Void Beetle Evolution Guide

Cassiopeia acted as a guide, introducing the city's customs to the Wild Hunt. It wasn't that she was wasting time; rather, she had calculated the timing perfectly, starting her journey from here to her destination at the right moment.

She pointed to the candles in the upper windows of the houses along the roadside, saying that the candlelight was to guide suitors who came to make advances at night, but she didn't elaborate on what kind of suitors they were. But those who would make advances at night, Kuanglie thought, were either clients of prostitutes or moths drawn to a spider's web.

Cassiopeia led the Wild Hunt into a quiet area where there was no light except from the moon.

A full moon shone on the irregular cobblestone path, like a group of silently watching eyes. Coupled with the occasional cawing of crows, the silence at this moment seemed even more chilling.

In the circular plaza, a central fountain flows gently. The water, reflected in the moonlight, appears silvery, and the fountain sculpture in the center is remarkably lifelike. Cast from cast iron, it depicts a headless warrior clad in plate armor and wielding a mace.

Wild Hunt noticed the water flowing from the statue's neck and realized its meaning. He couldn't help but smile knowingly. Cassiopeia had brought him here for more than just a casual stopover.

"This is Vladimir's residence. Everyone in the city knows where he lives, but almost no one remembers ever being there. However, he doesn't seem to be there tonight."

Cassiopeia's gaze passed over a double-leafed door made of dried silver bark wood. Behind the door stood a grand and imposing mansion. This mansion did not follow any particular architectural style, but rather blended architectural trends from different periods over the past few centuries. Every angle of it showcased a bygone era of the empire.

Of all the strange features, the most striking is the crude tower that rises high atop the main building. Its proportions alone seem jarring, giving the impression that the entire structure was built around the lair of some ancient shaman. All the windows of the house are tightly shut, plunging the house into darkness, yet Wild Hunt can still smell a lingering, stale scent of blood, an odor that seems to have transcended a thousand years.

"Will he make an appearance too?" Wild Hunt asked. He looked around and realized that only Elise liked living in a dilapidated house.

"That depends on what LeBlanc thinks. Let's keep going."

Cassiopeia led the Wild Hunt through the chilling silence and then into the bustling city center.

The desert marching song drifted from the Zagaia tent area by the river, while the sounds of clashing swords echoed from a nearby arena of the Cleaners. The Argonians, inside the iron-walled enclosure, caught the scent of livestock recently slaughtered in the northern slaughterhouse and began howling restlessly.

The cries of widows, grieving mothers, and veterans tormented by nightmares blended into the chorus of the night. These cries, set against the backdrop of drunken soldiers' shouts and street vendors operating in the darkness, exuded an aura of evil born from the chaotic existence of thousands struggling to survive, exploiting and persecuting one another.

The guards stood watch at the imposing city gate, the Immortal Fortress walls several times higher than the gate itself. This contrast made the gate seem to be pressed down upon them, creating an oppressive atmosphere. (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

The Immortal Fortress has not only one wall, but also an inner wall inside the outer wall. Around the double walls, many tall sentry posts extend out in an octagonal shape. Standing on the sentry posts, one can see the movements of the entire city. Low-flying crows like to nest on these sentry posts.

Above the city walls were jagged, undulating battlements, patrolled by guards around the clock. Bright torches hung on the outer walls of the battlements, each one being replaced before it burned out, bringing a touch of light to this somber and heavily guarded city.

Outside the city walls lies the slums, where newly built structures stand densely packed together, leaving only winding alleys and crowded streets for pedestrians to pass through. Noxus architecture is solemn, with narrow, secluded streets and crenellated eaves; even the simplest dwellings are built like fortresses.

Finally, Cassiopeia led the Wild Hunt into a tavern. Before they could even sit down, a waiter with a tablecloth draped over his shoulder approached and reminded them.

"Madam, sir, I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night and all our rooms are full. We simply cannot provide that service."

"Oh, don't worry about us. Just put two pitchers of stout on the window seat and go back to your work."

Cassiopeia smiled and spoke to the shop assistant, her voice carrying a kind of magic that seeped into the assistant's mind. Wild Hunt noticed a flash of red light appear deep within the shop assistant's dilated pupils before disappearing, and then he truly stopped stopping them and went back to his own business.

“Alright, from now on no one will notice us.” Cassiopeia pulled Wild Hunt to a window seat and sat down casually. This spot didn’t seem to fit her description at all; it was hard to go unnoticed.

