Laurence walked into the bridge, and First Mate Gus immediately greeted him. Many crew members stood behind the first mate, looking at their captain with a hint of anticipation.

Laurence's eyes swept over these subordinates and friends who had been with him for many years. After a long while, he gently took a breath, a smile appearing on his face: "We can go home. Set sail now!"

The expression on the first mate's face visibly relaxed, but then he couldn't help but ask, "What about the *Ghost Ship*?"

"The *Ghost Ship* will embark on another journey," Laurence nodded slightly, and said to everyone: "Captain Duncan will go south to do more important things. He ordered the *White Oak* to return to the normal routes of the civilized world according to the original navigation plan. According to the plan... we will first go to Cold Harbor for supplies and complete the purchase order, and then return to Pland!"

"What about the future?" First Mate Gus listened to the captain's words, still with a worried expression. Obviously, like everyone on the ship, this Frosty Trip was too unexpected and too long for him.

"When the news of going home came, he still couldn't believe that everything would really return to the way it was before."

"We..."

"We will still make a living on this sea. The *White Oak* has obtained a transit permit, and the waterways of the civilized world will continue to be open to us. The only change is... from now on, Captain Duncan will always watch over all of us," Laurence said calmly.

When the order comes from the *Ghost Ship*, we, as the fleet, must respond, but at least not now. Sailors, now we can go home!

The bridge was quiet for more than ten seconds, and then finally someone started clapping their hands. Gradually, more people clapped their hands, followed by a long-overdue cheer!

The news of being able to go home spread throughout the entire ship in an instant, reaching the ears of every sailor!

This long and unexpected journey was finally coming to an end. A thrilling and bizarre adventure would be deeply imprinted in everyone's mind.

The joy of returning home diluted all kinds of worries about the future. New boiling gold catalysts were sent into the steam engine room, and the roaring whistle resounded throughout the boundless sea, as if even the entire ship began to cheer for the upcoming journey home!

Laurence came to the edge of the front deck, quietly looking at the distant, rippling sea. The boundless sea lacked reference objects, and it even gave people the illusion that the ship was still in place, but the direction of the waves and the oncoming sea breeze told him that the *White Oak* had already set sail!

He looked down at the side of the ship, seeing the silhouette of the *White Oak* like a dark cloud reflected under the undulating sea.

At the front of the hull shrouded in darkness, the sparse lights looked shadowy and layered!

Martha's voice came from the small mirror on his chest: "Everyone is very happy. It seems that with the return home, the good old days and familiar life will also return together, but you should remind them that not everything will return to the past. We have established contact with the *Ghost Ship*. No matter how much freedom Captain Duncan gives us, this connection with the subspace is destined to change many things...

We should prepare for this curse and blessing!"

Laurence was silent for a moment, and said softly, "Like the changes that happened to the *Brilliant Star* or the *Sea Mist*?"

They will no longer age and die, but they will gradually deviate from the scope of living people. This ship will slowly transform into a living thing. Some parts of it will suddenly seem to learn to think.

And the existence of the *Black Oak*, this upside-down reflection, will gradually taint the *White Oak* with all kinds of terrifying rumors and strange tales.

Soon, someone will be afraid of this newborn cursed ship, and the pass issued by the church cannot solve this problem...

Martha said unhurriedly, as if she was not predicting the future for Laurence, but stating a past that had already happened, outlining the destiny that the *White Oak* would inevitably face in her vast and mixed collective memory!

But Laurence just listened quietly until Martha's voice fell, and then he said softly, "Maybe your prediction is right, those changes will gradually happen, but at least not today. Today is the good old days for the lads and lasses to go home."

They will return to warm Pland before the end of this year, embrace their families and friends, and tell them about this incredible adventure as human beings. And I will do everything possible to keep the *White Oak* active on all the busy routes, to contact the church, the Explorer's Association, and the city-state caravans, not just to complete Captain Duncan's orders, but to make this ship a respected symbol before it becomes a terrifying curse!"

There was no response from the small mirror, but Laurence felt a breeze blowing beside him. In the small area that suddenly filled with mist, a hazy shadow walked out of the mist, gently embracing him from behind!

The touch was so illusory and gentle, like a dream.

"Old man."

"What's wrong?"

"So handsome."

Thick, lead-like chaotic clouds covered the sky, and turbid, dim light replaced the previously bright and warm sunlight. A hazy mist covered the entire sea as far as the eye could see, and on the sea covered by this mist, strands of dark, hair-like shadows were rapidly gathering, eventually turning the entire sea into a dark expanse!

