I Only Tame Dragons

Chapter 127 The Shattered Loop

The heat of the desert air pressed against the group, the land stretching endlessly beneath a blazing sun. Sand swirled in the wind, whispering secrets of ages long past.

Aeloria, Theron, Liora, Trisha, and Cedrick from the Kingdom of Stars marched forward, their eyes scanning the distant dunes for any sign of the monolith. Their footsteps left brief imprints in the sand, only to be swept away by the wind moments later, as though the desert itself was trying to erase their presence.

Aeloria was the first to pause, her hand raised slightly, signaling the others to stop.

Theron, ever vigilant, instinctively placed a hand on his staff.

"What is it?" Cedrick asked, his voice low, yet sharp, his gaze flicking from Aeloria to the vast expanse ahead.

Aeloria's silver eyes scanned the horizon, the unrelenting sun casting long shadows across the vast desert. The wind whipped at her cloak, stirring the sand at her feet, but it did little to distract her from the gnawing feeling that had settled in her gut.

The desert stretched before them, an endless expanse of golden dunes, their peaks rippling in the heat like waves on the ocean.

But something was off, something that didn't fit, and Aeloria couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that crawled up her spine. Continue reading at empire

Her sharp gaze flicked to her companions, noticing how their faces held the same tension, the same unreadable expression.

Theron was standing tall as ever, but even his usually confident posture was marred with suspicion, his hand resting lightly on his staff, his muscles tensed and ready.

Liora had already begun scanning the sand around them, her brow furrowed as if she could sense the very air changing.

Trisha had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her lips pressed into a thin line. Cedrick had his eyes on Aeloria, waiting for her to say something.

When she finally spoke, her voice was low, barely above a whisper, but her words were heavy with the weight of realization. "Something's wrong."

It wasn't a dramatic declaration, but the tension in her tone cut through the air like a blade, and her companions instantly perked up, leaning in, hanging on her every word.

"What is it?" Trisha asked first, her voice laced with a growing sense of alarm. "What's wrong?"

Aeloria's gaze narrowed, her focus sharpening as her fingers brushed the delicate pouch hanging at her side, a subtle movement that none of them missed.

"The orb," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the weight of the revelation. "It shattered."

The silence that followed was profound.

The group fell into a heavy silence as the weight of Aeloria's words settled over them. Both guilds were titans in the competition.

The Brotherhood Legion, known for their overwhelming physical strength and ruthless tactics, had been a constant threat since the beginning.

The Wingless Valkyries, on the other hand, were masters of both physical and magical attacks, their ability to manipulate the battlefield with deception second to none.

Between them, they controlled the fate of the competition, their power unmatched by any other.

"How do we handle this?" Theron asked, his voice steady but tinged with a sense of urgency. "We can't let them find us before we locate the monolith. We have to reach the exit."

Aeloria clenched her fists, her thoughts moving like a whirlwind. "We have to change plans. The illusion is gone, but we're not powerless. We've eliminated most of the weaker guilds and independent players, but that only means the competition is about to get much tougher. These first-tier guilds will stop at nothing to claim the prize for themselves, and they'll do whatever it takes to knock us out of the race."

Liora's eyes glinted. "So we're back to the original plan, but with more caution. We need to stay one step ahead. We can't afford to be caught off guard."

"Let's find that monolith," Cedrick said, his eyes narrowing with determination. "We're close, I can feel it. We need to hurry before the others catch up to us."

By now, everyone knew how to advance to the next region, each guild having discovered their own unique methods to fins the monolith and gather information.

It had become a fierce race to reach the exit first, with less than eight days left on the clock. Time was running out, and every second counted.

The group nodded, understanding the urgency. With the illusion shattered, their magical barrier no longer held back the competition.

Without hesitation, they sprinted forward, racing against time and rival guilds. The desert sands kicked up beneath their feet as they pushed onward, knowing that claiming the monolith first and reach the other region was the key to victory.

=== ???? ===

Horizon lowered the skeletal bazooka, the bone construct crumbling into dust as the Dracolich's essence faded.

The group staggered, panting heavily. The weight of exhaustion hit them all at once.

Fiora, leaning against the rock, gave a weak smile. "You did it," she whispered.

Horizon straightened, breathing heavily. He glanced around, taking in their surroundings. The endless desert seemed to stretch on as before, but the air felt different—lighter, less suffocating.

"We broke the loop," he confirmed, his voice filled with relief.

Seraphina nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow. "But we're not out of the woods yet. Whoever set this trap will know it's been broken. We need to move quickly before they have a chance to regroup."