Stepping out from the shadows, Jinx curiously sized up Faen in front of her.
Just as Faen had arrived here early, Jinx had also discovered Faen early on... or rather, discovered Zeri's figure. Knowing perfectly well what was happening in the factory, Jinx grabbed her braids and swung them back and forth. Looking at Faen with eyes full of keen interest, she said:
"Hmm, looks like the legendary Azure Demon is younger than I imagined. You know what? That guy Silco is now dying to find you. The other Chem-Barons are also very interested in your head. Suddenly disappearing for so many days, if it weren't for the Chem-Barons' manhunt still going on, I would have thought you had already become fish food in the saltwater port~"
"It's fine," Faen responded to Jinx's inquiry with a lack of interest, but his eyes were still looking at the battlefield not far away. Only after confirming that Zeri had secured the victory did he turn his head to look at Jinx on the side and say:
"What's Silco's reaction? Has he made a decision yet?"
"...You two have talked?" Hearing this, seeing Faen in front of her looking completely calm, Jinx frowned slightly after a brief silence and asked: "You two have already made contact?"
Faen's reaction was a bit too plain, making Jinx feel somewhat hesitant. Especially Faen's question back, which made Jinx have to consider whether Silco had already communicated with Faen—just communicating was of course nothing, but Jinx herself didn't know about this at all, which conversely surprised Jinx.
"Haven't talked yet, but it's pretty much the same." Sensing the suspicion in Jinx's heart, Faen said peacefully: "You can rest assured. Silco might have initially seen you as a simple killing tool, but for this guy who values individual emotional bonds, he has long raised you as his own daughter."
"..."
Hearing this, Jinx didn't speak. Just after a moment of silence, she let out a sneer, then said coldly: "Then how do you know all this? Or rather, have you been investigating me all along? If you have investigated, what methods did you use to investigate? Don't tell me you went to find my dear sister?"
While saying these words, the light in Jinx's eyes had already become exceptionally chaotic. This also made Faen on the side feel somewhat helpless—Jinx's mental problems were quite severe.
This severity wasn't just at the level of radicalness, paranoia, or bipolar disorder anymore. But even if not mentioned, just making her produce some extra associations would cause severe stress reactions.
Stress reaction is essentially a life's self-defense mechanism, so the behavior of stress reactions also varies from person to person. For ordinary people, it might just be intense resistance, opposition, and instinctively staying away. But for Jinx... just associating with some past memories would make her produce strong self-destructive tendencies and a desire to destroy.
"Don't worry, actually I already knew the stories that happened here when I was very young. You calm down first, I can slowly tell you."
Feeling the extreme emotions surging in the bottom of Jinx's heart, Faen also motioned for Jinx not to worry, while releasing a trace amount of the joy factor into the surrounding air to alleviate the self-destructive tendencies in Jinx's heart.
The price of joy required for a trace amount of joy factor was almost non-existent, but it could effectively alleviate the mental pressure the inhaler was currently experiencing.
And actually, this pressure wouldn't really disappear, just appear slower under the trace amount of joy produced by the joy factor—just like ibuprofen granules and ibuprofen sustained-release capsules.
Although the former granules could take effect quickly, the duration was short, and rapid emotional changes would also make people have some bad associations. While sustained-release capsules, although taking effect slower, lasted longer after taking effect, and produced less pressure on detoxification organs, able to take effect slowly little by little, and detoxify slowly.
And this trace amount of joy factor blended into the air could make the rapidly climbing extreme thoughts in the inhaler's heart slow down, thereby producing a feeling of relaxation. And this gradual relaxation wouldn't arouse too much vigilance... Of course, this was only limited to people who were not that sensitive to emotions.
And Jinx...
Look, detecting her inner extreme emotions quickly getting under control, Jinx, after a moment of silence, looked around suspiciously, then cast her eyes towards Faen: "Your doing?"
"Yes." Faen nodded and said: "Joy factor, you can understand it as an emotional sustained-release potion, able to restore violently fluctuating emotions to a normal level."
Jinx's eyes gradually became covered with a strange haziness from her initial vigilance. She slowly took a step forward, pressing that body, which looked somewhat thin due to long-term malnutrition but was surprisingly maturely developed in some places, close to Faen. Her breasts, bulging against the tight leather straps, almost rubbed against Faen's pectoral muscles, and her scorching breath sprayed on Faen's neck.
