Chapter 501 - 501: Bel’Veth (EC)

At that moment, Kai'Sa felt the voice in her mind gradually fade away.

She still had the nagging feeling that something about this place was wrong, an inexplicable sense of dissonance she couldn't shake.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Luke thought for a moment, then stepped forward. Kai'Sa followed, and the two entered the Lavender Sea, moving slowly while keeping a careful eye on their surroundings.

The Void fish showed no intention of attacking. They drifted overhead as though gravity had no hold on them.

Before long, the two stopped in front of a collapsed building. Shuriman writing had been carved into the surviving wall, though it had long since been covered in dust.

Kai'Sa stepped closer and swept the dust away with her hand. As the inscription underneath came into view, she slowly read it aloud.

"Bel... veth."

A memory flashed through her mind. At last, she remembered where this place was.

"No wonder this place felt so familiar," she murmured. "Belveth was a city that was swallowed by the Void."

She remembered now. In fact, the memory was still relatively recent.

Back then, she had sensed the appearance of a Void rift and rushed toward it without stopping. When she arrived, she discovered that the entire city had already been consumed.

Belveth.

It had once been one of Shurima's oldest cities, a place with a long history and rich culture, yet it had been wiped out in an instant.

By the time she arrived, there wasn't a single survivor.

The people who had lived here seemed to have simply vanished from the face of the earth.

After searching numerous areas and finding nothing, she eventually left.

She had never imagined that in such a short period of time, this place would change so dramatically.

The moment Kai'Sa mentioned the Lavender Sea, Luke had already anticipated something. Before he could speak, however, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.

It was like an earthquake. Ahead of them, a wall made from piles of broken debris crashed to the ground, and a huge school of Void fish, each about the size of a wild dog, swam out from behind it.

Beyond the fallen wall appeared a long, mysterious corridor. On either side stood iridescent tentacles several miles high. Tens of thousands of Void remora swam through this place like schools of fish in the deep ocean, while a false sun cast rays of light through countless bubbles, scattering rainbow-like colors across the surroundings.

The sight was breathtakingly beautiful, yet hideous and deeply unnatural at the same time.

Suddenly, Kai'Sa felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon her.

It was far more terrifying than the horned monster they had encountered that day. It felt as though some unspeakably powerful existence had appeared, and every hair on her body stood on end.

When she looked farther ahead, Kai'Sa's eyes widened.

In the briefest instant, an enormous figure had somehow appeared at the far end of the corridor.

She stood there silently, yet her very presence sent chills down Kai'Sa's spine. Countless Void remora circled around her like birds wheeling above a distant mountain peak.

"Run."

Kai'Sa forced the word through clenched teeth.

She wanted Luke to flee, to escape at any cost.

The existence in the distance was vastly stronger than the horned monster from before.

"Don't be afraid."

Luke raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder, dispelling the chill that had spread through her body.

Kai'Sa suddenly felt the crushing pressure disappear. All her senses returned to normal, and when she looked at the distant figure again, she no longer seemed quite as terrifying.

Luke gazed at the figure as information concerning her flashed through his mind.

Bel'Veth, the Empress of the Void.

"Welcome, both of you, to the Lavender Sea."

Bel'Veth spoke from the distance, her voice calm and composed. Yet her words thundered through the surroundings. The sound bent and compressed everything around it, simultaneously a whisper and a roar. Space folded over itself endlessly, as though millions of voices had joined together into a single aria.

"Who are you? And why did you call me here?"

Kai'Sa had already calmed down. She stared at Bel'Veth in the distance.

A possibility had occurred to her, but it seemed so absurd that even she found it impossible to believe.

"You should already understand what I am."

Bel'Veth seemed capable of sensing Kai'Sa's thoughts. She walked forward slowly, moving like an elegant queen, then continued in the same composed tone.

"Their lives became the raw components that brought about my birth. Memories, emotions, history. I am no different from Belveth, and I have inherited its name."

Kai'Sa's eyes widened slightly, shock surging through her heart.

The possibility had occurred to her, but hearing Bel'Veth confirm it herself was still incredibly shocking.

