"Me? Of course, I'm going back tonight. If I don't go back, where am I going to sleep?"
"Stop laughing, talk to me honestly. What's with you being so weird at this hour?"
"What? Linwin really said that? Oh~~~, I didn't expect that, Linwin is quite daring."
At night, the famous food street in Zaun was bustling with people.
Nowadays, Zaun's order was stable, and the night market was thriving.
As for the old saying that children and ordinary people had to be home by seven? Ha, that was long gone.
Nowadays in Zaun, before ten o'clock at night, you could see groups of children running and playing on the streets.
After ten o'clock, even residents living in the alleys would open their doors and sit outside, enjoying the cool breeze blown into the alley by the goddess, Janna. During their leisure time, they would chat and socialize.
No need to worry about gangs, no need to worry about toxins, no need to worry about livelihoods.
Zaun had thrived, and every day for the people of Zaun was better than the last.
As long as you were willing to work, there would be rewards, without worrying about exploitation and oppression, which many Zaunites would never have dared to imagine in the past.
And this prosperity was now evident on Zaun's food street.
Under rows of street lamps were various stalls emitting the aroma of food. You could see grilled fish, fried pancakes, fried chicken, skewered meat, fruit tea desserts, as well as noodle soups and baked fruit bread.
Taking off her enforcer's coat and wearing her favorite red jacket, Vi sat down at a meat cooking stall on the food street, just a few steps away.
"Jericho's Frog and Fish"
That was the name of the stall.
"Stop the nonsense. I told you I'll go back later tonight, so don't lock the door. Leave a door open for me."
"What do you mean I'm going to sleep outside? Let me say it again, Powder, I'll be back. I know you're very happy right now, but please pay attention, my relationship with Caitlyn isn't what you think. If you keep speaking recklessly like this, you might end up sleeping on the floor for a few days."
"Also, she's not called juani, she's called Sejuani. Be careful not to let her catch you, I'm warning you in advance."
Sitting side by side with Vi, Sejuani raised her eyebrows when she heard her name and turned to look at Vi.
She wasn't used to the atmosphere of Zaun; it was too lively here.
When she was in Freljord, except for the annual gatherings, she had never seen so many people gathered together, packed like meat in a pot.
People chatted and laughed, ate delicious food, drank wine, and made noise in the night. It was so lively.
In Freljord, there were only a few nights of bonfires a year, and most of the time, as soon as it got dark, people would retreat to their rooms, wrapped in fur for warmth.
But here, gathering and revelry were not rare occurrences.
Sejuani quietly watched Vi's profile and listened to her talking on the Hextech phone.
"Alright, alright, I'm going to eat now. I've been on duty until now, and I'm starving."
"What? Okay, Powder, just wait and see. You dare say I eat slop?! You'll see when I get back tonight."
Gritting her teeth, Vi said another sentence and then hung up the Hextech phone.
Sejuani breathed a sigh of relief on the side; Vi's phone call was finally over!
In Freljord, Sejuani was very patient with hunger, but the problem was that in this environment, endurance was futile. The air was filled with the enticing smell of food at all times, making Sejuani hungry.
Placing her hand on the wooden table, Vi stood up excitedly and shouted loudly into the curtain of the stall, "Jericho!"
"Gurgle?"
The curtain of the small stall was finally pulled open, and Sejuani finally saw the appearance of the stall owner.
But with just one glance, Sejuani was surprised.
It was a humanoid creature taller than her, with a huge fish head and a body like a large barrel, wearing a clean apron.
In his right hand, he held a giant kitchen knife, and in his left hand, he held a fish head, smiling ferociously, "Gra ha ha."
"Yes, yes, hurry up, four large bowls of swamp frog meat, two of them extra spicy." Vi reached out and made a four-sign toward the fish-headed "monster."
As she spoke, Vi turned to look at Sejuani and asked aloud, "Can you handle spicy food?"
"I can," Sejuani nodded.
"Their chili is especially potent, are you sure you can handle it?" Vi said again.
On one side, Jericho patted his chest proudly and raised his head.
"As long as it's food, I can eat it," Sejuani said calmly.
"Then it's four big bowls of extra spicy swamp frog!" Vi slammed the table.
Sejuani saw the strange man give a weird smile, then pull down the curtain again.
"Ding Ding Dong!"
"Bang!"
A loud and miserable sound echoed, causing Sejuani to frown. With so many stalls on this street, from chickens plunged into frying oil to giant roasted legs of beef dripping with oil, there was a variety of food available. So why did Vi bring her to this place to eat?
Sejuani suddenly felt uneasy.
"Don't worry, Sejuani, I can vouch for Jericho's cooking with my dignity. Although his dishes may not look good, they taste delicious!" Vi said confidently.
Well technically, Vi thought it was delicious.
"Jarvan, we need to be careful; this isn't Demacia."
"Relax, Garen, it's safe here. As you can see, Zaun is different from what the stories say; it should be relatively safe. Don't you want to enjoy Zaun's nightlife? Let's go and have a few drinks."
