Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 408 Jiuquan International Traveler Han Hairen Ma Jun

Afu has returned to the team, but he has not returned to China.

Although Dongxia desperately wanted to bring its hero home at this moment, Afu refused!
Firstly, he was somewhat reluctant to part with the group of "Red Army" ghosts under his command who, although somewhat clueless, had fought alongside him all the way.

Secondly, facing such a large ruin as the Ghost Temple, Afu felt that he had been fighting the enemy for so long and had rich experience in frontline combat, which would be of great value in the subsequent confrontation.

Finally, and most importantly, Afu himself didn't want to leave.

He sincerely told Li Xun that Dongxia was a good place and that he liked Dongxia very much, but that it was a world for the living.

But the land of the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent is more like a world of the dead.

Alternatively, you could send me to the Bald Eagle; apparently, that place fits the atmosphere of the underworld quite well…

Li Xun had no choice. He was neither the commander of the Jiuquan Independent Column nor, in terms of rank, he might not be as high as Afu, who had just received an award. Therefore, he could not give orders to Afu and could only activate the emergency communication equipment to report back home.

After discussion, the Cihang Engineering Department agreed to Afu's request.

From that day on, the area around the Sea Serpent Summoning Ghost Temple began to become lively and strange.

The most direct cooperation model is coordinated ambush.

The Red Army's undead no longer need to painstakingly set up traps. They only need to wander around and lure out the inner layer of the ruins guards, leading them into the ambush area of ​​the Eastern Xia Special Forces team, and the game will be over.

Now, we are also spirits with backing, support, and connections!

With this in mind, the Red Army's ghosts became even more arrogant.

At midnight, gray mist was slowly stirred up in the cracks of the outer wall of the Ghost Temple, as the scouts and guards of the ruins were on their routine patrol.

Several skeleton soldiers from the Red Army somehow produced a few powerful flashlights, strapped them to their ribs, and then began hacking at each other along the patrol route that the enemy was sure to take. Their rusty blades danced through the air with a fierce, whistling sound.

Although they didn't exchange a single blow, the beams of light that flashed everywhere like laser spheres, the loud creaking noise from the collision of bones and metal, and the exaggerated movements of those who clearly had a martial arts background—jumping, rolling, and parrying back and forth—undoubtedly attracted the attention of the ruins' guards.

Of course, the "martial arts instructors" for this performance were all in hiding, clutching their foreheads in pain, their hands trembling as they filmed and recorded the scene.

Such an eyesore of a show, it would be utterly shameful if it were sent back... no, it would be shameful for the living, even for the dead...

A restless hissing came from the direction of the ghost temple, and a large group of evil spirits in yellow military uniforms rushed out.

The skeleton soldier turned and ran, running until his bones were almost falling apart, but he could only watch as the distance between the two sides grew closer and closer.

They were fleeing and chasing each other when, just as they rounded a rocky slope, a white light suddenly appeared ahead.

This time it wasn't lights, but the standard orthodox divine spell of the Starry Night and Misty Moon Divine Court—[Bright Light Suppresses Soul].

Then the trap is activated. Now the trap no longer needs to be triggered by weight. Just press the button and everyone falls into the pit.

The battlefield observer whispered, "The squid is in the net; the bait is safe!"

Then, the Red Army undead in front and the human warriors behind swarmed forward and gave the ruin guards who had fallen into the trap a sound beating.

As for why the enemy was called "squid," it was mainly because the dilapidated temple kept creating black mist, and the special operations team just casually gave it that nickname.

After that, the nickname spread like wildfire, and the poor squid, like the innocent squid, became a victim of stigmatization caused by the evil deeds of humankind!
In addition to defense, this new mixed human and ghost force also took the opportunity to launch a probing attack on the second ring of the Ghost Temple!
With observation instruments, reconnaissance drones, and pathfinder ghosts, the general situation along the route was clarified. Then, the Dongxia Special Forces team directly strapped explosives to the Red Army ghosts. Afu used the strength of a flesh-and-blood giant to throw one at a time, quickly throwing them across the warning line to the Red Army.

