novelhk Page 96
Page 96
With arms outstretched, Zed's arm guards emitted a cold, metallic scraping sound. He spun around, and sharp white light flashed from the blades on his arms. To the Noxian assassins, it was merely a flash of cold light before the world around them seemed to spin out of control.
One wave subsides, another rises. Just as several more assassins were about to launch an attack through the hole above, they had barely stood up and leaped into the air, not even landing or touching Shen's protective barrier or Jie's arm blade, when a furious, soul-suppressing roar accompanied them. A powerful willpower surged through their brains with the roar, first leaving them blank and their heads white, and then they saw Riven in the distance forcefully swinging her Black Stone Greatsword, which was even heavier and thicker than the Tower Aegis, unleashing a swift slash that tore through the air.
Boom!
Located on the outer edge of the void above, within the sight of the many Noxian soldiers above, their comrades had just leaped out when they were instantly cleaved into flying fragments by the blade light erupting from the opening.
"Bomb this place down with explosives!!!" the Noxian commander roared in fury. Then, the soldiers and assassins stopped attempting to enter the Dream Pool and instead began raining down massive amounts of explosives from above. The dense barrage of black powder bombs was chilling, especially for Riven, who was familiar with the destructive power of Noxian war engineering—as a former Noxian soldier, Riven knew very well that the black powder here could even directly blast down a fortified position.
Without the slightest hesitation, Riven snorted coldly, then, wielding her giant sword and stepping on the spirit shield created by Shen, she leaped directly from the pit above. Her willpower, under the effect of her innate magic, transformed into a protective aura, shattering the arrows and swords aimed at her. Then, brandishing her giant sword, she charged towards the Noxians who were trying to throw gunpowder and other flammable and explosive materials towards the pit above the Dream Pool.
Despite her apparent bravery, Irelia was located deep within enemy territory, with more and more Noxians arriving. The battle had already raged for a long time, and even though Kalan knew nothing about dancing, he could easily see that her dance steps were now disorganized and chaotic.
311·Millennial Happiness
Riven brandished her greatsword, her eyes filled with undisguised coldness. Although these Noxians before her were her former comrades-in-arms, Riven knew very well that the empire was now shrouded in a shadow, and the only way to save it… or rather, to transform it into the empire she envisioned, was through battle.
only……
There were still too many people.
Gripping the Blackrock Greatsword tightly, Riven looked at the Noxian soldiers attacking from all sides, a look of seriousness flashing in her eyes.
Even with Fain's blessing, which significantly enhanced Riven's combat endurance and stamina, she was still human. No matter how much she was strengthened, her limits remained. Even though she had overcome her inner confusion and her combat skills and magical abilities were now far superior, facing the overwhelming numerical advantage of several legions, Riven still felt exhausted after the continuous attrition.
But it was at this moment that he said, "Everyone, thank you for your hard work."
A calm voice echoed across the land, gentle and even, yet reaching the ears of everyone with perfect precision. Almost instantly upon hearing it, Riven relaxed for a fleeting moment. However, her warrior's instincts and intuition prevented her from revealing even the slightest weakness to the Noxian before her.
At least, from the Noxians' perspective, Riven merely glanced back at the crater she had jumped out of after a brief silence. And through the dome-shaped crater destroyed by the Noxian war stonemasons, Riven could clearly see Fahn rising from the pool.
After stretching a bit, Fain looked around. Feeling Riven and the others' gazes, he smiled and said, "Thanks to everyone, I've finally had a good rest."
Didn't she get a good rest? Although to others, it might seem like Fain only slept in the Dream Pool for a few hours, in reality, Fain's spirit had spent over a decade in the spiritual realm. She had watched Syndra grow from an adorable, delicate little girl into a captivating and powerful queen.
In ancient times, Ionia was free of conflict, which led Faen, a man who had always eaten meat, to become a vegetarian for several years. Now, returning to this era of strife, Faen's eyes hold a certain restlessness that is characteristic of the people of Ionia in this era.
Thinking this, Fain glanced at Syndra sleeping beside him.
