The Bloodied Longsword, Classes: Fate Reverser, Water Dancer

The night was black as ink, and every face illuminated by the flames wore an illusory sheen.

Moon Pool became lively once more because of the assassins' duel, making the night less monotonous.

Besides the Braavosi assassins in colorful silk garments, striding proudly with their heads held high, there were also caretakers and law enforcers dressed in dull gray-brown clothes.

There were also many foreign thrill-seekers beside Moon Pool, here to witness Braavos's customs.

Most of these thrill-seekers were quite well-off, since the poor could not afford to live nearby.

"Make way for these two warriors!"

"Make way for them!"

"Fight!"

"Fight! Knock the mask off that black-and-red-robed masked man!" the swordsmen and spectators shouted.

The caretakers and law enforcers were long accustomed to such things.

Among the spectators were Summer Islanders with skin like black teakwood, as well as hairy Ibbenese.

There were fair-skinned, tender-eyed Lyseni; Myrish people with olive skin and supple black hair; Tyroshi with hair in every shade of red and purple, loud and boisterous in speech; and more.

After the relationship between the Three Daughters fractured, the superficial friendship between these city-states also ended, turning into an ancient feud.

Still, every spectator was very knowledgeable. To avoid being shaken down by assassins, none of them carried weapons.

Swift as a deer, silent as a shadow. Quick as a snake, still as water. Strong as a bear, fierce as a wolf. Viserys considered the Water Dancers' creed. This was the truth of the Water Dancers.

Everything Moro had taught him replayed rapidly in Viserys's mind. Be faster than the enemy, braver than the enemy, and drive the pointed end into the enemy's body.

Water Dancers needed to face their enemies sideways. Viserys and the assassin both drew the slender swords at their waists.

Viserys watched the cold gleam on the Braavosi assassin's blade. This slender sword was narrower than the weapons used by Westerosi knights, but it was just as deadly.

Since assassins of the Free Trade Cities wore neither helmets nor armor in duels, these were completely unrestricted fights, with an extremely high fatality rate.

By comparison, the jousts common in Westeros were somewhat safer.

After all, knights were fully armored.

"Stranger from afar, Bero has won eleven duels at Moon Pool. Six were grievously wounded, five died. He has drawn twice and lost once. If you beg for mercy now, there is still time," the Braavosi said proudly.

Viserys spoke fluent Braavosi, though he still had a slight foreign accent that was difficult to change.

"I have only won one duel. It is this one, between you and me," Viserys said coldly. "Moon Pool will remember my name."

The surrounding Braavosi burst into laughter, mocking Viserys for overestimating himself.

In a duel, an experienced and ruthless figure like Bero naturally held an advantage over Viserys.

"Silver-haired brat, remember my name: Quickblade Bero. Though you may never have heard of my reputation, I will one day make my name on Braavos's swordsmen rankings," Bero said arrogantly, clad in a red robe and yellow cloak.

Braavos had a ranking list for swordsmen. Assassins fought to the death for rank, and only the finest among them could earn a place on it.

"You may know my alias as well: Silver Swordsman," Viserys said.

"It's actually Quickblade Bero. He has always been merciless," Moro said anxiously.

"Be patient." Syrio waved a hand. "The boy has courage, but I still need to see his skill."

"How could such a fierce battle lack a wager?"

"I'm betting on this Braavosi swordsman!"

"Me too!"

"I think this foreigner has a chance."

A betting pool was actually set up on the spot. Gambling was ingrained in human nature.

Since neither side knew the other, this might have been the fairest wager possible, though the stakes were life and death.

The gamblers relied on their professional instincts and bet on Bero's victory. Bero had the better record.

Viserys, meanwhile, was an inexperienced newcomer and a foreigner. Very few people favored him.

"I bet on myself, with all my gold." Viserys set down his coins.

"Then so will I. Let us drink to your confidence, with your hot blood as the wine." Bero smiled confidently.

"I'm betting on the silver-haired swordsman." Another person emerged from the crowd: bearded Moro, Viserys's instructor.

"If you die, I may take your robe and weapons," Bero said.

"So may I." Viserys looked at Bero.

His hair was silver-white, so calling him the Silver Swordsman was fitting enough.

The noisy sounds around Moon Pool quieted considerably as assassins and spectators alike watched the tense duel.

Though Bero's clothes were gaudy, his slender swordsmanship was quite refined.

That was only natural. Any assassin flaunting himself around Moon Pool had at least some confidence in his abilities.

Bero lunged forward in quick steps, his sword flashing out like the wind. His speed was astonishing.

