Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 475 The Final Battle of Dragonback River in Silvermoon City (7.2K, requesting monthly votes at the end of the month)

Turquoise is doomed!

When the vast army of the Vast Sea swiftly breached the Newper River defenses of Green Pine and annihilated the kingdom's renowned loyal and valiant guards on the south bank, almost every bystander clearly recognized this.

This once-dominant overlord who swept across the Crystal Plains is now mostly buried in his grave.

The reasons why an army, a force, or even a country can persist in resistance are nothing more than the following.

They either have confidence, the confidence and arrogance to defeat their opponents; or they have powerful backers, with a constant stream of external aid and promises.

The Kingdom of Green Pine once possessed the confidence to win, and with it, they conquered far and wide, achieving unparalleled victories. Back then, the Green Pine Sword was praised by bards as unmatched in the world.

However, after being defeated by Hanhai and then by Dongguan, their morale was completely shattered.

From the moment Green Pine decided to break up into smaller groups and launch a surprise attack, although it wasn't necessarily a tactical mistake, it was a surrender in terms of overall fighting spirit. It was tantamount to announcing to all the soldiers that they could not fight the enemy on the front lines.

The Han Hai General Staff even believed that if the enemy continued to concentrate its forces and set up defensive lines along the Xinpo River, Nanguanling, Shuijing River, and major mountain cities to resist in layers, it would bring much more trouble to the Han Hai.

The firepower of the Vast Ocean is not inexhaustible, its logistics will be stretched indefinitely, and its warriors will also get tired. Most importantly, the expenses of the Vast Ocean's external operations are far greater than those of traditional countries like the Starry Sky.

The Han Hai troops' exceptional combat power is built up with massive amounts of money and equipment; the consumption of a single Han Hai soldier on the battlefield is equivalent to that of an entire enemy platoon.

If you include the consumption of machine guns, heavy artillery, and tanks, it's equivalent to a whole company of Xiyue.

Therefore, without plundering enemy-occupied territories, waging war is a very unprofitable endeavor. If Green Pine hadn't rushed to dismantle Xiyue's railway line, Chen Mo might not have launched such a large-scale war.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the Green Pine Kingdom's strategy of breaking up into smaller units was wrong. Knowing that they couldn't win in a direct confrontation, they put themselves in a doomed battlefield to fight the enemy. In the history of wars from the stars to the blue planet, only a handful of armies have ever done this.

As for backend support.

Green Pine's biggest backer, Azure Sky Holy City, the force that once wholeheartedly supported them, has now sent the "Debt-Collecting Knights of the Holy Temple" all the way to Crystal Plains, not to help Green Pine fight, but to collect the debts Green Pine owes. What can we expect from them?

If neither confidence nor backing is available, then there is another possibility for resistance: relying on the enemy's brutality. Throughout the long history of the Eastern Xia, there has never been a shortage of such examples.

Unfortunately, the military discipline of the Vast Ocean is several major realms higher than that of the various countries on the Starry Continent.

Finally, with nowhere else to turn, Green Pine fell headlong into Hanhai's financial trap.

So far, even the Dwarf Merchant Guild, which has been most deeply involved and has the strongest economic acumen, has not been able to fully understand this operation. All they know is that the Green Pine Kingdom seems to have done nothing wrong, yet suddenly it has incurred a huge debt that it cannot repay.

According to the rumors painstakingly gathered by the dwarves, the young Lord Chen Mo seems to be unexpectedly satisfied with the effectiveness of this economic war, and is already arranging a council meeting in the Vast Ocean to discuss the feasibility of establishing a special institution called a "stock exchange".

Just hearing the name filled the dwarfs with a sense of awe. They stared intently at the vast ocean, not daring to miss a single moment.

In the eighth month of the third year of summer, under the scorching summer sun, the Hanhai army stepped into the Emerald Homeland of Nanguan Territory.

At the same time, a large-scale offensive was launched simultaneously on the three southern fronts.

The elven army pressed forward with overwhelming force, breaching the already crumbling Redwood Castle defenses. The Green Pine garrison was annihilated, and the kingdom's gates were wide open.

The lost elven capital, Silvermoon City, which had been lost for 363 years, was right before my eyes.

Looking at the ruins of the old city nestled among the mountains, Elder Ysera felt the scars on her body begin to ache again.

The longest scar was left from the Battle of Silvermoon.

For eighty to ninety years after the fall of the royal city, Ysera touched this scar countless times, gritting her teeth and vowing to wash away the old shame of the elven race with the blood of her enemies, and to let the elven banner return to this homeland that haunted her dreams.

