Chapter 182
When Winnie’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of a dragon, Hobson was utterly baffled.
“What is it?” he blurted, ncing skyward. “A dragon up there?”
“No dragons,” Winnie replied curtly. “It’s a verbal snare.”
To the average Joe, snakes don’t fly, and the sky is no ce for them. So when you’re asked if that
thing zipping through the clouds is a snake or a dragon, most folks, like Hobson just now, would bet on
the dragon.
And the question was posed to get Drake to bite and say “dragon.”
“There’s an old wives‘ tale about the sea dragon, Winnie exined. ‘Legends say, when a sea dragon
aims to transform into a dragon, it calls down thunderstorms. Then it seeks a chosen one to bestow a
title upon it, asking if they see a snake or a dragon. If the chosen one says ‘snake,‘ the serpent’s
attempt fails. It faces divine punishment and reverts to its serpent form. But if the answer is ‘dragon,‘ it
ascends sessfully.”
Hobson scoffed, thinking she was pulling his leg. ‘Since when can beasts be anything more than
what they are, let alone dragons? Plus, we haven’t had a drop of rain in months, let alone
thunderstorms.”
This is from N?velDrama.Org.
Winnie chose to ignore Hobson’smentary, turning instead to Drake. “Did you give him an answer?”
“Not a word,” Drake replied, his voice cold as ice.
Winnie wasn’t the only one to sniff out the verbal trap. Drake was known for his caution. Not one out of
ce word had ever been wrung from him by the most tenacious of reporters, let alone from the mouth
of some kid.
What Drake hadn’t anticipated was that the other party, upon receiving no answer, would be so bold as
to prevent him from leaving, effectively trapping him in this spot.
When Winnie heard that the failed sea dragon was blocking their path, she was somewhat surprised.
Not that she feared it would harm Drake–with his gold aura, the heavens themselves wouldn’t let harm
come to him.
But perhaps it was that very aura that made the creature so stubbornly set on Drake, thinking if it could
get just one word of endorsement, it might soar to the skies the very next second.
Thinking this over, Winnie told Hobson and Drake to stay put while she went to confront the sea
dragon.
Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder. Beings capable of sessfully transforming usually possessed
considerable power, and this one seemed too skittish, hiding behind trees–hardly the behavior of a
powerful creature.
As she neared and caught sight of the figure behind the tree, Winnie stopped dead in her tracks.
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It was a boy, no more than fourteen or fifteen, his youthful appearance belying his true nature. The sea
dragon’s human form should reflect its age, and this was clearly just a juvenile.
No, calling him a sea dragon was a stretch.
A serpent with enough cultivation could maintain a stable human form, but this one’s transformation
was imperfect. Scales glittered on his neck and jaw, and tucked under his unruly hair were two short,
straight horns–the distinctive mark of a sea dragon.
“You… you’ve only just transformed?” Winnie inquired, her tone softening.
The boy, sensing the aura of a mystic about her, grew cautious. He didn’t answer her question, instead
posturing defensively, “I’ve not seeded in my quest, nor have I harmed anyone. You can’t just take
me in!”
Winnie squinted at him. Young and seemingly aware of the rules.
“I see you’ve just managed to take human form, clearly not ready to be a dragon. Why insist on
the blessing?”
The boy looked like a child who, just learning to walk, was eager to run before he could even stand. It
was almostughable.
Aware of his own predicament, he nevertheless responded with fierce pride, “I know, but I wanted to
rehearse. And that man, with so much gold aura–what if he’d given me his blessing? I could’ve skipped
centuries of cultivation and transformed on the spot!”
Dreaming big.was still in vogue, even for a sea dragon. Who knew? Dreams cane true.
Winnie almostughed at the notion of a rehearsal and was at a loss for words hearing the
rest.
The sea dragon was not only juvenile but also fanciful.
Yet, facing this harmless creature, she had no intentions of provocation. Instead, she asked, “The man
has already refused to bless you. Why hold him back?”
The boy gave her a look that screamed “are you dense?”
“I’ve rarelye across someone with such virtue. How could I just let him slip away?” he retorted,
“What if I never meet another like him?”
Winnie was speechless. Was this sea dragon nning to hang onto the magnate until the time was
ripe for another blessing?
Winnie decided reasoning was futile. She pulled out a Thunder Charm, brandishing it as a warning,
“Scram. He’s not for the likes of you.”
The boy eyed the Thunder Charm warily, stepping back but still not giving up.
“Can’t I just keep him in the mountains with me?”
“Not a chance,” she said tly.
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Chapter 182
The boy looked torn. “Then, can I go with him?”
Winnie’s expression said it all; she was not amused. “No way.”
“Why not?” the boy nearly stamped his foot. “Who are you to him anyway? What if he wants me to
follow?”
Winnie thought of the mark on Drake’s palm. Technically, as his fiancée, she had every right to speak
for him.
But she had no intention of disclosing that, so she simply said, “I’m his neighbor. He sought me out
because he didn’t want to deal with you.”
With a tone of finality, she warned, “That’s the end of it. If you keep this up, don’t me me for what
comes next!”
In this world, no creature could withstand the force of thunder and lightning.
And the small sea dragon was no exception. His face was etched with frustration as he nced at
Drake, then at the Thunder Charm in Winnie’s grip. After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his teeth
and dashed into the thick woods.
Winnie’s brow furrowed in thought. She watched him disappear in the blink of an eye, but she didn’t
believe for a second that he had given up that easily.
Walking back to the front of the old chapel, Drake looked at her. His face was calm, without a trace of
worry, clearly confident in her ability to handle the situation. Still, seeing her troubled expression, he
couldn’t help but ask, “He’s gone?”
“He ran off,” Winnie confirmed, “But I reckon he’ll be back.”
It couldn’t be helped; after all, they had set their sights on him.
Who could resist a big shot radiating that gold aura that drew everyone in?
Sure, the average ghoul wouldn’t daree close, but for a creature like him, who had never been
stained with the blood of innocents, the intimidation factor was rtively low.
And then there was the tantalizing prospect of a transformation hanging in front of them like a juicy
steak.
Winnie looked at Drake, her eyes filled with understanding. Who could easily refuse such a tempting
prize?
If the roles were reversed, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist either.