Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 98 News of the Bandit Gang, Dongxia's Decision

Oren really likes this kind of generous buyer.

The two sides quickly finalized the details.

The first batch consists of one thousand able-bodied young slaves, with humans making up at least half. Orcs will be preferred to be of a gentle temperament, and half-orcs will be preferred to be centaurs.

The upper and lower three clans will not be considered for now; we'll discuss that later.

Unlike others, Lord Chen Mo directly proposed that if the slaves' families were still alive, such as those with wives and children, they could be sent over together, and the Han Hai Territory would accept them all.

As soon as this request was made, Oren realized that this lord intended to stay in this place for the long term and wasn't going to leave!

In the Starry Continent, this tactic is often used when defending a city.

Once the foundation is lost, the able-bodied men can be taken away, but it is very difficult for women and children to travel long distances to other places, especially since women and children are also family members of the able-bodied men, which is to tie people to this land.

The price and category of slaves have been agreed upon, but the next troublesome issue is transportation!
The Seven Luminaries Garland was responsible for taking people to the Qishan Pass; the rest of the journey was up to Han Hai to handle.

"In any case, we will not undertake the transportation after entering the desert. After all, the desert is vast and the journey is difficult. Such a large team would require too much protection."

"Moreover, if any bandit gang were to harbor malicious intentions and launch a surprise attack on the road, we would not be able to withstand it."

Now it was Chen Mo's turn to scratch his head.

Originally, he wanted to pay the other party to be responsible for delivering the slaves by paying extra. He even planned to pay based on the number of slaves who finally arrived, so as to urge the other party to pay more attention.

Given the other party's current attitude, this is no longer about money.

Just as Chen Mo reluctantly agreed and was about to arrange for his team to meet him at Qishan Pass, Helan suddenly stood up and bowed to Chen Mo: "Lord, please forgive my overstepping my bounds, but there is something I need to ask Steward Oren in person. I humbly request your permission!"

"Just say it!"

Helan turned to Oren, spread his hands, and said with a serious expression: "Deacon Oren, as far as I know, Qiyao has many businesses, and escorting and transporting are among them."

"If you can do business with orc tribes and sell weapons and armor that are strictly prohibited from being sold by humans to orcs, there shouldn't be any business you wouldn't dare to do."

"You said you were worried about a bandit attack. I'm afraid that's true. You knew there would definitely be a bandit attack, right?"

Oren smiled shyly: "No, that's not true, I just..."

Helan stepped forward, leaning slightly forward, his gaze directly suppressing Oren's words before he could speak: "Deacon Oren, my Han Hai Territory is sincerely doing business with the Seven Luminaries. The first batch of young men, along with their families, already numbers several thousand."

"As long as the first batch of slaves is delivered safely, my lord will sign off on the second and third batches."

"In the future, as long as the Seven Luminaries Garland does not intend to defraud, the population, food, weapons, armor, cloth and clothing, and daily necessities of my Han Hai Territory will definitely be purchased from your merchant guild first, or more accurately, from those who are willing to sincerely cooperate with my Han Hai Territory."

"As long as my lord establishes a foothold here, this vast trade route, as wide as mountains and seas, might be able to produce a Grand Steward?"

As Helan drew ever closer, the two attendants beside Oren involuntarily stood up, seemingly wanting to stop him but not daring to actually step forward.

Oren remained calm, glancing at Chen Mo, who was watching with great interest, and then at the aggressive Helan. He pressed his hands on the table and slowly stood up.

"I underestimated the depth of your territory; it was my shortsightedness."

"However, sir, you are overthinking it. I have no news of any bandit attack."

"However, the southern kingdoms are fighting fiercely, and I have only heard in private that some families' deserters violated military regulations, were stripped of their military posts, and wandered to the north. They still have to make a living."

Oren nodded meaningfully to his chest: "If they see our caravan with such a large group of slaves and mistake us for fat sheep to make a fortune from, that would be a huge problem, wouldn't you say?"

Helan's expression relaxed, and that textbook-perfect smile returned to his face, even becoming a few times brighter: "I see, I misspoke. Well then, this matter of purchasing slaves will depend entirely on your help, Steward Oren."

"After the matter is accomplished, the Han Hai Territory will present a generous gift to thank you for your thoughtfulness."

