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Across the sky, a large duck-like magic beast soared at high altitudes.
Gripping my bow, I infused my arrow with Spiritual Aura Embodiment. The shaft glowed with a powerful, mysterious red energy.
Through the Archery Skill, I focused intently and waited for the perfect moment.
And…
BOOOM!
The arrow streaked forward and, in an instant, pierced the giant duck creature. A massive explosion erupted, shredding it apart and sending fragments raining down to the ground below.
"Ah, that didn't end well. My arrows are too strong."
I sighed, a touch of disappointment settling in despite a full week of training. Control still eluded me.
Over the past month, I had worked nonstop to complete every class rank-up requirement while gathering soul points and channeling them into our growing village.
By now, I had constructed four additional houses, providing ample space for everyone, and I was saving points toward a Summoning Sanctuary and stronger walls.
And also…
[Class Rank Up Requirements]
[Five Tier 3 Magic Beast Cores]: [5/5]
[Fifteen Tier 2 Magic Beast Cores]: [15/15]
[Twenty-five Tier 1 Magic Beast Cores]: [25/25]
[Learn Five Magic Spells]: [2/5]
[Learn Three Healing Magic Spells]: [2/3]
[Learn Three Weapon Techniques]: [2/3]
[Hunt Down 10 Airborne Beasts With Bow and Arrow]: [9/10] → [10/10]
[Steal Three Valuable Things From Someone]: [3/3]
"Finally! I'm only missing a few things..." I celebrated.
It had taken a full month, but I was finally on the verge of ranking up my class.
The material requirements had been the easiest. My Inventory already brimmed with monster corpses, so extracting their cores satisfied those conditions quickly.
The spells, however, proved far more difficult. They had to be learned independently, separate from any existing skill.
Like in the game, I spammed Fireball ten thousand times until proficiency finally granted it as a permanent Skill.
The same went for Healing Spells. By repeatedly casting through the Holy Scepter—even without a target—ten thousand times, Healing Light became engraved into my body and soul.
Still, two more spells remained. I had trained diligently the entire time, relying on the Scepter as my source.
With Healing Light secured, I targeted Holy Barrier, a standard Magic Spell, and Exorcising Flash, which counted as a Healing spell.
I was already past the midpoint. Another one or two thousand casts for each should lock them in permanently.
I had tried learning spells from my brother and other magicians, but those never registered as progress. They had to originate from skill-related sources.
So I exploited the game mechanics I had brought into this world, securing Fireball and Healing Light, and pushed hard for the remaining two.
As for future needs, I would hunt for spell-granting items later.
"Well, with this, I'm done."
I extracted the souls from the fallen birds and walked away, leaving the mangled corpses behind. They were too ruined to salvage, but wild animals could feed on them. No waste.
"Yep, there it is."
As I departed, a pack of Gray Wolves caught the scent and descended hungrily on the remains. Among them trotted several Gray Wolf puppies, happily tearing into the unexpected feast.
New village rules forbade hunting infant beasts or monsters. Whenever we spotted packs with young, we usually left them undisturbed.
We only targeted loners that threatened such groups—tyrannical Demon Wolves that attacked their own kin when hunger struck.
"Brunhild! You done?"
Sigrid sprinted toward me, fresh from a swim in the nearby lake. She had been teaching me archery alongside my brother, who was now perched in a tree harvesting ripe fruit from the canopy.
"Yeah, I'm done!"
I approached to greet her and noticed the large basket of fish she carried—caught bare-handed. "Oh? You caught a lot today, Sigrid."
"Yeah!" she nodded with bright enthusiasm. "Some are still alive. Want to finish them?"
"Okay," I agreed, swiftly stabbing each one through the head before they suffocated and harvesting a handful of Tier 0 Souls. Better than nothing. "All done. Thank you. Big bro! We're leaving!"
"Ah, right!" My brother nodded, scrambling down the tree and landing on the ground with his good leg and the new wooden prosthetic we had designed together with my big sister and mother. It was crafted from the hardest wood we could find, reinforced with magic to make it even tougher, then wrapped in durable leather. He had adapted to it surprisingly fast. "Ouch… still not completely used to this…"
"Be careful!" I scolded. "If you jump from that high, it's going to break! Do you want to go back to walking on three limbs like before? The whole village will laugh at you again."
