Chapter 1 The Stillness of Steel

The Steel War Rules lay quietly in the port of Zengland. The flag of the Sea Fog Fleet fluttered in the sunlight above the warship, the pattern on the flag a cluster of ice crystals as sharp as knives, with a crack in the middle – ice crystals, a symbol of frost, and the crack, symbolizing the self-exile of the "rebels."

After that notorious pirate captain left with his followers, no one else had left the warship. The Sea Fog seemed like a silent iceberg, quietly anchored, its towering and majestic舷 (xián – ship's side) and bow blocking the curious gazes from the dock. At the same time, a city-state guard rushed from a nearby post, sealing off the entrance to the trestle bridge to prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching.

After the magistrate came forward to disperse the crowd, the busybodies gathered near the dock gradually dispersed.

First Mate Aiden stood on the bridge of the Sea Fog, silently watching the activity on the dock.

He did not go ashore with Tirian – when the captain left the warship, he, as the first mate, had to stay on board and temporarily exercise the captain's authority to prevent any trouble.

"Those city-state guards look nervous," a sailor muttered beside him. "Are they afraid we'll come ashore and plunder? I thought the city-state guard of the Pearl of the Sea, Pland, would be stronger than the good-for-nothings on the Frigid Sea."

Aiden didn't turn his head. "If they didn't come forward to maintain order, you'd say that Pland's guard didn't even have the courage to block the streets – if you were really going to fight their steam tanks, would you go?"

".…I wouldn't go. I don't want to be scooped up in a bucket and carried back to the deck again." The sailor quickly shook his head, then looked up in the direction the steam walkers had just left. "The captain followed them… Is he alright? That tall woman looks like trouble. I don't think the captain can beat her…"

"We're not here to fight. We were invited, understand?" Aiden finally couldn't help but give the sailor a sideways glance. "Can you, and you, adjust your mindset? Have you forgotten the captain's usual teachings? We're the Sea Fog Venture Capital Company now – robbery isn't sustainable. Isn't doing business faster than robbery?"

"Then when are we going to rob?"

Aiden thought for a moment, the shiny top of his head reflecting a ray of sunlight. "Of course, when the other side isn't willing to do business…"

Several Undead sailors nodded, indicating that the first mate's opinion was insightful. Then, after a few seconds of silence, one of the sailors, whose left half of his head was completely caved in, couldn't help but look toward the city-state, muttering, "Can we go ashore and take a look? Pland, I heard that in this city…"

"Don't even think about it." Aiden directly interrupted the subordinate. "Captain's orders, no one is allowed to leave the Sea Fog without permission – you bunch of melon-cracked heads will definitely scare people if you go ashore. Pland isn't the North. Not many people here have seen talking corpses.

"So the captain only picked a few guys who looked the most like living people to go ashore, right?" the sailor with the caved-in head said resentfully, and raised his hand to support his head. "Actually, I think I look alright. Put half a shell over this, and then put on a hat…"

"Shut up. No one is allowed to go ashore without the captain's order!" Aiden gave the talkative sailor a fierce look. "If you really have nothing to do, go to the cabin and see if those unlucky bastards who were plastered to the deck before are alive. If they're alive, tell them to report…"

A slight clicking sound suddenly came from not far away, interrupting Aiden's instructions.

Everyone on the bridge heard the slight clicking sound. Several gazes turned to the direction of the sound, and the sailor who spoke first discovered the source.

Next to the captain's seat, there was a strange machine composed of gears, connecting rods, and compass needles. The machine was quiet now, but several of its needles were still trembling slightly, seeming to indicate that it had suddenly operated a moment ago.

"Did that thing just move?" A sailor who was closest to the intricate machine cautiously came to its side, staring at the already quiet compass needles.

Aiden also walked over, his gaze falling on the hemispherical bowl in the center of the machine – there was a trace of dried blood left, which was left by Captain Tirian the last time he used the device.

The bald first mate's brow furrowed slightly.

As the captain's most trusted subordinate, Aiden knew this device very well.

Anomaly 203, Bloodseeking Compass, a complex brass machine of unknown principle, once the collection of the Frost Queen, is now the property of Captain Tirian.

This machine should be considered a "positive" one among the ranked "Anomalies." Its central bowl can hold blood, and after absorbing fresh blood, it uses a series of compasses to indicate the direction of the user's "blood relatives." The priority of its indication is related to blood relation, distance, and the user's wishes.

