Void Beetle Evolution Guide

"Aren't Darkin weapons indestructible?" Kai'Sa didn't understand why the Darkin weapon could shatter and control dozens of Dune Hounds separately.

“I’m not sure either. Maybe that Darkin dagger was designed to split,” Wild Hunt pondered. “Because even when it was torn apart by the pack of dogs, the Darkin inside didn’t die out. Instead, it merged with the pack.”

"What? Normally, dog teeth can't damage Darkin weapons, right?"

"That's why I say that splitting is its characteristic."

"So what's their situation now? After turning into a pack of dogs, is it just one brain? Or dozens?"

“You should see them as a collective. Collective consciousness… one brain, dozens of bodies. That is it, Nayafili.”

Chapter 367 Nayafili

As a Darkborn, Naafiri was also summoned by Aatrox.

As one of the most powerful Darkin, Naafiel had many dealings with Aatrox and, like him, hated the Twilight Protoss.

She once nearly came to rule the Darkin, but was easily betrayed and cursed by the Twilight Protoss, turning into a lifeless weapon, and ultimately failing.

Shame and regret gnawed at her heart. For hundreds of years, she lay in a dark, sunless cave, desperately hoping that someone would touch her and give her another chance.

However, the first to discover her was an experienced tomb raider who had long been aware of her magic. He carefully used pliers to pick up the flying knife, placed it on a thick cloth lined with lead, and wrapped it up tightly. Throughout the entire process, he did not touch it directly.

Just as Nayafili was in despair, a pack of hungry dune hounds saw the tomb raiders as prey and began their hunt. In an instant, chaos ensued, and she was torn apart in the confusion, inadvertently becoming one with the pack of dogs.

None of these wild dogs could help her achieve her grand ambitions. She loathed them, hated their smell, their fleas, and most hatefully, their dependence on their companions.

However, as time passed, the Darkin's resentment gradually subsided, and they began to understand the true nature of their hosts. Although their minds were wild and primitive, this collective consciousness formed a unique wisdom.

Divide and you die; unite and you live.

This principle also applies to the Darkin. Personal grudges and private schemes caused the Darkin to disintegrate from within, subsequently falling from their dominant position and no longer being the natural killers of Runeterra.

Nayafili realized that he only needed to find his fellow Darkin and share the wisdom of the pack with them, and he could make a comeback.

Aatrox's call to arms presented an excellent opportunity.

She excitedly raced towards Icathia, her mind filled with grand ambitions, but she sensed from the Darkin's connection that a fellow Darkin was hesitating near the border of Icathia.

Following the trail into the valley, Nayafili dispersed her pack of dogs to search and ascertain the situation. After a search, she found the other person in a dry well.

Nayafili jumped directly onto the dry well, placing his feet on the well wall and turning his head to look at the Darkin crossbow lying quietly at the bottom of the well.

“Naganeka?” Nayafili exclaimed in surprise, his voice a strange mix of a hoarse female voice and a dog’s howl.

“Nayafili, my sister, please get me out of here!” Naganeka exclaimed in delight.

Even though they are not perfect gods and have no connection with each other, these Darkborn can still recognize each other's unique energy frequencies.

"How did you end up in a dry well?" Nayafili asked, his tail drooping, his growl carrying a hint of wariness, clearly suspicious of Naganeka's presence in such a place.

“I met an interesting guy…” Naganeka recounted her experience of being rescued from the Void Horde and then abandoned here.

There's nothing she can do now but hope that Naafili can help. Some Darkkin can sense deception, and while Naafili, who was betrayed before, is an exception, honesty is the foundation of winning hearts.

"That was so careless. First you were followed, then you fell into the trap of the burrowing beast. This isn't like you, Naganeka."

Nayafili's tone of disdain made Naganeka somewhat worried, and she spoke even more urgently, "This isn't my fault! Sister. I was just dug out of the ground and have been out of touch with this world for far too long. The reason I came to this meeting is to learn about the current state of the world through you, you can understand, right?"

"You say you were rescued from the beast horde by someone who uses the power of the void? Does that make sense? It's hard for us to believe you."

As soon as the words were spoken, the pack of dogs immediately surrounded the dry well. Several Bloodhounds poked their heads into the well opening and peered down, baring their teeth and looking extremely ferocious, while making low growling noises incessantly from their throats.

