Winning Over

##DONE## Chapter 20: 19

Ascended, the Celestial Warriors that the ancient Shurima Empire prided itself on.

Without exaggeration, every Celestial Warrior who became an Ascended was a great hero who left a glorious mark on the history of the Shurima Empire.

Through the blessings of the legendary Sun Disc, these warriors gained the power of the sun. Both body and mind transcended their original limits under this power, and they could easily transform into mountain-sized bodies on the battlefield.

With a casual swing of their weapons, enemy armies would fall like wheat being harvested...

In that era, humanity was still ignorant. The Shurima Empire was the only pearl on the Runeterran Continent. The kings of Valoran traveled thousands of miles just to catch a glimpse of Shurima's majesty...

Although the Shurima Empire became dust in the annals of history during a great catastrophe, and even the magnificent Sun Disc was lost along with it, the celestial stories of the Ascended did not end there. Instead, they flowed through the long river of history.

They clashed with each other in their fallen forms, and at one point ruled this world, bringing endless chaos and disaster to Runeterra.

And the chosen ones of Mount Targon are even more so. The so-called chosen ones are those who have successfully climbed to the summit of Mount Targon and gained the recognition of the immortal Stargirls, possessing Celestial power.

They are the earthly representatives of the immortal Celestial Stargirls. Legend has it that the Shurima Empire was successfully established under the guidance of the Stargirls, and the power they wield is also infinite...

Within the boundless Cosmos, the power from the stars can allow them to easily annihilate a mountain peak, or even an entire mountain range...

And now, he actually had the chance to stand alongside them...

Understanding what this ball of flame in his hand represented, Mordas couldn't help but swallow. Staring at the flame in his hand, his lion-like face was filled with human-like disbelief--

He knew this ball of flame was a very precious magical material, but he never expected that a casual act of saving someone would bring him such a gift...

But soon, Mordas also reacted. Looking at Yuan Chen beside him, he said with some difficulty in his eyes, "Do... do I have this qualification?"

"..." Looking at Mordas's face, Yuan Chen was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "You already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"

"...Yes." Mordas gave a somewhat helpless smile, but the helplessness didn't last long. It quickly turned into a look of open-mindedness.

"If I really had the aptitude... even if it was very weak, using it seven times in a row would be enough to awaken it, right?

To still only be able to use it as a magical item, it seems I'm still far from becoming a hero."

As he spoke, Mordas shrugged his shoulders:

"It seems the great Azure Guardian Dragon misjudged. I'm just an ordinary... Meat-toothed Beast."

Hearing Mordas's words, Yuan Chen raised his eyebrows in surprise instead, saying:

"Your reaction... I must say, it surprises me."

"Haha~" Hearing this, Mordas also relaxed and laughed, saying:

"I'm just an unremarkable Meat-toothed Beast... If I really had extraordinary aptitude, I wouldn't have lingered at the foot of Mount Targon for so long, only to choose to leave in disgrace."

Hearing Mordas's self-deprecation, Yuan Chen's gaze grew complex as he looked at the Carnivore Beast before him.

"To accept one's ordinariness and face it, even to persist in one's ideals and beliefs, that is already extraordinary."

"Huh?"

Mordas blinked, then sheepishly scratched his bristly head and laughed, "Haha, to be praised by a prophet like you, I truly feel honored!"

"There are many extraordinary people, but few become heroes," Yuan Chen nodded. "The one who becomes a hero might not necessarily be someone else."

After hearing Yuan Chen's explanation, Mordas also nodded. After a moment of silence, he looked at the jar in his hand, his gaze revealing a hint of conflict and struggle. A moment later, he tossed the jar directly to Yuan Chen.

This surprised Yuan Chen. "You're..."

"In my hands, he can't unleash his greatest value... I understand the principle that an innocent man is guilty when he possesses a treasure," Mordas said, looking at Yuan Chen.

