The Helpless Return Journey

"Doctor! Doctor!"

"It's you? What is this?"

"Quick, save her! Her condition is critical."

"Quick! Wheel her in, you all, get the equipment ready for emergency treatment immediately!"

The clamorous sounds mingled with anxious shouts and clattering noises in her ears. Ling Ying felt as if she were half-awake, half-dreaming. Suddenly, all sound ceased, leaving only the gentle whisper of the wind.

After an unknown amount of time, Ling Ying slowly opened her eyes. The darkness and haziness that had seemed to coat her retinas gradually dissipated. The world before her eyes regained its original colors. She rubbed her slightly dizzy temples and surveyed her surroundings. She was lying in a rather cramped room. The somewhat mottled white paint on the walls and the door silently spoke of the building's age. The faded curtains stirred, letting in a breeze with a peculiar scent from time to time.

"Creak."

"Huh?"

The moment Ling Ying pushed open the door, a confused voice came from the corridor outside. Jayce, who had been sitting on a bench by the door, looked up as Ling Ying emerged. His expression shifted from confusion to a complex look. Ling Ying detected a trace of apprehension and distrust.

"I'm sorry."

Ling Ying managed a smile that she hoped didn't look too out of place. Looking at Jayce's expression, the things the void consciousness had done with her body must have given him quite a scare. At this moment, explaining the situation clearly was undoubtedly the best course of action.

"My body... had a bit of a problem earlier."

Ling Ying described the situation to Jayce in a way that was as truthful as possible, yet not entirely so. Then, she continued with a firm tone.

"But that won't happen again, I promise."

Jayce looked at Ling Ying with a skeptical expression. Just as he was about to say something, a door down the corridor opened, and Viktor appeared outside.

"You don't need to apologize to us, Cecilia. Everyone knows the risks of going into the Blighted Zone. We aren't doing this for absolute safety, but to do our part for the suffering people of the Undercity, aren't we? Besides, you did nothing wrong in this regard. That giant wolf, and the attackers who appeared afterward... no one could have predicted that with ordinary thinking."

"But..."

"As for your condition, I don't think any of us have the right to judge."

Viktor shook his head, gesturing for Ling Ying to let him finish.

"Although you were... very dangerous back then, you didn't end up harming us. Moreover, without you, that giant wolf alone would have been enough to kill all of us."

Viktor's words plunged the others into silence. Ling Ying was somewhat surprised that Viktor could still be understanding, given that she had lost control and almost attacked them. As for Jayce, he simply felt that Viktor's words made sense.

"That's why I objected from the start, don't go to places like that."

He finally decided to argue, but his hostility towards Ling Ying had undoubtedly dropped to a negligible level. Ling Ying couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but a sudden sound from beside her made her relief vanish.

"Sister Orianna... how is she?"

With a somewhat timid tone, the two little ones peeked out from the doorway behind Viktor. It was the Bertha Sisters. The two little ones were no longer as grimy as when they first met. However, their young faces clearly showed no joy of survival. Instead, they looked worried. Seeing their expressions, Ling Ying suddenly remembered that Orianna was missing among them. For some reason, she was reminded of the chaotic sounds she had heard earlier. An ominous premonition began to rise in her heart.

"Right, Orianna she..."

It was better not to ask, but as soon as Ling Ying mentioned Orianna, Jayce and Viktor both put on dejected faces.

"Ah, at that time, junior sister, you suddenly fainted. You don't seem to know what happened afterwards."

Finally, Viktor spoke up to explain to Ling Ying.

"After you suddenly fainted, those attackers chased after the giant wolf and didn't bother with us anymore. Of course, even without them, we wouldn't have had an easy time. After all, without you, junior sister, we wouldn't have had that magical barrier that could isolate poisonous gas. It was equivalent to being trapped in that small town."

"Sigh, then how did you guys..."

"It was the Hextech Crystal."

Jayce picked up the conversation.

"When a Hextech Crystal overloads and explodes, it generates a magic field around it. This extremely dense field can block the intrusion of most molecules, in other words, it creates a vacuum. Drained Crystals are the same in this regard. In fact, because of their low energy storage, they are safer to detonate, although the range and duration of the resulting magic field are reversed. But in short, we sequentially overloaded several Drained Crystals in the T-60 power core, and relied on the fields they formed to travel through the poisoned area."

"This was inspired by Jayce. When it comes to the application of crystals, he is indeed..."

"Stop talking!"

Jayce suddenly punched the wall emotionally. Everyone fell silent instantly. The Bertha Sisters were probably quite startled and quickly retreated behind the door, not daring to look this way anymore. After a long pause, Jayce seemed to calm down gradually, withdrew his fist, covered his face with his palm, and whispered.

