"The knowledge you gave me... is very unusual."
A strange whisper echoed through the dimly lit hall. As it faded, another calm, magnetic voice followed.
"So... what advice can you offer me, Erevi?"
The Dark Elf Sorceress smiled faintly.
"What advice do you seek?"
"If I were to offer any, it would be this—do what must be done before the gods."
---
On the second floor of the Terror Tower, before the ancient Weirwood altar, another ritual was underway.
Karl's muscles tensed as he gave everything he had.
The will of the god worshipped within the tower had descended before the ritual even began, and Karl knew he could not hold anything back.
The mistress of the Terror Tower, the priestess of that ancient evil god, remained upon the altar throughout the ceremony.
Karl was nothing if not cooperative.
Grinding his teeth, he pushed himself harder and harder.
Only after several exhausting minutes did he finally stop.
At that moment, he almost thought he heard a faint cheer beside his ear.
Closing his eyes, Karl silently enjoyed the feeling of victory.
Compared to the noble Dark Elf Sorceress before him, even Margaery Tyrell—the famous Rose of Highgarden—seemed ordinary.
Before Erevi, Margaery was simply a beautiful flower.
And before Erevi...
Karl felt more like a sturdy but useful mushroom.
As the ritual came to an end, the crimson glow surrounding the idol slowly faded, returning the temple to darkness.
The god appeared satisfied with the offering.
The flames within the braziers brightened once more, illuminating the eerie sanctuary.
Only after Karl stepped away did the Dark Elf Sorceress rise gracefully from the altar.
She seemed equally pleased.
Perhaps some of the cheering Karl had heard had come from her.
After quietly sensing the departure of her god's divine presence, Erevi stepped down from the altar.
"I am very satisfied," she said with a faint smile.
"Perhaps I'll even have a child soon."
"If you have time, clean the rooms on the third floor and prepare more furniture."
"There won't be enough space otherwise."
Karl, who was drinking water nearby, nodded.
"I'll have the town carpenter come tomorrow."
After a brief pause, he returned to the matter that had brought him there.
"So..."
"What do you think about the knowledge I brought you?"
When Karl had visited the Citadel, he had secretly copied a large amount of occult knowledge before bringing it directly to Erevi.
Although his True Knowledge Society and financial support allowed him access to many forbidden texts, he knew those were merely a fraction of the Citadel's hidden collection.
That was why he wanted Erevi's opinion.
The Dark Elf looked openly disdainful.
"It's chaotic."
"Primitive."
"Although a few of its concepts are somewhat interesting."
"They gave me a little inspiration."
Karl silently accepted the criticism.
At least it wasn't completely worthless.
Clearly, however, Erevi had little interest in discussing such mundane matters.
Her eyes slowly wandered over Karl's muscular physique before she smiled playfully.
"If you truly wish to study those inefficient and convoluted theories..."
"You would gain far more by paying attention to your daughter."
"She is the greatest shortcut."
Karl naturally knew which daughter she meant.
The mysterious child possessed an extraordinary connection with the god they had just worshipped.
If Karl's identity as an incarnation of the Seven Gods was merely a fabrication...
Then she could almost be considered genuinely divine.
Yet Karl wasn't particularly worried about her.
Every time he visited the dungeon to collect the Bat Banshee crystal eggs, she would quietly follow him around.
The strange furniture there always showed signs of being used afterward.
He cared for her far more than anyone realized.
More importantly...
Karl understood that the power available within this world was ultimately limited.
He was still, fundamentally, a player.
Many aspects of this world followed fixed rules.
It felt more like an elaborate stage than absolute reality.
That wasn't enough for him.
He frowned.
"What else can you see?"
"This is very important."
Seeing Karl's serious expression, Erevi decided to indulge him.
She gracefully sat back upon the altar.
"Blasphemy."
"No..."
"Arrogance."
She didn't hide her opinion in the slightest.
"The knowledge you brought openly challenges the authority of the gods."
"Yet there also appears to be another group opposing those ideas."
"The two sides are locked in conflict."
"One seeks to deny the gods."
"The other seeks to defend them."
"But both are attempting to reach the same deeper truth."
"They're simply far too far away."
