The Power of Faith

"Wuwuwu... Gurgle... Gurgle, gurgle..."

As a dragon, Drake's senses were far beyond those of ordinary creatures. His draconic vision could perceive things invisible to others, and if he was willing to expend a sliver of divine energy to focus his eyes, he could even discern the world's most hidden secrets—akin to the fundamental rules of existence.

Drake had once joked that his 'titanium dragon eyes' could, in scientific terms, observe atoms and quarks—a feat of machinery that captured the world's minutiae and sought the rules governing all things, much like how the gods of the magical world sought the underlying principles of reality.

The peculiar sounds were unlike any Drake had ever heard; they were certainly not animal roars, but they didn't resemble any modern human language either.

Driven by curiosity, Drake moved toward the source of the noise. In this tropical rainforest on Earth, his fear was nonexistent.

Soon, he came upon the source, but the sight rendered him silent.

"AI, I need confirmation—are we really on Earth? The Earth of the 21st century?"

Drake connected with AI mentally.

[I am certain we are on the Earth of your 21st century.]

Following AI's response, Drake took a deep breath. "Then please explain to me... why are there primitive humans here?!"

Before his eyes, a group of about twenty to thirty dark-skinned primitives appeared. Bare above the waist and clad in minimal loincloths below, they bore strange oil paints on their skin, men adorned with bizarre lip decorations, and women with unusual hairstyles.

Armed with wooden spears and handmade bows, they were herding a group of crocodiles by the river. Through gaps in the foliage, Drake glimpsed their thatched and wooden dwellings, indicating a primitive tribe, the inhabitants of which were now before him.

Settling near water sources was a basic instinct for living beings.

"Hmm? Primitive people..."

A thought struck Drake as he surveyed the rainforest surroundings, and realization dawned: "I'm in the Amazon rainforest!"

As a college graduate who indulged in an array of programs and books, Drake prided himself on his wealth of knowledge. He might not have grasped the esoteric, but he was well-versed in random facts. The combination of tropical rainforest and primitive tribe suggested that he was likely in the Amazon, the only place on Earth where both could be found together.

"Am I in Brazil or some other country?"

While his geographical guess didn't particularly improve his mood, it was strange enough to wake up as an ordinary person one day and find himself in the Amazon jungle.

Watching the tribespeople—or rather, the indigenous people—babble at the crocodiles, Drake deliberated for a moment before crashing through the trees, emerging before them with a shower of broken branches and leaves.

Had the indigenous people wielded Gatling guns, Drake might have hesitated, but their simple weapons posed no threat. The sudden appearance of a ten-meter-long intimidating creature had a profound visual impact, especially due to Drake's majestic appearance. His golden scales, war-machine-like sleekness, and a regal crown atop a formidable draconic head, all coupled with his daunting presence, left the tribespeople and crocodiles frozen in shock.

The crocodiles instinctively cowered, not daring to move a muscle, while the tribespeople, quaking in fear, began to chatter even more loudly after the initial shock, their gestures suggesting a heated debate.

To Drake, their incomprehensible language was as annoying as the buzzing of flies. He roared again, his throat heating as he prepared to unleash his breath, and his golden scales shone with a faint light.

Then, he expelled a breath of pale golden fire. As it swept over the riverbank, several crocodiles were instantly charred. The flame continued to burn on the surface of the river, boiling the water and blanketing the area with steam.

This was the signature ability of a dragon—dragon's breath. Unlike the 'Emerald Breath' he had emitted as a demi-god dragon, this was the inherent breath weapon of Drake's own body.

"Eh?"

After exhaling the flames, Drake was surprised to find that the organ generating his dragon's breath had changed. He could not only breathe golden fire but also other substances. Considering AI's mention of his unique evolution, Drake suspected that this was one such deviation. However, experimenting in front of the tribespeople wasn't appropriate, so he shelved the thought for later.

"Kneel, mortals!"

Drake uttered majestic draconic speech once more. The tribespeople exchanged glances, their eyes darting between the charred crocodiles and the still-burning flames. Then, as if by a collective decision, they fell to the ground in a deeply reverent prostration and chanted a single word in unison.

Drake couldn't understand the term but guessed it was akin to 'god'.

At that moment, the divine essence within his soul quivered, and the divine energy he had expended increased by a tiny fraction.

'Is this the power of faith?'

Drake inwardly trembled with the revelation, his understanding of divinity bringing a profound sense of awe.