Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 349 The Roar of the Liao Pass and the Turn of the Bandits
The battle at the Black Mane Ridge Pass has begun as scheduled!

The chieftain of the "Longtooth" tribe is naturally called Longtooth, which is a common custom among the orcs. Whoever succeeds as the leader of the tribe has this name that represents power and authority.

Of course, for the plains orcs, this name mark that belongs exclusively to the leader is more troublesome, after all, there is a real "Long-Toothed" chieftain on the wasteland! If the "Long-Toothed" of the plains is to return to the wasteland, it will have to change its name periodically.

But in any case, at this moment, "Teeth" has indeed demonstrated the decisiveness of a large tribal leader.

Faced with a human force that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it did not launch a swift attack to wipe them out as it had done with the disobedient orc tribes in the past. Instead, it cautiously contracted its defenses, concentrating its main force at the entrance of Blackmane Ridge and setting up layer upon layer of defensive formations.

Even when the outpost and several important vassal tribes were lost one after another, the Longtooth tribe did not send a single soldier to rescue them.

It's clear that someone leaked very important information to them.

The plan to besiege Han Hai's stronghold and intercept reinforcements has fallen through, so the only option left is a direct attack.

As the gateway to the entire Black Mane Ridge, a magnificent fortified wall sits within the passage between the two mountains.

Long ago, in an era rife with war, in order to guard against the human resistance forces that still possessed considerable strength, appeared and disappeared on the plains unpredictably, and could occasionally gather to launch deadly surprise attacks, the leader of the boar-orcs at that time, with the help of the "No Return," spent more than a decade building this pass made of piled rocks.

In the local authorities' terminology, it was called Liao Pass.

The design of the Liao Pass is quite different from the traditional human passes. Human passes are usually fully functional cities, with sturdy outer walls facing the enemy, as well as inner city structures and storage facilities to support long-term warfare.

As for Liao Pass, it is essentially an exceptionally thick stone wall built specifically for war. Behind the wall, there are still orc-style tents and huts scattered all over the ground in a chaotic manner.

In the early years after its construction, the Liao Pass firmly guarded the valley passage with this stone wall, overlooking the unobstructed plains in front and backed by the massive orc military camp. With its various defensive facilities in place, it could be considered a model of a pass that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, a true example of a stronghold that could be held by one man.

Later, with the legendary human commander Li Zelin withdrawing from Qishan, the human resistance collapsed, and this once formidable pass that had blocked countless human counterattacks quickly lost its strategic value.

Orcs are not naturally good at maintaining and building such intricate fortifications. Over the long years, the orcs could only silently endure the erosion of wind and rain, the freezing and melting of frost and snow, and the daily exposure to the sun, gradually leading to their decline.

At this moment, the long stone wall cast long shadows under the winter sun, like the skeleton of a dead beast stuck between the two mountains.

The foundation, made of whole boulders, is still sturdy, but the upper walls are covered with signs of weathering, and withered vines peek out crookedly from the gaps between the rocks.

The tower that was originally used for observation on the top of the wall has long since collapsed, leaving only a few broken pillars and a pile of rubble. No one has even cleaned it up. Some sections of the wall have partially collapsed, forming jagged gaps that expose the dark brown rammed earth core inside.

From a distance, Liaoguan looks like a fruit that has rotted inside, with some juice flowing out from the cracked skin.

Despite the short timeframe, the "Long-Toothed" orc still managed to repair the wounds.

Unfortunately, the entire Wild Boar tribe no longer has any craftsmen who understand city defense. Those "non-returners" have long forgotten the skills of their ancestors. They can only rely on their primitive instincts to fill the shocking gaps in the walls with stones and frozen soil they have picked up.

The leather whip used to lash the laborers was the most important construction tool on this site.

When the banner of the Han Hai Territory came into view of the Liao Pass, a small commotion broke out on the pass wall.

In the chilly morning air, the troops of Han Hai Territory took their positions one by one.

The artillery unit was positioned on a low-lying area seven kilometers away from Liaoguan. In front of the artillery were heavy machine gun positions responsible for protecting the artillery group.

About 800 meters ahead is the main force of the First Brigade of the Hanhai Field Army, forming a small arc, ready to launch an attack at any time.

About a kilometer further ahead are the tiered attack positions of the Hanhai Defense Force.

The tactics were simple, brutal, and utterly unoriginal—the artillery would bombard first, then the infantry would charge!

As red flags waved and electronic music blared on the artillery positions, the artillery cluster began its rhythmic roar.

Two hundred "Militia Type II" 120mm mortars, produced domestically in the Han Hai Territory, were deployed, divided into six attack groups, firing alternately at a rate of twelve rounds per minute, totaling two thousand four hundred rounds per minute, and...

Well, it couldn't even last an hour.

