Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 497 The Current Situation of the Army's Clearance of the Wasteland

The fifth combat group's aerial bombardment continued without pause.

Wave after wave of Dongxia bombers swept across the sky in dense formations, launching bombing raids in small groups.

Each time the bomb bay doors opened one after another, a barrage of bombs rained down like hail, signifying that yet another orc fortress or tribal stronghold had been reduced to a sea of ​​fire amidst the roar.

The army of the Third Operational Group relentlessly pursued the flames and explosions, advancing ever forward.

Because the first wave of land troops was counterattacked by the wasteland orcs and forced to fight a defensive battle on the spot, the second wave of land troops, despite being late, arrived first and set foot on the land of the Savage Stone Gate.

When Wei Dingjiang saw the terrain here, he was a little dazed.

Isn't this... Bronze Canyon?

Qingtong Gorge is located in the northwest of Dongxia. The mountains are not particularly steep, but the terrain has a significant elevation difference, showing a very clear climbing posture from lowland to highland from south to north.

The Eastern Xia Dynasty repeatedly deployed engineering troops to carry out large-scale renovations of the Qingtongxia Valley area, including partial mountain opening, central earth piling, and the construction of numerous fortifications, creating a military fortress with a somewhat rugged feel.

The army has been conducting intensive military exercises in recent times, with seven out of ten drills taking place in the Bronze Canyon area.

The exercises weren't particularly difficult, but after each exercise, the terrain had to be carefully restored to its original state. As a result, there was a joke in the army that these exercises were mainly for training the engineering corps.

It wasn't until this moment, seeing the orc fortress with his own eyes, that Wei Dingjiang realized that the Bronze Canyon was a perfect replica of the Savage Stone Gate.

Even the angle of the road's incline and the position of the giant rock on the mountainside were perfectly accurate.

Wei Dingjiang reflexively raised the barrel of his gun and glanced at the fork in the road through the scope. It was all too familiar.

Without needing any calculations, he knew exactly what angle to use to precisely deliver the under-mounted grenade into the collapsed enemy outpost.

It turns out that we have already simulated fighting this enemy round after round.

"Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime!"

You're absolutely right!

but……

I know the terrain, but where is the enemy?
The enemy's fortress is gone, the enemy's battle flag is gone, and even the enemy itself... is gone.

The air force has already finished fighting in this area.

So uncomfortable!

The tracks crushed the broken stone slabs, and the chariot creaked and groaned as it rolled over the rubble. Wei Dingjiang stood up, leaned out most of his body, and stared wide-eyed at everything around him.

The thick, massive stone walls collapsed in sections, leaving piles of rubble several meters high everywhere. The remaining walls were riddled with huge gaps and cracks. The watchtowers, arrow towers, sentry towers, and observation posts that I remembered were now like jaws that had just been punched hard, reduced to broken fragments and crooked bases.

The frontal defenses were hit the hardest. Perhaps to save time for the army, the city gate area seemed to have been bombed repeatedly after it collapsed.

The large rock was blasted into fragments, which were then blasted into rubble, creating a shockingly large gap along the road leading to the wasteland, at least twenty meters wide.

Looking through the gap, one could see that the military camps, granaries, and countless unnamed orc buildings had all been ravaged. Some were now ruins, while others were still engulfed in flames, thick black smoke billowing from their charred skeletons, drifting obliquely towards the sky in the wind.

The wind whipped up the acrid black ash, which drifted through the air and landed on Wei Dingjiang's shoulder. He raised his hand to brush it off, and his fingers were immediately covered with a layer of black powder, greasy and like something thoroughly burned.

As Wei Dingjiang continued walking, he saw a large number of corpses.

Too much.

Everywhere.

As the first orc fortress to be bombed, the unprepared Wild Stone Gate Thunder Legion maintained a dense defensive formation when the bombing began.

The first batch of Dongxia pilots and bombardiers to arrive were all aces drawn from various flight squadrons, so they achieved the greatest bombing kills for the air force here.

The enemy's corpses are the most direct evidence.

