Charles had just walked into the Explorer Association when he was met with an unexpected scene. The usually desolate hall was now bustling with activity.
Various sofas and coffee tables were scattered about. Men and women in all manner of maritime attire stood or sat in groups of three or five, and the hall boomed with the sound of their voices.
Among the crowd were quite a few individuals who clearly weren't seafarers, whispering conspiratorially with the captains.
Charles wove through the throng and headed to the counter to turn in his mission report. The snippets of conversation he overheard told him these people were all here to post new missions.
"Hey, Charles! Over here!" A strangely excited William waved a liquor bottle at him. He was surrounded by a few captains whom Charles found vaguely familiar.
When she saw Charles looking over, Elizabeth snorted coldly and turned her head away.
As soon as Charles approached, William enthusiastically slung an arm around his shoulder. "My friend, that knife of yours works wonders!"
The sour, rancid smell coming from William was unpleasant. Charles pushed his arm away and asked, "Was it a powerful relic?"
He had previously sold William two unappraised relics. From the looks of it, William must have struck it rich.
"Yep, incredibly powerful, couldn't be any better! I pretended to nonchalantly give that knife to an enemy of mine. Guess what? He slaughtered his entire crew, hahaha!"
Watching William's wild laughter, Charles was struck by a sense of the absurd. Could a relic really be used like that?
The chubby man beside them nudged Charles with his elbow. "Heard you went out to sea again? Run into anything interesting? Tell us about it."
An image of the arm stretching out from the seabed flashed through Charles's mind, and he forced a smile. "Nothing worth mentioning. We lost some crew, and the mission was a failure."
"Come on, tell us. If you didn't come here to socialize, why come at all? Wouldn't you have more fun winning big at a casino?"
Unable to refuse their persistence, Charles eventually recounted everything that had happened: the giant butterfly, the giant hand, and Dark Crystal Island.
After hearing Charles's tale, the other captains all marveled at his good luck. They were astonished that he had survived so many dangerous encounters and made it back alive.
"Sigh… Stark wasn't so lucky," the chubby man said offhandedly.
"Who's Stark?"
"If that kid knew you didn't even remember his name, he'd be angry enough to crawl out of his grave. He was the one who tied you up and brought you here with Elizabeth, remember?"
Charles immediately recalled the jovial, burly man, and his pupils contracted. "He's dead?"
The chubby man nodded, took a bite from a blue fruit, and continued, "Death is a normal occurrence. In fact, this month has been pretty good. We've only lost seven people."
Charles glanced at everyone's faces and saw not a trace of sorrow. They were all chatting as if nothing was wrong.
Charles gained a much deeper understanding of the concept of "paving the way with lives."
After a moment of silence, he addressed the other captains. "Gentlemen, what can you tell me about Sodoma City?"
This was his purpose for coming today. He had only ever heard the name of this unknown place, and now he needed more leads.
As soon as the words left his mouth, all eyes turned to a sallow-skinned, middle-aged man with a hawkish nose sitting in the corner.
"Charlie used to be a pirate. You can ask him," William said, tilting his head back for a swig of liquor.
"I can only tell you that the place is chaotic. Don't go there unless you have to. Anyone weak who goes there is just looking to die," Charlie answered, his voice as deep as ever.
"Then have you heard of anyone selling sunlight there?"
At Charles's question, Charlie shook his head.
"No?" Charles asked, growing nervous.
"I'm not sure. Maybe, maybe not. In that place, anything is for sale as long as you have the money. When you get to Sodoma, go to the Anchor Tavern and ask the bartender. Tell him Seadog sent you. The bartender is a friend of mine."
"Thank you." Charles looked at Charlie with gratitude. This kind of information wasn't common knowledge, and Charlie sharing it was a huge favor.
The chubby man nudged Charles with his elbow and whispered, "He's taken a liking to you. A man who can encounter a 'God' and return alive has an unlimited future."
Charles gave a dry laugh. Who could be sure of such things? In this godforsaken place, who could guarantee they would live to see the end? He was just an ordinary man, risking his life to survive.
The lively atmosphere returned, and Charles drank and ate snacks with the others, closing the distance between them quite a bit.
He picked up a round cake from the table and took a bite. The soft bread and sweet cream were surprisingly delicious. In all his years in this world, this was the first time he had eaten such a refined food.
Just as Charles finished his food and was thinking of leaving, a plain-looking young man approached him. "Captain Charles?"
Charles turned to size up the newcomer. The man wore a red robe, and a bright white triangle was painted on his forehead. His attire was completely different from that of the captains around him.
"And you are...?"
"My name is Sonni. Like you, I'm an Explorer."
Elizabeth, who had been ignoring Charles until now, cleared her throat and dipped her finger in some spilled liquor, drawing a few horizontal and vertical lines on the table.
When Charles recognized the marks as semaphore for 'danger, stay away,' his guard went up instantly.
"I hear Mr. Charles is searching for the Land of Light? Why haven't I seen you at the Church's services?"
The Light God Sect? Charles instantly dropped the pretense and stood up to leave.
In the next instant, Sonni's body flickered, and he appeared in front of Charles, blocking his path.
"Are you a proponent of the radical new dogma? You are all mistaken. You've misinterpreted the Sun God's divine oracle. The original doctrine is the truth! The Land of Light is an illusion, an unattainable void. We must pray with devout hearts and hold frequent prayer ceremonies. Only then will the Sun God return."
Listening to these absurd words, Charles had no idea how to respond. He didn't know where these people got their 'divine oracles' from, but he was certain they didn't come from the great ball of fire in the sky.
"Sorry, I'm not part of your religion. Please let me pass."
Sonni looked surprised. "If you're not a follower of the Sun God Sect, then why are you searching for the Land of Light?"
"I'm not searching for it anymore. Goodbye," Charles said, walking around Sonni and heading for the door.
The white mark on Sonni's forehead lit up. From within his robe, a semi-transparent, bruise-colored fluid shot out and rapidly enveloped Charles. "How about we go somewhere else to chat?"
Charles's expression turned cold, the revolver in his right hand already aimed at Sonni's head.