"It didn't end well, did it..."

"The crystals didn't last until the safe zone."

Viktor sighed and continued to explain to Ling Ying.

"Just as we were about to cross the outer edge of the low-concentration poison zone, a chemical agent storage tank by the roadside suddenly exploded. Chemical gas surrounded us. When we rushed out, Orianna gave her gas mask to the Bertha Sisters."

"?"

Hearing Viktor's account, Ling Ying's heart sank instantly. Without a gas mask, exposed to the poisonous gas without protection, Ling Ying couldn't bear to think about the harm it would bring to Orianna.

"How is she now?"

Ling Ying was too anxious to wait even a second. She desperately wanted to know Orianna's condition. As if to answer her question, a figure in a white coat strode over. He said in a deep voice.

"I'm ready on my end."

Doctor Connor took off his mask and scanned everyone present. When his gaze passed in front of Ling Ying, he clearly showed a surprised expression. But finally, he didn't say anything more, coughed, and continued.

"I've done my best to stabilize the patient's condition. You can send her back to Piltover at any time."

"Senior Viktor has indeed decided to stay in Zaun for the time being? I really hope he returns safely."

"Senior Viktor will be fine. As for you, inhaling the toxic gas has damaged your lungs and trachea... Orianna, you..."

Looking at the blonde girl sitting in the wheelchair that Ling Ying was pushing, Ling Ying felt a sharp pain in her heart. Orianna, even though she was wearing a mask with filtered medicine, still managed a smile for Ling Ying.

"Actually, I feel a bit emotional. We who are hurt at least have a chance to get treatment. But what about Bertha and the others, the people of the Undercity in Zaun? Who will help them?"

"Is this your true thought?"

Ling Ying tenderly reached out and brushed Orianna's radiant blonde hair.

"That's why you gave your mask to Bertha and the others."

"Mm, they are a pair of cute little sisters. They've already suffered enough. I don't want... them to suffer any more."

"But no matter what, it shouldn't be..."

"Alright, alright, don't worry too much. I'm at least stronger than them. And Piltover's technology is so advanced, maybe... cough cough cough cough..."

As Orianna spoke, she suddenly began to cough violently. The filtered medicinal liquid in the mask sloshed with her body's movements, and a faint trace of blood could be seen.

"Stop talking quickly!"

Ling Ying patted Orianna's back urgently. At this moment, Jayce, who was walking ahead of them, stopped.

"We're here."

The Long Bridge is long, and that's not a redundant statement. It's the opposite. Because of its length, it was given such a simple name. It spans the wide Piltover Canal, connecting the top of Zaun with Piltover, allowing the two cities to exchange goods. Before the establishment of Piltover's airship port, the Long Bridge was once the most important trade route between the two cities. With most bulk goods now transported by air, the bridge primarily serves as a conduit for people. But today, this bridge has been unusually blockaded by Piltover – the Enforcement Department has set up a checkpoint in the middle of the bridge. Dozens of fully armed officers holding rifles stand in a line. Facing them is a surging crowd of disheveled civilians, undoubtedly from Zaun. But their gaunt faces clearly don't resemble the residents of the upper levels of Zaun who are living comfortably.

"What are they doing..."

"The Twin Cities Mutual Aid Mechanism."

Ling Ying looked at the surging crowd with a thoughtful expression.

"I heard Caitlyn mention it once. When one side suffers a major man-made or natural disaster, the other side needs to provide assistance within its capabilities, including dispatching volunteers, material aid, and refugee resettlement. These people should be refugees from the Undercity of Zaun who lost their homes due to the gas leak."

"Ah? But with so many people, can Piltover accommodate them all?"

"That's why you see so many people being turned away. Getting refugee status in Piltover requires a stroke of luck. But obviously, everyone thinks they are the lucky ones and wants to take a gamble."

As Ling Ying spoke, she pointed the way for Orianna. Following her direction, Orianna saw a man who looked like a Sheriff standing on the parapet of the checkpoint. He scanned the hopeful refugees with the discerning eye of a market vendor, then casually pointed to a young, strong man near the entrance. He raised the loudspeaker in his hand and said.

"You! Yes, you, come in! The rest of you can go back. This week's refugee quota has been filled. Come back next week to try your luck."

After the Sheriff finished speaking, he walked down from the checkpoint without looking back. But his words were like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, and the already noisy crowd instantly erupted.

"How can this be?! Why are several spots missing this week!?"

"Exactly! Do you people from Piltover have any conscience? You promised fair distribution of spots!"

"Officer, please let my mother and I in. Our home is gone, we truly have nowhere else to go!"

