After much effort, Viserys managed to vomit up the tadpole he had swallowed. The tiny creature, which resembled a speck of ink, twitched once before going still. Viserys felt its death instantly.
As if sensing something amiss, he opened his panel and immediately saw the issue:
Spirit: 99.8
The death of the tadpole, which had paired with him, had cost him 0.2 Spirit. Viserys instantly felt his mind wasn't as sharp as before. If a mere tadpole caused a loss of 0.2 Spirit, it was no wonder Skinchangers went mad if they lost their animal companions. If the seagull had died, he might have lost seven or eight points of Spirit.
Fortunately, the seagull had just reached adulthood and should live for a long time. Additionally, as long as they weren't paired for too long, their connection would weaken, and its death would have a lesser impact on him. For now, though, he needed to pair with it frequently for both spying and defense.
Viserys quickly realized another problem. Kyla frequently killed her animal companions, even though they were lobsters with almost no intelligence. She had likely lost a lot of Spirit as well. Maybe she should practice the Moonsingers' songs to recover. Otherwise, her diminishing intelligence might influence Dany.
Despite the tadpole incident, Viserys didn't blame Kyla. Instead, he decided to teach Dany how to warg. In both the original novel and the TV series, the dragons she hatched were sometimes disobedient. What if the dragon she hatched in the future was too violent and threw her out of the sky? She was just a little girl.
Over the next few days, Viserys began instructing Dany in the art of warging.
...
As the celebration approached, time seemed to fly by. In the blink of an eye, only three days remained. Some people, unable to contain their excitement, began wearing masks and parading in the streets.
In the early hours of the morning, after practicing the Moonsingers' songs, Viserys knew it was time. He opened his panel to check his constitution data:
Constitution: 89.78
'Add some points.' he thought.
With experience from the last time, Viserys prepared a large bathtub. He jumped in and added the general attribute points he had earned to his Constitution. Instantly, he felt his heart pounding as if it had taken an aphrodisiac. The blood in his veins raced, thundering in his ears. His normally pale skin began to glow, and the cool water in the tub warmed under the influence of his body temperature.
Soon, white steam began to rise from his head. Fortunately, he didn't experience the unpleasant side effects he had before. After nearly an hour, the intense feeling of enhancement gradually faded. In addition to increased strength, Viserys felt significant improvements in his heart and lung function.
He immersed himself in the bathtub, holding his breath for one minute, then two, five... He finally emerged after 25 minutes. 'This is definitely not my limit!' he thought. He guessed he could hold his breath for 40 to 50 minutes and remain active underwater for more than ten minutes. It was almost unbelievable.
When his body broke through to eighty, the main improvements were in strength and explosive power. Now, breaking through to ninety, the improvements focused on stamina and recovery—broadly referred to as endurance. With super endurance, he could launch fierce attacks on his enemies continuously. In other words, he could use his ultimate move without rest.
Viserys looked down at his sculpted muscles and smiled contentedly. Although he had the speed of a "fast type," he also possessed the strength of a "power type." His tall stature suggested that a weapon like a hammer might suit him best—one blow to silence his enemies. Of course, he could also choose other weapons, such as a Halberd, a weapon requiring immense strength and skill, capable of slashing, stabbing, chopping, and smashing.
'It is invincible,' he thought.
...
The next morning, a carriage stopped in front of Viserys's house. It was from House Zalyne, and out stepped Pyrena, Methys's personal maid and bodyguard. Without waiting for Viserys to greet her, she walked straight into the living room.
"Lady Pyrena, are you here to talk about the Moonshadow?" Viserys asked.
"That's right," Pyrena replied with a nod. "My lady instructed me to inform you that all the Moonshadows will be delivered this afternoon, and all House Zalyne shops will start selling them."
Viserys nodded, understanding that House Zalyne was preparing to compete with House Fregar for the position of Sealord.
"In addition," Pyrena continued, "the money you are owed has been deposited in the Iron Bank for you by Lady Zalyne. There are 20,000 gold dragons in total. Here is your account password and information." She handed an envelope to Viserys, sealed with the black lacquer of House Zalyne.
"Thank the lady for her generosity," Viserys said. He estimated that the initial wave of sales wouldn't amount to 20,000 gold dragons, so the extra was likely Methys's way of taking care of him and perhaps for Dany's sake.
He anticipated that within three to five years, others would start making soap for profit, potentially impacting his business, but he would be satisfied with earning a hundred thousand gold dragons.
"This is what you deserve. Additionally, my lady hopes you will reconsider participating in the tournament."
"What does she mean?" Viserys asked, raising an eyebrow.
"First, the House Zalyne doesn't need further explanation, correct?" Viserys nodded.
"Second, many sellswords participating in the tournament are looking to take your life."
Viserys quickly understood. Many likely had the idea of killing him to claim a reward from Robert. Although Robert hadn't ordered it, this was a rare and legal opportunity. Many sellswords still harbored resentment from the Crown Banquet and were eager for another chance at him.
Viserys smiled. "Thank you, my lady, I will remember your concern. But I will show them what it means to be the reincarnation of Lu Bu."
'Who is Lu Bu?' Pyrena was puzzled.
...
As the celebration approached, the workshop was also nearing its delivery deadline. However, their raw materials had been destroyed, and they were severely short of manpower. Faced with numerous demands for compensation due to breach of contract, the Morel's family had lost hope. Viserys's soap had been their chance for revival, but the outcome seemed bleak.
At this moment, Morel sat tearfully with his son, a small bottle of poison from Lys in front of him, giving his final instructions. "Rabbi, my son, this is my last moment. If I drink this poison, I can buy you some time. With your reputation, you can borrow from the Iron Bank. Maybe in ten or twenty years, we can pay off the debt. Remember, don't let our family name be disgraced."
"Father," Rabbi wept bitterly.
He thought that if it weren't for the so-called Moonshadow, their family and the workshop could still be sold.
They might not be rich, but they could at least live comfortably. But now even his father's life was at stake. But who could he blame? Viserys? Himself? House Fregar? Does he even dare?
"My dear boy, let me look at you one last time," Morel said, reaching out to touch his son's cheek. Just then, a shout came from outside:
"Master Morel! The Moonshadows arrived!"
!?
Father and son looked at each other in shock and disbelief.