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"……Um?"
Upon hearing Fan's words, Syndra's face revealed a hint of confusion, as well as a subtle tension and frustration. She was worried, worried that Fan would become the kind of person described by the voice in his heart.
Noticing Syndra's expression, Fain wasn't too surprised. It could only be said that the adult Dark Syndra was still a bit too reliant on her own 'experience'.
302·Wandering Mage
The passage of time in the spiritual realm differs drastically from that in the material realm. Over the past few years, when Fain noticed that Dark Syndra hadn't attempted to control the smaller Syndras, he more or less guessed that Dark Syndra was waiting for an opportunity to accumulate a massive power for herself. And now it seems that this current method is indeed part of Dark Syndra's plan.
It's not about manipulating Little Syndra's will through obvious means like inducing her to commit fraud or frame her, but rather about amplifying Little Syndra's current fears and anxieties by using Dark Syndra's past experiences, so that Little Syndra will perceive all of Dark Syndra's thoughts as her own, ultimately leading her down the same path as Dark Syndra.
If the group violence in her childhood was the source of her downfall, then the second betrayal she suffered during her formative years stemmed from her teacher's concealment.
To be fair, there was nothing wrong with what Dark Syndra's teacher did, because dark magic with similar emotional contagion abilities is unpopular throughout Runeterra. Especially as Syndra grew up, she could more or less sense the power's strength and uncontrollability, yet she still diligently practiced it. However, each time she finished practicing, the power weakened, and her so-called practice turned into meditation and seclusion.
Although Syndra's teacher later told her that the reason for all this was that he did not have enough ability to teach Syndra to master true darkness, it was too late by then. The seeds of darkness had already taken root and sprouted, and the wishful thinking had turned into a silent betrayal.
Now, sensing the hesitation and confusion in Syndra's eyes, Fain did not choose to hide it.
“The power within you originates from the darkness within the hearts of everyone in Ionia, and the consciousness within this darkness will constantly sway your thoughts.” Looking at the graceful Syndra, Fain said unhurriedly, “Once this immense power is released, it will have a severe impact on the people and things around you. If possible, I hope to impose certain restrictions on it, so that I can gradually master and understand this power.”
Fane was not in a hurry. The reason why Dark Syndra, or rather the Syndra sleeping in the Dream Pool in the material realm, went down the extreme path was that her teacher destroyed the trust that Syndra had earned so much.
Trust must be carefully maintained, especially for someone like Syndra who suffered an unhappy childhood. Their trust is both more difficult to build and more fragile. Rather than unilaterally weakening Syndra's power, Fane prefers a gentler approach, guiding her while still having limitations. He explains the reasons behind her actions, letting Syndra know why she did what she did. This reduces Syndra's inner resistance and helps her begin to develop self-awareness and a true personality.
Now, after hearing Fan's account, the confusion and bewilderment in Little Syndra's eyes gradually dissipated. Although she was still somewhat uneasy about the upcoming training, as she listened to Fan's detailed account, Little Syndra began to realize that the voice in her heart was getting weaker and weaker. This made Little Syndra more certain that she was probably overthinking things, and she began to look forward to the upcoming training.
"This matter is not over yet."
A voice appeared in Fane's ear. Sensing the coldness in the other person's words, Fane raised an eyebrow, but didn't take it to heart at all. Instead, he looked at Syndra and said, "Next, we're leaving here."
"Leave here? Where do we go then?" Little Syndra asked curiously.
“Peiluer,” Faen said calmly.
The more Fahn understood Syndra's condition, the more he could comprehend why Dark Syndra's teacher had taken her to Pelor. As the port connecting Ionia to the rest of the world, Pelor was undoubtedly one of the most open, inclusive, and academically vibrant regions in Runeterra before the chaos caused by Syndra's rampage.
The reason is simple: Pelor has training from all over the world. There, both the well-known forms of power and the darker, more obscure mysteries of power coexist and exchange information. In this context, the techniques for controlling and mastering power from different schools of thought can undoubtedly greatly enhance Syndra's process of mastering her own power.
With that in mind, Fain also explained why he wanted to go to Perrol, as well as the local customs, culture, and history of Perrol.
Syndra didn't know much about Ionia, and seeing that Fain had already decided where to go next, she didn't question it at all, but nodded with interest. However, to be honest, she still had doubts and worries. But these doubts and worries gradually disappeared as Fain explained things. Before long, when Syndra learned that there were many young people on that island, just like herself, seeking how to control their powers, her doubts and worries turned into curiosity and anticipation.
