Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 397 Rift Valley Elegy, Thunder and Frost Blade
In the seventh month of the second year of summer, the Han Hai army swept across the Dongbailu Plain like a whirlwind carrying fallen leaves.

There are seven large tribes stationed on the White Deer Plain, also known as the Seven Upper Tribes. Three are stationed in the East White Deer Plain and four in the West White Deer Plain, forming a defensive barrier that the royal court relies on.

Logically speaking, facing a mortal enemy like the human invasion, the seven upper races should be united and work together.

But the truth is always spoken by those sitting in the safe rear. When the blade is truly close to their throats, the first thing each tribe feels is the chill on their own neck.

After all, the task assigned to the seven tribes by the Orcish Royal Court was to guard the White Deer Plains. As long as they protected their own territory, they would have fulfilled their duties. Therefore, any chieftain would instinctively choose to protect his own foundation first.

Without the machinations of certain "evil human instigators," the three tribes of Dongbailu might not have been able to unite.

Of course, these guys also suggested that "Thunder Roar," "Crack Claw," and "Thunder Cliff" should make full use of their connections to ask the four major families of the West White Deer Plain for help, borrowing some troops to increase the chances of winning the siege.

Unfortunately, this plan was never realized.

The reason is not complicated. First, the Han Hai Territory also launched an offensive on the western front.

Although the offensive was not as rapid as that on the eastern front, it was still a large and powerful army, especially the inland river fleet that was moving along the river. The area around the riverbank was within their fire range for dozens of kilometers, and a "thunderous attack" could happen at any time.

With such firepower support, the White Deer Restoration Society, which had once been hiding and fleeing like a group of rats, became unprecedentedly active.

They are intimately familiar with the terrain and environment, having spent years traversing the Black Mountain and White Water region. In the past, it was all about survival; now, they have the right to fight back.

Equipped with new swords and armor, powerful bows and crossbows, and even some "Hanhai-made" rifles, the various Restoration Society squads, with the reconnaissance and communication support of Hanhai territory, seemed to be venting all the pent-up frustration of the past two hundred years.

They broke into smaller groups, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, targeting lone orc squads, patrols, and poorly defended small tribal camps. In just over half a month, the area around Xibailu was filled with a tense atmosphere.

The orcs were horrified to discover that even a kilometer away from the main force, they could be fatally attacked by sniper rifles.

In just over half a month, more than 30 small tribes were suddenly bombed, and hundreds of patrols were fiercely ambushed, suffering heavy casualties. As a result, after a period of time, the orcs did not dare to leave the camp gates unless they assembled a force of more than 100 people.

On the surface, the ratio of attacking forces to those attacking Dongbailu is 10 to 1, and the overall troop disparity is even greater, so there is no need for reinforcements from the west.

In this situation, most of the orcs of the Western White Deer chose to remain stationary.

Once Chen Mo launches a large-scale, multi-thousand-strong army to cross the Yellow River and launch his northern expedition, they will be even less likely to come and fill this hole.

Without the support of the West White Deer, Thunder Roar and Sky Ridge retreated again, and the remaining Crack Claws were no longer able to maintain such a large encirclement.

In despair, Chief Gema moved his troops back to the north, leaving a large gap on the south side. He hoped that the field army in the encirclement would break out quickly and give him more time to catch his breath.

Unfortunately, Macaja wasn't going to leave at that point.

Standing on the watchtower, Makaga impatiently stomped his hooves, gazing at the sparse wisps of smoke rising from the orc camp in the distance.

That was the last act of defiance by the "Cracked Claw" tribe.

Macaka was eager to strike immediately, but he had to solve one problem first.

That's a minefield laid by our own people.

If it weren't for the all-out attack by the three orc tribes, the war situation wouldn't have deteriorated so quickly. These minefields should have played a greater role, but now they've become stumbling blocks for the Han Hai Field Army itself.

They couldn't step on the mines themselves, nor could they leave any hidden dangers for the troops behind them, so they had no choice but to launch a full-scale mine clearance operation.

The mine-clearing work is simple in some ways, because the mines were laid unilaterally by Han Hai Ling. Detailed records of the minefields were made during the mine-laying process. Theoretically, every mine can be found on the distribution map, and skilled engineering troops can even recover some of them intact.

