What Cipher said to Swain was beyond belief, so much so that Swain had everyone else leave.
The once lively bar was now left with only the two of them.
By the time Swain left The Last Drop, it was already the next morning. No one knew what they had talked about, but those who glimpsed Swain's expression as he departed spoke of a man who had either gained a powerful ally or discovered a dangerous new variable in his carefully plans.
He stayed in Piltover and Zaun for only seven days total. He didn't return to Zaun during that time, instead conducting meetings with Piltovan Council members and quietly assessing the political landscape. On the seventh day, the Noxian army resumed its march southward, toward Shurima and whatever conquest awaited there.
---
"What's so urgent that brought you back in such a hurry?" Cipher asked with genuine interest as he looked at the newly returned Viktor, who appeared both exhausted and energized in that peculiar way of a scientist who had just made a breakthrough.
Viktor's usually pale complexion had taken on a slight tan from the harsh desert sun of Qurac.
"I've learned a lot over there. This time, I came back to enhance our self-defense capabilities, and for myself."
He took a deep breath, his lungs working to readjust to Zaun's unique atmospheric cocktail after months of breathing Qurac's cleaner, if explosively dangerous, air.
Then, he set down a heavy case filled with schematics and prototype components.
"What technology did you manage to crack? Zaun's industrial foundation is weak; very few technologies from Qurac can actually be implemented."
Cipher's interest was piqued, but he also felt a familiar concern. Viktor had always been brilliant, but brilliance combined with desperation could lead to dangerous shortcuts. If Viktor spoke so confidently, he must have found something extraordinary, or potentially catastrophic.
"Plasma cannon!"
Viktor's expression lit up with the fervor of scientific discovery.
"Not just any plasma weapon," he continued, pulling out a detailed schematic covered in his meticulous handwriting and cross-referenced calculations. "This is adapted from Bialyan military hardware, their elite forces' signature weapon. The concentrated plasma bolts can punch through tank armor like it's paper, and the energy efficiency is unlike anything I've seen."
He spread the blueprints across Cipher's desk, pushing aside paperwork to make room. "But here's the ingenious part, I've figured out how to integrate it with Apex world shield technology."
"How did you solve the energy problem?"
Cipher leaned forward, studying the complex diagrams. Viktor's handwriting was barely legible in places where excitement had overtaken precision, but the underlying mathematics looked sound. Damn, he needed to relearn mathematics if he wanted to understand anything Viktor wrote from now on.
Still, the energy requirements for plasma weaponry were enormous.
"The Bialyan technology uses experimental quantum battery cells that require infrastructure we simply don't have," Viktor explained, tapping a section of the schematic. "Their manufacturing process involves rare earth elements we can't obtain and precision equipment that costs more than our entire annual budget."
He flipped to another page, revealing a completely different design approach. "So I turned to Hextech. Using the principles I learned from studying Apex world energy systems, I developed a hybrid approach."
"Ah... ok," Cipher simply said. There was no other way...
"Using modified Hextech crystals as the base, we can create stabilized energy cores. When connected in series with capacitors salvaged from Bialyan equipment, the energy output increases exponentially. I've run the calculations dozens of times, just three properly configured crystals can match the output of their quantum cells. As for endurance, that's actually our advantage. Hextech crystals have an automatic recharging effect that their technology lacks. Their soldiers have to swap power cells mid-battle. Ours would never run dry."
Viktor became visibly excited when discussing his field of expertise.
"There's another problem, the plasma cannon is a heavy weapon. It requires high physical fitness from the user. How do you plan to solve that?" Cipher studied Viktor's frame, noting how the months in Qurac had actually strengthened him somewhat, but he was still far from the physical specimen needed to handle military-grade plasma weaponry.
"I remember that in Bialya, even their elite soldiers needed extensive enhancement procedures before they could effectively wield plasma weapons without the recoil tearing their shoulders apart. The enforcers in Zaun should meet the physical requirements, right?"
Viktor nodded grimly. "That's where things get complicated. Standard Bialyan enhancement involves surgical implants and chemical conditioning that takes months. We don't have that luxury."
He pulled out another set of documents, these bearing medical notes and biological diagrams. "But the shimmer serum has that potential, if properly modified. I'll need help from Dr. Singed."
His expression grew troubled at the mention of his old mentor. "We once parted ways due to differing beliefs about the value of life, but now..." He gestured toward the weapons schematics. "Now I'm starting to understand his pragmatic approach a little bit."
As he looked down at the documents in his hands, a sorrowful expression flickered in his eyes.
"During our interactions with Dr. Baiul, she noticed something wrong with my body."
The words came out carefully, as if he had rehearsed this moment multiple times. "She's brilliant, probably the most accomplished biotechnician I've ever met. Her background includes advanced studies in genetic therapy and cybernetic integration."
His hands trembled slightly as he continued. "After a thorough examination, the conclusion was, I have only about five years left to live."
Silence.
