The Beast
Chapter 9: Order of the Rabbit
A Royal Road Fan Fiction… of sorts
By Halosty
The swimming, fishing rabbit was the next phenomenon that the fan club noticed. Nobody really thought it was a different rabbit from the first one. How could there be two exceptionally cute rabbits? Well, the rabbit was also exceptional in other ways. It was pretty fast, even while swimming. It had a voracious appetite. There were weird rumors about the rabbit killing some players, but these were quickly quashed. How could something so cute kill anyone? Even if it did… should it not be forgiven? Surely it was in self defense.
Members of the unofficial fanclub started adding each other to friends lists. They wanted to know as soon as possible if there were any new sightings. They liked to know any trivia about the rabbit. In fact, new information had recently been obtained. The rabbit was named Roger. The group instantly associated the name with cuteness. The members of the fanclub who had good eyes also noticed the cute bracelet it had around one paw. Obviously it was very fashionable. They started wearing wooden bracelets too, just as a way of recognizing each other.
When Roger moved from one side of the city to another, they of course went to visit the other location as well. Even the seller of vegetables and, apparently, fish, joined the club. Not that she gave anyone discounts because of it.
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At night, The Beast reigned supreme. Players talked of a new boss monster in the forest. They couldn’t really describe it, except as a blur. Then, you were dead. Those very few who had vision good enough to tell knew it was a rabbit. They wouldn’t tell anyone though. Seriously, a rabbit? They figured the information was best kept to themselves. Who dies to a rabbit anyway.
Of course, there was one warrior who was unashamed to tell people it was a rabbit. Somehow, he kept running across it. Everyone thought he was crazy. They didn’t make fun of him, because they knew he was a strong warrior. He couldn’t have died to a rabbit, so obviously he was making up stupid stories. Still, the rumor spread, and some players believed him, even if they wouldn’t admit it.
The Beast cared not whether his prey were humans (or elves) or beasts. Everything was to be killed. Because of his extraordinary power compared to his level, it was not hard to become stronger. This, in turn, made hunting easier. It was a vicious cycle. Most vicious for the players and creatures in the forest, but vicious nonetheless.
Then, The Best smelled something. Something tasty. It was in a dungeon, somewhere nearby. Another Carrot of Power. The dungeon was no challenge- just giant spiders of around level 50. There were enough roots around for him to keep up his satiety. Poison might have been an issue, if he hadn’t recently gained large amounts of health. 50 health per level of fishing was good, but 120 was better. This was the actual benefit that The Beast received. He’d become strong and fast enough in the water that he actually fished just fine during the day.
The boss wasn’t insignificant, however. A truly massive spider. Not dangerous so much for it’s direct attacks. Those, Roger could dodge. No, the boulders it shook down from the ceiling and the hordes of smaller spiders it summoned were the problem. They continuously wore The Beast down. Still, The Beast did not fear death. Not that it couldn’t happen, but if it did, well, he would accept it. However, this was only if he had done his best to be strong beforehand. He was not strong enough yet to die. He was, however, strong enough to kill the spider queen.
The Beast developed a pattern of attack where he bounced from wall, to spider, to ceiling, to spider. He never touched the floor. He didn’t have enough stamina, even when using satiety, to keep it up for long. However, he didn’t need to. The Beast was possessed of a massive amount of strength. Although he was not entirely focused on it, about even with his agility, his sheer effective level made up for the lack of single minded focus. Really, the giant spider was far out leveled. It only stood a chance because The Beast lacked anything in the way of equipment- except a single ring, and the effects of one carrot. Thus, it perished, in the middle of a pattern of attacks that moved back and forth across its body… almost like a web.
On its body were only two things The Beast cared about. First, was a carrot.
You have eaten the Dark Green of Power!
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Legend tells of a great rabbit emperor who gained his power by eating the carrots of power, which grant great powers to those who eat them. The legends are completely false, as any self respecting rabbit knows, but the power of the carrots are real!
+15% resistance to poison
The Beast was a bit disappointed with the results, but it was but a minor carrot. Besides, it did help to stave off one of the possible dangers of hunting alone.
The other item was a ring. It was hard to carry, but The Beast picked it up in his teeth. He would have someone help him get it on later, if it were any good. He really needed Arasel to get on. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long.
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Once the party logged on, they actually went back into the dungeon. Besides Roger and Arasel, the others were still behind on experience. Instead, they had a lot of experience fighting tough monsters. That might not have been enough to keep up, normally, but Roger made up any difference left over. Especially in a dungeon, where they mostly just had to keep themselves alive.
The reason to go into the dungeon was, of course, to collect all the loot. They didn’t want their equipment and wealth to fall behind their level, after all.
Roger’s ring was also identified.
Ring of Armor
Durability: 100/100
Defense: 10.
Special: Defense applies to the entirety of the body. Does not stack with any actual armor worn.
Normally, rings like this were considered trash. The only people who found it at all helpful were wizards, but even their robes provided almost this much defense. More, sometimes.
For Roger, however, it was a great boon. Sure, he could get by with his endurance stat and decently high health. This would still help immensely, especially in situations where he couldn’t dodge all the attacks. Generally, in that kind of situation, each attack would be weak. Thus, having just a little bit of armor could be a big difference.
Nobody else in the party wanted it, and they would not have kept it from Roger anyway. After all, it was loot he had earned. Plus, he left all the rest of the boss loot for them. Fortunately, no players had been around to snatch it up. In fact, they’d noticed a lack of players in any dungeon they entered after Roger. It was rather strange.
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The fan club was gaining momentum quickly. After a while, most of the members knew each other. One of them even said, “This is like a guild.”
Then it was a guild. Sure, some guilds were formed by serious players with specific purposes. However, with millions of players, some guilds would inherently be more casual. In this case, it was a guild devoted to lovers of cute things, rabbits in particular. Thus, the Order of the Rabbit was formed. They had rather casual rules for joining, but recruited a lot of members.
“Do you like cute things?”
“Yeah!”
“Join our guild!”
Thus, the Order of the Rabbit grew. This included a small group composed of a warrior, a ranger, a gardener, and a druid. Somehow, even the druid’s animal companion was invited and joined. Normally, it would just be assumed. Nobody paid the quirk much mind, however.
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In situations where people are driven off the correct track, it is up to others to straighten them out. Thus it was in The War of The Beast. A group of brave soldiers rose up to slay The Beast. They were opposed by a group of cultists following The Beast. Conflict was inevitable. The Beast grew stronger by the day, but The Slayers also grew in number. They were devoted to eradicating all manner of dangerous monster, and would protect the world from anyone, even those who were not beasts. The inevitable conflict grew closer, although only the highest ranking members of The Slayers knew their true purpose. They would be responsible for defeating the most dangerous monster ever known, at least near the land of the elves. Nobody was sure how The Beast compared against a dragon, because the cultists also contributed to the final battle. All that is known is that many were slain personally by the teeth and claws of The Beast.
End Chapter 9: Order of the Rabbit