Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

Viktor smiled and said to Jayce, "I told you it would work—it's all thanks to your effort!"

"Wow, this result is really unprecedented." Jayce's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the stabilized Hextech gemstone, excitement overflowing.

He could finally confirm that the direction of the experiment was correct, and the calculations were flawless.

"Alright, let's get to work." He turned the switch, increasing the energy output.

Under the intense current, the Hextech gemstone floated into the air, suspended in midair.

"The resonance is increasing beyond predicted levels," Viktor noted.

Jayce continued increasing the energy output.

The gemstone vibrated intensely, emitting a dazzling blue light. After reaching a certain critical point, BOOM!—a powerful thrust erupted.

The force pushed against them like an invisible wall.

"Get out of here!" The experiment had deviated from the calculations, and Viktor shouted to Jayce, who was pushing against the force to approach the resonance device.

But Jayce didn't respond.

The overwhelming thrust distorted his face, making it hard to even speak. His muscles strained against the invisible force as he fought to reach the controls.

Struggling, he extended his hand toward the switch, attempting to shut off the power and pause the experiment.

BOOM!

The Hextech gemstone suddenly unleashed an even stronger blue shockwave, blowing a massive hole in the lab's wall. The sound was deafening, and chunks of masonry went flying.

Before anyone could react, the shockwave ricocheted, blasting through the opposite wall as well. Equipment crashed to the floor, and papers whirled through the air.

Jayce, panting heavily, was stunned by the turn of events. Battling against the flow of energy, he punched the power switch, finally shutting down the system.

With the energy supply cut off, the Hextech gemstone fell from midair, returning to silence.

"This is... unbelievable." Viktor murmured, examining the aftermath. "The energy dispersion pattern isn't random—there's a mathematical sequence to it."

"The method is correct. The Hextech gemstone can indeed stabilize in a high-frequency environment, but we need to find the special frequency to achieve stability." Cipher commented.

Though, in reality, he was an amateur, it didn't stop him from putting on a facade of expertise, looking very much like a seasoned scientist.

And who knew? Maybe he would become a real one someday.

"Exactly. We need a large number of experiments, testing one by one. As long as we find that specific frequency, Hextech will be complete." Viktor agreed wholeheartedly, already scribbling calculations on a partially singed notepad.

"Yes, let's keep going. I think I can figure it out." Jayce regained his composure.

He reopened the power switch, gradually increasing the energy supply. Watching the gemstone's glow, he remembered the day when a white-robed mage cast a spell.

After several attempts, Jayce finally got a sense of it. He fine-tuned the power switch.

The Hextech gemstone emitted a crisp ding, and a rune-engraved metal disc on the support frame lit up with a blue glow. Viktor leaned forward, fascinated. "The harmonic convergence is... wait, are those runes forming naturally?"

"The energy field is self-organizing!"

BOOM!

The Hextech gemstone released an exceptionally thick beam of energy, striking the ceiling and forming a massive energy array, carved with intricate runes.

Gravity seemed to fail. Everyone floated into the air, suspended. Viktor's coat fluttered around him as he said, "The local gravity field is completely destabilized."

After a brief pause, another BOOM! reverberated as the energy from the gemstone surged back.

The once gemstone-like Hextech gemstone transformed into what appeared to be a star emitting starlight, encased in a pure, circular energy field.

The sight was breathtaking.

"Hahaha!" Jayce, thrilled to fulfill his dream, gleefully swam through the air, playfully flicking a floating gear into the Hextech energy field.

Blub blub blub!

The energy field made peculiar bubbling noises. After a brief vibration, the gear was ejected from the other side of the field.

Viktor caught the gear with a thoughtful expression on his face. He turned it over in his hands, examining every detail. The metal was cool to the touch, unchanged by its journey through the energy field.

Jayce got closer to the energy field. "Try tossing something else through!"

Viktor pulled a pencil from his pocket and threw it into the field. The energy rippled like water, swallowing the pencil whole before spitting it out the other side.

"Fascinating." Cipher caught the pencil. "The graphite core is intact. Even the wood grain matches perfectly."

"What about multiple objects?" Jayce was practically bouncing in the anti-gravity field. He gathered a handful of small tools and lab equipment.

Viktor grabbed his arm. "Careful. We should test this systematically."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Jayce grinned, but he set most of the items aside, keeping only a small wrench.

"My sense of adventure prefers keeping the lab in one piece." Viktor glanced meaningfully at the walls.

"Here goes nothing!" Jayce tossed the wrench. This time, the energy field pulsed with a deeper blue. The wrench emerged spinning rapidly, narrowly missing Viktor's head.

"Hey!" Viktor ducked.

"Sorry!" Jayce laughed. "But did you see how it affected the field?"

He pulled out his notebook, somehow managing to write while floating upside down. "If we can isolate that frequency... We might be able to control the exit trajectory,"

Cipher floated closer to examine the energy field.

"If we establish a Hextech energy matrix, we might be able to achieve instant teleportation over vast distances. Jayce, how did you do it? This is incredible!"

He seized the moment to show off, leveraging his knowledge of the storyline to recognize this prototype of the Hexgates capable of teleportation.

He enthusiastically praised Jayce.

"Haha, when I was young, my mother and I were stranded in a snowy mountain. A white-robed mage saved us using teleportation magic."

"It was witnessing the wonder of magic firsthand that made me realize its potential to benefit humanity. That's why I wanted to develop Hextech to harness and control magic."

"I was just recalling that mage's movements while making adjustments... and it worked!" Jayce's joy made him seem like an overgrown child.

"Jayce, your name is destined to go down in history. You are undoubtedly the greatest inventor of this century. You've ushered in a new era—the era of Hextech." Cipher continued to heap praise on Jayce, knowing it would make him more amenable to collaboration.

"No, Cipher, it's not me who ushered in this new era. It's us."

"It's Jayce, Viktor, and Cipher—we are the ones who've opened this new chapter. This glory belongs to all of us." Jayce dismissed Cipher's claim, thumping his chest and pointing to the Hextech energy field as he spoke.

His eyes were earnest as he looked at Viktor and Cipher, clearly serious.

"Jayce!" Viktor's eyes were filled with emotion.

You couldn't help but admire him. Though in the original story he often made choices that drew the most controversy, he still stood as a steadfast figure, an indomitable top-laner who carried under pressure—even if it cost him his life.

He was undeniably loyal to his friends and brothers-in-arms.

Sure, he had a narcissistic streak, but that was hardly a major issue. At this point in time, untouched by the dirty political games of Piltover, he likely had only one pure wish: to use Hextech to benefit Piltover and all of humanity.

Wealth and fame? Those weren't even on his radar yet.

This was why, in the original storyline, he and Viktor were able to become brothers—they once shared the same vision.

Cipher's eyes narrowed slightly. He was hesitating.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see the immense potential of Hextech. Yet here Jayce was, ready to share it freely, even giving Cipher a piece of the pie.

He was so righteous that even Cipher felt guilty about trying to exploit him.

"Jayce, I have a great idea. What if Zaun Academy invested in your Hextech technology? I imagine you're currently in desperate need of research funding." After some thought, though, he decided to keep playing his game. Wasn't the legendary top-laner born to carry the burden?

"Uh, investment would definitely help. My previous investor withdrew their funding, and I really am short on research funds right now."

Jayce was momentarily stunned.

He hadn't expected Cipher to suggest an investment, but he welcomed the idea. However, he had serious doubts about this so-called Zaun Academy.

"But, Cipher, I've been meaning to ask—what exactly is this Academy you're talking about? Who established it?"

"Can it really provide a proper research environment? And does it really have sufficient funding? Researching Hextech is incredibly expensive."

Cipher's face darkened.

He suddenly felt he hadn't done enough to pressure Jayce—this top-laner wasn't feeling enough heat yet.

"Zaun Academy was established by me. You can rest assured about the funding."

"It was founded by you? Then I have no problem with it at all."

Upon hearing that Cipher was the founder, Jayce's doubts disappeared. In his eyes, Cipher was a trustworthy genius scientist.

"Jayce, how about taking a position as a lifetime professor at Zaun Academy? I'll even create a Hextech Institute for you, and you can serve as its dean. Don't worry, it's just a title—you won't have much to do."

"And Viktor, the same goes for you. You can hold the title of dean of the Mechanical Engineering Institute."

"I'm not asking you both to move to Zaun. If you're free, you can come and give a lecture or two occasionally. It won't interfere with your research."

Cipher wasn't about to give up his plan to poach them. Taking advantage of the successful Hextech breakthrough, he continued his attempts to recruit them.

Jayce and Viktor exchanged a knowing look. Cipher had contributed a great deal to the development of Hextech, even sacrificing his lab, which was blown apart.

His offer was generous, too.

They couldn't bring themselves to refuse. They nodded in agreement to his request.

"You won't regret your decision today. One day, Zaun Academy will be as renowned as Piltover Academy, a true haven for groundbreaking research."

Cipher was filled with confidence. With his cheat-like ability, he could continually "borrow" advanced technologies from the Apex universe.

In terms of pure technological strength, that world was leagues ahead of both Piltover and Zaun.