The war lasted for a month.

The Dragon Fang Legion annihilated ninety percent of the resistance forces of the Avila Elf Kingdom with a sweeping, overwhelming force. The outer and central areas of the Moon Whisper Forest have been reduced to scorched earth.

Millions of elves perished in this war, which the Empire defined as "Operation Purification." Fewer than a million survived, retreating to Silvermoon City, the capital and last bastion of Avila, after their homes were destroyed.

Silvermoon City is a miraculous city built in a vast valley. The city is carved from a single piece of "Moonstone," as white as the moon. At the heart of the city stands a towering "Silver Spire," the residence of Queen Lyander and the center of the entire kingdom's magical network.

A massive, translucent dome, constructed entirely of magical energy, enveloped the entire city. This "Moon Goddess Barrier" was Avila's last line of defense, said to withstand the breath of dragons and the attacks of demons.

Millions of surviving elves, including civilians and the remaining soldiers, gathered in the isolated city, awaiting their final fate.

On the city wall, General Elron, clad in blood-stained silver armor and holding a spear, gazed at the imperial army surging like a black tide on the distant horizon.

His face was etched with exhaustion and determination.

“Your Majesty,” he knelt on one knee before Queen Leander beside him, “I am incompetent. I failed to keep the enemy out of the forest. Please punish me.”

Queen Leander gently helped him up. Although her beautiful face was filled with sorrow, her eyes remained as firm as the stars.

“This isn’t your fault, General. We’re facing an enemy we can’t comprehend.” She looked up at the Moon Goddess Barrier above, which radiated a soft light, and said softly, “How long can the barrier hold?”

An elder of the Forest Whisperers replied, his face pale, "Your Majesty, the energy of the barrier comes from the 'Moon Well' beneath the Silver Spire. Judging from the current intensity of the enemy's attacks, it can only hold out for a maximum of three more days."

Three days.

This number, like a boulder, weighed heavily on the hearts of all the elves.

“Three days is enough.” General Elron gripped his spear tightly again, his eyes burning with the final fighting spirit. “The warriors of Avila, even if they fight to the last man, will never let these vile invaders set foot in Silvermoon City!”

"Defend our homeland! Defend the Queen!"

On the city wall, all the elven soldiers who could still pick up weapons let out their final roars.

Meanwhile, outside the city, in the Dragon Fang Legion's command post, a relaxed pre-battle meeting was underway.

Wang Xiucai's holographic projection pointed out the three-dimensional map of Silvermoon City to several division commanders, full of vigor and ambition.

"Generals, comrades! The final battle is imminent! These pointed-eared tortoise shells may look tough, but before the absolute power of the Empire, they are nothing more than eggs that can be easily broken!"

He cleared his throat and said in a vulgar tone, "I've prepared a grand 'fireworks show' for them. I guarantee they'll never forget it."

His so-called "fireworks show" has begun.

Thousands of "Extinction" class heavy siege guns, which had been urgently airlifted, were lined up fifty kilometers away from Silvermoon City.

These menacing war machines have cannons with calibers large enough to fit a truck inside.

"Target: Enemy energy shield. Coordinates locked."

"Prepare for launch... supergravity singularity missile."

With the commander's cold order, all the siege cannons lit up with an unsettling black light, as if they were sucking space into them.

The next second, thousands of "miniature black holes," invisible to the naked eye and bound by a powerful magnetic field, were launched.

When these singularity missiles struck the "Lunar Barrier," no earth-shattering explosion occurred.

They simply... silently attached themselves to the barrier.

Then, a horrifying scene unfolded.

The once smooth, mirror-like surface of the Moon Goddess Barrier began to twist violently, like ripples on water. The magical energy that constituted the barrier was being frantically torn apart and devoured by the terrifying gravity of the Singularity Bullet.

The barrier was becoming thinner and dimmer at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Inside the city, the mages maintaining the barrier screamed one after another. Their bodies rapidly withered and turned into dried corpses due to the excessive depletion of their magical power.

The silver spire in the city center also began to groan under the strain, and cracks appeared on its surface.

"No! Hold on! You must hold on!"

Queen Leander poured all her magic into the Moonwell in an attempt to stabilize the collapsing barrier.

However, it was all in vain.

After two hours of intense supergravity bombardment, accompanied by a crisp sound like shattering glass, the Moon God Barrier that had protected Silvermoon City for thousands of years shattered completely.

The shattered energy transformed into a shower of light, falling like the last tear shed by this city.

