thefictionvixens Page 27
Page 27
49. Proving innocence
Janna appeared to be speaking to Fain, but she was actually addressing someone else. This was because Janna hadn't concealed the magic she had cast on the bird when she summoned it. This allowed Fain, who had already formed a pact with Janna, to immediately understand the bird's abilities.
If birds are given the power to feel the wind, thus becoming eyes everywhere... then from another perspective, can one's own power of joy also be felt by others through blessing?
Just thinking about it casually, Faen didn't pay much attention. After all, for Faen at this point, creating a Chosen One was still a long way off. And simply being able to let others experience the joy of others wasn't of much use to Zaun right now.
While pondering, Fain also sensed the message carried by the wind. After a moment, Fain nodded thoughtfully.
“No rush.” Farn soothed the bird on his shoulder and looked at the crowd with calm eyes. “Vander is currently undergoing Singed’s transformation. Disrupting him rashly could cause Singed’s experiment to fail and Vander to die. Let’s continue our work first. When everything is ready, Vander will return.”
Upon hearing Fain's words, Jinx gritted her teeth, but ultimately kept quiet, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll listen to you."
Even Jinx, the most mentally unstable of them all, had made her decision, so the others naturally didn't question her too much. They simply nodded calmly to each other, and then, at Fain's request, planted the mark of the Wind of Change.
It's called a mark, but it's actually similar to a storm blessing on a bird, allowing the recipient to feel some of the winds of Zaun and to transmit messages through the winds of Zaun.
It can only be said that Janna is still too weak right now, because once a regional spiritual being like Janna accumulates enough power, it would be incredibly easy for her to pull the chosen ones into the spiritual realm for a meeting...
Without giving it much thought, after confirming their abilities, everyone dispersed to prepare for the upcoming plan.
Piltover.
"Get ready to go, Vi." After putting on her protective gear, Caitlyn looked at Vi, who was staring blankly at the alchemical tower of Zaun in the distance, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Don't just stand there. Our next mission is to enter Zaun and prevent the riots from spreading further."
"So, we're going to go against those lowly laborers in Zaun... right?" Vi looked at Caitlyn beside her, her once spirited face now filled with confusion and bewilderment. "But... just like those laborers said, Zaun and Piltover were originally one city, both changed by the Sungate geological disaster. If Zaun and Piltover were enemies, that would be one thing, but why are we getting involved in Zaun's internal affairs now?"
"Because this is not something we can decide."
Upon hearing Vi's words, Caitlin paused slightly. If it were anyone else, Caitlin would have already started scolding them. But the person speaking was Vi—during their time together, Caitlin had basically figured out Vi's personality.
She appears strong, but is actually very sensitive inside, yet harbors naive fantasies. And... Wei genuinely hopes that she can get better.
Born into a trading family like the Giramanen, Caitlyn found Vi's naiveté, even bordering on foolishness, somewhat endearing. But their time together, and Vi's protectiveness of her, made it impossible for Caitlyn to simply see this Zaunite-born individual as a tool… at least, when facing thugs, Vi was the only one willing to shield her from bullets with her own body.
"I'm much stronger than a little cake like you~ Don't worry!"
The image of Wei Yun calmly enduring the pain to say those words kept echoing in Caitlin's mind. This care and love from a stranger, or even someone she looked down upon, made it impossible for Caitlin to remain calm.
The problem is that the issues between Zaun and Piltover cannot be explained in a few words.
Thinking this, Caitlin whispered, "Vi."
"Hmm?" Vi turned her gaze to Caitlin.
Feeling Vi's gaze, Caitlyn said seriously, "During this time, you should have witnessed the power of Piltover... You've personally visited the Port of the Sun, the Hextech Flying Gate, and the ubiquitous Hextech Workshops and Factories. Think about it calmly. If those 'big shots' truly believe that Zaun is spiraling out of control and beyond their grasp, do you think Zaun will have any power to resist the entirety of Piltover?"
Upon hearing this, Wei opened her mouth, but then she recalled the scenes of the factory, the dock, and the port, as well as the prosperity she had witnessed during this period...
Wei pursed her lips, and a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes.
There was a time when Vi thought Zaun wasn't afraid of Piltover. But now, out of prison, more than a decade later, the world outside has changed drastically.
If before, in Vi's view, Zaun could still contend with Piltover through sheer willpower, now, more than a decade later, Piltover has flourished, while Zaun? Zaun has declined day by day…
Vi knew very well that for Zaun now, Piltover was an absolutely invincible and terrifying enemy.
As she thought this, a resolute look gradually appeared in Vi's eyes—even if it was for Vander's dream, she could not just sit idly by and watch Zaun be trampled into ruins by Piltover.
Thinking this, Vi stretched out her hands. With the sound of the Hextech automaton, the Atlas gloves were firmly connected to Vi's arms.
Originally designed to facilitate high-intensity engineering work for miners, this Hextech equipment, though with a simple purpose, was made using top-of-the-line materials and craftsmanship, even as a prototype. Because of this, operating it requires extraordinary mental and physical strength. A slight mishap could even injure one's arm bones and internal organs.
But being a boxing prodigy from a young age, the Atlas gloves seemed tailor-made for Vi. Even her creators, Jayce and Viktor, were amazed by their incredible fit. It was as if the Atlas gloves were created specifically to await Vi's arrival.
Unfortunately, due to the severe negative effects, previous users of the Vi either suffered bone fractures from the shockwave or nerve damage in their hands. But with the Vi, even at full power, the most they experience is only temporary wrist soreness.
While the Piltover police were heading to Zaun under the guise of maintaining order, on the other side—
With the emotional resonance motor operating at full power, Zeli's seemingly frail figure charged to the forefront of the winds of change. Bullets from steam guns pierced the air, but before they could even touch Zeli, they were blocked mid-air by the appearing electromagnetic shield, then weakly blasted away. Having consumed Farn's Blood of Joy, Zeli's mind was highly active. Accompanied by sparks of electricity crackling from her hair and battle robes, Zeli leaped up, stepping on rusted pipes, transforming into a streak of emerald green light as she entered the ranks of the alchemical thugs—
"Extreme Flash!!!"
The electrical energy stored in the spark plug of the motor burst forth in an instant, and Zeli was like the god of thunder descending to earth. Dense bolts of electricity exploded outwards from Zeli as the center, and the buzzing thunderstorm caused all the alchemical thugs that came into contact with it to let out a series of screams the moment they touched it.
Amidst the stench of charred flesh, bodies fattened by the luminous potion fell stiffly to the ground. But Zeli didn't stop there. She raised her spark gun, and with the connection of the motor, emotional energy flowed into it through the pipes. After a brief charge, a violent bolt of lightning shot through the air, blasting apart the crudely made cannons that had been prepared in the distance.
"Even a rusty screw can pry open the door to a vault!" Clad in lightning, Zeli charged ahead into the enemy ranks, slaughtering them with unrestrained ferocity, her eyes burning with fierce battle intent.
Not only Zeli, but also the alchemical slaves who followed behind her, charging towards the Alchemist Baron's defenses. They had already seized two-thirds of Zaun's lower class; now, their goal was to take over the entire lower class!
"Take back Zaun! Hang those alchemist barons!!!"
From the top floor, watching the battlefield below through the broadcast screen, Spindlough gritted his teeth and glared at the crowd around him: "Damn it, I've already given you the spoils! Where are your troops?! Why are you still letting these bastards charge in unstoppable fashion?!"
Upon hearing this, the numerous alchemical barons present remained silent. They could clearly sense that this group of alchemical thugs was far more troublesome than they had anticipated. Especially the green-haired girl charging at the forefront; even the alchemical kinetic energy cannons couldn't inflict any effective damage on her.
In fact, even a slight stumble can quickly restore one to full strength.
"That guy... is Shuona's daughter?" Baron Lannar, a woman standing nearby, raised an eyebrow, then looked at Hilko and said, "These guys weren't trained by you, were they?"
