Deep Behind Enemy Lines

The sky revealed a sliver of fish-belly white as time passed. The long night was over, and the brilliant morning sun began to rise, yet it couldn't bring peace of mind to the soldiers of the Culligan Legion. They had fought for a full day and night, only to suffer the greatest defeat since their establishment. Last night, this elite force lost a third of its personnel in a bitter struggle. They were still forced to withdraw from the portal fortress area, chased relentlessly by the Nether Knights for a full day and night. Now, they were exhausted, their horses weary. Furthermore, a large portion of the Legion's supplies was still on the other side of the portal, having not yet been transported over. With the loss of the fortress, those supplies were no longer a possibility. The soldiers carried only three days' worth of food. They were trapped in the heart of rebel-occupied territory. The Culligan Legion, it could be said, was in dire straits.

"We're out of time."

Inside the hastily erected military tent, Darius's resolute face was no longer calm. Ling Ying remembered that he hadn't shown much expression even when he ordered indiscriminate shelling last night. But now, at a critical juncture concerning the survival of the entire Legion, he could no longer maintain his composure.

"The Culligan Council can't provide us with support now. We can only rely on ourselves. So, if you have a solution, don't be coy about it!"

Darius spoke as he turned his gaze towards LeBlanc, who was idly playing with her hair by the table.

"Calm down, General Darius."

LeBlanc responded leisurely.

"The solution is simple, and I've already told you. Du Kkao has obtained the power of the Soulstone. The underworld cannot directly appear in Runeterra, but when someone sacrifices their physical body to become the foundation of the Soulstone, they can open a passage to the underworld and summon underworld substances into the mortal realm. However, the summoned underworld substances can only maintain stable existence within a certain range around the 'foundation.' Therefore..."

"Therefore?"

"Therefore, those Undead Knights have been crushing you all night. Du Kkao's true form must be observing nearby. As long as we can find him and shatter the Soulstone, we can sever the tether that allows those things to exist in the mortal realm and banish them back to the underworld."

"Then how do we find him?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Since I've come here, it's to help you with this matter. You just need to act according to the directions I provide, and we'll definitely find that old geezer."

"Hmm..."

After listening to LeBlanc, Darius pondered with his chin in his hand.

"Then, I'll have the Culligan Legion prepare to advance now."

"No, no, no. Hold your horses. If you saw his location, you wouldn't want to commit the entire army."

LeBlanc extended a finger and lightly tapped on the map in front of the table. Darius looked at the spot, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Gorgon Catacombs?"

"Hmm, that's right. It's an underground facility the previous king built to save his life. You occupied this land but didn't thoroughly clear out that place, did you?"

"Because we didn't have the capacity to spare troops for a detailed exploration at the time, we simply declared it abandoned."

Noxus nodded noncommittally.

"Then congratulations. Now you have to dig three feet into the ground to find that old fellow Du Kkao."

Darius fell into thought again, pacing back and forth in front of the square table a few times before speaking.

"The terrain there is too complex, with many unexplored areas and traps. A large army cannot operate there. If your location is precise enough, we can use a small, elite force for a decapitation strike."

"Uh-huh. Not only precise, but I can also provide you with accurate intelligence about the catacombs."

"Alright then, we can start discussing the candidates..."

"Heh heh, my person absolutely has to go. She's willing to sacrifice herself for the great Noxus."

LeBlanc suddenly grabbed Ling Ying's wrist and waved it around.

"Hey! You..."

"Hmm, very good."

Before the furious Ling Ying could retort, Darius nodded in approval. He then turned to face the area behind him.

"Then, I also need to send a skilled fighter. Samira, it's time for you to step up."

"Oh? Sounds like a sufficiently thrilling mission."

