Chapter One Hundred and One — Evolution
Chapter One Hundred and One — Evolution I had a list of possible evolutions to choose from, a whole lot of juicy things to dig into. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have the time just then.The delve team were sniffing about, looking for loot drops by the boss and looking increasingly disappointed as their search found nothing. The girls were focused on their own thing. Awen had a small piece of glass that she was focusing on and Amaryllis was... shocking herself? That was a problem for later.The pillars along the edges of the room were now housing two portals. One exiting just beyond the dungeon and the other...I walked over to the dungeon’s core room and stared within. This one looked like a sort of empty treasury, with the dungeon core sitting on a velvety cushion atop a stone plinth, A step into the room and I was flooded with fresh mana that made my fingertips twitch. No roots, evil or otherwise.I was grinning as I stepped out of the core room.“You’re not supposed to go in there,” Percy said. He had removed his helmet, revealing a surprisingly handsome twenty-something boy with nice blonde hair plastered to his head and an okay chin.“I didn’t touch anything,” I said.He harrumphed and tucked his helmet under one arm. “We’re leaving in a bit.”“Right!” I said.Eli and Boots were packing things up in a few smaller bags, they didn’t seem to carry much with them into the dungeon, probably because they stayed in Rosenbell and didn’t need to bring all sorts of supplies in. “Alright,” Eli said as he stood up and stretched. “We’re done here. It was a real pleasure working with you ladies.”“It was fun,” I said. “Will we be seeing you in town?”“You can see me whenever and however you want,” Eli said.I took a moment to register that, then turned to Amaryllis. “I think it’s time we go.”We left the portal with only the sound of Boots’ roaring laughter and Percy’s disappointed sigh behind us.The air outside the dungeon hit like a wall of warmth, sucking all the humidity away in only a few short seconds. I hadn’t noticed how dry it was around Rosenbell. Then again, we had walked over, getting acclimated as we moved. “Where to?” I asked.“An inn,” Amaryllis said. “Then... perhaps a bookstore after? I hope that this town has at least one. There are some little things I’d like to look up.”“Brilliant!” I said. “I’m gonna be looking at my stats and such while we move, alright?”“I, I can lead you,” Awen said. “By-by the hand. As we walk. By holding your hand. In mine.”“Sure!” I said. “Usually I’d ask for a piggyback ride, but that might be too much, huh?”“Awa. I... I wouldn’t mind if you rode me.”Amaryllis sighed. “You’re both idiots,” she said as she pulled a cord next to the empty spot where the lift had been. It rang a bell far above and soon the lift was dropping to our level a foot at a time.I grinned, squeezed Awen’s hand in mine, used my other hand to scritch Orange behind the ear, and asked Mister Menu to pop open my stats page.
Name
Broccoli Bunch
Race
Human (Riftwalker)
First Class
Cinnamon Bun
First Class Level
10
Age
16
Health
135
Stamina
145
Mana
120
Resilience
45
Flexibility
50
Magic
25
Skills
Rank
Cinnamon Bun Skills
Cleaning
A — 04%
Jumping
C — 100%
Gardening
D — 24%
Cute
D — 100%
Dancing
D — 30%
General Skills
`
Insight
C — 69%
Makeshift Weapon Proficiency
D — 68%
Archeology
F — 63%
Friendmaking
C — 19%
Physical Manakinesis
E — 17%
Skill points
3
General Skill Points
4
I’d gotten way cooler since arriving on Dirt, but I still had a ways to go. My next big rank up would be Cleaning at rank S. That was five whole points. After that... I guessed that I could spend some points on other things? Maybe Dancing and Gardening, they both sounded handy. Or maybe I could get those sooner? So many options! The lift finally arrived and Awen tugged me onto it.“How many class evolution options is it normal to get?” I asked.“It depends on the person’s achievements,” Amaryllis said. “There’s always at least one. It can go pretty high.”“Uncle once said he had ten options once. He picked the one that sounded the most fun,” Awen said.I nodded. “If it’s good enough for Abraham it’s good enough for Broccoli.” I nodded.Amaryllis muttered something that sounded like it might have been ‘utter morons’ but I decided to ignore that. You have Five (5) available Class Evolutions! I grinned and poked at Mister Menu to show me the first.Cinnamon NunYou have cleansed ghosts with magic and might. Have caused others to obtain the fear of god, and have stayed pure in body and mind. Requirements: VirginAffinity for Holy magicsSkill Unlocks:Cleaning Holy CleaningClass Description:The Cinnamon Nun, as warm and soothing a presence as warm cinnamon on a cold day. A figure of calm and purity in an otherwise turbulent world.Do you Want to Evolve your Cinnamon Bun class into the Cinnamon Nun class?I tapped my chin as we rose. “I got a weird one,” I said. “Cinnamon Nun. It’s like a holy thing.”Amaryllis shifted. “That could be useful, I suppose.”