Chapter 80

"Hmm... well... never mind, it's nothing..." Syndra pursed her lips, but didn't finish her sentence.

But Chen Ce had already guessed. "I'll be back later—just an hour or two. I'll bring you your food around dinnertime."

"Oh..." Syndra responded while turning her head away.

She didn't want anyone to see her in such a vulnerable state.

Only walls are safe...

The wall won't laugh at her, nor will it do anything bad to her...

They would never abandon her and hand her over to a so-called mentor who wanted to betray her...

Syndra thought to herself.

Then a strange touch came from above her head—a hand resting on her head.

In an instant, her crown, conjured by magic, vanished, and countless strands of soft, silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

"We will become very good friends, Miss Syndra... Well then, let's say goodbye for now."

"..."

Syndra didn't turn around or respond until the hand was removed from her head.

Then, the sound of the door closing rang out.

She was the only one left in the room.

She felt her body stiffen, and could even hear her own strange, restless heartbeat.

She cautiously turned her head, looked at the tightly closed door, and then at the empty bottle on the table...

It was the empty bottle she had just finished drinking from; Chen Ce hadn't taken it with him.

Her beautiful cheeks were still slightly flushed.

She stared at the empty bottle's opening and suddenly remembered something very important—before she drank the medicine...

Chen Ce once tried to prove that the medicine was non-toxic...

And...

Syndra's already flushed cheeks turned even redder.

The warm touch on my head seemed to linger for a long time.

She lay down nervously and then covered herself completely with the blanket.

But...

In the blanket...

It seems to carry that person's scent...

"Broken..."

Chapter 91 Ahri: Snowflakes are falling, the north wind is howling~

Kalan stood on the deck of the Scarlet Huntress, facing the sea, his heart filled with despair.

He still couldn't stop Syndra from regaining her freedom... He couldn't stop Chen Ce's "trick".

Years of effort had come to naught, and he began to question whether his past sacrifices had been in vain—meaningless.

Night fell once more, and the patrolmen still lingered near the battlements. The familiar pauses and salutes, the familiar hateful stares—all remained.

"Sigh..." Kalan let out a long sigh, the ruthlessness and viciousness he had put on were gone, leaving only weariness and vicissitudes.

There is also a deep self-doubt.

After a long while, he turned around and faced another person on the deck—the "villain" who had deceived him.

Chen Ce.

"You've achieved your goal..." His dejected tone was filled with helplessness, but not much resentment. "Then why are you still here...? Did you want to see me make a fool of myself...?"

"No, Mr. Kalan." Chen Ce gave the respectable Vastaya warrior a standard Ionia traditional bow. "I'm here to apologize to you."

"An apology is unnecessary... You can leave now..."

"I will leave Fae'lor Island, but I hope to leave with you."

"I have no way back... I'll stay here and hold off these thirty-three warships..." Kalan sighed again, his gaze towards the opposite shore filled with longing.

"I will go down to the bottom of the sea with these thirty-three warships... I have only one request, Mr. Chen Ce —I hope that after you return to Placidium, you can find my two sons and tell them... that their father is not a traitor."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kalan, I cannot grant that request." Chen Ce shook his head.

Why?

"I hope you can say it to your two little ones yourself—I'll be your witness. And everyone else too."

"You don't understand... Fae'lor Island is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if the Resistance Army repel the Noxus invaders, it will be difficult to recapture it in a short time, and the casualties will be countless... The best way is for me to stay here. At least I can guarantee that these warships will not attack the other side."

Kalan paused, as if something was stuck in his throat.

But soon, his tone became more relaxed:

"If necessary, I will blow up these warships with gunpowder... It's better for me to sink to the bottom of the sea with them than for them to attack the First Lands."

"Why bother?" Chen Ce shook his head again, his gaze drifting to the Scarlet Huntress's cabin—in one of the rooms there was a figure that filled Kalan with immense fear. "We can help you eliminate all the enemies on Fae'lor Island, consider it a gift for Placidium."

"That's impossible... Mr. Chen Ce, you have to understand, those who are here are all Noxus veterans. They are experienced and extremely cunning. Their numbers of just over a thousand are equivalent to the fighting strength of no less than five thousand."

Even if there are 50,000 people, it doesn't matter.

"You mean..." Kalan seemed to have guessed something, "... to use that person's power?"

"Yes," Chen Ce didn't hide anything, "In front of Syndra, there's no difference between a thousand people, five thousand people, and fifty thousand people."

"But she'll destroy everything!" Already frustrated, Kalan became even more enraged. "Do you think she can be controlled? She's the embodiment of hatred and power! Not just Feilor ... she'll destroy all of Ionia!"

Faced with this angry accusation, Chen Ce did not argue back or retaliate with the same anger. He simply said calmly, "Please believe me, Mr. Kalan —this is the last time."