"I know, I know," he chuckled, ruffling my hair. "Look what I found." He held up a small nest cradling fresh eggs.
"Eh?! Are they okay?" I asked.
"We haven't had eggs in ages," he said. "But these are for our domestication project, remember? You said we need to collect bird eggs, raise the chicks, and eventually have domesticated birds that lay eggs for us—and give us meat, I guess."
"Right!" I nodded eagerly. "What species are they?"
"Azure Finches," he replied. "They can grow as big as my arm. It's a nice big nest, see? All the eggs are warm and alive. Once we get back, we'll keep them warm. When they hatch, we'll feed them nuts and whatever else they like."
"Sounds good. We should build a ranch then," I said, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.
"Can't we eat a few eggies though?" Sigrid asked, licking her lips as she stared at them. "We haven't had any in forever…"
"Nope, these are for the project," I said firmly. "Once the ranch is running and producing, you can eat all you want."
"Aw." Sigrid's face fell a little. "Okay… but promise you'll let us eat tons of eggs when the day comes?"
"Sure. When the time comes, I'll make omelets for everyone," I promised with a nod. "Let's go!"
We walked through the lush forest, savoring the view: the endless blue sky, drifting white clouds, and the bright sun shining overhead.
Even though patches of snow still lingered here and there, winter hadn't fully taken hold. Some days stayed surprisingly warm, melting the snow all over again.
Today was one of those perfect days, which is why I had gone out hunting. Now the only thing left for my growth was finally learning those damned spells.
Luckily, I had gathered enough Soul Points. Today I might be able to create something that could help everyone with skill proficiency and magic learning.
When we returned to the village, I paused to take in how much it had changed in just a month. Since we settled here, I had built five more large houses, reinforced the walls by constructing a second set just outside the first—classic double-wall strategy from the game—and added three Storage Buildings that kept food perfectly preserved, safe from mold and rot. Even meat stayed fresh there and could be turned into excellent jerky. We also had three Windmills and two Animal Ranches now.
The Summoning Sanctuary stood ready too, but it had remained inactive since I finished it two weeks ago. There was one small problem I hadn't anticipated: a requirement I had overlooked.
I needed barracks!
But I had none. And there was no option to build them in my territory building list. According to Freyja, I would have to Rank Up my Class first to unlock new structures.
Yeah, it was frustrating as hell, but there was still hope. Today I planned to test a theory: building structures manually without full system assistance.
The idea was to construct the skeleton myself and let the system "complete the rest," potentially unlocking a new building ahead of schedule.
Was it even possible? I had asked Freyja, and she wasn't sure—but she agreed we could try and find out.
"We've returned!" my brother called out loudly.
A wooden watchtower stood at the edge of the settlement, where guards kept constant watch over the forest. The moment they spotted us, they opened the double gates. Once we passed through, the gates closed swiftly behind us.
Inside, the village looked completely transformed from the barren clearing it had once been. Five massive, manor-sized wooden houses now sheltered several families together for the time being. Still, no one had abandoned their beloved tents. They remained pitched all around the community houses—many people preferred sleeping in them and using them for storage.
It was hard to let go of such deeply ingrained cultural traditions—our beloved tents and the many other things we had built. Some of the elderly even opposed moving into the wooden houses, insisting they were not part of our true heritage, but their sons and daughters usually forced them inside anyway to endure the bitter cold nights.
As for the ranches, besides the Buffalo Sheep, my brother and two other Tamers we had befriended helped us begin domesticating Mountain Goats we captured near the Rocky Mountains, narrowly avoiding wandering Kobolds by a hair's breadth.
We were also raising Pygmy Wild Boars that sometimes wandered close to the village, scavenging scraps and bones left behind by the villagers. They were as wild as their larger cousins at first, but they were slowly mellowing now that they lived in a safe shelter with steady housing and food… so they could eventually become our food.
