Chapter 723: Fleeing

A roar echoed.

Gillian unleashed a ferocious cry. His movements were swift and powerful. However, the captain of the Ironborn ship was no pushover either. Gripping his massive axe, he clashed with Gillian.

Over the years, Gillian had been corrupted by a malevolent force that seeped deep into his bones, causing significant transformations in his physique.

Yet, due to his immense willpower, he hadn't fully succumbed to becoming a monstrous entity, retaining a sliver of his sanity.

This restraint meant he couldn't harness the full might of the creature he was becoming.

Had it been one of the creatures Gillian encountered in the Valyrian ruins, it might have effortlessly slaughtered everyone present. Even the bravest of human warriors would stand no chance against such a beast.

"Uncle!"

"Watch out!"

At that moment, Asha struggled to her feet.

She had been heavily impacted by the creature, breaking a door panel in the process. It felt as if her bones were about to shatter.

But now, facing this monstrosity, Victarion, determined to protect his niece, spotted an opening and seized the opportunity.

Gillian, not adept at combat, acted purely on instinct.

"Die!"

"Beast!"

Victarion, with his extensive combat experience and formidable physique, swung his axe at Gillian's chest, intending to cleave him in two.

However, he underestimated Gillian's resilience. The creature's scaly hide was as tough as armor. The axe struck, causing Gillian to let out a piercing scream. Blood gushed, revealing torn flesh and exposed bones.

It was a near-fatal blow, but instead of retreating, Gillian, enraged, lunged forward.

Victarion, caught off guard, was bitten on the arm. The creature nearly severed it but managed to tear a chunk of flesh, causing blood to pour profusely.

Victarion's face contorted in pain, dropping his axe in the corridor.

As Gillian prepared to deliver a fatal bite to Victarion's throat, he was intercepted by others, saving Victarion.

"What is this creature?"

"Quick! Stop him!"

The sudden outbreak of combat drew more spectators. Given the number of guests at the Merchant's House and the patrolling Tiger Cloak soldiers nearby, they weren't going to let the deaths of their comrades go unavenged.

"Kill it!"

"Everyone, attack!"

A brown-haired mercenary stepped forward, rallying the troops. With their combined strength, they surrounded Gillian, ready to strike.

Despite his rage and the agonizing pain from his wound, Gillian retained a shred of sanity.

Seeing the increasing number of humans surrounding him and realizing that his mission to kill the woman appointed by Viserys was now impossible, he decided to flee.

With a roar, he charged towards the weakest point in the encirclement, biting a mercenary's throat.

Gillian, agile as the creature he once witnessed, shattered a window and leapt out, leaving a trail of blood behind. In moments, he vanished into the darkness.

The skirmish was brief, lasting mere minutes, but it was intense. Including the soldiers outside, Gillian had killed five people.

It was only Victarion's critical blow that halted further carnage.

Regrettably, the creature, which should have been fatally wounded, managed to escape.

On the other hand, Victarion, having lost a significant amount of blood, was on the brink of passing out.

"Help! Someone, help him!"

Fortunately, being in the largest inn in Volantis, a skilled healer was available. An elderly man with profound knowledge of medicine was summoned. He applied medicinal powders and herbs to Victarion's wound, stemming the bleeding and bandaging it.

The next morning, after Victarion was out of danger, Asha visited the High Priest Benerro of the Red Faith.

She couldn't blame the ruler of Volantis this time. This wasn't an assassination attempt but an encounter with a genuine monster.

Benerro, after listening to Asha's description, said, "A maester from Westeros named Shyren Pyke wrote about such creatures in his book 'Strange Stones.' He believed in the existence of aquatic humanoid creatures, describing them as 'peculiar, deformed hybrids born from the union of sea creatures and human women.'"

After the creature's escape, pursuers followed the blood trail, which ended at the Rhoyne River. Given its scaly appearance and dorsal fin, it was believed that the creature might be aquatic.

The chapter concluded with Benerro's surprising knowledge of various books.