Intro:
"Swords have a cool, refined beauty, spears are the quintessential weapons of war, and great axes and polearms are full of swagger. Of course, nothing beats a lance! Everyone's equal beneath a lance!"
"Then where's your mount? How can you charge with a lance without one?"
"Are you kidding? Does not having a mount mean I can't charge? With these strong Kuranta legs, I'm my own mount!"
"You like weapons? I have lots of them in my room. You can look around, and when you get tired, you can just go straight to sleep. No problem!"
"Then, Sister Nearl, I'll come take a look at your place, okay?"
"Sister Nearl, what are you doing?!!!" Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
A New Beginning: Chapter 1: The Arena's Night Knight
"Woooooah!!!!!!!"
The deafening roar jolted Xu Lin from his sleep. He hurriedly looked around.
What met his eyes wasn't a familiar military tent or dry, packed-earth ground. Instead, there was neatly trimmed grass. The sunlight was dazzling, though it still paled beside the enthusiasm of the spectators in the stands. Cheers filled the vast arena, as if he'd returned to ancient Rome, but this arena was built from reinforced concrete and all kinds of high-tech materials.
"Our Night Knight has suddenly stopped in his tracks! What's he doing? Has he given up resisting?"
"His opponent, the Rust-Iron Knight, has also halted his advance out of caution!"
The impassioned voice rang throughout the arena with the help of loudspeakers. Across from Xu Lin, a burly man in armor gripped a long axe and watched him warily.
Only after looking down did Xu Lin realize he was wearing black plate armor and holding a longsword.
On the ground lay a helmet with a huge hole punched through it. It must have been his. Red liquid trickled down his forehead and dripped onto his breastplate. Fatigue suddenly washed over him. This is bad. Where am I?
The Rust-Iron Knight studied his opponent. The newcomer was a rookie competing in the arena for the first time, and should have been easy to beat. Yet he'd proved unexpectedly hard to deal with. If not for his high-quality armor, he would have already lost. But now he was at the end of his rope, too. If they dragged this out any longer, his armor's cooling system would overload, and he would lose for sure.
The burly man suddenly tightened his grip on the axe. Gritting his teeth, he charged at Xu Lin. He had to end this quickly!
The axe blade came down with enough force to cleave a man in two. At the last possible instant, Xu Lin instinctively raised his sword and used the sturdy section near the hilt to deflect the blow. The blade swept through a short arc and struck his opponent's helmet. The hit landed. His opponent staggered back, and Xu Lin immediately launched a storm of attacks.
The blade traced bright arcs through the air. His waist drove his arms, his arms drove his wrists, and his feet, clad in black iron boots, moved in a nimble pattern. Xu Lin seemed to dance with his sword. His movements looked graceful, but carried a vicious intent to kill. Every strike aimed for a vital spot.
The Rust-Iron Knight struggled to parry, but a heavy slash finally left an opening. The pommel's counterweight struck him down.
"Woooooah!!!!!!!!!!"
The unexpected display set off the crowd. Deafening cheers thundered through the arena, and Xu Lin instinctively gripped his sword blade with his right hand and thrust viciously at the gap in his opponent's helmet.
"I yield!!!"
The sword tip stopped three inches from his eyes. Cold sweat broke out all at once. If Xu Lin had been a moment slower, he would have been done for!
Xu Lin came to his senses. He'd actually used battlefield swordsmanship without thinking—and this clearly wasn't a battlefield.
"Unbelievable! The Night Knight has suddenly launched a brilliant counterattack! What an exquisite sword dance—how captivating! Let's hear it for his victory!!!"
"To perform like this in his first tournament, who exactly is this Night Knight, appearing before us for the very first time?"
The cheers grew louder, but Xu Lin only stared around in a daze. Where am I now?
This was already the second time he'd woken up in an unfamiliar place.
The first time, Xu Lin had been an ordinary person before transmigrating to a world full of war. It had all the races of a traditional Western fantasy world: elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, and more. Xu Lin had been an ordinary knight in the Human Empire—though perhaps not so ordinary. At least, other knights probably couldn't ride griffins.
He belonged to the empire's most elite unit, the First Aerial Cavalry Legion, and rode its most powerful flying beast: the griffin. These beasts had sturdy bodies four to six meters long, two-foot-long talons, and enormous wings with an eight-to-ten-meter wingspan. They could easily tear apart warhorses and send soldiers flying.
Every spring, these ferocious beasts chose high places to build their nests and breed. It was the best time to tame griffins. Each griffin egg fetched an astronomical price on the black market, tempting countless adventurers to risk their lives. Once tamed, the savage griffins became their riders' most loyal companions. They never abandoned their riders, and might even spend months tracking down their enemies to avenge them after their rider died.
As an aerial knight, Xu Lin was the son of a noble, but he'd still endured brutal training from the age of eight. He'd been drilled in swordsmanship, physical conditioning, discipline, riding, javelin throwing, archery, and spear fighting in a near-abusive manner. He'd also grown up alongside his griffin. Only then could he become an aerial knight capable of ripping through enemy formations and easily annihilating a hundred-man company.
