Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 386 The Prelude to the Northern Expedition
Neither the orc tribes nor the human nations expected that the Vast Ocean Territory would launch another attack on the White Deer Plains in such a short time.

Even most of the people in the Han Hai Territory did not expect this.

However, based on their blind and fanatical trust in their lord, the entire populace quickly erupted into jubilation.

War, once won, brings immense gains, both materially and spiritually.

The lord's image of being invincible has been established, and there is a general consensus in the territory that as long as the lord decides to go to war, victory is already in his grasp.

The past events are still fresh in our minds. Just this past year, Hanhailing has made several crazy moves that can only be described as "a snake swallowing an elephant".

Heading south, they "supported" the Elf race and the Thirteen Tribes of Xiyue, defeating the veteran Xiyue Federation and creating a new Xiayue Alliance.

Their young lord was honored as the chairman of the alliance and the leader of the allied forces.

Heading west, they crushed the army personally led by the Zircon Lord of the Green Pine Kingdom, not only killing the Marquis of Monroe, who was revered as one of the "Twin Pillars of Crystal," and causing the Ten Knights to fall into ruin, but also swallowing up an army several times their own size.

This glorious victory not only solidified the dominant position of the Vast Ocean Territory, but also profoundly influenced the competitive landscape between the two holy cities within the Misty Moon Divine Court.

Heading north, after more than two hundred years, they once again sent an army under the banner of the human race to the White Deer Plain, and after a fierce struggle, they seized a quarter of the White Deer Plain from the orcs.

This news caused a sensation on both sides of the Dragon's Spine Mountains, and countless passionate young humans were overjoyed.

A snake swallowed two elephants, the kind whose tusks were longer than the snake's body...

What's most interesting is that even after all this fighting, the general consensus on the mainland is that this lord seems overly kind.

In this era dominated by professionals, kindness is often synonymous with weakness!
Or to put it another way, because the stronger party usually doesn't need to follow simple rules, they often appear less kind, or even unkind!
The plunder, enslavement, and wanton exploitation of the weak by the strong has almost become a universally acknowledged, traditional, and taken-for-granted 'benefit' on the mainland.

But Lord Chen Mo is clearly an exception.

At the outset of the war between the elves and Xiyue, Hanhai was merely a normal trader. While he sold weapons to the elves, he also purchased various materials and supplies from Xiyue, maintaining good trade relations with both sides.

It wasn't until the breach of the North Foothills River that the Lord of the Vast Ocean changed his stance, which was widely believed by the continental powers to have altered the course of the war to some extent.

In the series of large-scale battles in the north, this lord's attitude toward slaves, laborers, and even prisoners of war was completely out of step with the traditional customs of the Starry World, demonstrating a kindness that transcended race and value.

He forbade the torture and killing of prisoners of war on the battlefield, provided medical care to the wounded who laid down their arms, paid wages to the civilian laborers who accompanied the army, and paid for supplies purchased from forces along the way at cost, including repeatedly spending large sums of gold and silver coins to redeem human slaves from the defeated.

He didn't even try to grab it... That's ridiculous!
Laughable as it may be, the fact that someone can predict your actions is the main reason why both Misty Moon and Sky Dome are willing to win him over.

What Wuyue saw was that this person greatly respected business principles, was happy to trade fairly rather than to seize by force, and was at least a decent business partner for the Seven Luminaries Garland merchant.

What dwarfs love most is, of course, the possession of property by the weak, such as those in the lower and middle classes of society who are powerless to resist the Seven Luminaries Garland's exploitation of their bones and marrow.

Secondly, I admire those who uphold the rules, such as the lord of the Vast Ocean.

What the Sky Empire saw was another interesting phenomenon.

This leader, Chen Mo, has a particular respect for "since ancient times".

His logic was consistent: the elves' demand for the southern plains had been a long-standing one; similarly, the human race's recapture of the White Deer Plains had been a long-standing one!
Although there are still some logical ambiguities here, such as a piece of land that was once occupied by elves, the sky, the moon, and green pines, who exactly is the "ancient" one "since ancient times"?
But in any case, Han Hai Ling has still provided a rule, which is much better than having no rules at all.

