The Silent Rhaast

Rhaast didn't know how many years he had been trapped in this weapon, but after countless long and dark years, Rhaast had long forgotten the passage of time. Sealed in a space where darkness reigned and light never reached, time had lost all meaning. Rhaast didn't have Axtos's luck. Kayn was Rhaast's first host. He yearned to escape that dark space, to return to Shurima, to see the magnificent Sun Disc of Shurima once more!

Rhaast said, "Humble human, you will never know the power of the Titan Race, let alone those damned Twilight Spirits."

Jiang Chuan chuckled, "The Twilight Spirits of today are not the same ones you knew. A very, very long time has passed since your era, so long that the great Shurima has turned to sand. Perhaps you remember the name Aatrox; he is now a fully realized Demigod."

Rhaast laughed, "That damned bastard, always so lucky."

Kayn looked at Jiang Chuan and said, "You say you have a way to help me tame this damned scythe? What price must I pay?"

Jiang Chuan smiled, "You just need to do things for me in the future."

Rhaast disdainfully said, "A Demigod would offer you a more generous reward. Since you have a way to make Kayn tame me, you must also have a way to make me completely devour Kayn."

Jiang Chuan said calmly, "Undeniably, I possess both methods, and they are irreversible. However, Rhaast, you are an uncontrollable factor, and I have no intention of releasing you. One powerful Demigod like Aatrox is enough for this world. Moreover, Demigods are inherently immortal. For you, it's just a matter of enduring a few more years. When Kayn grows old, you can find another host. You've waited thousands of years, what's a few more decades? I'll help you find a more powerful host then."

Rhaast fell silent. The lifespan of a Demigod far surpassed that of any other creature. They were originally Ascended beings with incredibly long lives. The corruption of the Void and the seals placed by the Titan Race made Demigods practically immortal and indestructible. Time was merely a string of numbers to them. The only drawback was endless boredom and loneliness.

Rhaast remained silent, brooding. Jiang Chuan said, "I will allow you to retain the ability to converse. However, enduring endless solitude and loneliness is not easy to bear."

Rhaast said, "Thank you."

Kayn chuckled, "I won't be cooking and cleaning for you. Now you can tell me the method."

Jiang Chuan said, "The method is simple. You just need to use the weapon in your hand to kill the people I give you."

Kayn was surprised, "It's that simple?"

Jiang Chuan shook his head, "It's not about killing, it's about absorbing energy. I will give you a small trinket that can absorb magical energy to strengthen your control over Rhaast. Once you absorb enough power, I will teach you the method of transformation, and your abilities will greatly increase."

Jiang Chuan said coldly, "However, I don't have a good impression of betrayal. I don't want to see that day. Otherwise, Zed's blade will appear at your throat."

Kayn snarled, "I should be the master of the Shadow Order! He's old. I will lead the Shadow Order to a more glorious future. This isn't betrayal; it's his time to step down!"

Jiang Chuan said, "You'll likely be returning to the Shadow Order much later. I hope you have no lingering attachments there."

Kayn stood up, formed a hand seal, and disappeared into Jiang Chuan's shadow. Jiang Chuan smiled, "Amazing shadow magic."

After reaching an agreement with Kayn, Jiang Chuan returned to his office. Now Jiang Chuan could maintain Kayn in a summoned state continuously, though doing so would make summoning other heroes slightly more taxing.

The device Jiang Chuan mentioned was all a bluff. He said it for two reasons: to prevent unforeseen circumstances and to preempt Rhaast. Jiang Chuan didn't believe Rhaast would give up the chance for freedom to endure decades more of solitude and darkness. Rhaast was no saint; he was an ancient monster who had lived for thousands of years. Dealing with such a creature, even a slight misstep could lead to utter annihilation. Jiang Chuan had placed a personal bomb on Kayn. If Rhaast managed to devour Kayn, it could still save his life.

As for the method of Kayn's transformation, Jiang Chuan had known it from the moment he first saw Kayn. Others might not see it, but Jiang Chuan clearly saw a closed eye on Rhaast, the scythe in Kayn's hand. In Jiang Chuan's eyes, there was only a tiny sliver of energy within a ring around that eye. The eye was only slightly open, emitting a faint blue light. Kayn's transformation was definitely related to this eye. It was likely that when this eye fully opened, Kayn would be able to transform.

Unknowingly, dawn was breaking. The sun shone through the window onto the desk. Jiang Chuan finally lay down on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Jiang Chuan did not sleep well. He woke up around noon, rubbing his dizzy head. He washed his face with a basin of water, changed into fresh clothes, and then carried a lounge chair and some fruit to the beach. Kayn emerged from Jiang Chuan's shadow and lay on the lounge chair, looking at Jiang Chuan and saying, "When will you assign me a mission?"

Jiang Chuan gazed at the calm sea and said, "The wind and waves are not yet ready. Now is not the best time to act. Besides, I'm still working on that device."

Kayn ate a segment of orange and said, "Then I'll stay there."

Jiang Chuan looked back at Kayn and said, "Can't you be in the shadows?"

Kayn smiled and said, "No one wants to spend the night in a cold, dark place."

Jiang Chuan lay on the beach, letting the tide wash over him. He looked up at the sky and said, "I'll arrange lodging for you, and I'll provide you with new equipment. Your combat power will double."

Kayn lay in a chair, looking at Jiang Chuan, and said, "What's your name? I'm curious why you could bring me from Ionia to Bilgewater. That's across the sea."

Jiang Chuan smiled and said, "This world isn't just about shadow magic. You can think of mine as a type of summoning magic. My real name is Roland. You can call me a Summoner. The summoning magic I wield ignores distance. As long as it's within this world, I can summon anything from anywhere, and it's a mandatory summon."

Kayn asked curiously, "What can you summon? Legend has it that some Mages can summon all sorts of monsters to fight for them. Can you summon monsters?"

Jiang Chuan sat back down on the beach and smiled, "You could say that. Most of what I can summon are humans, like your master Zed, or your master's friends Shen and Akali. I can summon them all."

Kayn looked at Jiang Chuan and asked, "Only Ninjas?"

Jiang Chuan took out a towel and wiped his hair, saying, "Not just Ninjas. For example, Irelia, the most famous in Ionia. I can also summon people from Noxus, like Darius. The specifics are complicated, and you'll understand more later. Someone's coming. Go back into the shadows; you can't be exposed."

As soon as Kayn entered Jiang Chuan's shadow, Jiang Chuan saw Laurie running out of the woods. "President, why are you here? Kendi is back and wants to report to you."

Jiang Chuan smiled and said, "Have someone clean this up. I'll head back to the office first."

Jiang Chuan returned to his office. Kendi sat in a chair, looking dejected. Jiang Chuan smiled and said, "What's wrong? Is the Dark Sea Throne having problems?"

Kendi said with a worried expression, "President, there are no major issues with the distribution of food to the poor. When people started resisting, we followed your instructions and gave them a bullet each, and they became much more obedient. But the Red Hat people are really annoying. Someone comes to spy on us every day, and many of the poor are trying to pry information out of us. Also, our summoning power in the slums isn't as effective as the Red Hat's. Now, only the children listen to us."

Jiang Chuan's expression turned cold when he heard this. "When you go there, as long as you confirm someone is being directed by the Red Hat, kill them under the guise of being a spy. The Red Hat people are no exception. Catch one, kill one!"