Subduing Salo, Countdown to Controlling the Council! (update)

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Clang—!

The wheelchair crashed into the wall with a loud bang, sending Salo flying out and tumbling awkwardly onto the carpet.

Link set down the suitcase he was carrying and strode over to Salo, grabbing him by the collar and delivering a punch to his stomach.

Salo's eyes widened, his eyeballs bulging as the force of the blow knocked the wind out of him.

Gag—!

Salo vomited, expelling the contents of his dinner and the alcohol he had just consumed. Link tossed him aside like garbage, leaving him sprawled on the floor, clutching his stomach and curling up like a cooked shrimp.

Mel, who had been watching the scene, opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. After considering Salo's earlier words and actions, she decided to stay silent.

"Are you sober now?"

Salo's muddled mind cleared, and he slammed his fist against the carpet, shouting at Link, "How dare you attack a councilor! How dare you—"

"Councilor?" Link raised an eyebrow. "I don't see a councilor here. All I see is a stray dog drowning in alcohol and Shimmer."

At the mention of Shimmer, Salo's eyes flickered with unease.

"What are you talking about? Not only did you attack a councilor, but you're also slandering him—"

Before Salo could finish, Link grabbed him and tore off his shirt, revealing the intricate patterns etched into his skin.

"If you haven't been using Shimmer, then where did these 'tattoos' come from?"

Link's voice was laced with mockery. Salo's face turned a deep shade of purple, and after a glance at Mel, he let out a frustrated roar.

"Fine! Yes, I've been using Shimmer! Yes, I've been drowning myself in alcohol! But do you think I want to live like this?!"

"Look at my legs! Look at them!" Salo shouted, and Mel instinctively glanced at his legs. Dangling limply as Link held him up, they looked like useless appendages, pathetic and lifeless.

"If it weren't for these legs, I'd still be the celebrated, confident councilor I once was! Not this pathetic wreck you're treating like a dead dog!"

"If I could still walk, if I could stand on my own two feet, I'd make you pay for what you've done!"

Salo's eyes burned with a mix of anger, hatred, and shame.

"Then tell me," Link's voice was cold, "what would you be willing to give to stand again?"

Salo let out a bitter laugh. "What would I give?"

"If it meant I could walk again, I'd sell my soul to that greedy demon Tahm Kench himself!"

"I'd give anything—anything at all!"

As Salo roared, Link dragged him back to the table and dumped him onto the couch opposite.

"Are you really willing to give everything?" Link asked again, opening his suitcase to reveal the exoskeleton and vials of Shimmer inside.

Salo's eyes were drawn to the suitcase, and when he saw the shimmering, star-like Shimmer, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

As a user of Shimmer himself, he knew all too well the intoxicating allure of the undercity's most infamous drug.

Moreover, despite his current state, Salo's experience as a councilor gave him a keen eye. The exoskeleton in the suitcase sparked a realization in his mind.

"You... you can make me walk again?"

Link pulled out a vial of Shimmer.

"I can make you stand, but the price you'll pay is far greater than selling your soul to Tahm Kench."

He held the vial in front of Salo.

"So, what's your answer?"

Salo's eyes were glued to the Shimmer. He swallowed nervously, then looked up at Link with pleading eyes.

"Kind sir, please forgive my earlier rudeness and foolishness. That was just the desperate rambling of a lost soul!"

"Please... please!" Salo begged, and Link handed him the vial.

"Salo, you're a smart man. And smart men know how to seize an opportunity when it presents itself."

"Of... of course, sir, of course!"

"You'll give me your loyalty, your devotion, and your faith," Link said with a low chuckle. "And if you betray me, your fate will be far worse than anything Tahm Kench could do to you."

"Of course, of course!" Salo's voice was filled with fervor.

Link turned to Mel. "Miss Mel, could you step outside for a moment? What's about to happen won't be pleasant."

Mel glanced at Salo, then nodded and left the room.

Link picked up Salo, who was still clutching the vial, and carried him to the bed, laying him face down. He then retrieved the exoskeleton and placed it on Salo's back.

As Link flipped the switch, the exoskeleton unfolded and adjusted itself to fit Salo's body.

Salo shivered as he felt the cold metal of the spinal support system press against his spine.

Link loaded the Shimmer into an injector and inserted it into the exoskeleton's micro-pump. He then pressed the button on the miniature clockwork electric engine at the waist of the exoskeleton.

"This is going to hurt."

Link stepped back, and Salo braced himself, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation.

The engine whirred to life, and the exoskeleton's clamps locked into place, biting into Salo's flesh like the fangs of a vampire. Hollow needles extended from the device, piercing deep into his spine.

Scream—!

Salo let out a guttural cry of pain.

"Endure it," Link said calmly.

Salo clenched his teeth, his body trembling as the Shimmer was pumped directly into his spine. The liquid burned through his nerves, and his skin turned red and hot, like a lobster boiling in a pot.

New nerve clusters began to grow around his spine, causing his skin to bulge and warp unnaturally. Salo's eyes were bloodshot, and he could only let out muffled groans of agony.

The new nerves bypassed the damaged areas of his spine, connecting to the nerves in his paralyzed legs.

As the pain reached its peak, Salo suddenly felt a sensation in his toes—a twitching he hadn't felt in years. His calf muscles tightened involuntarily.

"You can stand now," Link said.

Still dazed from the pain, Salo pushed himself up, his movements slow but determined. He stood on the bed, his legs trembling but holding his weight.

Tears streamed down Salo's face as he felt the softness of the bed beneath his feet.

"Remember your promise, Salo," Link said. "From this moment on, your flesh, your soul, and everything you are belong to me."

Salo opened his eyes, his expression one of pure elation.

"Of course, sir, of course!"

"Oh, heavens, I've dreamed of this moment so many times, and now it's finally real!"

"Sir, I will offer you my loyalty, my flesh, my soul—everything, for eternity!"

Salo knelt on the bed, and Link nodded.

"All I ask is that you follow my orders."

"Mel!" Link called, and Mel entered the room.

"Herald," she said respectfully.

"I want you and Salo to work together to take full control of the council as soon as possible. Can you do that?"

Mel hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "We can."

"Good. I want it done within a week."

Midnight, Council Building rooftop.

Link stood at the edge, looking down at the sprawling city of Piltover.

With Mel and Salo on his side, controlling the council was only a matter of time.

Once the council was under his control, he could stabilize Piltover and turn his attention to other matters.

"My ten-day agreement with Jinx is almost up. Before I meet her, I need to find a way to deal with the wild runes beneath the Hexgate."