10 Adoption of a Weirdo

Vain suddenly felt like he understood the girl's parents for once. How can someone tell if one is telling the truth if the other person didn't show any signs of lying? Those poor parents probably got caught doing the naughty, and couldn't get past the girl's truth-seeking eyes.

"Alright, I believe that you have told the truth. *sigh* tell me then how do you see through me? Am I doing something that gives it away when I lie to you or can you just tell for everyone?"

"I always know. Everyone's eyes tell me if what they have said is a half-truth, lie, or truth."

With a sigh, Vain understood why this girl wasn't so innocent, not only because of her desire for knowledge, but also because of this one ability.

"Then I shall tell you this. 'Life is long and patience is the ability of the wise. Knowledge is important, but those who only strive for it will have a short life.' Everything must be taken in time instead of all at once."

Athena nodded her head cutely. She appeared lost in thought to which Vain decided to wait until she had digested all his words. Vain instead focused on his phone and see what people online said about sleeping in this place.

Going on the public discussion page for level 1, Vain got on for the second time. The first time being when he looked at it when he was still with Pops' group and they were showing him what it was all about.

Online, Vain only found that if you want to sleep in a room that had its lights flickered recently, the room would be safe for at least a week. Other than that he was looking through the website that most people here use. Finding nothing else of use, Vain looked up to see Athena waiting for him to notice her.

Vain was very surprised because she had spent the entire time up in his face. "You doing ok Athena?"

"You said that patience is what wise people do, so I shall be patient and not bother you much!"

"Umm... Athena? How old are you really?"

"I turn seven in a month!"

"You sure you aren't 30 instead? You are way too mature for your age."

"I am most definitely 6!" Athena yelled in a very childish voice convincing Vain that she was truly that young. Looking at the girl who was about to reach four feet tall Vain felt like she probably wasn't lying considering that she was quick to tell him about her strange ability.

Vain smiled and handed his phone to her, "You can use it yourself, just don't waste so much battery that is shown here. The percentage goes from 0-100 percent, It is at 82 percent currently, so don't use more than 30 percent. It costs 1B to fill my phone to full charge alone. For someone like me, it is too expensive, but for you, I might just pay the price."

Helping little Athena, Vain showed her how to use his phone and how to look up information and where the information for this place is most accessible. "Maybe you will be the one who gets to know all the information and I will be your bow and sword?"

Athena shouted excitedly, "So you will adopt me?!"

From a talk about a phone to adoption? How does that even happen? Vain couldn't really believe it, "Hey Athena why are you asking such a thing out of nowhere?"

Athena put on a cute questioning expression, "Isn't that one of the truths you told me about? I thought that you would protect me like a parent?"

Vain thought about having her as his daughter seriously for the first time and decided that it would be fun at the very least. Thinking about it a bit more Vain thought about how he wouldn't be able to be a true parent, but he could at least act as her guardian for however long she wishes.

"Alright... Athena, I can act as your guardian if that is what you wish, but you must be absolutely sure that you want me to adopt you. Unders-"

"OF COURSE! I have been stuck with my mean parents for too long! They not only didn't treat me anywhere as nice as you, but they also hated me!"

Vain nearly choked on his own spit having Athena suddenly interrupt him.

"Athena are you really that sure about everything? Even about your parents hating you?"

A cheerful Athena sounded, "I know my parents more than they know each other, so I can tell you that they most definitely hated me." The little girl suddenly bowed and spoke in a solemn tone, "Vain. Please be my dad."

Vain couldn't help sigh, thinking that he had never sighed so much in his life until he met this little girl. "Athena I won't be your dad, but I can be your guardian. Where I come from it means an adult figure that takes care of a child in every way."

"THAT'S FINE!" Again an excited child bowed and yelled, "BE MY GUARDIAN!"

Vain felt like he found his own weak point. "I will officially be your guardian starting from to-*yawn*-day. Now use my phone however you want, but let me get some sleep."

"Okay..."

The pair sat down next to a wall and while Vain started to fall asleep, Athena used the phone like a new toy.

8 hours later -

Vain woke up to the shaking of his shoulder by a certain force. Opening his eyes he heard a soft voice, "Wake uuupp. Wake uuupp. I am so bored."

With a small chuckle, Vain looked at the girl that was shaking him like there was no tomorrow. in a raspy voice, Vain spoke to her, "Hey, good morning Athena. Why didn't you get some sleep too?"

"I did. You were the one who slept hours past that."

"Then tell me, how long did I sleep, and how long did you sleep?" Slowly getting rid of his morning grogginess Vain asked lazily.

"I slept for a whole five! hours. I was only on your phone for two hours, but already used up my time, but even after seven whole hours you still slept! I thought that you'd wake up soon so I waited an hour! An entire hour! Even then you didn't wake up until I woke you up forcefully."

Facing Athena's angry little face, Vain simply smiled and pinched her cheek, "Looks like I finally got the right amount of sleep so I'll forgive you for waking me up early."

"HEY!"

Vain couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing at the overflowing cuteness that was Athena. At least to Vain, it was a cuteness that could melt any heart.

After getting his emotions out, Vain finally let the little girl off the hook, "Alright let's get a move on."

The pair got up and moved out after a quick breakfast. Vain also decided to see if the rooms would connect if he went in the same direction, but on different paths. After all, he would only lose some time for the information that could help him greatly.

Vain also found out that having a new transfer had somehow made him luckier. Five hours later, Vain found that he had gotten three times the crates he had originally had gotten on the way here. Vain didn't forget to teach Athena everything he knew about moving through the room, while also teaching her about the entities that she could run into.

Athena on the other hand showed Vain her new acquired knowledge about the backrooms, like how he didn't really need to test if different paths would lead him to the same destination because the people have already done that test and found that level 1 was all connected like it should have been. The only weird thing was that the distance that should be right wasn't correct like the rooms didn't care about distance in the rooms, only distance in between the rooms.

About ten rooms away from where the entrance to the hub should be and 4 hours later, Vain met some wanderers and greeted them just like everyone does.

"Don't move! I am human! Are you a house or a sword?!" Vain shouted at them like they were his worst enemy.