In response to the Sheriff's announcement, the crowd on the bridge either cursed angrily or pleaded tearfully. Except for the burly man who was called out. His face still wore an expression of disbelief at his sudden good fortune. He was ushered into the Alloy Gate of the Checkpoint by two guards.

"Let's go. We've already been delayed long enough."

Seeing that the refugee line had no intention of moving forward, Ling Ying decided not to wait any longer. She pushed Orianna onto the bridge. Jayce walked ahead, clearing a path for the two of them through the crowd of refugees.

"Hey! You damn..."

The trio's movement through the crowd quickly drew the ire of the refugees. A burly man, accidentally bumped by Jayce, turned around. His single remaining eye glared fiercely at Jayce. However, when he saw the Piltover Insignia on their clothing, the words "going to die" that were on the tip of his tongue were abruptly swallowed back.

"Hmph, damn Piltover scum."

As if unable to swallow his pride, as the group walked past him, the burly man muttered a curse under his breath. This clearly provoked Jayce, who was already in a bad mood. He suddenly turned back from his forward path and confronted the burly man.

"We're damned? Then why are you here? Begging like a stray dog at Piltover's doorstep?"

"I..."

The burly man was choked by Jayce's question and couldn't utter a coherent word for a long time. Jayce, drawing on some unknown courage, took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as he could towards the surrounding refugees.

"You are a bunch of cowards. Isn't your home behind you? Then why, when disaster struck, was your first thought to flee here and pitifully accept Piltover's charity, instead of doing what you could for it, contributing your share? If you ask me, you pathetic wretches who fled in panic, Piltover doesn't even deserve to waste a single extra resource on you."

Silence. A deathly silence. Jayce's "grand pronouncements" managed to achieve what even the heavily armed guards couldn't – silencing the noisy crowd. Jayce was quite surprised by this. He had originally just disliked these refugees who placed their fate in the hands of others' charity, but he hadn't expected his words to have such an effect. However, he would soon understand that it wasn't his words that awakened the pitiful people, but rather...

"You damn Piltover scum!! Don't get so full of yourself!!"

A skinny person in a tattered Hoodie from the back row yelled in a sharp voice, forcefully throwing a rusty tin can towards Jayce.

"Crack!"

The tin can didn't fly far before hitting the ground, rolling away across the bridge. But the can itself acted like a fuse, igniting the explosives of rage within people's hearts.

"Who does he think he is?! What right does he have to talk about us like that!!"

"They're the ones who moved their highly polluting industries to our doorstep, while they sit on top enjoying blue skies and white clouds, and have the nerve to spout such nonsense here!"

"Right! It's all them! It's all these Piltover scum!"

"Kill him! Kill the Piltover scum!!"

The refugee crowd on the bridge instantly lost control, surrounding the trio of Ling Ying, Orianna, and Jayce like a watertight seal. The burly man, previously silenced by Jayce, grabbed Jayce by his collar. His fist, the size of a sandbag, was about to swing towards Jayce's face.

"Clang!"

The sharp longsword was thrust straight into the bridge, its cold gleaming blade sinking several feet into the ground. Even the sturdy bridge couldn't withstand the blow, spiderweb cracks spreading outwards. Ling Ying gripped the sword with one hand, her vertical pupils scanning the crowd. An invisible pressure spread, making the refugees feel as if they were being stared down by man-eating beasts. They instinctively retreated. The burly man still held onto Jayce, but his trembling arms betrayed his fear.

"Let him go."

The icy words were like frost piercing the bone in the dead of winter. The burly man immediately let go of Jayce, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground with a thud. He began to beg for mercy, sobbing like a child. Ling Ying's void creature-like pressure was almost irresistible to ordinary people. Even Jayce couldn't help but shiver. Orianna, in her wheelchair, watched Ling Ying with concern, tightening her grip on Ling Ying's free hand. She looked so much like the dangerous person who had threatened to kill her before. However, this time, Ling Ying seemed to sense her worry and gently squeezed her palm, as if to reassure her not to worry.

"Let's go."

Seeing that the refugees dared not make any further moves, Ling Ying pulled out her Doran's Blade and pushed Orianna forward without looking back. The refugees who had surrounded them immediately parted like they were avoiding a plague, their faces filled with apprehension. Even so, the gaze of hundreds of eyes was still unnerving. Orianna closed her eyes, pretending not to see the stares. Ling Ying ignored them completely, while Jayce walked as cautiously as if facing a great enemy with every step. After all, those people had been so agitated they almost rushed forward to tear him apart. The few hundred meters to the checkpoint felt like half a century to Jayce.

"S-stop... who goes there?"