Some of the remains still retained their general shape, while others were broken into two, three, or even more pieces. Due to their desperate struggle before death, many orcs were completely buried under the rubble, leaving behind only a large, tenacious hand reaching outwards as their last trace in this world.

The chariot moved forward, leaving behind a trail of severed limbs scattered everywhere, blown away by the shockwave. Most of the arm and leg armor still retained their shape, but the edges of the plates were curled up by the high temperature and impact, deeply embedded in the charred flesh.

Further ahead was a troop garrison that had been directly hit.

The infantry of the Hanhai are conducting an inspection.

To protect these "physically weak" "divine guards," Chen Mo dispatched his best cold weapon troops.

Although many warriors of the Vast Ocean were deeply puzzled by the combination of the two words above, this did not prevent them from resolutely carrying out their lord's orders.

They arrived at the front line first in trucks belonging to the mechanized forces of the Eastern Xia Army, and had already donned their armor and drawn their longswords or broadswords, entering the desolate Stone Gate before the Eastern Xia Army.

Their mission was to ensure that no short spear or iron hammer would suddenly fly out from these piles of corpses and harm the frail Dongxia warriors.

To put it more bluntly, it means using their strong resilience to physically step on the "mines" and eliminate the danger.

Of course, according to the tactical discipline of the Han Hai, if survivors are found and there are no hostile actions, a rescue operation should be carried out.

Leading the way were the orc warriors of the Vast Ocean Territory. They had demolished most of the collapsed outer wall of the outpost, revealing the scene inside.

Wei Dingjiang saw a large number of orcs who hadn't managed to escape, all wiped out in the outpost by a thermobaric bomb. Their corpses were piled up densely, like a bunch of dead crabs in a basket.

Some of the corpses were still in a climbing posture, their fingers digging deep into the ground, into the soil, and even into the flesh of their companions. Their fingernails were broken in many places, and some even exposed their white finger bones.

In the final moments of their lives, their struggles seemed so futile.

The corpses beneath the pile of bodies showed obvious signs of deformation, with flattened skulls and sunken chest cavities. Dark red liquid slowly seeped from the bottom of the pile, meandering along the cracks in the stone slabs and flowing into the crater, turning the scorched earth at the bottom of the crater into a mushy swamp.

The color was neither quite red nor quite black; it was rather glaring.

A loose beam fell and slammed heavily onto a bloated corpse, making a dull, cracking sound, like stepping on a water-filled sack, and an indescribable stench spread out.

Wei Dingjiang felt a little nauseous.

"What, you can't stand it already?"

The speaker was Chen Hang, Lao Wei's old partner, the company commander, and an eleven-year veteran.

Wei Dingjiang shook his head: "No, it's just that I haven't been able to fire a single shot yet, and I'm getting a little anxious."

"Come on, I know you too well!"

Chen Hang patted Wei Dingjiang on the shoulder: "You haven't seen their evil, you've only seen their misery, so it's normal to feel a little uncomfortable."

"But that's war."

"You haven't read the data, but I have. When these orcs marched south, the humans in the areas they passed through only had two possible outcomes."

"They were kidnapped and enslaved, or killed and used as fertilizer..."

"Keep walking a little further, and when you actually see the orc community, you'll understand!"

Wei Dingjiang frowned, thought for a long time, and then suddenly asked, "How did you see the information? I haven't seen it."

"My surname is Chen!"

"What's wrong with having the surname Chen?"

"Go if you want to!"

Of course, Chen Hang was talking nonsense. In fact, in this batch of troops, each vehicle had at least one soldier who had participated in psionic training, as emergency close combat preparation for critical moments.

These cultivators naturally have a much more comprehensive understanding of the starry world.

Just then, a faint metallic clanging sound came from ahead. It was the advance troops clearing out the remaining resistance. Judging from the sound, a fight had broken out.

Wei Dingjiang perked up: "Quickly, let's go up and take a look!"

