Evolution begins with an ant colony

Akun remained on his knees for some time, creating an awkward atmosphere around the dryad elders and tribe leaders. Worried glances were exchanged among them as they shared the peculiar moment with Akun.

Suddenly, Akun let out a sigh as he slowly ascended to his feet. He mumbled, "Guess there's nothing I can do about it now." Gritting his teeth briefly, he then calmed down. Turning to face the tribe leaders and elders, he spoke, "If you are going to pledge your loyalty to me, then you wouldn't mind if I were to measures to ensure you wouldn't betray me?"

Skalathar inquired, "What do you mean, young liege?"

Akun responded, "I wield a power that will allow me to put all of you under my absolute command. My orders will be absolute, and disobedience will result in punishment."

His words left the elders and tribe leaders wearing worried expressions, uncertain if they were willing to go that far.

Akun continued with his eyes glowing brightly, speaking in a condescending tone, "What's with the hold up? I thought you wanted to pledge your loyalty. If you do, that is the only way I will accept it."

The tribe leaders and elders hesitated, their uncertainty clear, but eventually, they all reached a unanimous decision.

Leandor, with a serious tone, declared, "I, Leandor, ruler of the beast folk tribe, pledge my absolute loyalty to you, young liege."

Skalathar echoed with seriousness, "I, Skalathar, ruler of the lizard men tribe, pledge my absolute loyalty to the young liege."

Seraphina's commitment followed, "I, Seraphina, ruler of the siren tribe, pledge my absolute loyalty to the young liege."

Thalgar, with unwavering resolve, stated, "I, Thalgar, ruler of the Fenires tribe, pledge my absolute loyalty to the young liege."

Arachneia, with a solemn pledge, declared, "I, Arachneia, ruler of the Archnas tribe, pledge my absolute loyalty to the young liege."

Vaelon, with firm resolve, concluded, "I, Vaelon, ruler of the Veloras tribe, pledge my absolute loyalty to the young liege."

Elder Aelorin's voice resonated with her resolve, "I speak on behalf of the dryads, and we shall all pledge our absolute loyalty to the young liege."

Akun, with a cold and commanding tone, raised his right hand, stating, "I accept your pledge. Activate taming."

In an instant, multiple purple chains shot out from his hand, coiling around the necks of the elders and tribe leaders.

The system's voice echoed in Akun's head, announcing, "[Enslavement successful.] [Ding!! The player has enslaved 70% of the entire forest's forces.] [Enslave the other races to achieve 'The Ruler Of The Forest' title."

Akun, intrigued, pondered, "Other races? There are other races except for the ones already in front of me?"

The system responded, "[Has the player forgotten the orcs, the bees, and the other smaller, less intelligent races?]"

Mention of the bees triggered a realization in Akun. Thoughts raced through his mind as he reflected, "The bees, huh? Ever since the night I returned to find the anthill destroyed, Tatilia believed it was partly her fault for not waking me up on time. She's been keeping her distance, feeling guilty.

And with everything going on, I completely forgot about her, and the orcs too—the first connections I made in this forest. Perhaps, once I'm done merging the timelines, I'll pay them a visit."

Akun turned around with an air of finality, declaring, "Since we're done here, be on your way. I have other things to attend to."
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As the tribe leaders and dryad elders began to turn away, one elder remained. It was Aelorin. "Young liege," she called out to Akun, who was about to depart. He halted, facing her. "What is it?" Akun's tone carried a hint of seriousness, making Aelorin hesitate initially. Gathering her courage, she finally spoke, "I'm sure you take care of those who are under you."

"I do," Akun replied. "But why bring that up now?"

Aelorin pressed further, "Including your new dryad subjects?"

"Of course I will. You don't have to worry," assured Akun.

Elder Aelorin delicately inquired, "So you will help us in times of need?"

Akun, adopting a more assertive tone, demanded, "What exactly do you want? Stop beating around the bush and get to the point." The intensity in Akun's voice caught the attention of the departing elders and tribe leaders, causing them to momentarily pause and observe the unfolding scene.

Aelorin then spoke, bowing her head, "The king and queen of my tribe were inflicted with a curse from a demon. The curse has left them bedridden, and each day that goes by, their lives draw close to its end. Young liege, I'm sure with all the power you wield, you surely will have a way to free them of their curse."

Upon hearing her statement, Akun mused inwardly, "A demon arrived at the forest and placed a curse on the dryad rulers, so demons can place curses in this world. Now that I think about it, the original reason I was summoned to this world along with my classmates was to vanquish the demon king.

The info Camilla gave me way back is that the Demon king bestowed the heroes with some power that, in reality, would eat away at them and grow. Once the time is ripe, he would harvest all of it and become strong enough to go head-to-head with the gods.

And from what I've learned, beings who were in the barrier when the goddess cast it will be trapped and cannot leave, while others who weren't in the barrier can come and go as they please."

A bead of sweat streamed down his face as he mused further, "This could be problematic if the demons suddenly decide to attack the forest. Although I might be able to protect everyone, they can't follow me into battle if I choose to leave the barrier to go and retaliate. After all, because I'm in the heavenly grade, I can now exit the barrier, and it cannot weaken me anymore.

But it would still be in my best interest to take a look at this curse. I don't know if the demons will try to invade the forest, but if they will, it would be best to have a basic idea of their capabilities."