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The giant Lamia Matriarch's lips pressed gently against my forehead, warm and tingling with pure spiritual energy. A surge of mana flooded into me, instantly restoring my depleted reserves. Her golden eyes met mine with quiet respect before she drew back, returning to cradle Krarlak protectively in two of her six arms.
Ding!
[You have formed a Subordinate Spirit Guardian Contract with [Six-Armed Lamia Matriarch Spirit Queen – Tier 5]!]
[You may now borrow up to 30% of her total Spirit Power and Elemental Abilities.]
[Passive Effect: +20% Mana and Spirit Energy Recovery Speed | +10% Mana and Spiritual Energy Reserves]
[You have unlocked a new Skill: [Serpent Queen's Spiritual Blessing – Tier 2: Level 1/10]: Temporarily summon a phantom arm of the Serpent Matriarch Spirit to shield or strike for you. Defense and damage scale with her total stats plus your own Spirit and Mana.]
"Brunhild… did that giant beauty just kiss you?" Sigrid asked, eyes wide as saucers.
"And now she's looking at you like you're her second master," Ulf added with a grin.
"That's awesome!" Kara said.
I touched my forehead, still feeling the lingering warmth. "I think she appreciates the rapid evolution. She basically just said, 'Keep feeding us, and I'll help you too.'"
Krarlak giggled happily from his new favorite spot, nestled between two of the Matriarch's massive arms. He reached up and patted her scaled cheek. "Mama! Big Mama!"
The spirit's expression softened. She gently nuzzled the top of his head with her serpentine face. Though she couldn't speak yet, her affection was unmistakable.
My father crossed his arms and nodded approvingly. "With a guardian like that watching over him, we can finally breathe easier. She's already stronger than most Tier 5 warriors."
"She's beautiful too," my mother said, a touch dreamily. "Those golden scales… the way spiritual energy flows around her. It's like living jewelry."
Astrid smirked. "Only Brunhild could accidentally recruit a stunning six-armed lamia queen as an ally."
Magnus stepped closer, studying the spirit carefully. "Her presence feels ancient. Like she carries the echoes of Krarlak's bloodline and something deeper. Brun, you've truly outdone yourself this time."
I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed by the praise. "I just wanted the little guy to be safe. He's family now."
The Matriarch turned toward me again and bowed her upper body slightly. One of her hands opened, revealing a small, glowing orb of condensed spiritual energy. She offered it to me.
Ding!
[Six-Armed Lamia Matriarch Spirit Queen has gifted you a [Condensed Spirit Essence Orb (High Grade)]!]
[This orb can be consumed for a large permanent increase to Spirit Power or used as a crafting material.]
"Wow, thank you," I said, gently accepting the orb and storing it safely. The spirit gave a satisfied nod before turning her full attention back to Krarlak, rocking him gently.
Sigrid, still adjusting to her flaming hair and new tail, approached with a thoughtful expression. "Brunhild… what did that serpent spirit mean with the kiss? Nothing weird, right?"
"Huh?" I tilted my head. "What do you even mean?"
"N-Nothing…" she muttered. "So it's just a nice spirit-and-master relationship, right?"
"Eh, more like she doesn't want to let me go after I gave her so much power and food," I chuckled. "Nothing serious, though. I doubt she'd give her life for me the way she would for Krarlak."
I also noticed that the new skill, [Serpent Queen's Spiritual Blessing], had joined my Divine Skill list. It seemed to carry genuine divine power. Her name didn't mention it directly, but did she possess developing divine strength?
Sometimes when I evolve something, it appears I can awaken divine power—even if it has nothing to do with my own.
As my family watched the spirit play with Krarlak, I decided to use the remaining scroll on myself.
"Alright… please give me something good!"
I opened the scroll. Runes appeared and rotated around me, slowly merging with my body yet waiting for my choice.
Ding!
[You have used the [Pseudo Divine Talent Awakening Selection Scroll (A+ Grade)]!]
