Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 178 The Shield of Freedom: A Shocking Incident; Sargeris Returns to the North
P.S.: While you guys are celebrating the military parade, I've been getting all sorts of reports and I'm exhausted from editing. I'll post this chapter first, and I'll try to post the next one tonight!
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.

Having completed yet another round of general history education, Chen Mo felt a little regretful.

I thought there would be some excitement to see, but considering this overall strategic layout, it's unlikely to be any excitement at all!

However, the Eastern Xia command gave him an unexpected conclusion.

Even though it's not appropriate to use a knife when a child misbehaves, a spanking is still necessary.

After all, many things are learned from mistakes, but not from the lessons learned!

Of course, it's best to avoid getting involved in cause and effect.

The most suitable target is undoubtedly the four-clawed sea serpent.

"The people of the Sea Serpent Island are naturally fearful of power but not virtuous. Their territory is long and narrow, resources are scarce, disasters are frequent, and the survival crisis is intense, which gives rise to their strong aggression and plundering desire."

"Essentially, although our country has always maintained that the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent is a defeated country that we defeated at a great cost, the other side refuses to acknowledge this at the level of consciousness."

In the narrative of the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent, Dongxia is always its defeated foe.

Its failure stemmed from the combined attack of the two most powerful nations on Earth at the time, the Red Double-Headed Eagle and the Bald Eagle.

Coupled with insufficient resources and bad luck, this unexpected defeat occurred.

In short, the defeat was not due to a lack of fighting spirit; it was merely a fluke.

So how could it possibly reflect on its actions under these circumstances!

Especially after the war, it developed rapidly with the support of the bald eagle. In the Cold War that followed the hot war, it benefited from the war by serving as the bald eagle's lackey. From then on, it regarded itself as a victor, which made its never-extinguished ambition restless.

How can victors possibly reflect on their actions?
Deep down, it never stops thinking about restoring its glory, and it even regards the islands of Dongxia as its own private property.

The saying of the sages of over a hundred years ago, that there will inevitably be a battle between summer snakes, remains as relevant as it is today.

This time, the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent deployed 60% of its domestic Maritime Self-Defense Force and 30% of its Air Self-Defense Force to participate in this joint maritime and air exercise.

Besides this dog, the bald eagle also brought out a second dog, a jasmine griffon from the southern sea.

Jasmine is the national flower, and the national emblem features an eagle and a lion, representing the two countries that once enslaved and colonized this land.

Leaving the symbols of colonizers on the national emblem is like tattooing the face of a rapist on one's body; it shows how smug the Jasmine Lion Eagles are about being abused by "big shots," revealing the extent of their inherent depravity.

In this country, powerful clans took turns in power, a third of the population lived in abject poverty, and kitchen waste became an important source of food.

Even more bizarrely, because Jasmine Country prohibits the use of child laborers under the age of eighteen, many children from impoverished families, who lack food and clothing, are unable to earn a normal living through work and are forced to resort to illegal means, selling their souls and bodies.

It's not surprising at all that such a rotten country would periodically cause trouble, following in the footsteps of the bald eagle.

The various parties cobbled together dozens of warships and aircraft, relying on the ubiquitous military bases of bald eagles, and launched this large-scale "Freedom Shield" military exercise on the edge of the high seas in a seemingly legitimate manner.

The main subjects are a series of so-called coordinated operations and long-range target practice.

The opening was very impressive; Bai Diao has always excelled in promotion.

The deep blue sea was silently sliced ​​open by the steel bow of the ship, leaving a long, gradually spreading white wake.

The white eagle's battle group was in the center, with two dogs on the left and right. Although the warships were of varying quality, some new and some old, with most being older models, the formation was still neat and orderly.

The first day's exercise for "Freedom Shield" was called Area Denial.

The hypothetical scenario depicts an enemy aircraft carrier brazenly intruding. With the support of the command system, the F-16 "Fat Lightning" fighter jets of the MI6 (Air Self-Defense Force) precisely complete their penetration, and several anti-ship missiles are ready to hit the enemy...

Hmm, a rather serious-looking fantasy.

