The headless corpse twitched a few times in the snow, then fell still.
Warm blood sprayed from the severed neck, staining the surrounding white a shocking crimson.
The courtyard was dead silent.
Only the head, which had rolled to a stop nearby, silently bore witness to what had just occurred.
Every brother of the Night's Watch held his breath.
They looked at the figure standing with sword in hand, their eyes filled with a complexity of emotion that words could not capture.
Alliser Thorne.
The Master-at-Arms who had lorded over Castle Black, the bitter knight who had made countless recruits grind their teeth in hatred.
He was just... dead.
Killed by the very man he despised the most.
And he died clearly, his crimes exposed, his punishment deserved.
Lynn slowly sheathed his sword.
The blade of Longclaw was spotless. It was as if Valyrian steel naturally repelled filth.
He glanced at the head on the ground, its eyes still wide in death, his face devoid of expression.
[Slain Alliser Thorne. Experience +10]
Damn it. Only 10 points?
The bastard is as stingy in death as he was in life.
Lynn cursed silently.
But he knew the true value of killing Thorne wasn't in the paltry experience points.
It was in the declaration of his authority, made in the most direct, Northern way possible.
From this day forward, no voice at Castle Black would dare speak against him.
"Clean this up."
Lynn's voice broke the suffocating silence.
Two brothers immediately stepped forward, dragging away Thorne's body and head with quick efficiency. Soon, a steward was covering the bloodstains with fresh snow.
It was as if nothing had happened.
But everyone knew that everything had changed.
Jeor Mormont walked up to Lynn's side.
He looked at the young man, a relieved smile appearing on his weathered face.
"Well done, Lynn."
He clapped a heavy hand on Lynn's shoulder.
"You are more suited to command than I imagined."
Lynn bowed slightly.
"It was you who gave me the opportunity, Lord Commander."
"No."
Mormont shook his head.
"You seized the opportunity yourself."
He looked at the wolf-pommeled sword at Lynn's hip, his gaze growing distant.
"I am old."
"The Night's Watch needs a new leader."
"A younger leader."
Mormont's eyes returned to Lynn, filled with trust and expectation.
"Lynn, I hope you can be that man."
Lynn's heart skipped a beat.
He knew exactly what Mormont was implying.
The Old Bear was practically designating him as his successor.
"My Lord, I..."
"Don't answer me now."
Mormont waved his hand.
"You have a long road ahead of you."
"Go to King's Landing first. Complete your ranging."
"This old man can hold the Wall a while longer."
"Go help Eddard Stark. Stabilize the South."
"Then find us allies to fight the Others!"
Lynn took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
He understood the need to unite every force he could.
"As you command, Lord Commander."
---
News of Thorne's death spread to every corner of Castle Black like wildfire.
Those who had once followed Thorne, cheering his cruelty, now hid in their barracks like tortoises, afraid to even show their faces.
Meanwhile, the recruits around Jon Snow—Grenn and Pyp—after witnessing everything firsthand, adopted a fanatical attitude toward Lynn.
They sweated in the training yard, drilling harder than ever before.
Lynn had shown them, in the most direct way possible, that in this place, only absolute strength earned respect.
And Lynn was the perfect example.
Jon watched all of this with mixed feelings.
He had watched Lynn go from a prisoner branded a "deserter" to this position of power in just a few short months.
With his wits and strength, Lynn had won everyone's respect and even grasped the reins of power at Castle Black.
And Jon?
He was still "Lord Snow," the boy who needed protecting and guidance.
The vast gap made Jon feel a sense of powerlessness, but it also ignited a stronger fighting spirit within him.
He wanted to be strong, too!
He wanted to be like Lynn—a warrior who could stand on his own and protect those he cared about!
---
That night.
In Lynn's quarters, the hearth fire was roaring.
He carefully placed the ice-blue dragon egg in the warmest spot before the flames.
He could clearly feel the life force within growing stronger, the heartbeat steady and powerful. It was greedily absorbing the heat, thriving on it.
Lynn sat cross-legged on his bed and opened his attribute panel.
Name: Lynn
Strength: 6 (99%)
Agility: 5 (53%)
Constitution: 5 (25%)
[One-Handed Sword (Expert) 0/1000]
[Light Sword (Mastery) 160/500]
[Riding (Proficient) 1/100]
[Unarmed Combat (Mastery) 0/500]
[Archery (Proficient) 0/100]
[Herbalism (Proficient) 0/100]
[Ice Magic (Novice) 1/10]
Remaining Experience: 301
Torrhen's squad had cleared out a few more bands of Wildlings. Combined with the rewards for killing the White Walker, the wights, and Thorne, plus his previous balance of 64, his total experience now stood at 301 points.
