Chapter 320: Surprise Birthday Party, Remember That You’re Loved

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Riven was almost brought to tears as he received Elisa’s gift. "I... but you really shouldn’t-"

"Riven, are you going to insist on that?" Elisa sighed, shaking her head. "Why not? You’re... you’re my husband..."

She said the last part more firmly than the rest.

"..." Riven felt taken aback, his heart skipping a beat. "I... I know... It just that I don’t really remember... the last time I celebrated my birthday. It must have been... the last year before my mother fell ill. Before I was even ten."

He had not thought about that day in a long time and the memory came back clearer than he expected.

"Hm..." Elisa nodded, sighing and feeling a little bad. "Just how badly did those bastards in your family treated you? Alright, don’t worry, we’re going to celebrate your birthday every year in here, right everyone?"

"Yeah!"

"Of course."

"Hm!"

Daniela, Carlos, Label, and everyone else nodded and agreed, making Riven smile and laugh a little, realizing he’d misunderstood a little about what he’d been doing this entire time.

The quick answers from the group left him without any room to argue further.

Why was he even asking them why? Why was he even questioning this? Shouldn’t he just smile and be grateful?

Yeah, he was wrong about these people and perhaps about himself.

He looked at the gift in his hands and decided to stop overthinking for now and enjoy the present.

And as he thought, there was something he hadn’t realized until now, it was, perhaps, how little he loved himself. The thought came quietly while everyone stood around the bed waiting for him to say more.

Maybe it was because of how he lost his mother so early, and how much he’d been bullied, to the point he stopped caring about himself, about who he was.

Years of that treatment had made birthdays and similar days feel unimportant, so he simply stopped tracking them.

"Thank you," Riven nodded. "I’ll stop asking why and just enjoy the day... but really, you caught me off-guard. Not even I remembered it was my birthday. Maybe... maybe that’s why mom..." for a moment he paused, remembering what he saw.

The memory of her appearance the day before surfaced again without warning.

Perhaps his mother showed up yesterday because it was soon going to be his birthday... or maybe it was just coincidence. But being able to see her again, even if for a small glimpse, was a huge gift by itself.

He decided not to dwell on the timing any longer.

"No, nothing," he shook his head. "Let’s enjoy breakfast then! I’m starving. But let’s go to the table in the kitchen, shall we? It’s embarrassing to eat in the bed like I’m a child..."

"Hahaha! I knew you would say that," Elisa giggled. "Okay, let’s go then."

She started gathering the trays while the others moved out of the way.

Riven took a quick shower and then got ready, joining everyone on his birthday, enjoying breakfast with his family and friends, and then opening the presents everyone gave to him.

The kitchen table ended up covered with plates and small wrapped packages by the time he sat down.

They weren’t the strongest SSS Rank or L Rank Relics, nor they were any kind of super item that would dope him into max level or something.

They weren’t even magical items either.

Most of them were simple handmade things or small practical gifts that had clearly taken time to prepare. He held each one for a moment longer than necessary before setting it aside and continuing with the next.

They were just objects made with love and gifted to him to celebrate his birthday, like it used to be before the apocalypse, in a world Riven nor everyone here ever got to experience.

A world where Gates didn’t exist, a world where Monsters were only myth, a world where humans lived and died as humans, they had their hardships, but they were also aware of their own humanity and lived simpler lives.

Riven thought about that kind of world for a moment while he looked at the pile of gifts on the table.

The gifts were simple... Elisa had gifted him a necklace made of plain silver with a beautiful emerald jewel shaped like a heart, she said it was the necklace she wore since she was a little baby, and that it held her own "residual mana", making Riven feel connected to her when he wore it.

He turned the necklace over in his hands a few times before carefully putting it on.

Carlos and Daniela gifted him a wristwatch and also Carlos had made a "best adoptive dad ever" cup using clay with his little hands, which felt like the most precious thing he’d ever received, prompting Riven to hug the boy.

The cup was uneven in places and the letters were a bit crooked, but that only made it better.

Label gifted him a huge box full of her latest, highest quality elixirs and potions, among them there were tonics that could increase stats permanently by a little bit, they were prototypes for now so she couldn’t make that many, but Riven appreciated it.

He opened one of the smaller bottles just to check the color and then closed it again, already planning when he might use them.

Everyone else gifted him other sorts of things, the ninja gave him hidden weapons and ninjutsu scrolls, which Riven will see if he could use later, and Natalie gifted him a new flying car that works with a Spirit Engine, which was very luxurious, making Elisa slightly annoyed that it could overshadow her gift, but Riven still loved the necklace his beloved wife had worn since she was a cute little baby, it was a precious gift he’d never get off his neck ever again.

He made a point of touching the emerald heart while he thanked Natalie for the car, so Elisa would know which gift he valued most.

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