Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 120 Ruins, Lair, Blood Fortress
"The seven psionic elements are not evenly distributed across the continent; some places have more wind element, while others have more dark element!"

Taking a sip of warm rice wine, letting its rich aroma linger in his mouth, and giving an approving gesture, Elliott continued, "The higher the concentration of elements, the easier it is for nests to be born."

"There are over three hundred large nests recorded on the mainland. By using certain special conditions, elemental creatures can be manifested in these large nests, allowing for a continuous harvest of mana crystals."

Chen Mo immediately followed, relentlessly asking, "So, what exactly is this special condition you mentioned?"

"Well, the most basic requirements are three conditions: find an area where elements are concentrated, place a nest core, and set up a trigger-type psionic array."

After thinking for a moment, Elliott added with a smile, "Of course, you also have to be able to defeat the elemental creatures born in the nest."

Under Chen Mo's persistent questioning, the explanations from the scholars of the Three Rings, along with the additions from others, finally pieced together the basic outline of the whole situation.

Finding elemental concentration zones isn't particularly difficult, but those capable of supporting large nests require specialized mages to search for them.

Chen Mo didn't have any such professionals on hand, and Towns knew nothing about it either, so they had to hire someone from outside.

There is no doubt that the Magic Society is capable of doing this job.

As for the third item, setting up an activation-type psionic magic circle, this falls under the scope of an enchanter's work. The Magic Society can even customize large-scale composite magic circles for Chen Mo without any problem, so this kind of mature product is certainly no problem either.

If you only look at these two items, it sounds like Elliott is soliciting business for his own company.

However, regarding the core of the second nest, the three-ring scholars spoke frankly.

"Developing large-scale ruins will come at a very high cost. Without strong backing, most territories can't afford to fight like this!"

Ruins—this was a term Chen Mo had heard more than once, but hadn't paid much attention to before.

In his mind, this place should be similar to an archaeological site, an underground tomb, or a swamp cave, a place with some magical products, ancient relics, and of course, all sorts of little monsters.

These stories are widely found in the adventure tales of mercenaries, serving as the perfect accompaniment to their drinks when they are thoroughly intoxicated and flushed.

Chen Mo had heard Little John and Little Josie talk about the heroic deeds of their grandfathers and fathers in exploring the ruins more than once. Those stories of sharp teeth, swords, overnight riches, heroes and beauties were the mercenaries' most beautiful aspirations for this world.

You can't always be gathering herbs, running errands, and acting as a guard, right? What's the point of being a mercenary then?
If he hadn't made contact with his homeland, perhaps Chen Mo would have been one of them, traversing every mountain and river to pursue those thrilling adventures.

Now, he can only live a life of meager comfort as a lord, leading a carefree and uneventful existence...

It's such a shame to miss out on so much of life's joy!

Okay, so what exactly is the nature of these ruins?

In the simplest terms, ruins are wild, disordered, and highly dangerous magical lairs.

Some of them were born from special natural environments that gave rise to powerful elemental leader-level creatures at magical nodes. These leader-level creatures then gradually created their own races, thus becoming independent strongholds occupying a region.

For example, the fiery giants in the lava valley.

Some ruins were once the secret training grounds or laboratories of a certain magician. Due to the magician's unexpected departure, they were no longer under control. After the magic circle that maintained order collapsed due to its failure, the magical items or magical creatures left behind evolved on their own out of control, eventually forming a magical forbidden zone that no living person should approach.

For example, the Forgotten Island in that Sapphire Lake.

Many more relics are remnants of war and hatred.

For example, when the elves evacuated the old royal city, the last remaining troops detonated all the psionic centers in the city, and the vortex of magic still roars and rages through the city to this day.
For example, the remnants of ice giants and snow giants, which have been completely wiped out in history, linger in the old settlements, indiscriminately attacking every alien race that enters, forming the infamous forbidden area "Ice and Snow Valley".

The halflings who had been waiting in a corner of the banquet hall seemed to have their sad memories stirred up as well. They buried their heads in their hands, sobbed softly, and murmured prayers.

Elliott didn't mince words, stating bluntly: "Every race that has been severely damaged or wiped out by the human race leaves behind at least one 'place of sorrow,' and... also contributes the most nest cores to the human race!"

