Rise of the Devourer

Book 2: Chapter 48 — Power Testing

Noah watched Bun Bun step out of the Dimensional Pocket, yawning as he stretched his newfound limbs, spreading the wings growing from his sides with feathers glowing in all colors with mana. The changes created a beautiful sight, a fur covered dragon-like creature, that still retained some rabbit characteristics. Bun Bun’s legs were even now, as he walked on all fours, instead of hopping around, his face was marked with runes around his eyes and on his forehead, which glimmered and glowed with endless magic. Two horns curved around, rising from his forehead, with long floppy ears coming from the side. A mane covered his chest, reaching to his back, which moved into a much longer tail that ended with a pointed tip.

“Life-mother?” a voice spoke in Noah’s head, like a young child speaking in his head.

“Was that you?” Noah asked, turning to the dragon.

“No, your familiar speaks to you.”

Noah turned to see Bun Bun looking at him, with more curiosity and interest than ever before.

“You can speak now?” Noah asked Bun Bun.

The dragonspawn responded with a nod, flapping his wings. “Still learning. Not as good as Life-mother yet.”

Noah looked at Bun Bun in fascination. “Is that what you call me? That’s… an interesting name. I’m Noah, if you did not know yet. I’d definitely prefer that over life-mother.”

“Noah,” Bun Bun repeated as if testing the word, before crackling with lightning in satisfaction.

“Can all dragons speak through telepathy?” Noah asked the Dragon.

“No, but many can. It is not too difficult to transmit thoughts through mana. We do so naturally without even realizing it.”

Bun Bun walked around, looking at the dragon as it spoke. A moment later, the dragonspawn bowed his head.

“We take no offense,” the dragon replied, looking down at Bun Bun. Noah wondered why he heard the words, but realized the dragon had intentionally transmitted them to him.

The dragon then glanced back at Noah. “Your familiar is curious to test its new abilities. Perhaps you’d like to help Noah?”

Noah looked at Bun Bun. “Sure, sounds fun.”

Lightning sparkled around Bun Bun, as he flapped his wings. Noah summoned his spear in his arms, his own mana swirling in his core.

A bubble formed all around them.

“We’ve made a protective area, so you can practice feely. We can heal any injuries that become too dangerous here. And we’d rather not have you destroy this forest.”

“I’ll try not to,” Noah replied, starforged arms forming behind his back, as mana weapons appeared in them.

Iridescent magic began to glow around Bun Bun. And with the dragon watching over the two of them, the spar began.

***

The world felt different to Bun Bun as he shot ahead. Every sense felt new now, more powerful than before. But more so than anything, it was his mind that had changed. He felt… more aware now. Having woken up in the dimensional pocket, the incomprehensible twists and turns of dimensions had felt just a little less incomprehensible to his vision. Memories of everything he had done till now returned, almost like glimpses of a past life.

He could think so much more clearly now, see more with his eyes, smell more, and understand more. And with that understanding, came knowledge, and Bun Bun couldn’t help but lament the foolishness of his past self. But now wasn’t the time.

He moved rapidly, using his new wings to take up in the skies. Mana flowed through his wings, generating wind that lifted him up in the air. The mana flowed through his body with no resistance, and Bun Bun found himself capable of forming more than just lightning or fire. Every element now swirled around him, water, wind, earth and more. He could create it all.

But he lacked practice, and old habits won. Swirling colors mingled in lightning form as they shot at Noah from the skies. The man took the attack directly, stepping back a single step as smoke rose from his body.

“Ouch, that stung,” Noah said, brushing at the point of impact.

“That’s not normal lightning is it?” he said out loud, looking up at Bun Bun.

“No, it is not. Though you are still resistant to it.”

Bun Bun flapped his wings, trying to figure out what else he could do. Reaching out to his new abilities, he found his aura strengthened far more than before. With a powerful breath, Bun Bun let his aura expand, the draconian presence weighing down upon the earth.

Noah stood unharmed, simply smiling at the rabbit.

“Frustrating,” Bun Bun said, looking at the dragon.

“We know. He has spent two weeks gaining resistances,” the dragon said, giving Bun Bun a pleased smile.

Bun Bun snorted, not ready to give up this easily. He’d just been testing his abilities so far, but now he would try and utilize them. Raising mana, Bun Bun began to form balls of electricity that swirled and circled around him rapidly. Another part of him reached out to [Temporal Warp] as the world slowed down around him.

[Draconian Heritage] told Bun Bun how to conduct his lightning, to deal the most damage, and Bun Bun shifted his mana flow to match, as blades of lightning formed around him.

[Elemental Body] turned his body ethereal, lightning now inhabiting all of his being, as he turned into more mana than physical matter. The world continued to move at a slow pace as Bun Bun shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

The entire sequence happened within a fraction of a second, as the rapid speeds and power generated a burst through the air evaporating everything nearby immediately.

As time resumed at a normal rate, Bun Bun saw Noah fly into the barrier, crashing there as smoke came from his body. For a moment, the dragonspawn worried that it had gone too far, but a moment later, Noah stood back up, with a small hole in his chest that rapidly began to fill back in.

