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perhaps-in-anotherdream · 2 years

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[CN] Victor’s Ember Sea Date (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 烬海之约, that is yet to be released in the global server! ♡

[Translation Under The Cut]

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[T/N]: Since the translation was done in a bit of a rush last night, I didn’t have enough time to note the voice acting. But, AS ALWAYS, I highly recommend following along with the video. IT’S MAGNIFICENT. 🔥🌊

Subbed video: ♡

—

✧ [Part 1] ✧

The limpid red afterglow stretches slowly over the sea surface. The twilight is soft; even the ice-cold towering mast is tinted with a gentle hue.

I unconsciously slow my pace and gaze towards my own distant sailing ship before stepping into the cabin of the Eternal.

The hemp rope that binds my hands tightens abruptly, followed by a man’s threatening whisper coming from behind me.

Pirate A: Be honest. Don’t try to play any games.

Pirate A: Weren’t you shouting to see our captain?

The words are accompanied by a heavy push on my shoulder. The pain of the wound suddenly strikes, and I stagger into the cabin.

The kerosene lamp wicks on the walls sway along with the waves, illuminating the figures of the pirates either standing or leaning. As my gaze sweeps over the captain’s chair, I can’t help holding my breath.

Innumerable ships sail back and forth in the Sea of Eternity, but there isn’t anyone who doesn’t know of Victor’s reputation.

It’s said that he is the leader of the pirates who reigns over the Sea of Eternity, and the fleet of Eternal, fluttering the red skull flag, is laden with enough jewels to make the god of the sea Poseidon drool.

The light is dim, and I’m unable to see his face clearly amidst the shadows. I only notice that his well-defined hand is stroking the wine glass, and he doesn’t stop his movements at my intrusion.

The din grows feeble for an instant and then reinstates to the usual. Someone casts me a glance and opens their mouth, cracking jokes.

Pirate B: Why did you come back with a tied-up girl? We don’t do kidnappings.

Pirate A: Where did I kidnap her? She’s the one who obstinately broke into our ship. Biting the dust, she said she wanted to see our captain and nothing else.

Another gentle-faced pirate frowns dismissively.

Pirate C: Have you seen any shortage of people who want to challenge our captain? Just drive her out like the ones before; why bring her back.

The person behind me shakes the rope tied to my hand, his tone of voice revealing a hint of exhilaration.

Pirate A: This girl is not like those flamboyant but hollow ones. Not only has she screwed over several of our comrades by herself, but she is a captain too.

Pirate A: But we searched around and found that she was the only one on board. Someone who is able to float in this sea unaccompanied is certainly not a simple person.

Pirate A: Chief, what do you think?

The man in the captain’s chair doesn’t respond. He lifts his hand to set his wine glass on the table, and the noise in the room suddenly lapses into silence.

A wisp of sea breeze quietly whistles in through the crack in the window. The lamp wicks swing gently, the flickering light suddenly illuminating the face covered with an eyepatch.

The dark-haired man casually folds his hands and looks askance at me with an indifferent expression.

Victor: You wanted to see me?

I release a soft breath and subtly move my ankle.

MC: Yes. I’ve… admired you since a long time ago!

In advance of the crowd’s ability to react, I flash to Victor’s side in a ghost-like manner. The knife’s sharp edge that bounces off the tip of my shoe slashes down hard at the indifferent face.

The moment the cold tip of the knife is about to touch his eyes, Victor’s figure suddenly moves. Before I can clearly make out his movements, I’m already pinned down firmly in the chair.

MC: …!

Crew Members: CHIEF?!

The pirates in the room violently spring up to their feet, and I even hear the click and pull of bullets being loaded.

Victor curbs the crowd’s actions. The hand that’s cupping my neck tightens slightly.

Victor: Have you come all this way to see me, suffering untold hardships – just to send me to death?

I struggle to look away, my cheek brushing against the surface of the chair. I can still feel his lingering residual warmth. With a difficult gasp for breath, I actually waver for a few seconds to this end.

–– he is indeed a living, breathing human being like me, not some icy sea monster.

That being the case, I have the probability of defeating him.

Victor’s voice resounds from the top of my head, deeply.

Victor: You still have a chance to clarify your words while I have patience.

Victor: Answer me. Who are you, and what’s your purpose?

I struggle to squeeze these few words through the gap between my teeth.

MC: I’m MC, and I’m a pirate, like you.

MC: As for the purpose, you should be well aware of it.

Victor: Ah, you are here for the “Tears of the gods” too.

