Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 228 Spring Hunt: Tacit Understanding, Undefeated General
For Chen Mo, numerous honors can be measured not only by physical height but also by physical weight.

For this wanderer in the starry sky, the joy of sending things back home far outweighs the joy of receiving them.

Honors and such are just fleeting things.

This trip to the Silver Duchy not only yielded a large number of necromancers and undead creatures from the Land of Exile, but more importantly, it broadened Chen Mo's horizons once again.

The magnificent and awe-inspiring wonders of the Silver Duchy kept him awake at night, especially when he thought of the Molten City, a city that could move, which stirred his emotions and made him unable to control himself.

If... I mean if.

One day, when war breaks out, we can take a city full of fortresses and walk directly onto the enemy's defensive line, and then swarms of robotic wolves, drones, unmanned tanks, and self-propelled firing positions will suddenly appear...

If secrecy is no longer necessary at that point, then skeletons, zombies, flesh giants, dark warriors... can be released...

There can be no living people in the city, only the enemy is alive!

We could even create cities that don't require weapons; just a huge mass of reinforced concrete would be enough to give our opponents a run for their money.

This tactic can be called the "empty city strategy," and well, the dosage is a bit high!
Even if the opponent gets desperate and uses a nuclear bomb, is it possible that I could just bring a nuclear bomb and head straight to your house?

Lord Chen was lost in thought as the "Morning Star" traveled a thousand miles a day.

The lord, laden with a bountiful harvest and brimming with pride, heads north, ever north.

During Chen Mo's absence, the situation in the north remained calm.

The Misty Moon Divine Court is embroiled in a traditional drama of infighting, with the struggle between the major holy cities intensifying. As a result, they have been unable to attend to either the Vast Ocean or the Green Pine during this period.

The Green Pine and Emerald Duchy clashed again at the border, neither gaining any advantage, and continued their standoff, awaiting the opportunity for the next major battle.

The grand spectacle of previous years, the Orc Spring Hunt, can only be described as all bark and no bite this year, or rather, a thunderous but ultimately fruitless affair.

Normally, according to past practice, orc generals who had made great contributions in the previous year should have taken a period of rest in the following year. This would allow them to recuperate from the effects of the southern humidity and the ravages of war, and also give others the opportunity to make merit, thus maintaining overall harmony within the orc community.

But this year is a little different.

Last year's battle, while yielding some supplies, resulted in heavy losses, and could hardly be considered a victory.

Even more deadly is that the wilderness is a place where the strong prey on the weak. The death of a tribal chief can trigger a bloody battle between his successors. Some small and medium-sized tribes are still fighting each other to this day.

Looking up this year, the city of Skyfrost, once "indestructible," still stands before us, along with the same armored warriors of the Green Pine Kingdom.

Therefore, whether or not to continue the spring hunt this year, and who would lead the troops for the spring hunt, became a slightly troublesome issue.

Normally, the orcs' expeditions consist of two parts: the spring hunt, which is a warm-up and usually involves generals of the Bonebreaker level, and the autumn hunt, which is the main event and usually involves a warlord of the Skullcrusher level.

Last year's autumn hunt nearly shattered the skull of the Skullbreaker Overseer himself, resulting in a disastrous defeat and significant losses. The generals who managed to retreat were somewhat neurotic from the magical attacks that seemed to fall from the sky. After all, it's understandable for orcs to die in real battle, but to die inexplicably in their tents is absurd.

To make matters worse, according to the divination of the orc chief shaman, this spring is marked by "unending evil winds and frequent inauspicious stars!" In short, it is not a lucky year.

Most of the orcs believed this without a doubt. The Beast King's original choice to send several Bone-Cracked Generals to lead the expedition was somewhat hesitant. Some made various excuses to decline, such as old injuries recurring or instability in the tribe. Others remained silent, obeying the orders but lacking their usual enthusiasm.

Only Sargeras scoffed at the divination.

Last year, when I went to war, the shaman gave me a very auspicious and rosy divination. But what happened? I lost one defeat after another. If it weren't for my cleverness and timely reaching some kind of tacit understanding with the enemy, my entire tribe would probably have been lost in Dongguan.

Therefore, whether it's a good omen or a bad omen, it all comes down to strength, the opponent, luck, and intelligence!