“Fuck… that hurt a lot,” Noah said, blood dripping from his mouth as he clutched the hole in his chest. A few moments later, the deep pulsating mass of flesh was gone, covered with newly formed pink skin and flesh.

“Your constitution ability is on par with dragonblood. We’re pleased to see its growth.”

Noah spit blood from his mouth. “Just reached level 23. Might’ve been in some trouble had it been lower.”

Bun Bun prepared his stance, as he saw Noah walking closer.

“Alright, you’ve clearly grown a lot. Now it’s my turn to show off a little,” Noah said, as he split into three. Blink activated as all three versions teleported around the area rapidly. Obliterate, Bloodfly Swarm and Netherflame shot at Bun Bun, followed by attacks from the mana weapons by the many arms.

Time slowed down around Bun Bun as he weaved through the barrages of attacks, his body turning to lightning. Noah turned, watching Bun Bun move in bullet time before he Blinked, appearing in front of the rabbit.

A ball of black flames burst in front of Bun Bun, rising like a pillar as they consumed him entirely.

[Eternal Aegis] formed around Bun Bun, covering his body in shields as he jumped through the flames. His horns met Noah’s spear, sparks flying from the impact as both of them were launched backwards.

Noah looked at Bun Bun, his two projections appearing next to him, all three grinning maniacally. The dragonspawn flapped its wings, raising them up in the air. Mana swirled around Bun Bun, as a storm of lightning descended upon them. Flames burst out from Bun Bun’s mouth, covering the area, before time once again slowed down, as Bun Bun nearly doubled his speed.

Moving with lightning coursing in his body, Bun Bun shot through the chest of one Noah, crashing right through. The dragonspawn did not stop, landing after its charge and jumping right back up before it shot through another’s chest, using the charge to kick off of the ground before it shot towards the third.

Mana swirled as Noah turned rapidly even in bullet time, his eyes now a deep black, with red shining in them as claws met horns.

Time resumed at normal speeds, as a shockwave shook the earth, the projections vanished, dying from the strikes as Noah and Bun Bun were launched backwards from impacts, lightning and void colliding in a brilliant flash of magic.

“You’re fast. But I can keep up,” Noah said, his voice a guttural humm as his body finished transforming.

Bun Bun flapped his wings, snorting. He would not lose this easily.

Noah raised his claws in response, fangs peeking through his lips as his face split into a demonic grin. “Let's end this then.”

Time slowed down for one final time, now grinding to a halt as magic filled Bun Bun’s body. He turned into lightning itself for a moment, transforming into a bolt as the rabbit poured its entire mana pool into the strike.

Noah moved with Tony’s help, pushing himself to the edge of his limits as Nether flames and Obliterate gathered in his claws.

Bun Bun rushed ahead, moving faster than the eye could keep up with as he shot ahead. Noah swung, but missed the dragonspawn as its horns crashed into Noah’s chest, piercing through and back the other side.

Time resumed as Noah’s claws burst into flames, while he was launched backwards from Bun Bun’s strikes. The flames ate through the dragonspawn’s Aegis, draining his mana as Bun Bun watched from afar, panting, and feeling his strength fading as nearly all his mana was spent.

As the dust and dirt settled, Bun Bun saw Noah rise from the cloud, his wounds already healed. The portion on his chest grew a silvery sheen, having turned into a hardened metallic matter.

Bun Bun slowly let his concentration go, Aegis fading as he collapsed onto the ground. Noah walked closer, the metamorphosis fading as he sat down next to the dragonspawn, before lying onto his back.

“I really… want to say… it was easy,” Noah said, between breaths, glancing at Bun Bun. “But I’m… not sure… I can walk.”

Bun Bun saw the man looking at him with a pleased smile, and felt something forming inside him. Before, he had merely been here for the lifeblood. Drawn mindlessly like a moth drawn to a flame. But now… now he wanted to stay. He wanted to see how far this man would go. And he wanted to go alongside with him, growing stronger together.

Gently, Bun Bun pushed his head against Noah, allowing his body to relax, and in moments, sleep took him away.

***

“It seems the match was a draw,” the dragon said, as the shield faded.

Noah brushed Bun Bun’s head, feeling his body aching in every part. Even Tony had gone to sleep from the strain of keeping up with Bun Bun’s speed, and Noah found his head pounding.

“Barely… I almost died,” Noah replied, coughing blood, as he felt the broken mess that was the insides of his chest. His heart had stopped beating multiple times from the electric shocks, forcing Tony to jumpstart it again from the inside.

“We would not have let you,” the dragon replied.

“I know. It’s just a little ridiculous how strong he became. And he only just evolved.”

“You will be stronger, when you do.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s what I’m struggling to wrap my head around. All of this is already firmly in the range of superhuman, and turns out I’m only just getting started.”

“Levels are poor representations of strength. Some Paths go much further than others. And to travel upon them, you need to progress at a rapid rate as well. You are not too unlike a young dragon. Except, you were born mortal, and cannot grasp the strength that is fated onto you yet.”

“I suppose,” Noah replied, watching the clouds floating by.

“Rest now, Noah. When you wake up, we will break these chains, and finally be free,” the dragon said.

Noah closed his eyes, letting his mind sink into sleep with the pleasant chime of level ups washing over his ears.

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