Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty-Two: Avalon in the Mist

A stench of blood filled the air.

Inside the hall, a bonfire burned; Nidron the Bloodaxe, who had been dozing with closed eyes, snapped them open—he heard faint screams. The burly barbarian warrior seized his decapitation axe beside him, gripped a wine jug in one hand, and drank deeply as he walked, mead streaming down his hairy chest.

When the heavy door was shoved open.

In the firelight, his pupils were already crimson, as if a bloodthirsty beast were trapped within his body!

“Thor!”

“Witness my battle!”

Nidron the Bloodaxe’s heavy breaths roared like a brown bear; his gaze pierced the darkness, locking onto the southwest of the town. His heavy armor did not slow him—he sprinted forward like a hunting tiger, racing toward the source of the screams.

That man is here again!

After assassinating King Hengist of Kent, Deng Ken single-handedly altered the entire landscape of Britain.

The rising Kingdom of Kent was gradually fracturing. Hosa, the king’s brother, had the battlefield prowess and personal strength to reunite it. But at the critical moment, the Angles and Saxons, true to the British Empire’s legacy of stirring chaos, turned and backed Hengist’s son, Esk, for the throne.

Both Hengist and Hosa were Jutes.

With the king dead, the Angles and Saxons began scheming; their shifting allegiances plunged the fledgling Kingdom of Kent into civil strife. With their backing, Esk now had the power to stand equal against his uncle.

This split Kent nearly in two: East Kent under Esk, West Kent under Hosa.

This masterful act of chaos, steeped in the British Empire’s true tradition, slowly fractured and weakened the Jutes.

Once the first Germanic barbarian group to establish a kingdom, they now sank into civil war over the throne.

“Kill him!”

“Kill that man!”

“Cut off his head and present it to Hosa! Then he can reunite Kent!”

Nidron the Bloodaxe saw the corpses in the dark—one shot dead, an arrow through the eye socket. In the alley’s shadow, beneath flickering firelight, another Saxon elite lay beheaded, his skull split open by a Frankish throwing axe, blood and brains splattered across the ground.

Waves of barbarian soldiers were assembling.

Saxon forest hunters fired toward the enemy, but under cover of night, they could not match the phantom ranger’s perfect accuracy.

Corpses. Corpses. More corpses.

Nidron the Bloodaxe’s chest seethed with suppressed rage. He seized a shield, gripped his two-handed axe in one hand, and charged straight through a wooden barricade blocking his path, as if smashing it could vent some of his fury.

Found him!

He’s trying to flee!

Nidron the Bloodaxe roared and hurled a hand axe from his belt. With tremendous force, it whistled through the air and slammed into the wall with a thud.

At that moment, Deng Ken had already scaled the wooden wall of Devon Town.

He broke into a cold sweat, landed, caught his breath, and muttered: “What the hell! How is he so fast?!”

——Nidron the Bloodaxe (Two-Star Silver-Gray) (Elite Chief’s Guard) (Sacrifice) (Heavy Drinking) (Rage) 【Thor’s Warrior】!

Deng Ken had encountered this enemy once before.

He had charged through Duke Dingtajiel’s personal guard, slaying two or three Rager knights, then broken out of the encirclement by force.

“So fierce!”

“His strength rivals the Hermitage’s Sanctum.”

Compared to last time, this enemy now bore several new states. Germanic barbarians drank and fought fiercely—he reeked of alcohol, had consumed countless jugs, yet his movements showed no lag; his sprinting speed even surpassed that of a warhorse.

Deng Ken retreated.

But from the God’s-eye view, the enemy scaled the wooden wall and leapt directly after him, chasing his retreat.

Nidron the Bloodaxe abandoned all others, pursuing Deng Ken alone.

“Is he trying to settle this with a duel to the death?”

Deng Ken halted abruptly, turned, drew his bow, and loosed an arrow straight at the enemy’s head.

Hum.

In the instant the arrow flew, Nidron the Bloodaxe raised his shield, guarding his head—the arrow struck the wooden shield and stuck fast.

Another creature with physical prowess far beyond ordinary men.

He ran faster than Deng Ken; had Deng Ken not been alert and retreated early, he might have been surrounded. With his current physical condition, Deng Ken could not yet infiltrate like an Assassin’s Creed agent—his method was to eliminate every witness.

When all the people were dead, no one would know he had infiltrated.

“Is this some kind of berserk?”

The last time Deng Ken faced a similar enemy, it was the leader of a barbarian rout—he had charged through six or seven arrows to reach Deng Ken’s side, only to have his skull split open by a single axe blow.

“Hard to deal with!”

Toward the town gate, a cavalry unit had charged out—over two hundred barbarian troops were assembling, already prepared, torches raised as they pursued.

Nidron the Bloodaxe clung tightly to Deng Ken’s heels.

The distance between them was only seventy or eighty meters. Deng Ken ran fast, but this man ran faster—as if he had endless stamina.

