A strength rating of 1.2 was already quite impressive, as it was measured against the standard of an adult male (1).
For example, Barristan only had a strength rating of 1.6, while the young and robust Mormont scored 1.8. Both were categorized as "extremely strong."
Dany suspected that the "Monster" category was specially reserved for the Mountain.
Hmm, only through multiple bouts could Dany obtain a more accurate "enemy" attribute value.
If the Mountain merely brushed against her, the strength attribute she perceived would be 0.3. However, if he lightly punched her, the value would soar to 0.8.
At present, her system couldn't instantly read the opponent's strength value at a glance.
After resting for a while, Dany, with Gilly's help, removed her training armor and wiped her face with a damp towel. She turned to Barristan and said, "Ser, I will ride the dragon to leave Yunkai shortly. By evening, please escort the farmers from the Mutual Aid Society back."
"Where are you going?" the White Knight asked.
"New Ghis."
"What for?" The old knight frowned.
A cold glint flashed in Dany's eyes as she sneered, "That Grazdan is not only alive but holding a 'Dragon Slaying Conference' in New Ghis. Many nations and trade city-states are participating. How could I not respond at all?"
"Parading your dragon in the skies above New Ghis? What's the point?" Barristan's lips twitched.
"Hmph, just watch. I'll deliver them a grand gift," Dany said confidently.
Soon after being summoned, Drogon flew in from the eastern blue sky. His shadow swept across the land, causing nearby farmers to pause their work, raise their hands, and cheer loudly. The oxen pulling the plows bellowed in fright, attempting to flee.
Consequently, another wave of farmers' curses and the crack of whips echoed in all directions.
With agile movements, Dany leaped onto Drogon's back, waved to the people below, and soared into the sky.
She loved riding dragons.
Gripping the bone spines protruding from Drogon's back and watching the scenery below flash by, Dany felt as though she was commanding the entire world.
Such a sensation could never be experienced on an airplane.
Whether due to magic or innate genetics, even when Drogon flew at 300 kilometers per hour at high altitudes, the fierce wind never blurred her vision.
Flight helmets could be made with the world's technology, but they were entirely unnecessary.
Just like how her eyes were immune to flames and thick smoke, her violet irises didn't shed tears against the howling wind.
Moreover, her eyesight and spatial perception were exceptional. In modern society, she could probably become the greatest fighter jet test pilot.
"Screech—"
"Screech—"
Soon, Dany crossed the fields and reached the sea, finding Rhaegal and Viserion gnawing on wild buffalo bones on Yaros Island.
There were islands within Slaver's Bay. Yaros Island lay between Yunkai and Astapor, uninhabited but rich in resources, with large numbers of wild buffalo.
During their free time, the three dragons loved to hunt buffalo on Yaros Island.
In two months, little Rhaegal had grown from a palm-sized "kitten" into a robust "hound," but the three elder dragons still refused to play with their little brother.
The four dragons formed three factions. Drogon, proud and solitary, scorned his three brothers with superior intelligence, strength, and size, always traveling alone.
Rhaegal and Viserion, having grown up together, were similar in strength, intelligence, and size, and were almost inseparable.
The youngest, Rhaegal, despite being able to hunt on his own, was always accompanied by Quaro, as none of his brothers paid him any attention.
However, no matter how much they roamed during the day, by evening, when Dany returned to the pyramid, all four dragons would gather on the pyramid's summit, nestling together to sleep.
At this moment, Drogon skimmed over the treetops, stirring a wave of green ripples. Dany called out to the two dragons peeking out from the forest below, "Let's go."
"Screech—"
The two dragons obediently dropped the buffalo leg, leaped into the sky with a powerful push.
Months had passed, and the three dragons continued to grow at an exponential rate.
Including their tails, Drogon measured 18 meters long.
Hmm, the long tail accounted for almost half of the total body length.
When fully spread, his wings could cover nearly 100 square meters. His maximum carrying capacity had doubled from 200 pounds to 400 pounds.
Even Rhaegal and Viserion could lift more than 300 pounds.
The three dragons streaked through the sky, reaching Astapor in less than two hours.
The guards atop the Great Pyramid spotted the dragons from afar and shouted, "The Queen is here!"
"Toot, toot, toot!" Two Unsullied picked up small horns and began to play rhythmically.
"Thud, thud, thud!" In just a moment, a group of people rushed up the stairwell—Jorah Mormont in full iron armor, the dark-skinned Missandei, several Dothraki handmaidens, and a few Unsullied.
After the war ended, Daenerys often rode her dragon back and forth between the three cities, firmly controlling the entire Slaver's Bay. As a result, she had royal chambers in all three cities.
If Doreah hadn't died at the hands of the Faceless Men, there would have been just enough handmaidens to assign one as the court steward for each palace.
For example, at this moment, Irri was in the Palace of Benevolence in Yunkai, while Jhiqui was in the Great Pyramid of Meereen.
A queen couldn't be left unattended, so Daenerys selected a dozen Dothraki girls to serve in the Palace of the Rising Sun—also known as the Great Pyramid of Astapor.
These handmaidens were all from Daenerys' original khalasar, having followed her across the Red Waste. Though their skills in serving were somewhat lacking, their loyalty was beyond doubt.
Leaping lightly from Drogon's back, Daenerys turned to Jorah and asked, "Is the thing I requested ready?"
