Infiltration

To the people of the continent of Valoran, Noxus was a powerful, dangerous empire. However, this empire was not a tightly wound string. As a nation that rose through expansion, its vast lands still contained many symbols of the old era – specially administered regions that evolved from the various kingdoms defeated in past expansion wars, possessing extreme independence. In order to unify the surrounding nations as quickly as possible, the then-Noxian rulers did not exterminate the old royal families but allowed them to continue ruling their lands under a different guise. Apart from their obligation to swear fealty to Noxus and pay an annual tribute, they largely retained control over their own kingdoms. However, loose control ultimately left hidden dangers – the empire did not trust these so-called special administrative regions and constantly sought to strengthen its control. Naturally, those old kings also employed various overt and covert tactics to resist the empire. If these past open and secret struggles could still be hidden behind the curtain of covenants, then after Swain Jericho emerged from the Noxian civil war as a dark horse and ascended to the throne, the rulers of these independent kingdoms immediately flipped the table and openly rebelled. The reason was simple: this new Noxian leader was one of the generals who had previously led expeditions against them. These military men had always harbored resentment for not completely eliminating these old enemies, and now, they were eager to correct this mistake with their own hands.

In the western reaches of Noxus, the independent administrative region of Feritic. Two figures were sprinting through the moonlit jungle. As they ran past a small mound, one of them suddenly let out a bird call. Immediately, he crouched down and lifted the "ground" beneath his feet. He flipped and landed. Beneath the small mound, there was another world. Within the not-so-spacious hidden shelter, more than a dozen figures were moving. Most of them were dressed in hooded night-gowns similar to the one who had just returned, with no visible insignia, only an inconspicuous dark red feather adorning the edge of their hoods. Several others were dressed in black leather attire, with a faint rose pattern visible on their chests. These markings appeared obscure and difficult to discern, but to anyone in the Noxian military, their meaning was clear at a glance – they were the empire's assassin unit, the Crimson Elite, and the Shadow Walkers from the Black Rose.

"The situation has been scouted."

The black-clad man who had just returned quickly took a sip from his water pouch and then said to his teammates who had gathered around him.

"We infiltrated the fortress stealthily. Those traitors did not completely destroy the Noxxstra portal. The War Stone Mason's judgment is that it can still be reactivated."

As he spoke, the black-clad man glanced at the person who had followed him into the hiding place. Although that person was also dressed in black, he did not have the dark red feather, and he even carried a string of tools at his waist that looked inconvenient. This made his movements much slower than the others. But his voice was clearly much louder.

"Ha! Those damned barbarians have no idea how to deal with the empire's precise teleportation devices. They just smashed some external parts. The portal's magic core is still intact. If I can get to the portal, with my current tools, I can make Noxxstra operate at low frequency... for about fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes..."

A person who looked like a commander stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.

"That's enough to transport a team of over ten people... If we can send over another batch of War Stone Masons to stabilize the portal, we might be able to have the legion teleport directly into the enemy's heartland without having to break through the rebel defenses head-on."

"Ha, the Culligan Legion isn't to be trifled with. They could beat those border barbarians to a pulp back then, and they can do it now."

A Crimson Elite team member interjected casually, his tone full of confidence in the imperial army.

"But those barbarians are clearly not to be slaughtered at will."

The captain shook his head.

"They were able to quickly capture the defenses the empire originally used against them in the early stages of the war, clearly with strong support from certain factions. Even if the Culligan Legion is deployed, casualties are unavoidable. Do you think General Darius needs us to infiltrate behind enemy lines for no reason?"

The team member fell silent. The captain then turned to the returning team member and asked, "Black Fox, what's the situation with the fortress defenses?"

"There are quite a few. I can see hundreds of people just with my own eyes."

The team member called Black Fox spread his hands.

"However, I didn't find any high-level combat personnel like mages. And the rebel guard force should not be at full strength. Their sentry positions are quite dispersed. On the surface, it looks like they've covered all directions, but there are blind spots in their mutual observation. That's how I slipped in to scout. But if we plan to reactivate Noxxstra... the commotion will be noticed by anyone who isn't blind or deaf."

