Manager, give me a membership card too!

The term "bedbug" used here is not meant to be derogatory; it's a perfectly acceptable adjective. Because under the relentless bombardment, even the evil in the courtyard realized that things couldn't end peacefully today and that some action was necessary.

Thus began the ancient counterattack, in a way that most people could not imagine or understand.

Charge, charging into the fire of 200 88mm rapid-fire cannons.

In the smoke and dust kicked up by the shelling, countless dark shadows silently stretched, twisted, condensed, and finally gathered into a vast, dark mass. Like dark clouds before a storm, or a flock of migrating birds, countless black shadows, carrying the smoke from the shelling, rose from the deep, dim underground, swirling and coalescing into a 'ball,' and then, without hesitation, rushed towards the artillery position.

Their speed was so great that they easily surpassed ordinary birds, cutting the distance between the two sides at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As they drew closer, Luo Xia finally saw the true face of his opponent.

Those were a group of 'insects', 'insects' that evoked a deep-seated loathing, because they were so filthy and evil, creatures that should never have existed in this world, the most blasphemous beings.

Flies, mosquitoes, bedbugs, cockroaches—these darkest, dirtiest, and most filthy creatures—are combined with humans, their biological characteristics and limbs intertwined, creating the horrific scene that Rorschach and his companions witness.

Dressed in flamboyant clothing typical of medieval Western Europe, with a pale white wig on its head, black and red filthy blood overflowing from the corners of its mouth, and a 'human' with a mouth like a blood-sucking mosquito on its face, it waved its translucent insect wings and dragged its dark red insect lower limbs filled with filthy blood, traversing the air above the outskirts of Anchester.

Beneath these monsters that churned the sky like dark clouds was a heavily armored legion advancing on the ground under heavy artillery fire.

If the group flying in the sky still resembled humans, at least showing that they were humanoid creatures before, then these monsters that persisted in advancing despite heavy casualties amidst the gunfire had completely lost their human form.

Most of them were enormous and bulky, with disproportionately tall bodies. Patches of scabs, scales, and even chitinous carapaces covered the bodies of these gigantic creatures, allowing them to withstand the torrential bombardment as they advanced toward the courtyard.

Even with heavy losses, even if only one in ten survives, they are indeed advancing. If these creatures with twisted limbs and terrifying claws were allowed to charge into the artillery positions, then what would follow would be a slaughter without any suspense.

Even a hundred years ago, such an 'army' would have been an absolutely terrifying demonic force, unmatched by human strength, and could only be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and courage. Unfortunately, a hundred years have passed, and the advancement of modern weaponry has turned these terrifying creatures, which had lain dormant underground for nearly a thousand years and were capable of destroying countless towns and even ravaging the entire Principality of Wales, into living targets.

"Target detected. Switch to special ammunition!"

Rorschach, who was watching the battle through binoculars, gently waved his arm, and the Chinese-American girl next to him raised her communicator and issued the latest orders.

The monsters that swarmed toward the artillery position like migrating flocks of birds were unaware that the primary function of the 88mm guns was anti-aircraft defense. Rather than adjusting the propellant charge to use them as mortars against ground units, these high-rate-of-fire artillery pieces were actually more suited to 'shooting birds,' shooting down 'iron birds' that were faster, stronger, and more dangerous than themselves.

The soldiers on the artillery position skillfully adjusted the firing data, changing the target from the ground to the air. The high-explosive shells originally used for digging and destruction were also removed and replaced with a batch of shells with a bright white flame symbol printed on the shell casing.

Rorschach prepared this secret weapon specifically for these flying insects, which is remarkably effective against biological units.

White phosphorus bomb

These weapons, which are now strictly prohibited on battlefields, can spray out a cloud of white phosphorus mixed with various chemicals at the moment of explosion. This white phosphorus will turn everything within the blast radius into a fireball of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, and finally burn it to ashes.

Just a dozen or so white phosphorus bombs are enough to cripple an unsuspecting human army, killing more than half of them. The horrific burns and subsequent infections will also prevent the survivors from surviving for long.

Now, Rorschach has a full 200 cannons loaded with white phosphorus shells!

Almost instantly, the sky over Anchester was 'ignited'.

Thick, yellowish-white smoke obscured everything in sight, and along with it came a piercing wail that could be clearly heard even from thousands of meters away.

White phosphorus bombs are extremely dangerous. This weapon is banned not only because of its powerful destructive force, but also because it is utterly inhumane.

