Night raid

DURRANDON'S POV

288 AC

After my first visit to the capital city of Westeros, I once again waited in my room till midnight while altering some of my black clothes and crafted a quite practical stealth suit to wear over my padded armor set.

Its quality was average, but at least better than nothing.

By the way...

{DUE CONSTANTLY PERFORMING A SPECIAL ACTION, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED TWO NEW SKILLS!}

{CRAFTING Lv- 1 (56%)}

{A SKILL TO MAKE SOMETHING. HUMANITY HAS ADVANCED THEIR CIVILIZATION THROUGH INVENTING THINGS. CRAFTED OBJECTS BECOME BETTER AS SKILL LEVEL RISE.}

{REGISTERED BLUEPRINTS: 1}

{ITEM MAINTENANCE Lv- 1 (23%)}

{A SKILL TO REPAIR OR PRESERVE SOMETHING'S QUALITY. MAINTAINED OBJECTS BECOME MORE DURABLE AND GAIN A MINOR BOOST TO ITS STATS AS SKILL LEVEL RISE.}

That just made me want to go on a rampage and craft every single thing that I could, but decided against since I didn't have time to blunder around like a toddler attempting to build a toy out of waste material.

Because of the winter, the castle was more silent than usual, but thanks to the multiple hearths lit throughout the Red Keep, it wasn't as bad to endure as it could've been for everyone.

After cuddling Shadow, I sneaked through the secret tunnels I've found on the Red Keep and made my way out of the castle.

Casting a Minor Illusion around me aided immensely on my stealth as I made my way down Aegon's hill, having my color and brightness matching my environment.

And yes, through constant grinding, I've actually become capable of creating Malleable Illusions, alongside making both visual and auditory sensory effects with my cantrip.

With those new features combined, I also managed to achieve a similar result to the noise canceling of modern headphones, by playing the opposite phase of the sounds I made.

It wasn't perfect, but at least helped me muffle the brunt of the sound I still made while moving.

Not to mention that my Minor Illusion now lasted ten minutes before requiring me to cast it once again.

—————————————————————

GUILDHALL OF THE ALCHEMISTS

Making my way inside the ominous Guild, I was met with a confused pallid man with soft damp hands questioning my identity.

"What do you want, child? Can't you see this isn't a place to wander leisurely?" The Pyromamcer argued, initially dismissive of my small stature.

"Grand Master, my good man, have you already forgotten my recent visit?" I replied removing the hood and mask covering my face.

Squinting his eyes to make out who I was through the barely lit place, he finally replied. "Y-your Grace, I-I was just…" He immediately bowed before continuing. "My Prince, forgive my previous rudeness, I wasn't expecting you to return during nighttime." Hallyne looked up. "To be honest, my prince, I wasn't expecting your return at all. You've been so silent during your first visit that I thought you had lost interest in my ancient order."

Signaling for him to rise, I explained my motives. "Quite the contrary, Grand Master, I simply didn't trust the men escorting me to know about the alliance I am seeking to make with your respectable Guild."

"Ah, I see. Very wise of you my prince. But if you'd pardon me asking, how did you make your way here? Have you walked by yourself through the streets during the night?"

I could see his doubts and worries, after all, even if you took me by the age I appeared to have, which was just pushing nearby nine, wandering alone at night in a city like this was nothing short of suicidal.

Especially for someone of royal blood like me.

The gold cloaks had a bad habit of only arriving after the crime had been committed.

"I'm resourceful, Grand Master." I merely replied, not having to explain myself to the man. "But I need to say, despite how respectable your Guild's reputation is, its current condition is worrisome, if not saddening."

"I'm afraid so, my Prince." The Pyromancer sighed. "This Guild, being older than the Citadel of Oldtown itself, was once a very powerful and influential faction in the continent, though in the recent centuries, as the Maesters rose in prominence, we saw our influence dwindle. We never dared selling our vast collection of secret knowledge even to improve our working and living conditions."

"That simply won't do." I stated, surprising Hallyne with my directness. "I believe your organization requires simply a spark to bring back your former glory, mayhaps even surpassing it all together."

"That would be splendid, my Prince." The Alchemist remarked, allowing my manipulation to make him more agreeable to my eventual proposal. "I believe a simple donation would be an excellent step towards that goal."

"Not yet." I stopped him. "I would like to learn about your ways. If I'm to give my patronage, I want to know what I'm dealing with… so I can have a more realistic perception of what to expect from this alliance."

"Teach… you?" The Pyromancer widened his eyes. "B-but, my Prince… the secrets of our order… they can't be…"

I stopped him again, this time revealing my magic for the first person. "Let's exchange secrets."

Casting a Minor Illusion in the form of a small ball of green fire in the palm of my hand, and stacking Thaumaturgy on top to produce a small sensation of radiating heat, I made sure to earn the old man's undying loyalty.

"I-it… it can't be!" Hallyne muttered shell shocked. "T-the substance?! B-but how?!"

"Magic is making its way back to the world, the seasons are clear proof of that, as are the obsidian candles of the Citadel burning once again." I revealed to him, modulating my voice to make it appear more angelic. "The world the Maesters had fought so miserably to control is about to change. Since birth, I have been gifted with these miracles. In my dreams I saw visions of the future. The Ironborn rebelling only to fail, dragons rising from the East and White Walkers awaking from their long slumber in the north beyond the wall."

Having the ball of fire flicking through many colors was the cherry on top to accentuate my words.

Good thing I have leveled up this cantrip, since Illusions quite literally gave me the appearance of being all powerful.

The definition of a very large shadow casted by a very small man, as the Spider would once say.

"So it's true. That's why the production of the 'Substance' has become much more effective in recent years. The process of combining reagents has become much more powerful than it ever was during my entire lifetime." Giving time for the old man to recover himself of his ecstatic stupor and process everything I've revealed to him, he resumed his submissive bow from before once again, having his forehead actually touching the ground this time. "I'm but a humble servant, henceforth your wish is my command."

Thanks to my Player's Mind perk, I was able to suppress my cliche evil laughter that would've ruined the image of a messianic Chosen One I've just set for myself.

"Splendid." I replied with a stoic expression. "Show me your Guild's secrets."

"At once." Hallyne declared, leading me to the Guildhall's vault.

One might be questioning why I revealed myself to the Alchemist Guild.

Thing is, they were the most available organization open to arcane studies, having endured centuries of disdain from everyone else as they remained faithful to their ways.

The small number of acolytes and apprentices, with almost none of them being younger than fifty, spoke highly of the people working here.

They were devoted to their cause.

Not that I would trust them all with my identity.

No, for that I will have Grand Master, Wisdom Hallyne as my representative.

If he fails to keep our work here a secret, it will be his neck that will be at risk.

And even if he had a change of heart and betrayed me to save his life, it would be too late by them, no one would believe the famous Grand Master wasn't behind everything, much less believe that a kid born after Robert's rebellion had a hand on it.

"Here it is, my pr— I mean, your Venerable." Hallyne remarked as we came to face a massive vault after making our way through a short maze.

This segment I hadn't seen in my previous visit, nor did I know of its existence.

Frankly, despite knowing that the Alchemist Guild was once a match for even the Citadel, I was expecting just some old and dusty recipes in a small private library.

As the Pyromancer worked his way through the vault's door, I could only muse about how advanced its mechanism looked compared to everything else, even outside of this grim cave.

As the door rolled to the side over metallic rails, similar to a gear mechanism found in modern clocks, it reminded me of the opening of Vault from Fallout, though less mechanically advanced and more covered with weird inscriptions.

