I Only Tame Dragons

A group of players moved steadily through the forest, their presence too organized to be mere wanderers.

Their emblems shimmered faintly in the dim light, marking them as members of a coalition guild. At the helm of the group was a figure Von recognized instantly—a tall, imposing player with a cold smirk etched across his face.

"Veilborne," Von murmured under his breath, his jaw tightening. Memories of their first encounter flashed through his mind: the hostility, the clash, the thinly veiled threats.

It seemed that they were destined to meet here.

Von observed them closely, counting their numbers and noting their positions. This wasn't a random patrol—they were moving with intent, and their path was leading them straight toward the cave.

Could they have found their hideout and call for reinforcement?

Slipping back down from the branch, Von retreated as silently as he had come, his mind racing. By the time he re-entered the cave, Lydia was already on edge, her faces pale with worry.

"It's Veilborne," Von said grimly, his voice low but urgent. "They've brought reinforcements, and they're heading this way."

Lydia clenched her fists. "M-Maybe they're just passing by? They couldn't be as pitiful as to actually hunt us, right?"

"Hard to say," Von replied. "But they're close. Too close."

Frigid shifted his stance, his massive frame blocking the cave entrance entirely. "Let them come," he growled. "They won't be able to get pass me."

"Shouldn't we just get out and run?" Lydia said, her voice laced with concern. "If they surround us here, we'll be trapped with no way to escape."

Von shook his head. "We can't afford an all-out fight, they're numerous out there. We'll need a plan."

"Then what should we do?" Lydia asked. "What plan are we talking about here?"

"Like Frigid said, let them come here," Von said, his tone calm, but with a quiet confidence that settled over the group like a shield.

Lydia raised an eyebrow, her lips curling downward. Wasn't sure it was the best plan. "Huh? Are you sure about that?"

Von gave a nod, his eyes scanning the narrow cave entrance. "With the way this place is set up, we're practically untouchable. The entrance is too tight for all of them to get through at once, and with Frigid guarding it, there's no way they'll break our defenses. Frigid's stats, his skills, and his gear—there's no one who can get past that. We're safer here than out there in the open where we're exposed in all sides."

Lydia's gaze shifted, her senses picking up the faintest echo of approaching footsteps. She tensed. "Are you really sure about this?"

"Absolutely." Von's voice was steady. He gave her a reassuring grin, then turned toward Frigid with a mock bow. "And if it comes down to it, I'll protect you all, my sweet honeys!" He said it with such dramatic flair that it was almost comical, before walking over to Frigid, dropping the theatrics in favor of a more casual tone. "Except you, buddy. Sorry, but it's every man for himself now."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Frigid only laughed. "You don't have to worry. They won't get past me. Just stay behind me, and I'll protect you all."

Von muttered under his breath, though his smile remained. "Now you're just making me look bad."

The tension outside could be felt. The forest had grown unnervingly quiet, as if the very air was holding its breath in anticipation of the storm about to break. Read latest chapters at empire

The leader of Veilborne and its coalition army stood at the forefront, commanding an air of authority and menace. It was none other than Nightshade, the current group Leader of Veilborne in this game—a name that struck fear into his enemies.

Behind him, two smaller guilds, subordinate to Veilborne, flanked their leader, their emblems glinting on their armor.

"We know you're in there!" Nightshade's voice boomed, echoing through the forest with a chilling authority.

"Come out, or we'll blow that cave to smithereens!"

The tension was thick as Von and Frigid stepped out of the cave to face the guild leader.

Von's ever-present smile remained firmly in place, his casual demeanor betraying no hint of fear or concern. Frigid, standing like an unmovable wall, scanned the group of players with bored eyes.

Von raised a hand in greeting, his tone almost mocking. "What do you want, Nightshade?"

Nightshade's eyes narrowed as they roved over the duo, searching for someone else. "Where's your leader?" he demanded.

Von shrugged lazily. "Oh, Horizon? He's probably making his way to the exit as we speak."

Nightshade's lips curled into a smirk. "Is that so? Well, too bad. He won't get here to watch his members die like the fools they are."