To "make a strong impression" in this battle, Lord Chen Mo issued a special order, but this only allows the artillery to fire at high speed for five minutes. After five minutes, the artillery formation must switch to a mode of rotating firing, reducing overall speed, and focusing on targeted attacks in specific areas.

Hot wars are all about logistics! If it weren't for the lord's personal arrangements, the person in charge of logistics would definitely be jumping up and down cursing.

But in any case, the first round of intense bombardment was like a powerful punch that landed squarely on the face of the orc defenders!
The orcs' defensive deployment at Liao Pass was also divided into three lines: front, middle, and rear.

At the forefront were the heavy infantry and ranged spearmen of the Wild Boar Orcs headquarters, who relied on the remaining walls of the pass to prepare for the first wave of enemy assault.

In the middle were two human servant armies, one on the left and one on the right. Behind the servant armies was the orc headquarters, personally commanded by Chieftain "Longtooth".

The auxiliary troops were indeed used as cannon fodder, but not the kind of cannon fodder that was on the front line. As the orcs valued the Liao Pass defense line, they were reluctant to hand it over to this human army, which they considered extremely weak.

If these guys collapse at the first sign of trouble, wouldn't we just be handing over the strategic pass to the enemy for nothing?

If the front lines truly cannot hold out and a retreat is necessary, then these two auxiliary armies will immediately become the best rearguard, using their flesh and blood to buy precious time for the orc main force to regroup.

Hamon was well aware of this, but he didn't care.

He and his core generals even killed the orc overseer and pledged their allegiance; they had no way out.

He had a blade of grass between his teeth, chewing it slowly, and strained to see the distant Liao Pass from the makeshift watchtower, anxiously awaiting his fate.

Then he heard a piercing scream.

The sound grew louder as it approached, like the sinister laughter of a demon piercing the sky.

The moment the enemy launched their attack, the astute orc commander had already ordered his men to raise their shields. Of course, this was a defensive move that seemed somewhat useful, but in reality, it was completely ineffective.

The first shell accurately flew over the walls of Liaoguan Pass and landed dozens of meters behind the pass, exploding into a cloud of smoke and dust mixed with flames and frozen soil.

Then, a second, a third... hundreds and thousands of shells rained down on the entire Liao Pass like a storm, instantly engulfing the walls in orange-red flames and thick black smoke!

The Hanhai Artillery has been established for more than two years. In these two years, a massive amount of blank ammunition, test ammunition and live ammunition have been fed into the force, which has been developed into a core strike force with precise operation, skillful coordination and strict discipline.

Having been tempered by several small-scale combat operations in the early stages, the artillery group is now at its peak, brimming with confidence and eager to make a name for itself!
"Boom! Boom boom boom—!"

The deafening explosions echoed one after another, like thunderclaps, repeatedly reverberating through the valley.

Hamon stood atop the watchtower, involuntarily gripping the railing tightly, somewhat dazed. The message from the "Seven Luminaries Garland" was vague, only saying that they should not get too close to the front line, but rather coordinate with the enemy's attacks when the opportunity arose, and to make sure the red markings on their bodies were clearly visible.

In Hamon's vision, the battle would proceed as follows: the opposing human race would launch a continuous barrage of attacks, using magic or other ranged attacks to engage in a back-and-forth struggle.

On the orc side, the reserves behind the walls were constantly being pulled up. When the defenders' formation became increasingly thin, the cavalry they had arranged suddenly charged out, took over the battlefield, and opened the gates of the Liao Pass.

The boar-orcs cannot ride horses and have no cavalry, but their auxiliary forces do have cavalry. Hamon entrusted his 800-man cavalry force to the loyal Brin, placing it at the forefront of his own forces, no more than an arrow's throw from the pass.

To everyone's surprise, the attack from the opposing human army was so brutal and domineering.

With each shell that landed, the earth seemed to tremble, the ancient stone walls shook back and forth, and the rubble and dust stirred up by the shockwaves fell from the walls like raindrops.

The stones and earth used to fill the gaps were the first to be blown apart, flying everywhere in the explosion. On the contrary, the boulders that had withstood a century of wind and rain were more resilient, since over such a long period of time, those that were not sturdy had already collapsed.

Along with the flying rubble, the bodies of orc warriors and laborers were also flying.

Some were whole amounts, some were in smaller amounts, and some were broken down into smaller amounts in front of everyone.

After a round of comprehensive bombardment, the artillery of the Han Hai Territory split into two attack groups, totaling one hundred mortars, and concentrated all their firepower on the area with the largest gap and the weakest wall observed after the first round of shelling!
Explosions erupted one after another at the location of the crumbling fortress wall.

Each shell's deafening roar was like a powerful hammer blow, scraping away the rammed earth that had been covering the wall just two days prior, creating gaps of varying sizes in the stone, which gradually stretched into ever longer and longer cracks.

