I Only Tame Dragons

Horizon moved to his workstation, gathering the materials he needed to begin crafting the team's upgraded equipment.

His eyes briefly flickered to Frigid, the frost giant who stood silently off to the side, arms crossed, his icy form as still as stone.

While the others would soon receive powerful new gear, Frigid remained unchanged—bare and untouched by the forge's creations.

A pang of guilt hit Horizon. The others would be stronger, but Frigid . . . well, he'd still be 'naked.'

"Frigid, do you want me to craft something for you?" Horizon asked, his voice cutting through the cold air. "Like a sword maybe?"

Frigid blinked and scratched his frosted head, pondering the question. "A sword? Nah, that wouldn't be much use to me. I'm too slow to swing it. By the time I raised the blade, the enemy would've already sliced me up."

Horizon chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "True enough. You're more of a tank than a speedster. But what about a shield or some armor?"

Frigid shook his head. "A shield's just gonna get in my way. I like attacking with both hands. But armor? That'd be perfect."

Horizon nodded, already mentally preparing to start when Frigid stopped him with an unexpected suggestion. "If you're gonna make armor for me, you'd better use materials from my own body."

Horizon froze, staring at him in confusion. "Wait, what? Materials from . . . you?"

Frigid grinned, and without hesitation, broke off a chunk of his icy shoulder—a glistening ice crystal the size of a fist—and casually tossed it to Horizon.

Horizon's eyes widened as he caught the freezing shard, his hands trembling slightly from the cold. "Did you just . . . break a part of yourself off and throw it at me?"

"Yup!" Frigid said, completely unfazed. "Doesn't hurt at all. I can grow it back in no time. You see, most regular materials shatter or freeze if they come into contact with me. But stuff from my body? It's naturally resistant to cold.

If you need materials, just ask! Chop off a piece, and it'll regrow in minutes."

Horizon blinked, still processing what had just happened. "That's . . . well, incredibly convenient, I guess."

Frigid's icy eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly proud of his contribution. "You bet. So, go ahead! Chop me off! I'm happy to help."

Horizon smiled awkwardly. "Alright then. I'll count on you."

With that, Horizon got to work, placing the ice crystal into the [Fragment of Gaia], a refining tool that could transmute raw materials into their purest forms.

As he began the refinement process, an unexpected set of options appeared before him:

- [Refine this to Iron x100?]

- [Refine this to Silver x50?]

- [Refine this to Ice Crystal x10?]

- [Refine this to Whetstone x100?]

Horizon's gaze lingered on the last option—Whetstone.

His mind raced. A Whetstone could be used to craft [Grinding Stones], a crucial item for maintaining weapon durability in battle.

In the future, in the midst of the tournament, [Grinding Stones] would be worth their weight in gold, especially since players needed them to restore their weapons during the fights.

Horizon paused, weighing his options. The rules of the competition limited each player to carry only five special items, excluding basic gear.

Most teams would stock up on extra weapons, armor, and maybe some rare potions and Life Saving Items.

But [Grinding Stones]?

Those were vital for keeping their equipment in top condition without having to carry multiple sets of gear.

But who in their right mind would bring a [Grinding Stone] to the tournament when they could pack extra weapons instead?

Most guilds saw utility items like that as a waste of precious space in the five slots allowed during the competition.

And no one—absolutely no one—would dare to bring along a life-skill player, like a blacksmith or a crafter, to a high-stakes event like this. It would be a waste of the five man slot.

Life-skill players were known for their focus on crafting, not combat. They had low stats, weak combat abilities, and would be a liability in the heat of battle.

Most guilds left their blacksmiths and artisans behind, waiting in the safety of the Forging Studios to repair or craft gear when needed.

But Horizon was different.

His stats weren't lacking, and thanks to Nyx's Drakhan recipes and the forging tools he carried, he had an ace up his sleeve.

While the others couldn't repair their equipment during competition and risked running into battle with half-broken gear, Horizon could craft [Grinding Stones] on the go. His versatility made him a rare breed—a fighter who could forge mid-combat.

He wasn't just a blacksmith. He was a warrior and a crafter, blending two worlds that most guilds kept separate.

Horizon's eyes shifted back to Frigid, an idea sparking in his mind.

With Frigid on their side, he could produce unlimited [Grinding Stones] using the Ice shards from his body.

They wouldn't need to waste their precious item slots on extra equipment; instead, they could focus on key strategic items, knowing that Frigid could supply them with as many [Grinding Stones] as they needed throughout the competition.

A smile slowly spread across Horizon's face, his earlier doubts melting away. Frigid had just given them a serious edge.

"Frigid," Horizon said, his tone full of appreciation, "you might've just turned this whole competition in our favor."

Frigid grinned back, his icy demeanor thawing just a little. "Glad to help."

Something told Horizon that he didn't get it, but he didn't bother to explain himself.

With renewed energy, Horizon continued his work, refining the materials and forge their Silver and gold equipment.

Horizon had been working non-stop for the next four days, pushing himself to the limit. Every moment was spent hammering, refining, and crafting—preparing for the upcoming competition.

It was a race against time, but he managed to finish just as the deadline loomed on the horizon. The competition would officially begin tomorrow, but today was a different kind of battle—the Auction.

Thankfully, he'd wrapped up everything before the event started. Now, as he stood at the edge of his workspace, wiping the sweat from his brow, he realized he had some time to spare before Von and the others would meet him.