Chapter 259: CHAPTER 259 - Janna's Blessing
Janna's appearance caused a stir in the breathing station.
As Li Lin had anticipated, the manifestation of the Wind Goddess and the miracle she performed led to a significant surge in the power of faith she received.
Most notably, Janna's form, which had been semi-transparent, became fully solid. Apart from her ability to float gracefully in the air, she now looked very much like an ordinary human.
If one were to speculate, she seemed like a being born from the union of a Vastaya branch and humans, possessing more human traits.
Janna was equally astonished by today's events. She confided in Li Lin that in the two hundred years since the "Great Collapse," she had occasionally revealed herself directly to gain followers.
However, many would initially believe in Janna and plead for her help in various matters. But some requests were beyond her, especially given her weakened state.
As she failed to respond to countless prayers, her limited strength was exhausted, leading to long periods of slumber. Consequently, many of her followers abandoned their faith and turned to crafting technologies.
This resulted in a vicious cycle: without followers to provide faith, she had no power to respond, and without responses, followers lost their faith. For the past two centuries, Janna lived through this cycle, occasionally encouraging the poor in their dire moments.
Were it not for the "Day of the Ashes" event a few years ago, where some prayed for her protection, pulling her back from the brink of oblivion, the guardian deity of Zaun might have vanished.
Gods don't die, at least not the original demigods of Runeterra. Their power stems from the land itself. They don't need believers; the believers need them.
But for a deity like Janna, whose divinity is derived from human faith, she would cease to exist without followers.
However, today's events would grant her a new group of devoted followers.
Outside the breathing station, Li Lin and Janna hovered in the air, looking down at the endless stream of refugees and injured being brought in by the mechanical workers and rescue teams.
Within a few hours, nearly five thousand people had gathered there. Janna had completely cleared the surrounding smog, bringing fresh air to the area, cleaner than Piltover's.
After a long silence, Janna turned to Li Lin. "Thank you."
"Thank me for what?" He shook his head with a smile. "This is your doing..."
"Don't be modest." Janna interrupted, her expression serious. "You called upon me and provided a solution. Without you, I couldn't have gathered this much faith."
She blinked her beautiful eyes and with a delicate gesture, summoned a strand of wind, forming a sky-blue bird that sang a cheerful tune, flying around them.
Finally, the bird transformed into a blue light that flowed into the bronze amulet in Li Lin's hand, given by the little girl.
Li Lin opened his hand in surprise and saw that Janna's magic had transformed the amulet, turning it into a pure sky-blue color, making the bird on it look more vivid.
Suddenly, he felt an invigorating sensation from deep within his soul. His mind became exceptionally clear, and even the flow of his magical energy seemed unusually smooth.
[You have received the blessing of Janna, the Wind Goddess.]
[Effects: Agility +10%, Neural Reaction Speed +10%, Health and Mana Regeneration Speed +3%.]
[You have been favored by Janna, the Wind Goddess.]
[Effects: While in Piltover and Zaun, you will receive the constant effects of "Tailwind," "Gentle Breeze's Protection," and "Eye of the Storm."]
[Tailwind: Blessed by wind magic, agility increased by 20% (can be maintained outside the twin cities by consuming 1% of maximum mana per minute).]
[Gentle Breeze's Protection: Janna's wind spirit accompanies you, all attacks carry wind elemental magic effects (can be maintained outside the twin cities by consuming 5% of maximum mana per second).]
[Eye of the Storm: When taking damage from external sources, a wind barrier equivalent to 10% of maximum health will form, blocking all types of damage. In stormy weather, this effect increases to 25%, lasting until the end of the battle (can be activated outside the twin cities by consuming 20% of maximum mana, with a cooldown of 5 minutes).]
Noticing the system's prompt, Li Lin was astonished. "This is..."
"A small reward," Janna maintained her elegant, serene smile. "Humans like equivalent exchange, don't they?"
"That's true, but I didn't ask for any reward, nor did I think of it..."
Li Lin was at a loss for words. After all, helping Janna regain her strength wasn't for his benefit; it was solely to save the people of Zaun.
