Deep blue light flared from his ring and eyes. A massive Runic Array enveloped the roof as strings of runes rose into the air.
Standing within the magic-filled Runic Array, Silco found it difficult even to breathe as he stared in shock at Ryan casting the spell.
Bzzz!!!
The runic radiance faded after only a moment, but an unusual Mechanical Claw now rested in Ryan's hand.
"This is..."
Viktor looked at the Hextech masterpiece in Ryan's hand—the one that belonged to him—with a complicated expression.
Hex Crystals were unstable sources of natural magical energy. Based on them, he and Jayce had made improvements and created Hex Gemstones, which could provide a stable energy supply.
The shoulder-mounted Mechanical Claw in Ryan's hand was powered by a Hex Gemstone. Not only was it as nimble as a third human hand, it could also fire high-energy beams capable of slicing through iron like mud.
It had originally been meant for display on Progress Day, but because of Jayce, it might now remain sealed away forever.
"The weapon best suited for you. Add one final step, and it will be complete."
Ryan paid no heed to Silco's presence. Blue magical light flickered from his fingers as he traced several complex strokes in the air, forming an intricate rune.
The rune slowly descended and attached itself to the center of the Mechanical Claw's palm, permanently merging with the Hex Gemstone.
"Besides making the crystal more stable and allowing it to draw greater amounts of energy at once, I added a magical force-field rune. When you suffer unexpected harm, the field will automatically unfold and freeze everything around you."
Watching Viktor skillfully install the mechanical arm onto his shoulder, Ryan smiled.
"The force field is difficult to test. Try out the beam's power first."
Viktor nodded. Under everyone's watchful eyes, the mechanical hand rotated and aimed at an iron rod ten meters away.
Sizzle!
An orange-yellow beam reached the iron rod in the blink of an eye. The Mechanical Claw shifted sideways, and the rod—thick enough for a person to wrap both arms around—was instantly sliced into two. The upper half collapsed limply, crashing onto the empty ground with a thunderous boom.
Viktor looked at the devastating result before him and could not help but smile bitterly. "The original purpose of the design was only to make carving easier for craftsmen."
Silco stared in horror at the fallen iron rod, fear of Noxus welling up inside him.
You call this a tool for craftsmen? Wouldn't that mean every craftsman could possess this kind of destructive power?
Would miners then need gloves capable of lifting ten thousand jin, so they could smash an entire mine shaft apart with one punch?
At that moment, he deeply realized just how weak Zaun was.
The gap between Zaun and a powerful empire like Noxus was clearly far greater than a little.
He put away the thoughts he should not have had and put on a friendly expression.
"Butler, how should I address you? We will need to help each other in the future. If there is anything you need from me, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Vis. You may simply call me Butler."
"Butler, I will have to trouble you with Sevika's mechanical arm," Silco said.
Nearby, Sevika also forced a smile and lowered her head toward Viktor. This was not Katarina, who used knives. She had no desire to be cut in half.
Viktor watched the scene and silently nodded, though he felt somewhat unsettled.
What was this?
In less than an hour, he had gone from a research assistant to a butler who held Zaun's fate in his hands. Was this the confidence Noxus brought?
Understanding many things in one's heart and truly experiencing them were completely different matters.
Piltover and Zaun were not that large. He had met Silco and Sevika a few times before.
But every time they met, he had always been a downtrodden research assistant, while they had been influential local powers.
Now, seeing the two of them show him respect, his mindset could not help changing somewhat.
He turned to look at Ryan, his eyes filled with gratitude. He wanted to say something, but Ryan merely smiled and waved a hand.
"All right. Leave the rest here to Vis. He can represent my will. Noxus has no interest in Zaun. We will both benefit."
"I understand!" Relief appeared on Silco's face. "Sir, tonight, I will let you see Zaun's sincerity."
"Your will... and mutual benefit..."
Meeting Ryan's gaze, Viktor seemed to understand something. He lowered his head in salute.
After Ryan finished speaking, runes rose from his body once more. He and Katarina turned into specks of light and vanished.
"Sevika, you know what to do."
After Ryan left, Silco said this calmly before taking the lead, preparing to bring Viktor to his temporary residence.
"Ms. Sevika..."
Viktor's eyes flickered as he called out to the dark-skinned woman preparing to climb out the window.
"I will repair your mechanical arm first. To face Piltover's powerful enemies, you need to remain in peak condition."
"As you say."
Sevika grinned, picked up the mechanical arm that had been broken in half with one hand, and followed Viktor and Silco.
"Butler, what materials do you need?"
"One hundred kilograms of iron ore. Piltover machine-grade steel would be best if you have it. Her equipment design is not refined enough. Shimmer serum can be stored inside the arm instead of injected during battle."
As he spoke, Viktor casually listed several forging devices that could be found in Piltover.
"We have all of those. I can get you machine-grade steel right away. How long will it take? Tonight, I need that gentleman to see my sincerity."
Silco led Viktor into a fairly tidy room, then immediately instructed Sevika to prepare the materials.
"One hour will be enough. What concerns me now is something else."
Viktor turned around. He supported himself with one hand on his cane. His body was extremely frail from illness and injury, yet he somehow carried an imposing air.
"I think we should get to know each other, shouldn't we, Butler?"
Smiling, Silco brought over two wooden stools. He sat on the other one only after Viktor had taken a seat.
"I believe that gentleman must have further instructions. What do you need me to do? In Zaun, I still have some influence."
"You will know soon enough. Before that..."
Viktor's expression turned grave as he fixed his gaze on Silco.
"I want to know what you think of Piltover and Zaun's future. I have read about what you did. You once overthrew Vander under the banner of revitalizing Zaun. But in recent years, you have made no progress. Have you become another Vander—the kind who oppresses Zaunites?"
"Oppress Zaunites? I have never done such a thing." Silco sneered. "You can slander me in other ways, but do not compare me to Vander. I want to revitalize Zaun more than he ever did."
Viktor remained unmoved. "At least he organized an operation to storm the bridge more than a decade ago. What about you?"
"Yes, storming the Boundary Bridge, charging into Piltover, trying to win fairness through force." Silco grew agitated, his face twisting slightly. "But after blood had already been spilled, why the hell did he still choose weakness? If he had pressed forward to the end back then, Zaun would never have become what it is today."
Hearing this, Viktor fell silent.
When Vander had caused that unrest, he had already been Heimerdinger's student.
He had once been naive. Listening to Heimerdinger say that violence could not solve problems, he had agreed wholeheartedly.
But when he recalled that time now, Heimerdinger had also said that any threat to Piltover's peace should be eliminated. Later, Viktor had learned something else.
"At the time, three Council members agreed to reconcile with Zaun. If you had caused another disturbance, your chances of success would have been great."
So... Vander had only been one step away from success, yet he had chosen to retreat.
"Yes, that was what I thought as well. After that incident, Piltover's councilors went to see him and told him the ridiculous lie that Zaun could never win. Vander actually believed them, then hid in his tavern from that day onward, becoming a cowardly piece of trash."
Silco took a deep breath.
"So I killed Vander and planned to do it myself."
"But you did not do that afterward." Viktor's gaze was filled with confusion.
He felt that the truth of Zaun's recent years was slowly being uncovered. It allowed him to understand his hometown from another perspective, rather than merely shouting empty slogans about changing people's lives through technology.
Before you continue