Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 181 Relics, Mana Replenishment, Tithe

Avalon, the land of blessings.

Among the many legends of Avalon, deep within this blessed land lies a mysterious hot spring temple, said to heal any injury by soaking in it, for it is the site of a miracle by the goddess Sulis. While many have entered Avalon, very few have actually bathed in the sacred hot springs—few could be counted on one hand. Among the more famous are the Prince of Scotland and Ireland, Prince Regent of Britannia, Artoria.

This figure was active during the reign of Duncan the Great and was a key force in resisting barbarian invasions. He single-handedly guarded Greater Germania for more than 20 years. After Duncan II ascended the throne, he was given full authority over the British provinces and was once considered the de facto King of Britain.

Because the empire's territory was so vast, in that era it could only govern the European mainland, while other areas were governed by feudal lords.

Duncan II focused primarily on the area surrounding London, with his main efforts concentrated in Asia Minor, the Middle East, and Egypt. The empire's territory was gradually consolidated under his rule, as conquered lands needed to be transformed into core domains. Ireland and Scotland were also managed by this prince. However, he had no children of his own, eventually adopting his sister's offspring, leaving behind many folk tales.

Legend has it that Prince Artoria was ambushed by a Norse black wizard while defending against a barbarian invasion. She was poisoned and had to return to the island of Britain to recuperate. Later, she was taken to Avalon in the mist by the guardian fairies, and it was only through the divine power of the sacred hot springs that she recovered.

There were many folk legends in that era, because the period when Duncan was active was the origin of many legends.

It is somewhat similar to the Three Kingdoms and Sui-Tang periods in the East, and has been continuously sung about in later generations.

This is related to the era. Although both were founding emperors, the stories of the Song Dynasty did not have as much heroism or legendary quality.

Hot spring holy pool.

Upon seeing Anya's burning gaze, Duncan knew he needed to give her a good dose of her own heat.

After he returned to the dimensional space, most of the subordinate Heroic Spirits fell into a deep sleep, but Anya was different. After she was promoted to a high-ranking Heroic Spirit, she had a certain degree of autonomy. Although she spent most of her time sleeping, she could move around in Avalon when she woke up.

This place is a miracle bestowed by the goddess Sulis. The area around the sacred hot spring is spring-like all year round, with birds singing and flowers blooming. Clear spring water gushes from underground, and even the guardian fairies come to enjoy it from time to time.

call.

Duncan leaned against the white jade and let out a long sigh. His long, strong arms were draped at his sides, and water droplets still slid down his bare chest. Anya was mostly immersed in the hot spring, her voluptuous body gently rubbing against his strong thighs. Her head swayed slightly, and she spoke haltingly, murmuring something that was hard to hear in the rising mist. Only the ripples on the water could be seen.

"Ugh!...Your Majesty has been asleep for too long this time... glug..." Anya seemed to choke on water, her voice tinged with a hint of resentment.

Although heroic spirits do not have a strong concept of time, their existence is similar to that of ghosts, close to spiritual bodies, but of a higher rank than ghosts. Strictly speaking, they are somewhat like the lower-ranking gods who were conferred titles after death in the Investiture of the Gods, slightly higher than heavenly soldiers and generals, and all of them depend on the long river of human history for their continued existence.

At first, Duncan would occasionally awaken for a period of time, but after immersing himself in the river of time, his first human form merged into the Throne of Heroes and has not awakened again for two or three hundred years.

It's easy to imagine how much resentment Anya harbored.

Some of the lower-ranking Heroic Spirits from Duncan's era have disappeared because the folk legends have vanished, but most of the contracted subordinate Heroic Spirits still exist. They rely on Duncan for their existence, somewhat like the supplicants of the gods in Dungeons & Dragons.

When the gods perish, these supplicants will perish with them.

In other words, as long as Duncan exists, they will continue to exist, preserving their consciousness and soul as lower-level heroic spirits, similar to otherworldly servants who serve gods. Of course, all of this comes at a price; Duncan's retirement has cost him a considerable amount of legendary points.

Some beings who originally couldn't reach the rank of Heroic Spirit were transformed by him by consuming Legendary Points.

"Ah."

Duncan sighed and said slowly, "I went to explore the existence of another world."

Even the third human host's world is suppressed, and he must be extremely careful in everything he does.

Crash.

A splash of water landed, and Anya rose, turning her voluptuous and alluring body to sit down with her back to Duncan, letting out a soft sigh: "Hmm~?...Another world?..."

"A different world similar to the gods of Danu?"

The British Isles have many legends about other worlds, but they are mainly related to the Danu gods, who live in an ideal world where they do not need to eat or drink, are free from disease, and are immortal.

A distant, ideal land.

