Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 524 The Feast of Grain: Shadows Under the Night
The first grain shipment from the vast ocean to the northern ice plains arrived faster than anyone had anticipated.

When the armed transport ship "Riding the Waves" was fully loaded with grain and set sail from Emerald Bay after a simple test, Chen Mo, who was watching "Riding the Waves" leave from the dock, looked at Lao Ma with a hint of doubt.

"Surely we shouldn't send them a message beforehand?"

Ma Tianheng slowly took a sip of tea and stuffed the teacup into his pocket.

"I suggest we don't send it."

Old Ma leaned against the wooden railing of the dock, wrapped in a military overcoat that looked quite old. No one knew where he had found it, but he insisted that it gave him a sense of old Dongxia.

To match his outfit, he also acquired an ordinary white enamel mug with the slightly faded red characters "Labor is the most glorious" printed on it.

According to Lao Ma, apart from Lord Chen Mo, no one could understand the significance of his attire.

Chen Mo was indeed completely stunned.

Chen Mo thought for a moment, then asked again, "What if the dragons aren't prepared, or misjudge our intentions?"

"The point is to catch them off guard."

Old Ma smiled slightly, "Giving them advance notice would easily amplify their expectations. Only a sudden attack, especially one that delivers the food they need most, will allow us to see the dragons' true reaction."

"The subconscious reactions of living beings when they are not psychologically prepared are often the most authentic. Since we do not know where the potential dangers are, we should test more. It can't hurt to do more."

"As for misjudgment, just give them a heads-up before entering the dragon-controlled area."

Chen Mo thought for a moment and nodded.

Old Ma's extreme pragmatism is like that; he'll always find and seize opportunities by any means necessary. This approach can be uncomfortable at times, but you have to admit it often yields good results.

At a speed of over 300 knots, the Starship [Wave Traverser] No. 1 could theoretically circumnavigate nearly a quarter of the continent's coastline in just over ten hours.

However, according to the agreement between humans and sea creatures, only the area within 30 kilometers of the shore is a safe zone for operations. At this distance, the route will be significantly affected by the coastal terrain, making it impossible to maintain full speed throughout the entire journey.

Meanwhile, to avoid attracting too much attention or causing a sensation, Han Hai is constantly scanning the shipping lanes with satellites.

Once a fleet is spotted ahead, they will immediately slow down, submerge in the water, and pretend to raise a few sails, feigning ignorance of the magical signals and flags from the other side, and pass by those curious merchant ships.

Once out of sight of the other party, lower the sails and speed away.

Fortunately, the number of ships on this route was limited. With its fast and slow pace, and its sudden stops and turns, it took only thirty-seven hours for [Wave Riding] to finally reach the outer edge of the Sighing Icefield from Emerald Bay.

As instructed by the command, the transport ship sent a communication message to the Han Hai delegation located in the dragon's nest when it was still an hour away from the dragon-controlled area of ​​the extreme cold ice cap.

"By order of Xia Yue Alliance Chairman and Lord of Han Hai, the first task force of Han Hai Navy, ship [Treading Waves] No. 1 is here to deliver supplies. The estimated arrival time is 5:22 PM. The scheduled coordinates are as follows."

"Please contact the Dragon Clan to grant passage and arrange for transportation and reception."

That short sentence caused a huge firework to explode at Dragon's Nest.

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.

Alex, the chieftain of the Crimson Dragon Clan, once again curled up in the snow outside the Old Cave, his head resting on the ground inside the cave, watching with utter boredom as the staff of the Vast Ocean frantically scanned those "worthless junk".

Various instruments were scattered in the cave, some humming and others flashing. Several Han Hai people, dressed in heavy winter clothing, dragged metal boxes and carefully slid them over a piece of fur, muttering something under their breath.

Alex had absolutely no interest in these things.

He's been staying here every day under the guise of protecting the Han Hai delegation, but his main purpose is to freeload a meal.

In fact, Alex ate very little, and because he drastically reduced his sleep time, he was probably actually losing out in terms of energy consumption.

But the Red Dragon leader simply couldn't resist.

That taste was too much for the dragon.

He smacked his lips in a daze, and the taste of the roasted meat he had eaten yesterday unconsciously came to mind.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, a communications soldier from the Vast Ocean jogged up and handed a shiny board to the human race commander.

Xia Chenghui's eyes lit up immediately.

"Connect to satellite communication!"