“I understand what you’re wondering, but that’s the truth. If you don’t want to save me, then please leave,” Naganekia sighed.

She then learned from Nayafili's reaction that those who could use the power of the Void but did not belong to the Void faction, like the Wild Hunt, were extremely rare cases.

The leader of the dogs narrowed her eyes, a thoughtful look in them. To achieve her grand ambition of uniting the Darkin and establishing dominance, she couldn't simply ignore Naganeka in the dry well.

"You want to know about the current state of the world? We woke up earlier than you and happen to know some things. Let's rescue you first, and we can talk about this on the way."

"It would be best if you could find me a new host. I would be very grateful, sister."

"So many demands."

Nayafili sent a Bloodhound into the dry well to retrieve the ballista. These dogs were incredibly agile; they grabbed the ballista and leaped out of the well with a few consecutive backflips against the well wall—something even the most nimble feline couldn't do.

After that, she placed the ballista by the well and then separated the pack of dogs, actually going to find a new host for Naganeka.

However, it's understandable, since if you don't look for it here, you'll find it even less once you enter Icathia.

The above conversation takes place in her mind, and Kai'Sa cannot hear it. She will only be able to hear it when the Darkin find their bodies and cease communicating through consciousness.

However, seeing the pack of dogs disperse, Kaisa immediately stopped spying and hid in the branches of a nearby dead tree to remain invisible.

Not long after, the dog leader, who was the mastermind behind Nayafili, personally came to the place she had been looking at, searched it carefully, and sniffed around everywhere.

Fortunately, Kaisa was prepared. She had cleared away the footprints beforehand and used her armor to lock in her scent, so the Dog King left without finding anything.

Wild Hunt's idea was to make the Darkin think that he had left, otherwise, if the Darkin were wary, they would inevitably speak in secret, which would make it difficult for Wild Hunt to eavesdrop on more information.

Half a day later, the pack of dogs gathered again by the dry well in the valley.

“Why have you been gone for so long? I thought you had abandoned me,” Naganekia said to Nayafili, who had returned.

"Do you think finding a host in a place corrupted by the void is an easy task? Besides, I just scouted the area to see if the guy who was following you earlier is still around."

What was the result?

Nayafili shook his head. "I didn't find any trace, but I found you a host. Just make do with it."

The Bloodhound spat out a snake, its body riddled with holes from its fangs. It was on the verge of death and would die if it didn't merge with the serpent soon.

Chapter 368 The Frustrated Dog Dagger

Naganek had no choice but to use the venomous snake that Nayafili brought back as its host.

With the slightest touch, her blood magic could enter the serpent's body, transforming its flesh into whatever form she desired. (The last two lines appear to be random characters and do not translate directly.)

Kasha could only see a writhing mass of flesh from afar, like a newborn fetus still in its placenta, wriggling and struggling inside, before finally breaking free and crawling out.

Seemingly because her host was a snake, Naganeka failed to acquire the ability to walk independently. Her lower body was no different from a snake's, covered in black scales, while her upper body, although it had acquired the rudiments of a human, was completely covered in dense scales, including her face, which was bald without a single hair.

She touched her face, seemingly realizing how ugly she looked, and used her placenta as a cloak to cover her body.

“This host is still too weak. It seems that before entering Icathia, I need to find a village to replenish my magic power and then use the youngest and most beautiful woman in the village as my host... I can’t let my brothers and sisters look down on me.” The half-snake monster covered in black scales made a wet, hissing sound.

These were Naga Neka's first words after her rebirth, and also the first words Kai'Sa heard from Naga Neka. Hearing this, she secretly clenched her fists.

These Darkborn are utterly inhuman; they slaughtered an entire village just to look better. No wonder they were sealed away in the first place.

“We are already filthy, why should we care about these things?” Nayafili sneered at Naganeka.

Naganekia turned to look at her. "Why would you choose a pack of dogs as your host? You had time to find someone better."

“Well, you’ve hit the nail on the head.” Nayafili had been waiting for her to ask this question, and sneered, “What’s wrong with being a dog? They taught me a lesson—if they live alone, all wild dogs will go hungry. But if they gather in a pack, they become the top predators, and any prey they set their sights on will fall into their mouths.”

