Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 503 A Trivial Victory and an Unprecedented Reception

As this round of military operations was drawing to a close, Helan, as the chief councilor of the Han Hai Council, once again summoned envoys and representatives from all sides and issued the latest announcement from Lord Chen Mo.

Compared to last time, Helan this time appeared much more spirited and confident.

We won this battle, and we won it brilliantly.

What else is there to say?
However, what surprised the representatives of the various factions was the attitude shown by Helan.

If Helan's previous speech was a mix of firmness and gentleness, with some hints of dissatisfaction and innuendo towards other countries' inaction, then this time, Helan's words were extremely mild, even excessively low-key.

"This campaign against the orcs has yielded some insignificant results, but it can be considered that we have not lost face for our human race, nor for the righteous army."

"In the end, we must also thank all the countries for their moral support!"

Those who knew the situation remained silent, while the representatives from the Silver Duchy and Mirror Lake Kingdom, who were unaware of the details, offered words of comfort.

"To be able to conquer the orc wasteland and achieve results in such a short time is already quite remarkable!"

"That's right. In the past two years, Han Hai has recovered the White Deer Plain and stopped the orcs' annual raids in the northern border. This is already a great achievement!"

"That's right. In the past few hundred years, which country has dared to launch an attack on the orcs? Han Hai's move greatly enhances the prestige of our human race!"

"My Jinghu still has tens of thousands of strong men who can serve Han Hai. With just a small hiring fee and travel expenses, they will risk their lives for Chairman Chen. It's a very worthwhile deal..."

Unable to bear it any longer, the representative of the Mist Moon Divine Court coughed loudly, interrupting the group's rambling and sales pitches: "Councilor Helan, I've heard that the Orc Emperor was wounded and fled, and the Orc Legion suffered more than half its losses. Is this true? Could you elaborate?"

"???"

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, and the entire room fell silent.

Then, Helan's calm voice was heard: "What you've heard is too exaggerated. We at Hanhai can't do that."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and raised their glasses with smiles.

I knew it! How could something like this happen?

"The orc chieftain Reinhardt escaped, but there is no evidence that he was injured. As for the four orc legions, only the Azure Thunder Legion suffered heavy losses, and the orcs may need to rebuild. The other legions still retain a certain level of combat strength."

"puff--"

The representative of the Silver Principality spat out half of the mouthful of wine he had just taken a sip, and forced the rest back down, choking and coughing repeatedly until his face turned red.

The breath I had just breathed a sigh of relief was suddenly caught in my throat again, unable to escape or inhale.

Those who had just tried to comfort Helan all shrank back into their collars, and Lucien of the Mirror Lake Kingdom even raised his right hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

I told you not to talk so fast!

The crisp sound was particularly clear in the quiet hall. Several people couldn't help but glance at him, then quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

Helan seemed to notice everyone's embarrassment, so he quickly changed the subject: "Chairman Chen Mo asked me to invite you all here, firstly to express my gratitude, and secondly to give you a briefing on the battlefield situation so that you can have a clearer understanding of the situation in the North."

He walked to the map and first pointed to the red circle in the northern part of Bailu Plain.

"First of all, let me clarify that this campaign against the orcs is because the orc forces colluded with the Twilight Tower and, in an extremely despicable act, opened a teleportation channel to the Underworld in the Qingfeng Mountain area of ​​Dingshan County, Bailu Plain, the core heartland of my Vast Ocean."

"This illegal act led to a large-scale invasion of the undead from the underworld, causing huge personnel and economic losses to our Han Hai. Han Hai could no longer tolerate it and had no choice but to fight back, launching a two-day special military operation against the orc wasteland."

"Over the past two days, under the great leadership and wise command of Lord Chen Mo, my Han Hai Territory has successively dispatched multiple armed forces, including the field army, the national defense army, local militia, and special forces. At the same time, we have temporarily summoned a group of cross-world warriors from the Eastern Xia Divine Kingdom in another world to jointly launch an attack on the Orc Wasteland."

