Surviving as the Captain of a Mad Cthulhu Deep Sea - Chapter 17

chapter 17

The Mouse’s Ear

Chapter 17: The Mouse’s Ear

Charles fiddled with the ring in his hand and turned to the records of another object: the Purple Pyramid.

Project Number: 434, Purple Pyramid

Description: 434 is a crystalline pyramid measuring 10cm x 10cm x 10cm. The disturbance it caused led to its transfer to The Foundation after a report from the Yingye Island Police Department.

Experiment 1: Subject 13 was instructed to hold 434 and mentally repeat “I am strong” twice.

Result: The subject underwent a physical mutation, growing proportionally to a height of 2.5 meters. However, their cognitive abilities significantly deteriorated, and intelligence tests revealed a drop to an IQ of 80.

Experiment 2: Subject 13 was instructed to hold 434 and mentally repeat “I am strong” three times.

Result: Subject 13’s height increased by 3 meters, and their IQ dropped to 60.

Experiment 3: Subject 13 was instructed to hold 434 and mentally repeat “I am strong” four times.

Result: Subject 13’s height increased to 4 meters, and their IQ dropped to 40. The experiment was forcibly terminated because the subject’s intelligence was too low to understand the instructions. The subject returned to normal 30 minutes after being separated from 434.

“Hmm…”

Charles frowned, staring at the relic in his hand.

This relic exchanged intelligence for physique, and it was difficult to say whether it was good or bad. Without even basic cognitive abilities, any amount of physical strength would be useless. Moreover, if one’s body grew too large, they would be unable to use their three relics, potentially even weakening their overall capabilities through the interaction.

Charles soon realized the relic’s greatest use.

I can’t use it myself, but I can give it to my crew.

Future adventures would only grow more dangerous, and he couldn’t face them alone. He needed to improve his crew’s skills across the board to keep pace.

As the image of someone’s firm, lean muscles flashed through his mind, Charles immediately found a new owner for the relic.

Despite the lingering pain in his body, Charles threw off the covers, grabbed the relic, and stepped outside.

Thirty minutes later, Charles stood on the deck and shouted at the Chief Engineer, who now stood four meters tall. “James, put the Relic you’re holding down! On the deck!”

The other sailors, having nothing else to do, gathered around and watched with keen interest.

As the hulking James sat down on the deck, the entire Narwhal shuddered. After about three seconds, he released his grip with a dazed expression, and 434 fell to the deck.

“The decrease in intelligence is more severe than I thought,” Charles muttered to himself, looking at the Purple Pyramid in his hand.

The test results showed that the growth in physique had made the body’s strength abnormally powerful, but the weakening of intelligence was devastating. Someone needed to constantly command him; otherwise, the now-irrational James would just sit there, fiddling with his fingers.

“Captain, may I play with this too?”

Dip, full of curiosity, approached with a group of deckhands.

Charles paused for a moment before tossing 434 to them. “All of you try it out. Let’s see who’s best suited for this thing.”

In an instant, the deck erupted with the crew’s laughter. Charles didn’t bother to stop them as they played with 434 like a toy.

People aren’t machines, he thought. Opportunities to relax like this at sea are rare. If this thing can ease their tension, even for a moment, it’s worth it.

After reminding them to be careful, Charles headed to his cabin. His wound had started aching again.

Time flowed swiftly across the sea. The wounds inflicted by Charles’s acidic fluid healed quickly, and the crew handled minor accidents that occurred during the voyage with perfect efficiency. For the first time, he truly enjoyed the privileges of being a captain, having always handled everything himself.

As the lighthouse of Coral Island came into view, The Narwhal nearly capsized from the crew’s thunderous cheers. They had returned alive once more.

When the ship docked, the crew collected their pay from Charles and scattered in the blink of an eye. They rushed to the gambling dens and brothels around the port, eager to release the pent-up tension from their minds.

Charles, holding the two remaining relics, headed toward the Explorers’ Association. Since he didn’t know their purpose or side effects, he wanted to ask other captains if they had any clues.

Just as Charles was about to disembark, he spotted Lily standing on the dock, surrounded by dark brown rats.

When he approached, he saw her, ears drooping, still standing there.

“Why aren’t you leaving?” Charles asked.

Startled, Lily hastily turned around.

“Mr. Charles.”

“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you going home? Didn’t you want to go home so badly?”

Charles picked up her tail and lifted her.

“But now that I’m a rat, will my mother recognize me? Won’t she chase me away with a broom?” Lily asked pitifully.

Charles understood in his heart. She was still just a child. It was natural for her to be afraid of such a drastic change in her body.

“Don’t worry. No parent could ever hate their own child. Even if you’ve turned into a mouse, they wouldn’t dislike you.”

