"Master, they've entered firing range." Helene stood atop the crow's nest with a telescope in hand, watching the approaching Scylla with unconcealed excitement.
Although they had often returned to East Chester County through the "portal" to rest and resupply over the past month, aimless sailing at sea was still unbearably boring.
"It's fine. Keep leading them around." Integra's hands danced over the piano keys. The impassioned melody pierced the air, stirring up the waves as it carried the Black Pearl into acceleration.
The hull, once the color of human skin, took on a faint crimson hue, while the bone-pale masts began to gleam like jade.
"Creeeak, creeeak~~"
As if responding to Integra's music, the Black Pearl let out an unpleasant creaking sound. The entire ship moved like a living creature, gently pulsing along with the rhythm.
To any onlooker, this sight was a massive hit to their sanity. The savage, twisted visual impact forced the lookout aboard the Scylla into a sanity check.
"Steward! Th-that ship! That ship is alive!"
The Machinery Hivemind lookout scrambled down from the crow's nest onto the rope ladder, wildly gesturing at the steward as he babbled incoherently.
The steward was clearly embarrassed by such a subordinate. He darkened his face and snapped:
"I know it's alive! It's a Ghost Ship, of course it has living characteristics!"
"No..." The lookout shook his head frantically, waving his arms exaggeratedly. "Not that kind of living characteristic. It's alive itself! When it sails, it wriggles like a worm! Its deck turns bright red as the music rises! It's a genuine living creature!"
"This..." The Machinery Hivemind steward furrowed his brow. As a veteran Machinery Expert—an Artisan—he had personally handled more Mysterious Items than many official Beyonders even knew existed. He had seen quite a few Mysterious Items