"For the birds, we should probably build another Animal Ranch, right?" I asked. "There's plenty of empty space over there. Let's do it right away."
"Okay," my brother nodded.
"Oooh, cool!" Sigrid dashed to my side to watch the magic unfold.
"Hello everyone! Please make space—we're building another ranch!" I called to the people near the existing ranches who were feeding and cleaning them.
"Ah, Brunhild!"
"Alright, sorry."
"I'm moving, wait a second, young girl."
"Another ranch? Aren't two enough?"
"Don't you remember what we talked about earlier? We have to raise birds for their eggs and meat too! We'll dedicate a ranch just for birds because the other animals are too rough to keep them near the smaller ones," my brother explained patiently to the villagers.
While my brother spoke with them, I opened the Territory Building System tab again.
[Territory Building System: Available Buildings]
[Large Community Wooden House (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Reinforced Wooden Wall (E Grade)] [Cost]: [100 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Summoning Sanctuary (E Grade)] [Cost]: [200 Soul Points] [Stone]
[Animal Ranch (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Storage Building (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
[Windmill (E Grade)] [Cost]: [50 Soul Points] [Wood]
"So limiting. I really need a damn barracks," I sighed. "But for now… let's build another ranch."
I had already visited my Soul Sanctuary earlier before reaching the village. Now I could do it without closing my eyes—reincarnating half the souls into Soul Points and converting the other half into Soul Essence for the Fountain I was slowly upgrading.
Nothing new had emerged from it yet, but Freyja had promised that very soon I might gain a new "perk"—whatever that meant—perhaps another game system or an ability tied to it.
"Build the Animal Ranch."
With the wood already stored in my Inventory, it materialized out of thin air. Soul essence and magic swiftly assembled everything, clearing the selected area, flattening the ground, sprouting fresh grass from nowhere. Then a sturdy barn rose, surrounded by a tall wooden fence strong enough to contain any animal—even small birds.
Ding!
[You have exchanged 50 Soul Points and a large quantity of wood.]
[You have successfully built the [Animal Ranch (E Grade)]]
-----
[Animal Ranch (E Grade)]
[Building Type]: [Animal Building]
[Building Capacity]: [Large Open Area]
[Building Durability]: [500/500]
[Building Abilities]: [Escape Proof] [Animal Care] [Animal Coziness]
[Upgrade Requirements]: [200 Soul Points] [Wood] [Magic Stones]
-----
The Animal Ranch came with three Abilities. Escape Proof made it nearly impossible for animals to break free, Animal Care kept them reasonably healthy, and Animal Coziness made the space so comfortable that most didn't even want to leave. Even if one escaped, they usually returned after a while because the ranch was warmer and safer.
"There it is. Our third ranch," I said, nodding with satisfaction. "We should keep the eggs inside the house for now, right? Close to the bonfire and wrapped in warm clothes."
"Yeah," my brother agreed. "I'll ask my bird friends to watch over them. Come!"
He summoned the three birds he had tamed earlier that day. They flew down and settled gently over the nest, warming the eggs with their bodies. We fed them berries and nuts, giving them plenty of energy for the hours ahead.
"Alright, let's head back," I said. "Sigrid, want to come with us?"
"I need to bring this fish to my family first—sorry! I'll catch up with you later!" Sigrid called, already dashing toward her home.
"See you soon!" I waved, then turned back toward our family longhouse with my parents.
The entire structure belonged to our family alone. That privacy was necessary—especially now that we had little Krarlak to protect.
"Woof!"
Fenrir greeted me with a loud, enthusiastic bark. I still found it strange that domesticated wolves in this world eventually learned to bark.
"Hey, boy!" I said, patting his head. "Big bro and I found a cave full of wolves. We brought back some Wolf Grass for you. Eat it so you can evolve."
"Grawr?" Fenrir tilted his head, eyeing the pale blue grass with clear suspicion. He sniffed it once, then shook his head firmly.
"You have to eat this," I insisted, gently pinning the big fluffy wolf to the ground. "Come on, it's for your own good!"
"Graaarr!" he protested, playfully nipping at me. Despite his strength, I managed to shove the grass into his mouth.
