章 752: Chapter 752: Awakening
This monster was attracted by the kindred aura from Viserys's body, which Viserys could likewise sense.
These dark mists existed in the bottomless abysses beyond the Wall, the ruins of Valyria, the Shadow Lands, the Grey Waste, and other such regions.
It could turn all infected surface creatures into demons, altering their forms and even minds. The power Viserys possessed was of the same origin as these monsters, though it remained unclear why the black mist he had absorbed and wielded did not transform him into a monster as well. Nor did the black mist he dispensed.
If the untamed black mists were like toxic, untreated water, then Viserys was like a purifier, absorbing and harnessing all the black mist that passed through him.
Why? No one could explain it to him.
Nonetheless, when he grabbed the monster's throat and slammed it straight to the ground, everyone present felt their eyelids flicker sharply, all except Melisandre, who remained calm.
Especially the Unsullied commander who had loyally tried to block Viserys earlier. Staggering from Viserys' shove, he plopped to the ground. Then in a split second, he witnessed His Imperial Majesty effortlessly hurl the incredibly swift monster to the earth, as if he were hammering iron.
Boom!
Cracks formed in the timbered courtyard floor from the heavy landing. Robbed of its earlier momentum, the creature could only lie there whimpering.
Viserys had reduced this pouncing tiger of a monster into a mewling kitten. Furthermore, it was already starving, since the escorting soldiers dared not overfeed it, giving tiny rations only every ten days to keep it alive. Thus, it made no attempt to get back up.
"Huff...huff..."
It lay on the ground, panting heavily. The savagery and destructive impulses in its eyes were gone, replaced by a hint of regained calm.
Of course it hadn't been bashed back to its senses. Viserys had simply drained the magical energy from its body.
The surrounding Summer Isles soldiers and their captains gawked at each other, just remembering that the man before them was the heroic savior who had rescued all mankind and faced the Night King alone years ago.
Naturally someone like him could easily subdue a small monster. How admirable for the empire's emperor to be humanity's last hope!
Deeply awed and reverent, the soldiers marveled internally. As waves lapped steadily around him, Viserys gazed impassively down at the creature, then spoke.
"Are you Victarion?"
"Youngest brother of Euron and Aeron Greyjoy?"
Still heaving on the ground, the over-two-meter-tall monster gave a full-body shudder at the voice from above, then came to his senses. He hastily scrambled up from the ground.
The surrounding Unsullied soldiers grew tense as well, gripping their shields and spears as the crewmen of Fury unsheathed their swords.
Melisandre continued observing the monster intently, hints of probing in her pretty red eyes, as if she wanted to roast it for answers.
Her gaze made the monster's body tremble slightly, for it had fully regained lucidity, along with memories of its muddled state.
It recalled certain unpleasant memories—the last person who became a similar monster perished screaming at the Red Priests' stake. Now it faced an all-too-familiar scene: humans with bared weapons encircling it, a Red Priestess among them.
But with clarity came prudence. Having been utterly powerless against the silver-haired man moments ago, escape was the last thing on its mind.
Unsure of Viserys' identity still, Victarion had seen and heard nothing while shut in that crate, half-starved for over ten days before getting bodyslammed back to consciousness.
Yet instinct told it the man before him was far stronger, so it decided to answer honestly when Viserys spoke again.
"I am."
Victarion's voice was hoarse, like the scrape of a blade over stone—likely from prolonged silence altering his vocal cords. But Viserys understood and glanced sharply at him in response.
Although these people had repeatedly confirmed this monster's identity, seeing was believing.
The bizarre fish-man monster looked nothing remotely human. Hearing it speak suddenly made Viserys' heart skip a beat despite mentally bracing himself.
Humans...could truly become such monsters?
Then again, considering the undead armies of the frozen north, nothing seemed impossible in this world.
"How did you become like this?"
Viserys had already heard their account of Victarion getting ambushed and infected by one of the monsters during a wound. But he still wanted to hear Victarion recount the full process himself.
After Victarion finished, Viserys lapsed into contemplation.
He had hoped to extract useful intelligence from the first afflicted person he'd met who could still regain sanity, thinking Victarion's corruption couldn't run too deep.
But it turned out Victarion knew little more than his own tragic circumstance. He was but a hapless victim.
"You are...Viserys?"
Gazing wordlessly at the pensive silver-haired man, the over-two-meter abyssal fish-man finally couldn't resist confirming his guess.
Initially, Victarion had assumed he was brought to Volantis, the only place abundant in Red Priests and Unsullied warriors alongside such rare silver-haired folk in Westeros.
Yet surveying his surroundings made him recognize this as King's Landing's Red Keep. He had visited the capital in his youth and discerned the alterations.
Only then did Victarion realize the other man's identity, hence his tentative query.
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