It was no longer a cleanup of residual enemies, but the highest level of alert against an unknown enemy, against the super-standard existence that had just appeared.
At this moment, Fatis, who had been silently standing by, slightly turned his helmet, his gaze once again focusing on Shen Mu.
Through the slit in his visor, his eyes, calm as an icy lake, gleamed with a light utterly different from the shock he had just experienced—
It was a cold, ultimate desire for inquiry, ignited by an unprecedented threat, and a deep… worry.
“My Lord,”
Fatis’s voice remained steady, but every word carried immense weight: “That power… we may have severely underestimated the Plane behind the Wood Elf, or… other existences connected to it. This isn't merely the power of a Plane; it's more like a… reclamation or targeted harvesting. The target was clear, precise, and utterly ruthless.”
Shen Mu slowly turned his head, his profound gaze meeting Fatis’s icy stare in the scorching air.
The sounds of soldiers running, commands being relayed, and the groans of the wounded in the distance all seemed to fade into background noise.
“Underestimated?” A cold, humorless curve slowly formed on Shen Mu’s lips, his voice, like the friction of cold iron, echoed clearly across the command high ground: “No, Fatis. This is not underestimation at all.”
He raised a hand, pointing towards the terrifying void left in the sky and the enormous crater on the ground, every word carrying the weight of tempered steel: “This is the first time the big fish, truly entering the hunting ground, has bared its fangs at us.”
At the core of the battlefield, on the scorched earth.
Bandak, with a group of burly infantry, roughly but swiftly checked on Yang Di and Zhang Bo.
Yang Di’s life force was rapidly flickering out, his pupils dilated, his breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.
A Swadian Infantry checked his carotid artery, then spat in disgust: “Damn it, this bastard’s almost dead! Hurry! Get the Eden Guard Believers over here to heal him! If we delay the Lord’s demands, we’ll be criticized!”
Two soldiers roughly hoisted the limp, noodle-like Yang Di, dragging him like a dead dog towards the temporary aid station in the distance, leaving a long, broken trail of blood on the scorched earth.
The 20 Eden Guard Believers were waiting there.
But Shen Mu didn't care about their treatment.
He was still busy with his own matters, riding his Holy Tree Heavy Steed to the edge of the deep pit.
The enormous deep pit gaped like a sneering mouth in the core area of the burning village.
The scorched pit wall was smooth as a mirror, even emitting wisps of smoke left behind by the annihilation of residual energy, its edges burnt by high temperatures to a bizarre, glazed texture.
The boundaries of the remaining matter were exceptionally clear, as if the most precise eraser in the universe had silently wiped away the War Tree and its standing point.
The night wind swept by, carrying the residual dust and burnt smell to his nostrils, but it could not take away the chilling sense of emptiness and the extremely cold energy afterglow emanating from the deep pit.
Shen Mu dismounted, his footsteps steady as he walked across a patch of scorched earth.
The Holy Tree Knights followed like shadows, forming a smaller defensive circle around him, their vigilant gazes still sweeping over the deep pit that seemed to swallow all light, and the sky that had just healed but still bore traces of tearing.
Fatis followed closely half a step behind him, like the most loyal shadow and the strongest shield.
Shen Mu arrived at the edge of the deep pit.
His profound gaze, like an icy probe, meticulously scanned the smooth pit wall, trying to find even a trace of the core of the Wood Elf Village—his spoils of war, the Lord’s Core that symbolized complete conquest and harvest.
However, it was empty.
There were no struggling root remnants, no shattered energy crystal fragments, not even a trace of the unique energy fluctuations of a Wood Elf Lord’s Core could be sensed.
Complete, pure, and utterly ruthless plundering, leaving no trace behind!
A sharp anger, enough to freeze the air, instantly crept onto Shen Mu’s brow.
His already cold, hard jawline tightened, and the fingers of his hands clasped behind his back unconsciously clenched, his knuckles making faint cracking sounds.
“Hmph…”
A very slight, yet storm-laden cold snort escaped his nostrils, clearly reaching Fatis, who was following closely beside him.
Fatis’s back under his armor straightened slightly; he could clearly feel the surging anger beneath the Lord’s calm exterior—no one facing a victory within reach, yet forcibly snatched away, could remain unangered, especially when such plunder came from a higher, more unknown will, filled with a condescending disdain.
