Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 189 The Skeleton Legion's Debut Ends at the Swamp Camp
The moment the "Rotten Swamp" tribe's main base was hit by fire, the surrounding flanking outposts also suffered indiscriminate attacks.

They even fought more brutally.

Unlike missiles, which require careful use, the conventional shells and bullets of the Vast Ocean Territory were obviously much more plentiful. In accordance with the treatment principle of a terminal patient with "fear of insufficient firepower", Lord Chen Mo gave an order and the troops poured steel and gunpowder onto the orcs without any hesitation.

With experienced field army sergeants as the backbone and elite soldiers selected from the city defense forces mixed in, Han Hai Territory has formed two well-equipped reinforced companies with advanced firearms.

One company, guided by the cat-like orcs, circled around for a period of time before heading straight for the western "Rotten Swamp" otter-like orc base; the other company headed north, tightly blocking the vital passage to the northern "Blackmouth" tribe, preventing any reinforcements or routed soldiers from reaching it.

The remaining attack on the eastern base will be personally directed by the lord.

The troops of the Han Hai Territory have always had a clear division of labor into three main groups: the city defense army, which is responsible for the defense of the territory and internal security; the field army, which is responsible for long-distance raids and cross-border operations; and the guards, which are responsible for the safety of the lord.

The biggest difference between the Guards and the other two units is that there are very few living people in the Guards.

Skeleton warriors, resurrected spirits, and a few scout statues make up a standard undead summoning team.

Compared to field armies and city defense armies, the most distinctive feature of the Royal Guard is that they are all summoned creatures of the lord himself, and they are loyal!
The downside is that this type of force needs to fight under the command of a necromancer, which means that Lord Chen Mo cannot be too far from the battlefield.

For a long time, this tactic was unrealistic and unusable due to concerns for the lord's personal safety. After all, everyone knows the rules of war on the continent: when you see a summoned creature, find the summoner first.

Ninety percent of a necromancer's combat power comes from the undead creatures he summons. Once the necromancer is defeated, the undead creatures will be quickly banished, and the game will end.

This competition between professions lasted for thousands of years, until one day, a genius mage, after studying necromancy for a long time, created a highly targeted spell called "Wrath of the Dead".

This is a special necromancy intervention spell. You can't even call it a negative spell because its effect is very positive. It alerts the undead creature by briefly disturbing its soulfire, indicating that its master may be in danger and needs your protection.

Next, the undead creatures will follow their most basic contractual instincts and carry out the "rescue" action.

Although the disturbance usually lasts only a few seconds, as long as the undead creature moves even one step in a certain direction, the summoner's hiding place will be revealed.

There's a contractual connection between summoners and their summoned creatures; you can't fool your own kind...

This is equivalent to finding a complete stranger in a crowd and simply saying to their child, "Your dad is calling you!" The child will instinctively look in that direction, and their father will definitely be there.

Once the necromancer's direction is pinpointed, all that's left is to search in that direction, it's just a matter of how close or far the search is, and how strong or weak the undead guards are.

The decline of necromancers on the mainland is largely due to this small and "dirty" spell.

For a long time afterward, necromancers painstakingly researched ways to break the [Wrath of the Dead].

However, necromancers are not known for their magical research. What's worse, just because a genius mage can create targeted magic doesn't mean you have a genius to counter it.

In the end, the necromancer never figured out a spell to deceive his own summoned creatures...

Of course, there's also the argument that even if such a system were developed and applied to the battlefield, what if, in a truly critical situation, one's own undead creatures were tricked, leading to a delay in rescue efforts?

It would be better not to lie at all and just confront the undead creatures head-on.

So why is Lord Chen Mo now willing to use his personal guard?

The primary reason is that, facing a large tribe like the Otter-Headed Beastmen, the limited forces of the Vast Sea Territory need elite troops like the Royal Guard to be deployed to the front lines.

Skeleton gunners wielding automatic rifles are completely different from traditional skeleton gunners, and besides, they don't care if they break.

Secondly, orcs don't know magic, so they are unlikely to be able to use [Wrath of the Dead].

Finally, Lord Chen Mo now not only carries multiple protective items and spell scrolls, but also has several high-level bodyguards by his side, especially the sixth-tier elven archer, Loma Wind Chaser.

Elves are not allowed to interfere in continental affairs in principle, so Loma Wind Chaser's role is also full of self-deception. He is only responsible for protecting Chen Mo when he is in danger, and will not take the initiative to attack the lord's enemies.

But that's alright. The lord can take the initiative to find the enemy and defend himself. There's no such thing as "excessive self-defense" here.

Who says a bunker built on someone's face isn't a defensive structure?
In short, given the favorable objective circumstances and subjective conditions, the Imperial Guard of the Vast Ocean Territory launched its first large-scale war since its establishment.

First, we used rapid firepower to wipe out the enemy camp.

The deafening roar of artillery fire had not yet completely subsided, the smoke that filled the air above the orc base had not yet dissipated, and the ears of the surviving otter-boar beastmen were still buzzing. The skeleton brigade of the Vast Ocean Guard had already begun to advance in neat formation.

