Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 94 The Power of an Unexpected Summon

The halfling's incessant accusations, the old mercenary Lynn's nonchalant attempt to shift blame, the butler Herran's stern rebukes, and the mage Downs' leisurely observation all gave Chen Mo a very unpleasant feeling.

Don't you know this cow is under my protection?

Chen Mo, who was in a bad mood, decided to act impulsively this time.

He raised his right hand and coughed softly.

The entire hall fell silent. No matter how much they disliked this lord, he was still a true lord, someone who could crush any disobedient person with a single gesture.

Chen Mo slowly looked around, finally fixing his gaze on the halfling cook leader who still had his mouth agape: "It's just that the seasonings were spilled, is that right?"

"Yes...yes, Your Excellency!" The halfling shuddered, his shrill voice trembling with tears, "That was a priceless treasure I bought from Blue Swallow City! It's my lifeblood..."

"Your manhood is worth far too little!"

Chen Mo decisively interrupted the halfling's rant: "Wait, the seasonings will be brought to you right away!"

He then pointed to the stiff-bodied ox beside him: "This is my guard, my favorite guard. You should all respect him!"

“From now on, I don’t want to hear the word ‘stupid cow’ again. Otherwise, I’ll be unhappy, and I’m sure you won’t be happy either.”

Chen Mo strode to the center of the arena, raised his hand, and began to summon the spell model.

The entire place was silent. The mercenaries and servants looked at each other in bewilderment, while the butler and captain of the guard frowned. Only Archmage Downs watched the lord with a hint of playful curiosity, sketching out what appeared to be a rather simple summoning altar.

An apprentice-level summoning spell? What's the intention behind this?

As usual, Chen Mo first recited a long prayer used in public:

"The great Cyber ​​King, the Machine Emperor!"

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

"A leader in silicon-based intelligence, a pioneer in quantum technology!"

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

As the lord's voice grew louder, a sense of awe and respect arose in the crowd.

After all, someone who can bear such a long list of titles must at least be a powerful lord who dominates a certain plane.

However, what connection could this existence have with its own lord, and what could it possibly have with seasonings?
Amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of the crowd, Chen Mo uttered a long string of words in a language that no one could understand at all. Then, he tossed a small, unidentified object into the center of the altar's magical model.

"Oh right, I almost forgot, we haven't offered the sacrifices yet!"

Chen Mo then took out a small piece of magic crystal from his clothes and threw it into the altar.

At that moment, both Mage Downs and Butler Helan, who had some knowledge of summoning spells, felt a great sense of absurdity.

If this string of titles isn't just made up, then the feeling is like summoning the Emperor of the Qiyue Dynasty to your side and throwing a copper coin at him—it's incredibly insulting.

It seems there is only one possibility: Lord Chen Mo was communicating with some lowly lackey, who was actually a subordinate of this great lord's subordinate's subordinate's subordinate.

White smoke rose up.

Chen Mo glanced at his watch and beckoned to the silver-armored bull-headed man: "Honest bull, come here!"

For the next ten minutes, the camp was completely silent, and everyone could only hear their own breathing. This continued for about ten minutes before the void model was reassembled.

"Send this to them!"

After a quick glance at the altar's response, Chen Mo casually waved his hand, as if brushing away a speck of dust, drawing everyone's attention to the white mist.

The minotaur guard, Rockhoof, glanced at his lord, received an approving look, and then cautiously stepped into the smoke-shrouded area.

Soon, he came out carrying a huge, strangely made box. The box didn't look heavy, but it was quite large. Old Niu carefully placed this strange creation in front of the halfling cook leader.

"Lord... Lord? What is this?"

"Press the button above! You'll get the seasoning you need."

"Okay, that's all. I'm going back to rest for a while."

After watching the lord leave, the halfling looked at the box, which was over a meter tall and two meters square, one last time with disbelief, and then tremblingly stretched out his finger.

Click!