But she insisted on being very confident, which made Wild Hunt even more curious to see what kind of trouble she was up to.

Chapter 748 Old Acquaintance

The tavern was already closed, and apart from Wild Hunt and Cassiopeia, only one employee remained in the lobby.

The two sat down by the window, drinking dark beer and watching the clerk clear the tables and sweep the floor by himself. He seemed to have forgotten that there were two people there; after finishing everything, he extinguished the candles and left the pub to go home.

The tavern was plunged into darkness, but Cassiopeia remained unfazed, continuing to drink her beer and casually resting her head on Wild Hunt's shoulder.

The candles were relit the next moment, but this time they were a sinister, deathly green, turning the previously warm atmosphere into something terrifying.

In the dim light, a figure appeared out of thin air in the previously empty hall and sat down at a table by another window.

“Thresh…” Wild Hunt narrowed his eyes. Although they couldn’t see the man’s face from their angle, it was easy to tell from the outline that this was the man in the portrait of Cassiopeia.

Wild Hunt remained silent, while Thresh seemed oblivious to their presence, quietly placing his arms on the table, his fingers interlaced into fists, supporting his chin, as if lost in thought.

After a while, he stood up, relit the candles, restored everything to normal, and then turned to the door and opened it a crack, as if he were leaving it open for someone who would arrive later.

In this series of actions, Thresh couldn't possibly have failed to notice the other two people sitting in the hall, but he seemed to be completely oblivious to their presence and made no reaction whatsoever.

"What illusion did you use?" the Wild Hunt asked.

"I simply eliminated us from people's perception, so that even if others saw us, they wouldn't realize our existence. You could call it an illusion." Cassiopeia didn't deliberately lower her voice; everything was so natural. It wasn't invisibility, nor was it disguise, but Thresh simply couldn't detect the two of them.

"Psychological invisibility..." Wild Hunt mused. The dead are much harder to fool than the living. To be able to fool even a powerful undead like Thresh, the World Rune is truly too authoritative.

“That’s a very apt description. Master, let’s make a bet. Do you believe me if I say we can do something big right here and no one can see us?” Cassiopeia looked at Wild Hunt with a slightly tipsy expression. Whether she was really drunk or not, she actually dared to tease Wild Hunt in return.

"Forget it, I don't want to go too far in public."

Psychological invisibility isn't true invisibility, but rather making a specific target subconsciously ignore their presence. If there were surveillance, both individuals could be recorded completely, but there isn't, so they can do whatever they want.

Hearing Wild Hunt's answer that it wasn't forbidden but rather that it couldn't go too far, Cassiopeia gave a particularly ambiguous smile, "But just being a spectator would be too boring."

"Haven't you had enough in the bathroom?"

"How can this kind of thing be enough?"

Cassiopeia countered with a question, and Wild Hunt, feeling helpless, slipped a hand under her skirt and gently caressed her.

Before long, the tavern welcomed another customer.

A woman in yellow pushed open the door, a strange smile spreading across her face, like a monk practicing strict discipline.

Her brown skin was covered by a bright yellow cloth robe, and a gleaming chain connected her nose ring and earrings. Her disheveled long black hair outlined a slender face, and her purple eyes revealed an unusual joy.

A constantly pulsating, glowing water sphere hung at his waist, its surface adorned with decorative patterns in the shape of two palms. The armor also bore a strange emblem of seven hands, and its material was a pearly, unrecognizable metal.

After entering the room, the woman looked left and right but did not notice the two men. She then closed the door again and sat down opposite Thresh.

"Thresh's helper is actually her? How did these two get together?" Wild Hunt was astonished by this combination.

Yes, this woman was none other than Nira, whom he had encountered before, the agent of Osiris, the Joyful Demon among the Ten Great Demons. Since parting ways in Freljord, the Wild Hunt had deduced from the direction Nira had gone that she, having just defeated Volibear, was planning to head to Noxus to find her next target. Morgana's words corroborated this; she said that before meeting the Wild Hunt, she had taken in and cared for a severely wounded Laughing Monk.

But what the Wild Hunt never expected was that the righteous and vengeful Nira would actually team up with the ruthless and psychopathic Thresh, who was one of the main culprits behind the Great Ruin! He was part of the Curse of Ruin that Nira most wanted to get rid of but couldn't in time for!

“Thresh definitely lied to her; he didn’t tell her his identity and plans,” Cassiopeia concluded after listening to their conversation.

