Rise of the Devourer

Book 2: Chapter 45 — Bunny Evolutions

Noah sat on his trusty log which had somehow survived everything that it had. Likely a display of the dragon’s control and ability. Bun Bun rested in his arms, sleeping peacefully, as the dragon inspected the little creature.

“Young, arrogant, but it does care for you. It would be wise for you to keep it under your control. Familiars that become stronger than their masters may begin to get ideas.”

“You think it’ll become stronger than me?” Noah asked, petting Bun Bun’s head.

“Not if you continue with our training, no. But it will certainly gain strength with this evolution, and the draconian blood in it will tempt it to try and defy you, like all children do. To test limits. It is on you to set boundaries. I advise fighting with it once it has evolved, showing it that even now, you are still its master,” the Dragon said, raising its head.

Noah looked down at Bun Bun, thinking over it. “You think I should wait before I evolve Bun Bun then?”

“No, given its state, we imagine it will take it a few days to completely transform. Better to do it now than later.”

“Alright, anything I should know before I begin?” Noah asked.

“There are many paths to strength, but not all are worth walking. And some are hidden under guises that may look weak at first. Do not be tempted by power whose price you do not wish to pay.”

Noah nodded, before pulling up the prompt for Bun Bun’s evolution. The message appeared a moment later with a chime.

Would you like to evolve Bun Bun?

Yes/No?

Noah selected yes.

Mana began to gather around Bun Bun, swirling and soaking into his body as Noah found an entirely new menu appear in front of him.

[Draconian Jackalope] has reached level 100!

Evolutions unlocked!

[Blood Hare (Rare)]

The path of blood follows your familiar. Its journey began when you first fed it your blood, and now blood will fuel its way. The Blood Hare is a master of blood, capable of sensing life, and draining blood from its victims, using it to strengthen itself on its hunts. A vicious predator that lurks and hunts without mercy.

Perks: [Blood Sense], [Blood Fury]

Noah read through the description, finding that it provided a mental image of what it would look like as well. He could see Bun Bun, with red fur, horns gone, and with an unending hunger for blood. In many ways, it was similar to his Exsanguinator Path, just more blood thirsty.

“A blood based path. One that fits the nature, but not the strength of your familiar.”

“You can see this?” Noah asked, surprised. He hadn’t shared the description with the dragon.

“We can’t see what you see, but we can tell what shape has been given. The rest is easy to guess.”

“I didn’t know that could be done.”

“Not without a few hundred years of experience and practice. So no, not for most.”

Noah chuckled, moving on to the next option.

[Pyrolopine (Rare)]

A path of flames, and endless burning ambition. Your familiar walks the path of embers and fire, now it shall be forged anew in flames. A rare evolution that can bend fire to its whims.

Perks: [Flame Body], [Emberstorm]

Noah saw the image, with Bun Bun’s antlers having transformed into elegant, flame-like shapes, and its eyes flickering with the intensity of a burning fire. It embodied fire and heat in its each step, burning everything around it.

“We already have enough pyromaniacs in our group,” Noah said, chuckling.

“It is one of the most primal sources of energy after all. And one of the easiest to learn forms of destructive magic.”

Noah moved on to the next option.

[Infernal Jackalope (Epic)]

Your familiar walks the path of fire and blood, of infernal fury and death. What better path for it than that of the Infernal? The Infernal Jackalope is a master of fiery agility. It can move swiftly and gracefully through flames without harm, covering itself in fire and the blood of its prey, it can strike terror into creatures far greater than it.

Perks: [Infernal Frenzy], [Infero Burst], [Infernal Aura]

Noah read through the description, as the picture of Bun Bun covered in black fur, with fire burning all around him, and blood red eyes came to him. The visage of a demonic creature of doom and death.

“Man, all of these are pretty scary looking,” Noah said, looking down at the rabbit in his arms.

“A creature created by killing a newborn draconian, that much is to be expected. The infernal realm is not one that has many pleasant Paths to offer. But they do provide strength.”

Noah nodded, looking at the option, before he moved further down.

[Stormhorn Rabbit (Epic)]

Your familiar has shown its mastery over lightning, becoming a formidable force of nature. The Stormhorn Rabbit commands the skies, summoning thunderstorms with ease and delivering electrifying attacks. It can channel the power of lightning to protect its allies and strike fear into its foes.

Perks: [Tempest Strike], [Stormhorn Thunder], [Aerial Dominance]

Noah saw a regal rabbit with two antlers jumping across the skies, with storms and lightning following in its wake. The image felt powerful, and regal.

“Ah, a path of the storms. Our domain, or close to it. We suspect your encounter with us allowed this Path to manifest. It is certainly the best one of those we’ve seen so far.”

“Yeah, it seems a lot less sinister,” Noah said, looking down at Bun Bun, before he moved to the next option.

[Skybound Hareclaw (Epic)]

Your familiar's aerial prowess has gained it an affinity for the skies. The Skybound Hareclaw soars through the heavens as a celestial avian, manipulating the winds and stars to its advantage. It has become a guardian of the skies, capable of moving across the Astral realms.