Victor’s tone of voice doesn’t carry any hint of warmth. But the instant I hear that name, my eyelids twitch almost invisibly.

“Tears of the gods” is the most mysterious existence among the countless treasures in the ocean that people madly scrabble after.

Legend has it that it’s a glistening crystalline pure ruby that contains the power to control the world and can even bring people back from the dead. It fell into Victor’s hand a few years ago and has never changed owner again.

And obtaining it was the goal set at the very beginning of the establishment of our pirate group.

Probably thinking my answer is quite frank, Victor finally releases his hand pressing on my neck.

I gasp for breath like a dehydrated fish and feel the hand squeezing my ankle slowly trail downward, then remove the knife blade from the tip of my shoe.

And then the icy temperature of the dagger finds itself pressing against my wrist.

Victor: A gem is not worth putting your life on the line.

MC: …for the other ones, maybe so. But the Tears of the gods is unlike any other.

Victor doesn’t speak anymore, but I can feel the cold touch of the slender blade cruising along the inner side of my wrist.

Suddenly, a faint sound of the hemp rope breaking resounds in my ears, followed by my wrists abruptly coming loose.

I freeze for a moment, then jerk up to my feet from the chair, finally being able to lock eyes with Victor up close.

Contrary to what I’ve envisaged, the look in his eye as he looks into mine is not irritation at being offended, but one that reveals arrogance.

Victor: There are many who want to get the Tears of the gods from my hands. You aren’t the first one.

Victor: But it’s evident that you don’t have the strength to own it, like them.

MC: …you’ll regret underestimating me!

Victor: The weak have always been good at saying meaningless fierce words.

Victor bends over slightly towards me, and a warm stream of air breezes past my ears.

Victor: If you are strong enough, you can just directly pin me to the ground and force me to tell you its whereabouts.

I sneer as I stare into his eye.

MC: Don’t think that I can’t do it.

Victor: I’m looking forward to it.

Finishing his words, he stands up straight and picks up the wine cup on the side as he gestures to the stupefied pirates.

Victor: Drop her back on her ship.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [PART 2] ✧

With a muffled “thud,” several pirates mercilessly throw me back onto the deck of The Hope, laughing and giggling as they leave shortly after.

I reluctantly cover the old abloomed wound on my shoulder and look toward The Eternal, spotting Victor’s figure again.

He leans against the upper railings and surveys the sea surface, turning a blind eye as his gaze sweeps over me, and then he turns to enter the cabin.

MC: …what an attitude! You’re insistent that I can’t defeat you?

I shake off my sore wrists as I ponder resentfully.

Although the attack just now had ended in failure, being tied up did affect my performance after all. If I go back and challenge him now, perhaps the outcome will be a different one?

A few minutes later, I quietly climb across the rope ladder once again and evade the eyes of the incoming and outgoing patrols. Then I head straight for the captain’s room, peeping cautiously in through the crack of the doorway.

Victor is leaning against a couple of treasure chests, his eyes hanging low as he wipes the gun in his hand.

Perhaps because he’s been drinking, he looks much more unorganized than just earlier. With one hand on his collar, he casually rips open a few buttons.

The faint rays of dawn from the sea embrace his silhouette from behind, and the scar running all the way across his chest looks shocking.

No more words are needed to imagine the brutality of those battles he experienced.

I suddenly realize, as an afterthought, that perhaps his words just now really haven’t come from arrogance.

A pirate chief who arose out of the pile of dead people indeed has that confidence.

Amidst my silent gaze, Victor sets the gun aside and suddenly opens his mouth without raising his head.

Victor: You are more impatient than I thought.

MC: ?!

I inspect the surrounding at lightning speed and finally make sure that he is talking to me. Seeing that there’s no point in hiding anymore, I walk into the room and stand still in front of Victor.

MC: I don’t have the habit of giving up halfway when I’m met with failure.

MC: The competition just a moment ago wasn’t on equal ground, so I want to challenge you again.

Victor nods his head indifferently, and the corners of his lips even flicker the trace of a curvature.

Victor: Let’s get started then.

Irritated at his perfunctory attitude, I clench the short knife in my hand and dart to Victor ruthlessly.

But this time, I don’t even see his movements clearly before I’m hit hard on the elbow rather abruptly.

The unhealed wound on my shoulder suddenly bursts forth, and the sharp pain strikes along my nerves. Accompanied by the clang of metal hitting the ground, I’m once again pinned to the floor.