This was surely the pinnacle of barbarian berserkers.

Deng Ken turned and fired another arrow—it struck the enemy’s abdomen. The man didn’t even groan; instead, he pulled a second hand axe from his belt. He had prepared for this—Franks favored throwing axes, but Saxons rarely used them.

Through the air.

Deng Ken rolled violently—the throwing axe struck his former position and embedded deep into the earth.

“So strong!”

Deng Ken’s Frankish throwing axe had an effective range of only thirty to forty meters. This enemy had thrown one over fifty to sixty meters with lethal force.

“He uses his two-handed axe like a one-handed weapon—can’t fight him head-on!”

Deng Ken stopped pausing to draw his bow. Under cover of night, he sprinted straight for the forest.

Behind Nidron the Bloodaxe, hundreds of pursuers followed. A squad of ten Saxon pirate horsemen had caught up, though they could not pinpoint Deng Ken’s location and scattered to search. Around two or three hundred soldiers from Devon Town poured out with torches, splitting into multiple groups to encircle from different directions.

Deng Ken’s figure darted like a leopard, vanishing into the dense forest.

Nidron the Bloodaxe did not hesitate—he charged in after him. If he lost the trail now, catching Deng Ken again would be nearly impossible.

Beneath the night sky, within the lush forest.

After entering the forest, Deng Ken grew calm. He leapt upward, climbed a small hill, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the relentless pursuer.

Shhh!

The arrow pierced the air.

From the God’s-eye view, Deng Ken’s vision was unchanged from daylight. Nidron heard the whistle—next second, his knee throbbed, and he staggered. Even with armor, a knee injury crippled mobility; he gritted his teeth and yanked the arrow free.

“Come out!”

“Let us fight honorably!”

“Under Thor’s witness.”

“Let us see who is the true warrior!”

Nidron the Bloodaxe’s roar echoed like a wounded beast, but Deng Ken remained unmoved. He watched the barbarian horsemen rapidly approaching beyond the trees, shifted position, and fired another arrow into the enemy’s back.

Pthsh.

Blood welled.

Nidron the Bloodaxe, clad in heavy armor, took two arrows and still fought ferociously. He locked onto Deng Ken’s position by faint starlight, sprinted forward, and hurled his decapitation axe as well.

Thud!

The decapitation axe slammed into the tree beside Deng Ken, embedding several centimeters deep, the haft trembling with vibration.

Nidron the Bloodaxe roared, surged forward, weaponless now—he raised his shield and lunged like a starving tiger, aiming to close in for hand-to-hand combat.

Deng Ken’s figure slipped gracefully backward, leapt down the hill, and retreated again to draw his bow.

Pthsh.

Nidron the Bloodaxe’s right leg was struck. At this range, the Northern warbow pierced straight through his leg armor.

Clang!

The Oathkeeper flashed a cold blade—Deng Ken moved faster than lightning. As the enemy charged, the sword pierced through his arm armor, leaving a deep, bone-exposing wound near the wrist.

Nidron the Bloodaxe let out a pained grunt, swung his shield at Deng Ken. The blow roared with force—but missed. The shield shattered, only pulverizing a nearby stone.

Deng Ken’s agility far surpassed his.

In the darkness, Deng Ken’s innate “Night Vision” let him move like a butterfly through flowers—dodging, lunging, his blade piercing the enemy’s right shoulder.

The outcome was decided.

Nidron the Bloodaxe had been crippled in both legs and one arm.

After only a few exchanges, the ferocious barbarian warrior staggered, his initial terrifying aura gone.

Deng Ken refused to engage him head-on.

He hurled his Frankish throwing axe—less than five meters away. The axe struck the enemy’s chest.

“Cough… cough…”

Foam of blood spewed.

Nidron the Bloodaxe could no longer move. He knelt half-bowed on the cold ground, his gaze fixed on Deng Ken—filled with fury and defiance.

His berserk state should be fading.

He was still alive only because of the berserker’s special ability. Deng Ken stood still and fired three arrows in succession—finishing blows—until the enemy entered critical condition. Only then did he pull the decapitation axe from the tree trunk.

——Combat Style: Decapitation!

Blood gushed like a fountain.

Deng Ken swung the decapitation axe without expression. Nidron the Bloodaxe’s grotesque head rolled to the ground; his headless body crashed down, blood splattering several meters away.

A cold wind swept through.

Deng Ken, like a cold-blooded hunter, snapped off a branch and impaled Nidron the Bloodaxe’s head upon it.

At this moment, the sound of galloping hooves echoed outside the forest.

He did not seek heads; his agile figure vanished into the darkness, quickly disappearing into the vast night.

Several minutes later.

A squad of barbarian soldiers, torches held high, entered the forest and saw only a headless corpse—on the site of the earlier battle, a grotesque head had been impaled on a wooden stake and nailed into the muddy ground.

