First Meeting with Silco

Looking out at the bustling vista of Piltover, Viktor spoke with emotion:

"I used to think that when I had the power to change the world, neither I nor Zaun would have to be at anyone's mercy anymore."

"That aligns with our thinking in Noxus. I think you'd like it there," Ryan expressed his agreement.

Viktor gave a bitter smile and shook his head, speaking each word deliberately:

"Politics, prejudice, magic, military force, technology, wisdom. Countless talents converge to form Noxus. But in Piltover, all I see is prejudice and politics."

The mechanical carriage drove near the bridge connecting Zaun and Piltover. The commotion caused by the Enforcers made Viktor's face darken.

Just that morning, when Jayce assumed his role as Councilor, the Council had announced an order to thoroughly investigate Zaun. A large number of Enforcers, wearing gas masks, had flooded into Zaun. He didn't need to imagine how chaotic it was there now.

It was also at that moment that he had completely given up on his partner. They could collaborate on research, but the other would never understand the pain of the Undercity people.

Prejudice made it impossible for Piltover's citizens to calmly resolve the root conflict between the Twin Cities; they would only resort to harsh suppression to handle matters as they arose.

At the bridge, the mechanical carriage didn't stop, but Katarina had already agilely slipped inside.

"I've never seen such a chaotic place. No clash of blades or guns, but it's filled with a nauseating aura of despair."

Katarina didn't mince words in front of Viktor, her expression full of disgust.

"It seems your experience there wasn't pleasant, Miss Katarina," Ryan said, his expression unchanged. "But I think you've found a good place for my meeting with Silco."

"The rooftop of the Last Drop. It's a high vantage point, now Silco's stronghold. I heard it used to be Vander's territory." Katarina turned her gaze to Viktor, seeking confirmation of the intel's accuracy.

"That's right. Cough It's the tallest building in Zaun, but also the most chaotic place right now."

As soon as the carriage entered Zaun, the foul air seeped inside, making Viktor unable to stop coughing.

But he persisted in sizing up Ryan and Katarina, only to find their expressions unchanged.

"You seem surprised, frail scientist? Some places in Noxus are a hundred times more unbearable than this," Katarina said with a cold laugh.

"That Councilor Talis didn't seem to handle himself well back then."

Ryan suddenly spoke, as if understanding something, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"It's nothing. People have their own paths. This is the real Zaun—the air reeks of chemical agents. But compared to the mines and chemical factories, the smell here is far more pleasant." Viktor tried to change the subject.

"Look on the bright side. You have a chance to change this place. And I firmly believe in one saying," Ryan said, offering comfort when he saw Viktor's low spirits.

"What saying?" Viktor asked with curiosity.

"The purpose of gaining knowledge is not to escape a poor hometown, but to make that hometown no longer poor."

Katarina and Viktor were both stunned. But while Katarina quickly wore a fervent expression of agreement, Viktor seemed lost in thought, muttering something under his breath.

The mechanical carriage rode smoothly, moving unhindered over Zaun's muddy roads. The vehicle was designed and built by Viktor, originally intended for use in Zaun.

Unfortunately, only people from Piltover could afford it, and those people never came here.

"So this is the Last Drop. Being able to operate in the heart of Zaun, it certainly has its unique qualities."

Getting out of the carriage, Ryan admired the tavern's mottled, colorful lights. The building was old, yet adorned with graffiti that gave it a rebellious edge.

"When Vander, the former leader of Zaun, was alive, this was the safest place. Unfortunately, things are different now. But his statue is still there. Every day, someone lights the pipe in its mouth, as if paying tribute to his spirit."

Viktor walked a step behind Ryan, pointing at the statue in the distance, dutifully acting as a guide.

"It seems Silco's relationship with him was truly something special," Katarina said, recalling Ryan's earlier words, her expression tinged with mockery.

What was this? Killing his former boss with his own hands, then clinging to some kind of longing every day?

Ryan glanced at her and said meaningfully, "If one day your dagger pierces General Du Couteau's throat, you might have a similar realization."

