CHAPTER 189 - Furious Jayce

The library in Nashramae differed greatly from the Grand Library of the Sun City.

The Grand Library, a colossal structure erected on the surface, once stored nearly all the cultural treasures of the Shuriman continent during the peak of Shurima.

On the other hand, the Nashramae Library was entirely underground, a "smart" library powered solely by magic.

During the time when Nashramae was still an independent city-state opposed to the Shuriman Empire, Renekton, the ferocious leader of the Golden Warriors, breached the city's gates, razed the Grand Library to the ground, slaughtered all who opposed him, and even clashed with Nasus.

The current magical library was rebuilt under Nasus' supervision.

In the dimly lit space illuminated by a bluish glow, a massive statue of a jackal stood at one end of a floating circular platform supported by a large magic array.

Countless towering bookshelves, arranged in a circular formation, slowly rotated around the platform, housing the precious records of Nashramae's past.

Li Lin and his companions followed Nasus's lead, passing through a magical portal and swiftly ascending the floating stone steps to the platform, followed by a row of storm robots.

Sivir learned from Nasus that Azir permitted her departure from the Sun City but required his presence as a safeguard, forbidding her from venturing into dangerous territories.

After some consideration, she chose to accompany the others back to her familiar Nashramae.

With the return of Nasus, the master of the library, several spectral guardians wielding giant sickles emerged from the jackal statue, paying the highest respects to him according to Shuriman customs.

Subsequently, the specters swiftly merged into the surrounding magic pillars, reinvigorating the library and maintaining its operation.

Kai'sa blinked her starry eyes, marveling, "What an impressive library!"

"I've been in Nashramae for so many years and had no idea there was such a place underground," Sivir exclaimed in astonishment, unable to contain her wonder.

"If you knew about it, wouldn't this place have been emptied out by now? Then, even your ancestor Azir might not be able to stop Nasus from smashing your heart with his axe..." Li Lin silently quipped to himself.

"This library, after the fall of Shurima, was closed down by me when I retired from worldly affairs," Nasus reminisced, seeming to recall some infuriating past events, his crimson eyes glowing brighter.

"During the Darkin Wars, Moriturl, my fellow Ascendant and also a corrupted Darkin, sought to explore this place, searching for the secrets of ancient forbidden arts sealed here to wield great power against other Darkin. I personally ended his life," Nasus recounted.

"After that, no one dared to set foot in this place again."

There weren't many things that could enrage Nasus: disparaging remarks about the Empire and the royal lineage, disrespect towards his brethren, and desecration of knowledge.

Nasus still remembered the humble demeanor of the Darkin who knelt and begged for forgiveness.

That poor soul had completely lost the glory, pride, and honor of being a Ascendant.

He didn't approve of such brethren, so he cleaved off Moriturl's head with his battle axe, extracted his soul using celestial magic, and obliterated him entirely, leaving no trace behind.

Sivir gasped in shock, quickly repressing her thoughts.

"This place is located northwest of Nashramae, at the foot of the Salt Mountain outside the city. It's about half a day's journey from Nashramae," Nasus explained.

With a casual wave of his hand, three black jackal head pendants floated out from a rotating bookshelf in mid-air.

The three pendants slowly swayed with the flow of magic, hovering in front of Li Lin, Kassadin, and Sivir, respectively.

"The library can only be accessed through the teleportation array on the surface. If you wish to come here to consult materials, use these keys," Nasus instructed.

Li Lin and Kassadin each expressed their gratitude as they accepted their keys, while Sivir remained silent.

She wasn't illiterate; she simply wasn't interested in these ornate things.

"It's getting late. If there are no further questions, let's return to Nashramae," Nasus suggested.

"Are you also coming with us to Nashramae?" Li Lin asked, puzzled by Nasus's statement.

"Yes, Azir ordered me to have a discussion with the current Port Governor of Nashramae," Nasus replied, emphasizing the word "discussion." Li Lin and the others immediately understood his meaning.

Just like in Zirima, if the governor were willing to accept the authority of the Sun City, there would be no need for bloodshed.

"I know the governor of Nashramae. Her name is Sabja. I discussed with her before about the construction of the Hextech gates..." Li Lin paused, his expression slightly conflicted. "How should I put it? This governor is a bit conservative. If it weren't for Noxus withdrawing its troops and her urgent need for investment to rebuild the port, she wouldn't have agreed to let us build the Hextech gates." Nasus's eyes flickered with cold flames. "Conservative, you say..."

Sivir sensed a dangerous aura emanating from Nasus and quickly added, "Please refrain from any drastic actions! Sabja is still somewhat popular among the people. If you were to harm her, it might not sit well with everyone."

"Don't worry, I'm not Renekton," Nasus replied calmly. "If she proves to be stubborn, I have a solution. Just displaying the Emperor's Seal should suffice."

