Just as Charles was about to pull the black blade from the corpse, an elderly voice interrupted him. “Does killing relieve your symptoms? How interesting.”

  Charles turned to see the ship’s doctor, who had appeared out of nowhere, jotting down notes with a pen in hand.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Your pet mouse dragged me over. I thought something serious had happened, and it turns out to be this?” The doctor stepped into the pool of blood with his iron leg.

  He sprinkled some powder over the corpse, and with a gurgling sound, the body began to rapidly decompose.

  Soon, Deep and the others returned to the room, their faces alight with excitement. Deep was playing with his mask, as if the lives they had just taken held no value in his eyes.

  James stood up, bowing deeply to everyone. “Thank you all for your help.”

  Charles’s transparent tendrils supported him back up. Curiously, he asked, “Couldn’t you handle those people yourself?”

  The abilities of the purple pyramid were more than sufficient to deal with the Dagger Gang and the police who had pursued him. He was curious why his chief engineer had waited for them to act.

  “I…” James’s face turned red, unable to find the words.

  Charles understood the big guy’s nature. To put it nicely, he was too kind-hearted; to put it bluntly, he was a bit dense. While the other crew members drank and sought women, he had saved all his money according to his deceased mother’s wishes, intending to use it for marriage and buying a house.

  Working on an exploration ship, he treated it like a nine-to-five job.

  “While we don’t bully others, it doesn’t mean we allow them to stand over us and urinate. Remember, we aren’t the common folk of Coral Island; the governor’s laws don’t bind us.”

  Those who didn’t care for their own lives were even less likely to care for others’ lives. This was why the islanders held a mix of fear and disdain for those from the sea.

  Hearing the captain’s profound words, James’s expression turned complex. He had thought his job was no different from those on the island, merely exchanging labor for money, but it was now clear it was entirely different.

  “Captain, killing so many people… won’t it cause you trouble?” James hesitated to ask.

  “It’s fine; this is the port district, and those who died were all worthless. This small matter won’t disturb the island’s heart. Once this is over, take your wife back,” Charles said, patting him on the shoulder.

  James awkwardly bid farewell to his companions and walked out with his wife.

  “Wait.” At Charles’s call, James stopped immediately.

  “Go find a blacksmith and have them make you a set of armor and weapons that you can use when you grow larger. This will greatly enhance your combat power and defense.”

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  “Okay… okay.” James nodded with a forced smile.

  On the quiet street, Mosika and James walked in silence, both holding their thoughts. What had just happened was a significant shock to them.

  Mosika glanced at her husband and softly said, “Can you get off the ship? My bakery is enough for us to live on; you can—”

  James’s face showed hesitation before he shook his head vigorously. “The captain saved my life; unless he stops going to sea, I can’t leave the ship.”

  Seeing her usually obedient husband refuse her request, Mosika lowered her head in disappointment. After spending so much time together, she knew her husband was gentle but also stubborn; once he made a decision, it wouldn’t change easily.

  “Then… is your job dangerous?”

  Hearing the wavering in his wife’s voice, James quickly reassured her, “It’s not dangerous at all; I’m just a turbine operator. What danger could there be?”

  After speaking, James pulled her into his embrace. Mosika didn’t resist, slowly wrapping her arms around his sturdy body.

  “I don’t care what you do; I just hope you can always come back safely. Our child can’t grow up without a father…” Tears streamed from Mosika’s eyes.

  “Mm, I promise you.” Their faces drew closer.

  “Bang!” James stumbled as someone bumped into him.

  “Go home and kiss; what are you doing in the street?” The doctor, holding a wine jug, glared at them as he limped past, heading toward the island’s entrance.

  The incident with the Dagger Gang seemed like a mere interlude, making no significant waves on Coral Island.

  Charles didn’t care. If anything did happen, he could always change islands.

  However, there was a change: every time Charles stepped outside, he felt the fearful gazes around him. People instinctively kept their distance as he walked through the streets.

  With the storm passing, Charles found himself troubled by the previous question: how to rest. The island festival wasn’t an everyday occurrence.

  Finally, he relinquished control of his body, letting Richard take over.

  At first, Richard was ecstatic, exploring various entertainment venues. But after a week, he grew bored, rolling on the bed and shouting about how dull it was.

  In the end, both were high-spirited individuals; despite their differing personalities, they shared a similar inner desire to return home and not waste time in such places.

  After thinking it over, Charles suddenly remembered a few acquaintances at the Explorers’ Association. He turned and headed toward the association, hoping to find a way to lift the curse of the deity among them.

  “What did you say? They all went to sea?”

  Seeing Charles’s shocked expression, the association staff nodded. “Captain Elizabeth of the Black Rose found a living island. She invited all the captains she knew to form a fleet and went out to sea.”

  Frustrated, Charles walked out of the association, feeling helpless.

  “Hey, do you have any ideas?” he mentally asked his other persona.

  “Let’s go find the old man. He said rest is the best remedy for hallucinations. Since he’s a doctor, he should explain how to treat it.”

  Realizing this was a valid point, Charles turned and walked toward the island.

  The doctor had given him an address, and Charles soon found the doctor’s location: an old inn.

  The doctor seemed impatient with Charles’s arrival, fiddling with a few wires. “What do you want now?”

  “Are you trying to charge the black mirror?”

  “None of your business. What do you want?” The doctor threw the wires behind him.

  “How much longer do I need to rest? I feel like I’ve rested enough.”

  The doctor leaned in, inspecting Charles’s eyes for a moment before pulling out a chunk of foul-smelling slime from his pocket. “Eat this.”

  Taking a deep breath, Charles tilted his head back and swallowed it whole. Instantly, the whispers around him grew loud, ringing in his ears, and everything before his eyes began to twist and warp.

  This state lasted a full three minutes before slowly returning to normal. The doctor shook his head at Charles, who was breathing heavily.

  “Not enough time; continue. In a week, I’ll bring the conditioning potion to you.”

  “Old man, what counts as rest? I can’t find a way to rest! I need to go to sea!” Richard, now in control of the body, exclaimed in frustration.

  “As an exploration captain, you don’t know how to have fun? Joy fruit, alcohol, gambling, women, psychedelic mushrooms—anything, even painting like that blind man every day will do. Don’t bother me; I’m busy!”

  With a loud bang, the doctor slammed the door shut.