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Ding!
[Congratulations! You have successfully used [Evolve] on your Trait [Soul Orb]!]
[Due to the vast difference in power and the absence of sufficient divine energy, you have only partially evolved an aspect of the Soul Orb according to your current capabilities.]
[Your Trait: [Divine Soul Orb – Tier 10 (SSS+ Rank)] has awakened a new Skill.]
[You have learned the Skill: [Soul Essence Connection – Tier 2: Level 1/10]!]
[You can now link your Soul Essence and the power of the Soul Orb with chosen allies. When these allies defeat enemies, the souls of the fallen monsters are automatically absorbed by the sanctuary. Furthermore, the strength of your Soul resonates within them, temporarily empowering them while fortifying their own souls. This grants protection against direct soul attacks and curses. The connection is permanent and remains active no matter the distance.]
"Wow…" I muttered. "So it worked… partially. Still, I gained a new Skill. This should make gathering Soul Points much easier."
"What happened, Brunhild?" my mother asked.
"Something happened again?" my sister asked.
"Something like that," I replied with a nod. "Stay right there…"
I activated the new Skill, sending threads of golden essence into their hearts and souls. A profound wave of connection washed over us, deeper than ever before. We all gasped.
"What is this sparkling light?" my mother asked in awe.
"It makes me feel stronger already," my sister said.
"Yeah. With this, we should be able to hunt far more efficiently," I nodded. "Here, Dad, Brother! Sigrid, Kara, and Ulf too!"
I shared the threads of my soul with them, enveloping each in a powerful soul aura infused with the very strength of my own soul.
The Soul Orb glowed brighter than ever, beginning to unravel even more of its hidden powers now that I had stirred its potential.
"Wow, is this a new Spell?" my dad asked. "Well, thanks!"
"With this, we can hunt with real confidence," my brother said, nodding as he sat down to clean his prosthetic leg. "Damn it, it's covered in frost again…"
"Ah…" I muttered. After drinking a Mana Elixir, I walked over to him. "Brother, let me evolve it—your prosthetic leg."
"Huh? You can do that?" he asked.
"I can evolve anything, so please let me," I said.
"Fine," he nodded. "But I hope it doesn't blow up or something…" He removed the leg and handed it over.
As I held it in my hands, I shouted, "Evolve!" A surge of mystical divine power flowed through me once more. With every use, I understood the ability better—how deeply it intertwined with my developing Divinity, Freyja, and the Soul Orb itself.
It was a power born from the fusion of these three forces into a single soul. A unique, cheat-like divine ability forged from that union… and from my burning desire to defy what was set in stone and help my clan evolve no matter the cost.
FLAAASH!
My brother's prosthetic leg had evolved. I prayed it would become something stronger, something capable of withstanding the bitter cold.
And it did.
The leg had grown larger, radiating intense heat and releasing steady plumes of steam. Its Magisteel surface was now intricately decorated and even more beautiful, transformed by my evolution power.
I checked its status, and I was not disappointed.
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[Magnus' Blazing Magisteel Prosthetic Leg]
[Item Type]: Armor, Prosthetic Limb
[Item Grade]: B+ Grade
[Item Requirements]: Missing Leg
[Item Parameters]: Physical Attack/Defense: 8,000 | Magic Attack/Defense: 5,000 | Durability: 30,000
[Item Bonuses]: +15% Strength, Agility, Dexterity | +30% Fire Power
[Item Skills]: {Prosthetic Leg} {Invulnerable} {Blazing Kick}
[Item Description]: Magnus' prosthetic leg built by the blacksmith of the village with Brunhild's help, further evolved by his sister's miraculous divine power.
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It had become far superior, functioning as both weapon and armor. It granted him strong defense while allowing devastating kicks.
"Here, try it, Brother."
"...!"
My brother quickly put it on. The annoyance that once plagued him had vanished. The steady heat radiating from the leg kept the frost at bay.
"Thank you, Brun! This is amazing!"
He pulled me into a tight hug, his relief and joy unmistakable. Moments later, he was running again—just like he used to.
"Bwun!"
As I watched my brother test his new leg, little Krarlak called out for me. He was safely tucked in Kara's arms. We had deliberately kept the children behind us and well protected.
