The unassuming small box contained two types of potions, and Oran handed two vials of each to Ivankov and Ginny.
"What are these?"
Ginny held the glass vial up to the sunlight. Under its rays, the faint purple specks in the potion seemed to glow even brighter.
"This is Shimmer, a product of Zaun's alchemical technology."
Zaun, like Piltover, was the name of a region. Originally one entity, the two had split apart for various reasons.
Piltover focused on the development of Hextech, while Zaun gave birth to its unique alchemical technology. Oran lived in Piltover but maintained close ties with Zaun.
Oran never thought Piltover was superior to Zaun, nor did he believe Zaun's technology was inferior. He absorbed the strengths of both technologies and used them effectively.
"Shimmer, what a beautiful name. It looks pretty too. I wonder how it tastes."
Ginny licked her lips. To her, something that looked good probably tasted good too—a simple thought, especially since she had rarely eaten her fill in all these years.
"It's not for eating. I'm giving you these just as a precaution."
Oran didn't know what situations they might encounter on the island. Though Ivankov and Ginny had the will to resist, they were essentially just children who hadn't yet reached adulthood.
Even moderately trained soldiers, let alone the renowned figures from the normal timeline, would be more than they could handle.
There were stronger weapons available, but on these seas, individual strength had an immense impact. For someone like Ginny or Ivankov, giving them overly powerful weapons could risk arming the enemy if things went wrong, potentially creating a liability.
"The smaller vial can be used to heal wounds. If you sustain serious injuries by accident, it can save your life."
This was the original purpose of the Shimmer potion: to heal injuries and cure diseases. The alchemist Singed had developed it by extracting a new substance from the body of a mutated lizard.
Just a small amount could produce powerful healing effects.
Using a formula from one of his dream worlds, Oran had altered Shimmer's composition, reducing its potency and eliminating its addictive side effects. The trade-off was a higher production cost.
However, compared to the rare materials extracted from the mutated lizard, one could argue it actually lowered the cost.
"That's amazing stuff. What about the bigger vial?"
In a situation like this, such a potion was practically a second life. Ivankov and Ginny carefully stored the smaller vials and then turned their attention to the other syringe.
"You'd better hope you never need to use it. That one's for desperate measures. If you're trapped in a life-or-death situation, inject it directly into your heart. It might just give you a chance to escape."
Perhaps it's human nature—whenever a new invention appears, people always consider its potential for war. Maybe the next thought is something less savory?
The Shimmer potion was no exception. Over time, its uses became more complex and dangerous. When taken in large doses, it caused unstable mutations in the body.
Even Oran's improved version retained this effect. Injecting a large dose directly into the heart would rejuvenate the body, granting strength far beyond its previous limits, along with unpredictable powers.
The relationship between Zaun and Piltover was complex, often fraught with conflict. Compared to Piltover, Zaun lagged in many ways, and Shimmer was their weapon against the upper city.
"We don't have a proper army or powerful warriors. All we have are our own bodies.
This potion can burn your life force, turning your body into a better weapon. At the very least, it gives you some power to fight back."
"Burning life force"—those three words made the cost clear. Under normal circumstances, Oran disliked such unstable tools.
"It's still great stuff, hee-haw! If it comes to that, it's way better than waiting to die."
To say they weren't afraid at all would be a lie.
But compared to the threat of death, Ivankov feared a situation where he was powerless to fight back even more. Even Ginny shared this sentiment.
After carefully storing Oran's potions, the two headed in another direction under the guidance of Valley of the Gods natives. Oran rallied the remaining members and prepared to check out a nearby granary.
Some time later, Oran and his group found a warehouse located in a canyon, a fair distance from where Oran's black ship had appeared.
The island's residents had converted a natural cave into a storage facility. The natural environment made it a perfect refrigerator. At the entrance, heavy iron chains locked the iron gate shut.
Crack.
With a crisp sound, a shark Fishman bit through the chains, snapping the sturdy iron as if it were a biscuit.
"Shark, nicely done. Impressive racial talent. That's the bite strength of a shark Fishman, huh? Quite remarkable."
"Thank you, thank you, Oran! You know, you're the first person to praise me like this!"
The Fishman, who usually had a menacing appearance, was now somewhat incoherent with excitement. Shark could sense the genuine admiration in Oran's tone for his innate abilities, unlike the discrimination he'd faced from humans in the past.
"Don't get too excited. We still have a lot to do. If we get the chance later, I'd love for you to take me to Fishman Island for a visit. I've always been fascinated by that island in the deep sea."
"Yeah, definitely."
Together, they pushed open the gate. By the light streaming in from the entrance, neatly stacked crates came into view. After inspection, they found well-preserved food. The warehouse's overseers hadn't embezzled anything.
Initially, Oran had been worried they might find an empty warehouse, which would've been troublesome.
Not only did they avoid that worst-case scenario, but Oran even discovered a large stockpile of white sugar in the warehouse.
"Everyone, take as much sugar as you can. For food, prioritize dried meats. Carry as much as you're able within reason. We don't know how long we'll be able to come back here!"
"Oran, do you really like sweets?"
Kuma was carrying a massive bundle on his back, loaded with supplies twice his height. Shark was similarly laden, and after hearing Oran's call to take more sugar, he even hung bags around his waist.
Whether it was the giant-like strength of the Buccaneer tribe or the Fishman's innate strength ten times that of an ordinary human, both were proving invaluable on this path to survival.
Kuma, however, didn't quite understand why they needed to take so much sugar. While sweet things were nice, he didn't think they'd fill anyone's stomach.
"Kuma, sugar isn't just about its sweet taste. It has many uses, especially in a situation like this where it can be incredibly valuable. It's a critical strategic resource."