Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

Cipher paid no attention to Silco's skeptical, condescending gaze—one that seemed reserved for someone humoring a dimwitted person.

Understanding them required more brilliance than most could muster.

"You can think of Arcane as a form of knowledge," Cipher explained, picking up a piece of chalk. He drew simple numbers on a nearby slate. "Using a medium and formula, one can unleash arcane energy—like 1 + 1 = 2. The Hextech gemstone is the '1,' the formula is the '+,' and together they produce the arcane energy, or '2.' That is what Piltover is working on with Hextech."

He watched their faces carefully as he spoke. Only Powder and Ekko's eyes showed that spark of understanding.

Unfortunately, the adults present were thoroughly baffled, their blank faces betraying their utter lack of comprehension. Vander scratched his head while Sevika crossed her arms.

"To put it simply," Cipher continued, erasing his chalk marks with a sweep of his hand, "think of it this way: Piltover is on the verge of creating magical tools. In essence, they can now manufacture magic, and the Hextech gemstones are the key to it all."

"You're saying they can create magic?!"

"Not create—channel. Control. Manufacture." Cipher tapped the slate for emphasis. "Like building a machine to harness the wind."

The adults fell silent again.

In this world, magic was overwhelmingly powerful, and everyone believed it was an innate ability—either you were born with it, or you weren't.

Now, Cipher was claiming that Piltover could create artificial magic, an idea that overturned everything they thought they knew.

"You mentioned earlier that Shimmer also opened the gateway to arcane?" Silco asked, his gaze fixed meaningfully on the Hextech gemstone in Cipher's hand. His mechanical eye whirred softly as it focused.

"Correct. Shimmer taps into the potential of the human body. It also utilizes arcane energy, but it does so in a crude and destructive way, causing great harm to the body."

He placed the gemstone carefully on the table. "In essence, both Shimmer and Hextech use science to pry open the door to arcane energy. However, Shimmer focuses on physical enhancement, while Hextech leans toward the creation of equipment."

Powder, who had been quietly observing until now, asked, "But what happens to people who use Shimmer?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity, but there was something darker there too—a hunger for understanding that Cipher recognized all too well.

Vander's hand came down protectively on her shoulder. "That's not something you need to worry about."

"She asks good questions," Cipher said, meeting Powder's gaze. "Shimmer is like a key that breaks the lock. Sure, you get through the door, but you destroy something in the process. The human body isn't meant to handle that kind of power."

"That's enough," Vander rumbled, but Cipher held up a hand.

"No, they should understand this." He turned to the children. "Down here, people sometimes think they have no choice. But that's exactly why we need to find better ways. Real solutions, not quick fixes."

"Like Hextech?" Ekko's eyes sparkled with interest.

"Maybe." Cipher glanced at Silco, whose expression had grown increasingly irritated during this exchange. He doesn't like me talking to the kids. Especially not about this.

"All this talk of Hextech and better solutions. Tell me straight—can you actually master it?"

"No, my research is worlds apart from Hextech. I don't have the skills to master it, but I could let that Mad Chemist of yours give it a try." Cipher shook his head.

All of his so-called research had been plagiarized from another world.

Zaun's supposed genius mechanic? Sorry, but he was nothing more than a master plagiarist!

"This is all we can do for now. Without advancements in technology, Zaun will be left in the dust by Piltover."

"They have their Academy..." Silco's face grew grim. He could clearly see the revolutionary changes Hextech would bring.

"That's exactly what I wanted to address. Piltover has its Academy, constantly producing scientists for their cause, while Zaun has nothing but self-taught tinkerers. Whenever someone with real talent emerges, they eventually defect to Piltover, putting their skills to work for their enemies."

Cipher sighed deeply. Zaun's harsh environment made it nearly impossible to retain talent—anyone with potential fled to Piltover.

"What's your plan?" Silco asked, sensing that Cipher already had one in mind. His fingers drummed quietly on the table.

"I've gathered all of Zaun's Chem-Barons for a meeting tomorrow in the Black Lanes. I intend to address five main issues." Cipher stood, pacing as he spoke.

"First, the establishment of a Zaunite government. We need more than gang territories—we need a real government. The Black Lanes will serve as the capital, with each baron acting as a district leader. The city government's provisional headquarters will be located at The Last Drop, and later, a proper government office building will be constructed."

"Second, the creation of checkpoints and a customs department. All imports and exports to and from Zaun must be inspected, including smuggling."

