Read my new story (CaveLeather)
Game of Thrones: The Sword King
Game of Thrones: From Deserter to Power
Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal— Garth Greenhand Stat Panel
[Server Announcement! Players Iron-Pumping Superman and Moon-Fang Strike have achieved a Hidden Objective in the Main Questline: Assassinate the Betrayer, Grand Maester Pycelle. Special Rewards: Two Silver Loot Boxes each, ten Bronze Loot Boxes each, twenty-five Iron Loot Boxes each, and 1,000 Kingdom Coins each.]
Viserys, currently sitting in his tent and listening to the victory reports from the players, suddenly heard the little fire creature's voice in his mind:
[Host... System Updated. Players have completed the Hidden Quest: 'Kill the Betrayer.' Special Reward for Host: The Unburnt Physique! Plus one Gold Loot Box, ten Silver Loot Boxes, Bronze...]
What the hell? Who did they kill?
I'm getting the 'Unburnt' trait as a reward?!
As the little fire creature explained, Viserys quickly grasped the situation. He immediately pulled up the system panel to spectate Moon-Fang and Iron-Pumping Superman.
The two players, having just dragged the corpses back to their "spawn point" (the room above the secret passage), looked just as bewildered as he was.
They knew the rewards would be good, but they didn't expect them to be this good!
Silver Loot Boxes were usually dangled in front of players like rare candy, yet here they just got four of them in one go. Two each! This was hitting the jackpot.
"Bro, let's go! I can't hold it in anymore! Let's go blow up the Usurper right now!"
Moon-Fang, trembling with excitement, grabbed Iron-Pumping Superman, who was still in shock.
"Right, right! If that old geezer was worth this much, imagine what the Usurper will drop! We're gonna be rich! Let's move!"
Snapping out of it, Iron-Pumping Superman didn't even bother looting the corpses on the floor. He couldn't take the items back anyway, and frankly, he didn't care about their trash loot anymore.
The two quickly wiped the blood off their armor and stepped out of their "spawn point" once again.
It truly seemed like the Seven Gods were smiling on them. The entire Red Keep was bustling with activity, yet they had just murdered four people in a row—including Grand Maester Pycelle, a member of the Small Council—and no one had noticed.
Not a single servant or guard had witnessed their crime.
---
Meanwhile, on the continent of Essos.
The players who were currently sweating their asses off killing bandits, plotting how to fabricate a Casus Belli, or killing innocents to fake military merit, collectively exploded.
GODDAMN IT! THAT IS NOT HOW YOU PLAY THIS GAME!
New players are supposed to hang around the Boss, farm reputation, get a few acres of land, and then bow down to us veterans as their overlords! Then maybe, just maybe, we sell you some second-hand weapons at a markup!
But what the hell is this?! That is NOT how this game works!
Suddenly, the meager rewards in their hands felt like garbage.
Stupid devs! Stupid official account! Why didn't you tell us the map across the sea was open?! Why didn't you say there were no invisible walls?!
Why didn't you say anything?!
The players, feeling cheated, couldn't fly back even if they wanted to. Filled with envy, jealousy, and hate, they reluctantly spared the trembling villages of Ghoyan Drohe and declared to Viserys that the outlaws had been fully purged.
Mission accomplished. Time to go home.
At this moment, the vast majority of players had only one thought: get back to Pentos and sail across the Narrow Sea immediately. The player base was united in spirit.
Whether they had grudges, were in different legions, or part of the Enforcement Squad, everyone shared a single hope:
Please, let the Usurper catch those two bastards and throw them into the sea to drown!
Do NOT let them succeed!
Zhao Xiaotian, Guild Leader of the Iron-Blood Youth League, was currently praying devoutly to the gods of this world, begging for Moon-Fang and Iron-Pumping Superman to fail.
Heaven help us, there's only one Usurper! If they kill him, who knows if he'll respawn?!
The moment Viserys gave the order to return to the capital, the players wished they could sprout wings.
Meanwhile, after the system tallied the scores, Storm-Overlord, who had killed the most outlaws, received a Silver Loot Box. His guild members also received substantial rewards.
But clearly, looking at the feast in someone else's bowl made their own food taste like ash.
There was nothing they could do. Even if they force-marched their characters 24/7, they couldn't fly back to Pentos, let alone fly to King's Landing across the sea.
However, while most players didn't have wings or dragons, Storm-Overlord, wearing a rare smile, actually had a unicorn that could travel a thousand miles a day.
"Boss! It's all up to you!"
"Boss! We oiled your whip for you!"
Watching his figure disappear into the distance at breakneck speed, the players of the Heroes Guild felt their inner fanboy fire burning. Our Boss has cheats!
"Fuck!"
Tempest, whose character was exhausted to the point of vomiting blood, leaned on his Valyrian Steel sword—a godly weapon he had just pulled from a Silver Loot Box. Normally, this would be priceless, but right now, it didn't bring him any joy.
"Brothers! Carry me! No one logs off today! Take turns carrying me! I'll pay 3,000 RMB per person offline! And... 150 Kingdom Coins online! Plus all the Iron Loot Boxes you can handle!"
Spitting out a mouthful of virtual blood, Tempest shouted to his guild members.
Bro, do you have to go that hard?
Strong Belwas, Commander of the Pentos City Watch, had always considered himself a tough man. But today, he witnessed players who were tougher.
What kind of people are these?
The brown-skinned eunuch was numb to it by now. Madmen. They are all madmen. When he was alone, he would pray fervently: Oh Gods, please rein them in!
---
Moon-Fang and Iron-Pumping Superman had only one thing on their minds: assassinate the Usurper. They had no idea that across the sea, thousands of players were wishing they could swap places with them.
"Find someone else to do your dirty work!"
"Get out! You Northern savage! Who do you think you are?! I could have your head on a spike whenever I please!"
Nearby, Moon-Fang and his partner were stopped by a formation of guards. A few dozen Red Cloaks blocked their path. They could hear a booming argument coming from behind the heavy wooden doors, which apparently weren't very soundproof.
Then, the doors were pushed open from the inside, and a middle-aged man stormed out.
"Daring to roar like that in the Red Keep, with so many guards... That has to be the Usurper!"
Moon-Fang and Iron-Pumping Superman exchanged a smile. Found him!
"What are you two doing?! Who is your captain?!"
A Red Cloak officer marched up to them, shouting sternly.
Too far!
Iron-Pumping Superman squinted at the closing doors. He caught a glimpse of a fat man wearing a crown inside.
"Speak! ...Wait! I don't recognize you! Who are you?!"
The officer suddenly drew his longsword and took a few steps back, staring at them with suspicion.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The sound of steel being drawn filled the corridor. Dozens of gleaming swords were instantly pointed at the duo.
"Shit. We ran into a diligent one!" Moon-Fang's face darkened, his hand slowly drifting to the hilt of his sword.
Beside him, Iron-Pumping Superman didn't speak. His hand slowly reached into the pouch at his waist.
"Hands where I can see them! Drop your weapons and step back five paces! Don't let me see you touch that hilt!" the officer bellowed.
"What is going on here?" Eddard Stark, face grim, looked over.
At the same time, the heavy doors opened again. Robert Baratheon, also looking furious, walked out with his Small Council.
"Seven Hells! What is all this racket?!"