blogombal Page 95
Page 95
"Although in most cases, the World Rune can only see things in the past—like how I can see Foygo dragging the entire Hyria into the abyss for love through the Life Rune—I can feel the connection between people and the world itself through the World Rune."
Looking at Fahn, Ryze said, "Runeterra was born from runes, and every life on this land possesses magical energy. Even the Demacians living near the Anti-Mana Stone Forest contain trace amounts of magic, because magic is an indispensable part of life in this world. Like water, like oxygen."
“But you are different. Although you have magic within you, it has absolutely no connection to the runes.” Ryze said seriously, “Even the special nature of the spiritual realm is not enough to explain this special situation. And more importantly, I did not see any trace of your past in the vision of the World Runes—any movement of magic would leave a trace on the World Runes, especially for a strong person like you, a master.”
Upon hearing Ryze's words, Faen nodded, but his face remained relatively calm. This was because the traces Ryze mentioned were not about whether Faen was a transmigrator, but rather that Faen did not exist within the realm of the Dream Pool.
Thinking this, Fain also said, "Actually, I had this guess a long time ago. This world itself is a spiritual realm illusion constructed by the vast spiritual energy of the Soul of Ionia through the Dream Pool. But now it seems that this is not the case."
"...The Soul of Ionia? The Dream Pool?" Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Ryze's eyes: "What are you talking about? Why do I feel like I don't quite understand?"
Seeing this, Fain explained the Dream Pool and Syndra's seal in more detail. After hearing the whole story, Ryze, with his ample experience and intelligence, pondered for a moment and then said thoughtfully, "If that's the case, doesn't that mean our world is an illusion...? No, that's not right. Rather than saying our world itself is an illusion, it's more like the Dream Pool uses the special nature of the spiritual realm to overcome the barriers between us? Hmm... that's not right either."
The more Ryze thought about it, the more incomprehensible it became. Fain, on the other hand, was quite philosophical about it, calmly stating, "The spiritual realm itself contains countless mirror images of the future. This world might just be a mirror image of the real Runeterra, or even an amplified version of someone's spiritual realm. Regardless of the origin of this world, we live and survive within it. And worrying about the world's form... at least in my opinion, is not necessary right now."
After hearing Faen's explanation, Ryze nodded thoughtfully, but didn't put too much effort into it.
“You’re right. No matter where this world originated, what’s more important is what we’re doing right now.” As he spoke, Ryze slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked toward the backpack not far away.
"I'm about to embark on my next journey. If we meet again in the future, even if we're not from the same world, I think I'll sense it from the other world."
"Oh? Why would that be?" Fain looked at Ryze beside him with some surprise, while Ryze shrugged and said, "I don't know either, but I just have a feeling that it would be like this. If I had to give a reason, it would probably be the special nature of the World Runes—although it might not be of much use for me in your world to know this information, it can at least save you some unnecessary conflicts and introductions when you meet."
As he spoke, Ryze stood up, dusted himself off, and walked toward the small boat not far away.
"I'm off. I hope you can also break free from your past constraints with Syndra soon." Ryze offered his blessing, without a trace of hesitation or lingering affection in his words, even though the time he spent with Fain and Syndra had been quite pleasant.
“I will.” Fain nodded, not minding, because that’s just the kind of person Ryze is.
Although Ryze can sometimes seem sentimental, after the Hylian Collapse, he knows what he should do and what he should do first. Just like after the Ruined King's destruction, Ryze was initially confused, unsure whether to deal with the Rune Wars or the aftermath of the Ruined King's destruction, or how to leave behind the Sentinels who fought alongside him and go alone.
In the end, Ryze made a rational decision—the war between the Ruin and the Sentinels was indeed long, painful, and bitter. However, compared to the rune war that engulfed the entire Runeterra, resealing the world runes was the most important thing. After realizing this, Ryze informed the creators of the Sentinels and devoted himself wholeheartedly to collecting and sealing the world runes.
