Void Beetle Evolution Guide

Kai'Sa, fearing Azir wouldn't know what she had done, emphasized her actions before stating her request: "We went to great lengths to resurrect you and delayed Xerath's ascension, all for one thing—please control these mad Darkin and prevent them from starting another war."

"Aatrox, is it true?" Azir's expression was hidden beneath his helmet, but the scrutiny in his eyes was as sharp as an eagle's.

"Hmph..." Aatrox dared not meet Azir's gaze, his bloodthirsty eyes fixed on Kai'Sa, neither admitting nor denying.

Clearly, he was aware of his sins, having willingly fallen into depravity. Kaisa was right, but what she said made him extremely unhappy.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, then let Naganeka and Varus answer me.” Azir sighed, his voice bitter and weary.

His soldiers had all turned into this state, and as the emperor, he felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, if they still recognized him as their emperor.

……

The location changed to the palace in the Oasis of Dawn. Azir paced back and forth in front of the golden throne, listening intently as Naganeka gave him a crash course in history from his death until now.

He did not choose to sit on the throne, which was made to the size of a mortal and was no longer suitable for him. Although Azir could easily reshape it, he felt that he was not a qualified emperor at this moment and felt a sense of resistance.

The part about Naga Neka is finished. As a Darkin, there are many things she doesn't know, so Kai'Sa will fill in the gaps in the history after the Darkin Wars. However, the focus is still on the history of the Darkin wars.

"How tragic that such a vast empire has crumbled in a single day... It's all my fault for not seeing Xerath's wolfish ambitions, which led to Shurima suffering this calamity." Azir struck the ground with his scepter, his voice echoing in the empty palace.

He was supposed to ascend that day, but Shurima fell on that very day. Catastrophe swept across the land, and an empire that had ruled the known world for millennia vanished in the blink of an eye. The terrible cataclysm turned the land into wasteland, drying up rivers and lakes.

“In my opinion, Xerath is an insatiable wolf. His Majesty has already made him the most powerful minister, but he still committed treason and stole the divine status that rightfully belongs to you,” Naganeka chimed in, with Varus still holding the ballista in his hands.

“If you had explained your thoughts to Xerath sooner, perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out this way,” Kai’Sa said from the side. (The last two lines appear to be random characters and are left untranslated.)

"How dare you speak to His Majesty like that!" Naganekia immediately rebuked Kai'Sa, but Azir gave her a deep look.

He raised his hand, signaling Naganeka to be quiet.

“She’s right. Just before I ascended, I declared the abolition of slavery, a lifelong dream of Xerath,” Azir said. “To achieve this goal, I also spent decades cultivating it. Shurima was built on the blood and flesh of slaves, and many nobles relied on forced labor to maintain their wealth and power. Such a stubborn foundation cannot be overturned overnight, and if the plan were made public too early, it would surely fail. That’s why I didn’t even tell Xerath.”

"Although I have always wanted to recognize Xerath as my brother, I must first free all the slaves of Shurima. They are not wrong to call me an arrogant emperor."

"So there was such a misunderstanding. His Majesty kept quiet, but Xerath couldn't wait any longer," Naganeka sighed.

"We have all made irreparable mistakes."

"But this must not be made public. Xerath must continue to play the villain, otherwise the hatred of his people will have nowhere to go."

“My people…where are my people?” Azir looked around his capital city with a heavy heart. The city was so vast, yet there wasn’t a single person in sight. It was devoid of any life, like an empty grave rising from the sand, mocking him, the emperor without a single ruler.

"Your Majesty, the clear water flowing from the Dawn Oasis is constantly replenishing the Mother of Life. When people discover that the Mother of Life has been refilled, they will follow the water source to investigate. The first to arrive will be the nomadic tribes. Needless to say, they will spread the news of your return, and those admirers of the royal family will surely come to pledge allegiance upon hearing the rumors."

Naga Neka's suggestion gave Kai'Sa an idea. She whispered to the Wild Hunt, "Why don't we wait here for Taliyah to arrive? I have a feeling she'll come with the Weavers' tribe."

“Let’s wait and see. Azir hasn’t indicated his stance on the Darkin yet,” Wild Hunt replied.

“That’s true. An emperor cannot be without his subjects, and a city cannot be without its inhabitants. I will open the city gates wide and welcome them to settle here,” Azir replied.

"Does the abolition of slavery still stand?" Kasha asked.

“Yes! But Xerath’s sins must be settled.” Azir’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the silent Aatrox: “Aatrox, I sympathize with your plight, but you cannot continue to wallow in depravity. The rebuilding of Shurima needs you.”

