Chapter 2: Crypts of Winterfell

With an ear piercing screech another one of the giant rats fell to his blade. Now that he killed a couple of these damnable creatures, he had gotten used to their form of attacks or more like their sudden ambushes.

All he had to do was be on the lookout for them trying to jump him, and other than that they were easy to deal with. Even if they were way too big for their actual sizes, they were still rabid animals at the end of the day that had to be put down.

Jon had no idea how long these tunnels went on for. They seemed to be endless with ancient Kings of Winter standing guarding throughout with their cold iron blades in hand and their direwolves standing besides them. Jon didn't know how, but the place was eerily lit up with torches up on the wall. He didn't know who lit them or how they stood alight for this long, but they guided his path forward.

He went forward endlessly, he knew that his family was old, very old. House Stark had stood for 8,000 years, a mind boggling long time that many could never wrap their heads around. They would put most dynasties to shame with how ancient they were!

Just as Jon was slowly starting to lose his mind after who knows how long he had been walking for, a voice called out to him.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

Turning around, Jon spotted nobody even though his eye darted about everywhere. Finally, he thought to himself, he was slowly losing his mind after being trapped in this endlessly monotonous place.

However once more the mysterious, known speaker called out to him. “Where are you looking, boy? I’m over here!”

Following the voice, Jon looked up at the ceiling where something was floating up there. To say that his face went through a variety of expressions would be an understatement. Fear, shock, horror, curiosity, disbelief, and many more crossed his face all at once because Jon was staring pretty sure he was staring up at a ghost!

???

His system couldn’t even tell what the hell this thing was. Staring at it as it glowed a bright blue iridescent color with small wisps floating about it and its lower part of its body was nothing more than a phantom thread. It looked human if you could call it that, and Jon saw a lot of resemblance between him and the ghost.

It wore a cold, stoic expression with a hint of sadness in its eyes, and on its head was something he knew very well as all Stark children should know, the Crown of Winter.

“W-who are you?” Jon asked in a shaky voice. He should at least feel proud since he didn’t soil his pants in fear or faint on the spot like some soft hearted maiden.

“I could ask you the same. However, that is not here or now.” the ghost answered. “My name is Torrhen Stark, or as many would call me - the King Who Knelt, the last King of North!”

“W-what! How?” Jon splattered in disbelief, his mind reeling from the revelation. Yet, he wondered why he was surprised after the day he was having. At this point anything was really possible.

Furthermore he always heard rumors in the castle that deep down within the Winterfell crypts ghosts wandered the halls of ancient Kings of Winter! If there were actually giant rats like Old Nan said there would be why not ghosts as well.

Ghost of Torrhen Stark

At least it was telling the truth as his system confirmed that. Returning the favor and doing the polite thing as he should, Jon also introduced himself as well. “I am Jon... Snow,” he inclined his head respectfully to the last Stark King.

“Mhmm, you must be the natural born son of the current Lord of Winterfell,” the old ghost quickly connected the dots.

A pained look passed through Jon’s face as he answered, “Yes!” At least the man was polite enough not to call him bastard to his face like most would.

As if sensing his displeasure, the man was quick to interject himself. “Well that is nothing wrong with being a Snow, son. My own brother was a Snow, he might be something fierce, but he was the best and most loyal man I know.”

“Lady Catelyn Tully would happily disagree,” Jon snorted, but still smiled.

“A Tully, huh, southerners if I am correct. Aegon did make them Lord Paramounts of the Riverlands. Well they will never know our ways, the way of the North. Let them follow their false gods with their narrow minded teachings!”

Jon nodded his head along with the ancient King, only Lady Catelyn and her people had a problem with him. Most Northmen didn’t care much for his status and treated him like a true Stark.

However her way of viewing things was already starting to affect her children. Sansa refused to call him brother already. Robb was slowly falling into Theon’s trappings. And Bran and Rickon were way too young, but who knows how they would turn out when they become older.

Setting those thoughts aside for now, Jon turned to the more concerning things.

“How are you still around as a ghost?” Jon asked, then quickly swore to himself. He wanted to ask how to get out of this god-forsaken place, but his mouth was moving before he could stop it. Still, he was curious to know more about this.

“Ha,” the ghost chuckled. “Well let’s just say that there is some very ancient magic engraved within this tomb!”

