Staring at this group of enforcers, Tristana couldn't help but widen her eyes. Because the equipment worn by those Piltover Enforcers was something Tristana had absolutely never seen before.
Every single enforcer looked tall and imposing. The armor they wore wasn't heavy steel, but a lightweight alloy with a matte finish. Hextech pistons glowing with blue light were embedded at the joints. There was not the slightest hint of stiffness when they walked; instead, it exuded a sense of fluid, mechanical power.
The insignias of Piltover and Zaun were engraved on their breastplates. A glowing energy crystal was embedded in the center of the insignia, its light flowing along the armor's grooves, reflecting a pale blue halo under the sunlight.
"Oh my gosh... so cool..." Tristana couldn't help but murmur, her eyes wide as saucers.
It wasn't the faces of any particular enforcers, but the weapons they held that truly made Tristana stare blankly in awe—
Just looking at them was enough to make Tristana's heart race uncontrollably.
They weren't swords, nor were they cannons, but Hextech short-rifles gleaming with cold metal light. Fine copper tubes wrapped around the rifle barrels, and next to the triggers were gauges with needles that swayed gently with the enforcers' steps.
Aside from the short-rifles, there were also incredibly formidable-looking steam crossbows. Without a doubt, these steam crossbows originated from Zaun, or at least, were primarily based on Zaunite technology. The gears on the crossbows interlocked tightly, and the bolts resting in the grooves glinted with a chilling, eerie green light. Two different canisters of chem-tech solutions were attached to the back of the crossbows, and the special bowstrings were laced with the faint glow of Hextech energy, causing the arrowheads to spark with surging electricity.
Walking at the very front, wearing the uniform of a high-ranking enforcer, Vi's face was filled with a fierce, heroic spirit that completely rivaled any man's.
And on Vi's hands, her original Atlas Gauntlets had been visibly upgraded. A massive crystal was embedded in each, while a large amount of chem-tech solution was housed in the central armor hub on her back—
Under Faen's strict demands, in order to let the people feel more joy and hope, the new elites of the two cities—who had replaced the old Chem-Barons and merchant nobles—were forced to engage in healthy competition, cooperating with each other to continuously launch innovative technological products.
It wasn't that no one wanted to stage a coup and restore the old ways. And even though she had the capability to silently erase them, Camille didn't choose to silence them. Instead, she sat back and watched them spread ideas of private ownership, market economies, and free markets. Only when the time was right did she directly execute their entire families down to the last person.
This was to make the people realize: you can slander Faen as a hypocritical, fake saint; you can even spread rumors that beneath the facade of a Saint King, Faen has many shady, under-the-table dealings; and you can even choose not to follow the order and rules Faen established—as long as you are fully prepared to have your entire family slaughtered by the Saint King.
Although the criminal element couldn't be completely eradicated due to the deeply-rooted spiritual ailments of the two cities and the complex, transient nature of a port city, as Faen's former personal guard and now the deputy to Piltover's Sheriff Caitlyn, Vi naturally received a massive amount of flattery from many people.
However, Vi's personality went without saying; she had never been one to tolerate any grit in her eyes. Therefore, legally inviting Vi to test and customize new enforcer equipment became an absolute necessity.
Following the design of the Atlas Gauntlets, Vi had also acquired a custom-made set of Atlas Enforcer Armor.
However, for routine daily patrols, Vi much preferred lighter, reinforced armor.
Just like right now, the main torso of her body featured a specialized power system, allowing Vi to be much more powerful while avoiding being too clunky or ostentatious, making it highly convenient for daily patrols.
And if she truly needed it, she could quickly complete a full armor changeover through Faen's spiritual realm—essentially serving as a budget, "knock-off" version of Iron Man in Runeterra... Well, in appearance only.
After all, in every other aspect, be it technology or capability, it was all developed by others based on her own raw power.
But just the fact that she could bear such a massive amount of Hextech crystal energy and Chemtech tech proved that Vi's innate potential far exceeded that of ordinary people... If it were an ordinary person, even using the prototype Atlas Gauntlets for a short while would cause intense bone pain, but Vi had never felt such a thing.
And now, after Faen's continuous "training," both her physical and mental potential had been elevated and fully realized. The magical pulses Vi could withstand were naturally far more powerful as well.
Right at that moment, noticing a suspicious-looking individual in the corner, Vi narrowed her eyes slightly. Soon after, she detected the faint energy fluctuations of a Hextech crystal—she was a total idiot when it came to magic, but having used them so much, the current Vi was exceptionally sensitive to the specific fluctuations of Hextech crystals.
Noticing Vi's gaze, the man first looked startled, then immediately lowered his head and took off running.
"Halt!"
Vi shouted. Before her voice even faded, she had already launched herself like a cannonball. Her technological exoskeleton provided power far beyond ordinary humans, and the exhaust vents on her mechanical gauntlets hissed loudly. Rebounding off the walls, she instantly crossed a distance of over a dozen meters at terrifying speed and dashed into the alleyway.
The smuggler had just rounded the corner, but Vi's iron fist was already smashing into the ground in front of him.
With a massive BANG!, the shockwave from the shattering concrete directly flipped the criminal over. Vi lunged forward, pressing her knee into his back while her mechanical gauntlet precisely locked onto his wrist.
Crushed by that massive hand, the criminal immediately let go in pain. His backpack hit the ground, spilling smuggled Hextech crystals all over the floor. The arrest was complete.
"Caught red-handed with the loot." Vi tossed the culprit to an enforcer nearby, holding the backpack in her hand, her tone completely flat.
Watching Vi in action, Tristana's mouth had already dropped open in sheer shock. Her eyes were filled with absolute disbelief, and she continuously smacked Faen's thigh beside her, saying:
"So cool! So cool! So cool! She is easily the coolest soldier I have ever seen! The most elite soldier! I absolutely have to become like her!"
Hearing Tristana's words, Faen raised an eyebrow playfully. He motioned for Tristana to keep looking at Vi, and then he clapped his hands.
With Faen's clap, Vi, standing not too far away, seemed to sense something. She looked up and glanced around. Upon spotting Faen, her eyes instantly lit up. She quickly ordered her squad members to continue their patrol, while she herself walked straight toward Faen.