Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 203 The Nest Commando

"This village... is worse than I expected."

Louis stood behind the broken stone wall, his hand resting on a broken brick, his gaze fixed on the center of the village. Whispers came like a tide, yet were like wisps of smoke in the wind, lingering around his ears and refusing to dissipate.

In the square, the "villagers" walked slowly on the cracked stone slabs like puppets whose souls had been taken away.

His clothes were tattered, his skin was ashen, and his eyes shone with a murky light like a dead fish, yet his lips moved occasionally as he whispered something.

“Don’t you think these insect corpses…are different from the batch we found in Fir Ridge last time?” Eduardo spoke first, his gaze sweeping over the wandering figures. “Those were just controlled corpses. But these people…”

“These insect corpses seem to still retain a tiny bit of 'self',” Louis replied.
“More like a parasite.” Eduardo stroked his chin.

"The question is, why preserve 'consciousness'? If it's for control, that's too inefficient. If the mastermind is simply doing it for torture... that's too artistic."

Louis nodded, his gaze falling on the center of the village.

It was a stone altar, about two meters high, with weathered edges, which should have been a sacred place used for ceremonies or offerings.

But by now, the altar had changed its appearance.

Dark red vines, as if malicious, coiled around it, densely packed, their roots intertwined like a spider web.

The surface of the vine was a translucent, fibrous tissue, inside which a dark red liquid seemed to be slowly flowing.

“It…is moving.” Eduardo squinted, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

They all saw that the vine was not still—it was undulating slightly, as if it were breathing.

“Unlike occasional wind ripples or tremors, there’s a living reaction.” Louis squinted at the irregular wriggling.

“Or it may be gestating,” Eduardo replied in a low voice, his tone unusually serious.

“The mother hive?” Louis asked tentatively.

Eduardo nodded: "It's quite possible."

They fell silent for a moment, knowing what this meant.

Eduardo glanced at his younger brother beside him, and finally lowered his voice to ask, "Are you sure... you can handle this?"

“What do you mean?” Louis turned to look at him.

“I know you destroyed the Mother Nest once before,” Eduardo sighed, “but that time you had Duke Edmund, a top-tier knight, in the rear. This time… it’s too risky.”

Louis calmly replied, "You already advised me against it once before you came. I won't take risks when I'm not sure. I'll evacuate immediately if there's a problem; the route has already been planned."

Eduardo stared at him for a few seconds, then finally sighed softly, "Alright, as long as you know what you're doing."

While they were talking, a steady stream of knights were infiltrating the outskirts of the village.

Five people in a group, moving in unison, quietly infiltrated the four sides of the village.

They wore a brand-new style of black and silver armor, with a sleek appearance and special flexible protective layers at the joints, which not only provided insulation but also offered some protection against acid and parasitic needles.

Each group consists of two people carrying heavy flamethrower devices, the muzzles of which resemble the fangs of a ferocious beast, with pipes connecting to compressed oil tanks on their backs.

Another person was carrying a specially made magic explosive launcher, with the ammunition already loaded.

The remaining three were armed with melee weapons, including spears, greatswords, and gauntlets, and each had a light magic explosive bomb and a spare oil bottle hanging on their waist.

They moved almost silently, with only the slight metallic scraping and the rustling of their boots pressing against the mud.

"What are these?" Eduardo raised an eyebrow, showing a rare hint of interest.

“This is the ‘Insect Corpse Special Forces’,” Louis replied calmly. “We suffered too many losses in the last battle, so I learned my lesson and simply formed a team specifically to deal with these things.”

Eduardo's gaze lingered on the special forces members, his brow furrowing slightly.

"What are those bottles hanging on their waists for? Oil?" He pointed to a row of metal canisters on the side of one of the soldiers' waists. "So they don't tip over."

Louis said mysteriously, "You'll see in a bit."

The moonlight was dim, and the wind whistled through the charred rubble of the deserted village. All the knights were ready.

Louis stood on the dilapidated platform and whispered, "Ready, begin."

The officer beside him, with his left hand behind his back, slowly raised the command flag with a red background and gold lines with his right hand.

"Signal confirmed."

"All groups, take your positions and proceed in silence."

The five-man knight special forces squad, clad in specially made black and silver armor, resembled an iron torrent cutting through the night shadows.

Under the cover of night, they silently infiltrated key points on the outskirts of the village, occupying high ground and fire-making positions.

"Magic Bomb, prepare."

Lightweight magic explosive bombs were quietly placed in the central area of ​​the village.

