Chapter 24: Defeating the Enemy Single-Handedly! Breaking Arrows with a Blade!

Valkyrie? A member of the Norse pantheon?

This discovery caused Duncan’s expression to shift, even more shocked than when he had previously seen a dragon in Iceland during his causal derivation.

Mortals seemed unable to see this Valkyrie with the naked eye.

She paid no attention to anyone else on the battlefield, ignoring the fallen common soldiers and showing no interest in the dead who followed monotheism. Her gaze was fixed solely on the elite units of the Germanic barbarians. Only a combat unit of at least one-star rating could draw even the slightest attention from this silver-helmeted, winged Valkyrie.

They could not be cowards killed while fleeing.

They had to be Germanic barbarian warriors who were peerless in frontal combat, who viewed fear as nothing, and who held faith in the polytheistic Norse pantheon.

It did not matter if they were surrounded and slain because they had charged too recklessly.

As long as they were strong and brave enough, they would be awakened from the battlefield by the Valkyrie, only to be taken away in an invisible spiritual form, vanishing into mid-air.

"Valhalla?"

In an instant, Duncan connected many things, including the form he had first seen in his causal derivation—Monster Hunter Duncan [Lower-tier Einherjar].

He suddenly realized something: if the extinguishing of the Olympian sacrificial fires and the closing of the Pantheon doors in 394 AD signified the formal demise of the Ancient Greek and Roman divine factions, then there was still one faction in this era of polytheism that had not been wiped out by the Church.

—The Norse pantheon.

They were rooted among the Germanic barbarians and, around 400 AD, began a massive invasion of the Roman Empire, dealing an irreparable blow to an empire that had already become "fully Christianized."

This timeline seemed quite interesting.

Shortly after the extinction of the Greek and Roman pantheons, the Germanic barbarians of the North began their migrations, wave after wave, crashing against the borders of the Roman Empire.

The westward expansion of the Huns was not necessarily the only reason.

"And the subsequent Viking invasions..."

"Scandinavia, the most ferocious of the Northern tribes, also began attacking and plundering Europe. They were the ones who sailed dragon-headed longships, shouting the name of Odin while raiding the European coasts."

Does this signify that the war of faith between monotheism and polytheism has not yet ended?

The Roman Empire is on the verge of collapse.

The factions of the Greek and Roman gods were destroyed by monotheism, but the Norse pantheon still has the strength to fight?

Barbarian invasions?

Could this represent a counterattack by the Norse gods?

In this twilight era of myth where supernatural power is severely restricted, even deities must resort to other methods to influence mortals and determine the ultimate victory of their faith.

Whether the Greek and Roman gods are truly dead, Duncan does not know, and the Raven Queen, Triss, only said they had abandoned their priests.

It is somewhat like the mythological games he played in his past life: the divine faction is wiped out in the real world, the rituals of faith are severed, and eventually, the pantheon loses almost all influence in reality.

Julian the Apostate could be seen as an emperor supporting the "restoration of the Greek and Roman pantheons," but with his sudden death, the coffin lid was slammed shut once more.

The Church’s purge of the remaining heretics was meant to nail that coffin shut, with a cross pressed firmly on top.

This was the second supernatural unit Duncan had seen marked as "three-star gold"—the Valkyrie of Norse mythology. The previous three-star gold unit was George the Monster Hunter, a figure from Church mythology whose legend of "Saint George Slaying the Dragon" would persist until the twenty-first century.

"It seems the power of mythological figures is not so great as to be incomprehensible."

Three-star gold.

One can fight them, one can break through their defenses, but there is a high probability of death.

Duncan still cannot fully grasp the supernatural power system of this world, but based on the clues he has gathered, the supernatural power of the Middle Ages is roughly on par with the level of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings.

The usual strength of the Raven Queen, Triss, may not necessarily surpass that of the human incarnations of the Maiar.

As for the Dark Lord Sauron, the Elf Queen Galadriel, or the Elf King Elrond, Duncan has yet to encounter such powerful beings.

The Raven Queen, Triss, would certainly lose to Gandalf in melee combat—she would likely be crushed—but her spellcasting ability might be slightly stronger.

After all, the extraordinary magic she displayed during her "divine descent" rampage was somewhat close to that of the Elf Queen Galadriel, who could instantly kill powerful orcs.

