My first birthday was finally here! Instead of a cake with candles at our humble home, my parents and my makeshift "aunts" and "uncles" decided the celebration should match our "forced vacation" vibe: an impromptu feast in the heart of the forest!
The preparations were a spectacle in themselves. Mom tried to direct the culinary operation with her usual calm, but coordinating the Four Greats in household chores was like herding wild cats with laser pointers.
"Borin, I need firewood—not whole logs!" Mom sighed as the barbarian appeared, dragging an enormous tree that clearly hadn't volunteered.
"But then there's plenty left over, Elara!" he responded, genuinely confused.
"Kael, are you sure those berries you 'found' are edible?" asked Lyra skeptically, as the ninja tried to hide a suspiciously full bag behind his back.
"Of course, my dear! The best berries in the forest! Totally—uh—freshly gathered," he stammered.
Dad tried to keep order but ended up laughing when Borin nearly set a basket on fire while trying to ignite the campfire "à la Garen"—with results far less controlled. I watched everything from a cozy blanket, feeling my strength return little by little, and I laughed wholeheartedly. It was chaotic, noisy—it was perfect. And I missed this.
Finally, everything was ready. A large blanket spread out with an incredible variety of food (thanks, Mom), the bonfire crackling merrily, and my five guardians gathered around me, smiling. Now it was time for gifts.
"Alright, champ," began Dad, scratching his head sheepishly. "I'm not much for these things, but… I made you this." He handed me a small wooden shield, surprisingly well-carved, with a simple sun symbol engraved in its center. "So you'll always be protected. Though once I tried to make a cradle for your mother and… well, let's just say it ended up looking more like a bear trap." Mom laughed softly. "It's perfect, Garen."
Mom then gave me a small pendant made of polished moonstone that emitted a soft, warm glow to the touch. "So that the Light is always with you, my little one. And to help you sleep well, since you've been having—restless dreams lately." She looked at me with eyes that seemed to know more than they let on.
Borin stepped forward with a roar. "My turn! For the future warrior!" He handed me—an axe? It was a miniature version made of rough wood, yet still ridiculously large for me. "So you can practice! I remember when Garen first tried to wield an axe—nearly chopping off a foot! Haha!" Dad mumbled something about barbarians lacking delicacy.
Lyra then offered me a small, carved wooden flute. "So you can learn to listen to the wind and the music of nature, little Lexo. Sound can be a weapon, a shield, or a comfort. Once, Kael used a flute to hypnotize a basilisk…"
"It worked!" protested Kael. "Until Borin woke it up with his snoring!"
Finally, Kael came forward with his mischievous smile. He handed me a small wooden box with intricate mechanisms. "A little puzzle. To keep those fingers nimble and that mind sharp. You never know when you might need to pick a lock—I mean, solve a tricky problem. Like that time we had to decipher the elven calendar to escape the Temple of Echoes…"
I listened to their stories, their jokes, their memories. I held my gifts: a shield to protect, a light to guide, a "weapon" to practice with, a flute to listen with, and a puzzle to think about. They were more than objects; they were symbols of who they are and what they want to teach me. I felt incredibly loved.
We ate, laughed, and sang (Borin's off-key rendition of a lullaby made the birds fall silent and sent a nearby deer fleeing in panic). It was a birthday like no other—strange, wonderful, and uniquely my own. My first year in this world, marked by danger and miracles, culminated in this circle of love and protection under the trees.
Later that night, when everyone was asleep (or snoring, in Borin's case) and the campfire had dwindled to embers, I leaned against Dad's warm side. I felt much better—almost fully recovered. I closed my eyes and, out of curiosity, called upon my old friend, the blue screen. I wanted to see where I stood after all this drama.
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[Lexo]
Level: 0.999…
Age: 1 year
HP: 25/25 (Full!)
MP: 35/35 (Full!)
STR: 4 (+1)
VIT: 4I
NT: ?? (Advanced Linguistic Comprehension, Basic Logical Reasoning)
WIS: ?? (Superior Environmental Observation, Intermediate Social Analysis)
DEX: 4
MAG: 4 (+1)
Core: 99.99% Formed (Critical Latency)
Abilities: [Rapid Learner (Passive) Lv.1], [Chronos – Time Management (Active/Passive) Max Lv.]
Detected Elemental Affinities: Air (Medium), Light (Medium), Earth (Medium), Fire (Medium)
Status: Conscious Mind, Recovered, Imminent Supervised Training.
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My internal eyes snapped open. HP and MP fully recovered—and even increased! Both STRENGTH and MAGIC had gained another point! My INTELLIGENCE and WISDOM skills reflected my rapid progress. And the affinities! Air was now "Medium," Light was "Medium," and Earth and Fire had also emerged as "Medium." The quad-elemental assault had left its mark. And what took my breath away was the core. It was 99.99% formed (Critical Latency). Not 100%—just… nearly. That last 0.01%. What does "Critical Latency" mean? Is it a small final step? Or an abyss that requires something entirely different to cross? Eos's voice echoed faintly in my memory: "You've awakened something… deep." Could it have to do with this? What does it take to reach true completion?