Evolution begins with an ant colony

A piercing ray of sunlight speared through the window, striking Akun directly in the eye. He groaned, flinging his arm over his face to block the unwanted light. A soft giggle filled the room, followed by the whisper, "Rise and shine, sleepyhead."

Akun cracked open one eye to see Chrono Nexus perched on the edge of his bed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She wore a simple white tunic that barely skimmed her knees, leaving an expanse of toned leg exposed.

"What do you think you're doing?" he mumbled, squinting at her.

"Admiring the view," she replied, a playful smile on her lips. "You look so cute when you sleep."

Akun let out a disgruntled sigh. "If you start pulling stunts like this, Nexus, one of these days something unexpected might happen."

Chrono Nexus's smile widened into a full grin. "Oh, I look forward to it," she teased, leaning closer. "We aren't children now, are we, darling?"

Akun flushed crimson, a warmth spreading from his chest to his cheeks. He scrambled to his feet, avoiding her gaze. "System," he called out in his thoughts, his voice a touch higher than usual. "Re-equip my armor and cloak."

Momentarily covered in the shimmering light, as the familiar weight of his gear settled on him, Akun felt a sense of normalcy return. He was ready to face whatever challenges awaited them.

Just as he was about to step out of his room, Chrono Nexus called out, "Wait! Mellin and Kaldarix weren't in their rooms this morning. Do you-"

Akun cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I know, they left. Don't worry about them. Their heads are undoubtedly messed up right now. It's best to give them some time to sort out their thoughts."

Chrono Nexus was a bit surprised that he said that with such certainty, propping herself up on her elbows as she glanced at Akun. "How did you find out?"

Akun, standing by the bedside, momentarily gazed back at her, his hand absentmindedly resting on the bedpost. "You're under my enslavement skill, remember?

I can share any of your skills, and your 'Authority,' your skill of 'retrocognition,' may be overwhelming, but it's easy to use if I simply decide to find out one thing." he said, his eyes meeting hers as he leaned slightly forward, his stance confident.

Chrono Nexus gestured inquisitively, raising herself up further on the bed as she narrowed her gaze. "Oh, is that so? So why don't you use it to find out what you want about Aric?" she questioned, her hand gesturing towards Akun as she spoke.

Akun paused, his gaze meeting Chrono Nexus's as he contemplated her words, his posture relaxed yet attentive. "How do you know I want to know more about him?" he mumbled.

"Come on, darling," Chrono Nexus replied, lying back on the bed with a smirk, her hands resting behind her head. "Even if I wasn't there, I know the skills he used at the arena are similar to yours, and you have been acting a bit stiff ever since the tournament ended, so it's obviously because of him. I wouldn't be the goddess of time and knowledge if I wasn't able to deduce that much."

Akun stood his ground, his arms crossing over his chest as he listened to Chrono Nexus, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Well, since you are the goddess of time, you should know I would have already tried," he said, his tone lighthearted as he shifted his weight, his eyes never leaving hers.

Inwardly he mused, "The system was blocking all attempts to find out information about him, so in a sense, I did all I could."

Akun then added, "Are you able to find out something I couldn't?"

Chrono Nexus smiled knowingly, sitting up on the bed and swinging her legs over the edge. "Afraid not," she admitted, her gaze meeting Akun's as she stood up confidently. "There appears to be some sort of energy around him that prevents my skills from working on him, and I think it has some relationship with you.

He doesn't appear to be from this timeline, and his presence is causing the future to constantly change."

Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

Akun let out a sigh, his arms dropping to his sides as he listened to Chrono Nexus's words, his stance thoughtful. "That was a fact I already knew," he conceded, a serious expression crossing his face. "And that's why my current objective is to find him."

Akun then stepped out into the hallway, blinking against the bright morning light. There, leaning against the wall, stood Genreia, Hestria, Tatilia, and Azara. They watched him like they were expecting something, their bodies shifting slightly as they awaited his next move.

"Now that I look at it again," he thought to himself, "it seems I'm the only guy in this party of mine except Kaldarix. Well I guess he's gone now so I'm all alone now, well, it doesn't matter."

Tatilia, the most forward of the four women, approached him with a bright smile, her hips swaying slightly as she moved. "Good morning, master."

Genreia followed suit, offering a more reserved greeting, her hand brushing back a strand of hair as she spoke. "Master. Good morning."

Akun nodded back at them, returning their greetings. He couldn't help but notice how comfortable they seemed around him, especially Tatilia. "Chrono Nexus's influence rubbing off on them?" he thought, his gaze flickering between the women.

A shiver ran down his spine as a thought struck him. "Could there come a day where they all decided to…?" He envisioned the scene, a sea of colorful hair and playful smiles, and a strange warmth bloomed in his chest, his fingers twitching involuntarily.

"If something unexpected like that ever happens," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the hum of the hallway, "I wouldn't be able to hold back."

Hestria, hearing what he said, tilted her head, her body swaying slightly as she moved closer. "Hold back from what?"

Akun cleared his throat, his hand nervously adjusting his collar. "Uh, nothing. Just talking to myself. Anyway, are we ready to head out? There's work to be done."

The women exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them, their bodies shifting at the same time. Then, Tatilia, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, stepped forward. "Lead the way, master. We are by your side."