I Only Tame Dragons

"What happened to them?" Horizon murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, as though afraid of disturbing the ghosts of the fallen.

He scanned the desolation around them, half-expecting some hidden danger to emerge from the dunes.

"It's like they were baked alive."

Nyx shifted on his shoulder, her eyes narrowing at the sight. "This wasn't a simple death by exposure. No creature leaves bodies this intact in the desert." Her voice was low, almost reverent, as though she sensed something ancient and hostile lingering here.

Horizon's gaze swept over the corpses strewn across the desert sands, each body twisted in silent agony, as though they had been flash-frozen in their last moments of suffering.

The dry, cracked skin of the dead gleamed under the relentless sun, giving them an almost statuesque quality, as though they'd been petrified by the heat.

Here was something unnatural—a death far beyond the cruelty of nature alone.

Nyx raffled her skeletal wings, unbothered. She was already used to scenes like this.

"If only I could use my [Raise Corpse] skill, I could question them and find out what really happened here." He scowled, recalling that his ability was still in cooldown mode from yesterday's skirmish.

The game had started a mere 24 hours ago, and the cooldown timer of his skill hadn't yet reset. But it would in a few hours, giving him the perfect opportunity to glean any remaining memories from these unfortunate souls.

He exhaled deeply, weighing his options. Wandering further into this merciless wasteland, without direction, was asking for trouble.

The desert seemed to stretch endlessly, and if the sun didn't claim them, who knew what might be lurking just out of sight?

Yet if he waited, his skill would refresh, and perhaps he could learn something crucial from these dead guild members.

Decision made, Horizon gestured to his team. "We'll set up camp here. The cooldown on my skill should end soon, and then I'll try to raise them. If we can speak to their spirits, we might get the information we need without aimlessly stumbling through the sands."

Damon and David, his two undead minions, remained unfazed as always, but Ford looked worse for wear, the desert's oppressive heat taking its toll on his rapidly decomposing body.

Horizon frowned; the intense sun was accelerating their decay, forcing him to siphon off more mana than usual to keep them intact.

"Alright," he muttered to himself, "let's do this."

Horizon scanned the surrounding corpses, seeking anything he could use to construct a shelter. It didn't take long to notice the thick, tattered cloaks draped across the bodies, slightly faded from the sun but still sturdy enough to form a makeshift tent.

One by one, he stripped the corpses of their cloaks and used his [Forging] skills to build a tent. With his tools he could easily do something basic like that.

Soon, Horizon had set up a rough shelter, layering the cloaks together and pinning them down with broken pieces of gear salvaged from the fallen.

It wasn't much, but the patchwork tent would provide enough shade to slow the rot of his undead allies, giving them a chance to survive until his skill had finished its cooldown.

"Not exactly glamorous, but it'll do." Horizon eyed his handiwork with a sense of grim satisfaction.

His party huddled beneath the makeshift shelter, grateful for even this small respite from the sun's unyielding blaze. The shade cast over them dulled the intense light, bringing a measure of relief to the group.

Nyx perched on Horizon's head, wings folded tight against her body. She shifted uneasily, her gaze sweeping over the corpses again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"There's something eerie about this place. Whatever did this wasn't just trying to kill them—it wanted to leave a message."

Horizon nodded, his eyes narrowing as he studied the desert around them. The sheer emptiness was unnerving. No landmarks, no life, only the endless sands stretching into the distance.

A grim thought crossed his mind: maybe this desert was more than a mere obstacle. Perhaps it was a trap designed to disorient and weaken, whittling down anyone who dared cross it.

As he waited, he busied himself by inspecting his undead. Damon and David stood watch just outside the shade, barely reacting to the punishing sun.

Ford, on the other hand, looked visibly worse—his skin sagging from the effects of decay, his frame slumping as if barely held together by the strands of mana Horizon had infused him with.

"Hang in there, Ford," Horizon muttered. "Once I can raise these other corpses, you'll get some reinforcements."

Ford gave no reply, of course, his vacant eyes fixed on the horizon as he continued his vigil.

Horizon checked his mana reserves, noting the strain. Keeping his undead army intact was a steady drain, but he was determined not to lose them just yet—not when they still didn't know what's going on here.

Horizon's armor and accessories were finely crafted to preserve his mana, sparing him the need to rely on potions in every skirmish.

The enchantments wove seamlessly into the armor's design, allowing him to draw on its powers without draining himself dry.

Yesterday's journey through the forest had yielded a bounty of herbs and materials—perfect for brewing his own potions.

With his [Forging Tools] stowed at his side, he was ready to craft anything he might need on the go, tapping into the wealth of resources this unforgiving land provided.

This was precisely his tools were important in the five slots allocated; they were as vital to him as his weapons, turning even the harshest landscapes into his personal workshop.

Several hours later, as blazing heat intensified as morning began to set, Horizon and Nyx's solitude was broken by faint murmurs and the crunch of footsteps over the sand.

The voices drifted through the stillness, low but unmistakable.

Horizon looked to Nyx, who sat alert on his shoulder, her eyes glinting in the bright light.

Peering out from their makeshift tent, Horizon's eyes widened as he spotted a group approaching, unmistakably armored and carrying a familiar emblem—Wingless Valkyrie, a 1st-rate guild, led by Seraphina.

He immediately recognized her at the front of the group, beautiful and confident. Seraphina's sharp gaze swept over the sands, her imposing figure standing out against the bright light.

"So they made it after all," Horizon murmured, half to himself.

They were a 1st-rate guild, after all, so coming here after he showed the way should be a piece of cake.

Had they entered only hours after him, so that's why they quickly caught up to him?

Nyx, who had already caught sight of the encroaching guild, leaned closer to Horizon, her voice a mere hiss. "They're close. Why don't we just take them out and get their corpses? You know they won't hesitate to do the same."

He raised an eyebrow at Nyx's eagerness. Though the prospect of obtaining Seraphina's corpse was tempting, it would cause more trouble than it was worth.

If the others spotted him with her body, it could mean all-out war with Wingless Valkyrie. For now, avoiding a fight with them was the wiser choice.

"Easy, Nyx. Let's not rush into a fight if we don't have to. We should avoid unnecessary fights if we could. Let's at least see what they want first. If they attack, then will fight back."

With Damon, David, and Ford at his side—all three boasting formidable stats in the 400-500 range—even Wingless Valkyrie would think twice before challenging them with only five members.

Though the reanimated corpses couldn't access their full array of skills, their raw stats alone made them a serious threat, capable of dealing devastating blows.

Nyx folded her wings in irritation, though she didn't argue. Her eyes never left the approaching figures, her gaze keen and calculating.

Horizon readied himself, adjusting his stance to maintain an air of calm as the five members of Wingless Valkyrie closed the distance, their silhouettes getting clearer against the vast, open desert.

Despite the expanse around them, his tent was the only visible landmark, an inevitable beacon that had drawn their attention.

It didn't take long for the five women to spot the tent. The five figures stopped a few paces away, each of them regarding Horizon with varying degrees of suspicion and anger.

Seraphina stood at the center, her gaze ice-cold as she took him in, recognizing him almost instantly.

Horizon could see the spark of fury and recognition in her eyes; she hadn't forgotten how he'd used their team as a decoy to make his way here.

"You," she said, voice hard as steel. "You're the man that used us as bait for the guardian while you slip into the monolith?"

Horizon felt a smirk tug at his lips. "Didn't expect to see you here so soon. But I think the words you're looking for are 'thank you.'"

Seraphina gaped, momentarily thrown off guard, and Horizon couldn't help but find her uncharacteristically endearing in her surprise, a contrast to her usual composed and stoic demeanor.