The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

A moment later, Lieutenant Bates, Thomas, and old man Hanmo arrived one after another.

After the introductions, the inspector's gaze returned to George.

"Shall we begin now?"

George picked up a device and gestured for everyone to wear the rest: "Yes, please follow me."

The five men, each carrying a weapon, walked through the corridor and down the stairs, eventually arriving at a side door of the mansion.

George did not open the door immediately, but turned his head to look at everyone.

"Gentlemen, as we tested it last night, once the string is plucked, the device will generate a wave field of a specific frequency. Inspector, would you like to try plucking it first and feel its frequency?"

Following George's instructions, Douglas extended a finger and gently plucked the taut silver string.

"Buzz—"

Douglas immediately felt his spirituality being drawn to this strange frequency, causing it to tremble slightly.

His skin felt slightly numb, his ears felt stuffy, and his fingertips and teeth felt trembling.

The inspector narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't speak; he simply nodded.

George saw Bates, Thomas, and old Hanmo try it out one after another, each cautiously feeling the sensation.

Bates' brow twitched slightly, Thomas nodded expressionlessly, and a strange light flashed in old man Mo's cloudy eyes.

"Alright, let's go." George reached out and pushed open the side door.

The sky outside the side gate was still hazy, and travelers could taste the moist, cool mist in their noses and throats.

The lamps held by the group illuminated the gravel road and the grass, and in the hazy light, everything looked normal, quiet and peaceful.

I didn't see any insects.

But George knew that they were in every crevice of the grass, the soil, and the bark, like dormant spores waiting for innocent people to step on them.

He stepped out the door first, gesturing for everyone to follow.

Four men carrying weapons followed behind him.

They walked along the path about thirty yards toward the well.

The surroundings remained quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps.

Douglas frowned slightly, the device in his hand not activated, and he prepared to ask a question.

Just then, in the morning mist not far away, a dark shadow suddenly surged like a vortex.

Immediately afterwards, a dense, buzzing cloud of insects suddenly rose from the depths of the fog and rushed toward their small group!

It was extremely fast, reaching within ten yards in the blink of an eye.

The insect cloud blotted out the sun, emitting a loud, amplified flapping sound that sent chills down one's spine; the overwhelming malice it exuded almost created a tangible pressure.

Douglas's heart clenched. In his eyes, these tiny devices seemed so fragile and ridiculous in the face of such a massive swarm of insects.

His years of experience in dealing with crises almost made him give up plucking the strings and raise his hand to invoke divine protection.

However, at the very instant the swarm of insects approached, George, who was at the forefront, gave a stern order: "Pull the strings!"

He took the lead, pressing his fingertips hard against the taut strings and pulling them forcefully.

At the same time, Bates, Thomas, old Hanmo, and even Douglas himself, who had finally realized what was happening, also plucked the strings in their hands.

"Buzz—!!"

A louder, sharper ensemble suddenly erupted!

A miracle happened.

The overwhelming cloud of insects, upon contact with this invisible wave field, seemed to disperse like a school of fish in the sea being attacked by a predator.

But it was too late—their originally swift flight paths suddenly became chaotic.

Immediately following, at the edge of the light, countless insects, as if stripped of their bones, rained down a black storm from the sky, pattering and crashing down from mid-air.

They landed on the gravel road and grass, and stopped struggling almost instantly.

Immediately afterwards, their bodies began to emit wisps of black smoke, as if wax figures were being roasted by high temperatures.

Within just two or three seconds, countless insect corpses shattered, collapsed, and turned into dust.

The insect cloud disappeared, leaving only a thin layer of black marks on the ground.

Douglas looked at his hands, then at the rapidly disappearing traces on the ground, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes widening slightly.

He turned to look at George, whose hands were still vibrating slightly on the strings of the device, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"The principle is that resonance destroys their fragile physiological structure, and the power, having lost its support, will complete the remaining annihilation." George's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"In other words, it was a success."

It took Douglas a few seconds to process everything that was happening in front of him.

He finally nodded slowly, his face showing a mixture of surprise and admiration.

"Incredible... George, I take back all my previous impressions about 'young people needing help.' You are much more capable than I thought, far more capable."

George waved his hand: "It was just a shortcut, finding a specific weakness, and I need a team that can operate multiple devices simultaneously."

He turned to Thomas, "Thomas, go and call those three reliable male servants you found last night."

Thomas bowed and accepted the order, then quickly turned and left.

George looked at Douglas and Bates: "I'm so sorry to have called you both out so early. But it's to resolve this disaster as soon as possible so that Mrs. Patmer can easily prepare breakfast."

He remarked with a sigh, "A lot has happened during this time; the servants must be quite troubled."

Douglas glanced at his pocket watch; it was just 5:30.

"To be honest, getting up at this time wasn't a big deal when I was younger. But I'm almost sixty now, so it's better to get up as little as possible."

Not long after, Thomas arrived in a hurry with three spirited male servants who were clearly aware of the mission.

Each of them received a "resonance lice repellent" from George and his two companions.

Thomas also brought a wicker food basket filled with food prepared in the kitchen: hot Cornish pies, some cold cuts of beef, and rum in a flat flask.

George handed the food basket to the inspector and said to Thomas:

"As we agreed before, Thomas will take one to clean up the area around the south garden, Old Man Mo will take one to the east dock area, and the other will go north. Keep the formation and keep the strumming rhythm."

"The inspector, Mr. Bates, and I will be responsible for the innermost area around the mansion. We will maintain distance at all times, and retreat immediately upon encountering a large swarm of insects, communicating by whistle."

"Yes!" the servants answered in unison.

So, in the early morning light, the insect control "team" of Paradise Island Manor began its operation.

Inspector Douglas held the hard edge of a Cornish pie in his hand, watching George play his flute and Lieutenant Bates raise the amulet to clear away the bugs around the mansion.

He took a bite of the pie and sighed inwardly.

"A bright mind, burning passion... no wonder he's that person's successor."

He finished off the fragrant, oily pancakes in a few bites, tossed the hard edges aside, and pulled out an equal-armed cross from his pocket.

He initially had some procedural concerns due to his impending retirement, but now that his successor has demonstrated the ability to resolve issues independently, it is perfectly acceptable for him to participate and provide some minor assistance.