Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 359 Relic Disposal, Autumn Hunting Army, Riverside Stage
How to deal with this damned sea serpent ruins is one of the core problems that Dongxia is having a major headache with.

On Blue Star, a place without a tradition of psionic energy or soil of the undead, the sudden appearance of such a strange ruin not only surprised Dongxia, but also greatly surprised the Hanhai Territory.

Fortunately, the necromancer lineage in the Vast Ocean is relatively complete.

As one of the two major gathering places for necromancers, and even showing a trend of becoming a core gathering area for necromancers, the necromancer leaders of [Return to the Cemetery] immediately gathered at the lord's command and accepted the lord's remote video inquiry.

Doyle, Qiu Yeyu, and Lin Xiangming are currently the three giants of necromancers in the Vast Ocean Territory.

Lords don't count; that's a whole other level!
Doyle was a mercenary leader who followed the lord in developing Razorfen Downs. He witnessed the lord's "unparalleled heroism" early on, so he decisively gave up his team membership, which he had built up over many years, and went to the then-barren Sea Territory to start from scratch.

The earlier one joins, the higher one's starting point becomes, which is why Doyle has become the number one leader among the necromancers of the Vast Ocean.

Qiu Yeyu sat to the side and behind Doyle, quietly flipping through the spellbook in her hand.

This fellow is gentle in nature, diligent in his studies, and possesses exceptional technical skills. He is now the lord's full-time mage advisor and spell instructor.

As for Lin Xiangming, this name was given to him by the lord; his original name was—[Rotten Sac].

Hailing from the Land of Exile, he is a necromancer known for his greed and cunning, yet capable of miraculously completing deals. However, by actively aligning himself with the lord, he has won over a large number of his fellow exiles in the Vast Ocean Territory, making a significant contribution.

The lord bestowed the name upon him, hoping that his heart would turn towards the light, and [Rotten Bag] himself also thought that the name was extremely fitting.

Who says the gleam of gold coins isn't a form of light?
After the video call started, the lord did not hide anything or conceal the specific background, but gave a clear and concise introduction to the general situation of the Sea Serpent Ruins.

An isolated island in a world without psychic powers, a sudden infection of the undead, zombies with a tendency to spread, and a consciousness entity suspected to be dominated by an evil spirit...

"This is the situation. I need you to come up with a complete and feasible solution."

"Self-generated? A world without magic?"

The necromancers immediately began an excited discussion.

"This violates the Law of the Origin of the Undead... unless there is a long-term, unorthodox channel for energy accumulation?"

"Without a doubt, this is an offering from a cult!"

"My lord, please allow me to ask a few detailed questions: How large is the area where those zombies are active? Do the infected creatures show any attraction to a particular substance?"

"Also, are there any unusual energy fluctuations in the core area of ​​the ruins?"

After much discussion and communication, the group of mages reached a basic consensus on the cause of this special ruin.

The evil spirits that certain evil forces have long worshipped, were drawn by the underworld's energy by chance, and combined with the resentment after being attacked, together created this unique ruin of the dead.

After fully understanding the strength level of the zombies currently infecting the ruins, the mages unanimously agreed that there was no need to worry too much.

Doyle cautioned, “My lord, according to the usual pattern, these kinds of ruins—especially those born from intense resentment and unexpected conditions—have a very strong territorial anchoring characteristic. That is, they will be bound within the influence range of the ruin’s own psionic core and cannot go far.”

"The reason they can still operate within a relatively large area is precisely because it lacks a psionic core!"

"With the help of accumulated faith and offerings, these souls may be able to move around in certain areas, but as you said, it is a world without spiritual energy. Without external replenishment, no matter how abundant the accumulation, it will inevitably be exhausted one day!"

"The more frequently they move and the farther they are from the ruins, the greater their energy expenditure will be, and the faster they will enter the decline and freezing period!"

This view was echoed by Qiu Yeyu, whose explanation, as an academic monk, focused more on specific details.

"Based on the phenomena described by the lord, the dominant consciousness that emerged in the ruins is likely a variant of the 'incorporeal evil spirit lich'."