Seeing Syndra's radiant expression, Fain nodded inwardly to himself.
Although Syndra never said it aloud, Fan could sense that she actually longed for more friends her own age. The reason Syndra didn't say it was likely because she was afraid Fan would think she disliked him and become distant.
This was obviously unacceptable to Syndra herself. After all, before, the only person who could come into contact with Syndra without being affected by the dark energy was Fain. This made Syndra naturally afraid to take any risks, for fear that the last person who could understand her would also leave her.
Since Syndra didn't bring it up, Fann naturally wouldn't deliberately mention it either. He just needed to slowly arrange things, explain each task clearly, and respect Syndra's ideas. In this process of communication, many potential problems would naturally disappear. In general, for a child like Syndra who suffered from childhood trauma and tends towards introversion, talking more, doing more, and communicating more is definitely the right thing to do.
After arriving in Peilor and living there for only a few days, Faen discovered just how diverse the people who frequented Peilor were.
Today, while Fain was out training with Syndra, they encountered a wandering mage with blue skin, a bald head, covered in runes, and carrying a large scroll.
303·Ryze's Surprise
Walking through the bustling city, Ryze's deep blue skin attracted some attention, but few people paid it much mind. After all, Ionia, as the birthplace of the Vastaya, was teeming with people of all skin colors, and even those who looked like wild beasts. Especially in Pelor, a place where scholars from all over the world exchanged ideas, many people troubled by dark magic came here to try and find solutions. And such magical erosion often left very noticeable marks on the skin.
Color change is just the most basic thing; the growth of plants or extra limbs no longer surprises the people here.
That's why, even though the Rune Wars are raging outside, Ryze still wants to come here to live for a while whenever he has some free time, to enjoy this hard-won peace.
“A white fish, please help me remove the scales.” Ryze handed a few essences to the Vastayan vendor in front of him. The vendor was a male merman, whose body looked stronger than that of ordinary humans and was covered with a layer of smooth and tough scales.
Outside of Ionia, merfolk are extremely rare. Male merfolk are relatively uncommon, but female merfolk, with their more human-like upper bodies, possess an appearance that perfectly matches the beauty standards of 90% of the world's population. Furthermore, since merfolk mostly inhabit the deep sea, their rarity makes them highly valuable, making them a veritable gold mine for slave traders, maritime merchants, and pirates.
Even male merfolk rarely appear on the continents of Valoran and Shurima. However, in Ionia, merfolk are almost indistinguishable from ordinary humans, able to move freely.
Hearing Ryze's words, the merman nodded, quickly cleaned the white fish, strung it on dry straw, and handed it over. This made Ryze slightly look forward to dinner—no matter how many times he came to Ionia, Ryze would always express the same amazement and praise for the food nurtured by the land and water of Ionia.
The Yordles were right. Ionian food, especially seafood, was among the finest delicacies in all of Runeterra. Even after traversing most of Runeterra, including forbidden zones like Freljord, Ryze couldn't find many places that could rival the quality of Ionian food.
And... in this terrible age where runes can erupt at any moment with people's anger or greed, there are very few places like Ionia that cherish tranquility... to the point that Ionia is the only one left.
As Ryze was still pondering this, he felt a strange sensation coming from behind him. Puzzled, Ryze looked behind him. Before him stood a graceful young woman, dressed in a black traditional Ionian dress, exuding an elfin elegance, yet radiating a strange, dark aura; and a young man dressed in traditional Ionian warrior attire, with black hair and eyes like ink jade, but with no discernible distinguishing features… Perhaps they were siblings?
Ryze subconsciously thought this, but his gaze fell on Fain, who was now staring at him calmly and scrutinizing him.
This caught Ryze's attention, and without much hesitation, Ryze went straight up to Fain and said, "Why are you staring at me?"
“I’m just a little curious, why would the wandering mage Ryze appear in a place like this?” Hearing Ryze’s question, Fahn didn’t hide his surprise, but said with a hint of astonishment, “Shouldn’t the outside world be in the era of the Rune Wars right now? Logically speaking, you should be busy running around cleaning up the mess that Fryegger caused... How come you have time to come here?”
As he spoke, Fen also pointed to the white fish in Ryze's hand.
"Judging from your expression, you're even preparing to enjoy your lunch today!"
Although the wording seemed to be urging Ryze to get on with his 'missions' and 'business,' Farn's tone was actually quite humorous, and even though it was their first meeting, Ryze could sense the appraising quality in his voice.
To be honest, this left Ryze feeling a bit confused—Dude, who are you? Why are you joking with me like this right off the bat? At least introduce yourself first, right?
