109 Crossing the Line

Jayce and Viktor have differing opinions on the claim that diving suits can cause various hallucinations when worn underwater.

In this regard, Viktor believes that the problem is not technical, but rather the mental breakdown of the divers in the darkness of deep water.

To address this, he designed a special alchemical helmet that could be guided by an operator on the surface, ignoring the diver's fear response and effectively giving the operator complete control over the diver.

But Jayce saw this as an infringement on people's free will, and so Viktor and Jayce engaged in a heated debate about free will and mental enslavement.

But their personalities are what they are, especially Jayce, whose arrogance is quite evident.

The exchange became so heated that the two nearly came to blows, and in the end, they vowed never to work together again.

Afterwards, Jayce reported the incident to the college's administrators.

Perhaps even Jayce himself didn't expect that Viktor would be investigated for violating basic human rights.

If it were just a review, that would be one thing, but the problem is that Viktor doesn't have a good reputation within the academy.

The people of Piltover don't like this guy from Zaun sharing their glory.

To be precise, there have always been irreconcilable contradictions and conflicts between the two cities.

This is perfectly exemplified in Jinx, the criminal madwoman from Piltover.

The Piltover law enforcement knew Jinx was hiding in Zaun, but they couldn't get in.

Because that's the territory of the Chem-Baron.

The reason Jinx has been able to remain at large is because many Chem-Baron believe that Jinx's violent actions can guarantee Zaun's unique status, prevent Zaun from being devoured by Piltover, or in other words, protect their rights.

Under these circumstances, Viktor was dismissed and disappeared from Jayce's and Piltover's sight.

"Later, you obtained a mysterious crystal from the Shurima desert."

Yuan Chen said casually:

"This is the first time you've ever encountered such a difficult problem."

You spent months conducting various tests on the crystal, including but not limited to: placing it in a gear centrifuge; heating it at high temperatures followed by rapid freezing; repairing it, observing it, proposing various hypotheses, and so on...

"And just when you finally unraveled the mystery of this crystal, Viktor arrived."

Upon hearing this, Jayce, who was standing to the side, nodded and said:

"That's right, he's here. He started talking to me about some weird stuff like Glorious Evolution, and said the only thing he was missing was the crystal I had."

"I disagreed, so he knocked me unconscious and forcibly took it from me."

Jayce said through gritted teeth:

"But he didn't find any remaining crystal fragments, which also contained enormous energy and yearned to return to the Mother. So, I placed those crystal fragments into the Warhammer Engine and found him."

"Do you know what I saw? It was so cruel!"

Jayce glared fiercely at Yuan Chen and growled:

"Dozens of corpses lay there, their skulls sawed open, their brains removed and transplanted into the bodies of steel soldiers, lined up in the dark underground, like an army thirsting for blood! And the cables on their bodies were connected to my crystal!"

"If this is the Viktor you believe in, then it only proves that you are just a criminal too!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen looked at Jayce, whose eyes were slightly red. Although he didn't quite understand, Yuan Chen could sense a subtle sense of regret.

Although Jayce didn't say it, Yuan Chen knew it from reading the script.

Jayce apologized to Viktor.

Upon seeing Viktor's factory, Jayce urged Viktor to look around and see what he had done. Whatever it was, this so-called evolution was not the progress they had pursued in their youth. And in the end, Jayce apologized for his arrogance and rudeness.

However, Viktor's response was simple—kill him.

Finally, Jayce desperately slammed his hammer into the core containing the Shurima Crystal, causing a massive explosion.

Subsequently, Jayce submitted Viktor's numerous plans to the Academy. For this, Jayce was hailed as the Guardian of the Future. And Viktor, from that point on, vanished completely from everyone's sight...

Everyone believed that Viktor died in the flames of the explosion.

"Viktor might be dead by now." Yuan Chen glanced at Jayce in front of him and said calmly, "When he was expelled from Piltover University."

"... What's the meaning?"

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, a barely perceptible hint of fear flashed across Jayce's brow.

Yuan Chen, on the other hand, spoke eloquently:

"In your eyes, Viktor may have just been fired. But in his own eyes, his design could have saved many lives."

Back in his old lab in Zaun, Viktor was filled with disgust and contempt for the shallow-mindedness of the Piltover people. And so, deep within Zaun, Viktor sank into a profound depression.

