[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-player-beyond-dimensions":3,"chapter-a-player-beyond-dimensions-a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-29":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Player Beyond Dimensions",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2254995,4399,"Chapter 29: Chapter Twenty-Eight: One Cannon, One Nation Destroyed! Barbarian Internal Chaos","a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-29",29,"\u003Cp>On the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Deng Ken voluntarily requested control of the ballistae, Duke Dingtajir agreed without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was well known that the Roman legions excelled in using ballistae.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken clearly had a regular army background; his request for control of the ballistae must have been based on some confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, Duke Dingtajir had pulled in nearly all the nearby farmers, and with several hundred irregular troops, their total force reached one to one and a half thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Britain was merely an imperial province; battlefields here were much smaller, typically involving thousand-level regular forces, supplemented by auxiliaries, irregulars, and farmers—occasionally claimed to number tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the early British province was abandoned, a single imperial legion could suppress all surrounding barbarian tribes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when the empire withdrew its troops, the Britons repeatedly sent letters begging for aid; the Gao Lu province dispatched troops three or four times to drive back the Irish barbarians. But then Greater Germania collapsed, and the imperial legions, having finished fighting the Picts, had to retreat again—there was simply no way to sustain the campaign, and they were forced to abandon Britannia entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This showed that the empire had truly done its best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this vast empire was now on its last legs; such peripheral provinces could no longer be defended. (The background era of the Himekami was when Camelot lost imperial protection, forcing her to draw her sword.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the torrent of history—the Scourge of God, barbarian invasions, imperial collapse, religious strife, and divine wars—King Arthur was merely a humble man struggling to protect Britain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burden upon this knight-king, Deng Ken had no qualms about taking up alongside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ballistae were relics from that era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early British legions were even trained by imperial officers; some Sarmatian mercenary cavalry remained in Britain and trained the later Lagger heavy cavalry, one of the precursors to the Knights of the Round Table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sarmatian cavalry held great renown in this era as elite foreign mercenaries of the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early legends claimed their women, though beautiful, required killing an enemy as a rite of passage—no marriage without proven battlefield achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During Trajan’s reign, the empire crushed the Sarmatians, forcing them to surrender eight thousand cavalry as hostages for peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These cavalry were sent to serve in Britain, becoming the earliest Sarmatian legion stationed there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their dragon banners, contus lances, and scale armor became standard equipment for early imperial heavy cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King Uther’s cavalry force inherited this Sarmatian legacy, including their unmistakable dragon banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His nickname was “Great Dragonhead—Uther.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(The empire’s dragon flag in Mount & Blade also originated this way.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If only I had a unit of heavy cavalry—some way to charge and cut down enemy leaders, rather than relying on ballistae to wait passively.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken had the advantage of a god’s-eye view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he led a powerful imperial heavy cavalry unit into battle, he could strike wherever morale collapsed, directly targeting enemy commanders—just one charge might decide the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy cavalry was the hammer of the battlefield, capable of smashing enemy lines into ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the front-line legion held firm, Deng Ken could lead his cavalry to exploit any weakness, achieving Alexander the Great’s victories without difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marching from Europe all the way through Mesopotamia!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, only heavy cavalry could fight this way in this era; light cavalry charging into formation was little better than suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy had not yet attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bad news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Saxon barbarians had learned some imperial siege techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Britain had virtually no proper cities; so-called castles were merely early military fortresses. Only Camelot possessed a fortress approaching early medieval standards, earning it the reputation as the most impregnable place on the entire island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crow Queen—Tris appeared on the wall, whispering: “The reinforcements Duke Dingtajir requested have not arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems they’ve sided with King Uther.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The era of Britain’s many kings resembled a feudal system, where local lords and nobles held immense autonomy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aniya hurried over, her expression tense: “Can we hold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not, let’s find a way to retreat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her confident demeanor yesterday, seeing the Saxon army bearing down now made her instantly nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she was merely a noblewoman—overconfident and easily panicked by war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this place fell, Duke Dingtajir could only flee to the mountains and wage guerrilla warfare. King Uther himself had been driven into Wales by countless Saxon barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strategically, winning today’s battle would make Deng Ken’s foothold in Britain far easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken paused, then said: “There’s still a chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a siege defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were open-field battle, he would have already fled with the witch and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crow Queen—Tris trusted Deng Ken almost blindly; seeing his calm confidence, she immediately nodded: “I’ll make preparations—in case we can’t hold, we’ll have a way to retreat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was likely preparing some ritual magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken thought for a moment: “Can you perform an illusion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crow Queen—Tris nodded lightly: “What’s your plan? I’ll try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken pointed to the nearby ballista and said firmly: “Use your illusion to hide this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Give the enemy a surprise shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken staked everything on his god’s-eye view and the ballista.