Quiet Steps in the North
Ryu didn't rush to Winterfell.
Instead, he walked the cold lands, observing villages, listening to the people, and staying hidden when needed. He spoke little, moved with purpose, and watched everything.
The North was harsh. Poor farmers, old keeps, cold rivers. But Ryu didn't complain. He learned.
He helped a blacksmith in exchange for food and silence. At night, he trained in the woods. His shadows patrolled while he slept. Wolves never came close.
One day, he visited a mining village called Stonehall. The men there worked in iron, pulling it from dark caves.
Ryu noticed something strange.
The mine had collapsed days ago, but villagers said it "felt cursed." No one dared to enter.
Ryu entered alone.
Inside, it was dark and cold. But he welcomed it. The deeper he went, the stronger the strange pull became.
Then he saw it—another crack in space. A Rift.
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[Hidden Dungeon Detected]
Status: Inactive
Condition to Activate: Slay the Forgotten Beast
Recommended Level: 10+
---
He was Level 3.
Still, he smirked. "Let's test it."
He summoned two shadow wolves and his knight. Quietly, they advanced.
The beast inside was massive—part spider, part bear, with glowing red eyes. But it didn't expect Ryu.
It fell within minutes.
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[Dungeon Cleared]
Rewards: 1200 Gold, Rare Gemstone (x3), Forged Steel Blueprint
Level Up: 3 → 5
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Ryu gathered everything, stored it in his shadow inventory, and left before dawn. The villagers never saw him again—but later found fresh iron veins and strange stones near the cleared cave.
He went from place to place, repeating the process. Helping small towns in exchange for knowledge. Clearing hidden dungeons. Learning about Westeros—the lords, the politics, the land.
He bought papers with old maps. Listened to drunk sellswords talk about the Vale, the Riverlands, Essos. He never said much. Just listened.
In two months, he built a small fortune in the shadows. Quietly. Efficiently.
He didn't waste money on drink or women. He bought gear, tools, and rare materials. Paid scribes to write reports. Studied noble family lines. Even learned how to forge letters of passage.
No one knew his name.
To most, he was just a quiet traveler with cold eyes and perfect memory.
But in the shadows, his army grew.