Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 469 Dimo ​​Tiger Brand Battle Achievements (6.6K votes requested)
Long, long ago, the Vast Ocean Territory was once part of the Emerald Duchy.

Chen Mo's appointment as a pioneering lord was only officially effective after the official seal of the Emerald Duchy was affixed to the document and announced to all nations.

In the eyes of some high-ranking officials in the Emerald Duchy, Chen Mo was a lord appointed by them without a title. The duchy had given this guy of unknown origin and humble background an opportunity to rise above others.

Liushuang, a little girl with a tiny bit of ducal blood, would have been nothing more than another half-elf to be trampled on if not for the duchy.

From this perspective, Han Hai Territory is merely a illegitimate son of the Emerald Duchy, though not particularly favored. Nevertheless, it maintains a proper hierarchy and clear distinctions between superiors and inferiors. Han Hai's current actions are a blatant betrayal, a rebellion, and an act of ingratitude!
After all, some unscrupulous parents think, "I may not support you, but how can you be unfilial to me?"
Another bizarre point is that, regarding these two "traitors," the entire Jade Kingdom has an even worse impression of Chen Mo than of Liu Shuang.

After all, Cloud Mist Territory was occupied by Zircon, and Frost's departure was forced and helpless, not of its own free will. Your Vast Ocean has never been controlled by anyone. You actively broke away from Jadeite, which is glaring no matter how you look at it!

The vast ocean grew richer and stronger day by day. As this "orphan" developed better and better, the evil thoughts in the hearts of the lords of the Emerald Kingdom swelled up like fermented dough.

Fortunately, they still had some sense. Swords have no eyes, and the fighting prowess of the "barbarians" in the Han Hai region was earned through real battles. They didn't have the guts to openly provoke them.

However, at certain special junctures, seizing opportunities to grab benefits is a specialty of these nobles.

Of course, there was another very important reason why the Jade Kingdom dared to do this: they had the tacit approval and hints of their main backers, certain powerful figures in the Qiyue Dynasty.

The truly important figures in the dynasty were watching this grand spectacle from their lofty perch, chins in hand.

Han Hai claims to be reasonable and abide by the rules, right? Well then, let Emerald and his cronies try it out and see if these "reasons" and "rules" can really bind Han Hai's hands and feet.
The matter of offending the Vast Ocean was handled by the Jade Kingdom. The bottom line they found out would be useful to the dynasty in the future. This deal was entirely beneficial and without any harm; it was practically perfect.

In this situation, the Qiyue Dynasty made precise use of its intelligence network to guide the Emerald Kingdom's troops into the pass in a timely manner. Taking advantage of the steady advance of the Hanhai army, the Qiyue Dynasty launched a light cavalry raid and completed the control of the two core cities, Tianye City and Feiyan City.

What will HanHai do?
They were very much looking forward to it.

Of course, HanHai will not let them down in this regard.

After demanding official documents from the other party to confirm the identity of the Emerald Duchy's occupying forces, the Han Hai army indeed turned south and began to assemble along the Newper River, thus tacitly acknowledging Emerald's control over the aforementioned area.

All forces paying attention to this battlefield were shocked.

No, you're just going to... just let it go like this? Shouldn't you at least express your dissatisfaction? Shouldn't you reprimand the other person?

However, nothing was left. Apart from leaving a few checkpoints along the core transportation routes, the Han Hai troops acted as if they had never been there, leaving this fertile land to the Emerald Duchy.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the court of the Emerald Duchy erupted in jubilation. They mocked the weakness of the Lord of the Vast Sea and cheered for their own brilliance and might.

The duchy quickly began to massively reinforce its troops at the front lines, with a steady stream of knights and infantry marching into the homeland of Cloud Mist Territory. Taking advantage of the fact that Vast Ocean Territory was temporarily unwilling to settle in those rural areas, they relentlessly attacked cities and seized territory.

Meanwhile, on the Green Pine Kingdom's side, the soldiers were all eyeing Han Hai's dog tags with bloodshot eyes. The worthless Emerald soldiers didn't want to fight them to the death. As a result, Emerald actually gained a lot of advantages.

