Who has opened the door deep within the mural hall and stepped out? Was it one of the uncontrolled individuals or extraordinary beings present nearby at that time? And did he also possess the ability to act as envisioned in dreams? After listening to Anderson Hude's account, Caine logically began to form hypotheses. In the span of a thought, he suddenly had a new idea: Could it be the mysterious figure whose eyes had been observing the deck and himself? That possibility is strong! If that figure had indeed been quietly observing the ship and following this maritime route, he would surely sleep during the night and emerge into the dream world—thus becoming a presence in the dreams of others. Did the "Recluse" lady remain completely unaware of his existence, or did she tacitly allow his actions? Might this be the very reason she accepted my commission without fear of the dangers inherent in this place? Not necessarily—yet at least, it remains uncertain whether the one who opened the door deep within the mural hall is indeed the mysterious figure aboard the ship. Caine gazed deeply into Anderson's eyes and asked, "Why do you find it unlike?" Anderson Hude mentioned a moment ago that he originally suspected the person who opened the door was a member of the *Future*, but later thought that didn't quite fit. Anderson chuckled: "I just visited every single person on board in my dream, and I found that none of them had the ability to move freely in that world—except you." "Unfortunately, I was outside pushing the door," Caine said calmly. Anderson shrugged: "I know—I didn't doubt you at all. This sea is full of dangers, teeming with creatures unimaginable. Perhaps the one who opened the door was the stone giant from before, or a rotting giant dragon dreaming of countless treasures." Standing now by the ship's side, gazing out at the ocean bathed in golden sunlight, he smiled and remarked: "I've noticed that since I escaped the shipwreck brought on by the storm, my misfortunes have been gradually fading away. Ha! Clearly, it's not fixed or permanent." "Look, I managed to reach that island smoothly. Though things went wrong afterward, at least I made it until you arrived." "Yes, I summoned the monster that caused the stone giant to appear—but we handled it quite easily, didn't we?" "And furthermore, I've been aboard the ship for several hours now, and nothing has happened. Isn't that precisely—" Anderson's words were cut off as Caine firmly interrupted him: "Shut up!" Didn't this man know that silence was golden when it came to being serious? He wanted to hit him! If it hadn't been for the divination I performed above the gray mist—predicting no anomaly, no divine presence—my desire to sink him to the sea would have been strong indeed. . . . "The Hunter" path's Sequence 8 is "The Provoker," and he would have easily absorbed that potion at the time. Caine genuinely believed that Anderson was far more adept at provoking than Daniz. "Alright, alright. I'll shut up. I'll shut up." Anderson raised his hands, calmly smiling despite his evident relief. Seeing that he hadn't provided any further clues about the person who opened the door in the dream world, Caine remained silent for several seconds before suddenly turning and walking into the cabin. He realized he had overlooked something! Since Anderson, beset by misfortune, had boarded the ship, the likelihood of future attacks and dangers would increase significantly—so preparations were now essential. Back in his room, Caine took out the Azk copper whistle and Willy O'Connell's paper crane, then entered the bathroom to set up his ritual for summoning himself. He brought the "Seed" gloves, the sun brooch, and the extraordinary properties of "The Nightmare" from the gray mist into the tangible world. He didn't immediately change his personal belongings but instead placed these items into his suitcase, positioning them beside the biological toxin bottles. This way, should a crisis arise unexpectedly, he would have the opportunity to promptly adjust his gear and make targeted selections. After all this, Caine felt a great deal more at ease. He gathered up the remaining belongings, left the room, and headed for the deck, eager not to miss any subtle signs from the mermaids. As soon as he stepped out of the cabin, he saw Frank Lee crouched beside him, expression a mix of shock and bewilderment. "What's happened?" Caine's heart skipped a beat. He feared that Frank's wildly ambitious hybridist experiments had gone awry, plunging the crew of the *Future* into a dire ecological crisis. Frank shook his head, still dazed: "Didn't I tell you about those little creatures? They needed a period of rest before they could grow and reproduce—yet..." "Yet what?" Caine's face had now grown serious. This caused Anderson, the so-called "strongest hunter" who had just been enthusiastically recounting his pirate-hunting exploits to the crew, to notice that the listeners' expressions had subtly shifted. Curious, he paused mid-speech and came closer. Frank, crouching down, lifted his head and said, "They just completed a massive reproduction and underwent a transformation. 