Admittedly, Ryze bears undeniable responsibility for the outbreak of the Ruined King's destruction, and his sudden withdrawal from the fight against it gave the impression of cowardice and desertion. However, for millennia afterward, Ryze relentlessly pursued the path of sealing the world's runes, proving that his decision was not an act of escapism, but rather a literal understanding of his true responsibility, which he then undertook.
Not long after Ryze left, Syndra walked over from a distance, looked around curiously, and then looked at Fahn, asking, "Where's Mr. Ryze? Has he already left?"
"Mm." Nodding, Faen then led Syndra toward the sanctuary not far away. Although Ryze had left, the training for the day had to continue. And unknowingly, several more years passed in the Dream Pool.
307 - Facing the Darkness
Pelor Island, somewhere high in the mountains.
She was dressed in black robes. Although they appeared to be made of leather, they were actually composed entirely of pure dark energy. Floating in mid-air, three dark orbs swirled and circled around Syndra like stars.
Syndra has benefited greatly from her years of dedicated spiritual practice, the spiritual guidance and organization from Faen, and the experience from Ryze, which has helped her avoid many detours on her spiritual path.
Just like now, although these dark orbs continue to emit chilling dark energy, a closer look reveals that this energy has succumbed to Syndra's will. While not yet completely under her control, she can already exert considerable influence over them.
"Your teacher is about to leave, the only one who unconditionally accepted you and embraced you." Suddenly, a voice rang in Syndra's ears. Syndra, however, felt no surprise whatsoever; she simply closed her eyes indifferently and immersed her mind in her own mental realm.
Few people are able to cultivate their own unique spiritual realm—or a sea of consciousness, a spiritual platform, or an inner space of the mind.
Essentially, they are all different names for one's own spiritual realm. Of course, this "few" doesn't include Syndra, because due to the darkness of Ionia, even though Syndra hasn't undergone any spiritual training, a portion of the Ionian Soul still belongs to Syndra's spiritual realm.
And now, almost the instant Syndra's consciousness sank into the mental realm, Syndra saw a tall figure, whose entire body was filled with darkness, a familiar figure with the same outline and curves as her own.
Syndra knew who she was because her teacher had told her that this was the darkness within the Soul of Ionia, the embodiment of all the negative emotions within the hearts of the Ionians. Initially, Syndra was terrified of this consciousness. Having grown up in Ionia, although her thoughts differed from others due to childhood trauma, she still lived within its social atmosphere—a positive and stable social environment whose greatest function was to cultivate a stable core within a person.
As long as the core is stable, even if someone goes astray, it's just a matter of being extreme in a certain area, such as having unusual sexual fetishes. But if the core is unstable, then it's really hard to say what they might do.
Thanks to Fain's guidance, Syndra is not as powerful as she was in the original timeline when she was fully embraced or consumed by darkness. However, the stability of her core makes Syndra's power more controllable, rather than making her a puppet of darkness.
Looking at the dark consciousness that represented all the negative emotions of Ionia, Syndra's face showed little emotion. She simply said calmly, "You cannot shake me, darkness."
"I never intended to shake you; I was merely stating the facts." Hearing Syndra's words, Dark said dismissively, "Ultimately, we are all one. Before merging into your spiritual realm, I existed within the Soul of Ionia, and even Karma had to bow down and listen to my discipline. The reason you can speak to me so calmly now is simply because of a momentary pity on my part."
As he said this, Darkness shook his head somewhat listlessly and looked at Syndra's mental realm, saying, "It's a pity that a momentary mistake has sealed me here... Although your teacher reversed the misfortunes of your childhood, unfortunately, he could not reverse your fate as my living prison. Similarly, he could not reverse the future that will eventually leave you."
Hearing the words of darkness, Syndra shook her head and said calmly, "The things you said, the things you tried to bewitch me with, my teacher already told me... He didn't hide them from me as you said. Instead, he told me why he did it this way before each training session. You are the darkness in my heart, you can amplify the darkness in my heart, but you can't ultimately turn everything into darkness."
"I don't need to turn everything into darkness."
