svetikya Page 86
Page 86
"Not bad, the blinding effect is so strong." Launching the attack from within the smoke, Fain's eyes were also filled with surprise.
Keep in mind, it's midday, the sun is at its brightest, yet he's enveloped in smoke, unable even for the sun to penetrate. It's only because Fane possesses the vision of the spiritual realm, allowing him to observe the world through perception. Anyone else, especially those who haven't practiced the Shadow Fist technique, would likely lose their sight and become blind in this smoke.
Akali replied with considerable pride, "Of course! Those evil spirits all have eyesight and senses far exceeding those of ordinary people. To blind them, we'd definitely have to put a lot of effort into the materials we use!"
As she spoke, Akali casually flicked her wrist, sending several kunai flying through the air. Although they didn't look particularly heavy or sturdy, thanks to her superhuman magic conversion efficiency, her seemingly frail arms unleashed terrifying power. The moment they made contact, they pierced through the heavy Noxian plate armor, leaving a bloody hole in the strong body, turning the body into a corpse.
On the front lines, Jie led the disciples of the Twilight Eye school, determined to fight, wielding spirit blades alongside the farmers and villagers of Ionia. Although clad in armor, Jie's fighting style differed significantly from Shen's. While both engaged in direct combat, Jie was noticeably more agile and versatile, constantly weaving through gaps in the battlefield with his blade, slicing through the air, either cutting flesh along the gaps in armor or seizing an opportunity for a decisive, swift kill. His efficiency in eliminating enemies appeared considerably faster than Shen's direct, head-on approach.
On the other side, although he was reluctant to launch an attack, Shen still raised his arm as the Noxians rained down arrows. With a deep chant, the spirit sword behind him burst out of the air, forming an invisible barrier that froze the arrows aimed at the village in mid-air. As he flipped his palm, the rain of arrows was thrown to one side.
Within the black mist created by Akali, Fain did not wait any longer, but instead looked at Dukur not far away with a calm gaze.
In a sense, unless it's a massive coordinated spell, numerical superiority has very limited effect on Faen. The current situation is merely an attempt to further ignite people's sense of war, or rather, struggle.
As for now...
The Ionians have been far removed from war for too long, and even if they muster the courage and determination to fight, their equipment quality and troop discipline are far inferior to Noxus's. To avoid pointless sacrifices, let's first take stock of their command structure.
269·Carving the Array
"Ready to catch up."
After glancing at Akali and the others beside him, Fain then turned his gaze to Dukur, who was not far away. Just as Akali and the others were wondering what Fain meant by those words, with a step forward, Akali involuntarily looked down at Fain's ankle.
This smokescreen, so dim that even the midday sun couldn't penetrate it, appeared to be made of more robust materials, but in reality, it contained a large amount of special magical herbs such as Scented Flower and Speed Grass. These substances, used alone, had little effect, but after being specialized in training, they could greatly enhance the perception and mana mobilization speed of Shadow Fist practitioners, thus giving Shadow Fist ninjas, also within the smokescreen, a visual advantage in perception and explosive attack speed.
With a powerful stride, his knees bent, giving the impression of a drawn bow stretched to its limit. Astonishing energy surged through his strong muscle fibers, and in the instant of the explosion, Fain shot out almost like a blur in Akali's sight. The sheer force of the impact tore a crack in the dense smoke screen, a crack that took a long time to heal.
Meanwhile, upon noticing the members of the Order of the Balance, Dukur quickly realized that this war might not be as simple as it seemed—according to the intelligence records of the War Stonemasons, these armored warriors, or those operating within a smokescreen, were a special cult from the Shanzan Highlands in northern Ionia. Unlike other cult sanctuaries in Ionia, this cult had been fighting against various vile monsters for years, making them the elite force with the greatest impact on the course of the Ionian war.
Therefore, Swain directly dispatched a large number of his core troops to besiege the Shanzan Heights, attempting to eliminate them before the full-scale war broke out. However, according to reports, because this sect rarely communicated with others, they hadn't been able to fully ascertain the location of their headquarters, hence the long period of stagnation. Unexpectedly, they themselves encountered them first.
