Hello, Arknights

Chapter 254 Teaching and Learning, Konoe

Ling Dengxian contacted Meilansha, who said stiffly that she was already at the training ground.

"We exchanged contact information... If you didn't contact me, then you must have something else to do, so I'll just do the basic training on my own..."

"I'm sorry, something did delay me, but since it's my fault that I didn't handle the arrangements properly, you don't have to be timid." Ling Dengxian always felt that someone with Rosalina's personality would suffer a lot when she met someone with ulterior motives.

"But you are a teacher..."

"But the teacher may not be 100% right." Ling Dengxian's eyebrows slightly frowned unconsciously. If he only fulfilled his obligations in swordsmanship, he would not be able to bear those two words.

"I, I understand... Then, Teacher Bai Ge, could you please come over as soon as possible?" Rosalina tried to raise her voice.

"It seems that being a good teacher is not something that can be done just by talking about it." Ling Dengxian hung up the phone and sighed.

"White-Faced Owl's suggestions are mainly for guidance. Forcing suggestions is likely to have little effect." White-Faced Owl suddenly made a suggestion, and Ling Dengxian nodded: "But theory is theory, and practice must also consider other practical factors... It's easier said than done..."

White-Faced Owl looked at him, thought for a moment, and said, "But for Ling Dengxian, it probably isn't that difficult, right?"

"Eh? Why?"

"In White-Faced Owl's impression, Ling Dengxian has always been someone whose actions speak louder than his words, even though he doesn't socialize much."

Ling Dengxian neither agreed nor denied it, because he himself didn't know whether White-Faced Owl's statement was true or not.

He just... does the best he can when action is needed, but he's not very proactive.

"Teacher Bai Ge..." Soon, after arriving at the training ground, Rosella noticed the arrival of the two people. She stopped practicing slashing, wiped the sweat off her face, and unconsciously tensed her back.

"The people in the engineering department are so amazing..." Ling Dengxian was stunned when he stepped into the training ground, because with the emergency repairs of the engineering department, nearly 40% of the training ground was repaired overnight, and at least many areas could be used normally again.

Meilansha: "..."

Thinking about why the training ground was destroyed twice, Ling Dengxian couldn't help but feel guilty. After all, he and Skadi had even caused the ground to be destroyed three times...

"Ahem, Rosa, what do you think of our previous fight?" Ling changed the subject and brought up business.

When Meilansha heard Ling Dengxian's question, she just put down the steel knife she was training with. When she looked up and saw Ling Dengxian's gaze, she paused for a moment, then drew out the steel knife again and said seriously, "I... need to test it before I can give a more accurate answer."

Ling Dengxian simply greeted the White-Faced Owl, walked to the center of the field covered with sword marks, and patted his arms. The small sky blue dragon left his sleeves. Then Ling Dengxian drew out the white sword and stood still. Rosalina took two steps back, her eyes gradually becoming sharper.

Ling Dengxian raised his wrist, and the purple-red figure wrapped in a sword took the lead in launching an attack.

Compared to before, Rosalina did reflect carefully and formulate counter-attack tactics. Jianfeng's goal was also very clear. This time she wanted Ling Dengxian to move his position.

But after several clashes and fights, Ling Dengxian also felt the pressure. After all, it was a bit difficult for him to stand still and defend against the attack of an excellent guard reserve operator and look for counterattack opportunities, because he couldn't use force to suppress the opponent after all, otherwise there would be no point in learning it. In addition, Kal'tsit also asked him to teach Rosalina how to use the living sword correctly, rather than in a rigid way.

Thinking of this, he blocked another sword with his backhand and pretended to retreat. Rosalinda fell for it and rushed forward to slash with the sword. Ling Dengxian drew his sword back and lightly raised the tip of the sword. He took a step back and tapped Rosalinda's lower abdomen with his knee, deflecting her attack before the sword fell.

"Teacher?" Rosalina was a little dazed, and her sharp eyes became a little confused.

