NEC Chapter 66: A Brand New Version of the Summoning Ritual

The atmosphere at the scene was somewhat somber.

Chen Mo had a feeling that this group of people from the Cloudmist Domain seemed to be in very pessimistic spirits.

He still lacked understanding of the continent's overall situation. Names that thundered in the ears of locals were to him nothing more than NPC-like existences from a story.

The actual situation was that, aside from him and Lady Frost who was not well-versed in worldly affairs, the other several bigwigs from the Cloudmist Domain, and even some of the soldiers, more or less felt it in their hearts.

This battle would likely bring more misfortune than fortune to the Emerald Duchy.

At its peak, the Resting Moon Dynasty had commanded more than a dozen vassal kingdoms under its banner. Each kingdom varied in size and strength, but regardless of how territorial boundaries changed, generally speaking, kingdoms ranked above duchies, and duchies above principalities. This was the universal rule.

Among the major powers in this region, the Emerald Duchy was significantly inferior to the Greenspine Kingdom and the Crescent Moon Federation in terms of territory, population, economy, and military strength.

The ability to occupy the core area of the Emerald Great Plains was due to two factors: first, their ancestors were capable fighters, and second, they had backing support.

Now, facing the alliance of two major powers, if they couldn't receive external aid in time, they would likely find it difficult to hold out.

The bigger problem was that the disputes among the four southern nations were actually just a manifestation of the great power game. Behind it all was still the struggle between the Resting Moon Dynasty and the Mistmoon Divine Court, a conflict between secular royal power and theocratic ideology.

Based on the increasingly assertive behavior of the Mistmoon Divine Court in recent years, when exactly the Emerald Duchy could obtain external support remained uncertain.

Under these circumstances, if they returned too late, the duchy might have already been defeated. This was the main reason why Paven was anxious and desperate to rush back.

After thinking it over for a while, Chen Mo decided to provide some possible assistance to this team that was currently in the same boat.

"In two more days, my Sacrificial Altar skill will be usable again!"

"How about we wait a little, and let me see if I can obtain some new support from the great existence of the distant world?"

The eyes of several leaders from the Cloudmist Domain lit up simultaneously.

Over the next two days, Chen Mo adjusted his condition and rested his spirit on one hand, while directing the team to pack various beasts, plants, and supplies on the other, actively preparing for his next blood sacrifice journey.

This time, having completed Spiritual Enlightenment and opened his elemental pool, Chen Mo could mobilize some external spiritual energy to assist his altar transmission, so his summoning transmission efficiency would undergo tremendous changes.

He could summon a strong zombie.

Or transport over a hundred kilograms of supplies from his homeland in one go.

Of course, if Chen Mo's brain wasn't waterlogged, that zombie would probably never make an appearance. In fact, throughout necromancer Chen Mo's entire life, zombies should never get a chance to appear on stage.

On the day the summoning began, Chen Mo solemnly washed his hands and changed clothes. The four giants of the Cloudmist Domain observed from the sidelines, and the guards established a level-one alert perimeter.

Chen Mo mixed together all the processes he could think of from his previous life, including religious ceremonies, masses, and shamanic rituals.

Burning incense and forming hand seals, chanting incantations in low tones, circling the altar three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise, focusing his energy toward the four directions of east, south, west, and north while muttering words, then scattering some mysterious magical powders...

Seeing that the timing was about right, after dropping some magical material that could create light fog, Chen Mo began the final summoning ritual.

He hadn't been idle these past two days, constantly pondering this.

"Great Cyber Sovereign, Mechanical Emperor!"

"Eternal Lord of Lightning, Fearless Master of Steel!"

"Leader of Silicon-Based Intelligence, Great Prophet of Quantum Technology!"

"Commander of Nuclear Fusion and Fission, Industrial Cthulhu God!"

"Your devout child here praises your great name and prays for your response!"

"Please grant the will of truth, let the light of glory illuminate this shore!"