Perks: [Astral Navigator], [Wings of Cosmos], [Skybound Guardian]

Noah saw a hare moving across the skies, but this time, with far more agility and grace than the previous option. What this version lacked in raw might, it made up for in agility and grace. He could picture Bun Bun, soaring across the skies without a care in the world, moving free from the chains of gravity, and commanding the winds and the skies.

“And this one was influenced by your Astral Path. An interesting evolution, though one not often seen on Erandir.”

“Seems very mobility oriented, which suits Bun Bun. He’s always been extremely fast. But I wonder how much an Astral direction would fit him.”

“Whatever you choose will shape your familiar’s path. In some ways, you are choosing what it will grow to become. So think about what you wish for your familiar to be, and then decide.”

Noah nodded, looking at the Skybound Hareclaw, before he moved on from the selection.

[Dragonspawn Leoprid (Legendary)]

Your familiar walks the Path of the dragons. A race lost to time, the Dragonspawn Leoprid commands the tempestuous fires with a breath of searing flames, rivaling the ferocity of lesser dragons. The very essence of lightning courses through its being, granting it the power to shape the elements as it sees fit, whether to safeguard its comrades or obliterate its adversaries. Revered as a guardian of timeless knowledge and a symbol of indomitable strength, this legendary entity roams the lands, finding trinkets of knowledge to hoard and gather for its lair, much like a dragon.

Perks: [Draconian Heritage], [Eternal Guardian], [Celestial Aegis], [Temporal Warp], [Elemental Body]

Noah read the description, looking at the perks in surprise.

“What a fascinating Path,” the dragon said, leaning in. “Dragonspawn like this had died centuries ago. Before, when the kingdom of dragons had fallen, they filled the forests and lands, each and every one hoping one day to reach the heights of a true dragon. We never thought we’d get to see that Path return once again.”

“Some of these abilities look a bit ridiculous. What does Draconian Heritage mean? Or Eternal Guardian, or Temporal Warp?”

“Draconian Heritage will mean that this Path, unlike your familiar’s current one, is a path of a true dragon. Till now, your familiar had only been a Draconian in name, but with this path it would have the true blood of dragons. Eternal Guardian merely allows it to be well loved by people. Anyone who sees your familiar will know it to be a protector, and will treat it with respect. It also allows it to find knowledge hidden in places otherwise unknown. Temporal Warp is a minor temporal effect. Equivalent to a Hasten spell. Time will flow faster for your familiar for a short while.”

Noah whistled as he heard the abilities. “That all sounds broken. What’s the catch?”

“There is no simple catch. It is a choice, like any other. The nature of the strength here comes from a lost time, so it will be more difficult for future evolutions to guide themselves.”

“Gotcha, okay. So no major drawbacks,” Noah said. “I’m finding it hard to think what could compete with this, but there’s one last one left.”

Noah scrolled down, opening the last description.

[Apocalypse Bunny (Legendary)]

Your familiar walks the Path of Doom. The Apocalypse Bunny represents the coming of the end. Any creature that gazes upon your familiar will suffer from madness. Your familiar can call upon the strength of the three Primordial gods, using Undeath, Rot and Void to bring terror upon the world. Its mere presence is the symbol of the end, marked as a sign for the coming Apocalypse, and its magic can bring about utter dissolution. In its presence, one witnesses chaos and annihilation.

Perks: [Oblivion Embrace], [Doom Bringing], [Apocalypse Herald], [Primordial Vessel], [Destroyer]

Noah saw Bun Bun, now transformed, with ethereal silver fur that gleamed with celestial stars, obsidian antlers filled with Void, and crimson rot running through its blood and eyes. With each step, destruction followed in his wake. For a moment, Noah found himself captivated by the strength on display.

“And this… a result of your ties to the Primordial Gods. We hope it is obvious, but do not pick this Path Noah. Though it offers endless strength unmatched by any other, it is a path of ruin.”

Noah nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s fairly common sense to avoid a Path with Apocalypse inside of it.”

Scrolling back up, Noah went through the options again, before settling on his pick. “I feel like this is a rather obvious pick here,” Noah said.

“The correct path is often very obvious. But mortals tend to over think things too much.”

“I guess so,” Noah said, looking at the selections. He opened the option again, looking at the form of a draconian creature, with two horns and wings. Somehow both intimidating yet adorable at the same time.

“Welp, here goes,” Noah said, selecting the Path.

You’ve selected Dragonspawn Leoprid!

Your familiar is evolving!

Racial Perk: [Draconian Heritage] obtained!

Racial Perk: [Eternal Guardian] obtained!

Racial Perk: [Celestial Aegis] obtained!

Racial Perk: [Temporal Warp] obtained!

Racial Perk: [Elemental Body] obtained!

Noah saw Bun Bun’s body glowing, as magic began to pour into the little creature. Slowly but surely, the rabbit began to grow, changes forming visibly in front of him.

“Keep him somewhere safe. It will take a few hours for the changes to occur, and then a few days for him to wake up.”

Noah nodded, putting Bun Bun into his Dimensional Pocket. The dragon rose from where it lay, looking back down at Noah.

“With that done, let us resume our training. You wouldn’t want to lose to your familiar when it wakes up after all.”