-----
After choosing classes, gaining new skills, and watching my stats skyrocket from all the bonuses each new class granted, I decided to inspect my status once again.
♢♢♢♢
[System Owner]: [Brunhild Skadi]
[Titles]: [Red Fang's Young Seer] [Saintess of Reincarnation] [Saintess of the Sun and Nature]
[Level]: [30/130]
[Classes]: [Diviner – Tier 2] [Gladiator – Tier 2] [Hunter – Tier 2] [Saintess – Tier 2] [Ninja – Tier 2]
[Elemental Spirit Root]: [War Demigoddess Runic Spirit Roots – Tier 4: Rank 1]
[Spirit Beast Tattoo]: [None]
[Talents]: [Great War Demigoddess Physique: Tier 4: Rank 1 (A Rank)] [War Demigoddess Rallying Cry (A Rank)]
[Traits]: [Divine Soul Orb – Tier 10 (SSS+ Rank)]
[Vitality]: [7440]
[Mana]: [8270]
[Strength]: [5820]
[Endurance]: [5670]
[Spirit]: [5240]
[Resistance]: [4310]
[Agility]: [4940]
[Luck]: [3525]
[Charm]: [4150]
[Free Stat Points]: [29]
[Soul Points]: [250]
[Divine Blessings]:
[Divine Blessing of the God of Sun and Pride, Solaris – Faith: Level 1]
[Divine Blessing of the Goddess of Nature and Spirits, Tierra – Faith: Level 1]
[Divine Skills]:
[Sunshine Halo – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
[Verdant Manifestation – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
[Bonded Familiars]:
[Black Demon Wolf: Fenrir – Tier 3: Rank 1]
[Black Raven: Huginn – Tier 1: Rank 1]
[Divine War Spirit of Strength: ??? – Tier 4: Rank 1]
[Divine War Spirit of Speed: ??? – Tier 4: Rank 1]
[War Goddess System: Freyja – Tier ?: Rank ?]
[Weapon Techniques]:
[Red Fang Axe Style – Tier 3: 22%] (First Form: Searing Cleave – Burning Claw / Second Form: Tomahawk Boomerang / Third Form: Burning Crush)
[Burning Dragon Soul Style – Tier 3: 21%] (Inherited Ancestor Legacy)
[Skills]:
[Divine War Demigoddess' Weapon – Tier 4: Level 1/10]
[Mana Manipulation – Tier 1: Level 10/10]
[Mana Aura – Tier 1: Level 7/10]
[Mana Reinforcement – Tier 1: Level 7/10]
[Weapon Talent: Axe – Tier 1: Level 5/10]
[War Spirit Aura Embodiment – Tier 1: Level 6/10]
[Divine Soul Orb Sanctuary – Tier 1: Level 2/10]
[Spell Skills]:
[Fireball – Tier 1: Level 2/10]
[Healing Light – Tier 1: Level 2/10]
[Holy Barrier – Tier 1: Level 1/10]
[Exorcizing Flash – Tier 1: Level 1/10]
[Class Skills]:
[Magic Rune: Wild Beast Path – Tier 1: Level 4/10]
[Charge Attack – Tier 1: Level 4/10]
[Archery – Tier 1: Level 5/10]
[Healing Flame – Tier 1: Level 5/10]
[Shadow Step – Tier 1: Level 4/10]
[Future Sight – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
[Guts – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
[Beast Senses – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
[Holy Smite – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
[Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone – Tier 2: Level 1/10]
♢♢♢♢
"They grew even more. It's really just cheating—it feels so wrong…" I muttered in awe. "With this I could fight some of the dungeon bosses and actually stand a decent chance solo, but with a team it would definitely be doable."
"Ah right, there's plenty of EXP left. Do you wish to use it to level up?" Freyja asked.
"Right! Can't I use it for something else though?" I wondered.
"Usually you can't, but this stored EXP can also be used to level up skills," Freyja explained. "Though it's not common."
"I see… Hmm," I rubbed my chin. "There are plenty of new skills I want to try first. Leveling them with EXP sounds great, but how far can I go?"
"You could max two skills at most…" she said. "Tier 1 skills. Tier 2 and above require much more."
"Hm, nah, I don't think any of them is a big necessity," I shook my head. "Give me the EXP as levels. I need to level up as quickly as possible. I think I'll unlock better stuff once I reach a Tier 3 class."
"Gotcha," Freyja nodded.
Ding!
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[…]
[You have reached Level 52/130. Stat Points have been allocated; you gained 22 Free Stat Points.]