To be honest, Fain felt a little regretful. The Dream Pool's mission was over, which meant the little Syndra in the spiritual realm would merge into the main body. Like an antidote, it would give Syndra's consciousness a new anchor, suppressing the darkness within. However, faced with Syndra's immense spiritual energy, the little Syndra's consciousness, while not necessarily devoured, would become a part of it… Hmm, preserving the little Syndra's consciousness might take some effort; he'd have to consult Karma.
Just as Fain was pondering how to preserve Syndra's consciousness within the illusion without affecting Syndra's physical form, Syndra's tightly closed eyelashes suddenly trembled briefly.
This made Farn raise an eyebrow in surprise—it didn't make sense.
Although the Dream Pool gave Syndra a chance to change the past, this change was ultimately a change of the past through the spiritual realm. It was like an exceptionally vivid dream; while it could leave a deep impression, the idea of instantly changing a person through a dream only exists in prophetic stories.
Especially considering Syndra's immense spiritual energy.
In Fain's perception, Syndra's mental energy and quality far surpassed Jinx's, who suffered from severe mental problems—despite Jinx's frail appearance, her strength far exceeded that of ordinary mortals. With her equipment, even the Demacian vanguard would have a hard time taking her down in a short time. And Jinx's mental energy, even if it were converted into human excretion, would take three days and three nights to be nearly depleted.
However, Jinx's spiritual energy mostly comes from proliferation, such as scar hyperplasia, while Syndra's spiritual energy comes from the endless, misunderstood, and unaccepted negative energy of Ionia.
In this situation, according to Fain and Karma's speculation, even if the ritual of the Dream Pool is completed, it will take Syndra at least ten years to gradually break free from the nightmares of the past by using the essence as a fulcrum.
And now...
To Fain's astonishment, Syndra's body rose from the water. Her graceful figure almost instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
This attraction wasn't based on beauty—at least not simply on Syndra's beauty—but on something more peculiar, a special perception as if a part of one's own spirit had been locked onto Syndra.
Before anyone could react, Syndra opened her eyes, glanced around, and finally her pale eyes landed on Fain's face beside her. Looking at her beloved teacher, a smile appeared on Syndra's face, and she said slowly, "Teacher?"
"...Syndra?" Fain looked at Syndra with some surprise—the soul of the illusionary Syndra should have already merged into the vast spirit of the Syndra's main body in the Dream Pool. But now it seems that the consciousness of the illusionary Syndra has taken over and become the soul of the main Syndra?
Syndra sensed the surprise in Fain's eyes, but she didn't care. After all, compared to Fain, who disappeared from his world after one last night and returned to the material realm, Syndra had already waited for thousands of years in the Dream Pool of the Illusion. She wasn't in a hurry, at least not anytime soon, but rather waiting and looking forward to a future where they could be together forever.
It's quite clear that the current teachers also have doubts, wondering whether they are truly themselves, or the original Syndra...
Thinking about it, a peaceful and serene smile appeared on Syndra's face.
"Teacher, may you be happy for a thousand years."
Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fahn seemed to realize something, his surprise deepening. Meanwhile, as Syndra spoke, the Noxian soldiers trembled involuntarily. Dark orbs emerged from their chests, drawing out their malice and killing intent before exploding with a deafening roar.
312 Washing
Looking at the awakened Syndra and hearing her words "Happy Millennium," even though it was just a simple sentence, Fain raised his eyebrows in surprise as he felt Syndra's gaze.
"You... you came here?" Farn asked in surprise, "From the other side of the spiritual realm?"
“There has only ever been one Syndra, just different choices.” Hearing Fain’s question, Syndra simply blinked and smiled: “This time, I won’t let my teacher slip away so easily.”
Hearing Syndra's words, Fain nodded. Through Syndra's smile and gaze, Fain could sense that while Syndra was indeed the girl he had seen in the Dream Pool's dream, she was different from him. He had returned directly to the material realm after leaving the Dream Pool, but Syndra was different. Through the changing light in the girl's eyes, Fain could sense that Syndra had experienced much since he left.
However, now is not the time to deal with this matter. Syndra exchanged a glance with Fane, and although she didn't speak, she nodded calmly after feeling Fane's gaze, clearly understanding his thoughts. Afterward, Fane looked at the people around him, then opened his palm, and a large amount of water vapor began to gather at an astonishing speed. In just an instant, it transformed into a surging torrent, swirling at his fingertips.