I wonder if they actually knew how to craft Valyrian Steel after all.

Facing the impressive collection of scrolls, Hallyne led me towards the basic knowledge all Alchemists should know before joining their Guild.

Picking up the scrolls, I noticed the inscriptions written all over it lit up at my touch, prompting the Grand Master to chuckle like a child at his birthday party.

"Yes, yes, a new age for the Alchemist Guild." Hallyne declared excitedly. "An actual case of a natural apprentice hasn't been recorded in more than a millennia. And I've been graced to witness the truth behind this arcane phenomena."

Before I could do anything like replying, a window popped up.

[SCROLL OF BASIC ALCHEMY]

{WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN THE KNOWLEDGE?}

[YES/NO]

I tapped yes and immediately knowledge filled my brain.

[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED!]

[ALCHEMICAL MAGIC - Lv 20 (0%)]

{HOW MUCH YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ARCANE PRACTICE OF ALCHEMY.}

[An Alchemist is an expert at combining reagents to produce mystical effects. Alchemists use their creations to give life and to leech it away. Alchemy is the oldest of artificer traditions, and its versatility has long been valued during times of war and peace. …]

I quickly picked all the Pyromancer had in his grasp and immediately accepted everything.

[SCROLL OF BASIC RUNE SMITHERY]

{WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN THE KNOWLEDGE?}

[YES/NO]

I tapped yes and immediately knowledge filled my brain.

[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED!]

[RUNE SMITH MAGIC - Lv 20 (0%)]

{HOW MUCH YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ARCANE PRACTICE OF RUNE SMITHERY.}

[Arcane Armorers modifies armor to function almost like a second skin. The armor is enhanced to hone magic, unleash potent attacks, and generate a formidable defense. The users of such a set of armor bond with it, becoming one with it even as they experiment with it and refine its magical capabilities. … Armies require protection, and someone has to put things back together if defenses fail. A combination of protector and medic, a Battle Smith is an expert at defending others and repairing both materiel and personnel. To aid in their work, Battle Smiths are accompanied by a steel defender, a protective companion of their own creation. Many soldiers tell stories of nearly dying before being saved by a Battle Smith and a steel defender. … An Artillerist specializes in using magic to hurl energy, projectiles, and explosions on a battlefield. This destructive power is valued by armies in the wars on many different worlds. And when war passes, some members of this specialization seek to build a more peaceful world by using their powers to fight the resurgence of strife. …]

'I've become proficient with two new skills by simply touching a couple of scrolls. Imagine just how much I could grow by continuing to study these alchemists' secrets.' Were my exact thoughts, and ironically enough, just as I finished that line of thought, I received another familiar notification.

[PING!]

[IN THE WORLD OF MAGIC, EVERYONE SEEKS GREAT AND POWERFUL MAGICAL ITEMS, BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE THEM. ALCHEMISTS, ARCANE INVENTORS, RUNE SMITH'S PORING OVER THEIR ANVILS AND ALL THE THINKERS, CREATORS, INVENTORS AND ENGINEERS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD AS WE KNOW!]

[SKILL BLOOD EVOLVED!]

[NEW TITLE ACQUIRED!]

[YOU ARE NOW AN ARTIFICER!]

Masters of invention, artificers use ingenuity and magic to unlock extraordinary capabilities in objects. They see magic as a complex system waiting to be decoded and then harnessed in their spells and inventions.

Artificers use a variety of tools to channel their arcane power. To cast a spell, an artificer might use alchemist's supplies to create a potent elixir, calligrapher's supplies to inscribe a sigil of power, or tinker's tools to craft a temporary charm. The magic of artificers is tied to their tools and their talents, and few other characters can produce the right tool for a job as well as an artificer.

[FEATURE UNLOCKED: MAGICAL TINKERING!]

*You've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny non magical object and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice: The object sheds bright light in a 3-meter radius and dim light for an additional 3 meters. Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 5 meter away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long. The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 5 meters away. A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like. The chosen property lasts indefinitely. But you can also touch the object and end the property early.

*You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence stat (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.

Finally allowing myself to smile, I turned towards the Pyromancer and proceeded to blow him away by reciting recipes and discussing theoretical knowledge that should take the average guy years to even comprehend, much less memorize.

Besides, I was fairly sure that even the Grand Master didn't entirely understand what I was telling him.

Since I didn't have the entire night to spend with him, never expecting in the first place that my visit would've been that much fruitful, I simply thanked him for the partnership by sharing some of my personal writings regarding the first steps of each school of magic that I knew and made my way out.

Of course, I didn't forget to hand Hallyne enough money for him to refill the Guild's storage, so next time I visit they won't be lacking material to produce their Alchemical Infusions.

And not forgetting to note to myself to further study my Health and Stamina Potions with my new understanding of Alchemy so I could attempt to reverse engineer them.

All in all, an excellent first stop on this cold night of winter.

—————————————————————

THE STREET OF STEEL

It was one of the oldest and most renowned sections of the crafters district.

Looking for a man named Tobho Mott, the Master Blacksmith who was said to be one of the few men among the Seven Kingdoms to know how to reforge Valyrian steel without leaving it weakened or without edge, soon I was reaching the end of the street and at last arrived at the largest building on the whole street.

It didn't look like a shop for your run-of-the-mill blacksmith, more of a multistoried house if anything.

The entrance was a masterpiece for sure, the door being made of carved weirwood depicting a hunting scene with pieces of ebony detailing and reinforcing the overall door.

Casting my first actual spell, I gained a new result out of Illusions.

{DISGUISE SELF LV-2 (27%)}

{FIRST CLASS ILLUSION SPELL: You make yourself, including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until the spell ends or until you dismiss it. You can seem half a meter shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type too much, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the Illusion is up to you. The changes wrought by this spell are capable of holding up to physical inspection. But not for long. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects won't pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it will feel a faint touch, but damage will reveal the illusion's nature. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you won't bump into you, halting seemingly still in midair for you, but a punch or knife stab can still reach you.}

CASTING TIME: INSTANTANEOUS

DURATION: 1 HOUR

RANGE: SELF, TOUCH

COMPONENTS: VOCAL AND SOMATIC

'Disguise Self.' I mentally chanted without moving at all.

{-10 MP}

I appeared now as an older version of myself, around my teens at five feet and a half, with only Valyrian-like features as silver hair and purple eyes, though not too tall to make it hard to sell the illusion.

And my clothes were shaped into the ones of a foreign hermit, with a hood almost concealing my face, though it still appeared to be made of a fine purple material and silver ornaments.

Beside the doors were two stone statue knights which at a glance seemed almost life-like, pushing the heavy doors open, entering the shop itself was even more breathtaking.

All around were stands and racks full of the finest weapons and armor I had seen.

Without noticing, I was pacing slowly around the main room, closely examining each item as I moved along and thinking about ways of carving runes on them.

"Damn…some of these crafts…." I muttered, thinking back to the blacksmith who had crafted the steel-forged weapons at the Red Keep armory.

Compared to this collection, regular castle forged steel appears to have been made by a novice that barely understood the bare basics of crafting.

"Interested, I see?" A male voice spoke up, making me glance to the side to see a gray bearded man dressed in a black velvet coat with fine silver hammers embroidered on the cuffs.

Around his neck was a large sapphire set on a heavy chain necklace, with the man nearing me.

My Observe skill informed me of some magical influence but nothing more.