"Alright, now let's see if I unlocked anything new…"
I immediately checked the territory building system tab.
[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]
[Temple of the Sun (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [250 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Sunstone]
[Temple of Nature (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [250 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Woodstone]
[Temple of the Spirits (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [250 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Spirit Crystal]
[Alchemy Studio (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [300 Soul Points] [Wood] [Stone] [Magic Stone]
[Old Forge (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [300 Soul Points] [Stone] [Magic Stone] [Metals]
[Barracks (D+ Grade)] [Cost]: [300 Soul Points] [Wood] [Stone] [Metals]
"Hmm! I can already make an Alchemy Studio and an Old Forge…" I said excitedly. "I could try building them later. These are definitely needed to craft proper magic weapons and armor and boost everyone's combat potential. I can also make the barracks, but I'm short on metals. We'll need to mine them or hunt monsters that drop metals. I killed that Onyx Spider the other day—its exoskeleton counts as a type of metal. The rest of our metal supply is scarce and mostly tied up in our weapons."
"Yeah, you'll need to mine actual ore," Freyja nodded. "It's annoying but necessary. Also you're severely lacking Soul Points. You can't start any real project without securing thousands. With your current strength, you should be able to hunt stronger Tier 4 or higher monsters. Reincarnating their souls will give you plenty of Soul Points."
"I know. I guess I'll aim for that then," I nodded. "Alright, let's start the day. There's a lot to do. We have to hunt, find a Spirit Stone, expand the territory, make a farm, and so on. I'll need to explore and gather as many resources as possible while hunting over the next few days. I wonder which people Grandpa chose to accompany me."
As I prepared to begin the day—feeling surprisingly energetic even without sleep, likely thanks to my new physique—I stepped out of my room and found my grandfather waiting outside with the rest of my family.
"Grandpa?!" I gasped.
"Brun! Nice to see you're up early today," he stood from his seat. "Look, these are the three warriors I believe will help you gather everything you need."
Grandpa introduced me to three people I had seen and occasionally spoken with, though I didn't know them well. They were all young yet talented warriors, only a year or two older than my eldest sibling, Magnus.
A tall, gaunt man with a stoic face, dark brown skin, long white hair, and sharp green eyes. He was the tallest here—even slightly taller than Grandpa—and wore simple gray wolf pelts, carrying a giant axe forged from bone and metal.
"This is Ivar, our most talented pure warrior. He possesses a Stone and Earth Spiritual Root and a rare Mountain Giant Physique," Grandpa explained. "At only twenty he's our toughest fighter and helped fend off the lizardmen during their attack. His skin is so tough he barely took damage."
"It's nice to see you again, Brunhild. We've barely spoken before. I hope we can get along," he said in a deep, rather emotionless voice, but his manners were polite.
"Thank you."
The second was a small woman around twenty, shorter than me but not tiny—just normal human height. She hadn't inherited much barbarian blood and instead showed more of our ancient elven lineage.
She was one of the few in the tribe with elven traits: slightly pointed ears, bright yellow-green eyes, long pink hair, and clear brown skin. She had muscle, just not as pronounced or bulky as ours.
"This is one of our few magicians, Ylva, a Sorceress who wields Nature, Fire, Earth, Light, and Wind Elemental Magic," Grandpa said.
"Hi Brunhild! I'm glad we got the chance to accompany you!" she said with a warm smile.
"Oh, was it you who helped us fight the lizardman leader?" I asked. "Those powerful wind-cutting attacks… and the fireballs!"
"Yeah, those were mine. I helped however I could from a distance. My body isn't very strong physically, but I have an encyclopedia of spells in my head, so I can support with that," she smiled. "I've got plenty of Mana and Spirit Energy too, so no need to worry about potions for me."
"Wow, that's awesome. Thank you, Ylva," I said. "I know you're always busy in the village helping people. I really appreciate you coming."
The third was another man who didn't look nearly as friendly. Long spiky red hair, angry-looking blue eyes, clear brown skin, tall and muscular yet slender. He wielded two swords and wore magical accessories of bone and magic crystals like luxury jewelry—necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings. He was the village's famous Magic Blade user.
"This here is Veldr," Grandpa patted his shoulder, but Veldr clicked his tongue and brushed the hand away. "Hahaha, he's got some attitude! But he's reliable and versatile—spells, weapon techniques, survival skills, a bit of everything."
"Tsk, why do I have to travel with this brat, Chief?" he sighed. "Aren't you being too soft because she's your granddaughter? It's her fault we're stuck here instead of escaping winter!"
"Hah?!" I was shocked by his response.