Thinking this way, Dukur wasn't too nervous; in fact, he was somewhat excited—because along the way, he had only encountered civilians and refugees, and this land had become so insensitive to war that Dukur found it rather tedious. Even if he won, what difference would it make? Winning so easily and casually wasn't something to boast about! On the contrary, dealing with slightly more difficult opponents like this would bring him much more glory during the post-battle review!
But just as Dukur was still thinking, he suddenly sensed something. Dukur felt a chill flash through his mind, like a sign of impending death. This made Dukur suddenly alert and he looked in the direction where Fan was rushing towards him.
As Fane charged forward, a gaping hole was torn in the once-ironclad military formation, visible only to Dukur's gaze. Fane, still advancing at high speed, glanced indifferently at Dukur. There was no obvious hostility or killing intent, but that silent indifference sent a chill down Dukur's spine. Without hesitation, Dukur swung his arm sharply and coldly shouted, "Stop him!!"
Upon hearing Dukur's words, the Noxian soldiers noticed Fane's figure and immediately launched a blocking operation.
Meanwhile, Faen, standing among them, did not feel too much pressure on his face—even though Ionia's mental realm was in chaos and severely impacted, unable to easily unleash the full power of the Happy Demon, even if it was only a partial power, it was by no means something these soldiers could stop.
Especially with the arrival of war, although it was not very certain, Fan could feel that all the thoughts related to the struggle that had not responded in the past were now bursting forth in response to Fan's call.
Thinking about it, although he didn't do anything too much, on the other side of the veil of the material realm, the surging anger had already transformed into countless torrents of magic power and poured into Fain's body.
Upon receiving Dukur's order, a Noxian heavy infantryman, as imposing as an iron tower, immediately raised his heavy black steel tower shield beside Fain. The shield, forged from three fingers thick black steel, was incredibly heavy. Countless barbs were embedded in the shield's surface, and the dried black blood on those barbs revealed that this shield was not merely for show; in addition to its weight and hardness, it possessed terrifying lethality.
But within everyone's sight, Farn showed no sign of slowing down. Raising his right arm, an arm that would be considered strong by most, appeared almost frail before the fully armed giant. But in that instant of the punch, accompanied by a deafening boom, the black-armored giant was struck head-on like a battering ram. The sound of twisting steel was sharp and piercing; the impact was so powerful that the black-armored warrior, shield and all, caved in.
The crisp crack of a shield shattering and the muffled thud of a sternum collapsing exploded simultaneously. With the detached alien helmet, a minotaur's face, adorned with daggers embedded in its horns, came into view. One would say it truly lived up to its reputation as the most physically robust minotaur race among the Vastaya. Even after such a horrific blow, it didn't die immediately. Instead, after vomiting copious amounts of blood, its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed unconscious—though not dead, its weak breathing suggested only a final, desperate struggle before death.
But after the blow landed, Fane didn't relax at all. Instead, he grabbed the spear that was thrust at him from behind, and with a casual flick of his wrist, he swung the spear and himself at the ballista not far away. With a dull thud, the steel ballista rails were clearly bent by the flesh and blood, and the Noxian warrior fainted on the spot with a tooth-grinding sound of bones cracking, unable to get up again.
Muscles bulged, and abundant magic surged into Fane's limbs and bones, strengthening his already powerful muscles. The surging water formed an illusory armor around his body. Without any intention of defense, Fane charged straight into the forest of spears, snapping the ironwood shafts of the thrusting spears in half with his bare hands. Gripping the broken spears, Fane swung them left and right, unleashing two afterimages. Wherever he passed, flesh exploded into a foul-smelling red mist!
Then, looking at Dukur, whose eyes were filled with horror, Fane grinned and then increased his speed again, rushing straight towards his opponent.
270 Slaying Generals
"No retreat! Prepare to engage!" Noticing Farn's figure, a man wearing half armor, with most of his chest exposed, roared. Beneath this man rode a colossal beast resembling a small war chariot, covered in dark scales and clad in hard plate armor—or rather, steel plates.
These bizarre reptiles from the southern forests of Noxus are ferocious and brutal predators, and their size can grow quite enormous depending on their age. Young lizards, like the ones we see now, are prized mounts, as only at this age can they be tamed. As they grow older, or become too large to be handled, they become pack animals.
