Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 347 Black Mane Proclamation: General Sunshine and Shadows
P.S.: Updated the old book and revised the previous text, and the time I just caught up with is gone again... The next chapter will be posted before dinner... I'll definitely post it before 4 PM!

After a series of rapid attacks from the perimeter, the outer camp that had been blocking "Little Long Tooth" quickly fell, and the attacking forces of the Vast Ocean Territory officially arrived at the Wild Boar Orcs' camp.

This place was originally called Qingfeng Mountain, with a rather steep terrain, serving as a natural barrier in the central part of the Bailu Plain. However, after the "Little Long Teeth" tribe settled here, they arrogantly erased the old name and renamed it Heizong Ridge.

The name itself suggests that it originated from the Black Mane Mountains in the wilderness.

After so many days of fighting, the news has spread far and wide throughout the Bailu Plain.

News that a well-equipped and powerful human army, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, was relentlessly pursuing the old orc tribe "Longtooth" spread like wildfire across the plains.

The first reaction of the other orc tribes was not to send reinforcements, but to mock them.

The kind of laughter that makes you unable to stand up straight...

You can't blame them for having a low threshold for laughter. What kind of place is this? This is the White Deer Plain, where orcs have been established for hundreds of years. Here, the only three types of humans that orcs can see are...

The majority, of course, were the submissive and obedient human slaves who eked out a living under the claws of orcs, not daring to even breathe loudly.

These slaves, in the eyes of the orcs, were clearly not considered "human" and were no different from livestock.

Secondly, there was the auxiliary army composed of "those who do not return".

This was even more submissive than slaves. In the words of a notoriously tyrannical orc butcher, "Even if I stepped on their balls, they would only dare to groan softly, afraid of disturbing my fun!"

That's truly loyalty!

Although the human nations denounced these "outcasts" as lackeys of the orcs, the orcs themselves did not quite agree. For example, the canine orcs felt that calling these people dogs was a desecration of their race's reputation.

Finally, there were the "White Deer Restoration Society" savages who wandered through the deep mountains and swamps.

In contrast, these ragged, emaciated creatures, who would occasionally emerge from the shadows to strike the orcs with a stick, were actually looked up to by the plains orcs.

A few of the troublemakers among them even earned nicknames that the orc chieftains and elders remembered!

However, the Restoration Society members were ultimately too few in number and too low in quality. In the past hundred years that I can remember, besieging a patrol squad of orcs was the boldest and most reckless action they had ever taken.

Therefore, from the orcs' perspective, there was no warning at Qishan Pass, and the northwest border was peaceful. There was no large-scale invasion of the White Deer Plain by troops from foreign human nations. How could the "Long Teeth" tribe be able to be attacked at their doorstep without being ridiculed?

As the news spread and fermented, the time finally came when it could no longer be kept secret.

After carefully studying the situation and confirming the latest movements of the orcs, Lord Chen Mo instructed the propaganda department of the Vast Ocean Territory to issue a formal announcement to the Starry Continent through the Mercenary Guild's Cloud Platform channel.

A Letter to All Civilizations and Races of the Starry Continent
Since the orcs' iron hooves trampled the White Deer Plains, 213 years of bloody and tearful history have passed. The mountains and rivers have lost their color, the sun and moon have lost their light, order has been disrupted, and countless lives have been lost!

Every inch of Bailu land is soaked with the blood, tears, and wronged souls of people of all ethnic groups!

Today, though we are but a small, weak land in the vast ocean, we have never forgotten the greater good of the world! Though our army is small and our strength is limited, we still vow to gather an army of righteous spirit!
We are willing to march north with great force to subdue the orcs, wipe out the wicked, restore the White Deer, and rebuild civilization!

……

This is hereby announced to the world!

This is a battle cry, which contains approximately the following three elements.

First, it's the normal opening statement, accusing the other party of their crimes.

The orcs wantonly trampled and slaughtered humans on the White Deer Plain, and of course, they also took the opportunity to ravage other civilized races such as dwarves and elves on this land. In fact, all the forces on the continent were well aware of this.

Although everyone spoke with righteous indignation, as time went by, they had basically accepted the "fait accompli" of the orcs' rule over the White Deer Plain.

