Bab 29: (XXIX) Quest Complete!

Jackson looked around, expecting Elissa to reappear any moment, but the voice rang out once again, "Please... Human..."

His gaze locked onto the body of the Nina Urqu Drake, struggling to rise and falling back onto the platform, 'It couldn't be... could it..?' He thought, cautiously approaching.

"Are you the one talking to me..?" He said slowly, his eyes locked on the drake's long face as she stared into his eyes and nodded once, her jaw falling back against the ground.

"You need not fear me, Human... My final moments are upon me; there is nothing I can do to you... Please, listen to my last request..." Her words rang inside his head as he slowly approached, standing a few meters away.

"What's your request?" Jackson asked, slowly inching closer, uncertain to believe the words of a beast that could swallow him in a single bite. The drake began wheezing, black bile being sprayed as it dripped down the corners of her mouth.

"Once I pass... The lava will go... At the bottom... Please!!! Protect it!!! I can't... I can't fail... The Last Queen's orders!!" Her voice broke as she cried inside his mind.

Jackson choked back the lump in his throat; he could feel her emotions as if they were his own as she spoke. He approached and placed his palm against the crown of her head, stroking her rough scales softly.

"I promise, I will protect it with my life!" Jackson consoled her softly as she closed her eyes.

"Thank... You..." Her voice trailed off inside his mind as Jackson held his hand against her, as her final moments raged inside him before he was left alone.

He dismissed all the notifications as the silence was disturbed by the Ant Queen's legs shuffling around. He gritted his teeth, anger flashing across his eyes as he strolled toward her, jumping onto the underside of her abdomen before jumping onto her thorax and falling to his knees, repeatedly punching as cracks began to spread.

She quickly died, but Jackson continued to unleash the flood of emotions that the drake forced upon him. It felt like hours passed until, finally, the rage subsided. Jackson wiped the sweat from his brow, slowly rising to his feet.

"Was that worth it?" Elissa asked, her body appearing from a portal behind the young man.

"Yes." Jackson said, nodding to himself, approaching the drake and kneeling next to her.

"For what it's worth... I'm sorry..." Elissa said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Jackson nodded solemnly, softly replying, "Thank you."

"I won't take much of your time; I just wanted to tell you the path to the next floor has opened..." She said, turning around and slowly walking through the still-opened portal, vanishing.

"I'm sorry..." Jackson whispered to the corpse of the Nina Urqu Drake, raising his fist as he started punching her claws repeatedly, breaking two of her nails off, completing the challenge for the floor.

The platform he was on jostled violently as the lava began to recede, the now quiet arena floating slowly to the bottom to the entrance of the Magma Chamber, sealing it shut.

Nearby, a tri-tipped obsidian pedestal held a large black egg, and an orange portal floated behind it. The three arms were fashioned like dragon claws, the nails curling around the egg, nested tightly against the shell.

The large black egg shimmered with various colors, and its shell looked as if it was covered in tiny black scales. A band of floating white runic symbols rotated around the pedestal just below the egg.

Jackson slowly approached the pedestal, reaching out to the egg, cautiously lifting it, and inspecting it, which flooded his vision with windows of previously ignored notifications:

[Muraŭjoŭka Hornet Queen Slain!]

[An impossible achievement has been completed! You participated in defeating the Muraŭjoŭka Hornet Queen. Compensation has been awarded based on your contribution points!]

[Reward: +10 Available Points]

[Mietalajed Ant Queen Slain!]

[An impossible achievement has been completed! You participated in defeating the Mietalajed Ant Queen. Compensation has been awarded based on your contribution points!]

[Reward: +10 Available Points]

[Nina Urqu Drake Slain!]

[An impossible achievement has been completed! You participated in defeating the Nina Urqu Drake. Compensation has been awarded based on your contribution points!]

[Reward: +10 Available Points]

[Secret Scenario Completed!]

[Mount Nina Urqu was created long ago by the Queen of the Dragons, and the Nina Urqu Drake was designed to protect the mysterious dragon egg. Through your compassion, you were entrusted with safeguarding the egg until it can hatch.]

[Reward: Orzas's Dragon Egg]

[Modified Challenge Completed!]

[You have obtained the items necessary to forge your own weapon! Search around! Who knows, you might find something useful!]

[Reward: 3/10 Modified Challenges Completed! Complete all ten to receive the reward!]

[Orza's Dragon Egg]

[Rank: Mythic]

[Incubation Timer: 13:59:59:59]

[Bind to User?]

[<Yes>/<No>]

'Yes.' Jackson thought as the massive egg began glowing in a bright white light; his left gauntlet began glowing in a similarly white light, vanishing as a tattoo of a dragon flew up his fingers to the back of his hand.

It flowed across his skin, circling his hand before settling in the center. The tattoo was black with a white eye on the left and white with a black eye on the right. Both wings were spread out, creating the illusion of a circle as the body twisted slightly between them.

Jackson grabbed his hand, rubbing his thumb across the tattoo, staring intently before his hand began glowing again as his gauntlet returned, covering his hand.

'Two weeks...' Jackson was at a loss for words, staring at the egg, reaching his hand out as it slowly descended into it.

The egg shrunk nearly twice in size before Jackson placed it into his Gobbii Bag with a sigh of relief, turning to look at the three corpses of the previously rampaging behemoths.

'Search around!' Jackson recalled the Challenge Completion window's words as he approached the Hornet Queen's charred corpse, circling it before stopping next to the near pristine stinger.

He leaned forward, grabbed the end, and quickly snapped it off; when he did, it immediately shrunk to the size of a long knife—smiling to himself as he stared at the Ant Queen, twisting it between his fingers as he walked over and quickly dismantled it, placing all the metallic plates in his bag with the stinger.

He chewed on his lower lip, approaching the drake's body, sighing heavily as he knelt next to her and gave a silent prayer. After a moment of silence, he broke the remaining talons on her claws, removed her teeth and eyes, and the six spikes at the end of her tail, placing all in his Gobbii Bag.

He stood, dusting himself off before he turned to the rotating orange portal, shivering at the thought of nausea and disorientation he was about to experience, slowly walking through it to the next island.