vncnus Page 99
Page 99
“But they killed many people,” Farn said calmly. “Not just people, but also the spirits of the land. The damage they caused in the coastal areas may not be fully recovered in hundreds of years.”
"The spiral of revenge will never stop!" A look of helplessness appeared on the old man's face as he looked at Fane as if he were looking at a pitiful junior who had gone astray.
In response, Farn stroked his chin and continued, "In that case, I will trouble you, Master, to personally go to the Noxian camp and, as an envoy, to explain the consequences to Swain, the leader of the legion, so that he may repent, abandon the darkness and return to Noxus, and make the Noxian Emperor Darkwell repent."
Upon hearing this, the master nodded after a brief silence, and then said righteously, "This is indeed my responsibility."
"May you succeed."
Fane's face remained expressionless—this man's theories sounded grand and noble, and he practiced them with unwavering courage. But in Fane's eyes, it was still nothing to boast about—if it only affected himself, that would be one thing, but his theories had already led to the tragic deaths of countless Ionians.
The biggest problem is that, even under these circumstances, one still doesn't believe there's anything wrong with their beliefs.
The next day, news came that Master Noko had been killed.
“The reason is that he was bewitching the army.” Sitting at one side of the long table, Karma looked at Fan with a helpless expression and said, “Swain did not take action against Master Noko at first, but during the debate in the military camp, Master Noko mentioned the fall of Peilor, and was therefore executed by Swain for crimes such as bewitching and deceiving.”
“At least he died while living out his ideals.” Upon hearing this, Fain nodded, not taking it too seriously. After a moment of silence, he said, “However, Swain seems to have realized the seriousness of the problem and wants to go all out to take Ionia in one fell swoop.”
“I have already prepared countermeasures.” Upon hearing this, Karma nodded, then took a deep breath and said, “The Brotherhood of Navori, the Coast Guard who withdrew early, the militia who lost their homes in the coastal areas, and the Sanctuary Guard are all willing to join the fight against the Noxians. However, this also worries me, because their hearts are also filled with hatred.”
“That’s why we need to let them vent.” Fain noticed Karma’s inner struggle and said, “Otherwise, if it’s kept bottled up inside, this desire for revenge will eventually turn into dissatisfaction with Ionia itself. The war may have changed Ionia, but it is also the best opportunity to reshape the Ionian spirit.”
Upon hearing this, Karma nodded, a look of agreement in her eyes.
Sitting to the side, watching Fain and Karma continue their conversation, Syndra chuckled mockingly.
Hearing Syndra's laughter, Fahn didn't react, but Karma instinctively looked over. Sensing Karma's gaze, Syndra simply raised her chin and then said:
"Although my dear has already said it before, it seems now that your betrayal of the Spirit of Ionia as Karma is truly thorough. Not only have you unleashed the sealed darkness, but now you're even plotting against me right in front of me, trying to change the entire spiritual landscape of Ionia."
Karma frowned slightly upon hearing Syndra's words. However, knowing that Syndra had been sealed away by the previous Venerable and harbored countless hatreds and resentments, which she had only refrained from lashing out because of Fain's presence, Karma didn't confront her. Instead, after a brief moment of thought, she said:
"The only constant in this world is change itself. I know that because of Ionia's past traditions, you have suffered many undeserved injustices, and I do not expect that a few words will make you let go of your hatred. But in the name of Karma in this era, I will do my best to restore your reputation and let people know about your sacrifices. And on that basis, as long as it is within my power, no matter what the request is, I will do my best to fulfill it."
Syndra raised an eyebrow upon hearing Karma's words. She then glanced at Fain, then at Karma, and then licked her lips as if she had just remembered something.
"You can do anything? You said it yourself."
"As long as it's within my power, and without harming Ionia itself." Sensing that Syndra might have other ideas, Karma reiterated her demands and principles.
Syndra narrowed her eyes, then suddenly laughed. Although her expression seemed gentle, one could sense an undisguised malice spreading along with her laughter.
"Then you can rest assured that I will not harm the interests of Ionia, after all, my dear teacher is still thinking about how to bring this place back to life. But one thing is one thing, it's not that simple for me to help you rebuild Ionia."
Fain shrugged, completely immune to Syndra's constant, indirect attacks on his private life through their 'mentor-student' relationship.
