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Or perhaps, even as a flesh-toothed beast native to Ionia, Kara had to admit that many of her kind were sometimes too savage. Apart from hunting, they were almost useless... But even so, among them, there were still girls who caught Kara's eye and made her fall in love.
Thinking of the mother flesh-toothed beast that haunted his dreams, a look of nostalgia, bitter memories, and pain surfaced in Karan's eyes.
Gazing at the other side of the sea, all that met his eyes was darkness. There was no moon tonight, but this darkness posed no threat to the flesh-toothed beast; everything was as clear as day for him. His feline pupils were wide open. Sometimes, these eyes were illuminated by the torch beside him, reflecting a piercing light, filled with undisguised determination and resolve.
As a native Vastaya from Ionia, Kara's bloodline can be traced back to ancient times, meaning that compared to flesh-toothed beasts from other regions, Kara's flesh-toothed beasts are closer to the Vastaya ancestor, Xarya. This is best reflected in his physique and size—his dazzling, sunset-like fur is braided into dreadlocks hanging down his back. Even though his fur is streaked with gray due to various pressures, this does not affect Kara's imposing presence. On the contrary, it adds a touch of depth to Kara's robust and dazzling appearance.
Kara's proud, lion-like face immediately reveals that he is a literal large feline predator, and the hunting that has etched its life into his face with crisscrossing scars.
His left cheek was hairless, even the skin was incomplete, and the bulging red muscles were proof of the severe burns he suffered as a young warrior. Unlike ordinary flesh-toothed beasts, as a primordial species, Kalan had a pair of curved horns growing from his temples, each engraved with spiral runes representing his tribe and honor. Three thick, long, whip-like tails swept behind him, each covered with segments of chain-linked plate armor. Their weight suggested that a single blow would surely result in broken bones and fractured tendons.
Before this, Kara always wore the traditional clothing of the flesh-toothed beastmen—the pelts of the prey they had hunted themselves.
For any flesh-toothed beast, personally skinning powerful prey to make clothing and then plucking their sharpest and hardest teeth to make necklaces is a symbol and representation of a flesh-toothed beast's bravery and status.
But now, he was wearing black iron plate armor from Noxus. To be honest, the plate armor was quite good—sturdy, reliable, and custom-made to fit his body, so it wouldn't hinder his agility in combat… But looking at the animal hide armor and hunting necklace hidden beneath the armor as protective gear, Kara felt only a sense of gloom.
In fact, the moment he made the decision to join Noxus, some already called him a traitor—Kalan didn't think his friend was wrong, because he had indeed betrayed both Ionia and the Vastayan legacy, but Kalan didn't care. What they thought was irrelevant. What mattered was the prophet's prediction…
If someone is destined to suffer misfortune and hardship, then that person must be oneself, not one's beloved or the innocent child...
Thinking of the mother flesh-toothed beast that he longed for, and the fruit of their love, Karan's eyes became more determined, and all the gloom and stagnation were left behind.
As Kalan was still pondering this, suddenly, in the distance, a lone warship appeared on the dark sea, heading towards Pelor Island. This alerted Kalan, but upon closer inspection and confirming it was a Noxian ironclad warship, he breathed a sigh of relief.
No one understands better than Kalan how oblivious the Ionians are to war—those fools who tried to persuade the Carnivores to eat vegetables in order to prevent them from hunting were long ago considered the epitome of stupidity by the Carnivores. And this group could possibly break through Noxus's coastal blockade without a sound? Don't be ridiculous.
Even as a flesh-toothed beastman, Kalan was well aware of the extent of the Noxians' deployment along the coastline. It was no exaggeration to say that even if Swain failed and the Ionian War ended, the Noxians could still stubbornly maintain firm control over parts of the coastline if they so desired.
In this context, Pelor is situated on the westernmost island of Ionia, and also the closest island to Noxus. The entire island is easily defensible, and legend has it that during the era of constant warfare in Ionia, it tenaciously withstood countless enemy attacks. It's even said that the Noxians were able to conquer it because Noxian war stonemasons had riddled it with holes before the war even began. Yet, despite all this, Pelor Island was still the last region along the entire Ionian coast to fall… the temple guards there displayed a terrifying level of resistance.
