Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

The international organization "League of Legends" was a concept Li Lin had been planning for a long time. 

The name originated from an earlier version of a story where the War Academy initiated a coalition aimed at mediating disputes between nations. It drew in individuals with extraordinary talents and abilities, lured by the promise of fulfilling their desires. At the same time, it served to contain dangerous individuals—a "League of Legends." 

However, Li Lin's idea of forming the League of Heroes was far from the "child's play" depicted in the original lore. His goal was to make it an effective force, fulfilling its true purpose. 

By inviting heroes from all across the world and the continent of Runeterra, the League would become humanity's ultimate defensive front. 

In addition to handling global crises, its primary role would be to resist the inevitable arrival of the Void. 

Neither Jarvan III, Jarvan IV, nor Xin Zhao could hide their astonishment at Li Lin's proposal. But as he elaborated on the impending world-threatening dangers, their expressions shifted to somber seriousness. 

The nearest imminent threat capable of shaking the world was the Curse of Ruination. However, Jarvan III and the others were unfamiliar with its specifics. 

When Li Lin brought up the phenomenon known as the Harrowing, they immediately understood. 

For a millennium, the Blessed Isles had been consumed by darkness, turning into the Shadow Isles. The black mist that surrounded the island had been expanding year by year. 

Occasionally, due to the influence of dark magic, the black mist would erupt, unleashing soul-devouring "undead" that swept across the lands. 

Bilgewater, closest to the Shadow Isles, bore the brunt of these attacks. Nearly every year, or every few years, it would be invaded by the mist for a single night, a phenomenon that came to be known as the "Harrowing." 

Were it not for the indigenous Buhru people's faith in Nagakabouros, the God of Motion, and the deity's blessings, the region would have long since been uninhabitable. 

Over the centuries, the black mist had sometimes crossed the vast ocean, reaching the western coasts of Demacia, threatening settlements like the Blackhaven Cliffs near the royal capital. 

Demacia had grappled with the Harrowing many times before, often with the aid of the ancient group known as the Sentinels of Light. They had mitigated many of the problems. 

But with the Sentinel Sanctuaries now mysteriously abandoned, the western coasts of Demacia were left vulnerable. 

Li Lin, aware of the origins of the black mist, explained that it stemmed from the Curse of Ruination. Its source was Viego, a once-great king from the long-fallen kingdom of Camavor in the distant east. 

When Li Lin revealed that Viego would eventually break free, spreading his Ruined Mist across the world in an attempt to resurrect his lover Isolde, Jarvan III had no doubts about his claims. 

But this was merely the beginning. Li Lin's further revelations left the trio utterly stunned. 

He spoke of Mordekaiser, the ancient iron-blooded warlord and former master of the Immortal Bastion. Having once obliterated an entire generation, Mordekaiser could return at the helm of his undead army, should the Well of Death deep within the Immortal Bastion connect to the Realm of the Dead. 

Beyond that, in less than a year, Li Lin and Kai'Sa would have to confront Bel'Veth, the Empress of the Void. Additionally, beneath the eternal frost of the Freljord lay the Void Watchers, whose impending escape would bring about the end of the world. 

Jarvan III could not fathom how Li Lin had come to know such secrets. Yet, judging by his tone and demeanor, it was clear that his warnings were not baseless. 

These crises, capable of destroying not just Demacia but all of Runeterra, were imminent. 

After much deliberation, Jarvan III agreed to support Li Lin's plans, albeit not immediately, as Demacia still faced too many internal instabilities. 

Li Lin expressed understanding, as forming the League of Legends was not an urgent task. 

He had yet to consolidate internal affairs in Piltover and Zaun, visit the Freljord, Ionia, Bilgewater, Ixtal, or even the far eastern continent that had long been cut off from Valoran. 

Not to mention Noxus, Demacia's archenemy—a nation that had invaded Ionia and caused imbalances between the material and spiritual realms. 

Establishing the League would undoubtedly require addressing the relationships between these three nations, a daunting diplomatic challenge. 

After all, when faced with enemies capable of annihilating the world, humanity's internal conflicts seemed trivial in comparison. 

Wishing each other a pleasant night, Li Lin watched as the king, supported by Jarvan IV and Xin Zhao, retired to his chambers. Li Lin then returned to his own room via a separate corridor. 

The next morning, he left the city early, heading to the War Memorial Road. There, he spent the entire morning installing a nuclear fusion reactor in Galio. 

Due to Galio's unique nature and the energy storage limitations of petricite, which posed a risk of explosion when continuously absorbing energy, merely placing the reactor inside his body was far from sufficient. 

After thoroughly analyzing the Durand family's schematics related to Galio, Li Lin discovered that the consciousness of the colossal construct was entirely due to the core embedded in its chest. 

Through precise AI calculations, Li Lin roughly pinpointed the core's location and began fine-tuning the fusion reactor inside Galio. He installed an advanced sensory system and connected it to the core using specialized devices. 

This setup allowed Galio to manage the reactor, enabling it to either sustain full energy or shut down when necessary. 

Additionally, Li Lin equipped the reactor with safety measures to ensure that even if external forces damaged it, Galio's core would remain unaffected. 

However, if an explosion became inevitable... 

Li Lin reckoned that by then, protecting Galio's core would hardly matter. To cause damage severe enough to destroy its thick layers of petricite-composite material would likely require an apocalyptic event—such as the Void's endgame battles. 

In such dire scenarios, anyone on the battlefield might perish. Even Li Lin couldn't guarantee his own survival, let alone that of Galio, whose massive size made him an obvious target for focused attacks. 

Nevertheless, Li Lin added an extra layer of security to the reactor. In the event of an explosion risk, the attached teleportation device would activate, relocating the reactor to a safe distance where the blast wouldn't harm allies but could still deal damage to enemies. 

After finishing work on Galio, Li Lin returned to Dawnkeep. His plan was to bid farewell to the king, visit Sona one last time, and then head back to Piltover. 

Unexpectedly, the moment he landed, a servant informed him that the king had already arranged a farewell banquet for midday. 

Caught off guard, Li Lin followed the servant to the Hall of Valor. The banquet was modest in scale, resembling a royal family dinner rather than a formal event. 

Only those trusted by the king were present, including the prince, Tiyana, Pieter, Barrett, and their families. Even prominent figures like councilors Wols and Borg were absent. 

Li Lin was seated next to Sona, whose cheeks were flushed red. Across from them, Kahina sat grinning mischievously, clearly enjoying the moment. 

Thanks to the advanced teleportation technology, the banquet lacked any sorrowful undertone. Instead, it was filled with laughter, much of it sparked by Kahina teasing Sona. 

Once the meal was over, Li Lin bid farewell to everyone, though his gaze lingered on Sona. Their eyes met, hers tinged with sadness. 

"You must come back to visit me," her voice echoed softly in his mind. 

Li Lin smiled faintly, replying in kind, "I will. I promise." 

With that, his body was enveloped in a layer of nanotech armor, and he disappeared from the hall in an instant. 

The next blink found him standing in the Kiramman estate, his armor shifting seamlessly into the casual attire he often wore in Piltover. 

As the chapter with Demacia closed, Li Lin took a deep breath. 

"Piltover… Finally, I'm home." 

(End of Chapter) 

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