9 With great power comes great responsability

A expectant crowd gathered outside The Last Forge, with a few forming a line while the rest of the people either dispersed or stayed nearby, watching from a distance.

Vi and Sevika leaned against opposite sides of the shop's wall, observing Ekko and the others acting as security guards, standing tall in front of the customers.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door opened, surprising everyone and revealing Magnus holding a vastly different sword from the one he entered with.

The beauty of the sword caught everyone's attention, and Magnus, noticing all the stares, smiled and rested the sword on his shoulder while gesturing backward.

"That kid is... calling him a genius would be an understatement. If you have any business involving metal, you should seek him out."

After speaking, he buried the sword in the ground, displaying it in all its splendor. After a few seconds, he picked it up and left.

As soon as he disappeared from the area, those who had dispersed formed a line, beginning to shout. Some seemed to be traders, others Zaun residents, and even the merchants themselves who had stalls.

Niko emerged after counting the coins, about 350 beautiful round ones, and found the entire crowd looking at him... it was going to be a long day.

___________________________________

Four hours later.

"I REGRET TO INFORM THAT WE CANNOT TAKE ANY MORE ORDERS TODAY DUE TO A LACK OF MATERIALS. HAVE A GOOD DAY AND PLEASE COME AGAIN SOON."

Niko's shout made the few remaining people outside disperse somewhat reluctantly, and the kids, including Sevika, slumped against the shop wall.

"I'm dead, Niko, if you're going to attend to so many people, let us know beforehand."

Niko, who was lying face down with his hands on his forehead, didn't respond to Ekko, and Ekko looked up, concerned.

The children, who heard the exchange, approached Niko worriedly and heard a snore; looking at each other, they smiled. Sevika, meanwhile, went to the back of the counter and pulled out a small safe that Niko made that morning.

She handed it to Vi, who watched closely, then turned to Niko and lifted him onto her back.

"Let's go to The Last Drop, he's probably tired and hungry."

Everyone nodded, and they left the shop after closing the business door. A few minutes later, they arrived at Vander's, who was busy with the tavern, and helped him while Sevika and Vi took Niko to the children's room and the safe to the table.

Helping out in the tavern, they let Vander take a break while Sevika watched upstairs, and he headed for the stairs.

Downstairs, he found Vi taking care of Niko while watching them from the table

"Vi, what happened to him?"

"The idiot worked too much... he really has skills, whether in the forge or attracting people's attention, he'll run Vander's business very well."

Vander, somewhat surprised, took his eyes off Niko; he had never heard her praise someone so much.

"I see, I'm glad your business is doing well. And what about that safe?"

Vi looked at the safe in front of her and smiled as she turned it upside down, pulling out a silver needle that forked into two ends; dragging a metallic part underneath, two small wooden levers and two holes in the center were revealed.

She inserted the needle and moved the two levers, making a clicking sound, then turned it and applied pressure to the center of the front, pushing both doors forward.

"It's a safe made by Niko; without the needle, it won't work, and the interior is silenced he said he 'soundproofed' it."

Vander's attention shifted from Vi's explanation to the coins inside, and he opened his eyes wide as he pointed at them.

"V-Violet, how much is in there?"

"Ah, Ekko counted 4200 coins."

"WHAT, that's double what the tavern produces in a week..."

Vander's shout alerted Niko, who opened his eyes and jumped to the ceiling, repeating the situation that happened at Benzo's house.

Looking around and seeing Vander looking at him with eyes so wide they seemed like they were going to fall out, Niko was surprised.

"Fuck, Vander."

The expression of surprise changed to a stern one with a furrowed brow.

"Mind your language, kid."

Niko was surprised to see Vi looking at him, struggling to suppress her laughter, causing a vein to appear on his forehead, but Vander's shout drew his attention back to him.

"Understood?!"

Quickly peeling himself off the ceiling and landing on his feet, he put a hand to his head.

"YES, SIR."

Vi finally burst into laughter, diverting both their attention from the situation, and Vander pointed a finger at the ceiling.

"We need to talk, later."

Upon hearing his words, Niko was surprised and began to look between him and Vander.

'They're the same.'

