-77- Hungry Little Kai'Sa

In the eastern part of Shurima, beneath the yellow sand, a hand covered in dark purple patterns emerges, and a black-haired woman crawls out. 

Exhausted, she sits on the sandy ground, supporting herself with hands spread apart, uncaring of her somewhat unladylike posture.

"Cough, cough, cough."

After spitting out the sand from her mouth, Kai'Sa stands up, panting heavily with hands on her hips. 

In just one night, she managed to slay hundreds of Void creatures. Although they varied in appearance, all the monsters were terrifying and repulsive, earning no sympathy or goodwill.

"Just like myself."

Kai'Sa knows that, to them, she is no different from the Void creatures. However, she is aware that she is not one of them.

Gurgle....

Her stomach growls, a reminder of hunger after a night of intense battles. Kai'Sa looks around and laughs, saying, "Haha, a wasteland. If only I had kept a few for myself, those fruits would have lasted me a long time."

There's a hint of unhappiness in her voice, but soon she remembers the joyful expression on Doma's face while eating the fruits. Kai'Sa forcefully pats her face, changing her mood.

"Alright, Kai'Sa, you're an adult now."

"No worries, it's just food. I'll find more."

Comforting herself, Kai'Sa takes steps towards where she believes she can find food, hoping for some meat. She recalls the last time she had meat, finding a lost goat. She called out for the owner, but since no one claimed it, the goat became hers. That meal brought her great joy.

"Slurp."

Unintentionally, saliva starts dripping from her mouth. She's just too hungry.

---

Linwin found the village mentioned by Doma's father in just two hours. Continuing eastward, he realizes he's approaching a tropical jungle.

Would Kai'Sa go to such a place?

With this question in mind, Linwin searches meticulously. Without a precise direction, he slows down, expanding his senses. As night falls, he spots a distant flicker of fire. Although he can't see the person creating the fire, Linwin has an instinctual feeling that it must be Kai'Sa.

Cautiously concealing his presence, Linwin approaches. When he gets closer, he finally breathes a sigh of relief.

Because in front of her, illuminated by the firelight, a woman was crouched on the ground, digging soil. Around her were several large pits.

One has to admit, she was lucky tonight; the moon was bright, and there was no wind. Otherwise, these pits would have been filled in no time.

What could she be doing?

Watching Kai'Sa's actions, feigning disinterest would be a lie.

Kai'Sa throws heaps of sand, her movements skilled as if she does it regularly. With her bouncy hair and the way she jumps, Linwin can't help but see her as a giant cockroach.

Kai'Sa's silhouette has a beautiful curve, but her current actions are far from graceful. Combined with her purple exoskeleton skin and the bouncy movements while digging, Linwin thinks the term "roach lady" fits quite well.

Speaking of which, in the League, Kai'Sa has an unflattering nickname, like "Roach Lady," right?

//// Probably in the Chinese league community? I don't play league so I don't know about it.////

Most creatures tainted by the Void take on insect forms.

But Kai'Sa gets this nickname probably because of a specific in-game action—her crazy motion looks absurdly like a giant cockroach, especially when used by players with fast reflexes.

Of course, Kai'Sa is not the Roach Lady!

Linwin curiously observes Kai'Sa's actions.

Until she unearths something.

Using a dagger to skewer the find, Kai'Sa, with her back to Linwin, sits with her knees pulled up, roasting the item.

Is she scavenging for food?

Not surprisingly, Kai'Sa is indeed preparing to eat something.

It's a scorched and charred scorpion.

Seeing Kai'Sa about to consume the creature, Linwin hurriedly coughs a couple of times.

Even though finding Kai'Sa at night and in such an environment seemed awkward, Linwin couldn't help but wonder if he could defeat her.

"Who?"

In an instant, Kai'Sa, who was previously roasting something, appeared before Linwin, her hand forming ethereal spikes in her tightly clenched fist. Her beautiful pink-purple eyes were filled with vigilance.

"Wait, wait, I surrender! I'm not a bad guy!"

Linwin raised his hands in surrender towards Kai'Sa.

He had underestimated her.

Kai'Sa's agility, now that he could see, might be higher than his own.

Six hundred, seven hundred?

Her speed was astonishing!

After a moment of thought, Linwin realized it wasn't surprising.

After all, Kai'Sa wasn't an ordinary person; she was a mutant, a champion connected to the Void, and there was no way she could be weak.

