CHAPTER 145 - The Legend of the Darkin

Azir recreated the scenes from the past, confirming that the one responsible for his failed ascension was none other than Xerath, whom he once trusted the most.

As the first rays of dawn illuminated Azir's golden eagle armor, he quickly steadied his breath and leaped from the Ascension Platform. The swirling yellow sand cradled his celestial body, slowing his descent.

More than ten seconds later, Azir landed gracefully in front of Li Lin, Kassadin, and Sivir.

His eyes, ablaze with golden magical flames, first looked at Sivir, briefly lingered on Kassadin, and finally focused on Li Lin, the apparent leader.

Li Lin's throat involuntarily moved as he swallowed.

Under the gaze of a god-like celestial warrior, claiming not to feel any pressure would be a blatant lie.

"An exquisite armor that allows an ordinary person to unleash extraordinary power," Azir remarked with a hint of nostalgia. "Is this your creation? It reminds me of another tech-savvy celestial warrior from Icathia..."

Hearing this, Li Lin immediately thought of a name—Tyrant Ne'Zuk

He was a great elemental mage from ixtal, well-versed in magical technology. After qualifying for ascension and becoming an Ascendant, Ne'Zuk conducted extensive research in the field of arcane technology.

Many intricate mechanisms in imperial tombs were designed under his supervision.

During the Void War, he developed a colossal floating fortress—Monolith—that could accommodate tens of thousands of great mages and other celestial warriors from Icathia. Its size was comparable to a city, floating from Icathia to Shurima, bringing down thunderstorms like divine punishment.

Under Ne'Zuk's leadership, Monolith battled the Void monsters near Icathia for several weeks. Countless elemental cannons obliterated mountains, leveling the terrain for layers, and the destructive magic and elemental spells were enough to wipe out a civilization, turning a continent into a distant memory.

Yet, even so, they failed to defeat the relentless onslaught of Void monsters.

Twisting and corrupting, the Void eventually consumed Monolith. Despite its self-healing capabilities and endless magic, it couldn't escape the fate of destruction.

Apart from Ne'Zuk, all other elemental mages, including celestial warriors, perished.

Realizing the futility of battling the Void, Ne'Zuk, abandoning the creed of celestial warriors, betrayed the Empire and fled for his life.

In simple terms, Ne'Zuk was an Ascendant who betrayed the Shuriman Empire...

Noticing Li Lin's somewhat fearful expression, Azir chuckled:

"It seems you've heard of that traitor. I don't mean anything by it; I'm just amazed that an ordinary human like you can master such exquisite craftsmanship."

With that said, his tone suddenly changed, "But... I'm curious about the celestial weapons you two possess."

Azir looked at Sivir's Shuriman Crossblade, then glanced at the gauntlet on Kassadin's right hand that stored the Void Reaver.

"Chalicar was buried by the Grand Magister in an undisclosed location when the ancestral Setaka died during the Void War. As for the Void Reaver of Horok, during my reign, he used it to slay numerous illusionists."

"I want to know, why do these two weapons end up in your hands?"

Azir's tone carried a hint of inquiry.

Damn, is he going to take away my Crossblade?

Seeing this, Sivir couldn't help but furrow her brows, gripping Chalicar tightly.

Kassadin, on the other hand, looked terrified, lowering his head, preparing to explain. However, Li Lin spoke up first:

"Your Majesty, forgive my boldness. You might not be aware of what happened after your long slumber..."

Li Lin respectfully bowed to Azir, maintaining a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant.

"Oh?" A flicker of flame danced in Azir's eyes. "Tell me, why does Sivir have Chalicar, a location known only to the Grand Magister, and why would Horok give his Void Reaver to an ordinary human?"

The invisible pressure of the king and celestial being on Azir made Li Lin somewhat breathless.

He took a deep breath, briefly narrating what he knew, events seldom recorded in the Rune Wars' history.

After the empire's demise, most surviving celestial warriors from the Void War lost their leadership without the emperor's guidance. Although they were immortal, their souls remained those of ordinary humans. Corrupted by the Void, they inevitably harbored mundane ambitions.

Without the constraints of the Shuriman Empire, these fallen Ascendants spent long years studying forbidden dark arts. Believing themselves to be the legitimate heirs of the empire, they fought and betrayed each other, revealing the brutal and bloody side of those corrupted by the Void.

The people scornfully called them the "Darkin," a cryptic curse in ancient Shuriman that roughly translated to "the Fallen."

In the Darkin War, some Darkin were ambushed to death, like Horok, who died at the hands of Ne'Zuk.

