The doctor glanced at Charles, who was adjusting to his new prosthetic, and reminded him in a low voice, "Don’t get too attached to that thing. As a doctor, let me tell you, no matter how good the new is, it can’t compare to the old."

  Charles lowered his prosthetic and pondered for a moment before asking the doctor, "This thing seems to be more than just mechanical."

  "Hmph, that kid would do anything to turn his body into machinery. You’d best stay away from him. Just because I know him doesn’t mean I’m close with him."

  Before Charles could respond, Richard suddenly interjected. "These prosthetics involve souls, so those who use magic must be very familiar with the spiritual realm, right?"

  "Most of those tricksters are in the West Sea. I don’t know much about them. Why do you ask?"

  Charles echoed Richard's confusion, "Yeah, why do you ask?"

  "Come on, it’s magic! Isn’t it fascinating? Shouldn’t we give it a try?" Richard’s tone was filled with excitement.

  The doctor shook his head. "Forget about it. Those folks are very exclusive; they mostly teach only their own family members. Besides, if they were that powerful, they’d have already conquered the seas instead of hiding on a few islands."

  "Is that so? What a pity. I thought it would be a new skill to learn," Richard said, sounding disappointed before retreating.

  At that moment, Charles's expression became somewhat grim as he pressed his hands against his head, freezing in place.

  His strange behavior caught the attention of the islanders around him.

  The doctor set down his jug of wine and examined Charles closely, then stood by, doing nothing.

  A few minutes later, the whispering in Charles's ears faded, and he turned his gaze toward an old man nearby.

  "Just endure this level of auditory hallucination for now. If you start seeing things, then come find me. Like I said, if you don’t want to suffer, just stay off the island."

  Charles lowered his hands, said nothing, and continued toward the Bat Inn.

  With a "creak," he pushed open the door to room 303. As soon as he entered, he saw several plates of indescribable dishes on the table, with Lily's white mouse darting among them.

  "Mr. Charles, you’re back! Wow! Did you get a new arm?" the white mouse Lily jumped in front of him, climbing up his pant leg.

  "Where did you get all this?" Charles asked, picking her up and pointing at the dishes on the table.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Lily stood in his palm, raising her little head. "I made these! You should try them; they’re really delicious!"

  Seeing the mice scurrying around the plates, Charles felt a bit queasy, but when he saw Lily’s eager expression, he ultimately walked over.

  "What made you think to cook for me?"

  "Mom was home today, teaching another me how to cook. She said a girl must have good culinary skills, so I learned a lot while hiding nearby. You should try this; it’s my mom’s specialty, sweet fish soup."

  Lily hopped from his hand to the table, excitedly wagging her tail in front of a bowl of soup.

  Charles looked at the white mouse and scooped a spoonful of the soup into his mouth. Instantly, an overwhelming sweetness exploded in his mouth, as if there were no water in the soup, just liquid sugar.

  "How much sugar did you put in this?" Charles managed to swallow hard and set the spoon down.

  "Is it not good? But the others said it was really tasty!" Lily's little ears drooped sadly.

  Seeing her like this, Charles hesitated for a moment, then picked up a knife and fork to cut into a black chunk of meat on another plate.

  After chewing a bit, he said to Lily, "The fish soup might not be great, but this meat is pretty good."

  "Really? That’s awesome! I made that too!" Lily’s ears perked up, and she joyfully bounced on the table.

  At that moment, Richard’s voice echoed in Charles’s mind, "Hurry and spit it out! If you’re going to poison yourself, don’t drag me down with you."

  "Shut up," Charles thought resolutely, swallowing the food in his mouth and continuing to eat without changing his expression.

  "Mr. Charles, are you going to leave me too?" Lily suddenly asked, making Charles pause mid-chew.

  "Why do you say that?"

  "I just feel like you don’t like it here, like you’re ready to leave at any moment." The white mouse sat on the table, resting her chin on her little paws.

  "Maybe, but you can’t follow me forever. You’ll have to go home someday."

  "But I’m a mouse now, and my family doesn’t want me anymore. Charles, can you not leave?" Lily leaned closer, snuggling against him.

  Charles stopped using his knife and fork and gently patted her furry head, a flicker of warmth in his eyes.

  Lily wasn’t just his crew member; after months of companionship, they had become more like family, two lonely souls relying on each other.

  "I do plan to leave here, but if you want to come with me, I can take you to my place. It’s quite big; a mouse won’t take up much space."

  "Where are you going, Charles? What’s it like there?"

  "It’s my home, and there’s a lot of food you can’t even imagine. Just point your finger, and it’ll fly to your home. Plus, there are all sorts of fun things…"

  As Charles described the incredible things, Lily’s eyes sparkled, and she listened intently, perched on the table.

  This time, the break at the port didn’t last long. Once he fully mastered his new prosthetic, Charles eagerly notified the crew to gather at the dock to replenish supplies and prepare for departure.

  Breathing in the sea breeze revitalized Charles; he felt that only when he was moving forward on the ship did he truly feel alive.

  "Captain, is that arm useful?" the first mate asked curiously, eyeing Charles's prosthetic.

  Charles pointed at the nearby ropes and replied, "When working, don’t think about anything else. Hurry and have the crew change the ropes."

  After saying that, Charles turned and walked toward the captain's cabin. He opened his diary, and the tip of his pen glided across the paper, leaving behind lines of Chinese characters.

  "February 24, Year 9 of the Crossing

  The new arm exceeded my expectations; it’s very useful. I’m glad my abilities haven’t diminished with the loss of my arm.

  The *Unicorn Whale* has set sail once again. This time, our destination is another island in the chain.

  Once someone goes to this island, they never return. It’s definitely dangerous there, and there are very few islands left that can be reached by steamship. I have a feeling this journey will yield some discoveries."