Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 161: Jinx Wants to Get Stronger

When Logan got back, he told Jinx everything that had happened today. She didn't really care about any of it, but it was his habit.

Just like Jinx would share her weird inventions and little gadgets with Logan every single day.

Logan, in turn, would tell her about the things he ran into during the day.

Even though she wasn't interested at all, Jinx still sat obediently at the dining table and listened while Logan talked about the people he'd met.

Every now and then, she'd chime in with a comment.

"So she's really that strong? But Logan… she's younger than me. Can she actually beat Vander?"

"Yeah. Really, really strong. But Irelia, who's coming here in a few days, should be even stronger than her."

Jinx held her chopsticks, then mumbled around them, "Then, Logan… do you think I can become that strong too?"

"If you use the weapons you make yourself… I think you're already stronger than them," Logan said after thinking it over.

When technology advances far enough, it can create destruction on the level of a demigod.

Jinx couldn't do that yet—but who could say what the future held? A fully completed Super Mega Death Rocket! was, in Logan's eyes, absolutely comparable to a real missile.

And if Jinx used that thing to bombard the Kinkou Order, could Akali deal with it?

Obviously not.

In the face of a Super Mega Death Rocket barrage, it wouldn't matter how fast or agile Akali was—she couldn't dodge a wide-area strike on the level of a natural disaster.

At the end of the day, Akali might be powerful—fighting dozens, even hundreds of Noxians alone wouldn't be out of the question—but she was still within the bounds of "human." Get hit by a bullet, you bleed. Get pierced by a blade, you scar.

On the other hand, if Akali went to assassinate Jinx, Jinx wouldn't last two exchanges against her.

But it was obvious that what Jinx meant by "strong," and what Logan meant, weren't the same thing.

"I mean me," Jinx said, slumping onto the table. She bit her chopsticks and held her head, looking listless. "I mean… can I become strong like you guys? Strong like that even without weapons."

Ever since leaving Zaun, Jinx had realized there were way too many monsters in this world.

Back in Zaun, she'd always felt she could fight just fine. Even without weapons, just with her fists and kicks, she could handle three or five people at once and make a mess of them.

Anything Vi could do, she could do too.

But once she actually got out… she realized she'd been thinking about the world way too simply—especially in Ionia.

There were just too many strong people here. A few days ago, when she went fishing with Logan at dusk, she saw a resident of Bondweave Village—just some farmer from town—launch himself with one kick and jump more than three meters into the air.

Three meters!

And it looked like he barely even tried. Like it was effortless.

It made Jinx seriously question how it was possible that they were all "human," yet Zaunites could be so much worse physically than Ionians.

Was it because of magic?

Because Ionians ate food steeped in magic, lived in an environment overflowing with magic—so their bodies changed?

The more Jinx thought about it, the more convinced she became that her guess was right. But then she realized it was a long process. In Viktor's words, it was evolution.

Ionians had lived here for countless years—nearly ten thousand—until, generation by generation, their genetics shifted into what they were now.

Which meant it wasn't like Jinx could just live here for a while, eat some local fruit, and suddenly be able to casually hop three meters like an Ionian.

"Why are you suddenly thinking about getting stronger?" Logan said, amused as he looked at Jinx, whose appetite had clearly dropped.

If it was about getting stronger…

Jinx actually could get stronger. Use Zaun's existing Shimmer tech—become Shimmer-modified.

After all, during the Battle of the Twin Cities, wasn't she injected with Shimmer by Singed and turned into a "Shimmer superhuman"?

But strength at that level was still only "a bit above normal people." If she didn't use her own weapons, she still couldn't compare to Akali.

"Pressure," Jinx said, looking at Logan. "I feel pressure now. Do you get it?" Then she continued, "Ever since we left Zaun, the number of people you know keeps growing… and they're all young, capable, and pretty."

As she spoke, Jinxie let out a long sigh. "Sigh…"

Back in Zaun, Logan was popular too—but everyone was terrified of the blue-haired little maniac beside him. Once they left Zaun, it was different. Nobody knew who Jinx was.

And what happened in Bilgewater had been a serious wake-up call for her.

Logan really was dangerously charming.

Like a deflated balloon, Jinx slumped over the table and ate in tiny, halfhearted bites.

