Sea Dog wanted to flee, but his legs trembled and his body would not move.
He watched in terror as his parents' heads came closer. The vine circled his neck once before suspending them in front of him.
An eerie atmosphere spread through the deep sea.
"Dad, Mom, Xu Changhai asked me to come... to come..."
Sea Dog swallowed a mouthful of slightly salty seawater and mustered the courage to explain why he had come. But his mind was a mess. The harder he tried to make himself clear, the less sense he made.
"Son, don't be afraid. Your mother and I haven't become monsters. We're just living in another form. You'll always be the child we love most," Sea Dog's father said slowly.
He spoke very slowly. Once he had finished, he continued to stare at Sea Dog without expression.
About a minute passed before Sea Dog's mother spoke. "Son, tell us what's happened. Your father and I can't stay awake much longer."
"Landfolk are approaching the village. Xu Changhai is worried they'll discover something." Sea Dog gritted his teeth and hurried through the words.
After a pause, the two heads said in unison, "Landfolk? I understand. Go back and tell Xu Changhai not to make any rash moves for now. Increase the village patrols and release the jellyfish."
"G-got it." Sea Dog clenched his fists and nodded.
The vine loosened around his neck, and the two heads slowly withdrew into the Great Rift before him. Sea Dog stared into the rift for a long while before blowing out a stream of bubbles and swimming back without looking over his shoulder.
Zhang Ping did not follow Sea Dog. Instead, he watched the Great Rift with curiosity.
But he knew he was in poor condition, so he did not act