"What? Got a problem with that, shrimp? I don't fear you like the rest," he smirked confidently. "I ain't kneeling to any damn kid. God-chosen or whatever? Like I give a damn."
"…" I stared in disbelief, and so did my entire family.
"Gahahahaha! He's got attitude, right?" my father laughed. "I chose him because Brunhild is always surrounded by people who don't challenge her. She needs someone who won't just praise her all the time—so she can grow properly."
"What?! Is this really a good idea? Can't I just replace this idiot?" Astrid asked angrily.
"Astrid? You think you can beat me? Hah!" Veldr laughed. "Try me."
"Grrr! Damn punk, I'm going to beat your ass!" Astrid started forward, but Magnus pulled her back.
"Calm down, Astrid. Grandpa's not wrong. Veldr has excellent survival skills and experience staying out for days. We've worked together before," Magnus smiled. "Though I don't know if he considers me a friend, I consider him one."
"Magnus… so you really lost your leg, damn it, dumbass," Veldr clicked his tongue, glaring at the prosthetic. "You're done for, you know? People with one leg don't survive wars."
"Okay, that's enough!" my sister snapped, ready to punch him.
"You're not wrong, but I've got other abilities I can use to help," Magnus said calmly. "Thank you for the concern though, friend."
"I'm not concerned," Veldr looked away.
"Anyway! Now that we're done talking, how about breakfast, hm?" my mother asked. "All three of you are invited. Come on, let's go downstairs."
"Thank you!" Ylva said. "Let's go, Ivar!"
"Hm," Ivar nodded. He looked a little hungry.
"Fine," Veldr shrugged.
We ate together and things gradually calmed. Veldr could actually be decent when he wasn't clashing with someone. I was pretty resistant to his provocations and harsh words—years of dealing with internet trolls since childhood had toughened me up.
Honestly, I like people like him. Everyone is sometimes too nice. Someone who doesn't care about my status and just says things straight is refreshing. My big sister and mother are similar, though they soften it because they're family.
Veldr? He has zero filter.
So once we finally set out into the woods after saying goodbye to my family and preparing everything, he was merciless.
"You've got terrible posture. Are you really our hero?" he laughed.
"You barely know where to go, do you? Useless brat," he shook his head.
"Can you even control that bird with your weak spirit energy and mana control? It feels like a toddler trying to wield weapons," he sighed.
"Hey idiot, it's the other way, dumbass," he snorted.
"Ylva, Ivar, you two are way too nice to this brat," he sighed.
"By the gods, would you shut the hell up for one second, Veldr?!" Ylva snapped as we traveled midway through the Wooden Passage toward the Lake, heading deeper into unexplored territory.
"I have to say, you speak too much," Ivar nodded. "The animals are getting scared. We haven't hunted anything because you won't keep your mouth shut."
"Heh, got a problem with that? We can always settle it one way," he laughed, pointing his swords at Ivar.
"Hmm…" Ivar clenched his teeth and gripped his fists tightly.
"Enough. Don't fight," I said. "Huginn already reported something. Fenrir, can you smell it?"
"...!" Fenrir nodded, pointing his nose into the distance.
"Some wild beasts. Let's go silently," I said, using Shadow Step to move undetected through the woods.
The other three followed close behind, hiding behind trees.
"Hm, oh, that's a big pack of gray wolves," Veldr commented.
"Shall we hunt them?" Ylva asked.
"Let's do it," Ivar nodded.
"Okay, show me what you guys can do!" I nodded, summoning my divine weapon. Divine power gathered in my palms, transforming into a gleaming axe of gold and red light.
The Divine Weapon Skill summoned a special "Living Weapon" bound to my soul. It could grow and evolve with the skill, making it far superior to my normal axe—which I now kept mainly for throwing.
The pack was large. No pups but led by FIVE Demon Wolves—prime sources of juicy EXP and Soul Points—so we had to take them all. Besides them there were about twenty Gray Wolves. Too many could threaten the village.
Better to eliminate them here and secure enough meat for our journey to the mountains.
"Gryar!"
The wolves howled in agony as Ivar charged in like a mountain titan. He swung his fists alone, shattering bones with ease. He kicked a Demon Wolf straight toward me; I cleaved it in two perfect halves with my divine axe.
SLASH!
BOOOM!
Flames erupted, burning the wolves in droves. Ylva conjured magic from afar, unleashing cutting winds with her bare hands, wounding them and leaving them vulnerable to my flames.
"ROAR!"
"Ah?!"
