Again, the known different ranks are Unawakened or Primal, Sentient, Awakened, Chosen, and Divine… Currently there are approximately 400 Chosen in the world, and only 10 Divine with higher levels being unknown.
The requirement to level up to the next rank is to defeat the boss and have the matching mental and physical fortitude. You can gain one rank above your current. For example, an Awakened can earn up to a Chosen mental and physical fortitude.
Sentient Rankers gained nothing, Awakened Rankers gaining the ability to sense others' intent and spirits with their mental progression. Gaining the ability to touch intangible non-spirit things with a physical progression. Those who can naturally avoid physical harm with their mutations, traits or DNA seeds.
Chosen Rankers gaining the ability to touch spiritual things with physical progression. Gaining a single ability of clairvoyance out of two. The first option being Foresight with the second option being Areasight, not needing to rely on your eyes alone to see all around you.
Divine Rankers gain a rare or higher-grade mental trait for the mental progression. Same for the physical progression, gaining a rare or higher-grade physical trait.
DNA Seeds, they're as small as a seed or big as a fist. These things are incredibly rare and credibly unpredictable. Often sold to a fool than to consume it themselves. They can be anything and be anywhere. Wake up fine, come home from work and have one on your pillow. DNA Seeds change your entire being, and if you're still able to have children it will forcefully be passed down unlike Traits that can't be and Bloodline Traits that only have a chance. Even if the seed is passed down it could still affect them in a different way.
A fire seed may make it so any harm that comes to you turns your body into flames and have the attack pass right through. This can also be negated through other means, but that same fire seed could just make your hair always on fire, breathe fire, fire eyes, or turn you into a fire elemental entirely and so on. From mundane to the unbelievable. From the useless and frustrating to the life changing. A true gamble.
…And with that, that should be the basics to help you understand the world of Atsyn as they know it thus far. Now let us continue the legacy of the Harts with their child Izeurik and see what he will do in his life."
The narrator slowly caressed the book of 'The Intimate Overlook: Boss Bunny Mafia.' one last time while gazing upon it. Treating the book with love and care, caressing the sides and edges as she slowly opened the book to the first page.
…
It was early morning, the sun still below the horizon when the sounds of thumping paws echoed through a dense forest. Three hungry and angry wolves chasing a horned rabbit after her failed attack upon them, one of which was bleeding from the forehead. Her miscalculation seemed to be the little bunny's doom. She failed to notice the other two wolves nearby when she attacked the straggler. Normally this would have been an easy kill for a horned rabbit. Because normally they travel, scavenge, and hunt in groups. Possessing thick, long horns protruding from their foreheads. But not this little bunny, who was alone and without a horn. Although she did have a much tougher skull. Instead of a horn, bone covered her forehead. Fading to the sides and down the bridge of her nose like an exoskeleton shield.
[Character card:
Name: None
Species: Horned Rabbit
Appearance: Snow White
Age: 6 months
Height: 1 foot
End of character card]
The reason the little bunny was alone was because she was born without a horn and deemed a weak link that needed to be culled. Her family was the only reason why she survived. Her mother, father, and older brother accepted her being hornless. The whole family were exiled when they stopped the culling. No longer allowed to gather and hunt with their kin, so they had to do it themselves. Her family did their best to help teach her how to hunt and gather, eating berries, herbs, and meat alike. It went well for a while until one day when gathering berries they were ambushed by two wolves. Still too young to fight, it fell to her brother and father to engage the wolves while her mother led her away from danger.
Despite it being two wolves versus two horned rabbits, they were far outmatched. For the horned rabbits were ambushed predators who hunted with stealth and numbers. Bouncing around in out of the cover and staying out of sight. Not only was this a head on fight but also, they were the ones ambushed. The fight was quick all within a matter of seconds. The father and brother both dodged to opposite sides, yet only one of them managed to escape unharmed. The brother's lower half lodged in the mouth of the wolf to their right. The father made a quick counterattack, hopping past the wolf to the left and piercing the right wolf directly in the jugular for a slow fatal blow. Freeing his son as the wolf let out a gargled yelp and began to collapse.
