Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 211 Negotiation, Display of Force, Opportunity for Cooperation
Loma Wind Chaser's warning shot finally had an effect, halting the sea creatures' advance. After slowly circling halfway, the group of sea creatures surfaced.

"Deep Sea Naga!"

In human legends, this is a notorious sea creature, one of the leading groups among the sea people, with a ferocious appearance, cruel nature, and a reputation for committing all kinds of evil, exuding a chilling aura...

Of course, Chen Mo is now desensitized to the idea of ​​legends.

He had carefully read the stories sung by the bards. When the poets walked the lands of the Sky Kingdom, the stories were about how the evil Moonlit and Mist Moon betrayed the glory of humanity, causing the continent to fall apart and war to rage on. As a result, the orcs, who were once suppressed by the Sky Kingdom in the bitter cold north, now dared to swagger and swagger in the heart of the Starry Sky.

When these poets arrived in the Duchy of Mistmoon, the content of their songs was instantly reversed, becoming a divine descent into the world, guiding all things to flourish, and Mistmoon leading its people to resist the cruelty of the heavens and defend against the orcish invasion.

When these guys first arrived in the territory, they were praising the greatness of mages and condemning the evil necromancers.

However, after learning about the local lord's career choice, the very next day, the newly released and dramatic "Summoning Epic" became their latest grand finale, instantly elevating the summoner to the throne of the greatest in history.

Chen Mo currently has little access to the secret records of various major powers. The only records that are somewhat of a reference are some fragmented records brought out by officials from the Cloud Mist Territory. However, after sending them back to Dongxia for comparison, Chen Mo realized how outrageous these countries' ability to fabricate history is, given how many lies they tell.

Given the high degree of unbelievability of these legends, Chen Mo wasn't afraid when he first saw the legendary evil Naga race; his heart was filled with pure excitement and curiosity.

As the enemy leader gave the order, waves of sea creatures rose to the surface beyond the isolation line marked by Loma's magic arrow, causing the sea to churn with massive amounts of foam as if it had been briefly boiled.

What comes into view are dense, gleaming triangular fins.

The Naga's lower body swayed gently in the seawater, while its strong, powerful tail supported its muscular upper body as it stood upright. Their skin colors varied, some were bluish-gray, some were dark green, and some were even dark blue or deep red, making them look colorful—or perhaps gaudy.

Their bodies are covered with a layer of smooth, sticky, fine scales, and their muscles are smooth and full, as if they are full of explosive power. What is most eye-catching are the wing fins that run from the top of their heads to their backs, and when spread out, they resemble the collar membrane of a frilled lizard.

Chen Mo thought this thing looked kind of cool when it was open!
There were about two hundred Nagas in front of us, and the underwater shadows were heavy, so we didn't know how many more were hiding.

Judging from their positions, they exhibit a very clear hierarchical structure. At the front are a chief Naga with one main and two deputy leaders, whose scepters and weapons are decorated with large pearls. In the middle row are more than twenty armored warriors, holding spears and tridents made of some unknown material. Their shapes and specifications are almost identical, suggesting that they are standard weapons of the Naga race.

Finally, there were ordinary sea warriors of varying sizes, with most of their bodies exposed, holding weapons made of huge fish bones or thick coral, with huge teeth of unknown creatures embedded or bound to the front, giving them a rough, primitive look.

However, the formation was still quite neat, clearly indicating that this was an elite Naga force.

The leading female Naga communicated with the Naga beside her using short hissing sounds. Then, the Naga on the left acted as a translator, speaking in a somewhat sticky, strangely accented language.

"Is it Elvish, and an older version of Elvish? It seems that because Captain Loma initially used Elvish, they considered the Elves to be the masters of the fleet!"

"What did they say?" Chen Mo asked.

"It seems to be... some kind of warning?"

“They demanded that we identify ourselves and state our purpose, and…” Loma carefully discerned the exact meaning of those ancient syllables, “they claimed that the area was under alert and demanded that we undergo inspection.”

