Salted Fish Chapter 63.1: Up (Part 1)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

Duan FeiZhou experienced a horror film in just a few minutes. The ship was dark and spooky, there were the corpse-smelling ventilation ducts, the two corpses in the bilge, and the nightmarish faceless man. The black snake swam up to the faceless man, looked back at Duan FeiZhou, then hissed and spit out its letters, as if to remind him that the identity of the faceless man was extremely important.

The faceless man heard the noise, and his body moved, the throat issued a “ho-ho” sound, but he had no way to speak. Duan FeiZhou took a step backwards. He almost wanted to raise Sword in the Stone and kill the faceless man, but he could not take his eyes off the faceless man’s shoulder patch.

The fake colonel who died in the map room. the faceless man in the bilge. The human-skin mask that was removed from the face of the fake colonel.

Duan FeiZhou took out the human-skin mask, and carefully put it over the face of the faceless man. The moment the mask touched the skin, it was like it melted, and it fit perfectly on the face. The edges of the mask fused with the skin, the features returned to their proper place, and the faceless man changed into the face of Colonel Freeman.

Duan FeiZhou realized that the light source he had created was too harsh, so he reduced the brightness of the light source and moved it to a distant location.

The colonel tried to open his eyes again. His eyes lingered on Duan FeiZhou for a long time, and his dry, cracked lips quirked. “Thank you…”

“Are you Colonel Freeman?” asked Duan FeiZhou.

The colonel nodded with difficulty.

“Your face…”

The colonel’s voice was hoarse, “It was stolen.”

Duan FeiZhou was about to ask more questions when a soft footstep interrupted his thoughts.

A fiery red shadow emerged from the darkness. It was the fox that Simon had kept. The day Lieutenant Horn attacked Simon at night, it had run away and was never found. Duan FeiZhou had forgotten about it, but he saw it again here.

The fox was carrying an apple, which it had stolen from the kitchen or from one of the soldiers. He put the apple in the Colonel’s hand, crouched down, and waved its fluffy tail. The parrots and squirrel also came out from the back of a machine. They gathered around the fox and watched the colonel and Duan FeiZhou with inscrutable eyes.

“You’ve been here all along?” Duan FeiZhou asked. He felt a little silly talking to the animals.

The animals ignored him. It was Colonel Freeman who answered him.

“They keep bringing me food,” he said. “If it weren’t for them, I’d probably be dead.”

Were animals so spiritual? Or did they have improved intelligence because they had spent so much time with Simon? Duan FeiZhou burned the rope from Colonel Freeman’s hand and helped him sit up. The colonel grabbed the apple and gobbled it down to the core in seconds.

“Why are you here?” Duan FeiZhou asked.

“It’s a long story.” The Colonel coughed twice, his face haggard. “It started when I was selected as captain of the Wellington…”

As the first airship equipped with the fourth generation of Ether crystal-powered engines, the Wellington was highly regarded even before it left the factory. The Ministry of Military Affairs specially selected a group of outstanding military personnel from various units of the Air Force to serve as the crew of the Wellington. It was an honor for all of them to be aboard this state-of-the-art airship.

The most honored was Colonel Freeman, who had previously served as first officer of another airship, and had been promoted to colonel at a young age. After a heavy examination, he was finally selected as a captain.

The crew of the Wellington were all selected from various units, so the new team needed to bond. Colonel Freeman was interested in being close to his subordinates, so he often visited the various departments on the ship and mingled with the soldiers.

He was introduced to a junior technical sergeant named Heinz by the chief engineer when he made his rounds of the engine crew. It sounded like a German surname. Colonel Freeman found him to be a moldable talent, and took an interest in him.

The day before the Wellington was due to take off for the Arctic, Colonel Freeman made his usual tour of the ship. When he came to the engine room, he bumped into Heinz and talked to him. Heinz told him of the folklore of his hometown in the German countryside. That witches would knock on your door at night, steal your face, and then disguise themselves as you. So if you heard someone ask “Can I borrow your face?” at night, you mustn’t respond.

Colonel Freeman found this legend interesting and similar to the vampire legends that circulated  in Eastern Europe. It was said that a vampire couldn’t enter someone’s home unless the owner’s consent was obtained.

