As the spotlight of the **Unicorn** illuminated the area, an island brimming with lush greenery appeared before the crew. This good news helped alleviate the recent tension, and an excited Charles quickly pulled out the map to recalibrate their coordinates.

  Finding the coordinates of the first island would make identifying the other islands in the chain much easier, and it also confirmed the authenticity of the map.

  The **Unicorn** began to circle the island for initial reconnaissance. After a quick survey, Charles noted that the island wasn't very large—about half the size of a typical coral island. He assessed that the likelihood of finding a surface entrance was slim, but he was determined to investigate regardless.

  Following his previous procedure, Charles tossed some fish onto the island. Seeing no immediate signs of life, he sent the first group of crew members ashore. He was increasingly cautious as they were getting closer to home; he wanted to avoid any unforeseen dangers.

  Two hours later, the first group of crew members emerged from the forest, signaling from the beach.

  “There’s no threat,” Charles deciphered their signals.

  “Drop anchor! Extinguish the furnace!” Two small boats were lowered, and all crew members moved toward the island.

  The eager Deep called out, “Captain, come quickly! I found a broken house here!”

  Without hesitation, Charles followed him into the forest, navigating through a narrow path carved by a blade. They arrived at a small, three-story house, entangled in vines.

  The building was so dilapidated that Charles wondered if it was still standing due to the vines clinging to its exterior.

  “Captain, there’s no one inside—not even a corpse,” Deep reported.

  Cautiously, Charles led the group into the building, where everything was covered in dust, as if the place had been forgotten by time.

  “Search everywhere for any written information and report back to me,” he ordered. The crew spread out, stirring up dust and coughing as they did so.

  Charles picked up a cup made of an unknown material, but as he touched it, it shattered into pieces.

  “Ahhh!!” “Bang bang bang!!” The terrified screams and gunfire jolted Charles back to reality. He rushed toward the source of the noise.

  Upon entering the room, he saw four sailors huddled together, nervously aiming their firearms in different directions.

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  “What did you see? Why did you fire?” Charles demanded.

  “Captain! Over there! We saw something small run by!” one sailor pointed deep into the cluttered room.

  Charles drew his black blade and rushed over, tossing aside various objects but finding no signs of life.

  His gaze fell upon a crack in the wall, where he noticed a row of tiny footprints on the ground.

  Crouching down, he peered into the fissure and caught a glimpse of a human eye with blue pupils flashing by. “There’s something in there!”

  Charles immediately stood up and dashed to the adjacent room, but upon arrival, he found no trace of the eye’s owner.

  Returning to the original room, he examined the footprints closely. They were only half a centimeter wide—remarkably small. He deduced that their owner was no more than five centimeters tall.

  “Island natives?” Charles recalled the tiny figure that had emerged from the head.

  But he quickly dismissed that thought; the eye he had seen was clearly the size of a normal human’s. It didn’t make sense—how could a regular person fit through a crack barely wide enough for a finger?

  “Captain! What happened? I heard gunfire!” another crew member shouted as they rushed in.

  “What’s going on here?”

  “What just happened?”

  The other crew members of the **Unicorn** arrived, bombarding Charles with questions.

  He stood up and recounted the situation. “There’s something alive on this island. Everyone, be cautious.”

  Seeing the tension on their faces, Charles added, “But don’t worry too much. Whatever that thing is, it’s hiding from us, not the other way around.”

  He then asked, “Did anyone find any clues in the other rooms?”

  Everyone shook their heads, and a flicker of disappointment crossed Charles’s face, though it was somewhat expected. His luck had never been great; it was unlikely he would find a way home on the first island.

  Leading the group out of the building, they continued their exploration deeper into the island. The path through the forest was challenging, filled with vines and branches that required cutting through.

  After two hours of trekking, Charles estimated they hadn’t even covered a mile. Seeing the exhausted crew, he ordered a break.

  “Doctor, do you recognize any of these plants?” Charles asked the elderly man who was nibbling on some bread.

  “Do you think I’m omniscient? How could I possibly know the plants on a deserted island? I can only judge that these plants probably won’t eat us,” the doctor replied.

  Richard chimed in, “Dude, with so many trees around, it means the soil must be good. If we can find fresh water, this island could be habitable!”

  “It’s not that simple. There are only plants—no animals at all.”

  Just then, the doctor suddenly collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in pain. Charles rushed over to support him. “Doctor, what’s wrong? Speak!”

  The doctor, grimacing, clawed at his chest with his metal hand. “Damn it! Something is biting me! Help me pull it off!”

  Charles lifted the doctor’s coat and discovered a round, pancake-like creature writhing beneath his blood-soaked shirt.

  Without hesitation, he raised his black blade and swiftly cut through the upper part of the creature, sending it flying several meters away with the doctor’s pained grunt.

  Looking down at the doctor’s chest, Charles was horrified to see a large patch of skin missing, exposing the doctor’s ribs.

  “My God, what did you have in your clothing?”

  “I didn’t put anything in there!! The creature inside your mask!” the doctor exclaimed, trembling as he sprinkled powder over the wound.

  “096?” Charles glanced down, spotting a pale figure resembling a clown’s mouth emerging from the shredded fabric.

  “The mask is alive?” Everyone stared in disbelief at the absurd scene.

  Before anyone could react, the 096 figure flashed a terrifying grin at the group and rolled off into the woods like a wheel.