Duncan shook his head slightly, looking at Anya's alabaster-white back and her slender waist swaying gracefully. He picked up the wine beside him and drank it all in one gulp. Then he picked up a piece of fruit and put it in his mouth. He hadn't eaten proper food for a while. In the world of the third human host, even the mechanical bishop had a hard time getting pure, high-quality food.

We don't know what the surface world looks like.

He sighed, “It’s a terrible, yet very developed place.”

"It's very, very far from here."

In the world of the third human host, only Tasia could probably provide him with a little bit of spice, but that was all. The teasing and ambiguous remarks from the female motor enthusiast couldn't stir up much emotion.

She had no idea what kind of debauchery and extravagance real emperors had witnessed.

Anya fell into a low murmur of thought, her delicate body heaving.

She knew that Duncan would tell her certain things, and if he didn't, they were likely related to the gods. Duncan's pact with the Norse gods lasted for nearly a thousand years, and some things were known only to the Raven Queen, Triss. Anya was adept at knowing when to advance and retreat; her eventual rise to Empress of the Empire was due to a multitude of factors.

As for now.

Anya just wanted to have a good meal first, because she knew that Queen Raven-Triss would definitely have all the favor later.

A soft sound of footsteps came from the side of the sacred hot spring pool.

The guardian fairy Tethys appeared, dressed in a white Greek gown. Her alluring figure appeared and disappeared in the mist. Her face was that of a graceful and beautiful woman. She entered the hot spring barefoot, and soon the water soaked through her gown, revealing her captivating curves.

Anya looked slightly displeased. Couldn't they wait for her to eat her fill first?
I knew all along that these guardian fairies were vixens.

Duncan was deeply involved with the Avalon faith. The guardian fairies, to put it nicely, were transformed Celtic deities; to put it bluntly, they were like the fallen nymphs of the lake in Greek mythology. If it weren't for Duncan's efforts to uphold the faith, they would have long since degenerated into something akin to mountain spirits and monsters.

When Duncan first retired, he often stayed overnight at the Lake Lady's temple, which made Anya so angry that she secretly told the Raven Queen about it.

The guardian fairy strolled through the spring, leaning lightly against Duncan's side. She made no attempt to compete, instead gently cupping Anya's curves for support, and murmured, "What did Your Majesty encounter in that other world?"

Why do I sense a hint of worry on your face?

The other guardian fairies are still asleep, so Tethys naturally wants to seize the opportunity, otherwise Duncan might not fall asleep for decades or even centuries.

These deities were actually trapped in the afterlife; mortals were much freer in comparison.

Only extremely powerful beings can incarnate in the mortal realm, but they must be at least at the level of Odin, and even then, the incarnation is short-lived. This is a constraint of the world; the higher the power ceiling of a world, the easier it is for gods to incarnate and travel.

The water ripples.

Anya quickened her pace, knowing that she would soon be unable to enjoy food alone.

Because she wasn't the only one starving in that other world.

Some people also yearn to replenish their magic power.

really.

Not long after, behind the rising mist, Queen Lycinia, dressed in magnificent and beautiful attire, appeared. She had also regained her youthful appearance of being in her twenties. Behind her were Princess Eudoxia and Princess Placidia, who looked like twin lotus flowers. The three of them looked extremely similar and had all returned to their most youthful appearance.

However, they do not have the ability to advance to Heroic Spirit status. Instead, they serve as markers of Duncan's 'subordinate Heroic Spirits', only awakening when Duncan awakens, and otherwise existing attached to the Throne of Heroic Spirits.

Beside them stood Igraine, clad in a magnificent black gown like a vibrant rose, her gaze fixed intently on Duncan, completely oblivious to Anya galloping on horseback. Behind them were seven or eight beautiful maidens, some noblewomen of barbarian tribes, others princesses from small kingdoms—all former concubines who had served the emperor, now transformed into nymphs.

Many of them were Anya's personal maids, as she had personally selected them.

Duncan was a man of principle. After he became emperor, he only had twelve or thirteen women who served him in bed. He basically did not take in any more concubines or lovers. A portion of his legendary status was consumed by them.

Anya watched as one alluring figure after another appeared, and suddenly became a little anxious. She angrily bit Duncan's shoulder and muttered, "I must stay tonight to serve you."

She has always had a big appetite.

Duncan smiled upon hearing this. There was no need to argue; everyone had it. The magic of the immortal spirits was abundant.

This amount of consumption is nothing.

Duncan had actually been quite restrained. After the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven, Jiuyou Su Nu directly became a god, serving as the Yellow Emperor's subject and sexology teacher. Duncan, after all, was not active in the mythological era. He had already exerted all his strength to help the Raven Queen Triss ascend to the throne. Others could not be expected to do so and could only exist as subordinate heroic spirits, similar to divine servants.