"Does Your Majesty intend for me to lead the campaign against Xerath?" Aatrox's tone was somewhat cold.

Azir shook his head: "I do have that idea. Dawn Oasis needs me to be there, so it's inconvenient for me to personally lead the army into battle. But Xerath is not someone you can defeat alone. Let's wait until the others arrive before discussing this."

“Xerath I can take revenge for you, but I will not back down on Zoranny. I will not be at peace until I have personally killed that traitor!” Aatrox did not want Azir to gloss over the matter. He clenched his fists, and the fire of hatred burned in his eyes.

If the emperor is immoral, he will simply leave.

“I understand what happened to Zorani. I don’t support it, but I won’t stop it either… You were all once Ascended beings of Shurima. If you insist on killing her, then I hope this is the last time.” Azrul paused, gazing at the golden sun disk as he stood with his hands behind his back, the golden scepter beside him, following him as he passed by the crowd. “It pains me to see a once great Celestial warrior reduced to this state. Aatrox, tell me your thoughts. Do you want to shed the stigma of the Darkin?”

Aatrox paused, then lowered his head and said bitterly, "Your Majesty—"

The term "Darkborn" is a derogatory term for those who ascend, but it is a punishment they deserve for voluntarily relinquishing their past glory. They are powerless to change it and have long been accustomed to it.

“In your eyes, I see no unconditional loyalty, after all, Shurima was destroyed once because of my arrogance.” Azir turned around, his face bearing a proud determination, his gaze burning as he looked at Aatrox: “But I believe I can lead you to regain your former glory. Once this matter is over, I will use my own blood to reforge your ascended divine bodies in front of everyone, and completely resolve the root cause of your suffering for thousands of years.”

"Are you willing to fight for Shurima once again?" Although it was a question, his tone was authoritative and left no room for doubt.

Aatrox had not expected the conversation to go this way, but Azir's talk of responsibility rekindled a long-dormant fire in his chest.

He felt rage coursing through his limbs, surging through his body. Only now did he understand what he had lost in his endless imprisonment since the fall of Shurima.

“I swear here and now,” he knelt on one knee, “that I will once again serve Shurima faithfully!”

Chapter 429 The Sound of the Wind

"I never expected Aatrox to be recruited so easily." Even after leaving the palace, Kai'Sa still found it hard to believe; things had progressed far too smoothly.

“Azir has offered ascension as a promise; no Darkin can resist such temptation,” the Wild Hunt said. “However, some people will suffer. The ascension ritual seems to require imperial blood, and only Sivir possesses that bloodline. There are quite a few Darkins; I wonder how much blood will be spilled.”

"That's terrible... but they still have a tough battle to fight. Xerath and Zorani are both targets to be defeated. Hopefully, the war won't be too brutal." Kai'Sa sincerely hoped that once these two were dealt with, the Darkin matter could be put to rest.

"You'd better lower your expectations; after all, this is the last hurrah."

"Let's see how many Darkborn come in a few days. I don't know."

Dawn Oasis is currently like a ghost town. As Kai'Sa explores around, she discovers that the city is almost an empty shell.

Many buildings in the city are just for show; once you step inside, you'll find that not only are they uninhabited, but sometimes they don't even have the most basic furniture—they're just empty houses.

What's even stranger is that some buildings are completely inaccessible, like unopened areas in a game world. You can only look at them, forget about going in. Even if you manage to exploit a glitch and get in, you'll only see a lot of blank space waiting for the developers to fill in.

Kai'Sa felt that Dawn Oasis had been buried for too long, and many things had succumbed to the erosion of time, turning into nothingness. The current capital city, on the basis of ruins, had been sculpted by Azir into the image he remembered.

Even he couldn't remember every street and alley, or the structure of every house in such a vast city. That's why so many details are missing, making the city feel very strange and unreal.

There is no doubt that this city needs a certain degree of reconstruction, and this can only be filled by living people.

Azir told them to make their own arrangements, and Kasha chose a house on higher ground so they wouldn't be disturbed by the sound of running water. Besides, all the houses were unclaimed, so they could choose whichever they wanted.

However, they ultimately chose to spend the night at the library, seemingly because Azir had spent a significant portion of his childhood there. The library's environment was much more refined and comprehensive than other places, and many of the books were well-preserved and could be taken out and browsed at any time.

Aside from that, they wouldn't do anything out of line. The entire Dawn Oasis was under Azir's control, and no matter what they did, there was an unsettling feeling of being watched.

Surprisingly, within three days, someone discovered the city that had suddenly risen from the sand.

