lol: After being blessed by the Happy Demon, I became the harem king

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134·The Wise and Foolish Rui Mengmeng

Upon hearing Amyst's words, Fain was shocked: "You can represent Noxus? Are you the Pale Lady, the mastermind behind Noxus's shadow government?!"

Upon hearing Fan's words, Amystine, whose face had been solemn and who maintained a politically ambiguous demeanor, revealed a hint of seriousness in her eyes—the Pale Lady? How did he know that title? Could it be that what the Pale Lady had sent her here to investigate was related to this guy named Fan?

While Amystine was still pondering this, Riven, standing beside her, hesitated and asked, "What Pale Lady Shadow Government? What are you talking about?!"

Riven's question jolted Amystine from her initial hesitation. A serious expression crossed her face—it was true that the Pale Lady valued Riven highly, but in Amystine's view, while Riven's swordsmanship and strength might be outstanding, her other abilities, especially strategy and intelligence, were rather lacking. Especially now that Riven had overheard about the Pale Lady, she had to find a way to avoid the topic.

At least, don't continue discussing this in front of Riven—

While Amyst was still thinking this, Fain, who was standing next to her, said with a smile, "It's an ancient illusion mage who has existed since the founding of Noxus. He is now instigating your emperor Darkwill to invade everywhere and create all sorts of disasters for no reason."

Seeing Fane speak so easily, Amystänne, who had been trying to figure out how to get away with it, fell into a brief silence. Even though she had grown up amidst the intrigues and schemes of a Noxian aristocratic family, Fane's string of words still momentarily rendered Amystänne unable to think straight.

Because this series of events happened so quickly, even Amystine couldn't come up with a corresponding solution to deal with it in a short time.

While Amyst was still pondering this, Riven's next words made everything clear to her.

Upon hearing Farn's words, Riven hesitated for a moment before scoffing, "Do you think I'm stupid? Who would believe such nonsense? His Majesty Darkwill has been diligent and hardworking since ascending the throne. If it weren't for His Majesty Darkwill, I would have been sold into a noble's castle as a maid while I was still on the Imperial Farm. Such a wise emperor should rule the entire continent of Valoran. This Shadow Government and Pale Lady nonsense—you might as well come up with something more plausible!"

Looking at Riven's sneer, Amystia blinked and suddenly realized that her worries seemed to be completely unnecessary.

Farn, standing to the side, wasn't angry; he just stroked his chin with great interest.

Just as Riven said, Darkwell's license still has a pretty good reputation in Noxus.

As the emperor's youngest son, his chances of becoming emperor were extremely slim, yet he managed to become the empire's sole emperor through various means—in which Darkwell ruthlessly executed his elder brother, and even his sisters who tried to stop him. In other city-states or regions, Darkwell might be considered an extremely cruel and heartless person. In a magical, ordinary world, it's even more so; haven't we seen how the renowned Heavenly Khan suffered such criticism for fratricide and patricide?

Unfortunately, in a world where supernatural powers truly exist, all the rules are drastically different. Noxus, in particular, has been a world of four powers since ancient times, and its people are taught from birth to recognize all forms of power. Even cunning and malicious schemes, if they lead to victory, are considered a form of power.

This is precisely why Darkwell's bloody ascension to the throne was seen by the Noxians as a display of power, demonstrating that Noxus had a powerful emperor, deterring other city-states from taking any rash actions.

After Darkwell took power, he did indeed work diligently to improve the situation – the most obvious example being Noxus, a classical military state with serious internal problems.

A nation rife with regional warlordism, uprisings, years of warfare, and multiple fronts. Yet, after suffering devastating defeats in Freljord (where even the Hand of Noxus was captured) and Ionia (where the strategist Sve lost an arm)—two wars either of which could have crippled the nation—Noxus remained stable and unyielding. This speaks volumes about the extent of Darkwill's management of Noxus.

Of course, it's also possible that it wasn't due to Darkwill's excellent management, but rather because the Noxian territories were already filled with Black Rose members...

However, regardless of the circumstances, before the official commencement of the Freljord War and the Ionian War, and after suffering two consecutive crushing defeats, Noxus currently appears to be enjoying immense prosperity and success. Throughout Runeterra, no nation is unaware of Noxus's formidable reputation, and few city-states can escape its tyranny…

In short, before these two crushing defeats, even if someone knew the truth, they were destined not to gain public acceptance. This includes Riven—unless she personally experiences those future events, Riven will forever remain just the Noxian captain, never the Exile.