At that time, the Raven Queen must have tapped into a sliver of divine power; that ancient sacrificial stone allowed her to temporarily possess a portion of the strength from the Age of Myth.

Whether it is Beowulf or King Arthur, the combat power of those legendary figures should not be much stronger than the Fellowship of the Ring. (Using the Elf Prince as a unit of measurement. The strongest enemy encountered so far is roughly 0.5 of an Elf Prince.)

After all, even Beowulf died after slaying the dragon.

The most terrifying display of supernatural power Duncan has seen to date was the Raven Queen’s rampage.

"Did Severus's power suddenly increase?"

"Is it because he entered the region of Celtic faith, restoring his spellcasting ability? Does he possess the unique ability to speak with animals?"

"Perhaps he can even shapeshift?"

Duncan had many questions, but he could feel the fog shrouding the world gradually lifting; he was increasingly able to see the hidden truths of this world.

"The power of the Holy Grail exists."

"Then other holy relics, including the Spear of Longinus, must also be real."

"It really is better to develop a low profile. The waters within the Empire are truly too deep."

Duncan now wants to know if those mythological beings can descend into the human realm. He knows there are saints in the Church who bear the title of "Holy."

As for the Norse pantheon, apart from Beowulf, he has not heard of any other powerful legendary figures.

"The British Isles will be the starting point for me to gain a foothold in this world."

"There is no place more suitable."

Since his transmigration, Duncan has traveled across most of the European continent and has finally caught a glimpse of the truth behind the world.

On the battlefield.

The situation was much as Duncan had predicted; the Duke of Tintagel’s army quickly routed.

His auxiliary forces were too numerous, too disorganized, and too incompetent.

The Cantii, still clinging to tribal traditions, had poor cohesion. Terrified by the Saxon barbarians, the mere sound of their war cries caused morale to waver. The Duke was not skilled at using auxiliary troops like the Mongols, and in the end, his formation was thrown into chaos by his own fleeing auxiliaries.

"His only chance was to order the center to mercilessly cut down the fleeing soldiers who were crashing into their lines the moment the Cantii broke."

The battlefield situation changes in the blink of an eye.

The center must never be broken!

Regardless of who it is, even if it is one's own men, if they crash into the center line, they must be cut down without exception.

He had a slim chance if he had acted decisively then, but he chose to try and rally the remnants instead.

Now, there is truly no chance left.

The center is in chaos.

The flanks were shattered by elite Saxon axemen, who drove the fleeing soldiers into the main body, plunging the British command into total disarray.

"Follow me!"

A thunderous roar erupted on the battlefield. The Saxon chieftain’s guard moved, and the dozens of barbarian noble cavalry behind them followed suit. Do not be misled by stories of thousands of soldiers; on a real battlefield, a charge of nearly a hundred cavalrymen is already terrifying enough.

The most spectacular scene in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings only involved the six thousand cavalry of Rohan.

If you have played a realistic battlefield game, you know that three or four hundred cavalry charging is an intimidating sight. If you summon a cavalry legion of a thousand, they cover the entire battlefield.

That is why ancient history is filled with tales of fierce generals leading only a few hundred cavalry to rout an enemy ten times their size.

To use an old Roman proverb, "The die is cast."

Whether it is the Hunnic Empire or the Mongol Empire, when the heavy cavalry is finally deployed, it is the moment that decides life, death, and victory.

The Germanic barbarians were incredibly fierce.

The Goths were one of the branches of the East Germanic tribes; several chieftains and kings of the Visigoth and Ostrogoth kingdoms died on the field during charges.

Currently, among the Germanic tribes, the Franks and the Saxons were in the first tier.

A single charge!

It was like a hot knife through butter!

The Saxon chieftain’s guard pierced through the British right flank in a wedge formation. This sharp triangular array acted like a dagger, becoming the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The sound of hooves thundered.

In the center of the battlefield, men were packed so tightly that it was impossible to see the surroundings. The British legion could only hear the roar of the cavalry; the charge of a hundred heavy cavalrymen felt like a boiling cauldron being overturned.

The entire battlefield was likely only being held together by the Duke of Tintagel's personal guard and the British legion that imitated the Empire’s field army.

Except for elite heavy infantry, other foot-soldier legions could not stop them!

Spearmen have some advantage against cavalry, but they cannot actually stop them. Without mobility, only heavy infantry can withstand a wave; whether they are spearmen is not as important as the initial damage dealt.