Naganeka disagreed, stating in a strange tone: "For someone as unruly and ambitious as you to say such a thing shows that your mind has been influenced by the thinking of a beast. You should find a new host."

The host's habits also influence the possessed Darkin, which is why Naga Neka prefers to find humans as hosts. Otherwise, over time, even she would develop a habit of flicking her tongue like a snake.

"No, we are perfectly clear-headed. Why don't you listen to whether what I'm saying is right or wrong before you refute me?" The dog leader immediately launched into a long speech.

Nayafili had a habit of referring to herself as "we," which made Naganeka think she was seriously ill and unsure how credible she was.

However, since I was just rescued by them, I'll give them face and see if they can say anything worthwhile.

"From the moment Azir fell, the war between the bloodlines of the sun was inevitable." Nayafili fell into deep thought about ancient history:

"After he left, our ambitions were too great, and none of us were fit to be leaders. We had too many visions of what the future would look like, but we remained a disorganized and defeated force, unable to realize any of our future visions."

Each of us sees a different path to the future, but instead of harnessing the power of our solar bloodline and working together to accomplish anything sacred, we are like a pack of scavengers fighting over a fresh corpse.

Yes, Setaka has been gone for too long, and we will never see another like her. Yes, Azir was betrayed, our empire is in ruins, and our people are displaced and live in constant fear.

Shurima needs the guidance of a strong leader to be reborn, but those who remain have no leader, only us, this horde of broken monsters, whose minds have been warped by the fear of the abyss from gazing at it for too long, driven to madness and self-destruction.

“Our minds are still mortal, and surprisingly fragile,” Naganeka echoed in a low voice.

"So instead of rebuilding, we began fighting over the shattered remains of the empire, incidentally burning the rest of the world to ashes in the process. So I thought, why can't we unite? Individually we are strong, but united? We will be invincible. If we wish, we can even break through the gates of the heavens, abandon this pale world, and forge a new empire beyond the stars!"

"And then you're going to be elected as the leader, right?" Naganekia sneered, revealing Nayafili's true intentions.

The so-called alliance is nothing more than a means to satisfy one's own vain ambitions.

Nayafili found himself unable to refute the argument, because each Darkin had a different perspective.

They are unable to truly see the collective as an individual, or themselves as part of that individual, like a pack of dogs, and ultimately they will have to elect a ruler to lead the group.

So she simply straightened her neck, raised her head, revealing a ring of sharp blades around her neck, and declared proudly, "Lead by example. Who else but me possesses such great talent and ambition?"

Naga Neka shook her head: "It's not that no one has done this before, but he ended up being used and betrayed by the Protoss. I've witnessed the demise of others, and I almost got caught up in it myself."

She advised Naiafily to abandon this unfounded delusion, "Once, any one of us was enough to rule this world, and even after the Protoss appeared, some people still thought so. They are eccentric, arrogant, and conceited. No one will willingly put down their pride to become your paparazzi, and no one will elect a dog as their leader. You should find a different host first."

Feeling looked down upon, Nayafili gritted his teeth and hissed, "Then I'll beat them into submission! I could easily defeat any Darkin before, and I can do it again now!"

"Hmph, you'll only reignite the Darkin Wars with this."

The Darkkin all love to exaggerate their abilities, and no matter how much Nayafili talked about his strength, Naganeka just listened without really listening.

If you want to let your strength speak for itself, then first find a way to defeat Aatrox, who is widely recognized as the craziest and strongest among them, before we start talking.

"..."

Nayafili fell silent, gradually realizing that persuading others to agree with her ideas was not as simple as she had thought.

She anxiously stretched out her claws and pawed at the ground. Could it be that her grand ambitions couldn't even take the first step?

"The serpent bites its own tail, a cycle of destiny. Trying to turn the Darkin's crazy and paranoid minds back is harder than killing them. If you only plan to talk the talk but don't know how to walk the walk, then you should give up now."

Naganekia noticed her compatriot's anxiety and tried to persuade her again. She shifted her lower body and walked forward, and Nayafili hesitated before following. Thus, a snake, a dog, a crossbow, and a dagger left the valley.

