BXBX NOVEL Chapter 92: Birthday
It's the only client review he got so far but it's a valuable one. He could already feel its impact through the numerous requests he got from clients through the guild.
Sadly, Cedric isn't interested in doing any missions right now. He only participated in that one since he was in the mood for it. He's nowhere near lacking funds or merit points, so he had no reason to claim more missions for now other than sheer experience.
Because of that, Cedric spent most of his time honing his skills and grinding for Sub-Class, which was at level 10 already.
A corner of his lab was turned into a crafting station. There, he bought all sorts of defective/broken products to practice his Smithing skills. He also learned 『Repair』 since he knew not to underestimate its uses.
All respected Smithing skills he has reached level 10 as well besides 'Makeshift Trace' since that was absorbed by his Unique Passive.
If others were to learn of his leveling speed, they'd probably be gobsmacked. This was way too fast. It had to be known that the fastest record of someone maxing out the Smith Sub-Class was exactly 6 months. If Cedric were to continue with this speed, he would absolutely shatter this record.
...not that it would give him benefits. Breaking that record will only give him bragging rights, but still! That's gonna be one hell of an achievement though. Sadly, Cedric had no interest in things like that. He would most likely keep a low profile still.
He didn't care about what others think. He wasn't even in a hurry to level up his Sub-Class at all nor did he care about that record. What he seeks is self-improvement and he wasn't in a rush.
Right now, he's still content familiarizing himself with his class-related skills. Since he got the defective product cheaply, he could keep using his skills to learn everything he needed to know.
He will surely start crafting his own stuff later but for now, this will do.
What he's really concerned about right now is the upcoming entrance exam of the Starlight Academy...
The notice was out, and it said that the screening would begin 3 months from now.
Cedric was still Tier 2, he had to reach Tier 3 to participate. Of course, this shouldn't be impossible for him. Yes, granted that his Aptitude was certainly unique, which might make the requirements of the Tier Advancement more difficult, he's still fairly confident that he would make it just fine.
Still, he knows to not underestimate anybody. The Starlight Royal Academy does not lack geniuses at all. In fact, it attracts all of the geniuses all over the continent thanks to its stellar reputation (no pun intended), so Cedric knew that he had to hone his skills more to not disappoint the City Lord's faith in his potential and skills.
Cedric still works just as hard to hone his skills despite the lack of pressure. The only thing that could give him trouble so far was his Hell Dives and even there, he's still holding back.
This resulted in his progress slowing down considerably but not to the point that it has become stagnant. Still, it's better than nothing. It wouldn't be too long for him to gain experience while or after he graduated from the Academy anyway.
For now, he's doing just fine. And it shall continue like this until a new chapter of his life starts.
****
[Good morning, User Cedric. And Happy Birthday!]
[You've worked hard and experienced great turbulence since the start of this year, for that, the Acala System decides to reward you with a birthday gift for your hard work!]
[Congratulations, you received a [Forging Set (T5)]! Please continue working hard to contribute to Humanity's future.]
Cedric woke up to this message today. He glanced at his calendar and saw that it was the 10th of September, his birthday, which he almost forgot entirely.
See, Cedric wasn't really one to celebrate birthdays, especially after the death of his family and the start of his miserable experience at the RMC.
He didn't even have enough money to secure a decent living back then. He could only rely on the free shelter and food that the RMC provided for people like him, so how can even consider celebrating his birthday?
Not to mention, Acala won't always give gifts to Superhumans each year. She's quite picky. She picks the ones that have potential and works extremely hard. Only these people receive gifts from her. Those who don't fit her standards or those who get complacent, shouldn't even dream of it.
"A gift, huh...thanks!" Cedric was obviously elated to receive it.
Acala was too generous, giving him a Tier 5 Forging Set. It contains a hammer, a forge, and an anvil. All are essential tools for beginners Smith's like him. It's Tier 5 too, meaning that he could use this for items that reach Tier 5 in value or lower. This was more than enough to cover his need for tools for quite a while, so obviously he's very happy to receive it.
After settling his gift in his inventory, he got up and took a quick bath. He then changed into a fresh set of clothes and decided to relax on the balcony on the second floor of his house.
Glancing at the sky, Cedric felt melancholic all of a sudden...
'I wish you guys were here with me...' he murmured to himself as the faces of his deceased family surfaced in his mind.
'The little buggers would be jumping on my bed to wake me up early. Mom would already be cooking my favorite food at the crack of dawn while Dad goes somewhere to buy me a present.'
'Fiona will force me to wear a party hat. Robert will start obnoxiously belting the 'Happy Birthday' song in my ears just to drive the point home.' Cedric chuckled here.
'After a little celebration at home, we will go to the park. Play for a bit and go home. It's nothing much but that's enough to make the rest of my year.'
'I never told you how much I appreciated all of those little things...I just never had the chance to, do know that I am grateful for it...for everything that you all have done for me.'
Cedric felt his heart aching and his eyes misting, but he continued staring at that fake blue sky.
'I wish I could still wake up to the smell of the food you're making, Mom.'
'I wish Dad was still around to teach me how to be a man and a big brother to my siblings.'
'I wish we had the chance to see how Finny (Fiona) and Robby (Robert) grow up. I bet they'd be more awesome than I ever was. They've shown so much potential, yet it was mercilessly taken away from them.'
'But more importantly...I just wish that we had more time to be together.'
Tears started running down his face as his thoughts reached this stage.
'I miss you all so damn much. I wish we could spend my birthday together again, just like the old times. It doesn't even have to be my birthday, really. Just one fine day, with all of you.'
'If that day ever comes...by the end of it...maybe I could properly say my goodbyes. Tell you how much I love you and how I will always keep you in my heart.'
'And maybe...just maybe...I could move on from this.'
'But the likelihood of that ever happening isn't much.' Cedric grimaced at the thought. 'In fact, it's downright impossible.'
'It's fine. Maybe we can be reunited once I go there myself. I just hope that wherever you all are, no pain can ever reach you.'
'If you all are watching over me, then watch well. I'll make you guys proud eventually, I promise.'
Cedric let out a deep breath and wiped his tears away. It's been a while since he cried this much. He should be celebrating his birthday right now, not lamenting over his family's death all over again. Unfortunately, this is just one of the wounds that just doesn't heal...not even the passage of time could heal it.
At this point, Cedric thinks that he will mourn over their deaths for the rest of his life.
Not that he's against it though. At the very least, this keeps reminding him of his roots and his reason for living even after all of the miserable things he experienced. It keeps him rooted and humble.
He knows that this isn't the way they'd like to be remembered, but he couldn't help it. The wound was deep and he witnessed it clearly.
Nonetheless, this pain reminds him that he's still alive and he now has the potential to usher a change.
He might never heal from this and the pain of his loss might never disappear but he could use this as motivation to shape his future.
"Alright...back to the grind!"