Sargeris is very intelligent, no joke. During last year's autumn hunt, he was able to fight a brilliant, lossless offensive and defensive battle under Frost City, which was definitely a high demonstration of his battlefield instincts.

Among all the orc generals, he had the clearest understanding that the biggest variable in the entire south was the suddenly emerging Han Hai Territory. The Han Hai Territory's attitude towards the outside world was just like that of the ferocious predator antlion in their desert: their territory was off-limits!

In this situation, the great shaman Karl suggested to the Beast King that he should use familiar tactics instead of unfamiliar ones. The wise general Sargeris, who had been able to advance steadily and retreat in his two expeditions last year, was quite good. Why not let him try again? Sargeris gladly accepted the order.

Under the leadership of this wise general, in early 1429, a unique "spring hunt" took place in the northern lands.

From the orcs' northern camp to the southern camp, orc laborers conscripted from the White Deer Plains arrived in an endless stream, transporting massive amounts of war supplies like ants carrying food. Dense banners obscured the sky above the Razor Corridor.

The black wolf riders, like moving dark clouds, thundered across the plains where a few green shoots had just emerged from the withered yellow. Behind them, tall orc infantrymen, clad in simple iron or leather armor, strode heavily across the dusty earth.

Under Sagris's meticulous planning and strict orders, the army of the spring hunt moved with great order, with clear distinctions between the vanguard, flanks, center, and rearguard, and the formation remained very intact.

In the orc army, which is organized by tribe, values ​​individual bravery, and is known for its disorganization and chaos, this is nothing short of a miracle!

So much so that Karl, the most outstanding young shaman favored by Sargeris, who accompanied the army on this expedition, spoke highly of him.

"Lord Sargris's army moves like mountains, full of powerful beauty! No wonder my ancestor repeatedly instructed that we must completely obey Lord Sargris's arrangements when we come here."

Little Karl is Old Karl's grandson. Old Karl spent too much time in the plains last year and his health deteriorated. This time, when other shamans were generally reluctant to take on the task, Old Karl sent his grandson to the army of Sargeris.

The old man was perfectly clear-headed. As long as his grandson listened and didn't get carried away, this trip should be safe and could be considered a valuable learning experience.

Of course, Sagris's maintenance of this marching formation came at a cost: it was slow, extremely slow!

Every so often, each unit would stop to reorganize its troops, regroup, push back the vanguard soldiers, and bring up those who had fallen behind. This process was repeated several times, ensuring that the daily marching distance did not exceed twenty kilometers.

That wasn't all; during the battle, Sargeris took extreme caution to the extreme.

Even the enemy's abandoned outposts along the way were strictly traversed according to the manual. First, two cavalrymen, one flying dragon and one riding wolf, would scout the area. Then, the left and right flanks would spread out for cover, while the vanguard of the central army would steadily approach, engage the enemy, and if no enemy was found, they would complete the capture.

The standard procedure after the occupation was to completely demolish the abandoned outpost, taking away even the useful timber and stones, leaving not a single tile behind. Not only these abandoned outposts, but also the fortified villages within a day's journey route were all demolished, their walls torn down, their buildings destroyed, and razed to the ground.

In short, the entire spring hunt began in this somewhat eerie atmosphere, resembling a construction crew working on a project, with each day passing by. Aside from demolishing houses and walking around, not a single human militia member was seen.

This overly conservative tactic finally became unbearable for some of the young and ambitious generals in the army. They approached Sagris and presented their ideas.

"Lord Sargeris, are we to continue like this, facing an enemy that doesn't exist? The warriors' blades are practically rusting!"

"If we continue at this pace, by the time we see the enemy, the children below will be too weak to stand, and how will they be able to fight?"

"My lord, let's attack!"

As Sagris looked at those young faces, flushed with excitement, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of melancholy.

Once upon a time, I was also such a passionate orc.

Sagris gently put down the cup in his hand and looked around. The tent was filled with leaders from various tribes.

"You guys, even though you didn't say anything, you probably think the same thing, right?"

"You think I'm a coward? No, I want to protect you!"

Sargeris slowly stood up. Among the orcs, he was not particularly tall, and for this reason, he had long been looked down upon by other orc generals. As a result, he used to put his shoes on high and comb his hair into a topknot in an attempt to make himself look better.

But now, it's no longer necessary.