"That's normal, because they still need to reinforce the front lines with sufficient troops... If that's the case, we might have a chance."

"Captain, I think we have a chance! We Crimson Elite are not cowards! Against those rebels, let alone fifteen minutes, we can hold them off for an hour."

"Exactly! We can take on ten of those rebels for every one of us!"

"Ha! My hammer has been thirsty for a long time!"

The crowd was "enraged," and even the War Stone Mason, who usually did not participate in direct combat, roared and swung his hammer. The captain pondered for a moment and nodded.

"I'll contact General Darius now! If the plan is approved, we'll start our operation in twenty minutes."

Feeling the cool air rushing towards her, Ling Ying moved silently through the forest, accompanied by over a dozen figures advancing just as silently. To be honest, the thought of being surrounded by Noxians made Ling Ying's emotions complicated. Noxus had a fearsome reputation in this world, and coupled with some personal biases, she held no good feelings towards the nation or its army. If she hadn't been tricked by LeBlanc, she would never have helped the Noxians.

"Caw caw."

The scout at the front of the team let out a crow-like call and stopped, causing the entire squad to halt immediately. The captain in front pushed aside the dense foliage. Not far away, a city wall came into view. Ling Ying knew they had reached the fortress guarding the teleportation gate. From this distance, they could see quite a few rebels active within the stronghold and on the city walls. The glow of bonfires was faintly visible inside.

"There are quite a few people."

While observing the fortress, Ling Ying also diverted some of her attention to probe the Shadow Vortex in her consciousness. A battle was imminent, and she didn't want any mishaps.

"Only seventy percent fusion progress..."

She muttered to herself. After being ambushed by the Mother Spider, her Void Power had been unstable. According to LeBlanc, this was because the Mother Spider's Shadow Power was far superior in "energy level" to her Void Energy, leading to such a backlash. Even after a month of effort, she had only managed to barely control the energy on the outer edge of the vortex. She was in a very awkward position: the Shadow Power blocked her use of Void Energy, yet she couldn't make the Shadow Power completely hers. This greatly impacted her combat effectiveness. Ling Ying felt that LeBlanc had sent her out this time precisely to see if she could "meet the standard." She suspected that if she failed to meet LeBlanc's expectations, her fate would be grim.

"Forget it, no matter what, no one is getting in my way this time!"

Having made up her mind, Ling Ying calmed herself and followed the team, continuing to stealthily approach the fortress.

Inside the fortress under the night sky. It was brightly lit. More than half of the off-duty guards had already gone to sleep, while those on duty patrolled the city walls or various locations within the walls, remaining vigilant against any potential Noxians. Of course, some people couldn't sleep and came out looking for trouble.

"Hey!! Harry! Come have a couple of drinks!"

A soldier stumbled onto the city wall, shaking a wine flask in his hand towards his companion, who was standing guard on the rampart, leaning on a spear. He received a look of disdain.

"Even though it's your rest time, you've drunk too much. I worry you'll have your throat slit by the enemy at any moment."

"Ha! You coward."

The drunken soldier waved his hand impatiently.

"Noxians? They're still several defense lines away. I say, we were scared by those Noxians back then. They're not what they used to be! They lost to Demacia, they lost to Ionia, and then they started fighting amongst themselves. I say, our Executor... bah! Our King is right! It's time to kick the Noxians off our land! They don't deserve it! Ha!"

The soldier spoke with drunken bravado. Harry maintained a stern expression, his eyes fixed vigilantly on the outside of the wall, regardless of what the other man said. Soon, the soldier lost interest and walked away, muttering curses.

"Tch, coward!"

The drunken soldier came down the stairs and turned into a dark corner not illuminated by the lights. He subconsciously glanced inside, and the next second, terror flooded his face. He saw a writhing shadow hurtling towards him.

"Ghost..."

"Screech!"

