lol: After being blessed by the Happy Demon, I became the harem king

Page 92

"Release Syndra?!" Upon hearing Fain's words, the Nobody looked on in disbelief. Their past duty was to guard Syndra, preventing her from breaking free of her seal, leaving the Dream Pool, and bringing darkness and chaos back to Ionia.

And now, they're releasing Syndra willingly? Then why did they fight to the death to prevent the Noxians from taking over Pelor Island in the first place?

Farn appeared quite indifferent to this.

"This is His Excellency's order, and it is for the future of all Ionia. At the same time, it also concerns how Ionia should respond to the war from Noxus in the future."

Upon hearing Fan's words, the helpless ones, led by Hirick, exchanged glances and nodded silently after a moment. Hirick then stood up and said, "If that's the case, we are willing to obey your orders."

For the Noxians, killing Syndra was one thing, but more importantly, it was about thwarting the Noxians' plans and seeking revenge. In this context, killing Syndra was simply one way for them to exact their revenge on the Noxians.

Of course, another reason is their limited understanding of Ionia's principles of balance—especially among the young people who haven't yet received the tattoos. They've always believed that it's better to simply and cleanly kill Syndra, the source of chaos, rather than protect the seal. This youthful tendency towards violence is one of the key reasons why many Ionian temples, sanctuaries, and sects temper the character of their new disciples.

After being told that Syndra's power was closely related to Ionia's revenge against Noxus, the Nobody's mentality changed - mainly because Karma's seal of the Twin Dragons was very convincing.

In Fain's view, these Pelorians who personally experienced the war felt that pain firsthand, and they would become an important part of the changes in Ionia.

After confirming that everything was arranged correctly, Faen then entered the cave and headed towards the Dream Pool.

294. Syndra and the Dream Pool

Although it's often said that Philol's terrain is strategically important, easy to defend and difficult to attack, it wasn't originally designed as a fortress. In fact, it was far from being a fortress; rather, it was intended to be a center of tranquility and enlightenment.

In that era, countless talented young people from all corners of Ionia would flock here to learn how to better harness their innate abilities—one of the reasons why newcomers would come to Pelor. Because in the past, it wasn't just a place where Ionian geniuses trained, meditated, and honed their skills and spirit. It was also Ionia's window to the outside world; some scholars from distant lands, including the Noxians of today, actually arrived at Pelor Island before entering Ionia.

In this context, Perrol was once incredibly prosperous, a place where, in certain academic aspects, it could rival Presidium, or even slightly surpass it.

However, that was a very, very long time ago. Not to mention Shen and Jie, even the flesh-toothed beast Karan, whose lifespan is much longer than that of humans, had never experienced such an era. But as Fane entered the cave that concealed the Dream Pool, with his powerful spiritual perception and the stamp of authentication from Karma, Fane could clearly sense the wailing earth spirit of this island.

The spirits of the land are omnipresent in Ionia, and each spirit is a part of the soul of Ionia, a spiritual projection of the entire region. Through communication with these spirits, the people of Ionia can face life with a relaxed attitude. Even when faced with difficulties, the world itself is willing to assist if communication is undertaken. In fact, a considerable number of people in Ionia have always been lazy, unproductive, lacking ambition, and with no intention of marrying or having children, living entirely off the fruits bestowed upon them by the spirits of nature and trees out of compassion.

But here, all Fan heard was the continuous, faint wailing of the earth spirit. It seemed as if it could die at any moment, yet it could not die, and could only watch the changes in the outside world like a vegetable, but it could not move, and even blinking required extra assistance.

In truth, wouldn't it be better if he were dead? In this situation. Unfortunately, the Spirit of Ionia itself needs the Spirit of Pelor to suppress the darkness of Ionia, so the Spirit of Pelor has become what it is now—a completely barren land, a prison without hope or future, an island around the fortress with almost no vegetation growing. From afar, only withered thorn bushes and ghostly gray moss can flourish here.

In stark contrast, the numerous birds and other wildlife on the nearby islands—who used to stop here to rest?—now avoid it altogether, preferring to risk being eaten by large fish and resting on the coastal reefs rather than come to the mainland of Pelor. Of course, this isn't entirely true. With the arrival of the Noxians, many ravens, symbols of hatred and misfortune, also came to Pelor Island, their red eyes blazing with mournful cries, adding a touch of desolation to the already bleak environment.