“I don’t know, I don’t look good in black.”I ignored Amaryllis’ confused look and opened the next class even as the lift stopped and we started walking.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Buns of SteelYour posterior has suffered repeated damage. Now it is hardened and toughened against even the hardest smack.Requirements: Suffer damage to the rearA leg-based movement skillHave at least one person admire your posteriorSkill Unlocks:Dance Booty SwingJumping Butt BouncingClass Description:Buns of Steel; both tough, and impossible to ignore. Do you Want to Evolve your Cinnamon Bun class into the Buns of Steel class?“Awa, you have a strange expression,” Awen said. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, yeah it’s just. Ah, this class looks...” I wondered how I could say it. “I think it’s a tank class. Not for me.”“That’s, um, okay. You should be yourself, right?” Awen asked.I grinned over to her. “That’s right!”We passed out of the dock section and into Rosenbell proper just as I opened a new classes description window... thing.Cinnamon BurnYou have begun to walk the path of fire mastery. You are not just spicey. You burn.Requirements: Fire mana useAt least one mana-manipulation skillSkill Unlocks:Cleaning Purifying FlamePhysical Manakinesis Physical Fire ProjectionClass Description:The Cinnamon Burn is the pyromaniac others fear. Upbeat and happy on the outside, your soul burns with a desire to see the world turn to ash as you laugh and bounce across its flaming corpse.Do you Want to Evolve your Cinnamon Bun class into the Cinnamon Burn class?“Ohh,” I cooed. “A fire magic class!”“Really?” Amaryllis asked. “That’s somewhat unusual. It would probably turn a few of your skills towards fire aspect abilities.”“Yeah, it does say that much. Not sure if I like the description. The nun class was better.” I shrugged. “I’ll think about it, I guess. Next!” Cinnamon Bun BunYou have made the making of friends your priority in life, and in doing so have gathered loyal loved ones by your side. Requirements: FriendmakingMade multiple friends across multiple racesBe at least two people’s best friendTeach others the magic of friendshipSave one friend from mortal peril and have them return the favorSkill Unlocks:Cute AdorableJumping HoppingClass Description:The Cinnamon Bun Bun is a symbol of friendship from the tip of her ears to the bottom of her soles. Nature smiles upon them and even the cruelest heart finds a kernel of fondness for the open-minded innocence of the Cinnamon Bun BunDo you Want to Evolve your Cinnamon Bun class into the Cinnamon Bun Bun class?“Oh, oh, I really like this one. Mostly,” I said. “The...” I paused to look around. We were now walking through some of the less busy streets, Amaryllis aiming for a little inn just across where we were. I noticed some people looking at us, wide-eyed and others pointing. Had we made a scene? “The, uh, Cute upgrade isn’t needed, but the rest looks really promising!”“So, you’ve found the class you want then?” Amaryllis asked.“Maybe! There’s one left to check out.”Play BunnyYou have charmed and seduced your way through the world. It has not gone unnoticed.Requirements: Make one person fall madly in love with youShow over 50 people your underwearShow over 10 people a sex toyBe able to unlock the seduction skillWear an animal collar daily for over a weekSkill Unlocks:Dance Love MakingFriendmaking SeductionClass Description:The Play Bunny is as fun as she is feisty. Twisting the wills and imaginations of those around her with a few well-placed words and a shift of the hip. Do you Want to Evolve your Cinnamon Bun class into the Play Bunny class?I felt my face warming up. Warming up a lot.“Awa, are you okay?” Awen asked.I looked around, noticing for the first time that we were in an inn. “I’m fine!” I squeaked.Awen blinked at me, then carefully placed her free hand on my forehead. “Awa, you’re so hot.”