Li Lin finally realized that, based on his own experience and understanding, he had been trapped in a conceptual misstep. The two choices that Soraka had gained from contemplating the future, hidden within the fog of the unknowable, were not clear instructions on what he was supposed to decide.
They were entirely a result of his own interpretation. One choice was to lead all the beings of Runeterra to find a new home, while the other required him to defeat the Void and protect Runeterra. But how could he possibly defeat an entire dimension, an intelligence split into an unknown number of hive-mind entities? The mechanical legions and the power of the World Runes were nowhere near enough.
Li Lin had thought that Soraka was asking for his sacrifice to seal the Void's passage to the material world, filling the cracks in the world's barrier. But there was another, better choice.
Using the power of the World Runes, Li Lin traversed the world in mere minutes, sealing the corrupt cores of fractured regions with the overwhelming might capable of toppling worlds. He eradicated most of the Void creatures. Some of the mechanical units and combat engineers began clearing the battlefield, while the rest headed to Freljord to guard the surrounding areas of the Howling Abyss.
Having handled the matters of Runeterra, Li Lin piloted his mech towards the peak of the Giant God Mountain. He didn't need to climb like the Rakorians. In fact, he didn't even need to use the World Runes. Simply relying on the mech's anti-gravity and engine propulsion, he effortlessly reached the summit.
The Star Spirits of the Giant God Mountain had apparently anticipated Li Lin's arrival. As soon as they detected the minuscule emissions from the mech's stellar reactor and the faint, almost imperceptible energy leak from the World Runes, the Arbiter of the God Peak had already appeared, manifesting from the cosmic veil.
The Titan God hovered motionless at the mountain's edge, facing off with the Starbound Entity, a towering figure constructed from a crystalline blue and purple starry substance. The Guardian of the Starrealm, wielding a staff, stood ready for battle. It had already taken a defensive stance, prepared to prevent this "World Blessed" being from entering the realm of the stars.
Li Lin ignored the Arbiter of the God Peak. His gaze passed over the towering celestial figure and locked onto the dazzling, multicolored galaxy beyond the massive archway. Taking a slow breath, Li Lin spoke:
"Star Spirits!"
His voice was not loud, but with the augmentation of the World Runes' star magic, it carried an otherworldly resonance, reaching the Star Spirits on the other side through their connection to Runeterra.
The Star Spirits did not respond, so Li Lin waited patiently. After all, he had plenty of time.
The deaths of over a dozen Watchers who had come to Runeterra had greatly shaken those still trapped in the Void dimension. Their lack of understanding of the concept of reality caused them to warp, giving rise to vulnerable forms. The Watchers, influenced by Runeterra and possessing certain emotions unique to humans, began to fear "death" and no longer dared to cross the boundary into the material world. It was much like how they had been betrayed by Lissandra at the start of the Icathia Void War and thereafter never dared to step into Runeterra again.
After a moment of waiting, Li Lin's keen senses detected a trace of star magic falling from the heavens. Almost simultaneously, a golden, circular portal appeared between him and the Arbiter of the God Peak, and a familiar petite figure emerged.
"Darling!" Zoe cheerfully appeared in the cockpit through the portal, her cherry-red lips curled into a big smile as she floated in front of Li Lin.
For Zoe, who had no real concerns, the Void invasion had barely affected her. Through the power of the World Runes, Li Lin could now see the golden magic flowing around Zoe's body like a slow-moving current.
As a constellation, the power of the Star Spirits was far greater than that of the World Runes.
Li Lin took a deep breath, slowing the flow of magic from the World Runes. He disengaged from the neural link device, locking eyes with his beloved.
"Zoe, could you deliver a message to the Star Spirits for me?"
"Of course!" Zoe agreed instantly. But the next moment, her smile faded, her expression turning slightly displeased—not with Li Lin, but with the Star Spirits who had given her the command.
"But why don't you speak to them directly?"
With a casual gesture, Zoe sent a wave of ancient, cryptic information into Li Lin's mind—information that wasn't in any language of sentient beings, yet still understandable.
"We agree with your plan, but you must agree to one condition."
Li Lin looked up at the starry sky in surprise. "You know what I'm thinking?"
The collective neutral voice of the Star Spirits fell silent.
"You're afraid." Li Lin couldn't help but scoff.
Since the Star Spirits knew his thoughts, he could roughly guess what their "condition" was.
Li Lin was not the first mortal to face the mighty Aurelion Sol, but he was definitely the first to speak with this creator. The star-forged beings had manipulated pitiful pawns, offering the cursed Starstone Crown to the Forger of Stars, stealing his knowledge, draining his power, and provoking his wrath by touching his reverse scales. This caused Aurelion Sol to harbor deep resentment toward the insignificant planet of Runeterra, a world he had never created.
Li Lin's arrival, however, changed everything. Through skillful words, he managed to calm the great Aurelion Sol's temper and character, diffusing the crisis that threatened Runeterra with the wrath of a creator god. But the star-forged beings were a different matter.