Jorah beckoned to one of the Unsullied behind him. Immediately, a soldier stepped forward, carrying an object wrapped in fur and placing it before Daenerys.
Jorah crouched down and personally removed the outer layer of fur, revealing a three-meter-long, wrist-thick, jet-black iron spike.
The iron spike was not a perfect cylinder; its surface was slightly uneven, showing the marks of hammer strikes.
Its design was also rather strange—one end was as thick as a beer bottle, while the slightly slimmer end had three tail fins, each two fingers wide.
The tail fins had been hammered into shape, making them somewhat irregular.
"As per your request, it weighs exactly 150 pounds."
Daenerys grasped the iron spike and lifted it slightly, feeling its astonishing weight. She couldn't help but grin. "It has some flaws, but given that it was forged in just one night according to the blueprint, it's still impressive."
She then laughed triumphantly, "Hahaha! Slave traders, prepare to face the wrath of the Statue of Liberty!"
"Uh…" Jorah felt slightly embarrassed for the queen. Rubbing his nose, he muttered, "You're planning to smash the New Ghisites with this long iron rod? A barrel of wildfire would probably be more effective."
"You don't understand. This kind of orbital weapon is far superior to incendiary bombs." Daenerys waved a hand dismissively, assuming the demeanor of an expert lost in their own genius.
"Alright, Your Grace, just be careful. It would be best to rest on Ghiscari Isle first," Jorah advised.
"I understand."
Before long, Daenerys' "Wrath of the Statue of Liberty" was once again wrapped in thick fur.
Yes, this would make it easier for Drogon to grip.
Daenerys switched to riding Rhaegal, while Drogon carried the iron spike, following closely behind.
Without stopping, the trio—one rider and three dragons—flew southward, crossing a 500-kilometer stretch of continuous mountain ranges. Daenerys rested for an hour on the Old Ghis plains.
After flying over 1,000 kilometers, the three dragons were starting to tire.
Yunkai was about 600 kilometers from Astapor. To reach New Ghis from Astapor, one had to cross 500 kilometers of rugged mountains, 200 kilometers of the Old Ghis plains, another 200 kilometers over the Ghiscari Strait, and finally 200 kilometers across Ghiscari Isle—over 1,700 kilometers in total!
Back in the day, after Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo covered only 1,200 kilometers.
Departing from Yunkai at 2 PM and resting for an hour in Old Ghis, Daenerys reached the southern cliffs of Ghiscari Isle around 9 PM.
Though the darkness impaired the dragons' vision, it didn't affect their flight or sense of direction.
Let alone dragons—even most migratory birds didn't rely solely on their eyesight for navigation.
Daenerys' stomach was beginning to growl.
She chewed on a few sausages brought from Astapor, adjusted her condition, and then climbed onto Rhaegal's back.
An hour later, New Ghis was in sight.
The waning moon, like a sickle, sliced through the night sky.
Though it was late, this "Pearl of the Summer Sea" remained ablaze with scattered lights.
At the docks, sailors unloaded cargo under the glow of large tallow torches, while slaves hauled fresh water and provisions onto ships preparing to set sail.
In the night markets, merchants shouted under wind lanterns, peddling their wares. Passersby who spotted something they liked would stop and haggle with the shopkeepers.
In the affluent southern district, grand halls and towering manors shone with dazzling lights, filled with music, dance, and the clinking of goblets.
At the city's core, the Ghiscari administrative center—the uppermost garden of the Great Pyramid—was bathed in red lanterns, its silhouette teeming with figures.
Yet, no one noticed three dark shadows streak across the sky.
"Drogon, test your altitude limit." Daenerys excitedly commanded the black dragon.
Amidst the howling winds, Drogon spiraled higher into the night sky.
As the political and economic hub of the Ghiscari, New Ghis had only one pyramid.
Pyramids consumed vast amounts of bricks and stone, and New Ghis was built on a small island—just two kilometers wide and about seven or eight kilometers long. Though it occupied a prime location, it lacked natural resources. Transporting stone and bricks from elsewhere was prohibitively expensive—after all, they had to be shipped across the sea.
From her perch atop Rhaegal, Daenerys gazed down at the massive structure, adorned with lanterns on all sides, and murmured to herself, "I hope Danzo wasn't lying when he said all the Allied leaders are staying in the pyramid."
Then another thought struck her—even if they weren't inside, demolishing this symbol of New Ghis would still kill plenty of slavers.
"Heh, orbital weapons seem tailor-made for taking down pyramids."
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. In her mind's eye, she could already see the 150-meter-tall pyramid shattering into countless pieces, its debris raining down and burying the entire New Ghis harbor.
"Wow, Drogon must be over 15 kilometers up by now." Feeling his position through their bond, Daenerys was shocked to realize he was still ascending.
Even at 15,000 meters, in her dragon-consciousness state, she sensed that he still hadn't reached the stratosphere.
This planet is larger than Earth!
Daenerys suddenly understood.
At last, Drogon flapped his wings powerfully, but he noticed that the air around him had become eerily still. The currents were unnaturally calm.
He had actually entered the stratosphere.
Approximately 20 kilometers high.
At the same time, Drogon began panting heavily. He struggled to beat his wings, finding it increasingly difficult to climb higher. Around 25 kilometers, Daenerys ordered him to stop.
"Fire at me!" she commanded, her excitement overflowing.
(End of Chapter)
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