-158- Linwin of Zaun

The Piltovan Mountains, a relatively desolate place on the Valoran map.

Heading north leads to the powerful nation of Noxus on the Valoran continent.

Heading south leads to the throat of the world, Piltover.

At this moment, on the Piltovan Mountains, a group of soldiers, wearing black and red armor, carrying fine iron axes and wielding short hammers, marched while transporting a massive black cage.

The cage was engraved with strange green runes, and successive runes shone through a black cloth, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"General Kolck!"

The man leading the army stopped and looked up as the soldiers around him exclaimed, causing Kolck to furrow his brow.

"Oh my god."

"What is that?"

But as Kolck looked up, he too was lost in amazement.

In the distance, above the dome, Kolck saw light.

It was a massive, bright net of light, illuminating Piltover under the dark night.

"Magic, that's the magic of the people of Piltover!"

Kolck exclaimed, "Our speculation was correct; the Imperial army led by Wilton was indeed defeated by Piltover's mages."

The soldiers of Noxus, hearing this, simultaneously swallowed their saliva.

Noxians were not unfamiliar with magic, but the power to pierce the sky like this was something they had never seen before.

"Why does Piltover have such powerful mages?"

Kolck asked the soldiers, but, of course, he did not get an answer.

Instead, a war artisan walked up to him and said, "General Kolck, we can't proceed any further. Beyond the next mountain peak is the River Pilt, just a few dozen kilometers away from Piltover."

As an excellent scout with outstanding physical abilities and a good mind, the war artisan quickly analyzed the current situation and continued, "General, Sion doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. He'll move toward the area with the most vitality. We can release Sion right here."

Kolck nodded.

No need to worry.

Even with Piltover's powerful mages, they were no match for Sion.

Because Sion had no fear of death.

Sion was, in fact, a dead man!

A man resurrected with blood magic and pieced together with corpse parts.

If Demacia's guardian is the giant stone statue that absorbs magic, then Noxus's war god is the the resurrected Hand of Noxus!

"All troops, listen up!"

"The Second Battalion will arrive soon, within an hour at most, and we have Sion leading the way. In the rear, there are two thousand soldiers rushing to the front. So, we have nothing to worry about!"

Kolck raised his right hand high, "Victory! Will belong to Noxus!"

"Piltover and Zaun will pay for their arrogance and disrespect!"

"We will make them realize the consequences of offending the empire!"

Under Kolck's words, along with the low growls resembling beasts coming from the cage, the Noxian soldiers immediately dispelled their fear of Piltover's powerful mages. They raised their weapons and shouted loudly, "Yes, General!"

Their mission was not to assist Sion in attacking Piltover.

Their mission was only to release Sion here.

So that Sion could sense the vitality of Piltover.

Then, they could regroup with the Imperial army coming from the rear, in two days, they would join forces with the Imperial army to march on Piltover.

In just two days, Sion could wipe out the people of Piltover and Zaun.

Their task was to clean up and prepare to recover Sion.

After all, Sion would also slaughter the Noxian soldiers who would eventually try to stop him.

Every time they recovered Sion, dozens or even hundreds of soldiers' lives would be sacrificed.

Kolck took out a stone from his pocket, an artificially made rune stone that could unlock the runes on the cage to release Sion.

Now, under Kolck's instructions, dozens of robust Noxian soldiers exerted force together, pushing the iron cage off the cart.

"Boom!"

The iron cage crashed heavily onto the muddy ground, creating a depression, and dust filled the air. Then, a soldier uncovered the huge cloth.

"Roar!"

As the torches swept by, accompanied by a roar, the creature inside the massive iron cage was revealed—a man bound by thick iron chains, with eyes the size of fists, filled with fierceness, glaring around him.

"Blood, blood, blood!"

His entire body was covered in tattered iron armor, fastened with bolts.

A strange steel spike was embedded in his jaw, more like an inverted crown?

And on his waist and abdomen, there was a hollow cavity the size of a human head, from which the aura of blood magic overflowed, spreading a foul odor in the surroundings.

There were wounds all over his body, bulging muscles resembling hardened stones. In the dark night, illuminated by torches, his skin appeared sickly pale, or rather, not just pale, but completely devoid of any trace of blood.

"All men, step back!"

"Blood, blood!"

"I crave, war!"

The bloodthirsty monster glared with its eyes at General Kolck approaching him.

Kolck, with a solemn expression, approached Sion. "Lord Sion, can you hear my words?"

"Blood!"

