The biting morning wind, carrying shards of ice, swept over the battlements of Castle Black.
The heavy iron gate slowly rose with the creaking groan of the winch.
A deep and dark tunnel appeared before everyone.
At the other end of the tunnel was an endless pallor.
Benjen Stark, clad in black, sat astride his warhorse.
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Jon.
There was worry in his eyes, but also expectation.
"Take care of yourself."
Benjen's voice was somewhat fragmented by the wind.
Jon nodded forcefully, his lips pressed tightly together.
Benjen's gaze then shifted to Lynn.
"Beyond the Wall, there aren't just wildlings."
"There are older things too."
"Don't be too careless."
Lynn met his gaze and nodded slightly.
"Understood."
The two teams parted ways at the tunnel entrance.
Benjen led his Ranger squad towards the Frostfangs in the northeast.
They were going to investigate rumors of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, gathering his tribes.
Lynn, on the other hand, led his hundred elite Northmen directly north.
Their destination was the Haunted Forest.
Arya stood on the castle wall, her small figure wrapped in a thick fur cloak.
She watched Lynn's team disappear into the snowstorm until even the last black speck was out of sight.
The girl's eyes were a little red.
Tyrion stood not far away.
He looked at the vast, snowy expanse, a complex and unreadable light flickering in his mismatched eyes... Hooves sank into the thick snow, making a muffled "crunching" sound.
All around was a deathly silence.
Only the wind, like a wail, passed through the bare tree trunks.
The Haunted Forest.
The trees here were twisted and ancient.
Black trunks were covered with icicles.
They refracted a chilling light under the gray-white sky.
Lynn reined in his horse, and the team stopped.
He dismounted and squatted down.
There was a string of messy footprints in the snow.
The footprints were deep, sunken into the snow.
This indicated that the person who left them was in a hurry.
"It's wildlings."
Toren also came over, picking up a bit of snow with his fingers.
"Judging by the tracks, no more than half a day old."
Lynn stood up, his gaze sweeping into the depths of the forest.
"My Lord, should we go straight in?"
A Guards asked in a low voice, his hand already on his sword hilt.
"No."
Lynn shook his head.
He looked at the twenty archers in the team.
"We are hunters."
"Surround them quietly."
"Don't make any sound."
"Wait for my signal."
The team instantly dispersed into smaller units.
They silently blended into this black and white forest.
Every soldier's movement was light and swift.
They used trees and rocks for cover, gradually approaching their target.
Lynn walked at the very front.
His longsword was not drawn.
Instead, he carried a yew longbow chosen from the armory of Castle Black.
In the quiver, the tip of each arrow was coated with a paralyzing poison concocted by Maester Aemon.
Soon.
A small clearing in the woods appeared before their eyes.
Eight wildlings, dressed in animal hides, were gathered around a bonfire.
Their weapons were crude stone axes and bone spears.
One of the wildlings, who looked like a leader, was distributing dried meat to the others.
Lynn felt no mercy.
He slowly raised his longbow.
The bowstring was drawn to a full moon.
The cold arrow tip was aimed at the wildling leader who was distributing food.
Lynn's finger released.
"Whoosh!"
A faint sound of air being torn.
The feathered arrow, like a black lightning bolt, cut through the silent forest.
The wildling leader's body suddenly stiffened.
He lowered his head, looking in disbelief at the arrow piercing his chest.
He opened his mouth, but felt all strength drain from his body.
He was full of vitality and did not die immediately after being shot by the arrow, but simply collapsed to the ground.
The other wildlings instantly jumped up in terror.
Before they could react.
A rain of arrows whistled in from all directions.
"Thud!"
"Thwack!"
The sound of arrows piercing flesh rang out densely.
The screams abruptly ceased.
The entire process took less than ten breaths.
The battle was already over.
Only eight corpses, riddled with arrows, remained in the clearing.
And the flickering bonfire.
"Killed 8 enemies, Experience +10"
The system's prompt sounded in Lynn's mind.
Lynn lowered his longbow.
"Go check them."
"Finish them off, then collect the spoils."
Toren led a few Guards cautiously into the clearing.
They used their sword tips to stab each wildling's heart, ensuring they were thoroughly dead.
The spoils were pitifully meager.
A few tattered animal hides, a few crudely made weapons.
And some moldy food.
Completely worthless.
"My Lord, this wildling has something on him."
A Guards pulled out a small pouch, sewn from an unknown animal hide, from the wildling leader's embrace.
The pouch was very old.
Strange symbols were drawn on it with red dye.
Lynn walked over.
He took the pouch and opened it.
A faint fragrance, a mix of earth and plants, wafted out.
Inside the pouch was the root of a plant.
The root was an eerie blood-red color throughout.
It was covered with silver-thread-like patterns.
Under the gray-white sky, it seemed to pulse faintly, emitting a soft glow.
Lynn's pupils contracted sharply in an instant.
In his mind, he recalled what Maester Aemon had told him in his room.
"In the far north, there grow some plants blessed by the Old Gods."
"They draw the purest power from the earth and ice."
"One of them, called frostheart grass, has a blood-red root with silver veins."
"Consuming it grants the strength of a giant bear."
Lynn's fingers trembled slightly.
He looked at the blood-red root in his hand, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
frostheart grass.
A miraculous medicine that could enhance physical attributes!
Lynn did not hesitate in the slightest.
He put the frostheart grass into his mouth.
The root entered his mouth.
A pungent juice instantly burst forth.
It was like swallowing a mouthful of burning strong liquor.
A scorching warm current, followed Lynn's throat and burned its way into his stomach.
Immediately after.
Lynn's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He felt as if all the muscles in his body were tearing.
His skin became scalding hot, as if it were about to ignite.
The intense pain made Lynn almost cry out.
But Lynn gritted his teeth tightly.
Sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
"My Lord, what's wrong with you?"
Toren noticed something was amiss and quickly ran over.
He saw Lynn's face flushed, his body trembling, and veins bulging on his forehead.
"I'm fine."
Lynn squeezed out three words through gritted teeth.
The violent hot current raged through his body.
After about fifteen minutes.
The burning pain gradually receded.
It was replaced by a feeling of immense power.
Lynn could feel that every muscle in his body seemed to contain explosive strength.
It was also at this moment.
A voice, audible only to him, sounded in his mind.
"Upon consuming frostheart grass, a blessed item of the Old Gods, your physical attributes have been permanently enhanced. Further consumption of frostheart grass will be ineffective. Please seek other blessed items."
"Strength: 5 (4%) → 6 (28%)"
"Is this what the system refers to as a blessed item?"
"Another way to increase attribute points!"
Lynn slowly exhaled a puff of white breath.
He spread his palm, then clenched it tightly.
Crack.
His knuckles let out a series of crisp pops.
A surging sense of power emanated from his palm.
This place was indeed a treasure trove.
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