vncnus Page 48
Page 48
Although the departure was somewhat hasty, and even though Faen's brutal actions left two faint streaks on LeBlanc's cheeks from her eye makeup smudged on her face, and the mud on her lower body could only be barely sealed with magic, this did not affect LeBlanc's clear mind.
“No wonder she didn’t pass on those memories to me. If it were me, I would have left an additional insurance policy, besides the one for the individual clone, to prevent the clone from developing its own consciousness,” LeBlanc said. “An insurance policy that would ensure that no one in the area who knew about it would be left behind.”
Just as LeBlanc was speaking, on the other side, as the spell was completed, Fain could clearly feel a dark and eerie magical power flowing into the ley lines of Blue Smoked Manor, starting from Amyst and rapidly approaching Zaun.
As for the Darkin, or Ascended, they were beings who had dominated Runeterra for nearly six thousand years, including the ancient Shurima era, so Fahn was naturally familiar with them. According to the records of this world, during the most powerful era of Runeterra, there were as many as a hundred Ascended serving the Golden Blood in Shurima at the same time.
Later, with the occurrence of the Twilight of the Gods, only a handful of Ascended remained in Runeterra, including Nasus… For the past millennia, there was no clear distinction between Ascended and Darkin. They were equal in terms of life level and form. It wasn't until after the Twilight of the Gods, under the influence of Protoss magic and the Curse of Flesh, that all the Darkin warlords who had violently ruled Runeterra were sealed into weapons, that a clear distinction emerged between Ascended and Darkin.
Among them, the Ascended retain their original forms, like Nasus, Azir, and Renekton, all being half-human, half-beast, gigantic creatures several meters or even tens of meters tall. The Darkin, however, are sealed within weapons; the weapon is their true form, and they can only parasitize those who touch it. If the person touching the weapon possesses sufficient willpower, they can even suppress the Darkin's mind, preventing it from possessing their body. For example, a certain shameful scythe Darkin.
And Stellato...
It did not officially appear in League of Legends, but rather in Legends of Runeterra (LOR), a card game with the same universe as League of Legends but in a different timeline.
Legends of Runeterra's PVP is rather average, but its PVE is quite good. It incorporates a lot of roguelike elements, and once you've built your decks and abilities, it's incredibly fun to play, with a strong Slay the Spire vibe. Unfortunately, it also has serious problems, such as an excessive number of affixes.
It's hard to imagine that a card game, released several years later than Hearthstone, would have five card categories: units, spells, abilities, traps, and landmarks, with over twenty subcategories within each category, and nearly eighty keywords… Each additional category significantly increased the game's learning curve. Coupled with the prolonged inability to obtain a license to launch in China, it ultimately failed miserably.
However, LOR's artwork was quite good, so in 25 it was transformed into the physical card game 'Rune Battlegrounds' and launched in China—the temptation of being able to exchange printed cards for money is too great for any game company.
Although Legends of Runeterra and the main League of Legends universe are not on the same timeline, the main League of Legends universe is ultimately a mess. So regardless of the timeline, even if it's a skin universe, as long as the worldview is roughly the same, it can still serve as a source of information for reference, even if it can't be used directly.
For example, Stellatul—while she doesn't appear in the main League of Legends universe, she does appear in LoR during the major event of the 'Darkin Wars'. She was originally a female general in the Shurima Golden Legion, fighting under Aatrox before he fell to the Darkin. After the Twilight of the Gods, she was sealed within a harp.
In the game, the equipment effect increases the wearer's attack power by two points and also grants the ability to attack quickly—dealing damage before the opponent can complete their defense. If the opponent is killed, the wearer will not take any damage.
Paying eight points summons Stellatu, an 8-6 card with the "Quick Attack" affix. Its effect is to draw two cards and reduce their cost by 2 for each attack. It's a classic card that's worth the price of a single attack after being summoned.
In the description of the Darkin War, Stellatu awakens immediately upon receiving Aatrox's summons, but his first act is to destroy the mid-level factory facilities in Zaun. Although his mind is constantly being eroded by the Darkin curse, he manages to maintain a portion of his sanity through Aatrox's summons and follows the general's orders to travel to Shurima to participate in the Darkin War.