A person responded to the call and entered the military tent. It was a tall, dark-skinned woman with strong Shuriman features. Her somewhat revealing attire showcased toned muscles, and peculiar tattoos seemed to announce that she was not to be trifled with. The broadsword, as tall as a person, strapped to her back and the firearm slung at her waist were enough to make ordinary people hesitate. Ling Ying stared at the eyepatch on her face for a couple more moments, drawing an arrogant chuckle from the other woman.

"What? Think my eyepatch looks good? I can give you one, but you'll have to let me put a hole in your face first, hahahaha."

"You..."

"Me what? What are you looking at? Wanna fight? I'm happy to oblige."

"Enough."

Darius rapped on the table, dispelling the thickening scent of gunpowder. Samira glanced at Ling Ying and snorted, then moved to the side to play with the gold coins she always kept with her.

"I'm going too."

Katarina, who had been meditating with her eyes closed and remained silent the entire time, stepped forward.

"I want to go and witness the end of that man with my own eyes."

"Oh?"

Darius said, somewhat surprised.

"Isn't that your father? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure. I said it before, when he sent assassins to try and take my head because I didn't execute his orders seriously, that so-called father is nothing more than a codename to me. And besides..."

Katarina spoke as she reached up to touch the black eyepatch over her left eye. Her gaze was filled with icy killing intent.

"The one who took my left eye should also be here. This time, I must get my revenge!"

"Mm."

Darius nodded slightly.

"If you can take off Du Kkao's head, I believe Commander Swain will trust you more."

"Hmph, I am loyal to Noxus. As for him, I don't think he can represent Noxus yet."

Katarina retorted at Darius in front of everyone. Darius, however, unexpectedly showed no reaction.

"So we have three candidates now..."

"No, four."

LeBlanc waved her hand.

"You don't expect me to print the intelligence directly into your minds, do you? A map isn't convenient either, so I have to go with you personally."

"Personally?"

Ling Ying shot LeBlanc an annoyed glance.

"Of course."

LeBlanc spread her hands.

"I am not an illusion here; this is a clone. It takes a lot of effort to operate. How can that not be considered personal? However, this clone has no combat ability, so you'll have to put in some effort to protect me. Otherwise, if something happens to me, you'll just be headless flies in the underground palace."

"Well, great. Not only do we have to break into an intelligence-less underground labyrinth with just four people, but we also have to play babysitter."

Samira scanned back and forth between LeBlanc and Ling Ying with a picky look, then suddenly, as if struck by a fit, shouted.

"Alright! Sounds exciting enough! When do we leave?"

"Right now. However, we still need someone to create a feint attack on the front lines to draw Du Kkao's main forces' attention away from the underground palace."

LeBlanc said, turning to Darius with a smile.

"You and your Culligan Legion should be able to handle that, right? General Darius?"

"Culligan Legion!"

"Fight to the death, never retreat!!"

The soldiers of the Culligan Legion roared like a tidal wave, while the Underworld Army opposite them was remarkably quiet in contrast. The Undead Knights began their silent charge, gradually accelerating past the Soul Armor and Nether Soldiers in the main formation, crashing into the front lines of the Noxians like roaring tanks. But at this moment, the Undead Knights suddenly lost their balance and sank into the ground, their neat formation instantly becoming scattered.

"Array Cannons! Rapid fire! Target the trap zone!"

"Boom boom boom!"

Dense artillery fire erupted in the trap zone that had ensnared the Undead Knights. Even though some cannons had been lost due to the hasty retreat earlier, the fierce explosions and flames still dominated the entire battlefield.

"Ah, the pleasant sound of artillery. This is war."

Samira closed her eyes, listening to the distant cannon fire with a look of intoxication. She then suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at LeBlanc, who was fiddling with magic amidst the ruins, with a look of disdain.

"And look at us here, oh, the stench of magic."

"Alright."

Ignoring Samira's words entirely, LeBlanc pressed her hand against the city wall. Faint blue magic patterns lit up, and an oval-shaped magic gate suddenly took shape.

