Purple-skinned Bald Mage

"Mr. Ato, should I take this commission?"

"Take it, why wouldn't you?" Aatrox became excited instead. "That person is actually..."

"Cough, cough." If Ato didn't interrupt, the garrulous Aatrox would have revealed something from another dimension to Sarah.

This would be harmful and unbeneficial to Sarah, causing her to encounter immeasurable danger.

"Of course, you must take the commission. I said he is a very kind person."

"Through this commission, you can get on his good side. If you encounter Soul Harvest Night again in the future and I'm not by your side, perhaps he will protect you."

"Excuse me... is he your friend?"

Sarah still felt uneasy. For a simple transport commission, she always felt that man-eating demons lurked beneath the calm sea surface.

"I know him, but he doesn't know me. Don't worry too much, I'll go with you on this journey."

"What?" Aatrox couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say you were going to Freljord?"

"The one-month deadline hasn't passed, the transaction is still not complete." Ato valued transactions greatly.

"Besides, we won't be stopping in Ionia. That Mage will disembark in Ionia. Why don't you take us to Freljord, Miss Sarah? What do you say?"

"Ah, of... of course, it's my honor."

Hearing that Ato would also be embarking on the journey, Sarah's worried heart finally settled. She believed there would be no accidents with this commission.

"Then I'll go arrange for people to bring the Mage aboard the 'Siren'. Thank you again, Mr. Ato."

Sarah left. Recalling Ryze's deeds, no matter how many times, Ato couldn't help but feel admiration.

"A thousand years, you must have been very lonely. But it's okay, you're not alone anymore."

Under the guidance of the crewmates, Ryze boarded the 'Siren'.

His expression was serious, and he remained silent, his attention mostly focused on every person within his sight.

In the Captain's Cabin, Sarah met the legendary Mage for the first time. His appearance was indeed as strange as Raven had described.

"Welcome, Mr. Ryze, I am Captain Sarah Fortune."

"From Bilgewater to Ionia, if the wind is favorable, we can reach it in ten days, and at the latest, it won't exceed fifteen days. I hope we get along well."

Sarah extended her hand in a friendly gesture, but Ryze merely glanced at it and said in a low voice, "Depart as soon as possible when you're ready." He then walked out of the Captain's Cabin.

"Why is he like that?" Raven felt indignant. Are all Mages this arrogant?

Sarah shook her head, "It's fine. Prepare more supplies, we might be leaving Bilgewater for a long time."

"He's not arrogant, just too wary and unable to trust humans."

Ato suddenly appeared in the Captain's Cabin.

"I might have to fight that guy in a bit, but I'll try to avoid it if possible."

"What? Fight?" Sarah didn't react in time.

Ryze had just stepped out of the Captain's Cabin when he seemed to sense something. He looked back and his eyes widened.

The appearance of the Demonic Sword of the Dark was quite shocking to anyone seeing it for the first time.

"Hello, Ryze," Ato spoke first.

"Who are you? Where did that sword come from?"

Ryze turned to scrutinize Ato, trying to recall the origins of the man and the giant sword from his past experiences, but found nothing.

Ato didn't answer the questions and kept approaching. Ryze didn't move, but his fists were clenched, ready to strike at any moment.

Finally, Ato stopped and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "How are those World Runes doing, hidden beneath Demacia?"

Ryze's eyes widened in fury. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Why did this person know about the World Runes? And how did he know where he hid them?

Ryze took a step back, and the runes drawn all over his body instantly lit up, magic energy surging out.

Two small magic circles appeared simultaneously beneath Ato's feet and above his head.

Ryze clasped his hands together, forming a light membrane between the magic circles – Ryze's signature skill, Imprisonment Magic.

If the target of the imprisonment doesn't have the ability to break the light membrane, they can only remain under Ryze's control.

"Who exactly are you? Why do you know... about that?" Ryze questioned.

He didn't want ordinary people to know information related to the World Runes, not wanting to see more suffering.

He even suspected that Ato had already told everyone on the ship about the World Runes. If that were the case...

"Wait! There must be some misunderstanding!"

Sarah saw Ryze attacking as soon as she came out.

"Can't we sit down and talk things through calmly?"

Ryze ignored her and walked back in front of Ato.

He was confident that no one could break through his Imprisonment Magic. He lowered his voice and asked, "Did you tell them? About the World Rune."

In Ryze's heart, the weight of this world far surpassed that of any individual.

Ever since that war ended, very few ordinary people knew anything about the World Rune.

If the news leaked, Ryze dared to guarantee that human greed would be reignited, and the tragedy of a thousand years ago would repeat itself.

For this, he might have to make a difficult choice...

"Hey, hey, calm down." Ato had no intention of breaking through the imprisonment, and his voice was equally low.

"Actually, I'm the same kind of person as you. I know some things from the past. Do you think I don't know the danger of the World Rune? Telling these people is equivalent to taking their lives!"

Ryze stared intently into Ato's eyes, trying to determine if the man was lying.

The World Rune was of great importance, and he couldn't believe Ato's words based on hearsay alone.

"Your master Tyrus, and those Warlords who snatched the Runes, they have been nightmares that have plagued you for a thousand years."

Seeing that Ryze didn't believe him, Ato had to resort to his old trick: reading underwear.

Ryze's surprise never ceased. How did this person know everything?

He frowned, guessing Ato's identity, "Could you be a survivor from Fukko Island? Also affected by the Runes and lived until now?"

"No, my origins aside for now, the origin of this sword is even older than you think."

Ato decided to tell Ryze that Ryze was the only one in Runeterra who knew and understood everything.

"When you followed Tyrus as an apprentice, besides learning magic, you should also know many historical secrets that are now lost."

"On the continent of Shurima, there once existed an incomparably glorious empire."

"But due to a change, the empire's Generals gradually fell, eventually transforming into weapons and scattering across the world."

"You are..." Ryze almost raised his voice, "a Darkin? A Darkin after the collapse of the Shurima Empire?"

"I am a human who wields a Darkin Weapon." This was the first time Ato revealed his true identity to someone from Runeterra.