Noticing the laborers rushing over, Zeri blinked, then said happily: "Don't worry! I'm here to help you!"
Originating from the bottom-level blocks, because she was nourished by magic power, Zeri didn't suffer from severe growth deformities and malnutrition due to serious chem-pollution like those pitiful Sump orphans. But even so, through Zeri's attire, the weapons she used, and her style of action, the laborers could still determine that Zeri was indeed their "compatriot."
And now, looking at everyone, Zeri said seriously and firmly: "We will definitely end the hateful rule of the Chem-Barons! Let all of us be able to live well!"
Hearing this, the laborers on the side looked at each other, seemingly wanting to say something, but not knowing how to speak.
In the end, it was that pitiful man who was forced and almost signed a slave labor contract who stepped forward. Holding the brim of his hat, he looked apprehensively at Zeri and Faen. Actually, he was only in his early thirties, but the harsh production environment made him look like an old man over fifty.
Perhaps it was because he felt Zeri's goodwill? Or perhaps because of the peacefulness in Faen's temperament? Or perhaps the joy curse filled Faen's aura with elements that made people feel happy, joyful, and relaxed?
After hesitating for a moment, that slave laborer said carefully: "Can you... not destroy the factory?"
"...Eh?"
Hearing the slave laborer's words, Zeri froze slightly, subconsciously casting a pleading gaze at Faen behind her.
Although the two had been together for a short time, possessing a healthy soul as an adult, three days was enough for a confused girl to develop psychological dependence on a gentle and reliable person.
And Faen didn't disappoint Zeri. Nodding to Zeri, Faen said calmly: "Don't be nervous, tell us why."
"We need wages," that slave laborer said timidly. "If the factory stops production, we will all lose our source of income... Of course we are very grateful that you two are willing to help us strike at these hateful factory thugs and resist the Chem-Barons. But... but without the factory, we will starve to death."
Hearing this, Faen nodded understandingly—so it really is like this.
Zaun and Piltover were considered among the lowest magic regions in Runeterra. Powerful strength could naturally allow Faen to do whatever he wanted here, but wanting to make the people here happy and full of hope for the future, pure violence wouldn't work.
Thinking this in his heart, Faen said: "Do you know the location of the vault?"
"I know." That man nodded, then led the way in front at Faen's request. Along the way, they eliminated those factory thugs resisting stubbornly like breaking bamboo... well, actually not many people resisted stubbornly.
After all, how much money was a month's pay? Why risk their lives for those bullshit Chem-Barons?
Killing their way through, the wealth entering their vision shone so brightly people couldn't take their eyes off it.
Casting his gaze at the laborers behind him, Faen said: "Don't take too much."
Hearing Faen's words, everyone present froze first, then quickly became excited.
But just at this time, Faen clapped his hands again and said calmly: "Calm down, my friends, think about your own situation, don't let greed blind your eyes. You should know the sinister hearts of Zaun better than me, an outsider. The Chem-Barons will soon know what happened here. Without enough strength to protect it, these things will only bring you disaster. Take what is within your capacity, don't let greed harm yourselves."
Hearing this, the workers who were somewhat losing control calmed down slightly. Among them, some were truly calm, while others didn't dare to be presumptuous simply out of fear of Faen's power.
Faen's current combat skills were partly his own, and partly Nilah's learned through Ashlesh's blessing. And Nilah's combat style... Nilah's targets were mostly giant creatures dozens or hundreds of meters large at every turn. Using this wide-open and sweeping combat style on Zaun factory thugs was no less than firing anti-materiel weapons at ordinary people without any protection.
Those flying fragments, torn organs... if not for having taken the joy factor in advance to regulate emotional hormones, Zeri probably would have vomited until the sky went dark. And although these laborers were slightly stronger in terms of acceptability, they weren't much better.
And regarding everyone's reaction, Faen didn't care too much—he had already spoken clearly, and the principles that should be understood should be understood. Under these circumstances, still unable to control oneself, trying to grasp the "happiness" one couldn't grasp...
That wasn't happiness, it was disaster, it was literally the way to court death.
After distributing the money, Faen also controlled the flowing water to sweep away the remaining wealth, then said to everyone:
"Spread the word, let all workers oppressed like you, and any pitiful, innocent people know that even in the harsh Sump, there is still hope. When you are treated unfairly, use your methods to let me know you need help, I will respond, we will respond."
Hearing this, the slave laborers were either excited, doubtful, or curious. Some had already started to sneak away, wanting to hide the wealth at home. But there were still people looking at Faen, asking after a moment of hesitation: "Why are you doing this?"
