(zero)

"Guderian, you've lost." The big man with the cigar in his mouth smiled and spread out the cards: "Four aces!" ”

“…… Hehe, I really didn't expect it, but friend, you're happy too soon. The man known as 'Guderian' flashed with astonishment on his face, and then a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and at the same time he showed his hole cards.

Black and red flower pieces, four suits of the pattern occupy the center of the card alone.

That man actually had four aces in his hand!

(a)

There will always be a few people in the world who are willing to laugh with you, grieve with you, and encourage you when you give up on yourself. Although you will always expose each other's shortcomings when you meet, or open your mouth to 'second goods' and close your mouth to 'stupid ×', or even fight over some trivial things, and then cold war for several days...... But you know, they will give you unconditionally when you need it, and they are the people you can trust the most.

They have the same name and are called brothers.

(b)

My name is Trist. Fett, born into a poor gypsy family...... I hated my origin, because this people were destined to live in a fixed place and wander all their lives. (Valoran is also racist, typified by yodelers.) ）

But fortunately, I had a good mother, who was not only shrewd and capable, but also attentive and gentle, so even when I was displaced, my childhood was full of color.

Until the day I realized I didn't have a father.

(c)

My name is Malcolm. Graves, an orphan.

From the day I realized it, I was told of my origins by the old pirate who had adopted me—that all my so-called biological parents had left me was a glass of milk mixed with spirits and this rough name.

"Don't be sad, little one." The old man who had led me to survive in the slums stroked my head with his big rough hands: "It's not uncommon for you to be in this situation, and it is not uncommon for pirates who have no intention of raising offspring to encounter warblers who cannot bear to beat their babies...... What you have to think about is how to survive in this cruel world and live better......"

"Because...... I don't have much to live. ”

(iv)

"Mom, where's my dad?" Laughed at by the children as a wild seed, I cried and came to my mother.

A smile froze on my mother's face, and she was silent for a moment, then embraced me and whispered to me:

"Your father went far, far away......"

"Is he dead or ......" Although I am young, I will not be deceived by such coaxing words.

“…… yes, he died when you were a year old. ”

Looking at my mother's red eyes, I vaguely felt that I had done something wrong, but I still couldn't help the doubts in my heart.

"Father, he...... How did he die? I unconsciously clenched my fists.

"You're thinking too much...... Your father walked away with a smile. As if remembering something, my mother's tearful face showed a hint of a smile, and then she pinched my cheek. Little Fett, you must be as good as your father. ”

"Your father, what ......"

After that, my mother told me many interesting stories about my father's life, but she was always secretive about the cause of my father's death.

I couldn't help it, so I couldn't get an answer from my mother, so I had to ask another person, Uncle Guderian, my father's friend before his death, who had always taken care of our mother and son.

According to his mother, Uncle Guderian was an explorer when he was younger, but he stopped taking risks when he broke his leg to save his father when he was on an adventure. Later, my father married my mother under the introduction of my uncle, and the two sold the spoils of their adventures and became merchants together.

He must have known something.

Just after I knocked on my uncle's house and asked this question, the uncle, who had always been talkative, was rarely silent, then smiled and touched my head, and said to me that you are still young, and when I grow up, tell me the answer.

Gradually, I put my father's affairs behind me, after all, he is gone, but life goes on.

And I know that my mother and uncle can't hide it from me for the rest of my life, and I will eventually get this answer.

It's just that I didn't expect this answer to come so suddenly.

(5)

Gypsies call the world home, but they are not random wanderers without purpose, let alone us who are small businesses.

Trade salt, spices and other necessities with the barbarians living in the ice fields of Vrzored, and then purchase animal skins, bones and other specialties to sell in the various city-states of Noxus...... My mother has been walking thousands of kilometers of trade routes back and forth for five years.

But this time, we met the big . Troublesome.

In the hilly area southeast of Vrzored, the late spring, which was supposed to be the end of spring, was the time when everything was recovering, but there was a huge snowstorm that was extremely rare in the harsh winter, and the physical strength required to travel in this environment would be dozens of times that of usual, and the speed would be amazingly slow.

We're trapped.

