Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 430 The Army Approaches the Ghost Temple, Dawn's Carriage
The multinational coalition's act of sending their own people to their deaths on the land of the Snake Kingdom once again proves the truth that has been repeatedly verified on Earth—what seems easy for Dongxia is often as difficult as climbing to the sky for other countries.

With tens of thousands of years of history and five thousand years of civilization, who do you think has been able to stay at the poker table all this time?
If they can fight their way through all rounds of the elimination tournament, even if humanity on Earth is to be completely destroyed, Dongxia will still be in the last round.

However, at this time and place, on the Sea Serpent Island, even with all-around advantages, Dongxia still acted with extreme caution.

To ensure the mobility of its troops on this land, Dongxia transferred a large number of engineers from within the country to begin repairing and modifying the Snake Kingdom's transportation routes on the spot.

In terms of highways, the road network infrastructure of the Sea Serpent is relatively well-developed.

During the continuous high-intensity bombing over the past period, the bombing by the Eastern Xia side was specially planned to avoid the important road network and bridges in the Sea Serpent territory. In addition, the incendiary bombs themselves had a relatively small destructive effect on the road network, so repairs were not difficult.

The engineering corps' bulldozers, loaders, and clearing vehicles slowly advanced along the highway, pushing various obstacles such as people, corpses, and the dead, along with the mountains of abandoned vehicles, off the roadside like garbage, quickly clearing the way for the mechanized troops.

Meanwhile, Dongxia also began work on reopening the railway.

This is much more complicated.

From the Hokuriku region, where Higashikaku is located, to the Tokaido region, where the Shokonki Shrine is located, there are two main high-speed rail systems: the Hokuriku Shinkansen in the south and the Joetsu Shinkansen in the north.

There are also many ordinary rail lines that are not high-speed.

However, it must be said that due to its relatively thorough privatization by powerful clans, the Sea Serpent has many bizarre situations in the provision of national public facilities services.

For example, the power frequencies in the eastern and western regions of the sea serpent are different, so the power cannot be used interchangeably between them.

For example, in the railway system, the ordinary railway gauge of the Sea Serpent is 1067 mm, the high-speed railway gauge is 1435 mm, some lines used for resource transportation or tourism have a gauge of 762 mm, and then there are a few "long-established" private companies that stubbornly operate 1372 mm rails.

The main idea is that you go your way, and I'll go mine.

Railways and highways are not the same; their track gauges are different, making it absolutely impossible for trains to share tracks. This posed a significant obstacle to the transportation plan for Dongxia.

Fortunately, Dongxia is nicknamed "Infrastructure Maniac," which is its specialty.

Initially, the Eastern Xia plan used the northern route of the Shangyue Line, which was relatively straight and short, making it the most efficient route for transporting personnel, ammunition, and heavy equipment from the rear to the front.

However, after on-site survey, it was found that the line was severely damaged due to the high population density along the route, the large number of dead, and numerous locomotive collisions, derailments, and even fires and explosions.

The Hokuriku Line, on the south side, winds its way through the mountains and is therefore less damaged.

After careful consideration, the Eastern Xia's frontline command made a decision—to merge southwards!
While carrying out cleanup and repairs, the troops marched south, with combat forces providing cover for two construction corps to start work simultaneously. They replaced a 120-kilometer narrow-gauge railway with a broad-gauge railway, allowing trains to switch from the Joetsu Line to the Hokuriku Line, thus creating a dual-track parallel operation.

It took a full three weeks to open this new "steel artery," and the Eastern Xia forces pushed the supply line eastward along the Hokuriku Line to Gunma Province in the Sea Serpent region.

This is the intersection of the northern and southern lines. As construction machinery roared day and night once again, Dongxia set up its second forward base here.

From the high-level Go base here to the 9th Dan player in Tiandai District where the Ghost Temple is located, there are only a mere 100 kilometers left. And from the black mist emanating from the Ghost Temple, there are less than 60 kilometers left.

Drive at full speed, and you'll reach your destination in half an hour.

