Evolution begins with an ant colony

Suddenly, Akun let out a sigh, a gesture that sent chills down her spine, causing her to pause and not finish her words. Suddenly, Akun’s cold voice echoed as he said, "Seems your thoughts are still clouded. Why don’t I help beat the answers into you?"

His words instilled fear in Hestria, causing her eyes to widen. Suddenly, she was forcefully propelled towards the walls by Akun’s aspect power. This time, its impact was even more powerful than before, and without any armor to cushion the blow, she bore the full brunt of the damage.

Falling back to the floor with a loud thud, Hestria struggled to hold onto consciousness. Her gaze was stained red with her own blood, and her body bore multiple serious wounds.

Managing to speak while she was still on the floor, blood pooled around her from multiple wounds all over her body, she began to beg, "P-please, I don’t know what I’ve done." Her words were muffled with pain, but she continued, "B-but I’m w-willing to make up for it." She said as tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. "I’ll do anything, so please spare me."

Akun, hearing her, then said, "Anything, huh? What about dying again? Are you willing to do that?" His words sent chills down Hestria’s spine, and for a moment, she remained silent, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Akun then mumbled, his tone cold and nonchalant, "One who has the fear of death has no place taking the life of others; you must always be prepared to die if you want to kill something." Akun’s anger was evident, but for some reason didn’t feel genuine.

As her consciousness began to fade, Hestria’s thoughts raced. "I don’t understand; this was only supposed to be a simple mission. Just retrieve some monster cores and return to save our country..." Tears slowly streamed down her left cheek as she mused further, "How did that... turn to this?

Dying, coming back to life, and dying again, at the hands of a god no less." She gazed at Akun’s figure as he looked at her coldly, his purple eyes glowing slightly.

Inwardly, Akun mused, "Still nothing. I don’t understand. I thought maybe if I punished someone who invaded the forest, since I’m its ruler, I might be able to feel something." He gazed at his hands, clenching them and musing further while he gritted his teeth.

"Ever since that entity put this black mark on my forehead, I noticed I was no longer able to stay angry for a long period of time, the moment anger came, it would just.. dissappear. I first observed this when I was spending time with Chrono Nexus. She did a lot of vexing things, but there was no reaction. It feels like I’m not even able to hold malice towards anything.

Even now, I’m supposed to be angry that it did this to me, but I can’t feel anything."

Akun then mused further, "Even now, I feel no anger towards this woman I’ve put in a bloody state. Guess the experiment is a failure." He let out a sigh as he mumbled, "Guess I should put a stop to it."

As she slowly closed her eyes, she noticed Akun let out a sigh again, and then he outstretched his hand. Seeing this, she mused, "Does he want to put me through even more punishment?" Suddenly, out of nowhere, the pain started to dissipate. She noticed a golden glow all over her body, her blood flowed back into her wounds, and the broken bones were completely healed.

She was in perfect shape, almost like nothing had ever happened.

Hestria, her voice trembling, questioned, "What just happened? Why did you heal me after..." She couldn’t find the words to describe the intense pain she had endured moments ago.

Akun’s voice echoed with a serious tone as he remarked, "I can’t have you dieing yet, I still have uses for you. It’s just as I thought. Even after all that intense pain, nothing came to mind." He slowly walked back to his throne, sat down, lifted his left leg, and placed it on top of his right. Resting his head on his right arm on the armrest.

Akun then spoke with a cold tone, his words directed at Hestria, "Since I don’t want to waste any more time, I’ll go straight to the point. You and your entire nation are going to be punished for sending its forces to infiltrate my nation and slaughter my people."

Hestria, who was still trying to recover from all the mental pain she was experiencing, even after having her body completely healed, could only mumble, "W-what do you mean... Lord."

Akun swiftly lashed back at her before she could finish her statement, "I don’t remember giving you permission to speak, and when did I ever ask you to call me ’lord’ and why are you even calling me that?" His words made Hestria tremble with fear. @@novelbin@@

Akun then added, his lustrous silver hair catching the soft sunlight that filtered into the grand throne room. He folded his hands with an air of calm authority, and his gaze, though softened slightly, remained fixed on Hestria, who was still shaken but curious.

"But before any of that," Akun continued, his tone measured, "I am going to have a meeting with the king of your nation." As he spoke, he seemed almost unaffected by the weight of such a declaration.

Hestria, caught between fear and intrigue, couldn’t help but stammer, "H-how do you plan on doing that, sir?" She consciously refrained from addressing Akun with the honorific "lord."

Akun replied nonchalantly, "Simply put, I will have you lead my guardians there so they can bring your king here." His words hung in the air, leaving Hestria to grapple with the implications.

Hearing Akun’s plan, Hestria’s thoughts raced, "Is he suggesting that I betray the Leonheart Empire?" The gravity of the situation sank in, and uncertainty clouded her troubled expression.