Time passes over the Crescent like a drifting air current, like a gentle but unstoppable magic that exerts its magic on everyone.
This magic made the sailors' beards grow longer, gave them a sour smell, and made their clothes dirty and unkempt.
But the magic seemed to have bypassed the only woman on board, who was sitting idle in the room vacated by the first mate.
This was not her original intention. If she could, she would definitely be willing to stay busy with the king and show her ability and charm.
But everyone on the ship took good care of her, especially the first mate Hilpeter, who did not assign her any work even in heavy rain.
The complete opposite of her treatment is Walter.
Hillpeter complied with Schliemann's orders very well. He did not have any direct conflict with Walter, but his abuse of power made even Jimmy, who had just boarded the ship, look down upon him.
For example, in a blustery weather, Walter was asked to climb up to the observation deck and perform watch duties that were unnecessary in such weather; another example was, in a heavy rain, Walter was asked to go to the deck to check the drain over and over again; and another example, Walter was left bored in the cabin where the grain was stored, just to watch that the food would not be eaten by rats.
Situations like this happen almost every day.
Although old crew members bullying new crew members would happen on any flying ship, Hilpeter's actions were obviously an attempt to anger Walter.
Schliemann had warned Hilpeter not to go too far, but Hilpeter shrugged his shoulders, as if you don't understand me.
"Someone has to do these jobs. I do this to help him adapt to life on a flying ship as soon as possible."
In fact, Schliemann, as captain, could have ordered Hillpeter to stop messing around, but he also had selfish motives.
He wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of fighting power the king's guards would have after being angered.
As for Hilpeter, Schliemann was not worried about his safety. He was a Lot man who grew up on the Lost Island.
However, twenty days of harassment did not make Walter violently resist. He still maintained his poker face and methodically carried out the orders of First Officer Hilpeter.
In the captain's cabin, Schliemann looked at the destitute royal family in front of him who had been completely reduced to crew members and sighed.
Ampton completely lost his sense of being a gentleman. Two buttons of his decent shirt were left open, exposing his chest muscles covered in sticky sweat.
The blond hair is no longer flowing. They are pulled back and shiny.
"This matter is not that simple. The range I marked is actually very large. We must first find an empty island to use as a supply springboard to extend around."
Ampton exhaled, his expression a little slumped.
"It's too slow... Schliemann, it's too slow."
"There is no way to slow down. If no empty island is found that can provide us with supplies within three days, then we have to go back and change a route to the calibration area."
Just as Ampton was covering his head and thinking hard, there was an urgent knock on the door.
"Captain! The haunted house is coming!"
Schliemann suddenly stood up and rushed out of the room. Ampton also reacted in a short time and ran out.
However, Jimmy, who had come to report the news in a hurry, stopped at the door. He looked at the small gap in the open door of the captain's room. After standing still for a few seconds, he gritted his teeth and stretched out his hand.
On the bridge, Schliemann frowned as he looked at the huge mist in front of him.
Based on the current speed and altitude, it is already impossible to avoid it.
"Everyone is ready for battle! Connie! Descend quickly!"
Before Hill Peter could pass the order to the microphone, Ampton on the side grabbed him.
"Wait a minute! This ghost fog is too big! Look below."
Following the direction of Apton's finger, the crew on the bridge saw the white mist that was almost connected to the blue sea.
Everyone knows what will happen if they enter the blue sea. The long-standing legends and what they have seen during many years of sailing remind them that there is something more terrifying than death there.
"Sil Peter! Execute the order!"
The orders were passed on one by one, the Crescent began to descend, and the crew began to be fully armed. Even Vivian, who had never been assigned any tasks, was assigned weapons.
But Walter, who always obeyed orders, uncharacteristically refused Hilpeter's order. He ran to the bridge and stood beside Ampton, his face as sinking as water.
"Connie! That new thing of yours better work!"
Schliemann muttered, grabbing the armrest and staring at the ghost mist that was getting closer.
The Crescent Moon's airbags were expelling plumes, but the efficiency was still not enough to avoid the ghost fog. The white sheet quickly passed over the Crescent Moon and surrounded it.
Schliemann stared at the altimeter and asked Connie to reduce the speed. The crew was busy on the deck, and the auxiliary sail was quickly furled.
He concentrated on holding the steering wheel and trying to maintain a steady descent.
In the hazy fog, the light suddenly became dim. Schliemann looked up and was shocked.
He turned the steering wheel violently, trying to avoid the figure as much as possible, but the response speed of the flying ship could not keep up with his reaction.
"Ghost ship! Boarding battle!"
Several bangs were heard, and then the Crescent shook violently, and the bow began to tilt downward.
Everyone looked solemn and listened quietly to the shouts of the crew report coming from the phone.
"The stern deck was attacked, two steel spears!"
Before Schliemann had time to react, there were several more bangs. As he was shaking, he stabilized his body and looked at the forward deck. Three steel spears were stuck on the front deck. The crew members tied with safety ropes were rushing towards the steel spears. Spear, swinging the weapon in his hand in an attempt to cut the rope connecting the steel spear.
Schliemann controlled the Crescent so that its deck faced the huge black shadow in the ghost fog. In this way, even if it was shot by a steel spear again, the crew on the deck could cut the rope in time to avoid being boarded by the ghost soldiers. Boat.
However, the ghost ship with its huge black shadow was far more flexible than anyone imagined.
It moved sideways, and just as the Crescent was turning with difficulty, he suddenly disappeared and appeared on the other side of the Crescent.
