Telling Her What Was on My Mind

I felt similarly about Ornn and Volibear; I didn't like them, so I just gave them a perfunctory reply and left. ☺🐯 💲🐉

Further east from this outpost is Jarvan's team. Jax and I should be able to get there before dark. On the way, he told me about Fiora:

"It's been several days since we last met. I wonder what level Laurent Family's little girl has reached in swordsmanship."

"I don't think she'll disappoint you. I think she's reached her peak."

"Speaking of which, your swordsmanship has also impressed me. Not long ago when we were discussing Aatrox, you didn't show any significant improvement, but this morning I saw you sparring with the barbarian and you've made great progress."

"I don't know what happened. It suddenly happened when I was fighting Aatrox. I didn't want to be bound by rules and regulations. I fought as I pleased, yet I was good at both offense and defense."

"This is probably a kind of pinnacle. My Martial Arts are flawless, while Aatrox's are the complete opposite, full of openings, while you can do whatever you want. Our personalities are different, and the Martial Arts we've developed are also different."

"Let's see what Fiora is like when we meet her. She's very meticulous, I think she's probably similar to you, the impeccable type."

Before even reaching the Demacia camp, we encountered several Void Creatures, which were unusually restless due to the approaching dusk.

These monsters are different from the ones that appeared in Ashe's area; they are fewer in number but much larger!

In particular, one tree-shaped monster resembled a towering ancient tree in the primeval jungle of Ionia, stretching as far as the eye could see from bottom to top!

Just like tree roots, the monster's feet were covered with a dense, tangled mass of roots, which looked extremely disgusting!

"You can handle the smaller ones, I'll take care of this big one!" I told Jax and headed straight for the tree monster.

No matter which world the tree comes from, it makes no difference once it's chopped down for firewood!

I conjured Wind Slash, relentlessly cutting through the tree monster's roots like a chainsaw, while simultaneously summoning a gale to protect my body from being entangled.

After a while, I finally managed to cut all the tree roots off, leaving them scattered on the ground. By then, Jarvan had arrived with reinforcements.

He and Shvana transformed into giant dragons and bravely took the lead, followed by Garen, Fiora, Lucian, Huo Su, Jergente, and others.

Together they helped Jax deal with the surrounding mobs, while I continued chopping down the tree monsters. My powerful Wind Slash went straight up for quite a while before I finally saw the top of the monster.

All the Void Creatures I know have discernible shapes, such as Kha'Zix, Cho'Gath, Kog'Maw, and so on.

These monsters were a single, indistinct mass, with no discernible hands, feet, or heads; they resembled heaps of mud.

But it doesn't really make a difference; you have to chop it up anyway, otherwise you can't kill it.

The tree-shaped monster's torso was barely discernible, but no head could be found at the very top, only its sprawling canopy.

The tree was laden with fruit, which, needless to say, were not good fruit. I destroyed them indiscriminately, while simultaneously preventing the juice from splashing everywhere.

They fought until nightfall, and the smaller monsters were either killed or retreated, leaving only the tree monsters.

It was so huge that even after chopping it down non-stop, I had only cleared the roots and part of the canopy. The trunk, which reached straight to the clouds, still stood upright and emitted a foul stench.

Shvana breathed flames that scorched everything in her path, while Jarvan used the Power of Light to purify. Against such filthy monsters, purification was more effective than direct destruction.

We worked until late at night to chop the tree trunk into pieces. If more of these troublesome monsters came, we'd be busy enough even if they just stood there.

Back at the camp, Jarvan brought out some fine wine to treat Jax and me. Demacia's red wine is very famous, but unfortunately I don't know how to appreciate it; I only noticed a hint of sweetness mixed with a touch of bitterness.

The conversation inevitably turned to the war in Ionia. I didn't go into details, but summarized it in one sentence:

Despite heavy casualties, they achieved victory.

Upon hearing this, the others stopped asking questions and shifted the topic to dealing with the Void. Everyone shared similar thoughts: now an even more troublesome monster had appeared, and they had to retreat to the Heart of the Land defense line.

The people of Demacia and Noxus have now gathered together and are all stationed on the plains bordering the two countries, including the Freljord who are also converging there.

We must hold the two lines of defense, the Heart of the Land and the Barrier of Victory, no matter what, and not let the Void Creatures invade the settlement, or the losses will be incalculable!

After finishing my meal, I didn't rush to leave. My purpose in coming here was to see Fiora; only she could give me the feeling of family.

I invited her to go for a walk that evening. It's only mid-November, and it's already snowing in Freljord.

At first, neither of us spoke; we just walked quietly, just like we had on the hills of Demacia.

Several times I wanted to speak up, but I didn't know where to begin. Should I dump all my emotional baggage on her?

Fiora stopped in her tracks. "Is there something you want to say to me? If you don't consider me an outsider, then don't speak."

"Ha, you figured it out. I had a lot to say before I came, but I'm much calmer after seeing you. Some things are no longer necessary to say."

"What if it's necessary?"

"I'd like to hear your thoughts on this war, the Void War we're currently witnessing."

Fiora thought for a moment, then said, "To be honest, I don't think we can stop the Void's invasion with our strength alone. Even with the Heart of the Land and the Ford of Victory as our two lines of defense, it's not enough to win. But there's no way out now; we can only hold our ground and wait for a miracle."

"Miracles? I used to think miracles came from the gods, but now even the gods can't protect themselves, so where can miracles come from?"

"You're wrong, Yasuo. Miracles never come from gods. The fact that humanity has continued to exist is a miracle in itself, and this continuation won't be easily broken."

"Okay, I'm willing to believe in miracles too. So what's your view on gods?"

"I don't know much about gods. Are you a god now?"

"I... don't count. I have absolutely no sense of being a god. Maybe I'd be considered one if I lived for hundreds or thousands of years."

"I think there's no difference between gods and humans. They also have good and evil, and their own personalities. They're just much more powerful. So far, it seems that the gods have helped us far more than they've harmed us."

"Perhaps their help to humans is merely a means to maintain their own status or to extract benefits; otherwise, who would respect them?"

"If you put it that way, it's not just gods; every leader is the same. Why does Jarvan protect his people? Because he is the king, and without his people, he is not the king."

"Okay, I'll put this matter aside for now. Some of my experiences on the road have made me dislike them a bit, but you're right, right now the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."