Building the Hextech Gate tower in Piltover's Undercity would take at least a few months, a time frame Li Lin needed to prepare for.
At present, except for Nashramae, all the ports in the northern part of Shurima are under Noxus control. Emperor Azir has not yet revived, and the Sun Disc in the center of the desert where the capital is situated has not risen. Shurima's people remain scattered, much like grains of sand.
Many see Shurima as a land of opportunity. Once a mighty empire ruled by god-warriors, it now holds the tombs of emperors, ascended beings, and various ancient relics buried beneath its golden "ocean."
Yet, those who venture into this fallen empire know well that opportunities often come hand in hand with danger.
Ruthless bandit groups, beasts lurking beneath the yellow sand, carnivorous swarms, and the Void-touched subterranean creatures ruled by Queen Rek'Sai—challenges abound.
While Jayce believes that they only need to build the Hextech Gates in the northern ports of Piltover, such as Bel'zhun and Nashramae, Li Lin thinks differently. Since they are in Shurima, he suggests aiding Kassadin in finding Kai'Sa, rescuing the unfortunate girl.
Li Lin doesn't dwell on facing the Void; at this stage, he is no match for it, even with power armor, which can't resist the corrupting influence of the Void.
He only needs to accompany Kassadin to their former homeland, retrieve Kaisa from the depths, and leave.
As for building the Hextech Gates, the technical aspect is straightforward. With Kiramman's craftsmen overseeing the construction, it should be manageable. In Shurima, a region lagging in technology and labor, building a single tower takes months. Li Lin doesn't want to waste time in such a harsh environment.
Moreover, this time is enough for him and Kassadin to traverse the Shuriman continent, roundtrip from north to south through the desolate Yellow Sands.
Li Lin's initial plan is for him and Kassadin to go to Nashramae first, then head to the next city, Zuretta, for food and water resupply. After crossing the vast Sands of Shurima, they will reach the ruins of the imperial capital. Following the River Kahleek downstream will take them to the gathering place of merchants and adventurers, Zaun, and finally, crossing the Song-Grove to reach Kassadin's former home.
This journey will take at least a couple of months, and supplies are indispensable—not just food and water. Given the desert environment, small particles like sand and gravel are inevitable and could easily jam a gear in the power armor, causing damage.
Moreover, traversing the desert might lead to encounters with ruthless bandits or dangerous hunters hidden beneath the sands, adding considerable trouble to the journey.
Therefore, Li Lin decides to research and develop a mechanical device capable of storing resources.
It's not just about food and water; first aid supplies, Hextech energy crystals, tools for mechanical repairs, and kinetic ammunition are all crucial.
To err on the side of caution, Li Lin decides to create a floating resource supply device, taking inspiration from Iron Man's long-range weapon support system, "Veronica."
He named this mechanical device "Dawnlight," which in Ionian means "rescue" or "aid."
Using the flight system from the "Aerial Mech - Storm" and refining it, Li Lin incorporates three energy crystals as power cores.
It took him more than two days to design the blueprints and half a day to produce the final product of rare quality.
[Dawnlight (Rare): Mid-range floating resource supply device.]
[Attributes (Mechanical): 10,000 Health, 1,500 Energy.]
[Ability Effects]
[Passive]
[Full Automation: Unable to function when energy is depleted, consuming 120-500 energy per second (propulsion + auxiliary chips + cooling; energy consumption depends on payload).]
[Solar Panels: In sunny daylight, can recover 2% of maximum energy per second.]
[Mechanical Enhancement: Provides additional attributes for all functions (except energy core).]
[Triple Energy Cores: Provides an additional 2,000 energy.]
[Recharge: Restores 15% of maximum energy per second.]
[Reinforced Alloy Armor: Provides 2,000 additional health.]
[High-Quality Carrier: Provides 500 energy.]
[Active]
[Automatic Reload: Consumes 100 energy per second, automatically reloading stored ammunition into the Storm Mechanism's chamber.]
[Adaptive Defense: Briefly charges for 1 second, consuming 12% of maximum energy to gain a 30% maximum health adaptive shield lasting 15 seconds (cooldown: 45 seconds).]
[Overload Charge: Consumes 15% of maximum energy for 3 seconds of overload charge, gaining a 20-second boost in flight speed afterward.]
"In the heart of the 'Dawnlight,' the main module is square, adorned with primary propulsion modules on all sides.
It features a golden hue, resonating with the environment of Shurima. The central core primarily houses iron compartments containing various supplies, and each of the four propulsion modules internally carries ammunition.
If used solely for storing dry rations and jerky, it can store enough food for two people for a month, with refrigeration capabilities to prevent spoilage of food and water.
Each remaining propulsion module can hold 2000 rounds of ammunition.
In addition to the flight apparatus for resource storage, Li Lin has upgraded and improved the 'Aerial Mech Storm.'
This rare-quality aerial combat robot now boasts 12,000 health points and 4,000 energy, increasing its combat effectiveness from 40 to 50 points.
Li Lin has not only added an energy crystal to it, giving it three power cores and a substantial boost in energy supply but has also included 'Adaptive Defense' and 'Overload Charge' modules, similar to the 'Dawnlight.'
Furthermore, the internal ammunition capacity has increased to 800 rounds per propulsion module, enough to provide at least 2-3 minutes of firepower suppression.
However, what troubles Li Lin is his exclusive 'Project Genesis: Infinite Power Armor.'
Whether it's Kassadin's Hextech power armor, the Aerial Mech Storm, or the resource storage flight apparatus Dawnlight, they can all provide 4000 energy on the basis of three power cores.
His power armor, equipped with various weapon modules, cannot replace the other two energy crystals with cores, resulting in a significant loss of 1000 energy.
At this point, there's no time to purchase the 'Primordial Crystal' for researching new power cores. Li Lin can only focus on improving the power core aspect.
However, this difficulty persists until a day later when Kassadin comes to visit, and Li Lin still hasn't solved it.
Helpless, Li Lin only adds a 'cooling' function within the power armor that consumes 10 energy points per second, abandoning the idea of improving the power core. After all, relying on storms for battle in Shurima should be sufficient; he can make a couple more if needed.
In the workshop of Kiramman, inside Li Lin's workshop.
Kassadin still wears the same outfit as before, only now he carries a black messenger bag in his arms.
From his expression and the protective gesture over the bag, it undoubtedly contains something very precious.
A strong palpitation...
Inside, it should contain the 'Nether blade of Horok' the wrist blade that can be folded.
Or perhaps, the artifact 'Void Stone' that can protect Kassadin from Void corruption...
"Mr. Li Lin..."
Kassadin seems to be entering such a mansion for the first time and seeing various sophisticated Hextech instruments, he appears somewhat restrained.
Li Lin glances casually at Kassadin's messenger bag, smiling reassuringly.
Immediately, Li Lin shifts his gaze, inviting Kassadin to follow him, walking to the innermost room of the workshop.
"As per your request, I've crafted a custom-made power armor for you."
Li Lin walks into the room, pulling down a white cloth from the wall.
A set predominantly in blue and black unfolds before Kassadin, displaying an intricate Piltover-style steampunk aesthetic. The helmet, seamlessly connected to the sealed and seamless body of the power armor, has multiple breathing pipes.
"This, this..."
Kassadin widens his eyes, appearing shocked and too excited to find words.
Clearly, the power armor crafted by Li Lin exceeds his expectations.
Seeing Kassadin in such a state, a joyful smile appears on Li Lin's face.
"How is it? Are you satisfied with this power armor?"
(End of this chapter)
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