The tall, lush trees of the Wolfswood were perfect for hide-and-seek.
The Free Folk dared not be careless. They didn't split up during the pursuit; the twenty-five warriors and the Snow Bear acted together.
The Free Folk had already paid a bloody price.
Although only five people were kneeling, the Direwolf and the other giant beast were not to be underestimated. No one wanted to face such monsters alone.
If not for the Skinchanger's coercion, they wouldn't even approach these kneeling people.
If not for the Skinchanger's orders, they might have already fled to the warm and rich south, to Winterfell built of stone.
Southerners said Winterfell belonged to the North. No, compared to beyond the Wall, this was the South.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs.
The Free Folk had to step into this forest filled with danger.
The Snow Bear sniffed out the enemy's scent and chased them, while the Free Folk carefully followed behind, stepping on fallen leaves.
The forest was eerily quiet.
There were no birds chirping, no insects buzzing, no wild beasts moving, only the sounds they themselves made.
The Free Folk smelled fear and danger.
Who was the prey after all?
Some people recalled their companions who had just died under the claws of an unknown giant beast. The red and yellow jelly-like meat among the bone shards, the desperate struggle of being cut in half, the smell of blood and acidic fluid, the horrifying dead eyes.
The few who picked up bows and arrows remembered their elder who had a flying knife embedded in his brain. That noble young master was too ruthless.
The archers regretted it a little.
This was just a hastily assembled team, not a united tribe. The archers seemed to be completely unsafe, and might even be the first to die.
All the Free Folk were wondering why the Skinchanger insisted on chasing these kneeling people.
Joffrey was also very curious.
The Skinchanger's appearance was completely illogical, and now they were pursuing them despite the risks. There must be a conspiracy behind it!
Whatever the truth was, they had to defeat the enemy first.
After tying up the easily startled horses, Joffrey placed a shattered steel fragment in his palm.
The hunt began.
Tyrion kept gesturing with his dagger in the air. "Good nephew, leave that bald man to me. You know, a Lannister always pays his debts."
Joffrey rolled his eyes at him.
If he weren't afraid of something happening to Tyrion and the others, he wouldn't have made a strategic retreat. He would have taken his revenge on the spot.
"From now on, you all follow my command. Any problems, Lord Benjen?"
Benjen silently drew his short sword.
Joffrey was very satisfied. "Very good. As long as we cooperate closely, those Wildlings will be buried in this forest, and we won't shed a drop of blood."
He sensed the information coming from the shattered steel fragment.
The range covered by his mental power was not large enough, but using the other fragments scattered in the forest as a medium, he could instantly detect the Wildlings' movements remotely.
A moment later, Joffrey finalized the plan.
"We'll ambush them here."
He transmitted the terrain of the ambush location to the other four through an Information Rune.
"Jon, you and Ghost will act with me. Benjen and Yoren are responsible for capturing prisoners and protecting Tyrion at the same time."
Jon was fine, but Benjen and Yoren's eyes almost popped out.
Yoren asked with a trembling voice, his face full of shock, "What kind of power is this? The Gods have appeared!?"
Joffrey suspected they hadn't even remembered their tasks.
"Perhaps not the Gods, but it must be a great supreme being. In short, I have received a blessing, which shows that the Seven Kingdoms are favored by fate."
He patted Benjen's shoulder.
"I know. The Others do exist, which is why I decided to go to the Wall. The Others' disaster is not far off, but the Seven Kingdoms are not yet prepared. But it doesn't matter, I will unite the Seven Kingdoms, and humanity will ultimately triumph."
Benjen's impression of the Crown Prince was completely overturned.
"Act immediately."
Joffrey said as he walked, "Leave some alive. I believe you have enough experience. Don't let a single Wildling escape."
Benjen and Yoren managed to calm down. "Understood, Your Highness."
The hunters took their positions.
