Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 528 Arrival in Dongxia: The Settlement of the Dragon Sea and Dragon Cliff
Northwest of Dongxia, Tianhe Base.

The launch tower stands alone deep in the Gobi Desert. There are no backup launch missions recently, and it's another boring day at the base.

The Dongxia troops, who had previously conducted military exercises near the base, have now been stationed here for several months and are reluctant to leave.

On the once desolate Gobi Desert, a dense array of makeshift barracks stretching for kilometers has sprung up. The military-green prefabricated houses are arranged in neat rows, looking from a distance like a thick green carpet spread across the land.

This unusual phenomenon has sparked much discussion within the military system.

Some say that these units performed so poorly in the exercise that they need to be put into closed training to strengthen their skills.
Some speculate that certain individuals within the participating troops have committed serious errors, and a large-scale investigation and screening are underway.

There is another rumor that sounds the most unreliable but is widely circulated: that a second-generation rich kid who runs this launch base didn't get much funding for the launch this year, so he created a pretext to have the troops conduct exercises next to the base.

It's mainly to earn some money for boxed lunches and cigarettes.

The daily expenses of tens of thousands of people amount to a considerable sum.

Despite how absurd this claim may be, many people actually believe it.

Perhaps it's because... there have been even more absurd examples in the past.

Of course, for the soldiers stationed in the surrounding camps, their feelings at this moment were a mixture of joy and immense grievance.

The sixty-hour limit of the Starry World brought a clear blue sky to the Vast Ocean, but it was quite unfriendly to Dongxia.

These tens of thousands of brave young men who have returned from fighting in another world must not be released during this period of time.

The reason is simple: to prevent leaks!

Although these soldiers were carefully selected, and were loyal, reliable, politically qualified, and highly competent, their numbers were simply too large. Once restrictions were lifted, no one could guarantee that everyone would be able to resist the urge to show off.

The letters home from the soldiers who were intercepted were filled with this almost overflowing expression of pride.

For example: "I did something amazing, but I can't tell you!"

For example: "You'll find out someday!"

Also: "Tell the child that he will be incredibly proud of his father!"

The barely suppressed smugness in his words seemed ready to leap off the page at any moment.

The people of Dongxia, who usually write an 800-word essay about helping an old lady, have accomplished something so significant that it's worthy of being recorded in history. Even if they manage to keep quiet about it, their smugness is impossible to hide.

That won't do!

There's no other way but to stay here and keep a close watch on everything, even when I call my girlfriend, I have to monitor her the whole time.

No one was dissatisfied. After all, being able to participate in such a major event gave them an absolute psychological advantage over other brother units. Even if they were feeling very uncomfortable, they had to put up with it.

During these days when we cannot move freely, all we can do is train, train, train, and wait for the next possible attack.

However, we won't have the chance to go there again for now. Instead, some things are being sent over from Fanxing.

With the order issued, this military base, which is usually disguised as a backup space launch site, has now entered a state of first-level combat readiness.

From the base entrance to the underground core area, fully armed Dongxia warriors, wearing exoskeletons, set up six lines of defense centered around the "Land Shield" close-in weapon system.

As all the anti-impact doors closed, the safety devices on the first and second lines of defense were activated, and the motors of the weapon fire control systems emitted a soft hum, like a lurking beast ready to charge.

A large flatbed vehicle slowly emerged from the depths of the base, its six sturdy mechanical arms supporting a colossal object.

Its massive body swayed slightly as the vehicle moved, revealing a huge head, a ferocious face, and enormous, unseeing eyes, the surface of which seemed to be covered with a thin layer of ice.

Its scales are a dark grayish-brown, like ancient rocks eroded by time, with slightly upturned edges that reveal the bluish-gray skin underneath.

The long horn on its head juts out diagonally from above the brow bone, curving slightly downwards at the end. The horn is covered with fine vertical lines, marks left by years of friction against the cliff.

This is a sub-dragon with a basically intact body structure and a body length of over 35 meters.

It is only because Dongxia's heavy transport industry is sufficiently developed that they could find such heavy vehicles to match the transport needs.

As the massive, neatly arranged 24 pairs of tires slowly rolled over the speed bumps on the defensive line, the soldiers held their breath in unison.

"There are such big ones? Why didn't we see one when we went last time?"

"What do you want to do? Tired of being human and want to turn into a pile of excrement?"

"What are you saying? It's not like we can't beat them! A dragon? How many missiles can it withstand?"

"That's something the missile troops can handle. What's it to you? If you suddenly run into them on the front lines, where are you going to find missile troops to support you?"