"Emotional sustained-release potion?" Jinx reached out a hand wearing a half-finger leather glove. Her fingertips slid all the way down Faen's hard abdominal muscle lines until they stopped at the edge of his waistband. A dangerous and seductive light flickered in her eyes. "This kind of 'joy'... shouldn't it be transmitted in a more direct way? For example... using the thing inside your body, ruthlessly stuffing it into me here..."
While speaking, she deliberately thrust her hips, rubbing the root of her thighs ambiguously against Faen's thighs. Under the catalysis of the "joy factor", Jinx felt an indescribable heat welling up deep in her lower abdomen. It was a primal urge more primitive than killing. She could feel her private parts uncontrollably starting to secrete sticky love juices, which slowly slid down the insides of her thighs, completely soaking that pitiful layer of fabric.
"I want to know," Jinx stood on her tiptoes. Her pink tip of tongue gently licked her own dry lips. Her voice was hoarse and full of teasing. "Is your 'big pipe' also able to completely fill me up like this potion in the air, making me feel so good that I even forget my own name?"
Looking at this "little maniac" actively seeking pleasure like a wild cat in heat, feeling the waves of heat coming from her body and that aura mixing the smell of gunpowder and female musk, Faen's eyes also darkened slightly. But he didn't rush to respond to this straightforward invitation. He just reached out and pressed down Jinx's little hand that was still constantly causing trouble, the pad of his thumb gently caressing the tattoo on the back of her hand.
Jinx frowned and said: "Just like Shimmer?"
"Sounds the same, but the difference is too big."
Hearing Jinx's words, Faen shook his head and said: "Although Shimmer also has the power to enhance emotional states, it is more based on the magical covering of wild magic. Perhaps in a short time, Shimmer can effectively alleviate people's mental pressure and strengthen people's limbs and flesh. But what accompanies it is a high incidence of addictiveness and physical deformity."
"Especially its strong addictiveness makes it extremely easy to overdose. This magical carrier with self-willed wild thoughts, although possessing powerful energy and operability, once excessively ingested, people whose consciousness is slightly not firm enough will be catalyzed into mindless beasts losing their self. Speaking shallowly, this will affect the user's health and life; speaking deeply, it will affect social stability leading to the collapse of order."
Speaking, Faen paused, then summarized simply: "Although Shimmer potions can provide a large amount of power and healing utility in the short term, its harm far outweighs the benefits."
Hearing this, Jinx narrowed her eyes and stared at Faen for a while, then said casually: "Looks like you are an opponent of Silco?"
The reason why Silco could still maintain the identity of the uncrowned king of Zaun was largely because Silco mastered the Shimmer production technology that the entire Zaun desperately needed.
However, equally because of the negative effects of Shimmer, there were also not a few people who opposed Silco or disliked Silco changing Zaun through this means.
Jinx didn't think the person who could write that flyer was someone with such shallow knowledge who could only see the negative effects of Shimmer.
And meeting Jinx's gaze, Faen also said peacefully: "I can understand Silco's choice. For the current Zaun, wanting not to completely become an appendage of Piltover, there is only the path of chem-tech left. And Shimmer is the blood of chem-tech—"
"The core of chem-tech is Shimmer, the energy of chem-factories is Shimmer, people struggling in pain need Shimmer, and the thing that lets Zaunites confront Piltovians with strength and courage under absolute equipment disadvantage is also Shimmer... Even the rabble following Silco also come for the safe Shimmer injection every day."
"For the current Zaun, undoubtedly, Shimmer is power, and also Zaun's invisible crown."
For now, wanting to completely abolish Shimmer was an unrealistic idea. Because Silco, who mastered Shimmer, was equivalent to mastering the physiological and psychological lifeblood of the vast majority of people in Zaun. Even those Chem-Barons didn't dare to truly fall out and turn against Silco because their factories needed Shimmer to operate. Because no matter how nicely the Topside trade families spoke, in the end, it was just empty promises.
What's the use of giving more money? Without chem-factories, going up there, they would at most be petty rich men—once this most unranked kind of petty rich men lost their utilization value, having their wealth drained was only a matter of time.
Under these circumstances, unless the Topside trade families were willing to yield true benefits, that is, the rights related to the Sun Gates sea lock and ocean trade, Shimmer was the best tool to control Zaun.
"But Shimmer is a tool, and only a tool, and the current Silco is tied too deeply to Shimmer."
Saying this, pausing, Faen also pointed at the abandoned factory not far away and said: "Zeri's side has finished. Want to continue chatting? If so, let's go over together."
Jinx nodded, then paused and also said: "Fine... But speaking of which, how did you know about my matters? If not Silco who told you, then who told you? You'd better tell me the answer directly on this point. At least my emotions are very stable now and I won't hurt you."
If it were another time, facing a stranger, Jinx would absolutely not be as relaxed as now, even easy to talk to. But under the effect of the joy factor, Jinx's emotions gradually tended to be controllable—at least she wouldn't suddenly lose control due to strong extreme emotions and make irrational extreme behaviors.
And hearing Jinx's words, Faen glanced at Jinx with a very weird face.
Although very brief, it still caught Jinx's attention.
Raising her eyebrows, Jinx asked straightforwardly: "What? Is there something wrong?"
"Mainly the last sentence you said." Faen said sincerely: "Even if you completely give up all possibilities of survival and explode with me right now, just based on the strength gap between us..."
Thumb and index finger making a gesture enough to make every Korean male shout "Shibal", Faen said: "I probably wouldn't be affected much either."
Unlike in the game, the Jinx in reality didn't have the ability to switch back and forth between the minigun and the rocket launcher just by pressing the Q key—Jinx didn't have so-called spatial equipment. The weapons she could use, besides the pistol hanging at her waist, grenades, and other miscellaneous small toys, the only commendable thing might be her extremely strong adaptability to Shimmer potions.
Just like Zeri strengthening her mental endurance capacity through continuously bearing the price of joy, thereby being able to bear the simultaneous operation of more Hextech crystals. Jinx's spirit, while not to say powerful, was indeed tough and crazy enough. This also led to the wild magic in Shimmer being almost harmless to Jinx.
Perversely, the effect of Shimmer would be counteracted by the joy factor... At least Zeri knew the effect of the joy factor, and could use and harness it correctly under Faen's guidance. Even if a problem occurred, she could sell her body or drink a mouthful of milk to solve it quickly.
But what about Shimmer? Exceeding the bearing range, one could only go crazy and mad there like bipolar disorder—although this also had a direct relationship with Jinx not having mastered the correct usage of Shimmer.
Hearing Faen's words, Jinx raised an eyebrow: "You seem very confident in your own strength?"
"You will understand."
Faen shrugged, not having much intention to explain.
Jinx lived in Zaun since childhood. To put it unpleasantly, this kind of small broken place would only attract the attention of mortals; it was hard to attract the attention of strong people.
A certain blonde girl even once said such a sentence to Vi, "If everyone were as strong as you, we could defeat Noxus."
Noxians would laugh their asses off hearing this—later when Zaun launched an attack, Caitlyn pulled the trigger until it broke but just couldn't defeat a Zaunite chem-tech super minion. Finally, a Noxian big brute appeared, and a steel fork told the noobs of Piltover what the fucking power of stats was.
Seeing Faen's attitude, Jinx appeared somewhat dissatisfied, feeling she was being looked down upon. However, Jinx didn't care too much about this point either. Instead, she asked calmly: "Then you should say where you knew me from."
"Prophecy." Faen said concisely: "I am a prophet who changed professions halfway. How is this reason?"
Jinx didn't speak, just quietly looking at Faen.
And Faen wasn't anxious either, just slowly retelling the matter about himself being able to see fragments of the past and future that he had told Zeri and Soona. Then, under Jinx's gaze, Faen said quietly:
"In this, although I haven't seen many people regarding Zaun, the story about your family is still very detailed."
Hearing this, after a moment of silence, Jinx asked calmly: "...For example."
"For example, Silco and Vander." Faen answered.
Hearing Faen's words, Jinx's figure froze on the spot. She didn't explode because of this. Instead, somewhat exceeding Faen's expectations, she fell into extreme calmness.
Jinx tilted her head: "Tell me."
Although saying so, actually, even Jinx herself didn't clearly know what exactly happened in the past between Silco and Vander. She only knew they used to be comrades-in-arms, brothers, with seamless tacit understanding. But because of a certain matter, they finally parted ways and turned against each other... And no matter what, as long as Faen said it, then Jinx could directly seek confirmation from Silco.
And if it was fake, then it only meant Faen had other intelligence channels. But if it was true...
Just as Jinx was still thinking, Faen on the side also said: "The story between them, briefly summarizing it is 'after killing you, I became you'."