"So the gap between the two is huge. Against Tacet Discords, you aim for the Whisperin Core and you can't go wrong. Humans are a different story entirely."
Danjin held up one finger, utterly serious.
"From my experience, a single thrust to the heart will kill eventually, but even with a pierced heart, a person can still struggle for a while. So the best target isn't the heart. It's the brain, or better yet, the neck. Go for the neck and it's over. Most efficient method there is!"
She condensed a long scarlet blade from her own blood and mimed the trajectories against her neck and skull.
Rover's face held no trace of a smile. Chin propped on one hand, he listened with the focus of a diligent student, nodding along at intervals.
This was a masterclass from Jinzhou's deadliest killer, the girl who'd cut down more people than she could count. He wasn't naive enough to think life on Solaris-3 would only pit him against Tacet Discords. Which meant...
Lessons on fighting other humans were something he needed.
Danjin lived up to her reputation as the "Little Reaper." Her expertise in this area was staggering. She covered several critical points about human combat, and each one left him nodding harder, wishing he could sign up for an entire semester.
Though, attacking the brain... yeah, that's going to be messy. Bit nauseating to picture. I'll stick with the neck. Should be cleaner.
He pulled out a Sword and turned it idly in his hand.
As "tuition," he produced another piece of Loong Whiskers Crisp. The red-haired girl accepted it with a delighted grin.
Meanwhile, Uncle Wei hammered away at their weapons on the other side of the workshop, his expression growing increasingly complicated. Listening to their conversation had made even a seasoned professional like him mis-strike the anvil several times.
"Are young people's conversations always this terrifying?" He stole another glance at the pair, his gaze uneasy.
A handsome young man, elegant beyond compare. A striking young woman, radiant and fierce. He like a painting, she like carved jade.
The sight of them alone was enough to make an old man lose his train of thought. But the casual, bloodstained subject matter of their chat... it was something else entirely. Like a throwback to the age of wandering swordsmen, when Huanglong was first being built.
Come to think of it, I had another customer with that same swordsman's air not long ago. Came in for a blade repair too. Blind fellow, if I recall.
The old smith shook his head and returned his full attention to the two Swords before him, tuning out whatever those two were discussing.
After that particular exchange, the distance between Rover and Danjin had closed considerably. To anyone watching, he looked like a doting older brother, reaching over to ruffle the girl's hair.
"You're something else, Danjin. Out there fighting the good fight all on your own."
"Oh, it's nothing special. I know some people think my methods are extreme, but someone has to do it. My dream is to one day cut down every last outlaw until there isn't a single villain left!"
She raised her scarlet blade as she spoke.
Aimed at the sky, and maybe at herself. A vow.
"Wherever I go, I want evil to vanish. Not in the open, not in the shadows. None of it!" She lowered the blade and plopped back down beside him, tilting her head curiously. "What about you, Rover?"
"Me? I'm not sure yet. Haven't had a chance to think about it. Probably going to be a long time before I figure that one out." He blinked, then gazed up at the sky and shook his head.
Saving Civilization...
That was a mission. Not a dream.
And it was the mission of a Rover.
But as himself, not as Rover, he still hadn't figured out what he truly wanted to do in this world. In a different way, he was just as lost as the other Rover with her missing memories. He'd only been here a little over a day. He hadn't fully adjusted yet.
The butterfly perched on his right shoulder listened in silence, whatever thoughts stirring behind those delicate wings unreadable. Then she fluttered up to the crown of his head and folded her wings down around him.
It looked like a hug. A tiny, butterfly-sized hug.
"That's okay. Take your time, Rover. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."
"Yeah. I think so too. And... even though I haven't found my purpose yet, I think I've already found someone important. No matter what the future looks like, I'm meant to face it with her."
His expression softened as he spoke, and the image of the other Rover surfaced in his mind. His pulse settled without him noticing.
They weren't lovers. They weren't family. What they were was something more particular than either, something he couldn't pin a word to yet.
But there was no question: they mattered to each other. Enormously.
"Is that so? Someone important." Danjin's voice turned earnest. "Then you have to protect them, Rover. No matter what."
"I will. Though... she's no pushover herself. Strong, beautiful, smart. Pretty much perfect." A quiet smile crossed his face.
"Ha! If you're praising someone that much, now I really want to meet her!"
He nodded, and was about to say "I'll introduce you when I get the chance" when a violent wave of vertigo blurred his vision. The Tacet Mark on his right hand blazed with light.
"What... is this..."
When his sight cleared, Danjin was gone.
The scenery had changed entirely.
A vast open arena stretched before him, dark violet flooring slick with shallow pools of water. Strange geometric pillars jutted from the ground at odd angles.
But the most arresting thing was the moon.
It hung low in the sky, radiating a sickly purple glow, as if moments from crashing to earth.
Then...
CLANG!
"Damn it! This thing won't let up!"
"That voice... Rover?!"
He moved without hesitation, sprinting toward the sound, and found her locked in combat. Her opponent wielded a massive purple scythe, something far beyond the Crownless in raw power.
The creature's body was slender and pale, almost feminine. A golden Whisperin Core gleamed in its left breast. Half its face hid behind enormous white feathers, exposing only violet lips and a sculpted chin. Atop its head, six interlocking shapes like Tacet Marks formed a crown, and from its back, countless tendrils fanned outward into wings.
Oh no. The Dreamless!
His eye twitched. He recognized it instantly. One tier above the Crownless, which was already Overlord Class. This was Calamity Class. The kind of Tacet Discord whose appearance in a region could drive an entire Civilization to the brink of extinction.
At her current strength, the other Rover couldn't match it.
...
"Damn. What is going on?"
She gripped her Sword with both hands, barely holding her ground against the onslaught.
She was as blindsided as he was. All she'd done was follow Baizhi's instructions to run a diagnostic on her physical condition and test her current strength in what was supposed to be a virtual space.
It had started fine. A handful of simulated Common Class and Elite Class Tacet Discords as sparring partners.
She'd obliterated them in seconds.
Then Baizhi called the test complete and told her to leave, and that's when everything went sideways. The exit glitched. Walking through it looped her back to the same spot.
Then that moon appeared, swollen and violet in the virtual sky, and with it, this scythe-wielding monstrosity that dwarfed the Crownless.
"Ngh... I can't hold much longer."
The scythe arced toward her again, its edge pulsing with violet light. She activated Temporal Mandate, freezing her Sword in time, and braced it crosswise against the blow. The impact buckled her knees, the force grinding her stance lower.
Then, all around the creature, dozens of violet beams coalesced, locking onto her.
No. I can't block this one!
"Echo, resonate with me!!"
A familiar voice cut through the chaos, carrying with it a wave of absolute safety. In the next instant, the Tacet Discord froze mid-motion. She didn't waste a heartbeat. One savage slash, then she threw herself backward.
"Rover, how are you here?"
"No idea. But it can wait. Fight first!"
"Right! Be careful. This thing is strong."
In that moment, she felt like a bird that had been flying on a single wing, and the missing half had found its way home.
Fear evaporated. Her heart steadied.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, each the other's anchor, and turned to face the enemy together.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Note: Give some powerstones!!