The soldiers whispered among themselves, gripping their rifles tighter. Then, the second and third flatbed wagons pulled out.

The monsters' corpses appeared one after another in various poses and forms before everyone's eyes.

"Look at that...it looks like it was shot, right?"

A veteran who had participated in the last battle squinted and examined the situation for a while before giving a definitive answer.

"That's right, his head is riddled with bullets, it was hit by a heavy machine gun. But judging from the looks of it, he's really tough to survive so many shots!"

How did you figure that out?

"Nonsense, look at your neck!"

Following his finger, everyone looked over and saw a huge cut on the side of the earth dragon's neck, slicing diagonally down from below its jaw, almost severing half of its head.

The cut edges were neat, and some of the damaged scales were also cleanly cut off, revealing the white cervical vertebrae underneath.

"It's not like they'd cut off the head first and then just spray the corpse with a heavy machine gun for fun, is it? That's why they didn't kill it and ended up having to deal with it in close combat."

"Given the size difference, even a slight graze could cripple someone..."

"Tsk tsk, the soldiers over there in the vast sea are really tough. Old Wei, you're in luck, from now on..."

"roll!"

Wei Dingjiang, exasperated, stopped their joke. His comrades weren't angry; they just chuckled and continued watching this unprecedented exhibition of monster remains.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...

One flatbed cart after another emerged from the depths of the base, each carrying the corpse of a gigantic dragon.

At the exit of the altar, the stargazing team was diligently taking notes.

Lin Xiangdong stood in front of the observation window, looking at the enormous objects being moved by the robotic arm on the altar platform. He felt that his worldview, which had already been overturned many times, was once again crushed by the fantastical reality.

"Which batch is this?"

“The third batch.” Chi Qiu flipped through the tablet in his hand. “The first batch was three-headed sub-dragons, the second batch was also three-headed sub-dragons, and the third batch… is still sub-dragons for now.”

"I mean, did Han Hai conquer the Dragon's Nest?"

Lin Xiangdong coughed lightly: "Pay attention to recording the data, and don't discuss irrelevant matters!"

Each dragon delivered is immediately placed on a spacious measurement platform, where it is fully straightened, flattened, and its data is tested.

Of course, we also wanted to check if there was any risk of survival.

"This one, numbered YL008, according to the measurement platform's data report, has a total length of 46 meters from snout to tail tip, a total wingspan of 58.54 meters, a head length of 5.20 meters, a torso diameter of 4.57 meters, and a weight of 143.29 tons..."

"The body's integrity is approximately 75%..."

There was a huge crack on the top of the dragon's skull, extending from the eye socket to the back of the head. The edges were jagged, as if it had been forcibly smashed by some kind of blunt object. The bone fragments at the wound were turned outward, revealing the dark red tissue that had congealed underneath.

Even though it had been dead for a long time, the two rows of inward-curving hook-shaped teeth protruding from its half-open mouth were still terrifying and chilling to the bone.

Lin Xiangdong numbered and archived more than a dozen photos taken from different angles, and signed to confirm them on the electronic screen.

Next, a finely crafted and complete dragon corpse came into view.

This creature was about 35 meters long. Although it looked smaller than the large wyverns in front of it, it was much more imposing. In fact, it was on a completely different level from the monsters we had just seen.

The dragon's carcass was covered in scales of a deep indigo blue, which, even though it had been dead for a long time, still shimmered with a porcelain-like luster. Each scale was the size of a washbasin, with sharp, knife-like edges, and the overlapping patterns were neat and orderly.

Following the scales upwards, this is the first dragon with its eyes completely closed, its form serene and its expression tranquil, as if it were simply asleep.

It has branching horns, no wings, stable four legs, and a graceful body...

This is a real dragon!
It is clear that in order to appease Han Hai's anger, Long Ya made huge concessions.

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.

The true dragons had no choice.

This rebellion by the whelps not only wiped out their own race but also nearly dragged the true dragons into utter ruin. The whelps' main fighting force was wiped out, and even those remaining—the old, weak, women, and children—who still possessed some fighting ability, could no longer be trusted by the true dragons.

This means that the largest hunting and combat group in Dragon Cliff has vanished.

On the surface, food loss appears to be greatly reduced. However, without this powerful aid, food replenishment is not just a matter of being cut in half, but rather a matter of being broken.

The history of the dragons' expansion in the Sighing Icefield has fully demonstrated that the true dragon race alone could not sustain itself.

Even if dragons have a thousand flaws, or even secretly harbor secrets, there is one thing they have: they grow quickly, mature fast, and have sufficient raw power.

