Date Tuesday, August 6th, 2261

The next day.

Getting up from bed as usual, I ran through my morning routine and sat down at my desk.

Today is my eleventh birthday, but it's only around 2:00 in the morning, so I have quite a lot of time. That said, I'm unable to go to the Genesis Foundry today because of what's occurring today, not to mention tomorrow which will also be occupied by Alice's birthday. Thus, the question is, what do I want to get done this morning?

I have about five hours before anyone starts waking up. I could go workout like I usually do… Hmm, actually I'ma change things up today and study. I don't normally study in the early morning, but I feel as if I'm on the cusp of finishing my Seeker Of Knowledge quest, therefore I might as well see if I can't get that completed.

Decision made, I booted up my desktop and got to it, going from one subject to another, learning and soaking up all the knowledge that was available on the undercity web. The moment the hour mark rolled around, I heard a ding and got a notification from my system, notifying me that I had finally accumulated enough knowledge.

*Ding*

[Quest has been completed]

Looks like I'm done gathering knowledge from the undercity web. Guess I'll have to raise my skills via my own efforts and coming across new information out in the wasteland from this point forward. There could be some hidden databases in the undercity that might contain more advanced information that could help advance my skills. However, I believe my time would be better spent elsewhere.

Thankfully, I have multiple things I want to research, such as removing the negative side effects of maxigen. So it won't be all that difficult to continue improving my intelligence and more sciency-based skills. As for my combat skills, those will certainly experience a sizable jump, although how big that jump will be depends entirely on how many molemen I end up exterminating.

Now when do I want to undergo my level up, I could wait until after both mine and Alice's birthdays, thereby pushing it off until the 8th of August… Yeah, I've delayed it this long already, I can wait a couple more days.

Planning to level up on the eighth, I left my room behind and went downstairs to workout since I had nothing better to do while everyone was recharging their batteries. I spent the following four hours putting myself through the metaphorical meat grinder, occasionally injecting myself with medstims to speed up my body's regeneration speed. Which I can say for certain at this point from my experience and research accelerates my gains massively.

From my gym sesh, I proceeded back up to my bedroom and returned to bed again, rejoining Alice for a bit, at least until she woke up. As I laid there with little to do, I ran and played out numerous scenarios of what I may experience and or encounter when I depart on my molemen extermination mission. I did that for an unknown number of minutes until I sensed the sleeping beauty beside beginning to wake with my perception field.

The time to end the current scenario, I was imagining here involving a three-way war between the molemen, myself, and a massive nest of rock scorpions. I looked at Alice and greeted her brightly. "Mornin, beautiful."

"Good morning, handsome." She returned, smiling.

Good mornings out of the way, the two of us spent a few minutes chilling and chatting when Alice suddenly spoke up and said. "Stay right here, Dom. I'll be right back."

Right as she got up and planted her feet on our bedroom floor, she sped out of the room. No more than a minute later, she returned just as quickly with a wrapped gift box held behind her back.

"Happy birthday, darling. I hope you like what I got you." She said, presenting a purple-wrapped box tied with a red bow while looking at me expectantly.

"Thanks, babe, I'm sure I'll like it."

Taking the present from her, I undid the bow and lifted the top. What laid within was a sharp-looking metallic chain, and attached to said chain was a large old cross pendant. Intrigued, I looked the cross over curiously. After scanning the front, I flipped it over and saw it had a text of an unknown language inscribed upon its surface.

"This pendant is very old, and the text inscribed on its back is from a language I haven't seen before. Where'd you get this from?"

Curious about its origins, I looked forward to hearing her response.

"I went out with my mom looking for a gift for you the other day, but I know you already have just about everything you could want, and the things I know you desire are beyond what I can give you. So my mom came up with the idea of going to the explorers' market to see if we couldn't find something unique that was brought back from the wasteland."

"After scouring the market for a good number of hours, we eventually came across a store hidden far in the back of the market, where this pendant was on display. When I saw the cross, I could immediately tell it was extraordinarily old, as you said, if not ancient."

"So, finding nothing else that piqued my interest up to this point, I picked it up and checked it out. As soon as I saw the text on the backside, I didn't recognize it from any of the characters or symbols belonging to any of the languages you've learned previously. When I realized that I knew I found something special."

"Thus I bought it and later that same day my dad told me that wearing a cross was believed to be able to provide their wearers with protection. Once I learned of that I went to a jeweler with mom and bought a chain to attach it to, so even if you don't ever decipher the characters at least it will protect you from harm. I know it really can't do that, but I think it's the thought that counts."

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"You sure put in a lot of effort to find me a special gift. Thank you, Alice. I appreciate the thought you put into it, and even if we don't think the cross can protect me, I'll be sure to wear it from here on out, just in case." I said, bringing it over my head and wearing it.

Alice smiled, happy to see I liked the gift. Placing the now empty box off to the side, I looked towards her and told her. "Alice, come here for a sec."

Looks like it's about time I've advanced things again. She has been pushing for this for a while and I've shot down several of her attempts in the past, but I don't believe I can do it forever. So I guess it's time to go to the next stage, though this will be the final one until she's an adult.

My legs hanging off the side of the bed, she approached me and the second she was within range of my grasp; I pulled her to me. With her now mounting my lap, the two of us face to face. She appeared surprised initially, but that didn't last and she quickly transitioned to looking me in the eye expectantly with her clear aquamarine like colored eyes. Leaning down a slight bit, I planted a kiss on her luscious, red lips.

This isn't something I really want to do, but I can't keep rejecting her advances infinitely without repercussions. If I kept it up, it could hurt her mentally and possibly cause her to drift away from me. I care for my partner in crime so I'd much prefer not to cause her harm nor lose her when all I have to do is give in a little to her advances and make myself uncomfortable every now and again until she and I are both of age.

I haven't been this close to anyone ever before, not even in my past life thus if this is all I have to do to make sure she's happy and things continue to go smoothly I'm more than willing to put myself in this uncomfortable position. That said, I'm sure as she develops physically it'll become increasingly easier overtime.

As I was having these thoughts, I whispered in her ear. "I really like your present, babe. Thanks again." Saying what I wanted to say, I pulled back, leaving Alice blushing up to her ears.

"Y-you're welcome darling." She embarrassedly stuttered out.

Alice looked expectantly at me to see if I would push the boundaries between her and I any further. Unfortunately for her, that wasn't happening today nor anytime soon, so she got up and headed into the bathroom to cool off while I chilled on the bed thinking of the near as well as the far future. Unbeknownst to me while I was contemplating the cross, Alice had just gifted me started lighting up slightly with a nearly unnoticeable magical gleam running across the runic-like text every once in a while.

The rest of the morning was spent with Alice and the family until my mom said it was time to go meet up with everyone at Dave's Fun Zone, which was simply a mashup of a large restaurant, bar, and arcade. When we arrived at the place, my two buds, Big Tom and Bob, were there as well as their parents and Alice's own.

Following some chatter amongst everyone, but mostly the adults, everyone gathered and sat down at a large table to have a big meal. After filling up, the adults did their own thing while we kids ran off to the arcade to play and have fun with the wide selection of games they had available.

We spent practically half a day there before things were eventually wrapped up and everyone went on their way home. Another successful and fun-filled birthday had we turned in for the night.

...

The next day when I woke, I went and hit the gym, though not before I took care of the things I routinely did every morning.

Five hours later, I returned to Alice and when she began to stir from her sleep; I said. "Good morning, babe. I hope you slept well."

"Morning, darling, I slept like a rock. What about you?"

"Good as usual."

She and I made small talk with each other for a couple of minutes before she wandered off to the bathroom. She came back minutes later and rejoined me on the bed, so I reached down under the bed and pulled out the present I had prepared for her special day.

I put a lot of work into this present; I hope it doesn't disappoint.

"Happy birthday, Alice. Here I got you a little something."

Presenting the red gift box to her, she took it into her hands and unraveled the yellow bow holding its top in place. Once she lifted the top off the small ring I painstakingly spent hours making, came into view.

"I know it may not seem like much, but I spent many hours making it personally by hand. I hope you like it." I said before she started tearing up.

"It's not that ugly, is it?"

"No, of course not. I love it." She responded emotionally, brushing away the few happy tears that had appeared.

Relieved, I said. "Phew, you had me going there for a second."

Alice giggled and looked at me and asked sweetly. "Can you put it on for me, darling?"

"I can."

Taking the ring into my right hand, I held her fair left hand with my own and brought the ring near. Already knowing what finger she most desired it to be placed upon, I slid the silver ring that grasped a singular large blood-colored ruby I had personally managed to locate within the walls of the mine onto her finger.

"It looks good, babe. Almost as if it always belonged there." I commented before being jumped by an emotional and exceptionally happy Alice.

She locked lips with my own, surprising me with how aggressive and assertive she was. I let her have her way for a bit before she seemed to want to take it up another notch, more than what I was willing to allow, given our individual ages.

Separating from her, she was breathing heavily, blatantly displaying her desire within her gaze.

Not wanting to become a father at the young age of eleven, I told her straight. "That's as far as we're gonna go Alice, you'll have to wait till we're both older before we cross that line."

Disappointed, she sighed and relented. "Oh, alright."

"But this doesn't mean I won't still keep trying to tempt you." She continued while attempting to be seductive.

Her underdeveloped charm failing to affect me, I responded. "Have at it, Alice, though I don't think you'll have any chance. Maybe you'll be able to succeed when your womanly charm and figure fully develop, but until then, as I said previously, your chances are near nonexistent."

My words seemed to do little to nothing to sway her determination to keep pushing further. Spending the following few there in the bedroom, we soon left it for the living room. Upon arriving, my mom Jane immediately locked onto the new ring that appeared on Alice's ring finger.

I expected her to say something, however, she just looked my way and shot me thumbs up while mouthing great job and looking pleased as can be. Dad later took notice of it as well, although much later and just told me, "You're learning early son, good job. A happy wife is a happy life. Never forget that it will help you immensely in your future.".

The family, along with Alice's, eventually gathered and headed to a similar place as yesterday. Meeting the same family and friends as the previous day there, we went through a very similar experience, at least until Alice wanted to go to a movie theater nearby. No one took issue with that suggestion, or if they did, they didn't voice it. Hence, we wrapped things up where we were and went there next.

After many hours of fun, everyone eventually called it quits at 10:00 PM and returned home, turning in for the night.

"Goodnight, darling." Alice wished me as she grasped onto my left arm.

"Goodnight, babe." I wished her back, planting a peck on her forehead to earn some additional brownie points.

Getting a sweet giggle from her, the two of us quickly fell asleep, ending our yearly event-filled two days here.