She laughed softly.
"It's like watching children play at building kingdoms."
"Ridiculous."
Karl remained silent.
With only fragments of information, Erevi had already grasped the very essence behind the knowledge.
She truly understood.
After a long pause, Karl finally looked at her seriously.
"Doesn't any of this interest you?"
He had decided to reveal the secret he had hidden for so long.
He wanted to know whether the barrier between worlds could truly be crossed.
The Dark Elf merely shook her head.
"What is there to be curious about?"
"They're simply fools pursuing truth."
"They aren't the first."
"And they certainly won't be the last."
"History has buried countless people like them."
She smiled faintly.
"It's no different from the strange technology you discovered beneath those ancient ruins."
"In the end..."
"Everything returns to dust."
"Only the gods endure forever."
To Erevi, none of it held any real value.
Karl hesitated before speaking again.
"What if I told you..."
"...that all of this knowledge came from another world?"
"I mean an entirely different world."
For the first time, Erevi's expression changed.
"Another dimension?"
Karl nodded.
"Something like that."
"A more complete world."
"I won't explain everything."
"But..."
"If I could travel there..."
"Would you be interested in coming with me?"
For the first time since meeting Karl...
The Dark Elf Sorceress looked genuinely serious.
---
"Father..."
"Shouldn't we still search for Tywin Lannister?"
Standing atop a snow-covered hill overlooking Winterfell, Asha Greyjoy frowned.
Ever since the strange events in the Wolfswood, something about the North had felt increasingly unsettling.
Balon Greyjoy stood beside her, wrapped in a thick bearskin cloak.
Heavy snow continued to fall.
Today marked the third day of the siege of Winterfell.
The blizzard that had begun after Deepwood Motte had never truly stopped.
Balon snorted.
"Why search for him?"
"He's nothing more than a corpse that's still breathing."
Asha frowned.
"I still think we shouldn't have let him escape."
"Roose Bolton himself said Tywin's head would be worth a fortune."
"We could exchange it for almost anything."
Balon's eyes immediately turned cold.
"Ironborn purchase everything with iron."
"Not bargaining."
"I can't believe those words came from my own daughter."
"Has this snow frozen your brain?"
Asha fell silent.
She understood her father's beliefs.
Yet the situation before them was becoming increasingly dangerous.
For three days, the siege had gone nowhere.
They couldn't capture Winterfell.
But neither could they remain outside forever in this freezing weather.
Even threatening Robb Stark's life had failed.
Ser Rodrik Cassel refused to surrender.
Meanwhile...
Theon Greyjoy had become Winterfell's prisoner.
Neither side would yield.
Although Balon publicly declared that Rodrik could kill Theon whenever he pleased...
Asha knew things couldn't continue like this.
She finally spoke again.
"We must decide soon."
"If we stay here any longer..."
"We'll all freeze to death."
Balon nodded slowly.
"I know."
"Which is why today..."
"...Winterfell receives its final offer."
Asha's heart sank.
"You mean..."
"If Rodrik Cassel still refuses..."
"I'll kill Robb Stark."
His voice was as cold as the wind itself.
His patience had run out.
---
Two hours later...
Robb Stark, bound tightly with ropes, was dragged before the southern gate of Winterfell.
Balon looked up toward the battlements.
"Rodrik Cassel!"
"You have one hour."
"Every five minutes..."
"I'll cut another piece from him."
"Until your time runs out."
Without another word, Balon drew his dagger.
A flash of steel.
A severed ear fell into the snow.
Robb screamed in agony as blood stained the white ground crimson.
High upon the walls, Rodrik Cassel's eyes widened in fury.
But Balon wasn't finished.
He calmly picked up the severed ear.
Then someone handed him a bow and arrow.
Balon pierced the ear with the arrowhead.
Drawing the bowstring to its limit...
He fired.
The arrow streaked through the air toward the gates of Winterfell.
________________________________________
⚡ Enjoying the story? Don't stop here!
The adventure continues on Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Obito_uchiha
🔥 Read up to 50 chapters ahead
📚 Get access to 20+ fanfics with a single membership
Be among the first to experience new chapters weeks before they're released publicly.
Join today and start reading ahead!