Hearing Marcus's words, both Vander and Silco were visibly stunned. They'd originally assumed Marcus didn't care about undercity politics, that he was merely a powerful outsider passing through.
But now it seemed the situation was different. This man who possessed overwhelming power appeared deeply invested in the outcome—yet they both knew Marcus wasn't a native resident of the undercity.
"Ha! Why are you staring at me like that?" Marcus asked with amusement, reading their expressions. "Surprised? Wondering why I care so much?"
Looking at the two men with an easy smile, Marcus considered his words carefully before explaining.
"Just as you're imagining, I don't actually feel any particular loyalty to the undercity. But I don't feel loyalty to Piltover either. From my perspective, your resistance looks like children playing at revolution. Whether we're talking about raw power or strategic thinking, you're all exactly what your circumstances would suggest."
He paused, his smile turning slightly apologetic.
"A group of people with courage but no real strength. Ah, that might sound harsh, but it's genuinely my assessment of the situation."
Hearing Marcus's blunt evaluation, Vander and Silco exchanged glances. Each saw reflected in the other's eyes the acknowledgment that Marcus's description was uncomfortably accurate.
As a conservative who'd learned painful lessons, Vander had once led the undercity people in an attack on the bridge connecting to Piltover. The reason he'd become what he was now—passive, protective, refusing to fight—was because that previous action had shown him war's true cruelty.
As a radical who'd never learned those lessons, Silco had parted ways with Vander after that failed uprising. He'd been planning to overthrow Piltover's rule through his own methods, using whatever tools became available.
But regardless of their philosophical differences, they were exactly as Marcus described—people lacking both overwhelming power and sophisticated strategy. Despite being undercity bosses, they were ultimately rats hiding in gutters, forced to be cautious and avoid direct confrontation with Piltover's authority.
"Then... what do you want to do?" Silco asked, his damaged eye giving his intense gaze an unsettling quality.
The only weapon he currently possessed that might overthrow Piltover was Shimmer—the drug still under development in his hidden labs. If development proceeded smoothly, undercity people could use Shimmer to show those glamorous Piltover masters that Zaun wasn't their appendage.
Vander remained silent but stared at Marcus with equal intensity, waiting for an answer.
"I can help you escape Piltover's control," Marcus said casually, as if offering to help move furniture. "I can even provide you with technology more advanced than anything Piltover possesses. But what will you give in exchange?"
His words plunged both men into contemplative silence. They knew how powerful Marcus was—they'd witnessed it firsthand.
If Marcus wanted to help them break free from Piltover's rule, his personal power alone could probably accomplish it. But what could they possibly offer someone like that?
Even Vander, who'd known Marcus for several more days than Silco, had no real understanding of the full scope of Marcus's capabilities or what might interest someone with such abilities.
"Whatever you need," Silco declared firmly, "we'll do everything in our power to help you obtain it."
Since he could leverage Marcus's power, Silco had no intention of waiting for Shimmer's development to complete. The drug remained in experimental stages with numerous problems still unsolved. If he could use Marcus's intervention to achieve independence immediately, he'd sacrifice anything.
"Ha! Good question," Marcus replied with obvious appreciation.
He withdrew the Hextech crystal cores that Powder had brought back from her disastrous heist.
"This thing might seem like nothing but an explosive bomb to you. But to me, it represents an entirely different concept. I don't need you to steal from Piltover—but I do need large quantities of crystals. These will become your greatest asset."
The birth of Hextech crystals had been stained with blood in the original timeline—entire communities destroyed, families torn apart, all to extract the raw materials. But Marcus didn't need to follow that dark path. He had better methods.
Among the vast technological knowledge he'd accumulated, there was specific technology for energizing crystals artificially.
It came from the Protoss in the StarCraft universe—the Khaydarin Crystal Pylon. These pylons provided energy to everything in their radius, ensuring all Protoss structures could operate properly. Most Protoss technology was intimately connected to their crystal pylon network.
However, neither Silco nor Vander understood any of this context. They stared at Marcus in confusion.
"Are you planning to replicate these magical crystals that work as bombs?" Vander asked uncertainly.
"No," Marcus smiled. "I want to show you technology that surpasses Piltover's completely."
Technology that surpasses Piltover.
The statement hung in the air like a promise too good to be true. Both men fell into contemplation, struggling to imagine how undercity technology could possibly exceed the upper city's capabilities.
After all, the entire world knew that Piltover possessed the most advanced science and technology in Runeterra. But something in Marcus's confidence made them want to believe him.