At the time, Heinz made a joke: “If I were to borrow your face, would you be willing to do so?”

Colonel Freeman, who never believed in strange powers, replied with a smile: “There’s nothing to see in my face, so I’ll let you borrow it.”

So…Heinz really borrowed his face.

The guy only recited a spell. Colonel Freeman’s hands were automatically tied by the rope. Colonel Freeman felt heat on his face, as if someone had poured boiling iron under his skin. The last thing he saw was Heinz removing a piece of something like a face from him.

So Heinz was an sorcerer who could steal other people’s faces? Or was that folk story just something he made up in order to get his own way?

What terrible magic! What was the purpose of such a person in mixing with the army!

Heinz then threw him into the bilge. Since then, he had been locked up here. He couldn’t see, but he could hear sounds and feel movements around him. He knew that the Wellington had set sail and was headed for the North Pole. Heinz stole his identity, disguised himself as him, and led the Wellington to the North Pole!

Colonel Freeman was in deep despair. Everything was inevitable. Heinz would surely sabotage the mission. Every other day the guy would come down to give him some water to drink so he would hang on to his life. The reason why he was left with his own life, he thought, was so he could be framed after the event. Or maybe he still had some use, and the man intended to torture important military information out of him.

After being locked up like that for several days, some animals inexplicably appeared around him. These animals would bring him food to keep him from starving so badly. The two birds had even tried to peck away the ropes around his wrists. Unfortunately, the rope was a special cable, and laced with steel wire. It was far too much for two small parrots to peck off.

Even so, Colonel Freeman was grateful for the presence of the animals. He couldn’t understand where the animals came from on the airship. Perhaps God had sent them to save him.

“No, they’re all Simon’s favored…friends.” After hearing the colonel’s story, Duan FeiZhou sighed.

Simon left the animals behind when he went to the island, and they escaped because of it. If they had gone with Simon, they probably would have been killed by Leviathan as well.

“The animals know that their human friend has passed away,” Duan FeiZhou said, as he glanced at the fox, who looked back at him with sad eyes.

They know, Duan FeiZhou thought, they can sense it. That’s why they brought him here to rescue the colonel, wasn’t it? They also wanted to avenge their friend’s death.

“The fake colonel has been killed by me.” Duan FeiZhou briefly told his story, but concealed the part about his use of occult magic.

The more Colonel Freeman listened, the more he admired him. When he heard that he had defeated his enemy, the colonel almost jumped up, but finally sat down on the ground because his body was too weak.

“Unfortunately, that fake colonel manipulated part of the crew, and even after he died, the spell was not lifted. I’m looking for a way to disarm it.”

The two parrots chirped and jumped around Duan FeiZhou’s feet.

“Well…You know the way to lift it?” Duan FeiZhou asked uncertainly.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” The two parrots sang.

I don’t understand them at all… Duan FeiZhou held out his hand and the two parrots flew to his arm obediently. He turned to the colonel, “You rest here. I will go to lift the spell. The fake is dead, so I think no one will come to harm…”

Before the words left his mouth, the ship shook violently.

Duan FeiZhou hit a machine, and his back was a shock of pain. The colonel was on the ground, and the animals called out. The violent vibration continued for a while before it slowed down, but didn’t disappear, Duan FeiZhou could feel the floor was still trembling slightly. An eerie humming sound filled the space around them.

“Something must have happened.” Colonel Freeman got up with difficulty. “I’m going to go up and take a look.”

“But the airship is still controlled by those puppets. They may turn against you…”

“I’m the captain. It’s my duty.”

Duan FeiZhou and Colonel Freeman looked at each other. The colonel was haggard, but he tried to straighten his spine. Duan FeiZhou could almost imagine him on the bridge with a strong spirit.

“Then we’ll split up,” he said.

 

Warrant Officer Reeves squeezed his fork nervously.

People came and went in the mess hall, as they crowded around every table. No matter how strange the events on the ship, it was a constant that everyone had to eat. However, today the atmosphere in the canteen was noticeably different from the past. Usually at mealtime, the mess hall was always the most lively place. Everyone would be talking and laughing, loud voices with the crunching of knives and forks and plates, forming a wonderful melody about food.