"For joy." Faen responded frankly: "For everyone to be able to live happily."
While speaking, Faen also patted the shoulder of Zeri, whose gaze still held confusion, feeling the incomprehension in the other party's eyes, and the electric arc sparks on the tips of her hair that dimmed along with her emotional loss...
The workers had all left. Feeling the negativity in Zeri's gaze, Faen raised his eyebrows slightly, then raised his hand and slapped heavily on Zeri's buttocks.
Accompanied by a crisp sound echoing in this abandoned corridor, amidst the slight pain, Zeri also woke up in an instant. Subsequently, while rubbing her perky butt cheeks, she looked at Faen angrily and said: "Bad guy! What are you doing!!"
"To make you cheer up faster~" Looking at the revitalized Zeri, Faen also chuckled: "Don't tell me our dear Miss Zeri is hit by this? Decided to give up the cause we agreed on before? Making Zaun happy?"
"Who gave up!" Hearing this, associating with her own state just now, Zeri also hummed in dissatisfaction a few times, but then fell silent again, saying with slight loss in her voice: "It's just... just I seem to have done something wrong? For example, I shouldn't destroy the Chem-Baron's things? Otherwise why would those workers..."
"Don't think too much." Faen rubbed Zeri's hair, which earned a dissatisfied pout from Zeri, but pouting aside, those re-lit fine electric arcs didn't have any intention of harming Faen:
"I have some thoughts. Since I have time tonight, I'll sort them out and we can have a good chat."
"Mmhmm!" Zeri also nodded seriously: "We will definitely make Zaun happy!"
"Of course. But speaking of which, slapping your butt just now..."
"It's fine, we're bros~"
Saying so, Zeri's actions were rolling her eyes fiercely at Faen—when treating my wounds before, you didn't have such a sense of boundaries!
While thinking, the two set foot on the way home.
Because of the extra income, the two also bought some food to take back. Before, she was just thinking that she didn't seem to have truly helped the workers in the block and the factory. Now, having cheered up, looking at the large amount of wealth dragged by the water flow beside Faen, Zeri couldn't help clicking her tongue in wonder.
"Do you think the Chem-Barons can finish spending these things? Why are they unwilling to give to those workers? Clearly, if he just took out a little bit, the workers in the factory would feel much better."
"How would I know what they are thinking." Hearing this, Faen shook his head. He didn't rashly substitute his past life's cognition into Zaun's environment—specific situations require specific analysis, especially in this kind of world where extraordinary powers exist. For example, Ashlesh could forcibly change people's moods and behavior patterns. Heaven knows if Zaun had other similar things.
But regardless of whether there were or not, it wouldn't affect Faen's determination to change Zaun... Although ordinary joy could also play a role in alleviating emptiness, it would at most last for a period of time.
Joy from extreme sensory stimulation, although effective, would eventually lead to falling into the demonic path, just like the former Ashlesh.
And only a beautiful world, a world where everyone can feel hope, can continuously provide Faen with joy, and this joy will also become Faen's power to fight against many disasters in the future.
Thinking this, a look of helplessness also appeared on Faen's face.
Noticing Faen's expression, Zeri on the side also asked curiously: "What's wrong? Thought of something annoying?"
"It's okay, mainly things like politics, construction, systems... these things are profound and boring." Faen said with slight boredom in his voice: "But wanting to change Zaun, making everyone in Zaun feel hope and joy, one must touch these things..."
"Hmm..." Hearing Faen's helplessness, Zeri on the side touched her chin and said: "Why do I feel such complex things seem very simple coming from your mouth? And you still look reluctant? So infuriating!"
"Who knows~"
Faen shrugged, quickly sorting out his emotions, then said: "You go to sleep first, I'll sort out my thoughts."
Saying this, Faen also went to Zeri's workbench and started sorting out some memories of his past life, and making corresponding changes and adjustments according to what he had seen and heard in Zaun.
Watching Faen's busy back bending over the desk writing, Zeri on the side also blinked and shrank into the blanket, waiting quietly. In Zeri's guess, just sorting out thoughts shouldn't take much time. After all, as an engineering girl, Zeri also often recorded some of her crazy ideas, for example, the electric jacket was her little invention.
But obviously, the things Faen had to sort out were far more than Zeri thought. Waiting for more than half an hour, Faen's busy back in Zeri's vision didn't show the slightest intention of stopping.
This made Zeri feel inexplicably guilty, because this was originally her wish, hoping to change Zaun... but in the end, it was she who was depressed, and thanks to Faen's reminder, she cheered up again.
Thinking this, Zeri started to feel a burst of indescribable emptiness constantly spreading in her heart. At first, Zeri didn't react, but as the mental pressure gradually increased, this familiar feeling quickly made Zeri realize something—the price of joy!
Zeri remembered, remembered Faen telling her about the side effects of this joy factor...
When Zeri and Faen were fighting in the factory, in order to keep up with Faen's pace, Zeri had been ingesting the joy factor, the purpose just to keep her emotions high at all times. This could accelerate Zeri's speed while also increasing the destructive power of the electric arcs.
Originally, according to Zeri's guess, after destroying the energy workshop, severely damaging Chem-Baron Spindlaw's factory, and letting those oppressed workers gain freedom, she could definitely harvest a large amount of joy, and naturally wouldn't need to worry about the price of joy.
But the development of things obviously exceeded Zeri's expectations. The confusion about the future greatly reduced the joy Zeri harvested, coupled with the current Faen still staying up late sorting out thoughts into feasible methods. This shame made Zeri feel further guilty, thereby exacerbating the generation of mental pressure.
And feeling the mental pressure, Zeri didn't know how to alleviate it for a moment.
Do I need to disturb Faen? He definitely has a way to handle it... But looking at Faen's occasionally furrowed brows, occasional pauses but always smooth strokes. Zeri knew Faen had entered a precious state of creation. Creators in this state often write like they are guided by spirits, able to quickly sort out their inner thoughts and ideas.
If disturbed, wanting to enter this focused state again will be difficult...
Thinking this, Zeri's breathing also gradually became rapid. Severe mental pressure had already started causing the girl's consciousness to appear slightly dazed; she knew she must do something now. Inexplicably, Zeri felt her buttocks were a bit hot—that was the place Faen slapped heavily to wake her up. Although he had held back his strength, and it was through pants, Zeri could more or less guess the extra shallow red marks underneath.
Is it the mark Faen left on me...?
Swallowing unconsciously, from between her slender and round legs, Zeri felt a wetness slowly spreading. Realizing something, a shameful red began to smudge on Zeri's clean face.
What am I exactly thinking? Brain, brain, stop it! Thinking like this is too weird... aren't Faen and I good bros!
Thinking this in her heart, but Zeri's breathing became increasingly rapid, along with a pair of palms involuntarily clenching the blanket, and using the other hand to reach towards the warm land flowing with juices.
As her fingertips just pulled aside the tight edge of her panties, she touched a handful of sticky muddiness. Zeri trembled all over. That engorged and swollen pink clitoris was exposed to the air; just a gentle rub, a rush of extreme, electric-like numbness shot straight to her brain.
"Ngh..." She bit down hard on the corner of the blanket, terrified of making a single sound that might alert Faen, who was bending over the desk not far away. In order to suppress that emptiness that felt like it would hollow out her soul, she could only slowly squeeze two slender fingers into her tight little hole that had never been plowed by a man.
"Squelch..." Her fingers broke through layers of wet, hot, soft flesh. The opening of the hole contracted greedily, squeezing out a large amount of lustful juices. Zeri panted violently, her gaze piercing through the dim light, staring fixedly at Faen's broad and sturdy back. In her mind, the fiery touch of him slapping her buttocks heavily replayed constantly, even fantasizing that those large hands, which had just been slaughtering, were now roughly prying open her thighs, ruthlessly thrusting that thick, hard meat stick belonging to a man into her body.
This strong sense of shame and forbidden fantasy, catalyzed by the joy curse, turned into a lethal aphrodisiac. Zeri's fingers thrust faster and faster in the muddy flower hole, the pads of her fingers mercilessly scraping the most sensitive G-spot on the inner wall, and even her clitoris was vigorously flicked and kneaded by her thumb. The lewd "smack, smack" watery sounds were completely covered up by her rapid breathing in the quiet room.
"Faen... haah... so comfortable... a little deeper..." She moaned silently in the bottom of her heart, and deep in her lower abdomen suddenly welcomed a burst of violent spasms. Accompanied by uncontrollable ultimate pleasure, a stream of scalding, milky-white love juices sprayed out from her tender labia like a fountain, drenching her palm and lower abdomen in muddiness. The soaring lust even caused the tips of her hair to crackle, fine green electric arcs running wildly out of control in the blanket. And Zeri could only clamp her legs tightly, rolling her eyes blankly in the ultimate physical climax, allowing her lower body to twitch and spit water in waves of intense afterglow.