Eden

"Great… just fucking great…" cursed Lucian in the arms of the nursemaid that only heard a baby cooing exasperatedly, which only made the Young Lord appear cuter with his pouting lips.

'It isn't as bad as you think…

I understand we cannot ask the Lost Cubs to take on the duty, sadly per the restrictions of the System.' Replied Theriena through their mental connection.

"*Sigh* Even them, nobody could explain the daily meeting between a craftsman and the infant son of the Lord."

Lucian cursed the monster his heart that chose to not include a complaint or help desk to communicate with someone about the System.

Before succumbing to sleep the night before, Lucian tried to find an item offered by the System to allow an individual from Planetos to visit the Eternal Dimensional Realm, acting as a messenger or steward in his place.

The idea was to have a trusted individual travel freely between the two worlds to communicate with various leaders and advisors of Eden such as the Five spawned Heroes.

Truth be told, Theriena maintained excellent communication with the Heroes and those leading Eden as its selected leaders, yet she had to control and manage far more than the people alone.

Land of the Eternal Dimensional Realm was far too abundant and required much of Theriena's time to manage effectively, so Lucian thought having his own messenger would start shaping the change he wished to achieve for his homeland before moving towards the north mainland.

As much as he wanted to improve the north and see it turned into a kingdom unlike any other witnessed across Planetos, the Isle of the Shadows Claw required improvements of its own for a land considered non-existent.

This led Lucian to consider purchasing the item from the System Store, called 'Supervisor Authority', yet he didn't go ahead and acquire the item based on Theriena's thoughts.

'I'm not against you buying the Supervisor Authority from the store, however it requires an individual you are willing to let travel between the two worlds.

Truthfully, there is not anyone I consider trustworthy or remotely capable of such a grand task at your request without aiming for some personal gain…

Maybe you could ask your father or uncle directly for their aid, but even so that won't occur for quite some time, considering your physical age and bodily state.'

Not one to easily allow Lucian's rashness to take over his rational thinking process, Theriena strived to ensure her Young Master wouldn't rush ahead and make a considerable purchase without having a trusted individual by his side to take on the burden.

Even though Birmir and other Guards loyal to House Vitniryx were always position around Lucian as his sworn protection, they were loyal to his father first, meaning none of them could be selected.

On the other hand, someone like Zylas was ideal for Lucian to select, yet his loyalty laid with his father as well, leaving no options other than one of his nursemaids, unless he waited for a later time to consider the System Store purchase.

However, neither Theriena nor Lucian could understand how fate and destiny worked, as the two couldn't understand how Alexios came to his decision which easily might anger plenty of the hardened believers of the Old Gods and ways of the First Men.

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"Jon… *Sigh* I am aware you weren't supportive of your goodbrother's decisions, sadly its already stained the honour and trust your House and that of your remaining goodbrother's once held in the southern courts, including our own here on the Shadows Claw.

I've considered your former standing in the south and that of your ancient lineage back to the times of the Age of Heroes… to ask if you would serve House Vitniryx not as a sworn sword or shield but Steward… to my son."

Alexios chose to address Jon Hollard during their breaking of fast in the following morning after Lord Clato rushed with news of Lucian's abilities reminiscent of the Shadow Kings of Old.

Currently in the open Great Hall, Alexios sat with other Lords and Ladies to break his fast alongside Felix, with Lucian beside him being fed by a nursemaid.

In no way had Alexios wanted to surround Jon and force the responsibilities of Stewardship for his son on the son of House Hollard, but Zylas and Marcellus, both agreed it was time for Lucian to begin gathering capable men to serve at his side.

They agreed the two southern Houses would be ideal to gain a footing amongst the nobility of the Shadows Claw, something they would sorely require gain the respect of the people and be recognised as one of those native to the Isle.

Jon knew ahead of time through Felix that he would be asked before the visiting Lords and Ladies during the morning meal to move from Stewardship as part of the Vitniryx Household to serve Lucian directly.

There were plenty of others serving House Vitniryx who could be considered a better choice to serve by Lucian's side, yet none owed their lives and existence to the young heir like those of House Hollard and Darklyn.

Through Yilma's vision and strategic mind that encompassed a network of fast-moving information allowed her to enact several plans to save the two Houses from certain death.

Hell, even Jon's brother's son, Dontos Hollard, was saved alongside his parents, all vowing their honour and lives were in the hands of Lady Yilma for saving them all from King Aerys wrath.

Unfortunately, when they arrived at Panthera, they learnt of Lady Yilma's death right after childbirth and swore to protect and serve her children or kin, which in this case was Lucian, as her sole child.

For a while now, all of those saved by the actions of Yilma diligently served House Vitniryx faithfully but waited for the right time to align their strength with the Young Heir.

Their thought process largely aligned with southern politics, believing Lucian was too young and unable to wield his own authority and gain the seat of the Lord.

Sadly, for their rapidly thought-out plans, northern culture and family lifestyle stopped them in their tracks and began to reshape their behaviour to adapt with their new homeland, especially of the Shadows Claw.

Most of the complaints came from the Knights, Guards, and their family members that believed in the Faith of the Seven, but since it wasn't practised across the Shadows Claw, they were beginning to find their new home quite foreign and distant instead.