Following several more banging sounds, several steel spears carrying ice slag were inserted into the front section of the starboard side of the Crescent.
The crew members tied with safety ropes rushed to the starboard side. They jumped down and prepared to cut the ropes.
However, due to the Crescent's actions just now, they were left on the port side. The time it took to cross the deck made them lose the opportunity to fight.
Although Schliemann couldn't see it, the sounds of clashing swords and roars had already entered his ears. He frowned and slammed the rudder, trying to keep up with the ghost ship's movements and get rid of the ghost soldiers who boarded the ship.
Although Schliemann and the crew took a series of decisive responses, ghost soldiers continued to climb onto the deck.
They were in rags, their bones were exposed, and their bodies were covered with a layer of white frost;
The scimitars they wield are rusty but gleaming with cold light;
They pounced on the crew members with their mouths wide open, and roared in waves, like the desperate gasps of a dying person.
Schliemann's face was gloomy. He turned the steering wheel again and tilted the Crescent towards the other side.
"Sil Peter! Come on!"
Hilpeter drew out his machete and rushed out of the bridge, followed by several crew members, fighting with the dead ghost soldiers.
The scimitar almost became an afterimage in Hilpeter's hand. The simple and direct slashing combined with his brutal charging style made him invincible on the deck.
More steel spears came, bringing more ghost soldiers.
Fortunately, these ghost soldiers are not knights in armor. They are cold and haggard and easier to kill.
But the frosted scimitars in their hands were sharp, no different from the weapons in the hands of the crew.
Gradually, some people were injured, injured, bleeding, and even cried out in pain.
The battle on the deck gradually became more intense, and the battle between the ghost ship and the Crescent continued.
Faced with several ghost ships that wanted to join the ship, the Crescent twisted its huge body tenaciously under the control of Schliemann.
Time and time again, the tragic situations that seemed to be inevitable for Apton to be bitten were resolved by Schliemann one by one.
As the height decreased, after a shrill cry, the ghost ship disappeared into the thick fog again, leaving only an indifferent black shadow, like a beast staring at its prey on the edge of its territory.
However, Schliemann did not have any joy of escaping from death. He knew that the real test had just begun.
"Everyone! Cover your ears! Close your eyes! Shrink down! Don't look! Don't listen! Don't think!
Repeat me! No one is allowed to stop without my order! "
The crew members hanging outside the ship huddled up. The crew members on the deck put their arms through the railings and covered their ears. Even Ampton on the bridge covered his ears and crouched in the corner, desperately holding on to his body. .
All the crew members repeated Schliemann's orders loudly, and these sounds mixed together like a sad march.
"Not okay yet!? Connie!"
Schliemann roared.
He stared at the rapidly thinning fog and knew that the Crescent was falling inexorably towards the blue sea.
Suddenly a huge thrust came, and Schliemann's hand almost let go of the steering wheel. He stabilized his body, freed up his other hand, and repeatedly pulled the lever on the side.
"Have you opened the filling valve?"
"opened!"
"Okay, cover your ears too!"
The fog suddenly disappeared, and what appeared in front of Schliemann was the blue sea very close at hand.
Such a close distance made Schliemann couldn't help but curse. He pulled the lever repeatedly desperately, betting all his hopes on the new gadget that Connie tinkered with.
The Crescent, which broke out of the thick fog, had already deployed its auxiliary sails. It no longer fell in a straight line, but drew an arc with a small curvature.
Schliemann performed a series of operations, and the Crescent's bow was flattened, flying close to the towering canopy of the blue sea.
From the newly installed nozzle behind it, orange flames are sometimes sprayed out, and sometimes thick smoke is sprayed out.
On the deck, the corpses of the ghost soldiers hanging there quickly collapsed and drifted away like sand blown away by the wind after seeing the weak sunlight.
The crew was still repeating Schliemann's orders, but their originally united voices now sounded disjointed, like the quiet sobbing of a group of terrified people.
Schliemann clutched the steering wheel tightly, his eyes were blurred and he was breathing heavily.
Bihai's whisper came into his mind again, which made him feel dazed.
"You brat, wash your hands first."
"Brother, look!"
"Remember to depress the clutch first..."
"Schliemann! I made an appointment with Jenny for you. How about we go see a movie tonight?"
His mother, sister, father, and even his colleagues who always tried to help him get out of singleness appeared in Schliemann's mind, along with the scene at that time.
Schliemann could even smell the sweet aroma of apple pie, feel his sister's hot cheeks and his father's strong palms, and even see his own reflection in the excited eyes of his colleagues.
Similarly, he could also see the car accident, the parents who lost their lives in the car accident, the grief-stricken sister, and the silent relatives and friends at the funeral.
"No! I can never die in a place like this!"
As soon as Schliemann broke away, his whole body tilted to the side. After regaining consciousness, Schliemann quickly grabbed the steering wheel to prevent the Crescent from deviating from the course.
He was dressed roughly and looked at the crew hanging outside. He calmed down and started singing.
It was a song from his world, a song about sailors fighting storms.
But he stopped singing shortly after.
Not because he didn't need to be brave, but because what appeared in front of him was something ten thousand times more terrifying than the storm.
It was a dark arm stretching out from the blue sea.
It was like an arm in a child's drawing, huge and skinny, with fingers that were disproportionately long and weirdly bent.
As the arm opened, large clumps of black viscous substance fell down, and they landed on the wide canopy of the blue sea, emitting bursts of green smoke.
It blocked the course of the Crescent Moon, with its fingers spread out, as if waiting for the Crescent Moon to fly into the palm of its hand.
