Jue Wuo Fortress

Information about "Jue Wuo Fortress" flashed through Ato's mind.

It was a small city-state attached to Noxus, but it had previously been ruled by a monarchy and was an independent nation.

Eighty years ago, the Noxian army broke through the gates of Jue Wuo Fortress, deposed the king, and replaced him with a regional governor, directly administered by the Immortal Citadel.

The current governor of Jue Wuo Fortress was a descendant of the king from eighty years ago.

Noxus did not exterminate them or replace the regional governor with one of their own because the mountains of Jue Wuo Fortress produced a high-quality raw material for armor – Iron Thorn Ore.

The old king's family controlled the mining routes and technology, forcing Noxus to compromise.

The strength of Iron Thorn Ore lay in its ability to allow ordinary blacksmiths to forge armor of superior quality.

Second only to armor produced in Demacia.

If you were to ask the pirates of Bilgewater or the merchants of Piltover what they most desired, it would undoubtedly be Demacian armor.

However, this armor material was scarce, and only a few blacksmiths had the skill to forge it, resulting in very low production capacity. Coupled with Demacia's strict controls, it rarely circulated to the outside world.

Therefore, Iron Thorn Armor, which was simple to forge, had high production capacity, and was of superior quality, was highly sought after.

Jue Wuo Fortress contributed a large amount of Iron Thorn Ore to Noxus every year.

With the help of Iron Thorn Ore, Noxus accelerated its expansion, incorporating more small nations into its territory.

"It'll be too obvious if I just walk in..." Ato pinched his nose.

"With an Eastern face, I'll be mistaken for a spy and arrested the moment I reach the city gate. Although I could kill the guards, I wouldn't be able to infiltrate the army..."

"Almost no Ionia people are on the continent of Valoran before this war ends. The racial differences are obvious at a glance..."

"Old man, can't you do anything besides swing your sword? You don't have any flashy abilities like a Mage, like teleportation or changing your appearance..."

Aatrox said disdainfully, "Who says? Touch your face again and see if anything changes."

"Huh?"

A faint red light flashed, and Ato immediately felt a difference.

Simply put, his original facial features became more pronounced, resembling a Western face from the real world.

"When did you learn this trick?" Ato was a bit bewildered.

"Hahahahahaha~" Aatrox chuckled sinisterly, "Just a small trick. It's nothing for a Celestial Warrior."

"No." Ato realized, "I know what abilities you have. You've used the Sword Sheath's ability on me. It can even change your appearance."

Aatrox: "...I have no secrets from you at all."

"At least I look like a Valoran person now. Civilization, after so long..."

Since transmigrating to Runeterra, Bilgewater had been a loose gathering of pirates and mercenaries, and Freljord maintained a primitive tribal life. After more than two months, Ato finally arrived at a city-state in the true sense of the word.

Confirming that the Demonic Sword of the Dark was disguised as an ordinary greatsword, Ato tightened the cloth binding the sword and approached the city-state along the road used to transport ore.

Jue Wuo Fortress had dismantled its city walls after coming under Noxian jurisdiction, so Ato did not encounter guards at the city gate checking for identification.

Just as Ato entered the city-state's perimeter, a group of miners walked towards him, driving a horse that was pulling a mining cart.

The identity of these people was easy to determine. They wore durable clothing, their palms were calloused from constantly mining and carrying ore, and their eyes held fatigue.

The group noticed Ato and quickly averted their gaze, focusing on the task at hand.

Ato frowned slightly. "I thought Noxus had established a complete railway system long ago. I didn't expect them to still be using horses."

Aatrox said, "I wandered the continent for a thousand years. When I was conscious, I saw this country attacking its neighbors. Its purpose seems to be war, annexation, endless."

"I held a high position and understood the governance of the empire. You know how powerful ancient Shurima was, but in terms of the frequency of foreign wars, we are far inferior to this country."

"The result is that, apart from military strength, the development in other aspects is even worse than some small countries."

Ato nodded slightly. "That makes sense. LeBlanc has been behind Noxus since its inception. She's also an old hag, and a short-sighted old hag..."

"I wanted to ask before, who is LeBlanc? To manipulate an empire for thousands of years from behind the scenes, she must not be an ordinary person." Aatrox had never heard this name.

"An old woman older than Ryze," Ato pouted. In his previous life, he disliked female characters who looked young but had lived for a very long time.

"I understand war better after watching a few war movies than she does..."

"Look at what she's doing, not using her strongest forces and sending him to the harsh environment of Freljord."

"Steam warships are running all over the sea, and the sea has developed. What about the land? They clearly have the ability to manufacture steam trains, but what is LeBlanc doing? LeBlanc is also doing it!"

Aatrox was speechless for a long time, and finally could only sigh, "Times have changed."

"Your sanity has recovered well." Now truly entering the city-state area, Ato began to look for something like a recruitment office.

Aatrox glanced at him. "It's hard to imagine in ancient Shurima that devices invented by humans could play a crucial role in war. We only needed to send a few Ascended and a team of ordinary imperial soldiers to conquer a small country."

"...You guys are still amazing. If ancient Shurima hadn't fallen, ordinary people would never have had a chance to step onto the stage." Ato replied perfunctorily.

Just then, the casual chat between the man and the sword was interrupted.

"Stop! Who are you?" A middle-aged man in official robes blocked Ato.

The people of Jue Wuo Fortress did not usually use weapons. Apart from the miners, who were the most numerous, there were also some producers.

Therefore, Ato, carrying a greatsword and wandering around, was exceptionally conspicuous, which was also Ato's intention – to attract the attention of the city-state's management.

"Hello, Officer, I want to join the army. Where can I sign up?" Ato stood at attention, acting like a young man with lofty ambitions.

"Join the army?"

The middle-aged man sized Ato up. His figure was mostly hidden by his black robe, but he could vaguely make out strong muscles. If the weapon wasn't just for show, and he could wield it, it meant he had extraordinary strength. His physical condition was indeed good.

"Where are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?" The middle-aged man didn't let his guard down.

"Officer, I'm from a small town in the southern part of the empire. You've definitely never heard of it. I've been training myself outside the northern border. I heard that war is about to begin, so I only returned to imperial territory today." Ato responded with the excuse he had prepared long ago.

"Outside the northern border..." The middle-aged man subconsciously looked north, surprised, "You trained in Freljord?!"