"Melaltha, what do you understand by swordsmanship? Is it just the sword?" Ling Dengxian still stood still, with the sword sheathed. "Or, if there is no chance to draw the sword, then don't draw the sword?"

"Your sword moves are too mechanical, and your control of timing is too easily misled. I can see that you have made some progress... but not much." Ling Dengxian took a few steps closer and wanted to reach out and touch her head to comfort her, but then he thought again that it was a bit rude.

…It seemed like he missed patting some kid’s head a little too much.

"Teacher... I will work harder next time." Rosalina looked at his hand timidly and lowered her eyes.

“However, every sword you strike is very decisive, and you don’t show any hesitation in your character. This is very good.” Ling Dengxian saw that she was disappointed, but still praised her.

"But teacher, you also said... I am too easily misled..." Rosary still felt a little frustrated because her goal of progress was not achieved.

"That's just because you haven't prepared enough for your transformation. This is something you can learn slowly... unless you want to use the self-sacrificing sword."

"Sacrificial sword?"

"Giving up all defenses and fighting for life and death in a split second, it is called a sword technique, but in fact it is just a choice of survival, originating from the instinct engraved in our bodies."

"Go for broke?" Rosalina seemed to understand a little.

“No… a fight where one’s life is at stake cannot be done rashly. Every consumption of physical energy and every induction of attack is a preparation for the final sacrifice of one’s life.” Ling Dengxian was only talking about his own understanding. He had not read any sword manuals. His sword manual was that of the wilderness.

"That's the last desperate fight..."

“Sacrificing one’s life does not necessarily mean sacrificing one’s own life.” When Ling Dengxian said this, he was stunned for a moment. He didn’t understand why he said it so naturally.

It was as if... I had seen it before.

"It's better to forget it."

The words coming from somewhere made his heart tremble. He looked around, feeling a little confused.

"Teacher?" Meilansha was a little confused when she saw Ling Dengxian's abnormal behavior.

"No... nothing, maybe I'm still a little bit mentally exhausted, I stayed up all night last night... I need to rest..." Ling Dengxian looked at Mei Lansha, "No, I'll rest later, I still have to fulfill my duties."

"Rosalind, I won't stand still and let you hit me this time. I can't explain the theory clearly. You should learn by yourself how to draw the sword. Don't be too rigid." Ling Dengxian slapped the sheath and drew the sword again. "I can't help it. I don't follow the normal way. I can only let you bear a little injustice to have me as your teacher."

Roselanda did not complain. She thought the white dove was actually very good, at least qualified.

Looking at Ling Dengxian's performance, White-Faced Owl couldn't help but recall their first meeting in Tobrand. If the edge of his sword had not become sharper, she would really have thought that he had not changed much.

Two hours later.

Meilansha's mood got better and better with each practice, but Ling Dengxian felt sleepy again. After finishing the training, Ling Dengxian met a red-haired Sarkaz girl at the corner when she walked out of the training ground. Facing Surtel's silent questioning, Ling Dengxian pointed to the dark circles under his eyes and said, "Sister, I just came down from there. Can you let me go to sleep for a while?"

"Isn't your dormitory in that direction?"

"I still have some information to collect... and I also need to find someone... I'm really busy today, can you please let me go?" Ling Dengxian spoke earnestly.

"Looking for someone? What's the matter?" Sartel made way and asked casually.

"Director Kai asked me to form an action team. I'm going to start the mission..."

Hearing this, Surtel quickly thought of something: "Do you have to leave the island then?"

"Nonsense, I will lead the team to make red gold if we don't leave the island?" After so many days in Rhodes Island, he still knew that part of Rhodes' income came from the trading post, where some operators with no combat ability or low combat level would process the raw red gold.

"..." Surtel tried to suppress his temper, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Then...how many people do you still need?"

"Director Kai said that they need about five to ten people... Three of them have already been confirmed, including me..." Ling Dengxian yawned, "What, Li Youtuo Juanrunxuan (What, do you have a recommendation for someone)?"

"...Is your... team short of guards?" asked Surtr, with a simple and pure plan in mind.

Ling Dengxian regained consciousness in an instant.