Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 35 Pick Up the Sword First
The two swordsmen on the field were top-notch, and they engaged in a fierce battle the moment their blades clashed, with neither gaining the upper hand.

The two attacked at an extremely fast pace, exchanging blows more than ten times per second. Their swords flashed like fans, creating a dazzling display.

Harlan swung his sword rapidly, the sword light weaving into a net that enveloped Xilan.

Amidst a chilling flash of sword light, Xilan remained composed, each counterattack piercing through Harlan's woven sword net from the most opportune angle.

Not only did it defend against all attacks, it was also able to launch a counterattack.

With her exquisite swordsmanship, Xilan gradually gained control of the rhythm, using powerful and unrestrained sword techniques to slowly dismantle Harlan's fierce offensive.

"Hasn't the old man come up with anything new? Just the same old thing again?"

Suddenly, Harlan's sword stance changed, breaking free from the quagmire created by Xilan's sword techniques.

"Throat!" the champion swordsman roared, thrusting his longsword forward towards Xilan's throat.

Xi Lan's expression was solemn, and he dared not relax for a moment. He raised his longsword and deflected the sharp blade that was aimed at his throat.

At this moment, Harlan's longsword moved like a venomous snake, its blade rapidly shifting position as it thrust towards Xilan's throat without ceasing its momentum.

Harlan was a man of his word; if he said something meant to pierce the throat, he would strike right at the throat.

Xilan suddenly retreated, quickly disengaging from the attack range, but unexpectedly, Harlan's blade was like a leech, impossible to shake off.

"Left clavicle!"

Another reminder rang in Xilan's ears. The current situation left him no time to think.

If Harlan defends the left flank, he will feint a shot; if not, the sword will surely strike.

As an experienced master swordsman, Xilan ignored Harlan's trash talk. He noticed the moment the rapier was withdrawn and the attack had an opening, so he swung his sword to strike!

"Ding~ding~ding~"

The swords of the two master swordsmen emitted a clear, ringing sound dozens of times in a short period of time.

The blade of the fine iron longsword cracked and splintered like a saw under the immense force of the two men's clash.

What a spectacular duel! Even with Doom's keen eyesight and analytical skills, he couldn't help but clench his fists and cheer for their match.

Basic swordsmanship emphasizes restraint and the careful use of power; advanced swordsmanship is unrestrained, allowing warriors to unleash their desire to win.

Two swordsmanship styles, two spirits.

The two powerful warriors poured out their sweat, their swords whistling as they sliced ​​through the air, demonstrating their determination to win!

The audience in the arena blushed, but dared not cheer or scream, for fear of disturbing the two.

As they faced off, the arena fell silent, awaiting the decisive blow that would decide the outcome.

"Heart!" Harlan's warning rang out again, and both sides knew it was time to decide the victor.

The longsword, like a serpent spitting its tongue, was both insidious and swift, baring its fangs at Xilan.

Xi Lan sneered, waved her hand to sheathe her sword and return to defense, using the angle between the guard and the blade to wedge Harlan's sword in place, and then forcefully twisted it.

"Oh!"

The serrated blade could not withstand the weight and split in the middle; the longsword in Harlan's hand broke off from the front third!
At that moment, all the warriors and apprentices stood up, ready to celebrate Xilan's victory.

In a duel between masters, even a slight difference in attack distance can bring an astonishing advantage.

An inch longer, an inch stronger. At this moment, Xilan only needs to retreat and create distance, and Harlan will have no chance of winning.

That's what the audience thought. Xilan thought so too, and he quickly retreated to create distance, making full use of his attack range advantage.

Harlan let out a wicked laugh, but instead of closing the distance, he threw a punch at the broken sword blade.

"you lose!"

Both voices rang out simultaneously, declaring the other's defeat.

The audience froze, unsure who had won or who they were cheering for.

Xilan's sword rested on Harlan's shoulder; with a single swing, he could take Harlan's head.

And within Harlan's fist, the broken blade was held directly at Xilan's brow:
“If this were on the battlefield, this fragment would pierce your head, and you wouldn’t have a chance to kill me.”

"Unfortunately, this is not a battlefield. Victory or defeat is not determined by life or death, but by the rules."

Xi Lan earnestly sheathed her longsword: "The battlefield has its own rules, and so does the competition."

"If everything can be lumped together, then what is the necessity of rules?"

"Stop with your high-sounding principles!" Harlan waved his hand dismissively, looking completely unconcerned. "I only care about victory or defeat on the battlefield, not about rules."

