Marco arrived at the Griffin Keep tavern early at dawn today. This was the last thing he needed to do before leaving – recruit his Vice Hero at the Hero Recruitment Hall.
Since he couldn't summon actual heroes like in the game, the system had converted hero recruitment into ability stone tablets. Originally, Marco's Gold Resources were only enough to recruit one hero, but after completing the "hidden quest," Marco had gained an additional 10,000 Gold Resources. These resources were now just enough.
According to the game's settings, the recruitment fee for a Vice Hero was 2000 + 500 × the number of heroes. However, due to the World Consciousness suppressing heroes' upgrade potential and skills, the system price hadn't changed, and it remained at 2500 Gold.
The person in charge of hero recruitment, Harold, was standing respectfully in front of Marco. Accompanying Marco were his three knights from Skagos Island and Bloodhand Blackrock, the Rock Race chief who was the first to pledge loyalty to Marco.
They were all Marco's true direct subordinates and the people he trusted most, aside from the System Soldiers.
After Marco took the list Harold handed him, the hero recruitment system list appeared before his eyes. It contained all the heroes from the 5th Gen Game.
In the game, the heroes' abilities were all sorts of strange and wonderful things. However, a common ability was to provide buffs to their faction's troops. Since Nicolai and the others' hero ability stone tablets weren't available, Marco chose four basic hero ability stone tablets after considering everything.
Hero: Archer Commander Durgal
Hero ability: Increases the attack and defense of archers, crossbowmen, and crossbow soldiers led by the hero. For every level the hero gains, combat power and defense increase by 1%, and so on.
Possesses abilities: Beginner Offense, Archery, Knight 3 skills.
After a moment of thought, Marco decided to give this hero ability to Erlock Stern of Driftwood Hall. Afterward, Marco purchased ability stone tablets for three more heroes: People's Heart·Elani, Infantry Commander·Lazlo, and Pathfinder·Ratger.
"People's Heart" was given to Bloodhand Blackrock, "Infantry Commander" was given to Masan Dan Magna of King's Hall, and "Pathfinder" was given to Henk Crowl of Abyss Fortress by Marco.
Harold, the person in charge of Hero Recruitment, brought out four bust-sized statues, each about the size of a basketball, at Marco's direction. Under Marco's arrangement, he handed the statues to their respective masters one by one.
"The Hero Stone Tablets are in place. Would you like to proceed with the enhancement?"
After Marco clicked "Yes," the statues in the hands of the four individuals erupted with dazzling light, and an indescribable power began to merge into their bodies.
"You are my first subordinates, and also the earliest to pledge loyalty to me. This is a small gift, and also a gift that can allow one to surpass the mundane. The foundation of the future empire will depend on you to build for me."
Marco's words filled the four, who were constantly being infused with power, with excitement. Finally, after enduring the excruciating pain, the four, now clad in magnificent armor, appeared before Marco.
A flood of memories surged into their minds, familiarizing them with their abilities and strengths. The four drew their longswords, held them before them, and knelt on one knee, reciting the "Hero Knight" oath, unique to them.
Afterward, Marco discussed some follow-up matters with them. Bloodhand Blackrock would continue to hold Griffin Keep. Marco also gave him the magic wand that could release "Magic Arrow" six times.
Erlock Stern was sent to Hardship Town by Marco. He would be accompanied by 1,000 Ruffian Soldiers. With the enhancement of Hero power, they would be able to fight back against any White Walker attacks.
Masan Dan Magna was left on Skagos Island by Marco, to serve as a reserve force, leading the remaining 1,000 Ruffian Soldiers.
Henk Crowl would go south with Marco; his Logistics Skill and Shapeshifter abilities were very suitable for this mission.
Especially when Marco checked his skill list, he found that this guy's Beginner Logistics Skill actually had a special skill, Navigation Skill, which was a very useful skill in the real world.
"Navigation Skill allows a hero to quickly learn how to use maps and sextants, giving them rich sailing skills and increasing the speed of magic ships."