"Hahaha! The turtle shell is broken!"

"Charge! Brothers! Grab the money! Grab the land! Grab the women!"

Outside the city, the Dragon Fang Legion soldiers, who had been waiting impatiently, let out a thunderous cheer filled with savage desire.

Like a group of sharks drawn by the scent of blood, they launched a full-scale attack on the wide-open gates of Silvermoon City, driving "Villain" class assault vehicles and "Butcher" class light mechs.

A street battle, with no suspense whatsoever, began.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Chen Qiaoniang led her "Spirit Cat" commando team, moving like ghosts, rapidly advancing along the city's rooftops towards the silver spire.

Their goal is to capture the Elf Queen alive.

Their agility surpassed that of even the most nimble cheetah. The high-frequency daggers in their hands could easily slice through the enchanted armor of the elven royal guards.

"Leave no one alive!" Chen Qiaoniang's voice was icy cold and devoid of any emotion.

The once frail woman who needed help even to walk has now become a highly efficient and ruthless killing machine. She inflicts all the pain she once endured upon these alien races with a hundredfold cruelty.

She sees this as a form of "liberation".

Liberate their souls, free them from the “wrong” form of civilization, and embrace the “new life” defined by the empire—whether as corpses or as slaves.

Silvermoon City, the city that never fell, quickly fell under the iron hooves of the Dragonfang Legion.

Flames were everywhere, and thick smoke was everywhere.

The screams of the elves, the cries of the women, the pleas of the children, mingled with the savage laughter of the Dragon Fang Legion soldiers and the roar of weapons, creating a symphony of the apocalypse.

General Elrond was killed in battle. He led the last of the Royal Guards in a desperate charge, but was ultimately blasted into a hail of minions by dozens of mechs, along with his warhorse.

Beneath the silver spire, Queen Leandera watched her city being consumed by flames, watched her people being slaughtered and humiliated, and a single tear slid down her sapphire-like eyes.

She drew the sword from her waist, a beautiful ceremonial sword that symbolized royal power.

She pointed the sword at her heart.

"I, the last queen of Avila, Lyandra Starsong, hereby... live and die with my kingdom."

However, just as she was about to stab him forcefully...

A black figure appeared before her like lightning.

clang!

Chen Qiaoniang easily parried the Queen's sword with her dagger.

"Want to die?" A cruel smile curled at the corner of her lips. "That's too easy for you. Your Majesty, by the order of our great Emperor, you... and your people will be 'spoils of war,' gaining the honor of continuing to 'survive' within the empire's borders."

She paused, then added in an almost whispered, malicious tone:

"As a slave."

The fall of Avila was like the final, resounding echo of a bygone era, its resonance quickly spreading to every corner of the Holy Star Empire. Especially for the "new citizens" of the Third Frontier District, it was not merely a military victory, but a spiritual celebration, a perfect fulfillment of His Majesty the Emperor's promise.

With its unparalleled efficiency, the AI ​​"Pangu" created a detailed allocation plan for the internal structure, resource distribution, and most importantly, the "loot list" of this "city that will never fall."

This miraculous city, sculpted from moonstone, is no longer the home of the elves, but rather the most tempting piece of cake on the imperial map. And the ones who will enjoy this cake are none other than the soldiers of the Dragonfang Legion who have rendered outstanding service in the "War of Purification of Avila".

Lin Feng's decree was concise and clear: Silvermoon City and its surrounding area would serve as the highest reward for the soldiers of the Dragonfang Legion. Meanwhile, the captured Avila elves would be distributed as "private property," along with land and houses, as a reward for those "new citizens" who had proven their worth with blood and loyalty.

The news caused an uproar throughout the Third Development Zone.

The previous "Liberation Edict" granted them new life and dignity. This time, however, a completed, legendary city of miracles, along with its beautiful "bonus" pieces that resemble works of art, is being delivered directly to you.

This is no longer liberation, this is inheritance. It is the land they fought and conquered with their own hands.

A grand "Awarding of Military Merits and Distribution of Property" ceremony was held in the central square of Silvermoon City, on the ruins of the former Silver Spire.

Hundreds of thousands of Dragonfang Legion soldiers, clad in their "Punisher" armor stained with elven blood, stood in neat square formations. They held their electromagnetic rifles aloft, their eyes fixed with fervor on the colossal holographic statue of Lin Feng in the center of the plaza.

