"My god… what kind of monster is that?!"
Captain Oz's shocked cry echoed across the camp. Everyone else looked at the four motionless burrowing beasts sprawled on the ground, their expressions caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.
"Just a few burrowing bugs... and they're the ones that wiped out the entire vanguard?"
Kicking one of the beast corpses with a casual flick, Mingchan hopped back onto Duke's shoulder, looking for all the world like nothing more than a fancy trinket.
But only Jinx, who had witnessed the whole thing firsthand, knew just how terrifying this tiny "accessory" really was.
All Mingchan did was flicker wildly through the air, and the next second, all four burrowers were down, lifeless.
"This is..."
Elder Lardan stepped out from the crowd and crouched beside one of the creatures. He leaned in, taking long, deliberate sniffs of the corpses' scent.
"No doubt about it. This is the monster that destroyed our tribe."
"My lord…"
Elder Lardan had just started to speak when he caught Duke's glance. He quickly corrected himself, bowing respectfully.
"I mean, my boss. Did you take them all down... by yourself?"
"Mhm. Problem?"
Duke pulled out an odd-looking device, something that resembled a staple gun. It was the silencer he'd acquired a while back, and it was finally about to serve its purpose.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he activated it, stabbing the device into one of the burrowers before pressing the button.
BZZZZT, click!
A strange buzzing noise followed by a mechanical snap. The corpse began to change.
If one had to describe it, before, even in death, the beast radiated an aura of primal savagery. But now? Now it looked like nothing more than raw biological material.
Duke proceeded to repeat the process on the remaining three, erasing from their bodies the Void-born Will, an insatiable hunger that could reduce matter to nothingness.
The Void held a deep, twisted longing for the material world. This craving was etched into the very biology of every Void creature, lingering within them until they achieved their ultimate purpose.
Even in death, these creatures could spread corruption. Just look at Rengar, his stealth and tracking powers were born from a Void mantis devouring one of his eyes, binding them together in a bizarre link.
But Duke's silencer? It completely purged the Void's influence, its pollution, its hunger, leaving nothing behind. After all, this device was built to erase the residual will of Old Gods. If it could cleanse ancient divine remnants, erasing Void corpses was child's play.
"Pick one for yourself."
Duke stowed the silencer and kicked one of the nearby corpses casually.
"Whether you stuff it or wear it on your armor, that's up to you. Just make sure you do your job well."
"Thank you for your generosity."
Elder Lardan reached into his pack and produced a preserved flower, bright crimson like a flame. Even dried, its color hadn't faded a bit.
"Please accept this: the Flame Rose, a symbol of strength and honor in our tribe."
"Though it's just a preserved flower, it has been passed down through our generations."
Duke took the rose, remembering something. In his memory, Rengar had received one just like this after slaying his cowardly father and earning the tribe's admiration.
"Hmm, not bad. I'll keep it. When I find someone worthy of it… I'll return it."
Duke tucked the flower away and stomped on the ground.
"Tahm!"
A swirling vortex of water opened in the earth, and Tahm emerged, holding a deck of cards. Clearly, he had been in the middle of hustling some greedy soul into becoming tonight's dinner.
"Boss," he greeted stiffly, his face pale as he noticed the beast corpses. His expression darkened further.
"I haven't done anything wrong lately... right?"
Duke rolled his eyes. "Cut the act. Take three of these and send them to Blue Rose Manor. Let Dakal turn them into exhibits. Also, bring back a few Vastaya from there."
"Whew… you scared the life out of me."
Tahm muttered to himself, half-relieved. For a moment, he thought Duke was going to toss him into Icathia.
With swift precision, Tahm swallowed three of the bodies and vanished back into the vortex. Meanwhile, Duke called over Oz.
"This camp's no good anymore. I'm picking a new location."
"You saw it, those tunnels the bugs dug are filled with poisonous gas. Deadlier than Zaunite smog."
"We'll need to relocate and rebuild."
"Understood. I'll have my men handle it immediately."
Oz began organizing the evacuation. Duke, on the other hand, was already taking measurements of the burrowers' physical attributes.
By the time he was done, Tahm had returned, regurgitating several Vastayan apprentices who had been studying in Piltover.
