Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

The late-night chaos of Zaun was both dangerous and unsettling, leaving Cipher and his group to spend the night in the ruined research lab.

Early the next morning, he escorted the two to the elevator, watching as they returned to Piltover.

It's worth mentioning that none of them had eaten. The night's work had consumed them all, leaving no time for such mundane concerns as food.

He had originally planned to treat Jayce and Viktor to some local Zaun specialties and even take them to The Last Drop to have his younger siblings apologize to Jayce.

But Jayce couldn't handle Zaun's food, claiming he was unworthy of such "clean and hygienic" cuisine, repeatedly begging for mercy. His face had turned an interesting shade of green at the mere description of the local delicacies.

Left with no choice, Cipher sent them back to Piltover first. He watched the lift disappear into the smog above, carrying its passengers toward their home.

Now that the development of Hextech technology was complete, Jayce was destined to become Piltover's rising star, garnering much attention upon his return.

---

"Why are they so special that they deserve such treatment? The munitions factory was shut down for an entire night, and your lab was destroyed. That's not a small loss."

After Jayce and Viktor left, Sevika, posing as a bodyguard, approached Cipher, her hoarse, smoke-roughened voice filled with confusion.

She lit another cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating her scarred face.

"Do you remember the Hextech gemstone? They perfected it last night. Hextech technology is now complete, and we have a share in it."

"What's the loss of a munitions factory compared to this? This investment will bring a return of tens of thousands of times. The most valuable resource is people, and the smartest investment is in people."

Cipher, who appreciated Sevika, patiently explained. Then, switching gears, he asked, "How many Chem-Barons will attend today's meeting?"

"The ones brought up by Vander and Silco said they'd come—there are five of them in total. As for the four newly appointed Chem-Barons, they ignored us." Sevika's lip curled in disgust.

The Black Lanes were the largest gang in Zaun, and Silco's faction ranks second. For the two top bosses to jointly summon a meeting and have some dare to not attend—that was interesting.

Those four newly promoted Chem-Barons were likely backed by the prominent families of Piltover. The arrogance of power was clear in their rejection.

Cipher pulled out a revolver from his person and handed it to Sevika. "There's still time before the meeting. Let's handle some business."

"With this?" Sevika hefted the weapon. "You planning to write messages on walls?"

"Something like that. In red."

Sevika accepted the revolver, somewhat stunned, not immediately grasping Cipher's meaning.

"Do you know where those four Chem-Barons have their bases? Let's go take them out now."

Cipher drew his own revolver lazily. This kind of task didn't excite him; it wasn't challenging enough.

Sevika gripped the revolver, pointing at herself uncertainly. "Us? You mean just the two of us?"

"Yeah, just the two of us."

"Have you lost your mind? Even the weakest Chem-Baron has at least a dozen bodyguards enhanced by Chem-Tech. Two people against a Chem-Baron's fortress? Are you trying to get us killed?"

She stared at Cipher in disbelief, thinking he must have fried his brain last night while working with those two Piltovans on their research.

"Sevika, this world is vast. Today, I'll show you why I could beat Dad in one move."

Faced with her doubts, Cipher shrugged indifferently.

Zaun's combat prowess ranked dead last. Sevika's perspective was far too narrow; she had no idea how great the disparity between individuals could be.

If Janna, Zaun's Guardian, didn't intervene, Noxus' Undead Juggernaut Sion, the Crimson Reaper Vladimir, or the Deceiver LeBlanc could easily wipe out both Zaun and Piltover overnight.

"I don't even know what madness possessed me to follow you with just a broken revolver to raid a stronghold. You've been the boss for barely a day, and even if it's to set an example, you should have called more people."

"Is this kind of reckless action meaningful? You're not some cannon fodder."

"If you die, when will Zaun ever rise again?"

"I should've gone back to the bar and told your family. Told them you've lost your mind and are heading to your death, so they could stop your idiotic plan."

"Are you even listening to me? Answer me! Are you deaf? Damn it, I must've lost my mind to join you in this nonsense."

On their way to the Chem-Barons' lair, Sevika had a cigarette dangling from her lips, her mouth running like a machine gun, rattling off complaints nonstop.

Cipher was a little surprised. In his impression, she had always been cold, tough, and deadly—a classic example of someone who let her fists do the talking, not her mouth.