I had noticed him with my Mental map while entering the shop, but I was completely distracted by this man's work.

"Indeed. Honestly, I'm surprised to see that your reputation doesn't do you justice." I answered back, offering one hand out for the man to shake firmly while removing my hood. "And it wasn't a minor one to begin with."

"Thank you. Tobho Mott at your service. I pride myself on my work, yet just as much credit goes to my workers and apprentices." For a moment the man looked closely at my face, a curious hint showing when he noticed my Valyrian characteristics.

However, he didn't remark about them for some reason.

"Quite humble to say such a thing." I remarked, finally breaking the silence.

"It's a life lesson I learned. Share credit where it is properly due. The lack of such respect was a key reason why I left Qohar so long ago."

"Qohar? The city of Sorcerers?" I faked ignorance.

"You'd be right. It is often called that, considering its tradition of studying the mystical arts and knowledge. You can say my skills are unique to anyone you'll find in all the Seven Kingdoms."

The mention of magic had me give a curious look. "I take you use mystic knowledge for your crafting?"

"Heh, that is a trade secret my friend." Mott said with a small sly smile. "Yet I'm sure you didn't come to chatter. No doubt you're here on business."

"Indeed." I nodded.

Shifting to pick up my twin Valyrian Steel Gladius from my Inventory and walking to the nearby counter while ignoring the blacksmith's surprised expression as I set it down.

"Wanted to have my blades inspected. Been maintaining it well enough, yet prefer an expert's examination."

Mott nodded as he'd look over the fine weapons, gaze examining their hilts and cross-guards before drawing them both. "T-these are quite a unique duo set of weapons. Twins, yet somehow, starkly different. Valyrian steel weapons are very one of a kind and often related to family Houses or rich individuals. In Essos, many treasure hunters are desperate enough to brave the ruins of the old empire for lost weapons. Weapons like the famous greatsword, Ice, of House Stark were gifted to the families for showing loyalty to the old Targaryen rulers."

The man's eyes widened as he continued to stare over my fine Valyrian Steel blades, being careful to set it down as if it was a priceless painting.

"By the Black Goat…how did you come to have such weapons?" He muttered as he'd quickly had a pair of black gloves taken from his coat, putting them on as he'd begun to trace his fingers over the blades' edges and flat. "The metal purity is unlike most blades I've seen, even for Valyrian Steel standards." Picking them up again, he'd weigh the two in each hand. "Very light. But not too much. They have been forged like this."

However as he traced his eyes over the blade flat, he'd notice the faint inscriptions just fused into the steel.

"Runes? No, Inscriptions…Curious…symbolic or…" He'd muttered something under his breath, making use of my Observe warned me again for a moment as the man seemed to be doing some incantation.

'A spell?!' Nothing noticeable happened even with my Observe skill's sharp gaze watching the man closely. 'Must be of some school of magic I still don't know.'

Mott finished his examination, glancing back at me with an intense look. "Tell me. Who are you and where did you get these swords?"

"It's a long story, good sir." I started, yet Mott clapped his hands sharply, and quickly a slim servant girl hurried out from a side room and courtesy to the both.

"Prepare the sitting room for us. Brandy and spiced bread." The blacksmith calmly stated.

The girl nodded and hurried off without a word before Mott looked back at me. "Please, follow me sir…?"

"Monk." I sheathed my swords on an illusionary sheath and followed along as Mott led me into parlor study with a raised eyebrow. Shrugging my shoulders I answered his unspoken question. "It's more of a tradition from where I come from."

Tobho seemed to accept my response easily enough, not speaking more about it if I wasn't willing to.

My sharp OBSERVE looked over a few books, finding them quite curious since the topics seemed to involve more magical topics and lore, but nothing worthy of becoming a skill book for me to instantly absorb the knowledge.

"Monk…can't say I've heard of you though." Mott muttered as he sat in his armchair. "All I can say is that you're the most unique guest I've had in a very very very long time."

At this point I sat down across from him, setting myself as I relaxed back.

"How did a man with Valyrian features come to own a blade that is so similar to Dawn? And another one as dark as the mysterious black stones found around the world?"

I recognized the name Dawn to be the legendary sword of Arthur Dayne, a great sword forged from a fallen star the House had discovered, and the dark mineral of unknown origin that has been used in the construction of several structures throughout the known world.

"Because I had found them that way, exploring some magical ruins. Not sure if this land even has anything like it… I mean, other than supposedly cursed relics." I referenced the ruined castles of Harrenhal and Summerhall while storing both swords at the same time inside my INVENTORY.

Mott gasped noticing the twin swords apparently vanishing from existence.

By then the servant girl returned with drinks and fresh bread for the two, setting it down at the table before leaving without a word.

"I would like to know more about you. You're not like any Knight or Sellsword I've met before…"

For a moment I didn't answer as he glanced at the brandy, picking the bottle up and filling both cups.

"Not sure if I should tell you. Sort of a personal story." I muttered.

"Then in my honor as a Master Smith and under the dark gaze of the Black Goat, I swear to guard whatever secrets you share with me. None will hear a word beyond this room." The man said in a calm, serious tone, hand raised and fingers set in a gesture of some kind.

I wasn't sure if the man truly had magic about him, despite all the signs pointing otherwise.

At best, his magic was on a basic level to what I knew, similar to the Alchemists, yet it no doubt gave the man an edge with his work.

"Very well then…" Picking up my cup, I took a drink and gave a small sigh downing the strong liquor, before placing it back on the table. "So let's get to the point, I'm not from here…from this world I mean…though officially my brothers and I claim to hail from Far Far Away, so as not to alarm the masses."

Thanks to Thoros being an irresponsible adult, I had gained some resistance to poisons like alcohol, making me capable of holding my drink and not embarrassing myself in situations like this.

…

The time went by quickly as me and Mott chatted, with me detailing half truths about my story.

Well, at least a more believable version of it that benefited my image as a Magical Messiah, with the implication that I wasn't alone.

The Master Smith was quiet and respectful, only speaking when he had a simple question to ask.

He showed no doubt even on the most fantastical elements such as my "visions" regarding White Walkers beyond the Wall and Dragons across the Narrow Sea.

Perhaps the man did believe in such things, considering the city he had been raised in.

"Amazing…I remembered some lectures back home in Qohor. Theories on worlds beyond the stars." The smith muttered as he set his cup down. "Your tale explains everything. The reason your swords are made of such exotic and strong material along with the inscriptions strengthening it to an even greater degree." Sighing, he'd lean back in his seat. "Ah I'd trade everything just to aid you with your adventure through these fantastical worlds of yours and learn their crafting secrets."

"Heh, willing to trade that much for knowledge?" I chuckled as I finished my drink.

"In Qohor, sacrifice is everything there. Equivalent exchange if you will."

"Huh…remember some young alchemist back home saying something like that. Can't remember who though." I shrugged with a smirk, lying about not remembering one of my favorite Animes. "Sad to say there isn't any boat that can take us to those other worlds, yet. Still, I may have an alternative means to get what you seek."

"Oh? A trade? Quite the offer, yet what would you want in return?" The master blacksmith replied, with a genuine smile.

"An alliance." I proposed. "I want blueprints, lessons about crafting armor and weapons that only a master like yourself can make. I'm even interested in learning how to reforge Valyrian Steel."

Mott thought for a moment.

"Valyrian Steel can indeed be reforged, yet it's a complicated process to ensure the metal keeps its unbreakable strength and strong edge without losing its overall balance. I think only a handful of Maesters who have dedicated themselves to mystic studies and forging can describe the process, much less perform it. Luckily, I'm one of few known individuals on the continent with such skills."

