Chapter Thirty-Three: The Bow of Norden (Bonus chapter dedicated to the alliance leader "Seeking Someone in the Nine Underworlds"!)

Under the moonlight.

On the shore stood a wooden bridge. The five guardian fairies stepped forward to welcome Duncan, and the Lady of the Lake on the boat, after securing the small vessel, smiled and reached out a hand to pull him ashore.

Duncan curiously surveyed his surroundings and said softly, "Thank you."

From a god's-eye view.

After passing through the mist and entering Avalon, his physical form had become semi-transparent and hazy, much like the Valkyrie he had encountered previously, appearing very close to a spiritual state. However, as soon as he truly stepped onto the land of Avalon, his mortal body became clear again within the projection interface.

Thetis smiled and led the way, with the five fairies following behind. Along the path, pixies brought fresh fruit; Duncan took a piece and tasted it, finding the flavor incredibly sweet.

The fairy leading the way smiled and said, "Welcome to Avalon."

"Distinguished guest from afar."

"You may rest here for a while; tomorrow, I shall see you off from the land of the afterlife."

Was it truly just an invitation to look around?

Duncan’s attention was entirely focused on the Avalon fairies. They were all marked as three-star silver-gray units, while the nearby pixies and spirits were one-star silver-gray. Their strength was far weaker than he had anticipated.

"Is it because the Celtic mythology has already withered so much?"

Duncan zoomed in on the map, observing a magnificent island. There were no hostile units; all were marked in blue. On the edge of the forest, there was a two-star silver-gray target labeled "Green Knight."

Celtic mythology had not been destroyed by the Church, but rather supplanted by the early Roman gods.

The core region of early Celtic mythology was Gaul. After the rise of the Roman Empire, the Druidic faith gradually became history, and the Celts were forced to migrate. They were already quite fragmented, lacking a complete pantheon of original beliefs, and eventually, they gathered mostly on the island of Britain.

After Julius Caesar conquered the province of Britain, the indigenous faith was reduced to only that which pertained to Avalon, and many of the original gods had been destroyed.

"It seems they are extremely weak now, lacking even a proper deity."

The strength of these fairies guarding Avalon was likely only on par with the minor goddesses of Greek mythology—the nymphs. Nymphs were spirits manifested from nature, usually appearing as beautiful maidens, serving the more powerful major gods.

"A pantheon that has not yet completely perished, but is merely lingering on its last breath."

Duncan wanted to see what they were planning. He followed the six fairies into an area that resembled a Druid’s circle.

There were few buildings on this island, and the population was pitifully small, as if it were a twilight kingdom of the afterlife.

A melodious melody began to play.

Flying in the air were pixies, much like those described in Shakespeare’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*. They were known as sprites or fairies, and in the Druidic faith, they belonged to the spiritual embodiments of nature.

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

Dozens of pixies brought all kinds of food, mainly fruits and vegetables, though there was also hearty meat. Then, many little sprites began to dance, and a pixie resembling a bard performed, making the atmosphere suddenly lively and cheerful.

A group of pixies, looking somewhat like flower fairies, brought wine cups. Accompanied by the rich fragrance of flowers, the amber liquid was intoxicating.

The six fairies stood up to raise their glasses, and Thetis, the leader, smiled charmingly. "Lord Duncan."

"Please, taste the honey wine of Avalon."

"It is a rare vintage in this world."

Duncan swallowed; he could indeed smell the fragrance of the wine. He was not a heavy drinker, but this aroma was truly tempting, stirring his desires.

He drank a cup.

Duncan found the wine exquisite—honey, floral scents, and the spirit blended together, leaving his whole body feeling comfortable. Seeing him drain the cup, the surrounding pixies grew jubilant, dancing around him.

This scene made him feel as if he were wandering through a wonderland.

The six Avalon fairies said nothing else, as if they had simply held a grand banquet to invite Duncan to attend.

A joyful air gradually permeated the area.

Without realizing it, Duncan had consumed many cups, and his vision seemed to blur slightly.

Thetis, standing nearby, clapped her hands.

Soon, a Green Knight emerged from the forest, holding a magnificent war bow, and knelt on one knee to present it to Duncan.

——"Bow of Nodens [Mythical Wonder] [Holy Relic]: The bow used by Nodens, the god of the hunt in Celtic mythology, possessing incredible supernatural power. Although Celtic mythology has gradually faded and the god of the hunt has long since perished, the war bow He left behind still possesses great strength. Traits: Magic-breaking, Rapid-fire, Burst-fire, Armor-piercing. Special Ability: Wind Arrow."

