The captain's cabin was quiet, and the faint sound of the waves coming from the window was soft and soft, but it was more and more set off the silence in the room—it was a long time before the goat's head finally exclaimed, "Ah, that sounds good." ”

"I thought you'd ask a little more," Duncan raised an eyebrow, "aren't you curious about where I took Sirantis, and about my many secrets?" ”

"Curious," said Goathead bluntly, "but reason and intuition tell me that it's best not to inquire too much about what is called 'secret', especially not about what happened when you left this ship, you are the captain of the Lost Country, I know that is enough, and nothing else...... The less you know, the better. ”

“…… Intuition? Duncan said thoughtfully, looking at the black carved wooden goat's head in front of him, and suddenly asked, "Does that intuition tell you what would have happened if I hadn't been the captain of the Lost Ship, or had you known too much of my 'secrets'?" ”

The goat's head fell silent for a moment, and it was quiet for nearly a minute before breaking the silence: "All I know is that whenever I have the idea of 'crossing the line', I will see an endless starry sky - and under the light of the stars, the Lost Country no longer exists." ”

Duncan slowly frowned, and after a brief thought, he shook his head, putting his complicated thoughts aside for the time being: "Silandis...... Now stay in a safe place in a special state where you can not worry. ”

"That's good." The goathead whispered, not asking much else.

"Now there's a question - what should I call you?" Duncan was silent for a few seconds and then suddenly asked, "Saxroca?" Goat's head? Or the first mate? ”

“…… It's better to call it as before," the goathead thought for a moment, and there seemed to be a little awkward in his tone, "either the first mate or the goat's head, the name Saskocka...... It's a little strange, and now that I think about it, it doesn't feel like my own name. ”

Duncan was a little surprised: "Then when I first called it that, didn't you agree very quickly?" ”

The goat's head tone became more and more strange: "...... At that time, the atmosphere was there, and it was inappropriate not to agree......"

Duncan: "......"

He looked at the dark wood carving on the table with strange eyes for a moment, and finally couldn't help but speak curiously: "I'm curious about what state you are in now, or ...... What do you think about yourself? You can feel the change in you at the moment of the World Crash, when you seem to have completely returned to being the 'King of Dreams', but that only lasts for a while. ”

Noticing the serious expression on the captain's face, the goathead finally began to think seriously, and after a long while, it shook its head uncertainly: "Actually, I've been a little confused until now. I could feel the part of the memory that belonged to 'Sassroca' awakened in my mind, but I could also feel it clearly...... He is not exactly me, and I am not exactly Him.

"But like you said, when you see the 'little sapling'...... I had a little change, maybe it was the influence of the mythological form, or maybe the little sapling had left too deep traces in my memory, and I ...... 'returned' to the state of memory, and for a brief moment, I even thought ...... Time has really been turned back. ”

It stopped, as if quietly recalling the wonderful feeling of that moment, recalling that something in the depths of its memory was gradually revived, and another "personality" was awakened in consciousness, but in the end, it slowly shook its head.

"But it only lasted for a short time, and as the sun rose and the dream ended, I was back in this state, and it seemed that my symbiosis with the Lost Country had changed something about me forever—and to be honest, I preferred it to be the way it is."

"Is that so?" Duncan said thoughtfully, "That is, you are now both Saslova and not exactly Him, which sounds more like a whole new entity from the fragments of the Old Gods...... But if you think that's good, it's nothing. ”

"There's nothing wrong with that," said the goat's head, "something...... It's really hard to come back, we have to look forward, no matter how much the Great Annihilation took with us, the fact now is that we are living in the Deep Sea Age - let Saxoka remain in the legends. ”

“…… You've changed a little after all, and it's hard for you to say something so plain before," Duncan glanced at the goat's head with some subtlety, then touched his chin, "but you reminded me that I just had a question for you." ”

When the goathead heard this, his tone immediately became serious again: "You ask." ”

"Saslova is dead, died a long time ago - do you remember that?"

“…… Remember," the goathead thought for a moment and replied in the affirmative, "this sentence has been echoing in my consciousness as several parts of the memory are recovered and reorganized, and it seems to be a very strong ...... 'self-awareness'. ”

"That's right, Sasslora was 'dead' at the time of the Great Annihilation, and this is a 'fact' deeply imprinted in your memory, and even in the subconscious of the Elven race's memory," Duncan nodded, and then changed the subject, "But according to the record of the Book of Blasphemy, during the second long night after the Great Annihilation, the 'Dream King' tried to create the world again, and was 'torn apart' by the failure of Genesis - the keel of the Lost Country, in the hands of the Annihilation Cultists." The Skull of Dreams', and yourself, are evidence of this record.