After seeing Oren off, Helan couldn't wait to turn back. He asked the lord to dismiss all the maids and guards, leaving only the old mage Downs by his side, before he eagerly began to explain.

"Although the other party didn't say it very clearly, the meaning was basically clear: someone is watching us."

"Our purchase of slaves came as a surprise. The other party shouldn't have been targeting this batch of slaves, so it must be..."

"They're after me!" Chen Mo said unhappily, running his fingers through his hair and turning it into a tangled mess. "He said they were deserters from the south, and it was Zircon Territory again, wasn't it!"

"Um... sir, it's not entirely possible to say for sure..."

"There's nothing hard to say!"

Chen Mo pressed down one finger: "Their little golden retriever schemed against me; this is the first time we've had a feud!"

"Later, they arranged for people to hunt him down, and the hatred only deepened!"

"Then, it was Flowing Frost and I who escaped from Green Pine, and that old fellow Earl of Cloud Mist gave the Green Pine Kingdom a thorough humiliation!"

"It would be strange if they didn't cause trouble when I came here."

"However, in this situation, is the Trailblazer Protection Ordinance completely useless?"

Helan replied, "It's still effective. Even the Misty Moon Divine Court won't stand idly by while they do this. The temple's tracking and lie detection methods are not just for show."

"Therefore, those who come must be suicide soldiers."

"The number of assassins won't be too many, and they can't hire human mercenary groups to do such dirty and dangerous work."

"But the races in the North are chaotic. There are always some brain-dead goblins or audacious ogres and orcs who might be bribed and used by them."

Chen Mo nodded slowly: "So, it's possible that they could assemble a team of desperados, either to attack my Han Hai Territory directly, or... to ambush our slave caravan on the way, right?"

"That's right, Lord. Please make some preparations in advance!"

"Well done, Lao He! Keep up the good work, and you'll be promoted to a permanent position soon!"

After verbally praising the well-behaved housekeeper Helan, Chen Mo began to organize and report on the household affairs.

Although following the arrangements made by his hometown, Han Hai Territory is doing its best to pursue a military-first approach, Chen Mo really doesn't want to fight now.

Once war breaks out and fighting begins, all of our meager transport capacity will be consumed by weapons of war.

How many nice things has your family planned for you?
Seawater rice seeds, soil conditioners, microbial fertilizers, lightweight film greenhouses, pipeline sprinkler and drip irrigation systems...

Flexible photovoltaic panels, solar power arrays, energy storage systems, miniature vertical wind turbines, human-powered generator sets, ...

Seawater purification systems, portable drilling equipment, lightweight electric-driven construction machinery, multispectral detectors...

Even in terms of military preparedness, there are valuable equipment and facilities such as reconnaissance systems, wireless signal towers and communication facilities, biological detection radar networks, automatic cartridge case presses, and nitrocellulose reactors.

Once any of these categories are established, they will be projects that generate continuous revenue and have a significant future impact.

The original plan was to build a photovoltaic power plant first, then a seawater purification station, farm for three months, achieve ammunition self-sufficiency in six months, and realize basic small-scale industries within a year once the manpower for the territory arrived...

If they could find some oil, they could spiral into the sky on the spot.

However, if war breaks out, it will significantly delay the pace of development.

You have to understand that he has now essentially built his own magical energy hub, and with a master guiding him throughout, his cultivation speed is already at its maximum.

After all, no matter which magic academy or magic tower you go to, it's impossible for the dean or tower master to give you exclusive access to their psionic core.

Even in such a top-tier training environment, burning expensive magic crystals, it would still take at least a year to advance to the next level.

Before this, my monthly delivery volume of 1.8 tons seemed high, but in actual use, it was not enough for any purpose.

A batch of weapons and ammunition may take up a month or even several months of development time for a small-scale industrial enterprise.

Chen Mo glanced through the plan. The materials to be sent back for this Bloodline Altar included: aerial images of the entire territory, soil and rocks excavated from several meters underground in various parts of the Vast Ocean Territory, samples of near-shore seawater and underwater ecosystems, some desert flora and fauna, and a large sand beetle...

The planned supplies included a batch of solar panels and energy storage equipment, several weather station components, a small amount of ammunition, and a new training manual designed for centaurs…

It seems the plan needs to be adjusted again.

