Surrounded and pressured by a hundred men, Doanh Thuong Hien (the Virtuous Prince) spoke in a fit of rage, "Why should I help ungrateful, cold-hearted people like you? The world would be a better place if there were fewer commoners like you cluttering it up."

  A soldier, no longer willing to kneel, stood up and pointed directly at the Virtuous Prince ’s face. "What do you wealthy elites know? You live in luxury, eating your fill in grand houses and riding in fine carriages. You don’t know the meaning of hunger or suffering! You’ve been used a handful of times, but we’ve been exploited our entire lives.

  You blind, foolish noble! Look around—just moments ago, we used our own bodies to shield you, yet you call us ungrateful? Out of the ten thousand people you fed, only a few dozen took advantage of you. Do you truly believe we are all thankless because of a few bad seeds?

  You idiot—how can you not understand something so simple?"

  The Virtuous Prince stood speechless, unable to find a retort. He could only lower his head in silence.

  Ngu Ba Chi, the commander of the unit, stood up. "Enough. We cannot force anyone to sacrifice themselves. It must be voluntary. He has his reasons; do not pressure him. Everyone, disperse. Return to your posts."

  The Virtuous Prince sat in a secluded corner, plotting a solo escape. However, as he scouted the perimeter, he realized they were completely encircled. They were trapped with the remaining survivors on a steep, rugged hill. The Northern invaders, masters of cavalry, chose not to launch a direct assault. Instead, they laid siege, cutting off all water sources and waiting for the soldiers to wither away from thirst.

  Days passed. Throats grew parched and lips began to crack. Commander Ba Chi brought a nearly empty water skin to the Virtuous Prince. "My men and I will make our final stand tomorrow. We don't have much strength left. If you wish, join us in the final battle."

  The Virtuous Prince gulped down the meager offering, sighed, and handed the skin back. "I understand. Let me think. Thank you."

  After a long silence, the Virtuous Prince muttered to himself, "I’ll die either way. I no longer regret this physical shell. Dying early just means returning to the ancestors sooner; life is too miserable like this. But first, I must do something. To die meaningless would be a waste."

  He stood up and approached Ba Chi, intending to wear the mask, but there was no reaction. When Ba Chi wore his own mask, it functioned normally. The Vengeance God spoke through Ba Chi’s mouth to the Virtuous Prince: "I cannot possess you. Your soul is too powerful. Your White Flame is my natural counter—I am helpless against it."

  Ba Chi’s own voice then flickered through. "Is there no hope then?"

  "No," the Vengeance God replied. "I cannot keep my promise to you."

  The Virtuous Prince asked, "Ba Chi, you can still hear us?"

  "Yes," Ba Chi replied. "I am a cultivator as well. My soul is strong enough to remain awake."

  "Are there no side effects?"

  Ba Chi shook his head. "None."

  "Then the two of you are quite well-connected," the Virtuous Prince noted. "Why do you need me?"

  "I don't understand it myself," Ba Chi replied. "But my synchronization rate is only 1%, like the others. Yours was over 10%. With you, the power was on another level."

  The two talked deep into the night before sleeping, preparing for the morning's slaughter. In a dream, the Virtuous Prince met his Soul Spirit. "You’ve come early, Ancestor. I’ll be joining you tomorrow. I’ve decided to let everything go."

  The Soul Spirit laughed. "I know. You have passed this trial. Congratulations. I would be happy to see you, but it is too soon. You must do one thing for me before you can return."

  "Do what?" the Virtuous Prince asked, puzzled.

  The Soul Spirit vanished with a smile, replaced by the cold, mechanical voice of a System:

  [Your Ancestor has deposited Divine Merit for you. Soul Upgraded: VIP 5 Account.]

  [Additional Divine Merit deposited. Soul Upgraded: VIP 7 Account.]

  [Additional Divine Merit deposited. Soul Upgraded: VIP 10 Account.]

  [Awakening Support System... Ancestor is selecting a System for you...]

  [Selection Complete. Congratulations on receiving the Emperor-Star Grade System:

  "Military Star Lord - Wu Qu." A master of the battlefield, at your service.]

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The next morning, the Virtuous Prince woke, thinking it was a strange dream. As he donned his armor and gripped his weapon, a sharp pain pierced his forehead. A mechanical voice echoed:

  "Third Eye Opening. Ability: Appraisal Eye. Would you like to use it for the first time?"

  "Yes," the Virtuous Prince commanded.

  Instantly, a series of icons appeared over his enemies—highlighting physical weaknesses, strengths, and overall power levels. He scanned Commander Ba Chi and saw a bleeding wound icon on his chest.

  "Commander, are you injured in the chest?"

  "Just a scratch," Ba Chi dismissed.

  The Virtuous Prince raised his hand. A streak of White Flame shot toward Ba Chi. The commander flinched, but the flame didn't burn; it knitted his flesh back together and mended his minor wounds. Ba Chi gasped, "Incredible!"

  The Virtuous Prince then looked at the wooden mask containing the Vengeance God. A wall of question marks appeared. “Would you like to appraise this object? Cost: 10,000 Yang Merit.”

