Chapter 29: The Hero of Britain! Legend Rating

The feel of that shot was simply perfect.

Duncan felt as if he were divinely guided, firing a single shot that struck down Hengist, the founding king of the Kingdom of Kent.

From a god’s-eye view, everything within the projected image shifted alongside the retreat of the barbarian army. A unique mark emerged, and simultaneously, above the projection interface, a symbol with a golden star slowly appeared next to the "Legendary Status"—a currency-like metric.

—"Battle of Tintagel [Epic Battle]: The brothers Hengist and Horsa, invaders of the British Isles, established a kingdom in the Kent region. Eager to expand his territory, King Hengist of Kent set his sights on the Duke of Tintagel.

The Kingdom of Kent split its forces into two prongs to attack the western part of the British Isles. After soundly defeating the Duke of Tintagel, the brothers Hengist and Horsa pursued the remnants and laid siege to Tintagel Castle.

In a state of panic, the Duke of Tintagel recruited a militia of over a thousand men to face the six-thousand-strong army of the Kingdom of Kent.

In this battle:

You, single-handedly, turned the tide. You slew over a dozen barbarian warriors, and relying on your immense personal prowess, you reorganized the morale of this ragtag group, successfully repelling three waves of the Kentish assault.

At the decisive moment, you personally operated the ballista. Seizing the perfect opportunity, you fired with divine precision, killing the founding king of the Kingdom of Kent, Hengist.

With the king’s sudden death, the barbarian army retreated.

The Kingdom of Kent fell into chaos over the succession, and the power of the barbarian factions, led by the Jutes, began to wane.

Your fame will spread across the entire British Isles following this epic victory!"

(Legendary Status +3, British Legendary Status +1, Saxon Legendary Status +1, Germanic Barbarian Legendary Status +1.)

Duncan’s thoughts stirred. As he focused his attention on the Legendary Status, another faction marker appeared—Polytheism: Norse Pantheon Legendary Status +2 (derived respectively from the Germanic people and their branch, the Saxons).

"Legendary Status seems to function like currency within this dimensional space."

Duncan attempted to utilize them, and the projection interface before him immediately changed.

"Consume Legendary Status?" (Consumed status does not vanish; the count simply shifts from 3/3 to 0/3.)

Ripples spread across the dimensional space. In an instant, Duncan seemed to perceive the echoes of the river of history: the Saxons invading the British Isles, the Jutes establishing the Kingdom of Kent and subsequently becoming the most powerful state, the arrival of the Heptarchy. Amidst the torrential flow of history, all legends regarding the Kingdom of Kent were collapsing and fading. Ultimately, these traces of history were devoured by the dimensional space, and the endless legends were converted into a tangible energy and absorbed.

Duncan’s own legend took their place, entering the historical currents of the Medieval Era.

"Legendary Status Enhancement Branch 1—Soul."

(Significantly enhance your soul. As the soul grows stronger, you will ascend to a higher form of life. At the same time, captured human vessels will inherit the corresponding soul strength; upon entering the real world, this strength will manifest as unique innate abilities.)

(This effect applies to all human vessels in the real world.)

What does this mean? Does it mean that even if the vessel I capture is an ordinary person, after enhancing the soul, that vessel will become a person of extraordinary talent? Or does it mean that soul strength brings more specific abilities?

Duncan silently marked it and continued reading.

"Legendary Status Enhancement Branch 2—Ascension."

(You may consume Legendary Status to elevate the rank of a corresponding human vessel, or consume it to ignite the fire of divinity, allowing the vessel to ascend into an Immortal Heroic Spirit, Demigod, or True God. Once ascended, the vessel is transformed into a backup avatar for the dimensional space, regarded as a Saintly Form.)

(You may also consume Legendary Status to elevate corresponding indigenous people, though this can only be applied to targets that have already perished. The target will be elevated into a Heroic Spirit form or canonized as a local deity of mountains and rivers. The transformed target will possess Legendary Status, but should the legend fade, the target will gradually dissipate.)

Hmm? This sounds a bit like the future derived from the Law of Causality, where the Raven Queen, Triss, forcibly helped me ascend into a lower-rank Heroic Spirit. So, Legendary Status can be used not only to elevate my own vessels but also others? Even canonizing minor deities, like gods of the land or mountains?

Sss. This Legendary Status is truly powerful; no wonder it is so rarely obtained.

