Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 96 Bombing
Lu Ran sat in Afra's lap and sighed softly.

With such a commotion, this can't be called stealing a potion...

However, ending with an extraordinary loss of control seems to cover up the traces even more perfectly.

Lu Ran suddenly jumped down from Afra's arms and stared unblinkingly at the main house in front of him.

I have no idea what that plant has become.

At first, Perez was able to move around a bit to attack Lu Ran, but later he basically stayed rooted to the spot, relying solely on his vines to attack from a distance.

They should have been completely assimilated by now, in such a short time.

"Hmm..." Suddenly, Mattia, who was lying in the maid's arms, fluttered her long eyelashes and opened her eyes with difficulty. The blinding sunlight made her squint instinctively, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

Her last memory was of intense dizziness in the salon room... Where is this?

"Matia! You're awake?" Afra leaned closer in surprise. "How are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable?"

Mattia stared blankly at Afra's anxious face, then turned her gaze to Professor El, the burly man, and the still-shaken servants and fashionable young men who had gathered around her.

They stood on the lawn of the estate, their eyes all focused on the main house.

What's going on here? Mr. Perez's villa...

Fragments of memory suddenly pierced my mind... Mr. Perez's terrifying voice... and then...

I think I woke up briefly in the middle of the night—

A terrifying green vine monster in the darkness... the sound of wind tearing through the air... and... a small gray figure struggling to drag its arm in the chaos.

Her gaze suddenly fixed on the gray rat in Afra's arms.

Its calm, black, beady eyes were looking at me, as if with a hint of...observation? The moment our eyes met, they returned to normal, and it even tilted its head slightly...

It's that little gray mouse! Afra's pet! Is it... just my imagination? Or...?

Mattia's face was pale, her lips moved as if she wanted to ask something, but in the end she just let out a long breath.

"It's alright, I'm much better...it's just..." Mattia's voice was weak and trembling.
"What happened to Mr. Perez...?"

"It's okay, don't worry about him, just pretend nothing happened, go back and get a good night's sleep." Afra hugged Mattia and comforted her gently.

"do not think too much."

Time flew by as everyone waited.

Just as everyone was showing concern for Mattia—

Rumble... Rumble...

A series of dull, continuous, and oppressive tremors suddenly came from the ground.

At first, I thought it was the plant monster in the main house that had a problem, but the vibrations continued and grew stronger, accompanied by the sounds of metal scraping and engine roars, and were rapidly approaching from a distance.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn. The wiry man reacted the fastest, abruptly looking up towards the entrance of the manor, his expression changing drastically: "The army?!"

Before the words were even finished, the grating screeching of metal tracks grinding against the road had already drowned out all other noises. A colossal vehicle, like a steel behemoth, brutally slammed open the manor's exquisitely carved cast-iron gates, mercilessly crushing the delicate flowers and plants into the mud. Reeking of gunpowder and gleaming with cold metal, it stormed in with overwhelming force!
Deep blue Imperial standard armor! Crude rivet marks on the thick steel plates! A dark, menacing rotating hand-cranked machine gun muzzle above! Multiple rows of gun barrels protruding like poisonous stings from both sides of the vehicle!
Its massive body blocked the lawn between the main house and the turf. Where its tracks rolled, the grass crumbled and dust splattered everywhere. The rotating turret on the roof turned dully, emitting a buzzing mechanical sound, and the large muzzle adjusted its final elevation and depression angles.

A sergeant walked over, glanced around, and then stood in front of Afra. Before he could ask any questions, Afra spoke first.

"basement."

The sergeant nodded and beckoned, signaling to the gunner on top of the armored vehicle that he had received the order.

"First round! Fire!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! The deep, resonant roar of the cannon tore through the chaotic night sky! The robust rotating machine gun violently spewed out scorching streams of shells, which slammed precisely into the main house!

The wooden structure was instantly torn to shreds! Large sections of the wall collapsed! The windowpanes turned to dust, shimmering in the firelight! The entire villa seemed to be ravaged by an invisible giant hand, emitting a mournful groan and shaking even more violently!
The bombardment continued for several minutes before finally stopping.

The side door of the armored vehicle opened, and several engineers wearing gas masks, carrying heavy equipment bags, and dressed in dark blue standard military uniforms nimbly jumped off the vehicle.

"Plant the explosives!" The officer's cold voice came through the loudspeaker.

The soldiers acted swiftly and professionally, quickly placing high explosives at key load-bearing structural points and near possible entrances to the main house's basement.

"Retreat! Detonate!"

The engineers quickly retreated.

boom! boom! boom!
A series of even deeper, more earth-shattering explosions shocked everyone once again! Dazzling flames shot into the sky near the foundation of the main house, and the last supporting structure was completely destroyed!
Half of the main house was struck from below as if by a giant fist, producing a deafening roar like a landslide. Shattered stones, dust, and broken beams poured down like a waterfall!

A huge mushroom cloud of smoke and dust rose.

But this is not the end!
Before the aftershocks of the explosion had completely subsided, several soldiers reappeared in the lingering smoke and dust. They were in pairs, carrying heavy steel canisters on their backs and holding long metal guns with special nozzles in their hands.

"Clean up and finish!"

The soldier quickly approached the building, searched for traces of vines, and finally adjusted his gun after confirming the location of the basement.

call--!
Several thick, orange-red fire dragons suddenly shot out from the nozzles! They accurately entered the cracks in the building, especially the deep pits exposed in the basements!
The flames, like living creatures, burrowed into the interior, frantically licking up all the remaining combustibles. Instantly, an indescribable, pungent odor filled the air, a mixture of burnt ash, burning gasoline, and the violent carbonization and volatilization of some organic matter!

When the raging fire completely engulfed the once exquisite main house, leaving only a huge, charred outline surrounded by flames and billowing smoke.

The sergeant from before had already approached with a stack of documents.

"Gentlemen," he said, unfolding a legal document bearing the imperial emblem.

"Mr. Perez has unfortunately suffered a fatal accident during an experiment, resulting in a spontaneous combustion that spiraled out of control and spread to the manor's main building. He has been confirmed dead. To ensure social order and the accurate dissemination of public information, and to prevent the spread of misinformation and panic, you, as eyewitnesses, must strictly abide by the Empire's Information Control and Civic Duties Regulations."

He took a stack of papers from his adjutant and distributed them to everyone. The papers were standard confidentiality agreements, with clear terms. "Sign this confidentiality statement immediately. The nature of the incident has been stated in the statement—any details beyond the scope of the official press release are strictly prohibited from being disclosed, especially regarding..."

His gaze seemed to sweep over everyone with a tangible presence.
"...especially any visual information, sound characteristics, and related speculations or associations regarding so-called abnormal states. Violators will be prosecuted for endangering public safety and leaking state secrets; do not harbor any illusions."

Everyone froze, and Professor Al, who had been excitedly discussing writing the book, suddenly seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water.

Afra spoke first.

"Give it to me, I'll sign it."

(End of this chapter)