I stared at everything before me, dumbfounded. Behind the small boat ahead, a colossal ship was hidden.
This large vessel looked incredibly ancient, its hull covered in green moss, as if it had been anchored here for a long time, yet it hadn't sunk for reasons unknown.
As the mist receded, I was shocked to discover that the small boat ahead was completely empty. All the sounds I had heard seemed to have been an illusion!
Had we encountered a ghost ship?!
My apprehension grew. After all, humans are always filled with fear of the unknown. If there were people on that ship, it would simply be a matter of a fight. But this situation was utterly bizarre.
The two sisters beside me were also quite terrified. I quickly pinched their arms hard, urging them to leave.
I had heard of a type of fish in the deep sea that used its bioluminescent lures to attract prey. The current situation was eerily similar.
This small boat was clearly a lure for the ghost ship!
Just as I was about to turn back with the two sisters to get away from here, my vision suddenly blurred. Figures reappeared on the small boat.
I recognized the person instantly. It was my father, whom I missed dearly!
"Child, I've been looking for you for so long. Come home with me quickly!"
It was indeed my father. Looking at his familiar face, tears welled up in my eyes.
Home? What a strange word.
My nose twitched, and I couldn't help but want to approach him.
My father's smile was as gentle as ever. He stood on the boat with his arms open, waiting for me.
Closer and closer, I walked to his side, my lips trembling, unable to utter a word.
Just as I was about to embrace him and tell him how much I missed him, the world suddenly shattered like a mirror, and a sharp pain shot through every part of my body.
The pain was sudden and unbearable. I couldn't help but double over, gritting my teeth to endure it.
After what felt like an eternity, the sensation finally subsided. When I looked up again, everything that had happened seemed like a dream, and I was standing on the small boat!
This small boat was made of a material similar to the ghost ship. Its hull also had a strange green hue. I didn't know how long it had been here; the smell was so strong it made me gag.
As I looked around, a chill ran down my spine.
Qi Xinxin and Qi Xiangqiao seemed to be in a trance. With smiles on their faces, they were already following the connection between the two ships, about to board the ghost ship!
I broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, I had woken up in time; otherwise, the two sisters would likely have been consumed by the ghost ship!
And now it seemed the illusion I had experienced wasn't just mine; the two sisters had also fallen for it. This was all the ghost ship's doing!
Without any time to think, I rushed to the sisters' side and grabbed them firmly.
If we boarded this ghost ship, terrible things were bound to happen!
At this moment, the two sisters hadn't fully awoken from their hallucinations. After I pulled them away, they struggled fiercely, even trying to bite me.
Although their strength was negligible to me, I couldn't use too much force to hurt them in this situation. I had to find a way to wake them from their trance.
I couldn't afford to be gentle now. After turning them around, I slapped each of them.
I used considerable force to make them wake up. Qi Qiaoqiao's face was already red and swollen, but they still didn't open their eyes.
Why wasn't it working?!
I quickly recalled how I had broken free from the hallucination and suddenly looked at my chest. The sharp pain that had shot through me had broken the illusion, and the pain had started from my chest.
Around my neck was a bone tooth necklace, which I had found in a primitive cave long ago.
My expression immediately turned grave. At some point, the skin beneath my necklace had turned purplish-black, faintly revealing a pattern.
Perhaps this necklace had saved my life just now, but the pattern deeply etched into my skin gave me an ominous premonition. This thing was not as simple as it seemed.
With no other options, I decided to try a long shot and used the bone tooth necklace to touch the two sisters, hoping it might awaken them.
To my surprise, it worked! The two sisters were pulled back to reality.
"Uncle, what happened to us?"
Qi Xinxin looked bewildered, clearly not understanding where she was.
We had escaped the illusion, but we hadn't truly escaped danger. Seeing that they had woken up, I quickly grabbed one in each hand and jumped off the small boat.
Escape!
An indescribable dread filled me. My intuition screamed that if we stayed on the boat any longer, something horrific would happen!