Thirty-six skeleton warriors formed five teams, totaling one hundred and eighty, and advanced towards the orc camp in a skirmish line arranged in an inverted V shape, with the two sides in front and the center at the back. They carried standard automatic rifles at level.

Unlike the skeletons of the past that were either completely naked or only wrapped in strips of cloth in important areas, the skeletons of the Han Hai Territory Guard wore desert camouflage uniforms, clearly custom-made. Even though the skeletons underneath were empty, they did not appear slumped at all.

The skeletons' ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and other joints are fitted with highly elastic knee and ankle braces and other equipment. Combined with the boot soles fixed under the foot bones, the skeletons' otherwise mechanical and stiff movements suddenly seem to have a kind of elastic rhythm.

The otter-boar orc warriors who survived the first round of bombing, shaking their heads still dazed from the shockwave, rushed out of the camp and saw the silent skeletons approaching. The orcs' fighting instincts instantly went berserk.

They roared hoarsely, grabbing anything within reach that could be used as a weapon—spears, machetes, axes, hammers, even heavy wooden stakes—and, fueled by their brute force, launched a somewhat chaotic counter-charge.

The orcs' roars echoed through the air:
"For the tribe!"

"Tear them apart!"

Their response was a sudden, rapid burst of gunfire, as sharp and distinct as popping beans!
The first rank of skeleton warriors opened fire in unison, their steps steady, their shots precise, with a mechanical, methodical precision. Automatic rifles spat deadly streams of fire, scorching bullets tearing through the air, creating a rapid storm of metal in their path.

It crashed violently into the orcish charging formation.

Screams instantly replaced roars. Whether it was a thick wooden shield or tough leather armor, they were as fragile as paper in front of the high-speed spinning bullets. The bullets penetrated muscles and bit into bones with ease, exploding into clouds of blood mist on the orcs at the front, and falling down in droves.

A few heavily armored leader-level orcs continued to advance despite the gunfire, and then a sniper rifle squad at the bottom of the V-shaped formation fired a volley, the multi-stage armor-piercing rounds easily tearing through the metal shells.

Of course, the orcs also fought back.

Scattered javelins were hurled from the orc ranks, these heavy, long-handled weapons whistling through the air as they traced long arcs before crashing into the skeleton guard ranks in a staggered fashion.

At this moment, the orcs' ranged units had been disorganized, and their small number of javelins were almost useless on such a large battlefield, especially since the targets were undead skeletons.

An unfortunate skeleton was struck by a javelin falling at an angle, piercing its shoulder blade with a crisp "crack." The immense kinetic energy shattered its shoulder blade and several ribs, instantly fracturing its entire left arm and a large portion of its chest cavity. Bone fragments flew out from the tear in its uniform.

The enormous impact caused it to stumble and fall to the ground.

But it's no use!

If a living soldier suffers such a severe injury, even if he doesn't die on the spot, he will be essentially rendered incapable of fighting. If the wounded soldier needs to be cared for, one or two additional soldiers will be needed to assist in the evacuation.

But the skeleton warrior merely rolled once on the ground, then pushed himself up with his elbows, the soul fire in his eye sockets remaining completely still. He used his remaining right arm to firmly support the rifle, pressing it against his remaining ribs, and pulled the trigger once more.

boom! boom! boom!
Even single-shot firing remains accurate.

This is the most despairing characteristic of the undead army—they ignore pain, have no fear, and will fight on until the order is given, unless their bodies are completely destroyed or their soulfire dissipates.

Modern firearms have made up for the shortcomings in combat capabilities of low-level undead creatures.

The orcs' courage crumbled quickly in the face of overwhelming firepower and this unkillable terror. While javelins could occasionally destroy one or two skeletons, they couldn't stop the steady and ruthless advance of the entire undead front.

With each orc warrior falling, the resistance weakened further. Their formation crumbled rapidly, and the remaining warriors howled in terror as they turned to flee.

How could it possibly escape the bullet's pursuit?

The battle ended in about six or seven minutes. The Imperial Guard had lost a total of four lower legs, one thigh, three upper arms, half a head, several rib and pelvic bone fragments, and twelve sets of uniforms.

A 500-man orc squad stationed at this base was completely wiped out.

Nearly half were killed or wounded by bombardment, 30% fell on the way to the charge, and another 20% were dealt with one by one by the mobile forces led by Lao Niu during the collapse and escape.

At 9:00 AM, the tactical watch indicated that the Vast Ocean Army had been defeated at two outposts, completing the encirclement of the "Rotten Swamp" Otter-Head Orc headquarters.

To everyone's surprise, the chieftain of the "Rotten Swamp" tribe, the spiritual leader of the Otter Boar Orcs, "Gaptooth," actually survived this attack.

This guy had a base buried deep underground in his mansion, which allowed him to escape several rounds of deadly bombing. However, crawling out from underground still took "Gap Tooth" quite a bit of time.