Based on the chemical properties of white phosphorus, it will burn continuously when it comes into contact with air until it is exhausted and extinguished. Therefore, when it comes into contact with the body of a living being, the flesh will be penetrated and then penetrate into the bone, turning the whole person into a raging fireball from the inside out. No living being is exempt, not even those ugly and evil monsters.

Countless charred corpses fell from the cloud of smoke like rain, shattering on the ground with a crackling sound, groaning, moaning, and screaming. However, Rorschach felt no pity for these inhuman creatures and continued to calmly wave his arm.

Soon, the second wave of attacks arrived.

Because white phosphorus bombs attack by 'spraying' the white phosphorus inside through a small-scale explosion, which is an area-of-effect (AOE) attack, when facing bedbugs that crawl out from underground, you hardly need to aim. You can fire it with a roughly correct direction. The sprayed white phosphorus will form a cone in mid-air, burning all the bedbugs inside to ashes.

The white phosphorus bombs struck from the air in just three rounds, and all the 'air force' that had roared and charged toward the artillery positions were already dead. Even those who weren't burned to death by the white phosphorus bombs would suffocate and be poisoned by the dense chemical fumes in the air, eventually falling from mid-air.

This is the drawback of living things; flesh and blood are fragile and vulnerable. As long as they are 'alive,' they must bear some of the natural weaknesses of living beings.

Having dealt with the incredibly fast flying bugs, what remained were the heavily armored units, like living tanks. The previous wave of white phosphorus bombs had also affected these slow-moving behemoths, turning many of them into moving torches that stopped after a few steps. The remaining ones were no longer a threat.

The order was given to several skilled artillery teams to switch to armor-piercing rounds designed to counter tanks and pick off the remaining survivors. This brief confrontation had thus come to an end.

In less than five minutes, the terrifying army that should have caused tens of thousands of casualties had been reduced to charred corpses and ashes on the ground, while Luo Xia's side was almost unharmed except for one unlucky guy who was hit on the toe by a shell casing due to operational error.

As for the tons of shells fired in those ten minutes? What were they? The shopkeeper said he lacked everything except money. Umbrella's weapons production line could replenish the war's consumption in half an hour, so he could just keep producing them.

After the last gigantic monster, with a ghastly green crocodile body and insect-like limbs, was blasted into mincemeat by an armor-piercing shell, the once 'lively' manor courtyard returned to deathly silence, with only the crackling sound of burning flames remaining.

Despite the seemingly over situation, Luo Xia showed no sign of a smile. Even the artillerymen below the hillside remained silent and serious, their bodies tense inside their special protective suits, avoiding any glances towards the manor courtyard, and obeying their commander's orders.

Even if they are wearing protective gear, looking directly at certain things could still have extremely bad consequences, which is something they do not want to see.

Finally, with a slight upturn of Luo Xia's lips, a graceful and slender figure slowly emerged from the hellish bombardment site and walked gracefully to where the gate should have been in the courtyard.

She was a gorgeously dressed, elegant noblewoman. She used a folding fan to cover her beautiful face, yet proudly displayed her ample bosom, radiating the unique charm and allure of a mature woman. Every smile and gesture was captivating.

If someone were to appear before her at this moment and look directly at the face half-hidden behind the folding fan, then that person's consciousness would no longer belong to him, but to her.

For example, some 'adventurers' who saw the Umbrella Corporation's massive deployment hid in the nearby dense forest, hoping to gain some advantage.

When these people saw the groups of monsters emerging from the manor courtyard, they realized that this was not something they could interfere with, but human greed still made them choose to 'wait a little longer,' in case they found something good and would be set for life.

Then, they saw the beautiful woman standing proudly on the battlefield amidst the smoke and fire.

An indescribable allure captivated the adventurers' gazes. Though their bodies remained still, their spirits seemed to be drawn into a black hole, plummeting towards it. The surrounding scenery began to spin, everything rapidly receding into the distance, leaving only the noblewoman's indescribably beautiful face, which held the adventurers hidden in the jungle firmly in its grasp, preventing them from thinking any further. A strong desire to be dominated surged within them at that moment.

Their cheeks were flushed, veins bulged on their foreheads, and control of their bodies had changed hands. The last shred of 'reason' told them that they were now willing to do anything crazy for the beautiful owner in front of them.

Even if it's just to charge at a heavily defended, almost heavily armed artillery position with your little broken gun.