If it weren't for the orcs' continued raids down south, many human nations would probably have become "friendly to the orcs" long ago.

Now, Han Hai Ling has directly exposed this festering wound, revealing the rotten, foul-smelling wound that has been filled with pus and blood.

Secondly, the goals of HanHai were clearly defined.

Reclaim the Bailu Plain and restore civilized order.

There is actually some internal debate within HanHai regarding this issue of interpretation.

A significant number of high-ranking officials believed that the initial goals should be set more moderately, focusing on securing the rights of the human race, rather than pushing the entire orc race to the opposite side from the outset, thus avoiding provoking hostility from the entire orc race.

step by step.

Chen Mo rejected it without hesitation.

At the high-level meeting, he pointed out unequivocally that aggression is aggression. No matter how powerful the orcs are, they cannot change the fact of aggression. The boundary between friend and foe must be clearly defined from the beginning, and no ambiguity should be given to the opponent.

An enemy country is an enemy country!

Do you think that if the orcs took a step back and symbolically released a few human slaves, we could shake hands with them and live in peace?

impossible!

For robbers, breaking their hands, feet, and even their spine, so they never have the chance to pick up a knife again, is their best fate!

In his manifesto, the lord gave a firm and clear goal: to reclaim his homeland, liberate the slaves, uphold justice, and rebuild civilization!

Finally, there is the call to action.

Calling upon all nations of the continent to distinguish friend from foe! Calling upon righteous warriors of the human race to join this grand undertaking! Calling upon all races and ethnicities to unite as one! Calling upon the soldiers and civilians of our territories to be of one mind! Calling upon the "non-returning race" to awaken to the truth! Calling upon the White Deer human race to abandon darkness and embrace the light!

Incidentally, this manifesto has added a dazzling halo to the past history of the Han Hai Territory.

Fighting the orcs and saving humanity and other civilized races is the great cause of the Vast Ocean.

For example, in the former Xiyue Federation, based on the evidence found during the search and the confessions of many parties involved, the high-ranking nobles of Xiyue had colluded with the orcs to help the orc wolf riders to go south to burn, kill, and plunder, and to besiege the human monarch. The evidence is conclusive and the crimes are obvious.

The Xiyue Federation is "destined to die"! The Xiayue Alliance, which destroyed the Xiyue Federation, has transformed from a human infighting into a righteous exemplifier.

Regarding the feud with the Green Pine Kingdom, Lord Chen Mo stated in the relevant content of this manifesto, in a very "concerned about the overall situation" manner, that the two sides were indeed sworn enemies, and everyone in the territory was seething with hatred.

But faced with the common enemy of humanity, the Vast Ocean Territory would rather temporarily put aside this deep-seated hatred and "endure humiliation and hardship" to fight the orcs together. After the orcs are dealt with in the future, we will settle our scores with them.

This statement left the bishops of the Mist Moon Divine Court, who had just gone to great lengths to appease the Vast Ocean Territory and spent enormous sums to secure its promise not to attack the Green Pine Kingdom for the time being, speechless and nearly bursting with suppressed rage.

In short, this powerful declaration of war and the declaration of battle caused a huge stir, making the already well-known name of the Vast Ocean Territory instantly famous and as popular as the sun at its zenith.

At the same time, it also sends a clear signal to certain groups!

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.

The bright white sun hung high in the sky. The winter sun was not harsh; it had a listless feel to it. Its lazy light shone through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the occasional fallen leaves fluttering down from the sky.

Wearing a suit of iron armor and with a serious expression, Hamon patrolled back and forth in front of the camp's sturdy wooden fence, diligently checking every blind spot in the defenses.

The armor made a rhythmic, dull metallic scraping sound with his steps.

Harmon is a human, a member of a human group that is affiliated with the orcs and is called "Servant" by the orcs, "No Return" by himself, and "Traitor" by the humans.

This branch, which followed the "Little Longtooth" tribe on the plains, numbered over 20,000. Its nominal supreme leader was Torika—a large man who was said to have a little bit of beastman mixed blood.

