lol: After being blessed by the Happy Demon, I became the harem king

Page 21

Whether through his voice or his movements, Farn intentionally guided people's emotions. In just a short time, accompanied by the inherently uplifting effects of happiness, the entire abandoned factory reached a climax with Farn's speech.

"Our enemy isn't just the Alchemist Baron! It's everyone who's above us!" Farn declared passionately, extending his hand.

"The nobles of Piltover have partnered with the Alchemist Baron to build increasingly polluting factories throughout Zaun! Polluting alchemical waste is being piped into our homeland! Our workers produce parts and raw materials, but all the profits are plundered by the Alchemist Baron and the trading nobles, leaving our brothers unable to even feed themselves!"

"The barons betrayed Zaun for profit! They suppressed our people to gain the support of trading families!"

"The comfortable life that Mrs. Piltover enjoys is all because we, the lower classes of Zaun, are forced into high-risk professions! We have no choice!"

Fain stated succinctly and forcefully: "Piltover's politicians and newspaper mouthpieces have stigmatized Zaun as a 'gutter,' a 'chaotic land,' and a 'lawless land,' but this is merely a cover-up for their own exploitation of Zaun! Just as those politicians condemn Zaun's pollution in the name of environmental protection, they ignore Piltover's responsibility for transferring all of its industrial waste to Zaun!"

"Oshra Vazuan is the original name of the Twin Cities!!"

"Let the winds of change blow! Let the winds of change blow!" Farn shouted amidst the workers' roars.

"Act tonight! Establish a mutual aid fund immediately, with each family storing three days' worth of food. The youths should form a communications team and find trustworthy brothers to pass messages using coded language! The older workers are responsible for persuading the clean factory thugs—persuading the workers' children! Without seizing the factory machinery, the Alchemist Baron's promises will forever remain empty words! And we don't need their silence; destroy them! From the bottom city all the way to the top of Zaun!"

"Final victory will surely belong to the winds of change! Let the fruits of labor return to the laborers, let Zaun return to the people of Zaun! Our children will grow up in hope and joy, and they will remember the dawn of tonight!"

"Long live Zaun! Long live the workers! The final victory will belong to the winds of change!"

35. Jinx's Struggle

Farn's roar didn't just echo in this abandoned factory, but throughout every group of slave laborers that Shuona had identified as trustworthy.

Through specially designed lines, the same voice traveled through rudimentary megaphones assembled by the workers. Thus, the organization established by Farn finally had a name. And when the name "Winds of Change" first reached the ears of the Alchemist Baron and his henchmen, the change began.

Having waited for this day for a long time, Shuona ordered her old subordinates and brothers to distribute the weapons they had prepared and the weapons left over from the past to the workers.

When people discovered that Farn wasn't just joking, but genuinely intended to transform Zaun, they responded with the purest form of anger.

"They are no longer ordinary alchemical slaves! They are thugs! They are rebels! We must assemble immediately and annihilate them! Not a single one can be left alive!!"

In the Zaun Council Hall, in the middle levels of Zaun, Spindlelaw slammed his fist on the table and glared at the surrounding alchemist barons, saying, "Don't play dumb with me! You all heard it! You definitely heard it! Those guys' goal is to kill us all! Not just me, but all the alchemist barons! And now they've taken over half of the lower trenches. If you have any brains left, come up with a solution together!!"

"Calm down, Spindrao." A maniacal laugh came from Smitch beside him. This white-haired Yordle, having lived in Zaun, was also affected by the magical elements of Zaun itself, becoming eccentric and unapproachable.

"I know you're heartbroken about your factory, but we lost factories too, didn't we? Oh right, your factories are all down there, the underground trenches are your territory, you suffered the biggest losses, no wonder you're in such a hurry, hahahahaha~~~"

Smith let out an exaggerated laugh, and the rambling of his words caused even the crowd, who were already used to this mad Yordles, to feel a headache and irritation.

