Brynden Rivers, or rather, the Three-Eyed Raven.
Although he was smiling, there was no human emotion in that single eye, only a profound depth that saw through everything.
Lynn didn't speak, simply watching this legendary figure who had long since merged with the weirwood.
Jon Snow and Ygritte followed behind, not daring to breathe loudly.
The scene before them had completely exceeded their scope of understanding.
Especially Ygritte; she felt her legs still trembling, relying almost entirely on a survival instinct to keep from collapsing to the ground.
"It is safe here."
The Three-Eyed Raven seemed to see through their fear, his voice sounding again.
"As long as this tree stands, as long as the Old Gods still watch over us, this land will be protected by nature."
Nature magic's protection.
Lynn's heart stirred.
He closed his eyes, slowly spreading out his mental power.
The next second, he "saw" it.
He saw countless pale green motes of light, like fireflies on a summer night, flowing slowly through this massive cavern.
They drifted from the glowing moss on the cave walls, rose from those peculiar plants, and finally converged into the giant weirwood tree in the center.
The weirwood's roots, like a neural network spreading through the entire mountain, absorbed this energy, transformed it, and then released it.
Forming an invisible barrier that isolated everything from the outside world.
In this space, he couldn't even feel the biting chill from beyond the Wall, only a warmth and tranquility akin to spring.
What shocked him even more was that when his mental power touched those green motes, an unprecedented sense of relief washed over his entire body.
The exhaustion of days of travel, the tension of facing the Night King—all seemed to be quietly smoothed away in this moment.
Good stuff!
No wonder the wights in the show disintegrated immediately upon entering this cave.
A brand-new magic!
Lynn snapped his eyes open, a trace of fervor flashing deep within them.
"You are the Children of the Forest?"
Lynn turned his gaze to Leaf standing nearby.
"We are the last singers."
Leaf looked at him with those golden-green cat eyes, her voice crisp as wind chimes.
"Our songs can soothe wounded souls and awaken the slumbering earth."
Melody Magic!
No wonder he heard that ethereal singing just now; it was these little ones' doing.
Magic that acted directly on the soul—if used against enemies...
"The Night King seems to want to kill you very much?"
Lynn didn't beat around the bush, asking the most critical question directly.
"Because he resents the Children of the Forest. This is my fault; it is only natural he wants to kill me."
"I can see the past, and I can see what is happening now."
The Three-Eyed Raven's voice held a trace of weariness.
"In his eyes, I am an obstacle."
"I am like a thorn stuck in the river of time, preventing him from completely controlling space and time."
"He wants to erase all memory of the Old Gods, to let the eternal winter descend completely, leaving only one sound in this world: the silence of death."
"He wants to kill us, just as he wants to kill you."
Lynn didn't fully believe the Three-Eyed Raven's words.
These old foxes would definitely hide things from him.
Everyone had their own story, even if the Night King hadn't spoken.
If he truly believed them, he feared he wouldn't even know how he died.
None of them were good things.
The Night King giving him a "gift" felt more like an investment.
A means to use him against another enemy.
For now, neither of these old monsters could be trusted.
"What can I help you with?" Lynn asked.
"I want you to help me find a new body."
The Three-Eyed Raven said without any evasion.
Find a body?
Jon and Ygritte felt their hair stand on end.
This didn't sound like a good thing; it sounded more like some evil demonic ritual.
"This husk is already decaying."
The Three-Eyed Raven looked at his limbs merged with the tree roots.
"I have been trapped here for too long, and my power is draining away day by day."
"I need a new vessel, one that also possesses the gift of Greensight, to carry my knowledge and power."
"In return,"
His gaze turned to the silently standing Children of the Forest.
"They will teach you Nature Magic."
"And, of course, their prided Melody Magic."
Lynn's breathing quickened slightly.
This was what he wanted!
Although Ice Magic was powerful, it leaned too heavily toward destruction and slaughter.