"As of now, the results achieved are as follows—"

Heran cleared his throat, picked up a manuscript, and began to report the data.

"The complete capture of the Savage Stone Gate Fortress, the gateway to the Orcish Wasteland, has blocked the core passage for the Orcs' southward advance."

This is indeed good news.

From now on, it won't just be a matter of Han Hai holding off all the orc attacks alone. Merchants, mercenaries, and students from all countries can travel to the White Deer Plain with complete peace of mind, without worrying about orcs launching cross-border raids.

"The complete destruction of 27 fortresses, 105 outposts of varying sizes, 826 tribal outposts and supply depots in the Orcish Wasteland dealt a heavy blow to the Orcs' arrogance."

Is this... arrogant?

It seems like you guys are the more arrogant ones...

"The comprehensive clearing of 355 orc tribe settlements north of the Wild Stone Gate and south of the Howling Valley has been completed, and the area has been successfully demilitarized."

"Among them, the liberation of about 420,000 orc civilians and laborers and 190,000 human slaves was completed, and they were all relocated to the White Deer Plain for resettlement. As for the remaining orcs who were unwilling to go south, in the spirit of humanitarianism, our Han Hai requisitioned their houses and land for a fee, provided them with basic living supplies, paid their travel expenses, and sent them all to the north with courtesy."

Most of the people present, as diplomatic representatives, even if they had never been to the North, had some understanding of that region.

Demilitarization, relocation, farewell with courtesy...

What does this mean? It means completely clearing out an area almost the size of the Emerald Duchy, turning it into a vast, uninhabited area, a region free of orcs.

This move completely severed the orcs' foundation in the southern wasteland. If the orcs wanted to launch an attack southward in the future, without the support and cover of the tribes, their offensive lines would be greatly extended, making it impossible for them to resupply nearby or to hide and regroup.

All military actions by both sides will be made public.

Even the most knowledgeable bishops of the Holy See couldn't help but swallow hard upon hearing this.

Although the land on the wasteland is not as fertile as the lowlands, it still produces decent yields and is especially suitable for grazing.

The orcs used pastures to raise cattle and sheep, and used the cattle and sheep to raise frost wolves, thus creating the largest and most unique frost wolf cavalry force on the continent.

How could a traditional, star-studded nation be willing to give up such a large area, conquering it and then abandoning it?

Even if it's inconvenient for me to have actual control, wouldn't it be better to send a few more pioneering lords over there and use them as a shield and meat shield?
Oh, by the way, the entire Han Hai region is directly under the jurisdiction of the lord's mansion; there are no such things as pioneering lords...

Everyone had their own thoughts and ulterior motives. With a "whoosh," Helan turned a page, and everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

"In addition, our lord paid a heavy price, requesting the Sky Warriors of the Divine Kingdom to launch a divine punishment attack on the Orc King's city, but they failed to break through the Orc King's city's defenses."

Helan paused, lifting his gaze from the manuscript and slowly sweeping it over everyone present before continuing:

"But according to feedback from various sources, the beast chieftain Reinhardt seems to have been terrified and fled from the royal city in a panic, hiding in the holy mountain, whereabouts unknown."

The wording of this passage is not simple. It was carefully considered and revised by the Dongxia expert team before it was finally finalized. Although it is only a few sentences long, it conveys a tremendous amount of information.

First, divine punishment comes at a great cost.

The nations of the Stars can fully understand this, after all, using divine punishment comes at a considerable cost.

From this perspective, the vast ocean and they have formed a dynamic balance.

There are never permanent allies between nations. So, no matter how good relations are now, everyone shares a common hatred for the orcs and hopes that Han Hai can win, but they absolutely do not want to see Han Hai win without suffering any losses.

The greater the price paid, the happier and more at ease everyone will be!
Secondly, the divine punishment failed to breach the defenses of the orc capital.

No country has ever truly experienced the level of defense of the Orcish Royal City, since the Orcish Royal City didn't even exist when the Sky Empire attacked the Wasteland.