A few minutes later, Xia Chenghui ran towards the cave entrance.

"Lord Alex, the food supplies delivered by our lord have arrived. I need the dragons to arrange for their reception!"

"What did you say?" Alex raised his head slightly, his eyes full of confusion.

"food."

Xia Chenghui leaned closer, took a few quick breaths, and then shouted, "The lord has brought a ship full of food from the sea!"

Alex's brain went blank for about three seconds.

Then, the body of this enormous creature, which was over fifty meters long, suddenly sprang up from the snow.

"food?"

"how many?"

"Is it for the dragons?"

A rapid, trembling sound emanated from the dragon's throat, carrying with it doubt, ecstasy, and disbelief.

Xia Chenghui shielded himself from the barrage of criticism with his hand, shrugged, and responded with a slightly teasing tone.

"That's right, it's food. We only have one boat right now. You know, it's really far from here in the vast ocean!"

"The lord was sent here to be handled by our delegation. I'm not sure if it's for the dragons, but..."

Faced with the Crimson Dragon Clan Chief's wide-open eyes, Xia Chenghui couldn't help but burst into laughter: "However, a share for our good friend is indispensable. Even if no one else gets a share, Lord Alex must have one!"

A tremendous dragon's roar pierced through the vast snow-capped mountains. The sound waves reflected back and forth among the icy peaks, creating a continuous echo.

The sound shook the vast expanse of snow, causing it to tumble down the hillside and trigger a small avalanche. White waves of snow poured down like a waterfall, raising a cloud of snow mist.

With the Crimson Dragon Clan Chief's long roar, the news swept across the entire Dragon Cliff like a frigid polar wind.

The blue dragon leader who was cultivating in his lair, the silver dragon chieftain who was looking after his granddaughter, the black dragon lord who had just returned from a hunt and was about to rest, and all the dragons that were not in hibernation period were all alerted.

The dragons were slightly puzzled by this unexpected visitor, but Xia Chenghui provided an explanation that Han Hai had prepared in advance.

"The journey is long, and we cannot be sure if any unforeseen accidents will occur."

"If we had told them in advance, it would have been absurd if the goods hadn't arrived. So the lord specifically instructed that we should only be notified after the transport ship was confirmed to be able to reach the ice field."

"I just received the news myself, and it was quite unexpected. Perhaps it was my report on the current state of the dragon race that made our kind-hearted lord feel a little sorry for them."

Although this sounds a little awkward, it's clearly not the time to dwell on that.

Above Dragon Cliff, dragon shadows flew about in an instant.

After confirming the information again, the leaders and deputy leaders of the Han Hai delegation enjoyed the treatment of "dragon riders" for the first time in nearly seven hundred years of recorded history.

Twelve adult and sub-adult giant dragons, along with more than twenty sub-dragons and a large number of pseudo-dragons that were so numerous that they could not be counted at a time, were heading towards the coordinates given by the Vast Ocean.

The trails left by the swift movement across the ice field were spectacular.

Xia Chenghui was somewhat apprehensive.

Despite his repeated emphasis that the vessel from the Vast Ocean might only be a speedboat and wouldn't be able to transport much supplies, Deepscale, the Blue Dragon Clan Chief representing the entire dragon race, gave a very appropriate answer.

"When you come to the Dragon Clan's territory, no matter what you bring or how much you bring, the Dragon Clan should protect you!"

"You don't need to worry. The dragons will never forcibly plunder your supplies. We're just here to take a look!"

In reality, everyone knew very well that the Han Hai delegation had brought a wide variety and sufficient quantity of food, and there was absolutely no need for additional supplies.

These being sent over now are most likely intended for the dragon race.

The only difference is whether it's a gift, an exchange, or some other request.

But it doesn't matter.

The dragons are quite intelligent. After a period of contact, they can be completely certain that the overall tendency of the Vast Ocean is that of a lawful and good alignment.

The dragon race can cooperate with the absolutely neutral frost giants and the lawful evil dwarves, so it's perfectly reasonable for Deepscale to understand and extend a little goodwill to the Vast Ocean.

The sentry at the front quickly sent a signal that they had spotted the ship.

Subsequently, Xia Chenghui, riding on the silver dragon, communicated directly with [Treading Waves] to confirm their identities. After that, the dragon clan team cautiously approached the giant ship that was anchored on the sea.

