Arcane: Winds of Change

For more chapters (10+) or if you want to support me, visit https://www.patreon.com/FFAddict. Thank you!

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Ambush

Vi, unsuccessful in her accusations against Silco in the council, walked dejectedly through the streets of Piltover. The heavy rain poured down on her, and she felt like her luck had been dreadful lately. She had just argued with Little Cupcake again, and now, standing in the rain, she felt out of place in Piltover. How could she defeat Silco and find Powder? She pondered this, wanting not only to retrieve Powder but also to restore Zaun to its former state. At present, Silco aimed to use manpower to combat technology, reducing Zaun's already small population to a weapon in his hand.

After some thought, Vi decided to ally with Jayce, who had just voiced the pro-war faction in the council, to jointly oppose Silco. Without hesitation, she discreetly followed Jayce all the way to his workshop. In the workshop, the power of forging and runes was combined, and the primordial crystal of the Bracken tribe was slowly being coated with molten iron in the center. As the molten iron gradually filled the rune's patterns, the research was nearing completion.

Vi walked slowly into the forge: "Do you want to get revenge on Silco?" Jayce glanced at Vi. He wanted Silco to pay for his evil deeds, but he needed a supportive ally. So he candidly replied, "Yes, I do want him to get what he deserves." "Count me in," Vi immediately responded. "But this can't be done, you heard what the council said." He was still somewhat conflicted.

"Screw the council. You clearly said you didn't want to sit idly by. Tonight, I listened to you ramble on, and that's the only thing that made sense." Vi, hands in her pockets, had a slightly flippant tone. As she wandered around Jayce's workshop, observing the odd inventions, she thought about getting some gear without paying. Suddenly, she spotted a pair of blue gauntlets. Excited, she put them on. As soon as she did, steam emerged, and they fit her fists perfectly. "Those are still a prototype," Jayce stretched out his hand to stop her.

"So you need someone to help you test them, right?" Vi acted as if she had no intention of returning them easily. Suddenly, she seemed sad, "Someone close to me had something similar." Jayce rubbed his forehead, "What do you have in mind? About dealing with Silco." He went straight to the point. "Silco controls the lower city residents with Shimmer, but this drug is extremely harmful. Cut off his supply chain, and his people won't follow his orders anymore," Vi rashly revealed her plan that she had been pondering the whole night. "How to cut off the supply chain?" Jayce believed Vi's words.

"Directly destroy his drug factories—fast, precise, and catch him off guard." Jayce watched the roaring forge, lost in thought. In truth, he wasn't someone with a strong sense of direction. In researching Hextech gemstones and becoming a councilor, every step he took was pushed by others. Now, he wanted to do something on his own. "Well, are you coming with me? Handsome?" Vi saw Jayce's interest and seized the opportunity to extend her hand. Jayce decided to join Vi in carrying out this plan. He gathered two teams of enforcers without informing the other councilors and set off towards the Undercity.

Silco had a cigar in his mouth as he scribbled in a notebook. Just before leaving, Phil had shared some insights with him, which had been quite beneficial. Controlling the people of the Undercity with Shimmer alone wasn't enough. It was merely a resistance against Piltover's oppression, not a future development path. Silco was currently preparing for Zaun's separation from Piltover, developing systems, strategies for growth, environmental improvements, and more. "Clear waters and lush mountains are as valuable as gold and silver." Silco wholeheartedly agreed with this statement. However, changing Zaun's environment wasn't something that could be achieved overnight; it was a long and arduous journey.

He shook his wrist, feeling a bit tired after writing several pages of the plan. In the end, he still lacked enough experience. Originally, he was just an ambitious person, and many things were merely theoretical. Now, as success loomed, he worried about future developments. But regardless, it was better than struggling under Piltover's oppression. At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Silco responded. "What is it, Sevika? Have you familiarized yourself with the mech left by Shilph?" Silco had a great deal of trust in his second-in-command's abilities and felt confident delegating tasks to him.

"Of course, but..." For some reason, Sevika hesitated. "Phil is truly a genius."

"He's not the only one; Jinx is too." Silco was clearly very trusting and confident in his two protégés. "I used to think that the pink-haired tomboy in Vander's makeshift family was special. But after meeting Jinx, I realized she is the unique treasure."

Sevika wasn't fond of Jinx. "By the way, boss. The enforcer we've been holding here has been in captivity for nearly two weeks now. They've had adverse reactions to the air in the Undercity. Their current condition isn't looking good."

"Don't worry about them. Until Piltover compromises and negotiates, just keep them fed. If they die, it's their bad luck. We've lived here for decades without problems; they can't tolerate it for a few days?" Silco, upon hearing about the uptown people's inability to handle the Undercity's air, felt a surge of anger.

"Understood," Sevika replied promptly. Suddenly, an alarm device flashed red, followed by the blaring of sirens.

"Damn it, it's the pharmaceutical factory," Silco realized. "Go now, Sevika, take the 'King Mecha Wolf' immediately." He issued the command without delay.

At the pharmaceutical factory, the place was filled with rows of barrels connected to the drug production, though most of them were empty since the majority of Shimmer had been transported to Bilgewater by Phil's merchant ship. The steam train whistled, moving large quantities of goods despite being just a train engine. A worker, having just finished unloading, lit a cigarette leisurely. Suddenly, something cold and hard pressed against the back of his head, causing him to freeze.

"Drive the train into the factory and crash through the gate if you don't want to die," an enforcer threatened from behind. Other enforcers began landing on the train in quick succession. The man gritted his teeth and drove the train to smash through the pharmaceutical factory's gate, entering inside. Unfortunately, he still couldn't avoid becoming a casualty under the gun.

"Hurry! Go!" "Move in!" "Don't move! Hands up!" The two teams of enforcers jumped off the train directly. The other workers, the true lowest tier of Zaun, had never seen such a scene. Normally struggling even for a single meal, working at Silco's pharmaceutical factory provided them with decent treatment, offering a relatively stable livelihood.