A Deal with Ryze

Ryze had encountered a true Darkin.

The knowledge Tyrus imparted was not comprehensive; Tyrus only had a superficial understanding of the Darkin.

Ryze's last trip to Ionia was to seal a World Rune. Just as he was about to leave, he stumbled into a temple.

Inside the temple, he saw a longbow radiating a dangerous aura, sealed within a complex magic array.

Even so, the longbow could communicate with Ryze through his mental domain, tempting him to help it break free from its seal, promising him infinite power.

The longbow's sentience seemed to have some issues. Besides these enticements, it also told Ryze many things that even Tyrus didn't know.

Through this, Ryze learned more about the ancient secrets of the Ancient Shurima Empire.

Keep in mind, Ryze was someone who could resist the temptation of World Runes. Compared to World Runes, a Darkin Weapon was not enough to make Ryze lose his way.

"What exactly are your intentions with those runes?" Ryze questioned softly.

"I have no interest in runes," Ato pointed behind him. "It's this guy who wants to kill himself with a World Rune."

Ryze blinked. "What do you mean? He wants to commit suicide?"

Ato spread his hands. "Literally. We use runes without any special purpose. He's a Darkin who is bent on dying."

"The Aspects have already tried. They could only seal him, not truly destroy him. Don't you know they lack that ability?"

Ryze fell into a dilemma. Seeing that Ryze was no longer being stubborn, Ato continued, "Do you think you're stronger than those Aspects without relying on runes?"

"I know the source of his power. Its level is far higher than the Aspects. Without that kind of power, it's impossible to kill him."

"World Runes are a solution we must consider. Only then can his dying wish be fulfilled."

Aatrox, usually a chatterbox, remained silent at this moment.

"Why should I help you?" Ryze had already wavered after learning Ato's true identity.

Darkin Weapons could cloud people's minds. Those who craved power would become their puppets. Ryze, having been tempted before, knew this well.

Yet, Ato could completely control a Darkin Weapon. Judging by its aura, the Blood-red Greatsword was far more powerful than the longbow he had seen last time.

This indicated that Ato had a firm will and a similar attitude towards power as himself.

Little did he know, all of this was within Ato's calculations.

Based on his understanding of Ryze, Ato had chosen to reveal his true identity.

Ryze wouldn't trust anyone, except for one type of person: those who could resist the temptation of immense power.

"This is a transaction. If you help me, I will tell you the whereabouts of a World Rune."

Ryze held his breath. He had searched for so long without any news; how could this person know?

Aatrox began to dig deeper into secrets only Ryze knew: "You discovered the Pillar of Magic Suppression beneath Demacia, and coincidentally, there was a Yellow World Rune inside—Precision."

"It was secretly built by the Previous Emperor of Demacia to seal the rune. To preserve this secret, he even took this information to his grave."

"The current people of Demacia don't know that beneath the ground near the Imperial Capital lies a treasure that can destroy the world."

"And so, you decided to transfer the rune hidden centuries ago here as well!"

Ryze's hands began to tremble, almost unable to maintain the Imprisonment Magic.

Everything Aatrox said was true! How much more did this person know?

Of course, it wasn't over. Aatrox pressed on: "Before discovering the Pillar of Magic Suppression, you had already sealed two runes from your teacher, Tyrus, in Ionia and Shurima respectively."

"Later, you took on a disciple named Kigen, and you haven't given up on him, have you?"

"Kigen... Kigen will wake up!" Ryze suddenly shouted, startling Sarah and the others.

"Kigen stole a rune, one you discovered while traveling the continent, a World Rune Fragment."

"He was turned into a Flame that only wants to burn the world by the rune, severely injuring you. He has always wanted to snatch the World Rune in your hand..."

"Stop talking!" Ryze waved his hand, dispelling the Imprisonment Magic.

"Give me some time!" Then he turned, his steps slow, and walked towards the ship's cabin below, his back looking somewhat desolate.

Aatrox thought to himself, for anyone with a story, even if they've never told it to anyone, secrets are no longer secrets in front of the Little Thing.

"Mr. Ato, are you alright?" Sarah hurried forward. "Have the issues between you and Mr. Ryze been resolved?"

Except for the last two sentences, their voices had been very low, and the others hadn't heard the content of their conversation.

"It's not a big problem. It's easier to handle once things are out in the open," Aatrox shook his head.

"We're heading to Ionia and Freljord this time. It will likely take two months before you all return to Bilgewater. Prepare the supplies, and we'll set sail."

"That's right." Sarah hadn't expected Aatrox's Navigation Knowledge to be so good.

"For a long sea voyage, supplies are indeed essential. We have several good Supply Sources on Fleet Street."

"Raven, contact them and prepare the goods as soon as possible. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be able to depart around this time tomorrow."

As dusk deepened, the "Siren" was still a scene of bustling activity.

Ryze sat in his Resting Room, cradling his head, lost in memories.

He could never have imagined that a human could completely control a Darkin Weapon, let alone know everything about his past.

For a thousand years, he had been alone, and the humans he occasionally encountered were merely fleeting passersby, ultimately vanishing into the river of history due to the limitations of lifespan.

Ato was by no means an ordinary human.

Just as Ryze was contemplating Ato's true origins, the man himself pushed open the door and entered!

"I've come to fulfill our deal, Mr. Ryze." Ato closed the door casually.

"If you're still worried, you can cast soundproofing magic on the room. There's no one else on this ship who knows magic."

Ryze subconsciously raised his hand, and an invisible barrier enveloped the entire room, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Are you sure? The Five World Runes, only one is currently sealed in Demacia. As for the other two, after centuries, even I don't know their current status. This trip to Ionia is to transfer the runes. Telling me the whereabouts of one of them now is too soon."

He didn't doubt the truthfulness of Ato's information at all. After having his "underwear" seen through, it wasn't strange for him to know the location of a World Rune, and verifying its authenticity was very easy.

"This is my sincerity. I forgot to tell you something: killing the guy behind me requires the combined power of all Five Runes."

"If you truly intend to walk this path, I will let you control the power of the runes. This is the true content of our deal."

"What?" Ryze suspected he had misheard.

The power of a single World Rune was enough to move mountains and fill seas.

To the east of the Valoran continent, if one looked down from high in the sky, a natural gap would be clearly visible.

That area was now ocean, but a thousand years ago, it was land, and it was Ryze's hometown—Noxus.

"All five runes are necessary, but they don't need to be fully activated. It's enough to reach a level of power sufficient to destroy him."

"What we want is quality, is level," Ato said with a hint of helplessness in his tone. "Power itself isn't terrifying; what's terrifying is its wielder."

Ryze remained silent, lost in endless turmoil.