Normal Void creatures, several grown men might struggle against a few, but Kai'Sa could handle hundreds on her own. Although it might be guerrilla warfare, it proved Kai'Sa's strength.

"Who are you?"

"Why are you here?"

Kai'Sa tilted her head, observing Linwin, who was gesturing surrender.

Seeing that he seemed quite weak as a human, it eased Kai'Sa's concerns.

"I'm Linwin, from Zaun. I'm a scientist and currently identify as a traveling merchant in Shurima," Linwin quickly explained.

Kai'Sa indeed appeared to be able to communicate, and Linwin had no intention of deceiving her. Scientist and merchant accurately represented his roles in Zaun and Shurima.

"Zaun?" Kai'Sa's expression turned puzzled as she questioned, "What's that place? Why haven't I heard of it?"

"Zaun is a city, right on the edge of Shurima."

"So, you came from another continent?"

"Yes, but not exactly. It's a port city, situated in the middle of two continents."

Kai'Sa fell silent for a few seconds.

People from other places?

No wonder they didn't fear me.

Kai'Sa thought to herself.

"You can leave." Seeing that Linwin posed no threat, Kai'Sa decided to lower her hand, and the purple spikes quickly dissipated. She stood there, slightly shorter than Linwin, looking at him indifferently. 

In a cold tone, she continued, "Anyway, you better keep your distance. I don't like people getting close to me."

Linwin also lowered his hands, not stepping back but taking a step forward. Upon seeing Kai'Sa's dissatisfied expression and the clicking sound she made, Linwin immediately halted, then asked aloud, "Um, I just wanted to ask, were you picking up garbage to eat just now?"

"What?" Kai'Sa, who had turned around to return to the fire, turned back towards Linwin, looking embarrassed and angry. She exclaimed loudly, "That's not garbage; it's food, meat!"

"Does that also count as meat?" Linwin remarked, looking at the fist-sized, charcoal-like thing Kai'Sa had been roasting.

While saying this, Linwin opened his own bag, revealing various foods prepared by Zevi for him. He took out a bottle of pure water, a palm-sized, fragrant dried beef, and a large, soft wheat bread. Linwin looked at Kai'Sa and then smiled.

Linwin noticed Kai'Sa's eyes never left his hands when he took out the dried meat. However, when he coughed and looked at her, she immediately averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.

"Is that dried meat you have in your hand?" 

Linwin clarified. "To be precise, it's Freljordian snow beef."

"What's Frejlord?" Kai'Sa heard another unfamiliar place name and looked at the stranger in confusion.

"Freljord is far, far away from Shurima. While Shurima is full of deserts, Freljord is covered in ice and snow. They are completely different."

Linwin sat down, opened the water, took a sip, and then tore off a piece of the dried meat. The salty and fragrant taste filled his mouth, and Linwin showed a happy expression.

He had been hungry in the desert before, so this genuine happiness was evident on his face.

Swallowing another bite of the soft bread, the sweet aroma of wheat mixed with saliva went into his stomach. The combination of this delicious wheat bread and the snow beef was amazing.

"Eat. Why aren't you eating your food?" Linwin looked at the dazed Kai'Sa. With a piece of bread in one hand and dried meat in the other, beside him was a bottle of water. He said, "I won't get close to you; I'll just eat by the firelight."

Kai'Sa: .....

Looking down at the lump of "meat" on the short dagger, Kai'Sa pursed her lips.

A feeling of grievance surged up in her heart.

Clearly, she had said she wouldn't feel grievance because of people anymore.

All her family is gone, and her village no longer accepts her. People she meets are afraid of her and avoid her. Despite promising not to let others affect her emotions, why does she feel grievance now? 

Sitting far away from Linwin, Kai'Sa forcefully takes a bite of the overcooked, tough meat, coupled with the soft stickiness of the mucous.

This strange texture unintentionally draws her gaze towards Linwin. Watching him chew on the beef jerky, Kai'Sa opens her mouth, and her pearly white teeth sink into the scorpion meatball. It's as if, at this moment, the person eating beef is her.

Linwin certainly feels Kai'Sa's gaze. The intense look is not on his face but is following his hands. To be precise, Kai'Sa is eyeing the Freljordian snow beef jerky.

Linwin can't help but feel amused.

She's really loves to eat! And now, is she trying to pair it with my meal?