“According to our intelligence, the southern coastline originally belonged to the human Kingdom of Bartonia. It has now been completely conquered by the elves and turned into their armaments production base.”
Through the hive vision, Lin Miao could clearly see the strategic map laid out in front of Celia.
The once independent and prosperous human kingdom had now been reduced to a vassal and tool of the elves, making them an enemy that naturally had to be weeded out.
“If we can gather the remaining resistance forces in the area, we can replicate the tactics we used to conquer the Lucadia Empire and secure victory with minimal casualties.” Celia plotted the subsequent phase of the campaign in a low, calculating voice.
Lin Miao understood her thoughts completely. Bartonia was a nation annexed by the elves through sheer force; there was bound to be a massive accumulation of discontent and resistance among its citizens.
Her previous experience of leveraging Calian's help to strike directly at the enemy's core had made Celia increasingly favor this highly efficient, low-casualty method of warfare that also saved lives.
Her deepest desire had always been to preserve the lives of innocent civilians as much as possible.
Lin Miao had always silently supported this. Looking at Celia, who was devoting herself entirely to the hive and the common people, he had never once raised an objection.
But he also knew that Celia's ideals were not completely flawless.
The survivors of the Holy Kingdom who followed Celia did indeed manage to live stable lives, gradually coming to follow the Great Devourer and developing a sense of belonging.
However, for the lands swept over by the Great Devourer, the survivors did not just simply reclaim their lives.
Broken homes, restructured orders, and completely upended lives forced them to struggle for survival amidst the ruins. This bred countless complex, suppressed emotions that could hardly be described as peaceful or stable.
Lin Miao commanded the entire vision of the insect race, allowing him to pull up scenes from any corner of his territory at will. Those hidden conflicts and hardships would always be laid bare before his eyes.
He calmly lamented in his heart that there was no order in this world that could satisfy everyone.
Even so, allowing people in a chaotic world to survive and choose their own futures was already nothing short of a miracle.
【Elise ordered Celia to lead the army】
How ironic the world could be. Celia, once regarded by Elise as her ultimate, deeply hated nemesis, had now won the absolute recognition of the hive's sovereign through her extreme strategic brilliance and true heart, becoming the undisputed vanguard of the Great Devourer.
In Elise's eyes, Celia was always able to deduce tactical situations that ordinary minds could not fathom. She understood the survival and game theory of intelligent creatures far better than anyone else, making her highly capable and worthy of being entrusted with heavy responsibilities.
In an instant, a massive host of Leviathans, carrying the main force of the Great Devourer, set sail across the sea toward the south, heading straight for the coastline of the Kingdom of Bartonia.
Lin Miao watched coldly, silently judging that the elves' understanding and control of the ocean was far inferior to even that of the former Lucadia Empire.
Although the Lucadia Empire prioritized land combat and neglected its navy, they still knew how to defend waterways and guard coastal cities.
On the other hand, the elven civilization, which originated in the deep forests and mountains, had always been insular and conservative. They had rarely set foot in the oceans for thousands of years, lacking not only an established navy but even basic knowledge of the sea.
Yet, doubts still lingered in his mind; the foundation of the elves surely could not be limited to just this.
Currently, the forces deadlocked with the ant colony in southern Lucadia represented only a portion of the elven legions.
Intelligence indicated that the total military force the elves possessed was at least five times greater than what they had deployed on the front lines. This massive army, composed of pureblood elves and conscripted foreign races from their colonies, was still continuously expanding.
No one knew where such a massive main force was currently lying in wait, or what they were plotting.
【The servants have discovered an enemy fleet】
While Lin Miao was lost in thought, the underwater Leviathans and the aerial scouting ants patrolling the skies simultaneously sent back intelligence, detecting unusual movements.
Amidst the hazy sea fog, a fleet of large, ancient-looking sailing ships cut through the waves. The vessels bore the distinct architectural style of the Kingdom of Bartonia.