Jon couldn't help but laugh at their audacity to even try usurping the Lord's position from his ancestral seat just so a sept could be built.

Madness at its finest, thought Jon when he heard the news from loyal Guards and Knights of his Household that made the journey to the north.

Thankfully, those very same people weren't a hassle any further, and Jon could begin the long arduous journey to restore his family and that of his wife's to their rightful place, not just in society alone.

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"Aye, my Lord… I accept the honour and duty you have gifted myself, and my Household.

I swear upon Earth and Water, Bronze and Iron, Ice and Fire, for House Hollard and Darklyn shall wield their shields and draw their swords for the Shadow Lords of the North, from this day forward and to the last...

May the Old Gods and New bind our will and be witness to our oath."

'"Aye, by the Old Gods and New…"' replied the hall full of Lords and Ladies with their retainers and family members that made the journey to Panthera.

Jon, along with his Household understood there was no longer an option to resist and pray for the return of their southern ways of life, as their actions now were indicative to their trust and faith in Alexios, Lucian, and House Vitniryx.

By the time Jon arose from his kneeling position, Knights and Guards of House Hollard and Darklyn began to move into order alongside those of House Vitniryx, expect those protecting Lucian.

Alexios wasn't quite prepared for southerners to safeguard his only son, even if they vowed their lives to Yilma and those of her blood.

Felix too agreed with his brother, as did Lord Clato and others loyal to House Vitniryx through many different forms.

None wanted to see southerners taking the roles and duties of northern men and women, believing they would taint the sacred duties passed down millienia's as part of the Shadow Kings and Kings of Winter legacy.

Thankful for most, the only role lost from a northern was that of a steward, even if it were to the Heir of the Shadows Claw.

Others believed eventually Lucian would find northern men and women for council and stewardship, since a babe could do nothing much than eat, shit, and sleep.

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In the arms of his father, Lucian heard Jon vowing to serve House Vitniryx when called upon by Alexios, surprising the intelligent infant to hurry and widen his web of plans for the lands of the Isle.

Overhearing the talks of the morning, Theriena decided to chime in with her own thoughts on the new situation.

'I swear, its as if your father has foresight of our ideas and quickly quashes or alters them so uniquely, that I'm left wondering… does he do it to support you, somehow knowing what you require, direly, or stop our actions for Shadows Claw to not interfere with his own.'

"He is not aware of our plans, nor will he become privy to such matters without my say so, Theriena.

Jon has sworn himself and his family to House Vitniryx, rather than the blood of my mother, binding those following House Darklyn and Hollard to our cause and that of the Shadows Claw.

To many Lords and Ladies present in the Great Hall at this very moment witnessed Jon's declaration, forcing House Hollard and Darklyn to follow the customs and laws of the north, forsaking any sort of autonomy they had for the last few months since their arrival in Panthera.

It may not appear like much, as northerners are known for holding themselves to sworn oaths, therefore Jon's actions have both endeared House Darklyn and Hollard to the Shadows Claw, but too placed them in a precarious position where one action could end their entire lineage.

I might be a child physically, but I have a wealth of experience no man, woman, or wiseman across this entire world could match…

Jon believes his actions will allow his family and those following them to survive in the north and easily adapt to our way of life… it sadly won't.

*Sigh* and now he shall fall into my hands and will…" Lucian said nothing, and communicated through his mental link with Theriena, as his icy steel eyes dug into Jon, who'd moved to his side of the high table.

Zylas remained close by, attending to his father, uncle, and Lord Clato, another uncle through his grandmother's side of the family.

Even so, the Head Steward of House Vitniryx ensuring everyone was comfortable at the high table, with Jon acting as his support for the time being.

No one show any sort of discomfort with Jon, his family, or those faithful to House Hollard and Darklyn, yet Lucian's eyes burned with a fury rarely seen in the Lords of the Shadows Claw at such an age.

Alexios wasn't aware of it yet, but his son exuded the same beastly fury of a Shadow Panther that his House were known for, though his son grasped the power for his own and moulded it to suit himself, alluded many of his focus and drive on Jon, expect for a few.

Felix, along with Marcellus, noticed their nephew wasn't his usual calm and stoic while held closely by Alexios, but rather flared up and aggressive, yet silent in the Lord's lap.

'A Shadow Cub ready to strike at a proposed threat,…' thought both Felix and Marcellus, before turning to face one another with weary glances.

Neither understood the exact reason Lucian appeared furious, however they didn't place their suspicions on those who'd been with the Young Heir since his birth, but instead those told to serve him recently.

Felix always believed his nephew was well aware of his surroundings from a young age, yet his suspicions weren't confirmed until now after noticing the glares Lucian sent to a few of House Hollard and Darklyn.

Both Houses affirmed their loyalty and faith to the Shadow Lords of the Shadows Claw, yet the Young Heir wasn't willing to easily accept their 'sworn oath' even when spoken in front of the Lords and Ladies bound to the north.

Only the man who spoke the words could be considered worthy, the rest were not to be considered…

For the time being, Marcellus and Felix said nothing, however that didn't stop the two from closely monitoring the newest Houses to fall under the purview and protection of House Vitniryx.

