Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 422 Fierce Battle Against New Reinforcements
A storm is brewing across this vast plain.

The Vulture Cliff mine guards are in dire straits, the terrified leopard-men of the "Thunderjaw" headquarters are filled with apprehension, the enraged orc "suppression" army is furious, and the Vast Sea reinforcements are charging in at full speed...

Everyone and every force is racing against time, trying to gain a relatively advantageous position in this sudden major event.

The commander of the Ironspine tribe, a large-headed orc with a metal ring embedded in his lips, wielded a spiked club in one hand and pounded his massive chest with the other.

"Get up, all of you! What are you dawdling for! There are only a few hundred leopard cubs! Charge at them and tear them to shreds!"

"The tribe's bounty and women await you!"

"Quickly, quick, don't let those crawlers steal the credit!"

Under repeated urging and coercion, the warriors of the Iron Spine Tribe reluctantly began to move their enormous buttocks, swaying as they formed ranks, preparing to launch a second wave of attack.

Right behind the Ironspine Tribe, the Fire Rock Tribe's banner had already been raised. These giant lizards, who had traveled a long way, were forming ranks. Before long, new enemies would be coming to the mountain path of Vulture Cliff.

On the mountain, Milos, who had just caught his breath, gritted his teeth in resentment.

"You've really put me in a terrible situation!"

"You dare to come to the mine with only a few hundred people? And you expect me to fight?"

Aiden, the snake that had been standing on a rock of varying heights, put down his binoculars, expressionlessly spat out a clump of leaves that he had been chewing for a long time, and slowly applied it to his shoulder.

How do I know you'll actually do it?

"..."

Aiden applied the medicine very carefully. Although the Independent Brigade had been upgraded with new weapons and the soldiers were equipped with the best medicine and field medical equipment, Aiden, who was used to fighting guerrilla warfare and living a hard life on the Bailu Plain, was reluctant to use it.

In the words of this snake, "Good things should be saved to save lives. This little cut can be dealt with by my old folk remedy."

Joking aside, Aiden still had to soothe Milos's emotions at this moment.

"A few hundred people? Back in the day, I dared to sneak into an outpost and set it on fire with just two or three brothers, and I dared to rob an orc supply convoy with a small squad. A few hundred people? Still not enough?"

"Don't be afraid, just dodge and fight, that's what I'm best at!"

"If we can defend it, we will; if we can't, we won't. We'll just hide in the mountains behind us, find a mine, and lie low. I don't believe he can lift this whole mountain upside down!"

Milos turned around and looked at the valley that had been dug up and riddled with holes, a hint of resentment in his expression.

"There's still so much mineral dust in this valley. If we retreat, it'll all go to those bastards. Your lord... doesn't he feel bad about it? This is all money!"

“What do you mean, ‘our lord’!” Aiden interrupted the leopard-man leader without any politeness, correcting him word by word, “It’s ‘our lord’!”

"This little bit of ore is nothing. Can it even be used to build a steel warship? Our lord wouldn't care at all!"

"Those hundred thousand miners are actually quite useful. Our lord values ​​people! Don't worry, the lord won't abandon us; reinforcements are definitely on their way!"

After Aiden finished applying the dressing to the wound, he wrapped it with another layer of gauze and pulled hard, causing Aiden to wince in pain.

"Hiss... Ouch..."

"If you're really going to die here, I'll be there to go with you. I'm a newly promoted captain, so dying with you is a win-win situation!"

But I don't want to die...

Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to surrender...

After a slight pause, Milos finally made up his mind.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. We'll hold out a little longer. If we really can't hold out, we'll run."

“You’re not familiar with the mine’s roads… You guys run first, I’ll hold you off for a bit!”

Aiden forced a rather unattractive but unusually bright smile: "Good! With you saying that, I guess my trip wasn't in vain!"

"Brothers, let's not conserve our ammo, let's kill them!"