These "skull explosive packs" landed and immediately rushed towards the most densely guarded area of ​​the ruins without hesitation, detonating them cleanly and decisively upon approaching.

The scorching blast wave and orange-red flames from the gunpowder explosion, along with the pale ripples caused by the psionic shockwave, simultaneously triggered and superimposed each other, creating a combined destructive effect against the undead. The air was filled with the sounds of the disintegrating remnants of the buildings and the furious howls of the evil spirit guards.

The Red Army skeletons are very good at this job; they had experience in it during their lives.

After the self-destructive attack, the Soulfire Controller leisurely made his way to the edge of the battlefield to retrieve the Soulfire, while the subsequent assault team rushed up through the blasted passage and began setting up new traps on the spot.

As for Red Army Soulfire, who was still a bit dizzy from the explosion, he received a hero's welcome, with all six of Afu's hands simultaneously raising their thumbs.

Next, the special operations team's necromancers will fit them with new skeletons, ready to step into the battlefield again at any time.

Of course, during the lulls in the fighting, the two sides also had some friendly exchanges.

Speaking of the original intention of the Red Army, one theory is that it originated from a famous inscription by a well-known librarian of Dongxia. In that inscription, the librarian believed that as long as theory and practice could be combined, the revolutionary victory of the Sea Serpent would be beyond doubt.

At that time, amidst the red wave across the entire planet, the administrator's words were regarded as the supreme guide by countless left-wing and center-left elements.

Although the Red Army later used a large number of illegal means, mainly assassination and kidnapping, it must be admitted that their feelings for Dongxia and their deep hatred for the heinous colonial practices of the Sea Serpent were real and unforgettable.

They orchestrated several operations against the Sea Serpent's leadership, and even directly destroyed the infamous Seven Martyrs Monument.

The seven names on the monument, which the Sea Serpent official portrayed as "pioneer heroes," were the culprits who were executed by the Mingzheng Code back then. Now, they are also seven of the core evil spirits enshrined in the Ghost Temple!

The hatred between the two sides ran extremely deep, reaching the level of blood and soul. Even after becoming ghosts and losing most of their memories of their previous lives, they still instinctively maintained a confrontation that was irreconcilable, even in death!
Inheriting this historical past and now having the reality of fighting side by side, the relationship between the Dongxia Special Forces members and the Red Army veterans can be described as very harmonious at this stage, and has even developed a kind of peculiar "comradeship".

For example, whenever the human cooks start cooking, the zombies and skeletons of the Red Army undead always come over to "mooch a meal".

I wonder if it was the atmosphere of dining together that touched some fragments of their deepest memories.

They stood around the cooking area, their empty eye sockets or cloudy eyes "watching" the food bubbling in the pots and the busy cooks, making the cooks feel like they were being pricked by thorns.

Ah Fu, who came from the underworld, never had this habit. Every time everyone ate, Ah Fu could only stand aside and watch, feeling utterly bored.

When it's time to get their meals, the cooks will give them a serving as well.

The Red Army undead have no ability to absorb these solid or liquid foods and do not actually need this form of energy replenishment. However, when they hold a small bowl of hot food, they will still carefully "blow" on it a few times and then slowly pour it into their mouths.

Blowing air is pointless; without muscle tissue, they can't expel air from between their jawbones, and eating is equally pointless...

For semi-zombies, it's not so bad; food just adds a little stuff to their bodies. But for skeletons, it's a bit awkward. Soups and broths flow down their necks, which aren't connected to an esophagus, spilling onto their sternum, ribs, and pelvis before dripping onto the ground, creating a rather "tragic" scene.

But what does it matter? The dead, who have basically no material needs, are left with only these few spiritual needs, aren't they?
The warriors of Dongxia went from being surprised and amused at first, to getting used to it, and even intentionally leaving them a little more "share".

"Watching them drink soup, although it's funny, I always feel... they seem to be a little 'human'."

When these images were transmitted back to Dongxia, the Institute of the Dead submitted dozens of reports.

