Lynd gradually came to accept Willas' explanation that the ancient runes within the Wall, which had once kept the White Walkers at bay, were now damaged. He then asked, "What does letting Euron take the God's Bones and destroy the nodes of Nature's Power have to do with the Wall?"
"Because I need Nature's Power to keep the Wall functioning. Only then can it continue to repel the White Walkers." Willas paused briefly, then, perhaps feeling his explanation was too simplistic, added, "There are ten Nature's Power nodes across Westeros: the Arm of Dorne, the Godsgrace Mountains, Oldtown, Highgarden, Lake Gods Eye, the Marsh, Fair Isle, Winterfell, the Eyrie, and the Wall. Seven of these nodes have been destroyed for various reasons. Only Lake Gods Eye, the Marsh, and the Godsgrace Mountains remain intact.
Though these nodes are scattered across the land, they are interconnected and affect one another. Through that connection, I can channel their power directly to the Wall. However, the nodes at Lake Gods Eye and the Marsh are bound by the Greenseers of the Children of the Forest. I can't access them. Only by destroying the domain they've established and releasing the power they've sealed can I use that energy to keep the Wall operating."
Lynd frowned. "You could've just told me this. I could've negotiated with the Children of the Forest. Why work with Euron?"
Willas was silent for a moment under Lynd's questioning before replying, "Because you're not trustworthy."
"Me? Not trustworthy?" Lynd gave him a strange look, almost laughing. "Are you saying a madman like Euron Greyjoy is more trustworthy than I am?"
"Yes," Willas replied bluntly. "I can see Euron's life path, but I can't see yours."
Lynd paused, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You should know that Greenseers can pass knowledge and memories from one generation to the next through weirwoods and inherited visions. That's why Greenseers know everything about the past and the lives of those who came before. They're believed to be the most knowledgeable beings in the world," Willas explained seriously. "But what you might not know is that Greenseers can also predict the future. By observing shifts in life paths, they can foresee related future events—whether involving people or occurrences. For example, I can already foresee that Renly Baratheon and Robb Stark are going to die. Their life paths are fixed. No matter how they struggle, they can't escape them."
At that, Lynd's expression shifted to one of surprise. He already knew the causes behind Renly's and Robb's deaths, but the fact that Willas also knew them made him reconsider Willas' ability to foresee the future.
Willas continued, "But you're different. Your life path should have disappeared, yet it was reconnected with a new one—and it's been interfering with the life paths of others. You're like a monster, wildly tearing apart countless life trajectories—including mine. That kind of disruption is terrifying. It pushes everything into the unknown. And the unknown is frightening. But what's even more frightening is you, the one causing it."
After his initial shock, Lynd regained his composure and gave Willas a look filled with deeper meaning. He knew exactly what Willas was referring to—ever since his arrival, nearly everyone he came into contact with had seen their futures shift. Nymeria, for instance, might have died, but now she had become Queen of the Kingdom of Lorne.
Still, Lynd found Willas' fear of the unknown a bit odd. It felt more like the panic of someone who had always been able to see the future suddenly losing that power. But Willas hadn't been a Greenseer for long—such intense fear didn't quite add up.
After a moment of thought, Lynd asked in a low voice, "Are you in contact with the Three-Eyed Crow?"
"Yes," Willas admitted after a pause. "I've been in contact with the Three-Eyed Crow all along. He taught me how to use the Greenseer's knowledge—and how to wield my power."
Lynd asked, "Did he also tell you to come to the Wall and sacrifice yourself?"
"No. Coming to the Wall was my own decision," Willas said calmly. "I knew he was dying and needed someone to take his place. I was the best candidate."
Lynd brought the conversation back to Euron. "So what was your goal in sending Euron to make a sacrifice in Stygai? And who was the sacrifice for?"
Willas said solemnly, "You're asking the wrong person. I didn't send Euron to Stygai to make a sacrifice. He was going there on his own. He lacked a suitable offering, and I happened to need the natural power sealed by the Greenseers of the Children of the Forest to be released—so I simply used him."
Lynd's expression darkened slightly. "So everything about Euron—you lied. There's no such thing as a God-hater?"
Willas replied firmly, "No, I didn't lie about any of that. Euron is a God-hater. And the power within him doesn't come from just one god. The Cold God, the Drowned God, and other ancient deities—he has them all. I've never seen anyone carry so many divine powers. Not even the Greenseers' memories contain mention of such a monster. Everything I told you came from interpreting Euron's life path—the most likely outcome based on what I saw." He paused, then added, "Can you tell me what happened in Stygai? Maybe I can piece something together."
Lynd hesitated, then recounted what had happened in Stygai.
Willas let out a gasp when he heard that Lynd had used magic to destroy the entire city of Stygai. The shock hit him hard, and his emotions surged as he exclaimed, "I never imagined you'd gained such overwhelming power. Looking back through history, no one has ever reached your level."
Lynd responded dismissively, "You're exaggerating. Back then, the Greenseers of the Children of the Forest destroyed the entire Arm of Dorne."
"No, that's not the same!" Willas explained. "First of all, it wasn't just one Greenseer, but all of them—every Greenseer of the Children of the Forest took part. And they paid a terrible price. After that, the Greenseers were nearly wiped out. Also, they weren't using their own power. They channeled the energy from every natural power node. In other words, the Arm of Dorne was destroyed by Westeros itself; the Greenseers were just the spark that lit the flame. But you're different. You destroyed a city like Stygai using only your own strength. That level of power—even most of the gods who walked the world during the Age of Dawn didn't possess it. I have to admit, in terms of raw power, you're already qualified to be called a god."
