Chapter 51: A Voice That Strikes the Soul
Pan's face carried a complicated mix of joy and sorrow. His body was shattered beyond recognition, and the cracked crystal orb embedded in his chest fell and hit the metal platform with a loud crash.
Crack—the orb shattered completely, crumbling into glistening shards scattered across the floor.
The shadow that had loomed over Valyria for thousands of years had finally lifted. Smiling, he passed away as his life came to an end.
Aegon slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then let out a heavy sigh.
He looked up at the sky. Thunderclouds blanketed the Valyrian Peninsula, and thick bolts of lightning flickered within them. As the lightning flashed, Aegon's profile flickered between light and shadow. The deafening thunder roared on, as if warning mortals: this is the price of defying the gods.
At this moment, the Valyrian Peninsula was devoid of life. Only a dozen or so council members remained—fleshy insect-like creatures torn from the crumbled Dragon Pillars. Mutilated parasitic corpses wandered aimlessly through the ruins.
A week later, a fine drizzle began to fall from the dark clouds over the peninsula.
Rain stirred up the ash covering the ground around the Fourteen Flames, turning it into drifting clouds of miasma that floated through the mountains, sealing off all paths in and out of the area.
Perhaps due to the influence of the unknown sealing array beneath him, Aegon discovered that his soul could no longer pass through the green passage in his mind to return to the Emerald Dream. Like an Outer God, he was now trapped in the Fourteen Flames.
Aegon was the only living being left in the Fourteen Flames, spending each day among the wandering corpses. The monotonous and lifeless days nearly drove him to madness.
A lingering loneliness clung to him like a shadow.
Until one day, Aegon gave up trying to find a way out and sank into a deep sleep on the Valyrian steel chair.
"Aegon..."
"Can you hear me?"
In his sleep, a familiar voice suddenly rang out in his mind. He instantly recognized it as Daenys calling to him.
But she didn't pull his soul into the Emerald Dream. After all, she wasn't its master. And now, nourished by the immortal matter of the Outer Gods, Aegon's soul had become unimaginably powerful—many times stronger than Daenys. Even with her dream abilities, she was powerless to control it.
"Daenys, can you bring my soul back to the Emerald Dream?" Aegon shouted into the unknown space of his dream.
"I can try. Don't resist," came Daenys' echoing voice from the void.
"Alright," Aegon replied.
Silver dream energy slowly began to form in the void. But Aegon frowned as he looked at it—there was far too little. Without something to compare it to, he hadn't realized just how immensely powerful his soul had become. The silver energy Daenys sent could barely wrap around a single fingertip.
Aegon extended his little finger into the silver energy and called out into the void, "I'm ready."
The silver dream energy flared brightly, but Aegon's little finger didn't budge.
Left with no other choice, he severed the connection between his finger and the rest of his soul.
The dream energy surged again and finally succeeded in pulling that small fragment of his soul back to the Emerald Dream.
In an instant, Aegon possessed two perspectives—one from his physical body seated on the Valyrian steel chair, and the other from his fragmented soul now within the Emerald Dream.
In the Emerald Dream.
The small piece of Aegon's soul had taken human form and now stood face-to-face with Daenys. Her soul looked withered, nearly transparent, as if it could fade away at any moment.
"Your soul is too strong. Even using the power of [Dream Reality], I could only bring back this much of you," Daenys said with a weary smile.
Aegon knew that altering reality with [Dream Reality] consumed one's essence and lifespan. He quickly stepped forward to support her and spoke gently, "I won't let you die."
Daenys smiled and shook her head.
Aegon held her tenderly in his arms, then paused in thought before saying, "Can you try forcing your soul into reality—into my body, for example? My physical form is constantly being infused with the immortal substance of the Outer Gods. That substance could restore your life."
Daenys thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll try."
In Aegon's embrace, Daenys began to emit a silver, mist-like dream glow once more. Gradually, her soul in the Emerald Dream transformed into tiny silver stars and slowly faded away.
In the real world, atop the Fourteen Flames...
Aegon sat asleep in the metal chair, his eyes closed. Suddenly, a faint sting pricked between his brows, causing him to frown slightly. A silver, dragon-shaped mark slowly emerged on his forehead.