Now, under LeBlanc's guidance, Stellar did not feel the call from Aatrox the moment he awoke. Instead, because he was violently released from his seal, he had not yet felt joy at regaining his freedom. Then, under the influence of the Darkin curse, all his thoughts were overwhelmed by inexplicable rage.
Within the dismantling path deliberately set up by Amystine, a flame first shot into the sky from the bottom of Zaun, its raging flames radiating boundless light and heat. Immediately following, accompanied by a shrill, inhuman roar and wail, the surging flames surged along the Zaun mountainside towards the Piltover Garrison on the mid-level main road.
As a burst of fire erupted, a blazing flame transformed into the form of an elemental creature, its dark red arms resembling those stripped of their skin, with distorted, fleshy eyes embedded in the surging heat. A massive harp rested in its hand, radiating a terrifying, apocalyptic heat.
115·Battle Spirit
To mortals, the form of ascended beings is often terrifying. This is because their fundamental form is not humanoid, but rather a gigantic humanoid creature that exists between beasts and humans.
After falling to the Darkin, their appearance becomes even more extreme than that of the Ascended. Even among the Darkin, Stellatu's appearance is one of the most extreme—aside from his arms, he is no longer recognizable as human; all that is visible is his constantly burning flames. He is less a being of the material realm and more an elemental being of the spiritual realm.
Even Stellatu's own state was highly similar to that of a life form in the uncontrolled spiritual realm—of course, this might not be due to the Darkin curse. Because most Ascended beings, after undergoing the Ascension ritual, experience a leap in their life level, and their spirits also change accordingly with this change in life level.
This change is somewhat similar to the nature of magic. Scholars like Nasus become increasingly composed and calm after mastering the power of the underworld. Renekton, on the other hand, becomes increasingly violent and ferocious after mastering the power of rage. And even someone with no knowledge of magic can clearly sense the fury and explosive power within the elemental flames wielded by Stellar.
Especially since there was no order from the general, the pure release of the seal allowed her suppressed rage to be completely unleashed in an instant. In the Twin Cities, and even throughout Piltover Bay, everyone clearly saw a flame climb from Zaun to Piltover, and then explode with a deafening roar on Midtown Avenue.
It's 8 p.m., the brightest time of evening in Piltover. People have already eaten dinner and are strolling and chatting in small groups with friends or family along the brightly lit streets, enjoying the cool sea breeze in this well-organized city.
This prosperous and abundant scene transformed into a living hell in the next instant.
Flames exploded, filling the air with a nauseating acrid smell of burning metal and the pungent odor of molten metal. Amidst the flying debris, an even more frenzied, soul-chilling roar echoed through the city, mingling with shattered glass, twisted metal fragments, and burning shop ruins.
"Zorani!! I will burn you to ashes!!!"
The woman's screams, accompanied by the roar of flames, echoed across Midtown Avenue. One moment the street was gleaming, the next it was reduced to ruins by the roar.
Seeing the entire Piltover garrison reduced to ruins in an instant, even those who were somewhat prepared were still speechless with shock at the terrifying destructive power.
This is only for Piltover's security... what if this happened directly at Blue Smoke Manor...?
Without thinking further, everyone realized at that moment that the Noxian was summoning Stellar now not only to take action against Zaun, but also to let them know Noxus's strength and methods.
Gazing at the magnificent flames, Stevan, after a moment of shock, breathed a sigh of relief, and was then filled with intense excitement and exhilaration.
I didn't see wrong! I knew it! That idiot Camille, she's actually thinking of teaming up with those skeletons from Zaun? And this talk about the Twin Cities being the true home of the Feros family—it's laughable! What's wrong with joining the Noxian machine? Even being treated as a vassal of some family is better than this, where anyone can step on you!
Thinking this, Stevan's face showed excitement and emotion. He then looked at Amystine beside him, but before he could say anything flattering, a round of applause rang out from the side.