The thin tent could not support the thickening layer of snow, and it was quickly crushed. Fortunately, Uncle Guderian used the snow and the tent brackets and tarpaulins to build a spacious igloo on the side of a small hill - otherwise we would have froze to death on this ice field without even being able to light a bonfire.

At first, we were optimistic, as such blizzards usually don't last, and we had enough food to feed us at least for a week, and our mother had bought a high-grade fuel from Noxus called Silver Carbon, which was very popular with the barbarian leaders.

All we need to do is clear the snow at the entrance of the igloo in time to avoid being completely buried, and then wait for the end of the snowstorm with peace of mind.

But what we didn't expect was that this snowstorm would be ten days.

In fact, on the third day, Mother and Uncle Guderian realized the seriousness of the situation and began to deliberately reduce their activities and reduce their food consumption. Food was limited, though, and on the sixteenth day we were trapped by the blizzard, we finally ran out of ammunition.

In fact, that very morning, Uncle Guderian disappeared along with the little food that remained.

Compared to me, who was full of anger and despair, my mother's reaction was strange. She just sighed and hugged me tightly in her arms.

Tears wet my shoulders.

(f)

In the end, my father did not live to his sixtieth birthday, and the countless dark wounds caused by the early years of fighting on his body occurred at this time, even if I worked hard, the money I earned could not save his life that was about to be extinguished.

In fact, Daddy is still saved.

The slums are full of fish, and the neighbor's grandmother, Grandma Tkaya, knows how to do it - she used to be a nurse and has seen many cherished medicines, including the special medicine for the case of the authoritarian father. It's a pity that the price of that medicine is astronomical for me...... I used to cry and beg in front of those big pharmacies, but I was beaten up by the wolf-like security guards.

When I was nine years old, the man with whom I had no blood but who was the best in the world left with a smile on his broken bed in the slums...... The money I made with the next three indiscriminate means can only make him suffer a little less before leaving.

Money, power!

Witnessing the death of my loved ones, I swear that I will hold these two things in my hands, even if I do whatever it takes!

Because only in this way can you protect your own happiness.

(g)

In the early morning of the seventeenth day of the blizzard, I was already dizzy from hunger and was awakened by the faint sound of sobbing.

Mother is crying!

Realizing this fact, I immediately came to my senses, only to find that there was nothing in the igloo but the quietly burning charcoal fire.

What does the mother do outside the house?

Vaguely guessing something in my heart, I ignored my weak limbs and rushed out.

By this time, the wind and snow had already subsided, and I quickly determined my mother's location.

In the eyes, it is a dark red.

(viii)

The way to gain power was controlled by the wealthy family, and it was almost impossible for me to get it from a poor background...... The greatest hope is to join the army to accumulate meritorious deeds, and then get rewards.

I don't want to die for those fat moths.

So accumulating money and buying cultivation methods from the black market was the only way out for me.

As for how to accumulate money? In my ability, I can only rely on those petty thefts.

But this method of 'making money' is too slow, not only the income is very unstable, but also easy to be discovered, a careless is a beating, or even death.

Once in a while, I was exposed to gambling, and there were thousands.

Who else makes more money than those red-eyed gamblers?

I seem to have found the best way to accumulate money.

(ix)

Emerging from the igloo, I was shocked by the creatures in front of me.

It was an adult snow bear, a ferocious beast that was three meters long, weighed nearly a ton, and had mastered simple ice and snow spells, and was the natural enemy of small merchants like us; Every year, there are a few unlucky ghosts who die in the bear's mouth, and we have been attacked by snow bears - and that thrilling chase has become a nightmare for me.

But the Overlord of the Snowy Land is now lying quietly in front of our igloo, without a trace of breath.

And the mother was crying in a low voice in front of the bear corpse.

What's going on?

Doubting in my heart, I endured the feeling of emptiness in my stomach and ran in front of my mother in three steps and two steps.

I finally knew why my mother was crying.

Just in front of the bear's corpse was a figure I knew all the more, Uncle Guderian whom I hated a moment ago.

But at this moment, he was lying stiff in the snow.

Lost temperature forever.

(x)

My mother and I didn't have to worry about starvation, the snow bear had enough meat to feed the two of us for at least a month. And in this environment, there is no need to worry about the spoilage of this beast meat.

