First, take down the Sword Demon, then save Runeterra.

"Mr. Atto, should I accept this request?"

"Call it? Why wouldn't we?" Aatrox became excited instead. "That person has..."

"Cough, cough." If Aatrox didn't interrupt, the talkative Aatrox would reveal something else to Sarah.

This would be harmful to Sarah and would put her in immeasurable danger.

“Of course I’ll accept the commission. I’ve said before, he’s a very kind person.”

"By entrusting him with this matter, you can get in touch with him. If you encounter Soul Eater again someday and I'm not by your side, perhaps he will protect you."

"Excuse me... is he your friend?"

Sarah was still uneasy. She always felt that beneath the calm surface of a seemingly ordinary delivery job lurked a man-eating demon.

“I know him, but he doesn’t know me. Don’t worry too much, I’ll be going with you on this trip.”

"What?" Aatrox couldn't help but ask, "Weren't we supposed to be going to Freljord?"

"The one-month deadline hasn't passed yet, and the transaction is still not complete." Atto takes the transaction very seriously.

"Besides, we're not staying in Ionia. That mage disembarked there, so why don't you take us to Freljord? What do you say, Miss Sarah?"

"Ah, of course... it would be my pleasure."

Upon hearing that Atto would also be joining the journey, Sarah finally felt relieved. She believed that there would be no surprises this time.

“Then I will arrange for someone to bring that mage aboard the ‘Siren’. Thank you again, Mr. Atto.”

Sarah left. No matter how many times he recalled Ryze's deeds, Ator couldn't help but feel admiration.

"It's been a thousand years. You must have been very lonely. But it's okay, you're not alone anymore."

……

Ryze boarded the "Siren" under the guidance of the crew.

He had a serious expression, remained silent, and focused most of his attention on everyone he could see.

Inside the captain's cabin, Sarah met the legendary mage for the first time, and his appearance was indeed as strange as Raven had described.

"Welcome, Mr. Ryze. I am Captain Sarah Doom."

"From Bilgewater to Ionia, if the winds are favorable, it will take ten days, and at the latest fifteen. I hope we get along well."

Sarah extended her hand in a friendly gesture, but Ryze merely glanced at it and said in a low voice, "Once you're ready, set off as soon as possible." With that, he walked out of the captain's cabin.

"How could he be like this?" Raven was indignant. Are all mages this arrogant?

Sarah shook her head: "It's okay. Go and prepare more supplies; we might be away from Bilgewater for a long time."

"He is not arrogant, but rather too wary and unable to trust humans."

Ato suddenly appeared in the captain's cabin.

"I might have to fight with that guy in a bit, but I'll try my best to avoid that."

"What? A fight broke out?" Sarah didn't react.

Ryze had just stepped out of the captain's cabin when he seemed to sense something. He turned around and his eyes widened in surprise.

The appearance of the Darkin Blade is quite striking to anyone who sees it for the first time.

“Hello, Ryze,” Atto said first.

"Who are you? Where did you get that sword?"

Ryze turned around to examine Atto, trying to find the origins of the man and the greatsword in his past experiences, but to no avail.

Atto didn't answer the question and kept getting closer. Ryze didn't move, but his fists were clenched, ready to strike at any moment.

Finally, Ator stopped and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "How are those world runes faring in the Demacian underground?"

Ryze's eyes widened in anger; he could hardly believe what he had just heard.

How does this person know about the World Runes? And even know where he hid them?

Ryze took a step back, and the runes drawn all over his body instantly lit up, unleashing a torrent of magical energy.

Two small magic circles appeared simultaneously at Ator's feet and above his head.

Ryze clasped his hands together, and a layer of light formed between the magic circles, which was Ryze's signature skill, Imprisonment Magic.

If the imprisoned target does not have the ability to break through the light barrier, they can only be under Ryze's control.

"Who are you? How do you know... about that?" Ryze questioned.

He didn't want ordinary people to know about the World Runes, and he didn't want to see any more bloodshed.

He even suspected that Ator had already told everyone on the ship about the World Rune, if that were true...

"Wait! There must be some misunderstanding!"

Sarah saw Ryze make his move as soon as she came out.

"What can't we just sit down and talk about calmly?"

Ryze ignored him and walked up to Atto again.

Confident that no one could break through his binding magic, he lowered his voice and asked, "Did you tell them about the World Runes?"

In Ryze's mind, the world is far more important than himself.

Since that war ended, very few ordinary people know anything about World Runes.

Once the news leaks, Ryze is certain that human greed will be reignited, and the tragedy of a thousand years ago will repeat itself.

Therefore, he may have to make a difficult choice...

"Hey, calm down." Ato showed no intention of breaking free of the restraints, and his voice was equally low.

"Actually, I'm the same kind of person as you, and I know some things about the past. Do you think I don't know the dangers of the World Runes? Telling these people is tantamount to taking their lives!"

Ryze stared intently into Atto's eyes, trying to determine if the man was lying.

The World Runes are of great importance, and he cannot believe Ator's words based on only one side of the story.

"Your master Tyrus, and those warlords who stole the runes, they are the nightmares that have haunted you for a thousand years."

Seeing that Ryze didn't believe him, Atto had no choice but to resort to his old tricks: looking at underwear.

Ryze's surprise never stopped; how did this person know everything?

He frowned, guessing at Ator's identity: "Could you be a survivor from Blessed Light Island? Also affected by the runes, and still alive?"

"No, I won't go into my origins for now, but the origins of this sword are much earlier than you think."

Ator decided to tell Ryze that Ryze was the only person in Runeterra who knew and understood everything.

"Besides learning magic, you should also know a lot of historical secrets that have now been lost, as you have been apprenticed under Tyrus."

"On the continent of Shurima, there once existed an incomparably glorious empire."

"But due to an unexpected event, the empire's generals gradually degenerated and eventually became weapons, scattered throughout the world."

“You are…” Ryze almost raised his voice, “The Darkin? The Darkin from the fallen Shurima Empire?”

"He is a human who has mastered Darkin weapons." This was the first time Ator had revealed his true identity to the people of Runeterra.