Chapter 3.1 System

Sirion stood in Finn's office, his posture confident, his gaze focused, as always when he arrived with a report. There was silence all around, broken only by the light rustling of papers that Finn was processing at his desk. He looked up from the documents, carefully studying Sirion, and motioned for him to continue.

He was silent, watching as one of the Chem-barons, not paying the slightest attention to his new protégé. This caused a small irritation to awaken inside Sirion, although of course he did not show it outwardly, so as not to get any extra problems for himself. But a minute or two passed and it began to seem to him as if Finn was doing this on purpose, making him irritated and embarrassed in front of him, while he, so majestic, did not think to pay attention to all the rabble.

"So are you going to get on my nerves and remain silent?" Finn croaked, finally looking up from his desk at him. When Finn finally broke the silence, his voice was dry, but with a clear hint of irritation. Sirion, holding back the answer that was about to burst out, slightly inclined his head, trying to maintain an outwardly calm appearance.

Sirion tensed slightly, but did not succumb to the provocation. He spoke calmly and clearly, as if this game with nerves was nothing new to him:

"The delivery was successful. I delivered everything according to the instructions given, right under the balcony window, as planned."

Finn still did not change his expression, listening to the report, as if he expected something more than just success.

"Is that all?" His voice became sharper, as if Sirion had not lived up to his expectations. "You came here to tell me only that? You know that I expect more from my people than standard reports. Better tell me, how did you make sure that you were not followed?" How did he know he hadn't brought anyone from Piltover here?

Sirion felt his patience waver a little. But he quickly pulled himself together; even if the final part of the report wasn't ready yet, he knew exactly what he was going to say. Jerry had warned him about always watching your sides and your back, especially when you were moving from Zaun to Piltover or back. You could be followed by the Peacekeepers who patrolled the upper levels of Zaun, or by the Zaunites themselves, looking for an easy profit and hoping that the Piltover arrival had stolen loot that they could take back.

"I was keeping an eye on my surroundings the whole time, Boss. I was informed of all the details in advance, and I checked the rooftops to see if I could be watched from there," he added, fibbing slightly. He hadn't looked at the rooftops, but he couldn't shame himself in front of Finn. — That's why I'm pretty sure I didn't bring a tail with me.

Finn finally stood up, gave Sirion a look that seemed to go through him, and without another word, walked over to the window.

"Very well," he said, his voice now much more neutral, though there was still a hint of tension in it. "You got it right, Sirion. Accuracy in this business is the most important thing you can do. Hah."

He returned to his desk without addressing Sirion again. It was an odd ending, but Sirion knew that the meeting wasn't over. He was a little surprised to be talking to him like that. In the show, it seemed like Finn wasn't some crime boss who controlled a large chunk of Zaun. In fact, in Arcane, he was more like a stupid kid who'd had his toys taken away and was hoping to get them back by killing Silko. But really, if you think about it, an idiot wouldn't be in charge of a whole territory of a city like Zaun without the proper skills. Yes, he's relatively young, he doesn't look more than 25-30 years old, but he's very careful.

It's not hard to guess that an idiot wouldn't be able to manage a large illegal network of chem-tech production. Sirion didn't know what would happen to him between the acts of the series, but nothing good. Most likely, the desire for more power clouded his mind and made him act rashly. Getting rid of Silko through Seivika sounds like a good plan. Especially since the series showed that he was completely confident that he managed to lure Silko's right hand to his side. But excessive confidence only beautifies impudent people and idiots.

"Congratulations, my dear courier," Finn grinned, pulling him out of his train of thought. "Now you are officially part of something bigger than an empty existence on the streets of Zaun. Now you will have much more work and tasks to do. In honor of such an important event in your life, I ordered to give you a better room, not far from here, and set the table there. Enjoy.

Sirion, hearing Finn's words, did not change his expression. A wave of irritation was boiling inside him again, but he held back. He knew that Finn's words were another game, another way to test his patience. He never forgot that for Finn, the result was not as important as the ability to obey and carry out his demands with precision.

"Thank you, Boss," Sirion said, bowing his head to hide his fatigue from constant manipulation. He knew that none of these rewards were truly generous; they were just a reminder that he was still not a part of something bigger. His status was in Finn's hands, and now he had to continue to prove his loyalty. Plus, it was an extremely good and thoughtful move on the part of any manager. To show that a reward is due for successful work. Moreover, Finn himself was probably confident that in this way he could easily predispose the talented boy to himself.

Finn chuckled again, his gaze taking on the same icy hardness, as if testing Sirion's reaction to the offer.

"You don't have to be grateful, of course, but it's nice," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Make sure you don't relax too much. You can't relax in this game. No matter how much you want to, there are things that will never let you rest."

Sirion nodded slightly, his gaze becoming more focused, but the tension inside him did not subside. He already knew that there would only be more manipulation ahead, more tasks that would need to be carried out. But this was his choice. And as long as he could stand it, he would continue down this road.

"Of course, Boss. I will accept your kindness," he replied with cold politeness. "Your orders will be carried out."

Finn chuckled again, not hiding his satisfaction.

"Then go, my courier. Enjoy your new room. But remember, this is only the beginning.

***

Sirion's room was in a small but cozy house, located a few streets away from the factory. It was a place that was immediately different from most of the old and abandoned buildings he was used to seeing in Zaun. The house looked much better than he expected - the facade was painted in dark shades, and the windows were framed with iron bars, which gave it austerity, but did not deprive it of coziness. The roof, although not new, was neatly repaired, and the walls were intact and without cracks. This house belonged to someone who was important enough to Finn, or at least held a high position among the workers.