"Very interesting. Anyway, I'll be sure to have you examine every magical item I got my hands on. Besides that, I'd like to have regular training in the Blacksmith arts. I've learned basically everything there is about literature study of smithing, the one very knowledgeable Maester even suggested that I could earn a chain link if I ever decided to take their vows."

"That sounds fair to me. I could certainly make use of such an interesting apprentice." Mott replied standing up alongside me as the two of us firmly shook hands to seal the deal.

"Anyway, it has been nice talking with you, Mott. I'll be sure to return tomorrow, during the daytime." I said, noticing that my first class Spell was running out of time after spending almost an entire hour here chatting.

"It's been a pleasure, Monk. Until then." The Master Blacksmith escorted me out of his lavish store and home, and once the heavy doors were closed and locked behind me, I began the long walk back down the Street of Steel.

As my Disguise Self just reached its limit, I felt I had gained another useful ally, and someone that could give me the Crossbow made out of Dragon bone that I've been dreaming about, in case Dragons ever crawled out of the woodwork seeking to destroy everything.

Perhaps even a full set of Dragon glass bolts to have ready in case I come to face a White Walker before expected.

—————————————————————

THE STREET OF SILK

Approaching my next destination very carefully, using an unobtrusive path and covering as far as I could while crouching over the rooftops, all to avoid the open streets.

The building was on the Street of Silk, just north of the Dragonpit, I knew.

But when I got there, I didn't know exactly which house was right, there were few name plates hanging on the buildings around here.

Casting my first class spell once again, this time spending a Mage Point on the Extended Spell Metamagic, I assumed the appearance of a black haired young man with blue eyes.

My clothes assumed the shape of a noble's attire, with an elegant lute strapped from over my shoulder down by my side, deciding to mimic the behavior of an eccentric merchant this time.

Recalling my understanding of the city finally paid off, leading me to a place with a somber and fort-like facade, such as several of the city's solemn buildings, but when I entered, I was surprised.

It wasn't quite what I had expected, finding myself in a large, richly decorated, high-ceilinged room, two stories tall with a stone ground floor and a timber upper floor, with many of its windows being leaded.

Over the door swings an ornate lamp of gilded metal and scarlet glass, lit by candles with the smell of incense and exotic spice hanging in the air.

Dark red and brown velvet tapestries lined the walls, interspersed with oriental tapestries that depicted scenes of sexual pleasure and unmistakable luxury.

One in specific displayed a mosaic of two women entwined in love.

The furniture consisted mainly of couches covered with expensive brocade pillows and low tables on which were trays with silver jars filled with wine, gold bowls of sweets, Myrish glasses carved with flowers, fancies, and dreaming maidens.

The common room had a cushioned alcove and a leaded colored glass window where moonlight poured through.

An older man played his pipe, and girls played tiles, reproducing in conjunction a sweet melody.

But most surprising were the people in the room.

There were a dozen beautiful girls dressed in dresses of green and yellow silk in a satin cut summer islander style, with their skirts being well above the knee and whose necklines left nothing to the imagination but the promise of where not to venture.

Around three of the walls of the room, under the tapestries, it was possible to see several doors.

An elegant woman who must have been about twenty but already looked very well developed, being as beautiful as any princess and better dressed than most, she walked from the middle of the room to meet me.

There was a certain mirth in her eyes, which somehow added to the sexual charge she conveyed, and I, despite everything else that occupied my mind, found myself aroused.

Being a tall, black woman with sandalwood eyes, which was very characteristic from the Summer Isles, the woman managed to tower over me despite the recent half meter I just gained in height thanks to my spell.

She held out her hand with long, bejeweled fingers, looking at me approvingly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, dear customer." Her voice was smooth, with a similar accent I grew to associate with Jalabar Xho, the exiled prince of Red Flower Vale.

"I appreciate your warm welcome, my lady." I replied with all the charisma my title as a Bard allowed me to.

"Please, call me Chataya." The woman politely requested.

I bowed in acknowledgement, prompting her to smile at my gesture.

"My my, such good manners. I knew from the way you moved that you weren't someone with a simple background, but now you've made me curious. Most of my customers hold high positions in the city government, but none have shown the same level of respect as you do."

"Only a fool would behave poorly in the presence of such an illustrious host." I replied with a gentle smile. "Though like you, I must admit my surprise. I've been misinformed with descriptions that don't make justice to your establishment. I wonder if this is really the place."

The woman laughed. "Obviously! But, as you can see, it is quite different from any brothel you might find anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms!"

She led me to a sofa and sat down beside me.

"So, what brought you here? After a woman to warm your bed I presume?" Chataya questioned very professionally. "I have several girls who might suit your needs. And I'm sure you will find that they are all as sweet as they are beautiful, and skilled in every art of love."

"As much as I appreciate the offer, that isn't the reason why I've come." I replied with my seductive expression.

"It isn't?" She showed a hint of surprise. "Then how can I help you, ser…?"

Another curious gimmick I found exploring my Inventory was that, whenever I retrieve any quantity of money, the currency in specific always came out wrapped in an appropriate sized medieval styled purse.

Taking advantage of that, I managed to surprise her again by dropping a purse filled with Golden Dragons, which certainly wasn't a quantity she could ignore.

"Please, I'm not a Knight yet, so just call me Bard. And for now, I would like to have a private conversation with you." I added, leaving the heavy purse over a nearby table.

Gotta give credit to Chataya, despite both of us knowing that it was a pretty hefty amount of money that I had just casually handed, she remained very professional.

Most people would've moved to take the money without caring about appearances or etiquette.

But not her.

"Very well…" She replied standing up while promptly commanding a small girl, probably around my real age, who looked very similar to her yet even more younger, to secure the quantity I had just offered. "…please follow me."

A brief use of my OBSERVE skill showed that the girl resembling Chataya was actually her own daughter, Alayaya.

A beautiful young Summer Islander, with skin as smooth and black as polished jet, and wide dark eyes, although not nearly as tall as her own mother.

For now, I presume.

She was dressed in flowing silks, cinched at the waist with a beaded belt.

As Chataya led me to a round turret that rose from one corner of the house, the turret room located up two flights of stairs from the ground floor, then down a long hall and up another stair to a lone door which opened to the turret room.

Within the room, a great canopied bed, a tall wardrobe decorated with erotic carvings, and a narrow window of leaded glass in a pattern of red and yellow diamonds were found.

This clearly was an area reserved to her VIP clients.

"So, what is it you've been meaning to speak with me, Bard?" Chataya asked while signaling for me to make myself comfortable.

"Let's just say I'm someone who is very interested in the quality of your work, with enough funds to help you succeed at a much larger scale." I replied, taking a seat on a very comfortable wing chair, and picking up my lute to play a smooth melody, activating my Bardic Inspiration without her knowing. "For that to happen, I would like to build a partnership with you and your business here in King's Landing."

"Very well…" She moved to stand behind me and began massaging my narrow yet muscular shoulders. She was actually attempting to seduce me while I was trying to do the same. "It's quite the offer you are making, but yet what would you want in return? Besides a share of my profits that is."

"I would like to learn how to please a woman." I finally revealed, no longer caring for subtlety. "It has come to my attention that I still have a long way to go, so I would like to not postpone it any longer."

"Deal." Chataya replied without even considering.

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Won't you even question why I would need such knowledge?"