Amidst this dazzling and complex situation, Master Norton Ironbrow, whom Chen Mo had personally contacted, arrived at the front lines of the Hanhai with his temporary workshop.

Soon, astonishing changes took place on the battlefield.

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.

Young Zircon Demo buried his entire body deep within the dense canopy of an old oak tree.

The leaves, newly sprouted and lush from spring, were a vibrant green, densely covering his filthy robe, its original color almost unrecognizable. He peeked out from between the interlacing leaves, his pupils constricted, staring intently at several figures slowly approaching in the distance.

Hmm, a lieutenant general, two servants, all looking exhausted, and no tail following behind.

After confirming several times, Dimo ​​leaped down from the bushes and landed lightly on the soft humus.

"Have you found anything to eat?"

His voice was somewhat hoarse, his lips were chapped and peeling, and his once meticulously maintained brown curly hair with fresh flower oils by the maids was now matted together in clumps, with some withered leaves and grass clippings clinging to it.

That handsome face, which once made the noble ladies of Green Pine City scream, was now covered in dust. Only his gray-blue eyes still shone with a sharp light that seemed out of place with the surroundings.

Dimo's lieutenant was named Oscar, a highlander from the northern part of the Green Pine Kingdom. He was burly and had a fierce face, looking like a brute, but in reality, he was meticulous and loyal.

Since being assigned to Dimo ​​as a bodyguard by the Marquis, he had been dutiful and responsible. Upon seeing his young master, he hurriedly pulled out a crumpled, unidentifiable biscuit from the waist pouch of his leather armor and handed it to Dimo.

The pancake looked terrible, with blackened edges and some crumbs that looked like bran stuck in the middle, but Dimo's Adam's apple still bobbed violently. He snatched it and took a few big bites. The rough bran scraped down his esophagus, and the taste of grain rolled into his stomach, making him feel alive again.

After taking a few bites, Dimo ​​suddenly froze, realizing what was happening. With crumbs still in his mouth, he mumbled, "..."

"You...you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Vice Admiral Oscar shook his head and replied gruffly, "Sir, please eat first. We'll go look for it again later!"

Dimo paused for a few seconds, sighed softly, tore the pancake in his hand, which was only a third of the way from being broken, into four pieces. He picked up the smallest piece and put it in his mouth, then handed the remaining three pieces to the three of them.

"Let's all eat something. We don't know how many more days we'll have to endure!"

"I won't make things difficult for you. If you want to leave anytime, just say the word and go. Go back to your hometown, go to Qiyue, or surrender to Hanhai."

He paused for two seconds, a bitter, self-deprecating smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and added, "Just don't sell me!"

His words revealed an undeniable desolation.

Dimo felt that fate had been absolutely terrible to him.

Nobles have children so often that they want to select the best heir to their territory from among a bunch of offspring, since in a world where strength reigns supreme, accidents can happen all the time.

As the youngest son of Marquis Monroe of the Zircon family, Dimo ​​was endowed with exceptional talent for cultivation by the gods, as well as a very good mind. From a young age, he became the focus of the family's attention.

His father, the Marquis of Monroe, would always use his "idiot" older brother, Hyson, as an example whenever he had him hung up and beaten, repeatedly proclaiming to those present, "Look at Timo! And look at you!"

"Of the nineteen generations of the family, Dimo ​​is the child I'm most satisfied with! You bunch of good-for-nothings, if you had even half his brains, I'd be laughing all the way to the bank!"

There's a widespread belief within the pro-Hysen faction that the Marquess of Monroe has been deliberately cultivating Hysen's image as greedy and foolish in order to pave the way for a change in the succession order.

However, Hysen had been the first in line for so many years and already had a group of loyal followers and stakeholders, while Dimo ​​was born too late and was weak and alone. So no matter how much the Marquis favored his youngest son, he could only proceed slowly.

Dimo, on the other hand, always tried his best to be very respectful, whether to his father, his eldest brother, or his other brothers. He spoke to people in a way that suited them, knowing when to bow his head and when to play dumb.

He had a vague feeling that if the gods gave him more time and more patience, none of the Zircon family members, from the oldest to the youngest, would be his match.

However, the gods gave Dimo ​​a flourishing flame of hope, only to extinguish it themselves.

