Void Beetle Evolution Guide

"But the Protoss have a backup plan, and I also have a contingency plan."

Just as Kaisa was about to ask Wild Hunt what his backup plan was, a dark shadow suddenly appeared on the horizon and sped toward the altar.

The black shadow was extremely fast, enveloped in a crimson escape light, with faint flashes of lightning around it, making it incredibly imposing.

"Zolani! Just accept your fate!" Her voice preceded her arrival. Her arrogant laughter echoed across the sky, just like those stereotypical villains in novels.

It wasn't until he flew above the altar that Kai'Sa could see the Darkin's appearance clearly: half-human, half-dragon, with broad wings and a mane like a warhorse on its back, holding a halberd in one hand and a shield in the other. It was none other than Taroosh, the Darkin who was a dragon host!

Tarouch swooped down, enveloped in a streak of light and blood-red lightning. Zolani did not dodge; instead, several chains suddenly burst forth from behind her, rising against the current and instantly weaving into a net that strangled Tarouch.

"Naive! I'm going to kill you, what can you use to stop me?!" Tarouch held his shield in front of him, charged forward and forcefully broke through the chain blockade, slamming hard into Zolani.

The two fell off the altar together, but thanks to the dragon's powerful physique, Tarush quickly rose from the ground. In front of him, Zorani remained lying motionless, half-buried in the sand.

Seeing the goddess being assassinated, the believers all pointed their staffs at Tarush, and their blood congealed into arrows that shot out.

This time, Taroosh didn't even bother to raise his shield; he simply swept his tail and unleashed several streaks of crimson lightning.

The thunderbolt struck first, detonating the blood arrows, and its remaining force struck the believers as well.

A series of crackling explosions rang out, and all the believers were blown into pieces smaller than buttons, their radioactive blood staining the sand red.

"Showing off your meager skills before an expert! How dare you play with blood magic in front of the Darkin! Is this how your master taught you?" The blood arrow corroded Tarush's scales, but as he absorbed the surrounding corpse particles into his body, the wounds quickly healed.

"I've had enough. You false gods, you're all rude bastards!" A voice rang out through gritted teeth as Zolani sat up from the sand. Her neat short hair was now disheveled, and her clothes were torn, revealing her dark red thighs that had been covered by her skirt.

"Etiquette is for those who deserve respect. You, on the other hand, only deserve my contempt! You defeated wretch! Hahahaha!!!" Tarouch seemed to think he was being humorous, letting out a classic, wicked four-part laugh. His mental state was becoming somewhat deranged in his extreme excitement, immersed in the wonderful fantasy of about to personally kill his enemy.

“Very well.” Zolani laughed angrily. “Looks like I’ll have to get serious. Tarouch, you just wait, I’ll send you to meet Blai right away.”

Countless chains bound Zolani's body, evil and powerful magic overflowed within her, and the sacrificial blood strengthened her every dimension.

Her wounds healed, and the reconstructed skin showed no scars. The blood that had flowed out turned from black to a glaring scarlet, then floated into the air and turned into ruby-like droplets.

Whether Tarouch looked down on his enemy or was filled with martial spirit, he actually waited patiently until Zoranny grew into a giant the same size as him before raising his halberd in an attack stance.

"You coward from Icathia, even if we did it again, you still wouldn't win. Today, I'll crush you under my feet!" (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

The half-dragon warrior flapped its wings and leaped towards Zolani, crackling lightning erupting from the shark mouth of its halberd.

Not to be outdone, Zolani transformed from a motionless figure into an indistinct afterimage in the blink of an eye.

She leaped into the air, higher than Tarouch, and at a speed far exceeding the limits of his massive body. She spun around and swung her chain scythe, the high-speed spinning blade striking her chest, shattering scales and spurting blood.

On the other hand, Tarouch, having been outmaneuvered and thrown into the sand, immediately got up and, ignoring the gruesome wound on his chest, angrily charged back, eager to get revenge.

The two clashed, their combined energy devastating. A foul wind erupted, whipping up dust and sand like a whirlwind, and the altar teetered on the brink of collapse.

Huge chunks broke off from above and fell, which Zorani controlled with chains to ensnare and throw at Tarush. Tarush swung his halberd to split the rocks, but then saw Zorani using the rocks as cover to attack, her scythes aimed at his neck.

Taroosh hurriedly raised his shield to block, but his shield was not a Darkin weapon. Although he successfully blocked Zoranny's strangulation attack, it was completely destroyed.

He flapped his wings and flew backward, his fighting style becoming even more aggressive as he held his halberd high above his head, spinning it around, and countless stray crimson lightning bolts scattered aimlessly.

