"That's not fair. You've been preparing for battle since birth, while I'm just a slave who does rough work." Ulfric shook his head slightly. Challenging a Viking warrior rashly was not a wise move. Once the challenge was accepted, it would be a fight to the death. Whether he was killed by Vargarr or killed Vargarr, the consequences were more than a slave like him could bear.
"He has a point." The story of The Lord of the Rings that Ulfric told the Norsemen at the banquet had already earned him many admirers. One of Vargarr's companions spoke up.
"While it may be unfair to you, I have sworn an oath to the god Thor. If I cannot fulfill my vow, my honor will be damaged," Vargarr said, somewhat unreasonably. After all, Viking warriors valued their reputation greatly, and killing a slave was not a big deal.
"Respected Warrior Vargarr, perhaps we can compete in a different way, what do you think?" Ulfric's eyes darted around as he suggested to Vargarr.
"What?" Vargarr asked, curious.
"A competition between men is nothing more than a test of endurance, balance, and strength. We can break these down into different events and compete," Ulfric told Vargarr.
"Competing separately? I don't understand what that means. If you dare to play tricks on me, I'll chop off your head," Vargarr frowned. His mind couldn't quite grasp it. What Ulfric said seemed to make sense, but there also seemed to be a problem. When Viking warriors encountered something they didn't understand, they would first grab the other person's collar and then warn them fiercely.
"If you want to know, you'd better let go of me," Ulfric said calmly, looking at Vargarr, who was grabbing his clothes and leaning his face close.
Vargarr looked puzzled, but the others watched with expressions of anticipation. In the monotonous life before a raid, unusual activities were always welcomed by the Norsemen.
The dense black forest stood silently like a tranquil oil painting, with rocks, thorny bushes, and overgrown weeds adding difficulty for those passing through. Ulfric and Vargarr stood at the edge of the forest, with the other Norsemen following behind them with great interest.
"I remember there's an ancient oak tree in the center of this forest, where a reclusive prophet lives. What if we both run through the forest, and whoever reaches there first, gets a token from the prophet, and then returns for everyone to judge whose token is most precious, wins?" Ulfric still retained some of Ulfric's memories; he remembered getting help from that prophet when he got lost in the Black Forest as a child.
"Hmm?" Vargarr fell silent, his brows furrowed, seemingly judging whether this was all a trick by Ulfric.
"A good competition. I'm very curious to see what gifts you'll receive from the prophet."
"But I'm always afraid of that prophet."
"Begin! May the gods bless you."
"It's dangerous in the forest. I've heard wolves howling before."
"And bears. One already ate a sheep from the tribe."
But the surrounding Norsemen were already discussing animatedly. This highly engaging competition excited everyone.
"Then let's hurry up. This will be an interesting adventure too." Vargarr took off his fur cloak, throwing it at his feet, and said impatiently.
"Okay." Ulfric nodded. He didn't have a valuable, warm fur coat, so the two of them went to a starting point marked by a rock.
"Hmph." Vargarr looked at Ulfric disdainfully. He took a lunge step, his arms spread out like a soaring bird.
Ulfric, however, silently squatted down, tied the laces of his clumsy shoes, then placed his hands on the ground, half-crouching. This strange posture made everyone pause.
"What is he doing? Does his stomach hurt?"
"It's not good to be unwell at a time like this."
"That's also the will of the gods."
The Norsemen shook their heads, not thinking highly of Ulfric, feeling that his stance lacked any demeanor. In contrast, Vargarr had the bearing of a true warrior.
"Lord Vargarr." Just then, Grünn called Vargarr aside. Vargarr thought he had brought a command from the lord, so he followed him to the rock.
Grünn, with a fawning smile on his face, whispered something to Vargarr, but because of the distance, Ulfric couldn't hear clearly.
"Get lost!" But suddenly, Vargarr seemed to roar at Grünn with great disgust, raising his muscular arm as if swatting a fly, then returned without looking back.
"What happened?" A companion of Vargarr asked curiously, not understanding why Vargarr had suddenly flown into a rage.
"None of your business." But Vargarr said rudely. He then looked at Ulfric, his gaze seemingly complex. "Can we start?"
"Wait." Suddenly, Ulfric looked up and said to Vargarr.
"What now?" Vargarr said impatiently.