"You are a prophet, able to see who is qualified to become the Dawn Bringer... Gods, this title alone sounds incredibly noble, a messenger bringing dawn, hope, and salvation."

"I am willing to hand him over to you... but you must also promise me one thing."

Hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded immediately without hesitation. "You speak. As long as I can do it, I will definitely not refuse."

"If the Carnivore Beast Tribe faces a crisis in the future, I hope you will help us at all costs," Mordas looked at Yuan Chen, his eyes still showing a trace of reluctance, but he did not waver in his decision.

"I believe you want to make Runeterra a better place, just like the legendary great wanderer Ryze...

But I, an ordinary person, cannot see the many future tribulations like you, a prophet. I only hope to protect my tribe in future disasters."

Hearing Mordas's request, Yuan Chen nodded almost without hesitation. Then, after a moment of silence, he said solemnly:

"I swear to the Spirit of Ionia, I will fulfill my promise to you. Every Dawn Bringer born by my hand will protect your tribe in the form of a contract, guaranteeing aid in any just war and conflict."

Hearing Yuan Chen's words, Mordas breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he had never been to Ionia, he knew about Ionian traditions.

The Spirit of Ionia was real. Any Ionian who swore an oath to the Spirit of Ionia represented a witness, a tangible constraint.

If the oath was broken, it would also mean that the oath-taker would forever be unable to receive the recognition and protection of the Spirit of Ionia, and would even be actively punished.

In Ionia, which valued harmony, once rejected by the Spirit of Ionia, all Ionians would become enemies of the oath-breaker.

For someone like Yuan Chen, who was born and raised in Ionia, violating the oath would mean being spurned by all his compatriots, never being able to return home, and facing permanent exile.

"Alright, then this matter is settled!" Mordas shook his head decisively, his mane gently fluttering in the night wind.

"I saved those children once, and this gift has saved me seven times! No matter how I look at it, I've already gained more than enough. Now I can also exchange it for the promise of you, a prophet—haha, indeed, one must do more good deeds!"

Mordas stroked the mane on his chin, speaking with a hint of smugness.

As Yuan Chen listened to Mordas's words, he suddenly understood why those young Fleshfang Hunters, even if they felt stronger than Mordas and more suited to be leader, were still willing to accept Mordas's command and appointments.

Mordas was an idealist, but not a pure one. He knew when to be practical and when to stick to his principles.

"So, what do we do next?" Mordas asked, tilting his chin towards Yuan Chen.

"About hunting the Dragon. This flame that suppresses Dragons is yours. You're the prophet, you should have a way to kill it, right?"

"Of course, and I have even more ways now."

Holding the jar in his hand and gazing at the deep blue flame within, Yuan Chen's eyes were filled with confidence--

Before, regarding hunting the Dragon, even with the cooperation of the Fleshfang Beasts, Yuan Chen only had a 30% chance. Now, Yuan Chen's confidence was at least 60%!

"Then what do we do?"

"Use this flame."

"Huh?"

Mordas paused instinctively, then said hesitantly, "This flame? Are you sure? Just to hunt an Elemental Drake... Alright, Elemental Drakes are powerful, especially in an elemental forest like Ixialia.

But this can shape a Celestial Warrior! To just use it for hunting a Dragon..."

"That's not a conflict."

Yuan Chen looked at the flame in his hand and said, "The way to become a Dawn Bringer is for a qualified person to activate the power of this flame... just like how you used it before. And coincidentally, I know someone who possesses this qualification."

As he spoke, Yuan Chen put away the jar in his hand, and a look of confident victory appeared in his eyes.

Seeing this, Mordas nodded, then simply stood up and said, "Then I'll go rest. It looks like, if nothing unexpected happens, we might be changing camps tomorrow. I hope the dragon hunting process won't have any unnecessary complications..."

The night passed without incident.

The next day, under Mordas's leadership, the Fleshfang Beasts in the camp began their preparations.

Tents were dismantled and stacked onto carts, war machines that had already been assembled were moved again, and traps and fortifications built on the ground that couldn't be moved were directly destroyed.

