Unhinged Jinx, Old Acquaintance Ryze Appears

Vander Tavern.

"He Xi, are you from Topside?"

Powder, who had yet to become the unhinged girl Jinx, asked timidly.

He Xi and Xu Yi had spent several days in Zaun. Over time, they had become fairly familiar with the people here.

Though Powder was socially anxious, timid, and insecure, her curiosity about the outside world was no less than anyone else’s.

Today, she had finally gathered the courage to ask.

At first, He Xi had assumed the Undercity was merely filthy and chaotic, an unregulated gray zone with no supernatural powers. But after staying for several days, she discovered that "alchemy" technology existed here.

Alchemy Technology, simply put, was biotechnology made mysterious. With He Xi’s knowledge and intellect, it was easy enough for her to understand. To put it bluntly, it involved genetic mutations and the fusion of human and animal genes, though it went beyond that.

There were also some mysterious fields that He Xi had yet to decipher.

Looking at the adorable Jinx, He Xi said, "By Topside, do you mean Piltover?"

"Mhm." Powder nodded.

"Why do you ask?" He Xi said.

Without hesitation, Powder said, "Because He Xi looks very beautiful, and your temperament is different from ours. It’s like you’re draped in a layer of holy light. You feel very kind."

"Hahaha, you’re absolutely right. But I’m not from Topside. I come from a place called the Angel Civilization," He Xi said.

"Angels? The kind with wings?" Powder asked in surprise.

"Mhm." He Xi nodded, putting on an unfathomable air.

"He Xi, can I see your wings?" Powder asked excitedly, her face full of anticipation.

"Uh…" He Xi fell silent. If she revealed her Angel Wings now, there was no telling what kind of trouble it might cause.

"Powder, your He Xi is bragging. What angels are there? There’s nothing like that."

Xu Yi spoke from the side as he sampled the tavern’s liquor, looking thoroughly at ease.

"Xu Yi? What do you mean by that? What do you mean there are no angels? Aren’t I one?" He Xi retorted.

"Then transform already," Xu Yi said with a smile.

"…"

"Chicken Sauce Method! I’m not falling for that!"

He Xi glared hard at Xu Yi before finally saying that.

Soon, Powder went to find her sister Vi. According to information Powder had accidentally let slip, they were preparing to rob the rich and help the poor in Topside. Their target seemed to be a scientist.

As people of the Undercity, Powder and Vi actually hated those from Topside. The privileged lives of Topside’s people were built upon the suffering of Zaunites. The people here struggled to survive, the air was heavily polluted, disease was everywhere, and this place was even where Topside dumped its garbage.

It was not as though the Undercity had never resisted, but first, they lacked Piltover’s advanced equipment, weapons, and organized Enforcer squads.

Second, the Undercity was filled with people from all walks of life, each harboring their own schemes.

They could never unite against Topside’s nobles. They would even sell out their own people for profit.

This was why the Zaunites of the Undercity had been suppressed for so many years, able only to scrape by in a place like a filthy sewer.

"Xu Yi, when are we leaving?" He Xi asked.

This place was somewhat interesting, but not much. Nothing exciting happened here, so it could not hold He Xi’s attention for long.

"Leave? Where do you want to go?" Xu Yi said.

"Demacia, of course. Didn’t you say there was news about another Keisha and Morgana there? Naturally, I want to see for myself," He Xi said.

"No rush. Piltover and Zaun may not have any particularly powerful beings, but they’re still somewhat interesting," Xu Yi said.

"…I really find it strange. Why are there Doppelgangers of Keisha and Morgana here, but none of me? No one even worships me. Even if it isn’t the real me, just a clone," He Xi complained.

"Are you jealous? You can become a god here too and gather faith," Xu Yi said.

He Xi was tempted by those words, but she quickly shook her head. "I’m not from this Universe. I can’t interfere with this Universe’s course."

"He Xi, the Universe isn’t unique. Even the Rune Universe has many Parallel Universes. Not everything is set in stone. If you became a god here, nothing much would change. You might even help this world develop better," Xu Yi said.

"Really?" He Xi was somewhat unconvinced. She always felt as though Xu Yi was trying to lead her into making a mistake.

"Then think about your own Universe. Hasn’t its fate already changed? According to the original course, you would have long since fallen into a Black Hole and become Momo. And now? Aren’t you alive and well? Your strength is countless times greater than before, and you can even control reincarnation. If there were two futures, which one would you choose?" Xu Yi said.

"Of course the latter." He Xi answered without hesitation.

