Roderick, aching all over, woke up with a throbbing pain in the back of his head.
He squinted, surveying his surroundings: cold stone walls, a dying brazier, and the air thick with an unpleasant musty smell.
A strange memory suddenly flooded his swollen head—he was now Roderick Blackstone, the son of a fallen noble.
Where was this? He distinctly remembered being in front of his computer, grumbling about the terrible ending of Game of Thrones Season 8, and then… then a flash of white light, and after that, this endless pain and confusion.
"Young master… you're finally awake!"
An old, tearful voice sounded in his ear, followed by a cold handkerchief gently wiping his forehead.
Roderick slowly turned his head. A white-haired old woman was looking down at him with teary eyes, her face full of wrinkles, her gaze filled with worry and the relief of surviving a disaster.
She was dressed in rough but clean, starched clothes, clearly a servant.
He tried to speak, but his throat was too dry to make a sound.
Confused memories surged like a tide, assaulting his reason.
Roderick Blackstone.
A small, impoverished family located on the western frontier of The Riverlands, bordering The Westerlands.
Their territory, called Blackstone Pass, was situated amidst rugged hills and forests, easy to defend but also meaning inconvenient transportation and scarce resources.
His father, the old lord Herman Blackstone, had just died in a hunting accident, under suspicious circumstances.
And he, the newly appointed heir of the Blackstone Family, had been bedridden for three days and three nights with a sudden "cold."
No, not a cold.
It was the original owner's soul, exhausted after his father's death, from fear, grief, and despair for the future.
And he, a modern soul from Earth, became Roderick Blackstone at that very moment.
The painful fusion was still ongoing, the original owner's twenty years of memories flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Childhood games, his father's strict teachings, the sorrow of his mother's early death, and the family's difficulties and struggles.
He saw how the stone walls of Blackstone Pass were mottled by the erosion of time, saw the struggling farmers on the barren land of the territory, and saw the rusty armor and discontented eyes of the family's knights.
What alarmed him most was that he also saw those familiar faces—the red running fish of House Tully, the roaring lion of House Lannister, and even the direwolf of House Stark, far in the North.
Westeros! He had actually transmigrated to the world of Game of Thrones!
This thought made Roderick gasp instantly.
A Song of Ice and Fire! An epic and grand, yet also cruel and ruthless world.
Here, all men must die, and the fate of nobles was even more precarious.
He was not the legitimate son of some great noble, nor was he some protagonist chosen by fate; he was merely the heir of a remote, impoverished minor family. His father had just died, the family was plagued by internal and external troubles, on the verge of bankruptcy, and could be swallowed up at any moment by the surrounding noble families circling like jackals.
"Young master, are you feeling better? I'll go call the maester," the old woman asked with concern. She was Granny Mary, the old servant of Blackstone Pass.
Roderick hoarsely uttered one word: "Water..."
Granny Mary immediately brought a cup of clear water with trembling hands, carefully feeding it to him with a spoon.
The cool water moistened his throat and cleared Roderick's thoughts somewhat.
He took the cup, indicating he could manage, then struggled to prop himself up against the headboard.
He looked around the room. This was probably the original owner's bedroom, simply furnished. Apart from essential furniture and an animal skin rug, there was almost no extra decoration; it even looked a bit dilapidated.
Outside the window, the night was deep, with only a few faint stars twinkling between the clouds, without a hint of moonlight.
"Granny Mary, has Father's funeral... been arranged?" Roderick's voice was a little weak, but no longer trembling.
He had to quickly get into character.
Granny Mary sighed, and old tears streamed down her face again: "The master has... has been buried. According to custom, he was laid to rest in the Blackstone Family cemetery. It's just... it's just that this funeral was too hurried and too simple."
Roderick's heart sank.
In Westeros, a dignified funeral for a noble was a symbol of status and power.
A hurried and simple one could only mean that the decline of the Blackstone Family was common knowledge.
"Tell me about the family's situation," he asked in a deep voice, a hint of authority in his eyes that even Granny Mary found unfamiliar.
Granny Mary was startled for a moment, but quickly recounted the family's current situation. It was indeed as bad as he remembered.
After the death of his father, Herman, the family's knights and guards were demoralized, and morale was unstable.
Winter was approaching, and the family granary was already more than half empty. Last year's harvest was poor, and this year's did not look like it would be any better.
Neighboring nobles, especially House Vance and House Grover, who had long-standing grievances with the Blackstone Family, were already stirring, sending people to probe.
There were even rumors that House Tully, the liege lords of The Riverlands, had also taken an interest in Blackstone Pass's mines and strategic location, and might send representatives to "express condolences," but in reality, to take advantage of the situation.
Even more critically, the Blackstone Family had no prominent marriage alliances, no powerful allies, and not even a decent family fleet or sufficiently elite private soldiers.
His father had worked diligently his entire life, but was limited by his talent and the times, leading the family into a quagmire.
And the original Roderick was just a somewhat shy young man, with some knowledge of swordsmanship, but who had never truly held family power.
This was truly a hellish start!
Roderick closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.
It seemed he not only had to face the cruel laws of survival in Westeros but also had to start his struggle from the position of a nearly bankrupt minor noble.
Just as he felt a hint of despair, a mechanical electronic voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Host soul fusion complete, Westeros Overlord System activated!"
Roderick suddenly opened his eyes and looked around. Granny Mary was carefully tidying the bed, showing no signs of anything unusual.
System? Golden finger!
He instantly perked up. Sure enough, a must-have for transmigrators!
"System scanning current environment... Host survival status assessment... extremely dire."
"Given the enormous challenges facing the Host, the New Player Gift Pack (newbie gift pack) has been issued to the system store, please check."