Based on this, if the heavens were to use a map of the territory from hundreds of years ago to seek a foothold in the Eastern Continent, could they also make use of this "since ancient times"?
Therefore, with the exception of a very few countries, most of the major powers on the continent generally welcomed this new war between humans and orcs.

Since the White Deer Plain became human territory, travel between human nations became more convenient and safer, leading many forces to send scouts and observers to the battlefield.

At the newly established frontline command post in the Vast Ocean Territory, the lord, accompanied by a group of high-ranking officers, was finalizing the battle plan just before the sound of gunfire.

According to Han Hai's assessment, at the current stage, the quality of Han Hai's troops is actually somewhat inferior to that of their opponents. The reason why they dare to launch an attack is mainly due to two factors: first, the convenience of firearms, which allows even ordinary people to perform at a level no less than that of professionals with a little training; and second, Han Hai's grasp of battlefield intelligence is far ahead of their opponents.

Battlefield intelligence in the Vast Ocean Territory comes from three systems.

First, there is the Sky Eye system.

With continuous replenishment, Han Hai Ling has established a "Sky Eye" reconnaissance network over the Bailu Plain, consisting of six "Penglai" series high-altitude airships, twelve "Jinghong" high-altitude long-endurance unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and hundreds of "Yun Que" near-altitude light assault reconnaissance drones.

This system can provide a clear and comprehensive view of the orcs' troop size, garrison status, movement trends, and terrain features.

It's like having a full-map cheat.

Secondly, it involves Han Hai's own infiltration of the enemy.

Just as there are treacherous people among humans, there are also treacherous people among orcs. Among the large number of orc slaves that the Vast Ocean Territory has acquired and captured, many have reformed themselves after being educated by Vast Ocean and resolutely devoted themselves to the great cause of developing Vast Ocean.

The representative among them was the orc shaman Garu. Not only did he infiltrate the enemy camp himself, but he also took the opportunity of providing magical enhancements to high-ranking officers to secretly smuggle in a lot of listening devices. It can be said that he made great contributions to the orcs' intelligence transmission to the Vast Sea.

The last channel is the Dwarf Merchants Association, with whom we have just reached a cooperation agreement.

After carefully studying the operating model of the "Golden Pavilion of Gazing at the Moon" provided by Chen Mo, the dwarves completely forgot about their little friendship with the orcs.

No sales job is as lucrative as running a bank.
The Dwarf Merchant Guild has long infiltrated the orc tribes, acquiring a wealth of inside information, such as the greed, personality weaknesses, and peculiar quirks of the various chieftains; the command styles, factional affiliations, and even private grudges of the various generals; and the intricate network of relationships between tribes, including marriage alliances, debts, and long-standing feuds…

This information, if used properly, can be more valuable than troops and weapons on the battlefield.

With the three main pieces of information combined, the orcs had achieved near-one-way transparency regarding the Vast Ocean Territory.

In this battle, the generals of Hanhai were full of confidence and believed that victory was assured.

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 first step in the war was to cross the river.

The Huanyan River and Bailang Beach, once the battlefield at the river mouth that blocked the orcs from advancing south, have now become the crossing point for the Hanhai Field Army to advance north.

As the section of the lower reaches of the Huanyan River with the slowest current, this area was originally an important ferry crossing for people traveling north and south. For the past few hundred years, ferries have been the main means of transportation in Bailangtan.

A thick, milky-white morning mist shrouded the river, with the sound of flowing water. The engineering battalion of the First Brigade worked through the night to build a wide pontoon bridge, which resembled a giant python stretching across the river, using steel cable hinges and huge wooden planks.

As dawn broke and the morning mist began to glow a pale gold in the rising sunlight, the operation officially began.

Bishop Avery, who was crossing the river with the first batch of troops and represented the dwarfs and the Mist Moon Divine Court, was slightly stunned.

Avery is an old acquaintance of Han Hai. He was the first high priest to reside in the Han Hai Temple. In the years he has been in Han Hai, although he has not developed many followers, he has indeed established good personal relationships with the bigwigs of Han Hai.

