Runes determine our path

The village that Balyard and the others had just left was near Hedolam, not far from Zaun; they'd likely reach it within a day or two of walking.

That night, Garen gathered firewood, and Lux lit it. Creatures from the Shadow Isles didn't need food, but Garen and Lux certainly did.

The sea wasn't far, and when Garen returned carrying a man-sized sea fish, Balyard helped Lux finish setting up the tent.

Roasting a fish that size wasn't easy; it would take around two hours. During that time, simply staring at the campfire and the half-cooked fish was bound to get boring.

So Lux asked Balyard about his origins.

"Balyard, where are you from?"

After all, his background was a mystery. Why was he here? Why had someone used a teleportation spell to bring him here?

Balyard had already prepared a cover story. He definitely couldn't mention the Shadow Isles; this timeline had no record of him existing there, no version of him as its sovereign.

And more importantly, claiming to come from the Shadow Isles while looking human? That was a terrible joke.

"I'm from Noxus. Not a 'real' Noxian though."

The atmosphere instantly turned quiet, only the fire, still playfully licking the fish, made any noise.

"We already figured you were from Noxus," Garen said as he polished his runeblade.

"Of the four continents—Valoran, Lonia, Shurima, and Freljord, all are under Noxian control. The only place left untouched is the Shadow Isles."

Balyard glanced at the cracks in Garen's sword, worried it might break mid-battle someday, not out of concern for Garen, but because losing such a strong "leg to cling to" would be bad for his survival.

"And there are no living beings on the Shadow Isles, am I right?" Garen added, his sword reflecting the firelight, his eyes glinting as he shot Balyard a brief, sharp glance.

"Uh-huh!"

Balyard nodded quickly, intimidated by Garen's sharp gaze.

How could he have guessed Noxus had practically conquered all of Runeterra? Did Boram Darkwill have that kind of power?

If he did, he wouldn't have been overthrown by Swain, right? So… maybe this "divergence" in the timeline had something to do with Boram? Damn. The Immortal Bastion was far away from here. Was he going to travel there?

"If you knew that, why call yourself Noxian? Were you trying to fool me?"

Garen was still Garen, even if not a general, he exuded a natural authority that made Balyard shrink back instinctively.

Time for a mental roulette spin, should he say he's a Noxian from another timeline? A little too honest. But telling Garen, a total magical ignoramus, about parallel universe travel? He'd probably just get his face slashed thirty times over before finishing the explanation.

What about claiming he was the sovereign of the Shadow Isles? Please. That sword would be coming down immediately.

Wait...got it.

"Actually… I'm an orphan. Never had a home. I only know I'm Noxian, I don't know which city I'm from."

Balyard silently gave himself a thumbs-up for the clever lie. In his original timeline, the expansion of Noxus had led to many orphaned kids abandoned or orphaned by war.

This reason had to be bulletproof. Had to be.

"Well, you're something else. Becoming a Tier-7 transcendent as an orphan? Not bad," Garen said, setting his sword aside and flipping the fish over. He seemed to have dropped his guard.

"Oh, Garen, you flatter me! I'm not that talented."

Was this still the same Garen? He complimented him, a coward like him?

Still, being praised for the first time by Garen, a little humility wouldn't hurt.

"Did Darius send you?" Garen suddenly scoffed, then stabbed his runeblade into the ground beside Balyard.

"Tell him I'll never work for him!"

What just happened?

Balyard glanced at the glowing sword beside him, and the runes were active.

Run? He couldn't win in a fight. He wasn't a masochist.

"Get going, you idiot!"

Lux's staff was glowing too. "Tell Darius next time to send someone smarter. You're way too dumb to be a spy.

Balyard didn't even know what he'd done wrong, but now he found himself just outside Zaun.

With no Garen or Lux around and it being nighttime, he summoned a skeletal horse to move faster.

Necromancy was universally despised. Only the dead of the Shadow Isles had legal rights to practice undead magic on Runeterra because they were undead.