According to everyone's private discussions, that guy was utterly useless except for licking the orc chieftain's toes exceptionally clean.

But there was nothing they could do; whoever the orcs decided to make their leader was the leader.

This made Hamon and many of his officers, who had risen through the ranks based on their military prowess and achievements, quite resentful in private. Regardless of the complex or devout feelings of dependence the original "No Return" ancestors held towards the orcs, they shared one thing with their arch-enemies, the "White Deer Restoration Society"—the "No Return" had also experienced nearly ten generations of changes on this land.

This long period of time, long enough to erase many memories, wiped away much of the civilization and historical roots that humanity originally possessed, severing the roots of most "non-returners." But at the same time, due to individual differences and different circumstances, some people with other "ideas" quietly emerged and were nurtured within the group.

Hamon was one of them.

Deep down, he hated orcs very, very much.

As a pure-blooded human, from the moment he was born, he was relentlessly suppressed by the orcs with different skin colors, fangs or manes, and those mixed-race children with some orc features.

No matter how hard he tried or how much blood and sweat he shed, it seemed he could not completely change this damned identity shackle determined by bloodline.

On this vast and cruel land, one's birth almost entirely determines one's fate.

The class division is blatant and ingrained in our very being!

The highest rank is held by pure-blooded orcs from the heart of the wasteland, who are the first class; the second rank is held by orcs native to the plains; and the third rank is held by hybrids born from orcs and other races.
Orcs, dwarves, goblins, and other such mixed "races" are in the fourth class; the pure-blooded humans among the "Never Return" can only pitifully rank in the fifth class; at the very bottom, of course, are the human slaves who have no personal freedom, and they are in the sixth class...

Hamon once thought he could change everything through his own efforts, but unfortunately, he couldn't.

He was the youngest entry-level warrior among the "Long-Toothed" vassal human race, the youngest second-tier warrior, the youngest third-tier warrior, the youngest first-tier warrior... His talent was so dazzling that it overshadowed all his peers.

But it was no use; his talent and hard work would only ever show a tiny bit of value among the fifth-tier pure-blooded humans.

As a human "commander" in charge of a ten-thousand-man unit, Hamon had to bow and scrape even to a single orc gatekeeper of the city's defense forces.

Then, his swordsman mentor, the old man, quietly told him, "Child, you can't grow any older."

Throughout the entire orc-controlled territory, there were not a single pure-blooded human greatswordsman. Those exceptionally talented fifth-tier humans were all conscripted to the orc ancestral court, and then disappeared without a trace.

Can you guess why?
Hamon was terrified. In a subsequent hunt for magical beasts, he was "just right" to be "severely injured," and his cultivation stagnated at the peak of the fourth rank, never to advance further.

Countless midnight dreams have shown Hamon curled up on his cold bed, hating his pure-blooded human identity, hating it so much that he gritted his teeth and felt his heart breaking.

But this was something that could not be changed, so at the age of twenty, Hamon made a decision: he hoped to fight for a hopeful future for his children.

He used all the assets passed down through generations, plus all his own savings, to prepare a generous dowry and propose to the daughter of a squad leader among the orcs, whom he knew well, had a good relationship with, and whom he had even carefully instructed in martial arts.

The other party threw him out without any politeness.

Oh, right, the betrothal gifts weren't presented!
The money was gone, and his reputation was ruined. The incident became a joke, known to everyone in the orc camp and among the human servants.

Hamon was shocked to realize that after this incident, he had no chance of marrying into the orc class, not even the lower-ranking orcs. What orc girl would marry a "piece of trash" who came to propose but was rejected?
Yes, he doesn't even have any money left...

Having endured so much humiliation, the reason why Hamon was still able to stay in the position of commander of ten thousand was firstly because he was a good fighter, rarely matched at the fourth tier, and his command ability was also decent. The orcs needed such a useful sword.

Secondly, it's precisely because the orcs don't take the humans seriously. The orcs don't believe that these human servants, who have been domesticated for over a dozen generations, can really cause any trouble. Or, even if they have some minor grievances, they can be easily crushed with a finger and are not worth mentioning!

However, the orcs didn't care, but someone else did.

