Chapter 2177: Chapter 2177

On the deck, besides Jenkins and the huddled figures, there was a metal human head. It sat alone on a wooden chair in the forward-center of the deck. The chair was an ordinary one, with a back made of three nailed-together planks, looking utterly unremarkable.

At that moment, Jenkins and Chocolate were closer to the bow, separated from the metal head on the chair by a bucket and some rotten planks. The distance between them was not insignificant.

“If you wish to leave, the rules are simple.”

The head began to speak, its tone tinged with a cheerful quality. It wasn't covered in human skin; the metal was completely exposed, allowing Jenkins to see not only the seams on its surface but also the runes that weren't even hidden inside the metal shell.

“This is a steamship, traveling along a river. Besides you, everyone else is a refugee. Your task is to learn the truth of this world from the mouths of the refugees.”

Jenkins retorted. The river current wasn't rough, and even standing on deck, he couldn't feel much of a sway, but the steamship was definitely moving forward. Although Jenkins had been on ships in this world, he had never traveled by one. Fortunately, he didn't get seasick. Of course, neither did Chocolate.

“You need to describe the background of this world to me. The world is facing a disaster. You don't need to describe the characteristics of the civilization or the details of the cataclysm, just the form it takes.”

the metal head explained.

“If you don't want a quick death, don't try to leave the confines of this ship. These refugees won't give you information for free. You must satisfy their demands to earn their help.”

“Is there a time limit?”

“Of course. This ship is laden with death and fear; it's no place for you. You may only question three refugees. If you fail to learn what has happened here, then you'll have to stay and keep them company. Perhaps I can even offer you a blanket.”

The rules didn't sound too difficult, and they didn't require any large-scale exploration, but now that he was on the eighth floor of the tower, Jenkins couldn't shake a growing sense of foreboding. That feeling had only intensified since he'd arrived in this Mysterious Realm.

Chocolate patted Jenkins's shoulder with a small paw, and the cat's comfort dispelled much of the gloom in his heart.

He looked at the refugees huddled beneath the railings around the deck. None of them bore any obvious identifying marks, making it impossible to tell if anyone had a special status.

Using his Eye of Reality, he saw only a continuous stretch of black spiritual light. The glow was meaningless at this moment.

Since he had no better ideas, Jenkins decided to just pick one at random and test the waters.

He scanned the area, walked through the piles of trash on the deck, and finally settled on an emaciated figure with a bowed head, wrapped in a headscarf. The person wore patched, black sackcloth, was small and frail, and it was impossible to tell if they were male or female. They were huddled with two similarly dressed individuals under the same piece of burlap. As Jenkins approached and crouched down, he caught a distinct sour smell.

“I'd like to ask you a few things.”

“Oh, sir, no. You can't ask. You can only listen to what I am able to tell you.”

It was the voice of a trembling man. He seemed to fear Jenkins, and he still didn't dare to look up as he spoke.

“Very well, then. I want to hear your information.”

“Then you must do something for me.”

This was expected, so Jenkins nodded: Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel-fire.ɴet

“What do you need me to do for you?”

the trembling voice asked, punctuated by the sound of sobbing.

In both his past life and his present one, Jenkins had never fished. Fortunately, the body's original owner, having grown up in a coastal city, did have memories of fishing, though it had been many years ago. Back then, the Williams family still ran their shop in the Dock Area, before Robert had the stroke of luck that changed their family's circumstances.

“If you help me catch two fish from the river, I'll tell you what I can.”

“Are you sure you just want two fish?”

“No, what I want is for you to catch two fish 'from this river' 'right now.' I don't just want two fish.”

The man repeated the conditions of time and place, dashing any hopes Jenkins had of taking a shortcut by conjuring two fish out of thin air.

Jenkins didn't know how to fish, but he had to try. Besides, in a bizarre place like a Mysterious Realm, the man's request was surely not a test of fishing skill. The river below looked anything but simple, which meant the fish within it wouldn't be either.

Fishing required tackle and bait. When Jenkins brought this up, the man pointed out that he could find what he needed on the deck.

Jenkins glanced back at the spacious forecastle deck and immediately spotted a metal fishing rod sticking out from among some nearby clutter—a bucket, wooden crates, and the like.

But he was still missing bait:

“I can't just fish with a bare hook, can I?”

He asked the man, who just shook his head:

“Just cast the hook into the water. The fish here don't need any extra bait.”

It was common for things in a Mysterious Realm to defy logic. After confirming the fishing gear in his hands was nothing special, Jenkins took his cat and went to the bow. There was a figurehead at the bow. Typically, these were totems or divine statues fixed to the front of a ship, as sailors were often superstitious and believed they brought good luck.

The figurehead was a life-sized statue of a man with outstretched arms, his face obscured. Behind it, there was an open space, free of refugees and large debris like wooden crates, where Jenkins could fish.

The fishing line with the hook was just a metal wire. There was no reel, of course; the wire was tied directly through a small hole at the tip of the rod. So Jenkins didn't have to worry about letting out the line; he simply cast the hook out.

Because of the thick fog surrounding the ship, Jenkins couldn't see the surface of the water, much less the hook as it went in. He only heard a soft 'plop' before he sat down cross-legged to wait patiently.

He didn't know how to fish, so this was all he could do. Thankfully, he had Chocolate with him this time. The cat, ever considerate, lay down beside Jenkins after he sat, and Jenkins reached out to stroke it. This made Jenkins wonder mischievously if he might have better luck if he tied Chocolate to the line and cast him into the river.