novelraw Chapter 726: Ship of Theseus
Chapter 726: Ship of Theseus
After Hamon Hamon opened Her mouth saying thus, Gou Wen narrowed his eyes. He silently took a step back, first sweeping his gaze up and down the surrounding environment. Simultaneously, in the palm of Gou Wen's hand, a Golden Fluid Sword blade of the same model as Fisher's also silently slid into his palm.
But right after sliding into his hand, Gou Wen suddenly sensed an itching feeling generated in his palm. He lowered his head to look, yet seeing the surface of the Fluid Sword in his hand had already begun alienation, growing out one after another emerald green tender sprouts.
His heart chilled, while the voice of Hamon Hamon before his eyes also slowly transmitted over,
"No need to be nervous. I currently harbor no malice towards you all, towards all living beings within this facility. Rationally looking at it, if the Infinity Authority doesn't participate in the battle, the probability of you all fighting me head-on and winning is almost zero... So, I still ask everyone to place a bit more trust in me. What needs to be reiterated is, I harbor no malice towards you all."
Gou Wen glanced at Fisher beside Renee, but discovered he wasn't looking over here at all, instead concentratingly sizing up the massive mycelium formed above, unknown what he was thinking in his inner heart...
Could it be he truly can understand the current brain circuit of this Deity Hamon Hamon?
Speaking to the end, Gou Wen had already started feeling blurred and unclear about their objective of coming here now.
The powerful Ocean, the Hamon Hamon with an unclear objective, the pollution tendency burning the eyebrows outside the Shelter...
But unknown as to why, when Gou Wen saw Fisher's back figure at this moment he could always think of that unrestrained and unconstrained fellow of many years ago, this made him calm down a bit more, especially since even the Infinity Authority seemingly trusted him so much.
If it was that fellow who liked Demi-Human Girls he definitely could understand the Deity's chain of thought, because she herself was an out-and-out psychopath...People often say genius and madman are only separated by a fine line, so perhaps madness and the boundless thoughts of a Deity also have bordering points?
"..."
Thinking of this place, Gou Wen again silently retracted the extended Fluid Sword in his hand. But the green sprouts growing on the surface of that Fluid Sword didn't show signs of receding. Gou Wen could only manually pluck off those extra green sprouts.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Hamon Hamon was quite sincere saying thus to Gou Wen, but actually, these words weren't merely spoken to Gou Wen, there was also that David who already showed signs of losing control.
"Sizzle sizzle... sizzle sizzle..."
"Dad... Mom..."
At this moment, Fisher who retracted his gaze from the mycelium above suddenly opened his mouth asking Hamon Hamon,
"They became like this because you laid hands on them, right?"
"Indeed so."
"Why?"
"In order to fulfill the alliance with Dream Illusion, I indiscriminately launched a massacre upon all living beings within the Barrier. They sealed all my creations here, as it should be, I first started to eliminate the living beings within this Shelter."
Fisher frowned slightly, but very quickly relaxed a bit,
"Then, what exactly happened to you during these thousands of years in the Shelter? If nothing changed, then the current you completely has no need to invite us here as guests, even less need to kill the Ocean's avatar."
Hamon Hamon darted Her tongue, subsequently abruptly reaching out to touch Fisher's shoulder. The Renee behind pouted. Just as she was about to make a move, Fisher grabbed Hamon Hamon's wrist, while Hamon Hamon merely said,
"Please rest assured, merely to display the matter I want to explain, nothing more."
"..."
Pondering for an instant, Fisher then also let go of Hamon Hamon's hand. That lotus root-like arm slowly landed on the clothing Fisher wore.
"Whoosh..."
In the instant of touching, the clothing on Fisher's body abruptly began a certain wondrous change.
Exactly like a chemical reaction, yet seeing that originally soft fabric hardening bit by bit, revealing colorful splendors. Just a short second, the property of the clothing on Fisher had already been completely altered.
This wondrous method Fisher had already previously witnessed from Gou Wen, this exactly was Hamon Hamon's iconic power...
"Spreading non-self."
"Yes, Mr. Fisher, this is exactly my Authority, my power, my property."
After completing all this, Hamon Hamon retracted Her hand. Closely following, She looked at Fisher asking him,
"How much do you understand Deities?"
"The one beside me exactly is a Deity..."
