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.
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!Ñøv€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
The bunny closed its eyes, content with its meal. It had grown today. And it would continue to grow.
“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.
Constitution: 196 → 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.