I've gone fishing with Old Tang Si, and helped Liu Zaiyue repair his hooves; I've treated Ma Houpao's injuries, and accompanied Director Li to the opera...

As time went by, Avery gradually rose to the position of High Priest of the Scepter. This time, as the representative of the Mist Moon Divine Court supporting the Vast Sea as a healer and also as a battlefield observer, he followed the first batch of Vast Sea troops across the river. Building pontoon bridges was nothing new, but building a pontoon bridge like this was something he had never seen before.

The bridge planks are specially made wide wooden planks, cut into roughly the same regular rectangles, with a unique buckle at the end of each plank.

When the engineers were assembling the planks, they simply aligned the clips on the planks, pressed gently, and with a click, the two sides were tightly fastened together.

The interlocked bridge planks swayed gently in the undulating river, neither coming loose nor stiffening.

Only upon closer inspection can one discover that the wooden planks are intricately patterned. Avery, with his experience, immediately recognized the ingenious purpose of this design—to prevent slipping.

On the pontoon bridge, some river water inevitably splashes out from time to time, and sometimes it gets covered with mud. This setup can greatly increase the speed at which troops can pass.

"This...it's just a pontoon bridge, why be so meticulous?"

That wasn't all. The floating bridge was covered in faint magical ripples, the light from the six [Ser Water Element Support] magic circles supporting the lower part of the bridge.

The reason for using this is that the First Brigade, which is about to cross the river, has a large number of heavily armed troops.

Leading the way were light cavalry, all handpicked from the human and orc races, skilled warriors adept at melee combat tactics, their "Hanhai-made" semi-automatic rifles swaying gently with the horses' gait.

The iron hooves of the warhorses clattered rhythmically on the grid, their deep, resonant thuds mingling with the ceaseless roar of the Huan Yan River, creating a highly rhythmic melody on this morning.

Following closely behind were two mechanized battalions of the First Brigade.

The Starry Sky 59 modified main battle tank emitted a low rumble as it rolled over the bridge surface. This is when the usefulness of [Ser's Water Element Support] became apparent; ordinary floating bridges could not support these behemoths.

The tracks of the steel behemoth still carried the mud from the south bank, leaving deep and shallow ruts on the bridge surface. The thick exhaust pipes spewed out plumes of white smoke, and the young and proud warriors on the top of the tanks, their upper bodies exposed, craned their necks high, their faces flushed.

Following the tank units came the main infantry force.

The soldiers marched briskly in rows of four, maintaining standard marching distances. They carried gleaming standard-issue rifles on their shoulders and bulging, neatly bound backpacks on their backs. Beneath their metal helmets were young, calm faces.

Aside from the low clanging of weapons and the clatter of military boots on the bridge, almost no one spoke; only the occasional brief command from an officer in a low voice.

"Keep your distance!"

"Watch your feet!"

"Quick, quick, keep up!"

Behind the infantry was the logistics column's camel caravan.

These gentle giants, blindfolded and with neatly packaged ammunition boxes, field rations, folding tents, and various tools hanging on their sides, were carefully led by experienced drivers onto the pontoon bridge.

Behind the camel caravan was a long, seemingly endless procession of civilian laborers accompanying the army. They pushed two-wheeled carts, also piled high with supplies and covered tightly with waterproof tarpaulins. One after another, they formed a long line and unhurriedly pushed the carts towards the front line.

Avery's gaze lingered on them for a long time.

The laborers of the Han Hai Territory were different from the laborers or slaves of most other armies he had ever seen. They were strong, neatly dressed, and had healthy red faces. Although they were not professionals, their spirit was even more vigorous than that of the professionals in other armies.

Avery had also heard that the migrant workers in the Hanhai region had the option to choose different modes of transportation in different areas.

In open plains, they use large four-wheeled transport vehicles. In areas with many waterways and undulating terrain, they switch to two-wheeled carts. In mountainous or jungle areas, they also have a type of wheelbarrow that can traverse almost all harsh terrains.

Whenever Avery sees them, he feels a strange chill run down his spine.

