Post-Battle Reflections (update)

"Jayce—"

Mel noticed Jayce's despondent expression and quickly walked over to comfort him.

But Jayce raised a hand to stop her, picked up his hammer, and left without a word.

No matter the situation, he always seemed to arrive too late.

When Viktor fell seriously ill, Jayce had only realized it too late.

When the undercity erupted in riots, as a councilor, he had been among the last to know.

He had tried to lead by example, to set things right, but his actions had led to the death of an innocent child.

And now, during an attack on Piltover, he had once again been a step behind.

Watching Jayce's retreating figure, Mel was about to speak when her secretary, Elora, approached and shook her head. "Give him some time alone. Besides, there's a mess here that needs your attention."

Mel sighed deeply, her gaze lingering on Jayce's lonely silhouette.

Indeed, now was not the time for personal matters. She needed to focus on the present.

"Immediately assess the casualties—" Mel shifted into work mode, directing the cleanup and tending to the wounded. She then approached Caitlyn.

"Caitlyn, do you have any leads on that mysterious figure?"

"Honestly—" Caitlyn forced a bitter smile. "No."

"I'm still trying to process everything. From the moment he appeared to when he left, he revealed so little. I don't have any clues to work with."

"Regardless, we must find out who he is. Piltover needs someone like him right now."

"Piltover needs him?" Vi interjected, frowning as she joined the conversation. "Zaun has already suffered enough because of you!"

"You're Vi, right?" Mel frowned, locking eyes with Vi, who sneered. "I'm honored that a famous Piltover councilor knows my name!"

"Let's not debate Piltover's treatment of Zaun right now."

Mel turned and gestured to the devastation around them.

"But the harm Zaun has inflicted on Piltover is undeniable!"

"That's because you—" Vi's words were cut off by the sound of heavy, synchronized footsteps. Mel, recognizing the sound of steel boots, ignored Vi and turned toward the venue's entrance.

Her mother had arrived.

"Mother, you're just in time!"

Mel hurried over to Ambessa, who surveyed the scene with a cold expression. "I received the council's request for aid and came as quickly as I could."

"But it seems I'm too late."

"Yes, you are."

Mel knew her mother's nature and what she wanted.

With a stern expression, Mel said, "The chaos has already been quelled by Piltover's own efforts, and the perpetrator has been captured. Your assistance is no longer needed."

Ambessa's gaze shifted to Mel's face.

Her daughter was now looking at her with a protective and defensive glare, which both annoyed and amused her.

The once-soft daughter had finally grown a spine.

Though it was still too weak.

"I understand," Ambessa said, turning to leave. Before she did, she added softly, "I'm glad to see you're safe, Mel."

Mel's hardened expression softened, her lips trembling as she watched her mother leave.

Elora approached and placed a comforting hand on Mel's shoulder.

Once her mother was out of sight, Mel whispered to Elora, "Find out who that mysterious figure is."

"But didn't you ask Caitlyn to—"

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket."

Meanwhile, as Ambessa left the venue and returned to her temporary residence, she turned to her aide, Rictofens. "Mobilize the War Smiths. I want to know everything that happened at the venue and who ruined my plans."

The silent man nodded and left to carry out her orders.

Ambessa walked through the streets, her eyes fixed on the prosperous city.

She clenched her fists tightly.

Piltover would be hers.

Riverside Workshop, Laboratory

"Ouch—"

As soon as Link returned to his workshop, he hurriedly removed the exoskeleton.

The exoskeleton stood upright, like a loyal sentinel guarding its master.

After taking a few steps, Link stripped off his boots, pants, and shirt.

His body was covered in bruises and burns from using the exoskeleton, with some injuries caused by the intense heat generated by the high-speed gears.

Grimacing in pain, he stumbled out of the workshop and into the main house, where he found a first aid kit.

The workshop was fully equipped, including medical supplies.

After applying ointment to his wounds, Link winced with every touch.

Once he had bandaged himself, he let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the sofa.

Glancing at the bright sunlight outside, he worried that someone might visit. Forcing his exhausted body to move, he returned to the workshop and collapsed onto his folding bed.

Right now, he didn't want to think about anything. He just wanted to sleep.

[You have a new message. Please check your inbox.]

The notification from the dimensional mailbox floated across his vision, but Link ignored it and fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't wake until the following evening.

The workshop was dark, the forge's fire having died out due to lack of fuel.

Groping for a light source, Link found the switch and turned it on.

Bright light flooded the room. He glanced at the leftover tea cakes, picked one up, sniffed it, and, finding it hadn't spoiled, ate it.

The cold, greasy cake stuck in his throat, forcing him to find a cup of water to wash it down.

After settling himself, Link returned to his folding bed and stared at his mailbox.

A new message?

He'd check it later.

The memorial service attack had been dealt with, but it was only the beginning.

There were still many challenges ahead. Saving Piltover and Zaun, changing the fate of everyone in the twin cities—it was no easy task.

The conflict between the upper city and the undercity stemmed from unequal wealth distribution, the insurmountable class divide, and the mutual hatred born of miscommunication.

Changing any of that would be difficult.

Most importantly, he didn't know if Viktor had awakened, how far Warwick's transformation had progressed, or where Jinx was.

He also had no idea how active the Rune of Chaos had become.

He strongly suspected that the bottom of the Hexgate had already been torn open, creating a rift to the spiritual realm due to the Rune of Chaos.

For now, he had no way to deal with the Rune of Chaos. He could only focus on the characters and events to alter the timeline and save the twin cities.

After some thought, Link pushed his worries aside.

He needed to focus on the present. The memorial service attack had exposed many flaws in the first-generation exoskeleton.

Taking out a sheet of paper, Link began to jot down his thoughts.

Post-Battle Summary of the First-Generation Exoskeleton:

The exoskeleton places significant strain on the user during operation.

Prolonged high-speed operation generates heat, causing burns.

The exoskeleton is not easily portable.

The attack methods are too limited.

The exoskeleton only conceals the user's physique, failing to fully disguise their identity.

After summarizing the issues, Link began to brainstorm solutions.

The strain on the user could be mitigated by redesigning the exoskeleton, but that would only be a temporary fix. He needed to improve his physical fitness.

Exercise was one option, but perhaps he could use Chemtech to enhance himself. Shimmer was a possibility.

Or maybe he could combine the exoskeleton with Shimmer.

As for the heat issue, he needed to design a cooling system.

But adding a cooling system would make portability even more challenging.

If only he had True Ice. Even a grain-sized piece could solve the cooling problem.

The limited attack methods could be addressed by adding attachments or external weapons.

As for disguising his identity, a mask would suffice.

Perhaps he could incorporate Shimmer into the mask, designing a unique breathing apparatus. During combat, he could activate the mask to inhale Shimmer, enhancing his abilities and maximizing the exoskeleton's power.

But if he used Shimmer, the exoskeleton would need a revolutionary upgrade.

Maybe he could add an energy system to enhance the exoskeleton.

Hextech was an option, but mastering it required extensive knowledge of runes, which he didn't have time for.

Without access to Hextech or Chemtech, he'd have to rely on his knowledge from his previous life.

For example: electricity...

Using the power valve to generate electricity, which could then drive the gears—that might work!

But upgrading the exoskeleton would take at least three days to a week.

During that time, he'd also need to learn new things to strengthen his foundation.

If he locked himself in the workshop for too long, the world outside might descend into chaos, with mechanical monstrosities running rampant.

"You have to eat one bite at a time and take things step by step."

"With Piltover handled, Zaun should be the next focus."

As he pondered, Link closed the notebook he'd been using to record his thoughts. There were three key figures in Zaun: Jinx, Viktor, and Singed.

Viktor was currently out of reach, so he'd have to wait.

Jinx was unpredictable, both in location and mental state.

Singed was easier to find, but he was too well-hidden.

Who should he focus on first?

"Ugh, this is giving me a headache." Link rubbed his face and turned his attention back to the mailbox. "Forget it, I'll check the new message first."