Rescue Training

Hearing Aemeath's slightly trembling question, Lu Yan snapped out of his despair.

He looked up and met Aemeath's face, which was inches away from his.

Looking into Aemeath's pure, innocent eyes, which were even filled with fear at his furrowed brow.

Lu Yan felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

At this midday hour, when a world-shaking decision is about to unfold, in the last few carefree hours of her life, this innocent girl is still looking forward to the afternoon's assessment and is still anxious about his safety.

Aemeath had no idea what fate awaited her.

We absolutely cannot put any more pressure on her at this time.

Lu Yan gritted his teeth.

He knew that with Aemeath's keen senses, she would immediately notice anything amiss if he showed any panic.

He absolutely could not let her face what was to come with fear and unease.

He forced himself to swallow all the despair, panic, struggle, and pain, suppressing them deep in his heart.

Lu Yan took a deep breath. Although his face was still slightly stiff, he tried his best to control the corners of his mouth and forced out his usual gentle smile.

He didn't back down. Instead, he raised his hand and gently grasped Aemeath's outstretched hand, enveloping it in his palm and carefully preventing her from feeling the cold sweat on his hand.

"It's nothing," Lu Yan's voice was soft and steady. "Don't overthink it, I won't disappear."

"I've just traveled a long way to get here, and my Frequency hasn't fully adapted to the environment of Rinascita yet, so I'm just a little dizzy."

"Really?" Aemeath looked at him with some suspicion, her eyes narrowing slightly, clearly not entirely believing his story.

But looking into Lu Yan's gentle eyes, she couldn't find any flaws.

"Of course it's true." Lu Yan reached out his other hand and, just like he had done to Aemeath before, gently pinched her nose.

His gaze was fixed on her, as if trying to etch her image into his memory forever, his voice carrying a barely perceptible, almost tragic tenderness:

"I need to save my energy to see how my Aemeath performs in the qualified trainee training this afternoon."

"How could I bear to miss such an important moment with a long face?"

Aemeath stared at him suspiciously for several seconds, and only after confirming that his originally pale face had indeed regained some color did her tense shoulders relax slightly.

"Since you're not feeling unwell..." Aemeath's demeanor shifted, a bright smile returning to her lips. She grabbed Lu Yan's arm. "There are still two hours until the afternoon's practical assessment, so let's go shopping! Star Torch Academy's commercial street has lots of great things. You've been gone for so long, you have to make it up to me!"

"Okay~ I'll go shopping with you." Lu Yan let her pull him outside.

The two walked out of the dormitory building side by side and strolled through the Star Torch Academy, surrounded by students in various uniforms coming and going.

Amy excitedly introduced the various facilities in the academy to Lu Yan.

However, as he walked, Lu Yan sensed something was wrong.

The students passing by frequently cast glances at Aemeath.

At first, Lu Yan thought they were Aemeath's beauty and vivacity, but he soon discovered that there was an undisguised strangeness in their eyes.

The way they looked at Aemeath was as if she were a strange person talking to herself.

To verify his suspicions, as they passed a place selling trinkets, Lu Yan deliberately reached out and picked up an exquisite brooch.

"Who's misusing Resonance Ability!" The shopkeeper looked around but couldn't sense any trace of Resonance Power at all, and then he remembered the ghost stories from the academy.

"Holy crap! Something's happened!" The shopkeeper screamed in terror, falling flat on his backside in fright.

"Haha... it's a new kind of magic trick! Sorry, boss--!"

Aemeath reacted quickly, snatching the brooch from Lu Yan's hand and putting it back on the stall. Then she grabbed Lu Yan's hand and ran away, their fleeing figures drawing stares from those around them.

Aemeath ran all the way to a bench in the corner of the shopping street before stopping. She glared at Lu Yan with a hint of resentment. "A-Yan! Why did you suddenly grab something to scare people?!"

Lu Yan stood there, looking at his hands, and a startling fact took shape in his mind.

"They... can't see me?" Lu Yan asked softly.

Aemeath paused for a moment, then realized, "That's right, why can't they see you!"

Lu Yan's brain started working at lightning speed.

Why? Why is it that others cannot see him, yet he can tangibly touch the physical world?

Aemeath can see it, Rover can see it, and Tsubaki can see it too.

