I Only Tame Dragons

"Well, we should at least give it a shot," Fiora said with a hopeful smile, pulling out a piece of roasted beast meat from her pack.

She knelt down and placed it carefully near the monolith, patting it like it might respond to her kindness. "Here you go, nice and easy."

They waited, eyes fixed on the offering as silence stretched. One minute. Two.

Velvet crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that worked wonders," she sneered.

Fiora shot her a look, her voice bristling with defensiveness. "Alright, wise one. What do you suggest then?"

"Maybe blood," Velvet replied coolly, an almost wicked glint in her eyes. "Ancient seals usually have a taste for it."

Dawnfire scrunched up her nose, immediately recoiling, her huge breasts jiggled as she did. "There is no way I'm pouring blood on that thing."

Aria took a step back, shivering. "H-hurting myself isn't exactly . . ."

~Swish~

A slicing sound echoed through the air, followed by a sharp spurt of blood.

Everyone turned to see Seraphina, her face stoic, as she swept her blade across her forearm. The blood glistened on her skin as she held it over the monolith, letting the crimson droplets spill onto the ancient stone.

Her wound healed almost instantly, her HP bar surging back to full. Horizon's eyes narrowed as he noticed the effect—her armor must have some kind of regeneration ability, maybe akin to his own.

For a moment, the monolith stayed quiet, absorbing the blood. Then, a faint glow started to pulse from within its symbols, lighting up the shadows around them.

Horizon smirked, impressed. "Looks like blood really was the key."

"Oh, it worked!" Fiora breathed, eyes wide with awe as the monolith's glow intensified.

Velvet smirked, a proud gleam in her eye. "Told you. Blood always works in these kinds of situations."

Aria looked horrified, wrinkling her nose. "What is this, some kind of ritual cult?"

"Doesn't matter," Seraphina cut in, her tone sharp and commanding. Her gaze fixed on the now-shifting shadows around them. "Everyone, get into position! Something's coming. Be ready!"

The group snapped into action, forming a defensive circle as the forest around them grew eerily silent, the monolith's ominous glow casting twisted shadows across their tense faces.

A sudden rumble reverberated through the clearing, a deep, resonant hum that seemed to pulse from the heart of the monolith itself.

As the players watched, the ground began to split, thin green lines of energy racing outward in intricate patterns, carving a path into the earth.

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath; even the smallest leaves stood eerily still, as if awaiting the emergence of something ancient and dreadful.

A voice — deep and ancient, almost like the sound of rocks grinding against each other — filled the air, a single guttural roar that sent chills down the spines of every adventurer present.

The forest guardian had awoken. From the depths of the ground before them, the towering form of the Guardian of the Verdant Cradle slowly rose, covered in moss and vines that hung from its stone-like body like ancient armor.

Its name, Eldergrove, etched itself in blood-red letters above its massive form as Wingless Valkyries collectively gasped.

Eldergrove was no ordinary creature. Standing nearly twenty feet tall, it was a behemoth forged from living rock and ancient roots twisted together in seamless layers.

Its eyes glowed an unearthly green, like two emeralds that had witnessed eons pass by, gazing upon each player with a cold, implacable intelligence.

A massive health bar stretched across the top of their vision, and as its value filled in, everyone saw the staggering figure: HP: 100,000.

Whispers of disbelief spread through the group as they recognized the implications of fighting something with such a colossal reserve of life.

The guardian's stats were displayed, each number impossibly high, a league above anything they had ever encountered.

It possessed a natural immunity to earth and nature magic, rendering many of Fiora's spells useless.

Roots that pulsed with greenish energy wrapped around its limbs, each one woven into its stone frame as both weapon and armor. Thorns the size of spears jutted from its arms and shoulders, and every movement it made shook the very ground.

Seraphina's eyes narrowed as she studied the creature. "So that thing is . . . immune to earth and nature. We'll need to rely on our fire and weapon-based attacks."

Dawnfire stepped forward, her flames already igniting, casting her silhouette in a fierce glow. "This thing's about to find out what happens when you try to take on Wingless Valkyries."

With a low rumble, Eldergrove extended its massive arm, the motion sending a wave of forest energy rippling through the air.

Plants around them wilted and reformed into sharpened blades, circling around the guardian like a defensive shield.

Suddenly, it struck the earth with a clenched fist, and a shockwave exploded outward. Stones flew like shrapnel, forcing the adventurers to brace themselves as the ground beneath their feet trembled.

"Stay on your toes!" Seraphina commanded, her voice cutting through the chaos. She lunged forward, her radiant sword flashing as she aimed for the creature's limb.

The blade bit into Eldergrove's arm, sending shards of rock scattering, but the guardian barely reacted, its massive health bar only taking the faintest sliver of damage.

Even its blood was unique; a viscous, green sap oozed from the wound, seemingly alive as it hardened to seal the cut almost immediately.

"How . . . how is that possible?" Aria's face drained of color as she watched Seraphina's strike barely nick Eldergrove's towering health bar. "Can we really take on that thing?"

Seraphina's thoughts mirrored her own doubts. This wasn't just any guardian. It was built like a world boss — something that would normally demand multiple guilds to defeat.

What were the elves thinking when they designed this challenge? This was less a test of strength and more a punishment—a seemingly unwinnable battle that no single party could hope to conquer.

The Guardian was a beast of legend, an obstacle meant to humble, if not outright crush, any would-be intruders.

The only possible strategy? A combined force. A gathering of power from all those who dared to venture into these cursed woods, all coming together to face Eldergrove. That was the only conceivable way anyone could stand a chance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om