The next second, she appeared in front of King Ryan and touched his forehead with her finger.
Black demonic energy surged into his body, and King Ryan let out a scream that was not human. His skin withered and turned ashen, the holy light in his eyes extinguished, replaced by endless, terrifying hallucinations—he saw cities burned, his people slaughtered, his wife and daughters chained and reduced to playthings. His body finally turned into a desiccated corpse, and the "Holy Light's Wish" fell to the ground, its light extinguished.
With King Llane's death, Exodar's last resistance crumbled completely. Soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt in surrender; many more were devoured by monsters. The post-battle "cleanup" proceeded with ruthless efficiency.
The Empire's engineering machinery spewed out clouds of nanobots, breaking down monster corpses and city ruins into industrial raw materials.
The surviving men were branded as slaves and sent to transport ships, where they would be subjected to the empire's worst mines and factories. The women were gathered in the Holy Light Cathedral Square and brutally categorized according to race, appearance, and lineage, and forced to wear collars that suppressed their energy.
Princess Lila Moonwhisper, holding her six-stringed lyre, stood in the crowd. Her silver hair was ruffled by the wind, and her purple eyes held a mixture of stubbornness and sorrow.
She was once the chief court musician of Arasso, possessing the talent of "spiritual resonance," but now she had become a spoil of war. Zhao Tianyu's gaze lingered on her, a hint of interest in his smile.
“A demon,” Lila said softly, her voice cold.
Zhao Tianyu wasn't angry; he just sneered, "Soon, you'll find out what's more despairing than a demon in our empire."
He ordered Lila and other A-grade spoils to be sent to the capital as a gift for Lin Feng.
With King Llane's death, Exodar's last resistance crumbled completely. Soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt in surrender; many more were devoured by monsters. The post-battle "cleanup" proceeded with ruthless efficiency.
The Empire's engineering machines spewed clouds of nanobots, breaking down monster corpses and urban ruins into industrial raw materials. Surviving men—human, dwarf, or elf—were branded as slaves and sent to transport ships, where they awaited the Empire's worst mines and factories.
Their fate was sealed: to toil day and night in the radiation-filled mines until their bodies collapsed and they turned to dust.
The fate of women was even more tragic. They were gathered in the square of the Cathedral of Holy Light, brutally categorized according to race, appearance, and lineage, and forced to wear collars that suppressed their energy.
These collars emitted a cold blue light, stripping them of their magic and power, leaving them like lambs to the slaughter. Once high and mighty noble ladies, elven princesses, dwarven rune masters, and human female generals, now stood ragged and vacant, awaiting their unknown fates.
Elena Valen, the former wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, stands in the crowd with her hands shackled. Her silk dress is torn, revealing her scarred shoulders.
Her husband had been torn apart by monsters in battle, and her daughter had been dragged into a dark tunnel, her fate unknown.
She had hosted countless grand court banquets, and her jewels and gowns made her the center of attention in the land of holy light.
Now, she was roughly shoved by Imperial soldiers and fell to the ground in the muddy square. One soldier grabbed her hair and forced her to raise her head to receive a "rating".
"Class B, ordinary human female, advanced age, sent to the frontier military camp," the soldier coldly recorded. Elena gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face, but dared not utter a sound. She knew that any resistance would only bring more cruel punishment.
Lillian Carter, Carl Ravens' fiancée, was dragged to another corner of the square. Her engagement ring was snatched by soldiers and thrown into a pile of "useless loot."
Her long golden hair was stained with mud and blood, and the scars on her face made her beautiful features look hideous.
She tried to resist, but a soldier kicked her to the ground, and the excruciating pain from her broken ribs made her curl up on the ground.
The soldier sneered, "Rank C, send her to the mining logistics battalion." Lillian's eyes were filled with despair. She had once dreamed of becoming Karl's wife and inheriting the glory of the Ravens family. Now, however, she was to be sent to the Empire's mining region, to become a plaything for the soldiers.
Elvira Novak, Isabella's daughter, miraculously survived the clutches of monsters, but her fate was equally tragic.
She was dragged to the square, her clothes torn to shreds, revealing her bruised and purple skin. Her beauty earned her a "Grade A trophy," and soldiers fitted her with a restraint collar, preparing to send her to the capital.
Avira's gaze was vacant, her mind filled with the images of her mother being stabbed and her younger sister being carried off by monsters. Her future lay in the empire's harem, reduced to a breeding tool for some high-ranking official.
Other women—noble ladies, female generals, dwarven runemasters—were brutally loaded onto transport ships and sent to various parts of the Empire. Their future lay in becoming slaves to the Empire's men, bearing children for the Empire, or being exploited for their last remaining value in logistics camps. They had once been jewels of the Land of Light, dressed in magnificent robes, residing in palaces, enjoying the service of servants and the praise of poets. Now, they had been stripped of all dignity and reduced to the Empire's "strategic resources."
On a transport ship, several noblewomen were locked in small iron cages. The cages reeked of sweat and blood, and the floor was filthy.
Camilla Ravens huddled in a corner, clutching Karl's badge tightly. Opposite her stood a dwarven runemaster named Freya. Freya's hands were covered in burns; she had tried to destroy the demon tunnels with runes but failed. Now, her arms were chained, and her eyes were filled with rage and resentment.
“What will they ask us to do?” Camilla asked in a low, hoarse voice.
Freya sneered: "What else can we do? Give birth to children, serve them, until we're no longer useful."
Camilla closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She remembered her estate, the grand balls, and the image of Karl playing on her lap as a child. Now, it was all gone.
The fall of Exodar marked the complete conquest of the Land of Light. This continent was designated "Second Frontier" and incorporated into the Empire.
Inside the Nine Heavens Moon-Embracing Palace, Lin Feng looked at the data about the "Holy Light Dragon Vein," a deep smile curving his lips.
“Magic… Holy Light… The power of this universe is truly fascinating.” He murmured. “Pangu, establish the Thirteenth Academy of Sciences to study the fusion of psionic energy and technology. Send all magical texts, runes, and biological samples there.”
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