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crow Queen—Tris immediately replied: “No problem. Let me prepare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Aniya said: “I’ll try to persuade Duke Dingtajir to hand over command of his troops to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hand over command?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken pondered: “No. Just persuade him to give me command of the archer units.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aniya replied at once: “Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The witch hurried off, found the overwhelmed Duke Dingtajir, spoke a few words—and under Deng Ken’s god’s-eye view, hundreds of archers turned into green-marked units. Aniya’s negotiation skills were strong, reminding Deng Ken of Roman noblewomen in Spartacus—these political ladies always had their ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Welsh Archer (One Star).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Briton Archer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Militia Auxiliary Archer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Duke Dingtajir had only irregulars left, he still had effective troops: Welsh archers—the precursors to English longbowmen. Wales, with its forests and mountains, produced excellent archers, but they did not carry English longbows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only twenty-six of them; Deng Ken took them all with him, while the rest were scattered along the wall defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy army approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Saxon barbarians prepared to assault, their numbers exceeded expectations—swelling to nearly six thousand. Their core forces remained unchanged, but now swarmed with countless slaves and auxiliaries, driven forward to push siege engines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Briton Slave Army (Low Morale).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After invading, the Saxons slaughtered vast numbers of Britons—killing adult men, seizing women. Since their invasion began, Britain’s population had dropped by roughly one-third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, only Wales would retain Britons; England would be almost entirely repopulated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Briton slave army had no morale whatsoever—mere cannon fodder. They broke easily, only to be cut down by barbarian soldiers and driven forward again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the ground outside the wall was littered with corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken didn’t know how many he’d killed—perhaps dozens—but no clear improvement came, as these cannon fodder had abysmal combat skill. He’d kill ten or so, and a whole slave unit would collapse, dragging others into flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——“Intimidation (Special Ability): You’ve forged your reputation from piles of enemy bones. When you gaze upon foes, they feel fear. Merely your presence on the battlefield shakes and undermines their morale.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the slave army fully broke did Deng Ken realize he’d gained a new special ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was built from the heads he’d harvested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without doubt, the battlefield had greatly elevated him; under the pressure of accumulated changes, Deng Ken’s basic combat styles had all turned deep blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a matter of accumulating small gains to elevate all his foundational combat styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Saxon barbarians seemed to realize slave troops alone could not breach the wall; as their flanks shifted, their true fighting units began advancing onto the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battering rams, siege ladders, siege towers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slaves pushed these siege engines forward again. Britain had no tall, sturdy walls, so siege towers didn’t need to be high—six meters was sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the barbarians had no catapults; otherwise, this battle would have been hopeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken began moving, a unit of Welsh archers following behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Saxon Spear-and-Shield Troops (Morale Shaken) (Encountered Strong Enemy).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This special ability forged by slaughter seemed already active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Deng Ken appeared on the right side of the wall, the Saxon soldiers hiding behind siege towers suddenly displayed the “Morale Shaken” marker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxon officers shouted orders to rally morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About three minutes later, the “Morale Shaken” marker vanished—but “Encountered Strong Enemy” remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometime ago—perhaps after Deng Ken had slain a hundred or so “true warriors”—every enemy he faced now bore the “Encountered Strong Enemy” marker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm. Even if the “strong enemy” was just one man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duke Dingtajir led a small contingent of Briton legionaries forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, he had no choice but to fight to the death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the commander didn’t lead from the front, where would morale come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the sound of horns, the Saxon barbarians launched a three-pronged assault. Duke Dingtajir was clearly unprepared, flustered—he sent even militia and farmers to repel climbers scaling the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enemy troops had already breached the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the battering ram shook the city gate violently; the Briton town militia gripped their weapons tightly, trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Briton Mixed Legion (Morale Shaken) (Defeated and Retreating) (Outnumbered).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Town Militia (Morale Shaken) (Outnumbered).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Farmer Mixed Unit (Morale Shaken) (No Training).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are so many troops showing morale collapse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken surveyed the battlefield and instantly grew grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is morale so low?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it because Duke Tatingir suffered an initial defeat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken had been killing enemies to boost morale, but he hadn’t expected that in the first wave of close combat, at least several hundred-man units displayed morale collapse markers—nearly raising white flags and breaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Briton mixed units all bore the “Defeated Return” marker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the general is a coward, and so are his men!