I understand because of both strength and Frequency!

Rover and Chun were able to see me because they were among the stronger fighters in Solaris.

And Aemeath can see me... because I resonate with Aemeath's Frequency!

A portion of the power within me is essentially Resonance Ability that originates from the same source as Aemeath!

The emergence of this realization was like a lightning bolt, instantly cleaving through the suffocating despair in Lu Yan's mind.

Resonance? A shared Frequency!

If my current body is entirely composed of Frequency, and perfectly synchronized with Aemeath's Frequency...

When the disaster struck Aleph-1's sealing node was destroyed, why did she have to bear the brunt of the tearing pain with her own body?!

A crazy, audacious, yet hopeful plan popped into Lu Yan's mind.

All I have to do is wait until Aemeath goes into the training chamber in the afternoon, then follow her in. The moment Aemeath prepares to Overclocking, I can use my own Frequency, which is from the same source, to withstand the Overclocking stress!

What I resonate with is Aemeath's Resonance Ability; I can take the backlash from Overclocking in her place!

My Frequency may be burned away, but I never belonged here, while her body will be preserved intact!

The crisis in Rinascita can be suppressed, causality will not be broken, and Aemeath... will no longer have to suffer the pain of losing her body!

A surge of elation at escaping a desperate situation welled up inside me.

I'm such a genius.

Lu Yan took a deep breath, straightening his back, which had been stiff from the feeling of powerlessness.

He looked at Aemeath, who was sitting on the bench and still pouting about the strange event, and a bright smile appeared in his eyes.

"Sorry, it won't happen again."

Lu Yan stepped forward and gently ruffled her hair, silently vowing in his heart: This time, let me do it.

Time flies, and soon it was time for the afternoon's practical training assessment.

Aemeath changed into the prodigy training suit from the game.

The moment she pushed open the door and stepped out, Lu Yan, who had been waiting outside, caught his breath.

"How is it? Does it look good?" Aemeath twirled in front of Lu Yan, her skirt trailing behind her in a graceful arc.

"Very beautiful, extremely beautiful," Lu Yan exclaimed sincerely.

"Aemeath! Over here!"

Hearing a lively shout from not far away, Lu Yan turned around and saw four girls, all wearing training uniforms, waving in his direction.

These are Aemeath's four best friends from the Star Torch Academy: Lynn, Nova, Elara, and Celeste.

"Let's go, let's go over there." Aemeath walked briskly forward, while Lu Yan followed quietly beside her like an invisible shadow.

"Aemeath, you look so cool today!" Lin nudged Aemeath's arm, chattering excitedly, but her body unknowingly slipped past Lu Yan's arm.

This further confirms Lu Yan's guess: those who cannot see me can only sense me by actively touching me.

The most lively of them all Elara, clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight, "You actually wrote 'save the world' today, which really annoyed the teacher! Hahahaha!"

Celeste sighed softly, her voice filled with deep worry. "This is too reckless. Aemeath, I know you're strong, but please don't push yourself too hard."

"Just kidding~ I didn't expect the teacher to be so angry." Aemeath protested her friends' teasing, her face flushed.

But out of the corner of her eye, she proudly glanced at Lu Yan beside her, whom only she could see, as if to say: See, I'm very popular.

The group of five, along with the invisible Lu Yan, headed towards the rooftop training ground of the Labelle Department.

The journey was filled with the cheerful laughter and playful shouts of young girls.

Lu Yan walked among them, looking at these vibrant lives and experiencing this ordinary campus life, his fists clenching quietly.

He knew this might be the last moment of peace.

Success or failure depends on what happens next.

Upon arriving at the rooftop training ground, a strong wind whipped through the girls' hair.

Several huge simulation training pods were neatly arranged on the rooftop.

The instructor's cold, mechanical voice came over the loudspeaker. "All qualified candidates, prepare to enter the training pod. The combat simulation assessment will officially begin in three minutes."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

As they approached the training pod, Celeste stopped, turned to look at Aemeath, her eyes filled with concern. "After training, write a proper report and send it over. But really, isn't there anything you particularly want to do?"

"Hmm. I don't have anything in particular I want to do." Aemeath waved her hand, turned around, and strode towards her main training pod.

The hatch slowly opened, Aemeath nimbly stepped inside.

