Void Beetle Evolution Guide

There were many farms on the Rocklund Plain, but she only saw children working on them, using hoes in their hands instead of oxen to laboriously turn over the barren soil.

"Where are the adults of Noxus?"

"Adults without any background have all joined the army. These children are war orphans. They were assigned to farms run by the empire to spend their childhood working. When they grow up, they will be drafted into the army again." The Wild Hunter was also following her gaze at the scenery along the way and gave an immediate answer.

"They actually allow the children of soldiers who died in battle to continue to join the army?!" Kasa found this practice of eating up the entire family unaccountable incomprehensible.

"For Noxians, dying in battle is glorious, and it is also their only chance to stand out. Only by gaining military merit can they be promoted. As for studying? I'm sorry, the only education they receive is how to pick up weapons and fight on the battlefield."

The Wild Hunt spoke humorously about the current situation faced by these war orphans, but Kai'Sa couldn't laugh at all.Mei misses you. There is only you, Kong Yong, but no Lin You Yong...

Noxus is a country that values strength, ferocity and aggressiveness. It is undeniable that this culture will produce many warmongers. Perhaps they are born to survive in this environment.

But not everyone is born to be aggressive, and there are definitely people who don't want to fight. The empire throws them onto the battlefield against their will, and they can only be coerced by the army, and either take up the butcher knife or be killed by the enemy...

"Is there no one who objects? It has come to the point where the children need to go to the battlefield, but they are still fighting everywhere instead of choosing to recuperate." Kassadin is no longer the saintly warrior she was when she was a child. She just wonders why such a country can still exist, and it is the most powerful empire in Runeterra.

"Noxus has become a country of despair. Years of war have caused the land to lose its spiritual energy and become increasingly barren. Unable to grow food and feed the people, they can only rely on launching wars to plunder resources and consume the population. However, wars will make the land even more barren, and they are trapped in a vicious cycle.

They are going further and further down the road of self-destruction. All it takes is one opportunity, be it a foolish king, an accident, or a defeat... and this huge empire will collapse completely."

Fight or die.

Everything has its reason for existence. After learning about the situation in Noxus, Kaisa chose to remain silent.

The conflict between them was not as simple as that between humans and the void. If she wanted to save people, she only needed to kill those void creatures, but if she wanted to save a country, she had no idea where to start.

The carriage continued to travel on the flat road, which was something she had to praise. The Noxians built the road wide and flat, and there was almost no obvious bumps when driving on it.

In order to ensure that food and fodder reach the battle front faster, the war stonemasons took great pains.

The conclusion that war would break the balance between the spirit world and reality, causing the land to lose its spiritual energy and become barren, was deduced by the Wild Hunt based on some facts they had learned. The Ionian Order of the Balance specializes in this, and perhaps they have a deeper understanding.

However, just by comparing Shurima, Noxus and Ionia, we can draw a rough conclusion.

Shurima was not originally like this. It was once full of oases, but after the fall of the sun disk, a war broke out between the darkin that lasted for thousands of years, and it gradually degenerated into a desert.

Noxus also experienced the Dark Ages under the rule of Mordekaiser and the subsequent Rune Wars. The war and blood made the land lose its fertility and gradually began to be unable to support the people of this land.

On the other hand, in Ionia, there has been no bloodshed for thousands of years. People live in harmony with nature, and the land is fertile and the mountains and rivers support people, so many people are born with magical talents. But after the invasion of Noxus, the spiritual world is unbalanced, and the plants and animals that were originally harmless begin to become crazy and attack everyone regardless of friend or foe.

These positive and negative examples are sufficient to prove the close relationship between war and nature.

Therefore, the Wild Hunt can fully infer from this that the earth has a spirit, and human beings’ attitude towards nature will eventually be reflected back to itself.

But Shurima's decline is also related to the erosion of the Void. Logically, there must be something in Noxus that has been secretly influencing this country. A ghost of steel.

A day later, the carriage arrived at the Valzhu Mountains, where Kasa saw some tall and majestic minotaurs shackled, silently carrying huge timber under the scolding and whipping of Noxian soldiers.

“Are these the Vastaya?”

"Although Vastaya have obvious beast features, I don't know if Tauren can be considered Vastaya. Probably not. Vastaya need wild magic from the spiritual realm to survive, which is the aura I mentioned before. It is as important to them as oxygen, and Noxus, which lacks aura, is obviously not enough to support the survival of a Vastaya race."

In the original setting, the Tauren were just a marginal race with a weak presence and not much description. Even the Wild Hunt had no way of knowing those things that had never been mentioned, and perhaps there were some races that he didn't know about.

After crossing the Valzhu Mountains, there is an endless plain. The carriage sped along the road, but as it got closer to the capital, there were more checkpoints on the road.

Fortunately, the people arranged by Cassiopeia were reliable, and they didn't encounter too much trouble and arrived at the Immortal Fortress smoothly.

From a distance, Kassadin was stunned by the majestic appearance of the Immortal Bastion.

It was dark and menacing. Countless imperial flags hung from the towering walls, red as blood. The high walls divided the city into several areas, casting shadows on everything around it.

