The Chest Opens
Ahmed's hand trembled as he lifted the lid of the Deluxe Pack. The glow was blinding, the hum vibrating in his bones. He squinted through the glare, bracing himself for horrors: poisoned needles, evil contracts, maybe a hundred frogs armed with spears.
But inside…
"…It's… a flower?"
Lying on a bed of shimmering mist was a single stalk of radiant greenery. Its stem was slender and glowing faintly with emerald light. At the top bloomed a small flower, delicate and iridescent, like sunlight trapped in dew. Its petals shimmered between colors, sometimes blue, sometimes white, sometimes a shade Ahmed had no name for.
Whorina floated closer, upside down as usual, chin in hand, smirking. "Oh, darling, it's so pretty. Almost as pretty as me. You should cherish it."
Ahmed stared. "That's it? I risked my life, got called a sage by accident, and my reward is gardening supplies?!"
🔊 [ITEM ACQUIRED: SPIRIT GRASS FLOWER.]
🔊 [DESCRIPTION: An artifact of mystery. Handle with care.]
Ahmed read the text aloud, scowling. "Artifact of mystery, my foot. It's a plant. It doesn't even look dangerous."
Liuyue tilted her head, studying the glow. "Strange… it carries life energy, but… it's unstable."
Tsu-Nan's expression was unreadable, his voice deep. "This, too, is part of your path."
Ahmed waved his arms. "Part of my—? It's a weed! Don't try to make it sound profound!"
The Accident
Still grumbling, Ahmed plucked the flower from the chest and held it up. The petals glowed brighter, humming faintly.
"Yeah, yeah, hum at me all you want. I'm not impressed. I'm tossing you into the compost."
He turned—
—and tripped on a rock.
"NOT AGAIN!" he screamed, pitching forward.
The flower struck the ground. Light erupted, flooding the clearing. Vines burst from the soil, roots twisting upward, wrapping into shape. The glow surged, molding, compacting, until—
Something small sat in the dirt.
A child.
The Child Appears
She couldn't have been more than six. Her hair was pale green, soft and untamed, shimmering faintly like blades of grass. Her eyes were huge, round, and glowing faintly gold, innocent yet unnervingly sharp. She blinked once, looked around… and her gaze landed squarely on Ahmed.
Her lips parted.
"…Mama?"
The world froze.
Ahmed's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. "I—WHAT—NO. NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT."
Whorina exploded into laughter, somersaulting midair. "Oh, honey. You're a mother now. Congratulations!"
Ahmed pointed furiously. "I am not—! Look, little sprout demon, listen carefully. I am your Dada, not Mama. D-A-D-A. Got it?"
The girl tilted her head. "Mama?"
"I SAID DADA!"
"...Mama, idiot."
And then she lunged.
The Bite
"OWWWW!" Ahmed shrieked, staggering backward as the child bit down on his hand with shocking force. "WHAT THE—YOU BIT ME?! YOU—LET GO! LET GO, YOU LITTLE PARASITE!"
She released him only long enough to chew thoughtfully. "Tastes good."
Ahmed clutched his hand, eyes bulging. "DID YOU JUST—DID YOU JUST CALL ME 'TASTY'?! WHAT AM I, A SNACK?!"
The girl nodded solemnly. "Mama tasty."
Whorina clutched her stomach, laughing so hard tears streamed from her eyes. "This is better than I ever dreamed. Oh, darling, you've given birth to chaos itself."
Tsu-Nan stroked his beard, eyes gleaming. "Remarkable. She is a manifestation of your spirit. Truly, destiny takes unorthodox form through you."
Ahmed screamed at him, voice cracking. "SHE JUST BIT ME! DESTINY DOESN'T BITE!"
Chaos Ensues
From that moment, his torment multiplied. The child—whom Whorina immediately nicknamed "Nana"—followed Ahmed relentlessly, clinging to his leg, tugging his tattered robes, and repeating one cursed word over and over.
"Mama.""Mama!""Maaamaaaa!"
Every time Ahmed tried to discipline her, she retaliated with tiny sharp teeth. His arms, his legs, his shoulders—all bore the marks of "affection."
"STOP BITING ME!" Ahmed howled, hopping in circles. "I'M NOT YOUR—OW!—MAMA! I'M YOUR DADA! DADA!"
Nana chewed on his sleeve, then looked up with wide eyes. "…Mama, idiot."
Liuyue, sitting nearby, frowned in deep thought. "Strange. She responds only to him. Perhaps she is bound to his essence. This requires study."
Ahmed screamed at her. "STOP STUDYING AND HELP ME!"
Tsu-Nan, meanwhile, stood arms folded, nodding with grave approval. "Yes. Yes. This is the way of cultivation. Chaos birthing responsibility. Truly unorthodox genius."
Ahmed wailed. "SHE'S NOT GENIUS, SHE'S A FERAL HAMSTER!"
Whorina, floating upside down again, smirked. "No, darling. She's your daughter. Accept it."
The Breaking Point
By nightfall, Ahmed was broken. He limped into camp, clothes shredded from Nana's "playful" bites, eyes hollow with despair. He tried to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes—
"Mama."
He jolted awake. "I'M NOT—"
Bite.
"OWWWW!"
At last, something inside him snapped. He shot to his feet, finger shaking like a sword.
"LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT! I'M YOUR DADA! NOT MAMA, NOT SNACK, NOT TOY—DADA!"
The child froze. Her glowing eyes widened. She blinked slowly.
Then her lips curved into a delighted smile.
"…Dada?"
Ahmed sagged in relief. "Yes. Finally. Progress."
But then Nana grabbed his leg, hugging tightly, and shouted at the top of her lungs: "DADA MAMA TASTY!"
Ahmed's soul left his body.
The Final Straw
Desperate, he pointed toward Whorina, who floated smugly nearby. "SEE HER?! THAT'S YOUR MAMA! NOT ME! HER!"
Nana turned her head. Looked. Blinked.
Nothing.
"…Mama?" she said, biting Ahmed's arm again.
"AAAAAAAAAGH!"
Whorina cackled like a banshee. "Oh, darling, she doesn't even recognize me. She only sees you. That means she's yours."
Ahmed clutched his head, screaming to the heavens. "WHY?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?!"
Epilogue Cliffhanger :
As the night deepened, Ahmed staggered through camp, Nana clinging to his back, chanting "Mama! Mama! Mama!" like a war drum. His eyes were hollow, his voice a whisper.
"I… I can't do this. I won't survive this. She's going to eat me alive…"
Tsu-Nan watched, serene. "Good. Let her. Through destruction comes growth."
Liuyue scribbled notes furiously, muttering. "Fascinating. Biting as a form of imprinting…"
Whorina drifted beside him, whispering in his ear, smug beyond belief. "Oh, honey. This is only the beginning. Parenthood is the greatest torment of all."
And Ahmed—sobbing, twitching, clutching his bite-marked arms—realized with dawning horror:
He had survived frogs. He had survived wind spirits. He had even survived accidental enlightenment.
But now, he faced his greatest trial yet.
Childcare.
[TO BE CONTINUED....]