Evolution begins with an ant colony

The system's voice resounded in Akun's mind, delivering the momentous news:

[Ding!! Since the player enslaved the goddess of time, due to skill sharing, the skill Clockwork Rewind has evolved into †Authority† †Chronos Ruler†].

[†Authority† description: absolute control over time, the ability to rewind, freeze, or accelerate time at will, either it be on a target or all of existence.]

Grinning with an air of triumph, Akun mused aloud, "Perks of taming a god, indeed." With that, he added, "Well now, system, let's proceed with sending me back in time."

A sudden revelation from the system left Akun both puzzled and concerned:

"[Notice!! The player is about to create an alternate Timeline!]"

Intrigued yet confused, Akun quickly inquired, "What do you mean I'm creating an alternate timeline? Please, explain."

The system promptly clarified:

[Due to the fact that the player enslaved the goddess of time in this timeline, if the player travels back to prevent -companion: Oliver- from going to the Dryad tribe originally, it would result in the player eliminating the original reason for encountering the goddess of time and enslaving her!]

[This, in turn, means the player would revert back to the dragon grade and lose the enslaved goddess of time, as well as all memories related to these events!]

[However, there's a complication with this approach: the player has gained an †Authority† and tamed the goddess, both of which are significant events recorded in the book of all knowledge and existence so cannot be erased.]

[As a result, the player is forced to create an alternate timeline, generating an exact copy of the current world where the player can attempt to prevent the intended events without erasing the existing ones.]

Akun's face contorted with frustration and anger as he received the grim news. He gritted his teeth and demanded answers: "What about my comrades who are left in this world?"

The system replied, its tone unyielding: [Unfortunately, player, they will be left behind in this world.]

But the system continued to explain, attempting to offer some reassurance: [Rest assured, player, they will also exist in the other world, so the player---]

Akun couldn't bear to hear the rest. He cut off the system as he yelled, "Unacceptable!" His voice tinged with frustration as he added. "How can you be telling me that, in order to save my comrades, I also have to abandon them?" He clenched his fists tightly, unwilling to accept such a harsh reality.

Akun's frustration grew as he tried to find an alternative. He insisted, "There has to be another way."

The system, however, remained unchanging in its response: [Unfortunately, those are all the options available to the player.]

After a brief pause, Akun suddenly spoke up, "What if we rewind time only for the ant tribe? Wouldn't that fix everything?"

The system then added, [The player can do that, but please keep in mind that you would have to rewind time back to a period when the player wasn't present in the ant city, and all the other inhabitants were around.]

[If the player were to rewind time to when the player was present in the anthill, it would create a copy of the player from that past time, which would complicate matters. Additionally, the player should note that 99.9% of the time, all the other inhabitants were present when the player was, making this approach ill-advised.]

Akun mumbled with growing frustration, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his fists. "So you're telling me I have no choice?" He looked up at the virtual display projected by the system, a deep furrow creasing his brow.

The system's voice, as unyielding as ever, replied, "[Affirmative, the player has no other choice in this matter.]"

Akun's thoughts raced as he contemplated the implications of the situation. It was a moment of frustration and resignation. "Very well," he finally said, surrendering to the inevitable. "We'll proceed with our original objective. We'll journey back into the past and alter the course of events."

"[Will the player still create the alternate timeline?]" the system inquired.

Akun hesitated, his eyes glinting with resolve. "Yes and no," he answered, a trace of cryptic confidence in his voice. "But I'll find a way to make it work. After all, haven't you forgotten what my †Authority† is?"

[??] The system responded with a questioning tone.

[What exactly does the player intend to do?] it asked again, seeking clarity.

Akun's lips curled into a faint, eerie smile. "I will create an alternate timeline, change the past to serve my purpose, and then, I will merge the two timelines to achieve my ultimate goal."

A portal, tinged with a vivid green hue, shimmered into existence before Akun. His eyes locked onto it as he asked the system, his voice laced with anticipation, "Is that the portal to the alternate timeline?" Your adventure continues at empire

The system responded promptly, [Affirmative, player. That is the portal.]

As Akun stood at the precipice of the shimmering green portal, he steeled himself for what would happen next. Just as he was about to take flight into the unknown, a voice echoed within his mind, a voice he had grown used to – Chrono Nexus.

"Master, don't do this," she implored. "What you're about to do won't be fully fixed even with your †Authority†."

Akun's temper flared, and he yelled defiantly, "I've grown tired of constant restrictions on what I can achieve. I will demonstrate my ablities, both in the present and the future."

With those words ringing in the air, he propelled himself into the portal, and in an instant, it closed behind him.

Meanwhile, In the heart of the ruined Dryad tribe, a man shrouded in shadows grinned wickedly beneath his mask. With a sardonic tone, he lowered his hood to reveal long, silver hair that cascaded like a waterfall down his back. He mumbled to himself, "Seems our boy is finally going to do it, going to mess things up completely."

As the ominous system voice echoed in his head, inquiring, ‡[Is the player not going to do anything about it?]‡, the man contemplated his predicament. He muttered, "How can I? If I do that, then I'll just end up erasing myself from existence. After all these were the actions that resulted in my creation."

With a sense of resignation, the man added. "According to the movies, I'm not supposed to mess with stuff like this. I can only stand by and watch, letting the hands of time turn as they originally did." Deep down, he understood the consequences of meddling with the very fabric of existence, and he found himself reluctantly playing the part of an observer in this intricate cosmic drama.