"Exactly. So what does it matter? Piltover and Zaun are inherently high-tech, and they’re known as the City of Progress. You’re a researcher too, so isn’t this right up your alley?" Xu Yi said.

"Xu Yi, you have a point. But as far as I know, Piltover and Zaun seem to already have a god, someone called the Wind Goddess Janna," He Xi said.

In just a few days, He Xi had already thoroughly learned the history and current state of Piltover and Zaun.

Janna was Zaun’s god and had always protected its people. Yet for some unknown reason, the wind goddess had not appeared in a very long time.

"I know." Xu Yi smiled.

In the League, Janna might have been a support, but on the Rune Continent, she was a god with formidable strength.

Basically, anyone who served as a support in the League had absurdly overpowered strength in reality.

"Moreover, after comparing the connections between the two Universes, this Janna seems to be related to Lian Feng of the Super Soldier Company," He Xi said seriously.

"What makes you say that?" Xu Yi asked.

"More than ten thousand years ago, before De Nuo Star was destroyed, Lian Feng’s name was Janna. Lian Feng was the name Janna took after arriving on Earth. Lian Feng’s Super Gene also seems to be related to the power of wind.

"Unfortunately, Noxian Star was destroyed long ago, and Lian Feng’s genes were never developed. Most resources went to the Noxian God of War," He Xi said.

"He Xi, remember this. Though the two Universes have certain connections, their paths of development are different," Xu Yi said.

"I know!"

He Xi gulped down a large mouthful of beer. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the street outside the tavern. Her pupils abruptly widened as she cried out, "Big Bald?"

"Teacher Liu?"

"??"

Xu Yi turned his head to look. The liquor in his mouth sprayed out immediately, and his expression turned strange as well. Was this fucking coincidence too much?

On the street stood a blue-skinned being carrying a scroll on his back. He looked left and right before finally noticing He Xi in the tavern, smiling like an idiot.

Blue Skin pointed at himself, seemingly asking whether she was calling him.

He Xi nodded repeatedly, extremely excited. She had never expected to see an old acquaintance after crossing worlds. His appearance had not changed much, though he looked more solemn and weathered now.

Ryze of the God River Civilization was a great scholar. He had once worked with the Super God Academy, spreading advanced God River Gene technology, and he was also the principal of the Super God Academy.

Ryze of the Rune Universe, however, was a great mage proficient in Arcane Magic. He had devoted his life to collecting Runes and protecting the world from the dangers of Rune power. He was also one of the foremost forces resisting the Void.

Ryze had been born in ancient times. His lifespan had been twisted by Rune power, granting him a lifespan comparable to that of the Yordles, or perhaps even longer.

Xu Yi looked strangely at Wandering Mage Ryze as he entered the tavern. He remembered that this mage had never appeared in the Twin Cities Storyline.

If Ryze had appeared here, then Hextech might never have had a chance to emerge. Ryze would definitely destroy the Runes at their source. Even if he had to sacrifice an entire city, he would protect the world.

He knew all too well that once the Runes went out of control, the danger would not be as simple as destroying a city. By then, tens of millions could die.

"Teacher Liu? You crossed worlds too?" He Xi asked excitedly.

She had lived for over thirty thousand years, but God River Ryze was even older. Calling him Teacher Liu was perfectly normal.

Ryze looked extraordinary. His skin was deep blue, and its surface was covered in intricate Rune patterns. Yet despite his strange appearance, people only gave him a glance and thought nothing of it.

There were all kinds of people in Zaun. Besides ordinary humans, there were also many Beast Tribe members—those who looked human but were not human.

Ryze was relatively normal by comparison! "Crossed worlds? Beautiful lady, do we know each other?" Ryze asked, his eyes continuously examining He Xi.

Deep within his eyes, magical power surged as he attempted to discern He Xi’s nature. He had sensed that the woman before him was utterly out of place in this world. The aura she emitted was unbelievably unfamiliar, something he had never encountered before, as though she did not belong to this world at all.

Unfortunately, although Ryze was indeed immensely powerful, he still could not see through He Xi! Especially without using Rune power! Xu Yi did not speak, allowing He Xi to handle things freely first.

At the same time, he sensed Ryze’s power. It truly was not weak, but that was all.

However, the legendary World Runes were not on Ryze.

World Runes were similar to the Infinity Stones of the Marvel World. Both were creations of genesis. The power of every Rune was enough to destroy Heaven and Earth, reshape a world at its peak, alter fate, and draw the pursuit of countless forces.

Likewise, without a sufficiently strong will, one would be corrupted by the Runes and become their puppet, knowing only how to destroy the world and ruin everything.