The "Seven Luminaries Garland" merchant guild has always favored Hamon, a young talent among humans, showering him with gifts, both overt and covert, which helped the penniless Hamon recover. They even subtly hinted that once the matter of Hamon proposing to the orc girl had completely subsided, the guild could find him an orc female slave who was not subject to quarantine and could bear children.

Of course, there is no love without a reason, especially when the other party is a dwarf merchant guild.

What they want is information, information that can bring profits.

In return, it would be perfectly reasonable for Hamon to give "Seven Luminaries Wreath" some information about the orc camp's supplies, the spring and autumn hunts, personnel changes at the top, and plans for tribal conflicts.

Then, just a few days ago, the Chamber of Commerce secretly sent a message.

A powerful figure was about to target the "Long-Toothed" tribe.

This is your chance. If you can lend a hand at the right time, then there's no need to wait for things to calm down. After this battle, regardless of who wins or loses, the merchant guild will deliver the money, the status, and the orc girl to you immediately.

Harmon scoffed, dismissing it as an absurd joke.

Humans? Orcs? Or on the White Deer Plains?

It's been so cold lately, have the brains of these dwarfs shrunk from the cold?
However, what happened next quickly exceeded the expectations of all the orcs and human servants.

The loyal Captain Brin kept bringing Hamon sensational news.

"General, the 'Black Mouth' tribe was attacked by a group of humans from who-knows-where! I heard they suffered terribly and have now retreated into the swamp!"

"General, the Blackmouth tribe has been out of contact for seven or eight days, and it looks like things are going badly for them!"

"General, the human army has crossed the river, and there are many of them. They are advancing towards Linshui Village!"

"General, Linshui Village is lost! It was lost in just one day, and not a single survivor has made it back!"

"General..."

Hamon stared blankly at the series of unbelievable military reports.

He didn't think his subordinate would lie to him.

Brin was once a promising human general, but in the orc camp, that status meant nothing. A few drunken orc captains accidentally wandered into the human quarters and assaulted Brin's newlywed wife.

Faced with Brin's desperate and tearful accusations, Torika, the leader of the servant army, chose to arrest Brin and prepare to hand him over to the orcs for disposal!

At that time, Harmon was furious and confronted Torika directly, forcibly taking Brin back to his tent. Because the nature of the incident was so egregious, it caused a huge uproar among the human generals, and amidst the uproar, Torika was temporarily powerless to do anything about Harmon.

It was the "Seven Luminaries Wreath" who stepped forward and greeted one of the upper-ranking elders of the orcs.

The final outcome of the incident was that the orcs who committed the atrocities were transferred back to the wasteland as punishment.

Brin openly defied the leader and was demoted from centurion to squad leader.

Hamon disobeyed orders and was fined a year's salary.

All parties at fault were punished, upholding the principle of fairness!
From then on, Brin became Hamon's staunch supporter, the kind who would be willing to die for him at any time.

Although Brin's official position was not high, Hamon gave him an elite squad responsible for gathering intelligence, gathering information, and selling a lot of inside information to the "Seven Luminaries Garland." Brin's team was responsible for collecting and trading this information.

Brin has the ability and will certainly provide him with the correct information.

After carefully studying the intelligence sent by Brin, Hamon discovered a blind spot.

Given the "Little Long Teeth" tribe's past vengeful and domineering style, even if they didn't send troops to rescue the "Black Mouth" vassal tribe, they should at least send someone to shout and tell the other side to get lost, in order to express their "care" for their subordinate tribe and maintain the face of their superior tribe.

Moreover, while the camps ahead are being rapidly besieged and captured one after another, the "Long Teeth" headquarters remains firmly entrenched in the Black Mane Ridge camp, with deep trenches and high walls, holding back its troops.

If the intelligence about the human victory is false, then this response is perfectly reasonable. However, if the human race has actually captured several settlements, then this situation seems very wrong.

unless……

"Growing Teeth" knew that this time the beating he was about to receive would be severe!

Harmon looked up, took a deep breath, and a rush of cold air filled his lungs, instantly invigorating him.

Looking up at the sky, the sun seemed particularly bright today.

(End of this chapter)