Demigod Ornn

Ato strode forward a few steps to the giant shovel, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.

"Finally found it, the Demigod who hid himself. Compared to that, finding Lissandra was much easier; she always stays in the northernmost Frost Guard Fortress."

"Demigod Ornn? A shovel? Hahahaha~" Aatrox once again let out his signature sinister laugh.

"Who said this shovel is Ornn himself? You, whose true form is a sword, don't have the right to laugh at him even if it really is a shovel..."

Aatrox's laughter abruptly stopped.

"This is a Demigod living in his own world, always immersed in forging, so he dislikes trouble. In some ways, we are quite similar," Ato said with a touch of emotion.

"Remember when we first met? You were stuck in the ground beneath a broken bridge in Bilgewater. I touched your hilt and entered the world within the Demonic Sword."

"Of course, I wouldn't forget. If I hadn't lost the willpower contest, I would still be free," Aatrox's tone was clearly tinged with resentment.

"This shovel works similarly to the Demonic Sword. Touching the Demonic Sword takes you to the ancient battlefield within your consciousness, while this one will send us to Ornn's Forge Hearth, a hidden space he created."

Ato stepped forward and reached out to touch the front of the giant shovel. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and his figure vanished from his spot. The next moment, he appeared in a confined space covered in lava.

The surrounding temperature made him frown slightly, but it ultimately didn't have much of an impact. After all, due to the modifications to his body by the Demonic Sword of the Dark, even in the cold Freljord, clothing served more as decoration.

This was a cave hundreds of meters high. The ground had only scattered rocks for footing; the rest was covered by lava.

But for Ato, this posed no obstacle. He leaped nimbly between the rocks, quickly crossing the scorching lava zone and arriving before a gate large enough for a giant to pass through.

The gate wasn't closed. Beyond it was a room filled with various massive instruments and equipment. A similarly colossal figure stood with his back to Ato, repeatedly striking a metal forging table, making "clang, clang, clang" sounds.

The robust figure was fifty meters tall, with what looked like lava flowing on his body's surface. A pair of curved ram horns grew from his head.

As if sensing the visitor, he stopped his work and turned around. A crimson beard obscured his face, with only glowing yellow eyes visible.

With every breath he took, scorching gas emerged, further increasing the surrounding temperature.

Ato couldn't hide his excitement, the corners of his mouth curling up uncontrollably.

Aside from Aatrox, who lacked a physical form, this was the first time he had seen a truly powerful being in Runeterra, the first time he had seen someone whom even Aatrox couldn't guarantee victory against.

Demigod Ornn—the elder brother of the three Demigods of Freljord.

He had once drawn seawater to cool his Forge Hearth, causing Freljord to experience a hundred years of continuous snow. He didn't even need the faith of mortals to maintain his divinity.

"A dangerous Demonic Sword, burdened by a heavy past," Ornn said, glancing at Aatrox. He saw through Aatrox's essence with just a look but didn't take any drastic action.

"But you, mortal, I cannot see your Destiny. Not of this world, a visitor from another realm?"

"Whoa... his eyesight is that strong? Is this a Demigod?" Ato exclaimed softly.

"How did you two get in here? It's been many years since we've had visitors." Ornn put away his hammer and walked forward to observe the two "little bugs," paying no mind to their origins.

"Don't just toss your shovel around, or someone might track you."

Hearing "doesn't belong to this world," Ato suddenly recalled an unforgettable plot from a novel he'd read in his past life and decided to imitate the character's line.

"As expected," Ornn sighed. "Discarding that shovel was a mistake. You may go now; I have things to attend to."

Without waiting for Ato's response, Ornn turned and walked back to the forge, resuming his work with the hammer.

"I knew it," Ato shrugged. Ornn disliked being commissioned to forge things.

His brother, another Demigod, Volibear, the embodiment of strength, had asked him to craft equipment for his followers and was refused.

This incident led to a three-day-and-three-night battle between the two Demigods, which affected the nearby Forge Hearth People and resulted in their complete annihilation.

Later, the Frost Sisters had also found it difficult to persuade Ornn to excavate the Howling Abyss.

Ato didn't leave. If he could obtain a sword sheath forged by Ornn, his journey ahead would be much less troublesome.

He walked to a spot where he could clearly see the forging process and stood in silence, watching Ornn work.

Ornn seemed engrossed in his forging as well, no longer trying to drive him away, and focused entirely on the piece before him.

The clang of Ornn's hammer striking the metal was powerful and rhythmic. With each blow, a trace of Demigod divine power was infused into the metal.

As time passed, the once lifeless metal seemed to gain a spirit. Ato could even feel the metal rejoicing.

With the final hammer blow, the metal was shaped into a regular ingot, emitting a gentle glow.

Even though Ato didn't understand forging, he knew this ingot had been perfected under Ornn's hammer.

"This is Starfall Iron," Ornn said, picking up the ingot with a massive pair of tongs, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"It came from the stars. I found it rich in iron and brought it back. After removing impurities, the work forged from it might be my most satisfying piece in nearly a thousand years."

"This is it," Ato said, rubbing his hands excitedly. "Demigod Ornn, the greatest blacksmith in Freljord, could I ask you to forge a sword sheath for me?"

"Don't be so quick to refuse. If there's only one blacksmith in this world who can forge a sheath for this sword, it has to be you."

Ato didn't give Ornn a chance to speak. He drew the Demonic Sword of the Dark from behind him and controlled it to release its aura. Instantly, a highly potent power, filled with the scent of blood, was unleashed.

"This power..." Ornn began to refuse, but his attention was captured by the power emanating from the demonic sword. He narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something. "I've felt a similar power before."

"How many years ago was that? Perhaps five thousand, or six thousand years ago, a supreme being descended upon this world, far to the south."

"I was in Freljord and didn't go to investigate. That being didn't stay long and soon disappeared. The power within this demonic sword, I can feel it, it comes from that being."

Ato knew exactly what Ornn was describing.

The Aspect of Creation, Aurelion Sol, had been tricked into Runeterra by the ancestors of the Empress Setheka. He was made to wear a crown, and his energy was drawn into the Sun Disc, which then allowed mortals to ascend.

This was the true origin of the Ascension Ritual and the Ascended, and the reason why a high-level power was necessary to destroy Aatrox.