Before the father could even land, a claw from the other wolf swiped across his chest launching him across the ground. Immediately father and son both limped up and without hesitation both charging towards the remaining wolf. They knew death was near, but they also knew who they had to protect was behind them. Being closer, the son launched forward first followed shortly behind his father. The horn of the son met the paw of the wolf, piercing right through it. Growling in pain and frustration, the wolf slammed his paw down, crushing the son's skull underneath him. And that's all it took to seal the wolf's fate. Succumbing to his emotion left him open and before he noticed, the father's horn pierced his eye directly, digging deep in its skull. Howling its death cry, clawing the back of the father until they all collapsed. Leaving both rabbits and wolves bleeding out within 10 seconds of the start of the ambush.
As the noise died down the mother slowly stopped along with the hornless bunny. They both stood up on their hind legs to look back at the carnage, suddenly a third wolf pounced out of the underbrush aiming for the hornless bunny. The mother leaped, meeting the wolf in the air as her horn pierced the wolf's jugular for a slow killing blow. They both continued flying through the air and crashed into a tree. Before the mother could unlodged her horn, the wolf clawed her stomach and tossed her to the side. As they both tried to stand, suddenly the hornless bunny bashed the skull of the wolf. As the wolf was falling, they tried clawing at the young bunny, but doing it far too soon, serving to only smack the bunny away with its paw without slicing into her.
That moment of distraction was enough for the mother to launch herself at full speed, embedding her horn in the back of the wolf skull with such force and momentum that her horn broke and her body continued flying across to the other side colliding with the ground near the little bunny. The mother looked up, squeaking her dying plea for the little bunny to run and keep running until she found somewhere she felt safe, to never look back and survive.
And so, she did. After a final look at the remnants of her family the little bunny turned tail and ran as fast as she could, heart pounding not knowing how to think or fail. Only the desire to obey. She passed her home that was nearby, the bunny village that outcast her, passed rivers and streams. Going further up north annoyingly out of the forest where everything got warmer and the green forest slowly faded. She ran for miles and hours. The sun was at its peak when she started and now was already disappearing over the horizon. She eventually ran out of the forest completely and past a fence. Running on top of a hill where a singular large oak tree was.
As if drawn to the tree the little bunny wasted no time as she continued her heavy panting. Running straight for the tree and immediately digging underneath the tree to burrow herself underneath. Not stopping until she could fit herself in comfortably and simply collapsed…. No moments later she was sobbing in her exhausted starved dehydrated state. Finally feeling safe, yet alone. Mourning the family, she cherished dearly, resenting her village that saw her differently. Despite her loving family acceptance, she even cursed her deformity, only having disdain for it. But above all, she loathed the wolves for taking them away. For their nature itself. She subconsciously felt the same towards the other horned rabbits. Subconsciously declaring both her mortal enemies as she slowly drifted off to a nightmarish slumber.
Her foot thumped up against walls of her new home as she even ran away constantly in her dreams. When she woke up, she even ran into the wall before collapsing. Finally remaining still, completely exhausted from the restless night. Replaying the events of the day before. Despite all the horrors, her mind only focused on what her mother said. To survive. Despite being exhausted she was determined to do just that. Taking the lessons, she's been taught she slowly climbed out of her home, greeting the early morning air. The sun is barely coming over the horizon. Despite her hunger and thirst, she knew she must go out and scout the new area she blindly ran into. So very slowly she crawled out of the hole and walked around the tree, slowly expanding outwards making sure to keep a keen eye and ear out for anything strange.
The sun was up and high past noon. Noticing a few critters, no prey, and a whole lot of food planted into the ground in front of a house she paid no mind too. Disregarded it as a big, weird rock tree. Without seeing any threats, the little bunny beelined straight to a berry bush she saw before. Messily munching down as much as she could. Then she began carefully scouting once more as she made her way to the sound of rushing water nearby. A small metal canal constantly pouring water down turning paths as if ready to be poured into the different crop locations with a lift of a lever. While closed, all of the overflow traveled down and poured into a water well.
Never letting down her guard even after she arrived at the metal canal. Slowly taking a few licks before greedily drinking her fill. Afterwards she carefully made her way back to the tree. Doing another lap around the perimeter in glancing as far as her eyes can see from on top of the hill to make sure nothing changed. Then the little bunny went back to the berry bush. Stuffing her mouth full and holding as much as she can in her arms.
