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Mithril Moles, the evolved form of Spirit Root-Eating Moles. They had reached a Rank nearly on par with Tier 4 Monsters, prioritizing defense and endurance above everything else. Hardened mithril scales covered their bodies from head to toe. Their claws and sharp fangs had grown three times longer, turning into deadly swords they used to duel one another for territory.
And now three of these bastards had shown up to block our path—probably to protect their boss. But we weren't pushovers who would crumble against a few appetizers. Grandpa had handpicked these three strong, young, promising warriors to accompany me, and so far they had lived up to every word he said.
"There's three of them—we each take one!" I shouted. "Ylva, can you handle the small ones? We'll make this quick! Fenrir, help her."
"Awoooo!" Fenrir unleashed a powerful howl, releasing a surging crimson aura that struck all the moles, instilling fear and weakening their stats.
"Nicely done!" I said.
"Sure, I can manage that. Your dog's a big help too!" Ylva nodded.
"Then we each take one? That's a tall order," Ivar said, reinforcing his body until he looked like a giant carved from stone.
"No other choice," Veldr grinned, gripping his magic sword. "Let's do this shit."
"They're coming at… me?!"
I stood stunned as all three charged straight toward me the instant I gave the order. They hissed, their metal claws slashing from the front, left, and right.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
I intercepted two with my Divine Weapon, transforming it into a long, thick sword, but the third struck my back, its super-hard metallic claws tearing into my skin.
"Nngh!"
The blow drew blood and sank deep, though it couldn't reach my spine.
I spun swiftly and kicked the attacker away while hurling the other two toward my companions.
"Catch them and take them down!"
"Ooohh!"
Both men roared, each seizing one mole and hammering it with everything they had. Ivar grabbed his opponent and hurled it aside; two smaller moles lunged at him, but he punched them straight toward Ylva and Fenrir, who finished them off. Veldr, meanwhile, engaged the third in a fierce sword duel, testing its strength.
And me?
Well.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
"Gryaaarrrr!"
My mole was already whimpering and scrambling to flee. I chased it down, smashing it relentlessly with my Axe Divine Weapon, but it kept deflecting my strikes and running.
Mithril was an incredibly valuable metal. If we killed these three, the clan would gain a fortune in mithril.
"Come here!"
I activated an ability I hadn't tried yet—Ninjutsu—by pressing my hands together and forming the required hand signs.
"Shadow Clone!"
POOF!
In an instant, two clones appeared at my sides. Each possessed only 10% of my stats and strength, but that still made them formidable.
They dashed forward with Shadow Step and Wild Cat's Leap, tackling the mole and hurling it straight toward me.
"Hey!"
The mole shrieked in panic as my Divine Weapon came crashing down, bending its mithril scales and splitting them apart.
"First Form: Searing Cleave – Burning Claw!"
CRAAASH!
Its armor exploded into molten mithril. The beast slammed into the wooden floor, nearly shattering it. My shadow clones pursued the wounded creature, seizing its legs and pinning it down.
"Bye."
I reshaped my Divine Weapon into a long spear and drove it through the open wound, impaling the monster. It didn't die instantly, but it eventually perished.
After collecting its soul and storing the corpse in my inventory, I rushed to Ylva's side, helping her deal with the endless moles pouring from the ground and walls, easing her burden.
"Brunhild! You sure were fast!" she laughed.
"Yeah!" I smashed one mole's head with my fist, kicked another in the stomach, and cleaved a third with my divine axe. "How are the other two holding up?"
"They're struggling—the moles are just too tough!" Ylva said.
"Alright, go!" I sent both Shadow Clones racing to assist them.
I could communicate with them to a limited extent, though they vanished if they strayed too far. That meant I couldn't leave any back home, but they still served as perfect walkie-talkies.
"Veldr, aim for the eyes and mouth—blow it up from the inside!"
"What?! I'm not taking your advice— Agh, damn thing!"