These ordinary people, walking in such perfect unison, exuded a strange sense of power.

A gentle breeze rose from the river, gradually dispersing the light mist. From above, on the back of this colossal steel dragon spanning the great river, an unstoppable torrent of soldiers, steel, and livestock surged toward the north bank.

They surged toward the red flag that stood tall on the opposite bank.

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.

Having swiftly and decisively eliminated the orc scouts, the First Brigade, guided by the Sky Eye system, made rapid and continuous maneuvers directly northward.

On the battle map, there are five small orc settlements along the way that are affiliated with the "Crack Claw" tribe, with numbers ranging from three hundred to seven hundred.

For such a small target, Han Haijun's strategy was swift and decisive: first, cavalry would quickly encircle and cut off the escape route, and then an infantry battalion would be sent up to surround and shout at the enemy.

If they dare to resist, we will decisively open fire and defeat them; if they choose to surrender, we will disarm and guard them, handing them over to the following troops.

North of the Illusion Flame River, the orcs are divided into two groups, east and west. The western group consists of four large tribes, while the eastern group consists of three large tribes. These "Upper Seven Tribes" form a solid barrier on the plains of the orc wasteland.

Across the river from the Han Hai territory are the three major tribes of the Eastern Group: the Bear Clan's "Cracked Claw" tribe, the Tiger Clan's "Thunder Roar" tribe, and the Bull Clan's "Sky-Piercing Ridge".

The reason for choosing to attack "Crack Claw" first is because the two sides have become enemies, and also because the Vast Ocean Territory has a somewhat delicate relationship with the other two tribes.

"Thunder Roar" was once the protector of the "Shadowclaw" cat orcs. However, due to the large number of main forces being drawn away by the then-Orcish Southern Expeditionary Army, it was unable to protect "Shadowclaw," resulting in the Shadowclaw being repeatedly beaten by the "Rotten Swamp" tribe and left on the verge of death.

Ultimately, the cat tribe chose to pledge allegiance to the Vast Ocean and became one of the garrison forces of Xuanshui City. From this perspective, the Vast Ocean Territory and "Thunder Roar" can be considered to have a relationship of mutual subordination.

Before Chen Mo decided to launch the White Deer Offensive in the previous round, he had already arranged for the cat clan to send many gifts to this former leading tribe. Although "Thunder Roar" would not become an enemy and a friend because of this, it inevitably hesitated a bit in its actions.

After all, tracing back to the source, it was the orcs who beat up his vassal cat tribe, and it was also the orcs who prevented him from saving his vassal cat tribe. Therefore, blaming Xuan Shui is not a very reasonable explanation.

Most importantly, this outside force seems to be quite capable.

As for the "Motianling" tribe, their relationship is even more special; they can almost be considered "business partners" of Han Hai on the Bailu Plain.

Thanks to Liu Zaiyue's connections, the Han Hai Territory granted "Motianling" exclusive agency rights for the [Smooth-Clearing Elixir] and [Exorcising Pagoda] in the Bailu Plain.

In the past two years, "Motianling" has made a fortune from this exclusive business. The young warriors in the tribe have been equipped with brand new gear, the elders' tents have been filled with many rare items from humans, and even the food for ordinary orc laborers has visibly improved.

Although humans and animals are different, when faced with the prospect of real money, the "Motianling" tribe, from top to bottom, lacked enthusiasm for waging war against the Hanhai.

So, looking left and right, only the "Cracked Claw" tribe of the bear clan remained. Responding to the call of the orc warlord Grum, they launched a major southward campaign in the last war and fought a solid battle with Han Hai on the beachhead of White Wave Beach.

Han Hailing won the battle, but at a great cost. Hameng of the Guiyi Army earned his medal in this battle.

They have old grudges but no connection, and they were the most resolute opponents in the last war. From another perspective, if they attack other tribes, "Crack Claw" will most likely come to their aid, while if they attack "Crack Claw", other tribes are very likely to stand by and watch.

So, when the Han Hai Northern Expeditionary Army swept across the land, its first target was naturally "Cracked Claw"!
(End of this chapter)