——"Wind Arrow [Special Ability]: Consumes mana to condense an invisible arrow of wind."

*Hiss!*

What was the meaning of this?

Upon seeing the Bow of Nodens, even Duncan’s drunkenness faded significantly.

Within the Druid’s circle, the six Avalon fairies glanced at each other, rose slowly, and bowed to Duncan. Thetis, the leader, said with a sincere tone, "We sisters noticed that you seemed to lack a suitable war bow."

"So we thought to invite you here to entrust this war bow to you."

A gift?

So valuable?

Duncan hesitated, reaching out to take the Bow of Nodens. As soon as he touched it, he felt its extraordinary nature, as it resonated with the magic within his own body.

This weapon was incredibly powerful; it could likely rival the holy relics of the Church.

Duncan pondered, "You want to give this to me?"

The six fairies of Avalon nodded slightly; they did not seem to be merely putting on a show.

This thing was a hot potato!

It was good, certainly. But accepting such a heavy gift would surely require paying a price.

Duncan stared at Thetis, the leader, and said in a deep voice, "What price must I pay?"

Upon hearing his words, the six fairies of Avalon shook their heads slowly. Thetis bowed slightly, and the other five followed suit. Duncan stepped aside, refusing the gesture. Thetis then said in a mournful tone, "Avalon in the mists is slowly perishing."

"If, in the future, you find this gift useful, we ask that you protect our legacy in the real world."

"So that we do not completely vanish into history."

The Church’s faith had already spread to the island of Britain, and it wouldn't be long before there were followers of the Church in Scandinavia as well. Britain had been hit hard; first came the Roman gods brought by the Empire, then the missionaries of the Church, and now the Saxon invasion, which brought the Norse pantheon.

It could be said that Celtic mythology had been beaten in turn by every pantheon. In England, Avalon was likely the only place still retaining a certain level of legend.

So that was it.

Duncan felt much more relaxed after hearing this. He had escorted the Raven Queen, Tris, across most of Europe and already had countless ties to polytheistic faiths.

More debt did not weigh him down; instead, it felt like nothing.

Seeing Duncan take the war bow, the six fairies of Avalon couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and the surrounding pixies cheered with joy. Soon, more wine and delicacies were served, the bard sang, and the joyful atmosphere returned.

Duncan glanced at the fairies before him and suddenly asked, "I am not the first mortal to come to Avalon, am I?"

The fairies looked hesitant.

Duncan signaled for them not to be nervous, raised his glass, drank it in one gulp, and guessed, "Who else has been here?"

"Gaius Julius Caesar?!"

"Am I right?"

After the Empire conquered Britain, it still retained some Celtic beliefs. It was not hard to guess that Avalon had once bowed to Caesar, which was why the Roman pantheon had shown mercy, and why the Druidic legacy had slowly taken root here.

The fairies were silent for a moment, then Thetis said softly, "Caesar did indeed come here."

The doubts in Duncan’s heart were cleared up a bit more.

It seemed that the mythological creatures of the Middle Ages also had to rely on the real world; their existence in this world was determined by reality.

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

At some point, he had entered his mortal body, feeling surrounded by beauties, soft and fragrant, entangled in silk and jade, as if he had fallen into a beautiful dream, intoxicated and lost, feeling that this moment was a pleasure and joy he had never experienced in his life.

When he awoke, he had returned to reality. The morning light appeared on the horizon, and he felt not a hint of a hangover, as if it had all been an illusory dream.

——The Bow of Nodens.

When he grasped the strange war bow beside him, he realized that it was not a dream, though the legendary bow no longer possessed the strange glimmer it had in Avalon; it looked like a refined noble's bow.

"To think these are gods... they have fallen to the point of being no different from the fairies and ghosts in Eastern legends that beg mortals for help..."

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

The fairies of Avalon had placed such a heavy bet on him; they really thought highly of him. Since Caesar could protect the legacy of Avalon’s faith, he would at least have to try.

"It seems the Church has really pushed the other pantheons to the edge!"

Duncan thought of King Uther slaughtering wizards in the Kingdom of Camelot, primarily killing the traditional Celtic priests. The Avalon fairies, not asking for help from the indigenous people but instead placing their bet on an outsider like him, showed how disappointed they were in the natives of Britain.

