Chapter 50: I’m Eighteen, Why Am I The Dad?

Daniel turned toward Nero so quickly that his knee struck the table.

"Y-You too?!"

Nero, however, was still thinking about what Mira had said.

’She recognized me even faster than I recognized her, and I needed Enlightenment to do that!’

Could she possess something similar?

’Nah, that’s unlikely.’

But he didn’t keep the others waiting. He snapped out of his thoughts and spoke up with a sigh. "Yes. I’m a High-Human too."

Clara looked between Nero and her daughter.

"Are High-Humans common? Are there others living among ordinary people?"

"No. As far as I know, there are only two complete High-Humans in this world."

Nero held up two fingers.

"Your daughter and me."

Ruth leaned back against her seat in disbelief.

"But you’re so young... yet you know so much, Little Nero."

She had a point. He was just a kid, yet here he was, explaining a new form of humanity to a family whose newborn daughter looked ten.

Still, he doubted the world knew much about High-Humans.

Enis had shown considerable interest in his 2.0 Power Index, but it hadn’t treated him as a different species.

And knowing Enis, it would’ve immediately started acting suspicious if the subject involved classified information.

There was also the fact that others had awakened with a Power Index of 2.0 before.

Was it a Half-Human Transformation? He was not sure. But he was sure there not much High Humans in this world.

After all, if the method of becoming a High-Human were widely known, Nero found it difficult to believe there would be so few of them.

’I’ll have to investigate that later.’

For now, he was more interested in Mira.

He glanced at her and slowly spoke up.

"I’m sure you could’ve dealt with Rafe yourself Mira. But, at the same time, It was good that you didn’t."

Mira nodded.

"I thought it would make things worse."

"You were right."

"I know my birth was different from other people’s," she explained, glancing at her parents. "If anyone found out, it could cause trouble for our family."

Daniel looked surprised by how calmly his daughter was discussing the situation.

However, Mira wasn’t finished.

"Awakeners usually awaken around seventeen or eighteen because that’s when their bodies mature. But I don’t look old enough."

Nero listened with growing interest.

"If I suddenly showed everyone my strength and Telekinesis, they’d start asking questions."

"Your strength and what?" Daniel interrupted.

"Telekinesis."

"Little lass, when did you get all these powers?"

Mira smiled at her father.

The following instant, a pen suddenly rose from the table.

"...!"

Clara immediately pulled her hands away as the pen began floating between the teacups.

It slowly turned in the air before landing in Mira’s open palm.

"Our newborn daughter..." Daniel swallowed. "She’s using Telekinesis."

Ruth examined the spot where the pen had been.

Nero, however, was impressed by something else.

"You have pretty good control over it."

"I think so."

"Did you learn that yourself?"

Mira nodded.

Then, as though remembering something, she added, "I don’t really know how it happened. When I woke up in this world, a voice whispered that I was a High-Human."

"..."

’Excuse me?’

Someone whispered the fact she was a high human?

Who the hell?

Nero was speechless.

He glanced at Edmund’s photograph.

’Old man, what exactly is going on with your family?’

First, his newborn granddaughter had somehow grown into a ten-year-old overnight.

Then she turned out to be a High-Human who could already control Telekinesis.

And now she was talking about a mysterious voice?

’Seriously, what’s next? Don’t tell me she has a System too?’

Nero had always been someone who thought too much, but even he found it difficult to believe this meeting was a simple coincidence.

"Did the voice say anything else?"

"Nothing I remember."

Well, he couldn’t exactly force her to remember something she didn’t know.

He decided to change subject and think about her transformation.

Nero considered what he had experienced during his own transformation.

"It’s possible your body grew to support a Power Index of around 2.0. An infant’s body might not have been able to withstand that much strength."

Mira blinked at his words.

"So I grew because I needed to?"

"That’s my best guess. I’m not completely sure."

"You know so much, big brother!"

Mira happily placed the pen back on the table.

"I’m happy I finally met someone like me."

Hearing that, Nero couldn’t help smiling.

"Well, that doesn’t mean you should tell everyone about yourself. I’ll help you train from now on, but you must never reveal your abilities in public."

Mira nodded enthusiastically.

Nero then turned toward her parents.

"That’s if you’re willing to let me help, of course."

"Yes!" Clara answered immediately. "Please do. We don’t even know where to begin."

Nero understood her concerns.

After all, raising an ordinary child was difficult enough. Raising a High-Human who had somehow skipped ten years of childhood overnight was an entirely different problem.

However, there was something else about Mira that bothered him.

Beyond the fact that she was a High-Human, Nero could sense something unusual deep within her.

