Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 536 Symbiotic Giant Hibiscus Wind Serpent Ranch Searching for Human Civilization
While cutting down trees and building defensive lines, the Han Hai Expeditionary Force also attempted to conduct reconnaissance in deeper areas.

As dawn broke, the reconnaissance drone formation of the Hanhai Expeditionary Force took to the air once again.

Within this forward operating base named "Ningyuanwei," twelve [Jinghong] Type III high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were launched sequentially from a temporarily leveled runway. Their slender, elongated wings swayed slightly, like a flock of swifts leaving their nest, as they rapidly ascended and disappeared above the clouds.

"Formation No. 3, data link normal, telemetry signal stable."

"Formation 5, flight control system positioning complete, entering the predetermined route."

"Formation Six, the electro-optical pod has completed its self-test; the recording clarity is excellent!"

The command system completed its debugging in about ten minutes. Then, the drones were arranged in groups of three, maintaining a distance of about one kilometer between each other, forming a regular equilateral triangle in the sky, spreading out in a fan shape, and silently covering the depths of the mainland.

With a maximum range of over thirty hours, even considering round trips, it's enough to travel thousands of kilometers into the mainland.

[Jinghong] climbed very quickly, first using the catapult force to rush to a height of over nine thousand meters in a short time. At this distance, even the strongest known creature in the Misty Continent, the Wind Serpent, could not do anything to these high-up eyes.

Next, we will begin full-scale filming and focused observation.

The first thing that catches the eye is a desolate scene.

This land is even more desolate than the orcish wasteland north of the vast sea. At least in the orcish territory, the vegetation coverage is barely acceptable, but here, as far as the eye can see, there are vast expanses of bleakness.

The earth, like a crumpled animal hide, is crisscrossed with ravines and rises and falls, merging with the hazy sky at the far horizon. The dark rock layers of the exposed mountain ridges stretch endlessly towards the horizon.

Within sight, there are only three main colors: the ochre red exposed by the weathered rocks, the grayish-yellow from the cracks in the dry soil, and the dark green of the tree canopy, which is dotted here and there like sores on a bald man's head.

That greenery is the forest of the [Seaside Giant Hibiscus].

To warn of the plant's potential danger, the expeditionary force further renamed it the "Coastal Man-Eating Giant Hibiscus," even though the plant was actually quite wronged, being cut down piece by piece without uttering a sound.

But there was nothing they could do; now the expeditionary force was in charge, so this vicious name was pinned on it.

Of course, the expeditionary force now knows that the distribution of these giant forests is highly dependent on limited rivers and groundwater. Water resources are quite scarce on the surrounding land, which is why the forests are sparse and scattered, like isolated islands.

According to the staff department's assessment, the reason why the number of wind serpent colonies encountered in Han Hai is so small is largely related to the distribution density of the [Coastal Man-Eating Giant Hibiscus].

The dragons that ran head-on into hundreds of wind serpents back then most likely chose a lucky spot when they were breaking through the barrier and ended up in the serpents' lair.

The initial reason for Han Hai's choice of this direction was that the continental shelf extended long enough to have a relatively wide shallow water area, which would facilitate the use of tides and rapid wading. However, in hindsight, it yielded an unexpected benefit.

Because the shallow waters are too vast to hold large schools of fish, wind serpents have to fly long distances into the deep waters to hunt from the sea.

This directly resulted in the wind serpents not being able to accumulate in number, becoming a "weak area" in the Misty Continent.

In other words, the Vast Ocean Expeditionary Force is treading on the "newbie village" of the Misty Continent.

Under the precise control of the reconnaissance troops, the drone swarm adopted a tactical formation of "one in front and two behind, with the front higher and the rear lower," constantly adjusting its cruise mode, crossing one mountain ridge after another, and traversing one field after another.

However, apart from the giant hibiscus bushes that dotted the screen like isolated islands, no trace of civilization ever appeared on the screen.

There were no visible roads, no man-made structures, no trace of smoke or fire, not even a decent animal trail.

"This place must be a place abandoned by the gods!" Ma Baoguo stood next to Makaga, a blade of grass he had picked up from somewhere dangling from his mouth, and mumbled indistinctly.

Macaka ignored him, glancing at the screen only occasionally.

After finishing breakfast and working another round of tasks, the scene finally changed when I looked back.

A vast, mostly dried-up riverbed came into view, its width estimated at over two kilometers, winding its way into the distance. Only a thin trickle remained in the middle of the riverbed; the rest was completely exposed to the sunlight.