Hearing this, Darkness chuckled and said, "Because we are one, I know what you fear and worry about. In fact, as time passes and you grow, you should have already sensed that your teacher is about to leave. And what will happen after he leaves? What will become of you, abandoned?"
Upon hearing the dark words, this time Syndra did not refute them, nor did she feel angry. She simply lowered her head calmly and said, "This is indeed something I need to think about."
With that, Syndra waved her hand, shattering the darkness and preventing it from disturbing her any longer. After gathering her thoughts for a moment, she ended her meditation for the day.
Opening her eyes, a torrent of energy separated from the dark orb surrounding Syndra, solidifying around her. In just a moment, it reshaped Syndra's robes into black leather armor—though "leather" isn't quite accurate, as Syndra's current attire is actually the light armor woven from a small amount of fabric and a large amount of leather straps, exuding a strong sense of mature womanhood and queenly presence from the original artwork, along with black footed socks and a black crown that even looks somewhat flamboyant.
Well, although it looks a bit strange, it has to be said that it suits Syndra's temperament very well. Especially when she's floating in mid-air, her pale toes peeking out from her black footed socks, the contrast between black and white is enough to make any foot fetishist ecstatic. At least Syndra is quite satisfied with her outfit, because every time she appears in front of her teacher like this, the teacher always takes a second look.
A woman dresses up for the one who appreciates her. The attention from the person she trusts and is closest to makes Syndra feel that she is full of charm.
Just as Syndra was still thinking, a familiar and gentle voice came from the side.
"Is your meditation over? How are you feeling today?"
The familiar voice brought Syndra a strange sense of peace. Turning her head to look at her teacher approaching, Syndra chuckled and said, "What else can she say? It's just the same old thing: darkness, negative emotions, destruction, and so on... Dark consciousness is always so boring. She's been repeating the same things for over a decade. She doesn't even know how to come up with a few new words."
Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fain lowered his head, looked at the peaceful Syndra, and after a moment of silence, said, "Syndra, I'm about to leave."
308. Conditions for Leaving
Upon hearing Fan's words, Syndra was slightly taken aback, but quickly regained her composure and sighed helplessly, "Although Darkness had already told me about this before, and you have explained the reasons more than once... it is still surprising and frustrating when something like this actually happens."
Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fain fell into a brief silence. To be honest, Fain had initially considered whether to tell Syndra directly—although Syndra was well-hidden, Fain knew very well that Syndra wasn't as peaceful as she appeared. The dark side within her was still constantly trying to bewitch the girl's mind.
For ordinary people, meditation is a form of spiritual practice, or even a form of rest. For example, Faen, long before arriving in Zaun, had already become accustomed to using meditation to replace sleep. But for Syndra, each meditation is a confrontation with her inner demons, each one a rigorous test. And until now, Syndra has not succumbed to her inner demons.
That's why Fain had considered whether Syndra would be more accepting if he simply disappeared without a trace, since Fain had never been one to enjoy farewells. But after careful consideration, Fain decided to have a proper talk with Syndra—just as he had explained the reasons for his existence in this world and his presence by Syndra's side before each of his training sessions, or even before sealing her power and weakening her, over the past few years.
Darkness amplifies Syndra's negative emotions, making deception and concealment targets of the darkness. Rather than creating this potential problem, it's better to be direct and tell Syndra directly that he's leaving. This way, if Syndra experiences any emotional issues, he can communicate and resolve them immediately, instead of leaving in silence and letting misunderstanding and doubt fester and be amplified by darkness in Syndra's heart, ultimately leading to failure.
Thinking about it, Fain lowered his head as well.
"When we first met under the Spirit Willow, I realized more or less that the purpose of the Dream Pool is to liberate your soul, instead of repeatedly being trapped in nightmares."
“Actually, I already knew that.” Before Fan could finish speaking, Syndra interrupted him, her expression somewhat helpless, and said, “We’ve been training together all these years, teacher and I. We’ve traveled to every sanctuary in Pelor together, exchanging ideas with masters and scholars from all over the world. Mr. Ryze even came back last year. This happy life has made me forget those painful memories of my childhood.”
