In a dimly lit chamber with several hammocks swaying side by side, a young man opened his eyes. They were strikingly clear with gray pupils.

“Lad, you’re awake!” 

A gruff man in his forties poked him in the side with his wooden prosthetic arm. 

“Almost got me worried there, seeing as you were unconscious for several days!”

The young man’s face was expressionless. After a period of silence, he slowly turned around, scanning the room with his eyes, and asked, “What happened?”

The middle-aged man leaned over, with his rough beard irritating the young man’s nose and whispered, 

“During the last Rai’n Skul, when you fell overboard, we all thought you were doomed. But then the next day, we found you drifting with that wooden statue in your hand. The blessings of “He” must’ve saved you.” 

He patted the young man’s shoulder and stood up. “I’ll go call the doc, make sure Liz says there’s no problems with you.” 

He slowly plodded away, each step thumping against the oakwood floor. Pausing in the center of the doorway with his back still facing the young man, he questioned in a friendly tone, “Evett, do you want me to bring anything back?”

The young man responded coolly, “No. And my name is Rowan.”

“Ah, yes. Rowan, my apologies. I’ve gotten you mixed up with our last deckhand.”

The door shut with a click. 

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Zhong Yi let out a sigh of relief and wiped a few drops of sweat off his forehead.

That was close! He almost caught me!

Zhong Yi got up from the hammock to stretch his limbs. When he first woke up, he thought he was getting pranked by his fellow roommates, but he realized he was in an actual ship! His eyes rested on the small wooden chest in front of him with a metal plaque with “Rowan Asterwood”. If it wasn’t for his quick thinking, he might've truly been done for. He opened the chest and began rummaging through.

He found a small hand mirror wrapped inside a cloth and took it out of the chest, examining himself.  

A youthful thin-looking face with black hair stared back at him. 

Many confused guesses surfaced in his mind.

I transmigrated? I seem to be less handsome, but these gray eyes of mine…

He continued searching through the chest, contemplating about the previous conversation.

What was this “Rain Skull” thing and wooden statue? Are there deities in this world?

Coming from a background of mathematics, Zhong Yi firmly believed in the role of science in all aspects of life. 

Found it!

He grasped the wooden statue, hidden at the bottom of the motley collection of items in the chest, and pulled it out for closer examination. It was a headless figure of a humanoid with a scaly tail and two furled wings. It seemed to be a depiction of a dragon-humanoid of sorts.

This doesn’t seem like anything from Earth. Why would the figure have no head? If this statue brought me here, would it be my good luck charm?

Knock! Knock! Someone suddenly knocked at the door.

“Come in,” Zhong Yi called out. He slipped the wooden statue into his pocket.

The door creaked open and a woman with long hair stepped into the room. She wore a beige-colored coat and round eyeglasses. 

“Rowan. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Zhong Yi smiled, “I’m glad I’m okay too.”

The doctor started taking out several items from her pockets: a compass-like device, an eyeball, and a candle.

“Don’t worry, I just need to do a few tests to make sure you’re okay. That there's no ghost possessing your body, the likes of that”

Zhong Yi’s smile strained.