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61.88% Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic / Chapter 263: CHAPTER 263 - Urgot of the Dredge

Chapter 263: CHAPTER 263 - Urgot of the Dredge

With the precedent set by Spindel, the Chem-Baron meeting proceeded smoothly. 

All the Chem-Barons agreed to relinquish their political power in Zaun and "willingly" signed contracts compliant with Piltover law.

Of course, Li Lin was a kind-hearted person who didn't like to leave people completely destitute.

He agreed to let the Chem-Barons keep their businesses, ensuring they wouldn't be left destitute despite losing control of Zaun's districts.

However, Li Lin wasn't about to let them control strategic resources like oil. He proposed buying the oil mines discovered by Adrien and the refinery he was building.

Adrien, a visionary who understood the importance of oil, was displeased with Li Lin's proposal and even a bit angry.

But recalling Spindel's fate, he swallowed his words and signed the transfer contract with Li Lin at market price.

As for Spindel's commercial empire, which was now without an owner, Silco initially wanted to secretly take it over for himself.

However, Li Lin saw through his plan and, under the guise of preventing unemployment in Zaun, proposed during the meeting to take over this part of the industry. He received support from Rennal.

Silco was left to swallow his resentment.

Since Li Lin had brought it up, Silco had no choice but to reluctantly give up that part of the benefits, consoling himself with the thought that the other Chem-Barons' territories weren't too bad either.

But he didn't realize that Li Lin wouldn't give all these benefits to him either...

The rest of the meeting went on, with Silco having Spindel's body removed and leading everyone to a clean meeting room to discuss Glasc Industries.

After questioning by Li Lin and Silco, the Chem-Barons, except for Middenstok, had no connections with her and didn't know her plans.

Afraid Silco might deal with him like he did with Bonni, Middenstok begged for mercy, swearing that he had handed over part of his technology to Glasc under duress.

Silco, after careful consideration, chose to "forgive" him and warned him not to make such a principled mistake again.

Middenstok, moved to tears, transferred ownership of two well-operating, highly profitable factories to Silco as a token of gratitude.

Li Lin showed no reaction outwardly, but inwardly he thought Middenstok was too foolish, completely unaware of Silco's nature.

He wondered how this idiot had climbed to the position of a Chem-Baron, thinking that two factories' ownership could buy off Silco.

After the Bonni incident, Middenstok should have known Silco had zero tolerance for betrayal.

To survive, he would have to escape Zaun overnight, far from Silco's territory.

Otherwise, knowing Silco's character, he would likely end up in the Sea of Watchers with Bonni by tomorrow, embarking on a "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" journey alongside devil fish and sea monsters.

The meeting soon ended, with Silco's men ready to take over Renata's shops and Li Lin's mechanical soldiers waiting outside Glasc Industries to seize all her assets.

The former Chem-Barons forced a smile, bid farewell to Li Lin and Silco, and left with their followers.

As Li Lin prepared to lead the mechanical soldiers in taking over Glasc Industries, preventing any mishaps, Voss, who had been waiting outside, called out to him.

"Master Li Lin..." Voss hesitated, "Do you have a moment?"

"What is it? Don't waste my time."

Li Lin frowned, having little fondness for this sadistic woman who took pleasure in tormenting others.

Her domain, the Dredge, was a prison mine with harsher conditions than Stillwater Hold on Piltover's offshore island.

Not only were some of the most heinous criminals from the upper city sent here when regular imprisonment couldn't punish them adequately, but some Chem-Barons also liked to send those who crossed them to this place.

Entering the Dredge was akin to bidding farewell to freedom and the future.

No one ever survived their sentence to walk out of there alive.

In the Dredge, death came in many forms. Being tortured to death by Voss was a relatively merciful end.

The greater threat came from the other inmates...

"Uh..."

Seeing Voss hesitating, Li Lin turned to leave, unwilling to waste time on her.

"Wait, wait!"

"I don't have time to waste with you," Li Lin said coldly, his tone unfriendly.

Voss took a deep breath, "I need your help..."

She paused for two seconds, noticing Li Lin's growing impatience, and hurriedly added, "It's related to Noxus!"

"Hmm?" Li Lin's interest was piqued. "The War Masons?"

"No, not them." Voss's face showed a trace of fear, and she stammered, "A... a Noxian executioner... a former executioner."

Executioner? 

At the mention of this, a name suddenly surfaced in Li Lin's mind—Urgot, the Dreadnought.

Urgot was Noxus' executioner before Draven, a figure of great authority who maintained discipline among countless warbands.

No one wanted to face this man, whose mere presence could overwhelm a battle-hardened veteran, despite never having been on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, despite his strength, he was seen as a disposable pawn by those in power.

A loyal supporter of the former Noxian Emperor Boram Darkwill, Urgot was sent to Zaun by Swain, using Darkwill's name, to disrupt a plot against Noxian rulers.

But it was a trap, Swain's scheme to weaken Darkwill's forces for his coup.

Upon arriving in Zaun, Urgot learned of Swain's takeover.

Realizing too late, he found himself surrounded by Swain's hired Chem-Barons' henchmen.

