The Queen Villainess Eavesdrops on My Heart and Won’t Let Me Slack Off – Chapter 255

Chapter 254: A Different Kind of War

The light of the teleportation array faded, revealing a hundred thousand elite dark elves and half a million enslaved soldiers from other Underdark races. This was after Yas’s Leaf had divided its forces. To complete the slaughter of cities and crush the elves’ final resistance, Yavanna had left behind over a hundred thousand assorted troops. This army represented the accumulation of millennia from the Underdark’s finest. Yavanna, in her pursuit of the Goddess’s divine command, had ruthlessly enforced a tyrannical decree, emptying the Underdark to assemble such a massive force. This fanatical Goddess of Vengeance had left no room for retreat. If this war failed, and she could not plunder enough resources and population from the surface to sustain her kingdom, her subterranean dominion, built with her personal divine might, would collapse. However, Yavanna was unconcerned. After her ascension, she had transcended the limitations of this world, establishing her divine kingdom in the Astral Plane. The existence of her secular regime was no longer her primary concern. A god embodies all power, and the magnitude of their strength causes their perspective to diverge significantly from mortals. Dark elves were naturally emotionally detached. Beyond vengeance, factors that other intelligent races held dear, such as family and homeland, were merely commodities that could be easily betrayed for profit. Thus, Yavanna adapted more quickly to a divine perspective and the rules governing gods. Mortals were insignificant, mere lambs. Some lambs were more succulent, others more unruly; these were minor distinctions, not warranting any particular focus. The Goddess of War had promised her that by resolving the trouble posed by the Azurevine Empire, her efforts would be rewarded with tenfold the followers she had in the Underdark, aiding her rapid growth. Her own strength was paramount, the only way to resist the erosion of time and seek the path to eternal immortality. Mortal kingdoms, as brilliant and transient as fireworks, were merely tools to execute divine will! Yavanna’s heart was undergoing a rapid transformation. Far more adept than ordinary newly ascended gods, she embraced her new role with extreme ruthlessness. Nearly all her troops had undergone troop modifications from the Seven Gods, with a significant proportion transformed into mindless, destructive monsters. Her slightly higher-ranking officers, primarily dark elves, suffered deficiencies in lifespan and personality in exchange for great power. In the past, even among the depraved dark elves, this was considered a dark cultivation path of taboo. Yet, as a believer of a god, Yavanna utilized it incessantly, solely to bridge the power gap with the Elven Empire. This war, lasting for three years, had allowed her to stop making modifications. Yavanna’s skill in magically altering creatures had progressed considerably. In terms of methods for dealing with intelligent beings, even Lydia might not possess Yavanna’s experience. Much like the rapid advancement of battlefield medicine, many experiments involved ethical concerns. The less one adhered to moral boundaries, the more unrestrained and limitlessly one could experiment, potentially leading to formidable results. The easiest and most dangerous path to power was, indeed, to stop at nothing. The dark elves were now successfully on their path of vengeance against their surface kin. Although Teyvla’s avatar landing was the most critical factor in breaking the balance, the dark elves’ all-out, powerful offensive was also a necessary condition for Teyvla to pursue them swiftly and successfully. First, they breached the border fortresses, then they burned the royal capital. Now, seeing the frenzied escape of the elven fleet, Yavanna felt a surge of excitement. So many delectable sacrifices! With the right methods, these sacrifices could be transformed into Faith Power, becoming a part of her strength. Although the majority would belong to Teyvla, even a small portion of that would represent growth she could never have previously dreamed of. As long as she continued to grow, she would eventually become as powerful as a High God! Yavanna’s gaze burned with an ambition she made no effort to conceal – the desire to usurp. Above the dark elf formation, golden dragons pulled magnificent war chariots carrying Teyvla’s three avatars. One avatar, akin to an Amazon warrior, was boldly and scantily clad, with one breast exposed, wielding a spear and shield. Another was as mysterious as the night moon, clad in a black robe concealing her graceful figure, surrounded by elemental sprites, her gaze distant, a mage avatar. The third was ice-cold, dressed in a sacred white robe, gazing down at the world with compassion, yet significantly empowering soldiers to enter a battle frenzy, a cleric avatar. It is said that intelligent women are multifaceted. Teyvla’s three avatars, while possessing nearly identical faces, presented vastly different appearances due to their distinct classes, attire, and auras. However, these avatars, crafted to the world’s power limit, formed a classic trinity, their coordinated efforts possessing combat effectiveness comparable to a million-strong army, confident