Arya's fingers, gripping the needle, turned white from the force, the sword tip pointing directly at the monster kneeling on the ground.
The biting cold emanating from it made her feel as if her blood was about to freeze.
This was beyond her comprehension.
Dead men revived, obeying commands.
Wasn't this exactly what the bards sang about, the Others who brought endless terror during the Long Night?
She had personally witnessed Lynn burning their corpses when she was at the Wall.
She had also seen Lynn kill Others with his own hands!
And this "thing" looked exactly like those Others!
It was already clear, this was an Other!
Then… Lynn… if he could revive these dead men… what exactly was he?
"Don't be nervous."
Lynn's voice was calm.
He didn't even turn to look at the monster, just walked forward and gently pressed down the sword in Arya's hand.
"It won't hurt you."
"It… what is it?"
Arya's voice trembled slightly.
"A soldier."
Lynn's answer was simple and clear.
"An absolutely loyal, tireless, fearless soldier."
After speaking, Lynn turned around and gave a new command to the Other kneeling on the ground.
"Stand up, go to the weapon rack, and choose a longsword."
The Other stiffly stood up, taking heavy steps towards the weapon rack in the corner of the cave.
It held all sorts of weapons Lynn had collected from various places, from Arakh scimitars to the standard longswords of Westeros knights.
The Other extended its pale, withered hand and picked up a very ordinary knight's longsword.
Its movements were still somewhat stiff, but the moment it gripped the hilt, a strange change occurred.
A certain "aura" of a warrior emanated from it.
"Attack me."
Lynn commanded it, while also casually drawing a longsword from the weapon rack.
"Use all your strength, don't hold back."
Arya's heart leaped into her throat.
Was Lynn crazy?
He was going to fight this monster?
This was an Other!
The Other's eyes, burning with blue flames, flickered.
The next second, it moved!
Fast!
Extremely fast!
That body, which should have been stiff, erupted with agility and strength completely inconsistent with its appearance!
It didn't make any roar, just silently swung the sword in its hand.
That wasn't the wild hacking and slashing of a barbarian, but a set of exquisite, deadly swordplay!
"Clang!"
Swords clashed, sparks flew.
Lynn was forced back half a step by the immense force, a look of surprise appearing on his face for the first time.
Arya's pupils contracted sharply.
She recognized that sword style!
Her teacher, Syrio Forel, had explained it to her.
It was the dual-wielding swordplay of Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning!
Lynn had also practiced it countless times in front of her.
He wielded two swords as if they were extensions of his own arms, offense and defense as one, without any flaws.
And this Other in front of her, although it only used one sword, its moves, footwork, and even every subtle sidestep and dodge, were identical to Lynn's!
It was like… like a shadow of Lynn!
A perfect shadow that felt no pain, no fatigue, and only carried out killing commands!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Inside the cave, the crisp sound of blades colliding was incessant.
The Other's offense was like a storm, each sword strike faster than the last, each heavier than the last.
It didn't need to defend at all; the Other's body allowed it to completely ignore attacks from ordinary blades, and every parry it made was in preparation for an even fiercer attack.
Lynn, from his initial probing, gradually became serious.
He no longer held back, unleashing his swordplay to its fullest.
For a moment, sword light flashed in the cave, and the two figures moved so fast they were almost indistinguishable, only the dense, rain-like clashing of weapons could be heard.
Arya watched, dumbfounded.
She knew Lynn was strong, but she had never imagined that Lynn could "create" another monster as strong as himself!
"Switch to a greatsword."
Lynn kicked the Other in the chest, forcing it back, and gave a new command.
The Other didn't hesitate, dropping the longsword and picking up a two-handed greatsword, like the one Ser Rodrik typically used, from the weapon rack.
That sword was incredibly heavy for ordinary people, but in its hand, it seemed weightless.
Lynn also switched to a similar greatsword.
The battle erupted again.