With their target within reach, Dongxia was no longer in a hurry. The army began to reorganize its troops, with each unit taking turns to rest, repair equipment, and replenish supplies. Reconnaissance aircraft, drones, and special reconnaissance teams, like a cast net, began to thoroughly search the Ghost Temple and its surroundings.

During this period, the frontline operations command center held a grand commendation and reporting meeting at the Gaoqi base. Among them, Xia Hong, commander of the Jiuquan Column, on behalf of the Cihang Engineering Department headquarters, warmly received the officers and soldiers of the "Afu International Brigade" who had long been engaged in arduous struggles behind enemy lines.

The article highly praises Comrade "Afu" for his spirit of fighting despite the extremely complex circumstances of losing contact with the headquarters and traveling thousands of miles. It also strongly affirms the deeds of the former "Red Army" Skull Corps, who remained loyal to the light and persisted in harassment.

At the meeting, the command also awarded the "Heroic and Tenacious" model battle flag, medals, and certificates to the representatives of the "Afu International Brigade".

Well, the above content comes from internal communications and, of course, cannot be made public.

Just as Dongxia was preparing for war, the Ghost Temple on the opposite side was already clearly feeling the imminent threat.

The undead creatures of Blue Star are significantly stronger than those of the Starry World, both in intelligence and memory. The fact that a large, spontaneously formed ruin like the Temple of Souls could evolve to such an extent in such a short time is inseparable from the evil spirit commanders with clear consciousness and tactical thinking that were born within it.

Deep within the Ghost Temple, in the core area of ​​the churning black mist, seven enormous shadows floated in mid-air.

These are the seven evil spirit leaders enshrined here.

Due to the restrictions of the laws of the ruins, they could not leave the core area of ​​this ghost temple. However, within this area, they were nourished by the evil thoughts that had permeated the entire nation for thousands of years by the sea serpents, and were further fueled by the fanatical ambition and resentment of an era. Their power continued to expand, and they were beginning to take shape as high-level undead lords.

In the core area of ​​the Ghost Temple, many of the physical buildings have been destroyed. This was caused by the White Eagle Army's act of venting their anger at abandoning the base and suffering losses before they left, as they unleashed a large number of aerial bombs and missiles on this area.

When it comes to bombarding snakes, the white eagle is definitely more experienced.

Therefore, what now stands in the center of the Ghost Temple is a palace complex composed of dark energy, a blend of reality and illusion.

The swirling black mist here takes on an eerie dark purple hue, and countless distorted, blurry human faces constantly emerge from the mist. After absorbing enough negative energy, they gradually coalesce into batches of unique troops from the Ghost Temple Ruins—the Undead Warriors of the Old Empire.

Each狰狞 face emitted a silent, soul-piercing howl.

As wave after wave of Imperial undead warriors gradually materialized into military uniforms and marched out in neat, stiff ranks, hovering above the sea of ​​mist, the evil spirits in the center of the palace began their painful exchange once more.

They couldn't help but suffer, because the world they had awakened to was completely different from their imagination.

Dongxia!

Such a weak, ignorant people, who could only prostrate themselves on the ground and beg for mercy, could only allow the imperial soldiers to cut off men's heads, pierce the chests of the elderly, rip open women's bellies, and smash out the brains of infants...

This inferior race has now dared to ride roughshod over the empire.

How can we tolerate this?
The seven evil spirits are merely a microcosm, a concrete expression of the dark side, war trauma, social repression, and collective unconscious fear accumulated by the Sea Serpent people throughout their long history. Their greatest significance lies in making the dead do what the living cannot do!

Their thoughts intertwined and entangled in the black mist, chains of painful memories intertwined, and then they were thrown towards the direction where fighter jets roared.

Dongxia has cleared and repaired Gaoqi Airport and turned it into a military airfield. The evil spirit leaders felt a strong threat at such close range, and the black mist on their bodies began to churn violently and unnaturally.

"The Eastern Xia people... are coming... their presence is getting closer and closer!"

"How could this world have become...like this!"

The evil spirits whose thinking is still stuck in the era of "military prosperity" and "minor setbacks" simply cannot understand how the empire has come to this state.

"hypocritical……"

"I've already seen their hypocrisy..."

