The Limits of the Flesh

"Camille will be very busy these next few days. She has too much to deal with upon her return. Piltover won't initiate a war in haste, so you still have time."

In the basement of the Noxus Embassy, Ryan faced Viktor, with a dozen Hex Primal Crystals neatly arranged on the table between them.

"Understood, sir. The message has already been sent to Silco; he's better at this kind of thing than I am," Viktor said, nodding earnestly.

A day had passed since the Council meeting ended, and everyone was still absorbed in the news of the Ferros Clan regaining their Council seats. War preparations were kept secret, known only to a select few.

Camille had already taken command of the Enforcer corps and was currently putting them through rigorous training to prevent any accidental discharges from new recruits who hadn't fired their weapons in a while.

Ryan picked up a Primal Gemstone with his right hand, rubbed it for a moment, then put it back down, his expression serious.

"Before I tell you about Machine Ascension, I need to make sure you have some basic knowledge of Runeterra. How much do you know about the limits the human body can reach?"

"The limits of the flesh? Test subjects injected with Shimmer can bend steel with their bare hands. And I heard that General Darius of Noxus is impervious to blades and bullets," Viktor said, frowning.

"General Darius's physique is far better than you imagine. Even if he's targeted by advanced turrets, and four turrets hit him simultaneously, they wouldn't be able to inflict a fatal wound," Ryan said, a hint of amusement on his face.

Compared to Darius, the girl from Ionia who used blades left a deeper impression on him. He and the commander had teamed up and still almost couldn't defeat her.

The commander even had an arm cut off. Although at the time, her body was imbued with some mysterious external force from Ionia, she truly defied science—even Magic couldn't break through her defenses.

"How is that possible!?" Viktor exclaimed, shocked. The Darius Ryan described exceeded his understanding of human capabilities.

At least in his eyes, only mages capable of Magic could withstand advanced turrets, which was the fundamental reason he was willing to abandon his physical body.

"Don't think of humans as so fragile. Remember the five paths I mentioned earlier," Ryan warned. "To give you an idea of what your mechanical body might be capable of, I'll use someone you're familiar with as an example. Let me think who would be suitable…"

Ryan pondered for a few seconds, then a smile appeared on his face.

"Let's take the eldest daughter of the Kiramman family as an example. Miss Caitlyn is a standard Piltover Enforcer template."

Viktor nodded. He didn't care who the standard for combat power was; he just wanted to learn more about this world.

"Someone more powerful than her? Jayce Talis, your most familiar partner. His physique is almost on par with elite Noxus soldiers, about 3-5 times that of Caitlyn."

"His family has been making hammers for generations, and he's practiced forging since childhood. I've witnessed his strength and muscles."

Viktor nodded in agreement, not surprised that Jayce was only comparable to an elite soldier.

Not to mention that Jayce was a scientist who used technology in combat, Piltover couldn't compare to Noxus, the strongest nation today. He would only find it incredible if Jayce could rival a Noxus general.

"He's still growing. If he uses Augmentation Technology, or uses Hextech for a long time, it will gradually strengthen his physique, bringing his power closer to Camille's."

"Councilor Camille's lower body consists of metal prosthetic legs. I can't tell what material they're made of," Viktor murmured with emotion.

"Every breakthrough in her body was the culmination of Piltover's entire city at the time. Back then, the Ferros Clan was Piltover's sky."

Ryan didn't want Viktor to dwell on this, only encouraging him, "If Zaun truly becomes an independent city recognized by all nations in the future, you'll also have the resources to pursue such things."

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Camille's level, in Runeterra, is called Hero-tier. Not counting her legs, her physique is at least 30 times Caitlyn's, and possibly even higher," Ryan explained with a comparison.

"So you, sir, must be one of the Hero-tier individuals," Viktor exclaimed in awe, his expression filled with a certain yearning, as if he had found a small goal.

Ryan shrugged slightly, noncommittal.

"Mages and warriors are different. I'm not as strong as you think. I was born with an affinity for water Magic, so I'm just a support mage. And my physique is very poor; possessing Magic inevitably comes with some cost."

Viktor gazed strangely at his superior, who was feigning weakness, not believing him in the slightest. The man before him was a mage who had carved through Ionia single-handedly.

The more Ryan spoke like this, the more mysterious and unfathomable he seemed to Viktor.

"Enough about that. That's the basic overview. As for higher-tier individuals like certain heroes from Ionia, General Darius, or Garen from Demacia, it's too early for you to encounter them. For now, just set your goal at Hero-tier."

There was one thing Ryan didn't mention: without her legs, Camille's strength was average, but with them, she was no weaker than those higher-tier individuals.

However, he trusted Viktor, and this was a test of sorts for him.

"I understand, Sir Ryan. According to the Hero-tier standard, how many Hex Crystals should a core be composed of to be suitable?"

Viktor's gaze drifted to the Hex Primal Crystals covering the table, their blue light reflected in his eyes.

He understood what Ryan meant: not to aim too high, but also not to underestimate himself.

Under his superior's guidance, he at least had a chance of evolving to Hero-tier.

"A basic Hero-tier typically only needs about 3, but there's a problem," Ryan said, his expression serious as he looked at Viktor.

"Please tell me."

"Your soul cannot withstand this power all at once; even one crystal could be dangerous," Ryan explained.

Normally, Machine Ascension should involve merging consciousness with machinery, but under the laws of Runeterra, consciousness merges with the soul, and certain Runes can manipulate the soul.

Ryan wasn't a master of souls, but the Immortal Bastion had an abundance of books on the subject, and he had encountered many of them.

Even so, he could only oversee the transfer; once the process began, the outcome would be irreversible.

"I'm just an ordinary person, of course I can't withstand the power of the crystals, so I've researched this."

Viktor smiled, taking a Hex Gemstone wrapped in Runes from his bag.

"Embed this into my body, replacing my heart. When I regain consciousness, my consciousness will be able to bear the power of one core."

"Your method is too primitive, and it's full of gambling. Have you succeeded with it on any test subjects?" Ryan expressed his disapproval.

"I haven't done human trials, and it's failed on other organisms, but I've calculated that this is the method with the highest chance of success." Viktor's grip tightened on the gemstone.

Ryan frowned, scolding him, "Mr. Viktor, your life isn't just your own anymore. You're not the person who needs to gamble with his life."

"."

Viktor lowered his head, but his gaze remained resolute.

Yes, he no longer needed to gamble because of his physical condition. But Machine Ascension was a gamble in itself.

He also wanted to develop steadily, but he knew deep down that steady development would only involve mechanizing his body, and even then, the best result would only be 5-10 times Caitlyn's physique, and it wouldn't enhance his soul. That wasn't the outcome he desired.

Seeing Viktor's expression, Ryan was the first to sigh.

"Sigh, since your mind is made up, I have an idea. Miss Katarina, bring that barrel of potion."