During this time, the Dongxia reconnaissance ship, which was jokingly called "street hustler" by everyone, came swaying and drifted away not far away.

At this distance, the radar on the Dongxia reconnaissance ship is enough to see clearly even the color of the underwear of the soldiers in the exercise.

As it turned out, the trip was worthwhile; an accident occurred on the very first day of the exercise.

Sea Serpent Kong's attack, which aimed for a huge return with a small investment, was indeed successful; in fact, it was the biggest one he had ever achieved.

Because the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent Kingdom's own sea-based aircraft platform, which was converted from a helicopter carrier, is not well-suited for taking off and landing heavy fighters like the "Fat Lightning," the "Fat Lightning" will take off from the Bald Eagle's aircraft carrier to launch the attack, after unified scheduling by the exercise participants.

The F-21 fighter jet, tasked with the first attack, inexplicably failed to launch its first anti-ship missile, getting stuck on the launch pad in a rare incident.

However, due to minor malfunctions, no one paid much attention to them. Over the years, this model of aircraft has crashed or jumped into the sea, earning it the title of "the most advanced fighter jet with the largest displacement"!
What's a little bug?
The F-22 "Fat Lightning" turned back to base for a second inspection. Just as it began its descent and landing on the deck of the Sea Eagle carrier, the missile that had been stuck for so long finally flew out...

Even if the White Eagle aircraft carrier's defense system is the most advanced, it would be impossible to defend against such a close-range attack.

The heavy anti-ship missile hit the junction between the flight deck and the island superstructure.

The ship suddenly shuddered, like an old man who had just finished urinating in winter and was shivering.

The explosion propagated from the upper to the lower levels, eventually reaching the sea surface and creating a chaotic ripple and wave.

In the area under attack, a deafening roar drowned out the engine noise of the aircraft carrier itself. A blazing fireball rapidly expanded, pounding against the carrier with thick black smoke, and the shockwave from the explosion spread rapidly in a visible ring.

Yes, the direction and force of the shockwave could be judged by the sailors blown away; it was indeed visible to the naked eye.

The flight deck, located at the epicenter of the explosion, was instantly torn open, and massive steel plates were blown away and rolled up like fragile pieces of paper, revealing a gruesome breach and sparks flying from the cross-sections of pipelines.

The portholes on the island were shattered, and the piercing alarm blared through the sky, even drowning out the aftershocks of the explosion.

Compared to the soldiers who hadn't even reacted yet, the automatic fire suppression system was the first to respond, with high-pressure water jets and fire-extinguishing foam spraying out to suppress the not-so-intense flames. However, the casualties caused by the explosion were already unavoidable.

A large number of people working on the deck or near the island were affected by the blast wave, and their painful groans and shouts were drowned out by the greater noise.

The sea breeze swept by, swirling up ashes and unburnt fragments, like a black snowfall.

Then, just as everyone from the exercise command to the on-site damage control personnel was horrified and speechless, a second blow followed.

The plane that committed the grave error, whether out of sheer terror or awareness of its grave sin, crashed straight into the aircraft carrier. In an instant, like bowling, it strung together a large pile of planes fixed to one side of the flight deck, and flames shot into the sky from the impact.

Just a few seconds later, the first secondary explosion began, followed by a series of explosions.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder, the smell of burnt metal, and the strong smell of blood.

Faced with the sudden disaster, the joint exercise command center, led by Bai Diao, was instantly thrown into chaos.

"WTF?!" A white eagle naval admiral suddenly stood up from his seat, the violent movement knocking over the chair behind him with a jarring crash.

He stared intently at the screen, his face deathly pale.

"What happened?! Where did this attack come from?! Was it a friendly fire?! Or..." He didn't even dare to voice the worst possibility—that he had been subjected to a real, deliberate attack.

"Sea Serpent Air Self-Defense Force! It's that 'Fat Lightning' from the Sea Serpent! Its missile! Its missile hit me!"

"And it rammed into my ship!"

In an instant, two words flashed through the minds of all the performers: "Will-o'-the-wisp!"