Clearly, due to the evolution of language and differences in dialects, there are considerable obstacles to communication between the two sides.

Fortunately, there was plenty of time, and the great elven archer Loma had lived long enough to scrape together his memories and try to respond in several different ancient elven variants, continuing the communication with difficulty amidst stumbles and setbacks.

After exchanging words and gestures back and forth, Loma finally understood the other party's core intention: "My lord, they say they are here to track down the murderer."

"murderer?"

"Yes, the Naga said that not long ago, several unidentified ships dared to enter the open sea and attack an island under the protection of the Naga."

"Those guys injured the sea beasts guarding the island and plundered a large number of items that the Naga people had stored there for sacrifices, spellcasting, and trade. The Naga people are searching everywhere, and this area of ​​the sea is within their search range."

"They were very firm and wanted to board the ship for inspection!"

Chen Mo tapped lightly on the bridge railing with his fingers, his gaze sweeping over the Naga army standing guard on the sea, and asked Loma in a low voice, "If we refuse, will they attack?"

Loma pondered for a moment before replying, "According to the agreement between the continental races and the sea races, humans have the right to free navigation in the near seas, but once they cross the boundary and reach the open sea, the sea races can launch attacks without restraint."

"but……"

Chen Mo felt Liu Shuang's grip on his hand tighten slightly, so he gently patted it to reassure her and pressed on, "But what is it? Just tell me, it's okay."

Loma pointed to the sea: "Although the sea creatures are unlikely to break their alliance and attack us here, if we really anger them, they have many ways to cause trouble, making our voyage impossible, or even causing some 'unexpected situations'!"

"for example?"

"For example, the sea creatures' tide mages can summon storms or drive certain ocean psionic tides and currents to forcibly bring the fleet to the open sea and into positions where they can launch an attack."

Chen Mo frowned. "Then the sea race is invincible, so what's the point of the thirty-nautical-mile restriction for them?"

"No, no, compared to a direct attack, the cost for the sea creatures to do this is also very high. It's equivalent to... equivalent to asking a high-level mage to cast a forbidden spell at a huge cost!"

Chen Mo nodded.

He had matters to attend to at the moment and did not want to clash with a powerful sea tribe army, especially in an environment where the other side had a clear home advantage.

However, he also couldn't allow the other party to board the ship and inspect it at will; those who had come from Dongxia were particularly sensitive to this.

"Continue to communicate with them! Be polite, but firm in your stance."

"We will ask them for more details and try our best to prove our innocence, but I cannot allow them to board the ship for inspection!"

Next, the two sides began another long round of communication.

The meeting took place on a ship called "Qiming" that had been launched. The Naga leader and members surrounded the small boat, while the crew members on board maintained real-time communication with Chen Mo using communicators.

The negotiations lasted for quite some time, during which the female Naga leader, in a fit of rage, personally joined the negotiations, letting out one sharp roar after another, constantly putting pressure on Loma.

Loma remained unmoved and, following Chen Mo's instructions, inquired about the details of the attack on Naga Island, including the time, location, characteristics of the enemy ships, combat methods, details of lost items, and so on, and promptly relayed the information to Chen Mo.

"My lord, this is the situation."

"About six days ago, three fast sailing ships without flags or figureheads sailed to a Naga island about ninety kilometers away from here. Because it happened to be during the annual Naga grand festival, the island's defenses were insufficient. These pirates killed the Naga guards and looted more than a hundred Moonshadow Sea Sprouts, as well as a large number of pearls and shells."

Seliel, on Chen Mo's side, promptly added: "Moonshadow Buds are important spellcasting materials for Naga tide sorcerers, while pearl coins and shell coins are currencies used for trade among sea creatures."

Chen Mo asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why would they put something so precious on the island?"

