Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 261 The Budding Decision: Dongxia's Promise

What will the World Tree eventually look like?
No one in Dongxia knows or can speculate about it; they can only try their best to analyze it based on limited information and the current situation.

The main source of the information is the royal heritage of the Elven race.

Although the Elven race lost a large number of documents when the Elven capital fell, the elders managed to transfer and salvage some of them. In addition, as an immortal race, they had enough time to recall and rewrite those ancient texts.

In the Starry World, Lord Chen Mo is currently considered an "unbreakable" and esteemed ally of the Elven race, and has been able to obtain a great deal of information from them.

Unfortunately, the Elven race is not one that places particular emphasis on historical realism; they have a tradition of recording history through poetry.

And one can only imagine the exaggerated stories that poets and singers, full of romance and fantasy, could create in a bizarre and fantastical world.

For example, in the third section of the fragments of the Darkmoon Epic, the World Tree is described as follows.

He stands on the edge of the wrinkles of time.
Dense veins of leaves entwine the palaces of the gods;

On one side, it lifts up the rising sun; on the other, it embraces the sea of ​​stars.
The spirits of light hovered between heaven and earth.

……

The canopy of branches concealed the drifting clouds.

Each branch held an unopened prophecy;

The dragon flew tirelessly through three dawns and dusks.
We had only crossed half of the boundary woven by the shade of trees.

……

The dwarf's giant axe chopped at the tree bark.
The sap was not seen until three eras later;
The giant's long arm has endured thousands of years of climbing.
I still couldn't reach the fresh, tender leaves at the top.

……

In short, these surviving poems, which are related to the World Tree and number over two hundred in total, all follow the same formula: boasting and exaggerating!
In the descriptions of these legendary epics, Dongxia could not obtain any real and effective information about the World Tree. Anyway, if you take it literally, it would be perfectly reasonable to say that the World Tree is larger than the Starry World.

The expert team racked their brains, trying to find some truth in these flowery words, but the more they searched, the more troubled they became.

Based on the most conservative descriptions, such as "dragon," "three days," and "half a piece," and combined with other records of the dragons' possible speed, the minimum span of the World Tree's canopy can be estimated to be at least from the Endless Sea in the east to the Silver Kingdom in the south, across the Dragon's Spine in the west, and to the border of the Moonlit Kingdom in the north.

This is absolutely bullshit!
Chen Mo collected a large number of official records and folk legends in the Starry World. Apart from the elves themselves, there was no other information to corroborate that such a large tree once existed here.

Of course, there is also a record of dwarves cutting down trees. It is unclear whether this is a literal reference or a sarcastic remark. Historically, the elves were the ones who suffered the most at the hands of the humans, yet they harbor resentment and sarcasm towards the dwarves. Perhaps there is some old grudge between them.

That's the good thing about using pure literature to record history: you can fully unleash your imagination and guess whatever you want!

Returning to the current situation, Dongxia can only rely on the existing [Sprout] to assess the growth rate of the World Tree sapling.

Yu Suhuai, a researcher at the Institute of Biology, stood in front of a huge data screen and gave a detailed explanation.

"Currently, the growth rate of [Sprout] is relatively stable. We record it in five-minute intervals, and the overall fluctuations are minimal. The function value is essentially a straight line."

"Assuming that the [Sprout] continues to grow at its current rate, it will be over 20 meters tall in three days, with a canopy of over 1,300 square meters; and over 40 meters tall in a week, with a canopy of about 5,200 square meters."

"Maintaining the same growth rate, after one month, the [Sprout] will become the tallest tree on Blue Star, reaching over 150 meters, with a canopy coverage of 76,000 square meters. After three months, its height will exceed 450 meters, and its canopy coverage will exceed 650,000 square meters..."

"From a concealment perspective, concealing the [Sprout] will become extremely difficult after twenty days to a month!"

"The above is purely speculative based on data. We currently have no way of knowing whether the production speed of [Sprout] will increase, decrease, or stagnate during this process."

"Therefore, the window of opportunity left for us to take action in advance is about twenty days!"

A senior official from the Ministry of Science and Technology suddenly had a whim and asked, "At this rate, how long will it take to cover the entire territory of our country?"

"Um... if we really calculate it at this linear speed, with the approximate area of ​​our country, it would take about 356,000 days, or more than 970 years, to cover the entire area."

"Tsk tsk, then I guess I won't be able to see it!"

Another senior official from the agricultural resources department had his brows furrowed.

"I would like to remind everyone not to get too excited, but to fully consider the risks. If a giant tree with a canopy covering tens or hundreds of thousands of square kilometers were to appear, would the land beneath it still be able to be cultivated? Would it affect our country's red line for arable land?"

