Chapter 44: Moving To The Next Dungeon
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I examined the last evolved item, the Wyvern Fang.
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[Spirit Forest Wyvern Fang Blade]
[Item Type]: Spirit Item, Sword
[Item Grade]: B+ Grade
[Item Requirements]: None
[Item Parameters]: Physical Attack: 8,000 | Magic Attack: 3,000 | Durability: 10,000
[Item Bonuses]: +25% Strength, Agility | +15% Mana, Spirit | +30% Poison Element Affinity Power
[Item Skills]: {Poisonous Vines} {Carnivorous Plants} {Wyvern Poison} {Poison Spirit Blessing}
[Item Description]: A dagger turned sword through the blessing of a god. It now possess an even more potent poison than before.
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I gazed at the item with awe, a smile spreading across my face as I admired its beauty. What had once been a simple dagger had become an incredible sword. I was stunned by the sheer power I wielded, and the more I read the descriptions mentioning a “god,” the stranger it all felt.
“Alright, I’m done here. Keep them all for now, Ylva,” I said. “I’ll head out now, so please take care!”
“Thank you so much, Brunhild!” Ylva replied warmly. “We’ll be eagerly awaiting your return—and the return of your family as well!”
Once everyone was ready, we departed. My family rode on Fenrir while my friends and I mounted Huginn, who could now grow as large as the great wolf. I guided our path from atop him, knowing exactly where we needed to go.
The view from the skies was breathtaking. Even though I had seen it before through Huginn’s eyes, nothing compared to experiencing it with my own.
“Wooow!” Ulf exclaimed in disbelief. “We’re really super high up in the sky!”
“T-This is amazing!” Kara laughed. “Look at the mountains! The mountains!!!”
“Waahhh...” Sigrid remained speechless, her mouth agape. She clung tightly to me, her face glowing with pure joy as she looked up. “Brunhild, this is amazing! Thank you! Thank you for inviting me!”
“Heheh, of course. We’re friends, after all,” I said with a smile, pressing a gentle kiss to her head.
“Oh!” She blushed, then kissed my chin in return, flashing a bright smile that showed all her white teeth. “Hehehe!”
By now, she felt like part of the family, just as the energetic twins did. Though we had played together for years and hunted occasionally, this was our first true adventure as a group.
This was our first official journey, our first step into the vast and beautiful world. While our duty was to gather as many Soul Points as possible, I wanted to believe there was far more to it than that.
The slightly chilly breeze mixed with the comforting warmth radiating from Huginn created a perfect harmony. Time passed swiftly as we marveled at the sweeping vistas, laughing and joking together.
This felt like the childhood I had never truly known before—a childhood I was finally living and cherishing, a life I never imagined I would love so deeply after my reincarnation.
The lush forests, distant mountains, gentle breeze, snow-dusted grasslands, and endless wonders all enriched the beauty of this new existence.
These were experiences I had never enjoyed in my first life, perhaps due to a lack of motivation or simply because life had never given me a reason to seek them out.
But this time, I would embrace every moment to the fullest.
♢♢♢♢
After flying for a couple of hours, Huginn descended, and we regrouped with Fenrir and the rest of my family. Little Krarlak continued to marvel at everything with his wide, curious eyes, his speech growing clearer by the day.
“Waaaow!” he cried as he stared at the forests and snow. He toddled forward, then stumbled. “Gaaah!”
“Krarlak!” I rushed over, scooped him up, and found him laughing happily.
“Heheh!” His giggle was irresistibly cute.
“Be more careful, baby,” I murmured, hugging him close for warmth before carrying him back to Fenrir.
“Brunhild, how much farther until we get there?” my brother asked. “It’s been almost four hours already… We’ve passed the dungeon you visited before, right?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “The Spirit Root Dungeon. I checked it earlier, and the monsters inside are still regenerating. It’s best to leave it alone for now. As for the Swamps, we’re pretty close. I spotted them clearly from above. I was thinking we could all ride Huginn to reach them quickly and camp inside.”
“I was planning to cook something soon, but this area is too rocky and unstable,” my mother said. “We should wait and camp inside the dungeon if you believe it’s safe.”
“It should be once we clear out the monsters,” I replied.
“Monsters!” Ulf shouted eagerly. “Time to hunt!”
“Yeah, I can’t wait!” Kara added with excitement.
