Game of Thrones: Second Son of House Targaryen

Chapter 319: My Health Bar is Beyond Your Imagination

As soon as Viserys dismounted from the dragon, he could barely contain his eagerness and immediately questioned Pree about immortality. Pree was taken aback by his enthusiasm but intrigued.

To assert his expertise, Pree began weaving half-truths about the path to eternal life.

“So,” Viserys asked, “you mean you’ve tied your life to an object that can exist indefinitely, sharing your life force with it?”

“Yes, exactly,” Pree replied, leaning in as if sharing an intimate secret. “Aging begins in one part of the body and spreads. Now, imagine if your body were vast—if your essence were linked to something much larger than yourself. The aging process would take longer. In nature, the bigger the creature, the longer it lives. Is that not true, Your Grace?”

Viserys nodded, pretending to be impressed. “That makes sense.” He kept probing. "So, you're saying you've linked your life to the House of the Undying?"

“Yes,” Pree answered, his voice filled with pride.

“And what happens if the House of the Undying is destroyed? Would your life end as well?" Viserys’s question had a sharper edge, as he sought to uncover Pree's vulnerability. He needed to understand how to defeat the Warlocks, who were far more formidable in this timeline than those the Mother of Dragons or Euron had faced.

Pree hesitated momentarily, but then opted for partial truth. He had recognized that Viserys was too sharp for an obvious lie. “It wouldn’t be instant death. It depends on how much of the House is destroyed. If the foundation is obliterated, we wouldn't have much time left."

Viserys sensed Pree was withholding something, but he played along. "And during this connection process, I assume there’s a ceremony of sorts?"

“Indeed,” Pree said, flashing a sly smile. "When you enter the House of the Undying, you’ll experience the binding of your life force to an eternal object. As an emperor, you could construct a palace so vast that even living for 10,000 years wouldn't be out of reach.”

"10,000 years!" Viserys exaggerated his amazement, acting as though he were completely taken by the promise of immortality.

Pree, sensing his prey was hooked, gave a 'friendly' warning. “Of course, Your Grace, it’s wise to change identities every few centuries. After all, living for countless years without doing so will draw unwanted attention—and resentment.”

Viserys raised an eyebrow. "And how many identities have you used, Lord Pree?"

Pree chuckled, the tone of a man who had seen the ages pass. "I’ve lost count.”

Feigning continued curiosity, Viserys pressed further. “This ‘art of immortality’ sounds flawless. But surely, it must have some drawbacks? A time when one might be weak or vulnerable?”

Pree stiffened slightly, surprised by Viserys’s caution. He had expected Viserys to be less sharp, considering his indulgence in Slaver's Bay. But then again, this was the same man who had risen from a fallen prince to a ruler. His personal qualities, though tainted by debauchery, were still formidable.

After a moment of hesitation, Pree decided it was better to disclose something, just not too much. "Yes, Your Grace. The moment of greatest vulnerability is during the flow and transfer of life energy.”

Viserys leaned in. "And when does that happen?"

Pree, careful not to give too much away, replied, "You’ll understand fully once you reach the House of the Undying. But know this—when life energy is exchanged in great quantities, one must be cautious."

Viserys now understood perfectly. Pree was referring to the life-draining process. This revelation also shed light on why Euron Greyjoy had been able to manipulate the Warlocks—because they were weakest during these moments. In the original timeline, Drogon had struck the Warlocks at their weakest, allowing Euron to exploit them later.

Satisfied with the information, Viserys continued to chat casually with Pree, making sure to maintain the illusion of trust. After a time, he made his way to Dany’s ship, where he shared everything with Shiera.

As they conversed, something about Shiera's tone changed. Her responses became cryptic, and her eyes distant, as though she were recalling memories not her own. Viserys quickly realized that the new information he had provided had triggered a deeper memory within her—likely from another soul that resided within her.

"I remember now," Shiera said, her eyes wide as memories flooded back. "After the Undying Ones absorb someone's life force, they can take on that person's appearance. You must be careful."

"How long does it take for them to fully drain someone's life force?" Viserys asked, calculating how long he could endure. He currently had a reserve of nearly 9,000 "attribute points," a resource he could draw on to prolong his endurance, just as he had done when hatching the dragon eggs.

Shiera’s eyes flickered as she considered. "Not long. Once you're caught in their illusion, it may feel like hours, but in reality, it’s only about a quarter of an hour.”

'A quarter of an hour...' Viserys ran the numbers in his head. If the vitality of a regular person were measured as their constitution and health combined, his reserves gave him the equivalent of over 10 hours of life force—far more than they could drain in mere minutes. With that much time, Dany could defeat the Undying Ones with ease.

Before he could voice his plan, Dany, ever intuitive, cut in, her voice filled with concern. “Brother, you can’t take that risk. We have dragons and armies. Why face them yourself when we can burn the place down from the skies?”

Viserys sighed and interrupted softly, “Dany, your plan is sound. But if we scare them off, they’ll slither into the shadows, and it’ll take years to root them out. If we fail now, our children and grandchildren will suffer the same hunts and traps. Trust me, you’re strong enough. I believe in you. Once we’ve won this battle..." He stopped short of saying, we'll go home, knowing such a promise would tempt fate. Instead, he finished, “We’ll be free of these worries.”

Dany looked at him, her lips pressing together in hesitation but finally nodded. “Then we’ll finish this once and for all.”

For the next ten days, the fleet sailed through calm waters, edging closer to the Strait of Qarth. The city was famous for being the gateway between the East and West, and as they entered its bustling strait, it was clear why.

The sea was thick with ships, their sails dotting the horizon like waves themselves. The closer Viserys and Dany’s fleet got, the more attention they drew. Seven dragons soaring above the strait created a spectacle. The merchant ships slowed, sailors and helmsmen abandoning their tasks to gawk at the majestic beasts overhead.

The dragons cast long shadows over the ships, and as sailors initially dove for cover in fear, they soon re-emerged, realizing the dragons had no intention of attacking.

"Look at the size of that dragon!" one sailor shouted, pointing skyward.

"Of course! What good is a dragon if it’s not massive?" another responded, marveling at the sheer scale of the creatures.

As the sailors gossiped in awe, a man with blue hair, clearly someone of authority, approached a massive canvas on one of the larger ships. When the canvas was pulled back, it revealed a giant ballista, armed and ready. The tension in the air thickened. Viserys, watching from the back of his dragon, narrowed his eyes.

The blue-haired man glanced upward, clearly aiming to test whether even dragons could be pierced by human ingenuity.