From a high altitude, large patches of cracks are visible on the bottom of the riverbed, which at first glance look like unsightly, poorly treated scars.

To the southeast of the riverbed, the trickling river water bends and merges into a huge puddle.

Almost with this river as the watershed, on the west side, which is the side of the Hanhai Expeditionary Force, there are scattered green trees and a small number of shallow shrubs along the river, while on the east side of the river, a large number of plant communities begin to appear, and the density increases sharply.

Okay, we can drop the "coastal" part before "[Man-eating Giant Hibiscus]", as it is clearly a plant species that adapts to various terrains.

Centered around that enormous lake, a dense thicket of giant hibiscus grows all around, its canopy now forming a continuous expanse that resembles a dark green ocean from afar, reminding Macaka of the once-thick and vast dark forest.

The Misty Continent has unveiled a corner of the mysterious veil to the Vast Ocean.

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.

Soon, all the results of this reconnaissance, including a massive amount of high-definition photos, video clips, preliminary analysis reports, and so on, were packaged up completely and transmitted across the Endless Sea to the Han Hai Command Hall in Dingshan County on the Starry Continent.

Since the situation on the mainland gradually stabilized, Chen Mo has been spending less and less time in Hanhai City.
Although Hanhai City is the birthplace of the entire Hanhai Territory and has now been developed into a picturesque and bustling place, it is ultimately too far from the main territorial defense zone.

When key officials from various regions make a trip to Beijing to "report on their work," they have to spend a lot of time traveling to and from the capital.

Another reason why Chen Mo couldn't stay any longer was that the property prices in Hanhai City were simply too high.

As the location of the city lord's mansion in the Vast Ocean Territory, and the place where the lord started his career, it is known throughout the continent as the "Land of Miracles".

As the influence of the Vast Ocean Territory grew, it expanded from a small, untitled territory into a behemoth that could influence the fate of the continent. Unsurprisingly, the value of the industries within Vast Ocean City also rose steadily.

What truly propelled housing prices to skyrocket was Chen Mo's approval to loosen restrictions on land and housing sales in certain areas.

Initially, the residents of Hanhai City were a simple mix: either prisoners of war and mercenaries bound by contracts, or slaves bought from orc-controlled areas to serve as laborers, with a few sand people who soon fell under the lord's wise and mighty rule.

For these people, they had no choice but to do whatever the lord said.

Therefore, apart from the core building complex of the city lord's mansion that Helan had been pushing forward, everyone else's housing was "subsidized housing" that was planned and allocated uniformly by the territory. They only had the right to reside there, not ownership.

As the prosperity of the city gradually increased and people began to have some surplus money, the contradiction between the people's growing demand for a better life and the underdeveloped urban living environment became apparent.

Even in this world of swords and magic, people's longing for "home" is ingrained in their very bones.

After recognizing this objective situation, the administrative office submitted an application, and Chen Mo readily agreed and approved the new urban plan.

The existing dugouts and early-built ordinary houses continued to serve as basic social security projects to resettle new immigrants and low-income laborers. At the same time, land for the construction of commercial housing was launched in newly planned areas on the outskirts of the city.

Since Hanhai City doesn't have city walls, we can just draw them outwards.

This not only satisfies people's desire for a stable home, but also effectively achieves economic rebalancing.

As everyone knows, due to Lord Chen Mo's spending habits, the Han Hai Territory has been spending lavishly, and the mission rewards in the Mercenary Guild are overflowing with premiums. If it weren't for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, as an official institution, forcibly suppressing prices, the prices of goods in Han Hai would have already skyrocketed.

Now, thanks to a two-pronged approach involving real estate and industrial consumer goods, Han Hai has recovered a significant portion of the currency in circulation, successfully suppressing inflation in the basic necessities of life within its territory.

However, housing prices are something that can't be controlled.

The Han Hai officials at all levels, both civil and military, who received generous salaries, the mercenaries who made a fortune by going on missions and transporting materials, the diplomatic envoys sent by various countries, and the spies, both overt and covert, as well as the land's workers and farmers who worked hard to earn work points and were diligent and thrifty enough to accumulate a little wealth...

Everyone started buying houses all at once.

In such a small place as Hanhai, the housing prices have tripled in just two years.

As we all know, when the price of something is rising sharply, it not only has use value, but also extremely high investment value. Once this trend takes off, it attracts countless people who originally did not need to buy property in Hanhai City to rush in with their money bags.

Ultimately, the entry of a heavyweight player caused a dramatic surge in the real estate market in Hanhailing.

The dwarf has arrived.