"Has the little one been too much trouble?" I asked.
"Nah, it's fine," Kara replied with a smile. "Makes me feel important, taking care of him."
"He's a little too noisy," Ulf sighed.
"Awuh!" Krarlak opened his mouth and began playfully biting Kara's shoulder armor.
"Hehehe, Krarlak is such a cutie though!" she giggled, gently petting the baby's head.
"It's still a little sad we had to bring him… he's just a baby," Sigrid said, her voice tinged with worry.
"That's why it's your duty to protect him," I nodded. "Fortunately, his equipment generates a special barrier in emergencies. Still, stay away from the main fighting for now."
After a short break, it was time to move again.
"Alright, family. Let's go!"
We advanced through the corridors, combining my brother's sharp senses with my own. We also sent small spirits ahead to scout, carefully mapping the second floor.
Although I already knew the general layout, experiencing it in reality felt entirely different. Three corridors led to empty dead ends, so we took the fourth—the true path forward.
Along the way, we discovered three smaller isolated rooms. Each was guarded by a golem wielding a sword and shield.
My mother handled the first one. The treasure chest it guarded was evolved by me, yielding a single item: a pair of Ice Knight Armor Gloves that granted Ice Resistance and improved Magic Defense. I evolved them once more before giving them to her.
My father destroyed the second golem with a single, brutal downward swing of his axe. The creature had no time to react. Inside its room, another small chest waited. After evolving it twice, he received a Frost Knight Necklace that offered strong defense bonuses and powerful Ice Resistance. He offered it to me, but I insisted he keep it. It would protect him far better against the cold.
The third room held a General. I stepped forward.
"Let me handle this one myself."
After resting for ten minutes to recover my energy, I activated my Tier 3 Skill, War Saintess of the Umbral Hunt. I planted the Flag of Conquest, summoned the Umbral Huntress Bow, and felt my power surge.
Drawing the bow with perfect precision thanks to the Archery Skill, I formed an arrow of spiraling darkness pulled from the night itself, glittering with tiny stars.
Shadows spread across the area as complete darkness enveloped me. I aimed at the Tier 4 Frost Golem General, charged the arrow with concentrated power, and reinforced it further with Divine Weapon and War Spirit Aura Embodiment.
Then I fired.
BOOOMMM!!!
It was over in an instant. The Tier 4 Golem, unaware of our presence, was struck before it could react and exploded into pieces.
"!!!"
My entire family stood speechless, watching the monster that had once caused us so much trouble fall without a fight.
"It's done!" I said with a nod. "Let's grab the loot!"
We rushed inside. I snatched the golem's shining core, then turned to the third treasure chest. After evolving it, I opened the lid and grinned.
"Jackpot! A weapon!" I exclaimed. "A hammer, and look how beautiful it is!" I showed it to my family.
"Impressive!" my dad said. "That thing looks packed with nasty ice magic. Think you can unleash some glacier attacks with it?"
"Probably," I nodded, feeling its solid weight. "I've been wanting to use more hammers lately. This is perfect. I'll evolve it again, though."
FLASH!
The hammer grew even more refined and powerful, reaching B+ Rank.
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[Sorrowful Frost Knight General Glacier Hammer]
[Item Type]: Weapon, Hammer
[Item Grade]: B+ Grade
[Item Requirements]: Warrior Class
[Item Parameters]: Physical Attack: 15,000 | Magic Attack: 5,000 | Durability: 20,000
[Item Bonuses]: +30% Strength | +30% Ice Power
[Item Skills]: {Glacier Judgement} {Mountain Smite}
[Item Description]: A precious hammer once held by the General of the Frost Kingdom. Now it has evolved even further to unlock its secret powers.
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"Not bad at all!" I nodded. "This will do nicely. Let's move! The final boss should be waiting in the next room."
At the end of the corridor stood a massive frozen door. Without hesitation, we blasted it open and stepped inside. A grand frozen throne room greeted us. Seated upon his ice throne was the King of Frost, his pale blue eyes gleaming with cold menace.
[Sorrowful Winter King of Frost: Ezekiel the Fallen – Tier 5+]
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