The original Hextech-powered armor was recovered by the newly arrived Dawnlight and the mechanical engineers.
Kassadin planned to keep the "battle-damaged version" of the Hextech-powered armor as a memento since it had been his companion for over a year. Because of this, Li Lin refrained from selling it to the [Essence Store].
After a few minutes of introductions from the AI and Li Lin's explanations, Kassadin became thoroughly familiar with the functions of his new armor.
As he tested certain features—like blinking, energy shields, and flight capabilities—Kassadin couldn't hide his excitement.
"You're an absolute genius!" he exclaimed. "In just a year, you've managed to develop powered armor to this level… Even Nezuk's ingenuity might pale in comparison to your talent for creation."
Li Lin chuckled, thinking of Nazuk, the massive living monolithic fortress the size of a city, and then of the clever but colossal Malphite.
"You flatter me too much. I'm still far from that level," he said humbly.
If my space station's fourth phase were complete, perhaps then I'd surpass Nazuk, Li Lin mused silently.
"You're always so modest."
Kassadin patted Li Lin on the shoulder before withdrawing his hand and clenching his fist tightly.
"With this new armor, I can finally hunt down Malzahar with ease and avenge my wife and the villagers..."
Li Lin, moved by Kassadin's emotions, felt his own mood grow heavier.
Malzahar had been chosen by the Void, and if they didn't deal with him soon, the butterfly effects from their actions could lead him to unleash chaos ahead of schedule.
The two men spent the next moments investigating the Void's corruption along the border between Koharisa and Icathia, awaiting intelligence reports from the drones.
There weren't many ways to defeat the Void, but one method involved starving it.
Although the Void could consume inorganic matter, its expansion slowed and eventually stopped without sufficient energy to sustain it. It would then enter a dormant state.
This explained why Icathia's Void had stopped expanding.
Without the continuous energy supply from Void portals, it had devoured Icathia completely. However, it was encircled and contained by the surviving Celestial Statues, much like firebreaks in a forest, isolating it with a desert boundary. Deprived of energy, the Void's spread halted.
As they navigated the salt flats and desert sands, exchanging updates and observations through voice comms, the AI finally relayed a report from the drone, prompting them to stop and examine the holographic display.
[Master, 4.6 kilometers southeast of your current location, the drone has detected molted wool, footprints, and droppings from a Grandhorn Goat.]
Li Lin and Kassadin exchanged glances before activating their Hextech teleportation devices, instantly arriving at the drone's location.
"These droppings are from some time ago," Kassadin observed.
[To be precise, they were left by the Grandhorn Goat approximately 13 hours ago,] the AI clarified.
"That thing plans to use these livestock as a living sacrifice to the Void," Li Lin said coldly. "Drone, follow these tracks and locate it."
[Master, I strongly advise against venturing too deeply into Icathia at this time,] the AI warned.
Shaking his head, Li Lin replied, "Given the current situation, it's highly likely that Malzahar is hiding somewhere within Icathia's borders. Eliminating him as soon as possible is our priority."
Icathia still harbored Void creatures powerful enough to rival celestial warriors, and even Malphite dared not tread into its depths.
But with the help of satellites and the AI, Li Lin and Kassadin could monitor energy fluctuations to avoid colossal threats, minimizing direct confrontation.
Besides, if anything went awry, they could always use their [Blink] ability to escape to a safe zone. Once disengaged, the Hextech teleportation system could extract them from the area entirely.
Even if Void creatures pursued them relentlessly, the moment they left Icathia, Li Lin could summon his Behemoth-class war machines and mechanical forces to obliterate the threat—earning both experience and essence in the process.
And if worse came to worst, the [Divine Might] orbital satellite could unleash "Starfall" using its energy beams to repel enemies while gathering valuable data on them.
With safety assured and the strength to eliminate their target, Li Lin was confident he wasn't courting disaster.
Kassadin didn't argue further.
In fact, before meeting Li Lin, Kassadin had already ventured into Icathia several times using his Void Stone, slaying numerous subterranean Voidborn creatures.
Although he hadn't found Malzahar's trail, he was quite familiar with much of Icathia's terrain and knew how to avoid the most dangerous areas.
Li Lin, of course, was aware of this, thanks to satellite navigation and the AI's briefings.
"Let me take the lead," Kassadin suggested. "Icathia is filled with perilous zones—you'll need a guide."
Li Lin considered it for a moment. "Fine. You lead, and the drone will scout ahead. If we encounter any dangers beyond our capabilities, we retreat immediately. Avoid combat whenever possible; remember, our energy weapons are like nourishment to the Void."
"Understood."
With Kassadin leading and the drone scouting, they traversed deep ravines and rugged terrain effortlessly using their anti-gravity systems, steering clear of areas with alarming energy readings indicative of deadly Void creatures.
Before long, the pair reached the central region of Icathia, standing atop a jagged mountain—a scar left by an ancient battle.
"That ahead was once Icathia's capital," Kassadin said, pointing to the hazy silhouette of towering ruins shrouded in a faint gray mist far in the distance.
No trace of a city remained, just the faint outline of immense spires.
"Fools and their hubris," Kassadin muttered, his voice filled with anger. "Those pseudo-Ascended dared to harness a force beyond this world's understanding, and in doing so, nearly brought about its destruction."
Clenching his fists, Kassadin's words carried the weight of his personal grief.
If not for Icathia, his wife wouldn't have been consumed by the Void. His daughter wouldn't have been forced to bond with corrupted Void flesh, battling grotesque monsters in the pitch-black depths for three years.
And if not for Li Lin, Kassadin wouldn't have even known that Kai'Sa was still alive.
Li Lin felt equally heavy-hearted and didn't answer Kassadin, merely shaking his head silently.
