Chapter 78: Hatching the Hatchlings (2)
The interface flickered, then settled:
Sunflame — Length: 70 cm
Consume 10 Mana to nurture? [Yes][No]
Bloodshadow — Length: 1.30 m
Consume 10 mana to nurture? [Yes][No]
Note: 1 Mana = 1 cm growth
Mana: 0
Note: Gained by killing magical creatures (Wights +0.1, White Walkers +10, Night King +100)
Expand Mana storage for 10 spirit points? [Yes][No]
After nurturing the hatchlings, Saelen shifted his attention to the newly unlocked feature—Mana Storage.
It functioned like a companion space. Once activated, it meant the two hatchlings could be carried with him at all times, hidden safely from view. Their security would be greatly improved.
There was a note attached: only hatchlings could be stored—fully grown dragons could not.
Saelen didn't know what would happen if he tried to force an adult dragon inside, but he had no intention of testing it. Mature dragons could already protect themselves; whether they were stored or not didn't matter.
He selected Yes twice.
[Congratulations. Mana Storage activated.]
The interface shifted again:
Mana Storage: 2 Slots
[Store][Retrieve]
Note: Hatchlings will enter a dormant state inside. One slot per hatchling. Adult dragons cannot be stored.
Saelen then looked at the two young dragons.
Bloodshadow, now over a meter long, was noticeably larger than Sunflame. It flapped its wings and dropped to the ground. Where it had once stumbled unsteadily, its movements were now firm and controlled. It walked about on its hind legs, its crimson vertical pupils scanning its surroundings with curious intensity.
Sunflame's growth was less pronounced. Watching Bloodshadow explore, it seemed eager to follow—but after hesitating at the edge for a while, it didn't dare jump down, instead remaining perched and looking around.
Saelen reached out, picked Sunflame up, and lowered it halfway before letting go.
Startled, Sunflame flapped its wings frantically as it landed. Its hind legs failed to hold, and it toppled forward before scrambling back to its feet.
It let out a raspy cry toward Saelen, its golden slit pupils fixed on him in what seemed like mild protest. Then it began to move as well, wobbling forward as it stretched its neck and explored its surroundings.
Saelen turned back to the system panel and decided to test the new function.
He tapped Store.
In an instant, both hatchlings vanished.
Opening the storage interface, he saw them curled up inside, already in a dormant state.
He tapped Retrieve.
The two hatchlings reappeared exactly where they had been.
Bloodshadow and Sunflame blinked in confusion, clearly unsure what had just happened. They chirped at Saelen in faint protest.
Saelen, however, ignored their complaints. His attention had already returned to the system panel, continuing his exploration, while the two young dragons wandered about the tent on their own.
Saelen closed the Mana Storage interface and withdrew from the completed tasks, returning to the main panel:
Name: Saelen Stark
(Note: This surname is forcibly bound by the system and cannot be changed.)
Strength: 6.02 + 0.02 (Can be improved through training)
Agility: 4.00 + 0.02 (Can be improved through training)
Endurance: 5.02 + 0.02 (Can be improved through training)
Spirit: 30
(Increases by killing magical creatures. Can control up to 30 animals simultaneously.)
Status: Normal
Companions:
Sunflame: Length 70 cm
Consume 10 mana to nurture? [Yes][No]
Bloodshadow: Length 1.30 m
Consume 10 mana to nurture? [Yes][No]
Note: 1 mana = 1 cm growth
Mana Storage: 2 slots
[Store][Retrieve]
Hatchlings enter dormancy inside. One slot per hatchling. Adult dragons cannot be stored.
Mana: 0
(Wights +0.1, White Walkers +10, Night King +100)
Mana: 0 [Exchange]
Spirit: 30 [Exchange]
Exchange Rate: 1:1
Swordsmanship: MAX
Archery: MAX
Spear Mastery: MAX
Horsemanship: MAX
Construction Tasks:
Porcelain Workshop [Completed]
Glass Workshop [Completed]
Weapons & Armor Factory (Completed]
Paper Mill [Completed]
Sugar Refinery [Not Completed]
Saelen looked over the panel. His spirit had dropped to thirty, and his mana was completely depleted—but in exchange, he now had two dragon hatchlings.
Everything he had invested was worth it.
Closing the system panel, he left the two hatchlings to roam freely inside the tent. Picking up his greatsword, he headed toward the training grounds.
He hadn't trained in a long time.
Dragons were ultimately external power. Strengthening himself was what truly mattered. The last time he faced the Night King, he had been forced to flee. Now that he had time, he needed to push his limits and grow stronger.
…
Craster's Keep
The place had been completely overrun by the White Walkers. Wights stood densely packed around the fortress, forming a silent, lifeless perimeter.
From the forest, the Night King emerged, accompanied by several White Walker lieutenants. Behind them trailed a group of women—most in their twenties or thirties—faces pale and lifeless, walking as if already resigned to their fate. Not one of them attempted to escape.
As the Night King approached, the wights parted, opening a path.
He led the women to the entrance of the hall.
From inside came intermittent screams.
Not long after, the cries of a newborn rang out—clear, piercing.
Moments later, a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties stepped out, trembling as she carried a newborn child. She approached the Night King and carefully handed over the baby boy.
The Night King took the infant.
A sharp, inhuman sound escaped his lips—something like language, though the woman could not understand it. She stared blankly, confused.
The Night King paid her no mind.
He gently brushed his fingers across the baby's flushed cheek, then pressed down.
Within moments, the child's complexion turned pale as snow. His eyes shifted—becoming deep, icy blue, like frozen crystals.
The woman staggered backward in terror and collapsed to the ground. Her mouth opened in a silent scream before she hastily clamped her hand over it, forcing herself not to make a sound.
Nearby, the other young women turned deathly pale, barely holding back their fear.
When he was done, the Night King simply turned away, carrying the transformed infant, and left without another glance.
One of the White Walkers herded the remaining women back into the hall. Then the Walkers and their wight army took up guard outside.
Bella lowered her head as she entered, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
The hall was spacious—large enough to house dozens of people. A fire burned in the center. Around it sat seven or eight young women wrapped in thick furs, their expressions empty, their eyes unfocused.
Bella looked closer.
Several of them had slightly swollen bellies.
A strange sound came from deeper inside.
She turned her gaze.
At the far end stood a large bed covered in heavy furs. A naked middle-aged man was on top of a woman…
Beside them lay another woman's corpse, drenched in blood. Her abdomen had been torn open, leaving a gaping cavity. Her mouth hung open, eyes fixed upward—frozen in a grotesque expression.
A low growl escaped the man. After a while, he got up, draped a fur cloak over himself, and walked to the fire, sitting among the women with a frenzied look in his eyes.
"Well, well… more newcomers."
"You—take a few people and throw that corpse out."
"Damn it, it's an eyesore."
The middle-aged woman didn't dare argue. She gathered a few others and carried the body out.
Bella watched everything in silence.
Then she understood.
Why the White Walkers hadn't killed them. Why they had brought them here.
They needed the women.
To bear children.
To provide male infants… to be turned into more of their kind.
The realization sent a chill straight through her heart.