The First Mission of a Spy's Life!

[Check Out My P4treon For +40 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][https://p4treon.com/roooaaa]

===

"ROAR—"

A metallic roar erupted, unleashing a wave of wind that sent the workbench flying like a leaf in a storm. The floor beneath their feet rippled like waves, buckling and shattering before scattering into the air.

Link Star quickly stepped back, avoiding the shards of debris.

When the roar finally subsided, the workshop was in complete disarray.

Link clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "I get that you're excited about being 'born,' but this is a bit too much, don't you think?"

"Activate the Möbius Drive. Rewind."

As Link spoke, Pride, the towering mechanical beast, raised its head. A crown of horns adorned its skull, and within it, a clock face materialized.

The moment the clock appeared, a surge of temporal energy flooded the room, freezing everything in place. A vortex formed, twisting and distorting reality into shattered fragments of glass.

Each shard reflected Link and Pride, their images multiplying endlessly. The vortex spun, pulling the shards back together, and time began to reverse.

The debris flew back into place, the workbench and tools returned to their original positions, and Link, who had been standing meters away, was now back in front of Pride.

As the clock on Pride's crown vanished, the beast exhaled a plume of hot air.

"Report on the time reversal," Link said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Pride's voice was deep and resonant, like the tolling of a great bell. "Six seconds reversed, Father."

"Good," Link nodded, pleased with the result.

Ekko's Z-Drive could only rewind time by four seconds. Any longer, and the spiral of time would tear apart the surrounding area. But Pride's Möbius Drive had managed six seconds—and that likely wasn't even its limit.

"What's the maximum reversal time?" Link asked.

After a moment of self-assessment, Pride replied, "Approximately eight seconds, Father."

"Excellent."

Before Link could continue, the faint sound of a blade scraping against the floor echoed through the workshop. Pride immediately turned toward the source, its massive body shielding Link as it growled, "Halt, insect!"

"Oh?" Camille, who had arrived at the commotion, raised an eyebrow.

Link quickly peeked out from behind Pride, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, he's just been born. Still a bit... excitable."

"No matter. A little rudeness is nothing to me," Camille said, her gaze fixed on Pride, filled with awe. "You've created a miracle, my dear. No one in Piltover's history has ever achieved something like this."

"You're a genius."

"Coming from you, that's high praise," Link said, patting Pride's armored side.

Camille smiled faintly. "Pride leads to limitation, and limitation leads to demise. But you, Link, deserve this praise. You are a true genius."

"Really?" Link cupped his ear, teasing. "I didn't quite catch that. Could you say it again?"

"You little rascal!" Camille tapped Link's forehead with her finger, and he chuckled.

Pride, however, was not amused. The beast bent down, forcefully separating Camille and Link, its tail thumping the ground in agitation.

"Show respect to my father, insect!"

Camille's brow furrowed. "One mistake can be forgiven, but repeated disrespect is a sign of poor upbringing. Link, he needs discipline."

"I know. I'll teach him," Link said, glancing at Pride. But he couldn't suppress a yawn. Six straight days of intense work had pushed him to his limit.

"It seems you need some rest," Camille said, gently touching Link's face.

Link shook his head. "There are still tests to run. I need to keep going."

"Health is the foundation of everything. As Piltover's finest craftsman, you can't afford to ruin your body," Camille advised. "I've seen too many artisans fall on their quest for greatness because they neglected their health. I don't want you to become one of them."

"Alright, I'll rest," Link conceded. "But before I do, let me correct you on one thing."

"Oh?" Camille tilted her head.

Link looked at Pride and said calmly, "A craftsman's pursuit shouldn't be greatness. It should be truth. For truth, I would sacrifice everything."

Four Days Later

Bluewind Manor, Study

"I heard you visited that boy again, sister," Stevan said, seated in his wheelchair as Camille entered the room.

"Are you jealous, brother?" Camille crossed her legs as she sat down, her tone light.

"Jealous? Of a child?" Stevan snorted. "I merely need to remind you, sister, that as a spy, your duty is to serve the family."

"Of course. I haven't forgotten," Camille replied, her voice steady.

Stevan studied his sister. Since her transformation at twenty-six, her appearance hadn't aged a day. Her body remained at its peak—inhumanly so.

Camille poured herself a cup of tea, her gaze piercing through the steam to rest on Stevan.

He looked older now, his face pale and lined with age. The scarf around his neck couldn't hide the liver spots on his skin. Her brother was nearing the end of his life.

"You have something else to say, don't you?" Camille set her cup down, her tone firm.

Stevan hesitated, then sighed. "Am I that transparent, sister?"

"I've been by your side since the day you were born. It's been nearly eighty years now, brother. You can't hide anything from me."

"Fine, fine," Stevan muttered, pulling a string of prayer beads and a folded piece of paper from his wheelchair.

"He's back..." Stevan handed the items to Camille.

Her mechanical heart stirred as she recognized them. "Hakim Naderi has been gone for sixty years."

"But my spies found him in Zaun. He hasn't aged a day," Stevan said, his voice rising. "If he can return, then—"

"What would that change?" Camille's cold gaze silenced him.

"It could change everything," Stevan whispered. "I could walk again, fulfill my duties as the head of the family."

"Power, like life, must be passed on. That's how a family thrives," Camille said, clutching the beads and paper tightly.

"But I'm your brother, Camille. Your only remaining family!"

Camille took a deep breath and stood. "I'll handle this."

As she turned to leave, Stevan called out, "Camille, don't forget your duty. Don't forget the family's creed!"

She paused at the door, her back stiff. After a moment, she replied coldly, "I remember it well: For my family, I will sacrifice. The family's interests come above all else. I hope you haven't forgotten that, brother."

Underground Workshop

When Link opened his eyes, he found Camille sitting across from him, legs crossed, sipping tea.

"You've been asleep for four days, dear," Camille said, setting her cup down. She glanced behind Link, where Pride stood guard. "Your 'eldest son' has been watching over you the entire time. He's quite protective—no one's allowed within three meters of you."

Link reached out to pat Pride's head. "Of course. He's my greatest creation, my masterpiece."

"However," Camille said, pulling an envelope from her coat, "resting too long will make you rusty. It's time for you to get moving."

She placed the envelope on the table. "This is your first mission as a spy. Bring the target back. Anyone who stands in your way—kill them."

Link stood. "Even if it's your own family?"

"Even if it's my own family," Camille confirmed.

Link bowed his head. "As you command, Lady Ferros."

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 105 on my patreon go take a look and remember if you reach 390 stones of power I will publish the next chapter.