“Verify the intelligence first to confirm the enemy's identity before we decide whether to bypass them or launch an active attack.” Celia immediately ordered, sending diving ants to silently approach the fleet to gather information through eavesdropping.
Lin Miao zoomed in his vision to observe. The ships before him were crudely constructed, lacking the offensive and defensive configurations of warships. They resembled ordinary transport vessels.
As the image pulled closer, he clearly saw several pointed-eared elves dressed in luxurious robes, holding batons and shouting commands to control the entire fleet among the busy crew.
The complaints of the crew and the scolding of the officers drifted over with the sea breeze, reaching his ears clearly.
“How unlucky! Why did I have to be put in charge of a miserable slave ship? I even have to suffer through this seasickness!”
“Yes, yes, my Lord is absolutely right...”
Lin Miao understood instantly. This transport fleet crossing the sea was fully loaded with innocent slaves captured by the elves after they conquered the surrounding island nations.
Above the sea, Kaor, a pureblood elven warrior of the Elven Empire's First Legion, stood at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the boundless blue waves as he sighed with extreme impatience.
“Damn it! Just because I don't get seasick, they assigned me to this chore. If I had known, I would have fought to get transferred to Lord Virgil's Second Legion!”
The elves were originally an isolated race rooted in ancient forests. For thousands of years, they had rarely set foot in the ocean, being poor at seafaring and fearful of the vast waters.
However, under the guidance of their revered deity, the elves had annexed the Kingdom of Bartonia, which possessed a highly developed maritime transport system. They seized a vast number of ships and sailors, combining them with the miraculous technologies of fusion magic, elven secrets, and machinery to break through their racial limitations and embark on a frantic path of transoceanic expansion.
Kaor looked at the Bartonian soldiers beside him and spoke proudly, “This transport mission is of the utmost importance. As long as it is completed smoothly, there will surely be generous rewards. I will personally put in a good word for you before the higher-ups.”
The foreign soldiers quickly bowed and smiled, echoing his words with careful sycophancy.
Lin Miao coldly observed the true nature of the Elven Empire's rule: an extreme expansionism driven by the will of their deity, relying on military conquest and mental control to continuously devour surrounding territories and enslave foreign populations.
The elves had dispatched their Second Legion to pin down the main force of the ant colony, while their other major legions waged war in all directions, frantically conquering and colonizing with incredibly rapid momentum.
Relying on magic stones and runic enhancement techniques implanted within their soldiers' bodies, they could not only boost combat power but also control the soldiers' lives at any moment, completely eliminating any risk of rebellion.
Even though they were fully aware of their controlled fates, countless foreigners willingly submitted and pledged allegiance just to obtain power and elevate their status, turning themselves into the claws and teeth of elven expansion.
“As long as you fight bravely to earn merit, all soldiers of Bartonian origin can be promoted to second-class citizens. Once you return to your country, you will enjoy the adoration of the masses.” Kaor looked at the submissive foreign soldiers, his eyes filled with smugness and greed.
He understood the ingenuity of this ruling system very well.
By using power and privilege to create class divides, the conquered were forced to compete and clash with one another. The internal friction among the foreign races made the elves' rule increasingly stable and effortless.
To escape their status as slaves and join the ruling class, countless people willingly risked their lives for the Elven Empire, going forth to conquer more land and enslave more living beings.
Deep in his heart, Kaor passionately dreamed of the future: the great Elven Empire would eventually unite the world, and pureblood elves would stand eternally at the pinnacle of all creation.
Such power and glory were extravagant dreams he would have never dared to imagine back when he was confined to the forest as an ordinary forest keeper.
He was sincerely grateful to the World Tree and the Central Council that had reshaped the elven race.
“Lord Supervisor! The detection magic has triggered a response! There is unknown activity ahead!”
An urgent alarm suddenly shattered the peace of the sea.
Kaor's heart tightened. He rushed to the deck and looked in the direction the mage was pointing.
Beneath the surface of the sea, massive dark shadows slowly emerged, numbering in the dozens—they were the long-awaited Leviathans!
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