Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 457 Probing Confrontation and Night Raid
The Green Pine Kingdom has put a lot of effort into setting up this defensive line at Dongguanling Pass.

In this late spring season, from the northern lands to the depths of the desert, everything is lush and green. However, the mountains above and below Dongguan Pass are like a gray-blue scar, lying silently and desolately across the winding valley.

To fortify this defensive line, the Green Pine Kingdom practically drained all the resources in the vicinity. As far as the eye could see, the trees on the nearby foothills had been completely felled, leaving only dense, bluish stumps, like a shaved head.

Large and small pieces of wood and stone were piled up and reinforced on this mountain pass defense line, and the air was filled with the raw smell of fresh wood.

As Han Hai had previously analyzed, whether it was the civilians in the Green Pine controlled area or the mercenaries or knights wielding swords and armor, their fear of the orcs was far greater than their fear of Han Hai's troops, who were also human. This was because if they fell into the hands of humans, they could be taken prisoner and there was still a chance of survival; if they fell into the hands of orcs, they would most likely become corpses, and perhaps they would be lucky enough to be put on a hot dinner table.

However, among the higher-ups in the Green Pine Kingdom, the danger was exactly reversed.

The threat from the vast ocean is far greater than the threat from the orcs.

After all, the orcs only came to plunder and kill. They couldn't stay in the southern lands. As soon as the climate changed, they would naturally retreat to the north. At most, it was a periodic natural disaster.

After the orcs leave, all that's needed is to drive over another group of lowly people, and everything will be back to normal.

Those commoners were incredibly resilient, growing back after being cut down again and again, but the leaders of the Green Pine Kingdom weren't too worried about it.

But the situation is different this time with the Han Hai. As another human regime, if they conquer Green Pine's land, it will fundamentally destroy Green Pine's rule.

The old lords, the old laws, and all the old order could be uprooted and crushed into dust.

Take Cloud Mist Territory for example. Orcs used to attack every now and then. Sometimes they lost, sometimes they won. At the height of their power, the orcs' fangs and claws were already scraping the bricks of Cloud Mist City. But so what?
Once the orcs retreated, the clouds and mist remained clouds and mist, and the count remained the count.

But an invasion by the Green Pine Kingdom turned "Cloudy Territory" into "Enemy Territory".

Therefore, for the human race, the human race is the most terrifying enemy.

For this reason, the Green Pine Kingdom has invested heavily in its defense.

This place has always been an important pass. Over the years, in order to guard against orcs, the former Emerald Duchy and Cloud Mist Territory deployed a large number of defensive facilities along the Ridge Pass Valley. Although the defense line was weakened for several years due to the invasion of Zircon Territory and gradually deteriorated, there was still some foundation left.

Now, with the combined efforts of the entire nation, Green Pine is repairing some parts and adding new ones, and has managed to restore this defense line to its former glory.

The outermost edge of the defensive line was a wide trench used to block cavalry charges.

Yes, it was a trench purely for defensive purposes, not a trench where soldiers hid.

The trench was over six meters wide, and apart from a very few unique mounts, neither human warhorses nor orc frost wolves could leap across such a distance.

During periods when there are no orc raids, the middle section of the trench would be leveled or a bridge made of giant logs would be built over it. Now, of course, it has been dug thoroughly, like a chasm that has split open in the earth.

The trench is about four meters deep. The walls are made of rammed clay and have been pounded with a special wooden mallet. They are steep, smooth, and have a slight downward inward angle. If a professional falls in, it might not be difficult for them to get out, but it would be a real problem for their mount.

The bottom of the ditch was filled with pits of varying depths, scattered with angular pebbles and countless sharpened and hardened wooden splinters protruding from the ground. The tips of the splinters seemed to be coated with something, gleaming with a dark blue-black light under the increasingly intense spring sunlight.

A few days ago, several sudden spring rains left shallow puddles at the bottom of the ditch, reflecting the shadows of reconnaissance drones in the iron-gray sky.

Beyond the trench were three layers of crisscrossing barricades.