"Where is that tyrant?" Nera rested one arm on the table, a joyful smile on her face, but her actions were full of aggression.

“He’s deep inside this city, but you can’t see him without my key,” Thresh replied with a smile, but his smile was incredibly sinister, giving the impression that he was burdened with worries.

“Listen, you disgusting bastard, I smelled the stench of death on you the moment I walked in. You’re not my target, but if you’re not going to cooperate, I don’t mind dealing with you first before taking the key to that tyrant.”

"Hmph." Thresh sneered at the smiling tiger's threat, "Think about it again. Even if you kill me, you might not find the key. It's hidden somewhere only I can find."

Nira's wide smile twitched slightly. Seeing that she didn't speak, Thresh continued, "My request is actually very simple. As long as you join forces with me to clear the obstacles in our path, once we reach that place, I will open the door to the Tyrant's Throne for you."

“Let me think about it,” Nera said.

The Wild Hunt was puzzled by what he saw. He knew that Nera was looking for Mordekaiser, the Ironclad Wraith, who was sealed beneath the Immortal Fortress.

LeBlanc fears the return of her former master, who will once again rule Noxus and her; Thresh, on the other hand, wants to unleash Mordekaiser along with his million-strong ghost army to start a war, while he takes the opportunity to harvest souls and strengthen himself; but what is Nera's motive?

It's undeniable that Nira has a morbid obsession with challenging strong opponents, but is it really necessary for her to help Thresh release Mordekaiser, who was already sealed away?

Once a million-strong army crosses the Dark Gate, things will spiral out of control. Someone with a conscience like Nera wouldn't be so selfish as to do such a thing.

Was she unaware of the battle situation? Or was she influenced by Osiris? Or were they simply using each other?

Perhaps Nira already knew that Mordekaiser had secretly amassed too much power in the Underworld, and just wanted to use Thresh to open the gates of the Underworld and defeat him before he was fully formed.

Chapter 749 The Trifalli Legion

Thresh didn't receive a reply from Nira, but instead was greeted by a group of uninvited guests barging in.

"Knock, knock, knock!" A series of rapid bangings sounded on the door, followed by a deep, angry roar: "Open the door! We suspect you are harboring a fugitive. Open the door immediately for inspection!"

Hearing the voice, he instead revealed a sinister smile to the hesitant Nera: "You've come at the worst possible time. Now, we're in the same boat."

Nira realized she had been forcibly tied to Thresh's chariot, and in a fit of rage, she laughed, feeling like she wanted to kill him.

But so what? She's no pushover either, and she'd probably be speechless when questioned by the soldiers. Noxus doesn't show mercy.

boom!

The tavern door was kicked open, and a squad of well-equipped soldiers burst in, their steel boots shattering the collapsed door panels as they lined up. They struck the smooth stone floor three times with the blunt end of their halberds, each strike echoing long in the dim tavern.

The towering, sharp halberds slammed heavily onto the floor, the clanging of metal making the glasses on the Wild Hunt table tremble. These soldiers were like monsters in black iron armor, their blood-red cloaks billowing like raging waves over their shoulders, their eyes glaring fiercely from behind their spiked helmets.

"The Trevor Legion? Has Swain gotten involved too?" Wild Hunt muttered, looking at the menacing elite soldiers.

The Trevory Legion is a special force directly under the command of the Trevory Council, which consists of three people: Darius, the Hand of Noxus; Swain, the Noxian Grand Marshal; and the Faceless Man, disguised as LeBlanc. Although they are said to be under the Council's command, only Swain actually has sufficient authority, which is why Wild Hunt believes that Swain sent these soldiers.

"You two, come with me." A soldier approached Thresh's back with thunderous footsteps, his thick, gauntlet-clad hand pressing heavily on Thresh's shoulder.

Just as his palm was about to press down, Thresh no longer concealed his strength, and his whole body suddenly erupted with a corpse-green aura, blasting the soldier away.

He abruptly rose from the eerie, ghostly aura surrounding him. When the aura dissipated, Thresh had transformed. He discarded his empty, sinister, tattered robes and donned a robust, jet-black armor. The seams between his neck, cuffs, chest, and abs glowed with a ghastly green light, transforming him from a wandering ghost into a menacing demon king.

Thresh's face was still that of a living person, but his illusory claws revealed his undead identity. Now, his face bore more markings—magic runes seen on many altars on Blessed Isle—which, when etched onto his face, made his expression sinister and terrifying. His feet floated off the ground, and his once straight hair split into three braids, drifting like tentacles with the surging black mist.