When the blood-soaked, dark yellow fangs emerged from the ground, Chief "Gap Tooth" finally saw the scene before him clearly: the entire inner city of "Rotten Swamp" had become a hell for the Otter-boar Orcs.

His grand tent was gone, his guards were gone, his flags fell, his mansion collapsed...

His once mighty "Rotten Swamp" tribe has now become a pile of mud abandoned by the roadside.

“Ouch——!!!”

Boundless rage consumed "Gap Tooth's" reason, and he let out a deafening roar that shook the very earth, causing the surrounding rubble to fall in a cascade.

"Who is it?!" His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, his voice trembling with extreme rage.

"Who is it?! What kind of filthy bug from the gutter dares to humiliate the great 'Rotten Swamp' like this?!"

"I will tear you apart! I will chew your bones to pieces!"

The chief wildly swung his hundred-kilogram mace, smashing a nearby burning building to pieces.

"Children, kill! Kill them!"

"Any enemy who humiliates the 'Rotten Swamp' tribe will pay with their life!"

It must be said that the chieftain's appeal was quite strong. At his roar, the remaining orc warriors who could still move, and even some of the orc laborers who belonged to the exploited group, struggled to get up and haphazardly put together a team of several hundred people. They barely managed to form a crooked formation and rushed out through the gap in the broken inner city fence.

They were about to face with courage the field army that had fought its way through the enemy lines, and the 12.7mm heavy machine gun squads positioned at the inner city gate.

Each family of firearms has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the biggest drawback of heavy machine guns is that they are too expensive to use.

The large-caliber bullets fired by the sniper rifle were like precious treasures, scattering outwards like water being poured.

At this distance, the heavy machine gun fire was like the scythe of death, easily tearing through the orcs' simple leather armor and iron plates, sending them flying in blood and flesh. Meanwhile, the occasional javelins thrown by the enemy were easily blocked by the warriors led by Old Bull, who held up huge iron shields.

The last vestiges of courage roused by their chieftain vanished like waves crashing against rocks, shattering them to pieces.

Despite the chief's lightning-fast reflexes, attempting to dodge the moment he saw the vanguard fall, it was too late. In that instant, at least dozens of sniper bullets struck him.

This once arrogant and domineering "Rotten Swamp" chieftain, who had previously swaggered around the region, didn't even leave behind a complete last word.

The death of "Gap Tooth" signifies the end of the main storyline of this short war, and the "Rotten Swamp" tribe is officially declared extinct.

All that's left is some finishing touches.

On the periphery, the Shadow Claws, deeply shocked, frantically intercepted anything that moved along their blockade line with an almost pious devotion.

Even birds in the sky and insects on the ground are not allowed to cross the line!
Faced with such overwhelming momentum, superior speed and mental state of the cat-like orcs, the scattered fleeing otter-boar orcs had absolutely no chance; they could only be dragged back dead or half-dead.

The slaves in the human settlements and the lowly laborers of the orcs gathered together timidly yet expectantly, holding up red handkerchiefs they had found from who-knows-where, or small pieces of cloth stained with their own blood, secretly spying on the uniformed, swift warriors of unknown faction, awaiting their unknown fate.

As for the Vast Ocean Territory, it began to clean up the mess according to the plan arranged before the battle.

The soldiers began clearing the passage, extinguishing the remaining fires, gathering prisoners, and checking on the wounded...

Those who could be saved were taken to a field hospital, the seriously wounded were finished off on the spot, and those who still tried to struggle were beheaded.

Under Lord Chen Mo's arrangement, Amu, dressed in a smart suit and beaming with health, accompanied by several orc soldiers, loudly proclaimed the "Proclamation to Pacify the People" through a megaphone, ordering the slaves and laborers to immediately assemble in the square to await roll call and arrangements.

However, despite repeated calls, all the human slaves remained kneeling on the ground, trembling and not daring to move.

Amu forced a smile and handed the megaphone to the orc next to him ingratiatingly: "Master, you see, I told you I couldn't do it, you're the one who has to do it."

The orc who took the megaphone only shouted once, and the kneeling crowd stirred. Whether human slaves or orc laborers, they all rose to their feet with fear and trepidation, as if they had been whipped, and surged toward the designated square.

They were terrified that if they were even a step too slow, disaster would befall them.

Inside the command vehicle, where real-time footage was being transmitted back from a frontline drone, Chen Mo silently watched the highly ironic scene unfold on the large screen.

The lord sighed deeply, feeling an indescribable sense of sorrow.

Humans have lost the White Deer Plain for far too long, so long that they have become accustomed to bowing and scraping to the orcs and showing disdain for their own kind.

If we want the human race on this land to rise again, winning a few battles and liberating a few camps will be far from enough.

The clamor on the battlefield gradually subsided, leaving only the occasional crackling of burning wood and the sporadic gunfire of pursuers chasing after fugitives in the distance.

Thick black smoke swirled and twisted above the "Rotten Swamp" camp, like a giant beast born from gunpowder and steel, opening its eyes and joyfully admiring this fresh land.

(End of this chapter)