"Could we really obtain technology superior to Piltover's?" Vander breathed, his hands trembling with suppressed excitement.
"By the way," Marcus continued, interrupting their speculation, "regarding payment—beyond providing large quantities of crystals, there's one more thing. Help me find a wandering mage who carries a scroll."
The additional requirement brought both men back to reality. The Khaydarin Crystal technology was undoubtedly powerful, but they also needed to locate this mysterious wizard. After all, whatever power this mage possessed was clearly Marcus's real objective.
Now they understood—the crystals were relatively minor, just tools to help them escape Piltover's control. What Marcus truly wanted was the wandering wizard carrying a scroll.
"Are you pursuing magical knowledge?" Vander asked, frowning thoughtfully. He remembered Marcus demonstrating magic previously. "Is this wandering wizard your enemy or friend?"
For Marcus to go to such lengths seeking this person, the mage must be extremely important—either a deadly enemy or a valued ally.
"Hmm... actually, I don't know him at all," Marcus admitted. "But he has something I need."
Though Marcus knew the name and appearance of the wandering mage Ryze, they genuinely had no personal connection. They were absolute strangers to each other.
"I see. Understood." Vander nodded slowly.
If there was a way to make the undercity better, he didn't mind changing his stance. Besides, he'd witnessed Marcus's power firsthand. Such overwhelming force could easily dominate the twin cities—no amount of conspiracy or scheming would matter against it.
After processing this, Vander looked at Silco beside him. His feelings about his former brother were deeply complicated. They'd had no contact since that terrible day when their partnership ended in violence.
They'd gone from closest brothers to bitter enemies. Everyone in the undercity knew about their bad relationship. Yet now they were choosing to join forces again in front of Marcus.
"Silco," Vander said quietly, "we're... working together again..."
Hearing those words, Silco raised his head and fixed Vander with his distinctive heterochromatic stare—one eye ruined by chemical burns, the other burning with cold intelligence.
"Yes. The last time we were together, you shoved me into toxic wastewater and left me looking like this." His voice was completely flat, devoid of emotion, as if Vander's words held no meaning whatsoever.
He used to be consumed with rage about what Vander had done. But eventually, he'd realized that Vander simply wasn't suited to rule the undercity. Vander had lost his nerve, his vision. Now Silco would lead the undercity people in resistance against Piltover.
Though circumstances forced him to stand alongside Vander again because of Marcus, he'd never be foolish enough to trust his former friend completely. He believed only in himself now.
Seeing Silco's cold expression, Vander fell silent. His past actions had transformed Silco into what he was now—physically damaged, emotionally scarred, philosophically radicalized. Vander had no right to ask for forgiveness.
Noticing the tense atmosphere between the two former brothers, Marcus couldn't help but laugh. Silco's condition seemed hopeless to them—he required constant medication just to manage his pain and prevent his damaged organs from failing completely. But for Marcus, such injuries were trivial.
After all, among the technologies he'd mastered, there were numerous methods for repairing human bodies. Many of these could easily solve Silco's physical problems.
"Your medical issues can actually be resolved quite simply," Marcus said casually. "Once you've gathered all the crystals, I'll fix your body as part of our arrangement."
The words made Silco's entire body go rigid. He hadn't expected his condition could be cured. He'd grown so accustomed to constant physical pain that he'd stopped imagining life without it. But if such problems could truly be solved...
Without another word, Silco turned and strode toward the tavern exit. He needed to act immediately—both to secure independence for the undercity and to resolve his own suffering.
After watching Silco leave, Vander looked at Marcus with something approaching desperation.
"Is there really hope for Silco's body? Can you actually heal him?"
"Absolutely," Marcus confirmed without hesitation. "Never mind that he was poisoned by industrial toxins. Even if half his body was severed, I could save him. Organ replacement, cellular regeneration, complete reconstruction—I have multiple approaches that would work."
Hearing Marcus's decisive answer, a gleam of hope flashed in Vander's eyes—emotions he thought he'd buried years ago suddenly resurface.
"I understand. I'll find all the crystals as quickly as possible."
With that declaration, Vander hurried from the tavern. Obtaining large quantities of crystals wouldn't be easy, even with both his and Silco's resources combined. Crystals remained expensive gemstones valued throughout Runeterra.
This would require substantial financial resources and considerable force. The tavern he operated wasn't particularly profitable—gathering enough crystals would necessitate calling in favors and recruiting help from others throughout the undercity.
