Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 308 The Bloodshed of the Northern Foothills: A New Alliance
Initially, the war between the elves and Xiyue had nothing to do with the Vast Ocean Territory.

Although the Vast Ocean Territory did provide the elves with some weapons of war, Chen Mo viewed it as nothing more than a routine transaction where both sides got what they needed. After all, the elves possessed a wealth of valuable resources; for example, special materials like the Seed of the Tree of Life and the Fountain of Life alone were enough to warrant Chen Mo opening the Vast Ocean Territory's warehouses for them to choose from.

If the elves weren't so uninterested in firearms, Chen Mo estimated that most conventional firearms could be put on the shelves.

But when did the Vast Ocean Territory begin to become increasingly involved in this war?
After a deep self-reflection, Chen Mo realized that it was Xi Yue who should be reflecting on her actions. The current situation was largely due to the inhumane behavior of the Xi Yue Federation's administrators.

At first, Chen Mo found it hard to understand this behavior of poisoning his own people.

Even though he understood that in the Starry Continent, professionals and ordinary people were two completely different classes, and it was common for professionals to look down on ordinary people, Chen Mo always felt that those in power should have at least some basic understanding that was in line with long-term interests.

After all, the more people under one's command, the larger the base for creating professionals will be.

Furthermore, even without considering the issue of professionals, the vast majority of basic jobs in society—planting, logging, mining, transportation, and all sorts of other basic jobs—always require enough ordinary people to do them!

Even from the most pragmatic point of view, wouldn't it be better to be a little kinder to the people under one's rule and obtain more resources and better reserves?

However, Chen Mo ultimately underestimated the abstract nature of the Xi Yue ruling class.

This question puzzled Chen Mo for a long time. In the end, it was Helan, the senior steward of Hanhai, who provided some explanations based on ancient history.

"Humans did not initially understand the application of psionic energy, so there were no professionals. Later, after obtaining some cultivation methods from the elves, the first batch of professionals gradually emerged."

"But in that barbaric era when all races coexisted, the number of human professionals was too small and their strength too weak. When facing other powerful races on the planet or those dangerous magical beasts, they were at a complete disadvantage and their survival was in grave danger."

"Therefore, the monarchs of the Sky have worked hard to improve the treatment and status of professionals, making them beings far superior to ordinary people in the Starry World."

"The greater the gap between professionals and ordinary people, the more it highlights the superiority of professionals!"

“By exploiting the contrast between the despair of the lower class and the prestige of professionals, we encourage, or rather force, more people to pursue a career in the profession.”

Chen Mo seemed to understand something.

The world of stars takes class differences to an extreme, placing the lower class at the mercy of others. Becoming a professional is an opportunity for the lower class to defy fate and change their destiny.

Even further, the inability to become a professional, or to raise a professional at home, is not just a question of whether one can live a better life, but a question of whether one can survive at all.

You can't even lie down! A professional's big foot could step on your face at any moment.

This forces every family and every individual to do everything they can to pursue a career.

This is equivalent to setting an extreme policy on Earth, where college students can do whatever they want with people who don't go to college. In that case, there would probably be a lot more students who study hard!

The idea was brilliant, and it was effective in the early stages. The professional system among humans flourished rapidly, eliminating one opponent after another, and eventually becoming the dominant race among the stars.

However, this seemingly noble starting point soon went astray.

Helan directly analyzed: "The noble status of professionals on the Star Continent is fully reflected in their ability to deal with commoners at will. For high-ranking professionals who have become nobles, the best social arrangement is: I am a noble, my children are still professional nobles, and everyone else is best left as commoners."

Chen Mo nodded; he could understand this situation. It's similar to how a group of people in society, due to various reasons, acquire more social resources, creating a demonstration effect that inspires others' desires and motivation, thus urging everyone to strive towards a better future.

However, some pioneers discovered that the satisfaction of wealth is amplified by comparison. The poorer those around them are, the greater the satisfaction they derive from their own wealth.