Seeing that, Logan stood up and ruffled her hair, smiling. "Haven't I told you a thousand times? Stop overthinking. I'm not leaving you."

"I know," Jinx said, scrunching her nose. "But I can't help it. Overthinking is just… how women are."

"If you want to get stronger, I'll see if I can come up with something," Logan said after thinking. Making Jinx stronger wasn't a bad thing.

If she felt threatened, she'd get anxious. And beyond that, being stronger meant Jinx could protect herself—so it was a good thing.

So Logan said, "When we get back to Zaun, show Janna some respect, alright? Stop treating her like a pet."

"What do you mean—Janna can make me stronger?" Jinx's eyes lit up. She popped upright and stared at Logan.

She was sharp. Logan hadn't spelled it out, but from that one sentence, she'd already caught the key point.

Seriously—if Janna could make her stronger, then when they got back, she'd treat Janna like royalty! No more poking her little belly with a pen. No more rubbing her head.

Respecting a god, right? Yeah, Jinx could do that.

"Janna's a god," Logan said. "The more people believe in her, the stronger she becomes. And gods… they can do things normal people can't even understand. Otherwise, why would they be gods?"

"So when we get back, respect Janna. Build a good relationship with her. Once her power fully recovers, you can ask her for help—she'll definitely be able to make you stronger. You might even gain the ability to use magic," Logan said, looking at Jinx.

He genuinely felt it was doable. After all, with Ahri and Kindred's help, he'd gained magic. And across Runeterra, there were plenty of stories proving that a god's chosen can wield extraordinary power.

If you put it one way, it was kind of like… a blessing.

Anivia granted humans the power to wield true ice. A demon granted Nilah demigod-level strength. The celestials of Targon chose mortals as their vessels—turning them into Aspects.

Even here in Ionia, Karma's power was a kind of inheritance.

So once Janna recovered her strength, she should be able to do something like that too.

But giving Jinx Janna's power…?

The moment Logan pictured it, it felt oddly wrong.

Because Jinx doing magic was something Logan had never even considered. Just imagine it—an unmatched scientific genius suddenly running around using magic. That was weird—wasn't it?

Wait. No. Logan suddenly remembered something.

Actually, Jinx using magic wasn't that weird.

Because in the skin universes—among the Star Guardian skins—Jinx really was a magical girl.

The kind of magical girl who shouted about friendship and bonds and then got all fired up.

Logan was imagining Jinx using magic, while Jinx… the instant she heard she could get stronger, she cheered right back up. Her moods came fast and went fast. She lowered her head and started absolutely demolishing her food.

Morning in Navori, inside the resistance camp.

Irelia was fully dressed and equipped. Several silver-glinting blades floated behind her as she stepped out of her shelter and into the open air of the camp.

She rubbed her face and immediately felt the cold bite into her skin.

Northern Ionia was too close to the Freljord—there were stretches of icy mountains not far off. Because of that, the climate was influenced by those conditions. In the mornings, the air in Navori was thick with moisture. When the breeze came through, with no trees to block it, the damp cold wind cut straight to the bone.

Even Irelia couldn't help shivering. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself.

She lifted her head and looked toward the far end of the camp. An elderly woman—an old farmwife—was sitting alone in a recliner, dozing.

"Ma'am," Irelia said after thinking for a moment. She walked over. "Why are you out here so early?"

The old woman opened her eyes. When she saw Irelia, her face split into a wide smile, revealing several missing front teeth.

"When you get old, you don't sleep as much," the old woman said cheerfully. "Couldn't fall asleep, so I came out to sit for a while."

"You shouldn't fall asleep out here," Irelia said sternly. "The morning air is damp. If you get sick, it'll be trouble."

Irelia was usually very patient with the elderly.

"It's fine. I'm dressed pretty warm," the old woman said. Then she glanced at Irelia and added, "You, though—Xan's daughter… why aren't you sleeping a little longer? You're still growing."

As she spoke, she sat up and reached into her pocket, taking out a handful of hard-shelled dried nuts.

She offered them to Irelia with a smile. "Want some?"

"We're running low on food," Irelia said, looking at the nuts in her palm.

The forest spirits around them had fallen into a frenzy. The camp was short on supplies—someone like Irelia only ate two meals a day now, and that was nothing compared to the ordinary people in the camp.

