Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 14 Heresy! Inquisition
On the big map.

The symbols of witches and druids emerge.

Duncan approached with three horses summoned by the summons. The witch seemed to know his approximate location and actually stopped in front to wait for him. The Raven Queen, Triss, seemed to possess many incredible methods, and Duncan was not surprised that she knew his location.

In the battle just now, he tried his best to avoid close combat.

Anyone who has played Mount & Blade games, one-life mode, or faced life head-on knows that before your character is well-trained, try to avoid close combat if you can ride and shoot.

"With my current strength, I'm roughly equivalent to a high-level warrior of the barbarians."

"In close combat, I can only fight one against three at most."

"I guess only a three-star unit like Demon Hunter George could possibly defeat more than ten enemies in close combat."

"But even such a powerful supernatural being would surely die if surrounded by a cavalry unit."

Based on Duncan's understanding of this world, the current peak of mortal martial power should be at the level of Beowulf.

But if he wants to reach that level of martial arts prowess, he will probably have to keep killing his way through. After all, Beowulf's fighting power is almost close to the level of a mythological figure.

——"Throwing Mastery: You have mastered the use of throwing weapons such as throwing axes, javelins, and throwing knives, greatly improving the hit rate of throwing weapons."

——"Block and Parry Mastery: You are proficient in using shield weapons to block and parry, and are familiar with the use of various shields. Additional combat skill [Shield Strike]."

——"Martial Weapon Proficiency: You are proficient in using various one-handed, two-handed, and polearms, increasing your lethality when using non-exotic weapons."

——"Combat Style - Sweep: A combat technique used by high-level Barbarian warriors. You are adept at using two-handed weapons to inflict fatal damage to enemies within range, capable of severing a person in half with a single strike."

The gains from this battle were pretty good.

However, there was no qualitative improvement, most likely because the enemy's combat skills hadn't surpassed the limits of his previous acquisitions. It's likely that quantitative change would lead to qualitative change later on. Duncan only achieved master-level archery when he killed the Condor Hero, while most of his other combat skills remained at the proficient level.

This is also quite normal, as warriors of the level of The Archer of the Condor Heroes are also rare in the army.

True combat masters were likely quite numerous during the Roman Colosseum era, over a hundred years ago. However, after Catholicism became the state religion, combat was essentially banned. Perhaps those champion gladiators of ancient Rome possessed master-level melee combat skills.

Of course, many factors need to be considered in a real battle, the most critical of which are armor and weapons. Unless one's personal strength on the battlefield is at the level of Xiang Yu and Lu Bu, even a master will be surrounded and killed.

We must mention Lu Bu here. Many things about Lu Bu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms are false, but the most unrealistic thing about him, shooting the halberd at the gate, is true.

Duncan knew that he couldn't do it yet, and he could only take his chances by using cheats.

"I don't know how many heads I need to harvest before I can raise my next combat skill to the master level."

Master-level skills are clearly the beginning of a qualitative change.

Duncan met up with the witch and others and rushed all the way towards Germania. Their destination was Belgian Gaul. The empire established the province of Belgica here, but now most of it has become the territory of the Franks.

Later, the Frankish Foreign Legion rebelled and established the first Frankish Kingdom on this land.

Britain is currently considered a relatively remote area.

There, they will mainly face the invasion of the Saxons and will not be involved in that kind of large-scale war. Whether Duncan plans to take the lord route or the ranger route in the future, he can take a break and develop in the British Isles.

The British Isles have a fantastic geographical location.

In the future, the entire European continent will be in chaos, but Britain will not be greatly affected. It may even want to take the path of dominating the world. After unifying the British Isles, it can counterattack the European continent at any time.

"Let's stick to the original plan and go to Britain first."

"Next step."

"The most important thing is the trolls, the monsters from Norse mythology. After obtaining the [Regeneration] ability, my safety factor has skyrocketed."

There are too few strange things.