Charles comforted her.

“Really?” Lily’s ears perked up.

“Absolutely, really.”

As Charles looked at the mouse before him, he suddenly thought of his own sister.

Lily shook her body with excitement. “Mr. Charles is right! My mother would never forget me. I’ve been gone so long; she must miss me terribly.”

Charles set her down and was about to leave when Lily grabbed his finger and asked, “Mr. Charles, could you take me home?”

He was about to refuse, but he saw the pitiful expression on the little mouse’s face.

Charles sighed softly. “Alright, I’ll take you home.”

He didn’t know why this young girl had turned into a mouse or if she could ever return to her human form, but they were both unfortunate souls who hadn’t been home in a long time. If he could help, he should.

Soon, a bizarre sight unfolded at Pier 3 on Coral Island: a man with dark eyes leading a swarm of mice down the street.

Only after Charles paid four times the usual fare and guaranteed the mice wouldn’t chew through the seats did a steam car driver agree to take them.

Lily’s home was nearly an hour away from the port. As they drew closer, she grew more excited.

She must be so happy right now. Will I ever have a day like that?

Charles’s eyes held a hint of envy as he watched the white rats swarm around his thighs.

“We’re here, sir. Turn left at the front, and you’ll find Doctor Oliver’s house. He has a lovely daughter there, so it might be best not to bring these rats. You could startle her.”

Lily, who could no longer contain herself, leaped from the car before it had even stopped. She led the swarm of rats and sprinted toward the corner at full speed.

When Lily reached the corner, her tiny body froze as if electrocuted.

“Huh?”

Sensing something was wrong, Charles walked over.

At the top left corner of the corner stood an elegant two-story villa. In the front yard, a kind-looking mother was sharing tea and conversation with her daughter.

The daughter appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old, with brown hair and a strikingly pretty face. The intelligence in her eyes between her eyebrows hinted that she would one day grow into an even more captivating beauty than her mother.

“Lily, do you have any sisters or younger siblings?” Charles asked hesitantly. The mother in the distance showed no sign of the grief one might expect from losing a daughter.

Charles’s words jolted Lily, who had been frozen. She let out a piercing scream, as if she were about to collapse.

“Aaaah! That Lily is a fake! I’m my mother’s daughter! She must be a witch from a fairy tale! She turned me into a mouse and stole my mother’s love! I’ll bite her to death!”

Lily finished speaking and led the pack of rats, already baring their teeth and thrashing wildly, in a charge toward the distant house.

Charles raised his left hand, the one wearing the ring, and snatched Lily out of the air.

“Calm down!”

As the White Mouse was caught, the rat pack swiftly turned, baring their sharp teeth at Charles and emitting a ferocious light from their eyes.

The moment Charles’s other hand reached for the Clown Mask, Lily restrained the rats’ attack and, suspended in the air, began to wail loudly.

“Waaah, Mr. Charles, I can’t go home. My mother doesn’t want me… What should I do now?”

Charles’s strange behavior had already drawn the attention of others. A man leading a swarm of rats through the streets was bound to stand out anywhere. People began pointing fingers at him.

“Don’t worry about it,” Charles said, frowning as he led Lily down a side street.

“Is that house really yours, and is that girl the original you?”

“Of course it is. That’s how I always looked. And that woman is definitely my mother,” Lily said, her voice filled with sorrow.

“First, scatter your friends. It’s too conspicuous this way.”

When Lily squeaked, the surrounding rats quickly dispersed, and screams from women erupted from various directions.

After taking Lily for a walk around the block, Charles returned to the small cottage. The yard was now empty of Lily’s mother; only Lily remained, sitting and reading a book.

“Wait, don’t say anything. I’ll test everything.”

Glancing around to confirm no one was watching, Charles pushed open the wooden door and approached her immediately.

“Lily?”

The girl looked up in surprise, her eyes still focused on the book. The moment she saw Charles, her expression changed. She dropped the book and hastily ran inside.

“Huh?”

As Charles raised his left hand, three invisible tentacles instantly wrapped around her.

Charles had expected this “Lily” to reveal her true form, but instead, she just struggled desperately and screamed loudly.

“Mom! Mom! Save me!”

A look of bewilderment crossed Charles’s face at this scene. He had seen many bizarre monsters transform, but never a reaction like this.

He pulled Lily toward him and slashed fiercely with his Black Saber. Crimson blood flowed from her forearm.

Charles licked the blade and was surprised to find it was indeed human blood.

Just then, the door next to them burst open and Lily’s mother rushed out, a flintlock pistol trembling in her hand.

“Let my daughter go! I’ve already called the police!”