Not a single one surrendered, forcing the unruly to be slaughtered—at other times, the Noxians preferred to recruit such relentless warriors into their ranks.
The Noxians might not understand why the temple guards on Pelor Island were there—well, the Noxians didn't even know what a temple was, treating them simply as ordinary soldiers. But Kalan knew very well that this easily defensible island of Pelor held Ionia's oldest and most dangerous secret…
While Karan was still thinking, a Noxian soldier next to him raised a torch and walked towards the port, seemingly to meet the warship that had arrived in the middle of the night.
At first, they didn't think much of it, but just as Karan withdrew his vision, the figure of a girl dressed in the uniform of the Balance Cult appeared in Karan's predatory feline eyes. She was holding a chain scythe and a kunai.
After a slight pause, Karan shouted, "Enemy attack!!"
282·Restriction Lifted Area
Upon hearing Kalan's voice, the Noxian soldiers initially failed to grasp the situation. In contrast, Akali, on the deck, though only making eye contact with Kalan, immediately recognized the horror in his eyes and realized she had been exposed.
“They’ve spotted me.” Akali looked at Fahn. Fahn, however, didn’t seem too concerned. After quickly assessing the distance, he said, “It’s alright, we’re already out of the sensitive area.”
As he said this, a look of understanding appeared in Fain's eyes, and he immediately understood why Syndra had been sealed on Pelor Island.
As the westernmost isolated island of Ionia, Pelor's terrain is not only easy to defend and difficult to attack, but more importantly, it is also in a vague and ambiguous position in the spiritual realm. This makes it impossible for Syndra to break free of the seal by absorbing a continuous stream of negative consciousness. However, as a price, although the Ionian spirit can sense the situation in this area, it cannot directly interfere.
According to the backstory, Syndra was indeed sealed away by the spirits of Ionia. Therefore, this should be considered one of the consequences of the turmoil within the veil.
Compared to these matters related to Syndra, what truly made Fahn feel relaxed was the fact that this place had been righteously severed by Ionia in the spiritual realm to seal Syndra. In fact, what was even more beneficial for Fahn was that he could use the power of the spiritual realm here without worrying about affecting Ionia's fragile veil.
Thinking this, a hint of smug amusement appeared in Fain's eyes. He raised his palm, and with the surging current, the once calm sea was instantly filled with towering waves. His eyes were filled with terror as he stood among the crowd. The surging waves crashed against the rocks on the shore, and the warship, which had been approaching at a steady pace, was thrown into the air by the waves, tracing an arc through the air before crashing into the garrison fortress on Pelor Island.
Holding onto the deck railing with both hands, Akali knew that their mission was destined to be very risky, but she never expected that Fain would be so crazy—and so powerful.
It should be understood that even the masters of the Order of Balance could not possibly throw such a steel warship into the air and crash it into the enemy camp with the ease that Fane did.
"This is insane! You could at least have said something!" Akali exclaimed in disbelief, glancing at Fain beside her, and couldn't help but ask, "And with such power, do you really need our help?!"
"This is part of the spiritual realm." Hearing Akali's words, Fahn shrugged and said, "If we're talking about pure power, without restraint, with the blessing of the Ionian spirits, Venerable Karma's full power could drive out all the Noxians. But think back, did Venerable Karma even intervene?"
Hearing Fain's words, Akali raised an eyebrow, then nodded thoughtfully, indicating she roughly understood. As a disciple of the Order of the Immaculate Concepts, although she seemed reckless, Akali wasn't a completely ignorant and impulsive fool. At least, Akali knew why the Order of the Immaculate Concepts maintained restraint. It's just that often, when she got carried away, Akali easily acted without considering the consequences, wanting only to vent her anger first.
Without having to worry about the pressure in the mental realm, a hint of undisguised malice surfaced in Fain's eyes.
"Finally I can let loose a bit... Take care of yourself, I'm going to deal with them."