Today, however, everyone kept an unusual silence. The knives and forks still rattled, but the human voices were barely audible. Everyone exchanged suspicious and fearful glances around the table, as if waiting for the arrival of some fateful moment.

Whenever a senior crew member entered the mess hall, everyone’s eyes would briefly focus on them, then quickly move away, as if they had seen something they shouldn’t. Originally, on the ship, senior officers were given the special privilege of dining in their own cabins, with orderlies going to the galley to collect their meals and bring them to the officers. However, Colonel Freeman abolished this preferential treatment. He believed it would increase the barrier between officers and enlisted men. Therefore, everyone had to come to the mess hall for meals except the sick, and those who were so busy they had to stay at their posts.

It was also a good time to question the senior crew members.

The adjutant walked into the mess hall.

He did not look away, and he walked with a breeze, followed by a group of soldiers. Many people muttered in their minds. He had to bring his personal guards even to eat. Was he afraid of something?

The adjutant received his food and sat down at a table. The atmosphere in the cafeteria immediately tensed up like a string.

A scene was about to happen.

A lieutenant, bathed in the expectant yet awe-inspiring eyes of the crowd, stood up and walked toward the adjutant.

Warrant Officer Reeves’ eyes could not help but follow him. He was of the same rank as the adjutant and was part of the gunner’s crew.

The adjutant lifted his eyes and looked at the gunner before him.” What can I do for you?”

The gunner saluted.” Excuse me, when is the captain coming to dinner today?”

“The captain is dining in his room.”

“But the ship’s rules–”

“The captain can make exceptions.”

The gunner pursed his lips, as if he had made up his mind, and said, “We would like the captain to come forward and answer some questions such as: what the monster is, what we came to the North Pole for, when will we return to London, and what the previous explosion was all about.”

“You men?” The lieutenant’s eyes shone brightly.

The adjutant wasn’t the highest ranking person on the ship except for the captain, but he was the captain’s right hand man, and everyone defaulted to him as the captain’s spokesman.

Arguing with him was the same as arguing with the captain.

The adjutant’s stern gaze swept over the others in the mess hall. Many were afraid to bear his gaze, and bowed their heads in fear. But there were many who bravely met his gaze.

Warrant Officer Reeves was one of them.

If no one was willing to help the gunner at this moment, no one would ever dare to question the adjutant again, and their questions, fears and anxieties would never be answered.

Warrant Officer Reeves thought of his parents and sisters in London. He still wanted to go back to see them. He wanted to use his allowance to subsidize his family.

He shouldn’t disobey an order from his superiors, even if that order was against common sense or morality. He was just a soldier, and he only had to do one thing: obey.

But he stood up anyway.

Reason screamed in his brain: He should sit still, remain neutral, and let those people solve their own problems. Getting involved in this kind of strife would probably lead him to a court-martial, loss of his stipend, or even jail time.

But there was another voice in his head whispering at the same time: You can do whatever you want for what you think is right.

Chief Warrant Officer Reeves thought about asking the captain to step in and explain the situation. To calm the emotions was the right thing to ask for. Unquestionably, unimpeachably right. It was  the kind of thing where if someone takes the lead, others are emboldened.

Soon, a second person stood up. Then came a third, a fourth…

Nearly half of the cafeteria stood up and gathered behind the gunner.

The adjutant narrowed his eyes, as if he was thinking. After a few moments, he said, “All right. I’ll report to the captain. You men wait here.”

With that, he led his team of soldiers out of the mess hall. When the other senior crew members saw this, they also left. They left together with the soldiers who obeyed them.

The mess hall was instantly half empty.

Warrant Officer Reeves sighed with relief. Since the adjutant was willing to ask the captain to come out, it meant that the captain was safe and sound, right? Everything was going in the right direction, they had nothing to fear. However, after a long time, they were still waiting for the captain. None of the people who left came back either.

The crowd looked at each other, suspicious.

Some people got tired of waiting and rushed out of the mess hall, with the intent of going to the captain’s room to ask for Colonel Freeman in person.