"..."

Officials in Dongxia are just that pragmatic.

After a lively discussion and exchange, the [Compassionate Voyage] Project Command made a three-step plan.

The first step is to hide it if possible! Every day that can be delayed is a day away.

The second step is to lay the groundwork diplomatically, leaving room for maneuver if the truth cannot be concealed later.

The third step is to take the initiative if it becomes unavoidable, so that the opponent has no time to look at it, or simply dares not covet it.

Following the meeting, the operation to conceal the World Tree was immediately put on the agenda and began to be carried out with the highest priority.

The technical department has planned several solutions for use in different stages and under different conditions.

The simplest and most direct solution, of course, is to build an artificial dome to cover up the "budding" growth.

However, at the rate of budding, it can only be covered for a few days or ten days at most. Once the size of the bud grows to a certain extent, it will soon be impossible to cover it up.

A slightly more complex method involves simple shielding combined with interference. This simple shielding could be tarpaulin, reflective film, or even a covering painted green, along with some signal interference, to disrupt other countries' satellite observations of the area as much as possible.

Of course, there is an even more sinister plan: to activate the concealment technology from the starry world.

For example, the "Dark Sky Curtain" magic array technology that Chen Mo retrieved from the Land of Exile.

The Exile, though it is said to be a gathering place for a large number of necromancers, is actually a small, unpopular organization due to the decline of necromancers in the current environment and the lack of resources in its internal management. When Chen Mo cleverly uses the official power of the Silver Duchy, the Exile is utterly powerless to fight back.

In the Land of Exile, Chen Mo used both soft and hard tactics, employing multiple methods to acquire a multitude of tangible and intangible assets, including the long-standing "Dark Sky Curtain."

Once the magic circle is activated, a dark energy barrier will be generated in the area, turning the entire area into a blind spot for the enemy.

All magic array technologies, once they arrive in Dongxia, need to be analyzed and attempted to be restored. Dongxia has also conducted detailed research on the "Dark Sky Curtain" technology. It is worth noting that this thing is all-round in its anti-reconnaissance capabilities. It can effectively shield against not only various visual and magical detection methods, but also the technological detection methods of Dongxia's modern technology.

The most fantastical part is that the "dark sky" is also a one-way transparent structure.

In other words, you can freely observe the outside from the inside, but from the outside, the inside looks like a dark mass.

Breaking through the Dark Curtain is quite simple; just enter its coverage area. After all, it's just an anti-detection array, not a protective one. However, the Dark Curtain has a significant drawback: it attracts attention. Everything else is normal, but this place suddenly turns pitch black, making it obvious to everyone that something is wrong.

This is considered a firm refusal to let you see it.

In summary, Dongxia's plan was quite comprehensive.

The plan formulated by the [Compassionate Voyage] Engineering Department undoubtedly has the highest priority for implementation within the scope of Dongxia. However, things are slightly different now. The leader has spoken, and the opinions of those involved must be respected in the specific implementation measures.

That's right, we need to consult [Sprout] for their own opinion.

The following morning, Deputy Chief Commander Gu Liyang, a technical expert, arrived at a nearby air force base by special plane, bringing with him promotional videos showcasing different plans, which the engineering team had worked overnight to produce. He then arrived at the core area of ​​the [Ziyun] base.

Gu Liyang went to the site in person for two reasons: first, to facilitate on-site decision-making; and second, to get a closer look at the wondrous creation, the World Tree.

Because the roots of the [Sprout] tree spread underground, the buildings in the original core area suffered severe damage, with various tilts, cracks, and partial collapses visible everywhere.

The staff at Laboratory No. 1 of the Institute of Biology are currently in tents, and various instruments that were rushed out are piled up in a temporary steel-beamed shed. Military engineers are working intensively to reconnect the wiring and debug the equipment.

Gu Liyang, on behalf of the Cihang Engineering Department, first paid a visit to Zhang Changlin, the zookeeper.

That's right, it wasn't a reception, it was a visit.

In the entire Ziyun Nature Reserve, Mengya is number one, and Lao Zhang is number two!

Upon meeting Zhang Changlin for the first time, Gu Liyang seemed to understand why this man had won the World Tree's favor and recognition.

He's so pure!
Having spent decades in the northern forest farms, Old Zhang's love for plants was almost ingrained in his bones. If Dongxia's cultivation of the world tree was somewhat driven by profit, this old man treated every plant as his own son or grandson.

The first thing he said to Gu Liyang was without any politeness: "You smell too much of smoke on you, go change!"

