Successfully Persuaded (update)

[Check Out My Patreon For +30 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $10 Dollars And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my patreon][https://patreon.com/roooaaa]

Thank you for your support:

RustyNoodle12, dishitian, FRANCISCO DIAZ, KongZilla and Eureka

💌I hope you enjoy the advanced chapters 

====

Inside the pipes, Link's voice mingled with the howling wind, creating an indescribable aura of authority that struck straight at Ekko's heart.

Having grown up in the Undercity, Ekko had seen all sorts of strange and bizarre things. But what he was witnessing now left him momentarily stunned, a sense of awe spreading through him.

His hair stood on end, and goosebumps covered his skin.

"Heimerdinger... what's going on?"

Confused, Ekko instinctively turned to Heimerdinger for answers. Among the people he knew, Heimerdinger was the wisest.

"Good heavens, Janna has returned."

Heimerdinger's eyes widened in shock, mirroring Ekko's astonishment. Ekko, however, was still puzzled. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I'm saying—" Heimerdinger pointed at Link, who was enveloped in a swirling wind, his cloak billowing dramatically, then turned back to Ekko. "Janna has returned!"

"But isn't Janna just a bedtime story for kids?" Ekko, who firmly believed in science, found it hard to comprehend what was happening.

"Yes, for you, she's a bedtime story. But for me, Janna was very real twenty-six years ago."

As Heimerdinger spoke, his large ears twitched slightly.

"I've heard many tales of Janna in Piltover. Back when Zaun didn't have a ventilation system, the people relied on Janna's protection to survive the pollution."

"Miners trapped in collapsed tunnels were saved by her. People suffocating in the smog could breathe because of her. Lost souls found their way home thanks to her."

"But all these stories came to an abrupt end twenty-six years ago."

"Now, Janna has reappeared. This is huge news!"

"Do you understand, my boy? Huge news!"

Heimerdinger then nodded respectfully toward Link. "I salute you, honored chosen of the goddess!"

"And I salute you, wise one," Link replied with a slight nod. Janna, having exhausted herself from summoning the wind, perched on Link's shoulder, panting.

Despite her fatigue, she maintained an air of calm, occasionally preening her feathers with her beak.

"So—" Unlike Heimerdinger, Ekko was more inclined to feel absurdity and confusion.

It was as if Teemo from the comic books he'd read as a child had suddenly jumped out and handed him a giant mushroom.

"What are you here for?"

Ekko cautiously kept his distance from Link. This guy's strength was terrifying.

During their brief encounter earlier, Ekko had caught a glimpse of the metallic structures beneath Link's skin, structures that were clearly not human.

"To warn and advise," Link's voice, filtered through his mask, was ambiguous in tone, adding to his mystique.

"My goddess, Janna, has awakened from her slumber due to an impending crisis. I am her chosen, her messenger on earth, and her sole representative in this world."

Janna side-eyed Link. In all her years, she had never encountered a chosen one who immediately tried to manipulate her.

Link was truly one of a kind!

"So, what does she want you to do?"

"To warn you—" The six red stones embedded in Link's helmet glowed ominously. "Cancel your trip to Piltover. Return to your base and do not proceed any further."

"Wait, what?" Ekko took a step closer to Link. "What do you mean, 'do not proceed'? Do you even know what we're planning to do?"

"The great tree that sustains your home is being corrupted. You're going to Piltover to find a solution, aren't you?"

Heimerdinger's eyes widened. "Good heavens, he knows everything!"

"If you know, why are you trying to stop us?"

"Because if you go searching for answers, it will lead to catastrophic consequences."

Link raised his arm from under his cloak, placing a hand on Heimerdinger's shoulder, but his gaze remained fixed on Ekko.

"He will die for you after a thousand days of waiting."

Heimerdinger and Ekko exchanged glances. Link then shifted his hand to Ekko.

"And you, burdened by responsibility, will abandon the best things in your life and return to disaster."

"This is just fearmongering!" Ekko expressed his disbelief in Link's words. "Are you saying we should just go back and watch as the foundation of our home crumbles?"

"You can choose not to listen, but Heimerdinger will die for you, and you will face the most painful choice of your life."

"Most importantly, when you return, you will lose so much."

"The companions you cherish will be gone forever. Your Firelights will fall apart. And despite your intentions to save your home, you will only watch as its foundation collapses, plunging you into war."

"In the end, all you'll have left is regret and remorse."

As Link spoke, Ekko's expression shifted.

Heimerdinger reached out to Ekko, wanting to say something.

Link remained silent. While he had embellished Ekko's original story to make it sound more dire, if Ekko chose not to go to Piltover, the future would indeed change.

Of course, Ekko would also lose the Z-Drive.

But for Link, this was the best option at the moment.

If Ekko and Heimerdinger didn't seek out Jayce, Jayce wouldn't explore the Hexgate.

Without exploring the Hexgate, Jayce wouldn't travel to another timeline and witness the destruction of an alternate Piltover.

Viktor might not be forced to abandon his humanity and pursue the path of the Glorious Evolution.

Though it was a roundabout way, this was a crucial point in the story.

If he could disrupt it, he would.

"What if I insist on going?" Ekko looked up, his eyes dark. "My home is being corrupted. I can't just sit back and do nothing!"

"Even if the path ahead is fraught with danger, I will fight for my home, for my friends and companions."

Seeing that Ekko wouldn't be swayed, Link clicked his tongue. Why was this kid so stubborn?

Did he really have to resort to force?

"Then I'll break your arms and legs and have Heimerdinger take you back to recover." Link gripped the filter on the right side of his helmet and twisted it clockwise.

The filter popped open, ready to release a full dose of Shimmer to enhance Link's physical abilities and maximize the power of his exoskeleton.

"Wait, wait!" Heimerdinger quickly intervened, diffusing the tension between the two.

"Young Ekko, don't be hasty."

"Honored chosen, give me a moment."

Heimerdinger took Ekko's hand and led him a short distance away. Link kept his finger on the filter, ready to activate it at any moment.

Heimerdinger smiled at Link, then bent down to whisper to Ekko, "Young Ekko, don't be impulsive. This man is a chosen one. His way of thinking is different from ours."

"For him, fulfilling Janna's commands is paramount."

"If you really push him—" Heimerdinger paused, and Ekko asked, "What will happen?"

"I might really have to figure out how to carry you back to recover." Heimerdinger's voice grew somber. "Listen, I know you're worried about the tree, but we can't ignore the warning of a chosen one."

"But should we just give up and go back?"

Ekko was still unwilling. Heimerdinger glanced at Link, then turned back to Ekko. "No, no. What I mean is, if he won't let us go to Piltover for a solution, why don't we ask him for help?"

"Ask him?" Ekko looked back at Link, but Heimerdinger quickly pulled his attention back. "Don't look at him like that."

"Chosen ones are fanatics. Their way of thinking is different from ours. If you really anger him, he will break your legs."

"Then what should we do?"

"Leave it to me. I'll handle the negotiations." Heimerdinger gave Ekko a reassuring look. Though still reluctant, Ekko obediently kept quiet and let Heimerdinger take over.

"Honored chosen, we are willing to heed Janna's warning." Heimerdinger clasped his hands together, a polite smile on his face. "However, this boy's home is under threat. We can't just... you know... return empty-handed!"

"So—"

"I will naturally help with that." Seeing that Heimerdinger had offered a compromise, Link deactivated the filter.

"Your tree is being corrupted by Hextech energy. I will prepare a potion to treat it, and I will also address the source of the corruption."

"That's wonderful!" Heimerdinger's ears twitched with excitement. "Thank you so much for your help!"

At the same time, Heimerdinger nudged Ekko's leg with his elbow.

"Young Ekko, manners... manners are important!"

Ekko reluctantly said, "Thank you."

"Leave me a sample of the leaves. We'll meet here in three days, and I'll give you the potion."

"Also, Ekko, as the leader of the Firelights, I hope you can intervene in the current conflicts in Zaun." Link sighed. "After Silco's death, Zaun has been leaderless. The chem-barons are unchecked, busy fighting among themselves. This is terrible for Zaun's stability."

"Hmph, I don't need you to tell me that." Ekko snorted. Heimerdinger, seeing his attitude, anxiously nudged his leg again.

Be polite!!

"Alright, leave the sample and go back."

Link took the corrupted leaf sample from Ekko and added, "If you have any problems, pray to Janna. Janna will always be with you!"

"Praise Janna." Heimerdinger prayed devoutly, while Ekko reluctantly muttered the words.

As Ekko and Heimerdinger walked away, Janna pecked Link's helmet lightly. "Kid, you're quite impressive. For your first time preaching, you did quite well!"

"It's just that Heimerdinger gave me face," Link sighed, thinking about the wild rune beneath the Hexgate. It gave him a headache.

If that thing wasn't dealt with, the story of the Twin Cities would inevitably follow its original path.

He needed to find a way to handle it!