"But you've already lied to me once!"

"So I've come to apologize to you. I will only deceive you once."

"Humans who are full of lies!" Kalan, being a feline, instinctively bared his teeth, his sharp fangs and claws looking particularly eerie in the moonlight.

He was filled with remorse, he was in agony, and he even resorted to personal attacks.

But Chen Ce understood him. "What's done is done. Why don't you choose to cooperate with me one more time? Think of your two little ones—please believe me, Mr. Kalan, I never intended to harm you."

Kalan let out low growls, but the ferocity on his face gradually faded, replaced by a weary expression.

Even begging.

"Mr. Chen Ce... she really... she really can't control herself..."

Time will tell.

"But we're out of time..."

"A few days, just a few days." Chen Ce bowed in the darkness. "I will give you a satisfactory answer in a few days."

After saying that, he didn't wait for a response and his figure gradually disappeared into the darkness of the deck.

Kalan cat's eyes could still catch a glimpse of the afterimage, but he didn't try to stop him anymore.

Now that things have come to this, he is powerless to change anything.

He had no choice but to acquiesce.

Perhaps it was out of necessity or helplessness.

Or perhaps it's because of...

The last shred of trust.

Night fell, and it was time for dinner.

Syndra was alone in her room, her head covered by the blanket, silently counting down the agreed time— Chen Ce had said he would come back to find her around dinner time.

Actually, it's already quite late—the sun has long since disappeared behind the mountains, and it should be dinnertime by now.

But she wasn't in a hurry.

In her worldview, dinner is something that is eaten very late—whether at home or while "training" in the temple, she always waits until late at night to eat dinner.

As for her countdown...

It wasn't that she was particularly hungry or eagerly awaited Chen Ce's return; it was simply that she had absolutely nothing to do.

The surrounding environment was completely unfamiliar, and her magical power was severely depleted, which made her feel completely unsafe, and she didn't even dare to sleep.

All she could do now was silently count down the days while waiting for Chen Ce to come back to her.

She sincerely hoped that the strange man who had promised to be her good friend wouldn't lie to her...

Knowing full well the terrible things he's done, knowing how horrible he is, knowing how much he hates the Ionia... and still becoming friends with himself, what a weirdo...

But I don't dislike it either...

It's just a little strange...

Ten thousand, eight hundred and forty-two seconds... Ten thousand, eight hundred and forty-three seconds... Ten thousand, eight hundred and forty-four seconds...

Eleven thousand four hundred and fifty seconds... Eleven thousand four hundred and fifty one seconds...

Eleven thousand--

Bang!

When Syndra counted to 11451, the door was pushed open.

She still didn't peek out from under the covers, nor did she turn around to look, but she already knew who had come—she recognized the other person's scent.

"Good evening, Miss Syndra." Chen Ce's voice sounded from the doorway, growing closer as he spoke. "I've brought you dinner... It's a bit late, please excuse me."

"Hmm..." Syndra slowly peeked out from under the covers, looking like she had just woken up—of course, this was an act; she hadn't slept at all.

She glanced at the plate in the other person's hand; the long-awaited food made her heart flutter—she hadn't eaten a meal in decades.

The aroma of the meat and the tempting colors of the vegetables... she unconsciously swallowed.

But they didn't rush to start.

She also had to maintain her aloof and unapproachable image.

"Eat up, eat up. I prepared all of this especially for you." Chen Ce smiled, as if he had noticed something. "If it's not enough, I'll cook you some more later."

"Enough." Syndra nodded indifferently, then lazily waved her finger.

In an instant, everything around her began to move under her magical control—first, the blankets covering her "bounced" to the foot of the bed and then folded themselves up neatly; then, the spoon in front of her automatically scooped up a small piece of meat and floated it to her mouth.

Just like magical girls in anime.

Undoubtedly, the potion of Corrupting Potion restored some of her magic.

She's showing off her skills.

She slightly opened her small mouth and gracefully took the piece of meat from the spoon into her mouth.

Then, her eyes lit up.

After that, she stopped showing off her skills.

Magic is no match for your own hands; of course, you have to cook for yourself to truly enjoy your meal.

Chen Ce watched as the "young girl" in front of him, who looked like she hadn't eaten for decades... well, okay, she really hadn't eaten for decades, wolfed down her food, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at...!" Syndra blushed again, feeling mocked.

"It's nothing, it's nothing..." Chen Ce couldn't help but laugh.

Syndra raised an eyebrow, and the iron spoon in front of her bent instantly.

Of course, the food is still placed in its original spot—even when angry... you still need to eat, right?

Seeing this, Chen Ce knew that if he didn't explain clearly, his body would be the next one to be bent. "I really wasn't laughing at you, Miss Syndra."

"Then what are you laughing at...!" Syndra's beautiful purple eyes blazed with anger.