If spearmen could truly counter cavalry, the dynasties of the Central Plains could just pull out a hundred thousand spearmen and play with them at will. (The units capable of fighting cavalry are always the top-tier heavy infantry, such as the Han Dynasty's Trap Battalion or the Tang Dynasty's Modao swordsmen.)

Once heavy cavalry charges, they are runaway juggernauts.

—Saxon Chieftain’s Guard (Heavy Cavalry) (High Morale) (Decisive Moment)!

At this moment, the Duke of Tintagel hesitated. He did not lead his guard in a counter-charge immediately, and by the time he reacted, the entire battlefield had become a one-sided slaughter.

Heavy cavalry only charges directly onto the battlefield under one condition:

After both sides have fought for a long time.

The infantry's energy is significantly depleted (fatigue).

The enemy line shows a clear weakness, and the heavy cavalry uses its high mobility to grasp the fleeting opportunity and deliver the final blow!

When this hammer falls, the entire battlefield is smashed to pieces.

Since ancient times, heavy cavalry has been the final trump card on local battlefields. Their high cost makes any general extremely cautious when deploying them.

Losing thousands of heavy cavalry in one battle could bring a regional power to the brink of collapse.

During the Mongol Empire's westward expansion across Eurasia, once the Mongol heavy cavalry appeared, it was essentially the final move in the game of life and death.

The move is made, and there is no turning back!

The Saxon chieftain’s guard pierced through the flank of the battlefield, with a dozen cavalrymen shielding the commander, ready to die for him at any moment.

The barbarian chieftain’s guard were men truly prepared to die!

Not just them—in the battle against the rebel exiles, the barbarian rebels inspired by Duncan had used their own bodies to shield him on both sides.

A mountain-shaking cheer rang out!

The Duke of Tintagel’s guard lost several men the moment they engaged. In a panic, a dozen guards fought to the death to help him break out of the encirclement, abandoning the British legion on the battlefield and retreating toward the rear of the forest.

With the commander’s guard routed, the battlefield turned into a one-sided massacre.

The British legion collapsed, dying in droves while being hunted down!

"Something's happening."

The Raven Queen, Triss, suddenly said, "The British seem to have lost!"

The Saxon chieftain’s guard was biting hard at their heels, seemingly intending to kill the Duke of Tintagel directly.

"Is he going to die here?"

"If so? Has King Uther already used Merlin’s help to take his form and sleep with his wife?"

Duncan’s expression shifted, and he said directly, "Stay here and wait for me."

But this time, things were different.

Severus shook his head slightly and said, "I will go too."

Duncan realized he had recovered his combat power and nodded slightly.

The Raven Queen, Triss, stared at Duncan, her tone firm: "I have recovered quite a bit during this time; I can lend you a hand!"

This is the British Isles.

There are many beings here with supernatural power. She was not questioning Duncan’s personal martial prowess, but worrying about encountering other supernatural entities.

Can one gain a foothold in this world?

Can one change history?

Duncan wants to know if he can save this "man destined to die."

The Duke of Tintagel was fleeing in disgrace under the protection of his guard, and the only ones pursuing him were the Saxon chieftain’s guard. Their numbers were not high, and Duncan was confident he could fight.

He never truly trusted King Uther, who had slaughtered wizards.

The Raven Queen, Triss, did not have much confidence in seeking Merlin’s help either, only because he was one of the most skilled diviners in the world.

That island of Iceland was a retreat left for the Norse pantheon; she was essentially pulling teeth from a tiger. (Using Iceland as a forward base allowed for the development of Greenland.)

"Come on!"

"Enter the great events of history from here!"

"As long as the Duke of Tintagel doesn't die, his power struggle with King Uther won't end. As a foreigner, if I want to take root in the British Isles, I must find opportunities within the conflict."

"If King Uther fully consolidates power, it will be even harder for me to rise!"

Acting in his own interest.

Duncan did not want a king who unified the British Isles; he wanted chaos among the lords, and King Uther must never hold absolute power.

Kill!

Duncan’s figure drew closer to the edge of the battlefield. The Duke of Tintagel’s guard was fleeing blindly, and they were getting closer.

Arrows pierced the air.

Duncan fired at a forty-five-degree angle, knocking a Saxon rider who had entered the forest off his horse. The forest made shooting difficult, but his archery was high enough, and his feel for it was excellent right now.