"Swallow!"
"Graaarr!" He grumbled but finally crunched the grass and forced it down. "Grr…"
"Don't be mad at me. This is going to make you stronger," I told him. "Gray Wolves at your level are supposed to eat this to evolve. You should feel it instinctively!"
"Grawr!" he roared, biting my arm in playful rebellion.
"Hahaha!" I laughed, ruffling his head. "What? You mad? Well, eat the rest!"
After ten minutes of wrestling with the stubborn wolf, I finally got him to finish every last blade of grass.
FLUOSH!
Golden-red energy immediately radiated from his body, slowly enveloping him. I felt our bond deepen as he began drawing Mana directly from me to fuel the evolution.
"Take as much as you need," I said softly, holding the Mana Diamond steady.
"AWOOOOOO!"
Fenrir unleashed a powerful howl just as my brother returned from settling the eggs with their new feathered guardians.
"Whoa—he's already evolving?!"
"Yeah, I told you the grass would work!"
In that instant, Fenrir's body transformed. He grew three times larger, now the size of a horse. His gray fur darkened to pitch black with striking red streaks. His eyes sharpened into a vivid, glowing crimson, and a pair of deadly fangs extended from his jaws, giving him a truly menacing appearance.
His aura flared with intense crimson energy, almost demonic in its power.
[Congratulations, your Familiar has evolved into a [Black Demon Wolf – Tier 3: Rank 1]!]
[Fenrir has gained the following abilities: [Berserker], [Charge], [Aura of Intimidation]!]
"Wow… a Black Demon Wolf?" I murmured, staring in awe at his transformed body. "Amazing. You did it, Fenrir!"
"...!" Fenrir wagged his massive tail furiously, instantly shifting back to his lovable self. He lunged forward and licked my face, his giant head now easily reaching me.
"Hahaha! You're so big now!" I laughed, throwing my arms around his thick, fluffy neck. He felt incredibly warm.
"W-What the hell? He's at least twice the size of a normal Demon Wolf!" my brother exclaimed, utterly fascinated. "This is unprecedented. Has he evolved into an entirely new species? Could it be because of your strong bond?"
"Huh? Maybe," I said with a shrug. "Either way, he looks incredible now!"
"Raar!" Fenrir puffed out his broad chest proudly, his powerful tail whipping up strong gusts of wind.
"Give me your paw!"
He obediently lifted one enormous paw. My entire hand disappeared inside it with room to spare. If he weren't so gentle, he would be utterly terrifying.
"Alright," I said, giving his head one last affectionate pat. "Now that we're done with this, let's move on to the next project. We should meet up with Grandpa and Dad. Astrid's probably waiting for us."
"Huh? What project?" my brother asked. "Hey!"
Before I could answer, the door creaked open. A tiny figure crawled out.
"Kreuk! Magnu… Magnu…!"
It was our precious little lizardman baby, Krarlak. His bright green scales shimmered with blue highlights, and his huge yellow eyes sparkled with curiosity. Tiny black horns had already begun sprouting from his head.
No one else but our little Krarlak was already speaking his first words. Lizardmen children grew astonishingly fast—a single month felt like a full year to him.
"Krarlak, what did I tell you about coming outside?" I said gently, lifting him into my arms. "It's too dangerous out here. How are you, little one?"
"Raaarr!" He playfully nipped at my nose, then licked my face. "Brun…"
"Heheh, yes, that's me," I chuckled, covering his scaly cheeks with kisses. "You're so cute!"
He couldn't kiss back without lips, but he licked me enthusiastically in return. The gesture was so sincere and funny—it reminded me strongly of Fenrir.
"Hahaha, stop licking me!"
"Bleh… blehhh…"
"Hahaha, he really likes you," my brother laughed. "Go handle your project. I'll take him back inside. The cold isn't good for him."
My brother scooped up Krarlak, who immediately climbed onto his back and clung tightly with his tiny claws. It was always an amusing sight—my brother walking around with a living backpack attached to him.
I figured it must be a deep instinct in their kind, a natural custom for babies to cling to their caregiver's back. It was strangely endearing.
