Evolution begins with an ant colony

Chapter 163 The Ant Monarch VS The Dryad Elders Part Two

As the dark silver swords enhanced by Akun's aspect power closed in on elder Thalanor, he made his move. With a swift motion, Thalanor twisted his body, wielding the green sword in his hand like an extension of his body. Each swing of the sword sliced through the air, followed by slicing trough the incoming of swords, like a hot knife trough butter.

His earth clones, perfect replicas of his form, replicated his every motion. As each clone expertly severed the dark silver blades into shinny fragments, scattering them like fallen leaves. The air crackled with the clash of elements, a amazing display of skill and control.

As Akun witnessed his aspect power-enhanced swords effortlessly dismantled, he mused inwardly, "A predictable outcome. However, it doesn't put me at a disadvantage." A confident smile graced his face, his purple eyes gleaming from beneath the visor of his helmet. With a subtle gesture, he pulled back his hand, orchestrating an unseen force.

Abruptly, the shattered pieces of the dark silver swords defied gravity, ascending from the ground and hurtling backward. In a mesmerizing display, they seamlessly reunited in mid-air, reforming into complete swords, all converging toward elder Thalanor.

Thalanor, along with all his clones, leaped into the air with swords overhead, looming over Akun as Thalanor yelled, "This is the end for you, child."

Suddenly, time seemed to slow down as Thalanor felt one of his clones being destroyed by some object, dismantling them one after the other. He swiftly turned his gaze, finding the crumbling structure of his stone clones, their swords falling to the ground as Akun's aspect power-enhanced swords made their way towards him.

"What the?!" he exclaimed inwardly, utterly confused.

In that split second, Thalanor displayed unmatched skill and precision as he turned around mid-air and proceeded to swiftly counter and slice through all of the incoming swords enhanced with aspect power. His movements were basically a blur as sparks flew all over the place, his green eyes shining brightly from beneath the visors of his stone armor.

Once he had finally cut and countered all of the incoming swords, Thalanor mused inwardly, "That was a close one, but weren't those the same swords I cut to pieces earlier? How did they all reappear behind me in perfect shape?"

Suddenly, Akun's voice interrupted his inner musings, saying, "Hey, old man, I really don't think you should be turning your back to your enemy while you're in a battle." Upon hearing Akun's voice, Thalanor realized he had left his back completely exposed. Now, he had to switch his position with a clone, but he couldn't. "I'm not on the ground," he gritted his teeth as he mused further.

"So, I'll take the full force of his attack." He then yelled, "Not without landing a single attack."

He tried to turn around again to face Akun, but with a sudden wave of his hand, aspect power shot outward from Akun's body instantaneously, completely shattering the stone armor Elder Thalanor was wearing. The force sent him flying through the air, and he managed to plant his foot on the ground, also sticking his blade into the earth to slow down his flight.

However, his feet and sword dug into the earth as he was still pushed back regardless, finally stopping a few meters away.

"Thalanor!" Aelorin and Nyressa exclaimed in shock as they turned to see him coughing up blood.

Elder Nyressa, in the form of a wolf beastman, charged at Akun, shouting, "How dare you do that to him!" She swung her claws, but before she could make contact, Akun mumbled, "You guys are becoming too predictable." Suddenly, she too was shot away by aspect power, flying into a pile of rubble.

Elder Thalanor coughed up blood as his gaze narrowed at Akun. He mused, "What was that just now? I didn't see him move or anything. It was like some sort of force slammed into me all over my body. If I were standing on the ground and that slammed into me, I am most certain I would be instantly crushed.

It must be the force responsible for destroying the first clone and also what he is using to control those flying swords. But if I must guess, I think it has limited range. If not, he would have simply crushed all of us the moment he laid eyes on us. So, we have to find out how to attack from far distances."