Leading others to wealth might garner temporary gratitude, but keeping them perpetually poor is the only way to achieve lasting dominance.

To achieve control over the time, labor, and even the bodies of those ignorant and foolish people.

Therefore, those in positions of power have an incentive to deliberately plunder wealth and create poverty, thereby further highlighting their own prestige.

Just as many people wonder, if someone already has more money than they can spend, why are they still working so hard to earn more?
The fact is that while the increase in wealth for that small group of people will no longer change their situation, the decrease in wealth for the majority of others will greatly help them to buy many things that they couldn't buy before.

Thus, the planned "first" to drive "later" turned into "first suppress, then plunder"!
There's not much difference between the stars and the blue planet; the only difference is the way they "eat people."

Returning to the Starry Continent, it is obvious that today's professionals have forgotten the original intention of the human ancestors in establishing this rule. Especially in a country like Xiyue, which previously had almost no pressure from war, the solidification of class and the abuse of privileges have reached their peak—they do not treat non-professionals as human beings at all.

However, in a supernatural system where personal power is attributed to oneself, the success rate of ordinary people lacking psychic talent in rebelling against professionals is almost zero.

The absolute disparity in power emboldened the ruling class of Xiyue, leading them to act with impunity.

Such a bizarre scene unfolded on the battlefield.

Every day, people in the Xiyue Federation are killing each other. Blood flows down the Beilu River, and mutilated corpses pile up like mountains on the edge of the royal territory. The stench attracts a large number of wild beasts, and the chilling sound of teeth gnawing on bones can be heard day and night.

The surviving civilians cried out to the distant horizon, praying to their gods, to the legendary benevolent Lord of the Vast Sea, to the elves who had always been far removed from this battlefield of conflict... anyone who could step forward and save them.

However, they could only wait in vain, waiting in despair, and despairing while waiting!

During this period, the Vast Ocean Territory did not remain idle. After a period of deliberation, Lord Chen Mo personally sent a letter to the Elf race, as well as to all the tribes of the Stream Moon Federation that were in the "Elf Convergence," "Flexible Neutrality," or "Southeast Self-Preservation" camps.

In the letter, Chen Mo clearly pointed out that the nature of this war has been completely changed, with the Xiyue royal family's outrageous actions as a turning point.

"Before this, I always regarded the massacre of civilians as the personal acts of some frontline commanders or military leaders, an isolated incident caused by the deterioration of military discipline. Therefore, my Han Hai Territory spared no expense to directly participate in the attack on the 'North Wind' Legion, just to punish this illegal behavior that violated the bottom line!"

"However, it turns out that I was wrong. The royal family of Xiyue has become a completely corrupt, decadent, and inhuman reactionary group. Their very existence is a desecration of the word 'civilization'."

"Therefore, this war is no longer merely a territorial dispute between the Elven race and the Stream Moon Federation, nor is it simply a struggle for interests between the various tribes and the royal family within Stream Moon. It has transformed into an uncompromising factional war between good and evil! It is a war of stances concerning the future order and values ​​of the Starry Continent!"

"Faced with such evil acts, any form of appeasement and compromise is an insult to civilization!"

"We will definitely win the final victory, and we must win the final victory!"

This letter can be considered the final judgment on the royal family of Xiyue. If the previous struggles for power still left room for maneuver and the possibility of dividing the spoils through negotiation, then Chen Mo's letter meant that the door to compromise was completely closed. What follows is only a life-or-death reckoning!
The elves were the first to respond. They mobilized their forces and, together with the tribes of [Elf Confluence], bypassed the central territory of the Stream Moon Royal Court and began to advance towards other tribes.

There is no middle ground in faction wars; an incomplete surrender is equivalent to no surrender at all!
Please make your positions clear!
In early May of the year 1430, the Elf army formed a pincer movement from the left and right, trapping the territory of the Lost Deer tribe.