"Roar!"

Sion suddenly roared and struggled violently, the iron chains shaking intensely, almost tipping the cage. Soldiers rushed around, pulling forcefully at the exposed massive iron chains.

Four huge iron chains, each pulled by dozens of soldiers.

However, even with dozens of strong Noxian soldiers pulling Sion, they couldn't control him.

"War, war, war! Another war!"

"Yes, Lord Sion, the empire needs you now!"

Kolck approached the cage, placing his hands on it. He spoke in a deep voice, "Look ahead, Lord Sion. Your task is to unleash war and slaughter everyone in that city!"

Listening to Kolck's words, Sion gradually calmed down.

He had memories—fragments, chaotic and jumbled, but they told him who he was.

He was a general of the empire.

He was the instigator of war.

A calamity to the enemies!

"No more chains? Kill! I want to kill them all!"

"Yes, Lord Sion!" Kolck stood in front of Sion, who had not yet entered a state of war.

Seeing Sion's gaze shift from his face to Piltover, to the city under the light, Kolck knew his task was complete.

This was a ritual.

To tell Sion, while he was still "sober," what he needed to do.

"Release me! I want war!"

"Cage? Open the cage!"

Kolck quickly stepped back, and after he retreated, all the soldiers dropped the iron chains. They quickly approached Kolck.

"Lord Sion, go, kill the enemies of the empire!"

Kolck crushed the rune stone in his hand.

In an instant, the runic stone on the cage shattered, and the runes on Sion's iron chains also dissipated. Moving his shoulders, he gripped his weapon.

This undead war god from hell—

Raised the large axe in his hand high, roaring:

"Free! Kill, kill!"

"Die! Insects!"

"Boom!"

With a heavy swing, the cage made of runic iron shattered and collapsed. Sion, like a unleashed beast, roared into the night sky, then charged straight toward Piltover.

He has to cross this mountain in front of him, he has to step over that river.

He must kill, kill, kill!

"Hurry, follow him!"

Kolck quickly shouted, ensuring that Sion was indeed charging towards Piltover.

Kolck mounted his horse, and the soldiers beside him hastened their steps, running towards the forest under the dark shadows.

"Boom!"

But as they approached, a resounding noise made Kolck stop. He raised his hand while sitting on the horse, a nervous expression on his face.

The destructive power of Lord Sion was undeniable, but his unpredictability was also real.

Therefore, the possibility of him suddenly turning around and attacking them was not impossible.

"All men, form a formation, prepare the iron chains and rune stones!"

Kolck roared.

However...

"G-General, look, it's Lord Sion."

"Roar!"

Under the black shadows, a colossal monster roared, then charged into the woods.

"Clang!"

A sharp sound echoed, accompanied by a flash of silver light. Sion appeared again in Kolck's eyes.

Sion had been knocked away by something.

He lay on the ground but quickly got up.

Then, Sion charged again.

He roared madly, excitedly shouting, "Enemies, enemies, enemies! Die, die, die!"

"I will crush you! Insects!"

"Bang!"

But Sion came to a sudden halt.

"Wait, was Lord Sion blocked by someone?"

As a scout, the War Mason had excellent vision. He saw what was obstructing Sion – a person, a tiny human.

In front of Sion, the person's height didn't even reach Sion's waist.

Yet, with just one strike, he had repelled Sion.

Cold sweat dripped from Kolck's forehead.

Someone who could repel Sion?

How is that possible? He was the former Hand of Noxus, the most powerful man in the entire empire.

Even the current Hand would be just a toy in his presence.

Could such a monster be repelled by a human?

Kolck found it hard to believe.

But when Sion was pushed back into the mountains, and he emerged from the woods himself.

Kolck believed.

It was a young man dressed plainly.

He held a massive silver-white sword in his hand.

His expression was stern, and then, he unexpectedly floated in mid-air.

Magic, a mage!

The long sword in his hand was pointed at the ground in front of him. He forcefully slashed the sword.

"Boom!!!"

A violent wind roared, and the silver-white great sword erupted with intense white light. An invisible blade cut through the soil surface.

The earth crumbled, soil flew, and sand dust filled the air.

All this continued until a chasm, two meters wide and dozens of meters long, appeared in front of the forest.

Standing on the Noxian side.

He raised the silver-white great sword high and then slid it down, pointing it at Kolck's face.

"Linwin of Zaun, halt your steps."

Linwin raised the Stormwind great sword, coldly saying:

"This path is currently unavailable!"