As he spoke, with a flash of water mist around him, Farn's figure disappeared from the ironclad ship.
Watching Faen suddenly disappear, the others left behind were unsure what to do. Finally, all eyes fell on Irelia—as Faen's junior sister, Irelia was probably the one who understood Faen's personality best, and perhaps she knew his next plan so they could prepare in advance?
But facing everyone's gaze, Irelia only looked at Riven to the side.
Seeing this, Riven raised an eyebrow—she knew Fane's personality very well, so she wasn't surprised at all by what was happening. Now, feeling everyone's gaze, Riven simply shrugged and said, "Don't look at me, I don't know what Fane is up to either... Let's go out first, he loves to show off."
As she spoke, Riven shouldered her greatsword and went outside.
Riven had already prepared for battle, but suddenly Faen was no longer able to control his power... Although she didn't know why, it didn't stop her from realizing that Faen, who had been suppressing his power for a long time, was going to let it out properly.
Although Fain didn't show it, Riven could more or less sense that if Fain held back for too long, his release would be exceptionally intense and complete. Thinking this, Riven shifted her body slightly, a little annoyed—ever since she began to confront her true feelings and actively let Fain take advantage of her, the strange sensations in her body had become increasingly obvious. Just thinking about it had inexplicably aroused her…
However, Riven wasn't too worried, because she knew Fain's personality and energy levels very well. Despite being in battle, Fain never needed rest after a fight; instead, the surge of adrenaline during combat would make him incredibly energetic. Now that Zeli and the others weren't around, that guy would definitely find ways to keep her on the edge of her seat tonight…
Although I am still very weak and can only strengthen myself by absorbing Faen's nutrients, at this rate, reaching the level to nurture life is probably only a matter of time...
Thinking about how she would eventually give birth to a beautiful daughter for Fain, Riven couldn't help but purse her lips... That guy's stuff was too sinful, it actually made her have so many evil thoughts.
But there was no way around it. Having experienced it firsthand, Riven knew all too well the pleasure that Fain's sex brought was simply irresistible. Once you'd tried it, the unimaginable joy made it impossible to go back.
While Riven was still thinking, she didn't notice that Irelia was also secretly observing her good older sister.
Especially when Irelia noticed the hint of shyness, indignation, and hidden expectation flashing in Riven's eyes, a hint of curiosity also appeared in her gaze.
In contrast, outside, directly at the bow of the ship, looking at the still bewildered crowd below, Fane leisurely stretched his arms. A moment later, sensing the extremely subtle illusionary aura emanating from the crowd, a smile appeared on Fane's lips—
"Ha, there are old acquaintances here too."
283. Fearless of Death
Gazing at Fane, who had appeared above them and was now hidden in the crowd, a woman silently lowered her head, then turned and left. She didn't go too far, because she knew very well that Fane had noticed her presence.
Since that's the case, there's no need to pay too much attention to these mortals... Let's just wait aside and ask them properly later.
Thinking to himself, the man shook his head and finally walked slowly toward the central army camp.
On his way to the front lines, Karan sped along, his imposing figure kicking up clouds of dust on the ancient roads of Pelor Island. His swiftness left no doubt that anything that appeared in his path would be instantly smashed away.
But just as Karan was still speeding along, he suddenly sensed something and abruptly stopped, looking back. All he saw was darkness and a lone man walking behind him.
When did this person appear here?
A hint of doubt flashed in Karan's eyes. As a master hunter, Karan's perception of life far surpassed that of ordinary people, especially as a Vastaya flesh-toothed beast, its three long, thick tails that were as thick as sticks, its pupils that turned almost completely into darkness in the night, and its huge, twisted horns all proved that Karan was different from others.
And just now...did I just brush past him? Then why did I only sense him in this situation?
If this were an evenly matched enemy, he would have died a thousand times over... But soon, Kalan shook his head. He hadn't sensed any magical fluctuations from the man, and his pulse and heartbeat were only at the level of an ordinary person. Was he probably a deserter? Perhaps he was just being too nervous?
