Potion Infatuation (3)

"Lunge Tyros! I am now arresting you in the name of the Piltover Enforcement Department. Put your hands behind your back! Stand still!"

Caitlyn pointed the muzzle of her rifle at Lunge's head. The man stopped, but still carried on as if no one was around, seemingly unconcerned that the weapon could blow his head off at any moment.

"Young Master Lunge? Why?"

The guard captain, sprawled on the ground, gaped in disbelief.

"If the secrets here are exposed, the entire Tyros Family will be ruined!!"

"Mm, yes, but this is one of the costs. When you were hoping to soar to the heavens with those elixirs, did you never consider that they might also drag you down to the abyss with no hope of recovery? Hehehe, risk and opportunity have always gone hand in hand."

"? Are you crazy?"

"Crazy? No, no, no, I just think this is quite meaningful. Hahaha."

Lunge's smile was brilliant, as if he completely disregarded his family's predicament. In contrast, the guard captain's face was filled with shock. He couldn't understand what madness had seized the young master. The Tyros family, which he, an outsider, was desperately trying to protect, was being handed over by him. Meanwhile, Ling Ying temporarily lowered her blade and observed the scene with Caitlyn, watching the "dog-eat-dog" situation unfold.

"Do you think that's Lunge Tyros himself?"

"No, definitely not."

Caitlyn shook her head as if she were rattling a wind chime.

"I've seen him a few times before. He was a completely undisciplined guy who couldn't move when he saw a pretty girl..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I almost forgot we have two beautiful ladies gracing us with their presence."

As Ling Ying and Caitlyn were exchanging opinions, Lunge Tyros suddenly turned his gaze towards them.

"Would the two of you be interested in moving to another room for a cup of hot tea?"

"I have no interest in sitting down for tea with someone wearing a disguise."

Ling Ying stared at the man with the frivolous smile and let out a cold laugh.

"Speak. Who are you?"

"Oh?"

Lunge wore a very irritating expression and asked.

"Does that matter?"

"Hmph."

Ling Ying sneered. The Purple Moon in her hand suddenly slashed forward, and the sharp Scythe passed right through him.

"An Illusion? Tsk, a coward who only dares to hide behind others."

"Hahaha, it truly saddens me that my magic is called such trivial tricks. But it doesn't matter, I'm more interested in your strength. Let me see your skills again? Hmm, let me think, after all, with so many 'works,' it's a bit of a waste to give them to Piltoverians who don't appreciate them. Why not let them serve a final purpose?"

"Lunge" chuckled and snapped his fingers. As he moved, the indicator lights on all the incubation pods in the laboratory turned red, followed by a series of alarms.

"Cabin pressure low, incubation pods are opening, stabilizers have failed, staff please retreat to a safe distance."

The mechanical, monotonous alarm sound was like a death knell to the researchers who hadn't evacuated. No one knew how terrifying the monsters in those incubation pods were better than they did. However, when they desperately pressed the switches by the doors with no response, despair flashed across everyone's faces.

"Gao."

A creature with a bloated body and extremely shriveled limbs fell out of an incubation pod. Its two round eyes darted around, looking at the researchers by the door, whose faces were ashen. Its balloon-like abdomen suddenly contracted and expanded, spewing a large mass of viscous Purple Liquid all over the unlucky few. The bodily fluid, like sticky phlegm, instantly rose with white smoke upon contact with their skin, dissolving their flesh, bones, and skin. On the other side, a giant whose arms were as thick as washbasins smashed several researchers and casually crushed two lucky ones into meat paste. The entire laboratory instantly turned into a giant beast arena, except here, the audience and the beasts were trapped in the same cage.

Ling Ying took a deep breath and said to Caitlyn.

"Get behind me."

"Huh?"

Caitlyn, but when she saw the scorching flames on Ling Ying's Scythe, she quickly understood. She crouched and hid behind Ling Ying. The next moment, surging Void Flames erupted from the blade, instantly engulfing the entire laboratory, swallowing all the rampaging and yet-to-emerge deformed monsters. After a series of ear-piercing screams, the flames dispersed, and the entire laboratory suddenly felt much emptier. Numerous Mutants, along with their incubation pods, were reduced to ashes. Only a few unopened incubation pods were lucky enough to survive. The researchers, who had been crying and preparing for the worst, looked at Ling Ying with no less fear than before.