He opened his eyes and gently brushed his fingers across the dragon mark, murmuring,
"Daenys, rest well."
...
On the surface of the Summer Sea...
A three-masted sailing ship, over twenty meters long, struggled forward through the storm. Ever since the chain reaction from the Doom of Valyria, natural disasters and tempests had become frequent across the Summer Sea.
Ittis Valentine stood tall at the bow, one hand tightly gripping a rope, the other raised high, holding the Valyrian steel family sword of House Valentine—Silver Flame. He had thick silver hair, a bold black beard, and an eye patch covering his left eye.
Ahead of him, waves surged and crashed with overwhelming force.
He suddenly turned toward his crew and bellowed over the storm:
"Port sails, turn one-third! Maintain balance at all costs!"
His voice remained clear even amidst the roaring winds.
Whoosh—the wind howled sharply as torrential rain poured down. The ship was tossed violently among waves as tall as hills, like a fragile toy flung into the air by a giant, caught, then thrown again.
Ittis returned to the cabin and opened an oak chest, carefully inspecting its contents. Only after confirming that the silver-scaled dragon egg inside was unharmed did he allow himself to ease up slightly.
'May the heavens watch over House Valentine. We survived the Doom of Valyria—surely we won't perish in a storm like this,' Ittis thought to himself.
After triple-checking that the dragon egg was secure, he returned to the deck to continue directing the crew.
Originally, House Valentine had fallen into decline after two of their dragons were hunted down in Oros by Aegon and House Valerys working together. They also lost a fleet loaded with cargo, and from then on, their struggle against their political rivals—House Valerys—tilted downhill.
Later, after Aegon and Tiamat won the Champion Dragonbattle, two of House Valerys' legitimate sons recognized the head of House Targaryen as their godfather. With that early investment, House Valerys successfully secured a powerful backer.
Leaning on Aegon's influence and his sway in the Dragonlord Council, House Valerys went on to eliminate the remaining dragons of House Valentine.
Ittis discovered that House Valerys had dared to hunt dragons only because Aegon, the champion Dragonlord of House Targaryen, stood behind them. He knew he was no match for them.
With their dragons wiped out, House Valentine had no choice but to flee the siege of their mortal enemies, House Valerys. As head of the house, Ittis fled the Valyrian Peninsula with the family's last remaining dragon egg, beginning a desperate escape.
By sheer luck, that escape allowed them to narrowly avoid the Doom that befell the Valyrian Peninsula. In truth, Ittis had been incredibly fortunate.
When the Valentine ship broke through a curtain-like wall of waves, they finally left the storm behind. The sea gradually calmed, and the sun peeked through the clouds, casting light over the ship. The crew erupted in cheers, celebrating their survival.
Even more to their surprise, the silhouette of land appeared ahead—Volantis, the Free City that had become House Valentine's chosen refuge, was now in sight.
Overcome with excitement, Ittis raised the family sword high and shouted toward the heavens:
"Valerys, Targaryen—my house will see yours destroyed! Blood will pay for blood! We will not rest until your lines are wiped from this world!"
...
Valyria Peninsula, within the Fourteen Flames...
Over the past month, Aegon had witnessed several waves of explorers trying to enter Valyria from the outside. Some were likely searching for loved ones, while others coveted Valyria's legacy.
Without exception, all of them were brutally slain by the grotesque, dragon-corpse abominations wandering the peninsula.
Months later, the volcanic ash that had hung over Valyria began to disperse under the washing rain.
Then, a system notification rang out in Aegon's mind.
"Ding~"
[Congratulations. You have deeply participated in and successfully survived the mythical event: 'The Doom of Valyria'. You have slightly altered the course of a myth-level destiny. Achievement rating: Heroic. Reward: one Hero-level draw, guaranteed to yield a Hero-tier item.]
'Epic, Legendary, Heroic! That's two tiers above Epic—completely unprecedented. I wonder what rare item I'll draw this time,' Aegon thought, then opened the draw panel.
[You have one Hero Draw opportunity. A Hero-tier item is guaranteed. Proceed with the draw?]
"Yes," Aegon confirmed without hesitation.
The system responded: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Hero-tier item: Living Saint.]
