"Hey there! Long time no see, 'Evil Gods'!"
With his usual brashness, Sol kicked the door wide open, stepping into the dark faction's inner sanctum where their gods were gathered. The gods of dark faction had centralized its solitude here, ensuring their operatives could safely carry out missions—a convenience Sol fully intended to exploit, allowing him to corner them all at once rather than hunting each one down.
His eyes sparkled like a wolf catching sight of its prey.
Seeing Sol's ravenous gaze, several of the 'Evil Gods' instinctively stepped back in fear.
"Sol?! How did you get in here?!"
"I came looking for you. It took quite a bit of effort to sniff out this place," Sol replied with a grin that, to the 'Evil Gods,' looked predatory and terrifying.
'Are we 'Evil Gods' or just helpless prey?' they wondered as they took in his unsettling expression.
"You're bold to come here alone!" one of them sneered.
"Oh, I'm even bolder than that—and who said I came alone?" Sol's mocking smile widened.
As he spoke, a tall figure entered from behind him, shutting the door with a quiet 'click'. Alfia stood calmly by the door, blocking the only exit and ensuring none could escape. Not that these gods, stripped of divine power, had any real chance of slipping away.
Still, precautions never hurt.
"Well then, I'll start with you," Sol declared, grabbing the nearest Evil God and lifting him effortlessly with one hand. Following his usual method, he extracted the divine power from the god, almost absentmindedly as he did.
"The progress of Bandle City is at 83.9% (from 71.4% to 83.9%), remaining summons: 1," an internal voice reported in Sol's mind.
"The progress of Bandle City is at 99.9% (from 83.9% to 99.9%), remaining summons: 0 (all yordles)."
"Bandle City is completed. What's next?" his parallel consciousness queried.
"Targon," Sol replied automatically.
"No, choose from Demacia, Ionia, Noxus, Piltover, Zaun, or Bilgewater."
"What? Let me choose! If Targon isn't an option, at least give me Freljord or Shurima!" Sol protested.
"Trust my expertise," his parallel consciousness replied coolly. "Or would you prefer to do it yourself?"
"Fine… Give me Ionia!" Sol finally decided.
Despite the damage Ionia had suffered in the war with Noxus, the land still brimmed with potential and high-caliber talent. Heroes aren't just about quantity; quality matters as well.
Powerful mages like Syndra, and various heroes from the vastaya tribe, were just a few who came to mind. And in Orario, healers were worth their weight in gold. Just look at Amade, of the Dian Cecht Familia—one healer supported an entire group.
Thinking of that child made Sol a little resentful. That lucky old man Dian Cecht had a real advantage there. He had tried intercepting the healer, but his timing had been off by a fraction.
'But with my own Soraka, Amade wouldn't even compare!'
"Soraka is from Targon," his parallel consciousness reminded him, crushing his hopes.
Before Sol could protest, Ionia was officially selected, leaving him no room for second thoughts. 'Why…?!'
'Ionia without Soraka is like Asia without rice!' He was stunned. 'Since when was Soraka not from Ionia? Did she change allegiances without telling me?'
"Divine-level combatants will appear only after all other countries are established, so don't waste your energy on these wishful thoughts," his consciousness cautioned.
"Damn! If I'd known, I'd have gone for Zaun or Bilgewater!" Sol muttered, realizing he'd missed an opportunity.
"And what about those 'limited summons' I used up for Bandle City?" Sol pressed, spotting a loophole.
"That was the yordles' count. Once Bandle City is complete, you can summon all the yordles without limit, so those numbers no longer apply," the parallel consciousness explained.
Frustrated but defeated, Sol had no words to counter.
Greed will swallow an elephant, they say. Both Zaun and Bilgewater were full of heroes as well—Zaun had the Wind Spirit, and Bilgewater boasted the Deep Sea Titan and Sea Beast Priest. 'Anything might've been better than Ionia without Soraka.'
'Oh well,' he consoled himself, 'at least Ionia has its fair share of beauties…'
With no way to alter the choice, Sol settled into his decision, eager now to fill out Ionia's progress.
His brief mental exchange had taken only seconds in real time. Disposing of the 'Evil God' he had drained, Sol's gaze blazed with renewed determination as he surveyed the remaining evil gods.
With Alfia keeping any would-be runners in check, the Evil Gods had no means of resisting. Like livestock lined up for slaughter, they were one by one pulled forward, each becoming a satisfying feast for Sol's hunger.
"Ionia's progress is now at 16.1% (from 0% to 16.1%), remaining summons: 2."
...
"Ionia's progress is now at 91.8% (from 71.4% to 83.9%), remaining summons: 7."