The so-called "divine wind and ghost fire" is the most infamous attack method of the four-clawed sea serpent.

Absurd, horrified, inconceivable, unbelievable... The communication channel was instantly filled with exclamations, inquiries, and shouts in various languages, creating complete chaos.

Although the "Freedom Shield" exercise command immediately cut off all external signals, the news still leaked out as expected. What was supposed to be a show of force that would attract global attention turned into a horrific accident.

For the Bald Eagle, the first loss is a core asset during the deployment period, and the originally scheduled three-month minor maintenance period will turn into a major overhaul with an unknown duration.

Secondly, the incident was exposed, and the arms sales competitors couldn't wait to exaggerate it, so much so that it was met with overwhelming ridicule and mockery from allies, adversaries, and neutral parties alike.

For the four-clawed sea serpent, this was an absolute nightmare.

Their own fighter jets, on the aircraft carrier owned by Bald Eagle, fired missiles first and then collided with the aircraft, nearly destroying the already aging and dilapidated ship.

This is no longer an accident, but a horrific disaster!
The high-ranking officers of the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent were under tight control, and even political leaders were under close surveillance. As the investigation progressed, an unbelievable conclusion quickly emerged.

The pilot of the "Fat Electric" sea snake was from Kirishima.

Kirishima has a "Special Attack Hall" that, under various pretexts, houses tens of thousands of suicide notes and photos of former "Ghost Fire" team members. It has even repeatedly applied for these war relics to be included in the World Heritage List.

Sea serpents seem particularly adept at playing these little tricks, using the guise of peace to actually perform a ritual of summoning spirits.

Based on the above facts, the investigation department believes that this is a repeat of the "Will-o'-the-Wisp" incident. A pilot who is a spiritual successor to the "Will-o'-the-Wisp" seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of joint exercises and delivered a big blow to the bald eagle.

The "Shield of Freedom" was clearly not going to continue. The enraged bald eagle had locked down all of the four-clawed sea serpent's "fat electric" and "wasp" units. What followed was an almost unlimited pursuit of accountability.

Well, the main problem is that we'll lose money.

Thus, this serious and abstract drill accident suddenly transformed into a grand stage for win-win cooperation for all parties in the face of the masterful White Eagle.

Bald Eagle received a huge compensation, enough to build several aircraft carriers of the same class. The Cynthia lunar exploration program also received sufficient funding and incidentally exposed hostile elements with ulterior motives. It was a big win.

Although the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent suffered heavy losses on the official side, the people were jubilant. The tradition of subjugation was fully promoted. The "Will-o'-the-Wisp" achieved its greatest victory in history. National morale was high, and China won.
The governments of various countries on Earth were gleefully watching the drama unfold, and the media once again used this news to fill the gap in lunar news coverage, making a fortune. Office elites and ordinary citizens alike had countless topics to discuss, resulting in a small win for them.

As for Dongxia, it can only be considered a secret victory. After all, it was just a targeted exercise that ended hastily, and many things behind the scenes are not only unknown to anyone now, but may never be made public in the future.

Of course, internal recognition is still necessary.

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.

Just as Lord Chen Mo was preparing to personally lead a new wave of pioneering teams northward, he received a commendation from his ancestral home in Dongxia.
This commendation is divided into two parts: the main and core achievements, which played a key role, and these achievements are naturally attributed to Chen Mo.

If he could go home right now, with all the awards and honors he's received, Chen Mo would definitely be considered a decorated and accomplished figure.

A minor achievement belongs to Doyle, the former leader of the [Nightblade] and current leader of the [Desert Blade] mercenary group, and a necromancer of the Eternal Night.

The intangible ghost squad summoned by the necromancer played a crucial role in this incident, earning a collective second-class merit and also earning Doyle himself an award for outstanding individual contribution.

Yes, that's how rigorous it is. Doyle was previously an independent mercenary and not part of the official organization of the Vast Ocean Territory.

However, Doyle was officially accepted into the organization from then on.

Over the past period, the aftermath of the orcs' disastrous "spring hunt" has led to significant changes in the situation in the north.

