Chapter 344. Ropes
Some of the scales on Dipp's face were peeling off as though he had taken a punch earlier. However, the grin of joy on his face was unmistakable.
Dipp stole a sheepish glance at Charles. Charles ignored him and chowed down on his meal. Dipp cast his gaze upon Feuerbach's side. He grabbed the Second Mate's half-eaten can of food and voraciously devoured the rest.
"Second Mate, there are so many new faces I don't recognize. Did they all just join," Dipp asked casually.
Despite his food being snatched, the green-haired man, Feuerbach, wasn't the least fazed or bothered. He even thoughtfully handed Dipp a bowl of fruit soup.
"Yeah, they're all new," Feuerbach answered. "Look, this is Tobba, you remember him, right? With this guy around, we'll never be lost at sea again."
Feuerbach's tone was carefree as he introduced the new crew members who had joined during Dipp's absence. However, the mentioned crew members were far from pleased. They regarded the grotesque-looking fishman in front of them with looks of terror.
None of the older crew members had revealed to them about the past events and they had no idea of the origin of the terrifying creature before them. Neither did they understand why the creature claimed to be the boatswain of the Narwhale.
Weister even discreetly loaded his pistol as he eyed the terrifying fishman before with extreme wariness.
However, after the cook, Planck, learned that Dipp was the informant who brought the news of the Deep Dweller's planned assault, he seemed no longer afraid of Dipp and even busied himself to prepare more food.
"Chief Dipp, I'm so sorry. I mean, it was dark, and I suddenly saw... you. It never crossed my mind that it could be you," Planck explained.
Dipp let out a hearty laughter. "No worries. I sometimes still get a shock when I look in the mirror. Heat me another can, will you? I've been eating raw fish for such a long time, and I'm getting sick of it."
Just as Dipp was happily catching up with the older crew members, Charles suddenly rose to his feet. "Did I bring all of you here to chat? Hurry up and finish your food. We'll continue our exploration!"
The chatter ceased immediately as soon as Charles' words fell. Everyone focused on their food, and their eating speed sped up. Only the sound of swift chewing filled the camp.
In mere minutes, the crew was done with their meal. Picking up their weapons and shouldering their gear, they were ready to continue their journey.
"Hold on," Dipp called out and stood in front of everyone to stop them from moving.
"Captain, I found something interesting on my way here. It seemed to be left behind by a living human," Dipp said.
"What?" A hint of surprise flickered across Charles' eyes, and he turned his gaze onto Dipp. "Why didn't you mention something this important earlier?"
Traces of embarrassment surfaced on Dipp's grotesque face. "Well...I was just so hungry and thought I'd eat first before telling you."
Dipp then rushed before Charles and with a look of ingratiation, he asked, "Captain, does this mean you forgive my previous mistakes? Can I continue to stay on the Narwhale?"
Charles' brows furrowed at the question. He gave Dipp a forceful push toward the front and instructed, "Quickly lead the way."
Dipp wasn't the least upset by Charles' rough actions. Instead, with heightened enthusiasm, he led the group through the bizarre forest. He understood his captain's temperament; that rough shove probably meant that he had been forgiven.
Under Dipp's lead, Charles soon encountered the so-called human traces.
A person was half-squatting under a crooked tree. The person looked extremely thin, and if Charles had to find a description for it, he would liken it to a stick figure. However, the figure wasn't scorched but appeared to be made from intertwined brown jute rope.
Charles gently reached out to touch the figure and found that it not only looked like rope but also felt like it. On the rope figure's head, a simple face had been drawn with black paint.
Could this be the work of someone from that dilapidated ship? A thought emerged in Charles' mind.
Just then, Lily's voice rang out next to him. "Mr. Charles, come here quick! There are more of them here."
The crew gathered around Lily to see two more rope figures behind another large tree. However, these two figures weren't standing separately. They were entangled, and a strand of thin rope hung below their knotted point.
"Guys, do you think they are giving birth?" Lily asked. Charles was caught off guard by the unexpected possibility.
Still, he studied the two figures closely with that suggestion in mind. It did seem like they were trying to reproduce in their own method. The two Ropelings were intertwining parts of themselves to form a new offspring.
Are these things actually alive? Charles thought.
Almost instinctively, Charles swiftly cut through the arm of one of the Roplings. He picked up the severed limb and examined the cut to find no flesh or blood. It was just an ordinary jute rope.
Just what in the world are these things? Who made them?
As Charles was pondering over these questions, his keen senses picked up a sudden movement behind him. He whirled around to find a Ropeling's bizarre face pressed alarmingly close to his own!
Swish!
The Ropeling's head fell to the ground. A scowl appeared on Charles' face as he swiftly retreated.
"Everyone, gather together! Those things are alive!" Charles' deep roar added further solemnity to the atmosphere.
It didn't matter why these creatures could move despite being made of ropes. But their ability to move meant that they could also kill.
The crew quickly formed a defensive circle and brandished their weapons. Their gazes scanned the surroundings at heightened alert.
"Captain, this has nothing to do with me. When I passed by here just now, they didn't move at all," Dipp's voice was laced with anxiety as he hurriedly explained to Charles. He really didn't want Charles to suspect him again.
However, Charles had no time to deal with Dipp. He had noticed that just in the span of a mere few seconds, the entangled Ropelings had already separated each other and had moved a meter closer toward them.
"Back the way we came, now!" At Charles' command, the crew hastily retreated.
Unfortunately, a deeply unsettling event unfolded. More and more bizarre Ropelings appeared under those bizarre trees.
No one actually managed to catch how they appeared, and they seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. When the crew caught sight of them, the Ropelings were already perched on the branches or peering out from behind the leaves.
Against the backdrop of the vibrantly colored trees, the Ropelings' crudely painted smiles appeared particularly eerie.
Being thrown into this sudden predicament, the crew's footsteps started getting disorderly, and their breathing quickened with apprehension. Though their weapons were loaded, everyone held fire as they waited for Charles' order. After all, no one knew if bullets had any effect on these Ropelings.
Suddenly, Dipp at the forefront halted in his steps. Charles rushed to his side, and the sight before him sent a chill down his spine.
A massive net formed from brown jute rope had blocked their path of retreat. The heads of the bizarre Ropeling jutted out from all sides of the net like loose threads.
The Ropelings had surrounded them.
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