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At the first light of dawn, Viserys's black robe with the red dragon was stained with brown blood.
Viserys removed his silver fish-scale helmet. Sunlight fell upon his silver scale armor, shaping him into a divine silver warrior.
Coupled with his silver-white hair and purple eyes, he looked like a Valyrian Dragonlord reborn from ancient paintings.
"Magister Illyrio, I consider you a friend, but the Khal invited by your Pentos Magisters seems to disregard guest etiquette." Viserys's pale purple eyes scrutinized Illyrio.
Viserys's appearance was inhumanly handsome yet firm, and his words were powerful and resonant.
This was victory, a king shaped by both power and charisma.
Sweat beaded on Magister Illyrio's face. Illyrio seemed to see the deadly arc of greatswords and scimitars falling.
The astonishingly strong Andal knight Angos, the lean marksman Hugo, the olive-skinned rhoynar spearman, and the newly surrendered dothraki with shorn hair, all glared at Illyrio and his guards. The killing intent in the air was palpable.
More than a thousand cavalrymen, in addition to the seven hundred-plus knights Viserys brought (excluding casualties), there were also seven to eight hundred newly surrendered Dothraki Screamers.
Although Illyrio brought some Unsullied guards, dozens of people were completely like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Viserys's Andalos army was an army that Illyrio recognized as a mighty force, well-disciplined and brimming with killing intent.
Last night's battle, Illyrio had watched the latter half from atop the city walls.
Citizens' militias or mercenaries from the Free Cities rarely dared to confront the Dothraki.
But Viserys's army not only faced them directly but won perfectly, achieving an astonishing casualty ratio.
Viserys won the war, and his influence expanded like a balloon, taking with him eight hundred Iron Riders and a small tribe.
These dangerous warriors, eager for blood, were enough to give Pentos a headache.
If Viserys gave the order, Illyrio had no doubt he would be cut to pieces.
The foundation of conspiracy is to live, to survive.
Illyrio immediately nodded and apologized, understanding that Viserys wasn't truly trying to oppose him. "I consider you a king. A king makes no mistakes, and if I have offended you, I apologize, Your Majesty."
"Look at how much blood I've shed for friendship. The Khal not only wanted to ambush me but also Pentos." Viserys pointed at Khal Jilokao, whose head was impaled on a spear, along with the heads of two Bloodriders and several Dothraki Screamers who had plundered, showing them to the Magister.
Dothraki Screamers had always been unruly, except for Viserys's military display of slaying the Khal on the battlefield.
When Viserys captured the Khal's main camp, he also ordered the execution of several Dothraki Screamers who had taken advantage of the chaos to burn, kill, and plunder.
These dothraki felt like wild beasts, only submitting to the whip and the strong.
Punishing them severely and feeding them would make them more obedient.
"The people of Pentos will forever remember, forever remember your outstretched hand of friendship. Your Majesty, you averted a catastrophe." The Magister wiped the sweat from his brow. Fat men do tend to sweat more, especially when afraid.
Anyway, Khal Jilokao was dead, and his gift was now entirely Viserys's, which was a lavish expenditure.
Illyrio was still very grateful to Viserys; an unrestrained army was a beast.
Illyrio understood that this army was absolutely loyal to Viserys and full of anger.
If they were to rampage, even if they couldn't breach Pentos, they would burn and pillage the flatland estates, leaving Pentos without food or fruit.
At that point, the other Magisters would blame Illyrio, who was in charge of foreign affairs, and even as a senior Magister, he couldn't stand against all of Pentos.
"Which brave warrior slew Khal Jilokao last night?" Illyrio asked cautiously.
"It was I. He died by my hand, with this spear." Viserys looked at Illyrio with a half-smile.
"His Majesty Viserys's divine bravery is like that of your ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror," Illyrio flattered, his face beaming with smiles, but his mind was racing with various thoughts.
A Khal, even of a small tribe, was a warrior chosen from thousands, no ordinary person.
Yet Viserys spoke of it so casually, as if it were no different from slaughtering a pig.
It made Illyrio feel as if the very hierarchy of strength had collapsed, that he was so incredibly valiant.
