Evolution begins with an ant colony
Chapter 37 The real evolution starts now

[Warning!! Absorbing the golden core at this point could be incredibly dangerous. Your soul has not fully integrated all the memories and skills from the black dragon's core yet. Attempting to take in another core could potentially lead to severe instability and even result in your demise."]

Akun's thoughts raced as he questioned the system's warning. "But if I don't absorb these cores, how will I gather enough evolution points for the building plan? Is there really no way to safely take them in?" He hesitated, his hand frozen in mid-air.

[The choice is up to the player, but note Instant death awaits you if you choose to digest that core. Your current state isn't ready to absorb another dragon core. The risk is too great.]

The system's response echoed in Akun's mind, sending a shiver down his spine. "Instant death? Is this really worth risking everything?" He lowered his hand slowly, his face etched with uncertainty and fear.

[Notice!! While you are not prepared to absorb the cores yourself, they can serve as potent power sources for your puppets. Integrating the core's energy could greatly enhance your puppets' strength. However, take heed: the silver puppet must be meticulously reinforced to handle the core's energy. Failure to ensure its stability could lead to a catastrophic explosion.]

A spark of excitement danced in Akun's eyes. The system's suggestion had ignited his curiosity, and a grin stretched across his face. "Well, that sounds pretty interesting. I'm really curious to see how those cores could amp up my puppets. It's like a whole new level of power to dive into."

As Akun gradually lowered his hand, he couldn't help but notice the Queen bee's disappointed look. She inquired, her voice respectful, "Master, why did you stop? Why did you decide to not consume the core?" Akun replied with a thoughtful expression, "I've come to realize that my current form might not be capable of harnessing the sheer power held within these cores.

It could potentially overwhelm me."

With a hint of sorrow, the Queen bee said, "I'm sorry, Master. It looks like your dream wont come true."

Her head drooped slightly, her voice tinged with a touch of sorrow. In Akun's mind, a recollection of the black dragon surfaced – he remembered how the dragon used to console her whenever she believed she hadn't lived up to his expectations.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to do the same," Akun mused inwardly.

Akun approached the queen bee, Tatilia, and gently tapped her head with his hand. "Don't be too hard on yourself," he reassured her. "You did well, so don't beat yourself up about it."

Witnessing Akun's gentle gesture, Tatilia couldn't suppress a chuckle, clearly pleased with his compassionate words.

Curiosity piqued within Akun. "If Tatilia managed to acquire these two cores, who's to say she didn't gather many others as well?"

Akun turned to Tatilia, his curiosity piqued. "Tatilia, do you have any other cores to present to your master?" he asked. Tatilia blushed slightly before replying, "I have lots of treasures I can show you, Master." She then led Akun to a door behind her throne, a hallway made of honeycombs leading to a chamber within the hive.

After they reached the end of the honeycomb stairs, Tatilia announced, "We've arrived." Akun was left speechless as he gazed upon a massive pile of monster cores. He couldn't help but wonder, "Am I dreaming?" In response, the system chimed in,

[Rest assured, the player is definitely conscious.]

Akun's excitement grew as he exclaimed, "With this many monster cores, I can just consume all of these and get a ton of evolution points."

However, the system swiftly crushed his dreams, reminding him,

[Remember, you're still in the process of digesting the black dragon's core, so you can't ingest any other cores at the moment.]

The system then provided reassurance, stating.

[Although you are presently unable to consume the cores, they can serve to facilitate the evolution of your comrades or be crushed to obtain evolution points.]

Akun inquired within his thoughts, "Why didn't you mention this earlier when I held the dragon cores, system?"

The system replied in a formal tone, [Player, those cores are of immense value, containing potent beast souls. Utilizing them for any other purpose would be a considerable loss.]

Akun thought, "Man, the system can be really weird at times."

Akun's prolonged silence made the queen bee concerned. "Master, are these cores not up to your expectations?" she asked, her tone tinged with disappointment.

Akun quickly replied, "Far from it, they are amazing."

The queen then responded with enthusiasm, "Okay, Master! I'm glad you like them," her cheeks flushed as she spoke and held them with her hands.

Akun then exclaimed, "Alright, your master is going to take all these cores now." He commanded the system to place all the cores into the system's inventory. Suddenly, a series of shimmering effects surrounded the cores, and they vanished from view.

The queen bee seemed worried, thinking something might have gone wrong with the cores. "What happened, master? I don't know where the cores went," she said apologetically. Akun quickly eased her concerns, saying, "Don't worry, it was me who moved them." The queen visibly relaxed and said, "Oh, okay, that's a relief."

Akun asked the queen bee to lead him back to the ants waiting outside. The queen was curious, "Why do you want to stay with the ants, master?" Akun replied, "I have a lot to discuss with them and plans to make."

As the queen bee escorted Akun to the hive's exit, he couldn't help but feel excited. He then turned to the system and asked, "So, how many evolution points are all those cores worth?" After a moment of processing, the system replied,

[A total of 1,268,413 evolution points.]

Akun burst into laughter and exclaimed, "I'm rich, baby!"

The sudden burst of laughter from Akun took the queen bee by surprise. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and concern and asked, "Is everything alright, Master?"

Akun quickly composed himself, realizing that his sudden burst of laughter was out of character for someone who was emulating the demeanor of the black dragon.

"Everything's fine," Akun reassured with a composed tone, slipping back into the role he had been playing as the black dragon.

As they reached the exit of the hive, Akun turned to the queen bee and spoke with a sense of finality, "Well, this is where we part ways for now. But don't worry, I'll definitely come back to visit you soon." His words carried a mixture of assurance and gratitude for the unexpected encounter.

Titilia's voice held a hint of concern as she spoke up, "Are you absolutely sure, master? Can you promise me that?" Her worry for his safety was evident in her words.

Seeing Titilia's unwavering worry, Akun's inner thoughts ran a bit sarcastic, *"s she pulling a kid's act? She's all grown up, but I guess some things never change. The black dragon must have been like her dad" Letting out a sigh, he reassured her, "Yeah, promise."

As Akun descended from the hive, Titilia waved at him, her voice carrying a sense of longing, "Goodbye, master."

As Akun descended from the hive, his ant comrades greeted him with a mix of relief and excitement. Leona's voice was the first to reach his ears, filled with genuine concern, "Boss, you're back! We were starting to worry."

Ember's deep tone followed suit, "Yeah, we were just hanging around, wondering how it went."

Ivy chimed in with a warm smile, "Welcome back, boss. Glad you're okay." The camaraderie and friendship among them was palpable, a true bond formed through their shared experiences.

"Hey, don't worry, everything's fine," Akun said reassuringly to his ant comrades. "In fact, I've got some great news for all of you. With the huge number of cores I've managed to gather, things are going to be a whole lot smoother from now on."

"Really, boss?" Leona asked with a raised eyebrow, her antennae twitching in curiosity.

"Yeah, you got it right," Akun confirmed with a grin. "We won't have to grind like crazy anymore, thanks to these cores."

Ivy chimed in, her excitement palpable. "So, what's the plan then?"

Akun rubbed his hands together, excitement dancing in his eyes. "We're gonna power up our forces, evolve like never before, and start building something greater for our colony."

Leona's eyes gleamed with determination. "Boss, we're with you all the way. Let's make this colony the best it can be!"

Ivy nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely, boss. We've got a bright future ahead!"

Ember, ever the stoic one, offered a reassuring smile. "Count me in as well. Let's bring about this evolution."

Akun grinned at his loyal companions, a feeling of unity and purpose coursing through him. "Alright then, let's get to work and show the world what we're capable of!"