This ultra-light polypropylene storage box from Dongxia has an opening at the top, with the four walls gently drooping down. Inside, layers of storage compartments are stacked together, unfolding like flower petals in a staggered and orderly fashion.

The sharp-eyed halfling leader spotted the various colored, translucent crystals on the top layer.

"This is...this is sugar. Did the lord really send us seasoning?"

With a whoosh, the mercenaries and maids who had been hesitant to approach earlier all crowded around, craning their necks.

Then, they saw the halfling's face slowly change from flushed with excitement to deathly pale with fear, staging a dramatic transformation.

Standing to the side, Butler Helan could also clearly see the lines of small characters in the densely packed squares of the storage compartment.

It is the script of the Qiyue Dynasty, and also the current mainstream official script of the Emerald Kingdom.

The top shelf, at the very top position, has a transparent sheet with a label inside that reads in large characters: 【Carbohydrates】.

Each of the small squares below has a separate label attached.

White sugar, brown sugar, dark brown sugar, black sugar, rock sugar, golden sugar, icing sugar, raw sugar, molasses, beet sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, maple syrup, agave sugar, date sugar, maltose, corn syrup, fructose syrup, invert sugar syrup, acacia honey, linden honey, vitex honey, lychee honey, longan honey, rapeseed honey, manna syrup, compound honey...

Under each category, there is a line or two of small print explaining the basic usage of each type of sugar in a language that this world can understand.

The adjacent "Salts" section also contains a dense array of labels:
Flaky sea salt, sun-dried sea salt, refined sea salt, alpine pink salt, black salt, red salt, well salt, lake salt, traditional refined salt, coarse-grained salt, garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, smoked salt, lemon salt, grapefruit salt, herb salt, chili salt, truffle salt...

Those who saw this were speechless, and this was just the tip of the iceberg.

The compartments below contain dozens of liquid seasonings, dozens of flavor enhancers, hundreds of different spices, a large quantity of sauces, flavoring wines, fermented products, and flavored nuts...

It's packed full!

The halfling head chef rubbed his eyes so hard he almost rubbed them out.

He reluctantly moved closer, his nose twitching as he sniffed the complex, dizzying aromas, trying to discern their possible uses.

After looking at it several times, the head chef, with trembling hands, used the small transparent spoon that came with the compartment to scoop out a tiny bit of powder or crystal from several labeled compartments and carefully placed it on the tip of his tongue to taste.

The next moment, tears streamed down the head chef's face.

It's just seasonings! He considers himself the best chef on the mainland, but he doesn't recognize most of the seasonings here.

I've never even heard of it!

Several halfling cooks followed suit, sniffing and tasting the food, almost to the point of madness.

Some lamented, "Gods of corn and stoves, I've lived in vain! I've lived in vain!"

Some knelt and kowtowed, exclaiming, "Oh, this must be the workbench of the greatest chef god under the starry sky! This is true immortality, eternal immortality!"

The head chef was the first to wake up.

Those who can lead a team, besides being technically outstanding, also need to have at least a little bit of management skills. Now that the lord had returned to the carriage, he seized on the main issue and began hugging Niu Niu's legs, desperately apologizing to the simple-minded Niu.

"You are truly a great ox. Without you, I would never have witnessed such a miracle in my life."

"I think it was the supreme deity who gently nudged your arm at that moment, causing your firewood and my crude seasonings to collide, bringing us such an incredible miracle!"

"Yes, this is the arrangement of the gods. Please forgive our ignorance and foolishness!"

The minotaur warriors were somewhat overwhelmed by such enthusiasm.

Of course, while the halflings were looking at the seasonings and the slave mercenaries and maids were watching the spectacle, the three leaders—the steward Heran, the captain of the guard Lynn, and the magic instructor Downs—were the ones who truly understood the intricacies of the situation.

They exchanged glances, both seeing the barely suppressed fear in each other's eyes. To be honest, even if Chen Mo summoned a bone dragon here, they probably wouldn't be this surprised.

After all, the lords of the underworld provide this service, and even if they go too far beyond their level, it is still within everyone's understanding.