"Go outside and call for Enforcement Department reinforcements."

Ling Ying turned back and said to Caitlyn.

"This matter is probably not going to be small. The remaining experimental facilities and the surviving researchers should be enough to indict the Tyros Family. Get your people here as soon as possible to secure the scene."

"Oh... Oh, okay... What about you?"

"Me... I have to go meet that mysterious guy."

Following the magical aura in the air through several cabin doors, Ling Ying saw a Magic Gate, embedded abruptly in the wall. The slowly rotating magical light seemed out of place against the alloy-made wall. Ling Ying pondered for a moment and stepped through the rippling Magic Gate, a chill suddenly striking her.

"Caw caw..."

Two pitch-black Night Ravens flew past Ling Ying's head side-by-side, then disappeared into the starless and moonless night sky. Under the night sky lay a dark and desolate forest. Small blue fire clusters, like starlight Will-o'-the-wisps, gathered within it, forming a crooked path that extended deep into the bushes. She walked along the path constructed by the Will-o'-the-wisps. As she walked, the trees on both sides gradually thinned. Soon, she reached a clearing in the forest. On the soft green grass, a round table was set up, and an elegantly poised woman sat at one side of the table, arranging the tea set.

"Sit."

The woman didn't seem to be speaking to anyone, but it was clear there was no one else in this space. Ling Ying didn't dawdle and sat down opposite the woman. However, the Purple Moon still floated a few dozen centimeters away from her, as a precaution against the woman who looked harmless.

"Would you like some tea?"

After the woman asked, without waiting for Ling Ying's response, a teacup suddenly appeared on the table, and she poured herself a cup of steaming black tea.

Ling Ying glanced down at the teacup. She didn't reach for it. Instead, she turned her gaze back to the woman and sized her up. The woman was indeed stunningly beautiful, with delicate features, bright eyes, and white teeth. Her long hair was pure white, unlike Ling Ying's artificially colored hair; the woman's hair seemed as natural as if it were made of melted snow. Her form-fitting black dress, adorned with feather-like patterns and tassels, created a contrasting effect with her hair color, adding to her mystique.

"What? Did I remind you of someone?"

"Not exactly."

Ling Ying shook her head.

"I just think, as a mastermind, your appearance is quite a contrast."

"Ah, what a shame. I thought by returning to this body, unused for nearly a century, I might make someone remember something. It seems I was being overly sentimental."

The woman muttered to herself nonsensically, wearing a troubled expression. But in an instant, she quickly regained her previous impassive face.

"Never mind, never mind. Since you've come to the appointment, I'll give you this."

As the woman spoke, she placed a test tube filled with fluorescent purple liquid on the tea table.

"Glimmer, a little invention of the Zaunites. It can greatly enhance physical functions for a short period. Tyros Family's New Potion is actually mixed with this stuff. In the short term, hmm, it can indeed act like a miracle drug. In the long term, however, it's expected to cause severe addiction and complications. But sometimes, survival is more important, don't you think?"

"What?"

Ling Ying glanced at the potion on the table, her tone icy. Although the other party's actions were somewhat beyond her expectations, the horrific scenes she had witnessed in the laboratory earlier made it impossible for Ling Ying to harbor any goodwill towards the woman before her.

"You think handing this over will absolve you? That's too naive, isn't it?"

"Absolve me?"

The woman chuckled as if she had heard something hilarious.

"I merely used Tyros Family's Young Master, and through him, the news of Glimmer was leaked. Who could blame that old man, who was so eager for his family's revival, for falling right into it?"

"Sophistry."

"No, I don't need to defend myself."

The woman swirled her teacup, narrowing her eyes.

"Do you really think the Tyros Family is a victim? Heh, think carefully with your own brain. Such a large-scale underground research facility, and maintaining long-term contact with mercenary groups that abduct people, what does that imply? The truth is, the Tyros Family has long been using Bottom City civilians for illegal medical experiments. As a Pharmaceutical Giant of Piltover, this is far more efficient than hiring a paltry number of volunteers, and they don't even have to worry about humanitarian issues. Tsk, tsk, I can almost admire that old guy's clever calculations. But then again, I'm still somewhat taken aback. A Void Creature, questioning me about why I slaughter innocents? Hahaha, this must be the most amusing thing I've heard in decades."

