Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 208 The Vanished Ship's Core

"I'm just a poor cat."

Inside the Thorn, by the cockpit, Yun Lan muttered to herself, mimicking the big cat's tone, "Then what are we? Poor two-legged mice?"

“At least you’re a princess among two-legged mice,” Yavso said foolishly.

"Ha! I'm so honored to have the chance to be the princess of the rats." Yun Lan rolled her eyes with obvious disdain.

While the two girls were choreographing the Great Cat Night Demon on the Thorn Ship, Shenba, who was piloting the ship, also managed to bring it to an emergency stop after being reminded by the Magic Mirror.

"According to the dial on the treasure map..."

In the Valkyrie's conference room, Yun Ji said, "We need to stay here for six hours, and..."

At this point, Yun Ji took out a pocket watch, opened it, and said, "It's not my imagination. This time, the hands on the watch face are moving very slowly, much slower than the normal flow of time. We'll probably have to stay here for quite a while."

"In that case, I'll take Her Highness back to rest first."

Before the big cat Ye Di finished speaking, it had already carried the Shadowless Princess onto the open deck and, in an almost ramming manner, "push" the Silver Queen, who had become a big star, into the medium channel.

This heartless big cat not only took Princess Mist Shadow away, but even the bridle between the two boats broke apart and was sucked into its belly by Hiss like eating noodles.

"I always said the undead are never reliable," Yun Ji mumbled indistinctly.

“We can’t always rely on the Silver Queen to steer the ship, so let’s just consider it a vacation for her.”

Cheng Lang said nonchalantly, "Magic Mirror, remind the Thorn to be on high alert. I have a feeling that this red mist is not so simple."

"Please put it down."

The magic mirror didn't even finish a complete sentence before disappearing in a flash, as if the signal was bad.

"The undead are indeed unreliable," Cheng Lang muttered to himself.

"What should we do?" Yun Ji asked.

“Go and send a light signal to the Thorn,” Cheng Lang said, already gripping the helm. “From now on, it’s up to us.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Ji promptly pulled up the mask of her Sea Serpent combat suit and ran out of the cabin.

"I knew the dead couldn't be trusted!"

Yun Lan on the Thorn snorted, then walked to the side of the cockpit and gently pushed Shenba aside. "Leave the rest to me."

"You can sail a boat?" Shenba asked suspiciously.

“When I learned to sail, you were still…” Yun Lan snorted, “not even born yet.”

"You'd better remember how to steer a boat."

Shenba, that brainless idiot, said without any politeness that he had never regarded Yunlan as a princess, and he didn't even think that this princess was that pretty.

"Yafso, could you please get me some food?"

Yun Lan ignored the somewhat childish Shen Ba, "Also, please bring me a bottle of strong liquor."

"Oh, okay!" Yavso quickly agreed and ran into the cabin.

However, before Yafuso could bring the food and wine, both Cheng Lang and Yun Lan frowned and ran towards the ship's center chamber without a clear order.

"What's wrong?" Yun Ji asked instinctively as she caught up with him.

"Boat Heart," Cheng Lang said as he ran, "Boat Heart has stopped beating."

"The ship's heart has stopped beating?!"

Yun Ji on the Valkyrie, Yafso on the Thorn, Shenba, and even Gerta all exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

But at that moment, the two captains had no time to explain. Instead, they sped up and rushed into the captain's cabin.

But when they opened the door to the captain's cabin, they were stunned. There was no ship's core in the ship's cabin of either ship!
"Yun Ji, go, go check the ship's central chamber at the bow!" Cheng Lang said, looking at the empty room, where even the central pool had disappeared.

Upon hearing this, Yun Ji immediately rushed towards the bow of the ship at top speed.

A moment later, she ran back, “It’s gone. The ship’s bow chamber is empty too, there’s nothing there.”

"The Fresh Fruit has disappeared!" At the same time, Yavso also exclaimed in surprise.

"Back to the driver's seat!"

Cheng Lang and Yun Lan made the same decision at almost the same time.

"Where do you think the ship's center will go?" Yun Ji asked after they returned to the side of the indoor bridge.

"There's no point in discussing this now."

Cheng Lang forced himself to calm down, and while trying to use the abilities granted by the ship's core, he said, "Keep an eye on the dial on the treasure map, and also notify the Thorn to prepare for manual handling of the ship."

Watching Yun Ji disappear again in the blink of an eye, Cheng Lang sighed, all the abilities the ship's heart had granted him vanished.

The ship's hull could no longer conceal its form, the whip was unusable, the ship's cables could not be manipulated, and even the ship's hull and dragonfly fins were useless. The only saving grace was that the vine demon had not disappeared and remained obedient.

In comparison, the Thorn was somewhat better off. After all, the sails of this ship were controlled by the female sailors of the Ray tribe from the beginning, and the thorny abilities that Yun Lan possessed in the ship's core did not have much of an impact on its sailing.