Master-level combat skills were the beginning of a qualitative change.

—Call Mount.

A whistle, and a riderless warhorse galloped over.

First kill!

Severus moved quickly. He uttered an ancient whisper, and the enemy warhorse in front suddenly seemed to lose control, galloping directly toward his position. Then, the horse reared up, and amidst the neighing, the Saxon rider was thrown into such a panic he nearly fell.

The warhorse was no longer under control.

The Druid’s supernatural power had influenced it.

Severus leaped up and struck the enemy down with a hammer, then delivered a second blow to crush his skull, immediately mounting the horse.

After spending so much time with Duncan, he had also grown fond of headshots.

He really had become an elite unit!

Severus influenced the enemy’s warhorse through a peculiar supernatural ability, capturing and taming it.

A Druid is, indeed, a Druid.

Arrows flew from the Raven Queen, Triss’s hands, and the Witch Anya caused the warhorses to panic. With the two witches working together, they threw a small detachment of enemy cavalry into chaos.

—Parthian Shot!

Second kill!

Duncan fired an arrow, knocking down a chieftain’s guard. The Raven Queen, Triss, mounted a horse, having enough strength to carry the slave girl as well. The slave girl barely spoke, having a congenital stutter, and basically had no presence along the way, simply serving the two witches.

Only then did the Saxon riders react in a panic. Duncan turned, drew his bow, and fired rapidly, killing another enemy with two consecutive shots.

Third kill!

"Watch out!"

"It’s a sharpshooter!" the Saxon riders panicked.

By now, the Witch Anya also whispered softly, as if summoning, and a riderless warhorse came to her side. She had decent riding skills and also mounted the horse to follow.

The five of them.

Now that Severus had recovered his strength, they finally looked like an elite squad.

Duncan took the lead!

He charged out of the forest, intercepting the chieftain’s guard pursuing the Duke of Tintagel. These men were powerful, all one-star units, and two were marked as two-star elite Saxon noble knights.

"Are there reinforcements?"

Some of the Duke of Tintagel’s guards realized this, but they saw only one man, hesitated, and continued their frantic retreat.

Duncan went alone to the meeting!

The other four retreated along the forest after seizing horses, while the witches looked for opportunities to assist with long-range magic.

Their melee ability was too poor, and their riding skills were not high enough.

—Parthian Shot!

Duncan drew his bow on horseback, turned a hundred and eighty degrees, and fired, knocking another man down. But the enemy wore a heavy helmet, and the arrow did not penetrate; he merely fell and was severely injured.

The heavy cavalry’s equipment was too good.

The northern war bow lacked power, and as his strength grew, he desperately needed a rare-grade war bow.

The others gradually caught up.

The Raven Queen, Triss, whispered and chanted from over a hundred meters away. Amidst the agitation of the warhorses, the pursuing enemy formation fell into chaos, but the enemy’s horsemanship was excellent, and no one fell.

Her spellcasting seemed to require a certain distance; otherwise, the power would be weakened.

The spell stirred up a wind of magic.

On the battlefield.

The Valkyrie, who had just taken away the souls of two warriors, turned abruptly, looking directly toward the Raven Queen, Triss.

But she took no action, maintaining her neutral state.

Her existence was invisible to the naked eye; she did not seem to belong to the physical plane, following behind everyone like a ghost, even stopping to take the soul of a chieftain’s guard that Duncan had killed.

For a moment.

She seemed to have formed a tacit understanding with Duncan.

Duncan killed wildly in front, and she collected souls behind him, appearing quite diligent in her duties.

"Does the Valkyrie exist or not?"

Except for Duncan’s god-like perspective, no one could perceive or observe the Valkyrie’s existence; even the Raven Queen, Triss, was unaware.

Even from a god-like perspective, she appeared to be a translucent spirit.

—Parthian Shot.

Fourth kill!

The Saxon chieftain’s guard finally felt that something was wrong.

Several men drew their war bows and fired in Duncan’s direction. The Saxon forest hunters were strong, serving as top-tier archers, and the noble knights could also shoot from horseback.

Another small squad of enemies bypassed the slope, attempting to intercept the Duke of Tintagel’s fleeing guard.

Clang!

An incredible scene occurred on the battlefield.

Duncan instantly drew his sword, and Oathkeeper turned into a blur, actually slicing the arrows aimed at him in half!

Facing the enemy alone, cutting arrows with a blade!