"Legendary Status Enhancement Branch 3—Inscription."

(Directly inscribe the abilities mastered by a corresponding human vessel into your own soul. These inscribed abilities will be loaded into other vessels upon your descent. If an inscribed ability conflicts with the laws of a world, activating it may alter the root laws of the corresponding world.)

(Soul-inscribed abilities apply to all human vessels!)

(Within different dimensional spaces, in a state without a physical body or human vessel, inscribed abilities are treated as root laws mastered by the soul.)

[Note: Under law conflict, the root laws you have inscribed will trigger turmoil in the world's laws. Worlds without supernatural power may experience phenomena such as the resurgence of spirit energy, elemental tides, or supernatural awakenings. The effect is equivalent to the infusion of high-dimensional power into reality, like a drop of ink falling into a basin of water; after dilution, it triggers a chain reaction in the root laws. Simply put, the power he brings in triggers the world's ascension.]

Sss. This feels a bit like a save file from a previous playthrough, retaining the abilities of a human vessel for the next run. The human vessel and Duncan’s consciousness are not in the same dimension. Based on Duncan’s current understanding of the dimensional space, the vessel is merely a tool for his consciousness to enter the real world, and the abilities seized by the vessel are mostly stored on that tool. Inscription is like uploading. Uploading the vessel's abilities into his soul, and then his soul can carry these abilities to other vessels.

"Have I become some kind of extraterrestrial demon?"

Duncan fell into deep contemplation. All three enhancement directions are useful, but the second can be set aside for now, as the first vessel hasn't "failed" yet. Even if it were to be used, it would be to elevate others. The third branch, 'Inscription,' is also not an immediate priority; since the first vessel is alive and well, there is no need to rush, especially since he doesn't even know where the second vessel is.

"Then it must be the first enhancement branch—improving the soul."

Duncan tentatively consumed one point of Legendary Status.

The next second, a vast amount of energy surged into his soul. It was the echo of historical legends, as if he were peeking into the endless river of history. Strands of legend gathered into a form of energy; at first a trickle, then a surging tide, it poured directly into his soul, causing the very essence of his spirit to undergo a subtle transformation.

Hmm? That’s it?

Duncan couldn't feel much change, except that he discovered he was more energetic and tireless within the dimensional space.

—"Spirit [Soul Enhancement]: Your soul has been infused with energy. The most primal spirituality has taken root within your soul, and it now possesses a hint of the characteristics of a mythical creature. Slightly increases your resistance to all supernatural forces such as spells, witchcraft, curses, and hexes."

(With the mana bar enabled, slightly increases your maximum mana capacity.)

Is this a passive trait? To be honest, Duncan didn't feel a significant improvement, just that his soul truly felt different. The projection page didn't provide a prompt, and he didn't know how much Legendary Status was required to reach the next stage.

Duncan consumed another point of Legendary Status. He felt his soul grow a bit stronger again, but he couldn't accurately measure how much. He felt that this soul enhancement was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much Legendary Status he poured in, it would be completely consumed.

"Is soul enhancement limitless?"

Duncan ultimately saved one point of Legendary Status—1/3—to guard against accidents.

"I have a feeling that enhancements related to gods will require a massive amount of Legendary Status."

From a god’s-eye view, the projection page had only one currency indicator: 'Legendary Status.' He tentatively used 'Seclusion' to peek into the future derived from the Law of Causality, and sure enough, it had changed again.

—"Law of Causality [Training Settlement]: You remained on the British Isles and were knighted for your military achievements. Shortly thereafter, the Duke of Tintagel died in an accident. Through the interference of the wizard Merlin, Igraine married King Uther, and King Arthur was successfully born. But this is not yet the era of King Arthur. You are the hero of British legend! Your existence inspired the courage of countless Britons; they raised their weapons to resist the Saxon invasion. Surrounded by followers, you defeated the barbarian armies several times and established a new kingdom in Cornwall, becoming one of the Seven Kingdoms of the British Isles. Years later, having unified the British region and grown weary of the kingdoms' strife, you chose to relinquish the throne, adopted Arthur, passed the crown to him (or her), and ultimately decided to follow the Raven Queen, Triss, to find a new continent overseas."

The ending remained the same. He and the Raven Queen, Triss, died together under the breath of a dragon.

"No way. I've become so much stronger now; can't I, together with the Raven Queen, Triss, still not kill that dragon?"

