Janna's appearance caused a stir in the breathing station.
As Li Lin had anticipated, the manifestation of the Wind Goddess and the miracle she performed led to a significant surge in the power of faith she received.
Most notably, Janna's form, which had been semi-transparent, became fully solid. Apart from her ability to float gracefully in the air, she now looked very much like an ordinary human.
If one were to speculate, she seemed like a being born from the union of a Vastaya branch and humans, possessing more human traits.
Janna was equally astonished by today's events. She confided in Li Lin that in the two hundred years since the "Great Collapse," she had occasionally revealed herself directly to gain followers.
However, many would initially believe in Janna and plead for her help in various matters. But some requests were beyond her, especially given her weakened state.
As she failed to respond to countless prayers, her limited strength was exhausted, leading to long periods of slumber. Consequently, many of her followers abandoned their faith and turned to crafting technologies.
This resulted in a vicious cycle: without followers to provide faith, she had no power to respond, and without responses, followers lost their faith. For the past two centuries, Janna lived through this cycle, occasionally encouraging the poor in their dire moments.
Were it not for the "Day of the Ashes" event a few years ago, where some prayed for her protection, pulling her back from the brink of oblivion, the guardian deity of Zaun might have vanished.
Gods don't die, at least not the original demigods of Runeterra. Their power stems from the land itself. They don't need believers; the believers need them.
But for a deity like Janna, whose divinity is derived from human faith, she would cease to exist without followers.
However, today's events would grant her a new group of devoted followers.
Outside the breathing station, Li Lin and Janna hovered in the air, looking down at the endless stream of refugees and injured being brought in by the mechanical workers and rescue teams.
Within a few hours, nearly five thousand people had gathered there. Janna had completely cleared the surrounding smog, bringing fresh air to the area, cleaner than Piltover's.
After a long silence, Janna turned to Li Lin. "Thank you."
"Thank me for what?" He shook his head with a smile. "This is your doing..."
"Don't be modest." Janna interrupted, her expression serious. "You called upon me and provided a solution. Without you, I couldn't have gathered this much faith."
She blinked her beautiful eyes and with a delicate gesture, summoned a strand of wind, forming a sky-blue bird that sang a cheerful tune, flying around them.
Finally, the bird transformed into a blue light that flowed into the bronze amulet in Li Lin's hand, given by the little girl.
Li Lin opened his hand in surprise and saw that Janna's magic had transformed the amulet, turning it into a pure sky-blue color, making the bird on it look more vivid.
Suddenly, he felt an invigorating sensation from deep within his soul. His mind became exceptionally clear, and even the flow of his magical energy seemed unusually smooth.
[You have received the blessing of Janna, the Wind Goddess.]
[Effects: Agility +10%, Neural Reaction Speed +10%, Health and Mana Regeneration Speed +3%.]
[You have been favored by Janna, the Wind Goddess.]
[Effects: While in Piltover and Zaun, you will receive the constant effects of "Tailwind," "Gentle Breeze's Protection," and "Eye of the Storm."]
[Tailwind: Blessed by wind magic, agility increased by 20% (can be maintained outside the twin cities by consuming 1% of maximum mana per minute).]
[Gentle Breeze's Protection: Janna's wind spirit accompanies you, all attacks carry wind elemental magic effects (can be maintained outside the twin cities by consuming 5% of maximum mana per second).]
[Eye of the Storm: When taking damage from external sources, a wind barrier equivalent to 10% of maximum health will form, blocking all types of damage. In stormy weather, this effect increases to 25%, lasting until the end of the battle (can be activated outside the twin cities by consuming 20% of maximum mana, with a cooldown of 5 minutes).]
Noticing the system's prompt, Li Lin was astonished. "This is..."
"A small reward," Janna maintained her elegant, serene smile. "Humans like equivalent exchange, don't they?"
"That's true, but I didn't ask for any reward, nor did I think of it..."
Li Lin was at a loss for words. After all, helping Janna regain her strength wasn't for his benefit; it was solely to save the people of Zaun.
"Perhaps I misunderstood you... But since the gift has been given, I won't take it back."
Janna chuckled softly, "I can sense the immense magical power flowing within you, but it seems you don't quite know how to utilize your talent. I hope my wind magic can offer you some help."
This was more than a "little help"; it significantly boosted my combat strength even without armor!
Combined with the genetic enhancement serum, Li Lin felt he could tear apart hundreds of Chemtech-enhanced fighters with his bare hands, and they wouldn't even touch his hem.
The "Chemtech-enhanced fighters" previously strengthened by Silco's unstable Shimmer were no match for the current Li Lin.
"Wind's Protection" allowed him to imbue his attacks with wind magic, essentially enchanting them. It not only increased his speed but also enhanced his destructive power.
Moreover, this effect could be applied to the kinetic weapon ammunition fired by his armor, although it required a tremendous amount of mana outside the twin cities.
Not to mention the "Eye of the Storm," a life-saving shield available every five minutes, usable both inside and outside the twin cities.
"Thank you, this is very useful to me," Li Lin said, placing the bird amulet around his neck, offering his heartfelt thanks.
Janna nodded, her gaze suddenly fixed on his chest, looking slightly surprised. "Wait, is that an... Ascension Amulet?!"
The Ascension Amulet barely emitted any magical aura. If she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have known Li Lin was wearing it.
"Yes, it's a gift from Emperor Azir," Li Lin said, showing her the amulet.
"The Shuriman Empire... has returned?" Janna murmured in disbelief.
Li Lin hesitated slightly, "I heard the Shuriman Emperor overthrew your statue?"
Janna nodded slightly. "That's right, but rest assured, the one who gave you the amulet is not the same Azir who ordered that."
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Didn't Azir die thousands of years ago? How is he alive again?"
"It's complicated and hard to explain quickly... In short, his last surviving bloodline awakened him."
Li Lin briefly recounted his experiences in the City of the Sun.
After hearing his story, Janna looked south towards Shurima, silent for a long time before sighing, "I never thought Azir could ascend again."
To ease her worry, Li Lin explained, "It's a good thing. Azir is a good emperor."
"Perhaps..."
Maybe recalling some unpleasant memories, Janna clearly didn't want to continue on this topic.
"Let's talk about business. You wanted to make a deal with me?"
The feeling of having one's thoughts sensed was truly unpleasant...
Fortunately, she wasn't using that ability now, Li Lin thought as he stared into her azure eyes.
"Yes," he said with a slight smile. "And it will be a win-win situation."
(End of this chapter)