Duncan has been traveling through time for so long, but he hasn't heard many rumors about supernatural monsters.

Maybe a little more in the uncivilized Nordic regions.

Humanoid enemies provide combat skills, and supernatural monsters provide special abilities. You have to grasp both and make both strong.

A real man should be tough.

Duncan and his companions were headed for what would later become Calais and Dunkirk in France, from where they could travel to the British Isles. Geographically, they were in Belgian Gaul. However, Germania in that region was already in imminent danger, and could fall to barbarian attacks at any moment.

Greater Germania currently has no unified leader. The many barbarian tribes are collectively called Germanic peoples, and the internal struggles among them are like you kill me today and I kill you tomorrow.

But the Saxons were already rising.

Decades earlier, the empire had been forced to withdraw its last Roman legion due to the continuous attacks by the Saxons on the British province.

In fact, we were already unable to defend ourselves at that time.

After that, the British Isles belonged to the Celts, and the legendary kingdom of King Arthur should have been one of the small indigenous countries, roughly in the Welsh region.

According to legend, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table fought twelve battles to repel the Saxon invasion, maintaining peace in the British Isles for a time. However, the Anglo-Saxons eventually invaded the British Isles, which later became England.

After crossing the war zone, the group entered the territory of the Franks, who were a branch of the Germanic barbarians and were currently divided into three tribes: Salians, Ripuarians and Catti (Hessians).

Among them, the Ripuarians had now been conquered by the Hunnic Empire.

"Parisigui should be in front." Severus turned his head and said.

Paris Ji?
It should be the ancient name of Paris. Now it is just a small place built around the Île de la Cité. It originally had a population of only a few hundred people, and the old island city was less than half a square kilometer.

Later, the Roman Empire began to urbanize the occupied areas, and the population around Paris gradually developed to tens of thousands.

It was also at that time that the British Isles began to develop cities, and the concept of provincial capitals appeared for the first time, but these cities were later destroyed by the invasion of the Saxons.

Many barbarians wanted to preserve and inherit the civilization of the Roman Empire, but in the end civilization still regressed on a large scale due to war.

"It seems that productivity in this era is indeed very low."

Duncan saw a rather desolate landscape along the way. The Romans had developed a comprehensive urban water supply system as early as BC, but now the towns along the way lacked even a decent drainage canal. Among the many barbarian tribes, the Franks were among the first to learn Roman civilization, but their farming methods were still relatively backward.

However, early feudal manors had already begun to appear.

The Empire had essentially lost control of the land, and the townspeople they encountered along the way were mostly barbarians. However, the journey was not peaceful, as they repeatedly encountered other barbarian tribes raiding deep into the interior. It seemed that due to the pressure of the Hun Empire and the population growth, more barbarian tribes were pouring into the Empire.

Paris is a very typical medieval town.

It's clear that the Franks at this time were quite martial, true Gallic roosters. Some of their wealthy freemen dressed like characters from the American TV series Vikings. But along the way, there were also many half-dressed serfs and slaves. The barbarian warrior class transformed into an early feudal aristocracy, establishing their achievements through warfare and annexing land through legal means.

“Is that a vineyard?”

Duncan and his party rode into the town, where they were stopped and questioned by the guards. However, thanks to Severus, they did not encounter any trouble.

The Franks learned canal irrigation, grape cultivation, gardening techniques, etc. from Roman civilization. Compared with other barbarian tribes, they transformed quite quickly and were in a zone between civilization and barbarism. This also laid the foundation for the later rise of the Frankish Kingdom.

Among the barbarians, they were considered to be the least fond of alcohol, and after the entire country was Christianized, they quickly gained the support of the church.

Paris has dug many sewage canals, and the whole town looks neat and clean, much cleaner than medieval Paris, at least it is not so smelly.