"They cannot directly harm living beings on their own; they must use controlled undead individuals, such as zombies, as a medium to attack other individuals."

"With proper preparation and knowledge of their characteristics, those slow-moving zombies with limited attack patterns are actually quite low in threat."

That's right. Any professional could easily take down these slow-moving zombies.

However, it seems that there are no professional four-clawed sea serpents nowadays...

Seeing that Chen Mo seemed to be deep in thought, Qiu Yeyu continued, "Moreover, as you said, that ruin is on a large island, surrounded by seawater!"

"Although zombies are not afraid of flooding, they are extremely clumsy and have very low movement efficiency in complex terrain. They can hardly cross even slightly wide and fast-flowing rivers, let alone the vast ocean."

Chen Mo nodded, finished recording, and then turned his gaze to the last one, [Rotten Sac], who was Lin Xiangming.

As expected, this person's perspective is different from everyone else's.

"My lord, a single ruin is a treasure in itself!"

“Those vengeful spirits drive zombies to kill, their real purpose being to collect death energy and soul remnants to maintain their own existence and slowly expand. So, if we can ‘help’ it by directing some… uh, life form ‘resources’ to that island, such as periodically releasing a certain number of creatures, we can keep this ruin in an ‘active but controllable’ state for a long time.”

"It can totally be used as a large nest!"

"Psionic crystals, special materials, undead creatures—these are all valuable finds! Perhaps even finds that are difficult to obtain in that world itself!"

In fact, the group had a vague idea that behind the lord was a powerful "industrial god," and the world without psionic energy that the lord spoke of was probably the plane controlled by the industrial king.

Rounding up, the lord's backing is essentially everyone's backing!

Therefore, everyone was very enthusiastic and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the discussion on solving problems and seeking benefits for the back-end team.

Chen Mo thought about it, but still didn't have the heart to say it. Let alone a plane, his own Eastern Xia "gods" hadn't even unified their own country yet...

It's a little too embarrassing to say!

Of course, in addition to discussing prospects and gains, we also need to discuss specific implementation measures.

For example, how to control the impact of this site within a limited area, rather than turning it into a messy battle.

In this respect, necromancers are somewhat powerless; they are better at enhancing undead creatures.

"Your Excellency, when it comes to restraining, sealing, and purifying the power of the undead, the most skilled are undoubtedly the priests of the Divine Court! Secondly, there are the protective magicians of the Magic Society."

Lin Xiangming, eager to show off, went on and on: "Lord, as long as the Holy Temple lends a few holy artifacts, the undead ruins will basically immediately switch to a self-defense mode. At that time, they will be at your mercy!"

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat. This was a good idea, and there just happened to be a ready-made channel.

Farrell was searching for him everywhere because of the sea tribe, so he decided to meet him and talk things over. That's how Farrell's trip to the Xuan Shui came about.

When Farrell heard Chen Mo's request, he didn't have too many doubts.

After all, this lord has a long history of bloodshed since he came out of seclusion. Just take the Golden Hook Pass, which was burned to the ground, for example. Now it is rapidly evolving into a large ruin.

The bloodstains at Qishan Pass and the dead souls of the northern orcs are still vivid in my mind. It would be perfectly normal for this lord to have one or two more ruins under his command!

"Your Excellency Lord Chen Mo, the sacred artifacts of the Divine Court are all ancient and have a long history. They can be called important treasures of the divine kingdom and are extremely precious. How can they be sold to outsiders!"

"If you truly require it, I can dispatch a team of senior priests to set up a large-scale 'Divine Imprisonment' or 'Wall of Order' magic array for you. These arrays are durable and stable, sufficient to confine the influence of the corresponding level of undead ruins within a controllable area..."

This is definitely not what Chen Mo wants.

The young lord stood up and walked to the wide, east-facing floor-to-ceiling window in the meeting room. In the distance, the Illusionary Flame River meandered like a silver ribbon, and further away, the grass of the White Deer Plain rippled in the wind.

