A Sparring Match

The Rover turned around and lightly slid his fingertips across the Pangu Terminal at his waist.

With a flash of pale blue particles, a standard-issue communication knife appeared in her hand.

This is also an unsharpened training sword.

"Then!"

Without any warning, the Rover threw the standard-issue communication knife at Lu Yan.

"Hey!" Lu Yan subconsciously reached out, and the heavy longsword landed steadily in his palm.

"Since you think it's just a casual gesture," the Rover said, pointing his dagger diagonally at the ground, a rare hint of interest flickering in his eyes.

She looked at Lu Yan, a provocative smile curving her cold, beautiful face. "Then prove it to me with the moves you just casually demonstrated."

"Don't worry, I will suppress my strength to the same level as you are now, and only use basic sword moves to guide you."

"Draw your sword, and let me see just how much you've learned."

Seeing this, Little Aemeath immediately widened her eyes in excitement, obediently retreating to a safe distance while clutching her little wooden sword, her big eyes sparkling as she shouted, "A-Yan! Go Rover Apiao!"

Lu Yan took a deep breath, and his originally calm gaze instantly turned sharp.

"Then... let me weigh you."

Before he finished speaking, Lu Yan had already moved!

Instead of defending, he thrust his sword directly at the Rover!

"Clang!" The two swords clashed, producing a crisp metallic sound.

The Rover easily parried the attack, but a hint of undisguised surprise flashed across his face.

That force, that angle! This guy actually only watched it once and perfectly replicated her power generation technique!

"You think you can measure me? You're not worthy yet. Come again!" The Rover's longsword became a blur, actively guiding Lu Yan's movements.

On the snow, two figures began to pass each other rapidly.

At first, Lu Yan's movements were a bit clumsy. Faced with the Rover' deliberately slowed-down, guided attacks, he occasionally seemed flustered, his footsteps leaving messy footprints on the snow.

But his learning speed is terrifying!

From passively parrying to barely managing to parry, and then after twenty moves, he was able to instinctively counterattack, following the Rover's sword path!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The clash of swords echoed across the vast, icy plain, shaking snow from the distant tree branches.

Lu Yan felt as if he had entered a mysterious state.

He stopped consciously thinking about what to do next and instead completely surrendered control of his body to his subconscious.

His swordsmanship became increasingly fluid and sharp, and faintly, it even revealed a hint of the unrestrained, deadly killing intent characteristic of Rover.

With a final "whoosh," the Rover's blade came to a steady stop at Lu Yan's neck.

The wind has stopped.

Lu Yan was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently.

His right hand, which was gripping the sword, was slightly sore, but his eyes gleamed with a sense of exhilarating pleasure.

This was a thrill he could never experience in peacetime.

The Rover sheathed his longsword, casually twirled it, and then returned the weapon to his terminal.

She didn't even catch her breath, still maintaining that aloof and composed demeanor, but the way she looked at Lu Yan had undergone a complete transformation.

"Phew~ I can't take it anymore, you're still the best." Lu Yan put down his sword, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and shook his head with a wry smile.

The Rover looked at him quietly, and after a moment of silence, gave him a very high evaluation:

"Your talent is terrifying."

She crossed her arms, her tone carrying a rare hint of admiration. "In the exchange just now, although you had no combat experience, your combat instincts were flawless. If we were to truly evaluate you by swordsmanship standards..."

She said earnestly, "You now possess at least Calamity Class combat power. In a typical emergency, that's more than enough to protect yourself."

Lu Yan was taken aback. Of course he knew about the Calamity Class. In the worldview of the Wuthering Waves, this was already considered a very powerful force. Above that, it was basically the Lament and the Resonator of the Year.

He only watched it once and had one sparring session, and it became Calamity Class?

From an angle unseen by Lu Yan, the Rover's lips couldn't help but curl into a subtle upward curve.

She thought to herself: Although she hasn't received systematic training, her foundation is there.

He learned my swordsmanship as easily as transferring something from his left hand to his right.

Ultimately, praising him is the same as praising myself as a peerless genius, isn't it? Hmm, that feels pretty good.

The Rover forcibly suppressed his narcissism and pride, and resumed his aloof and unapproachable demeanor.

"A-Yan! Sister Rover! You guys are amazing!"

With a crunching sound of footsteps on the snow, Little Aemeath pounced over.

Her face was flushed with adoration, her eyes sparkling. She looked left at Lu Yan and right at the Rover, unsure of where to direct her admiring gaze.

"Sister Rover's sword is as fast as lightning! A-Yan was also great; that turn and counterattack move he just made was super cool!"

Little Aemeath raised her little wooden sword and swung it forcefully in mid-air, her childish voice filled with determination and longing:

"I've made up my mind! I want to be as strong as you all someday! I want to become stronger than everyone else so I can protect you!"

The Rover's gaze softened as he listened to Little Aemeath's childish yet weighty words of boldness.

She reached out and ruffled Aemeath's pink hair, whispering, "Okay."

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat the moment he heard those words.

The words "become stronger" and "protect you" are like invisible thorns, piercing his memories of the future.

He knew all too well the terrible price Aemeath would pay in the future for her unwavering commitment to protection and sharing.

She replaced all the joy that should have been part of her teenage years with the pressure of wanting to become stronger, ultimately burning herself out.

Lu Yan crouched down to be at eye level with Little Aemeath.

He didn't respond to the question about becoming stronger, but instead reached out and gently yet solemnly cupped Little Aemeath's rosy cheeks in his hands.

"Little Aemeath, becoming stronger is certainly a good thing."

Lu Yan's voice was soft, yet carried an almost pleading seriousness. "But you must promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Little Aemeath looked at him obediently.

Before you think about protecting others, you must, absolutely must, protect yourself first.

Lu Yan gently stroked her cheek and continued, "Never hurt yourself for others, and never do anything foolish like self-sacrifice. Because..."

Lu Yan pressed his forehead against Little Aemeath's forehead, his voice trembling slightly:

"If you get hurt, or if you're gone, we'll both be very, very sad. Sadder than if you killed me. Do you understand?"

Little Aemeath was stunned.

She couldn't fully grasp the weight of Lu Yan's words, but she could clearly sense the fear and tenderness welling up in his eyes.

She felt her heart being tightly enveloped by a warm current.

Little Aemeath dropped the small wooden sword in her hand, stretched out her short arms, and hugged Lu Yan's neck tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I see."

Little Aemeath nodded, her voice soft and sweet, and made a vow. "I promise you, A-Yan. To prevent you and Rover from being sad, I will definitely protect myself."