Emissary of the Old Gods
When the potent and magical blood of the Stark and Targaryen bloodlines mixed for the first time in twelve millennia, a force of nature awakened in the boy who was once only known as the Bastard of Winterfell.
System/Gamer Jon Snow fic.
Six moons later
The arrow was fully drawn back, his breathing steady. He stilled like a statue, breathed out slowly, and locked onto his target. His eyes narrowed.
He released the arrow, and with a thunk, it struck the deer directly in the heart, killing it instantly.
PING!
Deer killed!
Weekly Quest: [ X ] Hunt down 5 Game animals
Reward: [DEX 5 EXP]
LEVEL UP! 14 -> 15 Dexterity
You have unlocked one skill creation slot for DEX.
Jon smiled as he saw the message. It had taken him three long days to find the deer, and the cold was sharp enough to kill a direwolf.
Jon moved his hand toward where the message panel appeared and dismissed it with a flick. He then turned his attention to his skill sheet, as the system had called it when it put him through a "tutorial" six moons ago.
Jon Snow/Aemon Targaryen
Class: Class Quest required
Vigour: 12 (40/44)
Strength: 12 (42/44)
Dexterity: 15 (55/58)
[One] Skill creation is available
Arcane: LOCKED
Intelligence: 14 (50/53)
Jon thought, "System, open the skill creation menu for Dexterity."
The system responded right away. It did not have a voice, nor did it communicate directly with him beyond that first tutorial, but it responded to any relevant request he made.
Skill Creation Menu
Available Skills for [Dexterity]:
Passive [Dancer's Footwork]: Improves reaction time and agility in combat, granting a bonus to dodging attacks and repositioning.
Passive [Precise Strikes]: Allows for targeting vital points with greater accuracy, increasing the likelihood of critical hits or debilitating strikes.
Passive [Silent Stride]: Improves stealth and the ability to move without making sound, especially across difficult terrain.
So this was what the system meant by skill creation. At the time, he had not been sure what a "Skill" even was. This was good.
While all the available skills were useful, one stood out to Jon the most: Dancer's Footwork. He was tempted to select Silent Stride, which would be useful for moving unseen, but he had no current use for such an ability and was already quite adept at it without the skill. Precise Strikes was also useful, but less so than Dancer's Footwork, which would benefit him most in combat.
System, I want Dancer's Footwork, he thought.
[Dancer's Footwork] has been confirmed. Assimilating skill… Skill is assimilated with physiology. Successful skill creation!
It felt as if every part of his body was set on fire and torn to pieces all at once. He screamed and fell to the ground, groaning in agony. A moment later, the pain was gone.
A warning would have been nice! he thought. He had not expected it to be so painful.
He got back to his feet and felt the change immediately; it was as if he were more agile, his body lighter and quicker.
Jon dismissed the panel and set forth toward the fallen deer. As he drew close, a new message appeared.
Would you like to deposit the [Dead Deer] in your inventory? Yes, along with my bow and remaining arrows, he thought. In an instant, the fallen animal vanished into his inventory.
Inventory: 180/200 Stone
[Dead Deer]
[Common Hunting Bow]
[Arrow] x 14
[Common Longsword]
[Gold Dragon] x 15
Thank the Old Gods for such a blessing; it was perhaps a greater boon than the ability to improve his skills.
Time to head back, he thought. It's still early enough to spar with one of the household guards and finish my daily quests.
System, show me my quests, he thought.
[Quests]
[Daily Quests]:
[ ] Spar with a Household Guard Reward: STR exp
[ ] Spar with Robb or Theon
Reward: STR exp
[Weekly Quests]:
[ X ] Hunt down 5 Game animals
Reward: DEX experience
[ ] Study of the Old Ones:
[Practice your knowledge of the old tongue with Old Nan.]
Reward: INT experience
[World Quests] Locked
Not high enough level in the required stats to proceed.
Still not high enough? He thought. He had guessed the world quests would be about reclaiming the throne from the corpse of his Baratheon cousin. Still, it was disheartening to know he was not yet close to where the Old Gods deemed him ready.
Nothing would stand between him and his destiny, for he had seen what would happen if he were to lose: a land destroyed by the cold ones, his remaining family hunted like dogs by Baratheon daggers, the Starks scattered to the winds.
No matter how much time had passed since he was shown the brutal murder of his brother, Aegon, and the abduction of Rhaenys, he could never quell the pure rage he held for the Baratheons and Lannisters. And if his uncle chose to stand in the way of his revenge, then even he would not be able to stop him.
Jon stood across from a member of his uncle's household guard, a man named Garren. He had sparred with this man many times, and while he had landed some lucky blows, he had never come close to defeating him. He was keen to see how much of an improvement he had gained from Dancer's Footwork.
Jon had upgraded from wooden sparring swords a few months ago, as it seemed blunted steel gave him more experience, though it was more dangerous.
The man officiating, another of his uncle's household guard, stood to one side and nodded to begin.
Jon sprang forward, his sword coming down in a vicious sideways slash which Garren sidestepped with ease. "Still going on the offensive, Snow?" Garren smirked.
Jon had improved his relationship with many whom he was previously ambivalent toward, and small banter like this was a welcome opportunity. It was important, after all, for him to be on good terms with his father's men if he wanted them to fight his wars one day.
"Better on the offensive than the defensive."
Garren smirked, as if to say, "We will see."
They danced for a moment, neither gaining an upper hand. While Jon considered himself quick and strong, Garren's experience was the deciding factor in all their past bouts.
Garren lunged with a forward strike toward Jon's torso, which he easily avoided.
That was quick, he thought, repositioning for a better stance. I wouldn't have been able to avoid that in our last bout.
A look of surprise crossed Garren's face. "Well. You're getting better, Snow. But I don't think it will be enough this time."
"We will see," Jon responded.
Finally, the momentum changed, and Garren went on the offensive. Jon avoided, blocked, or deflected everything that came his way. Then, in a moment of clarity he could not have perceived in their last spar, he repositioned himself perfectly and parried Garren's sideways swing. The move staggered the guardsman enough for Jon to place his blade at his neck.
"Do you yield?" Jon asked, a small smirk on his face. Victory was sweet.
Garren was shocked, but he smiled. "Aye, I yield. These young men get better every generation…"
The officiator snorted. "Ha! Garren, I'll have to steal that excuse the next time I lose to someone younger than me."
They all shared a chuckle.
PING!
Daily Quest: [Spar with a household guard]
Reward: [1 XP] BONUS:
Defeat an enemy much more experienced than you!
Reward: [5 XP]
LEVEL UP! 48/48 EXP 12 -> 14 Strength
Jon felt a brief, sharp pain, and then his muscles seemed to tighten and grow. He was shocked at the experience gained from the quest; he usually only received half an experience point for such tasks. Most of his experience came from daily activities outside of quests, such as running or practising his sword forms.
He was happy, then, to realise how much improvement one quest could bring. Two whole levels.
The main reason for his happiness, however, was that he was much stronger now. His upcoming spar with Robb would surely be a victory this time.
STAT SHEET for Jon
Main Stats (Max 100)
Vigour: 12 40/44
Strength: 14 48/48
Dexterity: 15 55/58
Arcane: LOCKED
Intelligence: 14 52/53