Zuan. The city of iron and glass. A dark reflection of Piltover, the lodestone of invention and reinvention. Where the light is drowned in corroded metal and toxic fumes. Where entire sectors are unlivable pits of flame and death. Where even breathing is a difficult task.
This wasn't a place where humanity could survive.
But somehow, humans thrived.
A nation was born underneath the rich upper city, a culture united through common hardship. The connection was so strong that it gave rise to a rebellion against Piltover, led by a man of burly stature, he was resilient, and charismatic, with a will surpassing the constraints of death.
Vander, "Hound of the Underground."
A name that only came to mind when I saw his statue made of scrap metal, a memorial to the hero who once led them past the bridge between Piltover and Zuan.
"Vander."
I remember my reaction vividly—a strange silence following the sullen voice of a little girl. I remember how my heart fell when I saw my reflection in that dirty iron.
I was a pale little thing. White as the limestone that I walked on. But it was that blue hair that sent me into a frenzy. The contrast between my ill white skin and blue locks was like the sky meeting the sea on the horizon.
And those eyes.
Those eyes frightened me. It was like I was 17 again. Looking up at the barrel of a pistol for the very first time.
Yes. It was the same feeling. For the first time in a long time, I felt vulnerable.
I was scared.
I must have stood there for a minute. Wallowing in self-pity. Thinking to myself, why me? Wasn't I a good person? What had I done to deserve being put in the body of this damaged individual?
Maybe, someone heard my pleas. Whether it was God or that ridiculous space dragon whose name I couldn't bother to remember. Maybe it was luck. An anomaly of unquantifiable magnitude.
Regardless, it was the only reason I survived in that wretched place of a city.
[Powder: 1 Star]
[Type: Magic Caster]
[Categories]
[Family]
[Scrap]
[Ambusher]
[Skill: Misfit Toy]
[Send a monkey towards the largest group of enemies, causing a 2-hex radius explosion on impact. Enemies hit take 305/460/680 magic damage, reduced by 33% for each hex they are away from the epicenter. Wound and 1% Burn applied for 5 seconds to all enemies hit.
Burn: Deal a percent of the target's max Health as true damage every second.
Wound: Reduce healing received by 33%]
It almost felt like a sick joke at first.
"Family".
How was I meant to build a comp around family?
Vander was a living corpse. Gone in mind and body. I never wanted to see him again. If he ever came back, it wouldn't be as Vander, but as Warwick. A disgusting amalgamation of wolf, man, and chemtech.
Vi was imprisoned in Stillwater, and I had no intention of ever helping her escape.
This "family" could rot.
I don't remember how long it took me to move from that spot. Reading through that description over and over again. Memorizing my health, damage, armor, and range.
It was surreal to me. It took me a while to accept it. Even longer to integrate it as my new identity.
But eventually, I turned away from Vander's jagged metal face and ran.
I ran far far away. Far as my skinny little legs would take me.
Ran so far I was sure I had escaped all of Powder's demons.
Silco, Sevika, Ekko, Vi, Vander, none of them could ever find me. I would never be a face they would ever see again.
I was free.
And in a few hours, I found my very first coins.
I passed the "first round".
Winding up that ugly monkey bomb was nerve-wracking, but it felt natural. It was like I had done it a million times. It was like I once took pride in this.
But something was different.
It didn't feel like an explosion capable of blowing people to atoms and collapsing buildings. It felt tame, like a dog I could set on people at will.
And I did set it on people. Too many. I didn't even stop to think about it.
It wasn't something I was particularly proud of. I remember the face of that dirty straggler when I set him on fire.
How he screamed. How he rolled across the floor, clawing at the flames that ate at his flesh.
He couldn't even run away from me. The initial blast had torn his right leg three meters away from him. His entire lower body was burned. A deep searing red, the color of metal when it's tempered in fire.
That man died so I could gain a measly two coins.
I've tried to convince myself that it wasn't worth it. That the life of a man couldn't possibly be worth two coins.
But it was. Yes, it was.
The following rewards were worth a hundred men like him.
[Powder: 1 Star]
[Lux: 1 Star]
They materialized in front of me, eyes blank, frozen in their signature poses.
Powder was a pitiful little girl, a direct copy of me, cradling her hand-crafted bombs in her arms like stuffed animals.
Seeing her, me, like this, reminded me why I killed that man.
I was weak. Without Silco's protection, I would be eaten alive in a place like Zuan.
If I wanted to feel safe and secure, I needed to be strong. And I needed people I could trust.
Lux was that person. She was a bit different from what I remembered, her blonde hair and royal attire were replaced with striking orange hair and a school uniform, but that didn't matter. Even in the universe of the academy skin line, Lux was a mage.
She was "The Lady of Luminosity".
She didn't fit in a viable team comp with me, but that didn't matter. Lux was the most inconspicuous among the characters available for purchase.
"Let's go find something to eat."
They didn't respond, they couldn't. But they followed my voice and walked with me towards our next meal.