King Arthur also seemed to have obtained treasures from Avalon. It was likely that the guardian fairies of Avalon had placed their bets on King Arthur at the time, without ever considering King Uther.

Duncan picked up the Bow of Nodens, and the magic within him surged, only to be drained completely in an instant.

——Wind Arrow!

A breeze appeared in the woods, and an invisible arrow condensed on the war bow. It was invisible to the naked eye, visible only from a god's-eye view. Just as it condensed, it drained Duncan’s mana bar. The arrow then shot through the air, hitting a tree trunk ten meters away, leaving a two-centimeter-deep hole.

"No."

"Is my mana bar not even enough for one shot?"

The magic in Duncan’s body was drained completely. He finally understood that not only him, but all supernatural units—whether witches or priests—were being suppressed by the laws of reality.

In such a situation, even if mythological creatures descended into reality, they would be heavily suppressed.

Time passed silently.

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

"What is going on?"

"Have they simply given up on occupying this place?"

Duncan had thought the enemy would send reinforcements or bring in top-tier experts from the barbarians to deal with him, but he hadn't expected them to be so decisive. After looting Devon Town once more, all the barbarian soldiers had withdrawn from this land.

They moved to the next town with open terrain, stationed heavy troops there, and mobilized a group of elite forest hunters.

Devon Town had a garrison of only two or three hundred; in two days, Duncan had killed over thirty and beheaded Blood-Axe Nidron.

The enemy, unable to withstand the harassment, simply retreated to a more defensible location.

However, as time passed, the legend of Duncan spread rapidly across Britain after their retreat, especially after people learned that it was he who had shot and killed the King of Kent. The speed at which this legend spread was staggering.

It wasn't just the British who were spreading it; the Saxons, Angles, Jutes, and various branches of the Germanic barbarians were all talking about it, and it was even spreading to the European continent.

That was one of the kings of the Germanic barbarians, and he had just suddenly died.

A subtle point.

Many absurd rumors, after being spread and fermented, began to change. Duncan’s identity was gradually linked to the legendary Avalon. Some said he was an elven 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 evolved, but they all remained connected to Avalon in the mist, so the existence of Avalon was frequently mentioned along with the tales of Duncan.

Until one day.

The surviving Druidic faith on the island of Britain, the Celtic priests, began to publicly acknowledge that the man who shot the King of Kent had deep ties to Avalon. At that moment, myth shone into reality, and the British were stirred to excitement, as if they had witnessed the birth of a legend with their own eyes.

Of course, Duncan did not know these things at the moment; he was busy receiving the refugee army Anya had transported from the Gaul region.

The first batch consisted of two hundred people.

Led by Kveto, they were mainly young and strong refugees from the mountain stronghold. Their weapons and armor were on par with the Empire’s border guards, and a small number of elites were equipped with the scale armor of field troops. Perhaps due to the enhancement of their equipment, Kveto was now a one-star unit, marked as "Private Legion Commander."

The Raven Queen, Tris, showed joy upon seeing Duncan, but when she walked to his side, she couldn't help but show a trace of doubt. She sniffed and said softly, "You’ve met the Lady of the Lake here?"

Duncan nodded candidly.

The Raven Queen, Tris, stared at him for a moment, her gaze falling on the war bow on his back. She said in shock, "The Bow of Nodens?"

It seemed she recognized the war bow.

Duncan took off the bow and handed it to her. The Raven Queen, Tris, stroked it gently and sighed, "I didn't expect them to give you this bow."

With the rapid rise of monotheism, she was not the only one having a difficult time.

The Raven Queen, Tris, returned the Bow of Nodens to Duncan and said, as if 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 primal spirits of the era of all spirits."

The Druidic faith had become much milder after being assimilated by Roman and Greek culture; early Celtic mythology had been very much in favor of human blood sacrifice.

When the Empire established its province on the island of Britain, it directly suppressed many indigenous tribes, destroyed temples, razed sacred sites, and interrupted sacrifices, destroying heaven knows how many true and false gods of Celtic mythology.

The fairies of Avalon.

They were the survivors of that era. After the Empire ruled the province of Britain, their images were slowly transformed into something like the nymphs of Greek mythology.

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

Duncan did not know these things, but after hearing the words of the Raven Queen, Tris, he couldn't help but nod thoughtfully.

It seemed that gods could also be destroyed.

This was normal; the supreme gods of the various eras in Eastern mythology also changed with the times.