Ezreal wore a miserable look as he helped haul the materials around.
He had been born in Piltover, though over the past few years he had spent his time exploring ancient ruins and tombs all over the place. The people he traveled with were rarely reliable, and fights would break out at the drop of a hat whenever the loot was split unevenly.
That was how he ended up developing the bad habit of swiping things.
This time, when he returned to the twin cities, he had only meant to pass through.
Who could have guessed the weapons in the twin cities would be so tempting that he could not resist?
Whether it was chemtech or the suddenly emerging hextech, Ezreal was interested in all of it.
Arcane magic was a rare path, and with Ne'Zuk's gauntlet on his arm and his escape skills honed to perfection, he had figured he could always get away clean.
Jinx and Vi's reactions had only confirmed that his judgment had been right.
Then Caleb showed up.
What he had thought would be another close call with no real danger ended with the new Governor of Zaun catching him red-handed.
That guy could use Arcane Shift too?
While lamenting his rotten luck, Ezreal no longer dared entertain any crooked ideas.
The twin cities had now become the center of trade for the whole world, and they were not easy to provoke.
Then again, compared to Caleb, the man who had brought the twin cities to heel and transformed Zaun into what it was today, Ezreal's combat ability really was not worth mentioning.
"Sigh..."
Ezreal let out a long breath and went back to moving materials.
This was not so bad, really. Even compulsory labor came with pay, and he would not actually have to stay the full two months.
He still had never been to Ionia. When the time came, he definitely had to go there and spend a good while adventuring.
For now, he could use this stretch of time to practice some of his skills.
The Shadow Isles.
Long, long ago, this place had been known as the Blessed Isles.
The island had been filled with monks, and legend claimed there was a spring there that could restore the wounded in an instant.
Then a king arrived.
He slaughtered the monks by force and placed his queen into the waters.
After that, disaster swept across the entire island.
What had once been a beautiful sanctuary of temples and monasteries became a living hell where every soul struggled in agony.
Yorick had once been a young acolyte who could see the dead. Because of his unmatched gift, he had often been ostracized by his fellow disciples.
Even after the Shadow Isles had fallen into their current state, Yorick still followed his faith and laid the dead to rest.
"Just... a little more power."
At some point, Thresh had silently appeared behind Yorick.
Yorick did not even glance at him and continued praying devoutly.
"The power of the Shadow Isles will continue to grow," Thresh said. "When the time comes, you'll be able to draw that sword."
Following the Black Mist host forward and gathering souls was never what Yorick wanted.
But as long as the Ruined King had not emerged, the Shadow Isles would never return to what they had once been.
Marching alongside him were Hecarim and Kalista.
The former did so out of loyalty to his former king, while the latter was driven by vengeance.
Perhaps the environment of the Shadow Isles had twisted the minds of everything that lived there. Over time, death had already become commonplace to Yorick.
To achieve their goals, it was no strange thing for the beings of the Shadow Isles to sacrifice however many other lives it took.
The Immortal Bastion.
Swain looked at Ambessa kneeling before him and extended that demonic arm.
Ambessa knelt on the ground as beads of sweat slowly rolled down her forehead.
"Then let your legion serve as the vanguard for the eastern campaign against Ionia."
Whether Swain was satisfied with her proposal or not, Ambessa did not know.
But after this Black Mist attack, Ambessa could clearly feel that the killing intent he had once carried was gone.
"Yes, Grand General!" Ambessa answered with ringing force. Rising to her feet, she strode resolutely out of the hall.
Everyone knew that as the vanguard, her troops might suffer devastating losses.
But at the same time, the glory they could win would also be the greatest.
Ambessa not only had to wager, she had to win.
With a chill in his eyes, Swain stared toward the distant south.
He had long known that certain things were sealed within the Immortal Bastion.
And those sealed objects were very likely capable of changing the fate of all Runeterra.
Through the demon called Raum that resided within him, Swain could foresee certain fragments of the future.
"In the mist, one king refuses to fade, and another is about to arrive."
Noxus did not have much time left. Every force that could be united had to be united.
This eastern campaign against Ionia had only one acceptable outcome, victory.
His coup had placed him at the pinnacle of Noxian power overnight.
And yet the things troubling him went far beyond that...
"Fireball Spell!"
At that moment, Caleb was still studying that book, Rune Magic. He was starting to think it ought to be retitled From Beginner's Guide to Digging Your Own Grave.
He had also recklessly tested the custom ingredients the system had given him by trying an answer as ridiculous as the arm of some Aspect.
The result was that nothing happened at all.
Apparently, the definition of ingredient was not just anything edible.
Caleb did not dare test much further. Judging by how mercilessly literal this system could be, he might lose even his chance to catch up on shows in the future.
"The concert's about to start outside. Aren't you going, Governor?"
Zac pushed the door open. To be honest, he was practically obsessed with Seraphine by now.
He normally had to touch people to sense their emotions, but now all he had to do was hear that girl's voice.
What could be better than that?
"I'm going."
Caleb stood up and stretched.
Seraphine's concert needed publicity. Her bridge performances over the last few days, along with the hype in Piltover, had already stirred up a massive response.
If he showed up too, it would only add to the momentum.
Back in his previous life, plenty of people had criticized this champion for floating around on a stage and for having a kit that felt too similar to Sona's.
But in the real world, after seeing her for himself, Caleb could only say she was unbelievably charming.
Unfortunately, Caleb could not stay in the twin cities forever. Before long, he would be heading south with Ziggs.
He had already chosen Zaun's next Governor.
Viktor.
Compared to Caleb, Viktor, as a true Zaunite, enjoyed no less support.
Not to mention that Viktor had used discarded materials to build a whole fleet of robots, greatly improving the efficiency of Zaun's people.
Seeing the Hex Claw behind Viktor's back, many people had already started respectfully referring to him as the next Governor.
Caleb was not good at saying goodbye, though, and when the time came he definitely was not going to make a big production out of it.
Leaving quietly would be enough. Why turn it into some emotional scene?
It was not as if he would never come back.
For now, he had not told anyone about this plan.
When he arrived at the concert venue, the place was absolutely packed, shoulder to shoulder, with the whole crowd buzzing and roaring with excitement.
Seraphine was enthusiastically interacting with the audience, while Caleb simply found a corner and sat down.
Sooner or later, people would notice he had arrived.
When that happened, the atmosphere would probably hit its peak.
Resting his chin on one hand, Caleb had no intention of saying anything. Amid the noisy sea of people, he quietly enjoyed the beautiful singing along with everyone else.
This Black Mist was unusual, Caleb was one of the few who could tell.
More than the so-called big year, what shocked him even more was that Yorick had actually moved.
As the only good person on the Shadow Isles, why would Yorick the gravedigger appear with the Maiden of the Mist?
Caleb knew something was wrong, which was exactly why he needed to leave the city even more.
Once ancient Shurima rose again in the south, it too would become a powerful force against the Ruination.
Caleb knew that even for the sake of the twin cities, he still had a long road ahead.
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