Dealing with the Noxians' labor contribution would be a long, drawn-out process. Because no matter how much the Ionians wanted revenge, when actually faced with personally killing tens of thousands of people, their respect for life would cause them to hesitate and feel pity. The anger that had not dissipated during this process, combined with their love for their families and homeland, would be the key to Karma rebuilding Ionia's faith.
But before Ionia could gradually recover from the war and establish its new faith, Faen had other things to do.
"This is my tribe."
Leading Faen all the way to the dense jungles in the southern part of the Navori Province, walking through ancient forests that didn't even have paths, Kalan looked incredibly relaxed. Although he was massive and burly, as he moved through the dense jungle, neither bushes, vines, thickets, nor weeds posed any obstacle to him. He didn't even make a single sound; it felt as if his massive size was just an illusion.
Passing through the dense forest, the Kiilash settlement came into view.
As a large Vastayan race widely distributed across various regions of Runeterra, the vast majority of Kiilash actually looked like Rengar. On the contrary, Kalan's appearance—with twisted sharp horns and multiple thick tails—was extremely rare. Even as a Primordial species, Kalan's bloodline power was far more ancient.
Upon arriving here, Faen could feel an energy entirely separate from the Spirit of Ionia controlled by Karma and Syndra.
"This feeling... is it Primal Essence?" Faen asked.
Hearing Faen speak this name, a look of surprise appeared on Kalan's face. But recalling Faen's identity, the surprise turned into understanding. He nodded and said, "That's right, this is Primal Essence. It is also one of the only remaining areas in the Navori Province that still possesses Primal Essence."
Primal Essence, similar to the power of the Spirit of Ionia, was an energy nurtured by Ionia itself. However, compared to the Spirit of Ionia—an energy linked to all spiritual life and intimately tied to the spiritual construction of all Ionia—the purity of Primal Essence was much higher. Only those extremely sensitive to the Spirit Realm could detect it.
If for humans, this was merely a source of power, then for the Vastaya, Primal Essence was their "Spirit of Ionia."
The Vastaya used Primal Essence to connect with the Spirit Realm, allowing them to unleash wild magic that was far more powerful and versatile than ordinary magic.
This wild magic was often closely tied to nature itself. The more primitive the place, the more massive the power it could unleash.
However, as the humans of Ionia continuously cleared wastelands and their civilization expanded, this wildness was correspondingly suppressed. From what Faen knew, currently, the vast majority of Vastaya resided on the islands of eastern Ionia, led by the Oovi-Kat islands. The reason was simple: the Primal Essence there was still strong and intact, so the Vastaya naturally gathered there.
But according to the lore, following the end of the war, the people of Ionia—whose ideologies were already constantly shifting—developed different ideas. They violated the treaties between humans and Vastaya, beginning to destroy the woodlands and clear the mountains, leading to the further withering of wild magic...
In Faen's estimation, if even the Oovi-Kat islands in eastern Ionia were already in that state, what about the Navori Province—the largest province in terms of population and landmass?
Thinking this, Faen nodded. Right at that moment, the people in the Kiilash settlement noticed Kalan's arrival. Because his appearance was truly too outstanding, people recognized him the moment they saw him.
"Haha! Our great hero Kalan has returned!"
A powerfully built Kiilash wearing a hunting necklace bared his sharp, pressure-relieving teeth and laughed loudly. "I originally thought you had mutinied and betrayed Ionia's wild nature. I didn't expect you were actually infiltrating the Noxians to deal them a fatal blow! Not bad, Kalan! Since when did you become so scheming? Keeping such a huge plan a secret even from your brothers!"
Hearing the Kiilash's words, Kalan, who usually showed a cold face to the world, wore a look of helplessness, with a subtle awkwardness hidden deep in his eyes.
Only Kalan knew the prophecy Soraka had left for him. Under those circumstances, Kalan had truly decided to join Noxus, become a traitor to Ionia, and walk the path of darkness to the bitter end to leave his children a hope for survival.
But who would have thought that Faen would suddenly appear halfway and change everything? As a result, in the eyes of the Kiilash, Kalan the Traitor had become Kalan the Hero, who endured humiliation and carried a heavy burden for the sake of all Ionia.
Just as Kalan was wondering how to explain it— "Kalan!" Hearing the familiar voice, Kalan froze in place, then looked toward the direction of the sound. Entering his sight was a female Kiilash, accompanied by two young children. Looking at their travel-worn appearance, they must have just arrived here as well.
Seeing his Linxi, a look of nervousness and unease appeared in Kalan's eyes. Other Kiilash might not understand, but Kalan knew very well that his Linxi would absolutely not believe he was just "enduring hardship while infiltrating the enemy" like the others did.
Sensing the unease in Kalan's eyes, a flash of realization crossed the female Kiilash's eyes, clearly confirming her suspicions—that Kalan truly did intend to join Noxus back then. Although she didn't know why things had turned out this way now, Kalan's Linxi clearly didn't overthink it. She simply gritted her teeth and said:
"You damn bastard! Leaving without a word, leaving just me and the two kids behind! No matter what, you are going to explain everything to me clearly tonight!"
Hearing this and looking at the two children, whom he had prepared himself to never see again, seeing them once more filled Kalan's heart with endless emotion and complexity.
It was also at this moment that Kalan suddenly remembered he still had official business to attend to. However, when Kalan turned around, he found that Faen was already gone from his side.
Meanwhile, entering a cave surrounded by flowers and greenery, Faen met the benevolent figure with a single horn growing from her forehead.