A translucent blue light screen appeared before his eyes, visible only to him.
In the center of the light screen, the words "Westeros Overlord System" were prominently displayed, with several module options below: "Territory Construction," "Heroic Spirit Summon," "Intelligence Insight," "Charm Aura," "system store," and "Inventory."
Roderick eagerly used his mind to open "Inventory."
Sure enough, a treasure chest shimmering with golden light lay quietly inside.
With a thought, the treasure chest opened, and several beams of light shot out, transforming into a stream of information that flooded his mind.
"Newbie gift pack opened, received the following rewards:"
"1. Blackstone Guard Base (Elite Soldiers): 100 men."
"Description: This is the core seed force of the Blackstone Guard, directly trained and generated by the system. They are absolutely loyal to the Host and their combat power far exceeds that of ordinary Westeros soldiers. They possess strong discipline and teamwork. They can be supplemented and expanded at a lower cost through the system's 'Troop Training' module. Initial equipment includes fine steel sword and shield, and lightweight but sturdy leather armor with metal plates."
"2. Set of Advanced Agricultural Technology Blueprints."
"Description: Includes technologies beyond the current era such as crop rotation, deep plowing, superior seed cultivation, and simple hydraulic irrigation. Can greatly increase territory food production and improve the lives of the populace."
"3. Set of Elementary Mineral Exploration and Smelting Technology."
"Description: Includes basic mineral vein exploration methods, as well as blueprints for blast furnace iron smelting and fine steel refining. Can improve mineral development efficiency and the quality of metal products."
"4. Charm Aura (Permanent Passive): Level 1."
"Description: Continuously enhances the Host's charm in terms of appearance, temperament, and speech, making NPCs more likely to develop goodwill, trust, and admiration for the Host. Especially effective on the opposite sex."
Roderick let out a long breath after reading these rewards.
This was the true golden finger!
100 elite Blackstone Guard, this was truly a godsend!
In this era, a hundred well-trained and well-equipped soldiers were enough to turn the tide of a small-scale conflict, or even be a decisive force in wars between great nobles.
What's more, this was a "base," meaning he could expand!
Advanced agricultural technology and mineral smelting technology were the foundation for the family's long-term development.
Food is paramount; solving the food problem would stabilize the people's morale and attract displaced persons.
And the development of mineral resources would provide better equipment for his army and bring huge economic profits.
As for Charm Aura... Granny Mary, seeing his mood seemed to improve but then he showed a strange expression alone, thought he was still grieving and said cautiously, "Young master, don't be too sad. The master's spirit in heaven also hopes you can uphold the family well."
Roderick composed himself and looked at Granny Mary.
His eyes were completely different now, no longer the original owner's confusion and sadness, but a calm steadiness and ambition.
"Granny Mary, you may withdraw for now. I need to be alone. Tomorrow morning, please have Rolan the chamberlain, Greg the steward, and Beren the captain of the guard, wait in my study." His voice was somewhat hoarse, but his tone was firm and beyond question.
Granny Mary was stunned again. The young master had never been so commanding before, let alone directly calling for these important family figures.
But she didn't think much of it, only assuming that the young master had matured a great deal overnight after experiencing his father's death and his illness.
She curtsied, then quietly retreated and closed the door.
The room fell silent once more.
Roderick leaned against the headboard, the system light screen visible only to him.
He used his mind to open the "Territory Construction" module.
Indeed, it contained many blueprints for buildings and technologies, and he was dazzled by various familiar modern scientific terms and plans that were ahead of their time.
From "Efficient Waterwheel Mill" to "Blast Furnace Steel Mill," from "Three-Field Crop Rotation Agricultural Park" to "Basic Education Academy."
Each option was labeled with the required "overlord points" and various resources.
The "Heroic Spirit Summon" module currently displayed "Function not yet enabled, please complete Main Quest One and accumulate overlord points to unlock."
It seemed that summoning heroes from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, would require him to accumulate strength first.
"Intelligence Insight" and "system store" were also in a semi-unlocked state, requiring overlord points to be fully activated.
"Current overlord points: 100"
Roderick checked; the newbie gift pack did not seem to include extra overlord points. They could only be obtained by completing tasks.
He took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts.
Now, he had a system, a base of 100 elite guards, advanced agricultural and smelting technologies, and an aura that could enhance his charm.
The most pressing issue at hand was the crisis of the Blackstone Family.
1. Food problem: Winter was approaching, the granary was empty. He must quickly use advanced agricultural technology to increase production to prevent the populace from starving or rebelling.
2. Military strength: The guard's morale was low, and their numbers were insufficient. Neighboring nobles were eyeing them covetously. He must quickly train a new army and deploy the 100 elite Blackstone Guard.
3. Economic problem: The family was poor and lacked sufficient funds to support development. Mineral development was the breakthrough.
4. Political crisis: Dealing with House Tully's scrutiny and the covetousness of neighboring nobles required a strong stance and wisdom.
He walked to the window and pushed open the heavy wooden casement.
The night wind blew in, carrying the scent of distant forests and earth.
In the distance, the stone walls of Blackstone Pass, in the hazy night, looked like an ancient beast, crouching on the ridge.
The few scattered lights below the city walls symbolized the family's faint vitality.
"Winter is coming..." Roderick murmured, repeating House Stark's motto, but his eyes gleamed with a fervent light.
Perhaps, in his hands, this world would see a different ending.
He would no longer be a bystander who could only watch the tragic development of the plot, powerless to change it.
He possessed foresight, he possessed the system; he would change the rules of this world.
The Blackstone Family would no longer be marginal ants.
Blackstone Pass would become the first cornerstone of his conquest of Westeros.
He, Roderick Blackstone, would sing his own conqueror's song here!