"Alright, shut up, all of you." At the forefront, Hilko pierced her eyes with the faint light, feeling the wild magical energy coursing through her body and nerves. In the past, Hilko would have felt radiant and full of energy. But now… well, she could only say she was alright.

When Jinx left, she asked Fain for some happiness factors. After returning to Hilko, Jinx handed them over to Hilko so that Hilko could understand and study them.

With just a simple trial, Hilko is now finding herself somewhat addicted… The reason for this addiction is that Hilko knows it's harmless and not addictive. But it's precisely because of this that Hilko is becoming increasingly addicted. However, she can still control it.

Now, having regained his strength through the luminous solution, Hilko turned his gaze to the people on either side of the table. Meeting Hilko's gaze, the group exchanged glances and then fell silent.

Although they could use the factory to undermine Hillco's power, preventing him from truly controlling the entire Zaun forces to fight Piltover to the death, Hillco held the lifeline of all of them—the Glimmer.

Until the core technology of the production materials of the micro-light is cracked, no one can truly defy the will of Hilko.

Which factory owner would want their factory to reduce production?

"Shut up? You want me to shut up? How am I supposed to shut up?! That's my factory! Don't forget you have a share in it, Hillco!" Spindlaw didn't care about any of that—Damn it, Bottom City was his territory, and his factory owned almost seventy percent of it. His position in the Zaun Council stemmed from his control over Bottom City. Now that Bottom City was gone, although his wealth was still astronomical, without power, who would care about a guy with nothing but wealth?

"So who are you planning to send to confront the Blue Demon's forces?" Hilko said coldly. "If I'm not mistaken, the concert attack was launched by you. How wonderful, you gave the Blue Demon... gave that guy named Fane an opportunity to let people know his power. More than half of the alchemical thugs in Bottom City have been killed or wounded, and now they don't even dare to resist. Otherwise, how could Bottom City have been occupied by that guy so quickly?!"

Upon hearing this, Spindlough's voice faltered. After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and said, "So what are you going to do? Just watch? Wait for that guy named Farn to swallow up the bottom city and then crush you all one by one?"

This caused a brief murmur among the many alchemical barons present, and after a moment, everyone turned their attention to Hilko.

As the nominal King of Zaun, Hilcó appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was constantly sneering at the gaze of such people.

How wonderful it is that when trouble arises, you remember that you still have someone to rely on...

However, Hilko did not express these emotions. After a moment of silence, he said, "That organization called the Winds of Change must be wiped out! We have no choice but to wipe them out! They are a threat to the entire Zaun!"

But the very next moment after those words, Hilko changed the subject, saying, "However, suppressing the Winds of Change, especially when they have such a troublesome figure as Blue Demon, will inevitably result in the loss of a large number of soldiers and resources. Who will pay for these resources?"

Upon hearing this, the previously silent crowd once again turned their gaze to Spindlaw. However, unlike their previous indifference, this time their eyes were filled with fervor. They genuinely appreciated Hilk's suggestion—truly befitting the King of Zaun, he immediately pinpointed the crux of the matter!

“Yes, the entire city of Bottom is your factory. We’re helping you take it back… We can’t just leave with nothing, can we?” Alchemist Baron Eren said with great interest. “And how should the profits from the factories be divided?”

"You, you!!" Gritting his teeth, Spindlaw glared at the crowd before him, his face filled with rage, yet he was powerless to refute. It was foreseeable that he would have to suffer a huge financial loss. But he had no choice, because if no one was willing to contribute money or manpower, he would not only bleed money, but lose everything.

As the alchemist barons eagerly divided up the profits from Spindrao's factory, plans to suppress the Bottom City riots were also put on the agenda.

And it was only when the alchemical barons had just drafted a plan for their suppression operation...

"Here, is their draft plan."

Jinx, who knew every corner of Zaun like the back of her hand, barged in from the outside and always appeared in front of Fain in unexpected ways and directions. She then slammed a pair of scraps of paper onto the table in front of Fain and said listlessly:

"Take a look quickly, and let me know if you need any help. I'll have Hilko put in some effort when making the plan and push it forward in the direction you envision."