Meeting the suddenly relaxed gazes of Irelia and the others, a slight sense of emotion appeared in Fain's eyes. Although in Irelia and the others' perception, Fain might have only disappeared for a few hours, for Fain, it had truly been more than a decade since he had seen them.
However, Farn didn't rush into pleasantries. Instead, he manipulated the flowing water to lift his body into the air—"Let's clean up Peilor first."
Having already unsealed Syndra and being located on Pelor Island, there was no need to worry about the influence of the mental realm. Therefore, Fane didn't waste any words and manipulated the flowing water to its maximum extent, sweeping it across the entire Pelor Island in an instant. However, this sweeping movement was not a rapid process, but a slow and gradual one—Fanee did not intend to leave any survivors, nor any hidden marks, traps, or other contingency plans from LeBlanc.
To the Noxians, this wasn't immediately apparent either. Initially, they only felt a sudden increase in humidity. The moment the dense curtain of water spread, they felt as if a cow had licked them on the head. While it sounded strange, for the elite Noxian legions, such damp conditions did not affect their fighting spirit.
But in the very next moment, countless fine water droplets appeared visible to the naked eye above the bustling battlefield of Pelor. These crystal-clear droplets reflected the light of the stars and the moon, and also the cold glint of their blades, hanging in the sky like jewels suspended in the heavens. This bizarre sight caused the Noxian soldiers to look up in astonishment, their faces showing wariness and confusion. After all, since arriving in Ionia, they had already witnessed many strange celestial phenomena.
Unfortunately, the soldiers didn't get to figure out the meaning of this strange celestial phenomenon.
The silence was broken the next second.
Under Farn's control, what broke the silence wasn't a deafening roar, but a deep rumble from the convergence of billions of water currents. First, a thick mist rose from the sea, obscuring everything, and then this mist surged towards Peilor from all directions! On the isolated island, the crisscrossing waterways and the vast, boundless sea seemed to be seized by an invisible giant hand at this moment, transforming into roaring azure water dragons that soared into the sky!
Standing above the ruins of the sanctuary, Fane's arms were slightly outstretched, his eyes gleaming with magical light. On his arms, the Seven Hands of Osiris silently emitted a shrill laugh.
The next moment, the floodwaters ceased to flow and instead became a solidified violence under Farn's control. With a swing of his arm, the surging water, like a moving, tens-of-meters-high azure wall, swept across the narrow mountain path with unstoppable force.
Within this realm, Noxus's battle formations and siege engines were instantly swallowed and torn apart like children's building blocks before the force of nature. Ship after ship was reduced to shattered timbers before it even set sail. The roars of soldiers that accompanied their charge were drowned out by the sound of war machines breaking apart, and then they, along with their masters, turned into blurry foam in the water.
Heavy armor was washed away by the water. Even the strongest warriors could only curl up helplessly in the torrent and fall into the sea. The armor that was originally meant to bring enlightenment to the enemy became iron coffins for them to fall into the abyss.
This seemingly savage and violent flow of water, however, revealed a surprising spirituality. As the water rushed towards Irelia, she initially thought that even if her senior brother controlled the force, some impact would still feel on her. But when Irelia touched it, there was no impact at all; the water wasn't even cold, but warm, like a spring breeze.
To Irelia's astonishment, the water meandered past the intricately carved Ionian-style columns, brushed against the fortress walls relentlessly eroded and carved by the Noxians, and then penetrated deep within, precisely searching for each invader. Once a target was locked on, the turbulent whirlpools would sweep them underwater, or the immense pressure of the water would slam them against the walls, crushing them along with their flesh and bones into a bloody mess, before the current dispersed and carried away.
Before everyone's eyes, the massive army that had initially exhausted them vanished in an instant. As the mist dissipated, the world around Peiluor had changed. The clamor had subsided, leaving only the distant sea surging with waves due to the excessive water and corpses it had carried.
On the slightly murky water, covered with driftwood, floated countless Noxian legion flags and wreckage, but not a single figure remained standing. Moonlight pierced through the mist, falling on the gradually calming sea, soon reflecting a shimmering tranquility once more.
