lol: After being blessed by the Happy Demon, I became the harem king

Page 35

Even when she walks, her light, airy steps, accompanied by the occasional bursts of cheerful electric electricity on her body, make her little braids, which rise and fall, appear exceptionally bright.

In contrast, Salafine gives off a much stranger vibe.

Following behind Fain and Zeli, Zeli shuffled out on tiptoe, looking hesitant and drowsy. She was soaking wet, as if she'd just been pulled from the water. An unnatural pink tinge clung to her fair skin, as if she were desperately pleading and yearning for something. She constantly looked around, taking one step at a time, glancing down at her footprints every now and then, as if afraid some liquid might drip out.

This made Caitlin frown slightly—but considering that Fane was still there, Caitlin quickly calmed herself down. She silently decided to wait until she gained more of Fane's trust and more freedom of movement before properly questioning Salafine.

After all, right now, I'm only relatively safe...

Although she seemed free, Caitlin was a person with a clear sense of self and did not forget that she was actually a prisoner just because she was being treated well.

Caitlin knew perfectly well that she was still in a precarious situation, as the power of life and death over this body was entirely in Farn's hands.

We're too busy taking care of ourselves to help others...

In contrast, Jinx is much more straightforward.

Jinx glanced curiously at Fain, then stared at Zeli for a while, and finally glanced at Seraphine, who was fidgeting behind them. She then crossed her arms and asked, "Is this... over?"

"It's over." Farn nodded and gave an OK sign. "Perfectly completed."

As he spoke, recalling the hour he spent in the material realm and the more than three hours he had been powerful in the spiritual realm... he nodded vigorously, savoring the experience, and said, "The ritual was a great success!"

Hearing this, Zeli rolled her eyes at Fain, somewhat speechless, but still nodded and struck a pose showing off her biceps, saying with a smile, "Now Seraphine and I are Fain and Janna's chosen ones!"

Upon hearing Zeli's words, Salafine, who was standing to the side, also gave a slightly forced smile and said, "Uh... yes, that's right."

"That's it? I don't feel any change?"

Jinx blinked curiously at the two people in front of her.

Jinx didn't worship Janna, but her secret base with Vi and others since childhood was an ancient underground Janna altar. Back then, while Zaunites could still enter Piltover, working as porters at the Sungate docks, they were strong, so don't expect them to have much aesthetic sense or craftsmanship. Therefore, the statues of Janna, while not exactly identical, were completely unrelated; one could easily make one of them a Peashooter in the next room.

In this situation, it's difficult to get Jinx to have faith in such a statue.

Judging from their appearances, Zeli and Seraphine didn't seem to have changed much. If you had to say, Zeli looked radiant and seemed to have been well-nourished. As for Seraphine... well, she didn't seem drained of energy, but rather like she was mentally exhausted and suffocated from continuous endurance.

Sensing Jinx's curiosity, Zephyr closed her eyes, sensed for a moment, then suddenly opened them. A burst of electricity crackled at her temples, and a pale white storm mark appeared on her forehead. Without drawing her gun or using her emotional resonance generator, she simply made a shooting motion with her hand. Then—*bang!*

The storm compressed at a speed visible to the naked eye at Zeli's fingertips, then left a white streak of lightning in the space.

"While I can't summon storms at will like that guy Fane, simply using storms in battle is still a piece of cake!"

As she spoke, to Jinx and Caitlyn's incredulous gaze, Zephyr's clothes fluttered without wind, and moments later she was floating in the air. Although not very high, only a few inches from the ground, there was no doubt that she had now detached herself from the ground and taken flight!

Since the dawn of intelligence, humankind has repeatedly imitated birds in the sky. From kites to rockets, countless people have eagerly sought to witness the unique perspective and world seen only by birds. Generation after generation has made continuous efforts, and the sky has become, in fact, almost everyone's earliest dream.