The burden on the true dragons is too heavy. The low birth rate, lack of nutrients, and harsh conditions for maturation have resulted in less than one-fifth of the true dragon population being able to be described as "young and vigorous".

A dragon might have been able to feed its entire family during the time when it dominated the continent and had abundant resources. But in this extremely cold place, unless it feeds itself to its family, it probably wouldn't be able to survive even a day.

As for Han Hai, who had originally agreed to provide food for Longya...

The delegation, currently being temporarily led by Lieutenant Thumb, presented a series of righteous and forceful demands to the Dragon Clan on behalf of the Vast Ocean.

The reason he has this strange name is because Thumb is his real name.

As an ordinary "guide" who once mingled in the Land of Exile, Little Finger has no talent for cultivation, a seriously ill father, and a mountain of debt. By all accounts, he will soon become a consumable item for the [Eternal Sleep Shed].

Then on that day, Little Finger received Chen Mo and Liu Shuang.

There's a popular opinion that Xiaomuzhi's change of fortune stemmed not only from his own abilities but also from his astute ability to utter that one sentence upon meeting Xiaomuzhi:

"Master, Madam, please get in the car!"

From then on, he embarked on a completely different and brilliant life.

Although they still cannot become professionals, ordinary people can still give full play to their abilities within the HanHai system.

Thumb is intelligent, flexible, and has a strong learning ability. He is proficient in a variety of professional skills and has mastered more than a dozen different professional skills at a young age. He is especially skilled in the operation, maintenance and repair of electronic equipment and has been appointed as a technical backbone of the visiting delegation.

Because he wasn't a professional, he was kept in the rear throughout the great battle in the Old Cavern. After Xia Chenghui was seriously injured, he was appointed as the new person in charge.

After contacting Han Hai, Thumb delivered the following message to the Silver Dragon Clan Chief, who was also temporarily in charge due to his leader's injury.

First, conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into this attack, and provide Hanhai with a complete, detailed, clear, and unreserved account of all the facts.

Secondly, the Yalong clan, as the culprits, will be treated as war criminals, regardless of whether they are alive or dead, old or young, and will all be handed over to Han Hai for trial and punishment.

The corpses were handed over immediately, while the remaining living Yalong was temporarily placed under the care of Longya because Hanhai was currently unable to control it. However, ownership of the remaining creatures should be confirmed to belong to Hanhai from this moment on.

"This is for your own good!"

With a serious expression, Thumb looked up at the bigwigs of True Dragon and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Hanhai regards Yalong as a war criminal, which is based on the facts and has no intention of expanding the scope of suspicion."

"You must understand that many people in the territory believe that the True Dragon Clan is the mastermind behind this attack, or at least that they condoned it or withheld information..."

"We absolutely do not have this..."

Before the impatient Silver Dragon Chief Sig could finish speaking, Thumb raised his hand to interrupt him: "You initiated the investigation and you gave the conclusion. The fact that Han Hai can see is that we were attacked by the guards arranged by the True Dragon Clan in the area provided by the True Dragon Clan, and all the True Dragons are in hibernation."

"If it weren't for the esteemed Lord Chen Mo speaking up for you and highly praising the Red Dragon Chieftain and the Blue Dragon Leader's rescue efforts, the Vast Ocean might have already declared war on the Dragon Clan by now!"

Sieg opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only let out a low sigh.

And so, the Yalong clan, who had already lost the trust of the authorities, was removed from the Dragon Cliff's organization.

The third item in the letter was to clarify the compensation for losses.

Damage to equipment, medical care for the wounded, compensation for the dead, and pensions for their families.

"You can ask around freely. The whole continent knows how Han Hai handles the deaths of soldiers during missions."

"A death compensation, a meritorious service allowance, and a funeral condolence payment."

"If the victim has parents, the Hanhai government will be responsible for their care, including all living expenses, medical care, and reasonable expenses, until they are cared for in their old age and die."

"If the victim has a spouse, farmers will be given sufficient land and exempted from all agricultural taxes. Workers will be guaranteed an income no less than the average level in Hanhai, and their jobs will be protected under all circumstances."

"If the victims have children, Hanhai will be responsible for their living and education expenses until they reach adulthood. The Hanhai government will continue to provide living allowances until they are able to support themselves."

"Whether your dragon clan acknowledges it or not, Han Hai will do it anyway. Either you pay compensation directly, or Han Hai will take responsibility first, and then settle the score with Long Ya."

