The World of Mercenaries

Chapter 5: The Phantom Beast Knight

In the spring of Red Moon Year 195, on the southern edge of a small natural village named Haike near the Warmwater River’s estuary on the Frozen Continent, there lay a modest, dilapidated courtyard stacked high with logs.

"Hi… thud… hi… thud…”

The rhythmic sound of a young boy’s voice echoed through the yard, and a closer look would reveal a boy chopping wood.

Human beings are indeed a curious race. Those living in warmth and eating the best foods may not be strong, while here, this boy—pushed day and night for three years by an uncle who claimed noble blood but had unknown origins—had never tasted any special nutrition yet was solidly built. His muscles, symbolizing strength, rippled like liquid mercury, shifting from his waist to his arms with every swing.

Early spring near the Warmwater River was bitterly cold. Most people wore thick snow-beast pelts, yet this ten-year-old boy wore only leather shorts, beads of sweat falling from his forehead and body, quickly freezing into tiny ice crystals on the ground.

Spitting into his calloused palms, he picked up a mid-sized axe and swung it down hard, splitting a half-meter-wide log cleanly down the middle. Then, grabbing a chopping knife, he quickly shaped the wood into proper firewood.

He was using… a chopping knife?

Even the strongest loggers struggled with coniferous hardwood on the Frozen Continent. Without an axe, a thin blade would get wedged in the wood, requiring five or six strikes to finish. And using a knife as an axe? How strong would one have to be?

"Son, come over here," a voice shamelessly called from inside.

“Yes, Uncle Chi, I’m coming,” Amy replied, neatly stacking the firewood before heading into the small cabin they’d built the previous summer.

“Starting today, you’ll be learning weapon skills. You won’t need to chop as much firewood in the afternoons. Spend half the time training,” Chi Hanfeng said, unusually serious.

“What weapon would you like? Hmm—how about a knight’s lance paired with a longsword? It’ll suit you perfectly, trust me. It’s a combination you’ll come to love.” Without waiting for Amy’s response, Chi began recommending what was clearly his favorite.

“Let’s see… you’re tall for your age, but not as big as a barbarian, so a two-handed battle axe wouldn’t work. And I know you’re not interested in archery, sneaking around for a living. The crescent shield and saber are for weaker fighters. And hammers? Rarely used these days, destined for extinction. And don’t tell me you want to use an infantry spear! That’s only for soldiers fighting cavalry. Beyond that, it’s useless.” Chi studied Amy’s expression, searching for an angle to win him over.

"I want to train with a two-handed sword, like my father," Amy replied, quietly stubborn.

“Well, just like your father. I admire your spirit,” Chi chuckled, then suddenly clamped Amy’s cheeks with a wolfish grin. “But no, I decide this time. You’re learning the knight’s lance with me. I’m training you to be an imperial knight. What’s so great about a two-handed sword? It’s the lowest rank in the military. A proper knight uses a one-handed rapier with a shield, or a lance and shield in battle—that’s the main force of war.”

In the empire and federations, new recruits could only choose from the long spearmen, two-handed swordsmen, or archers. After a year of training, potential candidates were selected for higher ranks. Long spearmen could become knight’s squires or axemen, archers with strong arms became longbowmen. But sword camps generally took recruits deemed weak or lacking potential, assigning them to the two-handed sword regiment. While a few exceptional two-handed swordsmen might have the chance to become knights, they had to train in other weapons, and this opportunity was rare. Only a few saw combat, as they were mostly used to maintain order due to low costs.

Despite Chi’s attempts to convince him, Amy remained silent.

“Oh, what curse have I brought upon myself? An imperial knight, and my disciple is determined to become a lowly two-handed swordsman!” Chi Hanfeng moaned theatrically, clutching his face.

“What are you crying about?” Amy responded dryly. “Stop peeking through your fingers—I’m not changing my mind.”

“Well, if that’s how you feel, then I’ll have to reveal my true identity.” Sitting motionless with his hands covering his face, Chi suddenly became statuesque and serious.