In the next thirty minutes, the battle for Vulture Cliff reached its first fierce climax.

With Aiden's unleashed artillery support, which reached its maximum rate of fire, the defenders repelled two large-scale attacks by the Ironspine Tribe and stabilized the precarious mountainside defenses.

One must press on with one effort, then weaken with each attempt, and exhaust oneself with each subsequent one! That's how warfare works; even the strongest backbone can soften.

After all, the Overseer of Kagaras was still in his camp over a hundred kilometers away, while those who died on the mountain road were all elite warriors of his own tribe.

The big-headed, ring-necked orc rolled his eyes and decided to back down a bit.

The Fire Rock Tribe has arrived; it's time to change people! Soon, the mountain path leading to the attack was filled with this group of large lizardmen.

Unlike most orcs who look like "humans", the Fire Rock Tribe looks more like "beasts"!
On this continent, although there is a clear distinction between "orcs" and "half-orcs" in academia, there are many gray areas in the real world. For example, the lizardmen of the Fire Rock Tribe are seen by many as being in a middle ground between "beasts" and "humans".

They are described as "human" because they have heads and facial features, and walk upright most of the time.

But apart from that, it's all about the "beast" form.

Within orc tribes, these guys are often ostracized by other tribes and are called "primitive orcs".

That's not a good word! It's almost like saying "uncivilized."

What is particularly striking are the raised horny plates on their backs, like jagged rock peaks, extending from the back of their necks to the tip of their thick tails. Unlike most other orcs who have degenerated to the point of having only symbolic tails, the lizardmen's tails remain in a completely primitive form.

These monitor lizards are about 1.5 meters tall on average, which is quite small compared to the bears and cattle, which are often over 2 meters tall.

However, they are rare, naturally armored units, covered in thick, dark red scales, each the size of a child's palm, with slightly upturned, mirror-like bony layers at the edges.

Most remarkably, these lizardman warriors can adjust the angle of these bone plates through subtle control of their back muscles.

On a battlefield where the sun shines, they would choose a backlit position, deliberately pointing the bone fragments at the sun during their charge, reflecting the scorching sunlight into dazzling, dizzying spots of light, which would then be projected onto the defending side's position.

Although it has little actual lethality, it can greatly disrupt the defenders' aiming and observation, while also making them restless and agitated.

It's like being shone with high beams on Earth!
After the attack began, facing the steep mountain path and a continuous stream of rolling rocks, these large lizards displayed a unique kind of agility. These giants switched to a prone, all-around movement, sacrificing their endurance for stronger grip, thus significantly increasing their burst speed.

After landing on all fours, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it aligns with the "crawling" posture used in modern warfare on Earth, greatly reducing the area vulnerable to attack.

In this posture, the keratinous plates on their backs serve as handles for shields, holding in a thick little shield that can help the lizardmen block most attacks from the front.

Even the artillery shrapnel from the Independent Brigade was mostly intercepted by this shield and scale armor.

"Damn it..." Aiden saw this scene through his binoculars. "These big reptiles, they run so fast and are so tough. They're not proper siege soldier candidates. Why have I never seen them before?"

A veteran leopard-man nearby whispered, "These guys are afraid of the cold and dryness. They spend most of their time huddled near the volcano and hot springs. They're okay to be dragged out to fight near their lair, but they won't do it if they're too far away!"

"It even dazzles my eyes? That's outrageous!"

The leopard-man veteran threw a spear, then quickly retreated back into the trench, shouting a warning: "Watch out, they still have ranged attacks!"

As if to prove his words, when the lizard vanguard, braving artillery fire, logs, and stones, charged to within four hundred meters of the leopard clan's position, the legendary "ranged attack" arrived.

The leading orc centurion lay prone on the ground, slightly raised the shield on his back, and darted out a forked black tongue from his lips before quickly retracting it. He then lowered his head, his entire back muscles arching upwards!
On either side of the lizardman's spinal plate, there are two grooves running through most of his body, each containing a crossbow bolt about seventy centimeters long.

