"Call Duke to take Powder away!"
Holding Vi's arm and stopping her from slapping, Vander looked at Powder, who was squatting on the ground, and said in a low voice, "She, perhaps, is not suited for Zaun!"
"Vander, what do you mean by this?"
"Sending me away, are you planning to... abandon me?"
Powder stood up excitedly upon hearing this, clenching her fists, and said very urgently, "I promise I won't do it again, really, just give me another chance!"
"Sorry, Powder, compared to Zaun, perhaps Upcity is more suitable for you!"
Vander raised his hand and pointed to Piltover above. Vi looked at Vander upon hearing this; this was not what they had discussed.
"I promise, I'll be good!"
Powder hugged Vander's leg, her eyes teary, and said, "Please don't drive me away, okay?"
"I don't want to go with Duke, I don't want to leave you all, I don't want to...."
"I really won't make mistakes again in the future!"
"Sorry, child!" Vander squatted down, stroking Powder's hair, his eyes full of warmth: "We're not abandoning you!"
"It's just that you need guidance. You have talent, you have ability. Perhaps you shouldn't stay in Zaun; Upcity is your only way out!"
"Upcity...."
Vi looked at Vander, wanting to speak several times, but seeing Fugen Tavern turned into ruins and the people glaring at Powder, she knew that sending her to Piltover was the best solution.
Only then could she receive a good education, with someone to guide her, so she wouldn't make a big mistake!
She accidentally destroyed Fugen Tavern today, what about next time?
"Vi, speak up, Vi!!"
Powder let go of Vander's leg, took two steps back, looked at her sister, and cried out in collapse, thinking she was about to be abandoned.
"This..." Vi clenched her fists, turned her head away, and avoided looking at Powder: "This is for your own good, sister!"
"Janna, please help us inform Duke!"
Vander took out a qingniao amulet, and a bluebird descended from mid-air, nodded at Vander, spread its wings, and soared into the sky, heading towards Piltover.
....
"Ouch!"
Duke sat up from the bed, clutching his head, and turned to see Janna, who had transformed into a bluebird, glaring at him, "What on earth did you do in Bandle City to make your body so weak!"
Janna noticed the abnormality in Duke's body, and Duke gave a bitter smile: "When my magic talent awakened, my magic went on a Rampage, and I accidentally fell into weakness."
"But now..." Duke squeezed his fists, feeling full of strength, and with surprise in his eyes, he looked at the bluebird: "Was it you who did it?"
"Of course, what did you think?" Janna puffed out her chest, "I injected my magic into you to replenish your depleted magic and, by the way, cleared your weak state."
"If left untreated, you might not be able to get out of bed for half a month!"
"So it's R!"
A hint of understanding appeared in Duke's eyes, "It seems it can not only repel dizziness but also provide comprehensive healing!"
"What are you mumbling about again?"
The bluebird, Janna's incarnation, flew and landed on Duke's head, its claws raking through Duke's hair, and its beak pecking at Duke's head, "Can you go to Zaun now?"
"What's wrong?"
"Powder did an experiment and blew up Vander's Fugen Tavern; it's all ruins!"
"Were there any casualties?"
"I was there, do you think there would be casualties?"
Janna spoke with considerable pride. Duke got out of bed upon hearing this, and while getting dressed, he asked Janna: "Then why are you calling me? To invest in Vander's new tavern, or to discuss your church's issue?"
"Neither." Janna shook her head, flew to the table, and said to Duke: "Vander plans to send Powder away from Zaun, to have her follow you to Piltover to study!"
"To Piltover?"
Duke put on his vest, his brows slightly furrowed. Is Powder's personality suitable for studying in Piltover?
Moreover, Zaunites are not well-regarded in Piltover. What was Vander thinking?
Powder is talented; her weapons are all self-made. It can be said that her skill panel comes from her own hands. This kind of talent can rank high in the Twin Cities.
But will she really be content with research?
There's no problem teaching her the Clockwork Technology I specialize in, but is she really suited for this path?
An ADC running to be an AP, don't be ridiculous!
"Perhaps Vander has his own ideas!"
"Alright, bless me, I'll be right over!" Donning his trench coat, Duke opened the window, stepped onto the table, and shot out like a cheetah. After Janna closed the window for him, she enveloped him in wind.
Feeling the magic flowing around him, Duke's mouth turned slightly sour, though the sourness wasn't as intense as before.
"Is this the benefit of mana awakening?"
Duke glided over a residential building, the hem of his trench coat flapping in the wind, his body curled into a ball as he soared across the street.
"And Heimerdinger said my talent is to infuse life into objects or inanimate things. If this talent is applied to mechanical constructs, wouldn't that be a ready-made artificial intelligence?"
"It's just that it doesn't think according to programmed settings, but rather something I created using magic!"
"What is this considered?"
Duke raised an eyebrow slightly, leaping into the air and descending towards the massive rift where Zaun is located, a gentle breeze encircling him, helping to slow his downward momentum.
"Magical artificial intelligence?"
"Or a magical superbrain?"
Duke, deep in thought, landed on a street and glanced at the Stone Beetles in cages awaiting sale. A young man was perched on top of the Stone Beetle cage.
Noticing Duke's expression, the young man spoke up, "Want some?"
"No thanks!"
Duke shook his head and walked towards Fugen Tavern, but unfortunately, only a pile of broken wooden boards remained, with a group of people inside picking through for usable items. Vander sat on the only remaining bench, smoking his pipe.
"Oh, Vander, are you trying to be fashionable?"
Duke approached Vander, leaning on the chair he was sitting on, and circled around him: "Planning to open an open-air restaurant, so guests can eat and drink amidst Zaun's haze?"
"What an idea!"
"Don't make fun of me, Duke!"
Vander shook his pipe and gave a wry smile. Duke stood with his back to Vander, hands resting on the back of his chair, "Then why are you planning to send Powder to Piltover?"
"You know how those people up there view us, those from the Undercity!"
"Contempt, Mocking Shout, disdain!"
Duke looked at his fingernails. In his original body's memories, this point was particularly profound, like a thorn embedded in his bones.
But for Duke, to hell with it, what he does is none of anyone else's business.
"I know, but Powder has talent. She's suited to go to Piltover to study and develop there, to become someone like you!"
"Like me?"
Duke rolled his White eye, but still took a chair from Claggor nearby, carried it, and sat down in front of Vander.
"What if she gets bullied?"
"What if she gets mocked?"
"What if she gets ostracized?"
Facing Duke's questions, Vander looked at Duke and said, "Don't you have me?"
"I believe with your personality, you won't let her be bullied!"
"You think too highly of me!" Duke leaned his hands on the back of the chair, and Vander handed him the pipe. "So, is it a deal?"
"My name will be listed as her guardian, and she needs to change her name!"
Vander glanced at Duke, who smacked his lips, "Her nickname can't be on the academy's roster!"
"Alright!"
"Then it's a deal!"
Duke took the pipe, sniffed it, and handed it back with a look of disgust, "It's too strong. I'll get you a better one later!"
"Where is Powder?"
"She's in the arcade where they usually play. Claggor will take you there!"
"Alright!"
Duke grabbed the collar of the chubby Claggor, "Let's go, fatty, and you need to lose weight!"
"I think my current physique is perfect!"
"Don't joke, look at your potbelly!"
Duke and Claggor bantered with each other, and after a while, they stopped in front of an arcade with its door and windows boarded up. Claggor pointed at the hall in front of them, "She's inside!"
"Do you need me to take you in?"
Duke kicked open the wooden board blocking the door and looked at Claggor, "What did you just say?"
"Nothing!" Claggor shrugged, "I'm going back to help Vander!"
"Alright!"
Duke walked into the hall. He couldn't see anything in the pitch-black hall. He didn't say anything as he pulled out a portable lantern from his inventory. Instead, he walked towards the shooting game counter, placed the lantern on it, jumped behind the counter, and looked at the stopped facilities, rubbing his hands, "It shouldn't be difficult to repair!"
Before long, Duke, holding two conduits, connected them together. Green light from alchemical liquid glowed in the pipes, and the entire arcade began to operate again.
Powder, with her arms crossed, squatted on the counter. When Duke stood up, she glanced at him, "Are you here to take me away?"
"Do you want to come with me?"
Duke flipped out from behind the counter and looked at the two toy guns on the counter. He found the paintballs from behind the counter.
"I don't want to leave here, I don't want to leave Vi, I don't want to leave everyone!"
Powder's voice sounded muffled. Duke had already loaded the paintballs into the toy guns. He placed one on the table and pushed it to Powder, while he held the other, slowly adjusting the sight with a screwdriver.
"And then ruin the new tavern?"
"I'll be careful. I'll set up my laboratory in a deserted place!"
"And then let them worry about you constantly, be anxious about your safety, and one day when they visit you, they'll find your miserable corpse?"
Duke raised his hand and hit the target, making the iron plate spin continuously, "Don't joke, Powder!"
"You know they're doing this for your own good, sending you up there with me to learn, to experience more things, and then achieve greater things!"
"But I don't want to go!"
"Then beat me! Aren't you quite talented?"
"If you beat me, I'll persuade them to let you stay. If you lose, come back to Piltover with me and get ready for class!"
"Do you agree?"
Looking at Duke, Powder grabbed the toy gun: "It's a deal?"
"It's a deal!"
Duke, with a confident smile, inwardly pouted. "It's so hard to coax a child!"