"That man has already abandoned me. If I ever..." Katarina retorted irritably, but her voice trailed off, and her eyes grew wistful. "I don't know."

Ryan's eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked toward the entrance of the Last Drop.

"So you're the big shot from Noxus? You look pretty weak."

A sturdy, dark-skinned woman stood there, looking drunk. Seeing Ryan's frail, aristocratic demeanor, her face showed defiance.

Shing!

Katarina's face turned icy again. She moved like a shadow, closing in on the woman in an instant. With an elbow, she knocked the woman's raised hand aside, twisting it outward, and pressed a sharp dagger against her throat.

"Watch your tongue, fool."

"Don't scare her. She's one of Silco's men. She'll have to lead the way."

Ryan's expression remained calm as he stepped past the woman, Viktor following without a change in demeanor.

The dagger was lowered from her throat. The woman still seemed defiant, but cowed by the blade Katarina kept in hand, she led the way with a sullen face.

After climbing several flights of stairs, they reached the rooftop of the Last Drop—a wide, open platform.

The woman shot a mocking glance at Viktor, who was slightly out of breath. She probably thought the Noxians weren't so impressive. She walked forward and whispered something into the ear of a short, scrawny man.

The man turned around. His face was horrifying—only the right side was intact, while the left was covered in wrinkles. The sclera of his left eye was black, and his pupil emitted an orange-red glow.

He approached with a smile, his hoarse voice carrying a tone of goodwill:

"I am Silco. Welcome, friends from Noxus, to Zaun. My foolish subordinate was rude in her reception; I hope you'll forgive her. I trust that the big shots from Noxus won't hold a grudge against us people of the Undercity."

Ryan smiled at him, his eyes suddenly flickering with a deep blue light, as if some kind of rune flashed within them.

This posture made the woman tense up in alertness, but Silco remained expressionless.

Ryan's eyes continued to glow with magical blue light as he murmured softly:

"Multiple traces of Shimmer injections throughout the body. Recently, three injections in the right leg, two in the left arm, one each in the right arm and left leg. The injection technique is highly unprofessional, as if deliberately meant to torture you. The left side of the face has undergone deformation, requiring multiple daily injections of Shimmer through the left eye to sustain life. Severe addiction is present; without a Shimmer injection every three hours, the mild consequence is full-body discomfort, and the severe consequence is physical collapse."

After speaking, he lowered his head to look down at Silco, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly:

"Am I right, Mr. Silco?"

When he finished, not only were Silco and his men stunned beyond words, even Viktor and Katarina, who knew he was a mage, were taken aback.

Silco forced a couple of laughs, his face regaining composure as he took two deep breaths and said:

"As expected of Mage Meredith from Noxus. May I ask what instructions you have for me?"

Having operated in Zaun for so long, he was all too familiar with this routine.

If they were truly enemies, there would be no need to say so much.

Revealing the secrets of his body right off the bat was clearly a display of their own strength, a blunt message that the two sides were not on equal footing.

Faced with someone who even stood above Piltover, he had little choice but to submit.

Moreover, he had no conflict of interest with them.

"What do you think of Piltover's new councilor, Jayce Talis?" Ryan suddenly asked.

Silco was caught off guard by the question. He cautiously glanced at Ryan from the corner of his eye, his mind racing as he tried to find the answer the other wanted.

On the other side, Katarina wore a cold expression, unconcerned with the conversation between the two. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Silco's subordinate, who inserted several vials of purple liquid into the mechanical arm on his left hand and shot her a provocative look.

Viktor, however, kept his eyes on Silco. He found it hard to associate the man with the leader of Zaun. He knew Silco as a pragmatic entrepreneur in Zaun, quite famous even in Piltover—nothing about him suggested an underground king.

He was somewhat surprised, never expecting Silco to be the source of the recent chaos in Zaun.

Silco pondered for a long while, unable to glean anything from Ryan's expression, and finally answered honestly as his thoughts dictated:

"In my eyes, Jayce Talis, though not without considerable talent, is a typical Upper City man. He grew up under the deliberately misleading education of the Upper City, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper."