Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 243 The Moon Shadow Returns: The New Wave-Riding Ship, the Awakening of the White Eagle (Bonus Chapter 1)

When Iona played the card "Elf Queen Vera Moonshadow," the battle officially came to an end.

There was no suspense, no drama.

With the absolute support of the Elf Queen, Iona carried out a legitimate campaign to quell the rebellion. The Restorationists fully cooperated, the neutral Stargazers defected one after another, and even the stubborn Watchers stopped their futile struggles.

The situation could be reversed in an instant.

What is justice? What is legitimacy? What is a forceful claim?
What a brilliant move!
Of course, completing this step is not easy.

The Moon Elf Queen's self-imposed confinement stems from the war between the "Moon Alliance" and the heavens.

The decision to join forces with the human race to send troops was made by the Moon Elf Queen. At the time, many elders within the Elf race disagreed with this decision, but after much deliberation, the Queen ultimately went ahead with the order to send troops.

The combined forces of the Qiyue Dynasty, the Mist Moon Divine Court, and the Moon Elves did indeed win this large-scale war.

As agreed, the land on the eastern side of the Dragon Ridge Mountains will be divided among the three parties. The elves will not only be able to reclaim all the land that was once occupied by the Sky Dome, but will also gain an additional portion of new control territory.

Then, just as the elves were basking in their triumph and relentlessly pursuing their enemies, the Qiyue Dynasty and the Wuyue Divine Court struck them hard from behind.

Corpses lay strewn across the fields, and blood flowed like rivers.

The end result was that the elves lost all their "land under the sun" and were driven into the Silvermoon Forest, stumbling and staggering.

Those humans even went so far as to despicably rename this place "Dark Forest"!
Perhaps it was also a hope to make the elves understand that from now on, that once great kingdom of intelligent beings is only fit to eke out a living in the shadows.

The proud Moon Elf race not only suffered heavy casualties, but their very core values ​​were shattered.

What kind of glory do you enjoy if you win, and what kind of guilt do you bear if you lose?

The Elf Queen announced that she would entrust the reins of government to the Silvermoon Elders, and she herself would be confined to her quarters, becoming a statue beneath the Tree of Eternity.

After the Queen's death, Vera Moonshadow, who inherited the throne, was still an innocent child, but she still kept her mother's dying wish and continued to pray for the "mistakes" of the Moon Elf race.

For over a hundred years, she has remained confined to the lonely "Moon Hut" beside the Tree of Eternity, never setting foot in the "Garden of Eternity," a symbol of power and responsibility. Her existence is more like that of a forgotten symbol, a living prisoner.

In this situation, breaking with a tradition that has lasted for over three hundred years and persuading the Elf Queen to come forward and support him would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult task.

But Iona had to do it, and had no other choice.

Her approach was direct and simple: she repeatedly explained the pros and cons and questioned her own conscience.

"Does Your Majesty still have the resolve to wash away the shame and restore the glory of the Moon Elf race?"

"Where is the image of our ancient Moon Elf ancestors, wielding long swords and galloping across the plains?"

"Your Majesty, once we, the restorers, are dead, I fear there will be no more elves in our race to break out of the forest and return to our homeland. The Moon Elves will never be able to escape the original sin of the past! Are we really prepared to isolate ourselves forever?"

Iona is right. The only chance for the Moon Elf royal family to reclaim the throne is to take back the Elven homeland, even if it's just a part of it.

Vera Moonshadow is just a little queen who is a hundred years old. She has been burdened with inexplicable sins from her previous life since birth. How could she not want to return to a normal life?
Even if I were not this ethereal queen, even if I lost that pitiful title, being able to run and play freely in the moonlit forest like an ordinary forest elf would be better than being confined to this dark and gloomy prison for the rest of my life, where I would hardly ever see any living people.

Moreover, the Queen will have her own children in the future. Will the next generation also be like her, bound by invisible chains from birth, repeating this desperate and lonely cycle?

Vera Moonshadow was almost convinced.

However, venturing out is not easy.

The Queen also needs to see proof.

There is a real possibility that the Moon Elves could reclaim their homeland, return to the plains, and atone for their sins.

Iona found herself in a somewhat awkward situation.

If the Queen supports him, the elves will not have to shed blood. However, if the opposition is not allowed to shed blood and the Queen is not allowed to prove her strength, she will not dare to betray the will of the previous Queen and step in to support him.

The conditions create a self-locking loop, which is the fundamental reason why Iona insisted on fighting this battle, and why it was a thunderous and ruthless one.

Before proving that he can defeat the humans, he must first prove that he can defeat the elves.

Thus, this inevitable battle ensued.

