The story of Nunu and Willump has only just begun; this kind of simulation game always takes some time.
Moreover, for an ordinary person to become a true hero, having only a kind heart is not enough. Therefore, Li Ke did not spend all his time on Nunu.
Lissandra said he was bored, but in reality, during this time he spent "playing games" with Nunu, Li Ke only spent half a day traveling to Freljord each day. The rest of the time, he stayed in the Twin Cities. What else could he do?
If Li Ke is never home after marriage, it would be strange if Jinx, with her personality, didn't make a scene.
I remember one night, Li Ke, Lissandra, Nilah, and Layka were sitting around the campfire chatting. The talkative Nilah shared her experiences in Bilgewater and talked about her god-slaying story, trying to redeem herself from the label of "comedian" that Li Ke had given her.
Are you kidding me? Is she a comedian?
What comedian could possibly possess her power? It's just bad luck that she ran into a monster like Lissandra; otherwise, there are very few Deity in Runeterra who could stand a chance against Nilah.
Moreover, given Nilah's abilities, even if she couldn't win a fight, if she wanted to run away, her opponent wouldn't be able to stop her.
Therefore, Nilah desperately needs to redeem herself; she is Nilah the Godslayer, not Nilah the circus clown!
However, it was obvious that Lissandra didn't care at all about the stories Nilah told. She completely ignored Nilah, letting Nilah ramble on and on, and Lissandra only gave her a disdainful, cold expression.
At first, Li Ke was quite interested in the stories Nilah told him, since the number of Demigod officially given by Riot Games didn't match what Li Ke had discovered. However, eight out of ten of Nilah's sentences were about herself, without any description of the Demigod she had killed. Li Ke simply couldn't conjure up any corresponding images in his mind.
Yes, but Nilah was doing something while brandishing a whip.
Gradually, Li Ke lost interest in what Nilah was saying.
Because she is truly a very unqualified storyteller!
But Layka was different. As an excellent bard, she shared many interesting stories about Freljord with Li Ke, stories that Li Ke couldn't learn about in the official universe.
When Layka tells stories, she describes them vividly, clearly describing the scenes and characters. In particular, Layka can also sing, and her singing voice is beautiful, with a touch of divinity in its primal wildness, which immediately gives Li Ke a vivid picture.
Therefore, when Layka tells stories, Li Ke often loses track of time, listening to Layka's voice and becoming immersed in the little world she describes.
On one occasion, Li Ke lost track of time while listening to a story. When he came to his senses, it was already past midnight. The Freljord people have their own way of telling time. Layka uses the stars in the night sky to tell the time. Although it is not accurate, it is generally not far off.
What did Li Ke say back then?
Oh--
"Ah, it's time, I have to go back."
"Why are you going home so early today? You usually leave close to morning," Nilah said at the time.
"I've been out a lot lately, leaving Jinx home alone. She's really gone too far lately, dragging Lux and Taliyah out drinking late at night. The last time I got back, she was lying drunk in bed, and Isha had to take care of her."
"So I set a curfew for her; she has to be home before midnight," Li Ke said earnestly.
Nilah pursed her lips upon hearing this; matters of love and intimacy were completely outside of Nilah considerations.
As for Lissandra, who has lived for tens of thousands of years and spied on the secrets of countless people, although she may be a millennium-old virgin, her experience in that area... well, Lissandra is definitely a seasoned veteran. What hasn't she seen?
Therefore, she was not interested in what Li Ke said, but was very concerned about Layka. Some of the songs Layka sang were ones that even Lissandra did not know!
But Layka spoke up, and her words immediately drew everyone's attention to Li Ke: "Wait, Mr. Li Ke, since you set the curfew for her, what are you going back for? And you just said that you have to go back?"
Li Ke was also stunned by Layka's question, after all, the truth was completely different from what Li Ke said, and Li Ke was the one who was subject to the curfew.
But men, when they're out in public, always care about their image. Li Ke immediately retorted, "What are you talking about? How would I know if she went back or not if I didn't go back?"
"Then I have to go back and check if she's following my curfew, right?"
Therefore, except for a period of time when he was away from home, Li Ke has been obediently returning to Jinx's side the rest of the time.
During this time, Li Ke also brought Nilah and Layka to Twin Cities. New Zaun now has a large area, which is already habitable, but issues such as landscaping cannot be resolved in the short term.
However, everyone likes Zaun much more now than before, including Layka from Freljord. She especially loves the place called the school.
She even suggested to Li Ke that when Nunu got a little older, they could send her to school in Zaun, and after thinking about it, Li Ke naturally agreed.