The lantern and scythe, radiating a ghastly green light, were linked together in offense and defense by a rusty chain. The lantern was an evil magical artifact, containing powerful curses that imprisoned countless souls, emanating sorrowful groans. The gleaming scythe was swung around like a noose, forming a halo of light with a whistling sound, threatening to fly out of his grasp at any moment.

"Kill!" With irrefutable evidence, a thunderous shout rang out, and the waiting soldiers instantly transformed into a rapidly advancing wall of steel, charging towards Hammerstone with their halberds drawing deadly arcs.

The Trevor Legion, worthy of being Noxus's strongest force, showed no fear upon seeing the undead appear; instead, they charged forward with fierce courage. Even in Noxus, where the people are known for their bravery and each member is an elite warrior capable of taking on ten opponents, their strength was far from sufficient against the unlocked Soul Warden.

Thresh laughed as he swung his scythe, deflecting all the incoming halberds. Then, he threw it forward with force, hooking the heavily armored warrior and pulling him away as lightly as a soul! The scythe was merely hooked on the armor, yet it seemed to bind the warrior's soul, rendering him unable to move.

A small door opened on the lantern, and the warrior immediately felt the soul within his warm flesh loosen. The tormented undead, driven nearly mad by endless purgatory, let out heart-wrenching screams. As Thresh swung down a ghostly, invisible scythe, the warrior's life ended abruptly, and the lantern clicked shut.

"I'd forgotten how fragile humans are. Now I'm free, I can do whatever I want." Thresh let out a loud, gurgling laugh.

A chilling wind arose, and the candles in the tavern emitted a ghastly green glow. All the guest room doors on the stairs burst open, and numerous undead rushed out. Their forms were still intact, radiating a nauseating green light and a chilling aura; they were clearly newly undead. They floated slowly down the stairs, leaving a trail of frost in their wake, and, controlled by collars around their necks, charged towards the Trevory Legion with expressions of terror.

The warriors roared fearlessly, their halberds sweeping across the ghosts like shockwaves. The flashing blades and gleaming swords, their sheer killing intent and the menacing aura emanating from their weapons intimidated these incorporeal spirits! These were all guests who had recently wandered into this inn and been killed by Thresh. In life, they had felt fear towards Trevor's army, and now, facing them head-on, their deepest terror was aroused, preventing them from advancing.

"Hmm. This is a bit troublesome." The Trevor's Legion was infamous, and Thresh didn't have any powerful ghosts under his command. These ghosts, who could only serve as laborers, were useless, only able to utter screams of pain and fear to shake the enemy's will. But against the Trevor's Legion, this was of no use at all, so Thresh had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

Instead of slowly torturing someone to death as before, he became a reaper of souls, taking a life with every stroke of his blade. But even facing the elite forces of Trifali, who could single-handedly withstand an entire battle group of dozens of warriors, he inevitably suffered wounds and showed signs of fatigue.

"Aren't you going to make a move? Are you only satisfied when you see me hacked to death? Then no one will open the door for you." Thresh's chest was slashed open with a half-meter-long gash; any deeper and it would have split him in two. Through the wound, one could see eerie ghostly energy constantly spewing from his empty body. Even if ordinary iron couldn't kill him, creating this wound would leave him in a sorry state. (The last part is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

Nera couldn't leisurely sit in a corner drinking and watching the show like the Wild Hunt and Cassiopeia, because the Trifalli Legion had also surrounded her. Their target also included the suspicious Nera, but seeing that she didn't intend to make a move, they were temporarily at an impasse; even if she surrendered, they wouldn't let her leave.

"Tch, you really tricked me." With nowhere else to turn, Nera drew her water-like whip sword from her waist and finally decided to join forces with Thresh and get out of the tavern first.

Chapter 750 Osilesh

Wild Hunt sipped his wine with the beauty in his arms, seemingly oblivious to the battle unfolding before him.

Nera, who was lured to the inn by Thresh under the pretense of leading the way, was forced to take up arms and fight back when faced with the encirclement and annihilation of Trevor's army.

She had realized that Thresh had tricked her; this cunning guy had forcibly tied her to his chariot and wanted to use her to help him achieve his goals.

Wild Hunt initially thought Nira would play along and temporarily ally with Thresh, using each other for their own benefit. However, to his surprise, Nira attacked Thresh instead of the soldiers.

