Chapter 831 Critical Hesitation

Lucretia recognized it. It was her Brilliant Star—but it was the Brilliant Star from another timeline.

It was the Brilliant Star that she had accidentally crossed the six-mile boundary and got "lost" on during a reckless border voyage several decades ago—at this very moment, she was standing on that ship several decades ago, searching in vain for a way back to the Infinite Sea.

The sailor held the steering wheel tightly. After realizing what the ship shadow appeared in the distance was, he almost broke out in a cold sweat (if his sweat glands were still there), and subconsciously exclaimed: "Madam! That is an entity from another timeline - don't contact it! We should have been disturbed by it and left the 'channel' in advance. If we contact it rashly, we may be trapped!"

When the sailor shouted, the people on the deck also reacted. They realized that the situation this time was completely different from the previous time when the Lost Hometown encountered the Sea Song in the "channel" -

The Sea Song was a ship that had no "connection" with the Lost Hometown and the Brilliant Star. Its sudden appearance at that time could only be regarded as a wisp of afterimage in the time turbulence. However, the ship that appeared at the end of the fog now was the "Brilliant Star" in another timeline, and it was the "different time and space isotope" of the ship under everyone's feet - what would happen if two such entities contacted in the time stream?

No scholar has conducted research in this field so far (including the group of people with the best physical fitness and fighting results in the Academy of Truth), but there is no doubt that nothing good will happen.

However, Lucrecia seemed not to hear the sailor's loud warning. She just looked at the "Brilliant Star" approaching in the thick fog with a strange look, and then suddenly seemed to think of something, turned around and looked around.

The illusion of the Lost Homeland covered the ship, the dark wooden deck surface was floating with ghostly spirit fire, and the translucent spirit sail was hung high on the mast - everything was just as clear as she remembered.

In the last voyage at the end of the world, she finally figured out the long-standing mystery that even her "father" couldn't figure out.

It was she who guided her own course...

"Don't worry," she finally spoke softly, her voice was not loud, but the deck was instantly quiet, "We won't meet that ship - we will just pass it by. Keep the current course, pass by its side, and don't make any communication."

"Okay... just make sure that...'you' on that ship won't suddenly come over." The sailor muttered, and did not question the judgment of the "captain" at the moment, but followed the order to control the ship under his feet, which was simply a "hybrid", to slowly pass by the side of the "Brilliant Star".

Everyone was on edge at this moment. They watched the Brilliant Star, which was in another time stream, approach from the thick fog, getting closer and closer to the point where they could distinguish many details of its hull. They saw that the ship was very different from what they remembered, which seemed to be because it was a "version" from decades ago. They watched the ship slow down and adjust its attitude for a short time, and it seemed to be in a moment of panic and hesitation because of the sudden approach of the "Lost Homeland", but in the end, the two ships passed each other peacefully.

Lucrecia exhaled slightly.

Then, within a few seconds after the two ships completely passed each other, the "Brilliant Star" in another time stream quickly dissipated and disappeared in the thick fog like a phantom.

The intersection of the time streams ended.

And this is exactly what Lucrecia was waiting for - she immediately ordered: "Turn the bow and follow the trajectory of the last ship to disappear, that is, the direction to return to the endless sea."

The sailor was stunned, but he executed the captain's order without hesitation. After the ship began to slowly adjust its course, he turned his head and looked at the "sea witch": "Madam, are you..."

"This happened before. Decades ago, the Brilliant Star met the "phantom" of the Lost Homeland outside the six-mile critical line. I still remember the details at that time," Lucrecia nodded, "Don't think too much, find a way to leave this place first."

"You can't think too much, my brain is about to explode," Shirley scratched her hair. After she quickly sorted out the things in her head, she was obviously a little confused, "So, you decades ago When you are lost at the border, the guiding phantom you meet is actually yourself decades later, but you yourself decades later are also lost - neither ship knows the way back, but in the end both find the right direction... What the hell is going on..."

"Cause and effect, luck, time and space, everything here is a mess," Morris said, holding his pipe that seemed to be rarely lit, and his voice sounded a little dull, "Don't think too much rationally in the border waters. The human mind has a limit when it comes to "irrationality". Don't be driven crazy by those irrational things."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, Agou muttered in a muffled voice: "Shirley is fine, she doesn't think much normally, her brain is as good as new."

Shirley punched Agou on the head with a "clang" sound.

Lucretia didn't pay attention to the movement beside her, nor did the sailor at the helm - they were still staring at the front of the route, in the direction of the bow of the Brilliant Star, the thick fog seemed to be changing.