The driver floored the accelerator, and the troop carrier lurched forward, accelerating. However, due to the severe damage to the ground, the front of the vehicle bounced up and down, making it perhaps slower than walking.

After turning two corners, he saw the scene of the battle.

Because the fortress is quite large and the command center has requirements for the speed of advance, the professionals from Han Hai spread out widely, usually in groups of two or three, conducting a grid search, and some even searched alone.

They ran into about twenty orcs who had emerged from underground. It was an underground bunker, the entrance of which had been destroyed in the bombing, so the orcs had been buried underneath and missed both the southward charge and the northward retreat.

After finally managing to dig open the hole, they ran right into the Han Hai Search and Rescue Team, who had come over after hearing the noise.

The two sides immediately started fighting.

This was the first time Wei Dingjiang had ever seen a living, fighting orc.

This orc army was in relatively good condition. Most of the orc soldiers were wearing chainmail, while a few wore leather armor. Each of them wielded a broadsword that was over two meters long, which spun around like a small windmill.

In a single encounter, they inflicted heavy losses on Han Hai's side.

But the soldiers of the vast sea are equally fearless.

To allow for greater maneuverability, the melee troops on the Hanhai side are equipped with lamellar armor.

The vanguard troops sent to act as guards must be well-equipped, using the finest alloy steel, with at least three types of enchanted light shimmering on their armor.

Despite the fact that two warriors were hit and bleed profusely and were thrown off the battlefield due to the small number of people in the area, the remaining orc and human warriors still sent signals and rushed forward without hesitation.

The broadsword clashed with the heavy blade; there was no dodging, no parrying, and the enormous sound of the collision made one's eardrums ring.

The orc captain leading the Han Hai was clearly an experienced veteran. When the opposing Beastmaster swung his sword and charged at him again, he slightly turned to the side, avoiding a fatal blow, and took the hit with his thickest shoulder armor.

A flash of black light appeared on the enchanted armor, followed by a dull thud. The armor plates dented, but did not shatter.

Taking advantage of this opportunity to exchange injury for injury, the Hanhai orc's greatsword was already raised from bottom to top, the blade cutting into the joint of the armor plate, slicing across the orc's thigh, cutting through the flesh, severing the tendons, and leaving a deep mark on the bone.

The chief of the wasteland beasts let out a miserable cry and knelt on one knee as the second sword of the Vast Ocean Warrior arrived.

This time, the leather vest on the shoulder was forcibly cleaved open, diagonally slicing in from the orc's collarbone, severing the artery, splitting open the lung, and then exiting from under the other armpit, cutting the man in two.

Fresh blood gushed out, splashing onto the armor, then sliding down the smooth armor plates without a single drop seeping in.

It's clear that the quality of this armor is really good.

Captain Han Hai withdrew his longsword and charged directly toward the second target.

The entire process took no more than five seconds, and was remarkably smooth.

Wei Dingjiang was a little stunned. These orcs from the vast sea were practically fighting for their lives.

What he didn't know was that because Han Hai had strong battlefield medical care and good treatment for the wounded, these guys who didn't really value their lives were particularly good at trading injuries for lives.

However, just as there are favorable winds, there are also unfavorable winds.

A relatively slender female orc from the Vast Ocean was left alone. She was wielding a long spear and was fiercely fighting with two other orcs.

This is a deer-type orc named Deer Shield.

The orcs' choice of names for Dongxia was really lacking in skill; they usually just picked whatever they heard. They heard that "Land Shield" was a very powerful weapon, and the name was even hotly contested among the deer tribe.

The fact that this female orc managed to get it means she must be quite powerful.

However, at this moment, Deer Shield was clearly in a very sorry state.

Although the orcs of the Vast Ocean are all surrendered soldiers, there are differences between surrenders.

For example, the Cat Clan, the Big Cat Clan, and the Long Cat Clan, while scheming against each other internally, cooperate as one externally, rivaling the Bull Clan and forming two major factions among the Beastmen of the Vast Sea.

As for the other orcs, they will inevitably be somewhat neglected. No matter how much the Vast Ocean emphasizes discipline, some deeply ingrained tribal customs cannot be changed overnight.