With light and cheerful steps, Nera leaped from the table, using it as a springboard to break free of the Trevor's encirclement. In mid-air, she lashed out with her whip, wrapping it around Thresh from behind. The soldiers seized the opportunity, rushing forward to plunge their halberds into Thresh's body, turning him into a pincushion, before hoisting him into the air.

"Thresh! Don't think you can control me!" Nira's expression was terrifyingly gleeful. She put her finger to her lips and chanted a spell. Her whip sword instantly transformed into a flowing water prison that enveloped Thresh, and the ghostly wails emanating from the lanterns immediately weakened.

"Interesting." Wild Hunt's eyes lit up with slight interest. Right, right, Oshilekor is a fun-loving demon, how could he let himself be wronged? He should always do things unpredictably!

"Ungrateful wretch." With Thresh's cold snort, five white bone spires suddenly emerged from the ground, and adjacent spires erected a wall of light, enveloping everyone in a ghostly prison.

As the wall of light began to shrink, everyone who bumped into it collapsed to the ground. Their bodies fell, but their souls remained trapped within the wall.

Seeing the wall of light about to crash into them, the Wild Hunt had no choice but to move Cassiopeia behind the door. The Trevory soldiers, however, were not so lucky. Crowded together with nowhere to retreat, they were pierced through by the wall of light, their souls struggling to escape, becoming prisoners of Thresh, unable to break free no matter how hard they pounded on the wall.

To protect herself, Nera could only shield herself and the few warriors around her with water, resisting the further contraction of the light wall. Thresh, having broken free of his restraints, slowly passed through the light wall and arrived outside the Netherworld Prison. After casually devouring the souls of several warriors, his wounds were completely healed.

“You can’t escape.” Thresh grinned, his fangs gleaming with blue light, and tapped the lantern shade with his withered yellow fingernail. “You can’t go anywhere. This little lantern is your final resting place.”

The lantern's light pulsed, as if in response. It opened the lantern again, absorbing all the soldiers' souls into it. They cried and thrashed inside the small lantern, their faces filled with terror as they clung to the wall, desperately watching their liberation so close at hand.

Thresh then arrived at the prison, looked at Nera through the light screen, and gave a shallow, distorted smile.

“Girl, you could have lived a good life, but you made an unwise choice.” He raised the lantern, illuminating Nera’s face with its eerie green light, making her smile appear even more sinister. “However, I believe you were only confused for a moment. I can grant you your freedom, so you no longer have to endure the grotesque pain of this curse. All you need to do is surrender your soul to me…”

Thresh desperately needs a powerful henchman to lead him into the heart of Bastion, and Nira is perfect for the job. He's not greedy; he'll accept either her alive or dead.

"Oh? Can you help me?" Nera smiled, this time a genuine smile.

Thresh actually mistook her smile for a normal curse, naively believing that separating the soul from the body would break it. This was truly the funniest thing she had ever encountered in her life.

Thresh, seemingly oblivious to the sinister intent in her smile, brazenly gestured with his lantern, "Please, dear girl. This is life, this is death, and here, is me!"

As Thresh's lantern burst into a bright light, Nira immediately felt the soul within her warm flesh loosen.

Within the unfathomable aura of light, tormented spirits, driven nearly mad by endless purgatory, let out heart-wrenching screams.

She instinctively struggled to hold onto her soul, but as an invisible, ghostly scythe swung, her soul was instantly ripped from the prison of her body.

Thresh was about to burst into laughter when he realized that what he had pulled out was not a woman's soul, but the tip of the iceberg of some giant creature.

Such a large creature could not possibly exist. Through the sensation transmitted through the scythe, Thresh seemed to glimpse something that could devour the heavens and the earth. Tentacles beneath the sea could easily stir up monstrous waves, while the humanoid figure on the surface of the sea had many arms that blotted out the sky, and an eternal smiling face that shone brighter than the sun.

Such a massive and bizarre being dwarfed any sea monster roaming the deepest abyss. Thresh was sent flying backward as if struck by a tsunami, grinding his teeth and screaming. He quickly got to his feet, no longer daring to plot against Nera. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled, summoning a ghostly carriage.

At first glance, the carriage seemed unremarkable, but as Thresh activated his lantern to release the souls of the Trevory soldiers he had just captured, a cluster of chains appeared out of thin air, binding the souls. The ghosts of the eight soldiers split into two groups, providing traction for the carriage.