After enjoying a lavish lunch at Sandy’s place, Leon and Abigail said their goodbyes to her and left the Oasis Store.
They didn’t rush to catch the bus back to Stardew Valley. The second bus wouldn’t arrive for another hour, and right now it was probably just leaving Stardew Valley.
That didn’t mean they planned to stand idly at the bus stop for an hour. Aside from Abigail’s goal of forging her Galaxy Weapon, Leon had his own plans.
For instance, at this moment, Leon was heading toward the remains of the Sand Dragon, harvesting coconuts from the palm trees and cactus fruit from the cacti along the way.
“Want to try one? I can open a coconut for you.” Holding a freshly cut coconut, sliced down from a palm tree with his lengthened Galaxy Watermelon Knife, Leon turned to ask Abigail.
“Sure,” Abigail replied without hesitation.
Leon sliced off the top of the coconut with a swift motion, revealing the juice and flesh hidden beneath the hard leafy shell.
The Galaxy Watermelon Knife could be used in combat, for cutting fruit, or even as a harvesting tool to reach fruit high in the canopy—something Abigail’s rapier couldn’t match in practicality or versatility.
Handing the coconut to Abigail, Leon kept walking. No palm tree or cactus escaped his attention, and he soon gathered a sizable haul of fruit for the brewing barrels back home.
Eventually, Leon led Abigail to the massive skeleton of the Sand Dragon.
“That’s a huge dinosaur fossil!” Abigail gasped at first sight.
Leon blinked at her words, then couldn’t help but tease her. “Why would you think it was a dinosaur?”
“Isn’t it? Aside from the dinosaurs that lived in ancient times, I can’t think of another creature in this world bigger than this.”
“Well… fair enough.” Leon shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea what it looked like when it was alive. All that’s left is a skull and a few ribs. Who’s to say dinosaurs aren’t dragons?”
The Sand Dragon’s skeleton was incomplete. Maybe it really was a dinosaur instead of the winged, lizard-like dragons Leon imagined.
“So you brought me here just to figure out if it’s a dinosaur?” Abigail raised an eyebrow.
“Not exactly. I’m here to run an experiment.” Leon shook his head, then warned, “Wait here. If anything seems off, run.”
He walked up to the Sand Dragon’s skull and pulled a Solar Essence from his backpack—a gift he had prepared back on the farm. He placed it in the gaping jaw of the skull.
In the game, feeding the Sand Dragon its final meal was the last step in Mr. Qi’s quest chain. Without completing the earlier steps, bringing the Solar Essence here wouldn’t do anything. But this was reality, and Leon wanted to see if he could skip ahead.
The moment the Solar Essence touched the dragon’s mouth, it vanished. Leon saw faint flames flicker in the hollow eye sockets—only for a few seconds—before all returned to stillness.
The Solar Essence was gone. In its place lay a yellowed piece of parchment.
“Hello, Leon.
Although you didn’t follow the path I designed for this trial, I admire your unconventional approach.
Seek out the other clues. Once you’ve completed every step, you will receive the key to open the chest.
I look forward to meeting you.
—Qi”
“So it really is the membership card in the chest. Mr. Qi is thorough as ever—looks like I’ll have to follow the steps properly after all.”
Leon sighed, but he also felt relieved. At least now he knew the chest contained the pass that would let him freely enter the second floor of the club, just like in the game. The first trial matched the game’s version perfectly.
Next, all he had to do was gather a Battery Pack, a Beet, and a Rainbow Shell to finish the remaining three tasks and meet Mr. Qi.
Leon pocketed the note and turned to Abigail, who was watching him curiously. “Alright, I’m done here. Let’s head back.”
“Leon, did you see the fossil’s head move just now?” Abigail asked suddenly.
“No, I didn’t notice.” Leon shook his head. He had only seen the flames in its eye sockets—he hadn’t noticed any movement.
“Really? Then maybe I imagined it.” Abigail frowned, rubbing her forehead.
“But I also heard a terrifying dragon roar. It was full of madness, greed, and violence. It made me feel awful.”
“Probably just your imagination. The desert heat’s intense—you might be overheated. Let’s find some shade.”
Leon said that, but he took her words seriously. He remembered Abigail having a bit of a spiritual sense. In her eight-heart event in the game, she had even demonstrated it using a Ouija board, passively revealing her feelings to the player.
If he was right, this ability had let her hear the Sand Dragon’s final regret—likely triggered when Leon fed it the Solar Essence. Her description suggested the dragon had died a miserable death… and that it hadn’t been a kind creature in life.
With Leon’s reassurance, Abigail didn’t dwell on it. They rested in the shade of a palm stripped of its coconuts, and Leon cracked another one open for her to rehydrate.
When she was feeling better, they headed to the bus stop to wait for the bus.
Even after a short rest, Abigail still looked worn out. Leon encouraged her to lie down. Shyly, she eventually rested her head in his lap and fell asleep.
When Pam pulled the bus up to the stop, Leon didn’t wake her. He gently lifted her onto his back, carried her aboard, and found a window seat where he could settle her down again, offering his lap as a pillow so she could keep sleeping comfortably.
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