Lucian knew nothing his uncles planned just from his furious gaze alone, Theriena on the other hand took note of the two uncle's and smiled as her own thoughts began to form plans of her own.

'*Sigh* Young Lucian… you don't even know what your unbridled anger has unleashed on those poor fellows Jon must keep in line.

I swear, there are times your wealth of experience makes you blind to many actions committed by yourself, or those around you.' Laughed Theriena to herself, completely aware Lucian wouldn't ever accept his own fault in the matter.

Instead, his fury locked onto Jon, his household and that of his Darklyn wife's, left him blind to the inquisitive gazes of his dear uncles.

Thankfully, as the anger faded away, so came the clarity, reminding Lucian of his behaviour and possible plans for the Shadows Claw, requiring heavy alteration with Jon becoming his 'faithful' Steward.

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As such, Jon's new position and duties left the Steward of the Young Heir astonished at the enormous load of work already placed on his shoulders from the following morning of his appointment.

The fairly young and energetic steward wasn't made aware of his own Young Lord's plans to make his life miserable and heavily schedule to keep him far away from the heir of the Shadows Claw.

Overnight, Lucian utilised his ability to communicate with the Lost Cubs Group of craftsmen to ask for their aid to ensure Jon would remain busy and unable to attend to his needs.

It wasn't a bad idea thought up by Lucian, other than the blindly obvious pitfall he left himself open for, his own father, and the ever-dutiful House Steward of Vitniryx, Zylas.

They saw a lack of manpower and immediately assisted, Alexios by ordering his House Steward to organise aides to lessen part of the workload on Jon.

Zylas chose to not easily hand over several random people to help Jon as it wouldn't help the man in his tasks but rather increase them.

Training unknown men and women the intricacies of the responsibilities with each job would take quite a long time to complete, so Zylas decided to find and train loyal smallfolk and nobles willing to assist Jon from within his own ranks of influence and control.

For the first few days, Zylas taught several men and women of noble and smallfolk origin, the steps pertaining to each task Jon largely dealt with, including the new jobs set out by the Lost Cubs Group that began to work closely with the steward.

In fact, they assigned a number of tasks to the steward and searched out for him, instead of easily asking another steward of House Vitniryx.

Zylas had noticed such developments but saw them as nothing more than an act to enforce Jon's status amongst those loyal to House Vitniryx.

A small part of the House Steward wanted to tell the Lost Cubs to stop with their incessant orders and task, however he relented and let the acts continue for now.

Once the trained aides for Jon were trained over the course of a week, they joined the side of the Young Heir's Steward, well aware they would continue to serve the Young Lord for the foreseeable future.

Felix and Marcellus weren't inactive during this time, and closely investigated the faithful servants, Knights, Guards, and household members to the southern Houses, to learn of the early gatherings aimed to 'educate' Lucian in their ways.

Neither were surprised by the discovery because earlier investigations performed by the Birmir and other loyal guards to House Vitniryx proved a higher than likely possibility for such talks.

No exact proof found House Hollard and Darklyn breaking Guest Rights in the past, however through deeper investigations, Felix and Marcellus knew if they brought the evidence to Alexios, bloodshed would be unavoidable.

So, the two gathered trusted, loyal Birmir and Guards to watch out for any signs of treason or acts of aggression against the sworn oath amongst those of the two southern Houses.

Both Lords knew the Houses couldn't be hounded nor could they openly accuse them of treason without bloodshed, leaving the only option of acting in the shadows, where House Vitniryx and her allies reigned above all else.

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By the time Jon gained his first aides from Zylas, Lucian finally discovered the perfect item being sold by the System Store for 11,000 System Credits.

The job classification of 'Butler' allowed the Host to endow the gift upon an individual who'd become a highly trained and educated individual with classical means of servitude, and the more modern standards engrained into mindset, personality, and form.

Going by the price, Lucian agreed it was far too valuable to look past, especially when looking further into the combat skills provided by the purchase.

Modern martial arts, mastery of classical weapons and military strategy made up most of the valued price, however the main point of the Butler Job Classification gift meant the individual gained access to a partial System of their own with limited access to the Eternal Dimensional Realm.

Neither Theriena nor Lucian knew what to expect, even when they felt the heartache of spending around 11,000 System Credits or more if they wanted to push ahead some of their grander ideas and projects for both the Shadows Claw and Northern Realm.

In time, the effects of his decisions and actions may spread across Planetos, but Lucian didn't have any ideas to expand his trade of influence and products beyond a specific region of discovered and explored land.

For now, the trade of goods was set only for the Shadows Claw, with food produce being planned for the north through merchant ship, along with metals and other necessary items of stable trade.

Fabric's, fur, trinkets, and equipment for protection sold in high volumes across Westeros, though the cost of crafting increased the price of most goods far too high for commoners to easily purchase.

Through mass production, largely performed within the Eternal Dimensional Realm, Lucian expected the cost of goods to largely decrease and become available to those who greatly require it over those with immense wealth.

Eventually certain goods would only be produced by chosen Houses of the north, ensuring the distribution of wealth and production methods spread, within reason, ensuring a wealthier and stronger northern realm.

To begin, Lucian decided he would spend close to 20,000 System Credits to purchase not just the Butler Job Classification but other items to hasten his influence on Planetos.

