On the continent of Valoran, there is a remote island called "Hope Isle".
This place was once a secret training ground for Ionia, and a site for clandestine exchanges among the many civilizations of Runeterra. Now, surviving leaders from all corners of Valoran have gathered here. The air is thick with suppressed fear, resentment, and anger, but even more so, with an unprecedented despair.
“Demacia…Noxus…are both destroyed.” Gangplank, the Scourge of Bilgewater, broke the silence with his rough voice. His face was unusually grave. “The two most powerful empires of these continents were utterly razed to the ground in less than a month by those ‘demons’ from beyond the stars. Their men were slaughtered and enslaved. Their women…” He didn’t finish, but everyone understood that the fate of those beautiful and noble Demacian and Noxian women was now more tragic than death.
Ashe, the Frost Archer of Freljord, gripped her True Ice Bow tightly, her eyes filled with rage. "Freljord may be primitive, but we will never yield! We have the blood of three sisters, the protection of demigods, and the most unyielding will!" Her vow echoed in the empty hall, yet it could not dispel the pervasive chill.
Warwick, the Alchemist Baron of Zaun, let out a deep roar, his modified body radiating a ferocious aura. "Those sons of bitches 'Empire'! They destroyed our order, trampled our freedom! The men of Zaun will use our flesh and blood to make their technology burn in the ruins!"
Jayce, the future guardian of Piltover, was pale, and the Hextech Hammer in his hand felt heavier than ever before. "I witnessed the descent of the 'Throne of Calamity.' That's a power beyond mortal comprehension. Their technology has surpassed the limits of our imagination. They can even… alter 'concepts.'" His words sent a chill down everyone's spine. The destruction of Demacia was due to the "First Apostle" rewriting the concept of "gravity" with a single sword strike, instantly annihilating a million-strong army. This power transcended the realms of magic and technology.
Also present were Azir, the Emperor of Shurima; the remnants of Ionia, including Zed, Shen, and even some liberated shadow creatures; the Yordle representatives of Bandle City, such as Tristana and Lulu; and Qiyana, the Elemental Queen of Ixia.
“We cannot sit idly by and wait to die.” Azir’s majestic voice rang out, golden light shimmering around him. “The Ascended of Shurima are the projections of the gods on earth. I will rebuild the glory of the Empire and lead the legions of Shurima to fight these invaders to the bitter end!”
"The Ascended of Shurima will never be alone!" another Ascended, Nasus, said in a deep voice, the huge axe in his hand seeming ready to tear through the void at any moment.
In the ensuing silence, a mysterious figure draped in a purple cloak, her face veiled by a hood, slowly rose to her feet. She was LeBlanc, the leader of the Black Rose, the Deceiver. She was the only leader of top-tier strength to have successfully escaped the fall of Noxus.
"Gentlemen, stop deceiving yourselves." LeBlanc's voice was filled with cold reality. "Demacia and Noxus were utterly destroyed in less than a month. This is not because they were not strong enough, but because... our enemies are stronger than we imagined."
She pulled back her hood, revealing a face that was both alluring and unusually serious. "My intelligence network, though suffering heavy losses, still managed to gather some crucial information. This 'empire,' their supreme leader is known as 'God Emperor' Lin Feng. He... is the true calamity. The power of the First Apostle, Irelia, is merely the tip of the iceberg. As far as I know, he can even... completely strip away the 'concept' of a world."
Everyone's expression turned even more grim. An existence capable of stripping away "concepts" is beyond the comprehension of mortals.
“However, we are not without a chance.” LeBlanc changed the subject, making everyone perk up. “This ‘God-Emperor’ seems to have a morbid interest in our ‘emotional memes.’ He also has a strong possessive desire for the ‘unique species’ of our world. Especially… those women with special abilities.” She glanced at Ashe, Qiyana, and Ahri, the nine-tailed fox, who sat somewhat uneasy in the corner.
Ahri's furry ears twitched; she sensed the deeper meaning in LeBlanc's words. Her allure was fatally attractive to human men, but she wasn't sure if it would work on someone beyond human comprehension.
“My proposal is,” LeBlanc continued, “to concentrate all our strength. We cannot be scattered, much less fight alone. Piltover’s technology, Zaun’s alchemy, Freljord’s demigod power, Shurima’s ascendants, Ionia’s magic, and our Black Rose’s shadowy schemes… Only by uniting can we have even the slightest chance of winning.”
Ultimately, under the pressure of despair, everyone reached a consensus.
The largest "Runeterra Alliance" in the history of Valoran has been officially established!
The Alliance's Supreme Commander is Azir of Shurima. Military Commanders are Ashe and Darius (although Noxus has fallen, Darius, through his incredible willpower, barely survived Irelia's "Concept Rewriting" gravity and was rescued by some loyal Noxian remnants, escaping with severe injuries and appointed as a symbolic spiritual leader). Jayce of Piltover is responsible for technological research and weapons improvement. Warwick of Zaun is in charge of frontline raids and alchemical deployments. LeBlanc leads a "Shadow Squad" composed of top assassins and mages, tasked with decapitating the enemy's core.
