This is a vast, tranquil chamber, its vaulted ceiling soaring nearly ten meters high, adorned with countless ancient murals.
The immense room is desolate and silent, with only two towering six-meter sculptures breaking the emptiness. In the flickering light of the magical lamps, these statues, which should symbolize sanctity, emanate an eerie, unsettling aura beneath the dim glow.
"Whoosh."
The sound of a gray cloak slicing through the air reverberated in the stillness, shattering the silence as a cold man, cradling a young girl, rushed in from the connecting corridor.
His long, grizzled hair danced slightly behind him, and the tattered gray cloak, coupled with his ashen locks, lent him a weathered appearance. Yet, what left the most profound impression was his pair of cold, lifeless eyes.
Deep within those inky orbs seemed to dwell a sorrow so profound it echoed the world's most despairing grief, resembling a stagnant pool of hopelessness, unruffled by even the slightest ripple, capable of chilling the very soul with a mere glance.
The moment the man stepped into the room, the surrounding air appeared to grow frigid.
Trailing closely behind him, as if pursued by some terrifying creature, the rotund Teemo and Riven burst into the chamber.
"Phew… finally safe," Teemo panted like an exhausted feline, his tongue lolling as if he might collapse onto the floor at any moment. "We've escaped that swarm of tentacled monsters! But wait, isn't this an ancient ruin sealed for years? How could such disgusting creatures exist here? It's so desolate; what could they possibly feed on to grow so robust?"
"Those aren't mere creatures," Riven sighed, replying, "Though they appear fleshy and bloodied, these tentacles are actually the products of ancient alchemy from the magical era—entrapment tentacles, said to ensnare even the most powerful ninth-tier practitioners if they're not careful."
"Eh? How do you know that, Sister Riven?" Little Annie, having leaped from Xiao Mu Yu's arms, asked curiously now that the danger had passed.
"Well, I am a legion commander, after all. I have some knowledge of these ancient war machines," Riven replied with a smile.
"Creak, creak…"
A strange sound interrupted the conversation of those who had just escaped the tentacle onslaught…
The sound of rocks crumbling…
"Uh… what is that noise?" Teemo inquired, glancing toward the source, only to be startled into jumping.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! The statues are moving!"
In the center of the vast chamber, as if a long-dormant machine had been reactivated, the two previously still angelic statues began to stir, shedding layers of dust with their slow movements.
Within the monochromatic realm of thought, one could distinctly sense the immense energy awakening within these angelic figures, a vast power that instilled a prickling sense of threat in Xiao Mu Yu and Riven, both of whom had nearly reached the pinnacle of power on the Valoran continent.
In the next moment,
Xiao Mu Yu, his expression impassive, drew forth his battered longsword. With a swift motion, he propelled himself forward, his figure draped in the gray cloak covering dozens of meters in an instant, the sharp blade carving a brilliant arc through the air as it struck down upon one of the angelic statues.
Beside him, the silver-haired warrior synchronously raised her massive greatsword, the lake-green runes upon its surface beginning to glow faintly as she swung it with ferocity toward the other statue.
Reacting to their sudden assault, the two statues, just awakened by the presence of the living, moved somewhat clumsily. One of the angelic figures barely had time to defend itself, managing only to awkwardly shift its massive stone body aside, yet Riven's greatsword cleaved off one of its stone arms with a mighty strike.
The colossal arm, propelled by tremendous momentum, flew far away, revealing a network of faint red runes etched within the statue at the joint of the arm and shoulder.
Meanwhile, the angelic statue targeted by Xiao Mu Yu sensed the impending attack. Although its movements were stiff, it managed to raise its enormous stone spear to shield its chest, effectively thwarting Xiao Mu Yu's assault with that simple action.
Gently closing his eyes, Xiao Mu Yu immersed his consciousness in the monochrome realm of thought.
In the next instant,
His pitch-black pupils slowly opened…
A chilling gaze fell upon a slight vulnerability exposed on the chest of the angelic statue, and the sharp blade traced a resplendent path as it pierced through the opening…
!!!
Xiao Mu Yu halted abruptly, confronted by a stone wall.
"…" His expression remained cold as he surveyed his surroundings, only to find himself within the labyrinthine corridors of the pyramid, the flickering flames of the magical lamps casting elongated shadows of his towering figure on the ground.
Behind him lay the deep corridor, and before him stood a stone wall.
This scene resembled Xiao Mu Yu stepping into a sealed dead end.
A mirage… perhaps?
As his consciousness gradually sank into the realm of thought, the realization dawned that everything was, in fact, real.
Not… a mirage?
Xiao Mu Yu's icy eyes gently closed. So, does this mean I was transported here in that very instant?
(Ha ha... Indeed, young human, just as you were about to strike that dashing angelic statue, the turbulent forces of space whisked you away to this location.)
"That angelic combat automaton possesses… the power to distort space?" Xiao Mu Yu inquired coldly.
(Distort space? That mere trinket? How could that be? Young human, I'm genuinely concerned for your intellect! The power to distort space is a formidable force, one that even deities may struggle to wield. How could such an insignificant toy possibly harbor such power?)
"Then… what is the explanation?" Xiao Mu Yu asked frostily. "Why was I transported here at the precise moment I was about to shatter it?"
(Ha ha... Well, one could only say that you, young human, have had an unfortunate stroke of luck. From what I can discern, a formidable spatial magic array has been laid within this pyramid, which is why the interior space appears so vast. However… ha ha… generally speaking, the more complex the magic array, the more prone it is to malfunction. Clearly, there's been a minor issue somewhere within this colossal array.)
(Although this small issue does not affect the overall layout of the spatial magic array, it has resulted in some rather bothersome spatial turbulence. These turbulent forces randomly manifest and vanish within the pyramid. While they do not harm living beings caught within them, they can randomly transport items ensnared by the turbulence to various corners of the pyramid. And evidently, young human, you hit the jackpot… hahahaha… to encounter such a minuscule probability, you truly are fortunate.)
His pitch-black pupils slowly opened…
"Not right."
(Not right? What do you mean? Are you questioning me, young human? Do you think I'm deceiving you? Ahhh!!! I was kind enough to help you analyze the situation, and not only do you fail to appreciate it, but you also doubt me? Ahhh!! Go to hell, young human!!)
"It's not that your deduction is incorrect, but…" Xiao Mu Yu recalled the previous scenario, his tone icy as he continued, "It's that the notion of this spatial turbulence appearing randomly… is flawed."
(Oh? Now I'm curious, young human. What do you sense?)
Parting his lips slightly, Xiao Mu Yu was about to speak when a lively, melodic voice interrupted him from behind.
"Eh? Is that Mr. Mu Yu? Mr. Mu Yu, look here, look here!"
Turning coldly, Xiao Mu Yu beheld a golden-haired girl, Lux, waving energetically from around the corner of the corridor, accompanied by the tall Demacian prince, Jarvan, and the enigmatic red-haired beauty, Shyvana, captain of the prince's guard.
Clearly, the three were somewhat taken aback to find Xiao Mu Yu alone in this dead end.
As I was typing, I stumbled upon a rather frustrating observation… Can we take a moment to critique the designers at Riot?
Why do so many female champions have red hair?
And as for Shyvana's design, please do not refer to the classic artwork; it's far too unappealing, resembling a zombie. Instead, consider her skin "Steel Dragon Shyvana," which features a much more beautiful design. Interested parties can search for it online; the artwork is quite stunning.