After witnessing this overwhelming and one-sided battle, Vera Moonshadow finally made up her mind. She swore an oath to the elven kings of the past to restore her homeland, stepped out of the Moon Hut she had never left since birth, and publicly expressed her support for Eona.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly through every corner of the Eternal Court. The stench of blood lingered among the scents of grass and trees, and the battle and clamor of the moment seemed to have been tinged with an unreal tranquility.

Standing in the center of the hall, the queen spoke slowly, her voice slightly hoarse, yet clearly reaching the ears of every elf.

"I hear it... the sun-drenched fields where our ancestors once roamed are calling to us!"

"Elder Aiona, I beg you. Let me... let me see one more time in my lifetime that homeland my mother described to me, the land filled with golden flowers!"

Aiona bowed deeply: "Your command is the direction in which the Elven race will advance!"

Vera Moonshadow gracefully departed, the situation on the ground was settled, and the next step was to deal with these losers.

Colleen remained silent, Lillian looked ashen-faced, Tina wept uncontrollably, and Angus lay dying...

Spurred by the Queen's appearance, the faction's victory, and the bloody battle, the warriors, their bloodlust surging, raised their fists and shouted: "Offer the blood of traitors to the Silver Moon! Execute them!"

"Yes, execute them!"

Iona shook her head, walked up to Lillian, looked at her former rival, and spoke.

"Since you are so afraid to fight against humans, then go and fight for humans!"

“I will form a special ‘Redemption Expeditionary Force’. You traitors will all be incorporated into the expeditionary force. You will be sent to the Han Hai Territory to fight for that young Han Hai Lord and be at his command.”

"By the way, exchange some of the supplies that the elves need for us. It would be a small contribution to the great cause of the elves."

"Don't rush to reject me. Don't you want to live and wait for me to die of old age or in battle?"

"Think about it, if one day I fail, perhaps you can come back and regain power, and continue to protect the 'pure' and free elves in your hearts!"

This decision greatly surprised not only the opposition but also their allies.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Ysera hurried to Iona's side, her face filled with worry: "Elder Iona, isn't this... too risky? What if... what if they also obtain powerful weapons from the Lord of the Sea and turn against us?"

Iona smiled and patted Ysera on the shoulder. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear to everyone around. "My child, don't panic. If they can gain support from that lord, or even one day fight back with new weapons, I'll be very happy."

"That at least proves that they still have the spirit of elves in their bones, and the courage to fight! I'm not afraid of my ambitious compatriots, I'm afraid of cowards who have lost even their ambition and only know how to cower in the forest and eke out a living!"

"What the elves need is not a peaceful slump, but the courage to burn their bridges and fight to the death! No matter who leads the overall situation, as long as they can lead the elves out of the forest and back to the sunlit plains, it will be the glory of the elven race!"

"I, Iona, don't care who holds the power!"

Iona's statement is half true and half false!

She was already too old, and no one knew how much longer she could control the fate of the elves, so she truly didn't care who held the power.

If these guys choose to pick up a compound bow, they might end up like me, armed with a weapon and filled with murderous intent.

Even if they defeat themselves, many of them will become like them.

The unspoken practical consideration was that the Elven race needed to use the manpower of these warriors to exchange for more resources.

In the past, the elves used the Fountain of Life and its processed products to trade with surrounding countries for all sorts of daily necessities, weapons, and of course, luxury goods.

Now that "Moon Spring" and "Source Essence" are to be supplied to Han Hai in large quantities, other resources will inevitably be in short supply. It is the most appropriate choice to let these opposition guys sell their military power to exchange for some money and resources.

The lord of the Vast Sea is always shrewd in important matters and generous in small ones! So many elven warriors should fetch a good price.

Thus, the dramatic and turbulent drama in Silvermoon Forest gradually came to an end. With the Queen's authority and the opposition swept away, Iona began to unify internal understanding and integrate the various military forces, waiting only for the weapons and equipment to be ready before launching an attack.

As for where exactly to hit...

That depends on where the fighting starts first!

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.

On the distant blue planet, a new era of competition is about to begin.

In Dongxia, although various new projects, new disciplines, and new technologies are being launched one after another, the overall situation is still relatively orderly thanks to the overall coordination of the national system.

The top priority for domestic military industrial groups right now is to steadily advance the "Wave-Treading" project. Although the various branches of the military in Dongxia have been fighting tooth and nail over the ownership of this thing, the fight is still ongoing!

In terms of technological advancement, all parties are pooling their wisdom and efforts.

The reason is simple. First, whenever Dongxia sees such national treasures, it feels a special sense of mission. To put it bluntly, if only a few countries on Earth have this thing, then Dongxia must have it. If only one country on Earth can have this thing, then it can only be Dongxia.

