Chapter 74: The Dragon Descends on King's Landing
King's Landing — Great Sept of Baelor, Rains of Castamere Square
"Ah..."
Sensing danger, the Cyclops beneath Jon's feet immediately launched an attack on Ser Jaime Lannister, while Jon himself descended like a bird in flight, landing before the ranks of the City Watch.
"Get… get back, you terrifying sorcerer…"
"You lot, move in now…!"
Janos Slynt, Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing, spoke almost incoherently as he watched Jon steadily approach.
Although Janos Slynt desperately wanted to prove himself before the new king, few men could remain calm when facing a terrifying individual like Jon.
"Kill him!"
As Jon drew closer step by step, a particularly bold Gold Cloak finally rushed forward. Unfortunately, just as he was about to reach Jon, the brave fellow was struck directly by a fireball the size of a man's head.
"Aaaah… my face!"
Facing such supernatural power for the first time, the man hadn't even thought to dodge or raise his sword to defend himself. Instead, he took the attack full in the face. One could easily imagine the horrifying result.
"Fire" was the lowest tier of fire magic. If an opponent possessed sufficient speed and magical resistance, they might have been able to evade the strike.
Unfortunately, as an ordinary soldier of the City Watch, he had no means to resist such power. Thus, he became the first sacrifice after Jon awakened his magical item system.
Accompanied by the smell of burning flesh and agonized screams, Jon appeared before everyone, holding a strange scepter while dressed in black leather armor and a flowing crimson cloak.
"You… you're Jon?"
Because Jon looked so imposing at this moment, Eddard Stark hesitated before recognizing him.
Many present had just witnessed Jon casting spells with the scepter in his hand. Subconsciously, they had already begun to regard him as some kind of sorcerer.
"Of course it's me. I've come to save you, my dear uncle."
As Jon spoke, he stepped calmly up the stairs of the Great Sept of Baelor. Seeing Jon's terrifying power, the Gold Cloaks retreated again and again in fear.
These men—who might be compared to a royal police force—were far from elite soldiers. Most were little more than street toughs and petty criminals.
Under Janos Slynt's corrupt leadership, and with the infiltration of the various Great Houses of Westeros, the City Watch of King's Landing had long since become rotten to the core.
In truth, many believed they could hardly defeat even the elderly and crippled men of the Night's Watch.
Because of House Lannister's conduct during Robert's Rebellion, many of the smallfolk of King's Landing held little affection for the new royal dynasty. As a result, truly capable men rarely joined the City Watch.
However, this did not mean the royal authority of House Baratheon was entirely powerless.
Just as the City Watch retreated in fear, several white-cloaked knights stepped forward.
The Kingsguard had arrived.
Because of his dismissal, Ser Barristan Selmy, the former Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, stood somewhat awkwardly near the judgment platform.
His vows told him he should lead his brothers in protecting the king.
Yet the king he had faithfully served had just stripped him of his white cloak.
King Robert Baratheon had once earned this knight's loyalty through his strength and generosity. But now, after a lifetime of service, the old knight finally stood up when his honor was insulted.
Because of Jon's sudden disruption, few noticed that Eddard Stark was no longer being closely guarded.
And when Jon launched the fireball, a certain tall and ugly guard had become so frightened he resembled a terrified child.
The appearance of magic caused many to forget their duties entirely.
Soon, Sansa Stark, clutching her skirts, ran to her father.
"Father! Is… is that really Jon?"
With Ser Barristan Selmy's help, a battered Eddard Stark struggled to stand with Sansa supporting him.
Seeing her father safe, Sansa couldn't help but ask the question.
Ser Arys Oakheart, Ser Boros Blount, Ser Meryn Trant, Ser Mandon Moore, and Ser Preston Greenfield were all members of the Kingsguard who had served during King Robert's reign.
These knights could not compare to the legendary Kingsguard of the Targaryen dynasty.
However, their loyalty and martial skill were unquestionable, and most of them were firmly loyal to Queen Regent Cersei Lannister.
Though they felt some fear, these battle-hardened knights had already observed Jon's earlier attack.
While Jon's fire spell was powerful, they believed they could evade such attacks.
Their strength, speed, and combat skill ranked among the finest in the Seven Kingdoms.
Wooo—Wooo—Wooo—
Soon, the urgent horns of assembly echoed through the air.
