Hextech Gate

"Th-This... teleportation?!"

Ivankov's huge face lit up with delight. He realized that Ginny and he had struck it big. With this thing, their chances of successfully escaping would rise exponentially.

"That's right, teleportation. This is just a model. I don't know whether to call it good luck or bad luck, but this ship of mine happens to be carrying the parts needed to build this device.

Slow-moving airships and ships can't get out, but they can't stop this kind of teleportation."

What Oran held was a model of a Hex Gate. In his dreams, Oran had experienced all sorts of times and spaces, but the place he normally lived was Piltover, where Hextech was everything.

Piltover had originally possessed Hex Gates. Their principle was to use the energy released by the Hex Core to accelerate airships, reducing travel time.

Oran had conducted another round of research and development based on that.

Hextech was extremely unique. Its energy was limited only by the user's imagination, and it contained endless possibilities.

From charging machines to generating beams capable of cutting through the toughest steel, Hextech played its role in countless fields.

Furthermore, due to technical differences, even Hex Craftsmen from the same school could differ in their methods. It could be said that every piece of Hextech work was one of a kind.

Compared to the original Gate, Oran's goal was direct teleportation, more like teleporting a hero to a designated location in a game.

He had originally gone to Bilgewater to discuss business related to this technology. Confident in it, he had brought the finished components with him.

Teleporting cargo directly into a warehouse was far quicker than hauling it off a ship.

"That's great. In that case..."

Ivankov seemed to see a bright future ahead, but Oran immediately poured cold water on his hopes.

"Don't celebrate just yet. I'm not done. Although my research is aimed at directly teleporting people, and the experiments have already succeeded, stable teleportation requires two terminals.

At the moment, we have no way to send the other terminal out. That means we can only teleport randomly. I can guarantee that I'll send people into a general area.

But which island within that area they end up on will depend on luck."

Oran spread his hands, looking somewhat helpless. After all, this technology had not been developed for emergency escapes. Without preparation, there would inevitably be limitations.

"That's not a big problem. Under the current circumstances, I don't think any island could be worse than this place."

Ginny did not think this was a problem. The chance of dying if they stayed was one hundred percent. As long as they could get out, anywhere would be better than here.

Excluding places like the Red Line Continent and Marine Headquarters, who knew how much higher their chances of survival would be.

"The second problem is that I need time."

Compared to the earlier issue of unstable teleportation, this was what concerned Oran more.

At least the horizontal positioning issue had been resolved with unstable teleportation. It would not randomly send someone into the sky or inside a building. Unless their luck was truly disastrous, they would land safely.

However, Ivankov and Ginny did not seem to understand why Oran considered this such a difficult problem.

"Doesn't your ship already have the components? We can help assemble them."

Ivankov raised his arm, seemingly trying to show that he was strong enough to serve as manual labor.

"Do you think this technology is as simple as assembling a toy? This device was originally meant solely for transporting cargo. Teleporting people requires some modifications.

Especially the Hex Core that powers the device. That is the power source. Its output must be adjusted to teleport people, and only I can do that."

Oran picked up the model from the table and skillfully dismantled it. A blue crystal the size of a bottle cap floated within it.

"This is the heart of the device. Such a tiny piece is enough to power this dreamlike technology, and the real thing is much larger than this."

Oran put away the miniature Hex Core and gestured for the two to keep following him. Before long, he brought them to the ship's cargo hold, where the Hex Gate components were stored.

Dozens of enormous crates were neatly arranged inside. Even the smallest was taller than Ivankov.

"Ordinary people can handle the parts outside the core, but the two of you alone won't be much help."

Oran pulled off a dust cover and opened one of the crates, showing Ivankov and Ginny the massive metal components inside.

A large-scale device connecting two different city-states was far more imposing than Oran's model. These Gate components occupied most of the ship's space.

Seeing gears taller than himself, Ivankov fell silent. Ginny, on the other hand, remained optimistic.

"So aside from time, you need more hands, right?"

"That's right. Preferably skilled workers already. Shipwrights, blacksmiths, carpenters, anyone. There should still be quite a few on this island.

I'm not asking much. As long as they can read blueprints."

With some basic foundation, teaching them how to assemble it would not be difficult. Oran even began to miss the other crew members on his ship. If they were here, things would be much easier.

Unfortunately, when they rested last night, Oran had sent them all to an inn by the docks. Only Oran himself had remained aboard to conduct experiments, leaving him alone now.

"Continue with your plan as well. Running both approaches at once will raise the odds, but no matter what we do, recruiting some help is necessary.

No one will willingly die here. There should be quite a few people willing to take a gamble."

Oran took out some items that might prove useful and began further arming himself. He had a mild fear of lacking firepower, something that could practically be called hereditary.

"In theory, yes, but those people are Celestial Dragons. Those with the courage to resist... I'm afraid there won't be many."

Ivankov voiced his concern. Since the founding of the World Government, centuries of rule had deeply entrenched the Celestial Dragons' status.

Moreover, according to the intelligence Ivankov possessed, the Celestial Dragons would use the lie that anyone surviving three weeks would be granted freedom to make the "prey" desperately flee, increasing their own amusement.

"The false hope offered by the Celestial Dragons will probably make many people give up resisting and willingly choose to run away..."

"Then whether they live or die has nothing to do with us. What, do you want to save everyone?"

Oran had never thought of himself as selfless. He would not drag himself down for a group of completely unrelated people.

If he had the ability, Oran did not mind lending others a hand. But only if they shared his mindset and had the same goal to strive for.

For example, Ivankov and Ginny were planning an escape. Their goal was to leave this place, and Ginny's group could provide intelligence about it, so naturally they could form a temporary alliance.

Subjectively giving up resistance, handing one's fate to the enemy, and praying that they would show mercy.

To Oran, that was the same as giving up any hope of escape. He would "respect" that choice as well. As long as they did not hinder him, Oran would not concern himself with them.

Ivankov understood this as well. Among slaves, there were people like Ginny and him, unwilling to accept their fate and ready to resist when the opportunity arose, as well as those who had long resigned themselves and lived like walking corpses.

The situation was already bleak. The time ahead was practically a countdown to death. They could not waste all their time on a group of people who had accepted their fate.

"If I had that ability, I really would want to do it, but it isn't realistic. In fact... even if just one of us can escape, I'd consider it a great victory."

After a brief sigh, Ivankov still chose to face reality.

"Then there's no problem. People who aren't willing to fight for themselves aren't worth saving. But your goal is too small. I don't want to slink away like this."

"What do you want to do?"

"This world gave me, a newcomer, such a special welcome gift. Of course, I have to give it a return gift with enough weight behind it."

His blue eyes became somewhat unfathomable. No one could tell what Oran was thinking.

"What do you mean by a return gift...?"

No matter how one looked at it, the phrase "return gift" was far too strange in a situation like this.

To Ivankov, "this world" was merely an odd verbal habit. There were many such people on the seas, and Ivankov himself was one example. But "return gift" simply did not fit.

Even Ivankov himself did not realize that, before long, the words "return gift" would take on a new meaning in his mind. Gifts could bring joy, but they could also be deadly.