In fact, if I had calmed down enough, I would have found out that when my uncle left, he had not actually abandoned our mother and son—he had only taken a little bit of the silver silk carbon used to make a fire for warmth, but had taken with him things like traps and ropes that were noticeably slowing down his movement.

At that time, I was carried away by the fear and anger of death, and in my heart I wronged my uncle who had always treated me like a parent, and I never had the opportunity to apologize to him in person in my life......

With red eyes, the mother cut off two pieces of bear meat and stewed a pot of soup.

After eating the food and barely gaining some strength, my mother and I had to dig up the body of my uncle whose entire body had been buried in the snow.

And looking at the departed Uncle Guderian, my tears fell again.

It's hard for me to imagine what kind of obsession and will it would take for him to drag this broken body to carry this snow bear to our igloo.

Because judging from the few wounds on the uncle's body, which could faintly see the broken internal organs, he should have been a dead man when he was injured.

After feeling sad, my mother beckoned me to prepare for my uncle's burial, but while I was sorting out my uncle's body, I suddenly noticed that the posture of my uncle's left hand seemed to be about to take something out of his arms.

I found a letter.

(xi)

To my favorite Little Fetter:

If you can read this letter, then it means that I still dare not face you in the end...... No way, your Uncle Guderian has always been a coward, and although he has the dream of becoming an adventurer, he has not had the courage to do so. If I hadn't met your father back then, maybe I would have returned to my hometown at this time, inherited the family business and continued to work as a carpenter for the rest of my life.

I'm so glad I met Vincent.

Your father was an incomparably good man, honest, quick-witted, brave, and I learned a lot from him, how to discipline myself, how to communicate with people...... I have a lot of respect for him.

Although that bastard still owes me thirty gold dollars.

But I ...... Owe him his life.

The expedition was in the ruins of an ancient underground city in the Nurima Desert, and after experiencing the sand scorpion stingers, the rat chase, and the endless array of treacherous traps, we finally found something worthwhile.

Along with the same sinister trap, I was locked in a magic circle with your father.

Then your father opened the magic circle in a way I don't know, but soon after we returned home, he died without a problem...... At that time, I frantically investigated the cause of Vincent's death, and then I learned that unlocking this magic circle would actually be cursed, and the price would be that person's life!

Breaking the trap and deciphering ancient books are all things your father is doing, and there's no reason why he shouldn't know.

I...... I really don't know how to face you, and your mother.

Cowardly, I dare not confess the truth to your mother and you, so I can only repay this kindness in my own way......

You cowardly Uncle Guderian.

Finally, if you can see this letter, then it means that I am dead...... And, you and your mother should be able to survive this damn blizzard.

Otherwise, even if I die, I won't have the face to see Vincent.

Little Fett, don't be a guy like Vincent, it's a great irresponsibility to care about people...... Although I am not qualified to say this, a man has to be willful once or twice in his life, right?

Also, Vincent always wanted to be a great magician, but unfortunately his talent was miserable; So he pinned all his hopes and dreams on you - and soon after you were born, we paid a lot of money to test you for talent: I remember the guy being silly for almost a month after getting the results.

I was going to tell you about this yourself when you were twelve, but it seems like I don't have a chance.

Also, take care of your mother, you're already a little man, right?

Finally, I wish you happiness.

The handwriting after that was rather sloppy, presumably written by Uncle Guderian last night.

After reading the entire letter silently, I finally understood why Uncle Guderian was willing to take care of our mother and son for all these years, why he did not abandon us in a desperate situation, and even fought to the death against the overlord of this snowy region so that we could survive......

…… I'm going to be a great magician!

I swear!

(xii)

Gambling is fast, but it's more dangerous.

After all, casinos are also about making money, so how can a guy like me be allowed to mess around?

Just after I won a few hundred gold dollars, I fled the small coastal town where I grew up with a wound in the casino thugs, and I probably won't be able to go back in a short time.

Thankfully, the casino industry exists in almost every gray area of the city.

And just like that, I began to wander around the continent.

(xiii)

Because of Uncle Guderian's sacrifice, we survived that catastrophic blizzard.

But my mother fell ill because of this, but she kept it a secret from me until two years later, when I found out that she had asthma.

She was terminally ill at that time.