"They talk about peace, but they've pointed their guns at us..."

"They want us dead!"

"careful!"

"Their power... is different from before..."

"Can we hold on until the next national day of mourning?"

The day of national calamity that the evil spirits spoke of was the day their self-proclaimed great empire surrendered. And that date also held a special significance.

Around the 15th of August in the Blue Star Calendar every year, the Sea Serpents celebrate what is known as the Soul Festival, or Ghost Festival. It was originally an important day for them to worship the gods and their ancestors.

The combination of the Soul Festival and the National Day of Remembrance demonstrates the unyielding ambition of the four-clawed sea serpent!
If it can hold out until that time, the Ghost Temple ruins may be able to usher in a new round of evolution and growth, and even continue to grow stronger and unshakeable.

Whether this hope can be realized depends on the plans and mood of the Eastern Xia commander!

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 conflicts on Earth continue to unfold steadily, with war and conflict still permeating every corner of the world, ruthlessly reaping cheap lives.

In some places, they are transformed into cheaper undead.

However, in the Starry World, the esteemed Lord Chen Mo has already completed his brilliant performance in this round, and under the spotlight, he has stepped into the land of the Misty Moon Divine Court.

The Rainbow Holy City of the Divine Court prepared an extremely grand welcoming ceremony for him.

It has to be grand. For this lord, who just casually passed by and yet caused an upheaval in the entire West White Deer Plain, respecting him is respecting ourselves.

The Rainbow City believes in God, so they pay special attention to these mysterious and esoteric things.

Chen Mo also fully expressed his respect for the Misty Moon Divine Court.

Before crossing the border, he left the "Chaoyin" ship, which had always been regarded as the lord's flagship, and boarded the ceremonial motorcade that had been waiting there for a long time.

There are two reasons for not continuing westward by boat. First, bringing such a large warship into another country's territory is an extremely sensitive matter. No matter how close the relationship is between Rainbow Holy City and Han Hai, there will inevitably be people gossiping behind their backs, which could easily leave room for future trouble.

Another key reason is that Chen Mo does not want the Divine Court to have in-depth contact with his river gunboats.

The palace is docked at someone's pier. If a bishop or vice-bishop comes and wants to visit, refusing would be extremely impolite and would create obstacles for future diplomatic communication. But if you agree, who knows what the other person might see?

Therefore, abandoning ship and boarding the vehicle was a logical step.

Of course, this vehicle would not be so disgraceful as to embarrass the lord.

The dozen unicorns we got from the Divine Court last time are now basically tamed. We brought six of them over to pull the carriage, which is quite a show of power.

The carriage is said to be the masterpiece of the "Seven Luminaries Garland," a work of painstaking effort by the master craftsman, and was specially prepared for the lord. According to Oren, who is now the Grand Steward of the North, the gods sensed the surging vitality that this land was destined to become glorious the moment the lord arrived at the Vast Sea.

The "Seven Luminaries Garland" embodies the will of the gods and follows the trend of the times. Preparations for the ceremonial regalia of the Vast Ocean began several years ago, and after years of meticulous craftsmanship, this super vehicle was finally completed.

Its name is "Dawn," and now, it has finally found its owner.

Chen Mo smiled outwardly, but inwardly he scoffed.

Yes, yes, so back then you provided the bandits with food and weapons, which can be considered as sending the first batch of laborers to the Han Hai Territory, right...?

The "Dawn" carriage... to be precise, it should be called the unicorn carriage. It has a very impressive presence and fully lives up to its claims of a long production cycle and a luxurious production team.

The first impression Chen Mo had was that it was huge, so big that it didn't look like a vehicle, but rather a mobile luxury palace.

The chassis of the vehicle is made of a magical material called 'Zeru Wood' from the Wuhen Mountains. It is a unique substance with properties between top-grade wood and warm stone. It is sturdy, lightweight, and has a natural luster and delicate texture on its surface. Layer upon layer, it is so shiny that it can reflect a person's image!
This material property allows the vehicle to be very large in size but not excessively heavy, which is why it can be driven easily despite being nearly nine meters long and over four meters high.

