Chapter 57: Magical Creatures and How to Kill Them
"I don't know, but I can make a guess," Melisandre said, pursing her lips and winking at Aeg. "After all, sitting here is the first White Walker killer in a thousand years in Westeros, isn't it?"
After a discussion, the atmosphere unknowingly shifted from hostile to friendly. This woman, who had lived for who knows how many years. was too skilled at guiding the conversation. Aeg didn't know what to say, so he could only keep a straight face. "Cut the nonsense, start your guess."
"From the images I've seen and the death process you've described, the White Walkers' bodies should operate entirely on magic, almost without a physical form," the witch said. "All creatures can be killed by physical substances or magic, but there are two ways that allow us to almost ignore physical attacks."
"Immune to physical damage."
"A new term you've invented? It's quite fitting. Animals in nature choose to make their bodies stronger and harder to approach this goal, such as turtles, such as dragons. They rely on tough shells or scales and skin to resist external. well, physical damage. But the gods naturally have other means. The Cold God has taken another extreme: making the bodies of his servants completely magical, giving the White Walkers the ability to almost be immune to physical damage. Unless they are completely crushed by overwhelming force, they are nearly immortal."
"Why are they afraid of dragon glass?"
"They're not afraid of dragon glass, but the fire-attribute magic contained within it," Melisandre said with certainty. "This magic is completely opposite to the attributes within the Cold God's servants, conflicting with each other, disrupting the ice magic that constitutes their bodies, causing them to collapse and disintegrate."
"The Lord of Light is the god of fire, isn't he? You claim to be His servant, so you should be good at fire magic, right?"
"Actually, I only know fire magic," Melisandre admitted. "But unfortunately, if you're expecting me to go north to the Wall to help you fight the White Walkers, I can't do it. Not only because I have a more important mission, but also. the fact is, I can't handle even one White Walker."
"Can the fire magic you can use not compare to the amount of magic contained in an obsidian dagger?"
"Did you forget what I said? The Cold God is the Lord of Light's archenemy. If His servants could be taken out by just any small fire magic, the war would have ended a thousand years ago," the witch shook her head. "We just said that the White Walkers' bodies are almost without a physical form, but 'almost' is not completely. If they were just a mass of magic, then any small fire magic could disperse them. The only bit of physical form they have is to prevent this from happening."
The woman raised her hand and slowly traced Aeg's thin black shirt with her fingers. "If I'm willing to pay the price, I can instantly ignite all the fabric on your body, you would be severely burned, and without treatment, you might even die. But if I use this move against a White Walker, what would happen?"
Aeg politely avoided her touch. "It wouldn't burn at all?"
"Correct, it wouldn't burn at all," Melisandre smiled and withdrew her hand. "The White Walkers' bodies are completely shaped by magic, but on the outside, there is a thin layer of ice armor. ordinary weapons can easily break through this layer of ice armor, but they can't harm their essence, and fire magic is a threat to them but can't penetrate their physical bodies. The existence of their bodies allows them to remain unscathed even if buried in dragon glass or stepping into a sea of fire. Only by injecting fire-attribute magic can they be harmed and their bodies destroyed. You killing that White Walker with a dragon glass dagger is an example. the hardness and sharpness of the obsidian broke through the protective layer of the White Walker's body, and the fire magic contained in the dragon glass disrupted the stable ice magic within it, instantly killing it." She paused, adding, "Of course, a destructive fire magic powerful enough could directly kill a White Walker, but no one capable of casting that level of fire magic has been born yet."
"Then. what about the legend that Valyrian steel can also kill White Walkers?"
"Valyrian steel is the incorrect term used by Westerosi. To be precise, it should be called Valyrian metal. If you have the chance, try it with a magnet, and you'll see. it doesn't contain iron, so it can't be called steel. The Valyrians used several rare and precious metals combined with magic to forge this extremely light and strong substance. I've come into contact with this metal, and it's clear that extremely powerful fire magic was used in the forging process, with magic still lingering after centuries."
"Mixed metal? So, Valyrian steel is actually an alloy, should it be called Valyrian alloy?"
"Al.loy?" Melisandre frowned in confusion. Why did this Night's Watchman like to invent new terms? "What it's called is irrelevant, suit yourself."
"Understood, to kill a White Walker, the most convenient way is to break through their body and use a substance containing fire-attribute magic to destroy their body structure," Aeg nodded, suddenly feeling a bit scared. "But if I encounter a White Walker wearing armor, how would I kill them?"
"Typically, armor would severely hinder the wearer's movements and spellcasting. Magic is not a highly penetrative energy, and the caster's attire should be as simple and light as possible, which is why I never wear underwear or an outer coat. if I were forced to wear a full suit of armor, the power of my spells would be reduced by at least half." A smile that didn't seem fake appeared on Melisandre's lips. "But it's hard to guarantee they'll really take your advice. My suggestion is. go back and use your brain to think about what to do if you really encounter this situation."
Never wear underwear? Aeg instinctively lowered his gaze for a moment before quickly pulling it back, realizing he had already spent too much time on this, and stood up. "That's like not saying anything."
"Indeed, sorry, but when it comes to killing White Walkers, you're the expert, aren't you," Melisandre also stood up. "Are you leaving now? That's fine. I've already cleared the mark that 'demigod' left in you, and the residual aura of the Lord of Light ensures that He won't dare to monitor or harm you again. You can do whatever you want without restraint."
"You cleared one mark and left another!" Aeg was stunned for a few seconds before reacting, his anger, which had just subsided, flared up again. "What's the point? Neither of them is a good person!"
"Wherever there is fire, the influence of the Lord of Light can reach. With the Lord of Light's mark, the demigods opposing the Cold God and the other servants of the Lord of Light won't harm you. And if you're worried about being watched by me at all times, I can only say, I don't have the ability or the inclination." The witch was unconcerned with Aeg's roar. "This did consume my magic, as an apology for the previous offense, believe it or not. The only regret is that I don't have the power to remove the traces the Cold God left on you. For this, I can only suggest: try not to go north of the Wall again."
Aeg wanted Melisandre to take back the mark she had left on him, but upon reflection, even if she lied and said she had taken it back, how could he know, having no feeling for magic? It would be better to ask something more practical. "But didn't you say the aura the Cold God left on me was very weak? Why can you clear the stronger one but not the weaker one?"
"An adult wolf can bite a newly hatched dragonling to death, but even so, the dragon is a stronger life form than the wolf. The Cold God may be evil, but He is a true god, just awakened from a long slumber, and will grow stronger with the coming of the harsh winter. And the poor demigod opposing Him in the north is already in decline, heading towards death." Melisandre sighed. "The long night is dark, and full of peril. take care of yourself, friend of the Night's Watch. Also, before you leave, please tell the guards at the door: we have reached an understanding, this misunderstanding should end, we both have more important things to do, don't we?"
Aeg, who was no longer in the mood for anger, stopped at the door, nodded, and pushed it open to leave.