But Nature Magic and Melody Magic possessed infinite possibilities!
Imagine.
If he could accelerate the growth of crops, the long winter would no longer be terrifying.
If he could use song to manipulate hearts, it would be a weapon more terrifying than any conspiracy!
"What kind of vessel?"
Lynn forced down the excitement in his heart.
"Someone with the blood of the First Men, accompanied by a direwolf, and possessing the aptitude of a warg."
The Three-Eyed Raven spoke slowly.
"Of course, someone with mental strength as powerful as yours would also do."
Jon's heart sank violently.
Blood of the First Men, accompanied by a direwolf...
He instinctively thought of his brother, Bran Stark!
Jon's face turned incredibly ugly in an instant.
"No!"
He blurted out subconsciously.
Lynn glanced at him, and Jon realized he had lost his composure.
He opened his mouth but didn't know how to explain.
He couldn't tell Lynn that the so-called "vessel" was likely his brother.
"I... I just think, this kind of thing... is too evil!"
Jon stammered for a while before finding a clumsy excuse.
Lynn ignored the conflicted Jon and looked at the Three-Eyed Raven.
"I agree."
"But wargs are off-limits; they are my friends."
"I can find you someone with abundant mental strength."
"But I have one more condition."
"Speak."
"I want to learn the magic first."
Lynn said unceremoniously.
"Once I confirm you haven't tricked me, I will help you find that vessel."
He wasn't some benevolent believer easily manipulated.
Not releasing the hawk until seeing the rabbit was the true nature of a transmigrator.
"That is not possible."
The Three-Eyed Raven seemed to have anticipated he would say this, showing no surprise.
"There is an anomaly within your body. I clearly taught you only the most basic Greensight, yet you were able to master it to a deeper level on your own."
Lynn felt a bit awkward; it seemed fooling him would be difficult.
This old fellow mastered Greensight and could easily see through Lynn's unreasonable anomalies.
But he still hadn't discovered the existence of the System.
Presumably, the System was something of a higher order that he couldn't perceive.
"However, I can let you experience it first."
The Three-Eyed Raven tilted his head toward Leaf.
Leaf understood.
She led the other Children of the Forest over to Lynn.
They didn't speak, simply forming a circle, and then closed their eyes simultaneously.
The next second.
A song, ethereal, distant, and indescribable in any language, emanated from their throats.
The song had no melody, no lyrics, yet seemed to contain the most beautiful rhythms of heaven and earth.
A breeze brushing the cheek.
The scent of growing grass and trees.
The sound of melting snow.
The joy of all things reviving.
Lynn felt as if his soul detached from his body, floating in this marvelous world constructed by the song.
Then, he saw it again.
He saw a seed, urged by the power of nature, break through the frozen earth, sprout a tender shoot, bloom into a flower, and then wither in an instant, turning to dust.
He saw mountain streams, guided by the song, converge into rivers and rush into the sea.
Beside him, Jon and Ygritte were also entranced.
The conflict and pain in Jon's heart were smoothed away bit by bit in this song, leaving only an unprecedented tranquility.
And Ygritte, her face usually etched with stubbornness and vigilance, was now peaceful.
She felt as if she had returned to her childhood.
Lying in her mother's arms, listening to the oldest ballads, all fear and unease vanished like smoke.
She even unconsciously began to hum an ancient song of the Free Folk, harmonizing with the singing of the Children of the Forest.
Lynn took a deep breath, firmly etching this wondrous feeling into his heart.
His mental power, baptized by the song, was becoming more condensed and pure at an incredible speed!
This was more effective than consuming any heavenly treasure!
An effective way to replenish mental power!
Lynn was overjoyed.
Just as Lynn was immersed in this marvelous experience, the Three-Eyed Raven's voice, like a bucket of cold water, yanked him violently from the illusion back to reality.
"Did you feel it? That is the power of life."
"As long as you bring the person here, this power will be yours."