A Demon Wolf caught her off guard, charging from behind while another attacked from the front. Her eyes widened—she wasn't fast enough to dodge a bite.
But then—
"Holy Barrier!"
A barrier of light enveloped her in a protective bubble. The wolves smashed their jaws against it, shattering bones and teeth, crying in pain.
"Oh, Brunhild, nice spell! I'm lacking barrier spells—mind teaching me later?"
"Sure!"
She nodded, touched the barrier, and reshaped it into two giant golden fists. They pummeled the wolves into submission until my flying axe beheaded both.
Meanwhile, Veldr was…
Just killing them.
"I'm done with my half. You guys still struggling?" he laughed as I finished the last monster.
"No, we just finished. But what about saving the kills for me?" I asked. "I need them to gather energy so I can build stuff—"
"I don't care," he said. "This is the wilderness. No chief ordering me around. I agreed to help so I could get some real exercise out here without worrying everyone."
"Hah, you're really damn uncooperative, huh? What? Jealous of me?" I asked, provoking him.
"Hah?!" He glared, clenching his teeth. "How about we settle this right now?"
"Nah," I rejected the duel. "I don't want to waste time and energy fighting you, Veldr. We're allies. But keep the slander coming—I actually like it."
"Tsk, what? You're so weird," he groaned, clearly confused.
"Come on, guys. Let's go," I said.
Ding!
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have reached Level 55/130. Stat Points have been allocated; you gained 3 Free Stat Points.]
Three levels was decent. I quickly stored the corpses in my inventory and absorbed all the souls before moving on. Veldr's actions were annoying, but not enough to start a fight over.
He seemed eager to spar or test himself against me—probably to gauge his strength—which I found oddly endearing. He was throwing a fit against an eleven-year-old girl… but whatever.
"We've passed the Lake," Ylva said, looking around. "From here on its unexplored territory, right?"
"The route we're taking was scouted earlier actually," I said. "By my dad and a few others who went looking for goats and food a week ago. But aside from that one-day trip, yeah."
"But where exactly are we going? Are we just wandering like fools?" Veldr protested.
"No," I opened my map while using Bird's Eye to survey the landscape from above. Huginn was scouting everything. "We're here primarily for one thing: to hunt Spirit Beasts. They gather in areas with dense Mana—not just anywhere."
"That means?" Ivar asked.
"We're heading to a dungeon," I smiled.
"A dungeon?!" Veldr and Ylva reacted with surprise, while Ivar's eyebrows rose with interest.
"Yup, we're going to the Dark Swamp," I smiled viciously. "And we're aiming for the treasure in that dungeon too—why not? That place connects to the Spirit Root Forest. We'll pass through it first, so we'll kill multiple birds with one stone. Now follow me—the trip will be long."
I mounted Fenrir with Ylva, while the two men ran alongside us. They were big and hardy enough to keep pace without issue.
The Dark Swamp—home of the Swamplings, where Tier 3 Magic Beasts were normal and Spirit Beasts as high as Tier 5 appeared occasionally—was our goal.
The Hidden Dungeon beneath the Old Tree, filled with powerful monsters, the Swamp Ruler as boss, and the incredible Swamp Ruler's Ring. I needed them all.
To build a proper farm, I wanted that ring to enrich soil with nutrients and reshape land easily.
But first we had to traverse the dangerous Spirit Root Forest—an underground labyrinth beneath the forest roots leading to the swamps. Mole monsters and spirits lived there in harmony, and rich Spiritual Ores and Crystals grew abundantly. With my inventory, we could mine greedily.
Powerful Tier 4 to 5 monsters lurked there, plus an even more terrifying Tier 6 Spirit Beast guarding a valuable treasure chest with a powerful armor set… I was still debating whether to attempt it now that I had grown so strong, but simply passing through for materials would suffice.
"How long until we get there though?" Veldr complained after three hours of nonstop travel.
"Almost there," I said. "Can you feel the density of spiritual energy in the air?"
"Oh!" Ylva noticed first. "Yes, it's thick! I feel so good here—even stronger somehow."
"Hm, it's comfortable," Ivar nodded. "But I can feel it too. Monsters everywhere… there."
"…" Veldr stayed silent, looking around cautiously at what Ivar pointed out.
We pressed forward until we reached our destination: a large hole in the forest floor, a cave formed among the countless roots of enormous trees.
Faintly lit by bioluminescent mushrooms and drifting spirits, the entrance to the Spirit Root Forest awaited.
"We're finally here. Get ready. This will be like nothing you've faced before. Let's cover each other's backs," I dismounted Fenrir. "Let's move!"
-----
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