Even if Icathia hadn't unleashed the Void, the inevitable extinction of Runeterra would only have been a matter of time.
The Frostguard in Freljord were on the verge of breaking their seals, the depths of the Conqueror's Sea lay corrupted as the Marai, deprived of the Moonstone's light, succumbed to creeping decay.
Runeterra was the most unique planet in the universe—a perfect conduit for the Void to breach the material plane. The Void's desire to reduce everything to nothingness made its grip on this world unrelenting.
After pausing for over ten seconds, Kassadin took a deep breath to calm his emotions. "The drone lost track of its trail there. Should we go investigate?"
"We must," Li Lin replied without hesitation. "Since we've come this far, turning back now would waste all our efforts."
"Fair enough," Kassadin said with a faint smile.
The ruins of Icathia's capital held more than the promise of tracking Malzahar's minions to their master. Li Lin harbored another goal.
If his knowledge of this world's background corresponded to reality, then the tower erased by the Chronokeeper Zilean from the flow of time should still exist in these ruins.
If possible, Li Lin wanted to meet this elder—Zilean, the one who had witnessed the ultimate extinction of Runeterra and sought a way to prevent it through alternate timelines.
Since Soraka couldn't see Li Lin's fate, could Zilean discern changes to the doomed future from the river of time itself?
But if he couldn't find Zilean, Li Lin wouldn't dwell on it. He wasn't a fatalist.
The fact that a transmigrator like himself could trigger butterfly effects proved that the world wasn't governed by an immutable destiny.
The final outcome would depend on his own efforts.
Once the drones confirmed the area was clear of immediate threats, Li Lin and Kassadin descended from the mountaintop, flying low and close to the ground to avoid detection.
It didn't take long for them to reach the outskirts of Icathia's capital.
There was hardly a trace of ruins left, let alone remnants of a city.
Instead, hardened chitinous crusts of varying shapes and sizes formed by twisted Void terrain littered the area, alongside numerous "fodder" creatures lurking in shadows and beneath the surface.
"Be careful. There are plenty of Voidborn here," Kassadin warned. "I tried exploring this area once before, but the radar detected too many enemies. The risk of being surrounded was too high, so I had to abandon the attempt."
Li Lin pondered for a moment before his nano-material armor morphed, transforming his forearms into serrated blades and his wrists into jagged gauntlets.
"It seems we can't avoid battle before we find Malzahar. I'll stick to melee weapons as much as possible."
A drone scouted ahead while the two men, tense and alert, ventured into the narrow, claustrophobic paths carved by Void-corrupted terrain.
It wasn't long before the first Voidborn emerged from the shadows, a spider-like creature whose form was barely recognizable. Li Lin swiftly pierced its core with a single strike, killing it instantly.
Moments later, more Voidborn burrowed up from underground. Kassadin summoned his Netherblade, obliterating one with a Void Sphere and slicing through a pair of flying locust-like Voidborn and another with a grotesquely twisted cat-like face.
Progressing step by step, the duo killed over a hundred Voidborn along the way, a testament to how perilous this ruined city close to the unleashed Void truly was.
Eventually, they emerged from the corrupted terrain into an open area where remnants of ruins could faintly be seen—a shadow of the once-glorious capital.
Having passed through the most dangerous zone, the Voidborn's numbers had dwindled significantly. Kassadin exhaled in relief. "Let's rest here for a bit."
Battles, especially against these lurking, ambush-prone corrupted creatures, were mentally exhausting, even with the aid of AI.
With his nerves slightly relaxed, the aging Kassadin began to feel the strain.
Li Lin nodded and released a few drones to scout the surroundings while surveying the area himself.
After some time, a rested Kassadin approached Li Lin, who was still observing the environment. "Have you found anything?"
"No traces of Malzahar or his followers, but I've identified a rather peculiar spot," Li Lin replied, transmitting the drone's coordinates to Kassadin.
"There's something odd about the energy readings here," he explained. "Or rather, there are no energy readings at all. The place seems completely out of sync with its surroundings."
"No energy readings?" Kassadin stared at the data in surprise. "What could that mean?"
"We'll find out soon enough," Li Lin said.
The two proceeded through the ruins of the capital, dispatching another twenty-odd Voidborn before arriving at an open area unlike anything else they'd encountered.
Based on the markings on the ground, there should have been a tower here once.
Li Lin knew he'd found the right place.
"This area feels… untouched by Void corruption," Kassadin observed, his brow furrowing. "What's going on here?"
"Perhaps it was never corrupted to begin with," Li Lin suggested.
He stepped forward cautiously, extending his hand to "touch" the seemingly empty air before him.
Though invisible, the palpable sensation against his hand—like pressing against an "air wall"—confirmed the presence of something.
"Are you okay?" Kassadin asked, noticing Li Lin's strange actions. "If you're not feeling well, we should leave. Malzahar won't vanish from Runeterra. He's still eyeing Shurima; we'll cross paths with him eventually."
Li Lin shook his head and didn't respond.
Circling the expansive clearing, he scrutinized its edges before stopping at the center.
Kassadin followed closely, gripping his Void Stone cautiously.
Had it not been for the lack of warnings from the Netherblade or the AI, Kassadin might have suspected Li Lin had fallen under the control of some Voidborn capable of mental manipulation.
But then Li Lin's excited tone drew Kassadin's attention.
"Kassadin, come take a look at this!"
Li Lin raised both hands, his armored palms parallel to his body as he pressed firmly against the invisible barrier.
With a forceful push, a translucent tower suddenly materialized before them, its double doors revealing themselves as Li Lin's hands moved.
It was a tower lost in the river of time, hidden within the folds of temporal space.
(End of Chapter)
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