The Plan

And so, Celia spoke up.

She did so to convince Elise, and furthermore, to make her intentions clear to Lin Miao, who was watching them at that very moment.

“Your Majesty, there are currently no individuals within the colony capable of standing against the elven holy warriors. We need a proper countermeasure.”

Unlike the migratory colony, where Queen Kerrigan could personally step in to handle emergencies, the strongest force in the main nest colony besides Celia was the Lictors.

Although the Prism Cannon possessed devastating firepower, it was helpless in close combat. Just like the mutated Great Devourers, they could not defeat the enemy by relying solely on massive, clumsy soldiers.

The problem was that with Elise's current capabilities, she could not immediately produce an individual powerful enough to rival an elven holy warrior.

Ultimately, this was due to a lack of technology, which was actually quite a natural hurdle.

After all, the Great Devourers' opponent was a deity who had existed for an untold age, while the Great Devourers—including Elise—were only just starting out.

“If we can incorporate an individual like myself into the colony, it is not impossible.”

Celia carefully laid out her thoughts.

Her proof was herself.

Celia had always devoted herself to the colony and made numerous contributions, something Elise could not entirely ignore.

“I happen to have found someone who possesses that very potential.”

Celia described Lisette, whom she had faced, in great detail.

Although Elise could share everything Celia saw and heard through the hive mind, Celia's current description was from a human perspective—insights that Elise had failed to grasp.

It took Elise some time to comprehend Celia's words, but Lin Miao understood almost instantly.

“That is quite a clever plan.”

In Lin Miao's eyes, Lisette was indeed different from the other holy warriors.

Unlike those who took pride in becoming disposable tools, Lisette's eyes and demeanor were always filled with conflict and hesitation.

Furthermore, if Lisette could be brought into the colony, they would gain far more than just a single powerful unit.

More importantly, they would acquire the enemy's new technology embedded within her body.

Elise reacted to this. Her folded legs twitched like antennae as she quickly entered a calculating state.

The elves' Spirit-Tech was a new frontier born from the fusion of magic and machinery.

As the queen, it was only natural for Elise to covet a power and realm that her current understanding of magic could not explain.

What if the Great Devourers could acquire weapons with firepower on par with the Prism Cannon?

“Hehehe...”

Just the thought of it brought a smile to Elise's face, and she made her decision.

Following Celia's suggestion, they would capture Lisette and bring her to the colony. If she resisted, they would force her into submission and use her as raw material to extract the enemy's technology.

“The elves are triumphantly destroying our nests. Even if we have to sacrifice those nests, I will find a way to get close and capture her.”

Celia made a decisive judgment.

While the elves' morale was soaring from their victories, she would do the exact opposite and lock her sights solely on Lisette.

Although Elise utterly detested losing battles, she would decisively abandon certain things to achieve a greater goal. This was the strategy Elise designed to capture Lisette, utilizing Celia's suggestion.

What Celia was proposing now was no different from inflicting her own past experience onto Lisette, without missing a single detail.

◆◆◆

“Destroy them all!”

“Leave none alive! Burn everything!”

Virgil urged them on excitedly, eager to destroy every visible nest in sight.

The Prism Cannon fired continuously, collapsing the defenseless nests along with the corrupted towns and villages.

The foreign race units—especially those from the Kingdom of Bartonia, who called this land home—were deeply displeased by the destruction, but they could not deny that the Great Devourers had to be eradicated first. Thus, they fought on.

Meanwhile, the Great Devourers retreated steadily while fighting off the endless waves of enemies.

They crawled into pre-dug deep tunnels, entering hibernation to hide their presence,

or simply retreated toward the coastline to minimize losses and draw the enemy deeper into their territory.

...

Lisette stood guard beside the Prism Cannon, staring blankly at the devastation.

Although everyone around her was in high spirits, she could not bring herself to celebrate the victory.

This war would not end here, and when the next conflict arose, she would be mobilized and forced to fight once again.

When the sap of the World Tree was forcibly injected into her bones and body, she had caught a fleeting glimpse of something amidst the agonizing haze of her fading consciousness.

The power residing within the World Tree was undoubtedly a gift from a deity.

Through it, her body now harbored a portion of the power of that Divine Status.

Having touched a fragment of that colossal will, Lisette instinctively felt that its gaze was fixed on a point far beyond this horizon.

“Word has arrived that the Witch has appeared. She is raiding our rear supply lines with a small force!”

An elven knight ran up to Lisette, conveying Virgil's orders.

Lisette looked at him and asked, “Am I to stop her?”

The elven knight nodded. “That is the Guardian's command.”

Celia had already raided the rear supply base with a small force, and the order was for Lisette to intercept her alone, as she was the only one capable of matching her.

With the Great Devourers having abandoned their defense, there was no longer any need for the Prism Cannon to break through their lines.

Lisette let out a soft sigh, spreading her wings and taking to the sky.

This movement was spotted by scouts stationed in the distance, who immediately shared the information with the hive mind.

She is here, Celia thought, checking the preparations she had made in advance.

This time, the roles were reversed. Lisette was flying solo straight into a trap laid by the Great Devourers—right into the heart of enemy territory.