Chen Mo sighed deeply. Reality can never be entirely as one wishes!

Of course, Chen Mo's trouble was that he felt he wasn't developing fast enough, while his hometown's trouble was that they felt he wasn't stable enough.

At this monthly meeting, a military officer representative from the think tank pointed to the simulated sand table of the Han Hai Territory on the projection screen, his tone solemn.

"【Wanderer】, you're too impatient!" "He urgently hopes to quickly build a self-sufficient industrial system that integrates energy, food, infrastructure, basic military industry, and related supporting facilities. As for territory security, he is still using a military system that mainly relies on natives and centaurs wielding cold weapons, with a small number of skeleton guards as auxiliary forces."

"Our repeated calls for prioritizing the military, prioritizing the military! The idea of ​​investing all resources and materials in the military first, have consistently failed to garner sufficient attention from [Wanderer]!"

The young officer shook his head helplessly: "I always feel that [Wanderer] is like a player who is addicted to production and construction games. He is obsessed with hoarding resources, climbing the technology tree, and building a beautiful base. Once he is fully developed, he will launch a massive army."

"From his self-cultivation to his acquisition of territory, he always followed this approach, which made us...always feel like we were watching him walk a tightrope!"

Many of the experts present nodded in agreement.

Different circumstances, different perspectives, outside the situation, Dongxia hopes that [Wanderer] can first survive, it doesn't matter if he slowly cultivates his abilities, it doesn't matter if his territory develops slowly, as long as he survives, everything can be planned slowly.

Chen Mo's style is clearly full of radicalism. The think tank said that he was walking a tightrope, which is a bit of an exaggeration, but the direction is right.

Amidst a chorus of regret, Cangming, who was present today, gently tapped the table, and the entire room fell silent.

"I'll say it again: I understand your feelings, but I don't support your actions!"

"Making demands? What gives you the right to make demands on others?"

"If we consider our interactions with [Youzi] as a transaction, then at least so far, I believe that what we have gained far outweighs what we have given. [Youzi] owes Dongxia nothing, and we have no right to demand anything of him."

"If it is viewed as a two-way dedication, then one has even less right to point fingers or criticize one's compatriots fighting in another world!"

Ultimately, you can offer advice, but whether he listens or not, and whether he takes action or not, is up to him.

"Let me emphasize again, in practical matters, we should cooperate with him, not make him obey us."

"Many of our comrades have the attitude of family elders and the style of 'I'm doing this for your own good.' They always think they know more and can calculate things clearly, and they want others to revolve around their baton."

"What do you think this is? A match-fixing scheme?"

"If the wanderer were to return through the altar one day, according to your logic, would you imprison him, keep him under guard 24 hours a day, and use him as a tool to maximize your so-called profits?"

“Is that right?”

"wrong!"

"At least I don't think that's right!"

The crowd bowed their heads, some blushing, all looking humble and ashamed.

Cangming took over and changed the subject.

"Personally, I think [Youzi] did a great job."

"My cultivation hasn't fallen behind, and I've built up a bit of a team around me. It's definitely safer than hiding alone in another country."

"If we follow some people's initial conservative plan and let him find a corner to cultivate slowly, once the war spreads and bandits run rampant, he will have no public noble status and instead has enemies among nobles. The consequences will be unimaginable!"

"No matter how you look at it, it can't be safer than being in our territory with a dozen guns around us. What's more, there's the possibility of being controlled by others and being threatened in return."

"Therefore, you can offer suggestions and solutions, but in the final matter, you must respect the choice of [the wanderer]."

“Or rather—” The leader’s gaze fell upon the enormous star map on the conference room wall, “We must trust the judgment of this chosen one!”

With that, the previous question has come to an end.

Next, Cangming brought up an even more sensitive topic, one that no one dared to discuss openly.

What are your thoughts on the experimental use of 'psychic powers'?

The internal struggle over this issue within Dongxia has reached an alarming level.

Thanks to the numerous notes, learning materials, and cultivation insights sent back by the wandering disciples, the basic path of cultivation has been largely figured out thanks to the research of the technical staff in Dongxia.

However, the harsh reality is that Earth does not have psionic energy, or such an element!

Among the numerous materials sent back by the wanderer, some traces of so-called psychic energy were found, but they could only be sensed indirectly and were in a state of being unable to be absorbed or utilized.

