Krona took out several books that had been prepared in advance; they were old books, their red covers worn to the point of illegibility, the pages a waxy yellow.
Charles took them and opened them up, only to find that inside were all sorts of strange characters written in scarlet thick strokes, somewhat resembling cuneiform, but with strokes that stuck to one another, and there were sketches of Arrays and Monsters beside the text.
Although he couldn't understand it, the arrangement and structure suggested that these books were records of something.
"Could these be the Magic Books used by those little people to summon paper men?" The thought popped into Charles's head and wouldn't leave.
If this were true, these things would be worth far more than Gold, for if one could learn that Special Ability, the combat power of the Unicorne would receive a significant boost.
After pondering for a while, Charles returned the books to Krona.
"Keep these books for now. Let's look for clues in Sodoma, and if we find someone who can translate this, we can get someone else to learn it."
"Alright!"
"Then let's just do that." Charles sat up from the bed, picked up his coat from beside him, and draped it over himself.
James's eyes widened as he anxiously asked, "Captain, what are you doing?"
"Did you think I brought you all to Sodoma for a vacation? I have very important matters to take care of here."
The panicked James quickly spread his hands out, blocking Charles's way. "No, you can't. Your wound hasn't healed, and you shouldn't be walking."
Lily managed to have the rats swarm over, attempting to pin Charles down on the bed. The other crew members also dissuaded him in turn.
Charles kept insisting that he was fine, not in pain at all, but nobody listened to him.
The crew's persuasion left Charles feeling annoyed, and the murmuring in his ears started up again, turning the crew members before his eyes into various Monsters.
"Enough!!" Charles roared, shocking everyone into silence as the rats on his body shrank back.
Charles took out a stick of backup gel from inside his clothes and put it in his mouth, restoring everything around him to normal.
"First mate, go procure fresh water, food, and fuel. Second Officer and Audric accompany me outside, everyone else return to the ship!"
Reasserting his authority as the Captain, nobody dared to contradict him, and they immediately acted upon his commands.
Watching their retreating figures, Charles heaved a sigh; he knew the crew meant well by him, but they could not comprehend his current state of mind.
The clues to getting home were right before him; each second was an agony, and he truly didn't want to wait any longer.
After leaving the Doctor's messy room, he discovered the outside was a bustling street.
The creativity of humans is immense; though everything around was made from ships, they had nevertheless cobbled together a street from hulls and decks, and various oil and gas lamps lent the place the feel of a ghostly marketplace.
Pirates of different attire moved back and forth, vigilance present in each of their eyes, and a tense atmosphere pervaded the air.
Charles walked forward, turning to the Second Officer behind him to ask, "Where did you find that Doctor?"
"When we first arrived at Sodoma," he replied, "you were barely breathing, so the port folks told us there was a very good Doctor here. That's why we brought you to him."
After pondering for a moment, Charles looked up and said, "Go around and gather some information for me. I want to know his general background, to see if he has a clean history."
"Okay, leave it to me," the Second Officer said as he quickly made his way out.
"Captain, what about me?" asked Audric, who was standing beside him.
"Haven't you been here before? Are you familiar with the Anchor Bar? Take me there."
Audric nodded, his cloak unfurled, and he transformed into a bat, rising into the air.
Seeing the bat identify its direction and then fly off towards the east, Charles quickly followed.
Outside this street lay a junkyard of all sizes of boats, without a place to step foot.
Watching Audric get farther away in the sky, Charles covered his face with a mask and began to leap swiftly between the rusted vessels like a gymnast.
Following Audric, Charles witnessed the various facets of life in Sodoma—living up to its name as Sin City. Not to mention all sorts of illicit goods, even ragged men and women were being sold on the streets.
Even deeper acts of villainy transpired in the shrouded corners of darkness, making the notorious dockyard area seem like a model community by comparison.
By the time Charles had covered a good part of Sodoma, the bat finally stopped in front of a bar flashing with neon lights.
Sweating slightly, Charles stood still, reached into his clothes, and felt that his wound had indeed started to bleed.
With the clue to returning home right before him, Charles couldn't care less about anything else and walked straight into the tavern with Audric.
Upon entering the bar, the gloomy atmosphere lit up instantly—it was lit with electric lamps that even Coral Island had not fully adopted.
Several nearly transparent and provocatively clad women danced seductively to the music on top of the bar counter. At the heart of the lively dance floor, the noise was deafening—it felt more like a nightclub than a bar to Charles.
Making his way through the bustling crowd, Charles approached the edge of the bar. A female bartender heavy with skull makeup leaned over. "Hey handsome, what'll you drink?"
"I was referred by Sea Dog. I want to inquire about something," Charles leaned on the bar with his elbows.
The Skull Woman didn't stop her hands, mixing a cocktail with flair. "Even if Sea Dog sent you, it still costs money. 5000 Echoes per question."
"No problem. Do you know where to find sunlight in Sodoma?" Charles's heartbeat quickened a bit.
"Sunlight? What is that? I've never heard of it."
Charles's heart sank, and he turned to Audric beside him. "Draw the box that contains sunlight."
Audric hastily nodded, quickly pulled out paper and pencil, and began to draw. In no time, an exquisitely realistic little box with mirrors on all six sides appeared on the paper.
While Audric was still adding details, the bartender snatched the paper away.
"Ah! So you're looking for this thing. I know it—a weapon to combat the monsters of Darkness. But here, we don't call it sunlight; we call it the Mirror Box. Why would you call it sunlight? Who came up with such a bizarre name?"
"Where can I buy this thing?"
"The Mirror Box is King's business. Every half month, he releases a batch from the island. You can go buy them, but let me give you a heads-up—bring plenty of Echoes. Many folks compete for them, and they sell for a hefty price on other islands."
"I don't need that many; I just need one."
"Just one? You think you're buying toys for kids?" The Skull Woman gave Charles an odd look.