Ryze was one of the few beings who had endured the power of the Runes, but their temptation was too great. Thus, he had hidden the four Runes he obtained in different places.

Without the Runes, Ryze’s strength was still at the level of a Demi-God through Arcane Magic alone, perhaps even stronger.

"Keep pretending, Teacher Liu. I always wondered why you were so elusive. So you ran off here. With your abilities, reaching a Parallel Universe is certainly possible," He Xi said with a smile.

"Parallel Universe?" Ryze was even more confused. At the same time, he realized that this woman and mysterious man might not belong to his world. Could they be from the Void? The moment he thought of the Void, the Arcane Magic energy within Ryze nearly spiraled out of control! Had the Void become this powerful already? It had infiltrated Rune Land without a sound. Could Zaun have already been corrupted by the Void?

To prevent future trouble, he could only blow this place up!

In an instant, Ryze thought of many things, including bearing infamy.

But on second thought, something was wrong. If they came from the Void, why did they call him Teacher Liu? He did not even have the surname Liu.

"Ahem, madam, my surname is Rui, not Liu," Ryze replied.

"You’re being naughty, Teacher Liu. Didn’t you call yourself the Wandering Mage of the God River Civilization?" He Xi said with a smile.

"God River Civilization?" Ryze looked utterly baffled.

After a brief exchange, He Xi gradually realized something. She muttered to herself, "No way, is this Teacher Liu’s Doppelganger?"

"What do you think?" Xu Yi finally spoke. He truly had not expected He Xi to suddenly lose her brain as well.

"…" He Xi fell silent.

Ryze remained quiet for a long time before asking, "Although I do not understand much of what you have said, I know this—you are from beyond this world?"

"That’s right." Xu Yi nodded.

"The Void?" Ryze asked.

"No," Xu Yi said.

"That’s good." Ryze let out a sigh of relief. As long as they were not from the Void, everything could be discussed.

"No way, we’ve changed Universes, and you’re fighting the Void here too?" He Xi asked.

"Mhm. The Void is far too dangerous, and Void Creatures bring disaster to this world. As long as something is connected to the Void, everything will gradually become ominous.

"That aside, you know me? Or rather, another version of me? What exactly is he like?" Ryze asked.

"Teacher Liu, see for yourself."

He Xi reached out and tapped a finger. A beam of white light entered Ryze’s mind.

The story of Ryze and the God River Civilization from another Universe entered Rune Ryze’s mind.

Several minutes later, Ryze digested the information. His gaze grew even more complicated as he said, "I never expected there to be a similar Universe beyond our own. But why are our fates always so alike?"

Another Universe—the God River Civilization.

The good news was that there were no Runes there.

The bad news was that its technology had developed to its peak. It possessed technological weapons capable of destroying star systems, as well as the unknowable Ultimate Fear.

In a sense, the world of the God River Civilization was even more terrifying than this one.

After all, no matter how much Rune Land was ravaged, it was only one planet. On the other side, an entire star system had vanished.

"Ah, no matter where you are, Teacher Liu, you’re still an orphan, forever wandering. By the way, you aren’t one here too, are you?" He Xi asked.

A bitter expression appeared on Ryze’s face. "I can no longer remember how long ago it was. Perhaps ten thousand years. In ancient times, before the Rune Wars began, my homeland was destroyed by Rune power. My mentor was also controlled by the Runes. In the end, I killed my mentor, and I have spent my entire life pursuing the path of the Runes, until now."

"What a sad story," He Xi said.

"Ryze, why did you come to Zaun? There are no fluctuations of Rune power here," Xu Yi asked.

Hearing this, Ryze explained, "Several days ago, while I was meditating, I discovered a mysterious fluctuation of power appearing in Piltover. That power vanished in an instant. I was drawn here by it."

"Several days ago… Xu Yi, could it have been when we appeared?" He Xi asked.

"Possibly," Xu Yi said. Perhaps this was the butterfly effect.

"Ahem, since we belong to different Universes… Lady He Xi, what have you come here for?" Ryze asked.

"To travel," He Xi answered without hesitation.

"To travel?"

Ryze fell silent. Coming to another Universe just to travel was hardly convincing.

However, He Xi’s expression was extremely sincere, so Ryze believed her.

"In that case, may I accompany the two of you for a while?" Ryze asked.

"Of course, Teacher Liu."

"Since you’re an old relic in this world too, tell me about Arcane knowledge. I’m very interested. And the history of this world as well. Although I read some information, it was probably all unofficial history. You’re an old relic, so you should know the official history," He Xi said.

"?" Ryze felt as though his head was starting to itch.

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