At this point, Chen Mo had a relatively clear understanding.

Uncontrolled magical nodes are ruins; controlled magical nodes are lairs.

By excavating the core of a lair from disordered ruins, one can build an ordered lair to mass-produce and farm mana materials and spirit crystals.

Hmm, that sounds like a form of animal husbandry.

"I have another question, sir!"

"Since there are so many publicly known ruins on the continent, why... why don't humans clear them all out and turn them into nests?"

Elliott, probably feeling a bit full, pushed his plate aside, rested his elbows on the table, adjusted his posture, and then replied unhurriedly, "Very difficult, not very valuable!"

"Don't listen to the fancy stories those bards make up; they're just for fooling hotheads."

"The ruins are filled with all sorts of disordered magical mechanisms, bizarre traps and strange creatures. Some ruins even contain the power of laws mixed in."

"It's like the Howling Swamp. First-tier professionals can't enter; only those below the third tier can. Facing those giant swamp crocodiles that are over ten meters long, what's the difference between that and lining up to die?"

"Only powerful nations, tribes, or lords can explore large-scale ruins!"

Elliott's gaze fell on Chen Mo, as if to confirm the lord's resolve once again: "For these major powers, the gains from the ruins are really... not worth it compared to the investment!"

“Mr. Elliott!” Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I lack experience, but isn’t it said that there are many ancient relics in the ruins? Powerful magical artifacts, and even lost spellbooks?”

"Can't these things sway the monarchs of various countries?"

“They’re worthless!” Elliott shook his head without hesitation. “Magical items do exist, and so do spellbooks, but while they might be useful to some individual mercenaries, they’re worthless to a nation.”

"The system of magic is not static; it is like a constantly flowing river. Whether it is our Magic Society or the magic towers scattered throughout the continent, they are always conducting research, innovation, and improvement!"

"Today's mainstream magic far surpasses ancient magic in power, efficiency, and energy consumption by many times. To expect that digging up a moldy ancient book from ruins could influence the current magic system is a sign of a lack of common sense!"

Elliott seemed to realize that his words were somewhat offensive, and quickly added an explanation: "The reason why such rumors are prevalent on the continent is twofold: first, many people profit from selling information about the ruins; second, it's simply to deceive mercenaries who don't know the ropes and make them cannon fodder for scouting."

Okay, Chen Mo suddenly realized that this did indeed make sense.

I have indeed had little contact with high-end official and formal institutions, and have heard more folk tales, which have led me astray.

Bringing our perspective back to reality—for example, if we found the legendary powerful "Zhuge Repeating Crossbow" or the magical "Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse" blueprints on our home planet Earth, would they bring any substantial improvement to modern military technology?

At best, it would be a waste of time for some individual content creators to copy and ride the wave of traffic. If the military industry department even glances at it, it would be a waste of time.

Well, not counting certain countries that rely on archaeology to develop their military—their ancient past isn't really ancient, and their modern past is too weak. Having figured this out, Chen Mo's tone became even more polite: "Then, esteemed Mage Elliott, as an experienced senior, could you perhaps offer me some more advice?"

"You flatter me, my lord!"

“Each of the major kingdoms and duchies has its own large lair, which is used to train warriors and also to produce spirit crystals.”

"If the lord is not in a hurry, then we can follow the common practice of selecting a suitable ruin, sending mercenary groups and exploration teams to slowly grind it down, bit by bit, trying to figure out the operating rules, monster distribution and danger level inside the ruin, and when the opportunity comes, we can gather a large force and take it down in one fell swoop."

“It is normal for a large site to take three or four years, or even eight or nine years, to be developed in a safe and steady manner.”

This method does seem to be quite reliable, but it's a bit labor-intensive... and takes a really long time.

"If you're in a rush, then go for it, but make sure you're prepared for the consequences."

"Back then, the Snow Kite Duchy in the lowlands was so eager to develop a large ruin that it sent its most elite troops inside, and the entire duchy was reduced to ashes!"

"As for being attacked from behind by a premeditated enemy during expansion, there are countless examples of this, so the lord should be careful."

Just before the banquet came to an end, Aidan Elliott, a third-circle scholar of the Magic Society, offered a closing remark to the lord.