Even if I sold all my belongings, the money I raised would not be enough to heal my mother completely......

In this way, at the age of twelve, I became an orphan.

I didn't know how to make a living, and I tried many things - coolies, stealing, begging...... Until one day, I was standing in front of the table.

(xiv)

"It's been five years......"

Looking at the golden and splendid buildings in the film, I was full of emotion from the bottom of my heart.

Not only did I accumulate a fortune during my five years of gambling, but the name of 'Gambler' Graves also made a name for itself in Valoran's underground society.

Now, at the age of 20, I'm finally in the mecca of all gamblers, the largest underground casino in Noxus - or the well-known 'underground' casino.

[There is only one chance, it depends on how much I can earn this time......] After some disguise, I pressed the brim of my hat and slowly walked into the door.

(xv)

The 'Bloodstained Gold Coins' is the largest gold cave in Valoran. In just half an hour, my fortune in four years has tripled.

[It's still easy to earn money from these noble lords...... This group of idiots who don't know how to gamble. Looking at the table full of golden chips, my heart was extremely calm.

[If it goes on like this, in less than half an hour, there should be a master of the casino to come out of the town...... Okay, let me 'Thousand Kings' Trist take a look at your skills! 】

……

"Someone is smashing the field again?" In the delicate little room, a middle-aged man in rich clothes frowned.

"Yes, there are two gamblers whose winning rates are obviously abnormal, and after magic testing, both of them are gambling with our 'bloodstained gold coins' for the first time." The man with his head bowed replied angrily: "Master, do you want to send a master to intercept them now and see their condition?" ”

“…… Interesting. The man thought for a moment, and then smiled slightly: "Then arrange the two of them in a card game first, and then divide the winners and losers, and we will send one more person to save us." ”

"Understood!"

(xvi)

After nearly five years of crisscrossing the casino, I finally met a fierce rival at the table!

[In the end, it is a big casino, it is really unusual, not only is there a lot of money, but the people inside are also extraordinary. When I lost the chips I had just won again, I silently warned myself from the bottom of my heart. [Graves, there are countless strange people in Valoran, you can't underestimate the enemy. 】

"How? Sir, are you going to continue? The bearded gambler on the opposite side shuffled his cards in a dashing manner, and the pokers were flipped in his hands, making a loud noise.

It's like magic.

"Of course!"

[Eyesight and calculation are comparable, it seems that it is impossible to beat him in terms of gambling skills...... But gambling isn't just about skill and luck. I took a deep breath.

[It's time to go out of the thousand.] 】

(xvi)

What is gambling?

Some people let it as a means of seeking wealth, wanting to get rich overnight; Some people regard it as a flood beast and avoid it.

And I, just as a kind of entertainment.

Yes, for fun, I had already saved up a lot of money, but I didn't have the means to learn magic, and I didn't have to mess around in casinos at that time. But I found that I had fallen in love with gambling – not because of the wealth it brought me, but because of the thrilling feeling of standing at the table: the battle of skill and fortune, the battle of courage and spirit...... A qualified gambler must not only have extraordinary courage, but also have sharp thinking and sharp vision.

Many gamblers I've seen just use gambling as a means to get a lot of money for nothing, a shortcut to the sky.

So they lost, and they lost everything.

You know, even I paid a lot of 'tuition' when I first started gambling.

[What a brilliant gambler...... It's been a long time since I've gambled so heartily. Looking at the bearded man, I couldn't help but exhale deeply.

"Lord Lester, it's been five hours, and I think this gamble should be over." I smiled slightly: "There has been no winner or loser before...... So how about the last game, a game to win or lose? ”

"Whatever you want! How to bet? ”

"Refreshing! Let's bet on the size...... The limit is four! "[This trip is really worth it...... I didn't expect there to be such a guy in the casino! Looking at the table of golden chips, I took a breath and pushed them all into the center of the table.

[However, whether the game is fair or not is always based on strength, let me see your strength! ] 】

"Bet!"

(xvii)

"Hahahaha...... I didn't expect you to be out of a thousand, and you hid it from my eyes. ”

Looking at the four aces in the hand of the guy opposite, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"...... each other," the skinny guy lifted the brim of his hat, revealing a blurred face, and then held out his hand to me, "It's been a long time since I've had such a happy bet...... Nice to meet you, my real name is Trist. Fett. ”

"A thousand kings? Wait a minute...... You're not from this casino? "I suddenly remembered something.

