Chapter 2179: Chapter 2179

"What's happening? Why is the mist closing in?"

Jenkins asked the metal head on the chair.

"It's quite obvious. This world is suffering a catastrophe, and as part of this Mysterious Realm, the black mist will try to invade the ship. I won't explain what the mist is. You only need to know that when it floods the ship, you won't die, but all these refugees will."

If all the refugees on the ship died, Jenkins's mission would naturally fail.

"Damn it, this mist is moving too fast, isn't it?"

A quick calculation told him the mist would reach the ship's edge long before he could question all three people for clues.

"Of course, there is a way on this ship to temporarily push the black mist back."

The metal head still sounded cheerful.

"Don't ask me why I didn't tell you before. You didn't ask, did you?"

"You'll have to find that yourself. After all, my responsibility is only to tell you how to leave, not to ensure the safety of the creatures in this Mysterious Realm."

The encroaching black mist was a part of the realm's rules; even Jenkins's flames couldn't drive it away. To make it retreat, even temporarily, he had to work within the rules of the realm itself. He returned to the man who had demanded fish. The shape of a fish was still visible in his throat.

"The mist is too thick now. I can't see anything when I'm fishing. Is there any way to disperse it?"

After eating the fish, the gaunt man had slipped back into a dazed state. He mumbled vaguely,

"I just want to eat fish, so you go fish... But that mist does make it hard to see, and that affects the fishing. Oh, I remember there's some lighting equipment at the bottom of the river, too."

"The bottom of the river? Is there any lighting equipment on this ship?"

"There used to be. It burned up."

Time was short. Whatever he could catch next would be useful. He didn't know the backstory of this Mysterious Realm—what had happened here, or whether it was based on real history or just a fabricated tale.

But regardless, he had come this far. He absolutely couldn't let something like fishing stop him now.

So when he cast his hook again, he put tremendous force into it, so much that he felt the hook strike something in the mist before it plunged into the water.

"Whatever I hit has nothing to do with me. All I want now is to fish."

He told himself, focusing intently on the metal fishing rod in his hands, feeling the path of the hook as it slid through the water with the ship's movement.

Little Chocolate lay on Jenkins's shoulder, eyes half-closed in a feigned nap, its breathing gradually syncing with his. Jenkins closed his own eyes, temporarily shutting off his sight to focus more intensely on his sense of touch, using the vibrations from the rod to "see" the scene beneath the water.

It was an advanced state of resonance with nature. Jenkins gradually felt as if he could truly see underwater, but at the same time, he also sensed the chaotic, disordered spirit beyond the ship's hull.

His eyes snapped open. With a sharp tug, he yanked the line upwards. Following a splash, a dark object flew through the air and landed on the deck. It bounced twice by his feet and then began wriggling, trying to get back into the water.

It was another fish, though its mutation was less severe than the previous two. The only thing that distinguished it from a normal fish was that its head had a human nose and two human ears.

But he had to admit, this was even more disgusting than that "octopus" from before.

He raised his magic sword, impaled the fish, and quickly brought it to the fish-eater. The gaunt man's head shot up as if he feared Jenkins would snatch it away. He grabbed the fish, ignoring the blade of the sword slicing into his palm, and tore it from the weapon with his bare hands.

He tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, and in a motion identical to before, tossed the fish into his cavernous maw. The first fish in his short, thick neck was forced down into his stomach, and now the second one was stuck in his throat. Jenkins could even make out the shape of the fish's large nose.

"Oh, thank you so much, sir. I'm quite full. Now, I'll tell you..."

"Could you wait a moment?"

Jenkins glanced anxiously at the black mist, which was now dangerously close to the ship.

"Can I hear it after I've fished up the lamp?"

"Of course. I'm in no hurry."

Jenkins walked to the front of the deck, re-rigging his line. After another powerful cast, he held perfectly still, calming his mind to better let his spirit travel along the rod and line to probe the water, which also seemed to be filled with black mist.

He couldn't "see" much; the black mist also blocked spiritual perception. But at the very least, when the hook touched something again, Jenkins instantly pulled up the line.

A heavy object landed on the deck. It was a battered lantern.

It was the kind of hand-carried, wind and rain-proof kerosene lamp that could be hung from a horse on a night ride. On a ship, it was called a ship's lamp—a common source of light for rainy days and nights in this era. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel⦿fire.net

The lantern's glass chimney was almost completely gone, and the metal frame was bent and twisted as if by some great force, with only a few shards of glass clinging to the lower rim. But the wick inside was intact. With a little effort, the knob turned, and the wick extended. The sealed fuel reservoir even had some kerosene left. In other words, there was a very real chance it could be lit.

"Will this be able to drive back the black mist?"

Jenkins took the lantern to the man with the fish stuck in his throat. He nodded, his voice strange and muffled by the fish.

"But do you have enough kerosene? I don't think that lamp will last very long."

"That's fine. I don't need much time."

He turned the small gear that controlled the cotton wick, then brought a flame from his fingertip close. With a soft puff, a pea-sized glow flickered to life on the wick. It was unstable, but at least it didn't immediately go out.

The flame didn't grow, but the light did. The deck had no light source of its own, instead seeming to emit a faint, spontaneous glow. But now, the area around Jenkins's feet was completely covered by the lantern's radiance.

Around the hull of the ship, the black mist began to recede. It seemed it wouldn't be trying to encroach upon the deck for now.