"Amy, I am no ordinary knight. I am a phantom beast knight—the highest-ranking knight in the Empire. I want you to become a proud phantom beast knight like me! By my name, I summon you, Spirit Wolf…”

Chi clasped his hands together, and a giant pentagonal barrier appeared in the center of the room. After a burst of blinding light, a wolf twice the size of a regular snow wolf stood in the room, white as snow, with a powerful tail swaying lazily as it rested its head on its huge paws, snoring comfortably.

The middle-aged knight who had intended to awe Amy was the one left speechless, his jaw dropping.

“Whitey…” Chi knelt to pet the wolf’s ear, sighing, “We’ve been apart for three years. I hoped you’d come back strong as the king of phantom beasts… but instead, you’ve given me the biggest surprise. You’re fatter than ever…” Chi’s voice turned hysterical as he tugged at the wolf’s ear, scattering tufts of white fur.

“Raargh!” Awakened, the wolf shook off Chi’s hand, bared its fangs, and growled as if ready to bite.

But upon recognizing Chi, the wolf’s fierce expression melted into a broad grin, wagging its tail before leaping on him, knocking him to the floor.

In response, Chi quickly changed his tone, brushing the wolf’s fur in an appeasing manner. “No, no, what I meant was, after three years, you’re taller, more majestic.” As soon as Whitey relaxed, Chi flipped him over, seized his head, and dealt several solid punches. “You dare growl at me? From now on, you’re on night watch duty here every day.”

Amy was indeed stunned. Snow wolves were terrifyingly powerful, and seeing one of this size appear out of thin air would paralyze even a seasoned hunter.

Chi Hanfeng noticed the look of fear on Amy’s face and, with great pride, grabbed the lance and shield strapped to Whitey’s side. “Impressive, right? Imagine me in full armor—now that’s cool. And here’s the best part: this mount doesn’t need feeding. It finds its own food in the barrier.”

Amy touched Whitey’s fur with curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

“Do you know why I call you son?” Chi asked, dropping a new mystery into the conversation.

What young Amy didn’t know was that, on the three known continents, the highest-ranking warriors were dragon knights. Dragons were extremely rare, especially those willing to partner with humans. Fewer than thirty dragon knights existed across all nations. Although powerful, dragon knights were not practical as regular troops.

The next highest rank was the phantom beast knight. Phantom beasts, though flight-capable, lacked magical abilities, making them weaker than dragons in combat. But phantom beast knights could be trained.

Phantom beasts vary by species, enhancing knights’ combat abilities in different environments. For example, in the Frozen Continent, Chi Hanfeng had a 50% greater chance of winning a fight against other phantom beast knights. Against regular snow wolf knights, no fight was necessary; a common knight could never defeat a phantom beast knight.

The Phantom Beast Sanctuary lies at the border of the Amy Empire, the Haiha Mercenary Empire, and the Xius Empire, surrounded by the towering Sacred Snow Mountains. Upon crossing these peaks, the terrain plunges from 4,000 to 800 meters, revealing a legendary valley known as the Phantom Beast Sanctuary.

Seen from afar, the sanctuary appears as a surreal paradise, with a variety of phantom beasts roaming freely.

However, approaching it, one is met with a powerful barrier. It’s said that only at the rare conjunction of the Black Sun and White Sun, guided by a spirit beast with phantom potential, can one enter.

Legends of the sanctuary live mostly in folk tales, while its exact rites are said to be known only to the upper echelons of the Amy, Haiha, and Xius empires.

In a gnome song heard at a dwarven ball, bards sang:

The four races the Creator left behind—

The wise gained the heavens,

The wicked the distant realms,

The ignorant roamed the earth,

While the poor dwarves sought the gods’ legacy.

When the light of life reawakens,

The sacred phantom beast shall be the ignorant’s ark.

These words add even more mystery to the Phantom Beast Sanctuary.

—Classic of Mountains and Seas: Strange Tales