Even in Runeterra, very few people can fly freely—not to mention mortals, even legendary beings like Jax, Renekton, and Nasus still walk, they just run faster and jump higher.

And now...

"Actually, it just floated up!" It seemed like she was being modest, but in reality, Zeli's voice was full of excitement and pride, like a child showing off their new toy to a friend.

"Although I can't fly around like Fane, I'm quite fast at gliding!"

70. The Divide and Conquer Strategy, Sevika

Although the blessing received was far less intense than the direct fusion with Janna that Fain received—in fact, from the perspective of beings in the spiritual realm, it was more like Fain devoured Janna rather than fused with her, leaving only Janna's consciousness behind.

Or perhaps Janna could be seen as the spirit of the concept of 'Winds of Change'? Only with more freedom.

Even so, as Janna's chosen one, Zephyr is now a true son of Zaun.

According to the traditions of Runeterra, when a person gains the approval of the people or deities of their region and city-state, they can be called the Son of a certain region. Although Janna is not a powerful deity, there aren't many decent ones in all of Zaun.

This might offend some people, but it's true that when the cat's away, the mice will play... and Gana becomes the God-King.

It's absurd, really. The god-kings are all authoritarian, totalitarian rulers. But Janna is essentially about change; it's just ridiculous.

But considering the environment in both cities... it's alright.

However, as beings in the spiritual realm, when the Naga's power can truly descend into the material realm, the power they display will be completely different.

Ordinary people might not know this, but Farn did—the spiritual and material realms are never in balance. The balance between the spiritual and material realms appears to be maintainable because death is like a lamp going out; in the process of reincarnation, that person's consciousness also enters a new cycle in the spiritual realm. The two realms neither increase nor decrease, endlessly cycling.

But in reality, the two areas have long been out of balance.

At least as far as Farn knows, the spiritual realm already possesses energy several times greater than the combined energy of the material realm. In this situation, as described in Master Yi's novella *The Poem of Limitlessness*—[“This feeling…” Yi looked at his hands, clenching his fist at the red-eyed Dolan approaching him: “It feels like being able to cleave an entire mountain!”]

"Yes, you really can." Ling nodded: "In this world, no armor can withstand the Limitless Sword Dao. As long as you can control more power, you can cut through a mountain, a forest, or even an entire world..."

Although Ling later said it was Yi's illusion, the actual meaning can be seen from the punctuation: Yi did not possess this power; the one who possessed this power was Vastaya Shari from the ancient war.

That's just how Runeterra is. No matter what legendary warrior you are, in the end you either master runic magic or the spiritual realm. Don't let Riven's Noxian captain-like demeanor fool you; she seems like she could fight anyone all day. But in reality, the reason Riven survived the alchemical explosion in the story was because of the magical protection of her Blackrock Greatsword.

In this situation, through Janna's blessing, Janna's spiritual energy can act on Zeli's body...

Watching Zeli's retreating figure, based on Faen's guess, Zeli could easily wipe out a riot squad now. In fact, if Zeli were just a little careful, she would only have a slightly dirty hem of her clothes by the time the last one of them was dead.

From another perspective, Evelyn actually treated the Lone Wolf in the same way... Don't be fooled by how easily Farn took her down. In reality, given the Lone Wolf's strength, very few people in the entire Twin Cities could confidently claim victory over her.

After all... the Twin Cities are practically a mortal haven in Runeterra.

What? You mean Demacia?

You call those guys who push seven- or eight-meter-tall stone sculptures as daily training exercises ordinary people? Are you kidding me?

Thinking this, Faen said, "Alright, things are almost over. We can talk about the related skills training and familiarization when we get home. There should be a dedicated training ground there."

Upon hearing this, Zeli, Jinx, and the others nodded in agreement, and then followed Fane toward the pressure elevator not far away—Fane had already requisitioned the tower estate of the alchemist barons.

