Ian had just emerged from the alley when he saw several dark figures eagerly rush inside.
Immediately afterward, screams echoed from the alley. Ian paused, thinking to himself that the psychological resilience of these Zaun residents still needed improvement.
Ian ignored the screams coming from the alley and continued his stroll through Zaun.
Wandering along, Ian arrived at a bustling Night Market.
This place was called a Night Market, but it was really just a wider street with stalls lining both sides, selling Zaun food and some small trinkets.
Because of its proximity to the Transport Aircraft leading to Piltover and the constant presence of Wardens, the security in this area was relatively good. Zaun's Gangs didn't dare cause trouble here.
Ian walked up to the stalls and saw all sorts of Zaun delicacies: blackened roasted rats, deep-fried large bugs, grilled frogs dozens of centimeters wide, worm Sashimi Salad, and mixed rice made with the eyeballs of unidentified creatures...
He used his Perception Ability to scan them, confirmed that no questionable ingredients had been added, and ordered a portion of each item.
He had a Mod that allowed him to "increase Health cap by eating," so he wasn't picky as long as it was edible.
Although these Zaun delicacies didn't look appetizing, they had a unique flavor, at least much better than the "British cuisine" he had eaten before.
Before long, Ian's hands were full of Zaun's specialty foods. He ate as he walked, arriving at the Warped Toad stall highly recommended by Vi.
The Octopus-faced boss was chatting with an old customer. When he saw Ian approach, he enthusiastically greeted him.
Ian ordered a portion of Warped Toad Legs, a portion of Honeyfruit, and a few Scuttle Crab Legs.
He picked up a Warped Toad Leg and took a bite, his eyes instantly brightening. The texture was soft, waxy, and springy, with a complex taste of Alchemy Potion—it was truly thrilling!
He asked the boss for a few more portions, holding them in his hands and eating as he walked.
He then discovered that because of the varying proportions of Alchemy Potion, every Warped Toad Leg tasted different.
As he was leaving, the boss, seeing him enjoying the food, complimented his taste and shared a secret tip: Warped Toad Legs tasted even better when eaten with Alchemy Liquor from the Last Drop bar.
He was just about to go check out the Last Drop.
Ian walked and ate the Warped Toad Legs, and before he knew it, he had arrived in front of a bar in the center of Zaun.
He had intended to go in and taste the Alchemy Liquor, but he found the bar's door was broken and the inside was empty.
Just as Ian was about to go check, he suddenly heard the sound of fighting in the distance.
"Oh, a show!" Ian ran towards the source of the fighting, clutching his pile of snacks.
Meanwhile, Vander had been kidnapped by Silco and his men. Vi was leading Claggor and Mylo to the rescue.
"You two go save Vander! I'll distract them!"
Claggor and Mylo nodded without hesitation and immediately followed Vi's instructions.
Vi charged the Gang alone, actually forcing them to retreat momentarily.
Silco noticed Vi and the others' actions and immediately sent out the Shimmer-EnhancedAugments.
Though Vi was stronger than an ordinary person, she was still no match for these Monsters enhanced by technology and harsh modifications.
She was knocked down repeatedly by the Shimmer Augments, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, but she gritted her teeth and struggled to get back up.
"Cough, cough..." Vi spat out a mouthful of blood.
Powder, hiding in the dark, saw Vi being beaten until she vomited blood and was extremely anxious. She tightly gripped the makeshift Hextech Bomb she had made and decided to help Vi.
Powder quietly released the Monkey Toy, maneuvering it to slowly approach the Shimmer Augment.
The Monkey Toy wobbled close to the Shimmer Augment. The unstable Hextech Energy Crystal inside it was triggered, instantly releasing a tremendous amount of Energy.
"What is that?" The Shimmer Augment sensed an anomaly and looked down at its feet.
Vander, who had just been rescued by Claggor and Mylo, immediately sensed this powerful Energy Fluctuation. He quickly pulled Vi and shouted, "Run!"
But it was too late. The Hextech Crystal exploded with a roar, and violent Energy Waves erupted.
The shockwave sent everyone flying. Iron pipes from the dilapidated factory shot out like cannonballs. Claggor and Mylo were directly impaled by steel pipes.
Vander reacted quickly and threw himself over Vi. A steel pipe grazed his body, drawing a streak of blood.
