"I just didn't expect that guy to come back to life, and become a Wight! Right?"
"Yes! Sir! The warriors and people in this city were almost slaughtered by them. There was no other option. I could only lead the soldiers to retreat into this underground cave and send a message for reinforcements!
But I didn't expect that those Wights still managed to break in. In the end, I could only have the reinforcements who arrived set fire to the castle! Then I fought him in a final battle with the remaining people!
But, that damn guy actually stabbed my heart with a Dragon Glass Dagger that was gleaming with cold light. He even wanted to turn me into a Wight.
But fortunately, I also stabbed him in the stomach with a Dragon Glass Dagger, but this guy didn't die immediately. He was rescued by his Wight woman."
Qiao Man touched his chest when he said this, as if the pain hadn't dissipated yet!
"So, to prevent yourself from becoming a Wight, you had the surviving subordinates stab you to death on the throne! Is that right?
Tsk tsk tsk! Qiao Man! I really doubt that your soul has been replaced by something! Why is the story you tell so different from the person you are?"
Marko was holding Qiao Man's one-handed sword. After saying this, he turned his head to Qiao Man.
Qiao Man chuckled. "My lord! I've already died once. I don't have so many responsibilities anymore. Besides, I don't like that way of speaking. It's tiring. If it weren't for my old man forcing me, I wouldn't have become this King of the Frontier!"
Hearing this, Marko couldn't help but smile, and he was also very curious. So, he immediately asked Qiao Man:
"Forcing you to do it? Aren't you so-called free people supposed to choose your leaders independently? How could your father put you on the throne without others objecting or running away?"
"That's not the case. It's just that I naturally like adventure. When I traveled around before, I met many friends, helped many tribes, and even befriended the Giants.
Finally, my old man saw the opportunity and united several surrounding tribes to nominate me as the King of the Frontier. I thought no one would pledge allegiance to me! However, I didn't expect so many people to come and join me!"
Afterward, Qiao Man also presented Marko with some of his treasures that he had collected for many years. Looking at the three boxes in front of him, Marko couldn't help but think.
"If these were real treasure chests, that would be great!"
Marko's journey this time yielded a lot of gold and silver treasures, although they were of no use for castle upgrades or unit conversions!
However, these things could be used later to build infrastructure and buy a few large ships, which is what Marko lacked the most right now.
After scavenging in the underground cave for a while, Marko and his group left.
Whether it was Marko's illusion or not, he found that the deathly aura that had been lingering in this area had disappeared for some reason!
Could it be the work of that guy in the consciousness world? Or was it all absorbed by the resurrected Qiao Man!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Marko opened his attribute panel to check his gains over this period.
Hero Level: Level 5
Hero Skills: Basic Offense, Advanced Leadership, Diplomacy, Retribution, Finance... omitted
Special Abilities: Kingly Demeanor, Comprehension of All Things.
Buildings Owned: Village Hall, Militia Barracks, Blacksmith, Fortress, Tavern, Market, Archery Tower, Barracks, Griffin Tower... (omitted)
Building Level: Level 10
Soldiers Owned: Thugs 310, Archers 9, Infantry 3, Griffins 5, Priest 1, Unicorn 1, Archmage 1, Commoners... (omitted)
Resources Owned: Gold 17060, Wood 34, Ore 41, Crystal 7, Mercury 2, Gems 6, Sulfur 6.
Looking at the nearly 20,000 gold, Marko's heart was filled with joy. He had thought that since he wasn't near the castle, he wouldn't be able to receive the income from that month.
He hadn't expected the system to be so humane, including the resources in his earnings.
After selecting some relatively intact skeletons and dry corpses, Marko summoned another 15 Wights, bringing his total to 17 Wights, including the two that hadn't died.
"Undead Resurrection" is a reusable spell, but Marko had no intention of creating a Wight army. Besides, he didn't have that much mana. Some spells were life-savers in crucial moments.
