Silco came over to call Logan and Jinx, but when Logan was about to leave, he deliberately went to the bedside and grabbed the storybook Jinx liked to read before sleeping.
Stuffing the book into his clothes, Logan then followed Silco and Jinx—and took the initiative to hold Jinx's hand.
Jinx froze for a moment, then tightened her grip around Logan's hand in return.
Dozens of minutes later, at the Broken Gorge in the Entresol—
It was called Broken Gorge because there was a river left behind by Piltover cutting through here. The river wasn't wide or deep, but the current was violent, and every so often, pieces of machinery and rocks would fall from above.
"Boss, Singed is inside. When we found him, he was sleeping on a straw cot. Vi has him pinned down—Vi… Vi even hit him."
Marsen hurried up the moment he saw Logan.
He was stammering, and his expression didn't look good.
"Spit it out," Logan said, patting Marsen on the shoulder.
Marsen glanced at Jinx, took a deep breath, and said, "And we also saw Vander."
Silco narrowed his eyes. Beside Logan, Jinx squeezed Logan's hand hard.
"Talk," Logan said.
"Boss, I can't explain it. You'll understand the second you see it yourself." Marsen led the way, guiding Logan and the others across a small bridge to the other side of Broken Gorge.
This side was packed with people—Spirit Blossom Gang members and Silco's men everywhere. Around three hundred in total, sealing the area inside and out.
After walking several dozen meters, Marsen brought Logan to a cave entrance.
"He's inside," Marsen said.
Then he went in first.
Logan held Jinx's hand, with Silco beside them, and the three of them entered together.
The cave was damp—and it carried a strange, oppressive warmth. Logan and Jinx had both switched into wool sweaters and outer jackets, which meant the weather had already turned into late autumn, close to winter. Yet inside this cave, it felt like a hot, humid summer.
That was seriously not normal.
After only a few steps, Logan heard Vi's voice.
"Talk! What the hell did you do to Vander?! How did he end up like this—what did you do?!"
"Fuck you!"
"Bam!"
Turning the corner, Logan saw Singed tied to a chair. Half his face was mottled with bruises. A high collar and strips of cloth were wrapped over his mouth. His head was tipped back, staring at the cave ceiling.
Vi stood in front of him, her fist slamming into his face again and again.
"Say it!"
"Calm down," Singed said in a hollow, flat voice. "If I die, then he truly has no hope."
"Bullshit!" Vi grabbed Singed by the collar, furious like a lioness.
Logan stepped forward, eyes moving over the experiment samples arranged around the cave—glass containers glowing faint purple. Inside were all kinds of human limbs, chunks of animal bodies, and huge slabs of entrails from some creature he couldn't even identify.
And among them, the most eye-catching thing was a massive creature hanging from restraints.
Over two meters tall. Dense fur covering its body. Limbs so enormous they looked grotesquely disproportionate. And a face that was no longer human.
Jinx stared at that "monster," moving forward in a daze as she lifted her head to look at it.
Around them, the Spirit Blossom Gang's core members—Ekko, Zeri, Marsen, Willa—couldn't help turning their heads away.
Zeri did too. She wasn't stupid. She understood what that "monster" meant.
"This is… Vander?" Jinx whispered, disbelief shaking her voice.
Vi whipped her head around and shouted, "No! That's not Vander!"
"I don't accept it!"
How could it be Vander?
In Vi's memories, Vander was tall—someone who always looked at her with gentle eyes. Her father.
Not a cold, lifeless monster hanging there like meat.
Logan walked to Vi's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Vi looked at him, eyes red-rimmed. "Logan… that's not Vander, right?"
"Say something!"
Logan didn't answer.
Singed's voice answered for him.
"That is the Vander you're looking for," he said, pushing himself upright to look at Logan. Even after Vi had punched him until his face split and bled, his eyes were still unnervingly calm.
"Pleasure to meet you, Zaun's new master."
"The pleasure's mine," Logan said. "Dr. Reveck."
"And I have something I want to discuss with you, Dr. Reveck," Logan added, taking the initiative.
Singed lowered his eyes, not looking at Logan as he spoke quietly. "If what you want to say is about bringing Vander back, you'll be disappointed. I did bring him back. But that is no longer Vander."
"That is a beast. His mind is filled with nothing but bloodlust and the instinct to kill. Maybe it was the Shimmer that altered him back then—maybe it was his powerful body and unyielding will—my experiment actually succeeded."
"But Logan… a dead man can't be reborn."
"Oh?" Logan narrowed his eyes. "Then what have you been doing in private, Doctor?"
"…" Singed finally looked up at Logan, eyes igniting as he said, "What are you implying?"
"I can help you, Dr. Reveck," Logan said plainly. "You want to bring your daughter back. I can help you with that—and only I can."
There was no point playing games.
With a genius like Singed, you had to lay it out clean. Logan didn't fool himself into thinking he was smarter than Singed. If he tried to play mind games, eight Logans still wouldn't be enough for Singed to toy with.
So he stabbed straight through the veil.
"Help me?" Singed shook his head. "I don't know where you got that information, but… you? With what right could you help me?"
"Because I have her," Logan said, extending a hand to the side.
A small teal-blue bird appeared, settling into his palm. It lowered its head and looked at Singed.
Singed's brows snapped together. "?"
"You don't recognize it?" Logan asked.
"Should I?" Singed said, confused—then, as if something clicked, his pupils contracted sharply.
A name left his mouth, trembling.
"Janna?"
"Hello, Corin Reveck," Janna's voice said.
In an instant, Singed's body shook. The calm vanished from his gaze, replaced by feverish, near-manic fervor as he stared at Logan and roared, "How did you do it?! No wonder—no wonder Silco was willing to help you! No wonder you have the strength to defeat Shimmer-modified people!"
"It's all because of her?"
"Untie me, Logan. We need to talk—properly!" Singed's eyes were wild.
If science couldn't bring his daughter back…
Then what about magic?
What about the power of a god?!
"Now you're willing to talk?" Logan said.
"I'll give you everything," Singed said, staring at Janna. "All my experimental data. I'll help you too—so long as she's willing to help me."
Janna, meanwhile, felt her whole face go flat with disbelief.
Why did it feel like, starting yesterday… she'd been lying nonstop?
She really couldn't resurrect people!
Logan reached out and tore apart the ropes that had Singed bound tight.
Singed surged to his feet, but Vi had beaten him too badly. He staggered, pitching forward. Logan caught him, and the little blue bird fluttered up to Logan's shoulder.
Over the past two days, Spirit Blossom Gang members had begun believing in the goddess. The faith wasn't much, but it was enough to keep Janna conscious—enough that when she flew now, her movements were smooth and easy. Compared to when she'd first appeared—when she'd flapped for ages and still couldn't get airborne—the difference was huge.
"Bring someone who can understand what I'm saying," Singed said, lifting his head to look at Logan, voice heavy. "I keep my word. Everything I know—everything I have—I'll give it to you."
"Jinx," Logan said, raising a hand.
Jinx turned toward Logan, then jogged over.
"Ekko."
Ekko took a deep breath and came over too.
The two smartest people in the Spirit Blossom Gang arrived in front of Singed.
And Singed kept his word.
He led Jinx and Ekko to his workbench and began explaining something to them.
Logan, meanwhile, looked at Silco and said, "I'm going to sit down and 'think of a way' with Janna. Don't let anyone disturb me."
"I understand," Silco said, nodding.
Janna: "???"
What "way" did she have?!
No—after meeting Logan, Janna felt like her whole vibe had become unbelievably weird!
She was a god. Zaun's god!
But Jinx teased her like a pet, and Logan was using her as a professional liar!
Why did she suddenly feel like a mascot?!
Using Janna as an excuse, Logan turned his attention to his status interface.
Three energy bars—completely full.
Sitting upright in the chair, Logan closed his eyes, his awareness gradually blurring.
On his shoulder, Janna tilted her head to look at him, teal light shimmering in her eyes.
Logan's soul…
It was fading?
Disappearing?!
In thousands of years as a god, Janna had never seen anything like this!
———
"Welcome back, Summoner Logan."
In the Spirit Blossom Realm, Logan reached toward his body—and touched a book.
Seeing it, Logan lifted his eyebrows.
Nice.
So it really worked.
He could actually bring things in here.
Then now… it was time to seek Ahri's help.
Logan walked to the light screen and reached out, touching the luminous white landscape scroll.
"Coordinates selected."
"This descent duration: forty minutes."
"Good luck, Summoner Logan."
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