With several thousand aerial knights and more than a dozen powerful legions, the Human Empire firmly controlled the fertile central plains, squeezing other races out of their lands. Xu Lin had countless times dived from the sky to slaughter enemies with javelins and spears.
There had never been a shortage of wars. After one battle after another, he'd become the commander of a new legion. Then, during yet another campaign, he'd arrived here in his sleep at the age of seventy-six.
Looking at the spectators cheering for him, he felt uncomfortable. They were like gamblers in a casino, overjoyed at a successful bet and cheering for whoever gave them pleasure. He was like an actor trying to win an audience's favor. As an aerial knight of honor and glory, he'd never felt anything like this.
A flicker of anger passed through his heart, but he quickly suppressed it. The urgent thing was to leave.
On his way out of the arena, Xu Lin confirmed once again that this was a completely different world. It wasn't just the modern technology he saw everywhere; the races were different, too. People here had various animal traits. Some had long rabbit-like ears, while others had horns or short tails. The most common, though, were people with long horse tails and horse ears.
Outside the arena, broad streets stretched beneath skyscrapers that blocked out the sky. Vehicles and pedestrians streamed along the roads.
For a moment, Xu Lin had no idea what to do. This was an unfamiliar world, and he knew nothing about it. Where should he go?
Suddenly, Xu Lin stopped walking. He'd been wandering for an hour and had unconsciously stopped in front of an apartment building. It felt inexplicably familiar. After a moment's thought, he went inside.
"Isn't that the knight? How was your day?"
A plump, middle-aged woman suddenly called out to him.
"You must have won today's match, right? I envy you knights. You can make a fortune just like that, while I have to get by on a pittance from rent."
"Do I owe you rent?" Xu Lin frowned. A Kuranta woman.
How do I know what her race is called? It was as if a veil had been lifted. Unfamiliar yet familiar memories kept surfacing: a descendant of a minor knightly family, down on his luck and able to do nothing but wield a sword. To survive, he'd entered the Great Knight Territory's promotion tournament. He owed the woman in front of him two weeks' rent.
"Oh, you're such a forgetful gentleman!"
Xu Lin felt around in the leather pouch at his waist and pulled out eight thousand Lungmen Dollars—the prize money he'd just won. He counted out two thousand and gave it to the landlady, exchanged a few words with her, then headed upstairs to his room.
A New Beginning: Chapter 2: Quite Handsome
The young man in the mirror had a clean, fair face that didn't look particularly youthful. His features were smooth and sharp, and he was neither too thin nor too heavy. His face was well-proportioned, with a pair of long, sharp phoenix eyes and amber pupils that gleamed thoughtfully. He also had a straight nose and thin lips pressed lightly together. His lacquer-black hair was brushed up, with a few strands falling over his forehead. Add in his tall, slender frame, over 190 centimeters in height, and all in all, he was handsome enough to draw the attention of most women—and perhaps some men as well. He could be called a beautiful young man.
Xu Lin knew this face well. It was his own.
"What's going on? Why do I look like myself? Why do I have those memories? Is this a parallel world? Is this another version of me?"
This was a small apartment in Kazimierz Grand Knight Territory. The room was quite old. Paint peeled from the furniture, the wallpaper had yellowed with age, the table, chairs, and bed all wobbled, and dust covered the carpet.
A room like this wouldn't be worth a thousand Lungmen Dollars a week anywhere else, but the booming economy of the Great Knight Territory, built around knightly tournaments, had driven prices up.
Xu Lin thought for a while, then stopped. There was nothing he could do about his situation right now, so he might as well do something useful.
He picked up the ruined helmet and examined it carefully. Sure enough, it was made of soft steel. Xu Lin couldn't help feeling speechless. This kid was really bold, entering a knightly competition in the decorative armor from his home—and even winning! Though technically, I was the one who won.
The only decent thing was the sword. It was superbly balanced, with its center of gravity two inches in front of the crossguard. Its blade was sharp and its body long and slender. He couldn't bear to put it down. After admiring it for a while, he reluctantly slid it back into its sheath.
His entire fortune amounted to only ten thousand Lungmen Dollars. After his parents died, Xu Lin had sold everything except the manor and come alone to a Mobile City to make his way in the world. So far, his income had been minus five thousand Lungmen Dollars, thanks to the high cost of living here. If he hadn't won today's match, he might have had to do manual labor just to earn enough to live.
He sighed and stood up. First, he'd get something to eat.
Maria Nearl stared at the mechanical device in front of her, deep in thought. A troubled expression crossed her pretty face.
"Master, why still won't the Originium circuit conduct properly?"
The person the beautiful young woman called Master had a peculiar appearance, like a giant white bear standing upright. He set down the beer mug in his thick hand and leaned over to take a look.