The human vessel is truly devoted, willing to die together. This branch of the Law of Causality is quite interesting. The vessel actually adopted Arthur and designated him as the heir to the kingdom, so that means there would be no story of the 'Sword in the Stone'? It seems that in this causality path, the vessel controlled most of the territories of the Duke of Tintagel and King Uther, which is why Arthur would become his adopted son. Since he was a designated legitimate heir, there would be no need for Merlin to play tricks with a 'Sword in the Stone' for Arthur to ascend.

My, Duncan’s adopted son, Arthur, is the rightful King of Britain; he doesn't need to rely on a sword in a stone to fool anyone!

"Must say, this branch of the Law of Causality is quite satisfying. It's just the ending that’s bad."

Is the dragon that hard to kill? Duncan treated the Law of Causality derivation as a means to collect intelligence on the future, so he set it aside after looking. Only when he could kill the dragon and change the ending of dying for love with the Raven Queen, Triss, would he truly possess the ability to protect himself in this world.

Before leaving the dimensional space, Duncan experimented with 'Inscription.' He found that only Master-level combat techniques required one point of Legendary Status to inscribe; other combat techniques only consumed one point for a whole bunch combined.

"As expected, only Master-level is a qualitative change. For ordinary combat mastery, one point of Legendary Status can inscribe five or six."

But he didn't know where the next human vessel was, so he didn't need to consider these questions for now. There was no rush for inscriptions; what if he loaded into the next vessel and entered the real world, only to find the era had changed? Archery turned into firearms? Riding turned into driving? No rush, no rush.

Duncan’s true self is above the dimension, like an extraterrestrial demon; time doesn't necessarily flow the same way. Only after a vessel is loaded does he connect with the real world. The first human vessel is his only anchor to the Medieval Era. Undoubtedly, his initial guess about the dimensional space was correct: only by successfully 'nurturing' a vessel can he influence his true soul in the dimensional space. Without 'starting' and succeeding, Duncan wouldn't even reach the threshold to obtain Legendary Status.

Leaving a name in history is not so easy. Throughout the ages, how many years have passed, and how many have been able to leave their names in history, or even become legendary figures? Duncan has now become a hero of the Britons!

Even the Duke of Tintagel looked at him with intense fervor. Because Duncan’s strength was so great, the Duke couldn't even muster a hint of jealousy; if it weren't for Duncan turning the tide in this battle, his title as Duke would have completely become history. Now that the Saxon barbarians were eyeing them greedily, Duncan was more important to him than Anya!

Tintagel Castle. This great victory gave the Duke of Tintagel a breather. He ordered his servants to prepare a victory banquet, rewarded the soldiers, and brought out all the treasures he had kept in storage. He even bypassed Anya to subtly inquire if Duncan was willing to become a lord loyal to him. Duncan politely declined.

At the banquet, the Duke’s expression as he looked at Anya contained a hint of jealousy. He wasn't jealous of Duncan’s martial prowess; rather, he was jealous that this Roman noblewoman had used some unknown enchanting method to make such a fierce warrior so loyal! As expected, Anya was a vixen. After being politely turned down by Duncan, the Duke no longer showed the same courtesy to Anya, instead thinking about how to poach him. Romans were accustomed to arrogance. They might not even look favorably upon a remote province like the British Isles. Things must be plotted slowly!

The Duke of Tintagel was, after all, a political creature; interest was what he pursued. So, after some deliberation, he decided to take the initiative to seek cooperation with Anya, using the power of the Romans to resist the barbarians. This was indisputable, as the British had written to Gaul years ago begging for help, requesting the Empire to send legions again to wipe out the barbarians. But the Empire eventually abandoned them.

The Duke of Tintagel could now sympathize with the helplessness of the Britons back then; it felt like a jilted lover, having no power to resist, being crazily ravaged by barbarians, running to an old flame for help, only for the Empire to be unable to protect her, leaving them to fight to the death on their own. The Empire’s rule over the British province had ended only a few decades ago; having ruled for over four hundred years, it was impossible to cut ties all at once. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds affection. After four hundred years, the Britons at this time still believed they had deep ties with the Empire.

"Arrogant Romans! They only care about the European continent and don't care at all about the remote British Isles."