“No I’m not!” I said. “I mean... no? Just warm. Warm is all.” I tugged at my collar. “I’m not taking that class.”Amaryllis stared at me, a set of keys in her hand. “Right. We can look over... whatever is bothering you now later. We have a room on the second floor.”I nodded along and tried to make the blood move somewhere other than my face. “Awen,” I asked as we started to climb up the steps. “I’m not a seductress, right?”It was Awen’s turn to go red. “Awa!” Our rooms were nice enough, not on the level of the rooms of Julien and Juliette’s Inns, but clean and large, with a little bathroom to one side and a row of neat little beds set out in the middle. Orange hopped off my back and picked one of the beds for herself, settling down in the middle for further napping.“Food will be arriving soon enough,” Amaryllis said as she took off her pack and tossed it to the side. She sat on the edge of one of the beds. “Picked a class yet?” She asked.“I think so, yeah,” I said. Cinnamon Bun Bun seemed like the perfect class for me. It was really just my normal class, but a bit more. Not too much of a difference. It didn’t have some of the specialities of the other class options, but that was okay.“Well then, what are you waiting for?” Amaryllis asked.I grinned at her as I took off my pack and set it next to hers. “Nothing! “Do you Want to Evolve your Cinnamon Bun class into the Cinnamon Bun Bun class?“Yes please,” I said.Ding! For accomplishing great deeds and reaching the tenth level of your class, you have unlocked the Cinnamon Bun Bun class! Your Jumping Skill has transformed into... Hopping!Your Cute Skill has transformed into... Adorable! You are now eligible for a second class! Please pick from the classes you have obtained!-Wonderlander-Glass Cannon-PuppeteerThat strange warmth that pushed through my body when I levelled up returned, only it was tenfold as strong. My chest contracted and I felt faint for just a moment before it passed and my vision snapped back into focus. Then there was a strange... feeling at the base of my back and atop my head.My hat flew off as if someone had just smacked it from behind and clattered to the floor off to one side.“Huh?” I asked.My friends were staring. Staring hard. Even Orange was looking at me weird. “Did it go-” I stopped mid-word. My voice sounded off. No, not off, it was still my voice, but it sounded as if I was hearing it in a sort of almost-echo. It wasn’t the only sound that was weird. I turned my head and something on my scalp moved. Then it twitched. “Ah-ah-awa,” Awen said. She raised a hand and pointed to the top of my head.I reached up, slowly, and touched something long and furry that was standing... flopping, above my head.I ran over to the bathroom, the floppy thing flopping with every step.In the mirror was Broccoli Bunch. Wide-eyed, with her brown hair in a bit of a mess. And atop her head were ears. Big, two-foot long bunny ears, coloured the same brown as my hair, but with poofy white tufts at their base. They were ramrod straight now, almost as if they’d been spooked.I stared.The ears... my ears, twitched.Then one of them flopped down, folding in half at the middle.“Oh.”
* * *
Chapter One Hundred and Two — Bounce Back
Chapter One Hundred and Two — Bounce Back I sat on the edge of one of the room’s beds. Orange on my lap. Amaryllis to my right and Awen to my left. My friends, all of my close friends, were trying to comfort me.It was quite silly. It wasn’t as if I’d lost something precious or anything, and I wasn’t hurting. I had just become... something else. “It happens,” Amaryllis was saying. “Not terribly often, but it has been noted before. In fact, some races can trace their origins back to communities who all changed their main class and were turned into something... uh, else.”“Something like me?” I asked.“Awa, it’s not so bad,” Awen tried. “Um. I think your new ears are very cute?”My ears twitched. Reaching up, I tugged at one of them, then pushed it back up so that it was standing tall above my head. “I guess they’re kinda cute,” I said. If I was pouting a bit no one chose to comment on it.“You’ll need to learn how to care for them. And... and I suspect a few books on Bun culture wouldn’t go amiss. You’ve sort of barged into their race,” Amaryllis said.“Yeah, I guess,” I said.Awen reached up, then paused. “Awa, can, can I touch them?”Sighing, I nodded. “Sure, go ahead.”Awen started running her hands up and down my new ears. It was weird, and kind of ticklish, especially when she touched the white tufts at their base. My right ear kept flopping down as it bent in half at the middle. It was really annoying, like having a sock on crooked, but on top of my head. “Right,” Amaryllis said as she bounced to her feet. “I think I saw a book store around here. I had to stop by there anyway, I can look to see if there are any books that will talk about your... condition.”