CHAPTER 525 - The Purge Operation
Li Lin chose not to immediately strip Mordekaiser's weapons and armor, intending to use them later as a conduit to directly enter his realm of the dead after dealing with the Black Rose.
Leaving the Well of Death, Li Lin obtained a list of confirmed Black Rose members and some suspects from Swain. While Raum's ability to see through secrets is remarkable, even Swain couldn't uncover all of LeBlanc's spies in his ranks. LeBlanc, after all, had once led her forces to capture and seal two of Mordekaiser's demon generals. She was naturally well-prepared to counteract such abilities.
With the list in hand, Li Lin immediately deployed stealth robots, including mechanized engineers and mini-surveillance drones. Following Swain's information, these machines infiltrated the surroundings of each target.
Powered by the Energy Cube core, these mechanical units were entirely non-magical. Designed specifically by Li Lin for sensitive missions, they utilized cloned Petricite materials, rendering them undetectable by magic.
Exceeding expectations, over ten thousand robots completed a thorough search of every corner of the Immortal Bastion in less than half a day. They even explored the relatively cramped sewers, far less expansive than Demacia's capital's. Using scanning devices to locate hidden chambers, they identified not only the individuals on the list but also spellcasters possessing latent magical energy.
This included members of the Crimson Circle—a vampire sect founded by Vladimir—and spellcasting apprentices of the Black Rose with powers ranging from silver to platinum ranks. Under the AI's watchful eye, none could escape detection.
If not for Darius secretly mobilizing troops and Swain needing time to arrange replacements for critical positions, Li Lin could have eradicated all hostile forces in the Immortal Bastion in one fell swoop much earlier.
The sun rose and set, and within a week, preparations were complete.
In Swain's study, he and Li Lin sat across from each other on a pair of sofas, enjoying delicacies unique to Noxus. Though they chatted amicably, few knew that the shadow of another political upheaval had enveloped the Immortal Bastion. A blood-soaked purge was about to begin.
Throughout the empire's capital, Trifarian warriors, under Darius' orders, spread out across the city. Alongside them, generals such as Draven, Leto, and Mera led elite forces second only to the Trifarian Legion. One group surrounded the Immortal Bastion, while another entered the city, accompanied by the native Varidrakes of Noxus. Following the Trifarian soldiers, they sought out their targets.
Meanwhile, as the leader of the Assassin's Guild, Marcus Du Couteau dispatched his finest assassins to guard the secret escape tunnels of the Bastion, ensuring no one could flee. Their role was primarily to clean up and check for any remaining fugitives.
From noble estates to street-corner shops, slums to secret chambers hidden in the sewers, stealth drones and mechanized soldiers emerged from the shadows. Targets—be they spellcasters or ordinary individuals—were swiftly eliminated with precision gamma laser fire, all at the same moment.
As the mechanical forces moved, Darius, Draven, Leto, and Mera led their troops to storm visible locations. Everyone connected to the Black Rose's secret bases was detained for interrogation. Only those proven innocent would later be released.
Much like how Swain had overthrown Boram Darkwill's rule in a single night, this purge unfolded even faster. Excluding the time needed to mobilize troops, the entire operation—from start to finish—took less than ten minutes.
In the study, Li Lin raised his glass to Swain, the two clinking their cups before draining the Piltover wine.
"Congratulations, Grand General. With this, Noxus will be free of yet another thorn in its side."
Swain placed his glass down and waved his clawed left hand dismissively. "Hahaha… You give me too much credit, Li Lin. This is all thanks to you."
Reports of victory poured in. The vampires of the Crimson Circle and Black Rose spellcasters were utterly defenseless against the mechanical army's onslaught. Even LeBlanc's illusionary clones—disguised as men, women, or even children—were taken down before they could react.
Swain had never imagined that dismantling the Black Rose could be so straightforward. Without Li Lin, he would have been locked in a protracted struggle against the thousand-year-old Pale Lady, unable to fully consolidate his rule over Noxus.
But at last, it was over.
This top-down purge shook the Immortal Bastion, catching the entire city off guard. Most citizens, unaware of what had transpired, initially mistook the commotion for another internal rebellion, sparking widespread panic.
However, when they saw Trifarian soldiers, alongside other elite Noxian forces led by the brothers Darius and Draven, escorting prisoners, they began to realize the truth. This was another of Swain's infamous internal clean-up operations. Over the past two years, such actions had become almost routine.
What no one expected was that this day's purge would unify Noxus' fractured power structure from top to bottom. With Li Lin's technological support, the empire would no longer rely on expansion for growth, instead transitioning into a new phase of "agricultural" development.
Within thirty minutes, Darius, Draven, and Marcus Du Couteau arrived at the Bastion's main castle, escorting a sealed, impenetrable prison carriage built from gray-white stone.
Li Lin and Swain had been waiting there, having already received the news.
From the air, mechanical soldiers descended, unlocking the stone prison's door.
Inside sat a stunning woman dressed in a provocative outfit—an off-shoulder top and a miniskirt paired with thigh-high black stockings and boots, exposing her toned, flawless skin. Most strikingly, she wore a ruby crown-like three-part headpiece and a black, gold-trimmed half-cloak with a high collar that could conceal her entire face.
Collared and shackled with Petricite restraints on her neck, wrists, and ankles, she was dragged out by mechanical soldiers and forced to kneel before Li Lin and Swain.
"Well, well, who do we have here?" Swain extended his demonic left claw, lightly stroking the flawless face of the woman before him.
"The Pale Lady of the Black Rose. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
(End of Chapter)