Zoranny rolled to the side, using the Blood Altar as cover to dodge a barrage of lightning bolts. The wall behind her crumbled with a deafening roar as Taroosh charged in, halberd in hand. She scrambled to her feet, swinging her chain scythe to deflect another streak of lightning.

Tarouch continued to unleash lightning while laughing wildly, forcing Zolani into a corner. But he was immediately pierced through the chest by chains that had silently circled around to his back, and his weapon was firmly bound by several chains.

The chains pierced through the previous wound. Taroosh was in pain and anger. He unleashed his full power of lightning, forcing Zoranny to loosen her grip on the chains and break free of her restraints.

He then leaped towards Zolani. The two clashed again, crashing into the blood altar once more.

The massive impact destroyed the load-bearing walls, causing the entire altar to collapse with a deafening roar. Huge boulders crashed down, while dust surged out from the cracks, completely obscuring the figures of the two Darkborn.

They continued fighting beneath the rubble, the billowing smoke and dust lingering for a long time.

Kaisa held her breath, anxiously watching the battle unfold, even wanting to rush into the battlefield to see how the two were doing.

After waiting for several minutes, Tarouch, covered in wounds, finally flew out of the dust. In addition to the knife wounds, he also had bite marks where scales had been torn off, and he looked extremely disheveled.

Zolani stepped forward a step later, her outer garment completely torn apart, revealing the spiked armor beneath. She looked up at Tarouch, licked her blood-stained lips, and gave a cruel smile.

Chapter 385 Control

"Damn it, Tarush seems to be no match for Zoranny. Where are his teammates?" Seeing the battle growing increasingly tense, and with no sign of the other Darkin coming to help, Kai'Sa suddenly wondered, "Could he be disobeying orders and acting on his own?"

"Given his personality, it's probably true."

In the Wild Hunt's view, Taroosh was the kind of arrogant villain, and he had already foreseen his downfall.

Knowing that Zolane was capable of killing the Darkin, he still insisted on acting alone and sending Zolane start-up capital.

Putting yourself in his shoes, if he were a Darkin and encountered such a terrible teammate, he would be tempted to kill.

The advantage of AFK (away from keyboard) over feeding is that it doesn't feed your carry.

Bystanders clear, the authorities are fascinated.

Tarush, still suspended in mid-air, didn't believe he was going to lose. He charged his halberd with lightning and swooped down towards Zoran. Crimson lightning roared as the flying dragon rider crashed down, riding the lightning.

Faced with the enemy's desperate counterattack, Zolani frantically activated the chains. Several giant, python-like chains extended from behind her, blooming into blood-red thorns in the air with dazzling arcs, before suddenly tightening and weaving into an impenetrable strangulation net.

Seeing Zolani's posture, Taru was secretly delighted. This scene was so similar to their first encounter, when his thunderous charge easily tore through the chain defenses, and now it was the same.

He wielded his halberd with all his might, the lightning bursting from its shark-tooth-shaped blade almost scorching his retina. If he could kill Zolani first, these sluggish chains would be no threat.

However, just as he was about to plunge his halberd into the enemy's chest, a strange tremor suddenly erupted from his spine.

The chains hovering in mid-air hadn't even touched him yet, but his heart suddenly tightened as if by invisible shackles. His blood vessels burst under the sudden pressure, and every muscle screamed in agony.

Tarouch was horrified to discover that his prized crimson lightning had dissipated like the receding tide, and his halberd-wielding arm had involuntarily veered towards the sky, his previously sharp dive trajectory instantly distorted. (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text: "Mei is here, you're not free, Lin is here, what's up...")

"No—!" The hoarse roar was torn apart by the wind, and Tarouch's stiff body lost its balance.

He could only watch helplessly as Zolani's blood-stained fingertips magnified in his pupils, and the blood-covered claws pierced his chest. The icy touch spread from his chest to his limbs, and foul-smelling black blood gushed out from the claws.

It was only then that he realized that he had become a puppet controlled by the threads as early as when he was first injured.

Zolani secretly implanted magic into his wound, waiting to unleash blood magic at the crucial moment; a single mistake could cost him his life.

The heavy halberd slipped from his hand and fell into the blood-stained sand, while Taroosh's consciousness returned to the Darkin weapon, his body, which had just been galloping across the battlefield, instantly turning into a cold shell.

The Darkin's body shouldn't be this fragile, but Zoranny's blood magic stopped his regeneration, completely sealing off any possibility of him retaliating.

He was once again trapped in this weapon without hands or feet, and could only pitifully stare at his enemy through the single, scarlet eye on the weapon.

"You despicable and shameless scoundrel!" The one-eyed man's eyes flashed with furious red light. "So many years have passed, and you haven't forgotten this underhanded trick!"

