Ryan opened his eyes.
The darkness seemed to come alive, surging with countless dazzling lines of light intertwining in ways that defied all rules.
They were sometimes gentle, sometimes turbulent, as if countless ink dots were constantly splashed, forming one exquisite and imaginative painting after another.
......
Ryan raised his hands.
In his palms, soothing streams of water slowly condensed into strange shapes.
They resembled spirits and animals, constantly shifting under the influence of a special rhythm.
......
Sounds echoed in Ryan’s ears.
Initially, it was a thunderous roar like a storm, but soon it transformed into the gentle murmur of a flowing stream.
They seemed to be right next to his ear, yet also thousands of miles away.
......
Gradually, these sounds and images slowly converged, and a scene appeared before Ryan.
A black curtain served as the background, and above it were incredibly exaggerated giant waterfalls, bizarre and strange creatures...
This was a painting, but it was also a world.
Upon seeing this, Ryan gently blinked, and a melancholic magical aura spread from the depths of his soul.
In an instant, all the images, sounds, and sensations vanished.
What appeared instead was a wooden house.
It wasn't the rigid, board-built house Ryan knew from his previous life, but a more exquisite, magical tree-nest, entirely grown from a giant tree.
In Ionia, people don't need to build houses with their own hands.
A rich magical aura permeates every part of Ionia like air, imbuing everything with a layer of spirituality.
When you need a wooden house, you only need to get along well with the tree spirits, and the trees will grow into the shape of a house on their own.
The only 'hidden danger' is that your house will continue to grow according to its own will.
For example, now, although not much time had passed, a branch had already appeared before Ryan, with sharp thorns growing on it, almost touching his cheek.
Silently stepping back, and ensuring the branch would not continue to grow, Ryan looked at the man sitting opposite him.
Long dark green hair, deep-set eyes, and prominent dark circles undoubtedly revealed the other person's identity.
This was an artist, and also the first 'hero' Ryan encountered after his transmigration—Hwei.
The images and sounds just now were not his imagination, but paintings embodying Hwei's complex thoughts.
At this moment, Hwei was looking at the free-growing branch, seemingly gaining new insights from the thorns, but ultimately he shook his head, returning his attention to reality, “They are still rejecting you.”
Ryan smiled indifferently, extending his hand and gently touching a thorn.
The thorn swayed slightly, as if ‘brandishing its claws,’ but ultimately made no further move.
“Compared to the beginning, it’s already quite friendly; before, it wanted to stab me to death, but now it’s more like a symbolic intimidation.”
“That’s good…” After confirming that the branch would not harm Ryan, Hwei finally returned to his main topic, “What did you think of that painting just now?”
Ryan pondered what he had seen and heard, “Are you depicting a world?”
Hwei’s eyes lit up, “Yes, whenever I look at the night sky, I always imagine what kind of world is hidden beneath that black backdrop; there might be many things we’ve never seen before.”
“The night sky, huh…” Ryan paused slightly, then raised his arm and casually sketched a few lines in the air in front of him, and a dark purple, melancholic magic instantly outlined a curtain, engulfing Hwei, “Perhaps I can offer you some inspiration.”
‘Om’
Almost the instant Ryan finished speaking, Hwei felt himself enter another world.
The surrounding air seemed to be instantly drawn away, and the entire world seemed to be left with only him.
A sense of desolation assailed his mind, but when he looked into the distance, he suddenly saw one incredibly giant spherical object after another.
These objects were scattered throughout the boundless darkness, each emitting a faint glow.
These giant spheres were far apart, yet some force seemed to be pulling them together.
And in a certain place further away, a huge, scorching fireball seemed to illuminate the entire world...
Just by gazing from afar, Hwei felt as if his soul was plunged into a scorching heat.
......
Watching Hwei immersed in the ‘painting,’ Ryan silently stood up and walked outside.
Based on past experience, Hwei would need at least half an hour to awaken from the scene he created.
Waiting was out of the question.
He wasn't an artist; those so-called 'paintings' were merely memories he brought from another world.
In any world, in any era, the value of “art” is often directly proportional to its degree of detachment from the masses.
For Ryan, those overly ethereal achievements were never what he pursued; he still preferred the feeling of being grounded.
Opening the door of the book house, outside was a clear blue ocean and a golden beach.
On the Ionian maps, this area belongs to the Navori territory.
From Ryan's position looking north, one could vaguely see Mill Town and market buildings, as well as the Hook Cliffs further back, like a fortress.
According to Hwei, this place used to be bustling with people.
But a few years ago, Noxus invaded this pure land, and from then on, all the seaside towns became quieter than the waves.
Although the wheels of war had temporarily stopped, the shadow it cast still lingered over Ionia.
For Ionians, the seaside meant danger, because you never knew where those Noxus barbarians would land next.
Now, only those who deeply loved this beach were willing to live nearby.
Ryan only felt regret about this.
As a transmigrator, he knew where the true ‘front line’ was.
Hundreds of miles southwest, hidden under a thick haze, there was an island named Filo.
On the island, there was a military fortress.
Noxus had never given up its covetous gaze on Ionia; even with a temporary ceasefire, that bunker still held Noxus elite soldiers, like a fishbone stuck firmly in Ionia’s throat.
But ordinary Ionians did not know these things.
They could only fearfully stay away from all potentially dangerous places.
Pulling his gaze back, Ryan saw fruits tightly wrapped on the beach not far away.
Although this was Ionia, fruits wouldn't package themselves and deliver themselves to your doorstep.
He smiled and walked over, and as he expected, a line of text was left on the sand next to the fruit—‘These are what we had extra.’
“Can’t they come up with another excuse…?”
Ryan shook his head and picked up the fruit.
The fresh scent of fruit proved they had just been picked recently.
Almost every two or three days, the nearby Ionians would send over a portion of their ‘extra’ food.
Perhaps in the eyes of these kind Ionians, Ryan, this reclusive youth disliked by the First Land, would starve to death without their help.
For this kindness, Ryan currently had no way to repay it.
After all, as someone despised by the First Land, he was truly unable to move an inch here.
After tidying up the fruits, Ryan walked towards the sea.
Before Hwei woke up, he needed to fulfill his duty.
With his ankles submerged in the sea, Ryan closed his eyes under the sun, and as his perception began to swirl with his soul power, he seemed to see the island with the military fortress.
And at this moment, the entire island, even the military fortress, was covered by a black soul.
Madness;
Helplessness;
Melancholy…
Countless negative emotions surged within that black soul, making the entire island seem as if it could be annihilated at any moment.
Looking at this black soul, Ryan revealed a warm smile.
He tried to make his voice sound amiable.
“Having nightmares again… Syndra.”
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New book released, hope all brothers will support it!
