CHAPTER 456 - Temporal Branches, Fateful Parallel Universes
Li Lin stepped into the doorway and found himself in what appeared to be a private office.
A desk stood across from the entrance, positioned squarely at the center. Enchanted platforms, floating gear-like rings, and magical artifacts resembling hourglasses dotted the room. Shelves lined the walls, filled with thick tomes that radiated an aura of arcane knowledge.
This was a space that the drones had not detected earlier or, more likely, a place that did not exist in the physical world.
Li Lin quickly took in the room's layout before shifting his attention to the desk. Seated there was an elderly man, his hair, brows, beard, and sideburns streaked with white.
The man was thin and frail, dressed in a traditional robe of deep russet and gray-white hues. His beard flowed down past his chest, longer than his hair. His eyes, partially hidden beneath heavy white brows, shimmered faintly with an emerald glow.
Li Lin could sense the depth of sorrow etched into the man's furrowed brow. The exhaustion in his gaze carried the weight of lifetimes beyond what any ordinary person could fathom.
[Congratulations! You've encountered 45 Heroes. Your level has increased by 1, and you've earned 2 Skill Points.]
[Name: Zilean]
[Race: Icathian]
[Profession: Elder of the Icathian High Council, Grandmaster Elementalist, Master Chronomancer, Guardian of Time.]
[...]
"You've finally arrived, Favored One of the World—Li Lin."
Li Lin wasn't surprised that Zilean knew his identity.
For a Guardian of Time, capable of perceiving infinite possibilities across countless timelines, no ripple, no matter how minor, could escape his notice.
Li Lin's presence had created too great a butterfly effect. In the parallel universes tied to the main timeline, none could progress to the point where humanity ventured into space.
"Master Zilean," Li Lin greeted, bowing respectfully in the manner described in ancient texts scanned by the AI.
"No need for such formalities. Simply call me Zilean." Rising from his chair, the elder walked past Li Lin. "I know you have many questions. Come with me."
Exiting the doorway, Li Lin was surprised to find not the hallway he had come from, but an expansive and vastly different space.
The rhythmic ticking of clockwork reverberated through the vast hall. Far in the distance, the golden sands of a desert shimmered, forming an endless mirage. Ornate, hollow golden spheres—like miniature planets—floated slowly across the boundless landscape of sand.
At the hall's center stood a massive, diamond-shaped emerald crystal—the embodiment of Time itself—powering the tower that existed within the temporal rift.
Throughout the hall, men and women in a variety of attire bustled about. Some paused to conjure emerald-green magic, creating holographic projections they discussed in earnest. Others carried glass jars containing void-like tendrils.
"This is not the same tower you saw earlier," Zilean explained. "I built this sanctuary after removing myself from the timeline, carving out this pocket of space within the temporal rift."
"The people below are talented mages I encountered across various eras. They chose to erase their existence from the timeline and dedicate themselves to finding a solution to the apocalypse."
"I intended to pull you in the moment you entered the tower outside," Zilean continued as he led Li Lin down a spiraling staircase suspended in midair. "But your mental fortitude was exceptional. It took me considerable effort to bring you here."
Li Lin hesitated before voicing the question that had been lingering in his mind. "Can you... see my future?"
Zilean paused briefly, letting out a heavy sigh without answering, leaving Li Lin with an ominous feeling.
It seemed even Zilean, who could observe the past, present, and myriad alternate futures, could not discern the path ahead for him.
The rest of their journey was spent in silence. Soon, they reached the clock tower's apex—a door heavily sealed by layers of time magic that only Zilean could unlock.
Crossing his arms, Zilean formed intricate gestures with his hands. Emerald light flared in response, and the seals on the door gradually receded, revealing an unlocked entrance.
Taking a deep breath, Zilean pushed the door open and motioned for Li Lin to enter. Once inside, he shut the door and reinforced the magical seals.
The room's decor was austere—a large circular gear hovered in midair at its center, surrounded by countless smaller gears resembling the inner workings of a clock.
Under Zilean's guidance, the smaller gears began to rotate, setting the central gear in motion. The room's environment abruptly changed.