Well, it's hard to say which is better. However, Fain didn't intend to argue with Riven. After hearing Riven's words, he nodded repeatedly in agreement, then gave a thumbs up and said, "Yeah, yeah, you're right."

Seeing Faen's expression, Riven felt a surge of anger that made her teeth itch. You see, to Riven right now, Darkwill was practically a benefactor. The mere act of personally bestowing upon her the rune greatsword had propelled Riven from a lowly Legion Swordsman with limited influence to a model soldier throughout the Empire. And among female soldiers, her reputation rivaled that of Darius, Noxus's physical representative and holder of the Empire's highest honor for warriors, the 'Hand of Noxus'.

However, seeing that Fain had no intention of discussing it with her, Riven just gave a heavy snort and then crossed her arms and stopped talking.

Seeing that Fane didn't argue, Amystane breathed a sigh of relief—if Fane had really started arguing with Riven, regardless of what Riven actually thought, Amystane certainly wouldn't have dared to listen. Because, as far as Amystane knew, those who tried to uncover the Pale Lady's true identity had all ultimately vanished silently from the bottom of the Immortal Bastion.

135. LeBlanc's Achilles' heel

Seeing Amystine breathe a sigh of relief, Fane didn't care much and casually leaned back in his chair, saying, "Alright, let's have a proper talk now."

Upon hearing Fan's words, Amystine took a deep breath and then said coldly, "Let's have a good talk? Your attitude just now didn't seem like you wanted to have a good talk."

“Bring your master out.” Shaking his head, Fann didn't even bother to glance at Amystine. “Of course, if he doesn't want to come out, that's fine too. Anyway, that guy and Mordekaiser…”

"……Who are you."

Before Fane could finish speaking, Amyst's aura suddenly changed.

Standing right behind Amystine, Riven warily placed her hand on the Blackrock Greatsword behind her. Gazing at Amystine's back, she remained silent, but her expression clearly betrayed her alertness.

As a warrior, Riven wasn't exactly sensitive to auras, but with Amyst being the Legion Commander and Riven being the Legion's Sword Captain, the two spent every day together. Riven knew very well that Amyst's aura was definitely not as strange, mysterious, or unknown as it appeared before her.

In the past, LeBlanc—or rather, LeBlanc's true form—would have made a more composed entrance. But now, things are different. After hearing about Mordekaiser, even LeBlanc momentarily lost her composure.

Fain seemed unsurprised by LeBlanc's momentary lapse in concentration.

The relationship between LeBlanc and Mordekaiser is rather complicated.

To understand Mordekaiser, we must first begin with the Grim Reaper—Runeterra is home to many Grim Reapers who received their masks from the Masked Mother. When people die in their respective regions, most first ascend to the Spirit Realm, where these masked Grim Reapers guide them to reincarnation. However, some with strong souls and wills, unwilling to die, can forcibly remain in the Material Realm. In these cases, the Grim Reapers must intervene and take their souls.

However, if, during this process, an individual's soul successfully reverses the situation or even repels the attack of death, they will have the opportunity to return to the material realm of the living.

There are many Grim Reapers on the continent of Valoran, the most well-known of which is Kindred, a champion that every League of Legends player is familiar with. Whether it's Kindred who can secure a kill with her passive stacks up to three rings or Kindred who can lock the enemy carry's health with her ultimate, causing a seemingly invincible team fight to fall apart, Kindred can have a profound impact on the other nine players in a game.

In Runeterra... well, it's just so-so.

Because there are many Grim Reapers, and in fact, the Grim Reapers of Runeterra don't force you to die. Instead, if they find you still alive, aside from ruthless Grim Reapers like Wolf Spirit, most, like Kindred, will show leniency and let you return to the material world to fulfill your destiny. If you die then, she will come to collect you.

In this context, the previous era, the warlord era before the Rune Wars, is also known as the Dark Age of Warlords. The most notorious warlord was Sarn Uzul, who ravaged northern Valoran. He was a follower of the Bone Temple, a highly radical belief that the more people you killed in life, the higher your status in death. Because of this, Sarn Uzul felt joy rather than fear when death approached its end.

Because he was certain that the massacres and atrocities he committed during his lifetime would be enough to qualify him to be forever ranked alongside the gods in the Hall of Bones.

