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I woke up the next morning to the rhythmic, slightly comical sound of soft snoring right beside my ear. Little Krarlak had somehow sneaked into my bed during the night, as he often did. The tiny lizardman baby was curled up against me, his big round belly rising and falling with each peaceful breath. His scales shimmered faintly in the morning light filtering through the window, and his small tail twitched occasionally in his sleep.
Unable to resist, I reached over and gently tickled his plump belly. Krarlak let out a sleepy gurgle, his big, innocent golden eyes slowly fluttering open.
"Brun…!" he mumbled happily.
"Good morning, you little rascal," I said with a warm smile. "Why do you keep sneaking into my bed every night?"
"Brun!" he chirped again, as if that single word explained everything. He rolled closer, wrapping his short little arms around me in a tight hug. Then he rubbed his scaly cheek affectionately against my shoulder and promptly fell back asleep, content and peaceful.
I chuckled softly. "Aren't you the most spoiled baby lizardman in existence? What are we going to do with you when you grow up?"
A small sigh escaped me as I thought about his future. Krarlak was incredibly affectionate and gentle. I feared he might grow into a big softie, which could be a problem among his people. From what I had seen, lizardmen were generally a tough, cold-blooded, and battle-hardened race. They valued strength, resilience, and ferocity above all. Would they accept someone with such a gentle personality?
Shaking the thought away for now, I carefully moved him to the side of the bed, tucked a blanket around him, and got up to start the day. After a refreshing shower and changing into comfortable clothes, I headed downstairs to join my family and friends.
"Good morning, dear! You're finally awake," my mother called out cheerfully from the kitchen. The delicious aroma of freshly cooked pancakes filled the entire house. "Come eat with us. Thankfully we had plenty of ingredients stored up, so I made your favorite pancakes! That recipe you taught us is truly the best. Who would've thought something as simple as mixing milk, flour, eggs, and honey could create something so wonderful?"
"Right?" I replied with a big grin, sliding into my seat at the table. "Thanks, Mom. I'm starving." I immediately began devouring the warm, fluffy pancakes drizzled with honey and berries.
As I ate, my eyes landed on a large, ornate treasure chest sitting prominently in the living room.
"Noticed it already?" my brother asked with a teasing smile. "We saved it for you. After all, it dropped from the boss you defeated almost single-handedly. You deserve first pick of the rewards, Brunhild."
"Oh, that's really thoughtful of you guys…" I sighed in relief. "I was honestly a bit worried you might have already opened it without me."
"Hahaha, who do you think we are?" my father laughed heartily. "We're not going to steal your hard-earned loot!"
"It's so frustrating that we couldn't do more during the fight," Sigrid sighed, poking at her food. "I wish I could've fought by your side properly…"
"I don't want to keep babysitting Krarlak next time," Ulf declared. "Let's beat the next boss together, Brun! Stop treating us like kids. We're older than you, you know!"
"I-I'm not looking down on any of you…" I said, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about how it made you feel. Fighting bosses is literally life-and-death. I just didn't want any of you getting hurt because of me and—"
"You speak like a seasoned adult even though you're younger than us," Kara grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Maybe you have a powerful divine physique," Ulf added, "but that doesn't mean you can boss the rest of us around. Right, Sigrid?"
"Y-Yeah," Sigrid nodded. "I don't want to be treated like luggage. I know your family are all strong warriors, but… I still want to help too."
"We understand," my father said gently. "We'll let Brunhild take the spotlight when necessary, but we also need to be careful."
"The reason we trust Brunhild so much," my mother said bluntly but honestly, "is that despite her young age, she's far more mature and powerful than any of you right now. I know you want to be treated as equals, but we have to be realistic. There's a reason she's special."
"Gah?!"
"Ugh…"
Ulf and Kara looked visibly heartbroken, while Sigrid stayed quiet, absorbing the words.
"Mom! That was way too harsh!" my sister reprimanded. "Why are you always so blunt with her friends? They're not even your kids. What if their parents get angry later?"
"Then let them get angry," my mother replied firmly. "We only brought these brats here because Brunhild insisted. But they're acting like they're on the same level as her? Be realistic! I'm not trying to mock any of you—you're all genuinely strong. But come on."