"This gate leads directly to the center of the underground palace, meaning we're very likely to run straight into Du Kkao's face. So, stay alert."

LeBlanc, without any hesitation, was the first to step through the magic gate, followed by Katarina. When it was Ling Ying's turn, she turned back and said to Samira with a playful look.

"Oh? So, are you going to crawl through this smelly gate with us, or are you going back to join your real war?"

After speaking, Ling Ying immediately slipped into the magic gate, leaving Samira fuming outside.

"Damn it! I'll fight you sooner or later, and I'll twist your head off!"

While spewing threats, Samira still strode into the magic gate. As the last person entered, the magic gate instantly flashed and disappeared from the city wall. Only broken bricks and desolate wild grass and flowers remained among the ruins.

"Drip!"

Water seeping into the underground palace dripped onto the moss-covered ground, creating ripples in small puddles and shattering the reflections of the four passersby within.

"It's quite cold here."

Walking through the deep and secluded underground passage, Samira hugged her arms and shivered slightly as she observed her surroundings. Ling Ying looked at the woman from Shurima, who was only wearing a tank top, trembling in the underground chill. She felt a sense of schadenfreude. Perhaps sensing Ling Ying's ill-intentioned gaze, Samira turned back and glared fiercely at Ling Ying.

"Something's up."

LeBlanc, ahead, suddenly stopped. Katarina behind her immediately drew two daggers alertly. Ling Ying looked forward. The passage ahead was dim and empty, but with LeBlanc's magical vision, Ling Ying could see clearly that it wasn't empty at all. The passage ahead was covered by a layer of strange black shadow.

"Unfathomable Shadow. Its main body resides in the underworld, but it can project itself into reality. It's usually invisible to the naked eye, but once you step into its hunting range, your soul will be devoured unknowingly. Hmm, it seems that old man isn't entirely unprepared for what's behind him."

"So, its appearance here means Du Kkao is nearby?"

Samira looked around carelessly.

"Then what? How do we deal with it? We can't just chop it with a sword, can we?"

"Why not?"

LeBlanc smiled meaningfully as she drew a few strokes in the air. A dark red rune appeared. LeBlanc pushed the rune forward, then suddenly crushed it. Everyone felt their bodies sink. Ling Ying looked down and saw a faint red glow linger on her body for a moment before quickly disappearing.

"Now, you can harm its main body, which exists in the interstice."

"What... did you do?"

Ling Ying felt the changes in her body and said without worry.

"Just a little trick, to let you carry a bit of the Underworld's aura, allowing you to directly touch the Unfathomable Shadow's true form through the projection."

"So that's how it is, ha! I like it!"

Samira swung her greatsword in two circles. Then, she suddenly charged forward, with full momentum, rushing towards the passage where the Unfathomable Shadow was.

"Ah ha! You freaky thing! Eat my sword!"

Without a word, she raised her greatsword (enhanced) and performed a leaping slash at the Unfathomable Shadow. The thing reacted sluggishly, showing no response until Samira was close. However, the moment it took the overhead blow, it immediately became active like a conditioned reflex. Its bloated body unfurled two umbrella-sized palms, accurately grabbing towards the area Samira occupied.

"Swish swish swish!"

A flash of cold light suddenly appeared in the air. It was Katarina, who had thrown a row of small throwing knives. The knives, shaped like butterfly wings, shot out in a beautiful arc towards the shadow's outstretched claws, cleanly severing all five of its fingers.

"Gaaah!"

The Unfathomable Shadow let out a strange cry, its body surface wriggled, and it suddenly shot out over a dozen tentacles, covering the figures of Samira and Katarina. But Ling Ying, who was prepared, used Shadow Step to get above the Unfathomable Shadow. As she dived from the air, she rapidly spun her body, turning herself into a human-shaped little top with sword light, slicing off all the tentacles the shadow extended. The Hextech Gunblade, operating at full power, unleashed a pale blue energy blade that whistled as it landed on the shadow. The High-Energy Ion Stream cut through the Unfathomable Shadow's main body as easily as a hot knife through butter. Then, with a flash of light, it exploded. The originally bloated shadow monster was immediately blown apart into small, scattered pieces, falling to the ground like raindrops.