Then, a barely perceptible gesture was made, and the next instant—

boom! ! !
The orange-red flames seemed to fall from the sky, like a furious sunset suddenly exploding in the heart of the village.

The heatwave whipped up ashes, and a fireball soared into the air, instantly engulfing everything within a ten-meter radius.

The insect corpses exploded in the flames, their limbs twisting and convulsing violently. Their flesh charred and peeled off in the high temperature, and they collapsed to the ground after emitting a chilling roar.

Within a 25-meter radius, a large number of buildings were affected, and wooden houses collapsed with a roar.

The watchtower tilted and collapsed in the flames, and the sleepwalking "villagers" were engulfed by the flames in a state of shock and confusion, their screams tearing through the wind.

The ground trembled as if an earth dragon were turning over, the scorched earth was torn into cracks, and the firelight illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime.

"A good start." On the distant high ground, Edward gazed at the sea of ​​fire where crimson flames and shadowy corpses mingled, and murmured with admiration.

"The power of this magic explosive bomb is among the best even in the capital. ...I didn't expect you to have such firepower."

“This is just the beginning.” Louis stopped beside him, staring intently down below.

Although these lightweight explosive bombs caused considerable damage, the insect corpses were not mindless; their counterattack was more swift and bizarre than expected.

The roar came from the village, and those "humanoids" who were originally swaying and sleepwalking seemed to be awakened by some kind of will.

They were no longer confused, but instead let out a low roar and rushed towards the source of the fire!

Some of them already had missing limbs and their abdomens blown open, yet they were still able to prop themselves up with their hands and lunge to attack.

Some had their throats burned off long ago, yet they still ran like ghosts, using their knees and feet to propel themselves forward!

A worm corpse, whose arms had been blown off and whose body was half charred, suddenly twitched and twisted on the ground, and its chest... slowly swelled up.

Something was wriggling beneath my skin. It felt like a second heart, beating inside.

The next instant, with a "hiss," the charred skin was torn apart.

A dark purple totem suddenly appeared on it, like a parasitic mark, and it clung to the insect corpse's chest, arms, and even the back of its neck.

These totems, as if alive, slowly wriggled on the insect corpses, and with each twitch, the flesh and blood boiled a little more.

boom! !

Several insect corpses suddenly burst forth with dense black energy, releasing a power akin to battle aura, and charged towards the knight!

“That’s… Boiling Blood Berserker?!” Louis’s pupils suddenly contracted, and he whispered almost subconsciously.

Even he couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

Upon hearing this, Eduardo's expression changed slightly.

He also knew the term; it was a forbidden technique originating from an ancient tribe in the North.

Only when truly trapped in a deadly situation with no way out will the Snowsworn activate the blood-red totem buried deep in their chest.

In that instant, his blood seemed to ignite, forcibly unleashing all his potential, causing his muscles to swell wildly, his pupils to turn blood red, and his combat power to soar several times over!
But the cost was equally horrific: torn skin, ruptured internal organs, bleeding from all seven orifices, and shattered bones...

The moment the user's power is exhausted, their body will collapse and die like an empty shell drained of its essence.

This secret technique should only be mastered by true "Northern Barbarian Warriors"...

But now those insect corpses can actually be used?!

Moreover, these insect corpses are not afraid of dying at all!

In the firelight, the monsters with black and purple totems were running wildly, releasing the power of their flesh expanding as they burned.

The arm of an insect corpse kept breaking and reshaping itself as it ran, its skin bulging like a living snake coiling around it, and its swollen muscles even bursting through the fragments of armor.

They roared and charged at the knight, like slaughterous beasts emerging from a boiling sea of ​​blood.

Of course, Louis's knights were not unprepared.

Faced with the charging insect corpses, they quickly changed formation, their longswords and spears flashing in the firelight, the sound of metal colliding with rotting flesh echoing through the night sky!

"Sigh...it's unstoppable." Eduardo, standing on the high slope, frowned, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

These insect corpses are not ordinary dead things at all.

They can still run wildly in the flames, and their bodies even emit scarlet battle aura. Their fighting style is a mixture of human warrior skills and beastly brute force.

These are no longer ordinary dead, but enhanced combat weapons.

“Your group of knights… are likely to be wiped out.” He looked at Louis beside him, his tone tinged with reluctance.

“Don’t rush,” Louis simply uttered two words calmly.

The next moment——

"boom!!!!!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted.

Among the knights, the man carrying a round can on his back and a thick metal instrument on his shoulder suddenly pulled the trigger!

Sizzle—!

