There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Okay, I feel like Kai still hasn't calmed down—want to split up in this godforsaken place? I'll twist your head off, you believe me? Then you might as well lead the charge, Xingtian Warrior.

Under my almost piercing gaze, Kai finally calmed down and began to think: "You're right... Although I've never been here before, I've found some clues from these cipher carvings..."

Chapter 613 The Strange Tales of Mineral Town Harbor (XV)

If Kai continues to conceal the truth while trapped in the city of Sorrow, he will no longer be considered a partner.

Well, at most it's considered food reserves.

Kay ran his fingers over the remaining carvings on the building and began to recount what he knew.

"Research by the University of Michigan's School of Archaeology indicates that around 1.29 years ago, the three-tusked mammoth, saber-toothed tiger, humped camel, sloth, and mastiff, which once roamed the continent, suddenly went extinct. At the same time, the last group of lake-dwelling Homo sapiens, Tumha, also suddenly disappeared. Afterward, the Earth experienced a 1300-year-long period of intense cooling, known as the 'Spring Cold Period.' Because a large number of ancient fir trees, which had long been extinct, were found in this stratum, this extinction event is called the 'Ghost Tree Event.'"

I had assumed that when Kai, being a sailor, opened his mouth, he would be telling some secrets circulating in the Navigators' Alliance.

The fact that he started with such serious scientific knowledge caught me completely off guard. Not to mention Gray next to me, who was now totally dumbfounded…

So, when people get old, they must climb a mountain... oh no, young people must read more books, otherwise they will end up like the illiterate people next to them, making fools of themselves anytime, anywhere.

But given that he was able to become the chief of a tribe with an illiteracy rate as high as 99%... his level of etiquette is probably not very high in this lifetime.

"Kay, is the ghost wood you mentioned the material we used to ride on the raft here?" I asked.

The young man with the purple headscarf nodded, confirming my guess, and continued his story.

"...8200 years ago, there was also a cooling event. Under the warm post-glacial climate of that time, the temperature suddenly dropped. Although this anomaly lasted only a little over two hundred years, and the magnitude and scope of the temperature drop were far less than the Ghost Tree event, it was called the 'New Ghost Tree Event' because a large number of Ghost Trees that should have been extinct were mysteriously unearthed in coastal excavations at the same time..."

The illiterate boy, Gray, interrupted the hardcore science lesson, quickly asking, "Wait a minute. What does all this have to do with us being trapped here?"

Kay said with a wry smile, "There's really no direct connection... but it's very directly related to me..."

He showed off the lifelike ship-shaped tattoo on his arm, "Because 8,200 years ago, the primitive tribes who scattered across various islands by boat were the ancestors of the Navigators' Alliance..."

Kay stood up, gently stroking the ruined limestone temple, and explained the meaning of the characters on it.

"Look here... these are the poems left by our ancestors during their last sacrifice here, praising their unwavering faith. When these words were carved, their identities varied: some were priestly kings, some were elder leaders, and others were legislators, builders, enlightened rulers, tribunes, and divine hunters..."

Kay leaped up the stone pillar and stood on a high platform. He sewed the dust of history into a robe, draped it over his body, and acted out this ruin. Perhaps every day and night, in the cracks between the stones, an ancient drama reenacted in Valhalla style, a scene of utter desolation.

"But after that day, everyone had only one identity... a homeless person who had lost their homeland."

"We can only drift forever at sea, briefly reuniting amidst the peaks and valleys of the waves, greeting each other in an increasingly unfamiliar language, and finally ending with a word that is more of a blessing than a request..."

"Have you found your homeland... my brother..."

Hmm... If these ancient fir trees disappeared more than 10,000 years ago due to climate change, then the mystery of their "reappearance" eight thousand years ago, which has puzzled archaeologists for many years, must be related to these seafarers.

Coincidentally, this inference also coincides with the speculation about the remnants of a mysterious oceanic empire in the Voynich Historical Manuscript.

I suddenly realized the clue in his words and pressed him for an answer: "In the 'New Ghost Wood Incident,' were the ghost woods unearthed from those ruins brought out by you?"

"That's right!"

Kay immediately responded, “Those seafarers who braved the waves in search of survival were my ancestors, and the first members of the Brotherhood of Seafarers! We fought countless storms in order to find a home. Who would have thought that the logs that first set sail with us would be remnants of something long extinct on the continent—how similar this is to our identity as lost wanderers…”

I continued, "May I ask what you are searching for? What does a home you have left thousands of years ago mean to you? Why have you become such a totem-like existence instead of settling on land?"

