Stannon Baratheon, now 16, stood tall and confident, his body stronger and his movements swifter than three years ago. His training with Jon and Robb Stark had sharpened his skills, and today, the sparring session promised to be another challenge. The wooden swords they wielded were heavy and thick, meant to simulate real combat but without the risk of serious injury. Stannon gripped his weapon firmly, waiting for Jon and Robb to make the first move.
Jon and Robb, while skilled for their age, were no match for Stannon. With the advantage of his system and years of training, he had outpaced them both in terms of speed and technique. The cold air did nothing to distract him, and his focus remained unwavering as he scanned his two opponents, each waiting for the right moment.
Jon was the first to strike, his wooden sword slicing through the air toward Stannon's side. With ease, Stannon sidestepped the blow, barely moving, and swung his sword in a smooth arc to intercept Robb's strike from the other side. With a slight shift of his body, he parried Robb's blow with one hand, using the other to quickly lash out at Jon, pushing him back with a forceful strike of the wooden blade.
Robb, undeterred, swung with both hands, aiming high for Stannon's head. The strike was powerful, but Stannon's reflexes were faster. He dropped low, narrowly avoiding the blow, and rose quickly, delivering a sharp jab to Robb's chest with the flat of his sword. Robb staggered back, momentarily off balance, surprised at how quickly the fight was turning against him.
Jon didn't hesitate, trying again from the left with a quick swipe at Stannon's legs. But Stannon had already anticipated the move. With a simple step to the right, he swung his sword down, knocking Jon's weapon out of his hands. The wooden sword flew from Jon's grasp, clattering loudly against the ground. Jon stood frozen for a moment, eyes wide in surprise, his hands still open as if expecting the sword to return to him.
Robb, determined not to be outdone, charged forward again, trying to use his speed to get in close. Stannon wasn't fooled. With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent Robb's sword flying from his grip, sending it skidding across the dirt. Both swords now lay far out of reach, and Stannon stood tall between the two Stark boys, his breathing controlled and steady.
Jon and Robb were breathing heavily now, clearly exhausted but still not willing to give up. Robb bent to retrieve his sword, but before he could make a move, a voice called out from behind them.
"My lord," a guard called, approaching quickly. "Your father has summoned you. He wishes to speak with you immediately."
Robb straightened up and nodded, still catching his breath. "We'll continue this later, Stannon," he said with a grin, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Of course," Stannon replied with a small smile, sheathing his sword. He watched as Robb jogged off toward the castle, following the guard's instructions without hesitation.
Jon lingered for a moment, shaking his head and offering Stannon a reluctant grin. "You're getting too good for us," Jon said, his voice tinged with humor.
Stannon laughed lightly,"Not true, Jon. You both just need more practice. You'll catch up eventually," But he couldn't bring himself to believe those words. Still, he couldn't say that outright to Jon and only encouraged him.
Stannon sighed, looking at Jon. "You're really not coming with me to King's Landing?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of frustration and hope.
Jon shook his head. "Believe me, I want to," he said with a serious look. "To be your Kingsguard, to guard you... it's an honor. But I've always wanted to join the Night's Watch. It's what I've dreamed of since I was a boy."
Stannon sighed again, clearly disappointed but understanding. "I won't make you come, Jon," he said quietly. "Just... stay safe, alright?"
Jon gave a small nod. "I will," he promised, his voice firm.
Stannon gave him one last look, then turned to leave. He didn't want to linger on it anymore, knowing Jon had made up his mind.
As Stannon walked toward the baths, the cold air bit at his skin, but it didn't bother him much. With his Iron Hide ability, he could endure it. He slipped into the warm water, letting it soothe his tired muscles. The weather had grown colder, but he was used to it now.
Sinking into the bath, Stannon smiled to himself, thinking of the soap business. It had made him a lot of money, and he had put that money to good use. His network of spies, though still growing and not as sharp as those of Middlefinger or Baldy, was enough for now.
Stannon thought about Middlefinger and sighed. The man had disappeared months ago without a trace. It was like he had vanished from the world completely, covering his tracks so well that no one, not even the best spies, could find him. The more Stannon searched, the more frustrated he became. Middlefinger's disappearance felt like just another piece of a bigger puzzle, and Stannon wasn't sure what this guy would do next either.
'Son of a b*tch. He had one simple job. Take care of Middlefinger thats it,' Stannon was really upset with how Jon had handled those things. He had did his best to explain about how harmful this guy was to Jon and even then Jon had been unsuccessful to do the necessary. This made Stannon even more determined to not depend upon anyone else.