Thrown into the "Dredge" prison mine, he awaited death in its harsh environment.

Shoola's mention of him reminded Li Lin of Zaun's lingering threat—Urgot.

This man would later slaughter Chem-Barons like pigs, replacing his legs with six massive mechanical limbs that could shoot shrapnel and fire chem-flames, with his right arm turned into a chem-tech machine gun.

He would blow up the sewers with chem-explosives, killing thousands and plunging Zaun's undercity into chaos.

If not for injuring a Piltover merchant family representative and being imprisoned by enforcers, Urgot would have brought more chaos and fear to Zaun.

Not just Nocturne would be attracted, but the ancient terror Fiddlesticks might also follow.

Li Lin couldn't ignore such a dangerous figure.

Rubbing his chin, he smirked coldly. "You messed up and want me to clean up?"

Shoola gave an awkward smile, not daring to speak.

She knew it was her indulgence and torture of Dredge prisoners that led to this mess.

"Spit it out, what's the matter?"

"Eh? You agreed?" Shoola was stunned, then delighted.

"Cut the crap and get to the point."

"Okay, okay! The Noxian executioner is named Urgot..."

In the next two minutes, Shoola quickly recounted the events at the Dredge prison mine to Li Lin.

It matched his impressions—Urgot, tortured by other prisoners, gradually shifted his beliefs—strength wasn't the true ruler of all, fear was.

Three months ago, Urgot, brought before Shoola, was tortured with sharp blades.

But this pain meant little to someone as scarred as him.

Urgot broke free, sparing Shoola's life and sending her people back to the surface, taking over the Dredge.

Later, he crushed all spies Shoola sent to gather intelligence into meat paste.

According to the last, one-armed, traumatized, half-mad survivor, Urgot had transformed himself into a steel monster.

"Look at what you've done."

Li Lin gave Shoola a cold glare and walked away.

She hurried to catch up, stammering, "Lord, Lord Li Lin..."

"Stop following me. I'll handle it this once." Li Lin didn't look back.

Shoola's terror eased a bit. "How can I repay you?!"

Already on the elevator, Li Lin turned, staring at Shoola, and said one word:

"Oil."

(End of Chapter)

=========================================================

DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE

SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS

PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).


Chapter 264: CHAPTER 264 - Fear beyond death

Voss had discovered oil in five of her mines, a fact Li Lin was already aware of.

However, during the Chem-Baron meeting, he hadn't figured out how to acquire these mines from Voss.

Initially, including the Dredge Prison Mine, Voss had a total of six mines under her control.

After the recent explosion, Li Lin decreed that they could no longer set up new Chemtech workshops and must gradually phase out Chemtech technology.

If he managed to acquire the oil fields, Voss would be left with just her most crucial mine, the "Dredge"

Even if Li Lin was only interested in the oil, Voss would still drag out negotiations over the other minerals for a long time.

This was standard business competition and didn't violate Piltover's laws.

Luckily, with the Urgot incident, Voss was eager for his help. Offering the rights to the oil fields in exchange for his assistance was an easy decision for her.

Li Lin returned to Silco's office, donned his armor, greeted him, and then exited through the window, ignoring Silco's exasperated look.

While discussing Urgot with Voss, his mechanical soldiers had already seized all Glasc Industries' factories and subdued Renata's loyal henchmen.

According to the AI's report, three refineries and one gunpowder factory had underground storage rooms filled with Chemtech bombs, enough to destroy a significant portion of Zaun.

Comparing the bomb components to the residue found at the explosion sites in the Midtown and Undercity borders matched perfectly.

This solidified Renata's guilt.

However, what worried Li Lin more was another issue:

If these factories had so many bombs, it was possible Renata had hidden more throughout Zaun for an escape plan.

If she were captured or killed, an entrusted subordinate could detonate the bombs...

On his way to the Undercity, Li Lin ordered the AI to reassign tasks to the mechanical soldiers, dispatching an additional two hundred units to scan every corner of Zaun for Chemtech bombs.

Due to the urgency, he called upon Janna, asking for her assistance.

Janna, understanding the gravity of the situation, agreed immediately and began searching for bombs.

By chance, one of the mechanical soldiers encountered Zac, who was aiding the residents in repairing public facilities in the Lower Midtown district.

Passing by, Li Lin requested Zac's help in the search.

Like Janna, Zac agreed without hesitation, transforming into his gelatinous form to seep through the cracks and into the underground.

A few minutes later, Li Lin arrived at the Dredge Mine as indicated by the map.

It was his first time venturing so deep into Zaun.

The environment was pitch dark, with only a few Chemtech lanterns filled with murky green liquid casting a faint, sickly glow.

Despite the tide power station providing electricity to the Undercity, the Chem-Barons preferred the low-cost Chemtech lamps fueled by cheap, long-lasting fuel over costly electricity.

Whether the miners could see while working was of no concern to them.

If a worker didn't meet the daily quota, they wouldn't be given food or water.

To these people, a human life was worth less than sustenance.

Most miners were orphans with no family, so there were no compensation costs if they died.

The Dredge was bad, but other mines weren't any better.