Wang Xiucai, as the "chief political commissar" of this great battle, stood on the high platform and delivered a speech in his rousing voice:

"Heroes! Warriors of the Empire! Look at your feet! This place was once the lair of alien races! But now, it belongs to you! It belongs to our great and holy Star Empire!"

"It was you who, with your weapons, cleansed this place of its filth! It was you who, with the blood of your enemies, washed away the ignorance of this land! His Majesty, high above the heavens, watches over you! He is proud of your bravery! He will personally crown you and reward you with everything you deserve!"

"Rejoice! Celebrate! From this day forward, you are no longer proletarian citizens; you are meritorious nobles who own land, houses, and even 'living property'! You are the true masters of this new world!"

"For His Majesty!!!"

"For the Empire!!!"

The shouts, as loud as mountains and as powerful as the ocean, resounded through the sky.

Next came the most efficient distribution of assets. Each soldier received a "trophy pack" on their personal terminal, precisely calculated based on their combat achievements (number of enemies killed, number of targets destroyed, amount of supplies captured, etc.).

Wang Ergou was awarded the "Third-Class Imperial Warrior" medal for his "bravery" in the siege battle, being the first to pilot a mech into the city and "efficiently" clearing out a large number of "armed civilians".

His personal terminal displayed the assets he had been allocated:

"Citizen Wang Ergou, Merit Level: Third-Class Warrior. Congratulations, you have been assigned to Manor No. 17, 'Starlight Avenue', Silvermoon City. The hereditary manor of Ella Yefeng, the former Royal Chief Gardener of Avila. It covers an area of ​​5,000 square meters, with a three-story treehouse castle, and... twelve private properties, including the former manor owner Ella Yefeng herself, and her two apprentices."

Wang Ergou's mind went completely blank.

"Manor...manor lord?" The highest official he had ever heard of in his life was the head of his village. And now, he had become a "manor lord," a title he found difficult to even pronounce.

When he arrived at his "new home" in a small hovercar, guided by an intelligent system, he was utterly devastated by what he saw.

It was an estate perfectly integrated with a huge, ancient tree that radiated a silvery glow. Clear streams flowed through the gardens, forming small waterfalls. Countless kinds of flowers he had never seen before, seemingly glowing, bloomed in the gardens. The three-story treehouse castle looked like a creation from a fairy tale.

"Good heavens...this...this is even more amazing than where the emperor lives..." Wang Ergou trembled with heartache. In his opinion, such a beautiful place was simply a waste.

At the castle gate, twelve ragged elves, wearing metal collars around their necks that shimmered with faint electricity, were already waiting.

The leader was a woman with long, flowing green hair, an elegant figure, and an ethereal quality that couldn't be concealed even in prison clothes. Her face was expressionless, but her emerald-like eyes were filled with a deathly despair.

She was Ella Yefeng, the former owner of the estate. A great gardener who once could communicate with plants.

Wang Ergou had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life, let alone such a grand spectacle. He was somewhat at a loss, and even subconsciously wanted to bow to Ella.

But he quickly remembered Wang Xiucai's teachings: "You are the masters, and they are the livestock. You need not show any mercy to livestock."

He straightened his back, mimicking the image of the landlord he remembered, cleared his throat, and gave his first command as master to his new "property":

"Um...you all, listen up! From today onwards, I, Wang Ergou, am your master! Um...first, pull up all those flowers over there! Yes, pull them all up! They're making my eyes dizzy! And you guys, dig up those shiny weeds too, and plant cabbages and potatoes in them!"

He pointed to the rare magical plants that Ella had cultivated with a century of painstaking effort, plants with calming and healing properties, and gave what he considered to be the most correct instructions.

Ella's body trembled slightly, a sharp pain flashing in her eyes. This garden was her life, her masterpiece. But she said nothing, only slowly kneeling down and saying in a completely emotionless voice, "Yes, Master."

That night, Wang Ergou checked into the gardener's bedroom, which was filled with natural fragrance and was larger than the entire village in his hometown. He lay on the soft bed woven from moonflower vines, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

A flame, a mixture of power and desire, that he had never experienced before, rose from his lower abdomen.

He recalled the bawdy stories his fellow countrymen had told about foreign female slaves on the transport ship.

"You, come in," he commanded Ella, who was guarding outside the door.

Ella's body trembled again, but she obediently stood up and went into the room.

That night, suppressed sobs echoed through the treehouse castle.

For the first time, Wang Ergou experienced what it meant to "conquer." He conquered not only a beautiful woman, but also a "fairy" whom he had never even been worthy of looking up to.