Piltover has never been afraid of Noxus, whether during the rise of Li Lin or even before. Thanks to Hextech, Piltover is fully capable of dominating the world, as long as they don't face off against a god. The ruling families, however, are more interested in profit than in taking on such difficult and thankless tasks. During the Noxian War, Noxus expanded towards Shurima via the Piltover Canal, paying hefty taxes to the ruling families, especially the Medarda family who controlled the Sun Gate Docks. If it weren't for the four influential families that consistently upheld a policy of "neutrality" and "avoiding offense," it would have been impossible for Noxus to get through.
Now, with a mechanical army nearing a million and four massive mechs—Gaboga, Behemoth, Sword Demon, and Zero-Class—along with two space-based satellites, Heaven's eye and Morning Light, Li Lin could easily destroy Noxus in less than thirty seconds. The only delay would be the time it takes for the "bullets" to travel, a form of dimensional suppression. What's Swain compared to that? Raaum isn't one of the ancient Ten Great Devils, merely someone with secret knowledge. Even Soraka, the Child of the Stars, couldn't see her own future, so how could a mere demon uncover Li Lin's secrets?
Two days passed, and news spread that Noxus' fleet was heading toward Piltover. People in the Twin Cities began to worry—some even feared that Noxus was preparing to take action. Maintaining public confidence was crucial for societal stability, and Li Lin understood this well. So, he held a press conference in front of the Administrative Building, using firm and unshaken language to denounce Noxus for their blatant disregard of diplomatic relations. He even revealed the long-hidden mechanical giant Gaboga, which had been developed in secret by Piltover Academy. This reassurance calmed the public, and people returned to their normal routines—work for some, study for others.
By the afternoon of the following day, the Noxian fleet reached the horizon over the Valoran Sea. A massive ironclad warship, the Leviathan—Swain's personal flagship—loomed ahead of the other vessels. At this point, the Leviathan had not yet been stolen by the pirate Gangplank.
Li Lin, already stationed at the Sun Gate Dock, squinted as he looked into the distance. Beside him were Caitlyn, Kai'Sa, Zoe (who was happily munching on snacks), dozens of mechanical engineers, and a number of elite enforcers fully armed for the occasion. Meanwhile, Mel, Cassandra, Heimerdinger, and the others were back at the Administrative Building—Li Lin had decided not to involve them just yet. They would join only when Swain landed and both leaders began their talks.
[The Noxian fleet is nearing the Piltover Canal, about to cross the Twin Cities' border.]
Upon hearing the AI's alert, Caitlyn, Kai'Sa, and the enforcers all turned their gaze to Li Lin. He was now the sole ruler of the Twin Cities, and his actions would determine the fate of the nations' relations.
Without hesitation, Li Lin ordered, "Give them a warning."
[Understood.]
With a series of drones, air combat mechs—Storms—and mechanical engineers armed with energy weapons taking to the skies, the leading mechanical creation transmitted a neutral-sounding message through the AI:
"Warning! You have entered Piltover waters. Please leave immediately!"
"Warning..." The message repeated three times, but the Noxian flagship, the Leviathan, showed no sign of halting.
At the Sun Gate, Caitlyn furrowed her brows in anger, exclaiming, "These lunatics! They don't even respect us!"
"If you need me, Li Lin, just give the order," Kai'Sa said. With a thought, her angelic battle armor materialized, and blue energy glowed from the twin shoulder cannons.
"I'm ready too," Caitlyn added.
Li Lin waved his hand nonchalantly. "A mere Noxus. If I need you to step in, I'll have lost all my dignity." After a brief pause, he turned to the AI and gave a new order. "Give them a live ammo warning."
Upon receiving the command, the Storm mechs opened their rear armor, and a barrage of miniature blue plasma shells rained down, crashing into the sea before the Leviathan. The impact sent a shockwave that rocked the warship, preventing it from advancing further. The drone footage showed that while Swain remained firmly standing at the bow, the rest of the Noxian crew had been tossed into chaos by the shaking.
A translucent red energy barrier intercepted the water splashing into the air, and soon, the entire ship was surrounded, stabilizing its position despite the turbulent sea. After several seconds, the Leviathan appeared to float on a still sea, no longer swaying.
