Strictly speaking, what Durin had seen was a Darkin weapon, but considering that a living Darkin was indeed sealed within it, it could barely count as having met one.
Durin's heart suddenly sank, feeling as if he had nowhere to hide, but he still forced himself to stay calm and said, "No, I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Hahaha, your lips are quite sealed. But as I said, I have no ill intentions toward you. I just want to meet your master."
Singed took a breath and looked up. It was clearly just a ceiling, but his gaze was as if he were staring at the sky, his eyes filled with a deep exploration of knowledge. He said to himself, "In this world, there are only two outcomes when a mortal touches a Darkin. One is to have their body directly reshaped by the Darkin's power, completing the Darkin's rebirth of flesh; the other is to submit to the Darkin, controlled and coerced by magic, becoming a Darkin's Thrall."
"From your current state, you are not a Darkin who has successfully taken over a body, so you can only be the latter—a Thrall. What you saw in Zaun was a mature Darkin who has successfully possessed someone!"
"Ah... this is simply exciting news. A powerful and mysterious Darkin is actually in Zaun!"
"Haha! Zaun needs the Darkin! It needs this new power to fight against Piltover!"
"I've looked through the records. The Darkin were once the Ascended of Shurima, and the power of the Ascended originates from the gods!"
"So my Glimmer Potion needs a powerful Darkin to help me take it to the next level, so that immortality is no longer a pipe dream! I want to combine the power of the gods with technology. I'm certain it will give birth to a brand new Glimmer Potion!"
By the end, Singed was in a state of excitement, as if he could see the brand new Glimmer Potion opening a new era.
But Durin still didn't speak. Instead, he glanced at the closed door nearby, silently calculating the best escape route if a fight broke out later.
"Oh? Why aren't you saying anything? It seems you still don't quite trust me." Singed's emotions gradually stabilized, and a smile he considered kind appeared on his wrinkled face. "How about this? This little thing will be my first meeting gift to you."
As he spoke, he pulled a somewhat bulging small cloth bag tied with a string from the pocket of his white coat and placed it on the table. It made a crisp metallic clinking sound, sounding like quite a lot.
Durin was puzzled.
Singed smiled and untied the string of the small cloth bag, and a small glint of golden light immediately reflected from the opening.
Durin only took one look and was immediately shocked by the scene before him.
The bag was filled with coins cast from pure gold. They were round, about the size of a thumb, with a gear shape engraved on one side and a pattern of a sluice dam on the other.
"These are... gold cogwheels?!"
"And it looks like there are quite a few!"
"There are ten gold cogwheels here in total. It's not a large amount, but it serves as an expression of my sincerity and goodwill regarding our future cooperation." Singed was quite satisfied with Durin's astonishment and spoke slowly, "This money might not be an issue for the master behind you at all. But I believe it can be of some help to you. For instance, the place you are currently living in is no longer suitable for you. As a follower of a Darkin, you should go to the upper levels of Zaun—the Promenade Level—and find a house with a better environment to live in."
"..."
Durin withdrew his gaze from the bag of gold cogwheels, realizing that if he didn't say something today, there was no way he could get this madman, Singed, to leave.
So, after some thought, he decided to play along and said: "I will tell my master about today's events, but I cannot guarantee whether my master will be willing to meet with you."
"Heh heh, as long as you tell your master that I will provide everything It needs, including a large amount of flesh and blood, I believe your master will be willing to meet with me. After all, in Zaun, the thing we are least short of... is people." A confident smile hung on Singed's lips, completely unaware that the so-called master of Durin he was talking about was actually inside the harp on Durin's back.
"Alright, I will tell my master. It's just that..." Durin put on a thoughtful expression and replied tactfully, "I still need some time, after all, my master does not wish for me to disturb It too frequently."
Singed nodded and said: "That is fine. But you need to give me a specific date for our appointment."
"Let's make it two days from now!" Durin thought for a moment and gave his reply.
Two days later would be the day he received his pass and left Zaun for Piltover. As long as he qualified as a Mage Apprentice by then, he would have plenty of ways to stay in Piltover. Even if he had to return to Zaun, finding a Chem-Baron to rely on would serve as a backer.
"That works. Just let the leader of the Tiger Claw Gang know when the time comes, and he will inform me." Singed readily agreed.
Two days was nothing for someone like him who conducted scientific research; it would pass in the blink of an eye. He didn't even know how much time, how many years, he had spent on the research and development of the Glimmer Potion.
Regardless, as long as the goal was achieved, it was fine!
As he was about to leave, Singed seemed to think of something and suddenly smiled, "Oh, by the way, I have a small favor I need you to do—could you let me draw another tube of fresh blood from you?"
Although he used an interrogative sentence, his tone was declarative. Durin could only smile, keeping his annoyance to himself, and nodded, "No problem."
After receiving permission, Singed took out a syringe from the backpack he carried, tied a tourniquet on Durin's right arm, and applied povidone-iodine to disinfect the vein in the crook of his arm. Then, with lightning speed, he inserted the needle, drew blood, removed the needle, and pressed a cotton swab against the site.
The movements were fluid and seamless; one look and it was clear he was a professional. Durin didn't feel any pain at all before it was over.
"Then I look forward to meeting the master behind you." Singed carefully injected the fresh blood from the syringe into a glass tube, sealed it, left this remark behind, and floated away.
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