The Hornet Hive Queen lifted herself from the ground with a furious screech. Her wings beat wildly, sending violent gales.
She was different now.
Her stinger flashed as she flew mid-air, firing rapid venomous stingers toward us.
I spun my spear instinctively as I deflected two stingers.
"Phoenix Flare!"
Fire erupted from my spear. I launched it toward the Queen, but many more stingers shot past. When I looked up, the Queen was gone.
Too fast.
She appeared above Dahlia in an instant.
"Dahlia!" Claude shouted, pointing upward.
A powerful gale exploded from her wings and slammed into Dahlia. She lost balance and crashed into the ground, rolling across the dirt before stopping near a fallen tree.
Dahlia groaned and pushed herself up, gripping her trident tightly. "I'm okay!"
She had taken damage from the gale. We rushed to her side and regrouped.
The Queen screeched again, her voice sharp and commanding.
From her antennae, ten Giant Hornets burst out of nowhere. Their wings flapped through the air as they spread out and rushed toward us.
"Ten this time?" Claude complained loudly, backing away while cracking his whip. "She's really angry now!"
The hornets split into groups, circling us from different sides.
I planted my feet and raised my spear. "Claude, stop attacking the swarm," I said, waving my hand sharply at him.
Claude blinked in confusion. "What? But why?"
"Let me and Dahlia handle them," I said firmly, glancing at the hornets closing in. "We need to level up. You keep the Queen busy."
Dahlia turned toward me and nodded without hesitation. "I'll take the left group," she said, gripping her trident tighter.
Claude grinned and moved forward. "Fine. Just be careful, please."
The Queen darted toward Claude, firing stingers in quick bursts.
"Glacier Fang Barrage!"
Claude swing his whip forward. Five icy slicing arcs tore through the air in rapid succession, their edges glittering with frost. The Queen was forced to pull back, her wings flapping hard as the freezing blades grazed past her.
Claude kept moving, never staying in one spot, his whip constantly cutting through the air.
Meanwhile, the hornets rushed us.
"Water Jets!"
Dahlia called out her skill, thrusting her trident forward.
Six streams of water blasted out, knocking three hornets from the sky. Three were still alive.
I leapt forward at the same time, flames spreading along my spear.
"Scorching Surge!"
I charged, piercing a nearby hornet mid-air and slashing its body until it faded into light.
[You have slain a Giant Hornet!]
Another hornet dove toward Dahlia from behind, its stinger ready.
"Down!" I shouted, pointing.
Dahlia dropped instantly. I spun and slashed upward, fire ripping through the hornet as it dissolved into light.
[You have slain a Giant Hornet!]
The remaining hornets attacked together.
"Cresting Wave!"
Dahlia slammed her trident into the ground. A large moving wave of water surged forward, pushing the hornets back. Some were knocked off, while others were killed by the water jets she had fired earlier.
I jumped through the wave and landed among them.
"Phoenix Flare!"
Flames exploded outward, tearing through four hornets at once. Their screams echoed as their bodies burned.
[You have slain a Giant Hornet!]
[You have slain a Giant Hornet!]
[You have slain a Giant Hornet!]
[You have slain a Giant Hornet!]
Claude laughed from across the clearing. "You're stealing all the kills!"
"Keep her busy!" I shouted back, blocking another stinger.
One hornet lunged straight toward me.
I twisted aside and slammed my spear upward.
"Water Sphere!"
A medium-sized water ball hit the hornet and finished it.
The final hornet tried to retreat, but Dahlia finished it with a sharp pierce from her trident.
The clearing went quiet for a moment.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
Lv. 14 → Lv. 16
Me and Dahlia exchanged a quick glance, adrenaline still flowing in my chest.
"We leveled up now, Dahlia, and gained new skills," I muttered under my breath.
"Yeah, I got a lightning skill," she said, spinning it experimentally.
A thought struck me, and I turned to Dahlia. "Let's go to Claude!" I said, and she gave me a nod.
When we arrived, Claude was dancing across the clearing, swinging his whip with wild precision as he dodged the persistent stingers.
Several had grazed him, leaving venom marks on his arms. His breathing was ragged; he was clearly exhausted.
"Claude! Stop and rest!" I yelled, rushing toward him, spear ready.
"I… I can still fight! We can't stop now!" he snapped, jaw tight, eyes burning with stubborn determination despite the fatigue dragging him down.
I shook my head. "No, we can take it from here. You rest!"
Dahlia stepped closer, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "We'll take it from here, Claude!"
Claude blinked angrily. "It's fine," he muttered, knocking Dahlia's hand off his shoulder.
He pointed toward the Queen above us.
The Hornet Hive Queen hovered, wings beating violently, venom dripping from her stinger.
Her crimson eyes glowed with pure fury as she let out a deafening screech, preparing to release a gale in our direction.
I planted my feet firmly, spear ready. "Oh no, you won't use your skill!" I roared, pointing at her.
"Solar Beam!"
A golden light, like sunlight, surged from the tip of my spear and shot forward, but the Queen reacted instantly, twisting her body and dodging to the side.
I clenched my grip and shifted my stance, dragging the spear with her movement. The beam curved slightly as I redirected it.
The solar light caught her mid-motion, scorching her side. She shrieked in pain, wings faltering as the heat forced her to retreat.
"Now, Dahlia!" I yelled.
"Lightning Jolt!"
Dahlia sent a bolt of lightning arcing down from above. It split across the Queen's wings, sizzling along her body as she hovered low in mid-air.
The Queen staggered, momentarily stunned.
Claude shook off the venom marks and grinned through his exhaustion.
"Glacier Fang Barrage!"
He spun his whip, releasing five icy arcs that slashed through the air. The frost bit at the Queen's wings, forcing her to struggle against the freezing blades.
"Now we attack!" I shouted.
We moved as one.
I charged and leapt, spear slashing, while Dahlia charged from below, trident ready, and Claude swung his whip.
We reached the weakened boss.
The Queen shrieked in rage.
I charged first, spear aimed straight at her midsection. She twisted and dodged, but I followed her movement, spinning and slashing across her side.
Dahlia moved in from the left, trident ready, thrusting upward as I drew her attention.
With a final move, Claude leapt and spun in, wrapping his whip around her body and slamming her to the ground.
We worked in perfect rhythm.
The Queen flailed, stumbling, then collapsed onto the ground, wings folded weakly, unable to rise.
We sank to our knees, chests heaving. Claude leaned on his whip, exhausted. Dahlia wiped sweat from her brow, gripping her trident. I looked at the fallen Queen, victorious but spent.
[Hornet Hive Queen Defeated!]
[You have gained 500 EXP!]
Dropped Loot:
[Portal Gem x1] – A glowing orb that allows instant recall to the Kingdom.
[Stinger Shard x2] – Jagged crystal infused with venom.
[Hornet Wing x1] – Iridescent wing, useful for crafting or enhancing agility.
"Finally… it's over, and we got some loot," I muttered.
"We did it," Dahlia said softly.
Claude chuckled, still catching his breath.
[!] Quest Completed [!]
» Slay the Hornet Hive Queen
[Achievement Unlocked: Hornet Hive Queen Slayer]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
Lv. 16 → Lv. 21
I glanced at the notification display in front of me.
We shared a tired laugh. The clearing was silent except for the distant hum of fleeing hornets. Victory was ours.