"Even the most skilled dwarven masters of mechanics can only toil in dark, sunless mines and sweltering, humid workshops; the alchemist profession, which once stirred up continental wars with its alchemical war puppets, has now become an appendage to the enchanter."

"No matter what amazing machines you can acquire, this world is ultimately still a world of psionic energy and magic!"

"A lord should not become overly obsessed with the ways of mechanics; no matter how exquisite, it is ultimately just an external possession!"

"Only spiritual power is eternal!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Lord Chen Mo issued the highest directive: regardless of the circumstances, preparations should begin.

Gather intelligence and gather information.

When exploring large ruins, distance is a factor that must be considered. As the scholar Elliott said, when a large army goes on a long expedition, the home base is vulnerable to attack, and the troops outside are vulnerable to being plotted against.

The Treaty of Protection for the Pioneer Knights is just a treaty, not some unbreakable law of creation.

Soon, three potential targets came into Chen Mo's view.

In the southern Featherfall Canyon, one of the ancient core strongholds of the elves, at the moment when the humans launched their final attack, the sky was filled with the feathers of stag-antlered eagles and bird-bodied druids.

Psychic energy and resentment have blended together to form this massive ruin.

The Thunderous Wasteland to the north.

That place was once the homeland of the Thunder Lizards. Humans trampled over it, and beastmen trampled over it. After repeated tug-of-war, these huge and gentle beasts were eventually forced to leave behind a field of corpses and scatter in the valley. Their original settlements were transformed into a desolate land with lightning all year round.

Magicians across the continent who study lightning regard Thunder Wasteland as a sacred place! Elliot had previously spent many years conducting energy conversion research at the magic institute on the outskirts of Thunder Wasteland.

No wonder he was so interested in the power equipment in the Han Hai Territory, yet felt it was too weak.

The lightning on the outer edge of Thunderous Wasteland is enough to kill people, while the lightning in the inner area is as thick as an old ox's thigh, enough to execute a first-class professional or two.

There is also the Blood Fortress in the northwest.

Unlike the other two ruins, which were mainly caused by the human race, this ruin was where the human race suffered defeats.

Blood Fortress, formerly known as Razor Fortress, is the front line of the Emerald Duchy's East Pass Ridge, like a giant lock, firmly blocking the starting point of the Razor Corridor.

Each time the orcs invaded, they either crashed into Razorfen Downs and suffered heavy losses, or they had no choice but to bypass it, spitting sand all the way south.

Then, due to the war between humans, the Razor Corridor was cut off by the enemy, and the supply line between Razor Fortress and the Duchy was lost.

Under these circumstances, Razorfen Downs relied on the arduous transport of supplies from the desert to hold out for two years, until the Emerald Duchy's East Pass was gradually eroded away, and the fortress, out of ammunition and food, fell amidst the roar of the orcs.

To completely eliminate this obstacle and prevent future troubles, the orc army razed the entire fortress to the ground. Amidst the ruins, an inescapable resentment rose into the sky, solidifying into this Blood Fortress.

"In terms of distance, Blood Fortress is the closest, and because it is located in the no-man's land on the edge of the desert, it can theoretically be regarded as an extension of our territory."

Expansion lords are those who conquer territories not under the actual control of the kingdom; it is reasonable, justifiable, and legal for them to expand further.

"However, if we hold onto this place, we will likely have to face constant southward invasions from the orc tribes in the future."

Chen Mo's finger moved slowly across the huge, unfolded map, circling it several times before finally stopping at the red circle in the northwest corner.

"The southern flight path is too far; if others are even a step away, they'll run into trouble."

"The Thunderous Wasteland to the north is right under the noses of the orcs, and research institutions like the Magic Society are watching it. It's a place of trouble no matter how you look at it."

"That is, Blood Fortress. The distance is relatively suitable, the minion wave can be pulled over, and even if it is attacked, it will be attacked head-on."

"Let's arrange for further investigation!"

"I need to go and get some backup!"

　I recently communicated with my readers and realized a problem: many of my readers are not members of Qidian.com, and some are even just students.

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　　I will pay a little more attention to controlling the word count of each chapter and try to focus on spending points that can be obtained through discount coupons from watching ads.

　　Therefore, the word count of these two chapters has been reduced from five thousand to four thousand.

　　Actually, the content difference isn't that big; it's just that some parts have less description.

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(End of this chapter)