An elevator? New Boundary City? "Is the ghost referring to Hope Island when it mentions East Nod?"

  Examining the ship's design, Charles had reason to believe it had sunk during the time the Foundation still existed.

  If that were the case, it would explain why the ghost was asking such a question. All these years, it had been wandering the depths, searching for the vanished city.

  After a moment of quick thought, Charles slowly raised his hand and pointed in the exact opposite direction.

  His eyes were fixed on the ghost, wary of any sudden moves.

  To his surprise, the ghost showed no intention of attacking. It politely thanked him and turned to walk back to the wheelhouse.

  "Is this thing really just here to ask for directions?" Charles' mind raced.

  As the ghost stepped into the cabin, Charles suddenly spoke up. "What’s it like on the surface now?"

  The ghost slowly turned around, its translucent eyes filled with confusion. "What do you mean? The surface is just as it’s always been."

  Recalling the never-setting sun under the dome, Charles pressed further. "Has the Earth stopped rotating? Or has some other disaster occurred?"

  Charles' body tensed, his eyes locked on the ghost. If anyone in this world knew the state of the surface, it would be this ghost from the previous era.

  "What are you talking about? Sorry, I’m in a hurry. I need to leave now," the ghost replied before turning back toward the cabin.

  The translucent ghost raised its hand in the direction Charles had pointed. "Transport Ship D134, full speed ahead! We must deliver this cargo before the 16th!"

  A chilling whistle sounded, and the ghost ship quickly submerged. The cold light faded like foam dissolving in water, and within seconds, the sea returned to its usual inky blackness.

  The surface of the sea calmed, but Charles' mind remained unsettled.

  "What did the ghost captain mean by 'just as it’s always been'? What’s the surface really like?"

  "Did you see his reaction? There wasn’t a hint of sorrow when we asked. If the Earth had stopped rotating, it would be a global catastrophe. He wouldn’t have reacted like that."

  "That means the surface is fine! The Earth hasn’t stopped rotating. Everything’s normal up there. We can go home!"

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Maybe…"

  Charles furrowed his brow, a darker suspicion creeping into his mind.

  Perhaps the surface had indeed stopped rotating, making it uninhabitable for humans. The Foundation might have brought everyone down to the underground sea to survive, like Noah’s Ark in the Bible.

  If that were the case, it would also explain the ghost’s strange demeanor.

  "Captain! The crystal’s glowing!" Monchi’s voice snapped Charles out of his thoughts. He turned to see the crystal in Monchi’s hands emitting a faint purple light.

  "Start the transmission!" Charles hurried over. He quickly pushed aside the ghost’s words. No matter what had happened, his goal was to reach the surface through the crack, and to do that, he needed to contact the Church of Light.

  Monchi first placed a sheet of white paper above the crystal. The paper floated, and then he placed his hands on either side of the crystal, shaking it in a specific rhythm.

  A solid purple beam of light emerged from the crystal. With a gentle touch, the paper instantly turned to powder, which then condensed and disappeared.

  Monchi nodded vigorously. "The test was successful. That was just a test sheet. Now we wait for my father’s confirmation, and then I can start transmitting the photos."

  Not long after, a clump of powder materialized above the crystal, forming a ball of paper. Monchi caught it and quickly unfolded it.

  When they saw what was inside, both their pupils contracted. The transmission contained a piece of paper wrapped around a severed finger.

  In the top left corner of the paper, below the triangular emblem of the Church of Light, was a line of text written in blood: "Where is the traitor Kod?"

  "This…" Monchi trembled as he picked up the finger. "This is my father’s finger."

  Seeing the white triangular emblem, Charles couldn’t help but smile. It seemed the truth about Kod could no longer be hidden. The Church of Light had already found out, but that was even better—there was no need for an intermediary.

  "Governor, this is my father’s finger," Monchi repeated, his voice filled with emotion.

  "Hurry, send the photos over. Quickly," Charles urged.

  Monchi quickly pocketed the finger and, with trembling hands, selected some of the prepared photos and placed them on the crystal artifact.

  But this time, something was different. When the crystal’s light touched the photos, they burst into flames, quickly turning to blackened ash.

  "Did it fail? No matter, try again," Charles instructed.

  Monchi, forcing himself to stay calm, nodded and pulled out more photos.

  But before he could place them, another small bundle of paper wrapped around something was transmitted over.

  Charles quickly opened it to find a bloodied half of a palm, missing a finger.

  "Captain Monchi, tell your employer it’s over. The Cardinal already knows of his deceit. No matter where he flees, he will be brought back to the Grand Cathedral to face final judgment!"

  "Keep transmitting," Charles ordered.

  Monchi, his lips tightly pressed together, said nothing and placed more photos on the crystal.

  As the light emerged from the crystal again, this time it succeeded. The photos disappeared perfectly.

  After the photos were transmitted, the other side seemed to pause, sending no more human remains.

  While they paused, Charles didn’t. He ordered Monchi to transmit all the remaining photos in one go.

  Charles paced anxiously on the deck.

  Although he knew the news of the sun would be irresistible to these fanatics, as the critical moment approached, he still felt uncertain.

  The tense atmosphere lasted for a few minutes before being broken by a sheet of paper transmitted over.

  The handwriting was shaky, clearly reflecting the sender’s excitement.

  "Esteemed Saint, your spirit shines as brightly as the Sun God’s radiance. Your heroic deeds will be etched into the walls of the Grand Cathedral! The momentous news of your discovery of the Land of Light has been sent to the main island at the fastest speed. Please await further instructions!"

  Reading the message, Charles’ lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes lighting up. It had worked.