The current leader of the Salian Franks is Childeric I, the father of Clovis I, the founder of the Frankish Kingdom. Later, Pepin the Short usurped the throne. During the Carolingian dynasty, Charlemagne rose to power, and this marked the beginning of medieval history.

Charlemagne is the King of Hearts in playing cards.

The town guard's gaze lingered for a moment on the witch's exposed figure, and he swallowed involuntarily before letting them in.

He couldn't afford to offend Severus. One could tell from his appearance that he was not an ordinary person.

Inn. The German inn is a very eye-catching building, covering a large area, with two floors, a wooden structure and walls coated with oil mud. The Franks also retained some of the Germanic barbarian traditions, that is, drinking, horse racing and gambling.

The Germans were heavy drinkers, their main alcoholic beverages being mead and beer. If given enough alcohol, these barbarians could drink themselves to death.

The inn lobby was in a mess, and a drunkard was bragging about how he had once shot a Hun knight in the head with a Flanders throwing axe.

Severus walked in front and talked to the innkeeper for a few words. The group found a seat in a corner and sat down. The witch deliberately sat in the innermost part to avoid attracting the men's attention.

She had actually covered her chest slightly, but there was no way to hide it completely.

For those barbarians, women with curvy figures like her are extremely attractive, and they will attract attention even if they are wearing a mask.

soon.

Slaves brought food and wine to the inn lobby. There was a dark-skinned female slave who looked a bit like an Egyptian. I wonder if she was the descendant of mixed-race slaves brought from Egypt by the empire.

There have always been many slaves in the empire. A few years ago, an uprising of slaves and serfs broke out in Burgundy, but it was quickly and ruthlessly suppressed.

The architectural style of this era was very backward. In the whole of Europe, only the areas around Italy and Greece were quite civilized. After entering Gaul, most of the houses were simple wooden houses, and the inns were similar to the Nord inns Duncan had seen in The Elder Scrolls North before, or even worse.

The stools in the hotel make your butt stick out when you sit on them.

Duncan glanced at the witch beside him, then glanced at the other people in the inn and whispered, "Has the person you're looking for arrived?"

The Raven Queen, Triss, shook her head slightly and said, "No."

"But my messenger has already informed Anya, and she should be here soon."

One of the founders of the Witches' Coven, Anya of Cologne, also known as the Thorn Rose, is different from the Raven Queen Triss. She is not a priestess from the polytheistic era. In her early years, she married a general of the Empire, who was also a polytheist. Her family can be traced back to the time of the Imperial Emperor Julian the Apostate.

Later, her husband died suddenly. Anya was worried about being persecuted by the church, so she joined forces with other witches to protect themselves, and thus the witches' coven was founded.

Severus had a similar origin; his ancestor had been a general of Julian the Apostate.

To a certain extent, the Emperor Julian the Apostate was the last counterattack launched by the remnants of polytheism. This emperor was actually a wise man, as can be seen from the last words he left to future generations.

(If you have time, please help me copy his last words into the chapter description so that it doesn’t take up too many words. He is considered the last wise emperor under the influence of polytheism.)
This emperor loved only one person throughout his life, treated his people well, promoted the common people, lived a simple life, and was humble and benevolent, a truly remarkable figure. During his expedition to Persia, he fought a last-ditch battle, burned transport ships, and when his army was in dire straits, he mounted his horse, without armor, to aid his rearguard. Unfortunately, he was ultimately killed by a spear, presumably from a Christian's back.

In the entire European continent, the Roman legions were the best at using javelins.

But he finally inflicted heavy damage on the Persian army, beheading two generals and more than fifty nobles, severely damaging the Sassanid Empire and temporarily making it unable to fight against the Roman army.

The emperor died suddenly under the protection of many polytheistic priests, and his death meant that polytheism had completely failed.

Duncan nodded slightly, concentrating his mind and entering the God's perspective.

——Flan elite axeman (one star).

—Saxon Forest Hunter.

——Gothic caravan guard.