"You're right, Auntie Frigga," Sigrid said with a humble nod. "It's hard to catch up to Brunhild… she's just way too amazing. But that's exactly why we want to keep chasing after her and at least try to stand as her equals, even if we know it's unrealistic. After all, like you saw in that last fight, Brunhild alone might not have won. It was thanks to everyone's support that she could go all out."
"Yeah," I nodded firmly. "We're a team. It's not just me. Only together can we accomplish great things. Even with all my strength, I still need support."
"You three should stay in the rearguard for now," my father suggested. "Your archery and fire magic are excellent. I can always fight confidently knowing nothing will sneak up on us with you watching our backs."
"Sigrid's magic is impressive, and that bloodline of hers makes her even more versatile now," my mother added. "You can fight alongside me and my daughter on the frontlines. We'll prepare proper equipment for all of you."
"Really?!" Kara exclaimed excitedly.
"Thank you!" Ulf cheered.
"I'll do my best in the vanguard too…!" Sigrid said, determination shining in her eyes.
These kids were far too kind and earnest for a barbarian clan. Then again, our own clan was relatively warm and trusting compared to most others. That kindness was probably our greatest strength… though it also explained why we often got pushed around by the bigger, more ruthless clans.
After breakfast, I finally approached the big dungeon boss treasure chest. Last time we received excellent rewards, so my expectations were high. Of course, I had already used [Evolution] on the chest beforehand, boosting its contents. I planned to evolve everything again after opening it.
[You have opened the [Evolved Frozen Swamp Cave Dungeon Treasure Chest: Sorrowful Frost King Edition (B++ Grade)]!]
The rewards appeared one after another:
[Mana Crystals (C+ Grade)] x100
[Spirit Crystals (C+ Grade)] x100
[Bloodline Elixir – Lesser Ice Giant Bloodline (B+ Grade)] x1
[Sorrowful Frost King's Magic Ice Armor (B+ Grade)] x1
[Sorrowful Frost King's Ice Broadsword (B+ Grade)] x1
[Sorrowful Frost King's Ice Crown (B+ Grade)] x1
[Talent Awakening Selection Scroll (B+ Grade)] x2
"Hm? These rewards are way too good!" I exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. "They're also quite similar to the previous chest. I guess these treasure chests have somewhat predetermined drops…"
Still, they were far more generous than what I remembered from the game Barbarian Conquest. After drinking a Mana Elixir to replenish my energy, I used [Evolution] on all the items.
The results left me grinning from ear to ear:
Spirit Crystals evolved into High-Grade Spirit Crystals (B+ Grade)
Lesser Ice Giant Bloodline became a full Ice Giant Bloodline (A+ Grade)
All the Frost King equipment upgraded to A+ Grade
The scrolls became Pseudo Divine Talent Awakening Selection Scrolls (A+ Grade)
"They evolved beautifully," I said happily. "Alright… should I share some of these?"
"Why? Keep them. They're your rewards," my mother insisted.
"Yeah," my sister agreed.
"I don't feel right keeping everything to myself though…" I sighed. "Let's start with this Bloodline Elixir. It looks incredibly powerful. But since I'm already evolving my own bloodline, taking it might dilute its purity for me. Wait—why don't I evolve your tattoos and bloodlines first instead?"
"I-Is that really okay?!" my sister asked, stunned.
"Of course. It's not that difficult, and I brought plenty of Mana Elixirs," I said confidently. "Who wants to go first? Once I figure out who would be most compatible with the Ice Giant bloodline, I'll give it to them."
My parents, siblings, and friends exchanged surprised and disbelieving glances. The idea of receiving such powerful enhancements clearly caught them off guard.
"Come on, it'll be quick!" I insisted with an encouraging smile.
"Well… if you insist," my father muttered.
"Ragnar!" my mother scolded. "Are you really going to keep letting our daughter do everything for us?"
"She genuinely wants to help," my father replied. "Wouldn't rejecting her help be more insulting? I'll go first, Brunhild!"
"Thanks, Dad!" I grinned. "For the tattoos it's simple, but for bloodlines I'll need to touch your exposed blood while it's flowing."
"Got it," he nodded firmly. "Do whatever you need, girl. I trust you completely."
Before checking my own gains or equipment, I decided to strengthen my family and friends first. After everything we had been through, it only felt right.
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