Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 33: Norden's Bow (Added for the leader's search for someone in the Netherworld!)
Under the moonlight.

There was a wooden bridge on the shore. Five guardian fairies stood up to welcome Duncan, and the lake fairy on the boat docked the boat, smiled and reached out to pull him ashore.

Duncan looked around curiously and said softly, "Thank you."

From God's perspective.

After passing through the fog and entering Avalon, his body also became translucent and hazy, a bit like the Valkyrie he had encountered before, very close to the state of a spirit. However, when he actually set foot on the land of Avalon, the human body in the projection interface became clear again.

Thetis led the way with a smile, and the five fairies followed behind. On the way, a goblin brought some fresh fruit. Duncan picked up one and tasted it. It was very sweet.

The fairy walking in front smiled and said, "Welcome to Avalon."

"A distinguished guest from afar."

"You can rest here for a while. I will send you away from the other world tomorrow."

Are you really just inviting me to come for a stroll?

Duncan's attention was all on the fairies of Avalon. They were all three-star silver-grey marked units. The nearby fairies and fairies were all one-star silver-grey, and their strength was much weaker than he expected.

"Is it because Celtic mythology has become very weak?"

Duncan zoomed in on the map and saw a magnificent island. There weren't any hostile units on it, only blue markers. On the edge of the forest, there was a two-star silver-grey target marked 'Green Knight'.

Celtic mythology was not destroyed by the Church, but was replaced by the early Roman gods.

The core area of early Celtic mythology was Gaul. After the rise of the Roman Empire, Druidism gradually faded into history, and the Celts were forced to migrate elsewhere. Their original beliefs were relatively scattered, lacking a complete pantheon, and eventually they largely concentrated on the British Isles.

After Caesar conquered the British province, the indigenous people's beliefs were reduced to everything related to Avalon, and many primitive gods were destroyed.

"It seems that they are very weak now, without even a proper god."

The strength of these fairies guarding Avalon is probably at the level of the secondary goddesses in ancient Greek mythology, that is, the nymphs. Nymphs are naturally transformed elves, usually appearing in the form of beautiful girls, and they serve the more powerful gods.

"A pantheon that hasn't been completely destroyed, but is only barely surviving."

Duncan wanted to see what they were planning to do, so he followed the six fairies into an area that looked like a druid's circle.

There are no buildings on this island, and the inhabitants are very few, making it seem like a kingdom from another world in decline.

A melodious melody sounded.

There are fairies flying in the air, very similar to the ones described in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". They are called fairies and elves. In the Druid belief, they are the spiritual embodiment of nature.

The fairy Thetis invited Duncan to sit in the main seat, and then six beautiful fairies sat around him.

Dozens of fairies brought a variety of food, mainly fruits and vegetables, but also rich meat. Then many little fairies were seen dancing, and some fairies were performing like bards. The atmosphere suddenly became cheerful and lively.

A group of flying fairies that looked a bit like flower fairies brought wine glasses. The amber liquid was alluring and filled with rich floral fragrance.

The six fairies stood up and raised their glasses. Thetis, the leader, smiled sweetly and said, "Lord Duncan."

"Please taste the mead of Avalon."

“This is a rare wine in the world.”

Duncan swallowed. He could indeed smell the aroma of wine. He himself was not a fan of wine, but the aroma was so tempting that it made him eager to try it.

Drink one glass.

Duncan drank the wine as if it were fine wine, with the scent of honey, flowers and other mixed flavors, making people feel relaxed all over. After seeing him drink it all in one gulp, the goblins around him suddenly became happy and danced around Duncan.

Watching this scene, he even felt like he was dreaming in wonderland.

The six fairies of Avalon didn't say anything else, it was as if they had held a grand banquet and invited Duncan to attend.

A cheerful atmosphere gradually filled the air.

Duncan had drunk several cups without realizing it, and even his vision seemed to be a little blurry.

Thetis on the side clapped his hands.

Soon, a green knight walked out of the forest, holding a gorgeous bow in his hand, and knelt on one knee to present it to Duncan.

"Norden's Bow [Mythical Item] [Holy Relic]: In Celtic mythology, the bow wielded by Norden, the god of the hunt, possesses incredible supernatural power. Though Celtic mythology has gradually faded, and the god of the hunt has long since vanished, the bow he left behind still possesses immense power. Abilities: Magic Break, Rapid Fire, Continuous Fire, and Armor Break. Special Ability: Wind Arrow."

——"Wind Arrow [Special Ability]: At the cost of mana, condense an invisible wind arrow."

hiss!
What does it mean?
After seeing the Bow of Norden in front of him, Duncan sobered up a lot.

