Marcus's demonstration of power had left Ashe and Tryndamere genuinely curious about Zaun and its mysterious inhabitants. After all, they each carried one of his metallic badges—tokens that could potentially summon aid from someone whose abilities dwarfed even the legendary demigods of Freljord.
Seeing both tribal leaders focusing intently on him, the caravan captain nodded respectfully and began sharing everything he knew about the distant city-state.
"I should mention that we've never actually visited Zaun ourselves," he began honestly. "But we've spoken extensively with traders from other caravans, and their descriptions of recent changes there are... remarkable."
He paused, organizing his thoughts before continuing. "According to these sources, what was once considered a decrepit undercity slum has somehow transformed into a technological marvel that surpasses even Piltover's renowned innovations."
The captain's weathered features grew more animated as he recalled specific details. "I remember very clearly the device that one of their representatives gave us—an ornate sphere they called a 'Phantom Ball.' The craftsmanship was unlike anything we'd ever encountered, and the technology it contained was genuinely revolutionary."
His expression grew more thoughtful as he continued. "What struck me most was how seriously the man took his request. He specifically asked us to deliver that sphere to Freljord, and despite its obvious value, we never considered keeping it for ourselves. There was something about his demeanor that made the task feel genuinely important."
Ashe and Tryndamere exchanged meaningful glances, both arriving at the same troubling realization.
Despite the limited information available, both leaders felt confident drawing certain conclusions from the merchant's account. Marcus was clearly not native to Zaun—his presence there represented a recent development that had somehow catalyzed the city's rapid advancement.
The timeline made perfect sense when viewed through this lens. Someone with Marcus's overwhelming abilities would naturally be capable of developing revolutionary technology, regardless of his chosen base of operations. Zaun's sudden rise from slum to technological powerhouse simply reflected the influence of its newest resident.
Having extracted all available information, Ashe and Tryndamere invited both Garen and the caravan captain into the central yurt for more detailed discussions about the political implications of these revelations.
...
Upon returning to Zaun, Marcus immediately began cataloging his substantial gains from the Freljord expedition.
The venture had exceeded his most optimistic projections. Not only had he acquired two Void Angels as permanent crew members for his various projects, but he'd also harvested nearly a thousand samples of Aya essence and hundreds of unique supernatural abilities.
The majority of these acquisitions had come from examining Ryze's World Rune collection. Those reality-shaping artifacts had provided not only abundant raw materials for future upgrades, but also direct access to fundamental forces that governed the world's operation.
"This expedition has been extraordinarily profitable," Marcus reflected with satisfaction. "A few more opportunities like this, and resource scarcity will become a thing of the past."
He withdrew a particular empowerment sample that pulsed with electrical energy—a distilled fragment of power extracted from one of Ryze's crimson runes.
"Keystone Rune: Electrocute," he identified with amusement.
Marcus was intimately familiar with this particular effect from his theoretical studies. The rune accumulated energy through combat actions, then released devastating electrical attacks when fully charged. While not quite capable of continental destruction, a fully activated Electrocute rune could easily level mountain ranges.
"Never thought I'd be incorporating actual rune magic into my empowerment systems," he mused, carefully storing the sample for future integration projects.
Selecting four pristine Aya essence samples from his vast collection, Marcus began the process he'd been anticipating for months. With void energy swirling around his hands, he dissolved the crystalline materials and allowed them to envelope his form completely.
This would be his first completely original Warframe design—Erlang, inspired by the legendary Erlang Shen of ancient mythology.
"Yang Jian," Marcus murmured as the transformation cocoon solidified around him. "My first creation..."
His voice faded as consciousness shifted into the metamorphosis state, reality bending around him as matter and energy restructured themselves according to his carefully crafted specifications.
Time seemed to flow differently within the cocoon. When awareness finally returned, Marcus broke free from his crystalline prison to examine the results.
Erlang represented a dramatic departure from his previous Warframe aesthetics. Where other designs prioritized functional intimidation, this armor emphasized regal authority and divine presence.
The Warframe wore an ornate crown above silver armor decorated with intricate golden patterns. Its bearing conveyed the confidence of someone accustomed to command, while the proportions suggested both grace and devastating physical power.
Most distinctive was the third eye positioned prominently on the armor's forehead—a complex array of golden circuitry that seemed to pulse with its own inner light. This divine sight was Erlang's most recognizable feature and the source of several unique abilities.
However, what truly amazed Marcus was the creature standing beside his transformed form. A magnificent white dog with perfectly proportioned musculature had materialized alongside the Warframe—Howling Wolfdog, Erlang's legendary companion.
"The Howling Wolfdog actually manifested," Marcus said with genuine surprise. "I wasn't entirely certain that would work."
Creating Warframes with permanent companions was notoriously difficult. His only previous success had been Khora, and that design had required months of refinement to achieve stability. Yet somehow, Erlang had emerged complete with its mythological partner on the first attempt.
"Though the scale is... somewhat larger than I anticipated," he noted with amusement.
