The Bloodborne Archon Visits Victoria's Front Lines / Victoria's Battlefield Gradually Becomes a Hell on Earth

"... Fake?"

Under the influence of FrostNova's Originium Arts, Patriot belatedly realized the chilling aura emanating from her, only realizing it when everything around her began to slowly vanish into nothingness. Meanwhile, Xi slowly emerged from the side, speaking in a cool, detached tone:

"This is the tenth time I've redrawn this part."

"... I'm sorry." Patriot, slowly regaining his composure, realized what he had done and, in his hoarse voice, apologized to Xi once again.

"You should learn from Młynar, Wendigo, how to control your emotions. He's clearly very strong, but his performance on the battlefield was just like an ordinary person," Xi said, offering Patriot some advice.

"It seems that even though I used my abilities to shrink your size in the painting, it still wasn't enough to affect you. You're so aware of your own power that you've forgotten how to be an ordinary soldier. I think you need to limit your power now."

"Restrictions." Patriot nodded in realization, and just then, Amiya, who was also participating in the performance within the scroll, thought of a good idea and said:

"I've got it! I can ask Dr. Kal'tsit for some limiters! These limiters are very effective at suppressing the excessive use of Originium Arts!"

As Amiya spoke, she showed her hands, each finger wearing a small, ring-like restraint.

"With these, Mr. Patriot will be able to control his power, but finding a limiter that large might be a bit of a hassle."

"It's alright, we have plenty of time. Miss Amiya, why don't you go find Dr. Kal'tsit outside the painting?" Chen Qi nodded, signaling a temporary halt to filming. The crew breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to rest.

Filming a war scene requires a lot of physical exertion, and the cameraman often has to run alongside the actors. This exhausted the filming crew, including Ethan and the Executioner, who collapsed on the ground to rest.

Meanwhile, Patriot and FrostNova arrived before Chen Qi. Faced with yet another failed shoot, Patriot, who was playing a role for the first time, said apologetically:

"I'm sorry, Director Chen Qi, I've let you down."

"Perhaps it would be better to give this position to another Sarkaz."

"That won't do, Mr. Patriot. We'll have many more opportunities to showcase your bravery. Letting the other Sarkaz do it is a waste; they can't possibly display the same fearlessness on the battlefield as you do," Chen Qi said, patting Patriot's arm armor reassuringly.

"What I want is your kind of courage and fearlessness driven by revenge. Don't worry, we have plenty of time. Actually, towards the end, I'm more worried that Mr. Młynar might lose his composure."

"He won't." Patriot couldn't help but glance at Młynar on the other side. Młynar, unusually composed and reserved, spoke with a tone of envy:

"He knows how to keep a low profile; his performance was quite good."

"Yes, but some things are just unbearable." Chen Qi shook his head, more worried about the later stages of filming and how Młynar would perform... But for now, they could only deal with the immediate issues.

However, their conversation was clearly audible to Młynar, whose race was Kuranta and whose hearing was naturally exceptional. Maria handed her uncle a drink while softly smiling at him:

"Uncle Młynar, the director seems quite worried that you'll mess up your performance later on? But I'm curious, what kind of plot would make Director Chen Qi think you wouldn't be able to tolerate it?"

"... It's alright, I won't lose my mind." Młynar wasn't interested in this topic, but his tone carried a hint of confidence as he said calmly:

"I've witnessed far too much suffering, and I'm very clear that one person's strength can't solve everything."

"Director Chen Qi's worries are completely unfounded. I will not lose control like that Patriot gentleman."

"Sigh..." Maria was also half-believing and half-doubting when she heard this. She just took a sip of her drink, but she couldn't help but be curious and wanted to see her uncle, who was obviously very powerful but whom she had never seen lose his temper, show his anger for the first time.