Just as Sejuani began to suspect whether Vi was tricking her, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
Turning around, she saw Jarvan IV, tall and handsome in student attire, appearing on the food street.
Behind him were several men, one with short hair slightly shorter but more muscular than Jarvan IV.
They were a group from Demacia.
"Heh."
Seeing this, Sejuani sneered contemptuously, then withdrew her gaze.
But her voice caught the attention of Jarvan IV.
"It's Sejuani," Jasticar whispered.
Jarvan IV and Garen stood side by side, looking at the woman sitting in front of the stall.
Sejuani's temperament was out of place, like a block of extreme cold ice. She just sat there quietly, emitting a cold aura. If you got close to her, you would even feel the surrounding temperature drop by several degrees.
"Just ignore her," Jarvan IV said.
He came down to Zaun to have some fun and see what Zaun's nightlife was like, not to interact with Sejuani.
As he stepped forward, passing by the stall where Sejuani was, the curtain was pulled open, revealing a monster's face, frightening the group from Demacia.
"It's a demon!"
"Hurry, protect His Highness!"
Jasticar quickly shouted, and Garen immediately stood in front of Jarvan IV, alertly watching the monster holding two large bowls.
"Are you crazy?" Vi was startled and turned back to look at the group. She said loudly, "What demon? Have you been reading too many stories? If you want to leave, then leave, don't block the road. I'll arrest you if you keep causing commotions."
Listening to Vi's words, Jarvan IV felt a bit embarrassed and raised his hand to speak, but Vi had already turned her head.
Then, there was a strong smell.
In the two large bowls placed by the strange fish man, there were various colors of frog meat - blue, red, black, and brown. The green soup was filled with bright red chili peppers, but even so, the broth was dark green.
The disgusting appearance and foul smell made Sejuani gag.
Disgusting appearance, nauseating smell.
"Ugh."
Sejuani's throat moved.
Is this... food?
"Mmm, Jericho, this is the taste!"
Vi picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of green frog meat, it looked like frog legs, put it in her mouth and chewed. Vi even sprayed a little green juice on the table as she spoke.
"Hurry up, let's go, this is so disgusting."
Jasticar heard the voice from his team, which echoed his own sentiments. But since His Highness didn't leave, how could Jasticar dare to leave in front of Jarvan IV?
But obviously, Jarvan IV couldn't stand the taste and appearance of Jericho's cooked frog meat either.
Taking a step forward, at this moment, Jarvan IV didn't intend to explain to Vi anymore.
He was afraid he couldn't even eat his dinner after watching for a little longer.
The Demacian group quickly walked away.
Sejuani quietly looked at the two big bowls in front of her, each the size of her head, filled with green soup and frog meat chunks.
"."
"Eat up, Sejuani, why aren't you eating?" Vi turned to Sejuani and, seeing her serious expression, immediately said, "I understand. Don't worry, didn't I just say it? Jericho's food may not look good, but it tastes great."
"You think this stuff tastes good?" Sejuani looked at Vi with a twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Give it a try." Vi looked at Sejuani hopefully, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
She had brought many people to Jericho's place to taste it, but so far, only she had eaten here.
Hmm, why couldn't these people taste the goodness in Jericho's cuisine?
With a serious look at the big bowl, eventually, Sejuani still gritted her teeth and took a bit of soup with a wooden spoon.
As long as it was food, Sejuani could eat it. This statement was not just talk.
At the worst times, Sejuani had eaten bark. You should know that raw meat, blood dripping, was a delicacy for Sejuani, so cooked frog meat, although unsightly, should be edible.
Placed at her lips, Sejuani extended her tongue and licked.
The next moment, her features twisted together, and she turned numbly to Vi.
"Is this what you call... delicious?"
Not that she couldn't eat it, she could, but it really choked her throat.
Especially with so many delicious smells around, this frog meat seemed... well, this is garbage? It must be garbage, right?
"Why? I really think it's delicious!" Eating skillfully with chopsticks, unlike Sejuani, who had a complicated expression after taking a bite, Vi ate heartily, cheeks bulging like buns, feeling extremely satisfied.
"Whoo."
Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, Sejuani gritted her teeth and finally finished off the two bowls of frog meat.
"You're the first person I've brought here who finished Jericho's food," Vi said, feeling touched.
"So you've brought many people here to eat this stuff?" Sejuani picked up the napkin on the table and wiped her mouth.
Boiled frog meat was very spicy, so spicy that Sejuani's lips were red, even a little swollen.
Vi smiled and asked again, "Since you've finished eating, let me ask you, how's the taste?"
"It's hard to describe." Sejuani looked at Vi expressionlessly and said, "I find it hard to imagine that in a bowl of frog meat like this, I can taste spicy, sour, salty, and even... a bit sweet? Especially its texture, it's more like seaweed than meat, slippery, no chewiness at all. And what's really strange is why after eating it, I always feel like my stomach's on fire? My mouth also feels numb, really numb."
