I Only Tame Dragons

Chapter 163 A Turn of the Tide

back at the front line, frigid continued to stand firm, his towering form blocking any attempt to push forward. but even he could sense the shift in the air, the overwhelming heat radiating from the artifact as it reached its peak.

aeloria's eyes locked onto him, cold and merciless. "this ends now," she said, her voice barely audible over the crackling energy.

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with a final surge of mana, she activated the artifact. the runes blazed with a blinding light before a massive wave of molten fire erupted forth, surging toward frigid like a tidal wave of pure destruction.

for a moment, it seemed as though nothing could stop it. the sheer force of the blast incinerated everything in its path, turning the once lush battlefield into a scorched wasteland. the air itself seemed to crackle and burn as the wave closed in on its target.

at the center of the blast, frigid remained motionless, his icy armor shimmering faintly. as the wave of molten fire crashed over him, a massive explosion erupted, sending a shockwave rippling outward that knocked everyone off their feet.

when the dust and smoke began to clear, all eyes turned toward the center of the battlefield, waiting to see the result. had the artifact succeeded? was frigid finally defeated?

the battlefield lay shrouded in silence, thick with tension, as the aftermath of the devastating blast settled. embers from the explosion danced in the air, and a heavy heat lingered, distorting the view with wavering ripples.

aeloria and her team stood frozen, their breaths uneven as they surveyed the destruction they had wrought.

yet amidst the scorched earth, something was wrong. horribly wrong.

frigid was supposed to be dead. burned away. reduced to nothing but a memory by the devastating force of the obsidian flame. and yet . . .

"the crown prince . . . ," another murmured in disbelief, her hands trembling.

liora's eyes narrowed. "who are you?" she repeated, her voice filled with confusion.

"that's . . . ," aeloria said grimly, her gaze fixed on the floating figure. "that's varioneth von lyrandar-velorian, the banished crown prince of the high elves. he was exiled years ago . . . for being cursed."

the tale was one steeped in tragedy and fear. von had once been the pride of the elven kingdom—a prodigy in both magic and swordsmanship, destined to lead their people into a new era of prosperity. but fate had other plans.

on the eve of his coronation, he was struck by a powerful curse—one that twisted his form and tainted his mana. the once-glorious prince became something else entirely, his power growing darker and more dangerous with each passing day.

fearing what he might become, the elders of the elven kingdom made a painful decision: they exiled him, stripping him of his title and banishing him from their lands forever.

yet now, here he was—floating before them, very much alive and radiating an aura of raw, cursed power.

"after all these years . . . he's still alive," aeloria said, her voice low but tense.

the cursed prince, varioneth von lyrandar-velorian, slowly descended until his feet touched the ground. his crimson gaze swept across the battlefield, pausing briefly on aeloria's group before locking onto the elves in the audience. his grin widened as he relished their visible fear.

"i see my people still remember me," von said, his voice smooth but laced with a dark undertone. "good. it's nice to know that even after all this time, i still haunt your memories."

aeloria stepped forward, her grip on her staff tightening. "you . . . you're not supposed to be here!" she demanded, pointing toward von. "why would someone like you get involved in this battle?"

von chuckled softly, the sound sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard it. "why? this is my land, and i have more right to set foot here than anyone else."