"High Priest Farrell!" "We've known each other for quite some time now. Since you've come to my territory, I'll naturally give you a proper welcome."

Chen Mo made an inviting gesture.

"I happen to have a 'show' about to start here. Let's watch the show first, then have dinner, and get some rest before we talk about serious matters later!"

"..."

"It is an honor to be invited by the lord!"

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 play that Chen Mo showed Farrell was a raid by the sea creatures against the orcs.

Now that the battle on the White Deer Plain has begun, it must eventually come to a conclusion.

The current battlefield situation is that the Han Hai Territory firmly holds three core strongholds, namely Hailuokou, Xuanshui City, and Heizongling. At the same time, with these places as the core, human forces and small groups of orcs around them are engaged in fierce battles.

As for the large forces assembled by the orcs, especially those legions with a strength of several thousand or even tens of thousands, they were all "assigned" by Chen Mo to the sea tribe allies.

The Sea Clan's tactics are remarkably simple and straightforward: wherever the main force of the Orcs appears near the territory controlled by the Vast Ocean Territory, the Sea Clan's army marches there.

There were no complicated detours or tricks; it was simply a matter of relying on the formidable individual combat strength of the Royal Guards and executing a pure frontal assault and crushing victory.

Among these, the largest orc force that might pose a danger is the orc autumn hunt army returning from the south.

As both sides continued to deploy troops, the number of troops increased and the scale grew larger, and an atmosphere of wildness and restlessness permeated the sky over the Bailu Plain.

It wasn't just the chill of the approaching winter, but also a restless energy tinged with bloodshed.
The orcish autumn hunt army, returning from the south, entered Qishan Pass a week ago and temporarily stopped at Beidaying.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasting meat and the pungent smell of cheap alcohol. Sitting in the central army's tent, "Skullcrusher" Groom had lost count of how many times he had lost his temper.

"The Long-Toothed Tribe, a bunch of useless trash!"

"Rag is trash too. He actually got bitten by a bunch of long-tailed creatures in the water. It's a desecration of the honor of our bear clan!"

"He actually has the nerve to plead with me?"

Indeed, "Skullcrusher" Grum is the leader of the Bear Clan, the best of the Bear Clan tribes in the wasteland, the general of this Orcish southern expedition, and the meritorious commander-in-chief of a glorious victory.

In the past few years, whether it was the spring hunt or the autumn hunt, the orcs fought each other with great difficulty. At best, both sides suffered heavy losses, and at worst, both sides lost their soldiers and generals. As for the spoils of plunder, they were not even enough to cover the expenses and compensation for a single trip of the army.

But this year was completely different. Under the command of "Skullcrusher" Groom, the army plundered a large amount of supplies from the human territory with very few losses, and retreated unscathed with abundant food, cloth, metal and slaves.

This was a resounding and glorious victory.

The news has spread throughout the army that the position of "Supervisor of the White Deer Plains," which His Majesty the Beast King has long intended to establish but has been delayed due to various obstacles, is now highly likely to be implemented given the current backdrop of human raids.

Judging from the battle records of the previous commanders of the southward orcs in recent years, the first Grand Warlord should be none other than our Lord Groom.

With the first half of the battle over and the credit secured, there was still the second half: the cleanup of the humans on White Deer Plains. Grum was determined to do an even better job.

This reckless human force is the ladder that Groom used to ascend to a high position among the orcs!
We must fight this battle beautifully, leaving everyone intact!

Therefore, after leading his army back to the northern camp of Qishan, Grum displayed a caution that belied his rugged appearance. Instead of rushing eastward to seek a decisive battle with the enemy, he dispatched a large number of wolf riders and scouts, while strictly ordering the various orc tribes on the White Deer Plain to provide detailed intelligence and prepare to cooperate in the battle.

After carefully observing for a period of time and determining the enemy's combat style, troop composition, and area of ​​operation, Groom was full of confidence and commanded the orcish autumn hunt army to slowly advance eastward.

Meanwhile, Han Hai Ling, who had been closely watching its opponent, immediately deployed its forces and moved towards its opponent.

