Void Beetle Evolution Guide

Even so, she still overlooked one thing. The real Cassiopeia wasn't among them at all, and had already quietly crept up behind her, the whip rope lashing out with a strangling force, the sound of it cutting through the air like an explosion, delivering a final, soothing blow.

The hook at the end of the whip, like scissors, severed Katarina cleanly at the waist. Because of the speed, it took quite a while for her upper body to slide off the smooth cut.

Lying in a pool of blood, Katarina remained completely calm. Soon, crimson blood wove together into threads, stitching her upper and lower body back together, restoring her to her original state.

"I'm not playing anymore! That's too cheating!" Cassiopeia exclaimed, calling it cheating.

She realized that Katarina had been completely transformed into a Darkin, and the only way to eliminate her was to destroy her weapons. But Darkin weapons are not something that can be destroyed by ordinary means.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad; the Darkin could render them unable to resist by destroying their bodies. But the combination of Zoranne and the Skin Armor also granted Katarina unparalleled regenerative abilities.

She can transform her body into blood, and any fatal injury will disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye. She has become an invincible being who is immortal and can regenerate instantly, and is more durable than the real Darkin.

And you call her Shadow Cloak a cheat? Isn't Katarina's ability far more cheating?

"Even though I went easy on you, you didn't use your skin armor either, did you?" Katarina flicked her chain blade, looking completely nonchalant.

"I'm not stupid, I have no chance of winning in a hand-to-hand fight with you."

Cassiopeia couldn't think of a way to defeat Katarina. If she used her skin armor, Katarina could counter with her gigantification ability. Her combat experience was definitely not as rich as Katarina's, who had been walking on the edge of life and death for many years.

The corrosive effect of Void energy can effectively prevent the Darkin's regeneration abilities, but Katarina is also one of the hosts of the Skin Armor, so it's hard to say whether this move would still be effective against her. Furthermore, Katarina only refrained from dodging when she was certain there was no threat; wouldn't she have dodged a truly threatening attack?

Just then, Kai'Sa issued a warning: "That's enough. There seems to be something flying over in the distance."

"Let's go." Cassiopeia was even more excited than if she had won the battle when she heard that they were going to make a run for it.

"You're unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss," Katarina couldn't help but complain. Her mischievous sister took advantage and ran away, not giving her, the older sister, a chance to regain face. She had been beaten for nothing.

Before being discovered, the group boarded Syndra's flying carriage and slowly escaped the scene, leaving no tracks behind and making them impossible to track.

On the way, Cassiopeia made a point of observing Kai'Sa and Syndra's expressions, noticing that neither of them showed any concern about their increased strength. (The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the preceding sentences.)

Is this really not a threat? They're quite composed.

A short while later, a special forces unit arrived at the scene. Majestic eagles and silver-armored cavalry—these were Demacia's unique dragon riders.

They sensed an unusual seismic source coming from the mountainous area, but when they arrived at the scene, they found only traces of a fierce battle.

"Is it the Dragon Plague? Or the mages causing trouble?" Several riders speculated, while others thought that the Darkin giants who once traversed Demacia had returned, but they were still far from the truth.

……

Back at the farmhouse, Katarina disguised herself as a peasant woman and prepared to go out.

"Where are you going?" Wild Hunt asked.

"I'm going to the market to buy some vegetables to cook."

"You can cook?" Wild Hunt was quite surprised. He had assumed none of these women could cook. And Katarina had just merged with a Darkin; how could she have switched back to normalcy so quickly?

“I’m not some pampered young lady. When I’m on a mission alone, I need to cook healthy meals to keep my body in good condition,” Katarina replied.

"Well... but everyone can choose not to eat, so let's not go out and increase the risk of exposure."

"But what about Miss Mianwei? She hasn't eaten anything for two days. If this continues, she will—"

"Don't worry about her," Wild Hunt interrupted. "Just let her go hungry and give her some water."

"Miss Crown Guard? Who is that?" Kasha asked, her ears perked up. In fact, she had looked over when the topic of cooking came up, to see if it was a veiled reference.

"It's nothing, just a little lamb that needs some discipline. Get a good rest tonight so you can be in good spirits tomorrow."

Kasha frowned, somewhat concerned, but what did she say?

That evening, she heard groaning coming from the basement again. Seeing that the entrance was unlocked, she went down to take a look out of curiosity after lifting the wooden board.

She came out in less than half a minute, muttering, "There's no little lamb, it's clearly a firefly glowing in the dark."