Just as the lizardman lowered his head and arched his back, a faint yellow light flashed, and two crossbow bolts, traveling in a slight parabola, traveled several hundred meters and struck the low wall at the front of the defensive position.

"Bang!" "Bang!" A large cloud of smoke rose up, and yellowish-green powder filled the air, instantly enveloping the entire front line of the position.

Besides the pungent fishy smell, there was also a faint, cloyingly sweet and strange odor.

Okay, it comes with a disposable crossbow launcher, with packets of "lime powder" attached, and it's also poisonous.

The primitive orcs were really something else.

Following the orcs' advice, Aiden put on his mask early and activated his infrared sights, firing shots through the smoke to mark the enemy's movements.

"You like playing dirty tricks, huh? Let grandpa teach you what 'beyond visual range strike' really means!"

Poisoned crossbow bolts were no match for unpoisoned sniper fire. This fierce attack ultimately failed in the face of the defenders' strong interception. However, the lizardmen were stubborn, and the second, third, and even the ninth and tenth waves were already on their way.

Under this relentless onslaught, the defenders became increasingly numb, mechanically throwing logs and stones, hurling javelins, and brandishing scimitars...

Then, at a certain moment, a strange, increasingly loud buzzing sound came from the sky.

Many orc warriors who were charging forward headfirst, including the lizardmen who were lying prone, couldn't help but subconsciously look up at the sky.

The sky was azure, the sun blazed overhead, and apart from a few wisps of smoke, there seemed to be nothing there.

But the sound was definitely there, and it was getting louder and louder!

Aiden jumped up from the trench, raised his hand and threw out all the grenades he had been reluctant to use and had even saved for himself, and then let out a long shout.

"coming!"

"Our air force! They're here—!!!"

As if in response to his call, a low-lying "cloud" suddenly appeared under the azure sky above Vulture Cliff.

Dozens of streamlined, exquisitely designed fixed-wing drones, painted in the blue-gray of the Hanhai Ling (a type of drone), swooped down from the sky, their hardpoints under the wings gleaming coldly.

Several black dots detached from the drone's belly, and under the influence of gravity, traced elegant arcs before landing at the foot of Vulture Cliff, in the most densely populated area of ​​orcs.

Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom—!!!
The explosions were continuous! Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the ground was engulfed in a cloud of dust and smoke from the shockwave.

Six hours after the orcs launched their full-scale attack, the first support aircraft of the Vast Ocean Air Force arrived over Vulture Cliff like divine soldiers descending from the sky.

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.

What the orcs had initially anticipated as an overwhelming battle that they could easily crush with their sheer numerical superiority turned into a meat grinder of weapons against lives after the defenders received air support.

Half an hour after the first batch of drones completed their bombing, the First Airborne Squadron of the Hanhai Army descended from the sky, bringing with them the most terrifying weapon for positional defense—the heavy machine gun.

Two hours later, the 3rd Airborne Squadron arrived with a batch of supplies.

Although the third and fourth waves of orcish troops from the White Deer Plain arrived at this point in time, and the gap in troop strength between the two sides not only did not narrow but continued to widen, Milos had already passed the most difficult stage and his heart was completely at ease.

In particular, the newly arrived group of Han Hai humans not only brought weapons, but also fully demonstrated to the orcs what organizational ability is.

Originally useless on the battlefield, slaves and laborers who could only fill holes at best, or even be regarded as a burden and trouble, were turned into something wonderful by the Han Hai human race.

The trenches were quickly widened and deepened, and the tunnels were equipped with first-aid stations, rest areas, dining areas, hot water stations, and even separate toilets.

