At Viserys's command, everyone began looting and beheading the fallen. The overwhelming stench of blood filled the hall. Viserys continued his search, while Dany's owl trembled in his arms.
"Don't be afraid, Dany, don't be afraid," he whispered, his anxiety mounting. He wanted to find the man suspected of being a Skinchanger, hoping to discover any magical notes or something of value. If that failed, he might have to check his ship.
Suddenly, Viserys sensed a flash of cold steel coming from behind. He dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Is someone still alive?!" he exclaimed, startled. But with his exceptional combat skills, he swiftly kicked the attacker twice in the stomach and once in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. The commotion drew everyone's attention, and they turned to see what was happening.
"Who are you?" Viserys demanded, drawing his sword and pointing it at the man.
"Your Skinchanger friend is injured, isn't he?"
'It's him,' Viserys thought, recognizing the man. Surviving in a chlorine gas fog was no small feat.
Euron Greyjoy got up, his eye patch dislodged, revealing a malevolent black eye. He hadn't expected to come so close to death.
"Lord Viserys, or should I call you Prince? I think there might be a small misunderstanding between us. How about this: I teach you a spell to heal your companion, and you let me go?"
Viserys regarded him coldly. "You haven't told me who you are yet."
"Euron. Euron Greyjoy."
'It's Euron, the big boss! He wants to kill me!' Viserys's shock quickly turned to an instinctive urge to kill him. This man was not just evil, but a true villain. In the original tale, Euron had killed all his brothers—a heinous crime of Kinslaying. He was far worse than Andersen, who had conspired with him to kill his father. Andersen had done it out of self-preservation or ambition, but Euron relished in such evil.
Sensing Viserys's murderous intent, Euron's muscles tensed.
"Prince, I suggest you treat your companion soon, or I can't guarantee what will happen." Viserys pressed his sword against Euron's throat and asked, "How can I trust that your spell works?"
To his surprise, Euron didn't flinch. Instead, he pressed his neck against the sword's tip.
"Prince, you have no choice but to trust me. I've just barely returned from the dead. How do you know I won't warn those outside?"
But Viserys wasn't fooled. He whispered, "Have you ever wondered why I didn't die in the poison gas either?"
He grabbed Euron's neck and began to squeeze.
"You'd better tell me everything you know, or I'll see if a man whose head's been ripped off can still come back to life!"
Viserys knew Euron only cared about his own survival, valuing others' lives as little as ants. If he hesitated out of fear of upsetting Euron, it would only give the man an opening to exploit. Only by showing enough ruthlessness could he force Euron to comply.
Luckily, Viserys had judged correctly. Euron saw the murderous intent in his eyes, and his confidence wavered, no longer the expression of someone who thought they were in control.
Euron coughed violently, and then, with little choice, quickly demonstrated the spell. Viserys focused intently, not daring to miss a single detail.
[Blood Magic: - Beginner (3/100)]
A message appeared on his panel, Viserys realized Euron had given him the genuine article. With this spell, he could heal Dany himself. For the first time, Viserys felt a small measure of relief.
"It's okay, you guys can continue!" he called out to the crowd, then turned to Euron.
"I heard you've been to many places. I wonder, have you ever ventured to the ruins of Valyria?"
"Not yet, but I'm preparing to go," Euron replied.
Based on the timeline, Euron should enter the ruins of Valyria after the story of ice and fire begins. This means it will be at least two or three years before he explores it. When he does, he will bring back all sorts of treasures, including the Dragon's Horn, Valyrian steel armor, and dragon eggs. Euron also possesses powerful magic, but for now, the tide of magic hasn't fully returned, limiting his strength.
In truth, Viserys wanted to kill this man immediately. But thinking about the treasures Euron might acquire in the future and the way to navigate the ruins of Valyria, Viserys hesitated.
'This man is pure evil. I could probably track him with Dragon Dreams. Judging by his performance in the original story, even if he returns to the Iron Islands, he hasn't yet become especially powerful. With the help of the system, I should be able to gain the upper hand.'
