"How much longer can your Moonstone sustain itself?"
"Huh?" Nami was startled by Li Lin's sudden question. She quickly recovered and gave an answer. "Three years. If nothing unexpected happens, it can last for three more years... But that's a conservative estimate. The dimmer the Moonstone becomes, the weaker its magic grows. It might not even last three years before it can no longer hold back the darkness spreading from the Void."
Her tone grew sorrowful as she gripped her Tidecaller's Staff tightly and lowered her head. Vastaya, being a long-lived species, had a different sense of time compared to humans—though not as timeless as the Yordles. To them, three years was an incredibly short period.
Sensing Li Lin's curiosity, Nami quickly added an explanation. "Typically, a Moonstone can illuminate the Abyss for a century. After that, it gradually dims. That's when we select the strongest warrior from our tribe and bestow upon them the title of Tidecaller..."
Her voice trailed off, as she had already explained the Tidecaller's role to Li Lin back at the Academy of War.
"So, the Moonstone your tribe currently possesses has lasted over a hundred years?"
Nami nodded gently. "To be precise, it has been 120 years. This Moonstone has endured longer than any recorded in history."
Perhaps the previous host of the Lunari Aspect foresaw the potential dangers of the future... Li Lin pondered silently. After a moment of thought, the voice of his AI companion echoed in his mind.
[Master, the Void creatures nearby have been completely eradicated. Should the mechanical units return to base?]
"Send them here to guard this location... Hmm, actually, dispatch an additional 20 Deep-Sea Task Forces to this area. Keep a close watch on the Void Rift's activity levels."
[Understood.]
After issuing his commands, Li Lin disconnected from the neural network. This Abyss was highly active, but fortunately, it lay within the depths of the ocean, 10,000 meters below the surface. Few creatures could survive such conditions. Combined with the determination of the Marai to defend their home—going as far as trading with the faithful of celestial beings to suppress the fear and darkness—the Void had not been allowed to spread unchecked. Without these efforts, the Void might have invaded reality again shortly after Shurima's fall.
If the celestial Aspects delayed their response even a little, Runeterra would already have been half-consumed by the Void. Only then would they scramble to rectify their mistakes—just like the Darkin rebellion that followed Shurima's collapse.
Li Lin's colossal mech transformed back into its submarine form and began surfacing from the depths of the Conqueror's Sea.
Nami watched Li Lin seated in the captain's chair, his silence unbroken. She bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and finally asked, "Li Lin... Chairman Li, are we heading to find the Aspect of the Moon next?"
"There's no need."
"But..."
Before she could finish, her gaze locked onto the small, familiar object that suddenly appeared in his hand. Nami's words froze in her throat as she stared wide-eyed, utterly stunned by what she saw.
The object resembled a pendant, its crescent-like arc adorned with sharp spiked edges cradling a round ring. At the center of the ring lay a flawless, jade-green gem. As pure arcane energy flowed into it, the pendant began to emit a soft, radiant glow. For a moment, Nami felt as though she was standing amidst a brilliant, star-filled sky.
"This is a Moonstone!"
Her exclamation echoed in the chamber as she stared, a mix of shock and joy spreading across her face. "You... Are you the Aspect of the Moon?"
Li Lin couldn't help but chuckle. "Where did you get that idea? I'm just an ordinary person—professionally, a mechanical engineer."
"But... But this..." Nami's voice wavered, her eyes flickering with emotions she couldn't fully articulate.
The Moonstone Regenerator in Li Lin's hand was a piece of equipment he had purchased from the Essence Store, but he couldn't exactly tell her that.
"This is a Moonstone Regenerator. If you must know..." Li Lin hesitated briefly. "Let's just say I developed it using astral magic."
But clearly, Nami wasn't interested in the finer details.
Li Lin nodded toward her and handed over the Moonstone Regenerator.
Nami was even more stunned. She had merely expected to hold the magical object for a moment, but as Li Lin placed it in her hands, her astonishment only deepened.
"You're giving this to me?"
Li Lin smiled faintly, though the mask he wore obscured his expression from Nami. "Since the Moonstone Regenerator is useful to you... it's yours now."
