The Stepstones, Throat-Cutting Isle Main Island
Caw! Caw!
A solitary seagull, riding the updrafts against the massive flagstaff of the Pirate Fortress, hovered in mid-air, its sharp eyes fixed on the new banner fluttering before it. Usually, the bird would perch atop the staff to rest, but the image on this cloth filled it with a primal, instinctive dread.
The banner was a striking bicolored field of red and white. On the white left, a silver-grey Direwolf with piercing red eyes snarled; on the red right, a black Three-Headed Dragon with silver eyes stared back. Between the two apex predators lay a shattered golden chain. As the sea breeze caught the fabric, the two creatures seemed to ripple and flex, coming alive in a silent, ancestral confrontation.
Caw!
The seagull fled, shrieking as it descended toward the castle walls.
The Phalanxes of the Chainbreakers
Standing at the midpoint of the castle's steep stone staircase was a young man in a black cloak, gripping a crystalline scepter. Jon Snow looked down as his legions marched past, their rhythmic roars of "Hoo-hah!" echoing through the harbor.
1. The Imperial Shield-and-Spear Phalanx
Leading the parade was the bedrock of the army. These men wore rounded half-helms and reinforced leather armor, carrying circular shields and long pikes. These were the Imperial Shield-and-Spear units—the lowest tier of the System's professional infantry.
Jon had unlocked this 250-Soul-Energy class book after his harrowing journey into the Dragonpit. While "low-tier," their durability and cost-effectiveness were exactly what he needed to turn raw freedmen into a professional line. Led by veteran "original" Chainbreakers, this 300-man square (200 System professionals, 100 support) was the anvil upon which his enemies would break.
2. The Heavy Armored Knights
Next came the "Iron Cans." These 200 Heavy Armored Knights were encased in plate, supplemented by 100 auxiliary Great-Shield bearers. These knights possessed an average defense rating of 10—sufficient to stop a heavy horse charge dead in its tracks. Once they reached the "General" rank, they would become Jon's unstoppable heavy tanks.
3. The Apprentice Cavalry
The rhythmic beat of hooves followed. 100 Apprentice Knights on sturdy brown chargers rode in from the direction of the Godswood, pikes resting on their shoulders. Due to the Stepstones' aquatic geography, these riders currently served as Jon's City Watch, maintaining order in the Dock Market, but their potential as a flanking force remained a lethal card in Jon's hand.
The Specialists and the Supernatural
Jon's heart raced as he watched the march. Every soldier represented a calculated investment. 500,000 Soul Energy sounded like a fortune, but in the brutal economy of the System, it was only enough to fully "reforge" a thousand men.
4. The Twin-Axe Marauders
A 300-man unit of pirates followed, their double-axes gleaming. These men, a mix of System Marauders and reformed captives from the "Pirate Kings," were the terrors of the sea. Among them were the "God-Blessed Warriors," captives who had worked their way out of the labor camps to earn their place in the elite ranks.
5. The Myrish Sharpshooters
Next came the 500-strong long-range corps. 100 System Archers led the way, followed by common archers and Myrish-style crossbowmen. Through Salladhor Saan's connections with Myrish arms smugglers—the "Onion Knights" of the black market—Jon had secured a massive shipment of high-end, "surplus" weaponry.
6. The Elemental Corps and the Medical Guard
The crowd erupted in hushed whispers and gasps as the final 300-man unit emerged from the Godswood.
At the front were the Elemental Mages. They carried no steel. Instead, they wore loose tunics with heavy, chain-bound books at their waists, the hexagrams on the covers shimmering in the sun. Each mage cost Jon a staggering 1,000 Soul Energy—a price that made his heart bleed, but one he paid for their devastating area-of-effect capabilities. While "Master" spells like Volcano or God's Hand were still locked, these mages could rain fire, blizzards, and lightning upon the battlefield. A single mage at full strength could unleash ten fireballs before their mental stamina was spent.
Trailing the mages were the Medical Corps, led by the Lysene girl, Sarene. Once bed-slaves of the Pirate Fortress, they were now the healers of the revolution. Each girl carried a Staff of Recovery, a magical artifact that could heal wounds at a speed that far surpassed common poultices. Though limited to ten uses per day, their presence ensured that Jon's "investment" in his soldiers wouldn't be lost to simple infection or blood loss.
Jon looked at his banner, then at his men. The time for hiding was over. The Stepstones were his, and soon, the rest of the world would know it.