It's no wonder that Faen is teasing Ryze like this now, because Ryze seems overly tense in most of the story. In the game, he also has many lines like "Hurry up, hurry up!" While he doesn't seem to have punctuation marks to help break up sentences like Kennen. In this context, suddenly seeing Ryze leisurely enjoying life makes it hard to connect this seemingly relaxed and easygoing blue-skinned old man with the blue-skinned mage who is supposed to be rushing around Runeterra every day dealing with all sorts of massive crises.
While somewhat surprised by Faen's comment, Ryze wasn't stupid—the current Ryze wasn't yet the Ryze of the future, and he was still young. From the start of the Rune Wars until now, although he was no longer the greenhorn he once was, only about a hundred years had passed. He hadn't yet become rigid or dulled with accumulated experience. Of course, even so, having dedicated over a century to the cause of world runes, Ryze had already accumulated exceptional insight.
Upon hearing Fain's words, Ryze was initially puzzled, but in the next moment, he noticed the unusual nature of Fain's words.
"You...have been to Hylia?" Ryze looked at Fain with some surprise.
Hylia, also known as the Blessed Isle, was destroyed after Folyago sent his deceased wife into the Well of Life, which contained life runes. Death corrupted the runes, causing them to collapse and unleashing rampaging magic that swept across the entire island, directly leading to the Great Collapse of Hylia. It was only after this that the people of Runeterra realized the terrifying power of the World Runes, and the Blessed Isle has since been known as the Shadow Isle.
Before the Blessed Isles became the Shadow Isles, frankly speaking, entering the Blessed Isles was more difficult than entering Ionia. This was because the entire Blessed Isles were shrouded in a magical mist of life runes, making it impractical for anyone other than highly respected scholars and masters. Even among the Valoran kings before the Hyrian Collapse, only a handful knew the name of the Blessed Isles, and even then, they knew only the name, having no real understanding of what it was.
304·Ryze's Helplessness
Ryze stared at Fain for a while, growing increasingly puzzled. Fain was so young, he didn't seem like the kind of accomplished master he would become—he wasn't old enough.
The reason I was able to reach Blessed Island was largely thanks to my teacher's extensive connections and unique insights into world runes. This allowed him to pass the Blessed Island Council's review and secure my entry. As for Faen…
According to Ryze's understanding, the masters of Ionia rarely venture outside of Ionia, not even the Blessed Isle a hundred years ago.
Noticing Ryze's questioning gaze, Fain pointed to his eyes and said, "I can always see fragments of the past and the future."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Ryze also became interested, his eyes filled with keen interest.
"So, you're a prophet?" Ryze asked.
"I guess so," Farn nodded.
"I won't believe that so easily." Upon hearing this, Ryze first gave Fain a heads-up, then asked, "I don't know about the future yet, but can you tell me about my past?"
"In what way?" Farn asked. "Is it because when you were young you always felt that your teacher Tyrus was hiding things from you, refusing to teach you your true skills and unlock your potential, or is it your experience as a thief before you met your teacher Tyrus? Speaking of which, why do you keep your experience as a thief?"
It can't be because of Gouzi Literature, can it?
Faen didn't say the last part, but even so, after hearing Faen's words, Ryze couldn't help but show a hint of surprise and said, "I've never told anyone about this before. You can even know this about prophecy?"
"The methods of prophecy also vary." Sensing Ryze's surprise, Fain said with a smile, "Do you know Venerable Karma?"
“Of course I know. My teacher has shown interest in the ancient magic ‘Eye of the Century’ more than once.” Ryze shrugged, a look of relaxed reminiscence appearing on his middle-aged face, proving that he was not yet numb to the endless disaster.
"However, Venerable Karma rarely goes out and rarely takes the initiative to show his power, let alone in front of us outsiders."
“Actually, there’s nothing mysterious about it.” Upon hearing this, Farn shook his head and said, “The Eye of the Century observes the future through long experience and the special nature of the spiritual realm. What it can see is the most likely future scene obtained by summarizing and calculating a large number of spiritual worlds with similar structures and processes.”
My experience is different. More often than not, it feels like reading a comic book or a novel. While the presentation may not be as dynamic as Century Eye, the delicate brushstrokes and exaggerated drawing style allow me to more clearly perceive things that are difficult to express directly through pure animation.
As he spoke, Fain clicked his tongue and continued to tease Ryze, saying, "For example, the excitement you felt when you first awakened your rune magic in front of Janda, and the little tussle you had with Kalista, only to be completely crushed by her."