Warrant Officer Reeves tried to stop them. It was not a good idea to offend the captain at this time. He ran to the door just as the men entered the corridor outside the mess hall and rounded a corner.

A few shots rang out from behind the corner.

Warrant Officer Reeves stood still. A chill rose from the soles of his feet. He heard the adjutant’s voice ring out from the end of the corridor. “There is a mutiny in the mess hall. Guard this place and kill anyone who dares to escape the mess hall!”

 

Duan FeiZhou climbed into the ventilation duct again.

The animals like to use the ventilation ducts to move around. For their small size, the ventilation ducts throughout the ship were as convenient as highways, and they didn’t have to worry about running into rude two-legged beasts.

Duan FeiZhou’s elbows and knees were worn out, his skin was almost calloused, and his pain was compounded by the fact that Sword in the Stone kept hitting the top of the pipes and grunting. Luckily, the crawl wasn’t long and he soon reached his destination.

Duan FeiZhou spent some time at the grille, to make sure the room below was empty before he dared to move it and jump down. He landed in an empty compartment.

After having spent several days on the Wellington, Duan FeiZhou had toured the entire airship, but had never been in here. He had relied on his extraordinary hearing to sketch a map of the airship in his mind, but that map did not include this place either. He recalled the map in his mind, and the location of this cabin was blank. It meant that the walls and ceiling were soundproofed.

In the center of the chamber was a cylindrical machine, about one meter in diameter, with many pipes connected above it. Some kind of liquid was being continuously injected into the machine and then discharged from another pipe. The animals gathered around the machine and gestured towards Duan FeiZhou. The fox even used its front paws to keep pulling at the machine’s casing.

Was their meaning that the machine was hiding a secret prop or spell for the fake colonel to control the spirit?

Confused, Duan FeiZhou walked up and lightly touched the machine’s casing. He wanted to extend his sensory tentacles into the metal to explore the contents of the machine, but he was unable to pour power into the metal. It was as if there was something in the machine that was repelling him.

He circled around the column and found a small panel. He judged that it was used to control the machine, and simply had the courage to press the “OPEN” button on the panel.

With the snorting sound of mechanical operation, the metal casing opened like a flower blooming.

Dazzling, beautiful light suddenly filled the entire chamber.

Inside was a cylindrical container, filled with a solution that Duan FeiZhou didn’t recognize. In the center of the container hovered a fist-sized Ether crystal. The animals raised their fur and let out a threatening low growl at the Ether crystal.

Duan FeiZhou looked at the gorgeous crystal and was dazzled for a moment. So this was the fuel tank that powered the engines. He used to think that since the Ether crystals were a kind of fuel, the fuel compartment was like a big coal furnace, only filled with glowing crystals.

He was very wrong. Fuel was just a customary name. Ether crystals were not really burned, but instead put in a special solution to break them, which released a lot of heat in the process. That heated the water in the boiler to produce steam.

But why did the animals bring him to the fuel tank? Did the crystallization of the Ether have anything to do with the occult art of the false colonel? Duan FeiZhou’s gaze slowly moved down, then his eyes rounded. A magic circle was drawn on the bottom of the cylindrical container.

He recalled what he had learned about occult geometry and disassembled the spell in his mind. Circle – circulation of energy; triangle – stability, uniqueness; eye – peeking, spirit, dream…

Good, this was the spell to control the spirit.

The fake colonel actually drew it in such a place, really..he was very ingenious, or he had very sinister intentions.

First, the operation of the spell required a constant supply of energy. The Ether crystals could provide that source, and the fake colonel was pulling the wool over the eyes of the Wellington crew. Second, to destroy the spell, it was necessary to empty the cylindrical container of liquid. Unfortunately, then the engine would lose power, and the entire airship would fall.

As long as the ship was still in flight, he wouldn’t be able to erase the spell. To empty the liquid rashly would be like pulling the whole ship down with him, but to land the airship, orders would have to be given to the bridge, and the crew on the bridge were under mental control so they couldn’t possibly obey such orders.

What a clever tactic. What a malicious intent.

Duan FeiZhou’s palms were beaded with sweat as he looked at the glorious Ether crystal.