I Only Tame Dragons

Chapter 132 The Next Region

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the endless dunes.

The Desert Guardian, a towering behemoth of sand and stone, roared as it moved with terrifying speed, its sheer presence radiating an aura of menace. The ground trembled with each step it took, sending ripples across the sands.

Horizon narrowed his eyes, his mind already calculating their dwindling options. He turned to Damon, David, and Ford. Each wore a grim expression, sensing what was about to come.

They had firsthand experience of Horizon's strategies before; his genius was unquestionable, but his decisions were often ruthless. The three of them were the proof of that.

"This will be your task," Horizon said, his voice cold and sharp as steel. He gestured toward the Guardian and the rival guilds hovering at the edge of the battlefield.

"You three will keep the Guardian and the players busy. Draw their attention. Buy us as much time as you can."

Damon, David, and Ford couldn't speak, their voices stolen by the curse that bound them to Horizon. There was no room for argument, no space for dissent.

If they could, they would've protested—would've begged for another way—but silence was their only companion.

They knew exactly what Horizon wanted from them: sacrifice. The cruel reality was clear: they were being sent to die. Not as soldiers on the battlefield, but as pawns in a game where their fates were sealed before they ever had a chance to escape.

But what choice did they have? They were undead, bound to Horizon's will. Their lives—or what remained of them—belonged to him.

A twisted fate had tied them to him, and now they fought not for their own survival, but for the cold, unyielding command of their master.

They had no voice, no freedom. Only obedience.

Seraphina frowned. "You want them to fight that thing?" He glanced at the Guardian, its eyes glowing with an eerie light, and then at the massing guilds. "They'll be torn apart."

Horizon wasn't perturbed. "That's exactly why it has to be them. I can regenerate them using mana. If we all go together, we won't make it. You three are strong enough to hold them off until all of us could reach the other side."

David, Damon, and Ford all nodded without any will.

Horizon gave them a brief, almost imperceptible nod of before turning away.

As Damon, David, and Ford charged toward the Guardian, the players from rival guilds hesitated, taken aback by the bold move.

Seeing three undead coming out of nowhere, anyone would be shock about the turn of events.

The trio engaged the colossal beast, their weapons clashing against its hardened exterior. Damon unleashed a flurry of strikes with his swords, each hit sparking against the Guardian's stone skin.

David followed, using his defensive skills to absorb the counterattacks while Ford attacked its feet, trying to slow the creature down.

The ground shook as the Guardian retaliated, slamming its massive fist into the sand. Damon narrowly dodged the attack, but the shockwave sent him sprawling. Horizon was there in an instant, pushing mana into him to heal his broken body.

"It's time," Seraphina shouted. "Aria, now."

Damon, David, and Ford were still battling the Guardian, while Horizon's mana was depleting fast to mend their wounds.

Horizon clenched his teeth. He had to buy them just a bit more time. Raising his hand, then the Dracolich coiled around his arm forming a weapon. He unleashed a blinding flash of light, the necrotic spell halting the players with poison and necrotic damage.

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The sudden burst disoriented everyone nearby, causing the rival players to reel back in surprise.

"Go!" he bellowed. "Now!"

Velvet, Fiora, and Dawnfire reached the monolith first, their hands pressing against its ancient surface. The runes carved into the stone began to glow, reacting to their presence.

Seraphina landed beside them with a heavy thud, her legs scorched but intact. Aria arrived moments later, panting heavily.

"Horizon!" Seraphina called out. "We're going to enter ahead!"

Horizon glanced back one last time at Damon, David, and Ford. They were still fighting, but it was clear they wouldn't last much longer as he already stopped supplying them with mana.

He met their eyes, offering a silent farewell before turning away. It was a sacrifice he wouldn't forget since they were truly a lost.

With a swift motion, he activated the monolith's teleportation sequence. The ground beneath them pulsed with a bright blue light, engulfing them.

Just as the Guardian's colossal fist came crashing down, the light swallowed the group, and they vanished from the desert.

When the light faded, they found themselves standing on a vast, icy plain. The air was frigid, biting through their armor and chilling them to the bone. Snowflakes drifted lazily from a gray sky, and the ground beneath them was a solid sheet of ice.

Velvet shivered, rubbing her arms. "We made it . . . but where are we?"

Horizon looked around, his breath visible in the cold air. "The Freezing Region," he muttered. "We're far from safe here."

Aria hugged herself, her teeth chattering. "From one extreme to another . . . This place is even worse."

Seraphina wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "We need to find shelter quickly. We won't survive long out here without warmth."

Horizon nodded, his expression grim. The battle had taken a toll on all of them, and the freezing cold only added to their exhaustion.

But they were alive, and they had made it through. For now, that was enough.

"Let's move," Horizon said, his voice steady despite the cold. "We can't stop now. The monolith to the next region won't be far. We'll rest when we're safe."

Nyx shook above Horizon's head and shivered. "Let's get out of here before we freeze to death."

As they trudged forward, the icy wind howling around them, Horizon glanced back one last time, as if seeing the faces of Damon, David, and Ford lingering in the swirling snow. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and walked ahead.