After briefly assessing the state of the Void Abyss in the Conqueror's Sea, Li Lin concluded that with the new Moonstone, the area could remain stable for a few more decades. Of course, this depended on the Void Watcher refraining from acting. If the Void's will were to descend, even the fragment of celestial power gifted by the Aspect of the Moon would be incapable of holding back the invasion of a planet from another dimension.
Li Lin had no idea how long it would take for the Watcher to arrive, but at the very least, he needed to buy as much time as possible to develop further. With the Moonstone Regenerator now in her possession, Nami, driven by her concern for her people, bid Li Lin farewell and returned to the Marai territory. She would undoubtedly become a hero among her kind. Meanwhile, Li Lin, having taken the place of the Aspect of the Moon's host, became the Marai people's new savior.
However, none of this mattered much to Li Lin. He wasn't a god and lacked the means to draw power from "faith" to enhance himself. Yet, as he thought about it, an idea struck him—perhaps through Janna, he could develop a device to harness the power of belief.
Harboring this new thought, Li Lin had just resurfaced when a familiar figure caught his attention. It was none other than Soraka, whom he had briefly encountered years ago during the mission to eliminate Xerath.
Emerging from his mech, Li Lin blinked over to the shore, standing face-to-face with the selfless celestial being. "What brings you here?"
"I sensed a familiar energy pulse and came to investigate," Soraka replied, her brows knitting slightly as she glanced at the vast expanse of ocean behind him. Her expression soon softened as she smiled faintly. "You've grown stronger... it seems you've earned its favor."
Li Lin returned the smile with a nod, deliberately avoiding a direct answer to her observation.
The mech Li Lin operated used multi-segment power systems, all powered by a miniaturized stellar reactor—a marvel of Aurelion Sol's vast intellect. Soraka, having once held a noble divine status among the stars, was well-acquainted with Aurelion Sol and his boundless knowledge.
Soraka's smile faded as her expression turned serious. "It seems you're already aware of the Void stirring beneath the sea. What are your plans?"
"I've given the Marai people the Moonstone Regenerator. It should buy them some time," Li Lin explained.
Soraka's starlit eyes flashed briefly with surprise, though she refrained from questioning how he had obtained the Aspect of the Moon's power. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, her tone grave. "You know the Moonstone won't hold forever."
"It will hold long enough—until the True Ice in the Howling Abyss melts," Li Lin replied, his demeanor growing serious. "I've already begun constructing defensive measures, including an artificial space station capable of housing the people of Runeterra." He gestured toward the clear, cloudless sky above.
Though Soraka had relinquished most of her divine power, she could still draw strength from the stars. Her celestial gaze had already observed the orbital fortress surrounding Runeterra and gleaned its purpose. What she hadn't expected was that Li Lin could prepare such an extensive escape plan in such a short amount of time.
"It's impressive," she admitted softly before sighing. "But… are you ready to abandon your home?"
"Not at all. This is merely a contingency plan—one that assumes we lose the war against the Void Watcher," Li Lin said candidly. "But as things stand, our chances are slim."
Soraka fell silent, shaking her head after a moment. "The future is shrouded in heavy fog; even the stars cannot reveal the outcome of your choices."
"It doesn't matter. After all, destiny is something we must write ourselves," Li Lin said with a faint smile, his optimism easing some of the sorrow in Soraka's expression.
"Although I've lost most of my divine power, when the time comes, I will do everything in my power to help," Soraka assured him.
"Actually… I could use your help right now," Li Lin said with a sheepish laugh.
"You want me to join your League of Legends?" Soraka raised an eyebrow, a rare chuckle escaping her.
Through the stars, she could sense the events unfolding across the world, including Li Lin's establishment of the League of Legends, an international organization uniting nations and heroes alike. If joining such an alliance would allow her to help more people, she would have no objections—especially since it was created by Runeterra's chosen one.
"Uh…" Li Lin paused, momentarily taken aback. He had indeed considered inviting Soraka to join the League, but he had dismissed the idea, thinking that a benevolent being like her wouldn't align herself with a human-led organization.
To his surprise, he had underestimated her willingness.
"That's part of it," he quickly recovered, not denying her assumption. "But before that, there's something even more important."
Li Lin shifted his gaze, pointing toward Mount Targon. "I need your help mediating the conflict between the Solari and the Lunari."
(End of Chapter)