I Only Tame Dragons

Horizon stepped closer, the once-dim forge now glowed with an otherworldly light, the blue flames casting long, flickering shadows across the studio. His heart pounded with anticipation.

He could already tell—this was going to be different than the previous flame. Read new chapters at empire

Horizon didn't waste a second. He set to work, starting with a high-tier Iron blade [Vorpex].

First, he activated the enchanted flame, its heat shimmering with a magical glow. His hands moved as he grabbed the [Fragment of Gaia], a powerful relic capable of refining raw materials to their purest form.

He had already spent the past few days refining what he could, knowing the Fragment could only handle a hundred materials per day. Even after all that, a mountain of unrefined resources still awaited.

But that didn't faze him—every piece he purified brought him joy for these meant forging High-tier equipment and more money in the future.

The blade he was about to create might have been simple, but with the power of Gaia's Fragment and the enchanted forge, it would be anything but ordinary.

The Soulfire was unlike anything Horizon had ever seen or felt before. As it roared within the forge, it wasn't just heat that radiated from it—it was raw power.

The ghostly blue flames flickered and pulsed with an intensity that seemed to bend reality itself, warping the air around it.

What was once a simple, mortal fire had now transformed into something that seemed alive, almost sentient. It didn't just burn; it consumed.

Every tool within the forging area gleamed brighter under the ethereal light of the Soulfire, as if eager to be put to use, while the metal ores on Horizon's workbench trembled, resonating with the deep hum emanating from the forge.

The Soulfire's energy seemed to reach out and wrap around the materials, almost as if urging them to surrender to its power, to be reshaped into something far greater.

When Horizon brought a hunk of ores to the flame, he was taken aback at how it reacted. Instead of the slow, gradual softening he was used to know, the ores almost liquefied instantly, turning molten within moments, glowing a brilliant, shimmering silver.

The Soulfire worked its way into the very core of the ores, purging impurities within seconds. There was no smoke, no crackling—just the smooth, fluid motion of metal bending to the will of the flame.

But it wasn't just the speed of the process that made the Soulfire awe-inspiring—it was the effect.

As Horizon worked the molten steel, he noticed the blue hue of the flame begin to seep into the material itself, infusing it with a faint, almost ghostly glow. The steel took on a life of its own, as if it had absorbed the very essence of the fire, making it more than just a physical object.

It felt . . . enchanted, imbued with a deep, mystical energy that couldn't be replicated by any normal flame.

Each strike of Horizon's hammer resonated with a deep, reverberating tone, as if the metal was singing, crying out as it transformed under the soul-altering power of the fire.

Sparks didn't fly—they drifted, like tiny wisps of light, fading into the ether as they rose from the anvil. The entire process felt otherworldly, a perfect harmony between craftsman and flame.

Even the air within the studio had changed. It was cooler now, with a sharpness that seemed to cut through distractions, allowing Horizon to focus entirely on his work.

As Horizon finished his first piece, he held it up to the light of the Soulfire. The blade gleamed, not just with polished steel, but with the ethereal glow of the flame itself. It hummed in his hand, light but deadly, a perfect balance of power and grace.

Nyx appeared beside Horizon. She glanced at the blade, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "It's not good," she said, her voice laced with playful sarcasm. "But for your first try, it's . . .

decent."

|| Vorpex Blade ||

→ Tier-2 Silver Weapon

→ Rare

→All who could wield blades with 100+ STR

→ +40 STR

→ +20 DEX

SPECIAL EFFECTS:

❶ Void Edge: The blade can phase in and out of existence, allowing it to bypass armor and shields. When activated, the sword shifts into an ethereal form for a few seconds, cutting through solid defenses like they aren't even there.

|| E N D ||

"Not bad," Horizon muttered under his breath, inspecting the blade. "A low-tier Silver weapon . . . and it even has a true damage effect."

It was already better than his [Drakescourge Scimitar], offering a solid +40 STR and +20 DEX. Though, the Scimitar's special effects were still superior in terms of skills.

"You can boost those attributes even more if you infuse it with gems," Nyx remarked, her voice floating in the air beside him.

"I know," Horizon replied, glancing at the mountain of gems and stones they'd looted from the Lizardmen Cave. "I'll save them for our final equipment."

"Good. Because I've got something far better than any of those materials you've gathered," Nyx said, her voice tinged with pride.

Horizon's eyes lit up. "Really? What's with the sudden generosity?"

"Of course, I have to lend out a hand if we're going to win that competition," Nyx shot back, her tone matter-of-fact. "With your current weak state and that mediocre equipment, you wouldn't stand a chance. But with this material, you'll have the winning edge. I need you to win—so we can claim the cash prize and those rare items."

So that's what this is all about. Horizon thought with a weak smile. It always came down to the rare items and gold, the spoils of victory.

If Nyx was this invested, there was only one possible outcome: victory. Or who knew what she would do to him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Horizon set to work, experimenting with Low Tier Silver-Rank equipment, forging several pieces from the ores he had stockpiled. His strategy was simple but effective—mass-produce as many Iron and Low Tier Silver equipment as possible to sharpen his skills.

The real challenge would come later. He saved the High Tier Silver and Gold equipment for last, knowing he couldn't afford any mistakes when it came to crafting his and his team's final gear.

He only had enough rare materials to forge just the right amount of High Tier Silver and Gold equipment, and every piece had to be perfect.

One wrong move, and their edge in the competition would vanish.