In other words, Anya, relying on her status as Empress of the Empire, managed to gather a small amount of divine power, while the other women were ordinary lower-ranking Servants. Igraine was a special case because she had other legendary aspects, thus approaching the ceiling of lower-ranking Servants, and her daughters all had additional legendary stories.

When one person attains the Tao, the chicken and the dog ascend to heaven.

Duncan's rise to power came too late. Even though Raven Queen Triss was elevated to a deity, she couldn't compare to Leizu, the principal wife of the Yellow Emperor. Most of the women associated with the Yellow Emperor were deified in later generations. Strictly speaking, Duncan only achieved deification along with Anya; the other women didn't have any related legends. Perhaps they weren't ambitious enough. If they had invented something, they might have gained some legendary status.

History is like a prostitute; anyone can play with it. Kings and generals are naturally prone to becoming legends. If you don't control yourself, Duncan can only lift you up, but that's just the lower limit. The upper limit still depends on yourself.

Both were among the first women to follow Duncan, yet Raven Queen Triss was able to ascend to godhood, while Anya was merely a five-star blank slate.

There is nothing we can do about this.

Duncan couldn't support Anya at all costs; sometimes they had to rely on their own efforts for Duncan to help them break through that ceiling.

Even the women around you cannot force your way out of the world; you have to build a solid foundation yourself.

When he finally retired, he studied under the legendary Yellow Emperor, because some folk legends say that the Three Sovereigns, namely Fuxi, Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor, lived in seclusion in the Huoyun Cave Holy Palace. There was no suitable place in European legends, so Duncan could only choose Avalon, the land of blessing, or he would have to go to each other's countries.

Anyway, it's impossible to go to Heaven or Asgard in the Norse pantheon. That's the current situation.

Duncan himself was also somewhat caught in the middle. He could force his way into reality, but could only condense an avatar and could not maintain it for long. As for the others, becoming a heroic spirit was almost like being separated from the living and the dead; they could only be summoned and descended as heroic spirits.

However, Anya is not in the regular summoned Servant sequence; she is essentially just an accessory to Duncan.

The laws of the world have changed again. The underworld has been born in the East, and the concept of hell has been condensed in the West. Even mythology has been updated and iterated in the past few hundred years.

Crash.

A series of water sounds rang out.

Duncan stood up and assumed a stance, like he was drawing a bow and shooting an arrow. He had to repay the emotional debts he had incurred. Having too many women would make it difficult to have the energy to do many other things. He had finally returned to his senses and was determined not to let them rest until he had satisfied them.

Even the emperor has to work hard on this, since it is he who wants to take in so many concubines and lovers.

Since it's about replenishing mana, then replenish it until it's full.

Silent all night.

After calming down the clingy Anya, Duncan finally had time to study the changes in history.

He was not at all surprised by the collapse of the empire, because no one can escape the cycle of history. The vast empire he built was not actually destroyed by foreign invasion, but by severe land annexation.

When power and wealth are highly concentrated in the hands of a very small number of people, no one can change the tide of history.

He couldn't do anything if his descendants were disappointing.

Although some descendants attempted reforms, such as Duncan IX, whose death was somewhat mysterious, the backlash from these reforms made the empire increasingly chaotic and unstable. Some of the noble families that first rose to prominence by following Duncan perished after only a century or two.

Even the families established by Severus, Kvito, Clegane, and others were mostly destroyed three hundred years later. The requirements for a thousand-year-old family are extremely demanding. Duncan only maintained the continuation of his three branches of bloodline by relying on the blessing of the King of Kings and the Father of Europe.

However, in the course of history, the direct bloodline has changed many times. The dragon bloodline was only passed down to Duncan IV. After that, it was the illegitimate sons who took over, and the collateral bloodlines replaced them.

As for Duncan VI, whose dragon bloodline reverted to its ancestral form, he was the product of a one-night stand, a child secretly born to a maid, not even a legitimate illegitimate child.

There are certain requirements for having illegitimate children in this era.

It can be said that after so many generations, Duncan's only connection with them is that he is the ancestral source. Later, there were intermarriages between the bloodlines of dragons and giants. After five generations, the bloodline became even more mixed, but the chance of bloodline reversion to its ancestral form is still very small.

There were also unfilial descendants among them, such as the convert Duncan IV, who secretly replaced the statues in the altar and temple dedicated to Duncan with his own.

Of course, it was later switched back by his own son.

After Duncan VI ascended to the throne, he further promoted the deification of Duncan himself, because he was an awakened dragon bloodline. As a descendant with a trace of dragon power, he was even more aware of how powerful his ancestors were.

The empire lasted for nearly four hundred years, and its descendants did far too many absurd things to mention in a few words. If we have the chance to meet again in the future, Duncan will give them a good beating.

