With his first successful experience and the AI's assistance, Li Lin's proficiency in enchanting had increased significantly.
Throughout the morning, aside from Caitlyn greeting him before heading to work and Kai'Sa after breakfast, Li Lin focused solely on enchanting defensive rune magic.
To his surprise, enhancing defensive rune magic was much simpler than the self-charging magic he was familiar with.
After some thought, Li Lin realized why.
Self-charging rune magic required precision, sorcery, and Enlightenment runes.
In contrast, enhancing defense only required Determination and Enlightenment, making it naturally less complex.
By lunchtime, Li Lin had successfully enhanced the aerial combat machine with self-charging magic and defensive capabilities.
Basic defensive enchantments on ordinary materials, while not as effective as purely compressed defensive materials or crystal armor coatings, could still make a chopping board enchanted with defensive magic withstand a Hextech rifle's attack.
In the original timeline, this rifle was Caitlyn's specialized weapon, far superior in precision and power to regular rifles, especially compared to Hextech carbines.
Moreover, this type of magic strengthened the defense, depending on the quality of the defensive materials.
Combining compressed defensive materials and crystal armor coatings would at least be a nice addition, if not significantly enhancing the effect.
Furthermore, the current enchantment magic was just the most basic form.
When Li Lin could enchant higher-level magic, rune technology would truly begin to flourish, much like the individual enhancement system, a late-blooming type.
Compared to individual enhancement, rune technology required proficiency and did not need leveling up or spending skill points.
Once proficient, items could be enchanted by the AI-controlled mechanical arms without his direct involvement.
The infinite armor currently lacked energy and defense but had no self-repair function.
Li Lin's "Mechanical Repair" skill had limits; repeated repairs reduced an item's quality.
If it reached the lowest quality, further repairs might cause complete destruction.
Thus, Li Lin spent the rest of the day studying "self-repair" rune magic.
By nightfall, after scrapping more than ten storm robots, he finally managed to enchant this magic.
Just as Li Lin sighed in relief, ready to rest and try increasing the enchantment success rate tomorrow, a familiar ethereal female voice suddenly sounded behind him:
"Is this... arcane magic?"
Startled by the sudden voice in the locked workshop, Li Lin's heart skipped a beat. He turned around helplessly.
A translucent sky-blue bird hovered mid-air, flapping its wings.
Seeing Li Lin's gaze, it tilted its head, "Why are you staring at me like that? Are you curious about my current form?"
As it spoke, the blue bird transformed into Janna's humanoid form, a slight smile on her delicate face.
"Don't be surprised. My true form is a bluebird; this is just a manifestation."
Li Lin shook his head and sighed, "Could you at least warn me before appearing next time? You scared me."
"Did I startle you? Sorry, I thought you had sensed my presence," Janna apologized sincerely.
Magic causes physiological reactions, and Janna's movement with the wind was an application of wind elemental magic.
But Li Lin, immersed in rune magic all day, hadn't noticed her presence.
"Never mind." Li Lin asked seriously, "Did you come about the Chem-Bombs?"
"Yes." Janna nodded lightly, "Good news, I didn't find any Chem-Bombs in Zaun."
"That's a relief..." Li Lin sighed.
Then Janna looked surprised, "But in the sewers, I encountered a peculiar life form, a mass of green chem-slime."
"You mean Zac?"
"Yes, him." Janna formed Zac's image with a translucent breeze, "I spoke with him; he said he was also searching for the Chem-Bombs on your behalf."
"Yes, Zac is a good kid, often helping Zaun's citizens with public repairs."
"I can feel his kindness... You know him well?" Janna asked curiously, "You know, I spend most of my time asleep, so I'm not familiar with modern Zaun."
"Zac's creation was quite an accident..."
Li Lin exhaled a heavy breath, returning to his outer workshop. He poured himself a cup of cold tea and drank it in one gulp.
He then told Janna about Zac's origin and the events that followed.
"Narek, Cirani... I've heard them call to me before, around the time you mentioned, but I didn't have the strength to respond then."
Janna's smile faded, her expression turning serious. "So that's why they were pleading for my help."
She paused for a few seconds, her blue eyes meeting Li Lin's. "The Chem-Barons, many of my followers have complained about this organization. They are not good people."
"You don't need to worry about them. I've already dealt with the Chem-Barons," Li Lin said with a smile.
Janna blinked, surprise flashing across her face.
Li Lin guessed her thoughts and quickly explained, "Not in the way you're thinking. I reached an agreement with them, making them relinquish their control over Zaun."
"Rebelling against the rulers, your actions are remarkably similar to how the people of Oshra did a thousand years ago."
The Wind Goddess, who was the embodiment of hope for the people, bringing winds of change to topple tyrants, felt a newfound admiration for Li Lin.
However, while she approved of Li Lin's actions, she couldn't ignore the potential problems that followed.
Janna hesitated slightly. "But won't Zaun fall into chaos again if you do this?"
"Leave it to me. I have a... well, let's say a friend in Zaun who helped keep the Chem-Barons in check before."
Li Lin waved his hand dismissively. "But he has his own ambitions. I can't let him run unchecked, so I'll cultivate my own representative to take over part of Zaun, creating a balance of power with another 'ruler' in the Lanes."
Zaun's past was filled with monarchies until Piltover's establishment led to a form of "parliamentary system" over the past two hundred years.
Of course, that was only on the surface.
Janna, though not human and unfamiliar with human governance, understood the importance of "balance" and "power distribution."
"Do as you see fit. I trust you will handle it well," Janna said with a faint smile.
"I can't do it alone," Li Lin said seriously. "I need your help."
Janna was momentarily stunned. "Me? If you need my help... I'll do what I can."
"Are you busy with anything important right now?"
"Uh, not really..."
Li Lin's lips curled into a smile. "Then let's continue our last conversation. Have you thought about your doctrines and teachings?"
At this, Janna looked flustered.
She had no idea about such things!
For thousands of years, she had always taken a laissez-faire attitude toward her followers.
After all, in the past Oshra and present-day Twin Cities, there were no other religions for her to reference. She was clueless about such matters.
Moreover, it had only been a day since they last spoke.
She had spent her time responding to followers and wandering around Zaun, helping Li Lin search for traces of Chemtech bombs. How could she find the time?
Janna gave an embarrassed smile, hesitating, "Well..."
"If you haven't thought of anything, I have a suggestion."
Li Lin had anticipated this. "'Go with the wind, be kind, and may the winds of change guide you forward'... How about it?"
"Go with the wind, be kind, and may the winds of change guide you forward..." Janna repeated softly, her eyes lowered.
"Wind, kindness, and change fit your image perfectly. Plus, Chemtech will be abolished soon, and I plan to invent a large-scale air purification device. With your help, Zaun can finally escape the smog-filled environment.
"In the future, 'May the smog not enter your home' will be a reality. It won't work as a daily greeting or blessing anymore, and 'May the gears turn smoothly' from Piltover wouldn't be appropriate either.
"So, people can use 'May the winds of change guide you forward' or 'The Wind Goddess bless you' as greetings.
"But I prefer the former, as it signifies Zaun's transformation.
"Moreover, Piltover will undergo changes too. Unlike Zaun, this will be a change of the times, which also fits this slogan."
Janna was amazed by Li Lin's vision.
Noticing her stunned expression, Li Lin added, "If you don't like it, I can come up with something else..."
"No, I love it!" Janna's eyes lit up, her tone growing enthusiastic. "Your idea is wonderful!"
(End of Chapter)
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