CHAPTER 255 - Grim Scene

"What's going on?" Silco frowned, noticing the sudden change in Li Lin's expression.

"See for yourself."

With a somber expression, Li Lin projected the scene transmitted by the mechanical drones through the network.

Silco, unfamiliar with such technology, looked on with curiosity. Before he could ask anything, the scene before him shocked him.

Debris and greenish metal shards littered the ground, almost solidifying, shrouding everything in darkness. It was as if a lightless night had descended, obscuring everything.

Amidst the thick haze, remnants of explosions continued, with occasional flashes of orange-red flames, revealing the silhouette of a few fleeing civilians.

Suddenly, the scene shifted, the haze thickening. The perspective seemed to approach the core area of the explosion.

A massive alchemical material pipeline on the ground burned with flames, rupturing with sinister cracks, spewing toxic green substances continuously. As it touched the metal surface, wisps of smoke rose, blending into the haze.

Suddenly, another dazzling flash filled the entire projection.

Immediately after, the scene disappeared, replaced by the AI's notification.

"Droid number 269 was severely damaged by the explosion and has lost network connection. Nearby droids are being dispatched for support."

Li Lin took a deep breath and ordered the AI to continue switching to footage from nearby drones.

As the perspective switched continuously, around the alchemical pipeline, lay over a dozen bodies dressed in alchemical work clothes, lifeless and scattered.

Some injured individuals coughed violently, desperately reaching towards the direction of the camera angle, pleading for help.

Even without sound, Li Lin and Silco could vividly feel the severity of the explosion, harboring a thick sense of anger within them.

"Damn it!" Silco slammed his fist on the table. "No wonder Glasc has been silent lately, plotting such atrocious deeds!"

Li Lin wanted to say that this incident only pointed to Renata as the primary suspect and might not necessarily be her doing.

But then he realized that whether it was her or not didn't matter anymore. Something else was more important now.

"Now is not the time to complain, Silco. We need to send people to rescue the civilians immediately."

"I've already dispatched drones from my various factories to the scene. The message has been relayed to the Piltover University, and they're mobilizing their drones," Silco replied.

Li Lin walked to the window behind Silco, activated the plasma thrusters, and hovered halfway in the air.

"The breathing station in the Lower Plaza has been damaged by the explosion, and thousands of people are being affected by the gas," Li Lin said. "I will go repair the station, but the breathing filters there are limited. Piltover will urgently send relief supplies, but it will take time. Do you have any here?"

"We do, but not many. Probably a few hundred pairs," Silco replied solemnly. "I'll have my men buy up all the breathing filters at the border market. We should be able to gather around two thousand pairs."

"Alright, act quickly. Every minute we delay, someone could die."

With that, Li Lin flew out of the window.

Silco hesitated for a moment, then called out to him, "Oh, about Vander..."

"I'll inform him," Li Lin interrupted.

---

A few minutes ago, at the Fugon Tavern.

Powder sat at the bar, holding a patched-up old rabbit in her arms, with a glass of juice in front of her.

She watched as Vander, Vi, Claggor, and Milo went in and out of the warehouse, moving things around.

After a while, when Vi set down a crate filled with bottles, Powder, her speech slightly slurred, asked, "Vi, when are we going to school?"

Vi straightened up and wiped the sweat from her forehead, a hint of helplessness flashing across her face upon hearing her sister's words.

She glanced back and saw Vander heading back into the warehouse before flicking Powder's forehead with her finger.

"Ouch! What's that for, Vi! That hurts..."

"Did Li Lin put some kind of potion in your drink? Why do you keep thinking about going to the city?" Vi asked casually.

"Li Lin didn't do anything!" Powder puffed up her cheeks. "You promised to take us to the city a while ago, but another month has passed, and you keep making excuses."

Vi leaned on the bar with her elbow, her body leaning casually. "Tsk, Vander didn't say anything either, did he?"

"But Vander has been reminding us about it lately," Claggor, who had just moved a wooden crate, overheard the sisters' conversation and chimed in.

"Get lost, Claggor. This doesn't concern you," Vi waved her hand at Claggor, who was almost taller than her.

He shrugged, rolled his eyes, and continued towards the warehouse. "Don't let Vander catch you slacking off, Vi."

"I know."

As she replied, Vi was about to leave when Powder grabbed her wrist. "Vi, are you... feeling resentful about going to the city?"

Vi's eyes flashed with an unusual hue, not expecting her sister to speak like this. "What do you mean by that?"

Powder's face revealed a hint of sadness. "I know you've been avoiding mentioning what happened back then, but I remember it clearly."

Vi furrowed her brow, lips pressed together as she stared at her sister, who cast her eyes downward.

"Actually, I know, we all know, that Mom and Dad's death wasn't because of the Upper City. They died in the alchemical factory explosion."