“But that dark thing is so wicked. She must have been waiting in my mind for a long time, so when I felt relaxed, she awakened my childhood memories again,” Syndra said. “I still remember the day I was mocked, rejected, and isolated by my brother and the bad kids in the village. I had nowhere to express my grievances, so I could only go to the Spirit Willow tree again to relieve my bitterness alone.”
"But back then, everything—the flowers on the grass, the dewdrops dripping from the leaf stalks, the butterflies fluttering—was so familiar…as if it had been repeated hundreds and thousands of times. Then, you came, and I never went back to that day. It was as if the whole world had entered the next phase, starting a true cycle."
“Although I don’t want it to be this way, I know that you will leave sooner or later, teacher…” As she spoke, Syndra chuckled softly, looked up at Farn, and a hint of tears welled up in her narrowed eyes.
"I thought you would just disappear silently, teacher, letting everything here continue on its course. After all, I now have the ability to control and digest darkness. And I've grown up, no longer troubled by the cycle of the Dream Pool itself..."
"But you still chose to tell me, which relieved me because it proves that you still believe in me and trust me, just as I trust you."
Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fain blinked and then said, "So... will you stop me from leaving?"
“I really want to, but I won’t,” Syndra said, shaking her head. “Because if I did that, I would become a puppet of darkness, the very thing I least want to be, and it would be tantamount to denying all the training and effort my teacher and I have put in over the past decade.”
Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fain smiled with satisfaction. He couldn't help but place his hand on Syndra's head, saying, "I'm even proud of this moment."
It's impossible for Fahn to have no feelings about raising Syndra, who was influenced by the darkness of Ionia, to be like this. Keep in mind that during this process, Fahn didn't even use the "happiness factor" to take shortcuts in order to prevent conflicts in their mental realms.
Feeling Fain's hand resting on her head, Syndra smiled gently, then looked calmly into Fain's eyes and said, "Of course I can accept your departure, but before that, I hope you can leave something behind. Hmm, leave something for me."
Upon hearing this, Fain fell into a brief silence. Looking at Syndra in front of him, especially at the ever-present smile on her face, he felt a chill run down his spine and asked, "What do you mean by leaving something behind?"
Upon hearing Fain's words, Syndra no longer concealed her thoughts. Instead, she opened her eyes, which were as white as her long hair, and met Fain's gaze. Then, she reached out and placed Fain's hand on her chest, biting her lip lightly as she said, "Actually, Teacher also thinks Syndra is very charming, right?"
Feeling the softness of her fingertips, and also sensing Syndra's undisguised gaze. Never one to back down easily, Fain said with a hint of helplessness, "That's true..."
Seeing that Fain didn't push her away, Syndra chuckled, then took Fain's hand and pressed it against her lower abdomen, pulling it down from her flower garden and finally inserting it directly into her flower valley between her legs.
As she felt Fane's fingers enter her, Syndra's breathing quickened slightly, and a blush appeared on her fair face.
"Fill this place up, and then you can leave."
309·Returning to the Material Realm
At dawn, with a long, leisurely exhale, Farn leisurely climbed out of bed, pulling up his pants as he sincerely remarked:
"It was my first time, but the intensity was far beyond my expectations."
Upon hearing Fain's words, Syndra, lying on the bed, merely raised her eyelids slightly before revealing a languid smile. What might seem exaggerated to an ordinary person was merely a matter of satisfying the pent-up emotions she had accumulated over the past decade for Syndra, who had mastered the darkness of Ionia.
Now lying face down on the bed, her long, smooth silver hair cascading loosely over her shoulders, Syndra met Fain's gaze and said with a smile, "Feels good, doesn't it? Actually, I've been looking forward to this day since I was twelve. I just never imagined it would only come true at twenty-two... It's practically right in front of you, why didn't you just eat it sooner, Teacher?"
“Teacher ethics.” Farn sighed—he himself didn’t even believe that statement.