Without changing his stoic expression, Swain glanced upward at the mechanical entities filling the sky. He flicked his coat back and nonchalantly waved his right hand. Moments later, every Noxian ship, including the Leviathan, came to an immediate halt.
At that moment, a man with a battle axe slung over his shoulder, draped in a weathered red cloak, and towering in stature, emerged from the ship's cabin and walked up behind Swain.
"General..."
"Darius, take a squad and come ashore with me," Swain ordered.
Darius furrowed his brow and glanced at the various mechanical forces above, each of a different design, capable of flying. "But..." he began.
"Follow the orders," Swain interrupted firmly.
Darius paused, then nodded. "Understood." He immediately turned and instructed his men to prepare small boats. He handpicked the most courageous warriors aboard the ship and ordered them to gear up.
On the other side, noticing that Swain had effectively "yielded," Li Lin decided not to push him further. After all, Swain was the supreme leader of Noxus, wielding demonic power that surpassed most. In the future, when the League of Legends was formed to address the world crisis and the end-of-days battle, they would need him.
When the small but fearsome Noxian squad disembarked at the Sun Gate, the elite enforcers present stared at them, gripping their firearms tightly. Soon after, Darius, the Hand of Noxus, stepped ashore, with Swain following closely behind. Their expressions were dark.
Caitlyn had already drawn her sniper rifle as a deterrent, and Kai'Sa had not yet changed her armor, only removing her helmet to reveal a serious expression.
[Congratulations! You have encountered 50 heroes, leveling up to level 98 and gaining 2 skill points.]
Li Lin ignored the prompt in his mind, instead studying Darius, who was also observing him. His gaze then shifted past Darius to the tall man at the forefront. The man had graying hair at his temples, and his armor beneath a black coat was worn and battle-scarred, carrying a faint metallic scent—a trace of blood. Swain wore no insignia; to him, such symbolic honors were meaningless. He was the leader who had led Noxus to revival and strength, not some feckless emperor like Boram Darkwoll who sought to adorn himself with every medal.
Li Lin put on a polite smile and extended his right hand. "It's an honor to have the Supreme Commander of Noxus visit. I apologize for the lack of a proper welcome."
Swain paused for a moment. Perhaps out of courtesy or due to his noble background, or simply as the leader of a nation, he slowly drew his right hand from his coat's hem and shook Li Lin's hand briefly. Even in such close contact, it was impossible to read any of this young man's secrets. Even Raaum's abilities didn't seem to work on him, and the aura he exuded was nothing short of overwhelming. Who exactly was this individual?
Swain could not help but feel a shiver, but his expression remained as cold and unreadable as ever.
"I came to Piltover without prior notice, an oversight on our part. Noxus is strict in its rewards and punishments, and I have dismissed the subordinate responsible for this negligence."
Li Lin silently scoffed. He paid no mind to Swain's words—this was nothing more than a polite refusal, a test of his intentions. He wasn't foolish enough to believe such an excuse.
"Well, it seems this was all just a misunderstanding," Li Lin responded with a smile. "Since I've cleared out the internal pests, we now exercise strict control over our borders. Anyone attempting to cross without permission will face fire from our mechanical forces."
He spoke with a calm tone, as though he weren't addressing anyone in particular, but the implied threat in his words was clear.
Swain remained unshaken, though Darius furrowed his brow and was about to speak up. However, he was silenced by a cold, warning glare from Li Lin. The message was clear: "I may be young, but I am the ruler of Piltover. As leaders of two nations, what qualifies you, a mere general, to speak during a conversation between heads of state?"
Though Noxus had long established a separation of powers, with Darius theoretically on equal footing with Swain in military matters, Swain managed the governance of Noxus, and Darius had little to do with it. Still, Darius felt a tightening in his chest. The presence of firearms and mechanical forces overhead made him swallow his anger, choosing instead to remain silent.
Swain glanced at Darius from the corner of his eye, noting his reddening face, and inwardly sighed at the tension.
"In fact, I've come to Piltover today to discuss something with Chairman Li," Swain said, his gaze steady on Li Lin, the implication clear: this was not the place for idle talk.
"Oh dear, how careless of me," Li Lin said with mock self-reproach, half-turning and gesturing with his hand in a "please" motion. "I've just become Chairman, and I'm still making such simple mistakes. I haven't properly prepared for our discussion. Let's move to the council hall in the administration building."
(End of Chapter)
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