“Yeah, I’d appreciate that,” I said.Amaryllis nodded and stomped off. She wasn’t the kind of girl that could just sit around and wallow when things weren’t going right. She needed to act, to move.Usually, that was the case with me too, but I wasn’t feeling it.I sighed and let myself fall backwards onto the bed, then winced as a bit of pain sprang out from my tailbone. My tailbone that now ended in an actual tail.It was a good thing I was wearing a skirt, or else I’d need to cut a hole in my pants to let out the big ball of brown fluff now permanently attached just over my bum.“I’m being dramatic,” I said as I splayed out my arms across the bed. My new bunny ears flipped over the edge as if they were melting off the sides of the bed above me. “This isn’t so bad, I guess.”“It’s going to be okay,” Awen said. “Um. No one dislikes buns, I think. And, and you’re still Broccoli.”“That’s right!” I said. My good mood plummeted a moment later. “Ah, but now I can’t go back home.”“You, you can’t?” Awen asked. She climbed onto the bed and slowly sat cross-legged next to me. “Why not?”“Well, for one I don’t know how. But also, if I do go back. Well, there aren’t any buns where I’m from. And I don’t think I could hide my ears at all.”Awen looked down at me, eyes wide and sad, then she fell atop me and pulled me into a hug. “It’s okay! We’ll make a new home for you here. To-together!”I grinned and returned the hug. “Thanks Awen,” I said. “Ah... I should find a distraction, all this ear business is driving me spare.”“Um. You have a new class to pick, right?” Awen asked. “Did you like the ones you have available, or, uh, will you go do another dungeon for something else?”“Hrm,” I said as I began to rub Awen’s back. It was as much a gesture to keep me occupied as it was one to comfort my friend. “I have three available, we could look over them together?”“Sure, I, awa, would like that.”Wonderlander Skipping along the edge of madness, the Wonderlander is always late but never left. They find the beautiful things in the world and make them brighter. Never settling for less when more will do! Class Specializations: Social NicetiesHat-based Combat Madness EnhancementDo you wish to unlock your second class? “I like this one,” I told Awen as I repeated the class’ description. “It’s kind of weird.”“Awa, you, um...” Awen flushed and looked away. “You’re a little weird too, I guess. But in a good way.”I laughed. “Thanks! You’re... actually I have no idea, I guess you might be weird or normal and I wouldn’t know.”“Ah, I think I’m normal?” Awen wondered. “Amaryllis though,” I began.“She’s weird. B-but don’t tell her that I said that. She’s also scary.” Awen shuddered. “But...I think I like her. As a friend! I meant as a friend!”I pulled Awen in for another hug, because hugs were the best. “You’re so cute Awen.”“Awawawa...” Awen mumbled as I hugged her. “Next class?” “Y-yes please!” Glass CannonThe best defence is a good offence! The Glass Cannon puts everything into attack, which is a good thing too because they have a glass jaw. One way or another, something is getting broken! Class Specializations:Striking Hard Blitzing Fast Attacking AlwaysDo you wish to unlock your second class? “That’s the same class I have,” Awen said. “Um. I think I’m about to get glass manipulation with that one.”“Is that good?” I asked.“Um. Glass is an interesting material, I think. I ah, had an idea but I’m not sure if it’s good.”I shifted so that I could see her better. “What is it?”“Awa. W-well, I know that Light Aspect mana is supposed to be easy to use, but it’s kind of... weak. But there are things like focusing lenses and prisms and such. I think I could tinker a way to make it better.”“Like a laser?” I asked.Awen blinked. “You know what those are?” “Yeah, we used them to annoy cats where I’m from.”This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itOrange raised her head from my lap and kind of just stared. She was not impressed. She stood up, walked across my tummy, climbed over Awen, then spun around and sat on my face.“Orange! No!”After snatching Orange off of my face, then punishing her with kisses and hugs for a moment, I resettled on the bed with Awen tucked up against my side.“Only one class left,” I said.“Awa, the puppet one?” Puppeteer You have strings and now you're free. The Puppeteer ties others to themselves, not the other way around. The subtlest motions can have the most profound effects... Now dance, the show must go on! Class Specializations:Thread ManipulationBody StitchingPerforming PresentationDo you wish to unlock your second class? “Hrm,” I said.“Hrm,” Awen repeated. “I think I’m going to go for the Wonderlander class,” I said. “It sounds like it suits me better.”