The turning point came after [Wanderer] sent back those precious "Mana Crystals".

When these high-concentration psionic aggregates from another world were placed in a highly isolated laboratory, under specific meditation guidance, the researchers truly "captured" the "psionic energy" diffused in the enclosed space for the first time!
Even more encouraging is that, through repeated attempts, we have successfully achieved initial guidance and conversion!

In other words, cultivation achievements were born on Earth itself, under special circumstances.

Although the effect is still very slight, it is enough to revolutionize things by going from "0" to "1".

Through repeated testing in multiple control groups, the first "mage" capable of independently releasing a weak fireball and the first "warrior" capable of mobilizing spiritual energy to enhance muscle strength have emerged among the experimental personnel in Dongxia.

What sparked the fierce internal struggle within Dongxia was who was qualified to cultivate given the extremely limited number of magic crystals.
As we all know, with such a small quantity, it is impossible to achieve widespread adoption.

Even if it is kept within a small scope, there is still a situation where there are too many monks and not enough porridge.

The different perspectives of the technology sector (from a research perspective), the military sector (from a practical perspective), and certain groups (from an individual perspective) have led to an irreconcilable conflict over the allocation of such scarce resources.

The matter remained at a stalemate. Apart from a few small-scale control group experiments that were still being conducted slowly with central support, all other applications were essentially temporarily suspended, awaiting the outcome of certain levels of struggle.

Now, this matter has been brought to the forefront.

Faced with complete silence, the old man sneered: "What? Where's the fierce determination you had behind the scenes, arguing until you were red in the face and bleeding, ready to fight to the death? Now you're all mute?"

"Come on, let's start from my right and go one by one! Share your 'brilliant insights'!"

The first delegate called on swallowed hard: "Um...we...will follow orders!"

The second person chimed in: "I will resolutely obey orders!"

Third: "Unconditional obedience to orders!"

The fourth and fifth positions... are almost identical in style, lacking any variation.

Cangming, the leader, almost laughed out of anger: "Huh? Wasn't there a huge argument a few days ago? Didn't someone even say they wanted to ask us old men to settle this?"

"I heard that some people are complaining everywhere, saying that their fathers and their families have suffered for generations, so why shouldn't their children even have the qualifications to cultivate, while those ordinary soldiers get the benefits?"

The old man slammed his hand on the table: "Is this how you should talk? What? Do you think you're the Tartars who invaded the Central Plains? Just because your ancestors suffered, does that mean your descendants can abuse them?"

The military representatives all stood up at once, followed by the Ministry of State Security, the Cihang Engineering Department, the Gezhi Academy, the Aerospace Administration...

The entire audience stood like wooden stakes, silent and trembling, not daring to utter a sound.

Cangming pointed outwards with his hand: "I've discussed this with Ziyuan Tianshu. You've already had your democratic process. Since the people can't produce a leader, then we'll centralize things!"

"The resources that the wanderer sent back are for serving the country, not for your children to use to become cultivation nobles and be superior to others in the future."

"All cultivation-related resources are placed in the military and concentrated in a specially selected team."

"If your child wants to practice, that's fine. As long as they pass the 'three reviews and nine tests' and complete the selection process, they will be qualified to practice legally!"

"I even know that some of you might try some underhanded tactics, but that's fine. As long as you pass the third review, I'll consider it a special privilege!"

The audience was silent.

The three reviews refer to the review of political ideology, the review of personal will, and the review of combat capabilities.

Those who can pass the three rounds of review are outstanding individuals with maximum loyalty, top-notch willpower, exceptional physical abilities and combat skills—one in ten thousand or even one in a hundred thousand.

Even on those arduous battlefields before the founding of the nation, they would be among the first to persevere to the very end.

However, in any case, the above-mentioned arrangements have already been clearly given.

At the end of the report, the person in charge asked in a low voice, "The experimental team previously proposed the idea of ​​small-scale battlefield testing. Can it be approved for implementation?"

"Approved!"

"Hmm—the two countries currently confronting us with cold weapons are one in the south and one in the west. It seems that the Ganges Lotus Federation in the west is a bit more troublesome."

"Putting the cultivation testing group in the west might come in handy at a crucial moment."

(End of this chapter)