The main content is roughly as follows—

Based on current close-up observations and interaction data, we can preliminarily conclude that there are extremely significant differences in all aspects, from intelligence level and behavioral patterns to energy composition and social performance, between the spirits summoned from the underworld and those born on Earth under the influence of specific environments.

[Comparing undead of the same rank and level, the intelligence level of the native undead of Blue Star is significantly higher than that of the undead of the Underworld, often reaching a state of equal intelligence two or three ranks lower. However, in terms of physical strength and combat power, they are significantly inferior to the undead of the Underworld.]

In other words, they have a significant intellectual advantage, but are severely lagging behind in military strength!

We believe that this difference may concern fundamental issues such as the underlying rules of the world, the mechanism of the generation of the undead, and the origin of the soul and spirit fire. It is of great significance to subsequent research on the utilization and resistance of the undead, and even related disciplines of life and death. We earnestly request the Command Center of the [Compassionate Voyage] Engineering Department to urgently review and approve our plan to conduct comparative in-depth research under controllable, safe, and compliant conditions as soon as possible...

The researchers at the institute are genuinely anxious.

There was no other way; in Dongxia, human experimentation, whether on living or dead people, was always a high-risk no-go zone. However, these experts and professors knew very well that when it came to four-clawed sea serpents or bald eagles, there were no concerns whatsoever.

Their research achievements in this area may have already left Dongxia far behind.

Time waits for no one, we must seize every second!
Whether the application for the undead experiment has been approved is currently unknown. However, Dongxia has been providing continuous support to this force fighting in the heart of the Sea Serpent.

In addition to bombing, the air squadron began to drop supplies into the international brigade's controlled area. At the same time, maritime transport channels were quietly established, and various weapons, armor, magic arrays, and even precious spirit crystals were continuously transported to the base in the black mist through various channels.

After consulting with Afu himself, Dongxia, under the Jiuquan Independent Column, specially granted them a designation – Afu International Brigade.

This was also the first special designation for the Dongxia Undead Force. After the organization was finalized, the fighting spirit of the entire Undead team visibly increased.

The war between the two factions of the undead gradually entered a state of complete frenzy.

Based on the current overall progress of the planet, it is foreseeable that this special state of war will continue for a long time to come, until the global situation settles down!
Of course, Afu's outstanding achievements on the front lines not only brought him rich rewards and honors, but also earned medals for a large number of people.

For example, Xia Hong, the commander of the Jiuquan troops, and Xiao Bai, the deputy commander.

For example, the instructors and music teachers at Jiuquan Vocational and Technical College.

Of course, Chen Mo from the Starry World is indispensable.

When Chen Mo received the award, he was in a daze.

What's going on? It's gotten to the point where you can just lie there and not move, and rely on summoned creatures to rack up battle points?
By the way, strictly speaking, Afu is not Chen Mo's summoned creature, but was transferred from the mage who returned to the cemetery.

Chen Mo carefully clipped the commendation order to his sleeve, scratched his head, and turned back to deal with his own troublesome matters.

Upon receiving Dongxia's suggestions for the development of the Starry Sky controlled area, the young Chairman Xia Yue, the Lord of the Vast Ocean, was overjoyed. After studying them repeatedly, he immediately set about implementing them.

However, many things are like this: they seem easy to think about, and not difficult to talk about. When written down, they are clear and logical! But once you enter the actual execution stage, it becomes a nightmare! A thousand and one things left Chen Mo overwhelmed.

Chen Mo felt that it would be better to continue fighting. Although fighting was not his area of ​​expertise, after such a long period of training and adjustment, he had at least a group of qualified officers under his command.

However, when it comes to personnel responsible for advancing and implementing government affairs, Hanhai Ling is severely lacking.

Such a person cannot be cultivated overnight.

In the past, it took nearly four years for Hanhai to cultivate its first batch of cadres who were barely usable and possessed certain comprehensive abilities, adhering to an educational tradition that almost disregarded background and taught everyone regardless of their background.

The most difficult part of Dongxia's latest plan is precisely this: it requires a large number of management talents.

