Chapter 4: The Gate of the Void
Josh had imagined many times what it would be like to meet a familiar face in this world. But in all his wildest dreams, he never expected the first person he'd run into to be none other than Garen — the so-called muscle-head of Demacia's trio!
Sure, in the game, Garen was basically the poster boy for brute force and zero strategy, but Josh knew better than to take this guy for a fool. After all, Garen was a noble, the pride of Demacia, a true symbol of heroism. Not to mention that in the game, he even had a "God-King" skin. Josh wasn't sure if Garen would actually become a god-king in this world, but the mere possibility showed just how terrifying this so-called muscle-brain could be.
Garen had noticed Josh too — or maybe he'd noticed him long ago and had deliberately approached. His gaze was cautious as he stared at the young man with short, golden hair who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen. But Garen didn't lower his guard, not even slightly — he could clearly feel a powerful, alien force radiating from Josh. It was unmistakably Void energy — but it was different.
In Garen's memory, Void creatures did sometimes take humanoid forms, but they were clearly not human. And their magic always glowed a dark violet. The boy in front of him, however, radiated a pale silver aura. That alone reminded Garen of last night's anomaly — he'd sensed Void power then too, but it wasn't the usual purple—it was a silver brilliance that lit up the stars.
"Void creature?" Garen asked grimly, gripping his sword tightly. He wasn't sure what the boy was, but if he used Void magic, Garen wouldn't hesitate. And frankly, he didn't feel threatened—this kid didn't look like he could put up a real fight.
"What the hell is he talking about? And wait—is he about to attack me? Why?!" Josh was bewildered, but realization hit quickly. He remembered that in Runeterra, the locals weren't exactly friendly toward Void beings. Even Kai'Sa, now part of the Void herself, still identified as human and spent her days hunting Void monsters.
Josh broke out in a cold sweat. This was what you'd call a streak of bad luck. First, he tried a magic experiment and blew himself out of Mua Continent, straight into Runeterra. Then, trying to conserve magic and feel safe, he entered a meditative state — which, unfortunately, opened the floodgates to a torrent of Void magic.
He'd barely gotten his magic under control when he ran into this guy, the guy who players had once lovingly dubbed "Garen the Dumb." But now? Josh was the one feeling dumbfounded. Maybe this was what people meant by: "When you're down, even drinking water makes you choke."
"Wait, maybe there's a misunderstanding?" Josh said nervously. But the moment he spoke, he regretted it. He didn't speak the local language. Worse, Garen's expression immediately hardened at the foreign words, and he raised his weapon.
"Void creature!" Garen's voice boomed. His giant sword lifted as he began to channel his power. He'd come here to search for his missing soldiers and investigate the anomaly from last night. And now, the cause of it all was standing right in front of him.
"Wait, wait—can I explain!?" Josh shouted in desperation. But the look in Garen's eyes told him there would be no negotiations.
Josh could feel it clearly now: Garen was way out of his league. On Mua Continent, magic users were ranked by level from one to nine. In Runeterra, the levels went up to eighteen. Josh figured he was maybe a level-two, almost level-three mage by Mua standards—which would make him about level five or six in Runeterra terms. Garen, on the other hand, felt like a solid level six warrior. No contest.
As Garen drew closer, power gathering in his every step, Josh swallowed hard. It was obvious that this wasn't a fight he could win. But thankfully, he'd been charging up magic from the moment he saw Garen, just in case.
"DEMACIA!!!" Garen roared.
With a burst of speed, Garen was suddenly right in front of him, leaping high with his sword raised. Josh had no real combat experience, but he had played enough games to know the basics. He reacted instinctively, casting Void Passage, wrapping himself in a shimmering silver magic shield.
Garen's blade struck, but the shield held firm. Josh quickly countered with a Void Blade, lunging forward. Unfortunately, Garen reacted just as fast—his own shield flared to life, blocking the attack.
"That's his W — Courage, isn't it?" Josh groaned, scrambling to retreat. Mages should never, ever brawl with melee fighters. Unless you were one of those crazy close-range caster types, it was always a death sentence. And Josh knew that well.
Garen didn't press for the kill. Instead, he shifted tactics, testing Josh's defenses with feints and light strikes, trying to drain his magic. And it was working. Josh could only stay defensive. If he dropped Void Passage, those light attacks would quickly turn lethal.
"This guy's supposed to be dumb? He's fighting like a damn general!" Josh complained bitterly. Garen's skill, reaction speed, and pressure were all overwhelming. "No wonder they say Garen counters flashy champions…"
Josh's mana was almost gone. Even though Garen had taken a hit from his Void Blade earlier, it wasn't serious. The most damage Josh had done was stabbing his side, but Garen had immediately booted him away.
Granted, the kick hit the Void Passage shield, so Josh wasn't hurt—but the impact still broke the shield again. Josh had to burn more of his dwindling mana to recast it.
"You're finished, Void spawn," Garen growled. He could see Josh's energy fading. From a game perspective, Josh was still full HP but completely out of mana. Garen gathered his strength once more, preparing for the final strike.
"Damn it! I'm screwed!" Josh panicked. He didn't want to die—not after just figuring out how his magic really worked. "Think! Think! There has to be a way out!"
And then it hit him—how he got here. That botched magic test, the accidental casting of Void Summon, the silver portal that had sucked him into this world...
"If that portal brought me here… why not try to use it to go back? Or at least trap this guy inside it?"
In times of crisis, the mind worked miracles. Josh realized he'd overlooked the very magic that had brought him here in the first place. Maybe it wouldn't send him back. But maybe—just maybe—it could get rid of Garen.
Taking a deep breath, Josh dismissed his magic shield. Risky? Extremely. But if he didn't try, he was definitely dead. He began to focus the last remnants of his mana, condensing it into a glowing silver sphere in his hand.
"Giving up? Or going for a last stand?" Garen muttered. He saw the movement, but didn't care. He was ready. Like his comrade Xin Zhao always said: He who charges in knows only death.
"Die, Void scum! DEMACIA!!!"
With a roar, Garen charged again, sword raised high. Josh had no shield left to protect him.
But just as the sword was about to fall, Josh raised his hand, hurling the silver sphere straight at Garen. The two forces collided — and a brilliant silver light erupted, engulfing the entire forest.