"Sigh... Aren't you curious why I'm so fixated on these ethereal legends, and why the Brotherhood of Navigators has survived to this day instead of disappearing or fading into history?"

Kay gave a wry smile and said helplessly, "I'll just reveal the answer directly, it's because of a curse..."

(?o?o)??!

Okay, the art style finally matches up!

I've basically mastered the correct way to chat!

Indeed, nautical stories must be accompanied by superstitions and legends! Adding any messy scientific background is heresy!

Kay should have noticed my inexplicable excitement: "Oh? Tell me more about this! Did you steal the Aztec cursed gold coins, or were you extradited by the Flying Dutch and turned into a seafood stew?!"

Originally immersed in the atmosphere of the legend, Kai, who was expressing his feelings on the high platform, immediately looked at me speechlessly, "Why are you so excited... Shouldn't a normal person be scared!"

Gray said gleefully, "If you get to know him better, you'll find that the boss's thought process is completely different from that of a normal person."

I glared at them angrily.

What do you mean by having a different thought process than a normal person? My problem is that I've been thoroughly educated! "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening," you illiterate!

Back in the day, I skipped a grade at Blackgate Secondary School at six, and by sixteen I had earned my diploma from Arkham University, immediately receiving a tenured professorship... cough cough, I mean, a position. I still remember that day, Arkham University's president, Zhou Ke'er, warmly greeted my entire family, saying he would give me the most lavish gift as soon as he left...

“Originally, I couldn’t reveal the information about the curse circulating within the Navigator Alliance to unrelated individuals, lest it cause even greater disaster. But now that we’re trapped here, telling you won’t cause any problems. However, you must make your own decision; once you hear it, there’s no going back…”

I countered, "That doesn't make sense. With so many members in your Navigator's Alliance, how could you possibly keep it a secret? For example, Zack must know the contents of the curse, right?"

Kai nodded: "Zack certainly knows. But he was the most promising captain in the Brotherhood of Navigators twenty years ago, so he was told. In fact, everyone in the early Brotherhood of Navigators knew about the Sacred Curse, which caused a terrible disaster."

"After that, the weakened Brotherhood of Navigators reorganized into the Navigators' Alliance, absorbing many promising young talents from various fleets—from then on, those who knew the inside story became the Elders and the Priest Captains… Therefore, this Priest Curse must absolutely not be leaked… You must guarantee it…"

I said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'm known for never telling anyone, Marcus! People like Zhang Wenyuan who keeps his mouth shut, Guan Yu who's as steady as Mount Tai, Liu Bei who keeps secrets, and Zhuge Liang who's taciturn can all vouch for me! Hurry up and tell me the secret, I can't help but know... oh no, I can't help but keep it a secret for you!"

Kai covered his face and said, "Okay... but the Sacred Curse in the Navigator's Alliance can neither be spoken nor transmitted, it's not the bizarre thing you're imagining. If I had to describe it, it's something beyond form and substance, existing ethereally and intangibly in consciousness, a mysterious power that can only be transmitted through a specific medium... and those with the pure blood of the Navigator's Alliance are extremely stable Sacred Curse mediums..."

Kay explained awkwardly, "So I don't know which words will cause you to be cursed by the ritual, and I don't know what to say and what not to say... Oh, right, in his later years, Grandpa suddenly changed his tune and started calling this ritual curse a meme..."

"...Memes?!"

Chapter 614 The Strange Tales of Mineral Town Harbor (Sixteen)

Old Kai's existence was no secret to me, but compared to the other old miners I had already met and even talked to, this old captain only existed in other people's stories, and I didn't know him personally.

My surprised expression may have caused some misunderstanding for Kai.

As far as his secret was concerned, Gray and I should have been completely ignorant, but instead of showing too much surprise, I instantly grasped a certain word, as if I had met an unexpected old friend on the street...

"Hmm...you know my grandfather?"

It's no wonder that Kay would ask such a question.

In his mind, "sacrifice and curse" was the preconceived name, while "meme" was just an alias used by the old man. No one would care too much about a name unless they were acquainted with the person.

But this also led me to analyze a problem...

He was unaware of the meme disaster that had occurred in Mineral Town years ago.

Keeping it a secret, disclosing it cautiously, and passing it down from generation to generation—this is the path that several old mining families have chosen without prior agreement.

For example, Harris, the last person to be told about the existence of the "final calamity," was given this cursed mission just as old Browning was about to die.