"My lord, you may not know this, but for the sea creatures, the ocean is a more dangerous place, with all kinds of powerful deep-sea monsters and hostile forces. Islands can keep out many sea monsters that cannot come ashore, and the Naga, a sea creature that can move on land, have a clear advantage."

"However, they never imagined that a daring human race would venture into the open sea..."

Chen Mo nodded, carefully checked the known conditions recorded on the screen in his hand, and clicked the analysis icon.

Well, Dongxia provided him with a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence system and a processor. Now the lord can carry it wherever he goes, otherwise how could he be handling affairs with increasing ease?

Chen Mo cleared his throat: "Please pass on this message to them!"

"First, the fact that these guys were able to travel into the open sea, seize the moment when the Naga forces were weak, and accurately locate the islands to carry out their raids strongly suggests that they have an inside agent among the sea creatures." "I suggest the Naga clan conduct an internal investigation first; it's much more effective than wandering around aimlessly."

"Secondly, since the other party has looted the goods, whether they want to sell them or use them, they should at least have to give them back."

"Such a large sum of wealth, whether it flows into the sea or onto land, will cause market fluctuations. This is a natural law of economics. Finding clues about it is much easier than finding people!"

"Third, as you just said, the enemy mainly relies on the professionals on board, and the ships themselves have little offensive power, so one of them was damaged by the giant sea beasts of the Naga race."

"Unfortunately, my fleet is not that weak. If I were to go, their sea monsters would probably be reduced to ashes by now."

"There won't even be any witnesses, so how will they have a chance to fight back?"

"Ask them if they'd like to see our weapons demonstration?"

As expected, Chen Mo's words provoked the Naga race's anger. Waves surged on the sea, and angry hissing echoed everywhere.

The leading female Naga raised her scepter to quell the commotion behind her. Her gaze pierced the vast distance and fixed intently on Chen Mo, who suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Chen Mo has now truly experienced what it means for murderous intent to be so palpable.

Although Liu Shuang was blindfolded, her reaction was incredibly swift. She took a step forward and blocked Chen Mo's path, continuing to hold him with her left hand while her right hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

Chen Mo put his hand on the little girl's shoulder, then returned a fierce glare to her.

After another round of heated verbal sparring, the Naga led the fleet of the Vast Ocean Territory to a reef area where only a dozen square meters of rock were exposed above the sea at low tide.

Seeing the slightly provocative look in the other party's eyes, Chen Mo switched the individual cannon to the main cannon, and after thinking for a moment, switched it to the [Guardian].

If the target hadn't been so small, Chen Mo would have even considered using the [Light Thunder].

"Drill into the ground, high explosives!"

"Oh, right, I remember there are also additional dragon breath missile warheads, right? Take a few up with you and show them what it's like."

Chen Mo adjusted the time slightly. By this time, the sun had already set, and only a sliver of daylight remained in the sky. The firearms were much more effective at using firepower than the visual effects of daytime.

"Then let's do it!" With the lord's order, an attack was launched from the secondary ship, the Dawn.

The missile rapidly ascended into the air, ignited at high altitude, and streaked towards the isolated reef area, leaving a trail of blazing flames!

The dragon's breath bomb was ignited when the bomb was still more than 100 meters away from the reef.

The so-called Dragon's Breath Bomb is actually a scattered aluminum-magnesium incendiary bomb. It does not pursue a concentrated attack effect, but instead scatters large swaths of dazzling fireworks, instantly resembling a magnificent golden cloud scattered across the sky.

As if they possessed life, they scattered wildly in the air, then transformed into a rain of fire that poured down from the sky, covering the reef and a large area of ​​the surrounding sea.

The missile had already struck the poor rock hard.

The bunker buster easily tore through the surface of the reef, penetrating deep into the reef platform. A violent explosion occurred from within, as if the entire reef area had been violently shaken from the seabed by an invisible giant hand, and a column of water shot into the sky, forming a brief but spectacular geyser.