'This is truly miraculous!' "Then what? Where did they go? Are they still within your 'laboratory'?" Klein instinctively felt this wasn't good news. Frank took two seconds to process the question, then rolled up his sleeves to reveal his thickly haired arms. He tapped the deck before him, a look of curiosity on his face, saying, "They've drilled into this area, as if they're—transforming the 'Future' ship itself..." Suddenly, amid the steady tapping, a surge of milky white liquid erupted from the deck, splashing all over Frank Lee's head and face. He took a sip of the liquid from his lips, amazed, exclaiming, "The 'Future' ship is... milking!" At the same time, the pirates at the ship's side pointed in alarm toward the gun positions below, shouting, "The gun barrels—they're milking too!" “This… this isn’t scientific at all,” Kline nearly managed to keep from drawing a tremor at his lips. Since stepping aboard the *Future*, since the ship reached the rupture and began its descent, everything that had happened had seemed profoundly unscientific—sometimes even surpassing the boundaries of his own esoteric knowledge. Anderson stared in open amazement, forgetting to ask any questions, and instinctively stomped his foot, successfully witnessing a second fountain of milk rising upward. A flurry of thoughts raced through Kline’s mind, allowing him to swiftly grasp a key issue. He turned immediately to Frank Lee, speaking in a steady tone, “Will your little creatures continue to infect the crew after they’ve been exposed to the *Future*?” As he spoke, Kline’s right hand reached into his coat, selecting floating sigils by shape, ready to launch them into the air, away from the infection. Frank thought seriously and said, "Theoretically, it should..." Before he could finish, a figure leapt out and kicked him squarely in the back, sending him tumbling over several times and splashing milk in thick patches all over the deck. It was Nina, dressed in a linen shirt and a deep blue jacket. She glared down at Frank Lee, who lay sprawled on the deck, breathing rapidly and shouting, "Don't just stand there—get rid of those darn little things of yours!" "Very well," Frank Lee muttered, brushing himself off with a sigh. At that moment, Celine drew out the talisman and whispered, "Storm!" He didn't want to underestimate Frank Lee's knack for creating chaos, suspecting that the man might escalate the situation further, so he decided to lift off first. A vibrant blue flame enveloped the tin talisman, and a strong wind instantly surged, swirling around Celine's feet and beside him, lifting him off the deck and carrying him several meters high. Anderson was momentarily stunned, then reached out to grasp Caine, but he was a little too slow and failed to make contact, watching helplessly as Germaine Sparrow rose before him, leaving himself behind. The ordinary, handsome hunter shook his head with a contorted expression, torn between laughter and the desire to dismember the future chief mate across from him into eight pieces. At that moment, Frank produced a bottle of dark green powder, scooped a handful, and while chanting a giant's incantation, began sprinkling it all over the deck. As soon as the powder touched the deck, it immediately sprouted emerald vines that surged upward with wild energy, quickly absorbing the milk and the "little things," winding themselves around the entire deck and enveloping the entire hold. Within just a few seconds, the "Future" had transformed into a dense forest of vines. "Ah, settled," Frank said, smiling first at Nina, then his face suddenly paled as he exclaimed, "They... they've also changed!" At that moment, a pirate approached, shaking and gasping in alarm: "Me! I've got a watermelon growing on my head!" Klein stared in astonishment at the "Hermit" woman, feeling as though his entire previous conjecture about the divine wars in this sea might have to be completely overturned! "Oh, merciful mother," Frank said, crossing his hands in a gesture of cradling a child. Then he knelt down, reverently kissing the vines. Gardelis, the "Starborne," watched silently, and instantly, brilliant starlight swirled around her, illuminating the entire "Future" ship. With a gentle flick of her finger, she sent a colorless flame to land upon the vines beside the captain's window. The vines were instantly consumed, turning into ash without a sound. The colorless flame spread quietly and steadily, sweeping through the forest without harming a single sailor, while the ship's glow enabled it to withstand the flames. Not long after, the entire forest of vines vanished, leaving only the watermelon that had grown atop the pirates' heads—its connecting vines now completely consumed. "Phew, this—this is absolutely divine! It's as if demons have descended!" The pirate stepped forward two paces, lifting the watermelon that had grown on his own head. "Don't open it!" Just as Gardeleia, the "Star Sovereign," had finished her warning, the pirate, half in frustration, half in curiosity, forcefully cracked open the watermelon with his strength. The watermelon split in two, revealing a latticework of creamy white "brain" tissue, with fresh, blood-red fluid flowing around it. With a sudden thud, the pirate collapsed and died instantly—no rescue was possible. His extraordinary qualities began to coalesce at an unusually rapid pace. Truly strange, truly mad... Klein sighed quietly, preparing to step back onto the deck. At that very moment, he saw a massive hand suddenly emerge from beneath the sea surface, striking the side of the "Future" ship. The hand was long-fingered, nearly half a meter in length, and its entire surface was a stark, plains-like gray-black! Klein gasped silently, instinctively turning to look at Anderson Hood. He just said a moment ago that nothing has happened since he got on board!