Sargeris evolved.

Looking at the expectant eyes, Sargeris shook his head helplessly.

"At this time last year, I led 40,000 troops out of Qishan, and less than half of them returned!"

"Last autumn, I followed Lord Goldenmane Ig out of seclusion again. Many of the Beastmasters and Beastmasters who accompanied me were completely forgotten on this plain."

"I can't see the enemy in my eyes, but the enemy is in my heart!"

“You little guys don’t know how to respect war, so you can only grow up by shedding blood.”

"What a pity, what a shame!"

After completing the entire performance, Sagris waved his hand and issued several command flags.

"Since you don't trust my judgment, I'll give you a chance. You're allowed to each lead a thousand-man squad from your own unit, bypass the vanguard of the main army, and independently seek out and engage the enemy."

"If you achieve merit, I will reward you; if you suffer defeat, don't blame me for being ruthless under military law!"

The desire for military glory ultimately motivated these young orc leaders to accept the command. The orc army, which had been operating in an orderly manner, seemed to finally come alive. Amidst the billowing dust, several units split up to search for the enemy.

Then there is no more then.

Sagris knew what was going on, and so did the command headquarters of the Vast Ocean Territory. Since their cooperation last year, the two sides had developed a tacit understanding.

They're all smart people; they can tell what's going on just by one gesture.

Sagris didn't want to fight, but the leaders and generals below him did. The situation was the same on the Han Hai side. If it weren't for Lord Chen Mo's strict orders, these battalion commanders and supervisors would have fired countless shots at the enemy long ago.

Young soldiers crave glory, and so do generals.

At that moment, when intelligence arrived that several enemy units had crossed the line, the commanders of Hanhai immediately felt a surge of excitement, thinking that prisoners were being sent!
Under the surveillance of the airships, the enemy's actions were completely transparent, so when to fight, where to fight, and how to fight were almost entirely decided by the troops of the Han Hai Territory.

The First Army of the First Brigade mobilized two mechanized infantry battalions, including the First Battalion of the First Brigade of the First Army, an elite rapid reaction force. The Second Brigade also drew two cavalry battalions from Skyfrost City, along with a support company equipped with hidden arrows and guards, to begin the annihilation of these orc attacking forces.

The tactics were also unoriginal. The firearms troops would find a place to lie down, and a cavalry battalion from the 2nd Brigade would pretend to encounter the enemy, panic and turn around and run away, leading the enemy into the ambush circle. Then another cavalry battalion would circle around and intercept them, with guns and cannons firing. It would be over in a few minutes, and the battlefield would be cleaned up.

The reason this tactic is so effective is that traditional cold weapon troops, when ambushing, still need to pay attention to terrain advantages, such as using a valley or other high ground to attack from above. However, firearms troops don't need this at all; all they need is a patch of grass! It's hard for the enemy not to fall for it.

Sargeris's army continued its slow advance, collecting the corpses of these young orc generals who led the charge every two to three days on average. Each time Sargeris saw the devastated battlefield littered with corpses, he would remain silent, only shaking his head slightly and letting out a long, indescribable sigh.

Without a doubt, after this battle, Sargeris's orders were carried out resolutely and without fail.

"I'm not going to Skyfrost City!"

"Last year, during the spring and autumn hunts, we launched two sieges, suffering heavy losses and achieving nothing!"

"The city's defenses are getting stronger every day. Why let our children die under such fortified walls?"

The tribal leaders all echoed, "You are right, sir!"

So the orc army completely ignored Skyfrost City, only sending a small cavalry force to quickly wander around outside the city, without even bothering to use their catapults.

They dismantled the fortified villages along the way, slowly advancing to the East Pass Pass. The orcs sent out small groups of troops to scout at Green Pine in turn. After dragging their feet until the appointed time, Sargeris announced a retreat.

Thus, after a brief bloodshed, the spring hunt turned into a grand armed parade. Sargeras patrolled the Razor Corridor, suppressed bandits on both sides of Flag Mountain, hunted in the East Gate territory, and sighed at the foot of Crystal Mountain.

Sargeras went on three expeditions and returned unscathed each time, thus earning a renowned title among the orcish army.

Winning doesn't guarantee victory, but maintaining an undefeated record is already quite remarkable!
He is known as the Invincible General.

(End of this chapter)