Howling Wolfdog stood nearly as tall as Marcus himself, its lean frame packed with obvious power. The creature's jaws looked capable of crushing steel, while its alert posture suggested intelligence far beyond that of ordinary animals.
Taking time to familiarize himself with Erlang's capabilities, Marcus threw a casual punch toward empty air.
BOOM!
The sound echoed through his workshop like thunder. This was the armor's passive ability—Nine Transformations Mystical Art—which enhanced all physical actions by ten percent while also accumulating combat energy that could be channeled into devastating burst attacks.
The ability ensured that Erlang would grow stronger throughout extended battles, transforming prolonged conflicts into opportunities for escalating dominance.
Moving on to test the armor's signature weapon, Marcus raised his arm and concentrated on the summoning process. Light coalesced in his palm, gradually taking the form of an elegantly crafted three-pointed, double-edged spear.
THUD!
When he allowed the weapon's tip to touch the workshop floor, the entire building trembled from the impact. Even without applying force, the spear's mere presence seemed to warp local gravity.
"Well, that would definitely turn someone into paste even without the cutting edges," Marcus observed wryly.
The weapon appeared to be forged from silver throughout, with only the blade edges composed of pure energy. Despite the apparently delicate construction of its elongated handle, the spear possessed enough mass and solidity to function as a devastating bludgeon.
"Time to test this properly," Marcus decided, teleporting himself and Howling Wolfdog to the empty deserts of Shurima.
The wasteland stretched endlessly in all directions—perfect for weapons testing without collateral damage concerns.
Marcus began experimenting with the three-pointed spear's versatility. Like Wukong's legendary staff, the weapon could alter its size and configuration at will, transforming from a precision piercing implement into a massive two-handed hammer or an extended polearm as needed.
Each transformation created miniature sandstorms as the weapon displaced air with supernatural force. Within minutes, Marcus had resculpted several dunes through weapon testing alone.
"Now for the Divine Eye," he announced, focusing on the golden circuitry adorning Erlang's forehead.
The third eye blazed with brilliant light, firing a beam that expanded rapidly during flight. What began as a pencil-thin ray became a column wide enough to engulf entire buildings, sweeping across a distant sand dune and reducing it to glowing glass.
The Divine Eye's sweeping capability transformed it from a precision weapon into an area-denial system capable of clearing entire battlefields.
Moving on to Howling Wolfdog's abilities, Marcus issued commands to test the companion's supernatural techniques. The first ability—Afterimage—sent the Howling Wolfdog charging forward while creating multiple phantom duplicates that attacked from different angles simultaneously.
Though the illusions couldn't inflict damage independently, they would leave mystical marks on any target they touched, enabling follow-up attacks and tracking capabilities.
"Final test," Marcus called out, signaling for the Heavenly Hound Form.
Energy exploded from Howling Wolfdog as the creature transformed into something far more primal and threatening. The desert floor erupted as a massive canine head the size of a building burst upward, its jaws clamping down with enough force to create localized earthquakes.
BOOM!!!
The Heavenly Hound form concluded with a spectacular explosion that sent Howling Wolfdog rocketing back to Marcus's side, ready for immediate redeployment.
"One more ability to test," Marcus noted, raising his hand to summon the Demon-Binding Rope.
Ethereal chains erupted from his palm, multiplying and spreading during flight until they formed a comprehensive net capable of restraining multiple targets simultaneously. Any entity caught within the chains would find their supernatural abilities completely suppressed, reducing even legendary warriors to ordinary humans.
"Outstanding performance," Marcus concluded with deep satisfaction. "The design exceeded my expectations in every category."
His first independent Warframe creation had proven both viable and highly effective. More importantly, the successful development process had provided invaluable experience for future projects.
"Now I need to choose the next design," he mused, already considering various mythological figures who might translate well into Warframe configurations.
His contemplation was interrupted by urgent knocking at his workshop door. With a casual gesture, Marcus opened it remotely, revealing Vander's anxious expression.
"We have a crisis!" he announced without preamble.
"What sort of crisis?" Marcus asked, curious about what could rattle someone of Vander's experience.
As one of Zaun's co-leaders, Vander rarely displayed such obvious agitation. Whatever had happened must represent a genuinely serious threat to their community.
Vander took a deep breath before delivering his news. "The void has manifested in Freljord. If we can't help contain this threat, everything we've built here could be destroyed along with the rest of the world."
Though Vander's knowledge of the void came primarily from historical accounts, he understood enough to recognize the existential danger it represented. Void incursions didn't discriminate between regions or political boundaries—they consumed everything in their path until forcibly stopped.
Marcus could only shake his head in amused exasperation.
"Is that all?" he replied, gesturing toward the two metallic figures standing motionless near his workbench. "Take a look at those sculptures over there. Those are the void creatures you're worried about. They work for me now."
Following Marcus's direction, Vander stared at the Void Angels in complete bewilderment. When exactly had those statues appeared in the workshop? And why did they look vaguely familiar?