With the addition of new Ascended Warriors, the task of searching for the Darkin no longer falls solely on Aatrox. Azir assigns tasks to Rhaast, Varus, and Valeeva, sending them to the locations identified by the Mini Runeterra, Mount Targon, Ionia, and the Iron Pinnacle Mountains in eastern Noxus. As for Aatrox, who possesses god-slaying power, he is tasked with traveling to the dangerous Freljord, a land filled with demigods.
Before Aatrox sets off for Freljord, he, Azir, and Nasus use the Sun Disc to upgrade their already "inferior" Ascended bodies, compensating for the spiritual flaws of their divine warrior forms and granting them even greater strength. Aatrox, already at the peak of power among the Ascended, experiences a surge of power after perfecting his divine essence, his presence becoming overwhelming, with even the Void's influence greatly diminished.
For Azir and Nasus, Azir now commands the vast sands of Shurima, while Nasus has fully restored his strength, surpassing his previous state and nearly matching the former power of Aatrox. This is not even considering the enhancement provided by the Sun Disc, which amplifies their abilities further. Given that these two had been stagnating for thousands of years—Azir almost killed by Xerath upon his revival—this represents the best outcome for them.
As for Li Lin, after finishing his work on the Sun Disc, he immediately approaches Nasus, who has enhanced his Ascended form and can now grow to about 200 meters tall. Li Lin wants to spar with him to test both his new mech and the upgraded version. Due to the diplomatic announcements from Noxus, indicating their unconditional return of the northern ports of Urzeris, Tereshni, and Belzhun, Nasus has not been occupied with much else recently.
Though it may seem unfair to test the mechs against Nasus, as his magic is tailored to affect flesh or magical bodies, not purely mechanical ones, he can still engage in physical combat using his divine power. During the test, Nasus easily defeats the mechanical giant Gaboga, which specializes in ranged attacks, but his own body is pierced by its powerful gamma laser beams, which cannot be blocked.
The Overlord Beast holds out a bit longer but fails to deal any meaningful damage to Li Lin, despite the gamma lasers being stronger than those used by Gaboga. The Overlord Sword Demon fares even worse. Though it uses its agility to engage Nasus and inflicts some damage with its plasma sword, it is swiftly taken down by Li Lin, unable to hold a candle to the Overlord Beast.
When it comes to the strongest combatant, the Ultimate Land Mech Overlord Zero, things become more evenly matched. With double-layered energy shields and force field protection, Nasus struggles to break through the Overlord Zero's defenses in close combat, and he is unable to withstand its kinetic war axe. However, after Aurelion Sol personally imbues the Ascended form with celestial magic, the mech—once capable of easily "slaying" Nasus—can no longer achieve a true victory.
After extensive calculations from the AI, it is determined that a battle between Nasus and the current Overlord Zero is a 60-40 scenario, with the fight potentially dragging on for days or even weeks. Given that gods often fight for long stretches without conclusive results, this outcome is not surprising.
Just when Nasus thinks the test is over, something unexpected happens. A metallic, energy-enclosed arcane being appears—Xerath, their old acquaintance. Before the Sun Disc's completion, Xerath had completely succumbed to torment, losing his consciousness and becoming a bio-weapon controlled by Li Lin.
While Xerath is no longer as flexible in his actions as he was when he retained his own will, the enhanced power compensates for this. Their rivalry flares up again, and Nasus unleashes his full strength, tapping into his vast cosmic magic. But Xerath, despite having lost his autonomy, is still much stronger than the mechs Nasus faced. His arcane power, derived from peak Ascended strength, far surpasses even the Overlord Zero in raw intensity.
The fight between god and machine is a one-sided affair, with Nasus forced to retreat under Xerath's relentless onslaught, almost sinking the northern island of Tereshni. With the mech's performance now fully assessed, Li Lin returns to Piltover to continue its refinement, striving for the best results.
Currently, Phase Two of the orbital space station is underway, with the mech storage hangars completed. However, the space construction facility and the giant assembly plants still need time to finish. Once they are complete, the 100-meter-tall Titan Mechs and 60-meter Mechanical Overlords will begin mass production. Li Lin will also be able to craft the Battering Mech Dragon God through the space facilities.
Sitting at his desk in the administrative building, Li Lin gazes at the mech projection interface before resting back in his chair, massaging his temples. A month of sleepless work has left him mentally exhausted. Yet, with the pressure from Bel'Veth mounting, he finds it impossible to rest properly, even when spending time with Caitlyn.
Sighing, Li Lin rises and walks to the window, feeling the cool sea breeze from the cliffside. A faint scent of jasmine fills the air. In the blink of an eye, summer is approaching, and he's been in this world for almost two and a half years. Reflecting on his journey, Li Lin marvels at how this seemingly small "butterfly" has caused such a massive butterfly effect.
Staring out at the horizon, he closes his eyes to take in the breeze and the jasmine's fragrance, savoring the rare moment of relaxation. After a minute, he regains his focus. "AI, what's the next plan?"
[Master, Prince Jarvan IV's wedding to Shyvana is scheduled in half a month. You should head to Demacia.]
Li Lin smacks his forehead and sighs. "How could I forget about that?"
Noble weddings in Demacia are often set for early summer, right after the annual Golden Spring Festival, a time of celebration, and the royal family follows the same tradition. Last year, King Jarvan III issued a "Sins of the Father" edict, hoping to cement an alliance with Shyvana, a dragon-blooded woman, to ease concerns among the mages in Demacia.
This turn of events has proven to be quite wise. Although there was no official announcement, many mages who possess magic have voluntarily registered and joined the Mage Mutual Aid Society, temporarily overseen by Barrett, which integrates both official and civilian mages.
"It's been a while since I last saw Sona," Li Lin murmurs to himself. He recalls their dinner together in the capital two months ago. Since the threat from Bel'Veth became imminent, the considerate Sona had refrained from disturbing him, not even calling, to avoid interrupting his research.
But the thought of Caitlyn and Sona meeting in half a month causes Li Lin's smile to stiffen, feeling a headache coming on. With Zoe and Kai'Sa's situation unresolved in Piltover and the issue with Sona in Demacia, Li Lin feels the pressure mounting.
Though the AI can come up with some viable solutions, Li Lin knows it's not a master of emotions, and its proposals never feel as reliable as those of Zoe. "Guess I'll just take it one step at a time."
(End of Chapter)
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