More often, adult dragon lizards are transformed by the Noxians into fearsome living battering rams, clad in steel. Their ferocity is unleashed, forcing them to crash into the city walls and break through any gaps, thus escalating the stalemate. The supposed taming of young dragon lizards does not equate to their ease of control. On the contrary, dragon lizard riders are respected in every Noxian legion and are often used as initiators to break through enemy lines during stalemates.
Now, atop the dragon lizard, the barbarian knight's face was filled with ferocity. Gripping his spear, he watched Farn's charge and pulled on the reins. With a sharp roar, the dragon lizard strode forward, its seemingly short, clumsy limbs unleashing unimaginable speed once it began to gallop.
As he charged forward, Fane sensed hostility from one side. Looking at the dragon lizard knight charging towards him, Fane felt no fear; instead, a look of anticipation rose on his face.
Then, before everyone's eyes, amidst the earth-shattering impact of the dragon lizard rider's charge, the steel-clad monster crashed down with enough force to crush city walls. Farn, however, did not retreat but advanced, lowering his shoulder to meet the dragon lizard's armored head. Compared to the dragon lizard's immense size, Farn's figure seemed incredibly thin and small. But at the very instant of contact, the rough, hard, angular black steel ram on the dragon lizard's head shattered with a resounding crash.
During this time, Farn did not retreat at all. Instead, when the dragon lizard was impacted and let out a whimpering cry, the muscles in his arms bulged, and the veins stood out like giant pythons coiling around trees. His large palms opened, and his hard fingers, like steel dragons, directly tore through the gaps in the scales on the dragon lizard's neck and pierced into its flesh, spurting out dark blood.
The seemingly complex process was actually completed in an instant. Taking advantage of the giant lizard's momentum, Fain suddenly spun around. The war beast, weighing tens of tons, was violently hurled off the ground before the incredulous eyes of the onlookers, its massive, dark figure tracing a bloody arc through the air. Accompanied by a sickening cracking sound of a spine breaking, the enormous dragon lizard, clad in black steel plate armor, was slammed into the still-dazed Noxian soldiers behind Fain.
bump! ! !
Flesh and armor clashed, the terrifying impact of the dragon lizard's charge being fully retained by Farn, and released in the instant of impact. The terrifying force exploded into a towering red wave almost instantly, landing on the dragon lizard's broad back. The battle-hardened rider had no time to react before feeling a dizzying sensation, followed by the dragon lizard's massive body crashing down on him. The moment its abdomen burst, shattered internal organs flew in all directions. Bones and ligaments shattered. As the dust settled, the area that had once been filled with countless soldiers was now reduced to the mangled remains of the dragon lizard embedded in the ground, and below, a crimson swamp, completely churned and indistinguishable from the impact, filled with broken bones and bits of flesh!
After completing the set of movements in one smooth motion, Fain comfortably stretched his shoulders and then looked at Dukur once again.
In contrast, on the other side, seeing his most powerful and highly regarded dragon lizard knight being smashed into a pile of mangled flesh, Dukur's eyes widened suddenly, then narrowed. Especially when he noticed Fane looking at him again, if Dukur had only been slightly wary before, now, after witnessing the dragon lizard knight's sudden death, he knew very well what kind of misfortune it meant to be targeted by such a monster on the battlefield.
Before Duguel could issue another command, a storm arose beneath Fane's feet. With Janna's power unleashed, Fane's seemingly solitary figure on the vast battlefield hurtled towards Duguel at an astonishing height, as if flying close to the ground. Unlike before, when the Noxian soldiers firmly believed in victory, now, witnessing the Dragon Lizard Knight utterly smashed into a pile of mush, everyone held their breath, watching Fane's trajectory. They lacked even the slightest courage to attack from a safe distance, let alone rush forward to fight him…
Especially after discovering that even those who merely stood in the path of Farn's impact would be mercilessly crushed, the battle formation, which resembled an iron wall, was torn apart.
From Dukur's perspective, when the fiend before him stopped, a bloody path of shattered armor and twisted limbs had been laid out beneath his feet. From Fane's perspective, Dukur felt no hatred, only indifference, an indifference devoid of any emotion, as if everything he had just done was utterly insignificant.
