Chapter 35: Recruiting Blood Shadow
The Soviet-made 2S4 240mm Mortar is the largest caliber mortar of the modern era.
Its barrel length is 3340 millimeters, 22.25 calibers.
It can fire conventionally charged mortar shells such as the 53-F-864 High-Explosive Fragmentation Mortar Shell, 3F2 Rocket-Assisted High-Explosive Fragmentation Mortar Shell, 3VO11 Mine-Laying Shell, and the "Brave" Type-M Guided Mortar Shell.
It can also fire the 3VB4 Nuclear Mortar Shell and the 3VB11 Rocket-Assisted Nuclear Mortar Shell, with an Explosive Yield of up to 2000 Ton TNT.
When firing extended-range nuclear shells, the maximum range can reach 20 kilometers. The mortar's excellent indirect fire capability has considerable lethality against enemies on reverse slopes.
It uses a magazine feeding system (each magazine holds 20 rounds) and is equipped with a simple loading machine, but due to the heavy weight of the shells, the Rate of Fire is only one round per minute, and preparation for firing takes 10 minutes. When firing ordinary high-explosive shells, the maximum range is 9.65 kilometers.
This Heavy Artillery, equipped to a certain Soviet Army Division during the Cold War Period, roared for the first time on the Federal Mainland in a way no one expected.
Due to transportation reasons, this giant cannon that Tang Song had shipped from the Russian Far East Region was a stripped-down version, only the barrel part, without the matching tracked Battle Vehicle.
As for the Tactical Nuclear Shells, they had been transferred away by an order from an unknown Important Figure in the Soviet Army Logistics Department back during the Cold War Period.
This largest mortar in history is currently using Conventionally Charged Mortar Shells loaded with 130 kilograms of High Explosives.
Although called conventional shells, one shell can easily destroy a five-story concrete building.
In half an hour, under the operation of twelve Russian Artillerymen, two Tulip Heavy Mortars fired six Artillery Shells.
The ground roared, and the entire Beach seemed to have been plowed by a wild bull.
Smoke and dust rose everywhere, forming a small mushroom cloud in the distance.
Waves rolled on the sea. At a Naval Outpost six nautical miles away, several Federal Navy personnel, hearing the booming Artillery fire nearby, hid in the Bunker at the Outpost and frantically dialed satellite phones, reporting and inquiring about the situation.
They hadn't received any notification of Exercises nearby recently.
God, although they were Federal Navy, at this Outpost, they usually only dealt with smugglers.
Now, with the roar of this Heavy Artillery, could it be that they were under attack?
Leaving aside the panicked movements of the Navy.
On the shaking Rooftop, the Young Cleric held a phone in one hand and covered his mouth with the other, explaining softly to the person on the other end of the line.
Judging from his Bitter Gourd Face and constant apologizing posture, the explanation work was clearly not easy.
Under three rounds of bombardment from the Heavy Artillery, the Soil Layer near the Lighthouse was completely blown open.
Bunkers, Vampires, the two were now completely combined, shattered into pieces. In the pulverized concrete, broken and mangled flesh and blood were everywhere.
It was clear that under Human Heavy Artillery, even Vampires with tenacious vitality were no different from weeds under explosions of this intensity.
Tang Song had once heard a saying: as long as it's a carbon-based lifeform, no flesh and blood creature can withstand artillery bombardment.
If there is one, it only means that the Artillery's caliber is not large enough, and its power is not strong enough.
If one shot isn't enough, then fire another! West, standing beside Tang Song, watched the scene before him, and the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch.
The destructive power of this Heavy Artillery gave the Vice Chief Judge of the Inquisition an impulse to get a few of these giant cannons, go to Europe, and bombard some Ancient Castles.
To see how many shells those old undead Vampires could withstand head-on.
...…
Tang Song stood beside the five or six-meter Deep Pit. Dust billowed up, and he could barely see the shattered concrete, broken rebar, and Bunker Structure below.
This air raid shelter and coastal defense fortress was built by the Federation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War Period.
It was originally built by the Federal Government for the worst-case scenario during the Cold War, a defensive position constructed to guard against a surprise attack on the Federal Mainland by the Former Soviet Union.
It was easily torn open by Soviet-made Heavy Artillery.
Although partly due to the fortifications being abandoned and in disrepair for many years, it also showed the simple, massive sturdiness of these big guys from the Former Soviet Union.
"Boss! I'll take people down!"
Frank, with dozens of Gunmen, stood around the Deep Pit, volunteering.
Tang Song waved his hand, signaling Frank to calm down.
"Isn't there a Gas Station nearby? Go get some gasoline!"
Tang Song's Divine Sense swept over the Underground Base, and sure enough, there were still quite a few little mice hiding inside.
Tang Song felt he had some methods for dealing with mice.
"Damn Humans! They actually used Artillery against us!"
