"By the way, have you seen Tibilia?"

Andrea asked.

"Tibilia?"

The Red Dragon King frowned slightly.

"There’s still two months left on that little brat’s confinement, should be in the back valley, together with Agnes."

"Agnes was knocked out, I asked her, she doesn’t remember anything."

The Silver Dragon’s expression was a bit unpleasant.

Hearing this, the Red Dragon King was stunned.

After a few seconds, he suddenly thought of something and looked fiercely in the direction where the players had left, cursing:

"Damn it, that little brat Tibilia must have sneaked off again! I was even planning to give her the card!"

"Hmm? Card?"

A sharp gaze swept over.

"Ahem... Wife, you heard wrong."

The Red Dragon King coughed dryly and tucked his tail.

...

"Ah... the journey is over."

Riding on the dragon’s back, Demacia turned around, withdrawing his gaze from Dragon Island.

Behind him, Dragon Island was already out of sight.

"Demacia, it looks like you really love Dragon Island!"

The Transformed Girl laughed.

"Of course, the dragons on Dragon Island are rich and simple, especially the metallic dragons. Once you gain their approval, you can truly become friends with them..."

"Although the colorful dragons on Dragon Island have quite the temper, they are unexpectedly genuine, completely different from those evil dragons lurking on the Segis Continent."

Demacia said.

As he spoke, he felt a bit sentimental:

"I’ve made more friends among the dragons these few days than I’ve made among players in the past few years..."

Who told you to always like causing trouble before!

Upon hearing his words, the players cast disdainful glances his way.

Facing the players, especially the disdainful glances from several female players, Demacia blushed for once.

He coughed awkwardly and said:

"I was wrong, okay? Isn’t this already changing?"

"By the way, speaking of Tibilia, why didn’t she come to see us off? Didn’t she say she would return to the Elf Forest with us?"

Demacia shifted the topic.

"Probably still in confinement? I heard from Agnes that she’s confined for another two months."

Little Xian Miao answered.

However, just at this moment, a cheerful and resonant dragon roar came from behind the players...

"Rua——! Wait for me! You guys are flying too fast!"

The players turned back, seeing a slender Red Dragon chasing after them.

"Tibilia, aren’t you confined?"

Dongdong was slightly stunned.

"Hey! I said I’m going back with you! I haven’t fulfilled my contract with the Life Goddess yet! Who cares about confinement, the old guy can’t keep me locked up!"

The Red Dragon looked proud.

After speaking, she widened her sparkling eyes:

"Speaking of... when we get back to the Elf Forest, is there a welcome feast?"

"No need for too much ceremony, just a carload of barbecue will do! And I want honey with it!"

The players:...

You’re just craving the Elf Forest’s barbecue, aren’t you?!

So, Red Dragon Tibilia joined the group.

The party headed towards the Segis Continent.

This time, their route was no longer the one they took coming in, but straight towards the Elf Forest.

After traveling for several months, it’s about time to return home.

The journey to Dragon Island left the players with abundant returns.

When they returned to the Chosen City, it was already a week later.

Meanwhile, Zelolan of Fengyue Free Territory welcomed a traveler arriving from the north...

"Zelolan... finally back to Zelolan."

Looking at the city by the shore, now even more prosperous than over a year ago, Old John felt quite emotional.

In just one year, the filthy docks had expanded nearly twofold, and guards clad in fine armor patrolled continually, maintaining perfect order.

The streets were straight, the roads cleaner than in his memory, and the passersby looked radiant, not at all like the civilians struggling gloomily in the empire’s various cities.

Their eyes were full of vitality.

The beautiful city, the happy residents, everything before him made Old John feel somewhat dazed.

Clearly, it’s only been a year, yet Zelolan looks entirely different from the empire’s cities.

This place truly feels like a paradise from a fairy tale.

Carefully stepping off the boat, Old John tightened the token given to him by the elves, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and walked into the city.

The city was even more bustling than he had imagined, with carriages flowing continuously, people coming and going, lively and bustling, a magnificent scene.

This sight made Old John feel as if he had entered another world.

Meanwhile, a deep doubt gradually grew in his heart.

Why... why just a year ago Zelolan was famous, but still not much different from other imperial cities, and in just one year, the transformation is so drastic?

Old John knew that behind this was the merit of the Life Church.

However, he couldn’t imagine how, exactly, a city that had suffered the ravages of war could revive in such a short time and renewed...

He stood nervously at a crossroads, momentarily unsure where to go.

Until a guard wearing armor noticed him and approached.

Seeing the guard walking towards him, Old John’s heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to flee...

No choice, it’s a reflex for every imperial commoner.

City guards maintain the city’s order, but they protect the interests of noble lords and wealthy merchants, and for commoners without background, getting involved with guards often leads not to bullying... but extortion.

Yet, just when Old John was anxious and fearful, the guard patted his shoulder and showed a friendly smile:

"Friend, you look unwell, are you facing any difficulties? Do you need my help?"

Seeing the guard’s friendly smile, Old John was slightly taken aback.

This smile seemed very familiar, reminiscent of something he had seen before.

Gradually, the appearance of the person overlapped slowly with a certain image in his memory...

That was a refugee Old John met while escaping from the south, who ended up disembarking at Zelolan.

Except Old John clearly remembered that the refugee was emaciated, dispirited, with dull eyes, while the guard before him now had a rosy complexion, full of energy, bright eyes filled with light.

This... is this really the same person?

Old John was uncertain.

"Jason? Is that you?"

He asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Hmm?"

The guard was stunned.

A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes:

"You know me?"

"It really is you?! I... I’m John!"

Old John spoke excitedly.

"John?"

The guard frowned.

After scrutinizing Old John’s appearance for a while, his expression gradually shifted to surprise:

"It’s you! John!"

"Yes, it’s me!"

Old John’s voice trembled.

"You... how did you become like this? I almost didn’t recognize you..."

Seeing Old John’s slightly aged appearance, the guard asked in astonishment.

"Ah... It’s a long story. I’m also curious about what you’ve been through, you look like a completely different person."

Old John said with emotion.

Listening to his words, the guard’s gaze softened.

As if he remembered something, his expression became very excited and reverent.

He drew the symbol of the Life Scepter on his chest and said with a smile:

"All this, we owe our gratitude to the great Goddess Divine Crown, and the benevolent Lady Sophia..."

"John, do you remember our chats on the boat?"

The guard asked.

Old John’s expression flickered, and he nodded:

"I remember... of course I remember..."

He certainly remembered.

When he met the other, it was during a period of losing his home and family, feeling desperate.

During that time, it was meeting the other, confiding in each other, that he gradually emerged from despair.

However, Old John was then a devout eternal believer, while Jason had already forsaken his faith in the True God.

Eventually, they went separate ways in Zelolan; one converted to the Life Church, while the other continued north.

But now, they met again.

And Old John had also transformed from a devout believer to a confused non-believer.

"John..."

Guard Jason’s gaze was very bright.

"We once talked about why the world is so dark, where hope lies, our future... where exactly that dawn breaking through the night is..."

"Now... I’ve found it."