Game of Thrones: I Created the Magic Web

Chapter 42: The Snow Bear's Hunt

The tall, lush trees of the Wolfswood were perfect for a game of hide-and-seek.

The Free Folk dared not be careless, maintaining their formation throughout the chase, the twenty-five warriors moving in concert with the snow bear.

The Free Folk had already paid a price in blood.

Though only five had knelt, the direwolf and the other giant beast were not to be underestimated, and no one wanted to face such monsters alone.

If not for the skinchanger's compulsion, they would never have approached those who had knelt.

If not for the skinchanger's orders, they might already be fleeing south to the warm, prosperous lands and Winterfell, built of giant stones.

The southerners said Winterfell belonged to the North, but no, compared to beyond the Wall, this was the South.

But there were no 'ifs'.

The Free Folk had no choice but to tread into this forest filled with deadly intent.

The snow bear tracked the scent of its enemies, the Free Folk following cautiously behind, stepping on fallen leaves.

The forest was eerily silent.

No birds sang, no insects chirped, no wild animals stirred; only the sounds they themselves made.

The Free Folk caught the scent of panic and danger.

Who, truly, was the prey?

Some recalled their comrades who had just died beneath the claws of the unknown giant beast: the reddish-yellow jelly amidst the shattered bones, the desperate struggle of those cleaved in two at the waist, the stench of blood and sour fluids, the horrifying eyes of the dead.

Those who picked up bows and arrows remembered their predecessors, felled by throwing knives lodged in their brains. That noble young lord was too ruthless.

The archers felt some regret.

This was merely a hastily assembled band, not a united tribe; the archers seemed to be in particular danger, likely to be the first to die.

All the Free Folk wondered: why was the skinchanger so intent on hunting down these kneelers?

Joffrey was curious as well.

The skinchanger's appearance was already illogical, and now this reckless pursuit must conceal some conspiracy!

Regardless of the truth, the enemy must be defeated first.

Tethering his easily spooked horse, Joffrey placed a shattered piece of steel in his palm.

The hunt began.

Tyrion waved his dagger in the air incessantly. "Nephew, hand that bald man over to me to deal with, you understand? A Lannister always pays his debts."

Joffrey rolled his eyes at him.

If he weren't afraid something might happen to Tyrion and the others, he wouldn't have strategically retreated; he would have settled the score on the spot.

"From now on, you'll all follow my orders. No problem, Lord Commander Mormont?"

Jeor silently drew his short sword.

Joffrey was satisfied. "Good. As long as we cooperate closely, those wildlings will all perish in this forest, and we won't shed a drop of blood."

He sensed the information transmitted by the shattered piece of steel.

The range of his mental power was not yet great enough, but with the other fragments of steel scattered throughout the forest as a medium, he could remotely scout the wildlings' movements in real time.

After a moment, Joffrey finalized his plan.

"We'll ambush them here."

He transmitted the terrain and scenery of the ambush location to the other four through information runes.

"Jon, you and Ghost will move with me. Jeor and Yoren are responsible for capturing prisoners and protecting Tyrion."

Jon was fine, but Jeor and Yoren's eyes almost popped out of their heads.

Yoren asked in a trembling voice, his face filled with shock, "What is this power? The gods have manifested!?!"

Joffrey doubted they had even remembered their mission.

"Perhaps it is not the gods, but it must be the grace of some great, supreme being; in any case, I have received a boon, which shows that the Seven Kingdoms are deeply favored by fate."

He patted Jeor on the shoulder.

"I know. The Others do exist, and that is why I decided to come to the Wall. The disaster of the Others is not far off, but the Seven Kingdoms are not yet prepared, but it doesn't matter; I will unite the Seven Kingdoms, and humanity will ultimately triumph."

Jeor's impression of the crown prince was completely overturned.

"Move out immediately."

Joffrey said as he walked, "Leave some alive. I believe you have enough experience. Don't let a single wildling escape."

