Evolution begins with an ant colony

Ken, his face twisted with frustration, he gripped his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Gritting his teeth, he posed the an important question to Mina, his gaze piercing her resolve. "Is that your final answer?"

Mina, undaunted, responded With her chin held high and a fiery spark in her eyes, she replied, "Hell yes."

John, watched the exchange closely. The atmosphere seemed so thick you could cut it with a knife. His thoughts raced, anxiety mounting, as he pondered, "That was a close call. If she somehow decided to join him, my plan would have gone up in smoke."

In the midst of this intense atmosphere, an unexpected eruption of laughter burst forth from Chris. His laughter started as a chuckle, slowly building into an uncontrollable fit of amusement. His sudden burst of mirth took everyone by surprise, and all eyes turned to him.

Once Chris had wiped a tear from his eye, he continued his laughter-tinged commentary, "Damm, that was just comical. You were like, 'Will you become my woman?' and then Mina was like, 'Hard pass.' Damm, what makes it even funnier..."

However, John couldn't contain his agitation. He seized Chris by the shirt collar, his face flushed with anger, and scolded him urgently, "What the hell do you think you're doing? All you're doing is giving the guy more reasons to kill us."

Chris muttered in disbelief, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "Come on, John, I know we must have said some harsh things, but when it comes down to it, we and Ken were buddies back on Earth. He wouldn't actually kill us, right, Ken?" His gaze shifted, focusing on Ken as he sought reassurance.

In response, John grabbed Chris by the collar, his grip firm and unyielding. With a mix of concern and irritation, he questioned Chris's judgment. "What gave you that idea? If he wasn't serious, he wouldn't have sent undead monsters chasing after you earlier. Didn't you clearly hear him a few moments ago when he told Mina that if she decided to go with him, he would spare her, but not us?"

Ken, maintaining his unwavering seriousness and determination, replied with a cold and resolute tone, "I have made my choice. You should all prepare for what's coming." His words hung heavily in the air, signifying the grim reality of the situation.

Ken prepared his chaos magic blade, its eerie energy crackling ominously. He issued a command to his undead army with an air of authority, his voice sharp and resolute. "Get out of my way. This fight is mine," he declared, taking on a battle stance as he tightly gripped his chaos magic sword.

Mina, recognizing Ken's readiness for battle, decided to prepare herself as well. Her actions were accompanied by a brilliant display of magic. Her rainbow hair shimmered and her ever-changing eyes radiated with vivid colors as multiple elemental magic circles materialized around her. With a sense of urgency, she called out to John and Chris. "John, Chris, you guys should go find somewhere to hide.

Go back into the village."

Chris responded swiftly, acknowledging the wisdom of Mina's suggestion. He headed towards the colossal iron gate of the village and began shouting for the guards. "Good idea!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the gate. "Hey, guards, open up the gate!"

Meanwhile, John, with a sense of foreboding, couldn't help but think, "You fool, going into that village will only turn us into sitting ducks, only buying us some time before Ken finally comes to get us along with the rest of the villagers." The weight of their impending fate hung heavily on him as the tension in the air grew palpable.

Chris's voice rang out, echoing through the village as he yelled, "Come on, open the gate! Do you know it's a hero speaking? I wonder what the Holy Church will do when it finds out you treated me like this." His words were a mix of bravado and frustration, his arms gesticulating wildly, emphasizing his importance.

Meanwhile, the guard responsible for opening the gate crouched down atop the walls at his guard post, his face a mask of fear. He held his head, lost in a whirlwind of anxious thoughts. Inwardly, he lamented, "Why, why, why is any of this happening?
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I know I always wanted something more exciting in my life, but this is just too much." Panic gripped Lucas as he continued his internal turmoil, "I sent Amelia and the new recruit down there too. Darn it, how did everything go straight to hell so fast?"

Suddenly, his mind flashed back to when the guards were departing from the city through the gate. Amelia spoke up, saying, "Hey, Lucas, I want you to promise me something."

Lucas, standing on the wall, turned his attention to Amelia, his brows furrowing with concern. He asked, "What is it?"

Amelia, standing with the other guards near the gate, replied with a determined look in her eyes, "I want you to promise me that you won't open this gate unless we return after defeating all the undead." She gestured emphatically with her hands, emphasizing the seriousness of her request. "If any of us retire, telling you to open the gate with the undead behind them, ignore them, even if it's me."

Lucas maintained a playful tone as he responded, his face showing both amusement and affection. "Come on, don't you think you're being a tad bit too dramatic?"

As the guards prepared to leave, Robert saluted Lucas with a determined nod. "Okay, sir, we're off now." His salute was crisp, reflecting their readiness for battle.

Lucas watched them go with a heavy heart, tears welling up in his eyes. He touched his hand to his chest, a gesture that symbolized his deep emotions. "But I never knew that would be the last time I would ever see their smiles again," he mumbled, his voice choked with sorrow. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and in frustration, he exclaimed, "Damm it!"