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"Axamuk, the last Mage King of Icathia. I don't know who he truly was, but I'd love to see the power that earned him such a title," Syndra mused.
She didn't believe the Mage King's magic was superior to her own. If he had been as powerful as the title suggested, his nation wouldn't have fallen to ancient Shurima.
Nor would their desperation have led them to release the Void, bringing about the kingdom's ruin and the near-extinction of its people.
"Seven hundred years ago, Icathia was already a dangerous and desolate place," Syndra continued.
"It's unlikely Siko's ancestors ever ventured there. Only one tomb of Axamuk has ever been discovered—in Shurima, within the Noxan territories."
Ryan smirked as he raised his palm. A single drop of water formed in midair, shooting out like an arrow and landing precisely on a large map of Runeterra hanging on the wall.
It struck a point on the Shuriman continent, near the border with Zaun—a barren desert region south of Icathia.
"I remember you said you encountered Ryze there," Syndra said.
Ryan chuckled. "At the time, I was leading my army to claim the area. I sensed powerful magical fluctuations beneath the sands and decided to excavate. What we unearthed was the tomb, sealed by an Ascended God using methods beyond conventional magic."
"No one could break through the barrier. Ryze made an attempt but failed. He refused to ally with the empire and wouldn't share his knowledge of the World Runes, so I had my forces expel him."
Syndra smirked, amused. "Your army must have been like insects to him."
Thinking of the stoic mage retreating reluctantly, a sly smile played on her lips.
"He lived through the Rune Wars thousands of years ago," Ryan said.
"He witnessed that catastrophic devastation firsthand. Despite his strength, Ryze remains resolutely cautious, interfering only when the World Runes are at stake."
"If we hadn't claimed the site or if he'd detected the presence of a World Rune, he would have forced his way in," Ryan continued.
"But the Ascended God's seal is powerful—isolating all traces of magic. Without the runes' power to aid him, even Ryze couldn't break through. In the end, he abandoned the attempt and headed west, likely seeking confirmation from the Ascended about the presence of World Runes."
"The protection would realize someone has breached the tomb," Syndra said, resting her snow-white palm under her chin.
Her dark eyes gleamed with a sense of looming triumph.
"That's why Ryze hasn't returned—he's still unaware of the danger there."
"Drive the castle there," she suggested confidently.
"Let's break in ourselves."
"Excessive magical disturbance would trigger the seal's self-destruction," Ryan warned.
"But I have someone in mind—someone uniquely tied to the Ascended. He'll help us with the preliminary work."
An idea formed in Ryan's mind. He and Syndra would never pass up an opportunity to strengthen their magic, no matter how risky the endeavor.
Magic, rune mastery, the Ascension ritual, and the elusive World Runes—all avenues for magical exploration were fair game for them.
Syndra had once conducted an experiment on herself, forcibly merging an ordinary rune into her body.
The sheer magical energy nearly overwhelmed her, but the results were undeniable: her already formidable strength grew exponentially.
And that was just an ordinary rune. A World Rune would be an entirely different matter.
If a mortal could wield one and ascend to near godhood, what could it do for them—masters of magic already standing at the pinnacle of power?
Books tumbled from the shelves, scattering across the floor, as Syndra and Ryan continued their discussion.
The air was charged with tension as they analyzed and synthesized information from countless tomes about the World Runes.
After combing through hundreds of records, their conclusion was surprisingly straightforward.
Ryan folded his arms, his expression thoughtful.
"There are five World Runes," he began.
"The cyan one is unaccounted for, maybe in Ryze's possession. Its power appears tied to the creativity and imagination of living beings. For now, let's call it Enlightenment. The yellow rune represents the laws of physics—speed, strength, and the ability to twist physical laws. It is aptly named Precision, and it, too, is in Ryze's hands."
He paused before continuing, his gaze sharpening.
"The red rune signifies absolute destructive power—raw energy that annihilates everything it touches. Destruction fits as a name. Based on your hypothesis, it might also be called Mastery. It's either lost somewhere in the Bilgewater waters or already collected by Ryze."
Ryan shifted his focus, his voice steady.
"The green rune represents life—extraction, bestowal, and augmentation. It can breathe vitality into inanimate objects. Let's call it Vitality. Ryze has likely acquired this one as well."
"And the blue rune?" Syndra inquired, leaning forward with interest.
"It's most likely in the Axamuk Mausoleum," Ryan replied with a wry smile.
"It's the most accessible to us."
As Ryan's voice fell silent, the hundreds of books that had been floating midair suddenly shot back to their respective places on the shelves.
The room grew quiet once more.
At present, only three World Runes were within their reach. The rest were almost certainly in Ryze's possession, stored in some hidden location.
Syndra and Ryan speculated that this hidden place was likely Demacia's Forbidden Forest.
The forest's unique magic-dampening properties made it the ideal location to conceal such volatile artifacts.
Even if a World Rune were detonated, the damage would be mitigated.
However, the resulting shockwave could still annihilate everything nearby, including the Demacian capital—a thought that brought a wicked smile to Ryan's face.
"The path forward is clear," Syndra declared, her voice firm.
"If we can integrate the power of the World Runes into ourselves, we'll surpass even the Ascended of old we might Transcend."
Ryan nodded. "Obtaining the runes isn't impossible. It's a matter of time and patience. Do you have any thoughts on alternative approaches?"
Their ambitions extended beyond the World Runes. Noxus sought to rival ancient Shurima not only in military might but in ascension itself.
While Noxian legions were far stronger than Shurima's had been, the Ascension Ritual had granted the ancient empire hundreds of godlike Ascended warriors.
Noxus had yet to uncover a comparable method for empowering its champions.
The Void was another possibility they had considered. However, Syndra quickly dismissed it.
"The Void's power corrupts too easily. Even the Vastaya and Xari couldn't resist its erosion. It's not a viable path."
Ryan agreed. "The Void operates in opposition to life itself. To wield its power, one must embrace it fully, which would mean sacrificing everything we've built. That's a compromise neither of us is willing to make."
Both had experimented extensively with Void creatures as test subjects, but the results were disappointing.
The power offered by the Void was unstable and came at too high a cost.
For Syndra, whose devouring talent rivaled that of the Voidborn, it was a waste of her potential.
"It seems that our best options lie in studying the Ascension Ritual and refining Elemental Perfection," Ryan concluded.
"The World Runes are few, and even if we obtain them, their use will be limited to a select few. We need a method that can elevate the many—the foundation of the Noxian empire."
At present, there are only two paths they can deduce:
The Ascension Ceremony is the only known method that allows mortals to directly achieve extraordinaryness.
Elemental Perfection, according to Freljord's records nearly ten thousand years ago, combined with Syndra's own situation, they created a brand new path.
"The ultimate mastery of the elements could make us unstoppable," Syndra said, her dark eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"A new age of magic—one where we'll stand at the pinnacle of power."