"666, you didn't invite me to the barbecue."
Following the sound, the trading nobles were initially puzzled, seemingly wondering which audacious individual would attract everyone's attention at such a time, and whether they were afraid of offending the distinguished guests from Noxus. But then, after seeing that the newcomer was Fain, everyone fell into a brief moment of surprise and uncertainty, as if they were wondering if there was something wrong with their eyes—how could Fain be here?
Feeling the gazes of the crowd, Fain stroked his chin and stepped forward, gazing at the Piltover Garrison in the distance, saying, "It has to be you bunch of bastards. You'd even betray your own people to frame someone. Honestly, if I hadn't brought people with me today, I doubt she would have believed me even if I went back and told her."
As he said this, Farn looked at Caitlin with a sigh and said, "You agree, right? Little cake."
Upon hearing this, Caitlin did not respond. She simply stared at Stevan beside her with disbelief, her eyes wide and fixed on him. Although she did not speak, anyone could feel the questioning anger emanating from Caitlin.
Standing beside Caitlyn, Riven glanced at her, then at Fain, who looked casual but was being watched warily by those around him. Even with her slow reaction, Riven now realized that this mysterious short-haired man might not just be a guard or mercenary of some noble merchant present…
Meanwhile, noticing the wary and tense gazes of the crowd, Amystine, whose mind had become even more acute, quickly guessed Fane's identity from his attire and demeanor. Thinking this, when she looked at Fane, Amystine's eyes held a hint of curiosity, and she asked, "You are... Fane?"
"it's me."
Upon hearing Amyst's words, Fain nodded. After hearing Fain introduce himself, Riven, standing nearby, paused slightly, then her expression turned solemn and serious. She then became a blur—though not carrying the Blackrock Greatsword, she drew a short sword from a nearby guard's waist and charged towards Fain from behind, attempting to subdue him.
Fain merely glanced back at Riven casually. Then, before Riven could react, a compressed storm struck her directly in the abdomen. Like being hit by a heavy hammer, her not-so-robust body was blasted away at almost twice the speed.
"Thanks to you, otherwise I'd still be figuring out how to dig out this time bomb in Zaun~"
As he said this, Fane didn't even bother to pay attention to Amystine beside him, but instead stared at Stellatu in the distance, his hands itching with desire.
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I'll get back to my regular sleep schedule today, and start updating like crazy tomorrow.
116 Fierce Battle
It's no wonder that Fane didn't take Amyst and Riven seriously—that's just how things are in the Twin Cities area. Even if Darius came, Fane wouldn't be very interested, let alone Riven.
Zaun is now on a path of prosperity, and in terms of spiritual well-being, the returns that the Twin Cities can bring to Faen have reached their limit. Although there is still room for improvement, based on the principle of diminishing returns, the effort required to further increase the happiness level in the Twin Cities region is at least several times that of other suffering regions, and dozens of times that of the region at its inception.
So after discovering that Zaun was on the right track and Piltover had begun to undergo subtle changes, Fane began to become a hands-off manager, leaving the problems between the two cities to be handled by the people in those cities themselves. He himself acted as the bottom line, and anyone who dared to cross that line and harm the interests of civilians or lower the happiness level of the region would have their entire family killed by Fane.
Now, looking at Stellatul appearing in Piltover's central city, Faen felt a rare sense of pressure. Pressure itself can be a motivator; having not had a proper workout in a long time, and having focused on combat during his training in Ionia, Faen felt a rare itch to fight, so he stretched his shoulders and said:
"We'll talk about other things when I get back. Good opponents like the Darkin are hard to find."
With that, Farn also leaped into the air, transforming into a wet streak of light and speeding away into the distance.
As Faen walked away, Riven, who had just gotten up from the ground, was stunned for a moment. Then she looked blankly at Amystine beside her, as if asking what to do next.
Before Amyst could even speak, Stevan pointed at Caitlin and the others and said, "Guards! Arrest these two! A traitor from Piltover, a thug from Zaun—execute them publicly now! Let the people of Zaun know who this land truly belongs to!!"