With this thought, Viserys's mood eased slightly, and he temporarily dismissed the idea of killing Euron. Euron, sensing the murderous intent in Viserys fading, felt a moment of relief. However, in the next instant, he felt Viserys's malice flare up once more.
"Chirp!"
A sharp pain shot through Euron's ear, followed by the sensation of warm blood streaming down his face. The sudden agony drained the color from his cheeks, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.
"You!"
Viserys ignored him, tearing off one of Euron's ears and shoving it into his mouth. Some of the mercenaries, busy collecting treasures, couldn't help but glance in Viserys's direction. Witnessing his cruelty, they instinctively touched their own ears.
"This is your punishment!"
Euron stared at Viserys in disbelief.
"Eat it!"
Terrified by Viserys's power, Euron had no choice but to swallow his own ear. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as anger and murderous intent surged wildly within him. Little did he know, this was precisely what Viserys wanted. Only with a deep-seated hatred would Euron be more "motivated" to explore the ruins of Valyria. Moreover, the most crucial factor was that Viserys could locate Euron through Dragon Dreams, allowing him to "see" the sights within the ruins without risking his own life.
After swallowing the bloody flesh, Euron vowed in his heart to use the most brutal means to torture Viserys to death. He would personally destroy everything Viserys cherished, letting despair and darkness consume his life.
However, Euron was stunned once more when he saw the expression on Viserys' face. It was as if Viserys could read his thoughts, and the more sinister those thoughts became, the more pleased Viserys seemed.
For the first time, Euron felt genuine fear. He swore to himself that this was the first time in his life he had ever been truly afraid.
"Are you coming with us, or will you find your own way out?" Viserys asked, sensing the moment was right.
"Of course, I'm coming with you," Euron replied, suppressing both his fear and anger.
Soon, the group had plundered all the valuables they could find, with each person carrying treasures worth at least 10,000 gold dragons. Caggo had even hung seven or eight human heads from his body, each worth tens of thousands of gold dragons.
Such a haul would make them all fabulously wealthy—if they could get it out. The group quickly made their way out, clinging to the ropes. Viserys didn't force Euron to go with them because he knew that Euron was plotting to kill him personally, not leaving the task to others. So, he left Euron behind and departed with the group.
"Leave him behind. Let's go!" Viserys dismissed Jorah's suggestion to kill Euron immediately.
Euron watched Viserys leave, venomous intent swirling in his eyes. His teeth clenched as he seethed with rage.
As soon as the group left the island, a disturbance erupted behind them. The pirates guarding the cave first caught a faint whiff of blood, then realized there was no sound from within. This struck them as odd.
After some hesitation, a few pirates ventured inside, only to be met with an unforgettable sight. The ground was littered with headless corpses dressed in fine clothing, and the treasures brought by the pirate leaders had been stolen. Realizing they had been attacked, the pirates first panicked, then sounded the alarm.
By this time, Viserys and the others had already surfaced and were frantically racing toward the ship. But Dany was delirious and unable to send a message, and Webber and the others had no idea when to come to their rescue!
Just then, a warning shout came from behind them: "Stop the ship!" Everyone was shocked—they had been discovered!
"Row! Row!" The two Gerrolds urged frantically, while Viserys spoke to the owl in his arms, "Dany! Pull yourself together and tell Webber and Regis to come and rescue us!"
But the owl did not respond, continuing to tremble in his arms.
"Row! Row! Row!" The Gerrolds continued to shout as the owl in Viserys's arms trembled, while on the boat, Dany convulsed in Kyla's arms. Kyla looked at Dany in a panic, having never seen anything like it before. Suddenly, she heard Dany whisper something.
"...leave... leave..."
"Leave? Did Lord Viserys succeed?"
But all Kyla could hear was a faint, indistinct repetition of "leave" and "leave."