The Winter's Bane, a disaster that strikes every four years in Northern Europe, is like a regular greeting, keeping its promise.
Originating in the far north, a tremendous force capable of freezing time and space was brewing. Glaciers exploded, and like a massive tide, they swept southwards.
As temperatures plummeted, fierce winds, hail, and heavy snow swept across Northern Europe, eventually forming an unstoppable blizzard that caused immense damage!
Therefore, the Tower of Hera, which has been hailed as the gateway to the Norse divine realm for thousands of years, is one of the ten dominant powers on the continent. It has carved out a mountain range spanning thousands of miles in the far north to curb the southward advance of winter.
"Your Highness, we must hurry on our way; the weather is rather strange!"
Hruf frantically informed Xiao Han that the weather had turned pale and lifeless, as dry as ashes, with water vapor evaporating into the air and freezing time and space, seemingly a sign of an impending winter disaster.
Having lived to such an old age, he had naturally experienced countless harsh winters, the most dangerous of which was when he nearly lost his life in an avalanche during his childhood.
His extensive experience reminded him that this year's harsh winter had turned its back on him, breaking the deadline a week early!
"call out!"
Xiao Han drew back the curtain, his figure flashed past, and he stepped onto the top of the imperial chariot. He looked up at the sky, his pupils surging with the potential of the sun, raising his vision to its limit.
Ice crystals drifted thousands of meters into the air, endless frost flowers bloomed, and condensed into a monstrous cold wave that swept across the land. Even clouds, haze, and fog were frozen into stillness, layered into ice blocks several meters thick. Even time itself was erased by the frost.
The intense high-energy reaction caused the river of time to leak, and several cracks appeared in the barrier. Before a tributary of time could emerge, it was frozen and blocked by the surging frost!
Although Xiao Han had never personally witnessed the horrors of the Winter Calamity, those around him spoke of it with dread.
The harsh winter was a devastating blow to the small tribes struggling to survive in the north; the massive avalanches washed away all traces of their past.
The lizardmen who initially sought refuge there lived on a mountain near the edge of the wasteland, close to the far north. Due to the pressure of their tribe's survival, they followed the little fox, eating and drinking for free, and planned to return home the following year.
Xiao Han's remarkable action initially surprised the surrounding wolf riders, but they then became inexplicably excited, their spirits soaring and morale greatly boosted, as if they had inexplicably received a buff from the God of War.
His Highness is about to lead everyone back to the city. Look at his handsome and dashing figure, filled with the heart of a sage who has compassion for the world. He truly deserves to be the city lord!
For them, witnessing the sage (city lord + fox king + divine messenger) was an immense honor!
Not to mention that the sage led everyone across the wasteland, and no matter how powerful the lord, how vicious the thief, or how fully armed the guards, they were all reduced to ashes and perished in the divine fire.
In the Nordic region, the strong are revered. In the battles of the wilderness, the wolf riders swept through the land, defeating the lords of various regions and crushing the garrison forces sent by the Duchy of Bailan. This established Xiao Han's unparalleled prestige. In the eyes of his subordinates, he was the incarnation of a god and was awarded the title of "Fox King." He was a man who could eat grapes without spitting out the seeds!
However, Xiao Han was oblivious to the awe, admiration, and fervent gazes around him as he observed the weather changes under Khrushchev's warning.
"Huff~"
A ball of flame bloomed in his palm, the flower swaying its slender waist, its delicate petals drifting out, allowing the Fox King to discern the location of the far north.
...
"Hahaha! This is karma!"
In a dilapidated courtyard, in a blood pool meant to repair the soul, Bishop Nord bathed in a boiling "hot spring," a hysterical smile appearing on his face, which was mostly corroded.
Although his grand plan, meticulously crafted over a century, was destroyed by the sudden appearance of a rookie demon king, the opponent's exposed trump cards gradually refreshed his understanding, making him eager to seize the opportunity and take his place.
However, the demon god behind this kid is extraordinary; he is very likely at the level of a great demon god, and definitely not an evil god.
Back in the Dark Moon Forest, this newbie seemed to have stepped into another dimension. He was shielded from all senses by a mysterious force and didn't see Xiao Han accept the evil god's contract. But the next second, the scene changed, and this kid fell from the sky, riding three... grape chariots?!
Bishop Nord attributed all of this to the blessings of the demon god.
It's certain that he stole his Titan City, reaped the fruits of a century of painstaking effort, and that the demon god behind him, in his delight, bestowed upon him this reward!
Afterwards, he kept a close eye on Xiao Han's outrageous actions. Arson, murder, and looting were minor matters, but did he really have to burn someone to death and then bring them home for New Year's Eve dinner?! Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
"The calamity of winter has broken out ahead of schedule. Even if I seize Titan City, I dare not be confident that I can survive this natural disaster."
"Back then, under the cover of the Winter's Calamity, I unleashed the hidden plan I had laid in the North, which garnered a huge response and attracted tens of thousands of troops. But the current situation has made me change my mind. I might consider taking over this kid's body."
"A perfect demon king's body, containing abundant demonic essence. Taking advantage of the winter's outburst, hehe..."
Just as Bishop Nord was feeling triumphant, golden holy water flowed from the remaining golden crack in the sky, pouring down on him like a waterfall, leaving him drenched in blood!
"Gurgle..."
The holy water contained purifying runes that unleashed powerful divine energy, as if his body had been doused with a bucket of highly concentrated sulfuric acid, corroding him until only bones remained.
He froze for a moment, then shrugged indifferently. A skeleton leisurely soaked in the blood pool, as if it were already used to it.
Mommy's selling loquats (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻
...
At the city gate, hundreds of people gathered to see off these "chivalrous men" who "eliminated evil for the people".
The Robin Hood-like heroes emptied the city of its supplies and donated them to charity (official explanation). Warm clothing, alchemical products, fruits, and vegetables were all packed onto the Earl's transport wagons. As dust billowed and smoke rose, the common people who witnessed this scene could no longer bear it and shed tears of grief and indignation.
Whether their intentions were genuine or feigned, they were forced by the thieves' power to hang the nobleman with their own hands.
In Northern Europe, murdering a nobleman was a serious crime, so the commoners were forcibly dragged into the bandit camp. As a result, the bandits took all the supplies and ran away, purely to drive them crazy and cause trouble for the duchy.
Fortunately, even if the duchy sends people to investigate, it will have to wait until next spring. At that time, they can find an excuse to say that the thieves forcibly dragged people into the water, and they had no other choice.
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