As the defenders, Han Hai had the right to choose their position. The battlefield they chose was in the Pebble Bay, seventy kilometers from Xuan Shui City, downstream of a tributary of the Huan Yan River in the eastern section.

The shallow-water gunboats arrived first.

More than a month has passed since the last one, and the Vast Ocean Territory has acquired a second [Tide Spear] class shallow-water gunboat, named [Tide Sound].

Aside from the sophisticated systems such as radar, heavy artillery, fire control, and propulsion, shallow-water gunboats are not particularly technologically advanced. If they were produced locally, at least hundreds of tons of transport capacity for the altar could be saved. However, given the current backdrop of war, both Dongxia and Chen Mo chose to allocate more transport capacity to ensure the smooth operation of the entire system.

The cooperation between the two gunboats did indeed greatly enhance Han Hailing's ability to control the battlefield along the river.

The two steel behemoths were quietly moored in the main channel of the river, and the morning light shone through the thin mist onto the light gray hulls of the [Xilan] and [Chaoyin].

The ship's hull on the water and its reflection underwater both gleam with a rugged metallic sheen.

On the bridge of the [Tide Sound], Chen Chuting put down the electronic map and said into the communicator: "Xilan Warlock, the vanguard of the orc army has arrived at 'Broken Spear Beach' and is expected to cross the safety isolation line this evening."

"Are your troops ready?"

The so-called security isolation line is a technical term used by the Han Hai Ling and the sea creatures when they cooperate in combat.

The fact that the enemy is outside the isolation line means that the sea creature forces have ample time to change from marching to combat readiness. Conversely, if the enemy is too close, it means that the forces may be subjected to a sudden attack during the transition.

According to the strict tactical manual of the Vast Ocean Territory, as soon as the enemy approaches this line, they must immediately change their gear and complete combat preparations.

Xi Lan replied very decisively: "Received, Captain Chen. One of our guards and three gill guards have completed their assembly and are ready to land and begin operations at any time!"

Chen Chuting then turned to look at Liu Zaiyue beside him.

The minotaur commander stood with his arms crossed in front of the porthole, staring at the river with his large, unfocused eyes.

"Commander Liu," Chen Chuting reminded him, "according to the operational plan, when the enemy's main force enters the warning zone, our coastal defense forces should..."

“I know,” Liu Zaiyue interrupted in a muffled voice, and began to recite it word for word in a deep voice.

"When it is confirmed that the main force of the enemy has entered the pre-designated 20-kilometer warning zone of the battlefield, the coastal defense commander shall immediately order the first echelon to enter level one combat readiness, check all mobile firing points, fixed gun positions and defensive bunkers; at the same time, contact the marine cooperating forces to confirm their status and position, and report the combat readiness status to the fleet command node..."

He recited the relevant clauses in one breath before slowly turning around and patting Chen Chuting on the shoulder.

"Captain Chen, you take charge of the ship, I'll take charge of the shore."

"Let's proceed according to plan. Don't worry, not a single step will be wrong!"

As time ticked by, radar, scouts, and orc spies sent in all sorts of intelligence, further refining the enemy's size, distance, and speed of movement.

In the afternoon, the scouts from both sides began to engage in combat.

On the horizon of the distant plains, unusual, thick plumes of dust rose—the signal for the orcs to assemble.

With a high-pitched battle cry, dozens of tribal battle banners, the pride of the orc army, were raised high. The vanguard of the autumn hunt army crossed the invisible warning line more than half an hour ahead of schedule.

At Pebble Bay, alarm bells rang out from the shallow-water gunboats.

The sea creature army, which had already lined up in advance, began to land in batches, gradually changing into their armor, raising shields, and taking up their guns!
The burly Naga royal guards swayed their massive bodies back and forth. The battles of the past few weeks had fully unleashed the ferocity of these powerful Nagas; now, they eagerly awaited their opponent, ready to unleash the pent-up fighting spirit within them!

A grand war drama has begun.

(End of this chapter)