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Arcane: TTB: Ch. 01
🕑 Added 2025-01-21 00:32:17 +0000 UTCPiltover and Zaun were connected by a single bridge.
The Upper City was celebrated as the City of Progress, resplendent with dazzling lights, wine, and prosperity.
In contrast, Zaun, the Undercity has been poisoned by industrial waste and toxic fumes discharged by the Upper City.
Clouds drift between the cramped buildings, and the acrid smell of chemicals burns the nose of anyone unfortunate enough to breathe deeply.
The soil, water, and air were saturated with deadly toxins, and resources, dignity, and even freedom were enslaved. The people there lived in conditions unfit even for vermin.
Children played in puddles that glow an unnatural color, their clothes threadbare and faces smudged with industrial grime.
Separated by a bridge, the disparity between the flourishing and the barren was big, two seemingly different worlds.
Ironically, that bridge was called the Bridge of Progress!
In a small weapons factory in Zaun, workers deftly assemble various components into miniature machines. Each person knew their role.
The TICK-MK3 Hunter was an autonomous explosive drone designed and developed by Zaun's brilliant engineer, Cipher, inspired by the deadly devices used in the Frontier Wars.
Blueprints and technical diagrams cover the walls, showing the complex inner workings of the device.
Silco stood straight in the workshop, observing the production of the self-destructing machines. His presence alone made the workers' movements more hurried.
After a while, he turned to the factory production manager and asked, "How much longer will it take to fulfill this batch of orders?"
"At least another month." The manager's voice quivered slightly.
"Hmm?"
Silco stared coldly at the manager, his expressionless face accentuated by his disfigured half-face. His mechanical left eye, glowing crimson, exuded a chilling and terrifying presence.
"I've given you a comfortable life. Your family can afford honeyed bread and fresh milk. And this is what I get?"
His voice was cold, but his tone was calm. The manager, however, knew well the cruelty of Silco's methods.
As a simple craftsman earning his livelihood, the manager wasn't even considered a gang member. He had seen what happened to those who failed Silco.
Trembling, he replied to Silco's question. "The Piltovans... they've tightened their grip on every shipment. We've tried bribes, false papers, even smuggling through the old tunnels..."
"And?"
"They're watching everything now. After the last raid, we lost three of our best runners." The manager's voice grew quieter with each word. "With the factory's production capacity, we could meet the order within ten days, but... but the raw materials are strictly controlled by the Piltovans. We've really tried everything, but we can't procure enough. Without materials, the factory…"
Silco withdrew his gaze and raised a hand to interrupt the manager. "The issue of raw materials isn't your fault. I'll handle it. Where is Cipher?"
The relieved manager quickly replied, "He's in the research lab, working on a new weapon. He specifically instructed us not to disturb him, it's been a month already. Sometimes we hear explosions, but he ordered us to stay away."
"Hmm. You may leave."
Silco dismissed the manager and, accompanied by a blond-haired man, headed toward the research lab. Time to see what our brilliant engineer has been hiding away.
This time, he was visiting the factory to have a frank discussion with Cipher. The preliminary development of Shimmer had been completed, and Zaun now had sufficient power to demand respect.
He needed Cipher's cooperation.
---
Cipher was carefully crafting a special type of bullet, the Explosive Round, in his meticulously constructed weapons lab. Tools and components were arranged on his workbench, each in its exact place.
This was cutting-edge technology he had "borrowed" from another dimension's science, gathered from his exploits in Apex. Though he wasn't yet proficient in its use, he was making progress. Each failed attempt brought him closer to mastery.
The core principle of the explosive round involves filling the bullet with flammable and explosive substances, allowing for several production methods. The trick was finding the right balance, too much power and the bullet would be unstable, too little and it would be useless.
He had adapted the gas-filled explosive bullet to suit Zaun's conditions.
The most challenging part of making these bullets was the collection, production, and compression of suitable gases.
This required a series of complex chemical reactions, along with the precise addition of multiple catalysts and stabilizers at the right moments.
Steam hissed and chemicals bubbled as he worked.
It was an extremely tedious process with highly intricate principles, which Cipher didn't fully understand. Fortunately, he could simply copy formulas and strictly follow the steps outlined in the blueprints.
This was the most promising technology he had seen. Once the key points were mastered, mass production would be easy, and the method had a high level of confidentiality.
TV shows make it look so easy. The hero invents something, and suddenly everything changes. They never show the part where you have to teach a hundred people how not to blow themselves up.