They are not only extremely wealthy, but also have a keen sense of smell and are extremely greedy.

Over the years, the profits the dwarves have made in the Vast Ocean Territory have propelled the entire Seven Luminaries Garland's traveling and stationary merchant teams to new heights.

The massive purchases of food, weapons, daily necessities, and even slaves from various ethnic groups by the Han Hai have always been a stable and substantial source of income for the Seven Luminaries Garland.

Meanwhile, in order to obtain intelligence support from the dwarves during the conquest of the White Deer Plain, Han Hai not only paid a large amount of gold coins as a reward, but also granted the dwarves' Seven Luminaries Garland Merchant Guild exclusive regional distribution rights for their two flagship products, [Unblocking Elixir] and [Exorcising Pagoda].

In the past, dwarves earned money in the Northlands from a small number of orc nobles, so their customer base was ultimately limited. But these two potions were essential products that everyone from tribal chiefs and elders to the lowest commoners and laborers urgently needed.

It was precisely because of such a solid relationship of interests that the dwarfs were happy to see it happen, and even secretly helped, watching Chen Mo devour the White Deer Plain bit by bit, and choosing to hedge their bets when the Vast Ocean launched its westward expedition against the Green Pine Kingdom.

This isn't the end of it; the War of the Green Pine is yet another feast for the dwarfs.

By acting as the front man for the Vast Ocean in lending money to the Green Pine Kingdom, the dwarves earned a hefty commission. After the war, through taking on huge orders for replenishing civilian supplies, participating in the auction of the Green Pine Kingdom's existing assets, and investing in the super financial institution, the [Moon Gazing Pavilion], they generated an astronomical revenue figure that would make even the dwarves themselves tremble.

Where should we invest so much money?
Seeing the thriving and unstoppable grandeur of Hanhai City, the dwarfs made the choice that best suited their nature without any hesitation, and settled on the land of Hanhai City!
Speculating on real estate and land!
The housing prices in Hanhai skyrocketed, reaching rock bottom.

Looking at the reports submitted by the finance department, Chen Mo was shocked to discover that the merchant consortium of the dwarves had bought up all the undeveloped land surrounding the city, which was planned to be released in stages in the future plan of Hanhai City. The fiscal revenue from this land transfer alone almost covered the total fiscal expenditure of the territory for the past two years.

Even military expenses were reimbursed.

The dwarf is... taking from the vast ocean and using it for the vast ocean, which is...

Hanhai made money, but trouble followed.

Excessively high housing prices have pushed the cost of living in Hanhai to a level that is difficult for ordinary people to bear.

What is most important for a burgeoning entity that is still thriving?

Is it money?
of course not!

Since contacting his hometown in Dongxia and gaining the support of that vast system, Chen Mo has never had to worry about money.

What he needs is something that can turn money into power.

At this stage, what Hanhai lacks most is talent!
They are professionals capable of cultivating warrior skills and magical spells; enchanters and array masters capable of creating items or magic arrays; administrators capable of handling government affairs and maintaining order; commanders capable of leading troops into battle and winning decisive victories...

At the same time, thanks to the special training system of Dongxia, even ordinary people without cultivation talent, as long as they are intelligent and good at learning, can become teachers, doctors, veterinarians, agronomists, animal husbandry experts, aquaculture experts, geologists, meteorologists, astronomers, exploration experts, etc., through professional training.

Become an engineer or technician in various industrial fields such as civil engineering, structural engineering, mining, metallurgy, machinery, and energy...

Become a professional in fields such as economics, statistics, auditing, human resources and organization, administrative work, accounting, asset management, law, social services, etc.

Going a step further, there are scholars, experts, operators, and lab technicians from disciplines such as linguistics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials science, and biology...

As Hanhai's overall strength continues to improve, residents' needs for spiritual and cultural enrichment have also come to the forefront. Even the cultural field, which was once considered "strange skills" or "useless knowledge," has begun to experience a severe shortage of manpower. As a result, Hanhai is currently in dire need of editors-in-chief, directors, screenwriters, hosts, announcers, illustrators, singers, dancers, actors... and of course, those hardworking writers...

In conclusion, Hanhai's rapid development is inseparable from Dongxia's systematic support. At the same time, this system has also created a huge talent gap.

Besides the selections made locally in the Vast Ocean, it is the adventurers, disillusioned nobles, free scholars, and wandering craftsmen who are drawn by the legends of the Vast Ocean and flock from all over the continent who are trying to fill these gaps.