Thinking this, Kalan took a deep breath, ignored the departing man, and turned to rush towards the attacking Ionian.
Meanwhile, as Fain came into view, the Noxian soldiers launched a swift and fierce attack.
It's clear that the soldiers stationed on Pelor Island are mostly elite troops, whose basic skills and fighting spirit far surpass those of the coastal troops and the legion led by Dukur that attacked the Zan family. However, upon closer examination, it's not surprising that such elite troops would be present on Pelor Island.
Putting aside the fact that the guy is right here, the geographical location of Pelor Island alone makes it the most important springboard and bridgehead for Noxus's future invasion of Ionia, bar none. In the original timeline, even several years after the end of the First Ionian War, with Pelor Island as the absolute core, nearly a third of the western coastal region of Ionia was under Noxus control.
Previously, it was unclear what exactly was going on. But now it seems obvious that it has a lot to do with Swain's strategic deployment.
Unfortunately, it seems that Swain's strategic plan is likely to fail.
As soon as they noticed Fain's figure landing, a dozen or so Noxian heavy shield bearers swiftly surrounded him. Their muscular physiques, averaging just over two meters tall, would automatically conjure up images of the steroid-laden planet's devastating news if this were a normal, magic-free world. Now, it was almost certain they were indeed purely natural, only with an even greater abundance of magical energy within them.
Waving their shields, the shieldbearers' iron-clad boots clanged as if they were about to crush Fane. Unfortunately for them, they clearly underestimated Fane's abilities. The moment the first shield was raised, before it even hit the ground, Fane extended his hand, his knuckles slightly bent. The next instant, the humid air hummed rapidly, and a massive amount of water vapor surged in all directions, forming a giant, transparent hand that casually slapped down on the three- or four-hundred-pound warrior, shield and all, sending him flying in a blur.
bang bang bang! ! !
The shieldbearer's massive body slammed into several unfortunate figures who stood in its path, sending them flying. Amidst a series of screams, the shieldbearer finally crashed heavily into the mountainside. As the dust settled, a massive dent appeared in the once perfectly smooth mountain wall, and within it, the shield, dented into an iron coffin by the impact, gushed blood from every pore of its armor.
Although a human form could still be vaguely discerned through the twisted armor, the blood flowing continuously from the gaps indicated that even if it survived, it was at most on its last breath.
Such a level of bleeding goes far beyond a simple injury. Any veteran with even a modicum of experience would be certain that the shield guard's internal organs are most likely shattered...
Even so, these soldiers still had no intention of giving up.
As Swain's personal guard, they always charged ahead, shouldering the most crucial strategic responsibilities, no matter how dire the battlefield. Being placed in such a vital position by Swain meant they received far superior training equipment, combat gear, daily rations, pay, and even compensation for the dead—far exceeding that of any other Noxian legion. The reason was simple: aside from Noxus's own rewards, Swain was genuinely willing to spend money, even drawing funds from his own family, to ensure the empire's prosperity!
Recalling Swain's promises and his proven track record of favor towards the families of the fallen in countless wars—as veterans of countless battles—they knew that these magically skilled warriors, seemingly powerful and even vulnerable to powerful crossbows, were all built upon magic. And once their magic was depleted, their strength was less than that of an ordinary old farmer!
As he pondered, two lightly dressed men in leather armor swiftly thrust their spears from the left and right sides as if by telepathy. Unfortunately, before the spear tips could even touch the hem of Fane's clothes, they were enveloped by the mist surrounding him. The mist then rapidly condensed into a swirling stream of water, rendering the spears immobile. Seeing this, just as the two men were about to discard their spears and try to draw their short swords, the flowing liquid in front of them suddenly displayed astonishing rigidity, enveloping the spears and thrusting them back, piercing through their eye sockets and then flicking away.
With two loud thuds, two elite warriors were flung to the side like dead fish, and in the process, they knocked down five or six people who rushed up.
284. The Dangerous Noxians
Although they were enemies, Faen couldn't help but admire their fearlessness in his heart.
