"Where am I?" 'Ulfric' was utterly bewildered. He had been at home playing a game, and then suddenly, he was here.
But then a thought struck him: had he fallen asleep while gaming, and was all of this just a very realistic dream? Even the cold wind felt exceptionally real. He couldn't help but rub his arms, noticing they were much more muscular.
"Thank goodness, I almost thought I'd transmigrated." 'Ulfric' breathed a sigh of relief. As a homebody, there was no way he could have such muscles. He patted his chest, and his pectoral muscles felt good too. But then he immediately noticed that his hands were rough, and his skin didn't look like an East Asian's. Looking at his clothes, they were a dirty, coarse linen shirt and trousers with unique patterns.
"These look like Norse Viking totems." 'Ulfric' looked up and saw a wooden carving of Thor's head on the roof of the cowshed. Vikings believed that the mighty thunder god could protect livestock from plague.
The realistic architecture and environment intrigued 'Ulfric'. He loved Viking culture and never expected to dream about it. With that thought, 'Ulfric' stepped out of the cowshed, wanting to see how absurd his dream could get.
The cowshed door was just a simple gate made of a few wooden planks nailed together. It opened with a gentle push. As he stepped out, he was immediately stunned. Everything before him felt both new and familiar.
It felt familiar because he had seen many modern illustrators' depictions of imagined Norse Viking life, and it was exactly like what was unfolding before him. In the Viking town, a faint smell of animal dung permeated the air. Houses built with turf bricks were scattered throughout the town, and in the distance, snow-capped mountains stood eternally.
"So real. Maybe it's because I play so many games that this subconscious impression was left behind!" 'Ulfric' walked along the muddy streets of the town, looking around curiously, completely oblivious to the strange looks the working Vikings gave him.
Suddenly, a commotion caught 'Ulfric's' attention. He saw several burly, tall Vikings surrounding a slender, silver-haired, blue-eyed girl in a brown dress. Her expression was calm, as if she didn't care about the Viking men surrounding her.
"Why isn't anyone doing anything?" 'Ulfric' was puzzled. The people around seemed indifferent, merely watching from the sidelines. He couldn't help but walk closer, worried.
"Angr, I heard you only marry the strongest Viking. My name is Vargarr, a warrior of the Uranus tribe living on Ahvaland(Aland) Island. I am the strongest man on this entire island, and I've come to marry you." Surrounded by his companions, Vargarr hooked his thumbs into his belt. His golden beard, braided into two strands on his chin, hung proudly on his chest, and his chin was held high.
"How do you prove you're the strongest man?" The Viking woman named Angr tilted her head, observing him, and calmly asked. Her skin was fair and smooth, and her features were delicate and refined, much like the standard Nordic model look of later generations. Combined with her cold demeanor, like the Nordic weather, it added a unique charm.
"I shall prove it." Vargarr arrogantly scanned his surroundings. He was already very tall, and under his gaze, the onlookers fell silent.
He sneered, saw a large stone next to a tree, strode over, squatted down, and with a mighty lift, picked up the enormous stone and raised it high.
"Oh!" The surrounding Vikings gasped. That stone was usually used for grinding grain, and it typically took three people to lift it. But now, Vargarr could lift it alone, seemingly effortlessly.
"Ah~" Vargarr looked around with satisfaction, then threw the stone far away. It landed on the ground with a thud.
"Well, can I marry you?" Vargarr asked Angr, hands on his hips, a triumphant look on his face.
Angr slightly furrowed her slender eyebrows; she seemed to be considering his words. But Vargarr was unwilling to wait idly. He stepped forward and reached out to grab Angr's arm, seemingly intending to force her to agree to be his bride. Ulfric recalled that Vikings also had a custom of bride kidnapping, and if no one could protect her, she would be forced to become Vargarr's bride.
"Wait, aren't you misunderstanding something?" Ulfric instinctively stepped forward and said to the struggling Vargarr. Normally, he probably would have just watched like everyone else, but now he was in his own dream. Who would refuse to play the hero and save the beauty in a dream?
"What?" Vargarr turned his head in surprise. He was very surprised that someone dared to stop him directly.
"A slave dares to speak up? Do you want to die?" Vargarr's companions' gazes fell on Ulfric's neck. The collar there indicated that he was merely a slave.
