<h4>Chapter 6: Pushing past limits</h4>


    The dark blue frog let out a sinisterugh, its delight evident in its voice. "Well, well, what do we have here? Tiny ants so far away from their hill," it taunted. "Doesn''t matter, though. I''ll just devour you right here and now."


    The Lunar Toad''s long, sticky tongueshed out, its target set on Ivy, the female ant. But This time, Akun was really on the ball. He acted super fast and used his skill to shoot a bunch of silver spears. These spears messed up the tongue''s path, so it didn''t hit its target like it was supposed to.


    Akun''s voice rang out, filled with urgency and concern. "Ember, Ivy, run back to the anthill I''ll cover for you!"


    But Ember and Ivy weren''t about to bail on their boss when he needed them. They were like, "No way, boss, we''re not ditching you. We''ve got your back, no matter what."


    Ivy added, her voice filled with determination, "You''ve always been there for us, Boss. We won''t abandon you now."


    Akun''s face softened, their loyalty hitting him in the feels. "If you''re really down with me, then you''ll roll with my n," he said. "Head back to the anthill, bring backup, and let''s take on this monster together."


    A brief pause hung in the air, as the gravity of the dangerous scenario sunk in. Then, with a shared understanding, Ember and Ivy nodded simultaneously, their resolve unwavering. "Got it, boss. We''re on it," they confirmed, before dashing toward the anthill in determined unity.


    As Akun saw his loyal buddies vanish into the distance, he felt a swirl of concern and determination. Left to deal with this mega-strong enemy solo, he pondered how on earth he''d manage to stand up to a foe that was eight stages more powerful than him.


    Zoned out in his own world, Akun''s focus snapped back to the Lunar Toad as it started talking once more. The toad sounded pretty intrigued as it spoke. "Fascinating," it mused. "I''ve never encountered monster ants that can talk. You seem to be a special breed, especially you," it said, focusing its gaze on Akun. "That silver exoskeleton of yours resembles the feathers of a silver bird. I have no doubt you''ll be extra tasty."


    Akun''s determination got super strong, and you could totally see a spark of "I won''t back down" in his eyes. Even though things looked tough, he was all about not giving in. He was dead set on looking out for his buddies, the anthill, and himself. This whole showdown with the Lunar Toad was like a big moment that tested his guts, brains, and grit.


    The Lunar Toad, now known as Borax, grinned wickedly at Akun. "Well, well, since you seem to possess some intelligence, I suppose I should grace you with my name," it sneered. "Remember it well, for it will be by my hands that you meet your demise. I am Borax, the lone Lunar Toad."


    Akun squinted, taking in what the toad was saying. His determination was rock-solid, even though things looked pretty bad. He wasn''t about to chicken out just ''cause Borax was acting all tough. Nope, he zeroed in on the challenge that was right in front of him.


    "I can''t run away, if I do, he''ll just go after Ember and Ivy."


    The toad''s amusement quickly faded, reced by a cold, calcted demeanor. "It''s about time I stopped ying with my food," Borax hissed, his voice dripping with malice. His eyes gleamed with a hunger that sent a shiver down Akun''s exoskeleton.


    Borax, the lone Lunar Toad,unched a relentless assault with its tongue, Akun''s agility allowed him to dodge the attacks. However, to his astonishment, the toad''s speed increased exponentially, making it nearly impossible to evade. Akun''s eyes widened in shock as Borax suddenly vanished from sight, only to reappear behind him in a split second.


    "Wait, seriously? Is he really that fast?"


    Caught off guard by the toad''s mind-blowing speed, Akun barely had time to react before Borax''s tongue wrapped around him, yanking him closer to the toad''s mouth. Panic surged through him as he realized how serious things were. His brain went into overdrive, wondering if this was really the end.


    "Am I seriously gonna get eaten after all this? Is this how it goes down?" he wondered to himself.


    But then, a wave of determination flowed through his tired body. He pictured his ssmates, the goddess who called them, and the revenge he was after. It all shed before him in an instant.


    "Ugh, seriously? I haven''t even gotten back at those jerks from my ss or that annoying goddess yet... No! this isn''t where it ends."


    He refused to ept defeat so easily. As he was being pulled into Borax''s mouth, Akun summoned every ounce of his remaining strength and mped his mandibles tightly onto the toad''s jaw, preventing it from closing.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With his resolve burning brighter than ever, Akun proimed, his voice filled with unwavering determination, "No, I won''t meet my end by your hands, Borax."


    Borax, seemingly amused by Akun''s resistance, retorted, "Pointless resistance, ant."


    Not backing down, Akun got ready as Borax unleashed his skill, Moonlight Beam. That crazy strong beam of lunar energy hit Akun again and again, dealing some serious damage. His shiny silver exoskeleton started to melt, and his body got hit hard from his wounds. Akun started feeling kinda out of it, like he was losing his grip. The pain and tiredness were taking over. With his strength sapped, Akun let go of Borax''s jaw, and guess what? Borax just went ahead and swallowed him.


    Inside Borax''s belly, as he fought to stay awake, Akun''s mind was filled with rebellion. "Am I really done for? Is this my limit?" he wondered. "No way, I''m not letting it end like this."


    Deep within Borax''s belly, Akun was wrestling with feelings of hopelessness and regret when a soft voice broke through. He nced around and couldn''t believe his eyes – there was a kind of ghostly figure floating above him. And guess who it was? Flint, his buddy who''d met a pretty sad end before. Akun was hit with all sorts of emotions, and yup, he started shedding tears.


    Through his tears, Akun whispered, "Flint, I''m so sorry. It''s all my fault. I would do anything to make it up to you."


    Flint''s ethereal form gently shook his head. "A.. its ok Boss, don''t me yourself, its not your fault." he reassured. "You have nothing to apologize for. But if you truly want to make it up to me, there is one thing you can do."


    Akun''s voice trembled as he asked, "What is it, Flint? Please tell me."


    Flint''s spirit spoke with a somber tone. "Devour my body," he said softly. "It is myst wish, and I ask that you honor it."


    Akun''s heart ached at the thought, conflicted by the idea of consuming his fallenrade. "No, Flint, I can''t," he protested, tears streaming down his face.


    But Flint persisted, his voice filled with a gentle firmness. "Please, Boss. It is the only way to fulfill myst wish. Devour my body, and let us be one."


    With trembling hands, Akun managed to crawl towards Flint''s lifeless form. His heart heavy with sorrow, he began to consume his fallenrade''s remains, tears mingling with his every bite.


    As he consumed Flint''s body, something caught Akun''s attention—a purple marble nestled within Flint''s remains. Recognition sparked in his mind as he remembered simr marbles within the bodies of the wolf and the silver bird he had consumed before.


    Determination welled up within him, and he devoured the marble as well.


    In that moment, the Endless Evolution System notified Akun of the acquisition of a beast soul. A choicey before him:


    [Would the pleyer evolve using the beast soul?]


    Akun paused, his gaze meeting Flint''s spirit. "Let''s be one, Flint," he whispered. With resolve in his voice, he addressed the system, "Evolve me with the beast soul."


    Akun''s body began to glow with a brilliant light, a fusion of sorrow, determination, and the spirit of his fallenrade, a new evolution was set into motion.


    While all this was going on, Borax was still bouncing like crazy through the forest, all ''cause it couldn''t stop being hungry. It had two things on its mind: get to the anthill and catch up to Ember and Ivy, those ants that had bolted earlier. But, guess what? Borax had no clue that Akun wasn''t about to throw in the towel, even with everything looking grim. No way was he letting his tale end inside Borax''s belly.