The main fence was made of "ironscale wood," a specialty of the kingdom, with trunks as thick as an adult man's thigh driven deep into the ground. Then, various wooden stakes, as thick as an arm, were twisted around the main fence, their tips sharpened and pointing diagonally towards the sky.

Knowing that the weapons of the Han Hai were fierce, these wooden fences were coated with a fireproof mud mixture, and at the joints of the wooden fences, faint metal reinforcements could be seen from time to time.

It is worth noting that these three layers of fences are not arranged in perfect parallel lines to block the position, but rather have some gaps.

From the drone's overhead view, these gaps are scattered throughout. One gap in the first fence is directly opposite the most solid middle section of the second fence. To pass through another gap in the second fence, one would need to move horizontally for hundreds of meters to find the passage corresponding to the third fence.

This arrangement is similar to the iron barriers at the entrance of tourist attractions. If the charging troops want to pass through these gaps, they must first go through a winding and circuitous "maze".

During this period, Green Pine's ranged attacks will inevitably cover this area.

Only after passing through these barricades can one reach the core defensive line of the Green Pine Kingdom.

Every kilometer or so, there is a stone fortress serving as a support node for the defensive line.

The fortress base was constructed from grayish-white rocks quarried from the nearby mountains, giving it a rather imposing appearance. Several openings, each the size of a human head, pierced the front of the fortress like dark, gaping eyes, gazing at every inch of the land ahead, ready to unleash a devastating attack.

Around each fortress, like stars surrounding the moon, there are six four-meter-high wooden arrow towers. The arrow towers are also coated with fireproof mud. The archers, wearing light armor, are huddled in the semi-underground bunkers on the ground floor of the arrow towers. Once the horn sounds, they will climb to their firing positions within a few breaths and unleash a deadly rain of arrows on any invading enemy.

The flag of the Green Pine Kingdom fluttered atop the fortress—a dark green flag embroidered with a giant, ancient tree, gently swaying in the spring breeze that carried the unique scents of earth and wood.

This level of defense is unlike any defense Hanhai has ever encountered before.

The camera continues to zoom out, past these fortresses, to reveal two trenches embedded in the ground, one in front and one behind, winding their way across the entire valley, perfectly sandwiching these fortifications in the middle.

Meanwhile, many short trenches extended longitudinally from the trenches, connecting the fortress, arrow towers, and several hidden troop pits and supply caves in the rear, forming a complex and efficient chain-like defense network.

The mountain wind howled through the empty trenches, swept over the pointed tops of the fence, and brushed against the silent flags on the watchtower, emitting a whistling sound of varying pitch and intensity, like an ancient beast lurking there, letting out a warning growl from its throat.

When Chen Mo, who was far behind the enemy lines, first saw this defensive line, he couldn't help but express his sincere admiration.

"This must be the pinnacle of outdoor defensive fortifications in the form of cold weapons!"

The veteran general beside him quickly added, "That's not all. Look at those horse traps and triple maze fences up ahead. They're clearly traditional warfare tactics from the continent, used to deal with cavalry charges and infantry phalanxes. And those three-dimensional trenches and bunkers behind us—I've dealt with them many times, but I've never seen anything like them before. They must have learned them from our war with the orcs!"

"That's quite modern!"

"That's interesting!"

If it weren't for the many things that needed to be done at home, Chen Mo would have really wanted to go to the front lines in person and see firsthand the heavyweight defense line that the Green Pine Kingdom had built with all its might.

Over the next two days, Han Hai Ling used a combination of airships and high, medium, and low-altitude drones to conduct a comprehensive and thorough analysis of this defense line.

They also arranged for troops to conduct small-scale probing attacks.

In this process, more details of this defense line gradually came to light, revealing the multi-dimensional nature of its defenses and the richness of its protective measures. The more the officers of Hanhai probed, the more excited they became.

For example, the trenches and barricades in front may appear to be empty, but they are not actually a completely static defense.

Behind the trenches and in front of and behind the barricades, a considerable number of underground tunnels were dug. The number of people in each tunnel varied, ranging from three to five to more than ten. These soldiers, like real moles, held their breath and quietly lurked underground in the darkness.