Back to the present--
Although Silco and Mel are currently in charge of affairs in Twin Cities, there are still some matters that need to be handled by Li Ke. After all, the alliance is newly established, and Li Ke, as the "chief representative," needs to make appearances from time to time.
In the afternoon, New Zaun was bustling with activity.
Malson, leading a small team, stopped as he passed by Wei, who was on patrol.
Sweat soaked his hair; if it weren't for the breathability of the law enforcement uniform, it would probably have stuck to his back. Exhausted and panting, Malson couldn't help but say to Xiang Wei, "Why do I have to lead the team back and forth, patrolling the construction site, while you only have to patrol the city?"
Hearing this, Wei, who was hiding in the shade, looked up at Malson who was close to her and rolled her eyes. "Look at how many stars I have, and how many stars you have."
"So what if he's a bureau chief? Does that mean he has special privileges?" Malson couldn't help but mutter.
"Otherwise what? Silco and Renata, those two are still working and resting in their cool office. Why don't you ask them why they're not on patrol?" Vi looked at Malson irritably, raising her voice. "Get lost, it's so hot and humid, I'm not in the mood for joking around with you."
"I'm not in the mood either!" Malson opened the kettle, took a sip of the cold water, and looked up at the sky. The sun was incredibly bright. New Zaun was built on the sea, which was adjacent to Shurima. In addition, the sea was surrounded by empty space, so the sunlight was exceptionally good.
But then again...
Before, when they rarely saw the sun, the Zaunite longed for it. But now that the sun is blazing down on their faces, Zaunite 're starting to regret their decision. This intense sunshine isn't necessarily a good thing, is it?
However, this matter is being addressed. The best solution right now is to create a magical barrier using Hextech Gem, which can be opened when the sun is high to block out the sunlight and provide shade for Zaun. The next best options are planting trees and altering the surrounding environment. Currently, the former is the quickest and most effective solution, but the latter is also necessary.
In the future, Zaun will take root here, and the surrounding environment is extremely important. Singed plays a significant role in this regard. With his maxed-out biology skills, Singed is also an outstanding genius in ecological and environmental matters.
"You know, Wei, I think I should have found the right direction back then. Actually, I really enjoyed making things when I was little. Most of the toys I played with were homemade. So, do you think I still have a chance to become a researcher?" Malson leaned against the wall, standing next to Wei, and said after thinking for a moment.
"What would I go to? The factory isn't any easier than here," Wei said after thinking for a moment. She lifted one foot back, placed it against the wall, put her hands in her pockets, and wore a hat. The most amazing thing was that there was a little monkey in Wei's hat, which was actually a small fan— Isha made it for her.
The effect was excellent; even though Malson was some distance away, he could still feel the cool breeze on his face. It seemed that the little fan was also using the magic of the Hextech Gem.
"How can the factory not be easy? Jinx and Ekko are in the office all day too, aren't they?" Malson said.
"What office? Ever since a while ago, Jinx has been dragging Lux to Jayce's lab every day. Haven't you been to Jayce's lab before? That lab, which was originally only open to Jayce and Viktor, has now been requisitioned by Jinx. There are dozens of researchers inside, helping Jinx work on some new weapon." As Jinx's older sister, Vi naturally knew very well what Jinx had been doing lately.
Malson paused for a moment, then said while drinking water, "Then I'll wait a while before taking the administrative exam."
Don't be ridiculous. Jayce's lab is like a furnace. You'll get hot and burning up after just a short while inside. Who knows how Senator Talis managed to make such a place?
"Shouldn't you go to work?"
"Big Sister, I just got back."
"Go to hell! You just got back? You think I didn't notice? You were just at the West Gate two hours ago. Weren't you going to the north to help build the wall?" Wei raised her eyebrows and cursed at Malson.
Malson initially seemed a little aggrieved and wanted to argue, but he quickly realized what she meant. "What do you mean? How did you know I was at the Westgate Ice Cream Shop two hours ago? No, I mean, Vivi, as the chief of law enforcement, you don't really just wander around the streets every day, do you?"
"I'm the director, and you're the director?" Wei raised his hands and clenched his Riot Games.
"Okay, okay, I'll go to work then." Malson immediately made a surrender gesture.
At the same time, Li Ke walked through the corridor where the air purifier was running. The air smelled good and the room was cool. The Piltover conference building is always like this—fresh air and a pleasant temperature.
That's normal, though. As the central building of Piltover and the workplace of a large number of management personnel, the benefits are naturally good. And the money isn't taken from the treasuries of the two cities, but rather sponsored by the Talis family.
