Shrouded Seascape

Sparkle couldn't help but grab Charles' right hand upon hearing that. However, his right hand covered in scars felt like the hand of a dead man—it was ice cold, devoid of warmth.

Facing his daughter, Charles added, "I tend to overthink and focus too rigidly on the trivial details. The most essential aspects of humanity are their thoughts and existence.

"After all, humans are the central observers of the relationship between themselves and the world. They are conscious social beings, and there is a constant mental and physical conflict between their activities and their existence itself.

"One shouldn't disturb the relationship between humans and the world around them. Existences like me should particularly avoid such an endeavor."

"Daddy, Daddy, calm down. You're thinking too much and are overcomplicating it," Sparkle said, patting his hand anxiously.

However, Charles paid her no heed and spoke even faster, saying, "With that in mind, a certain question arises—which is more primordial? Is it thought? Existence? Is it consciousness, or is it matter? In other words, which of them came first?

"I believe this question is more important than the childish and lowly desire to save humanity.

"Was the world born from thoughts or consciousness? Or has it always existed on its own? Is the essence and foundation of the world rooted in consciousness or in matter?"

Realizing that Charles was ignoring her, Sparkle gnashed her teeth and teleported away. The scenery outside had changed drastically. There were bloody and deformed amorphous organs everywhere, and they all undulated like a tidal wave.

Among the "waves," Sparkle saw something else—an obese, pale-skinned woman whose wet hair stuck closely to her pale scalp. Her five eyes were filled with terror as she raised her blood-red hooves and cried out to Sparkle for help.

The woman was Sparkle's younger sister, and more than half of her figure had sunk into the sea of flesh and blood. Charles was in the middle of devouring everything on the island.

"No! Daddy will become a god at this rate! I have to stop him!" Sparkle's gorgeous figure swelled, and a massive cluster of tentacles spanning hundreds of meters appeared in midair.

The indescribable cluster of tentacles was Sparkle's true form. She had grown noticeably larger than before. If there were a third party here, they'd see the abnormal visual distortions around her bizarre figure.

Sparkle's enormous form descended, melting into the flesh ocean like a droplet of water. Sparkle grew anxious as she swam in the flesh ocean. Her father's brain was nowhere to be found, even though it was supposed to stay here, and she had no idea where it went.

The brain's disappearance was dangerous. Every second counted, and Sparkle had to devour the excess parts of Charles' brain as soon as possible, or he'd truly become a true god!

With that thought in mind, Sparkle steeled herself. Her massive tentacled figure then exploded. The tentacles, dotted with green fluorescent eyeballs, swam through the island like sea serpents, searching for the missing brain.

Sparkle knew that this was dangerous. If she were even the slightest bit careless, she would be devoured by her own father. However, Sparkle couldn't care less. In her eyes, her father's life was far more important than her own!

The amorphous organs and flesh all over Charles undulated rapidly, becoming faster and faster as time ticked by. They were proliferating on their own as well, increasingly rapidly in numbers.

Fortunately, they remained unmoving as Sparkle's tentacles swam through them; they seemed to be treating her as one of their own.

After a few minutes of exploration, Sparkle finally found her father's brain in the lower left corner of the flesh ocean.

Unfortunately, the outlook was grim. The massive brain was growing quickly and was attempting to detach from Charles' flesh. It seemed to be in the middle of transforming into an existence that even Sparkle could not discern or fathom.

Sparkle's green tentacles spread in all directions and swarmed over. Like a hot knife going through butter, they burrowed in and out of the brain. Sparkle's fluorescent green eyeballs were missing, replaced by a cavity that frantically devoured Charles' brain.

Sparkle's strength increased exponentially as she devoured more and more parts of Charles' brain. However, Sparkle couldn't care less at this point. She had only one goal—to save her father.

The ordeal persisted for five whole days until the brain, riddled with holes, finally stopped expanding and went silent.

No, I can't forget my motives! I absolutely can't forget why I decided to become a god in the first place! They're my family, and they're the same species as me! ṛ

An agonized look marred Charles' face as he convulsed on the sofa.

There was a flash of white light, and Sparkle appeared beside him. She spread her arms and embraced Charles, humming the soothing lullaby that Anna would often hum for him.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Amidst the lullaby, Charles hugged Sparkle tighter and tighter until her gorgeous figure practically melted into his fleshly body. His sanity was recovering, and his eyes grew increasingly clearer as the seconds ticked by.

When Charles came to his senses, the island finally went silent. Recalling everything that had just happened, Charles broke out into a cold sweat. It seemed that he had become extremely close to becoming a god again.

Is my time getting shorter and shorter? Can I truly complete my goals before I truly become a god? Charles felt his chances of success had dropped once again. He wasn't afraid of death, but he was afraid of it.

He let go of Sparkle and pulled her out of his chest.

Charles was struck by a wave of lingering fear upon getting reminded of what had just transpired. If he had lost control, Sparkle would have been in danger.

"Sparkle, I don't know how much longer I can endure. The day I become a god, remember to stay far, far away from me," Charles warned.

Sparkle opened her arms and hugged Charles tightly, nuzzling her fair cheek against his old captain's uniform.

"Daddy, don't worry. Nothing will happen to you as long as I'm here."

"Thank you." Charles' heart felt warm. He wrapped his arms around his daughter once more. Only during moments like this did he truly feel like a human being.

After basking in the heartwarming air between himself and his daughter, Charles let go of Sparkle and cast a gentle gaze at her. "Sparkle, I'm serious. Listen to me; I'm pursuing my own goals here, and they have nothing to do with you.

"You don't have to give everything up to follow me."

Sparkle's eyes reddened. "Daddy, you're all I have now. If you become a god, then I can only follow you."

Charles' expression was complex as he stared at her. "No, you have more than just me. You still have your mother. You know where she is, right?"

"You knew it, Daddy?" Sparkle was stunned. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have lied to you."

Charles smiled calmly and explained, "I saw something from your afterimages, and I'm not going to scold you or anything. If something ends up happening to me, then go to your mother."

Sparkle's lips quivered slightly, but she ultimately nodded with difficulty.

Charles raised his hands, cupping his daughter's exquisite face, saying, "Our Sparkle is so beautiful. I'm sure you take after your mother."

Before Sparkle could answer, Charles abruptly pulled his daughter's fair face to his own. His trembling hands gently brushed the corners of Sparkle's eyes, and he sounded shocked as he muttered, "My dear daughter… w-what were those?"

Sparkle raised her hands, placing them on the back of Charles' hands. She sounded composed as she replied, "They're wrinkles, Daddy."