Lieutenant Thumb spoke with absolute certainty, and the Dragon Clan believed him; Han Hai wouldn't lie about something like this.

However, isn't your policy a bit too much?

No wonder even the lowest-ranking logistics soldiers and cooks are so fearless!
At that moment, a strange thought crossed the minds of all the dragons present.

If I could join the Han Hai, and then find a chance to die, wouldn't my family, young and old, finally live a happy and peaceful life...?

Having said all that, unless the Dragon Clan is prepared to go to war with the Vast Ocean, they must acknowledge this debt.

But how can Longya compensate for such an astronomical sum calculated by Hanhai?

Two days later, the Blue Dragon leader, who had just woken up from his coma, listened to everything and gave a direct affirmative reply.

"Apart from the lives of the dragons, everything else must be used to pay for it!"

Thus, the pseudo-dragon clan was the first to be compensated by the vast ocean.

More than a thousand pseudo-dragons, still somewhat bewildered, became the assets of Han Hai.

After confirming that the Vast Ocean forces did not intend to kill and eat them for the time being, the pseudo-dragons elected the man who had saved the Vast Ocean warriors as their new leader, thanking this hero for preserving the pseudo-dragon group's life.

However, according to Hanhai's standards, simply offering a fake dragon as compensation is not enough.

During the calculation process, Han Hai did not deliberately undervalue the pseudo-dragon; on the contrary, he gave it a very fair price, which even the most picky and demanding dragons could not argue with.

However, the compensation standards set by the Vast Ocean were simply too high, so the True Dragon Clan had no choice but to include the remains of their predecessors, which still lingered in the Dragon Sleep Land.

This condition caused a great uproar among the dragons, but Blue Scale overruled the objections and forced the decision through.

"Living, surviving, is more important than anything else!"

Everyone else thought that the destruction of the Yalong was their fault, but only the leader of the Blue Dragon knew the truth: he had personally witnessed the effects of the Vast Ocean missile bombardment.

Before he arrived, the dragons on the scene had already suffered a devastating blow. The charred explosion marks, the wounded dragons rolling around, and the scattered, mangled corpses all reminded the dragon leader that this was an attack he could not understand at all, but was equally powerful.

Compared to the Blue Dragon's own extreme cold storm, the fact that the magic launched from the distant warship could land so precisely at the entrance of the Old Cave was a terrifying display of power.

Bluescale now fully believes that the story circulating on the continent that the Vast Ocean defeated the Orc Empire in a single day is not just a baseless rumor.

And so, the ancestors of the dragon race were put on the trading table.

This silenced even the little finger.

After consulting with the lord, Little Finger, representing the Vast Ocean, gave a clear reply.

The Vast Ocean accepts the remains of true dragons as compensation, but only takes representative samples from each branch of the dragon race, and will never use the true dragon corpses as material storage.

At the same time, Han Hai promised that only a small amount of tissue would be extracted in the early stage for basic research purposes, and that it would not be dismembered or destroyed during the process. If it was necessary to decompose it, the Dragon Clan would be informed and permission would be obtained before proceeding.

This attitude left the True Dragon Clan with mixed feelings.

He cursed the damned dwarf under his breath.

Those damned dwarfs, back then they forced the dragons to take away the remains of their dragon ancestors by using materials, and committed so many despicable acts.

Dissection, dismemberment, refining, enchanting...

The corpses of dragons are their materials, their scales are their currency, and their bones are their weapons.

Look at Hanhai. No matter what the future holds, they've taken the initiative to propose this kind of solution. At least in this moment, their feelings are genuine.

Finally, regarding the remaining compensation shortfall, the two parties negotiated a deal: the True Dragon Clan would provide six members to serve Han Hai for the next twenty years, accepting Han Hai's leadership and management.

Hanhai promised to provide meals and accommodation, and that the work and tasks assigned to these "labor dispatch dragons" would not jeopardize the core interests of the dragon race.

Provided that all the above conditions are met, both parties agree to continue the previously agreed cooperation terms, namely, that Han Hai will provide Long Ya with a certain amount of food in exchange for the Dragon Clan providing intelligence support, navigation assistance, and limited combat support during Han Hai's exploration of the new continent.

Next, the [Wave-Treading] No. 1 ship will travel day and night to return the corpses of the dragons and true dragons, as agreed in the agreement, to the Vast Ocean.

After arranging repeated checks, Chen Mo sent these behemoths back to Earth through the Bloodline Altar.

The arrival of these interdimensional deliveries instantly drew the attention of the entire Cihang Engineering Department to Dongxia's Tianhe base.

(End of this chapter)