"Vargarr, if I win, don't bother me again from now on," Ulfric told Vargarr.
"Of course, but what if you lose?" Vargarr sneered, stroking the beard on his chin.
"At your disposal," Ulfric said calmly.
"Good." Vargarr was very satisfied. He decided to cut off one of Ulfric's ears or his nose, to punish this slave who didn't know his place.
"Then I'll be the referee." At this moment, Shieldmaiden Angr walked out, holding a piece of linen cloth in her hand. Her appearance surprised everyone.
"Angr?" Vargarr's eyes were fixed on Angr. His purpose in coming here was to marry Angr, but unfortunately, this slave Ulfric had ruined it.
"Since the dispute arose because of me, it's most fitting for me to be the referee," Angr said calmly to Vargarr and the others.
"That's right, Angr, I'll show you what a true Viking man is like. You'll willingly become my wife." Vargarr's eyes practically blazed with lust as he said impatiently.
"I'm going to let go." There was no ripple in Angr's eyes. She raised the hand holding the linen cloth high.
Ulfric pressed his hands to the ground, then half-crouched, raising his rear, lifting his right heel, his body like a leopard ready to pounce at any moment. However, this posture seemed very strange to the Norsemen, causing another burst of laughter.
"The slave's running posture is so strange, is he preparing to pick something up?"
"A true Viking should stand straight."
"I think I already know who will win."
The Norsemen began to tease and laugh, full of mockery towards Ulfric, but Ulfric paid no attention.
Just then, Angr's hand released, and the linen cloth floated down. Ulfric, Vargarr, and the onlookers all watched the piece of linen.
When the linen cloth landed on the ground, Vargarr roared and lunged forward, while Ulfric also lowered his body and shot forward simultaneously. The two plunged into the dense forest, branches and bushes brushing past them. Some sharp leaves even scratched their skin exposed outside their clothes.
As a Viking warrior, Vargarr was strong and robust, and his explosive power was indeed astonishing. He immediately surged ahead of Ulfric, but Ulfric kept his arms tightly tucked against his sides, carefully adjusting his breathing. He knew there was still some distance to the center of the forest, and it was important to maintain speed and endurance.
The two chased each other closely through the forest, one in front, one behind. They leaped over fallen giant trees and crossed gurgling streams. Ulfric even squatted down, cupped water in his hands, and splashed it on his face to cool himself down. Soon, a dense thicket of small trees blocked their path.
"We should go around it," Ulfric said to Vargarr, hands on his hips, after looking around.
"Hmph, no need." Vargarr, like a bull, charged into the thicket. He roughly swung his arms, breaking the branches in his way, and forced his way through.
Ulfric looked around, and a memory suddenly surfaced: crimson eyes had appeared in the woods before. He immediately realized something was wrong—those were the eyes of a wild beast, which meant the path from here to the center of the forest was extremely dangerous.
"Forget it, I'll take a detour!" Ulfric pondered briefly, then immediately chose to go around this patch of woods. Although the path would be a bit longer, it would be much safer.
"Oh-Choo~~" Just then, Ulfric heard the roar of a beast and Vargarr's angry shouts from within the woods. It seemed he had indeed encountered danger.
Ulfric frowned and hesitated for a moment. He could choose to ignore it, and perhaps Vargarr would be killed by the beasts in the forest, in which case the outcome of the competition wouldn't matter to him. However, he then thought that if this Viking warrior, who had traveled so far, were to die tragically at the jaws of a beast because of a competition with him, the lord would likely be furious, and his own life might be in danger.
"Damn." Thinking this, Ulfric immediately scanned his surroundings. He saw a broken branch and quickly went to pick up a sharp stone shard. He stripped all the leaves from the branch and then quickly picked up a dry vine from the ground, tying the stone shard to the top of the wooden pole with the vine.
Although he intended to save someone, he also needed to be fully prepared. After making the wooden spear, he crouched down and entered the woods. The closer he got to the sound, the more he felt like he was in the eye of a typhoon. Trees lay haphazardly on the ground, leaves were swept aside, and even the muddy ground was pitted with craters.
"ROAR!" Just then, Ulfric heard the beast's roar. He rushed forward to investigate and saw an adult black bear on a small hillside. It opened its mouth, filled with sharp teeth, and stood on its hind legs, its massive shadow cast directly in front of Ulfric.