"Ah!!"
The piercing scream tore through Duke's thoughts, snapping him out of his focus. He hadn't set any security protocols or activated soundproofing when he entered the lab, so the cry from outside reached him without the slightest obstruction.
"What happened?"
Duke rose sharply from the console and strode toward the workshop doors. The moment he opened them, a glowing arrow of condensed magic shot straight toward his heart.
"What the?!"
The arrow came too fast for words. Reacting on instinct, Duke released a surge of Force, instantly constructing a barrier before him. The arrow collided with the barrier in a burst of violent energy, detonating into a swirl of dark, icy light that shimmered with ominous hues.
When the magical arrow finally dissolved, Duke stepped out of the workshop. There, standing under the blazing desert sun, was a man with skin pale as bone.
In his left hand, he held a crystalline longbow; in his right, the string was drawn taut, threads of pure magic coiling around his fingers as he formed another arrow.
The bow's limbs suddenly split, shifting from a straight "I" shape into a wide "X".
His white, medium-length hair fluttered in the dry desert wind. The tattered cloak hanging from his neck was in ruins, shredded and worn. His sculpted physique was marred by dark violet patterns of corrupted magic crawling across his arms and torso. In the center of his chest gaped a hollow hole, from which faint currents of power trickled out like liquid shadow.
His eyes glowed a piercing white, spilling into the void, locking everything within his vision. The bowstring was drawn tight — the next shot could be released at any instant.
"Varus?"
Duke raised a brow, recognizing him immediately. Of course he would — among the Darkin, there were only three known: one top-lane, one jungle, and one ADC.
But what was Varus doing here? And why was he attacking them?
Wasn't he sealed within a longbow and sent to Ionia?
As Duke's mind flicked through Varus's backstory, realization dawned. Right — after his resurrection during the events of [447], he'd returned to Shurima, seeking his sister — the serpent-headed Ascended, Nagakabouros.
But that search was doomed from the start.
Long ago, when Tayanari had been manipulated by the former Twilight Star Spirit, Maisha, to assemble the ranks of the Ascended, Nagakabouros had been among them. She was also one of the three Ascended who barely escaped that ancient conspiracy.
Yet according to the original lore, Varus's sister likely shared Tayanari's fate — stripped of flesh, her soul gouged out and sealed within a weapon… becoming another Darkin relic.
So Varus's quest was meaningless — and over time, his obsession had corroded him. He had become paranoid, bloodthirsty, and ruthless, slaughtering every warrior and soldier he encountered along his path.
But why attack them?
Had Varus truly gone so mad that he'd kill anything that moved?
Thunk!
The vibrating twang of a released bowstring cut through Duke's thoughts. The arrow of condensed magic sliced through the air — this time, aimed directly at Taliyah.
Clang!!
Sivir lunged forward, her Centurion Armor catching the arrow just in time. But the force of the impact — saturated with raw magic — blasted both her and Taliyah backward.
Zzzzt!
Sparks of electric plasma burst into the air. From atop the vehicle canopy, Kai'Sa darted toward Varus, her gauntlets unleashing a torrent of energy needles like a storm of lightning rain.
Behind her, a barrage of missiles darkened the sky, descending in waves toward Varus.
Varus moved like a blur — leaping back with impossible agility. As he drew his bow again, the energy in his hands condensed into a strange, pulsing arrow.
Thwip!
The arrow burst free, splitting mid-air into dozens of smaller bolts.
Each collided with Kai'Sa's [Icathian Rain] barrage, their clash igniting the air with brilliant, explosive bursts of color — a dazzling storm of light and chaos.
"The Void…"
Varus's gaze locked entirely onto Kai'Sa. The Void-like texture of her symbiotic armor stirred something primal in him — a deep, venomous hatred for Icathia and everything it spawned.
Anything tainted by the Void was his prey.
Duke's eyes shifted from Kai'Sa to Varus — and then he understood.
Varus wouldn't attack innocents or noncombatants. But Kai'Sa's aura — the breath of the Void — was precisely what provoked his rage. She was the embodiment of what he despised most.
"Lucky me…" Duke muttered under his breath.
He scratched his chin, pulling out his Sonic Screwdriver. Anything stronger might just kill Varus outright — and Duke still had plans for him.
Kicking off from the ground, Duke dashed forward.
He'd been thinking about capturing a living Darkin for study anyway. And now, one had just walked up to his front door. Fortune… or misfortune?