"Powder..."

Powder didn't notice her sister's increasingly gloomy expression, continuing earnestly, "It just so happened that at that time, Vander led the Undercity people in resistance against the Upper City, only to be ruthlessly suppressed by the enforcers."

"But that factory was owned by Undercity folks. Our parents weren't involved in the rebellion, and their deaths had nothing to do with the Upper City."

"Powder, please stop..."

"Vi, we shouldn't attribute Mom and Dad's deaths to the Upper City. They..."

"I told you to stop!"

Vi clenched her fists, pounding the table forcefully, startling Powder.

Hearing the commotion in the tavern, Vander, who had just walked out of the warehouse, hurried to the front, followed by Claggor, whose figure was gradually transitioning from fat to muscular, and the mischievous Milo.

Spotting the silent confrontation between the two sisters, Vander asked solemnly, "What's going on here? Vi, are you arguing with Powder again?"

"No... I accidentally kicked a crate just now."

Vi's gaze shifted away from Powder, pretending everything was fine as she wiped her eyes, then turned to Vander, forcing a strained smile.

Claggor understood the conversation between the two sisters just now and sighed silently.

Milo raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Vander maintained a skeptical attitude, "You know you can't deceive me, right? Tell me the truth."

Seeing that they couldn't hide it anymore, Powder wanted to take the blame for this.

But before she could speak, Vi seemed to anticipate her thoughts and said first, "Actually... I've been thinking, it's time to go see Li Lin and ask him to arrange for us to go to school."

As this was said, not only Powder but even Claggor and Milo wore expressions of astonishment, thinking she might have been influenced by some sorcerer or had her mind tampered with.

Contrary to the reactions of the children, Vander showed a relieved expression, "I've been meaning to talk to you about this recently, looks like you've come to your senses."

Vi awkwardly smiled, glanced at Powder with flickering eyes, and said nothing more.

"After I'm done with the current tasks, I'll call Li Lin and ask him to arrange it..."

Boom!

Before Vander could finish his sentence, a violent tremor accompanied by a deafening roar shook the place. Claggor and Milo, who couldn't stand steady, dropped the boxes they were carrying, and glass bottles shattered instantly, with alcohol seeping into the wooden floor.

"What's happening..."

Everyone's faces turned pale, hastily running outside the tavern to assess the situation.

The already dim environment outside grew even darker.

On the streets, bewildered pedestrians, equally unaware of the situation, looked around, all asking what was going on.

Not long after, Vander, Vi, Powder, Claggor, and Milo simultaneously smelled a pungent odor, burning their breathing tracts and lungs, causing them to cough violently.

Vander, who had worked in the sewers and participated in the Ashes of the Day incident back then, suddenly realized.

This smell...

It's exactly the same as the alchemical toxin leaked from the factory explosion back then!

Vander's face darkened, waving his hand to the four children, "Quick, back inside! Vi, Claggor, go find the breathing filters in the rooms!"

This scene and the memories it evoked made Vi freeze for a few seconds.

Seeing Powder coughing more intensely, Vander raised his voice, "Vi! Take your sister and put on the breathing filters!"

"Under...stood..."

Once all the children were inside, Vander squinted and looked to his right, where many people were running towards them.

After about ten seconds, he grabbed a panicked, skinny man, "Hey, what are you guys running from?"

"Explosion... there was an explosion!" The man gasped for breath.

"Explosion...? What exploded?"

"In... Undercity... the alchemical... alchemical workshop exploded!" The man pressed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Mister, alchemical toxins leaked out, they'll be here soon!"

He looked up and noticed he was at the Fugen Tavern, recognizing Vander as the man who grabbed him.

"You're Vander! Hurry, while there aren't many people evacuating yet, and there aren't many elevators, take your four kids to the Upper City and seek refuge... I... I'm leaving first!"

After reminding them, the man hurriedly ran towards the elevators.

Vander fell into silence, not stopping him.

A few seconds later, Milo ran out, "Vander, here's your breathing mask!"

Vander took the mask and quickly put it on, then turned around, "Milo, go to the counter and get a bag of silver wheels, call Vi, Powder, and Claggor, and go to the Kiramman Manor in the Upper City to find Li Lin."

"Huh? Why..." Milo didn't react for a moment.

"No time to waste, go!"

"Oh, okay..."

As Milo went inside, Vander suddenly heard a strange sound in the air, squinting and looking up.

He saw a figure shining with blue light, with a dazzling blue and white tail flame trailing behind.

Vander's eyes lit up, "Li Lin!"

Without waiting for further inquiry, Li Lin preempted, "Things are urgent, quickly gather your men, put on breathing filters as much as possible, and go to the Lower City to rescue the injured!"

(End of this chapter)