She was Bel'Veth, a new existence formed from everything that had once made up the city.

For some reason, from the very moment Kai'Sa saw her, she had instinctively arrived at that conclusion.

A new Void life-form formed from the condensed essence of Runeterra itself. This was something Kai'Sa had never even imagined could exist.

In an instant, she realized just how terrifying Bel'Veth truly was.

An existence possessing entirely new intelligence, transcending every previous concept of what a Voidborn could be, was terrifying beyond measure.

"I don't sense any hostility from you, so let's keep this simple. What do you want?"

Luke finally spoke, calmly meeting Bel'Veth's gaze.

He knew Bel'Veth's origins. He also knew what she was about to ask of them, and he knew that, as far as the Void was concerned, she represented something entirely new.

"I like your composure."

Bel'Veth had already drawn close. Her outward appearance resembled that of a tall woman of immense status and authority. She stopped rather than approaching any farther and looked at the two of them.

"Humans as unusual as you two rarely appear within the Void."

"Many have come before you, wielding weapons they believed sufficient to drive back the Void. In the end, however, they all became nourishment. The fragments that remained, if anything remained at all, became the salt of the Lavender Sea."

"Only three survived. Of them, only you retained your mind completely intact. And you..."

Her gaze slowly shifted toward Luke, a hint of interest appearing within it.

"You seem completely unaffected by the Void."

The Void could corrupt the will of virtually any being. Even the Ascended, beings comparable to gods, had not been immune. For all this time, Kai'Sa had been the only exceptional existence capable of retaining her sanity despite prolonged exposure.

Luke's situation was even more unusual.

Even Kai'Sa had been forced to wear a living Void carapace, while Luke needed nothing at all. He could simply walk through the Void as though it were anywhere else.

Originally, Bel'Veth had intended to summon Kai'Sa alone.

Now, she had changed her mind.

Luke's circumstances were naturally different. His Mental Barrier could even render him immune to Fiddlesticks's fear, and on top of that, he had three World Rune fragments protecting him.

Combined with the Void properties of the Void Riftblade, he could completely ignore the Void's influence.

Kai'Sa caught the important part of what Bel'Veth had said.

"Who is the other person?"

Bel'Veth looked toward her, and what seemed like a smile appeared on her human head.

"Your father."

Looking into those elegant, extraordinary eyes, Kai'Sa suddenly felt as though something heavy had settled over her heart. Countless thoughts raced wildly through her mind.

But she quickly calmed herself again, staring coldly at Bel'Veth.

"You think I'm lying to you."

Bel'Veth remained as composed as ever, without the slightest trace of anger.

"But I never lie, because I have no need to. The Void's ultimate victory is an immutable fact. There is no need for lies, embellishment, or uncertainty. There is simply a process that must unfold before that conclusion is reached."

"What exactly do you want? If you can read my mind, then you should already know that I will never help you."

Just as Bel'Veth seemed capable of seeing through her thoughts, Kai'Sa could faintly sense what Bel'Veth wanted as well.

She was completely different from every other Voidborn Kai'Sa had encountered so far.

She possessed a unique kind of intelligence.

"This isn't about helping me. It is something you must do."

Bel'Veth spoke calmly, then glanced at Luke.

"Joining forces with me is the most advantageous choice available to you right now."

Luke replied, "Then tell us why."

"I can help you escape," Bel'Veth said. "The Watchers have already taken notice of you. What awaits you now is an endless pursuit, and during that time they will not open a single Void rift through which you might escape. I, however, can help you leave the Void."

Luke took out the Void Riftblade.

"They're hunting me because of this?"

"Correct."

Bel'Veth nodded slightly.

"It is a key. A key they require."

Luke continued, "Why do you call it a key?"

Bel'Veth smiled faintly.

"A key is naturally meant to open a door. If the Void wishes to enter Runeterra, does it not need a door that can be opened?"

Understanding finally dawned on Luke. He looked down at the Void Riftblade, having never imagined it possessed such a function.

"It was born within the Spirit Realm. To the Void, that makes it a unique existence positioned between the Void and the Spirit Realm. With it, the Void can establish a connection to the Spirit Realm whenever it wishes."