[Item: Living Saint]
[Type: Authority]
[Quality: Hero]
[Rating: 691]
[Effect: You may reincarnate through your bloodline. Memories carried over into your next life will depend on the amount of destiny you invest. Usable only by Guardian Spirits.]
[Note: As the years pass, your brilliance shall endure through time.]
'Authority-type items can be used repeatedly. In the divine hierarchy, fully understanding and mastering an authority is the first step toward godhood. If I can slowly digest this item over multiple reincarnations, I'll have a foundation for becoming a god.
Hero-quality items border on the mythic—far more powerful than I imagined.
The soul-split in the Emerald Dream should count as a Guardian Spirit and thus be able to use this item. Since Daenys, now a dream imprint, sleeps on the forehead of my divine body, it's better to use this now than continue wasting time alone,' Aegon thought after a long moment of reflection.
He let his consciousness drift back into the Emerald Dream and opened his item inventory:
[Hero-tier – Living Saint]
[Gold-tier – Hundred Years of Family]
[Dark Purple – Emerald Dream]
After a brief pause, Aegon decided to activate [Hundred Years of Family] first. Instantly, his perspective shifted sharply, and he found himself high above Dragonstone. The world now looked like an incredibly realistic simulation—a vast sandbox.
Two points of light pulsed on the world map: one above Dragonstone, the other over the flesh pillar within the Fourteen Flames.
Time accelerated rapidly, everything evolving at high speed, though Aegon could do nothing but watch.
The [Hundred Years of Family] item ensured the survival and stability of his house for a full century.
As the scenes flashed by like a slideshow, it became clear that House Targaryen had indeed avoided any major catastrophes.
Aenar, known to the world as the Exile, had spent over a decade constructing the stronghold of Dragonstone and the mountain lair for dragons, Dragonmont. He then began amassing troops and commissioning maesters to map out Westeros in preparation for a future conquest.
It wasn't that Aenar lacked the will to conquer Westeros—his house was simply too weak.
They had only three dragons. Of those, only Balerion had a bonded rider. Dreamshade and a brown adult dragon had both lost theirs.
Aenar's uncle, once the tamer of the brown dragon, had died of illness shortly after arriving on Dragonstone. Now, after more than ten years of construction, Aenar had grown old and no longer had the strength to lead a conquest.
During this time, Aegon's eldest son Rhaegar married both of his sisters, Elaena and Elenei. Together, the three produced three children: Maegon, Aerys, and Elenei.
Thanks to the Dragonkeepers brought from Valyria, the Targaryens had begun to attract wild dragons using bait. Combined with external purchases and eggs laid by Dreamshade, the population of dragons on Dragonmont steadily grew—though most were still younglings.
From time to time, Aegon switched his viewpoint between Valyria and the sandbox.
His consciousness remained anchored to the sandbox world, while his body within the Fourteen Flames continued syncing memories—mostly of sleep and vivid dreams with Daenys. There was, after all, little else to do atop the lonely metal platform.
After her life was restored through the immortal substance, Daenys did not return to the Emerald Dream. Fearing she might not find her way back to the physical world, she left a spiritual imprint on Aegon's forehead so she could stay with him while he slept in his demigod body.
...
Beyond the two perspectives Aegon had witnessed, many major events unfolded across the world following the destruction of the Valyrian Peninsula.
The fall of the Valyrian Freehold—the dominant power of the known world—created a vast power vacuum.
First to act were the former colonies of the Freehold: Slaver's Bay, the Free Cities, the Rhoyne River Basin, and Andalos. All declared independence.
...
Among the nine Free Cities, conflict quickly erupted. With their former masters gone and none willing to submit to the others, they descended into brutal infighting.
Of them, Volantis was the strongest. It had been the very first colony founded by the Valyrian Freehold and was known as "the eldest daughter of Valyria."
Volantis was now ruled by three major political factions: the Dragon Party, the Tiger Party, and the Elephant Party.
The Dragon Party was founded by the Dragonlord family of House Valentine, long-standing rivals of House Targaryen. But at present, House Valentine's dragons were still too young, and the Dragon Party itself had only recently formed—making it the weakest of the three.
Nonetheless, the people of Volantis proclaimed themselves the rightful heirs of the Freehold and the world's legitimate rulers.
