Read up to 15 chapters ahead on Patreon - patreon.com/Light_lord
-----
A deep, hoarse roar echoed across the clearing.
Jack turned sharply. His eyes narrowed.
From the ruins behind him, King Kong stirred.
The massive ape groaned as he pushed himself upright on trembling arms, still battered from his earlier clash with Jack.
Blood soaked his fur in thick mats, and his breathing was labored, but his spirit hadn't been broken.
He roared again.
Then, Jack saw them—humans.
A group of figures emerged from the dense jungle, sprinting toward the downed titan.
They were clothed in rough tribal garb, skin painted with intricate oil patterns, feathers, and ash. Primitive spears and shields glinted under the sun.
The Iwi tribe.
They had come to protect their guardian, despite knowing they were nothing before Jack's might.
Jack's approach sent tremors through the ground.
Each of his steps made the earth quake, toppling stones and trees.
The Iwi faltered—but did not run.
Dozens of them positioned themselves between Jack and the wounded Kong, arms outstretched in defiance.
"Mmm... brave little insects," Jack murmured.
Despite their courage, they were hopelessly outmatched.
Still, they stood, forming a human shield for the one they revered.
Behind them, King Kong's body heaved as he forced himself upright again.
Even half-dead, he roared with everything he had left—a desperate plea, aimed not to intimidate, but to bargain.
Jack paused.
He understood. The message was clear.
"I Surrender. Take island. Spare them."
A low growl rumbled in Jack's chest.
His eyes scanned the tribe, then flicked back to Kong.
"Fine."
He beat his wings again, not to attack, but to scatter.
A gust of wind erupted behind him, slamming into the Iwi warriors like a tidal wave.
They tumbled backward, rolling across the stone and dirt, stunned but unharmed.
Jack moved forward, standing over the fallen titan.
King Kong raised a tired arm, as if bracing for a final blow.
But it never came.
Instead, Jack crouched low. With a swipe of his steel-like claw, he sliced open a gash on his palm.
A few glowing drops of his golden blood sizzled against the air and fell into Kong's open mouth.
"Drink," he said.
"My blood is the only antidote."
For a moment, King Kong hesitated. Then instinct took over.
His massive tongue lapped at the drops, and within seconds, his body began to ease.
The shaking slowed. His eyes cleared.
The poison was leaving him.
Jack straightened, watching.
"Survival," he said quietly, "is your choice now."
The great ape let his arms fall to his sides.
His breath came easier, his muscles relaxing.
There was no more resistance in him—only understanding.
It was not submission in fear, but acceptance in necessity.
"You'll stay here," Jack continued.
"You'll guard Skull Island. For me."
King Kong met his gaze. There was no hatred in it now—only the raw weariness of a titan who knew his place in a new order.
The Iwi people watched from a distance, stunned.
"Protect your people," Jack added, looking toward them.
"I'll allow it."
The unspoken message was clear. The island now belonged to him, but the Iwi would be safe as long as they obeyed.
For now.
Jack's gaze lingered on the fallen trees, the broken stone pillars, and the bloodstained earth that bore witness to his latest conquest.
Skull Island was now his, with the skeleton lizard nest eradicated and King Kong subdued.
But even in victory, his eyes were already looking beyond.
His base camp remained far away, anchored on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna.
Those lands teemed with Jurassic-era creatures and dangerous genetic experiments, and they had been Jack's home ground ever since he began his journey of evolution.
It was impractical for him to stay there for long.
But Skull Island… it wasn't just a battleground.
It was a gateway.
In this strange and brutal land lived species unseen anywhere else in the world—prehistoric predators, ancient birds, giant insects, and now, Jack realized, it was also one of the few known portals to the Inner World—a vast, hidden realm buried beneath the crust of the Earth.
A paradise.
Or hell.
It was said to be where the Titans originated—a place untouched by modern civilization, teeming with primeval energy and colossal life forms.
To Jack, it meant one thing: Gene points—an ocean of potential power waiting to be harvested.
One day, he would go there.
But not yet.
Now was the time to prepare.
Though strong, the surface world was still unstable, and his hold over it was not absolute.
Too many enemies lurked in the shadows, waiting for their moment.
He needed to consolidate his power.
Still kneeling on one arm, King Kong lifted his head and grunted in acknowledgment.
Though clearly reluctant to serve anyone, the titan understood his new role.
Jack had spared his life, shared his blood, and offered him a purpose.
Guard Skull Island. Protect the Iwi. Be the gatekeeper.
It was not slavery—it was allegiance.
And more than that, Kong had the opportunity to remain in his ancestral home.
Jack nodded once, approving the silent agreement.
He turned away, spreading his wings wide.
With one mighty beat, wind roared across the island, bending trees and scattering loose debris as he took to the skies.
His serpentine form cut through the clouds, scales glinting silver and violet under the sun.
From above, Skull Island looked like a jagged emerald rising from a dark sea—wild, untamed, and his.
He soared higher.
And higher.
Until the island became a speck beneath him.
"Time to evolve," Jack murmured.
In his mind, the simulator's interface shimmered into view.
He opened the gene panel, watching the total blink into focus.
It was time.
"Begin lifeform Evolution."