"No, noble Princess!"
Varus knelt down slowly, clutching his longbow. Once crystalline and radiant, it had lost its luster after his fall — though still made of crystal, it now gleamed only with a dim, corrupted sheen.
"I have never forgotten the glory of the past!"
"I swear upon my very soul — as long as the blood of the Sun flows, I shall remain forever loyal to Shurima!"
His tone was solemn, resolute. Inside him, Valmar and Kai — the two mortal souls entwined within — were stunned to realize that this malevolent being before them had once been a god of the ancient empire.
The irony of it left them both quietly sighing.
Duke, however, couldn't help but purse his lips. "As long as the blood of the Sun flows"? What a convenient vow. So if Sivir dies, you just go back to being a psycho again?
Sivir's expression tightened. Only now did she fully grasp the weight of the blood running through her veins — but even so, she had no intention of returning to Shurima.
Duke's earlier description of that place had been terrifying enough. Better to figure out how to get out of this mess first.
Watching the scene unfold, Duke's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. This marked the second Darkin he had successfully subdued. The first was still under Pride's control — incomplete, imperfect.
A complete Darkin wasn't just a weapon; it possessed a physical body capable of independent movement.
And among the Darkin, corruption came in degrees. Varus — "447" as Duke mentally cataloged him — was one of the more lucid ones. His body, however, severely limited his power, and the two human souls within him constantly restrained his darker urges.
If it had been Aatrox instead of Varus, the moment Sivir's blood touched his blade, he'd have butchered her on the spot — turning her body into a vessel for his blood magic.
After all, that lunatic once stabbed the celestial Pantheon himself back into the heavens.
As for Rhaast? Well, last Duke heard, he was still enjoying a lively back-and-forth with Kayn.
If Duke ever met Kayn, he'd certainly consider "borrowing" him for dissection.
Tayanari, on the other hand, had gone insane the moment they'd made contact — all bloodlust and hunger, no intellect. Little research value.
Varus and Kayn, though — they were different. They were still intelligent, still aware. Perfect research material.
Duke had long toyed with the idea of creating a symbiotic exosuit using Darkin physiology. Now, it seemed, that idea could finally take shape.
The Darkin could corrupt and assimilate flesh to seize control of a body — or to rebuild their own.
That was Duke's breakthrough: harnessing their corruptive magic to craft a living exosuit — one that wouldn't dominate its host, but coexist with it.
A bond not of master and servant… but of symbiosis. Two entities — mutually dependent, mutually empowered.
"When will you return to the Oasis of Dawn, my Princess?"
Having received Sivir's blood, Varus was far calmer now — his thoughts clearer, his demeanor steadier. He had accepted his new role: guardian of the last of the Solar Bloodline.
At least… when unprovoked.
"That…" Sivir hesitated, glancing instinctively at Duke.
Duke caught her look immediately and raised his hand with a reassuring smile. "No need to rush. First, we must restore your lost glory."
"You are…?"
Varus's eyes turned to Duke, who met his gaze evenly. With a mere flicker of will, Duke's overwhelming power pressed down upon him — leaving a deep impression.
"He's my Grand Chamberlain," Sivir interjected quickly.
Duke's face darkened. Grand Chamberlain? Of all the titles… But for the sake of the plan, he had no choice but to accept the mockery glinting in her eyes.
"I see…"
Upon learning of Duke's "position," Varus's tone softened. Sivir's bloodline may have been thin, but wielding Chalicar was proof enough of her legitimacy.
That alone was reason enough for Varus to acknowledge her authority without question.
Without Chalicar, though? He likely wouldn't have spared her a glance — or worse, drained her blood to replenish his own fading Ascension power.
"So then, what is your plan, Grand Chamberlain?"
Though his manner was polite, the title made Duke's skin crawl.
Sure, in this world a "chamberlain" wasn't necessarily a eunuch… but still, the word carried an uncomfortable ring to it.
No man liked being associated with that particular image.
"Just call me Duke, Varus."
A faint blue glow flickered in Duke's left eye as he examined Varus's body. The souls of Valmar and Kai pulsed faintly inside, restraining the Darkin's insanity — while Varus himself resisted them in turn.
That delicate three-way struggle was the only thing keeping him sane.
"Alright, Duke," Varus nodded slowly. "What do you intend to do?"
"I can forge you a new body — one of steel and flesh — a vessel you can control freely."
Duke's voice lowered to a thoughtful murmur. "But… the matter of those two souls within you will be troublesome."