Joffrey and Jon hid in the dense tree canopy;
Ghost and Rain lay prone behind the ambush point, ready to join the battle at any time;
Benjen, Yoren, and Tyrion hid further back, waiting to finish off after the frontal battle ended.
The wind rustled the trees.
The Wildlings immediately scanned their surroundings vigilantly. The Skinchanger standing on the ground had his eyes open, and the Snow Bear, rarely not under control, roared a few times irritably.
There were too many mixed scents; it couldn't pinpoint the enemy's exact location.
The Wildlings found nothing unusual.
But they had already stepped into Joffrey's mental domain.
From this moment on, every move of every Wildling could not escape Joffrey's sight.
The prey was in the net.
Joffrey quietly took out five throwing knives.
It was best to keep the Skinchanger alive. Even if he was killed, he could still occupy the Snow Bear's body in soul form, which wouldn't be very effective.
So the archers were still the top priority target.
The Wildlings gradually moved closer. Sixty meters, fifty meters, forty meters, thirty meters. Joffrey didn't wait any longer.
Several small shadows flashed over the Wildlings' heads.
The Wildlings immediately dodged in panic.
The archers didn't move, simply burying their bows and arrows in the fallen leaves.
The Skinchanger's body instantly went limp and fell to the ground, his eyeballs turning white as he entered the Snow Bear's consciousness. Then, the Snow Bear's savage eyes locked onto Joffrey's hiding place.
Rain had already rushed over, tearing apart the hairless monkeys blocking the way in a few steps.
The Snow Bear turned towards the Giant Lion and stood upright. Its two massive bear paws were raised high, and the steel teeth between its foul-smelling giant mouth opened in an exaggerated arc, like two rows of waiting saw-toothed guillotines.
In less than a breath's time.
The two giant beasts collided with a "thud." Lion claws and bear paws danced into blurred afterimages. The two bloody mouths vied to tear at flesh. The lion's roar and the bear's roar were louder and fiercer than the last, making one's hair stand on end and an unstoppable chill surge into their heart.
Ghost also arrived, currently digging a hole in a Wildling's belly, his white fur stained with patches of blood.
"Jon, come and see some blood."
Joffrey leaped down from the treetop, severing a startled Wildling nearby with a single sword stroke. The gushing blood splattered all over him.
A true battle of life and death.
Jon took a deep breath and then joined the fight.
The Free Folk, not yet despairing, exchanged glances and charged towards the noble young master with cries and shouts.
Capturing this fellow meant survival.
Eight Warriors against one Southerner; they couldn't think of a reason to fail.
But.
That noble's sword was so powerful; no knife, sword, or axe could withstand a single blow from it.
Two Warriors were directly split in two by it.
That noble was simply not human! How could any human be stabbed in the body and not shed a single drop of blood? He was more terrifying than the White Walkers!
Three red lights flashed, and there were seven or eight more pieces of human bone and flesh on the ground.
No, he wasn't human!
The Wildlings broke down. The Snow Bear was covered in bloody wounds and burns, yet the unknown giant beast's fur was still bright and smooth, just like this noble young master.
Several Wildlings threw down their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground, begging for mercy. The other Wildlings began to flee frantically.
Benjen and Yoren had work to do.
Joffrey lowered the tip of his Dragonflame Sword and looked towards the Snow Bear.
Rain was now a Mirror Image infused with Solid Runes, Recovery Runes, and Growth Runes. What kind of opponent was a mere Snow Bear?
Indeed, the Snow Bear was about to completely lose the power to resist.
Joffrey was about to instruct Rain to hold back.
Roar~ Roar~
The Snow Bear roared towards the sky a few times, its body seeming to stiffen for a moment. Suddenly, it rushed to the Skinchanger's front despite its injuries.
Crack, crack.
The Skinchanger's body shattered.
The Snow Bear then collapsed weakly to the ground, panting, the strange glint in its eyes also disappearing.
Joffrey narrowed his eyes, gazing deeply at the clear sky.
There were no ravens.
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