Lucien, with a few Werewolves, hid at the Corner of a Tunnel, holding various weapons like submachine guns and shotguns, waiting for the enemy to come down.
He didn't want to risk his life for Deacon Frost, but now the Secret Passages in and out of the Bunker were blocked. Lucien could only fight desperately, hoping to perhaps take some humans hostage and break out of the Encirclement.
"What's that smell!"
After waiting for a long time, Lucien didn't see any signs of humans coming down. Instead, he smelled a strong odor of gasoline.
The sound of rushing water reached Lucien's ears, and his expression changed drastically.
"Hurry and go!"
Lucien roared, instantly transforming into his Werewolf state and darting towards the depths of the Tunnel.
...…
At one end of the Federal Interstate Highway, over a dozen Police cars and a large number of Police Officers were dispatched late at night to completely seal off the Passage leading to the Abandoned Small Pier.
The Caution Tape blocked several well-informed news vans, as well as gossip enthusiasts from the surrounding area who heard the commotion and came to watch the excitement.
"Police Chief, we are Reporters from the New York Daily News. What exactly happened inside? We have the right to interview. You cannot interfere with the public's right to freedom of the press! They have the right to know!"
Beside the Caution Tape, a female Reporter in a beige professional suit, showing deep cleavage, argued forcefully with the Police Chief blocking her way.
Looking at the Police Chief blocking her, the woman skillfully invoked the public's right to know.
The portly Police Chief, sticking out his noticeably larger beer belly, spread his arms wide, blocking the blonde woman.
"Ma'am, it's very dangerous inside. We've received orders not to let anyone in, not even Reporters!"
The Police Chief was righteously carrying out the orders from above. If his eyes weren't constantly fixed on the woman's cleavage, he would truly be a model of impartial law enforcement for the New York Police Department (NYPD).
"Police Chief, just give us a little hint. What exactly happened inside?"
After being blocked several times, the blonde woman became clever. She directly reached out and hugged the Police Chief's arm, shaking it and pleading.
Feeling the soft touch on his arm, the Police Chief couldn't help but swallow. Looking at the camera flashing red light not far away, the Police Chief struggled to pull his arm away.
"I'm very sorry, ma'am, you'd best leave here as soon as possible!"
"Hmph, fuck you!" the blonde woman muttered softly, turned around, signaled to the cameraman beside her, and started walking towards the nearby news van.
Beep beep!
Just then, two large headlights illuminated the Interstate Highway. Many onlookers, Reporters, and Police Officers shielded their eyes with their hands, blocking the blinding glare.
Two tanker trucks honked their horns, slowed down not far from the blockade, and slowly came to a stop.
"The road is closed here. You need to turn back and take another road!" The Police Chief, with two Police Officers, came to the front of the tanker trucks, holding a police ID, and impatiently gestured towards the driver's seat of the tanker truck.
Sitting in the driver's seat was a large white man with a buzz cut. He looked down at the Police Chief with cold eyes, making no movement.
"Hey, I said, can't you understand me? I'm telling you to turn back..."
The Police Chief, seeing the white driver make no move, yelled at him irritably.
"Police Chief, he's wearing a bulletproof vest!"
A sharp-eyed Police Officer noticed the driver's upper body at this moment; he was clearly wearing a black heavy bulletproof vest.
He quickly leaned into the Police Chief's ear and whispered a reminder.
"Hey, put your hands up where I can see them!"
The Police Chief quickly drew his handgun from behind his waist and aimed it at the tanker truck driver.
Several Police Officers also drew the handguns from their waists.
"Relax, Police Chief, you need to take a call!"
From the passenger seat, a Young Cleric in a black robe, looking exhausted, reached out his arm from the driver's seat, holding a satellite phone.
The Police Chief looked at the Priest suspiciously, then took the satellite phone.
"Hello?"
"This is the Department of Defense Special Event Handling Office, I am Major General Harris. No matter who you are, clear the way for them!"
The voice on the phone was even more irritable than the Police Chief's, carrying a strong tone of being woken up, and commanded directly and impolitely.
"Beep beep beep..."
After speaking, the person on the other end of the line directly hung up the phone.
The Police Chief held the phone, hesitated for a moment, then handed the satellite phone back.
"Clear the road, let them through!"
The Police Chief jogged over and had the Police Officers behind the Isolation Zone clear a path.
Click click click click...
After the two tanker trucks passed, the many Reporters who had been blocked aimed their cameras at the tanker trucks and frantically pressed their shutters.
...…
The two tanker trucks drove off the Interstate Highway, shaking over the potholes created by the Artillery Shells, and arrived before the giant pit.
Two strong men stepped forward, connected the hose, and turned the valve.
Gasoline flowed down the hose with a gushing sound towards the depths of the Bunker.
West stood at the edge of the pit. At his feet was the pit where smoke and dust rose everywhere, and clods of earth occasionally fell into the hole.
