Arcane: Winds of Change

Sorry for the small break, got dragged for family holidays. As an apology, here's some bonus chapters!

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Chapter 13: Kingdom Mech

The two of them returned home. Phil went to the balcony and set up a small grill. "Come on, let me treat you to my invention, barbecue!" Phil said as he took out meat skewers from the fridge, which was an Upper City product. Once the charcoal was hot, Phil placed the skewers on the grill, sprinkling them with spices unique to Zuan. As the fat dripped onto the charcoal, it released an aroma that tantalized the taste buds.

"It smells amazing," Jinx inhaled deeply. She was in a fairly good mood beside Phil. "You're making so much, can the two of us really eat all this?" She eagerly picked up a skewer and put it in her mouth, only to pull back immediately, sticking out her tongue in response to the heat. Phil opened a can of chilled beer, took a sip, and the cold malt beverage was refreshing. "Ah~ so good." Phil had a high standard for culinary desires; an occasional beer with barbecue was a luxury for him.

"Who said it was just for you two?" Silco's voice came from the doorway. "You've made quite a bit, Phil." "I thought you'd understand," Phil replied, handing over a few skewers. "They're an obstacle to Zuan's progress."

"But Zuan can't be thrown into chaos now! They control Zuan's lifeblood—economy, resources. It's all in their hands. You set off a bomb, and if they all die, what next? How do we take over this mess?" Silco argued. 

"Only by removing the rotten parts can new growth emerge. Zuan can handle some turmoil now," Phil argued confidently.

"Do you know how many people would die? Without these alchemy barons, salaries for the lower class in Zuan would stop. You're too impatient!" Silco shook his head in resignation. He was already extreme enough, but Phil's decisive actions made him reconsider his plans. Phil poured out the gold coins from his backpack onto the floor. "This is 5,000 gold, extorted from the barons. Baron Takeshi Takeda looks down on Finn, Ernie, and the others. We can approach him to establish a connection to Piltover and secure resources. This money is enough for the Lower City to manage temporarily."

Phil took a breath and continued, "I also spoke to Viktor today. Let Sevika help him stabilize the Dark Lanes and ideally replace him. Distribute the serum in batches to the lowest class; without the serum, they will live shorter lives. We can potentially recruit them as weapons voluntarily, offering money as compensation."

Silco sighed after hearing Phil's plan. "The plan is good, but you're overreaching. All of this is assuming Upper City doesn't intervene. If they do, then what? My entire future belongs to you, including Zuan. You're still young, don't rush. I'll meet with Baron Takeshi Takeda tomorrow."

Silco understood that Phil was trying to clear obstacles for him, but Zuan couldn't withstand much more turmoil at the moment. Phil didn't say anything; he just picked up his beer and drank it down in one go.

For a long time afterward, Phil didn't go out but stayed in the lab developing his new technology. After tricking the alchemy barons out of some money, he spent a few hundred gold coins on several consecutive draws. In addition to obtaining a bunch of skin fragments and a card for the "Star Guardian Jinx" skin, he finally acquired enough points to directly purchase his ultimate weapon: the blueprint for the "Kingdom Mech Blue Wolf" from the store.

After three months of intense research with Jinx, powered by Zuan's alchemy technology, a handsome mech was finally built. "This is so cool, Phil," Jinx said, stroking the mech.

"Yeah," Phil looked at the mech, his face full of excitement. Mechs were a dream for every man. "Just a pity I can't compress it into a belt," he muttered softly.

"Huh? What did you say?" Jinx didn't catch Phil's mumble. Speaking of Jinx, she was not one to stay idle. In addition to helping Phil with research, she had also gone to see Silco, hoping he would give her some thrilling tasks like before, but to no avail. In the end, she was tasked with quelling a riot in the Dark Lanes.

After stopping a vicious brawl between two street thugs at the cost of killing two people, she was dragged back by Phil, who believed that fewer incidents of bloodshed were better. As for the Upper City, under the discussions between Silco and Baron Takeshi Saito, pressure was exerted, leading to the withdrawal of the original enforcers' squad. Despite some sacrifices, the impact of the alchemy barons' deaths on the Lower City gradually subsided, with Saito becoming one of the alchemy barons. As for the price, well, that remained unknown.

"Oh, this is for you." Phil suddenly remembered something and tossed the Star Guardian card to Jinx. "What's this? Compatibility 37%?" Jinx was a bit surprised. "When you're in a desperate situation, take it out; it'll give you strength. But I hope you never have to use it," Phil didn't elaborate on the card's effect. "Alright," Jinx said as she tucked the card into her pouch.

Phil donned the mech, "Let's go see what Silco is up to." "By the way, I want one too," Jinx pouted. "Let's go!" Phil grabbed Jinx and directly activated the mech's flight system, shooting out from the balcony. "Ah! We're flying!" Jinx was exhilarated by the feeling of freedom in Phil's embrace.

For an average person, just being up in the air without safety measures would have been enough to make their legs tremble, but Jinx was unusually thrilled. "Hey, can you go faster?" Jinx's voice carried by the wind reached Phil's ears. "Of course," the robotic voice from the mech confirmed as several more thrusters appeared on its legs. These, powered by alchemical engines, were powerful, though energy-consuming.

"Ahhhhh!" Jinx shouted excitedly in the air, as if to release all her frustrations through her voice. They flew straight to Silco's pharmaceutical base and, after slightly slowing down, crashed directly through the window into Silco's office. The sudden crash startled Silco into a cold sweat, knowing he wasn't exactly combat-ready and Sevika was out on a mission.

"Hi, Silco." The mech's faceplate opened, revealing Phil's somewhat sheepish smile. He slowly stood up, and Jinx, who had rushed in with him, was unharmed under Phil's protection. "That was exhilarating! Phil! I want to do it again." Jinx emerged from the smashed wall, telling Phil. Suddenly, she noticed Silco's completely darkened face, "What's wrong, Silco? Need me to get you some eyedrops?"