But it is troublesome, and quite troublesome at that.

Several areas, especially the minefields in the north, have been repeatedly attacked by the orcs. These places are in a state of devastation, and most of the markings on the ground have been erased. The minefield distribution map can only be used as a reference.

Moreover, who knows if some of these mines are in a critical state of activation, ready to explode at the slightest touch, or even at the slightest disturbance?
It should be noted that in the main minefield areas, the Vast Ocean Territory hadn't even done any work of collecting the corpses; the ground was littered with broken orc corpses and armor.

According to standard mine-clearing procedures, explosives should be used directly to detonate the explosives, but Macaja was a little reluctant to do so.

The ammunition consumption during this period has brought the territory's reserves to the red alert line. In Makaga's mind, if it weren't for this, the respected Lord Chen Mo wouldn't have had to drag the National Defense Army and militia along, with the whole family going north with all their might.

Currently, the only option is for fully armed riot control infantry, equipped with probes and mine-clearing carts, to clear the area bit by bit.

Makaga was extremely anxious about the progress of mine clearance in the area, but he was helpless.

Then, Lin Xiangming, swaying his large belly, came over again.

This fat man always had a humble smile on his face. Even in the most tense moments on the front lines, seeing him could make people feel more at ease.

"Commander Ma, I heard you're a bit anxious about the progress of the mine clearance?"

"That's easy to say, we're here for you."

"Have someone bring over some orc skeletons, and I'll clear this minefield for you in a day!"

Mackay was overjoyed.

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.

While the Hanhai Field Army was busy with its tasks, Chief Gema of "Cracked Claw" had already returned to the stone platform atop the high mountain in Cracked Claw Canyon.

The stones are dark red, carrying the vast and boundless aura of the wasteland, the unchanging base color of the entire orc race.

On the distant horizon, the setting sun slowly sank into the western mountains, dyeing the sky a magnificent yet tragic blood red, much like the endless blood that had been spilled on the battlefield these past few days.

He could hear continuous muffled sounds coming from afar behind him, but Gemar had no time to pay attention to them.

Three-fifths of his 10,000-man commanders were dead, and nearly half of his 1,000-man commanders were gone. Every family in the tribe was in mourning, and every survivor was injured.

He could name almost every one of the skeletons lying at the foot of that mountain; they were all the best young men in the tribe.

Now, they all lie on the land outside the canyon. Some have turned into bones, becoming accomplices in the hands of evil human mages; others are slowly rotting, nourishing the wild grass that may flourish exceptionally next year.

Among them were his own children, his youngest child, the little guy who always liked to rub against his belly, whose mane still had the soft sheen unique to teenagers, but even his complete body could not be found.

Gemar Crackclaw dug his rough claws deep into the cracks in the stone at the edge of the platform.

Before him was a huge "Flag of the Ancestors," woven from the fur of highland beasts and the mane of orcs, which fluttered wildly in the evening breeze that spiraled up from the bottom of the canyon.

Despite enduring countless years of wind and rain, the claw-shaped totem on the flag remains ferocious.

Facing the ancestral banner flying high, Gemar Crackclaw collapsed in despair.

"Ah...ho..." A long-suppressed sob, as if squeezed from an injured lung, finally broke through Gema's tightly clenched teeth.

He wasn't crying; the orc chieftain couldn't cry out loud.

The sound was more like the mournful cry of a severely wounded, dying wild beast, drifting far, far away on the wind.

"My children..."

“I heard it… I heard the canyon crying.”

"All...children who followed me, this foolish, arrogant, blind chieftain, into a dead end..."

May your souls rest in peace in your ancestral temple!

Gema slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes staring blankly at the fluttering flag, as if he could see through it the angry and disappointed gaze of his ancestors.

He suddenly gripped the simple bone ornament on his chest, one of the tokens of the chieftains throughout history.

"Pass the order."

Gema gripped the bone ornament tightly, the edge piercing his palm, which was quickly soaked in blood, revealing a few bewitching red lights.

"Let Hru become the new Claw, give him three... no, six! Give him six thousand-man squads, and let him take all the little ones from the tribe and head towards the wasteland!"