"Yeehaw! Exciting! Haha..."

"Wait! It's not over yet!"

LeBlanc was behind Samira. Ling Ying focused her gaze and saw that the small shadow fragments, which had been blown to pieces, had grown legs and were scurrying towards the depths of the passage.

"That thing isn't dead yet! It wants to transmit information! Stop it!"

"Swish swish!"

As soon as LeBlanc finished speaking, Katarina instantly intercepted the shadow's path with a blink. Then, she spun her body at high speed, unleashing countless throwing knives and daggers, like a blooming blade-lotus, annihilating a large portion of the shadow fragments in an instant.

"Don't even think about running!"

Ling Ying, holding her sword, was about to step forward when a burst of fire erupted behind her, forcing her to quickly roll and dodge.

"Hahaha! You stinky monster! Come on!"

Samira shouted, her modified firearm firing continuously. The modified barrel spat out a large volume of bullets in a short time, shooting the numerous shadow fragments full of holes, and nearly turning Ling Ying in front of her into a sieve as well.

"You crazy woman!! You did that on purpose, didn't you!?"

Ling Ying cursed at Samira indignantly.

"Can you aim properly?!"

"Huh? Sorry, didn't aim properly. I'll keep trying next time."

Samira replied with a goofy face while continuing to shoot, enraging Ling Ying.

"Ahead!"

LeBlanc's timely reminder interrupted Ling Ying's impulse to argue with Samira.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

The sound of sharp objects cutting through the air arrived in an instant. Ling Ying, having been alerted, quickly melted into the shadows and retreated backward. Samira, however, was less fortunate. Although agile, she was in a combat state, holding a greatsword in one hand and a gun in the other. She clearly couldn't dodge the suddenly incoming projectiles effectively.

A cold glint flashed, and several bloody gashes instantly appeared on Samira's body. She raised her greatsword in front of her, blocking a few throwing knives aimed at her vital points. But she couldn't possibly guard every part of herself. Especially when one of the deflected throwing knives actually curved in mid-air, striking Samira's back from a tricky angle.

"What the...?!"

Before Samira could finish her curse, a ball of black mist suddenly enveloped her entire body. When she "saw the light of day" again, she had already been thrown to LeBlanc's rear.

"Stop courting death! I won't save you next time!"

Ling Ying glared fiercely at the bewildered Samira. Then, she turned her gaze towards the direction the throwing knives had come from. Katarina had already moved ahead. She accelerated forward, throwing two daggers as she charged. Then, her figure flickered, and in the span of a single breath, she appeared at the end of the daggers' trajectory, unleashing a barrage of blades around herself.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The assassin in the darkness was clearly no pushover. Even facing Katarina's swift assault, he still had time to counterattack. The throwing knives thrown by both sides clashed in mid-air with a resounding clang, creating a shower of brilliant sparks. This illuminated Katarina's murderous face and briefly revealed the silhouette of the assassin who was hidden from sight. Ripples appeared in the air in front of Katarina, within which a faint, human-shaped transparent outline could be seen.

"Got you!"

Katarina's lips curved upwards slightly. Her body bent backward in an arc impossible for an ordinary person, mirroring her smile. She somersaulted like a windmill, her slender legs kicking out a crescent moon in mid-air.

Her leather boots, reinforced with metal greaves, struck the position of the human-shaped outline, splashing even more dazzling sparks. This finally caused the invisible cloak of the uninvited guest to lose its effect. An assassin in a blue robe and silver armor, wielding strange curved blades as weapons, revealed himself.

"Talon, I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Katarina revealed a sinister grin.

"You took my left eye. Now, it's time to pay the debt."