Furthermore, through constant training in his downtime, his Strength was on the verge of breaking through to 7, with Agility and Constitution also seeing gains.
Once his Strength hit 7, it would be the perfect time to return to Winterfell to visit Bran. He could also ask Ser Rodrik for instruction in the greatsword, adding another weapon to his arsenal.
But right now, the biggest prize was the brand-new skill on his panel: [Ice Magic].
Just thinking about it made Lynn's blood run hot.
This was magic!
Mastering magic meant mastering supernatural power.
Though it was only at the Novice level now, with enough experience points, reaching the pinnacle was only a matter of time.
"System, dump all experience points into Ice Magic."
[Experience -301]
[Ice Magic (Mastery) 192/500]
A surge of cold, pure energy flooded Lynn's limbs and bones.
His perception and control over the element of ice elevated several tiers in an instant.
He could even feel the moisture in the air condensing slightly in response to his will.
Lynn extended his palm.
With a thought, a rose made of ice crystals bloomed silently in his hand.
The petals were translucent, refracting the firelight in dreamlike hues.
This was just basic shaping. Easy enough to master.
Lynn's gaze sharpened, and the rose instantly dissolved into three slender ice needles, hovering at his fingertips.
"Go!"
The needles pierced the air, silently embedding themselves into the wooden wall opposite him.
Thwip, thwip, thwip.
Three tiny, almost invisible holes appeared, surrounded by a thin layer of frost.
Good power. Perfect for a stealth attack.
Lynn had another idea. He channeled the cold energy in his body, gathering it in his left arm.
Crack...
A layer of ice, thin as a cicada's wing, rapidly surfaced from beneath his skin, covering his entire arm. It shimmered with a diamond-like luster in the firelight.
He made a fist with his right hand and punched his left arm hard.
Thud!
A dull sound.
His arm felt as hard as steel; his knuckles, on the other hand, stung from the impact.
Incredible defense!
If he could cover his whole body, wouldn't that be a suit of living ice armor?
Lynn grew more excited.
A bolder idea surfaced.
The Night King could turn the dead into wights. Now that he mastered Ice Magic, could he do the same?
Using "researching wights" as an excuse, he had requested Thorne's body from Mormont.
Now, Thorne's headless corpse lay in the corner of the room.
Lynn walked over to the body, took a deep breath, and pressed his hand against the cold chest.
He slowly injected the power of his Ice Magic.
Thorne's body jerked stiffly and rose from the floor.
Then... it stood there, motionless as a statue, like an obedient puppet.
Lynn tried giving a few simple commands.
Despite lacking a head, it could walk, turn, and throw a punch with meticulous obedience.
It worked!
Lynn felt a rush of joy, but then frowned.
This wight seemed dim-witted. Its combat effectiveness would likely be pitiful.
More importantly...
Could he farm it for experience?
Lynn drew Longclaw and, without hesitation, slashed downwards.
Thorne's corpse made no move to defend itself. As it collapsed, Lynn checked the System panel.
The experience points hadn't budged.
"It seems wights count as 'friendly units.' No XP for killing them."
Lynn cursed under his breath.
That path was a dead end. The System wouldn't let him exploit a glitch.
Still, using untraceable "servants" to do dirty work wasn't a bad option.
After casting several spells in a row, a deep exhaustion washed over him. It felt like he hadn't slept for days.
The magic was powerful, but the cost was high. For now, it would have to remain a trump card.
Lynn stood up and pushed open the window.
The cold night wind rushed in, clearing his head.
He looked at the Wall in the distance, shining like a silver dragon under the moonlight, then back at the dragon egg radiating faint heat by the fire.
He possessed the most extreme, most powerful forces in the world.
Who in this world could stop him now?
A fire burned in Lynn's eyes like never before.
Lord Commander of the Night's Watch?
King in the North?
No.
What he wanted was that chair made of a thousand melted swords. The Iron Throne.
He would become the sole ruler of this continent.
"My Lord."
Torrhen's voice came from outside the door, interrupting Lynn's thoughts.
"The preparations are complete."
"We can march South whenever you are ready."
Lynn pulled back his gaze, crushed the ice rose in his hand into glittering dust, and let it drift away.
"Good."
"Torrhen, pass on an order for me. While I am away from the Wall, have the brothers collect any 'blessed items' they find."
"I only need one of each type. Let them keep the rest to improve their own strength."
Shortly after Torrhen left, a gentle knock came at the door.
It was the blind Maester Aemon.
Lynn opened the door and helped the old man inside.
He had come alone, without the aid of a steward.
"Lynn..."
"I have come for the dragon egg."
---