253. Anomaly

Yuan Chen looked at the old woman in front of him, a hint of hesitation flashing across his brows.

He recognized the woman. To be precise, she had appeared in Legends of Runeterra (LOR).

In the storyline, Bel'Veth was attacked by the Void. However, Bel'Veth did not perish instantly. Instead, the priests and scholars, led by the Void, engaged in a fierce battle with the Void.

During this process, due to various accidents, Kai'Sa was not the only one who merged with Void Creature and became a Void Symbiosis.

And this old woman in front of me... at least in my memory, she has appeared before.

Thinking this, the old woman greeted Kassadin with a smile, then turned her gaze to Yuan Chen beside her. A peaceful look flashed across her kind face and her narrowed eyes.

"A pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency Yuan Chen."

"... Nice to meet you."

After a brief silence, Yuan Chen, amidst the puzzled gazes of Kassadin and the others, proactively extended his hand.

Upon seeing Yuan Chen's palm, a faint smile appeared on the old woman's lips—not out of malice, but more out of an indescribable sense of emotion.

Seemingly to express her goodwill, the elderly woman, referred to as "Elder," also extended her dry, cracked hands, resembling pine branches.

"Nice to meet you."

After a brief handshake, the old woman said to Kassadin and the others, "Now that you're back, Kassadin, I won't disturb your family reunion any longer. Kai'Sa, you're getting the afternoon off. Don't forget to come to the temple to continue your studies tomorrow!"

"Yes, Elder!"

Hearing that she could have a day off, little Kai'Sa was very excited and jumped up and down, saying, "I'll definitely be there tomorrow!"

In response, Kassadin, standing nearby, urged them to stay and have something to eat. The fruit just arrived.

"No need, I have other things to take care of."

The elder did not linger; he merely glanced at Yuan Chen before turning and leaving.

"I'm going back to the temple."

"..."

Throughout the entire process, Yuan Chen simply stood in place, frowning and remaining silent.

Meanwhile, noticing Yuan Chen's odd behavior, Kassadin first gestured to his wife to take Kai'Sa away, then turned to Yuan Chen with a somewhat uncertain look and asked:

"Your Excellency... have you been to Bel'Veth before?"

"... Why do you ask that?"

Yuan Chen glanced at Kassadin beside him.

It's safe to say he's destined to become Void. Even though Kassadin is just an ordinary person now, only at level two or three as a professional, his observation of things and behaviors as a guide is already incredibly meticulous.

In response to Yuan Chen's question, Kassadin pursed his lips and then said, "I didn't introduce you... but the elder only glanced at you and said your name."

"..."

Upon hearing Kassadin's words, Yuan Chen nodded silently.

This is also a major reason why Yuan Chen felt surprised and uncertain... In many cases, the first thing Yuan Chen said upon meeting someone was their name, regardless of whether the other person was a playable character in Summoner's Rift or a usable card in LoR.

Even without any verbal description in the League of Legends universe, Yuan Chen can use his Scout Skill to disguise himself as a prophet who knows everyone's names and talents.

But now... the other person recognized him at a glance and even said his name.

And more importantly... during the handshake, Yuan Chen released his senses.

This perception was not pure magic, but rather a perception of biological structure based on the power of the dragon. However, Yuan Chen did not sense any unusual physiological structure in this elder.

In other words, she was just an old woman who had aged. Although she possessed some magic power, it wasn't even at the "first level" level; it was simply a power that people in this world had possessed since birth, similar to blood and vital energy.

Simply put, he's just an ordinary person.

But it is full of unusual characteristics.

Yuan Chen even had a strange sense of familiarity. It wasn't just that he had seen it before, but as if it came from the same place.

But she wasn't Ionia... because both in the lore of Legends of Runeterra and in what she saw before her, this old woman was Shurima. Otherwise, she wouldn't be a respected elder in the Bel'Veth City.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen watched as the departing woman returned the greetings to others.

Seeing her teacher deep in thought, Taliyah asked, "Teacher, what's wrong? You seem a little... unwell? Is something wrong?"

Hearing Taliyah's concerned words, Yuan Chen shook his head, then pulled himself out of his thoughts and said, "It's nothing... I just encountered something rather interesting."

"Since there's nothing else, let's grab a quick bite."

Seeing Yuan Chen's condition, Kassadin was puzzled but didn't pay much attention.

As a guide, Kassadin traveled all over this desert. He met everyone, from high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants to penniless beggars, savage bandits, naive adventurers or idealistic adventurers, and Kassadin.

In fact, he escaped death several times.

Therefore, Kassadin knew very well that he should avoid getting too involved in things that would give his employers headaches; he should just focus on doing his job well and collecting his final payments.

Like now, we can have a casual meal, chat, and then part ways amicably.

If possible, please give me a hand in the future. I don't need to become rich overnight. Just mentioning myself occasionally to other adventurers or caravans will be enough for my guiding career to flourish.

As long as his wife and daughter can live and grow up peacefully, then for Kassadin, there's no need to strive for instant success; being a contented person is enough.

Yuan Chen did not refuse—because Elder Bel'Veth interrupted, Yuan Chen even forgot to check on Kai'Sa and Kassadin's wife's condition.

During the meal, Yuan Chen also confirmed... well, there were no surprises. In his timeline, whether it was Kassadin, Kai'Sa, or Kai'Sa's mother, they were all ordinary people and did not possess any Void aura.

Thinking it over, Yuan Chen asked Kassadin's wife:

"Speaking of which, what was the name of that elder from earlier? And has anything unusual happened in Bel'Veth recently?"