It was difficult to describe, but some part of him seemed to respond to her presence.

Almost as though she possessed something he needed.

’What is this feeling?’

He waited for Enlightenment to activate again.

However, nothing happened.

’Oh, come on. You were so eager to interrupt me earlier!’

Meanwhile, Ruth was watching her granddaughter with a sad smile.

"Edmund would’ve been overjoyed to see her like this."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"He would’ve gone around telling everyone on the street how clever his granddaughter was."

"He definitely would," Daniel agreed with a small laugh before wiping his eyes.

He then turned toward Nero.

"Thank you, Mr. Nero. Without you, we wouldn’t even know what to do."

"Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to look after her."

Nero meant every word.

Edmund had sacrificed his life to give him a chance to live.

The least he could do was make sure the man’s granddaughter didn’t have to face her unusual circumstances alone.

Just then, the familiar golden window appeared.

[Choice Detected: The Family He Left Behind.]

[Option 1: Leave Mira’s future in her family’s hands.]

[Reward: Family Photo Album With Infinite Storage (Common)]

[Option 2: Take responsibility for Mira Smith and care for her as if you are caring for your own daughter.]

[Reward: ??? (Legendary)]

"..."

Nero stared at the second option.

’My own daughter?!’

Was the System serious?

He was only eighteen!

’I’m barely an adult myself, and you already want me to become someone’s father?!’

Nero glanced at Mira, who was innocently sipping her tea.

Her actual parents were sitting right there.

Helping them raise and protect their daughter was one thing, but becoming her father?

’System, are you trying to speedrun my entire life?’

However, after thinking about it, Nero understood what the choice was asking of him.

He didn’t need to replace Daniel and Clara. He simply needed to take responsibility for Mira’s well-being and treat her with the same care he would give his own child.

Besides, he had already promised to help her.

And there was that unknown Legendary reward.

’Fine. You win.’

Nero selected the second option.

[Choice Accepted.]

[Reward Obtained: Legacy Ward (Legendary)]

[Designate one willing student as your Ward.]

[While teaching and training together, both teacher and Ward gain 30% increased training efficiency.]

’Oh?’

Nero immediately recognized how valuable the reward was.

A thirty-percent increase in training efficiency for both teacher and student!

It meant he could help Mira improve while benefiting from their training sessions himself.

And considering how much he still had to learn, this was practically perfect.

His mansion would also provide enough privacy for them to train without worrying about outsiders discovering Mira’s abilities.

’Not bad. Not bad at all!’

Still, a Legendary reward simply for taking responsibility for a little girl like her...

Nero found that rather interesting.

’Just what is so special about her?’

Whatever mystery surrounded Mira, the System clearly considered her future important.

After discussing a few more things with the family, Nero exchanged phone numbers with Daniel and Clara.

"If anything unusual happens, contact me immediately. Especially if it’s related to Mira’s abilities."

Both parents agreed.

However, Mira suddenly raised her hand.

"I need a phone too!"

Nero almost laughed.

’Well, she certainly learned that quickly.’

"I’ll buy you one."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. Don’t worry."

Mira immediately beamed with happiness.

Daniel shook his head.

"You’re already asking him to buy you things?"

"But Daddy, it’ll help me call big brother if anything goes wrong!"

"..."

Daniel couldn’t argue with that.

"She has a point," Nero agreed, putting his phone away.

He then remembered another matter.

"I’ll also try to do something about Rafe. If his men return, contact me immediately."

"We will," Daniel promised.

Before leaving, Nero decided to give them one final piece of advice.

"Also, you should know that Mira is extremely intelligent because she’s a High-Human."

Daniel glanced at the pen lying on the table.

"Yes... we’re starting to notice."

"With access to the internet, she could probably learn enough to surpass people who’ve spent years studying. Even someone with a doctorate might struggle to keep up with her."

Clara looked uncertain.

"Then should we still send her to school?"

Nero considered the question.

"That’s something you’ll have to decide as her parents. But studying isn’t the only reason children go to school."

He glanced toward Mira.

"She needs friends too."

"We’ll think about it carefully," Clara promised, resting a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. "Thank you, Mr. Nero."

After saying his goodbyes, Nero finally left the house.

Mira cheerfully waved at him from the doorway.

"Bye-bye, big brother!"

"See you later, Mira."

Nero continued down Willow Lane, thinking about everything he had learned.

’Another High-Human, huh?’

He had barely finished adapting to his own transformation, yet he had already encountered another member of his race.

And unlike him, Mira had been born that way.

Nero couldn’t help finding the situation suspicious.

"The saying that you attract what you are couldn’t be more true."