Rise of the Devourer

Epilogue: A Lost Bunny and The Abyss

Time was a strange concept. One that the murder bunny hadn’t known too well before. It understood day and night, but time? Time was something new. A different understanding.

What was also new were the glowing words. The bunny had come to like them. Closing its eyes, it tried to bring the words back out, displaying them in front of it.

Name: Unnamed

Rank: F

Murder Bunny - level 27

Perks:

Kinslayer

Cannibal

Forest-Tyrant

Ruthless Hunter

Racial Perks:

Murder Stab - level 8

Predator’s Senses - level 11

Bloody Claws - level 9

It had grown over its journey. Fought many battles. Won some, lost others, but it had left its mark.

Still, despite how long it had been walking, the bunny had not found the life-mother yet. The target was elusive, ever so far from its reach.

Continuing to travel behind that delectable scent, the bunny paused. It had a thought it had not considered before.

Was it… lost?

The bunny thumped its feet in frustration. How would it find the life-mother if it was lost? Kicking the dirt, the bunny charged as mana gathered in its horn. With a rush, it impaled a nearby squirrel. The bunny let the corpse drop, ignoring the body. It didn’t feel particularly hungry.

Walking ahead, the murder bunny sniffed the air, once again trying to follow the trail of blood. The scent seemed to grow a lot thicker in these parts, traces of bloodshed remaining. Hopping across the forest floor, the bunny marched on, stabbing any critters it saw on its way.

Life was simple for a murder bunny.

It was a predator. So it hunted things.

A strange sensation stopped the murder bunny in its path. A strange cavern stood not far away, and for the first time, its instincts told it to run.

The murder bunny frowned. Predators did not run. It pushed against the feeling, marching forward.

[Madness - V] has negated [Draconian Fear]

The bunny bounced into the cavern, and stopped when it noted a giant snake inside. Or was it something else? Snakes did not have horns.

The creature looked weak, its eyes were closed, and its body withering. Hopping closer to the creature, the bunny poked it with its horn. A moment later, it realised the thing was dead.

Losing interest in the giant creature, the bunny looked around. There was straw laid out farther inside, and a rustling noise coming from the nest. The bunny moved in and saw a strange, smaller snake, with similar white scales. The snake looked at the bunny, hissing as it bared its fangs.

The bunny did not care, simply continuing to watch. Its attention was entirely focused on the smell that kept coming from the snake.

Life. So much of it.

The bunny’s hunger roused. Yes. Today, it would feast.

The snake reared back, energy rising, and launched itself at the bunny. Within a second, the bunny jumped back, feeling far more power than it expected from the tiny creature. Rock cracked where the snake struck and the bunny looked on in shock.

Still, it was a small thing, nonetheless.

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Gathering its mana, the bunny rushed forward, its horn stabbing the snake. With a swipe of its claw, the bunny struck the snake’s head, before cutting into it. It took a few minutes of struggle, as the snake tried to wrap itself around and choke the bunny, before it stopped moving. At last, the creature gave a dying shudder.

You’ve killed a [Newborn Life Wyrm (Legendary) - level 3]!

Murder Bunny has reached level 30!

The bunny dug into its feast. Blood coated its fur red as it ate and ate and ate. It could not stop. Not even if the life-mother appeared right now. Each bite filled the bunny with more life than it had ever felt. It was addicting, and before the bunny knew it, it had consumed the entire snake.

Its body changed as it ate, growing faster than it ever had. And once it was done, the words of the world whispered in its ears.

You’ve consumed a Legendary Wyrm!

Murder Bunny evolution unlocked.

Murder Bunny → Draconian Jackalope.

Racial Perk: Draconian Fear obtained!

Racial Perk: Sky-step obtained!

Racial Perk: Wyrm-blood obtained!

The bunny closed its eyes, content with its meal. It had grown today. And it would continue to grow.

***

One week later.

Nae sighed, rubbing her stiff shoulders as she sat in her office. The work never seemed to end nowadays, with one thing after another coming up around her. First the eclipse, then the Abyssal Incursions, then the cultists, and now a dead Ascendant wyrm and its missing baby. If the guild didn’t chew her head off for letting a Legendary egg slip out of her fingers while it was close by, then the priests of Hellion most certainly would, for what she was about to tell them.

“I need a break,” Nae said, lamenting her work requirements. With a deft mental command, she manipulated her Astral Script to display her required records, before pulling out the documents she needed onto her desk. The least she could do was be organised, especially given the kind of information they’d extracted from the Abyssal Cultist Chief they’d caught.

“I swear, ever since I saw those guys, I’ve only ever gotten more work,” Nae said aloud. She glanced outside, watching the city and its people. It was a good reminder of just why she worked so hard, of what she was protecting.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Sending a pulse of mana, Nae opened the gates, and Raesar walked in.

“Is the news true?” the guild head asked, showing a rare instance of concern.

“I’m afraid it is. I verified it with multiple sources.”

“Damn rot infested cretins,”the Drailith hissed. “Does the council know?”

“Not yet. I’m about to head out and give them the news,” Nae said.

“I’ll go with you,” Raesar replied.

“No, you have your duties, and I need someone here to manage all the teams. The purge is still going on, and I can’t afford to have you wasting time.” Nae picked up her papers. “I’ll be fine, Raesar.”

“I know you will be. I just felt…” the guild head trailed off.

Nae smiled, patting the giant Drailith’s arm before she headed off. The elevator took her down and she made her way out of the guild. Walking across the main bridge, she showed off her plate, taking the direct entry to the governor’s place.

Once inside, she was led to the council’s chamber. Nae stood outside, her heart pounding, and took a few calming breaths to settle herself. A moment later, the call came, and she entered.