Victor: Unfortunately, you have failed again.

Victor’s tone is very calm, but his knee is unrelentingly pressed against my flailing leg, capturing my wrists above my head.

The acute pain of the wound grows all the more intense as I pull. A few drops of cold sweat seep from my forehead, and I breathe out heavily.

MC: …this time, I admit it.

MC: But I’ll not give up on the matter of snatching the “Tears of the gods.”

Victor sizes me up for a moment, condescendingly. Then he suddenly stretches out his hand for the drawer near him on the side.

Is he looking for poison? Or harsher torture equipment?

I close my eyes nervously at the rustling noise, only to sniff out the bitter and astringent smell of ointment.

The coolness slowly spreads over the wound on my shoulder, considerably bringing relief to the original pain.

I’m left stunned for a moment, then struggle furiously to get up.

MC: What are you doing with this? Taking pity on me?

Victor: Be quiet. You’re being too noisy.

MC: I didn’t ask you to heal me! LET GO!

Victor doesn’t say anything, only punitively applies pressure on my wound as I toss and turn violently.

In pain, I bite on his forearm in some fluster and exasperation.

However, the action of applying the medicine on my shoulder doesn’t stop, and Victor’s voice even takes on a few traces of indolent teasing.

Victor: Even wildcats can go out to the sea. The ways of the world really are different now.

MC: Who are you calling a wildcat?

Victor: Will only keep charging around violently and doesn’t even know how to treat the wounds when sustaining injuries. What else but a wildcat?

His tone reveals the light bantering. After a moment, he casually puts the ointment aside and finally releases the strength that’s suppressing me.

I roll over vigilantly and draw a few steps back, rubbing my shoulder as I snort coldly.

MC: …it’s not your place to care!

MC: Or is it that you’ve always been so kind to your enemies?

Victor: I’ve always been very tolerant of brave challengers.

Victor: But I’d still recommend you let your wounds get better before coming back. At least don’t get knocked down so easily again like this time.

After Victor finishes speaking, he tightens the ointment jar and raises his voice to summon the crew members.

Upon seeing it’s me, the hastily rushing pirates’ eyes widen in incredulity. They hold up the musket at their waists, standing guard.

Pirate A: You? Didn’t you just…

Pirate A: Chief, we’ve been negligent! I’ll immediately have the men take turns in guarding the doorway of the captain’s room. We’ll never let her have another chance to break in!

Victor: There’s no need to waste manpower on something like this.

He says it in an understated manner and sits down directly at the captain’s desk. Suddenly raising his hand, he tosses something at me.

I receive it subconsciously and see that tiny jar of ointment as I unfold my palm.

Victor: Rub the rest yourself.

The wound that has been touched inexplicably becomes somewhat burning hot all of a sudden. I tightly purse my lips and listen as Victor faintly gives instructions to the pirates on the side.

Victor: If she wants to challenge, let her come.

His eyes land on me imperceptibly.

Victor: It will at least make this cruise not so boring.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [PART 3] ✧

Ever since I put the fierce remarks in front of Victor, I’ve been infiltrating The Eternal every few days.

Bathed in the warm splendor of the daybreak, Victor is looking at the nautical charts hanging on the wall.

I tumble in briskly with my left hand propped up against the window pane of the captain’s room. With my other hand, I flash the modified spring-loaded arrow concealed in my sleeve and trigger the mechanism as I approach.

Victor stirs up his eyebrows slightly, nimbly moving sideways and avoiding several shots of the spring-loaded arrows.

As I keep closing in on every step, I suddenly notice a narrow seam in the game. Thereupon, I rush to seize the opportunity to make the most of it and pull the trigger, but my spring-loaded arrow doesn’t respond anymore.

I’m left stunned for a moment, meeting Victor’s gaze carrying with it unruffled ripples. Only now do I realize with hindsight that my quiver has been emptied.

He picks up the parchment scroll on the table and taps the concealed spring-loaded arrow I’ve tied to my arm.

Victor: Although the shooting speed has improved, the quiver is still six shots long, making it quite easy for the opponents to see behind the façade.

Victor: The next time you modify a weapon, remember to tune it up from the standard.

MC: …don’t bother yourself. I know what to do!

–

A direct fight by force won’t work; outsmarting may be the way to go.

Wrapping my head around this idea, I choose to ignite an incense when I sneak into Victor’s room again. I thread my way under his quilt, covering my mouth and nose and keeping an eye out for the movements outside.