Leading the way, Farn felt the deepest emotions, but he remained silent, simply leading the group into the darkness of the cave. Although it was the height of summer, the air grew increasingly cold as they went deeper—not the freezing cold of winter, but a bone-chilling chill.

Before long, they arrived at the deepest part of Darye Asila—another name for the Dream Pool.

Reaching the deepest part, the group lined up behind Fain, gazing down into the depths of the pond. A pale-skinned, graceful woman in white lay there, her hair and face completely submerged beneath the water's surface. Her long, pure white hair cascaded lazily around her as she ate candy in the still, undisturbed water.

Syndra—this is both her name and a synonym for destruction, representing surrender to one's darkest fears and rage. Even today, her name is cursed in many provinces. And the reason for this curse is not unlike the reason why Pelor Island became what it is today.

Everyone looked at the sleeping girl with solemn expressions.

Half of the ancient cave had collapsed, while the other half was barely supported by the massive root system of an ancient tree, which was also entwined around Syndra's limbs. The roots looked like a loving mother cradling her baby, but also like they were suppressing and binding her. The exact nature of this situation depended on each person's perception of Syndra. For example, Irelia didn't feel much oppression.

Although she appeared to be dead, Syndra's chest continued to rise and fall rhythmically as she breathed in the water of the pool.

“Actually, I’ve always thought that instead of futilely guarding him here, we should just kill him,” said the helpless Shirley.

“And this very idea of ​​yours is one of the reasons Syndra lost control.” Fane stated the answer and reason without turning his head. This was incomprehensible to Hirick, but after glancing at the twin dragon marks on the back of Fane’s hand, he ultimately just silently shut his mouth and said nothing more.

After staring at Syndra for a while, Fain silently nodded in his heart.

As a veteran champion in League of Legends, Syndra's original splash art is arguably the most classic depiction of a mature, queenly woman. However, after the update, she was transformed into a Western-style middle-aged woman. It's not that she's unattractive, but her sharply defined jawline and scimitar-like eyebrows, along with her thick lips and features typical of Western middle-aged women, simply don't fit Eastern aesthetics. This is completely contrary to the facial features of Irelia, who also hails from Ionia—well, while Irelia's features are Eastern, the new splash art's makeup is quite Western. Ironically, the illustrations and concept art from her personal novels are more in line with Eastern beauty.

This should be a relief for Faen, as both Irelia and Syndra in his timeline perfectly matched Faen's Eastern aesthetic.

Thinking this, and sensing something, Fain also turned his gaze to Irelia beside him.

Meanwhile, in Fain's line of sight, Irelia was staring blankly at Syndra in the Dream Pool, lost in thought. Only when she noticed Fain's gaze did she pull herself back from her reverie, look at him, and point at Syndra, saying, "Senior brother, that sister... seems very lonely."

"……Um."

Upon hearing Syndra's words, Fane nodded, then leisurely entered the pool and waded towards Syndra. As he walked, he said, "You all stay outside and keep watch, I'll go wake her up."

295. Young girl Syndra

Upon hearing Faen's order, everyone went to guard the entrance to the Dream Pool without hesitation.

Upon entering the Dream Pool, numerous fleeting illusions quickly appeared in Faen's eyes. Within these illusions, Faen could clearly feel a mixture of confusion, pain, bewilderment, hatred, and anger intertwined with happiness. Passing through these illusions, he came into view an ancient, dense forest.

This must be somewhere in Ionia hundreds of years ago—sensing his surroundings, Fain followed the guidance of the spiritual realm forward. As a being of the spiritual realm, he could sense a lost soul lingering ahead.

Meanwhile, walking in the same ancient and tranquil forest, the white-haired girl was on the other side of the forest, on a winding path.

However, the girl had no interest in admiring the scenery. Instead, with a resentful expression, she strode quickly along the path with her small, white feet, tears glistening in her eyes.

The glowing fireflies danced in the twilight, leaving luminous shadows in their wake, but the girl simply swatted them away, unconcerned by their fleeting elegance. Her eyes were fixed on the ground as she kicked aside a stone, letting it leap among the tangled tree roots, oblivious to the setting sun filtering through the dense canopy. The petals of the purple sable slowly unfurled, releasing a shimmering pollen into the warm twilight, but she, passing by hastily, snapped the stem in two. It was as if an invisible demon was subtly telling her that she shouldn't be treated this way.

