Twin Cities: I am the man of many myths

Chapter 240 True Glory
"Li Ke, you've already made up your mind? Damn, I didn't expect you to beat me to it."

In the Piltover Parliament building, Jess, dressed in a suit, looked at the long-haired black man sitting on the sofa in front of him, handed him the cup he was holding, and said with a smile that he was very happy.

Li Ke looked at Jess and said with a smile, "This is something I should have done when I came back, but I was on my honeymoon with Jinx. Now that the honeymoon is over, it's time to get down to business."

Jokingly, Rick said with a smile, "And speaking of me, what are you going to do about your relationship with Mel? If you think about it, the amount of time I've spent with Jinx is about the same as the amount of time you've spent with Mel."

Jess, looking helpless, shrugged and sat down next to Rick, crossing his legs as he said:
"It's a bit of a problem. Mel did talk to me about marriage, but she still wants Ambissa's blessing. However, I don't know what happened, but Ambissa seems to have vanished into thin air."

After listening, Li Ke took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and said, "Don't worry too much. Anbesa is very strong, and someone as cunning and resilient as her won't be in too much danger even if she encounters trouble."

"That would be best," Jess sighed, seemingly realizing the topic was affecting his mood, and quickly added with a smile:
"More than that, I'm curious about how you're going to prepare for your wedding. Let me see... Demacia, Noxus, Ionia, Freljord, Bilgewater... Hmm, how about we try bringing some people over from Shurima too?"

"In that case, your wedding will have people from all over Runeterra."

"Do we know anyone in Shurima?" Rick asked Jess impatiently.

Mr. Talisman is really impulsive, even bringing the people of Shurima to the wedding. Tsk, why don't you go and bring the people of Mount Targon over?
Wouldn't that be more lively?
“Speaking of which, Rick, we shouldn’t have any enemies left in the future, right? Once the troubles in Valoran were resolved, it felt like we had solved all the troubles in the world during this period. Is peace truly restored now?” Jess took a sip of water, thought for a moment, and then said.

That's exactly what he thought. Over the years, Jayce had watched the two cities cooperate, then conquer Noxus, launch the eastern expedition to Bilgewater, bring back the pirate queen Sarah, and then form an alliance with Noxus, with Demacia also involved. And now, even Freljord in the far north had become an ally.

Do the two cities still have any real enemies?

there is none left.
Therefore, can the twin cities enter a period of rapid development? In the future, can we really start thinking about exploring the universe?

Thinking about this, Jess suddenly felt a little excited.

Just kidding! Every scientist has a grand dream of exploring the universe.

Hearing Jess's words, Rick smiled and looked out the glass. From there, Rick could see the Hextech portals being used continuously. Under the flashing blue light of magic, the ships that slowly lined up in the air to enter the portals would disappear into the sky above Bilgewater in the blink of an eye.

But that's not what Li Ke was looking at. Although the scenery was quite nice, Li Ke was looking at something much higher up.

After a while, Li Ke put down his teacup and, as he stood up, left a message for Jess: "This is just the beginning. Keep up the good work, Jess."

After saying that, Li Ke patted Jess on the shoulder and then walked towards the black and red greatsword on the table.

Jess stared blankly at Rick's retreating figure, and subconsciously asked, "What do you mean?"

Lee didn't answer Jess's question. Instead, he picked up the black and red greatsword and then heard Aatrox's voice.

"Yes, Li Ke, this is just the beginning."

"Mortals are such a hassle. If you want to get married, fine, then we'll wait until you're married, and then we'll go to Shurima. You promised me you'd take me to see Sivir, and you'd accompany me to Mount Targon to cause trouble for the Protoss."

Li Ke smiled, hoisted Aatrox onto his back, and saw thin lines of blood appear on the black and red greatsword, spreading from the blade, staining Li Ke's back, and then sticking tightly to his back.

The more time Aatrox spent with Rick, the clearer his mind became. For thousands of years, he had never been so uncorrupted by the voice of the void, untainted by hatred.

"Just you wait, Aatrox, you'll see."

"I'll wait and see."

The Darkin Blademaster chanted softly.

If we're talking about the highest place in Runeterra, then Mount Targon is undoubtedly the one. Its altitude reaches the sky, and part of its summit even exceeds the control limits of Runeterra.

This is why the people living on Mount Targon have the opportunity to communicate with the Celestials and receive their blessings and power after climbing the mountain.

At this moment, in broad daylight, Mount Colossus is filled with strange creatures, and the sea of ​​clouds rolls around its waist. Above the sea of ​​clouds, sharp peaks emerge, piercing the mountaintop of the Rune Land.

The mountaintop was shrouded in night, with starlight rippling like water across the sky, speckled and shimmering. Beneath this liquid starlight, the summit of Mount Targon was empty, save for the flowing, iridescent light.

But then, a voice rang out from Mount Targon.

The voice was ethereal and otherworldly, yet it carried a hint of melancholy.

"Runeterra is gradually slipping out of our control. Will this cause us trouble?"

The sound seemed to come from the other end of the extremely distant universe, and after a long while, another deep voice rang out.

The voice, crackling with electronic sounds, calmly said, "Not necessarily. Human lifespan is extremely short, and in my view, humans are a group of creatures adept at infighting."

For millennia, hasn't humanity evolved through cycles of division and reunification to reach its present state? Clay, you worry too much, and you overestimate humanity.

“You couldn’t have missed what happened in Freljord. That human named Rick possesses power that even we can’t fathom. I believe it’s only a matter of time before he catches up with us,” the being called Kree said softly.

The stars twinkled, and then a face appeared in the night sky. It was a face shaped like a fish, with fins on its cheeks. He continued, "The demigods are not to be underestimated. Their power is no less than ours, especially the three demigods."

"So what? Aren't the three demigods also enemies of each other?" Another face appeared, wearing a pale white mask with a small tree pattern between the eyebrows.

The electronic voice spoke again: "Fanxi is right. These guys have been fighting each other quite a bit behind the scenes. Didn't an ancient demigod die in the Freljord incident?"

"Moreover, that human named Li Ke hasn't even integrated all of humanity yet. Even a single country has its own undercurrents of conflicting interests, let alone an alliance formed by several large and small nations. In my opinion, this alliance is fragile and easily shattered," the electronic voice said dismissively.

Upon hearing this, Klay did not relax; instead, he became even more concerned about what was happening on Runeterra.

He said loudly, “You always say that humans are constantly fighting and each has their own ulterior motives, but isn’t that the same for us Titans? The Celestial Realm is now in disarray, and there are even a few Star Spirits who have been bewitched by Him and are trying every means to release Him.”

"Ha, if He really comes out, then all of us Titans will be doomed! Your utter disregard for Runeterra has given them an opportunity. Maisa abandoned her divinity to descend to the mortal realm and seal the Darkin, bringing peace to Runeterra, not so you could sit high above and watch the show!"

Clay's tone hardened, and anger surfaced on his star-studded fish-like face.

All of this was isolated by the position of Mount Targon, preventing the gods of Runeterra from knowing it, but the humans living on the waist of Mount Targon could sense the strange phenomena.

After all, the sky suddenly darkened, followed by a heavy snowstorm.
The other two Titans who were talking to Clay paid no attention to his words. Even the Protoss named Prophet, who was wearing a mask, disappeared.

Seeing this, Klay's anger intensified, and he said in a low voice, "Now I can understand why Soraka left the Celestial Realm to suffer the pain of being burned in the mortal world, and why she didn't want to be with you anymore! When did we, the Titans, become like this? The Celestial Realm is divided into north and south, and there are all sorts of organizations, big and small!"
"Speak up, Fanxi and Zhoulei, have you already joined the Northern Giants? Otherwise, I truly cannot understand why you, knowing exactly what I'm saying, would rather watch the crisis fester than intervene, just to create trouble for other factions. Give me a reason!"