However, such a spice storage box is completely outside the mainstream understanding of the Starry Continent.

Because of their different perspectives, the three leaders each had their own focus. As the halflings began preparing what they called "the most delicious dinner ever," they stepped aside and had a brief exchange.

There was a speaking order, and Lynn, who had the lowest status among the three, spoke first.

The old mercenary wiped the deep lines on his face. "Uh, we, we're so sorry, Butler. Rockhoof is a good boy. I didn't mean to tease him."

“He’s stronger than the others, you know, so he can get the firewood back faster… This job has to be done by someone…”

Helan waved his hand to stop his argument: "What I think is not important, what matters is the lord's opinion. But it doesn't matter, before we reach the Saltwater... before we reach the Vast Sea Territory, and even for a long time after we reach the Vast Sea Territory, the lord will still have to rely on your guards."

"You have plenty of time to make up for your mistakes."

"Now, what I want to ask is, how do you interpret the lord's summons today?"

Lynn placed his hands on his chest, bowed respectfully towards the direction of the lord's luxury car, and then turned around: "This is the greatest summoning I have ever seen."

"I have witnessed countless summonings by necromancers. They are always driven by killing, endlessly killing. Their eyes are always dull and lifeless, unlike the lord's radiant gaze. I once thought that the lord was not actually a necromancer as legend had it."

"But seeing that our esteemed lord has made such a summons for everyone's dinner, I can only call it great!"

"The lord's own meals are very simple, even frugal, so I don't even know what words to use to describe the lord's kindness and greatness!"

"Alright!" Helan heard Lynn's voice getting louder and louder, and he understood what the old man was thinking.

Expressing loyalty remotely? What kind of nonsense is this!
Unwilling to deal with this cunning old man any longer, Helan turned to the mage Downs.

Out of respect for high-level professionals, although Helan is currently the second member of the team in name, he still spoke his mind before Master Downs.

"First, this summons was not a long-prepared one, but a temporary one caused by an accident. Therefore, I think there is probably no possibility that it was staged."

"I sensed something of it. That being in the void, whose level I don't know, was doing whatever our lord wanted, fulfilling all sorts of strange requests as much as possible."

"Secondly, there is a complete imbalance in the offerings."

“I once served a banquet for a duke with my butler, and all the seasonings combined probably didn’t have as many varieties as the candy that this god of Cthulhu sent to the lord.”

"In my knowledge, even the royal palace in the heavens might not be able to afford so many kinds of seasonings."

"However, the lord only paid a small piece of spirit crystal, and considering the lord's actions before and after, I strongly suspect that it was just a show for us. Even if the lord didn't sacrifice anything, he could still get everything he wanted."

"This is an unparalleled favor, or rather, a great grace, bestowed upon the lord!"

Having completed his rigorous and detailed analysis, Helan turned his gaze to Grand Mage Downs, who was still staring at the "petal-shaped" storage box.

He didn't think this man could add much new information, but he was happy to hear this always nonchalant old fellow say something flattering about the lord.

Towns stretched out his left hand, gently squeezed, and a small piece from a storage box flew up and landed in the old mage's hand.

After weighing it lightly in his hand, Downs asked, "Do you think this great being from afar has any connection with the Qiyue Dynasty?"

Heran and Lynn both shook their heads, puzzled.

Ninety-nine percent impossible. The Qiyue Dynasty has always been known as a culinary wasteland.

Why do the halflings of the Emerald Kingdom source their seasonings from Sky Dome? It's because they're too stifled staying in Qiyue.

“Then,” the old man pointed to the words above, “who do you think wrote these Qiyue characters?”

Helan felt as if he had been struck on the head by lightning.

Following closely behind, Lynn also realized what was happening, and her lips began to tremble slightly.

What does this mean?
Representing that mysterious monarch from afar, in order to make our lord's meal more enjoyable, he not only gathered seasonings from what could be several continents or even several planes in a short period of time with astonishing speed, but also specially arranged for people to learn the language and script of the lord's location on the Starry Continent, and proactively translated the names and functions of the seasonings.