"A slave." It was only then that Ulfric realized his neck had been uncomfortable because he was wearing a collar. And the strange looks from the people around him were also because of this. They had never seen a slave walk so arrogantly down the street. Actually, it wasn't Ulfric's fault; after all, modern people don't have such a strong sense of hierarchy.
"Wait, I can accept anyone's challenge, even a slave's." Vargarr, however, interrupted his companions' scolding. He was confident in his strength and ability.
"This Lady Angr said she's willing to marry a powerful Viking man, not just a strong Viking man, right?" Ulfric looked at Vargarr, who was walking towards him. Although the other man was tall, at least 1.84 meters, Ulfric's own height didn't seem short either, just slightly shorter than him.
"Hey, isn't that the idiot Ulfric?"
"Is he going crazy?"
"Strange, why is he speaking so clearly today?"
"I heard he was kicked in the head by the lord's fierce horse a few days ago and had been unconscious. The lord threw him in the cowshed to die."
"He's lucky to be alive. No one survives under that fierce horse's hooves."
The surrounding Vikings began to discuss, even more curious about Ulfric's actions.
"Then tell me, how can I prove my power?" Vargarr crossed his arms, his chin pointed at Ulfric. A mocking grin was on his face, and he decided that if this slave said anything offensive, he would not hesitate to split Ulfric's head open with an axe, even if it meant losing a little money.
Facing the other party's aggressive gaze, which was both real and sharp, Ulfric suddenly felt as if he was back in reality. His boss, who was only a few years older than him but was arrogant due to his background, would claim all of Ulfric's hard work as his own, acting as if Ulfric should be grateful for his charity—just like this Viking in front of him.
"Hmph, I'll settle this in my dream today!" This feeling of displeasure made Ulfric determined to vent and tease the other party in his dream.
"Power comes from strength, wisdom, and leadership," Ulfric said gently, a faint smile playing on the corners of his lips.
"That's right, not only am I the strongest, but I'm also the warband leader on the island. They all obey my commands," Vargarr said, even more proudly.
"What about wisdom?" Ulfric held up a finger and asked Vargarr.
"Wisdom? That's just old men's stories by the fireplace. What good is it?" Vargarr said dismissively.
"Then I'll give you a riddle. If you, sir, can answer it, I'll admit you are a wise man, how about that?" Ulfric quickly said, deliberately speeding up his speech to prevent the other party from having time to think—a common trick used by salespeople.
"Oh, alright." Vargarr didn't expect Ulfric to suddenly propose a riddle. Riddles were one of the Vikings' favorite games. Not just him, but the other Vikings also became interested, ready to hear the slave's riddle.
"What devours all: birds, beasts, flowers, trees, gold, silver, copper, iron, rocks, and sand? It slays kings, ruins cities, levels mountains, and turns oceans into streams." Ulfric thought carefully, and a familiar movie scene flashed in his mind. He immediately posed the riddle to Vargarr.
"Uh?" Vargarr was stunned after hearing it. He wide-eyed, looked to his companions for help, who all pursed their lips and scratched their heads.
"I guess it's a bear. Bears can eat anything, I've seen it," a bald Viking said, scratching his scalp.
"No, a bear can be dealt with by just five Vikings. I guess it's a giant wild boar. I once saw a huge wild boar that could collapse a house," another Viking said.
"Is it fire? Fire can burn everything, even kings cannot defeat it."
"No, I guess it's a flood. The power of water is terrifying."
"A storm? No, a storm can't do anything to rocks."
The surrounding Vikings also enthusiastically participated in the riddle game, but their answers all seemed wrong. Finally, Vargarr lost his patience.
"There's no answer to this riddle! Are you trying to trick us?" Vargarr stepped forward and grabbed Ulfric's clothes, trying to force him to reveal the answer.
"Wait!" Suddenly, Angr, who had been standing by, reached out and grabbed Vargarr's arm. Then she quickly kicked him, hitting him right in the groin. The strong Viking warrior immediately let out a howl, clamped his legs together, and knelt on one knee.
"Hahahahaha!" The surrounding Vikings burst into laughter. They had no pity for Vikings who provoked Angr.
"I'm not just Angr, I'm Shieldmaiden Angr, don't forget that!" Angr looked contemptuously at Vargarr, who was clutching his groin, and shouted at him.
"The Lord is coming!" At that moment, people heard the sound of hooves. Dozens of Viking riders, riding tall Norse horses, dressed in leather armor, and cloaked, rode in, escorting a man wearing a golden pendant and wrapped in white fur.