"Enough! Clay, can I take your words as a provocation?" Fanxi, who had been completely calm, suddenly roared.

Despite his usual talkative nature, Zhou Lei, with his electronic voice, remained silent. However, another face appeared in the night space. That face was that of a giant beast, resembling a lion, but with two enormous horns.

Clay sneered, "You want to fight? I'm ready!"

“I will report this matter to the clan. The matter of Runeterra must be resolved. That human named Rick is no pushover. If we let him continue like this, one day he will come after us! Look at him, he has already taken control of Aatrox, that Aatrox!”

"In Aatrox's Ascended form, even the three of us combined couldn't defeat him. Even if the three of us fought him one, the best-case scenario would be one person killed in battle and two others seriously wounded and forced to flee!"

The reason that one is still alive, enduring pain in the form of a sword, is simply for two reasons: to destroy the world and to kill the Protoss! Now that he has become Rick's weapon, is it so hard to understand what he wants?

"Heh." Despite the thunder and snow swirling around Klay's words, Zhou Lei merely chuckled coldly twice.

Fanxi gave a cold snort and then planned to disappear. In fact, just as Clay had said, Zhou Lei was no longer with Clay.

Problems arose within the Titans, but this is not surprising. As time goes by, it is natural for a powerful race that has existed since the beginning of the universe to have various disagreements.

The reason this disagreement has become so prominent is because of Soraka.

The Star Child, an incredibly powerful being even within the Titan race, shattered the Titans with his departure. His strength was enough to rank him among the top ten within the Titans, a being comparable to Ornn of Runeterra! But just before Fanxi was about to leave, his aura suddenly faltered, and the sapling on his mask turned from green to red. He roared furiously, "Insolence! How dare you presume to spy on the Celestial Realm!"

With a furious curse, Fanxi and Clay, who had been at odds with each other, attacked at the same time.

Lightning struck, water rippled, and two incredibly powerful forces swept across the summit of Mount Titan. With a loud "croak" that echoed through the starry sky, a black feather was shattered into dust.

Upon seeing this, the three Protoss beings were terrified and said in unison:
"Hidden, Demonic"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the same time, inside the Noxian castle.

The white-haired youth, who was sitting at his desk with his eyes closed, suddenly groaned, then picked up a handkerchief and covered his lips.

Blood stained the handkerchief, and then he opened his eyes.

The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and his blood-red pupils resembled those of a beast, but they quickly faded back to normal.

Swain coughed, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs.

"You actually got hurt? After you gained this power, I almost didn't recognize you anymore. Tell me, who could have hurt you?"

A voice came from the side, and Swain looked over to see Draven.

This guy claimed to be on good terms with him and could freely enter his study. At this moment, he sat cross-legged on the desk with a serious expression, looking at Swain and asking a question.

“There are plenty of people who can hurt me,” Swain said calmly.

Draven pressed, "Who is it?"

"A bunch of guys who don't belong in Runeterra."

"Really? Well, then there's nothing I can do."

Hearing Draven's words, Swain laughed and waved his hand, saying, "I wasn't expecting you to have any solutions anyway."

After Swain finished speaking, he continued, "And what are you doing here?"

"Isn't Li Ke getting married soon? You value him so much, so I came to ask what kind of gift we should give him for his wedding."

“Send over the core of the runecrafting,” Swain said after a moment’s thought.

Draven narrowed his eyes upon hearing this: "That thing is the foundation of Noxus. It's thanks to it that we can fight against Demacia. Otherwise, facing Mithril Stone and their freakish physical abilities, we would have lost long ago. Are you sure you want to give that thing to Rick?"

Before Swain could answer, Draven interjected, "I suddenly feel something is strange. Ever since you met Rick and Noxus became friendly with Zaun, it seems you've abandoned something. No, not just you, but us too."

"What was discarded?"

“Glory,” Draven uttered. “When did Noxus become an empire that can be taken from at will? I admit that we gained a lot after befriending the Twin Cities.”