Of course it might not be entirely Jon's fault as Middlefinger too had his spies and might have slipped before Jon could arrest him. And Jon's wife might have had a hand in helping that guy escape.
Now that guy was underground with a huge reward against his capture, whether alive or dead.
On top of that, the dragon eggs he had been hunting for so long using his own men and his father's, still eluded him. The eggs were too important to just give up on, but the more he tried to uncover their location, the more it seemed like someone was deliberately delaying his progress.
Getting comfortable in the tub, he opened his system panel.
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Ascension System
Rank: ★★★★
EXP: (0/12,500)
Name: Stannon Baratheon
Age: 16 years
EXP: 12,978
Abilities (7/9)
1. Adaptation ★★★
EXP: (12/2,500)
2. Iron Hide ★★★★
EXP: (00/12,500)
3. Lightning Reflexes ★★★★
EXP: (00/12,500)
4. Hawkeye Perception ★★★★
EXP: (12/12,500)
5. Endless March ★★★★
EXP: (37/12,500)
6. Warging ★★★
EXP: (120/2500)
7. Resilient Regeneration ★★★★
EXP: (00/12,500)
The host heals minor wounds within hours and deep injuries about 50% faster than a normal human.
Healing consumes significant energy, causing hunger and exhaustion when overused.
Fatal wounds still require medical attention, and brain or heart damage heals very slowly, if at all.
---
Skills (11/11)
1. Knife Combat ★★★★
EXP: (2520/12,500)
2. Swordsmanship ★★★★
EXP: (3300/12,500)
3. Silent Steps ★★★★★
EXP: (02/62,500)
4. Poison Resistance ★★★★★
EXP: (00/62,500)
5. Archery ★★★
EXP: (02/2,500)
6. Unarmed Combat ★★★★
EXP: (09/12,500)
7. Horse Riding ★★★
EXP: (2200/2500)
8. Persuasion ★★★★
Speechcraft, influence, and charisma in conversations.
EXP: (07/12,500)
9. Political Acumen ★★★
Understanding governance, alliances, and court intrigue.
EXP: (2200/2500)
10. Strategic Warfare ★★★
Tactical planning, battlefield strategy, and siege mastery.
EXP: (02/2500)
11. Diplomatic Etiquette ★★
Handling negotiations, noble interactions, and alliances.
EXP: (10/500)
System Features (Changes in detail only):
1. Copy Abilities and Skills:
The host can copy abilities and skills from living beings by physical contact.
Copied abilities and skills start at 20% to 25% proficiency of the original user's proficiency. The percentage increases with each upgrade of the system.
2. Modification for Human Suitability:
3. Rank-Limited Copying:
4. Training and Upgrading:
5. Ability and Skill Slots:
The system now allows the host to hold up to 9 abilities and 11 skills.
More slots will be unlocked as the system progresses in rank, allowing for greater flexibility.
6. Stamina Consumption:
7. Ability and Skill Levels:
8. Removal of Abilities and Skills:
The cooldown for removing abilities or skills is reduced to 36 hours.
9. Abilities and Skills:
10. Cooldown for Copying Abilities and Skills:
Once a particular ability or skill is copied, there will be a cooldown period based on its rank:
★: 1 day
★★: 10 days
★★★: 100 days and so on
★★★★: 1000 days and so on
11. Single Copy Restriction Per Living Being:
12. Cooldown for Copying Multiple Abilities or Skills from the Same Living Being:
The cooldown for copying multiple abilities from the same being is reduced to 6 months.
13. Failure in Generation:
The failure rate for copying abilities is reduced to 44%.
The cooldown for failure of generating skills and abilities is reduced to 7 years for non-human species.
________________________________________
Stannon looked over his system panel and felt pleased with the new skills and abilities he had added. The Resilient Regeneration ability was a big improvement, but it had caused the system to go into a cooldown for over three years, with two more years to wait before he could use it again. He still had over 12,000 EXP, but he didn't have enough to fully upgrade his Poison Resistance, which would have been useful.
Now, Stannon had two choices: he could use his EXP to level up one of his current skills and abilities or upgrade his system. But even if he upgraded the system, it wouldn't help right away because the cooldown for copying new abilities would still be in place. He had already checked, and upgrading the system wouldn't shorten the cooldown.
'What should I do? What should I do?' Stannon wondered, thinking about his upcoming trip to King's Landing. There was a good chance he might be attacked along the way, so the decision felt important. Should he make his current abilities and skills stronger, or focus on improving the system for the future? The uncertainty bothered him as he thought about the risks ahead.
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