Such talents were already few and far between, and the Great Purge had eliminated even more. Previously, the Han Hai Territory had urgently transferred a group of people from the Bai Lu Restoration Society and conscripted all the hostages left here by the Xi Yue Thirteen Tribes. After a series of intensive training sessions, they were sent to the six counties and two districts of the Bai Lu Plain, which barely managed to maintain basic daily management.

Now, the territory has more than doubled, the population has more than tripled, and the policies to be promoted and implemented are dozens or even hundreds of times more complex.

Although Dongxia has broken down these tasks into almost mechanical execution steps, no matter how mechanical they are, you still need to be able to read documents, understand orders, and have basic thinking and problem-solving skills.

What to do?
"What if we transfer people from the army?"

At today's impromptu meeting, Ma Qianzu was the first to make a suggestion: "The soldiers in our unit have the highest literacy rate and the best discipline, especially the Torch Vanguard and Reserve Vanguard, who are absolutely loyal to the lord and can be completely trusted!"

"Let them take off their uniforms temporarily and go to the local areas to stabilize the situation for a while."

"Let's speed up the training here! Once a new batch of cadres has been trained, we can bring these military backbone personnel back, or... those who perform exceptionally well can stay in civilian life!"

"no!"

The one who raised the objection was Lin Xiangming, who had just made great contributions on the front line of Crack Claw Canyon and was promoted to the command headquarters by the lord.

This necromancer was also a formidable character. While fighting alongside the field army against the orc army, he slept only one or two hours a day for dozens of days in a row, personally attending every battle and pushing his mental energy to its limits.

After the battle, he lost a third of his weight, and his skin sagged. He went from a chubby, oily man to a frail old man.

But no one dared to laugh at him.

At this moment, Lin Xiangming directly interrupted Ma Qianzu.

"Transferring out outstanding officers is like taking away the backbone of the army!"

"On this land, there are not only the mortal enemies like the orcs, but also so many sneaky bandit gangs, plus hostile human forces like the Green Pine Kingdom and the Emerald Duchy, and countries like the Moonlit Night and the Misty Moon with unclear attitudes. None of them can be relied upon!"

"The only ones we can rely on are our own army!"

"The troops can only be strengthened, never relaxed!"

"If we can't manage the civilians below, at most there will be some chaos in a few places, but if the army can't stop the enemy, then everything will be over!"

Lin Xiangming's words were not entirely alarmist.

Despite the continuous expansion of its forces, the strongest unit in the Han Hai Territory remains the field army.

This unit is not only well-equipped with advanced weaponry, but also characterized by its high level of education, rapid response, excellent battlefield discipline, and outstanding overall qualities.

So even though their average rank isn't high, with the vast majority being trainees or first-rank, in the entire Han Hai Territory, even if the Frost Guard, with an average rank of third or higher, were to encounter several elite brigades of the field army, they wouldn't dare say they could definitely win.

If the core personnel of these troops are transferred to local military administration, it is certain that the combat effectiveness of the troops will decline.

The foot soldier was still somewhat unwilling, but he didn't want to directly confront the lord's favorite, who had just personally gone to the front lines and made great contributions to the field army. He tried to argue, "We...we can withdraw fewer men and try to take care of both sides..."

"Trying to balance both sides is more likely to result in failing to balance either side properly!"

"I strongly oppose it!"

Lin Xiangming showed no respect, which made the field army commander, Makaga, lose face. The meeting ended in discord without any results.

After leaving the house, Makaga approached Lin Xiangming.

Although Macaga has a long history in the Vast Ocean Territory and his prestige in the military is at its peak, he is still just a centaur youth who has just crossed the threshold of adulthood. Without much beating around the bush, he went straight to the point and asked, "Old Lin, do you have a problem with me?"

"no!"

"I don't think it's possible!"

Macaja took a pack of cigarettes from his waist pocket, flicked one out, and it landed right in Lin Xiangming's hand. He then lit it and held it up to Lin Xiangming's face.

"We've forged a bond of life and death together in the trenches. If it weren't for your desperate efforts, many more of my brothers in the field army would have died. I'll always remember your kindness!"