Zolani remained expressionless as she manipulated the chains to suspend Tarouch's corpse in mid-air, then pulled her arm out of the body's chest.

The blood that stained her did not drip down, but instead gathered in mid-air into droplets that slowly swirled around her, like crimson gems drawn by invisible threads.

She looked down at the halberd, her gaze cold. "You think you can win against me in a fair fight? I used blood magic just to avoid any unforeseen complications. After all, there's no second fool like you who's rushing to his death."

The single eye on the halberd twitched suddenly, revealing just how furious Taroosh was. He roared, "You don't deserve my respect! No matter how strong you become, it doesn't change the fact that you're a traitor! Mortals can't tolerate you, the Darkin can't tolerate you, and even the Protoss turned their backs on you after using you."

These words clearly touched a nerve with Zolani. She slammed her foot on the halberd, the sole of her boot striking the metal with a dull thud.

"What are you yelling about! Who pushed me to this point! If you had listened to me and stopped the war back then, I wouldn't have had to agree to that damned Protoss!" She clenched her fists, her chest heaving with anger.

These Darkin all called her a traitor, but wasn't she betrayed as well? But that didn't matter anymore. As long as she emerged victorious and had the last laugh, she would naturally have plenty of ways to make them kneel.

Seemingly having devised a plan of revenge, she took a deep breath, a cold, calculating glint in her eyes. "But it doesn't matter, I'll make you pay the price."

As the eerie incantation rang out, all the blood on the battlefield began to boil. The dark red liquid seeping into the sand was forcibly extracted, and the suspended blood droplets gathered into a crimson sphere like a swarm of bees returning to their hive. Zolani's slender fingers gently pushed, and the blood sphere disappeared into Tarush's chest. Amidst the chilling sound of flesh and blood regenerating, the previously fatal wound healed at a visible speed, and even pulsating blood vessels began to emerge beneath the skin.

"What do you want to do?! Why don't you kill me?!" Seeing this, Tarouch felt a sudden fear for no reason.

In fact, he was not afraid of death; on the contrary, he longed for it.

When he came alone to find Zolani, he was already prepared to die. It would be best if he could kill his enemy, but even if he was killed in return, he could be freed through Zolani's hands, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Shurima can never go back to what it was before, and he doesn't want to be locked up in a dark and hopeless prison until he goes mad. Only a glorious death in battle is the destiny of a warrior.

Therefore, when Tarouch was at a disadvantage, he had the opportunity to escape but did not choose to, and he could have called for his companions but did not speak.

A true man has no fear of death, but when he saw Zolani tampering with his body, Tarouch realized that Zolani would not let him get away with it so easily.

"What to do? Of course, I'll turn this body into a puppet."

Zolani's empty eyes were filled with dangerous uncertainty. She reached out, drew the Darkin halberd from the ground into her hand, and then recounted her plan in a cruel and venomous tone.

"First it was Blai, then you. The rest of the Darkin, if they have any brains, will learn their lesson and won't dare to come knocking on our door alone again. And even if I directly absorb your power, it probably won't be enough to fight the Darkin Alliance... Rather than ending you here, it's better to let you deal with your former comrades—watching you be hunted down as a traitor by your former allies is much more interesting than killing you."

The consciousness within the halberd roared in defiance, yet could only watch helplessly as its body was infused with evil magic. The setting sun cast a long shadow of Zolani, and the curve of her lips was more chilling than a scorpion in the desert.

Chapter 386 Puppet

As dusk settled, Kai'Sa and Wild Hunt hid behind a rocky cliff not far from the altar, secretly watching Zoranny inject the last wisp of Darkin power into Taroosh's empty pupils.

She found an excellent host and devoured the power of Blai. The former defector has now become the most dangerous hunter.

Tarouch was not only inferior in skill, but also arrogant and conceited. After his defeat, he was controlled by Zoranny with blood magic and became her puppet.

The ratio of players has now changed from eleven to one to ten to two. Although the difference in strength is still significant, going from one to two is undoubtedly a qualitative leap for the side with fewer players.

Now it remains to be seen how Zolani will use this "helper" to continue to tip the scales.

The shadow of death quietly spread. As Tarush's footsteps sounded, Kai'Sa noticed Zolane flick her finger, and a thin line of blood disappeared into the puppet's nape, like the thread that pulls a marionette.

Zolani did not run away; her rebirth was to end these Darkborn.

As long as they exist, she will be forced to hide forever. Even if she fails, it will simply mean she reverts to being a Darkin weapon.

Therefore, it is her enemies who should be afraid.

She chose to remain at the collapsed altar, concealing her presence with her back to the coastline; the entire sea was her escape route. Meanwhile, Tarouch, under her control, flew back the way she had come to scout the situation.