It might sound strange, but Fain isn't the type to deliberately make things difficult for himself—if someone is willing to endure hardship, there's no end to the suffering. So what if he's requisitioning the alchemist barons' tower estates? Fain has brought so much change to Zaun; is it wrong for him to enjoy it?

It was already night when the group was hunting the lone woman, and now that they had finished their work and returned from the middle levels of Zaun, it was already 2 a.m.

Of the group, while Fan and Zeli appeared completely unfazed by fatigue, Salafine, though feeling stifled, was actually experiencing a complex mix of emotions she couldn't express. In fact, she possessed remarkably abundant energy; in fact, it was precisely this abundance of energy that caused her discomfort. If she were truly exhausted, she would likely have already collapsed into bed.

As for Jinx and Caitlyn... well, Jinx was always full of energy.

This person, whose spirit didn't weaken during the long period of internal strife, actually became more and more energetic due to mental illness, and was also a master at staying up all night. Especially nourished by a large amount of luminous energy, Jinx looked thin and weak, but her explosive power far exceeded that of ordinary people.

In comparison, although her spirit was equally strong and resilient, Caitlin lost because she was too normal. By the time she arrived at the Tower Manor, she couldn't help but yawn several times.

When the group arrived at the manor gate, they saw a familiar figure at the entrance.

Under the lamplight, a solitary figure leaned against the outer wall of the Tower Manor. Head bowed, a long shadow stretched across his face in the lamplight. As Faen's current residence, it was practically unguarded—or rather, completely unguarded. Faen had manipulated the surrounding water and wind with his mental power, ensuring that anyone approaching would be detected instantly.

Unless that person's attainments in the spiritual realm are comparable.

Even if someone's spiritual cultivation surpasses that of Fane, Fane can still detect it immediately. This is because it involves the level of life. It's hard to say what stage Fane's life level is at, but Fane is using the essence of Osiris... the life level of this primordial demon is truly boundless.

It might be hard to say about other places, but this is a twin-city area.

After exchanging greetings, Fain led Zelly and Seraphine inside, leaving Vi to Jinx and Caitlyn behind. Upon seeing Vi, Jinx paused slightly, then looked away and followed Fain. Caitlyn, on the other hand, was much more candid, saying with a relieved expression:

"You've finally arrived. I was wondering if those guys in the council would use you as a scapegoat and imprison you again to vent their anger."

Hearing this, Vi turned her attention away from Jinx, who was walking away indifferently out of the corner of her eye. She sighed silently to herself, then shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I feel that even if the men in Piltover are crazy, they wouldn't be crazy to this extent... At least your mom cares about you so much, she'll definitely protect me."

Although he had already gone far away, Fain couldn't help but turn around and glance back after sensing the conversation between the three women behind him, his eyes filled with a playful expression.

These women… Jinx knew that her cold, silent passing would hurt Vi, but she still pretended to be indifferent. Vi knew Jinx was doing this to hurt her, but she still felt sad and resentful. Vi also knew that ignoring Jinx by letting her leave would hurt her, but she did it anyway. Jinx knew Vi was doing it on purpose, but she still felt angry and resentful.

That's why they're called sisters! This family is so twisted, it feels like they're always on the verge of pulling each other's hair, but they just hold back, hoping the other person will break down first, so they can comfortably stand up as the victim and accuse and resent each other...

Go form a band, I won't watch K/DA without you guys.

Although he enjoys watching women fight, Fahn can't force Jinx, one of the main characters, to engage in a cold war. Somewhat disappointed, Fahn isn't in a hurry, after all, Jinx and Caitlyn are right there, and the future antics will only continue. While this kind of fun doesn't bring much material benefit, it can at least serve as a mental massage to alleviate the occasional boredom of life.

After leaving the scene, Fain took Zeli and Salafenny to rest inside the Tower Manor.

This time, they truly helped them understand and utilize the power of Janna's blessing—they've already experienced it in the spiritual realm. It's time to get down to some other important business.