With a creak, the door to the room is pushed open. The footsteps, however, stagnate for a moment, then suddenly inch closer toward the bed.

Soon after, a hand whirls through the quilt and taps me accurately on the head, not gently but firmly either.

Victor: Take your incense and leave. I’m going to change my clothes.

I remain silent for a moment, then poke my head out reluctantly.

MC: …the black market dealer clearly said that this kind of incense is not only light… but the scent is also mild, and the quantity is small too. So it’s difficult for ordinary people to notice the difference!

Victor: And did he tell you I was the very first person to discover this spice?

With some discouragement, I lift the quilt and hear Victor opening his mouth with a tone of teasing.

Victor: You won’t have a chance to succeed with this kind of ordinary playthings circulating in the market.

Victor: However, my men have just scouted out that there is a pirate group looting merchant ships nearby. They have a lot of fresh goods in their hands.

Victor: If you participate in this battle, you may gain something unexpected when dividing the spoils of war.

I snort and narrow my eyes suspiciously.

MC: The name of The Eternal itself scares people to death. Do you still need to borrow the strength of someone else when fighting?

Victor: If you don’t participate, I’ll naturally have the certainty of scoring the victory regardless.

Victor: It’s just that I’ve never minded putting in extra chips for myself. After all, on this cruise, Eternal has brought along only one auxiliary ship.

Victor: Give it some thought. It’s a sure-fire deal – if you can still fight, that is.

MC: What do you mean by that?

Victor gestures for me to look towards the sky that is somewhat hanging low, with the thick layers of clouds heavily pressing down.

Victor: The sea is already getting windy, and the weather may change in a while.

Victor: You’ve been chasing after me for a long time for this challenge, but I’ve never seen you leave your ship when there’s a storm.

MC: …you’re remembering it wrong. I’ll join in the battle later!

His words send a sharp stab through my heart. I hastily avoid Victor’s inquiring gaze and hurry away without turning my head back.

–

Perhaps to prove something, I bravely throw myself into this battle without a second thought, regardless of the perils. Under siege from several sides, the enemy flees in defeat.

It’s been ages since I’ve experienced the invigoration of fighting. I breathe sighs of relaxation on the deck to my heart’s content.

Before I can check the spoils of war to see whether there is some highest-quality incense like Victor said, I’m pulled into the celebration by the heartily laughing pirates.

Stuffing a glass of wine heavily into my arms, the crowd clinks glasses with me in twos and threes to celebrate the return from a rewarding journey.

In a trance, I feel as if I were one of them.

Through the crowd, I can see Victor walking out of the captain’s room at some point. His gaze weaves through the crowd and meets mine.

There seems to be a hint of tenderness in the hue of his eye amid the gentle night breeze.

Perhaps it’s the intoxication that’s done it, but the tips of my ears actually grow somewhat burning hot. Pretending to be natural, I avert my gaze and put on an act of focusing my full attention on listening to the pirates’ chit-chat.

Pirate A: …I don’t know if it’s because I’ve heard too much about the haunted ship, but why do I feel so eerie about this weather…

Pirate B: Haunted ship? Ah, you mean that rumor – “On the stormy nights, fluorescent sailing ships floating with the sound of cries appear in the Sea of Eternity?”

My hand holding the wine glass suddenly gives a jolt, and I hear the pirates beside me jeering disdainfully.

Pirate C: You have too little guts, talking about things that have no trace whatsoever as if they were true.

Pirate A: How come there’s no trace of it… MC, you’ve been floating in the Sea of Eternity for a long time, right? Have you heard the rumors of the haunted ships?

MC: I––

My lips twitch as the images of a few shattered scenes suddenly flash through my mind––

The dark green sky mapped brightly by the lightning; the unceasingly tilting hull of the ship;

People walking stiffly with eyes that have lost their light, and a pair of hands struggling in the whirlpool…

MC: I…

I bite my lip, my body shuddering involuntarily, and my breathing can’t help but tighten either.

For a moment, the pirates beside me look at each other in dismay, frowning in puzzlement.

Pirate B: Are you feeling okay? What’s wrong?

I lower my head somewhat woefully. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a figure passing through the deck and stopping in front of me, obstructing all the suspicious gazes.

Victor’s calm voice rings out.

Victor: All right, there’s been enough buzz and fun for now.

Victor: Go back to your lounge, and continue sailing early tomorrow morning.

A few echoes of response resound from the crowd one after another. Before long, the men on the deck scatter in twos or threes.

Victor and I are the only two people remaining on the huge deck.