Chataya gave a delicate laugh. "My people hold that there is no shame to be found in the pillow house. In the Summer Isles, those who are skilled at giving pleasure are greatly esteemed. Many highborn youths and maidens serve for a few years after their flowerings, to honor the gods."

"That reminds me, I've heard that you are also a follower of Faith of the Seven, despite being from a foreign land." I was a little curious. "Don't you think that your line of work conflicts with it?"

"I've accepted the Westerossi religion as mine, it's true. But you know what they say, old habits die hard." She replied, not caring how weird it was for a young woman like her to be saying phrases like that. "Regardless of the religion, the Gods made our bodies as well as our souls, is it not so? They gave us voices, so we might worship them with songs. They gave us hands, so we might build them temples. And they gave us desire, so we might mate and worship them in that way."

"Well said." I acknowledged her reason. "You know what, I think you just gave me another idea about how we should boost your business."

"Tell me about it later then." Chataya said with a sultry smile, caressing my arms while they continued to play one of my songs. "For now, your lessons about the art of love start now, young man. Though I must admit, you are younger than the typical customer I get, not to mention capable of playing such a lovely melody. My establishment could definitely make use of a talented artist such as yourself, Bard."

{YOU ARE BEING TAUGHT BY A COMPETENT TEACHER!}

{+100% FASTER EXPERIENCE GATHERING FOR INTELLECTUAL SKILLS!}

'Wait, sex falls into the category of intellectual skills?!'

After that realization, I could only accept my terrible fate in the hands of this beautiful woman and work hard through her instructions to give her pleasure.

I've only wished to learn enough about sex so I might eventually pull a Podrick Payne and have sex for free.

If I knew where this path would've led me, I would've taken it again in a heartbeat.

{PING!}

{QUEST COMPLETED: GET LAID}

{KAMA SUTRA BOOK OBTAINED}

Hello there, long time no see! Had forgotten about you already.

Wait! Kama fucking sutra?!

Ok, sure, why not?

…

After making out with the Summer Islander beauty named Chataya, she complimented my enthusiasm and said that I was naturally gifted for a young man.

Silly her.

After that, with me telling her that I had to leave, she informed me of a secret passage connected to her room through the back panel behind an empty wardrobe.

When the back panel was pushed aside it revealed a metal ladder whose rungs went well below street level, the shaft then opened onto a dark, slanting earthen tunnel.

Having come perhaps a distance of three blocks under the Hill of Rhaenys, then emerging through a trapdoor at the back of a nearby stable, I reviewed it.

Perfect for making my lessons more practical, but that's a matter for later, the night was still young.

—————————————————————

My parkour skill wouldn't have been enough if not for my childish body and above average strength, added to the fact that both my Barbarian and Monk titles made it somewhat of a natural thing for me to do with my uncanny agility and speed.

Literally climbing my way up Rhaenys' hill to the Dragonpit from rooftop to rooftop, I eventually got there after following along the Street of the Sisters.

As some of my history lessons had explained to me, this hill was named from very early on, but the Dragonpit was a slightly later addition.

Or replacement in fact.

Another sept was once built here, the sept of remembrance for Rhaenys herself, as her death was recorded to be nine years after the invasion of Westeros, during the Targaryens second failed attempt in conquering Dorne.

The old sept was by all accounts an impressive building, but it lasted only until the reign of her nephew.

The one famous for being cruel and all.

It's actually easy to forget how bloody those first years of Targaryen rule were like.

At that time, the militant faith had risen and the rebellious Warrior's sons had taken to using the sept of remembrance as their headquarters.

One morning, as several hundred of them knelt in morning prayer, King Maegor rode Balerion overhead and raised the sept to the ground with dragon fire.

With that part of the rebellion dealt in typically uncompromising style, he did the same with the original sept in Visenya's hill.

Later, he ordered the construction of the Dragonpit as a permanent home for the royal dragons.

Some books had also noted with some wry amusement that the King had found this a harder task than he might have initially thought.

As I've already recalled, just before that event, the King had ordered the murder of all the artisans who had worked on his last great building project, the Red Keep.

Understandably, there was a delay while his advisors scoured the land for more builders and architects who were willing to take the chance that he wouldn't do the same thing again this time.

But nevertheless, the Dragonpit was built.

As I continued to stealthily climb the hill I noticed that the Dragonpit was not well named.

It isn't, and never was, a pit.

Although it's clearly in ruins, it was once a huge domed edifice, breathtaking in its scale.

Walking around it now, I could still see the remains of the dome, charred and blackened, alongside the huge windows that, as the stories used to say, one could see lit up at night by the glow of dragons inside.

I could see the huge bronze and iron doors that formed the entrance to the pit, now lying close and having been like that for more than a century now.

But the scale was undoubtedly something to behold, as I estimate that thirty knights could ride side by side through those gates, or perhaps one dragon the size of Balerion the dread.

Squeezing through one of its gaps, I made my way in, noticing that inside it resembled a stable... but for dragons.

Underneath the main arena-like sandy surface, I counted forty vaults, their purpose being probably to shelter forty dragons to nest here.

Not that the Dragonpit has ever held forty dragons, or so I remembered from my studies, to my best understanding, it was about twenty, the highest number to ever occupy it.

I remember that it was by the time of King Viserys the First reign, just before the dance of the dragons, and as most people were aware, dragons suck at dancing.

So much so that their first and only dance was regarded as their definite doom, centuries after Valyria had become a ruin.

Three or four might have survived, but within a couple of decades, they became just a memory, and so faded the glory and fearful reputation of the Dragonpit, because at that time, it indeed inspired fear amongst the smallfolk.

They knew what dragons were capable of, but the mother of ironies was that it was finally destroyed as a result of this fear and by the dragons themselves.

During the long civil war among the Targaryens, the Dragonpit was stormed by the smallfolk of King's Landing, inspired by the ravings of the religious zealot known as the shepherd, determined to have them rid themselves of the threat of dragons… whatever the cost might be.

Tens of thousands of them descended on the Dragonpit, to find four dragons nesting there.

They broke in through the windows and smaller doors, relying on sheer weight of numbers to overwhelm their massive opponents.

I would consider that impressive if not for the inefficiency of that strategy.

The dragons were chained down and constricted by the space in the pit, so they resorted to using their claws and fangs and close range dragon fire.

Casualties among the smallfolk ran into hundreds or even thousands, but eventually, one by one, they took the dragons down.

Dreamfyre was the last one to die.

It did manage to get rid of its chains, but in a desperate attempt to escape, smashed into the domed ceiling and brought it crashing down on itself and everyone else there.

But the smallfolk of King's Landing had been victorious and the Dragonpit was left as a smoking ruin with the dead being piled high.

Its last use was found during the great spring sickness, where it was used as a place used to store the bodies of the dead for when a tenth of King's Landing residents died.

And once it was over, flames were once more seen reaching high into the sky over it, as if the King's hand had used wildfire to destroy the bodies.

Now, as I inspected it, it was silent, empty and still.

That isn't to say that people didn't use it though.

I've heard rumors that some of the less morally upright citizens used it as a place for nighttime assignments and meetings.

If it is so, that's perhaps poetic justice.

The Dragonpit loomed over the flea bottom for decades, a monument to authoritarian power.

Even as flea bottom's ramshackle houses had started to encroach their way up the south side of Rhaenys' hill, it was the action of the smallfolk that led to destruction of the pit, so perhaps one might find it only right that they should now have ownership over it.

Frankly, I was disappointed with my fourth stop this night.

