Chapter 33: Sir Joffrey

And now...

Viserys was still in the exploratory stage with the black mist, and the path ahead was full of uncertainties.

So, he wanted to take the initiative to try other possibilities.

Even if it might not be very practical at present...but everything still had to be explored primarily.

Hence,

"Let's give it a try."

Viserys pursed his lips, his gaze turned to the last attribute in the black mist, the option representing mental power, expressed in High Valyrian as 'moon.'

The Valyrians believed that the moon represented the spirit, soul, or will.

This was an expression characteristic of this language, where the word moon could also mean the soul.

"My mental power far surpasses that of ordinary people, and it has indeed brought me special abilities."

When Viserys' lunar nature reached 20, he awakened a special ability called the Eye of the Moment.

This ability allowed him to briefly slow down everything that was dynamically changing within his field of vision. His powerful mental power instantly deconstructed the movements of others.

Thus, it appeared as if the others had 'slowed down,' giving him more than enough reaction time.

Naturally, this ability was of great help to Viserys, such as when he dodged the flying axe thrown by the mercenary and saved his life.

Viserys understood the principle of playing to one's strengths and avoiding weaknesses.

His current advantage lay in his mental power far exceeding that of ordinary people.

He even looked forward to what changes would occur if his mental power evolved to the extreme.

Subsequently,

Viserys manipulated the absorbed black smoke to merge into the large mass of black mist, turning it into a fleeting moonlight. The symbol of the 'moon' was wrapped in a faint, silvery-white glow.

And then...

That was it.

Viserys sat on the ground leaning against the wall, looking at the sword in his hand.

Fortunately, the castle on Dragonstone was large enough. Due to Prince Rhaegar's frugality and the island's barrenness, there weren't many servants or guards, and no one had discovered him yet.

Otherwise, seeing this scene, one might think that the young king couldn't bear the psychological pressure and chose the path of self-destruction.

"As I thought."

Viserys' expression remained composed.

He looked at the number for his lunar nature, which was still 20 without any change. His mind became slightly clearer, as if he had drunk nectar. Then, he blinked his eyes without any surprise, revealing an expression that seemed as it should be.

He hadn't wasted the black smoke but used it to probe for a result.

Although he had roughly guessed the outcome, Viserys was very cautious when dealing with something as important as the black mist.

He wouldn't choose to guess but would rely on experimental results to prove it.

And the result, indeed, was as he had expected.

The stronger the ability, the more difficult it would be to evolve. His mental power had already far surpassed the total of two, three, four, or even more people.

So, his plan to quickly evolve his mental power to its peak had failed.

"I still need comprehensive development."

Viserys took a deep breath.

"And I don't know if using the black mist will cause any hidden dangers."

...

However, now Viserys had no choice.

He had to rely on the benefits the dark mist provided him; otherwise, the prospect of turning the tide against his foreseeable fate would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

Even with the help of the dark mist, Viserys never let his guard down. He feared he wouldn't escape the shackles of fate and would ultimately die in some other way, so he dared not to relax for a moment.

"Your Highness!"

"His Highness is here, someone come quickly!"

At that moment,

The sound of armored footsteps and chaotic noises filled the castle corridors as guards holding torches searched for Viserys. They finally found him by following the traces he had left behind.

All the mercenaries who had infiltrated the castle had been killed.

The only survivor, after a brief interrogation, had his throat slit by the hurriedly arriving steward, Ser Shad, and his body thrown into the sea.

Upon hearing about the attack, the knight seemed extremely anxious and infuriated at the assailants, eager to kill them quickly.

It was then that the guards discovered that the 'little king's' bedroom had also been attacked.

Two guards had been killed, and both Viserys and Princess Rhaenys were nowhere to be found.

Ser Shad then ordered a search of the entire castle.

Eventually, a frightened and shocked Rhaenys was found in the cellar, and another team located Viserys as well.

...

The next morning,

The horrors of the previous night had vanished. The castle servants cleaned the bloodstains, and the bodies of all the mercenaries were thrown into the sea to feed the fishes.

The body of the mercenary whose rope Viserys had cut, causing him to fall off the cliff, was discovered by fishermen preparing to go out to sea in the morning.

Although Viserys was somewhat shaken, his demeanor was generally better than that of the queen and Rhaenys.

However, he too had been up all night, and there were still some bloodshot veins in his eyes.

"Mother."

Inside the map room at the top of the Drum Tower, Viserys greeted his mother and sat in a side chair.

The exhausted silver-haired woman sat in the main seat, listening to the report of the commander of the Dragonstone fleet.

Even though Viserys had been crowned 'king', the guards of Dragonstone had yet to address him as 'Your Grace'.

Everyone understood that the title of king was just a name.

Even if the Targaryens reclaimed the throne, Viserys would not be able to sit on the Iron Throne.

It was because he was too young, and his mother, Rhaella, would serve as the Queen Regent until he came of age and could assume power.

So Viserys could only sit obediently in the side chair next to his mother, his knees together and hands on his lap. His long eyelashes fluttered, his eyes downcast, appearing quiet and well-behaved, like an obedient child.

However, the commander of the Dragonstone fleet, an old man with white hair and beard, was saying something. He noticed Viserys's arrival and gave the boy a sideways glance.

Curiosity showed in the old knight's eyes.

He was reporting to Queen Rhaella about the damage sustained by the Dragonstone fleet during the previous night's battle. Although the enemy had been repelled, the fleet itself had inevitably suffered some losses.

He had also heard about the events within the castle.

The seven-year-old Prince Viserys, the queen's youngest son, had somehow killed three vicious mercenaries during the night.

"Your Highness."

The commander of the Dragonstone fleet gave Viserys a slight nod.

"Ser Joffrey."

Viserys heard the old man's words and nodded in response, politely returning the gesture.

This was his first encounter with the knight since arriving on Dragonstone.

The knight commanded the fleet but had not paid his respects to Queen Rhaella and Viserys upon their arrival.

And for some unknown reason, his mother had not actively summoned the man.