Traditional logs and stones had limited effectiveness against the tough-skinned orcs, so they arranged for slaves to process the stones, chiseling out many sharp edges; the logs were tied with sharpened stakes, embedded with scrap iron, and some abandoned minecarts were even dismantled, with iron bars and axle nails hammered in to make fearsome "wolf's tooth clubs".

They also made wooden fireballs that could burn and roll, poisoned arrows, or stirred up javelins in wooden tubs in the toilet...

Although this thing was an absolute torture for the leopard warriors with their keen sense of smell, the morale of the "Thunderjaw" defenders was inexplicably boosted by the thought of the enemy being stabbed.

Of course, there was also hot food, filtered drinking water, dry clothes that could be changed after the battle, and stretcher teams that were always on standby at key points in the trenches, ready to evacuate the wounded to the rear...

There are even entertainment performances!

For orcs, war is war—a brutal, direct contest of courage, strength, and a bit of luck, a duel where shamans stand behind and warriors stand at the front.

Civilians can only help move supplies at most; on the battlefield of professionals, there is no room for them to play a role.

They never imagined that war could be fought so...comfortably?
On the afternoon of the third day, a transport plane that was larger and longer than the other aircraft and painted with special markings slowly landed at the temporarily expanded landing site, escorted by four unmanned combat aircraft.

Lin Xiangming, who has been promoted to the rank of colonel and is known as the number one technical officer in the Hanhai Army, arrived at the scene with a special operations team to "return to the cemetery".

The continuous long journey and high-altitude flight had left the necromancer somewhat exhausted, but the moment he landed, Lin Xiangming still demonstrated his loyalty.

The first sentence: "The commander-in-chief knows I've gained weight recently, so he specially arranged this opportunity for me to get out and move around, and lose some weight!"

The second question: "How many enemies are there? What is the current situation on the battlefield? How many usable resources do we have?"

Aiden stood up straight and began to give a battlefield report in a loud voice. Milos was also infected by this aura and stood obediently, not daring to move his tail.

Just kidding, the person opposite him is a colonel. In Aiden's private words, he's equivalent to an orc warlord, a general!
Although Milos's intuition told him that the guy opposite him probably couldn't beat him, the leopard general, who had already witnessed many strange fighting styles in the Vast Ocean Territory, was filled with anticipation at this moment.

Milos couldn't understand what the other person was saying until, after they had been talking for a while, Aiden patted Milos on the shoulder.

"How many resources are available here?"

Milos was somewhat taken aback: "What resources?"

"Bones, human, beastman, or animal bones, preferably a roughly complete skeleton!"

"Our Colonel Lin is a necromancer who can summon skeletons to fight for us, so bones are a resource!"

Milos stared blankly at the smiling, chubby man.

Necromancer...

It's been so long since I've heard of such a niche profession.

"Yes, yes, there are plenty in the mining area!"

When the guards dug away the topsoil and opened the first giant pit, even the most experienced necromancer in the group couldn't help but widen his eyes and hold his breath.

Inside the pit were countless, layered, and intertwined white bones! Human, orc, and even some enormous skeletons of unidentifiable races... They filled the entire pit as far as the eye could see, its depths unfathomable.

This is a mine, a mine that was mined by humans for over a hundred years and then ruled by orcs for over two hundred years, primarily driven by slaves and laborers.

In every abandoned mine, there are countless corpses of miners who froze to death, starved to death, were beaten to death, or died of disease. They were carelessly thrown in like garbage until the pit was completely filled and almost level with the ground, at which point they were simply covered with topsoil.

Then the next mortuary is activated.

According to the few remaining "non-returning" stewards and overseers on the territory, every month, dozens to hundreds of corpses were thrown in. If a major epidemic broke out, the number of deaths could reach tens of thousands.

For hundreds of years, it has never been interrupted.

Lin Xiangming couldn't help but shiver slightly.

He was thinking, what if I set up a negative energy conversion array here...?

Could our commander-in-chief ascend to become a lord of the underworld on the spot?

(End of this chapter)