Her delicate cheeks burned red with shame and anger. Her mother's scolding still echoed in her ears, but the mockery of her brother and the other children lingered.

She was a daydreaming girl, often unconsciously drawn to seemingly ordinary things in nature. For example, the shimmering shadows in a pond under the moonlight, or a line of ants carrying food heavier than themselves. Whenever she unconsciously drifted off into thought, she would be scolded by her mother for not paying attention. If these things were due to Sindra's own lack of focus, then blaming her for things like the spoiled milk at home was something Sindra didn't want to understand, nor did she wish to.

Her brother, Ewald, was also a mischievous child who never knew how to take care of his family and instead always liked to make fun of her.

And at this time of year, Syndra would escape to her favorite secret hideout—beneath the sacred willow tree revered by the villagers—just like she is now.

As the spirit of the land where the village is located, the willow tree possesses a forgiving nature, though it rarely speaks. But Syndra doesn't care, because all she wants is a friend with whom she can share her feelings. So whenever she encounters something sad, she whispers to the willow tree for hours, using her words to heal her wounded heart.

But just as Syndra was running quickly towards the Spirit Willow, she suddenly seemed to sense something. The girl stopped, turned back to look at the broken petals on the path, and frowned. Something was off... because she realized she seemed to have a vivid memory of this scene, as if she had experienced it countless times before. But quickly, the girl shook her head, stopped thinking about it, sniffed, and continued running towards the Spirit Willow.

Before long, the girl finally arrived before the sacred willow. Its languid branches seemed to float on water, rubbing and rustling, whispering like wind chimes. Although she was only close, the girl could clearly feel the invisible spirits in the surrounding environment laughing joyfully.

Although the anger within her was still burning fiercely, sensing these emotions, the girl closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and after a long silence, slowly took a breath, trying to suppress her rage, just as the elder had taught her.

But just as the girl began to feel her heart gradually calming down, and her anger subsiding...

Suddenly, whoosh whoosh whoosh...

Syndra froze, collapsing before the willow tree. Several bloodstained pebbles lay hard on the ground. She touched the back of her head, the spot where the pebbles had struck her, which was now covered in blood.

Then she heard a burst of laughter, which caused the anger that the girl had finally managed to suppress to surge up again.

She stood up and looked behind her. What came into view were her brother and the other children from the village.

She couldn't understand why she was always being bullied like this. As her older brother, shouldn't he be protecting her? Why was he now standing with those bad kids to bully her? She also couldn't understand why her mother always blamed her, even for the same thing, always punishing and scolding her severely, while her brother seemed unaffected.

As Syndra pondered, the many questions and doubts in her heart seemed to reach their limit, causing her to lose control of her emotions. All her anger erupted from within her—at this very moment, just as this dormant power was about to awaken.

"I see."

"Ok?"

Hearing a sound coming from the side, Syndra, who was about to lash out, paused slightly and then looked in the direction from which the sound came, along with the others.

With some difficulty, Fain emerged from the woods. He glanced at the bewildered child, then at Syndra, and finally at Ling Liu.

Although Syndra and the brat didn't notice, Fain could clearly sense that when Syndra released this innate power, the Spirit Willow beside her had already begun to sway and even its branches had begun to curl.

Upon seeing the adults arrive, both Syndra and the mischievous children showed worry and fear on their faces. However, compared to the group of mischievous children, Syndra, who had never received parental approval, appeared more timid. This was because, often, even when other children bullied her first, their parents would only offer a few perfunctory words. On the contrary, when she fought back, her mother would go home and scold her for causing trouble and creating problems for the family.

Just as Syndra was still worrying, the thing she least wanted to see happened. Fain raised his hand and pointed at himself first. As Syndra's heart sank to the bottom, and even the surrounding air seemed to distort into a black shadow, Fain said, "You, you're right."

"...Eh?" Upon hearing this, the little girl, who was feeling disappointed and desperate, was slightly taken aback. Immediately afterwards, Fain rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the group of unruly children.

"I'll deal with them first, we'll talk about the rest later!"

296. The Mystery of Syndra

Fane had known about Syndra's fall into darkness for some time. But that didn't mean he understood—as people grow up and mature, they become increasingly aware of how wonderful or even despicable they were in the past. And based on this sentiment, the period between seventeen or eighteen and twenty-seven or twenty-eight is when people's disgust for unruly children is at its strongest.

The main reason, further down the line, is that around thirty years old, one needs to confront the realities of life. Before that, one is in the most energetic and vibrant period of life, which is also precisely when one is most disgusted with unruly children.

As he stepped forward, under Syndra's slightly bewildered gaze, Fain coldly rolled up his sleeves. Seeing Fain approach, the group of children, driven by their instinctive fear of adults, immediately showed timid expressions.

Perhaps to bolster his courage? Syndra's brother stiffened his neck, seemingly unafraid, but his eyes were filled with fear as he said, "Who are you! Syndra is my sister! She did something wrong! What business is it of yours to punish her!"

"You still have the nerve to say that?" Farn shook his head in astonishment, and without another word, slapped him hard across the face. The force of the blow sent Syndra's brother flying. Although it looked heavy, the excess force dissipated into the ground when he landed. Aside from the excruciating pain and being covered in dust, Syndra's brother suffered no permanent injuries.

Psychological trauma doesn't count.

Seeing their leader being beaten, the other kids didn't even think of joining him; instead, they instinctively took a step back. But Fain wasn't going to be so merciful—in all of Runeterra, when it comes to suffering from one's family background, no one is more qualified to talk about it than Syndra.

All of them are playable characters in League of Legends. The childhoods of other characters, no matter how difficult, are often glossed over, and even with their supposed hardships, they often have ways to overcome them, using power, strength, or talent to mask the problems. Syndra, however, is influenced by Ionian tradition and is filled with fear of her already extremely unstable magical power.

Rejected by her neighbors and disliked by her family, the little girl was wronged and dared not confide in her parents, who were her support. In fact, her parents would even scold her for her faults. This forced the little girl to walk alone through the rugged path to the forest and find a silent old tree to confide in.

She had already sorted out her feelings, but what happened? A bunch of brats chased after her again and threw stones at the back of her head without saying a word. It's only because Syndra, despite her seemingly fragile appearance, is actually protected by the darkness of Ionia; otherwise, any other kid would probably be lying on the ground, unable to move, passively accepting the beating and humiliation.

After chasing the children away, Fain shook his hands and then looked at Syndra behind him.

Noticing Fain's gaze, Syndra instinctively shrank back, looking at Fain timidly, as if afraid that Fain would also hit her—she had just witnessed her brother being sent flying by a slap, and it looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Although she didn't know the exact reason, to be honest, Syndra felt a surge of satisfaction—she had wanted to do this for a long time, but she hadn't dared, afraid of being scolded by her parents. Now, even though she hadn't done it herself, watching her annoying brother and all those who always bullied her get a good beating made Syndra feel inexplicably happy.

Seeing Fain raise his arm towards her, Syndra was a little scared, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she nervously closed her eyes, her petite body slightly tense.

She thought that, like her mother, even if her brother bullied her first, he would verbally criticize both of them and say that they were both at fault. But to Syndra's surprise, this unfamiliar older brother's hand only landed on her head.

"What are you afraid of? You didn't do anything wrong." A helpless voice came from beside her, and Syndra blinked her big eyes and looked at Fain.

What Syndra saw was Fane simply rubbing his head and looking at her with a helpless expression. This made Syndra shrink back, looking at Fane, and after a long hesitation, she whispered, "Did I do nothing wrong?"

"What's wrong with you?"

“Because… I made them unhappy?” Syndra pursed her lips and said, “The fault lies with both of us… Mom always says that.”

“That means your mother is wrong, not you.” As he spoke, Farn frowned slightly, sensing that something was amiss.

In Fain's memory, Syndra did indeed suffer a lot from her family of origin, a typical East Asian child. But how should I put it... there are also some contradictions between these events.

What happened today should be the source of Syndra's complete descent into darkness. Although Syndra did not kill these children, their fate is probably not good either. According to her novel, Dream Pool, the moment they saw her awaken her dark power, all those who had tormented her could no longer laugh.

In retrospect, this inability to laugh was not due to the brutal killing of them, but rather to planting darkness in their hearts, creating an eternal fear.

However, compared to these forces that leave a lasting psychological scar, the real reason why Syndra cannot enter the darkness is that, with the awakening of Syndra's power, the spirit of the land in her village also withers and dies.

It was because of the death of the spirit of the land that the Syndra family was driven out of the village and ostracized by other villages.

Logically speaking, given the current situation, it wouldn't be surprising if Syndra's parents abandoned her, let alone dragged her through a life of hardship. But surprisingly, despite their intense dislike and rejection of Syndra, her parents didn't abandon her.