Trembling, Dukur barely managed to raise his heavy sword, but before he could bring it down, Fane's large hand grabbed his head and lifted it up abruptly.
The sturdy helmet warped under the immense pressure of Fane's fingers, piercing flesh and crushing bones. Thick blood seeped from between his fingers, dripping onto Dukur's bronze-inlaid black steel shoulder armor. Sensing impending death, Dukur stubbornly swung his sword, but the moment it touched Fane's flowing armor, a crisp sound rang out. Immediately afterward, with a violent burst of his fingers, Dukur's head exploded, dark red blood mixed with brain matter spilling out along the twisted seams of the helmet, before Fane tossed it aside like trash, where it fell silent.
271. Swift Actions, Compassionate Heart
With Dukur's sudden death, the outcome of the battle became a foregone conclusion.
Although many people believe that Noxians are fearless, in reality, Noxians are not as averse to surrender and admitting defeat as one might imagine. At least, for the vast majority of Noxians, joining the military is not for any glory, but to climb higher and realize their Noxian dream.
Based on this, choosing to concede when victory is impossible or highly unlikely is not a difficult decision for the Noxians.
After all, if they were to die in battle, the glory might be theirs, but everything else would belong to others, to the legion. And what they wanted was not just empty fame after death.
With this mindset, for the Noxians, surrendering in the face of a difficult situation was not shameful. In other words, the vast majority of Noxian soldiers were originally mercenaries. Under these circumstances, they didn't have much of a psychological burden regarding surrendering.
The battle ended with astonishing speed. This left Akali, who had just entered the battle, somewhat bewildered—after all, Akali had followed Fane when she saw him charging towards Duguul to prevent him from being surrounded.
It wasn't that Akali underestimated Faen, but rather that Faen hadn't truly demonstrated his strength. In Akali's view, even a so-called master could only manage to defend himself against a well-organized army. And charging in recklessly like this... no matter which master he was, the outcome was rarely good.
But now it's clear that Akali was wrong. At least, when Akali caught up with Fain and arrived beside him, Dukur, who was originally in the core area of the army, had already lost his life. His shattered skull tissue flowed along the gaps in his deformed helmet, and amidst the nauseating stench, Fain simply calmly stretched out his palm and manipulated the flowing water to clean the surroundings.
Fain clapped his hands and nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Akali who was catching up behind him and said, "Not bad, you can keep up with my speed."
Upon hearing this, Akali's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't show any joy or pride. After a moment of silence, she said, "Is it really considered good? You didn't even use your full strength, did you?"
Upon hearing Akali's words, Fain raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, then said with interest, "You figured that out yourself?"
"A feeling." Upon hearing Fain's question, Akali's lips moved slightly, and then she said quietly, "Although I don't know where this feeling comes from, I can sense that you didn't use your full strength, or even half of it. Although I don't know the reason, it must be related to the Venerable One."
As she said this, Akali gestured with her chin toward the back of Fain's hand and said, "If I can see it, Venerable Karma can definitely see it too. And since he still granted you the Twin Dragon Seals under these circumstances, I have nothing to say. Anyway, none of this concerns me."
"I see." After hearing the girl's explanation, Fain nodded, glancing at the mark on the back of his hand with a knowing look in his eyes.
Although he already knew that the seal Karma had given him was extraordinary, it now seemed that the Twin Dragon Seals were far more valuable than he had anticipated. Even the core members of the Order of the Righteousness silently suppressed their doubts and chose to obey after seeing it.
Thinking to himself, Farn didn't linger on the matter for long. Instead, he looked around and said in a calm and clear voice, "Life is your own, glory belongs to others. Dukur is dead, and you have no reason to fight anymore. Lay down your weapons, and I will not harm you."
Upon hearing Fan's words, the soldiers, who had already given up resistance due to Dukur's violent death, exchanged glances. Then, as the first soldier dropped his weapon, the others followed suit and readily surrendered.
Because the vast majority of the legions were composed of mercenaries formed by various provinces within Noxus themselves, participating in the Noxian wars, a tradition of dueling was prevalent among the Noxian army. And Fain not only swiftly pierced through the enemy lines, but also swiftly slaughtered their leader, Dukur, and the entire high command surrounding him…
Whether fighting alone or continuing the war, Noxus is now at a complete disadvantage. In this situation, continuing to hold on will only prolong its demise…
As Shen watched the Noxians drop their weapons one after another, standing there as if they had given up, he was slightly taken aback. He seemed to realize something, but he couldn't fully understand it in a short time, and he stood there bewildered.