in their ability to defeat all enemies in this world. What did it matter how strong the Empress of Eternal Night was? She was only one person; could she withstand being ganged up on? “Begin the pursuit. Remember to slow down – don’t kill them all. I want to pave a blood-soaked road from here to the Azurevine Empire to welcome my arrival!” The cleric avatar of Teyvla transmitted the order to Yavanna. Her sacred aura, coupled with the coldest, most ruthless words, inexplicably sent a chill down one’s spine. “My Lord, all will be as you wish,” Yavanna replied. Teyvla sat elegantly in her golden dragon chariot, a look of keen interest on her face, eager to witness the two warring races she had orchestrated continue their mutual slaughter. In a way, this was a conflict between sisters. Watching beautiful beings show no mercy to each other was, to her, the most amusing thing in the world. The dark elf spellcasters began their work, unleashing wide-area spells that would alter the local gravitational rules, turning the airships into a meteor shower. Modified monsters, whose original species were impossible to determine, moved forward under the control of beastmasters, ready to finish off any “lucky survivors” who weren’t killed by the fall. A dozen black dragons soared into the sky, carrying dark-skinned female warriors armed with lances, disdainfully searching for worthy opponents. Their wait was brief, as they soon found them. The Elven Empress, accompanied by the Royal Guard and many powerful individuals from the Elven Empire, disembarked from their vehicles and airships, the means of their escape to safety. They deliberately remained behind, forming a military formation before the advancing monster horde, their blades pointed directly at the spellcaster array that was truly casting the spells. Under the dual banners of the sun and moon, exclusive to direct bloodlines of the Moonwalker family, the Elven Empress, Gladyr, clad in uniquely tailored,镂空 scale armor, her palms glowing with the light of countless magic crystals and machinery, neutralized the spellcasters’ attempt to alter neutral rules. “Charge!” The Elven Royal Guard, clad in heavy armor and riding unicorns, lowered their lances and charged towards the spellcaster units, which were closely protected by the troop formation. Leading the charge was Gladyr, riding a phoenix, her gaze calm. “Your courage truly astonishes me. To willingly stay behind and cover the retreat, facing pursuers arrayed by a deity.” Yavanna’s avatar intercepted Gladyr, appraising the likely last Elven Empress with great interest. “As Empress, it is my duty,” Gladyr replied calmly. “A truly foolish decision. You should have abandoned the commoners and escaped, only then would revenge be possible.” “If they live, reproduce, and grow, they will naturally avenge me.” Silas laughed, her eyes filled with palpable malice. “Do you truly believe your pathetic rabble can hold out for long? How far can those combat-ineffective wretches run?” Yavanna covered her mouth with a delicate laugh, her charm captivating, yet her eyes dripped with venom. “You who live in the sunlight, you hypocrites, always fail to grasp true power, deceived by empty words. What we hold dear and believe in is different; there is no need for further words.” Gladyr’s body erupted with magic. At the cost of burning her soul, she employed a family secret technique and attacked Yavanna. “How naive… you don’t understand the power of a god!” Yavanna casually summoned four dark elemental lords to shield herself, consuming Gladyr’s limited burst of power. The ground assault was not going smoothly either. The Elven Royal Guard, led by Gladyr’s father, the Elven Grand Prince, possessed strength, equipment, and morale befitting their status. Three years of bloody battles had made them a top-tier force by traditional standards in this world. However, their numbers were ultimately too few, and without sufficient spellcasters and magical machinery support, they were at a disadvantage against the massive monsters driven only by destructive instinct. Often, before reaching the enemy formation, they were afflicted with numerous negative effects cast by the spellcasters, making it difficult even to lift their weapons. Their movements were slow and trembling, like elderly individuals with Parkinson’s. Yet, they still raised their spears and charged, facing the enemy, protecting the commoners behind them as they advanced. The monsters’ claws descended, crushing these costly cavalry into a bloody pulp, as if swatting an insignificant ant. Still, the elves pressed on. Sharpshooters spotted the beastmasters controlling the monsters, hitting them precisely in the temples from a hundred paces, causing their controlled beasts to fall into a state of chaos. The powerful individuals employed various means, bypassing the soldiers’ protection to directly attack the rear spellcaster units. Of course, the Underdark also had a considerable number of powerful individuals, a concentration of the entire world’s elite, further augmented by Yavanna’s unscrupulous modifications. The Elven Empire alone could not match them. Their objective, however, was merely to stall for time. With a sound like tearing silk, the phoenix, which should have been Undying, was cursed by the fire of vengeance, its reincarnation ability suppressed. It