However, the longer time passed, the slimmer the hope of reclaiming their homeland became, and in the last two hundred years, Ysera's scars had stopped hurting.

Elves have very long lifespans, long enough that time allows them to forget many things that were once deeply etched in their memories.

It was also because they lived long enough that they were able to live to see the world undergo a new and enormous transformation.

At this moment, the pain from the scar grew increasingly intense, burning and throbbing, as if something was desperately trying to burrow out from within, causing the elven elder's entire body to tremble slightly.

Isera turned her gaze to the jelly beside her.

"Kid, you played very well!"

"You are the pride of the Silvermoon. Go, plant the banner there, and restore the glory of the elves!"

Suddenly, Jelly felt countless envious, jealous, and burning gazes shooting towards her from all around.

There were no Greenpine garrison on the ruins of Silvermoon City, but being the first to enter the city and the first to plant a flag was an honor worthy of being recorded in elven history forever, and now Ysera bestowed it upon this young half-elf.

Jelly pressed her hand to her chest, took several deep breaths, and calmed her agitated mood.

"Thank you for Elder Mingyi's guidance. However, this honor belongs to all elves. I think the ancestors of the elven race might have preferred to see first those who fought and bled for this city."

"This honor belongs to you!"

Ysera raised her eyebrows slightly.

Jelly's voice remained calm: "The war is not over yet. I would like to ask you to allocate me a team. I plan to head south to cooperate with the Xiyue troops in a pincer attack on Wangshan City, to break through the situation there as soon as possible, and strive to win a complete victory in this war as soon as possible!"

The surrounding gazes quickly shifted to confusion, bewilderment, astonishment, and admiration; even Ysera showed a look of admiration.

To be honest, the child's performance was indeed good, but he was too young and inexperienced. Any of the elves present were more qualified to lead the way into the city. But, what can I do? He is Liushuang's cousin.

Elves are all wise and experienced; they're not afraid of the impossible, but they're always worried about the worst-case scenario.

If this guy harbors resentment or dissatisfaction, who knows what might happen in the future.

Now, Jelly's understanding nature made Ysera overjoyed.

After exchanging a few more polite words, and confirming that Jelly was truly unwilling to enter Silvermoon Old City first, Ysera waved her arm.

"You can choose any soldier from the Silvermoon Guard! You can go wherever you want to fight! If you encounter any difficulties, just come to me!"

Without hesitation, Jelly led the main force of the seventh to ninth branches of the Middle Moon, along with a selected group of Silver Feathered Gryphon Beast Sky Cavalry, and turned eastward, heading straight for Wangshan Territory.

On the way, the Vice General of Zhongyue, another half-elf, couldn't help but let out a long sigh, his face full of regret.

"What a pity!"

The guy on horseback kept twisting and turning, as if insects were burrowing into his armor. Every now and then, he would turn back and gaze longingly at his horse.

"This is Silvermoon City! The Silvermoon City that has been lost for almost four hundred years!"

"You can just go into the city and then turn around and come out; it won't cause any trouble!"

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you're just giving it up like this, it's such a pity..."

Faced with the vice general's heartbroken expression, Jelly smiled slightly, a playful look on his face.

"Tell me, I'm just a twenty-year-old half-elf, nothing compared to a group of three or four hundred-year-old full elves. Why did Elder Ysera let me lead the flag into the city?"

The lieutenant blurted out, "Of course it's because your status is extraordinary. Princess Liushuang is your sister, and Chairman Chen Mo is your brother-in-law!"

"That settles it!"

Jelly raised its whip and pointed it at the distant horizon.

"The war isn't over yet. What I should do now is keep killing the enemy, killing the enemy, killing the enemy!"

Jelly emphasized, "Defeat all enemies in our way and win this great battle for the Summer Moon Alliance as soon as possible!"

"As long as His Highness Liushuang and Chairman Chen Mo acknowledge me as their younger brother, what does it matter whether we enter the city or not? Do you think the elves would dare to look down on me?"

"Conversely, if I don't perform well and my cousin Liushuang dislikes me, what use will it be for me to lead the Silver Moon flag today?"

"At that time, I'm afraid every elf present today will want to kill me!"

The adjutant couldn't help but gasp.

"You're... way too clear-headed!"

"What you said is true, but it's still such a pity!"

Jelly didn't say anything more, and with a gentle flick of the whip, spurred the horse to gallop.

In reality, there are some things he would keep to himself, not even to his closest relatives, let alone his trusted adjutants.

No matter what, he would not choose to be the first to enter Silvermoon City.

His experience at the Han Naval Academy made him very clear about where the future of the alliance lay.