The Deer Clan is ultimately a small clan in the Vast Ocean, with few members and a weak background. Therefore, in this sudden battle, especially when she is outnumbered, it is difficult for her to receive support once she is separated from the others.

The spear in her hand moved like a snake, its tip flickering, repeatedly forcing the orcs back with parries and thrusts. But the orcs' two-pronged attack quickly cornered her against the wall.

A wasteland orc circled around to her side, raised his greatsword, and slashed down fiercely.

Deer Shield forcefully raised his left arm to block, the sword striking the armor on his left arm, sparks flew, armor plates shattered, and the blade got stuck in the bone.

Lu Dun grunted, and at the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning, stabbing the enemy in the moment of his roar into his unprotected mouth.

She risked her life to take down one, but she couldn't dodge the attack from the other orc.

The orc raised his greatsword high, aiming straight for her head. Stag Shield withdrew her spear and parried with all her might.

Wounded against uninjured, one-handed against two-handed, heavy chop against horizontal block.

Experience told her that she was beyond saving, so Lu Dun simply closed her eyes.

"boom--"

A gunshot rang out.

A large hole was ripped open on the side of the orc's head, and red and white substances spurted out. His body swayed, his greatsword slipped limply to the ground, and he fell straight forward.

Wei Dingjiang fired the shot.

Heavy sniper rifle, tungsten-core armor-piercing rounds.

He was confident that he could hit the enemy in the intense, high-speed battlefield without accidentally injuring his teammates, so he took the initiative and saved the warrior from the vast sea.

Lu Dun turned around and gave Wei Dingjiang a deep look.

A dazzling light seemed to gleam in his pale golden pupils.

Chen Hang clicked his tongue in amazement from the side: "Wow, a hero saving a damsel in distress!"

"Old Wei, look at the way she's looking at me, I think you've found your wife!"

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.

After reinforcements arrived, the battle quickly ended. The elite orcs who rushed out from underground were cut down, pierced, and shattered one by one by the warriors of the Vast Sea.

The last orc who tried to escape was shot in the back; the bullet entered through his heart and left a trail of blood.

Then, the pursuing elf pierced through the orc with another arrow, pinning him straight to the wall. His limbs twitched a few times, and he quickly lost all signs of life.

The small amount of resistance was cleared away, and the Eastern Xia army crossed the gateway to the orc wasteland, advancing deeper into the territory.

Wei Dingjiang's tank crew continued to charge ahead.

He saw orcs, driven to madness by repeated bombing raids, huddled in the wilderness. They had their heads bowed to their chests, some even buried in the earth, and seemed to be murmuring prayers.

He saw wounded soldiers writhing among the pile of corpses, howling, groaning, crying, numb... The healers of the Vast Ocean provided simple spells to stop the bleeding or numb the wounds, and then dragged them aside to await the arrival of the next troops.

He also saw orc cubs trembling in the ruins, huddled together, their eyes filled with terror, or perhaps hatred.

A warrior from the Vast Ocean went over to check on them, and the little brats immediately let out sharp cries, desperately shrinking back and kicking up dust from the ground.

Of course, he also saw the people Chen Hang had mentioned, the slaves in the orc tribes who were being enslaved and tortured.

Emaciated slaves, children with disproportionately large heads, elderly men crawling with difficulty, girls with numb faces...

Also, almost every tribe has a super huge mass grave.

The pit was filled with human skeletons: skulls, ribs, arm bones, leg bones... piled up haphazardly.

Some of the bones had turned black, while others were pale white, resembling an impressionistic ink painting.

These giant pits were never covered up because every day there might be dead slaves whose bodies needed to be disposed of.

Chen Hang is right.

All I can do is try my best to protect my people, my comrades, and my country!
As for the rest, we can't control that.

Ahead lay even more ruins, more corpses, and more enemies.

Eliminating them as much as possible within the limited time available is the best way to protect our nation and country!

(End of this chapter)