Just like building an aircraft carrier, going to the moon, planting trees around the desert, or creating a lake in a high gorge, these grand projects have nothing to do with most people, but the people of Dongxia will still actively participate in their own way and give their opinions on the country!

They're actually willing to donate money if you dare to open a donation window, and they're even willing to give up naming rights...

That's it, they'll fight tooth and nail over who pays first.

The second core element is that Dongxia's need to control the sea is far greater than its need for land power at this stage.

Or to put it another way, the threat posed by enemies at sea to Eastern Xia is far greater than that on land. The reason why aircraft carriers are the focus of so much attention is because they represent Eastern Xia's expansion from light blue to deep blue seas, and the dynamic process of gradually squeezing enemies out of its maritime territory.

Under these circumstances, the project for the new experimental ship "Riding the Waves" was launched at a rapid pace.

The overall goal is to design a new type of modern weapon that is truly in line with low-altitude aerodynamics, has a robust structure, stable performance, high weapon compatibility, and can be effectively integrated into the Dongxia combat system.

This was also to save spirit crystals. After all, the previous generation's first ship needed to keep the "Amber Force Field Anchor" activated throughout the operation to stabilize the internal structure and maintain a defensive array at the bow, which consumed a lot of energy.

If this thing were to be mass-produced, it could very well lead to the awkward situation of being able to build it but not being able to afford to use it. Therefore, the Eastern Xia is making preparations to equip the ship with the [Wave-Treading] in the future by increasing investment from the physical side as much as possible to make the hull more scientific, sturdy and stable, thereby reducing the consumption of magic.

Since the launch of the new experimental ship project "Riding the Waves", the Dongxia Wind Tunnel, the best in the entire Blue Star, has stopped all other research projects and devoted itself to serving "Riding the Waves".

Inside the enormous wind tunnel laboratory, the deep rumble of airflow was like the panting of a giant beast, and the dense stream of data on the screen poured down like a waterfall. Every moment, astronomical sums of money were being used to meticulously refine the low-altitude turbulent hull model of the [Wave-Treading].

Bald eagles on the other side of the ocean also spend money like water.

In stark contrast to the orderly, focused, and collectively mission-driven atmosphere of Dongxia, this place is permeated with a restlessness and a desperate, mad frenzy.

As the dominant power on Earth for centuries, the First Free Empire, which had witnessed countless glorious moments, was still struggling to turn the tide, even amidst visible fires and smoke. There was always a group of people who could be called the "last conscience of the empire."

Among them were officers who raised flames to complete their self-sacrifice, boys who fired bullets to torture unscrupulous capitalists, shop owners who donated evidence of massacres despite threats, and politicians who, trapped in the quagmire of the imperial bureaucracy, were still trying to save the empire.

Alvis Dyson was one of them.

As a seasoned aerospace expert, he had previously launched countless attacks on the Empire's rusty, wormhole-ridden scientific research system, and unsurprisingly, he was blamed one accusation after another. Until now, when the Empire was truly desperate, someone finally remembered this guy.

He was received by Walker, the director of the Imperial Space Agency.

"Everything we have is delayed: the big rocket is delayed, the spacecraft is delayed, the transit station is delayed, the lander is delayed. Everything is just moving from one PowerPoint presentation to the next!"

"I hope you can give me some useful advice. Otherwise, if Dongxia makes some breakthrough and embarrasses our President, he will probably put me on an audit plane heading overseas!"

"That's great! We can save one conscientious auditing official from this!"

Alvis Dyson gave the portly imperial official a sharp slap on the shoulder without any hesitation, while shrugging: "You see, you already have the answer. As long as there is an accountability mechanism that can be implemented, things are not actually that complicated."

"You're anxious now because you'll be held accountable—and truly held accountable—so you're motivated to resolve this matter."

"What those institutions and companies lack is an accountability mechanism."

Alvis twirled the pen on Walker's desk, mercilessly exposing the empire's wounds: "When an official of the lunar landing agency is caught for corruption or dereliction of duty, at most he just resigns, and then he can become a director of those rocket or lunar module suppliers in no time."

"And those companies that are unable to deliver on time will find a scapegoat and then go into the space agency."

Do you think anyone would actually do anything in this situation?

"The imperial system encourages them to take money without doing anything. Because if they do the work, there won't be any more opportunities for additional budget!"

Alvis Dyson stared into Walker's eyes, his words seemingly squeezed out from between clenched teeth: "If the Empire wants to save itself, it must have an accountability mechanism that can be implemented to the end."

"Put all those guys who dare to cheat people out of money and then do nothing in jail, and let those big, dark-skinned bastards fuck their asses, or just let them 'commit suicide,' just like they did with those 'whistleblowers'!"

"This is the only chance for the Empire to catch up with its rivals."

"So, do you dare?"

(End of this chapter)