I Only Tame Dragons

She buried a dagger into his chest—he barely flinched.

She slashed across his throat—he kept coming.

Even when she severed his head, the damn thing reattached itself, the flesh knitting back together as if reality itself refused to let him die.

Lydia felt her stomach churn as she leaped backward, putting distance between them.

"GROSS!" she shivered in disgust, wiping her blade on her cloak as if that would get rid of the sheer horror of what she was witnessing.

Lucas turned his eerie, empty eyes toward her once more, his face blank, void of anything human.

"Can you just die already?!" she snapped, flipping her daggers into a ready stance.

But before Lucas could lunge at her again—

A massive wave of necrotic energy engulfed him.

It was instantaneous.

One moment, he was there—the next, his entire body turned to ash, dissolving into the air.

Lydia barely had time to process what had happened before she felt the air shift behind her.

She turned just in time to see the Dracolich hovering above, its hollow blue eyes narrowing slightly as it huffed out a plume of smoke from its nostrils.

Lydia blinked.

The Dracolich . . . had just disintegrated Lucas.

She narrowed her eyes at the massive undead dragon.

"You could do that this whole time?!" she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at it.

The Dracolich tilted its skeletal head slightly, as if considering her words.

Then, with a dismissive huff, it simply flapped its massive wings and flew away.

Lydia's eye twitched.

"Are you serious?!" she shouted after it. "Why didn't you do that in the first place?!"

The Dracolich offered no answer.

Lydia groaned, rubbing her temple.

"Stupid dragon, acting all cool . . . ," she muttered under her breath.

But then—her body tensed.

She had almost forgotten.

Silphie!

If Lucas had been brought back to life with whatever twisted magic was at play . . .

Then who knew what the rest of Brotherhood Legion had up their sleeves?

Silphie might be in danger.

Without another word, Lydia took off running.

She had wasted enough time.

=== ===

Silphie dashed backward, barely dodging as Travis's greatsword slammed into the ground where she had stood moments before.

The impact shattered the stone beneath them, sending jagged debris flying in all directions. The sheer force of his swings was terrifying—if one of those hits landed, she wouldn't survive it.

Travis grinned through the dust, lifting his blade effortlessly.

"Still standing?" he taunted, his voice deep and full of confidence.

Silphie's heart pounded. This was bad.

She wasn't a fighter—she was a healer. Her magic was meant for support, recovery, and fortifying her allies. Against an opponent like Travis, who specialized in raw strength and relentless attacks, she had no way to counter him directly.

And she was running out of room to retreat.

Travis charged again, his speed unnatural for someone in heavy armor. His greatsword cleaved through the air, aimed straight for Silphie's head.

She raised her staff just in time, casting a radiant barrier.

The sword collided with her shield, and for a moment, the magic held.

Then, it cracked.

The force behind Travis's strike was too great. Her barrier shattered like glass, and the shockwave sent Silphie sprawling across the battlefield.

She coughed, struggling to push herself up. Her hands trembled.

She needed to heal.

She needed time.

But Travis wasn't going to give it to her.

"This is a waste of my time," he muttered, stepping forward.

His greatsword glowed with crimson energy, and he raised it high—ready to end it.

Silphie closed her eyes.

And then—

A thunderous screech tore through the air.

The Giant Hawk Entered the Battle

Travis froze, his expression twisting into a scowl as a massive shadow swept over the battlefield.

The Giant Hawk descended from the sky like a storm, its massive metallic wings sparking with arcs of electricity.

With a burst of wind, it dove at Travis, its razor-sharp talons aiming straight for him.

Travis cursed, leaping back, barely avoiding the devastating attack. The sheer force of the Hawk's dive sent a gust of wind tearing through the battlefield, knocking debris everywhere.

Silphie gasped, pushing herself up. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

She wasn't alone.

"Thank you . . . ," she whispered, her staff glowing as she began to cast healing magic.

Golden light washed over the Hawk, strengthening it, reinforcing its durability.

With renewed power, the Hawk let out another piercing cry, flapping its massive wings and preparing for another assault.

Travis's expression hardened.

"Tch. Annoying."

He reached into his armor and pulled out a small artifact.

The moment he crushed it in his palm, the air rippled unnaturally.

The ground cracked open, and from within—

A monstrous guardian emerged.

The creature was colossal, standing twice the size of Travis. Its body was made of dark, enchanted metal, its arms massive and ending in jagged, spiked gauntlets.

Its eyes glowed a deep crimson, and the moment it materialized, it roared—releasing a shockwave of raw energy.

Silphie's stomach dropped.

This . . . wasn't just a summon.

This was an elite-tier Guardian.

The Hawk faltered for a moment, but then charged forward, talons sparking with lightning as it engaged the massive metal guardian.

The two collided mid-air, the impact shaking the battlefield.

Sparks flew as the Guardian swung its massive arm, clashing against the Hawk's reinforced wings.

They fought fiercely, but it was clear—the Hawk was now occupied.

And that meant—Silphie was alone again.

Travis grinned as he turned back toward Silphie, rolling his shoulders.

"Your pet can keep that thing busy. But you? You're done."

Silphie stepped back, but her foot hit a broken piece of stone.

She was trapped.

She tried to cast another barrier, but her mana was running low.

Her vision blurred from exhaustion.

Travis took his time, lifting his greatsword again, the tip glowing with powerful energy.

"You healers are all the same," he muttered. "Useless without someone to protect you."

Then, he swung his blade down.

Silphie barely had time to react.

This was it.

She braced for impact—

But the strike never landed.

A blur of motion—

A dagger clashed against Travis's sword, knocking it off course.