"Vander!" Vi hugged the injured Vander, her voice trembling.
"I'm... fine..." Vander endured the pain and comforted her.
Immediately following, another wave of Energy Shock hit, and the rundown factory began to collapse. The group was too injured to move, only able to watch helplessly as bricks and stones crashed down.
"No!" Vi despaired. She couldn't die like this. Powder still needed her care...
Just then, everything around them fell silent.
The violent Energy, the walls and ceiling about to collapse, were all frozen in mid-air.
The horror, despair, and unwillingness on everyone's faces were solidified. Only their eyeballs could still move.
Then, time actually began to flow backward!
Steel pipes flew back to their original positions, wounds began to heal, and the violent Hextech Energy Wave contracted towards the center, condensing into a crystal sphere that shone with blue light.
The crystal sphere was snatched up by Ian, who had appeared unnoticed.
Everything around them returned to how it was before the explosion. Only their faintly aching bodies reminded them that what had just happened was not an illusion.
"Whose unlucky brat is setting off firecrackers and tearing down houses in the middle of the night? Look how scared everyone is," Ian broke the strange silence.
Just then, the Shimmer Augment who hadn't been killed by the blast climbed up. He shook his dizzy head, spotted Ian, let out a low growl, and charged over.
"Oh, you're very bold." Ian directly delivered a punch right to the Shimmer Augment's abdomen.
"Ugh," the Shimmer Augment was bent over, unable to straighten up.
Ian grabbed him by the neck, shoved the unstable Hextech Crystal into his mouth, and then clamped his hand over his mouth.
"Gulp."
The Augment instinctively swallowed, and the Hextech Crystal entered his stomach.
Realizing the danger, the Augment struggled frantically, but it was too late. Ian tossed him directly into the air.
The Augment flew high. The Hextech Energy within his body grew increasingly violent, finally culminating in a loud "bang!" as he exploded into blue and purple Fireworks in the sky.
Vander struggled to his feet and said to Ian: "Honorable Mage, thank you for saving us."
"You're welcome. But I heard that the Alchemy Liquor at your bar pairs well with Warped Toad Legs?"
"I'll treat you to a drink as soon as we get back. You can absolutely trust my craft!"
Vander was about to return to the bar to host Ian, but Ian interrupted him: "Right, is that blue-haired little girl over there who set off the bomb with you guys?"
"What?" Everyone was startled. They followed the direction of Ian's finger and saw Powder huddled in the corner.
"Wait, you're saying Powder caused the explosion just now?" Vander and Vi, who were about to rush over to check on Powder, froze.
"That's impossible! Powder would never..." Vander was incredulous.
"You've been neglecting your children a little too much, and Zaun clearly lacks educational resources. If I may be frank, your children, though seemingly clever, aren't exactly normal."
"The elder one is a Hothead who only uses her fists instead of her brain. The younger one is not only often foolish but also a little Schizophrenic. You should really prioritize their education from now on and stop letting them run around outside."
"It's not the villain's schemes you should fear, but the fool's sudden insight. If I hadn't been here today, you would have all been gone. Old Vander, you can't just spoil the children. You still have to discipline them when necessary."
Vander fell silent. Although he didn't want to admit it, what Ian said seemed to be correct.
Everyone returned to the Last Drop. The exhausted children were already asleep.
Vander sank into thought, looking at the large stack of Textbooks and WorkbooksIan had given him. He decided to put the children's education on the agenda for tomorrow.
Upon hearing his idea, Ian immediately commissioned someone in the Super Seminary World to create a Teaching Robot.
Moreover, the casing had to be hard enough, and it needed a built-in Fighting System. When the children tried to court disaster, it could use its fists to bring them back to their senses.
Ian was enjoying the Alchemy Liquor and Warped Toad Legs. The combination indeed had a unique flavor. At the same time, the image of Vi and Powder burying themselves in Workbooks made him feel even more pleased.
Then, a prompt that suddenly rang in his ear made him even happier.
[DING... ENERGY VALUE FULL]
[SELECTABLE HEXTECH COUNT *1]
(Hextech from Teamfight Tactics, Hextech Augments, League of Legends: Wild Rift's Gold Spatula, Arena, and ARAM Runes are all acceptable)