Although Ulf and Kara carried their swords, they also brought sturdy bows and plenty of arrows enchanted through Alchemy. Sigrid had grown skilled with lances and shields but had also packed a bow, arrows, and a wand.
My three friends stood out in the village. Not only did each possess a powerful elemental affinity, but they were rare “hybrid warriors”—fighters blessed with both strong physiques and impressive magical talent. While they hadn’t reached Ylva’s level, where she had even manifested elf-like ears, they were still remarkable.
In terms of magic, they had already surpassed me in many ways. I was still mastering the basics and relied heavily on skill spamming, whereas they could shape and transform Mana with remarkable ease.
Still, they were my age. I didn’t want them rushing to the front lines too eagerly. Unlike me, whose body had developed rapidly thanks to my exceptional Physique—making me appear four or five years older—they were still growing. Their muscles were beginning to show, but they would fully mature into powerful barbarians around fifteen or sixteen, seventeen at the latest.
For now, they were small but strong spellcasters who remained somewhat fragile. That was why I had insisted they bring bows and arrows. If their magic ran low or failed, they could channel their Aura and use their high Strength stats to loose devastating shots.
While we had been flying, an idea struck me. I asked to see their bows.
“My bow? Sure,” Sigrid said, handing it over. “What are you doing with it?”
“Hmm, a fine piece,” I replied, running my hand along it. “Made of Demon Wolf Bone, right? The string is Lizardman cartilage—very tough. Did you make this?”
“My dad made it for my birthday!” Sigrid beamed. “I enchanted its durability and damage with Alchemy.”
“I see. It’s a wonderful weapon,” I said with a nod. “Your dad really loves you.”
“You should come visit us sometime!” she added. “Mom and Dad want to meet you properly, not just during public events… to get to know you better.”
“Sure, why not?” I smiled. “We could bring Ulf and Kara too, right?”
“Really?” Ulf asked excitedly.
“Nice! I’ve never visited Sigrid’s home yet,” Kara said with a grin. “Wait, why do you look mad?”
“...” Sigrid looked slightly annoyed for a moment. “I was hoping it could just be Brunhild…”
“Wait, really? Ah, sorry…” I murmured. “But why not with our friends?”
“A-Ah, no, it’s not that I hate them or anything. Sorry, I was being silly,” Sigrid said, smiling again.
“Geez, you’re such a complicated girl sometimes, Sigrid. Just relax,” Kara teased.
“Yeah, you overthink things,” Ulf added. “Our dad always says overthinkers get into more danger because their heads play tricks on them. People who act on instinct have better survival rates!”
“What sort of backward logic is that?” Sigrid shook her head, raising an eyebrow.
“Anyway, look at this,” I said. “Evolve!”
FLASH!
“Woah?!”
“Wow!”
“Eh?!”
My friends watched in astonishment as Sigrid’s bow absorbed my Mana and Divine Power, glowing with majestic light. The white bone frame gained elegant runes, and the cartilage string grew far tougher and stronger. The runes fused seamlessly with the bow, making it more powerful than ever.
Ding!
[You have used your Trait [Evolution (??? Rank)] to evolve [Sigrid’s Dad Beast Bow (D+ Grade)] into [Sigrid’s Dad Beast Spirit Bow (B Grade)]!]
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[Sigrid Dad’s Beast Spirit Bow]
[Item Type]: Spirit Weapon, Bow
[Item Grade]: B Grade
[Item Requirements]: None
[Item Parameters]: Physical Attack: 5,000 | Magic Attack: 5,000 | Durability: 5,000
[Item Bonuses]: +25% Agility, Dexterity, Mana, Spirit
[Item Skills]: {Father’s Gift} {Spirit Beast Arrow} {Elemental Spirit Arrow Magic}
[Item Description]: A bow made of Demon Wolf Bone, Lizardman Cartilage, and Spirit Wood by Sigrid’s father. Further evolved by her best friend, Brunhild.
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“O-Oh my goodness! W-What is this?! Brunhild, this is so awesome!” Sigrid cried, eyes wide with disbelief as she gripped the bow with a huge grin. “It’s so cool!!! And… my Magic feels stronger just by holding it! It’s like a staff now!”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Freyja, can you show her the bow’s information?”
Freyja nodded and displayed the details, sending Sigrid into even greater euphoria as she stared at her new weapon in awe.
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