Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 849: Departure

After a moment of hesitation, Dipp exclaimed, "Father. We understand your concern for us, but we all have the same feelings for you! If you hadn't picked me up from the streets back then, I would have starved to death!

"I'm willing to give everything for your goals!"

Charles' pupils constricted slightly as he stared at the fishman before him.

This was the first time Dipp had addressed him as "Father."

The other crew members gathered around, forming a circle with Charles in the middle of it.

Charles swept his gaze across them, staring at their familiar eyes.

"Mr. Charles, Dipp is right. You helped me find my hope, and you revived me. Allow me to help you; I'm a bit confident in my prowess," said one of the crew members.

"I rarely say thank you, but you saved me when the Sacred Acolyte wanted to use me as cannon fodder. I still owe you that favor from back then," someone else chimed in.

"Captain, I was just a blind painter on Dark Crystal Island, but you gave me a new life. Now, I've gotten myself a beloved one, and I can see the world once again. This is all because of your grace," a third crew member said.

"That's right, Captain. The life we are living on Hope Island right now is a life that you have bestowed upon us. No matter what you want to do, we're going to help you," another added.

Once all the crew members had spoken one by one, Bandages stepped forward and patted Charles' shoulder lightly. He didn't say anything, but Charles understood what he wanted to say.

Charles felt a sour sensation in his nose. Anna and Sparkle had left, but he wasn't alone. It was true that the Subterranean Sea had assimilated him, but it had given him other things—things that could rival what he had on the surface world.

Just then, the bonfire before them burned out, leaving behind nothing but ashes.

Charles stared at the ashes for a while before saying in a low voice, "Get ready. The Narwhale is going to set sail at eight-thirty tomorrow morning."

Everyone was instantly delighted.

"Understood, Captain!"

***

The World's Crown was supposed to be a lone island for many nautical miles, but it was no longer alone. A new island had appeared next to it. The new island seemed to be connected to the World's Crown, and both islands formed an "8" if one viewed it from up above.

"Ignorant, foolish, and selfish? Why do I feel like you're trying to describe Daddy?" Sparkle asked.

"Don't talk about him in front of me! You know how much I've sacrificed for him, but what about him?! You saw how he treated me! I've always been the one giving and compromising, but he ended up becoming wary of me!"

"Just what exactly does he take me for, an idiot?!" Anna roared. "He's an extremely selfish piece of garbage! He even went as far as to drive me away just to ensure that I wouldn't be able to take advantage of those three wishes!"

Anna's tentacles slammed into the ground, creating massive holes in them, and Anna's roar made the islanders cover their ears and reveal pained looks. Their hair and flesh even deformed beneath the roar.

"Since he has decided to treat me as a monster, then I'm going to be myself again! I'll make that wastrel pay the price for crossing me!"

"I think Daddy still cares about you; he just can't quite express it. Actually, if you just—" Sparkle paused, choosing not to complete her sentence upon realizing that her mother was truly furious. Any persuasion attempt at this point was only going to be counterproductive, so Sparkle decided to try again after some time.

A tentacle covered in black scales reached out to her, and Sparkle floated over toward it. Two tentacles with two different colors intertwined with each other, and Anna pulled over Sparkle to hug her tightly. "Child, you're all I have left now. You're not going to abandon your mother, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Great! Let's grow stronger together, then. Let's do our best and become gods together!"

A hint of worry surfaced in Sparkle's heart at the remark, but she didn't show it on the outside. Charles was right. Anna's desire for power had become an obsession.

Sparkle knew that she had to find a way to protect her mother. In fact, this was the reason Sparkle had chosen to stand on Anna's side.

"You really are my good, dear daughter. All right. Teleport this entire island to the Sea of Mist," Anna said.

Sparkle was puzzled. "Why are we going there? Are we going to that Foundation site?"

"That's right, we're indeed going there. The Foundation is no more, but its legacy is all there to take, including that corpse of a real god!"

Sparkle's heart sank at Anna's words.

"Sparkle, I know. I know that Charles had forced you to lie to me. It's fine. You don't have to listen to him anymore."

"Just think about it... that's the corpse of a real god! We'll progress much faster than sacrificing human lives by using that corpse. Once I've devoured that corpse, I'll surely become a new god of the Subterranean Sea!"