Qiao Man summoned another 100 skeletons, and although his magic level was higher than Marko's, the overall quality of these undead creatures couldn't compare to Marko's.
Perhaps this was the difference between troops and heroes. Marko estimated that the skeletons he summoned would, at most, reach the advanced skeleton soldier stage.
After coming to the surface, the dense swarm of skeletons frightened Castor's wives. Henk and the others, however, weren't surprised. After all, in their eyes, these magical things were just the tip of the iceberg of Marko's abilities.
Langya whispered, "Wait until you see the castle that keeps getting bigger, then you'll be surprised! The Lord is a chosen one!"
After ordering Qiao Man to spread the skeletons around the perimeter for警戒, Marko and his group came to rest under a simple tent.
The Snow Bear Knights had built it using the stone walls of the ruins. It looked very sturdy and durable.
At this time, a pot of mutton had already been cooked. The Westeros Continent had a relatively rich variety of spices, and although the North was poor, they could still afford this much.
Marko purchased a large amount of supplies in Last Hearth, including many spices and Hot Peppers. Hot Peppers were similar to chili peppers on Earth and were used here as a medicine.
In this freezing environment, mutton soup was undoubtedly the best choice. After adding some Hot Peppers and spices for seasoning, it tasted pure and authentic.
As a true native of Yunnan Province, Marko always believed that "everything can be dipped." He would eat meat and vegetables with a plate of dipping sauce with chili peppers and spices.
Marko had just put down his bowl when the sentry's horn sounded in the distance. Langya was about to release his Swift Hawk when a white Raven landed on Marko's shoulder with a whoosh.
Marko looked at the white Raven on his shoulder and smiled slightly, ordering everyone, "Stay alert! Have the skeleton soldiers clear the way; our friends are here!"
At this moment, at the foot of the mountain east of the Fist of the First Men, a strange team was slowly advancing towards the ruins where Marko and the others were.
This team was very special and consisted of three different humanoid races. The most peculiar among them were the Giants.
They were over three meters tall and wore thick animal furs, looking like ancient giant apes from afar, with faces similar to the primitive humans on Earth.
Behind the Giants were huge mammoths, which looked like domesticated horses in front of them.
On the backs of the mammoths were various bags and supplies, and small figures were sitting on them.
They were not much taller than human children, with dark skin and beautiful faces, their golden eyes filled with curiosity as they watched the dense mass of skeleton soldiers on the mountaintop.
Compared to the Giants and the Children of the Forest, who were calm and curious, the human contingent looked more panicked.
Led by a red-haired middle-aged man, they formed a defensive formation, seemingly ready to protect both the Giants and the Children of the Forest!
However, neither the Giants nor the Children of the Forest seemed to care, and they continued to walk forward, leaving the encirclement formed by the human troops.
Helplessly, the red-haired middle-aged man could only lead his troops to follow behind them.
Marko roughly estimated that this team had about 300 people in total, with about 80 Giants and about 30 Children of the Forest, the rest being human.
The team reached the ruins and encountered Marko, who had come out to greet them.
Seeing Marko emerge, a Child of the Forest and a Giant also stepped forward from the group.
Marko lowered his hood and removed the necromancer's helmet from his head, revealing his true face. He then said to the two:
"This must be Leaf! And who is the other giant friend?"
Leaf blinked her golden eyes at Marko and said,
"Hello! Markol! Sir! Is that right? My name is Leaf, this is my human name. You are the human the Green Seer spoke of?
By the way! This is Mag Mags Tundo Dorl Wig from the Giant tribe. He is the greatest warrior of the Giant tribe, humans like to call him 'Strong Mag'. Am I introducing him correctly? I hope I haven't been rude!"
Marko got goosebumps from this strange way of speaking. It felt completely different from the TV shows, as if Leaf was somewhat reserved.
However, he thought again, seeming to guess that this was a request from some bitter-faced old religious figure, so he replied:
"There's nothing disrespectful about it. Don't pay any attention to that three-eyed crow. If you're willing to accept my protection, then you're my people. You can keep your customs and speaking habits; you don't necessarily have to learn these human rituals."