If the Ionians had half... no, a third, or even a quarter of the fighting spirit of these Noxians, given the unique nature of the Ionia region, the Noxians would never have been able to conquer so much land at the beginning of the war.
But upon closer reflection, that doesn't quite add up. After all, these Noxians are the elite of the elite, Swain's most trusted personal guard. Let alone Ionia, in terms of fighting spirit, there are probably few in the entire Runeterra who can match them.
It's a bit of a shame, though, that this isn't an ordinary, magic-free world where armies can overwhelm individuals through sheer skill and fighting spirit. Instead, it's a world brimming with magic, so abundant that the entire world is born from world runes, and everyone possesses magical power within them, the only difference being whether they can perceive it.
In such a situation, even ordinary masters would need to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation and wait for an opportunity to strike. But for Fane…
"That's perfect, it saves me the trouble of chasing after them one by one."
He spoke calmly, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes—praise aside, he had no intention of letting them leave alive. Pelor Island was crucial to Ionia's future, and even if Fane needed to make the Ionians realize that war and resistance weren't entirely negative, but rather had positive and constructive value, immediately subjecting them to the pressure of facing such battle-hardened veterans was far too much.
Just as Fane was speaking, upon witnessing his terrifying destructive power and the protective mist that enveloped him, capable of even disarming short spearmen, and accompanied by a man resembling an officer blowing several short whistles, the previously scattered Noxians quickly calmed down.
As order was restored, the shield guards, who had hesitated before witnessing the brutal deaths of their comrades, stopped in their tracks, holding their large shields in front of them and watching Farn warily for a possible attack. Behind these shield guards, spears sprang out from the gaps in the defenses. And further back, a group of crossbowmen armed with powerful crossbows appeared.
At the officer's command, the whooshing sound of arrows piercing the air filled the air. Crossbows fired horizontally, and powerful bows fired vertically; a dense barrage of arrows rained down on Fane. Even in the dead of night, Fane could clearly see the rain of arrows, gleaming coldly, falling like stars in the bright moonlight.
Are you planning to use arrows to wear down my magic?
Seeing through the opponent's intentions at a glance, Fane nodded inwardly—truly befitting an elite force. After just two simple exchanges, they devised the correct tactics. For any magical warrior or mage, defending against powerful bows and crossbows is no easy feat. Especially with such a wide-range barrage, to prevent injury, one must release a large amount of magic power to solidify the surrounding defenses. The energy consumed in this process is several times that of a normal battle.
Even if the masters from the Hall of Eternity arrived, they could only hold out for ten minutes at most. Once that time was up, even if they managed to hold on with great effort, as long as even one of the slightly braver individuals dared to risk their lives, they could be cut down while the enemy's magic was exhausted.
Unfortunately, for Fane, reduced magic power? Not at all.
With a flick of his wrist, a curtain of water billowed up, bringing the barrage of arrows from powerful bows and crossbows to a halt the moment they entered the water. Then, each arrow was swirled into a drill-like shape by the rapidly rotating water, before hurtling back at an even faster speed to the horrified onlookers. The sharp, cold light, amplified by the water, pierced shields. Flesh and blood collided, the crisp sound of arrows piercing armor like hail shattering glazed tiles, only with the dull thud of arrows sinking into flesh at the end.
Da da da! !
Seeing this, several cavalrymen spurred their horses, breaking through the mist, and returned from the other side. Despite being clad in heavy armor, the warhorses were surprisingly fast. Through the gaps in the armor, a hardened surface covered the horse's limbs and torso, and its red eyes silently proved that this seemingly ordinary warhorse was a hybrid of a demonic beast and a bred animal. Both its strength and speed far surpassed that of ordinary pack animals.
But at that moment, the mixed-breed warhorses, which had been galloping at full speed, let out a panicked cry. The once-solid ground inexplicably turned into mud in an instant, and the warhorses' strong limbs could offer no support. Forget about charging in front of Farn; even these experienced riders could only barely maintain their balance. Many more simply lost their horses in a series of dull thuds, becoming obstacles that tripped up their comrades behind them, who were then trampled to death by their own comrades.
