Chapter 75: Resting
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Brunhild smiled warmly. After everything she had endured, she felt profound relief that her family had survived and overcome their trials even without her direct presence. This outcome proved something important: her family was not eternally dependent on her. She could trust them far more than she had previously believed.
Her family had grown remarkably strong. Their tattoos had evolved and their bloodlines had awakened under her guidance. They had proven they could handle threats on their own, as long as those threats did not involve the vampire himself. Against Alistair, they would have stood no chance, yet they had survived.
Still, the battle had taken a heavy toll. A great deal had happened, and none of them had emerged completely unscathed. Exhaustion weighed heavily on every member of her family. Fenrir and Huginn were barely holding on, standing guard while the others rested. Huginn’s healing flames continued to sustain them, but it was clear they were all in poor condition.
After fighting a monster like Alistair alongside Sigrid and enduring multiple phases of that overwhelming vampire, all Brunhild wanted now was rest. Discussions about what had occurred, the monsters they had faced, the mysterious “master” behind the vampire, and the secrets hidden deeper in the dungeon could wait until later.
“Hello, everyone… Good work… Ugh… Let me bring you back home.”
Brunhild made her way inside the house and quickly noticed corpses of Dhampirs and Blood Thralls scattered everywhere. She wanted to clear them out but lacked the strength. Instead, she kicked them aside whenever they blocked her path. The thick stench of blood filled the air, yet she pushed through and ignored it as best she could.
“Mom…”
She saw her mother resting peacefully, almost as if nothing terrible had happened. It showed just how fiercely Ragnar and even little Krarlak had protected her.
The young child lay curled up beside her. At some point, her mother had pulled him into a gentle embrace, and he had fallen asleep in her arms. The guardian spirit remained present, though it appeared tired. Its form was no longer fully visible but faint and ethereal, still cradling them both with protective care.
“Thank you for protecting them.”
Brunhild felt deep relief knowing the Great Guardian Spirit had watched over her family. For a brief moment, the spirit opened its eyes and gazed back at her, as if attempting to communicate.
“Why didn’t I call for your help? I couldn’t. You were using all your energy to protect Mom and Krarlak. I will call on you when I know you are not already fighting.”
She smiled softly and walked back to her room, where Sigrid still slept. The woman appeared mostly healed now. It seemed the aura they shared had helped her recover her body and vitality.
When Brunhild had used Vampiric Consumption on Alistair, she had regained her own energy and grown even stronger. Because she continued sharing her aura with Sigrid, some of that regained vitality had transferred over, transforming her slightly and ultimately saving her life.
“Rest well for now.”
She leaned down, kissed Sigrid’s forehead gently, and tucked her in with warm blankets. She left the chimney burning softly so the room would stay warm and cozy, then stepped out a minute later.
As she walked away, Brunhild noticed that the small tree sprouting from her room had grown considerably during this time. She narrowed her eyes in thought.
“The house held on just fine, but the barrier was pierced. I cannot create a strong enough barrier with my current abilities if we face something like Alistair again. But what if the house itself becomes tougher? Could that work? Would Evolution make it possible?”
It could simply make the house larger with more rooms, or perhaps turn it into a true living fortress. Even Brunhild recognized that the latter idea seemed overly ambitious and unrealistic for now.
“I’ll try something later. First, I need to clean this place.”
Brunhild headed outside and swiftly stored all the monster corpses from both inside and outside the house into her Inventory.
“Brunhild…”
Freyja suddenly appeared beside her as she finished storing the last bodies.
“Oh, Freyja. Are you still tired?”
“I recovered a lot of my power after you consumed that vampire using the skill you stole from him. It was incredible. I believe you obtained a truly powerful skill.”
“Really?”
“From what I have analyzed, Vampiric Consumption allows vampires to grow stronger by consuming their prey. It usually involves blood, but if the prey is powerful enough, flesh and even the soul can be absorbed.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You can absorb someone else’s Bloodline Traits and infuse them into your own. I am still examining all the changes, but your bloodline has evolved once again. Can you not feel it?”
“I think it evolved… Yeah, wow.”
“More importantly, I have unlocked some new functions. The Inventory can now Dismantle what you store!”
“Really? Let me see.”
Brunhild opened her Inventory and selected a batch of thirty Blood Thrall corpses. She tapped on them, and the new [Dismantle] option appeared.
Then…
Ding!
[You have dismantled [Blood Thrall Corpses] x30]
[You have obtained the following items: [Purified Undead Dust] x30, [Purified Undead Bones] x300, [Lesser Blood Core] x30]
“Oh!”
Brunhild immediately recognized these materials. Purified Undead Dust and Purified Undead Bones were high-quality ingredients normally obtained only by killing undead with Holy Magic. They served as excellent components for alchemy, particularly for Mana Potions.
The Lesser Blood Cores had been neatly extracted and fully restored, even those that were previously damaged or shattered. With these, she could produce a large number of Healing Potions.
“This is perfect. I was running low on potions. Let’s make more with these.”
After bringing her family and her two other friends back inside and placing them comfortably on beds, Brunhild used the last of her potions and healing spells on them. She then began boiling ingredients in her cauldron and prepared a large batch of new potions.
She recovered her own mana by drinking a few, then used [Evolution] to further enhance their quality. The result was a set of powerful Health and Mana Elixirs, which she carefully fed to her family and friends. Their bodies began to recover rapidly.
However, they all remained unconscious for now.
“Haaa…”
Brunhild herself was exhausted, but she forced herself to stay awake. If everyone slept, an enemy could attack at any moment. She drank several Stamina Elixirs she had prepared. These potions replenished bodily energy, pumping nutrients and adrenaline into the system without fully healing wounds.
Fenrir and Huginn stayed by her side. After devouring many Blood Thrall and Dhampir corpses, they brimmed with energy that would last for days.
“I guess monsters really do have different metabolisms than humans,” she sighed. “Anyway, might as well do it now, right Freyja?”
“Yes!” Freyja nodded eagerly.
While everyone else slept, Brunhild placed her hand on the house and channeled her powers into it. She focused especially on her divine blessing from Tierra and its skill, Verdant Manifestation.
“Evolve!”
FLAAASH!
The entire house glowed with brilliant light and began to tremble. Brunhild worried about her family inside, but she had already placed protective barriers around them. Those barriers proved effective, shielding everyone from the violent tremors and rapid changes.
As she evolved the house, she felt surrounding mana and spiritual energy pour into the structure, guided by her divine blessing of nature. Her War Spirits, Ares and Hermes, manifested to help shoulder the burden. They quickly became completely drained and vanished, needing significant time to recover.
“Ugh… It’s draining me…!”
Brunhild groaned as exhaustion overtook her. She felt almost skeletal, utterly emptied of energy, and collapsed onto the floor, twitching in pain and fatigue.
“D-Don’t tell me it wasn’t enough— Woah?!”
To her shock, it had been just enough.
The small tree she had accidentally created inside the house earlier absorbed the overflowing power and spread it throughout the entire structure. What stood before her now was utterly astonishing.
“A big tree!”
It had become a giant tree over ten meters tall, with the house integrated beautifully into its center. The building has gained an additional floor and several new rooms. It now resembled a magnificent, living treehouse. The roots wiggled with life, spreading outward, while beautiful green leaves and delicate pink flowers bloomed across its branches.
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