Upon hearing Stevan's words, a few whispers arose from the crowd. But until Stevan's voice faded, no one made the slightest move. Even Amystine didn't take Stevan's words to heart, merely shaking her head at Riven beside her before turning her gaze to Stellatau, who was wreaking havoc in the central district in the distance.
Although Fain's appearance was unexpected, the essence of the event remained unchanged. Ultimately, it came down to who was stronger between Stellato and Fain; the winner would take all. It's just that Fain's arrival completely thwarted the plan to control the truth through public opinion…
In this situation, the plan to detonate the Piltover Garrison was Stivan's own idea. Neither Amysthan nor the other trading nobles had the intention of taking the risk and gambling with Stivan before the outcome was known...
While Stevan was still feeling lost and confused, Farn, accompanied by the light, arrived at a relatively intact street square.
With a smile on his face, Fain’s signature blue-jade-like water flowed around him. Although it was water, under Fain’s control, the water murmured and flowed as if it were alive.
However, unlike before, compared to his previous relaxed and casual expression, Fane's face now held a sharp, focused intensity alongside his joy. His dark pupils were fixed on the distorted entity ahead, showing no fear, only the excitement and focus of a hunter locking onto his target. A gentle breeze blew by, and Fane could clearly feel it lightly passing through his hair and clothes, bringing a touch of coolness and a silent encouragement to the fire-filled central district.
Upon noticing Fane's arrival, Stellatu, his mind filled with the rage brought on by the Darkin curse, suddenly turned his gaze behind him.
Its enormous body floated several feet above the ground, legless, its lower half a churning, roaring core of flame. The massive body burned relentlessly, radiating suffocating heat. Aside from its arms, no human form was discernible; only a pair of slender arms, seemingly stripped of flesh, came into view. Enveloped in flames, these dark red arms resembled slithering venomous snakes. And embedded within these arms, within the raging inferno, were countless eyes, brimming with restlessness and rage. Each eye was filled with inhuman madness and a destructive desire; with each blink, molten lava seemed to flow within them, and now they were fixed intently on Farn.
Her "weapon" rested on her right arm—a disproportionately large harp. The sides of the instrument had a brass-like feel, but the inner layers were almost identical to the structure of her arm. It was a special substance somewhere between flesh and steel, like a part of Stellatu's body—no, it was Stellatu's original form. And now, with her raging consciousness finding a vessel, the melody she played produced a series of deafening booms.
Although devoid of reason, the remaining instincts still made Stellatu feel a clear threat from Farn.
"Roar!!!" With a deep roar, Stellatu raised an arm and slammed it hard onto the huge harp!
Om-! ! !
The power of a demigod was perfectly displayed in that instant. Within sight of the people, a deafening sonic boom erupted, accompanied by a visible wave of fire mixed with dark red flames! Wherever the blazing flames passed, the stone slabs shattered and crumbled like fragile biscuits. On the street, the remaining shop windows instantly turned to dust, metal was licked by the fire wave, brass warped under the immense heat, and signs melted and dripped down.
But just as the wave of fire was about to touch Fane, the atmosphere surrounding him suddenly condensed into a large amount of water. Like a sentient python, several powerful streams of water collided with the fire wave under Fane's control.
Zila——!
A violent explosion of steam rang out. The column of water dimmed momentarily upon contact with the wave of fire, and the immense force emanating from the energy level forced Fain back several steps, leaving scorch marks on the scorching ground with the soles of his shoes. The remaining heat created a wave of scorching air that rushed towards them, making them feel suffocated.
But then, as the water mist spread, the temperature in the air dropped at an alarming rate. Several whooshing sounds rang out, followed by several water blades piercing through the water curtain.
117 Fierce Battle (Part 2)
"Here it comes!" Farn shouted softly, his Flowing Blade tumbling through the air, leaving countless afterimages. Sensing that astonishing sharpness, the countless eyes on Stellatu's body suddenly lit up. Without the slightest intention of retreating, his burning arm, like a battering ram, shrieked as it repeatedly struck the flying Flowing Blade.
