On the snowy ground.
The figure bearing the tender face of Robert Arryn knelt heavily in the snow.
Those eyes, just occupied by deep darkness, were now filled only with endless terror and confusion.
The Three-Eyed Raven, the ancient existence who had entrenched himself beneath the weirwood roots for a thousand years, believing himself to be the chess player of fate, had become a prisoner the very first second he gained new life.
His soul was locked tightly within this undead shell by an irresistible, icy will.
He could feel it.
Every thought, every idea of his was under that young man's control.
With just a thought from the other party, his soul would be crushed into pure nothingness by that domineering power.
He couldn't figure it out.
He didn't understand.
Why had he misjudged so badly?
Why could Lynn create White Walkers?
Why did all his calculations, all his backup plans, appear so laughable, so... childish before this young man?
"Now, do you still think I'm stupid?"
"My... new slave?"
[No... I dare not...]
A thought humble as dust sounded intermittently in Lynn's mind.
The voice was filled with extreme terror.
[Master... I was wrong...]
Lynn paid no more attention to this old monster who had been completely played.
The Three-Eyed Raven might have other magical knowledge.
He would extract it all later.
Lynn stood quietly in the snow, sinking his consciousness into the system panel.
A series of messages floated before his eyes.
[Killed Roose Bolton, destroyed House Bolton, Experience Reward: 6234]
[Current Total Experience: 26217.2 + 6234 = 32451.2]
Looking at this long string of numbers, Lynn felt no ripples in his heart. For the current him, experience points were just a number.
His true harvest was those two "magic seeds" from the Old Gods.
"System."
Lynn recited silently in his heart.
"Upgrade Ice Magic to Legendary."
[Confirm consumption of 5000 Experience Points to upgrade Ice Magic to Legendary rank?]
"Confirm."
The moment the words fell.
An indescribable enlightenment instantly washed over Lynn's entire soul!
If previous Ice Magic was "using" ice.
Then now, he was ice!
He could feel the vibration of every water molecule in the air, hear the groan of glaciers ten thousand years deep, touch the laws of "cold" and "silence" at the very bottom of this world.
The cold of the entire North, even the entire world, seemed to become an extension of his body.
If he wished, he could make goose-feather snow fall in King's Landing in high summer, or freeze the deserts of Dorne under the blazing sun.
This was Legendary.
Word spoken, law follows.
Lynn suppressed the throbbing in his heart and turned his gaze to the two brand-new skills.
[Nature Magic (Beginner): 1/10]
[Music Magic (Beginner): 1/10]
"System, upgrade Nature Magic and Music Magic both to Legendary."
[Current Experience 27451.2. Upgrade to Legendary requires: Beginner 10 + Skilled 100 + Proficient 500 + Expert 1000 + Master 2000 + Legendary 5000 = 8610.]
[Confirm consumption of 17220 Experience Points to upgrade Nature Magic and Music Magic to Legendary rank?]
"Confirm."
BOOM—!!!
If the upgrade of Ice Magic just now was a deep and cold enlightenment.
Then at this moment, two distinct torrents of information were like two grand and wild symphonies, crashing and playing in his spiritual world!
He heard it.
He heard the singing of the wind, the breathing of the earth, the joy of every blade of grass breaking through the soil.
He also heard the ancient wisdom deposited by weirwoods in the river of time.
His soul seemed to turn into countless roots, connecting with the life veins of all Westeros.
At the same time, he heard another sound.
It was the roar of war drums, the long cry of horns.
It was the shout of soldiers charging, and the melodious love song hummed by a maiden by the bonfire.
It was the resonance of emotions, the clash of wills, the power that could make cowards brave and heroes despair!
[Nature Magic upgraded to Legendary rank]
[Music Magic upgraded to Legendary rank]
[Current Remaining Experience: 10231.2]
"Open system panel."
[Name: Lynn]
[Strength: 22 (2%)] (Approx. 2.7 Jaime)
[Agility: 21 (61%)]
[Constitution: 20 (0%)]
[Spirit: 36 (1%)] (Approx. 1.5 Three-Eyed Raven)
[Skills]
[Ice Magic (Legendary, Peak Human Art): Body Protection, Ice Armor/Weapons, Create White Walkers/Wights, Blizzard...]
[Nature Magic (Legendary, Peak Human Art): Healing, Restore Stamina, Communicate with Weirwoods, Accelerate Growth, Drain Plant Vitality, Summon Vines, Tree Wall...]
[Music Magic (Legendary, Peak Human Art): War Song Inspiration, Healing, Hypnosis, Intimidation, Soothe Mind...]
