Chapter 26: It’s Hunting Time

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  The moon hung heavy above Kingswood, casting a pale glow over the forest. Viserion's scales gleamed like liquid gold as she moved, dartiweerees with a lethal grace that was mesmerizing, her wings fpping.

  Her form flickered between shadow and light, her presence a force that the forest seemed to aowledge if not ht fear. Animals scattered before her—boars, deer, bears—all fleeing the huhat had no rival.

  I watched from a distance, leaning against an old oak, my gaze fixed on her form. There was something hypnoti the way she moved, the way her muscles rippled beh her shining scales. She was stronger now and also more dangerous. “Dany’s dragons don’t stand a ce,” I scoffed to myself.

  A, a worry twisted inside me, a nagging thought at the bay mind. How long until she became something even I couldn't trol?

  That robably a needless wiven that the System allowed me to see her mi, but still…

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  Dragon Ma System [S]

  You manage your dragons here. You see their location, hunger rate, and also their respect toward you. You currently own [1] Dragon, ‘Viserion’.

  Location: Kingswood, nds, Westeros.Hunger: 98%Respect: 94%

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  It was 93% ba King’s Landing, and now it’d grown to 94%. Thanks to this page, I could tell when to give in to her whims to raise that pertage. So as long as I kept my eyes open, I should be able to avoid her from fleeing from my side.

  Viserion wasn’t fully satiated yet, though. So she was still hunting. She let out a low, guttural growl, smming into a bear. The beast barely had time to react before her teeth sank deep, a roar turning into a strangled silehe ground trembled with each beat of her wings.

  [You’ve leveled up!]

  I watched with a small smile. My dragon, my power—a fragment of Old Valyria’s glory. It was only a matter of time before I quered this nd.

  But I wasn’t here just to watch. I had my own pns tonight.

  Quietly, I turned and slipped into the underbrush, letting the forest swallow me. My steps were light, my senses sharp, every rustle of the leaves and crack of a branch heightened in my ears. The night was alive to all my senses, filled with the scurry of creatures, the distant snapping of twigs, and the subtle breaths of animals moving cautiously in the dark.

  “Grgh…” A boar emerged from the shadows, its tusks catg the moonlight, its small, dark eyes sing the surroundings. I stilled myself, bringing out a spear in my hand. I hesitated, and then I deposited the spear bato the Iory. I should test my strength.

  The boar roared and charged. I positioned myself to tackle it. With one swift movement, my fist found its mark, smmiween its eyes. The impact resounded across the area, making the leaves tremble. The boar let out a shrill squeal before colpsing, and satisfa flooded through me.

  [You’ve killed a boar.]

  [You’ve received experience points.]

  The notifications blinked before my eyes, but I wasn’t dohere was more prey in these woods, and I po push myself further. I moved on, finding a stag, its antlers spread like a . It charged at me, but I dodged to the side, adrenaline surging through my veins. Orike. Then another.

  Its horn shattered first, and its skull split .

  [You’ve killed a stag.]

  [You’ve received experience points.]

  The stag crumpled to the ground, the weight of its body nding with a finality that echoed in the silence around me. My breath came in short bursts, not because I was tired but because I’d been nervous. It was a fearsome foe. My muscles were taut, and my heart was hammering in my chest.

  “Whew,” I breathed out and ughed a little. This was good. I was strong, much strohan an average man. “Not yet on the level of the Mountain, I think?” I muttered.

  [Your dragon, Viserion, has killed an Ash Wolf.]

  [Your dragon, Viserion, has killed an Ash Wolf.]

  [Your dragon, Viserion, has killed an Ash Wolf.]

  [Your dragon, Viserion, has killed an Ash Wolf.]

  [Your dragon, Viserion...]

  [.....]

  “Looks like she found a whole pack.”

  I watched the notifications tinue.

  [.....]

  [You’ve received experience points.]

  [You’ve received experience points.]

  [You’ve received experience points.]

  [You’ve leveled up!]

  [You’ve reached Level 20!]

  [Your Old Valyrian blood has strengthened.]

  [Your levels are close to a breakthrough…!]

  Something shifted in the air. The forest seemed to hold its breath. I blinked, my gaze growing sharper somehow. The night grew less dark, and I could see better. Before I could fully register what was happening, the night went bright, this time not because I could see better but because of something else. My head so Viserion.

  She had paused, her eyes narrowed, and her body began to glow. Bright, blinding gold light spilled out from her scales, turning the night into day. The glow was almost too intense, and I felt a pang of arm. She was too exposed, too visible.

  “Viserion!” I shouted, breaking into a sprint toward her. The light hurt my eyes as I got closer. “Stop it!” She looked at me, her gaze defiant. I could see it—she didn’t want to listen.

  “Stop it,” I repeated, softer, but the and in my voice was stronger. She locked eyes with me, golden light staring at me. She let out a low growl, but the light began to fade, slowly until only the soft glow of moonlight remained.

  I let out a breath, my shoulders rexing. She owerful—more powerful than I had realized, and she was gaining more powers. “Since when did dragons bee light bulbs?” Thankfully she still listeo me…

  [Your Old Valyrian blood has strengthened.]

  Was it because of this? I thought I’d o shout a few more times. Also, the night was still clearer, the darkness less stifling to my eyes. My gaze caught a small movement—a rabbit, poised to flee. I watched, sensing its tension, predig its path before it even moved.

  Everything seemed sharper. The world was slowing down around me, eaent and sound standing out. Thankfully, I was gaining powers too. Real power. Not just the strength of a dragon but my own—growing, evolving, being something more.

  Enough to beat the shit out of this lizard if she grew too rebellious someday.

  ****

  The night hung heavy around the Kingswood now that Viserion wasn't spewing fire everywhere. A darkhat seemed to swallow everything, not just in sight but also in sound and presenbsp;

  So it was easy to pick up any odd sounds. I’d barely had time to prepare myself when I heard it—the distant rustle of leaves, muffled voices, and the unmistakable rhythm of approag hooves.

  “Oh, shit.” I cursed under my breath and quickly turowards Viserion. The dragon, who’d been half-curled he treeline, her wings folded zily, snapped her head up at my urgency.

  “Into the subspace,” I muttered, pressing my hand against her scales. Her eyes narrowed at me, the golden glow flickering for a moment, almost as if she were rolling them.

  “Fine…” But thankfully, she obeyed, her form slithering into the bck cra the air that was the [House ons]. She disappeared entirely bato whatever dimension it was.

  I turned, breathing out, schooling my features just as the riders emerged into view. Who the fuck is it?

  Hopefully, not Joffrey. He'd make things difficult for me, and since he had a big group with him, I'd not be able just to kill him here. I knew my limits from fighting the beasts here, and I wasn't a one-man army yet.

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  Author Note: Currently moving houses in a whole different city. In the new house as I write this note, but everything is a mess, holding the ptop on hand to type this sihere’s no space. This week will be really hectic. So probably there’ll be less chapters than usual.