After several hours of practice, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The next morning, Sevika knocked on the door of the Tower Manor.

With Farn's permission, the water flow pushed open the gate, guiding Safeka inside. After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a garden within the Tower Manor.

Wearing a bathrobe and leaning back in his chair, Fain sipped hot water and said, "So early? What? Did someone come looking for you?"

Upon hearing this, Sevika nodded indifferently, then slammed a secret letter onto the table in front of Fane, and stood aside with his arms crossed, saying, "Those guys want me to betray Zaun and sell your information."

"Your thoughts?"

"I don't know, but perhaps we can take advantage of it?" Sevika frowned, looking quite troubled about what to do, and simply turned his gaze directly to Fan.

Farn did not respond immediately, but instead picked up the secret letter and began to read it with great interest.

71. Reform Plan

Fain was not surprised at all by Safeka's selection.

Because Savika is often the best choice – just like when she joined the Piltover Council as a Zaun agent in the ending of Twin Cities 2. While Savika might not seem like the best option, given the interplay of various interests, no one is more suitable than her.

Strong Zaunites would make things difficult for Piltover, while Piltover enthusiasts would only incite a new wave of uprisings. In contrast, Savika, who initially helped Shireko out of dissatisfaction with Vander's weakness, but then pragmatically helped Shireko stabilize the situation and prevent further deterioration after recognizing reality, is, without exaggeration, a gender-swapped Vander without the same charisma and appeal.

However, this "not so strong" is only relative to Vander. As the neighborhood boss during Vander's era and Hilco's right-hand man, Sevika's reputation, in terms of his current status, is somewhat similar to that of the old man from the American gentry who has just announced his candidacy for president. It's the kind of situation where no one paid attention before, but now that he's suddenly stepped forward, people realize, 'Oh right, there's this one too!'

Well, that only applies to the old man who was in the first election against the Emperor of Ten Thousand Taxes.

For both cities, Safeca, having recognized reality, was the best choice. But now, it seems the situation at the grassroots level has changed...?

After opening the envelope and looking inside, a predictable expression appeared on Farn's face.

The secret letter sent to Sevika was not in the name of the Piltover Council, but in the name of the Feros family. Of course, in addition to the Feros family itself, there were also the personal signatures of some other family members.

"The Hextech Crystal Factory is the property of the Feros family and the lifeblood of Piltover. Piltover is a large interest group, but beneath it, each family is an independent interest group, and different factions within these families also have different interests. They are intertwined and influence each other, which is what makes Piltover what it is today."

Farn said calmly, "The business involving the Hextech Crystal Factory involves many people in Piltover. As long as the chaos in Zaun continues, the Hextech Crystal Factory's production cannot resume. For these trading families, watching their factories shut down and profits decrease is naturally worse than death. And 60% or more of the pollution in Zaun originates from the Hextech Crystal Factory. It's impossible to resume production until they resolve the pollution."

Upon hearing this, Sevika nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "What should I do?"

"Nothing to do."

Farn appeared calm: "The reason why the reduced benefits are worse than killing them is because they didn't really die."

Sensing the coldness beneath Fane's calm words, Sevika seemed to realize something and didn't press the matter further. Instead, she said, "Hilkor asked me to inquire with you about Zaun's next steps. Will they continue with martial law?"

“Keep it running, and I’ll talk to him when it needs to be deactivated. But before that…” Farn stroked his chin and said, “Set up some signal equipment, and it’s time to make the people of Piltover realize why Runeterra is called Runeterra, and not Techland.”

Upon hearing this, Sevika nodded, and after confirming that there were no other issues, he turned and left.

Upon seeing Safeka leave and glancing at the secret letter on the table, Farn did not show any extra emotion.

The most criticized aspect of Twin Cities 2 is that the two cities never truly reconciled or understood each other; the actual problems remained unresolved. It was only through Noxus's Deus Ex machina introducing a powerful external enemy that the two cities were forced to cooperate temporarily.