"Perhaps I misunderstood you... But since the gift has been given, I won't take it back."
Janna chuckled softly, "I can sense the immense magical power flowing within you, but it seems you don't quite know how to utilize your talent. I hope my wind magic can offer you some help."
This was more than a "little help"; it significantly boosted my combat strength even without armor!
Combined with the genetic enhancement serum, Li Lin felt he could tear apart hundreds of Chemtech-enhanced fighters with his bare hands, and they wouldn't even touch his hem.
The "Chemtech-enhanced fighters" previously strengthened by Silco's unstable Shimmer were no match for the current Li Lin.
"Wind's Protection" allowed him to imbue his attacks with wind magic, essentially enchanting them. It not only increased his speed but also enhanced his destructive power.
Moreover, this effect could be applied to the kinetic weapon ammunition fired by his armor, although it required a tremendous amount of mana outside the twin cities.
Not to mention the "Eye of the Storm," a life-saving shield available every five minutes, usable both inside and outside the twin cities.
"Thank you, this is very useful to me," Li Lin said, placing the bird amulet around his neck, offering his heartfelt thanks.
Janna nodded, her gaze suddenly fixed on his chest, looking slightly surprised. "Wait, is that an... Ascension Amulet?!"
The Ascension Amulet barely emitted any magical aura. If she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have known Li Lin was wearing it.
"Yes, it's a gift from Emperor Azir," Li Lin said, showing her the amulet.
"The Shuriman Empire... has returned?" Janna murmured in disbelief.
Li Lin hesitated slightly, "I heard the Shuriman Emperor overthrew your statue?"
Janna nodded slightly. "That's right, but rest assured, the one who gave you the amulet is not the same Azir who ordered that."
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Didn't Azir die thousands of years ago? How is he alive again?"
"It's complicated and hard to explain quickly... In short, his last surviving bloodline awakened him."
Li Lin briefly recounted his experiences in the City of the Sun.
After hearing his story, Janna looked south towards Shurima, silent for a long time before sighing, "I never thought Azir could ascend again."
To ease her worry, Li Lin explained, "It's a good thing. Azir is a good emperor."
"Perhaps..."
Maybe recalling some unpleasant memories, Janna clearly didn't want to continue on this topic.
"Let's talk about business. You wanted to make a deal with me?"
The feeling of having one's thoughts sensed was truly unpleasant...
Fortunately, she wasn't using that ability now, Li Lin thought as he stared into her azure eyes.
"Yes," he said with a slight smile. "And it will be a win-win situation."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 260: CHAPTER 260 - Renata, Your Sins Are Unforgivable!
Li Lin quickly shared his concept for constructing a wind power station with Janna.
On one hand, he would have his team build wind turbines in the twin cities, while Janna would control the wind to an optimal level, providing a continuous power source.
On the other hand, he would promote the idea that the winds generating electricity were Janna's gift, attracting new believers and creating a positive feedback loop that would strengthen her with their faith.
With thousands witnessing the Wind Goddess herself today, news would spread faster than Li Lin's efforts alone.
The Guardian of Zaun had never abandoned its people. She had always been there, helping anyone in need during times of crisis.
This way, Janna's followers and the power of their faith would reach unprecedented heights, potentially elevating her to the status of a demigod in Runeterra.
After all, the population of the twin cities now far surpassed that of the old Oshra Va'Zaun.
Janna agreed with Li Lin's idea, acknowledging its feasibility. She instructed him to call her using the bird amulet imbued with her wind spirit once the wind power plant was built.
However, there was another issue: how to expand the current Wind Goddess cult, which had only a few hundred followers, into the largest religious group in the twin cities.
Through Li Lin's inquiries, he learned that Janna had never imposed any restrictions on her followers. There were no slogans, doctrines, or rules.
Without anyone to promote the Wind Goddess, her power had fluctuated over the centuries, making it unstable.
Li Lin proposed building a Wind Goddess church in each city and selecting the most devout followers to serve as bishops and priests, spreading Janna's message.
