After finishing their meal, Charles began to patrol the Rat, ensuring everyone’s safety.
Unsure of what was causing the sailors to disappear, with the enemy hidden and themselves exposed, this was the only clumsy solution for now.
The atmosphere on the ship returned to how it was before they arrived, with everyone on edge, trying to stay within sight of others, fearing they might vanish without a trace.
Whether it was due to Charles’ measures taking effect or the creature leaving, the next few days on the Rat were surprisingly peaceful.
On the fourth day, Charles stood at the bow, gazing into the dark horizon.
“At most three more days, and the Rat will be back on the marked route. We should be safe then.”
Estimating their return time, Charles turned to look at Anna sitting on the windlass. “Come on, let’s go check the boiler room.”
“No, I’m not going. I’m tired of wandering around with you like an idiot. There’s nothing to see in this tiny place. Go by yourself if you want.” Anna replied impatiently.
“Don’t let your guard down. It’s dangerous for you to be alone.” Charles went over to gently pull her arm, but she brushed him off.
“Hey, I already said I’m not going. Why are you so annoying? Besides, the mummy is watching up there. What danger could there be?”
Charles looked up and could clearly see Bandage at the helm through the transparent glass.
“Alright, take a rest here. I’ll be back soon.” Charles opened the hatch and headed to the lowest level, the turbine room.
As the core of the steamship’s power, the turbine room was extremely hot. As soon as Charles entered, he saw the chief engineer James adding fuel with his shirt off, and beside him, the boatswain Dip, panting like a dog in the heat.
“Captain, I can’t take this anymore. Let me go up. It’s too hot down here,” Dip complained to Charles with a gloomy face.
“Endure it a bit longer for the safety of our companions.”
“Even if there were a man-eating monster, it wouldn’t come down here. It’s so hot, only a big guy like him could handle it,” Dip said, gesturing to James.
Charles walked over to James and patted his sturdy shoulder. “You’re doing a great job. The new ship will have much better insulation.”
James smiled modestly. “I’m used to it. Besides the heat, the work down here is easy.”
“When we get the new ship, you’ll be too busy down here alone. You’ll be the chief engineer, managing the first, second, and third engineers.”
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To Charles’ surprise, James stepped back half a step, waving his hands rapidly like a fan. “No, no, no. I can’t manage people. Let someone else do it. I’m fine just stoking the fire, really.”
Charles was about to reassure his crew with a smile when a loud explosion suddenly came from a nearby pipe. The Rat let out a groan, and everything around them instantly tilted to 75°.
Charles, stumbling to the ground, quickly realized that the sudden tilt must be due to a problem with the helm. He crawled on all fours to the communication tube and shouted into it, “Bandage! Answer if you can hear me!”
The only response was the sound of flesh tearing and Bandage’s pained grunts.
“Damn it!” Charles drew his revolver from his waist and, bracing against the swaying, quickly crawled towards the stairway.
“You two, come with me! Something’s happened in the cockpit!”
By the time Charles rushed to the deck, he saw Anna, eyes filled with tears, rushing towards him in a panic. “The mummy… the mummy!!”
Charles and the three of them rushed to the cockpit to find it splattered with dark red blood, turning the area into a mess.
Bandage, who was supposed to be at the helm, lay on the ground like a rag doll mauled by a dog. Besides the numerous wounds on his body, his right leg was missing at the root.
Charles rushed to the severely wounded Bandage, his hands hesitating for a moment before he tore the bandages from Bandage’s face and placed his fingers near his nose.
Feeling the faint breath, Charles let out a slight sigh of relief. He quickly drew the black knife from his boot and placed it in Bandage’s hand, hoping the knife’s healing properties would help sustain his life.
“Anna! Don’t just stand there, come and stop the bleeding!”
Charles’ shout snapped the dazed ship’s doctor out of her trance. Her eyes red, she nodded rapidly and ran towards the door. “I… I’ll get the hemostats!”
“Don’t give up, buddy. You’re going to be okay. Don’t you dare give up.” Charles urged Bandage fervently.
Shortly after, Anna ran back, panic-stricken. “Charles, my medical kit is gone!”
Charles stared at Anna for a second before responding quickly, “Go to the captain’s quarters. There’s a cabinet at the bottom with some medications. Dip, go and gather everyone here, quickly!”
After a flurry of activity, the six remaining crew members stood in the disheveled cockpit, facing the unconscious Bandage.
All eyes, filled with anxiety, turned to Charles, seeking a sense of security. The pressure was immense, but Charles knew this was when his crew needed him the most. He couldn’t afford to panic.
“Anna, did you see what attacked Bandage?”
“No, the ship suddenly tilted, and I fell to the ground.”
“That thing is still on the ship. It will strike again.”
“But Captain, we’ve searched everywhere. There’s nothing. Can it be invisible?” Dip asked, his face etched with worry.
In the Sea of Thieves, monsters came in all shapes and forms. Invisibility wasn’t out of the question.
“Unlikely. If it could turn invisible, it wouldn’t have waited this long.”
Charles knew he had to take action to protect his crew from further attacks. If they continued like this, the Rat would become a steel coffin, burying them all.
But what could he do when faced with such unknowns?
After pondering for a moment, Charles licked his lips and spoke, “Chief Engineer, open the turbines to full. We need to get back to the Coral Islands as fast as possible, even if it means the Rat is scrapped.”
“Dip, you and the first mate lock all the hatches.”
“Fred, move all the raw food from the kitchen to the turbine room and the cockpit. Everyone stays in these two areas.”
If they couldn’t find the threat, they would huddle together until they reached port.
“What about using the bathroom?” Anna asked softly.
Charles tapped his finger on the transparent glass in front of him, “Over the side.”
As the crew began to converge in the two designated areas, the atmosphere on the Rat became even more oppressive.
In the cockpit, Dip was at the helm, Anna tended to Bandage in the hammock, and Charles sat on a stool, continuing to write in the diary.
Aside from the sound of the pen scratching across the paper, the cabin was silent.