If a human dared step into that forbidden territory, they had two options:

Be hunted down by the allied forces of the major powers, or

Flee to the Shadow Isles and become one of its "residents."

Being someone who hated pain, Balyard would never cast undead magic in broad daylight.

Better to sneak around, quietly and sleazily, so he wouldn't be hunted.

"Mmm… that familiar industrial smog. Looks like some things haven't changed."

After sneaking past Zaun's entry inspections, Balyard returned to this unlivable city once again.

Transcendents rarely stooped to being city guards too many enemies would mock them as "guard dogs."

Ordinary people, though, couldn't see through Balyard's invisibility spell.

Even pretending to be a snobby Piltover noble would grant him free passage in Zaun.

Zaun was a subterranean city, and Piltover was built right above it.

Many had wondered: why would Janna, the Storm's Fury, a goddess, care about a city like Zaun, buried underground with zero chance of generating storms?

It wasn't just because Zaun was underground. It was also due to the presence of the Sun Gate, which controlled the flow of seawater.

And what was Balyard doing here?

Simple, watching the show.

Garen probably didn't even know he'd been placed under a bounty yet, right?

Just look at the newspapers: the reward was a baronial title!

Boram no, Darius had gone all out to capture Garen.

In Zaun, the ones in power were the Chem-Barons. And with a baronial title, one could build a criminal, business, or tech empire in other cities.

Both Garen and Lux were now wanted fugitives, and they were headed to Zaun to confront Singed.

That was going to get messy.

Judging by the bounty's publication date, it was yesterday.

Makes sense now. Even though Darius was a ruthless ruler, he wouldn't randomly allow his subordinates to slaughter innocents.

The massacre in the village? That was unmistakably Singed's doing.

None of the other Chem-Barons had the guts for something like that.

So Singed, knowing Garen was near Zaun, probably released toxic gas in the surrounding villages, baiting Garen into a trap.

Tip him off? Not a chance. Why help Garen? The guy had almost decapitated him several times already.

Besides, Balyard would much rather avoid pissing off Singed.

Think about it: an immortal lab rat like him would be a goldmine for a mad chemist.

How many unfinished technologies could be tested on someone who couldn't die?

At times like these, it's better to be cautious.

Forget Garen and Lux, Balyard was only here for the timeline anomaly.

"One glass of light beer, don't mix in that toxic sewage water. I'll pay extra."

Balyard entered a tavern. Compared to most others, this one seemed more trustworthy.

It had a greenhouse tower- a sealed crystal dome that provided clean air in this metal-and-stone-polluted city. A symbol of power and wealth.

Building such a greenhouse in Zaun cost a fortune.

And any tavern with one likely wouldn't use dirty sewer water in its drinks.

Balyard had been scammed by local gangsters the last time he visited.

"An outsider? You must be a transcendent, right?"

The bartender gave him a once-over and made a decision not to add sewage water.

"Oh? How can you tell?"

He'd even used a spell to change his clothes, and he was still recognized?

"Only powerful transcendent beings can survive in Zaun without a breathing filter, whether external or internal.

Here you go, one glass of light beer. That'll be 7 minor Tier-1 rune coins."

"I only have a Tier-3 essence. Keep the change."

Balyard didn't carry small change, only large essences or giant rune coins.

One Tier-3 minor rune = one Tier-2 major rune = ten Tier-2 minor runes.

Balyard had over twenty Tier-3 majors, more than 20,000 minor coins.

"My lord, you must be a noble! Essences of this quality aren't common. That's nine Tier-2 essences… and nine Tier-1s…"

"Keep the rest as a tip."

A drink that costs 7 coins and a 3-coin tip, now that's generosity.

"Any news lately? About the resistance?"

Balyard sipped the beer, classic Bexcyrico flavor.

"That's… not something one should casually talk about… but fine, I'll tell you. Just don't tell anyone I told you."

The bartender hesitated, but the glint of a Tier-2 essence swayed him, and his lips opened like a dam breaking.

Money talks.

Too bad there weren't many places to spend money on the Shadow Isles; he couldn't even show off how rich he was there.