“What for?” Jon asked. He didn’t know why someone would take on such a grand undertaking if it didn’t have a very massive use. He didn’t even want to think what that would be!

“Let’s pray and hope you never find that out within your lifetime!” the ghost answered very grimly and mysteriously.

Deciding it would be best to step back from that line of conversation, Jon moved on to ask his main concern. “Do you know how I can find my way out of here?”

Sensing the hesitation coming from the old ghost, Jon knew he had his answer, but he quickly realized he wouldn’t like it.

“Yes, I know of a way out of here, but it will be very dangerous!”

“Tell me,” Jon just said with a sigh.

“Don’t worry, I will lead you there,” the ghost said as he started floating towards a certain direction.

With a nod of his head, Jon followed behind the old King to wherever he was about to lead him towards.

***

The two of them went down many winding paths that Jon was pretty sure he would have never found all by his lonesome. After a while they seemed to have entered an area that was an old sewer system long abandoned.

What the old King revealed when he pointed out how strange it was that there was a sewer that could be found here shocked him to his core. It seems like through its long and lustrous history Winterfell had been razed to the ground a couple times, and the castle had been rebuilt on the ruins over and over again.

Finally though they reached where they wanted.

“It's over here, just beyond this door,” the ghost pointed to. Jon stared at the door, and didn’t like the feelings he was getting from it, and even less when he thought about what lay beyond it.

Torrhen already explained to him how to exit this so-called dungeon. There was a pipe that led back up to the surface which he could use to leave this place. However, the thing that was guarding it…

The less he thought about it, the better.

There seemed to be a lot more rats here in this area, he already had to kill a half a dozen in just a short span of time when before he barely ran into one every hour or so. And he knew why, it had to do with that things inside.

“I wish you the best of luck, son,” his old ancestor said as Jon gave him a nod of his head.

Jon already asked if the ghost could help him in any way or form, but he sadly just shook his head. He was all alone in this!

Jon took a deep breath, and swung around the iron blade he took from one of the statues in practice motion. He was pretty sure they wouldn't be missing it as much as he needed it right now.

“See you on the other side,” Jon said with a smile, though at the moment he wasn’t too excited.

Doing his best to ease his jittering nerves, Jon pushed the wide doors wide open and entered.

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was. He was thankful that he grabbed a torch on his way here and waved it around to see better in the dark. Furthermore it was wet as the water reached up to his ankle.And the feeling he was getting of this place was oppressive, as if he was walking into the den of a vicious beast, and he stood on guard.

Then after what felt like an eternity, Jon spotted the foe he was looking for!

The Rat King - Lv.10

Before was a giant monstrous creature that was as big as a warhorse. The grotesquely large rat stood on two legs while its other forelimbs were holding a piece of bone as it gnawed at it.

As if sensing him, it turned around to look in his direction with its red rimmed beady eyes. He noticed that it at least shy away from the light which he held up before him as if warding off evil.

The things let out a loud screech as it got on all four legs, then slowly circled him. Jon had the certain feeling that he was the prey being circled by his predator. Still he didn’t bulk back in fear, and stood his ground, deciding it would be best to let the thing come to him instead of the other way around.

And come at him it did, as if a arrow was let loose, the rat king charged at him so fast that he could only make out a blurr. His only saving grace was that he held his sword on guard and the creature could only rack its long claws against it, causing sparks to fly in the air.

Jon tried to go on the offense, but he barely even caught a whiff as he chopped down since the beast was long gone. At least he got one of those prompts for his effort.

New Skill Gained!

[Sword Mastery] - Allows the user to freely handle swords of all shapes and sizes. Increase in attack damage with different swords.

However he didn’t need that right now as the thing came at him from his flank this time. It was only due to sensing danger at the last moment that he was able to dodge away. Yet the rat’s claws still racked him on the shoulder causing a burning sensation and blood to drip down his shoulder.

-10 HP

New Skill Gained!

[Danger Sense] - Allows the user to detect any potential threats in the surrounding area, thus giving the user the opportunity to properly react to them quickly.

Jon gripped his teeth holding back the pain, this monster belied its size. It was too fast for something that big, and if he didn’t come up with something to counter its speed then he would be toast.