"Die?" Von repeated, arching an eyebrow. His smirk widened into something sharper, more dangerous. "Are you sure it won't be you and you lackeys?"

The players behind Nightshade burst into mocking laughter.

"Did he just say that?"

"Is this guy serious?"

"Two of them against a dozen of us? He's lost his mind."

"The fear must have scrambled his brain!"

Their laughter vibrated in the forest. Inside the cave, Lydia clutched Silphie tightly to her chest, her knuckles white with tension. "I hope those two know what they're doing," she murmured.

"I . . . can't breathe," Silphie muttered, squirming in Lydia's huge breasts, more concerned about suffocation than the confrontation unfolding outside.

Back in the clearing, Von tilted his head, his relaxed stance a stark contrast to the hostile crowd in front of him.

"By the way," he said casually, "are you sure you can afford to waste time here? There are less than four days left to reach the exit."

Von didn't bother asking how they'd found them—he could already guess one of them had spotted him hunting in the forest earlier.

Nightshade's grin widened, his teeth flashing like a predator about to strike. "Oh, we can spare the time. This won't even take a minute. Killing you here will be the perfect warm-up before we confront the guardian of the forest and go to the next region."

Von chuckled, a low, amused sound that seemed to unnerve a few of the less experienced players in the group. "Is that right?" he said, his voice light but with an edge of challenge.

Nightshade leaned forward, his sneer deepening. "Didn't I tell you? Anyone who crosses Veilborne will suffer a fate worse than death. This is for Ironfist!" His voice rose into a roar. "Attack!"

As the command echoed across the clearing, the Veilborne coalition surged forward like a tidal wave of steel and fury, but Von's smirk never faltered.

"Let's see whose fate is worse than death," Von murmured, his smirk deepening before he vanished into the shadows of the cave.

Behind him, Frigid shifted, the massive Ice Giant turning to block the narrow entrance with his imposing frame, his crystalline armor gleaming like a fortress of frozen steel.

Nightshade sneered and pointed at Frigid. "Shatter that block of ice with your magic! Blow him apart!"

At his command, the mages stepped forward, their staff glowing as they began weaving their spells. Arcane energy crackled through the air, and with a synchronized chant, they unleashed their attack.

Five powerful streams of magic spiraled together, merging into a concentrated blast that screamed toward Frigid with devastating force.

The explosion lit up the clearing like a second sun, shaking the ground and sending a shockwave rippling through the trees.

Veilborne and its allied guilds smirked, their confidence soaring.

"That should do it," one of them said, his grin widening.

"No way he survived that," another added, nodding in satisfaction.

But as the smoke cleared, their expressions shifted from triumph to disbelief. Frigid stood exactly where he had before, unshaken and unmoved. His icy form bore no cracks, no signs of damage. Worse, his health bar, which had dipped slightly from the initial impact, surged back to full within seconds.

"W-what the hell?!" one mage stammered, his eyes wide.

"How much HP does he have?" another gasped.

"Never mind that," someone else interjected. "Did you see how fast he regenerated?"

From the cave, Von's laughter echoed, rich and mocking. "Oh, did I forget to mention something?" His tone dripped with feigned innocence. "Frigid's defense is sitting comfortably in the 500 range. Add his armor and his ridiculously high HP, and you're going to need at least 600 Strength and 400 Intelligence just to scratch him."

The players exchanged uneasy glances as murmurs spread through the ranks.

"500 defense? Are you serious?"

"He's basically a walking fortress!"

"How are we supposed to beat something like that with just us? We need at least 5 damage dealers within the 300 stat range to beat him."

Von's voice carried out again, sharper this time, taunting them. "Honestly, even if you could dish out enough damage to get through his armor, I doubt any of you could break his defense. Go ahead—try. You'll only embarrass yourselves."

Nightshade's sneer faltered for a fraction of a second before he barked, "Don't lose focus! He's only bluffing! Hit it with your high-tier spells, everything you've got! Let's see if this so-called fortress doesn't shatter under our power!"

The players hesitated for a heartbeat before rallying, their magic users stepping forward again, this time summoning their strongest spells.

Frigid, however, remained utterly calm, his frost-blue eyes gleaming as if daring them to try.