Unfortunately, the construction of the Spirit Realm cannot be achieved simply by killing enough people. Thus, the deceased Sarn Uzul appeared in a wasteland within the Spirit Realm.

This was the first underworld Sa'en Uzul experienced—a desolate, empty hill. This enraged Sa'en Uzul, for his entire life had been deceived by a false lie. In his fury, countless years passed, and the weak souls around him vanished one by one, some reincarnated. But Sa'en Uzul refused to vanish.

His will, forged in rage and brutality, allowed him to retain consciousness. After a long while, the previously indistinct whispers gradually coalesced into words he could almost understand—he finally realized it was Ochen language, a sinful language that belonged to no living being. Having grasped the knowledge within, Saan Uzur began to have new ideas.

Thus, also during the era of the Darkin warlords, Saan Uzul reappeared. This time, however, he descended upon the material world as a spiritual being, bewitching some audacious mages to inscribe their souls onto a set of black steel armor. Those mages sought power and strength by manipulating Saan Uzul, but unfortunately, they were exploited by him from the very beginning.

Initially, the wizards wanted to rebel and tried to seal him away by chanting his true name.

Unfortunately, by then, Saen Uzur had already adopted 'Mordkaiser' in the Ochsen language as his new real name. The so-called Saen Uzur had completely vanished, both in the spiritual and material realms.

Upon completing his descent, Mordekaiser slaughtered all the mages who had summoned him, and forged their bones and souls into his weapon, Nightfall.

This time, upon entering the material realm, Mordekaiser had entirely new ideas. He established the original Noxus, recruiting talented individuals while simultaneously spreading a belief in killing, slaughter, and violence. Through brutal massacres, he strengthened the collective will projected onto the people in the spiritual realm. However, this atrocity aroused the discontent of many, and under Mordekaiser's deliberate arrangement, the Pale Lady betrayed him, killing Mordekaiser a second time.

This time, Mordecais entered, or rather returned to, the place he had personally built—the underworld, Mitna Lachen.

Although it is still the same underworld, it is different from the wasteland before. He has now built it into a fortress for souls.

During this process, the one who betrayed Mordekaiser in his plan and "killed" the Pale Witch was none other than LeBlanc. Shortly afterward, LeBlanc gradually discovered that her perceived betrayal was actually part of Mordekaiser's entire scheme.

And now… sensing the solemnity in Amyst's eyes, Fane casually said, “Twice dead, three times reborn… judging by the time, the third rebirth shouldn’t be far off now, right?”

136·Flexible Bottom Line

Upon hearing Fane's words, LeBlanc's expression grew even more serious. At the same time, her regard for Fane deepened even further.

Because of the past of San Andreas Uzul, some of the older immortals in Runeterra had heard of him to varying degrees. After all, San Andreas Uzul, as a tyrant among humans, was infamous during his time. His return after death caused even greater turmoil in the spiritual realm—although San Andreas Uzul did not participate in the Rune Wars, his rebirth as Mordekaiser occurred precisely when the spiritual realm of Runeterra was at its most active.

At that time, many demons descended from the spiritual realm, or rather, began to influence the material realm. Nocturne, the eternal nightmare; Tibbers, the fire demon; the secret demon; the blood demon… many demons emerged on the stage of Runeterra during this period, making the land increasingly chaotic and monstrous.

While the spiritual and material realms differ in many ways, they share one thing in common: everything that exists leaves a trace. If an immortal being is sufficiently perceptive and capable of sensing the spiritual realm, then with a little effort, realizing the connection between Sarn Uzul and Mordekaiser wouldn't be difficult.

Fahn happens to come from Ionia—the most active spiritual realm in Runeterra, and the weakest point in the veil between the two realms.

Based on this, when LeBlanc first heard Fane reveal his relationship with Sarn Uzul, she only considered him a seemingly immortal being who knew something. However, the matter of being reborn three times is not something to be taken lightly. Even LeBlanc herself took thousands of years to learn of Mordekaiser's plans…

Meeting LeBlanc's serious gaze, Fain said, "Actually, you should be able to find out if you ask around in Zaun—I am a prophet."

Upon hearing this, LeBlanc frowned slightly but remained silent, instead turning her gaze to Riven behind her. Noticing 'Amyst's' gaze, Riven's entire body broke out in goosebumps, as if she had discovered something terrifying.