Luo Xia watched indifferently as dozens of 'adventurers' howled and charged toward the artillery position, only to be mercilessly picked off by machine gunners positioned around the perimeter. He didn't even blink.

He had already tried to persuade him beforehand, more than once. Those who wouldn't listen to advice would only have their own way to their deaths. Rorschach had done more than enough.

However, to be fair, the influence of this 'Countess' on ordinary humans is indeed terrifying. Let alone the unprotected adventurers, even some of our own soldiers, equipped with full protective gear, are now mentally unstable, barely holding on by sheer willpower.

Looking at the several soldiers in the crowd below who were clearly not in good condition and had already attracted the attention of their comrades, Luo Xia silently narrowed his eyes.

Today's battle was essentially a kind of 'exercise,' an experiment to see if humanity's own strength and technology could contend with those strange and mythical creatures. The results of the exercise were very encouraging. With the gradual advancement of technology, humanity, once weak and helpless, now possesses the means to fight against those mythical beings.

Although still somewhat inexperienced, Rorschach believed that given more time, humanity would still be able to put up a fight even against those legendary 'gods'. As for until then... he'd lend a hand.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Luo Xia's hand, with its distinct knuckles, formed a simple yet ancient war bow that appeared out of thin air in his palm. Looking at the figure several kilometers away, clearly sensing something amiss, now transforming into a streak of crimson light and fleeing into the distance, a cold smile curled at the corner of the man's lips as he slowly drew back the bowstring.

'Boom~! '

Chapter 441 Cleverness Backfires

Chapter 441 Cleverness Backfires

The once magnificent and elegant courtyard is now a scorched wasteland filled with smoke. Countless soldiers in full-body combat uniforms march silently across the scorching wasteland, their flamethrowers licking every inch of the land for thorough disinfection and purification.

Even if they occasionally encountered those bedbugs that had miraculously survived previous attacks, they were met with raging flames and the dark muzzles of guns.

In a corner of these ruins, a conspicuous trail of blood stretched for a long time, ending at a woman struggling to crawl forward.

She was a magnificent and elegant noblewoman, her silver hair styled in a radiant updo. Her fitted evening gown accentuated her beautiful figure perfectly, making her appear like Venus at midnight, exuding an almost fatal allure.

Unfortunately, this exquisite beauty was ruined by that crude weapon.

An arrow crackling with lightning pierced the noblewoman's bare, white back, creating a gruesome wound. The foul blood flowing from the wound contrasted sharply with her delicate, fair skin, evoking both pity and an uncontrollable, perverse emotion that sought to destroy beauty and purity.

With his black leather boots treading over the long trail of blood left by the noblewoman, Rorschach approached the woman, who was still struggling to survive even in such dire straits, with measured steps.

This unwavering will is admirable, but unfortunately, the two groups were never meant to coexist. After all, these 'bugs' are bloodsuckers, and they suck human blood.

Silently, she drew the sword hidden in her silver carved cane. The sharp blade, sparking with fire, pierced through skin and bone without hindrance, shattering the heart that was still stubbornly beating despite being struck by an arrow. The noblewoman's barely raised hand froze and slowly fell to the ground.

A torrent of flames erupted from the point where the cane and sword were positioned, instantly engulfing the noblewoman's entire body, burning away the evil from a thousand years ago, and finally turning it into a pool of grayish-white ashes, which slowly drifted away with the breeze over the Anchester wilderness.

A gentle breeze blew by, scattering the ashes, and a few yellowed parchments danced in the wind, which Rorschach caught in his hand.

Looking down, the unfamiliar yet familiar handwriting made Rorschach recognize the owner of these parchments almost instantly.

Gilbert de la Poole's father, the ancestor of old de la Poole, and the beginning of the nightmare for the land of Anchester.

The parchment contained the ancestor's diary, which recorded the history of the courtyard and filled in the gaps in the information that Rorschach had previously gathered.

It all began when his ancestor inherited his father's title. Although the English royal family demoted his father's earldom to viscount, his ancestor accepted this weakening without batting an eye. Lacking a strong military force, he was powerless to resist the oppression from the previous class. To survive and to seek revenge, he had to smile and praise the king's wisdom, prowess, and decisiveness.

However, in secret, the ancestor did not silently swallow his anger. The seeds of revenge had been sown from the very beginning, and the fate of the de la Poule family was sealed at that time.

On the surface, the ancestor played the role of an uneducated, dissolute, and promiscuous spendthrift son, but secretly he began to study psychic arts, alchemy, and herbalism. De La Poul's bloodline was so exceptional, especially in these supernatural fields.

