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Sensing Kalan's resolute determination, Fan's eyes showed no trace of the emotions Kalan hoped to perceive—no fear, panic, terror, or even surprise. This made Kalan's thoughts sink deeper, while simultaneously intensifying the resolve in his eyes.
But just as Karan was still thinking, suddenly, Karan felt a tightness in his chest, followed by an overwhelming pressure surging towards him from all directions.
It was water—it was that water vapor! Karan saw it clearly; what made him feel suffocated and pressured wasn't anything mysterious, just the water that was everywhere in this world, nurturing all life. Only now, the water vapor had become exceptionally thick, and being in it, Karan felt like he was struggling in a sea of glue and jelly.
The force attached to the hunting dagger, which should have severed the opponent's neck, dissipated and disintegrated at an astonishing speed within the heavy silk mist, as if it had encountered a vast ocean.
A look of disbelief flashed in his eyes. His attack had failed, and although Kalan felt despair, he was not discouraged. Instead, he immediately tried to escape. But as soon as Kalan moved slightly, the almost solidified water vapor around him fixed him in mid-air, unable to struggle.
Looking behind him at Kalan, who resembled an insect encased in amber, staring at his horns and three thick, long tails, Fane nodded thoughtfully. He then extended his hand and grasped Kalan's. As the air pressure increased, the hunting dagger, made of the scaled beast's fangs, creaked under the weight. Moments later, it crumbled into dust before Kalan's eyes, slowly falling to the ground through the gaps in the mist, leaving only two useless hilts in Kalan's hand.
There was no further damage. Fann then waved his hand and put Karan down, saying, "Stay put, I have something to ask you later."
Having regained his freedom, but with his muscles still recovering from the overload caused by the burst of power, Karan didn't act rashly. He simply squatted on the ground, panting heavily, using the constant replenishment of energy from the darkness to accelerate his recovery.
"Think carefully about that purple-skinned prophet, so you won't forget when I ask you later."
Upon hearing Fan's words, Karan, who had been thinking about how to break the deadlock and was feeling desperate, was slightly taken aback. He then subconsciously raised his head and looked at Fan, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The so-called purple-skinned prophet is the one who made a prophecy for Kalan, allowing Kalan to make his own choice, and ultimately leading Kalan to choose to join the Noxian side in the First Ionian War.
However, compared to the full name of the purple-skinned prophet, the prophet's other name is more widely known—or rather, more familiar to League of Legends players.
Soraka, the child of the stars.
The conflict with this prophet, and the secret of Oh Ah Liu, had always been one of Kalan's deepest secrets, unknown even to his beloved wife and children. But now, with Fane's words, it had been revealed, and an unprecedented look of confusion appeared in Kalan's eyes. Fane, however, paid no heed, instead maneuvering the Stegosaurus toward the legion on Pelor Island to slaughter them.
286·Children of the Stars
Without further incident, the remaining Noxian soldiers had no chance of resistance. As the Blade Dragon soared, its crystalline water blades left only drops of blood in their wake. In a short time, most of the soldiers who had fought in the fortress were dead, becoming part of the corpses scattered across the ground.
To prevent such a bloody scene from causing physical discomfort to Irelia and the others, Fane manipulated the water to cleanse the land after the battle, and only allowed them to land on Pelor Island after everything was restored to cleanliness.
The moment Akali and the others landed, they saw the flesh-toothed beast Kalan standing beside Fain, looking hesitant, as if he wanted to ask something but dared not speak rashly.
At first, because they were quite far away, and because the battle had left behind a lot of water mist in the environment, the group couldn't see very clearly. However, as they got closer, and saw Karan's true appearance, especially his twisted horns and three tails as thick as iron whips that no other flesh-toothed beast had, Akali's eyes quickly showed a hint of surprise.
"Traitor Karan?!"
Upon hearing the word "traitor," Kalan's eyes visibly dimmed for a moment. This caught Jie's attention, and Jie asked with a hint of doubt, "What traitor, Kalan?"
"It's this fleshy-toothed beast."
Although she didn't know what was going on, Akali saw that Fain hadn't stopped her, so she gestured with her chin toward Karan and explained to the people around her:
"Presidian is a renowned master of the flesh-toothed beasts, famous throughout Ionia. He is born with extremely strong perception and stealth abilities. My mother told me that even with proper precautions, if it is a stealth assassination, Kalan's Shadow Strike is enough to kill most targets."
Akali paused, glancing at the leather scabbard at Kalan's waist with a hint of suspicion in her eyes, and said, "As far as I know, Kalan's weapon is a pair of hunting daggers made from the fangs of scaled beasts, and it is said that he recently betrayed Ionia and joined Noxus... I just don't know why he's here now."
Upon hearing that Karan had betrayed them, the others around him looked at Fan with puzzled expressions.
After spending time together, they knew very well that although Fane appeared gentle, he was definitely not some kind of traditional, benevolent man. While he was lenient with his own people, even showing mercy to enemies without being overly demanding, Fane rarely showed mercy to traitors, especially traitors. More often than not, he would cleanly and decisively end their lives, not even bothering to exchange a single word.
And now...
After glancing at Karan's large horns and three tails, Jie pondered to himself. While the original species, the Flesh-toothed Beast, was indeed rare, Faen didn't seem like the type to forgive a traitor in the name of protecting endangered wildlife, did he?
In contrast, feeling the strange gazes from everyone, Kalan silently lowered his head without offering any explanation. But then, Kalan turned his gaze to Fane beside him—although he didn't know why Fane had kept him, Fane had mentioned the purple-skinned prophet, and Kalan wanted to know what else Fane knew.
"The main thing is that he doesn't yet harbor the resentment of the Ionians... well, that means he hasn't yet aided and abetted Noxus in killing the Ionians."
Sensing the doubts of the crowd, Fain nodded and said, "A long time ago, long before the War of the Ancients had even happened, before the Vastaya Shari were born, and even when time itself was still immature, the inhabitants of the Eternal Celestial Realm were increasingly worried about the races that were growing stronger on Runeterra."
Hearing Fain's words, Akali, Shen, and the others exchanged glances, wondering why Fain had suddenly said that. But just as they were about to ask, they saw Irelia look at them, put a finger to her delicate lips, and gently shush them. Then, she silently mouthed, "Senior brother is going to tell a story~"
Others might not understand, but Irelia knew very well that whenever ancient events occurred, her senior brother would fall into a state of prophetic perception—of course, this perception of prophecy was actually something their master, Sonia, and the other senior sisters had described. It was precisely because of this occasional descent into the ancient past that many masters and sages from the Silken Shrine to the Hall of Eternity were certain that Faen truly possessed the ability to prophesy—only that he couldn't balance prophecy with reality, easily exacerbating tragedies.
Of course, judging from the current situation, my senior's prediction is clearly correct, because the Noxians have indeed launched a war.
Noticing Irelia's subtle movement, Fain smiled slightly but didn't stop her, as it would indeed make things easier for him. He simply continued, "To the inhabitants of the Eternal Celestials, the beings of the material realm are wild, willful, and dangerously deviate from the grand plan ordained for them by the heavens. Even the guidance and destiny they painstakingly weave in the night sky are often ignored—or worse, misunderstood by these simple mortal minds, leading to chaos, uncertainty, and suffering."
“Just like the Karma before her,” Akali muttered softly, before being silenced by Shen’s stern gaze—the previous Karma had made a prophecy to prepare for a crisis in the spiritual realm, but it only exacerbated the prophecy’s devastating consequences. This is one of the reasons why the Temple of the Enduring Ones has always been so vigilant about the words and actions of prophets.
Similarly, as the future Twilight Eye of the Way of the Balance, Shin was well aware of what Fain was talking about—that prophecies being correct but misinterpreted had indeed occasionally occurred in the past. Although not frequent, each lesson was exceptionally painful.
Sensing the thoughts of the crowd, Farn said, "It was at this moment that a celestial spirit could no longer stand by and decided to descend to the mortal realm to untie the knot in the web of this world."
"For this reason, the child of the stars took on the physical form of blood and flesh. In the process, powerful magic surging within her flesh and blood burned this new body from the inside out. In order to help and heal those who were broken and incomplete, the child of the stars, named Soraka, suppressed the pain caused by the interval between lives and embarked on her own journey."
As he spoke, Farn turned his gaze to Karan.
"Thus, this purple-skinned child of the stars, with a pearly horn on his forehead and hooves-shaped feet, traveled through the history of Runeterra as a prophet."
287. Soraka's location
Upon hearing Fane describe the prophet's appearance, a flicker of emotion crossed Kalan's eyes. However, considering the prophet's prediction, Kalan did not make any rash moves, but simply stood silently in place, waiting for Fane to continue.
As for Karan, to be honest, Fan didn't have many thoughts about him. The only thing that surprised Fan was that Karan would appear so early.
Kalan, a flesh-toothed beast, appears in Syndra's short story "The Dream Pool." He is renowned and famous among the flesh-toothed beasts. He participated in the entire Ionian War, initially siding firmly with Ionia. Only at the very end did he defect to Swain. In fact, shortly after his defection, Swain suffered a crushing defeat at Presidium, even losing an arm to Irelia.
Before this, Kalan chose to be stationed on Pelor Island, the Noxian rear base at the time—a terrible choice, as it was a barren wasteland, devoid of war and accumulating no glory. This included Swain's elite personal guards, whom Fain had just purged. If anything, with the official start of the Ionian War, these elite troops would certainly be transferred to the most intense front lines, not left to rot and decay in the rear.
In this situation, to others, Karan was much like someone who joined the Nationalist army in 1949—a jinx with both terrible judgment and bad luck. But in reality…
According to the description in the Dream Pool, Soraka gave Kalan two choices. One was to stand by Ionia's side and fight to the bitter end for the First Land. Choosing this path would make Kalan a hero revered by all, a sage, a master, and a hero respected by all Ionians and Vastayans. However, on the path to becoming a hero, Kalan would fight alongside his confidants and all like-minded warriors, ultimately securing victory for the First Land. In the process, his two children would perish.
The so-called "spiritual connection" is what the Vastaya people call their lover.
The other path is the path of darkness, where Kalan must choose to join Noxus. This would lead to Kalan's utter destruction, forever separating him from his wife and children. His wife would be unable to understand him, his children would hate him, his brothers and friends would despise him, and even he himself would be sealed into eternal darkness.
What he had to do was stay on Pelor Island after the victory in Ionia, so that his wife could live in peace and raise their children. And the children would become respected role models, thriving even if not in Ionia, but elsewhere.
In return, Karan must stubbornly forge ahead in the darkness. The slightest deviation will result in the deaths of his two children.
It could be said that Kalan knew all along that Ionia would ultimately prevail, which is why he chose the latter, sacrificing himself so that his child could grow up safely. Of course, in Fain's view, Soraka's more important purpose in speaking of such a future, or rather, choosing Kalan to have such a future, was to give Kalan the strength to move forward firmly in the darkness, as indicated by her later words.
In this way, the children of Kalan can thrive, and the negative emotions and dark energy of Ionia itself, such as war, will be released.
As one of the few people in Runeterra who consistently takes action purely to make the world a better place, Soraka is probably one of the few people that Fahn can completely trust in terms of Runeterra.
However, the current situation is somewhat special—the war has only just begun, and Karan has already appeared here.
Thinking to himself, Fane recounted Soraka's prophecy about Kalan from beginning to end, omitting the part about the Spirit of War and the Spirit of Darkness. However, upon hearing Fane's words, a look of surprise appeared in everyone's eyes. They then looked at Kalan beside them, sensing the disbelief in his eyes, and realized that what Fane said was probably true.
Upon realizing this, the group exchanged glances and fell silent, handing the stage over to Fane and Karan. After all, the current situation seemed to involve that ancient being named Soraka. If that were the case, then it was better for them, the 'juniors,' to behave themselves and avoid making any trouble by meddling.
As for Karan, although Fan was curious, if you really want to know why Fan kept Karan alone and even helped Karan explain the cause and effect, he certainly had his own considerations and ideas.
Looking at Karan, Fain asked bluntly, "Is Soraka still in Ionia?"
"..." Upon hearing this, after a brief silence, Karan nodded and said, "He should... be there."
“What does ‘should’ mean?” Farn asked.
“The reason the Prophet Soraka found me, according to her, is because among those she encountered, I am one of those who can definitively guide this world back toward its great destiny,” Karan said.
“But then, just a few weeks ago, the prophet Soraka said that the threads of this world’s destiny had been spun out and that a longer prophecy needed to be made. The prophecy you just mentioned was indeed one that the prophet Soraka told me, but just recently, she told me that the prophetic plan needed to begin ahead of schedule.”
Upon hearing this, Faen nodded thoughtfully.
Fahn was unaware of the "great destiny" Soraka spoke of. However, judging from her name, it wasn't hard to guess that it referred to the future preordained by the Eternal Celestials for the people of Runeterra in Soraka's backstory. And considering Soraka's inherent kindness, this plan was likely well-intentioned—only ruined by humanity's own execution.
And the subsequent language changes...
Is it because of what happened in the Twin Cities and Bilgewater?
Thinking this through, Faen nodded thoughtfully.
Soraka has been involved in many events in Runeterra, including but not limited to the legends of the Three Sisters, the Darkin Wars, the Void Wars, and the Rune Wars. However, she is often unknown to outsiders. She appears silently in the shadows of history, beside those destined individuals, subtly altering and guiding the fate of the world.
For example, in Syndra's story, Soraka, through Kalan, brought darkness back to Ionia. And in the Hylian Collapse—the catalyst for the Rune Wars—it was Soraka who told Kalista how to enter Hylia, leading to the subsequent series of events.
Since Soraka has made a new prophecy because of his arrival, he should pay a proper visit to this true prophet from Runeterra, no matter what.
288·The Helpless
A visit is a visit, but no matter how it's conducted, there's always a proper order to things. After getting the information he wanted from Kalan, Fane nodded and then looked towards the depths of Pelor Island, saying, "Let's deal with the matters of Ionia first, and then we'll visit our great Son of the Stars."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Although the current situation is somewhat complicated, even involving entities older than Ionia itself, seeing Fane's confident demeanor gives everyone a boost of courage. In silence, they follow behind Fane to continue the mission they bear.
Kalan stood there, seemingly bewildered. His initial mission was to bravely persevere on the dark path, but now… should he continue? Continuing to fight Fane would indeed confirm the prophet Soraka's prediction that he might be doomed. But his subconscious instincts told Kalan that things couldn't be that simple…
"Come on, what are you standing there for?" Seeing the hesitant and bewildered Kalan, Faen said calmly, "Soraka asked you to do this so that you could take over Syndra's place in the Dream Pool without distraction, so that darkness itself could return to Ionia once again, thus giving Ionia true balance and preparing for the coming era of conflict. And I am also aiming for this goal."
Upon hearing Fan's words, Karan's expression changed slightly, but he finally took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "I understand."
This was a lie, because Karan didn't actually know what was going on. The problem was, Karan felt he had to do something—and he had personally experienced Fane's power. If Fane wanted to, killing him would only take a few breaths; Karan wouldn't even be able to react, let alone resist.
In this situation, Karan didn't think he possessed anything particularly useful to Fane. Since he didn't know what to choose anyway, he decided to follow his heart, even though Karan knew perfectly well that he was obeying Fane's orders with a pipe dream.
It was under these circumstances that the group continued their journey toward the deepest part of Pelor Island.
And at the same time——
A flash of cold light appeared, and a look of terror crossed the eyes of a Noxian fleeing in panic. Before he could utter a proper scream, the scar on his back rapidly split open and spread, accompanied by a slightly pungent odor. The soldier fell to the ground dead with astonishing speed.
And amidst the soldiers' deaths—"Good job, buddy,"
Witnessing this scene, after killing one of his companions with his dagger, a young woman looked at her brother with admiration. Glancing at his sister, especially noticing the indigo tattoo around her eyes, a slight hint of envy flashed in the boy's eyes.
For the people of Ionia, tattoos are not a mark of shame. Many spirits in Ionia like to bless their chosen practitioners through tattoos. For example, the monks of the Temple of the Ancients, those who achieve great success, will have a dragon tattooed on their most prized possessions, such as their fists, feet, arms, or head.
And when Ionian spiritual leaders like Karma cast spells, the magical power of past masters briefly manifests as wondrous patterns. This, in a way, has led to greater acceptance of things like tattoos.
In dangerous places like Peiluor, those who possess unique tattoos are clearly recognized and honored, their distinctive tattoos serving as a symbol of their status.
Thinking it over, the boy said, "I have to thank my somewhat talented teacher for this."
"A teacher with some talent, you mean the Sage of Auchin?" the young woman said, raising an eyebrow. In Ionia, a sage is slightly inferior to a master in terms of reputation and status, but undeniably, they are still respected and admired.
The boy simply shrugged without answering, instead asking, "Did you bring that thing with you?"
"Of course." Hearing her brother's question, the young woman nodded, then opened the leather bag tied to her waist and slowly took out something tightly wrapped in wax and leather.
She carefully unwrapped the outer leather, revealing a black crystal, about the size of a fist, encased in wax.
"It's not wet, is it?" the boy asked softly.
The young woman gently shook the crystal. With this slight movement, an orange flame flashed through the center of the black crystal, like an ember being stirred.
Upon seeing this ember, a flicker of excitement and exhilaration flashed in the eyes of both the woman and the boy.
"Although we don't know what happened on Pelor Island that caused those Noxian bastards to flee in such a sorry state, we can't let this chaos go to waste," Ciri said bitterly. "The Noxians will surely cry out in despair during this disaster, and in the name of the helpless, they will die in agony, and all their sinister intentions will be completely thwarted, with no chance of anything getting better!"
Upon hearing this, the boy nodded, his brows revealing a shared sense of righteous indignation.
The term "the helpless" was actually a new name they gave themselves. They were the last warriors left behind in Pelor—sentinels of the fortress before Noxus captured Pelor Pass. With the fall of Pelor, some left, some died, some were disheartened, and some even lost all hope in Ionia, choosing to join the Noxians.
But there was also a group who felt the shame of this defeat remained burning within them, their surging hatred fueling their unwavering desire to drive the Noxians from their ancestral lands. Having lost all honor, mission, and glory, they called themselves the Helpless, determined to reclaim their rightful glory in their own way.
Among the information they received, the Noxians stayed here not only because it was a strategically important location, but also, according to their speculation, because of Syndra, who was sealed here by the ancient spirits of Ionia—a name that represents loss of control and chaos.
“We must kill Syndra,” the young woman, Hirick, said solemnly. “Whatever the Noxians’ goals are, we must stop them, destroy them!”
289. LeBlanc's Visit
On their way to the Dream Pool, just as they arrived at a secluded cave, Karan's ears perked up twice. He then sniffed the air and said out of the blue, "A few tails have come up here."
Upon hearing Kalan's words, Akali and the others were slightly taken aback. Then, Shen, who was standing to the side, formed a hand seal, and an eye symbol flashed at his fingertips. Shen then nodded with a look of surprise.
Despite being on considerable alert, it was clear that Karan, being a flesh-toothed beast, still possessed a distinct advantage in perception. Thinking this, Shen and the others turned their gazes to Faen, who simply nodded and said, "Bring them over."
"Ah."
Upon hearing this, Kalan nodded, then turned and left without a word. His seemingly imposing figure vanished from sight in just a few breaths, as if he had never been there, melting and dissolving into the darkness, disappearing completely.
"This flesh-toothed beast's connection with the spirits of nature is far too close, isn't it?"
Seeing this, Akali couldn't help but exclaim, "Such a big guy just vanished like that? Vanished without any warning? Is this really something that can be done without magic?"
“He is a native flesh-toothed beast, and is naturally closely connected with the spirits of nature.” Upon hearing this, Shen shook his head and said, “Although he himself may not care, nature magic is protecting him during his actions, so it is not wrong to say that he performed stealth using general magic.”
"In comparison... his perception ability has indeed exceeded my expectations." Shen also exclaimed in amazement: "Even with prior knowledge, I can only perceive the situation within a hundred meters at most. Beyond that, the perception becomes distorted, and I have to use magic to assist me. In contrast, this flesh-toothed beast discovered them simply by sensing sound and smell... If it were to cast a spell, in a dense forest, an entire army could be its prey."
While Shen was still speaking, Faen stopped and looked into the shadows, saying, "Since you're already here, come out."
"Um?!"
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