As if sensing what Vi was thinking, she stopped laughing and looked angrily at Niko.

"I see your business went well today, Niko."

"It went quite well, Vander, thanks for giving me the opportunity."

With a hand on Niko's head, Vander smiled.

"You've earned it yourself, Niko; now can you explain why you're as tall as Violet?"

"Well..."

Giving him the same explanation he gave to the others and showing him his 'vastayan form.'

Niko smiled, waiting for his reaction and Vander seemed somewhat nervous, which didn't escape Vi's notice, and him.

"Niko, who else knows about this?"

"Well, Sevika and the rest of the group. What's going on, Vander?"

Without responding, Vander turned around and went up the stairs, and shortly afterward, the whole group returned, closing the door.

Vi, somewhat worried, approached him, patting him on the back.

"What's wrong, Vander?"

"No one can know what Niko told you earlier. Understood?"

Sevika was a little annoyed and frowned.

"At least you should explain what's going on, Vander."

Taking a few breaths, Vander calmed down and sat in the chair, rubbing his forehead.

"For a few weeks now, Noxus has been expanding in the continent of Valoran under the command of their Emperor Boram Darkwill. At one point in the expansion, there were some clans that refused to ally with them, and... they were annihilated.

There are many rumors among foreign traders; if you're a strong warrior, they won't hesitate to recruit you. If you refuse, they won't kill you, but there will be repercussions."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Niko, who remained calm, and he put his hands in his pockets as he sat in front of Vander.

"Do they have influence here? How come Piltover isn't doing anything?"

"Believe me, if the person they're looking for were from Piltover, the surface dwellers wouldn't let them through, but if they're from Zaun, they couldn't care less; they might even hand them over themselves."

"I see, so if they see that I'm vastayan, they'll take me."

Niko's face turned red with anger, and Vander intervened.

If you were just vastayan, nothing would happen, but tell me, Niko, how strong are you now?"

Niko looked at the others, who looked interested, and Sevika, who seemed to be looking away but had her ear pointed forward.

"Well... with the vastayan form, I can lift about, 4 tons."

"WHAT?"

Vander stood up, knocking over the chair, while the others remained silent, with looks of amazement, except for Powder.

"Is that a lot?"

Ekko whispered to her, and everyone heard.

"For example, if Vander weighs 80kg, he could lift 50 Vanders."

After the explanation, it was Powder who looked at Niko amazed.

"THAT'S AMAZIING"

Vander placed his hands on Niko's shoulders and looked at him intently.

"Niko, I'm not asking you to hide, nor am I asking you to live in fear. Just be cautious because I don't want anything to happen to you.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Niko's body began to tremble, and the same thought echoed in his head with three different voices.

[{'Shit'}]

'Vander is my Uncle Ben, Vander is going to die?'

{Calm down, Niko}

[Calm yourself, host, it's not certain that he has to die, you still have Sectio's ability.]

Taking deep breaths, Niko composed himself and thanked both of them.

"I understand, I'll keep that in mind, Vander."

"Good to hear."

"...But I can't promise you that I'll stay hidden. In the future, I'll have to use my strength, but not selfishly."

Vander's hands both reached out to Niko and ruffled his hair.

"That's enough for me."

The conversation seemed to have ended, and the sound of Niko's stomach echoed in the room's silence.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he looked at Vander and lowered his head.

"Honestly, I'm very hungry and tired. Could I ask you for some food?"

With a smile, Vander pointed to the table.

"Haha, don't even mention it. Sit down, I'll bring some food. Will you join us, Sevika?"

Sevika nodded, crossing her arms.

"Well, Violet, help me bring down some chairs."

A few minutes later, they were all eating soup and chatting about the business.

"So, how did you make all that money, Niko?"

"Well, largely through advertising. First, I modified a weapon for a man who caught attention in the crowd. When he showed it to others, they started to gather around. Between repairs, some orders, and assistance from the others, after four hours, we ended up with that money and... AH!"

Niko's cry caught everyone's attention as they saw him searching for something in his pockets.

"Some local merchants also came by, saying they wanted to have a good relationship with my shop. Along with payment, they gave me some small gas capsules along with the material I used for the thermos. By the end of the day, it was gone, but I managed to save up to make one thing."