The air pressure valve suddenly opened, and a thick tongue of fire shot out from the main nozzle!
That was a burning power more violent than magic!
Crimson flames mixed with fire scale oil transformed into a high-temperature, blazing dragon tongue in the air, roaring as it lunged towards the enemy formation!

"What is that?" Eduardo's pupils contracted sharply, his body leaned forward instinctively, and his voice carried a rare hint of tension and horror.

He saw that the flames that were spewing out were not ordinary flames, but rather like the long whip of death, waving in the air in a destructive arc.

The insect corpses screamed and writhed in the flames, their severed limbs flying everywhere, in agony and madness.

The black and purple totems on the parasitic bodies exploded into charred ashes under the high temperature, and were even deprived of the right to struggle.

Even more terrifying was that the flames seemed to have a life of their own, with the high-temperature oil clinging to them like a venomous snake, igniting upon contact and burning relentlessly.

Once the insect corpses are ignited, even if they fall to the ground, they will only spread the fire into the shadows and dark alleys, dragging those insect corpses that have not yet been exposed into purgatory as well!
Eduardo's heart skipped a beat.

He was not unaware of the cruelty of war, nor was he unaware of the power of weapons.

But this scene completely shattered his past experience and understanding.

"This...this isn't magic," he whispered, his tone less like a denial and more like a shocked confirmation. "It's not alchemy either. There's not even any fluctuation of battle aura, yet it can create such terrifying destruction..."

His gaze was fixed on the flamethrower that resembled a rift in hell, and his voice was hoarse: "You...invented it?"

He didn't know whether Louis himself created it or whether he had a genius craftsman working for him.

But one thing he was very clear about was that such a weapon had never appeared in other territories.

Louis didn't turn around, his voice calm yet carrying an undisguised sharpness: "A product born from painful reflection, named the 'Fire Scale Flamethrower,' created specifically for attacking insectoid zombies. Unfortunately, the materials are rare, and finished products are scarce..."

Before he finished speaking, the hellfire had already turned the entire alley into a crimson furnace, and the howls of the insect corpses blended together.

On the battlefield, the five-man knight squad quickly deployed, advancing in a "T-formation" that had been practiced several times beforehand.

The main thruster at the front presses forward steadily like the core of a battlefield, its shoulder nozzles constantly spewing out raging flames.

The assistant sprayer skillfully maneuvers between the left and right flanks, weaving between the lines of fire to fill any gaps—not even a single insect that manages to escape the net can get close.

The remaining knights, armed with crossbows and lances, roamed the flanks of the formation to intercept the enemy.

Every knight is well-trained, quick-witted, and skillfully coordinated. Any insect-like corpse that tries to break through the fire line will be pierced through the skull by arrows or sent flying by spears within seconds!

The first batch of insect corpses hit were engulfed by flames before they even had a chance to react.

The intense heat instantly tore apart their remaining skin, flesh vaporized in the scorching heat, tendons curled, and bones cracked inside their bodies.

Within half a minute, the crossfire of flamethrowers turned the narrow alleyway ahead into a fiery inferno.

Flames swept across the brick walls, climbed the roof ridge, and surged beneath the eaves. The orange-red sea of ​​fire resembled the gaping maw of a ferocious beast, devouring every hiding, shifting, and struggling insect corpse!

Some of the insect corpses had their entire arms explode with a "bang," with bones popping out of the wounds like popcorn, accompanied by the smell of burnt skin, which drifted in the night wind.

Some insect corpses frantically rammed into the wall in an attempt to escape, but were directly engulfed by the burning oil fire on the wall, rolling on the ground howling in agony, and turning into a pile of charred ashes!
Just as a corpse of an insect that had just leaped out of the alley was about to take flight, it was struck in the middle by a tongue of fire mid-air, and its abdomen exploded.

The worm eggs and maggot sacs inside the cavity burst open with a "poof," spraying out a scalding, wriggling mass of worms, which were instantly licked away by the flames upon landing.

The temperature soared rapidly, and the air was filled with the nauseating stench of burnt meat and decay.

On the ground, the flames spread rapidly, forming rings of "fire locks".

If the insect corpse dares to jump or rush forward, its body will be scorched through by the high temperature in mid-air, turning into a burning fireball in mid-air. When it hits the ground, its bones will be charred and broken, and it will be unable to move!
"It's empty!" the main torchbearer shouted, and the flames instantly died down in mid-air, leaving only billowing smoke.

He decisively stepped back and raised the empty can as a gesture.