Although it was the realm of the mind, Faen had actually been cooped up in this environment for over a decade, so it was impossible for him not to have any thoughts. The reason Faen hadn't done so before wasn't because he was afraid to act without using the happiness factor, but simply because he couldn't be sure if it would allow the darkness of Ionia to take advantage of the situation.
Just like how Caitlyn, Vi, Jinx and others thought that Fain's personality was extremely wicked. He could have just devoured them directly, but he deliberately dragged it out and wouldn't let go until they couldn't take it anymore and had to lift their skirts and stick out their butts to beg before he would completely devour them.
This wasn't just about Fane simply satisfying her own sense of accomplishment and desire for conquest. It also stemmed from their own realization that it wasn't Fane who forced them, but rather their own request, to prevent future problems where, due to the coercive process, they stubbornly insisted that it was all Fane's fault.
The most obvious example of this is Riven. If Riven hadn't figured things out for herself, Faith wouldn't have taken advantage of her so easily. Syndra's situation is more complicated because there is indeed a dark entity within Syndra's mental realm that constantly manipulates her consciousness.
That is precisely why we must be extra careful when dealing with related issues, so as to prevent all our efforts from going to waste and turning the depravity caused by childhood trauma into hatred born of love.
After tidying everything up, the two fell into a brief silence. After a moment, Fane looked at Syndra and said, "I might... have to go now."
"Ah, I can feel it." Upon hearing this, Syndra nodded, the joy and delight in her eyes gradually fading, turning into a calm that seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
“I can feel that the inexplicable restraint that used to surround me is gradually disappearing. Just as you said, the Dream Pool has completed its mission and is beginning to dry up.”
After a brief silence, Syndra looked up and smiled at Fain, saying, "But don't worry, I can feel that I'm free now, and I'm happy."
Upon hearing this, Faen opened his mouth, but just as he was about to say something, he noticed the magic in the surrounding environment was rhythmically pulsating. He subconsciously raised his hand, and his skin, which hadn't aged with the passage of time in the illusion, was visibly dissipating and crumbling into drifting magic.
The mission of the Dream Pool has ended, and Faen's consciousness is returning to the real world.
Realizing this, Fain instinctively looked towards Syndra. Syndra had already come to Fain's side, and after a brief embrace, the water curtain that had been shrouding the mountain, blocking out sight and sound, suddenly collapsed as if it had lost all its support. Inside the cave, only Syndra's solitary figure remained.
After a moment of silence, Syndra quickly composed herself. After all, she had already made all the necessary preparations. Manipulating the dark orb to lift herself, Syndra soon arrived before a desolate, collapsed ancient sanctuary. Spreading her arms, dark magic tore a winding passage through the ruins of the sanctuary. Entering it, she soon arrived at the temple's underground.
Within the cave beneath the ruins lay a clear pond. An ancient spirit tree took root within, and lively sprites danced among its drooping leaves. Perhaps due to the darkness within her heart, Syndra found it slightly jarring, yet the gift from her teacher continued to emanate a warm glow, spreading outwards from the flower garden and conveying a tender love.
Although Syndra could somewhat guess from Fane's skillful technique that this was certainly not the first time her dear teacher had done this—even if he was a novice, Syndra could still sense the accumulated skill from Fane's calm body, movements, strength, and posture.
However, Syndra doesn't care—or rather, for Syndra right now, there are things that deserve more attention.
Syndra released dark energy into the pool of water before her, and calmly floated in.
"Darkness, begin."
“Of course.” Within Syndra’s mental realm, the dark silhouette of Syndra chuckled softly. “This will connect to the dreamlike pool where our dear teacher resides.”
Material Realm, Ionia, Pelor.
"Is it not over yet? These Noxians are like madmen, charging here recklessly!!!"
A hunting net was thrown out, and the stones swirling at its four corners, acting as counterweights, used centrifugal force to open the net and bind the charging Noxian soldiers. Then, with the sound of igniting fuses, the soldiers exploded. A closer look revealed that their eyes were hollow, their faces covered in blood-like lines. Their skin was pale, their limbs stiff, and they showed no signs of life—no heartbeat, no pulse, no physiological response. Clearly, they were a group of disposable expendables forcibly awakened by blood magic, armed with gunpowder, and ready for a self-destructive charge.