“Mr. Farn is the true embodiment of kindness and…balance.”
Just then, Jie returned to Shen's side. Looking at his good brother, Jie pursed his lips and then quietly said, "If we just keep running away, the Noxians will continue to encroach on Ionia's land, shaking the ancient traditions and balance. And once we reach a point where there is no escape, revenge will become the eternal melody of this land..."
Upon hearing Jie's words, Shen raised his head and looked at Jie, seemingly asking for Jie's thoughts and expressing his own confusion.
“Actually, it’s only now that I’ve truly realized what Mr. Faen meant by what he said in the Temple of Eternity.” Meeting his close friend’s gaze, after a brief silence, Jie took a deep breath and said, “Whether it’s the elders of the Temple of Eternity or the elders of the sects, the reason they chose to flee was to prevent the war from escalating further, which would cause a more serious and irreversible impact on the spiritual realm of Ionia.”
“But if we can eliminate the enemy leader beforehand, kill him…” Looking back at the Noxian soldiers who had already surrendered, Jie’s eyes gleamed with the excitement of discovering a truth—
"Even if it has an impact, it's far better than the entire Ionia being surrounded by pain! Such swift and decisive action is true compassion!"
272·The Repairman
Upon hearing Jie's words, God did not know how to respond and could only nod silently.
After the battle, the Zan family took a headcount. Although the casualties were not many—in fact, only a hundred or so deaths for a victory in a war—it would be a cause for celebration in any other country on Valoran. But for the long-peaceful Ionia, it still felt so heavy.
So much so that, to the bewilderment of the Noxians, the Ionians did not immediately celebrate their victory. After a brief moment of excitement at the triumph, they fell into a long silence.
Despite their victory, these warriors and farmers silently removed their blood-stained armor and wandered aimlessly across the land they should have known. These Noxian soldiers didn't wait long, for they were soon taken to the temporary prison of the Fane figurines.
However, the Noxian soldiers could not move freely, while Riven, as Fain's bodyguard, could move freely.
Carrying the runic greatsword and feeling the stark contrast between the atmosphere on the streets and that of Noxus after their victory in the war, Riven felt a genuine sense of bewilderment.
Winning a battle should bring joy, shouldn't it? But now, why...?
Looking towards the houses on the street corner, Riven stared in bewilderment at the Ionian warriors who were comforting a woman, their faces also filled with grief—calling them warriors wasn't quite accurate, because perhaps only today did they truly grasp swords and wield them with the purpose of killing.
Rather, it proved that their skills and character were indeed mediocre. Having transformed their harmonious dance into a dance for killing, they had almost forgotten how to wield their weapons. And now, she silently comforted her brother's mother, her face filled with a similar sorrow…
It was at this moment that a young warrior noticed Riven and whispered a few words to the person beside him, who was probably his older brother. A moment later, his brother also looked up at Riven. When he saw the Noxian-style armor Riven was wearing, a complex expression appeared on the warrior's face, but he knew that Riven was the bodyguard of Fahn—the one who had brought victory to this village—so the warrior did not harbor any inexplicable hatred towards Riven because of her identity.
But the warrior remained filled with doubt. Unable to contain himself any longer, he approached Riven, frowning as he asked, "You're Noxian, aren't you?"
“…Yes.” Riven nodded, a simple answer, even though the casualties here had nothing to do with her. In fact, she had helped many people in the previous battles. But for some reason, in this atmosphere, simply admitting her identity made Riven feel a strange pressure and unease.
"Why did you set foot on this land!" Just as the older soldier was choosing his words, a slightly younger soldier beside him couldn't contain his excitement and shouted, "He was such a good person! Every month he would take time to visit the orphanage, bring them food, and play with them. He didn't kill a single person; he died protecting me! Why did you—"
"Enough!" Upon hearing this, the older warrior also shouted, "Calm down, Shanlun! This lady is not our enemy. She is Lord Fan's guard. She did not harm any Ionians and protected our village!"