Additionally, they needed to establish rules and doctrines to guide the followers and prevent anyone from exploiting the church for malicious purposes.
Li Lin would fund the construction of the churches, recruitment of followers, and their ongoing support and promotion. This was part of his agreement with Janna.
And this amount of money was negligible for him now.
After their discussion, Janna's form gradually became transparent and merged back into the gentle breeze.
There were many in the lower plaza, Undercity, and Lanes who needed help. Regardless of their faith, Janna, now restored in power, was determined to assist them.
Watching the direction of the departing wind, Li Lin couldn't help but admire Janna's kindness and selflessness.
If she had cared for herself even a little, she wouldn't have ended up needing human assistance today.
But this was precisely the charm of Janna as a wind spirit and a deity of faith.
...
Over the next dozen hours, with the aid of mechanical soldiers, the rescue operation was almost complete.
Hearing about the situation, Orianna, just as in the original timeline, came to Zaun to help those in need.
However, with Li Lin's intervention and Caitlyn and Kai'Sa accompanying her, she avoided her tragic fate and took a different path.
To prevent any unnecessary accidents, Li Lin assigned two mechanical soldiers to accompany them.
Caitlyn, with her enhanced body and the protection of the Infinite Mark IV armor, needed no extra worry from Li Lin.
Kai'Sa, even less so.
In the current twin cities, her strength was second only to Li Lin and Janna.
Though young, she was stronger than Camille and capable of taking care of herself.
These two mechanical soldiers were mainly to assist Orianna.
Not just them, Vi, Powder, Claggor, and Milo also secretly came to help but were soon caught by Vander.
At the children's earnest requests, Vander stayed to help at the breathing station, forbidding them from going to dangerous places, and specifically asked Li Lin to assign mechanical soldiers to watch over them.
Fortunately, they understood the gravity of the situation and genuinely wanted to help, sticking to tasks within their capabilities, which reassured both Li Lin and Vander.
Moreover, to Li Lin's surprise, it wasn't just the Kiramman, Ferros, and Medarda families that came to aid in the disaster relief.
Perhaps seeing Li Lin's unstoppable rise over the past year, other Council families, even some that previously despised Zaun, offered varying degrees of manpower and relief supplies.
Of course, Glasc Industries was no exception.
Just over an hour after the incident, Glasc Industries staff, seemingly prepared in advance, arrived with supplies, only to find Li Lin already had the situation under control.
Their workers distributed Glasc's new Chemtech breathing masks to the public for free.
These masks didn't just filter toxic components from the air like traditional masks but purified the air as it passed through the filter, offering superior protection.
Li Lin knew this was the work of the Chem-Baron's technology.
When he returned to Piltover and met with Silco, the latter mentioned this matter, expressing a desire to seize the opportunity to eliminate the fickle Chem-Baron.
After analyzing the data, it was revealed that a total of 33,986 people in the Midtown Plaza and Undercity were affected by the explosion and the leakage of alchemical toxins, excluding those affected by the spread of the poison fog to other areas.
Among them, 796 people died, 1,479 were missing, and countless more were injured.
Without Li Lin's intelligent mechanical workers, the rescue operation would have taken at least ten days to two weeks longer.
Without the Shimmer potions and the life-restoring elixirs he purchased from the "Essence Emporium," the number of casualties would have increased exponentially.
At least a thousand severely injured citizens would have been unable to make it through.
While the people of Zaun thanked Janna, they were even more grateful to Li Lin.
As the early morning sun rose, the residents of the Midtown Plaza did not have the opportunity to bask in its daily warmth.
While the mechanical workers and rescue teams distributed breakfast to the people, Li Lin greeted some of them and then approached Caitlyn, who was busy, asking her and the AI to take over the affairs of the Breathing Station for the time being.
He had more pressing matters to attend to now.
One of Silco's spies, disguised as a commoner, had discovered Renata's whereabouts in the area where she often frequented before.
She was now in a "cabaret" on the upper level of Zaun's dance steps.