However, he continued to procrastinate and worked on himself while the guests of House Vitniryx extended their stay to last the whole month.

During this time, Jon performed admirably performed his duties and much more that was asked of him, which happened to surprise Zylas, who eventually went forth to learn the man greatly contributed to the management of Duskendale as well as the Lord.

Acting as a Castellan and Steward for most of his time in the later half of his life after marriage, Jon's adapted most of his knowledge and skills to perform his knew duties and those at not even asked of him, every so often.

Alexios saw fit to reward Jon, allowing a dozen Knights of House Darklyn and Hollard to begin training alongside the Guards of the Keep.

The Birmir were far out of the question to even be considered right now, which Jon realised fairly early on, but not all would see to reason.

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This led to the first encounter of strife between House Vitniryx and the two southern Houses, with several heavily intoxicated Knights attacked Guards of the Shadows Claw in the town-city.

As it turned out, the Knights were searching for a brothel or tavern, only to find a few young women heading home from the markets to come across their path.

The Knights decided to take what they believed was rightfully theirs and captured the women in their drunken state and rushed into a side alley amongst the densely populated part of Panthera.

Claiming injustice at not receiving training from the Birmir, the Knights tried to gain what they were 'owed' through innocent women of the Shadows Claw.

Thankfully, no harm came to the women as several Birmir and Guards assigned by Felix to track the Knights, quickly caught onto the acts of sin, and captured the assailants.

Within the hour, they were present before Alexios, Jon, Felix, Marcellus, and the few remaining Lords, such as the Skagosi, and those with fiefs on the islands surrounding the Palm Island.

This included Lord Frost of Frostfall Island, having decided to stay back to discuss several projects regarding shipyards on the Palm Island, but this saw the Lord being roped into spontaneous court with the nobility present to act as witness.

Justice handed down by Lord Vitniryx saw the Knights being sent to the Wall to take the Black, and a warning to the southern Houses to closely watch their loyal men and women from breaking the laws of First Men and Shadows Claw.

Swift action from the Lord of the Shadows Claw proved to the visiting Lords there wasn't any extra favour towards the southern Houses seeking refuge on the Shadows Claw after Jon's appointment as steward.

Many also saw this as their chance to remove Jon from this position, however Alexios remained steadfast in his decision and refused to hear the pleas of other Lords.

Most Ladies leading their Houses weren't anywhere near as vocal as their male counterparts, expect for a few who understood the intricacies of politics, northern and southern of the Neck.

This quelled a significant part of the anger felt by the Shadow Claw nobility as they wanted to provide men from their own Houses to serve faithfully to the Shadow Lords.

In the end, they weren't able to remove Jon, as the steward continued to serve House Vitniryx and Lucian after the actions of the Knights loyal and faithfully bound to Houses Darklyn and Hollard.

Lord Frost even chose to assign his second son to council and educate the Heir of the Shadows Claw, along with a retinue of Guards to serve at the orders of the Young Panther.

This led to other Lords offer their own children and kin to act as future council to Lucian, which Alexios accepted happily.

His main reasoning fell on ensuring the Houses of the Shadows Claw began to prepare for winter and their return to the north, through war and inevitable bloodshed.

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While the Lord was pleased, the steward to Lucian could only curse himself for leaving two Houses left in his control largely through marriage and respect, on their own without his direct oversight.

It led to the Knights disregarding his authority and those of their saviours to act against the laws and customs of the land.

He vowed to ensure neither House would not ever step out of line again, promising Alexios his own blade would be stained red by the blood of traitors and lawbreakers.

Jon thanked the Old Gods and New he did not need to unsheathe his sword against those serving his own, with the duties of stewardship keeping the man occupied and those of his House and Darklyn.

Alexios also told the man his duties would increase with more children coming under his purview and management as they would serve at the behest of his son in the future.

Felix and Marcellus lessened their suspicions of the two Houses, gifting certain Knights, servants, guards, and other household members various tasks and responsibilities around the Keep of Panthera in time.

They understood more people were required now to stand by and serve at Lucian's command and that of Jon's for a time.

Most joined Lucian's retinue of guards and servants, but a few entered the household of Vitniryx formally, coming under the control and authority of Alexios, though the responsibility for their care and management remained in Zylas's hands.

The Steward for House Vitniryx moved them onto Lucian's service, yet they underwent stringent training and re-education to serve at the side of their heir in the future.

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While this all went on, Lucian needed to aid Theriena to quell possible tension building up within the Eternal Dimensional Realm.

Each passing day saw more people spawning and adding to the vast lands of the Hidden World, increasing the force ready at a wave of Lucian's hand to support his endeavours.

Unfortunately, the spawning saw many more men and women gathering together to create a fighting militia trained and educated by the Three Knights and Assassin Grandmaestro, but unable to test out their true military strength.

Many voices spoke out to hunt the creatures and beasts found throughout the lands of the Eternal Dimensional Realm, but the Hero Knights and Assassin Grandmaestro spoke out against such actions.

Even Theriena spoke on such matters and forbid the act, stating such moves would cause strife between the hunted creatures and those gone out to test their fighting capabilities.

The Guardian Spirit chose to speak with Lucian regarding the matter, only for the suggestion of Dungeon's to come up between the two.

