Evolution begins with an ant colony

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In the aftermath of the intensity battle between Emily and Yandol, multiple buildings were either completely frozen or burned down by demonic flames. Some were a mixture of both, truly terrifying, and the landscape around their battle area also suffered such a fate.

Yandol, with frostbite all over his body, gasped desperately for air. His cold breath was clearly visible with every exhale, and for some reason, it seemed like he was finding it hard to breathe.

He struggled to stay on his knees, using his ice sword as a makeshift walking stick to support him, preventing himself from falling over.

Meanwhile, Emily, visibly affected by frostbite and also catching her breath, knelt to the floor with her hands on the ground. Her wings were ragged and had holes all over them.

She didn't look like she could continue the battle anymore.

"I've reached my limit; any more than this, and my lungs will freeze and burst," he mumbled. His lungs felt stiff due to the continued use of his frost-related abilities, and they were starting to take a negative toll on his body. If he continued like this, he would surely perish.

Letting out a chilly sigh, he mumbled, "Well, it doesn't matter. I still have to finish what I started." He slowly regained his footing and began approaching Emily, the visibly weakened demon commander who was on her knees.

Inwardly, Emily mused, "How has he not yet been affected by the curse? Is he somehow immune... No, that's impossible. Maybe those scales showing up on his body are responsible. I might not know for sure, but that's the best guess I've got." She narrowed her gaze.

Emily, seeing him approach, flashed a sinister smile that was hidden behind all the cold air that was created by Yandol's attacks. Inwardly, she mused, "Well it doesn't matter, just a bit more, and I'll have enough power to instantly end this battle."

Unbeknownst to Yandol, a demon's curse allows them to siphon off the life energy of those affected by it, providing a boost in their power while unfortunately breaking down the bodies of their victims.

The sudden surge in power that Emily achieved earlier was due to this fact. However, she had not completely absorbed the life energies of all her victims yet, and she was presently doing so. She planned to absorb it all and use it to launch an instantaneous attack on Yandol while he was weakened, realizing that a head-to-head battle with him would be far too disadvantageous if dragged out.

The reason why a demon's curse bears a stunning resemblance to the crimson bloom is shrouded in mystery. One can only guess that their creators must have known each other or, at least, had once clashed.

As Yandol dragged his legs on the chilly cobblestone floor, he gazed at Emily, the demon commander. Inwardly, he mused, "Why is she just waiting there? The way she doesn't even look like she wants to resist." He narrowed his gaze as he mused further, "It's suspicious. I can't help but think she is planning something. I should be on my guard."

Unbeknownst to Yandol, no amount of preparation could have helped him in the state he was in to counter what came next.

Suddenly, as he got close enough, Emily let out a small chuckle as her demonic energy surged forward, as Emily absorbed the life energies of all her victims, their bodies broke down completely and flew towards her, a powerful purple aura covers her entire body, regenerating her wings and futher growing the white horns on her forehead.

Her body transformed, gaining demonic strength, and the flames surrounding her burned more intensely. Her eyes glowed fiercely, reflecting the increased power.

This transformation marked a significant boost in Emily's power, resonating with the absorbed life energies and enhancing her essence, creating a more imposing and powerful presence on the battlefield.

The sudden increase in her energy caught Yandol off guard, prompting him to mumble, "What? How? She was seriously weakened just a moment ago. What's with this sudden burst in power?" He shielded his hands to cover his eyes because the gusts of wind generated by Emily's sudden boost in power sent debris flying all over the place.

Suddenly, Emily lunged at him. The massive amount of force she used to propel herself forward created a crater where she once stood.

Emily instantly closed the distance between herself and Yandol in a split second, bringing her claws in for a deadly attack. Yandol saw her advance but was far too slow to be able to do anything in time to stop her.

In that split second, her claws sank into Yandol's chest, blood gushed out, splattering all over the freezing cobblestone floor below.

Yandol coughed up blood as his pupils shook, gazing at Emily as she lunged her claws into his chest. She wore a sinister smile. Wanting to free himself from his current predicament, Yandol then opened his mouth wide and let out a massive gust of very cold air, causing Emily's eyes to be affected by serious frostbite, momentarily blinding her.

With the window of opportunity, Yandol instantly stomped his right leg on the floor, resulting in a massive shard of ice shooting upwards at Emily, successfully pushing her away from him and forcibly removing her claws from his chest.

As she landed a few steps backward, Yandol grappled the holes in his chest with his right hand as he fell back on his knees. Inwardly, he mused, "Darn it, she got me." He gritted his teeth, realizing, "I can't continue the fight with a wound like this." Blood seeped out between his fingers.