"I mean, a true Deity, not a mixed product like her." Hamon Hamon glanced at the Renee behind Fisher, shaking Her head saying, "She is a product generated after a soul from the Sea of Souls within the Barrier combined with the Ocean's Authority. If it wasn't for the property of the Ocean's Authority being stronger than the human property left on that soul, even her main body would also be like the appearance of Demi-Humans in this world..."
Demi-Human appearance?
There's such a good thing?
Fisher's attention was suddenly exceptionally focused. Thinking carefully, if Hamon Hamon said so, then the appearance of Renee's main body definitely leans more towards the appearance displaying the Infinity Authority right?
Then specifically what kind of appearance would it be?
Hearing Hamon Hamon's words, Renee coldly snorted saying to Her,
"Indeed, I am not a God in the true sense, but I am familiar with Ramastia and the others. In my opinion, you and Them actually don't have much difference, exactly the same stubbornness and weirdness."
Hamon Hamon neither agreed nor disagreed, merely continuing to say to Fisher,
"Mr. Fisher, Authority is both the power of Deities, and also Their property... Ramastia because of possessing the main Authority related to life, thus exceptionally cares for the weak lives and civilizations universally; Dream Illusion because of pursuing the detachment of consciousness and reality, thus wants to pursue a higher dimension of truth, pursuing a Treasure She cannot touch like Mr. Fisher... As for me, 'non-self' equally flows within my body, constantly altering all my properties at all times.
"Within this few thousands of years locked in the Shelter, my main body completely finished alienation, just like the clothing on Mr. Fisher transforming into a completely different crystal. The I in my properties, power, and thoughts happened a complete transformation from the previous me... apart from the Authority I still possess, I no longer have half a point of connection with the previous me... But I, am still Hamon Hamon."
Gou Wen and Renee were both slightly startled. They almost simultaneously felt something from Hamon Hamon's words, because they both equally had similar experiences.
To Renee, she possessed a previous incarnation possessing the same Authority yet having a different soul, the Mother Goddess.
As the newborn consciousness born succeeding the Mother Goddess' Authority, she actually remained with a lot of traces related to her previous incarnation.
The curiosity towards her origin, the fear towards loneliness, the promise exceptionally caring for humans left by her best friend...
But Renee still always felt, herself and the Mother Goddess were completely different existences, the two of them were tangibly and solidly two independent individuals.
But to Gou Wen, the perspective seemingly happened a completely different change.
The situation of his daughter Jasmine and Renee was completely the opposite. Jasmine and Asuka Karasawa possessed completely identical souls, but that soul resided in completely different fleshly bodies.
One was the fleshly body of a foreign Transferred Person that wouldn't age, polluted by the Scarlet Dream Illusion; one was a young female Whale-kin personally born from Xuan Can and Gou Wen...
Then, are Jasmine and Asuka Karasawa the same existence or not?
Gou Wen was slightly startled and didn't open his mouth immediately, instead Renee frowned upon hearing Hamon Hamon's words saying,
"Why do you feel you are still the previous Hamon Hamon? Just because your Authority hasn't happened to change?"
Hamon Hamon looked at Renee, instead asking back,
"Why do you feel I am not the previous Hamon Hamon, just because my properties completely happened a change, just because my thoughts and consciousness completely changed?"
"..."
Fisher looked at this Deity whose complexion was ancient well calm before his eyes, a paradox seemingly related to the current situation emerged in his mind...
Suppose in the past when Naris pioneered outwards they used a massive wooden ship named "The Fisher". Because of long periods of adventuring and sailing, the hull inevitably suffered wear and tear. Therefore every time after returning to port and undergoing inspections by the ladies along the shore, the ladies would use new wood to replace the aged parts of this "The Fisher".
Then, based on this background, suppose one day all the parts on this wooden ship had been repaired once. This means, all the wood composing this massive ship had been replaced by the ladies, the timber currently composing "The Fisher" were all those materials newly replaced by the ladies.
Although every time leaving port, whether crew or officials inspecting import and export all believed it was "The Fisher", but actually, is the current "The Fisher" truly still the previous "The Fisher"?
Suppose those ladies who patched and mended for "The Fisher" returning from adventure were ingenious and deft. They collected all the replaced aging parts of "The Fisher", and coincidentally miraculously perfectly replicated the assembly process of "The Fisher", assembling an identical wooden ship without the slightest bit of difference in detail...
Then, exactly is the wooden ship currently drifting on the sea "The Fisher" or is the wooden ship later assembled by the ladies using the initial materials "The Fisher"?