And, it's worth mentioning that this guy also has a "Summon Ship" spell, which is his exclusive magic and doesn't consume mana, making Marco a little envious.
Marco's plan this time is to sail from Griffin Keep to Widow's Watch in the North, then from Widow's Watch to Seagull Town in the Vale, and from there directly to King's Landing.
Marco's companions this time are Henk, Moonshadow, and Maeve, along with 40 sailors and guards, all hand-picked by Henk.
The ship Marco and his group are using is the "Snow Bear," a triangular sailboat summoned by Henk using "Saras's Boat."
Marco will be traveling to King's Landing for trade under the name of the Gaud Trading Company. He currently possesses a complete map of the Red Keep Secret Passage, which Brynden had explored bit by bit using a Shapeshifter's abilities during his time as Hand of the King.
This time, Marco also brought his Griffin Swan. Although the Light Magic "Teleportation" is useful, it can only be used within the caster's line of sight. If used rashly in the Red Keep, Marco might be teleported into a wall.
Therefore, using the griffin became Marco's only option for entering and exiting the Red Keep. As the leader of Marco's Griffin Troop, Swan is much stronger than ordinary griffins in many ways, and the rapport between Marco and it is also the best.
Gaud was also sent by Marco to Braavos to search for news of dragon eggs. Marco had come across a passage in his previous life while reviewing some materials, which stated that some high-ranking individuals in Braavos possessed dragon eggs from the Targaryen Dynasty.
Marco recorded this information in his notebook, reviewing it again before he set out.
Although Marco wasn't sure if the news was true, some sources indicated that dragon eggs were the most sought-after collectibles on the Essos Continent. Some people simply wanted to collect them for novelty, while others were after the dragons themselves.
Many people on the Essos Continent had Valyrian bloodlines. The glory of the Freehold of Valyria always made many ambitious people envious, and the dragon eggs left behind became the stepping stones they wanted to use to go further.
It's important to know that the Targaryen Dynasty, with just three dragons, nearly conquered a prosperous continent. If someone could find a way to re-hatch one or more dragons, that person or their family could instantly become a giant on the Essos Continent.
Therefore, over the years, especially after the "Dance of the Dragons," dragon eggs became priceless treasures on the Essos Continent. Many people wanted to hatch dragons and become the second Dragon King Family.
Marco hoped to obtain dragon eggs in Braavos, which was closest to Griffin Keep. Furthermore, the War of the Five Kings would begin soon, and the Red Comet would appear shortly. Marco knew it was intricately linked to the resurrection of dragons, so he wanted to acquire more dragon eggs before the Red Comet appeared.
Gaud also said he had heard about these things. He would take this opportunity to bring his wife and children to Griffin Keep. Marco also hoped he could collect some ancient Valyrian texts. Although the Valyrian civilization had basically disappeared after the Doom,
the Nine Free Cities were still closely linked to it. Marco's desire to revive magic and dragons could not be separated from Valyria, the magical capital of this world.
The system was powerful, but its limitations were significant. Without mission resources, it could only rely on ruffians and the castle to accumulate strength bit by bit, which wasn't conducive to his path of conquest.
Although Griffin Keep's strength was already quite good, the land he would rule in the future would be thousands of times larger than it was now. He couldn't just passively wait for resources to accumulate; Marco needed another type of power to assist him.
Marco had always been a cautious person and never liked to gamble. The castle was already anchored on Skagos Island, and he faced the risk of fighting on two fronts in the future.
He had no leads on the powerful soul core needed for angel summoning. After thinking it over, only the fossilized dragon eggs seemed to meet the requirements.
The dragon eggs that Brynden Rivers had and the one Jon Snow had just obtained were both active. Marco wasn't foolish enough to use them for experiments. Thus, the fossilized dragon eggs scattered throughout the world became Marco's choice.
After sailing for two months at sea, Marco's fleet finally arrived at Widow's Watch in the North, with the Flint Family's home fort and docks within easy reach.
