Enemy Attack

A light curtain surged before the massive portal, and in a flash, it "spat out" a horse carriage laden with goods and over a dozen figures accompanying it. Most of these individuals carried bulging backpacks, their waists adorned with various tools. They were Noxus's War Stone Masons. Of course, they were different from their elite colleagues who infiltrated other nations for intelligence and sabotage. These people were more aligned with the literal meaning of their unit's name, primarily serving with the army for battlefield engineering and work related to weapons and equipment. Naturally, this included behemoths like Noxxstra. As long as the portal's magic transmission core wasn't damaged, they could get it running again.

"Group One, stay behind to cover the Stone Masons' work. Everyone else, spread out and secure the perimeter!"

Dark Claw's command was quickly relayed to everyone's ears via Communication Magic. Although the successful restart of the portal had somewhat relieved him, he remained sufficiently vigilant. After all, the commotion just caused was too significant, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't alert nearby enemies.

The Stone Masons began their tense work. Ling Ying, meanwhile, leaped onto the city wall in a few strides. Shortly after, a Shadow Walker from the Black Rose appeared beside her, handing her an Injection Potion.

"Master said you performed well."

A hoarse voice, like sandpaper scraping, came from beneath the other's mask.

"She hopes you will continue to demonstrate your worth."

After delivering these words with an attitude that Ling Ying found quite arrogant, the figure turned and left directly. Ling Ying pouted, rolled up her sleeve, and injected herself. As the vial of potion was administered, Ling Ying's agitated state immediately calmed somewhat. She took a deep sniff and slowly exhaled the stale air from her lungs. Turning around, she found someone she hadn't expected standing there. It was the Crimson Elite who had been drawing archery outlines. He had removed his mask, and a very young face appeared before Ling Ying.

"Uh... Hi..."

The young Crimson Elite waved at Ling Ying with a flustered expression. Then, somewhat clumsily, he offered Ling Ying a small cloth pouch.

"Uh... Want to... want to eat candy?"

Ling Ying glanced curiously at the pouch in his hand. Inside were several sparkling, light green small cubes, which appeared to be the candy he mentioned. Out of caution, she had intended to refuse, but seeing the shy expression on the young man's face, she casually picked one up and popped it into her mouth. A mint-like coolness spread through her mouth, and Ling Ying instantly felt much more refreshed.

"Thank you."

Ling Ying nodded at him. Seeing this, the tension on the young man's face finally eased a bit.

"Phew, my captain told me that people from the Black Rose are all cold-blooded killers who don't smile. I was really scared watching you take down so many people just now. Now it seems you're not that difficult to talk to."

"No, people from the Black Rose are really just like your captain said."

Ling Ying muttered inwardly, but she didn't say it out loud. Instead, she said, "Ah, right, about what happened before... thank you. It was my mistake, but you had to help me fix it."

"No, it's nothing."

Ling Ying shook her head.

"It was all to complete the mission."

"Ah, the mission... Speaking of which, this is my first mission since joining the Crimson Elite, and I almost messed it up. The instructors were right; the battlefield is indeed different from the training camp."

The young man sighed with a hint of emotion. After popping a Licorice Candy into his own mouth, he took a deep breath to change his mood and said, "Let's not talk about that. This Licorice Candy tastes pretty good, hehe. My younger sister made it. In our hometown, licorice grows everywhere. Many people know this candy-making skill. But my younger sister's is still the best."

"Mhm, indeed. It's a flavor that can calm one's mood."

Ling Ying chimed in at the opportune moment, eliciting a simple, honest smile from the young man.

"Ha, right? I actually hope she can make a big business out of this craft, so at least she won't have to worry about making a living. It's a shame she doesn't seem to like it much. She likes musical instruments. Sigh, you know how hard it is to make a living playing music in this country. But who am I to complain, she likes it. It's good enough if she can spend her life happily doing what she loves. Thankfully, the Crimson Elite's subsidies are quite generous, and I can still afford to support her. As her older brother, I can save up a substantial dowry for her. My greatest wish is for her to find a good family and get married."