Once the vanguard of the Han Hai forces triggers a certain mechanism or receives a certain signal, a group of burly men will emerge from underground and viciously assault the Han Hai soldiers.

For example, seemingly flat ground on the battlefield can actually conceal deadly dangers.

It was here that Han Hai experienced a firearms attack from his opponent for the first time.

Those were minefields buried between the passageways.

When the explosions rang out and smoke filled the air, the forward command post of the Han Hai Territory was stunned.

Gunpowder weapons exist in the Starry World. Although they have never become mainstream due to various issues, it is undeniable that they are ultimately a part of gunpowder weapons.

Throughout recorded history, firearms have primarily taken two forms: firing and throwing. The dwarven musket is a prime example of a firing weapon, while the incendiary grenade is a typical example of a throwing weapon. The reason for this might be that the vast majority of warriors on the Starry Continent are highly skilled professionals who trust their own hands and prefer to control their weapons.

Or perhaps gunpowder weapons are too scarce, and such passive weapons, which could be triggered at any time or by anything, do not meet the combat needs of various countries.

Another, perhaps more straightforward, logic is that in a world like the Starry Continent, which doesn't really treat the lower classes as human beings, the reason why cannon fodder wasn't used for siege warfare in the past was because ordinary people, as cannon fodder, would almost always face one-sided slaughter when facing the enemy's professionals, and would have no effect on the enemy at all.

But if it's a weapon that's placed on the ground and becomes ineffective when someone steps on it, then there would be plenty of cannon fodder in that minefield.

Therefore, weapons in the form of "landmines" have never appeared on the battlefield.

But now, it's really here.

After a moment of silence, the frontline command post of Han Hai erupted into a frenzy.

"The enemy is learning our fighting style!"

"You learn so fast!"

As the commander in charge of this operation, Chen Yuanfeng quickly summarized the situation.

"The first time landmines appeared on the Starry Continent was outside the 'Crack Claw' Canyon. Our First Army of the Field Army deployed a minefield for defense against the siege of the three major orc tribes."

"And so far, the only time!"

"In just over a year, with such a limited number of battles, the enemy not only learned how to do it, but also completed the manufacturing and battlefield application!"

"What a worthy opponent!"

Chen Yuanfeng pinched his chin, which was just starting to sprout a little stubble: "Reporting to the deputy commander-in-chief, reporting to the commander-in-chief!"

"The Dongguanling Pass defense line of the Green Pine Kingdom has been confirmed to be using passively triggered explosive defensive weapons for the first time. This fully demonstrates that the enemy has conducted in-depth research on us and possesses extremely strong tactical imitation and weapon manufacturing capabilities."

"The frontline command plans to intensify the attack; please expedite the deployment of the artillery group!"

For soldiers, crushing the enemy with machine guns and heavy artillery is certainly a thrilling experience, but encountering a tenacious, courageous, and resourceful opponent can also be exhilarating.

The following evening, under the urging of the artillery group commander, Han Hai's artillery group arrived at the Dongguan Pass Valley.

In the early hours of the third day, Han Hai launched its first large-scale attack.

According to the operational plan of the newly established forward command, the war officially began at midnight on Hanhai time, and the field army divided its artillery groups into three parts.

The main 155mm heavy artillery group is responsible for covering the rock bunkers, main trench lines, and suspected command posts and supply depots in the middle and rear of the defensive line.
Mortar and grenade launcher units focused on clearing out the front-line barricades, fenced areas, and burrows where "moles" might be hiding.

The most dangerous and brutal frontal assault missions were assigned to a massive number of undead skeleton warriors, led by a small number of elite assault infantry. Their task was simple and direct: with their hard bones and fearless steps, they would force their way through enemy minefields, forcing out enemies hiding in caves, or simply burying them inside.

Although Han Hai cannot mobilize the people, which means the enemy has found his weakness, there are plenty of bones beneath that weakness.

In the pitch-black night, a clear, chilly atmosphere permeated the defense line of the Dongguanling Pass valley. Behind the Hanhai naval formation, eighty 155mm heavy howitzers, which had been mobilized, stood in their pre-arranged positions, their long, thick barrels raised, their extended supports deeply embedded in the ground.