Upon hearing this, Hilko merely glanced coldly at the crowd. Unsurprisingly, after discovering that Shuona was a core member of the Winds of Change, some began to suspect that Hilko, the King of Zaun, had already betrayed them.
"Are you questioning me?" Hilko stared coldly at the crowd.
Seeing this, Lannar, who was standing to the side, said after a moment of silence, "How could that be? You are our leader... but I have a way to completely destroy them."
50. Haze Offensive
Upon hearing Lannar's words, Hilko raised an eyebrow, then leaned back in his chair and said, "Then tell me, what do you intend to do?"
“Open the smog duct,” Lannar said succinctly.
Upon hearing Lannar's words, the people around couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
Subsequently, it was not even Hillco who first opposed Lannar, but Baron Spindleau, who desperately needed assistance.
"Open the smog duct? You're dreaming! That's absolutely impossible! Bottom City is my territory! Are you trying to destroy Zaun? If the smog duct is opened, will businesses at the bottom still be able to operate? Don't forget, you all have shares in this!"
No wonder Spindlaw reacted so strongly. The reason is simple: for Zaun, the smog pipes represent not only past traumas, but also irreversible regional damage.
One of the most common expressions of gratitude used by Zaun people is "May the haze never enter your home"—haze is essentially a highly polluting waste product from Hextech crystal refining, which causes severe and irreversible pollution to the environment and human body. Especially after being inhaled, its intense magical erosion directly begins to decay the internal organs, eventually leading to organ failure and a gruesome death with bleeding skin.
During the "Bridge Insurrection" led by Vander, Lady Piltover's response was to dump large amounts of smog into Zaun via sewage pipes from above. It was from that moment that Zaun's environment began to deteriorate at an alarming rate. Because the pollution from the smog was almost impossible to completely eliminate, even after the insurrection ended, the damage caused by the smog continued to alter Zaun's overall condition.
After many more events, Piltover moved its heavily polluting heavy industry to Zaun. To prevent unnecessary trouble, much of the smog was sealed in closed pipes.
Now, decades of accumulated smog have been released all at once. It's no exaggeration to say that the entire city will become a living hell. Under that massive amount of smog, ordinary people have no chance of survival. Even if they do survive, the resulting organ damage will leave them living in constant pain for the rest of their lives.
Especially for Spindelau—the lowest-level slave laborers were his assets. If all the slave laborers died, would he then personally go into the factory to tighten screws?!
"What's there to be afraid of? At worst, we can send another batch of people down there to clean up. Anyway, Zaun has nothing else but these worthless people, we can use them however we want. If we don't have enough people, we can buy them from outside. We can modify the war slaves from Noxus and they'll be usable too!" Lanaar scanned the crowd around him, his cold eyes sending chills down everyone's spines.
"As for the infamy and such... do we really need to care?"
As he spoke, Lannar turned his gaze toward Hilko.
Noticing Lannar's actions, the surrounding alchemist barons realized that he was forcing Hilko to make a choice.
As the leader of Zaun, Hilko bears undeniable responsibility for Zaun's current state. However, while others may not know, the Alchemist Barons are well aware that Hilko is a thoroughgoing Zaunite. Previously, from a purely self-interested perspective, Hilko would have sided with them. But upon closer examination, who can guarantee that this so-called Winds of Change organization wasn't something Hilko himself promoted?
It's important to understand that the core management of the Winds of Change were all former subordinates of Hilko. Especially Shuona, who was previously a staunch Hilko loyalist, a right-hand woman like Sevika. Her sudden disappearance was attributed to disillusionment, but now she's suddenly reappeared and running such a massive organization… Do you really think Hilko wasn't behind this? They seriously doubt it.
Now, if Hilko also agrees to allow the Haze Pipe to open, then no matter what, even if the Winds of Change are Hilko's men, and regardless of the inside story, in the end, people will only regard Hilko as Zaun's greatest sinner...
Of course, they won't abandon Hilko; instead, they'll support him even more. After all, this leader still controls Zaun's industrial lifeblood, the Glimmer of Light.
Thinking this through, even though it concerned his own vital interests, Spindelau couldn't help but fall into a brief silence.
