Chapter 6: Incredible Growth
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After Riven finished his goblin buffet, the Love Investment Authority activated with a soft chime.
[Affection Level: 18 → 20]
[Investment Progress: 0.5%]
[Note: Target’s latent recovery rate has increased by 0.05% due to emotional stability.]
[You received the reward: [Elisa’s Smile (D Rank)]: A Recovery Potion that restores 15% of your Health and leaves a passive regeneration buff on your body for the rest of the day.]
[x10,000 Reward Multiplier Activated!]
[The Item [Elisa’s Smile (D Rank)] has been multiplied by x10,000]
[You have received the item: [Elisa’s Pride (SSS Rank)]: Call forth the power that Elisa once held, summoning a Phantom embodying her past to aid you in battle for 24 Hours.]
"It even works on items..." Riven murmured in quiet amazement.
He held a glowing blue potion in his hand. The liquid shimmered with soft light, and according to the description it could summon a phantom of his wife’s past self, something like a powerful familiar that would fight by his side.
"With this, couldn’t I attempt a much harder dungeon right away? Or should I save it for a real emergency?"
While he considered the question, he decided to open his Status Window for the first time since everything had changed.
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[Name]: [Riven Hale Claymore]
[Age]: [18]
[Race]: [Human (Assimilating Titan Bloodline)]
[Title]: [Lord (Provisional)]
[Hunter Rank]: [E-Rank (Official)]
[Class]: [Predator – Level 3]
[Talent]: [SSS-Rank – Dormant Apex]
[Authorities]
{Demonic Authority of Gluttony – Beelzebub}
[Monster Eater]
[Gluttony (Stat & Skill Absorption)]
[Talent Devourer]
{Demonic Authority of Greed – Mammon}
[x10,000 Reward Multiplier (Active)]
{Demonic Authority of Lust – Asmodeus}
[Love Investment Authority]
[Target: Elisa Frostbane]
[Affection Level: 20]
[Investment Progress: 0.5%]
[Status: Critically Crippled | Potential: Supreme+]
{Demonic Authority of Pride – Lucifer}
[Sovereign Codex Recognized]
[Domain-Building Functions Unlocked]
[Host marked as "Lord"]
[Core Stats]
[Vitality]: [1,100]
[Mana]: [240]
[Strength]: [430]
[Endurance]: [200]
[Intelligence]: [50]
[Agility]: [100]
[Luck]: [10]
[Charm]: [100]
[Class Skills]
[Devourer’s Instinct – Level 1]
[Active Skills]
[Skadi’s Blessing – Titan Physique – Level 1]
[Veil of Invisibility – Level 1]
[Heavy Weapon Master – Level 1]
[Impenetrable Skin – Level 1]
[Items]
[Elisa’s Pride (SSS-Rank)]
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"Not bad at all... Wow, over one thousand Vitality. That’s insane."
In Vitality alone he already stood at the level of a mid-stage D-Rank Hunter. The numbers still felt unreal to him.
For the time being Riven decided to return to his bed and rest. He still felt the lingering fatigue of the day.
A new day awaits tomorrow.
♢♢♢♢
Claymore Enterprises Headquarters.
Arthur Claymore, CEO of Claymore Enterprises, sat behind his wide desk and glanced over a stack of paperwork in silence while signing documents with quick, practiced strokes.
"Hah. Fools."
Several letters of complaint had arrived from both private and public groups, all demanding that he allow outsiders to enter the Gates his associates had claimed.
"Don’t they understand these belong to us now? Tough luck."
He tore the papers apart without hesitation and tossed the pieces aside, then checked his emails in the same cold silence. A moment later a message arrived on his phone.
[Hey Arthur, I had no idea your youngest son awakened. Congrats!]
An old friend with connections to the Hunter Association had sent the congratulatory note.
"What...?"
Arthur remained quiet for a few seconds and raised an eyebrow.
"My youngest? Does he mean Lancelot? No... did I have another— Ah."
The name finally came back to him.