Before the man could cry out, Ling Ying leaped from the shadows. The shadow on her wrist, condensed into the shape of a short sword, sliced across the soldier's neck. His head instantly fell to the ground, and the metal helmet he wore clanged against the floor.

"What was that noise?"

The guard on the city wall, named Harry, was immediately alerted. He instinctively turned to look down the wall, but before he could get a clear look at what was happening, he fell straight down—an arrow with a red tail feather had pierced his skull, taking his life in an instant. A figure darted out, following the fallen Harry, and pulled his corpse inside the wall. The entire process was silent and took no more than two seconds. Although the person couldn't be seen, Ling Ying knew it was

Ling Ying once again melted into the shadows without a sound. Moments later, she reappeared in another shadow, delivering another clean, swift kill to a sentry staring out at the wall, then flipped and leaped back inside.

"This is Dark Claw. The city wall is clear. Everyone proceed with the plan. Group One, prioritize destroying the communication magic array. Groups Two and Three, cover the Stone Masons heading to the portal. The rest, set up traps at the barracks entrance to delay those rebels for as long as possible and buy time for the Stone Masons."

The Crimson Elite captain's short-range communication magic sounded in her ear. The entire operation plan, their numbers were too few, facing enemies tens of times their own strength.

"Captain, this is Group Three. You should come and see. We found some Rune Cannonballs while clearing out the armory..."

A few minutes later, everyone gathered inside a large building. It was filled with various weapons and supplies, but the most eye-catching (physically) were the Rune Cannonballs neatly arranged in boxes, emitting a faint magical glow.

"Haha, looks like we can make this bigger."

The War Stone Mason in the team picked up a cannonball the size of his head, a look of relief on his face, as if he were holding a gem. As for the others, they instinctively took a step back in unison.

"Take it easy. This thing can blow us all up."

"Tch, what's there to be afraid of?"

The Stone Mason glared at the person who spoke.

"This thing can blow those brutes up too! And don't worry, even though it's activated, it won't explode unless you shoot it or smash it hard onto the ground."

"But those Rune Great Cannons are fixed to the city walls, and their muzzles can't be turned."

Captain Dark Claw looked at the cannonballs in silence for a moment, then suddenly seemed to recall something and turned to the Stone Mason.

"Is there any way we can detonate these cannonballs safely without using the cannons?"

"Huh? Of course, just blast them with magic. Oh, the Explosive Feather Arrows you guys have should work too."

"I see..."

Dark Claw paused again for a moment, then suddenly let out a light laugh.

"I have an idea. Perhaps we can make it so these rebels can never get out of bed to stop us."

"Buzzz..."

Noxxstra, which had been silent for a long time, was reignited with a huge buzzing sound and a tremor that slightly shook the ground. The magic light screen surged and churned within the stone archway, over ten meters high, finally converging into an oval shape about two to three meters high in the lower right corner.

"It's done!"

The Stone Mason's head poked out from the maintenance room next to the gate. He said to the Crimson Elite member standing guard nearby.

"From now on, we have fifteen minutes!!"

"Something's up!"

Just as predicted, the massive commotion from the portal's reactivation instantly roused the entire fortress. Urgent alarm bells rang, and groggy rebel soldiers scrambled out of their beds. Before they could even react, surging explosions and fire engulfed them.

"Boom boom boom!"

Continuous explosions erupted throughout the barracks. Tragically, most of these rebel soldiers were blown sky-high before they could even figure out what was happening. To pull off this grand operation, the Crimson Elites had piled fourteen Rune Cannonballs in various spots around the barracks. Twelve detonated. Why were there two left? Because the Crimson Elite next to Ling Ying missed her shot with the explosive arrow.

"Damn it!"

Having missed the mark, the Crimson Elite clearly grew nervous. He drew his bow again and fired another arrow. This one hit, but for some reason, the runes on the cannonball's surface suddenly dimmed, reverting from an activated state to a locked one. Without the cannonball, the explosive arrow's meager power alone was insufficient to seal the area. The rebel soldiers, armed and ready, began to storm out of the barracks, fueled by their grumpy morning rage.

