A 3% chance of awakening a superpower is indeed a stroke of luck. However, after starting at such a peak, Li Lin never had such good fortune with subsequent injections.
He figured that not unlocking another superpower was probably a blessing.
After testing, Li Lin found that the "Iron Body" wasn't as formidable as he had imagined. It didn't make him invulnerable like Superman, impervious to anything except Kryptonite.
In reality, this hardening ability was limited to deflecting sharp blades and Hextech kinetic weapons, providing resistance to physical damage.
More powerful energy weapons, like the "Death Ray" Viktor developed, could still hurt him, let alone higher-power energy weapons.
Moreover, even without the ability, Li Lin's body was already tough enough that an ordinary handgun couldn't penetrate it.
Now, with a nano-suit ready to deploy at any moment, enveloping him in seconds, this energy-consuming ability seemed redundant.
Iron Body, as the name suggests, only made his body as tough as steel...
Realizing the superpower he unlocked wasn't very useful, Li Lin quickly lost interest in it.
After all, he was just one level away from reaching level 70, when he could undergo a targeted genetic enhancement procedure.
This low-probability, randomly awakened ability wasn't worth gambling on a 3% chance.
In the following hours, Li Lin produced over twenty new activators, preparing to use them on Caitlyn and the Kiramman couple.
With new biotechnology, there was hope for solving Kai'Sa's issue, though more research time was needed.
Now that Hextech teleportation was available, it was time to contact Kassadin, so he could reunite with his long-separated daughter.
Besides, it would also be a good opportunity to capture a few Void creatures for study.
Having decided, Li Lin hadn't yet gone to fetch Caitlyn and Kai'Sa when the AI alarm blared throughout the room:
[Master, Crown Prince Jarvan's personal guard has engaged Noxus' Grey Battle Group at the southern edge of the Silent Plain.]
"What?" Li Lin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So soon? They didn't even leave the Silent Plain?"
[According to drone footage, the day you were discovered at the Gates of Mourning by that bloodline, they left their outpost overnight to intercept the Crown Prince.]
The AI reported the situation while projecting the drone footage in front of Li Lin.
Though the "Heaven's Eye" satellite launched earlier was for reconnaissance, Li Lin had installed communication signal receivers and transmitters for convenience.
This was why he dared to return to Piltover, thousands of miles away, without fearing delayed information.
In the footage, a burly man wielding a special retractable dual-hook spear, clad in silver and yellow armor, along with similarly armed soldiers, was surrounded by layers of Noxus troops.
The man's arm and shoulder armor had three spikes each, with Demacia's emblematic wings engraved on his chest, and a flawless blue crystal symbolizing the royal family embedded in his helmet.
The Demacian army was formidable, and the strength of the Crown Prince's personal guard was exceptional.
Despite their numbers, they managed to hold off ten times as many Noxian soldiers, demonstrating their combat prowess.
Noticing Li Lin's amazement at the Demacian army's strength, the AI explained:
[They are the elite vanguard led by Crown Prince Jarvan. After being lured into a trap by Noxus, they were cut off from the main force.]
[My calculations show the Crown Prince's guard can hold off the Noxian troops for 5 to 8 more hours.]
[Although they are still in high spirits with minimal casualties, they can't withstand the continuous waves of Noxian attacks.]
[Additionally, Noxus has blood mages troops specifically targeting the Crown Prince.]
"Hmm..." Li Lin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then, he activated his clothing to transform into battle armor, pinpointed the battleground on the holographic map, and selected a nearby teleportation coordinate.
"To avoid any mishaps, I'll go directly to the scene."
...
...
As dusk approached, the sun began to set.
An hour earlier, on the Silent Lake Plain in the northwest of the Argent Mountains, near Demacia's border.
The battle between Crown Prince Jarvan's guard and the Noxus battle group was fierce.
Surrounded and cut off from the main force by a sudden ambush, they had been trapped in this place.
Initially, Noxus launched a fierce attack, hoping to quickly capture the Crown Prince. This sudden assault cost the elite guard 6 soldiers, with 8 others lightly wounded.
