With a wave and rippling water, the submersible rushed out of the water.

As the afternoon sun shone down on the sea, the heavy shell of the submersible glowed coldly in the sunlight, and then the one-time smoke generator on the top of the hull was activated, and with the flash of fire, a slight explosion sounded, and a column of orange smoke rose straight into the blue sky.

After a period of attitude and power adjustments, the submersible's floating state stabilized, and with a creaking sound, the locking device on the side of the hull opened, and with the rotation of the handle, Duncan opened the submersible's hatch from the inside.

Fresh air blows in – even for two "corpses" who don't need to breathe, the fresh cold breeze above the sea surface is particularly pleasant.

The illusion of being chased, entangled, and stranded by the unspeakable in the depths of the sea finally faded from her mind, and Agatha clutched the handrail, and with Duncan climbed out of the hatch, climbing onto the top shell of the submersible, looking out at the endless sea in the distance.

Duncan tilted his head slightly and looked at the gatekeeper: "How does it feel to be back in the sun?" ”

"It was as if I had returned from the door of the realm of death once again," Agatha whispered, "I never imagined that the sun and air would give me this near-rebirth shock—but after I could neither feel the warmth of the sun nor enjoy the easy breathing. ”

"What about 'her'?" Duncan asked, "The other Agatha never showed up during the dive, but she must have been watching the whole time, right?" ”

"We feel the same way, but she's saying she has some things she needs to think about for a while and she's silent — are you going to talk to her? I can call her out......"

"No need, let her think, this dive will be a reshaping and baptism of three views for everyone, and we have a lot to think about," Duncan waved his hand slightly, then raised his head and looked at the horizon in the distance, "Oh, the 'recovery ship' sent by Tirion has spotted us, and it seems that we don't have to travel to the city-state by ourselves." ”

The silhouette of a steam clipper appeared on the surface of the sea, speeding in the direction of the submersible's signal smoke......

The submersible returned without incident, and his father and the "gatekeeper" lady were safe and sound, on the way back - when the "courier" was delivered to his desk through the pressure pipe, Tirion, who had been waiting for news in Southport, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But then, a strange feeling came to me.

He got up from behind his desk and slowly paced to the window, looking out the window with some distraction at the sinking sun, and in the silence, Lucrecia's voice suddenly came from the crystal ball not far away: "Is there any news from my father?" ”

Tirion looked back at the glowing crystal ball on the desk, and said in a strange tone, "You can tell...... Am I manifesting myself? ”

Lucrecia in the crystal ball was holding a slice of bread in her mouth, one hand was writing quickly on the scratch paper floating in the air next to her, and the other hand was still busy adjusting the experimental equipment on the table, and took the time to look up at her brother, and said vaguely and casually: "Three points of nervousness, three points of hesitation, three points of comfort, and one point of fear - then my father must be back." ”

“…… Are you scholars used to talking to people like that? You say I'm like a pie picture......" Tirion frowned, then couldn't help but sigh, "I'm just a little emotional, if it wasn't that long ago, I wouldn't have imagined that I would be comforted by my father's safe return—I wasn't in that mindset when I first knew he was 'back.'" ”

"Yes, I almost had a cramp in my leg at the beginning, and I didn't sleep for three days after commanding the Sea Mist to fight my father, and you woke me up in the middle of the night to describe your nightmare, so I had to shiver with you......"

"Stop! Don't make up details that don't exist! Tirion quickly interrupted his sister on the other side of the crystal ball, "And that's not what I want to tell you!" ”

Lucrecia fell silent, and she finally put aside her seemingly never-ending research and unfinished bread for a moment, and looked up into Tirien's eyes very seriously.

It was only when this gaze almost gave Tirian goosebumps that she finally broke her silence: "When I was young, my father used to be away from home for a long, long time, and whenever the bell rang in the direction of the docks, we would climb to the roof of the house to see if it was the flag of the Lost Country, and you always made me steady like a lady, and then took the opportunity to grab the highest place." ”

“…… It's been years," Tirion was silent for a few seconds, and whispered as if to herself, "I remember that the roof was blue, and when the sea breeze blew, the weather vane in the corner of the house whistled, and you tied a windmill next to the weather vane and said you were going to show it off to your father—and it was revealed that we had secretly climbed onto the roof." ”

"Now we're all on a higher roof than the one we had been, and we've seen what my father had seen," Lucretia said softly, "but we haven't caught up with him—he's gone to the depths of the depths, where even the Abyss Project failed to reach...... What do you say, what will he find on this expedition? ”

Tirion didn't speak for a moment, and in the next second, a crackling sound suddenly sounded from the mirror behind him, followed by Duncan's voice in the mirror: "Found a very amazing secret - I was about to tell you." ”

Tirien almost jumped out of the room, his muscles tensing, and the "Sea Witch" on the other side of the crystal ball reacted more than he did - all he heard was an exclamation and a small rattle from Lucrecia's side, followed by a puff of smoke and flashes rising from the crystal ball, and the picture was interrupted.