Karma was aware of this, so she didn't take it to heart, focusing instead on the subsequent requirements. It was after this that Syndra said, "Although we are two individuals, the Ionian spirit within you and the darkness within me are inherently one. Therefore, it shouldn't be a problem for us to enter into a special pact to empathize with each other, right?"
335·Destruction Storm
Upon hearing Syndra's words, Karma raised an eyebrow in surprise. Instinctively, Karma sensed that things might not be so simple—just as Syndra had said, Karma inherited the essence of the Soul of Ionia, granting her almost unparalleled power within Ionia. However, similarly, due to the numerous limitations imposed upon Ionia itself, Karma couldn't truly unleash her full power.
Unless it is a huge crisis that threatens the very survival of Ionia.
Syndra is different—while the darkness of Ionia that Syndra represents is only a part of the Spirit of Ionia, due to its origin, Syndra is almost unaffected by any negative effects when releasing these powers, nor is she restricted by Ionia itself. Even though Karma's power is theoretically the strongest, considering the strict sealing restrictions, in over 95% of cases, Syndra can unleash the most formidable power.
This is precisely why Karma has always wanted the assistance of Syndra, a powerful force—both Syndra's own power and what she represents are indispensable parts of rebuilding Ionia's faith and spiritual ideals.
While Syndra has mitigated some of the irrational hatred and resentment stemming from the darkness of Ionia through the Dream Pool, it's only partially resolved. She still harbors resentment towards Ionia.
Syndra and Karma both originate from the power source of the Ionian spirits. If Karma agrees, then it wouldn't be difficult for Syndra to achieve sensory sharing between the two.
Knowing this very well, Karma remained silent for a moment before saying, "If this can dispel the hatred in your heart, then I am willing to accept the inscription of the Empathy Mark. However, in order to prevent the magic from going out of control, and to prevent malicious people from using the mark to influence my mind, thereby causing Ionia to rush towards destruction and destroying the spirit of Ionia, I must retain the ability to erase the mark."
“No problem.” Upon hearing Karma’s words, Syndra’s lips curled into a smug smile—she made no attempt to conceal her malice, but she also stated bluntly and decisively: “However, if you erase the mark without affecting the entire Ionia simply because of your personal likes or dislikes, then I will immediately stop all assistance and launch my revenge.”
“No problem.” Hearing this, Karma breathed a sigh of relief—if it were her, she would be fine with anything. Because according to the treaty, if Syndra wanted to use the Empathic Mark to make her do something outrageous, it would essentially be a way of destroying the Ionian spirit, and she would have the same right to erase it.
Karma believed that Syndra was simply trying to influence her through the mark, pushing her spirit towards darkness. Having anticipated this, Karma was confident she wouldn't be swayed by Syndra's mental manipulation.
As the contract was completed, Syndra turned her gaze to Fain beside her, then licked her lips with a mischievous grin. Although she didn't say much, Fain clearly understood Syndra's purpose—or rather, he had already guessed it when Syndra requested the empathic imprint.
Fane instinctively tried to stop it, but the plan was rejected by the House of Commons before it even began. It wasn't a matter of the smaller party controlling the larger one; rather, possessing the nature of a pleasure demon, Fane found it difficult to act against his instinctive needs—the pursuit of pleasure. And it was precisely because of this that the situation escalated to this point…
It all depends on Osiris.
Having achieved the shared consciousness, Syndra wasn't in a hurry to try—as someone of the same origin as Karma, Syndra knew very well that all previous Karma were people of unwavering will. Therefore, although it would be extremely torturous, a certain degree of waiting was necessary. If she couldn't bear it any longer, she could quench her thirst with her mouth and rear, but Karma had no such means.
Seeing the two of them complete the ceremony, Fain said, "Now that we've finished talking, let's go deal with those Noxians."
Upon hearing Fain's words, Syndra nodded, her eyes revealing deep disgust as she said, "Fine, these guys' chaotic thoughts are out of step with Ionia. I've been getting impatient with them for a while now."
Meanwhile, under Swain's orders, although many generals in the legion initially expressed confusion about this sudden command, they quickly realized the seriousness of the situation after learning what had happened in Peilor. Subsequently, the entire legion was mobilized at an astonishing speed.
The fully mobilized Noxian army was terrifying. The rewards of vast sums of money, honor, titles, and official positions made the already valiant Noxian soldiers even more fearless. But unfortunately, just as they were advancing relentlessly, before they even reached Presidium, the heart of Ionia, two indifferent figures appeared in their path.