Compared to most anomalies that have direct malice and can be fatal if not properly kept, the Bloodseeking Compass is relatively safe in terms of "storage." It does not require any special sealing conditions – but in contrast, once this device is activated, it will show a dangerous side.

First of all, once blood has been injected into it, the user will be constantly tempted by the compass, creating the urge to continuously inject blood into it. Those with weak minds may even bleed themselves to death in uninterrupted bloodletting. Secondly, although the Bloodseeking Compass can indeed help users find their "blood relatives," it often "brings misfortune" in the process, constantly leading things to the worst side as the user and blood relatives get closer.

As far as Aiden knows, Anomaly 203 has had the "story" of guiding a father to find his long-lost son, but causing them to kill each other by mistake when they met.

However, these negative effects have never mattered to Captain Tirian – the captain's will is strong enough to resist the Bloodseeking Compass's "blood offering temptation," and as for the tendency of misfortune in the process of blood relatives getting closer…

First of all, the captain and Miss Lucretia will never meet while Anomaly 203 is in effect. Secondly, the Abnormal father and son have always been "harmonious."

Even the Bloodseeking Compass would not create a more "warm and harmonious" reunion scene than when two cursed warships meet and immediately cover each other with fire.

In the past half century, Captain Tirian has often used the Bloodseeking Compass as a kind of "warning device" to determine whether the Ship of Lost Home had returned to the real world.

Aiden and the sailors gathered around Anomaly 203, several pairs of eyes staring at the ancient compasses around the brass device, which were decorated with complex patterns.

Those gears and needles had completely quieted down.

"…Maybe it just wanted to move around," a sailor with a hole in his forehead said cautiously, seemingly trying to ease the atmosphere. "After all, this thing is usually still…"

Aiden glared at the sailor. "If you can't joke, don't joke."

"Or… should we wipe off the blood left in the middle?" another gaunt, mummy-like sailor said. "Otherwise, I always feel like this thing is going to 'wake up.'"

"No," Aiden shook his head. "The captain said that the blood in the center of the compass cannot be wiped off manually. We have to wait seventy-two hours and let the compass absorb it itself."

"…What happens if we wipe it off early?"

"No one knows. It's already hard enough to summarize the correct usage of 'anomalies.' Who would be full enough to test various wrong operations?" Aiden said casually. "Want to try? Consider it a contribution to human civilization."

"No, no, no. I was just saying."

Aiden snorted.

"Click, click—"

At this moment, the Bloodseeking Compass suddenly made that slight mechanical sound again. The conversation between the first mate and the sailors was instantly interrupted. Aiden looked at the machine as soon as possible. He saw the edge wheel gradually begin to vibrate, and several compass needles on its edge also shook violently. Then, all the needles suddenly pointed away from Pland…

The Bloodseeking Compass quieted down again. This time, it seemed like it really wouldn't move anymore.

All its needles avoided Pland.

Aiden and the sailors looked at each other in dismay.

"…I told you, this thing just wanted to move around…"

"Shut up." Aiden interrupted the sailor, but his eyes were still fixed on Anomaly 203, while recalling the scene he had just seen in his mind.

All the needles turned to a random direction outside of Pland, but he could be sure that at some moment, there was definitely a moment when the needles of the Bloodseeking Compass pointed in the same direction – pointing to the Pland city-state!

It was just that the moment was very short, so short that it would make people suspect that it was just a coincidence in the random rotation of several needles, but in Aiden's view, it was as if the compass's several "eyes" had just stared at its target, and then shifted its gaze in horror.

And now, the situation of Anomaly 203's needles all pointing to the sea near Pland, in Aiden's view, had instead become a kind of "attempt to cover up."

He suddenly thought of a sentence the captain had once said to him—

Anomaly 203 occasionally exhibits the characteristics of a "living thing." It does not always operate mechanically.

This thing is afraid.

"Something's wrong… There's something wrong with this city-state!" Aiden suddenly realized. "We have to tell the captain about the situation here."

"But didn't the captain order us not to go ashore?"

"Send a message first," Aiden said quickly, looking at a sailor. "Go, bring Polly here!"

The sailor ran away quickly. After a while, he ran back to the bridge – a huge parrot with colorful tail feathers stood on his shoulder, grinding its beak against the sailor's exposed skull on the back of his head.

"Polly, we need you to deliver a message," Aiden said loudly.

The parrot immediately stopped bullying the sailor, raised its head, and stared at the first mate: "Polly can deliver a message."

"Go to the city-state cathedral, look for the captain's aura, and tell him – the Bloodseeking Compass is pointing to Pland, the city-state is not safe!"