As soon as he started talking about family, the young man's words poured out like beans from a broken sack. Ling Ying watched his face, which was beaming with happiness. She suddenly felt that her previous prejudice might have been wrong. Noxus might not be a beautiful country, but its people weren't all bloodthirsty lunatics. They might just be ordinary people pursuing a better life, just like the young man before her.

"After this battle is over, I'm going home..."

Before he could finish his flag-filled sentence, Ling Ying suddenly kicked him, sending him tumbling onto his backside. Of course, this wasn't because Ling Ying was superstitious about such "debuff" effects, but because she suddenly sensed a strong killing intent nearby, sending a jolt through her.

"Whoosh!"

Ling Ying felt a gust of wind with a metallic scent slash past her eyes. Fast! Too fast! So fast that she couldn't see what was in front of her. So fast that even though she reacted immediately, she was still hit. Her leg, which she couldn't fully retract in time, was cut open with a deep gash, and dark brown blood gushed out. In pain, Ling Ying almost lost her balance as she stumbled. The attacker was decisive. Seeing that the first strike had failed, they immediately abandoned killing Ling Ying and vanished like an invisible breeze. From the attack to the escape, it took less than a second, and Ling Ying never saw the attacker's face.

"What was that?"

The young man, who had been kicked to the ground by Ling Ying, sprang up like a carp, looking around warily. He didn't ask Ling Ying why she kicked him. Those who could join the Crimson Elite were naturally not useless. Even if he hadn't noticed it at first, seeing Ling Ying's reaction, he understood. However, he couldn't find any trace of the attacker.

"Where did he go?"

"His target wasn't us."

Ling Ying felt the residual aura in the air, then looked towards the inner city where the Portal was located, her eyes turning incredibly cold.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Dark Claw, hidden in a corner, suddenly leaped up and threw three flying daggers in mid-air. The air in front of him rippled as if baked by the sun on a hot day. A spark flashed in the darkness, and all his daggers were knocked to the ground. Before he could be surprised, two cold glints flashed in the air. Those were also two flying daggers, their trajectories erratic as they flew towards him. Dark Claw dodged the daggers, not without difficulty. Mid-air, he spun his body, and a pair of nearly foot-long black steel claws sprang from his wrist guard. Just as he was about to slash at the enemy, his expression under his mask changed abruptly. He paused his attack and turned into a pale streak of light, disappearing from his spot. A moment later, he reappeared in another direction not far away, gasping for breath and clutching his left arm, from which bright red blood was flowing. He believed that if he hadn't activated his prepared Blink Emblem, he would probably be a corpse by now. This was because the daggers he thought he had dodged had actually circled back and were heading towards him at an extremely vicious angle and with ghostly agility, their speed more than double what it was before!

"This move... you are..."

Dark Claw seemed to have figured something out, but before he could make a move, several figures suddenly leaped from all directions. More cold glints accompanied them as they attacked the incoming enemy. Dark Claw knew that those were his Black Fox subordinates, who were ambushing around. However, his expression didn't improve; instead, it turned ashen. Because he knew that if the enemy was truly the person he remembered, such an attack would be useless!

"Retreat!! Retreat quickly!"

His near-strangled warning came too late. The air in the area where the infiltrator was located suddenly fluctuated violently, and a dazzling array of blade edges exploded outwards. There weren't just a few, but dozens, hundreds, and in an instant, they enveloped the Black Fox and the others. These blades didn't just pierce and slash their bodies; they were so sharp that they could cut through metal and break bones, dismembering them alive! A rain of blood instantly fell from the sky, accompanied by human body parts of various sizes. A head, missing almost half of its side, rolled far away and finally landed at Dark Claw's feet. It was Black Fox.

Looking at the familiar yet mangled face, Dark Claw twitched all over. His mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to say something, but it finally turned into a low roar. Like a furious beast, he swung his steel claws and charged at the infiltrator. However, halfway there, he suddenly raised his right arm and shot three dark crossbow bolts forward. At the same time, he disappeared again with the flash of his Blink Emblem, reappearing in another direction the next moment, his steel claws still slashing towards the infiltrator without losing momentum.

