For a long time, Lawrence seemed to be trapped in a "lucid dream" - he knew what was happening to him and his mental illness better than anyone else.

He knew that Martha was gone, and that the figure who had been with him day and night was just an illusion. He knew all this - both at the subconscious level and at the conscious level, he was very clear about it.

But compared with other captains of similar age and experience, his mental state is actually good. On the vast ocean, there is no shortage of captains with twisted minds and damaged minds. Even with the help of the ship's chaplain, this profession that challenges the sea is destined to suffer far more mental pollution than ordinary crew members. Every captain completes ocean voyages again and again in the battle against his own deteriorating mind, so much so that captains often use one sentence to describe their profession -

[“We are not sailing on the edge of the abyss, our lives are sailing straight towards the abyss.”]

But it was precisely because of his long-term mental distress that Lawrence had an exceptionally keen understanding of "Martha". At this moment, he had keenly realized that the figure in front of him was definitely not the same "thing" as the illusion he had seen before.

He couldn't help but recall the "Martha" that had appeared on the white oak deck before. The first mate Gus at that time had seen the figure of that "Martha" - did the change start from that time?

Has all this finally crossed a critical point? Has the thing in his imagination finally come to reality? Or has some unspeakable force read his mind and created this real "individual" in front of him? Is this a malicious gift? Or is it a trap full of irony?

"Martha..." Lawrence finally opened his mouth. He felt his throat was a little dry, and even his voice became hoarse. "You are in front of me?"

"As you can see," the female adventurer laughed, "Want to touch me? I even have body temperature."

"...You are a real individual," Lawrence took a deep breath, resisting the urge to take a step forward. "But... why is this happening? Could it be that the illusion in my mind has been transformed into some kind of entity? Is this... the power of this sea?"

"At least part of it is right," Martha shook her head slightly. "It is true that this 'sea' shaped me and the Black Oak, but I am not from the illusion in your mind - I have been wandering here for many years, Lawrence - I and this ship have been here for many years, as part of a large number of 'fakes', wandering blindly."

Lawrence was slightly startled: "Fake?"

"Fakes - some powerful force in the deep sea caused all this. I don't know what it is, but it has been here for many, many years and has produced countless fakes. Do you remember the 'Sea Petrel' that you just destroyed? And the Dagger Island..."

"Are they all 'fakes'?!" Lawrence opened his eyes wide. He suddenly realized that the vortex he was trapped in seemed to be more bizarre and terrifying than he had imagined. "Wait, what about the Frost City-State we encountered before..."

"It is the same as everything here," Martha said calmly, "That power has already permeated the entire sea area. Anything that stays in this sea area for a long enough time cannot escape its 'copy'. There are countless blind and empty copies wandering in the deep sea - what you encountered is only a small part of them."

Lawrence seemed to be in a daze. After a long time, he suddenly came to his senses and looked at his "wife" in disbelief: "But... you look different. You can even talk to me. This ship was fighting side by side with the White Oak just now..."

Martha didn't say anything, but just looked at Lawrence quietly with a calm and meaningful smile.

The latter stopped speaking and gradually reacted. He lowered his head and looked at his body, which was still as illusory and transparent as a ghost, and the green flame that was quietly burning on his body.

The Black Oak appeared after the White Oak completed its "transformation" in the spiritual fire.

"You have realized it, Lawrence," Martha said softly, "the only power that can contend with the great power is another greater power. Even this sea area cannot lay hands on the spoils of the Lost Home Fleet. You and I are both His spoils."

Lawrence listened blankly, feeling a little dazed. Then, his expression changed slightly, and he realized the incongruity of the last few words the other party had just said - that was not something that "Martha", who had said goodbye to him forever decades ago, should know!

Why did she know about the Lost Homeland? Why did she know that the White Oak was Captain Duncan’s “trophy”?

"You read my consciousness!" Lawrence's eyes suddenly widened, and his muscles subconsciously tensed, "You are not the real Martha!"

However, the figure standing not far away just smiled, as if he didn't care about Lawrence's reaction at all. He was as calm as he was decades ago: "If you want a 100% accurate and 'pure' Martha, I'm sorry, Lawrence, I'm really not her - but 'she' is a part of me, Martha's soul is in me, and the other part of me comes from your consciousness and memory... This sea is like a mirror, constantly reflecting everything that floats on its surface, including consciousness and memory.

"I didn't read your consciousness. Your consciousness was naturally mapped into a part of me. Are you unable to accept this?"

Lawrence opened his mouth, and after his expression changed several times, he finally pulled the corners of his mouth bitterly and spread his hands: "I don't know, I have never even thought about how to deal with you when I really face you. I... I don't know how to accept this...'form' of you. I haven't even figured out what kind of existence you are."

He raised his head. This old captain, who had faced countless strange and terrifying things on the vast sea without being shaken, now seemed a little at a loss.

He never showed weakness in front of anyone - except his wife.

Martha looked at Lawrence, who was no longer young, quietly for a long time. She smiled helplessly and said, "You are still the same as before. You always need my help at critical moments."

She walked over, raised her hands, and placed her hands, with the warmth of a living person, on Lawrence's shoulders.

"You need to be firm in yourself and have clear judgment..."

Lawrence frowned slightly, a little confused.

"Mr. Sailor, can you please leave for a moment?" Martha turned her head again and looked at Abnormal 077, who had been quite honest since just now. "The master of the Lost Home Fleet will be satisfied with your cooperation."

The mummy in the sailor's smock shuddered suddenly, turned around and left the bridge without saying a word.

Lawrence seemed to suddenly realize something and said hurriedly, "Wait..."

But the bridge door was closed.

Anomaly 077 quickly ran to the corridor outside the door. He only vaguely heard Captain Lawrence's last shout from inside:

"Martha—I'm already over sixty!"

He couldn't bear to listen to the noise behind.

A moment later, there was a creaking sound of door hinges turning. Abnormal 077 shrank his neck and turned his head cautiously, and saw the female adventurer standing in front of the door with a relaxed and happy smile on her face.

Soon after, Lawrence also walked out with his teeth bared. After seeing the abnormality 077 at the door, he immediately cast a warning look - then quickly covered his head and bared his teeth even more.

Abnormality 077 immediately withdrew his gaze, trying to lower his presence like a real corpse.

Obviously, he was beaten severely.

"Are you able to accept it now?" Martha turned her head and said to Lawrence with a smile.

Lawrence covered the swollen spot on his head. He didn't know why Martha could still beat him so badly even though he was almost a spirit. He only knew that such details were no longer important: "I can accept it, I can accept it..."

When drifting on the vast ocean, you still need to have an open-minded attitude.

After all, it seems that if I can't get over it now, Martha will help me get over it - the female adventurer's bold temper is the same as many years ago, but I am already an old woman over fifty years old...

"Then we should think about serious matters," Martha said, smiling and leaning against the door with her arms folded across her chest. "It's not a good idea to be stuck here all the time."

Hearing this, Lawrence immediately gathered his complicated thoughts and his face became serious: "Martha, I wanted to ask you just now, what is the state of this sea area? Do you know how to leave here?"

"...I really want to answer you, but I'm sorry," Martha was silent for two seconds, then said apologetically, "Although I have been wandering here for many years, in the final analysis, this ship and I are just one of the many fakes trapped here. However, one thing is certain... This entire sea area is centered on the 'Frost City-State'. If there really is a rift that intersects with the real world, it must be in Frost."