It was at this moment that Faen slowly lowered his arm, the azure light in his eyes gradually fading. He clapped his hands and looked at the people around him, saying, "The mission is over. It's time to have a good drink."
313 - The Beginning of the Fierce Battle
After dealing with the Noxian soldiers who had landed on Pelor Island, Fain simply manipulated the water to create a dense mist around the island, forcibly halting the war.
Upon seeing that Pei Luoer had been completely cleansed, Shen and the others, who had been gripping their spirit swords tightly, suddenly relaxed and collapsed to the ground.
It wasn't just the ninja assassins from the Order of Balance, like Shen, or the helpless survivors left behind by the Guardians of Pelor; even Karan, a primordial flesh-toothed beast, leaned against the wall the moment he realized the battle was over and refused to get up.
Combat is an extremely physically demanding activity. Even in this world where magic exists and power can be replenished through other means, several hours of high-intensity fighting can still completely exhaust a person's energy. In fact, more than half an hour into the battle, members like the Pelor Unspeakables and some members of the Order of the Balance had already withdrawn from the front lines, leaving the battlefield to warriors more familiar with the battlefield, such as Kalan, Riven, and Irelia.
This was undoubtedly a huge test of stamina and energy management. However, for Kalan, a flesh-toothed beast who lived by hunting, the rational allocation of energy and stamina had become an instinct. Almost every attack he launched was delivered with just the right amount of force, without causing any extra stamina consumption. Riven, on the other hand, was familiar with and adapted to the battlefield.
Although the Blackrock Greatsword is large, Riven's wielding posture reveals that she doesn't rely on brute force. Instead, she spins like a top, constantly adjusting her center of gravity with the greatsword. Except for the initial full-force swing when drawing the sword, she mostly moves with the blade by adjusting her center of gravity, using the opponent's force against them.
As for Irelia, there's not much to say. The legacy of the Sword Dancer is inherently designed for combat, and her legendary sword is extremely efficient at killing enemies while consuming very little energy. The only problem is that it has almost zero interaction with the spirits of nature. This might be fine in times of war, but in peaceful times, possessing such a powerful weapon yet being unable to use it in battle can indeed easily cause mental instability.
Even so, the continuous battles had exhausted everyone's energy. Now that they had relaxed, even Shen's eyelids were unusually heavy, giving the impression that he wished he could take a good nap right now and then wake up completely refreshed.
Thinking this, Fain also manipulated the water mist to envelop the group. At first, Kalan and the others were slightly puzzled, but they didn't resist. After all, they knew very well that even at their peak, they combined were no match for Fain. Now that they were so exhausted, if Fain really wanted to kill them, he wouldn't need to use any special methods. He could simply exert a little more force when he was cleaning up Pelor, and he could send them and the Noxians to the bottom of the ocean abyss. So there was no need to waste time using these fancy tricks.
Sure enough, soon, as the water mist glowed with a hazy light, they felt the moisture gradually seeping into their bodies. As the moisture entered their bodies, their stiff, swollen, and sore muscles began to ease rapidly, as if they had received new nutrients. Nourished by the moisture, even their tired spirits improved considerably in the process.
Although Faen had mastered the ability to manipulate water long ago, it was limited to combat. The decade or so he spent in the Dream Pool wasn't just a waste of time; he was constantly learning, understanding, and attempting to accept Ionia's spiritual realm. Now, he's infusing different spiritual energies into the water, creating different effects—this is what Faen gained in the Dream Pool.
As everyone's strength gradually returned, Fain took the lead in the sixth unit and then looked at Syndra beside him.
Seeing this, Syndra nodded. She knew her teacher was asking why she was there—and without any intention of hiding anything, Syndra landed beside Fain and pointed to the Dream Pool below, saying:
"The Dream Pool is connected to the spiritual realm of the Spirit of Ionia itself, but in the past, this spiritual realm was a dark realm. Therefore, similarly, as long as I reach a tacit understanding with darkness itself, I can use the power of darkness to link to the material realm."
"To reach a tacit understanding with darkness itself?" Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fane raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "But if that's the case, wouldn't your soul be constantly affected by darkness?"
“That’s how it should be normally.” Upon hearing this, Syndra smiled slightly, then looked at Fane quietly, her pale eyes revealing a hint of obsession and madness.