The Flint Family of Widow's Watch was a minor noble family in the North, a branch of the Flint family. Their family crest was white waves scattered on a blue background, topped by a pair of blue eyes on a yellow background. Their motto was "Always Alert."
The Flint Family was a large clan in the North. There was a Flint family at Flint's Finger, beside the lake, and another Flint clan in the mountains north of Wolfwood. Including the one at Widow's Watch, they had three families in total.
Widow's Watch, due to its unique geographical location, has always been a transit point for trade between Dreadfort, Karhold, and Last Hearth with merchants. Merchants sometimes replenish fresh water and food here, and, being close to White Harbor, it can be considered a relatively prosperous small port.
The current head of the Flint family in Widow's Watch is Lysa Flint. Her son, Robin Flint, is the family's heir. Their family castle in Widow's Watch is a fortress built around a lighthouse. It was nearing evening, and many fishing boats and merchant ships had gathered there.
Marco's triangular sailboat amazed everyone at the docks, and many people ran out to watch. After sending his subordinates to negotiate, Marco's ship was allowed to enter the harbor.
After drifting at sea for so long, Marco felt that the grime on his body was almost like a second skin. What Marco envied most were Moonshadow and Maeve; they apparently, due to their race, didn't have any of that sweaty smell or dirt on them.
Therefore, Marco hadn't been intimate with his little wife for a while because of the grime on his body. What he wanted most now was to find an inn and have a couple's bath with his little wife.
It took Henk and the others more than half an hour to find a small inn in the harbor's seafood market. Marco waved his hand and booked the entire place.
Henk divided them into two groups. One group stayed to guard the ship, while the other went to have fun in town, and then they would rotate. Life at sea was monotonous, and sailors would go to the bars to have fun, drink, or find female attendants after landing.
Marco didn't restrict them too much; he gave each group three hours, and they had to rotate automatically when the time was up.
Marco's room was on the second floor of the inn, the largest one in the whole place. The hot water had also been prepared long before Marco and the others arrived.
"Marco! What are you preparing two buckets for! Have you forgotten? I don't need a bath."
Moonshadow said to Marco, seeming a bit puzzled by his preparations.
Marco looked at her with a mischievous grin, then whispered into her ear.
After Moonshadow heard Marco's words, her face flushed slightly, and she said in a soft voice:
"Alright then! But don't make too much noise! Sister Maeve is resting next door! Every time you..."
Having received a clear answer, Marco happily got into the bathtub. In his previous life, Marco was a humanities student and wasn't very good at physics or chemistry. Therefore, he didn't know the money-making techniques that supposedly could be used across the entire multiverse, so he could only rely on traditional manual operation when taking a bath.
Moonshadow was very considerate and started scrubbing Marco's back. But as time went on, Marco, who was already clean, became excited in his heart. He could finally launch an "attack" on his little wife!
For Marco, the saying "a short spring night" didn't apply. His energy was always overflowing. He'd once gone three days and nights without sleep, yet still remained incredibly energetic.
After accumulating for over a month, Marco "fought" until late into the night. It only ended when Moonshadow was somewhat dehydrated. Her flower fairy constitution was unique; her sweat and bodily fluids wouldn't stick to her skin, and tasted like delicious nectar. Marco was very fond of this, which was why he'd pushed the little flower fairy to the point of dehydration!
Meanwhile, Maeve, who was nearby, felt somewhat helpless. With her powerful abilities, she could sense every little movement in the entire inn. At first, when she heard Marco and the others, she was a bit puzzled, but then she immediately understood what Marco was doing!
She could have blocked her senses, but to ensure Marco's safety, she didn't. She just listened to the "battle" between Marco and Moonshadow, all the way to the end.
Maeve wasn't the type to be ignorant about such things. Her soul originated from a hero of the ancient times, a fusion of a human soul and immense power.
"Hmph! Annoying! He doesn't care at all that I'm right here. Human men are all the same!"
Maeve thought silently to herself.
Thanks to the book friend "qwelsadmo" for the monthly ticket support!
Also, thanks to all book friends for their continuous support with recommendation tickets!