Chapter 119
After casually striking the beautiful and arrogant assassin girl Chen Ce left the safe house through the secret passage.
His destination was clear—the military camp where Darius, the Hand of Noxus, was stationed.
He didn't wear the magical mask that could block the "raven's gaze," and swaggered down the street, soon arriving at the [Steel Throne Plaza] beneath the Immortal Bastion.
At that time, a group of soldiers were drilling. The barbed wire fence and several sentry squads surrounded the entire military camp, which also isolated the flow of people inside and outside the square.
Normally, during military training, no one except military personnel is allowed to enter—including members of the Assassin Guild, which is also backed by the Noxus government.
But this is normal.
Chen Ce's [Deceive] is anything but normal.
In an instant, the teleportation effect of [Deceive] helped him bypass layers of barriers and sentries, and enter the military camp directly.
The second effect after teleporting—invisibility—allowed him to move as if he were in an empty field, easily entering the deepest part of the military camp.
Soon, he saw the Noxus general, tall and strong as an ox, on a high platform deep inside the military camp.
Darius, the Hand of Noxus.
He was still wearing his usual heavy armor, and the battle axe in his hand was almost as tall as a person, huge and sharp.
That battle axe was called the Black Cleaver, a reward personally bestowed upon him by the former Grand Commander Braum Darkwill —along with the glorious title of Hand of Noxus.
His face and exposed trapezius muscles were covered in scars, symbolizing countless deadly battles and Noxus's repeated expansions and victories.
His face was extremely fierce, and even without making any expression, he was intimidating enough. That imposing demeanor saved him a lot of trouble in the army.
Without a doubt, he is the symbol of Noxus's supreme power.
But Chen Ce felt no fear of him whatsoever.
On the contrary, he had a very good impression of this legendary general— Darius was undoubtedly a formidable opponent if he were an enemy, but an incredibly reliable ally if he were an ally.
However, gaining the general's approval was not so simple.
The best and most direct way is to demonstrate to him enough power to earn his approval.
A gentle breeze swept by, and Chen Ce's figure appeared in the dark corner of the high platform.
No one noticed his arrival—not even Darius, who was also on the platform.
But Chen Ce will expose himself.
"Good morning, esteemed Hand of Noxus." He greeted the burly, imposing figure without any hesitation.
The next moment, he heard the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air.
Darius, who had maintained a fighting habit for many years, instinctively swung his weapon.
Clang--!
The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out, its volume instantly attracting the attention of thousands of Noxus warriors below the stage.
Darius slowly turned around, his muscles bulging as he gripped the axe handle, exuding power.
His face was fierce, but his eyes also held a hint of surprise and admiration—his instinctive swing of the axe, though not at full strength, was at least 60-70% of his power, yet the seemingly slender young man in front of him had blocked his attack.
"Who are you?" His questioning tone sounded fierce, but he was clearly more curious than angry—otherwise he would be wielding an axe instead of talking.
"An assassin," Chen Ce replied with a smile, without hiding anything.
"Then I suppose you're not here to assassinate me."
"That's true."
"But you have violated Noxus law—trespassing on military grounds." Darius sheathed his axe and extended another hand towards the man. "You'd better be a real assassin."
"Of course." Chen Ce understood what he meant and immediately handed over the Assassin Guild's universal badge.
Darius examined the man briefly and then asked, "Who sent you? This way of contacting me is clearly not the style of Swain or the Faceless."
"I'm here in my personal capacity." Chen Ce's tone sounded calm, without the slightest hint of stage fright—even though everyone in the entire military camp was staring at him menacingly.
"I wish to request a military merit from you—my esteemed General Darius, the Hand of Noxus."
"Military merits? What military merits?" Darius asked with great interest.
Chen Ce didn't bother with any mystery; he simply leaned closer and whispered:
"I want to... solve your troubles in the Northern Freljord."
Darius was visibly taken aback when he finished speaking.
Then he burst out laughing.
But there seemed to be a hint of anger mixed in with the laughter.
"Kid, that's a good joke, but now is clearly not the time for jokes... Get out of here before I hold you accountable for trespassing in the military camp."
The soldiers below the platform didn't know what Chen Ce had said, but judging from their general's expression, they could roughly guess that Chen Ce had said something outlandish and unrealistic, and they immediately burst into laughter.
Despite Darius's distrust and the laughter of the crowd, Chen Ce did not show anger, but continued:
Give me a chance, and you won't lose anything.
"You're ridiculous, kid." Darius shook his head dismissively. "My army couldn't even pacify the north, so what can you do by yourself? Are you trying to say that I and my entire army are inferior to you alone?"
"That's not what I meant. I just have other ways to solve the problem in the north—you know, assassins have never been good at direct combat."
"You want to assassinate the leaders of those major tribes in Freljord?"
"I can handle it." Chen Ce neither denied nor affirmed.