"Seems like she damaged my left lung. Now, breathing feels even harder," struggling to stay awake, he mused further, "With the state I'm in now, I might just pass out."

As blood entered his left lung, Yandol found it harder and harder to breathe, prompting him to come to the conclusion, "Seems I'll have to stop the bleeding my way." He gritted his teeth because he knew what he was about to do was self-destructive, but he had no other option available to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly, he began freezing the holes that were on his chest, as well as the part of the lung that was punctured. It was a very painful process that made every breath he took one where his life hung in the balance.

Finally, that part of his chest was frozen, along with some parts of his left lung. Yandol managed to rise to his feet; his gaze met Emily, who was already preparing another attack.

Amazing, truly amazing," Emily complimented Yandol as she witnessed how far he was willing to go to not lose this battle.

Yandol narrowed his gaze at Emily as he said, "You are the last person I want to hear that from." Yandol slowly rose to his feet, preparing for another clash.

Suddenly, Emily lunged forward at him, preparing to deal another fatal attack. But this time, she wasn't as fast as before, so Yandol caught on.

He swiftly leaped backward while conjuring a massive ice wall that began to shoot out spikes. The sudden change from defense to offense slightly caught Emily off guard, but the shards of ice shot by the wall were by no means strong enough to deal her any damage. As they approached, they simply shattered into thousands of pieces upon contact with the massive purple aura that surrounded her body.

Seeing that he had decided to hide behind this ice wall, Emily smiled as she proceeded to lunge herself forward, ignoring the rain of ice shards directed at her. She approached the wall, delivering a massive punch that sent out shockwaves, instantly shattering it and emerging on the other side.

"Where do you think you're off to, charming?" she said in a playful tone, smirking right after. She then added, "What happened with all the power you had earlier? Don't tell me this is all you have."

Inwardly, Yandol mused, "I don't think I can go on." He huffed and puffed as he struggled to catch his breath.

As Emily continued her advance towards Yandol, he kept creating multiple ice barricades between himself and her. However, she continued to break through all of them. Yandol knew he was in no state to go against her in a head-to-head battle with this fatal wound of his. It seemed like his death in this battle was all but guaranteed.

As Emily continued to break down the endless ice walls Yandol conjured to put distance between them, he inwardly mused, gripping over the frozen part of his chest, "Is this how I'm going to go out?" Gritting his teeth, he gazed at his soldiers and adventurers being bested by the demons, meeting their bloody end.

Further contemplating his role as a lord who led his people to their deaths, he gritted his teeth even further. "If my ancestors could see me now, I'm sure they'd say I'm a disgrace to the proud Ice dragon race.

I might not have grown up in our homeland, but there is one thing I know for sure from all the tales passed down in our family: my ancestors never gave up in a battle, even when the gods themselves were their opponents."

As he continued his inner musings, his core inside his chest began to glow slowly. "I might not survive this battle, but I must make sure this demon meets her end, along with me." His resolve seemed to send out some sort of shockwave from his body.

Meanwhile, back in the Holy Empire mpire, in a small town, Mellin found herself in the quaint inn, its wooden beams creaking gently in response to the night's whispers. The room, held an air of rustic charm. A solitary window allowed a sliver of moonlight to enter into the space, casting a silvery glow that shon on the wooden floor.

As she stood alone in her room, the flickering candlelight revealed the vintage furnishings – a sturdy oak dresser, a four-poster bed draped in deep burgundy fabric, and a worn but comfortable armchair nestled in a corner. The scent of aged wood and lavender was in the air, creating a nostalgic atmosphere that felt both inviting and mysterious.

In the midst of this quietude, an unexpected surge of energy surged trough Mellin. The sudden wave caught her off guard, and her eyes widened with astonishment. It was an inexplicable sensation, familiar yet mysterious, as if a long-lost memory stirred within her but remained just beyond the reach of conscious recognition.

Baffled, she questioned the nature of this peculiar occurrence. "What was that just now?" Mellin pondered aloud, her voice a mere whisper in the stillness. The room seemed to hold its breath as if anticipating the answer that lingered in the mysterious energy.

Drawing herself toward the window, Mellin peered out into the night. The full moon, cast a silvary glow over the landscape. The wind, gently, wove through her hair, waving the strands with an almost playful manner.

Lost in thought, she gazed at the full moon as it hung in the night sky, wondering what exactly was that sensation she felt a moment ago.