Becoming a leading figure of the elven race is undoubtedly glorious, but it also means that he will be deeply bound to the elves.

This is precisely what he is trying his best to avoid.

He needs to become the commander of the Summer Moon Alliance, not just a general of the elves.

In that case, the path would be too narrow.

He must fully demonstrate his strategic vision on the battlefield, help his former rival Xiyue overcome obstacles, and push the battlefield situation in a direction favorable to Hanhai as quickly as possible...

To become an alliance general who does not seek personal gain and puts the overall situation first!
That's at least how it should look!
This is the real future!

At almost the same moment, faced with the ever-changing battlefield, the two young men, one from the south and one from the north, both made the decision to advance rapidly and continue their attack.

On the northern route, Dimo's sword points towards Tianye; on the southern route, Jelly leaps across the mountain.

The new generation of "Crystal Twins" has thus stepped onto the stage of the stars.

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.

On August 20th, after nearly three months of eating, drinking, fighting, and stopping, Xiyue's 200,000-strong army finally crossed the seemingly insurmountable defensive line and officially entered the heart of the Green Pine Kingdom after the 7,000 Silver Moon Guards led by the Elf General Jelly broke through the flank of Wangshan City.

This once again proves their infamous reputation of being "experts in internal wars but incompetent in external wars."

However, after crossing this core line of defense at the border, what they faced next was the vast, flat Crystal Plains.

Because of the Green Pine Kingdom's growing strength in recent years, setting up a few lines of defense along its borders was already a sign of respect for its neighboring countries. As for the kingdom's interior, apart from a limited number of core cities, it was practically unprotected. Fields, villages, and towns were laid bare before the Stream Moon army.

The soldiers of Xiyue finally had a chance to prove themselves.

Although they are not good at fighting, they are actually quite adept at suppressing local tyrants.

If we can't beat someone's strong army, or even their ruthless bandits, how could we possibly be no match for these unruly commoners?

If it weren't for Han Hai's repeated and stern orders prohibiting the killing of innocent people for personal gain and the plundering of villages, the strength of Xi Yue's tribal soldiers would probably have made the land of Green Pine not much different from the area around Qingze City, which had been washed by the Beilu River.

However, even Han Hai has to admit that these guys are surprisingly useful in certain situations.

Han Hai inherited the advantages of Dong Xia's strong civilization, but also perpetuated Dong Xia's moral disadvantages to some extent, appearing very weak and sluggish in handling many local issues.

It's like facing the same stubborn, unruly person. The Dongxia police might spend half an hour patiently explaining, even spitting in the other person's face, and still not be able to calm them down. But if they saw a Bai Diao policeman, he only needed to put his hand on his waist, and the guy would be obedient in a second. That's precisely Xi Yue's usefulness.

With the Green Pine regular army lacking the will to fight, the Elf Guard and the Vast Ocean Army pushed forward from the front, while Xi Yue cleaned up the battlefield from behind, and the entire battlefield suddenly progressed smoothly like flowing water.

On September 2nd, the Hanhai Field Army crossed the Crystal River.

Under identical artillery cover, they erected pontoon bridges and crossed with ease.

Interestingly, Han Hai chose several different locations to cross the river, both upstream and downstream of the Green Pine section of the Crystal River, but he didn't use the iconic Rainbow Bridge that connects the Crystal River to the river.

They didn't even get close; they stayed far away. The furthest ferry crossing was more than 20 kilometers away from the bridge.

The frontline command of the Vast Ocean knew very well that their lord had been coveting this bridge for quite some time.

The pierless flat bridge spanning several kilometers across the river made Chen Mo decide the moment he saw it: "I must bring back the technology behind this bridge."

However, the reality is that although this technology still exists in theory, it has been lost in practice.

Despite Chen Mo establishing good cooperative relationships with the Magic Society, the Dwarf Guild, and even several major powers, he was still unable to restore the complete technology of the Rainbow Stone Bridge.

The reason is simple: the Rainbow Bridge was a showy creation from the height of magic's popularity, and its practical functionality was shockingly low.

In a world like the Starry Sky, a feudal, city-state system with low productivity and limited social mobility, the value of this bridge is negligible except for its military applications.

However, once it becomes the focus of military conflict, such a magnificent building, which has cost a fortune and taken a long time to construct, could very well be destroyed by several rounds of magical attacks.

So, this bridge looks alright, but whoever built it was an idiot.

Once it loses its practical value, it's inevitable that the technology will be shelved and eventually forgotten.

Having no other option, Chen Mo couldn't find the technology anywhere, so he had to turn his attention to this physical object.