"Relax, Xan's daughter," the old woman said with a laugh. "This land has never been short on food." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She pulled a small knife from behind her back, pried one nut open, and chewed.

After a couple bites, she said, "See? This stuff isn't made for an old woman like me."

Irelia pressed her thumb slightly—and crushed the shell cleanly. She took the nut inside and put it into her mouth.

It was fragrant and sweet.

Without thinking, Irelia cracked another and ate it too.

The old woman watched, then used her knife to pry open more nuts and handed them over to Irelia one by one.

"You're not eating?" Irelia asked.

"I'm old," the woman replied. "My teeth aren't good anymore. I can't bite."

Irelia nodded. The old woman pried one open, and Irelia ate it.

The air fell into a quiet hush. Then Irelia couldn't help saying, "Will you listen if I complain a little?"

"Of course," the old woman said. "You're our leader."

Irelia froze. "Leader?" She shook her head. "But… I never wanted to be a leader. And I'm not worthy of it."

The old woman looked at her in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"Yesterday, I killed someone again," Irelia said. Her eyes flickered with grief. She lowered her head, tightening her grip around the nuts in her hand. "Someone who used to be our companion."

"The cemetery is full of bodies. Before, it was our people who died fighting the Noxians. Now… it's our people I killed with my own hands."

"This is already the fourth one this month."

The old woman didn't speak. She simply watched Irelia, listening to the child pour out her pain.

Sometimes, she thought they were too cruel—piling every burden onto this girl.

Fifteen years old, at the age when she should've been doted on at home—loved by her parents, cared for by elders.

Instead, she'd become their leader. Everyone had pushed her into that position. No one had asked whether she wanted it. Whether she was willing.

It was treated like something that was supposed to happen. Like it was only natural.

"…No one wants to accept the end of a familiar life," Irelia said, voice tight. "All of this is forced on us. I keep telling myself that if we hand this land to the Navori Brotherhood, it won't be any better than Noxus…"

"But I… I'm really, really tired."

When Irelia finished, her body jolted—because she realized her hand had been clasped by another.

A calloused hand. Warm. Steady. Full of heat.

Irelia looked up—

And met the old woman's eyes.

"Everything is the will of the Great Spirit, child," the old woman said seriously. "This isn't your fault."

"But I shattered peace," Irelia said. Her words sped up, panic rising. "Sometimes I even think… maybe I killed peace with my own hands. If I hadn't chosen to leave the Brotherhood, if I—"

"Trust your instincts," the old woman interrupted gently. "Didn't you just say it yourself? If the Brotherhood controlled this land, it wouldn't be better than Noxus."

"But peace…" Irelia insisted, desperate.

"Peace," the old woman repeated softly. "What a beautiful word."

"Believe me, child—I know better than you what peaceful years look like. I miss that time. Those days were truly wonderful."

As she spoke, she let go of Irelia's hand, picked up another nut and her knife, and began prying the shell open.

"But the world has changed," she said. "What's past is past. Me, you, everyone—we don't need to cling to what used to be."

She placed the opened nut into Irelia's hand and smiled.

"Do you know? When I was young, I could do what you just did. I didn't need a knife. I could crack these open with my hands. Back then I was strong. My teeth were good too—I could eat anything."

"But now I can't."

"The young me would've been unhappy about that," the old woman continued, unbothered. "But what does that matter?"

"Because the young me doesn't have to live here, in this moment."

Irelia blinked. It was like she understood… and like she didn't.

But she did feel lighter.

"Wen sent someone to tell me I should go to Bondweave Village," Irelia said. "He wants me to recruit two people to join the resistance. But inviting them… is it a good thing, or a bad thing?"

She asked the old woman directly.

She trusted the old woman's wisdom. People like her had seen all kinds of things over long lives.

Her own grandmother had been like that too—words Irelia still carried in her heart.

The old woman lifted her head and looked at Irelia, then leaned back in her chair. As she closed her eyes, she said:

"I think you already know the answer, Xan's daughter."

"You look a lot brighter than you did a moment ago."

"…."

Irelia stayed quiet for two seconds, then tucked the nuts into an inner pocket of her clothing.

A rare smile appeared on her face.

Fine.

Then she'd go to Bondweave Village.

She'd see what kind of "masters" Wen was talking about.

Besides—she hadn't been south in a very, very long time.

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