Riven possesses an exceptionally keen sense of presence. On the battlefield, her warrior's intuition and ability to perceive the presence of others have saved her countless lives. And now, although LeBlanc is disguised as Amystine, in Riven's perception, this person who came here with her might look like Amystine, behave like Amystine, speak in the same way, use the same phrases, and even have the same personality…

But now, at least for now, she is definitely not Amystine.

Intuition clashed with the familiarity she had developed over the years. More importantly, Riven sensed another familiar aura emanating from this woman… like the witch who had received her and enchanted the rune greatsword when His Majesty Darkwill bestowed it upon her…

Although she wasn't entirely sure—after all, Riven had only met the witch once—for some reason, she couldn't help but think of the witch. It was as if that person had never left her, but had always been by her side… Riven hadn't felt this way before, but that's how human feelings are; when you become aware of something, your entire nervous and cognitive systems are instantly activated.

Riven... is indeed a promising talent.

LeBlanc glanced at Riven, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes.

Having survived since the ancient Shurima Empire, LeBlanc's foresight is beyond question—just think of all the messes she's made in Noxus. Ryrel, the humanoid fortress who can compress an entire mountain of iron ore into armor and move freely; Swain, the secret demon contractor who usurped the Noxian throne; Annie, who rode a fire demon and destroyed the magic academy under the Black Rose… Every single one of them is a prodigy.

Especially Reil, although she is a support in the game, if we really talk about the real-world stats, it is only natural that Reil could charge into Demacia and be completely crushed. Even if the movie version of Hulk came, he would have to shout that he is invincible. It is a power level setting that only a brainless screenwriter could write.

Riven's talent... even among the people LeBlanc has met, is among the top. It's just that she lacks a catalyst to truly unleash it—well, if we're being honest, there are quite a few people with this potential. It's just that the catalyst is even rarer.

Unfortunately, no matter how talented one is, if they learn about matters concerning Mordekaiser before gaining his trust, they must deal with them immediately…

Having already established his own domain in the spiritual realm, any thought associated with Mordekaiser, especially fear and worship, will subtly amplify his power. Similarly, Mordekaiser will take notice of these individuals, anchoring their souls in advance and drawing them into his domain after death to become eternal slaves.

In this situation, even a person with unreliable mental strength, or someone who knows of Mordekaiser's existence beforehand, could become an obstacle in the future. In fact, simply surviving could slow down the time it takes for Mordekaiser to return.

Although one or two increases are negligible, they add up, and LeBlanc was unwilling to take any further risks in this matter.

But just as LeBlanc was about to make her move, she suddenly sensed something and turned her gaze toward Fain beside her.

Riven may not have noticed, but LeBlanc could clearly sense that a large number of mental elements had been added to the surrounding environment.

This caused an uncontrollable look of astonishment to cross LeBlanc's eyes.

Although LeBlanc had already guessed to some extent that Fain possessed some skill in the mental realm, she never expected that this Ionian's mastery of the mental realm would reach such a level... The mental energy continuously pouring into this space, while having no physical form in the material realm, still made it impossible for LeBlanc to accurately perceive the boundary between the two realms...

Feeling LeBlanc's gaze, Fain smiled and said, "No rush, we can talk slowly... In fact, I'm very willing to contribute to the fight against Iron Revenant."

137. Groundbaiting

Upon hearing Fain's words, LeBlanc fell into a brief silence. But after that, she quietly said, "Why? Do you also have a grudge against Ironhide?"

Looking at Farn, LeBlanc's gaze was neither sad nor happy, clearly indicating that she had returned to her usual calm and thoughtful state.

In response, Farn said, "I need to be happy."

"Happiness?" Upon hearing Farn's words, LeBlanc frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Without saying a word, Farn sent a burst of spiritual energy to LeBlanc's front.

While LeBlanc's research into the psychic realm was far less extensive than Fane's, she had still made considerable efforts over the past millennium to resist Mordekaiser's return. Therefore, understanding this psychic energy, which wasn't 'encrypted' to any degree, wasn't difficult for her.

After sensing the pulsating emotions within, LeBlanc's eyes flashed with understanding. She seemed to comprehend why Fain was in Zaun, so concerned about the lives and even the living conditions of the lowest ants there, while seemingly oblivious to the relatively more valuable Piltover…

As an old woman, she was quite shrewd, and LeBlanc almost immediately realized why some of Fain's behaviors seemed out of place among the immortals she had in mind... No, if that's the case, he shouldn't be an immortal either.

