On the small metal chest badge, the name Cristo Babelli was etched in steel, identifying him as the captain of the Obsidian.

This badge left the atmosphere at the scene eerie and silent, with the only sound in the spacious cabin being a heart pounding.

Is his name Cristo? Alice broke the silence after a while, scratching her head, looking puzzled. But the person we saw behind that blue door also said his name was Cristo, right?

If this ship is from Frosts deep sea, then everything on board could be distorted replicas. Each pile of twisted things here might represent Cristo or anyone else on the Obsidian at that time, Duncan said calmly, his gaze falling on the wide-eyed middle-aged man on the ground with a hand covering his mouth. The key is this this corpse, which is clearly unique.

Do you think hes the original? Vanna quickly reacted, looking at Duncan in astonishment. But how could the original be here when the whole ship is obviously twisted and replicated?

Our understanding of Frosts deep sea is based on Tyrians limited memories, and even what Tyrian knows is only part of the information from the early stages of the entire Abyss Plan. The entire project has never truly uncovered the secrets of the seabed below one thousand meters, Duncan shook his head. We know very little about Frosts waters, and our assumptions about the rules for these replicas may be incorrect. Perhaps the original is hidden within the counterfeit shell, or maybe every counterfeit is a manifestation of the original split apart, or even perhaps in the deep sea, there is no distinction between counterfeits and originals.

As Vanna listened to Duncans words, she couldnt help but glance at Alice beside her.

But Alice didnt give it much thought. She was just curiously observing the Cristo Babelli on the ground. After pondering for a while, she suddenly asked, Why is he covering his mouth?

People often react like that when theyre scared, Morris said casually, its not strange.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Duncans voice chimed in, No, its quite strange its not because of fear.

Morris looked at Duncan in surprise, only to see him squatting down beside the eerie corpse, even bringing his face close to it, carefully examining something.

Thump, thump, thump.

Cristo Babellis heart continued to pound with Duncans approach it beat even faster and more forcefully than before.

Duncan noticed the change in the heart, but his main focus was still on Captain Cristos face. After careful observation, he suddenly discovered something.

Theres something in his mouth.

Something in his mouth? Morris was taken aback, then saw Duncan reach out to try to pry the corpses hand away from its mouth.

The resistance from the hand surprised Duncan.

This corpse was tightly covering its own mouth, as if, even after years of death, it was still consciously resisting something!

Initially, Duncan didnt use much force, and as a result, he failed to pry open the hand. He knew that with more force, he should be able to easily overcome the dead mans grip, but he hesitated before continuing.

Mr. Babelli, if youre guarding a secret, you can let go now, Duncan said calmly, looking into the wide, angry eyes. Leave the rest to me.

The hand loosened.

Next, the tightly clenched mouth relaxed as well.

Vanna and Morris exchanged surprised glances, and then they saw Duncan reaching out, searching for something in Cristos slightly open mouth.

A soft, somewhat repulsive sensation met his fingertips. Duncan frowned, suppressing his discomfort as he extracted a lump from the dead mans mouth.

It was a thumb-sized piece, dark with faint blue lines, very soft to the touch like a piece of flesh torn from a larger being.

What is this thing? Alice was the first to curiously approach, clinging to Duncans arm as she examined the motionless, black, and blue piece of flesh. Then, her face revealed some revulsion. Yuck I dont like this thing

Duncan looked at Alice in surprise. The usually cheerful doll rarely displayed such immediate and clear disgust.

As Alice spoke, Vanna quickly frowned as well. I sense a very disturbing aura from this thing. It reminds me of pollution that has risen from the depths of the world into reality.

My intuition tells me that its best not to keep staring at this thing, Morris added. This is likely a warning from the god of wisdom. Dont you feel anything holding it?

Feel? No, Duncan pinched the piece of flesh in his hand. The touch is a bit repulsive, but I dont experience the exaggerated reaction youre describing.

Oh, thats normal, as your status is different from ours, Morris showed no surprise, then continued, But one thing is certain, what you hold in your hand is not meant to exist in the real world. It should be the most important clue in this ghost ship

But then his words were cut off midway because everyone had heard the pulsating heart in the air rapidly weakening.

Duncan lowered his head, staring at Cristos corroded and twisted chest, and saw the heart that had been forcefully beating just moments ago now covered in a layer of gray. The pounding sound weakened to near silence within a few seconds, and then, under his gaze, the heart suddenly ignited and turned to ashes in the blink of an eye.

Simultaneously, a low, hoarse, and somewhat familiar voice entered everyones ears. The source of the voice was unclear, and it seemed as if the entire ship was sighing: Ah, so thats how it is

Vanna was the first to react, Its the voice from behind the blue door!

Duncan looked at the body on the floor, witnessing the remains of Captain Cristo melting like wax. The remnants, which should have been eroded by seawater six years ago, appeared to be compensating for the lost time, turning into jagged bone fragments in an instant.

He made up his mind immediately and turned back in the direction they had come from: Lets retrace our steps.

Their return was much quicker than their exploration.

The group rapidly moved through the eerily silent and open cabin, through the chaotic and twisted sloping passage, and soon arrived back at the Captains Quarters with the blue door.

The door was slightly open, and behind it, the creature claiming to be Cristo Babelli still quietly clung to the wooden plank.

Vanna stepped forward, and almost immediately, the creature seemed to sense their presence. Its surface began to wriggle, and it spoke in a hoarse, low voice: Ah, youre back.

Captain Cristo, Vanna steadied herself, trying to keep her tone calm, We have some matters to discuss

But before she could finish, Cristo interrupted her: I already know, madam, I have remembered.

Despite harboring a vague suspicion, Vanna couldnt help but ask: You remembered?

If youre referring to my death, then I remember, albeit only partially, Cristo said in a low voice, I am dead, right? Certainly the Obsidian sank, we encountered a storm and an iceberg, we sank down, descending into the boundless darkness. I had no chance of survival.

Duncan was silent for a few seconds before abruptly stepping forward: Do you know what happened in the depths of this ship?

Depths? Cristos voice seemed somewhat confused.

Do you recall the specifics of your death? Duncan asked again, Did you ever struggle with something? Did anything occur on the ship after it sank into the deep sea?

Cristo fell silent as if in thought, then a slightly regretful voice emerged from the creature: Im sorry, I dont remember those details. All I recall isthe ship sinking, sinking for a very, very long time. Everyone died, and I should have died too, but I kept drifting in the darkness, surrounded by cold and darkness. It was as if I was searching for something in the dark. I dont know how long this chaotic state lasted. When I finally regained my memory, I was knocking on this door.

Duncan exchanged glances with the others.

Captain Cristo had no reason to lie.

The captain had only realized that he was dead, but he didnt remember what had transpired in the depths of the Obsidian, nor did he know about the demise of the other self in the mysterious space at the bottom of the ship, let alone the origin of the mysterious piece of flesh.

The clues seemed to have run dry.

But Duncan glanced at the palm of his handthe dark-colored piece of flesh still lay silently in his hand.

He had already made a significant discovery.