Camille spread her arms with force. Her mechanical arms creaked, then burst apart under the sheer strength of her hands.
"A proper lady has many methods."
She braced herself against the ground and pushed down hard, launching her body into the air. She leaped onto the robot's head, and the blades on her feet pierced its back, destroying its electrical emitter.
As the Primal Crystal in her heart supplied power once more, the blades on her legs lit up with orange and blue radiance. Her legs swept through the air, her slender blade-like feet performing an elegant dance.
Yet those sharp blades seemed unstoppable, slicing the robot into pieces and completely dismembering it.
"The mission has failed. We should withdraw."
After Camille spoke, hooks on both sides caught Caitlyn and Vi, pulling them to her side.
Jayce, who was closest to her, also moved toward her.
"Are we really just leaving like this?" Vi was unwilling to accept it.
"This was my fault." Caitlyn was despondent. She had not been of any use.
"Either fight or run. Hesitation will only cause more casualties."
Camille remained expressionless, but her meaning was already perfectly clear.
Withdraw!
The Zaunite robots and ironclad warriors did not advance either, merely maintaining their guard.
Viktor and Silco both understood that Camille was too powerful. They could not take her down.
As long as they could not put enough pressure on Camille, she could defeat them one by one.
Camille covered the rear while the others quickly retreated.
After a long while, Camille cast one final deep look at Viktor and Silco before striding away.
"Our side is finished. I hope Jinx has good news." Viktor's expression eased as he gazed toward Piltover.
Silco made the same gesture. "I believe in Jinx. The fire and sounds from earlier are the best proof."
"What do you plan to do? You do not have much time left. Shimmer has corroded your body. I can turn you into a machine, like Camille." Viktor glanced back at Silco.
Over the past few days of conversation, he had come to acknowledge this ruler of Zaun.
Though Silco's methods were somewhat extreme, his heart still leaned toward Zaun. He had always fought for Zaun's independence.
He believed Zaun's future would improve under Silco's leadership.
Viktor had gradually come to understand Ryan's intentions as well. He was a researcher, and he could only truly shine in technological research and development.
Many of Viktor's previous ideas had been immature. He needed an excellent leader to provide direction for his future research.
Zaun had Silco, and the future had Ryan. He was satisfied with such an outcome.
But Silco did not seem to think so. Shimmer's side effects twisted his face in pain, yet he still shook his head firmly.
"A person needs something to hope for in life. If I become a machine, would I still be myself?"
"Everything for Zaun."
Viktor injected Shimmer into Silco's eye socket through the needle. Silco's body trembled slightly, and it took him a long time to recover.
"Live for Zaun, but when death comes, one should still pursue the ending one desires."
Silco's smile was strained by his frailty, but it carried a certain warmth and anticipation.
"I respect your choice, provided you have a good successor." Viktor sighed.
He could understand Silco. Not everyone considered evolution glorious.
"Sevika would be a good choice with some polishing. Her love for Zaun is no less than ours. Do not let her short temper fool you; she has always understood what matters. If we develop like Piltover, we will eventually become stagnant. Following Lord Meredith, we will have a good future." Silco had clearly considered this question long ago.
"Yes, Zaun will get better. Following Lord Meredith, following Noxus."
Viktor turned around. His firm steps struck the ground with crisp slaps as he vanished into the night.
Ferros Estate, the housemaster's room.
The room was dim, without even a trace of candlelight.
Stevan sat quietly in the housemaster's seat, staring out through the window.
Not far away, also within Ferros Estate, flames were blazing toward the sky. They were dazzling and brilliant, punctuated from time to time by thunderous explosions.
This was precisely the second demolition site in Jinx's mission.
But the culprit had long since departed, leaving only the manor's lawn burning.
If their family's buildings had not been protected by Augmentation Technology, they too would have been blasted into ashes.
Bang!
The door was pushed open from outside. Marcus, dressed in a sheriff's uniform, gave a salute and respectfully reported.
"Housemaster Ferros, the fire has been brought under control. No casualties have been confirmed."
"This is already the second explosion tonight. In the first, we lost a Council member. If the Ferros Clan did not have some foundation, we would have been wiped out by now." Stevan's expression was grim.
"This is my failure. Our security forces were insufficient, and their coastal defenses were breached as well. All the Enforcers stationed there were killed." Marcus forced a smile.
Recent events had left his heart ice-cold. He had long regretted telling Jayce about Stillwater Hold.
Not only had Zaun become independent, but Piltover did not even seem certain to win. And Jayce clearly could not protect Marcus's family at all.
He felt somewhat relieved that he had not woken up each day to find Silco beside his bed. Perhaps Silco had been too busy and had long forgotten a small fry like him.
And now, something this serious had happened tonight. A Council member had died outright. Though it was not a human but merely one of Heimerdinger's creations, it was still a Council member. In Piltover's more than two hundred years of development, nothing like this had ever happened.
He already had a premonition that he was about to lose his job.
"You have already done enough tonight. Tomorrow, I will speak for you at the Council."
Marcus's eyes widened as he stared at him in disbelief.
"There is something I need you to do."
Stevan's words immediately pulled Marcus back to reality. Marcus had already guessed what was coming and gave a miserable smile.
"As long as it does not involve my wife and daughter."
"At tomorrow's Council meeting, place all responsibility on Talis and Kiramman. Their unauthorized actions caused tonight's incident." Stevan spoke calmly.
"Talis and Kiramman?"
Marcus pondered for a moment, then understood Stevan's meaning.
He had heard that three Council members had crossed the river tonight. Aside from him, those three Council members would certainly have to bear responsibility for what had happened. It was obvious that Stevan wanted to lessen Camille's involvement in the incident.
He nodded in understanding and patted his chest.
"I understand. I know what to say tomorrow."
Stevan nodded, gave him a look, and dismissed Marcus.
The room became empty once more. His profound gaze settled on Camille's portrait in the housemaster's room, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
The portrait depicted Camille before her augmentation. Her short black hair made her look heroic, while her poised posture on the chair displayed elegance and dignity. She truly deserved to be called a noble young lady who embodied perfection.
"Sister, even the machines of the Ferros Clan will one day be cast aside. Go pursue your own fate. This is what I owe you."
His gaze flickered. He picked up the letter from the Noxus Embassy on the table, set it alight, and watched it burn to ashes.
Thank you to "KSL Shandong Person" for the 5,000 reward, and thank you to "Poverty Is a Disease" for the 500 reward! Thank you to "He Xiaomeng" for the 500 reward!
A thousand thanks for your support, dear readers! I have noted down all the generous rewards. Once the story goes premium, I will begin a mass update spree!
Before you continue