The Garden City

I didn't see Nasus last time I came to Shurima. Azir said he went to find the Ascended, so it seems to be Oken. 👮🎈 ♘🐟

I do have some recollection of this Oken, because in the thousand years from the Void Wars to Azir's ascension, only five Ascended were born, including Nasus, Renekton, and this Oken.

Varus told me that he, like Bai Juen, was a powerful and ferocious combat-type Ascended, whose ascension form resembled a black rhinoceros, exceptionally majestic.

His birth inspired by Azir is a tremendous boost.

With Varus speeding along, we quickly arrived at the Garden City. At first glance, I was captivated by the scenery; everything was so bright and cheerful!

Garden City is a town built around a lake. It is located on the edge of the desert, where the heat is not so intense and the climate is comfortable and pleasant, even though it is situated by the lake.

A variety of colorful flowers vie for attention, swaying in the gentle breeze and reflected on the azure lake, where sunlight shines evenly, creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.

The buildings here are all constructed with light-colored stone, and are mostly two or three stories high. You can easily put some green plants and flowers on the balcony and they will look great.

Despite being such a wonderful place, it is not very populated. This is because there are many sand dunes around the town, making travel very inconvenient. The Shurima prefer itinerant merchants, so the residents here are mostly people seeking spiritual cultivation and talented creators.

Varus and I walked on the streets here. The white cobblestone paths were uneven and felt uncomfortable underfoot.

However, this kind of road is meant for leisurely strolls, so it's not suitable for rushing. We walked too fast in our search for Azir.

Although the town is large, it is surrounded by lakes, so it doesn't extend very far, making it look like a donut.

When we were about halfway there, Varus sensed Azir and the others, and they also noticed us and came out to greet us.

"His Your Majesty..."

"Shh... let's go upstairs and talk."

Azir, not wanting to reveal his identity, led us into a charming two-story cottage where Renekton, Nasus, and Oken were all.

Varus was an early Ascended, and by seniority he was higher than Nasus and the others, so they took the initiative to bow to Varus.

"Don't be so polite. Come to Oken. Let me introduce you. This is our friend Yasuo. He's already met you before, so you should get to know him too."

Oken was a muscular, big guy, much like Olaf. I was quite surprised to hear from Varus that I had seen him before.

"A mortal? I've lived in seclusion in the swamp for over a thousand years and have never encountered a mortal. How could he have seen me?"

"Although he was a mortal, he had entered the Ascended Realm and knew most of us."

"Lord Varus, you haven't been fooled by this kid, have you? How could a mortal possibly enter the Ascended Realm!"

Nasus then chimed in, "Don't doubt him, Oken. I saw it with my own eyes, and in a sense, he's our benefactor."

"Benefactor?" Oken certainly didn't doubt Nasus's words, but he became even more curious.

"Yes, I haven't had a chance to tell you about this yet..."

Nasus told him how we met, including how I rescued Sivir and helped resurrect Azir.

Oken was stunned and speechless for a moment, only shaking his head vigorously when he saw Azir nod.

"I thought all mortals were narrow-minded and selfish, but I never imagined there were such beings!"

"You need to change your outdated thinking. If you come with me to Ionia, you'll see just how powerful mortals are!"

"Alright, since His Your Majesty and the officials have said so, it must be true. Oken is a bit slow-witted, Yasuo, please don't mind."

"No, it wasn't a big deal to begin with. I heard Xerath appeared, how's he doing now?"

"We haven't found him yet, but someone saw him here, and we sensed his presence when we arrived."

"Is there any way to find it?"

"I've already set up sentry posts in the desert, so I can sense him whenever he appears. Until then, there really isn't a good way to deal with him."

Since there's no action being taken now, I'll just ask Nasus about the Rune Fragment. He's very knowledgeable and should know something.

Varus also took out the light Rune Fragment we found in the Kinkou Order, which surprised the others.

"Regarding the World Rune, I would like to ask the Grand Scholar: do you know their relationship with the Ascended Power?"

"The Ascended Power is a gift bestowed upon us by the gods, and the gods accomplished this gift through the Elemental Power of the Light Rune."

"How much do you know about deities?"

"Yasuo, matters of the gods are not something we can easily pry into. I have never investigated this matter."

"I have no other thoughts. Ascended become powerful through the Light Element Strength, while Vastaya become powerful through the Dark Element Strength. Seeking help from the gods might solve many problems."

"If we have to rely on the gods for everything, then what's the point of the gods giving us power?" Oken's words weren't very pleasant, but I knew he meant no harm.

"Oken, shut up and let Yasuo and Nasus finish what they have to say!" Varus snapped at him.

Nasus smiled helplessly, "Actually, Oken has a point. The gods give us power so that we can solve problems. I'm afraid we'll have to rely on ourselves in this matter."

It's not hard to see from Nasus's words that he doesn't want to cross the line between mortals and gods. Although they call themselves Celestial Warrior, in the face of true gods, they are still mortals.

Like Karma and others, they deeply revered the God of Wind, the God of Wood, and the God of Death, even at the cost of abandoning their personal feelings.

What they didn't know was that sometimes gods weren't so difficult to get along with; Janna's initiative in showing herself and guiding the group already explained everything.

However, since they have such reverence for Mount Targon, I shouldn't force them. I'd rather just ask them where Mount Targon is and go find it myself!

"Grand Scholar, do you know where Mount Targon is?"

"Haha, Yasuo, you're still fixated on this. It's not that I don't want to talk about it, I really haven't researched anything about gods. But I have heard of Mount Targon, it's in western Shurima, you'll have to find out the exact location yourself."

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Grand Scholar. I came here specifically for this matter, so I'd like to continue my search. As for Xerath's situation, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. Farewell!"

"His Your Majesty..."

"You go with him, Lord Varus. The few of us are enough to handle Xerath."

Before Varus could finish speaking, Azir understood his meaning. "Let's go find Mount Targon together."