The Tavern, the Masked Man, and the Dragon's Corpse

Old Butler Horden set off swiftly, accompanied by ten Royal Judgement Gryphon Knights, each riding a golden gryphon of extraordinary rank. Since the fusion of the [Royal Knight Training Ground] and the [Golden Gryphon Nest], the Royal Knights and the Golden Gryphons had essentially become a single unit. Their level-up progression was synchronized, ensuring uniform strength across the board.

The extraordinary-ranked golden gryphons had grown to a massive twenty meters in size. Although not as colossal as the hundred-meter-long dark dragon Charles, they were still formidable beasts. The sight of ten such gryphons together was undeniably imposing. With their enhanced rank, the gryphons' flight speed had also significantly increased, reducing the journey to [Forest City] to just two hours.

Meanwhile, in Forest City, after concluding her call with Haotian, Miss Sophia, accompanied by the old mage Simon, left the Crystal Merchant Guild's residence and headed to a tavern under the jurisdiction of the [Bounty Hunter Guild].

Today, Sophia wore a striking purple gown with a slit at the thigh, revealing her long, slender, and alabaster legs as she walked. The gown also featured a half-exposed bosom, accentuating her curves, and her dark red wavy hair added to her allure. Both Sophia and the old mage wore masks to conceal their identities.

The tavern was crowded with patrons, most of whom were equipped adventurers of various classes—mages, archers, knights, warriors, and assassins—all exuding their respective magical auras. This establishment catered specifically to bounty hunters. Upon entering, Sophia wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant air—a mix of strong alcohol, male sweat, and cheap tobacco—almost making her want to leave. But remembering her lord's orders, she persevered.

She approached a bunny girl waitress in a revealing outfit and informed her of the appointment in room three. "Please follow me," the waitress said, leading them to the second floor.

Entering room three, they encountered a figure shrouded in a black robe, wearing a mask. This individual, too, preferred to keep his identity secret.

After the waitress left, Sophia got straight to the point, "Do you have a complete dragon corpse?"

"I do, but I'm not interested in gold," the masked figure replied in a low, stiff voice, clearly male.

Sophia responded, "As noted in the task information, if you don't want gold, we can trade for elven spring water."

The masked man chuckled, "The rumors are true. The Crystal Merchant Guild does have a steady supply of elven spring water."

Sophia was taken aback. Despite her mask, he had recognized her. She hadn't revealed her identity when posting the task. How did this man know?

"If you're serious about trading the dragon corpse, let's not waste time on irrelevant questions," Sophia said, maintaining her composure.

"Is this how the guild president's daughter treats clients?" the masked man retorted.

"I only care about the transaction," Sophia replied calmly.

Without another word, the masked man tossed a space ring to her. "The dragon corpse you want is in there."

Sophia infused the ring with her spiritual awareness and magic, revealing a vast dimensional space within. There lay a massive dragon corpse, over a hundred meters long, its scales a deep red, emanating a lingering heat. This was a deceased flame dragon, one of the five-colored evil dragons, like the dark dragon. The corpse was largely intact, except for a through-and-through sword wound in its chest, clearly slain by a formidable warrior. However, the corpse was completely desiccated, as if all its blood and flesh had been drained, leaving only the dragon's skin and skeleton. Sophia wondered if her lord would find such a corpse acceptable.

As Sophia put the space ring down, the masked man spoke again, "I have many more dragon corpses like this, provided you have enough elven spring water."

Sophia's body tensed, her mind racing. Who was this client claiming to have multiple dragon corpses? Dragons were the pinnacle of extraordinary creatures on the Holy Continent, their individual and collective strength unmatched. Killing one dragon was a feat; slaying multiple was nearly unimaginable. Even the high elves couldn't risk angering the entire dragon race.

Sophia couldn't help but suspect the masked man was bluffing. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Let's cut to the chase. How many bottles of elven spring water for this dragon corpse?"

"Ten thousand bottles," he replied.

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Not even a live dragon would fetch that price, especially not this near-skeletal corpse."

After a moment of silence, the masked man said, "Eight thousand bottles, that's my lowest offer. After all, what you have is just low-grade elven spring water."

Sophia countered, "I can provide medium-purity elven spring water now."

The masked man paused. "..."