Akun mused inwardly, "Is what he must be thinking, that my aspect power has limited range, He's not wrong, but it's far larger than he can think. If I wanted to, I could have imploded the entire dryad tribe the moment I laid eyes on it, or used a couple of railguns to completely eradicate them instantly. But I chose not to."

He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists as he mused further, "Because I wanted to do it personally, to make the dryads experience that same feeling of helplessness my people must have felt as they all died in that castle. That fear that consumed their hearts. I have come here to make them experience that same hell they put my people through."

Having observed all the events that had taken place, Aelorin mused inwardly, "It seems like this man has some sort of energy field that surrounds him, it seems to allow him to be able to control the movements of object in that space." A bead of sweat streamed down her cheeks as she then mumbled, "We have to try to have multiple opponents overwhelm him.

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What ever that power is, I'm sure if he keeps on using it to destroy multiple opponents, he will eventually get weak."

In the midst of the chaos, a sudden surge of brilliant green light emanated from Aelorin's body, casting an ethereal glow across the battlefield. As the light intensified, colossal figures began emerging from the earth, taking the form of mighty tree giants, their towering frames creating an imposing presence.

Thalanor, observing the unfolding spectacle, approached Aelorin with a mix of curiosity and concern. With measured steps, he inquired, "What is your plan?"

Aelorin, her eyes reflecting her resolve, turned to face Thalanor. Her hands moved gracefully, directing the flow of energy that brought forth the tree giants. With a stern expression, she responded, "What happened to having more battle experience and surviving the great dragonic war thousands of years ago?"

Thalanor, grappling with the weight of the situation, clenched his fists in frustration. He sighed and admitted, "That was a short-sighted statement. It is obvious now; this child is not something we can take lightly. He might actually be the end of us." The gravity of his words hung in the air as the battlefield continued to unfold around them.

Sensing the shift in Thalanor's demeanor, Aelorin responded with determination, "My plan is simple – we weaken him by making him face a never-ending army." Thalanor, showing readiness, added, "Is that so? Then I'll help as well." In an instant, his body began to glow, summoning massive stone giants that rose from the earth.

As the colossal figures materialized, Akun observed the unfolding scene and muttered to himself, "Is this their new plan?" Stretching out his hand, he dispersed his aspect power, creating an invisible force around him. Though Thalanor and Aelorin couldn't see it, they felt a palpable sense that something significant was about to occur.

Meanwhile, Nyressa, back in her original form, slowly rose from the rubble, holding her head in pain. "Ugh... what happened?" she mumbled, trying to make sense of the situation. Her gaze fell upon Aelorin, Thalanor, and Akun, and the atmosphere grew tense with anticipation.

"Is this your new plan?" Akun's voice cut through the charged atmosphere, carrying a mix of skepticism and impatience.

"Shut up, child! This place will become your grave, even if it's the last thing we do!" Thalanor's roar echoed with a resolute declaration that resonated through the vast battleground.

Aelorin, her eyes gleaming with ancient wisdom, commanded, "Now, together, Thalanor."

In response, colossal stone and tree giants awakened, rising from the very earth they called home. Their imposing forms charged forward, each step sending tremors through the ground. The air crackled with anticipation as the giants, embodiments of nature's might, converged upon Akun.

Akun, undeterred, met their advance with a gaze that spoke of a storm brewing within. As he began his steady walk forward, a surreal glow emanated from his eyes, reflecting the raw power he held.

The giants, in their formidable might, swung limbs and branches with relentless force, aiming to crush the intruder. Yet, each attempt met an ethereal resistance. Before their colossal strikes could land, they disintegrated into a myriad of crystalline fragments, the remnants of their futile efforts scattered by unseen forces.

Aelorin and Thalanor persisted, their actions reflected in the continuous creation of more giants. The battlefield became a symphony of destruction and rebirth, a dance between ancient powers and a force determined to rewrite destiny. The air crackled with tension, the clash of elements creating an otherworldly spectacle as the struggle for dominance unfolded on the stage of nature itself.