"My boatswain is dead again, killed by those things. How much longer can this go on? I’m so tired.

I sometimes wonder if I’m already dead and this place is hell.

But then I think, that’s not possible. The demons in hell are much more cute than those things. Everything here is illogical, including the people.

When I first arrived, I thought this place was in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution. But later I learned that they’ve also developed a lot of technology in the mystical realm.

But even so, it’s useless. Humans still live like ants, scraping by. There are too many deadly things in the darkness. We’re not the only civilization here."

“Knock, knock, knock.” Charles’s diary writing was interrupted by a knocking sound, and the voice of the sailor Dip came from outside.

“Captain, we’re approaching the Coral Main Island.”

Charles walked to the bow and looked at the lighthouse that appeared and disappeared in the darkness in the distance, feeling a sense of relief. No matter what, they had finally arrived.

As the Rat slowly approached, a grand island behind the lighthouse gradually came into focus.

The grayish-white of coral was the dominant color of the island, and the various human dwellings on it were of the same color.

The port of the Coral Islands seemed busy, with steamships of all sizes coming and going. Rough sailors waved their hats and cheered, celebrating their survival.

This was a newly developed island. A island that could sustain human life couldn’t rely on coral alone; it needed resources from other islands. This was also the source of survival for cargo ships like the Rat.

Among the people passing by on the dock, many had their ears curled inward. Those were the locals of the Coral Islands.

Anyone who lived on the Coral Islands for more than five years would have their ears curl inward for an unknown reason. No one knew why.

But this didn’t stop the eager immigration from other islands. Compared to the troubles on other islands, ear deformation was the mildest side effect.

After quickly handing over the administration, Charles walked out of the dock with a somewhat unpleasant expression.

He had predicted correctly. The cargo was more than half gone. Not only did he not make a profit, but he also lost 50,000 echoes. The past two months had been for nothing.

It would take some time for the dock to schedule supplies, during which the crew of the Rat could take a brief rest.

Near the dock was a row of buildings of varying heights, some of which were hotels for the crew to rest, and even more were relaxation venues.

On the bustling street were some beggars in rags, lying or sitting, muttering words that only they could understand.

These were sailors driven mad by the Earthsea. No one knew what they had experienced. If you didn’t want to become like them, you had to remember the iron laws of the sea: don’t look, don’t listen, don’t think.

They were the lucky ones. In most cases, sailors who encountered maritime disasters simply disappeared with their ships.

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The door of the Bat Hotel was pushed open, and in the brightly lit lobby, a group of burly men drinking beer looked menacingly at the newcomer.

But when they smelled the sea stench on Charles, they nonchalantly turned their gaze away. Anyone who could survive the sea was not to be trifled with.

“I’ll stay for five days, and I’d like some food delivered to my room.”

“Five days of accommodation will be 630 echo coins, and a delicious bread and mushroom soup will be 30, totaling 660.”

In the damp room, Charles enjoyed his lunch. The food in the underground world wasn’t great. Charles tore the black bread into pieces and threw it into the thick mushroom soup.

Even soaked in soup, the bitter black bread was still harsh on the throat, but he was used to it.

Charles took out a smartphone from his pocket and casually swiped it with his finger while eating. The scratched screen, like the sky outside, remained dark.

The single room was filled with the sound of Charles slowly chewing.

“Captain, are you in there?” The voice of old John suddenly came from outside the door.

Charles quickly put away the phone. “Come in, the door’s not locked.”

The chief mate entered cautiously, his face expressing apology. “Captain, I want to tell you, I don’t want to continue.”

Charles furrowed his brows. “Why? You’ve seen this kind of thing before, haven’t you?”

He had a psychological preparedness every time a crew member died or someone decided to leave. He had thought it would be Dip, who had been scared nearly out of his wits, but it turned out to be John, who had been with him all along.

John waved his hands repeatedly. “I’m too old. Sometimes I fall asleep at the helm. I want to get away from the Earthsea.”

Charles’s mood deteriorated further, but he didn’t try to persuade him to stay. It was better to part on good terms.

He placed a small stack of banknotes on the table. “This is your share.”

John took his payment but didn’t leave immediately, standing there with a hesitant expression.

“Is there something else?”

“Heh, Captain, you know, even though I’ve saved a bit, most of my money was spent on those ladies. This isn’t enough for me to live out my days.”

“So, you’re not thinking of asking me to sponsor you for a part of it, are you?”

“No, no, of course I know that’s not possible. I have something good here that I want to sell to you. Anyway, I’m getting off the ship, and I won’t be needing this weapon anymore.”

John pulled out a black knife about the length of a forearm, which looked more like a large dagger.

Charles looked at the fat old man in front of him with suspicion. It was true that the knife was the chief mate’s weapon, but he didn’t lack close-quarters weapons himself.

“Captain, don’t underestimate this knife. It’s a relic!”

Charles had heard of these mystical items before but had never seen one.

The origins of relics were varied and controversial. Some said they came from the ocean, others from the legendary land of light, and still others from unexplored islands. Whatever their origins, it was certain that these items possessed special powers.

These powers were diverse, and using them came with a cost. The cost varied depending on the power.

Charles had once seen a ring at an auction on the British Isles that was worth 580,000. It could make the wearer invisible for a short time, but the cost was an unbearable itching all over the body.

“What’s special about this knife?”

Seeing Charles’s question, John immediately perked up.

“This weapon is extremely sharp, very sharp.” He held the long knife and looked around at the furniture, as if he wanted to try the knife on something.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I still prefer guns.”

Relying solely on a revolver to deal with those monsters was indeed a bit weak. Charles wanted some relics for self-defense, but he didn’t want a useless one.

Although the tech tree in the Earthsea world was a bit skewed, some of the larger islands had electricity. In a world with guns and cannons, what use was a masterpiece of a weapon? Especially if it had side effects.

Seeing that Charles was not interested in buying, old John got a bit anxious. “Captain, it has another special ability. As long as you hold it, your body’s healing ability will speed up.”

“Two abilities? What’s the cost?” Relics were strange things. The benefits and drawbacks were not equal. Sometimes, the benefit was just a little, but the cost could make the owner’s life miserable.

“It’s not too serious. If you hold it for a long time, you’ll get a suicidal urge. Just don’t hold it all the time.”

Charles took the black knife and found it surprisingly light. It didn’t seem to be made of iron and felt like plastic in his hand.

After cutting himself with the tip of the knife, the wound did heal slowly, but it wasn’t that exaggerated, at most three times the normal speed.

“The cost is acceptable, and the benefit is not bad. I don’t have a ship’s doctor on board, so this thing can make up for that deficiency to some extent.”

Charles decided to buy the knife. It was worth spending money on things that were necessary.

Both parties knew each other well, and in the end, Charles bought the relic for 60,000 echoes.