Niko pulled out an ornate lighter with the symbol of a flame from his pocket.

[IMG here]

"I made this for you. Although I've told you many times, I'm really grateful not only for trusting me but also for welcoming me into your home and making sure I'm not alone. You can use it to light your pipe instead of using-"

Vander, feeling sentimental, interrupted Niko by approaching him and giving him a hug, which he reciprocated after a few seconds.

When they parted, Niko looked again between Vi and Vander, thinking the same thing as before, and Vi, for her part, began to apply force to the spoon, remembering the blow to the head she had received earlier.

"Thank you for thinking of me, Niko."

With a smile, he nodded and began to explain how it worked.

"You press this button backward and hold down the bottom one. The gas inside and the spark react to create a flame. I made it rechargeable, so you just need to insert a gas capsule when it runs out."

"HAHAHA, did you make this after seeing me use so many matches? It's a perfect gift, Niko, I appreciate it."

"Thank you, Vander. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll wash the dishes and head to bed, I'm dead tired."

Sevika intervened and stood by his side.

"I'll take care of it, go get some rest, boss."

"Are you sure? I appreciate it, Sevika."

Vander spun somewhat surprised to Sevika, who was clearing the table.

"You never called me boss."

Sevika headed to the sink with all the plates and began washing using just a little water, while Powder stood by with a cloth.

"He taught me something important, and I believe he has the potential to change Zaun... I want to learn from him."

"I see. You should learn everything you can from him before he leaves."

Sevika accidentally dropped a plate, which didn't break but made some noise, turning to Vander.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't tell you... His dream is to travel the world. There will come a point when he'll leave, though he didn't specify when."

A look of understanding appeared on Sevika's face. 'That's why he didn't want to be a figure that represents Zaun...'

"I understand, Vander. Thank you."

"...I've never heard you thank anyone before."

Sevika realized and looked between Niko and the other children who were listening to the conversation, drying her hands as she affectionately ruffled Powder's hair with a small smile.

"I guess spending so much time among smiles has influenced me a bit."

No one said anything, and Sevika continued washing the dishes with Powder's help.

"It's not yet dark, so Ekko can stay a little longer. If you stay in the room, don't make any noise to wake up Niko."

Everyone nodded and started chatting among themselves for a few hours before they accompanied Ekko to Benzo's house and Sevika went back to her own home.

____________________________________

In the middle of the night, Niko quietly rose from where he lay and made his way outside of the tavern, concealed by the darkness of the night.

{Any place in mind?}

'System?'

[Most of the abandoned factories are near End Point, with Sectio by your side there shouldn't be any problem with contamination.]

'Thanks, System. What do yo think Sectio, shall we swing over there?'

{I thought you didn't want to draw attention}

'Not with my child's body and without a suit, they would know how to find me just by looking for children. But with your Spidersuit form, I can start earlier, but first, let's practice.'

Niko's body began to change, expanding and taking on the appearance of his arachnid suit. With a leap, he stuck to a nearby quite tall building and reached the rooftop, approaching the edge and looking down.

'...It's more imposing than I thought.'

{Remember the movie, Niko, it's a leap of faith}

'I have a lot of faith, but if I freeze, use a tentacle.'

{Stop being SUCH A WIMP}

From Niko's back, a tentacle emerged, sticking to the ground and pushing Niko, making him fall.

"THIS IS NOT A LEAP OF FAITH."

{Focus}

[Like two kids...]

Falling from the building, Niko looked down with the ground approaching him and closed his eyes.

"She shot me. She shot me. Bang, Bang, She shot me."

[{You gotta be kidding me}]

From below, passersby looked up, not particularly surprised; suicides were common in Zaun, so they only worried about not getting splattered by the impact.

To everyone's surprise, the man extended his hand, and from it came a web that stuck to a nearby pipe, swinging him back and forth.

The scream that came out of him sounded somewhat effeminate, catching everyone's attention as neon lights reflected off his figure, revealing a red and black suit with a large white spider on his chest.