If there was any valuable loot here, the years had made sure to have it either pillaged or scavenged by the locals.

And if there were any Wildfire jars hidden underneath it after Aerys plotted to destroy the city, I hadn't found any access to it after spending a while casting OBSERVE and inspecting my Mental Map.

'Note to myself: Need to have Hallyne and his Alchemists retrieve all the lost jars of Wildfire before any of them explode, and add some of them to my INVENTORY as a last resort weapon.' I told myself. 'Perhaps I could turn this abandoned ruin into something productive down the line. The sheer size makes me consider having it as a copy of the Italian Colosseum. But perhaps before that I could have it serve as a shelter for the small people suffering from the harsher winters my arrival here brought.'

And so, it was to that slum named Flea Bottom that I made my next destination, making my way out of this ruin into that labyrinthine squalor.

If from up here I turned my gaze to the north and west of the city, I would've noticed some of the finest houses in King's Landing, spacious, airy and well-to-do.

But if instead I turn to look at the south, squashed into the shadow of the Dragonpit and creeping up the side of the hill and extending as far as the Street of Flowers, I could catch sight of Flea Bottom.

Have I already stated that it was a slum?

I don't care, it really is.

Anyways, there were no paved streets here, and after dark, the Gold Cloaks rarely patrolled this region of the city.

And with the houses cramped so closely in one another, often nearly touching above my head as I traverse in any way, the moonlight struggled to make its way in, leaving the heart of this area in a often continual state of gloom.

And if the stench in King's Landing as a general could be terrible, Flea Bottom was its epicenter.

Here butchered pigs and, to be completely blunt, human excrement could be found on the sides of the narrow pathways through the ramshackle buildings.

But this only served to cover up the ever present stale smell of taverns, whore houses and… other smells that hung in the air.

If there was one thing that I didn't care to learn about Flea Bottom was its local delicacy, if that's the appropriate word for it.

And it almost certainly wasn't.

A bowl of brown, though it is peculiar to the rest of the city, the quality and contents were not dissimilar to what was found across the Seven Kingdoms, consumed by the smallfolk who could not afford any better.

Soon after beginning my venture into Flea Bottom, I found numerous pot shops along the side of whichever alley I walk through.

Of course, at this time all of them were close.

They were so called for the large pot of stew they supposedly serve.

Here, I was expecting to eventually find either Davos visiting his past home or a still young Gendry roaming around before working for Tobho Mott as an apprentice.

Perhaps here in the darkest squalor of King's Landing, I could acquire a strong support base in its people, after all, if you've seen one city slum, you've seen them all.

But that's just how the saying goes, and those were plans for the future anyways.

—————————————————————

I stopped myself in an alley, the place in itself was unpleasant, but what made things worse was the smell of rancid shit and other filth.

Must have raised my POISON RESISTANCE skill once or twice since I got here.

Inspecting my skill list...

{BLADED WEAPONS MASTERY Lv- 16 (78%)}

Conjuring my INVENTORY, the familiar window with boxes showing my belongings and also a diagram of myself and what I was wearing immediately popped up.

'Wow, I dig the look!' I said, staring at my avatar as if it was a mirror.

After using OBSERVE on some items and remembering another discovery I had made weeks ago, I carefully inspected what else I could get from eating and drinking.

I wasn't willing to waste my invaluable potions or the possibility of fainting mid battle, so I took what I got from my higher level skill.

{25x FULL WATER SKIN: RESTORES 25 SP - 2 USES EACH.}

{15x SALTED PORK: RESTORES 15 HP - 1 USE EACH.}

Before closing out my INVENTORY, I looked at the money counter, having yet to collect anything else other than Gold and Nexus Coins.

I knew that there were 7 copper stars to a silver stag, and 210 stags to a golden dragon, but didn't know how to get myself some change for less costly transactions.

Before I could continue on my way through the dark alleyways, I was hit with a window.

{A QUEST HAS BEEN CREATED!}

{EXPLORE THE GUTTER!}

{MAIN OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE YOUR TOUR AROUND FLEA BOTTOM IN ONE PIECE.}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 1: DEFEAT 10 REGULAR BANDITS.}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 2: DEFEAT A BANDIT LEADER.}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 3: DON'T GET CAUGHT BY THE GOLD CLOAKS.}

{MAIN OBJECTIVE REWARD: 500XP, 500 COPPER.}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 1 REWARD: 200XP, 100 SILVER.}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 2 REWARD: 250XP, 200 SILVER + RANDOM LOOT}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 3 REWARD: 50XP, 50 SILVER.}

{FAILURE: POSSIBLE DEATH, INJURY, OR IMPRISONMENT.}

{DO YOU ACCEPT?}

[YES/NO]

"Yes." I concluded succinctly before accepting the quest.

As I made my way through the winding alleys of Flea Bottom under stealth, as always, I opted to do this the smart way.

Stealth killing as many bandits as possible would be my best tactic and standard plan of action, as I got the hang of Sneak Attacks.

I may be well trained, but even I don't want to face 10 to 1 odds at my current level, especially against anything smarter than an undead.

Creeping past discarded crates and rubbish piles, eagerly attempting to get the drop on any bandits in the area, I crouched down behind a pile of rubbish.

I could see a pair of individuals blocking the mouth of this alley and immediately used OBSERVE on them.

{BOLTER - GUTTER BANDIT.}

LEVEL 21

POW: 21

END: 19

MOB: 20

INT: 12

STL: 15

DEF: 15* (Worn Out Riveted Mail Armor: Piercing and Slashing +50% Damage Resistance/ Bludgeoning +20% Damage Resistance)

{Bandits rove in gangs and are sometimes led by thugs and veterans. Not all bandits are evil. Oppression, drought, disease, or famine can often drive otherwise honest folk to a life of banditry. This Burly Brute carries around a large mallet for tenderizing meat and breaking bones. Beware his powerful strikes. Bolter is an orphan that was raised as a criminal. He frequently fights in the fighting pits in Flea Bottom.}

{RAFRE - GUTTER BANDIT SKULKER}

LEVEL: 20

POW: 19

END: 16

MOB: 20

INT: 13

STL: 20

DEF: 5* (Worn Out Padded Armor: Piercing and Slashing +10% Damage Resistance/ Bludgeoning +10% Damage Resistance)

{Bandits rove in gangs and are sometimes led by thugs and veterans. Not all bandits are evil. Oppression, drought, disease, or famine can often drive otherwise honest folk to a life of banditry. This agile thief carries a pair of daggers, beware his speed. Rafre is an orphan and bastard of a hedge knight with a common whore. He steals and kills for pleasure and necessity.}

'Well, a strong bandit and a fast one.' I assessed before quickly a plan began forming in my mind.

This wasn't ideal, in theory they could cover each other's weaknesses if they fought together, so I need to separate them.

Casting a combination of Twined Spell Metamagic with my Minor Illusion across the alley, I manifested a couple of seated women drinking and laughing close to a building on the far side of the alley.

"What was that?" Muttered the Strong bandit before snickering. "Can't believe how lucky we got tonight!"

"No kidding." The more agile bandit replied with a sadistic grin before ordering back. "But finish the job first, I'll go see if the girls wanna join us. They could be someone worth the money."

I began to make my way back towards where the Illusion had manifested through the rooftops with a quick use of my Step of the Wind.

'Let's see if I can finish this quickly.' I thought.

As the bandit reached the location of the supposedly drunken women, I lunged from my advantage point with my special swords immediately piercing him through the torso with a double thrust and suffering no major fall damage thanks to my Slow Fall.