"I (Noxian expletive)!!!"

He cursed, abandoning stealth. He pulled out two short curved blades and leaped from behind cover, intending to kill a few more in the chaos. However, after only a few steps, he ran headfirst into several rebels who had thrown on breastplates over their pajamas. The two groups stared at each other for several seconds. Then, one rebel suddenly shouted.

"Noxians are here!!"

The Crimson Elite member was startled. He swiftly drew a knife across the man's throat. The rebel immediately collapsed, spitting blood. However, the shout had already attracted the attention of nearby rebels, and several soldiers quickly moved to surround them. Seeing the unfavorable situation, the Crimson Elite could only throw down a smoke bomb and turn to flee.

"Damn it! If I don't get disciplined for this, I'll at least be in hot water!"

The Crimson Elite thought to himself as he ran. On the rebel side, after confirming the enemy, the initial blind panic subsided somewhat. A rebel leader, drawing his longsword, rallied his men.

"Brothers! Charge out! We'll fight the Noxians!!"

With this shout, the chaotic rebels finally regained some semblance of order. Under the guidance of their leader, they began to charge towards the barracks gate with a unified goal. But before they could reach the entrance, a dark figure, as if peeling away from the night itself, suddenly appeared before them. The figure didn't take a step forward, merely standing there, facing them. The night wind lifted her robes, and the dark mist swirling around her made her body appear indistinct and hazy, as if she might vanish at any moment.

Ling Ying alone, facing an army. Although it was an army in disarray, the hundredfold difference in numbers was still an insurmountable chasm for a lone, weak individual. Yet, Ling Ying showed no fear, even causing the rebel leader to feel a pang of doubt.

"Charge! Kill him!!!"

Finally, after a few seconds of stalemate, the rebels made the most common choice: charge! They would tear apart the obstacle with their numbers. Ling Ying also moved, stepping forward to meet the rebels. In her hands were two longswords of different designs.

"Sorry."

Ling Ying whispered in a voice only she could hear. The next moment, she flashed into the rebel ranks. Sword light surged, and in an instant, several heads fell, limbs scattered, and blood gushed like a spring.

"Ahhh! My arm!"

"Kill him! Kill him now!!"

"He's here! Ah! He's over there again!!"

Ling Ying's charge plunged the newly ordered rebels back into chaos. The blood, severed limbs, and even heads of their comrades deeply stirred their fear. Whenever they screamed and swung their weapons at Ling Ying, they could only strike wisps of ethereal black mist.

"Squelch!"

The rebel leader watched in astonishment as a longsword pierced his chest. It was an exquisite weapon, inscribed with faintly glowing runes. However, as the blade became coated in blood and shattered organs, its beauty instantly vanished, especially since those organs were his own.

"When?"

This was the last thought in his life. Ling Ying flicked her sword upward. The blade, forged from Hextech Alloy, easily sliced through flesh and bone. The leader's corpse was instantly split in half like a sandwich, with various colored, foul-smelling "goo" splattering everywhere.

"Ahhh!! Ghost! Ghost!"

Finally, some soldiers couldn't bear the sensory overload from Ling Ying's bloody slaughter. They cried out in terror, dropped their weapons, and scattered. This immediately prompted more to follow suit. It was a joke; she killed people with one strike, effortlessly, while they couldn't even touch her. What was the point of continuing this fight? Ling Ying's black mist obscured her form, then suddenly expanded, instantly engulfing an area in front of the barracks gate. A soldier, not understanding, plunged into the black mist. After a short while, he stumbled back out, clutching his neck, and soon collapsed and died on the ground. Ling Ying, who had disappeared, slowly emerged from the black mist. She flicked the Doran's Blade in her right hand, leaving a bloody trail on the ground. This scene terrified everyone to their core. More people rushed into the black mist, trying to escape. However, they never imagined that the exit was right before them, yet no matter how they fled, they couldn't pass through this thin layer of black mist. They all returned to their starting point. Ling Ying still stood in place, her eyes beneath her mask devoid of emotion, as if the people before her were merely lifeless objects.