Tyrion tensed and turned his head, seeing a faint green flame burning in the mirror behind him, and in the dark mirror, Duncan poked his head behind him and looked behind him, "...... Is your sister's okay there? She's scared by me? ”

"Can you please not use such a scary method every time you appear......" Tirion subconsciously muttered, but as soon as the words came out, he felt that it was inappropriate, and quickly confirmed Duncan's reaction, the expression on his father's face did not change.

"I considered a friendlier way of appearing, like knocking on the door early or sending a teaser letter, but Vana told me that it wasn't the way I showed up that was scary, but that my presence itself was scary," Duncan looked at Tyrion nonchalantly, "I think she's right, so I just don't change it - it would be fun to at least watch the startled reactions of others." ”

The corners of Tirien's eyes twitched, and he was dumbfounded by his father's calm attitude in the matter of "watching fun", but he quickly forced his emotions to regain his expression, and looked at his father in the mirror curiously as he regained his expression: "Have you returned to the city-state?" I'll go to you now......"

"The avatar I used has returned, but you don't have to go over there," Duncan interrupted Tirien, "pack your things and go straight to the Lost Country." ”

Tirien was stunned for a moment: "Huh? ”

"I've made a major discovery in the deep sea," Duncan's expression was particularly serious, "the information should not be made public, and it may point to the Old Gods, so everyone needs to be summoned to the Lost Land to discuss." I've sent Agatha over, and my followers have gathered, and you are the master of the Sea Mist and the new Archon of Frost, and you must be there. ”

Tirian instantly realized the special and serious situation from his father's expression and tone, and immediately restrained the relaxation in his heart: "Okay, I'll leave a note for Aiden to explain the situation first." ”

"Hmm." Duncan nodded, and then his gaze swept across the room, landing on the intricate geode lens device.

"Take your crystal ball with you when you come to the ship," he said to Tirien, "Lucy had better listen to the situation as well—the secrets of the deep sea, she would be interested." ”

Tirion, who was writing a note, immediately raised his head when he heard this, first glanced at Duncan in surprise, and then nodded instantly: "Okay, I'm sure I'll take the crystal ball with me - where is the Lost Country now?" I got a speedboat ready ......"

Before he could finish speaking, Duncan in the mirror waved his hand: "No need, Ay will take you there." ”

The sound of "knock knock" came from outside the window.

Tirien turned her head to look in the direction from which the voice had come and saw the fat white dove that was always by her father's side.

The pigeon pecked the window pane of the harbor office with its beak outside, and tilted its head at the moment: "Do you want to get in the car?" There's a big seat! The old driver drove, steady! ”

TYRION: "......? ”

……

The Lost Land's dining room was a meeting place for the crew.

The long, wide dining table was polished and shiny, the pillars near the table hung with flickering oil lamps, and the captain's followers gathered around the table—Vanna and Maurice were seated, Shirley and Alice were wandering away, Nina and Dog were reading with their own books, and there were two new figures here today.

Agatha, dressed as a blind nun, sits quietly at a long table in silent prayer, and Lawrence, who looks nervous in a white coat and holding a pipe.

The latter was nervously surveying the cabin.

Lawrence's ship was now anchored in the nearby sea, and the first mate was helping to manage the affairs of the ship, and he, the captain, was summoned to the "general flagship" by an order, and no one told him what was going on when he came, which made the old captain feel uneasy.

It was the first time he had actually stepped aboard the Lost Land, the legendary ghost ship that had returned from subspace, and Duncan Abnomar's followers had gathered in the ancient and stately cabin, waiting for orders from Captain Duncan under the lights.

He already knew the identities and origins of these people—

Moving dolls, shattered suns, spirited demons, oath-broken inquisitors, legendary scholars on the fringes of madness......

Now, he's in the middle of it.

Even in the wildest dreams and visions of the past, Lawrence never imagined that he would experience such a scene.

He was the captain of an expedition ship that was about to retire...... Why did you end up here?

(End of chapter)