Evolution begins with an ant colony

Mustering the last of his strength, Xalender, his skeletal form enveloped in a divine aura, defiantly stood his ground in the trembling depths of the underworld. His bony fingers clenched tightly around the menacing scythe, his ancient bones straining under the weight of eons of authority.

With an eerie calm that sent shivers through the spectral realms, he spoke, his voice echoing through the cavernous expanse. "I don't care how difficult it may be," Xalender declared, his hollow eye sockets locked onto Akun with an intensity that surpassed the limitations of mortality.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"I cannot allow the existence of a mere mortal who possesses the power to steal a god's †Authority† to go unchallenged."

His words carried an unwavering determination, a resolve to safeguard the delicate balance of life and death that held the cosmos together.

Akun, standing in the face of the god of death himself, couldn't help but wear a smug grin, a bold confidence that danced upon his lips. It was a spark of defiance in the presence of a godly adversary.

"Seems I underestimated you," Akun conceded, his voice a mix of respect and anticipation. His violet eyes blazed with resolve as they locked onto Xalender's skeletal visage. His fingers tightened around the hilt of the †Void-Sword-Onos†, its blade thrumming with an otherworldly energy.

"But," Akun continued, excitement lacing his tone, "it's not all bad. Now, I get to put this sword of mine to the test." He shifted into a battle-ready stance, every muscle coiled with readiness. The entire underworld world seemed to hold its breath, as if the very fabric of reality awaited the outcome of their imminent clash.

Xalender's ominous declaration followed, casting a dark shadow over the underworld. "Mortal, today you shall cease to exist," he proclaimed, his words heavy with impending doom.

But Akun had little patience for extended banter. His defiance had reached its peak, and he aimed to cut through the verbosity. "Enough talk," he snapped, impatience dripping from his voice. "You're making this all too boring."

In a heartbeat, both mortal and god transcended the limitations of their forms. They moved with a speed that defied the laws of nature, their weapons colliding in a cataclysmic clash that sent shockwaves rippling through the underworld.

The force of their confrontation reverberated through the very foundations of the afterlife, causing the spectral realm to quiver in response. The souls of the departed trembled, and the underworld itself seemed to hold its breath as the fate of both mortal and deity hung in the balance.

As the battle raged on in the shadowy depths of the underworld, a subtle shift became evident in Xalender's attacks. Once swift and unpredictable, they now unfolded in a lethargic manner, each movement telegraphed, and every strike too predictable. It was as though the weight of his divine authority had begun to take its toll, sapping the god's strength with each passing moment.

"You don't look so good," Akun remarked with a sly grin. He seized the opportunity, countering Xalender's sluggish attack with a fluid, well-practiced move. Swift as a striking serpent, Akun's left leg arced upward, and with unerring precision, he brought it crashing down upon Xalender's skeletal ribcage.

The resounding stomp sent tremors through the god's form, and Xalender was forced to his knees, his grip on the menacing scythe faltering. Desperation filled his hollow sockets as he reached out, attempting to grasp his weapon, a lifeline in this dire confrontation.

But Akun was not about to allow Xalender any respite. With a mere wave of his hand, he called upon his aspect power. It descended upon Xalender like an invisible vise, pinning the god of death down with irresistible force.

"I originally planned on killing one god," Akun declared, his voice filled with a cold determination, "but with all that you have done, why don't I add you to the hit list?"

Xalender, his skeletal form still bearing the weight of divine power, chuckled with an unsettling air of confidence. "You truly are a fool, Akun," he remarked, his tone a mix of amusement and disdain.

Enraged by the mockery, Akun raised the †Void-Sword-Onos†, poised to end Xalender's existence once and for all. However, just as the blade was about to descend, the entire underworld began to tremble vigorously.

Akun, caught off guard, lost his footing and nearly fell. His violet eyes fixed on Xalender, suspicion and frustration in his gaze. "Is this another one of your tricks again?" he demanded.

Xalender, still on his knees but unaffected by the tremors, responded with an eerie calmness. "Tricks? Oh, I wouldn't dare," he said cryptically. "We have you to thank for this."

Confused by Xalender's words, Akun felt a sense of foreboding. It was then that the system's voice echoed in his head once more, an unexpected presence in this surreal confrontation.

[Warning to the player!! It has been detected that the †Authority† the player consumed belonged to an origin god!!]

"What is an origin god?" he inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity and urgency. "And what does his authority have anything to do with why the underworld is trembling?" Akun asked, his voice laced with confusion.

[Notice! Player, Origin Gods are gods whose presence is needed to manage a part of reality. Unlike Ascended Gods, if something were to happen to an Origin God, it would have a profound impact on reality.]

Akun's confusion deepened as he sought clarification from the system. He voiced his concerns, seeking to understand the connection between his actions and the upheaval in the underworld. "You said if something happens to them," he began, his voice filled with uncertainty, "but I haven't done anything to Xalender yet."

[Notice! An Origin God's existence is shaped by their †Authority†. If an Origin God lost its †Authority†, they would lose a great amount of their strength and slowly begin to wither away.]

Akun fixed his gaze on Xalender, who began to slowly disappear before his eyes. Xalender, observing his own vanishing form, chuckled ominously.

"It's starting," Xalender remarked, a note of anticipation in his voice.

Inwardly, Akun voiced his lingering confusion to the system. "System, I still don't understand why any of this is my problem."

[Notice! Because the player consumed the Origin God's †Authority†, the player is left with these options:]

[Option One: The player decides to keep the †Authority†. In this case, the Circle of Death and Rebirth will be destroyed, preventing people from dying and causing life to exist for eternity. This perpetual existence will hinder progress and lead to overpopulation. Eventually, the world will descend into continuous war as people vie for resources, resulting in its ultimate destruction.

Even then, those trapped in this predicament won't be able to die, condemning them to eternal suffering.]

[Option Two: The player chooses to become the next God of Death. In this scenario, the player must combat damned souls that seek to pollute the River of Sytex, the source of all souls.

The player's duty is to escort every deceased soul from the land of the living to the River of Sytex immediately after their death, preventing them from becoming corrupted by the world's evil and becoming damned souls. Some individuals fear rebirth, as it involves losing their memories. These souls may prefer to reside in the underworld and avoid rebirth.

It becomes the player's responsibility to ensure this doesn't happen, as eternal existence in the underworld can become monotonous, leading to the transformation of these souls into damned ones.]

[Option Three: The player returns the †Authority† to Xalender. By doing so, the player forfeits the ability to resurrect and becomes trapped in the underworld. Eventually, they will reincarnate and lose all their memories.]

[What will the player choose?]

Akun found himself trapped in a dire predicament, his options laid bare before him, each one laden with consequences too grave to fathom. He couldn't believe that these were the only choices available to him, and his frustration boiled over.

"Those can't be all the options I have, right?" he protested, a hint of desperation in his voice.

The system's response was cold and unyielding. [Those are all the choices available to the player.]

Akun's anger flared, and he lashed out in a desperate attempt to grasp at any shred of control over his fate. Xalender, observing Akun's outburst, remained cryptic but sensed a deeper understanding within the living soul.

"I don't know how," Xalender began, his voice enigmatic, "but I have a feeling you know exactly what is going on. You also know what options you have to choose from."

He stretched out his skeletal hand, a solemn offer veiled in a sinister promise. "Return the authority, child, and I might just spare your soul from being vanquished."

The underworld itself seemed to collapse in on itself, urging Akun to make a choice swiftly, for the consequences of his decision would reverberate throughout reality.

Akun's thoughts raced as he weighed the unbearable burden of his options. The first choice was unthinkable—a world in perpetual war, devoid of progress and plagued by suffering. The second option meant abandoning his comrades, those who needed him now more than ever. It was a betrayal he couldn't bear.

The third choice offered no solace either. Reincarnation meant losing all his memories, including the burning desire for vengeance that had driven him. Even if he somehow retained his memories, it would still be tantamount to abandonment.

And what if Xalender found a way to pursue him, or worse, spread the word of a mortal who could steal a god's †Authority†, marking him as a target?

Despair gnawed at his resolve as he grappled with the grim reality that all the options before him were fraught with darkness. The weight of his decision hung heavily on his shoulders, and he wondered, in this dire moment, what choice he could possibly make to secure a future that held even a glimmer of hope.