IWBL: Chapter 76
From the side of the scalpel, he could only see the outline of the object. It was a type of scarlet object moving towards them at a constant speed. It should be large because as it approached, the entire corridor trembled slightly.
It coincided with the sea breeze blowing outside and a huge wave rolling. The old ghost ship swayed heavily in the violent storm and it was hard to tell if the trembling of the corridor was caused by the object or the storm outside.
“Escape!” Qi Xiaoxiao felt some curiosity but at the moment of shock, she quickly made a decision.
For a time, apart from Xiao Li, the rest of the group ran forward with Xie Zeqing in the lead. Xiao Li wanted to stay where he was to see the real face of the object but the vibration of the corridor became bigger and bigger and the sound became clearer.
It was a sound that was similar to sticky liquid. It got closer and closer, until half of its body was exposed around the corner.
It wasn’t an object or even a creature. It seemed to be a huge flesh and blood sphere. From outside the sphere, countless red tentacles helped it advance. In fact, it wasn’t that terrible looking. The particularly important thing was that as it slid forward, its tentacles and flesh gradually eroded everything it passed.
The liquid happened to be very thick and mixed with meat pieces. Xiao Li’s expression changed at the sight. He would rather jump into the sea than to swim in the swamp of blood. Xiao Li immediately turned and ran before the liquid flowed in front of him. He quickly caught up to the other reincarnators running in front of him.
Xie Zeqing often exercised and it was effortless to run in a place like this. He still had time to look back at Xiao Li. “Did you see that monster?”
Xiao Li gasped and described it. “It is like a red Malva nut magnified by several times.”
“…Malva nut? Is that why you ran so fast to catch up?”
Xiao Li added to his words. “A drooling, wet Malva nut.”
Xie Zeqing didn’t express anger over this type of ‘keeping listeners in suspense’ action. He was busy looking back at the monster slowly chasing after them, scared by the flowing flesh and blood. “How many people has it killed?”
“At a rough estimate, at least 100 people.”
“F*k!”
Qi Xiaoxiao was angry. “We are running to escape. How can you chat? I am almost out of breath?”
Xie Zeqing turned back and quickened his pace. The few people moved forward like a whirlwind. They wanted to find a room to hide in but the corridor they ran through no longer had any room. It was as if this was the underground passage leading to the final destination.
After a while, Xie Zeqing slowed down and spoke hesitatingly, “…In front… there is another ghost… but it isn’t strong.”
He said so and the others stopped. Qi Xiaoxiao glanced in the direction he mentioned and saw a door at the end of the path. It was closed tightly and a golden river was carved on top of it.
“Should we enter?” Wei Lige looked between the door and his teammates before back at the monster. “It’s going to catch up with us!”
There was a wolf behind them and a tiger in front. Qi Xiaoxiao bit her red lips, worrying for a moment. Before she made up her mind, Xiao Li took the initiative to push open the door and go in.
The opening of the door brought about a ray of light. It wasn’t strong but was the cold light of the moon. Xie Zeqing and the others also entered. The first thing they saw was an entire glass surface. The centre of the room contained the engine buttons and the steering wheel. Luo Shan was the last one to come in. She turned to lock the door before starting to observe the whole room.
The captain’s room of the ghost ship was very quiet and spacious. There was a bottle of wine without the cap on the left hand side of the main seat. It was like a person had been drinking when they were called out and set the wine aside.
‘Boom.’ There was a loud noise and the waves directly struck against the hull. Qi Xiaoxiao’s posture was unstable and she could only hold onto the wall. Xie Zeqing frowned as he tried to sense the ghost in this place. He could feel that there was a ghost but he didn’t know where it was.
Xiao Li put his hands behind his back and stepped towards the steering wheel to look ahead. This scenery would be beautiful when the sea was calm but at this moment, there were only waves.
Just then, a hoarse voice was heard. “You… aren’t dead yet?”
This sound was like a bolt of lightning, making everyone immediately search for the source. A face was floating from the wooden steering wheel. It was the face of a middle-aged man. The face looked at the group and made a sly smile. “You must’ve worked hard in order to reach here. Come, see your captain.”
Qi Xiaoxiao stared nervously at the steering wheel and repeated his words. “Captain?”
