Arcane: Begging for Help in a Parallel Universe!

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Link Star walked away.

It was abrupt and decisive, leaving Jinx momentarily stunned.

She had thought he might linger a bit longer, but he simply left, just like that.

The feeling it left in her was strange, something she couldn't quite describe—a mix of confusion and unease.

Most unnervingly, Jinx clutched her chest, feeling her heart racing uncontrollably.

Thump-thump, thump-thump!

Standing still for a moment, she then turned and headed off. Fixing Sevika's mechanical arm required some materials, and she knew exactly where to find them.

But as Jinx took her first step, she froze, her gaze shifting toward the pipes overhead.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

Her hand gripped her weapon, her eyes narrowing as a faint blue glow flickered in her pupils.

Seconds later, a freckled girl wearing oversized goggles peeked out from the edge of the pipes, flashing a sheepish smile.

"Well, well," Jinx smirked, raising an eyebrow. "This is unexpected!"

The girl giggled nervously.

"Jinx is temporarily stable for now," Link thought, moving swiftly through the streets of Zaun. Cloaked and shrouded in shadow, he moved like the wind, a blur no one could clearly see.

"Revealing my identity was risky, but Jinx doesn't have many contacts right now, so the likelihood of exposure is minimal."

More importantly, he now had the location of the Temple of Janna. The reward outweighed the risk.

In Runeterra, gods existed—beings wielding unfathomable power. If Link could establish a connection with Janna, he'd gain a critical advantage for future events.

But apart from the temple, the original storyline offered little else about Janna.

Still, there were discrepancies between this world and the source material: the rise of Hextech, the presence of Camille, and other unexplained elements.

These deviations might present opportunities, and Link was determined to take the gamble.

Reaching the depths of Zaun, he stopped in front of a heavy iron door.

Knock-knock-knock!

The sound echoed through the cavernous space. After waiting for a while, a raspy voice spoke from behind him.

"I don't recall inviting you here."

Link's pulse quickened. The voice belonged to none other than Singed. His blend of cunning and caution was what made him a key player in Piltover and Zaun's storylines.

"Dr. Levick," Link said, pulling out a notebook. "I've brought something you might want."

Singed eyed the notebook cautiously, his single remaining eye glinting with curiosity.

"Put it on the ground and open it," he ordered.

Link complied, kneeling and flipping the pages before stepping back.

Singed leaned closer, and with a single glance, he abandoned all caution. His hands darted to the notebook, greedily flipping through its contents.

The notebook contained experimental records:

November 3rd: Another failed resurrection attempt. Combining technology and magic to channel Ionia's natural spirits proved disastrous. The spirit destroyed itself during the process.

November 17th: A new approach—demons. Born from human emotions, demons thrive on greed, fear, lust, and pride. Perhaps their power could revive her.

December 26th: The demon capture attempt failed. Tahm Kench, the River King, lived up to his name. He escaped, even against military intervention. Demons possess powers beyond human comprehension.

February 7th: I heard a tale from Ionia—the Spirit Blossom Festival. This might be my new hope.

Singed stopped abruptly at the February 7th entry.

"Where's the rest?!" he demanded, his voice hoarse with urgency.

"Dr. Levick," Link said coldly, "isn't it rude to not even offer tea to a guest?"

Realizing his lapse, Singed nodded and unlocked the door to his laboratory.

"My apologies," he muttered. "I was… engrossed."

"It's understandable," Link replied, stepping inside.

The "guest room" was more of a cluttered workspace, filled with tools, chemicals, and scraps of metal. As Singed retrieved two makeshift aluminum mugs of tea, Link skimmed through another of his journals.

The pages detailed experiments on Shimmer—its effects on the human body, its limits, and its potential.

"Interested in my work?" Singed asked, placing the tea on the table.

"Impressive," Link remarked, setting the journal down. "Your brilliance with Shimmer is unparalleled."

"Flattery aside," Singed said, his remaining eye narrowing. "What do you want?"

"I want you to work for me, Dr. Levick," Link said plainly. "And I want Vander—the one you've altered."

Singed's eye widened. "You know about him?"

"I know many things," Link replied. "About Vander, and about your daughter—forever trapped between life and death."

"I know you've tried everything to save her."

"I can provide funding, resources, and insights. All I ask is—"

"Let me stop you right there," Singed interrupted. "I've heard this speech too many times."

He sighed, pulling out a pocket watch. Opening it, he stared at the photo of his daughter inside.

"But if there's even a chance to save her… I'll do whatever it takes."

Singed's gaze hardened. "Bring me the rest of the journal. If you can do that, I'll work for you."

"That's acceptable," Link agreed. "But before that, I need to see Vander."

Singed hesitated. "The man you knew as Vander is gone. The experiments have stripped away his humanity and memories."

"What remains… is the Beast of Zaun."