But hearing her complaints now, he realized she could actually talk quite a lot.

Interestingly, though, her grumbling didn't slow her down. Her long strides were quick, her tall, sturdy figure staying ahead of Cipher the entire time.

That was just who she was—loyal, dependable, and strong.

In the original story, she resigned in front of Bander and took her team to work for Silco.

On her first day working for him, she shielded him from a bomb blast and lost an arm.

Over the years, because Vander had "softened," she had taken it upon herself to handle most of the matters in the Lanes. She endured countless beatings but never once complained to Vander.

Dedicated and hardworking—a true role model!

Faced with her endless grumbling, Cipher didn't know how to respond. He couldn't exactly say, "Honestly, I could take on several of you without breaking a sweat."

Even if he did say it, she wouldn't believe him.

Zaun had never seen anyone with his level of prowess, and it would be hard for Sevika to understand how a person could be that strong.

So, he chose to remain silent along the way.

But as they left the Black Lanes and stepped into the territory of the Chem-Baron, Sevika fell quiet.

Puffing on her cigar, she reverted to her cold, ruthless self.

Cipher observed their surroundings.

Compared to the Black Lanes, this territory was filthy and dilapidated, with the air reeking of chemical waste.

In the dark alleys, emaciated figures with rotting skin lay on the ground, half-dead. They were clearly addicts of hallucinogenic contraband. Their hollow eyes stared at nothing, lost in dreams.

While the Black Lanes were poor, they had no drug addicts. That was because contraband, human trafficking, gambling, and illicit activities were strictly prohibited there.

This was why, despite being the top gang boss in the Undercity, Vander had always remained impoverished. He didn't engage in harmful trades, nor did he allow the people of the Black Lanes to do so.

Sevika didn't spare a glance at the walking corpses of addicts. She led Cipher straight to a slightly better-looking building where a group of strange-looking men was gathered around a table playing cards.

"Sevika, what brings you here?"

The leader of the group, a blond man, put down his cards and stood up. His fingers twitched near a concealed weapon.

"Where's your boss?"

Sevika loomed over him, glaring down with an imposing presence.

"I'm not telling you. Our boss doesn't welcome people from the Black Lanes."

Sevika exhaled two puffs of smoke from her nose, the vapor hitting the blond man's face like a show of dominance. "Your boss' manners. Or lack of them."

The man tried for a nervous laugh. "He's... busy."

Without warning, Sevika reached out and grabbed the man by the throat.

The men behind the blond hesitated, clearly intimidated by Sevika's reputation. She was well-known in the Undercity as a fearsome killer with at least several lives on her hands.

After a long moment, she finally released her grip, throwing the blond man to the ground. His face was purple, and he looked like he was about to suffocate.

With a disdainful snort, she said, "Where's your boss? Don't make me ask again."

Her demeanor was so impressive that Cipher almost wanted to applaud her—if only the situation were different.

"Cough, cough... The boss… the boss is on the top floor," the blond man said hoarsely, clutching his neck. He didn't dare confront Sevika anymore, having nearly had his throat crushed.

However, he shot a look at one of his men, who immediately ran inside to report.

Sevika didn't care. She strode into the building with Cipher in tow, her left hand gripping her revolver, hidden in the wide sleeve of her coat.

On the top floor, the Chem-Baron was already waiting, flanked by a group of bodyguards modified with Chem-Tech enhancements. Each of them was armed, and some even had limbs replaced with Chem-Tech prosthetics.

The Chem-Baron eyed Sevika warily. "I refused to attend the meeting yesterday, and now you show up at my place early in the morning to cause trouble. What's the meaning of this?"

"It's nothing. I just need a favor," Cipher said, stepping out from behind Sevika with a grin. "What kind of favor?"

The Chem-Baron's tone softened slightly when he saw Cipher. He recognized the renowned young mechanic and didn't want to fully offend him.

Bang!

Before the Chem-Baron could react, a gunshot echoed through the room, and a gaping hole appeared in his forehead.

Cipher blew away the smoke curling from the barrel of his revolver and said nonchalantly, "Just needed to borrow your head."

The entire room fell silent in shock. None of the Chem-Baron's men had seen him draw his gun, let alone fire it.

It was simply too fast!