Bel'Veth continued as though she knew everything.

"Then, with another key that connects to the material realm, a true 'door' can be opened. None of the Void rifts that have appeared thus far can truly be called doors."

Luke nodded slightly.

Kai'Sa asked, "Then why are you helping us?"

"Because I require your help as well."

Kai'Sa immediately asked another question.

"Why? Aren't you part of the Void?"

"No. I represent the Void as a whole, the true Void, rather than any single thing within it."

Bel'Veth spoke calmly.

"The Void has existed for thousands of years. Before the first stars were ever kindled in the distant emptiness of space, we already existed. Perfect. Singular. Silent. Then came a sound."

"From those whispers, reality was born, and we were steeped in it. We were changed by its influence. Broken. Transformed. No matter how we struggled, we could never return to what we had once been. My progenitors, the Watchers, attempted to invade and destroy existence, but instead they were tainted by it. They began to crave worship. They began to crave understanding."

"Then, in a single moment, they were betrayed. Forced to change so completely, only to ultimately be cast aside. Existence filled them with an indescribable hatred. They would annihilate all of reality without the slightest hesitation."

"However, their metamorphosis was incomplete. Only now does the true transformation begin."

Bel'Veth's voice grew increasingly certain.

"We will become all of you."

Kai'Sa listened coldly.

"So in the end, you still want everything in Runeterra. You're no different from the Void wanting to erase everything."

"That is the final outcome."

Bel'Veth looked at her.

"The Void is the beginning of all things, and it will also be their end. Runeterra's annihilation by the Void is inevitable. It is a fact that cannot be changed. And precisely because of that, our transaction has meaning."

"What transaction?" Kai'Sa asked.

Bel'Veth answered, "To the Watchers who came before us, my existence is an insult. Creation burns them. They are desperate to erase you, me, and everything else, if only to put an end to that pain. If they escape their prison, there will be no opportunity left to turn the situation around. Time will reach its end, and all things will end with it."

"I need you to help me oppose the Watchers and wrest control of the Void back from them."

"If you help me, I will grant you and your kind a reprieve. A day, a month, a year... perhaps until after your deaths, perhaps longer. Because the Void's victory is the ultimate result, and nothing will ever change that."

"But perhaps, during that time, you might discover a weapon capable of killing me, of killing the Void."

She stated it all like a magnanimous empress calmly presenting an indisputable fact.

Kai'Sa was furious inside, but even she fell silent.

Luke also knew that Bel'Veth wasn't actually wrong.

The Void truly was extremely difficult to deal with. Even now, he had no particularly effective way of combating it.

After all, the armies of the Ascended had gone through enormous effort back then merely to seal the Void rifts.

They had only sealed the rifts, not eradicated the Void itself.

Aside from perhaps that one supreme being in Runeterra, the Void was likely beyond almost anyone's ability to handle.

But having no solution now didn't mean there would be no solution in the future.

What Luke had always needed most was time.

As long as he had enough time, he could continue growing stronger through his check-ins.

From that perspective, Bel'Veth's proposed deal was actually acceptable.

And because Luke knew Bel'Veth's background, he also knew she wasn't lying.

Her arrogance came from the overwhelming power of the Void itself. She had absolutely no doubt that the Void would ultimately emerge victorious, so in the face of what she considered an inevitable conclusion, the process leading there simply didn't matter to her.

Luke thought for a moment before looking at Bel'Veth.

"Three questions. First, how are we supposed to help you fight the Watchers? If they're really that powerful, there probably isn't much we can do against them. Second, what was the deal with those monsters? Third, how are we supposed to trust you?"

Even though he understood her background, he still couldn't completely trust Bel'Veth.

"The Watchers are currently imprisoned. I do not need you to face them directly. I merely need you to find a certain place before they escape."

A faint smile appeared on Bel'Veth's human head.

She had known Luke was unusual. If she had been dealing with Kai'Sa alone, she probably would have needed much longer to explain everything.

Of course, Kai'Sa would eventually have understood what she meant and chosen to help her as well.

With Luke here, however, much of that process could simply be skipped.