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"Hahaha, excellent!"
Jacaerys grinned broadly as he stared at the translucent interface of the panel before him, excitement bubbling up inside his chest.
All along his journey, he had been racking his brain, trying to figure out how to strengthen himself to stand against Aemond and Vhagar.
Now, the solution was right before his eyes.
The first part of the "golden finger" displayed Vermax's physical attributes, which he could set aside for the moment. The real focus lay in the latter half.
The term "panel" naturally refers to the number of traits available.
At the moment, the two pet entries—one white and one gray—represented most of the attributes that Vermax possessed innately.
The white "Gluttony" Trait, put simply, meant that the dragon ate more and grew faster.
A dragon with a big appetite? For Jacaerys, born of noble blood, this was hardly a concern.
In fact, he had been worried that Vermax wasn't growing fast or large enough!
After all, in this world, the bigger the dragon, the more power and authority it represented.
On the other hand, the gray "Clumsy" trait was an entirely negative one.
Ah, no wonder... In the original story, my dragon Vermax was a whole size larger than my brother's dragon Arrax.
The "Gluttony" trait was crucial—it had to be leveled up somehow. As for "Clumsy," it had to either be modified or removed as soon as possible..
The traits were color-coded: white for positive, gray for negative.
Could trait levels function like those in the online games I used to play in my previous life?
But the most pressing question was: how does one even obtain trait points?
Baa~~
Just as Jacaerys furrowed his brows in deep thought, a sheep's bleating echoed from outside the dragonpit.
Turning his head, he saw a dragonkeeper in gray robes leading a white lamb into the pit.
"Prince Jacaerys, I've brought food for Vermax!"
Although Jacaerys couldn't fully understand the high Valyrian spoken by the dragonkeeper, it didn't prevent him from grasping the general meaning of the other party.
After nodding in approval, he watched as the dragonkeeper tied the lamb to a scorched black stone pillar.
Seeing the dragonkeeper making a gesture of invitation, Jacaerys eagerly shouted a command in High Valyrian:
"Dracarys!"
Roar!
Vermax, who had been waiting patiently, swiveled his thick dragon neck and spewed a stream of orange-red flames at the lamb.
Due to the close distance, the intense heat made it difficult for Jacaerys to bear, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
Clearly, he did not possess Daenerys Targaryen's—the mother of dragons—immunity to fire.
The dragon's flame lasted only two to three seconds, but in that brief time, the lamb was reduced to a charred heap, its cries silenced, replaced by the mouth-watering aroma of roasted flesh.
"Stop!"
As Vermax eagerly advanced toward the lamb, ready to tear into it, Jacaerys sharply ordered him to halt.
The dragon froze mid-step, instantly obeying.
The dragonkeeper's eyes lit up in astonishment.
It was well known that, whether in the dragonpits of King's Landing or Dragonstone, no one could truly control juvenile dragons with absolute certainty. After all, young dragons, much like human children, had minds that were still developing—wild, impulsive, and not yet fully disciplined.
Yet now, with just a single command from Jacaerys, Vermax—the same dragon notorious for his gluttonous tendencies—had actually stopped.
"Eat!"
Crunch, crunch!
When Jacaerys, thoroughly satisfied, issued the command to resume feeding, Vermax immediately began devouring the lamb with great relish.
The dragonkeeper standing nearby, of course, had no way of knowing.
Ever since Jacaerys activated his golden finger, a faint mental connection had formed between him and Vermax.
This allowed Jacaerys to control Vermax with ease, as though the dragon were an extension of his own will—even without any formal dragon-taming training.
The ability to strictly control a dragon's behavior was crucial in battle.
In the original series, if Lucerys and Aemond had been able to fully control their dragons, the catastrophic "Dance of the Dragons" might never have occurred.
It was this thought that quickly erased the trace of smugness Jacaerys had felt after activating his cheat.
Moments earlier, he had endured the searing heat of Vermax's dragonflame up close—and this was merely a young dragon.
Nine years later, in the original storyline, Arrax, already in his adolescent stage, couldn't even breach Vhagar's defenses with a single breath of fire.
This alone spoke volumes about the terrifying combat prowess of that ancient, massive dragon.
[+1 Trait Point]
"Hm? A trait point was added?"
Jacaerys's attention was abruptly drawn to the notification that flashed in the bottom-left corner of his vision.
After a brief moment of thought, he gestured to the dragonkeeper, signaling for him to bring another lamb.
As he had guessed, after Vermax finished eating a second lamb, another attribute point was awarded.