Despite being called a giant ship, it was only about 140 meters long, slightly longer than the length of two giant dragons, and about 18 meters wide, pressing heavily against the ice sheet. The emergency refit of the Eastern Xia naval base significantly reduced its onboard weapons and corresponding radar systems, retaining only one naval gun and twelve vertical launch units. Furthermore, the ammunition magazine and crew quarters were correspondingly reduced, freeing up approximately 2,200 tons of transport capacity.

Using these spaces, the "Wave-Treading" No. 1 ship brought a total of 180 standard containers, plus more than 40 liquid storage tanks.

After verifying the documents brought by Xia Chenghui and confirming the authorization, the [Treading Waves] No. 1 ship, escorted by the Dragon Clan brigade, slowly sailed to a leeward location on a glacier more than 40 kilometers away from Dragon Cliff.

This glacier is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow entrance facing the sea, naturally forming a sheltered harbor. The ice surface is thick and flat, strong enough to support the weight required for unloading cargo.

Although in theory the Starry Sky [Wave-Treading] No. 1 ship could land using the snow, if some scoundrel shoveled the snow under the ship, then No. 1 ship would be stranded.

Command has instructed us to be cautious.

Upon arrival at the designated location, the mooring line was lowered, anchor was raised, the hatch was opened, and unloading began.

The first containers unloaded contained meat.

Tons of meat, skin and bones included.

The quantity is around 1,400 tons, including beef, pork, mutton, poultry, and even some camel and horse meat.

Unfortunately, the Han Hai had only recently taken control of the Bailu Plain and had not yet established a large-scale strategic reserve. Given the priority of ensuring food supplies for their own territory, squeezing out such a large batch of resources meant they had no choice but to piece things together from various sources.

A significant portion of these were even temporary acquisitions of orc tribes.

After being briefly frozen in the vast ocean, these livestock or pieces of meat were packed into boxes and loaded onto ships, successfully entering the extremely cold ice zone before thawing, thus saving the energy consumption of continuous freezing.

Although the box hadn't been opened yet, and despite the freezing weather around them, the dragons' keen sense of smell allowed them to immediately detect the pure, rich, and undiluted aroma of meat.

This aura, carried by the icy air, filled the lungs of the surrounding dragons, causing their pupils to dilate instantly, their breathing to become rapid, and large plumes of white mist to spread around them.

Some of the younger dragons had already begun to unconsciously move forward, letting out suppressed growls. Their massive claws carved deep and shallow grooves into the icy ground, as if instinct was driving their bodies to prepare for a hunt.

Seeing this, Xia Chenghui had a brief discussion with the Blue Dragon leader and decided to put aside the cooperation terms for now and release a batch of food on the spot so that the dragons, who were already unable to contain their emotions, could have a feast.

Deepscale gave a low, trembling call to the dragons.

He was calling upon the young dragons among the dragon race who were not yet adults or had just come of age.

This is a rule established by the Iceborne Dragon Agorax: the dragon race will prioritize allocating limited food rations to sub-adults and juveniles in order to ensure the continuation of the species as much as possible.

With the leader's permission, the restless little ones broke out of the line.

Although they are called "little guys," they are still over ten meters long on average. However, their bodies are much smaller than those of adult dragons. Whether it is their bud-like dragon horns or their gathered dragon scales, it is obvious that they still have a bit of immaturity.

As the dragons were given priority for protection and supply, the Vast Ocean provided them with processed meat chunks.

The container was opened, the food was poured out, and the baby dragons eagerly rushed to the pile of meat, opened their mouths wide, revealed their newly grown teeth, and bit down hard.

The frozen meat crunched between their teeth, the fibers and frost bursting in their mouths.

The newly grown silver dragon's eyes lit up instantly, and it let out a muffled whimper that sounded like a sob.

They don't seem to know how to control their emotions very well.

Under the oppressive power of the deep scales, the adult dragons maintained their last bit of restraint. They formed a circle, protecting the feeding calves in the middle, watching the little creatures wolf down their food, their throats churning with suppressed swallowing sounds.

While these larvae were feeding, new food was being unloaded continuously. The second batch unloaded were square storage jars filled with grease.

The reason for using a square shape is to facilitate arrangement.

These pure oils, as pure as solidified frost, caused a small commotion among the dragons. Xia Chenghui even heard a rather uniform sigh.

That's not all. Following closely behind the oils were another batch of storage tanks containing raw sugar.