Veldr was too proud to listen at first, but when I gave the same instruction to Ivar, he nodded. He seized his mole, twisted its jaws open, conjured a hard jaded stone, and impaled it from within.
Brutal.
"See? It works!" I called to Veldr.
"Damn thing!"
Veldr fumed, kicking the mole, smashing it with his axe, then swinging his sword. The creature parried with its claws, dove underground, and struck at his legs. He dodged the severing blow, gathered mana into his hand, and charged again.
He pinned it down, kicked it hard, then slammed his sword into its jaws. The metallic teeth cracked against the blade, but he roared furiously, channeling every drop of mana from one hand into the other.
"Fuck you!"
With raw anger, he unleashed his magic inside the mole's stomach.
Everyone could guess what happened next.
BOOOM!
The mole's body didn't burst outward, but its insides detonated, inflating like a balloon for a moment before smoke poured from its maw and eyes.
"See? See? What did I tell you, huh?"
"Shut up!"
He punched my Shadow Clone, and it vanished, startling him.
"Wow, you're the worst. You were about to punch an eleven-year-old little girl?" I laughed from a distance.
"Tsk, you would've dodged anyway. But what the hell was that?" he demanded.
"A Skill," I shrugged. "Anyway, let's quickly finish the remaining moles and be done."
We teamed up and took down the last five moles in short order. Once they were gone, we gained another substantial wave of EXP.
And since every beast here was a Spirit Beast, we collected tons of Spirit Cores! We now had more than enough for any building that required them.
I had also gathered plenty of Souls from strong monsters, so I expected a hefty haul of Soul Points. Still, while we were here, I wanted to grind and mine as much as possible.
Ding!
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have reached Level 62/130. Stat Points have been allocated; you gained 4 Free Stat Points.]
Four levels this time, plus the three from before—seven total. Not bad at all for this dungeon! I was steadily growing stronger and closing in at Level 130 for an even more powerful Class.
Tier 3 would unlock better buildings, and I was especially excited for the Arena and Training Grounds. Both could strengthen everyone in the tribe and turn them into real powerhouses.
To drag this cannon-fodder tribe out of the gutter, I had to exploit my system as much as possible—just as Santa Claus intended.
"Alright everyone, let's take a break, eat something, drink water, and then we face the boss."
Everyone agreed. We sat in front of the gate while Ylva's Holy Barrier shielded us and provided plenty of light.
"Here, I've got sandwiches, stew, fruit juice, milk, and cheese for everyone," I said, opening my inventory and distributing the food.
"Hm, it's still warm?" Ivar asked in surprise as he tasted the stew from a large wooden bowl.
"Yeah, my inventory spell keeps things warm or cold," I nodded.
"Hmm! This is so nice!" Ylva said, savoring the stew before taking a big bite of her sandwich. "Bread is rare—how did you get your hands on some?"
"My grandpa gave it to us," I replied, finishing my own sandwich—mostly grilled horned rabbit meat with cheese and white sauce.
"Of course the chief would share bread with his granddaughter," Veldr muttered, eating his sandwich with an angry scowl. "Damn privileged brat. While everyone starves, you and your family enjoy life, huh?"
"What are you even talking about? We've shared everything we hunt with the entire village," I said, crossing my arms. "Plus, it's thanks to me that everyone's still alive. My abilities are what's holding the village together. I deserve the bread!"
"Yeah, but what about the kids maybe?" he pressed.
"…I guess so," I shrugged. "Well, if we get more bread later, I'll share it with the kids, idiot."
"Not like I care," he muttered, looking away.
"What's wrong with this guy?" I sighed.
"He's always like that," Ivar said, finishing his meal. He still looked hungry—he was a huge guy and probably needed far more food.
"Want to eat some mole meat?" I asked. "We can roast it over a small bonfire."
"Can we?!" he asked excitedly.
We spent the next two hours roasting meat, enjoying a big barbecue, and finally finishing our meal with a short rest.
