Chapter 1 Old Dad

A concerned old father wanted to see what his son was doing at home.

His son, at half past midnight, had set up a stage on an icy island base, watching a dozen or so girls doing belly dancing.

The old father was shaken to his core.

At that moment, Tirian was completely stunned—frankly, his feelings of horror and the tsunami of thoughts in his head even surpassed when he'd heard about another "Submersible No. 3" popping up near Frost a few days ago.

The pirate captain, famous throughout the Bitter Sea, stiffly shuffled to the side, even trying to block Duncan's view with this clumsy maneuver, only to see another patch of ice-covered wall light up beside him. His father's figure walked directly to another mirror, continuing to gaze towards the stage: "Aren't they cold?"

Tirian subconsciously opened his mouth: "..."

"...Cold, but they can withstand it with special alchemical potions..."

"Tirian," Duncan turned his gaze, looking at Tirian, who was completely frozen like an ice sculpture, "Don't be so nervous. You're an adult now. It's your freedom to have any hobbies you like, but... this hobby is a bit beyond my expectations. Does your sister know?"

"It's not what you think!" Tirian couldn't help but shout again—this time, his voice contained more helplessness and even despair than before, "And please don't mention it to her, okay? If you ever have the chance to contact her in the future..."

"Oh, so she doesn't know," Duncan nodded. "Indeed, it's better not to let Lucretia know about this."

Tirian: "What do I have to say for you to..."

Duncan laughed. Of course, he could see the expression on Tirian's face at this moment, and he heard the other party's shout just now. He just found it amusing—it wasn't easy to see such a reaction from the number one pirate in the Bitter Sea, and it would be a shame to miss such a wonderful scene.

The moment Tirian saw the smile on Duncan's face, he understood.

First, he was astonished. His father was joking with him, a somewhat mischievous, but long-lost joke.

Immediately afterward, he suppressed his astonished expression, making his expression quickly become serious—as if the embarrassment just now had never happened at all.

"If you've had enough fun, let's talk business," the great pirate sighed, saying rather helplessly, "I don't believe you came late at night just to joke around with me."

"I encountered a ship," Duncan also restrained the expression on his face, and went straight to the point, "The Obsidian, does that name ring a bell?"

"The Obsidian?" Tirian first frowned, recalling the more famous ships currently on various routes, but found nothing. Then, the expression on his face changed slightly, "Are you talking about *the* Obsidian? The only Obsidian I know should have sunk..."

Just as Duncan expected. No one would know the ships in this cold sea area better than a pirate leader who had been entrenched in the northern region for half a century. And if it was a ship that had sunk due to a shipwreck, it would leave an even deeper impression on Tirian's mind.

Because shipwrecks are regarded as the greatest omen on the boundless sea, captains may not care about other ships, but they will definitely want to know the names of those sunken ships, what goods they carried, what they had done, and where they had been.

"That's it, the shipwreck that sank six years ago," Duncan nodded. "It has reappeared on the sea, completely transformed into a bizarre entity—filled with upside-down and chaotic cabin structures, living mud-like substances, and... a 'captain' who is humanoid but not quite human."

As Duncan's voice fell, Tirian's eyes widened slightly. After a brief moment of thought, the great pirate's face was full of surprise and seriousness.

He didn't question it, because he knew his father wouldn't lie to him at this time, on this matter.

He wouldn't do such a boring thing. But even so, he still felt incredulous, because the development of events had completely exceeded his expectations.

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Duncan's voice continued to echo from the ice, as if carrying the chill of the Bitter Sea, "Somewhat similar to the situation with 'Submersible No. 3', but even more serious. It's a replica returning from the deep sea, and it's not just the crew inside that has been twisted, but the ship itself. You participated in the Submersible Project, so I want to hear your judgment."

"My judgment..." Tirian opened his mouth, but then immediately realized something else, "Wait, where did you encounter that ship?!"

He suddenly realized that the Obsidian had sunk near Frost. In theory, the "replica" should have surfaced around Frost as well. How did his father encounter that ship?!

Duncan showed a smile on the ice.

