Piltover Hospital, at the entrance.
SCREECH!!
The massive vehicle, Gluttony, came to a halt before the hospital, leaving behind two long black tire marks. Duke swung the car door shut and turned to Catherine, who had stepped out from the passenger side.
"Which ward is she in?"
"Intensive care!"
"Got it."
Following Catherine, Duke strode into the hospital. Soon, they reached the top floor—where Vi was kept in the ICU.
A transparent window was set into the wall, allowing them to see the patient inside. Vi lay motionless on the bed.
Doctors and nurses moved around her, constantly monitoring her condition.
Beneath the mask covering her face, there was no trace of Vi's usual vitality—only a hollow frailty and helplessness.
Her eye sockets were sunken, her short pink hair had lost its luster, her arms riddled with IV lines. Each breath came shallow, labored, as though every inhalation demanded everything she had left.
"It's only been five hours since she was shot," Catherine murmured, her palm pressed against the glass, her voice trembling. "But the doctors say her life is slipping away. The poison on that bolt… they've never seen anything like it. It's beyond terrifying."
That arrow had been meant for Catherine. Vi had taken the blow to shield her.
"Let me take a closer look."
Duke's left eye opened wide, its disguise fading away. A blue magic array projected from the Eye of God, allowing his vision to pierce skin, muscle, and bone—straight into the depths of Vi's body.
What he saw was ghastly. A murky green venom relentlessly corroded her from within. Wherever the blood carried it, nerves withered, muscles decayed, bones softened.
Such a toxin—Duke had never encountered anything so cruel.
It wasn't meant to kill quickly. It was designed to torment, to dissolve its victim until nothing remained but jelly.
"Do you have a way to save her?" Catherine asked, her eyes pleading.
Duke closed his left eye, fingers brushing his chin as he considered.
"With current medical methods, there's very little we can do."
Her heart sank.
"But," he continued, "not nothing. The problem is, I need Vi's consent."
"She's in a deep coma! She won't answer you…"
"Don't be so sure."
Even as he spoke, another figure arrived at the top floor—Wally, having rushed here the moment he received Duke's message.
"Father!"
"The crossbow bolt—the arrowhead wasn't lost, was it?" Duke asked Catherine.
She shook her head at once. "No. I still have it."
She pulled out an iron case and opened it. Inside lay a green-glinting arrowhead.
It was three-edged, each face carved with deep blood grooves. The strange color came from the venom that had seeped into the very metal, warping it into something sinister.
"Wally, run an analysis of the toxin."
Duke handed the box to his son, then turned to Catherine.
"As for me, I'll try speaking to Vi. Regular methods won't work. If we wait too long, she'll melt away into nothing."
He pushed open the ICU door. A doctor moved to object, but seeing Catherine, he hesitated.
The councilman's daughter was the best pass anyone could have.
At Vi's bedside, Duke studied her face, then spoke in a low, commanding voice:
"Everyone, out."
"But—"
Catherine forced a strained smile. "Please, doctor. Give us some privacy."
The staff exchanged uneasy looks, but eventually withdrew, leaving only the three of them.
"Can you wake her?" Catherine asked anxiously.
"Don't worry."
Duke placed his palm on Vi's forehead, channeling his magic. The venom within her body paused, as if frozen in place.
His eyes flickered with realization.
"...A toxin synthesized with magic. This is a first."
Increasing his output, Duke used his unique magic to replenish her vitality, suppressing the poison until it no longer spread.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, he forcibly stirred her consciousness.
Vi's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, painfully, her dull eyes opened.
"D… Duke?" she rasped, her voice hoarse. "You bastard… finally decided to show your face?"
"Save the complaints. There's something I need to ask you."
He motioned Catherine to stay calm, then continued:
"That poison has ravaged your body—your nerves burned out, muscles rotting, bones softening. Even if we clear it, you'd spend the rest of your life a cripple."
Vi blinked, faint amusement in her gaze. "But you've got a way, don't you? You always do."
"There is… but it depends on whether you're willing to try."
"What do you mean?" Catherine asked nervously, dread creeping into her heart.
"To cleanse the poison completely is simple. With healing magic—say, Janna's power—it can be removed. But repairing the damage it caused? That's another matter."
"In other words, clearing the toxin is easy. Restoring her body… is nearly impossible."
"Not entirely impossible," Duke added.
"What way?" Catherine pressed.
Duke raised a finger. "First, you could travel west to the giant peaks of Shurima. Soraka, the Star Child, lingers there. For her, mending wounds like Vi's would be effortless."
"But Piltover is far from Shurima," Catherine argued. "The journey could take weeks. By then, Vi will already be gone!"
Vi's eyes fixed on Duke. "And the second option?"
"The Augmentation Procedure," Duke said evenly. "Rebuild your body through mechanical enhancement. Replace what the poison destroyed. You'll gain strength, speed, resilience beyond any human."
"The price is simple: once it's done, you'll never again be fully human."
Vi didn't hesitate. She gave him a faint smile.
"Then the second option. I trust you."
Turning her head with effort, she glanced at Catherine. "Cupcake, don't make that face. With Duke here, I'll be back on my feet tomorrow. We've still got cases to crack together."
"Vi… I'm so sorry…" Catherine whispered, tears spilling down.
"Nothing to be sorry for," Vi replied weakly. "My little Cupcake can't be left unsupervised, can she?"
She forced a smile, and Catherine covered her mouth, shoulders trembling.
"That's enough talk," Duke said, sending Vi back into slumber with a wave of magic. As her eyes closed again, Catherine turned to him.
"This… augmentation surgery. What does it involve?"
"Her spine has already been eaten away by the venom," Duke explained. "Like a tree hollowed by termites—still standing, but one strong blow, and she'll collapse. Her muscles are wasting too. Only augmentation can save her."
"When will you operate?"
"Not yet. I'll prepare first. Janna must purge the poison entirely—my suppression isn't enough."
He pulled out the Azure Bird Amulet, closing his eyes. Within moments, the cry of a bird echoed outside.
Opening the window, Duke let the bird fly in. It circled Vi before transforming into Janna's graceful form.
"What a pitiful child," she murmured, sorrow in her eyes. She knew everyone from Zaun—and Vi, because of Duke, had been one of her most devoted believers.
"May the winds guide you, child."
Janna kissed Vi's forehead. Healing magic flowed, banishing the venom completely. Duke's Eye of God confirmed it—the poison had been cleansed, every trace gone.
She also infused Vi with a spark of life-force, though it was only temporary.
"I can do no more," Janna said softly. "If Soraka were here, perhaps… but the Star Child has not been seen in many years."
"She's been to Zaun?" Duke asked, surprised.
"Yes," Janna nodded. "Long ago, she walked the entire continent. Her legends linger everywhere."
Duke sighed. "But distant water won't quench present fire. The rest is up to me."
Janna's gaze lingered on him. "Your eye… what have you done?"
"I replaced it. It's quite useful," Duke replied bluntly.
"I can feel a vast power slumbering within it," Janna whispered, her expression complicated. This boy was no longer the same reckless child she once knew.
"Details later. I need to return to Blueflame Manor, draft her surgical plan, and gather materials."
He turned without hesitation, leaving Vi in Catherine and Janna's care. In his mind, ideas for her salvation stirred. Among the rewards he had once drawn to build Gluttony, a few might now prove invaluable.
End of chapter....
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters
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