The Milu tribe is one of the [flexible and neutral] tribes. However, they are too flexible. On one hand, they have special representatives who are in contact with the elves and frequently send some supplies and gifts as a "sympathy". On the other hand, they are settling the royal ambassadors, serving them good food and drink, and vowing that "if there is an alarm in the royal city, they will definitely rush to the aid of the royal court".

Now, let's make a statement! The Deer Tribe wanted to delay a little longer, but the elves only gave them three days. When the time was up and they hadn't received a clear reply, the elf army pressed forward.

Of the so-called thirteen tribes of the Xiyue Federation, only the largest tribes can barely muster enough strength to form and maintain an independent, fully-equipped legion. Tribes of moderate or lower strength, like the Milu tribe, can usually only occupy a portion of the Federation's "combined legions," and the armed forces they can directly control are only about one-third of a legion.

As soon as the elves waved their battle flag, the warriors of the Lost Deer tribe either fled or surrendered. Not a single arrow was fired or a single sword was drawn throughout the entire battle.

He just knelt down like that!

When the news reached the Xiyue Imperial Court, the problem was once again placed before His Majesty the Emperor and all the commanders.

If you continue to defend your own territory, you'll watch as one by one the tribes outside turn from allies to neutrals, and from neutrals to enemies.

If we launch an attack...

"We can't go out! We absolutely can't go out!"

"The enemy's goal is to force us out? How can we fall into their trap!"

Commander Clotilde Hysen of the Royal Guard shouted: "Defend! Defend to the very end! The Royal Territory's defenses have been forged over many years and are as solid as steel. As long as we hold firm, the enemy will eventually change their ways!"

Another senior royal general said worriedly, "But if we don't move, we can only watch as the Thirteen Tribes of Xiyue are defeated one by one by the elves, and in the end they all become our enemies..."

“That’s because of His Majesty’s mercy!” Cloty Hysen seemed to have been touched on a sore spot. She slammed her fist heavily on the magic table in front of her, which was worth a fortune, was masterfully carved, and inlaid with various crystals and silver marrow. She smashed the precious table into pieces.

"I have advised His Majesty several times that the tribal chiefs and their main families should reside in the imperial city, that the heirs of each tribe should be sent as hostages to receive education in the imperial city, and that the Soul Contract Scroll should be used to control the military commanders of each tribe!"

"But His Majesty is always soft-hearted and indecisive, allowing those barbarian tribes to come and go in the council and embezzle Xiyue's money and grain without any scruples."

"This calamity has finally come to pass!"

Seeing the commander of the Imperial Guard beating his chest in frustration, soon another brilliant strategist from the royal court stepped forward and offered a plan.

"General, please calm down. Gentlemen, please also take it easy."

"Great Wisdom" cleared his throat. "In my humble opinion, there might be a way to resolve this situation. If the elves can force those tribes to take a stand, why can't we?"

Clotti's face darkened: "Each tribe has its own agenda. Sending too few troops is useless, but if too many go, and they are caught up by the aggressive elves, the army will not gain any advantage in open field battles."

"Big Smart" smiled obsequiously while pointing to the map.

"General, you are overthinking it. The elves dare not enter our territory and can only go around them, which is not as convenient as it is for us."

"As long as we move our troops away from where the elves are, those long-eared guys will never be able to catch up. They'll just be dragged around by their ears by us!"

You know what, this actually works.

In order to achieve its goal of controlling the four directions from the center, the direct territory of the Xiyue royal family is basically located in this area in the center of the Xiyue Federation's territory.

With the elves in the north, the royal army can march south. If the elves dare not enter the royal territory, they can only encircle the area from the outside. By the time the elves arrive, the royal army will have already finished their battle and moved on.

"If we can lure the elves far away, we can launch a surprise attack on those bandit tribes at any time! Let them know the consequences of betrayal!"

