The World of the Gods

Ryze glanced back at the spot he had just entered, his face devoid of sorrow. He handed the Flame Rune to the woman beside him and then prepared to take me to Mount Targon.

"Alright, we got the stuff. Thanks for your hard work, Yasuo. Now let's head to Mount Targon."

"It wasn't hard work, but I almost lost my life. Didn't you already collect the Flame Rune in the Yara tribe? What's going on with this one?"

"That was only half. This is the other half I found many years ago. With these two pieces, there's no need to search for those fragments of Flame Rune."

"I heard Kegan call you a traitor. Did something unpleasant happen between you two?"

"He was my dearest friend. I once entrusted him with the Flame Rune, but I never imagined he couldn't resist the temptation and would meet his demise because of his covetousness of the rune's power."

"Another close friend. You almost destroyed the Yara when you stole their runes. With your power, there should be few things you can't do. Since you're willing to pay such a high price to collect the World Rune, are you trying to fight the Void?"

"There are too many things I can't do, otherwise why would I need to travel all over the place? I collect World Rune to fight an enemy more terrifying than the void."

"An enemy more terrifying than the void?" I thought for a moment, "Is it that That Great One?"

"Who is it, sir? I'm not just looking to deal with one person."

"So, who are you planning to target?"

"Let's talk about that later. If you can survive the upcoming battles, you're already facing threats from the Vastaya and the Void, isn't that enough? Haha..."

Ryze laughed a few times, seemingly not wanting to put too much pressure on me. Actually, I didn't care; I was mainly worried about him. Could he handle an enemy even more terrifying than the Void?

Even if the World Rune are powerful, you still need to collect them first. Thinking about this, I felt that the only thing I could do to help him was to find runes or Rune Fragment.

Mount Targon is not on the Shurima Continent, but in the Sea of the Watcher, the same sea I crossed from Demacia to Ionia for the first time, except that it was in the north then and it is in the south now.

Varus once again took on the role of the airplane, carrying us deep into the ocean. Soon after, Ryze stood up, looked around, and then let him land on the sea.

There was nothing around at the moment, neither islands nor ships, but Ryze had already said that Mount Targon was hidden within a barrier, so it was normal not to see it.

"Why don't you help them break the barrier?" Ryze said to the woman beside him.

The woman remained silent. She took out the Flame Rune she had just used, closed her eyes, and moved her lips, seemingly chanting a spell.

Before long, a blurred door appeared before us, just like the portal Ryze had opened at the temple ruins.

"Alright, you can go in now."

Aren't you going?

"I have other matters to attend to, and I have no interest in the dwelling place of the gods. Farewell."

"Wait, Archmage, how can I contact you if I find the World Rune or have any related information in the future?"

"Next, I'll be going to Ionia. If you manage to leave Mount Targon alive, I believe we'll meet again very soon."

"That's great. The Vastaya happens to have some Dark Rune Fragment, so you can lend a hand while you're at it."

"Hehe, we'll see. You guys better hurry up and go in, or the portal will disappear."

Varus and I quickly jumped in, and instantly Ryze and the other person disappeared from sight. The place where we landed was no longer the sea, but a meadow filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.

Time is the same here as outside. When we arrived, it was already quite dark, and it's almost the same here. The stars and moon are getting brighter and brighter.

Coming in here so abruptly is already disrespectful to the gods, and wandering around at night is even more inappropriate. Varus and I plan to rest here for the night and make further plans at dawn.

"Is this Archmage Ryze your friend, Yasuo?" Varus asked.

"I'm just more familiar with him. In my understanding, he's a wanderer carrying a heavy mission, traveling everywhere for the peace of Runeterra, just like he is now."

"He gave me a feeling different from everyone I had met before. How should I put it? It was like a huge deterrent."

"Perhaps it's because he's too powerful. He's someone who has cultivated magic to its peak, very likely the pinnacle of magic that Jax mentioned. It's normal for him to be intimidating."

This isn't the first time I've heard this kind of talk. Even Kled, the embodiment of battle, felt the same way when he first met Ryze. It's definitely more reliable to have him deal with the powerful figure behind the scenes than others.

Varus didn't need to sleep, so I just lay down on the soft grass and fell asleep. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time.

Before I even fully woke up after daybreak, Varus woke me up. "Wake up, Yasuo, someone's coming!"

Hearing his call, I quickly got up and saw an old man herding sheep not far away. Are the gods so leisurely? Varus and I walked over.

"Greetings, Your Lord God, is this Mount Targon?"

"This is Willow Village. See that towering peak over there? That's Mount Targon. Besides, I'm not a god, haha..."

Following the old man's direction, I saw a mountain peak in the distance. Due to the limited field of vision, I couldn't see what was happening there, but I could see the mountain peak reaching straight into the clouds.

At the same time, the old man said he wasn't a god, so were there mortals living here? Hearing my question, he explained:

This is a place called Willow Village, where ordinary people live their lives in their own way, and no one tries to interfere with others.

This is similar to the Yordle, but the difference is that no one here likes fighting or war, and no one even practices simple Martial Arts or magic.

Moreover, there has never been any theft, robbery, or fraud here; it is a true haven, both in terms of environment and people's hearts.

"The place where the gods live is indeed different; even ordinary people there have such clear minds."

"Hehe, you might not believe me, but I've never actually seen a god."

The old man's words surprised me greatly. Even the people who live here have never seen a god. So how are Varus and I supposed to find one?

"Old man, you must be joking. We're here to find the Lord God."

"See, I told you you wouldn't believe me, haha. Actually, we often have visitors from other places. They all climb Mount Targon in search of the gods. You can try it too. As for other ways, I don't know."

"Okay, thank you."

"Also, I must remind you that Mount Targon is very different from Willow Village. Many powerful tribes live there, and they get stronger the higher you go. You'd better assess your own strength. If you feel it's not enough, then stay here. The Willow Village are very hospitable."

Thank you for your kind offer, but we'd still like to give it a try!