The Captain Wasn't Mistaken, That Person Came for Tourism

"Frigid Region is a realm of ice and snow, void of vitality. Only the hardy dragons can survive there, relying on the protection of their scales."

"But never underestimate the dangers there. If you're careful and brave enough to sweep away the snow from the ice surface, you'll find it filled with relics of ancient civilizations."

"Perhaps there are even living beings hiding beneath the ice. Remember to be cautious."

Henry's team stood in front of a wandering dungeon merchant, gathering information.

The merchant was a kindly-looking old man who, with a smile, pulled out several weapons from a basket behind him.

"Heading to the Frigid Region? Need weapons by your side? I have some fine choices here."

"All weapons for sale, just 50 gold coins each."

A total sale?

Henry couldn't help but inwardly scoff; this wandering merchant seemed a bit shady, reminiscent of the cunning traders in the real world.

"No, thank you for the information, but we're well-equipped with weapons," Henry declined.

The merchant, a bit disappointed, was about to leave but then seemed to remember something and took out some local Snowland food.

"Then, might you need some food? I know you outsiders are always keen on new experiences."

"How about it? This is Snowland's special bear jerky, very chewy, just one gold coin per piece."

Anna and Emily were almost exasperated by the old man.

A few awakeners in search of treasure, not needing weapons, would they even need food?

"Well, give us a few jerkies to try, and I see you have some local soda. We'll take two bottles of that as well."

Henry took out a few gold coins from his pocket.

The currency used by NPCs in dungeons was almost interchangeable with the real-world gold coins, not much difference there.

Seeing the surprised looks from the two women, Henry coughed and began to explain:

"You surely can't expect me, a support, to join the front lines in battle, right?"

"I'll be quite bored by myself, so isn't it normal to have some snacks for entertainment?"

A support resolutely refusing to engage in combat.

As a support whose mere presence beside team members could enhance them with buffs, this was a creed Henry had set for himself.

Just as Henry was paying, the wandering merchant caught sight of the gold-tier ring on Henry's hand and was momentarily stunned.

"Is that the Snow Queen's ring, in your possession?"

The Snow Queen's status was evidently extraordinary, and the old man, trembling, returned the gold coins to Henry.

"Since you are recognized by the Queen, it's only fitting to offer you these foods for free."

The Queen obviously held a high place in the old man's heart, enough to make a profit-seeking merchant forgo his earnings.

"By the way, that ring can also summon creatures from Snowland. If you plan to hunt the ice dragon, you could summon an ice bear to speed up your journey."

Indeed,

this frigid weather was really not suited for walking.

A thought crossed Henry's mind and the ring glowed briefly, summoning a massive ice bear in front of the group.

"Well, old man, we're setting off now!"

With a piece of bear jerky in his mouth, Henry sat atop the ice bear's vast back, waving to the old man, while the two women quickly took their seats as well.

…

After leaving the wandering merchant, the group continued their journey towards the Frigid Region. 

On the way, they saw other teams of awakeners slowly moving through the blizzard.

But when these other awakeners saw Henry's team, they were visibly stunned.

"My God, what am I seeing? Aren't those the same awakeners from before? How did they get on an ice bear?"

"That ice bear seems pretty high-level, maybe around level 20, a powerful ally for sure."

"How did they tame a dungeon creature?"

No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't figure out that Henry had acquired a gold-tier ring upon entering Snowland.

Watching Henry sway atop the ice bear, munching on jerky and sipping a drink, others couldn't hide their envious whispers.

"Anyone would think they're here to hunt ice dragons, but looking at them, it's as if they're on vacation."

Seeing the envious glances from other awakeners, the two women on the back of the ice bear couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.

"Henry, just think what the others must be thinking of us."

"Who cares what they think?"

Henry replied with a casual smile, picking up two jerkies and offering them to the women.

"Fancy a jerky?"

"No, I think I'll pass."

"The idea of sitting on an ice bear and eating ice bear jerky is just too bizarre for me. I can't wrap my head around it."

Anna coughed, noticing the ice bear beneath them seemed somewhat forlorn.

The daylight in the Frigid Region was perpetually bright. 

After traveling for several hours, the group was still surrounded by a vast expanse of white. 

The soft, thick fur of the ice bear made them all feel somewhat drowsy.

Suddenly, the ice bear stopped in front of a small ice mountain, letting out a strange roar.

"What's here?" 

Henry guessed the ice bear's intention, jumping off its back. 

He wiped away the snow on the ice mountain, revealing an almost transparent block of ice with a glowing red object sealed inside.

"It's a dragon scale, a blood-stained dragon scale!" Anna exclaimed. 

This meant they were on the right track; the ice dragon might be nearby.

"Did you notice the blood on this scale? It's somewhat unusual," she continued. 

"From what I know about other dungeons with dragon-like creatures, dragon scales are extremely hard and don't fall off easily. Yet, we find one here unexpectedly."

"This suggests that this ice dragon may have recently fought an enemy. It's just unclear whether this blood is from the dragon or its adversary." 

Emily shared her speculation.

After hearing this, Henry found it very reasonable. 

He climbed back onto the ice bear's back and playfully patted its rump, threatening in a teasing tone, 

"Run fast, find that ice dragon's location for me, or else you're turning into bear jerky."

With a furious roar, the ice bear bolted forward, its massive body moving at a breakneck pace.

The signs of the dragon's presence became increasingly evident, with even huge claw marks visible on the snow. 

After traversing a rugged, snowy canyon, Henry finally laid eyes on the ice dragon.

It was a magnificent creature, entirely silver-white, with deep blue eyes and steam billowing ceaselessly from its nostrils. 

A vast gash near its wings bled profusely. 

Opposite the dragon stood a complete awakener team. 

Clearly, someone had found a way to reach the ice dragon's lair ahead of them and had already inflicted significant damage.

"What do we do now?" Emily asked Henry, a sense of urgency in her voice. 

"That's a gold-tier set. Are we just going to let them have it?"

Henry narrowed his eyes and turned to Anna. "I have a plan."

"Have you noticed? The group over there consists of close-combat type awakeners."

"Their actual control over the ice dragon isn't significant; otherwise, they would have subdued it by now."

"They are relying solely on their higher levels to overpower the ice dragon."

"This means they can't possibly take down the ice dragon instantly."

"Now it's your turn, Anna."

"When the ice dragon's HP is low, you'll use your bow to land a shot right into its head, instantly claiming its life."

Anna nodded, then spoke with a hint of confusion. 

"But even if I can kill the ice dragon, what good will it do? We still can't take the dragon from that team of awakeners, who are higher level than us."

"Why snatch the ice dragon?" 

Henry replied with a calm smile, showing his gold-tier ring. 

"After you kill the ice dragon, a 'first kill' marker will appear in the dungeon. We can then use this marker to go to the blacksmith and have him forge equipment for us."

"I believe with the increased NPC favorability from my ring, he won't refuse."

"And that awakener team, hauling back the ice dragon's body, will end up unwittingly working for us!"