"This guy is going to kill us all!! Brothers!! Fight her!!"

Extreme fear and despair finally fermented. The deserters from the previous second, realizing they couldn't escape, seemed to transform into fierce warriors ready to fight to the death. They picked up their discarded weapons, shouting, and charged forward. Ling Ying watched them expressionlessly. As the first person reached her, she lightly twisted her waist, evading a powerful but unskilled slash. Her twin swords circled her body as she spun 360 degrees. The soldier's body instantly shattered into three pieces, falling to the ground with a thud.

"I'll kill you!!!"

A furious roar was heard. A strong soldier leaped several feet into the air, his long saber, enveloped in a faint yellow light, descending directly upon Ling Ying. Ling Ying glanced at him and suddenly used Shadow Leap to move behind him, then swung the Sword of Death at the unsuspecting soldiers. Her twin swords were like companion butterfly wings, each strike exuding agility and grace, yet delivering death with precision. In just a few dozen seconds, the head of the last soldier before her landed on the ground. Beneath her feet lay the blood-soaked earth, which made a sickening squelching sound underfoot.

"Ahhh!! I want you dead!!!"

A near-hysterical roar came from behind. It was the guy whose leaping slash had missed. The soldier's face was contorted to the extreme, the light on his saber intensifying. Ling Ying watched him charge forward like a berserk wild boar. She suddenly raised her hand and pulled the Trigger of the Hextech Gunblade.

"Bang!"

An energy bullet was fired from the gun's muzzle. The soldier's head exploded like a shattered watermelon. His headless body continued forward due to inertia, finally crashing into the ground before Ling Ying with a thud, creating a large pit. The last rebel died this way. They had narrowly escaped being blown to bits, only to meet an even more tragic end. Ling Ying surveyed her "masterpiece," sighed, and waved her hand, dispersing the black mist that enveloped the surroundings.

"She's out."

Beyond the black mist, several figures stood. It was Dark Claw, the captain of the Crimson Elite, and a few team members. They must have come to support, as their own attempt to detonate something had failed. They had been trapped outside by the black mist.

"You... finished them all?"

One of them walked forward, half-believing. Ling Ying recognized him as the unlucky fellow who had missed his shots twice earlier. Before she could speak, he glanced at the scene behind Ling Ying in the barracks, his face immediately changed. He covered his mouth and turned away to vomit. As for Captain Dark Claw and the others, their expressions were also grim. The Crimson Elite were not squeamish about blood, but killing was one thing; Ling Ying's scene, which resembled a slaughterhouse, was quite challenging for ordinary senses. The Crimson Elite, skilled in assassination, always preferred to eliminate targets with minimal disturbance, sometimes wishing no one would even know the target had died. This current situation... they had never really seen anything like it, which caused them to look at Ling Ying with a hint of something in their eyes. As for Ling Ying, she hadn't intended to make such a bloody mess. It was just that once she started fighting and was stimulated by the smell of blood, the Void Creature part of her subconscious had immediately awakened. By the time she came to her senses, the scene before her was already like this.

"Ahem."

Seeing that they had subconsciously taken a step back from her, Ling Ying decided to put on a cold-blooded act.

"The original objective has been achieved. Yes, they are all dead."

Meanwhile, in the wilderness, on a tall tree, a figure whose face was hidden by a hood stood at the highest point, silently observing the fortress that had changed hands again not far away. He wore a dark blue robe, and a somewhat bulky Metal Bracer covered half of his arm. A cold glint of metal was faintly visible from the gap at the front. The night wind blew his strangely shaped cloak, making it float and swirl around him like a blade.

"General, the fortress has been breached. They've reactivated the portal... Good. Proceed as planned."

As if speaking to the air, the person spread his arms like an eagle taking flight and leaped directly from the treetop. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he suddenly flickered, leaped onto another branch, and moved towards the fortress.