A suggestion made to search for Dungeons throughout the Eternal Dimensional Realm by Lucian was well received and appreciated by the unruly factions itching to test their fortitude in combat.

And so began the large drive for exploration amongst those trained and educated to find not only creatures and beasts not noted down, but to come across Dungeons of various kinds and attain its valued goods.

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No discoveries were made for the first month or so, but after the second team left from Eden to explore the uncharted lands, a small party full of trained Scouts, Assassins, Knights, Wizards, Witches, and other occupations found the first Dungeon.

None knew what to expect when they came across a portal of sorts in a cave to the side of a mountain valley.

The party came across the cave believing there was a chance of discovering a new vein of ore or something similar of sorts, only for the group to find the swirling portal coloured a charged sky blue, disturbed by the power of lightning.

Not wanted to charge ahead into the Dungeon without some sort of idea what they were diving into, they called on Theriena, who arrived and promptly informed the party it was fine to enter the portal.

But before they entered, Theriena made sure everyone knew a few important facts, "If you hope to rush ahead through the portal, you must understand there are restrictions and dangers up ahead…

They will become known to you all upon entry but be warned… until you have successfully cleared the necessary requirements, death cannot be circumvented...

And a circumvented death, is not one you should ever be grateful for."

Theriena chose not to say anything further on the subject and left the party on their own, starting the march into the unknown.

To their surprise and delight, the party were to face continuous waves of aggressive beasts and creatures, starting from those native to the region closest to the portal gate.

Appearing deep within a formation of caves leading further into the earth, the large party of explorers fought the first wave of aggressive beasts, largely focused around woodland bears, wolves, stags, cheetahs, and other animals native to Earth.

The first wave saw them fight several dozen beasts prepared to kill them where they stood, only for the weapons, skills, and abilities of the party members to prevail.

Luckily for every individual, the Dungeon kept record of each person's contribution to the battle per wave, either through loot gathered from the dead beasts, or ores and gems found littered throughout the cave ceilings and walls.

All of their loot had been recovered automatically by the powers managing the Dungeon, ensuring each individual were noted for their contribution and effort within the confined space of the cave full of beasts out for blood and flesh.

However, it wasn't all fun and games for the unique exploring party…

As each wave of attack found itself completed, a slight tremor would affect the ground, warning those walking deeper into the caves the next wave would begin shortly.

In this particular case, the party felt the tremor for the fifth time, after which the beasts increased in volume, strength and size that the battle for survival became far more difficult to manage.

The end of the sixth wave saw several members of the party dead, yet no corpse remained behind to signify their deaths.

Though nobody questioned the missing bodies because the grief of the losses and adrenaline from combat continued to push them forward until they died off one by one.

When the last person died fighting to his last breath, distraught, and broken mentally, they sudden spawned outside of the cave, surrounded by their party members, each of whom were recovering from the experience of 'death'.

"Hmm… not what I expected…" heard the party, dragging each person of the party away from their self-wallowing.

"W-what the hell was that?!" cursed aloud the noted figured recognised by the party as their informal leader, and the last to leave the Dungeon through their 'death'.

The Wizard Knight leading the party looked around to find only a handful of his companions were able to bring themselves out of the mental grip 'death' exuded upon them.

None showed Theriena any sort of respect or reverence, rather they all felt unbridled anger and fury for having to witness their friends being cut down or savagely slaughtered by the beasts.

No one actually saw the bloodshed drawn by the beasts upon their comrades, but mattered little in front of Theriena, the person they began to associate with their suffering.

The Guardian Spirit also took note of the changing expressions and chose to slice through the tension now, instead of it blowing up back at Eden, attracting the attention of all nearby and present to hear.

"You were told beforehand that the Dungeons weren't all fun and games.

Even death was a real possibility, yet you all still entered into the unknown.

You should all be thankful that the Dungeon Gate wasn't one of the harder trials proposed on its entrants.

If it were, none of you would be alive after the first round." Theriena's cold yet piercing voice broke those free from their stupor who hadn't recovered from the experience within the Dungeon.

Some of younger members of the group who hadn't experienced combat through their own will, found it easier than others to cope through the gruff mental weight affecting them.

Others wanted to crawl next to their mother and father but knew that wasn't possible so far out from Eden, leaving them to rely on comrades and friends.

Theriena felt pity for the whole party, since many appeared quite young and carefree before they entered the Dungeon, only for it to spit them out after it thoroughly broke their mental capacity.

"Y-you s-should have warned us…" stuttered a young witch, her hair unable to keep itself in check as the winds of nature took hold.

She wasn't bothered to care about her lack of appearance, with her anger surfacing to the forefront of her mind and mouth.

Yet, the young witch stopped before cursing the Guardian Spirit of the Hidden World, when she caught sight of the golden eyes burning brighter than the fury of the blazing sun, high up in the ocean blue sky.

"Child," cooly stated Theriena, yet her voice thundered through the air and land, "You believe me to be a God…

I am no such thing… my child.

Rather I am the Guardian destined to protect these vast lands, seas, and airspace, left in my care and supervising, including the life's who live and breathe off those very same lands, such as yourself.

But my powers and abilities as a Guardian Spirit do not gift me the strength to teach you all life lessons and experience necessary to see your life progress forward.

