"Nowadays, no matter what you do, it all comes down to performance metrics!"
Duke lifted his faceplate, scratching the side of his neck with a sigh.
Just what kind of Reaper had the Frog Spirit been?
In his golden era, he, too, was a being worshipped by the masses.
And as a licensed and officially recognized Reaper, three thousand years ago in Shurima, his status had been no lower than what Kindred holds now.
But even someone like him eventually met a tragic end — simply because he failed to meet his "performance requirements."
He couldn't make public appearances, couldn't continue writing legendary deeds, couldn't stabilize the faith he depended on… and so his existence eventually faded away.
His spirit was devoured by the Void Wraith-Vulture, and the mask symbolizing his identity as Death itself was reclaimed.
Clack!
A red-and-white sphere shot out, pulling Bakai inside. As the two halves snapped shut, it shrank and floated back to Duke's hand.
Once everything was done, Duke retrieved the red-and-white sphere that had been interfered with earlier and began walking back the way he came.
Along the way, he replayed the sensation of slapping the Frog Spirit's mask clean off.
When the Frog Spirit's staff pressed against his chest, his magic surged instinctively. He'd reacted on pure reflex — swinging that slap — and somehow made physical contact with a creature that should've been intangible.
And successfully knocked his mask flying.
"I really didn't expect I could touch a Reaper directly… Does this mean there's still untapped potential in my magic?"
Duke sank into contemplation as he reached the opening where he had fallen earlier. Switching on his thrusters, he blasted upward.
He could touch a Reaper — that was something he hadn't imagined at all.
If that was the case… didn't that mean he could touch spirits now?
If so, then next time he met Kindred…
Should he try to rua the Wolf Spirit?
With his thoughts spiraling in every strange direction, Duke rose to a certain height and landed in a circular corridor — the same one where he'd previously glimpsed a mural during his fall.
Landing on the walkway, Duke patted his chest. His shoulder armor split open, and streams of glowing particles shot out like waves, disappearing into the darkness.
Once the firefly drones dispersed to search for the secret chamber Ryze had sealed, Duke turned his attention to the murals on the walls.
Compared to the ones on the level above, these murals were far better preserved.
The mural depicted a female Ascended warrior leading an army across the land. She received a message from afar — this Ascended bore serpent-like features, her skin pale as plaster with purple veins, and a ridge of spines rising from her back.
After receiving the letter, she went to see another Ascended — one with enormous bull horns.
The two seemed to converse. The female Ascended eventually departed, following the directions of the letter, while the horned Ascended continued his conquest.
As Duke studied the murals, he pieced together a long-buried truth.
The female Ascended arrived at a gathering place: an arched grand amphitheater. The mural even depicted its construction — once the largest marketplace of Nerimazeth.
A descendant of a feline Ascended had unearthed the buried marketplace from beneath the desert sands.
That leopard-headed Ascended reshaped it with magic, transforming it into a grand amphitheater.
Bright pigments on the mural vividly portrayed the amphitheater's magnificence.
Everywhere were brown crystal formations — a volcanic bowl composed of soot-black, sea-green, and iridescent hues. Its glazed surface caught the moonlight, reflecting it as a pale, misty veil.
"Tayanari…"
Recognizing the owner of this amphitheater, Duke recalled the Darkin halberd held by Pride. If that understanding was correct, then the scorpion-featured Ascended depicted here was indeed one of the conspirators from back then.
One of the survivors.
After all, those who didn't escape… were executed on the spot.
Twin Ascended draped in raven-black feathers sat in the theater, divining with delicate skeletal knuckles. The female Ascended cast a look toward Tayanari — a gaze filled with cold disdain.
There were more — a wolf-headed Ascended, a turtle-faced one, a serpentine one, and another feline like Tayanari, though this one bore tiger stripes of orange and black with a tiger's head.
Dozens of Ascended gathered together.
Tayanari delivered a speech, then argued with the turtle-faced warrior — and ultimately killed him using the spikes on the warrior's back.
Chalikar appeared next — the weapon was struck into the ground, erupting with a moonlight-white flame that consumed everything.
Only three Ascended escaped:
One with a serpentine body covered in half-open eyes…
One with features of a great wolf…
And the protagonist of this mural.
Duke continued walking, examining the scenes further along the wall.
There, a golden-haired woman raised her arm, opening a portal and summoning the Astral's power to engulf the female Ascended.
Her eyes were replaced by mismatched gemstones — one a rich blue, the other a dusky violet.
She wore thin silk robes, their bright colors clashing sharply with the desert surroundings. A cord at her waist held a golden key.
Around her neck draped a bright violet scarf whose tassels hung down her chest.
"The previous Twilight Aspect… Maysa."
Duke recognized her instantly — confirming not only the identity of the mural's protagonist, but also the truth of the events from three thousand years ago.
"Looks like you really can't trust background lore alone."
He watched as the mural showed Maysa sealing the protagonist into a barbed arm-guard bearing fanged motifs. Beside it lay a second weapon forged at the same time.
A Darkin weapon — a massive scythe with a single crimson eye.
In the end, the scythe and the arm-guard were taken in separate directions.
The scythe was carried to a barren land — what is now called Noxus.
The other item was placed…
Duke stared hard at the location depicted.
"…in Zaun?!"
The unfamiliar yet strangely recognizable port city stunned him.
Buried beneath Zaun lay a Darkin weapon?!
The information was explosive.
But above the stone chamber containing the arm-guard was yet another tomb — as if the tomb's owner was meant to eternally suppress the arm-guard.
"Looks like I'll be busy when I get back."
With a sigh, Duke lifted his faceplate and rubbed his temples. A casual detour had brought him shocking information.
He knew about a tomb under Zaun — since in the lore, young blond Ezreal had explored it
But that beneath that tomb there was another tomb?
That was something even he hadn't expected.
"This Darkin weapon needs to be retrieved immediately. If someone finds it down there… who knows what disaster it could cause."
Thinking of the maniacs living beneath Zaun, Duke's eyelid wouldn't stop twitching.
He had to retrieve it.
"Good thing I took another look. Otherwise I really might've missed this."
He rubbed his forehead again, just as Edith's voice came through his communicator.
"Boss, the fireflies have located your target!"
"Got it."
Lowering his faceplate, Duke temporarily pushed the Darkin matter aside. First priority: secure the World Rune fragment.
The rest could wait until he returned.
He left the corridor at once, following Edith's guidance toward the chamber hiding the fragment.
Duke pushed the Ant-Warframe to maximum output, shrinking his body to the size of a bird as he darted through the maze. Along the way, he encountered the maze's primitive inhabitants — hunched, ape-faced humanoids living in darkness, following traditions passed down for generations.
Duke ignored them entirely and accelerated toward the maze's heart.
At the center was an open shaft, with several suspended walkways leading to a cylindrical stone chamber that occasionally flickered with magical light.
All the firefly drones had already gathered around it, shimmering like stars forming a galaxy.
Duke approached, reverting to normal size as he landed on the nearest walkway. The ancient chamber was sealed by old magic — constructed to lock something away.
He stepped closer. As his fingers brushed the surface, a small arc of lightning snapped at him.
"Ryze… Even after all these years, your seals are still this solid."
Duke circled the cylindrical chamber. It resembled a giant scroll case — runes etched along its surface, maintaining the magical lock.
"No unlocking spell, no entry."
He sighed, then shrugged.
"But who says I need to unlock it?"
He stepped back and activated a scanning beam, mapping the chamber's internal structure.
When the scan finished, he issued a crisp command:
"Edith — calculate weak points. Prepare explosive charges. We're cutting this entire chamber out of the structure."
"Yes, Boss."
Edith immediately analyzed the structural weaknesses. Dozens of firefly drones positioned themselves around them, drilling small inch-long holes before disappearing inside.
"Place the shrink modules."
Duke raised his arm. The armor opened, releasing a swarm of shrink devices that latched onto the chamber, glowing green.
"Detonate."
The drones exploded sequentially. Under the shockwave, the chamber cracked at the top and bottom — separating cleanly from the surrounding stone.
Duke snapped his fingers.
The shrink modules flashed from green to red.
The entire stone chamber shrank instantly — becoming the size of a coin.
"Nice."
Duke dusted his hands.
"I may not be able to unlock the safe… but I can take the whole vault with me."
End of chapter....
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