She chose to ignore the girl's cries for help. The Wild Hunt doesn't persecute an innocent person without reason; there's always a reason why someone is pitiful.

Chapter 517 Assigning Tasks

The next morning, Wild Hunt gathered the four of them around the table to discuss their plan.

He placed a drawing he had made overnight in front of Kasha, who looked at the circular pattern with a puzzled expression. "What is this... an altar?"

“Calling it an altar is fine, but it’s actually just a tree stump,” Wild Hunt replied.

“No tree stump has growth rings like that.” Kasha didn’t believe it at first, but after Wild Hunt’s explanation, she gradually understood what he was drawing.

"This is the stump of the Anti-Magic Tree. I believe you have all heard of the Anti-Magic Stone. This kind of stone that can absorb magic is not actually a real stone, but a fossil of the Anti-Magic Tree. Kasha, your task is to find a stump in the Anti-Magic Stone Forest to the east that roughly corresponds to the one in the picture."

Kai'Sa is fast, so she can find things quickly too, and her abilities are unaffected by the anti-magic stone. Of course, these aren't the key points. The most crucial thing is that she has a rune fragment within her body, which allows her to sense what the Wild Hunt is looking for.

"Just finding something?" Kasha thought it was far too easy. (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the question.)

"That's just the first step. I'll tell you the rest once I find it."

"Understood." Kasha nodded, rolled up the blueprints, and put them away.

"Then there's Syndra. Your mission is to find Morgana, the sister of Kayle, the Protoss of Justice. She lives in seclusion in a deep, dark forest where the trees are so dense that you can't see the sky. Reclusive masters like to live in places far from the world."

"Is that all the information you have? There's not even a location. How am I supposed to find it?" Syndra frowned. She was bored and wanted to find something to do to pass the time, but she didn't want to use her brain too much.

“We are currently in the north of Demacia. Kai'Sa is heading northeast. Excluding the central stronghold, we can definitely find a place that corresponds to the description by walking around the border.”

"Circling the border?! How long would that take? I won't do it!"

Syndra suddenly floated up and sat on a platform higher than the table, with her legs crossed and arms folded over her chest, looking like she was defying orders.

She's really like a dog that's been neglected for three days and is now climbing on the roof. But Wild Hunt can't discipline her in front of others, or she'll explode from shame and anger.

“Demacia is about the same size as the Navori province of Ionia, it won’t be long,” Wild Hunt said gently, his biggest worry being Syndra, who he would probably have to spend most of his time watching over her this time.

“No need for that. I know a place that matches what the master said. It’s east of Demacia, near Greentooth Peak in Noxus,” Katarina suddenly interjected.

"That's more like it."

Syndra's expression softened slightly, and Katarina added, "Greentooth Peaks are two parallel mountain ridges with an exceptionally dense and deep forest between them. I entered Demacia using the cover of this forest. However, be careful, as there are quite a few sentries and rangers lurking there. Although they pose no threat to you, getting them to inform you can be quite troublesome."

"It doesn't matter, I will kill anyone who stands in my way." Syndra was fairly satisfied with the task of finding someone, at least it was better than Kai'Sa's. She also wanted to see if the legendary Protoss Child had any strength comparable to hers.

Everyone wore expressions of as if they had expected this, having already anticipated Syndra's standard response.

“Next is Katarina,” Wild Hunt said. “I received a message from Ahri that Lillia helped her find the whereabouts of Portyl and Sephiroth. The former is in Demacia, and the latter is in the sea near Mount Targon.”

"So my mission is to find this Portil?" Katarina asked, not recognizing the two dragon girls, even though they had both visited her home.

“That’s right, let’s ignore Sephie for now. She seems to be enjoying the offerings from the Merfolk and living a pretty comfortable life. Portia seems to be injured. Her last appearance was near the Dragon Bird Nest in the north, not far from the Anti-Magic Stone Forest. Katarina, go and bring her back to me. She’ll probably clash with those Dragon Bird Riders on the way, which will be good for drawing Kasha’s attention.”

"Received." As expected of an assassin trained by the Empire, Katarina's self-discipline is far superior to others. Give her a goal, and she will find a way to accomplish it without the Wild Hunt having to say a word.

"Is it finally my turn?"

Cassiopeia looked up expectantly from the table, but Wild Hunt ignored her and announced directly, "That's settled then, let's all set off. The carriage is for Syndra, Katarina, you and Kai'Sa are going the same way. You can wait until Kai'Sa reaches the Anti-Magic Forest and then I'll teleport you there, that way it'll be faster."

