Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 463 Divine Light Descends from Heaven, Causing a Thousand-Mile Collapse

During this period of time, the lord has been busy dealing with these holdout strongholds.

Or to be more precise, Dongxia was not idle.

Such a long and continuous barrage of fire from various weapons serves as both an output and a test.

To test the effectiveness of Dongxia's weapon systems against this energy protection.

In his research on the psionic system of the Starry World over the past few years, Dongxia has discovered a clear pattern: kinetic weapons seem to be significantly restrained by magical defense, or more accurately, psionic defense.

This is also the main reason why the "Hand of the Mage," which is not of a high rank, was able to stop extremely fast high-energy particles in previous controlled nuclear fusion experiments.

Because high-energy particles have extremely low mass, even if they travel at high speeds, their overall kinetic energy impact is relatively limited and can be forcibly restrained by the psionic barrier.

Currently, the fortresses on the front lines of the Green Pine Kingdom are equipped with a composite defensive array that combines the sacred barrier of the Mist Moon Divine Court with the magical protection of the Starry Continent. As a result, the weapon systems that the Vast Ocean is so proud of are unable to penetrate the enemy's "armor".

This won't do.
Once the war began, Dongxia had two core objectives.

Weapons out, defenses back!
Over the past few years, Dongxia has conducted extensive testing on psionic defense. After acquiring a local psionic crystal supply channel like the "Silver Abyss," it has further intensified its research and exploration into countering this weapon.

There are two main paths to breaking the deadlock.

One approach is to add kinetic energy to conventional kinetic weapons, aiming to "break through all defenses with sheer force" and forcefully penetrate psionic defenses.

For example, high-power, ultra-high-power electromagnetic railguns.

Another approach is to avoid mutually restraining relationships, pitting energy against energy and competing in terms of output.

The one that has gone the furthest along this route is the "Shenguang" series of laser weapons independently developed by Dongxia.

Both of these routes rely on ultra-high power output, which theoretically amounts to an energy clash between "electrical energy" and "psychic energy".

Whoever is bigger wins!
Regarding the Green Pine Defense Line in the Eastern Pass and the Glazed Valley, Dongxia's suggestion is to deploy lasers!
Of course, if a laser weapon can burn through a defensive array of this level, its output power must be terrifying. Over the past few dozen days, Han Hai has done a lot of preparation work for this attack.

Considering that the farther the distance, the greater the energy loss of laser weapons in the atmosphere, the launching device must be as close to the front line as possible. Han Hai did not hesitate to send the National Defense Force to move forward in person to make room for his side to set up weapon positions.

To increase output power, Hanhai excavated a huge underground space where a modular energy storage power station was directly assembled.

The laser-emitting device is like a Gustav cannon, weighing 270 tons and covering an area of ​​over 300 square meters. It is equipped with a complete industrial cooling tower just for temperature control.

To avoid detection, Han Hai also built a supply depot and watchtower outside the laser cannon. In addition, a total of six such buildings were set up along the entire battle line for cross-cover.

Given that the [Starry Sky Type 1] system, specifically designed for attack energy protection, is not mobile, Han Hai has also deployed sufficient field army and national defense army soldiers on the front line, ready to intercept any possible enemy counterattacks that may break out of the fortress.

These days, the kingdom's warriors inside the fortress are enduring endless mental torment, while the engineers outside the fortress are working tirelessly on construction projects, with the booming of cannons drowning out the day and night roar of construction machinery.

After everything is ready, we still need to wait for the right opportunity.

Dust in the air, smoke on the battlefield, and even sand kicked up by the previous shell can greatly affect the output efficiency of laser weapons. Therefore, Han Hai chose this morning, when the dew was settling and the fog was just beginning to dissipate, and consciously avoided the area in front of Fortress No. 9 in the early shelling to avoid causing dust in the attack path.

When the prompt signals from multiple built-in filter air samplers all met the standards, Han Hai's artillery commander, Ma Houpao, with slightly trembling hands, opened the transparent protective cover and pressed the red activation switch.

A continuous, low hum came from deep underground; it was the sound of the energy storage power station discharging at full power.

The laser has a power of 12 megawatts and a wavelength of 1.06 micrometers. It is focused by a main mirror with a diameter of 3.2 meters and creates a circular spot with a diameter of 12 centimeters on the protective surface of the fortress.