Gu Liyang was a little confused. Smoking in the forest area was not safe, so there were special smoking rooms set up. The rooms were filled with smoke, and it was easy to get covered in smoke. But if he remembered correctly, this old man... Comrade Zhang had been a smoker for decades.

Faced with the deputy commander's doubts, the staff of the Institute of Biology quickly explained in a low voice: "It seems that [Sprout] doesn't like the smell of smoke, so Researcher Zhang himself doesn't smoke, and he also doesn't allow anyone to smoke near [Sprout]'s area."

"They say secondhand smoke affects children's health..."

Okay, this is definitely his biological grandfather!
Gu Liyang immediately changed his clothes with his entourage, even washing his buzz cut, before respectfully finding Old Zhang again and explaining the current situation.

"We are unsure whether these occlusion schemes will have any negative impact on [Sprout] or make [Sprout] feel unhappy, so we need to make a confirmation."

"But it must be stated that this is part of a plan to protect [the budding seed], to prevent it from being affected prematurely, or even targeted by malicious individuals..."

Zhang Changlin nodded. Although he had spent the first half of his life in that forest farm, he had seen enough of the ways of the world and knew what people would do for profit.

Old Zhang, carrying a tablet containing video data, went alone to the World Tree, leaving Gu Liyang and his group to watch from afar.

The [Compassionate Voyage] Engineering Department has strict regulations that, apart from caregivers, no one, at any time, is allowed to approach the current location of [Sprout] without the invitation of [Sprout] and the approval of the Supreme Command.

Anyone who dares to approach will be shot dead.

Gu Liyang could only watch from afar, filled with envy, as Old Zhang sat cross-legged under the tree, chatting away with [Sprout].

Zhang Changlin held the tablet that was playing the video in one hand and gently pressed the budding branches with the other, trying to keep the image at a distance of about half a meter.

He didn't know where [Sprout]'s eyes were or what position to use to see, but he was afraid that if he was too far away, [Sprout] wouldn't be able to see clearly, and if he was too close, he was afraid that the child would become nearsighted, so he could only control it according to his own understanding.

"Look, this is it. Build a big house for it to prevent anyone in the sky from seeing you and sneaking over to cause trouble."

Several light sprites rolled down the tree trunk in circles, then rolled up Zhang Changlin's arm and onto his shoulder, like large fireflies fluttering and dancing around Old Zhang's body.

"You don't like it, right? I don't like it either. Having something on your head makes it easy to bump your head, it's so uncomfortable!"

Next, he slid to the second option, a scene simulation covered with tarpaulins and reflective film.

"Doesn't this look like I've dressed you in clothes?"

As he spoke, Old Zhang chuckled to himself, "It's not good-looking, um, not good-looking at all, it's ugly!"

The surrounding branches and leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and more and more light spirits slid down from the treetops and gathered around Old Zhang. With each breath of [Sprout], the soft orbs of light flickered on and off.

The third option, a dark canopy, finally piqued the little guy's interest. After watching the video several times, [Sprout] gave its final feedback.

"Leader Gu!"

"Don't be so polite, just call me Xiao Gu!"

Zhang Changlin scratched his head, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before saying, "[Sprout] can't speak properly. When it communicates with me, I just have a feeling, and it's hard to say whether it's accurate or not! It's up to the leaders to decide!"

"It doesn't like the first option, nor is it used to the second option. The last one is acceptable, but it's not very comfortable either."

Gu Liyang nodded: "The dark sky will weaken the illumination of natural light to some extent, so we plan to use some full-spectrum lights as a supplement. Is this acceptable to [Sprout]?"

"It's ok!"

Zhang Changlin shook his head: "It will figure out a way on its own."

"However, Director Gu, it has a little bit of a mood. I'm not sure what it is, but I think I still need to make it clear to you."

"You say!"

"It loves this land, not just the environment, but also a very special kind of heritage that allows it to thrive!"

"It seems the child is saying that if safety cannot be guaranteed, then... then it can't grow up!"

Gu Liyang instantly felt a surge of heat rush to his head.

The general of Dongxia straightened his chest instantly, tensed his body, and his eyes gleamed.

"Don't worry!"

"On behalf of the General Headquarters of the Cihang Project, and also on behalf of Dongxia, I solemnly promise!"

Gu Liyang spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice resolute, "We will immediately report to the highest levels and activate the highest-level contingency plan. Let it grow in peace, grow boldly! Dongxia has sufficient strength and determination to clear away all external threats and sever all malicious tentacles!"

"We must never let it get hurt!"

(End of this chapter)