Inside the Druid's Circle.

The six fairies of Avalon looked at each other, then slowly stood up and half-knelt to salute Duncan. The leading one, Thetis, said sincerely, "We sisters see that you don't have a suitable bow."

"So I thought of inviting you here and handing you this bow."

Giving gifts?

So valuable?

Duncan looked hesitant and reached out to pick up the Bow of Norden. As soon as he touched it, he felt its extraordinaryness because it actually resonated with the magic power in Duncan's body.

This weapon is extremely powerful, probably comparable to the church's holy relics.

Duncan pondered, "You're going to give it to me?"

The six fairies of Avalon nodded slightly, and it really didn't seem like they were just pretending.

This thing is a bit hot!

Good is good.

But if you want to accept this generous gift, you must pay something.

Duncan stared at Thetis, who was in the lead, and said in a deep voice, "Then what price will I have to pay?"

Hearing his words, the six fairies of Avalon slowly shook their heads. Thetis, the leader, bowed slightly, and the other five fairies followed suit. Duncan turned away and refused to accept the greeting. Thetis said in a deep voice, "Avalon in the mist is gradually disappearing."

"If you find this gift useful in the future, please protect our heritage in the real world."

“It won’t completely disappear into history.”

The church's faith had already spread to the British Isles, and it wouldn't be long before there would be church believers in Scandinavia. Britain had been greatly impacted, initially by the Roman gods brought by the empire, later by missionaries from the church, and now by the Saxon invasion, bringing with it the faith in the Norse pantheon.

It can be said that Celtic mythology has been beaten down by various pantheon camps in turn. In England, it is estimated that only Avalon still retains a certain degree of legend.

It turns out to be this.

Duncan felt a lot more relieved after hearing this. He had escorted the Raven Queen, Triss, across most of Europe and had long had close ties with polytheism.

Having too much debt is not a burden, but rather a small thing.

After seeing Duncan pick up the bow, the six fairies of Avalon couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and the goblins around him couldn't help but cheer for joy. Soon more fine wine and delicious food were served, and the bards sang and played, and the cheerful atmosphere reappeared.

Duncan glanced at the fairies in front of him and suddenly asked, "I'm not the first mortal to come to Avalon, am I?"

The fairies looked hesitant when they heard this. Duncan, however, told them not to be nervous, raised his cup and drank it all, wondering, "Who else has been here?"

"Gaius-Julius-Caesar?!"

"Is it right?"

After the empire conquered Britain, it still retained some Celtic beliefs. It is not difficult to guess that Avalon once bowed to Caesar, so the ancient Roman pantheon showed mercy, and the Druid tradition also slowly took root here.

The fairies were silent for a moment, and Thetis whispered, "Caesar has indeed been here."

Duncan's doubts were somewhat resolved.

It seems that the mythical creatures of the Middle Ages must also rely on the real world, and their survival in this world is determined by reality.

After a night of singing and drinking, Duncan got drunk without realizing it.

He didn't know when he had entered the human body. He only felt that he was surrounded by beautiful women, with soft jade and warm fragrance, and entangled with pink and white arms. It was as if he was trapped in a pile of beauties in a charming dream. He was intoxicated and didn't know where to go. He only felt that at this moment, he was in the palace of heaven, and he had never experienced such beauty and happiness in his life.

When he woke up, he was back to reality. The morning light was rising in the sky. He didn't feel the slightest bit of a hangover. It felt as if it was just an illusory dream.

——Norden's Bow.

When he grasped the strange bow beside him, he realized that all this was not a dream. However, this legendary bow no longer had the strange glow that it had in Avalon. It looked like a more exquisite noble bow.

"How can this still be called a deity? It's almost as destitute as the goblins and ghosts in Eastern legends that seek help from mortals..."

Duncan pulled up his trousers, feeling that he hadn't lost out.

The fairies of Avalon placed such a high bet on him, which showed that they really thought highly of him. Caesar was able to protect the survival of Avalon's faith in the past, so he had to give it a try no matter what.

"It seems like the Church has really driven the other pantheons to the brink of despair!"

Duncan thought again of King Uther's massacre of wizards in the Kingdom of Camelot, mainly killing traditional Celtic priests. The fairies of Avalon did not ask the natives for help, but instead placed heavy bets on him, an outsider. I really don't know how disappointed they were with the native people of Britain.

King Arthur also seemed to have obtained the treasure of Avalon. It is estimated that the guardian fairies of Avalon placed heavy bets on King Arthur at the time and did not consider King Uther at all.

Duncan picked up the Bow of Norden, and the magic power in his body surged, but was suddenly drained away.

——Arrow of the Wind!