The ancient monolith located in the center of the empire stands tall, and the three huge stone towers standing opposite each other are like some kind of monuments, blocking out the sky and even the sun is blocked behind them, like a dazzling treasure hidden.

"Is that the Black Rose's lair?" Kassa frowned as she looked at the Immortal Fortress.

"Hush." The Wild Hunt made a hissing sound, even though only Kai'Sa could hear his voice. "If you don't want to unknowingly take a rose petal out of your pocket, you'd better not say this here. There are deep waters inside."

After hearing the Wild Hunt's warning, Kassadin looked at the Immortal Bastion again, as if she saw a parasitic black rose, with thorns tightly entwined around the heart of the empire.

Kassadin did not enter the Immortal Fortress. Outside the capital was their last transit point, which was also the largest port in Noxus.

It was already evening, but the port was still crowded with people.

Merchants, hawkers and dock workers bustled about, and sailors went up and down, forming an uninterrupted flow of people.

Rare birds and animals howled mournfully in iron cages. Their fate was to become entertainment in the Colosseum or a rare collection in the mansions of the rich.

Food brought from all corners of Runeterra was unloaded in batches from trading ships, distributed and circulated, feeding the countless residents in the barren land.

Countless new things flowed into the heart of Noxus like fresh blood, bringing endless power to the expansion of the empire.

Even the salty sea breeze could not cover the smell of smelting coal ash coming from the direction of the capital. Kassa looked around and found that the contact person who met Cassiopeia's description did not show up. Feeling a little at a loss, she found an empty corner on the dock and stayed there.

At this time, she saw a huge black shadow coming from the sea. It was a fleet of large ships, docked in front of the port with an oppressive feeling like a city wall, and the waves it created splashed onto the dock.

These ships were strong and sturdy, with red sails tied tightly and inlaid with black iron, eager to ride the wind and waves. Compared with the cargo ship that Kasa had been on before, it was like a toothpick against a battle axe.

At first, Kasa didn't understand the purpose of these ships until she saw thousands of soldiers coming from the direction of the Immortal Fortress, as well as countless armorers, cooks, builders, repairmen, priests and blacksmiths who ensured the logistics of the army.

Everyone was boarding the huge troop transport, preparing to spread the scarlet sails, extend the tough wooden oars, and begin the journey across the sea.

"Where are these troop transports going?"

"Faelor, an Ionian island captured by Noxus in the last war," the Wild Hunt replied.

"Are we going to attack Ionia again?"

"It will take two or three years. They are sending people to transform the island into a fortress so that the army can gain a foothold in the enemy's territory and prepare for a protracted war in the future."

The Wild Hunt did not tell all the information he knew, and if nothing unexpected happened, an accident would probably happen.

Ionia will certainly not sit idly by and watch Noxus build fortifications on its land. Some of them will take the risk of sneaking into the fortress, awakening the witch sleeping on the island, and causing terrible damage to the fortifications.

However, it was this move that made Noxus decide not to wait any longer and put a full-scale war on the agenda.

"A witch? Taking advantage of the opportunity, she's a good host. I'll see her again when I have the chance."

====================

# Shadow's End

====================

Chapter 90: Get on board! Heading to the Shadow Isles

===================================

At night, the sea was covered with fog and there were fewer ships in the port.

Although Kaisa is a hunter, she doesn't have much patience. After all, the void creatures won't let her wait that long.

It was not until midnight, when deathly silence enveloped the port, that Kasa heard light footsteps coming from the direction of the capital.

A group of people hurriedly came to the dock in the foggy night. They seemed to be from a secret society. They were all wearing long black robes and hoods, and seemed afraid of being recognized.

"Are these the people? Why can't I see the boat?" Kassa was a little unsure and asked the Wild Hunt for confirmation. However, even from such a distance, he could tell that they were the people he was looking for.

"Go up and make contact. It will be troublesome if you miss it."

Kassa clenched her fists in the dark and approached. She was also wearing a heavy cloak, which made her very sociable. If it weren't for the different color of her cloak, she might have been able to blend in directly.

"Excuse me, is this Madam Elise?"

Kasha found their leader among the thirty or so people. She turned around, revealing scarlet silk and a voluptuous waist. She wore a black and red cape on her shoulders, fastened with an octopus brooch.

"You are...?" Her shoulders were sharp and her scarlet hair was shiny and silky. Her bright black eyes reflected Kassadin's figure, and her red lips exhaled a sweet fragrance.

The moment their eyes met, Kassadin immediately felt a dark charm luring her. Even the charming Cassiopeia had never given her this feeling.

Kassa almost blurted out the answer. An inexplicable force was tempting her to tell the answer without reservation, which made her very alert.

Although she was not wearing a helmet and could not use her void vision to detect any traces of magic, this sense of incongruity alone was enough for Kassa to determine that the person in front of her had used some unknown magic on her that could control a person's mental will.

Kassa raised her head sinisterly, and a pair of captivating purple pupils emerged from the shadow of the hood. Six facial patterns slowly lit up, telling of unspeakable horror.