"Of course not...... Neither are you? The guy on the other side was also surprised.

"How could I, Graves, work for these guys!"

"That's right...... Today's game table is not scored, do you dare to fight me again at the wine table? ”

"I'm going to get you down!"

(xviii)

Friendship is actually very simple, as long as you trust each other, it is enough.

In fact, I was also surprised why I would trust this new man so easily...... Maybe it's because of the empathy of fellow gamblers?

Maybe this is the so-called fate.

After a dozen rounds of fighting at the table, I formed an alliance with Graves, and agreed to make money on the table for those who didn't know how to gamble - especially the pot-bellied nobles, who neither of us had a good sense of these wastes who ate and drank for nothing because of the shadow of our ancestors.

In the years that followed, we wandered the continent together: slaughtering at the table, getting drunk in nightclubs, fighting in the streets with the thugs who had lost money, and jumping with the lackeys of the aristocracy.

Naturally, I became inseparable friends with the strong man in front of me.

(xix)

"That junk is a gambler himself, why should he look down on gamblers?" Looking at Trist's lost expression, I couldn't help but feel angry in my heart.

"It's not a big deal...... Let's go to the War College for our next stop. Tristro pulled himself together and told a lie he didn't believe: "It's a gathering place for summoners, so I guess I can get magical powers...... After all, I still have a lot of money here. ”

[Will those selfish creatures easily pass on magic to others?] Looking at my friend's thin face, I made a secret decision in my heart.

(20)

"Graves, what the hell do you want to do?!"

dragged my best friend back to the secret base, I couldn't hold back the doubts in my heart anymore, and yelled at him: "Do you need to win that fat pig with a thousand?" He can't find the north if he can fight with his eyes closed! And with such clumsy means...... You're doing it on purpose! What the hell do you want to do?! ”

“…… I can't hide it from you. ”

“…… Pack your things and go! Looking at that guy's calm expression, I really didn't know how to scold him, and finally I had to sigh: "Offended that stupid pig with careful eyes, we won't be able to come back to this Zuan for a short time......"

"What to go? Don't you want to learn magic anymore? ”

"I don't want you to put your life in it!" I can already guess a little bit of that guy's plan - nothing more than to provoke that Arego and tell me to go to the snitch to get a chance at magic experiments.

"You know, this is pretty much our only chance." Graves's rugged face showed a look that was different from the past, almost making me think I was dazzled: "In the past two years, we have traveled almost all over Valoran, and all the nobles and capable people have cherished the way to gain power, don't you understand after two years of encountering the wall?" In the law-abiding place of the War College, it is even less likely that the method of gaining power can be easily handed over to others. ”

"I now understand that for the strong, money is just a number...... Yes, as long as you have the power, it's not trivial to have a gold yuan or something? What fools we were when we wanted to use money to buy a way to become stronger! ”

"So Trist, don't let my sacrifice go to waste...... Don't show that expression, that bastard won't kill me, at most I will suffer a little, I can definitely bear it with such rough skin and thick meat! It's not like I haven't been in a cell, so just remember to fish me out when the time comes. ”

Looking at the big man in front of me who was gently patting his chest and smiling, I only felt that the corners of my eyes were a little moist.

Father, Uncle Guderian...... I can finally understand how you were feeling.

(21)

Dark, damp cells, vicious jailers, and brutal punishments.

[This is really hell on earth......] I felt the constant stinging pain all over my body, and I didn't even have the strength to speak at this time when I fell into the moldy straw pile.

Fortunately, my cellmate was a good-hearted old man, and he helped me to deal with my injuries briefly, otherwise I might have died directly under the power of these gray grandsons.

Trist, I've suffered so much for you, if you bastard don't have magical abilities, I'll make you look good!

(xxii)

The dark green smoke churned in the translucent crystal bottle, the lilac magic flame burned silently in midair, and the apprentices in white robes walked busily around, and tubes of magical reagents were configured together, colliding with various colors...... In the center of the laboratory, a balding middle-aged man is concentrating on slowly dripping a dark blue liquid onto an inconspicuous stone.