Normally, laser light of this wavelength is not within the visible light range and should be invisible to the naked eye.

That won't do.
The logic of a frontal assault and a covert attack is different. A frontal assault means making the opponent see our glorious righteous path and our sudden, unexpected attack.

To make themselves visible to the enemy, Han Hai used an extra high-powered searchlight to project a thick beam of light that pierced through the battlefield.

Of course, the point of emission of the probe beam and the point of emission of the laser are a little far apart.

The real output comes from this laser beam of [Starry Sky Type I].

According to Dongxia's calculations, the stable ablation power density at the laser contact point reached 106 KW per cubic centimeter, which theoretically can melt any known metal protective layer in milliseconds.

The deflection array on the first level of the fortress was instantly pierced. This array is used to deflect physical attack devices, but it has little effect on energy weapons.

The second layer of elemental resistance magic array held for three seconds.

This is already quite impressive, considering that the equipment on both sides is top-tier "black technology" but has a size difference of over a thousand times, which is equivalent to a train colliding with a baby stroller.

The stroller was only knocked away three seconds later, and judging from its energy form, it was clearly more than one level higher than the laser from Dongxia.

The most powerful one is the third layer of the magic array.

At the core of that pale golden light film was a special protection from the Misty Moon Divine Court. When the laser beam hit it, it did not shatter instantly like the previous two layers, but instead trembled violently.

A key feature of psionic protection is its ability to automatically fill in gaps.

Although the laser attack only targets a small point, the moment the psionic energy at the attacked location is weakened, psionic energy from other locations will flow into this low point like water, replenishing the weak psionic energy.

Thus, under the fixed and continuous output of the [Divine Light] system, it lasted for a full twenty-nine seconds.

Based on the output efficiency of [Starry Sky Type I], a total of 384 trillion joules of energy were thrown at the surface of the fortress during this period.

The spirit crystals installed in the seven positions on the magic circle shattered one by one due to overload. In the final surge of spiritual energy, molten ripples appeared on the surface of the golden light screen, and the color rapidly changed from light gold to bright gold, then to crimson. Finally, as the magic circle lost all its energy support, it left clearly visible cracks in the air.

Even after the light curtain completely dissipated, these cracks, which should have disappeared along with it, remained stubbornly projected onto people's retinas as if they were etched in the air, refusing to fade away for a long time.

However, it doesn't matter anymore.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no blinding white light; just like that, after shattering the magic array's protection, the laser easily pierced through the entire fortress, like a spear thrusting into a lake.

Without psionic protection, the fortress is easily destroyed.

Those seemingly solid stone walls probably only lasted a few Planck times before a cavern with an ever-expanding diameter was pierced through them, and white smoke billowed into the sky as the rocks vaporized.

"Fire rapidly! Strike—!!!"

Seeing this scene on screen after the fact, even my voice was a little distorted.

He didn't know if that damned magic circle would light up again at any moment, so he had to seize this brief window of opportunity to maximize his firepower.

The thirty heavy howitzers and hundreds of mortars, whose parameters had already been adjusted and were aimed at the fortress, roared in long-suppressed anger. The intervals between these sounds were so close that, from the valley, the cannon fire sounded as a continuous, uninterrupted long tone.

Next came the sound of an explosion from Fortress Nine.

The sounds were so dense and violent that they created a strange illusion for a moment, as if the whole world had suddenly fallen silent.

The chaotic shockwave was like an invisible giant hand, kneading and rubbing the entire Fortress Nine like washing clothes, turning it into a messy rag.

The gray-white stone walls, which had just lost the protection of the golden light curtain, crumbled like sandcastles in the flames of the explosion. Before the smoke from the explosion in front had even dissipated, the shells behind had already passed through the breach and entered the interior of the fortress.

Then came the third and fourth waves—

The artillerymen of the vast sea unleashed a rapid barrage at the highest frequency.

The artillerymen didn't need to observe, watch the trajectory, or make any adjustments; they simply mechanically and wildly fed the ammunition piled on the racks into the gun barrels one after another.

The flames from the explosion stretched for miles, painting the fortress with an eerie orange-red hue. Debris and dust were thrown dozens of meters into the air by the shockwave, then fell back down under the force of gravity, forming a gray-black mud rain that covered an area of ​​several miles.