*Rumble*

A drop of rain suddenly falls from the sky and smashes onto the dark deck bolt upright. After a few flashes of lightning, the thinly spread raindrops descend unawares.

Victor lowers his eyes to me, who is shuddering slightly, and speaks in a low voice.

Victor: One cannot penetrate deep into the Sea of Eternity by relying on their strength alone.

Victor: You didn’t set sail alone.

MC: …it’s none of your business.

Victor: Although you are the only one on The Hope now, the ordinary seafarers wouldn’t just disappear into thin air.

Victor: If they have not abandoned you, they have met with an accident.

The unhealed scar on my heart is unveiled in all its bareness, stabbing me raw. I draw back a few steps and look at Victor, gritting my teeth.

MC: …put away your useless curiosity. Either give me the Tears of the gods, and I’ll consider having a little chat with you.

As if not hearing my resistance, Victor continues to speak.

Victor: Judging by your performance today, you could’ve easily formed a new pirate group if it was simply for wanting to make money.

Victor: Perhaps now, you already possess riches more valuable than the Tears of the gods since long ago.

MC: I say it again––

Victor: So you’ve been risking your life to brave the dangers without hesitation to get the Tears of the gods… is it related to them?

MC: Don’t ask any more questions––

Amidst the staggering rain, Victor’s voice seems to soften a few notches.

Victor: I don’t know why you lost your companions.

Victor: But I’m sure they wouldn’t wish for you to become the way you are now.

MC: How can you understand all that!

I retort vociferously, a hint of desperation finally creeping into my tone. It seems that even without realizing it, the heart that I believed was resolute all this time, has faltered at this moment.

When The Hope set sail, my high-spirited companions on board and I fantasized about visiting every corner of the sea.

But the rainstorm, woven by the sirens, took everything away. Everyone was buried at the bottom of the sea, leaving only the utterly empty Hope and me.

I failed to protect a single soul, but I survived.

So now, I must take possession of the Tears of the gods and use its power to call my companions back from the dead––

My vision becomes cloudy with a layer of blur, and I shake my head vigorously. Suddenly extracting the dagger from my waist, I point it toward the man in front of me, shivering a little.

MC: I don’t want to waste any more time.

MC: Victor, I’m now going to launch another challenge.

Through the curtain of rain, Victor stares at me quietly, his gaze containing undefinable emotions.

Victor: You’ve drained too much of your strength during the fight. You won’t have the odds of success now.

MC: It’s not for you to decide what the outcome will be! Even if I have to fight with my life this time, I won’t regret it.

Victor raises the tip of his brows, his tone exuding irresistible certainty.

Victor: I won’t participate in meaningless challenges.

Victor: Go back and think it through, whether getting the Tears of the gods stems from your innermost feelings or…

Victor: For the sake of which exists only in your own fantasies, but which they have never forced you to stake a claim.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [PART 4] ✧

I return to my ship somewhat in a flurry. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt so discomfited after countless failures.

Every time my eyes inadvertently pass over The Eternal, Victor’s questioning voice will echo in my ears.

For a long time, I’ve always held the idea that I would give everything to achieve the dream of my crew members, no matter what it takes.

The nautical charts that I once treasured have been locked in the cupboard, and I haven’t explored any new sea areas since then. I only kept searching blindly for the whereabouts of the Tears of the gods.

It wasn’t until I met Victor that I opened up my dust-covered weapon manuals once again, and picked up my near-abandoned fighting skills once more.

It’s as though a window has been pushed open in an otherwise dead and silent room. He has brought back my joy of sailing, as well as myself, who once used to brim with the vigor of living and fighting spirit.

I no longer toss and turn relentlessly because of the passing of my comrades, but welcome the tomorrow in anticipation of embracing the next challenge.

I even vaguely feel that what I’ve been looking forward to is not the so-called challenge. It’s something else.

My heart stirs restlessly, inexplicably, as the scenes of talking and laughing with the pirates on The Eternal flash before my eyes, the frame finally freezing on Victor’s eyes looking at me.

I stand on the deck and watch the silhouette of The Eternal growing smaller and smaller in the curtain of rain, gradually fading into a smear of sketch against the dark green sky.

–– Dark green?

Why would the sky take on such an eerie color during a rainstorm?

A sense of déjà vu comes over me as the scenes suddenly flash through my mind. The stormy night that gave the entire crew members of The Hope a final send-off was also like this… this is a sign of the appearance of the sirens!

