Huìyàn Lake — the Baìqiū Family Fortress, Silver Mountain Fort.
The Baìqiū family was a minor noble house in the western frontier of the Northern Wastes. Their sigil bore a white hill upon a purple shield, topped with a crescent line of four-pointed stars. Their family motto was: "Silver Shines Bright."
The Baìqiū family had risen to wealth thanks to the silver mines beneath the White Mountain on their lands. They also built a bridge over a tributary of Huìyàn Lake, imitating the Frey family of the Twin Rivers by collecting tolls. In recent years, they had been preparing to use their amassed fortune to construct a grander fortress.
Perhaps in the near future, they could have become one of the most powerful noble houses in the Northern Wastes—but now, it was too late. Marco's army had already surrounded them.
At this moment, Lord Qiong'en Baìqiū knelt before Marco, swearing his allegiance. Although he had received early warnings from the Leswell family, the young lord had refused to abandon his domain or take to the hills to raid Marco's forces.
In Qiong'en Baìqiū's eyes, his soldiers and his stronghold were enough to repel any invader. Though he had heard tales of the Valyrian Empire, he had always dismissed them as absurd myths.
Now, seeing the dragons soaring through the skies and the countless troops on the ground, he finally understood why his peers had abandoned their castles to strike at enemy supply lines in the desolate hills.
"I accept your oath of fealty. The Baìqiū family shall retain your castle and part of your lands. Later, I will establish a greater council in the Wastes, and your house shall hold a seat upon it. Rise, Viscount Qiong'en."
Marco's commanding voice carried into Qiong'en's ears, calming his uneasy heart. The Bolton family's propaganda had painted the Valyrian Empire as a monstrous foreign power that devoured men whole.
Now, with Marco's decree and assurance, Qiong'en finally breathed again. Within the structure of Marco's system, he had found a new path—a new role. Steadying his nerves, he said respectfully:
"Your Majesty, the Leswell family of the Streamlands has abandoned their fortress. Their troops are scattered, seeking to ambush our forces. If you command it, I can lead my elite Baìqiū cavalry to destroy them. Most of their warriors are gathered at Wastesford—we can seize their Leaping Horse Fort in one stroke!"
Marco smiled. "Disband your peasant levies. They aren't real soldiers. But your three hundred cavalry are well-trained—keep them. My army is already sufficient. Use your men to guard your bridge and your castle. That will be your greatest service to me. Understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Qiong'en Baìqiū's wife was Vada Frey—the "Fat Beauty"—granddaughter of the Frey family. From his Frey in-laws, Qiong'en had learned much. Unlike most northern nobles, he sought to change his fate and actively traded with the South.
To him, nobles without ancient bloodlines could only earn respect through wealth, just as the Freys had done. Though he lost part of his land and the bridge tolls, Marco's new order gave him something greater: a system where power and fortune could be earned through loyalty and merit.
The Frey family, as always, was numerous—legitimates, bastards, cousins too many to count. The old Frey's brood spread throughout the Trident region. Those stories of Arya killing every male Frey were pure nonsense—she'd have to kill until her arm went numb just to get through the lesser cousins!
After giving Qiong'en Baìqiū his assignment, Marco marched his troops toward the Wastesford. His chosen route relied on the Baìqiū bridge and the smooth, well-kept stone road.
Even if Qiong'en harbored treachery, Marco wasn't concerned. His garrison at Torrhen's Square could sail upriver at any time. His deeds had already spread through the North like wildfire via the tongues of merchants.
Rumors called Marco a god descended from the heavens. They said he gifted miraculous crops to commoners—crops that grew at impossible speeds and yielded more than any field had ever seen.
His Wolf Spirit Squad had begun spreading his influence across the lands. Some of the rumors came directly from them. These shapeshifters were invaluable, especially in Westeros where their abilities made them kings of espionage. Whether they'd be as useful across the Narrow Sea in Essos remained to be seen.
In recent skirmishes, Roose Bolton and his allies had begun to suspect that Marco had some uncanny means of gathering intelligence—but they didn't know his secret lay with those shapeshifters.
As Marco's army crossed the river, his system interface suddenly flashed with a string of new missions.
1. "Eliminate the Hidden Threat"The host's exploration has awakened ancient, slumbering forces beneath the earth. Destroy them before they cause even greater harm in the future.Reward: 10,000 gold, 10 full-resource points, Blueprint: Sprite Workshop (Special).
2. "Heart of the Golem"You have discovered remnants of an unknown civilization's golem constructs and energy cores. Collect enough samples.Progress: Large Fragments 1/3, Normal Fragments 30/100, Energy Cores 40/100.Reward:Blueprint: Advanced Arcane Foundry.
3. "Foundations of Magic"The unknown civilization mastered incredible energy technology. Find its central power source.Reward:Blueprint: Arcane Library, Blueprint: Mage Tower (Special).