"Are you in a high enough place?"

"A high enough place?" Tirian looked around, somewhat puzzled, "The terrain here is not bad, the port area as a whole is on high ground..."

"Is there any obstruction in the southwest direction?"

"No."

"Oh, look in that direction, wait a moment."

Tirian subconsciously looked southwest—it was a gentle slope that sloped slightly towards the sea. The main residential facilities of the port area were distributed on this slope. The end of the slope was the coast, and beyond the coast for several kilometers was the dense fog and turbulence surrounding this secret home port.

Something flashed in the fog.

It was a ghostly green fire, rising and shining in the fog like a specter.

Tirian blinked. After a while, he heard a distant, hazy, but definitely not an illusionary rumble.

It was the sound of an old muzzle-loading cannon firing.

"You're in the Bitter Sea..." Tirian felt the muscles on his body tighten, a subtle but pervasive cold seemed to gradually envelop him. He hesitantly turned his head, looking at Duncan in the ice, "You... found this place?"

"Not easy to find. Your island is surrounded by dense fog and ice floes, as well as turbulent currents, but fortunately, the Spirit Realm is calm, with safe sea lanes," Duncan laughed, "But don't worry, I won't directly bring the *Lost Country* to your island. That would make your men nervous—the *Lost Country* will hide in the fog around you."

Tirian thought for a moment, and suddenly felt that his father's last sentence seemed even more chilling—it would be better to just bring the *Lost Country* directly to the port!

But in the end, he didn't dare say this sentence.

Because he was worried that when he opened his eyes the next day, he would really see the flagpole of the *Lost Country* sticking up in the port area.

"Your expression is tense and dejected," Duncan's voice suddenly came, "Have I brought you trouble?"

"Ah no, that's not what I meant!" Tirian hurriedly opened his mouth, while straightening his expression, "It's just that things are a bit sudden, and I'm not quite used to... being with you."

Speaking of this, he paused, and quickly asked before Duncan could speak again: "Why did you suddenly come to the Bitter Sea? It shouldn't just be to give me a 'surprise', right?"

"Something happened," Duncan nodded. "Someone who should have died many years ago suddenly sent a letter from Frost, which caught my attention. And after I came here, I quickly saw that 'Obsidian' again, which further confirmed my guess. Now I suspect that the shadow left by the Submersible Project is stirring beneath Frost."

Submersible Project...

The muscles on Tirian's cheeks twitched uncontrollably, and many memories surged in his heart—some from half a century ago, and some that had just happened recently.

The news brought by his father suddenly seemed like a sharp blade, cutting open the curtain that had only been slightly lifted. Tirian suddenly realized that what was happening was far from as simple as he had imagined.

Not just a "Submersible No. 3", not just a Dagger Island, beneath the deep sea of Frost... it wasn't just the Submersible Project that was reviving.

"Your suspicion is probably correct," he opened his mouth, his expression complicated, "There really is something wrong below Frost. The Obsidian you encountered is not an isolated case... Do you know? Not long ago, the Frost authorities salvaged something in the offshore area."

The voice in the ice was silent for a few seconds: "Judging by your expression, I think I guessed what it is."

"Yes, Submersible No. 3, the eighth replica. Now it has been sent to a deserted island called 'Dagger Island' near Frost. The authorities have designated it as a military restricted zone, wanting to figure out the secret of the replica," Tirian said, shaking his head, "And that's not the only news. Recently, rumors of the dead rising have spread in Frost City-State. It is said that the dead suddenly broke free from their graves, and even people who have been dead and missing for many years suddenly appeared on the streets of the city—but there are also contradictory reports saying that they are just ordinary city-state residents, and that the church guards, whose nerves are too tense, are randomly arresting passers-by outside of curfew hours."

Tirian shrugged.

"The information on Dagger Island is difficult to obtain because the news is blocked. As for the situation in Frost City-State, I do have some informants. According to their reports, strange things have indeed been happening in the city recently, and there are also unfamiliar faces coming and going in the city, but as for the dead rising... I don't think there is much credibility."