If I intervened when the first 'death' was close to occur, you all would have been oblivious to any future threats or struggles coming your way.

Most likely you would suffer once more, but your minds would settle on the idea someone may save you at the very last minute.

Therefore, I chose to teach you all a hard and cruel point of reality…

Rely on yourself, and you will never suffer depending on others to save you."

Theriena's comments reminded each member of the party they were to fault for their own rash decisions to charge ahead into the Dungeon without knowing the dangers up ahead.

Thankfully, none had to go through true death, and only felt the 'death' that expelled them from the Dungeon and its continuous game of combat torture through waves of bloodthirsty beasts.

"I suggest you all leave from here and return to Eden.

You have already secured plenty of rewards and goods from the Dungeon that can be accessed through the dark pouches strung to your waist."

Nothing more was said by Theriena, leaving behind the party as they found the small black pouches with intricate lace designs, no larger than an apple yet it held plenty of items and goods.

Every member of the party to enter the Dungeon found scores of beast corpses, ores, and gems recovered from the caves they continued to travel down into the Earth, fighting hordes of crazed beasts.

For a time, they cursed the goods as nothing more than a reminder of their actions, but after a while, and with sound reasoning forming in their minds, they decided to return with it all and hopefully gain something from the Eden Guild.

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Thus started the first of many different Dungeon Gate discoveries began, only for a second entrance to be made through an archway of vines from the World Tree sprouting through the ground to create the portals.

They were created towards a newer section of Eden reserved largely for the Guild, and the Explorers that became evermore with the rewards being bountiful, though not without a cost the first time at the very least.

Not matter who, Theriena refused to aid anyone during their first trial into a Dungeon Gate, having come to the firm decision everyone needed to experience their own downfall in the heat of battle, when all was lost, and nothing remained but your emotions.

Never one to live a mortal life, Theriena experienced plenty of mortality through those spawned by the Summoning Square created through the native flora and vines of the World Tree, and in essence 'gifting' Theriena a view of their previous lifetimes.

Those who chose to return and fight once more were advised the Dungeon Gates would increase their difficult for the respective person or group of people returning based on their behaviour previously.

Slight improvements in either the beasts and their movement could be found, or that they were increasing in numbers and strength early on.

Death was possible in the first wave, and nearly proven true a number of times when certain people were ready to fight right away after being expelled from the Dungeon through 'death'.

They were only saved through sheer brilliance of their own or protected by a party member, saving their hide.

Though none dared to enter thrice, knowing full well certain death would occur.

Upon return to Eden, the resources gathered from the Dungeons began to fill up the storehouses of the Guild, eventually requiring Theriena's aide to shift some of the goods to the System Inventory space.

The time taken to process all the goods took up far too much time, especially all the meat from the beasts.

It was edible and highly nutritious to consume, quickly becoming a staple in many kitchens across Eden and the small villages sprouting up in strategic resource points.

Leather and fur became a hot commodity and easily the most funded from the continued hunts through the Dungeons.

Most people would make clothes, shoes, armour, or other such things from the leather, but the furs led to rugs, blankets, hooded cloaks, and far more.

Some of the crafters from different fields gathered to deal with the increase in certain resources, and to find a solution to matter, either through trade in the future or new products.

…

..

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*Ding*

[The first Dungeon Gate has been discovered by inhabitants of the Eternal Dimensional Realm!]

[Individuals to discover each new Dungeon Gate will have their names noted beside the archway entrances sprouting in the established town of Eden]

[Dungeon Gates will reward each entrant with goods, from ores, corpses of the slayed beasts and creatures, mined gems, and much more through the assistance of the System!]

[Weapons, armour, tameable beasts and other goods can be acquired through the Dungeon Gates but only after the entrants have achieved great success during their trials]

[Host will receive a share of the earnings made by each Dungeon entrant through System Credits and Experience Points, recognising the authority and figure to which the Eternal Dimensional Realm is bound]

[Host currently is rewarded:

- 500 System Credits

- 10KG of unrefined Nickel

- 10KG of unrefined Iron

- 10KG of uncut Gems

- 1 Basic Blueprint for smelting and refining ores site

- 1 Basic Forge Blueprint for improved steel, and metal production]

[Rewards may seem very little in comparison since Host isn't entering the Dungeon themselves]

[Once host is able to enter Dungeons themselves, they will receive all the rewards gained through their efforts]

…

..

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Unable to do much besides eating, sleeping, and crawling around the Keep within a limited capacity, Lucian couldn't help but shudder at the realisation Dungeon Gates were his best source of continued income for System Credits.

Completely aware of the danger each Dungeon possessed for every entrant willing to risk their mental health and physical wellbeing, Lucian felt it wasn't wise to force those of the Hidden World to consistently raid Dungeons.

Resentment would rise rapidly if actual death were to occur over some System Credits which weren't anything compared to an actual life able to provide their labour and strength to Eden and the Hidden World as a whole.

So, Lucian wasn't prepared for the notifications each morning for the past few days detailing the rewards collected from the Dungeon Gate raids by those of the Hidden World.

In no way was Lucian bothered by the notifications, rather he couldn't believe Theriena turned their growing issue into a great success that brought material gains alongside monetary ones.