Their goal is to gather all their forces and launch a preemptive strike before the next descent of the Throne of Calamity, engaging in a decisive battle in the sparsely populated Twisted Jungle near the Void. The complex terrain there is advantageous for the Combine to ambush and wear down the enemy.
---
The Crown of Nothingness, Lin Feng's private palace.
In his "garden," Lux, Fiona, and Sona have become his playthings.
Lux, once a radiant young woman, now has her eyes completely dimmed. The long-term effects of the "Forget-Me-Not Fruit" have distorted her spirit, leaving it riddled with holes. Lin Feng forces her to sing Demacian hymns for him daily, but her voice is filled with desperate cries. Her brother's fate hangs like the Sword of Damocles over her head, preventing her from daring to resist. Whenever her singing pauses, Garen's image flashes in the water mirror—his bloody wounds and the imperial overseer's whip—forcing her to sing on with even greater despair. Her pure, radiant power is now being used by Lin Feng to extract an emotional energy called "Tears of Hope," an energy that, when extracted, causes her an extreme, soul-tearing pain.
Fiona, the proud and peerless swordswoman, now wears a nearly transparent silver dance dress specially made by the Empire, capable of suppressing all her power. Every swing of her sword is now merely to please Lin Feng, to perform a series of humiliating "sword dances" before her master. Her once sharp, sword-like eyes are now empty and numb. The fate of the Laurent family is firmly in Lin Feng's hands. Lin Feng forces her to tread barefoot on a "path of honor" paved with shattered anti-magic stones and scraps of flesh before him every day. Each painful trampling is accompanied by his "pardoning" or "punishing" of her family members. Her pride has been shattered; her once-powerful sword has become her greatest shame.
Sona, the speechless harp fairy, has now become Lin Feng's personal "instrument." Her harp, "Aihua," was repaired by Lin Feng using special technology, but its strings were imbued with "corrupted runes" that drain her life energy. Lin Feng forces her to play for him daily; her music is no longer the healing celestial melody, but a mournful lament filled with sorrow and despair. Each pluck of the strings releases a surge of painful energy within her. Lin Feng has stripped her of her freedom of movement; her body is bound by a special energy, moving only according to his will. She is used by Lin Feng to "feed" the wilder female warriors captured from Noxus, using her music to "purify" their souls, making them accept their fate more quickly.
Lin Feng sat in the center of the hot spring formed by the convergence of life energy, enjoying the "artistic" experience brought by the three peerless beauties of Demacia. The wine glass in his hand was filled with Lux's "Tears of Hope," which tasted sweet but also carried a bitter taste of soul being torn apart, giving him great spiritual pleasure.
“Gaia,” Lin Feng said lazily, a hint of satisfaction in his voice, “how is Noxus’s ‘Civilization Eradication’ plan progressing?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty the Divine Emperor,” Gaia’s icy voice echoed in the hall, “Noxus’s ‘Civilization Eradication’ plan is proceeding efficiently as per your instructions. Darius and other Noxian heroes have been publicly executed, and their bodies have been preserved as specimens and displayed in the ‘Monument of Shame,’ which was converted from the Immortal Fortress. All Noxian men are being modified and enslaved according to their rank.”
"On the Noxian women's side, the 'Gladiator' has taken place as scheduled. Katarina du Coca-Cola, with her exceptional combat skills, stood out in the gladiatorial arena, defeating all her opponents. She is now on her way to the 'Crown of Nothingness'."
A smile of interest curved Lin Feng's lips. "Katarina? The Ominous Blade. Her wildcat-like eyes are indeed quite interesting." He looked up at the star map, at the region representing the continent of Valoran, which now only showed scattered remnants of resistance.
“Interestingly, Your Majesty,” Gaia added, “according to the First Apostle’s report, the remaining civilizations of Valoran seem to have formed a ‘United Army.’ They are gathering in the Twisted Forest, attempting to launch a counterattack against the ‘Throne of Calamity.’”
Lin Feng chuckled lightly, his eyes filled with disdain. "The Allied Forces? A bunch of rabble."
“However, Your Majesty,” Gaia continued, “according to our model, if this coalition is allowed to develop unchecked, their ‘emotional memes’ may undergo unpredictable changes, and may even give rise to a rare meme called ‘Hope for a Comeback.’ This could affect the purity of subsequent ‘emotional collections.’”
Lin Feng's eyes instantly turned cold and profound. "Hope for a comeback? Hmph, I don't need such a 'flawed product.' All hope must be shattered by my own hands. That is the most perfect 'despair.'"
He slowly rose from the hot spring. His long, wet black hair clung to his cheeks, making his handsome yet cold face appear even more striking, like a demon emerging from hell.
"Inform Irelia to temporarily halt the 'Civilization Eradication' plan. Order the 'Throne of Calamity' to proceed directly to the Twisted Treeline. I will personally go and confront these 'overconfident' mortals."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com