"Yes, now, right now, we'll leave immediately!"

"The rest of the tribesmen who can still fight, come up the mountain; the rest, go into the rift valley!"

"Seal the entrance to the valley!"

"Let's die here!"

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.

"Crack Claw" retreated into the canyon, awaiting their final judgment, while on the western side of the Eastern White Deer Plain, another war had already begun. "Thunder Roar" Leonid, worthy of being one of the top tactical masters among the orcs, attempted to use his old tricks again in a desperate fight against the advancing enemy army.

He secretly hid an elite force in a mountain mine, waiting for the Han Hai Territory's troops to pass by before launching a pincer attack.

We must strive to completely crush this damned human "invading army".

Ideally, we could capture that little girl; perhaps that would give the tribe a chance to survive.

This little girl refers to the commander of this army, the little princess of the Elf race, the deputy commander-in-chief of the supreme military command, Liushuang!

At this moment, the girl was riding her famous unicorn, her long hair tied up and fluttering slightly in the wind. There was a lance by the saddle, a rapier at her waist, a long spear on her back, and a small bird on her shoulder.

Um, Lord Chen Mo paired the Little White Bird with Liu Shuang.

Throughout the journey, the little owl mostly curled itself into a ball of fur, occasionally turning its head nervously and making a soft "cooing" sound.

It wasn't that I was worried about my master's fate, but rather about my own.

After all, last time, because I was a little slow to warn them, I almost got grabbed and crushed by this violent girl.

Liu Shuang, however, was not worried at all.

Beside her stood the Frostfire Guard, composed of 1,200 elves, along with 5,000 of the 6,000 elves who had come from the Silvermoon Forest to provide reinforcements. It was no exaggeration to say that this elite force, armed with compound bows, was even more formidable than the elite field army of the Vast Ocean Territory, even when facing them in a direct firefight with firearms.

The number of elven warriors is small, but their quality is truly high; any one of them is an old monster who is two or three hundred years old.

Further out are the Guiyi Army of the National Defense Force, a unit reorganized from the former orc servant army, now completely transformed. They wear full-body armor in the standard Hanhai style, wield long-handled battle axes and spears, and the humility and numbness on their faces have been replaced by an attitude that is a mixture of vigor and ferocity.

Hamon, the commander of the Guiyi Army, was quietly reporting to Liushuang.

"Commander-in-chief, the Sky Eye and reconnaissance units have confirmed that the enemy has not only laid an ambush along this route, but also has a small squad hidden in the mountains to the west, with a number of between one and two thousand, or even more."

"The main force of the Tiger Clan orcs is approaching from the front, but they are deliberately controlling their speed. According to their itinerary, they are planning to wait until we reach the vicinity of Emerald Leaf Mountain, then intercept us head-on, and then have two ambushing forces attack from three sides to surround us and try to defeat us in one fell swoop!"

"I really don't know what they're thinking. They couldn't even surround the field army's Makaja, yet they dare to surround you?"

"Where is that big tiger?" Liu Shuang's voice was quite calm.

“Judging from the flags, they should be among the main force on the front lines,” Hamon replied confidently.

"Okay, let's hurry up and finish this quickly so we can call it a day!"

Thus, under Leonid's eager "expectation", Frostfall's troops "unprepared" accelerated forward and "plunged" into the pre-arranged encirclement in front of Emerald Leaf Mountain.

When the two sides started fighting, Leonid's face was contorted with excitement.

Everything was going so smoothly. The tiger warriors advanced from three directions, trapping the human army firmly in the middle. Just one charge would break through the enemy's outer defenses...

The tiger warriors are among the best in the orc tribes in terms of speed, strength, and agility, and are also experts in mountain and forest warfare. Faced with this situation, Leonid was confident of victory.

A charge...

Another charge...

The tiger's roar shook the surrounding area!

Tiger clan corpses littered the ground!

They gathered almost all of the tribe's mobile forces and charged forward with reckless abandon, but they couldn't even get close to the enemy's main formation.

The enemy didn't use heavy artillery or firearms; they just kept shooting arrows.

All sorts of magic arrows, explosive arrows, freezing arrows, armor-piercing arrows... arrows imbued with various flames, frosts, gales, and vines, traversed the long battlefield, firmly blocking the path of the tiger warriors' charge.

