I … saw a dragon.
When Pennister opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a bed.
"You're finally awake."
Boyka, who was standing by the window, looked back at Pennister with pity in his eyes.
Pennister frowned. It was evening and the sun wasn't glaring. He could barely make out that he was on Ford Island.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"A month."
Pennister smiled bitterly and shook his aching head. When he was about to get up, he froze.
"You noticed."
After hearing Boyka's voice, Pennister sprung up, "Where's my battle qi?"
Boyka shook his head. "You're probably too injured and lost all your Battle Aura."
Lost all his Battle Aura …
Lost all!
Pennister's pupils contracted, but he quickly regained his composure. "I understand."
Boyka sighed. "Mr. Pennister, I'm sorry you paid such a heavy price. I've put the reward in your backpack. We have to go back now."
Pennister nodded. Boyka had done his best. Besides, Pennister's injury had nothing to do with him.
Edward came to Pennister's room soon after Boyka left.
Pennister patted Edward's shoulder. "I should've thought of this, shouldn't I?
I'm lucky I didn't die. "
"Pennister …"
"Say no more."
Pennister took out a bottle of wine and handed it to Edward. "The Dragon's Breath you've been longing for."
Edward was stunned for a moment. "George gave it to you."
Pennister shrugged and said with a smile, "Do you think I can still drink Dragon's Breath in my current state?"
"I …"
"Just take it." Pennister might have lost all his Battle Aura, but he still had his aura.
"Okay." Edward took the Dragon's Breath.
"Actually, I've already achieved my goal of challenging the stone array."
"Hmm?"
"I saw a dragon."
…
Pennister refused to return with Edward on the Rose. His explanation was that he had had enough fun and it was time to look for a quiet place to enjoy the scenery.
Actually, Pennister had another reason for staying on Ford Island. He wanted to wait for the next tide.
Perhaps it wasn't a bad choice to die with the sea. As the only person in this world who had seen a living dragon, Pennister could die without regrets.
Some years later
Humans were still unable to break through the death stone array, and no one had ever seen a giant dragon. Thus, some people began to suspect that War God Neville had merely made up a lie.
Such rumors spread far and wide, and no matter how much pressure the Empire exerted, they could not stop the rumors from spreading.
However, there was one thing that was strange. A few years ago, for some unknown reason, the Endless Ocean no longer had a zero degree tide, and Ford Island became a famous tourist attraction.
The Giant Dragon Bar in Hillard had declined a lot compared to a few years ago. In fact, it wasn't just Hillard. After people became more and more suspicious of the existence of giant dragons, nearly half of the Giant Dragon Bars in all port cities closed down.
"Dragon's Breath, two copper coins special!"
There was a billboard hanging above the Hillard Dragon Bar, but even so, fewer and fewer people came here.
"Giant dragon, giant dragon, how can there be a giant dragon?
Back then, Neville, the War God, simply found the corpse of a random sea demon. His goal was to intimidate the Federation. "
"Is that true?"
"Of course it's true. Otherwise, after so many years, why haven't we even seen a shadow of a giant dragon?"
"That's true."
The adventurer turned his gaze to George and asked, "Boss, what do you think?
Do giant dragons really exist? "
Everyone stared at George, waiting for his answer.
George nodded solemnly. "There really are giant dragons in this world."
The adventurers were stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter.
"Haha, I knew he would say that."
"I guessed it too. If he didn't say that, how could he attract customers?"
George frowned. "Young man, I have a friend who has seen a giant dragon with his own eyes. A living one!"
"Who?"
"Pennister!
The famous treasure hunter! "
"Pennister?"
"That lunatic from Ford Island?"
The adventurers looked at each other. "Is he your friend?"
"It's said that this Pennister lost all his battle aura after breaking through the stone array and became a cripple. Then, he fantasized about seeing a giant dragon all day long."
"I know this person. I saw him the last time I went to Ford Island. He was dressed like a tramp."
"Looks like the boss is crazy too."
George sighed and looked at the adventurers who were whispering to each other. His face was full of helplessness.
It was Edward who told him about that incident. George went to Ford Island later and saw Pennister.
Pennister was no longer as high-spirited as before. He became so quiet that George almost couldn't recognize him.
Indeed, to a warrior, losing all his battle aura was a heavier blow than death.
Pennister told George that he wanted to return to the sea with the zero tide, but the tide never came. Perhaps this was fate, so he chose to spend the rest of his life on Ford Island.
Just as George was immersed in his memories, the bar suddenly became very quiet.
A girl with long white hair entered the bar. Her blue eyes could make one's soul sink into them.
"Hello."
George came back to his senses. "Would you like a drink?
Our specialty here is the giant dragon's breath. "
The girl didn't look old. She might even be underage. George realized that it wasn't appropriate for him to provide drinks to an underage girl.
"Hello."
The girl's voice was as clear as her eyes, and the lack of fluency in her speech was obvious.
"I heard you were discussing the giant dragon."
The group of adventurers immediately came over, each with a flattering expression.
"Hehe, beautiful lady, the giant dragon is a lie."
"Yes, I wonder if there's a chance to invite you to dinner?"
"Get lost."
The girl suddenly exploded with a powerful aura and pushed all the adventurers away.
"Boss, have you seen a giant dragon?"
"Uh …" The girl's strength made George speechless. "That … I haven't seen one."
George didn't dare to lie. The adventurers were still twitching on the ground.
The girl seemed a little disappointed and turned to leave.
"That …"
"Hmm?"
"I have a friend who has seen a giant dragon. A living one."
"Who?
Where? "
George gulped. He didn't know if this was good or bad for Pennister.
"His name is Pennister. He's on Ford Island."