Doanh Th??ng Hi?n (The Prince Hi?n) arrived at the Dragon Hunters’ Association in the Northern Marches. Upon entering, he was met with the sight of a boisterous group of hunters gathered around a table, heatedly debating a plan to slay a Sand Dragon. He moved deeper into the hall toward the reception desk.

  Behind the counter stood a woman of the Old Race (six-fingered). She possessed crimson skin and the powerful physique of a bodybuilder, with a greatsword strapped to her back and eyes as sharp as flint. Her name was A-Ly-Hop.

  "Greetings, stranger," she said. "Where do you hail from, and what do you require?"

  "I am a traveling merchant," the Prince Hi?n replied. "I've come seeking essential goods. What do you sell here? What services do you provide?"

  A-Ly-Hop scrutinized him. While he appeared to be a merchant on the surface, his breathing was deep and steady, and he radiated a sense of immense vitality. Furthermore, she could sense the Dragon Blood pulsing within his veins.

  "We are the Dragon Hunters’ Association," she answered. "We provide support for hunters, ranging from intelligence and combat expertise to the purchasing of dragon carcasses. We also sell all manner of dragon byproducts—meat, bone, scales, and blood. In short, we cater to two types: hunters and merchants. So, what is it you need?"

  "Business, of course," the Prince Hi?n smiled. "Show me your wares."

  A beautiful young woman stepped forward and said, "Allow me to introduce our stock to you, sir."

  But A-Ly-Hop interjected, "I’ll handle this. He isn’t just a merchant; he’s a hunter as well. Follow me."

  She led him to the first warehouse, which was filled with common materials for forging weapons. The Prince Hi?n merely spared them a passing glance. Noticing his lack of interest, A-Ly-Hop’s nose twitched; she led him to the second vault, headed straight for the Dragon Blood section, and selected a vial of White Dragon Blood to show him.

  He looked at it and asked, "How did you know I was looking for this?"

  "It’s simple," she replied. "You are a Dragon Cultivator. I can smell the scent of dragon blood on you."

  The Prince Hi?n laughed. "As are you, correct? You refine Red Dragon Blood, but there was a flaw in your process somewhere, wasn't there? That’s why your skin is stained red. It isn't a natural color."

  "Indeed," she admitted. "You clearly know the craft."

  "You’re quite talented," the Prince Hi?n said. "How about a change of scenery? I’ll hire you for double your current salary."

  "Ha! You’ve got a big mouth," she laughed heartily. "You don't even know my current wage, yet you're shouting 'double.' I don't care for money; I stay here primarily to help the younger hunters. They are far too naive when facing these beasts. I don't want to see a repeat of what happened to my younger brother."

  "Working for passion, then? Nothing could be better," the Prince Hi?n remarked.

  She smiled, finding the conversation refreshing. "You’re an interesting man. I’ll give you a 10% discount. What else do you wish to buy?"

  "My, you're both beautiful and a shrewd businesswoman," he chuckled. "I’ll take the White Dragon Blood. But I also need a few... special items."

  "Ah, I understand," she replied. "You’re asking about Cursed Artifacts, aren't you?"

  "We have such a warehouse," she continued, "but I honestly advise you to stay away from them. They all demand a heavy price—your flesh, your soul, or your very body. Of course, if you still wish to buy, we will sell them, but we insist you meet with our Appraiser for consultation before using them."

  The Prince Hi?n smiled. "You even have an Appraiser here? I’ll meet him."

  He entered the vault of cursed artifacts, which contained items of every shape and size, from sabers, swords, and hammers to trousers, shirts, cups, and spoons. The Wu Qu Star System scanned the room; these were all artifacts with weak souls, possessing offensive or defensive power equivalent to the Qi Condensation (C) or Foundation Establishment (B) stages.

  Compared to his Mask of the Vengeful God—which was equivalent to Core Formation (A) if the synchronization reached 100%—these were insignificant. This mask was the foundation that allowed the Prince Hi?n to hunt adult dragons (A-rank) despite only being at the Foundation Establishment (B) stage.

  Though he found no suitable artifacts, he still went to see the Appraiser. The man was a bearded Dwarf with an incredibly prickly personality. There were other appraised artifacts in his room, but one caught the Prince Hi?n's attention: an artifact shaped like a cord wrapped around the Appraiser’s waist.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "Is the artifact you’re wearing around your waist for sale?" the Prince Hi?n asked.

  The Dwarf Thorin, laughed bitterly. "Haha! Do you even know what this is? This is Dragon Sinew, and it carries a powerful divine soul within it. To me, it isn't for sale—it is my curse. I accidentally disturbed it while inspecting it, and now it takes its revenge by binding itself around my waist. It gets tighter every day, tormenting me. Sooner or later, it will crush me to death."

  The Prince Hi?n heard this and said, "Oh, this artifact is quite strong. It doesn't kill you instantly but strangles you slowly; this is a form of trial. I want it—let me try."

  "I wish for that as well," the Dwarf grunted, "but it won't listen to me."

  "Then let me help," the Prince Hi?n smiled.

  White Fire appeared in his hand and flew out to envelop the Dwarf. It did not harm the man but began healing his body. However, the cord around his waist thrashed like a burning snake. After a moment, it uncoiled, lunged at the Prince Hi?n, and bound itself tightly around his waist, abandoning the Dwarf.