"Oh? Then I'll have to take a good look."

Upon hearing Jinx's words, Fain accepted the proposal from Jinx with a playful expression. After a brief examination of the draft plan that the alchemist barons had just drawn up, a look of understanding appeared in Fain's eyes.

“These alchemist barons, rather than helping their own people, are clearly more interested in seizing this opportunity to expand their own sphere of influence.” As he spoke, Farn also considered the current size of the Winds of Change organization.

Although it was only one night, after this period of development and with the powerful strength of Faen as its foundation, the Wind of Change had already successfully occupied half of the underground trenches on the very first night of its establishment.

Especially with the help of Shuona, although there are still conflicts and frictions at the edges of this half of the bottom trench, and it is in a standoff with the Alchemist Baron's forces, it has lost its confidence. In three days at most, the bottom trench will completely fall into the hands of the Wind of Change.

Thinking it over, Farn also said, "We need to find a way to get them to strengthen their ties with Piltover, preferably by sending some elite units of law enforcement officers."

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Jinx's eyes flashed with surprise, then she said bluntly, "Aren't you taking too big a step? Isn't it better to provoke Piltover now?"

“A good start is worse than a bad one,” Farn said. “Since we’re going to fight sooner or later, we might as well strike first. Plus, having Mrs. Piltover on our side will make our plans easier… By the way, the day after tomorrow, have Hillco find a way to come to me. You, and any other trustworthy guys, come along too.”

"...What are you going to do?" Jinx tilted her head suspiciously.

“To prevent Zaun from going back to his old ways after I leave, I’m designing a special insurance policy.” As he spoke, Fain reached into his pocket and then out to Jinx.

Seeing this, Jinx reached out and caught it. Looking down, she saw it was a bluebird amulet.

This caught Jinx's attention.

Compared to Zephyr and Seraphine, who were completely ignorant of Zaun's past, Jinx's experiences, while difficult to describe, were at least relatively fortunate—as a father, Vander undoubtedly fulfilled his responsibilities, ensuring that both Boom and Vi had a relatively happy childhood. And in that relatively peaceful era in Zaun, before the exploitation by the Alchemist Baron, the legend of Janna was far more widespread.

Almost every child had heard the related legends and stories from their parents. However, later, with the rise of Hilcor, many children lost their parents. And even those who didn't lose their parents, with the Alchemist Baron's increased exploitation and their sixteen-hour workdays, had neither the leisure nor the energy to tell stories to their children…

In the past, Jinx wouldn't have paid any attention to such things. But now, she knew about Fain's story about the Happy Demon. Although she didn't understand these mystical things very well, given Fain's experience, Jinx couldn't help but believe some things. So, after hesitating for a moment, Jinx couldn't help but ask, "Is the legend true?"

“It’s true, she never left.” Farn nodded, then added, “She was just incredibly weak.”

Upon hearing this, Jinx nodded as if she had realized something. Then she stood there motionless.

Seeing this, Fain put down what he was doing and looked at Jinx, saying, "What's wrong? Is there something else you want to ask?"

Although it was a question, Fain's voice didn't convey any doubt. It felt more like he was giving Jinx a way out, allowing her to speak frankly and honestly about the things she didn't know how to say.

"……fine."

Jinx frowned slightly at Fan's concern. She could sense that Fan meant well, but she instinctively rejected this kindness extended to her... But Fan knew it wasn't because Jinx was unapproachable, but because she feared being betrayed again and getting hurt. It was simply an instinctive act of self-protection.

So Farn wasn't in a hurry, and calmly asked, "Is it about Wei?"

“…Hmm.” After a moment of silence, Jinx nodded simply. Although she seemed to be acknowledging her inner thoughts, her body involuntarily crossed her arms, leaned back slightly against the wall, and lowered her face.

Even without the ability to perceive pleasure, Fain could sense Jinx's inner resistance and antagonism through these subconscious actions and micro-expressions.