"My God, how do you even know about this kind of thing?"
Hearing this, Ryze rubbed his temples in exasperation. Fain chuckled softly but didn't say anything more.
In fact, Fahn's knowledge of Ryze wasn't entirely fabricated; it came from the story in the novel 'The Ruined King'. The novel unfolds from Kalista's perspective, although the plot of 'The Ruined King' was heavily criticized in the client, with the so-called Sentinels, aside from Irelia and Rengar, being almost entirely mediocre.
Vayne, in particular, is supposedly so averse to magic that she killed her teacher without hesitation, displaying a morbid aversion to it. Yet, she willingly accepted a magical weapon, completely shattering her character. Then there's Pyke and Graves; it's hard to imagine a water sprite and a mercenary becoming Sentinels of Light. Not to mention things like the Ruined King corrupting Karma and eroding the Sun Disk… Does Fryeglor even know he's this powerful?
It's fair to say that the game's built-in storyline is utterly terrible, from the plot and character design to the combat power. As a result, Fioge has been given nicknames like Clown King and Boiling Sheep.
Later, with the release of the prequel to the single-player game Night Eater and the novel The Ruin, Folyago's reputation was somewhat reversed—from the Clown King Boiling Sheep to a pure-love war god. The novel The Ruin contributed the most to this, and its author is very talented. He was previously a writer for the Warhammer series and was later invited to become one of Riot Games' lead writers. His representative work is the famous League of Legends series, The First Shield.
It is also one of the few spin-off novels in the Runeterra universe that is worth reading repeatedly.
Among them, the young Ryze is, in the literal sense, a greenhorn, full of youthful vigor, always feeling that the teacher's refusal to tap into his potential is the teacher's problem, not his own. Although unintentional, Ryze does bear undeniable responsibility for the catastrophe of the Hyrian Collapse.
While Fain was still pondering this, Ryze, who had already come to believe in Fain's prophetic identity, asked curiously, "Speaking of which, since you can see the future, what will I be like in the future, and what will Runeterra be like?"
Upon hearing Ryze's question, Fain didn't answer immediately, but instead stared at Ryze for a while. Sensing the vibrant energy in the other's eyes, Fain shook his head with a sigh and said, "Not good."
"How bad is it?" Ryze's expression calmed down slightly.
In response, Fain shrugged and said, "As far as I know, the current rune war has only lasted for a little over a hundred years, and it will take at least another thousand years before it gradually subsides."
"...More than a thousand years? Well... that's alright." Hearing this, Ryze took a deep breath and said, "If peace can be restored in a thousand years... Hmm? What's with your expression?"
Seeing Faen's smiling expression, Ryze's lips twitched involuntarily, and he said with an incredulous look, "After a great war, there is usually a period of rest and recuperation. The Rune Wars have lasted for more than a thousand years. Is it possible that someone will start another war?"
“Haha, that’s hard to say.” Fane waved his hand. “I can only say that the end of the Rune Wars is just the beginning of the Age of Conflict. And the reason I’m here is simply to find a way for Ionia to better face the arrival of the Age of Conflict…”
"This is a nightmare..." Ryze rubbed his temples helplessly, all the joy of slacking off had vanished.
305. Ryze's Question
Hearing Fain's explanation of the future, Ryze's face showed a hint of helplessness. But overall, it was alright. After all, he was still young, just a child in his early twenties, with plenty of drive for the future. He hadn't become numb to pain and disaster, and still firmly believed in his ability to change all this suffering.
Thinking to himself, Ryze looked at Faen with some curiosity and said, "Although you may already know, let me introduce myself anyway—my name is Ryze, I come from what used to be Blessed Island, and I am now a wandering mage, currently on vacation."
Upon hearing this, Fan extended his hand to shake hands and said, "Fan is from Presidium in the province of Navori, Ionia. He is a member of the War Dance school and is currently training students, teaching them to master their own potential."
Upon hearing Fain's self-introduction, Ryze turned his curious gaze to Syndra beside Fain. Previously focused on Fain's prophecy, Ryze now focused on Syndra and quickly noticed something strange.
After staring at Syndra for a while, Ryze pointed at her and said, "This kid... seems a bit unusual? In terms of the form of her power."
Hearing Ryze's words, Syndra shrank back uncomfortably behind Fahn, her large, dark eyes revealing unease and frustration. Fahn then placed his hand on Syndra, the warmth of his large, calloused hand helping her relax slightly. Her body softened, and her mind eased somewhat.
