As the number of members in the "Just Here for the Memes" discord group grew, surpassing 300, the registration count on the official website also climbed to 164.
Viserys was grinning from ear to ear.
After all, Illyrio's guard—the Unsullied—numbered only thirty.
If the Magister ever decided to turn hostile in the future, it would be 170 Players vs. 30 Unsullied. The advantage was clearly on Viserys's side.
Meanwhile, the Hour of the Owl arrived. Mouse_Is_Duck, who had been resting to build up energy, slowly opened his eyes.
Mimicking the assassins he'd seen in movies, Mouse wrapped his short dagger in a piece of black cloth to prevent reflection. He pulled up his hood, hiding his face in shadows, and tiptoed out of his room.
Stepping into the courtyard, he noticed the Unsullied guards from the daytime were gone. The only sounds were the chirping of insects breaking the silence.
Recalling the route he had memorized during the day, Mouse hugged the walls and slipped out of the courtyard.
To his surprise, unlike the stealth games he imagined where guards would patrol with torches, he sneaked all the way to the suspicious kitchen without encountering a single soul.
"Not a ghost in sight the whole way, but two guards posted right at the kitchen door? If there isn't something shady in there, I'll eat my dagger!"
Seeing the two Unsullied standing like statues with torches at the kitchen entrance, Mouse was convinced. The intelligence he needed to complete his quest was definitely inside.
He looked around and hid back around the corner. If this were Assassin's Creed, he would have already charged in and chain-killed them.
Unfortunately, this game was too realistic. With his weak stats, Mouse knew that even if he spent all his Kingdom Coins and used up his two free respawns, he wouldn't stand a chance against fully armored guards with spears.
Mouse took his time circling the kitchen area. Eventually, he found a low wall he could climb.
Out of caution, Mouse took a stone from his pocket and tossed it over the wall.
Clack.
He listened to the sound of the stone hitting the ground. After waiting a while and confirming no one shouted, Mouse backed up, took a running start, and scrambled up the wall.
As soon as he landed, he scanned his surroundings and rolled behind a cart used for hauling slop buckets, blending his black outfit into the shadows.
Holding his nose against the stench, Mouse squinted into the darkness.
Since the in-game characters had the same physical traits as modern humans, and lacking night blindness, Mouse could vaguely make out his surroundings.
Creeeeak.
The sound of the wooden door opening set Mouse's teeth on edge, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. Fortunately, the room inside was pitch black and appeared empty.
Mouse pulled out a match-like fire starter he had borrowed from the Pyromancer players earlier and struck it.
A small flame sparked to life, and Mouse used the dim light to inspect the room.
The kitchen was cluttered with cooking utensils and sacks of ingredients prepared for tomorrow.
Nothing seemed suspicious at first glance, but Mouse was convinced this was like those TV shows where there was a secret compartment.
He started touching walls and turning objects, sweating buckets as he searched the kitchen, but found absolutely nothing.
"Is it not in the kitchen?" Mouse questioned himself, his confidence wavering. Could it be in the warehouse?
He had already scouted the courtyard. Besides the kitchen, the only other structure that could hide things or people was the warehouse.
Gripping his cloth-wrapped dagger, Mouse took one last look around the kitchen, then turned to leave.
"F!"
The moment Mouse turned around, a rusty axe swung out of the darkness, illuminated briefly by the dying flame of his match.
Unable to dodge in time, Mouse watched helplessly as the axe cleaved directly into his face.
The attacker struck with such force that Mouse's lower jaw and half his mouth were sheared clean off.
Mouse collapsed to the ground, but the attacker didn't stop. He swung the axe again and again to ensure the kill.
After four or five hacks, the attacker stopped, panting heavily, and melted back into the shadows.
A moment later, seeing no reaction from the corpse, a flame lit up in the darkness.
In the flickering light, the attacker was revealed to be the butcher who had glared at Mouse earlier that day.
Tossing the axe aside, the butcher prepared to dispose of the body. He sniffed, and just as he leaned in, something impossible happened.
SNAP!
The corpse stood up!
Mouse's neck, which had been hacked almost to his shoulder, snapped back into place. With only half a face left, he fixed his gaze on the butcher.
This grotesque scene was enough to make even the ruthless butcher's mind go blank with terror.
In the next instant!
"RAAARGH!"
Mouse let out a guttural roar (as best he could with half a jaw), causing the unprepared butcher to gasp and freeze.
Flash! Mouse revealed his dagger, closed the distance in a blink, and plunged the blade into the butcher's chest before the man could react.
Thuck! Thuck! Thuck!
Three stabs in rapid succession. The burly butcher collapsed to the ground, his eyes lifeless.
"Scared you to death, didn't I?!"
"This stupid game... Pain sensitivity isn't 100%, but it feels like at least 30-40%. Damn it, why make it this realistic?! Players aren't masochists!"
As Mouse muttered curses, his wounds began to slowly knit together. His mangled face regenerated, growing a new jaw and flesh.
"Ptooey!"
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Mouse struck another match and peered into the darkness where the butcher had emerged.
When he saw what was there, Mouse grinned. Wasting a life was worth it!
A pitch-black hole in the floor was now visible.
"I was wondering where he popped out from. My hunch wasn't wrong. There really is a secret passage here."
Mouse muttered to himself, glancing back at the butcher's corpse. Can't believe this gore got past the censors. Disgusting.
Seeing a rope ladder leading down into the hole, he didn't hesitate. He climbed down immediately.
In real life, Mouse wouldn't have the guts to explore a creepy tunnel alone like a tomb raider.
But this was a game. He had just killed a man and respawned. Why would he be afraid of a secret passage?
Splosh.
"A sewer?"
As soon as his feet hit the wet ground, Mouse frowned at the sound and the smell.
Whoosh.
He blew on the dim flame in his hand to keep it alive, gripped his dagger tight, and started walking down the only tunnel in front of him.