His eyes darted around before he said, "If the price for these people is right... for the sake of Zaun, I'm not against it."
“How about we split the cost of the new alchemical slaves? After all, this concerns the entire Zaun,” Baron Petrock suggested.
"I have no opinion."
"I have no opinion."
As one alchemist baron after another expressed their agreement, everyone's gaze finally turned to Hilko, who sat at the head of the table.
Even as he was being lifted up, Hilko's face remained largely expressionless. He merely gave the crowd a cold, sweeping glance before sneering, "Then I have no objection."
Seeing that Hilko agreed so easily, the others were slightly surprised. They seemed to have not expected that Hilko, who always put Zaun first, would so easily agree to such a cruel plan that would lead to a major overhaul of Zaun's lower ranks.
Feeling the gazes of the crowd, Hilko calmly said, "I know what you're thinking. Put away your ridiculous ideas. I hope Zaun can rise, but the power of Piltover is far beyond what Zaun can resist. No matter what kind of infamy I bear, I will ensure Zaun's continuation."
Upon hearing Hilko's words, Lannar nodded and then smiled, "Of course we share the same thought, Hilko. Since you've agreed, let's issue the order in your name."
Upon hearing this, Hilko sneered. Clearly, Lannar intended to use this opportunity to completely corner Hilko.
“Then so be it.” Hilko nodded.
Through the Mark of Storms, they heard about the plans of the Zaun Council. Even though they already knew about the Alchemist Baron's inhuman nature, Shuona and the others still couldn't help but clench their fists.
"These beasts!" Shuona gritted her teeth and said, "Piltover destroyed what was once Zaun using the same methods! Zaun sacrificed countless people to control this haze pollution, and now they want to release it using the same methods! Are they even Zaunites?!"
Not only Shuona, but other middle-level managers of the Reform Wind also showed expressions of shared hatred.
These people are all Shuona's old brothers. They were disheartened and returned to the bottom of society to do small business because they couldn't stand how bad Zaun was.
Because of their previous relationship with Hilko and the others, the alchemist barons didn't dare to cause them any trouble or entanglement. Any occasional conflicts were quickly resolved. However, they never expected that these damned alchemist barons would now be willing to sacrifice the entire lower class of Zaun to deal with them, and by using something as destructive as the Ash Mist, which had caused immeasurable suffering to Zaun.
Other methods might have been acceptable, but for the people of Zaun, especially the older generation, the dumping of smog was a matter of deep pain. Many Zaun residents viewed it as the beginning of Piltover's betrayal and the start of decades of humiliation for Zaun. The younger generation of Zaun residents might only feel discontent and anger, but for the older generation, it was tantamount to Poland being attacked again, Pearl Harbor being bombed again, and opium once again opening the doors of Seres to the world.
Regardless of the extent of its destructive power, its symbolic significance is extremely serious.
Standing to the side, Salafine asked with some curiosity, "But... isn't this part of our plan?"
“It’s two different things for us to actively induce them to use it and for them to use it voluntarily.” Shuona shook her head angrily and said, “Moreover, we will decide whether to use it only after confirming the state of the haze, instead of using it directly without considering what changes have occurred in the haze over the past.”
"The reason we were prepared to induce them to use the haze was because we already had the means to counter it. And these damned guys... the situation wasn't dangerous enough to warrant using such a method before they decided to do so, which only proves that they are prepared to abandon all the lower classes of Zaun!"
As she said this, Shuona also turned her gaze to Faen on the side. After examining the map of Zaun for a moment, she nodded and said, "Leave the rest to me."
As the order from the Zaun Council was relayed, even the head of the Haze Pipeline couldn't help but show horror upon hearing its contents. He stared incredulously at the messenger who had delivered the message, saying, "Are you serious? This really an order from Hilko? This is impossible! It was Hilko who ordered the alchemist barons to completely seal this place off, preventing even the slightest leak!!"
“This is Lord Hillko’s order. Carry it out.” Glancing at the supervisor in front of her and sensing the disbelief in his eyes, Sevika’s own eyes were filled with suppressed emotion.