Initially, no one considered these two lone figures a threat to the massive army. The Noxian soldiers simply saw them as two pitiful men about to be slaughtered—unlike the gentle Ionians, the Noxians were seasoned warriors who knew all too well that any fleeing farmer could potentially spoil their tactics with the intelligence they transmitted. Especially now, on a forced march, they had no intention of taking any prisoners.
However, upon discovering Syndra, some of the lustful men changed their minds, thinking that although they couldn't keep her as a prisoner, it wouldn't be bad to relieve their boredom during a rest break on the forced march...
But in any case, it was necessary to deprive them of all ability to resist—and just as they were about to launch their attack, the young woman floating in the air was the first to raise her arm.
This sudden action quickly put the Noxian soldiers, who were initially feeling agitated and stressed and looking forward to taking this opportunity to relieve their pressure, on high alert.
Syndra had no intention of wasting words. In an instant, countless black orbs appeared in the Noxians' field of vision, raining down like a storm.
336·Arrangement
What arrived first was pure, overwhelming power.
Under Syndra's unleashed power, countless dark orbs swept across the battlefield like a swarm of deadly bees. Wherever they passed, the Noxian soldiers' ranks were either pierced or wiped out.
Under the extreme compression of dark energy, armor, flesh, and weapons will disintegrate into fine dust the moment they come into contact with the orb.
Hovering in the air, Syndra's expression was arrogant and languid. She showed no anger or concern for the Noxians' reaction, and it didn't even feel like a fight. Syndra gave the impression of casually clearing away the trash in her way.
Still preoccupied with thoughts of Karma, she didn't even glance at the soldiers. Her eyes, gleaming with a cold purple light, were filled with indifference, as if her mind had already left the chaotic battlefield. However, her power continued to rage under Syndra's will, and the ground beneath her cracked, as if the entire space was groaning under her power.
Noticing Syndra's nonchalance, Fahn wasn't in a hurry. After all, to Syndra, this army was nothing special. Even Karma needed Syndra's help not to kill the Noxians, but to stabilize the spirit of Ionia in the future, preventing the positive and negative emotions of the Ionian spirit from clashing and causing the old Ionia to crumble before the new Ionia could be built.
Especially considering that Syndra has the empathy ritual, it's easy to guess what Syndra wants to do. Now that Syndra is too lazy to do it herself, Fain is happy to help.
As they strode forward, Fain and Syndra's destructive torrents moved in tandem. At first, they walked slowly, but as they walked, they gradually picked up the pace and started jogging.
In everyone's sight, Fain's figure, which was initially clearly visible, became increasingly blurry, until finally, it felt like he had transformed into an extremely precise and sharp death.
Under Farn's control, a large amount of water mist surged around him. Then the water mist boiled and compressed, and the condensed water was not a gentle stream, but a cutting line and piercing spear that constantly shuttled under extreme pressure.
So fine as to be almost invisible to the naked eye, especially on this dusty battlefield, the dark orb crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Even with the most valiant efforts, the obscured eyes could only catch a glimpse of the water line flashing by in the final instant.
But by the time the soldiers could perceive these things, the soldiers were often cleanly cut in two, armor and all, by the rushing water. The wounds were as smooth as mirrors. In fact, until the moment their bodies, cut diagonally, tilted and fell to the ground under the force of gravity, they were still able to move their torsos and continue running forward, even swinging their weapons.
Although it appeared to be a meticulously controlled process, in reality, Fain wasn't overly tense or focused throughout. The surging water simply flowed and moved under Fain's calm expression, then condensed into a spiraling spear, transforming into a streak of light that shot through the air, instantly piercing the chests of several people.
The spear pierced through the body, bringing it into view. It didn't even bring blood, but left behind a withered shell, drained of all moisture. Without a moment's hesitation, a thin, indestructible curtain of water formed around Fane, propelled by magic at high speed, like a dump truck speeding straight ahead, smashing through any human figures that stood in its path with a deafening roar.
With unstoppable force, Fane's figure swiftly passed through the legion of steel and flesh, carving a straight vacuum in his path. Gazing at the carriage surrounded by numerous guards in the center, Fane extended his palm, and with the help of the flowing water, the chariot was dismantled with a sickening creak. Moments later, a familiar figure appeared in Fane's sight—Swain, now with black hair and both arms intact.
Meeting Farn's gaze, Swain's face twitched repeatedly.
