Kevan's true cause of death quickly spread, thanks to those with ulterior motives.
Because King's Landing had just been sacked, there were quite a few people in the city who harbored resentment towards the Lannisters.
In addition, many nobles among the rebel forces were jealous that the Lannisters had reaped the fruits of victory. With a tacit understanding between several parties, the Lannister family's bad reputation quickly spread throughout King's Landing.
Countless ordinary people cheered at Kevan's death, believing that the Targaryens would eventually return and make the Lannisters "pay their debts."
The Targaryens still held the people's hearts.
And recently, someone even threw a rotten egg at Duke Tywin's face when he was out.
His expression was cold, even ashen, and anyone could see Duke Tywin's fury.
However, the Gold Cloaks, the capital's guard often referred to as the lackeys, made a complete mess of their hunt for the true perpetrator behind the attack on Duke Tywin.
Instead, the situation escalated, portraying Tywin as a heinous demon.
Things got even worse when several Lannister soldiers patrolling King's Landing were ambushed and beaten to death by rioters who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
The situation continued to deteriorate.
Yet, countless members of the usurper's faction were delighted to see such events unfold.
They even added fuel to the fire, constantly heaping blame onto the Lannister family.
After all, the fewer people dividing the spoils, the better.
Meanwhile, in the distance...
Dragonstone.
I don't know how much time had passed.
Viserys was still lying in bed, lost in a deep sleep, with a stream of complex dreams unfolding in his mind.
He dreamt of his past and present lives.
He dreamt of a giant dragon breathing Dragonflame at him, trying to reduce him to ashes.
He also dreamt of a world-ending scene, with all the volcanoes erupting simultaneously, spewing countless ash, smoke, and fire into the sky.
The splitting earth devoured solemn temples, palaces, and bustling towns.
"Where... is this?"
Viserys didn't know why he was dreaming such a scene, yet he was trembling slightly as if he were actually there.
He understood this was a manifestation of fear.
It was like the feeling when he was attacked on the road before, when a startled warhorse charged straight towards him.
It was also like a fish thrown onto the shore, desperately gasping for air, praying for this disaster, whether man-made or the wrath of the gods, to cease.
"Why would such a terrible disaster occur here?"
Yet, no one could give him an answer.
Countless scenes of worlds being destroyed filled Viserys' mind. He seemed to have personally experienced this unprecedented disaster, playing many roles in it, experiencing the 'first-person perspective' of many people in this disaster.
Again and again, endlessly.
However, the disaster finally ceased, dissolving into a mass of black mist within the vast sea of smoke.
The psychological torment Viserys had endured in his dream finally came to an end.
Everything vanished like smoke, and darkness gradually enveloped his vision. Then, the boy's soul, lying on the bed, seemed to slowly return. He heard a series of indistinct sounds around him: hushed voices and a girl softly sobbing.
Finally, he felt a rough tongue licking his cheek, as if trying to wake him.
Viserys finally opened his eyes, but he felt utterly drained, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.
All his strength had been sapped, leaving him lying weakly on the bed. He managed to twitch his fingers.
His throat was parched, like cracked, arid earth. He pursed his dry lips and croaked,
"Water."
"Give me some water."
The little black cat was the first to notice Viserys had woken up. It was licking the boy's cheek when it realized his eyes were open. It tilted its head slightly, and a hint of excitement seemed to spark in its emerald eyes.
The first person to hear Viserys's voice was the girl sobbing softly beside his bed.
"Huh? Viserys, you're awake?!"
The brown-haired girl was a mess of tears. Then, she heard Viserys's voice, and the sound startled the others in the room.
His mother, Queen Rhaella, hurried over. An experienced maester brought a cup of warm water and gently helped Viserys sit up against the headboard.
He then brought the water to his lips, moistening his parched throat.
"My child, how do you feel?"
His mother sat beside him to comfort him, but Viserys's mind was still hazy. He managed to answer a few questions before drifting back to sleep again.
This time, Queen Rhaella didn't allow anyone to disturb Viserys, letting him rest quietly in his room a little longer.
In her view, Viserys had been through too much recently, suffering intense shock and stress. Coupled with the long journey, physical exhaustion, and the ensuing illness and fever, he had been unconscious for a day and a night.
His beloved elder brother had died, and he was forced to flee King's Landing in haste. He was attacked on the road, bravely killing an enemy, and then arrived in Duskendale overnight without much rest.
After that, he had sailed for several days, and upon reaching Dragonstone, he hadn't even had a chance to rest before she hastily crowned him.
Viserys must have been too tired; after all, he was only a seven-year-old child.
Queen Rhaella was deeply remorseful, constantly reflecting on her actions. Surprisingly, Viserys was the one comforting his mother, telling her that he was fine, just having a fever.
He was feeling much better now, just needing some rest.
And after everyone had left the bedroom, Viserys, who had just been "sleeping," opened his eyes.
A pair of pale purple eyes gleamed, even brighter than before. He sat up, leaning against the headboard, and tilted his head slightly towards the mirror on the bedside table, where sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains. The mirror reflected the light.
Three seconds later.
A mass of black mist arrived as promised.
[Viserys Targaryen]
Strength (Solar): 5 Constitution (Earth): 6 Agility (Water): 8 Spirit (Lunar): 20
The silver-haired boy in the mirror still possessed an extraordinarily handsome face, but his complexion was slightly pale, making him look a little tired.
His silver hair seemed even more radiant than before, like molten silver cascading over his young shoulders.
However, Viserys didn't dwell on his own beauty. After all, being handsome was something that was destined to follow him throughout his life.
His gaze mainly focused on the black mist that only he could see.
"Lunar Attribute. 20."
This indicated that his mental attribute was already far beyond that of normal people. However, it had now, surprisingly, jumped from 18 to 20, reaching twice that of a normal adult.
No. Perhaps this multiple wasn't calculated in this way.
The abilities displayed by the black mist might become increasingly difficult to improve as they grew more profound.
Furthermore, upon reaching a Lunar Attribute of 20, it seemed a very powerful special ability had awakened.
(End of this chapter)