If one takes it to be an ordinary rainstorm, it will gradually make them sink into delirious illusions, and eventually, they will die in the sirens’ trap…

My heart skips a few beats, and my hand is on the rudder before I can realize what I’m doing, heading in the direction of The Eternal.

The sea breeze, interweaving with the raindrops, showers down on my face so fiercely that it’s almost impossible to keep my eyes open. I stare unwaveringly at the sea before me, watching as the two ships inch closer.

The black hull of the Eternal and the auxiliary ship is already covered with a layer of faint fluorescent color. After just a few more glances, I already find myself somewhat dizzy.

The pirates on the ship have indeed fallen into an illusion. Some are weeping loudly; some raise their weapons, destroying the ship’s mast with a blank face;

Occasionally, some of the clear-headed ones cry out for help, only to have themselves immediately get strangled by their lax-eyed companions;

I speed up my ship, my eyes darting anxiously and finally spotting Victor at the railings of The Eternal.

He is surrounded by the same crew members who have fallen into the hallucination, while his arms are firmly tied back with several coarse ropes.

Several men close in on him with weapons, step by step, as if they are going to push him into the icy sea in the next moment.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Victor suddenly looks in my direction. My heart almost hangs in my throat, and I wave my hand at him in a panic.

MC: VICTOR!! Y-YOU HOLD ON JUST A LITTLE LONGER! I’LL BE RIGHT THERE TO RESCUE YOU GUYS!

I shout subconsciously, forgetting that this negligible sound of my voice is incapable of reaching him through the raging waves and sea breeze.

However, Victor nods slightly at me as though he has heard my thoughts. The expression on his face is still calm and unruffled.

–– It’s as though there’s nothing to fear faced with what lays before me, and I surely can solve the predicament in front of me.

I finally steady my mind and think hard.

The sirens, though formidable, are by no means invulnerable.

During the shipwreck, I discovered by chance that the sirens have an intense fear of fire and, therefore, was the only one to survive.

If I can set a large fire now, it can dispel the illusion on the ship and save the lives on both ships…

–

[Note]: Though it will be clear in a bit, MC is referring to The Eternal and the auxiliary ship, not her own~ ;-;

–

MC: Got it!

I look at the hold of the ship where the gunpower is stored. Setting this ship on fire is the only method right now.

But, standing on today, The Hope is the one and only existence that carries the memories of my crew and me.

I gaze at the deck for a moment and finally make up my mind.

MC: …if you guys were still here, you would approve of this decision, wouldn’t you?

I murmur to myself and mount the deck, throwing the kerosene lamp in my hand into the cabin without the slightest hesitation.

The dim flames flow down the kerosene in all directions and soon burn through the sack containing the gunpowder. The intensity of the fire magnifies violently, spreading to the deck in the twinkling of an eye.

I quickly trot over to the rudder and steer The Hope’s course one last time, navigating it to pierce through the curtain of rain and heading towards The Eternal like a burning meteor.

The instant the two ships brush against each other, the blazing red flames shoot up, suddenly scattering in all directions as a glittering meteor trail.

Like encountering a natural enemy, the fluorescent substances shrouding The Eternal and the auxiliary ship slowly subside.

The pirates, who have been sunk into the illusion, also gradually regain their consciousness.

Pirate A: H-How did I… what happened to The Eternal?

MC: Don’t worry about all that. Get on the auxiliary ship first.

I leap onto the railing with ease and shout towards the bewildered pirates who are at a loss for what to do.

As I’m speaking, the fire has already unrolled over the entire Eternal. Seawater pours in through the battered hull, causing the ship to tilt slightly.

After only a few moments of hesitation, the pirates climb over to the auxiliary ship.

Following the direction I recalled just a moment ago, I dash towards where Victor is. Crossing over the broken mast and the heavily damaged deck, I finally see that figure.

The tense strings in my heart finally loosen. I walk over to Victor’s side in brisk steps, meeting his familiar eye once again across the floating firelights.

MC: What you guys had just encountered are sirens, and only fire has the ability to dispel the illusion.

MC: The situation was very pressing, so…

Victor’s gaze turns towards The Hope ablaze in flames, then lands back on me.

Victor: [sighs HEAVILY, continuing her words] You set your own ship on fire.

MC: Because I cannot watch you go through the same fate of being buried underneath the sea in the sirens’ trap like my crew.