Chapter 100: The Bloodborne Archon Visits the Victoria Front

The filming time for "Braveheart" was more than enough for Chen Qi and his team. As for the people at Rhodes Island, Chen Qi and the others were now coming out about once a week. But every time they came out, they looked like they had changed drastically, as if a century had passed.

This filming was a huge test of everyone's spirit, from the staff to the actors—because they were in environments that were mostly related to battlefields.

The soldiers depicted by Xi's powers were so lifelike that during filming, few people, from the actors to the crew, could believe they were actually "painted" figures.

When filming the battlefield, they would see these people charging towards the enemy, falling one by one with cries of agony under the bombardment of Originium Arts and mortars, or wailing as they clutched their broken joints.

During the filming of scenes set in the rear, everyone could see some ragged, wounded soldiers chatting and joking with each other, or more seriously wounded soldiers panting heavily and occasionally letting out painful groans.

All of this makes it hard to treat them as inanimate objects... However, this is only the beginning.

Time passed month after month within the painting, but to the outside world, only a week had passed. As a result, the people within the painting gradually became numb in the endless filming of the war.

This problem isn't just affecting staff members; it's even more pronounced among actors.

Młynar and Patriot, two seasoned veterans, were alright. With Amiya's help, Patriot wore five limiters, and the effect was immediate. His Originium Arts could not be activated, and he was no longer prone to going out of control. He seemed to be just a slightly more valiant Sarkaz.

Gradually, the two adapted to the battlefield environment. Młynar, in particular, appeared very repressed in his scenes, yet offered no resistance, as if he had completely surrendered his fate to others and succumbed to the battlefield.

However, Margaret and Maria were not in such a good position. Although Margaret was already Elite Operator of Rhodes Island with excellent mental and professional qualities, the operations she had participated in were at most small-scale battles, and this was actually her first time facing the battlefield.

To immerse herself in the role, Margaret resolutely chose to adapt to the battlefield. However, after several months, she was shocked to find that her role was actually so small... The title "Shining Knight" could only play such a minor role in the war.

In just a few months, although Margaret's psychological defenses were not broken, she was somewhat depressed... but she still persevered.

"If what I'm doing now can make even one more viewer realize how cruel war is... then everything I've done won't be in vain."

"I can endure this. This is my responsibility, and it's the responsibility of a knight of the Nearl Family. I will be alright."

However, if Margaret was already under such pressure, Maria, the rookie knight who was just starting out, felt even more pressure during this shoot. The character she played was Anna, a female veterinarian who was one of the main characters. This doctor, with professional skills, was also conscripted during the war to become a battlefield medic who saved lives.

She faced thousands of wounded soldiers, civilians, and even enemy soldiers, and she treated them all equally.

At first, Maria was very excited. Not only was it her first time acting, but it was also the first time in a long time that she had been able to be so close to her sister, uncle, and aunt. Moreover, the role she played was one of the main characters in a movie destined to be great! She was determined to give it her all.

However, this girl, who had never even participated in a knightly competition, was so frightened when she first faced the lifelike battlefield strewn with corpses that she almost fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

Chen Qi understandingly gave Maria some time to adapt. She spent half a month in the painting, and Maria gradually adapted to the environment, the cries of wounded soldiers, and the corpses everywhere—but her psychological pressure was constantly increasing.

As a battlefield medic, Maria has naturally had to adapt to constantly saving lives over the past two weeks. However, unlike in games, in order to portray the reality of war, Chen Qi certainly won't let everyone be saved. Maria's character will inevitably have to do some futile things at times.

The same applies to the wounded soldiers Maria is trying to rescue. Chen Qi specifically instructed Xi to do so, and after Xi agreed, she would occasionally create some "accidental deaths" for the wounded soldiers Maria was rescuing.

As a result, Maria broke down three or four times in the last two weeks.

"Let me save one more! Just one more! I can definitely do it! If I were just a little faster, I could save him!"

"Give me another chance, don't do this to me, I can save you, I can!"

