I told you to plant peas, and you summon Mordekaiser?

......

A great power endures in the world.

It transformed barren, rocky land into a vibrant, magical place.

It cleaved mountains, drained oceans, and burned the sky.

This power never dissipates.

They are called "world runes," the fundamental forces that constitute the world.

Each rune contains extremely powerful primordial magic, capable of shaping reality and altering the laws of nature.

They can even control life and death.

The existence of these runes has spanned the history of the world, and has also brought endless disasters.

In ancient times, different races and factions fought an unprecedented rune war for control of runes.

These wars have resulted in countless deaths and caused irreversible damage to the world itself.

The power of runes is so great that any individual who attempts to control them will often be devoured by their power and ultimately meet their destruction.

To prevent runes from causing another global catastrophe, many ancient wise men of Runeterra attempted to hide or destroy them.

Some runes are sealed in secret realms, some have been scattered in the mortal world, and some have even merged with certain special individuals, becoming the source of their power.

Although the Rune Wars are over, their shadow still looms over the world.

The appearance of each rune signifies a new round of struggle and chaos.

......

......

Chen Yang roughly understood what runes were.

But he never expected that something that only existed in stories would actually appear in his life.

He recalled Thresh's words: "The aura of runes?"

After a long pause, Sena sighed and began to speak again.

Parker relayed in a cold, hoarse voice: "She said she could sense the runic aura on you, but it was so faint as to be almost nonexistent, as if it were a fragment of a rune that had been artificially imprinted rather than a complete rune."

“A complete rune is the crystallization of natural forces and would never exist in such an incomplete form.”

"But even this much power is terrifying enough."

"You are merely tainted with the scent of runes; the true owner of the power is someone else."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang couldn't help but recall the strange black runes on Qi Qi's arm.

Those strange patterns were always hidden under Qi Qi's black robe. He only caught a glimpse of them once, when Qi Qi was forging Huang Aotian's arm.

Thinking of this, his brows furrowed slightly, and his inner suspicions grew stronger.

"If that's the case, then I might know where the problem lies."

He took a deep breath and said to Sena, "Come with me."

He then stepped towards the door.

The corridor was eerily quiet, with only the dim light casting cold shadows.

The three walked side by side, but only the sound of one person's footsteps could be heard.

Finally, Chen Yang stopped in front of Qi Qi's door.

"Qiqi." Chen Yang knocked on the door. "Open the door, I have something to ask you."

There was no movement from inside; the person inside was probably already asleep.

Chen Yang knocked a few more times, his tone slightly urgent: "Qiqi, it's me, Chen Yang. Open the door quickly."

A few seconds later, the door slowly opened a crack, and Qiqi stood sleepily in the doorway, wearing a large black robe with her arms hanging at her sides.

She looked up, saw Chen Yang, and pouted, "Aren't you annoying? What are you doing in the middle of the night?"

The three of them did not linger at the door, but went inside and closed the door tightly.

Chen Yang's gaze swept over Qi Qi's disheveled hair and loose robe, and he asked directly, "What is the origin of your runes?"

Qi Qi was slightly taken aback, her sleepiness dissipating: "What did you say?"

"The runes on your arm."

Chen Yang said in a low voice, "I want to know the origin of those black lines."

To everyone's surprise, Qi Qi did not hesitate, but instead pulled up the wide sleeves of her robe, revealing her arms.

The black runes stood out vividly in the dim light, like coiled venomous snakes meandering across her pale skin.

Each symbol seemed to exude some kind of eerie aura.

"These?"

Qi Qi shook her arm, her tone nonchalant, "What do you want to know?"

Sena's shocked exclamation rang out, and the branches and leaves trembled incessantly.

Qiqi looked at the pea sniper with a puzzled expression: "Is it... talking? Where did you get a talking pea?"

Ignoring Qi Qi, Chen Yang listened to what Parker relayed: "These runes... they are not complete runes, but rather some kind of copied fragments... forcibly imprinted onto the body."

Chen Yang's gaze sharpened slightly as he tentatively asked Qi Qi, "Who gave you these runes? Why are they on you?"

Qiqi sat on the wooden chair in the room, her gaze somewhat unfocused, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the edge of her sleeve.

Faced with Chen Yang's question, she remained silent for a moment, then shook her head: "I don't know where these runes you're talking about came from."

She raised her arm, and her sleeve slipped down, revealing the dense black runes that clung to her skin like innate marks.

"They've been with me since I was little."

She looked up at Chen Yang, her gaze so calm it was almost blinding. "Every one of our children has these dark things inside them."

Chen Yang frowned, his gaze lingering on the runes for a moment.

"These things can't be washed off; they're like they're grown on our bodies."

Qiqi continued, her tone nonchalant: "Aside from being a little ugly, I'm used to it."

"..." Chen Yang didn't know what to say for a moment. He could roughly guess that the child's past must have been quite dark.

“The presence of rune imprints means that world runes must exist,” Pyke continued, relaying Cena’s words.

"Be careful, getting close to the runes is like walking on the edge of a cliff."

......

......

Originally, Chen Yang planned to have Soren help take care of Qiqi so that Qiqi could experience the life of a normal child in the Ninth District.

But now that it has been confirmed that the black markings on Qiqi's body are related to runes, Chen Yang has no choice but to abandon this idea.

Although he had never personally experienced the power of runes, he knew that runes were no less dangerous than nuclear weapons.

This force, if not handled carefully, can lead to irreversible consequences.

He wouldn't feel comfortable letting Qiqi go anywhere other than by his side.

Tomorrow morning, the three of them will board a bus to the third district.

Lying in bed, Chen Yang tossed and turned.

How did I suddenly get involved with runes...?

Ugh...

Sena also asked me to keep an eye on the child...

I just wanted to save someone...

I wish I had a big, bald, purple head...