A breeze emerged in the woods, and then an invisible arrow condensed on the bow. It was invisible to the naked eye, and only the outline could be seen from a God's perspective. It had just condensed when it drained Duncan's mana bar. Then the arrow broke through the air and hit a tree trunk more than ten meters away, leaving a two-centimeter-deep hole in it.

"No."

"My mana bar isn't enough to shoot one arrow?"

The magic power in Duncan's body was completely drained, and he finally understood that not only him, but all supernatural units, whether they were witches or priests, were all suppressed by the laws of reality.

In this case, even if mythical creatures come into reality, they will be severely suppressed.

Time passed quietly.

When Duncan returned to Devon Town again, he found that the barbarian soldiers stationed there had withdrawn.

"what happened?"

"Did they simply give up occupying this place?"

Duncan thought that the enemy would send reinforcements or transfer the top masters of the barbarians to deal with him, but he didn't expect them to be so decisive. After looting Devon Town again, all the barbarian soldiers withdrew from this land.

They moved to the next town stronghold with open terrain, deployed heavy troops to guard it, and also dispatched a group of elite forest hunters.

There were only two or three hundred garrisons in Devon Town. Duncan killed more than thirty of them in two days and beheaded Blood Axe Nidron.

Unable to bear the harassment, the enemy simply retreated to a place that was more easily defended.

However, as time passed, after their retreat, the legend about Duncan spread rapidly in the British Isles, especially after it was known that he shot and killed the King of Kent, the speed at which the legend spread became even more alarming.

It was not just the British who were spreading it, but also the Saxons, Angles, Jutes, and many other branches of the Germanic barbarians, and it was even spreading to the European continent.

He was one of the kings of the Germanic barbarians, and he died suddenly.

A very subtle point.

After spreading and fermenting, many outrageous rumors began to change. Duncan's identity was gradually linked to the legendary Avalon. Some said he was an elf ranger from Avalon, while others said he was a mortal favored by the fairies of Avalon, a helper invited from the European continent to help the British deal with the invading barbarians.

A large number of rumors continued to evolve, but they were always related to the misty Avalon. Therefore, the existence of Avalon was often mentioned by people along with Duncan's legend.

Until one day.

The remaining Druid beliefs in the British Isles and the Celtic priests began to publicly admit that the person who shot the King of Kent had a close relationship with Avalon. At this moment, the myth came into reality, and the British were indignant, as if they had witnessed the birth of a legend with their own eyes.

Of course, Duncan didn't know about these things at the moment. He was busy meeting the army of exiles that Anya had transported from Gaul.

The first batch consisted of two hundred people.

Led by Kveto, these troops were primarily young men from the Exile Village, equipped with weapons and armor comparable to those of the Imperial Frontier Guard, with a small number of elite troops equipped with the scale armor of the Field Army. Perhaps due to the enhanced equipment, Kveto was now a one-star unit, labeled "Private Legion Commander."

Triss, the Raven Queen, was delighted to see Duncan, but as she approached him, a hint of doubt appeared on her face. She sniffed and whispered, "Have you seen the Lady of the Lake here?"

Duncan nodded calmly.

Triss, the Raven Queen, stared at him for a moment, her gaze landing on the bow behind him. She asked in shock, "The Bow of Norden?"

It seemed like she recognized this bow.

Duncan took down his bow and handed it to her. Triss, the Raven Queen, gently stroked it and sighed softly, "I didn't expect they would give you this bow."

Monotheism was rapidly rising, and she wasn't the only one having a hard time.

Triss, the Raven Queen, returned the Bow of Norden to Duncan and said casually, "Since they gave it to you, keep it well."

"If you need anything, go find Anya. The Lady of the Lake is not as simple as you think."

"They are the original spirits of the Age of All Spirits."

The Druid faith became much milder after being assimilated into Roman and Greek culture. Early Celtic mythology highly advocated human blood sacrifice.

When the empire established provinces on the British Isles, it directly suppressed many indigenous tribes, cut down mountains and destroyed temples, demolished sacred places, and interrupted sacrifices. It is unknown how many true and false gods in Celtic mythology were eliminated.

The fairies of Avalon.

They are the survivors of that era. After the empire ruled the British provinces, their image gradually transformed into that of the nymphs in ancient Greek mythology.

Before that, they were goddesses in Celtic mythology who enjoyed blood sacrifices.

Duncan didn't know about these things, but after listening to the words of Triss, the Queen of Ravens, he nodded thoughtfully.

It seems that even the gods will be destroyed.

This is normal, as the highest gods in Eastern mythology throughout the ages have also changed with the times.

………………

(End of this chapter)