The attacking forces kept their distance from Rainbow Stone and subtly warned the defenders, who were already prepared to destroy the bridge. This left the Rainbow Stone defenders bewildered and at a loss, ultimately allowing the Miracle Bridge to be preserved.

On September 6th, in the heart of the Green Pine Kingdom, at Dragonback River, the last barrier leading to the royal city, the two sides clashed in their final large-scale war.

Longbeichuan is not actually a mountain, but a range of undulating hills. The terrain here resembles the spine of a giant dragon, stretching for dozens of miles, and is also known as the "Spine of the Little Dragon".

Harold, the Minister of War of Green Pine, with his trembling body, gathered more than 20,000 soldiers who were still relatively loyal to the royal family, with the Royal Guard reassembled after being scattered. He also dragged in a bunch of noble servants, prison prisoners, and conscripts, a motley crew of odds, and put together this army, which he called a 600,000-strong force.

Harold personally led his army in a fierce battle against the combined forces of the elves and the Stream Moon at Dragonback River.

Jelly knew very well the quality of Xiyue's allies, so he led the main attack himself, leaving Xiyue to cover the rear, and he also helped Xiyue set up the position in advance.

However, his youth ultimately cost him dearly.

Even if you can calculate every step and every detail on the battlefield, you cannot guarantee that they will execute the steps you have outlined.

Just as the Elven Moon forces were pushing Dragonback River's frontal defenses to the brink of collapse and it seemed they could take it with one more charge, a group of soldiers led by the Ice Needle Tribe of the 13th Moon Stream tribe came out to claim credit.

Waving colorful and varied battle flags, they roared and charged out of the defensive line. Taking advantage of the elves' break in reorganizing their lines, they swarmed towards the Green Pine People's already dilapidated defenses like locusts covering the mountains and fields.

This scene, witnessed by Harold, caused the nearly paralyzed Minister of War to suddenly experience a moment of lucidity before death, pushing aside his entourage and standing up.

The old man's face was flushed, his beard and hair stood on end, and a terrifying light suddenly burst forth from his cloudy eyes.

"This brat Xiyue has been a defeated foe for hundreds of years, a lowly slave under my feet. Even if they were to wipe my boots, I would find them too weak to do so!"

"We, the Green Pine Warriors, even with broken bones, are not to be humiliated by these bastards!"

The old general suddenly drew his long sword from his waist and slashed at the light.

"Soldiers, follow me into battle!"

Well, Xi Yue's attack this time backfired spectacularly on the battlefield.

For Green Pine, he was now a vicious wolf struggling under the claws of a tiger, full of resentment but powerless to do anything about it. But now a rabbit suddenly appeared and urinated in his face. This was too much of a bullying.

The first group of Green Pine Swordsmen charged out of the trenches and launched a direct assault on the enemy's dense formation. Hundreds of "arrows" kicked up hundreds of plumes of dust as they plunged heavily into Xiyue's army.

The old general's passion, the soldiers' humiliation, and the anger of defeat and national collapse all converged in this charge that drew the last drop of blood.

Blood and bits of flesh instantly splattered like a rain of flowers.

In that instant, Xi Yue's people were stunned.

They thought the pine trees had collapsed and that rushing in would be like picking up bargains, but what they ran into was a group of madmen with bloodshot eyes.

Xi Yue's fighting prowess never disappoints; the more forceful her charge just now, the more swift her rout becomes.

The offensive momentum was met head-on by Green Pine, and the stalemate lasted only a few seconds, or maybe ten seconds, before it was instantly reversed and swept back towards their own camp.

"Those damned bastards!" Jelly uttered the most vicious curse an elf could conceive: "Your fig trees will never bear fruit!"

"Form ranks! Form ranks!"

"Raise my battle flag!"

"Signal them to get out of the way! Anyone who dares to charge my main force, kill them!"

For a moment, Harold seemed to see a glimmer of hope for victory.

The Xiyue troops that were pushed back brought down even more Xiyue troops. People were packed together, trampling each other. Cries, curses, and screams echoed across the battlefield, and the entire battlefield was like a mudslide.

Amidst this wild collapse, only the Elven Midmoon Guard stood firm against the surging tide, like a reef standing in the middle of the river.

Jelly dared not retreat. If the elves retreated, the plains battlefield they had just conquered would inevitably be in ruins. The camp, granary, and base would all be washed away by this torrent, and they might even be pushed back to the initial battle line.

He must hold on and buy his allies a chance to regroup and set up a defensive line.