So is this a test for the sailors?
Cheng Lang had no answer in his heart. Rather than any test, he began to suspect that the red mist surrounding them might be the blood and hearths of other ships that had disappeared on their way here. In the anxious wait, time passed second by second. The surrounding red mist gradually dissipated, but the sea surface gradually turned blood red.

Just then, Yun Ji shouted, "Attention, time is almost up! Listen for my whistle!"

After saying that, she picked up the boat lantern again and skillfully gave the same signal.

At the same time, Cheng Lang also pushed open the glass window in front of the driver's seat.

At this moment, the nauseating sweet and fishy smell outside the window had disappeared, replaced by a strange smell of rotten wood.

Although the smell isn't exactly pleasant either, it's much better than before.

Seeing this, Cheng Lang simply ran up to the open-air cockpit, where the view was at least much better.

"beep--!"

Just then, Yun Ji blew her whistle and shouted, "Right steer 30!"

"Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails!"

As soon as Cheng Lang gave the order, the vine demons immediately pulled the cables, cooperating with their captain for the first time in a long time, and began to move forward with the Valkyrie.

This time, compared to the initial voyage, neither ship had time to reach its top speed before the sea began to churn and blood-red rain began to fall from the sky!
"Captain! Turn port 50!"

Holding the treasure map, Yun Ji suddenly shouted a warning, "The course has changed!"

"Left rudder 50!"

As Cheng Lang shouted, he turned the helm, cursing as he asked, "Which bastard left this treasure map?!"

"It doesn't matter who left it!"

Amidst the rain of blood, Yun Ji shouted in response, "We'd better have a reward at the finish line that justifies our efforts! Right rudder! Right rudder 15!"

"I'll be satisfied as long as the ship's core can be returned!" Cheng Lang said, gently turning the helm in his hand.

"Breaking Waves Song! Ready!"

On the bow deck of the Thorn, Tinissa, the leader of the Lyretail Merman Orchestra, stood amidst the rain of blood and issued the order, while the other Lyretail Mermen immediately prepared.

Before long, the rousing music resounded throughout the ship, reaching Yun Lan's ears as well as Cheng Lang's.

After waiting a while longer, the dark elves in the cabin, led by Shenba and Yafuso, braved the rain of blood and walked onto the bow deck, where they began to sing along to the music.

When the song reached their ears, both Cheng Lang and Yun Lan clearly felt that they had become much more adept at controlling the rudder.

Encouraged by the repeated singing, the two ships changed course under the captains' personal command, and the sailors cooperated with their respective captains by pulling the mooring lines and turning the sails.

Gradually, the sky grew darker and darker, the blood-red waves and rain grew larger and larger, and the two ships became increasingly difficult to maneuver due to the hoarse voices of the lyretail fishmen and dark elves.

"Look to the left!" Yun Ji reminded her.

Subconsciously following the other person's reminder, Cheng Lang's heart clenched. Not far to his left, several dilapidated sailboats were drifting on the sea.

The ship's sails were tattered, but on the open bridge at the stern stood a headless captain holding the helm.

"Keep your eyes on the treasure map!" Cheng Lang shouted, turning his gaze away.

"Full left rudder!" Yun Ji shouted at this moment.

"Don't let me find out which bastard left this treasure map!"

As he cursed, Cheng Lang spun the slippery rudder in his hand, and the Valkyrie changed direction, heading straight for that wrecked ship that could be considered a ghost ship or not.

"Is that tattered treasure map meant to lead us to our doom?" Cheng Lang shouted.

"I have no idea!"

Yun Ji shouted back, "But the treasure map says we can't slow down!"

"Hold on tight!" Cheng Lang shouted a reminder while gripping the helm tightly.

"Hard to right!" Yun Ji shouted at this moment.

Without even having time to think, Cheng Lang immediately began frantically turning the rudder, and at the same time, the vine demons instinctively pulled on the cables as well.

However, making a full right turn right at this juncture, when the ship has just completed a left turn and the hull has not yet stabilized in the waves, would undoubtedly be fatal.

As a huge wave crashed in, the Valkyrie and the Thorn, both with their rudders hard to starboard, were almost simultaneously pressed down onto their hulls and sails!

The enormous impact, along with the inherent swaying of the boats as they turned right, caused both boats to capsize instantly!

Done
Cheng Lang and Yun Lan's hearts sank at the same time. However, before the blood-red seawater could touch their bodies, the two boats, like two roly-poly toys, righted themselves after violently rocking.

When the sailors, who had fallen to the ground, got up grimacing, they discovered that not only was the surrounding red sea calm, but there was also a lighthouse emitting a scarlet light right in front of the two ships.

Instinctively, Cheng Lang ran to the edge of the ship and looked down. He and Yun Ji, who had just been standing steadily without falling, exchanged a horrified glance—beneath the calm, waveless sea lay a blood-red, raging torrent!
"us."

Cheng Lang and Yun Ji both uttered the same question in a daze: "It capsized and went underwater?"

(End of this chapter)