Ever since witnessing the nuclear engine powering Rumble's scrapped mech, Li Lin had been spending most of his time in the "junkyard." To obtain the design for a miniature nuclear reactor, Li Lin persuaded Rumble into dismantling his "Tristy" almost forcefully.
Of course, dealing with this furry little guy wasn't a walk in the park. Li Lin had to upgrade and enhance his mech as a condition for Rumble's cooperation.
After thorough research, Li Lin discovered that Tristy's nuclear engine had a technological content far beyond his imagination. Unlike the makeshift mechs composed of junk, Rumble was cautious with this radiation-emitting high-energy reactor.
It used a unique compression material exclusive to Bandle City, capable of withstanding fusion reactions and completely isolating radiation. The cylindrical miniature nuclear engine, with a radius of just over 30 centimeters, was horizontally embedded in the center of Tristy's frame.
According to Rumble, theoretically, this engine could be even smaller with Bandle City's Arcane Technology, but shrinking it further would be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Besides, Rumble wanted Tristy to be as large as possible, so the current size of the engine was sufficient.
Nevertheless, Li Lin silently memorized all the technological theories and design blueprints Rumble shared.
Even if he couldn't develop a palm-sized nuclear power core himself, it could still be used in large mechs. The only problem was the raw materials, with one source being the Void-swallowed Yordle Vale and the more crucial one in Piltover.
Even if Li Lin didn't go to Piltover himself, sending Rumble there and back would take an eternity.
But doing something was better than doing nothing. Li Lin promised Rumble to design a new "Gundam" exclusively for him in exchange for materials to create a miniature nuclear fusion reactor.
However, first, he had to upgrade Tristy to a rare quality through "Mechanical Enhancement."
On the third day, as Li Lin visited again, he coincidentally encountered Rumble, who was preparing to go to the market with a small cart.
"Offering you water..."
Before Li Lin could finish his greeting, a disgruntled Rumble suddenly interrupted him with a scream. "Stop, don't say that greeting to me again! I've had enough!"
As a Yordle who disliked humans, Rumble, in order to build a mech, had to deal with Shurimans every day. He felt like his ears were calloused from hearing the same "offering you water and shade" phrase repeatedly.
"Uh..."
Li Lin didn't quite understand why Rumble was so furious, but after two days of interaction, he had somewhat gotten used to the unpredictable nature of this Yordle.
"Are you going to the market?" he asked.
"Yes, my Tristy still lacks a practical melee weapon!"
Yordle temperaments were as swift as they came. Rumble quickly calmed down, somewhat excited, and continued, "This morning, when I went out for breakfast, I heard that someone brought items from the Ascension Era to the market. I have to check it out."
"Ascension Era?" Li Lin thought he might have misheard, "Are you sure it's the 'Ascension Era'?"
"Of course! Although I don't know if it's true, I'll find out when I see it."
Rumble pushed Li Lin's leg to make way for himself, then, with his small cart, headed towards the market.
Jokingly, the last Ascension era was during the reign of Emperor Azir of Shurima, at least three thousand years ago. Even if it was a genuine item dug up from a tomb, could it still be usable?
Rumble wasn't someone who collected antiques; he only gathered "junk" that could be used in mechanical manufacturing.
The reason he was so excited was probably that this so-called "Ascension Era" item was a weapon that could be used on Tristy.
A nail hammer used on mechs in the game? Perhaps...
Li Lin shook his head, deciding not to ask further, afraid that any wrong word might trigger this little guy's temper.
Perhaps due to some store advertising "Ascension Era" items, the market this early morning was busier than the previous two days.
Occasionally, one could even see the unique creatures of Shurima. A Skallashi, standing four or five meters tall, was being laden with supplies on its hump-like back by its owner.
In Shurima, disputes don't arise over shady spots; the high sun treats all equally. By midday, relentless sunlight blankets every corner until sunset. On the wide streets, vendors set up sunshades, preparing their goods for the day.
Leading the way with a pushcart, Rumble, followed by Li Lin in powered armor, drew curious looks. "Hey, everyone passing by, come take a look! Authentic 'Ascension Era' teapots, now only 20 gold disks!"
Walking, the distant shouts of a middle-aged man reached Li Lin and Rumble's ears. Rumble's ears twitched, unconsciously quickening their pace.
As they turned a street corner, they saw a crowd around a sunshade not far away. Rumble glanced back at Li Lin, his eyes revealing a clear message.
He shook his head helplessly and went straight into the crowd, apologizing as he squeezed through. The crowd consisted mostly of curious onlookers, drawn by the stall's gimmicks. Few were genuinely interested in the "Ascension Era" items.
Once Li Lin and Rumble reached the crowd, five or six people had already left. The yelling vendor, a middle-aged man in traditional Shuriman white robes with a sunshade cloak, saw Li Lin in powered armor and recalled the recent arrivals from Piltover.
His eyes lit up. Ignoring the departing customers, he immediately greeted, "Welcome, seeker of shade and water! Interested in purchasing something from the 'Ascension Era'?"
As for Rumble, who had little presence by Li Lin's side, he was entirely ignored by the vendor, much to his annoyance. "Hey, aren't these items too expensive? Even if you sell them for 20 silver or 20 copper, I might not buy them!"
Shurima's currency was gold disks, silver sand, and copper pieces, less valuable than Piltover's gold hexes, silver Cogs, and Bronze Washers. For Li Lin, the cost was negligible, but Rumble sought value for money and haggled based on the vendor's knowledge.
The vendor's face darkened. He impatiently waved Rumble away, saying, "Go away, where did this little dwarf come from? Don't cause trouble here."
This statement, like pouring oil on a burning flame, fueled Rumble's anger. "You think I don't know? This teapot was made in the Tereshni Harbor over ten years ago. Selling it for 20 gold disks is a scam!"
As the vendor's face changed, Rumble continued, pointing at other items and recounting their origins and ages. Li Lin watched with interest, realizing that many of Rumble's claims were made up, but the vendor couldn't distinguish.
To Li Lin's surprise, among the items was a massive hammer, at least two meters long, a genuine relic from the "Ascension Era."
Rumble's interference caused the crowd, initially dismissive, to leave, muttering about the fraud. Desperate, the vendor cried out, "Don't leave! Don't listen to this Yordle, these are 100% items from the Ascension Era!"
The primary culprit, the annoying Yordle, made the vendor cry internally, feeling like his heart was bleeding.
"By the way, your hammer... According to human time, I've witnessed that golden era," Rumble continued, red-faced, "An authentic Ascension Era hammer wouldn't have those engravings!"
The vendor glared at Rumble with fury but, knowing Yordles' nature, dared not argue further, attempting to salvage the situation. "What do you want? Found something you like? I'll sell it to you at a low price. Can you stop interfering with my business?"
Finally stopping, Rumble's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. What a foolish human, utterly ignorant of the value.
"Well, this... and that... I'll take them all," Rumble pointed to several items, including the giant hammer. Then, placing his hands on his hips, he grinned, revealing his clean, white teeth. "Flat rate, 20 gold disks."
(End of the chapter)
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