I Only Tame Dragons

"What are you doing? Don't tell me you're actually considering helping them," Nyx muttered, glancing at Horizon with a shake of her head. "Don't do it, you idiot."

Horizon studied David below. The beastfolk leader was a strong, honorable type who had been surprisingly helpful when Horizon's group first arrived in their designated house.

Unlike most other guilds in the competition, Roaring Beast hadn't mocked or antagonized them. Instead, David had shown them a rare bit of respect.

But that alone wasn't reason enough to jump into someone else's fight. Horizon wasn't the kind to play hero just because someone he knew was in trouble.

"No, we stick to our plan. Let's continue the search," he replied. "Are you certain you don't sense anything unusual here? Like the magical pull of a portal?" he asked, glancing at Nyx.

Nyx furrowed her nonexistent brow, scanning their surroundings. "Nothing. Maybe it's hidden in another elemental region. But the barrier here is strange . . . it's blocking us from reaching the other regions," she said, her gaze unto the invisible ripples pulsing in the distance.

"Then there's probably a task or a key we need to find first," Horizon murmured, considering the options.

They were about to turn away when a loud voice echoed from below, stopping them in their tracks.

"Out with it, you filthy beast! We know you found something!" one of the attackers sneered, pointing his blade at David. "Don't play dumb—we heard you! You know how to get out of this forest and into the other regions!"

Horizon and Nyx exchanged a quick look. David knew a way out? That changed everything.

A member of the Roaring Beast guild shouted back, "You humans only know how to fight dirty!"

"That's right! We found the secret fair and square—we're not handing over the prize of our hard work!" another beastfolk warrior snarled, standing back-to-back with David, claws bared as they held off the advancing enemy forces.

"Then you'll die here!" one of the Iron Fangs members yelled. "Everyone, take them down!"

Iron Fang prepared to strike, advancing with ruthless intent as their allies from Nightshade Syndicate lay hidden in the shadows, ready to ambush Roaring Beast at the slightest opening.

David's team was outnumbered five to ten, a brutal disadvantage in this savage free-for-all. The odds were grim.

David clenched his fists, his sharp gaze surveying the battlefield. Most of his team had built up a natural resistance to poison—a crucial prerequisite for representing Roaring Beast in the competition.

They couldn't afford to waste valuable item slots for antidotes or asking healers to cleanse them from debuffs; every member needed to have a resistant to poison or other debuffs in order to join the competition.

But Nightshade's poison wasn't the only threat. The hidden ambush attacks, appearing out of nowhere, were another danger entirely.

Despite their immunity, David knew his group wouldn't last if they couldn't see their attackers coming.

"Form a tight circle!" David shouted, his voice a deep rumble that demanded obedience. "Don't break formation, and don't let them get behind you! They're assassins; if they strike a weak spot, it'll be fatal!"

As if to test their resolve, Iron Fang launched a barrage of attacks, swinging their heavy, brutal weapons in a relentless assault.

Roaring Beast's was forced to go on the defensive, shields up and backs against each other as they formed a protective ring.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Nightshade's assassins watched with calculated patience, waiting for their chance to strike.

"We can't hold this position much longer!" Gerald, one of David's veteran fighters, said through gritted teeth as he blocked another heavy swing.

A sudden scream echoed from the circle. "Becky!"

Rosalia cried, her voice laced with shock and fury. Their youngest member had been hit by an arrow—a perfectly placed, deadly shot.

Becky's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, her fall sending a chilling wave of despair through the group.

The arrow's origin was clear: the leader of Nightshade, a sniper with a vicious reputation and stats in the 400-500 range, had fired it.

Against a novice player like Becky, it had been a lethal strike, made even deadlier by the Nightshade leader's skill [True Shot] which rendered any defense useless.

Roaring Beast's formation was beginning to crack under the pressure.

"Damn it, David! They're targeting our weakest members, one by one," Borge, David's second-in-command, growled, his claws flexing with rage.

"Rosalia, get inside the circle!" David ordered, his jaw clenched tight. "They'll come after you next, I guarantee it."

"But if I move, our formation will break!" Rosalia argued, her grip on her staff trembling with frustration. She was torn between staying in the fight and retreating to a safer position.