[Arthur, Rodrik, Syrio Comprehensive Swordsmanship (Master): Includes Rapier, Greatsword, Two-Handed Sword, One-Handed Sword... merged, 1520/2000]
[Greensight (Expert): 1/1000, Retrospect History, Associated Retrospect, Real-time Monitoring...]
[Garlan's Lance Technique, includes Riding merge (Expert): 920/1000, Control Living Creatures, Charge...]
[Disguise, Poison/Herbalism, Assassination Techniques, etc. Faceless Men Inheritance (Proficient): 409/500, Mimicry, Silence, Human Skin Masks, Needles, Pickpocketing, Body Alteration, Poison Making, Assassination, Sensing...]
[Unarmed Combat (Proficient): 0/500]
[Warg (Proficient): 150/500]
[Archery (Skilled): 0/100]
[Remaining Experience: 10231.2]
[Special]
[Horn of Winter]
[Dark Sister]
[Longclaw]
[Dragonbone Dagger (Arya returned it)]
Lynn slowly opened his eyes.
The world looked different in his eyes.
He raised his hand, palm facing the frozen earth covered in thick snow beneath his feet.
No chanting, no spells.
He just moved a thought.
HUM—
A circle of visible, soft green light spread out like ripples with his palm as the center.
Wherever the green light touched, the snow melted at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the black soil that had been frozen for months underneath.
Immediately after, an incredible scene occurred.
Countless tender green shoots scrambled to drill out of the frozen soil!
They grew madly, stretching out, and in just a few breaths, spread a vibrant green carpet beneath Lynn's feet!
A few pale blue Winter Roses, found only in the deepest parts of the North, also bloomed quietly in the grass.
Crystal ice beads still clung to the petals, emitting a faint fragrance in the cold air.
Myranda, standing behind him, was completely dumbfounded.
Her mouth hung open, her beautiful eyes wide and round, staring dead at this patch of grass that appeared out of thin air beneath her feet.
What was this?
Magic?
No, this wasn't magic! This was simply a miracle!
A miracle belonging to the Old Gods, sung only in the most ancient ballads!
She looked at Lynn's back.
In those eyes, awe and fanaticism intertwined.
What kind of existence was she pledging allegiance to?
Lynn didn't mind Myranda's shock.
He bent down, picked a Winter Rose from the grass, and tucked it behind Myranda's ear, which was somewhat stiff from the cold.
Then, his fingertip gently brushed across the back of Myranda's hand.
There was a tiny cut there, worn from drawing her bow too hastily during the confrontation with the Three-Eyed Raven just now.
A trace of invisible green light shone from Lynn's fingertip.
Myranda only felt a warmth on the back of her hand.
She subconsciously looked down; that tiny cut had vanished without a trace.
The skin was smooth as new, as if never injured.
She looked up sharply at Lynn, her eyes full of disbelief.
Lynn just smiled, then turned around, casting his gaze on the "new slave" still kneeling on the ground.
This time, he didn't use any magic.
He just opened his mouth and gently hummed a tuneless melody.
The melody was simple, plain, like a lullaby hummed by a mother by the cradle.
But the moment this melody entered Myranda's ears, she felt an indescribable warm current instantly rush through her whole body.
The awe and fear generated by witnessing the miracle just now vanished without a trace in this instant.
Replaced by a warmth and tranquility from the depths of the soul.
Looking at Lynn's back, she just wanted to stand behind him forever, draw her bow for him, kill enemies for him, dedicate everything to him.
Lynn's humming didn't stop.
The melody changed, and that warmth and tranquility vanished.
Replaced by a depressive, despairing, ominous decadent sound.
The Three-Eyed Raven kneeling on the ground suddenly began to tremble violently.
He felt his soul as if soaked in the filthiest swamp, pulled and dragged down by countless cold hands.
All hope, all wisdom, all pride were corroded and disintegrated bit by bit in this eerie melody.
Leaving only the purest despair and the humblest submission.
He looked up, and on that face belonging to Robert Arryn, two lines of black tears actually flowed down.
[Master... please... stop...]
Lynn stopped humming.
He looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction.
Effect was good.
Nature magic could be used for farming, healing, even summoning vines to build defenses.
Music magic was a perfect battlefield buff and debuff aura.
With these two things, his future army would become a truly invincible iron army!
"Little Crow."
Lynn walked to the slave who had completely collapsed.
"What else do you know?"
He reached out, gently patting "Robert Arryn's" head.
"Hand it all over!"
The Three-Eyed Raven's body shook terribly.
Suddenly, Lynn slowly raised his head, his gaze crossing the towering Wall, casting toward the dark North covered in eternal ice and snow.
He could feel it.
A massive and cold will of death was rapidly approaching the Wall from the deepest part of the Land of Always Winter.
The Night King.
He must have discovered that his old rival had disappeared.