The lords of all the major cities of Meilor and the primary guild head sat within the chamber, alongside the high priest of the church of Hellion. A representative from the Empire, and all allied states was also present.

“Are you Miss Nae Celestine?” one of the five lords asked. This one represented the monarch directly.

“I am, m’lord,” Nae said, bowing her head. She tried not to suffocate under the weight of their auras or use Identify by mistake.

“Very well, present the documents.”

Walking up, she handed the documents to each of the members with a seat.

Whispers rose within the chamber, soon turning into outright exclamations.

“What is this nonsense?” the lord of Reimont asked, slamming the paper on the table, cracking the wood, and the ground beneath splintering from the motion.

Nae did not flinch, nor did she move a muscle. “Everything is exactly as it is presented, m’lord.”

“You’re telling me this report is accurate?” Krios, the lord of Heartilia asked, lifting the paper.

Nae met his eyes, an A ranker who could snap his finger and kill her with a thought. “Yes. All of it is true.”

“Then… that means,” the governor blanched, face turning pale.

“It means war,” the high priest said. “There is no other path to take.”

“Have you confirmed this information?” Krios asked, looking at Nae.

“Yes, we went through a long and intensive investigation process. All evidence points in this direction,” Nae said, expression grim.

Silence reigned in the council chamber as Nae spoke the words all of them dreaded hearing.

“They are trying to open a new Abyssal Rift in Heartilia.”

***

Noah opened his eyes, staring at a wooden ceiling. He lay on a bed with a simple white sheet covering his body, a warm light filling the room. By this point, he’d gotten used to waking up at random locations.

Slowly pulling himself up, he spotted Aurelia seated on a chair next to his bed, sound asleep with her arms resting near his legs. The room looked to be some kind of medical chamber, with lots of bandages, potions and such lying around the room.

Roused by his motion, Aurelia stirred. Yawning loudly, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and Noah gave her a smile.

“Good morning. Had a good nap?”

“Mornin’,” Aurelia mumbled, still half-asleep. Then she froze, eyes stuck on Noah.

“Hi,” Noah said, waving at her as his smile widened upon seeing her reaction.

“You’re awake.”

“I am indeed,” Noah said, stretching his limbs. “My body’s hurting all over like I haven’t moved in ages. How long was I out?” Noah asked, then he paused. “Wait, are you crying?”

“No, I just woke up and had something in my eye, idiot,” Aurelia snapped, wiping at her eye. “You were unconscious for ten days. We healed you and brought you back, but you wouldn’t wake up. The healers didn’t know what was wrong and I thought…”

“Hey, I’m not gonna kick the bucket that easily. This isn’t the first time I almost died,” Noah said with a chuckle.

Aurelia joined him, her relief evident. Noah noticed something different about her… Her aura felt different. Not as muted as it had been before. Curious, he used Identify on her.

[Cinderborn - ??]

“You ranked up?” Noah asked.

Aurelia gave a nod. “The battle was enough.”

“Did you get what you were hoping for?” Noah asked.

“No,” Aurelia replied, shaking her head. “But I might’ve gotten something better.”

Ash swirled around her palm, embers burning within them with a deep red glow that glimmered with a muted power. Noah watched in fascination as the magic flowed in before fading out of existence.

“You should thank Erwest. He’s the one who saved you,” Aurelia said.

“Yea, I figured that out when I met the goddess,” Noah replied, scratching his chin. “I honestly didn’t expect him to do that.”

“He doesn’t like you, but he’s still a Paladin. He won’t leave allies to die,” Aurelia replied.

Noah nodded. “What happened to the cultists?”

“We captured one and learned some information. I’ll bring you up to speed later, but for now you should rest. I’m gonna go bring a healer to check in on you, just in case,” Auerlia said, getting up.

Just as she was about to exit, he called out, “Hey, Aurelia? You remember the thing you asked me?”

Aurelia looked back at him. “About you wanting to die?”

“Yea. When I was there, in front of the goddess. I could’ve chosen to stay. Spend an eternity in paradise. I really did think about it. Honestly, it sounded perfect and comfortable,” Noah said. “But then I remembered something.”

Noah grasped the locket he’d received from Pierce’s mother, still tied securely around his neck. “I’d made a promise that I’d bring this with me on my journey. Can’t fulfill my promise if I die, can I?”

Aurelia stared at the necklace, smiling. “Better not die then.”

Noah watched her walk out of the room, and leaned back on his bed. With a moment to himself, he reached out to his Astral Script, letting all the notifications he’d missed display in their entirety.

Quest: The Vengeful Hunt, Completed.

Reward: [Party] system unlocked.

Paths:

[Exsanguinator] level 46 → 50.

[Astralwalker] level 44 → 50.

[Void Hunter] level 43 → 50.

You can rank up!

Abilities:

[Blood Drain] level 13 → 15.

[Bleed] level 13 → 15.

[Lifeblood] level 9 → 10.

[Blink] level 16 → 17.

[Dimensional Pocket] level 8 → 10.

[Obliterate] level 13 → 15.

[Void Hunter’s Eyes] level 23 → 24.

[Abyssal Symbiote] level 16 → 18.

[Lifeblood] has ranked up to Intermediate!

[Dimensional Pocket] has ranked up to Intermediate!

Skills:

[Soul Resistance] level 10 → 13.

[Soul Modification] level 7 → 10.

[Rot Resistance] level 9 → 10.

[Soul Modification] has ranked up to Intermediate!

[Rot Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate!

Attributes:

Power: 198 → 213.

Agility: 194 → 200.

Mystic: 252 → 271.

Free Attribute Points: 0 → 34.

Noah smiled at his Astral script, pleased with his growth. He’d come a long way from when he’d first arrived in the cultist summoning circle.

And his journey was only just getting started.