"Although she doesn't say it, she still thinks about you." Farn didn't beat around the bush with Jinx, but said directly:

“Although I haven’t had a very deep conversation with Vi, I can sense that she still feels guilty towards you. At the same time, she is hostile towards your choice to join the camp of your father’s killer, Hilko. This love for her family and sisters and hatred for her enemy’s men are causing her inner turmoil. So now she wants to use her position as an enforcer to get you out of Zaun, even if it means being imprisoned in Cleanwater Prison.”

Upon hearing this, Jinx's lips twitched a few times, and a complex mix of emotions and thoughts surfaced in her eyes. Watching silently from the side, Zephyr might not have fully grasped the situation, but Seraphine, who could hear the voice of all things, was astonished—how could a person's mental melody be so complex?

This is what mental illness is like. There's a constant internal struggle and contradiction, to the point that even Jinx herself isn't aware of the extent to which her mental state has swelled due to this constant internal conflict. If she were in the JK Exorcism Club, she could probably still be conscious even after a full day and night of personality expulsion.

"Tch." Jinx had a lot of things on her mind, but in the end, she just scoffed indifferently, giving the impression that she didn't care at all.

But just as Jinx looked up, she saw Fain extend a finger with a drop of pale yellow blood on it.

"How about some happiness?" Farn suggested.

36. Night falls, time to rest

Upon hearing Fain's suggestion and seeing the pale yellow blood so close at hand, Jinx wanted to refuse, but after assessing her current state and recalling the pleasant feeling she had experienced when she tried it before...

Without saying much, Jinx opened her mouth and took Fain's finger into her mouth.

As the happiness-inducing factors were absorbed through her oral mucosa, Jinx could clearly feel a ray of sunshine tearing open the clouds of negativity that had shrouded her spirits. The warm sunlight quickly lifted her mood, and even her previously shortness of breath felt much more relaxed.

At first, Jinx managed to maintain her contorted expression. But gradually, even as Jinx tried to resist showing her vulnerable side to others, she couldn't help but let a hint of comfort, laziness, relaxation, and subtle attachment show in her eyes.

This so-called attachment is not directed at Fain, but rather at the dependence on pleasure factors.

For Jinx, the faint light—enough to cause severe dependence in an ordinary person, leading to mental derangement, physical deformities, and panic, terror, and physical atrophy upon loss of its intake—is simply a supplement for her.

Because what's more important than the distortion of flesh is the high level of mental activation in the Glimmer. And the mental pollution caused by this activation is not as serious as Jinx's own madness—in other words, Jinx's own mental problems are more serious than the mental pollution caused by the Glimmer.

However, this doesn't mean Jinx is unaware of the harmful effects of the glimmer of light, such as the period of significant depression that follows each use. The happy factor, on the other hand, doesn't work that way. Jinx can clearly sense that it doesn't force a boost, but rather restores energy by bringing together the buried, lost, and broken beautiful memories within her heart.

Although this might subtly foster a favorable impression of Fain, Jinx doesn't believe it will sway her will.

Fane is indeed a good person, but he's not right for me... Thinking this, Jinx licked Fane's fingers with her tongue. Just as Fane was about to pull away, Jinx gently bit his knuckle.

"Hmm?" Fain looked at Jinx with a puzzled expression. Jinx shrugged and said casually, "Give me some more of your stuff... those alchemist barons' henchmen are not easy to deal with. Your stuff is much more potent than Glimmer."

“But you can’t overindulge.” Hearing this, Fain was somewhat helpless, but still separated some extra blood plasma. Although the quantity wasn’t large, the concentration of the happiness factor increased several times. However, under Fain’s control, this high concentration of happiness factor wouldn’t take effect all at once, but would be slowly released in Jinx’s body like a slow-release capsule.

Feeling the surge of pleasure within her, Jinx comfortably squinted her eyes, a slight daze playing on her brows, but she quickly regained her composure. She then spat out Fahn's finger, casually snapping off the silver thread hanging between Fahn's fingertip and her own lips.