"How can this person be so terrifying! At only a dozen years old, he has mastered power to such an effortless degree." Illyrio had been an assassin who lived by the blade in his youth and had seen much, so he understood a warrior's strength and speed very well.
At this rate, they might not even be ready with their plans to usurp him before Viserys had already returned to Westeros.
Viserys Targaryen approached the cedarwood chest containing the dragon eggs. These were the most beautiful things Viserys had ever seen.
The three fossilized dragon eggs had distinct appearances, their rich patterns looking as if they were inlaid with jewels.
No wonder countless people longed for dragon eggs and dragon souls; a living dragon egg was priceless.
The fossilized dragon eggs were not small; they required both hands to lift.
Viserys carefully cradled a fossilized dragon egg with both hands. It then rested steadily on his strong left hand, turning to different angles with the movement of his right fingers, like a map globe.
[Fate Reverser Viserys Targaryen, you have completed the initial accumulation of fire element and obtained three fossilized dragon eggs in advance. You will gain the talent: Fire Element Affinity, Fate Axis Fluctuation, and activate the class: Fire Channeler.]
The system prompt popped up again. Like the previous prompt for Water Element Affinity, Viserys had activated another, possibly more important, talent and class.
Blood and fire are of the same origin; the essence of a Dragonlord is blood and fire.
The fossilized dragon eggs were not made of fine ceramic, glazed pottery, or glass, but they were much heavier, as if made of hard stone.
Viserys felt this was because they were fossilized dragon eggs, and the petrification increased their weight.
Back then, The Unworthy King Aegon, at two years old, was displeased by the birth of his brother, Aemon the Dragonknight, and threw a dragon egg from the cradle at his newborn brother. Fortunately, Aemon was unharmed.
A dragon egg that hadn't petrified would certainly not be this heavy.
The surface of the dragon eggshell was covered with tiny scales, which, as Viserys's fingers played with them, reflected the sun's glow, emitting a metallic luster.
Viserys picked up each one and handled it in the same manner.
One was deep green, revealing various bronze-like spots as Viserys turned it; another was pale milky white with golden stripes; the last was black, like the midnight ocean, yet with vibrant dark red waves and swirls.
The dragon eggs varied in color, and the color of the shell indicated the color of the small dragon inside, and the color of its flames.
[Talent (Fire Element Affinity): Fire warms, all things flourish. Fire cools, all things wither. Affinity with the fire element brings the fervor of fire, the warmth of fire, resistance to fire, and keenness to fire. (Note: Most effective when used near fire element sources.)]
Viserys looked at this talent, the most important talent. The so-called places of fire, besides the Fourteen Flames, were Dragonstone.
Viserys played with the dragon eggs; the fire element fluctuations were minimal, almost imperceptible.
These three dragon eggs would hatch due to magic rituals.
Viserys certainly wasn't crazy enough to eat the dragon eggs.
On the contrary, with his Fire Element Affinity, he could now more easily seek out items imbued with fire elements.
[Class obtained: Fire Channeler (Beginner). The world ends in fire, or it ends in ice. Blood and fire are of the same origin; no mortal can make fire burn forever. Blood for fire, fire for blood.]
Viserys carefully read the introduction to Fire Channeler. Fire sorcerers indeed carried a sense of domineering fervor, distinctly different from the gentle elegance of water elements.
Burn one's own blood to awaken the flames of life.
Or, directly seize the flames of others, just like the terrifying actions of the ancient Valyrian Dragonlords.
Water magic didn't speak of world destruction, but fire magic was vastly different.
And ice magic was also a separate category of water magic. Water and ice shared the same attributes, but their core was different.
Some water is gentle, nourishing civilization, like the Rhoyne River. But ice magic belongs to the Others and the Long Night, like the barren lands of the North.
Fire represents magic dragons and fire magic, and also symbolizes human desires, such as intense longing for power, wealth, and love.
And ice not only represents the Others and ice magic, but ice also symbolizes hatred, indifference, and ruthlessness.
Viserys put down the dragon eggs; from now on, he was a dual-element sorcerer.
"This?" Illyrio's eyes narrowed, his mouth forming a wide 'O'. He had just seen Viserys casually handling the three fossilized dragon eggs with one hand, as if they were children's toys.