This calmed Lucian significantly, with his worries largely revolved around increasing the ever-low System Credits requiring replenishment to further purchase any other Entertainment Media Source or from a different category.

Within a few days since their original discussion to begin searching for Dungeon Gates, Lucian already received quite a number of rewards from the System's automatic distribution of the goods.

From the System Credits, unrefined ores and uncut gems, Lucian found himself with plenty of materials he couldn't do anything with in his current physical state, leaving it all in Theriena's care and that of the System Inventory.

This included the blueprints, such as the forge, and ore refinement site, designed to appear Medieval, yet the functions came from a renaissance period.

It had slight differences from those originally created and utilised during medieval times, taking up vast open flat fields to ensure the forging of metals and refinement of ores wasn't disturbed by the ever-increasing heat affecting the labourers.

However, the land wasn't left to wither and die away under the intense heat according to the blueprints but rather flourish to create a garden of sorts to turn the dark and grimy workplace into a haven of steel and nature's bounty.

So far, no plans were made to construct the sites from the two blueprints first rewarded to Lucian, when the current smitheries set up in Eden and villages at strategic resource points sufficed for the time being.

With Magiks utilised in part of the refining process, Smiths were able to steadily forge plenty of metal stock to provide the military forces and explorers of the Hidden World, before worrying about those outside the Eternal Dimensional Realm.

Current production capabilities allowed for the produced resources to easily suffice for those presently located within the Eternal Dimensional Realm, but not capable of covering the requirements by forces of Planetos.

Lucian hadn't once called on any of the resources produced from within the Hidden World, knowing full well nobody could do much with the goods in their current forms other than gifted craftsmen wanting to try their hand at new materials.

Even so, a number of the produced materials were stored into the System Inventory for a future date, largely left in the controls of Lucian, who would decide the time to begin influencing change into Planetos.

.

The first blueprints rewarded by the System were sent to the Lost Cubs group, hoping they could construct the sites on Planetos, as the Hidden World wasn't requiring those facilities.

Closer to Lucian's sixth month in the new world, his actions came around the time all the invited nobility began to finally leave the Port of Panthera and returned home.

Lucian noticed his time in the world of Planetos had brought no change or improvements for the people beyond the Lost Cubs group, largely infuriating the babe.

None of the changes appeared like a whole lot for Lucian, however for those it affected immediately, they were forever indebted to those who'd changed their lives for the better.

The first and foremost was basic hygiene practises being enforced across the Port of Panthera before they slowly spread out to other towns, villages, and ports to aid the smallfolk.

Boiled water, while not a major stead forward in the world's technological advancement department, it largely aided the field of medicine and personal health for a population dependent on ale, mead, or other alcoholic substances as a substitute over water.

Sadly, clean water wasn't readily available to the smallfolk, and even nobles found it difficult to find their own suitable source that couldn't be contaminated easily.

So, the practise of boiled water from streams and rivers became accepted by the masses, including the sterilisation of towels and clothing during childbirth, which all came through the female members of the Lost Cubs Group.

All Lucian chose to advance into Panthera came through the Lost Cubs, including the boiled water, making salt from sea water, and surprisingly, ice.

They informed Alexios of these ideas upon their first conversation with the Lord of the Shadows Claw, much to his delight and awe to see new avenues of trade for his people and those on the mainland.

Salt from sea water wouldn't easily begin to show profit for the effort placed into its production, yet gathering ice for long term storages, and sale, could easily begin with the right equipment, and that itself was manageable by Haikren, a well-known Lost Cub.

Glass had also been proposed to Alexios, however specifically constructed facilities needed to be built and operational before it could earn a return on its investment.

The blueprints Lucian continued to provide the Lost Cubs group from the System Rewards were enough to help ease the construction of certain facilities, but it still required wealth and manpower, which wasn't largely available.

On the other hand, labour in other industries such as sea trade, meant the production of salt made from sea water became possible.

This added a strong new revenue for House Vitniryx to hold in their grasp, further securing their reign and that of further generations.

Lucian hoped to have achieve far more for his homeland, but the weight of his physical age being no more than five months made it near impossible to actually cause real progress that he deemed worthy of his own respect and acknowledgement.

Therefore, the actions of the Lost Cubs became his only point of salvation for the Shadows Claw, relying heavily on their expertise, skills, and good nature to convince others of their ideas and projects.

Smallfolk came to appreciate clean and safe water in their homes, easily replacing substances like mead, ale, wine and other unnecessary drinks that were known to harm health and mental faculties of the abuser.

However very few cared for such matters when the small changes brought by the Lost Cubs saw less mothers, daughters, and wives passing away during childbirth due to the lack of hygiene and safe practises to ensure the child and mother were safe.

While fewer deaths helped increase the validity of the practises suggested by the Lost Cubs, it brought about the Lehirai Masters from the Theca to ask for their aid in projects and ideas they'd thought of but unable to construct.

One project proposed by the Lehirai Masters revolved around the medical field, with refined tools and equipment necessary for surgery, something the Theca had long wished to improve and turn into a subject taught to all students if possible.

Death through injury unable to be healed or assessed by the Lehirai was a common cause not only for the Shadows Claw but the world at a whole, where Maesters refused to improve their own skillset over their fear education would lead to a revolt of the current societal period.