Watching Vander also depart, Marcus shrugged and walked toward the adjacent room.
It was a shelter Vander had prepared for the children to hide from enforcers, but it had become Marcus's temporary residence. Though Vander ruled the Lanes, finding Marcus better accommodations in the Promenade area proved difficult—that district was the nicest location in the entire undercity, with correspondingly scarce housing.
When Marcus entered his temporary quarters, Vi and the others were sitting around discussing what Marcus might teach them.
They'd officially become Marcus's students, and he'd already prepared individualized training directions for each of them.
"Well then, let's start with the basics," Marcus announced. "I need to assess your physical fitness first..."
The moment he finished speaking, powerful pressure emanated from Marcus in all directions. Under this force's influence, Vi and the others all felt crushing weight pressing down—except Powder, who looked confused.
"Everyone, what's..." Powder stared at Mylo, who was nearly prostrate on the ground, completely baffled. She didn't understand what was wrong—Marcus had just said he wanted to see their fitness, so why had everyone collapsed?
"Powder, go sit on the side and read," Marcus instructed. "You need to master the content of the first chapter today."
Unlike the others, Powder was still very young with a fundamentally different developmental trajectory. Whether Vi, Mylo, or the stocky Claggor—though they had different specializations, they were all clearly better suited for combat roles.
But young Powder was different. She possessed remarkable mechanical aptitude. With proper training, she'd become the technical leader of Zaun's future.
Hearing Marcus's serious tone, Powder nodded obediently and moved to the side. With help from the mechanical hound Marcus had given her, she began reading the mechanics textbook he'd prepared.
However, while reading, she kept glancing at Vi and the others. She was obviously worried about everyone and wanted to participate rather than being excluded.
Marcus naturally noticed her small movements but ignored them, keeping his attention focused on the three older children.
"For you three, a strong body is paramount," he explained. "Only with physical strength can you master and utilize various combat techniques effectively. So I need to see your maximum physical capability."
The three struggled to remain standing, but the pressure steadily increased. Their legs began trembling uncontrollably from the strain.
Thud—
Finally, with a heavy sound, the slender Mylo collapsed first. His thin frame simply didn't have sufficient strength to resist the mounting pressure.
His fall seemed to trigger a chain reaction. Claggor and Vi collapsed shortly after, their bodies giving out despite their determination.
"Well... you're really quite underdeveloped," Marcus observed critically.
For children their age, these kids were only slightly stronger than their peers. The poor living standards in the undercity meant they weren't as physically capable as he'd hoped. They'd held out almost entirely through willpower, which was more impressive than many adults would manage—but their baseline was troublingly weak.
"Alright, I think I understand the situation," Marcus said. "You have a very long road ahead."
Never mind combat ability—their fundamentals alone were concerning. Their foundation was genuinely poor, requiring extensive remedial work.
"Starting today, you'll run ten laps around the Lanes every morning. Then we'll begin learning fighting techniques."
Marcus's voice remained calm and matter-of-fact, but to the children, it sounded like a sentence from hell.
Wailing filled the room. Ten laps around the Lanes? God knew if they'd have any energy left to learn fighting after that torture!
Among the complaints, Mylo's voice was loudest and most dramatic.
"Very good," Marcus said with a smile. "Then Mylo will run fifteen laps."
Hearing this, Mylo's mouth—which had been hanging open in protest—snapped shut immediately. From the corner, Powder burst out laughing at Mylo's misfortune.
"Little girl, you're no exception," Marcus added. "Five laps every day for you."
Powder's laughter died instantly, replaced by dismay. She clearly understood how difficult five laps would be for someone her size.
However, none of them dared refute Marcus. His previous demonstrations had been too terrifying—they didn't dare disobey and could only accept their unfortunate fate with resignation.
"Good. Very good," Marcus said with satisfaction. "Since no one objects, let's begin today's instruction."
What they were about to learn would shape their futures, would become their lifelong pursuits. The road ahead would be difficult, but it would also transform them into something far greater than they'd ever imagined possible.
Vi would learn combat techniques that would make her a force to be reckoned with. Mylo would develop speed and precision. Claggor would master defensive tactics and power techniques.
And Powder? Powder would learn to channel her mechanical genius into creations that would change Zaun forever.
The training had begun. The future was unwritten. And Marcus intended to ensure these children reached their full potential—not the broken, tragic versions he remembered from another timeline, but something better.
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