Viserys put down the fossilized dragon eggs, his aura and body as normal.
Illyrio had kept these fossilized dragon eggs for a long time, so he naturally knew their properties inside and out, better than he knew his deceased wife.
There were also various ancient texts and books on hatching dragons. If there had been any other way, he truly wouldn't have given them away.
Yet, these incredibly heavy fossilized dragon eggs were being casually played with by Viserys with one hand, as if it were nothing.
Even more astonishing was that Viserys's movements showed no hesitation; they were perfectly natural, indicating his physical strength had reached an extraordinary level.
This was even after Viserys had endured a night of bitter fighting, expending considerable energy.
His handsome yet masculine appearance, and his lithe, agile body like a leopard, also contained strength forged through countless trials.
Slaying a Khal and possessing such divine strength, Illyrio could only store this information in his mind for now, to share with Varys later.
First, he needed to appease this ominous figure, then act opportunistically.
Magister Illyrio's own mansion now housed many Unsullied guards and Meereenese gladiators.
Power struggles in Pentos sometimes involved force.
Viserys's strength, especially to Illyrio who was nearby, was even more shocking. This was very unusual; an agile and nimble warrior rarely reached peak strength as well.
But with everything happening before his eyes, Illyrio had to acknowledge that such multi-faceted monsters existed in the world.
"This already surpasses a first-rate warrior; he's clearly a disguised Mountain. If I interact with him again in the future, I must have Unsullied and gladiators for protection." Illyrio made up his mind.
Viserys's deceptiveness was much stronger than the Mountain's. At least the Mountain's sheer mass was a symbol of evil power, alerting people in advance.
But Viserys had a contrasting combination of handsome looks and savage strength.
If an enemy were even slightly arrogant, they would surely die.
In terms of weight alone, Illyrio's head wasn't much heavier than a dragon egg. If Viserys suddenly attacked, his head wouldn't be safe.
Within ten paces, instant kill.
"Could Varys's intelligence be wrong? Viserys isn't a hot-tempered, spoiled prince. Varys misjudged him; he's a genius at hiding himself." Illyrio quickly dismissed this thought; he never doubted Varys, and their alliance was unbreakable.
Besides, Prince Viserys was only a few years old back then, completely a spoiled child.
"Could it be magic?" Illyrio speculated again in his mind, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Mages in this era had fallen to the level of clowns.
Mages were often superficial, relying on tricks, love potions, lies, and illusions to swindle money.
Illyrio could only conclude that Viserys had experienced a burst of talent.
Regardless, he must have endured countless hardships to grow into a resolute and ruthless warrior.
Illyrio had only heard Varys say that Robert and the Mountain's strength was unparalleled. Other knights needed two hands to wield Robert's warhammer, while Robert attacked quickly with one hand, moving like the wind. As for the Mountain, he was an eight-foot-tall giant monster.
Now, it seemed this Viserys also had the potential to be a monstrous warrior.
"They are so beautiful. This truly is a grand gift from Magister Illyrio." Viserys put down the dragon eggs.
"dragon eggs belong to the true dragon; this is a wonderful tale." Illyrio smiled broadly, his heart aching immensely.
Even fossilized dragon eggs, each one was worth enough to buy a luxurious ship and make its owner wealthy for life.
Illyrio wasn't just pained by the money; mainly, he had given away dragon eggs but hadn't received corresponding benefits in return, which was a huge loss.
If these dragon eggs were a gift from Illyrio to Viserys for an alliance with the Khals to cross the sea, that would have been acceptable; at least it would have saved face.
If they were a gift to lull Viserys into a false sense of security, to facilitate their future plans, that would also be fine.
But now, now it was completely a gratuitous gift, and he was even suspected of having impure intentions.
Illyrio could only swallow his bitterness and pretend everything was normal.
Let this brat grow arrogant, let him fight Robert until the world turns upside down, Illyrio thought secretly.
"Magister Illyrio, shall we go to the market? Would that be appropriate?" Viserys asked.
Yesterday, many good items dropped in the market. He could continue to sell goods today.
"It would be my supreme honor." Illyrio immediately responded with a fawning smile.
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