I Only Tame Dragons-Chapter 214: A Victory so Close

The crowd erupted into cheers and gasps, voices blending into a chaotic roar.

Lydia, Von, and the others watched from afar, momentarily stunned.

"He actually did it . . ." Lydia breathed shakily.

Von, still gripping his sword, let out a low whistle. "Yeah. But look at him."

Horizon wasn’t unscathed.

He stood victorious, but his body swayed slightly, his exhaustion catching up to him now that the battle was over.

Mana depletion. Wounds hidden beneath his clothes. The sheer strain of the prolonged fight.

Yet, despite everything, he smiled.

They did it. They finally won.

Horizon stood still, his breath steadying as he waited for the announcement of victory—the moment that would mark them as the undisputed champions of this battle.

Finally they could announce their guild to the world.

But it never came.

Instead, what came was a voice—familiar, venomous, whipping with contempt.

"You haven’t won yet!"

The words sent a ripple through the battlefield, and Horizon’s head snapped toward the source.

A figure emerged from the dust and destruction, stepping into the open as if he had all the time in the world. His confident smirk, the way he carried himself—it was unmistakable.

Travis.

Horizon’s grin widened. His fingers curled tighter around his sword.

"Good," he murmured, his voice carrying across the silent field. "You’re still alive. I was starting to think this fight would end without me getting my revenge. But it looks like fate’s finally on my side today."

Travis frowned, tilting his head slightly as if trying to place Horizon’s face.

"You talk like we know each other," he said dryly. "Did I kill your cat or something?"

Horizon let out a low chuckle. It wasn’t one of amusement. It was something darker—something that had been festering for a long, long time.

"No . . . you killed a friend."

Then, in a blink, he moved.

One moment, Horizon was standing a few meters away.

The next, he was right in front of Travis.

It was so fast—too fast.

Travis barely had time to react before a sword came crashing down toward his head.

The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, the sheer force making his arms tremble.

But Horizon didn’t stop.

The moment his attack was deflected, he twisted his body mid-air, bringing his sword around in a second, even deadlier strike.

Travis managed to block again, but the strength behind it sent him skidding backward, boots carving deep trenches in the ground.

For the first time in a long while, Travis felt something foreign creeping up his spine.

Fear.

Horizon’s aura was suffocating.

Cold. Dangerous. Merciless.

And above all—deadly.

Travis gritted his teeth, shaking off the paralyzing pressure.

"You bastard!" he spat, raising his weapon into a ready stance. "I will kill you!"

Horizon stopped, tilting his head slightly—mocking him.

"You don’t remember?" he mused, voice eerily calm.

Then, his gaze hardened.

"Then let me remind you." He shot forward, his sword blurring into motion.

Travis barely dodged the first slash, but the second tore across his armor, sending sparks flying.

He countered with a heavy strike of his own—a fatal, crushing blow meant to split Horizon in half.

But Horizon sidestepped effortlessly, his movements ghostly, unreadable.

This wasn’t just a fight.

Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.

This was an execution.

Travis wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Horizon under normal circumstances—the gap in their stats was simply too vast. However, he had one advantage: stat-boosting items that the elven elder gave them earlier.

But it wasn’t enough to defeat Horizon.

Travis swung again—wild, desperate. Another miss.

Horizon closed the distance, stepping inside his guard.

Too close.

Before Travis could react, a knee slammed into his stomach.

The impact knocked the air from his lungs, his vision blurring from the sheer force.

Then came the elbow—a brutal strike to the jaw that sent him stumbling back.

And then—the blade.

Horizon slashed.

Not deep. Not lethal.

But enough to draw blood.

Enough to make Travis understand.

This wasn’t just revenge.

This was retribution.

Travis clutched his side, his fingers coming away red. His breathing was ragged, his mind racing.

Who was this guy?

Why did he fight like a man possessed?

Why did Horizon’s hatred feel so personal? Travis had no recollection of ever meeting him before—unless he had unknowingly killed someone close to him.

Yet, as the fight dragged on, a chilling realization crept over Travis. Horizon wasn’t trying to kill him outright. He was toying with him, drawing out the fight, making sure he suffered. This wasn’t just about winning—it was about vengeance.

He tried to create distance, but Horizon never let up.

Every move he made was countered.

Every attack was baited, punished, exploited.

Travis was a warrior. A champion.

But in this moment—he was prey.

And Horizon?

Horizon was the hunter.

Travis’ hands trembled as he raised his weapon again. His usual confidence was gone, replaced by a gnawing, creeping dread.

Explore stories on novelbuddy

Horizon simply tilted his head, smirking.

"You look nervous. You should have stayed hidden."

Travis snarled. "You think I’m afraid of you?"

Horizon chuckled.

"Oh, I don’t think." His eyes gleamed like a predator that had finally cornered its kill. "I know."

And with that, he struck again. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, his blade gleaming with lethal intent.

But just as he was about to strike—

The sky darkened.

A heavy, suffocating presence filled the battlefield as the air itself seemed to tremble. Swirling clouds of black and violet energy churned above, crackling with unnatural power.

The once-scorching battlefield turned eerily cold, and the ground beneath them quaked as if recoiling from the force that had been unleashed.

Horizon skidded to a stop, eyes narrowing. This wasn’t just magic—this was something else entirely.

A low hum reverberated through the air, growing into a deep, thunderous roar. The suffocating darkness twisted and coiled, forming a vortex of raw, chaotic energy above Travis. The aura radiating from it was overwhelming, oppressive—something that shouldn’t exist in a fair fight.

Travis grinned, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "You didn’t think I’d come unprepared, did you?" he sneered.

Horizon’s gaze flickered toward the source of this power. He could feel it—this wasn’t Travis’ doing. It was something given to him, something unnatural. And then it clicked.

The Elven Elders.