——Visigothic mercenary sergeant (one star).

From a God's perspective, the units around the inn are all in the neutral camp, and no red hostile marks are found. Those with additional marks are people with combat capabilities, and most of the others are farmers, slaves, militia, etc.

These people don't pose much of a threat, and a well-trained soldier can deal with quite a few of them.

The Hun Empire boasted an army of 500,000, of which only about 100,000 were actual combat soldiers, mostly low- and middle-ranking soldiers, most of whom were conquered slaves and vassal troops who were given a little weapon and driven onto the battlefield without any armor.

Since there was nothing to do at the moment, Duncan simply widened his perspective and observed the entire Paris Saint-Germain.

Blacksmith shops, quarries, hotels, residential houses, commercial areas, governor's residences, vineyards, etc., all kinds of buildings were marked out clearly, allowing Duncan to understand the entire architectural layout of Paris like a detailed map.

"There are only about a hundred defenders, and it seems they have all been withdrawn."

In name, this land still belongs to the empire, but it is no longer under its jurisdiction. The princes and generals within the empire have long been like warlords, and the Franks are still the empire's foreign mercenaries. They are joining forces with the cavalry of the Visigothic Kingdom to fight against the invading Hun army.

Duncan didn't like the food of this era, and found it a bit hard to swallow. It was the Italian cuisine of the Romans that suited his taste, so he simply controlled the character to wolf down the food from a God's perspective, activating the passive ability of "Power of Gluttony".

It's okay to eat a little to fill his stomach normally, but if he wants to 'binge eat', it's a bit torturous for him.

By now, other people in the hotel had quietly noticed him, because he probably ate two days' worth of food for an ordinary person in one go.

The witch's expression was rather subtle, surprised at Duncan's appetite, but she calmly poured water and cut meat for him, as attentive and touching as a maid. Triss, the Raven Queen, had always concealed her beauty, knowing full well that beauty could bring unnecessary trouble in troubled times.

I don’t know how long it took.

A marked unit suddenly appeared in Duncan's God's perspective.

——Witch-Ania (2-star) [Neutral].

After such a long time, Duncan once again saw a supernatural unit marked as 'Witch'.

Ok?
Two-star whiteboard?

It seems that not all witches are marked with a skull.

Duncan moved his perspective to look towards the main gate of Parisiji. A woman wearing a hooded burqa rode towards him on horseback, followed by three guard riders.

——Sarmatian foreign rider.

——Private equity legion rider.

——Retired Imperial Guard Knight (one star).

This should be the person that Raven Queen Triss is waiting for.

This witch is worth a lot of money. She comes from an old imperial noble family. Her ancestors once conquered Cologne. This time, if they want to cross the sea to the British Isles, they cannot do without the help of this witch.

However, after the death of the apostate emperor Julian, the power of these polytheistic nobles declined. Fortunately, Anya had an ancestor who was the commander of the imperial field army. The French noble title "Count" later came from this ancestor.

According to the medieval nobility system, she was a descendant of the count among the Roman aristocracy.

Witches today are not as dirty as they were in the Middle Ages. Most witches are descendants of priests from the polytheistic period. At that time, only nobles were qualified to become priests serving the gods.

Many Roman emperors were high priests, and Caesar served as high priest for life.

Duncan suddenly put down his glass.

Just after Anya and her group entered Parisi, a small team of red-marked units soon appeared and entered.

——Witch Hunter (1 star).

——Inquisitor (2 stars).

——Hidden Assault Assassin (1 star silver-gray).

——Monk of the Priory (1 star silver-gray).

——Priory Templar Guard [Blood of the Holy Grail] (2-star silver-gray).

What the hell!

From a God's perspective, Duncan couldn't help but swear, but he remained calm on the surface. He just picked up his weapon and gestured to the two people beside him to go out first.

If he were trapped in the inn, he would probably be hacked to death by the Inquisition.

………………

(End of this chapter)