The floor beneath their feet and the walls around them dissolved, replaced by an endless void filled with swirling indigo and violet mists.
As the gears spun faster, the central gear emitted a radiant emerald glow. Soon, a sprawling starry expanse unfolded before them. Beneath their feet, a colossal bronze clock face materialized, its massive second hand ticking audibly—each sound reverberating deep within their souls.
Zilean's movements became increasingly rapid, his robe and hair billowing as though caught in a gravity-defying wind.
Li Lin instinctively held his breath, sensing the immense power of the time magic Zilean was casting. Overwhelmed by a profound sense of insignificance, he felt like a lone leaf adrift in an infinite sea.
With a final flourish, Zilean's left and right hands conjured magical symbols—one resembling a clock face, the other a projection of Runeterra. Several bronze rings floated out from the central gear, halting before them like holographic screens displaying dynamic images.
To Li Lin's amazement, the fleeting scenes appeared to depict parallel universes linked to the main timeline.
Each scene was unique, yet all portrayed significant events across Runeterra:
A universe where Swain, wielding demonic power, overthrew the Black Rose, slew Irelia in Placidium, and led Noxus to crush Karma, annihilating the Kinkou Order and conquering Ionia entirely...
Li Lin couldn't help but gasp sharply, instinctively pressing a hand to his chest as he felt his heart pounding against his ribs.
"Time, space, reality—they aren't a linear path," Zilean said, his voice resonating with an otherworldly detachment. His eyes, completely consumed by an eerie blue glow, seemed to pierce through dimensions. "They form a prism, branching into infinite possibilities. Even the smallest choice can give rise to an entirely different timeline."
Li Lin's thoughts raced as he processed Zilean's words. He couldn't help but ask, "With so many parallel worlds out there, isn't there even one where the Void was successfully defeated?"
Zilean's movements slowed as he tapped away at the intricate, glowing mechanisms before him. Then, with a sweeping motion of his left hand, he dismissed most of the floating, ring-like projections surrounding them, leaving only a row that depicted scenes involving Li Lin himself.
What Li Lin saw baffled him. In every one of these parallel realities, his other selves were repeating the exact same actions—at the same times, in the same places, with identical movements and conversations.
No matter how different the people he interacted with or the settings around him, his actions remained unchanged.
"Li Lin," Zilean began, casting a sidelong glance at the stunned man. "You fled to Piltover to escape the ravages of war. You started as a menial worker in a clock shop, then seized a business opportunity to become a traveling merchant. But your journey ended when you encountered the Dread Pirate Gangplank on the Guardian's Sea. He put a bullet through your skull, and your body sank into the depths, consumed by sea monsters."
Zilean paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Perhaps certain overlapping events across timelines create a semblance of similarity, but no two timelines are truly identical. Everyone's destiny, including my own, varies from one path to the next."
He waved his hand again, dispersing the projections, leaving only one—the current timeline's depiction of the past.
It showed a moment from two years ago during the Progress Day celebration. Li Lin was at the docks, bidding farewell to the clockmaker he worked for before joining the throngs of people heading to Piltover's northern district. He had been on his way to participate in the Kiramman family's recruitment event for skilled craftsmen.
"I didn't originally see you as a chosen one of this world," Zilean admitted, his tone shifting to one of measured gravity. "But unlike the countless other timelines, you made a choice that set you apart.
"When I attempted to use the power of time to glimpse further into your timeline, I was stunned to find you standing firmly on this particular thread. And then the immutable conclusion I had foreseen—the ultimate extinction of this world—blurred into a haze of time's fog. The future became obscured, beyond my sight."
Zilean's luminous aura began to fade, and their surroundings returned to their ordinary state as if the extraordinary spectacle had been nothing more than an illusion.
Turning to face the still-dazed Li Lin, Zilean placed a firm hand on his shoulder, his expression solemn.
"I've been watching you, but your progress has been far too slow. At the rate you're growing, you won't stand a chance against the Void. I have no choice—I must give you a push."
(End of Chapter)
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