  Not yet understanding the value of Yang Merit, he agreed. A black screen filled with binary code flickered before revealing the details:

  [Spirit Treasure: Wooden Mask. Contains the soul of a Dragon-type Alien Race.]

  The Virtuous Prince noticed a peculiar stat regarding Dragon Blood—it could force a synchronization. He secretly let a few drops of his own blood fall onto the mask before handing it to Ba Chi. When Ba Chi put it on, his synchronization spiked to 10%.

  The System notified the Virtuous Prince: [Host's blood contains 10% Dragon Blood, 20% Immortal Race blood, and various other lineages. One drop lasts for 10 minutes.]

  Keeping this a secret, the Virtuous Prince said, "Give me the mask; I have a way to boost the connection." He commanded the system to link directly to the mask. "Dragon Soul, can you hear me?"

  The mask replied, "So, you know what I am?"

  "I do. You will strike a bargain with me, or I will incinerate this mask and leave you a wandering ghost."

  "I refuse! I do not fear death!" the mask snarled.

  "You don't fear death, but you fear breaking an oath," the Virtuous Prince countered. "I know how much a Dragon's promise matters. Swear it!" He scorched the mask with White Flame until it finally relented.

  The Virtuous Prince donned the mask, his power surging instantly. "Good. Obedience suits you."

  He gathered the remaining 300 soldiers. His White Flame continuously healed the wounded, though their thirst remained. "We will not attack toward the river; that is where their main force is waiting. Follow me. I will lead you to water."

  They formed a wedge formation, with the strongest on the perimeter and the weak in the center. The Virtuous Prince stood at the tip of the spear. They charged down the hill, catching the enemy by surprise. With his enhanced strength and Appraisal Eye, the Virtuous Prince ’s spear found every weakness. He single-handedly wiped out a cavalry unit of twenty men, seizing their horses, food, and water. Moving like a lightning strike, they wiped out scouting parties before news could reach the main camp.

  They had traveled only a long distance when the System’s notification chimed:

  [Warning: An army of nearly 1,000 soldiers is ahead.

  Commander: O Lo.

  Cultivation: Foundation Establishment stage.

  Strength: Thousand-jin force.

  They are currently observing from a distance.]

  [Estimated Win Rate: 5% (300 vs 1,000)]

  The Vengeance God spoke up, "That man is my defeated foe. I wounded him only a few days ago."

  The Virtuous Prince questioned the System: "What is the path to victory?"

  The System replied: [To kill a snake, strike the head. To defeat an army, slay the general.]

  The Prince smirked and turned to the twenty mounted soldiers nearby. "Follow me!"

  They galloped in one direction as if fleeing, only to suddenly wheel their horses around in a sharp U-turn. General O Lo, seeing his opponent "retreating," grew overconfident and ordered a full-scale pursuit. His thousand-man force overextended; the cavalry surged ahead while the infantry lagged behind, creating a massive gap in their formation. Seizing the moment, the Virtuous Prince launched a sudden, surgical strike directly into the center of the line.

  Terrified by the sudden counter-attack, General O Lo abandoned his post and fled in a different direction, causing the front and rear cavalry units to lose contact. O Lo repeatedly fired arrows at the Prince, but his shots missed. Strangely, the arrows seemed to have eyes of their own, curving back through the air to pursue the Prince from behind. With a fluid motion, the Prince spun his spear, batting every projectile out of the sky.

  The Prince grimaced. "How did you ever lose to this coward?"

  "Spiritual Strike," the Vengeance God explained. "Face him directly, and the mask will discharge a psychic beam. It will injure both the rider and the mount."

  "Perfect," the Prince replied.

  The enemy General relied heavily on his powerful, loyal steed, but when the Spiritual Strike hit, the horse panicked and bucked violently. O Lo lost his balance and crashed to the ground. He hadn't even taken three steps to flee before the Virtuous Prince hurled his spear, impaling the General through the chest. Seeing their commander slain so easily, the army of a thousand broke rank and fled in total chaos.

  Following his Appraisal Eye, the Virtuous Prince led them to a hidden underground cave containing a spring. They rested for a day before trekking three days back to the nearest city of the Jade Kingdom. Upon arrival, Virtuous Prince discovered that among the survivors was the son of the High Commander who had fallen in battle. The young man promised to report Virtuous Prince ’s heroic deeds to the Jade King.

  Later, the Virtuous Prince was appointed as a Minor City Lord on the Northern Border—a war-torn region constantly harassed by the North. He was given meager supplies and little funding. It was a desolate place: fewer than 2,000 civilians and only 300 soldiers.

  However, White Beard and Noe arrived to support him. White Beard led the people in repairing the crumbling walls, while Noe managed the administration. Virtuous Prince ’s own son funneled supplies north to stave off famine.

  Using his Appraisal Eye, The Virtuous Prince identified talented individuals and placed them in roles where they could thrive, earning the devotion of his people. He even leveraged the technological knowledge of the Dragon soul, forcing it to design strange, powerful war machines to defend their new home.