Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

Ignoring Vander, Cipher turned around directly and addressed the people in the tavern with a spirited voice.

"I've heard about recent events. The sons and daughters of Zaun have been wronged, but I have good news—I've developed an incredibly powerful weapon." His voice carried across the room, drawing every eye to him.

"Piltover forces Zaun to kneel with their advanced weapons. I will make Zaun rise, reborn in glory, and replace the decayed and corrupt Piltover as the true City of Progress!"

In the corner, an older gang member nodded slowly. "Finally, someone with real teeth," he whispered to his neighbor.

"I promise you that from now on, we won't need to bow to the Pilties. They'll no longer dare to strut around the Undercity with arrogance."

"For the Pilties who don't understand my words or refuse to follow our rules, I'll teach them a lesson myself!"

With that, he kicked the enforcer in the face. His head snapped back, and he dropped like a rock to the floor, unconscious.

This was the same officer who had insulted Vander earlier. Cipher never let a grudge wait until the next day—every wrong had to be avenged immediately.

Let them see what happens to anyone who disrespects our people.

"Spread the word: tell Piltover's enforcers to come and pick up these three Pilties. And inform all the Chem-Barons. Tell them to gather in the Black Lanes by midnight. I'm going to redefine Zaun's rules."

After a brief silence, the tavern erupted into cheers.

"Well said! Now this is the kind of leader the Black Lanes need. Vander has grown old; it's time for him to retire. I support Cipher as the new boss!"

"Just the fact that he dared to knock out an enforcer makes him worthy of being our boss!"

"Support! Absolutely support! You have done so much for the Undercity over the years. You deserve this position!"

"The boy's earned this," an older member called out. "He's done more for Zaun in a year than most do in a lifetime."

"Vander has taken care of us for so long, so of course, we'll always respect him. But Cipher is his son, and we support him becoming the boss!"

Cipher's years of selfless service to Zaun had earned him a great reputation. Coupled with his status as Vander's son, he had established his authority.

The gang members in the tavern not only welcomed him taking over Vander's position but celebrated it enthusiastically. This also revealed dissatisfaction with Vander from many quarters; they didn't even seem to care about his opinion anymore.

The old ways were dying, and everyone knew it.

"Let's go! Time to inform the Chem-Barons about the Lanes' new boss."

"I'll head to Piltover and tell their sheriff to come pick up these Pilties."

Eager to take action, they volunteered one after another, itching to leave the tavern and serve their new leader.

"Hold it!"

Suddenly, Vander's voice rang out. No one had noticed him putting on his iron gauntlets.

He twisted his thick neck, warming up as he walked toward Cipher and struck a boxing stance. His feet planted firmly on the wooden floor, spreading his weight evenly.

Still trying to solve everything with your fists, old man?

"You little punk, I'm not done yet. I'm still in charge here. I'll handle matters involving the Lanes, Zaun, and those enforcers. What you need to do as the elder brother is protect your younger siblings."

Cipher smiled, and said mischievously, "Are you sure you want to fight me now?"

"Your wings have gotten stiff. I need to teach you a lesson about respecting your elders. You think you can be the boss of the Lanes with your skills? You've got a long way to go!"

Vander swayed his left fist confidently. He was absolutely sure of his own strength. In Zaun, there wasn't anyone born yet who could beat him in a fight.

Swoosh!

His confidence lasted exactly one second longer than his consciousness. The gap between them had grown into an abyss, and Cipher crossed it in a single step.

Before Vander could even react to what he saw, everything went dark. He passed out in an instant.

"Oh, my bad—I might have slipped and gone a little too hard."

Vander always acted like the head of the family, thinking he could handle everything for them. But there were many things he couldn't understand or figure out.

Cipher had long wanted to teach him a lesson, and now he had finally gotten his chance.

The victory felt hollow, somehow.

He could sympathize with Vander's desire to protect the Lanes by negotiating with the enforcers, but he was simply too stubborn. Set in his ways like the rusted pipes that carried Zaun's toxic waste.

For instance, when Cipher developed his weapon, Vander refused to let him set up a factory to mass-produce it, citing two reasons.

The first was that he didn't want to break the peace agreement with the Sheriff of the Piltover Enforcers, potentially disrupting the stability of the Lanes.

The second reason was much simpler—he had no money.

That was right, no money.

Despite being Zaun's top gang leader and the fearsome boss of the Black Lanes, he was dirt poor. His own children often couldn't even get enough to eat.

This forced Cipher to turn to Silco for investment to build a factory, despite Vander having already fallen out with Silco by that time.

Back then, Cipher could barely protect himself. There was a real chance he might have been killed by Silco.

Fortunately, his gamble paid off—Silco still remembered their past relationship.

Over the years, if it weren't for Cipher earning a decent amount of money and frequently supporting the family, Vander wouldn't even be able to afford his favorite Noxian firewater.

As a side note, Cipher was also broke.

Although he owned shares in the munitions factory, his research expenses were enormous, especially for the design blueprint of the explosive round.

That blueprint was something he had acquired by paying a hefty price in another world. He had essentially traveled to the Apex world and bought it through underhanded means at an exorbitant price.

Even after emptying his wallet, it wasn't enough, so he had to borrow a significant sum from Silco.

If Silco hadn't brought him a box of premium chocolate as a gift, Cipher wouldn't even have had the money to buy proper presents for his younger siblings on this trip home.

Thinking about it, he suddenly realized he might be as "abstract" as Vander—neither of them seemed to have much to show for themselves.

With such a father and older brother, could they really raise their younger siblings well?

"Sevika, please take my father back to his room to rest."

Shaking his head to clear away the distracting thoughts, he called out to the gang members in the tavern. But there was no response.

"Before you returned, Sevika had a fight with Vander," one of the gang members explained. "She said he was too old and left the Black Lanes with her crew."

Cipher nodded and gave a direct order, "Tell her the edge is back, and it's sharper than ever. Send someone to call her back. Tell her that the new boss of the Black Lanes, Cipher, needs her help."

"As for these three enforcers, have her hide them when she returns. For now, you take my father to his room to rest."

Sevika was the only one among the gang members in the tavern that he paid special attention to. She was fiercely loyal to Zaun and pledged herself to whoever could lead the Undercity to greatness.

She had always fought for Zaun's cause, and would always do it.

In the original storyline, she eventually became one of the council members representing the Undercity on the Piltover Council.

She was a charismatic and strong leader. With the right guidance, she could become a true fighter for Zaun.

He skillfully located an unlabeled bottle of alcohol from the bar cabinet and poured himself a full glass. The amber liquid caught the light as it flowed.

Vander only had two hobbies—smoking and drinking. The unlabeled bottles in the cabinet were usually his private stash.

Taking a sip, it was like swallowing a ball of fire.

"Wow, that's strong! No wonder it's one of Dad's favorites!"

With a bit of admiration, he grabbed the fragrant dark chocolate he had brought and headed to the basement.

If he remembered the story correctly, his younger siblings should currently be hiding down there.

"Hey there! I am back! Did you miss me? I brought you some sweet and delicious chocolate!"

He opened the sturdy basement door and stepped inside. The air was cooler here, heavy with the scent of earth and old wood.

With a loud "Bang!", a pink-haired girl jumped down from the ceiling beams.

Seeing Cipher, she was overwhelmed with excitement. She quickly ran straight into his arms.

Her usually strong, determined eyebrows were furrowed for once as she tightly hugged him. "They almost took Powder away!"

Cipher gently ruffled the girl's short pink hair and spoke softly, "Vi, I've already dealt with the enforcers. It's okay now. Here, have some chocolate."