Even Leonid himself had several trembling arrows stuck in his armor.

The chieftain, who was known as "Thunder Roar," was stunned.

He felt that it might be better to charge the field army's firearms positions; the losses might be less.

After all, bullets don't curve...

But this arrow will!
The tiger warriors, who had never been wounded on the front but never on the back, were shattered by the elves' swirling tracking arrows.

The Righteous Army warriors standing guard around the elves were already yawning; it was utterly insulting.

Seeing his own warriors fall one after another, Leonid, who had already charged to the front of the battle line, let out a deafening roar.

"Youngster, do you dare to fight me?!"

Liu Shuang's eyes lit up immediately.

Who is this? He is none other than the [Lone Spear of Clouds and Mist], [Undying Blade], [Guardian of the North], and [Frost Thunder Lord], who once slaughtered countless enemies and left rivers of blood flowing on the Crystal Plains...

Throughout the battle, she was eager to try her luck. If it weren't for the elves around her clinging tightly to the unicorn's four legs, Lillian Light Song holding onto its horn in front, and Safina pulling its tail from behind, she would have charged out long ago.

The elves dared not let her go out. After all, swords and arrows have no eyes on the battlefield. If she were to be injured, not only Chairman Chen Mo, but even their own queen would not forgive them!

Even the little owl on Liushuang's shoulder, under the menacing pressure of the elves, was forced to open its eyes wide, its feathers bristling, desperately emitting high-frequency alarms, trying its best to convey to Liushuang: danger, extreme danger, mortally dangerous!!!
Can the bird that knows the secrets of the army give false reports?

Normally not.

However, if Liushuang really rushed out, it's hard to say whether the little prince would be in danger, but the little owl would basically be doomed. From this perspective, calling the police that it was "extremely dangerous" was absolutely correct!

But now, upon hearing the opposing chieftain's invitation to a duel, Liu Shuang could no longer hold back.

With a sudden burst of strength, Frost broke free from the elves' restraints, and the unicorn emerged from the crowd.

The orc race has a tradition of dueling.

During the Great Convergence of the Wasteland, this method of determining the victor through one-on-one duels among the generals minimized the losses of large-scale battles among the orcs, preserving the tribe's vitality and laying the foundation for the later rise of the orcs.

Therefore, when Leonid saw that the girl who was clearly the supreme commander of the other side actually went out into battle alone, he was first stunned, and then a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

To show respect for tradition and to prevent the other party from retreating, he immediately raised his right paw and let out a short roar.

The tiger warriors, who had been relentlessly suppressed by the rain of arrows, surged forward from behind. As if granted a pardon, they retreated like the receding tide, leaving their chieftain alone in the center of the battlefield.

On the other side of the vast sea, the elves also ceased their attack. However, thousands of composite bows, nocked and drawn, gleamed with various enchanted lights, resembling a dazzling sea of ​​stars poised to unleash their power, pointing towards the tiger clan's camp.

Leonid Thunder Roar did not charge forward.

He knew that the little girl opposite him had some cat blood, so he decided to adopt the posture of a superior elder, hoping to lower her guard and get closer.

Try to capture him alive!

"That little girl!"

"Considering we might be related by blood, I'll let you make three moves first!"

"Within three moves, I will only defend and not attack! After three moves, I will show no mercy!"

"If I win, you will step down, and from now on, your Han Hai will never again invade my 'Thunder Roar' territory!"

Liu Shuang didn't accept his offer, but instead asked, "What if I win?"

Leonid slammed his fist on his shoulder and roared without hesitation, "If I lose, you're in charge! My 'Thunder Roar' tribe is at your disposal!"

"Let me hit you three times first?"

"Our ancestors have spoken, and their word is law!"

The little girl nodded and pulled a large gun from her back.

Real guns!

The Starry Night Special Edition, QBU-100, codenamed "The Arbiter," is 1.9 meters long, weighs 66 kilograms, and features a smart sight with laser rangefinding and ballistic calculation. It has a 14.9 mm caliber.

In the world of Earth, this thing is generally called an anti-material gun.

(End of this chapter)