Thinking it over, Fain said, "Syndra was chosen by a power within Ionia itself, a power that is strong and terrifying, and intimately connected to every Ionian. However, precisely because of this, the nature of this magic is also extremely extreme. Right now, I am trying to find a way for Syndra to master this power."
Upon hearing Fain's words, Ryze seemed to realize something, and once again looked at Syndra beside him, before turning his gaze to his own arm.
Although Ryze hasn't unleashed his full power yet, the power of runic magic is already deeply etched into his body and soul. Others might not understand the meaning behind Fain's words, but Ryze knows better than anyone that magic itself possesses its own consciousness. And the closer one gets to the source of this magic, the stronger that consciousness becomes.
Having traveled through Runeterra for over a hundred years, Ryze may not seem as perpetually bitter and resentful as he appears in future storylines, but in reality, this is when Ryze's body and energy are at their most active. Thousands of years later, Ryze will be tormented by endless, unresolved disasters, and his bitter and resentful appearance will be exactly like that of a corporate slave working overtime for free every day.
Feeling the surging power within Syndra's body, and also the surging power within his own, Ryze, though the two powers were different, instinctively felt compassion as a predecessor who had 'misunderstood his teacher and recklessly unleashed his potential.' He glanced at Syndra, then turned his gaze to Fain beside him and said:
"I also have some experience in controlling my own power and suppressing the consciousness of magic itself. I can offer assistance if needed."
"I couldn't ask for more." Farn laughed.
In Runeterra, if we were to rank people's willpower, Ryze would undoubtedly be a top-tier figure with an iron will, easily ranking second or even first. Facing those world runes that, even with a simple release, could easily shake continental shelves, influence ecosystems, and reverse life and death, Ryze tirelessly traveled to various city-states of Runeterra. But no matter how desperate or numb he felt, he never bowed to the consciousness of the world runes themselves.
He simply went to the Anti-Magic Stone Forest again and again after acquiring the runes, hiding those world runes deep within the Anti-Magic Stone Forest so that no one could discover them and use them.
Everyone's mindset is different, and Ryze's method might not be directly applicable to Syndra. However, there's no doubt that the experience will save Syndra from many detours and greatly benefit Fain—this kind of mental training may produce unexpected effects and assistance when facing O'Shiller in the future.
They chatted amiably, and Ryze then followed Faen to a mountain retreat in Phenom. After a simple tidying up, Faen had prepared a three-bedroom apartment suitable for living. Faen's masterful control of water amazed Ryze—although Ryze's arcane magic was incredibly powerful, and when fused with runic energy, it possessed terrifying destructive force, when it came to practical matters…
Yes, while arcane magic is the most common form of magic in Runeterra, and most mages have some knowledge of it, it's like mathematics. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are relatively easy to grasp, but at a deeper level, even with the most persistent rote memorization, without talent and a fleeting moment of inspiration, it's difficult to truly achieve anything.
More importantly, it is difficult to learn, and even more difficult to apply it in practice. In daily life, the most commonly used skills are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In addition, the destructive power and practicality of arcane magic in the early and middle stages are far less than those of elemental magic. Therefore, arcane magic is usually learned as a beginner's skill when becoming a mage. Even in the magical world, pragmatism is still emphasized.
In this situation, although arcane magic is incredibly destructive in Ryze's hands, if you really think about it, after long periods of solitary travel in remote and forbidden areas, Ryze had long since become accustomed to a life of hardship. Now, seeing Fane using magic to improve his life, Ryze said with a touch of melancholy, "If only arcane magic could improve the quality of life like this someday."
"Keep it up." Farn shrugged.
During their conversation, Fain also led Syndra into a new round of training.
Although he still lived in a secluded mountain cave, Faen had no intention of simply changing his location to live in seclusion upon arriving in Pelor. Instead, in his spare time, he frequently took Syndra to visit and learn from various towns, sanctuaries, and academies on the island of Pelor. Perhaps because of Ryze's assistance? For a considerable period afterward, Dark Syndra remained undisturbed. Unfortunately, Ryze's visit to Pelor was only temporary; after two weeks, he began preparing to leave Ionia.
Before leaving, Ryze also found Fain and said:
“You don’t look like someone from our world.”
306·Timeless Dream Pool
Upon hearing Ryze's question, Fain blinked in surprise, then asked curiously, "What makes you say that?"
“Because I don’t see you in any of the many futures of the World Rune—whether in Ionia or outside of Ionia.” Ryze replied to Fahn’s question, “The World Rune is one of the origins of magic in this world, or rather, it is because of the World Rune that this world has the opportunity to prosper and become the most special star among the endless stars.”