Mordas had clearly prepared for a long time for this hunt. At least, there were no signs of shoddy workmanship on the giant arrowheads that the Fleshfang Beasts were dismantling.

And the large barrels of hunting poison and potent explosives proved that Mordas wasn't just a brute who only knew how to fight with cold weapons.

"Where did you get these ballistae?" Standing to the side, Yuan Chen stroked his chin and asked, "The other equipment is fine... but judging by the craftsmanship, the Carnivore Beast Tribe shouldn't be able to produce these ballistae, right?"

"I commissioned a merchant to smuggle it in. Genuine Noxian goods," Mordas didn't try to hide anything, instead moving his body as he spoke.

"Otherwise, what do you think I used those seven Firelights for before? Wasn't it to gather enough prey and prepare some good merchandise?"

"Enough talk. We're leaving now, heading to that... uh, village you mentioned. What about you?"

Mordas turned his gaze to Yuan Chen.

Yuan Chen, however, looked towards the dense forest. "I'm going to find help."

Their conversation ended, and the two temporarily parted ways.

Unlike the hunters from the Meat-toothed Beast settlement, Yuan Chen wasn't burdened by dragon-hunting supplies. Wielding his machete, he moved through the dense forest at an extremely fast pace. Following the direction he came from, he soon returned to Nedeli's cave.

That's right, the person Yuan Chen mentioned as qualified was Nedeli.

In the skin universe of the Dawn Bringer, Riven and Yasuo represented order and chaos respectively. Their deaths in a duel did not end the struggle between order and chaos.

On the contrary, the power left behind by their deaths gave birth to new Dawn Bringers and Night Bringers.

Therefore, in the worldview of the Dawn Night skin universe, Riven and Yasuo's identities represented the God of Order and the God of Chaos. Among these, Nedeli was included in the first batch of Dawn Bringers born.

Although that was a Nedeli from another parallel worldview, it undeniably represented that Nedeli indeed possessed the qualifications to transfer to Dawn Bringer, as an alternate self from another world.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen passed through the cave without a word and entered Nedeli's boudoir—

Well, it was just a slightly tidier cave. Looking up, he said, "Ned... uh?"

As soon as he entered, Yuan Chen saw Nedeli lying on the bed, stretching her neck with difficulty to move her head over a basin of water, then carefully licking the water.

Her arms were both fractured, and the current Nedeli could only drink water in this manner.

Upon seeing Yuan Chen's arrival, Nedeli couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She then simply lay back down, saying somewhat unhappily, "Why are you back so soon? Did they chase you away? Why didn't they kill you!"

In response, Yuan Chen shrugged his shoulders. "That's a bit too formal of you to say."

As he spoke, Yuan Chen waved his hand. The water in the bowl began to surge, and the next moment, it transformed into a water sphere that floated in front of Nedeli.

Seeing this, Nedeli didn't stand on ceremony and simply began to suckle—it was much more thirst-quenching than licking it bit by bit.

"Is there a possibility that I convinced them to cooperate with me in just one day?"

Hearing this, Nedeli was silent for a moment, then frowned with some seriousness. "You're really planning to join that suicidal mission? Are you crazy? That's an Elemental Drake! And it's in the Ixialia Elemental Forest!"

"I'm not crazy; it's because I have sufficient confidence," Yuan Chen explained calmly. "And now, I'm confident that I can increase the probability of success to over eighty percent."

"How will you increase it?" Nedeli looked at Yuan Chen somewhat mockingly, feeling that Yuan Chen was being overconfident.

To this, Yuan Chen said plainly, "You."

"Me?" Nedeli was stunned at first, then couldn't help but chuckle. "You're not suggesting I join this operation, are you?"

"That's exactly it."

"Dream on," Nedeli refused without hesitation. "I'd rather die than leave this place even half a step! Don't forget, you're the one who broke my arm like this!"