"Okay! Marko! I'll take it slow. Um? Can I go see my kin?"
Although Marko had said this, Leaf's reply was still a bit reserved.
Leaf was the only Child of the Forest on the Westeros Continent who could speak the common tongue.
She was born in the era when the magic dragon appeared and had wandered the human world for 200 years, observing, listening, and learning.
She could have continued traveling, but her legs were sore, and her heart was tired, so she turned around and went home.
Marko turned and greeted Moonshadow, signaling her to come over. Leaf nodded to Marko and quickly went to meet Moonshadow, who was riding a shadow lynx.
And Marko shifted his gaze to the Giants' "leader," a guy with a bizarre name!
Marko remembered that in the TV series, this guy single-handedly opened the gate of the Wall and perished with five Night's Watch warriors in the tunnel!
Seeing Marko looking at him, the Giant warrior also turned his gaze towards Marko and spoke in short, concise ancient language:
"Human! You! Very strong! Just like the Squirrelmen's shaman! The ancient ancestral spirits told me, follow you, we will all survive! And will not be forgotten by this world!
We are all willing to follow you, fight, and the tribe will continue to grow."
After saying this, "Strong Mag" shouted to those behind him: "Forward!"
Immediately afterward, the Giants and Children of the Forest behind him walked one after another into the depths of the ruins, preparing to find a suitable place to camp.
At a distance, the red-haired middle-aged man observed this, and after careful consideration, he slowly walked towards Marko.
But Marko ignored them and slowly walked towards Leaf, who was talking to Moonshadow.
Seeing that Marko wasn't staying put, the red-haired middle-aged man became anxious. He hurriedly shouted, "Wait! Please wait! Can we talk? This chieftain..."
Marko paused at the sound of his voice and slowly turned around. He had put on his gear again, concealing his face.
Seeing Marko's action, Naksis instantly understood his intention. He slowly walked in front of Marko, ready to negotiate with the red-haired middle-aged man. Marko wanted to see what the middle-aged man had to say!
The red-haired middle-aged man, accompanied by five guard warriors, walked over. He frowned slightly when he saw that Marko's face was covered.
Naksis smiled and asked, "Hello, chieftain of the Free Folk! It's a pleasure to meet you. What can I do for you?"
"Uh! I am Red-Haired Red! A chieftain from the Red Hall tribe. May I ask, can my tribe join you? We've been traveling with the Giants for a long time!"
Before Naksis could answer, Marko suddenly asked, "Is your tribe a Raider Tribe?"
There was a hint of killing intent in Marko's voice, and even the soul fire in the eye sockets of the surrounding skeleton soldiers flickered violently!
Red-Haired Red looked at the situation around him and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Then, he replied to Marko:
"I! Our tribe raises livestock to make a living. We often trade with the surrounding tribes and have never formed a raiding party!"
After Marko's soul link swept over him, he nodded and said:
"Aren't you free folk? Join me! You must swear allegiance to me. Can you do that?"
"This, we just want to survive. The Wights are back, and they will kill everyone. I! I want to live!"
Red-Haired Red stammered, as if wanting to explain something!
"I said it! If you join, you have to pledge your loyalty. If you don't like it, you can leave!"
But Marko didn't want to listen to his explanation at all, his tone carrying an undeniable air.
Red-Haired Red's expression changed several times after hearing this, seemingly conflicted. The members of the Raider Tribe behind him also looked troubled.
In the end, the pressure of survival and the threat to their lives outweighed their "free will," and these guys all knelt on one knee, swearing their allegiance to Marko.
After notifying Henk and the others to take care of these people, Marko walked towards the Children of the Forest.
He glanced back at the members of the wildling tribe, who were slowly entering the ruins, and muttered to himself:
"Freedom? Is it more important than life and survival? Hmph! Worthless freedom!"