The Tree of Ascension: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Peril's Prodigy Book 2) by Craig Kobayashi (ebook reader 7 inch TXT) 📕

had devilish horns sticking out of his bulbous head, and his face hadn't changed in the slightest. But his arms thickened and elongated with tight muscle fibers, and his legs had bulked up as well. Cautiously, Handsome let his feet touch down and he stood, looking back at Garath a whole new demon.

Congratulations, Garath! Your Summoned Flayer has advanced into a Cambionic Flayer. Born from the union between Man and Demon, a Cambionic Flayer has access to both the Blood and Death schools of magic.

The following changes have taken place on the Cambionic Flayer, ‘Handsome’:

1. Handsome's innate intellect has increased. He will be able to communicate with you mentally in one-word sentences.

2. Handsome will no longer be on the lookout for opportunities to harm you.

3. Handsome no longer has a desire to escape your control.

4. Handsome no longer detests your existence.

5. You now have access to Handsome’s Skill Tree and can guide his growth. *

*See Summoned Creatures partition of your MENU  for more information.

*Thanks,* came Handsome's voice in his head. The sound was scratchy and high pitched, like a bird had been stepped on. Garath nodded at the Cambionic Flayer and dismissed it back into his mind.

Handsome has a Skill Tree now, huh? This piqued Garath’s interest. Handsome's maximum Health and Mana were now both over 500, dwarfing the Flayer's starting HP and Mana of between 80-100. Garath wondered why the system didn’t inform him that his summoned creatures would gain so much power from simply being given a name. Or for eating the hearts of monsters, in the Flayer's case, at the very least.

He was reminded once again that he had a lot left to learn. Unfortunately, Necrologist was not a popular Class, and the forums held little information. Garath put it on his mental to-do list to create a thread detailing what he’d learned about the Class for other Necrologists to benefit from. He wondered if naming creatures under one’s control would always result in some kind of advancement, or if that was a demon-specific bonus. He made a mental note to ask Gary’s son, Brandon, about his experience naming his Tamed Crow, Dave, at a later time.

He was excited to check out Handsome’s new Skill Tree but first, Garath looked at the Fel Hound.

The demonic canine looked back eagerly, a nasty puddle of drool forming on the dirt below its gaping mouth.

"And what should I call you?"

The Fel Hound cocked its head at Garath questioningly, shaking free even more drool.

"Mr. Eager Guy?” he asked the hound. The demon dog looked at him with an unreadable expression. “No. You’re right. That’s dumb. What about Captain? I had a dog named Captain once…”

Again, the Fel Hound just stared at him.

Garath scratched at the stubble on his chin, then took a seat with his back against a gnarled old oak. "Vlad? There was a badass Hell Hound named Vlad in that book Afterlife Industries. You may be a Fel Hound, not a Hell Hound, but it’s close enough, right?"

The Fel Hound continued watching him, drooling and impassive, apparently nothing to add to the discussion.

"Not Vlad," Garath agreed. He thought hard, trying to think of a name fitting of the protective and eager-to-please demon dog. Then he remembered that his mother always told him that she had wanted to name him William, as the meaning translated to 'noble protector'. Garath wasn’t sure about the noble bit, but the Fel Hound was unflinchingly protective of its summoner. "William?" he suggested tentatively.

The Hound looked up sharply at him. The sickly-green, four-legged demon thumped its tail just a little bit faster at that.

"Bill?" Garath asked hopefully.

The Hound stood and spun in a tight circle, then sat back down and continued thumping its stubby tail against the dirt.

Garath smiled. "Bill it is, then."

This time the prompt wasn't a surprise.

Would you like to bestow the name ‘Bill’ to Summoned Fel Hound?

Yes or No

Garath chose ‘Yes’, and looked away to avoid the blinding flash of light as the Hound transformed.

The Fel Hound’s physical changes weren't quite as dramatic as the Flayer's, but there were some noticeable differences. Bill swelled marginally in size, growing to about waist height and thickening in the shoulders. The teeth protruding from his gaping mouth lengthened and darkened from a dull grey to a reflective obsidian. His stubby tail lengthened, and sprouted sharp prongs on the end that could surely be used as a weapon. But the biggest difference Garath could see was in the demon’s eyes. A new, heightened level of comprehension became clear to Garath. Bill wagged his new tail back and forth so fast that it looked like a deadly green blur connected to his ass.

Congratulations, Garath! Your Fel Hound has advanced into a Cambionic Fel Hound. Born from the union between Man and Demon, a Cambionic Fel Hound has a deep connection to its Summoner.

The following changes have taken place on the Cambionic Fel Hound, ‘Bill’:

Bill has unlocked the passive Skill: Pack Mentality.

Pack Mentality  - Bill can now sense your intentions. Bill can summon himself if he senses that you are in danger and cannot summon him of your own volition; While Bill is active, you and any additional creatures under your control receive +10% movement speed and +10% perception.

*Note: Pack Mentality may advance as your relationship with Bill progresses.

Bill barked enthusiastically and reared up on his hind legs. Garath got the feeling that this was the Cambionic Fel Hound's version of a thank you. He patted the sickly-green mutt on his head before dismissing him. He wondered if keeping Bill outside of his mind regularly would be worth making Tarzan hate him. The fluffy Maine coon had made it clear that she was not a big fan of Garath’s demons.

But there would be benefits to keeping Bill around. For one, the Cambionic Fel Hound would inform him of any potential threat long before he sensed it himself. Additionally, keeping Bill around him more may help to improve their relationship and potentially unlock additional bonuses for