Kaisa followed furtively behind, while Wild Hunt pondered the conversation between the two Darkin and suddenly realized that Nayafiri was also someone he could try to win over.

Although she united the Darkin in order to once again rule humanity and make the Darkin the dominant species in the world, the outcome was unfavorable to him, but the process was beneficial.

And why couldn't he take advantage of this, watch Naafili push the scattered Darkin to reunite into a collective, and then at the crucial moment revive the Ascended Emperor Azir to recruit all these Darkin, and finally bring them all on board?

Chapter 369 Icathia

Kai'Sa secretly followed two Darkin into Icathia, and the most noticeable change she saw along the way was the dramatic transformation of the environment.

The ground, eroded by the void, had lost its fertility and turned into a gray, lifeless expanse. Eerie void creatures lurked among the rocks and gravel, wriggling and making rustling sounds.

As they ventured deeper, even the horizon was shrouded in thick black clouds. Stunning bright purple lightning flashed within the eerie clouds, and an unnatural twilight filled the sky—an evil light that only appears in nightmares.

The scorched earth was covered with jet-black stone pillars, interlocking like the spine of the earth, piercing the sky crookedly, attracting lightning strikes from time to time, and emitting scorched smoke that had not dissipated for thousands of years, as if the gods were punishing this unclean land.

Even the air here is distorted, and you can't see any plant growth. The tree trunks and root-like things are all earthworms that have broken through the soil.

These bizarre things seemed to cover the world, pressing down from above, while simultaneously blooming upwards from somewhere below, creating a distorted scene on the post-war devastation.

Everywhere you look, it's shocking; the land is devastated.

Everywhere you look, it seems to say that this is a forbidden land for life. Even the lilac sea created by Pierre de Luis is more colorful than this gray coastline.

Kaisa looked at the scene before her, her lips trembling, but in the end she said nothing, and followed the Darkin into this even more bizarre world.

Walking on the open land, one is bound to become a target of attacks by the indigenous people.

Of course, the Darkin were the targets. Kai'Sa maintained perfect cloaking and would not be detected even when walking through the swarm of insects.

The first wave of void creatures that attacked were the Voidlings she was very familiar with. They were not significantly different from the Voidlings underground in Shurima; they were all swarms of cannon fodder units, easily destroyed by the Darkin.

Most of the monsters were dealt with by Nayafili, while Naganeka stood still and kept firing her crossbow.

Although she can be said to be unerring in her aim, compared to other Darkin, she doesn't seem to be as good at direct combat. Instead, she is more inclined to be a sorcerer and cannot exert her full strength when facing unaffected Void creatures.

Nayafili had fully adapted to her body, which consisted of dozens of hunting dogs. She dispersed the pack to meet the enemy. The dogs leaped with all their might while running at high speed, their limbs tucked in as they spun around, transforming into blood-red saw wheels in mid-air, easily slicing the monster apart.

"You even know to use the blade on your head to attack, avoiding the corrosive blood. Not bad." Kai'Sa observed the battle between the Darkin and the Void creatures; Nayafiri was undoubtedly experienced. However, without the protection of the Void Armor, he was still somewhat hesitant in the fight.

There are many underground passages nearby, which is the main reason why the land is so devastated.

Discovering that monsters were constantly emerging from the tunnels to the surface, and that they couldn't be completely wiped out no matter how hard they tried, the two Darkborn abandoned their fight and headed south.

This caused Kai'Sa a lot of trouble. The surface was full of void creatures that they had lured out, making it difficult for Kai'Sa to move around and almost causing her to lose track of the two.

As they ventured deeper, Kai'Sa encountered more and more familiar Void creatures, even the giant starfish and multi-armed slugs they had seen when they were sacrificed in Bervis. (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text.)

Among them were evil creatures that Kaisa had never seen before. They had four hooves, two horns on their heads, and thick fur hanging down in clumps, making them look like giant goats.

But Kasha didn't think it would be as docile as a goat. The figure was tens of meters tall, standing eternally on the earth, its sinister form seeming to foreshadow misfortune.

It has no facial features, only a huge, bulging single eye on its face, burning with terrifying flames, and tangible energy mist emanating from it.

What hangs down in clumps from the body is not hair, but swollen limbs, which from a distance look like human hands hanging from the body, which is extremely spiritually polluting.