“But darkness only craves negative emotions. As long as I can provide enough nourishment for darkness, this deal can continue forever. And in this age of strife, such nourishment is not uncommon.” As she spoke, Syndra glanced around. After confirming that everyone around her was meditating with their eyes closed, accelerating the absorption of the healing mist, she licked her lips and then brought her delicate face close to Fain’s ear.
"But aside from these dark thoughts from Ionia, I myself also need to provide some obsession, madness, and extremism that are different from the traditions of Ionia... Simply put, I need to find a way to make myself completely devoid of rationality, with only pure instinct remaining in my mind and soul, as if I were being used and filled like some kind of instrument... Well, I know this sounds a bit strange, but in essence, it's what you did to me in the days before you left me, teacher."
Hearing Syndra's words and looking into her eyes, Fane smacked his lips and said, "That's a serious problem. As her teacher, I definitely have to find a way to take responsibility for it."
Upon hearing this, Syndra chuckled softly. However, immediately afterward, Fain added, "But if we connect to the material realm in reverse through the Dream Pool, doesn't that mean you still have to enter the Dream Pool to wait?" Fain looked at Syndra.
Syndra nodded calmly. "Although waiting for this long, tedious wait from thousands of years in the illusion has been long, it has been worthwhile. And, I'm getting impatient." Syndra looked up at Fane. "For thousands of years in the spiritual realm, I could only alleviate my loneliness through the memories of my teacher before he left. Now I've finally seen him again..."
Farn knew this would be a fierce battle.
314. A superficial attempt
Sensing Syndra's undisguised desire, Fain rubbed his temples and said, "The situation is a bit complicated..."
“It’s not complicated.” Upon hearing this, Syndra shook her head and said, “The absorption of the healing mist takes time, and it also takes time for it to fully take effect in the body after absorption. Although it doesn’t take too long, with the time flow regulation of the mental domain, it’s enough for Teacher to quench my thirst for a short time.”
As she spoke, Syndra revealed a somewhat aggressive smile—though it was aggressive, a beauty is a beauty, and even with such an expression on Syndra's face, it didn't evoke any sense of aversion. Rather, Syndra's appearance and temperament naturally leaned towards assertiveness, and as she revealed her feelings, the mature and queen-like aura between her brows intensified.
For some, the aura of a mature, queen-like woman would instinctively evoke a desire to be trampled underfoot. However, Fain's personality was rather twisted; this assertiveness only fueled her own thirst for conquest. Thinking this, Fain nodded and opened the door to her spiritual realm. Upon seeing the door open, Syndra showed no fear whatsoever. She glanced defiantly at her teacher, then puffed out her full, high breasts and walked in with her head held high.
After a while, on Pelor Island, Irelia was the first to open her eyes. She wanted to greet her senior brother, but found that Fan, who had been standing nearby, was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, Irelia didn't run around, but stayed where she was, waiting silently. A moment later, the others also finished recovering, and seeing that Fan hadn't appeared, they continued to stay where they were. They waited for quite a while, and then everyone felt a pulsation in the surrounding space.
A moment later, Fan emerged from the spiritual realm, his face serene. Following behind him, Syndra floated out, her gaze equally calm, though a hint of satisfaction lingered in her eyes compared to Fan's.
Through time manipulation, half an hour passed in the physical realm, while two hours had passed in the spiritual realm. Although this was insignificant compared to the pressure and lust that Syndra had accumulated over thousands of years in the Dream Pool dreamscape, the enhanced pleasure from the large dose of pleasure factors injected by Fain, no longer troubled by the special nature of the spiritual realm, still provided Syndra's thirsty body with a brief satisfaction.
Although he hadn't had many sexual encounters with Syndra, Faen could clearly sense that the accumulated mental pressure from waiting in the Dream Pool to reach the Material Realm was causing Syndra some mental issues. For instance, during their first encounter before leaving the Dream Pool, when Faen took Syndra's virginity, she was still somewhat inexperienced, and he had to reduce his intensity and speed to match her comfort level.