The head of Bloodaxe-Nid Long stood stiff with bristling hair and beard, furious beyond words; even in death, its bloodshot eyes glared like a demon.

Dead with eyes wide open.

A barbarian centurion, face twisted with terror, tried repeatedly to close Bloodaxe-Nid Long ’s glaring eyes, but each time he did, the head would open them again.

No one knew how long it lasted.

The figure of Valkyrie slowly materialized; no one else could see her, yet she expressionlessly dragged a furious, unwilling soul away, vanishing swiftly beneath the night sky.

At this point, Deng Ken had withdrawn far enough to spare a moment to examine the abilities he had seized.

——“Unending Drinker (Unique Ability): The Germanic barbarians loved wine and war; Thor of the Norse pantheon was insatiable in drink. Those warriors favored by Him grew stronger after heavy drinking, their pain sensitivity diminished, and their stamina and endurance temporarily enhanced. They never truly became drunk, but gained an additional negative state: Recklessness—Thor himself was a reckless deity.” (Note: Many barbarians worship the Wine God, believing drinking amplifies their strength.)

——“Great Rage (Advanced Ability): A branch of Adrenaline Surge, an advanced state of Rage. Only the most courageous warriors in battle receive the god’s blessing, unleashing power beyond human imagination. In legend, Thor often charged alone into enemy ranks, favoring barbarian warriors who defied fear. Additional negative states: Fury, Spontaneous Charge, Fearless.”

(Note: Thor was the strongest among the Norse gods; only barbarian warriors who worshipped Him could achieve further rage.)

The Norse pantheon truly revered brute strength.

Deng Ken stared at the two abilities he had just seized—unexpectedly, they were even greater than the reward from killing King Kent.

“Is it because, in legend, the main enemies of the Norse pantheon were giants?”

Deng Ken sensed it might relate to the mythological system—barbarian warriors’ supernatural abilities often relied on sheer force producing miracles.

“If I engaged him in close combat, he’d probably still get his ‘force produces miracles’ moment.”

“But why would I brawl with a raging barbarian?”

Deng Ken wasn’t foolish. The enemy was clearly in a rage state—he would avoid his Fengmang , waiting until the enemy’s blood-fueled fury exhausted itself before striking.

Archers may all harbor a desire for close combat, but not now.

The night was deep.

Deng Ken retreated until no enemy units remained nearby, then slowed to a stop.

Huh?

Why has fog formed?

Just after shaking off his pursuers, Deng Ken suddenly noticed mist rising all around him; the nearby marshland flickered in and out of view beneath the fog.

“Something’s wrong!”

From the God’s-eye view, Deng Ken fixed his gaze on the surroundings—he saw the projection map undergoing a transformation.

The forest was fading, replaced by fog that now blanketed the entire map!

“Where’s that water coming from?”

Deng Ken faintly heard the sound of water, and the rhythm of oars cutting through it. As he moved through the mist, a lake appeared ahead—he remembered clearly there had been no rivers or lakes nearby before.

——Avalon in the Mist [Blessed Land]!

From the God’s-eye view.

Everything in the projection began overlaying reality, as if two distinct dimensions were slowly merging—a powerful supernatural force had opened a gateway to a mysterious realm here.

Avalon was the sacred site of Celtic mythology, the central belief of ancient Druidic religion.

It was also the final resting place of King Arthur, the blissful Otherworld, said to be guarded by nine fairy maidens.

Avalon in the Mist, Tír na nÓg of Irish myth, the Garden of the Golden Apples of Greek myth, and the Eden of Jewish myth—all were legendary realms beyond reality.

“Similar to a Cave of Heaven and Earth?”

“A plane outside the real world?”

Deng Ken could only guess, for Eastern myths also contained places outside reality. Now, at the twilight of the mythic age, the last stronghold of ancient Celtic myth was the island of Britain.

A small boat slowly appeared in his line of sight.

——Tethys (Lady of the Lake) (Fairy) (Elf) (Three-Star Silver-Grey).

The boat reached shore.

Under the brightening moonlight, a beautiful woman in a white gown, resembling a Nymph from ancient Greek myth, emerged. She smiled and bowed to Deng Ken, gesturing for him to board the boat.

Celtic mythology was now extremely weak; as the legendary guardian fairy, her power was even less than that of a Valkyrie.

Deng Ken hesitated a moment, then stepped directly onto the boat.

Avalon in the Mist.

The last holy ground of ancient Druid faith—he wanted to see what the myth had become.

The mist gradually enveloped everything nearby.

The small boat drifted deeper into the mist; after an indeterminate time, an island appeared in Deng Ken’s view.

By the riverbank.

Five beautiful, distinctively lovely Ladies of the Lake awaited him; behind them stood numerous magical creatures resembling fairies.

From the God’s-eye view.

In Deng Ken’s projection, the label in the corner of the interface had changed from “Real World” to “Avalon in the Mist [Blessed Land].”

………………