As Sirion was shown to his new home, he noticed that there were many such houses in this area. There was no chaos, scattered debris or garbage heaps like in other parts of Zaun. The houses had a clear organization, and the atmosphere was slightly less gloomy than in other areas, although not devoid of an industrial character.

When Sirion entered his new room, he was greeted by simplicity and functionality. A spacious, low-ceilinged room, lit by bright lamps that created a warm glow. In the center was a metal bed with gray bedding, and next to it was a wardrobe with neatly folded clothes. The walls were covered in dark, slightly cracked varnish, and despite the lack of luxury, the room felt comfortable and prepared enough.

A small work area with a desk on which only a few utensils and an empty glass were placed, reminding him that this was a place for work and rest at the same time. On one of the walls hung an old map of the area, slightly yellowed with age, and on it you could see marked routes, perhaps related to Sirion's own work.

The room was not very luxurious from the outside, but it was clearly intended for people who served in high positions. Sirion felt that he was housed here for a reason. This house belonged not to the common workers, but to those in a special position - from security guards to specialists working with Chem-techs and other technological developments of Finn.

Inside the room there was a table on which dinner was laid. Although it was not a luxurious French table with gourmet dishes, the food looked quite decent. On the table there were several plates with hot dishes - meat baked with vegetables, several types of bread, a salad of fresh ingredients and a bowl of rich soup. All of this was generously seasoned with spices that could warm you up after a long day of work in the cold and dirty streets of Zaun.

The aroma of freshly brewed broth hung in the air, and outside the window a dim street lamp glowed dimly, creating a cozy atmosphere. For Sirion, this was a real pleasure, because the food in Zaun was rarely so tasty and fresh. And while it wasn't the kind of haute cuisine that might be served in a fancy restaurant, there was a sense of care and attention to his needs in this meal. It was far superior to the simple stews and street food he was accustomed to, and despite its modesty, it was a tangible sign of respect for Sirion's new status.

***

Sirion slowly opened his eyes, feeling a slight headache that accompanied him after a long sleep. At first, he did not understand where he was, his gaze slid over the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was silent, only a weak light penetrated through a small window, illuminating the dark corners. He tensed a little, trying to come to his senses, but then his memories returned. Everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours - meeting Finn, a new home, a strange feeling that he was now a part of something bigger than just a street vagrant in Zaun.

When consciousness finally returned, he sighed in relief and carefully rose from the bed. For a few moments, his body resisted, not wanting to leave the cozy place, but the need to return to business forced him to stand up. He looked around the room again, this time with a more careful look. Everything here seemed good enough, at least compared to what he had seen before.

"System," he thought to himself, summoning a floating window that popped up in front of his face as usual. He decided to put off disassembling the system until he had finished his task and laid it all out for Finn. Well, it was time.

—Inventor System Activated

—Loaded: 100%

—Mode: Standby

—Available Functions: Design, Enhancements, Engineering.

He sat down on the bed, examining each line of text.

"Design, upgrades, engineering... Is that all?" he thought, slightly disappointed. "Where are the levels? Character stats? Life scale, experience? Am I not in the classic time travel system?" He touched his temples, trying to calm down. Of course, the idea of ​​a "system" was associated with something like an RPG game: skill leveling, distribution of stat points, bonuses for leveling... But here - just three functions, and it is not clear how they work.

"Maybe this is some kind of prototype?" he continued to think, looking at the lines. He ran his finger through the air, as if "clicking" on one of the functions:

"Design."

Enter a description or drawing of the project.

"A drawing? Do I have to draw it myself?!" he mentally protested. His gaze fell on a metal box in the corner of the room. He stood up, walked over, opened it and found sheets of paper and a simple pencil inside.

"It seems the system wants me to do it myself... I wonder what exactly I can create?"

He returned to the bed, paper and pencil in hand, and looked thoughtfully out the system window. Still too many questions and too few answers. Sirion placed the sheet of paper in front of him, pencil in hand. He felt a strange excitement - a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.

"Okay, let's start with something simple," he decided. A memory of the events of the last few days popped into his head. Parkour, beatings, dirty sewers, escape... All this gave him an idea: gloves with improved grip.

"Maybe something like this will make it easier for me to move and reduce the chances of falling," he thought. He began to draw. Simple gloves with a coating that increases friction and small built-in elements for grip on difficult surfaces. The more he thought about the details, the clearer the drawing became. He added small claws that could extend for extra grip, and reinforced seams for durability.

As soon as the blueprint was finished, a notification appeared in front of his eyes:

— Blueprint accepted. The system is analyzing…

Sirion held his breath. A few seconds later, the text updated:

— Blueprint ready for creation. Materials required for production:

1. Durable fabric material - 2 units.

2. Reinforced rubber coating - 1 unit.

3. Metal components (small) - 3 units.

4. Sewing kit.

"Excellent," he thought with a hint of sarcasm. "Now I also have to collect resources."

The system, as if reading his thoughts, added:

— Tip: Most materials can be found or processed from available items. The materials you need will be highlighted in yellow.

Sirion grinned. That's something. He looked around the room, mentally calculating what he could use. The metal box was obviously useless - too massive. But his torn clothes... maybe they could be used as a fabric base. His gaze widened in surprise when he looked at the curtain that partially covered his window. Its outline was highlighted in yellow, and on the side of the curtain, a sign appeared in a frame: "Durable fabric material."

He thought:

"If I keep looking for materials like this, I'll have to carry everything with me. I need to figure out a way to work faster... Although, first I should try to create at least something. We'll see how it works."

Taking a knife, he began to carefully cut the curtain.