Just as Dimo's power was growing stronger, Marquis Monroe died on the way to conquer the Sea Territory.

There were no last words, no arrangements, and even the remains were never found.

It is widely believed that the Marquis of Monroe intended to use the great victory of conquering the Han Hai to completely eliminate the antagonistic sentiments of Haisen's supporters and pave the way for Dimo's rise to power.

However, Dimo ​​did not live to see that moment; he collapsed on the eve of dawn.

This battle not only wiped out the Marquis, but also the knights who were loyal to him. If it weren't for the fact that his father had left him a formidable personal guard, which made Haisen somewhat wary, Dimo ​​would probably have been captured by Haisen long ago and sent to the underworld to join his beloved father.

From being the center of attention and the darling of the crowd to fading into obscurity and being constrained at every turn, it was nothing more than a short and cruel twist of fate.

However, unexpectedly, there was more to this story.

The vast army of Han Hai attacked, Green Pine suffered a crushing defeat, and Haisen went missing.

The Kingdom of Green Pine quickly established a new heir to the Zircon Territory, choosing a mediocre and incompetent fellow from Dimo's brother. His greatest characteristics were that he had no foundation and no brains, and he could only obediently listen to the kingdom and be a qualified machine for using the seal.

This is the norm for power struggles: simple, brutal, and taken for granted!

"Actually, I can be obedient too..."

Dimo was filled with resentment, but it was no use. He was too smart; apart from his father, none of the old guys at Green Pine liked him.

Despite his exceptional skills, the new lord assigned him to the frontline region closest to the Vast Ocean Territory to carry out the "Scorpion Needle" infiltration mission, which speaks volumes.

Cleverness can't put food on the table, but it allows him to barely maintain the morale of his subordinates. For example, his act of tearing the pancake just now allowed him to eat most of it while also making a good impression. Several subordinates were moved to tears, and Dimo ​​finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, a bright light stung his eyes.

It was the luster of metal, reflecting a dazzling light under the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, making him squint.

At some point, the adjutant Oscar had already knelt on one knee, his hands raised high, and in his palms lay five plaques that gleamed with a dull metallic sheen.

It's Hanhai's "Tiger Brand"!
Where did it come from?

Dimo's voice changed, filled with barely suppressed elation, "You, you attacked the Sentinels of the Vast Ocean? You killed five people?"

Dimo couldn't help but be excited. To boost morale, the Green Pine Kingdom offered an extremely high reward for each Sea Tiger Token, but these things were just too rare. It was like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth or taking an egg from a dragon's claws!
The Han Hai army was well-organized and disciplined. Apart from the two reconnaissance squads that were ambushed at the beginning, the many "scorpions" hidden in the countryside by Green Pine had nothing to show for their efforts. As they hid, even getting food became a problem, and they did not gain any merit.

Now, the adjutant was holding five tiger tokens in his hands.

Although it was only five victories, they were extremely significant for Dimo ​​at the moment!

Dimo excitedly stepped forward, took the item, and examined it closely. The material was tough, the lettering clear, and the edges smooth. Crucially, it was almost entirely smooth to the touch; apart from the Vast Ocean, no other country or power on the continent could mass-produce it using this kind of craftsmanship.

That's true!

Dimo was also very studious. He specifically sought out people who had traveled back from the Han Hai region to learn the Xia script commonly used there. He recognized most of the characters in those names, and they were completely in line with the naming customs of the Han Hai region.

[Zhang Jiwei], [Lin Guorui], [Lin Wenshu], [Lin Yanan], [Jiang Yiyun]...

Three of them share the same surname, suggesting they've joined a clan's squad! Moreover, this surname "Lin" seems to be related to the lineage of Lin En, the most senior guard captain in the Han Hai clan.

Dimo's heart was pounding.

"Quickly, tell me how you achieved such great results! I need to petition His Majesty for credit on your behalf!"

Vice Admiral Oscar, however, showed little joy. He spoke frankly and honestly, "Lord Dimo, this is not our victory, it is... it was obtained through exchange."

"what?"

"Would anyone else exchange such meritorious service for something else?"