“Okay!” Awen said. “It does sound very, um, exciting.”Grinning, I poked at Mister Menu and waited for just a moment. A shiver ran through me, from the tip of my poofy ears all the way down to my toes. Ding! You are now a Wonderlander!Health + 5Stamina +5Mana +10Resilience +5Flexibility +15Magic +5“It’s done!” I said.Awen giggled and Orange flopped onto the bed’s pillow in celebration.“Now we all have second classes. How neat is that?” “Awa, it’s very, um, neat. I didn’t think I’d ever get to reach anything past my first evolution,” Awen said. “Now I’m going to be a glass cannon too, and Amaryllis will, um, make puppets out of people with electricity.”“That does sound like something that’ll make Amaryllis even scarier,” I saidThe bedroom’s door squeaked open and Amaryllis walked in backwards, wings carrying a small stack of books. “So, I’m scary, but not enough that you won’t talk about me when I’m not around,” she said as she stomped off towards the dining table set to one corner. “I found help.”“Um, hello!” I blinked and sat up straighter. I recognized the voice. Even better, I recognized the young woman that followed Amaryllis into the room.She walked with her hands woven together over her tummy, and her eyes were focusing more on the floor than the rest of the room. She was wearing a light cloak over tough-looking travelling clothes. Still, for all that her face was partially hidden by her cloak, it did nothing to hide the two big ears sticking out of the top of her head.“Booksie?” I asked.The bookshop owner looked up. “Miss Broccoli?” she asked. Her eyes locked onto my ears and I saw her expression twist with confusion. “You’re a bun?”I hopped to my feet, a smile tugging at my cheeks. “I am now! What’re you doing in Rosenbell?”Booksie’s eyes snapped away from me. “I’m heading home. I just had to stop here on the way back. It’s a quick stop, nothing else.”“Home to Port Royal?” I asked.“No,” she said. Then, quicker. “Were you a bun last time we spoke? I can’t remember seeing your ears, but I think you were wearing a hat at the time?”“I wasn’t a bun back then,” I said. “I’ve only had the ears for a few hours now. Ah, I guess that’s why Amaryllis asked you to come... she did ask you to come, right?”“I offered her money,” Amaryllis said.I huffed. “You can’t fix every problem with money, Amaryllis.”The harpy snorted. “That sounds like poor people talk.”Awen sat up, hands running across her clothes to straighten them. “Awa, who’s your friend?” Awen asked. “Oh, right!” I said. “Awen, this is Booksie, she owns a bookstore in Port Royal.”Booksie’s smile faltered a little and she went back to staring at the floor. “Used to own. I’m just a normal bun now, on my way to Cinderrun. But that’s not what matters. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Awen.”“Awa, the pleasure’s mine,” Awen said.“What happened to your store?” I asked.Booksie shook her head. “It’s not important,” she said. “Miss Amaryllis said that you needed help with something, and I think I can see the problem. People don’t usually just turn into buns, not as far as I’ve read.”“Were you born a bun?” I asked. I was definitely going to find out what happened to her store, but only when she was ready to tell me.“I was,” Booksie said. “And my mother before me, and my grandfather before her. If a bun mates with a human, their offspring is going to be a bun.”“Awesome,” I said. Any babies I had would have widdle little ears and a fluffy tail? I couldn’t say no to that! “So there are a bunch of buns out there?”Booksie smiled a little wistfully. “We have our little corners. Most buns are well treated. And we have a good reputation for, ah, most things.” She flushed a little at that. “If you don’t mind, how did you become a bun yourself? An artefact? Some magic that went... strange? A class evolution?”I nodded, then reached both hands up to stop my bunny ears from flopping. If only they could stay as fixed as my normal ears. “Yeah. My class changed to Cinnamon Bun Bun, and now I have these, and ah, a tail.”“Oh,” Booksie said. “Well, then it’s probably nothing to worry about. You still have human ears? Any xenophobe will be able to tell that you weren’t born a bun, so there’s that.”“Oh, um, okay,” I said. “Did you wanna sit? We can talk some more over tea or something. I guess if there’s no way to lose the ears, I might as well learn a bit about bun culture and such.”“Sure!” Booksie said. She took off her hood, which was quite involved with the big ears and all, and placed it off to the side. In the full light of the room, I could easily make out all the marks around her eyes. She hadn’t been sleeping, and I didn’t think it was because she was binge reading until four in the morning.My ears could wait, I had a new friend to cheer up!
* * *