The conventional artillery fire created a slowly rising mushroom cloud on the rubble that was no longer recognizable.

At this moment, no one knows how many soldiers once guarded this fortress, and of course, no one will ever know in the future.

Even if you brought in a necromancer, on this land repeatedly ravaged by high temperatures, explosions, and shockwaves, you probably wouldn't find many recyclable items. In a way, the era of cold weapons was more favorable to necromancers; at least there were more usable items left on the battlefield…

After confirming that the fortress was completely destroyed, Ma Houpao breathed a long sigh of relief and instructed the communications soldier behind him: "Report to the front-line command: Enemy Marker Fortress No. 9 has been confirmed destroyed!"

"Adjust the direction of [Divine Light] and prepare for the next attack!"

Adjusting the [Starry Sky Type 1] is not as simple as moving the gun barrel. First of all, the massive primary sight blank, turret support structure, and precision optical components are extremely delicate, and the angular acceleration for turning is strictly limited. It takes at least three to five minutes to turn from one fortified target to the next adjacent fortified target.

Secondly, once the massive turret is roughly adjusted into place, the auxiliary tracking system needs to be activated to re-acquire, identify, and lock onto the new target in the wide field of view, and to refocus the firing device. This process also takes more than five minutes.

Then there's cooling and reheating, and most importantly, re-energy storage.

In Dongxia, the vast power grid might allow for a quick transition to the next launch. However, for the vast ocean of stars, rebuilding the power source for an attack using this frontline power station and completing rigorous safety checks, according to the precise control data provided by the [Compassionate Voyage] Engineering Department, would take three hours and thirty-six minutes.

One shot every four hours, each shot lasting half a minute.

That's not all; we also have to consider the battlefield environment.

The smoke and dust in the air will cause extremely severe scattering of the laser. Even with the help of a wind mage to clear it and localized rain from a water mage, preparing a good shooting environment will be a very long process. Therefore, the next shooting window may be as long as a dozen hours or even several days.

However, the garrison of Green Pine had no idea about this.

They only saw a dazzling beam of light shoot over, and then their seemingly impregnable fortress was reduced to ashes.

Then, the thick beam of light that had just destroyed Fortress Nine began to move slowly, like a broad two-handed greatsword, slowly slicing through the battlefield and moving toward the next "victim".

The entire defense line quickly descended into a state of immense panic.

This was a team that had been tormented by various sound and light explosions for more than twenty days and nights, and all of them were on the verge of nervous breakdown. When they saw the "ruins" of Fortress No. 9 being razed to the ground and even sinking into a pit several meters deep in the gradually dissipating smoke, the last barrier supporting their psychological defenses collapsed.

Panic erupted uncontrollably.

The first to collapse was Fortress 10, which was closest to Fortress 9.

These seventeen fortresses were not evenly distributed, but rather, relying on the terrain of the valley, they were staggered and alternated, forming a relatively three-dimensional defense. This was the main reason why the Hanhai National Defense Army could not continue to penetrate deeper and form an encirclement after capturing the first trench.

Even if the front of the fortress suffers a lot of attacks, the sides and rear still have a good output environment, which can cause great damage to the Han Hai National Defense Army that tries to penetrate deeper.

Fortress 10 is located to the side and rear of Fortress 9, and occupies a slightly raised hill, giving it a clear view of everything that happens at Fortress 9.

It was the high priesthood of the temple at Fortress No. 10 that collapsed first.

They are believers of the gods, and they brought with them a defensive array based on divine grace. They are steadfast in their will and devout in their faith, and no matter how fierce the enemy, they cannot make them retreat even a step.

That is why, when this light appeared and easily pierced through their "divine domain," a terrible thought instantly arose in the minds of the priests.

"Divine...divine punishment..."

This is a warning from the gods.

The gods chose to protect our adversaries, and they bestowed their favor upon the Rainbow City…

These priests all knew about the power struggles between the Azure Sky Holy City and the Rainbow Holy City, from which they originated. In their eyes, this was the direction chosen by the gods.

We have become the gods' forsaken children!

Yes, because of their unwavering faith in the gods, their spirits were the first to crumble.

Their chosen course of action was to give up all futile struggles and collapse to their knees in despair.

"Great Seven-Eyed God, we beg for your forgiveness!"

Closely following behind were the ordinary soldiers of Green Pine.