The face on the steering wheel made an expression of pride. “You are meeting Captain Stern, third-grade meritorious soldier.”
The scene in front of her was too strange. Qi Xiaoxiao had a good psychological quality but she couldn’t help feeling a bit scared. She thought about her earlier speculation on the ghost ship and said, “Then Captain Stern, what happened to the ship?”
The face was dark. “You are all going to die. Do you need to know so much?”
Qi Xiaoxiao wanted to choke him but then the face seemed to think of something and calmed his tone. “Nevertheless, looking at you can fill my temporary void. I can answer the question. This ship, naturally had the best thing happen to it. I call it a miracle.”
He just finished speaking when then noise outside the door grew louder. The tentacle monster that had been chasing them finally stopped at the door and started to hit the locked door. The sticky flesh spilled in through the bottom of the door.
Qi Xiaoxiao didn’t speak and Xiao Li looked down at the face on the steering wheel. He used his right index finger to hook up the wine jug and sneered as he watched the shaky jug. “What is the miracle when you are half-dead like this?”
His words poked at the face. The face twisted his mouth. “Half-dead? You small presence, you little being, look up and see the sea in front of you. You are just a drop in the ocean of infinity!”
Xiao Li said, “You also speak in idioms.”
“You are insulting the great Captain Stern!” The face on the steering wheel gradually became ferocious due to Xiao Li’s frivolous tone. Due to the emotional ups and downs, the ghost ship floated and sank on the sea. It almost made everyone fall to the ground and Xiao Li had to hold onto the steering column to barely stand.
“I was just sighing.” Xiao Li tightly gripped the edge of the steering wheel and talked to the face above it. “I thought your head was only made of wood, yet you can still think.”
The face exclaimed, “Shut up, human!”
“No, wood.”
The face on the steering wheel twitched. It was unknown what he was thinking but he quickly calmed down. “A sky can accommodate the birds. Our two lives are different. Why should I become angry with you? You’ll soon know what it means to anger Captain Stern.”
He continued, “You lowly human beings will soon become part of my flesh and blood. You will die in hell and I will always be here, forever sailing and never stopping.”
Xiao Li’s right hand raised the jug and tilted it downwards. Three drops of alcohol poured from the jug onto the steering wheel, directly into the face’s nostrils.
The face that suddenly had alcohol dripped into his nostrils. “………”
The reincarnators who looked at the face. “………”
‘Moriarty, why do you never act normally?’
This might not be good but why did it inexplicably look cool?
Xiao Li looked at the captain’s crumpled up face and spoke with interest, “I thought your face was made of wood. Can you still feel?”
The face suddenly had alcohol enter his nostrils and a hot feeling moved from his nasal cavity to his throat. This once in a century situation made him furious. “You dare to offend Lord Stern! I’m going to—”
He hadn’t finished speaking when the jug of wine was once again poured on him, this time in his open mouth. Xiao Li shook the jug, checked the remaining wine inside it and said to the face, “Next time, I want to try your eyes.”
The face immediately closed his eyes and knew it was time to act clever. “You humble human beings, why don’t you sit down and speak?”
He replaced lowly with humble. Rather than continuing to wash the face with alcohol, Xiao Li held the jug and repeated what he had previously seen on the cupboard. “You only want eternity. Is it eternal life you’re after?”
The face still had tightly closed eyes. It looked like he was really afraid that Xiao Li would give him an eye bath with alcohol. “You are such a small existence. How can you know what eternity is?”
“Yes.” Xiao Li put down the jug and knocked on the steering wheel with a bone, striking the forehead of the face. “Eternity is not being able to fight back like this? Is this worthy of being immortal?”
The face constantly moved his position but no matter how he moved, he couldn’t move outside the steering wheel. He also didn’t dare to open his eyes or his mouth. Even moving his nostrils was carefully controlled or else alcohol might pour in.
“Enough!” The face found an opportunity. His eyes were closed, his mouth tight and the sound squeezed out from his tightly clenched lips. “You lowly human beings, if I didn’t want you to die, I would have you serve on my ship for 100 years!”
The steering wheel shifted to the left and the ghost ship immediately tilted, water pouring into the room.
The author has something to say:
Face: It is good to talk. Why suddenly move against me? My face is itchy, my forehead is sore and my mouth is hot but I have no hands to scratch myself.