Flames exploded, and each swing of the dark red arm left a scorching trail in the sky. In an instant, it wove another wall of flames that pressed down on Farn, sealing off all escape routes.
'Am I going to be burned?' The thought popped into Faen's mind, but there was no tension on his face, because in the next moment, an incredibly gentle force enveloped him.
The invisible wind wall merged into the flowing water and suddenly rose around Faen. As before, it was not a solid barrier, but a rapidly spinning storm of cool, moist air. The rolling curtain of fire slammed into the wind wall.
A series of deafening explosions followed. Surging waves of fire erupted against the wind walls, scattering flames that ignited the already dilapidated ruins of the surrounding buildings. But at the eye of the storm, the rapidly rotating air currents not only dissipated most of the impact and heat, but even brought a touch of the characteristic damp coolness of Piltover Bay. Within this atmosphere, under Janna's silent protection, Fain could clearly feel his flowing water becoming more active and dynamic in the wind.
With a light touch of his toes, aided by the storm, Farn's body seemed to break free from the wind's resistance. Wherever he went, the wind was favorable. His light figure didn't even need to exert any effort; he could clearly feel the gentle wind transforming into pairs of soft, skillful hands, pulling and pushing him from behind.
"Well done, Janna!"
A smile curved at the corners of his lips; Fane could sense that this was help from Janna. Similarly, Fane clearly realized that Janna was pleading with him to help her reseal the ancient demon god that threatened the entire Twin Cities—no further communication was needed. Bound by the contract, Fane seized the brief opening as the storm completed its formation, positioned himself between the storm and the flames. His robust body became a blur, surrounded by rapidly spinning blades. The surging flames, before they could even touch Fane, were shattered, blown out, and extinguished.
Sensing Janna's plea and fueled by a surge of fighting spirit within him, Fane's movements didn't falter. The swirling water blades, under his control, seemed to come alive, no longer mere weapons, but countless streaks of blue light tearing through the darkness!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The spinning blade streaked across the night sky like a viper's tongue, precisely slicing through the countless sparks, and striking Stellatu's burning eyes all over his body!
Even having lost his mind, as an Ascended being, Stellatu still used his powerful warrior instincts to knock away the blades one by one. But just as he seemed to have knocked down and shattered all the blades—"Pfft!"
A sharp blade emerged from the shadows without warning. With the aid of illusion magic, the water blade emitted almost no fluctuations in magical or spiritual energy during its flight.
"Sizzle—!" The blade pierced his eye, and Stellatu abruptly clutched the single eye on his inhuman body. The area struck instantly exploded, accompanied by a agonizing scream, emitting a sound like a red-hot stone being plunged into cold water. Using the blade as a medium, a storm immediately followed, erupting from within, causing his struck eye to spew forth a large amount of viscous, black-smoking, magma-like substance.
Intense pain entered Stellato's mind, accompanied by an inhuman scream filled with agony and rage. The harp beside him trembled violently, and his rage was amplified through the harp, transforming into even more terrifying sound waves and ripples of fire that spread outwards.
Madness was ignited! Stellatu, who had already lost his mind, no longer pursued precise attacks. His few remaining eyes were fixed on Fan, his intense anger mixed with deep shame—even though he had lost all reason, his pride as an Ascended still existed deep in his mind.
Now, his eyes had been injured by such a tiny insect. His intense anger caused his entire fiery body to swell violently, and in an instant, it rose up in the middle of the street like a miniature sun!
All its eyes spewed forth pillars of blazing fire, locked tightly on Farn, its scarlet arms frantically plucking the massive harp. Accompanied by a destructive roar that spread outwards from Stellatu, a catastrophic firestorm descended.
It was no longer the shockwave of before, but an indiscriminate wave of fire and a rain of lava that covered almost half of the city streets!
The special magic of this extraordinary being spread outwards. Under Stellatu's control, this magic formed a special medium that ignited the air along with it, instantly creating a rolling sea of fire. On the street, both solid bricks and building ruins melted like candles. Huge steam pipes glowed red-hot, deformed, weakened, and groaned under the strain.