While heading toward the chieftain's tent, I kept practicing with my scepter—casting one barrier and one exorcizing flash after another, repeatedly bathing myself in the purifying light.
The villagers had grown used to my strange routine, though the children still ran past giggling at how ridiculous I looked.
"Haaa… I really hope this works."
When I reached the tent, my grandfather, father, and several of the clan's best architects and builders were already waiting.
"Hello, everyone. Sorry for the delay," I said.
"You're late!" my sister complained.
"Sorry," I apologized with a sheepish smile. "Anyway, here's my plan…"
I explained the project, and they gradually understood what I wanted: a special tower built from wood, stone, and monster cores at the center of the village.
The lead architect—a tall, muscular elder with a thick gray beard—studied the blueprint I had drawn on leather and nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm. What is this for?" he asked.
"It's a Magic Tower," I explained. "I can't build the whole thing with magic yet, but I know the blueprint. If you construct the base like this, I'll try to finish it using my abilities."
"Huh, worth a try," he said with a shrug. "Sounds interesting. I've never built anything like this before!"
"So it's a deal!" I nodded eagerly. "I'll pay you with meat and monster cores, as agreed."
"Deal!" The architect shook my hand firmly. His entire team—his sons and daughters—nodded in agreement.
We began working from early morning. My grandfather, father, and big sister joined in. I swung my axe to chop down trees, then learned how to shape the logs, bind them with ropes, and reinforce them with mud since we had no nails.
For barbarians, we did an impressive job. After a full day of hard work, the tower stood nearly complete. At ten meters tall, it had been manageable; the carpenters finished the main structure in just five or six hours.
"Now for the final touch."
I carried a heavy bag of monster cores and poured them into a large wooden bowl at the center of the tower's third floor. Then I leaped down and placed my hand on the structure.
"Please work… please work…"
I prayed silently while Freyja appeared beside me. She examined the building and gave a slow, approving nod. We poured in four hundred Soul Points—nearly everything I had saved—for this moment.
"It might work. Let's begin!"
"Wait—if it fails, do I get the Soul Points back?!"
"Nope."
"Aaaagh, this had better work!"
As I panicked over the possible loss, the tower shuddered. Magic energy and soul essence surged around the entire structure.
Slowly, it began to refine itself. The rough stones fused and smoothed into clean bricks. The internal framework tightened and strengthened. The bowl of monster cores melted together, forming a single, gleaming blue magic crystal—the heart of a true Magic Tower.
FLAAASH!
A brilliant explosion of azure energy burst into the sky, shaking the village for a heartbeat before everything fell silent.
We stared in stunned awe as the magical smoke cleared, revealing a finished tower now twenty meters tall. It radiated powerful Mana in every direction. Everyone nearby felt their Magic Power and reserves swell.
"I-It worked…" I whispered. "It actually worked!"
"OOOOOHHHHHHH!" The carpenters and my family erupted in wild celebration, cheering, hugging, and laughing with pure joy.
My father and grandfather rushed over and crushed me in a massive hug. Sigrid joined them immediately. I could barely breathe, let alone read the flood of system messages.
"Eugh! AAAH! You're crushing me!!!"
"You're a little genius, Brunhild!" my father laughed heartily.
"Just what is that tower? It made us all stronger in an instant!" my grandfather asked, eyes wide with wonder.
"I never had any talent for magic before, but now I feel like I could cast powerful spells!" Sigrid exclaimed.
"Aaahah, yeah—that's exactly what Magic Towers do!" I explained, grinning. "They make everyone stronger. Now let me check…"
While Freyja smiled warmly at the scene, I opened the system messages.
Ding!
[You have exchanged 400 Soul Points and a large quantity of wood.]
[You have successfully built the [Magic Tower (C Grade)]!]
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Author's Note:
Hello and thank you for reading so far! I am the author PancakesWitch and wanted to say that this is a novel I'm writing with a lot of love. I will publish 5 chapters a week, or sometimes 4.
There will always be an additional chapter on Patreon though, and you can also join it right now to get +20 Advanced Chapters for only $10! The number will keep increasing every week as well!
https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch