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Chen glanced at the Fish Head Boss, his expression unreadable. "A good intelligence broker isn't supposed to ask the client what the plan is, right?"
The Fish Head Boss chuckled, a wet, rattling sound that vibrated in his throat. "Ho ho ho. Fair point, kid." He pulled a scrap of grease-stained paper and scribbled a number on it.
"10,000."
Chapter One Main Quest: The Twin Cities War Hidden Quest One: Gather 10,000 gold and contact Heimerdinger (Optional) Reward: 1 Talent Point
Chen stared at the number, then at the system notification. He had triggered a hidden quest just by taking Powder out for "frog legs" and poking around for info. Finding a direct line to Heimerdinger, the venerated founder of Piltover, was a massive shortcut. Usually, he'd have to wait years for the plot to progress—until Jayce betrayed the Professor and sent him into exile in the Zaun.
But 10,000 gold? With the passive income from his Heart of Gold, it would take over three years of doing absolutely nothing to hit that mark.
"Scammer!" Chen barked.
The Fish Head Boss didn't flinch. He just casually sharpened his cleaver against a whetstone. The price was firm. Thinking about it, the fee made sense; bridging the gap between the Sump and the Piltie Academies was a logistical nightmare, especially when dealing with a high-profile target like the Professor.
Powder waved her hands frantically, her voice high and insistent. "Boss! Come on! Make it cheaper for your favorite customer!"
The boss looked at the girl's wide, sparkling eyes, perhaps remembering the days when Vander used to frequent his stall. He sighed, crossed out the number, and wrote a new one.
"9,000."
That was clearly the "friendship discount." Chen waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. I'll be back when I'm loaded."
On the walk back to the sanctuary, Powder tugged at Chen's sleeve like a curious child. "What do you want with the Topside, anyway?"
Chen shrugged. "The Zaun is becoming a war zone, Powder. I want to get us to Piltover. A nice house, clean air, a real future. You deserve a good life."
Powder tilted her head, not quite grasping the concept. To her, a "good life" was just staying by Chen's side, regardless of whether the air tasted like sulfur or roses.
The Political Commissar
"Money isn't everything, but living without it is a special kind of hell," Chen muttered, pacing his small room and clutching his head. He needed a heist. A big one.
Ekko walked in, interrupting his financial spiral. "The new hoverboards are ready. The Firelight Squad is up to twelve members now. I need you on the training grounds to discuss tactics."
After the foundry explosion, Ekko was a total convert to Chen's strategic mind. The "Three-Point System" and the concept of guerrilla warfare had turned his ragtag group of orphans into a disciplined unit.
Chen followed Ekko, deciding to use this as an opportunity. "Captain Ekko, I'll teach you everything I know. But you need to learn to lead the drills yourself eventually. I'm better suited as... a Political Commissar."
"A what?" Ekko asked, stopping mid-stride.
Chen rubbed his nose, realizing he'd let some "Earth terminology" slip again. "Uh, ignore that. It's just a fancy word for someone who handles the morale and the 'big picture' stuff."
The Art of the Steal
Months passed. The training was brutal but effective. Chen hammered home the principles of asymmetrical warfare:
"When the enemy advances, we retreat. When the enemy camps, we harass. When the enemy tires, we attack. When the enemy retreats, we pursue."
During a squad meeting, Ekko looked grimmer than usual. "The Hexgates are officially open in Piltover. It's changed everything. The Topside is becoming a global trade hub, and Silco is using that to smuggle Shimmer across the borders. The Enforcers are looking the other way, or they're just too incompetent to see it. We have to stop the shipments before the poison spreads."
Chen's eyes lit up. He wasn't thinking about the "poisoning of the world." He was thinking about the gold.
Black market deals for Shimmer were cash-only. No credit, no vouchers. It was all cold, hard gold handed over on the docks. Intercepting a shipment meant taking Silco's product and his payment. It was the perfect "black-on-black" heist.
Main Quest Four: Intercept Silco's Shimmer Transactions Reward: 1 Talent Point
"I'm in," Chen said, raising his hand before Ekko even finished. Powder followed suit, followed by every soldier Chen had trained.
The Enforcer
Meanwhile, in the pristine heights of Piltover, a young woman with sharp blue eyes and a tall, graceful frame was adjusting her uniform. Her name was Caitlyn.
Her mother, a powerful Councilor, had pulled strings to get her into the Enforcers, but only on the condition that she stayed away from danger. Caitlyn was a natural investigator—at fourteen, she'd tracked down the men who robbed her father using nothing but a rifle and a few mud tracks—but now she was stuck on "Guard Duty" at the Hexgates.
"The safest place in the city," Caitlyn sighed, leaning against a railing. "What am I even supposed to be looking for?"
Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the upper tiers.
Caitlyn looked up toward the towering Hexgate, her heart leaping. Part of her was terrified for the city's safety, but the other part—the investigator—was thrilled. Finally, something to track.
She stretched her long legs and sprinted toward the smoke. When she arrived, the scene was total chaos. A Hextech airship had been blown to pieces, its metallic skeleton glowing with residual energy.
Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, scanning the wreckage for clues. The game was finally afoot.
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