In the hollow, there was a deathly silence.
Only the crackling of the bonfire and the heavy breathing of the people could be heard.
Everyone seemed to be frozen, staring blankly at the figure standing in the center of the clearing.
Lynn.
He held longclaw, his body covered in glistening Ice Magic shards that sparkled in the firelight.
What just happened?
That dead man, immune to blades, almost invincible... just... gone?
Shattered by their commander's single sword strike?
"Won... won?"
A young Ranger stammered out two words, his voice trembling.
"We... won!"
"Our Lord won!"
Someone shouted it out first.
The next second.
"Oh—!!!"
"Our Lord is mighty!"
"Long live Lord Lynn!"
Deafening cheers, like a landslide and a tsunami, erupted in the silent hollow!
The euphoria of surviving a disaster and the adoration for a strong individual completely ignited the emotions of all the soldiers at this moment.
They threw away their weapons and rushed madly towards Lynn.
"The Old Gods above!!"
"Simply incredible!"
Toren and Jason's faces were also filled with fanaticism.
They looked at Lynn, who was being tossed into the air by the crowd, their eyes full of undisguised worship.
This battle completely overturned their understanding.
It also firmly established Lynn's god-like status in their hearts.
They had seen with their own eyes how fragile warriors were against that terrifying Other.
Yet, such a terrifying creature was shattered by Lynn's single sword strike!
He was simply too strong!
Arya held the warm dragon egg, watching Lynn surrounded by the crowd.
Her gray eyes shone as if they held the entire starry sky.
Her small face was full of pride and joy.
Look!
That's my Lynn!
He's more powerful than any hero in the stories!
After Lynn was put down by the crowd, his chest was still heaving violently.
That battle just now had almost exhausted all his physical and mental strength.
Especially that last move, which seemed effortless but was in fact extremely dangerous.
If that Other had reacted a little faster, or if there had been even the slightest error in his rudimentary understanding of Ice Magic.
Then, it would be his own body, split in half, lying on the ground now.
It was still too much.
His current strength was enough to deal with wights.
But against an Other, it was still a bit lacking.
Lynn's gaze fell on his attribute panel.
[Killed Other x1, Experience +100]
One hundred experience points!
An Other actually gave one hundred experience points!
It was a huge gain!
High risk, high reward!
A bold idea also formed in Lynn's mind.
If only he could mass-produce Others.
Whether it was for doing some shady business or for gaining experience by creating his own Others, it seemed like a good choice.
However, the system clearly stated that they were hostile creatures.
This path might not work, but he should try it anyway.
Lynn decided to put all his experience points into Ice Magic next!
To see if it would bring about any earth-shattering changes!
Lynn suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, his face returning to its usual calm.
He raised longclaw in his hand and shouted loudly:
"Clear the battlefield!"
"Gather the bodies of our fallen brothers, burn them with fire, and don't let them turn into wights!"
"Then, break camp immediately!"
"We're going home!"
"Home!"
The soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers again... The journey back was no longer filled with the previous oppression and tension.
Instead, there was a high morale and a heartfelt pride.
They, this expeditionary force of one hundred and fifty men.
Had killed a legendary Other!
Even though they didn't do much.
But this glorious achievement made every one of them stand tall.
And their gazes towards their commander became even more fervent.
Lynn didn't pay attention to the fanatical looks from his subordinates.
Most of his time was spent studying the dragon egg in his arms.
Ever since it absorbed the power of ice and fire, the dragon egg had remained in a warm state.
Lynn could clearly feel its internal heartbeat growing stronger.
The sense of filial affection emanating from it also became clearer.
It was growing.
It was eager to hatch.
He had to find a suitable "delivery room" for it.
Moreover, feeding a dragon was also a challenge.
Although dragons could hunt fish in the ocean or livestock on the grasslands by themselves.
But the North was sparsely populated, and livestock was the lifeblood of every fiefdom.
He couldn't very well make small moves under the nose of his superior.
If he were to exchange gold for livestock to feed the dragon, with the dragon's enormous size, it would probably bankrupt him.
Lynn's gaze deepened.
It seemed that the location of his fiefdom was crucial.
At the very least, it had to ensure the acquisition of wealth.
Time passed in Lynn's contemplation... When the familiar black silhouette reappeared on the horizon, the entire team erupted in cheers.
On the city wall, the Night's Watch lookout also spotted them.
"Lynn is back!"
"Quick! Go report to the Lord Commander!"
The news spread like wildfire throughout Castle Black.
When Lynn led the team through the dark tunnel and into the castle courtyard, almost all the Night's Watch were gathered there.
Jeor Mormont, Maester Aemon, Jon Snow... everyone stood there.
"Lynn!"
Lord Commander Mormont was the first to greet him.
He scrutinized Lynn, and seeing him safe and sound, a look of relief appeared on his aged face.
"You... are back."
"Yes, Lord Commander."
Lynn dismounted and bowed slightly to Mormont.
"As you can see, we are back."
Mormont's gaze swept over the energetic and high-spirited soldiers behind Lynn.
His heart was filled with questions.
They had only been out for a few days?
How had the demeanor of this team changed so completely?
"What's the situation?"
Mormont asked in a low voice.
"Did you find that place?"
"Found it." Lynn nodded.
"Then... what about the key to fighting the Others, the Old Gods' blessed item, that the human skin map spoke of?"
Mormont's voice held a hint of barely concealed anticipation.
Lynn hadn't had a chance to answer yet.
A sharp, sarcastic voice rang out from the side.
"Hmph, looking at his empty hands, I knew he returned empty-handed."
Alliser Thorne stepped out from the crowd, a gloating sneer on his face.
"I said it, all this talk of the Old Gods' guidance, prophecies, it's all deceptive nonsense!"
"Lord Commander, you shouldn't have believed him!"
"Letting him take one hundred and fifty brothers to their deaths!"
Thorne's voice was loud, intentionally letting everyone around hear it.
He wanted to expose Lynn's "lie" in front of everyone and make him lose face.
But the other Night's Watch members remained silent.
It was just a temporary setback, and besides, hadn't all the men Lynn took out returned alive?
They could just go look again.
Toren and Jason and the others heard Thorne's criticism and immediately became furious.
They were about to draw their swords on the spot.
But Lynn raised a hand to stop them.
He looked at the jumping Thorne as if he were watching a comical clown.
"Ser Thorne."
Lynn's voice was calm.
"Who told you I came back empty-handed?"
"Oh?" Thorne raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.
"Then what did you find? A few glowing stones? Or a talking branch?"
A few of his cronies behind him burst into laughter.
Lynn ignored him.
He simply turned around and carefully took the object wrapped in thick animal hide from Arya's arms.
Then, in front of everyone.
He peeled back the animal hide, layer by layer.