They continued to argue among themselves about how to achieve world domination, but with the dragons of House Valentine gradually maturing, it was only a matter of time before this powerful city-state would stir up a bloodbath among the Free Cities.
Lys, another of the nine Free Cities, lay to the west of Volantis.
After the Doom, several of Lys's Dragonlords survived. But the locals turned on them, killing both dragons and their riders. According to intelligence gathered by House Targaryen, the Faceless Men seemed to have played a significant role in these events.
Qohor, an inland Free City, also bore witness to its own turmoil.
There, one Dragonlord—delayed on a long mission—had failed to receive the recall order from the Dragonlord Council. His name was Aurion, one of the few Dragonlords to survive the Doom.
Rallying soldiers from among the Qohorri colonists, Aurion declared himself the first Emperor of Valyria.
He mounted his dragon, led an army of 30,000 infantry toward the ruins of Valyria, and announced his intent to rebuild the Freehold.
But no one ever saw Emperor Aurion or his army again.
From Aegon's vantage point within the Fourteen Flames, it was clear what had happened.
Qohor, along with its dragons and troops, had all perished—consumed by the plague-ridden lands of Valyria and the tidal swarms of flesh-eating insects. After years of breeding and mutation, the insects had evolved into increasingly powerful and grotesque creatures, most carrying lethal venom or raging disease.
...
Far to the east on the continent of Essos, a bloodthirsty nomadic people—the Dothraki—were rising.
Led by a powerful Khal who had united several Horselords, they swept westward, destroying countless ancient kingdoms and civilizations in their path. After seizing vast territories in the heart of Essos, they named the land the Dothraki Sea, which became the great pastureland of the Horselords.
...
Following the collapse of the Valyrian Freehold Empire in the Doom, the world was plunged into a century of unrelenting turmoil—a period remembered as the "Century of Blood."
During this time, the tenth Free City, Gogossos, was destroyed.
Other Valyria-related events from this chaotic era are omitted here due to length.
...
The perspective shifted once more—back to Dragonstone.
A full century had passed. House Targaryen had taken firm root on Dragonstone, having now produced five generations. Though they brought some of their legacy with them when they fled Valyria, a new threat had risen across the Narrow Sea: the Dragon Party of Volantis.
In this era, only two Dragonlord houses remained in the world—House Targaryen and House Valentine.
The two had clashed many times, trading victories and defeats, each suffering losses.
Then one day, Aegon withdrew from the observing vantage of the sand-table world, and his soul fragment returned to the Emerald Dream.
Snapping back to awareness, it felt to him like he had just watched a century-long film.
Without hesitation, Aegon poured all of his destiny points into preserving as many memories as possible and activated the Hero-tier item [Living Saint].
His soul fragment was engulfed in a flash of white light and vanished from the Emerald Dream.
...
Dragonstone, situated on the Narrow Sea near the continent of Westeros.
Autumn storms were frequent in this region, growing even fiercer in winter. Today, an autumn storm was already bearing down.
The Stone Drum Tower served as Dragonstone's military council chamber. When storms struck, the ancient walls echoed with deep rumbling, hence the tower's name.
Inside the Map Room of the Stone Drum Tower...
A silver-haired boy lay fast asleep atop a massive wooden table. Suddenly, a clap of thunder roared overhead, jolting him from his dreams. The boy slowly opened his eyes and raised his head.
He had pale violet eyes, and though a few loose bangs hung over his forehead, a fine silver dragon mark was clearly visible at the center. It added a distinctive charm to his sharp-featured face—strong jaw, defined contours, and skin white as snow.
Aegon slowly stood up, still dizzy from the effects of reincarnation. Once the fog in his head began to clear, he glanced around the room and quickly realized he was now inside the Stone Drum Tower on Dragonstone.
Lowering his head slightly, his gaze fell on the oak table in front of him—engraved with a detailed map of Westeros.
He extended his left hand and placed it gently over the Stormlands.
Then slowly, he turned his head, following his right hand as he moved it over the Vale.
Aegon raised his head. Lightning flashed, illuminating his amethyst-like eyes, which now gleamed with fierce ambition.
Suddenly, he struck the map table twice with the knuckles of his right hand.
Bang! Bang!