In a blink, Duke's form blurred — crossing the distance between them in a heartbeat. The screwdriver's tip pressed straight toward Varus's forehead.
Startled, Varus's reflexes — the instincts of a warrior god — kicked in. He swung his bow like a staff, aiming to hook Duke's neck with the string and snap it with a twist.
Whoosh!
The blow came fast, deadly — but Duke pressed the activation button.
A shockwave of sonic resonance exploded point-blank against Varus's face.
The high-frequency vibrations threw Varus off balance. For all its perfection, his reconstructed body was still flawed — fragile.
He could thirst, hunger… and feel pain.
Duke flicked his free hand upward, parrying the descending bow, then hooked Varus's body into the air with a swift motion.
The screwdriver vanished — replaced by a Spider-Web Grenade.
Click.
Duke pressed the trigger and shoved the device into Varus's chest. The instant it made contact, the grenade burst open, covering him in thick, adhesive webbing.
Thud!
Varus hit the ground hard, completely immobilized — though dark energy began flickering beneath the sticky white strands.
He was already trying to burn through the webs with his magic.
The webs were incredibly durable, yes — but only against normal humans. For someone with magic, tearing free was inevitable.
So Duke followed up by tossing several electro-shock patches onto Varus's body.
The patches released powerful currents, paralyzing his muscles and nerves, disrupting his bioelectric rhythm — effectively severing his control over his own body.
"That should hold him for now," Duke said, dusting his hands off.
Kai'Sa landed beside him, explaining quickly, "Right after you entered the workshop, he showed up. We thought he was a lost traveler — but he attacked us on sight! If it weren't for Rammus, Mrs. Maggie would've been killed by his first shot!"
"Let me guess," Duke said, glancing at her. "Was Mrs. Maggie standing near you at the time?"
Kai'Sa nodded. Duke sighed. "That explains it. Take Taliyah and the others back inside. I'll handle him."
"Got it."
As Kai'Sa guided the group back to safety, Rammus stood near the car, munching contentedly on fruit — completely unbothered by the bound Darkin before him.
Sivir stormed over, gripping her Chakram, rage burning in her eyes.
"Let me kill him!"
Duke blocked her path. "Don't be rash."
"He doesn't look like any kind of ally! Better to end it here and now!"
Her weapon hovered dangerously close to Varus's throat, but Duke caught her wrist, shaking his head.
"He's one of your vassals. You can't kill him."
"My vassal?" Sivir blinked, then realization dawned. "Wait — you mean he's another relic from three thousand years ago?"
"Exactly. You alone carry the blood of Ascension now — you're the rightful heir to Shurima's throne. He was one of the Ascended, once. So by both law and reason, he's yours — you can't kill him."
"Besides," Duke added dryly, "having you kill him would only cheapen your status. If you want him dead, just give the order."
Sivir's anger slowly ebbed — though suspicion replaced it. "You're hiding something again, aren't you? That's why you don't want me to kill him."
"Heh, no wonder they call you the Battle Mistress," Duke chuckled.
Sivir scowled. "Tch. Anything that catches your eye — even a rock — you'll want to 'study.'"
"Didn't think you'd understand me so well after such a short time," Duke teased, patting her shoulder. "You've got promise."
"Hmph. Anyone without sharp instincts would've been swallowed by the desert long ago."
Sivir crossed her arms, resting her Chakram against her armor as she glared down at the immobilized Varus.
"So, what now? What do you plan to do with this antique?"
"First, I'll bring him back to his senses," Duke said, pulling out a syringe. His gaze turned mischievous. "Which means… I'll need your help."
"What are you planning?"
"Your blood, Sivir — the blood of Ascension. It's the perfect antidote for Darkin corruption. It can restore their sanity."
Duke waved the syringe with a grin. "Don't worry, the needle's small. You'll barely feel it."
"Tch."
Though clearly irritated, Sivir extended her arm. Duke drew a small sample, then approached the paralyzed Varus.
Pinned beneath the electric seals, Varus could only glare helplessly as Duke crouched beside him.
"Now… remember your glory — and your duty."
Duke dripped the golden-red blood onto the crystalline bow that was Varus's true body. The blood was absorbed instantly.
In the next second, Varus's eyes flew open.
"The blood of Ascension—!!"
"I can feel it again— the blood of Ascension flows once more!!"
End of chapter....
IRONBOUND PATRON
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters + HIDDEN SURPRISES
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer