Evolution begins with an ant colony

Quietly sneaking into the tree castle, Oliver discovered he was surrounded by mutiple hallways and a lot of watchful guards. He wondered why the security was so tight as he moved carefully through the shadows, making sure every step was well-planned.

"Damm," he muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing in deep thought. His eyes darted from one guard to the next as they maintained their vigilant posts, unmoved by the stillness of the night. "This place is practically crawling with guards," he observed, his frustration barely concealed. "Why is their security so tight? How the hell am I going to find the princess like this?"

As Oliver walked, he stayed very aware of what was around him. He couldn't afford to be discovered, not with so many guards patrolling the castle's grand halls.

Just as Oliver thought about how to find the princess, he suddenly spotted her moving through a corridor, where the guards respectfully acknowledged her presence.

With the princess in sight, he felt compelled to follow her. However, the question remained: how could he do so without arousing suspicion? Walking past the guards as an outsider was not a viable option.

Oliver muttered under his breath, "I guess desperate times call for desperate measures." In an instant, his bow and quiver materialized in his hands and fastened securely to his back. These were among the skills that Akun had bestowed upon the ant guardians—a skill known as "inventory." It allowed individuals like Oliver to be fully prepared for missions of this nature.

Taking a deep breath, Oliver decided to employ a tactic he called his "arrow distraction trick." It involved shooting an arrow at a wall to create a sound. However, the sight of an arrow would undoubtedly alert the guards to an intruder.

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To prevent this, Oliver swiftly retracted the arrow into his inventory space, simulating the illusion of a sound emanating from a specific direction without any clear cause.

As he pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it onto his bowstring, Oliver maintained a steady focus. With a smooth motion, he gracefully drew and released the arrow, causing it to strike the wall at the end of the hall. The echoing sound of the impact diverted the attention of the guards.

One of the guards immediately remarked, "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I did," his companion replied. "Let's go check it out." With their curiosity piqued, they both walked away from their designated posts, leaving a clear path for Oliver to follow the princess sliently.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Okay!" Oliver exclaimed inwardly, "Now that those idiots are out of the way, I have to hurry up and catch up with the princess," he said as he quickly stood up and ran down the hall, taking the same turn the princess had passed through.

"The heck," Oliver muttered, "Where did she go now?" He expressed his confusion, adding, "Damm, it's like a maze in here," as his eyes darted around, searching for any sign of the princess.

In the maze-like hallways with lots of guards, Oliver finally caught a glimpse of the princess. She walked gracefully through the big hall, commanding the attention of all the guards. When she reached a massive wooden door, it opened smoothly, letting her go inside. The guards then shut the door, keeping whatever was in there a secret.

"Speak of the devil," Oliver muttered under his breath, a wry smile at the corner of his lips as he witnessed the princess's entrance into the hidden room.

His eyes remained fixed on the closed door, and a wave of deep thought washed over him. "Okay, I know I'm supposed to keep an eye on her and all," he pondered with a furrowed brow, "but how the hell am I getting past this one?" He spoke quietly, showing how hard the task ahead was. "It's not like I can use my arrow distraction trick from earlier… there are way too many guards here."

As he kept watching the different guards in the castle, he thought more deeply. He narrowed his gaze and noticed a mix of creatures from different tribes in the forest. His voice was quiet as he realized this, filled with surprise. "Wait… some of them are lizard men, sirens, Veloras, beast folk, Archnas, and Fenires. Except for the orcs and kingins, all the other tribes of the forest are here."

In the heart of this castle, Oliver found himself in the midst of an assembly that defied the boundaries of the forest's many tribes. It was a convergence of cultures, each guard representing the unique qualities of their respective tribe. The task of infiltrating this place had just become infinitely more complex, and Oliver felt the weight of the challenge weighing down on his shoulders.

Oliver found himself deep in thought as he considered the possibility of a Dryad festival. The grandeur of their celebration might explain the heightened security and the presence of various forest tribes. He mused inwardly, "Are the Dryads having some kind of festival? But if they are, why didn't she invite us?" A faint feeling of exclusion nagged at him.

Just as his thoughts wandered through the labyrinth of possibilities, a voice unexpectedly called out from behind, breaking his reverie. It was a rich, resonant voice, smooth and welcoming, yet it startled him. "State your name."

Startled by the sudden intrusion into his thoughts, Oliver quickly spun around to find the source of the voice. Before him stood a majestic figure—a beast folk with a lion's head, clothed in regal attire adorned in vibrant red, white, and gold. The colors of royalty painted a vivid contrast against the earthy tones of the forest.

A sense of urgency gripped Oliver as he realized he had been discovered. Panic welled up within him, but he managed to keep his composure. His inner monologue reflected his dismay as he acknowledged the situation: "Shit! I've been spotted." Tension hung in the air as he awaited the lion-headed creature's next words.