Watching his direwolf, Bran instinctively chased after it, remembering his mother's warning—keep your wolf pups under control and don't let them scare the guests.
However, when Bran rounded the training yard, he saw his direwolf sniffing around with its nose to the ground, running straight toward the Broken Tower.
Seeing this, Bran felt like his encounter earlier this morning was just a bad dream, leaving him utterly confused.
He could barely tell if what he had seen was real or not.
Looking at the Broken Tower he had climbed countless times, and recalling the soothing feeling of gazing into the distance from its heights, Bran subconsciously started walking toward it.
At this moment, the gears of fate turned once more, allowing the original trajectory to continue.
...
After successfully "persuading" Cersei Lannister, Jon's first move was to bail.
Although he had reached an agreement with her through a mix of half-threats and guarantees, as a transmigrator who knew the plot, he understood better than anyone the terrible price one paid for trusting Cersei.
But as long as the threat remained valid, Cersei presumably wouldn't go crazy—at least not while she was here in the North, the Starks' stronghold.
But once she returned to King's Landing, everything would likely change.
Putting those details aside, seeing that the System wasn't acting up anymore, Jon had already planned his escape route after fleeing the Broken Tower.
Since the King was leaving tomorrow anyway, it seemed reasonable for him to leave early for Castle Black.
Once he was there, no matter how crazy Cersei was, the traditions of the Night's Watch would force her to bury the threat he posed deep in her heart.
Then, the trajectory of this world could return to normal.
But the more he thought about it, the more the flashing light screen in front of him annoyed him.
[Intelligent Auto-Pilot has ended. We look forward to your 5-star review. Thank you, come again!]
Looking at the popup that resembled rogue adware, Jon felt... refreshed!
Although a bit confused, overall, he hadn't lost anything.
"You have the nerve to ask for five stars after that? Do you think I'm an idiot? Bad review!"
Even though the transmigrator grumbled verbally, recalling the "delights" of the previous night, the fear of being dominated by the System had actually faded quite a bit.
So, upon hearing the prompt, he subconsciously looked at the five stars.
Then, a pleasant chime rang in his head.
[Thank you for your 5-star review. System cashback is being dispensed...]
[Please wait...]
[Please wait...]
Seeing the familiar and irritating "Please wait...", Jon actually felt a twinge of anticipation for the System reward for the first time.
After all, just as this dog of a System had demanded, he had indirectly completed the "Rise and Grind" task and indeed "leveled up."
So, it was only normal for the System to give him a little reward.
Then, as the screen popped up, Jon stayed silent for a moment before finally exploding into curses.
"Fck! Dog System, you better explain to me what this means?!"
At this moment, the transmigrator looked at the System panel, feeling short of breath.
> Name: Jon Snow
> Gender: Male
> Age: 16
> Strength: 1.7 (Bonus to damage and carry weight)
> Constitution: 1.7 (Related to stamina and agility)
> Spirit: 2.5 (Observing the world)
> Title: Eddard's Bastard (False), The Persuader
> Current Mission: Winter is Coming. Please submit to your predetermined fate!
> System Reward: "The Queen's New Clothes" (Limited Time Trial) dispensed. 5-star review reward dispensing, please wait...
Although he admitted that while he had a good time yesterday, he had also noticed the increase in Strength and Constitution. And looking at it now, the boost was significant—even comparable to the effects of Maester Luwin's potions.
But this so-called reward was definitely not something decent!
Leaving everything else aside, what the hell was "The Queen's New Clothes"??!
And what kind of White Walker nonsense was "Limited Time Trial"? Did it have a duration?!
Jon: "System, come out here. I promise I won't beat you to death..."
After squeezing those words through his back molars, Jon turned his gaze to the panel, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
Why the 5-star review reward needed a "Please wait..." made it hard to tell if it was good or bad.
But for now, he had roughly figured out some of this dog System's settings.
For example, during the "One-Click Auto-Pilot," the speed that left afterimages clearly exceeded the rules of the World of Ice and Fire.
Apart from that, during the busy battle last night, he hadn't felt the slightest fatigue.
It was only the moment the System disengaged that a hollowing exhaustion, bordering on vertigo, suddenly hit him.
Clearly, this System wasn't a cheat code without a price; it felt more like a "Buy Now, Pay Later" predatory loan scheme.
So overall, there were still many questions he needed to figure out on his own.
Furthermore, the visible growth on his stat panel made the transmigrator secretly pleased, even as he couldn't help but roast it.
After all, he'd never heard that that kind of activity could count as physical training!
If that were true, Robert Baratheon would be the strongest man in the world, the undisputed Challenger-tier champion.
Done with his internal monologue, Jon didn't waste any more time and strode toward the castle.
...
Just as Jon was roasting the System, the instructions he had given were being repeatedly trampled and ravaged.
As Bran's agile figure climbed upward, the familiar sounds of collision and suppressed panting reawakened the child's memory.
Although Bran wanted to flee, the desire for the truth drove him to keep climbing.
When he poked his head out, the scene before him was familiar, only the person in the back had changed to the White Cloak knight he admired so much.
At this moment, clad in his white cloak and armor, Ser Jaime looked taller and more handsome than Jon in every way.
Except for the twisted expression on his face and those dangling legs—those seemed no different from his brother's.
Just as the boy observed carefully, hungry for forbidden knowledge, his eyes met Cersei's once again.
"Ah! Stop! Stop right now!"
After a flurry of panicked movement, the tower temporarily returned to calm. Bran, remembering Jon's warning, started climbing back down toward the bottom of the tower.
But before he could react, a large hand grabbed him by the collar and hauled him inside.
"Little thing, how old are you?"
At this moment, the White Cloak's handsome face was no longer charming. His eyes, fixed on the boy, were filled with murderous intent.
Clearly, Jaime Lannister did not intend to let this witness go.
So, as he glanced out the window, Cersei, who had just finished tidying her clothes, suddenly spoke up to stop him.
"Enough! He's just a child."
"True, but a child who can get our heads spiked on the castle walls. I can't..."
"Stop it, Jaime. Even if you kill him, it's already too late!"
"!??"