These raw sugar granules are coarse, dark brown in color, and look somewhat dirty. This is because they haven't undergone deep refining and still retain some impurities from the raw materials.

But what does it matter? From a great distance, the dragons could already smell the explosive heat emanating from it.

That's right, this stuff contains no protein, no fat, no dietary fiber, no vitamins, no amino acids, and almost no minerals. It's just pure carbohydrates and pure calories.

The first jar was handed over to the Crimson Dragon Clan Chief, as agreed beforehand.

Alex eagerly took a bite.

The long tongue curled up a large clump of raw sugar, the coarse granules rubbing against each other in the mouth, making a soft rustling sound. As the sugar quickly dissolved in saliva, it transformed into a thick, almost dizzyingly sweet taste.

In that instant, the Crimson Dragon Clan Chief felt his very soul tremble.

The sweetness exploded in my mouth, rolling down my esophagus into my stomach, like a tiny flame igniting in my long-empty abdominal cavity, then turning into a stream of heat that spread through my blood vessels to every part of my body.

Alex was cheering from every cell in his body.

The Crimson Dragon Chieftain closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let out another long dragon roar.

There was no anger, no sadness; the once incredibly irritable man now felt only the most primal gratitude for food.

Dimo, who had never gone hungry before, suddenly understood at this moment what Chen Mo had repeatedly emphasized at the Han Hai Conference.

"Ensuring that the people have enough to eat is the greatest justice!"

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.

After all the food was transported to Dragon Cliff, the dragon race and the human race held a round of secret negotiations.

That evening, Longchao made an unusual move by opening its long-sealed warehouse.

They dragged the surviving carcasses of sea creatures and fish, frozen solid over time, to the geothermal vents, where the thawing steam filled half of Dragon Cliff.

All the dormant dragons were awakened, and with their old stored grains, recent prey, and fresh ingredients sent from the vast sea, the dragon race enjoyed what was probably the grandest feast in hundreds of years.

This is different from the past. In the past, even if they hunted a giant sea monster weighing thousands of tons, they had to store most of it and only use the minimum amount of energy.

Because at that time, they didn't know where their next meal would come from.

But it is different now.

As long as the dragons are willing to make some sacrifices, they are highly likely to obtain a stable source of food.

The area around the geothermal vents was temporarily set up as a large dining hall. The dragons formed a circle, each occupying a piece of land, with food, oil, and raw sugar laid out in front of them. Unlike the dragons, they didn't say much; the only sound was the slurping of their food.

After the dragons finished eating, these large creatures paid their respects to the Deepscale leader, the chieftains of the various races, and the "small" but generous human, before returning to their respective nests.

They need to undergo a physical adjustment, prioritizing the allocation of ingested nutrients to the organs and tissues that need replenishment most, allowing their long-starved bodies to recover.

After most of the true dragons had rested, the whelps and pseudo-dragons were also given a certain amount of high-calorie food.

It was a joyous night, and countless sweet dreams lulled the dragons into a peaceful slumber.

However, some members of the dragon clan remained sleepless all night.

Inside a cave halfway up Longya Mountain, a pair of eyes were fixed on the old cave on the side peak, their pupils flashing with cold flames.

Grim, the leader of the wyverns, is a giant wyvern that is over forty meters long.

Its size is second to none among the sub-dragons, even surpassing some small true dragons. At this moment, it is lying in the deepest part of its nest, its forepaws, which have degenerated into membranous wings, slightly retracted, crossed and placed under its jaw, sometimes opening like claws, sometimes retracting into fists.

There were no lights in the cave, only a sliver of moonlight filtering in from the entrance, casting a pale white curtain on the ground.

Grimm's body was thus positioned at the boundary of the light curtain, half in light and half in darkness.

"Damn humans!"

After a pause, Grimm let out another low growl, his voice carrying a metallic, scraping quality.

"Damn humans, they have corrupted the lineage of the true dragons, they are plotting a conspiracy."

"They're going to destroy Dragon Cliff!"

"They will destroy us too!"

"We cannot let this situation continue."

The sound echoed in the cave, carrying a kind of obsessive, almost insane certainty.

The dragon leader, Grim, stood up, his wings fully spread, casting a huge shadow.

We must act immediately!

"Yalong Guard, follow me!"

Dark green scales began to shimmer, and pairs of eyes lit up in the darkness.

(End of this chapter)