The Stagnant Realm of the Dead

Across the endless wilderness composed entirely of black, white, and gray, chaotic, frigid winds blew ceaselessly over the land. Waves of grass rolled and surged, while strange black-and-white plants swayed their lifeless limbs in the wind. Tiny particles of Faint Light occasionally rose from the grass, drifting above the wasteland like lost souls wandering through this forgotten Realm of the Dead.

The entire realm lay beneath a dim light resembling the onset of night. There was neither thick fog nor cloud cover in the sky, only a swirling mass of murky color that churned without end.

The Lost Homeland and the Brilliant Star silently "sailed" across the endless wilderness. The bizarre sight defied explanation—Lucretia had sent two tin men off the ship to inspect the "land" outside and confirmed that solid ground truly lay beneath the rolling grass. Yet the two ships still sailed over this earth, their hulls below the waterline sinking into the ground as though they were moving through water, as if... the concepts of "ocean" and "wilderness" had strangely merged here.

At Duncan's command, the two ships slowed down and cautiously navigated beneath the eternal night here. Shirley climbed to the lookout platform atop the mast, but after surveying the distance, she saw nothing—the wilderness stretched in every direction. All she could see was gently undulating ground. There were no buildings, no conspicuous landmarks, not even a slightly taller hill.

After continuing their fruitless voyage for some time, the two ships finally came to a gradual stop—as if they had run aground upon this endless stretch of wilderness.

Duncan gathered his followers on the deck.

"Given the strange situation we encountered on the Isle of Ashes, we need to proceed cautiously this time," Duncan said solemnly as he looked at the crew gathered before him. "No