This was a nomadic tribe that had followed the water source and was utterly astonished by the sudden appearance of such a magnificent city on the river. They observed the city from afar, unaware that while they were observing the capital, the people inside were also observing them.

Due to various doubts, this nomadic tribe dared not enter the city despite seeing the wide-open gates, and instead bypassed the city to go elsewhere.

A few days later, a caravan arrived at Dawn Oasis. That night, a sandstorm swept in, bringing with it a strong wind and dust. After experiencing the same shock and doubt, they decided to risk entering the city to investigate.

The caravan cautiously approached the city gate, where helmeted guards, draped in gold and red cloaks, silently watched the newcomers to Shurima.

The caravan leader approached the guard, whose body reeked of deep, earthy stench, dry and filthy, making him suddenly feel breathless. But for safety's sake, he steeled himself and approached the guard, wanting to ask if his caravan could enter the city to rest for the night.

The guard did not answer the leader's question, but silently stared in the direction of the city gate, like a stone sculpture.

Seeing that the guards did not move, the team leader cautiously moved closer. As soon as he got closer, his gaze was drawn to them, and he was driven by curiosity to get closer and closer.

Through the gaps in the guard's helmet, he saw that the skin around his eyes wasn't any of the typical Shurima skin tones. Neither wheat, reddish-brown, nor black was it; it was a grainy brown…

"Could it be..."

"It's exactly what you think."

The team leader opened his eyes wide, when suddenly a voice came from behind him, startling him so much that he fell to the ground with a thud.

He turned around and saw two women standing behind him looking at him. The one who was speaking had an air of nobility, while the other was tall and burly, like a bodyguard. Neither of them looked like a Shuriman.

The team leader quickly got up. The two women who had suddenly appeared seemed a bit strange, but at least they could communicate with each other compared to the guards.

He tried to calm himself down, looked around again, and asked cautiously, "Are you two the only living people here?" He had already realized that these guards were actually all soulless sand soldiers.

“There are a few others; we just arrived a few days earlier than you,” Cassiopeia replied. She wouldn't spend all her time with Kasha, otherwise she wouldn't be able to do anything she wanted to do.

“You’ve been here for several days already? Do you know where this is? This is the site of an ancient capital. Aren’t you scared? A city that has suddenly come back to life, who knows if it will suddenly sink again and bury us all…” He nervously shrank his arms, his body trembling slightly, his fear evident in his words.

Casiopeia maintained a smile throughout.

"If you're not comfortable with that, you can stay one night and then leave."

"Staying overnight is not an option. I plan to have the caravan rest against the city wall for a while, and leave as soon as the sandstorm passes. Girls, would you like to leave with us? This place is really too strange."

“A cautious approach, but no need for that, it’s actually quite safe here.” Cassiopeia sensed an undeniable concern in his voice and nodded.

"Is there something in this city that makes you reluctant to leave?" the leader continued to probe for information.

"That's all you've seen."

“A magnificent, shimmering solar disk, clear fresh water flowing out of nowhere, a vast and ancient oasis of dawn…” The tour leader stared at all of this in a daze, then swallowed hard: “But I always feel that this place is eerie.”

“In the desert, isn’t it enough to have fresh water and shelter?” Saifi said.

"Yes, that's enough." Realizing he had been a bit greedy, the team leader changed the subject: "Then what about these soldiers?"

"Azir the Ascended has returned. He is the one who restored the Sun Disc and allowed Mother Life to flow again. Rest in the city in peace; he has promised to protect everyone in the city. Also, you must make a decision quickly; the sandstorm is coming soon."

"..."

Even though Cassie was simply stating a fact, this bombshell news still left the team leader speechless.

The two casually left a word of advice and walked away. As they walked down the deserted street, Sephiroth asked in confusion, "Why are you still speaking up for Azir? Aren't you afraid he'll expel you Noxians from Shurima?"

"There's a vast desert separating Dawn Oasis from the North Coast. Before Azir tries to reclaim his territory, he should probably think about how to clear out the Exysai there." Cassiopeia wasn't worried at all, even though her residence was in Shurima. (The last part, "梅有呢你林想空你林在在没呢," is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

If Azir isn't stupid, he'll prioritize dealing with the Void creatures lurking beneath the sands, or let them become a natural barrier for Noxus, and conquer the rest of the desert first.

Chapter 430 The Alliance of Traitors

A streak of light streaked across the sky, like a shooting star in the night sky, approaching the dead city hidden in the shadows of the mountains.

After thousands of years, Xerath returned to his homeland once again.