Just as Shuona said, although their plan was to use the haze to accelerate the progress of the Winds of Change, this was all based on the premise that they had a solid means to ensure that the haze would not cause any unforeseen problems. But these alchemical barons, before they even had a chance to advance the situation to that point, proactively requested to release the haze directly…
These guys are not trustworthy!
Clearly aware of this, Sevika simply said in a cold voice, "Obey orders, release them now!"
51·Storm
"No!!" the supervisor retorted, his neck stiff with rage. "My son, my wife, died because of the smog! Damn you, Hilko, you're all traitors to Zaun—"
Before the supervisor could finish speaking, the other men of Baron Lannar grabbed him by the neck, threw him aside, and sneered:
"Why waste words with him? Just kill these lowly scumbags and be done with it!"
As he spoke, the supervisor directly opened the abandoned sewage pipe that was storing smog.
Sevika coldly watched the actions of Lannar's subordinates, offering no intervention, his gaze filled with indifference.
In fact, Lannar's supervisor was also carefully watching Sevika behind him, trying to confirm whether Sevika was truly carrying out Hilko's orders. However, upon discovering that Sevika had no reaction whatsoever, the supervisor gradually relaxed. Then, a slight sense of disbelief arose in his heart—Hilko had actually agreed to the smog offensive?
Ha, it doesn't really matter. All crows are black; after witnessing Piltover's power firsthand, surrendering was only a matter of time. In fact, it's quite impressive that Hilcor has held out this long. Unlike his boss, who, after witnessing Piltover's power, decided to become a partner in the trading family, the Black Glove, in just three days.
Thinking it over, the supervisor pressed the button. Immediately afterward, the sound of metal opening and closing came from the pipes beside him. Accompanied by a rumbling hum, a large amount of thick, dark gray mist, occasionally flashing with a faint magical light, flowed down from the middle layer of Zaun, forming a dark cloud that covered the area.
Located on the lower level, looking up, even though she had expected it, Zeli still felt a tightness in her chest.
The haze fell from numerous sewage pipes, and upon contact with the air, it mixed with alchemical pollutants in the environment at an alarming speed. The once-sealed sewage pipes resembled inky wounds that had been torn open in this land. The smog, crushed by the virus, was no longer simply toxic fog; it condensed into a viscous liquid waterfall, carrying with it debris and various waste materials falling from higher levels.
The first to be affected by the haze were not even the warriors of the winds of change, but the alchemical thugs who were fighting against them and had seized the path to advancement in Zaun's lower classes. In their bewilderment, these thugs looked up at the sky. And so, their upturned faces were the first to dissolve, their skin blistering in the emerald liquid, collapsing like candles into dried-up bones.
"No, this isn't smog!" Noticing something was wrong, a serious look flashed in Sevika's eyes: "Smog isn't like this! What exactly is stored in the exhaust ducts?!"
Having heard Safeka's words through the communicator, Hilk also narrowed his eyes dangerously and looked at the group of people beside him.
Lannar's face remained nonchalant. He toyed with the long fingernails on his artificial body, his voice laced with indifference as he said:
“How would I know what that was? It’s been over a decade, what a waste to just use it to hold smog? So I threw in other alchemical waste to store it too… Don’t look at me like that, Hilko. Everyone does it.”
Upon hearing Lannar's words, Hilko's face remained expressionless. He simply tapped his fingers and calmly said, "Then you'd better pray that all of this works."
As Hilko spoke, the liquid mist formed from the haze drew ever closer to the lower levels of Zaun. Some of the slightly taller buildings groaned and groaned in the alchemical rain. Stone spires were corroded with honeycomb-like holes at a visible rate by the alchemical mist, and iron window frames twisted and warped, becoming either thin and brittle under the influence of magic or turning into scorching red streams that meandered along the cracks in the walls.
Visibly, the entire street leading to the upper levels of Zaun was peeling, with charred fragments rolling up on the cobblestone pavement. Whether it was the warriors of the Winds of Change or the alchemical thugs under the command of the alchemical barons, they would feel intense pain from body to soul the moment they came into contact with it.