"Attention, all personnel—test fire, one shot—fire!"

The six test-firing cannons were fired sequentially from near to far, with intervals of less than one second between each firing point.

The cannon suddenly spewed out orange-red fireballs, and the muffled roar, like a giant beast exhaling, drowned out the sound of the wind. Then, in the air, it turned into an increasingly urgent shriek, tearing through the sky from near to far.

The first shell landed slightly ahead, exploding fifty meters in front of the enemy's fortified trenches. The loud bang sent earth and rocks soaring into the sky, and the fire briefly illuminated the cleared area. The second shell landed right between the two trenches, exploding only five meters from a fortified position.

Judging from the distribution map of the impact points, the second and third test firing positions of the six test guns were very close to the enemy's trenches and fortified defenses.

"The test firing was successful! The impact distribution was ideal!"

"Adjust parameters! All artillery, target the enemy's core defense line—three rapid fire rounds—fire!"

The revised second salvo has begun.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The flashes of the explosion stretched across the front line, and the ground began to tremble continuously. At the same time, the mortar corps roared.

The aerial observation drones transmitted real-time footage, showing gravel and wood chips flying everywhere in the shockwave. The area directly hit between the trestle trench and the first fence was severely damaged and tilted. The firelight reflected off the charred craters, like firecrackers lighting up the dark earth.

Immediately afterwards, the undead troops that had moved to their designated positions in the first half of the night began to surge out of the temporary troop hiding line in the vast sea like a tidal wave, rushing towards the firelight.

The reason for choosing midnight to launch the attack is that, under such visibility conditions, the undead have a much greater advantage than the humans.

One hundred meters, three hundred meters, five hundred meters... The clattering and grinding sounds of the skeletons moving forward filled the air, gradually spreading across the buffer zone between the two sides' positions.

The "landmines" laid by the Green Pine Kingdom were triggered one after another, and flashes of fire appeared from time to time among the skeleton army. The shockwaves overturned, tossed the surrounding skeletons into the air, and even blasted them into pieces.

However, this did not affect the progress of the skeleton army. The undead continued to roll forward silently and resolutely. Some skeleton warriors whose leg bones were accidentally blown off stretched out their still functional arms and grabbed other skeletons tightly, thus hitching a ride and continuing to move forward, leaving a long trail on the ground.

In just a few minutes, the vanguard of the white wave had surged to within a hundred meters of the wide trench.

However, at that very moment, a sudden change occurred, and the enemy's defenses suddenly "lit up".

White light, blinding white light, instantly covered a large area of ​​the battlefield.

A mid-range undead damage spell from the Divine Court—[Judgment Star].

This is a targeted magic that bypasses physical attacks and directly impacts the soul fire of the dead with holy light energy. Its coverage area is quite large; each beam of light forms a death ring with an area of ​​about thirty square meters.

While it only scratches the surface against mid-to-high-level undead, it is extremely effective against low-level undead.

To avoid the minefield, the skeletons formed a dense formation. With each flash of white light, swathes of skeleton warriors froze abruptly, their soul fires flickering violently like candle flames in the wind, before going out with a "poof."

Immediately afterwards, the skeleton, which had lost the support of the soul power, scattered all over the ground as if its spine had been broken. One second it was a fierce charging torrent, and the next second it turned into a pile of white, withered bones.

From the air, the advancing army of skeletons resembled a scene of Dongxia making dumplings by hand. On a whole sheet of white dough, many neat, almost identical round holes were dug out in an instant, making it look like it was riddled with holes.

The expressions of Chen Yuanfeng and Ma Houpao, who were in charge of the battle, froze almost simultaneously.

A few seconds later, Chen Yuanfeng roared out with a ferocious expression.

"Withdraw! Let the mobile forces withdraw first! The Jiuquan troops also withdraw!"

"Increase the shelling density, provide cover fire! Cover! Cover the retreat!"

"Investigate! Investigate! Where did the attack originate?"

After pausing for a few seconds, Chen Yuanfeng punched himself hard.

"Prepare the horses, I need to go and ask the deputy commander-in-chief for instructions!"

(End of this chapter)