Seeing no notification of my target's Health Bar drooping, I was worried for a second.

But my sharp blades kept their momentum and sliced through the bandit as if he was made of butter, the pieces of the man fell into the dirty ground with a visceral sound.

'Guess Valyrian Steel is overkill against these petty criminals after all.' As I looked to the ground, I noticed a growing pool of blood.

Swiftly cleaning the mess with Thaumaturgy before dragging the body parts behind the refuse pile, I relieved the Bandit of his Purse, which had 2 silver coins and 6 copper coins.

The money automatically entered my INVENTORY, which was really handy.

Of course in the time that it took, the Brute bandit began to get suspicious and walked down the alley.

"What the Seven Hells is taking you so long? I've already finished the job." He called out, not finding any sign of his comrade.

Taking the opportunity, I quickly leaped out from behind the rubbish pile and shot an Eldritch Blast, while spending another Mage Point with Empowered Spell, at the man's neck before he could raise an alarm.

Instead of puncturing a small hole on his neck or blasting him away with a strong pull, the beam actually exploded the man's head, leaving his headless body crumpled like a marionette with its strings cut.

Overkill again, if a little louder than the cold Valyrian steel of my blades, though with time I knew that even without activating Metamagic grinding my cantrip would eventually lead it to become just as deadly.

After recovering from the surprise, I cleaned and dragged the corpse behind the rubbish pile, relieving the body of its purse for 1 silver stag while storing them inside my Inventory before continuing on my way under stealth once again.

Ducking into an alley across the road in the general direction of the Red Keep, along the way I ran into two more Strong Bandits patrolling the alley and a Quick Bandit standing on a corner.

After a brief OBSERVE of their background story, making sure they weren't relevant or directly tied to any future event, I proceeded with my quest.

The Strong bandits were dispatched with a Twined Eldritch Blast while my use of Twined Minor Illusion managed to spook the Quick Bandit by making him believe that creepy whispers were haunting the alley.

I kept my training in stealth and finished the poor soul with a simple swipe of one of my Valyrian steel short swords.

About ten minutes into my incursion, after picking alone targets throughout Flea Bottom, my Stealth had leveled up twice and the Bladed Weapon Mastery had leveled up once.

It was then that things took an interesting turn, there was a wide plaza between my location and the next alley with two Strong Bandits and two Quick Bandits guarding what looked like an overturned cart.

I could see a merchant with his throat cut lying in a pool of blood at their feet, the man had probably gotten lost and ended up in Flea Bottom, refusing to pay off these bandits only to be murdered in cold blood.

It was right then that I discovered that my OBSERVE skill also worked on dead bodies.

Reaching into my INVENTORY, I pulled out once again my prized short swords and dual wielded them.

It wasn't as awkward as before thanks to my nightly training and Perk, as I was sure it would presumably continue to get better as soon as I kept leveling up the skill.

Walking out into the plaza while carefully inspecting my Mental Map, I attempted to rush the group while they were ransacking the cart, but it seemed that I've finally overestimated my stealth stat as one of the Quick Bandits suddenly spotted me while sprinting.

"What in the Seven hells?! Look out guys, we have a troublemaker to deal with!"

Having warned the two Strong bandits, they rushed to meet my salty dornish-like Disguise Self figure, with uncanny dark eyes and dark hair, while the Quick bandits spread out to try and flank me.

At least this was going to be interesting.

Activating the maddening whisper all around the plaza, I managed to considerably lower my enemies' focus and resolve.

A neat side effect of using my Minor Illusion alongside Mind Sliver, as the uncanny sounds were almost creeping me out.

The game described it as Psychic Damage, which damages the mind directly with the ability to use pure mind energy to harm another creature's mind.

If I was to contextualize this damage it would be like being able to instantly give someone the worst migraine of their life.

In any case, ducking under a swipe from the mattock of one of the strong bandits and slicing a deep cut with my right sword at the brute's front leg, as not even the criminal's parry managed to slow down my weapon momentum.

I began to dance out of the way of the following strikes from the other bandits as their weapons came swinging into where I had previously been, immediately riposting them whenever I got an opening.

With a Minor Illusion use I made a small cloud of fog surround my body, aiding me to spin around and to lash out with my Valyrian Steel gladius in a flurry of attacks at the Quick bandits, who were still attempting to strike me down through the heavily obscured air.

As I danced to the left and to the right, the remaining men were beginning to panic, feeling that I was unstoppable.

{BLADED WEAPON MASTERY HAS LEVELED UP!}

Again?!

Excellent!

Rolling to a stop with my swords burying themselves in a bandit's chest while the other fell to the ground after several deep cuts on his legs.

The two Strong Bandits decided to run in terror from my small dark figure, but to finish them, I casted my trusted evocation cantrip with an simple Empowering Metamagic, shooting a beam of pure magical energy through the first man's spine and just barely missing the other man's shoulder.

My mind registered the single kill as the second bandit was about to turn the corner into another alley and get away from my sight.

A simple Minor Illusion was enough to scare the shit out of him, as right around the corner, out of nowhere, my scary dark figure was there to greet him.

The man screamed and turned around twice before noticing he was somehow surrounded by two exact copies of me.

Making the bandit curl in on himself in shock and crying in agony, before I slayed him like a dog to end his misery.

The fourth and last bandit, raised from the ground with much pain and effort, howling as he saw his friends die one by one, rushing with his daggers in a mad attempt of ending his suffering.

I barely ducked aside from the attack before spinning around with a side swing that cut through the desperate man's knees.

But the man kept his desperate attempt at hurting me however he could.

Apparently despair made someone resistant to pain…

Go figure.

However a surprise use of the bandit's light crossbow caused me to widen my eyes and my grip over my short swords to falter for an instant.

The bolt was aimed at my chest, and it would've punctured exactly where my heart was located, undoubtedly causing a critical amount of damage, if not for my quick thinking and immediate use of Deflect Missiles to catch it with my bare hands.

My shock vanished instantly, just in time to barely dodge the second and last projectile with Patient Defense as it just grazed my neck.

{-5HP}

'Thanks Player's Mind! You just saved my life!'

The bandit, now completely unarmed, began to feel the pain from being swiftly crippled.

As the man agonized, I throwed the first bolt with the same power I caught it, piercing the bandit on the neck, then getting rid of the distance between us with a Step of the Wind, grabbing and breaking the lodged bolt with a swift twist, attempting to brutally decapitate the bandit while enjoying the cracking noises from the lowly thug's cervical spine.

As the man's body became lifeless, a window popped.

{LEVEL UP!}

'Nice.'

Dismissing the various windows I retrieved the bolt and relieved all the dead bandits of their purses for a total of 21 Silver Coins, then relieved the dead merchant of his purse for a total of 80 Silver Stags!

Looking at the cart, I could now see that it was a silk merchant, no wonder the bandits were so greedy of this man's possession that they cut his throat open.

The blood and muck of the streets stacked on top of the rough handling of the bandits had fouled the finished ware, making it less valuable if not for Thaumaturgy.

After cleaning everything, I used OBSERVE on the items I'be acquired.

{BOLTS OF SILK CLOTH - CRAFTING INGREDIENTS}

'That must be worth something.' I acknowledged.

Picking up the rolled up bolt of silk and stuffed it into my INVENTORY and ate something to replenish my HP before moving onto the next alley.

It was smooth sailing for another five minutes with only a few Quick Bandits on patrol, until I noticed someone entering my Mental Map reach and heard a rough voice say.

