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.

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 Nun
You 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:
Virgin
Affinity for Holy magics

Skill Unlocks:
Cleaning > Holy Cleaning

Class 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.

Buns of Steel
Your posterior has suffered repeated damage. Now it is hardened and toughened against even the hardest smack.

Requirements:
Suffer damage to the rear
A leg-based movement skill
Have at least one person admire your posterior

Skill Unlocks:
Dance > Booty Swing
Jumping> Butt Bouncing

Class 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 Burn
You have begun to walk the path of fire mastery. You are not just spicey. You burn.

Requirements:
Fire mana use
At least one mana-manipulation skill

Skill Unlocks:
Cleaning > Purifying Flame
Physical Manakinesis > Physical Fire Projection

Class 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 Bun
You have made the making of friends your priority in life, and in doing so have gathered loyal loved ones by your side.

Requirements:
Friendmaking
Made multiple friends across multiple races
Be at least two people’s best friend
Teach others the magic of friendship
Save one friend from mortal peril and have them return the favor

Skill Unlocks:
Cute > Adorable
Jumping > Hopping

Class 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 Bun

Do 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 Bunny
You have charmed and seduced your way through the world. It has not gone unnoticed.

Requirements:
Make one person fall madly in love with you
Show over 50 people your underwear
Show over 10 people a sex toy
Be able to unlock the seduction skill
Wear an animal collar daily for over a week

Skill Unlocks:
Dance > Love Making
Friendmaking > Seduction

Class 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
-Puppeteer

That 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.”