"Taking some people out of the army will have an impact, but definitely not as big as you say. The offensive efficiency may be a little worse, but if it's about defense, I'm not bragging, even if you replaced half of my entire field army, the enemy would not be able to break through our defenses unless they outnumbered us tenfold!"

"So, Lao Lin, what are you really thinking? Can you tell me?"

Lin Xiangming held the cigarette between two fingers, brought it to his nose, took a deep sniff, and squinted his eyes slightly.

"A panda specially supplied, huh? That's only because you have a good relationship with the lord..."

Before he could finish speaking, Makaga pulled out a cigarette case from his pocket, took one out and tucked it behind his ear, then tossed the rest over.

"Take it! Why are you beating around the bush with me!" Makaga grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth.

Lin Xiangming hurriedly caught the cigarette box.

This cigarette is indeed very valuable. Not only is it specially made by Dongxia, but it is also said to relieve fatigue and nourish mental strength. It is a "healthy version" that eliminates side effects. More importantly, it cannot be produced in the Starry Continent at all, and there is not even a substitute. Each cigarette needs to be transported through the cross-border altar channel established by Chen Mo and Dongxia.

Although the cross-border transport capacity is large, not a single gram is superfluous.

In this situation, Chen Mo himself already had a limited supply, and he also had to share with Master Anthony, Chief Craftsman Norton, Spell Instructor Downs, High Priest Farrell, and even the high-ranking elves who would occasionally come and take a little. There was no surplus left...

To some extent, the value of this Panda cigarette has long surpassed its taste or efficacy. Its presence or absence is implicitly regarded within the Han Hai Territory as a core indicator of the importance of the territory and the closeness to the lord.

That value would be off the charts!
The necromancer chuckled, reluctant to smoke it, and stuffed the cigarette in his hand into the cigarette case, then put the whole pack into his pocket, pressed it down gently, and reached into another pocket to take out a cigarette and light it.

Looking around, and seeing that there were only the two of them in the corridor, he lowered his voice and spoke.

"Commander Ma, you said it yourself, we're sworn brothers, I won't harm you!"

"How many of your direct centaur clans are there now?"

Macaka was slightly taken aback, but still replied casually, "Including those who came from various places, there should be a little over 20,000."

"From the few hundred men who first followed the lord and established themselves in the Valley of the Stream Moon, to the full house of officers you have today, your centaur race can be said to have brought glory to your ancestors in the Vast Ocean Territory!"

“It’s all thanks to the lord’s kindness!” Makaga paused, then couldn’t help but ask again, “Old Lin, stop being so mysterious, just say what you want to say!”

Lin Xiangming exhaled a puff of smoke and said leisurely, "Your centaur race accounts for less than one percent of the current alliance, but how many of you are high-ranking officers in the army?"

"You, Commander-in-Chief Ma, lead the way, with pawns, hindsight experts, Ma Baoguo, Ma Xingkong, Ma Jiabian, Ma Daha, Ma Guohe, Markong, Mosaic, and a hornet's nest..."

"Seventy percent of the field army's officers, and half of the Han Hai territory, are in the hands of your Centaur clan. Outside, they secretly call the field army the Centaur Army..."

Macaja's neck twitched, as if he understood what the other person meant.

"That's right, you were the first to support the lord and have rendered meritorious service, so you have gained the lord's special trust. But that doesn't mean that your centaur race is stronger than other races. There are plenty of people who disagree!"

"You yourself said that it's fine to replace half of the field army. In fact, it doesn't matter if some officers and personnel are replaced, right?"

"It doesn't matter..."

"So, Old Ma, the lord is showing you some kindness; can't you not be more mindful of your own actions?"

Lin Xiangming carefully stubbed out his cigarette and patted Macaja on the shoulder.

"As for government affairs, you centaurs are better off staying away from them..."

"Old Ma, I'm doing this for your own good!"

Lin Xiangming stopped there and swayed as he walked outside. Makaga, who was standing there stunned, felt that the mane on the back of his neck was wet and felt a chill in the wind.

After a long while, Macaja finally shouted.

"Old Lin, I have two more pandas. I'll bring them over to you in a bit!"

"Tomorrow, I'll treat you to dinner!"

(End of this chapter)