"You're so arrogant...it's even making me a little annoyed." Darius shook his head again, and this time he looked a bit angry.
"Alright, kid... show me your strength and earn your chance from me—otherwise, you'll be punished."
"If you're willing, I don't mind." Chen Ce had been waiting for this sentence for a long time.
Only force can persuade this [embodiment of imperial power].
"Ha, then let's go!"
Darius wasn't one to waste words, and immediately brandished his battle axe.
Although he knew no magic, his physical strength was terrifying, and every exertion of his strength carried extremely terrifying power—even though he was still a [human].
The enormous battle axe swung heavily towards Chen Ce, who dodged backward with his agile movements, and the axe blade landed straight on the wooden floor of the high platform.
Boom! A terrifying explosion rang out, and the platform, which was more than four meters high, shattered instantly, sending countless wood chips and rocks flying in all directions.
The soldiers below the platform scattered, erupting in cheers—they were captivated by General Darius's power, and every close-up view was Feast for the eyes and ears.
"All you can do is hide? You think you can assassinate those Iceborn?" Darius roared, pressing closer and closer, chasing him from the ruined platform to the other side of the military camp. "You ignorant brat!"
As Chen Ce dodged, he observed this terrifying power, and couldn't help but marvel at it—this was a mortal body that didn't understand magic.
Truly powerful.
It truly lives up to its reputation as a symbol of power for the entire empire.
But... humanity has its limits.
"General Darius, please watch carefully," Chen Ce said with a smile in a low voice, and then finally drew the magnificent silver longsword— the Muramana.
Steel Tempest.
Clang--!
With another crisp sound, the longsword and the giant axe froze simultaneously.
Although Chen Ce's physical strength was inferior to Darius', the extreme sharpness of the Stormrazor combined with the superb skill of the Way of the Wanderer: Steel Tempest made him superior.
The swift force generated a strong gust of wind, blowing sawdust and stones towards the crowd, eliciting shouts.
The battle seemed to have just begun, but Darius stopped at that moment.
He re-examined the young man before him and remained silent for a long time.
Then, he calmly said:
"Come with me, let's talk in detail."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the soldiers cried out in confusion, "General! Don't let this arrogant assassin get away!"
"Let's teach him a lesson! Let him know who's the strongest!"
Kill him! Cut him in half!
The calls grew louder, but Darius's mind was made up.
He slung his battle axe back over his shoulder and strode toward the other side of the camp.
Everyone was puzzled.
But what no one noticed was...
His hand, gripping the axe handle, was trembling slightly...
"Swain you can say whatever you want."
As soon as he returned to his office, Darius made this point clear from the outset.
This fits Chen Ce's impression of him quite well—rough on the outside but shrewd on the inside, not as reckless and brainless as he appears on the surface.
"It seems I have gained your approval?"
"The answer to this question was already there the moment you walked in," Darius scoffed, quietly moving his right hand under the table—the intense pain still made his hand tremble uncontrollably.
"Tell me your thoughts—your plan for resolving the Freljord issue. If you can convince me it's feasible, I'll do my best to meet all your needs."
"Thank you very much." Chen Ce bowed slightly, and then said directly:
"My idea is similar to what you just said—to strike directly at the leaders of the major tribes in Freljord and dismantle the northern threat from the top down."
"And the help I need is very simple -- I just need you to help me get one thing."
"A weapon stored in the Immortal Bastion's vault."
"Weapons?" Darius asked, puzzled. "If you just need weapons, I can have the best craftsmen in the entire empire forge them for you—as many as you want, and even have the mage order enchant them... Why would you need weapons from the secret vault?"
"That weapon... it's very special."
"Do you absolutely have to have that one?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..." Darius thought for a while, then slowly nodded.
"Okay, so how do you want me to help you?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ce couldn't help but smile.
As expected... as long as you can control Darius's [desires], getting his help is quite simple.
He was invincible, but he suffered a defeat in Freljord not long ago. Now, he's willing to help anyone who can help him get rid of Freljord.
Besides, as the Hand of Noxus, he didn't crave power or flattery; he only wanted to see Noxus triumph over everything.
Solving the Freljord condition fulfilled his two greatest desires at once.
He will definitely give in.
"I need your help in two main ways..."
Several days later, a dark figure, completely concealed under a coat, slipped into the Immortal Bastion.
The gates and passageways, which should have been heavily guarded, became loosely guarded for some unusual reason, allowing any skilled assassin to easily infiltrate.
Chen Ce didn't understand much about the ways of an assassin, but the existence of [Deceive] was enough to make him a top assassin.
He easily infiltrated the secret vault of the Immortal Bastion.
The treasures inside were dazzling, including all kinds of priceless gems and all kinds of divine weapons filled with an aura of curse.
These are all treasures that Mordekaiser plundered from half the world back then.
But these are not Chen Ce's goals.