plummeted from the sky like a giant fiery meteor. The direct attack on her mount signified only one thing: its rider, Gladyr, was dead. Yavanna watched the scene leisurely. “Overestimating yourself.” “However, in a fair fight, she would have won this round,” Teyvla’s cleric avatar appeared beside Yavanna, her gaze playful. The Elven Royal Guard had caused considerable chaos in the dark elf formation by precisely targeting the beastmasters, but they were now all dead. However, the time they bought had allowed the spellcasters of the Elven Empire in the rear to establish a temporary defense line, blocking the dark elves’ advance and constructing a colossal anti-teleportation magic circle. While such a magic circle could still be deciphered by Teyvla, no one could guarantee whether this deity would personally intervene again, or if she even could. This might indeed be futile, but it was all they could do. They could only exert their utmost to buy fleeing time for the elderly, the young, women, and children behind them – the future of the elven race. “Damn it, Gladyr is dead, and the Big Shots are fleeing. Yet they’re still building a defense line here?” Yavanna’s expression turned grim. For her, if Teyvla needed to intervene again, or if Gladyr had delayed them too much, it would indeed be a defeat. “No, those Big Shots did not flee. They stayed behind, leaving the chance to escape to the commoners.” Teyvla said slowly. “It seems the influence of the Azurevine Empire is formidable. This tactic is similar to those mosquitoes that harassed my rear!” Yavanna followed Teyvla’s pointed finger and saw that many of the mages constructing the defense line were richly dressed, figures of the level of imperial consuls, alongside the Elven Empire’s most powerful mages. Nobles staying behind, commoners escaping? This Elven Empire, though outwardly ancient and elegant, harbored a fundamental spirit that Yavanna could not comprehend… … On a speeding train, the control magic on Windsor was gradually fading. She pushed open the carriage door and witnessed the fiery meteor-like descent of the phoenix: “Mother… Father…” She heard the thunderous war cries of the dark elves and witnessed the tragic sight of the Royal Guard being devoured by monsters. But everything they had done was ultimately worthwhile, securing a sliver of Hope for the commoners escaping from Yas’s Leaf. Windsor felt a warmth in her eyes, tears welling up, but she lifted her head, forcing herself to hold them back. Gladyr’s words still echoed in her mind – what an Empress should do in such a moment. Her mother had indeed demonstrated it through her actions. Compared to her mother’s composure and calmness in the face of adversity, Windsor’s demeanor was far less impressive. The smooth sailing of recent days had given her a false impression that governance was simple and effortless. Who would have thought a surprise attack by the dark elves would shatter it all, rendering all her previous arrangements moot? Her childhood palace was reduced to ruins, and countless familiar faces were killed. She was on the verge of collapse. Education and resilience were not directly correlated. It was the Elven Empress, who had been in semi-seclusion for some time, who stepped forward, making swift decisions to order a retreat, organize the evacuation, and lead the largest surviving force to safety. The final outcome proved this to be the correct choice, as the Elven Empire’s strength was no match for the combat power of Teyvla’s three avatars. Both the elves and the Azurevine Empire had previously assumed that even if Teyvla intervened personally, she would only deploy one avatar, or perhaps even just a projection. Their defenses had been prepared to this standard. The reality had far exceeded expectations, leaving the Elven Empire with only flight. “Your Highness, a citizen representative requests an audience. They say their energy is insufficient.” An official outside requested entry. “Then tell them, tell them…” Windsor’s mind became jumbled again, suddenly going blank. Tell them to stay and establish a second defense line? This was the most stable choice: sacrificing a small number for the survival of many. As Empress, she should bear such responsibility. But her kindness made such an order impossible to utter. She tried to think of another solution, but the more urgent she became, the more chaotic her thoughts grew, until her mind went completely blank. “Mother, I still can’t do it. I have disappointed you…” The tears she had held back finally fell. “You made one mistake. Perform well during the counter-attack. There’s no need to cry.” A figure appeared and gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Behind him, twelve mountain-like colossal whales, escorting medium and small warships like a school of fish in a storm, blocked the pursuing dark elf army. Having received the news, Roger, leading the Empire’s Second Fleet, had finally arrived to provide aid. More imperial fleets were also being urgently assembled and dispatched towards Teyvla’s location. This had long been a stage prepared for her. Although she had chosen a slightly delicate time, even those closely monitoring the front lines were a little out of sorts. Fortunately, the elves had successfully stalled, allowing the plan to proceed smoothly after a few minor unexpected developments.