"My turn!" The secondary flamethrower, who had been waiting in the side, swooped forward and skillfully took over the main flamethrower's position. The moment the trigger was pulled, the deep orange flames roared out again, engulfing the approaching insect corpses on the spot like a roaring dragon!

At the same time, the trainee rider rushed to the main sprayer's side and quickly knelt down to operate the sprayer.

With fluid, effortless movements, a few crisp clicks were heard, and the new can was replaced in an astonishingly fast and skillful hand.

The main sprayer nodded in confirmation and returned to the starting position.

Amidst the roaring flames, the flamethrower squad advanced steadily and methodically, like a burning beast, tearing a charred path through the night and the horde of zombies.

The knight squad advanced step by step, pressing forward like an iron torrent, resembling a wall ablaze.

Any insect corpse that comes into contact with it will ignite instantly, shrieking as it falls into the inferno—not one leaves alive.

However, just as they were advancing to the center of the village, the wind suddenly changed direction.

First, a low, panting air current wafted through the ruins, the ground trembled slightly, and the surrounding insect corpses suddenly stopped, as if they had heard the call of the mother.

"Retreat." Louis realized something was wrong and immediately ordered his squad to retreat.

Clear commands came from under the battle flag.

The sprayer nodded without hesitation and made a retreat gesture.

The entire team quickly moved backward, maintaining their formation, leaving behind a patch of charred embers, far away from the terrifying mother organism that was about to completely "hatch".

And just as they retreated to a safe distance...

"Boom."

The earth thudded again with a dull thud, like a heavy hammer striking the heart.

The next moment, the ruins behind the stone altar suddenly began to undulate.

Something "crawled" out from the rubble and pile of corpses.

The Mother Nest descends.

It grows slowly, as if shedding its shell from the ground.

A gigantic living body, resembling a grayish-white tumor, stained with blood, like a fleshy "flower" blooming on a sea of ​​corpses.

Its texture is like resin wrapped in viscous fluid, with a foul-smelling iris reflection amidst its soft, wet texture, accompanied by the sound of tearing a membrane.

The "honeycomb" structure slowly unfolds, revealing wriggling egg cavities.

The insect embryos inside are transparent and visible, constantly churning and struggling in the body fluids, screaming and crying like a monster born in the mother's nest and womb.

Even more horrifying, the faint afterimages of countless human faces appeared on the surface of the nest.

Their expressions, whether angry or wailing, were like a distorted, frozen moment before death, forever sealed within this wall of flesh, their lips slowly moving, yet unable to utter a sound.

At the very center of the altar hung a massive core sac, supported and powered by dozens of thick tentacles.

The blood vessels were clearly visible, and each bulge and collapse produced a loud "thud" like a hammer striking the heart!

As foul-smelling mist billowed out, slimy liquid began to seep from the ground, and tentacles emerged from underground.

With hooks and bony teeth at its end, it suddenly sprang out like a live snake, snapping a roadside post in half and emitting a hum that sent chills down your spine.

It was the Vowers who "nurtured" it with the flesh and blood of knights and nobles.

On a distant high platform, Eduardo gazed at the writhing mother nest, his eyes filled with awe.

“This is even stronger than…the previous hive,” he murmured, his voice choked with emotion. “Not just in terms of size, its structure is more complex, its core is deeper…”

In contrast, Louis, standing beside him, remained silent for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly.

Eduardo slowly took a half step back, turned to look at Louis beside him, and said in a low voice:

“Louis, this is beyond the capabilities of your few knight squads... This mother hive is much stronger than the last one. You should seek help from Duke Edmund.”

However, Louis simply waved his hand dismissively, his gaze never leaving the nest.

“Not yet,” he said calmly.

He then waved his hand behind him, and an adjutant immediately obeyed, bringing over a piece of equipment, setting up a tripod, and securing it firmly to the edge of the platform in front.

It was a magic explosive launcher, its heavy body gleaming with a dull metallic light. The spinning groove at the front was already in place, and with a clear "click," the first magic explosive was slowly loaded.

Eduardo frowned, took a few steps closer, and glanced down at the machine: "This isn't much different from what your knights use. You should know that this level of magic explosion bomb is no longer effective against those Mother Nests."

“I know what I’m doing,” Louis said calmly, without turning around. “Just you wait and see.”

Then he simply ordered the knights beside him: "Don't fire yet. Wait until I say 'fire' before you make your move."

"Yes!"

The knight immediately stepped forward and agreed, his eyes fixed on the mother nest at the end of the line of fire, which was slowly twitching and writhing like a nightmare.

My fingertips rested on the firing button, but I dared not move it even slightly.

(End of this chapter)