So it seems that Kay did not gain his grandfather's approval, and therefore was never told the truth until old Kay passed away.

The curse that belonged to the Kai family has been quietly taken to a dark grave.

If that's the case, then I hesitated, unsure whether I should tell this boy, so long overdue, about the nightmare that had once shrouded the town.

On the one hand, the problem has been solved, so there shouldn't be any problem talking about it now.

But on the other hand, why should I tell outdated historical stories to someone who has finally managed to transcend them?

"Uh... I don't actually know him, I've only heard about your grandfather..."

I gave a vague answer, saying that I had decided to try my best to avoid leaks.

Kay jumped down from the platform, somewhat dejected. "Oh... I thought you could tell me what Grandpa was thinking. I actually didn't talk to him much. Until a year before he passed away, he would always be holding an anonymous scripture and reciting it all night long, never having any effective communication with me..."

"Likes chanting scriptures?" What a strange hobby.

Kai said, "Yes, next to the ancestral home of the Navigators' Alliance, there is an ancient monastery. Grandpa always stays inside from morning to night and refuses to come out."

"Your grandfather's hobby... is quite unique," I could only say, offering a forced compliment.

Hearing this, Gray said irritably, "That's still better than me! My grandpa is very good at talking, but unfortunately, he always disciplined me by hitting me at the same time. In the end, either I would be beaten unconscious, or he would be drunk and pass out..."

Upon hearing this, Kai couldn't maintain his solemn act any longer and chuckled, "How can your grandfather be the same as ordinary people..."

...Sebala, you should listen to this! In Kai's eyes, you not only don't deserve to be a grandfather, but you've also lost the right to be a human being, you know that?

Kay suddenly turned to me and said, "By the way, Marcus, why did you come to town? Harris and Gotz didn't say much in their letters, and Zack always pretends to be clueless... Do you have some secret too?"

I knew this young man wasn't some naive and innocent girl.

The fact that he could name these people shows that he had analyzed and reconstructed some of the facts from that year, identified several suspects, and decisively categorized me as one of them.

...and it's quite accurate.

I was about to answer when he continued to add to the story.

"I bet... you're Old Man Hook's grandson!"

Who could be that old bastard's grandson?!

It was absurd enough that old man Hooker claimed I was Dolanco's grandson, but at least he had a son named Gotz still alive. That old bastard clearly died alone; could he possibly have mitosis?

I complained, "Stop guessing. Old Man Hook looks like a jinx, and I happen to be a star-devourer. I'm afraid he won't be able to take the fall."

Kay asked in confusion, "But wasn't Old Man Hook dead?"

Huh? That old bastard faked his death?

Seeing my confusion, Kay explained, "The last time I saw Old Man Hook was when he talked with Grandpa all night. Not long after, he abandoned the ranch and went out to sea by boat. When I asked him again, Grandpa said he was dead."

I thought to myself, "That old man not only didn't die, he even rode the Star Express and joined a senior citizen tour group."

Oh right, and there's also my old buddy, old Yorkson, so he didn't exactly die alone.

To clear my name, I had to explain, "Actually, I came here to be a rancher because my only relative—my father—suddenly disappeared, and I couldn't make a living anymore. Once I've collected a beat-up pickup truck, a rifle, and a roll of toilet paper with page numbers, I can use the three-piece set to become a redneck..."

Kay immediately said, embarrassed, "I'm sorry, I brought up something that upset you..."

"I'm not sad. It's just Trump stepping down, what does that have to do with me, a redneck? I even moved a table back from Capitol Hill!"

"...I was referring to your father's matter."

Kay broke down in tears as she reminded him, then changed the subject with a sigh, "Maybe I've never met my father, so I can't understand how you feel. But if someone were to leave so suddenly, like Grandpa... it would be really hard for you, wouldn't it?"

"...You've never seen your father?"

This time, it was my turn to be surprised.

Kay nodded and said, “My parents died a long time ago. According to my grandfather, shortly after I was born, they gave up running the family fleet and went into a brutal but just war of resistance, after which they disappeared without a trace.”

"Grandpa went out and tried every means to find them, but when he broke through the sea defense line, he was mistaken for a rebel, arrested and imprisoned. He finally escaped thanks to the continuous rescue efforts of the Navigators' Alliance and hid on this small island..."

"When Grandpa heard news of my parents again, they had already perished in the smoke and fire of war. They could only find me, a newborn, from their comrades in the resistance..."