"Swish!"

The scythe blade arrived in an instant, bringing with it a gust of wind. Ling Ying didn't hesitate this time. She didn't know who the other party was, nor did she know how she knew her secret. Since she couldn't figure it out, the best course of action was naturally to kill her on the spot. Ling Ying wasn't a great philanthropist; when someone threatened her, she didn't hesitate to draw blood. However, the Purple Moon ultimately did not strike the woman. She was still leisurely drinking tea, and Ling Ying's scythe was blocked mid-air. Blocking it was a black chelicerae, as thick as a washbasin, with strange patterns on its surface.

"I told you, LeBlanc, stop using us as shields."

Just as Ling Ying was stunned by the sudden change, the air beside the white-haired woman rippled, and a beautiful woman wearing a Gorgeous Feather Cloak stomped out from within, stopping behind the white-haired woman.

"It makes it very unhappy."

"Gaaah!"

As if to confirm the woman's words, a colossal brown hairy spider head emerged from the Magic Gate she had stepped out of, letting out a threatening growl at the white-haired woman. If an ordinary woman encountered such a large spider, she would likely have fainted from fright. But unfortunately, there were no ordinary people present. The white-haired woman put down her teacup and said calmly.

"Anyway, you just need to hunt a few more unlucky souls and you can appease it again, right? Relax, dear Miss Elise."

"Damn it... I mean..."

The woman who suddenly appeared actually started bickering with the white-haired woman. Ling Ying, who heard their names, felt like thunder struck her heart.

"Elise... LeBlanc? No way? Noxus? Black Rose? What's going on?"

Ling Ying realized she always had a knack for escalating things. Otherwise, she couldn't explain how investigating a family in Piltover could draw out two figures notorious in Noxus.

"So?"

While Ling Ying was in a daze, Elise, perhaps having finished their small talk, turned her gaze to Ling Ying. The countless pairs of compound eyes on the spider's head also shifted towards her. Both gazes carried the same predatory scrutiny. Ling Ying's hand, gripping Purple Moon, trembled involuntarily.

This guy's strength is above mine.

With just a glance, Ling Ying's latent sixth sense made this judgment. As for LeBlanc, sitting beside Elise and looking completely different from her game appearance, Ling Ying couldn't even sense her strength at all.

"Is this the person you went to so much trouble to come to Piltover for?"

"Not exactly."

LeBlanc stood up from the tea table, brushed off her skirt, and spoke with a hint of regret in her voice.

"It seems I had too high expectations. Reality is always disappointing."

"Oh."

Elise responded coldly, and in an instant, her gaze towards Ling Ying shifted from predatory scrutiny to intense killing intent.

"Then there's no need to keep her alive."

With that, a large patch of black mist instantly surged around Elise. Immediately after, countless pairs of dark red eyes lit up within the black mist, and a chilling skittering sound instantly filled the entire space.

"Shit!"

The usually ladylike Ling Ying finally uttered her first curse word since arriving in this other world. She had to vent, or she might not get another chance. She took a step back to the edge of the forest clearing, purple cracks spreading across her skin. The blade of Purple Moon lit up with a dazzling purple arc as she gathered the Void Power within her, hoping to contend with Elise's seemingly formidable Shadow Power. Even if she couldn't win, she would go down fighting.

Countless round heads emerged from the black mist around Elise – they were small black spiders. The surging tide of spiders immediately swept towards Ling Ying's location as soon as they poured out of the black mist. This made Ling Ying, who already had a phobia of insects, feel her scalp tingle. However, with her life on the line, she suppressed her discomfort and swung her scythe forward. A crescent-shaped blade swept through the spider swarm, instantly killing a large number of the smaller spiders. Moments later, the blade suddenly exploded, and surging Void Flames erupted from the ground, forming walls of fire that separated the massive spider horde.

"Screech!"