The magical model Chen Mo constructed began to slowly rotate. In the void invisible to everyone, a pale blue space-time passage gradually unfolded. The swirling, profound currents of space-time successively devoured the sacrificial offerings on the field.

The ritual completed, Chen Mo sat on the ground with a "weary expression," took the water pouch that the young countess handed over, gulped down a mouthful forcefully, and facing everyone's concerned gazes, "weakly" waved his hand, "It's fine. The summoning ritual has succeeded. We need to wait for the response from the supreme existence. This requires some time."

Lady Frost looked expectant, "Chen Mo, you're amazing! Could it be that the great lord on the other side especially likes you and will send you a bone dragon?"

Chen Mo: "..."

You particularly like bones, don't you?

Linda the attendant gently tugged at the countess's sleeve. These several people knew some information about necromancers. Even if this Mr. Chen might have some family connection with the great existence on the other side, the other side wouldn't so seriously ignore the summoning laws of the altar and send over a bone dragon.

A young mage apprentice also couldn't bear it.

As long as more of those "hand grenades" from last time could come, Paven would have a seventy percent confidence in successfully breaking through.

As for what came after, they'd deal with it later.

Without any surprise, Chen Mo's letter caused an uproar among East Xia's central leadership.

Previously, East Xia had always kept the news controlled within an extremely small scope. Now, it seemed that the military high command definitely couldn't be kept in the dark anymore.

After some "difficult" communication, East Xia's supreme military commander, Longxiang Zhenyue, pointed at the other two bigwigs with trembling fingers. Suppressing several curses that wanted to burst from his mouth, he could only stamp his foot angrily and turn to leave.

Then he urgently convened a high-level meeting of East Xia's General Staff.

At the meeting, all the commanders and staff present could clearly feel this leader's overwhelming anger. The entire venue was silent.

"Today we're conducting a war game. The content is classified as top secret. If one word leaks outside this door, straight to military tribunal!"

Marshal Longxiang straightened his collar and heavily pounded the table, "Also, except for my arrangements, no additional questions allowed. Don't care how absurd or ridiculous the mission is, give me your maximum effort to complete it!"

"Do you understand?"

"Understood!" The synchronized voices exploded. It felt like the excitement level of all the officers present had already overflowed the entire conference room.

Then, a basin of cold water was poured over their heads.

"Do you see this aerial photograph?"

"The current exercise scenario is that our forces are lurking at this red circle position and must find a way to break through the defenses of this mountain pass on the outer perimeter."

"The parameters for both sides are as follows, our participating combat personnel number twenty-one, carrying light cold weapons, long swords, crossbows. There are specific parameters here that you can review yourselves."

"The opposing force numbers are unknown, estimated at over one hundred twenty people, also equipped with cold weapons but possibly heavy cold weapons. They also have the backing of a camp with forward observation posts, occupying absolute advantages in manpower and terrain."

The staff officers looked at each other in bewilderment. This war game had suddenly shifted to ground-based cold weapon combat. Was this... had the Indians caused trouble again?

"Note that the forests and mountains on both left and right sides are restricted zones, no passage allowed."

There were even invisible walls?

"Known: our side has one, um... super soldier, the kind who can withstand all enemy ranged attacks at medium distance. The number of enemy super soldiers is unknown, but suspected to exist!"

"Now, our side is about to receive a batch of hot weapon support. You must produce a battle plan in the shortest time possible to ensure our side wins this small-scale local battle with the lowest possible casualties!"

Super soldiers, hot weapons... well, this war game was playing with new variations.

The staff officers began rubbing their hands together eagerly. Howitzer groups, rocket artillery, medium-range ballistics, drone swarms, air-to-ground bombing...

Taking out a cold weapon camp, wasn't this easy as pie?

Then, Commander Zhenyue's single sentence pressed all the staff officers and commanders back onto their benches.

"Limit the support equipment weight to around one hundred kilograms, preferably not exceeding one hundred ten kilograms."

"Also, no satellite or communication support whatsoever!"

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