"Wait! What about my task?!" Cassiopeia cried out, feeling ignored. Had she been forgotten? But everyone was supposed to have something to do!

"You stay here, I'll tell you later," Wild Hunt said in an unquestionable tone.

"So that's how it is..." Cassiopeia realized that her mission was a secret that couldn't be known by others. Seeing that everyone was looking over, she immediately smiled smugly.

Cassiopeia went to see the others off first, and Kasha disappeared in a flash. Katarina tried to catch up with her, but immediately gave up. Even if she had four legs, she couldn't outrun Kasha.

However, Katarina continued to move forward. Wild Hunt clearly had something to discuss with her sister privately, and it would be inconsiderate for her to stay behind.

Syndra drove the carriage eastward at a leisurely pace, and soon disappeared from sight.

Afterwards, Cassiopeia returned to the house alone, awaiting the Wild Hunt's orders.

"Did your sister tell you that she kidnapped a noblewoman from the Mianwei family and hid her in the basement?"

"No, I asked her, but she didn't say anything. My sister is very tight-lipped; she won't say anything without your instructions."

"Let's go down and take a look first."

Cassiopeia followed Wild Hunt's instructions, lifting the wooden planks and descending a few short steps to the dimly lit basement. She could see in the darkness, but she still carried a candlestick to let him know she was there.

A series of whimpering sounds came from above, and by the candlelight, Cassiopeia saw a haggard blonde girl. She was bound by ropes hanging from the ceiling, her arms tied together, suspended in a tortured position, unable to rest and forced to remain standing.

As Cassiopeia came down, the girl immediately cast a complex look at her, a look that was both fearful and expectant, both afraid of what might happen to her and hoping that she could be spared.

Then she heard Wild Hunt say in her ear, "This girl is called Lux, you may have heard of her. Your task is to discipline her, to make her deeply aware of her sins, until she is completely corrupted and abandons the light for darkness."

Chapter 518 The Training Begins

"Can I torture her?" Cassiopeia stood at the entrance, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she looked at the girl in front of her with great interest.

The Crownguard family is the most illustrious family in Demacia besides the royal family, as can be seen from their name. Crownguard means "royal guards," and they are a family of meritorious contributors who co-founded the nation with the royal family.

Although both were noble ladies from prominent families, Lux's status was clearly much higher than hers. If we include the canceled engagement ceremony, her status also included that of a future Queen of Demacia.

The thought of training such an outstanding young man filled Cassiopeia with excitement.

"Disciplining? I'm the best at disciplining." Evelyn, who had caught the scent, suddenly appeared from behind Cassiopeia, looked over Lux's shoulder, biting her nails and revealing a hungry, wicked smile: "Ah~ what a sweet scent, darling, let me taste her pain together..."

Seeing their eager expressions, Wild Hunt readily agreed: "Whatever means you use, as long as you can meet my requirements, that's fine."

Wild Hunt didn't want to turn Lux into his familiar so easily; that would be too easy on this sanctimonious bitch. Besides, if he didn't use some tricks on this idiot's brain, even with the armor, she'd still be a troublemaker.

"Thank you, Master, this is wonderful." Cassiopeia clapped her hands, tilted her head, pressed her cheek against the back of her hand, and smiled sweetly, like a child who had received a favorite toy.

Such a smile on her face only created a stark contrast for those who knew her well, like the smile of a devil. One can only say that Evelyn found the right master.

Of course, the Wild Hunt didn't completely entrust Lux to them either. He wasn't worried about Cassiopeia, but he wasn't at ease with Evelynn, the real demon.

He pretended to have left without saying a word, and then quietly observed what they would do.

Cassiopeia walked straight to Lux, holding the candlestick close to observe the girl's delicate face.

The backlight of the candlelight made her smile look eerie. The girl's pupils trembled violently, filled with fear, and two dried tear tracks fell down her cheeks. The light in her eyes flickered.

Their eyes met, and the two drew closer. Lux smelled the sweet fragrance emanating from Cassiopeia, while Cassiopeia smelled a raw, vulnerable scent.

Silent eye contact is a terrifying thing for someone with a weak mind. At this distance, Lux can clearly see every single eyelash of Cassiopeia, and also the undisguised cruelty in her pupils.

Perhaps it was the increasingly close candlelight that burned her skin, Lux struggled to shrink her neck, a single, glowing tear welling in the corner of her eye.