Yuan Chen recounted Viktor's ordeal in a rhythmic and varied tone. With each rise and fall of his voice, the suffering Viktor endured seemed to unfold before the audience's eyes. It was as if he were dictating a grand operatic inner drama.

"He went through weeks of psychological trauma and self-reflection, and the moral dilemma plunged him into a struggle with himself."

But then he discovered that what was hindering him was human emotion and weakness... He realized the useless internal conflict caused by emotional interference. Then, he remembered his wish.

"Strengthen the physical body beyond the limits of nature. Help the weak, eliminate avoidable mistakes, and save lives."

"Then."

Yuan Chen held up a finger and said softly, "He secretly underwent surgery on himself, removing his flesh and the parts of his heart that were dependent on him and carried his emotions."

Upon hearing this, Jayce's gaze narrowed sharply. Rosa, the forge manager who was merely observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but hold her breath.

Although Yuan Chen spoke cryptically, Piltover's research in biology was not lagging behind. The parts of flesh and soul that carry emotions... besides glands and nerves, there is also the brain.

"As for the battle that made you famous..."

Yuan Chen curled his lip and said:

"You can check it out; Zaun should have left some special information... Before Viktor contacted you, there was a serious gas leak in the Sump. As I mentioned before, Viktor removed people's brains to extract the toxins. But the efficiency wasn't ideal."

Simply put, he lacks a stable and abundant energy source.

Yuan Chen had already said this when they first started discussing it, but neither Jayce nor Rosa took it to heart.

Because that sounds like pure fantasy, after all, Viktor's crimes against humanity have already been established in Piltover.

Compared to Viktor, Jinx can be considered a kind and benevolent person.

And now, out of nowhere, someone has come out to exonerate such an anti-human and anti-social thug. It would be a miracle if they believed it.

But now it's different. With subsequent additions, both the results and the process, the actions and logic are interconnected...

"Where's the evidence?" Rosa asked gravely, stroking her chin.

"In the end, isn't this all just your wild guess? Without evidence, no one will believe it."

"There's plenty of evidence," Yuan Chen said casually.

"If you're looking for it... or perhaps someone has already cleared it out in advance for the sake of a stable and prosperous 'Piltover dream'."

As they were talking, the sound of a sharp blade hitting the ground suddenly rang out behind Jayce and Rosa.

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Camille, who had been drinking tea on the second floor, no longer concealed her presence.

She had arrived long ago, and Yuan Chen had known about it from the moment he entered the workshop.

But Jayce and Rosa didn't know. They didn't even know Camille's true identity; they only knew that Camille was one of the four major families present at yesterday's meeting.

Jayce turned around in alarm, but to his surprise, Camille was not the aggressive Human Form he had seen in the VIP room the day before.

Today, Camille was dressed casually. A long skirt covered her slender legs, and she was covered with a Silk Material shawl.

Although Camille's exchange with Yuan Chen was brief, Jayce was still very curious about the "Hextech Heart" that Yuan Chen mentioned.

If I remember correctly, Yuan Chen seemed to have called this woman... the chief spy of the Ferros Family?

With that in mind, and given the opportunity to observe closely, Jayce squinted and examined the Hextech Constructs surrounding Camille.

Unfortunately, the long dress concealed the areas of Camille's body that had undergone the most modifications. Even so, Jayce was certain that this was a high-level Hextech hybrid that had been iterated over several times.

Both the craftsmanship and the materials used are top-notch.

Unfortunately, Jayce couldn't disassemble the casing for a closer look, and the information obtainable solely from the exterior was far too limited...

Furthermore, Jayce doesn't have much energy to waste on Camille right now.

He quickly realized that, based on Yuan Chen's words, this woman might know a lot about his story with Viktor, as well as the story behind it that he didn't know...

Thinking this, Jayce couldn't help but swallow hard.

Gazing at the emblem of the Ferros Family on Camille's shawl, Jayce couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Camille glanced coldly at Jayce — Jayce had always been the focus of attention for the four major families.

Especially Camille.

Because in the Ferros Family's plan, Camille's next upgrade will be led by Jayce.

But now it seems... there are quite a few problems.

At the very least, Yuan Chen's words had a profound impact on Piltover's most brilliant inventor.

You've crossed the line.