief. He quickly pulled out a black knife from his boot, hoping Bandage could draw on its healing power to cling to life.

  “Anna! Don’t just stand there, hurry and stop the bleeding!”

  Charles's shout snapped the dazed ship's doctor back to reality. With red-rimmed eyes, she nodded repeatedly and rushed out. “I… I’ll go get the hemostatic clamps!”

  “Don’t give up, buddy, you can’t leave us, don’t give up,” Charles whispered urgently into Bandage’s ear.

  Moments later, Anna returned, looking lost. “Charles, my medical kit is missing!”

  Charles stared at her for a second, then quickly said, “Go to the captain’s room; it’s in the bottom drawer. I stocked some supplies! Deep, go call everyone over! Quickly!”

  In the chaos, the cockpit was filled with six anxious crew members standing over the unconscious Bandage.

  Everyone’s worried gazes turned to Charles, seeking reassurance. The pressure on him intensified, but this was the moment when the captain was needed; he couldn’t lose his composure.

  “Anna, did you see what attacked Bandage??”

  “I didn’t see anything; the ship suddenly tilted, and I fell.”

  “That thing is still on board; it will definitely strike again.”

  “But Captain, we’ve searched everywhere; it’s not here! Could it be invisible?” Deep asked, furrowing his brow.

  Monsters of the deep come in all shapes and sizes, and invisibility wasn’t an uncommon trait.

  “That’s unlikely. If it could turn invisible, there would be no need to wait this long.”

  Charles knew he had to do something; he couldn’t let his crew be attacked again. If this continued, the entire Mouse would become an iron coffin, burying everyone alive.

  But in this state of ignorance, what could he do?

  After a moment’s thought, Charles pursed his lips and said, “Full throttle to the turbines; we need to get back to Coral Island as quickly as possible, even if it means scrapping the Mouse.”

  “Deep, lock all the hatches!”

  “Freddy, move all the food from the kitchen that can be eaten raw to the turbine room and cockpit; everyone else should stay in these two places.”

  Since they couldn’t find the monster, they would simply huddle together until they reached port.

  “What about the bathroom?” Anna asked quietly.

  Charles tapped the transparent glass in front of him. “Over the side.”

  As the crew began to gather in the two areas, the atmosphere on the Mouse grew increasingly oppressive.

  In the cockpit, Deep was at the helm, Anna was tending to Bandage on the hammock, and Charles sat on a stool, continuing to write in his journal.

  Inside the cabin, apart from the scratching sound of the pen on paper, there was no other noise.