Dimo became even more curious and kept asking, "Who did you trade with? What did you use to trade? Where did you trade? Can you trade again...?"

Then, a single sentence from Vice Admiral Oscar left him completely stunned.

"My lord, this is... this was obtained from the Han Hai region."

"..."

Dimo thought he must be hallucinating from hunger.

Over the next few minutes, Oscar gave a detailed account of what had happened.

The current situation on the land of Yunwu Territory is roughly as follows: a complex and intricate landscape.

To the east of the territory, Han Hai controls Yunwu City and Zilu City, as well as more than a dozen key strongholds, core passes, and strategic high grounds around the cities; they are like nails, firmly wedged into every key point, while slowly driving their troops southward.

To the west of the territory, the Emerald Kingdom seized the opportunity to occupy Tianye City and Feiyan City, and, as if injected with adrenaline, continued to send troops to advance, attempting to seize more land.

Beyond these core towns and key points, in the vast plains, forests, and hilly areas, large numbers of Green Pine Kingdom warriors, scattered in small groups, lie in ambush, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Dimo's location is at the very edge of the boundary between East and West.

Oscar and his men were searching for supplies, and inevitably they had to enter some villages and towns. Then, they heard some very shocking and outrageous news.

In the underground black markets of some large villages, Tiger Brand products from Hanhai are sold.

These villages are no ordinary places.

To survive in such a chaotic place, one needs sufficient strength, a strong background, and flexible tactics; all three are indispensable.

In terms of strength, a village is like a small fortress. They have built solid village walls, maintained expensive private soldiers, equipped with powerful bows and crossbows, and may even have magic scrolls that they have bought at high prices.

Although it cannot compare with a major city in terms of absolute defense, it still requires a huge amount of manpower and resources to take it down. In the end, you will most likely find that the gains are not as much as the losses, making it a pure loss.

As for the background, these villages are often the ancestral homes of certain nobles or the private estates of certain big shots, with intricate intermarriages spanning several generations. They can not only connect to pine trees and jade, but some can even attach themselves to the Qiyue Dynasty or the Wuyue Divine Court.

Although the relationship may not be very strong, there is still some connection. It is really not worth getting involved in this tangled network of relationships for such a small amount of money.

As for tactics, they are even more direct. No matter which faction's soldiers come, as long as they are willing to show leniency and not resort to violence, the village will politely offer a sum of money or a portion of grain, with a respectful attitude and humble tone. Once a faction establishes a ruling order, the village will also obediently pay its grain and taxes.

With such a multi-pronged approach, there's really no need for a direct confrontation unless there's a deep-seated blood feud with the village.

And so, the strongholds remained, but the lords came and went. These strongholds became local residents in the wilderness, resembling small, miniature territories.

Although they had to send money and food to protect themselves during the war, with such a "quasi-safe zone" in place, absorbing wealth was an easy task. After all, in chaotic times, there were plenty of people willing to pay money to seek refuge and save their lives.

Migrants, defeated soldiers, merchants, and fleeing bandits would all take their last bit of valuables and hide in the village, seeking a sliver of refuge.

The village Oscar visited was the largest and most famous village in the central part of Cloud Mist Territory, called Iron Fist Village.

“I have an acquaintance in there, everyone calls him Old Cripple.” Oscar explained in detail: “When he was young, this guy was a high-level warrior at the first level, and he was even on the verge of reaching the second level. Later, he was seriously injured and broke his leg, so he lived in the village to retire. Everyone in the village respected him.”

"I wanted to ask him to get me some food, but the old cripple took me aside and quietly told me that a batch of good goods had arrived, and asked if I wanted some."

"I thought it was impossible at the time, but the old cripple had a very good reputation, and he showed me another sign, which did look real!"

"I also asked about its origin. The old cripple spoke with absolute certainty. He said that even in the Hanhai, the officials are still human, and human beings need to make money. Tiger badges are incredibly difficult for us outsiders to obtain. But if the officers in the Hanhai just take out some of their paid salaries, wouldn't they have enough?"

Dimo slapped his thigh hard.

That makes sense! That makes absolutely perfect sense!

