Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 232 “Tyrian’s Memory”

After listening to Vanna’s story, Tyrian fell silent for a moment. Without witnessing things in person, he couldn’t analyze from her words alone what plans the returned ghost from subspace had or how he had changed, but one thing was certain: the “Captain Duncan” Vanna described was not the crazy monster that the Sea Mist had encountered half a century ago. However, the man didn’t quite resemble the great explorer father he remembered from a century ago either.

“Captain Tyrian,” Vanna suddenly spoke, interrupting Tyrian’s thoughts. “What do you think?”

“I… can’t believe this is really happening, but since it has already happened, I can only admit it for the time being,” Tyrian said thoughtfully, furrowing his brows. “From your description, it seems he is in a state of clear thinking, sanity, and with humanity, but his power… that cursed flame, is correspondingly more powerful.”

Vanna nodded in agreement. “I don’t know if that green flame is a curse, but it is undoubtedly powerful.”

“That flame is related to subspace,” Tyrian said, “and he acquired this strange power after falling into subspace, so it’s no problem calling it a curse.”

“… So, that flame is more powerful than what you saw half a century ago, which means Captain Duncan’s connection to subspace has become deeper,” old bishop Valentine pondered. “He did not break free from the influence of subspace but fell deeper. However, he also recovered in the process?”

“This is not consistent with what we know about subspace,” Tyrian shook his head.

“The believers of Lahem often say,” Valentine continued, “the only thing we know about subspace is that we never know enough about it. For thousands of years, no person or thing from the real dimension can enter subspace and return to this world. No one knows what is really in subspace except for some indirect observational records and the words written by the mad scholars of the ancient kingdom of Crete in madness… Our ‘summary of the rules’ of that place is meaningless in itself.”

The learned old man paused, then sighed. “So much so that we can’t even be sure whether subspace is a ‘place’ or not. Sixteen hundred years ago, the mad scholar Bairmin was swallowed by invisible forces in full view of everyone because he read an ancient scroll. Before he disappeared, he shouted ‘subspace is a shadow on the back of the world,’ and his words at that time drove one hundred and forty-two witnesses to madness. But with the madness of those witnesses as a ‘sacrifice,’ this information has become the biggest step in our understanding of subspace in thousands of years.”

“Until now, scholars have tried to construct a theoretical model of subspace based on Bairmin’s dying cry… And your father, not only did he really enter that place, but now he is even returning to our world sane.”

“That’s right, every year of research, every year of death, then the dead are quickly replenished to continue this study… So I really admire the desperate scholars of the Academy of Truth, completely in the sense of admiration,” Tyrian sighed and shook his head. “So, now my ‘father’ may have become a valuable sample? A sample that has really been to subspace and is sensible and communicative?”

Valentine spread his hands and said, “This is just wishful thinking. We cannot expect Captain Duncan to cooperate with mortal research. Moreover, even if he now has a reason, we cannot assume that his reason is biased towards the human side. If he is a sane subspace invader, it will be far more terrifying than those chaotic projections that cannot think.”

Tyrian remained silent for a while, lost in deep memories and thoughts. Eventually, he spoke up abruptly, “He exhibited signs of anxiety before his last expedition. In fact, he had been anxious for a long time and made extensive preparations for something ominous.”

Valentine and Vanna exchanged serious looks. It had been a century since anyone had heard these crucial secrets from the descendants of Captain Duncan.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Vanna asked, “What was he anxious about? And why was he preparing?”

“He believed it was the end of the world,” Tyrian replied calmly.

Valentine frowned, “The end of the world?”

“I know it may sound like the rantings of doomsday prophets that we hear every year, but it’s what the greatest explorer of his time was concerned about a hundred years ago,” Tyrian explained.

Tyrian sighed and continued, “After Lucretia and I took over the command of the Sea Mist and Bright Star, he would occasionally bring it up. He seemed to believe that something like a countdown or a time limit was ticking away in our world. Although the earthly world appeared to be stable and peaceful on the surface, this countdown was drawing closer to its end. And when the time came, everything would quickly collapse and end. He believed that our era was the last part of the countdown.”

Valentine furrowed his brows again, “To be honest, I don’t think our world is ‘stable’…”

“But in my father’s words, he called the current earthly world ‘the last pastoral age’,” Tyrian replied.

Vanna pondered momentarily and asked, “So, to find a way to stop this ‘countdown,’ he went to subspace?”

“No, he wanted to find Anomaly 000. He believed that Anomaly 000 could end the distortion of the world and halt that countdown. To do so, he had to pass through the ‘eternal curtain’ at the end of the world.”

Valentine was taken aback, “He passed through the curtain of eternity?”

“Yes… But I can only confirm that he did enter the fog, and I don’t know if he actually succeeded in ‘penetrating’ it,” Tyrian said. “He refused to be accompanied by any escorts, and all I can confirm is that he returned alive but insane. As for falling into subspace… that’s what happened after that incident.”

Valentine and Vanna fell silent, and after a while, Vanna spoke up again, “Did he find the so-called Anomaly 000? You know, in theory…”

“In theory, there is no such anomaly or vision numbered zero. He knew that and did not find it,” Tyrian replied softly. “So, I always thought that he might have been unstable even before he decided to search for Anomaly 000.”

Vanna thought for a moment and asked, “Do you know what your father originally thought was the reason for the existence of the ‘countdown’ in the world? When did he realize this? Was it due to contact or… did he discover something?”

Tyrian hesitated momentarily before speaking uncertainly, “I’m not sure. It was too long ago, but I vaguely remember that my father received several visitors on the Vanished and talked with them all night long. He first mentioned the apocalyptic issue to us after that day.”

Valentine’s expression became grim as he pressed for more detail, “How many people did he receive? What kind of people were they, and what was the situation at the time?”

Tyrian spoke slowly, “They all wore gray-white coarse cloth robes and were barefooted. From my memory, the group appeared thin and scrawny, as if they had traveled long distances and worked hard. They came aboard during a voyage like they had made an appointment with my father in advance. They talked throughout the night, and then my father said they had left in the morning. But I didn’t see the visitors go. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air.”

Valentine’s expression changed as he asked, “The Enders? It sounds like them…”

“Your Excellency, after living for a century, I know the Enders well,” Tyrian replied, shaking his head. “But these people were different. They were sensible and friendly, without any trace of madness.”

“Sensible and friendly?” Valentine’s surprise was evident. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Did they have any other distinguishing characteristics?”

After a few minutes of thought, Tyrian remembered, “One of them spoke to me. I can’t recall exactly what he said, but I remember that they called themselves ‘lowly seekers’. Also, one of them wore a talisman with a hexagonal emblem and a fragmented cross in the center. He wouldn’t let me touch it and said it was their way of seeking guidance and shelter.”

Tyrian paused and drew the emblem on a piece of paper, hesitating slightly as he sketched the cross. Vanna frowned at the drawing and asked her peer, “Do you know what this is? You’re more knowledgeable than me.”

Valentine studied the pattern for a while before shaking his head. “I’ve never seen it before. It doesn’t resemble any religious symbol or classical city-state emblem that I know of.”

Vanna murmured in frustration as she gazed at the emblem, which appeared to be reflected in her eyes along with a faint green flame that was barely visible.