This sight startled the Saxon noble knights so much that they reined in their horses, not daring to move forward.

Is he even human?

Unlike the Raven Queen, Triss’s witchcraft, where the invisible wind deflected the arrows, making it feel like they had missed, Duncan relied purely on his physical constitution and powerful combat skills to draw his sword and cut the arrows.

This was even more terrifying!

This scene.

Even the Valkyrie, who resembled a spirit in mid-air, was astonished. Her eyes beneath the silver, winged helmet turned toward Duncan in the distance, her expression slightly shocked.

Clearly.

The shock Duncan gave the barbarian noble knights at this moment was no less than the immense pressure the Templars of the Order had once put on him. This unique ability relies heavily on comprehensive combat skills, and Duncan’s skills actually far exceeded those of the Templars.

Too strong!

Duncan forced back a dozen riders single-handedly, scaring them so much they dared not continue the pursuit.

On the other side, the Duke of Tintagel’s guard engaged the Saxon noble knights who had taken a shortcut. After a round of close-quarters fighting, several more men fell from their horses.

"You stay behind to cover the retreat."

Several guard cavalrymen had solemn expressions and, without hesitation, turned their horses to face death.

—Blood-Axe Nidron (Two-star silver-gray) (Elite Chieftain Guard) [Warrior of Thor].

A fierce, burly barbarian warrior reeking of alcohol burst through the formation.

He decapitated the lead guard cavalryman with one swing of his axe. Unlike the others, he could wield a two-handed battle axe while on horseback. His strength was astonishing. After cutting down two more, the brave barbarian was stabbed in the back. He roared, forced the crowd back, and charged back into the fray to rejoin the other barbarian riders.

This guy’s physical constitution was incredible; he acted as if he were fine even after being wounded!

He cut a path back and forth through the enemy lines.

Duncan had already caught up by then. Bow drawn like a full moon, arrows pierced the air, and he fired three shots in succession, killing another Saxon noble knight.

Fifth kill!

He should perhaps consider learning from Mongol riders: one quiver of light arrows for long-range, one quiver of heavy arrows for armor-piercing.

—Saxon Chieftain’s Guard (Morale Wavering) (Slight Casualties) (Encountered a Strong Enemy)!

Movement came from the rear.

The two scattered cavalry detachments merged into one, but they did not continue to pursue.

Because the distance had already widened.

To pursue, they would have to use light cavalry, but against Duncan, light cavalry was truly just throwing their lives away.

They sounded the retreat.

The pursuing barbarian knights were unwilling, but they withdrew, preparing to continue slaughtering the remnants on the battlefield.

They were the true foundation of the barbarian force; losing even one made them ache for a long time.

If Duncan hadn't intercepted that squad of a dozen riders, the pincer movement and frontal assault would likely have killed the Duke of Tintagel, who was fleeing in panic.

There were too many enemies.

Duncan could only fight and retreat, slowly wearing them down with kite tactics. His horsemanship was excellent, and he did not fear being caught.

Heavy cavalry had a hard time chasing him, and light cavalry would die if they tried.

What Duncan feared most currently was supernatural power, but fortunately, he was accompanied by a Druid and two witches.

The Valkyrie’s figure stopped.

Her eyes beneath the silver, winged helmet took one last look at Duncan from afar, then vanished, taking the soul of the barbarian warrior who had just been shot.

In this battle, nearly half of the souls she took were killed by Duncan.

The performance of Valhalla today relied entirely on Duncan’s slaughter.

On the edge of the battlefield.

The Duke of Tintagel did not stop to express his gratitude, continuing to gallop under the protection of his guard. He fled for over ten miles before finally stopping and sending men to invite the group that had saved his miserable life to come forward and express his thanks.

The Duke of Tintagel had even lost his helmet, revealing a middle-aged face in his thirties or forties. He looked quite heroic, but was only marked as a one-star blank unit.

His guard cavalry had suffered heavy casualties, with only a dozen escaping alive.

A crushing defeat!

After this disastrous battle, the Duke of Tintagel had essentially exhausted his foundation.

Duncan looked at the Duke of Tintagel, who was nervous and uneasy due to the defeat, and suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

That was to become a mercenary.

Find a way to bring the rebel exiles from the Gaul region over and take root in the British Isles as a mercenary force.

No one needed a strong mercenary force more than the defeated Duke of Tintagel!