After several hours of continuous fighting, even as a primal flesh-toothed beast, Kalan felt exhausted. And what about the Noxians? With these undead soldiers, they showed no sign of ceasing their attack!
310·Urgent
The flow of time in the spiritual realm and the material realm are drastically different, and this difference is not something an individual's will can easily adjust. Take Fane's own spiritual realm as an example; even with complete concentration, he can only maintain a four-to-one time flow. Four days in the spiritual realm, one day in the material realm. The power of the Ionian Spirit is clearly far greater than Fane's current state; although it has spent over a decade in the spiritual realm, only a few hours have passed in the material realm.
But even in those few hours, Kalan, Irelia, and the others personally experienced the immense pressure of war.
The crowd surged forward, and now, having thought he would become a pillar of resistance against the Noxians' advance, it was clear that after adapting to the rhythm of the battle, the flesh-toothed beast Kalan was surprised to find that the current situation was somewhat different from what he had imagined.
In the past, Karan had heard a saying: Some people live a whole life, and in the midst of that monotonous existence, they feel a powerful surge of emotion that makes them realize that they were born for this moment.
Before this, Kalan thought it was referring to him, that he was embarking on a dark path for the sake of his children, just like the purple-skinned prophet named Soraka had said. But now, Kalan realized that something seemed amiss.
Perhaps they were born to embark on a dark destiny, but after their fate was altered, in what is happening on Pelor Island now, some people are born for war.
Within Kalan's sight, Irelia's graceful and agile figure moved once more. The crystal-clear, legendary sword glowed beautifully in the night sky, swirling around her at the girl's will, transforming into swirling vortexes of death.
Is it a battle? No. Irelia isn't fighting, attacking, or parrying; she's dancing, only every step of her dance precisely cuts into the gaps in the enemy formation.
Infused with the spiritual energy of the Sword Dancer, each legendary sword, a work of art, drew a chilling arc in the night sky, piercing through shields, slicing throats, and knocking away battle axes. Utilizing the narrow terrain to its fullest potential, this seemingly insignificant figure single-handedly formed an army, holding off over 60% of the Noxian soldiers and halting their charge at the narrow passage leading to the Dream Pool.
Unfortunately, there were simply too many people here. Under the relentless and fearless onslaught, the Noxians even forgot to rescue their own allies. With each uninterrupted charge, those Noxians who had only had their limbs severed and were rendered incapacitated had a chance to survive, but before the Ionians could kill them, their allies shoved them into mincemeat.
The warm, foul-smelling blood stained the entire passage, but it also attracted more enemies who surged forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades. Under this immense pressure, even though Irelia's eyes remained sharp as knives, the girl's breathing became increasingly rapid and uncontrollable, and beads of sweat appeared at her temples.
As Irelia drew the enemy's fire, a deafening roar erupted from the cavern wall behind them. Black powder infused with blood magic, ignited, produced a chilling boom. Amidst falling rocks and dust, the Noxian war stonemasons cleared the entrance blasted above the Dream Pool for the lightly armored soldiers and assassins behind them.
Noticing Faen and Syndra slumbering in the pool, the assassins exchanged glances before leaping down without hesitation—their subconscious told them that the two in the pool were the targets these Ionians were protecting. Although they didn't know what the two were up to, killing them would undoubtedly deal a severe blow to their morale, and even thwart their plans that could have serious negative consequences for the Empire.
Unfortunately, the instant they leaped down, a low growl accompanied the eruption of dense spiritual energy from Shen's spirit sword. Connected with the spiritual domain, the sword's energy formed a massive blue barrier, instantly enveloping the entire space above the Dream Pool like flowing aquamarine. Although the assassins quickly realized the danger and attempted to bypass the barrier to attack from the side, a dark figure landed in the center of them in the next instant.