Ignoring the utterly unthreatening pistol, Charles calmly asked the girl before him, “Why did you run away the moment you saw me?”

Though visibly terrified, the girl quickly answered.

“You smell of the sea. My dad said everyone who smells of the sea is a bad person.”

“Liar! That’s our dad!”

Lily the White Rat lunged at the girl.

Charles caught the rat, released the girl, and walked out.

Everything Lily did seemed completely normal, not like a disguise at all. This planted a seed of doubt in Charles’s mind.

“Don’t rush. Let’s investigate thoroughly first.”

Charles gently pressed the White Mouse’s agitated head.

He led Lily back to the port, winding through narrow alleyways until they reached a secluded door. After checking that no one was around, he knocked and whispered,

“Find your boss, Little Ear.”

The door opened silently, and Charles immediately entered with Lily.

The interior was a cluttered warehouse where a group of heavily tattooed men were playing cards. The Scarred Man, his face marked by a knife scar, stood up as he saw Charles enter with a swarm of rats.

“Captain Charles, it’s been a while. Another smuggling job? I heard you got a bigger ship. That should hold quite a lot.”

Charles had no time for pleasantries. He pulled out a wad of Echo Notes and handed them over.

“I need information about Doctor Oliver.”

Since he couldn’t get the full picture by asking directly, he thought asking a local informant might uncover other clues.

This man was a minor boss in the dock area, and Charles had done business with him a few times during his smuggling operations.

The Scarred Man chuckled at Charles’ words and extended his right hand, only two fingers remaining, to accept the money.

“Just say the word. There’s no information on Coral Island that our Sea Vampires can’t uncover.”

Charles gave him the address of the Bat Inn and returned with Lily.

Since Lily’s parents were clearly not influential figures, Little Ear soon brought back news.

A short while later, a sheet of paper covered in writing was slipped under the door of Charles’ room at the Red Lips Inn. He picked it up, read it carefully, and then looked at the white rat on the floor with a troubled expression.

“Lily, you said you boarded a ship to visit your grandfather and got caught in a whirlpool, transforming into a mouse, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But… according to the information they uncovered, your parents have remained on the island for years and haven’t sailed anywhere.”

A deathly silence fell over the room for a moment.

After about three seconds, Lily opened her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Th… then that means…”

“So, the Lily I know is the real one. She’s the Olivers’ actual daughter, not someone impersonating her.”

Doctor Oliver had never been to sea, so he couldn’t have been shipwrecked, and their daughter couldn’t have been caught in a whirlpool.

“If that’s true, then who am I?”

Tears streamed endlessly from the white rat’s eyes.

Remembering Anna from before, Charles carefully chose his words.

“Lily, I know this is hard to accept, but the memories you have might not be the truth.”

“That’s absurd! I’m Lily! I’m not a rat! I’m the real Lily!”

The White Mouse shrieked hysterically.

Hearing her scream, the Brown Rats quickly surrounded her, chattering anxiously.

“Get away from me! I’m not one of you! I’m human! I’m human!”

The Brown Rats backed away slightly, but continued to circle the wailing White Mouse.

Charles didn’t know what to say. He had anticipated many outcomes, but never this.

Yet, upon reflection, it seemed logical. The Subterranean Sea World was a place that could drive a person to such despair.

Thirty minutes later, surrounded by the rats, Lily lay on the ground, motionless, as if her soul had been drained.

“Mr. Charles, am I really just a rat?”

Charles sat in silence, unsure how to comfort her in this situation.

The White Mouse, receiving no answer, slowly crawled up and walked toward the door with a vacant expression, followed by the Brown Rats.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Charles asked the White Mouse on the floor.

Lily’s voice was sorrowful and pitiful. “I don’t know… but if I’m a rat, I should go live in the sewers. Thank you for everything, Mr. Charles. You’re a good person.”

The rats quickly swarmed the doorknob, easily turning it, and followed the White Mouse into the dim hallway.

Watching the rats retreat, a flicker of irritation crossed Charles’s face.

“Are you just going to give up like this? Go live in the sewers and eat garbage for the rest of your life?”

Lily, her ears drooping, turned and stared blankly at Charles.

“If you consider yourself human, and the Subterranean Sea has made you this way, you must go out and reclaim everything! You can’t run away!” His voice grew even louder.

“Humans can’t control their fate, but we can choose how we face adversity. Come back! My ship needs a hunter.”

Lily’s eyes welled up with tears again, and the sobbing White Mouse nodded.

“Mr. Charles, thank you. Why are you helping me so much?”

Charles wasn’t naturally warm-hearted, but seeing the despairing Lily about to leave, he instinctively recoiled. As someone equally unable to return home, he feared that this might become his own future.