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"Ezreal, right? His Excellency, the President, just announced something that shook the entire continent. So, what did you prepare for us today?"
The voice came from a female mercenary wearing a blindfold over one eye.
Her confident smirk matched her striking presence—she had a toned figure, wavy brown hair cascading over her shoulders, and an air of boldness about her.
Samira, the Desert Rose, laughed teasingly. She had just returned from sending Indali to the recruitment process.
Hearing Ryan's speech earlier had piqued her interest, but now she was curious about what Ezreal had to say.
Samira thrived on adventure and excitement—it was an addiction she could never shake.
"Hahaha, my lady," Ezreal replied with a grin.
"Of course, I came prepared! Let me ask you something: since I mentioned Zaun, how old do you think is?"
Samira crossed her arms, her smile widening as she let Ezreal take the stage.
"About a thousand years, a small port called Zuan appeared," a man in an elegant gentleman's suit interjected, speaking with a refined tone.
His Piltover roots were evident in his polished demeanor.
Ezreal chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no. According to my latest findings, Zaun is at least 3,000 years old."
"Three thousand years?"
The gentleman's brow furrowed as he turned to Ezreal, his skepticism mingled with intrigue.
He didn't think Ezreal was bluffing; the boy had proven his knowledge before.
"Yes," Ezreal said with an enthusiastic nod.
"Through exploring ancient historical clues, I uncovered evidence of Zaun's predecessor—Oshera Va'Zuan!"
"Oshera Va'Zuan? That's just a legend," the gentleman murmured.
Ezreal's expression grew serious.
"Sir, it's no mere legend. Not only does it exist, but it's remarkably well-preserved beneath Zaun. Currently, it's being jointly protected by the Empire and Zaun."
The crowd murmured in astonishment, their curiosity thoroughly piqued.
Ezreal seized the moment, clearing his throat to captivate them further.
He began recounting his adventure, embellishing the tale with flair.
"..."
The story was a blend of truth and exaggeration.
While everything Ezreal described truly happened, he conveniently replaced the key solutions with his own ingenuity.
In reality, many of the techniques he boasted about had been designed by Ryan.
Still, Ezreal had to admit that they suited him perfectly.
"Finally," Ezreal concluded, "I managed to escape and coincidentally ran into His Excellency Ryan. Knowing Noxus's strength, I entrusted him with the secret. And that's why I'm standing here today, sharing this with all of you."
"What a story! But if you're as amazing as you claim, why don't you prove it?"
Samira's voice rang out as she raised her tattooed arm, her lips curled into a playful grin.
She was clearly itching for action.
Here it comes, Ezreal thought with a spark of excitement.
He knew it! There couldn't possibly be a gathering in Noxus without a challenge of skill or strength.
Ezreal flashed a confident smile.
"Of course, my lady! Let's have a test. However, since there are major discoveries to announce later, let's keep things simple. I see you're a gunslinger—how about we test accuracy and power instead?"
"Perfect!"
Samira vaulted onto the platform with a flourish, her pistol spinning effortlessly in her hand. Her face lit up with excitement as she quipped,
"So, what's the plan? Are we shooting at each other?"
"Ah, no, no, no!" Ezreal exclaimed, waving his hands frantically.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves! This is a day of celebration—the opening of the academy! It wouldn't be appropriate to spill blood here."
He gestured to one of Draven's brothers, who signaled to a group of Trifarian soldiers. They rolled a heavy machine onto the stage.
The audience murmured in confusion as the armored contraption was positioned in the center.
Ezreal stepped forward, his smile brimming with confidence.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a test machine designed by Ms. Orianna, a professor of mechanics at the academy. It can measure the accuracy and power of attacks."
He turned to Samira with a mischievous grin.
"Care to take the first shot, ma'am?"
Samira smirked, cocking her pistol with flair.
"Don't mind if I do."
Boom!
A live bullet struck the armor in an instant, producing a dull, reverberating sound.
"Attack strength: Weak!"
The machine announced in a soft, melodious voice with a hint of an electronic tone—one that Orianna herself had dubbed.
"It's a mid-level test robot from the academy," Ezreal explained with a smile, though he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It may have slightly higher requirements for attacks."
Ezreal was confident now—he was stable. At least Samira's firearms weren't top-tier weaponry.
"Cut! I am just warming up—watch me!"
Samira's competitive spirit flared up instantly. She raised an eyebrow and swiftly drew another pistol from her waist.
With a burst of energy, she dashed to the side of the mechanical dummy, firing rapidly.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The sound of frequent gunfire echoed as Samira moved like a blur, her double pistols unleashing a relentless barrage at the dummy.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Shells clattered to the ground, each shot ringing out as she continued her relentless assault.
Ezreal could see that when one pistol ran dry, the firing rate of the other increased.
Within a split second, Samira changed magazines—multiple times in rapid succession.
In mere seconds, several empty magazines littered the floor around her. Ezreal marveled at how she managed to carry so many in that outfit of hers.
But Samira wasn't done. In an instant, she withdrew her pistols and, with a fluid motion, drew the large sword she kept strapped to her back.
"Ha!"
She shouted as she leapt high into the air, bringing the massive blade down with ferocious strength.
The sword, cutting through the wind, slammed into the mechanical dummy's iron armor with an explosive impact.
Ezreal, watching the spectacle, was secretly shocked.
He was grateful he wasn't fighting Samira—if he weren't so familiar with his moves or hadn't maintained his distance, he'd have been shredded to pieces in a blink.
"Attack strength: Medium-Upper!"
The mechanical voice chimed in as Samira landed gracefully, her posture cool and collected.
She casually put the blade back behind her, then crossed her arms, giving Ezreal a challenging look.
"Impressive!" Ezreal said sincerely, his tone filled with admiration.
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
A martial arts exhibition like this was always a crowd-pleaser.
"It's your turn now!"
Samira's mood was clearly lifted as she whistled at Ezreal, eager to see his response.
Ezreal raised an eyebrow, flashing a confident smile.
He stood ten meters away from the mechanical dummy, eyes locked on his target.
With a fluid motion, he leapt into the air, a shout escaping his lips as the armguard on his wrist ignited with dazzling golden light.
Whoosh!
A golden arcane beam shot out, slicing through the air straight toward the dummy.
Boom!
The beam hit the target with a deafening crash—louder than Samira's previous strike.
Not only did it collide with the dummy, but it also pierced through it, striking the ground below and creating a small crater.
The onlookers stood stunned, their jaws dropping.
They had always assumed Ezreal was merely a scholar.
Though they'd heard of his adventures, they hadn't expected this level of raw power.
But now, their perception of Ezreal shifted completely, and they regarded him with newfound respect.
"Attack strength: Medium-Upper!"
This time, the machine's assessment was identical to Samira's.
However, the crowd was clearly more impressed with Ezreal.
After all, his attack didn't just have full output—it included penetration damage, making it look effortless in comparison.
"This is fascinating."
Draven, who had been standing beside a doorman, stroked his mustache, an eager expression on his face.
"Hahaha, Brother Draven, do you want to try it?" Ezreal laughed, his voice lighthearted.
The more people who tested the machine, the more they'd become stepping stones for him.
Ezreal's attack strength was already at an impressive level—comparable to that of a regular champion.
While he was confident in his ability to deliver more powerful strikes with focused energy, penetration damage was his trump card.
Even at the same level, his attacks were slightly superior.
He was Ezreal—steadfast and always ready.