If the previous sword fight was a clash of dexterity and speed, then now, it was a pure overwhelming display of strength and skill!
Each swing of the greatsword carried a whistling sound that tore through the air.
The Other's greatsword technique was expansive and powerful, full of the bravery and ferocity of a Northern warrior, exactly Ser Rodrik's style!
Lynn even ordered it to pick up a lance and demonstrate Ser Garlan's charge technique, which could pierce through anything.
The result was the same.
Perfect replication!
Arya was completely numb.
She looked at the tireless monster, then at Lynn, whose forehead was already lightly beaded with sweat.
A chilling thought surfaced in her mind.
What if… what if Lynn created hundreds or thousands of such monsters?
What kind of army would that be?
A legion composed of countless "Swords of the Morning"?
Who in the Seven Kingdoms could resist?
No, even the Targaryen dragons, facing such an army of dead men on the ground who feared no death, would probably meet their end on the spot!
Why do ordinary people struggle to improve their sword skills?
It's because during practice, both parties cannot go all out, fearing they might injure the other.
And with such concerns, it's difficult to improve one's skill.
But the Others were different.
Lynn instilled in it the memories of historically famous warriors, far beyond what those hothouse flowers could ever hope to compare with.
To contend with such an enemy was undoubtedly a terrifying prospect.
The test concluded, and Lynn instructed the Other to return to its kneeling position in the corner.
He walked over to Arya, looking at her small face, which was filled with shock and fear, and asked softly.
"Now, do you still think it's just a monster?"
Arya remained silent for a long time before shaking her head with difficulty.
A monster?
No, this was a weapon.
It was Lynn's most terrifying and deadliest weapon.
She finally understood why Lynn had the confidence to say those words, why he dared to formulate that crazy plan.
Because he held a trump card capable of overturning the entire chessboard!
"You… who exactly are you?"
Arya finally asked the question that had been swirling in her mind for a long time.
"They say the Long Night is coming, and the Others are the enemies of all living things."
She looked up, her gray eyes fixed on Lynn.
"But you… you are the Night King, aren't you?"
Lynn did not evade.
He looked into Arya's eyes.
In those eyes, there was fear, there was confusion, but more than that, there was an urgent desire to know the answer.
Lynn reached out and gently stroked her cheek.
"I am not the Night King."
"But I possess similar powers to him."
"Arya, do you remember what I told you about my origin?"
Arya nodded.
Lynn had told her that he came from a continent even more distant than Essos, far to the east.
A world without magic, without dragons, and without Others.
"My power comes from the gods of that world."
"It gave me the ability to gain an enemy's power by killing them."
"And when I killed the first Other, I gained… the ability to create them."
Lynn's voice was calm, as if he were recounting a trivial matter.
Lynn held Arya's cold hand and placed it on his chest.
"I've been wondering whether I should tell you all of this."
"This is my biggest secret, enough to make the whole world see me as a true devil."
"But…"
Lynn's gaze became incredibly gentle.
"You are my wife."
"You have the right to know everything about me, good or bad."
Arya's heart gave a sudden tremor.
The coldness brought by fear at that moment was melted by a warmer, stronger force.
Yes.
He was her husband.
Whether he was human, god, or devil.
He was the man who held her in his arms and promised her a lifetime.
All his secrets, all his power, ultimately pointed to one goal.
To survive.
To protect those he wanted to protect.
And she was one of the people he most wanted to protect.
The chaotic thoughts in her mind about the Night King and enemies suddenly cleared at this moment.
Enemies?
Who were the enemies?
Those who wanted to harm Lynn, who wanted to harm her family, those were the enemies!
As for what power Lynn used.
Whether it was swords, dragons, or these… armies of the dead.
What did it matter?
Arya clasped Lynn's hand tightly in return.
Not only did she not feel afraid, but an unprecedented sense of security arose within her.
Her man was the strongest and most reliable man in this world.
"I understand."