Anyway, Jayce is rich, the kind of richer than he could ever spend in his lifetime.
Stepping into Jayce's lab, Li Ke immediately sensed what a bipolar reversal truly meant.
The moment the iron door to the laboratory opened, a wave of heat rushed out. The small laboratory was packed with people, a noisy and bustling place.
Li Ke looked around and found Jinx. She was wearing a loose-fitting lab coat with a belt around her waist, and her hair was tied in her usual big bun. She was talking to a blonde beauty next to her with her back to Li Ke.
Li Ke stepped forward and overheard Jinx and Lux's conversation.
"Are there any precautions to take when using beam attacks? Since you can unleash scorching rays with light magic, there's no reason why Hextech Gem can't do the same."
"But don't Hextech rifles already emit rays?"
"Those are bullets, Lux, they're different! What I want is a magical beam like yours, one that can move, change direction at will, and move incredibly fast. Hextech Gem have universal magic that can be used on various elements, there's no reason why it can't be used on light!"
"But I don't understand what you're saying," Lux blinked, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.
Recently, Viktor discovered a new type of ore beneath the ruins of Zaun. The ore appeared to be corrupted by the Void, and with the help of Singed and Jayce, Viktor discovered a new element.
Jinx also drew inspiration from the new ore and element discovered by Viktor. No, it should be said that she already had this idea, but she was unable to test it because the extreme heat would melt the ironware in both cities. One characteristic of the new element is its resistance to high temperatures.
This led Xiao Jin to discover a new toy! And as a result, she became less concerned about Li Ke coming home late lately!
Jinx and Lux started whispering to each other again.
"What are you doing?"
Upon hearing Li Ke's voice, Jinx turned around, blinked her Big Eyes, and smiled. Like a child showing off a treasure, Jinx grabbed Li Ke 'Li Ke hand and led him to a mold.
"Look! The new weapon I'm developing!" Jinx said excitedly to Li Ke, pointing to the mold hanging on the screen.
Li Ke looked up and saw that it was a pipe?
It was about four meters long and one and a half meters wide, and was entirely black, with a blue and white hole in the middle. Although Li Ke didn't know much about Hextech, it was something he used every day. All the furniture in his house now bore traces of Hextech magic, so naturally, Li Ke figured out what the hole was for.
Yes, it's inlaid with Hextech Gem.
But isn't this number a bit too much?
On the four-meter-long pipe, not to mention the back, just looking at the front, there are dozens of tiny holes, densely packed, like starlight adorning the black pipe!
"What is this?" Li Ke asked Jinx, his lips twitching.
"Mimi!" Jinx licked her lips and continued, "I call it Mimi. It's a new weapon that I imagine can unleash a two-meter magic beam and also emit explosive rays!"
"?"
A two-meter magic beam... Isn't that Lux?
No wonder Lux was standing next to her.
Looking at the excited Jinx, Li Ke felt a pang of emotion.
While he was away working in Freljord, everyone was busy too.
Yes, just like how the Twin Cities are constantly developing, Noxus, Demacia, Freljord, and Ionia are also changing.
Time is fair; every minute, every second, something is happening on Runeterra.
Looking at Jinx, who was showing off her treasure, Li Ke chuckled inwardly.
Okay
If Jinx were given another ten years, it wouldn't be surprising to Li Ke that she could build a planet-destroying cannon.
Technological development is always incremental, just like the transition from the Iron Age to the Steam Age and then to the Electrical Age. With the accelerating pace of development, major changes can occur in the blink of an eye.
And now, the same is true for Twin Cities.
While other places were still using iron tools, farming, and animal husbandry, Twin Cities had already set its sights far ahead and forged a new path that belonged only to Twin Cities.
If Jinx's current research were actually completed, its power would be far more exaggerated than the Ultimate Super Mega Death Rocket, right?
After all, the magical rays emitted simultaneously from hundreds of Hextech Gem... how could Demigod possibly feel good after being hit by them?
However, this thing definitely cannot be mass-produced, and it's not something that ordinary people can use.
Look at this pipe! It's four meters long and one and a half meters wide, not to mention there will definitely be other things involved. Even so, Li Ke is already looking forward to it.
Will technology become the dominant force in Runeterra in the future, or will magic continue to reign Runeterra?
I'm getting stuck on this again. After all, Hextech is a fusion of magic and technology; how can it be about dominance or non-dominance?
Thinking of this, Li Ke reached out and pinched Jinx's delicate cheek. Hmm, it's a little oily.