"You silly girl, you haven't connected the buffer circuit in the middle. Of course it won't work."
The girl gave a small gasp and quickly made the correction.
Time passed slowly. At ten that night, the girl set down her tools and stood up. "Master, I'm heading home!"
"Be careful. Should I ask your sister to come get you?"
"No need. My sister has a match tomorrow. Let her get some rest."
As Maria spoke, she headed for the tavern's door. When she opened it, moonlight spilled inside. She looked up and saw a pair of heroic, piercing phoenix eyes.
The boy was much taller than her. Bathed in moonlight, he wore black clothes and black armor, and was as handsome as an elf of the night. A black, silken horse tail brushed against his legs.
Xu Lin reached out to hold the door and stepped aside, nodding to the girl in front of him. "After you, miss."
Maria was startled. When she came to her senses, her face flushed. "Thank you!" She hurried away.
Xu Lin entered the tavern and glanced around. It was small but tidy, with only three sets of tables and chairs and a row of tall stools in front of the bar. There weren't many customers at this hour—just the bald, one-eyed, one-armed owner and a huge Ursus.
"Welcome. What can I get you?"
The owner, Martin, greeted him.
"Could I get something to eat?"
"At this hour, we've only got creamy beast-meat soup. Is that all right?"
"That's fine. And a drink, too."
Xu Lin sat at the bar. The owner quickly brought him a bowl of steaming meat soup, a few slices of bread, and a glass of beer. He thanked the owner and began to enjoy his dinner.
The beast meat in the soup was stewed until tender. The thick, savory broth paired with the soft bread, giving him a satisfying, almost blissful feeling. A sip of beer on top of that helped him relax completely.
"Aren't you the Night Knight? I didn't expect to run into you here."
The huge Ursus spoke to Xu Lin.
"You put on quite a show today! You really taught that scumbag a lesson."
"What did he do?"
"That guy often tries to kill his opponents during matches. He's been notorious for ages."
"Hasn't he been punished?"
"No. Some spectators like watching that sort of thing, so the company protects him."
"Uh..." Xu Lin wasn't sure what to say.
"Come to think of it, kid, your armor doesn't look so good. Your helmet broke after one hit."
"True. I was just planning to find a craftsman to make me a better set."
Xu Lin had considered buying a set outright, but the equipment in the shops cost four figures or more. It had taken him by surprise.
The Ursus beside him chuckled. "You could come to me! My work is among the best in this city!"
Xu Lin sized him up. He certainly looked like a master craftsman. "I might not have enough money."
"No problem. You can pay me later. I won't charge interest." The giant white bear seemed very easygoing.
"Forgive me for asking, sir, but we've only just met. Why...?"
The Ursus laughed heartily and clapped Xu Lin hard on the shoulder. "Because I like you!"
"Thank you. I'll repay your kindness."
"No need to thank me. Haha, pay me when you've got the money."
After finishing his meal, Xu Lin set down his glass. The owner asked, "Would you like another?"
"No, thanks."
Xu Lin was used to drinking, but no matter how good the alcohol was, he only ever had one glass.
"Sir, where do you live? I'll come visit tomorrow."
Xu Lin wanted to get his armor sorted out as soon as possible.
After getting the man's address, Xu Lin paid the bill and left. He had another match tomorrow, so he needed a good night's rest.
Martin looked at his old friend. "You only like him?"
"Hahaha, that kid's interesting. He's obviously from the military, and his swordsmanship is that good. I want someone worthy to use my work! Besides, I'm still charging him."
Martin shook his head and began wiping down the counter.
Back at the apartment, Xu Lin cleaned himself up, then immediately went to bed. He didn't know when he'd get the armor, so he'd have to make do with that set of decorative armor for a few days. He could only be as careful as possible.
A New Beginning: Chapter 3: King of the Sky
The strong smell of blood filled Xu Lin's nostrils and brought him back to his senses. It was the blood of his old companion, Hart.
Griffin blood had a powerful, distinctive, and unmistakable smell. Experienced knights could judge their griffin's injuries just from the scent of its blood. Just as Xu Lin could now tell that Hart had been badly wounded. A barbed arrow had pierced its unarmored hind leg. It was an elf's Flesh-Ripper Arrow. Its weight made it unsuitable for long-range shots, but once it pierced a target, the vicious barbs behind its arrowhead caused immense pain and bleeding. Xu Lin couldn't pull it out for his companion, so he could only cut off the shaft.
I'm alone, Xu Lin realized as he surveyed his surroundings.
The three-man scouting party had been ambushed. Hundreds of elf Blood Eagle riders had found them. It might have been a coincidence, but who knew?
During their escape, they'd killed over a hundred Blood Eagles and their riders. Anik and Bart had also been shot down with their mounts. Only Xu Lin remained.
The horrifying losses kept the elves from acting rashly, but they wouldn't let him escape either. They merely surrounded him, hoping he'd grow exhausted.
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