Iron Blooded - (B2) One: Across the Plains

“When the old gods are forgotten, they do not die—they wait.”In the year 1025, the Viking Age wanes.Iceland bows to Christ. The Althing governs by law. And the gods of old fade to whispers.But in the far Westfjords, something stirs.Vetrulfr, a former Varangian captain and exile, returns from the East with foreign gold, forgotten warcraft, and a hunger no man can name.He comes not in peace, but to raise Ullrsfjörðr from ash and ice; building walls, carving runes, and waging war on behalf of a dying faith.From Reykjavík to Aachen, rumors spread: a ghost walks the North once more. Some call him the son of Ullr. Others, a wolf-cloaked demon.But all will know his name.and when the Valkyries call, he will answer.

The world was never the same after that day.Humanity learned that they weren't alone in the universe, but that wasn't something they had the time to worry about.Their realization was accompanied by catastrophe.Creatures beyond their wildest imaginations poured down from the sky and appeared from the earth. They slaughtered humans as if it was their singular purpose, driving them to the brink of extinction.The people of the world did everything in their power, developing unique traits and technologies to create a united front their enemies couldn't penetrate.They secured victories and repopulated, feeling as if they stood a chance against the foreign invaders.They fought and they fought, doing everything they possibly could to ensure their survival.Until the Great Calamities appeared.In front of them, humanity was nothing regardless of its efforts.One by one, the worlds were turned into piles of rubble in between the cracks of their teeth. Civilization was torn apart, and the evolved humans living within could do nothing to stop its collapse.Humanity itself was left extinct, and in the end, only a single man was left alive amidst the chaos.Why?For what reason were they punished so?Nobody knew why the attacks began in the first place.He looked into the distance at the memories of the past and firmed his resolve.“It can only be me.”He knew of a miracle that could return him to the place of those memories.He knew of a way to make the wheels of time spin in reverse.And using it, he alone would save humanity from its doomed fate.That was his sacred duty as its final survivor.

“Are you my knight?” The silver-haired youth looked at the blonde girl before him and asked, his cheeks flushed red. This was their first encounter when he was only ten years of age.

“Are you my bride?” He held her in his arms, embraced the girl who had accompanied him for ten years straight. He was sixteen years of age.

“Are you my king?” He knelt before the throne, smiling foolishly as he looked at the girl holding the sword victoriously. At this moment, he looked like the boy he was when they first met.

“I’m fine without having eyes for you. The entirety of Camelot is for your taking.” Smiling soft and gently, he gave his eyes to the girl who lost her eyes due to the curse of the red dragon. He doesn’t regret it, he thinks. He was twenty years of age.

“So… Arthur… Artoria Pendragon, are you willing… are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me?” His voice was soft and clear as he reached out to touch her hand.

This was their legend.

- Description from Novelupdates

In a post-apocalyptic fantasy world layered into multiple realms, humanity faces extinction due to their endangerment of the main realm. Forced to merge all realms back into one, a deity grants humans a leveling system to empower them, lest they become extinct when facing the mythical creatures. Noah, our protagonist, embraces the role of a monster tamer, trading his humanity for strength and eventually transforming into a monster himself. As Noah struggles with his evolving identity, he must navigate a world where the line between human and monster becomes increasingly blurred.