Chapter 9 - Vander

The buildings of Zaun and Piltover are very different.

New topside buildings incorporate smooth marble, bronze grids, and gleaming glass, and even the older buildings are made of stone or wood.

Most of the underground buildings are constructed of steel grids, the overall appearance is dull, coppery, and dark green tones from chemical corrosion.

Most of these metals come from recycled topside waste.

In the thick haze, the most conspicuous is the yellow-green neon lights in various buildings.

Those are lights made from fluorescent chemical compounds, though some of Piltover's buildings and roads lamps use these too.

The towering buildings with overlapping layers pierced one's vision, extending beyond sight.

Coupled with the Chemtech prosthetics that can be seen everywhere on the roadside pedestrians, Reminding Lilin of the cyberpunk style.

Because the air was so hard to breathe, Caitlyn and Lilin seldom talked along the way, walking briskly through the dense and crowded buildings and roads.

The two walked for about an hour, but when they saw the familiar building again in front of them, they knew that they were lost.

"Why are the road undercity so convoluted?" Caitlyn, who was going mad, couldn't help but complain.

Lilin shrugged.

He had already suggested to find someone to ask for the way, but she firmly believed that with her keen hunter senses, she could find the way...

However, seeing that the girl was obviously getting angry, he wisely chose not to bring it up.

After getting lost again and returning to the starting point, Caitlyn finally gave up the struggle, in frustration, said "let's ask for directions..."

I've been waiting for those lovely words.

Lilin sighed, turned his head to look at a middle-aged man who was preparing to open for business in front of a bar called The Last Drop.

He has dark hair, the graying beard and sideburns are neatly trimmed, and his clothes are very clean and tidy, which is a bit out of place compared to the rest of Zaun.

Well this seems like a nice fellow.

"We're closed. Come back later." Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, the middle-aged man continued his work without turning his head.

"May the Gray never raise to your door." Lilin greeted politely, "I'm sorry to bother you, but we're not here to drink."

"Right...so?"

The middle-aged man put down the box in his hand, turned around, put one hand on the sign beside him, and looked at the two suspiciously.

"If you have something to say, speak. I'm busy sorting."

"Just asking for directions." Lilin took out a silver cog from his pocket and handed it to the middle-aged man.

"You two aren't from the undercity." The middle-aged man looked at Caitlyn and Lilin, "Flaunting your money gets you robbed, same goes for the young lady. "

"Thank you for your advice." Lilin responded politely.

The middle-aged man grinned, stretched out his hand, took the coin and put it in his pocket, "Tell me, where you wanna go? I advise you not to go to obscure places."

"I just wanted to ask, do you know where the Benzo's pawn shop is?"

Hearing this name, the middle-aged man's eyes gleamed a split second, and paused a moment.

"Of course, that old bastard buys junk every day, filling his shop with trash he can't sell... you are looking for him?"

Lilin noticed something unusual about the middle-aged man, and felt a discreet nudge from Caitlyn. He smiled and said, "Just seeing if he has what I want, it's no big deal."

"Is that so..." The middle-aged man was silent for a while, "Benzo's shop is a bit far. How about this, you two wait here a bit and I can take you there."

Not knowing what the man was thinking, hiding his suspicion, Lilin said, "You're too kind … Won't it delay your business?"

"It's only afternoon, people won't come until the evening."

Just when Lilin was about to decline the man's offer, out of the corner of his eyes, he suddenly caught a glimpse of two girls with different hair colors, one pink and one blue.

Is this Vi and Jinx when they were kids?

Why are they here?

In the main universe he knew, Vi and Jinx were orphaned twins who had never lived together since childhood.

But the girls in front of him challenged, again, the story in his memory.

Lilin stared blankly, as the man walked into the restaurant and explained to the two girls, and the system's mechanical prompt sounded suddenly

[Congratulations! You have contacted five champions, level: +2 , skill points: +2, skill upgrade module: unlocked ]

[Name: Lilin]

[Level: Level 3]

[HP: 585/585]

[Mana: 80/80]

[Skill Point: 2]

[…]

what's going on!?

The system's sudden reminder really surprised Lilin, but what followed was excitement.

I was wondering why I couldn't level up! The stupid system didn't even give me a mission to complete. I just needed to meet champions from the game!

But soon a doubt emerged:

In addition to Vi and Jinx in front of him, even with Jayce and Caitlyn, didn't he only meet 4 champions?

Who's the fifth hero prompted by the system?

Lilin carefully recollected his memories.

Heimer? Viktor?

They're at the Academy, and he was no where near there.

Ez, Ori, and Seraphine are all children right now, and I haven't even gone outside until today.

As for the champions in Zaun, that's even more impossible.

Blitz, Zac, and Twitch haven't been born yet. Mundo and Ekko are nowhere to be found. Singed just finished researching Chemtech bombs for Noxus, and Urgot is still a high executioner at Noxus.

Could it be the Janna?

But isn't she about to vanish from the lack of faithful believers?

Or did Riot release a new hero that I don't know about...

Lilin scratched his head, confused.

"Hey, are you really going to let this guy take us?" Caitlyn whispered as he pondered about the things he knew, "Can't you see? This guy definitely hiding something."

"He should know Benzo, maybe he's afraid that we're here to start trouble." Lilin shook his head, "We're not here to make problems anyway, I don't think it's a big deal."

"Okay, but if something really happens, you'd better hide behind me."

"Hide behind you?"

Lilin glanced at Caitlyn's stature in surprise, and she gave him a sullen look.

"Don't look at me like that, but I have received combat training. If I really want to fight, I can knock you out ten times over."

…True, I haven't been trained, so obviously I can't beat you...

Lilin was at a loss for words, and turned his attention to the bar again.

Seeing the man call out two boys from the back, one thicc and one thin, and gave them instructions.

He's Vi and Jinx's guardian, there shouldn't be any issues, right?

Not to mention I have a gun.

While thinking about it, Lilin subconsciously reach for his waist, and regained composure.

After another minute, the man walked out apologetically, "I kept you two waiting. Kids in the family. Always causing trouble if you don't tell them off."

"Understandable. You should make your arrangements first."

Smiling and extending his right hand, "Lilin, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The man hesitated, but he ultimately reached out and shook Lilin firmly, and said, in a muffled voice,

"Vander."

"Warwick Vander."