Another faction of Darkin, in a subsequent Darkin assembly, were manipulated and plotted against by a twilight celestial being named Myisha, empowered by the stars. Using Chalicar, she eliminated most Darkin present.

In the following years, Myisha taught humans how to use the weapons bestowed by the celestial beings on the first Ascendants to kill the Darkin. Those Darkin too powerful to be killed were sealed within their weapons...

After listening to Li Lin's account, Azir fell into a long silence.

As a celestial warrior, his eyes, enhanced by the magic of the star realm, could easily pierce through the souls of ordinary humans.

He could tell that Li Lin was not lying.

After the fall of the Shuriman Empire, the fallen Ascendants did indeed have a profound impact on the world.

As for Kassadin and Sivir behind Li Lin, they were even more shocked by the legend that was rarely recorded in the History.

Especially for Kassadin.

The curses of those celestial warriors, star magic, and such, he could reluctantly accept these claims as they were somewhat passed down in the records of Shurima.

But this Darkin legend, it was almost impossible to have complete records of it, yet Li Lin seemed to have a clear understanding of the beginning and end of the Darkin War.

Moreover, judging from Azir's reaction, what he said seemed to be true, not some oral legend he heard somewhere...

Kassadin felt a slight disturbance in his heart. The way Li Lin looked at him had changed.

This mysterious Ionian lad, how many secrets did he still hide?

Li Lin gave Azir a moment of contemplation, then continued, "The acquisition of the divine weapons by Kassadin and Sivir could be seen as a mere coincidence."

This statement was not false.

Sivir, commissioned to find Chalicar, happened upon it conveniently and claimed it for herself. Kassadin's situation was even more fortuitous. His expedition's initial goal was treasure, and the "Blade of the Abyss" was merely an additional item, later sold in Zaun.

If he hadn't been seeking a weapon to combat the Void, the Blade of the Abyss would still be sitting as a collectible in some alchemist's possession...

Azir found no fault in Li Lin's words.

Continuing, Li Lin said, "Moreover, Sivir is your descendant. Her ability to wield the Emperor's Chalicar signifies its acknowledgment of her. As for Kassadin..."

Li Lin glanced at him, "His homeland was devoured by the Void, and he seeks vengeance for his wife and daughter, using it to battle the Void..."

The Void...

At the mention of this term, the flames in Azir's eyes surged, "They have returned?!"

Kassadin couldn't hold back, interjecting with a sorrowful tone, "Yes, Your Majesty. A man named Malzahar, known as the 'Prophet,' brought the Void back from Icathia to Shurima.

"He tore open a Void rift in the Songhaven Valley, southeast of Shurima, devouring everyone in my village. I want to use this divine weapon, which once pierced the heart of the Void, to fight against them and avenge my family."

"Battling the Void is an undeniable duty for every divine warrior, but it doesn't require..."

Azir's words were cut short as he suddenly realized that there were almost no divine warriors left now. He sighed, changing his approach, "Using the weapons of divine warriors to fight the Void and avenge your family is a noble idea. However, don't let hatred blind your eyes.

"With just the Blade of the Abyss and the meager magical blessing on your armor, it's far from enough. You don't understand the terror of the Void.

"Even divine warriors couldn't avoid being corrupted by the Void. As an ordinary person like you, merely gazing into the abyss of the Void will consume you."

Kassadin expelled a heavy breath, "I appreciate Your Majesty's concern, but my decision is made. I will battle the Void until the very end, until its demise... and I have this."

He retrieved a box from his satchel, engraved with intricate runic symbols, containing something with a Void essence.

Azir narrowed his eyes, sensing the Void aura emanating from the box, "What is this... and where did you get it?!"

"It's a collection of a Zaun alchemist," Kassadin confessed. "I stole it."

Azir's gaze sharpened; he could feel the Void presence within.

"It's said to be a fragment from a monolith during the Void War. While most monoliths were consumed by the Void, this particular stone is unique. It maintains a special connection with the Void on my body... Holding it can prevent the fate of being consumed by the Void."

"But you don't know the consequences it might bring," Azir's tone was serious. "Anything associated with the Void will eventually lead you to be devoured by them."

"At that time, I will choose to do it at the cost of my life."

Azir silently stared into Kassadin's resolute eyes for a while.

"Very well... Since Horok is dead, rather than letting his weapon lie in the darkness, let it fulfill its final purpose."

He shook his head, turning his gaze back to Li Lin, "Now, let us discuss your matter."

Li Lin's face displayed a surprised expression, "... Me?"

(End of this chapter)

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