However, both the staggeringly high housing prices and the resulting high cost of living pose a significant obstacle to the continuous attraction and stable retention of talent.

The Hanhai and Dongxia are different after all. In Dongxia, the country's overall infrastructure is complete. If a talented person moves to another city, there is still a high chance that they can obtain good education and training resources and find a suitable position for themselves.

However, on the Starry Continent, the things a talented person can learn, the latest ideas they can access, and the role they can play in the Vast Ocean City are worlds apart from those in the remote Coastal City.

It was precisely because of this core reason that Chen Mo thought it over and over and decided to change locations.

After in-depth discussions with planning experts from Dongxia, Chen Mo decisively instructed the deliberation office to produce a new, unprecedentedly large-scale land development plan, throwing all the construction land that was originally planned to be released gradually over the next ten years into the market all at once.

Without exception, they were all accepted by the dwarfs.

The finance department roughly calculated that, if valued according to nominal worth, this would truly be a Han Hai City, enough to buy the entire Xia Yue Alliance.

After receiving this astronomical sum of money, Chen Mo didn't do anything like turning his back on his benefactor. Hanhai City remained the territory's legal capital and the undisputed administrative and cultural center.

However, the lord doesn't spend most of his time here.

The new products promoted at the Hanhai Expo required the establishment of a television and radio station. These facilities and studios relied on infrastructure support provided by Dongxia. Therefore, Chen Mo naturally moved his headquarters to Dingshan County, to the command hall left behind by the Dongxia army after its construction.

Although the Han Hai Territory has expanded to thousands of miles and governs various races, it is still Chen Mo's personal territory in terms of both law and popular support.

Therefore, it doesn't matter where the nominal capital is. Wherever the lord is, that is the center of the territory, the center of the alliance, and even the shining place of the entire Star Continent.

As for those dwarfs who spent huge sums of money and hoarded entire tracts of land...

It's not exactly a loss; the lord still returns for a few days each quarter to inspect, and who knows when he might head back to the capital. The land and properties the dwarves have stockpiled are just temporarily unsellable; prices haven't collapsed, and their paper wealth remains enormous!

Thus, the military command center of Dingshan County was used as Chen Mo's temporary palace and office.

At this moment, the core management team members of Han Hai, including the deputy commander-in-chief, the heads of various departments, and the chief of staff, all sat quietly on both sides of the long table, listening to the real-time reports from the front line of the Misty Continent.

Makaga himself served as the chief narrator.

Commander Ma doesn't have the habit of warming up, laying the groundwork, or proceeding step by step; he goes straight to the point.

"Commander-in-Chief, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Leaders, Colleagues! This is footage taken by drone number eight in the reconnaissance drone formation."

"We have discovered a biological cluster in the Misty Continent!"

After the forward reconnaissance team of the Vast Ocean crossed the nearly dried-up riverbed, the quasi-core area of ​​the Misty Continent unveiled its mysterious veil to the Vast Ocean.

Compared to the desolation of the surrounding areas, what is presented here is a rather rich and "prosperous" ecological structure.

The operators on site cooperated by displaying the transmitted images.

On the main screen in the command center, a vast expanse of dark green vegetation unfolds, like a slightly crumpled carpet covering the plains, stretching from the eastern bank of the river to the horizon.

Makaga drew a winding curve on the screen with his laser pointer. "Look here, everyone. Although there are still many man-eating giant hibiscus forests, after crossing this river, the density and diversity of vegetation have increased dramatically."

As the footage is zoomed in further, more details emerge.

The giant hibiscus still exists as isolated forests, its silhouette casting large swaths of shadow as the sunlight shines through. The canopies intertwine, weaving a wildly expansive, dark green canopy.

Looking down from above, each grove of giant hibiscus resembles a carefully cut piece of dark green velvet on the earth, with regular geometric shapes along its edges, mainly ovals, while some spread out into near-perfect circles or rectangles with curved corners.

These forest areas are spaced several kilometers apart, and tens of kilometers apart, scattered in a staggered manner, with no obvious pattern to be discerned.

But one thing is very striking: apart from the wind serpent, there are almost no other creatures in the area where the giant hibiscus forest is located. Even the grasslands that cover the ground are carefully separated from the forest by a clear, yellowish-brown boundary.

Within the boundary line lies the absolute territory of the giant hibiscus.

Zooming in with a high-powered lens, a thick layer of fallen leaves covered every inch of the forest floor, accumulated over countless years. The lower layer had turned charred and black, while the upper layer still retained its dark yellow outline. Layer upon layer, they were pressed together, like a book that had been soaked by rain and then dried in the sun, firmly stuck together, giving off a sense of inseparable bond.