Arrows rained down mercilessly on the fleeing Xiyue soldiers. Under the threat of death, Xiyue's troops had no choice but to cry out and split off to both sides. The Green Pine Vanguard, following closely behind them, seized the golden opportunity created by the fleeing Xiyue soldiers to close the distance and attempted to swallow this last resistance force whole.

Jelly fired another arrow, which accurately pierced the gaping maw of a Pine Striker. The man's body continued to move forward, but his head was thrown backward, resulting in a bizarre shape that severely defied human biomechanics.

"Sixth branch, follow me, engage!"

"Stop them! They won't last long!"

Jelly drew the elven scimitar from its waist and was the first to rush forward.

Someone needs to hold the front line to protect the archers' firing space behind them.

Although all elves love and excel at shooting and rarely resort to melee combat, this does not mean they are incapable of melee combat.

An archer who can draw a powerful bow will also be incredibly strong when wielding a sword.

The front rows of both vehicles collided violently.

Jelly only felt a blur before her eyes, and then a cloud of blood mist appeared.

The guards who were desperately trying to block him had already been lifted up by several spears.

He lunged forward, parried a thrusting spear, and then, with a swift movement, thrust his jelly-like scimitar forward, the tip plunging into the opponent's throat. The equally young Green Pine soldier's eyes widened, and he gurgled incoherently before collapsing to the side.

With another slash, he deflected another spear, slicing off half of the opponent's head. At the same time, Jelly's right shoulder was also struck hard by a heavy weapon, shattering the armor and spurting out blood.

After a round of exchanges, the opponent's front row was completely wiped out, and half of the elf's front row was also down.

Enchanted arrows whistled overhead, and bursts of magical light exploded continuously within the Green Pine's ranks. Meanwhile, on the opposite side, a mage who appeared out of nowhere poured psionic energy into the elves' formation.

War is actually quite simple and straightforward: you kill me, I kill you.

The Elven Silvermoon Guard consisted of elite soldiers handpicked from thousands, with their commander leading from the front. The entire force was formidable and their morale was high. However, their weakness lay in their small numbers and lack of close-combat weapons such as spears and halberds. They could only rely on their short blades and bare flesh to withstand attacks.

On the other hand, the Green Pine, which appeared to have a large and powerful force, was actually at its last gasp, relying solely on sheer willpower.

The two forces clashed fiercely, swords flashing and blood flying everywhere.

One side is trapped in a desperate situation on this battlefield, while the other side has its entire country on the verge of collapse.

Neither side could retreat.

The Elf army acted like a giant magnet, attracting the surrounding Green Pine troops, and in the Stream Moon camp, a few generals finally woke up from their slumber.

"Stop! Everyone stop!"

"Fight back with me!"

"Chairman Chen Mo's brother-in-law is still trapped inside. If he dies on the battlefield because of you idiots, the tribal chief will never forgive us!"

"They must exterminate their entire family!"

"Come back with me quickly and support the elves!"

That's right, Xi Yue doesn't care about losing battles, but if Guo Dong, a "royal relative," dies on the battlefield because of her defeat, the consequences would be too serious!

Under the coercion and enticement of some generals, several tribal legions of Xiyue barely managed to assemble a few troops, and they cautiously and tentatively returned to the battlefield.

Harold panicked.

The Minister of War of Green Pine, his throat completely hoarse, roared with all his might, each word dripping with blood: "Charge! Don't let them recover! Charge!"

"The fate of Green Pine depends on this battle! Charge!"

A spurt of blood gushed from his mouth, instantly turning the entire air in front of him crimson.

The old man collapsed to the ground, his gray hair falling onto the pile of lead-gray rocks, swaying slightly in the breeze.

Green Pine's last pillar of strength and spiritual leader fell abruptly on the battlefield.

The taut string of the Green Pine Army snapped.

In this battle, Xiyue suffered over ten thousand casualties, and the three branches of the Elf Silvermoon Guard lost more than half of their strength. Their commander, Jelly, was wounded dozens of times. When he was finally carried off the battlefield, his clothes were soaked in blood, and his feet inside his boots were reddish-brown from being soaked in blood.

However, in the end, the Summer Moon Alliance won this battle.

Without the participation of the main force of the Vast Ocean, the last resistance force cobbled together by Green Pine ultimately failed to win the battle. From that moment on, there was no longer any organized resistance within the Green Pine Kingdom.

In the last week of September, the Hanhai Field Army approached Qingsong City.

This is a beautiful city, with giant trees like umbrellas covering the fields.

When the wind blows, it brings a rustling sound to the leaves, like whispers among themselves.

The eighteen towering trees surrounding the city seem to nod slightly in the wind, offering a greeting from nature to this army that has come from afar.

(End of this chapter)