Shen Mu’s gaze moved away from the empty deep pit, cold fury burning in the depths of his eyes.
The loss of this spoil, especially the pure energy and authority that might belong to a high-ranking Wood Elf contained within the Lord’s Core, represented a loss of power and a blow to his prestige.
The Wood Elf Plane, or rather the force behind it, had, in an utterly unreasonable manner, forcibly snatched away the cake that should have belonged to the Deherim Legion, leaving only a humiliatingly large void and a provocation.
Just as killing intent and unwillingness surged in Shen Mu's chest, and his gaze swept across the ruined battlefield, pondering how to extract more value from the captives and the ruins of the Wood Elf Village to compensate for the losses—
Ding! Critical plot node “Complete Annihilation and Abnormal End of the Wood Elf Village” achieved!
Phase Nine—Mission Complete!
Settling…
Judgment: Lord “Shen Mu” forcefully destroyed the core resistance of the Wood Elf Village (Green Leaf Group) with overwhelming military superiority.
Judgment: Lord “Shen Mu” successfully forced the core faction associated with the Wood Elf Plane (Green Leaf Group leader Yang Di) to make a final struggle and trigger direct interference from the force behind him.
Judgment: Lord “Shen Mu” successfully survived this abnormal event and ultimately controlled the battlefield.
Comprehensive Judgment: Mission Completion—Excellent!
Awarding rewards…
Special Reward (Unlocked with Excellent Rating): Village Template 'Elf Forest Outpost' (from the Wood Elf faction of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings)
Description: A Wood Elf legacy from the distant Middle-earth, Lothlórien and Xiao Hu. Within the core territory of the Deherim Legion, this template can be used to establish an Elf-style stronghold. This stronghold will unlock corresponding recruitment sequences:
Building Features: 1. Recruited units inherently possess powerful stealth, jungle combat mastery, and precise ranged strike talents; 2. The stronghold's range enhances natural affinity, providing additional benefits for forest terrain/resource area development; 3. Slightly boosts the morale and accuracy of the entire territory's ranged units.
A series of clear and distinct prompt messages, which Shen Mu could only “perceive” in the depths of his consciousness, flowed across his retinal vision like a golden curtain of light.
The sharp annoyance caused by the core being plundered, like thin ice under a scorching sun, rapidly melted and disintegrated the moment he saw the reward list.
Especially when the blueprint information for the 【Elf Forest Outpost】, shimmering with a unique soft glow, entered Shen Mu’s consciousness—
The blueprint’s phantom image unfolded in his mind:
Towering giant tree platforms were encircled by meticulously constructed stairways and corridors, appearing to be one with the living trees.
Light yet sturdy wooden arrow towers were embedded with shimmering runes at their tops, overlooking the training ground below.
The figures of Elf warriors, clad in exquisite gray-green or silver-green armor, flickered among the leaves, their longbows, drawn but not fired during training, carrying a deadly elegance.
The air seemed to be filled with the unique crispness and killing intent of the Middle-earth forests.
To be able to recruit Wood Elves from another legendary world, Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings!
Elite warriors of the Golden Forest of Lothlórien, the Woodland Scouts of King Thranduil of Xiao Hu… these units were far incomparable to these “native” Wood Elves of the Eight Mile River world!
They meant top-tier ranged firepower, absolute control over jungle guerrilla warfare, and perhaps even a dominant force in future forest resource areas and special terrains!
This filled the void in the Deherim Legion’s top-tier specialized jungle combat forces!
Shen Mu’s expression instantly froze.
The burning anger in his eyes seemed to be extinguished by a cold and deep spring, replaced by an indescribable bright light condensing in their depths.
Shen Mu was very happy.
His hands, clasped behind his back, subtly relaxed their grip, his fingertips even unconsciously rubbing together slightly, indicating his pleasant mood.
Following that, a faint, yet extremely clear curve, like the first sun breaking through clouds, slowly climbed onto Shen Mu’s lips.
He looked up, his gaze once again falling upon the massive pit, which resembled the maw of an abyss.
This time, there was no anger in his eyes, no unwillingness, only a cold, all-knowing realization, and a hint of pure mockery and joy from the bottom of his heart.
“Heh…” A faint chuckle, almost inaudible, escaped him, less icy than his previous snort, but carrying an indescribable weight.