"Third, the establishment of a tax department. No more protection fees—real taxes, real services. Zaun's rules will shift from collecting protection fees to collecting taxes. All commercial activities must pay taxes based on transaction amounts."

"The barons won't like that," Silco interjected, his voice low.

"They'll like what comes next even less." Cipher's mouth curved in a slight smile. "Fourth, the disarmament of private armies controlled by the Alchemical Barons. Instead, a unified military and police force will be formed to oversee security, order, firefighting, national defense, and even personal disputes. Private fights, whether involving Chem-Barons or Zaunites, will be strictly prohibited."

"Fifth, the founding of Zaun University. Knowledge shouldn't be a luxury. Every mind in Zaun is a potential weapon against poverty. Its goal will be to nurture talent in all fields and develop advanced national defense technology. All expenses will be covered by the government. Anyone who passes the university's entrance exam will receive free tuition, room, and board, along with a salary provided by the government."

"This is my current vision; the rest is still in development," Cipher concluded, returning to his seat.

The adults present fell into deep thought, evaluating the feasibility of his proposals.

"Noble ideas, but who pays?" Silco finally said. "How do you plan to implement them? These decisions will require an enormous amount of money—far more than Zaun currently has."

"Moreover, the barons will never support you. They won't agree to disarmament. Even with my full support, it's impossible. A fragmented Zaunite government is meaningless."

His skepticism was clear as he laid bare the challenges ahead.

"I have a technology that can ensure every person in Zaun can afford bread. The barons who support it will gain both profits and a place in the new government. Those who refuse? We'll kill them and replace them with those who will."

Cipher thought for a moment, then decided it was time to share his grand vision with him.

"What kind of technology?" Silco instinctively doubted him but remembered that Cipher had never made exaggerated claims before.

As long as the rewards were significant enough, and the opportunities vast, all obstacles could be overcome. Even the Chem-Barons could be transformed into loyal allies.

After a moment of silence, Cipher slowly spoke, "I have a communication technology that allows people to stay in contact across hundreds, even thousands of miles, at any time. The cost of production is incredibly low, but we can sell it at exorbitant prices."

"Imagine instant communication across far distances."

The advanced wireless communication technology that he referred to was far more capable than just that.

"Are you serious?" Silco's eyes widened in disbelief. If what Cipher claimed was true, the potential of this technology was terrifying.

Real-time communication over thousands of miles?

The first thing that came to Silco's mind was his long-standing client: Noxus. The militaristic superpower that ignites wars across the world would undoubtedly go mad for something like this.

What would real-time communication over such distances mean?

The emperor of Noxus, sitting on the throne in the Immortal Bastion, could remotely command armies fighting thousands of miles away. The challenges faced by those armies could be relayed instantly to the empire's think tank, and the orders they crafted could be transmitted back to the troops in real time.

Logistics, troop deployments, policy enforcement—all of it could be seamlessly synchronized.

The entire empire could transform from a slow-moving horse carriage into a high-speed locomotive.

This would massively boost the war potential of the empire, a capability no nation could afford to ignore.

Cipher's communication technology undeniably had the potential to feed every person in Zaun.

Even Vander and Sevika, who lacked Silco's foresight, were stunned.

As uneducated brutes, they didn't fully grasp the implications. They only understood that this invention would be worth an unimaginable amount of money, though they couldn't fathom just how much.

Cipher nodded with certainty.

"It's absolutely true. I acquired this technology a long time ago, but at the time, Zaun didn't have the means to protect it, so I kept it under wraps," he said confidently.

"Now that the explosive rounds are ready for mass production, all we need is to smuggle in some high-quality steel at a premium price to manufacture the guns. With that, we'll finally have the strength to protect it."

The blueprints for wireless communication technology were etched in his mind—how could he not be sure?

"You did the right thing. Without sufficient strength, we definitely couldn't have protected it," Silco said, trying to calm himself, though it was impossible.

His blood pressure was through the roof.

Explosive rounds alone wouldn't be enough. Shimmer would have to be included as well. Wireless communication technology represented Zaun's hope for a revival; no mistakes could be tolerated.

Since Cipher didn't support his research into Shimmer, Silco decided Cipher didn't need to know about it at all.

He silently resolved to immediately instruct Singed to accelerate human trials, gather as much experimental data as possible, and push the development of Shimmer forward.