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With morale this low, Duke Tatingir bears at least half the blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken no longer held back his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed the Northern War Bow and ordered the Welsh archers behind him to concentrate fire on enemy officer markers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rapid fire!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One kill! Two kills! Three kills!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His stamina bar drained in small increments, then slowly recovered—he hadn’t used his full strength earlier; the slave troops weren’t worth the effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows tore through the air!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Welsh archers unleashed a volley following Deng Ken’s lead, killing the Saxon spear-and-shield centurion outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Saxon Spear-and-Shield (Morale Collapsed) (Officer Killed) (Faced Strong Enemy).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a pinpoint kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over thirty enemies were killed or wounded in succession; one hundred-man unit instantly broke, giving other troops on the wall a moment to catch their breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon another arrow storm came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Welsh archer beside Deng Ken was killed instantly—a shaft pierced his eye socket, another struck his neck; those nearby immediately raised shields in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Saxon Forest Hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Saxon Elite Forest Hunter (One-Star).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the cover of shielded warriors, Saxon archers joined the fray—barbarian forest hunters, superior in skill to ordinary archers, numerous and overwhelming, their volley suppressed the defenders completely, felling dozens; had it not been for the wall’s protection, these militia units would have been shattered outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we win this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In a full-scale war, wouldn’t this count as an epic victory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An arrow struck Duke Tatingir’s helmet; he broke into cold sweat, frantically raised his shield, and retreated behind his Personal Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gap appeared on the southwest section of the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken surged forward, snatched a javelin, unleashed all his strength—like a legendary figure from ancient Greece—he hurled it mid-run; the javelin screamed through the air, piercing straight through a barbarian elite warrior’s chest and hurling his corpse off the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A roar of shock erupted all around!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s first fully armored elite unit was slain—the barbarian vanguard was killed by Deng Ken’s single javelin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood on the wall—and dared to charge forward?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Shield Bash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken seized the fallen warrior’s shield, swung it hard, smashing it into the enemy’s skull; his arm went numb, the burly barbarian warrior was flipped over, then surrounded and hacked to death by others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Combat Style: Decapitation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Oathkeeper flashed a cold arc; the Saxon axeman who had just scaled the wall froze in place, now a headless corpse, blood spurting like a fountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken let out a thunderous bellow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gruesome scene terrified the enemy and rallied nearby allied troops shaken by fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tidal wave of cheers erupted along the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unmatched Warlord!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken single-handedly restored morale!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Duke Tatingir, who had retreated behind his Personal Guard, poked his head out, rallied his men, gripped sword and shield, and led his guards to drive back the enemy surging onto the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Close combat inspires morale more effectively than ranged killing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken charged into battle, slaying over ten enemies in succession, finally stabilizing the southwest defense and erasing all the morale collapse markers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a god’s-eye view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The projection screen seemed to change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——“Inspire (Special Ability): Your valor greatly uplifts the morale of others. When you appear on the battlefield, allied units gain the courage to keep fighting because of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken’s own marker changed, now bearing two unique statuses: “Intimidate” and “Inspire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had fought his way this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His very presence now carried strange supernatural traits—visibly, soldiers nearby grew fiercer, more determined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder ancient warlords dared charge enemy forces five times their number with only dozens or hundreds!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morale was that crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever Deng Ken went, morale surged!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had single-handedly rescued a line on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the enemy assault did not stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under cover of the Saxon Forest Hunters, elite units advanced steadily onto the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a brutal meat grinder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, King Henges of the Saxons stared fixedly at Deng Ken, his expression stunned; he asked his aides: “Who is that man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did Duke Tatingir acquire such a fierce knight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been waiting for the enemy to exhaust themselves before launching a full-scale assault—but Deng Ken’s presence had repelled three waves of Saxon barbarian attacks, freezing the battlefield in stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those militia troops near collapse fought desperately because of his personal valor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Britons had had such a warrior earlier...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might never have established the Kingdom of Kent here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re exhausted!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horsa rode up to his brother, pointing to the northwest wall: “That section is filled with nothing but militia and peasants—concentrate our elites, we can crush them in one wave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Deng Ken was terrifyingly strong, the two brothers remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far in battle...