"And we are almost certain that the 'King of Dreams' recorded in the Book of Blasphemy is Sasloca, who was dead at the time of the Great Annihilation.

"How did an old god who died at the time of the Great Annihilation go to 'Genesis' at the time of the Second Long Night?

"Another similar contradictory record is Tarijin, the 'eternal flame' worshipped by the flame bearers."

Duncan paused at this point, took a sip of the glass of water on the table, then adjusted his posture in the chair, and continued with a more serious expression:

"Tarejin is another 'god' who died at the time of the Annihilation, he is the protector of the Sengins, and according to Vanna's report and the records on the 'chronological pillar', his death or 'fall' is a sure fact, but if he had indeed died at the time of the Annihilation...... And what about the 'Taregin' that is now worshipped by the firebearers of the boundless sea? Who is the 'Eternal Burning Flame', one of the four gods? ”

There was a slight crunch between the goat's neck and the base, and it shook its head from side to side, and it took a long time before he said, "That sounds a little scary." ”

Duncan looked at this guy silently: "Don't say that it's none of your business, you are one of the 'gods' in the matter." ”

"I don't remember," said the goathead, particularly calmly, "I told you that I only remembered some general fragments of memories, and they were all focused on what happened before the Great Annihilation, and what happened after that...... I really don't know. ”

Duncan frowned deeply: "You have no impression of the Second Long Night, and the experience of Genesis in the Long Night?" ”

The goathead thought hard for a while, and shook his head helplessly: "If I can remember a little, I won't remember at all......"

Duncan didn't care about the other party's nonsense, he just frowned and continued to think, and after a long time he slowly spoke: "If that's the case, I have some guesses." ”

"Do you have a guess?"

"I think...... The simple state of life and death of 'mortals' should not be applied to the gods," Duncan thought for a moment, and said with a serious face, "and use you as an example—do you think you are alive now?" ”

The goat's head was stunned for a moment, and after thinking about it, he hesitated and said, "I think...... Count me alive, don't I live well? ”

"What you mean by 'living well' is that your vertebrae are soaked in subspace, one head is in the hands of the Annihilators, and there may be more heads still floating in the cracks of the world?"

The goat's neck made a "rattle" sound, followed by a cry: "Don't be so terrible! I don't ...... that sounds a little hairy."

"But that's exactly where you are now – not only are you dead, you can even say ...... It's not too peaceful," Duncan also felt that the topic seemed a little weird, but having said this, he could only try to continue with a serious attitude, "And I guess the state of several other 'gods'...... I'm afraid it's not much different from you. ”

The goat's head was silent, as if in a state of horror.

Duncan continued, after a little bit of language organization: "The Creeping King, the Shadow Lord, according to the Book of Blasphemy, is the Creator of the Third Long Night, and his current state is 'lost his mind, trapped in the rift between the deep sea and the subspace, and constantly creating countless ghostly demons in a state of inaction, and constantly devouring the ghostly demons'.

"In the Sacred Book of the Fire Bearers, Tarejin is described as a giant guarding the primordial flame, and the giant himself has an unquenchable flame burning in his body, permanently scorching his body.

"The black sun, I have seen Him, is burned by His own corona, His spirit has long since broken down, and now he only wants to be extinguished......

"The Goddess of Storms and the God of Wisdom...... I don't know exactly what they're doing, but I'm guessing it's pretty much the same.

"Stripped of all the mythological aura, judging from my personal 'common sense' and 'subjective impression', none of these situations are normal."

Duncan said this, spread his hands, and made a final conclusion.

"The gods are dead—it's just that their 'death' may be long, they may be unique, they don't 'run' according to the 'life and death' as mortal understanding, and some 'state', or 'residue', of them after death can still affect the world, or ...... Affect this 'ember' that burned out after the Great Annihilation.

"This is what the Deep Sea Age really looks like."

Duncan's voice fell, and there was silence in the captain's room.

It didn't take long for the goat's voice to finally break the silence: "...... How do you describe it...... It's unsettling, I'm really feeling a little hairy this time. ”

Duncan thought for a moment and sighed softly: "...... I might indeed have to put it mildly, it sounds a little weird. ”

"No, I mean, I really have a bit of an itch on the back of my neck right now...... You scratch me. ”

Duncan: "......"

(End of chapter)