As soon as I took off my blindfold, I was fascinated by the fantastic scenery in front ......of me.

[I'll have that power too!] I quickly came to my senses, and my heart began to beat rapidly with excitement - but the man who brought me did not say anything, and I could only wait in silence.

After waiting for about half an hour, the bald middle-aged man finally finished the work at hand, and then noticed us waiting on the side.

"He's the volunteer that Priggs introduced? Is talent enough? You know, my magic experiments cost a lot...... I don't want to do wasted work! ”

"Absolutely!" The lewd thin man who came with me slapped his not-so-strong chest with a bang.

"That's good...... Come on, check him out, and prepare for the experiment! ”

……

Pain! Heart-rending pain! There is no place in the body that does not feel pain! Like a flame constantly burning my skin, or like countless poisonous insects biting my internal organs, I seem to feel my blood gradually boiling.

But I have to be patient, Graves is being tortured by that bastard of Arego for this only chance, and I don't want my brother's sacrifice to be in vain!

The flesh is being squeezed, and the bones are screaming...... I don't know how long it took, my mind almost stopped thinking, and the only thought that remained in my heart was: I can't give up!

"That's great material! How can you make it this far......"

In a drowsy state, a low voice came to my ears, and before I could react to the words, a cool stream of air flowed from my mouth, and then spread throughout my body, instantly regaining my consciousness.

"Ahh......h

What followed was a sharp pain that was far greater than before, and I finally screamed wildly.

……

The pain receded like a tide, and I, who had been tortured for so long, had already collapsed to the ground.

[Was the test successful?] Will I finally be able to master the power of magic? I watched as the researchers walked around me, testing the data, waiting for the final verdict.

"Professor, the reaction to the power of the runes in No. 1712's body gradually subsided after the effect of the medicine ended, and the physical body did not become alienated, and the physical constitution did not strengthen...... Perhaps there was still a problem with the potential burst reagent and induction, and this experiment could be said to have failed. ”

【Failure?】 Why did it fail? How could it be a failure?! 】

A nameless fire suddenly rose in my heart, and I longed to destroy everything in front of me.

To my surprise, at this very moment, a majestic force erupted from my body.

It was dark in front of me, and by the time I could react, I was already standing on the outskirts of Zuan.

The astonishment was followed by irrepressible ecstasy, and I looked at my hands in a daze, and the god flew out of the sky.

Is this the power of magic?

(xxiii)

Krem Prison is one of the darkest places in Zaun. Here, the prisoners are nothing more than the playthings of the jailers, and from time to time fellow inmates are beaten to death by them - and they even sell the bodies of dead prisoners to butchers for money.

Thankfully, because Arego came to torture me from time to time, those inhuman creatures didn't intend to take my life directly.

But daily torture is still indispensable.

Acupuncture, knife cutting, burning, freezing, poisoning...... Even simple blunt beatings, the methods of these fellows are endless, and in the two weeks I have been here, these jailers have not tortured me in the same way.

[Dead liar, you won't really die in the experiment...... If that's the case, we'll just lose all of our money this time. 】

……

"Gambling sticks...... Wake up...... Gambler! Don't scare me, you bastard......"

Half-asleep, a familiar voice came to my ears.

"Lao Tzu is not dead yet!" I opened my eyes.

“…… Let's go...... When you're better, we'll go and get that Arego here, and that guy will pay for your crimes!" ”

Trist gently mixed me up, cursing the fat pig with hatred, and I could clearly feel the surging power in him...... Is this the power of magic?

"Young man, if it were me, I wouldn't have chosen to leave this place at this time."

Just as we were getting up, my cellmate suddenly spoke.

"Who! I've set up a spell barrier! Trist's face changed dramatically, and he carried me behind him.

"Don't be nervous, I don't have any ill intentions." The gray-haired old man spoke, "Young man, haven't you been paying attention? Has this friend of yours already begun to awaken his talent under the torture of those black-hearted jailers? ”

"Talent awakening? That's what it is. Trist asked, and behind him I noticed that he had several cards between his fingers, as if he was ready to make a move.

"Talent awakening is not a thing, but one of the paths to becoming a strong person, it is the beginning of mastering extraordinary power and using the power of runes, you kid is also an awakened person, why are you so ignorant?"