Once again, Jon sensed danger, but this time all the alarms were going off in his head. On pure reflect, he brought his sword to his shoulders on a hanging stance. Then he felt the weight of something collide into him, and he stood no chance as he flew into the air. He rolled a couple times on the floor like a rock skipping the surface of a pool of water, and only came to a stop when he smacked right into a wall on the opposite side.

Jon let out a groan of pain as his body hurt all over, and his system seemed to agree with him as he got a whole lot of red minus.

-24 HP

-6 HP

-4 HP

-3 HP

Getting up with agonizing difficulty as he side burned with each excruciating movement, Jon could tell right away he had a couple broken ribs on hand. He could also sense that giant rat on the prowl, playing with him like its food that had nowhere to go.

Jon knew it was right as he had his back right up against the wall, and was nothing more than a wounded prey. Yet that only lit a fire in his heart instead of fear slowly seeping in.

There was no way he was going on like this. Screw this! He was gone Jon fucking Snow, and he wasn’t going to be done in by a giant overgrown mangy rat.

Looking up at the pipes overhead that were letting down spews of dirty water, an idea entered Jon’s head. Without another word he put the torch he had been holding onto until now in his mouth, and put his sword away into his belt buckle, and started climbing up one of the small pipes in the wall.

It wasn’t too long before his foe was right on his heels as it used its long claws to dig into the wall so that it could climb after him. “Good, come and get it,” Jon whispered.

Crawling into one of the pipes, Jon got ready to set up his ambush. He didn’t even have to wait long as the beast came sniffing in after him, lucky though it couldn’t fit in completely as it had its rear end stuck.

And this was just what Jon was waiting for as he flashed the torch before the creature’s beady eyes, making it flinch back in pain, then he stuck out. His first strike pushed aside the creature’s hand, and his second one chopped off the rat’s long snout making it scream out in pain.

All its movement made it loosen out of the pipe as it fell back. Jon swore under his breath and shouted, “You aren’t getting away,” as he followed after it. The both of them fell headfirst to the ground, through not before Jon got in one more strike.

The sound of their impact onto the ground ringed out, however Jon was uninjured as he landed right on top of the beats. He rolled away and got up on his feet, then stood at the ready.

And it was just in time as it too got up. Jon cursed to the gods as how in the hell was this thing alive after falling down at that height. However when it turned to face him, he saw that his work was done for him already.

His last blow struck true as the rat was trying everything in his effort to stem the flow of blood and organs falling out of its fat belly. It could do nothing though to stop the inevitable of death, and stared at him with hateful eyes.

Jon simply smiled at it as he let out a breath of relief.

But then before it went down it bent its head back all the way to the sky and let out an unearthly screech that rang out everywhere. Then finally at long last it collapsed onto the ground.

Then the prompt appeared before his face, letting him know that he truly killed the Rat King.

+600 EXP

LEVEL UP!

You are now Lv. 2!

Congratulations! You have defeated the First Floor Boss!

Rewards being calculated! Please Wait!

Kneeling before the rat king’s corpse, Jon hesitantly placed a hand on it then quickly pulled it back once he got the prompt he was looking for.

Would You Like to Loot the corpse?

Yes/No

Jon thought yes, and his justly earned loot was displayed before him.

1 Rat King Skull, 500 Gold Dragons, and a vial of some mysterious substance has been placed into your inventory!

Reading the prompt, Jon's jaws nearly dropped. 500 gold dragon, did it just say 500! This might have been chump change for his family’s house, but a bastard like him… he could live like a King for a long while off of this.

This was equal to the reward of winning a Minor Tourney! Jon would admit, he always did dream of earning the winning of a tourney, he didn’t care for the pageantry or pomp, but that money.

Now, he had 500 gold in his inventory or whatever it was called. He needed to find out what that was as soon as possible, so he could get access to that reward.

Just then however, Jon heard countless screeching noises coming from not too far away. He looked up at where the noises were coming from and his eyes nearly popped out when he did.

There were hundreds if not thousands of small beady green eyes staring down at him from all around. Finally Jon understood what that last screech from the Rat King was, it was calling all its brethren to him.

You have earned 1 Gold Boss box!

Would you like to leave the dungeon now?

Yes/No

As if by god send, Jon shouted yes, yes, yes over and over in his head and even tried mashing the yes option as well. Slowly he began to disappear in motes of lights and watched as that great horde of beasts charged at him.

By the time the creatures reached him, he was long gone with nothing to even show he had been there in the first place.