Soldiers of the City Watch and guards from the Red Keep stationed outside the Great Sept quickly gathered around the square.
The smallfolk who had gathered to watch the spectacle scattered in panic, though a few brave souls remained at a distance or watched from nearby rooftops.
To them, the battle between the Cyclops and Ser Jaime Lannister looked like something from legend.
Stories claimed that giants of such terrifying size existed only beyond the Wall, in the far North.
Yet today, such a creature had appeared in the heart of King's Landing.
Many people were now curious about Jon's true identity.
Although Eddard Stark had spoken his name aloud, a man bearing the surname of a Northern bastard could hardly be ordinary.
"What are you afraid of? He's only one man!"
"We'll overwhelm him!"
"Raise your shields! I don't believe his fire can burn through steel!"
Encouraged by Ser Arys Oakheart, the Red Keep guards regained some courage and began advancing toward Jon once more.
Meanwhile, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister and her incestuous son King Joffrey Baratheon had already retreated into the Great Sept alongside the corpulent High Septon.
The combination of Jon's magic and the Cyclops had terrified the ruthless mother and son.
To avoid any unforeseen danger, they had evacuated the judgment platform early.
Petyr Baelish, who had been hiding quietly in the shadows, now stood behind one of the massive pillars of the Great Sept, glancing sideways at Lord Varys.
His expression seemed to say:
"Did you know about this all along?"
Varys returned a look that clearly replied:
"I know nothing of this."
"Kill him!"
As the surrounding soldiers closed in, several bold men charged forward with loud shouts.
But what they witnessed next seemed drawn straight from myth.
Jon raised the scepter in his hand toward the sky.
Then the strange weapon began to transform.
First the handle retracted.
Then the top extended outward.
Moments later, a blade and sharpened edge emerged.
Before long, the scepter had transformed into a magnificent greatsword.
The soldiers stared in stunned silence.
Jon paid them no attention.
Silently, he channeled his mental energy, pouring it entirely into the blade of the weapon.
Boom…
Within seconds, flames erupted from the tip of the massive sword.
The fire spread instantly, engulfing the blade.
Gripping the flaming greatsword with both hands, Jon unleashed a devastating sweeping strike toward the stunned soldiers of the Red Keep and the City Watch.
Boom… Crack…
Steel shattered.
Armor split apart.
The three soldiers standing directly before him were cut cleanly in half.
Severed organs and charred flesh scattered across the ground.
"Dark Sister · Flame" was the ability granted to Jon's blade after it had been enhanced with magic.
Though the attack appeared magnificent, the consumption of mental energy and magical durability was immense.
The flame enchantment, which possessed thirty points of durability, had lost five points from that single strike.
However, Jon's goal had been achieved.
As the flames faded, the soldiers surrounding him instinctively stepped backward.
That single strike had completely shattered their morale.
Now Jon needed to take Eddard Stark and escape before the situation escalated further.
Although the move looked devastating, its true destructive power was still less than the explosion of a jar of wildfire.
"Let's begin."
Seeing the fear in the eyes of the surrounding soldiers, Jon removed a dragonstone from his inventory.
When the soldiers and Kingsguard saw Jon performing "magic" again, the tension in their hearts finally snapped.
"What… what is he doing now?"
"Is he… casting a curse?"
"Ah…"
Just as the soldiers were panicking, a strange light appeared around Jon's body.
It was a silver radiance — yet not a bright silver, but a darker shade tinged with shadow.
ROOOOAR—
A thunderous dragon's roar echoed through the square.
After enduring searing, bone-breaking pain, Jon transformed once more.
He had become a Valyrian dragon.
The Bold Dragon — Seasmoke
This dragon possessed silver-grey scales.
Under the sunlight, the strange color — silver tinged with dark shadow — looked both eerie and magnificent.
"A dragon! A dragon!"
"The Seven save us! The Seven save us!"
"Run!"
"The Targaryens have returned for vengeance!"
"Help!"
The appearance of Seasmoke instantly threw the entire square into chaos.
People fled in every direction, terrified that they would be devoured if they were too slow.
Looking at the fleeing soldiers below, Jon felt no joy.
Only helpless frustration.
"Only seven uses left…"
He glanced at the dragonstone's remaining charges and sighed inwardly.
I
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