Makaja's voice rang out at the opportune moment: "Expert Field from the biological research team conducted a detailed sampling and analysis of the root system and soil samples of this 'Man-Eating Giant Hibiscus.' He believes that this giant tree can not only devour dead organisms, but also consume or inhibit a considerable number of microorganisms."

"In other words, the interior of this jungle is a highly 'purified' world, and the only living creatures we can see are wind serpents!"

"And the baby wind serpents!"

From the camera's perspective, the tops of these giant trees, covered in cracks and wrinkles, are inlaid with the nests of wind serpents.

Although most of the Wind Serpent's nests are covered by dense tree canopies, there are always some nests with just the right angle that are exposed to the view of the HanHai drones, clearly presenting their interiors to the HanHai command level.

Adult wind serpents do not enter the nest. Instead, they coil their thick, long bodies, covered with gray-green scales, around the thick tree trunks next to the nest, using their fine scales to cling to the bark and branches. Their slender necks are raised high, and their pointed, slightly curved snouts peek out from the bushes, vigilantly monitoring the surrounding sky.

Inside the nest built from feathers of some unknown material and branches of a giant hibiscus, were some newly hatched young wind serpents.

The wings of these little creatures were not fully unfolded yet, and they were wrinkled and stuck to the sides of their bodies. At first glance, they looked like clumps of fur that had been soaked in water and then crumpled. Occasionally, they would open their mouths to reveal two rows of fine, needle-like milk teeth.

The photograph captures this moment with remarkable clarity. "Based on this, Field experts inferred that there is a significant and robust symbiotic relationship between this giant hibiscus and the wind serpent."

"The wind serpent regularly dumps the remains of various prey into the forest of the giant hibiscus, where the giant hibiscus devours and digests them, providing it with the nutrients it needs to grow. In turn, the giant hibiscus uses its unique biological extermination mechanism to provide a safe haven for the wind serpent's nest and its young."

"At the same time, Giant Hibiscus is also suspected of providing some special nutritional supplies needed by Wind Serpents."

Chen Mo didn't speak, but Ma Tianheng, who was sitting next to him, asked a question.

"Commander Ma, what exactly do you mean by the biological extermination mechanism you're referring to?"

Macaka glanced down at the manuscript.

"The biological research team conducted control experiments on the front lines. If a living creature enters the control zone of the giant hibiscus forest, the giant hibiscus seems to be able to sense it through ground vibrations or the creature's scent. It will then release a special gas that will induce a drowsy state in the creature that inhales it in a very short time."

"Then, the roots of the giant hibiscus will extend a large number of mycelia, which will both anesthetize and dissolve and devour the organisms."

Ma Tianheng pressed on, "Won't the wind snake be anesthetized?"

"It should be unaffected. We cannot conduct live experiments on wind serpents, but wind serpents have been coming and going in the Giant Hibiscus Forest for a long time, and we have not seen any scenes of them devouring other prey."

"According to Field's speculation, either the wind serpent is naturally immune to this anesthetic gas, or the giant hibiscus can recognize the wind serpent and thus adjust the release of its own anesthetic pheromones."

"The former is more likely!"

Ma Tianheng nodded and continued with the next question: "How did you determine that the hibiscus tree was feeding the wind serpent?"

"This is a reasonable inference based on the physical evidence at the scene."

As Makaja spoke, he gestured for the operator to switch the view, “We found the shells and remnants of these fruits while clearing the ground in the hibiscus forest.”

Several close-up photos appeared on the screen. They were grayish-brown fruits, shaped like rugby balls but twice their size, with hard, woody shells. In some of the photos, the fruits had been violently opened, revealing dark red flesh arranged like pomegranate seeds inside. Clear bite marks were visible on the opened shells and remaining flesh.

"The technical department compared and analyzed these bite marks and confirmed that their tooth shape and spacing were highly consistent with the shape of the teeth in the mouth of the wind snake we killed."

"In addition, through the analysis of the components of these fruits, in addition to the sugars, water and trace elements commonly found in plant fruits, we found that they contain several very special compounds. One of them is a potent synergist similar to polyphenols, which can greatly promote the activity of cells and energy metabolism in organisms; the other is a class of phytosterols with a more complex structure that have not been found in known plants."

"Expert Field believes that these substances may play a significant role in the growth or maintenance of the wind serpent, which is why the wind serpent lives in these forests and relies on the fruit of the giant hibiscus to obtain these crucial nutrients. At the same time, in order to ensure that the giant hibiscus can continue to grow, flower, and bear fruit, they must constantly 'feed' the giant hibiscus..."