However, when Vermax, now with a round, bloated belly, devoured a third lamb, no additional points were granted.
It seemed that feeding could earn, at most, two points per day.
After spending some time experimenting and discovering nothing new, Jacaerys bid farewell to the now-lazy Vermax, who had sprawled contentedly in his nest, and made his way to the Stone Drum Tower.
The Stone Drum Tower served as the main keep of Dragonstone.
It earned its name from the rumbling echoes that reverberated through its ancient walls whenever storms rolled in.
"Jace, where have you run off to again? Hurry up—my father and your mother's wedding ceremony is about to start!"
The moment Jacaerys stepped into the great hall of the Stone Drum Tower, a little girl with an exquisite face, long silver-white hair, and striking violet eyes dashed toward him. Without hesitation, she seized his hand and began tugging him outside.
Jacaerys glanced down at her, taking in her adorably disgruntled expression. A helpless smile tugged at his lips.
She was Baela Targaryen, daughter of Daemon—and his betrothed.
Though fond of her, Jacaerys could never quite shake his unease over House Targaryen's tangled bloodlines and peculiar traditions.
But there was nothing he could do about it. Setting aside the personal desires of Rhaenyra and Daemon, the immense importance of the Velaryon fleet, which ruled and dominated the Narrow Sea, made this political marriage inevitable.
Just as in the original series, in the presence of Jacaerys and their three other children, Rhaenyra and Daemon completed their wedding ceremony.
Using a dagger forged of obsidian (dragonglass), they slit their palms, clasped their hands together, and drank bloodwine to seal this ancient Valyrian ritual.
Over the next month, Jacaerys followed a rigorous schedule.
Every morning, he studied High Valyrian along with the customs and knowledge of Westerosi (Seven Kingdoms) nobility.
In the afternoons, he trained in swordsmanship under his new stepfather, Daemon, before heading to the dragonpit to feed Vermax.
On the fiftieth day, when his accumulated trait points finally reached one hundred, the trait panel displayed a significant change.
A new "Refresh" option appeared behind the "Gluttony" and "Clumsy" traits.
Without hesitation, Jacaerys selected the refresh option for the "Clumsy" trait.
In an instant, the painstakingly gathered attribute points were consumed, and the "Clumsy" trait was replaced by a new one:
[Frailty (Gray): Defense -10%
Do you want to replace the current pet trait?]
Jacaerys was rendered speechless by the new trait.
So, fifty days of effort had been wasted for this? The new trait was even worse than "Clumsy"!
It seemed that obtaining a desirable trait for Vermax would require far more points than he had anticipated.
This wouldn't do. Earning two points per day was far too slow. He needed to find a way to accelerate the process.
Perhaps introducing Vermax to different types of food might help!
After casually opting not to replace the current trait, Jacaerys made his way to the lord's chambers in the Stone Drum Tower.
Whether it was due to Rhaenyra's resilience or Daemon's persistence, the newlywed couple had moved with remarkable speed. Fifty days into their marriage, Rhaenyra was already over a month pregnant.
[P.S: Stamina, my friend, stamina, It's all about stamina.]
Perhaps because of the tragic fate of his own mother, Rhaenyra, who had already borne three sons, continued to place great importance on her pregnancy and insisted on giving birth unassisted.
After Jacaerys expressed his desire to visit the fishing villages within Dragonstone's lands, Rhaenyra promptly assigned four guards to accompany him.
It seemed that his performance during the events at High Tide had paid off.
In the past, Rhaenyra, who was fiercely protective of her children, would never have allowed Jacaerys to leave the confines of the castle.
However, there was a slight hiccup before he could depart from the Stone Drum Tower.
Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena, having overheard his plans, pestered him relentlessly, refusing to take no for an answer.
In the end, Jacaerys had no choice but to grudgingly bring along his three energetic tagalongs.
Dragonclaw Village, situated at the base of Dragonmount and along the shore of the Narrow Sea, was a small but thriving fishing settlement.
The terrain here was relatively flat, and the soil, enriched by the volcanic ash from Dragonmount, was remarkably fertile. As a result, the villagers lived off both the bounties of the land and the sea, with farmers cultivating crops while fishermen ventured into the waters to make their livelihood.
Although the village had a permanent population of just around a thousand, its proximity to High Tide and its position directly across the sea from Spicetown made it a bustling hub of activity.
Merchant ships frequently docked at Dragonclaw Village's harbor, filling the air with the scent of salt and the sounds of sailors shouting and goods being unloaded. The village radiated an aura of prosperity and vitality that was uncharacteristic of most settlements of its size.