While inside, Fain felt a dryness and itchiness in his throat, and could clearly feel the moisture in the air being evaporated at an alarming rate.
A bead of cold sweat formed on Farn's forehead, but before it could fall, it was licked away by the heat and turned into scorching steam. This made Farn's gaze increasingly grave. But at the same time, along with this heart-pounding tension, a twisted smile gradually rose from the corner of Farn's mouth—all his emotions were constantly transforming towards pleasure, and this increasing pressure formed a strong fighting spirit, even causing his muscular skin to flush slightly, giving the impression that he would explode at any moment.
Having sensed Fane's will, what surrounded Fane was no longer a gentle protection, but a powerful storm!
As Janna appeared behind Fain as a semi-transparent phantom, the nascent form of a massive tornado connecting heaven and earth rapidly took shape around Fain. It wasn't fully unleashed, but through the bond of their contract, Fain could sense Janna precisely guiding it with her power—without hesitation, Fain manipulated the flowing water to join the storm!
With his mental energy highly concentrated, Fane could clearly feel the intense exchange and swirling of the two emotions: flowing water and a storm. The emotions of change and joy intertwined—suddenly, Stellato roared beside him, then raised his harp and pulled with all his might. A blazing sonic boom formed countless burning meteors falling from the sky, and in that instant, the waterspout connecting heaven and earth compressed at an astonishing speed, instantly transforming into a thin, rapidly swirling curtain of water at Fane's fingertips!
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I didn't get enough rest yesterday, so I took a nap in the afternoon, but I'll definitely be up at four o'clock today no matter what.
118·Slay
Sensing the storm surging from Fane's fingertips, a hint of madness appeared on Stellatu's inhuman form.
The shrieking continued, and the falling meteors rumbled through the sky. Meanwhile, Fain remained focused, guided by Janna, as the omnipresent heat projected the entire terrain of Piltover into his mind.
Then—search!
The sharp blade pierced the air, and the thin curtain of water transformed into a ring of water that rapidly approached Stellatu. Sensing something was wrong, Stellatu let out a low roar, and then its massive body began to rise into the sky. However, the curtain of water seemed to possess its own consciousness, relentlessly pursuing Stellatu's enormous figure under the guidance of the storm.
Seeing this, Stellatu gripped the harp tightly with his dark red arms, but instead of pulling it as before, he raised his hands frantically and, as if wielding a battle axe, gripped the body of the harp and slashed fiercely with the flesh and blood structure that had proliferated at the other end!
Compared to his fiery body, the harp that appears to be a weapon is actually Stellatu's true form. Under the influence of the Darkin curse, Stellatu lost his glorious form as an Ascended Being, but his weapon form gained an extraordinary hardness.
The water curtain and the harp collided, and almost the instant they made contact, a radial shock spread outwards.
The flowing water and the storm intertwined, and the raging flames grew even more ferocious under this impact. But it was at this moment that Stellatu suddenly realized that the person controlling this water curtain was not his enemy—no, it should be said that it was not the man who had previously fought against him.
A moment of bewilderment shattered the madness brought on by the Darkin curse, and the honor and reason of an Ascended returned in that instant. Although it still didn't allow her to remember who she was, it was enough for her to clearly see what the being she was fighting before her looked like in the spiritual realm—a spiritual being with a lithe and beautiful body, draped in a white, fitted robe, with feet that had transformed into bird claws, sleeves and hem of the skirt that resembled wings, golden thorns hanging from its back, and its head covered by a bird-head mask.
Janna—or rather, Janna's complete form in LoR.
Unlike Janna's appearance in the main League of Legends universe, the Janna in LoR feels more like a nimble, brown-skinned wind sprite. After completing the card quest and leveling up, she will reveal her complete form as a being of the spiritual realm.
For Janna before, maintaining this form would only take a few minutes to degrade her from a demigod in the spiritual realm to a spirit. But now it's different. With Fain's nourishment and the re-establishment of the related faith system, although the consumption is still enormous, she only needs a few days of rest afterward, and with the current faith system, she can quickly recover to her original state.