Jeor and Yoren barely calmed down. "Understood, Your Highness."

The hunters took their positions.

Joffrey and Jon hid in the dense canopy.

Ghost and Rain lay prone behind the ambush point, ready to join the battle at any time.

Jeor, Yoren, and Tyrion hid further back, waiting to mop up after the frontal battle ended.

The wind rustled through the trees.

The wildlings immediately watched their surroundings warily. The skinchanger standing on the ground kept his eyes open, and the snow bear, unusually free from control, roared a few times in agitation.

There were too many scents, too mixed, and it could not pinpoint the enemy's exact location.

The wildlings did not detect anything unusual.

But they had already stepped into Joffrey's mental domain.

From this moment on, every move of every wildling would be impossible to escape Joffrey's sight.

The prey was caught in the net.

Joffrey quietly drew five throwing knives.

It was best to keep the skinchanger alive; even if he killed him, he could occupy the snow bear's body in soul form, which would not be very useful.

Then the archers were still the highest priority target.

The wildlings gradually moved closer. Sixty meters, fifty meters, forty meters, thirty meters. Joffrey didn't wait any longer.

Several small shadows flashed over the wildlings' heads.

The wildlings panicked and dodged.

The archers did not move, simply silently falling into the pile of leaves with the bows and arrows in their hands.

The skinchanger's body instantly collapsed to the ground, his eyes turning white as he entered the snow bear's consciousness. Then, the snow bear's violent eyes fixed on Joffrey's hiding place.

Rain had already rushed over, tearing the hairless monkeys blocking the way to shreds in a few steps.

The snow bear turned to face the giant lion and stood upright, its two massive paws raised high, the stinking, gaping maw opening into an exaggerated arc, like two rows of waiting serrated guillotines.

In less than a breath's time.

The two giant beasts collided with a "thud," lion claws and bear paws danced into a blurry afterimage, two bloody mouths vying to tear flesh, lion roars and bear howls louder and fiercer with each passing moment, sending chills down the spine.

Ghost also rushed over, drilling holes in a wildling's belly, his pure white fur stained with patches of blood.

"Jon, come and see some blood."

Joffrey jumped down from the canopy and severed the head of a terrified wildling next to him with a sword, the gushing blood splattering directly on him.

A true battle of life and death.

Jon took a deep breath and joined the battle.

The Free Folk, not yet in despair, exchanged glances and charged toward the noble young lord, howling wildly.

Capturing this guy meant survival.

Eight warriors against one southerner; they could not imagine failure.

But.

That noble's sword was so powerful that no sword, axe, or blade could withstand a single strike.

Two warriors were directly cleaved in two.

That noble was simply not human! How could a human be stabbed without a drop of blood flowing? More terrifying than a White Walker!

Three red lights flashed, and seven or eight more pieces of human flesh and bone were added to the ground.

No, he was not human!

The wildlings collapsed. The snow bear was covered in bloody marks and burns, but the unknown giant beast's fur remained shiny and smooth, just like this noble young lord.

Several wildlings threw down their weapons and groveled on the ground, while others began to flee in a frenzy.

Jeor and Yoren had work to do.

Joffrey lowered the tip of Dragonflame and looked toward the snow bear.

Rain had already been infused with the mirrored images of the fortification, restoration, and growth runes; what threat could a mere snow bear pose?

As expected, the snow bear was about to completely lose its ability to resist.

Joffrey was about to tell Rain to hold back.

Awoo ~ Awoo ~

The snow bear roared to the sky a few times, its body seemed to stiffen for a moment, and suddenly, regardless of its injuries, it rushed in front of the skinchanger.

With a few cracks.

The skinchanger's body shattered.

The snow bear then collapsed weakly to the ground, panting, the strange gleam in its eyes also disappearing.

Joffrey narrowed his eyes and looked deeply into the clear sky.

There were no ravens.

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