Fiddling with the Warp Point in his hand, Logos eventually tucked it into his pocket and pulled out another.
‘Since she said only I can enter, it shouldn't matter.’
Thud. Whirrr.
The object, shaped like a white stone embedded with blue crystals, dropped to the ground. With a laser-like sound, it grew rapidly until a familiar sight stood before him.
[Warp Point Activated]
A new interface appeared. He tapped the circular map icon in the upper-left corner of his vision.
Inside the pitch-black map, there was a single small area filled with color, a light-blue arrow, and a Warp Point icon that looked like an upside-down teardrop.
It was exactly like lighting up the map after finding a Statue of the Seven in the game.
‘The arrow must be me. So this is what unlocking the interface meant.’
With a quick wave of his hand, all the buttons and slots in his vision vanished. Once the interface was gone, he silently thought the word Interface in his mind.
The interface flickered back on, showing his HP, stamina, map, quest log, and other features.
Icons for Wishes, Events, and the Battle Pass were visible as well, but no matter how much he poked at them, they wouldn't open.
“Hmm.”
As he stared blankly into the air, he felt a tugging sensation at his chest and looked down. Nahida was pulling on the hem of his clothes.
Fascinated by the suddenly appearing Warp Point, Nahida gripped his shirt with one hand while pointing at the structure with the other.
When he carefully set her down on the floor, she began to prowl around the Warp Point, giving it little pokes with her fingers. Watching her for a moment, he remembered the daily missions that had popped up earlier and opened the quest log.
[Make Her Smile (0/5) – 1m]
It seems the Lesser Lord Kusanali wants to see a smiling face...
“...”
He checked the other missions.
[Say "I Love You" (0/2) - 1m]
It seems the Lesser Lord Kusanali wants to hear the words "I love you"...
[Hear "I Love You" (0/2) - 1m]
It seems the Lesser Lord Kusanali wants to convey the words "I love you"...
[Sleep Together (0/1) - 1m]
It seems the Lesser Lord Kusanali wants to sleep together...
“...”
Talk about low-effort descriptions.
Closing the quest log, he looked down to see the Lesser Lord Kusanali again. She didn't seem to tire of it; her eyes sparkled as she pressed her palms against the Warp Point from every angle. She was undeniably adorable.
“Alright, Nahida. Can you repeat after me?”
“?”
At his voice, Nahida stopped touching the Warp Point and turned around, tilting her head. Logos fell into thought as he watched her.
‘Can she speak... wait, she said "Dad" just fine, didn't she?’
He looked at Nahida and spoke softly.
“I.”
“I.”
Oh. She’s following along well.
“Love.”
“Luv.”
“You.”
“You.”
“Can you say it all together?”
“I luv you?”
The sound tugged at his heartstrings. He reached out and scooped Nahida into his arms. Though he had never raised a child before, an inexplicable wave of emotion washed over him.
He finally understood why people always said that if you’re going to have a child, you should have a daughter.
As he felt the faint warmth against his hands, Nahida looked up at him, spreading her arms wide.
"Dad. I luv you."
The tiny voice coming from that beaming face made his heart drop with a heavy thump. With hands that trembled as if he'd developed a palsy, he stroked her hair. Nahida laughed brightly and snuggled deep into his chest.
The sensation of her soft, tiny, pillowy body pressing against him made his eyes sting with emotion.
“I love you too.”
[Make Her Smile (1/5) - 0m]
[Say "I Love You" (1/2) - 0m]
[Hear "I Love You" (1/2) - 0m]
Brushing aside the mission log as the numbers ticked up, he sat down and quietly stroked Nahida’s head.
Those small, pure eyes looked up at him, clinging to his embrace.
A clear, fragrant scent wafted from somewhere, soaking into his soul.
The tiny warmth in his arms, the wiggling of her little fingers, the way she rubbed her cheek against him—every movement was delicate.
In this quiet, windowless room where her body seemed to glow with a faint light, every single action of this tiny creature caused a flood of sensory overload within him.
For a long time, he simply sat there holding her, held captive by that small warmth, savoring the moment.
[Make Her Smile (2/5) - 1m]
[Mission Complete - Hear "I Love You"]
#
"Shall we go now?"
Nod, nod.
He gently gathered the nodding Nahida into his arms.
Heft.
"Hmm?"
Noticing a slight difference in weight, he looked down at her.
"?"
Her clear eyes and adorable appearance hadn't changed, but her size had become a bit awkward to lift with just one hand.
She had definitely grown.
"Nahida. Why did you get bigger?"
"?"
Nahida just tilted her head. Since she was cute regardless of her size, he simply stroked her head without another word. As his hand touched her hair, she smiled broadly and leaned her head into his palm.
"Hmm..."
He pondered for a moment while petting her.
‘Come to think of it, I should just treat her like a real child now, shouldn't I?’
He cradled her so her head and neck rested in the crook of his arm and supported her bottom with his other hand.
Nahida, held in a way that let her look up at him while lying back, beamed with joy. She was so cute he wanted to pet her again, but he found it a pity that he no longer had a free hand.
"Ready?"
Nod, nod.
Holding the nodding Nahida, he prepared to
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