Evolution begins with an ant colony

Chapter 196: That Night As I Remembered It

Akun continued, "This certain individual started his mission without a problem. Knowing what they were capable of, they must have at least made it into the tree castle undetected."

As Akun made that statement, the dryad elders collectively mused, "Just how skilled is this person to be able to make it past all of our guards undetected?"

Elder Aelorin pondered, "But, after seeing everything the young liege is capable of, this person may just be as skilled as he says." A bead of sweat streamed down her cheeks as she mused.

Akun pressed on, "Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened to them after they made it in. What I do know is I was expecting word from them in a week’s time, but two weeks had passed, and still, nothing." Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Akun recounted the tale, making the atmosphere in the royal chambers of the dryad rulers feel a bit hard to breathe due to his anger.

Akun continued, his gaze narrowing as he delved into the details, "Later, I received word from one of my scouts that some of the other tribe leaders were spotted leaving your tree castle the same night I had sent that individual on his mission. My thoughts began to wander, contemplating if the other tribes were conspiring against me, but that was the least of my worries.

First and foremost, I wanted to ensure the well-being of my comrade."

His eyes flickered with a mix of anger and fustretion as he shared the intricacies of his predicament, the weight of leadership evident in his every word.

Akun’s narrative unfolded with detail, "I took flight, soaring through the skies much like today, but I harbored no ill intent, even though I was aware of the conspiracy brewing against me."

His words bore a weight that began to resonate with the dryads in the room, a shared sense of understanding woven through the tapestry of his account.

"I simply demanded the princess return my comrade to me," he continued, his gaze piercing through the room. "To that end, I followed her to the dungeon beneath the tree castle."

As he mentioned the dungeon, a collective murmur rippled among the dryad elders. There lingered a moment of disbelief, but the mere mention of the dungeon beneath the tree castle cast a shadow of truth over Akun’s narrative. Beads of sweat began to form on their foreheads.

"After everything that happened in the dungeon, I left the dryad tribe with my comrade, returning to my home with a different set of plans in mind," Akun revealed, his voice carrying the weight of experiences untold.

Akun’s grip on the narrative tightened as he continued, "But I would have never expected in my wildest dreams what would happen that night. Suddenly, I was informed that a certain comrade of mine had been turned into a giant tree—a Dryad ancient tree, to be specific."

The mere mention of the Dryad ancient tree sent a collective shudder through the elders, their expressions now fraught with worry about the impending revelation.

"It was absolute chaos," Akun continued, his tone growing more serious. "The tree wreaked absolute havoc." His words hung heavily in the air, sending chills down the spines of the elders. While the princess was not entirely certain about the details at this point, the expressions worn by the elders hinted at the gravity of the situation—a fatal blunder that had dire consequences.

Akun’s narrative continued with a heavy heart, "While my comrades fought back and evacuated my people, I was lost trying to find a way to revert my comrade back to the way they were. Time flew by as I tried everything I could. Suddenly, I was informed that something had happened to the people in my castle."

The growing worry among the dryad elders intensified as Akun unfolded the tragic events.

"A red mist was spreading, and crimson flowers were sprouting all over the bodies of my people," Akun uttered, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Suddenly, he stood up, unleashing an immense force that sent the dryads back on their feet as he continued, "I headed back and was met with a truly heart-wrenching scene.

All of my beloved people had been reduced to a crimson garden of death." His voice, now colder, sent chills down the spines of all the dryads in the royal chambers.

Akun continued, "The floor was filled with blood; their entire bodies were completely covered in red flowers. I learned that if I wanted to save them, I would have to kill the host of the tree. But I couldn’t possibly do that to a precious comrade, so I tried everything I could to save them."

The dryads started finding it hard to actually breathe as Akun continued.

Akun then clenched his fist as he directed his cold gaze at the dryads, "But nothing worked. Even with all the power I had at my disposal, I couldn’t save them from their fate. I was finally forced to wield my power against my comrade, realizing ending them was the only way to save the others."

The force in the room suddenly stopped as Akun paused before he whispered, "And I did. I ended them." Akun spoke with a slightly sober tone as he raised his right hand to cover his face and turned around, no longer facing the dryads.

Akun then added, "But my hopes of saving my people by doing that were dashed. I returned to my castle, hoping that when I returned, I would be greeted by the pleasant scene of my people managing to stand on their feet." His tone was rather calm, making the dryads feel guilty.

Akun then finally concluded, "Unfortunately for me, I returned to realize it was already too late. The bodies of my people had dissolved, and there was no saving them. Even with all the means at my disposal, I couldn’t save them. And that is what led me to time travel and talking to you all now."