To be honest, I actually felt the changes in my body. In the past few days, the torture of the jailers has not been as unbearable as it was at the beginning...... At first, I thought I had been beaten too much and got used to it, but I didn't expect that there was such a surprise in it?

……

Instead of getting me out of prison, Trist left a mark on me that he knew and teleported to me at the slightest thought.

And I, under the guidance of the old man, while being tortured by the jailers, began to exercise my newly awakened talent.

(xxiv)

The old guy didn't lie, Graves' state at that time was indeed very similar to the state of talent awakening - the power of runes enveloped his whole body, isolating his own breath.

I thought that guy was tortured to death...... At that moment, I really wanted to smack myself a few mouths and go to Arego's house and crush that stupid pig into meat sauce.

There are generally two states of talent awakening: one is to directly and completely awaken and embark on the road to the strong; The other is an unstable awakening under the stimulation of the outside world, which requires constant stimulation from the outside world and continuous training of oneself to master the talent.

“…… So, you turned out to be a masochist. Seeing that guy still alive after being beaten, I couldn't help but make a little joke: "I didn't expect you guy to look so strong, and he is actually a shaky M in his bones." ”

"You are the one who shakes M, Lao Tzu is a pure master!" Graves retorted.

"Pure masters who are hung and beaten all day long?" I shook my head, and then wisely stopped stimulating the guy: "Well, you've mastered your talent, right......?" It's been three years, and it's time for Arego's pig to pay the price. ”

"I understand...... But before he left, Master asked me to go to one of his old buddies, who was said to be a very good gunsmith. The Graves guy rolled his eyes, and then came up with an idea I didn't expect.

"I said liar, should we play a big one?"

……

I have to admit that although I am more savvy than him, the divergent thinking of this big man of Bilgewater is far more than me.

Then, the whole of Valoran knew that Graves and I had become rivals.

(xxv)

"My lord, the whereabouts of that cunning liar of Trist have been grasped by our Brotherhood of Drunkards, and the decapitators, throat-slitters, and corpse-splitters will be there tomorrow, you ......"

"I see! Go down. I waved my hand impatiently.

The man stole two sneaky glances at my favorite gun, 'Fate,' and quickly stepped out.

"Dead liar, you can really cause trouble." When the man was gone, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Each other, a few days ago, a lot of guys who don't have long eyes came to me to deal with you...... I didn't expect there to be so many guys who couldn't afford to lose. ”

"Regardless of these miscellaneous things, what is the matter with you coming to me today?"

"Big deal, you know I once had an uncle who was particularly nice to me......"

Hearing this, I couldn't help but put away my smile, of course I know what kind of weight the name 'Guderian' has in the hearts of my best friends.

"That year, the unusually heavy snow covered the mountain...... It's not an act of God! It's a man-made disaster! Triste's eyes reddened rarely: "Gambler, I need your help." ”

(xxvi)

Ice Crystal Phoenix, Anivia, the embodiment of ice and snow, the patron saint of Freeljord, the existence of transcendent heroes.

Knowing these is enough...... Maybe I don't have enough strength right now, but one day, I'll climb to the top of that snow-capped mountain and question it face to face.

Now all I need to do is hone myself and build my strength - I can already feel that boundary through the cards.

The boundaries between heroes and ordinary people.

(xxvii)

The underworld is really not so easy to mix.

Large and small organizations, intertwined relationships...... There is also the support of the nobles who are hidden in the shadows, and if you are not careful, you will step on a mine.

Just like now, when I am being hunted by the Sword of Demacia.

"Outlaw fanatics! All your minions have been uprooted, and now you are at the end of your rope! Hold your hands tied, and you'll get a fair verdict! ”

"Impartiality? Bah! "Listening to that guy's sanctimonious voice, I couldn't help it.

"A bunch of dog-like well-dressed beasts, do you think you don't know all the you're doing?" I pulled the trigger and let the runic power and flames erupt from the muzzle of the gun, and I let out a long laugh.

"You. The nobles who want to set up the archway, do you really think that Lao Tzu is afraid of you? ”

"Take it! Ultimate Bomb !! ”

……

[It's as annoying as a dog skin plaster......] With my back against the trunk of the tree, I sighed.