The apprentices got to their feet, disoriented. Duke handed them documents and pointed toward Elder Lardan and his group.
"Explain the contract to them. If they're good with it, have them sign. That's your job."
"Yes, sir!"
The apprentices got to work, while Oz led his crew to salvage any remaining supplies from the ruined camp. The land was poisoned, but the gear was still valuable.
Duke took out a table from his inventory and started drafting blueprints. Since he planned to arm the big cats, why not model the design after Rengar's Ironblood Hunter look?
He sketched armor suits with flexible but durable fabrics, reinforced vital zones, and fitted exoskeletons, all tailored to the feline build. For weapons, he chose curved blades and beast-trapping nets.
His ideas flowed faster than his pen. By the time the Vastayan apprentices returned with paw-printed contracts, Duke had sealed his blueprints in a folder and handed them over.
"Deliver these to Blue Rose Manor. They'll handle the rest. You'll be paid."
"Got it, sir!"
Eager to get back to his game (and dinner), Tahm swallowed the apprentices and ported them back to Piltover.
With everything in order, the sun had begun to set. Duke called for camp setup. Elder Lardan went to gather firewood, and Oz began cooking.
Seated by the campfire, Duke reflected on the next steps.
The scouting mission needed to continue. Finding Ixtal couldn't be delayed. These locals clearly knew the region far better than Duke's crew. Once he found them, the Noxians would no longer be a threat.
As for Uroa's potions, there was time for that later.
Just then, Jinx plopped down beside him, fuming.
"You liar! You scumbag! You toyed with my feelings, you bastard!"
"Hey hey hey! Say one more thing like that and I'll tie you up like a rice dumpling!"
"You promised me a reward!"
Jinx jabbed her hand at him accusingly, shouting indignantly.
"You're shameless, cheating a child!"
"Oh, right!"
Duke blinked. "I totally forgot. My bad."
He rummaged through his inventory, then slapped a massive Hextech Gatling Gun into her waiting hands.
"Wooooow!!"
Jinx squealed in delight, but the gun was so heavy she fell backward, coughing from the exertion.
Duke rolled his eyes. Good thing he'd also prepared a customized wind-up exosuit for her. Without it, her small frame couldn't handle this beast of a weapon.
Ixtal was dangerous. She needed something for self-defense.
Given her natural talent for firearms and tech, she'd probably master it in no time and become a real asset in battle.
Duke placed the Gatling beside her.
"This thing fires Hextech energy beams, powered by a central Hex Crystal."
"At full spin, it fires over a thousand rounds per minute. Imagine what that looks like."
"Holy crap, I love it! I love it soooo much!"
Jinx clung to the gun like it was a treasured plushie. She couldn't lift it yet, but that didn't stop her from adoring it.
Seeing this, Duke pulled out another device, a gun with an energy rail down the barrel.
"This is a Hextech Electro-Magnetic Pulse Gun. Fires powerful EMPs that paralyze enemies instantly."
"Not lethal, but whoever gets hit? Trust me, they'll feel it."
"Mmhmm!" Jinx grabbed it eagerly, setting the Gatling down.
Then Duke pulled out a special grenade, a redesigned version of her old Chompers.
"Chomper, Grenade. Three modes. First: lay it as a trap. Anyone who steps on it gets latched by the chomper and can't shake it off."
"Second, hey! Don't pull the!"
Too late. Jinx had yanked the pin.
Duke sighed, grabbed it from her, and tossed it skyward. It exploded in a magnificent fireball above the camp.
"…You didn't even let me finish explaining."
He thwacked her on the head lightly.
"Third mode is auto-targeting. I've installed an enemy-detection chip. Just press this button and toss it, the chomper will find and attack your enemy."
"Duke, you're way too good to me!"
Before he could react, a blur of blue pigtails tackled him. Duke stumbled backward as Jinx kissed his face twice, cradling the chomper grenade like a sacred treasure.
"This is the best gift I've ever gotten!"
(End of chapter)
We're still in the early chapters fam! and to everyone who's joined the Patreon, thank you so much! 🙏Your support truly means the world. You're the reason this story keeps growing, chapter by chapter, world by world. I promise to give it my all! more content, more depth, more epic moments, to make sure your support is always worth it. You're part of the foundation that keeps this universe alive.
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer