boyutpedia Page 13
Page 13
Jinx is very sensitive to changes in the mental realm, or rather, in emotions. Especially after Farn frankly spoke about the "happy factor," Jinx became quite bothered by sudden bursts of pleasure.
A bipolar disorder patient who is sensitive and suspicious may suddenly feel that their mood has inexplicably improved without any reason, but they will realize the problem if they pay a little attention.
Watching Faen deliver his speech amidst the workers with expressive gestures, vivid facial expressions, and a melodious intonation, combined with the subtle, palpable joy that permeated the air... even Jinx had to admit that Faen's thoughts and actions were incredibly persuasive to the lower classes of Zaun.
And more importantly, this kind of persuasiveness is different from that of Hilco… Hilco's current persuasiveness basically stems from the wealth accumulated by Weiguang and its technology. But Fan is different, completely different. Fan's persuasiveness is less about incitement and more about mobilization.
To put it bluntly, in order to suppress her negative emotions, Jinx isn't exactly a drug addict, but she uses Glimmer every two or three days on average, or when she feels mentally stressed. Glimmer isn't a drug, but a kind of wild, self-aware life-type magic that was accidentally nurtured amidst the countless alchemical contaminations of Zaun.
In this situation, Jinx is able to perceive the difference between the Glow Potion and the Happiness Factor.
The most obvious point is that the addictive nature of glimmer energy stems from life's yearning for high-quality life energy. Compared to the energy obtained from ordinary food, glimmer energy is purer and more potent. Once you've tasted it, there's no going back. The body will naturally crave this high-quality energy, and with continuous intake, the body will even strengthen and evolve to adapt to this energy.
However, once the glimmer of light is lost at such times, severe degeneration occurs. This is a kind of magic that acts on the physical body, and this subtle addictive nature is the key to Hilcor's ability to control Zaun.
But the happiness hormone is different… Jinx can sense that the mechanism of the happiness hormone is more based on its influence on people's mental state. It amplifies people's inner pursuit of happiness, even forcibly making them happy, thereby stimulating the body to secrete happiness hormones.
In this situation, the Zaunites, incited by Hillco, would fight to the death, driven by their thirst for the glimmer of light, all for a final, satisfying injection before they perished. But Fane was different…
Happiness factors enhance their perception of happiness—and the accumulation of a large amount of happiness represents people's expectations for the future...
Perhaps in the short term, the power of a glimmer of light will be greater. But...
Is Hielko after power? Is he after Zaun controlled by a glimmer of light? If given a choice, which would Hielko choose? And which would Zaun choose?
As Jinx thought this, a flood of thoughts surged in her eyes.
Just as Farn said, Hilcor is someone who values individual emotional bonds. But with the power shift in Zaun, Hilcor has become completely different from the past... He is becoming Vander, only a more ruthless Vander.
Because of the rebellion he launched, Zaun is no longer able to maintain peace under the moderate Vander's rule...
Thinking this, a mocking sneer appeared on Jinx's lips. A mockery of Hilko, a mockery of herself, a mockery of Zaun.
"I really want to blow all of this up!"
"Are you thinking of something extreme again?"
Just as Jinx was still thinking, Fain's voice came from the side.
Looking up, Jinx saw that Fane, who had been surrounded by workers, was now standing in front of her. Behind Fane, apart from the corpses of the gang thugs, the workers had vanished.
Realizing that Farn had finished speaking, Jinx shrugged nonchalantly: "Anyway, you know me so well, you should be able to guess what I'm thinking, right? It's nothing more than blowing everything up!"
“That’s exactly what you’d think.” Fane nodded in agreement, then patted Zeli’s pert bottom beside him and said, “This is Jinx, Hilko’s adopted daughter, and our future partner.”
“Jinx?” Upon hearing this, Zeli blinked and then said, “Oh! I’ve heard Mom mention you! But isn’t Jinx Hilcone’s subordinate? How did she become an adopted daughter? And… and I remember Hilcone was the head of the alchemist barons, right?”
“Hilcor is indeed the leader of the Alchemist Barons, and he does indeed use the Glimmer technology to control the entire Zaun.”
Farn said calmly to Zeli, "But he's different from those alchemical barons who are truly willing to become the city's black glove and betray Zaun's interests. Hilko was on the wrong path, but that's all; he wasn't a traitor."
Hearing Fan's words, Zeli looked somewhat confused. Jinx, on the other hand, stared at Fan for a while, then shrugged and said, "I think Hilko would take that as a compliment."
Of course, it's praise—while Hilkor currently maintains a degree of independence for Zaun, the city's current state is directly related to Hilkor's usurpation of Vander's power. This power struggle has directly exacerbated the already impoverished Zaun's chaos…
Although many people followed and agreed with Hilko back then, believing that only a forceful struggle could force Piltover to submit, it turned out that... all of this only resulted in more severe poverty and chaos.
Unfortunately, people tend to subconsciously shirk responsibility.
Even those who started the reforms with Hilk now complain that Zaun is in its current state because of Hilk, completely forgetting that they also bear some responsibility for Zaun's current state.
While many considered Hilko to be the biggest cancer in Zaun, Fain said that Hilko was simply on the wrong path... Jinx felt she could guess Hilko's reaction.
"There is still a possibility of change."
Fain responded simply, then turned to Jinx and said, "This is my lover, and the first person I met after coming to Zaun, Zeli."
"hey-hey,"
Upon hearing Faen's address and prefix, Zeli's face lit up with a cheerful smile. She quickly tidied her appearance and extended her hand to Jinx with a bright smile.
Hello! My name is Zeli!
"Hello." Jinx's response was flat, even somewhat listless. She didn't seem to care much about Fain's mention of her lover. After all, as Hilko's adopted daughter, although neither Jinx nor Hilko acknowledged it, the preferential treatment Jinx received under Hilko's care was obvious to everyone.
In this context, Jinx knows far more about Zaun than Zarya does. It's not uncommon in Zaun to use sweet talk and glowing potions to enslave women and accumulate wealth by exploiting other Zaunites.
Although Jinx didn't believe Fain was that kind of person because of his flyer, it didn't change her indifferent attitude towards so-called feelings.
If you have no hope for a relationship, you will naturally not be hurt by it.
Although Zeli was very curious about everything about Jinx, seeing Jinx's indifferent reaction, Zeli didn't ask any more questions. After confirming each other's information, Jinx turned and left.
"I'll relay your assessment of Hilk to him verbatim. I think he'll find it somewhat boringly amusing." Jinx shrugged, her face full of boredom. "After all, Hilk's reputation is absolutely awful right now. You're a big shot in Zaun, and you're still willing to stand up and say something fair. If I were him, I'd be crying tears of joy!"
Upon hearing this, Farn nodded in understanding, and then said calmly, "In my hometown, there is an ancient poem that says, 'You can't see the true face of Mount Lu because you are in the mountain yourself.' That's how Zaun is now. It's too early to draw any conclusions about what Hilko has done. Only time will give a fair answer."
"hope so."
Jinx waved her hand and turned to leave, but after taking only a few steps, she seemed to remember something and turned back to stand in front of Fain.
"...Is there anything else?" Farn asked.
Jinx didn't waste any words and directly stretched out her hand, saying, "Give me some more happiness factor."
Upon hearing this, Fan raised an eyebrow in surprise, then took out a few test tubes, dripped some of his own blood plasma into them, and handed them over, saying, "Giving them to you is no problem, but don't rely on this too much. Although with your mental strength you can basically ignore the addictiveness, the mental stress is still there. And there are some negative effects."
"Your negative effects are practically negligible compared to the negative effects of the glimmer of light!"
Upon hearing this, Jinx sneered, "It won't cause physical degeneration, it won't produce strong addiction, it won't deplete your energy and lifespan after withdrawal, and it can even give you renewed hope for life... What are the negative effects you're talking about? Do you mean they'll care about you extra?"
Upon hearing Jinx's words, before Fain could say anything, Zeli, standing to the side, widened her eyes in curiosity, as if to say, "Hey, you even know this?"
Jinx glanced at the exceptionally 'naive' yet incredibly lucky Zeli and said with a smirk, "Your mom has protected you too well. Anyone who has used Glimmer knows more or less what the negative effects of the Happiness Factor are."
As she said this, Jinx held up the test tube in front of her eyes. Looking at the pale yellow liquid inside, she said with satisfaction:
"While this might make people pay more attention to Fan's condition, ultimately, the nature of that condition still stems from one's own judgment. If Fan's actions make you happy, you'll feel even more pleased and joyful. Similarly, if Fan does something that disgusts you under these circumstances, you'll feel even more disgusted. But as it stands, you don't seem to feel that way right now?"
Jinx looked at Zeli curiously, and Zeli was also slightly taken aback. After understanding Jinx's words, a burst of electricity crackled at her temples. Then, as if realizing something, she quickly controlled her emotions, dimming the arcs, and said with a guilty look, "I...I already knew..."
"I hope so." Jinx rolled her eyes at Zeli's lack of honesty.
Although the two appear to be close in age, Jinx is noticeably more mature than Zeli. However, in many situations, to conceal her inner pain, Jinx often acts more frantically than Zeli.
Thinking it over, Jinx picked up one of the test tubes and poured the contents into her mouth. Her rosy tongue licked up Fain's blood. Feeling the pleasure welling up inside her, a hint of infatuation flickered in Jinx's eyes, which were filled with madness but understated sadness. She glanced at Fain, then pointed to the corpses of the gang members nearby and said:
"Don't do these things yourself anymore. Let me do them. Hilko would be more than happy to be your black glove. After all, he's already filthy beyond repair."
"That'll be troublesome."
Fain waved to Jinx. Jinx, who had taken the Happy Factor, was also a little tipsy, but no matter how dazed she seemed, a glimmer of clarity remained in her eyes, which even the pleasure brought by the Happy Factor could not wash away.
"Just don't forget what you said." Jinx turned and walked alone into the darkness: "Make Zaun better."
Fann didn't speak, just watched quietly. After Jinx left, Fann touched Zelly's hair beside him: "Alright, that's enough for tonight's mission, let's go home."
"Yes! Let's go home!"
Zeli nodded excitedly—in fact, the side effects of the happiness factor had already begun to take effect. And having already developed a path dependence, almost as soon as she felt this mental pressure, Zeli felt her body cheering and eagerly awaiting her rest that night.
Seeing that Zeli was starting to look forward to it, Faen picked her up and said, "You've been busy for so long, and now your equipment is all upgraded. Is there anything you want to do during the day tomorrow? I'll go with you."
"What do you want to do?" Upon hearing this, Zeli thought for a moment, then excitedly said, "I remember now! I want to go to a concert!"
“…A concert?” Fain raised an eyebrow—Zaun has this kind of thing?
“That’s right, that’s right!” Zeli said with a grin, “Salepani is coming to Zaun’s Mid-Levels Plaza for a concert! I heard it’s amazing! Let’s go see it together!”
22. Exchange
Upon hearing Zeli's words, Faen raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Seeing Fan's expression, Zeli assumed he was reluctant and immediately said, "Of course, if it's inconvenient, we won't go. Actually, I don't really want to participate either. To be honest, I've only heard of Salephine..."
"No, no, no, I want to go, I'm just a little surprised to hear the name." Farn shook his head, signaling Zeli not to be nervous.
Seraphine, he knows her well. As one of the rising stars in League of Legends, Seraphine's appearance directly shook Lissandra's reign as the queen of hoverboards in Freljord. The impact was no less significant than the clash between Ding Zhen and Wang Yuan in the cigarette world. Lissandra is like a traditionalist, using the ancient, pure ice magic of Runeterra. Seraphine, on the other hand, is like a modernist, using Hextech hoverboards.
Of course, aside from differences in personal image, the most criticized aspect is probably the skill set—
It goes without saying how outdated League of Legends' legacy code is. This has resulted in some older champions being weak in every aspect, from their maximum potential to their stats. Among these, Seraphine's skill set can be considered a completely overpowered version of the older champion Sona.
Higher damage, stronger healing, and more crowd control. This all-around superiority makes one wonder if Sona is currently only useful for making Fryegor's passive a valuable asset...
Aside from these in-game settings, Seraphine's identity and beliefs in the real world are quite interesting... Her parents are both from Zaun, and they went to great lengths to get her registered in Piltover so she could have a better life.
This is a classic example of Zaun's influence. However, despite this, Seraphine didn't develop a dislike for Zaun; instead, due to her magical talent, she wanted to change the relationship between Zaun and Piltover.
As for the method... it's to debut as a singer.
By becoming a spark in Zaun, Seraphine gradually draws the entire continent into the rebellion against the Alchemist Baron. Seraphine's ideal isn't exactly unrealistic; it's simply a fitting description of a fantasy world… after all, her singing is genuinely effective.
Thinking to himself, Farn also said, "I've heard of that name before."
Upon hearing Fan's words, Zeli blinked and then asked curiously, "Do you know Salafine?"
“I know her, but she doesn’t know me,” Farn replied.
Upon hearing Fan's words, Zeli pondered for a moment, then revealed a look of sudden realization, and excitedly exclaimed, "It means... a prophecy?!"
Zeli knew that Farn was a prophet and a seer—Farn had no intention of hiding it.
This profession must be one of the oldest professions in human history, right? Even in the ordinary world of Farn's previous life, those who simply learned to observe the weather could gain the respect and admiration of their tribes as shamans, prophets, elders, and seniors. How much more so in this fantasy world where extraordinary powers truly exist?
Having grown up as an unknown orphan in this world, and even in the chaotic and monstrous environment of Ionia, Fahn knew that in Runeterra, the identities of prophets and seers were quite common. However, in most cases, these street performers who were 'prophets' were simply charlatans using petty tricks.
Very few people truly possess the ability to predict the future, and even if they glimpse it, they will not easily make changes, fearing that their actions may also be part of the prophecy or cause a chain reaction, thus living in constant anxiety, and even appearing to others as neurotic or something similar... But Fain doesn't have so many concerns.
For Fain, the more useful something is, the more useful it is. Especially since Fain possesses genuine expertise and has sufficient strength to protect others, making things clear can save a lot of unnecessary trouble—for example, Fain doesn't want to waste too much time gaining the trust of others.
Upon hearing Zeli's question, Fain nodded and said, "More or less, but just like my other prophecies, what I saw about Salafine was only fragments; I don't know the whole story of her life."
"I see!" Zeli nodded, then asked curiously, "So what kind of person does Fain think Salafenny is?"
“I feel pain for the pain of others, and I feel joy for the joy of others. I sincerely hope that this world can become a better place…” As he spoke, Fane nodded and said, “They are also people we need to win over. After all, after defeating the Alchemist Baron, the next thing we will face is the enemies of the Upper City.”
Hearing this, Zeli nodded thoughtfully, then smiled and said, "If Fane can give such a high evaluation, then Salafine must be a good person! Hehe, let's go see her together!"
“Okay.” Farn nodded with a smile, then led Zeli back to the base located in the tunnel in the city.
After returning to the base, Faen discussed the day's events with Zeli's mother, Shuona.
The first thing that comes to mind is naturally the matter of Hilko.
Upon hearing about Jinx's visit, Shuona frowned, her muscular arms clenching into fists, looking slightly nervous.
However, after learning about Jinx's, or rather, Hilc's, purpose, Shuna gradually relaxed.
“Hilko…Hilko’s situation is more complicated,” Schona said, looking at Fain.
“Although the Hillcoe have ruled Zaun for over a decade, quite a few people have experienced the Vander’s era. In the beginning… I mean, including myself, we all thought Vander was too weak and that only a strong fight could take back what rightfully belonged to Zaun. Just like you think, I was originally supporting the Hillcoe.”
As she said this, a bitter smile appeared on Shuona's lips. It was a smile, but it was filled with sarcasm. It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but at herself, and at this land called Zaun.
"Later, Hilcor, and we all realized why Vander did what he did... because the Upper City's lead over Zaun was comprehensive. So the new Zaun alliance fell apart in an instant."
Thanks to Faen and Zeli's Robin Hood-like activities during this period, even though they lived in a remote street, Shuona's family was able to move into a fairly nice house.
Although it's called a tunnel, one end connects directly to the coastal cliffs outside Zaun, allowing Fain and the others to see the vast sea right outside the restaurant and enjoy the fresh and cool sea breeze, a stark contrast to the hot, humid, and polluted environment inside Zaun.
But now, looking at the waves outside, Shuona said listlessly, "Zeli's father used to be a good man. When the Alliance was still around, we fought side by side. He always believed that we could achieve final victory and soon replace Vander, defeat Piltover, and make everyone live a prosperous life."
Upon hearing this, Faen raised an eyebrow slightly—this was the first time Shuona had spoken about Zeli's father. Zeli, listening to her mother's words, blinked curiously. Clearly, Zeli didn't know much about her father either.
So much so that... it seems I've never seen it before?
While Faen was still thinking, Shuona continued:
"But unfortunately, after everyone realized the huge gap between Zaun and Piltover in reality, some chose to continue fighting after recognizing reality, some became disheartened and fled into the gutter, some hated their former compatriots and leaders, and some betrayed Zaun, choosing to submit to the power of Piltover and willingly become the black gloves of the trading families..."
She paused, then shrugged, her large muscles gleaming in the sunlight.
"So I killed him."
“Yes.” Farn nodded, indicating his understanding.
Although Shuona's explanation was brief, Faen understood the reason behind it—"Proponents of quick victories often turn into surrenderers quickly after suffering a setback."
Farn said, "Because proponents of quick victory often lack insight into objective laws and a correct understanding of historical events, their essence is wishful thinking and speculative mentality."
Upon hearing this, Shuona paused for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully, saying with some emotion, "Some things that I find difficult to understand are always quickly summarized and expressed in concise language by you... It's true. Hmm, Xiaoze Li seems to have a much better eye for people than I do."
As she said this, Shuona glanced at Zeli, her eyes showing a slight sense of relief.
The fact that Fane could simply articulate the difference between those advocating for a swift victory and those advocating surrender already proves that he is not that kind of person… well, we can't be sure. But at least Fane's ability to understand the reasons behind it means that he won't easily become either of those two.