So, fighting alongside his mechanical creations could improve affinity?!
Noticing the prompt on the system panel, Li Lin remained stunned for a while.
Ah! If only he had known earlier, he would have joined the fight against those Kthaons bandits...
He shook his head helplessly, sighing inwardly.
When the Storm killed the remaining stragglers, whose minds had been controlled by Xerath, and returned to his side, Li Lin swiftly activated his armored ability "Blink" and returned inside the stone walls constructed by Taliyah.
Coincidentally, Kassadin, Sivir, Taliyah, and a group of young warriors from the tribe were discussing the events outside.
"The commotion outside has stopped..."
"Could the battle be over?"
"That's impossible, right? It's only been a short while. There were over a hundred people outside."
"That armor looks really cool. Where did he get it from? I want one too!"
"Forget about it, fool. Didn't you hear the conversation between the chief and Mr. Kassadin earlier? That gentleman is from the prestigious Piltover family of artisans!"
"Oh, I see! I'm just an apprentice blacksmith. So, does that mean I can make one for myself?"
"Uh... as long as you're happy."
The warriors chattered away, showing no signs of panic on their faces, in stark contrast to Taliyah's worried expression.
As for Kassadin and Sivir, they only had slight concerns, mainly regarding Xerath.
But Kassadin was confident that he could subdue all of Xerath's followers without needing divine weapons.
"Sivir, do you think Li Lin can handle those people?" Taliyah pursed her pale lips, unaware that Li Lin had already approached from behind her.
Sivir was taken aback by Li Lin's sudden appearance inside the stone walls and didn't have a chance to answer her question.
A hint of puzzlement flashed across Taliyah's face as she reached out a small hand and waved it in front of her, "Sivir? What are you looking at?"
Just as she finished speaking, a familiar mechanical voice echoed behind her, "Why don't you ask me directly about that question?"
"Eek!" Taliyah was startled by Li Lin's sudden appearance, her whole body trembling, unable to help but exclaim in surprise.
Then, she quickly turned around, her right hand clutching her chest, her heart pounding wildly.
"Li Lin, you scared me!"
But seeing that Li Lin was completely fine, Taliyah felt relieved.
Li Lin suppressed a smile and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
In fact, he had done it on purpose.
Girls as innocent and cute as her always tempted people to tease them.
"How did you get in?" Sivir looked curious, "There was a sudden flash just now, and then you appeared?"
"This is what I mentioned earlier, the 'Hextech Teleportation' technique. I just applied a weakened version of it to my powered armor," Li Lin explained to her and Taliyah.
"What's the situation outside?" Kassadin walked up to Li Lin and asked directly, his main concern still being Xerath's followers.
Although it seemed that Li Lin had already dealt with them completely, it was always good to confirm.
"It's all taken care of, a total of 199 people," Li Lin said, getting down to business, "I suspect they bypassed Vekaura and split up to hunt us down."
"Do they know our location?" Taliyah gasped in disbelief, covering her mouth.
"I don't think so," Kassadin replied solemnly, offering his own insight, "With the talisman given by the Grandmaster, Xerath can't perceive Sivir's location. These people should only be a part of them, acting separately."
"Right, these people are from different tribes and bandit groups. Their eyes flicker with blue flames, indicating they're being controlled by Xerath."
"What?!" Taliyah was shocked once again.
Not only her, but Kassadin and Sivir didn't look too good.
"Take down the stone wall, Taliyah. There's no longer any threat outside," Li Lin suggested, unwilling to reveal too much on this topic, as it was all information he had seen on the system.
Pausing for a moment, he looked at Kassadin and Sivir again. "I don't know if Xerath will sense the deaths of his minions, but this place is obviously not safe anymore. We need to leave... tonight."
...
...
After securing the purchased supplies, Li Lin and Kassadin had a discussion with Rasjin.
Their current settlement was no longer safe, and he needed to quickly gather the tribe to pack up and move elsewhere.
Having learned that Xerath was once a traitor to the Shuriman Empire, who stole the power of the gods and could even control minds, Rasjin realized the seriousness of the situation and urgently called for an emergency meeting with the respected elders of the tribe.
They unanimously decided to relocate the tribe to the east of Vekaura, near the downstream of the Lifewater River in the northern part of Harissa.
Meanwhile, Li Lin, Kassadin, and Sivir prepared to continue their journey southward to the Marrowmark in the southern mountains.
As Taliyah was eager to return home and their paths diverged, she volunteered to stay behind to assist the tribe before setting off to find her own family.
After parting ways with Li Lin and the others, they spent almost all their time on the road, with little rest.
In less than a week, they finally arrived at the most peculiar settlement in all of Shurima—the Marrowmark.
This small enclave was built upon the remains of an ancient desert behemoth's ribcage. Its narrow, winding spine-road and towering ribs, reaching tens of meters high, were the main features of Marrowmark, truly a sight to behold.
According to Shuriman rumors passed on by Kassadin, one could find anything under the sun in the Marrowmark, as long as they could afford the corresponding price.
Unlike other towns, the roads in the Marrowmark were rugged and narrow, with spaces no wider than 10 meters packed with colorful sunshade canopies erected by small vendors.
With caravans, adventurers, various individuals in need, and even thieves attracted by its reputation, it was not suitable for bringing mounts inside.
Leaving Skarner and the camels to be taken care of by someone outside the market, Li Lin, Kassadin, and Sivir, carrying some more valuable belongings and followed by four levitation devices, entered this city of bones, attracting many curious gazes.
"These past two years, Marrowmark have changed a lot. I almost don't recognize it anymore..." Kassadin couldn't help but sigh.
Sivir, who had never been here before, didn't have much to say. However, judging by the surprise flickering in her eyes, she found the small town built within the giant skeleton unbelievable.
"I wonder if my old friend who collects antiques is still here," Kassadin sighed again, "Let's go take a look. Having an acquaintance around always helps."
He pointed ahead and added, "His shop is at the end of this road, inside the giant skull."
(End of this chapter)
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