The team on site also gave a simple graphic demonstration.

When the adult wind snakes go out to hunt, the nest and young snakes remain here, relying on the shade of the giant hibiscus canopy to avoid predators—if they have any.

When the wind serpents return from their hunt, they leave their remains in the forest. These remains fall onto the thick layer of fallen leaves and are quickly entangled, wrapped, and dragged into the soil by the fine roots that emerge from the ground, transforming into nutrients that nourish the giant hibiscus.

"The on-site biological research team also made a bold hypothesis. They believe that the giant hibiscus's ability to devour and digest animal bones may not be its nature, but rather a 'habit' that it was forced to evolve over a long period of time, in the process of coexisting with wind snakes and being fed prey with bones."

This speculation isn't entirely unfounded.

On Earth, why do domesticated dogs have such different diets from wolves, who share almost the same bloodline? They not only gnaw on bones but also eat feces. Isn't it because after humans have completely devoured their prey, all that's left for these "little friends" to eat?
Over time, in order to survive, this helplessness became a habit ingrained in their genes.

While the field biology team's research is not yet conclusive, it is certainly an important reference point.

A giant hibiscus supports a group of wind serpents, and a group of wind serpents guards a giant hibiscus.

What a brilliant yet ruthless pair.

Beyond the boundary of the giant hibiscus forest lies another world.

The brownish-yellow, bare land surrounding those giant hibiscus trees forms a kind of isolation circle, only a few dozen meters apart, yet it seems to divide two completely different worlds.

On the outer plains, there were grasses of varying heights and densities, some taller than the elves' chests, others shorter than the dwarves' knees.

Choosing a clearing between two giant hibiscus trees, the drone quietly lowered its altitude and conducted a close-up observation of the ground.

As the camera glides past the tips of the grass, the vitality of this field is palpable.

The grasses on the field have upright stems and long leaves, and when the wind blows, they create layers of waves.

Wildflowers of various colors dot the grass, including golden umbrella-shaped ones, pale purple spike-shaped ones, and some creeping, low-lying vines that bloom with tiny white flowers the size of a fingernail, scattered like stars in the gaps between the grass.

The group of observers in the command hall felt as if they had returned to the springtime scenery of the Crystal Plains.

Among these distinctly vibrant plant communities, tiny creatures flit about.

Various insects, some slender and others robust, dart in and out of the flowers, their furry bodies stained with the colors of the blossoms, giving them a rather alluring appearance.

Other insects, on the other hand, are brightly colored. They perch proudly on the tips of grass stalks, swaying their plump bodies back and forth, attracting the attention of their mates and predators.

Small reptiles covered with bronze-colored shells flitted among the soil and dead leaves, pausing now and then to chew up large chunks of organic debris with their powerful mouthparts.

This ecological cycle looks much healthier.

The drone continued to hover low, documenting this paradise for new species.

Large bees with eight transparent wings and an extra-long needle; Lepidoptera dancers with wingspans exceeding half a meter, shimmering in the sunlight; masters of disguise that look like a withered vine, with lifelike colors and textures, but suddenly attacking other small insects when they pass by; and even more advanced predators, with six legs, heavy armor, and a pair of sickle-shaped mandibles extending from the front of their heads, capable of swallowing a child in one bite.

Then, a dark figure entered the frame.

On the gentle slope in front of the grassland, a huge creature appeared.

It was over three meters tall and nearly five meters long, with a spindle-shaped body. Four thick legs supported its heavy torso. Its skin was a distinct dark gray, covered with rough wrinkles, and looked exactly like the dried-up riverbed from before.

These big creatures have a pair of curved horns that extend diagonally forward from back to front on their heads. The surface of the horns is surrounded by spiral patterns. When they lower their heads to graze on the tender grass on the ground, the horns will always inadvertently touch the ground, leaving pits in the soil.

"This should be the largest herbivorous animal discovered in this area so far. The technical team has temporarily named it the 'Giant Horned Beast,' and they are organized into small groups of thirty to fifty individuals, and large groups of eight to ten individuals."

“There are no fewer than 150 large communities in the area we are currently scanning.”

“They usually travel along routes near water sources, grazing on one pasture before moving on to the next. There seem to be boundaries between the large communities, and they do not encroach on each other.”

“Our drones have captured images of wind serpents hunting giant horned beasts on more than one occasion. Judging from the size comparison, it’s about the same as an eagle catching a large rat. It’s very likely that this is the wind serpent’s main food source in the terrestrial area.”