Arya looked up, all fear and confusion gone from her face, replaced by a determination identical to Lynn's.
"Since they are soldiers, they also need names."
"From now on, let's call them the 'Winter Wight Legion'."
Lynn smiled.
He knew that his little wolf girl had completely accepted all of this… Lynn had created ten Others here.
Each one possessed the ability to kill Jaime Lannister.
Of course, this was a huge drain on Lynn.
Thinking that he would need his mental energy for the war in a few days, Lynn decided against creating more Others.
When Lynn and Arya walked out of the cave, the army outside had already assembled.
Tens of thousands of wildling soldiers, hundreds of giants and mammoths, formed an army.
Everyone's gaze was focused on Lynn.
Lynn, holding Arya's hand, walked up to the highest watchtower of Dragonstone.
He looked down at the faces below, each filled with fanaticism and adoration.
"My brothers! My warriors!"
Lynn's voice echoed through the entire military town in the cold wind.
"Those nobles in the South, who call themselves civilized, call us wildlings!"
"They look down on us, despise us, and think we are savages who eat raw meat and drink blood!"
"They cut off our food, wanting to starve us to death in this icy wasteland!"
"And now, we are going South!"
"To tell those fools who the true masters of this continent are!"
"Roar—!"
A roaring sound, like mountains and seas, erupted from the army formation below, making eardrums vibrate.
Wildlings didn't understand political relations, but whoever Lynn told them to attack, these wildlings would attack, it was that simple.
Communication with them had to be simple and direct.
That way, they would understand.
Lynn didn't stop; he continued to use his inflammatory language to ignite the fire in the heart of every wildling warrior.
"To let our enemies experience the warmth from the North in advance!"
Lynn slowly took out an ancient and massive horn from his embrace.
The horn was made entirely of some unknown pale material, its surface covered with strange runes, exuding a desolate chill from ancient times.
The horn of winter!
Lynn had always kept it as a collectible before.
Now, with war imminent, it was time to bring it out.
"Today, I will summon a new comrade for you all!"
"A giant from the Land of Always Winter!"
Lynn raised the horn to his lips and took a deep breath.
"Woooo—woooo—woooo—"
A desolate, ancient horn sound, as if from the end of the world, echoed through the sky.
There was no killing intent in the sound, but it carried an absolute coldness capable of freezing the soul.
The sky seemed to darken at that moment.
The wind stopped, and the snow also stopped.
The entire world fell into a deadly silence.
Everyone held their breath, they could feel that something incredibly terrifying, incredibly grand, was awakening from its slumber.
The ground began to shake violently!
On the empty snowfield in front of the military town, the earth suddenly arched upwards into a giant mound!
Countless massive ice spikes burst from underground, growing, intertwining, and coalescing madly!
A figure of unimaginable size was slowly rising from the ice and earth!
Its body was entirely composed of the purest ice, crystal clear yet indestructible.
At its joints, deep blue soul fire burned.
Its height exceeded fifteen meters!
It was more than three times taller than the tallest giant in the army formation!
It was like a moving iceberg!
Just standing there, the oppressive aura of supremacy was enough to make all things submit!
Ice Giant!!!
Everyone was stunned.
Tormund's mouth hung open, his wineskin falling to the ground unnoticed.
Even those arrogant giants now looked up, gazing at their much larger kin, their eyes filled with primal awe.
The Ice Giant lowered its head, composed of countless ice crystals, its huge eyes burning with blue flames, looking towards Lynn on the watchtower.
It slowly knelt on one knee.
With a voice that could make mountains tremble, it declared its submission to its summoner.
"Roar—!"
Arya gripped Lynn's hand tightly, looking at the miraculous scene before her, her heart devoid of any fear.
Only endless heroism and fighting spirit remained.
She turned to look at her husband.
Lynn met her gaze, a confident smile on his face.
"Not worried now, are you?"
"Your husband is much stronger than you imagine!"
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