CHAPTER 05: Robert's Fall
Adam's journey to King's Landing was a test of his resolve. The city, a sprawling, chaotic metropolis of a million souls, was a far cry from the quiet, serene Kingswood. It was a place of noise, of smell, of filth, and of danger. Adam, now a seasoned survivor with a Beginner Haki level, felt a sense of dread as he approached the city's gates. He was going into the heart of the beast, a place where his meta-knowledge and his Haki would be put to the ultimate test.
He blended into the crowd, a ghost in the city of a million people. He used his Observation Haki, a constant, low-level hum in the back of his mind, to feel the auras of the people around him. He felt the fear, the desperation, the greed, the lust. He felt the anger, the sorrow, the love. He felt it all. He was a walking, breathing emotional sensor, a god in a city of humans.
He made his way to the Red Keep, the massive, red stone fortress that loomed over the city. It was a symbol of power, of a dynasty, of a King who was now on his deathbed. He used his Observation Haki to get a read on the Keep, on the people inside. He felt a coil of malice and ambition, a cold, calculating aura that he knew was Cersei. He felt a raw, boisterous, fading glory that was Robert. He felt a stoic, honorable, and sorrowful aura that was Ned. He was here. The show was happening.
He found a secluded spot, a small, dark alleyway behind the Red Keep, where he could observe without being seen. He was a spy, a ghost, an observer. He was a player in the game, but for now, he was a spectator. He was waiting for the moment. The moment when he would act. The moment when he would change the game.
He was there when it happened. He saw the doors of the Red Keep open, and he saw a cart carrying a large, gored boar, a grotesque and bloody sight. He saw the men carrying the King, a massive, bearded man who was now a shadow of his former self. He was pale, his eyes unfocused, his body a mess of bandages and blood. He was dying. He was in agony. He was a King, and he was dying a commoner's death.
Adam just watched, his heart heavy. He knew this was canon. He knew this had to happen. He knew this was the moment that would set the world on fire. He was a player in the game, but for now, he was a spectator. He was a witness.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[ACHIEVEMENT: WITNESSING A PLOT POINT. YOU HAVE WITNESSED THE DEATH OF ROBERT BARATHEON. REWARD: 10 GOLD.]
Adam felt a surge of energy, a warm, golden feeling that spread through his body. He was rewarded for witnessing a plot point. He was a hero in a video game, and the world was his quest log. He had his reward. He had his purpose. He had to save Ned.
He used his Observation Haki, a single use, to feel the auras of the Gold Cloaks, the city's police force. He felt their intent, their purpose. They were on the move. They were searching for something. For someone. They were searching for him. They had seen him. He had to get out of here.
"Okay, so they saw me. Great. Now I have a whole city of Gold Cloaks after me. Just what I needed. Time to go full ninja. Time to go full Stiles."
He slipped away, a silent ghost in the alleyways of King's Landing. He used his Observation Haki to track the Gold Cloaks, to feel their movements, their intents, their purpose. He was a master of the environment, a predator in a city of prey. He was a god in a city of humans.
He evaded them easily, a game of cat and mouse that he was winning. He was a ghost in the city, a shadow in the streets. He was a man with a purpose, a man with a mission. He had to save Ned. He had to prevent the war. He had to be the hero.
He watched from a distance as Ned and Robert had their final conversation. He saw the sorrow in Ned's eyes, the love for a man who had been his friend. He saw the rage, the grief, the frustration. He saw a man who was about to make a terrible mistake. A man who was about to get himself killed. A man who was about to start a war.
He had to stop it. He had to save Ned. He had to be a hero. He was a man with a purpose, a man with a mission, a man with a cheat code. He was a player, and the world was his game. The plot was happening, but he was a part of it now. He was a force of change in a world that desperately needed one. He was ready for the game. He was ready for Westeros.