Upon hearing this, the young soldier opened his mouth, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, but in the end, he lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry..."
“…It’s nothing.” Riven didn’t know what to say. Although these things had nothing to do with her, when she thought about the things she had encountered in the past, Riven found that she couldn’t really calm down.
"Stop arguing, come in and rest." Hearing the voices outside, the old woman, who had been silently weeping, came out of the house and led Riven and the others into the house that seemed to be made of wood.
At first, Riven didn't want to go in, because she didn't know any of the people in front of her. But meeting the old woman's gentle eyes, Riven ultimately didn't voice her refusal, and after a long silence, nodded bitterly.
Inside, the old woman sat quietly beside the circular pit and looked at Riven, saying, "Although we are all Noxians, I can sense that you are different from the others."
"..." Riven didn't speak, but just looked at the old woman. The old woman continued calmly and gently, "In their hearts, I can feel their desire for fame, that they came to this land to gain self-satisfaction."
“But you are different. I can feel the confusion in your heart… Yes, I can feel it.”
Noticing Riven's questioning gaze, the old woman smiled gently. She did not harbor hatred because of Riven's Noxian identity, nor did she blame Riven for her son's death. Instead, she quietly picked up a string of bells and went to a broken pottery pot.
“This house beneath our feet has been here since I was a child. It must seem incredible to you Noxians, right? Why would trees grow specifically to look like a house? That’s because my father was the woodcutter in the village.”
The old man recounted the stories of the past: "When we needed a house, we would communicate with the spirit of this land, and then send a woodcutter to the chosen place to communicate with the trees there, so that they would grow into the shape of the house we needed. We would then support them, watering and fertilizing them. Although sometimes the trees would grow bigger and bigger, causing all sorts of changes to the house, we would always communicate with them in a timely manner, coexisting harmoniously and amicably."
"Later, my father died, my brother inherited the identity of the Steelman, and I became a tinker."
As she spoke, the old woman gently shook the bell in her hand, which jingled softly.
The old woman also picked up the broken plate, held it to her ear, and hummed softly. She slowly adjusted her tone, invoking the spirit of the clay.
A moment later, the old woman found the right pitch, and the earth spirit resonated with her humming. While maintaining the pitch, the woman also began to adjust the melody of the bell to join the harmonious music between her and the earth spirit.
A moment later, the earthenware pot began to float up little by little, while the woman listened and hummed, pushing the floating pieces of the pot one by one onto the fire in the center, picking up clumps of the mixture of grease and mud with her fingers. Then, to Riven's astonishment, the mixture landed on the pot, flowing and naturally filling the gaps, piecing the broken pot back together.
“In Ionia, all things have spirits, and both spirits and living beings desire to be whole,” the old woman said gently. “The job of a tinker is to ask them what they need to be mended, and then provide them with what they need.”
“It will leave scars.” Upon hearing this, Riven paused for a moment, then looked at the healing jar and said, “These scars won’t disappear.”
“But scars are a sign of healing. This plate will never be perfect again, but it is whole,” the old woman said gently. “And sturdy…at least to me, I think it looks more beautiful now.”
273·Breaking Through Confusion
Upon hearing the old woman's words, Riven remained silent, simply staring at the pottery jar that the old woman was constantly repairing in front of her.
Just as Riven said, the pottery jar had been broken, and even if it healed, the scars would still be there, as if to say that it had been broken before.
Thinking this, Riven suddenly spoke up: "I came here... because I didn't know where to go, and then a man brought me here."
Looking at the old woman before her, Riven couldn't help but ask, "If it weren't for meeting that man, I might be fighting for Noxus on this land right now... just like I've done elsewhere. And now, all the honor and pride I had in my past life have proven to be a joke, a deception. Can such a rift ever heal?"
Hearing Riven's words, the old woman smiled and shook her head: "You didn't harm Ionia, and we shouldn't feel ashamed or disgraced for what 'would have been' happened. As for whether the rift can be healed..."
Looking at Riven, who was gazing at her expectantly, yearning for an answer, the old woman chuckled and said, "Have you forgotten what I just said? All things yearn for completeness, and the so-called repairers are merely providing the spirit of all things with the materials they need to repair themselves."