Soraka, having summoned the power of the stars, raised a massive celestial magic barrier that temporarily halted the Void's expansion, buying Runeterra some precious moments. She could not fight any longer, having used the last of her strength to bless Li Lin before collapsing. Li Lin quickly transported her to the Sky Fortress for rest.
In the end, Soraka never revealed what the two choices she spoke of truly were. However, Li Lin suspected that one of them would likely involve sacrificing Runeterra to lead a wise race to another planet, where they would expand and rebuild.
With current technology, creating a curvature engine would not be difficult. Moreover, Li Lin also possessed the ability to perform super-dimensional teleportation.
At worst, he could seek Zoe's help or request assistance from the Starforger Dragon King to find another habitable planet in the vast universe that resembled Earth or Runeterra.
As for the other choice...
Li Lin integrated five nearly complete World Runes—Precision, Domination, Sorcery, Resolve, and Inspiration—into the Titan Mecha. His mood turned somber. To ensure Runeterra's survival, he would have to face the Void in a final battle. He had an inkling of what was to come, though he could not be certain.
With the amplification from the five original World Runes, the Titan Mecha underwent a profound transformation. In addition to its usual mechanical aura, it now emitted a wild energy that seemed to blend with nature.
The armor, now thicker and infused with magic, enveloped the entire mecha. Originally able to grow over a thousand meters tall, the mecha's form swelled once more, towering like a colossus—its size now rivaling that of the standing Void Watchers.
As Li Lin's thoughts turned, the magical armor seemed to move fluidly without any resistance. His arms, controlled with ease like his own limbs, rose effortlessly, and he formed a miniature, radiant "star" in his palm. Naturally, the World Runes couldn't generate stars like the Starforger Dragon King, but this was a simulation created by celestial magic. Even so, its temperature and power far exceeded that of any natural sun.
World Runes and Titan Mecha Compatibility—98.76%!**
For a moment, Li Lin felt invincible—able to destroy Runeterra with just a thought or a snap of his fingers. What were these World Runes, if not a version of the Infinity Stones from League of Legends? The only difference was that their power didn't span the entire universe.
No longer reliant on satellites or mechanical armies for observation, as long as he was within Runeterra's borders, there was no place he couldn't see. His consciousness expanded outward, and he saw Aatrox and his Celestial Warriors, locked in a bloody battle.
After thousands of years, the Ascended and the Void were about to resolve their ancient feud. However, unlike the situation a thousand years ago, this time, the Celestial Warriors faced monsters from the Void that were far stronger. There were no longer thousands of "suns" illuminating the battlefield—only fifty Celestial warriors now confronted a Void far mightier than before.
The warriors, acknowledged by Aurelion Sol and having undergone two ascensions, stood unafraid, facing the corrupt and polluted forces from another dimension.
Li Lin's consciousness shifted, and he saw the Freljordian demigods desperately fighting to hold off more than a dozen Void Watchers. Gods of fire and forging like Ornn, gods of winter and perfect ice like Anivia, the goddess of the oceans, Sealsister, and many more, each guided by the Freljord's faith, were holding their ground. But with the Void's forces relentlessly pushing forward, they were on the brink of collapse.
The activation of the World Runes caused the previously immobile Titan Mecha to vanish, only to reappear on the battlefield, hundreds of kilometers away.
"World Runes!"
Even the Void Watchers, who had been relentless in their assault, paused their attacks as they turned their singular eyes to Li Lin's reappearance. In their violet, flickering gazes, there was a hint of greed. They knew about the World Runes, having learned of them shortly after the Dark Harvest Rune of Domination was sealed underground by the Yetis. A Void Eye had transmitted this knowledge to them.
Moreover, Void Eyes had discovered multiple World Rune fragments scattered across Runeterra, though Ryze had already collected nearly all of them years ahead of schedule, with Li Lin's aid.
The Watchers hovered, their grotesque forms swelling further, arms splitting into numerous tendrils. Their blue energy bodies collided with the purple rifts of Freljord, instantly exploding in a violent surge of Void power. It swept away everything in its path, and countless mechs were annihilated in its wake. Yet, this was only the aftermath of that unleashed power.
The combined force of the Watchers surged towards Li Lin's Titan Mecha, but he simply raised his arm with a seemingly slow motion.
In an instant, yellow, red, blue, green, and deep azure mixed in a beautiful yet unharmonious pattern, forming a barrier that deflected the Void's destructive beams. At the same time, it infused the weakened demigods with rejuvenating magic.
Li Lin's eyes sharpened. He blinked out of existence, reappearing right in front of the Watchers. With a swift, heavy punch, the celestial armor transformed into a massive, sharp blade. He cleaved through one of the Watchers, the explosion of energy boiling and disintegrating its form like scalding water.
Once a being of "divinity," Li Lin no longer needed flashy maneuvers. It was simply a contest of power, and the realms collided. A beam of Rune energy collided with the Void beam, tearing apart the earth and space as the Titan Mecha summoned thousands of glowing, starry arms to crush the Watchers' tendrils with ease.
The Watchers, sensing the overwhelming power of the five World Runes, hesitated to attack again. Instead, they focused on reinforcing the Void monsters emerging from the abyss.
"Li Lin!"
Just then, Aatrox and his Celestial army rushed to the battlefield. Several Ascended, masters of elemental magic, blessed the mecha, further boosting Li Lin's strength.
Not just the Celestial Warriors, but even the demigods themselves lent their power to him.
"The World's Chosen, we are with you!"
Led by Ornn and Anivia, the blessings of the demigods combined with the power of the World Runes to unleash tremendous force.
In that moment, Li Lin took a deep breath, feeling as if he had fused with all of Runeterra itself. His gaze then focused on the Void Watchers, and a smile slowly crept across his face.
"I see it... everything."
(End of Chapter)