Despite being born at the beginning of the universe like Aurelion Sol, their standing was far inferior to his. A curse and seal placed on such a creator could not last forever. After being bound, the stars dimmed as they lacked care. Aurelion Sol, who had always taken pride in his creations, loathed the star-forged beings and swore that once he broke free, he would destroy them all.
After a brief pause, Li Lin continued, his voice cold: "Had I known this would happen, I would not have bothered."
"You, a mere ignorant mortal, could never understand the thoughts of our exalted existence," a voice from the star-forged beings spoke dismissively.
"Hey! How dare you speak like that about my lover?" Not only Zoe but Li Lin himself felt an unexplainable surge of anger rise within him. "And now, in this situation, you still act so arrogantly?"
Li Lin took a deep breath to suppress his fury and spoke with icy detachment, "If that is your stance, then wait for Aurelion Sol to break free and wipe you all out... I believe that day will not be far off."
With that, Li Lin began to command his mecha to ascend from the peak of the God Peak. He had originally planned to talk to the star-forged beings, urging them to release Aurelion Sol and plead with the creator god to resolve the Void Watcher issue.
If the star-forged beings recognized their mistakes and apologized, Li Lin would have interceded on their behalf for Aurelion Sol's forgiveness. Given Aurelion Sol's "prideful" nature, he might not have adhered to his oath to destroy all star-forged beings except Zoe.
But in the current situation, the star-forged beings were too arrogant and completely unaware of their fault. Instead, they sought to manipulate Li Lin into extinguishing the centuries of fury Aurelion Sol had accumulated.
Li Lin was not one to be used so easily.
For now, the Void Watchers were unlikely to descend on Runeterra again in the short term, given the deaths of their kin. If he could guard the Void rifts and gather knowledge of the material world through their surveillance, he might be able to devise a way to deal with the Void as a ticking time bomb.
After all, Li Lin had already proven he could kill the Void Watchers. In the material realm, these Void entities, once formed through the crystallization of reality, had weaknesses, and their power was no match for him. This was the primary reason Li Lin felt unafraid.
Just as he was about to leave, a mature and magnetic voice suddenly stopped him: "Wait!"
The voice did not come from beyond the heavens, but from the peak of the God Peak itself.
Li Lin turned to see a man dressed in a deep blue robe, with large blue gemstones embedded in his shoulders, belt, and left forearm. His cloak shimmered with the light of the stars, and he carried a warhammer with a purple-blue star core in his left hand.
The man's face, angular and defined, wore an expression tinged with pity. His brown hair floated in the air without wind, and his right hand held a radiant crystal, exuding energy not from this world.
"He is the host of the Guardian Starforged, Taric," Zoe muttered beside Li Lin.
"Li Lin, the legendary figure who saved Prince Jarvan IV and broke the magical prohibition of Demacia," the man spoke, his voice deep and resonant. "As the Host of Aspect of Twilight mentioned, I am Taric, the host of the Guardian Aspect, also known as the Shield of Valoran."
Taric gave a slight bow, adhering to the noble customs of Demacia in greeting Li Lin.
"I've heard of you," Li Lin remarked, recognizing the man. "You were the Dauntedless Vanguard under Garen after he took over as the Sword of Demacia."
"That's all in the past," Taric responded with a slight smile. "Now, I have a new identity… and a new mission."
Ever since Demacia and Noxus had joined the League of Legends, signing a non-aggression pact, even though Taric had still, like his original timeline, been neglectful of his duties, he had not caused the death of the former Dauntedless Vanguard's Sword and companions. He had been exiled to the "Stone Crown" punishment, climbing the God Peak. But he had chosen to follow the call of the stars, distancing himself from his homeland to fulfill his "destiny" — to become the representative of the Guardian Aspect.
Taric was no longer the ordinary mortal he once was. His heart was filled with a love for all things in the world, striving to protect all that needed safeguarding… not just humans.
If anything, the power he had gained from the Starforged had caused him to lose part of his humanity. Or rather, the Guardian Aspect had forcibly instilled their ideology within him, removing him from the realm of human thought.
"What do you want? Do you wish to convince me to represent you in negotiating with Aurelion Sol?" Li Lin's tone was blunt.
"The Guardian Aspect are conservative within the Celestials, always opposing the manipulation of Aurelion Sol. This time, they have issued a divine order, stating they will accept your idea on behalf of their faction's conservatives and neutrals," Taric explained, surprising Li Lin.
He continued, "However, to ensure their own safety, they will not face Aurelion Sol directly to apologize. Instead, they ask you and Zoe to deliver their apology."
"If Aurelion Sol is willing to accept it, they will face him personally and seek his forgiveness. If you are unable to calm his fury…," Taric paused for a moment, then added, "As favored beings of two worlds, I believe you should understand that the starry sky is not boundless, but has its limits."
"By then, they will abandon this place and move on to another universe."
(End of Chapter)