Two days later — Mangle River Delta.
As the rivers of Ixtal flowed eastward into the sea, they carried with them vast amounts of sediment. Over years of accumulation, a delta began to form at Ixtal's eastern edge — the Mangle River Delta.
This delta sprawled across dozens of landmasses, some barely large enough for a person to stand on, while others were sizable enough to hold entire villages.
The region stood as Ixtal's threshold — a gateway that only in recent years had begun to see serious exploration.
"Man, that was the best sleep I've had in ages."
Duke stepped out from his cabin, dressed in a white lab coat. The salty sea breeze hit his face and shook off the last remnants of sleep.
Powered by a specialized hextech engine, the ship had made impressive time — just two days of sailing had brought them right to Ixtal's eastern frontier: the Mangle River Delta.
Small boats and rafts crowded the tangled waterways of the delta. Local fishermen and merchants vied for a chance to trade. Even though Duke's ship was a simple Piltover freighter, its mere presence here caused a stir — vessels from Piltover were a rare sight in these parts.
The river folk never passed up a chance to make a sale.
"Wahoo!"
Jinx came bouncing onto the deck, her braided hair swinging wildly. She joined Duke at the ship's bow, eyes wide with childlike wonder as she soaked in the unfamiliar scenery.
Born and raised in Zaun, her memories were steeped in smog, filthy canals, grimy alleys, and the ever-present threat of ambush by gangsters — or worse, plague rats lurking in the shadows.
This place was a first for her — something wondrous and new.
Duke only now realized that a crowd of locals had already gathered around the ship.
Men and women of all ages, perched on rocking skiffs, shouted up at the crew, waving freshly caught fish and handmade trinkets. The crew of sailors and surveyors leaned curiously over the railings.
Captain Ozrelon had already descended into the throng, babbling fluently in their tongue, while his first mate matched their surroundings against the ship's charts.
In the broader narrative, Piltover and Zaun had only recently begun exploring and exploiting the resources of Ixtal.
Piltover came seeking endless timber and mineral wealth. Zaun, meanwhile, had caught wind of rumored gold veins.
But within this story's timeline, Duke and his team were among the first to set foot in Ixtal on an official expedition.
"Duke, look at that fish! It has wings! That's so cool!"
Jinx was captivated by the shouting locals trying to hawk all sorts of exotic animals. Everything was new to her.
Duke slowly pulled a cigar from his coat and began trimming it with a cutter. Glancing over at what caught Jinx's eye, he quickly looked away again. That fish was a type known as a Tidescourer.
It vaguely resembled the flying fish he remembered from elsewhere, but with key differences.
These creatures patrolled the currents in wide loops, as if they were oceanic sentries — hence the name. Unfortunately, they were absolutely terrible to eat.
So bad, in fact, that even people on the brink of starvation would rather go hungry than take a bite.
Worse still, their flesh carried a mild toxin that made them unpalatable even to natural predators.
"That fish tastes awful..." Duke muttered.
As he saw Jinx barter a Tidescourer in exchange for a bronze ring, he silently took out mouthwash and diarrhea pills. She'd be needing them soon.
Clutching the still-living fish, Jinx gleefully ran into the ship's kitchen.
"Let's hope she doesn't come running out bawling in a minute."
Leaning against the ship's railing, Duke stared toward the jungle in the distance. Trees had already begun to spill beyond the jungle's edge, their branches dripping with thick vines.
One look was enough to feel the wild, merciless nature of that jungle.
Soon, Captain Ozrelon returned, this time accompanied by several native guides. Bowing respectfully, he reported to Duke:
"Sir, we've secured guides and resupplied our fresh water. Shall we rest here for a bit, or keep moving?"
Duke glanced at the eager crew, then casually tossed a pouch of Sunsea gold toward the captain.
"Let everyone take a break. The next leg will be a long, dull ride. Let your men enjoy themselves a little."
"Much obliged, sir!"
Ozrelon left grinning, gold in hand. Duke was a generous employer — understanding, generous, and mindful of his crew's needs.
Other clients wouldn't have even allowed rest, much less paid for it. They'd be cracking the whip, demanding the ship press forward.
Duke watched the sailors split into shifts, heading off to various islands in the delta for some fun, and shook his head slightly.
Ixtal was far more dangerous than anyone imagined. Forget the humid, suffocating weather — the jungle teemed with complex, deadly ecosystems. That alone could spell death for the unwary.