The chase with the Sword of Demacia has been going on for more than a day, and the guy is haunting me like a mad dog, but his nose is as sensitive as a dog...... I couldn't get away from his pursuit.

"Why don't you run away?"

Before he could rest for two minutes, the annoying voice came from behind him.

"Hmph, I don't want to run away...... I'm going to you! ”

……

"A gangster is a gangster, even if he awakens his talent, it is difficult to reach the hall of elegance." The burly man who carried a large sword like a door panel had a proud expression...... But he did have a reason to be proud.

After all, he is a hero, and he has stood at the apex of Valoran's people.

"Ahem...... You think you've won? "The massive blood loss made my eyes blur for a moment, but my mind was clearer than ever, and it was at this moment that I felt a fluctuation that was both strange and incomparably familiar—the first time I could feel the fluctuation of space.

Apparently, the dead liar has located me, opened the spatial door, and just waited for the right time to come and launch a surprise attack on that guy.

But that's not what I want, because even with the two of us, the odds are less than 100%, and we can't run away, even if Trist is a genius in space spells - in this chase I finally understand the difference between us and the hero, but it's not too late.

"You won't be complacent forever...... In five years, maybe ten years, someone will avenge me! "I pulled out the last of the high-powered bombs.

Sorry, dead liar, the promise you made to rush to the top of the snowy mountain together will not be kept.

(xxviii)

"This idiot! What a trouble! "For the first time, I had the urge to scold my mother.

A day ago, the Sword of Demacia led the crowd to clean up the city-state's underworld, and only one of the outlaws escaped, and the Sword of Demacia is currently pursuing him.

The Sword of Demacia, Demacia's veteran hero, is so powerful that he single-handedly defeated a hundred-man squad of the Scarlet Assassin Regiment - you know, it is a hundred well-equipped elites who cooperate with each other and exist specifically to besiege and kill heroes.

When I got the news, I immediately teleported to the hotel room, and immediately began to use my spatial talent to locate Graves - although the chances of survival were almost zero, I still believed that the guy was still alive...... This scourge could not have died so easily!

The bastard didn't disappoint me either, and after tearing open the void, I saw the guy half-kneeling on the ground covered in blood.

Then the guy made a move that made me want to whip him up.

The idiot seemed to notice my prying eyes, gave me an ugly smile, said a bunch of nonsense, and pulled out a rune bomb that looked like it was going to kill itself.

Holy! Who made you pretend to be a hero?

(xxix)

Just before I detonated the bomb, a hand reached out of the void and snatched the small ball of incredible power.

Didn't that idiot understand what I meant?

For the first time, I had doubts about my best friend's IQ.

This guy is a wayward bastard too.

But for some reason, I have an urge to laugh?

With such a brother, my Graves is worth it in my life!

(30)

Trist. Fett, Valoran's card master, a hero who wields the power of space and spells, is a gambling saint, handsome and dashing, has been among thousands of flowers, does not touch a leaf, and has an old enemy named Graves, who is good at using firearms.

That's the impression that most Valorans have of me...... Of course, the last sentence is pure nonsense.

There is only one outsider who knows about my relationship with Greyfus other than the two of us - and that is the Shadow Spirit, the Widowmaker, Evelyn, one of Valoran's strongest assassins, and my lover who accidentally concluded a soul contract while traveling on the Shadow Isle after I became a hero.

Well, in the end we won the battle with the Sword of Demacia.

Although it took nearly half a year for the two of us to heal from our injuries afterwards, it was a blessing in disguise, and both of us crossed the threshold of heroes.

……

"My dear...... What is your relationship with that bearded man? "On the bed, Evelyn breathed softly into my ear, which made me a little distracted." You know what? Piltover's cartoonists have drawn fanbooks where the two of you love and kill each other. ”

"Love and kill each other? Isn't that a game between the two of us? Little Sweetheart~" gently kissed my lover's sexy lips, and I comforted: "Don't worry, my sexual orientation is normal...... Don't you know? ”

"Dead Man~"

……

Speaking of which, I haven't had a meeting with the second cargo for nearly two months...... Well, find that guy for a drink tomorrow.

Brother.fin.

Nearly 1.2W word ...... I'm tired to death~