A Helpless Situation

After arriving in this world, Li Ke had never dreamed of becoming a king or conqueror. After all, he was an Earthling, not a native of Runeterra.

All he cared about was repaying Elder Souma and the woodsman who had taken him in. He regarded his fellow disciples as friends as well.

Before gaining this simulation ability, the life he longed for had been very simple.

Save up money and move to Piltover.

Why?

The simplest reason was this.

Piltover had toilet paper, while in Ionia, you could only use leaves.

Unfortunately, he had nothing. No wealth, no land—only a body that was slightly stronger than that of an ordinary Ionian commoner after harsh training.

And the sword in his hand.

He had no capital to start a business. If he wanted to get rich, he could either hunt, explore, or find a rich woman... a wealthy merchant.

So even though he knew that someone he respected was about to meet with misfortune, Li Ke could only choose to tell someone else.

Elder Souma might have been old, but his Wind Technique had long reached perfection. Even someone as arrogant as Yasuo had to lower his head obediently and listen to Elder Souma's teachings.

Li Ke might have defeated Yasuo just now, but that had been a spar between fellow disciples. Yasuo had initially only competed with swordsmanship before Li Ke taught him a lesson. But if Yasuo had used the Wind Technique from the beginning, then even if he stood still and let Li Ke strike him, Li Ke's sword would not have been able to break through the wind surrounding him.

Although Li Ke had not learned the Wind Technique himself, he understood it very well: when it was used, a mass of wind would form around the wielder, blocking the blades and attacks of those nearby.

The stronger the attack, the fiercer the wind surrounding the wielder. In gaming terms, the thicker the wind shield became.

When facing a Noxian, Elder Souma would never confront Riven without precautions. When he went all out to destroy that rune sword, the wind around him would surely have been fiercer than a Category Twelve gale. Forget crossbow bolts and fragments—even siege ballistae would never pierce the wind around him.

Yet he had still died.

His ability was insufficient, the timing of the event was unclear, and his own strength was lacking.

But Yone was nearby—a serious senior disciple with enough strength to handle this crisis and a strong sense of responsibility. Naturally, Li Ke chose to tell him about it and let him solve the problem.

"But why don't you tell Elder directly?"

Yone felt that Li Ke was hiding something.

"Because I can't be certain that what I saw is real. Speaking recklessly to an elder is a sin, and I also don't understand why you weren't present in my prophecy. Besides, you know Elder's personality... so I want you to stay by Elder Souma's side at all times. Even if you personally see Yasuo abandon his post, do not leave."

Prophecies needed verification.

Li Ke found this deeply frustrating. A prophet had to make predictions that came true before others would trust him, but Li Ke had not read much of the backstory. At one point, he had even believed Malphite's head was his nose and that The Black Cleaver was Darius's weapon.

The heroes he knew had yet to make names for themselves, while all the famous people he heard about were strangers to him. The only ones he knew were the Eye of Twilight, the Fist of Shadow, and a Kinkou Order disciple named Zed. He knew that this Zed would defect in the future and become Zed.

But that would most likely happen near the end of the war, or at the earliest, during its middle stages. The Noxians had not even landed yet!

How was he supposed to make prophecies and earn people's trust?

And worst of all, if he proved his prophecy correct—that Elder Souma would die because of Riven—then Elder Souma would absolutely accept that outcome!

He would submit to the prophecy and might even bring it about himself!

That was what gave Li Ke the greatest headache. Elder Souma believed in fate, firmly convinced that fleeing from one's destiny would bring even greater calamity. That was why Li Ke did not dare make such a prophecy at all.

If he lied and told him that failing to guard himself would be dangerous, Elder Souma would still abandon all other arrangements and submit to the prophecy. And if he said Elder Souma would remain unharmed under others' protection, he would likewise submit to the prophecy and make no further plans.

As for knocking Elder Souma unconscious, stopping Riven in advance, or killing one of them...

Li Ke could not defeat either of them, so those options had been impossible from the start.

In short, when dealing with a stubborn old man who could fight like hell and believed in fate, it was best not to tell him such things. Otherwise, it would only cause greater trouble.

Yone was already the best choice for this period.

Once this period had passed and he had gained enough strength, he could naturally take Yone's place and handle everything perfectly.

So whether Elder Souma could truly escape his destined death depended on Yone and the speed at which Li Ke grew stronger. All those flashy schemes were not actually very useful.

"I understand."

Yone nodded slightly. Though he was still doubtful, he would follow Li Ke's instructions. Even if Yasuo left right in front of him, he would not leave Elder Souma's side.

Because that was what Li Ke had asked of him.

Afterward, the two discussed other matters. Mainly, Yone briefed Li Ke on the target village, as well as the types and weaknesses of the magical beasts that had been spotted.

Then Yone helped Li Ke tidy up the room before leaving.

But when Li Ke finished cleaning up and prepared to sleep, he found a bag of money Yone had left behind, along with the longsword Li Ke had hidden beneath his pillow.

"Seriously..."

Looking at the considerable sum of money and the sword he had refused, Li Ke muttered under his breath.

"...What kind of brother is this?"

He was clearly more like a father!

Closing his eyes, Li Ke finally had the time and energy to continue studying his cheat ability.

Lying on the bed, his consciousness sank deeper and deeper. Li Ke's mind once again approached the Void within his consciousness, allowing it to absorb his mental strength.

This time, Li Ke held onto a single thought throughout.

"Take me to a world where I can become stronger quickly!"

He had to become stronger as quickly as possible. Only then could he rest easy.

Whether it was Elder Souma's situation or becoming a wealthy man in Piltover someday, both required strength as a foundation. No matter what that river he had seen actually was, it was undoubtedly something that could make him stronger quickly.

There was nothing left to hesitate over.

This time, Li Ke saw that river again. But the ball of light he released did not enter the world from last time. Instead, guided by his thoughts, it entered a world that felt strangely familiar to him.