If you want your horse to gallop, you've got to let it eat its fill first.
Go ahead and play, laugh, and indulge — because after today, you'll never get the chance again.
The jungle doesn't take kindly to uninvited guests.
The next day.
With a blaring blast from its steam horn, the ship broke the morning's silence.
Thick fog clung low to the river's surface, weaving an unbroken sheet that made navigation almost impossible.
At the bow, Ozrelon kept a tense watch on the river ahead, terrified of running aground or hitting hidden hazards.
Seeing this, Duke pulled two industrial-grade UV lamps from his inventory. These lamps could cut through fog and light the path forward.
When the lamps fired up, intense beams of ultraviolet light sliced through the mist, boiling it into vapor and forming visible shafts of light stretching dozens of meters ahead.
Thanks to the lamps, the ship no longer needed to creep forward. They could finally make some real progress.
Duke, satisfied, returned to his cabin.
After all, in a jungle climate like this, who knew what kind of spore-borne plants might be floating through the mist?
In Jinx's cabin, Duke found her looking ghost-pale, lips nearly drained of color.
She'd spent almost all of yesterday in the bathroom after eating the Tidescourer, and was only now starting to recover.
The girl, it turned out, was likely allergic to seafood.
"Learned your lesson yet?" Duke asked from the doorway.
Jinx forced a weak smile, her eyes unfocused. "Where am I right now?"
Before Duke could answer, she mumbled to herself, "Oh right... in the middle of a catastrophe."
"If diarrhea counts as a catastrophe, you've got worse coming," Duke quipped, walking in and placing some medicine and warm drinks on the table.
"Don't cause trouble again. This place is dangerous. Stay put in the cabin. When we reach the advance camp, I'll give you a little reward."
"My pow-pow-pow gun?"
"Something even better."
He ruffled her hair, told her to rest, and left the room. In his own quarters, he donned Edith (his visor), and deployed a drone to scout their route ahead.
From here on, it was all river navigation.
Days passed as Duke traveled over calm waters, every day a view of pristine, untouched wilderness.
He and this crew were among the first Piltovans to lay eyes on this uncharted land.
There was an undeniable beauty to it: towering jungle canopies, vivid blossoms, and a sense of nature's unrelenting force.
But there were less pleasant things too.
Shadow Wolves flitted through the trees, lurking near the banks. Crimson Beakbirds gathered to drink, often bringing entire flocks. Rivercrabs, sometimes, would ram into the hull, feign death, and become a rare treat for the crew.
There were Stone Beetles that disguised themselves as rocks and could even split into copies.
Bogfrogs would ambush ships from the shoreline without warning.
Besides Baron and the Elemental Dragons, Duke had now seen nearly every jungle creature from Summoner's Rift in real life.
Then, the day before they were to reach Parosa, a terrifying roar came from the jungle — bringing everyone to the deck.
Ozrelon, holding a Vishera-brand Chem-Ethyl Rifle, stood at the bow, watching the jungle with nervous anticipation.
Duke, pushing a now-recovered Jinx back into the cabin, came to the deck wearing his Edith visor and commanded his drone to climb higher and scout.
Soon, a massive yellow-green drake came into view. It let out a thunderous roar, its scales resembling moss-covered stone.
"Whoa... a dragon!"
Duke raised an eyebrow. He was about to snap a picture when ripples of void energy shimmered through the air — something was moving within the rift.
"What the..."
Before he could investigate further, three jagged void spikes shot out, stabbing into the dragon's scales and detonating with massive force.
The void churned. The dragon screeched in agony and unleashed a stream of earthy brown breath.
Unlike an arrogant elemental dragon's blast, this breath was thick and muddy — everything it touched was instantly encased in stone.
But the void wasn't done yet.
Whoosh!
Two overlapping blades slashed through the air, ripping open the dragon's chest and belly.
Screaming in pain, the drake spun, lashing its tail wildly, but it hit nothing.
Realizing it was mortally wounded, the dragon dove into the ground and vanished like water being absorbed by soil — only a faint crust of dirt left behind.
Then, from the void, a twisted Kha'Zix emerged.
It hungrily slurped the dragon's blood, soil, and plants from the ground — devouring every trace without hesitation.
"Skreee!"
With one final hiss, it vanished back into the void.
(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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