This kind of gameplay, which is like exploiting a bug in a video game, has surprisingly gained unanimous approval from the royal family. It's hard to say whether it's because they've been living in peace for too long and their minds have become rusty, or whether they're just forced to fantasize out of desperation.

In short, the elven army then followed a large arc along the edge of the Xiyue royal territory, while the royal army carved out several smaller straight lines from within the territory, each beginning to "persuade" and "win over" the various Xiyue tribes.

This protracted battle between the two sides lasted for more than two months, and the final result was remarkable. The thirteen tribes of Xiyue, including those who initially sided with the royal family, reached a consensus: To hell with the royal family! We are mortal enemies with those bastards in the imperial city!
The reason is simple: the difference in interests is too great.

When the elven army passed through, those who knelt down quickly not only avoided the calamity of war, but also received full compensation from the elves for requisitioning supplies and recruiting laborers at market prices, or even slightly higher.

Not to mention the Han Hai Special Operations Team, which is extremely generous and refuses to accept bribes. To put it simply, being Han Hai's underling means you won't get beaten up, but you'll still get paid.

In contrast, when the royal army came to "inspect" the area, it was like a locust plague. Grain was forcibly requisitioned, able-bodied men were conscripted for hard labor or even as cannon fodder, and any resistance was considered treason, resulting in the massacre of entire villages. The treasures and beautiful wives and daughters of the tribal elders became spoils of war for the royal officers to take at will.

In the past, these elders were high and mighty "superiors," enjoying and persecuting privileges, and were quite proud of it. Now, when they themselves have become victims of plunder and trampling, they naturally feel the pain deeply, grit their teeth, and hate it to the bone.

This change in status made their hatred for the royal family even stronger than that of the common people who had been oppressed and become numb.

In mid-July, after several rounds of back-and-forth negotiations, the special representatives of the Vast Ocean Territory, the Silvermoon Forest Elves, and the thirteen tribes of the Stream Moon Federation gathered in Twin Rivers City, the capital of the Spear Tribe, and finalized the agreement.

All parties agreed to establish an alliance spanning the Stream Moon Federation, Silver Moon Forest, and the Vast Desert.

Because it was the height of summer, with the silver moon and the stream moon shining brightly together, it was temporarily named the Summer Moon Alliance.

The Vast Ocean Territory, the Elf Kingdom, and the thirteen tribes of the Stream Moon Federation are the fifteen initial member states of the Summer Moon Alliance.

After consultation, it was unanimously agreed that Lord Chen Mo of the Vast Ocean would be the Alliance Chairman, the Elf Queen the Alliance Vice Chairman, and representatives from the thirteen tribes would form the Alliance's special executive body—the Political Consultation Office—to jointly handle all matters of the Alliance.

The alliance respects the independence and autonomy of each member state, does not interfere in the political affairs of each member state, nor does it meddle in the personnel appointments and removals within each member state, and even allows each member state to maintain a certain number of troops. On the surface, the conditions seem no different from those of the former Xiyue Federation.

The limited requirement is that each member state must obey the unified decrees of the Alliance's Political Consultative Office and accept the unified command of the Alliance's Supreme Military Command in times of foreign war.

As the chairman of the alliance, Chen Mo appears to be completely equal to the representatives of other member states in terms of the powers granted by the charter. His only right is the "chairman's veto power" specially established by the Political Consultation Office.

That is, when voting takes place in the Political Consultative Conference, the Alliance Chairman has the right to veto any proposal on his own, regardless of how many members of the Consultative Conference agree with it.

Only a few seasoned veterans like Zegen could vaguely sense that this alliance was actually a completely different thing from the previous federation.

Those seemingly insignificant, mild policies and regulations hidden beneath the surface of equality are like seeds of a tree of life. They will grow and spread silently for a long time to come, subtly changing the power structure and operating logic within the alliance.

Perhaps it will be a long time later, when people look back, that they will suddenly realize this.

(End of this chapter)