Evolution begins with an ant colony

Suddenly, a radiant aura of mana began to slowly emanate from Oliver and Leona, Oliver's deep green and Leona's bright yellow creating a mesmerizing display.

"What's happening, my liege?!" Oliver mumbled, his eyes fixed on the greenish mana streaming out of his body.

Leona was equally curious, but before she could ask any questions, the mana levels in both her and Oliver's bodies surged even more, shooting upwards like beacons of light.

Witnessing this unfold, Akun couldn't help but mumble in awe, "Wow, this is simply amazing. I knew something like this would happen, but I never knew it would be this intense."

The gusts of wind created by the beacons of mana pushed Hestria a considerable distance away.

Everyone in the forest took in the sight of the beacons of light in the distance. Some gazed in awe, while others felt fear, misunderstanding the source of these lights. As the lights slowly subsided, Akun suddenly received a notification from the system.

[Ding!! Congrats to the player, your comrades have evolved!]

[Oliver and Leona successfully evolved to Dragon grade, stage 8.]

Akun, upon seeing this, mumbled, "Seems they both evolved all the way from Dragon grade stage 5 to stage 8. That's three whole stages, and in the Dragon grade, no less." He paused momentarily, gazing back into the forest, and added, "I wonder what grade the others would evolve to if I brought them here." He sighed and continued, "But it would be pointless, though.

After all, once they walk back into the forest, their grades will be suppressed again."

Suddenly, Oliver's voice called out to Akun, "My liege! I feel far stronger than I was back when I was in the barrier just now. My senses seem to have been enhanced, and my physical prowess has greatly increased. I feel like I could leap into the skies if I wanted to!" He beamed with excitement.

Leona, usually composed, mirrored Oliver's expression as she said, "Me too, my liege. I feel as if, were I to swing my blade, it would possess the strength and speed to literally slice through anything."

Akun smiled and replied, "Well, good for you." He paused momentarily, taking in their excited faces, then added, "Well, I think it's about time you three be on your way." Akun turned around and slowly began walking back. He then added, "I expect you all to be back soon." With that said, he instantly took to the skies, his body enveloped in the purple hues of his aspect power.

As Akun flew into the distance, Oliver and Leona waved, saying, "Goodbye, my liege. We won't disappoint you."

Turning around and slowly advancing through the snow, Leona remarked, "Alright, Leonheart Empire, here we come." Just as she was about to lead the way, she paused, realizing she didn't know their destination. Turning around to look for Hestria, she called out, "Hey, where are you? Get over here and do your job."

Hestria, walking slowly behind them, tried to pick up her pace, mumbling in a shivering tone, "I-I'm c-coming." Shaking all over, covered in snow from Oliver and Leona's sudden burst evolution, she felt the cold keenly. If she had her armor, the runes on its surface would regulate temperature and provide protection from the elements.

Observing Hestria's shivering figure, Oliver remarked, "Look at her; she looks like she might drop dead any moment. And none of us knows fire magic like Ember. So what do we do?" He redirected his gaze at Leona, softly calling her name.

Leona sighed, the cold air making it visible, and gestured her hand into the air, saying, "Inventory, open." In that moment, a bluish window appeared before her. She reached her hand into it, pulled out a scarf and a jacket, and handed them to Hestria. "Here you go," she said, slowly placing the scarf around her neck. She then handed her the jacket and added, "Put this on yourself."

Oliver, witnessing this, asked out of curiosity, "Hey, Leona, when and where did you get those?" He pointed at the scarf and leather jacket.

Leona then replied as she slowly turned around to face him, "Oh, well, I had our liege give me a lot of stuff in case we found ourselves in an unexpected scenario. Except for clothing and other resources, I also got us food and drinks." She seemed excited as she revealed.

Oliver let out a sigh as he remarked, "That's so you, Leona, always prepared. You make guardians like me feel dumb even though we work so hard."

Oliver then said, "Since we are prepared and all, why don't we head over to the Leonheart Empire, snatch their ruler, and get back so we can celebrate? Maybe the boss will give us a reward if we are able to return before sunset tomorrow." He explained as he pointed at the sun that started to set.

Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

Leona then replied with a slightly nonchalant tone as she spoke, "I thought you said you were looking forward to the adventure. What's the point of it if you don't spend enough time to take in the moments and actually enjoy it?"

Hestria, no longer shivering, then spoke up, saying, "Besides that, it's not even possible. It took me and the rest of my knight squad several weeks to get here. The empire is not as close as you think. In fact, there are no cities close by for hundreds of kilometers. The closest town is a place called Border Town, and it will be at least two weeks before we get there.

So, what our focus should be now is how to find a place to camp before nightfall."

Oliver then replied, "Hundreds of kilometers will not be an issue for us. Back when we were in the forest, Gideon and I used to run races like those in minutes. Not to mention, now that we are outside the barrier, what can I say? Guess we'll get there in a boom."

Hestria, hearing what Oliver said, thought it was simply absurd. Hence her reply, "What?"

Leona then added, "Yes, what he's saying is right. It won't be a problem. Simply point us in the right direction. I'll carry you if you can't keep up."@@novelbin@@