“Harlan Oglieve!” Xilan’s heavy voice was low: “You have many ways to defeat this old man, and you even saw through my tactics, but you still attack with what you consider to be instinct, without a trace of strategic thinking.” “It is precisely this narrow focus on the present that makes your master swordsmanship unworthy of being considered elegant.”

"Stop talking!" Harlan quickly waved his hands, his expression pleading, "I give up! I give up!"

“I’m not the main character today. We’ve already wasted a lot of Doom’s time. Stop nagging.”

In the end, Xilan opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

"Continue training!" With an angry roar, he dispersed the onlookers, the soldiers and apprentices. The rest was not something they could get involved in.

Xilan smiled gently, pulled Doom close, and said, "Go to the training ground. Harlan Oglie will teach you the basics. Your mother and I have something to say."

"Ok!"

Doom nodded and left; he needed to give adults space when they were discussing things.

"Me?" Harlan pointed to himself, looking at Xilan with a puzzled expression, his eyes filled with incomprehension.

Seeing Xilan's solemn expression, he didn't ask any more questions and silently followed Doum away.

"Queen Daisy." After Harlan and Doom walked away, Xilan looked at Daisy, hoping the queen would give an answer: "The royal family's learning process has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Don't you intend to give the old man an answer?"

No matter is too small for the royal family. Every move of the Norwick royal family involves many issues and cannot be changed overnight.

The order in which knowledge is learned can have a significant impact on a person's subjective perception, leading to different decisions about the same matter.

The prince should first enter the House of Rule to develop a comprehensive understanding of the big picture, so that he knows the consequences of his decisions and how many people's fates will be affected.

For the prince, warrior training was necessary, but not as important as the former.

A soldier charging into battle making the wrong decision could die, and in the worst case, could wipe out an entire squad.

If the commander makes a mistake, the whole game is lost.

A commander needs to be rational and suppress his desire for victory in order to achieve it.

A warrior needs rage to ensure he kills the opponent before him.

The two are worlds apart; the type of education one receives first determines the type of thinking one will develop.

Xilan didn't understand why Daisy had sent Doom here for warrior training first.

King Norwick has made it clear that he considers Doom his own son and hopes that he will inherit the throne, and Xilan is one of the witnesses to this.

Could it be some kind of court politics?
Xilan couldn't help but have some doubts. He wasn't a pure warrior like Harlan Ogrivik. Having served two Kings of Norwick, he had a keen sense of smell.

“It’s not what you think.” Under the suspicious gaze of the court swordsman, Queen Daisy quickly explained, “Norwick made me do it.”

“King Norwick?” Xilan’s expression instantly turned serious. “Then do I have the right to know?”

Since it involved King Norwick's arrangements, Xilan had to maintain a serious attitude and carefully inquire whether he had the right to know.

“He instructed that, besides me, you are one of only two people who have the right to know.”

Daisy pulled Xilan into the shadows, and after making sure no one was around, she lowered her voice and said cautiously, "He saw the future and believed that Doom must first acquire weapons and have the power to protect himself!"

Upon hearing this, Xi Lan's pupils contracted sharply, her heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat instantly streamed down her forehead.

Does Doom need to protect himself?
This indicates that King Norwick is no longer certain whether his abilities, or those of the Night Watchers, are sufficient to protect Doom.

Xilan felt his mouth go dry. He couldn't understand what kind of enemy could make King Norwick feel such pressure.

"Then we'd better hurry!"

Under Harlan's tutelage, Doom began to learn basic swordsmanship, demonstrating impressive skill that amazed Harlan with his learning ability.

"Doom! From now on, you will be under my tutelage."

Xilan's voice suddenly rang out, his eyes filled with seriousness: "We need to hurry. Unleash your full potential and learn the way of the warrior!"

With his keen insight, Doom sensed the seriousness in Xilan's eyes, as well as the suppressed anxiety within them.

With a serious expression, she nodded heavily: "I can't wait any longer!"

Harlan also sensed the heaviness in the air; his instincts told him that the work ahead would not be easy.

Under his father's arrangement, Doom embarked on his warrior's journey.

　This is the third watch of the night, it's killing me!
　　Please point out any typos. Sometimes AI is like an idiot; if you send an article to it, it can't find the errors.

　　Thank you all for your donations, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes.

　　May the four gods protect you!
　　I'll go see Old Huang tomorrow and see what he's up to. What will the army built from Doom's gene seed look like? Stay tuned!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)