–

[Tidbits]: MC here uses the single pronoun “你”(you), not “你们” (plural of the pronoun ‘you,’ i.e., you guys) like before. She’s directly saying that she set her only belonging in the world on fire for him~ ಥ‿ಥ

–

I laugh very softly and caress his face with one hand. My fingertips slide back into his hair, pulling open the tie little by little.

The pitch-black eyepatch falls silently, and I meet the deep red color of his left eye, as gorgeous as the world’s most precious gem. I slowly open my mouth to speak.

MC: Sure enough, I guessed right. The Tears of the gods is here.

MC: I have explored every nook and cranny of you and The Eternal over this period. The only place left was here.

Victor: So, do you still want it?

I nod in some lingering bewilderment. But my reaction soon kicks in, and I shake my head vigorously.

As he sees me like this, a small smile suddenly blossoms at the corners of Victor’s lips.

Victor: [Accumulate all tenderness in the world * 10K] Dummy.

My fingertips touch his left eye gently and cautiously, and suddenly I think of something.

MC: Isn’t it said that the Tears of the gods possess the power to control the world and can even bring back people from the dead?

MC: Were you so calm just now because you knew you could overcome the predicament at any time as long as you use it?

Victor: The reason why I was so calm is because of my trust in you.

I freeze, and my heartbeat accelerates involuntarily. Victor lifts his eyes, his long eyelashes brushing against my palm.

Victor: The so-called power to control the world is only a rumor.

Victor: The Tears of the gods will only be diffused into the eye of the owner it identifies when it changes owners.

Victor: Aside from that, it’s no different from other gems.

I suddenly realize something.

MC: That is to say, it doesn’t bring people back from the dead?

Perhaps it’s my illusion, but Victor seems to let out an almost inaudible sigh. He stares at me, shaking his head.

I remain silent for a moment and tug at the corners of my lips. Then I cut off the ropes that bind Victor and throw the dagger on the deck conveniently.

MC: I had previously thought that with the Tears of the gods, I would be able to bring back those companions who had lost their lives in the rainstorm.

MC: It turns out that for so long, what I had been chasing after was just a rumor that had no possibility of becoming true.

MC: …no wonder you never yielded in giving me the Tears of the gods.

MC: But at least the goal our pirate group set at the beginning of its establishment, I have achieved it for them.

I stubbornly purse my lips. I don’t know whether I’m telling this to myself or to the souls of those who have passed on, my eyes feeling a little sore.

My heart is inexplicably somewhat empty, reminiscent of a traveler who’s been trudging for a long time and has finally reached the end of the line. When I raise my head, and my eyes stray far into the distance, I can no longer see any direction of where to go.

I sniffle and look at Victor with feigned calmness.

MC: [tears in eyes] The Eternal won’t last much longer. Victor, go to your crew. They are still waiting for you.

Victor: And you?

MC: Me? I’m going to stay on this ship.

MC: When helping someone, you must help them to the end, right?

MC: I just rescued you guys from the sirens. I can’t let The Eternal lose control and set the auxiliary ship alight.

MC: I’ve achieved my goal anyway. It doesn’t seem too bad to end my pirate career so dramatically.

MC: If you feel very bad, let the bards write a few heroic epics based on me when you get back…

He looks at me quietly, his gaze focusing all his attention, which in turn makes me somewhat not dare to look directly into his eyes for fear that he will see through my true feelings.

MC: By the way, Victor, I want to thank you.

MC: Thank you for indulging my challenges throughout this period. Thank you for being so willing to accept my challenges again and again.

MC: You probably don’t know; these days are the happiest I’ve ever been since that shipwreck…

My unfinished words are submerged in a sudden embrace.

Victor: …that group knows what should be done in case of a serious fire. They will adjust the ship’s course and return to pick us up. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself to stay on the ship and wait for death.

Victor: And this is not your endpoint, and your goal hasn’t been achieved.

MC: But I’ve already found the Tears of––

Before I can finish my words, I’m interrupted by Victor’s deep voice.

Victor: For pirates, discovery and ownership are two different things.

Victor: If I remember correctly, the “Tears of the gods” has not yet recognized you as its new owner.

Victor’s tone is as serene as it has always been, but his grip on my hand becomes slightly tighter.

Victor: Didn’t you say you won’t give up halfway? Then keep on living, together, with me.

Victor: Keep on challenging me until the day of victory.

Victor: If you can’t find the endpoint, I’ll be your next goal.

Amidst the brilliant heat waves, Victor’s figure almost fuses with the firelight, but the eyes that are looking at me tumble up with a raging tide.

The rims of my eyes burn violently. After a long while, I finally hold his hand back.