"What's that?" Kai'Sa asked curiously.

"It's a symbol of the Shuriman Emperor's authority. Without it, the Emperor's legitimacy is questioned... Well, to some extent," Nasus explained.

Li Lin nodded, reminded of the imperial seals from his ancient homeland, symbols of royal authority.

Sivir had also heard of this legend and turned to Nasus. "Has Azir given you the Emperor's Seal?"

Nasus paused briefly. "No... The Emperor's Seal was lost during the ancient Darkin conflict."

The others were dumbfounded.

How could something so important be lost?

Noticing the expressions on Li Lin and the others, Nasus continued, "But there's no need to worry. Azir has dispatched his most trusted elite warriors to retrieve it. According to recent reports, the Emperor's Seal is stored in some ruins near the Salt Mountain. I came here to assist that warrior."

Suddenly, Li Lin remembered the warrior who had found the Emperor's Seal and had led Renekton to this library to battle Nasus. However, with the alteration in the timeline, it was uncertain whether Renekton would still confront Nasus as before.

Moreover, this was a matter between demigods, which had little to do with Li Lin's preparation to return to Piltover.

Li Lin's thoughts were chaotic, so he chose to remain silent.

Seeing that the others had no further objections, Nasus raised his hand and made a gesture, blue light swirling between his claws.

"Be prepared, it might feel a bit dizzying," he warned.

Before anyone could react, the teleportation magic enveloped them, including the 17 storm robots.

With a flash of blue light, before Li Lin and the others could comprehend, their figures vanished, and the dim underground library once again returned to silence.

...

...

As the sun set, in a corner of the port in Nashramae, near a tower that was partially constructed.

A tall, young man, dressed in the attire of a Kiramman family craftsman, stood before a group of craftsmen, his face displaying annoyance.

His hair was somewhat disheveled, and he sported stubble on his face, reddened by exposure to the sun.

"Ranor! You told me Li Lin would return before the tower was completed. I've been waiting here for almost a month, and even the core device of the Hextech Gate is finished. Where is he?" It was Jayce, berating the foreman from the Medarda Family.

The construction of the Hextech Gate in Bel'Zhun went smoothly, and he and his team of craftsmen finished the project more than half a month ahead of schedule.

They spent one week less traveling from Piltover to Nashramae compared to Nashramae's projected schedule.

Jayce was very pleased and led his craftsmen on a ship to Nashramae, ready to assist Li Lin and leave this inhospitable place as soon as possible.

But unexpectedly...

Ranor and Medarda exchanged a glance, their faces showing helplessness. "Mr. Talis, even I didn't expect that Mr. Li Lin would not return after leaving."

"You shouldn't have let him leave in the first place! What is Shurima? It's not just a matter of climate, but also the many bandits who pillage and plunder! Do you know what bandits are?" Jayce said angrily.

"Mr. Li Lin was accompanied by a Noxian and the most famous mercenary group in the area..." Another young craftsman from the Medarda family tried to reassure Jayce.

But unexpectedly, Jayce became even angrier. "Noxians... Noxians! You've been here for almost half a year, don't you know how the locals feel about Noxians? Are you out of your mind?

"We were harassed by a Noxian officer, Maziel P. Omassai. Noxians have a bad reputation and completely disregard the contracts we initially agreed upon. Otherwise, our project would have been completed at least a month earlier!"

The young craftsman opened his mouth, unable to come up with a rebuttal, and fell silent with an embarrassed expression.

"Hmph! I think you should be clear about Li Lin's status in the Kiramman family and the major families of Piltover. He is still Miss Kiramman's lover. If anything happens to him, then..." Jayce crossed his arms, raising his chin slightly, his dissatisfaction and anger evident in his eyes.

Li Lin was now one of his closest friends... aside from Mel.

If anything happened to Li Lin, even though Ranor, the foreman, was from the Medarda family, Jayce would still beat him up first.

"Mr. Talis, this was Mr. Li Lin's decision. He mentioned this matter to you before, and you agreed..." Behind Jayce, an elderly man from the Kiramman family reminded him.

"Of course, I know!" Jayce glanced back at him, his thick eyebrows furrowing slightly. "What? Are you planning to speak up for them?"

"Uh... That's not what I meant."

As a craftsman of the Kiramman family, the old man knew Jayce's bad temper and didn't want to argue with him.

Just then, a cry came from the street leading to the port.

Many people rushed to the street, gathering in the direction of the southern city gate, as if something strange had happened.

"What's going on?" Jayce squinted and turned to look, feeling puzzled.

Before long, a Shuriman teenager, who Jayce had hired at a high price, came running breathlessly.

His task was to stay at the southern gate of Nashramae every day. If he saw someone wearing powered armor, he would immediately come back to inform Jayce.

"M... Mr. Talis... The person you asked about... He's back!"

(End of this chapter)

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