"Just get inside the damn circle!" David's voice left no room for debate. "If you're taken down, we'll lose our only healer. We need you to keep our wounded up and fighting."

Rosalia didn't have any choice, and slipped to the center of the circle to tend to the injured. She couldn't do any fighting and defending anyway.

David took a deep breath, calling upon his own power. His eyes burned with a fierce light as he unleashed his skill [Beast Aura].

A wave of raw, primal energy surged from him, filling the air with an oppressive, predatory pressure that stunned everyone in its range.

For a moment, Iron Fang faltered. Their members, except for their leader, froze in place, paralyzed by the overpowering fear that [Beast Aura] instilled.

David seized the opportunity without hesitation, zeroing in on Iron Fang's weakest member, a novice who had broken rank in terror.

With a single, lethal swing of his claws, David cleaved the rookie clean in half, reducing Iron Fang's numbers.

"Damn you!" roared Iron Fang's leader, his eyes flashing with fury. He couldn't tolerate the loss of even one member, especially not from the native race like the beastfolk.

Without hesitation, he retaliated, his blade a blur of steel as he launched a devastating attack aimed to shatter Roaring Beast's defensive circle.

Seeing the leader's reckless charge, Nightshade's assassins decided it was time to strike. From the shadows, they launched a series of silent, precise attacks.

Blades glinted briefly in the dim light as they sliced through the air, each aimed at a vulnerable spot in Roaring Beast's formation.

David's team struggled to fend off both fronts. They were nearly overwhelmed, but he fought on, a fierce determination blazing in his eyes.

One by one, his allies took hits—some collapsing, some barely hanging on, as Rosalia worked frantically to keep the injured from succumbing to their wounds.

But they were wearing thin, their stamina pushed to its breaking point.

"Aren't you going to help them?" Nyx's voice was edged with impatience as she watched the chaos unfold below.

Horizon's gaze remained fixed on the battlefield, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Who said I'm here to help? I'm just . . . observing."

"Observing?" Nyx arched a brow. "What exactly are you waiting for?"

"Waiting for the right moment." Horizon's tone was calm, almost amused. "The moment when David is isolated—then, I might step in."

Nyx's eyes narrowed. "Why wait until he's alone?"

Horizon chuckled, his voice low. "It's just the two of us out here, Nyx. If I jump in now and help David take down Iron Fang and Nightshade, they might just decide I'm their next target. Nice guy or not, I'm not risking it. Not in a competition like this."

He leaned back, crossing his arms as he watched the skirmish unfold below with unruffled patience. "No need to rush. Let's wait and see. They'll wear each other down soon enough and that's when I'll enter."

It wasn't that he was heartless . . . he was only being cautious. He had already learned his lesson in a hard way to follow his head and not his heart.

Iron Fang's leader unleashed another savage blow, swinging his weapon with brutal force. David barely managed to intercept it, their weapons clashing in a harsh grind of steel.

The impact sent shockwaves up his arms, but he held firm, his feet rooted like ancient stone.

"Everyone, hold the line!" David's voice cut through the chaos. "Don't give them an inch!"

Iron Fang's leader laughed, a dark, menacing sound. "You think your pathetic defense can keep us out? We'll crush you here and now . . . Unless, of course, if you hand the information over, we might spare your life."

But David wasn't about to yield. With a fierce roar, he channeled the full force of his beastfolk bloodline, his aura intensifying to a near-physical presence, a wave of rage that crashed against his enemies. He swung his weapon in a wide arc, forcing Iron Fang's leader back a few steps, momentarily disrupting the assault.

Nightshade's assassins saw their opportunity fading and launched one final, desperate assault from the shadows. They darted in, blades aimed for the gaps in Roaring Beast's defenses.

But David was ready. With a quick motion, he activated [Beast Reflexes], enhancing his perception and speed. He turned, countering one assassin's blade with his own, deflecting it harmlessly away.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Yet despite their resilience, David knew their situation was precarious. They couldn't hold out forever, not with Iron Fang's brute strength and Nightshade's deadly tactics.

They needed a miracle—or a sudden twist in the balance of power to survive.