I Only Tame Dragons

Cappy and Nyx hovered nearby, unaffected — the [Charm] only worked on humanoid men.

But even against Horizon and Von, the spell fell flat.

Both had prepared for such tactics, equipped with skills and items to counter such debuffs. Horizon\'s mind was fortified with his [Resolute], and Von\'s enchanted accessories pulsed with a soft glow, protecting him from the magic.

The Harpies realized their spell had failed, screeched in frustration. From above, several drew their bows, arrows notched and aimed.

Others swooped down like vultures, claws extended, ready to snatch the two and drag them skyward, intent on dropping them from deadly heights.

Horizon and Von barely flinched. Compared to what they\'d faced in Drakha, a dozen Harpies felt like sparrows before a dragon.

"I hate fighting women," Von said with a sigh, dodging as arrows rained down around him. He reloaded his gun. "I love all of you, but . . ." He raised his weapon, locking onto his targets. "I love myself more!"

With a series of sharp cracks, Von fired, each bullet aimed precisely at the Harpies\' wings. His goal wasn\'t to kill them, just to clip their advantage.

In the air, they were deadly; on the ground, they were like fish out of water. He made sure to aim only at their wings, knowing they\'d grow back soon enough.

Horizon, on the other hand, fought with no mercy. His training in the ARK had been brutal, and he didn\'t discriminate — man, woman, or even child or the elderly — if they were hostile, he was trained to eliminate them without hesitation.

The Harpies swarmed him, their sheer numbers aimed at overwhelming him. But Horizon didn\'t flinch. He raised one hand and uttered a single word: "[Catastrophe]."

A wave of necrotic energy surged from his hand, engulfing the Harpies in an instant. Their beautiful skin withered and decayed as they fell from the sky, dark magic constricting their bodies until they crumbled to dust.

Horizon glanced at the aftermath, his expression unchanging, but even he hadn\'t expected the spell to be so devastating.

Nyx, still perched on his shoulder, shook his head. "Using [Catastrophe] on weaklings like these? That\'s a bit excessive, don\'t you think? Your magic damage is already in the triple digits, and [Catastrophe] is a high-level spell. What did you expect? Of course, there wouldn\'t be anything left of them.

They just have two digit stats. It\'s almost insulting to me that you\'d waste it on Harpies."

Horizon\'s gaze didn\'t waver. "If I want to level it up, I need to use it regularly."

A sudden scream tore through the clearing. "HORIZON! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE BEAUTIFUL LADIES?!" Von wailed, collapsing to his knees in despair. He scooped up the ashes of the Harpies in his hands, mourning dramatically. "That\'s too much!"

Lydia was equally horrified, and stared at the remains, her face pale. "What the hell?! Are you some kind of devil?"

Horizon pressed his lips together, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Why was he suddenly the villain here?

Even the remaining Harpies, still hovering in the air, had looks of sheer terror on their faces as they stared at him.

"W-what kind of magic was that?" one of them stammered, her voice trembling.

"Dark magic!"

"Run!"

"He\'s too dangerous!"

"Run!"

With that, the Harpies scattered, screeching in fear as they retreated to their nests, vanishing among the cliffs and rocks. The battlefield fell eerily silent.

Von sighed and scratched his head. "Well, at least that scared them off."

"Is it . . . over?" Lydia asked, emerging cautiously from her hiding spot.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Nyx quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What do we do now?" Von asked, eyeing the towering rocks ahead. "Should we leave? The Harpies might come back and attack us again."

Cappy perched on Von\'s head, and flapped his wings lazily. "After what Horizon pulled, I doubt those Harpies are ever coming down here again."

Nyx chuckled darkly. "Maybe I should fly up there and taunt them. Or better yet, wipe them all out. Problem solved, and we\'d have one less thing to worry about."

"Absolutely not!" Von\'s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension.

"It\'s fine," Horizon added. "I don\'t think they\'ll bother us anymore. We can finally focus on building our home."

All eyes turned toward the crumbled hut they had tried to construct, and everyone sighed in unison.

"How far is the nearest town again?" Von asked, looking at Lydia.

"A couple of hours if we move quickly," she replied, brushing some dirt off her clothes.

Horizon glanced at the sky. "Still clear. If we hurry, we can make it before dark."

"Then let\'s get going," Lydia insisted, already stepping forward.

"Hold on, why are you coming with us, thief?" Nyx shot her a suspicious look.

"I\'m all for her joining us!" Von interrupted with a grin. "But by the way, pretty lady, you know our names, yet you haven\'t introduced yourself."

Lydia smiled coyly and twirled a dagger in her hand. "The name\'s Lydia, and I\'m a relic hunter." She winked playfully.

"Fancy words for a thief," Nyx muttered under her breath.

"I\'m not a thief!" Lydia snapped, narrowing her eyes.

Nyx scoffed. "You just want to stick around to steal our treasure, right? Well, let me warn you. I know every last coin in those bags, and if even one goes missing, you\'ll wish for death instead."

Von quickly stepped between them. "Alright, enough talk of death. Let\'s hurry to town, sell these bags for some good coin, and hire ourselves a proper builder."

Horizon nodded in agreement. "Solid plan."

"And let\'s stay at the inn while we\'re at it!" Lydia added with a cheeky grin. "I\'m tired for the day!"

"Huh? You\'re not part of the group," Nyx shot back.

Lydia laughed off Nyx\'s remark. "Don\'t be so cold. You need me. I know the way to the town, so just follow my lead."

"What, you\'re the tour guide now?" Nyx quipped.

Despite their mistrust, Horizon and Von followed Lydia. While she might be a potential threat when it came to stealing their treasure, they didn\'t sense any real danger from her presence.

And besides, they needed her to guide them into the town.

For now, they had no choice but to trust her.