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to survive a hundred battles.

The remaining Darkin followed Aatrox's orders, pairing up and not giving Zoranny an opportunity.

The first pair she encountered were Nayafili and Horaz. In a two-on-two situation, she had to focus on controlling the puppets, making it difficult for her to gain any advantage.

So when she saw the two of them heading towards the altar, she had Tarouch go up and talk to them, saying that he had already searched the area ahead and that Zolani was not there, and that they shouldn't waste their time.

Although it was just a short sentence, the arrogant and commanding tone was in line with Tarouch's character, so the two of them changed their direction and searched for it without much thought.

However, the real Tarouch was trapped in the Darkin weapon, forced to watch helplessly as Zoranny controlled his body, unable to do anything, not even issue a warning.

Next, she encountered other Darkin groups, and in order not to give herself away, she didn't exchange more than three sentences with any of them.

After learning that Aatrox was alone, Zoranny devised a plan to lure him to the altar, defeat him in a two-on-one fight, and absorb his power.

She didn't find Aatrox, but instead found Anaka first. After Tarouch, her teammate, abandoned her and went off on his own, she was inevitably left alone.

The plan has changed. Since we haven't waited for Aatrox, it's not a bad idea to take care of the lone enemy first.

Each Darkin defeated weakens the enemy faction, while she grows stronger by constantly absorbing others, until she can easily destroy any obstacle in her path.

"Hey, isn't this Lone Wolf? I thought you'd already taken care of the enemy. Why are you still wandering around?" Anaka let out a cold laugh as she saw Tarush flying over.

Faced with her merciless sarcasm, "Tarouch" simply snorted and turned away, speaking in his signature arrogant tone: "I've found that guy's location. Come with me. She has no help, so the two of us working together will have a better chance of success."

"You didn't fight her on the spot? That's not like you." Anaka was a little surprised; coming back to call for reinforcements wasn't something Tarush would do. But the latter didn't explain anything, leaving behind his back as he flew eastward without looking back.

"Wait!" Anaka cursed as she followed. After all, the two had been assigned to the same group, and if something happened to the other, it would be her responsibility. She could only follow Tarush with some doubt.

Arriving at the East Coast, Anaka discovered that Tarush hadn't lied to her; there was indeed a Blood Altar there, and Zorani, whom they were looking for, was sitting beside it "healing," her body shrouded in a weak blood mist.

The other woman's unguarded state greatly tempted her, and she wanted to take advantage of her illness to rush forward and pierce her heart with a spear. However, her gaze swept over the broken altar, and Anaka realized that someone had already arrived here before them and had engaged in a fierce battle with Zolani, destroying everything around them.

"Tarlushi, do you know who came before us?" Anaka asked her teammates first, not wanting to alert them.

She had already ruled out Varus in her mind. Although Varus had indeed fought with Zolani before, he shouldn't have kept such an important matter as the altar a secret.

Tarouch did not respond for a long time. Anaka looked around in confusion, but did not see Tarouch anywhere.

"Tarlush?" She noticed the sudden silence around her, and when she turned around, she found that Tarlush had quietly retreated behind her at some point, raising his halberd and pointing it at her. The shark-tooth-shaped halberd blade was emitting eerie dark red lightning.

Anaka's pupils constricted, and in her haste, she could only raise her spear to parry, but was blasted off the heights by the thunderous halberd strike and rolled down beside the altar.

She endured the numbness in her hands and feet and stood up again, only to see that Tarouch had already flown into the air to block her retreat, while Zoranny ended her meditation and stood up, her hands wrapped with a pair of chain scythes, pressing towards her step by step with a powerful aura.

The other person only had slightly torn clothes; there was no sign of injury whatsoever. The bloody smell in the air was merely a smokescreen to make her underestimate her opponent.

"Damn it! You—" Anaka realized she had been tricked and immediately raised her spear, but didn't know which way to aim it.

"Aren't you surprised?" Zolani swung her pair of scythes at a leisurely pace, creating a crimson moon at her side. With victory in hand in a two-on-one situation, she wasn't in such a hurry to take down her opponent this time.

It wasn't that she had committed the same arrogance as Tarouch, but rather that she needed to seize every opportunity to prepare a backup plan for the upcoming battle.

"How did you control him?!" Anaka asked, her voice filled with shock and anger.

"Why do you think I'm controlling him? Couldn't he have betrayed me because he was subdued by my power?" Zolani squinted the other half of her eye that wasn't covered by the eyepatch. (The last part is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

"Don't make me laugh. The fact that you said that shows you don't understand him. That idiot may be arrogant, but he would never do something like betraying his country."