"I'm feeling full of energy. Let's take down this thing," Ivar said, flexing his muscles.
Haha, he had looked so grumpy earlier—he really just needed a ton of meat.
"Alright, I'm ready. I'll put a Holy Barrier on everyone just in case," Ylva said.
"I'll go inside first," I announced.
"W-What? You're a kid!" Veldr protested.
"Huh? Are you worried about lil' old me?" I teased.
"Nah, do whatever you want," he shrugged.
"Haha, okay!" I nodded and opened the door. "Let's do it. Follow what I told you earlier."
As someone who had played Barbarian Conquest until the day I died (literally), I knew exactly what the three bosses of the Spirit Root Forest were.
The first boss was the easiest—a Tier 4 Monster.
The moment I stepped inside, it became obvious the creature had been waiting for us the entire time. Vines surged forward, wrapped around my body, and hoisted me into the air.
"Brunhild!" Ylva cried in panic.
"Don't worry, I'm fine!" I roared, unleashing dozens of fireballs at the shadowed figure ahead. "Come on, don't be shy—show me your pretty face, Rafflesia Viper!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless explosions of flame lit up the entire chamber, revealing the beast: a giant snake formed from countless vines and adorned with enormous rafflesia flowers.
Towering above every monster we had fought so far, the Rafflesia Viper stretched ten meters long—a true Tier 4 monstrosity.
"SHYAAAAAGGH!"
It shrieked as the flames consumed it. As a plant-type monster, it was incredibly vulnerable to fire, and I loved spamming Fireball until my Mana nearly ran dry.
"Now, go, go, go!"
While I drained my Mana conjuring so many fireballs, everyone charged in, targeting the creature's weak spots—its four large red flowers that reeked of foul stench.
Each flower served as a "core." Shattering them would severely weaken the monster; destroying or burning the head would finish it.
Veldr sliced through the first flower. Ivar followed with his bare fists, tearing the second apart after covering his hands in hard, rugged stone. Ylva summoned a powerful cutting wind that shredded the third.
"GRYAAAAH!"
The boss raged, whipping hundreds of vines at us and spewing poisonous gas everywhere. But we weren't concerned. Ylva knew Poison Cure Spells, and I was right there.
I swung my damn axe at the fourth flower!
CRASH!
"Gyaaaaaeegh?!"
The boss groaned instantly, growing weaker and somehow gasping for air.
Did this thing even have lungs?
Whatever the case, I quickly infused my Spiritual Embodiment Aura into my first axe and hurled it with Tomahawk Boomerang.
BOOOM!
Flames engulfed the Viper's head, burning it slowly. The creature stayed alive, thrashing its tail and vines, but I finished it off—drawing my bow and firing an explosive arrow.
BOOOM!
"That… should do it. Phew. That was fast, but a little dangerous. Is everyone okay?"
"Ugh… Uaagh…"
"Not really…"
Veldr and Ivar vomited and swayed dizzily. Ylva quickly cast her Poison Cure Spell, clearing their Minor Poison status.
Ding!
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have reached Level 65/130. Stat Points have been allocated; you gained 3 Free Stat Points.]
"This creature was also a Tier 4 Spirit Beast—congrats everyone! We're strong enough to take down Tier 4s!" I said happily.
"Yeah, I guess," Veldr shrugged. "So there's loot or what?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Look."
I pulled away the charred grass and plants from the monster's head, revealing a huge, watermelon-sized Spirit Core.
"Wow! It's so shiny…" Ylva said.
"It's immense…!" Ivar exclaimed.
"So this is a Tier 4 Spirit Core from a 'Boss' monster, huh? Not bad at all," Veldr nodded.
"That's not all," I said, walking around until I found it. "Look—a treasure chest!"
Nothing beat the thrill of finding a Treasure Chest full of loot while exploring a dungeon.
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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 +21 Advanced Chapters for only $10! The number will keep increasing every week as well!
https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch