"Yes, Father!"
The red glow in Pride's eyes dimmed into a calm blue, signaling that his combat instincts had subsided. He gently placed the trembling, pants-soaked Ezreal back onto the ground, then turned to face Seraphine.
"You."
Pride leaned in close, his glowing eyes locking onto Seraphine's reflection.
"There's something… different about you."
"Is that so?"
Oddly enough, Seraphine didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the towering figure in front of her. By sensing his soul, she had caught a glimpse of Pride's inner world.
"My name's Seraphine. It's nice to meet you!"
And for some reason, the girl—who had once been shy and nervous—now extended her hand toward him with surprising composure.
Pride glanced over at Duke, who simply shrugged, signaling that he could do as he pleased. Duke wasn't the controlling type—he never needed to have a grip on every detail.
To him, both Pride and Wally were his children. Seeing them forge their own paths brought him genuine joy.
After all, they were never just tools to begin with.
So if Pride was making a new friend, Duke was all for it.
As for Ezreal—well, this little rascal had probably learned a valuable lesson: don't touch what isn't yours. And hopefully, that experience would serve him well on future adventures.
"Gano?"
"I'm here, sir."
The ever-elusive butler suddenly emerged from the shadows, standing at attention before Duke with his usual calm demeanor.
"Any instructions, Mr. 09?"
"Take our young guest for a bath and get him some clean clothes. And make sure he gets a cup of hot milk—he looks like he's had quite the scare."
"Understood, sir."
"And while you're at it, prepare some sweets. Looks like Pride's made a new friend."
With a polite nod, Gano led the still-shaken Ezreal away. But Duke couldn't help but notice the boy kept glancing back over his shoulder. Clearly, he hadn't given up.
Despite the scare, Ezreal's curiosity about Pride had only grown stronger.
Chances were, he'd try to get close again—find an excuse to bond with him.
After all, who wouldn't be fascinated by a fully functional, rideable mech?
As Duke watched Pride and Seraphine begin chatting, he stayed for barely fifteen minutes before leaving them in Gano's care.
He had preparations to make—for the journey to Ixtal.
Back at the workshop, Duke stood before a table strewn with blueprints, his mind racing with thoughts of what awaited them in the jungle.
Ixtal, nestled in a lush tropical rainforest, was a land steeped in magic. Just the existence of the Ixokan was proof of its formidable arcane heritage.
Though centuries of isolation had left many Ixtali arrogant and lacking in magical ambition, their capabilities were still nothing to scoff at.
Shapeshifters lived deep within the wilds—Nidalee and her tribe prowled the jungle as apex predators.
Rengar and his kin, the feral Kiilash, also stalked these lands.
To the west lay Shurima, and to the southwest, Icathia—a land long corrupted by the Void. Unsurprisingly, Void activity had begun to seep into Ixtal's edges.
It was here that the legendary feud between Kha'Zix and Rengar had begun.
Even Rek'Sai and her Xer'Sai brood had started appearing in Ixtal's outer zones—once found only in the sands of Shurima.
Meanwhile, the stone colossi—Malphite's kind—had started to awaken and roam the land, seeking out Voidlings and destroying them wherever they tunneled.
Kha'Zix was now actively hunting powerful prey in the Ixtali jungle. Duke wondered if he might run into Rengar during his hunt.
Among the items Duke carried was one that could erase biological will—something that might come in handy.
If he encountered Kha'Zix, perhaps the conditions for birthing his second Original Sin would be met.
Kha'Zix's traits would be a perfect match for it.
But the one being Duke needed to watch out for most was Zyra—the Thorny Vengeance. To her, all intruders were fertilizer waiting to happen.
Ixtal's damp, sweltering jungle climate was another challenge. Duke needed to prepare accordingly.
"Time to devise a full suite of countermeasures: for the climate, the terrain, and the hostile flora and fauna that call this place home…"
He absentmindedly twirled his Echo of Destiny device, deep in thought. With Pride and Wally accompanying him, and the newly acquired Cicada, he was well-equipped.
With Cicada's psychic link, hypersonic flight, and precision-frequency particle beams, Duke could now retire his old gear—the ebony and ivory tools he once relied on.
Cicada made him nearly invincible against any threat Ixtal had to offer.
Still, it's always the hidden dangers that posed the greatest risk.
And in a jungle like this, survival meant outthinking the environment itself.
Five Days Later.
Exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, Duke sat in his room doing a final inventory check. Every item he needed was now neatly sorted and stored.
Wally had been outfitted with new modules tailored for jungle combat, and now rested safely in storage.
As for Pride—he'd been too busy bonding with Seraphine to stick around. Duke let him go say his goodbyes.
Jinx would meet them at the docks; arrangements had already been made.
Neeko?
She'd be staying behind. Duke didn't want to risk her running off with someone like Nidalee the moment they arrived—Neeko was far too curious and adorable for her own good.
Knock, knock…
"Come in, the door's open."
"Are you ready, Duke?"
Dakol entered the room, dressed formally. With her Camille-like hairstyle and refined posture, Duke couldn't help but shake his head. Clearly, this girl both feared Camille and aspired to be like her.
"All set."
Lighting a cigar to shake off the exhaustion from five sleepless nights, Duke reminded himself: if he was going to keep pulling stunts like this, it might be time to start developing enhancement serums—or even modify his own body.
"You look dead on your feet. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'll sleep on the ship if I have to. The trip to Serpent Delta takes two days anyway."
This time, their journey to Ixtal would be by sea. Sailing east, they'd resupply at Mudtown, then navigate the winding waterways of the Serpent Delta to reach Pah-Rossa, a jungle city in central Ixtal.
The rivers flowed eastward toward the sea, making the voyage relatively smooth.
Though they could've gone by land, the terrain was mountainous and wild—not ideal when transporting supplies and coordinating with the advance team.
That team, too, had members returning to Piltover.
"Keep a close eye on any Noxian movements. Their war masons are everywhere."
"I know. I'll be careful."
"And the investigation I asked for?"
"Our intel says Vander from the Black Lanes was abducted by the war masons. Their motives are still unclear."
"Good enough. Knowing who did it is a start."
There were bigger priorities now—like handling Ixtal first.
"I've left you a communicator. Contact me immediately if anything comes up."
Duke patted his coat pocket. A few tablet-style communicators had been distributed, and with Tahm Kench around, short-range travel was a breeze.
Why not use Tahm to travel to Ixtal?
Too much cargo. Too many people. And Duke still didn't know the exact location. Better to save Tahm for when he really needed a lift.
"Let's go. To the docks."
Dakol watched from the manor gates as Duke's carriage pulled away from Blue Hyacinth Estate. Beside her, Camille approached in her deep-gray dress.
"While Duke is away in Ixtal, you'll be in charge. Stay sharp, Dakol."
"Yes, Great-Aunt."
Half an hour later, at the docks.
The ship was already docked—a sturdy cargo vessel, far larger than the Swordfish they'd used before. Over a hundred sailors bustled about its deck.
As Duke arrived, he immediately spotted Orianna, Neeko, and Jinx waiting for him.
Jinx's presence was expected.
Orianna's was not.
Duke raised a hand in greeting. Orianna stepped forward and handed him a small, clockwork-powered compass.
"For me?"
"I was afraid you'd get lost and not find your way back."
Duke chuckled as she turned away, slightly flustered. He gently patted her head.
"I'll only be gone a month or two. I'll be back before you know it."
"Neeko wants to go too!"
"You'll stay here with Orianna. I'll bring you next time."
He ruffled her hair too, then turned back to Orianna.
"And besides—we've got our communicators, remember? We can still see each other every day."
"…Okay."
A faint hum echoed in the distance. An autonomous motorcycle roared into view, speeding straight toward the docks before transforming.
"Sorry I'm late, Father!"
"No worries. You're right on time."
Duke stored Pride into his item inventory and, seeing Orianna still looking uneasy, gave her one last affectionate pat.
"No more words. I'll be back soon."
"…Mm."
(End of chapter)
We're still in the early chapters fam! and to everyone who's joined the Patreon, thank you so much! 🙏Your support truly means the world. You're the reason this story keeps growing, chapter by chapter, world by world. I promise to give it my all! more content, more depth, more epic moments, to make sure your support is always worth it. You're part of the foundation that keeps this universe alive.
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters
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