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

Information about "Jewol Fort" flashed through Atto's mind.

It is a small city-state that is subordinate to Noxus, but it used to be an independent small country with a monarchy.

Eighty years ago, the Noxian army breached the gates of Fortress of the Immortals, deposed the king, and relegated him to the position of regional governor, directly under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Fortress.

The current governor of Juve is a descendant of the king from eighty years ago.

Noxus did not completely exterminate it and replaced the regional governor with its own people because the mountains of Fort Worth produced a high-quality armor raw material—iron spike ore.

The old king's family controlled the routes and technology for mining, forcing Noxus to compromise.

The power of iron spike ore lies in its ability to enable ordinary blacksmiths to forge high-quality armor.

Second only to armor produced by Demacia.

If you were to ask the pirates of Bilgewater or the merchants of Piltover what they most desired, it would undoubtedly be Demacian armor.

However, this armor material is scarce, and only a few blacksmiths are capable of crafting it, resulting in very low production capacity. In addition, Demacia strictly controls its production, so it rarely circulates to the outside world.

Therefore, the iron spike armor, which is simple to manufacture, has a large production capacity, and is of high quality, is highly sought after.

Fort Worgen contributes a large amount of iron spike ore to Noxus every year.

With the help of iron spike ore, Noxus accelerated its expansion, bringing more small countries into its territory.

“It would be too obvious if I just walked in…” Ato pinched his nose.

"With an Eastern face, I'd be mistaken for a spy and arrested as soon as I reached the city gate. I might kill the garrison, but forget about infiltrating the army..."

"Before the war ended, there were almost no Ionians on the continent of Valoran; the difference between the two races was immediately apparent..."

"Old man, is there nothing else you can do besides swinging a sword? You don't have any fancy abilities like a mage, such as teleportation or changing your appearance..."

Aatrox scoffed, "Who said that? Touch your face again and see if anything changes."

"Ok?"

A faint red light flashed, and Atto immediately sensed something was different.

Simply put, his original facial features have become more defined, giving him a more realistic Western appearance.

"When did you learn this skill?" Ato was a little confused.

“Hahahaha~” Aatrox laughed strangely, “A little trick can’t stump the Celestial Warriors.”

“No, that’s not right.” Ato realized, “Don’t I know what abilities you have? You’ve applied the power of the scabbard to me; it can even change your appearance.”

Aatrox: "...I have absolutely no secrets from you."

"At least I look like a Valoran now. Ah, the long-lost civilized society..."

From the moment they arrived in Runeterra, Bilgewater was a loose gathering place for pirates and mercenaries, while Freljord maintained its primitive tribal lifestyle. It took more than two months for Ator to finally arrive in a true city-state.

Having confirmed that the Darkin Demon Sword was disguised as an ordinary greatsword, Ator tightened the cloth binding the sword and approached the city-state along the road used to transport ore.

After Fort Worth came under Noxian control, the city walls were demolished, so Ator did not encounter any guards checking documents at the city gates.

Just as Ato entered the city-state, a group of miners approached, driving a horse that pulled a mining cart.

These people were easy to identify; they wore durable clothing, their hands were calloused from frequent mining and handling of ore, and their eyes showed signs of fatigue.

The group noticed Ato, but quickly looked away and focused on their work.

Atto frowned slightly: "I thought Noxus had already established a complete railway system, but I didn't expect they were still using horses."

Aatrox said, “I have wandered the continent for a thousand years and have seen this country attack its neighbors in my conscious moments. Its existence seems to be solely for war, annexation, and endless conquest.”

“I hold a high position and understand the ins and outs of imperial governance. You know very well how powerful ancient Shurima is, but in terms of the frequency of foreign wars, we are far inferior to this country.”

"The result is that, apart from its strong military, its development in other areas is even inferior to that of some small countries."

Ato nodded slightly: "That makes sense. From the very beginning, Noxus has had LeBlanc's influence behind it. She's an old hag, and a short-sighted one at that..."

“I’ve been wanting to ask this before, who is LeBlanc? Someone who can manipulate an empire for over a thousand years must be no ordinary person.” Aatrox had never heard of this name before.

“An old woman who’s even older than Ryze.” Ato curled his lip. In the real world, he didn’t like female characters who looked young but were actually very old.

"I've only watched a few war movies, yet I know more about war than she does..."

“Look at what she did, leaving her strongest fighter unused and sending him to the harsh environment of Freljord.”

"Steamships are running all over the sea, the sea is developed, but what about the land? They clearly have the ability to build steam trains, what is LeBlanc doing? LeBlanc is doing it too!"

Aatrox remained silent for a long time, finally only able to sigh, "Times have changed."

"Your sanity has recovered quite well." Once they entered the city-state area, Ator began searching for a place similar to a recruitment center.

Aatrox glanced at him: "It's unimaginable in ancient Shurima that a device invented by humans could play such a crucial role in war. We only need to send a few Ascended with a squad of ordinary Imperial soldiers to conquer a small country."

"...You guys are really something. As long as Ancient Shurima stands, ordinary people will never be able to step onto the stage," Ator casually replied.

Just then, their casual conversation was interrupted.

"Halt! Who are you?" A middle-aged man in an official robe stopped Ato.

The people of Juewoburg do not usually need weapons; apart from the miners who are the most numerous workers, there are also some producers.

Therefore, Ato, who was swaying back and forth with his greatsword, was very conspicuous, and this was also Ato's purpose: to attract the attention of the city-state administrators.

"Hello, sir, I would like to join the army. Where can I register?" Atto stood at attention, behaving like an ambitious young man with lofty ideals.

"join the army?"

The middle-aged man looked Ato up and down. His figure was mostly hidden by the black robe, but strong muscles could be vaguely seen. If the weapon was not just for decoration, the fact that he could swing it indicated that he was very strong and had a good physique.

"Where are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?" The middle-aged man remained vigilant.

“Sir, I come from a small town in the southern part of the Empire, you’ve probably never heard of it. I’ve been training myself outside the northern border, and only returned to the Empire today after hearing that the war was about to begin,” Ato replied with a prepared statement.

"Outside the northern border..." The middle-aged man subconsciously looked north and exclaimed in surprise, "You're training in Freljord?!"