Although it's clear that Swain is trying his best to control his emotions, it's unfortunate that he already knows the outcome of the war—that a large number of Noxus's elite troops will be completely wiped out in Ionia. Even with Swain's composure, it's difficult for him to maintain his calm at this moment.
Even so, in the very end, Swain only said, "You have won. You don't need to kill them. According to your Ionian tradition, the souls of the dead will also impact your spirits..."
“That was indeed the case before this.” Upon hearing Swain’s words, Fane shook his head dismissively, then pointed to Syndra not far away and said, “But it was precisely because of your war of aggression that Ionia underwent a transformation. Those messengers you killed yesterday may still have some old ideas, but now they are all corpses that you have thrown into the wilderness.”
“War is war. Even if it happened all over again, I would still make the same choice.” Shaking his head, Swain calmly stepped down from the dismantled tank.
Although it was only a few minutes, just a few words, Swain had already sorted out all his thoughts.
"The victor is king, the loser is villain, that's all. When I set foot on this land, I was already prepared to face all fates."
Upon hearing Swain's words, Farn felt a bit bored. He didn't have any intention of humiliating him further; he simply waved his hand, and the surrounding water swept him up and held him suspended in the air.
Looking at the crowd around him, Fane calmly said, "As for the rest of you, stay put—of course, you can choose to continue fighting or run away, but I won't care what happens then."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers swallowed hard in unison, exchanged glances, and then put down their weapons in twos and threes.
After that, Fane simply waved his hand and threw Swain into the small dark room in the spiritual realm. Then he took Syndra back to the Temple of Eternity.
“Swain’s problem is solved, but the remaining Noxian soldiers will be your responsibility.” Fane turned his gaze to Karma.
Karma nodded in understanding and then said, "The coastal areas of Navori Province have been severely damaged, which is exactly when we need manpower."
337. Visiting Soraka
The Noxians' involvement will be a long process. Even the most vengeful Ionians, when faced with the prospect of personally killing thousands, will hesitate and feel pity due to their respect for life. The anger that lingers during this process, coupled with love for family and homeland, will be key to Karma rebuilding the Ionian faith.
Before Ionia can gradually recover from the war and establish a new faith, Fane has other things to do.
"This is my tribe."
Leading Fane all the way to the southern forests of Navori Province, Karan walked through the ancient jungle where there weren't even any paths. He exuded an incredibly relaxed aura. Despite his imposing stature, nothing posed a hindrance as Karan traversed the dense forest—neither bushes nor vines, nor thickets or weeds—not even a sound was uttered. His enormous size seemed almost unreal.
After passing through the dense forest, the settlement of flesh-toothed beasts came into view.
As a large Vastaya race widely distributed throughout Runeterra, most of the flesh-toothed beasts actually resemble Rengar in appearance. On the contrary, the likeness of Kalan, with its twisted horns and multiple large tails, is extremely rare—even as a primordial species, Kalan's bloodline power is much more ancient.
Upon arriving here, Fahn was able to sense an energy independent of the Ionian Soul possessed by Karma and Syndra.
"This feeling... is it the primal essence?" Farn asked.
Upon hearing Fane mention the name, Karan's face showed a hint of surprise, but considering Fane's identity, the surprise quickly turned into understanding. He then nodded and said, "That's right, this is the Primal Essence, and one of the few remaining areas in the Navori Province that still possesses the Primal Essence."
Primal Essence, similar to the power of the Ionian Spirit, is a power nurtured by Ionia itself. However, compared to the Ionian Spirit, which is connected to all spiritual life and intimately connected to the spiritual fabric of Ionia, the Primal Essence is of a higher purity and can only be perceived by those highly sensitive to the spiritual realm.
If for humans it is merely a source of power, then for the Vastaya, the primal essence is their 'Ionian Spirit'.
Vastaya connect with the spiritual realm through primal essences, enabling them to unleash wild magic that is more powerful and versatile than ordinary magic.
These wild magics are often closely related to nature itself; the more primitive the place, the greater the power it can display.
However, as the humans of Ionia continued to cultivate the wasteland and civilization expanded, this wildness was correspondingly suppressed. According to Faen's knowledge, the vast majority of Vastaya now reside on several islands in eastern Ionia, primarily the island of Sunflower. The reason is simple: the primal essence there remains strong and intact, so the Vastaya naturally flocked there.