And this time? Now, as she took her body for the first time in the physical realm, Syndra was infinitely more excited, wanting to release all the pressure accumulated over thousands of years. Even her capacity for receptiveness was greatly expanded under the mental pressure. In the dream, Syndra was somewhat awkward when serving with her mouth, and at the same time, she was wary of her rear entrance, considering it dirty. But this time, Syndra had no such concerns; her mind was filled with the desires and needs accumulated over thousands of years.
Thinking about this, Fain couldn't help but sigh at how dark Ionia truly was—at this rate, Syndra, whose appetite had been spoiled, wouldn't be so easily satisfied and would stop after just a taste. After all, the best solution for making contact with evil beings in the spiritual realm was to subject them to more extreme stimulation. If that were the case… then some other methods would have to be tried.
Hmm, let's see Syndra's attitude tonight. If there are no problems, let's invite Riven to come along.
To the side, others might not think there was anything between Fain and Syndra—after all, Fain helped Syndra break the seal, and Syndra's special status made it reasonable for her to go to the Spirit Realm to handle some matters. However, Riven, familiar with Fain's personality, attitude, and even some of his fetishes, sensed that things were definitely not as simple as they seemed when she saw Fain and Syndra emerge from the Spirit Realm together.
Even though Fain and Syndra both appeared calm and seemingly unaffected, Riven noticed something amiss after watching them for a while. Before arriving in Ionia, things were fine, but after coming here, especially after she had overcome her inner confusion and was thoroughly developed by Fain, Riven's perception and intuition were further enhanced by the large intake of pleasure factors and the absorption of various organs.
If it were anything else, like spiritual practice or meditation, Riven might not be able to tell, given her limited experience. But if it's something Fain often does to himself…
Sensing the subtle satisfaction in Syndra's eyes, and the familiar aura in her demeanor that Riven recognized—an aura that only those with similar experiences could understand after consuming large amounts of pleasure-enhancing drugs, akin to that of a devoted slave...
Just then, Riven saw Fain look at her and then give her a gentle smile.
really.
This made Riven almost instantly certain of her inner judgment—and guess that she would have a new colleague tonight.
Thinking this, Riven's face also showed a hint of helplessness. While she was speechless about Fain's private life, she was also helpless about her own body, which had already begun to react just by sensing the meaning Fain was conveying.
The battle had just ended, and his strength had only just recovered. He hadn't wanted to move at all and just wanted to rest. But who would have thought that with just this one hint, before the sweat from the battle had even dried, that place started to wriggle and secrete even thicker fluid on its own...
Thinking this, Riven sighed and then leaned helplessly against the wall, waiting for Fain to finish dealing with these trivial matters before dealing with her.
In fact, Faith simply winked at Riven before turning his gaze to Shen, Zed, and the others.
315·Peiluer Arrangement
While it was said that the task fell to Shen and Jie, Fane didn't actually have any other requests; he was just looking for an excuse to get rid of them. After all, Ionia's most important task—releasing the darkness of Ionia represented by Syndra—had already been successfully completed. Next, all that remained was to return to the Temple of Eternity to report to Karma and, incidentally, deal with Swain, who had lost his rear base, Pelor.
“I have already conveyed the message to the Venerable One through the Twin Dragon Seal. Once the situation on Peilor Island stabilizes, we will prepare to leave.”
Looking at the crowd before him, Faen Shen and Jie, Faen said, "Having gone through these events, I believe you all have a new understanding of the coming era of conflict, and a more comprehensive and new understanding of war. It is foreseeable that many sects will have many opponents. When they try to put pressure on the Temple of Eternity, I hope you can explain to them the cruelty of war."
Upon hearing Farn's words, Shen nodded, but then fell silent.
This caught Farn's attention, and he looked at Shen and asked, "Judging from your expression, is there something you want to say? If so, please speak freely."
“…Hmm.” Upon hearing Fain’s words, Shen nodded, then turned his gaze to Akali, who was casually tossing a kunai to the side, and said, “Although it may be a bit abrupt, I still want to ask… Mr. Fain, what do you think of Akali?”
"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Akali blinked, her little face full of confusion, as she dangled her fingers in the ring on the back of the shuriken. She had thought that nothing more was going to happen to her, but now she suddenly heard her own name called. She even pointed at herself and said, "Me?"