A Spider with Red Patterns, its carapace marked with red patterns, snarled and flailed at the Void Flames before it, then charged headfirst into the fire. Naturally, there was no "after." Although Ling Ying's Void Flames weren't particularly strong, they were more than enough to evaporate these little creatures. Elise merely sneered at Ling Ying's move. The black mist around her suddenly expanded again, engulfing Ling Ying's flame barrier and the small spiders trapped within it in an instant. The next second, the black mist dissipated, revealing the intact spider horde, while Ling Ying's Void Flames had mysteriously extinguished.

Ling Ying was stunned. Erosion? Assimilation? Elise had stolen her Void Flames with incomprehensible means. What was even more disheartening for Ling Ying was that it seemed effortless for her opponent.

"Oh? Void Power? No wonder LeBlanc thought you were the same person. But, if that's all..."

Elise expressionlessly extended her slender fingers, shooting out several dense White Silk webs that ensnared a small cluster of spiders at her feet. She then tossed them towards Ling Ying like shot put balls.

"Whoosh!"

A dozen plump spiders arced through the air before plummeting downwards. Ling Ying, holding her scythe blade horizontally, was about to slash at the attacking spiders when she suddenly vanished into black mist with a "bang." In a few breaths, she reappeared in another direction. As for where she had been just moments before...

"Boom!"

The airborne little spiders exploded, sending a violent shockwave sweeping across the entire forest. Dark purple venom splattered everywhere.

"Hiss!"

Ling Ying suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm. She had inadvertently been splashed by the venom, which had an astonishing blast radius. Seeing the venom rapidly dissolving her skin, Ling Ying gritted her teeth, grabbed Purple Moon, and sliced off the affected flesh, throwing it away. In just a few seconds, the flesh that had touched the venom corroded into nothingness in mid-air, leaving not a trace behind.

"That was close!"

Just as she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, a large mass of black mist had silently gathered and solidified above her. The large spider that had been peeking out of the Magic Gate earlier descended rapidly on a silk thread, its massive chelicerae, as thick as tree trunks, stabbing fiercely towards Ling Ying's body.

"Clang!"

Mother Spider's strike sent sparks flying. Clearly, Ling Ying wasn't completely defenseless behind her. As the enemy attacked, she finally sensed the danger from behind and turned, raising Purple Moon to block the incoming chelicerae. The large spider's strength was astonishing. Ling Ying, having just been hit by Elise, could only temporarily halt the advance of the chelicerae. So, she decided to repeat her previous tactic, summoning black mist to prepare for a spatial shift.

"?"

Ling Ying stared blankly as the black mist she summoned didn't obey her. Instead, it all converged into the black mist behind the giant spider. The force in her hands faltered. Mother Spider seized the opportunity and pressed down with immense force, its chelicerae breaking through Purple Moon's blockade and piercing deeply into Ling Ying's shoulder. The piercing pain contorted Ling Ying's face, and Purple Moon slipped from her grasp, hitting the ground and vanishing into light particles.

"Roar!"

The giant spider lifted the chelicerae that impaled Ling Ying high above its head, its terrifying mouthparts opening, releasing a foul stench. Clearly, it intended to devour Ling Ying. In its eyes, Ling Ying, disarmed and under its control, was powerless to resist. However, it hadn't anticipated that Ling Ying, at her core, didn't need weapons beyond her own body.

"You bastard! I'll let you eat this!!"

Just as despair seemed to set in, a fierce glint suddenly erupted in Ling Ying's eyes. The Purple Rifts instantly expanded to cover her entire body. Then, they truly "rifted" open, and purple flesh rapidly regenerated from within, quickly covering her delicate skin. With a series of crackling sounds, Ling Ying's human form began to twist and deform. In a moment, a monstrous purple beast resembling a giant mantis replaced the lovely maiden, its Elytra buzzing behind it as it let out a sharp shriek.

For an instant, Elise was stunned, and Mother Spider froze. Only LeBlanc revealed a smile of interest.

"Quite interesting."

The beast-transformed Ling Ying roared menacingly at the giant spider that held her, her incredibly sharp scythe blades crossing and slashing towards its gaping maw. The unprepared Mother Spider took the full force of the blow, its foul blood erupting. A deep cross-shaped wound was carved into its shiny black carapace.