Almost effortlessly, his ancestor became an excellent alchemist and herbalist. And he began his own campaign of revenge against the nobles who had taken advantage of his misfortune, and even against all of England.

He sold his family's centuries-old shops, armor, swords, paintings, and artworks, exchanging them for countless amounts of money and resources. In the courtyard of his specially renovated manor, he hosted a grand banquet rarely seen in Wales and even all of England.

Fine wine, gourmet food, music, theater, and countless prostitutes and courtesans—the de la Poulet estate quickly became a place of revelry talked about by the entire aristocratic circle. Whatever kind of enjoyment you could imagine, you could find it here, and even better.

Countless noblemen and socialites flocked to the de la Powell estate to indulge in pleasure, venting their most base and primal human emotions in a decadent and depraved manner. Regardless of gender or age, everyone was as close as if they were "family".

However, these nobles, indulging in pleasure, were unaware that their wines and delicacies were already infused with herbs carefully prepared by their ancestors. These herbs stimulated their senses, giving them unparalleled pleasure and enjoyment, immersing them in this world of debauchery and indulgence, allowing them to revel in the ultimate sensory delight.

Naturally, these medicines also have some side effects. If you come into contact with even a tiny bit of them, you will be childless for life and will never be able to have children again.

For medieval nobles who placed the greatest importance on having an heir, the extinction of their lineage was undoubtedly the most terrifying end. Their bloodline, their pride, their wealth, their history—all would vanish into thin air. They would either be nationalized by the royal family or divided up and devoured by distant relatives, and their family name, which had continued for thousands of years, would be extinguished.

The De La Poole family's banquets included most of England's well-known nobles, and even a few members of the royal family had attended. If these people were unable to have offspring after their deaths, disputes, conspiracies, infighting, and even wars over their inheritances would engulf all of England, plunging the country into endless conflict and utter ruin.

This is the punishment our ancestors gave to those petty people who murdered their fathers and took advantage of their families' misfortunes.

Don't you value titles and wealth the most? Then drown yourselves with your titles and wealth!

Unfortunately, a small mishap occurred during the execution of the ancestor's revenge plan.

It was a routine banquet. The ancestor invited the most famous courtesan from the nearby town, prepared countless delicacies, and then began to entertain countless uninvited guests. He stood in the middle of the crowd with a smile on his face, coldly watching these people eat the food smeared with the potion and drink the wine laced with aphrodisiacs. The atmosphere gradually became heated in the slightly tipsy state.

But at that moment, the ancestor spotted an uninvited guest in the crowd. It was a stunningly beautiful woman with silver hair, and even the ancestor was captivated the moment he saw her. However, the ancestor's strong will quickly brought him back from the irresistible allure, and with his extensive knowledge, he discerned the woman's true identity.

Bloodlines, blood descendants, vampires, hunters—they have many names and identities. They feed on human blood, devouring human life and flesh. In folklore, they are monsters that can stop children from crying at night, dark creatures that inspire deep-seated hatred.

Almost instantly upon realizing the other party's identity, the ancestor decided to eliminate this unexpected factor. His plan was perfect; it could dismantle the nation's core strength without anyone noticing, causing England to collapse effortlessly.

However, if a vampire who devours humans appears at his banquet and successfully preys on other nobles, then no one will attend the banquet of the Tad La Poul family anymore, because the security of the banquet is not perfect, which is a major taboo for nobles who value life.

So, before the vampire who called himself Countess Antoine could choose his prey, the ancestor smiled and took the initiative to greet him.

His impeccable attire, handsome appearance, and extraordinary demeanor, like an ancestor representing a traditional, old-fashioned aristocratic family, easily won the Countess's 'favor'. After a brief conversation, the two people, each with their own ulterior motives, agreed to go to the manor's balcony to dance together.

The moonlight was like blood, the beauty like jade, the blade flashed, and a chilling murderous intent filled the air.

When the ancestor returned to the crowd with a beaming smile, the beautiful countess had become material on his experimental table, waiting for him to 'process' her.

A high-ranking vampire—this is a high-level material that no amount of money can buy, and it greatly benefits the ancestors' alchemy and herbalism.

Some time later, the ancestor proudly announced that he had brewed a unique 'local brew', a 'fine wine' made from the filthy blood of a vampire countess mixed with alchemical ingredients, with a sweetness that one could never forget after tasting it once.