Cipher had expected this revelation, but Viktor's clinical delivery made it somehow more devastating.
"To be honest, I never imagined that death could be this close. I always thought I'd have time to finish my work, to see Zaun become something better." Viktor gripped the papers tightly, his fingertips pale from the pressure, as if the documents were his last straw to cling to life.
"With their advanced medical technology, there should be a way to cure you. Did Dr. Baiul say anything about that?"
Cipher's face showed concern, but in truth, he wasn't actually worried.
In the original story, Viktor developed a sudden and severe illness several years later. On the brink of death, he placed all his hopes in Hextech.
By accident, he ended up creating the Hexcore, which ultimately led to his ascension, and eventually, the disastrous "Glorious Evolution," during which he forcibly performed frontal lobe removal surgeries on everyone in Piltover and Zaun.
But now, with access to multiple dimensions of technology, perhaps there was another path.
The Apex world's medical technology, combined with Quraci research and Hextech innovation, might offer solutions that the original Viktor never had access to.
"Actually, yes," Viktor said. "Qurac recently made contact with refugees from what they call 'Thanagar,' some kind of advanced civilization with incredible biotechnology. Flying people with wings, if you can believe it."
He pulled out another set of documents, these written in a mixture of English, Arabic, and symbols that looked distinctly alien. "There's a cybernetic refugee among them, someone who underwent extensive biological modification using their technology. Dr. Baiul obtained modification data from studying their physiology and gave me a copy."
He showed a hint of happiness. He had clearly already looked over that data. "Instead of replacing failing organs, they enhance the entire biological system to function beyond normal parameters."
"That's promising. Should we head to Dr. Singed's Shimmer Lab? Just hearing the term 'biotechnological modification' makes me think we'll need shimmer serum."
Cipher was genuinely pleased. If advanced alien biotechnology was available through Qurac's connections, combined with their existing knowledge from two different dimensions, Viktor might actually have a fighting chance. Though he couldn't help but wonder about these Thanagarian refugees and what kind of catastrophe had driven an advanced flying civilization to seek shelter in war-torn Qurac of all places.
"There's one more thing," Viktor said. "Qurac's intelligence service, their Special Operations Division, directly under Prime Minister Al-Bashir, has secretly reached out to us. They're hoping we in Zaun can help rescue a high-value prisoner who was captured by Bialyan forces during their last major offensive."
He pulled out a sealed envelope bearing official Quraci government markings. "Thanks to our assistance and some unexpected allies, including apparently these Thanagarian refugees, Qurac's defensive capabilities have improved dramatically. They've even begun limited counterattacks and reclaimed some territory."
"But there's something they're not telling us about this prisoner," he continued. "They claim it's an important political figure, but their level of desperation suggests someone much more valuable. The compensation they're offering is substantial."
He gave Cipher an update on recent events in Qurac while carefully avoiding adding his own opinion about the rescue mission, knowing that Cipher preferred to make such decisions with complete information but without undue influence.
What he didn't mention was that the request was actually something Janna had subtly encouraged during their private conversations. Besides Janna's divine abilities, Zaun's military power was still developing compared to either Bialya's advanced tech or Qurac's desperate determination.
"Rescue a prisoner, huh…"
Cipher leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he started thinking.
This matter had significant pros and cons. Success in rescuing this mysterious figure could dramatically deepen Zaun's relationship with Qurac, potentially opening access to previously classified technologies. They might even gain direct contact with these Thanagarian refugees and their advanced capabilities, knowledge that could revolutionize everything from medicine to transportation.
The downside was considerably more dangerous. Any prisoner that Bialya considered valuable enough to hold personally was almost certainly someone Queen Bee wanted for more than political leverage. Taking action would draw her direct attention, and her mind control abilities made her one of the most dangerous metahumans on the planet. One look into her eyes could turn their entire rescue team into willing servants of Bialya.
But there was another consideration: intelligence.
A successful mission would provide invaluable insight into Bialyan capabilities, security measures, and potentially the source of Queen Bee's power. Information that could prove crucial if conflict between their dimensions escalated.
"Tell them yes. Once we confirm the prisoner's location, we'll act!"
After careful consideration, Cipher decided to go for it.
"Cowards starve, the bold feast," he said with a slight smile, unconsciously echoing words Silco might have used in a similar situation.
If Zaun couldn't leverage cutting-edge technology from multiple dimensions, they'd never be able to hold their ground against the threats that were surely coming. Whether from ancient monsters, Darkin, or demigods, beings capable of wiping out entire cities or nations.
And how could he secure Zaun's future if he couldn't even take risks when the potential rewards were enormous?
For the cause, some gambles had to be made.
Viktor's throat moved as he swallowed.
There was actually one more thing he wanted to say, about his family back in Piltover, about whether they should be informed of his condition, about arrangements that should be made.
But after thinking about it for a moment, watching Cipher's determined expression, he decided not to bring it up.
There would be time for such conversations later. Right now, they had work to do.