This is no longer a matter of favoritism or disfavoritism.

To be fair, Helan believed that even if his own father were alive and had the ability, he could not possibly support him to this extent.

Helan didn't realize it immediately because there's a blind spot in his consciousness; most people don't initially perceive anything strange when they see familiar characters.

However, Master Downs was different. He had a fishing rod given to him by Lord Chen, and the instructions on how to use it were written in the script of Qiyue.

At the time, he thought that Chen Mo had written it himself or had someone else write it. But after seeing what happened today, he suddenly realized that not only might the written instructions have been provided by the other party, but even this fishing rod might have been custom-made for him by that mechanical emperor.

All this was to lure my fishing-loving self to the lord's territory.

Of course, the old monk decided to keep this matter to himself.

Of course, Helan also had his own reservations.

Traditionally, necromancers communicate with the leaders of the underworld.

Whose spirits, the dead, don't cook for themselves? So, where did the seasonings come from?
This is truly terrifying when you think about it!
In short, there are many smart people, and even the mercenaries who didn't realize what was going on at first are now slowly starting to understand.

Correspondingly, the Tauren's status within the team has risen dramatically.

This isn't a slave mercenary; it's the lord's beloved pet! A divinely favored ox!
Now, grooming, cleaning, and tidying the ox's hooves have become tasks that mercenaries are eager to do.

Secondly, the team's cohesion and unity have been greatly enhanced, and everyone's enthusiasm for work has soared to unprecedented levels. Almost no one mentions the one-year agreement anymore.

After all, the more capable the master is, the more motivated the subordinates are.

People were discussing among themselves that the pioneering lord of this desolate land was definitely just a temporary figure, and wouldn't stay in the saltwater for long. They believed that their lord would surely be able to return to the great nation.

The vision of the team leaders was even higher than that of those below them.

In the past, they didn't quite believe the rumors that the lord came from the heavens.

Chen Mo chose such a rotten piece of land, at best he is a nouveau riche eager to join the ranks of the nobility and climb into the upper class. How could a true nobleman from the Sky Dome be so short-sighted?

Even now, they still don't believe that the lord comes from the heavens.

Are you kidding me? If the Sky Realm had such an extraordinary talent, would they really be willing to release him as a pioneering lord?
Behind this is at least one being equivalent to the Netherworld King, the Heavens? Don't try to mess with our lord.

At least Helan has started to consider whether he should bring his family over once they settle down in the saltwater area and have a decent place to live.

Helan used to worry about his family suffering, but looking at this big box of seasonings, he felt that leaving them in the clouds might be the real suffering.

In short, Chen Mo's momentary irritation and his summoning of some worthless seasonings to protect the Minotaur Guardian he found pleasing to the eye completely reshaped the team's perception.

The lord's authority soared to new heights and became unshakeable!

Surrounded by a passionate team, the esteemed new Lord of the Vast Ocean Territory, leading his loyal troops, sped all the way to the Vast Ocean Territory, which he was not entirely loyal to at the moment.

This day marks the beginning of the year 1427 in the Heavenly Dynasty calendar, the start of the Storm Year in the Qiyue Dynasty, and the first sacrificial day of the Year of Insight in the Mist Moon Divine Court.

A fierce wind from the endless desert, carrying coarse sand and dust, swept across this desolate territory, swirling and howling wildly over the barren salt flats, the low and dilapidated mud houses, and the flagpole that symbolized the lord's authority but was now rusty.

This land is so barren and desolate that it inspires despair.

However, a blank page is the perfect opening.

Just as the song that was later recited to death by bards goes:
The sandstorm howled, and the red flag fluttered across the vast sea.

The saline-alkali wasteland has buried an ancient silence.

The whispers of the old dynasty vanished in the wind.

The thunderous light of the new god forged a prosperous land for all races.

Decaying authority will eventually wither away amidst the roar.
The long river of history has turned a new page here!
(End of this chapter)