When the guards, clad in armor emblazoned with the sigil of the three-headed dragon, escorted four noble children into the village, the lively streets fell silent almost instantly.
"Prince Jacaerys! Prince Lucerys!"
"Prince Jacaerys! Greetings to you, our future lord!"
"Prince Jacaerys, the future king!"
Once the villagers realized who had arrived, they quickly bowed their heads in respect, saluting Jacaerys and the young Luke.
For Jacaerys, who in his previous life had been an ordinary office worker, this kind of treatment was entirely foreign. With a polite but somewhat awkward smile, he nodded in acknowledgment of the villagers' greetings.
However, he didn't let the overwhelming attention distract him from the purpose of his visit and made his way directly toward the village's open-air market.
Dragons were omnivorous creatures, capable of consuming an extraordinary variety of food.
Carrying a large pouch of coins measured in silver stags and copper stars, Jacaerys began a shopping spree to gather food for Vermax.
A bull for five silver stags, a fat pig for two, a large sea fish for half a silver stag, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables for copper stars—Jacaerys spared no expense, purchasing anything that could be eaten.
Of course, the three little tagalongs didn't miss their chance to contribute to the chaos.
Chattering incessantly along the way, they pointed out all sorts of unfamiliar trinkets and exotic snacks, demanding to have them bought.
Exasperated, Jacaerys resorted to silencing them by stuffing their hands with treats, which they happily devoured as they followed him around.
Having bought so much, it was impossible for the children to carry everything back on their own.
Jacaerys instructed the captain of his guard to take one of the men and hire a few laborers to help transport the goods back to the castle.
But just a few minutes after the two guards left, an unexpected commotion broke out in the market.
Clink, clink!
The sound of coins hitting the cobblestone ground echoed through the air.
A large number of copper stars, accompanied by a few silver stags, suddenly rained down into the crowd from an unknown source.
"Money's falling! Quick, grab it!"
A loud shout rang out, and in an instant, the hundred or so villagers in the marketplace scrambled to snatch up the coins.
"Princes, princesses, stand behind us immediately!"
The two remaining guards, sensing danger, reacted swiftly, shielding Jacaerys and the three children behind them.
The open-air market, bordered by walls and with only two exits—one large and one small—descended into chaos in the blink of an eye.
Already congested with goods and villagers, the sudden frenzy to grab the scattered coins turned the area into a suffocatingly packed space.
The crush of bodies pressing together made it impossible for the guards to even draw the longswords at their waists.
Jacaerys, maintaining a remarkable calm amidst the chaos, quickly scanned the surroundings through the gaps in the crowd. His sharp gaze caught sight of a recessed stall built into the wall, offering a potential refuge.
He pointed toward it and shouted, "Over there! Quickly!"
Thwack!
The two guards, following his command, did their best to shield Jacaerys and the three children as they cautiously made their way toward the stall.
Before they could move far, a cold arrow sliced through the air, its sharp whistle barely audible amidst the chaos of the growing riot.
"Ahh!"
The arrow struck a villager in the shoulder, drawing a piercing scream that sent fresh waves of panic rippling through the marketplace.
The injured man collapsed, clutching his wound, but the chaos only intensified. The unruly crowd spiraled into a full-blown frenzy, feeding off the panic like dry timber to a flame.
Some of the villagers near the exits struggled desperately to leave, but masked individuals armed with longswords were blocking both the exits.
With grim determination, they herded the outermost villagers inward, forcing them deeper into the turmoil, while those trapped inside desperately tried to push their way out.
The desperate crush left the elderly and children vulnerable; those unable to withstand the force of the crowd were shoved to the ground.
Tragically, countless feet trampled over the fallen without mercy, the surging panic consuming all sense of humanity.
This was no ordinary riot—it was a calculated, ruthless assassination attempt.
Though Jacaerys had been too short to notice the coins scattered earlier, the sudden, biting chill of an arrow piercing through the chaos left no doubt in his mind. This was no random outbreak of violence; it was an orchestrated attack.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, he shut out the surrounding chaos and honed his mind on the faint yet familiar mental link he shared.
Hisss-aaang!~
A sound echoed from the artificial dragon pit atop Dragonmount—a spine-chilling mixture of a serpent's hiss and a dragon's roar—emitted by the young Vermex.
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[Author's Note]
Dear readers and patrons, I hope this chapter reminds you to always stay alert and prioritize safety, especially in crowded places. Be mindful of those around you—particularly the elderly and children—and avoid contributing to panic in emergencies. Stay safe, everyone!
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[Chapter End's]
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