LeBlanc thought to herself—because if the other party truly possessed such abilities, then whether it was the era of warlord wars or the era of rune wars, they could more easily amass more happiness through a cataclysmic event sweeping across the entire Runeterra. Instead of focusing on Zaun as they are now, completing their initial accumulation of wealth.

But this didn't put LeBlanc at ease; instead, her expression grew even more serious. From another perspective, this further confirmed Farn's identity as a prophet. In her thousands of years of life, LeBlanc had known and encountered countless prophets. In this context, LeBlanc knew very well that most prophets were also deeply knowledgeable about the spiritual realm. In fact, many prophecies were based on speculation about the different flow of time between the spiritual and material realms.

If we could see fragments of the past and the future...

Thinking this, LeBlanc said coldly, "Then how am I supposed to trust you?"

“It’s simple, just go investigate the Immortal Fortress.” Sensing LeBlanc’s seriousness, Fain also showed a friendly smile, his expression showing confidence.

Indeed, this was the case, as Farn did possess more information. And this information was exactly what LeBlanc craved—for LeBlanc, Mordekaiser's existence was a persistent nightmare.

Don't be fooled by LeBlanc's cold, menacing remarks like "I can kill you once, I can kill you twice" when she encounters Mordekaiser in the game. The disbelief conveyed in her other statements, such as "Why are you still alive?", reveals that LeBlanc's inner state is primarily one of fear. After all, throughout Runeterra, those who rise from mortal to become monsters like Mordekaiser are extremely rare.

Right now, while it seems like LeBlanc is making Fahn prove his abilities, in reality, if Fahn truly proves the truth of his words, facing him again won't be as simple as it is now… Fahn possesses the information LeBlanc desires regarding Mordekaiser, and even the means to deal with him. And what does LeBlanc have?

Noxus could be considered one... but Fahn doesn't care what happens to Noxus now. Ultimately, in a while, LeBlanc will experience a legendary downfall. And Noxus, which has existed for millennia, will welcome a new master.

As for Mordekaiser… to be honest, Fahn doesn't have much information about him. The main reason for this is that the Runeterra universe is completely ruined; after more than a decade, it's still just the beginning. Mordekaiser may seem powerful, but his backstory hasn't been updated even with a short story in years.

In contrast, LoR next door updated Mordekaiser's story.

To be precise, it's the story of Nera in the LOR card pack.

While Noxus is the engine of the Runeterra storyline, shaping wave after wave of heroes—or playable characters—through wars and related initiatives, there are also protagonists within individual city-states, like Lux, who drive the plot forward.

Nera, on the other hand, can be considered a minor plot driver within the overall Runeterra universe. Her legendary journey mainly revolves around Nera setting sail with a crew she recruited in Bilgewater to fight against those legendary ancient beings.

The first part of the story involves the previously mentioned battle with the legendary sea monster. Her small boat is destroyed, but she escapes with Janna's help. After repairing the boat, Nira travels to Noxus and Freljord. Her purpose in going to Noxus is to find and defeat Mordekaiser. Although the outcome of the battle isn't detailed in the story, Nira ultimately leaves Mordekaiser's underworld safely and heads to Freljord.

While the battle itself is not described, the details of how Nera entered Mordekaiser's mental realm are quite detailed.

"The Immortal Fortress".

Farn said calmly, "In the underground labyrinth of the Immortal Fortress, there exists a secret cult called Deathclaw."

Hearing Fane's words, LeBlanc nodded thoughtfully. But when she looked at Fane, she found he showed no intention of continuing. Seeing this, LeBlanc frowned slightly and asked, "And then?"

"The rest of the content will require payment." Upon hearing LeBlanc's question, Fain said leisurely, "You can go back to the Immortal Fortress and look for this order. Once you find it, you'll know whether what I said is true or not."

As he said this, Farn also reminded him, "Let me make this clear first, my information charges are not low."

Upon hearing this, LeBlanc remained silent for a moment before calmly saying, "So, what are you going to do with these two people?"

After a pause, LeBlanc added, "Amyst is one thing... but this Riven must not set foot in Noxus again."

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The renovation went wrong. I spent a whole day just getting it done, and now my hard-earned sleep schedule is all messed up again. I have a headache…