4. "Golem Craftsmanship"Uncover the secret methods used to forge the ancient golems. Master the craft and create your own unique golem art.Reward:Blueprint: Golem Foundry (Special).
The sudden flood of messages left Marco dizzy, his thoughts blank. He simply let his unicorn mount, Silverflash, lead the way. Had Nymph not noticed his daze and called out to him, he might've ridden on in a trance.
Snapping back to himself, Marco immediately ordered a forced march. If the system's warnings were real, time was short. He'd already seen the horrors of the stone serpents firsthand—and those things were no joke.
Half a month later, his army reached the outskirts of Wastesford.
Wastesford was the most prosperous settlement in the western North—densely populated, fertile, and famed for its horses.
The Dustin family's stronghold sat atop a massive hill, about half the size of Winterfell. The castle itself was circular, with a huge keep at its heart—reminiscent of Storm's End.
Below the hill sprawled a bustling town, wrapping around the slope like a ring. Eight-meter stone walls encircled the settlement.
A broad river flowed past its southern edge, carrying the fresh scent of the sea on the warm wind. The air was damp, rich with life. The lush pastures bred some of the finest horses in the North, rivaling those of the Vale. These "Wastesford Steeds" were prized across the realm.
During the Dance of Dragons, the legendary Winter Wolves Army had been led by House Dustin from this very town. After that civil war ended, the Dustins kept the army's structure intact—a 2,000-strong cavalry force armed with axes, maces, flails, and ancient greatswords. Their ferocity was unmatched.
Now, that same army was locked in battle—but their foes weren't men.
To Marco's eyes, the battlefield looked like chaos itself. Not just the stone serpents he had seen before, but also massive ape-like statues and, most common of all, lion-bodied beasts resembling sphinxes from Earth's myths—though more animalistic.
The Bolton coalition was on the brink of collapse. The Winter Wolves fought bravely, fearless to the last man, but even their courage faltered against these ancient, mechanical horrors—living weapons of a lost civilization.
The nearby town was in utter panic. Refugees fled through the streets, desperate to escape the slaughter. The first sightings of stone serpents and lions near the hills had been dismissed as superstition by Roose Bolton and his officers.
They realized too late.
As casualties mounted, the horror became undeniable. From the great barrows outside the town, hordes of stone monsters had emerged.
The ape-like golems could crush charging cavalry with a single blow, their rocky bodies impervious to blades. The serpents' bites turned flesh to stone, leaving men to die frozen in agony.
And the sphinx-like beasts sowed terror, mimicking human voices in eerie chorus, their distorted cries echoing across the battlefield, mixing with screams and sobs.
Seeing this, Marco didn't hesitate. He couldn't let the town fall—without its people, there'd be nothing left to rule.
He ordered an immediate assault.
His four wives and four elite System Soldiers charged forth. From the sky, gryphons and young dragons dove, screeching as they unleashed fire upon the monsters.
A golden magic circle blazed in the air—then, with a roar, a colossal Fire Phoenix burst onto the battlefield. Under Yueying's command, it beat its burning wings and swooped toward a massive cavern where more monsters crawled forth.
Screeeech!
The phoenix dove like a flaming meteor. The ground quaked under its passage; its blazing aura turned the battlefield into a sea of fire. Soldiers scattered, shielding their faces from the heat.
The phoenix was indeed a being beyond the highest class—it crushed the stone serpents with its claws, and its Flame Shield scorched any monster that dared to touch it.
Beside it appeared four elemental beings—fire, water, earth, and air. The others instinctively kept their distance from the fire elemental, wary of its scorching presence.
"The people of Wastesford, hear me!" Marco's voice thundered across the chaos."Your lord can no longer protect you! From this moment forth, I—Marco Belleris of the Valyrian Empire—shall be your protector! These abominations will fall before my army!"
His voice, amplified by the Fearful Roar ability, shook the battlefield. The soundwave made every ear ring; for a moment, the chaos froze.
A crimson mist—energy from the system—rose around his soldiers, eerie and divine all at once. Then Marco cast four Light Blessing spells, followed by a grand Rite of Benediction. Under the holy glow, his soldiers looked like descending heroes.
The four System Soldiers plunged into the horde. Wherever they fought, monsters fell like wheat before the scythe.
SCREEE—ROAR!
The air unit dove again. The dragons unleashed torrents of flame, incinerating the monstrous apes. Even the largest statues staggered under the inferno.
Meve, transformed into a Seraphim, and Dani, hidden in the shadows, struck the giant golems from both sides—holy radiance and dark magic flaring across the field, forcing human soldiers to retreat from the sheer force.
Nymph took her mermaid form, summoning vast waves of water to crash against the stone beasts. Here in the open, the four could finally unleash their powers freely—without fear of harming allies.
-------------------------
Fully Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Patreon.com/Ramzane