บท 27: (XXVII) Unexpected Development

"You sure are a naughty one!" Elissa chirped, "Even though you were boring, the 'War of the Bugs' was quite entertaining!"

"What's going on? Why are you here instead of them?" Jackson coldly replied, walking past her toward the top of the small hill overlooking the remnants of the battles that had taken place the past few days.

"Well, no more fighters are left on either side; you made sure of that!" She laughed, flipping her hair as she followed next to him.

"That doesn't make any sense... Who's guarding the queens?" Jax asked, turning and staring at her.

"Hmmm... I don't know! Maybe you should go check them out?" Elissa smirked.

"No, I think I'll pass..." Jackson dissonantly said, turning toward Mount Nina Urqu and pointing, "If they're done, then so am I, time to go to the top!"

Elissa turned away as he started walking to the top, sucking on her teeth, her mind racing through various scenarios before a wicked smile appeared as she turned to face his back.

She twirled her fingers around as small whisps of purple smoke appeared and danced around her fingers. She pulled her fingers to her lips, kissing them as the purple smoke turned pink, and she blew the kiss toward Jackson.

The pink smoke floated off his back, lightly sparkling before vanishing. Elissa smiled and placed her hand on her hip, muttering softly as a portal appeared and swallowed her, "Had to choose the hard way..."

Jackson climbed Mount Nina Urqu slowly, heading toward the peak to complete the challenge. He wanted to search through the tunnels one last time as his Gobbii Bag was only partially full despite the hundreds of items he's thrown into it, but her suggestion bothered him, and he would preferably just move on.

His breath became haggard as the rivers and cracks in the volcano flowed with lava, producing intense heat. Despite the comfortable leather tabard underneath his chainmail and plated gloves and boots protecting his skin, the conducted heat was unbearable.

Jackson panted heavily, opening his inventory and replacing his armor with his plain black clothes. Climbing higher, the path became steeper, and as he approached the top, a trail appeared, circling around Mount Nina Urqu toward the volcano's opening.

Two massive wails rang out from separate locations on the island, shaking the entire island as he stepped onto the tail, causing him to throw his back against the rocky wall.

"That can't be good..." Jackson muttered as he began sprinting up the path as the quaking became more intense.

A gigantic Muraŭjoŭka Hornet burst out of the top of the hive, her wings creating a massive drone, and a crown-like spike crested her golden forehead with diamonds for eyes.

A few hundred meters away from him, an equally enormous Mietalajed Ant with a purplish-blue metallic exoskeleton and, similarly to the Hornet Queen, she too had a crown-like horn in between her antennae, burst out from beneath Mount Nina Urqu, destroying massive parts of the volcano as lava began flooding the island.

Both Queens roared, rushing toward the volcano's summit as Jackson raced up the trail. Both humongous insects collided against one another, aiming for the small man, destroying a massive section of the opening and causing more lava to flow out of the volcano.

Jackson was knocked into the air, frantically flailing his arms as he landed on the back of the Muraŭjoŭka Hornet Queen, tumbling as he quickly regained his composure and looked around.

He quickly noticed a small outcropping in the wall and ran along the hornet's body, leaping onto the Mietalajed Ant Queen and running along her massive body before jumping over the bubbling lava below the small platform.

Both insect queens began thrashing against each other, disrupting the volatile nature of the volcano. Deep within the magma's surface, a shadowed figure was curled up, suspended asleep.

The rapidly changing environment of the volcano disturbed its slumber as both eyes opened, revealing a comparatively large yellow sclera with a black iris with a vertical pupil.

Unexpectedly, the center of the lake of lava began to rotate, quickly growing into a magma whirlpool, prompting both insect queens to stop and stare intensely.

"Oh, I'm gonna destroy her when I next see her!" Jackson gritted his teeth, pushing his back against the outcropping walls, watching the lake's center as a deep roar echoed from the bottom of the volcano.

Both queens immediately began cowering, unable to move following the emergence of a third kaiju-sized beast. A jet of flames rose from the center of the volcano, flying high into the sky, the heat far more intense than the lava.

As soon as the flames disappeared, the lava crashed together, settling once more with a large platform of cooled lava floating in the center of the magma lake.

Standing defiantly in the center of the platform was a gigantic, fierce drake with dark maroon scales that retained the lava on the tips. It shook its long, toned body, stomping its four legs one after another, spraying lava around it.

Jackson's eyes went wide, 'What the... How the hell am I supposed to beat that?!? Its claws are bigger than I am!' Two notifications appeared in front of him, disrupting his view.

[Objective Identified!]

[Retrieve two claws from the Nina Urqu Drake!]

[Secret Scenario Discovered!]

[Bringing the Mietalajed Ant Queen and Muraŭjoŭka Hornet Queen before the Nina Urqu Drake has fulfilled the hidden scenario for

La Tercera Isla! Heartbroken from the loss of all her children, the drake entered a deep slumber, awaiting for the return of those who murdered her offspring.]

[Additional Objective Received!]

[The battle for La Tercera Isla has started! Survive until the end and reap all the spoils! Rewards will be provided following the conclusion of the fight!]

"You've got to be kidding me..." Jackson muttered, falling to his knees as the drake violently roared again, stomping its front legs as the Ant Queen fell into the lava and the hornet queen took to the skies.

The drake stared down into the lava shooting a burst of flames out of its mouth into the lava as the Muraŭjoŭka Hornet Queen quickly darted around and crashed into its side, repeatedly jabbing its stinger against her impenetrable scales as she turned her head and began snapping her jaw constantly.

The Mietalajed Ant Queen launched out of the lava behind the drake, snapping her mandibles against the Nina Urqu Drake's tail, clanking loudly. Annoyed at the mosquito bites, she roared, spinning and unleashing flames around her, flinging both queens back into the lava.