A scene of a wind snake hunting was playing on the screen; the scene was quite harmonious.

This is a super telephoto shot taken from a long distance. The initial part of the footage is a bit shaky, but it quickly stabilizes. In the video, a creature with fleshy wings glides down from the air, letting out a sharp roar.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

In the two groups of creatures in sight, there were at least seventy or eighty large horned beasts, all standing still. If it weren't for the grass around them swaying in the wind, everyone would have thought that the scene had frozen or that a classic time stop had occurred.

The wind serpent circled in the low sky, then circled again, its neck swaying back and forth as it patrolled the herd of great horned beasts.

It's like a human resources manager at a labor market in the early morning, sizing up the bustling crowd of laborers holding up their ID cards; or like a wealthy patron choosing companions at a high-end club, scrutinizing rows of glamorous, seemingly composed young women...

After carefully selecting its prey for several minutes, the wind serpent seemed to have finally made its decision. With a sudden swoop, it lifted a large, fat horned beast with one claw, let out another cry, and rode away.

The scene thawed instantly, and the giant unicorns went back to eating grass, fighting, nursing their babies, and flirting, as if nothing had happened.

As for the unfortunate creature that was captured, no animal cared at all.

Chen Mo couldn't hold back his emotions when he saw this.

"What... what is this? Have they already raised these giant unicorns all the way out of Stockholm?"

"Given the size and appetite of the wind serpent, it should have devoured everything on the grassland, so why does this giant horned beast still live a comfortable life? How is the ecosystem balanced?"

Macaka shrugged.

"Commander, you may not have noticed, but so far we haven't seen any carnivores in the field."

Hey, it really is true.

If there were such a vast, fertile grassland on Earth, grazing so many plump, robust protein sources with almost no ability to resist, then lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, crocodiles, harpy eagles, vultures... all kinds of carnivores and scavengers would have lined up from all directions to flock there, forming a fiercely competitive predator ecological niche.

However, the drones repeatedly scouted and swept across the area, and found that apart from the wind serpent, there were no other predators present.

Only the Wind Serpent eats meat.

The most likely explanation is that all other carnivores that originally existed in this area have been wiped out by the Wind Serpent Clan over the long course of time.

This vast grassland is essentially the Wind Serpent's exclusive ranch. The herds of large horned beasts within it are their livestock, their mobile meat depots, and no other creatures are allowed to trespass upon them.

Perhaps it was because of this favor, or perhaps it was under this threat, that the bizarre scene of the giant horned beast willingly submitting to anyone's use occurred.

The genes for resistance and escape have been completely eradicated.

"That's interesting!"

After playing this stunning video, Makaja quickly grabbed the water glass next to him, took a big gulp, cleared his throat, straightened his back, and made a brief summary of the current phase.

"Commander-in-Chief, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Leaders, Colleagues!"

"The above are the main reconnaissance results of the advance team of the Misty Continent in the currently accessible area."

“This area exhibits a complete, self-consistent, and highly complex ecosystem, from the bottom decomposers to the small omnivores at the bottom layer, to the large herbivores, plus the carnivorous wind serpents and giant hibiscus forests, each ecological niche is occupied by corresponding organisms.”

"From the perspective of the population size of organisms, the relationships between these organisms, including predation, competition, symbiosis, and parasitism, have formed a certain dynamic balance."

"This could mean that this area was not formed recently, but has been operating stably for a long time. According to the technical team's deduction, even a few hundred years may not be enough; it may have undergone thousands or even tens of thousands of years of evolution."

Chen Mo let out a long breath and looked back at Liu Shuang. The little girl was barely supporting her head, but her eyelids were already showing signs of trying to close.

When Liu Shuang saw the bizarre scene of the wind serpent hunting, she was somewhat interested, her eyes wide open. However, as soon as she heard the string of technical terms such as "ecological niche," "dynamic equilibrium," and "population size" that came out in Makaga's summary, Liu Shuang immediately fell into a state of listlessness and drowsiness.

However, this is also a good thing.

Frostfall is now used by Chen Mo as a thermometer, a barometer, to help him assess crises. If the little girl isn't interested, then there's not much danger.

Next, there is a separate topic.

"I remember there was a humanoid creature in the information we obtained from the dragons. Have we found anything about it yet?"

Macaka raised his head.

"Reporting to Commander-in-Chief, we cannot yet enter the deeper areas of the mainland!"

