Swinging the greatsword in her hands, Riven's eyes were filled with undisguised coldness.
Although the Noxians before her were the very comrades she had once fought alongside, the current Riven knew very well that the Empire was now clouded by a layer of shadow.
To save the Empire... or rather, to make the Empire what she believed it should be, fighting was the only option.
It was just that...
There were simply too many people.
Gripping the Blackstone Greatsword tightly, Riven looked at the Noxian soldiers besieging her from all directions, a flash of solemnity crossing her eyes.
Even after receiving Faen's blessing, which had significantly enhanced her combat endurance and stamina, Riven was ultimately still human.
No matter how much she was strengthened, her upper limit was still there.
Even though she had broken through her inner confusion, and her combat techniques and innate magic were now far more powerful than before, facing the numerical superiority of several legions and continuous attrition, Riven still felt a wave of exhaustion.
But right at that moment—"Everyone, you've worked hard."
A peaceful voice echoed across the battlefield.
Though gentle and calm, it reached everyone's ears with absolute precision.
And almost the very moment she heard this voice, Riven's entire body relaxed for a split second.
However, her warrior's intuition and instincts ensured she didn't reveal even the slightest opening to the Noxians before her.
At least, to the Noxians, it only looked like Riven fell silent briefly before glancing back at the blasted hole she had leaped from.
Through that crater in the dome destroyed by the Noxian Warmasons, Riven could clearly see Faen standing up from the pool.
Stretching his body a couple of times, Faen looked around.
Feeling the gazes of Riven and the others, he broke into a bright smile. "Thanks to all of you, I managed to get a really good rest."
Wasn't it a really good rest?
While it might have seemed to others that Faen had only descended into the Dreaming Pool to sleep for a few hours, in reality, Faen's mind had spent over a decade in the Spirit Realm.
He had stayed by Syndra's side, watching her grow from an adorable, porcelain-doll-like little girl into an incredibly charming, domineering queen.
In the ancient era of Ionia, there were no conflicts, which forced the usually carnivorous Faen to be a vegetarian for several years.
Now that he had returned to the current era of strife, Faen's eyes held the kind of restless anticipation that ought to be seen in the eyes of the Ionians of this age.
Thinking this, Faen glanced at the slumbering Syndra beside him.
To be honest, Faen felt a bit of regret.
The Dreaming Pool's mission had ended, which meant the young Syndra from the Spirit Realm would merge back into the main body.
Like an antidote, she would create a new anchor for Syndra's consciousness, suppressing the darkness within.
But faced with the massive spiritual energy of Syndra's main body, the young Syndra's consciousness wouldn't necessarily be devoured, but it would definitely become just a part of the whole...
Hmm, preserving the young Syndra's individual consciousness might take some effort. I'll have to consult Karma about it.
While Faen was still pondering how to preserve the young Syndra's consciousness from the illusion without affecting the main body, the eyelashes of the tightly closed eyes beside him suddenly fluttered.
This made Faen raise an eyebrow in surprise—this defied logic.
Although the Dreaming Pool gave Syndra a chance to change her past, this change was ultimately a modification of the past through the Spirit Realm.
It was like an exceptionally realistic dream.
While it could leave a profound impact, fundamentally changing a person's entire being instantly just through a dream was something that only happened in prophetic fairy tales.
This was especially true considering Syndra's colossal spiritual energy.
In Faen's perception, Syndra's spiritual energy and spiritual mass far exceeded that of Jinx, who had severe mental issues.
Don't be fooled by Jinx's scrawny appearance; her actual strength far surpassed an ordinary human's. With her weapons in hand, even the Dauntless Vanguard of Demacia wouldn't be able to take her down easily.
And if Jinx's mental mass were converted into bodily waste, it would take three days and three nights of non-stop shitting just to empty most of it.
However, Jinx's mental mass mostly stemmed from a proliferation akin to scar tissue, whereas Syndra's mental mass originated from the endless, misunderstood, and unaccepted negative energy of all Ionia.
Under these circumstances, according to Faen and Karma's estimations, even after completing the ritual of the Dreaming Pool, it would take Syndra at least a decade to use that purified past as a fulcrum to gradually break free from her nightmares.
But now...
Under Faen's astonished gaze, Syndra's body floated up from the water.
Her graceful figure almost instantly drew the eyes of everyone present.
This attraction wasn't born of beauty—at least, not purely because of the beauty Syndra possessed.
It was a much more unique sensation, as if a part of their own minds had been locked onto by Syndra.
Then, before anyone could react, Syndra opened her eyes. She scanned her surroundings, and finally, those pale eyes landed on Faen's face beside her.
Looking at her beloved teacher, a smile bloomed on Syndra's face, and she said unhurriedly, "Teacher?"
"...Syndra?" Faen looked at her in surprise.
The soul of the illusion Syndra should have merged into the massive spirit of the Dreaming Pool Syndra's main body.
But looking at it now, it seemed the consciousness of the young illusion Syndra had usurped the host and become the dominant soul of Syndra's main body?
Syndra could sense the surprise in Faen's heart, but she didn't mind.
After all, unlike Faen—who had vanished from her world after their final night and returned directly to the Material Realm—Syndra had waited thousands of years more in the Dreaming Pool's illusion.
She wasn't in a hurry; at least, not right this second. She was willing to wait, looking forward to a future where they would be together forever.
But it was obvious her teacher was currently confused, wondering if she was the "her" he knew, or the original Syndra...
Thinking this, a peaceful and tranquil smile appeared on Syndra's face.
"Teacher, happy millennium."
Hearing Syndra's words, Faen seemed to realize something, the surprise in his eyes growing even deeper.
And accompanying Syndra's words, the Noxian soldiers involuntarily began to tremble.
Dark Spheres emerged from their chests, extracting the malice and murderous intent from their hearts, before violently detonating.