บท 148: CHAPTER 148 - Threads of Fate
Under the scorching sun, even the rivers in the desert were evaporating, emitting continuous transparent heat waves.
Two colossal skallashi, accompanied by a camel, carried Li Lin, Kassadin, and Sivir, strolling along the banks of the River of Life.
As the Life Water from the Dawn Oasis in the imperial capital replenished this river, the once sandy and slightly murky water became clear and transparent again.
Faintly, a strange emerald glow could be seen.
Li Lin and Kassadin bid farewell to Azir. After leaving the capital, they followed the River of Life eastward.
According to their original plan, they intended to travel along the Kahleek River in the southern part of the Sun City to Shurima, then cross the southeastern mountains to reach the Valley of Song.
This was the route Kassadin would inevitably take when returning home a few years ago.
However, having sneaked away from Azir, Sivir, who caught up with them, warned that the eastern bank of the river was now occupied by the void beings known as the Xer'Sai, making it extremely dangerous.
Kassadin, who hadn't traversed the desert for a long time, was naturally unaware of this.
As for walking along the western bank of the Kahleek River...
To reach Shurima, they would have to take a much longer detour, wasting precious time.
With Li Lin's time constraints, at Sivir's suggestion, they decided to go to Vekaura in the east first, then bypass the "Sea of Bones" and head to the Marrowmark Market.
Originally, Sivir intended to leave after trying on the Power Amor and return to Nashramae.
However, after trying it on, she found that the suit Li Lin had tailored for himself didn't fit her well, and its performance was subpar.
Sivir believed that this powered exoskeleton was just a half-hearted attempt by Li Lin, and she insisted he create a suit at least as good as Kassadin's.
But how could Li Lin, without materials and equipment, create powered exoskeletons for her in this vast and endless desert?
With Sivir's strong demand and Li Lin's proposal, she eventually joined this expedition against the Void.
Once all was settled and they returned to Nashramae, he would start working on creating it for her.
As noon passed, the three of them finished lunch in the shade by the river, took a short rest, and resumed their journey.
Vekaura was about half a month's journey from the Sun City.
They had been on the road for more than ten days and were about to reach their destination.
On the camel, Sivir, feeling a bit bored, looked up at Li Lin, who was sitting calmly on Skallashi, and suddenly thought of a question.
"By the way, didn't Azir say he sent two sand soldiers to follow you and check on the Void situation? Why haven't I seen them?"
"Of course, they've melded into the yellow sand. Haven't you felt a slight sourness in your mouth?" Li Lin, who was contemplating the design of his next set of armor, had his thoughts interrupted by her, sounding slightly impatient.
Sivir wasn't bothered by his attitude and continued with curiosity, "Can you call them out, or is Azir still controlling them?"
"If he could control sand soldiers from such a distance, do you think you could still follow us?"
"Well, saying it like that seems reasonable..."
Ever since meeting Azir and confirming his royal bloodline, Sivir's mentality had undergone subtle changes.
For example, although she used to be talkative, her topics were mainly focused on how to complete missions and where to enjoy life after getting paid.
Li Lin's face was full of helplessness. "And I can't control them. Azir has already given them orders. When they encounter the Xer'Sai in the Sea of Bones or the Void rift in the Valley of Songs, they will gather intelligence and return to Azir."
Sivir was stunned for a moment, her expression suddenly turning horrified.
"Huh?! You're still planning to go to the Sea of Bones? Are you insane? Do you think your powered exoskeleton and these three robots can defeat the endless Xer'Sai?"
"Don't worry, Sivir. We're just roaming on the outskirts," Kassadin explained. "Kill one Xer'Sai , and then let the sand soldiers relay the message back. That's enough."
"But the Xer'Sai don't act alone!" Sivir strongly opposed their risky idea. "Moreover, there's an even more terrifying presence among the Xer'Sai..."
"But it usually roams around the center of the Sea of Bones, right?" Li Lin's words made Sivir hesitate. "That's enough. Kassadin has the Void Blade, and my powered armor has weapon capabilities. Plus, with three robots, luring and killing one Xer'Sai should be more than enough."
Sivir fell into silence.
If they only targeted one Xer'Sai, three well-trained mercenaries should be able to directly kill it.
The most challenging aspect of dealing with them was their ability to lurk, similar to sandstalkers. Most people fell victim to their ambushes.
But Ekthai Ekthars also had very obvious weaknesses; they relied only on acute perception and hearing, lacking vision.
With proper preparation, trapping and killing one shouldn't be a big problem...