Watching the gasoline gush into the giant pit like water, his gaze towards Tang Song held a bit more appreciation.
"I've dealt with these Vampires for decades, and I never thought of using this method against them!"
Tang Song took a silver cigar box from Frank, took out a thin cigar, and offered one to West.
West hesitated for a moment, then took the cigar, held it between his fingers, and put it to his mouth.
The several Priests nearby all watched this scene in disbelief, unable to believe their eyes.
As West's Personal Deacons, the longest-serving among them had followed West for ten years, and they had never seen their Lord Inquisitor smoke.
*Ding!* Tang Song took out a gilded lighter, lit it, and brought it to West's mouth to help him light his cigar. He then took another one from the cigar box and lit it for himself!
"I'll still settle the bill. Two tanks of oil won't exceed 100,000 US dollars, but the Compensation for one of my Subordinates is over 200,000," Tang Song said, and with that, he casually threw the Chanel promotional lighter in his hand.
"Vampires, nobles of the dark... frankly, they're just creatures that can't stand the light! Lighting a fire is perfect to let them see the light!"
Tang Song waved his hand, signaling the empty tanker trucks to move away.
The lighter in his hand arced through the air and fell directly into the giant pit.
Flames instantly rose four or five meters from the ground. Tongues of fire licked everything, and the blazing inferno instantly illuminated the night sky.
The few Gunmen standing close by had their hair singed by the high-temperature flames, losing a large patch. They hastily retreated a few steps.
Tang Song didn't dodge or retreat. He pressed down with his palm, and the rising flames seemed to be forcibly pushed back into the Bunker by an invisible barrier.
Following the path where the gasoline had flowed, these flames furiously burned everything. Tables and chairs, furniture, accessories, instruments and meters, all caught fire under the blaze.
Thick smoke, raging fire... the inside of the Bunker seemed to have turned into a large rural Stove!
Inside the glowing red Stove, the Vampires inside became roasted mice in the Stove, one by one.
"Cough cough!"
West took a puff of the cigar, choked on the smoke a couple of times, and coughed a few times. Facing Tang Song's gaze.
He smiled and explained, "I haven't touched this stuff in nearly thirty years. The smoke is quite strong now!"
West took a few more puffs, seeming to find the feeling of smoking again.
He and Tang Song stood at the edge of the pit, puffing smoke, illuminated by the fire from the giant pit.
As if sensing that the two had something to discuss, Tang Song's Gunmen and West's Priests all retreated a distance.
"Tang, with your abilities, just staying in New York and being a Gang Boss is really a waste of talent!" West said, holding the cigar and exhaling a puff of smoke. His somewhat wrinkled face carried a hint of vicissitude.
Tang Song laughed heartily, self-deprecatingly, "If I don't be a Gang Boss, does the Lord Inquisitor want me to go with you and be a Pastor, listening to others pray for atonement? I can't do that kind of work!"
"Being a Gang Boss isn't bad either. At least I'm living quite comfortably in New York!"
Tang Song's mind turned. He recalled overhearing West and the Priest's conversation back then. From the sound of it, West wanted to recruit him into the Sacred Shield Brotherhood! However, Tang Song naturally wouldn't show it on his face. He maintained his expression and feigned ignorance.
West turned his head to look at Tang Song. "Pastor, hehe, God doesn't require everyone to believe in Him. Being a Pastor is just a profession!"
"Tang! This world has seven billion people, but frankly, the right to speak is always in the hands of that small group of people. This doesn't include Gang Bosses!"
West flicked the ash from his cigar. "Tang, have you heard of the Freemasons?"
Freemasons, not the Sacred Shield Brotherhood? Tang Song was startled, but then he said in surprise:
"The Freemasons, that legendary organization that secretly rules the world? Lord Inquisitor, are you a member of the Freemasons?!"
Hearing the surprise in Tang Song's tone, West dismissively denied Tang Song's words:
"Rule the world? With a stonemason organization established less than a few hundred years ago! Tang, truly powerful organizations won't easily reveal themselves to the world. They are like icebergs; those with true depth and strength are often hidden beneath the surface! I'm just using the Freemasons as an example, we..."
"Wait!" Tang Song interrupted West. He looked at the glowing red bottom of the pit and asked with a strange expression, "Lord Inquisitor, are you sure Blade has been sent away from New York?!"
West looked at Tang Song in confusion, not quite understanding why Tang Song brought up Blade. However, he stated with certainty, "We checked the Church Texts. Summoning the Blood God, this kind of Evil Spirit, requires a Daywalker as a Sacrificial Offering. We couldn't take the risk. Blade should be in a Monastery in the Vatican now!"
"What's that thing inside?" Tang Song pointed to the giant pit where flames were rising and asked back.
Inside? West looked towards the giant pit. Within the blazing flames, a blood-colored figure moved as fast as a Blood Shadow, flying out.
(end of chapter)