But the squad swiftly formed a defensive circle, combining shield and spear soldiers to protect Jarvan IV in the center, forming a tight defense inspired by the Dauntless Vanguard.
After twenty minutes of skirmishing, they repelled the first wave of the most intense assault, killing over 80 enemies without further losses.
Seeing their ambush fail, the Noxus commander regrouped his troops and launched a second full-scale attack.
Unfortunately for Noxus, the Crown Prince's guard consisted of soldiers who had been candidates for the Dauntless Vanguard, making them highly skilled.
With only a few more soldiers lightly injured, they killed over 50 more enemies, forcing the Noxian troops to retreat again.
As the saying goes, a sharp attack loses momentum after the first strike...
The adage applies just as well in otherworldly battles.
Having failed twice to overcome the Demacian prince's forces, the morale of this Noxian battle group was severely shaken.
The only reason they still followed orders to launch further assaults was Noxus's generous reward system.
The prospect of slaying the sole heir of Demacia or capturing him alive was enticing, with promotions and new titles as mere bonuses. The real allure lay in the potential favor from Noxus' new leader or the hand of Noxus's own Darius.
Unbeknownst to them, this invasion was actually ordered by the Black Rose Society. Even if they succeeded, they would still be held accountable by Swain.
After several unsuccessful and costly attacks, the Noxian commander, gritting his teeth, ordered his troops to temporarily regroup about a hundred meters from the Demacian forces, waiting for the arrival of the Black Rose's shadowy troops.
Jarvan IV's head of the guard, also his deputy, peered through the gaps in the shield wall at the distant situation, his expression grim.
"Your Highness, this isn't working… The Noxians are clearly prepared. We've fallen into their trap."
Jarvan IV sat cross-legged in the center, his right hand resting on the Demacian royal weapon, the Dragon's Fang spear, his face dark with anger.
After a prolonged silence, he exhaled deeply and, with a hoarse voice, said, "I'm sorry. If I hadn't insisted on coming to the Gates of Mourning, this wouldn't have happened… I've put everyone at risk."
"Your Highness, don't speak like that!"
Hearing this, the head of the guard walked back to him and scolded, "As the heir to Demacia, this is not the time for self-reproach but to find a way to resolve our predicament!"
Jarvan IV slammed his hand on the ground, then picked up the Dragon's Fang spear and stood up, addressing his deputy: "You're right. Now isn't the time for self-reflection. We need to break out."
As he spoke, he approached the shield bearers, peering through the shield wall to survey the surroundings, his brow furrowing.
"With their numbers, it would be easy for them to capture us. They must be aiming to wear us down with a prolonged siege, waiting for our supplies to dwindle so that we collapse from within?"
"You're right in your analysis, but…" the head of the guard hesitated for a moment, "I feel like they're waiting for something."
"Waiting?" Jarvan IV pondered for a moment, then turned to the burly man beside him, "Why do you think that?"
"There," the head of the guard pointed to the direction where the Noxian commander had previously been seen, now heavily guarded and fortified by soldiers.
"After we repelled their initial attacks, that commander halted and gave orders to his subordinates, which I happened to see."
"Are they gathering a large force, or perhaps they have war dogs or heavily armored mammoths to break our formation?"
The head of the guard shook his head, "I don't think so… Such special units are difficult to hide. It's unlikely they could cross thousands of kilometers without being detected by our scouts."
Jarvan IV was momentarily startled by the deputy's analysis, a troubling thought emerging in his mind, "Could it be…"
"You've guessed it too, haven't you?" the head of the guard's voice turned serious, his tone revealing his disdain, "Mage units. These Noxians will stop at nothing to win."
"That complicates matters. Whatever it is, we can't wait any longer… We must break out as soon as possible."
Jarvan IV immediately returned to his original position, "That direction leads to the Gates of Mourning, and it is also the weakest point in the Noxian encirclement.
"Although it takes us further from Demacia, the Argent Mountains, with their evergreens and dense trees, are nearby and perfect for hiding and guerrilla warfare.
"Once we reach there, we'll have a better chance of escaping."
The head of the guard pondered for a moment and nodded decisively, "You're right, Your Highness. This is our only chance."
(End of Chapter)