Receiving Silco's call, Li Lin suddenly realized.
No wonder the undercover sheriffs hadn't been able to find her; they had been wandering near Renata's mansion and commercial properties.
But the cabaret she was in belonged to Chem-Baron Bonnie, a sister who had once participated in the "Day of Ashes" with Vander and Silco.
The traitor wasn't from the Piltover Enforcers but from within the Chem-Barons themselves.
Bonnie had defected, joining Renata's ranks.
At last year's Chem-Baron conference, Li Lin had killed Baron Fenn as a warning to others; soon after, Bonnie, who had business conflicts with Renata, quickly submitted to Silco.
As the weakest force among the Chem-Barons so far, Bonnie had been quite stable, obedient to Silco's arrangements in almost every matter.
Neither Li Lin nor Silco had expected Bonnie, who seemed so obedient, to join Renata.
But to Li Lin, this was also understandable.
Renata wielded power and influence, nearly matching Silco's, and she maliciously acquired most of Zaun's cabarets.
The industries under Bonnie's command were limited to these cabarets.
She knew she couldn't survive the struggle between the two rulers of Zaun. Staying under Silco's control, she would eventually be devoured by Renata's forces.
Aligning with Renata was merely a ploy to retain a sliver of power and wealth, avoiding their loss.
This aligned with Li Lin's intentions.
For such an elder Chem-Baron and traitor, it wasn't worth making Vander uneasy. Silco would handle her.
Furthermore, Bonnie's betrayal made Li Lin realize that the Chem-Barons were unreliable and unfit to rule Zaun.
It was time to reclaim control of Zaun from these people.
For now...
Li Lin's AI locked onto the location provided by Silco, a nightclub where Renata was hiding.
He landed steadily in front of the establishment, ignoring the panicked thugs attempting to act tough. Using an infrared scanner, he directly identified a middle-aged woman with Chemtech prosthetics on the third floor.
Next to her floated a device packed with Shimmer vials and over a dozen mini-biochemical missiles, resembling a turret.
This technology also originated from Baron Medenstok, developed by Renata's Alchemical craftsmen.
Renata always had this machine for protection.
It seemed Silco's intel was accurate.
Expressionless, Li Lin walked into the nightclub.
One of the guards stuttered, trying to block him, "St-stand..."
Before he could finish, Li Lin easily pushed him to the ground.
The other guard, recognizing the ironclad figure, did not interfere but respectfully saluted Li Lin.
In the early morning, the nightclub was a mess after a night of revelry, with drunk men and women sprawled everywhere in scant clothing.
Li Lin ignored them, swiftly taking down a few guards who tried to stop him, and walked up to the most luxurious room on the third floor. Disregarding the warnings of Renata's bodyguards, he pushed the door open.
Renata sat on the sofa, swirling a glass of fine red wine in her right hand.
Hearing the commotion at the door, she looked up to see Li Lin in his battle armor. Her mechanical left hand twitched, sending a command to the floating device beside her.
Through the AI's scan and warning, Li Lin noticed the device's launch barrel aimed at him.
Shimmer fuel boiled, and the biochemical missiles inside were ready to launch.
"Well, well, look who it is," Renata's slightly raspy voice, masked by a respirator, reached his ears.
"Renata, do you think... such a worthless machine can protect you?"
"What do you mean by that?" Renata's purple-red eyes narrowed, her tone chilling. "It seems you're here to cause trouble?"
"We both know what you've done, Renata. There's no need for pretenses with me," Li Lin sneered. "Given your crimes—violations of human rights, economic fraud, manufacturing unlicensed weapons—you could have received a mere twenty years with good behavior and parole.
"But now, adding the charge of detonating Chemtech facilities in Zaun, causing thousands of casualties and displacing tens of thousands, severely endangering public safety...
"Even if Piltover's law doesn't have the death penalty, they'd make an exception for you."
A flash of emotion crossed Renata's eyes as she prepared to retort, but Li Lin's shout silenced her: "Renata, your crimes are unforgivable!"
(End of Chapter)
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