The ancient city and the remains of its citizens have long since blended into the desert, making it impossible to distinguish the bones and ashes from the yellow sand.

Only the tallest towers still reach over the sand dunes, their broken spires singing a lament in the winds blowing from distant lands. On a crumbling pillar base, a colossal stone statue, its torso long gone, stands only on its two legs, its raptor-like head half-buried in the yellow sand beside it.

Narimar, this city is Xerath's hometown, but he has little memory of it.

When he was very young, his family was captured by Renekton's army and taken to Dawn Oasis, where they were subjected to endless enslavement and subservience.

Not long after, his father died in a construction accident, and the entire project was just to erect a monument for the emperor's most beloved horse.

Fearing he would suffer the same fate, his mother begged a famous tomb architect to take him on as an apprentice. This architect happened to be one of Naganeka's men.

Thanks to the knowledge his parents taught him, Xerath became an architect's apprentice without much difficulty, but he never saw his mother again after that.

Xerath's mentor would send him to Nasus's library almost daily to retrieve specific documents and plans, and it was there that he met Azir, the emperor's least favored son... It was there that Azir gave him his current name, meaning "one who knows how to share." (The last line appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text.)

The thought of that person in eagle armor made the chains in Xerath's heart twitch uncontrollably. The two people who had supported each other had ended up becoming enemies, and the memories had become bitter and unbearable to recall.

Why won't you rest in peace? It's too late, my friend. It's too late, brother. It's all too late for us.

Xerath landed in the city, and everywhere in Narimar, the traces of burning were still clearly visible even after a thousand years. The city was engulfed in flames, its inhabitants were slaughtered by swords, and its name was chiseled from the remaining stone tablets and obelisks.

He already knew what had happened; after his actions destroyed the entire empire, the vengeful Celestial warriors, with nowhere to vent their anger, would surely lose their composure. So they burned Narimar, along with his people, turning them to ashes and utterly annihilating them.

But their malice was in vain. Xerath felt no remorse for his sins that had implicated the entire city. His parents had long been drained of their lifeblood by the Empire, and there was no one here he cared about.

Conversely, the only thing that Xerath regrets is that there are no living people here for him to enslave.

Zelas drifted aimlessly until he arrived at an archive room with a damaged roof.

Yellow sand filled most of the room. Xerath casually picked up a scroll that was half-buried in the sand, but before he could examine it closely, the decaying scroll caught fire and burned due to the intense heat emanating from his body.

However, in that brief moment, Xerath still managed to glimpse part of the scroll's contents, which recorded the deeds of a Darkin named Tayanari.

“Tayanari…” Xerath’s mind conjured up an image of a cheetah-shaped god. Daring to seize Ascension, he knew the details of every Ascended person like the back of his hand, because they were all his enemies.

Afterward, Xerath arrived at the circular amphitheater in front of the dunes. He passed through a magnificent archway, its shape like a raging wave frozen in time.

This place is filled with brown crystals, like a crater composed of smoky black, sea green, and extraordinary rainbows. The glassy surface absorbs the soft moonlight, reflecting it as a layer of ethereal white veil.

In my memory, this place should have been the main market of Narimar. It seems that someone used magic to reshape it, and the sand melted into glass under intense heat, which is why it looks like this.

However, Xerath then discovered that there was a deep pit in the center of the theater, large enough to fill hundreds of Ascended beings. It was not something that could be created by human power, not even by the divine power of the Ascended beings.

Just as he was puzzled, a voice suddenly came over, "That crater was caused by Charikar. Tayana used this move to kill six Darkin, which is quite an achievement."

"Who?" Xerath turned his head and saw a figure hidden in the darkness in a corner of the audience.

The man walked down from the audience, with neat, short white hair, a perforated eye patch covering one eye, and a pair of sharp, blood-red chain scythes wrapped around his arms.

"Like you, we are rebels who were not well-liked and were forced to rise up in rebellion."

“Zolani?” Xerath warily rubbed a ball of lightning between his palms. He remembered Zolani; she was one of the youngest Ascended in the Empire, with no particularly outstanding achievements, and was suspected of being a nepotism case.

"Would someone who stole the Emperor's divine status be afraid of a mere Darkin like me? Or do you despise my obscurity and inability to offer you help?" Zolani noticed Xerath's wariness, stopped, and stood close to the edge of the circular amphitheater.

"Don't try to get close to me. Are you one of Azir's pursuers too?"

"Azir has actually been resurrected? That's quite unexpected." Zoranne sneered, "Xerath, you overestimate me. If I were a pursuer he sent, how dare I show myself in front of you alone?"