Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

The curse of the Shadow Isles left the Mistwalkers in a state between life and death, making them immune to Kindred and other reapers. Now, with Li Lin wielding the World Rune of Resolve to eradicate the source of ruin and lift the curse, the Shadow Isles have returned to life, once again thriving as the Blessed Isles. 

The messengers of death have guided the souls here to their final rest, paying their respects to the one who solved the problem that plagued them for ages. Ledros and Kalista clasped hands and said their final goodbyes to everyone before voluntarily embracing death under Lamb's arrow. 

As for Hecarim, he chose to flee from death, but Wolf would chase him, tearing apart his soul without needing revenge from the lovers who only expressed their feelings moments before their end. Yorick, weary after a thousand years of toil, also wished to relinquish his burden and have Kindred collect his soul. However, they refused, saying his lifespan had not yet ended and that he still had a mission to fulfill. 

Now, the vast island was left with only Li Lin, Aatrox, Senna, Gwen, Yorick, and Maokai. 

Though the Ruinous Curse had been broken, the Sentinels of Light's task was far from over. Li Lin warned of an even greater threat—an army of the dead from the Realm of the Deceased. 

Senna planned to find her husband, Lucian, first. Gwen decided to accompany her, helping to search for fragments of Isolde's soul while recruiting others suitable for the Sentinels of Light. After hearing Li Lin's introduction of the League of Legends, both women immediately chose to join this last line of defense for humanity. 

Yorick and Maokai were also willing to join, as Li Lin promised to send mechanical engineers to help rebuild the Blessed Isles and protect them. Meanwhile, Maokai decided to stay temporarily by the Well of Ages, guarding the Waters of Life from those with ill intentions, despite Li Lin's promise of aid. 

Aatrox, sensing the presence of a former Darkin follower, left to bring them back. With that, the group went their separate ways. 

The League of Legends had only just been established, and Li Lin had a mountain of work to deal with. While much of the busywork could be delegated to the AI, critical decisions required his personal involvement. 

---

Time passed quickly. A month later, the union of various nations and regions became a hot topic, and Li Lin's name was increasingly mentioned. 

Not just in Piltover and Zaun, but also in Demacia, Shurima, Noxus, Ionia, Bilgewater, and Freljord—Li Lin had become known as the "President" of this "United Nations." 

His personal fame soared, as did the reputation of the War Academy he built, which spread across Runeterra. 

More and more people journeyed from faraway lands to the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun, most of them young individuals with magical talent they couldn't control. In remote and decayed regions, these people were often ostracized as "witches" or "sorcerers." However, within the War Academy, they were seen as gifted prodigies. 

Among these students, the most talented were Lux and Annie. Although Annie's current powers stemmed from her fiery demon companion, Tibbers, the demon had struck a pact with her under Zoe's watchful eye, agreeing to lend her its strength without demanding any "price." 

Previously, Runeterra had no precise system for measuring power. Strength was typically categorized into Apprentice, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, and Grandmaster levels, with Grandmaster being the highest tier. 

According to Li Lin's knowledge, only a few individuals in Ionia, such as Shen of the Kinkou Order and Karma of the Lasting Altar, possessed the strength of a Grandmaster. Even Yi, the Wuju Bladesman, merely referred to himself as a Wuju Master. 

Now that the War Academy had gained recognition, Li Lin planned to introduce a more standardized and detailed ranking system,

Iron (Resilient) 

Bronze (Valiant)*

Silver (Unyielding)

Gold (Glorious) 

Platinum (Noble)

Diamond (Radiant)

Master (Transcendent) 

Grandmaster (Supreme)

Challenger (Ultimate) 

Most apprentices were classified within the Bronze and Silver tiers, with a few exceptionally talented ones reaching Gold, Platinum, or even Diamond. Those with no magical talent fell into the Iron tier. Li Lin would recommend these students to study technological sciences at Piltover University, encouraging them to excel in the mechanical field. 

Meanwhile, students with limited magical talent but strong mental resilience were recruited by Lucian and Senna to be trained as Sentinels of Light, wielding sacred weapons powered by their will to combat darkness—a practice sanctioned by Li Lin. 

Annie and Lux possessed Diamond-level spellcasting talent, while Sona and Seraphine's magic only reached high Gold, just short of Platinum. Akali of the Kinkou Order differed from her mother, Maymm, in that she had no magical talent. Still, her mastery of ninjutsu and physical combat brought her to the Platinum level. 

Shen and Zed were roughly at the lower Master level, while Kennen easily reached the Grandmaster tier. Zed's apprentice, Kayn, now used shadow magic exclusively after losing Rhaast, the Darkin weapon. Despite his talent, he had only reached Platinum. 

In Freljord, most Iceborn were at the Gold level, with Ashe and the demi-god-blessed Tryndamere nearing the Master threshold. 

Li Lin, Caitlyn, and Kai'Sa, who had undergone three stages of physical enhancement, could reach Challenger status without using battle suits.

Ordinary individuals like Jayce, Viktor, and Vander were much weaker. Even after two stages of enhancement, only Vander approached high Platinum. Jayce and Viktor, not being combat specialists, were stuck at Gold. This was also the level of most mortal heroes from other regions, ranging from Gold to Platinum. 

Notably, Zhao Xin (Xin Zhao), who could take on a hundred opponents single-handedly, reached Diamond even before undergoing physical enhancement. 

These rankings only included current League members. Mortal-level rankings were unsuitable for beings like Aspect hosts or Celestial Warriors. Hosts of Celestial Aspects, such as Kayle and Morgana, reached Grandmaster levels. Zoe, fully merged with the Twilight Aspect, could unleash power capable of destroying half of Runeterra with a single spell—far beyond the Challenger tier. 

For Ascended beings, mortal power scales were irrelevant. After their second ascension, most Ascended had peak demigod-level strength. 

Over the past month, Li Lin had attempted multiple times to invite Ryze to lecture at the War Academy. Unfortunately, while Ryze's mastery of magic was unparalleled, he struggled to convey basic principles clearly and concisely. 

Instead, Kayle and Morgana, who had once befriended humans and guided their followers, visited four or five times, helping the students solve their problems. 

In combat training, the tenacious Atreus proved to be an exceptional mentor. Thanks to Li Lin's influence, his hatred toward gods had shifted toward the Void. With no apocalypse looming, he dedicated himself to teaching students how to fight. Even though most of these students would be mere "cannon fodder" against the Void, Li Lin ensured they had basic survival skills. 

With the War Academy running smoothly, Li Lin instructed the AI to contact Swain and arrange a meeting. Before dealing with Mordekaiser, he needed to resolve the issue of the Black Rose. 

(End of Chapter)