The world turned into a bizarre phantom devoid of color, and the *Ghost Ship* raised its spirit sails in this dark sea. The invisible "wind" billowed the sails, causing the ship to traverse the sea at a speed far exceeding the real world!

On the platform at the stern of the *Ghost Ship*, Duncan personally held the helm, and the goat head's voice entered his mind: "Safely sunk into the spirit world, the *Ghost Ship* is currently sailing stably in the shallow area."

Duncan hummed and nodded to Nina, who was standing not far away, curiously watching him steer the ship: "We have safely sunk into the spirit world."

Nina nodded, half understanding. For her, piloting a ship—especially a sailing ship from a century ago—was a completely incomprehensible thing!

Vanna, who was standing on the other side, couldn't help but cover her forehead after hearing Duncan's words: "Um, no matter how many times I hear it, it still feels 'safe' and 'spirit world' are a really weird combination. Can there really be such a thing as 'safely sinking into the spirit world' in this world...?"

Duncan just smiled when he heard this: "It requires some skill, but in the spirit world state, we can sail at a very fast speed, and we don't have to worry about hitting most obstacles in the real world. After all, it's a very long journey to get from Frosty to Light Breeze Harbor!"

"Light Breeze Harbor... I've only seen this place in books..." Nina's eyes showed a hint of longing.

"The books say that it is a city-state built by elves, and it is also one of the most important parishes of the Academy of Truth, second only to Mokha. I heard that there are the most advanced difference engines and steam cores in the world, and mechanical technology and mathematics are very developed..."

"What the book says is true, but the book often overlooks one point--Light Breeze Harbor is not only leading in technology, it is also one of the most important strongholds of the Explorer's Association," Maurice said to Nina with a smile.

Because the entire city-state is close to the edge of civilization, countless pioneering fleets and explorers use Light Breeze Harbor as a supply point and intelligence exchange hub--and those explorers who come and gather bring various cuisines from the entire civilized world to the city-state, so Light Breeze Harbor also has the reputation of being the capital of gourmet food...

Nina listened to these plain and unremarkable pieces of knowledge with full of curiosity and a desire to learn. Hearing this, her eyes suddenly lit up: "Are there sweet pancakes there too?"

"There should be," Maurice thought for a while and nodded.

"Pland has a developed commerce, and many merchants have established routes from the Central Sea to the South, so Pland's cuisine will naturally be passed on there!"

Nina became happy. She climbed onto a large wooden barrel next to Duncan and sat on it, shaking her legs back and forth on the edge of the barrel.

"That's great... there's good food and the most cutting-edge machinery. I'm starting to look forward to it..."

Duncan glanced at Nina, who was shaking back and forth on the wooden barrel, and then glanced at the deck around the wooden barrel...

---

Several ropes trembled slightly in the open space between the rudder and the wooden barrel, looking embarrassed and humble!

These ropes thought that Nina, this "crew member," was too close to the "rudder" at this moment, but they were afraid of the light of the sun!

That was, after all, a *da bi dou* (a slap to the face)!

"Don't shake on the barrel, be careful you fall," Duncan shook his head and said to Nina, "Also, don't get so close to the rudder, it's not safe!"

Nina immediately reacted and hurriedly said "Oh" and jumped onto the deck, then retreated to a safe distance!

The ropes near the rudder relaxed, they were safe!

Nina was only quiet for a short while before she suddenly thought of something else!

"We're going to see that... Ms. Lucretia, right?" She leaned against the railing on the edge of the control panel, blinking her eyes as she looked at Duncan, her tone slightly nervous, "Is she easy to get along with?"

"She should be okay," Duncan's expression was a little subtle. When he tried to think about this question from Nina's perspective, this subtle feeling became even more serious.

Lucretia is a scholar who is obsessed with research, and other than that, she doesn't seem to be hard to talk to - she is always like that when she is in front of me, but I really don't know what she is usually like!

"Actually, I'm a little nervous," Nina stuck out her tongue, "I heard that she is called the 'Sea Witch'. That Captain Laurence said that she is a cold and eccentric witch, and she will curse those who disturb her research. Many famous adventurers are very afraid of her...

Duncan looked at Nina while holding the rudder!

Tiree Anne is still a notorious pirate - don't you think he is quite polite when he is in front of you?

"That seems to be the case!"