Evolution begins with an ant colony

Chapter 154 No Hope Part Two

(A/N: you guys should stick around for a few more chaps, all that's happening is so Akun will meet a certain 'god' Akun will get everyone back, I promise.)

The Kingins, the Evolved Ant Guards, Leona, and Zara stood there in complete awe as they witnessed Akun's extraordinary creation of the barrier. It was a breathtaking display of power, leaving them all speechless. The barrier, glowing with a bright purple light, was unlike anything they had ever seen.

Their eyes widened in amazement as they observed the remarkable feat, realizing that Akun was a force to be reckoned with.

With the barrier completed, Akun's desair to reach the castle burned brighter. He mused inwardly, "Now that I'm finished here, I'd better hurry over to the castle."

Without wasting a moment, Akun turned around and harnessed his aspect power. In a burst of energy, he propelled himself toward the castle with remarkable speed. Leona, Zara, the Kingins, and Evolved Ant Guards followed behind him, each ready to confront the mysterious threat that had gripped the castle.

As Akun and the others reached the castle, an eerie sight greeted them. A thick, crimson mist enveloped the surroundings, casting an ominous glow. Akun frowned, his dragon eyes trying to make sense of the unsettling phenomenon. "What is this mist?" he muttered to himself, struggling to comprehend the nature of the strange red haze.

Upon landing near the castle's entrance, Akun walked forward. As he approached the castle's grand doors, he was suddenly taken by surprise.

"What is this mist?" he muttered to himself, struggling to comprehend the nature of the strange red mist.

Just as he enterd the red mist, a voice echowed in his head:

[GX-Chaso is reacting to protect the player's body.]

Upon hearing the system's voice, Akun's thoughts raced. "Seems that skill is protecting my body, meaning there must be something up with this red mist. It wouldn't be good if this got to the other guardians while I observe the people," he mused inwardly.

"So, I should put up a barrier to keep this mist from getting out." Akun then turned around and created a massive purple barrier composed of aspect power, sealing the area to prevent the red mist from spreading.

Catching sight of Leona, Zara, and the guards behind them approaching, Akun spoke with a commanding tone, "You all should stand back. Don't get close to the barrier." Find more chapters on empire

They all simply nodded in agreement. Akun then turned around, his grit evident as he muttered to himself, "Once this is all over, I will make the Dryads pay."

There, just before he could enter, lay an individual. This person was entirely covered in bright red flowers, which clung to their body, creating a twisted and surreal display. The victim seemed unconscious and was surrounded by an aura of ill will.

With a growing sense of urgency, Akun ventured further into the eerie red mist. As he approached the figure covered in crimson flowers, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, those clothes... could it be?" He quickened his pace and knelt down to pick up the person who was shrouded in red blooms. When he saw her face, his voice trembled with shock. "Ivy...

Is this really you?" Ivy had undergone a profound transformation, her skin marred by wrinkles and her once-vibrant hair now a ghostly gray, a stark contrast to the Ivy he once knew.

With grit etched across his face, Akun decided to utilize his Dragon Eyes, hoping to gain insights into the situation. "I have to figure out what's going on," he mumbled inwardly, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity.

As he activated his Dragon Eyes, the world around him transformed. He could sense the presence of the crimson blossoms, the very entities that had cast this red mist.

Name: Crimson Blossoms

Nature: Skill

Description: Born from the roots of the Dryad ancient tree, the purpose of these flowers is to facilitate the remote absorption of life force from those who managed to escape being impaled by the tree's roots. The flower will sprout on those pirced by the tree's roots before, causing the target to lose consciousness, enabling other flowers to emerge across their bodies.

Once this occurs, the flowers will begin releasing a blood mist containing microseeds of the Crimson Blossom. Those who inhale it become infected. The blood mist is created by the flowers as they absorb the blood, life force, and soul essence of their victims, channeling 99% of it to the tree while using the remaining 1% to generate the mist.