Yes, Dark Claw had always been calm. Even though the deaths of his subordinates ignited his rage, he didn't lose his composure, because he knew that such actions would be futile and would only ruin any chance of avenging his brothers.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew from the collision of metal, blinding Dark Claw's eyes and finally forcing the attacker out of stealth. He finally saw the attacker's true face. Not a particularly strong build, wearing a dark blue robe suitable for stealth, with leather belts adorned with daggers and other blades, and an arm blade covering his right arm, used to block the steel claws. Dark Claw looked up in astonishment, his gaze falling on the half-face revealed under the attacker's hood. Even with only half a face, Dark Claw instantly recognized the outline and connected it to someone in his mind. Combined with the distinctive attire, Dark Claw couldn't help but exclaim.

"Talon... Captain?"

The name he spoke made the attacker pause for a moment, but only for a moment. The next second, the attacker raised their other hand, and a strangely shaped dark red short blade slashed towards his neck. Dark Claw wanted to dodge, but for some reason, the moment he saw the short blade, he felt as if his soul had been captured, and he couldn't look away. When he snapped out of the sudden trance, the short blade had already pierced his chest, hitting his heart precisely.

"Why... why..."

Dark Claw clutched the short blade embedded in his chest, staring at his opponent in disbelief, hoping for an answer. But he never got one. The blade twisted, Dark Claw spat out a mouthful of blood and fell, quickly becoming a corpse on the ground, eyes wide with anger. Talon, without any emotional fluctuation, drew the short blade and casually flicked it, sending a line of blood through the air. He then glanced at the still-warm corpse on the ground and said in a low voice.

"You still haven't improved."

With that, he turned around, a transparent light screen slowly enveloping his body. But suddenly, a powerful sword light from above shattered the transparent screen around him, forcing him to roll sideways in a somewhat awkward posture.

"So fast!"

This was the only thought in Talon's mind as he dodged. He was certain no one was behind him, yet the attack from behind arrived almost simultaneously the moment he sensed killing intent. This could only mean one thing. The assassin's skill was no less than his own!

Having dodged the sword, Talon looked warily at the figure emerging from the swirling black mist. The opponent wore stealthy night-clothes like himself and carried a simple-looking longsword. However, judging by the slender build, Talon estimated that the person who almost made him suffer a great loss was a woman.

"A woman?"

Talon's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. A person involuntarily flashed through his mind, an assassin who could rival him, and that person was also a woman, with a proud figure and blood-red hair.

The thought stopped abruptly as the opponent made a move. The strange black mist flickered, and the figure vanished from its spot. The next second, she was within a meter of him.

Talon was naturally not one to be trifled with. His steps shifted, propelling his body backward rapidly. He flicked his right hand, throwing several throwing knives, intending to force the enemy back and seize the opportunity to close in. Simultaneously, he clutched a Blink Emblem in his palm, ready to activate it and escape the opponent's attack range. Unexpectedly, the opponent did not act as he had envisioned. She bent her body flexibly, sliding a distance almost touching the ground. After evading the throwing knives, she suddenly pushed off with both hands and sprang up, her legs sweeping towards Talon's lower body with full force.

Talon clearly hadn't anticipated this move. While hastily dodging, the Blink Emblem rolled onto the ground. With his escape route cut off, Talon stopped dodging. His right Arm Blade glowed with a bloody light, and he thrust it downwards. Well-versed in martial arts, he knew that to avoid this, the opponent would have to retreat. If she insisted on attacking him, he would take a kick, but she would likely die by his blade.

Little did he know, fate played another trick on him. A black mist exploded and scattered before his eyes. When he looked again, the enemy was nowhere to be seen.

"Not good!"

Talon's internal alarm bells rang. He quickly shifted his body to the side, swinging his left Dark Claw in a semi-arc close to his body.

"CRACK!!"

Just as he expected, a powerful sword strike arrived, hitting his short blade with a strange sound. Then, the longsword cracked in the middle, its blade spinning high into the sky.