Green Pine is an extremely cruel country where ranks and positions are determined by military merit.

Generally speaking, Green Pine's military achievements are divided into two types: one is external expansion wars, and the other is internal defense wars.

If you win the war of expansion, you'll plunder money, food, women, and receive titles, land, and wealth as rewards from the kingdom.

For the warriors of Green Pine, war is an absolute passion, a celebration for everyone. This is the core reason why Green Pine is so formidable against both Mirror Lake and Emerald.

However, defensive wars within the territory are different.

Without newly plundered wealth, land, and people, where would the rewards come from? The upper-class nobles couldn't possibly use their own wealth to reward those soldiers, could they?

How to motivate soldiers to fight? Green Pine also has a set of cruel punishment rules.

If a defensive battle is lost, the soldier will face extremely severe punishment, not only on himself but also on his entire family and even his clan.

They were stripped of their land, reduced to slavery, exiled to mines, and even executed.

In this way, through such a system of rewards and punishments, Green Pine maintained a good rhythm of tension and relaxation, accumulating pressure on soldiers when defending the homeland and unleashing the wildness of the troops when expanding outwards. Thus, like an alternating snowball rolling downhill, it has brought about the kingdom's prosperous national fortune in recent years.

Who could have imagined that it would be abruptly interrupted by an insignificant playboy from a family?

Back at the scene, witnessing this attack that was almost "uncontrollable," and seeing the temple priests who had been protecting them reduced to kneeling in prayer, the ordinary soldiers' instincts told them that it was all over.

Not only is he finished, but his family is also likely to be finished.

The fear of losing everything instantly overwhelmed any apprehension about military law. If everything was destined for destruction, then the only thing worth cherishing was one's own life.

Running away might offer a glimmer of hope, a chance to survive in anonymity.

The tighter things were in the past, the faster they will break down now.

It's unclear who made the first sound; it was hoarse and trembling, like a mournful cry squeezed from the depths of the earth.

The mournful cry was like a needle piercing the deathly silence that enveloped the entire defensive line, and then the collapse erupted like a landslide and a tsunami.

Run!

A complete rout!
The soldiers began frantically banging on the door, and the collapse quickly spread to the middle-ranking officers.

Inside Fortress No. 10, the unshaven adjutant suddenly overturned the table in front of him and ran away as maps, kettles, and tokens flew everywhere.

His adjutant, a young knight, instinctively reached out to stop him, anxiously shouting, "My lord, the order is—"

His response was a vicious, merciless kick that sent the adjutant slamming into the wall, spitting out a torrent of blood.

The lieutenant general's eyes were bloodshot, his facial muscles contorted into bulges, and his voice was completely hoarse: "To hell with the military orders! Didn't you see? That thing can burn the entire fortress to ashes! Burn it to nothing!!"

"The defenses are down! We're finished!!!"

The adjutant forcefully pushed past the guards and the fleeing soldiers, used the magic rune stone on his chest to open a passage at the side and rear of the fortress, and stumbled and disappeared into the passage.

The soldiers rushed in.

Behind them, the slowly dissipating smoke and dust resembled the remains of a body from the depths of hell, while in front of them lay a dark passage with faint, glimmering light.

That's the direction of life.

The lieutenant, messengers, clerks, and soldiers in the fortress instantly turned into a group of frightened rabbits, rushing towards that sliver of light. In their haste, some knocked over baskets of food, and others overturned chests full of spirit crystals. Precious life-saving food and priceless crystals rolled all over the ground, but no one gave them a second glance.

They cried and staggered, desperately trying to escape this grave of death.

These Pine Soldiers, pouring out of the fortress, scattered into the open field like headless flies, running wildly and randomly. Some ran towards other fortresses, some towards the trenches behind, some towards the distant open field, and some even ran in the wrong direction, stumbling and wading towards Han Hai's position.

The chaotic crowd collided, pushed, and trampled each other, with curses, cries, and screams mingling together.

A few officers who tried to restore order were easily overwhelmed by the torrent, knocked to the ground by the crowd, and trampled mercilessly. Countless boots collided with skulls and ribs, making dull thuds.

The wind blew across the battlefield, carrying with it a sense of despair.

From that moment on, everyone who survived that nightmare may be haunted by the same nightmare for the rest of their lives—

A clear, dazzling beam of light silently streaked across the sky.

(End of this chapter)