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Saxon barbarians’ elite units had yet to fully deploy; their siege tactics always waited until the enemy was spent before unleashing their best troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That minimized casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flanked by barbarian chieftain guards and noble horsemen, the two brothers gradually neared the front lines, observing for weaknesses in the enemy’s defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This distance far exceeded arrow range—no threat from archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duke Tatingir’s side had too many peasants and militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One breach on the wall meant total collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here they come!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken moved, locking onto his target, waiting for the enemy’s pace to slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the god’s-eye view, the enemy leader was marked—the Crow Queen’s illusion vanished; amid distant, panicked stares, a ballista suddenly appeared atop the wall, its bolt—like a javelin—already loaded, only three hundred meters from the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crosshairs locked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken drew a deep breath; in an instant, the javelin screamed through the air. The enemy ahead panicked, nearly turning their horses to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive bolt tore across the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diana of the Roman pantheon watched!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Artemis of the Greek pantheon observed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy tried to flee—but it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King Henges of Kent fell from his horse; the ballista bolt pierced his chest, passed through two bodies, and pinned his warhorse behind him to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire battlefield fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stood frozen in shock—then erupted into a deafening uproar of chaos and celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the unseen, Deng Ken performed beyond his limits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian chieftain guards frantically carried the king’s body back; no surprise—he was a Two-Star Gold Hero Unit. The bolt had pierced his chest but hadn’t killed him instantly; he spewed blood, and by the time the guards dragged him away, he was barely breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The enemy king is dead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The enemy king is dead!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the wall, the Britons screamed with desperate joy—the entire battlefield reversed in an instant. The attacking barbarian forces, shaken and panicked, were soon utterly driven back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the nearby tower, the Crow Queen-Teris finally exhaled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been kneeling in prayer, clutching the emblems of the goddess Diana and the goddess Artemis in her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Crow Queen-Teris had also gambled everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had forcibly pried open a corner of the coffin lid of the ancient Roman and ancient Greek pantheon, burying the Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken felt a faint warmth in his chest—that was the emblem stone Teris had given him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Witch-Ania breathed heavily; she did not know what had happened, but hearing the waves of shouts and cheers, she realized Deng Ken had turned the tide of battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he’s the man I chose!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ania stole a glance at Teris and felt she had already gained the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Saxon barbarians began to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the rear of the army, Hosa seized the shaman who had stepped out of the tent, his face ashen: “How is the King’s wound?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shaman’s expression was terrified; he shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant there was no saving him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bolt from the ballista had pierced clean through his body, tearing through his lungs—unless a miracle occurred, death was certain; what remained now was merely a final flicker of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hosa’s expression grew dark, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he and his brother had jointly led the barbarian forces to invade Britain, only one could be king; his elder brother’s rule had been widely accepted, and he himself had fully submitted—but now his brother was dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would be the next king of Kent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hengist had only one son of considerable renown—Esca; in this newly founded Kingdom of Kent, only he and his nephew were eligible to inherit the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The founding monarch has died suddenly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chain reaction this would trigger was terrifying; other barbarian chieftains would surely stir with ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We can band together to raid, but if you want to be my king, I won’t accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A change appeared in the air above the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, a Valkyrie with bird wings and a silver helmet had appeared above the battlefield; she turned her gaze toward Deng Ken’s direction, then flew straight toward King Hengist’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Valkyrie has appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by her demeanor, she intended to claim the soul of the barbarian leader—the founding monarch of Kent, Hengist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarians withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the king’s sudden death and morale shattered, Hosa had no intention of staying; he immediately led his troops to retreat, for now the most urgent matter was determining the next heir to the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had worked tirelessly alongside his brother to carve out this domain in Britain—he was unwilling to surrender it to a nephew with little battlefield merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why shouldn’t he sit on it?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Valkyrie with bird wings and silver helmet lingered for a long time; after carrying off the soul of a warrior, she gazed deeply at Deng Ken, then vanished into thin air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken did not know when, but he discovered a mark had appeared on his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Odin’s Gaze: Odin only admires the bravest warriors; you have now caught His attention. The chief deity of the polytheistic-Norse pantheon, Odin, has taken interest in you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Valkyrie has carried your renown to the Hall of the Slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have unlocked the legend meter of the polytheistic-Norse pantheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………\u003C\u002Fp>",3351,"2026-06-19T13:13:01.402Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dacf7d3ac363f21c972c9911ec95d50ee156cacce3b9e34f94f575330a8af119","a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-30","a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-28",195,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-player-beyond-dimensions-cover.jpg"]