When Chen Mo first saw this carriage, he couldn't help but think of the "Skullcrusher's Palace" of the orc warlord Groom, which made him feel slightly displeased.

However, another design feature of the vehicle quickly dispelled the young lord's displeasure.

The outer frame is wrapped in a divinely blessed silver seal; the defense is merely symbolic, the main purpose being to achieve that flowing, moonlit luster.

Beneath this soft, flowing light are twenty reliefs surrounding the vehicle body, eight on each side and four on the rear, each recording a significant moment in the history of the Vast Ocean Territory.

The new city of Hanhai makes its first appearance, and the lord commands with great vigor;
Three riders broke through the enemy lines and nearly a thousand bandits were beheaded.
Razorfen Downs was easily captured, and the human race returned to their old territories;
After repelling the orcs' autumn hunt, the city walls are strewn with countless treasures...

The last image of the lord is of breaking through the Crack Claw Canyon and the banner of the Vast Sea flying high. As for the glorious deeds of easily defeating the various tribes of the Western White Deer that just happened, it is obviously because of time constraints that there has not been time to update.

What amazed Chen Mo the most was that the relief carvings on the carriage included ample shots of Liu Shuang.

Not only does Liu Shuang appear in many of Lord Chen's "historical moments," but she is also featured in two separate images.

One painting depicts a Valkyrie riding a lone warrior, and of course, the unicorn provided by the Misty Moon Divine Court is also included.

The other one is Dongguanling Tianshuang City. Hmm, the caravan outside the city carrying a large amount of supplies, although the carving is extremely small, you can still see the "Seven Luminaries Garland" mark.

They really put their heart into it!

Nine of the paintings have images, while the rest are currently blank, leaving ample room for future upgrades.

These reliefs are not only exquisitely carved and lifelike, but also embedded with a large number of tiny gemstones. Chen Mo could vaguely make out star-patterned diamonds, iridescent marrow, and moonstone. These are rare materials that magicians occasionally use in spellcasting, and they are barely within Chen Mo's knowledge circle.

As for the remaining colorful ones, he had no idea, but he could tell they must be very expensive!

When it was time to return the car, Lord Chen sincerely expressed his gratitude to Oren.

"That's so thoughtful!"

Under Oulen's attentive guidance, Chen Mo boarded the car, and the interior space was equally breathtaking.

The transparent windows of the vehicle are made of ice crystal, the cabin floor is made of obsidian, the ceiling features a "Seven-Eyed Gods Surveying the Sky" pattern, the entire vehicle is illuminated with "soft pearl" micro-lighting, the carpet is woven with a mixture of northern snow spider silk and gold thread, and the tabletop is made of a single piece of natural "starry sky agate"...

The carriages contain rest areas, dining areas, meeting areas, and even meditation rooms and practice rooms, all separated in an orderly manner to ensure that each area does not disturb the others.

In short, this "Dawn" carriage is exquisitely crafted and meticulously designed, perfectly combining the pinnacle of art, the magnificence of magic, the symbolism of wealth, and the naked display of power.

Even in Chen Mo's lord's mansion in the vast ocean, the conditions weren't as luxurious as this car.

Sitting in the large armchair, Chen Mo calmly took out a pen and quickly made some notes.

Regarding the unauthorized use of my and Liushuang's portrait rights to create a relief sculpture, it is not appropriate to bring it up in the current atmosphere and occasion, but we should find an opportunity to collect evidence for future use!

We need to ask the foreign affairs department to confirm whether the ownership of this car has been gifted to me, or whether I am only granted the right to use it for a certain period of time, or the right to use it in a designated area.
Do I have the right to modify, give away, or sell it?

Feasibility study on weaponization of vehicle hulls...

In the future, we can set up a celebration emcee and wedding photography studio on the territory, and then use this as a lead vehicle for rental.
Liu Shuang's little head was squeezed to the side, her amber eyes staring intently at the lines of words Chen Mo had written, her eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and admiration.

How did you come up with that?

The carriage traveled westward.

The iconic city walls of Rainbow City, bathed in a soft, iridescent glow under the sunlight, are now in sight.

(End of this chapter)