"They're just weak mortals," Varus replied coldly. "They don't matter."
Duke clicked his tongue. "Oh, they matter. Those two 'weak mortals' are the only thing keeping your madness at bay. Without them, you'd already be another Aatrox."
"Aatrox?" Varus's eyes flickered. "You mean the hero Aatrox?"
He fell silent for a moment, memories flooding his gaze. "He was Shurima's greatest war-god — his wings were the gold of dawn itself, his armor shone brighter than the stars. We all revered him."
"He led us with honor and courage, always at the front lines. The proudest of the Ascended followed his command without question. His blade pointed the way — and Shurima's borders followed."
"Hero Aatrox… the true legend of Shurima."
As Varus spoke, reverence filled his tone. Duke could only click his tongue in disbelief.
"That 'legendary hero' of yours? Yeah, he recently stabbed the Celestial of War right back into the heavens."
"And massacred thousands of mortals while he was at it. Rivers of blood, mountains of corpses — a proper legend indeed."
"What!?"
Varus's eyes went wide in shock. Duke merely shrugged. "I hate to break it to you, but Aatrox isn't a hero anymore. People call him the Darkin Blade now. He's wandering near Mount Targon, killing anything that moves."
"He was one of the first to fight the Void — and one of the first to be consumed by it. He's gone completely mad."
"If not for the two souls restraining you, you'd have ended up just like him."
"I… I can't…" Varus trembled, at a loss for words.
If even Aatrox — the greatest of them all — had fallen… what of the others?
What of his sister, Nagaka Nekkha?
"So," Duke continued, "those two souls must remain. They're the key to keeping you sane—"
"But a god should not coexist with mortals!" Varus's eyes flared again, madness rising.
"Then let's make a deal, Varus."
Duke's gaze sharpened. "You've been searching for your sister, haven't you? Help me with my research — and I'll help you find Nagaka Nekkha."
"You know where she is!?"
At her name, Varus snapped to attention, his sanity returning in an instant.
"If my theory's correct," Duke said, nodding slowly, "then yes — I know where she is."
"Tell me! Where!?"
Varus's voice rose in desperation, but before he could step closer, Sivir lifted Chalicar, her tone cold and commanding. "Varus — watch your manners."
The mention of that weapon was enough to make Varus flinch, pain and fear flashing through his eyes. "Forgive me, Princess," he murmured. "I lost control."
"Which is exactly why you'll need a new body," Duke said, turning toward his workshop and gesturing for the others to follow.
Sivir and Varus trailed behind, and even the turtle-like colossus known as Rammus lumbered after them.
Sivir eyed the creature curiously. "That's… the legendary Armordillo? Doesn't look too bright."
Then again, the old tales had described Rammus as unfathomable, mysterious, and silent. Perhaps this was normal.
Once inside the workshop, Duke conjured a holographic display and began outlining his plan.
"Given that the Darkin can corrupt and assimilate flesh, I intend to cultivate a body of artificial flesh as your foundation — reinforced with steel as your skeleton."
"Flesh as vessel, steel as bone, your true form as the core — together, they'll forge your new body and restore your former glory."
Varus studied the projection, unimpressed. "Compared to my old form, this is like a dragon to an ant."
"But it will free you — at least temporarily — from that monstrous shell."
Duke's gaze swept over him meaningfully. Varus glanced down at his current form and fell silent.
Compared to what the projection promised, his current body truly was pitiful.
"Fine, Duke," he said at last. "When do we begin?"
"Right now."
Duke tapped a few commands into the console, his eyes drifting toward a row of incubation tanks. The cloning systems were already active.
"But before that…" He turned to Sivir. "We need a base sample for the flesh matrix."
Sivir immediately bristled. "What are you looking at me for?!"
"Your bloodline carries the Sun's essence. It can suppress the Darkin corruption."
"Absolutely not!" she snapped, shaking her head furiously.
Duke sighed. "Then we'll use Varus's own cells for now."
He turned back toward Varus. "Any objections?"
"None," Varus said without hesitation. "If it restores my strength, do as you must."
"Good. Then extend your arm — time for a little bloodwork."
Without complaint, Varus held out his arm. Duke drew a vial of his blood with a syringe, then flicked the crimson liquid within, a sharp grin tugging at his lips.
The experiment had begun.
The Darkin Symbiosis Project was officially underway.
[System Notice: "Darkin Symbiosis Prototype — Research Phase 1 Initiated."]
End of chapter....
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