The newcomer was none other than Zhao Xiaotian's Third Uncle, Zhao Hongtian's younger brother.
Evidently, in Zhao Hongtian's eyes, his younger brother was infinitely more reliable than his ne'er-do-well son.
After learning about the game's potential from his brother, Zhao Hongtian finally made up his mind. He decided to allocate a portion of funds to support the Zhao family's development within the game.
Hearing that his dad was finally going to drop some loot, Zhao Xiaotian—who was cash-strapped after recruiting a bunch of followers and sending out Red Packets—grinned from ear to ear.
"Don't celebrate too early. I'm not giving the money to you. I'll have your Second Uncle register an account. He will lead a team into the game and join your guild. He doesn't understand gaming, so you handle that. But when it comes to money, you listen to him."
"After all, your grandfather said it himself: you spending money is fine, but you doing business is a disaster waiting to happen. If your Second Uncle wasn't so out of touch with gaming, I wouldn't let you touch this project at all."
Zhao Hongtian's words poured a bucket of ice water over Zhao Xiaotian's heart. But he knew his father's personality. If he said "no control," he meant no control.
Whatever. At least the guild got funding.
---
Continent of Essos.
Leading a squad of Unsullied, Viserys and his sister stood before the ivy-covered garden that Illyrio had never shown them.
Five mute slaves and three eunuchs were pinned to the ground by Unsullied soldiers, unable to move.
Not long ago, Viserys had used Illyrio's name to gather all the servants and "cleaned house."
The reason for these extra eight "half-men" being here? Viserys didn't even need to think about it.
"Which of you can contact Varys across the Narrow Sea?" Just as he was about to step into the garden, Viserys paused, a thought occurring to him, and looked at the eight captives.
The half-men just hung their heads, silent as the grave, as if they were both deaf and mute.
Specially trained Little Birds, it seems. Viserys shook his head in disappointment, then walked into the garden under the protection of six Unsullied.
"Ah!"
Amidst Daenerys's scream, the eight half-men were skewered to the ground by Unsullied spears.
This garden was well-hidden. Magister Illyrio, currently under house arrest, was probably praying that this place wouldn't be discovered.
Or so His Grace thought.
Passing through the kennels, an inconspicuous laundry room appeared before Viserys.
"Bring her out."
Viserys was certain who was inside. With a wave of his hand, two Unsullied expressionlessly burst into the laundry room.
Moments later, the sounds of a woman screaming and cursing reached Viserys's ears. A woman dressed like a common washerwoman was dragged out.
"My Lord!"
Serra didn't dare look up at Viserys. She knelt on the ground, trembling, acting exactly like a servant facing a noble.
Viserys frowned. He wasn't interested in this woman. He didn't waste words; a mother would never reveal her child's location to someone with malicious intent.
Ordering two Unsullied to guard the woman, the King led four Unsullied into the laundry room himself.
"Search. Secret passages, hidden compartments... anywhere a child could hide. Find that bastard for me!"
Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Viserys didn't even realize that, subconsciously, he was being influenced by the original owner—or perhaps by the madness of the original owner's father.
Half of the Targaryens were mad. As the saying goes: Every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin.
The original owner was dead, but the soul inhabiting his body was clearly affected by the "Madness Factor."
"Waaa!"
The cry of an infant made Serra's body tense up instantly. She whipped her head around, opening her mouth to call out to her child.
But before she could shout anything, the crying stopped abruptly.
Serra's pupils dilated. She opened her mouth wide, trying to scream.
Thuck!
An Unsullied spear pierced through the back of her head and out of her throat.
Staring at the spear tip protruding from her mouth, skewering half her tongue, Serra's last, broken thought was:
How can a Black Dragon be a True Dragon?
Viserys walked out of the laundry room, wiping a speck of blood from his cheek with a ringed hand. He turned his back to the Unsullied.
"Burn it all."
As the black fire was extinguished, the imprisoned Illyrio suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
No words were needed. The Magister let out a long sigh and closed his eyes in agony.
The Long Night is dark. Some curl up in pain, while others smile at the future.
---
Dawn.
Viserys stood tall in his armor, resting both hands on the pommel of his sword. Behind him stood twenty-eight Unsullied soldiers in neat formation.
Doors opened one by one, and a horde of curious players poured out.
"Holy sht! Thank you, God! I'm actually playing a 100% realistic VR game!"
"Someone slap me. Tell me this is a game and I didn't just get isekai'd!"
"They said the guy dressed like a peacock is King Viserys. Damn, why is he more handsome than me? One star!"
At least two or three hundred new and veteran players gathered in the small courtyard, and more were logging in constantly.
This morning, Viserys had checked the backend. The 3,000 Closed Beta slots he had the Fireboy open up had been snatched up instantly.
That meant, barring any real-life emergencies, Viserys would command a player army of 3,000 strong today.
Fortunately, Illyrio's estate was massive. With the three main gates thrown open, it could barely accommodate the crowd.
Standing beside Viserys, Daenerys was beginning to doubt reality. She couldn't understand how waking up to find a loyal army suddenly appearing out of thin air could be real.
Similarly, the Unsullied guarding Viserys were completely baffled.
Although their rigorous training suppressed their thoughts, it didn't mean they were robots. Faced with an army that popped out of nowhere, even their emotionless faces showed cracks of shock.
"I rule by Divine Right!"
This high-sounding opening line silenced the players. Of course, mostly because they had read the guides before logging in: To experience the full game content, you must curry favor with this main NPC.
Otherwise, forget listening to Viserys ramble—a bunch of players would have already rushed up to stab him in the ass just to see what happened.
After enduring the usual speech about the "stolen throne" and "usurper traitors," the players finally received Viserys's orders: break up into small Mercenary Companies and hide within the city.