Nina suddenly realized that the Brilliant Star was gradually slowing down.

She looked up in surprise: "Hey? Miss Lucrecia, why are we slowing down at this time?"

"... There is a 'critical change' in the fog ahead, which should be the place where we cross the six-mile critical line. After passing that boundary, we will enter the relatively safe Curtain Sea," Lucrecia said slowly, but then her tone sank, "But there is a problem."

Nina's face was confused, and the sailor at the helm obviously understood it. He pulled the corner of his mouth and made a hoarse and unpleasant sound: "Once we 'cross the border' from that place, the date for our return to the Infinite Sea will be determined - but that may not be a certain day in 1902."

Nina was confused for less than a few seconds and then slowly opened her eyes. As smart as she was, she instantly figured out what the sailor meant by this sentence.

"We exited the 'channel' in advance. The moment we left the route, the time flow around us might be in chaos," Lucrecia said in a deep voice, "and the Brilliant Star from decades ago appeared in our sight just now. It might be a shadow from another time flow that mistakenly entered our route, or it might be that we 'entered' the wrong time flow..."

This time, even Shirley beside her understood and was shocked: "In other words, if we go back now, maybe we will go back to decades ago?!"

The sailor sighed: "This is even a better situation-in the worse case, the time flow is completely chaotic, and we may enter any time node after crossing the boundary."

Shirley: "...Fuck..."

"Do you want to contact the captain?" Vanna suddenly said, "This is already an unplanned situation. Maybe the captain's power can..."

"No, I tried it just now, but I could only vaguely sense my father's voice," Lucrecia shook her head, "We are still in the turbulence at the border. The chaotic time and space order here is causing interference, and my father's side..."

She paused and shook her head gently.

Everyone on the deck looked at each other.

The Brilliant Star was cruising at a very low speed in the fog near the "critical line", cruising slowly in a relatively "safe" position where it would not fall "deeper".

The way home was right in front of her, and it seemed as if she could step over it with just one leg stretch - there was no obstruction, no hindrance.

However, what stood in front of the Brilliant Star was a barrier far more dangerous than any wall or trench - time.

On the bridge, the clockwork doll Luni was monitoring the various systems on the Brilliant Star that were so complex that they were dazzling. The rabbit Rabbi was carefully nestled in the corner, holding the little doll Nilu and not daring to breathe. Agatha's figure was vaguely reflected in the porthole not far away. Others were sitting around the captain's seat, and the atmosphere seemed quite depressing.

Morris muttered, "It would be nice if there was a 'guiding anchor' from the Infinite Ocean, even a piece of wood floating across the curtain."

"The probability is no higher than if we directly cross the border and arrive in 1902 accurately," Lucrecia shook her head, "This is the border."

Shirley scratched her hair and muttered, "If it really comes to a time node decades ago, or even hundreds or thousands of years ago..."

She muttered a few words and didn't say anything else.

Vanna softly repeated a few words Shirley said: "Hundreds of years..."

"Then we arrived too 'early'," Nina stuck out her tongue, "The good news is that we can see the normal 'sun' at that time."

Vanna ignored Nina's words, but suddenly looked up at Lucrecia, her expression quite serious: "Ms. Lucrecia, how long can you live?"

The scene suddenly became quiet, and Lucrecia understood what Vanna meant. After a brief pause, she broke the silence: "I'm not sure how long this 'curse' can last, but at least... a few hundred years is no problem."

Morris shook his head: "I Lifespan is limited. Even with the blessing of machinery and wisdom, this body will be destroyed. "

Agatha's voice came from the side: "Theoretically, I have no lifespan limit, but without a physical body, my existence is not stable..."

"The Deep Demon can survive for a long time," Vanna suddenly looked at Shirley, "At least, I haven't heard of any Deep Demon who died of old age because of reaching the limit of lifespan. Just hide well and don't be discovered by the church guardians of the current era..."

Shirley listened in a daze, and she gradually reacted: "Ah... No way..."

"We have to prepare for the worst case scenario." Vanna said seriously.

"Then think about the worse case scenario," Lucrecia suddenly shook her head, "What if we are not early, but 'late'? When my father needs us, we may not have arrived yet..."

Everyone was silent.

Silence and depression enveloped the bridge again.

But at this moment, a buzzing sound suddenly came from the direction of the equipment control console.

Immediately afterwards, the clockwork doll Luni who was monitoring the equipment exclaimed:

"Mistress, there is a signal!"