That was also related to how assassins dressed. They fought at full speed without protection.

The assassins of the Free Trade Cities wore no armor and drew their swords freely, all to push their speed to the limit.

Bero's gleaming blade left afterimages in the air, aimed mainly at Viserys's vital points: his throat, heart, or abdomen.

Assassins sought a single killing blow: swift, ruthless, precise, and vicious.

Without armor, both puncture wounds from thrusts and slashing wounds from dragging blades were terrifying.

Viserys took a deep breath, then rushed forward to counterattack.

Fear wounded more deeply than swords. In the space between life and death, those who feared would surely die.

Swift as a deer, quick as a snake, Bero's blade seemed to move as though sped up, vicious and sinister.

Like a venomous serpent lying in wait before suddenly striking.

This was the assassin's dance, not the sweeping, open style of a knight's dance.

Clang! Steel blades collided in midair with a sharp, forceful ring.

After trading thrusts, the two shifted apart.

The swordsmanship of Water Dancers was swift and deadly, emphasizing quick, graceful movement, stealth, and balance.

"You are quite good." Bero looked at Viserys. "You are stronger than I imagined, foreigner."

Viserys did not answer. He was considering the battle just now.

Viserys had already formed a complete defensive strategy. Bero was experienced, brave, and fearless.

Water Dancers relied on speed, but their strength and endurance were weaker than Viserys's, enhanced through spending gold.

Viserys adjusted his tactics to defensive counterattacks. After all, he had abundant vitality and great strength.

He would lure the enemy into attacking and steadily wear down his stamina.

The assassins moved back and forth across the field, like a beautiful dance.

"What a clever boy." Syrio saw through Viserys's method: using his strengths to offset his weaknesses.

If this continued, Bero would surely die.

"But you are not yet a true Water Dancer." Bero wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He no longer intended to keep tangling with this uncanny novice.

Generally speaking, Water Dancer battles were extremely fast. Their speed surpassed all else, but this also left their strength and endurance lagging behind.

Bero snorted and charged Viserys again, his steel blade flicking upward.

Bero did not defend against Viserys's attack at all. Instead, he raised his blade toward Viserys's throat.

With a savage grin, Bero deflected Viserys's blade. Even if he was wounded by the sword, he could still gain a chance for a killing blow.

This mutually destructive fighting style would leave ordinary novices flustered and panicked.

They were simply too young. Braavosi assassins showed no mercy.

"Fear wounds more deeply than swords." Viserys seemed to see the image of his own throat being cut open, blood and flesh mangled together.

"But I think fate still favors me." Viserys did not hurriedly defend. Instead, he deliberately exposed an opening, merely turning sideways to avoid the attack's range.

What did an injury matter? It was only a wager.

Viserys struck back with a reverse-handed thrust, aiming for Bero's vital point as well.

In that instant of flashing steel, the battle was decided.

A slash opened across Viserys's chest. Though it was rather long, it was not deep, and the wound burned with searing pain.

But Viserys's reverse-handed thrust had already pierced Bero's heart. Blood slowly seeped out, dyeing Bero's clothes red.

A bloodied sword, a merciless duel.

"You..." The Braavosi assassin collapsed heavily, and Viserys pulled out Silver Flash.

At first, there was utter silence. Then the noise gradually rose again.

"That idiot called himself Quickblade?"

"Get up! Get up and keep fighting!" The gamblers wore miserable expressions, many unable to accept the outcome.

"Silver Swordsman!"

"Silver Swordsman!"

More people began calling out the Silver Swordsman's name.

[Class acquired: Fate Reverser (Beginner). Fate Line Reversal. The future changes accordingly.]

Before Viserys's eyes appeared the life path he should originally have followed: driven from the House with the Red Door, wandering everywhere with Daenerys.

Selling his crown, sleeping under bridges, mocked by nobles and governors from every land in his efforts to reclaim his kingdom, forced to sell out Daenerys.

In the end, he would become a laughingstock, crowned with molten gold poured over his head.

"This is not my future." Viserys clenched his fists. Those miserable predetermined fates shattered like fragments and returned to their origin once more.

From the moment he poisoned those servants, his future had already become a new axis.

Though it was filled with mist, it was a new path, a new hope.

[Class acquired: Water Dancer (Mastery). Way of Insight, currently in progress.]

Viserys discovered that his status panel had changed accordingly. He was finally no longer classless, and now had two additional classes.

Viserys vaguely deduced the reason behind his Talent. Because he was a Fate Reverser, the greater the change in his future timeline, the more random Talents he could obtain.

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