But this is just the beginning!
The impact of the high explosive completely shattered the internal structure of the reef. Fireballs and shock waves surged wildly from the cracks in the reef, tearing the small openings into gaping maws until they were completely torn apart.

The fountain transformed into a cascading waterfall, with seawater, flames, and pebbles gushing forth and mingling with the fire rain still slowly falling from the sky, creating a dazzling spectacle.

And those flames continued to burn on the sea surface, and even in the seawater, producing large amounts of white water vapor and black smoke.

All humans, sea creatures, elves, and other races watched this scene intently; it was so magnificent and beautiful that it was mesmerizing.

An uncontrollable scream of terror erupted from the Naga swarm. For creatures that live in the ocean year-round, fire is something they find extremely repulsive and terrifying. The enemy not only tore apart the hard reef like seaweed, but also set the entire sea surface ablaze.

Even from a great distance, they could still feel the scorching aura of death rushing towards them. Many soldiers couldn't help but dive underwater, leaving only their two vertical pupils visible as they stared in horror ahead.

The massive "fireworks show" lasted a long time. After the explosion, the fire continued to burn on the reef and the sea for more than two minutes until the last wisp of fire was extinguished, and all life was awakened as if from a dream.

Chen Mo noticed that the little princess who had been blocking his way had quietly pulled down her blindfold at some point, and her bright amber eyes turned back to look at him without blinking.

"Aren't you dizzy anymore?" Chen Mo chuckled.

Liu Shuang seemed to be suddenly awakened, her amber eyes instantly starting to spin around in a daze again. She hurriedly pulled the blindfold back on, tightly gripping Chen Mo's clothes, and muttered softly, "...dizzy."

Facts speak louder than words. After a brief discussion, the Naga leaders unanimously agreed that if this human force attacked the island, their sea beasts would indeed have no chance of survival.

As their attitude softened, Chen Mo seized the opportunity to offer new suggestions.

During the previous negotiations, although he did not see the Moon Shadow Sea Sprout, Chen Mo was able to obtain a few samples of pearl coins and shell coins to examine.

Pearls? White shells? They look quite exquisite. Because they are only produced in specific sea areas and are limited in quantity, they have become the common currency of the sea creatures.

However, Chen Mo had a feeling that if he sent this sample back to Dongxia, it might become dirt cheap at any time.

Whether it's human or sea creatures, everyone should be a professional at minting coins, and they don't make counterfeit coins, they only make the real thing!
Chen Mo keenly sensed an opportunity.

As the controllers of the vast ocean, how many rare resources and unique products do sea creatures possess?
And that tide sorcerer's magic that stirs up the tides, if I could learn that back, I could cast it on those big and small islands from time to time...

Forget it, I can't think about it anymore, it's too awful!

"We fully understand the feelings of the sea creatures who have lost their precious items. Our lord believes that as one of the maintainers of order on land, it is heartbreaking for such a scoundrel to have emerged among the human race."

"We are willing to help the sea race, do our best to track down these criminals, and strive to recover the losses for the sea race. We also hope that the sea race will not have any prejudice against the human race, especially against an orderly place like our Vast Ocean Territory!"

"The lord promises to use our connections and intelligence networks on land to help you track down the real culprit."

"At the same time, we will issue bounty missions to major mercenary guilds and black markets along the coast and even inland, focusing on collecting clues about the recently emerged Moonshadow Sea Sprouts and Pearl Coins."

Chen Mo patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, as long as they are still active on land, as long as they try to take these things, they will definitely leave traces."

The Naga chieftain looked at the young human lord with suspicion and uncertainty.

This guy doesn't seem like a good person, using a little girl as a human shield...

However, what he said was very sincere!
"What...what do you want?"

"No, no, you can't say 'yes'!"

Chen Mo smiled and corrected, "Fair exchange, free trade, and win-win cooperation!"

"I believe that after a period of getting to know each other, we will have a true friendship!"

(End of this chapter)