Elias sprawled on the couch with his sister beside him, his stomach full of pizza and cake.
Kitty was loafed between them, her soft purring vibrating through his legs. It was remarkable how affectionate she was being today. Then again, it wasn’t all that surprising—today was his eighteenth birthday. He took this opportunity to reach down and gently run his fingers through her silky fur and sighed contently.
Isabela kept glancing toward the kitchen, anxiously waiting for their parents to bring out the birthday cake she was convinced they had bought. He had no idea how she was so sure, but if it was meant to be a surprise, their parents probably shouldn’t have let her find out.
She hadn’t stopped talking about it all week.
Peter and Vivian appeared out of nowhere with a large cake in hand, already singing the first words of “Happy Birthday.” Apparently, his parents hadn’t given up on the cake being a surprise. They just changed their strategy.
Their sudden entrance made both him and Isabela jump in their seats, startled. Only Kitty remained unfazed.
The cake looked delicious, covered in white frosting and chocolate flakes, with glossy cherries on top. Four candles lit up the birthday cake, each one magically projecting a facet of one of the four Tier 1 mana types.
One candle looked like a waterfall cascading over the cake; another resembled an erupting volcano. The third swirled like a miniature hurricane, and the last projected a mountain forged from precious metals and gleaming jewels.
Elias was awestruck, staring in wonder at the magical display. He could even feel a faint trace of actual mana being generated, adding a spiritual depth the illusion wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Too soon, the candles petered out as whatever enchantment powered them faded. His parents had finished singing the birthday song a while ago and had simply set the cake down so they could all enjoy the light show. Now that it was over, they both leaned in and hugged him tightly as one, congratulating him once more.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
He even caught a quiet tear slipping down his mother’s cheek, only for it to vanish right before his eyes as if it had never been there. High attributes were unfair.
While the three of them embraced, Elias caught his little sister sneakily trying to swipe a taste of the cake with her finger. He mercilessly slapped her hand away, mouthing “mine.” He hadn’t forgotten that she was the one to blame for the scare their parents had given them just moments earlier.
She glared at him, her lips curling into a pout, but he ignored her for now. She really needed to learn some patience, and it’s not like she wasn’t getting a piece.
“Remember to be careful tomorrow, alright? It’ll be your first time in the dungeon, and while I don’t think the monsters in the unranked zone will be a threat to you, it’s important to build good habits. Besides, your Vitality is still pretty low,” Peter said as they pulled apart from the hug.
Elias just nodded mechanically, having heard the same words more than a few times by now.
Unlike before, when reminders of his low Vitality only frustrated him, they now filled him with anticipation. Tomorrow, he would finally begin leveling it in the dungeon.
He’d managed to raise it by another level about a year ago, despite all expectations, bringing it to a total of four. But he still looked painfully sickly and weak. Thankfully, that would finally change soon.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll be careful,” Elias said, unable to keep a grin from spreading across his lips.
Peter chuckled at Elias' response, while Vivian gave him a resigned look, clearly sensing how he really felt. Despite their words, he couldn’t tear his thoughts away from the fact that he might be able to raise his Vitality by another level tomorrow. What had taken years of bitter training and costly potions could now be achieved in a single day of dungeon delving.
Elias turned from his parents with a winning smile, ready to cut the cake and give his little sister a piece before she finally snapped. She rewarded him with a wide grin, a quick “thank you,” and a hug—then immediately started devouring her cake.
The cake was delicious, but no matter how hard he tried to just enjoy the moment, Elias’ mind kept drifting to the day ahead. He’d been dreaming of becoming an adventurer for as long as he could remember—and tomorrow, he would finally begin to turn that dream into reality.