"Can you walk?" Screw sits in front of the child named Gura, he rested his cheek on his right hand.
"Numb," she answered without emotion. Poker face.
"Get up, I'll carry you." He grabs Gura and hold her on his arm. "Sticky," she said, Screw carried the young miss toward the nearby lake. He put the little miss down and soak her with water. She shivered a little when the water hits her body, "Cold."
After washing her, he uses his own hooded cloth to dry her. He raised his hand and snap a finger to cast a spell [Clean]* and [Dry]*.
[Casting spell: Failed]
As expected, he can't use his magic and cast it to people apart from himself. Even the basic and necessity spells, are prohibited for him to cast.
He headed to the forest after picking up the little girl, thinking they might spend the night under the enormous tree he discovered. He doesn't often stockpile his food, so the toddler needed to be fed edible fruits or mushrooms, which he had to seek out or discover.
Gura nods in agreement as Screw tells her to "stay here for now," adding, "Alyssa, scan the area." Screw then leaps to the enormous tree trunk and sets the small girl down.
[Activating Skill: Eye map]
[Eye map scanning radius degraded to 100]
[System search: No edible foods]
[System suggest: Move to other location]
Screw read the message prompt before beginning to go to a different location in search of food. He searches for several hours before returning with some fruit that is edible.
He jumps to the tree and says, "I'm back, sweetie," as he warmly welcomes the young girl. Gura simply gives him a cold stare; he was aware of this and prepared for it, but he yet desired a more affectionate greeting.
[The System look at you pathetically]
[Loner]
'Shut the flock up, Alyssa.'
-----
Night.
When nocturnal wild animals become increasingly active for the night hunt, Screw and Gura sit at the top of the tree, hiding. Gura receives a firm embrace from him so that she won't be as chilly during the night. He also observed that Gura was still awake. "You should be resting now... You can't sleep?"
Gura focused her attention on Screw's lenses. "You don't need to be scared; I'm here to protect you," he continued, patting Gura's head gently with his right hand. "Hmm," she said. "Aah... I see, you were just born some hours ago, and this is your first night."
*Ding*
[System: Feral Beast spotted]
"Where?"
[Below us]
Screw command the system after viewing the system prompt. [Activate the Null skill]*.
The system followed the command, [Activating Null skill]
*Ding*
[System Null skill: Presence reduction]
*Ding*
[System Null skill: Failed to activate]
*Ding*
[System Null Skill: Attempt to reactivate]
*Ding*
[System: Null skill activated]
*Ding*
[System: Null Skill Presence degraded into Null Scent]
*Ding*
[System: Your scent reduced to 15%]
Screw read the system prompt and then shut his eyes. 'It's incredibly difficult. Being by yourself is so much simpler and better. Although I can defend myself, can I defend this child? It's fortunate that Gura has a floral perfume that the beast cannot detect or sense.'
[You are not alone]
[Don't forget, I'm also here to assist you]
"Even raising this child?" Screw jokingly said.
[Even raising that child]
"What you're serious?"
[Yes]
"Then you'll be the girlfriend," Screw decided proudly.
[The System mock at you]
[No one wants to be your girlfriend]
'Flock you Alyssa!'
"Then you'll be her grandma," Screw smirk as he gave the system a new title.
[I love it]
[The System gives you a thumbs up for the first time]
'What?!'
Gura grumbled abruptly as Screw and the system continued their conversation. Her brow started to sweat profusely; her nightmare is getting worse. Screw grips her closely and orders the system, "Alyssa, check her body temperature," with an anxious voice.
[System checking: Body Temperature Normal]
[System checking: Nightmare]
"That's good, she's not sick—" before he finished, Gyura suddenly moan. "Fa—"
"Fa?"
[Fa?]
Gura continued to moan in pain, "Fa— Fa—"
[She's definitely saying Father] the system said while monitoring Gura's heartbeat and temperature. Aaw, so sweet~
"Fa."
"Say it…" Screw eyes focus on Guras little lips. "Just say it," He insisted while he was wiping her sweat. "Fuck you—."
"…"
[…]
"Did— did I hear it right?" Screw asked the system; he cannot believe what he heard. Looking at the popped-up prompt, the word say yes. He still won't accept he heard a nasty bad word from the little lips of her Gura. Is this how people who are suffering from nightmares act?
[System analyzing: Complete]
Curious, Screw asked, "What did you see? The result?"
[System thinks the cuss word are for you]
Screw hit his head with his pointing finger, raising an eyebrow under the mask, and asking, "Why me? Did I do something horrible to her? I have no memory."
[The System looks at you]
[You don't remember?]
"Uhm, no… what did I do?" Screw was brainstorming, he keeps on tapping his forehead.
[You peed on her yesterday]
Screw felt his back getting cold sweat, he totally forgot about what he did before Gura was born. Looking at the message prompt, he felt guilty and deserved to be cussed again. 'Not my fault, most of the plants need to watered, right?'
[You wag your small front tail like a dog]
[The system smirk: He-he SMALL]
"Alyssa stop!"
Gura's nightmare continues until dawn.
-----
Good day, person behind the screen; as you can see, tiny Gura is still sleeping, and I can't move a muscle, so she doesn't wake up. Thank goodness, nothing occurred during the night.
It feels like yesterday, don't you think? I was single—wild, young, and free—and now, look. Ta-dah! Gura's here. A lot has occurred, and now I'm the foster father of this child.
Suddenly awake, Gura asks, rubbing her eyes. Gura stared at the mask man indifferently before asking, "Who—who are you talking to?" Gura then abruptly reached out and lightly stroked Screw's mask's beak.
[Don't exaggerate your story]
[You've just met Gura yesterday]
"Good morning, Gura, it's nothing, I'm just talking to my readers." Screw caress Gura cheeks.
[Readers?]
"Readers?" both Gura and the system question.
"Just ignore it, will you? Anyway, here, eat some fruits." He gave Gura some fruits for breakfast and said, "After that, we will leave this place and go and find a place to settle."
Gura eats the fruit, saying it is "wonderful," and despite her lack of expression, you can still see that she is happy because the color of her cheeks changes to a pink hue.
Screw lifted Gura high and said, "Now listen here, Gura, "I'm not your father. He stared at Gura sincerely, weeping beneath the mask. After a minute of staring, Screw becomes impatient and rattles Gura's body.
"Hello? Are you there? I'm revealing critical information here— It's not bad to respond, right? R-I-G-H-T?"
"Hmm, 'kay"
[A dry and emotionless reply]
[As expected from Gura]
While she is emotionless, no one will ever be angry with her. He isn't sure if he will laugh or weep. It has been discovered how powerful cuteness is. "You know, even if this narrative has a leisurely pace, I'll make sure that the character developments are amazing. Gura's character will be awesome," adds Screw as he casts a glance into the distance.
[The System doesn't know what to do with you]
[The System felt sorry]
Gura also look at the space Screw looking at, "Readers…"
The girl, who was sitting nearby and watching them closely, got chills when Screw gave her a personal glance.