"I feel much better, thanks!"

Jinx winked at Fain, and looking quite energetic, she seemed to be in great shape, her whole demeanor radiant.

Fain waved his hand to indicate to Jinx that she didn't need to worry, and simply said, "Be careful. If you feel there's anything you can't handle, you can come to me, and I can offer some advice."

Upon hearing this, Jinx raised an eyebrow, then said leisurely, "What? You want to hit on me? Just like that green-haired woman named Zeli?"

"Who's the green-haired woman? You're so rude!"

Jinx's words displeased Zeli, who then scoffed disdainfully, "I think you just want to get into my Farn's bed! With all those tattoos, you're obviously not a good person!"

“It’s just a watercolor painting. Tattoos can’t be erased all the time.” Hearing this, Jinx stretched her neck a couple of times and said nonchalantly, “Besides, I’m not exactly a good person, but at least I’m not like some people who are so naive that they would probably fall in love with him and want to have a hundred and eighty children with him if Fane just said a few nice words.”

"You bastard!!!" Zeli was furious and bristled, but having been well protected by her mother since childhood, the cute little girl who occasionally acted up was completely unharmed when faced with Jinx, a worldly and experienced homeless woman.

She also knew that Jinx was able to help Fain's cause and that she was here so that the people of Zaun could live a better life... Thinking this, Zeli crossed her arms, turned her head away angrily, and mentally cursed Jinx.

What do you mean I was tricked into developing feelings? Wait until you know how ruthless Fain is, then you'll see if I'll help you!

Despite her sharp tongue, Jinx's eyes showed no rejection when she looked at Zeli; on the contrary, a faint envy was hidden in her scarlet eyes.

Jinx didn't care before she met Zeli, but after meeting her, she learned about Zeli's background with just a simple investigation.

Zephyr's background, education, and loving parents truly represent a childhood many Zaun kids dream of. Especially Jinx—Zephyr could even be described as having a happy, mentally sound childhood like Jinx.

However, due to a cruel twist of fate, Jinx, who also has a loving family, gradually descends into a path of self-destruction. Zephyr, on the other hand, is fortunate. She wasn't tormented by fate; instead, she grew up healthy and fought for Zaun with courage, wisdom, and determination. She even gained a seemingly reliable partner…

"Envy?"

Farn, standing to the side, raised an eyebrow and joked.

"Yeah, right." Jinx scoffed, then glanced at Seraphine, who was curiously observing her beside Zeli, and said:

"You always seem to attract strange women out of nowhere. I don't intend to become someone's sex toys, collected and tamed into a servile sex slave who only knows how to fawn."

“I’m going to sue you for defamation.” Upon hearing this, Farn frowned in displeasure: “I’m all about respect and I only accept mutual affection, unless it’s a bad girl.”

"Am I fine?" Jinx retorted dismissively.

“At least it’s not too bad,” Farn shrugged.

It wasn't just Jinx; most people in Zaun and Piltover were simply forced to make choices by this high-pressure cultural environment.

But whatever she did, she did it, and Jinx certainly wasn't a good person... but to the people of Zaun, Jinx was definitely not a villain. In fact, a considerable number of people considered Jinx a symbol of resistance in Zaun, and even spontaneously formed the Blue Hair Squad to commit copycat crimes in the eyes of the upper city.

“That’s not good either.” Jinx pouted, but she didn’t distance herself from Fain. After a moment of silence, she said, “I understand.”

"Know what?" Farn asked, puzzled.

"Come to me with anything I can't handle." Jinx shrugged. "Of course, I reckon you'll regret it soon... Hmm, remember to prepare plenty of happiness factors then."

"Your mental health issues cannot be cured by medication alone; it's not easy to get a full recovery."

"Who knows what kind of 'cure' you're talking about?" Jinx shook her head, turned around, waved, and left.

"Thanks to you, I'm feeling pretty good now. See you tomorrow."