Li Lin frowned at the inhumane treatment of the workers by the Chem-Barons.

He glanced at the data analyzed by the AI on the holographic display.

The air here was so polluted it could be described as "unbreathable."

Without a respirator, even Li Lin, with his enhanced body, couldn't survive in this environment for more than a few minutes.

It was hard to imagine how people lived here.

Li Lin passed through the unattended iron gate, reaching the surface level of the Dredge Mine.

As an underground mine, the Dredge had a vast underground space that could accommodate two to three thousand people.

He entered through a door embedded in the cliffside, following the dim lights downward for over ten minutes before encountering two burly, tattooed men with Chemtech-enhanced bodies wielding Chemtech carbines.

They stood before a metal cage, easily over ten meters tall, connecting to the cave ceiling, chatting and laughing.

Noticing Li Lin, they were momentarily stunned before quickly aiming their guns at him, "Who are you?!"

Having spent years in the Undercity, they were unaware of the outside world and had no idea who this armored figure, resembling a "Hextech cyborg," was.

Ignoring their weapons, Li Lin asked, "Is Urgot your leader now?"

The two men exchanged a quick glance, seemingly amused by the young-sounding voice. They burst into mocking laughter.

"Who do you think you are?" sneered the bald thug on Li Lin's left.

The other thug, with Bilgewater-style tattoos and punk piercings, jeered, "Aren't you just another one of Shoola's spies?"

He stepped forward, tapping Li Lin's armor with his gun. "Pretty solid. Do you think this junk can withstand the Dreadnought?"

The Dreadnought was a nickname for Urgot, given by his followers after he "liberated" The Dredge from Shoola. To them, Urgot had no equal in the twin cities, not Lady Grey who haunted the upper city smog.

Li Lin's first impression of the two was that they were fearless due to ignorance.

"I was planning to spare your lives."

The thugs exchanged a glance and then laughed. The bald one couldn't contain his mirth, his eyes filled with disdain and malice.

Li Lin shook his head and activated the "Energy Field Shockwave" mode on his armor. Before the thugs could react, a burst of blue energy annihilated them completely.

Sumpter was a prison for the worst criminals. Anyone sent here by the Chem-Barons didn't last long unless they survived Urgot's brutal trials. Therefore, those loyal to Urgot were hardened criminals, and Li Lin had no reason to show mercy.

Switching his armor to infrared scan mode, Li Lin examined the area. According to the AI's data, there were 537 people left here, significantly fewer than the 1,800 Shoola had claimed. Li Lin knew where the missing ones had gone.

The scanner picked up an unusual life form in a small guardhouse a few hundred meters away. Using a series of teleportation "flashes," Li Lin moved through unseen areas, finally appearing in the guardhouse in front of a massive figure.

[Congratulations! You have encountered 25 heroes, level up by 2 levels, and earn 2 skill points.]

Just one more level to unlock more advanced technology, Li Lin thought, focusing on the bald "Dreadnought" before him. A strong man with a strong hairstyle.

Urgot's body was two-thirds mechanical, with only his head, left arm, and bare chest still flesh. Tubes of green Chemtech fluid connected his face to his mechanical body, enhancing his muscles and stimulating his mind. Six crab-like metal legs housed shotguns and flamethrowers.

Urgot was having a worker tattoo his left arm with a laser when he noticed the blue glow of Li Lin's armor. He threw the worker aside and stood, gears and metal scraping.

Stretching his crab legs, Urgot's right arm weapon locked onto Li Lin, green Chemtech fluid pulsing in his eyes. "Who are you?" Urgot's voice was raspy through the Chemtech filter. Recognition dawned. "Oh, I've seen reports about you in Piltover. Li Lin?"

"You know me?" Li Lin asked, surprised.

Urgot didn't answer, instead preparing for battle. His upper body separated, revealing a bloodied shredder and a drill connected by chains, which shot towards Li Lin.

Li Lin's armor's auto-defense system activated, deploying a force field to block the drill. Mini plasma blasts severed the chains. Urgot looked shocked.

"What is this?" Urgot demanded.

"Starting with your ultimate move? That's not fair play!" Li Lin retorted, eyes narrowing. "But today, you'll taste 'fear beyond death,' not me."

Urgot noticed the blue-white glow in Li Lin's raised palm, "Wait..."

Before he could speak further, a plasma blast enveloped him in a sphere of blue-white energy. In an instant, the "Dreadnought" was obliterated.

[You have killed Dreadnought Urgot (hero), level up by 5 levels, and earned 3000 blue essence, 300 orange essence, and 15 skill points.]

[Congratulations! Your level is now 54, earning 5 skill points.]

[Health: 18693/18693]

[Mana: 9290/9290]

[Combat Power: 80]

[Remaining skill points: 24]

[Wealth: 3379 blue essence, 3082 orange essence.]

Li Lin reviewed the system's notifications, confirming that the rewards for killing heroes were based on their current strength and threat level.

"Hmm, compared to Twitch, Cassiopeia, and Kog'Maw, the reward depends on the hero's power and danger," Li Lin mused.

(End of Chapter)

=========================================================

DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE

SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS

PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).


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