Duncan IV is mentioned here. Starting with him, subsequent emperors even established ancestral rules prohibiting the replacement of statues in temples of worship.

Simply lawless!
Duncan IV's reputation was hardly better than Nero's; had it not been for the Church granting him the title of convert, he would likely have ended up sitting at the same table as Nero. He even dared to attempt to become a god and replace Duncan, hoping to cultivate a divine status befitting the Emperor of the Empire.

If it weren't for Duncan VI's ascension to the throne and his diligent governance, the empire's fate might have been shortened by one or two hundred years.

Avalon Sanctuary.

Duncan didn't know enough details from the logs, so during his two days back, he mainly listened to the guardian fairies recount what had happened over the past few hundred years.

The most important of these was the rise of monotheism.

"Even with my suppression, did they still rise to power more than a hundred years later?"

Duncan shook his head and sighed, marveling at the power of the tides of time.

From him until Duncan III, monotheism was firmly suppressed by imperial power. For nearly 150 years, the popes of monotheism were appointed by the emperor.

But as soon as one of his descendants becomes disobedient, the monotheistic cult immediately seizes the opportunity.

That's right.

That person was Duncan IV.

Three emperors suppressed monotheism for a full 150 years. After he came to power, he simply released monotheism. In order to consolidate his royal power, he did not think about reform, but instead used the power of the church to stabilize the situation as a 'convert'.

This has led to the rise of monotheistic religions. Faith can last longer than dynasties, and given a chance, it can gain momentum even after one or two hundred years.

Duncan had no choice; he couldn't guarantee that all his offspring would be outstanding.

From the first emperor's conversion to monotheism until the French Empire established monotheism as its state religion, the tides of history began to shift, and polytheism was once again suffocated. However, this time Duncan did not intend to intervene, because the monotheists had become more obedient and were not driven to extermination.

Even four or five hundred years from now.

Monotheism still remembers its agreement with Duncan: if they can spread their religion and destroy polytheism, Duncan will not interfere; but if they engage in religious persecution, that's another story.

Because Duncan left some contingency plans in the real world, and these plans have continued for hundreds of years to the present day.

Merlin created an alchemical stone for himself.

The guardian fairy Tethys said softly, "Although he cannot easily leave the afterlife, he also possesses a trace of immortal power."

Merlin is quite something.

Among the figures of Duncan's era, aside from Triss the Raven Queen ascending to godhood, he fared the best. Relying on the existence of the Wizarding Academy, he transformed into a concept similar to a Guardian of Arcane Arts, preserving his soul with the aid of alchemical stones. Logically, he also had the ability to ascend to become a High Heroic Spirit, but he did not completely die, instead transforming into a special state of half-Heroic Spirit.

Merlin has become one of the behind-the-scenes bigwigs in the wizarding world!

Duncan wasn't too surprised by this. He slowly said, "Merlin is one of the most talented wizards I've ever seen."

Merlin is now a true legendary figure.

After all, he was the first headmaster of the wizarding academy and one of the founders of the rules of the wizarding world, and an idol worshipped by many wizards in later generations.

I wonder if he would be willing to kneel down and call Duncan "Your Majesty" again when he sees him again.

If not.

Duncan would most likely say with a sigh, "You don't even want to call me 'Your Majesty' anymore."

That scene must be quite interesting.

boo.

The guardian fairy rose and changed her posture, facing Duncan. She murmured softly, "Your Majesty."

"Although the dragon in Norse mythology still exists, there are still signs that the real world is entering the end times."

"You want to return to reality."

"Do we need to use what you left behind back then?"

Of the relics left behind by Duncan, only a few can summon him to reality. One is in the hands of the guardian fairy of Avalon, which is the first codex compiled by the Empire. Another is the Oathkeeper's Longsword, but its whereabouts are now unknown.

Other things might serve as a medium, but they cannot provide much power, and the summoned heroic spirit avatar may not be of sufficient rank.

The ritual for summoning heroic spirits is actually not that complicated.

In the East, there are two kinds of magic: one is called "inviting a god to possess you," and the other is called "inviting a god to descend to earth." The latter is more difficult and is also a way to summon the incarnation of a deity.

It is difficult for the true form of a Heroic Spirit to enter reality; what is summoned are replicas.

Bah.

Duncan slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Not for now."

"I'll arrange it."

The Avalon Sanctuary has almost replenished its mana, and now the only thing missing is the guardian fairy in front of him. She needs an even greater amount of mana, so Duncan has to deal with her alone.

Now that things are settled here, it's time to go see Queen Raven and Merlin.

The situation in Europe is currently very delicate.

Because something emerged, and its impact was enormous; it was called the 'tithing'.

………………

(End of this chapter)