Now, our barren land can grow crops, and abandoned mines have been exploited, but... this isn't the Noxus I imagined, Swain.

"Shouldn't we obtain everything we want by exchanging it with the sword in our hands? Why are we now resorting to groveling and begging?"

Draven's tone became more forceful.

This was indeed his idea. Before making peace with Zaun, Noxus had been waging wars against other countries.

Even though Swain had just come to power and, under the guise of recuperation, had stopped the Noah Wars, the wars against Demacia, neighboring small countries, Freljord, and Shurima did not cease.

But now?

Apart from Shurima, the continents of Valoran, Freljord, and Ionia have become peaceful!
Without Noxus as a weapon, the storm has indeed come to a halt, but this is not what a warrior wants.

After hearing Draven's words, Swain fell silent.

After a long, long silence, until Draven was starting to get a little impatient, the Imperial Grand Commander finally spoke calmly:
“Draven, you can’t see the future, you only see what’s in front of you, so you don’t know who our real enemy is. Our enemy has never been Demacia, nor the Pale Lady. It’s a group of beings that are more powerful, more hidden, and ready to emerge and devour us at any time.”

Swain's eyes weren't on Draven, but fixed ahead as he murmured, "..."
"You know, true glory is never something you just talk about."

"Please don't listen to what I say, but watch what I do."

"Wait a little longer, and you'll understand everything."

Mordekaiser, Old God, Protoss, Void, Demon
Humanity has far more enemies than we imagine, yet they are constantly fighting amongst themselves.

Sometimes, it's no wonder that those high and mighty beings look down on humans. Even Swain sometimes feels that it's a miracle that humans have survived to this day surrounded by a group of powerful beings.

Ultimately, it's simply that in every era, there are always brave individuals who fight against these powerful beings and protect humanity.

Nine thousand years ago, the heroes were three sisters from the North.

And today, nine thousand years later, he is the hero.

In the year 989 of the Noxian calendar, at the beginning of the year, the Twin Cities extended an invitation to the world. Relying on transportation far ahead of its time, the invitations were sent to various countries. The Lord of Zaun sincerely invited all nations to attend his wedding.

On that day, some people, and others who were not human, and who transcended other living beings, all learned of this event.

Ionia—A wanderer with a flute at his waist and a longsword at his side silently stares at the paper he has picked up.

The paper was written in various languages. He looked up at the west with a solemn expression, as if he had thought of something. He drew his sword, and a gust of wind blew, cutting the paper in two. Then, he strode towards the west.

The wandering knight seeking redemption has finally found a clue: another damned fellow who knows the Gale Sword Technique!

Demacia—The man sitting on the bridge suddenly raised his head, looked at the woman dismounting from her horse, a slight smile playing on his lips, and shouted:
"Not bad, not bad, finally I've met a worthy opponent! Come on, challenger, state your name!"

“Fiona Laurent.” The woman held a steel military knife in her hand, travel-worn, with eyes like an eagle and a straight posture. She said softly, “Come on, after we finish fighting, I still have to go to Zaun.”

"And also, state your name." With the sword in her hand and held upright in front of her, she said coldly.

"Hahahaha!"

"Jax!"

Noxus, Shurima, Bilgewater, and even the Shadow Isles
Damn it, if Li Ke finds out, he'll start cursing. Seriously, what kind of invitation is this from the Shadow Isles?
Should we invite the dead to come?

Isn't this a disease?

However, the fact is that some Enforcers did drop invitations on the Shadow Isles when they passed by in airships. Although the black fog was frightening, the Enforcers, who were high in the sky and far away from the islands, were not affected by it.

To be honest, if Lord Li Ke hadn't forbidden going to Mount Targon, there would definitely have been some daring law enforcement officers who tried to fly a spaceship to the top of Mount Targon to send out invitations.

Noxus calendar, January 3, 989.

The two cities opened their gates, and the wedding day of Lord Li Ke of Zaun was set for four days later.

(End of this chapter)