Surviving as the Captain of a Mad Cthulhu Deep Sea - Chapter 23

chapter 23

The Entire Island

Chapter 23: The Entire Island

Seeing Charles slaughter his kin like cattle, the remaining vampires finally broke and fled through the windows in a panic.

“What a pathetic display. To be so agitated by such a meager display…” Charles sneered, watching them flee.

Charles tilted his head, listening to the sounds, then led the Vampire Sailors through the chaotic hall to the wooden door.

When he opened it, he saw Dip and Krona hanging upside down from an inverted cross, like smoked hams. Cuts marked their wrists, and blood dripped into a wooden basin on the floor.

Their faces were ashen. Had Charles not arrived in time, they would have died from blood loss soon.

When Charles saw them, the two figures on the shelf writhed wildly.

Instead of immediately setting them down, Charles walked over to Dip and tapped his cheek with the Black Saber in his hand.

“Hmm? How did a female vampire taste?”

The gagged boy couldn’t speak, but his eyes pleaded as he let out muffled “Mmph” sounds.

A flash of white light crackled, and the chains binding them snapped in two.

Leaving the unfortunate pair behind, Charles sauntered over to examine the blood-drawing equipment nearby.

This seemed to be a place where vampires specialized in draining blood. Seeing the human-sized glass bottles filled with blood, Charles instinctively knew these two weren’t the only victims.

The other missing sailors weren’t here. It was likely that the vampires weren’t limited to just these few.

“Mr. Charles, what should we do now?” Lily asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

“What do you think? We’ve killed so many vampires, we have to report it to the police, of course.”

Soon, the residents of the island witnessed a shocking sight on the main street of the dock.

A giant, nearly four meters tall, strode through the street dragging a vampire corpse wrapped in pink curtains. Dark red blood soaked into the cobblestones, leaving behind an unforgettable “red carpet.”

The islanders hastily cleared a path, standing aside with stunned expressions.

Some people, upon witnessing the scene, hastily turned their backs and fled.

Charles smiled coldly as he watched them go, certain they were vampire spies.

This was precisely the intimidation he craved. What were vampires compared to the terror of the Subterranean Sea? To him, they were mere child’s play.

A crimson carpet of blood stretched from the entertainment district to the police booth at the pier.

“Hey, hey, your island management is a mess. How could you not know about these things infiltrating so deep into the island? What kind of operation are you running here?”

Wearing a Clown Mask, Charles berated them with the authority of a superior.

The two police officers on duty stood pale, cold sweat trickling down their faces as they stared at the dismembered corpses littering the ground.

“You must be hot, huh? You’re sweating like a waterfall.”

Charles, wearing a clown mask, leaned in close.

“N-no, sir!”

A portly policeman instinctively took a step back.

“I’ve handled your problems for you. Don’t you think you owe me something in return? There are likely more vampires hiding in the docks. Find them. We still haven’t located some of the sailors.”

Seeing the pile of corpses at the door, the two men dared not say another word. They immediately promised to report to their superiors.

As soon as Charles left, the portly policeman urgently told his colleague, “Quick! Notify the Director! The new guys killed Durand!”

“Captain, should we help those cops find the others?” Krona asked, her hand tightening around her wrist.

Charles replied, “If I ruled this island, I wouldn’t let these different species run amok and drink people’s blood in my territory.”

With the mask removed, Charles’s expression turned grim. “That’s not the important thing right now. The fact that these vampires are acting so openly means this island isn’t peaceful. We need to leave quickly. Let’s go to the Repair Shipyard now.”

“Sir, what brings you here? I told you it would take a month,” the Factory Manager greeted them hastily inside the noisy shipyard, clutching a blueprint.

“Can’t you speed it up? I’ll give you as many Echo Notes as you want.”

Charles didn’t want to create any more side issues. All he wanted now was to fix the turbine and return to Coral Island. Once he reached his territory, he could replace it with a brand-new one and finally feel at ease.

Hearing Charles’s words, the man wore an embarrassed expression.

“This really puts me in a difficult position…”

Before he could finish speaking, a small worker approached and whispered something in his ear.

The Factory Manager’s face suddenly changed, and he stared at Charles with fear-filled eyes.

“G-Guest! We’ll replace it with the best turbine we have here within three days. Just three days!”

Charles didn’t know what the worker had said, but he could clearly sense the change in the manager’s attitude.

Having achieved his goal, Charles no longer wanted to talk. After a few brief instructions, he stepped outside.

“Everyone, pack your bags. We leave immediately once the turbine is repaired.”

“What about Jake and the others?” Dip asked about the other crew members who had disappeared.

“We don’t have time to worry about them. If the police don’t find them by the time the ship is repaired, they’re probably not going to make it.”

As Charles was speaking with the crew, Lily, who was perched on his shoulder, exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Charles, look! It’s the painter!”

Charles looked up and saw the Blind Painter with his disfigured face. The man stumbled toward them, sniffing the air as he walked.

