"Father."
"What is it?"
"They just chose you to see me, you should know the reason, right?"
"I know, they want me dead."
"Itās a pity they donāt know youāre my father."
"Yes."
"But fatherāwhat does āfatherā mean?"
Shen Yeās heartbeat remained steady, his expression unchanged.
Until the other party asked this crucial question, his heartbeat finally began to accelerate uncontrollably.
This was the moment to determine each otherās identities.
Once thereās a problem.
Itās certain death.
Death means entropy destruction, the end, nothing left.
Shen Ye spoke:
"I am your Guardian, guide, educator, because of me, you came into being."
"Is that so?" the dwarf and the huge shadow behind it asked in unison.
"I am probing the issues of the era in this Era of Entropy Destruction, guarding your ferry until the moment you emerge in the future." Shen Ye said.
The other party came from the future with unprecedented malice, intending to eradicate everything here!
If I am doing this, both benefit and will coincide with it.
This is the utmost protection!
āAnd also proof of the āfatherā identity!
"...I see."
The dwarf pondered.
The entire ship, maybe itās mine, maybe not.
But.
The life standing in front of me is certainly from the future.
He is āFatherā.
He has already taken the first step to do what I want to do.
Moreoverā
When he spoke, I couldnāt help but acknowledge this point.
So he should be the āFatherā.
The dwarf was silent for a few moments, then suddenly began to chant:
"Nia Zuo, Kosale, Siris, Hai Liao, Silvanos..."
It chanted a long string of names, a full forty-something, until it finished before stopping.
It paused for a moment, a deep malice surfaced on its face, grinned, and said:
"None of you exist in the future."
As the words fell.
The entire ship, all the powerful ones let out miserable wails.
The massive shadow behind the dwarf began to move slowly.
The boundless shadow bowed down, plunging into the entire ship like a tidal wave.
In a mere instant.
All the shadows withdrew, standing again behind the dwarf.
The endless screams came to an abrupt stop.
Deathly silence.
Amidst the deathly silenceā
"Father, I cannot stay here long, so Iāve left you a gift."
The dwarf said.
On the deck beside itā
The bodies of all the monsters were fused together, stacked into a blood-red jelly-like āmountainā.
The heads of the monsters were like gifts hung on a Christmas tree, propped up by bones one by one, neatly arranged on the āMeat Mountainā.
"Father, they must pay for their malice."
The dwarf said in a treasure-presenting tone.
Shen Ye looked up and saw a special fluctuation covering the Meat Mountain.
This fluctuation was a kind of Technique he couldnāt understand.
This Technique, allowed all the monsters to retain their last breath.
āEven though their bodies were torn apart, molded into meat paste, the surviving heads held onto their last thread of consciousness.
This would prevent them from entropy.
"Very fresh, food, left for you." The dwarf said.
"Why are you leaving?" Shen Ye wanted to ask, but held back.
All the S-class monsters were dead.
I, as an A-class human, am still alive for now.
In the face of this inscrutable future existence, every word I say might change the course of events.
Shen Ye ultimately didnāt say much, but joyfully looked at the Meat Mountain, nodding towards the dwarf.
The dwarf, seeing his joy, also became happy.
"Father, is this ship really mine?"
It asked.
"Wonāt you compete with me? Actually, Iām very grateful to you, Father." The dwarf added.
Shen Yeās heart skipped a beat.
As the āFatherā, I could actually fight for a little something.
Even information about the future.
I could alsoā
Suddenly.
A faint female voice emerged in Shen Yeās mind:
"God said, āMy grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.ā"
Holy Mother Mary!
What is she reminding me of?
Shen Ye felt his hair stand on end.
No.
The massive shadow, it arrived from the future to the Era of Entropy Destruction, already bearing the malice to annihilate everything.
What is the point of āFatherā?
Why must I dominate this entire matter?
Am I really that strong?
No...
"Human weakness"ā
Weakness represents a retreat, a broader space.
āThe survival strategy is not to dominate anything before the strong, but to retreat in time.
Holy Mother Mary!
Shen Ye felt grateful, suddenly dropping all the rhetoric and strategy he just thought of.
āDonāt play clever tricks.
Donāt think you can accomplish something extraordinary.
The most pragmatic choice now isā
"Everything of the father will be passed on to the son, so I will never contend with you." Shen Ye said.
"Why is that?" the dwarf asked in confusion.
"Through countless eras, the laws between the father and son are so natural and dignified, eternally implementing this most fundamental law of inheritance," Shen Ye replied.
The dwarf gazed into the depths of the ship.
For a long time.
It seemed to have received some information and said with relief:
"So, everything of yours is mine."
Two shadows quietly appeared behind Shen Ye, merged into the Void, and disappeared.
"Thenāguard it well for me. Next time I will come to see you, see this ship," the dwarf said.
"Alright, leave it to me, thereāll be no problem," Shen Ye replied.
Neither of them mentioned a single word about the shadows behind Shen Ye.
The dwarf turned around, walking towards the bow of the ship.
The massive shadow behind it rose and retreated into the endless darkness.