After thinking for a long time, Sivir sighed slowly. "Alright, as long as you don't go deep into the Sea of Bones and do something foolish."
...
...
Vekaura, located at the intersection of the main channel of the River of Life and the Kahleek River branch.
During the Darkin War, this place had been destroyed by the fallen god-warriors who fought from all directions.
Nowadays, most Shurimans believed that Vekaura was just a camp built on the ruins of an abandoned old city, a place for travelers and exploration teams to rest.
However, these were just rumors and hearsay.
Because of its superior geographical location, coupled with over a millennium of reconstruction and development, Vekaura had already been reborn as a lively town.
The bustling town was immersed in various colorful spices and the strong aroma of grilled meat.
People at the market strolled under various canvas awnings, engaging in intense negotiations with vendors or chatting loudly with occasional acquaintances.
Li Lin, Kassadin, and Sivir entrusted the Skallashi and the camel to individuals outside the city responsible for their care.
Subsequently, the three entered the town through the half-collapsed city wall and walked into the inner city along the spacious market street crowded with hundreds of people.
After enduring a month and a half in the desert, they had grown tired of days accompanied by yellow sand.
Therefore, after some discussion, they decided to rest in this city for three days and purchase necessary supplies.
On the fourth day, they planned to hunt down a Xer'Sai on the outskirts of the Sea of Bones before continuing south.
Due to the conspicuous and peculiar powered exoskeletons worn by Li Lin and Kassadin, coupled with the four levitating machines behind them, almost no vendors or thieves dared to approach them like they would with other travelers. Instead, they cleared a path, their eyes expressing various emotions as they observed the trio.
"Being with you guys does have some advantages," Sivir remarked, her eyebrows lightly furrowed as she looked around, feeling disgusted by the persistent gazes fixed on her.
"That means I finally don't have to deal with these disgusting guys myself," she added.
Li Lin discerned the meaning in her words and appraised her for a moment. "Well, I think if you wore a bit more, they might not look at you like that."
"Tch!" Sivir rolled her eyes at him and directly took off the crossblade she was carrying on her back, causing those unabashed glances to disappear immediately.
A trace of disdain flashed in her eyes.
At this moment, Kassadin, who had been silent for a long time, couldn't help but exclaim, "It's been so many years since I last came to Vekaura... I didn't expect it to change so much."
"Vekaura changes almost every year," Sivir replied. "When I came here two years ago, those guys from different tribes were still enemies."
She pointed to a corner of the street where several marks of nomadic tribes were placed, now piled together.
But Li Lin and they were interested in different things. "Who rules this city now? And isn't the sun disc a bit too crude?"
"Don't know, don't care," Sivir glanced at the sun temple in the distance, where a poorly crafted imitation made of rusty bronze was hoisted with rusted ropes. She couldn't help but sneer.
"If Azir were here, he would definitely be furious and destroy this ugly thing."
Hmm...
Why did he suddenly feel a familiar and unexpected sensation?
Hearing Sivir's words, Li Lin suddenly felt a strange emotion deep in his heart.
Time had passed too long, and daily busyness caused him to forget some of the finer details.
Vekaura, Sivir, and, if added, Nasus and Taliyah...
Li Lin suddenly remembered that this city was the place where Xerath and Nasus had a major battle later on?!
Kassadin noticed Li Lin suddenly stopping in his tracks and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, maybe just a bit tired. Let's find an inn and rest for a while." Li Lin shook his head, speaking in a casual tone.
But his mind was already in chaos.
When gods fight, mortals suffer.
If Xerath's actions are really that swift, we can't linger in this place.
However, after careful consideration, Li Lin felt relieved.
After his "butterfly effect," the original timeline had already changed.
Sivir didn't get injured in the conflict with the bandits, and Taliyah wasn't here to take care of her.
Besides, Xerath had only left the imperial tomb a little over half a month ago, so he shouldn't be here so soon.
Just as he was deep in thought, he inadvertently collided with a girl who happened to be walking towards him.
"Ouch!" The girl exclaimed in pain, her body uncontrollably falling backward.
Quick on his feet, Li Lin hurriedly stepped forward, reaching out to grab this petite girl, preventing her from falling to the ground.
The girl looked a bit flustered, apologizing as she looked up, "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you."
"No, I should be the one apologizing..." Li Lin said, helping her stabilize.
As he looked closely at the girl's appearance, his eyes widened, a surprised expression on his face.
"You are... Taliyah?!"
(End of this chapter)
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