Exactly like the problem described by "A man can never step into the same river twice", only the paradox Fisher faced now was even more specific.
"She is of course the previous Hamon Hamon, at least should be considered as..."
Gou Wen stepped forward, looking at Hamon Hamon, and also looking at this mess full of black and white mycelium outside the Shelter.
Furthermore, that white mycelium formed by the "corpse of a friend" before their eyes was still before their eyes. Because of this, Gou Wen's voice also involuntarily deepened a bit,
"Or we should be glad She Herself considers She is, otherwise who will bear the blood debt of so many lives? Or to say, as long as She considers she is not the previous Hamon Hamon, the sins She committed invading in the past can be written off at one stroke?"
"Indeed so..." Hamon Hamon nodded neither agreeing nor disagreeing. But Her gaze still involuntarily moved towards the place wrapped by white mycelium in front, "Under the influence of my Authority, any existence besides the Authority will happen a complete change in property, not retaining a bit of similarity with the previous... but tangibly, the matter composing these mycelium after the change is equally the matter composing their original bodies, not the slightest bit of increase or decrease."
Yes, for Hamon Hamon's problem, it was more like a group of ladies tearing "The Fisher" into pieces, and then using Hamon Hamon's Authority to piece together the separated things completely altering their properties, composing a bizarre and weird certain object.
Then, can the object currently composed of the corpse of "The Fisher" still be called "The Fisher"?
"It doesn't count, right?"
Hamon Hamon asked thus, giving out the answer Fisher and the others might already have within their inner hearts.
But all the previous assumptions were all about inanimate objects, using ships, using parts for front and back comparisons seemingly could easily come up with the corresponding answer.
Then, if the "The Fisher" previously carved up by the ladies wasn't a ship, but the true Fisher himself?
Suppose Fisher one day had his secret out, the ladies could no endure and raised their machetes in rebellion wanting to liquidate his past actions, thus besieging upwards killing red-eyed hacking Fisher to death with many knives. But killed is killed, waiting until every lady obtained a corresponding portion afterwards they then suddenly calmed down, one after another feeling regret.
A living Fisher is still better.
Thus, they discussed a bit and cobbled together the various parts of the Fisher they received. It seems the handiwork of the ladies sharing a relationship with Fisher wasn't too good, only a single Emhart who could give a bit of guidance was also already scared speechless amidst the chaotic battle, and he also had no hands, so was unable to piece Fisher together as before, resulting in the mystery substance finally condensed being exceptionally abstract.
Probably a hundred times a thousand times more weird than Fisher's original Demi-Human form.
Afterwards, when the ladies completely without missing a drop, without missing a bit pieced Fisher into this bizarre and weird thing, that bizarre and weird thing instead abruptly opened eyes facing the ground, opened a mouth facing the sky, saying to all the ladies,
"I have already turned over a new leaf."
"I have already turned over a new leaf."
"..."
The Hamon Hamon in front was recounting the events that happened after She killed Michael and Mikhail, while the Emhart hiding in Fisher's embrace was exactly like translating constructing such a scene in his mind.
The process of Hamon Hamon turning Michael and Mikhail into mycelium was the process of the ladies carving up Fisher. The process of piecing together was the process of Hamon Hamon's ego also being completely alienated, turning into a completely different Hamon Hamon from before and no longer continuing to destroy and burn these mycelium...
And that clump of "suspected Fisher" thing would even open its mouth saying "I have already turned over a new leaf", exactly like what Hamon Hamon saw now, that still clearly visible shadow of Michael and Mikhail embracing.
Heavens, the great Sir Book Artifact really is a rare genius in this world, this kind of roundabout speaking Deity Hamon Hamon could truly be entirely understood by Emhart's smart head!
Worthy of being me!
Fisher didn't know what Emhart thought in his mind, only slightly startled after finishing listening to Hamon Hamon's recount, whilst Hamon Hamon at this moment turned Her head, looking at him saying,
"On their bodies, there is a certain factor unable to be alienated by my Authority... But ever since I awakened from the past, in these thousands of years I continuously sought the non-Authority factor in them capable of resisting my alienation, yet was unable to succeed no matter what...
"Ashamed to say, me as a Deity, me possessing the 'non-self' Authority, was unable to find that thing that wouldn't be swallowed by 'non-self'..."
"But I have a premonition, Mr. Fisher, you can find it for me. And this, is also exactly the true objective I invited you here, willing to put everything into it for."
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(End of Chapter)