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

Ryze has seen the real Darkin.

The knowledge that Tyrus taught was not comprehensive; he only had a slight understanding of the Darkborn Tyrus.

Ryze's last trip to Ionia was to seal a world rune, but he accidentally wandered into a temple just as he was about to leave.

Inside the temple, he saw a longbow radiating a dangerous aura, sealed within a complex magic array.

Even so, Longbow was able to communicate with Ryze through the spiritual realm, enticing him to help him break the seal and promising him boundless power.

Longbow seemed to have some mental issues; in addition to these things, it also told Ryze many things that even Tyrus didn't know.

Ryze thus learned more about the secrets of the ancient Shurima Empire.

It's important to understand that Ryze is someone who can resist the allure of World Runes; compared to World Runes, Darkin weapons are not enough to make Ryze lose his way.

"What exactly are you after those runes?" Ryze asked in a low voice.

“I have no interest in runes,” Atto pointed behind him. “It was this guy who tried to kill himself with the World Rune.”

Ryze was taken aback: "What do you mean? He's going to commit suicide?"

Ator spread his hands: "Literally. We use runes for no particular purpose; he's a Darkin who just wants to die."

"The Protoss have already tried, but they can only seal it, not truly destroy it. They don't have that ability, you know that?"

Ryze was caught in a dilemma, and seeing that Ryze was no longer being defiant, Ator continued, "Do you think you're stronger than those Celestials without relying on runes?"

“I know the source of his power, which is far superior to that of the Protoss. Without that kind of power, it would be impossible to kill him.”

"The World Rune is a solution we must consider; only in this way can we fulfill his wish to die."

Aatrox, who was usually very talkative, was silent at this moment.

"Why should I help you?" Ryze was already wavering after learning Ator's true identity.

Darkin weapons can cloud people's minds, and those who crave power will become their puppets. Ryze, who has been bewitched, knows this all too well.

Ato was able to completely control a Darkin weapon, and judging from its aura, the Crimson Greatsword was much stronger than the longbow they had seen before.

This shows that Ator was determined and had a similar attitude toward power to his own.

Little did they know that all of this was part of Ator's plan.

Ato revealed his true identity because he knew Ryze well.

Ryze trusts no one except one person: someone who can resist the temptation of great power.

"It's a deal. You help me, and I'll tell you the whereabouts of a world rune."

Ryze held his breath. He had been searching for so long without any news, how could he know?

Ator began to delve into the secrets known only to Ryze: "You discovered the anti-magic pillars beneath Demacia, and inside there happens to be a yellow world rune—Precision."

"That was secretly built by the previous Demacian emperor to seal the runes, and to preserve this secret, he even took this information with him to his grave."

"The Demacians of today are unaware that a world-destroying treasure lies hidden underground near the capital."

"So you decided to move the runes you hid hundreds of years ago here as well!"

Ryze's hands began to tremble, and he could barely maintain the binding spell.

Everything Ator said is true! Just how much more does this person know?

Of course, it wasn't over yet. Ator persisted: "Before discovering the Pillar of Anti-Magic, you had already sealed the two runes that your teacher Tyrus had possessed in Ionia and Shurima respectively."

"Later you took on a disciple named Jigen, and you haven't given up on him to this day, have you?"

“Keegan…Keegan will wake up!” Ryze suddenly shouted, startling Sarah and the others.

“Kigan stole a rune, a fragment of a world rune, which you discovered while traveling the continent.”

"He was transformed by the runes into a raging inferno that wanted nothing more than to incinerate the world. He severely injured you, and he has always wanted to seize the World Rune from your possession..."

"Stop talking!" Ryze waved his hand, dispelling the binding magic.

"Give me some time!" He then turned around and walked slowly toward the cabin below, his back view showing a hint of loneliness.

Aatrox thought to himself that for everyone with a story, even if they have never told anyone else, in front of the little thing, the secret is no longer a secret.

"Mr. Atto, are you alright?" Sarah rushed forward. "Has the conflict with Mr. Ryze been resolved?"

Except for the last two sentences, the two spoke very softly, and no one else could hear what they were saying.

“It’s not a big problem. It’ll be easier to handle once we talk things out.” Atto shook his head.

"This time we're going to Ionia and Freljord. It'll probably take you two months to get back to Bilgewater. Get your supplies ready, and we'll set off."

“That’s right.” Sarah hadn’t expected Atto to be so knowledgeable about navigation.

“Long ocean voyages are impossible without supplies. We have several good sources of goods in Fleet Street.”

"Raven, contact them and get the goods ready as soon as possible. If all goes well, we should be able to set off by this time tomorrow."

As dusk fell, the "Siren" remained a hive of activity.

Ryze sat in his lounge, holding his head in his hands, lost in memories.

He never imagined that a human could completely control Darkin weapons and even know everything about his past.

For a thousand years, he has been living alone, and the humans he occasionally encountered were merely fleeting passersby who, due to their limited lifespan, eventually disappeared into the long river of history.

Atto was no ordinary human being.

Just as Ryze was pondering Atto's true origins, the person in question suddenly pushed open the door and entered!

“I’m here to fulfill the deal, Mr. Ryze.” Atto casually closed the door.

"If you're still worried, you can cast a soundproofing spell on the room. There's no one else on this ship who knows magic."

Ryze instinctively raised his hand, and an invisible barrier covered the entire room, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Are you sure? Of the five World Runes, only one is currently sealed in Demacia. As for the other two, hundreds of years have passed, and even I don't know their current status. This trip to Ionia is to transfer the runes. Telling me the whereabouts of one of the runes now is far too early."

He had no doubt about the authenticity of Ator's information. Given that his "underwear" had been exposed, it was not surprising that Ator knew the location of a world rune, especially since verifying its authenticity was very easy.

"This is my sincerity. There's something I forgot to tell you: killing the guy behind me requires the power of all five runes combined."

“If we really want to go down this path, I will let you control the power of the runes; that is the real deal.”

"What?" Ryze thought he had misheard.

The power of a single World Rune is enough to move mountains and fill seas.

In the eastern part of the continent of Valoran, an unnatural gap can be clearly seen when viewed from above.

That place is now the ocean, but a thousand years ago it was land, and also Ryze's hometown—Nokoshi.

"There must be five runes, but they don't need to be fully activated; they only need to reach a level of power sufficient to destroy him."

“What we need is quality, is a higher level,” Atto said helplessly. “Power itself is not scary; what’s scary is its master.”

Ryze remained silent, lost in endless turmoil.