However, all the major powers were confident that the orcs, who couldn't even use magic, had limited city defenses and weren't that tough.

Since your Han Hai can't break through the orcs, it means that our countries don't need to worry too much.

Finally, the Beast King escaped.

That means the defenses weren't breached, but the city's defenses might be in grave danger.

A comparison of the preceding and following events reveals that the lower limit of this "divine punishment" is not particularly prominent, but its upper limit is unknown. If one carefully considers this passage, the rulers of various countries should gain a very clear understanding.

Don't be afraid of the vast ocean, but don't provoke it too much either!

That's right, this is the image that Dongxia has always presented to the outside world. Just like Dongxia's pandas, they eat bamboo and act cute all day long. Many people have forgotten that this thing's true form is actually a bear, and it is said to be the mount of an ancient war god.

In short, the entire briefing was filled with a festive and joyful atmosphere, with everyone expressing amazement and a sense of relief.

Everyone celebrated another great victory for Han Hai, while their eyes occasionally darted to the Emerald Envoy in their corner.

What's it like to watch your enemy soar to new heights?
Once the discussion had subsided somewhat, Helan calmly brought up a topic he had prepared long ago.

"My lord believes that many of the conflicts on the Starry Continent stem from a lack of communication and understanding between the parties involved!"

"Therefore, our Han Hai first established this notification mechanism in order to explain the situation and express our position to all countries during major military operations, so as to avoid unnecessary tension and misjudgment."

"Facts have shown that clearly stating one's intentions and explaining the situation can indeed greatly reduce misunderstandings and suspicion between each other. Therefore, our Chairman Chen Mo proposes that all major forces in the Starry Sky should establish such a mutual notification mechanism."

"We at Hanhailing are willing to provide such a platform for friendly exchanges and mutual communication among countries!"

Please consider this carefully!

The discussion paused briefly, then erupted again.

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.

Just as the vast ocean was attempting to establish a miniature version of the "League of Nations" on the stars, the original international order on the blue planet was rapidly collapsing.

Between great powers, swords flash and shadows gleam. Between small nations, fists clench and drop to the ground.

The most direct feeling is that the mask that everyone could pretend to maintain in the original international order is no longer being worn.

If everyone follows the rules, the money will go to the most capable country. How can that be allowed?
Then we'll have no choice but to break the rules and steal or rob whatever we can.

However, given Dongxia's current strength, no matter how much other countries break the rules, they can only steal from Dongxia covertly, not openly rob it.

No, and I dare not!

Therefore, the order of Earth presents such a bizarre and surreal phenomenon.

The "just" Eastern Xia supported and advocated free trade.

The "evil" Dongxia opposed and advocated free trade.

Even the "chaotic" ones, which Dongxia despised and constantly criticized, continued to trade and engage in free trade.

Some people sarcastically say that Dongxia only cares about interests and has no principles, but the reality is that Dongxia upholds its principles with words and protects its interests with actions.

The Fanxing Hanhai team, visiting Dongxia for the first time, received a grand welcome from Dongxia in this atmosphere.

The first and foremost priority is, of course, Frostfall.

Liu Shuang is very happy now.

This joy began the moment she stepped out of the teleportation tunnel and has continued until now, making her feel as if she were enveloped in a dazzling halo.

When the passage between the two worlds opened, she was a little worried that Chen Mo might go to Dongxia alone and leave her behind in Fanxing.

Although she was already very strong, not only was her own strength outstanding, but she also had a group of loyal subordinates and a powerful, fully armed guard that she had never dared to dream of before.

Furthermore, as long as she doesn't clash with Chen Mo, she can freely utilize Han Hai's political, financial, and military power, the right to use special weapons, the control of "Sky Eye," and the leadership of the intelligence and oversight systems without any hindrance.

However, she still felt a little panicked.

Among everyone in the Vast Ocean Territory, Liu Shuang was probably the first to vaguely realize that Chen Mo did not actually belong to the Starry World.