[Please choose from the following Pseudo Divine Talents.]
[Huntress Queen (S)]
[Soul Spirit Forge (S)]
[Barbarian Saint (S)]
"Oooh?" I was stunned. "What are these?! They all sound incredible…"
After tapping each one, detailed windows appeared.
[Huntress Queen (S)]
You are the queen of hunting. In wild lands filled with powerful creatures, you become stronger, faster, and far more agile. You detect foes from afar, track them effortlessly, and instinctively know how to butcher and harvest the best parts of every kill. Hunting monsters grants extra Experience, Skill Proficiency, and Huntress Points that enhance your hunting abilities. Those you teach will master Hunting Arts more quickly. Significantly improves mastery of all weapons, especially Bows and Knives.
[Soul Spirit Forge (S)]
Your soul has become a Soul Spirit Forge, capable of absorbing souls and spirits to create powerful weapons, accessories, items, and relics. You may combine them with additional materials or existing equipment for greater results. Enchantments can grant special effects, abilities, or skills drawn from the spirits and souls used. The more you forge and enchant, the stronger and more powerful your own soul grows.
[Barbarian Saint (S)]
You are the Saintess of Barbarians. You lead your clan to victory through war and bloodshed. Your power to guide and strengthen allies manifests in battle itself. Warriors you deem family or clan grow rapidly in power and levels, develop skills faster, and improve their tactics and combat abilities based on your own growth and accomplishments. This talent does not strengthen you directly, but everyone around you. The more you grow as a leader, the more automatic this effect becomes.
"Ah."
I had feared the Talents would be weak, but these... weren't they all incredible? I wanted every single one right now! How was I supposed to choose when they were all this extraordinary?
Huntress Queen would make me far better at hunting and so much more. And Huntress Points? Would that Talent unlock an entirely new Skill Tree, something exclusive to it?
Then there was the Soul Spirit Forge. What wasn't there to love about a power like this? It felt custom-made for me. With it, I could forge using the souls I gathered, even channeling the strength of my own spirits. Wouldn't that make both me and everyone else far stronger? The entire clan would benefit immensely.
And finally, Barbarian Saint. Didn't that sound magnificent as well? Though I would gain no direct power from it, I could strengthen my clan much faster. And since I grew so quickly, wouldn't they be able to keep growing right alongside me?
Barbarian Saint felt like the only right choice for someone who truly cared about the clan's long-term future. Huntress Queen was mostly for my own growth, benefiting no one else. Soul Spirit Forge would help us both, but mastering it would likely take a long time and prove hellishly tedious.
It was a shame it wouldn't make me personally stronger, but I had already grown tremendously and acquired some truly insane equipment. I would be fine for now.
"For the sake of the clan and my family... let's go with this one."
It was the wisest choice.
Ding!
[You have chosen the Talent: [Barbarian Saint (S)] for yourself.]
[Your Influential Aura has increased, beginning to influence all those close to you who are warriors.]
[Their ability to grow has been drastically increased based on your already incredibly fast growth and vastly superior strength.]
[Experience gained, Skill Proficiency, Battle Intelligence, and All Stats of all warriors you have guided have increased by twentyfold.]
"Twentyfold?!"
I nearly vomited blood. My knees buckled as I stared at the message in disbelief. So this was the power of an S-rank pseudo-divine talent.
I looked back at my family. They didn't feel any different yet, but my red aura now flowed into them, as if they had become extensions of my own body.
"Well… this will make them grow much faster. That's a relief," I said with a faint smile. "I don't know if anyone will ever catch up to me, but this is far better than nothing."
As I sighed in relief, I suddenly noticed something strange.
"Huh?"
The scroll's runes still lingered around me… and the other talents remained floating in the air.
"HUH?!"
Freyja's face filled with shock as she looked at me.
"Um… Brunhild, there's another bug."
I couldn't help but laugh incredulously as I pulled Freyja into a hug.
"Freyja, your bugs are the gifts that keep on giving!"
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