Thinking this, Fan nodded thoughtfully, then turned his gaze back to Syndra and said, "Where is your home? Let me help you understand these things."

297·Spirit Sword

Just as Fane was following Syndra to her original home in the dream, on the other side, as Fane entered the Dream Pool, Karan and the others had already arrived outside the cave entrance.

To be honest, the entrance wasn't actually that well-hidden, since the fortress occupied by the Noxians was originally built by the guards of Pelor. The reason the fortress now has that distinctly Noxian-style angularity is simply because, under Swain's orders, the Noxians specifically reinforced its structure, making it a springboard connecting Ionia and Noxus, facilitating the continuous transport of Imperial troops.

Now, when the messenger soldiers on the coastline discovered that the main island of Pelor had not been making regular contact, many scout ships soon began to approach Pelor Island.

LeBlanc took many key members of the Noxian invasion force, but this did not mean that the Noxians lost their fighting ability and courage. In fact, most of the time, the Black Rose did not directly participate in the Noxian war, but rather promoted the war through various indirect means.

Perhaps this is because LeBlanc understands that the more cunning a person is, the more easily they will stumble in the face of pure power. So, she simply gave those brave and warlike individuals a clear path to advancement, encouraging them to fight for glory and work for her.

Now, when the Noxian soldiers discovered the warships that Fane and his men had seized to land on Pelor Island and the completely ravaged Pelor Fortress, the scout ships that had rushed there quickly began their return journey at an even faster pace.

Located on the coast, watching the scout ships coming and going on the sea, Kalan, who had been living with the Noxians in Peror for some time and was familiar with their organization, couldn't help but frown and say, "Prepare for battle. The coastal forces should have already discovered what's happening here."

Upon hearing Karan's words, Shen and Jie exchanged a glance, then said, "Didn't we kill some of the commanders before we got here? Will they still launch an attack?"

Upon hearing their questions, Karan remained silent, only glancing at Riven, who was wiping her blade not far away.

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Riven, a Noxian veteran, shrugged and wrapped a strip of cloth around her hand to prevent it from getting wet with blood and slipping during the subsequent battle. She said nonchalantly, "That depends on the legion. Some legions that are just made up of people attracted by simple pay might have this problem, but Swain is one of the top three legion commanders in the entire empire."

Raven gestured with her chin towards the distant coastal area and explained:

"The legions chosen by Swain to wage war together are not to be underestimated either. These guys are mostly attracted by honor and fame, and are by no means just useless people who are just there to collect money. The sudden death of an officer may be devastating to an ordinary unit, but for such elite units, it means many vacant positions waiting for them to be promoted. Although it will affect the formulation of strategies, launching a fierce attack on a certain area like this will actually boost the morale of the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Jie and the others frowned slightly, clearly having not realized beforehand that the Noxians would be so troublesome.

Thinking this way, no one was afraid.

"If they are fighting for fame and fortune, then we are fighting for our homeland, for our birthplace, for Ionia itself." Shen stretched out his hand, took a deep breath, and dense spiritual energy began to gather, then transformed into a sword shape, shimmering with an unusual aura.

"We must not lose."

"We just need to wait for Senior Brother to come out." Just as Shen was speaking, a calm voice suddenly came from the side. Turning to the side in the direction of the voice, one saw Irelia, whose appearance was more youthful than the others present, calmly saying:

"Senior brother possesses immense power, but he is limited by certain rules of the Primordial Land itself and cannot use it freely. However, Pei Luo'er is special, so we only need to wait for senior brother to wake up, and all problems will be solved."

Upon hearing Irelia's words, Shen and the others seemed somewhat surprised, but considering that Irelia was Faen's junior sister, they didn't dwell on it further. After all, Faen had already demonstrated his strength countless times on his way to Pelor. And as Faen's junior sister, it wasn't surprising that Irelia understood Faen better than the average person.

Riven, standing to the side, glanced at Irelia with a hint of surprise—others might not know, but Riven certainly did. Aside from the daytime, Faen would either tell Irelia stories of the past or do his thing after she fell asleep. Although Irelia and Faen sometimes discussed spiritual matters, they probably never discussed things like power levels.

Just as Riven was still thinking, she saw Irelia, who seemed to have noticed something, turn around and look at Riven. Then she smiled and opened her palm. Immediately afterward, six small swords floated out of the bag behind her.