On Bilgewater.
"I can feel his madness. It's almost upon us."
Gwen exhaled slowly, sensing Viego's growing restlessness.
"Then it's time for us to leave."
Luke looked at everyone gathered before him. "Whether we succeed or fail is up to us now."
Everyone nodded with solemn, determined expressions before boarding a massive warship.
With a deep mechanical hum, the enormous vessel resolutely set sail toward the surging Black Mist.
Across the endless sea, wisps of black threads floated above the water like mist, slowly converging toward the overwhelming darkness rolling in from the distance.
Compared to several days ago, Luke could clearly sense that the Black Mist had grown far more violent. It filled the entire horizon and covered the sea, wantonly devouring everything in its path.
As though sensing the approaching ship, the Black Mist opened a passage on its own and welcomed the vessel inside.
Reinforced by magic, the warship remained protected from the Black Mist. Guided by Gwen, it sailed toward the Shadow Isles.
"Rumble!"
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
Deep within the Black Mist came a sound like rolling thunder. Eerie green flashes flickered across the sky, and the churning darkness suddenly became far more violent.
At that moment, it seemed as though everything around them had come alive.
Countless miserable, shrill, ear-piercing screams echoed through the darkness.
Within the raging mist, innumerable pairs of eyes fixed themselves upon the warship, which looked impossibly small amid the vast darkness. To them, it seemed like a lamb voluntarily walking toward the slaughter.
"Boom!"
Another tremendous crash rang out.
Huge waves rose across the sea as the weather suddenly became violently unstable. The ship pitched and trembled, looking as though it might be swallowed at any moment.
"What a disgusting presence."
Lux frowned slightly as she looked around.
She wore a striking white mage's robe, her entire body radiating a sacred presence, while her eyes showed nothing but disgust toward the surrounding Black Mist.
Gwen nodded in agreement beside her. It was difficult to imagine anyone actually liking this place.
"The change is remarkable."
Ryze observed their surroundings and couldn't help commenting as well.
When he had investigated the Black Mist many years ago, it had looked nothing like this.
Everything had changed beyond recognition.
Ryze felt that if they failed to stop the Black Mist this time, they might never get another chance.
"We're almost there."
Gwen suddenly spoke after sensing something.
The moment her words fell, the warship seemed to collide with an invisible barrier. It shook violently before gradually coming to a halt.
The Black Mist ahead of them parted.
A massive island of the Shadow Isles appeared before everyone.
At a glance, the entire island was filled with signs of ruin. Bones lay scattered carelessly along the roads, while the buildings had long since decayed, leaving the entire landscape steeped in lifeless silence.
Wraiths drifted aimlessly across the island, permanently imprisoned within this cursed land.
"We're splitting into three teams. We'll search separately for Viego, the Waters of Life, and any other useful information."
Luke spoke as he became the first to step onto the island.
Everyone followed behind him, nodding slowly as they listened.
The teams had already been decided before they departed.
There would be three groups in total.
The first consisted of Luke, Gwen, Lux, Lucian, Senna, and two other Sentinels of Light.
The second consisted of Ryze, Poppy, Vi, Zed, and three Sentinels of Light.
The third consisted of Morgana, Illaoi, Ahri, Sarah, Sona, Wukong, and one Sentinel of Light.
Twenty-one people divided perfectly into three teams, each assigned a different mission.
Whether it was Viego, the Waters of Life, or a method of breaking the curse, all of them were extremely important. They had to investigate the island carefully and could not afford a single mistake.
More importantly, they did not have much time.
Viego would undoubtedly send the Black Mist to attack the defensive lines protecting Isolde's soul fragments across the world. The longer they remained on the island, the greater the chance that one of those defensive lines would collapse.
They were racing against time.
Gwen could sense Viego's presence, so she would lead Luke and the others in searching for him.
Ryze knew where the Waters of Life were located, so he would lead his team there.
Morgana, Illaoi, and the others would search the island for anything capable of breaking the curse or weakening Viego's power. At the same time, they could help Ahri uncover information about her origins.
Her ancestors had once been powerful mages on the Blessed Isles. Perhaps discovering more about her ancestry would also reveal a way to deal with Viego.
"Keep your Secret Keys connected at all times so we can contact each other immediately."
Luke looked at everyone and gave no further instructions.
They had already made more than enough preparations over the past several days.
Soon, the three teams departed in separate directions.