"Woooo!"

Mother Spider shrieked, its chelicerae instantly loosening their grip on Ling Ying. They flailed wildly in the air. Ling Ying, her battle spirit ignited by her transformation, naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. Her serrated beast mouth opened, biting down on half of Mother Spider's head and tearing off a large chunk of flesh with a backward pull.

Mother Spider trembled, letting out a shrill cry, and rapidly retreated on its eight legs. Elise, standing not far away, knew that Mother Spider was very angry, and the consequences of that anger would also affect Elise, who was closely linked to it. The black mist around her coalesced into a Black Tide, surging towards Ling Ying.

Ling Ying, whether she didn't care about the commotion behind her or simply didn't see it, seemed to have no intention of dodging. She pressed her attack on the retreating Mother Spider, her scythe blades a whirlwind of motion, adding several bloody gashes to Mother Spider's carapace, but without achieving any further decisive blows. Clearly, Mother Spider wasn't just all terrifying appearance. After the initial panic, it quickly stabilized its formation against Ling Ying's fierce but chaotic assault. Its eight limbs, no less sharp than Ling Ying's scythes, clashed, sending sparks flying. Suddenly, Mother Spider's lower body contracted, and a large mass of dense silk shot out from its abdomen, covering Ling Ying. Without a doubt, Ling Ying sliced through the silk with rapid, successive slashes. However, by the time she broke free, Mother Spider's massive body suddenly leaped into the air, pressing down with immense force. Ling Ying frantically vibrated her wings, trying to retreat, but in her panic, she completely forgot about the Black Tide behind her.

"Pain..."

Elise's Black Tide surged forward, covering the sky. Countless shadowy human figures formed within the crest of the wave. In an instant, an unknown number of people, an unknown number of hands, whispered chillingly as they reached out to grab the unable-to-dodge Ling Ying, attempting to drag her down into the shadows. Ling Ying darted left and right, her blade light flashing as countless shadowy figures that tripped her were shattered. But she was outnumbered. Her mobility was lost in an instant. This gave the waiting Mother Spider an opening. It rapidly approached the trapped Ling Ying, its eight razor-sharp limbs slashing down in unison. Unlike its own purple blood, a different colored ichor spurted out. Ling Ying's forelimbs were severed at the root, falling into the shadows and gradually fading into silence.

"Elise! Don't let her escape! I'm going to devour this guy's body and then torment her soul!"

Mother Spider's vicious voice echoed in Elise's mind. It circled Ling Ying once before suddenly spitting a mass of black silk at her. Elise had seen this peculiar-looking silk more than once. It was formed from the Shadow Power within Mother Spider, used to hunt prey it fancied. The spider web could quickly assimilate the prey into a part of the shadows, after which it would be devoured and absorbed by Mother Spider. In Elise's memory, no prey it had set its sights on had ever escaped its grasp, not even Void Creatures, races born for battle. After all, the prey was too weak, powerless to resist the Shadow Power Mother Spider had accumulated over countless years.

The purple carapace on Ling Ying's body rapidly lost its vibrant color, covered by darkness, and began to emit wisps of black mist. She trembled, letting out a hiss, twisting left and right, trying to break free from the silk. However, the silk seemed to possess the power to absorb life, making her struggles weaker and weaker. Finally, she lowered her narrow head, no longer moving, as if resigned, unable to move any further.

Mother Spider prodded Ling Ying with its forelimbs. Finding no movement, it let out a satisfied cry, preparing to enjoy its prey. It eagerly opened its massive maw, and then...

"Enough."

LeBlanc, who had been watching calmly for a long time, suddenly spoke two words to Mother Spider. But Mother Spider, with its prey practically at its mouth, couldn't hear. Its two large mandibles were about to bite down when suddenly, its movements froze. The enormous Mother Spider instantly turned into a terrifyingly shaped sculpture, its mouth agape, unable to bite down on the prey before it no matter what.

Elise glanced at LeBlanc warily, knowing this must be something LeBlanc had done. LeBlanc, however, remained expressionless. The only change was that she finally put down her teacup. The ripples in the teacup reflected not the bright moonlight in the forest, but a world of ethereal shadows and bizarre sights.