Just as the hatch was about to close, a figure darted inside with incredible speed.

"Hatch closed." Accompanied by a mechanical prompt, the training cabin was completely sealed.

In the cramped cabin, a light blue control panel lit up.

Aemeath was about to lie down in the synchronization chair, she turned around and saw Lu Yan following her in.

"A-Yan! You..." Aemeath was startled, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed in a low voice, "How did you get in here!"

A gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"Since others can't see me, of course I'll sit in the VIP section and get a close look at the hero's heroic figure."

Lu Yan's voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a sense of reassurance, "Don't worry about me, just focus on the exam. I'll stay here with you."

Aemeath's heart skipped a beat.

She bit her lower lip in embarrassment and annoyance, then lay down in the synchronized chair.

"Then... then you stay put and don't cause any trouble~" Aemeath leaned forward and whispered a word of instruction before connecting to the training system.

Lu Yan stood quietly beside Aemeath, watching her begin to operate the device.

He stopped smiling.

He closed his eyes, and the Frequency within his body began to surge wildly, silently connecting with Aemeath's Frequency.

Lu Yan looked at Aemeath and found her sitting in the back seat chatting with Celeste.

Suddenly, the communication was interrupted, and a vast expanse of land appeared on the screen.

"Is this... a new training objective?" Aemeath murmured to herself, staring at the screen.

Aemeath skillfully manipulated the levers on both sides, and the mech was smoothly gliding across the wasteland, as indicated on the screen.

In the scene, the scenery rushes past. Suddenly, clusters of people appear on the once desolate plain.

Aemeath frowned slightly and slowed down the speed at which she operated the push lever.

The image on the screen zoomed in, and the figures gradually became clearer; they were groups of Lahai-Roi.

Some of them carried backpacks, while some women held their infants tightly in their arms; their faces were filled with terror.

They were running, as if fleeing some unspeakable terror.

"Strange... why are there so many people in this simulation?" Aemeath muttered, her eyes sharpening as the mech hovered in mid-air. "Could the mission objective be to rescue people?"

Before she could think it through, the ground behind her began to collapse and crack.

It was a bottomless, pitch-black crack, as if the planet had been ripped open with a gruesome wound.

The fissures spread outwards at an incredible speed, accompanied by a muffled groan from the earth, and swathes of vegetation instantly plunged into the abyss.

There were also all sorts of screams.

"Help me..."

Aemeath saw a Lahai-Roi at the end of the procession lose his balance the instant the rift opened.

Half of her body was already suspended in mid-air, her hands gripping the broken earth tightly, while the shadow beneath her was like the throat of a giant beast, ready to devour her.

"Simple, saving lives comes first." Aemeath chuckled softly, her eyes sharpening instantly.

The mech drew a perfect arc in the air and swooped down.

The mech's five fingers spread out, precisely aimed at the girl.

Aemeath calculated the force precisely, preparing to activate the reverse buffer the instant she grabbed her opponent.

The next second, Aemeath's pupils suddenly contracted.

The mech's hand passed right through the girl's body without any resistance.

There was no resistance, no collision, and not even a speck of dust was stirred up.

The wailing girl suddenly slipped through his fingers and, under Aemeath's watchful gaze, plunged into the dark abyss.

"How could... I not be able to touch it?!"

Aemeath's fingers froze on the putter.

Undeterred, she piloted the mech to land on the ground again, intending to touch the running crowd.

But an even stranger thing happened.

The panicked crowd, like invisible gusts of wind, passed directly through the massive metal body of the mech. One little boy even ran across the mech's legs without hesitation.

This mech was like an incongruous projection, displayed in a completely different dimension.

"This is reality." Aemeath's voice was soft; she immediately realized, "The Void Matter underground is surging upwards... We need to notify everyone to evacuate..."

Her fingers tapped rapidly on the control panel, trying to open a communication channel.

However, one red warning box after another popped up on the screen, with glaring exclamation marks flashing incessantly.

"Has communication been cut off?" Aemeath's voice tightened as her gaze swept across the cockpit, finally settling on the red button covered by a transparent shield in the lower right corner of the control panel.

It says "Remove synchronization rate limit".

Once pressed, it forcibly increases the synchronization rate to synchronize with the Tunneler, but no one knows what the result will be.