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Jinx stealthily slipped out of Phil's lab and maneuvered through the crevices of Zaun. This place had more of Zaun's essence—ruin and desolation. But the reason she came was for her secret hideout... well, it was sort of a secret base. Camille's brother, Steven, had strengthened the defensive structures of other factories and had begun a covert search for Jinx. He wanted to make this gutter rat pay. Yet, his body was failing him. After catching a mild cold, he found himself bedridden, unable to move easily. "Master, we have found Hakim's whereabouts," a young, attractive woman reported to Steven.
"What?! Where is he?" Steven was greatly shocked by the news. This person was his hope for survival. If they could produce one more Hextech Core, he could control the family forever without fearing the agony of his illness. "He lived in the Zaun area, but he's dead now. His nephew resides there," the woman stated without any emotion. "Dead, huh? Well, counting the years, it's been fifty or sixty years...," Steven murmured, recalling his youth, now long gone. "Since that's the case, Camille, don't blame me."
"It seems we can only go through with that plan. Call Camille back," Steven's voice was weak. "Understood, Master."
Jinx reached the crevice of Zaun and spotted a silhouette lurking near her secret base. "Lurking around like that, not a good sign," Jinx muttered to herself. Since Silco took control of Zaun, the crevices had almost become deserted within days, considering the dangers. Falling into polluted water without proper treatment was a risk of losing half your life. Jinx was here to retrieve her "treasures."
However, Zaun's environment was rapidly changing. Within days, the drainage of Piltover's sewer system had been completely rerouted. The cleaning robots designed by Phil had been put to use, gradually transforming Zaun's environment, making its streets noticeably cleaner. Observing the distant figure, Jinx decided to scare him. She sneaked behind the person and suddenly shouted. Startled, the person almost fell into the mutating waste below, but a flash of gold light appeared, and he reappeared on a large rock.
"What are you doing? Don't you know this could get someone killed?" The man had golden hair and a glowing gem embedded in a bronze bracer on his arm. "What am I doing? You're the one snooping around, perhaps plotting some sabotage?" Jinx retorted, countering his blame.
"Snooping? I'm conducting archaeology—archaeology!" The blonde male countered indignantly when his profession was questioned. "Archaeology?" Jinx pondered. Phil had mentioned this term in passing. Suddenly, she remembered, "Tomb raiding?" Phil had explained that archaeology equated to tomb raiding.
Hearing Jinx question his profession made his face flush red, struggling to retort. "You cannot defame me like this..."
"Defame? Isn't this just tomb raiding? How is it different from theft?"
His face reddened further, veins visibly twitching on his forehead. "Archaeology isn't theft... Archaeology! Is an explorer's work considered theft?" He then mumbled some incoherent words like "a gentleman maintains his principles."
Seeing his reaction, Jinx couldn't hold back her laughter, playful thoughts rising. "My name's Jinx. Zaun's only a few hundred years old. Are there really tombs for us to raid? Take me with you, would you?" She had already started referring to them as "us."
"My name is Ezreal. I'm an explorer whose dream is to travel to every corner of the world." Seeing Jinx shift the topic, his face finally brightened a bit. "Explorer? Do you have an explorer's license?" Jinx suddenly thought of something else. Ezreal was momentarily speechless. With his achievements, he was quite renowned, but when it came to having a license, he didn't. Born in Piltover, he knew well that the Explorer's Association didn't issue certificates based on ability. He could only shift the topic himself: "Nobody truly knows what's beneath their feet. I mean, there's a whole Shuriman outpost buried—more accurately, submerged—beneath the crevice area."
"Really? What you just used was Shuriman arcane magic?" Although she was born in Zaun, Jinx had heard some ancient legends, and noticing the blue stripes on his complexion, she had some guesses. "Yes, it's the treasure I gained from my first adventure. I fought solo against thousands, you know, with hordes of spiders and tomb guardians charging at me. I wasn't scared at all—super brave." Although he didn't know Jinx, it was rare to meet someone interested in adventures, and he was naturally willing to share his glorious history. "Let me guess, you used the same method to escape just now." Jinx quipped, mercilessly debunking his tale.
"Uh... alright, but that's not the important part." Every word from Jinx nearly made him lose his composure. He had to change the topic again: "According to my findings, long ago, Zaun was a city more advanced than Piltover. It was only due to an accident that it became what it is today. After several searches, I've discovered that the hidden sacred relics lie beneath Zaun. I dare say there are many relics waiting to be unearthed."
"What are we waiting for then?! Let's go find them." Jinx couldn't help but feel excited. Her lively nature meant there was nothing more thrilling than this kind of exploration, well, maybe except blowing up those pesky crystal synthesis factories. Suddenly, Ezreal felt a touch of melancholy: "But the pollution in Zaun is too severe now. We can't dive into the crevices to excavate the ruins—it's too dangerous."
Jinx's eyes gleamed: "How about this, you help me with something, and once it's done, I'll equip you with gear to help you explore the underground ruins. How does that sound?" "What is it?" he asked, puzzled. "Blow up the House Ferros factory!" Jinx's words startled Ezreal. "That's impossible, it's too dangerous." Ezreal didn't survive just on protagonist charm; he relied on being cautious.
"You cover for me. I'll handle the sabotage, you just need to hide your identity. No one will discover you. Then, the ancient tombs can see the light of day once more." Jinx's words were like a devil's whisper, tempting Ezreal. "Alright, but let's be clear—my identity must remain hidden."