However, according to the storyline, as the war came to an end, the people of Ionia, whose ideology had begun to change, also had different ideas and violated the treaty between humans and Vastaya, starting to destroy forests and clear mountains, causing primitive magic to decline further...
In Fane's conjecture, even the eastern islands of Ionia, the Quailin Islands, are already like this, let alone the Navori Province, a large province with the largest population and land area.
Thinking about it, Farn nodded. Just then, the people in the nearby flesh-toothed beast settlement also noticed Karan's arrival—because his appearance was so outstanding, they recognized him the moment they saw him.
"Haha! Our great hero Kalan is back!"
A burly, fleshy beast with a hunting necklace around its neck grinned, its sharp teeth gleaming, and said, "I thought you'd betrayed Ionia's wild nature. Turns out you infiltrated the Noxians and dealt them a fatal blow! Well done, Kalan! When did you become so cunning? Such a grand plan, and you didn't even tell your brother!"
Upon hearing the words of the flesh-toothed beast, even the usually indifferent Kalan showed a hint of helplessness and a subtle embarrassment hidden in his eyes.
The prophecy Soraka left for Kalan was known only to Kalan. Under these circumstances, Kalan truly decided to join Noxus, become a traitor to Ionia, and go down a dark path to leave hope for his children.
But who would have thought that Faen would suddenly appear and change everything—and in the eyes of the flesh-toothed beasts, the traitor Kalan was transformed into a hero Kalan who endured humiliation and carried the burden for the benefit of all Ionia.
Just as Karan was pondering how to explain—"Kalan!" Hearing the familiar voice, Karan froze on the spot, then looked in the direction from which the voice came. Before her stood a female flesh-toothed beast, accompanied by two young children. Judging from their travel-worn appearance, they had likely just arrived.
Upon seeing his spirit beast, Kalan's eyes revealed a hint of restraint and unease. Other flesh-toothed beasts might not understand, but Kalan knew very well that his spirit beast would never mistake him for a traitor who had secretly plotted against him in the past.
Sensing the unease in Kalan's eyes, the female flesh-toothed beast's eyes flashed with understanding, clearly confirming her suspicions: Kalan had indeed genuinely joined Noxus back then—though she didn't know why things had turned out this way. However, Kalan's intuition didn't dwell on it much, and she simply gritted her teeth and said:
"You damned bastard! You left without a word, leaving me and the two kids all alone! You have to tell me everything tonight, no matter what!"
Upon hearing this, she looked at the two children. She had already prepared herself to never see them again, but seeing them once more filled Karan with endless emotions and complex feelings.
It was at this moment that Karan suddenly remembered that he had important things to do. However, when Karan turned around, he found that Fan had already disappeared from his side.
Meanwhile, upon entering the cave surrounded by flowers and greenery, Faen also saw the kind and gentle figure with a single horn on his forehead.
338·Destiny
Soraka, one of the veteran champions in League of Legends, is also the most suitable playable character for the healer role in the game. Although the game version has changed constantly, Soraka's core skill has always been healing allies. Even with major changes to her skill set, her characteristic healing has never changed.
However, compared to her gentle demeanor in the game, the real-life Soraka is far from a simple healer. She not only presents herself as a prophet but also secretly guides the course of history in Runeterra. And in this process, even those considered trendsetters might not realize that they embarked on their chosen paths because of Soraka's behind-the-scenes influence. For example, Syndra—in fact, even now, Syndra and Karma are unaware that Kalan's feigned surrender to Noxus was influenced by Soraka.
What came into view, in Fain's line of sight, was Soraka's entire demeanor, style, and even appearance, which were completely different from the original artwork in the game.
As Fane arrived, Soraka turned to look outside the cave. After seeing Fane's figure clearly, or perhaps sensing his aura, a subtle joy appeared in her eyes, and she turned and walked towards Fane.
Although walking in a cave, the starlight surrounding him made it feel as if he were slowly walking from the depths of the starry sky, and even his steps seemed to be accompanied by stardust falling silently.
Soraka, the child of the stars. Although it was only their first meeting, Fain was already struck by her elegance, mystery, and ancient essence.
She stood there, her violet skin smooth and lustrous like jade. It was clear that it was not mere flesh and blood, but rather a body draped over the tranquil night sky. Degraded from a pure spirit of the Immortal Celestial Realm, even in the form of so-called flesh and blood, the wisdom flowing through her veins along with her blood still contained the wisdom of the stars.