They weren't worried for themselves or their order, but rather the knowledge leaving their grasp and aiding those across the Narrow Sea or further beyond to an enemy long favoured against Oldtown.

Though for now, Lucian wouldn't have to concern himself with such matters regarding the Maesters, but rather the Theca and their strong influence across the Shadow Claw, providing noble and commoners alike to study and educate themselves to better their standing in life.

The Lost Cubs Group were heavily involved with the Theca and provided their knowledge and expertise over certain fields and subjects to gain a greater standing in the altered society of the Shadows Claw that happily praised those who brought positive change to the Isle.

Haikren and the members of the group chose to discuss certain projects Lucian deemed worthy of attraction the Theca's attention to initiate and possibly gain their thoughts on, as they had far more knowledge of Shadows Claw, and its people.

They even initiated the very first census of the Shadows Claw thousands of years earlier, and kept up with the practise till now, though it was only conducted every few years to keep track of those calling the Isle their home.

It couldn't be called a true census, but it was enough for the Lehirai and the Lords of the Shadows Claw to know how many were under their leadership and protection.

Even so the information gained through tireless hard work had helped Shadows Claw survive each winter season ever since House Vitniryx claimed the Isle of the Shadows Claw as their home.

Any excess crops were sent to the mainland to support the North when they found themselves unable to provide for smaller villages and towns across the land.

.

Lucian had heard from his father, nannies, and Old Nan Peri about the tale of the Shadows Claws generosity during times of winter, so he asked Haikren and the others to propose fertiliser to his father.

However, the Lost Cubs agreed it was a tough topic to discuss with the Lord of their new home, when the importance of fertiliser would see it become the most demanded item across Westeros and Essos if marketed and traded correctly.

They left the discussion with Alexios to Lucian, realising the project could only come into effect if the Lord of Shadows Claw agreed to collecting faeces of the smallfolk, nobility, and domesticated animals for creating fertiliser.

So, for the foreseeable future, Lucian convinced the Lost Cubs to focus on the creation of paper and ink sustainable enough to rearrange the societal dependency on parchment made from animal skin.

It worked perfectly for the current climate of Planetos, but with Lucian planning to increase his intervention in the stagnant innovation of all fields of knowledge, and craft, paper would find itself at the forefront of demand to catalogue the released discoveries.

The Lost Cubs Group long wanted to introduce paper to Planetos, however they weren't privy to its creation, unlike Lucian who'd refined the process throughout his countless lifetimes across eternity.

Turning wood into watered pulp with certain natural plants could create basic whitish paper, though terribly soft and fairly susceptible to tearing.

Currently, craftsmen were partially focused on creating the necessary equipment for paper, though they followed the designs and suggestions provided by Lucian.

In a past life as a member of a young noble House closely attached to the land as it was their main source of income, Lucian chose to spend part of his youth improving the nature of various methods and processes commonly utilised back on Earth.

At the time, Lucian wasn't concerned with improving the standing of his House, but rather stem his curiosity and boredom, he decided to focus first on refining the paper creation process.

Wood utilised for the pulp was primarily focused on harvesting one particular tree flora, only for Lucian to employ a mixture of half a dozen wood types and plants to eventually produce a surprisingly resilient and tough base to be used in making paper.

The mesh for paper crafting wasn't made from only steel, as it wasn't entirely possibly to produce in large quantity, but an alloy mixture of bronze, iron, brass, and nickel created the perfect metal for papermaking.

It wouldn't easily rust or break apart from numerous usages, leading Lucian to create his first trading company in conjunction with his noble House to greatly produce and sell paper to not only the noble society, but commoners to further their own education and preferred crafts.

Of course, this caused plenty of strife and political issues for his small noble House, however the value of paper quickly stopped those heavily interested in the paper production to stay away unless they wanted nobility to riot out of anger.

Thinking back to his past life, full of limitless wonders and scheming nobility made Lucian wanted to chuckle at how badly he'd left the world before his death, but it mattered little in his current lifetime.

He wasn't the son of a minor noble House but rather the heir to a Great House of the North, standing shoulder to shoulder with House Stark of the Northern Realm to govern the land and protect those under their purview.

While paper wouldn't ideally aid in the protection of those unable to safeguard themselves from harm, hunger, and pain, it would bring about great change to improve the standard of living for all across the Northern Realm.

The first step to went through the Lost Cubs Group who'd started to acquire ores and metals sold by merchants returning to the Port of Panthera after selling their wares across the Narrow Sea or around parts of Westeros.

Certain previous metals and ores purchased or found were quickly taken away by the Lost Cubs as they diligently worked to recreate the alloy metal Lucian informed them about, regarding the production of paper.

Sadly, the time taken to recreate the alloy metal largely took up the remainder of the month, leading into the sixth month of Lucian being birthed into the world of Planetos.

.

..

…

Having caught up with all the progress he'd made since birth and the information gained through silent observation led Lucian to believe the current world of Planetos was far too different than the original timeline of events created by George RR Martin.

He wasn't sure exactly what changes or differences were there from the storyline devised by George RR Martin, it still didn't prevent Lucian from preparing for the most unexpected events he'd come across or those in his employ.