Talon felt the opponent's movement pause for a moment, likely out of surprise. But Talon remained calm. He thought that if the opponent knew the name of the blade in his hand, she would be as calm as he was. The reason was simple: it was one of the rare mythical weapons in all of Valoran - Draktharr's Shadowknife.

Unfortunately, in reality, the person did not know and was not calm. She leaped back into the black mist and instantly reappeared in another direction. Needless to say, it was Ling Ying, who had "arrived late." Looking at her broken sword, her expression was grim. She never expected that the weapon that had accompanied her for so long would be so easily cut by a short blade several times smaller than her opponent. And this happened while she had initiated the attack. This made her gaze towards him filled with apprehension.

"Hmm? This style..."

Only now did Ling Ying have a chance to examine her attacker seriously. As she looked, she realized she recognized this person. Not in this world, of course, but in the Summoner's Rift of the game. Excluding some minor differences, Ling Ying was certain that the person before her bore over eighty percent similarity to the Talon in the Rift, who could vault over walls like the wind and was the nightmare of ADCs.

"Well, well, the Blade's Shadow has even shown up."

Ling Ying put away her broken Doran's Blade into her storage bag, took out her Hextech Gunblade, and thought rapidly. She had initially thought this was a simple rebellion, but Talon's appearance made Ling Ying sense something unusual. Why was this man, one of Noxus's iconic heroes, here? Ling Ying didn't know, but glancing at the corpses of the Crimson Elite scattered on the ground, she could easily deduce that his intentions were hostile. Moreover, they were likely contrary to what Ling Ying intended to do. The question then arose: after all, he was a hero, and his strength was undeniable. In their brief exchange, Ling Ying could even vaguely sense that his strength was above hers. Of course, if she could still unleash her Void Power, that would be another matter, but as she was now, she wasn't confident she could defeat him.

"No matter, I'll stall him for now."

Having secretly made up her mind, Ling Ying pointed the blade of her Hextech Gunblade at Talon from a distance, assuming a ready-to-engage stance. On the other side, Talon also made no rash moves. He adopted a frontal combat posture, but in reality, he subtly shifted his steps backward, preparing to disengage at any moment. He truly didn't want a fight to the death with Ling Ying. Her unpredictable black mist teleportation and her sword techniques, which were inscrutable yet powerful, made him feel quite troubled. After all, he was an assassin. Although his superb martial arts skills meant he didn't fear direct confrontation, it didn't mean he enjoyed it. Lurking in the shadows and striking for a kill – that was the true way of an assassin. Furthermore, he hadn't infiltrated this occupied fortress just to kill a few people. In fact, this fortress had long been abandoned by the rebel leadership, not because of anything else, but for an experiment, an experiment that might doom the Noxian expeditionary force.

"It's about time."

Glancing at the glowing Portal not far away, Talon reached into the pocket on his chest. A blood-red, rhombic crystal appeared in his palm, then fell straight to the ground.

"I hope the General's choice was the right one."

Muttering something, Talon's figure was swallowed by a smoke bomb. By the time Ling Ying reacted and charged into the smoke, Talon had already vanished.

"Damn it."

Seeing Talon escape so easily, Ling Ying couldn't help but feel annoyed. However, the immense malice coming from behind her soon left her no time to worry about Talon. The dark red crystal, stuck in the soil, suddenly emitted a dazzling red light disproportionate to its size. The red light shot straight into the sky, instantly illuminating the entire fortress as bright as day.

"Ughhh..."

Beneath the red light, Ling Ying witnessed an unbelievable scene. On one side, Dark Claw on the ground let out strange noises as it swayed and stood up. On the other side, the dismembered flesh of Black Fox and the others actually moved, twisting and contorting to form a stitched-together monster, making one's scalp tingle.

"Why do I always run into this kind of messy stuff?"

Ling Ying frowned, quickly retreating backward. But soon, she discovered that the entire fortress, at some unknown time, had become a place of the dead, a land of Undead where the deceased roamed.