For the human region south of Qishan, apart from the Dongguan Fortress which delayed spring planting and might affect the harvest, the Tianshuang City blocked the orcs' advance, so they hardly felt the impact of this invasion.

In the presence of scions of noble families, singers at banquets of celebrities, mercenaries from distant cities, and merchants from all over the country, it was at most just a few more topics of conversation.

The resentment towards the orcs is irreconcilable, and the contempt for them is deeply ingrained.

"Orcs can't stand the heat. Even if they conquer the south, they'll eventually have to go back to their cold, windy nests!"

"It's just a few villagers dying, why bother about it!"

However, for the orcs on the northern White Deer Plain, it was the arrival of a nightmare.

When General Sargeras Gorehowl's southern expeditionary force retreated to the Flag Mountain camp, the commanders left behind could hardly believe that such a disheartened force was the same elite orc army that had marched out in a grand procession just two months earlier.

Their armor was tattered and their banners were in disarray. Although there were almost no wounded, their eyes were vacant, their souls seemingly adrift. Even the dire wolves hung their heads and breathed heavily.

The entire unit was still physically robust, but it seemed as if its spine had been removed, and an indescribable sense of dejection permeated the air.

Compared to the morale of the troops, what is even more worrying is the morale of Sagris.

Bloodhowl, a rare occurrence, ordered the Qishan Pass to be sealed off.

War is sometimes like a game; whoever closes the door first, whoever blinks first, loses psychologically.

Over the years, the orcs have worked hard to clear away all obstacles in Flag Mountain Pass and Razor Pass because they are confident that they will march south again and again, while you weak humans can only tremble in fear at the howl of the dire wolves.

Now, General Sargeris has taken the initiative to isolate Flag Mountain, the implications of which send chills down the spines of every orc with a brain capacity exceeding one hundred milliliters.

Of course, only the old shaman Karl knew that Sargeris was not afraid of the enemy's offensive.

What he feared was the leak of information.

To this end, he went so far as to launch one massive purge after another with ruthless cruelty.

As Chen Mo told his Torch Youth Officer Corps, once the bottom line can be lowered, it is tantamount to having no bottom line at all.

In order to return to the north safely and obtain the noble banners and emblems from the enemy so that he could give an explanation to His Majesty the Beast King, Sargeris sold a large number of ordinary orcs to the Vast Sea.

That wasn't all. In order to keep the news under wraps, Sagris went a step further and also sold some generals who found this kind of private deal unacceptable to the Han Hai.

The next step was to send the orc tribes, who, despite being unaware of the truth, were suspicious of the victory proclaimed by General Bloodhowl, to their deaths. Their mission objectives, movement routes, and timing had already been laid out on the desk of the commander of the Vast Ocean Territory.

Then, the scope of the purge was expanded to include all possible informants. Even a general who merely glanced south with suspicion would be immediately added to General Bloodhowl's purge list.

Except for old Karl.

This great shaman was someone Sargeris dared not touch under any circumstances; if the great shaman died outside, it would be no different from him dying.

So the orc general could only kneel at the old shaman's feet again and again, pleading and begging.

“I can’t help it… I’ve done my best… At least the children are back, right?”

"Reverend Karl the Great Walker, you understand me, don't you?"

“I can’t die… My family needs me, my wife and children are waiting for me… Just like little Karl is waiting for you to come home safely, isn’t he?”

"Only I know that a dangerous enemy has emerged among the humans... I must survive, I must seek revenge! The orcs need me! Don't you agree?"

Old Karl stared blankly ahead with his cloudy eyes.

Every question has a unique answer; this renowned strategist had actually calculated everything perfectly.

Sagris is right. He's getting old, so he probably doesn't care so much about life and death.

But what about the Wind Wilderness tribe? What about its tens of thousands of members? And what about that clever and bright young Karl, who was seen as the tribe's future?

What could he say?
The shaman could only nod slowly, his voice tinged with bitterness:
"Yes!"

"Correct!"

"Child, you did a great job. Go ahead and do what you want to do!"

"Your ancestors... will protect you!"

(End of this chapter)