Cassiopeia then extended her finger close to Lux's eyes. The sharp angle startled Lux, causing her to immediately close her eyes, and hot tears streamed down her face. But she had no intention of harming the girl; she simply caught the tears out of curiosity.

"Wow, your magic power is really strong. Even after drinking the anti-magic potion, you still have magic power emanating from you." Cassiopeia exclaimed, looking at the teardrop on her fingertip. No wonder Kai'Sa called Lux ​​a firefly in the dark; she really does glow.

Suddenly a head came closer, and the demon opened its mouth and took Cassiopeia's finger into its mouth, wrapping the fingertip with its warm and soft lips, and savoring the taste of tears.

After a while, she raised her head and brushed aside her loose hair. "A bitter aftertaste, that's really nice. Let her shed more tears."

"Evelyn, don't scare our Crown Guard lady." Cassiopeia rolled her eyes at her, then ripped the burlap sack from Lux's mouth.

The strip of cloth was soaked with saliva in her mouth, and now that it was dry, it emitted a fermented, foul odor that was extremely unpleasant and pungent.

Cassiopeia threw the bib at Evelyn, who let out a strange cry and vanished into a puff of smoke, leaving only a lingering, playful laugh, like a will-o'-the-wisp in a swamp, which startled Lux ​​so much that her eyes widened.

"Delin, why did you do this to me?!" After being freed from her restraints, Lux mustered her courage and questioned him in a tearful voice.

“It’s heartbreaking that we sisters would be mistaken for each other one day.” Cassiopeia shook her head and put down the candlestick. “The person who brought you here is my sister. Look closely, she has a scar on her eye, but I don’t. But don’t worry, she’s already gone.”

"Who are you people? Why did you bring me to a place like this?" Lux realized she had mistaken someone for someone else, but her question remained the same.

“Me?” Cassiopeia tapped her cheek thoughtfully. “We’re just a group of vigilantes who can’t stand your wickedness and harm to the country. Lux, you must atone for your sins here, or you can forget about ever returning to your homeland to see your beloved family again.”

"If I am guilty, then the law should punish me, and people should punish me, not this vigilante justice!"

"How could you say that?" Cassiopeia suddenly pinched Lux's cheek hard. "Naive girl, don't you ever think about why all the mages imprisoned in the Black Prison are powerless commoners? Are noble bloodlines inherently superior? Aren't they susceptible to demonic possession?"

She let go, but her words made Lux's eyes widen instantly.

Lux had been in Demacia for so long, and she had indeed rarely heard of any nobles being corrupted by magic. She had only heard of nobles being killed by mages, and that was how her uncle died.

She thought she was an exception, but upon closer inspection, it's terrifying to think that there might be a considerable number of mages hidden among the noble class of Demacia!

Seeing that her words had dealt a significant blow to Lux, Cassiopeia unleashed another barrage of attacks.

“If things had gone as you said, your brother would have locked you in the dungeon long ago. But you noble lords protect each other, shielding one another, allowing you to escape the punishment of forbidden magic and live comfortably in a mansion, served by servants, enjoying a life of luxury. Perhaps this is not your intention, but you certainly enjoy privileges.”

“But… banning magic is wrong. Perhaps it was right before, but it no longer applies to Demacia and needs a complete overhaul. Why should I… why should I abide by a wrong law? I should be correcting it.” Lux avoided Cassiopeia’s eyes, her conscience prickling as she offered her excuses.

Any normal person would instinctively fear punishment and try to avoid vigilante justice; she was no exception.

"So, your way of changing the law is to incite conflict and cause hundreds to die because of your mistakes?" Cassiopeia sneered. "Tsk. Even disregarding your identity as a mage, how many people have you killed? At least a thousand have died because of you, and yet you can still walk openly on the streets of Xiongdu. Looking at those gruesome corpses, don't you feel even a shred of remorse?"

"...Of course I feel guilty, so...I'm already trying to do something to make up for my mistakes. I helped those innocent mages escape Xiongdu, and if they let me go back, I will personally visit those who lost loved ones in the accident. From now on, I will take this as a lesson and strive to be a kind person!"

Lux was filled with remorse, and the thought of those poor people always broke her heart. She acknowledged the crimes she had committed and knew that the tragedy stemmed from her momentary outpouring of compassion, and she had already begun to take action to address it.

She tried to persuade Cassie to let her go, but it had no effect.

"It's too late. Life should not be weighed on a scale. No matter what you do, you can't make up for your sins. The dead will never come back to life, and you will never be forgiven."