In her dream woven by "fluorescent silkworms," ​​there was no Chen Mo.

Although it was just a dream, a completely illusory dream that had nothing to do with reality, Liu Shuang had a hunch that the star Chen Mo didn't come to was also a real star.

Every detail was so unforgettable that it kept her awake in her dreams time and time again.

Therefore, she no longer really needs to rely on Chen Mo. She has little interest in power, wealth, land, or the country, but she still cherishes Chen Mo very much.

Girls are actually exceptionally emotional beings.

But now, all her worries have vanished, because in this "divine kingdom" called Dongxia, Chen Mo didn't come, but she has!

The treatment she received was so high it seemed unreal.

All the top three engineering executives from the [Cihang] department were present, along with seven of the top nine. These old men, radiant and dressed in impeccably tailored dark summer suits, with torch badges like those of Hanhai pinned to their chests, waited at the exit of the passage with benevolent smiles.

Chen Mo had shown Liu Shuang the photos, so the little girl was immediately stunned.

Commander Li Zehua, who was leading the group, had originally had a head of white hair that was now jet black and thick, neatly combed, whether dyed or rejuvenated. The moment he saw Liu Shuang emerge from the teleportation tunnel, the old man's eyes lit up, and he strode forward to greet her.

A large hand gently grasped it.

"Comrade Liushuang! Welcome, welcome home!"

The cameraman next to them, despite his extensive experience and numerous battles, couldn't help but tremble at that moment.

A bewildered little girl, dressed in plain clothes, with a small white bird perched on her shoulder, stood there blankly, waiting for the project managers to come up to her one by one, shake her hand, exchange pleasantries, and offer their greetings…

This scene is just too fantastical...

It's definitely unprecedented, and it's likely to be the last of its kind... It's highly probable that even if Chen Mo himself returns in the future, there probably won't be such a grand spectacle.

After all, this is the first time in history that the two realms have communicated, and the etiquette for children and guests is different.

Of course, apart from Liu Shuang, the other members of the delegation also received extremely high honors.

The head of the science and technology department, accompanied by several academicians, warmly welcomed Scholar Anthony; experts from the engineering department bowed low, explaining the situation to Master Norton Ironbrow; the psionic technology team accompanied Mage Downs, while the Blue Star Nine Springs troops continued the autumn night whispers of the Nine Springs Stars…

Liu Zaiyue and Niu Tanqin, who were originally guards, followed Liu Shuang closely. However, they were led astray by several cloven-hoofed physiologists and mammalian psychologists from Dongxia and ended up following along without realizing it.

Even the little white bird that always huddled on Liushuang's shoulder had a dedicated staff member accompanying it—researcher Zhang Changlin from Ziyun Mountain.

Little White sensed a natural aura emanating from the old man that was distinct from that of the Archdruid, yet equally rich and intense, like a mountain breeze or morning dew in the forest.

The key point is that within that aura, Little White seemed to vaguely see a gigantic World Tree.

Before he could even process what was happening, the Zhiwei bird's wings had already automatically opened, and it flew directly into the old man's hand.

All members of the delegation were thoughtfully accompanied and cared for, taking a sightseeing elevator to the ground and then being transported to the station by a motorcade.

Dongxia opened a separate maglev train with a speed of 900 kilometers per hour, which brought them all the way to Star Shield New City.

The fleeting glimpses of scenery along the way were enough to dazzle and captivate them.

In this city, they will first witness one of the most advanced technological displays in Dongxia.

The long table was laden with a variety of dishes, steaming hot and fragrant.

Red, green, gold, silver... dishes of various colors are arranged in a pleasing and orderly fashion, forming exquisite patterns, like works of art. Even more incredible is the plating, with various ingredients carved into exquisite patterns, some resembling phoenixes spreading their wings, others displaying their national beauty.

This is a grand banquet that blends eight major cuisines and thirty-nine culinary branches.

(End of this chapter)