As the trio reached the checkpoint, they were naturally stopped by the guards. About ten rifles were aimed at them. The sheriff who had shouted on the bridge had climbed back onto the checkpoint, asking Ling Ying in a trembling voice. He had seen everything that had just happened. Someone who could "slaughter" their way through a mob of rioting commoners like a war god was surely no ordinary person.

"Piltover citizen."

Ling Ying didn't waste words with the sheriff. She stated her origin directly and tossed a small leather booklet to him. The action startled the sheriff, who instinctively dodged, nearly falling off the checkpoint. The armed guards, who had been on high alert, almost pulled the trigger.

"Special Investigator Cecilia Irene of the Enforcement Department. I'm on a mission in Zaun. You don't need to ask any further questions."

"Special Investigator?"

Mr. Sheriff picked up Ling Ying's identification from the ground, confused. It indeed bore the name she had stated. He flipped it over; the Enforcement Department's Special Crystal Emblem shouldn't be fake. He looked at Ling Ying and the others again, clearly curious about her mission. After a moment's hesitation, he ultimately asked no more questions. He gestured for his men to lower their weapons and signaled a few guards to open the gate, letting Ling Ying and the others through.

"Phew!"

The alloy gate of the checkpoint closed, and the menacing refugees were no longer visible. Jayce clearly breathed a sigh of relief. But then, he noticed people were watching him. He looked around and indeed saw several guards looking at him intentionally or unintentionally, whispering amongst themselves.

"Ha! Kid, I have good news and bad news for you."

Mr. Sheriff walked over, putting a hand on Jayce's shoulder with a serious expression.

"The bad news is that you just violated the Two Cities Anti-Ideological Discrimination Law."

"? Huh?"

"Don't rush. The good news is that this damn law doesn't exist at all."

As soon as the sheriff finished speaking, the surrounding guards burst into laughter. Only Jayce remained bewildered, not understanding what was happening.

"You spoke well just now, kid. These rats should be driven back to their sewers. Piltover doesn't have much room for them."

The sheriff, his guard down, patted Jayce's shoulder heartily as he laughed. Jayce, not yet accustomed to the man's familiarity, could only force a dry laugh. In contrast, Ling Ying and Orianna frowned slightly as they watched the scene unfold.

"I don't like him," Orianna said softly.

"Unfortunately, there seem to be many people like him in Piltover. He's just a microcosm of countless arrogant Piltover citizens."

Ling Ying looked at the Sheriff and shook her head helplessly. Perhaps noticing Ling Ying's gaze, the other party also looked over.

"Miss Cecilia, are you returning to Piltover? Although it might seem abrupt, you've seen it yourself, it's not very safe here. And forgive my presumption... but that lady's condition doesn't seem too good?"

The Sheriff said this while turning his gaze to Orianna in the wheelchair. Orianna, however, deliberately turned her face away, leaving the Sheriff quite embarrassed.

"Naturally, we are just about to..."

"Hey!! Stop! Don't come any closer!"

Just as Ling Ying was about to take over the conversation and bid farewell, the guards at the checkpoint suddenly caused a commotion. This was immediately followed by the sound of weapons being cocked.

"Hey? What's going on?"

The Sheriff no longer had the time to focus on Ling Ying's group and loudly questioned the guards above.

"...They... they're charging over!!!"

"Fire! Fire quickly!!"

Before the Sheriff could even understand the full situation, a volley of gunfire erupted from the checkpoint. Immediately after, the sounds of panicked shouts and desperate screams came from beyond the gate.

"Damn it, who told you to open fire!?"

The Sheriff was furious. He couldn't fathom how his subordinates could be so brainless as to actually open fire. Those outside were living people. Although they were lowly Zaunites, massacring refugees would inevitably become an indelible stain on his future prospects. Just as he scrambled onto the checkpoint wall to see what idiotic nonsense warranted his subordinates opening fire, Ling Ying suddenly moved. She flashed forward, shielding Orianna, and a Shadow Shield instantly activated and spread, enveloping the three of them.

The Sheriff also climbed onto the wall at this moment. Then, he saw them: several figures wrapped in loose black cloaks were rushing towards the checkpoint, weaving through the scattering crowd. Dense bullets were fired, but they couldn't slow their advance at all. When they were still dozens of meters from the wall, they suddenly accelerated and leaped. Their tattered cloaks were flung into the air, revealing the bloated, swollen bodies beneath, like inflated balloons, and the wide, terrifying purple rifts across them. Amidst the terrified cries of the guards, these figures charged headlong into the checkpoint wall like moths drawn to a flame.

The next instant, a violent explosion drowned out all sounds. It mattered not whether one was from Zaun or Piltover.