Evolution begins with an ant colony

As Hestria's strength waned, her fingers clawed weakly at Thalager's tight grip, desperation etched across her face as she struggled against the suffocating pressure. With each passing moment, her body grew heavier, her limbs trembling with exhaustion as the life slowly drained from her.

In the depths of her despair, a silent plea echoed in her mind, a desperate cry for help. "Someone, anyone, please... save me," she whispered inwardly, her voice drowned out by the oppressive silence of the warehouse.

Suddenly, the mark of Akun's enslavement on her back flickered with a soft purple light, her thoughts instinctively reached out to her master, Akun.

Meanwhile, in the ant city, Akun hovered in the air, overseeing the preparations for the festival. His guardians, the evolved ants, the Kingin guards and their families were bustling about, putting the finishing touches on the celebration of the completed buildings. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head, pleading for help.

Akun furrowed his brow, his expression shifting from one of concentration to concern as he recognized the voice. "What was that?" he muttered to himself, the realization dawning on him. "That voice... it belonged to that human woman I sent on a mission with Oliver and Leona."

As the voice echoed in Akun's mind, accompanied by a surge of unfamiliar fear, he felt a knot of concern tighten in his chest. This wasn't his fear; it belonged to someone else. Confusion furrowed his brow as he tried to make sense of the situation. He was abou to asked the system what was the cause of this sensation when system's voice suddenly echoed in his head.

[Warning to the player!! Slave - Hestria is currently suffocating and could die at any moment.]

His eyes widened in shock as he processed the dire warning. "What? How is that possible?" he muttered aloud, disbelief coloring his tone. "I thought she returned with Leona and Oliver, safely back at the beast folk tribe. How could she be in danger of suffocation?"

As the realization dawned on Akun, his expression shifted from confusion to sudden clarity. "Wait, don't tell me," he mumbled, a surge of anger and a mix of urgency coursing through him.

In the blink of an eye, he propelled himself towards the beast folk tribe with a massive burst of speed, leaving behind a gust of wind in his wake.

Meanwhile, back in the beast folk tribe, Thalagor's sinister smile widened as he spoke, his tone dripping with malice. "All that's left now is to call a dryad to heal some of your wpunds, and then I'll frame this entire massacre as a senseless act of yours."

King Leonheart's eyes narrowed as he struggled to maintain his composure despite the pain coursing through his body. "You think you can deceive your king with this charade?" he growled, his voice filled with defiance.

Thalagor chuckled softly. "Oh, I have no doubt about it," he sneered, his expression filled with contempt. "I'll make sure he sees you as the villain, while we emerge as the innocent victims. It's a flawless plan, wouldn't you agree?"

Despite his weakened state, King Leonheart's determination shone through as he spoke, his voice resolute. "No matter what happens, I will stand tall, even if I have to go up against your liege." he said, his words filled with defiance. He struggled to rise to his feet, every movement sending waves of pain through his battered body.
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Suddenly, the air thickened and an ominous pressure that pressed down on them, both Thalagor and King Leonheart felt a sense of fear wash over them. A chill ran down their spines, and they exchanged wary glances, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Back in the warehouse, Thalager could suddenly feel an ominous pressure. "Wait.... Could it be?" he mumbled as he suddenly let go of Hestria, and she fell to the floor with a loud thud, struggling to catch her breath, her hand holding her neck.

Thalager was momentarily startled, so she decided to use this chance to get away from him. She began to crawl slowly, but then Thalager noticed her due to his sharp senses. He gritted his teeth as he spoke with an intense tone, "Where do you think you are going?" As he spoke, Hestria felt a chill run down her spine, causing her to pause.

In that moment, Thalager proceeded to throw a powerful kick with his right leg, aimed at Hestria's abdomen.

The force of the kick knocked the air out of her lungs, cracking her ribs as she coughed up blood and was sent hurtling through the air, landing into some shelves of food, instantly falling unconscious, blood streaming from her forehead.

With her out of the way, Thalager approached the door of the warehouse slowly, peeking through the small space, wanting to see what was happening outside. A part of him hoped it was not what he thought, sweat forming on his forehead as he did.

Back outside, King Leonheart's voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, his breaths labored. "What is this? The air... it feels heavier," he muttered, his gaze flickering to his trembling arms. It wasn't just exhaustion causing his shaking; it was the suffocating weight of the oppressive aura descending upon them.

Thalagor's eyes widened as he realised, a dawning horror creeping into his expression. "Wait... this aura..." he began, his voice trailing off as he slowly stepped back.

Before he could finish his thought, a deafening sonic boom shattered the silence, and Akun appeard above them in a blaze of purple light. His presence was commanding, his aspect power radiating with overwhelming intensity.

As Akun gazed around the area where he could feel Hestria's presence, the sight that greeted him was the bodies of beast folk littered all around, bodies with deep cuts and severed limbs, and bones protruding from flesh could be seen lying in pools of their own blood.

Akun's breath shuddered, his gaze flickering from one corpse to another. He suddenly gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. In that instant, he plummeted, landing with a resounding boom. The seemingly sturdy cobblestone floor became cratered beneath his feet, and a massive dust cloud billowed into the air, obscuring his form.

However, his glowing purple eyes could still be seen despite the rising dust cloud.