Evolution begins with an ant colony

Hearing what Akun said, Oliver felt a small chill run down his spine. He crankily turned around to gaze at Hestria as he mumbled, "You mean such a sweet-looking woman is secretly a psycho who enjoys carving monsters up?" Hesitation, a hint of disgust, and fear could be sensed in his voice.

Leona, noticing how he acted, couldn’t help but chuckle, prompting Oliver to redirect his gaze at her as he mumbled with a slightly irritated tone, "What’s so funny, huh?" He narrowed his gaze, sounding defensive as he asked Leona what was the cause of her sudden laughter, secretly knowing he was actually the cause.

Leona then turned to face him, excellently hiding her delighted face, wearing an expression of seriousness as she gazed at Oliver, saying, "Nothing." In actuality, she found Oliver’s sudden change in tone amusing.

For the past couple of days, he had been rather ’active,’ disturbing the female guardians with his rather charming approaches that were actually weird, and they had all been avoiding him ever since.

Seeing that he was the one to start avoiding a woman now was rather amusing, hence her chuckle.

Akun, while still seated in his throne, noticed Oliver and Leona’s friendly banter, but he knew that there was no time for it, so he called out to them to stop. "Leona, Oliver, as you can see, we are in the middle of a very important discussion, so I would prefer it if you both kept your exchanges for later."

Oliver and Leona, realizing that they were having fun in the presence of their liege during an important meeting, silently insulted his authority. Something both did not actually intend to do. Realizing this, they couldn’t help but apologize. Both instantly bowed their heads and then said, "We apologize, my liege. We won’t let such a thing happen again."

Akun then let out a sigh and proceeded to momentarily place his right hand on his face. He then continued, "As I said earlier, you are both expected to use force if you have to, wreak chaos, and cause mass destruction, but refrain from harming regular civilians. But if their knights come at you, do with them as you wish."

Hearing all that Akun was saying, Oliver started to beam with excitement. His eyes glinted with excitement, and he clenched both of his fists tightly, then proceeded to say, "This sounds so epic, to be able to leave the forest for the first time and go on such an amazing and epic adventure while carrying out such an important mission. I can’t wait."

Under Akun’s directive, Oliver, Leona, and the other guardians had previously embarked on a mission to acquaint themselves with the intricate terrain surrounding the forest. During their exploration, they made a noteworthy discovery—an invisible barrier that enveloped the forest, revealing the unique nature of the realm they were about to venture beyond.

Leona gazed at how excited Oliver was and knew he was silently looking forward to wreaking chaos and maybe chasing after some woman. Knowing he would inevitably do both, she couldn’t help but gaze at him, then sighed. She then redirected her gaze at her liege, Akun, and asked, "So, my liege, when do we start this important mission?" Her tone was slightly curious and firm.

Akun then replied, "It will be today, but before that can happen." He redirected his gaze towards Hestria, who shivered when she locked gazes with him, instantly turning away in fear and still visibly shivering. Akun then added, "I will have to make sure she won’t betray us."

Suddenly, in that moment, Hestria felt a mysterious force pulling her from where she stood by the doors. It was Akun’s aspect power, and she was instantly pulled over, then placed directly in front of him. Confused, Hestria wanted to speak up and understand what he wanted to do to her.

But before she could get a chance, Akun immediately lifted his right hand and mumbled, "Activate taming." In that moment, a purple chain erupted from Akun’s arm and sprung forward, swiftly wrapping itself around Hestria’s neck. Confused and thinking it was an attempt on her life, Hestria attempted to break free. She lifted up both of her arms and tried to break free of the chains around her neck.

But it was pointless; the chains soon vanished, replaced by a purple marking around her neck. She was still confused by the chain’s sudden disappearance, prompting her to think it was some sort of soul attack. She proceeded to redirect her gaze at Akun, wanting to finally speak up and understand what he did to her. However, the cold look in his eyes gave her chills.

Unable to summon the courage, she simply gazed at the ground, feeling defeated.

Suddenly, Akun’s commanding voice echoed through the throne room, each word a weight on Hestria’s already heavy heart. His gaze bore into the downcast Hestria, and with a stern expression, he uttered, "In case you are unaware, I have just enslaved you.

If you ever try to betray me in the near future," Akun’s tone turned icy, "then your life will end then and there." The gravity of his words hung in the air, creating an atmosphere of palpable fear for Hestria. @@novelbin@@

Akun then added, his voice retaining a serious undertone as he narrowed his gaze, "Are we clear, Hestria?"

Upon hearing his words, Hestria, visibly trembling and defeated, couldn’t help but reply with a shaky voice, "W-well, crystal clear, sir." The weight of the threat lingered, leaving an indelible mark on the once-confident knight.

Akun’s voice echowed in the grandeur of the throne room, his words calm yet firm, "Good." With a gradual and imposing motion, he rose from his throne. The weight of his presence filled the air as he continued, "Now, I guess it’s time I see you all off."

As the imposing figure of Akun stepped out of the majestic castle, Leona, Hestria, and Oliver followed suit. The vastness of the skies awaited them, and together they ascended, all took to the skies, lifted by the powerful force of Akun’s aspect power.