[Descent complete]
[Processing the settlement for this descent—
Settlement results:
Special character Ahri favorability +50, converting into attribute values… Soul Strength increased by 1.2!
Exploration this time: Learned secrets about Spirit Blossom from special character Ahri, gained 200 exploration points.
Exploration settlement in progress…
Received exploration rewards:
1: Soul Strength +1.2
2: Special character favorability +50
3: Exploration reward: Elemental Affinity
4: Special character Ahri's treasure (Fox Pendant)
Congratulations, Summoner.]
Logan opened his eyes in bed and began summarizing what he'd gained this time.
He'd learned why the Spirit Blossom realm was born from Ahri, his exploration progress had jumped, and he'd even gotten something called Elemental Affinity?
And with his favorability up, his Soul Strength had risen by another 1.2. Now beating Vander up should take even less effort. For Logan as he was now, every 0.1 increase in Soul Strength meant he was getting stronger.
Then Logan looked at his two tangible gains.
[Fox Pendant (Unbound)]
[Quality: Red (Mythic)]
[Required level: None]
[Effect: Repairs the soul, heals injuries. The pendant contains the power of a mighty deity. It cannot bring the dead back to life, but it can extend one's years—living long and reaching old age with ease.]
[Description: A stone pendant your special friend Ahri made out of boredom. Inside are a few tufts of her fur… and her saliva.]
Logan: "…"
Saliva… she probably nodded off while making it and drooled, didn't she?
Next, Logan looked at his personal panel.
[Name: Logan]
[Race: Human Soul]
[Soul Strength: 15.4 (Essence)]
[World Exploration: 6.3%]
[Current item: Fox Pendant (Mythic)]
[Known skill: Elemental Affinity]
Soul Strength had broken past fifteen. Logan had reached a new tier—no longer a drifting soul, but an Essence.
And a skill panel had appeared too. Unlike the vague "soul boxing" memories he'd obtained before—those weren't skills, just knowledge that made him better at fighting—Elemental Affinity was different.
[Elemental Affinity (Blue / Spirit)]
[Effect: Gain elemental affinity. You can sense the magical elements in the air more easily than ordinary people.]
[Description: Contact with a deity has benefited you greatly, granting you power beyond humanity. Perhaps… you have the makings of a mage?]
Logan: "…"
Me? A mage?
Suspicious, Logan looked around, then focused his mind. About five minutes later, he opened his eyes again.
It didn't feel like much had changed.
Other than sensing the air more clearly… maybe his mind felt sharper? Either way, Logan didn't notice any real physical changes from Elemental Affinity.
After thinking it over, he gave up on digging deeper. A skill was a good thing no matter what.
He lay back down, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
Half-asleep, a head burrowed up against his chest. Logan instinctively reached out and pulled it into an embrace.
He got up early. After making breakfast for Jinx and Isha, Logan took the Fox Pendant and went out.
Viktor and Jayce's place was in the nearby residential block. It took Logan three minutes to get there. He went upstairs, entered the apartment Jayce and Viktor were sharing, and pushed open the living room door.
"Hm?"
The moment he stepped in, he saw Jayce studying a stack of drafts. When Jayce realized it was Logan, he gave a small nod.
"How'd you sleep last night?" Logan greeted him first.
"Better than I expected," Jayce said. "Other than the bed being a bit hard, everything was fine."
"You're here for Viktor, right? He just got up, I think—probably still getting ready." Jayce hesitated, then added, "Do you want to go straight to him, or sit and talk with me for a bit? Logan, I actually have something I want to discuss."
"Let's talk," Logan said, sitting down across from him.
Jayce set the drafts on the table, took a deep breath, and said, "It's about Ambessa."
"Worried about your mother-in-law?" Logan said with a grin. "Relax. She's in the dungeon. Eating well, drinking well. Singed has already treated her arm too."
Jayce didn't refute the "mother-in-law" remark. Instead, he said in a low voice, "What does the Medarda family need to offer to get Ambessa back?"
"Let me think…" Logan said, considering.
