Evolution begins with an ant colony

Green cracks spread around the air, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Both Akuns beheld the spreading cracks, sweat streaming down their faces as shivers ran down their spines.

Seeing the cracks spread, alternate Akun's thoughts raced as he locked his gaze on Akun, who seemed to be distracted. "This is my chance," he thought. "If I can attack him by adding my †Authority† to the aspect power swords in my hand, I'll be able to quickly put an end to him."

As alternate Akun made the bold decision to activate his †Authority†, a surge of energy enveloped both him and Akun. However, it wasn't the typical crackling of electricity; instead, it felt as though the very fabric of existence conspired to forcibly eject them from its cosmic canvas.

In the aftermath of this sudden unidentified attack, when the strange tazing sensation stopped, their colossal constructs fell from the sky with a resounding boom. The sheer force of their fall unleashed a seismic shockwave, threatening to propel the elders and tribe leaders off the massive root they stood upon.

The air reverberated with the echoes of their colossal fall, creating a momentary maelstrom of chaotic energy.
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Elder Aelorin furrowed her brow, "What happened? Why did they suddenly fall from the sky?" She gestured with her hand towards the fallen giants.

Skalathar scratched his head, speculating, "Could those green cracks in the air be responsible?" He pointed upward, indicating the strange phenomena. "They seemed fine before the green cracks started to appear."

Vaelon nodded, his eyes narrowing, "Indeed, those cracks emit some strange energy." He shivered visibly, emphasizing the impact of the power. "The sheer force behind it sends shivers down my spine."

Leandor nodded thoughtfully, "Seems so. I feel whatever those cracks in the air are, they are somehow related to them." He raised his hand, pointing towards the enigmatic cracks.

Elder Sylara clasped her hands, her expression hopeful, "Indeed. We can only pray that the one in the stone armor emerges victorious." Her eyes glanced towards the fallen giants, conveying a mix of concern and anticipation.

Inside his stone robo golem, Akun panted rapidly and heavily, sweat streaming down his face. His eyes widened with confusion as he mumbled, "What was that just now?" He gazed at his palms, slowly lifting them up. "I don't know why it was, but it felt like it was trying to rip me apart from the inside out."

"System! Explain what happened!" Akun yelled.

Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his head, [The Book of Existence is currently deciding on which of the players to erase. Due to that fact, both players' existence is in flux, making accessing most of the player's abilities impossible.]

[The pain the player felt earlier was due to the fact their alternate self attempted using their †Authority† while in such a state, causing the Book of Existence to try and indiscriminately attempt to erase both of you as it has not yet been able to decide who exactly it would leave with the †Authority†.]

Akun mumbled with a hint of fear, "You're saying I was nearly erased just now?" His hands shook with the weight of the revelation.

Akun mumbled, clenching his fists, "I have to go talk to that psycho, so he doesn't doom us both." resolve flashed in his eyes as he prepared to go have a chat with his alternate self.

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, attempting to use his aspect power to come out of the robo stone golem, but to no avail. Frustration marked his face as he couldn't wield his usual abilities. "Seems it's just like the system said," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Then I'll just have to punch my way out." In that moment, Akun unleashed a powerful punch, creating a massive hole through the robo stone golem, slowly emerging from its core. The determination in his movements was palpable.

Emerging from his stone golem, Akun's breaths came out as ragged gasps. Standing atop the fallen golem, he gazed at his body and noticed it was flickering, like a bulb about to die.

His eyes scanned the ruined earth around him; dust clouds billowed into the air due to the fall of their colossal structure. The moonlight bathed the battlefield in a soft silvery hue.

Deciding to swiftly head towards the massive fallen dark silver structure, he fell to his knees, screaming in pain. Green cracks began to appear around his flickering body.

"Damm it, is that moron at it again?" Akun mumbled in pain as he managed to stagger back on his feet, determined to face the challenges ahead.

In the distance, a spectacle unfolded as Akun caught sight of alternate Akun's hands bursting out of the metallic body of his massive structure. The second hand followed suit, and both hands diligently worked to pry a hole open for his body. Slowly, alternate Akun emerged, panting heavily as he surveyed his flickering form, a parallel existence in the moonlit battlefield.

Alternate Akun, summoning strength, rose from the remnants of the dark silver structure. With deliberate movements, he pushed his body out and locked his gaze with Akun. As the flickering aura enveloped them both, suddenly they started walking towards each other, each step resonating with the uncertainty of their shared existence.

Facing each other, their eyes locked in a piercing gaze, revealing the weight of the situation.

Alternate Akun gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tensing, as he muttered, "Guess in the end, it still came down to this."

Akun, with a thoughtful expression, suggested, "You know, if you're still open to reason, combining our souls is still an option."

Alternate Akun retorted, as he simply stood there with a cold gaze, "An offer that's essentially granting me an easy death."

Akun countered, raising his hands slightly, "Oh, come on! You'll still be alive; we're the same person. How the hell will you die?"

Alternate Akun's eyes narrowed, and he responded, his tone chilling, "Stop it. Don't act like I don't understand. The way something like this will work is one of two ways: the one with the stronger mind will end up in total control over our minds, or when we combine, we'll become an entirely different person. I can't believe you're actually trying to fool yourself."

Akun's tone shifted, growing cold as he responded, "I'm not trying to fool you; I genuinely believe with our †Authority†, we should be able to combine our minds."

Alternate Akun retorted, a hint of disbelief in his expression, "Do you hear yourself? It's like you're suggesting two people play a game with one controller."

His frustration evident, alternate Akun pressed on, "I don't even understand why I have to go through with this. All of this is your fault. If you really want to fix things that badly, why don't you sacrifice yourself?"

In a sudden burst of action, Alternate Akun threw a punch with his right hand, targeting Akun's face. However, in that fleeting moment, Akun swiftly caught the oncoming fist.

Undeterred, Alternate Akun withdrew the punch and unleashed a follow-up with his left hand, only for Akun to intercept it as well. Akun responded with a cold tone, "Are you forgetting I'm far stronger than you?"

The force of Alternate Akun's halted blow sent shockwaves through Akun's feet, causing the ground below him to crack. Alternate Akun responded, "It doesn't matter now. If I don't fight, I won't be able to come up with some way to put an end to you."

In that moment, Alternate Akun swiftly leaped backward, evading Akun's attempt to use his right leg to kick him.

Both Akuns charged towards each other, unleashing high-speed attacks that turned their movements into a blur. Sparks flew as parts of their identical dark silver armor grazed each other, and the sheer power of their dodged blows left massive craters in the ground below them.

In the midst of their high-speed clash, Akun executed a swift move, lowering himself and expertly sweeping alternate Akun off his feet. Caught off guard, alternate Akun lost his footing. In that instant, Akun capitalized on the opportunity, using his other leg to deliver a powerful kick to alternate Akun's chest. The impact generated a massive shockwave, sending alternate Akun flying through the air.

Coughing up blood, he crashed into one of the green cracks that had formed in the air.

The force of alternate Akun's impact caused the crack to expand, and reality in that specific area crumbled away, unveiling what appeared to be a glimpse into the time tunnel.

In bewilderment, alternate Akun mumbled, "What is this?" as he turned to gaze at the mysterious sight before him.

Abruptly, he heard Akun's voice, "You're rather bold to be turning your attention elsewhere during a disadvantageous battle."

Without warning, Akun delivered a powerful punch to alternate Akun's face, propelling him towards the enigmatic time tunnel.

The portal swiftly enveloped alternate Akun, drawing him in with an irresistible force, and then promptly sealed itself shut once again.