Once the bullet was fired, it would ignite instantly, even in a vacuum, leaving almost no chance of being reverse-engineered. The destructive potential was both thrilling and terrifying.
This type of ammunition could be adapted into various calibers, offering wide applications and high consumption rates.
Cipher examined each completed round with careful attention, checking for any imperfections.
The key selling point was the explosive round's immense destructive power. When crafted to high standards, a single round could melt both armor and the person wearing it into liquid. The war-hungry Noxians would surely be willing to pay handsomely for such weapons.
This could bring an abundance of desperately needed supplies to Zaun, such as food, cotton, and medicine. Each successful bullet represented hope for a better future.
The newly established production line could provide nearly a thousand job opportunities. Even better, it could directly use the industrial waste gases discharged by the Piltovans as raw materials.
The initial steps of purifying and collecting the gases were eliminated, reducing air pollution in Zaun. It was a solution that solved multiple problems at once.
To achieve mass production, he had stayed in the research lab for nearly a month, often sleeping less than four hours a day.
Dark circles under his eyes testified to his dedication.
Today, he finally overcame the major hurdles and completed the preparations for mass production. Dozens of explosive rounds were neatly arranged on the workbench, each one perfect, each one a key to Zaun's future.
Next, he would need to hire a large number of workers, personally train them, and set up the production line to achieve mass production.
The real work was just beginning.
"In stories, I always roll my eyes at the convenient happy endings. But now that I'm actually here, seeing people suffer... well, maybe those writers were onto something. A little hope goes a long way."
Cipher picked up an explosive round and carefully admired it under the light. Not only could it bring wealth, but it also offered hope for Zaun's rise to prominence.
With it, many of his plans could finally become feasible. Its significance was immense.
"Beep..."
The heavy electronic password door to the research lab opened, and Silco entered with a blond-haired man.
Their footsteps echoed in the quiet lab.
"Still alive in here, I see," he called out.
"What do you want?" Cipher continued admiring the explosive round without turning his head. Only he and Silco knew the password to the lab's door.
"Just checking on you. I heard you haven't left the lab in a month, so I was a bit concerned."
Silco opened a bag he was holding, releasing a strong, sweet aroma.
"I brought you something you like. It's... chocolate, right? This stuff is so expensive. Heh, just this small amount could feed a family in Zaun for half a month. Those Piltovans really know how to indulge."
He deliberately emphasized the word Piltovans, and Cipher knew exactly what he meant. The chocolate was both a gesture and a reminder of the divide between the cities.
"Get to the point. You know I'm busy and don't have time for riddles."
Cipher put down the explosive round and took the bag from Silco. Inside was a bar of rich, dark chocolate. He had brought this for his sister once, and she had loved it.
Realizing there was no need to continue playing around, Silco fixed his gaze on Cipher and said, "You're wasting your talents here, working with... traditionalists."
"Traditionalists who don't turn children into test subjects?" Cipher examined another bullet.
Silco's smile was sharp. "Progress requires sacrifice."
"Funny how it's always someone else doing the sacrificing."
"You know as well as I do that the Piltovans won't listen unless extreme measures are taken."
"You shouldn't be associating with weaklings like Vander. You should join us. Together, we can make the Piltovans afraid, deeply afraid. We'll ensure they never dare to discriminate against or enslave a single Zaunite again. Our factories wouldn't even need to smuggle raw materials from Piltover!"
Cipher shrugged. He was well aware of the storyline. Silco's attitude made it clear, the alchemical drug Shimmer had been successfully developed.
The blond-haired man accompanying Silco confirmed this. His presence was like a walking advertisement for what Shimmer could do to a person.
In the original plot, this blond was the first human test subject for the Shimmer drug.
Silco's visit likely had two purposes. The first was to convince Cipher to sever ties with Vander and fully join his faction.
The second was a more sinister one: if Cipher refused to join, he would be eliminated to clear any obstacles to Silco's goal of unifying Zaun.
"Your drug is complete? Let me see."
Cipher appeared relaxed. Most people treated him as a frail researcher who couldn't hold his own in a fight.
What they didn't know was that he had systematically studied and adapted the combat techniques of Apex like Bangalore and Wraith, learning their advanced combat tactics and weapons handling.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he alone could take down all of Silco's subordinates, even if they were enhanced with Shimmer.
"Hmm!"
Silco didn't hesitate. With a look, he gestured for the blond-haired man to hand Cipher a vial.
The test tube contained a swirling purple liquid.