Although this cooperation eased the hatred between the two cities and led to Sevika, who eventually inherited Hilk's political legacy, entering the Piltover Council, what difference did it make?

Other trading families have decades or even centuries of experience and a deep-rooted foundation, their interests closely intertwined with those of the city, which is why they enjoy their superior status. Without these resources, the best outcome for Sevika would be to become a mere mascot of the council, like Heimerdinger… When a conflict of interest arises, even Heimerdinger, the founder of the progressive city of Piltover, could be voted out. Why can't Sevika be removed from office?

Regardless of the purpose, sowing discord in this way is too simplistic—especially since Farn can directly read other people's thoughts through the mental realm.

Meanwhile, having received news from Fain, Hilko immediately began cooperating with Shuona.

However, something disappointed Fain. Although Hilko knew Fain's purpose, neither Hilko, Shuona, nor the others in Zaun knew how to truly change Zaun. Just as Caitlyn only realized the existence of demons after witnessing their appearance firsthand, Hilko and the others, living in Zaun, also faced the problem of being too close to the situation to see it clearly.

So Farn decided to hold a temporary meeting.

"The governance of Zaun absolutely cannot rely solely on the old approach of using violence to suppress violence." In the conference room, Fain calmly looked at the people in front of him.

"Changing Zu'an is not something that can be accomplished by simply shouting a few slogans; it is a long and systematic project. And the solutions to these problems are multifaceted, but they can be simply divided into superficial and deep-seated issues."

Upon hearing Fan's words, the crowd remained silent, simply gazing at Fan and awaiting his advice or command.

Farn didn't waste any words and simply said, "The surface problem stems from the environmental pollution caused by the alchemy plant and the Hextech crystal factory. This has led to the continuous deterioration of Zaun's environment, but we can have scholars conduct research by appointing and hiring them. I will approve the specific plans."

"In addition, there is economic exploitation originating from Piltover. This economic exploitation is comprehensive, not only in overt transactions, but also includes black market business. Related reforms can complement environmental improvement. Whether it is developing clean energy, purification equipment, or labor-intensive industries such as machinery manufacturing, they all provide employment opportunities for the lower classes and reduce dependence on the black market and criminal gangs."

"The deeper problem is the stigmatization of Zaun—the long-term rivalry between the two cities has led to a separation of identity between the people of Zaun and Piltover, and Zaun has been stigmatized as a 'lawless land' and a 'crime city'."

Farn said, "This stigma creates a lot of unnecessary burdens, pressures, and temptations for Zaun teenagers as they grow up. But the image of Zaun can be reshaped through the spread and dissemination of art and culture. Well, it can be done through street culture, graffiti culture, community music, and other mediums. I think young people in Piltover would love that."

“And more importantly,” Farn tapped the table and said calmly, “reveal the historical truth of the division between the two cities, emphasize common interests, and prevent the intergenerational transmission of hatred. At the very least, let the young people of Piltover know.”

Although Fain had finished speaking, the discussion didn't end there. Instead, a longer silence fell between them, filled with complex emotions, as they occasionally whispered and exchanged ideas. After a while, even Hilk couldn't help but sigh softly… Did Fain, as an Ionian, seem to understand the direction of change in Zaun better than they, the old Zaunites, did?

But with that thought in mind, Hilko still looked at Farn and asked, "So... what about Piltover?"

"Piltwolf won't stand by and watch Zaun change... They need a brother who bleeds," Hillco asked.

Upon hearing this, Farn nodded, then calmly said:

"Yes, the most crucial thing after martial law is to balance the intervention from Piltover with the autonomy of Zaun. If we are not careful, we will repeat the traditional mistakes of Zaun in the past, which were to use violence to control violence."

“So the solution is quite simple.” Farn smiled. “I will make a public visit to them, and they will soon understand that there should be more civilized exchanges between the two cities.”