{HAHAHAHAHA, what was that scream, everyone's looking at you, HAHAHAHA}

'SHUT UP.'

Somewhat embarrassed, Niko swung between the buildings while performing acrobatics.

'This is like a dream come true.'

Letting out a shout, he propelled himself southward, heading towards End Point, and after a few minutes, he arrived at a factory covered in green gases, with small spacious buildings with chains hanging and pipes on the sides.

'This is a good spot, everything okay, Sectio?'

{All good, I don't notice any problem with the gas, unleash yourself}

Upon confirmation, Niko started with some stretches to test his flexibility and was surprised by how much his joints could bend. After a short jog, he stopped and sprinted.

'I feel as fast as a car.'

Seconds later, he found himself in the center of the warehouse, focusing his strength on his legs. He made an enormous jump, sticking to the ceiling that rose up to 10 meters (32.8 feet), and continued with the test of adhering to surfaces.

The metal of the roof, the bricks of the walls, and the glass of the windows, he could easily hold onto all of them, but when he tried to connect a web from one wall to another and stick upside down, he ended up falling.

He quickly regained his balance and with a twist returned to the web, continuing with the balance test. With a vague posture, he walked from side to side, each time concentrating less until he reached the point where he could make the journey unconsciously.

Shortly after, he descended, discarding the Spider-man form of Sectio, and collected some metal pipes, stacking them into a bed shape, and many more giant ones using the web.

He lay down and began to do progressive load bench presses. Each of the large ones weighed 250kg, so at first, he started with 2 pipes doing 10 repetitions, then 8, and finally with 16, reaching 4 tons, and with his body trembling once he finished everything.

He rested for a bit and when he felt recovered, he adopted the spider form again, impressed to see that he could do more than 10 repetitions with 32 huge pipes.

'You're really amazing, Sectio. We're twice as strong.'

{Don't flatter me too much, Niko. My strength is equivalent to yours}

Niko nodded, feeling somewhat nervous, he took a deep breath. Finally, it was time for bioelectricity.

'I hope this works.'

{Perceive it like a hammer hitting prey, take the hammer in your hand and smash it against that wall letting the water flow}

'It seems like you're teaching a child to pee...'

Closing his eyes, Niko extended his palms and imagined a river flowing through his hands. A few seconds later, he grunted accompanied by a yellowish energy that ran through his body towards his hands.

Amazed, he directed his hands forward, clenching them into a fist as if punching. The electric energy flew forward and collided with the pipes; the impact caused an explosion, making the walls tremble as they were pierced by them.

'It's an incredible feeling.'

{Niko, what if you attach the webs to something and induce electricity into it?}

'...A taser...'

He tried it on a pipe, and it started sparking, connecting to other pipes.

'Thanks for the idea.'

{Don't mention it. Next time, you should practice using electricity and webs simultaneously}

Joining the conversation, the system seemed somewhat amused.

[Host, how does it feel to make an appearance in front of the people of Zaun?]

'Well, it was fun to see their faces, why do you ask?'

[I was just wondering how Vander will react when rumors of a man in a red suit swinging through Zaun in the dead of night start circulating after showing him your 'vastaya form.']

'...Shit.'

Since several hours had passed training, he decided to rush to the tavern. In a deserted alley near the tavern, Niko sneaked into his room.

When he opened the door, he saw that all the kids were still asleep and quickly slipped into his bed.

'Everything according to plan.'

Cutting through his thoughts, the bathroom door opened with a slight noise.

Vander woke up an hour ago as usual, to freshen up, prepare breakfast, and get ready to open the tavern. About fifteen minutes ago, rumors reached him about a red monkey man swinging through the city. He quickly headed to the children's room and he wasn't there.

'...NIKO!!'

A short time later, he finished freshening up and saw that the previously empty bed now had Niko back in it.

Vander emerged and sat on a chair near Niko's bed, leaning towards him.

"We'll talk later, Spider-Monkey."

Niko's prone body trembled, pretending to remain asleep but increasingly annoyed by the laughter in his head.

{They called you SPIDER-MONKEY HAHAHAHA}

['Everything according to plan.' HAHAHAHA]

'Seriously, screw you, so hard.'