The atmosphere of the Shadow Isles was unbelievably oppressive, perhaps even more so than the Void.
The Void, after all, was not truly a place devoid of life.
The Shadow Isles, however, could genuinely be described as an island of ghosts.
Dead silence, desolation, ruin, combined with the Black Mist lingering everywhere, created an atmosphere so oppressive that it almost became difficult to breathe.
The group continued forward.
They could feel the surrounding Black Mist becoming increasingly restless. It spiraled wildly above and around them, but the protective fields generated by their light talismans prevented it from approaching, leaving the mist visibly agitated.
Within this place, everyone seemed to lose all sense of time.
They had no idea how long they had been walking when Gwen suddenly felt a tremor deep within her.
Then time itself seemed to stop.
It truly seemed frozen.
The world became completely silent.
The Black Mist hung motionless in the air as though time had been suspended, and the countless screams of the wraiths within it vanished without a trace.
Everything seemed frozen in that single instant.
Then the Black Mist moved.
It parted neatly to either side.
It was as though countless beasts had lowered themselves to the ground, respectfully welcoming their supreme king.
From the road formed by the retreating mist came a figure holding a spectral green blade.
A crown rested upon his head as he slowly walked across the Black Mist, his expression cold and his eyes looking down upon everything around him with utter indifference.
He was tall and slender, with handsome features and white hair. Yet his skin was paler than snow, completely devoid of any trace of life.
His presence was overwhelmingly oppressive.
Countless wraiths surged behind him, instinctively forming a path beneath his feet.
All around him, the Black Mist trembled in excitement at the man's arrival.
Viego, the Ruined King!
"I admire your courage, coming here to seek me out yourselves. But everything you have done is meaningless. Before me, every preparation you have made will amount to nothing."
Viego spoke calmly.
He knew these people had come prepared, and he knew perfectly well that he was their target.
It did not matter.
He would reduce every one of their preparations to nothing and make them experience true despair.
"Viego, prepare to die!"
Gwen stepped forward aggressively, glaring at the man who had caused her maker so much suffering.
Viego looked toward her, yet his gaze seemed to pass beyond Gwen herself. A faint ripple finally appeared in his eyes.
"Isolde. I know you are there. Why will you not come to me?"
His words received no response, neither from Senna nor from Gwen.
He could clearly sense that Isolde was there.
Yet she remained completely silent.
In an instant, Viego's presence became furious and violent.
The surrounding Black Mist erupted along with his rage, filling the area with the sound of countless wailing spirits.
"These wretches have imprisoned your soul. I will tear you from their grasp with my own hands!"
He raised the Blade of the Ruined King. The calmness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by murderous fury as he glared at Luke and the others.
"Kill them!"
Countless wraiths instantly surged toward the group in a frenzy.
The battle erupted at once.
"Viego, it's time for all of this to end."
Luke stared directly at him.
Ever since arriving in Runeterra, Luke had always known this day would eventually come.
And today, he finally stood face-to-face with Viego.
Everything would end here.
The Black Mist itself would finally be scattered beneath his sword!
Luke focused his breathing and slashed forward.
A raging gale roared across the battlefield, destroying countless wraiths beneath his blade.
The next instant, his figure vanished.
He appeared directly in front of Viego.
Luke brought his sword down, but Viego blocked the strike.
"Those who live either struggle desperately to survive or willingly embrace death. In the end, it is all meaningless. I will be with her again, and none of you can stop me."
As Viego spoke, he swung the Blade of the Ruined King.
His speed was astonishing, and his strength seemed limitless.
Even after Luke drew both swords, he could only fight Viego evenly.
Sharp arcs of sword energy continuously flashed through the Black Mist as the two rapidly moving figures clashed again and again.
The surrounding Black Mist was Viego's source of power.
As long as the Black Mist endured, his strength would remain inexhaustible, constantly replenishing and growing stronger.
This was the Ruined King.
The Black Mist surged between the combatants, dividing the battlefield and creating an isolated arena where Viego and Luke could fight without interference.
At the same time, increasingly powerful wraiths emerged from the darkness and charged toward Lux and the others.
None of them were weak, forcing everyone to fight seriously.
Lux swung her staff.
Even surrounded by the Black Mist, her radiance continued to shine brilliantly. Against the wraiths, her light was a deadly weapon.
Gwen, Lucian, and Senna also unleashed their full strength, battling fiercely against the undead surrounding them.