"You there lad, what in the seven hells is wrong with you? Only a mad man would dress like that in here." Someone shouted instead of attempting to sneak up on me. "Do you know who I am, I'm a fookin legend here! I'll carve you up if you don't give me all of your belongings."

As I turned my face to OBSERVE my new opponent.

{KARL TANNER - BANDIT LEADER}

LEVEL: 25

POW: 25

END: 18

MOB: 20

INT: 16

STL: 24

DEF: 25* (Mail Armor: Piercing and Slashing +50% Damage Resistance/ Bludgeoning +25% Damage Resistance)

{It takes a strong personality, ruthless cunning, and a Silver Tongue to keep a gang of bandits in line. The Bandit Leader has these qualities in spades. To keep the crew in line, the captain must mete out rewards and punishment on a regular basis. More than treasure, a Bandit Leader craves Infamy. A prisoner who appeals to the captain's vanity or ego is more likely to be treated fairly than a prisoner who does not or claims not to know anything of the captain's colorful reputation. Karl Tanner is an expert dirty fighter and is good with both knives and axes. His treacherous nature makes for a fearsome opponent. He once was…}

Alright, I don't care for his entire backstory, I wasn't expecting to meet this guy before he took the Black, but I guess I will have to make due.

Seeing my disguised figure of a hooded young man not obeying his command, the Bandit Leader charged faster than I had anticipated, axe coming in high, knife coming in low.

I was forced to give ground, not able to parry both at once while still drawing my swords, only to have to jump over the Bandit Leader's attempt of tripping me as I backpedaled.

Evaded a swipe of the Bandit's axe only for his knife to almost poke out my left eye, having barely leaned out of the way in time and only avoided damage thanks to my Arcane Ward.

Some cuts were already appearing all around my clothes however, though nothing Thaumaturgy couldn't resolve for me.

Thankfully, my opponent's weapons weren't poisoned, that would certainly be another pain to deal with mid combat in case my Arcane Ward didn't hold up.

In my hurry, I picked from my Inventory a pair of iron daggers for close combat skirmishes like this.

As we in an instant stood there in the clinch, weapons locked, Karl Tanner attempted to knee me in the groin, which I instinctively blocked with my leg, resulting in the Bandits bowling me over as I hit the cobblestones.

Hard.

{-20 HP}

{HP: 80/100}

That was enough to break through my Arcane Ward and still cause me some damage.

I immediately had to roll to avoid a curbstomp and struck out with one of the daggers, which only managed to graze the man as he rolled out of the majority swipes of the blade, and came in with a cut to my face that almost took my right eye out.

{-15 HP}

{HP: 65/100}

"Enough!" I shouted with Minor Illusion bolstering my voice to thunderous proportions, while confusing him with Mind Sliver.

As the bandit leader was left momentarily staggered, I immediately counterattacked with a kick to the man's groin and casted a Minor Illusion around myself.

Now hiding all of the cuts he had made on my clothes as if his best was nothing for me to care about, immediately impacting the man's fighting spirit, who couldn't distinguish the difference between illusion and reality.

Raging and activating Action Surge, I was finally allowed to pick out my short Valyrian Steel swords and struck the man, chopping off his arms.

Tanner attempted to pull back while screaming in pain, only to fail and get impaled on the belly.

In a swift move, I cleaved the bandit's upper body from its lower part as he attempted to headbutt me, and a raging stomp was enough to shatter Tanner's head against the floor of the alley.

Scratching my foot to get rid of the bloody mess I've made before giving up and immediately casting Thaumaturgy, I began to walk away from that spot.

I was panting.

{SP: 5/100}

I decided to end my Action Surge and spend it on my Second Wind ability, which severely boosted the rate I regenerate my Stamina reserves, in order to be ready for any surprise encounters.

{THROUGH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, SOME STATS HAVE LEVELED UP!}

'Damn that was stupidly close.'

After refilling my health by eating, my injuries were completely healed, only my clothes served as a reminder that I was attacked.

But a simple use of Thaumaturgy was more than enough to repair my self made suit.

Relieving Tanner's purse from him, I acquired 10 SILVER COINS and 60 COPPER COINS.

Not that much huh… I guess he wasn't that much of a legend as he claimed to be.

Well, it's not like I needed money anyways, I'm filthy rich.

The small change was actually what I needed right now.

'Sorry bastards, you are not taking the black. Not on my watch.' I said placing my final victim's body inside of me Inventory.

After that last encounter, I walked for another ten minutes before I finally ran into a Gold Cloak Patrol near where Flea Bottom began to fade and the Merchant Quarter began to come in.

Remembering to avoid the watchmen, I sneaked away, walking past a few wretches and guttersnipes minding their own business.

And soon enough, I eventually left the slum.

{QUEST COMPLETED: ESCAPE FROM THE GUTTER!}

{MAIN OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE YOUR TOUR OF FLEA BOTTOM IN ONE PIECE: COMPLETED - 500 XP AND 10 SILVER COINS OBTAINED!}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 1: DEFEAT 10 BANDITS: COMPLETED - 200 XP AND 12 SILVER COINS OBTAINED!}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 2: DEFEAT BANDIT LEADER: COMPLETED - 250 XP, 20 SILVER STAGS AND SKILL BOOK OBTAINED!}

{ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE 3: DON'T GET CAUGHT BY THE GOLD CLOAKS: COMPLETED - 50XP, 5 SILVER COINS OBTAINED!}

{YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED!}

As I walked off through the way I came from the Red Keep, I ducked into a nearby corner and pulled out the Skill Book.

{THIS BOOK TEACHES THE SKILL 'DIRTY FIGHTING MASTERY'}

{WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN THIS SKILL?}

[YES/NO]

I tapped yes and immediately knowledge filled my brain.

{YOU HAVE LEARNED DIRTY FIGHTING MASTERY!}

{DIRTY FIGHTING MASTERY Lv- 1 (0%)}

I had also gained levels in that quest and thus had a lot of points to spend, but would settle it after reaching my chamber for a shower and a good rest.

=================================

TITLE: Durrandon Baratheon (Sorcerer-Lv5/ Barbarian-Lv4/ Monk-Lv5/ Bard-Lv3/ Fighter-Lv4/ Wizard-Lv3/ Artificer-Lv1)

LEVEL: 11 (4%)

HP: 110/110

SP: 220/220

MP: 11/11*

MANA CONTROL: 97%

SORCERY POINTS: 10

BARBARIC RAGE: 3

KI POINTS: 5

BARDIC INSPIRATION: 3

ACTION SURGE: 1

ALLEGIANCE: The Iron Throne

PWR: <21>

END: <22>

MOB: <22>

INT: <27>

STL: <22>

DEF: 10* (Padded Clothes: Piercing and Slashing +45% Damage Resistance/ Bludgeoning +15% Damage Resistance)

POINTS: 41

SKILLS: ~open list~

PERKS: ~open list~

FEATURES: ~open list~

TRAITS: ~open list~

TIME PLAYED: 5 years

MONEY: 19,000 GC/ 161 SILVER COIN/ 66 COPPER COIN/ 400 NC

($) {MARKET}

———————————————————

(31/08/2020)

(30/09/2021)

(07/04/2022)

*Hope this chapter is of your liking.

Anything you wish to ask, feel free to do so.

Check out my auxiliary chapter if you still haven't.

Thanks as always for your attention and please be safe.

Any problems with my writing, just point them out and I will correct them as soon as possible.