“The Wood Elf Plane certainly saved me the trouble of refining the core.”
Lost an “inferior,” localized Wood Elf Village Core?
In exchange for a core stronghold that could directly connect to and recruit elite Wood Elves from the legendary Middle-earth!
The value of this “plunder” was more than a hundred times greater!
Shen Mu’s gaze swept across his system interface, pausing for a moment on the brand-new architectural blueprint 【Elf Forest Outpost】, as if he were examining a newly forged peerless sword, filled with a sense of control and anticipation.
The end of this ninth phase… was worth it!
He even felt that Yang Di and the Wood Elf Plane Elder's final “performance” had perfectly paved the way for this extremely generous reward for him.
Without that super-standard intervention and harvesting, he might not have received this special unlock for an excellent rating.
Shen Mu withdrew his gaze, once again becoming as still as an ancient well.
He turned, his tone returning to its usual calmness and authority, but upon closer listening, that subtle sense of pleasure was present like background music: “Bandak!”
“My Lord! Those two bastards are being dealt with! Yang Di’s rotting life has been temporarily sustained, and the Eden Guard’s priest says Zhang Bo can still be saved, but it will take time!”
Bandak wiped the sweat and blood from his face as he ran over, reporting loudly.
He seemed to still be immersed in the shock and tension of the light pillar earlier, not noticing the fleeting glint in Shen Mu’s eyes.
“Very good.”
Shen Mu nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Yang Di, who was being carried by soldiers, his body twitching slightly: “That useless… squeeze out every last bit of value from his mind, any fragmented information about that Plane Elder, contact methods, or how he foresaw the arrival… by any means necessary. After that…”
His tone was devoid of emotion, as if stating something long predestined: “Dispose of him.”
“Understood! My Lord! I guarantee we’ll pry open his skull and dig out everything we can!” Bandak’s face twisted into a sneer as he responded gruffly.
He turned and strode towards Yang Di, followed by several grim-faced Lake Rat Gang Destroyers specializing in interrogation.
At this moment, a Khergit Mounted Archer under Bestour galloped over, dismounted a short distance away, and knelt on one knee: “My Lord! Lord Bestour reports that during the outer perimeter search, residual routed soldiers attempting to penetrate deeper into the city were discovered, mostly Wood Elf remnants mixed with a small number of Humans. We have formed a encirclement with Lord Bandak’s infantry! Requesting instructions!”
Shen Mu’s gaze fell upon the edge of the forest outside the village, which was still burning from the battle’s impact, with Long City’s city center lying deeper within.
He could feel the last sporadic resistance and desperate counterattacks there.
He did not hesitate at all.
“Inform Bestour and Bandak’s forces, those who resist stubbornly…” His voice was as cold and hard as steel: “No need to ask further, kill them on the spot.”
There was no need for containment anymore.
He already had many Blue Star Humans; if he were to let go of the Green Leaf Group’s remnants for the sake of the Blue Star Humans again, it would not be good.
After all, the reason why there were Diesel Company remnants in the Deherim Legion was entirely due to being too lenient in the past.
The final dust of this war needed to be thoroughly swept clean with blood.
And the space cleared, along with the generous rewards about to be obtained, would become the new cornerstone for the Deherim Legion to ascend to greater heights.
The Deherim Legion’s heavy infantry, guided by the Khergit Mounted Archer, began to push towards the edge of the dense forest like a moving iron wall.
The humming of taut bowstrings and the metallic scraping of crossbow bolts being loaded sounded again, replacing the brief silence after the War Tree’s disappearance.
Shen Mu stood still, no longer paying attention to the harvesting there.
His gaze returned to the 【Elf Forest Outpost】 blueprint in the depths of his consciousness, which glowed with a soft yet resilient spiritual light, his heart filled with excitement.
Middle-earth Wood Elves… He looked forward to seeing what brilliance these legendary elites would display on the Eight Mile River battlefield.
This “pleasant surprise” brought a perfect, even far better than expected, conclusion to what had initially been a somewhat regrettable final battle.
“Counting it, this is the first village building besides Human ones, and once deployed, it will give me my fourth village.”
At this moment, Shen Mu was extremely excited: “And it’s a mid-magic level one, Wood Elves from Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings, skilled in ranged archers and melee assault units!” (End of Chapter)