Trusting in the ancestor's 'reputation', countless nobles and wealthy merchants flocked to the place to savor this rare delicacy.

Originally, the ancestor's goal was to create a highly addictive wine that, once consumed, could never be discontinued, thus corrupting the minds and bodies of the nobles. Unfortunately, the then-naive ancestor did not know that vampires, especially high-ranking vampires, are extremely difficult to kill completely.

These blood-sucking bugs are extremely resilient and adept at manipulating people's minds. With their spiritual pollution far exceeding that of ordinary people, they distorted the ancestor's will, making him believe that the 'blood wine' made with the countess's blood was created out of his own will, rather than obeying a monster that has existed for thousands of years.

Finally, when countless nobles, including our ancestors, were laughing and sipping the sweet, scarlet liquid, disaster struck.

The tainted blood originating from the Countess's body corrupted the spirit, mind, soul, and body of those nobles, causing them to degenerate from humans into filthy, inferior vampires who frantically devoured the flesh and blood of all living beings around them, including their own bodies.

If nothing unexpected happens, about half of these fallen nobles will eventually remain, but by then they will no longer be human, but will belong to the vampire countess's retinue, becoming her eternal slaves and hounds.

However, when the countess, dressed neatly, strolled out of her ancestor's underground laboratory, she was not greeted by respectful relatives, but by her ancestor, who exuded an eerie atmosphere.

Out of a desire to gain people's trust, the ancestor also drank the blood wine brewed from the countess's tainted blood. However, unlike those nobles who collapsed at the first touch, the ancestor resisted the spiritual pollution originating from his blood and used this indescribable power to elevate his soul, observing the world from a different perspective.

Although that transcendent state lasted only a brief moment, the ancestor still witnessed a vision that was enough to shake his soul—the indescribable truth about this world, about all that is mysterious and unknown.

How dazzling, how captivating, how enchanting! The ancient mystery and the terrifying evil lurking beneath the earth possess a captivating charm.

In that instant, the ancestor suddenly realized how insignificant and ridiculous he had been, how he had been so hopelessly addicted to that pointless hatred, and how he had taken revenge on everyone in a way that was almost self-destructive.

He is different now. He no longer cares about those trivial love and hate, because a greater and more sublime path has been presented to his ancestors and has opened its doors to him.

Ancient knowledge and learning poured into his mind in an indescribable way, cleansing his soul, elevating his spirit, and enabling him to see the world anew and pursue the most ancient truth.

When he finally opened his eyes, what appeared before him was his mischievous 'test subject'.

.........

The writing on the last parchment gradually became frantic and chaotic, and the ink changed from normal black to a filthy crimson. Sensing the eerie fluctuations emanating from the parchment, Rorschach silently tidied it up and placed it in a system space that wouldn't affect others.

These diaries reveal that Old Derapole's ancestor was merely an ordinary person who became obsessed with alchemy and herbalism due to his desire for revenge. His encounter with those mythical creatures and events was likely due to drinking blood wine made from the blood of a vampire countess, which allowed him to see things he shouldn't have, sparking his interest in these mystical things and leading to an evil storm centered around the Derapole family that caused the deaths of countless innocent people.

The countess who had piqued the interest of De Lapur's ancestors did not seem to have a happy ending. According to reports from other exploration teams, they discovered many tall stone statues in the ruins of the courtyard, with the remains of long-dead bloodline beings scattered at their feet.

These statues are not 'dead objects' but rather some kind of 'constructed entity' that can move freely, with extremely hard and aggressive bodies.

The exploration team used long-range armor-piercing firepower to destroy several statues, which were then handed over to three professors from the University of Michigan for study. Based on ancient texts, the professors reached a surprising conclusion: these statues, created using ancient alchemy and some kind of necromancy, were actually powerful 'guardians,' seemingly indestructible by the standards of hundreds of years ago.

Their duty is to protect the peace of the De La Poul Manor and prevent the bloodline within from escaping. Their exact number may be dozens or even hundreds, forming a vast and highly effective seal that suppresses the strength of the bloodline within the manor courtyard, rendering them unable to fly, draining their vitality, and forcing them into a prolonged slumber.

In a sense, these blood descendants were actually imprisoned in the courtyard, becoming guinea pigs for some people's experiments. On the contrary, Rorschach's artillery attack shattered those lifeless statues, allowing the blood descendants who were unable to harm the statues due to the method of attack to breathe the air of freedom again.