The woman felt a chill gripping her heart and couldn't help but gasp. It felt like she had fallen deep into an icy lake, unable to breathe and numb all over.

After a moment, she smiled again, but that smile no longer carried any malice.

Be honest.

Kasha didn't say anything, and handed over the token in her hand. The other party took it. The sharp black nails were enough to scratch the skin, but it was nothing for Kasha's palm covered with skin armor.

She unfolded it and found it was a mirror. The mirror surface shattered like blooming petals, reflecting many of her. She immediately showed a solemn expression.

"It's me, Iris. Please follow me aboard, envoy."

Iris continued the topic, put away the mirror and turned around. Kassa was still confused, when suddenly she saw an old sailboat breaking through the fog and docking in front of her.

This sailing ship from the old times was covered with scars, crisscrossed like spider webs, and the salt crust in the wood seams shone silver in the moonlight. The iron tip of the bow statue was covered with dark red rust, and the siding of the poop creaked as the waves swayed.

"Don't look at her like this. In fact, she has accompanied me on this pilgrimage many times. Sometimes, the less noticeable you are, the safer you are."

Iris didn't explain too much about the situation of the ship. After saying this, she waved her hand to signal Kasha to follow. Kasha didn't follow immediately. The ship had a slightly ominous atmosphere. She waited for the pilgrims to pass by first.

She looked at the people passing by one by one. Some of them had empty eyes, like the walking dead whose souls had been taken away, while some were full of enthusiasm, as if they were going on a romantic adventure, wearing exquisite leather boots and applying perfume on their bodies.

The two clearly divided groups harmoniously merged into one team and boarded the old pilgrim ship under the leadership of Iris.

The helmsman at the end of the team floated past Kasa without looking away. He was tall, but there was no sound when he stepped on the wooden board, as if his feet were floating in the air.

Kasa frowned. She was sure there was some kind of creature under the robe, but it was definitely not a human.

She began to doubt the purpose of the ship's trip to the Shadow Isles. Iris said it was a pilgrimage, but what was there that required going to that damn place on a pilgrimage?

The ship won't wait for anyone, Kassa was the last one to board, and Iris was waiting for her on the deck.

She first ordered the helmsman to hoist the sail, and then personally led Kasa to her cabin. As for the pilgrims who stayed on the deck, she seemed to have other plans.

The room looked ordinary, even covered with a layer of dust, and it looked like no one had lived there for some time. After Kassa came in, Iris put a finger in front of her red lips, made a gesture to keep quiet, and gently closed the door.

"I'm sorry, it happened so suddenly. I only knew about your temporary joining after seeing the token, so I couldn't make any preparations for our distinguished guests." She explained under Kassa's vigilant gaze.

"The next few weeks of sailing will be a journey in which you don't have to do anything but stay in this room. If you must go out for a walk, please do not communicate with others.

We will provide food for the crew, two meals a day, in the morning and evening. You don't have to go to the mess hall with others, just wait for my people to deliver the food to your door.

If you have any questions, please come to the captain's room to find me. But I am only responsible for sending you to the Shadow Island. If you don't follow the rules and encounter any accidents, I will not care. "Mei misses you. Is there any Lin Youyong in Kong Yong?

Elise left these strange rules and walked out. After the footsteps faded away in the corridor, Kassadin pretended to clean the room but was actually looking everywhere for hidden eavesdropping props. After confirming that there was no problem, she quietly asked the Wild Hunt for an answer.

"Is she going to put me under house arrest? She won't let me go out or communicate with me. What secrets are hidden on this ship that we can't discover?"

"Apparently, that's what you think. This ship is full of secrets, so she wants to isolate you from everyone else."

"We came here with a token of trust, which means we are envoys sent by the higher-ups. However, Madam Iris is so wary of us. It seems that the Black Rose is not as united as we thought."

Seeing Kaisa holding her chin in thought, the Wild Hunter smiled and said, "I find that you are becoming more and more clever."

"Why? Wasn't I smart before?"

"A little bit, but not much."

"It's because you didn't give me a chance to reason." Kashanunu argued cunningly.

But it was worthwhile to use it. The information provided by the Wild Hunt did save her a lot of trouble. Since Iris didn't want her to discover the secrets on the ship, she could just ask the Wild Hunt directly.

"By the way, what exactly is this pilgrimage that Iris is talking about?"

"Sacrifice."

Chapter 91: Poisonous Woman

=========================

Sacrifice.

Kasha didn't expect to hear this familiar word again here, which made her suddenly recall the huge underground caves and the mountains of sacrifices formed by the many zombies whose memories had been sucked away. In the end, they all contributed to the birth of Belvis.

However, she probably can't reach the Shadow Isles.

Kassa pinched her thumb with four fingers to calm herself down a little.

"The so-called pilgrimage is actually a disguised form of sacrifice. No wonder Iris doesn't let me contact other people." She paused and asked, "But what can I get in return for sacrificing to the dead?"

"She is not a dead soul. She wants to sacrifice to her Spider God, exchanging the lives of others for her own eternal life and beauty. Elise has lived for centuries. Whenever the Spider God summons her, she will bring a living sacrifice to the Shadow Isles."