Immediately following, several thin water blades flew out of the mud, accompanied by streaks of blue-green light. In the instant that pairs of horse legs were severed at the root, several swirling water blades also burst forth from Fane's hands. Bathed in moonlight, the crystal-clear water blades refracted shimmering light, and in a few fleeting moments, they nimbly pierced the necks of the soldiers mired in the mud, leaving a trail of fine blood droplets that slid down their necks before returning to Fane's body.
Back beside Faen, the crystal-clear, flowing water blades floated behind him like exquisite works of art. They combined and arranged themselves, resembling a delicate lotus flower of blades that weaved back and forth between blooming and closing.
Faced with this absolute disparity in strength, even the most fearless person should now realize just how terrifying the gap in power has become.
Watching helplessly as his comrade was slit in mere seconds, before he could even make contact or get close, the soldier gripping his rifle stared wide-eyed, his nails digging deep into his flesh, yet he dared not utter a sound. His pupils were like butterflies pinned to the ground by needles, the irises unmoving, only the constantly trembling outer pupils clearly reflecting the fear that originated from the depths of his heart.
"You are still too dangerous for Ionia."
With a wave of his hand, the Blade Lotuses flew out one by one from behind Faen. At first, there was only one, but the Blade Lotuses seemed inexhaustible, constantly generating under Faen's control. In an instant, they transformed into a ferocious Blade Dragon, constantly flashing and rolling back and forth under the moonlight, reflecting countless chilling rays that made people tremble.
"So even if you surrender, I cannot let you go."
285. The Attack on Kalan
Although Noxus will become part of Fahn's future power source in his plans, this doesn't mean Fahn will be merciful. On the contrary, the more complex the situation, the more decisive he needs to be. Even if it means resolutely gaining one of them, it's always better than hesitating and losing both.
Looking at Fane before them, and at the blade dragon behind him composed of countless flowing blades, even with their valor, the group couldn't help but swallow hard in the face of a battle with no chance of victory. They exchanged glances, unsure whether to continue fighting or find a way to retreat now.
But just as everyone was still hesitating, suddenly, a massive, dark figure appeared out of nowhere from behind Farn in their field of vision. Wielding a short-handled hunting knife that resembled both a short axe and a cleaver, the heavy blade moved with such speed that there was not even a sound of wind cutting through the air, nor even the slightest friction against it. Yet, despite its incredible speed, no one dared to underestimate this silent strike.
Emerging from the shadows—one of Kalan's innate magical abilities. As a primordial flesh-toothed beast, Kalan possesses an extremely high affinity with the wilderness and the night. With this blessing derived from his bloodline, Kalan, who is like a small giant, can walk through low, dense bushes without making a sound.
Bathed in darkness, the night itself will not continuously provide Kalan with power, nor will it keep this power at the limit that Kalan can withstand, and will burst forth instantly when Kalan launches his first attack.
When this power originating from the night was fully unleashed, what Kalan gained was not just simple power, but also the speed that matched it in the process.
Staring intently at the back of Fane's neck, Kalan had actually arrived the moment Fane began the fight. He hadn't come out because he'd sensed Fane's extraordinary power and had remained hidden in the darkness, gathering his strength. Now, Kalan was certain this was the moment Fane was most relaxed—against such an enemy, only utter composure and a single, decisive strike could deliver the final blow!
However, just as Karan was thinking this, almost the instant Karan leaped out of the darkness, a playful smile appeared on Fane's lips. Immediately afterward, Fane's dark eyes turned directly at Karan without hesitation. Although Fane didn't turn around directly, Karan could clearly sense that this man wasn't just casually glancing at him; he was literally looking directly at Karan.
A shiver ran through Kalan, but his face showed no hesitation. Instead, upon noticing Fane's movements, his gaze hardened—Kalan knew very well that if his Shadow Strike couldn't kill or even severely injure his opponent, then an even more painful reality awaited him!
With this thought in mind, Kalan no longer hesitated or hid. Instead, with a roar, his blood surged, his feline eyes flashed with ferocity, and the horns on his forehead gleamed with a dull arc.
"die!!!"