Still surrounded by flickering lightning, Amon, who emerged from the explosion unscathed, sighed.
There was a trace of emotion in his eyes.
'That was dangerous...'
Just moments ago, he had to bring forth his future self using his newly acquired distortion ability to perfectly complete his advancement process.
This alone triggered a chain reaction, the outcome of which he now saw, feeling slightly guilty.
Make no mistake, he had now awakened as someone wielding the power of a Star Rank. And not just any conventional Star Rank.
He knew he had touched on a unique concept in his advancement, reaching something unimaginable, which was only possible thanks to the cute little girl standing beside Barbara.
Another thing: was the fact that he could gain this special ability only linked to his Lightning genetic factor and Little Flora's help? He didn't think so.
He still remembered the moment he was on a spaceship, and a strange phenomenon happened to him.
Until then, he hadn't felt much difference, but he had been doing things many couldn't replicate. What he did today was living proof.
You see, he knew everything that had happened, including that Barbara named the little girl Flora, who was a carved replica of Barbara but also had some aspects of himself. He knew how much she had done to help him.
Without her, he knew none of this would have been possible. Though he would still have reached Star Rank, he wouldn't have become so powerful.
What he didn't imagine was that, to support him, Little Flora had to absorb enough energy from an entire country.
That absurd amount of energy was the "X" factor that made Amon's astonishing advancement possible. After all, he should have completed his advancement long ago.
Another feat was achieved thanks to the unique ability he acquired, enabling him to distort his own reality and bring forth his future self, transforming him into a lightning giant that helped stabilize and control his power, though in the process, what lay before him happened.
The entire ground was marked with lightning burns, with some spots even harboring massive holes. The only area that remained unscathed was where Little Flora had created a shield to protect herself and Barbara.
'Good thing she was here...' Amon didn't know how he would have reacted if Barbara had been hurt or, worse, died because of him.
'As expected, Amon's charm is quite unique—even Little Flora becomes shy around him,' Barbara thought. Of course, not in a strange way. It was more like the way a little girl feels shy seeing the father she idolizes. In Little Flora's case, it became evident to Barbara that she had a touch of adoration for Amon.
There could be various reasons for this, but essentially, it was because, without Amon, she might not even exist, or worse, fall into the wrong hands that would enslave her.
As for Amon doing anything like that, Barbara felt she didn't need to worry, knowing him well enough to understand he'd never do such a thing. Especially with such a cute, innocent girl who had greatly helped him in his advancement to Star Rank.
Putting this aside, Amon, who had approached her, crouched down, looking into her face, which blushed timidly as she lowered her head, letting out a shy giggle before gathering the courage to look at him.
"Papa?" she murmured.
"Mm, I am your father." After saying this, as touching as the scene was, Amon couldn't help thinking of a certain movie...
Setting these nonsensical thoughts aside, Amon extended his hand and gently touched her head with a kind smile. "Thank you for helping me. Thanks to you, I managed to advance—not only that, but I also gained something incredible. So, thank you, Flora."
"Hehehe~ Papa praised me, Flora is so happy~" She put her hands on her cheeks, smiling widely, her face flushed.
Witnessing this scene, Barbara felt a warmth inside.
However, she thought it was time to talk about more serious matters.
Amon, who was more sensitive to the emotions around him, looked in Barbara's direction, sensing that she wanted to say something.
"What's up, Barbara?" he asked.
"Well..." Barbara began to explain everything that had happened while he was advancing.
"I see..." Amon touched his chin, reflecting. Soon, he said, "Alright, let's go home, and Flora will come with us, right?"
"Yes, papa, mama~" Taking Amon's hand, then Barbara's, Little Flora looked radiant.
She didn't fully understand the concept of family, but she knew that being close to them made her very happy, especially since she had received some of Amon's memories and knew that a family often holds hands just like they were doing now.
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Edited by: CharlesGlebit