MC: [tears in eyes] …don’t think I can’t do it.

He seems to chuckle softly, holding my hand even tighter as we walk together to the edge of the deck.

Victor: Then prove it to me.

The flames behind us rise to our feet, and we plunge into the icy seawater a second before the hull bursts into flames.

–

Just as Victor said, the auxiliary ship did not sail far away. We swim in the middle of the sea for a while and are soon pulled up by the pirates who rushed over to rescue us.

Dripping wet, I sneeze as I sit on the floor. Suddenly, a dry piece of clothing descends on the top of my head.

An equally disarrayed Victor stands beside me, looking at me with downcast eyes.

Victor: Pull through. Go and change your clothes first.

He pauses, then speaks again.

Victor: [consoling her, again] …that’s all over now.

As though in response to his words, the morning sun slowly rises from the sea level, reflecting on the tranquil sea.

I stare blankly at the first glimmer of dawn for a moment, then suddenly turn to look at Victor, inexplicably tugging up at the corners of my lips.

MC: Victor… now I have no ship.

MC: You won’t throw me off and not take responsibility, will you?

Victor releases a very soft laugh.

Victor: Don’t worry. I have plenty of ships. I can lend you one.

He says it with such confidence and rightfulness that it finally makes me laugh out loud.

It’s as though my stagnant voyage has got its course at this moment, and has also found its one and only stop.

I blink and raise my head at him.

MC: It’s an agreement then. I’ll borrow the biggest one! But you haven’t said what the remuneration is. Is it going to be very expensive?

Victor: Very expensive, indeed.

He gazes at me. His eyes reflect the warm colors of the rising sun, warming up my heart as well.

Victor: [accumulate all tenderness in the world ^∞] So, be prepared to pay it back slowly for the rest of your life.

–

Calls and Moments: Here!

–

[Anika’s Afterthoughts, feel free to ignore LOL]

First things first –

No matter which world, MC has a thing for biting Victor LOL totally understandable (≧▽≦)

And it’s a Victor date, so of course, you explicitly “make the pledge” of a lifetime with him LOL~ |ω･)ﾉ💍

Jokes aside –

SO MANY MAIN STORY CALLBACKS!! I don’t know from where to start.

You see the total boss-lady S2 MC here, but there’re still traces of S1 MC who confronts Victor at LFG, even some traces of her “alternate-self”. Then there’re direct call-backs from some of the very crucial moments of the story (S1 CH 18, S2 CH 31)–

This date re-emphasizes all over again, what we’ve seen MC saying again and again, how this man is her anchor, haven, guiding light, her 归属.

Even in S2 CH 31, the same MC trying to rescue those people just seconds ago drastically changes her “trajectory of righteousness and benevolence” the moment they tried to hurt Victor. But we see him being the anchor who keeps her still against all odds.

Again, THE DEPTH OF THEIR FEELINGS. She burned down her only belonging for him, despite not knowing if he’ll take her (ofc he does LOL, duh¡ he’d give himself up in a heartbeat for her). but, THE PORTRAYAL OF “SELFLESS AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE”, BUT “YOU ARE MINE AND ONLY MINE” hahaha 🌊💘

Also, I will NEVER get over how the boss lady MC is able to cry in Victor’s arms without a care in the world!! AND, how every time MC is professing her love, Victor straight up enfolds her in his arms and finishes the rest with a commitment!! 🥺

Tbh, Someone who nurtures the concept of “La Vie en Rose” VS someone who’s survived through the turbulent tides and wildfires – the latter finding their “home” in you –– DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THOSE WORDS!!!

OFC, there’s also their trademark hand-holding!!❤️

AND, VICTOR!! VICTOR!! VICTOR!! THIS MAN!!! even canonically, his self-proclaimed competitor was compelled to be his admirer and secret benefactor, because of who he is, unbeknownst to him (S2 CH 18-21 R&S).

The writers probably initially really just wanted to write his character as 神 LOL, but he has to be a human to be your 2D boyfriend so. GRAND MIRACLE indeed. 你为什么这么好!!??!?? 超现实的人类!!! 😭❤️

—

#WHY WON’T MY TEARS STOP DAMMIT. THE STUPID MUSICS AT THE END MAKES THINGS EVEN MORE🌊 THEM!!!#VICTOR WRITERS!!! VICTOR WRITERS!!! 😭🌊#i have already screamed at the end LOL so not gonna burden the tags anymore haha–– ಥ‿ಥ #mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mr love victor #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

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