If it weren't for Mel, Logan would've killed Ambessa outright. But with the two cities cooperating, Mel was crucial. She might be Noxian, but anyone who'd watched the story knew it—Mel leaned toward Piltover.
She was exceptional. With her around, the twin cities would gain enormous advantages in diplomacy, commerce, even military matters. That was the biggest reason Logan had kept Ambessa alive.
But that didn't mean Logan was going to foolishly flatter Mel by releasing Ambessa proactively to "earn goodwill." If he did that, Mel would only look down on him.
Besides, since when did the winner ever go out of their way to please the loser?
So after a moment, Logan extended his hand toward Jayce.
"Half of the Medarda family's assets go into investing in Zaun's development. And you and Mel will each send management people down to Zaun to serve as administrators for a while."
"Anything else?" Jayce frowned, but the meaning was clear—he agreed.
Half of the Medarda family's assets alone was already worth more than everything Zaun owned. If that money flowed into Zaun, it would be a massive boost.
Zaun didn't lack labor. There were Zaunites everywhere who needed work. What Zaun lacked were proper jobs.
Silco and the chem-barons had started opening operations, sure, but that only meant Zaun had a few more factories. It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.
As for demanding Jayce send management people down—Logan believed the current Zaun lacked someone who truly understood business.
Silco called himself an industrialist, but behind the scenes he'd been doing smuggling and trafficking—black market industries, top to bottom. As for legitimate business? Silco had practically never done it. He'd need a long time to learn.
To put it bluntly, this place had almost no one who'd ever run real, large-scale business. Street vending didn't count.
So Zaun needed someone like Mel—someone who could do for Zaun what she'd done for Piltover's economy.
"And one more thing," Logan continued. "I can release Ambessa, but money alone isn't enough. She has to get out of the twin cities and never set foot here again. That's her price."
"She's already paid a steep price," Jayce said. "She brought several hundred people to Piltover. Now there are fewer than ten left."
"So what?" Logan said, utterly unimpressed. "If Zaun hadn't grown stronger, then I'd be the one with fewer than ten left."
"I understand," Jayce said, nodding. "I'll tell Mel. She'll agree."
"Anything else?" Logan asked.
Jayce shook his head and sighed. "No. From now on, I'll fulfill my role as Zaun's councilor properly."
"Silco was right about one thing," Jayce said seriously. "Zaun's scientific atmosphere truly isn't worse than Piltover's. People here crave changing their fate. Their hunger for knowledge is beyond what I imagined."
He said that because yesterday evening, while working with Ekko, he watched the white-haired boy pepper Viktor with endless questions—and ask him countless questions too.
That boy's eyes were full of yearning. Every time he solved a problem and got an answer, he'd be happy for a long time.
Logan and Jayce sat in silence for a bit. Before long, a door opened, and Viktor walked out with his cane.
Seeing Logan, Viktor smiled and nodded. "Good morning, Logan."
"Perfect timing, Viktor. There's something I need to tell you," Logan said, motioning him over.
Jayce stood and helped Viktor, giving him the chair Jayce had been sitting on. Jayce then remained standing behind Viktor.
"Did something happen?" Viktor asked.
"First—this." Logan took out the Fox Pendant and handed it over. "This is a protective charm from Janna. It can heal your body. Wear it properly and your condition will slowly recov—"
"You're serious?!" Jayce blurted.
Viktor covered one ear with one hand, and with the other he lifted the pendant to examine it. His eyes lit up with excitement too.
If you didn't have to die, who would want to die?
Viktor had stopped researching the Hextech Core because he'd realized how dangerous it was. It wasn't that he'd "accepted" death—it was that he'd lost hope.
But now, holding the pendant, that dead hope in him began to beat again.
"Janna gave it to you—how could it be fake?" Logan said, rolling his eyes.
"But Logan," Viktor said, staring at the pendant, "if this is a charm bestowed by Janna… why is there a fox on it?"
Jayce leaned in too, face close to the pendant. He immediately felt a cool, soothing sensation. Eyes widening, he reached out and brushed the pendant lightly.
As expected of something from a goddess… was this the effect of magic? Jayce felt it was even more wondrous and higher-level than a Hextech gemstone.
"Don't ask so many questions. Just wear it," Logan said. "You won't have to worry about your body anymore, Viktor. Janna said it herself. In about three months, your leg will be able to walk."
Viktor's eyes went wide. He clenched the pendant, then immediately put it on, saying with absolute sincerity, "I'll wear it properly. Logan, thank you. Thank you, Lady Janna."
"No need, Viktor. We're both Zaunites."
"Ahem." Jayce cleared his throat and asked carefully, "Logan… does Janna have any more of those pendants?"
"No," Logan said, amused. "Stop dreaming, Jayce. This is one of a kind."
The pendant Ahri gave was… hard to describe. It couldn't make someone stronger. But calling it "not impressive" was also wrong.
Because it could let a person live their years in health and reach a full natural old age, even extending lifespan. If the rich elites learned about it, they'd throw fortunes at it without hesitation.
But in the future, could Zaun's alchemy develop life-extending medicine? Logan thought it could.
If Viktor and Singed worked on it together, within twenty years they'd succeed.
Logan believed that—after all, Ekko would one day build a device that manipulated time. If time could be controlled, extending life… really might be a small matter.
"There's one more thing, Viktor—about the Hextech Core," Logan said.
Viktor frowned. "Logan, that thing is dangerous. How do you even know about it? I've already stopped researching it. But Jayce—"
"What's so dangerous about it?" Jayce asked, baffled.
Viktor didn't explain. He continued, "If you need me, I can make other things for you. But that thing… it's truly dangerous. I think it's like it's alive. It's… tempting me to use it."
Hearing that, Logan smiled. "Then we're thinking the same thing, Viktor."
Logan explained why he'd come: he wanted to seal the Hextech Core beneath Zaun, deep underground—then once they had the ability, destroy it.
After hearing Logan's plan, Viktor finally relaxed and nodded. "All right. Then tomorrow, Jayce and I will go to Piltover and bring it down."
"Good." Logan nodded, stood up, and began thinking about Zaun's economic development.
Viktor noticed that thoughtful look and hesitated before asking, "Do you have something else on your mind? Tell me, Logan. Consider it… giving me a chance to repay you."
"Fine," Logan said. "Silco and I have been looking for someone talented in business. Zaun's industry is reviving. Materials, money, manpower—we have all of it. But we're missing someone who can manage everything, direct everything."
"That kind of person isn't easy to find," Jayce said suddenly. He added, "And about sending management people down… I think you may be disappointed. Because among the people I know, the only one who can truly do what you're imagining is Mel. Councilor Kiramman and Councilor Hoskel could do it too, but they definitely won't come down."
"See? That's exactly why I'm stuck," Logan said, looking at Viktor with frustration. "Zaun doesn't have people who do legitimate business—or rather, we don't have anyone who knows how to make serious money."
It was genuinely a headache. Think about it—funding, labor, factories, all in place. Once Ambessa's ransom came through, Zaun would push massive reforms. When that happened, it wouldn't just be the Lanes getting rich—it would be all of Zaun.
But… they lacked someone to execute it. Someone who could help Zaun make real money.
You couldn't just sit on resources and burn through them until they ran out.
"Making money?" Viktor said, brows knitting. "I… think I might know someone."
"From Zaun?" Logan asked immediately.
"Yes." Viktor nodded. "When I was a child, I was like you, Logan. I was born in the Lanes too. When I was a teenager, I went to Piltover and entered Piltover University. But before that, I was helped by a family in Zaun."
"Their daughter… she was very good at making money. She was a little older than me. Her family ran an alchemical potion shop. I didn't have money, but I was sickly and in pain all the time. They often supported me with tonics, helping me manage the pain."
Logan raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling like the story sounded familiar.
"Her name was…" Viktor's frown deepened as he searched his memory.
"Glasc—right. Renata Glasc," Viktor said.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 10 extra free chapters //[email protected]/Razeil0810.