The flowers will persist in blooming, claiming more lives, unless the main tree's host perishes. A flower withers only when all the blood, life force, and soul essence of its victims have been entirely depleted.

Skill Creator: Mizzo

The revelation from the status window left Akun deep in thought. "Wait... so... for all this to end, I will have to... kill Oliver?" He mused inwardly, contemplating the difficult decision that loomed ahead.

Looking back at Oliver, trapped within the ancient tree, Akun grappled with the complexity of the moment. He knew he couldn't bring himself to harm his friend, even though the tree's roots continued to engulf him.

"Like hell I'd actually do that!" Akun yelled out in frustration, his voice echoing through the air. His outburst caught the others who stood beyond the barrier in shock.

Akun mumbled to himself, "Maybe healing will work. Although when I used it on Oliver, it didn't do a thing, maybe her case will be different." Desperation filled his thoughts as he prepared, "Greater Heal!" He exclaimed, lifting his left hand over Ivy's body. A blinding, nearly overwhelming light emanated from his hand, but to his dismay, the healing spell proved to be entirely futile.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Akun clenched Ivy tightly. Leona, Zara, and the guards behind him shared the weight of his despair, their faces reflecting the grim realization that the healing spell had failed.

A sudden idea flashed through Akun's mind. He thought, "Why don't I use that skill, GX-Chaos? Although I still don't know how the skill actually works, but it's my only option now." Akun remembered that when he checked the skill description earlier, he couldn't find any information, only a series of mysterious hashtags.

Dark purple energy began to swirl around Akun's left hand. He then heard the system's voice in his head:

[Notice!! The player is using GX-Chaos-]

[Warning to the player!! Continuous usage of GX-Chaos- could affect the natural structure of matter around the player!]

[Notice!! Controlled usage is advised.]

[Warning to the player!! Using GX-Chaos- on organic matter could have serious side effects.]

[The player has very little to no experience using a #### type skill, it is best the player stops now.]

Akun muttered to himself, "System, you're always telling me what I can't do, but I can't just stand here and watch my friend die like this."

He then used his left hand to touch Ivy, and a voice echoed in his head: "[GX-Chaos- is reacting!]"

Akun was delighted as he wore a smile on his face, thinking, "It must be working."

However, his hopes were quickly crushed when the voice echoed again: "[Does the player wish to use this target to chaos evolve?]"

"What!?" Akun exclaimed, confused. Suddenly, Ivy started to scream in pain.

Akun swiftly removed his hand from her, realizing, "Using a living being to evolve? Is that why Ivy was in pain? Was the skill trying to consume her?"

In desperation, Akun turned to the system and asked, "System, is there a skill in the shop that can help with this?"

But the system's response crushed his hopes: "[Sorry, player, no skill exists for this particular purpose in the shop.]"

Gritting his teeth, Akun muttered, "Please, there has to be."

The system replied once more: "[Sorry, player, no skill exists for this particular purpose in the shop.]"

Gritting his teeth, he dropped Ivy and mumbled, "Let me go and see the others," as he began to walk toward the grand hall.

Just as Akun laid his eyes on the scene in the grand hall, he fell to his knees, everyone had aged beyond recognition. Some of them had even been liquefied, with the flowers on their bodies withered. It was a grim sight, filled with death. Akun couldn't help but cry out, "Why? Why is this happening..."

Just as he was about to continue, he heard a collection of voices calling out to him from beyond the barrier, "My liege!" It was Finn, Ember, and Kael.

Ember and Kael carried Gedion by his shoulders, while Finn walked in front.

Zara muttered, "What? How does Gedion have that red flower on his eye?"

Leona added, "You guys should put him down before his body starts spreading red mist."

Ember retorted, "What do you mean? Gedion is weak; we have to take him to our liege."

Turning his head to see them, once he laid his eyes on Gedion, Akun yelled, "Put him down."

Ember, Finn, and Kael were caught off guard. They all mumbled, "Right." They then dropped Gedion on the ground.

With a wave of his hand, a small dome barrier encased Gedion.