Jayce put down the hammer in his hand and looked to Mel for help.
Mel stood at the edge of the practice field, looking helplessly at Jayce, silently pleading for guidance.
"Elora, bring that new prototype from Jayce's lab," she said calmly.
Her Piltover butler had just returned from Noxus two days ago with a report on the situation there.
"Yes, ma'am,"
Elora replied respectfully, stepping away.
She hadn't had much to do lately.
Since the war had ended, Piltover and Zaun had experienced a long-overdue period of peace.
Although tensions flared occasionally, both sides were now focused on development.
Each city-state held its strength in reserve.
Piltover wanted to preserve its current prosperity, while Zaun sought to prove it could thrive on its own, free from outside influence.
On stage, Viktor began a new round of presentations:
"The Hex Planter can grow ordinary plants in desert climates. Most importantly, it helps improve soil quality and retain water…"
He continued.
After introducing the third device, he gave Jayce a fleeting glance—one that carried both disappointment and subtle regret.
But he didn't linger on it. He moved on, presenting more of his work.
"The Hex Air Purifier, designed to absorb industrial waste and cleanse the environment…"
"The Hex Tower Crane, useful for transporting materials to high-rises…"
"The Hex Cleaning Automaton, built to assist with routine household tasks…"
One by one, compact Hextech creations were brought forward by a small mechanical assistant, placed beside Viktor as he introduced each one.
"Professor Viktor, are these only for civilian use?"
A young craftsman in goggles spoke up, eyes wide as he stared at the machine behind Viktor.
He meant no disrespect—he just had a deep fascination with battlefield machinery.
To him, creating a weapon on par with Viktor's designs would be the pinnacle of achievement.
"War machines?" Viktor echoed, with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Hextech is better suited for support on low-tier battlefields. Skye, bring out Sample No. 31."
Skye hesitated.
"But it's only completed three test cycles, and you haven't optimized it yet."
"That's fine," Viktor replied.
"It's still a prototype. Besides, someone here might have insights worth hearing."
There was a shift in Viktor's voice—half hope, half challenge.
Even after much of his body had been mechanized, he hadn't lost all emotion.
Unlike Orianna, whose transformation left her nearly devoid of feeling, Viktor's emotions had condensed into focused obsessions.
Still, a flicker of something else passed through him—chaotic but brief—quickly repressed as he addressed the students again.
"You all have some experience with invention and repair. But you need to understand the foundation of Hextech development. Science doesn't emerge from a sudden flash of inspiration—it demands countless revisions, improvements, and careful study."
The Hex glow in his eyes sharpened as he looked across the crowd.
"When you leave the Academy, I don't care what path you take—whether you become a politician or abandon science entirely. But don't forget your beginnings. Don't forget the joy of building your first Hex device."
He paused, then turned back to the student who'd asked him the question.
"Lucky, what's your dream?"
Lucky's expression tightened, but he answered without hesitation:
"To build a weapon strong enough to defeat Noxus's enemies!"
"Good," Viktor said with a nod.
"Hold on to that dream, Lucky. You'll gain the knowledge to create Hextech weapons here. When you build your first, I want to hear that same answer from you again."
"I will! I promise, Professor Viktor!"
Lucky's eyes burned with resolve. His father had died a Noxian soldier.
His stern mother, still serving as a Noxian soldier, had never spoken about it—but Lucky remembered.
They had been telling him since childhood to be useful to Noxus.
"Nice expression,"
Viktor said. Though his steel-plated face revealed nothing, there was a note of satisfaction in his tone.
"I've built plenty of Hextech weapons. Take the Hex Claw on my shoulder, for example. It was originally crafted for artisans to use in fine carving—now, it's a weapon of war."
"Today isn't the right time to showcase the larger Hex weapons... but someday, you'll hear their stories on the battlefield."
Before Viktor could finish, Jayce interrupted from the other side of the field.
"Viktor, you—"
"Address me as Professor Viktor," Viktor cut in flatly.
"Fine... Professor Viktor. Are you seriously making lethal weapons now?"
"Of course," Viktor replied coldly.
"Assistant Professor Jayce, are you still lounging in the comfort of the past? Or have you finally abandoned your identity as a Piltover idealist?"
"I..."
Jayce hesitated, his voice faltering.
But then he stiffened, reminding himself of his convictions.
"I've developed the strongest defense system Piltover has ever seen. No one will break through our walls!"
He knew what Viktor was implying.
Jayce had seen the scale of the world beyond Piltover—its raw, terrifying power.
And deep down, he couldn't deny the thought: one unexpected magical attack could bring the city to ruin.
They needed to be prepared.
But that didn't mean Piltover had to bare its fangs.
Strength through protection—that was enough for him.
Just then, Elora returned, pushing a cart forward.
"He's so cool,"
Lucky muttered, eyes wide as he stared at the cart's contents.
Resting on it was a full set of sleek, white-blue armor draped over a mannequin.
A brilliant Hex crystal was embedded in the chest, pulsing with radiant energy.
Jayce straightened proudly as his work arrived.
"Hex Armor," he announced.
"Forged from silversteel!"
"Silversteel?" Viktor raised a metallic brow.
"Its conductivity is far too weak. You'd be better off using Cloud Ink directly."
He looked at the armor critically. "Tell me honestly—did you hammer this together in a rush?"
"Uh… not exactly," Jayce admitted, a bit sheepish.
The armor was, in fact, a rushed project.
Between late nights at Mel's estate and the responsibilities piling up, he hadn't had time to refine the details.
"I thought so,"
Viktor shook his head, disappointment creeping into his voice.
"What's wrong with it?" Jayce asked, growing defensive.
"The design is sound!"
Even if he knew the armor couldn't withstand a serious blow, it was still a full-body set—boots, helm, chestplate, all connected in a seamless system energized by Hextech.
Once worn, it provided solid defense, increased mobility—light enough to sprint—and even deployed an automatic, full-body energy shield in critical moments.
For a soldier, it was more than enough.
"Jayce, don't you see? The flaw lies in the very foundation of our design philosophy," Viktor said, his voice tight with disapproval.
"I thought your time on the Council would have opened your eyes."
"I disagree," Jayce replied, his brow furrowed.
"Our failure isn't in the concept—it's in our reach. We climbed too high and never brought the tech back to the people."