Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 295 The Face of the World

Time flows.

The situation on the continent of Westeros will continue to change.

With the raven messengers traveling back and forth, almost every power on the continent learned of the incredible changes taking place in Harrenhal. Miracles, the rise of Miracle City, the reappearance of dragons, the southward march of the King of the North—every new piece of information sent chills down the spines of decision-makers.

How did everything turn out like this?

It's just a game of power, a conflict between kings, so why do gods and dragons suddenly appear in the world?

This powerful deity is not even like the aloof gods of ancient mythology; His influence on the present world far surpasses that of any god of the past. And the dragons, who should have been born enemies of the gods, have completely submitted to the great avatar of the Seven Gods, who already dominated the mainstream faith in Westeros!

How can one possibly contend with such a powerful force?

How could such a powerful force not make its own noise?

The Northern Expedition has been assembled, and under the banner of the Old Gods, they are guided by their king. And after the King of the North confronted the incarnations of the Seven Gods and escaped unscathed, the morale of the Northern Expeditionary Force soared even higher.

They would not attempt to oppose the Seven Gods, for their king had restrained the madness within them. Yet their weapons were itching to be wielded, and they had already bared their fangs at some unfortunate souls.

The Westerlands were the unfortunate ones, destined to clash with the North as subjects of House Lannister. After all, the old Stark wolf had met such a fate precisely because of a conflict with the Lannisters. And while the avatar of the gods was en route to King's Landing, the Lannister army had already been defeated on the first battlefield against the King in the North.

No one expected the Lannister elite to crumble at the first encounter, nor that the formidable city would fall so easily—when the King in the North led his wolf riders aboard the walls, slaughtering thousands of warriors in mere moments, like sweeping away fallen leaves. Even the most loyal Lannister knights were plunged into despair. And from then on, all they could do was flee in disarray.

Everyone is fleeing.

Even the Lion of the West, Lord Tyne Lannister, could only flee in disgrace after facing the wolf riders head-on. He changed into old clothes, mounted a fine but unassuming horse, and fled further west under the cover of his trusted guards. However, he knew that as he fled the battlefield, the young King in the North had already spotted him.

He couldn't actually escape.

He was able to escape because the King of the North didn't take him seriously. He felt deeply ashamed and angry about this. However, this did not stop the King of the North's elite troops from sweeping across the western lands.

No one could stop that army, and no one could stand against that king.

Elite knightly orders fell to captivity one after another. And as the great avatar of the Seven Gods was about to arrive in King's Landing, the army of the King in the North would soon be at the gates of Casterly Rock.

Destruction loomed large. And the prosperous Reach, so close at hand, was naturally the next target of the King in the North. Yet, not a single letter of alliance, plea for help, or even entreaties from the Westerlands received a reply from the Rose of Highgarden. For the nobles of the Reach were facing another inexplicable situation.

They lost contact with Oldtown. No one could reach the southwestern fertile lands of Highgarden, nor could anyone return to Highgarden with a message after venturing into those lands—only initially, a severely wounded messenger brought fragmented intelligence. After uttering two clear but ambiguous words, he collapsed unconscious.

"The Citadel...the witches..."

Everyone could understand those two words: a witch had appeared in the Citadel. Yet no one could understand the sentence, for no one could imagine that a witch could bring such a vast land to silence.

They couldn't understand, but they couldn't stop. Elite and brave expeditionary forces were assembled and headed southwest. However, no matter how well-prepared they were, they vanished without a trace after crossing a certain mist-shrouded boundary, and even if they were chained, they could only be pulled back as empty shells devoid of self-awareness.

As a result, the river region could do nothing.

Because all their resources and strength had to be devoted to exploration and self-preservation—Highgarden Rose, ironically, looked forward to the arrival of the Northern Expeditionary Force, for the North possessed powerful warriors and wolves. Perhaps their visit could salvage the Reach's intractable situation.

Maybe.

But no one knows.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Dorne, which has a long history of feuds with the Riverlands, is also preoccupied with its own problems.

They, too, had no idea what was happening. But all who inadvertently glanced further south were traumatized. That was said to be the location of the Valyrian ruins, and some unseen nightmare, along with the glow of the southern sea, spread across the entire Dornish coastline.

Some believe it to be a dragon's curse, because the Dornish were the only non-Dorne people on Westeros, yet they defeated the powerful dragons when the Dragon Aspect conquered the continent. This collective belief may not be entirely unfounded. Since the seas began to glow, many Dornish nobles have suddenly developed scales or appeared to be burning with flames. Only devout prayers to the Seven Gods can offer some relief.

They are already overwhelmed with their own problems—they are destined to succumb to the majesty of the divine incarnation.

Outside of them, the Vale remained closed off. The two Baratheon royals on Stormlands and Dragonstone continued their preparations for the crown. The distant Iron Islands organized an army to raid the North, but were soundly defeated by Lord Robb, who remained behind. The raiding generals and their accomplices were imprisoned, awaiting the fleet's regrouping; the Ironborn would then pay a heavy price.

This is the current situation in Westeros.

Meanwhile, in the royal realm, in King's Landing, while the nobles were wracked with headaches over the impending arrival of the divine being—who, despite his halting journey, dealt with countless bandits, routed soldiers, and desolate villages along the way—they failed to notice that all communication channels with Essos had been severed.

Because Essos is burning.

The divine incarnation has already arrived at the city walls.

(End of this chapter)