The cracks multiplied, and occasionally, in the brief moments when the smoke was dispersed by the shockwave, one could see the jagged cracks on the wall resembling a large number of black centipedes, climbing up and down the wall.

The fatal turning point has finally arrived!

Several shells pierced through the cracks and penetrated deep into the city wall!

This time, the explosion sounded unusually muffled, like a deep, thunderous rumble from the belly of a Kodo behemoth that hadn't eaten in a long time when it finally saw food.

Liao Guan is just too old!

The crisscrossing cracks widened rapidly, tearing upwards from the foundation of the wall all the way to the top of the city wall! The soil and stones filling the interior of the wall poured out from the cracks, like a huge abscess that had been forcibly ruptured by external force, oozing a large amount of yellowish-brown mucus.

"Boom--!"

Before the horrified eyes of everyone in the "Long-Toothed" tribe, the wall began to collapse uncontrollably. As large slabs of stone fell like an avalanche, the entire main wall finally could not hold on and collapsed with a roar, like a giant whose spine had been removed!

Tons of stones were thrown outwards, and the dust they raised soared into the sky, completely obscuring the flames from the explosions.

The entire collapse lasted for nearly half a minute. During this time, the artillery of the Han Hai Territory launched extended firing, while the Han Hai Defense Force, commanded by Regiment Commander Galen, also began to accelerate its advance.

As the smoke and dust cleared, both sides witnessed this spectacular scene that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.

The once strategic pass that guarded the valley and was considered a formidable stronghold now has a huge gap more than thirty meters wide in the center of its front!
Through this gap, the two sides inside and outside Black Mane Ridge can now see each other without any obstruction.

Hamon's cavalry, positioned too close to the pass, was unfortunately caught in the crossfire of the Han Hai artillery, suffering significant losses and their formation appearing somewhat chaotic. However, the cavalry commander, Brin, showed no sign of dejection; instead, he wore an expression of ecstatic joy!

The fierce fellow, ignoring the still-falling shells, spurred his horse and galloped back towards the watchtower where Hamon was.

He swung his saber with all his might, his mouth agape, shouting something at the top of his lungs.

The voice was completely inaudible, but Hamon understood his meaning instantly.

"General, General! The pass has fallen! Make your move now!"

Hamon turned around and looked behind him.

On this battlefield filled with explosions, the orcs' earth-sounding drums and war horns have become ineffective. Chieftain "Longtooth" is issuing commands with his battle banner, ordering his minions to advance and support the chaotic retreating garrison of the Fang Pass, preparing to meet the enemy's ground assault.

Torika, the leader of the right flank, a man known for his unwavering loyalty to the orcs and his suppression of the humans, had already begun his advance. His troops moved forward slowly and with apparent difficulty, while simultaneously signaling to Harmon of the left flank for coordinated movement.

Spitting out the chewed-up blades of grass, Hamon took a deep breath and drew his sword.

With a wave of their longswords, the generals took the lead in revealing the blood-red strips of cloth on their arms. The entire left flank of the vassal army moved out, and under the leadership of their commanders, they surged forward in a chaotic and disorganized manner.

Their route was a bit off, and as they strayed, they were about to crash into the right flank of the vassal army.

Enraged, Torika spurred his horse forward, charging straight at Hamon. Pointing his whip at Hamon's nose, he shouted angrily:

"Harmon! You blind idiot! Keep your men in check!"

"I'm not your mother, I don't have any milk for you! Even if you throw yourself into my arms, it won't help!"

"Get your men forward! Frontal! Block the attack of those human bastards! Understand?!"

His answer was a charge!
A long, dark shadow swept past, throwing the unsuspecting Torika off her horse. A longsword pierced through a gap in the armor plates at her ribs and emerged from her back. Torika's anger froze instantly, her eyes widening in utter astonishment.

He never imagined that anyone would dare to betray the orc race.

They would be exterminated along with their entire family and torn to pieces.

Hamon remained expressionless, twisted his wrist sharply, and swiftly drew his longsword, then followed up with a fierce horizontal slash!

Torika's enormous head, with an expression of disbelief and horror, was pulled away from his neck by Hamon, who grabbed his messy hair under his helmet and lifted it high above his head!

"what--!!!"

Harmon let out a long howl, as if he were pouring out all the pent-up frustration in his chest!
The voice still carried some of the fighting style learned from the orc race, but at this moment it conveyed the catharsis of some people among the plains people who had finally broken free of their shackles and taken control of their own destiny!

The generals behind him all let out the same long howl and plunged into the ranks of the right wing of the vassal army.

On the other side of the wall, Commander Galen, who was leading his troops in a rapid assault, watched this scene through the gap in the pass, and his eyes instantly turned red.

Damn it, they stole my battle credits!!!

(End of this chapter)