Saying that, Sejuani had the first thought of disgust about food in her life.
Oh no, it's definitely not the fault of the swamp frog meat, it's the fault of the cook.
"Sejuani, you described it so accurately. I just love this texture!" Vi looked at Sejuani, exclaimed, her face full of excitement.
"I plan to use the words you just said to introduce Jericho's cuisine in the future."
Sejuani with a cold face, "."
Do you call this stuff cuisine?
"As for what you said about feeling like your stomach's on fire and your mouth going numb. Don't worry, that's normal."
Vi said indifferently as she handed the bowl to Jericho, who was making gurgling sounds.
"Because the frog meat from the Mire has a weak toxicity."
"Toxicity?" Sejuani's eyes widened.
"Don't worry, the toxicity is weak, eating too much will at most give you diarrhea," Vi said nonchalantly.
"You....." Sejuani looked at Vi, remembering the days in Freljord when this woman had also been nothing but troublesome to Sejuani.
Vi was always so casual.
"Jericho, I'll come back next time!"
Pulling Sejuani's arm, Vi stood up.
"Where to now?" Sejuani asked as they walked along the food street.
"Where? I'll take you back," Vi said.
"I want to explore a bit more."
"What about those two people following you?" Vi asked.
Sejuani paused, she didn't expect Vi to care about her two tribespeople.
"They won't wander around, I've already talked to them."
"I mean, what about their food? You're full now, but what about them?" Vi turned around and looked at Sejuani.
"I'll bring some food back for them."
"Got it, since you want to explore more, okay, I'll accompany you. Besides, it can also be my excuse for taking a day off tomorrow." Vi stretched her body and flicked her fingers.
----------
It was 10:30 at night in Zaun.
Sejuani carried a big bag full of various foods.
Walking along the food street, Sejuani and Vi walked side by side.
What Sejuani found interesting was that many people on this street knew Vi. When they saw Vi, they would greet her and make way for her.
"You don't have money now, so you can spend mine for now, but remember to pay me back when you have money," Vi said to Sejuani.
"I'm kinda broke you know?" Vi said to Sejuani.
"I know." Sejuani looked into the distance and saw Jarvan IV's group again.
Vi didn't pay attention, she was in a hurry to go back.
If she went back late, Powder would really fall asleep, and then it would be hard to deal with her.
"Let's go, it's almost eleven, can we go back now?"
"Yeah."
Sejuani withdrew her gaze and followed Vi.
And it was at this moment that a strange horn sounded.
Vi, who had been carefree before, suddenly tensed up and looked up at the sky.
Sejuani looked at Vi puzzled, but Vi didn't pay attention to Sejuani.
"Woo woo woo!"
"All residents of Zaun, please evacuate the northern mining area immediately!"
"Enforcers, please gear up and hurry to the northern mining area!"
"Woo woo woo!"
"All residents of Zaun...."
Vi suddenly grabbed Sejuani's arm and said sternly, "Stay here and don't move, don't wander around, I have something to do now."
After speaking, Vi ran towards the north side.
Sejuani stood still, feeling puzzled. Zaun was chaotic and complicated, and she didn't know the way around without Vi. Without Vi, she couldn't even find her way to the boundary markets.
"Hurry up!"
The enforcers patrolling the food street quickly lined up, and Sejuani saw Vi joining them.
In just a moment, a group of enforcers appeared in the sky and flew towards the northern mining area.
"Boom!"
Explosions rang out—
Then, a series of consecutive explosions, followed by intense flames appearing in the northern sky of Zaun—
Jarvan IV heard the explosion and was stunned. When the fire eruptet, he immediately patted Garen's shoulder hard and said loudly, "Quick, Garen, organize people to help extinguish the fire."
"Yes!"
Garen quickly raised his hand, and the three Dauntless Vanguard soldiers who accompanied him immediately rushed northward at a very fast speed.
And Jasticar quickly followed.
"Weird... Father said that Zaun is very powerful now, and Noxus dare not invade the Twin Cities, so this explosion... should be an accident in the mine?" Jarvan IV thought.
Meanwhile, Sejuani had already approached him.
She saw everything.
Curiously looking at Jarvan IV who was giving commands, Sejuani couldn't understand, so she spoke up, "Little prince."
"Don't call me that, Sejuani," Jarvan IV turned around, frowning.
"What does this matter have to do with you, with you all?" Seeing Jarvan IV looking at her, Sejuani immediately said.
She continued, "Why do you want to go help a group of strangers?"
"Is there a reason for me to not help them?"
------------
"Damn it, this pit, these monsters, what, what are these monsters!"
"Stop them, don't let them rush out!"
"Who allowed you to mine at night, are you crazy!!!"
"Open fire!!"
"Shh, shh, shh"
Under the deep pit of the northern mine, the sound of shushing came one after another, and the enforcers in formation turned on their flashlights and shone them at the edge of the cave.
There, climbing out were monsters—
It was the Void.
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