"The further inland the drone goes, the more severe the signal interference it encounters. At a distance of about 200 kilometers from the boundary river, the drone will completely lose signal and trigger the automatic return mechanism."

"We suspected the presence of some remnants of intelligent social beings in the photos taken by the drone at the final critical position, but we did not see any active organisms, so we cannot confirm it."

"We are trying to continue verifying this!"

Several photos appeared on the screen. Because they were taken at extreme distances and in environments with strong interference, the image quality was extremely poor, full of noise and distortion, comparable to the worst pixelated paintings covered in mosaics.

The operator marked several areas with red circles, and then continuously zoomed in, sharpened, and performed algorithmic repairs.

In those blurry images, the crowd craned their necks, trying hard to make out what they were seeing. They could vaguely make out some outlines that appeared to have regular geometric shapes, different from the natural terrain, in a wide valley.

Those outlines, varying in height and connected to each other, vaguely resemble a cluster of buildings, a village, or a small town.

Everyone looked and looked, but even the beastman general with the best eyesight couldn't find any useful clues.

"On the other hand, we discovered these within our existing controlled area through clearing the giant hibiscus forest!"

In the period after the basic construction of the defense line was completed, the energetic but hesitant soldiers of Hanhai mobilized bulldozers, excavators, forklifts, and the entrenching tools and pickaxes in the hands of the soldiers to turn every patch of giant hibiscus forest upside down.

Many precious "cultural relics" were unearthed from the thick layer of sand, gravel, and fallen leaves underground.

Rough, with sharp edges, but clearly carefully polished and sharpened stone axes, knives, and spearheads.

The broken metal weapons were crooked and rusty. Among them were slender spearheads, blunt hammers with deformed heads, and even a few pieces that appeared to be armor, showing a certain curvature.

A pendant made of several different colored gemstones, drilled through holes, was scattered on the ground because the rope had rotted.

Several sets of metal rings strung together with woven hair, each the size of an adult's fist, with intricate patterns engraved on their surface, are now barely visible due to severe corrosion.

And the most numerous, and most exciting to intelligence analysts, are the stone slabs painted with various lines, patterns, and symbols.

These stone slabs are made of ordinary rock, polished into roughly flat rectangles. The engravings on them vary in depth, some smooth and some rough.

These patterns and designs are not related to any known writing system on the Starry Continent, but their internal structure exhibits a high degree of regularity.

Combined with the hair and teeth left behind by the humanoid creatures, a relatively complete chain of evidence has been formed.

This continent has, or at least once had, human civilization.

This result left commanders at all levels in the Han Hai Territory both excited and perplexed.

Where has this community, which has already learned smelting, developed a rudimentary tendency for written communication, and even formed a social division of labor and class hierarchy, gone?

Surely they couldn't have already been eaten by the wind serpent!
Chen Mo lit a cigarette, something he hadn't done in a long time.

The situation ahead is gradually becoming clearer.

The vanguard of the Vast Ocean Expeditionary Force has now fortified its defenses to an impregnable level, while the Wind Serpents seem completely unconcerned about the losses in this small area, and have so far paid no heed to them.

But if you go any further, you will face an even larger swarm of wind serpents, an unknown ecosystem, and those unknown, potentially dangerous and powerful enemies that are not yet detectable.

However, the investigation has reached a standstill.

The satellite could barely maintain signal transmission and could not penetrate this invisible fog.

The detection range of unmanned equipment is quite limited due to interference.

In the past, the Vast Ocean could use the [Nine Springs Troops], but this damned continental style is a hard counter to the undead.

Although the Wind Serpent is not interested in skeletons, it will send these creatures to the Giant Hibiscus Jungle.

Although the hypnosis or anesthesia systems in the jungle don't work on the undead, the wind serpents are intelligent. If they find that the giant hibiscus can't handle it, they will thoughtfully dismantle its bones before feeding it to the serpent.

In the past, Han Hai had always relied on its superior information advantage to crush its opponents. But now, on this continent, Han Hai's battlefield visibility is severely lacking, while its opponents have the home-field advantage.

If we are to continue to understand this continent, we must deploy manned forces, and not just for reconnaissance, but to advance through combat, eliminating the wind serpent swarms that block our way, and step by step venturing deeper into the continent.

Makaga has applied several times, and the advance team is ready to go, just waiting for Chen Mo's approval.

Chen Mo's gaze lingered on the broken weapons, pendants, and symbols. After a long while, he gently patted the table.

"Alright, let's go inside!"

"Take it easy, don't be reckless!"

(End of this chapter)