  The Prince Hi?n struggled against the constriction, waiting for the power of the White Fire to take effect. He combined this with energy shields to bolster his defense, but eventually, he had to don his Mask to increase his strength and constitution (+50 STR, +70 VIT). The more he resisted, the more violently the cord reacted. It squeezed him and lifted him into the air, slamming his head into the ground, into mountains, and dragging him across the earth before throwing him into the water. The two wrestled for a day and a night before the cord finally settled down.

  Thanks to this struggle, his fame spread rapidly through the neighboring villages. Afterward, the Prince Hi?n had to recover for several days. He then refined the White Dragon Blood, increasing his Bloodline purity by 2% to reach 20%. His synchronization with the mask stood at a 50% contract, though the "Dragon Alien" emotions were at 0 (extremely angry) and refused to cooperate on matters outside the contract.

  The Prince Hi?n continued to battle the Dragon Sinew, determined to establish a contract with it to reduce his own disadvantage. Eventually, they reached an agreement: he could use it once per day, resetting after sunrise. The soul didn't demand much; it just wanted to be lazy.

  The Prince Hi?n purchased a map leading to the lair of a Young Dragon, equivalent to Foundation Establishment (B). Confident in his power, he did not hire a hunting party. The locals advised him that five B-rank hunters were necessary for safety, but he refused, as he did not yet trust these Northmen.

  The Dwarf, having been saved from the Dragon Sinew, heard that the Prince Hi?n was going alone and used his own money to hire a dragon-hunting team to assist him. A-Ly-Hop volunteered to help without pay, as the Prince Hi?n’s confidence reminded her of her lost brother.

  The Prince Hi?n located the dragon's cave and entered directly, using White Fire to light the way. The light shone directly into the eyes of the sleeping dragon, waking it in an absolute rage. It flew out to attack him, breathing fire and lashing its tail. Caught off guard in the semi-darkness, he couldn't defend in time and was slammed against the cave wall, dazed for a moment.

  As it opened its mouth to swallow him alive, he snapped awake, activated his energy shield, and narrowly dodged, retreating into a crevice to avoid the onslaught. He immediately used White Fire to heal, then donned the mask. With 50% synchronization, the mask covered his head and his upper body like a suit of armor, boosting his mental and physical defenses. The White Fire circled him, forming a wall against the dragon's flames.

  He drew his spear and charged at the wild dragon. However, its strength was immense, its recovery rate was incredible, and its scales were thick. No matter how much he struck, he couldn't win; instead, he was nearly swallowed several times. When the mask's time limit expired (half a day), the Prince Hi?n was pushed to the brink of death. Finally, he used the Dragon Sinew to bind the beast and used the last of his strength to flee. After the duration of the binding ended, the Dragon Sinew automatically flew back to him.

  As he sat recovering, A-Ly-Hop arrived. She laughed and said, "How lucky! We arrived just in time, or you’d be sitting still inside that dragon’s belly by now, haha!"

  Startled by the strangers, the Prince Hi?n initially thought they were bandits, but he sighed in relief upon seeing familiar faces. "You’re late. I just had a brutal fight with it—I was almost eaten."

  A-Ly-Hop laughed. "Then you're lucky indeed. Tell us how the battle went. We’ll get revenge for you."

  After hearing his account, she said, "This dragon is quite cautious; hunting it won't be easy. Trapping it is our only option. It has the advantage of wings; if we fight in the open, we have no chance. My plan is this: we wait for it to fly out, then we infiltrate the lair and set traps inside for when it returns."

  "Dragons sleep a lot," the Prince Hi?n noted. "At least a month, sometimes up to a year. Unless they are laying eggs or raising young."

  "True," A-Ly-Hop said. "But there is another case: when they are wounded and need to supplement their food. You said you wounded it with your spear, right?"

  "Is there a chance it will abandon this lair for another?" the Prince Hi?n asked.

  "It's possible," A-Ly-Hop replied. "If so, it lives to see another day."

  They waited outside the cave for many days until the dragon finally flew out to hunt. The hunters moved into the cave, finding suitable places to set traps and hide, even smearing dragon dung on themselves to mask their scent.

  A few days later, the dragon returned, the Prince Hi?n's spear still lodged in its body. It noticed nothing amiss as it flew toward its nest. Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the cave, causing the ceiling to collapse and pin the beast down. It struggled to break free, but the ceiling was no longer high enough for it to fly. The hunters ambushed it, striking directly at its wings.

  A-Ly-Hop braced herself, transforming into a Semi-Dragon state, and ran straight for the spear, using all her might to drive it deeper. The Prince Hi?n aimed for its eyes with his sword. The dragon thrashed and escaped, though its body was riddled with wounds and its eyes and wings were mangled. A-Ly-Hop refused to let go, clinging to the beast even as it took flight.

  The group pursued the dragon on horseback. After it had flown a short distance, the Prince Hi?n threw the Dragon Sinew. It flew out and bound the dragon's wings, causing it to plunge into the river and drift downstream. After searching for several days, they found A-Ly-Hop and the dragon's carcass.

  They returned to the lair to share the spoils and celebrate. These were the Prince Hi?n's first friends among the Northmen, and through them, he began to truly understand the culture of the Northern Marches.