Charles instinctively sensed that this man was looking for him.

“What is it?” Charles walked up to him and asked.

The man was startled by the question, and then a look of joy spread across his disfigured face.

“Sir, I’ve finally found you. I’ve wanted to tell you something since we were at Helen Square, but there were too many people there, I—”

“Just tell me what it is, quickly,” Charles interrupted.

The blind man flinched and lowered his voice. “Sir, I have vital information about your safety. If you give me a place on your ship to leave this hellhole, I’ll tell you everything. I can’t take it here anymore. Everyone torments me.”

Charles had no idea what mysterious schemes this man was plotting, but he would never agree to such an unequal trade. Besides, he needed more information about the locals.

“Tell me.”

“I know you’re exceptionally skilled, but please, leave this place quickly! News of Durand’s death has already been reported to the authorities, and they’ve sent two Dukes to handle the matter. Once they arrive, you’ll never be able to leave!”

“Dukes? What are you talking about?” Charles frowned.

The blind man gestured wildly, his hands flying. “The ones you killed aren’t the only vampires! In fact, every single resident on this island is a vampire! This is the stronghold of vampires—Black Spirit Island!”

The news sent a shockwave through everyone aboard The Narwhal. Their faces were filled with horror, and their eyes widened as they stared at the islanders around them.

“All of them?”

“Yes, all of them. Including me.”

The Blind Vampire finished speaking, his mouth gaping open to reveal sharp, blood-sucking fangs that glinted coldly in the light.

Charles’s face turned deathly pale. A few vampires wouldn’t have been so terrifying, but if the entire island was filled with them, they were now like fish on a cutting board.

He thought he had barely escaped with his life, only to stumble unexpectedly into the wolf’s den.

“If they’re all in on this, then just now…”

Charles’s expression shifted as a realization struck him. He hurriedly led the other sailors back to the Repair Shipyard.

The moment he entered, he collided head-on with the Factory Manager.

“You promised to urgently repair the ship, didn’t you? Then how do you have time to be out here?” The sailors’ faces were all filled with resentment.

“Uh… I… I…”

Charles didn’t bother arguing with him. He immediately ordered the sailors to seal all exits and gather everyone in the factory into one place.

Looking at the capricious Factory Manager before him, Charles said, “There’s no need to play dumb anymore. He’s already told us everything. In fact, you’re probably in league with those outsiders, aren’t you? I’d bet my life that even though you were entrusted with our ship, you didn’t lay a finger on it.”

“Traitor!!”

Enraged, the Factory Manager revealed his monstrous true form and lunged at the Blind Vampire, but the Black Saber, still slick with blood, lay across his path.

Seeing the Vampire Sailors in sailor uniforms flinch, James, standing behind Charles, rapidly grew in size. He casually lifted a steel beam as thick as his forearm, slung it over his shoulder, and the commotion immediately died down.

Charles turned to the Blind Vampire beside him and asked, “When will the two Dukes you mentioned arrive?”

“They’re usually at the Graveyard in the center of the island. It should take them about half a day to get here.”

“Good.”

Charles gestured to The Narwhal beside him and said to the Vampire Factory Manager before him,

“I’ll give you three hours. Install the turbine. Otherwise, I’ll finish you off like Durand.”

A burly, bearded man among the crew stepped forward, his voice trembling with emotion.

“That’s impossible! Do you have any idea how complicated it is to replace a single turbine?”

“Chief Engineer.”

The moment Charles gave the order, a steel beam shot from behind him with a deafening roar, impaling the bearded man through the chest.

His writhing body tried to heal, but the steel beam struck again and again, reducing him to a mangled heap of flesh and blood.

Blood splattered onto the remaining vampires, and fear flickered across their faces.

“Do you think I’m a pushover? You blood-sucking monsters! Start the replacement work right now!”

Charles’s voice was barely contained with fury.

The Factory Manager’s lips trembled slightly. Wiping a smear of blood from his face, he turned with the other vampires toward The Narwhal.

“First Mate, you’re familiar with the turbines. Keep an eye on them and watch out for any tricks these guys might be planning.”

“Understood… Captain.”

The First Mate of The Narwhal followed them.

Normally, this task would have fallen to the Chief Engineer, but the current James was too dim-witted to handle it. Instead, James stood there blankly, threatening all the vampires.

Creak…

The metal gate of the Repair Shipyard opened slightly, and Dip peered out cautiously.

After observing for a moment, he turned to Charles, who was sitting on a crate, and said, “Captain, it seems the people outside have noticed us. Many are watching this way.”

“Audric, do you think they’ll attack?” Charles asked the blind man, wiping his Black Saber.

The blind man beside him shook his head. “No. They wouldn’t dare touch prey belonging to the Duke. Besides, you’re not ordinary humans to be slaughtered at will. They’re all a rabble and wouldn’t dare attack.”