As a military-based power, the Green Pine Kingdom's elite guard forces are indeed strictly managed, with very few instances of soldiers drawing salaries without working. However, for the lower-ranking first, second, and third-tier troops, drawing salaries without working is commonplace. This is especially true at the city guard and patrol levels, where sometimes 30% to 40% of the positions are filled by unqualified personnel.

The Han Hai troops have a complex organizational structure and numerous units. To say that such troops do not have salaries paid to no one is simply impossible!
Sure enough, it's good to have a powerful backer. They can eat their fill of the salary they've earned here, and still sell Tiger Brand products there. Isn't that a huge profit?
For Green Pine, Tiger Badges were a symbol of military merit; who could tell whether they represented actual soldiers or empty pay?

The thought of the officers in the vast sea holding handfuls of Tiger Brand tokens that they could exchange for money filled Dimo, who was starving, with envy that made his eyes turn blue.

He turned the Tiger brand over and over in his hands, his fingers gliding over its smooth surface again and again, almost polishing the metal plate until it developed a patina.

Suddenly, he snapped to attention, realized what was happening, and quickly pulled Oscar, who was still kneeling on one knee, to his feet.

"You've done a great service!"

Dimo asked seriously, "There probably aren't many of these, right? How do we exchange them? Can we exchange for more?"

Oscar nodded: "They control these things very tightly. The village went through a lot of trouble to get these through connections. The price is higher than our bounty. It starts at one hundred and twenty silver coins!"

This is also reasonable. Although the Green Pine Kingdom offered Tiger Badges a price of one hundred silver coins per ordinary soldier, this was not only a bounty but also a merit in battle.

If everyone else hasn't made any, but you have, then it's not about the money anymore; it's normal to sell it for a higher price!

"I begged and pleaded, emptying my pockets of every copper coin and silver coin I could muster, and even staked the knight's sword bestowed upon me by the Marquis, before I finally got five 'dog tags.' I was afraid that this opportunity would be gone in the blink of an eye!"

"I really don't have any more money to make you any more food. This pancake is something I begged the old cripple for ages to get."

"I'm so sorry, sir!"

"No, you did the right thing!" Dimo ​​waved his hand. "Battle merits are more important than anything else. What does it matter if we're a little hungry? We martial artists can't possibly starve to death!"

In a moment of high spirits, the astute Timo quickly returned to his previous question. He lowered his voice, leaned close to Oscar, and asked almost in a whisper, "Are there any more of these? Can we still get some?"

Oscar nodded firmly: "Yes, definitely. The old cripple said that their village has already made contact, and the 'dog tags' are all in the hands of those low-ranking officers in the Han Hai region. There should be quite a few, but..."

"But what?"

"The Iron Fist Stronghold said that money alone is not enough. The officers of Hanhai have very good benefits and are not short of money. They also need battle merits."

"The old cripple confided in me in private."

"A while ago, those guys from the Emerald Kingdom suddenly sent troops to seize a major city in the west of Cloud Mist. It's said that everyone in the Vast Sea was furious, but their lord is a hypocrite, obsessed with saving face, talking about 'rules' and 'laws,' and can't afford to fall out with Emerald!"

Dimo paused slightly as he played with the "Tiger" brand, his pupils slowly contracting, as if he had realized something.

Sure enough, Oscar's next words completely confirmed the clever young lord's idea.

"The old cripple said that the first few pieces were a favor to me because of our years of friendship. If I want to change the brand later, money alone won't be enough."

"Either exchange it for the merits of the Green Pine, or... exchange it for the merits of the Emerald!"

Oscar didn't specify what military merits were, but in the current situation, land couldn't be touched, money wasn't important, and there was probably only one thing that could be brought into the village for exchange.

The enemy's head, or some other form of identification.

In other words, to obtain Han Hai's "Tiger Badge" as a war merit, one either needs to behead one of Green Pine's own people, or one needs to behead Jade's group.

Dimo stood tall, and his noble hunting attire, covered in mud and torn by thorns, suddenly seemed to radiate brilliance beneath his upright figure.

His right hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping across the dense jungle towards the northwest.

"Gather the brothers scattered in various places!"

I, Green Pine Warriors, may not be able to beat Vast Ocean, but I can certainly beat you, Emerald?

(End of this chapter)