Slowly hopping on her hind legs as she made her way back to the entrance of her new home under the large oak tree. Plopping down the berries a little off to the side. Then the little bunny began continuing to make her home, burrowing deeper and all over. Every time she pushes the dirt out, she glances around to make sure nothing's changed. That's how she spent the next year. Filled with paranoia and single-minded focus of making sure her home felt safe. Scouting and digging, only stopping for sustenance. Noticing a woman and child tending to the garden in the mornings, the little bunny decided to only go for food at night just to go unseen.
The underground became like a maze to the unfamiliar as the little bunny burrowed all the way to the tree lines and near the planted food so she may come and go more easily. She did her best to keep it hidden. Despite all the dirt she removed from underneath, once it begins to pile up, she thumps it down and all across the ground and other trees while making sure it's all leveled. Always making sure she can easily see and move on good footing. With the constant digging, her pearly white fur was completely hidden with dirt working as better camouflage at night and in bushes.
After a year of scouting and making her home, she finally felt pleased and completely safe at home. The little bunny also felt she won't be getting any bigger anymore, although she was still quite small compared to others. She remembered the words her father would say.
"When you grow up, remember there is strength in repetition. If you give up, you will stop getting stronger. Being simply faster only helps you survive. You must be stronger to thrive"
From that day forward the little bunny scouted farther out, only maintaining her home and using the rest of the time training. Running around near the tree line, dodging trees and bushes, and randomly bouncing off the sides of the trees to immediately go in another round of direction. Even bashing her head on trees and rocks to get tougher. From up close and from afar with full high-speed collisions. Slowly cracking and breaking the rocks until she's too exhausted to continue. Returning underneath the tree to snack on her food she kept in storage. She found a nice spot by a strange root that went straight down. It was where she felt most comfortable, recovered faster and for some reason where the food never spoils. She slept peacefully, only occasionally having the same nightmare of running when by that root.
After many days of expanding her search, she finally spotted her enemies more. A lone rabbit munching on a strawberry in the forest. The little bunny snuck close slowly so as to not be caught. Then with one mighty leap she launched headfirst at the horned rabbit, colliding against the side of the horn rabbit's head with a loud crack. Her first attack was a success with no need, or just no desire for another. The horn rabbit was twitching on the ground when the little bunny bit down into its neck without hesitation and began feasting. It's been so long since she had flesh. Last time she remembered was with her family. The flesh of her enemy made it all the more tantalizing.
Although she thought about it, she never went after the other critters of the forest or garden. They did nothing to her, no kindness or malice. Just a silent agreement of peace. Although she did like it this way, filling her belly only with those deserving. Eating even when she's full just so she can keep the lingering sensation in the front of her mind, of how she's making her family proud, one bite at a time.
And day by day it continued. Not always finding prey, especially alone, but when she did there was no hesitation. Bashing her head into the lone wolves, injured or not. Sometimes going after two rabbits at a time. Half the time the second rabbit would attack, leading both of them to be defeated by the little bunny. The other half of the time they fled out of fright. Some out of sheer horror when they witnessed the little bunny immediately devouring the neck of their kin.
Until one early morning she miscalculated. With a surprise attack she launched herself into a wolf, with a mighty headbutt. There was a nice crack and a loud yelp of the wolf. Collapsing in its stunned state. Sometimes she managed to kill her prey with one blow, other times it took a couple of strikes. This was one of those times. Lining up for another strike before she heard the bushes rustling. Not a heartbeat later the little bunny already turned tail and began dashing away.
Two wolves jumped out and began a chase shortly followed by the injured wolf with a bleeding head. The little bunny flew in and out of bushes, bouncing off the side of trees for sharp turns in her escape entirely. The wolves had a hard time, predicting where the bunny would go next. Slowly falling behind and losing their prey. Suddenly the injured wolf collapsed causing the other two to stop their pursuit completely to attend to their kin.
Little bunny eventually made it back to one of her quick hidey holes while never once stopping to look back. She burrowed into her hole traveling all the way down the tunnels to her home. Although there was no success in feasting on the enemy this time, she knew her parents would be proud she managed to escape. Panting heavily as she catches her breath. Pulling a few of her most delicious juicy treats out. Crawling out of her main entrance and finding a nice spot under the tree to plop her butt down and enjoy the fresh air. Beginning to slowly munch away, watching that same woman and young child tending to the garden once again as the sun began beaming over the horizon.