Lynd didn't show any sign of joy at Willas's praise. He was waiting for Willas to continue his analysis.
Willas thought for a moment, then said, "I think I understand why Euron went to Stygai. My guess was right—he really was trying to fuse the divine power inside himself through some kind of sacrificial ritual, to ascend and become a god. But the one who taught him the ritual and sent him to Stygai never told him that the god he imagined and the kind of god he'd actually become after the sacrifice were two completely different things. In fact, Lynd Tarran, you recently accomplished something no one has ever done before—you killed a god."
"Killed a god?" Lynd was stunned. It took a moment for him to register the meaning behind Willas's words. "You mean Euron actually succeeded in the sacrifice? He had already become a god?"
"Yes," Willas confirmed.
Lynd frowned, clearly struggling to accept it. "That god was awfully weak, don't you think?"
Willas sighed. "Weak? Yes—for you, he was weak. As I said, the power you now wield far surpasses most of the gods from the Age of Dawn. So to you, the god Euron became was insignificant. But from the perspective of ordinary people, Euron was unmatched. And don't forget—he was a newborn god. A god's existence depends on believers. Without them, a god loses most of their power, just like Garth Greenhand of Highgarden—a god who lost his followers. What's more, the Black Stone itself has the power to imprison gods. Euron had just completed the ritual and become a god when he was trapped by the Black Stone. How could a god in chains possibly resist your kind of magic?"
"The Black Stone can imprison gods?" Lynd was clearly surprised by the revelation.
"Yes. The Black Stone can imprison a god—but only once. Once it's used, regardless of what happens to the imprisoned god, its power to bind gods is gone," Willas explained seriously. "That might've been exactly what the person who sent Euron to Stygai wanted—to destroy a piece of Black Stone capable of imprisoning a god."
Lynd, intrigued, asked, "How many of these Black Stones that can imprison gods are there in the world?"
"As far as I know, not many. Asshai is one of them," Willas said after a pause. "Since that person used Euron to destroy Stygai, he'll definitely try to use you to destroy Asshai."
"Use me to destroy Asshai?" Lynd couldn't help but think of his own expansion plans to the east and south. He'd already sent people to infiltrate Asshai. If conflict broke out, would he end up destroying it the same way he had Stygai?
But Willas's next words pulled him out of that train of thought.
"Asshai is currently under siege by creatures from the Shadow Lands," he said solemnly.
Lynd froze for a second, then asked urgently, "When did this happen?"
"A few days after you left Asshai," Willas replied.
Lynd's expression darkened. He knew that even if he wanted to save Asshai, it was probably too late. Even if Neltharion flew at full speed, cutting diagonally from the Wall, across the Shivering Sea and Essos to reach Asshai, it would still take around ten days—assuming everything went smoothly and there were no detours. And if they followed the coastline, it would take even longer.
Lynd asked with concern, "What's the situation in Asshai now?"
"I don't know," Willas shook his head. "I can only sense some movement from that direction. It's very vague—right now, all I can feel is that the battle has ended, but I don't know whether the monsters from the Shadow Lands won, or if the mages of Asshai prevailed."
Lynd asked for confirmation, "Was it because I destroyed Stygai that the monsters from the Shadow Lands went on a rampage?"
"Yes," Willas replied bluntly.
"Why would the White Walkers do that?" Lynd asked in confusion. "Are they trying to destroy every piece of Black Stone that can imprison gods? Are they trying to prevent the Cold God they worship from being sealed away?"
Willas suddenly said, puzzled, "When did I ever say the one who sent Euron was a White Walker?"
"It wasn't the White Walkers?" Lynd was caught off guard and asked, confused, "Euron turned all the Ironborn in his Iron Fleet into wights, and he could control them. Isn't that enough to show he's connected to the White Walkers?"
Willas explained, "The power to turn living beings into wights isn't exclusive to the White Walkers. In fact, they had already mastered that dark magic even before they became White Walkers."
Lynd quickly made the connection and said, "It was that frozen ancient survivor Euron stole from the Sealord's Palace treasury."
"Yes," Willas replied.
"The Sealord's treasury is heavily guarded. It's almost impossible for an ordinary person to get in—let alone steal something as large and heavy as a crystal coffin." Lynd stared at Willas and said in a low voice, "You helped Euron steal the crystal coffin."
"Yes," Willas admitted without hesitation.
Lynd continued, "Are you working with that ancient survivor now?"
"No, we're just using each other," Willas denied. "I'm using him to hold the White Walkers in check. He wants to use me to help free his people from the Cold God."
"So, he was revived—not turned into a White Walker?" Lynd asked.
"More accurately, he was awakened. He wasn't dead, just sealed away," Willas clarified.
"Then why didn't the White Walkers turn him after waking him up?" Lynd pressed.
"I don't know," Willas replied. "Beyond the Wall is the domain of the Cold God. I can't see into that place."
Lynd asked in a low voice, "You're at the Wall, he's beyond it. How are you even communicating?"
"The Three-Eyed Crow," Willas answered gravely. "It was the Three-Eyed Crow who introduced him to me, and it was the Three-Eyed Crow who vouched for him. That's why I chose to work with him."
Lynd knew as well that the Three-Eyed Crow and the White Walkers were sworn enemies. If that person were working with the White Walkers, the Three-Eyed Crow would never have made contact with him. That connection was the foundation of Willas's trust.
Lynd fell silent for a moment. Then, with a stern expression, he asked, "You've used me for so many things. Can I still trust you, Lord Willas?"