The Duke of Tintagel finally decided to concede. After the banquet, he signaled his attendant to invite Anya to the study for a discussion. In any case, he had to grasp the help before him and survive the current crisis. Although the Saxon barbarians had retreated, their base was not severely damaged; as long as the succession struggle was resolved, they could return at any time, perhaps even gathering more forces to attack in the name of avenging the king.

In the hall, Anya rose and whispered in Duncan’s ear, "The fish has taken the bait." With that, she gave Duncan a charming smile and followed along with calm, elegant grace. As long as the Duke of Tintagel spoke first, the initiative was in their hands. Anya didn't want a vassal relationship, but to gain a piece of land on the British Isles as an ally.

To describe it officially—"Anya and Duncan’s party, at the request of the Duke of Tintagel, stationed themselves on the British Isles and reached a covenant to resist the Saxon barbarians together."

Now it depended on Anya’s methods!

Candlelight flickered. The Raven Queen, Triss, walked slowly to Duncan’s side, looking quite weary, and said softly, "Don't worry. She will definitely be able to persuade him."

"Persuade." She emphasized the word, which seemed to carry another meaning. Duncan was thoughtful, his lips moving without making a sound, forming the word: "Witchcraft?"

The Raven Queen, Triss, nodded slightly. She looked left and right and whispered, "Anya is skilled in charm spells, which can invisibly bewitch one's mind and change their thoughts. The Duke of Tintagel is not a person of firm will."

Understood. Enchantment spells, charming humans, mental suggestion, etc.—so this was where Anya’s supernatural ability lay. No wonder she showed nothing in battle. With her ability, she probably couldn't influence someone who was about to kill her with a blade the next second. A witch is a witch after all. Anya’s methods were quite stunning when used on ordinary people; no wonder the Duke of Tintagel was persuaded in a few words to hand over part of his troops to Duncan to command.

Would she use this kind of supernatural ability on him?

As if guessing Duncan’s thoughts, the Raven Queen, Triss, narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Don't worry. If she dares to mess around, I’ll whip her to death!"

That night, Anya had dressed up carefully to visit Duncan in the middle of the night, and the Raven Queen, Triss, had sensed something wrong, which was why she had controlled her as soon as she acted. At the time, Anya had likely wanted to use a mind-control supernatural ability. The end result was three lashes shattering her dream of being the mistress.

Duncan felt much more at ease hearing this. Despite his already intimate relationship with Anya, involving deep physical contact, in the future derived from the Law of Causality, there was never any mention of Anya, which meant their relationship wasn't as intimate as imagined; it was more like intimate lovers who were also partners. The Raven Queen, Triss, would live and die with Duncan in the future of the Law of Causality, dying under dragon fire to protect him, but Anya was not necessarily the same; she had emerged this time to protect herself.

—Weapon Master (Axe): Your mastery of axe-type weapons is like an extension of your arm; it is as if it were a part of your body. Significantly enhances combat techniques for axe-type weapons. Additional combat specialties: decapitation, waist-cutting, armor-piercing, and powerful attacks.

—Naval Combat Mastery: You walk as if on solid ground on the deck, unaffected by any motion. Significantly enhances combat skills for naval and water battles.

A third Master-level combat technique. Duncan wasn't surprised, as fighting against barbarians was most likely to improve axe-type weapons. In addition, his 'Strong' ability was marked with a gold star, labeled 'Barbarian Warrior,' which meant his physique had been further improved.

The only thing Duncan wasn't very clear about currently was 'Odin’s Gaze.' He didn't believe in the Norse pantheon. Why was Odin gazing at him? It couldn't be that he was just watching him, waiting for the day he died in battle to drag him off to Valhalla, could it?

Duncan had improved significantly in this battle. In his basic combat styles, the moves related to axes had further improved, and hacking had even gained a golden border, with one blow sufficient to split a person in two.

"This is truly heading further and further down the path of a Berserker!"

A day passed quickly. Severus hurried back on the third day, bringing with him five or six high-ranking Celtic warriors. He had also captured a Germanic barbarian prisoner, from whom he accidentally learned a rumor that Duncan was very concerned about.

Trolls. Scandinavia.

Duncan finally heard rumors of supernatural creatures again. In the Nordic region, legendary trolls were active on the Vikings' land. In addition, there were supernatural rumors of sea monsters, sirens, half-giants, and dragons. The drawback was that it was very far away, and that was the territory of the Norse pantheon.