Riven Hale.
That little useless thing his fourth ex-wife had given birth to almost two decades ago.
"Didn’t we marry him off to that cripple? What’s going on? He awakened? Hah! Well, why does it matter anyway?"
He shrugged, already losing interest. Once he confirmed the boy was only E-Rank he brushed the entire matter aside and replied to his friend that he did not care much.
Arthur rose from his chair and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the city stretched beneath the night sky—towering skyscrapers blazing with light, and beyond the massive walls the vast wild lands that still belonged to him.
His Aura stirred. A tall golden giant formed behind him, carrying a massive sword of pure light.
"What would that useless kid even accomplish?"
♢♢♢♢
The next morning arrived.
Riven woke to the soft sounds of distress coming from Elisa. When he opened his eyes he found her trapped in a nightmare, her face twisted with quiet pain.
"Mom... dad...!"
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she called for her parents in her sleep.
"No... no...! Don’t leave me..."
Riven’s heart sank. He had seen this same scene many times before. Elisa suffered terrible nightmares and rarely slept peacefully through the night.
"Elisa..."
He whispered her name gently while stroking her hair and placing a soft kiss on her cheek.
Slowly her eyes fluttered open. She stared back at him in a sleepy daze.
"R-Riven?"
"Are you okay?"
"W-Wha... is it morning already?"
She turned her head toward the window. The first light of the sun was already rising over the horizon.
"It should be around eight. You like waking up early, right?"
"Ah... you remember? But you always wake up later..."
"Sorry. It won’t happen again. I was being irresponsible because... well, I was depressed."
Elisa looked back toward the window in silence, watching the birds fly past and the white clouds drift by.
"You were crying while sleeping."
Her eyes widened. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she quickly averted her gaze.
"I know my words might seem empty to you," Riven continued softly, "but I will make sure our lives change for the better. I will make sure you never shed another tear again."
Elisa’s eyebrow twitched. She clenched her teeth in sudden irritation.
"W-What sort of nonsense are you talking about this early in the morning?!"
Riven noticed she had become much more talkative thanks to his constant, gentle advances.
"Hahah. I guess I overstepped. Instead of speaking words, it’s always better to show you through actions, right?"
Elisa let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. It was the only response she could manage.
"Do whatever you want..."
He stood and walked toward the kitchen.
"What do you want for breakfast?"
Elisa thought about it for a while. Among the few pleasures left in her restricted life, delicious food remained one of the brightest.
Riven had never been an excellent cook in his first life, but the memories of four lifetimes had taught him a great deal. Even in the life he spent as a tiny insect, his heightened sense of taste had shown him how flavors could blend and balance. All of those experiences remained with him now, shaping a completely new Riven.
"Your favorite? Waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, maple syrup, and green tea?"
"...You know?" She sounded genuinely surprised. "Um... okay, but don’t make too much. Do you want me to get fat?"
"Of course not."
Riven returned to the kitchen and began cooking at once. Elisa was surprised when he came back only fifteen minutes later carrying a complete breakfast.
It was honestly almost supernatural how quickly he had prepared everything.
He brought the tray to her bed, carefully helped her sit up, and then fed her one slow bite at a time.
"T-This is..." She muttered, savoring the soft waffle, sweet cream, fresh strawberries, and rich maple syrup all together in a single perfect bite.
"Is it good?" Riven asked with a gentle smile.
"It’s... it’s decent, I suppose!" Elisa answered, though her heart was beating faster as he leaned closer. "Now let me taste the tea... and more waffle afterward."
She enjoyed ordering him around, yet deep down she still wished she could do everything herself. Riven understood that silent longing perfectly.
"Alright."
He continued feeding her with quiet patience, one careful bite and one small sip at a time, until the plate was empty and she looked full and content.
She never said the words aloud, but the soft, cute smile on her lips and the tiny bit of whipped cream left at the corner of her mouth said everything.
Whenever Elisa smiled, she shone as bright as the morning sun.
And so Riven felt truly happy as well.
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