This was the umpteenth time Maria had burst into tears in the wounded soldiers' camp. In the end, Zofia had to drag Maria out. Młynar wanted to help at this scene, but he seemed to hold back.

"Maria has an unwavering, kind heart; the desire to numb her to the cruelty of war is a test for her."

"She has to adapt to this process; she has to become stronger through each breakdown. This time, acting is the way to teach her this lesson. I don't want the next time to be the real battlefield."

This is how Młynar explained it. However, in the end, Chen Qi still took the initiative to find another Sarkaz doctor from Rhodes Island — Shining. He asked Shining to provide psychological guidance to Maria and Margaret, and to help Maria adapt to such a cruel environment.

Within the scroll, time passed day by day, and everyone in the crew fully experienced the oppression brought by war during this long period.

But to the outside world, the battle to protect Victoria seems to be in full swing. The passion that "Darkest Hour" ignited in the nation has not faded; on the contrary, it is intensifying.

In Doren County, the Victoria soldiers codenamed "The Horn" have been fighting here for a week with their infantry battalion comrades. They have suffered more than 500 casualties but are still desperately holding onto the last 10% of this Mobile City from falling.

Their task was to hold out until the Duke of Wellington and the army of [Deep Pool] arrived, at which point their pressure would be much less.

Meanwhile, Horn and his dozen or so comrades are currently lying in ambush in the building. After a week-long defense battle, the Ursus Army Group is no longer willing to launch a rash attack and is instead observing the situation from their position.

"Captain, look over there."

Soon, one of the team members noticed something. The squad members quickly spotted several isolated Ursus soldiers. They looked ragged and filthy, cautiously looking around, completely unlike the ferocious soldiers they had been at the beginning of their invasion.

"Everyone, get ready."

The Horn was immediately given, and the assault team members who had been lying in ambush nearby were all ready to rush out and kill these Ursus barbarians as soon as their acting battalion commander gave the order.

However, just as everyone was waiting, they noticed that the Ursus soldiers suddenly realized something and carefully put down their weapons.

They then removed their helmets and cautiously made their way towards a burst water pipe, the leaking water seemingly holding a strong attraction for them.

"--They seem to be here to fetch water," one of the commando members said softly, his tense tone softening slightly.

"Now nearly half of Doren County is in ruins because of the indiscriminate bombing by the Ursus Army Group." Horn's tone softened slightly, but remained extremely resolute, yet she still gave the order:

"Ignore them. Let them leave unless they come at us with weapons."

"It's not worth revealing our position for the sake of these few wounded soldiers. There might be Ursus troops waiting for us behind us. Don't be impulsive."

The Horn shows no mercy to its enemies, especially the Ursus who invaded its country and enslaved the inhabitants of Victoria —but she knows clearly who the enemy is and who the bait is.

These wounded soldiers were clearly sent by the Ursus Legion under the pretext of getting water, to be used as human shields for probing. They are hardly enemies; if they just want some water, then so be it.

But just as Horn was thinking this, she suddenly smelled an unusual scent, and soon the surrounding assault team members also noticed it; the air was filled with the scent of blood.

"Captain, it's me, we're all around us—"

At that moment, one of the assault team members immediately Horn that a blood-red fluid was surging in one direction beneath their feet!

And that location—was where the wounded Ursus soldiers were fetching water.

"You're actually showing mercy to the enemy? Even after watching that so-called inspiring patriotic movie, is that all the awareness you've shown?"

"If that's the case, then it's truly a miracle that Victoria has come so close to destruction today."

Suddenly, a voice that sounded elegant yet eerie to the Horn and the others slowly rang out, and a cloud of blood mist immediately enveloped the wounded Ursus soldiers.

The wounded soldiers were terrified, but they didn't know how to break free. Soon, as if an invisible hand had grabbed their bodies, the bodies of these Ursus wounded soldiers exploded instantly! They turned into a cloud of blood mist and disappeared without a trace.

For a moment, the blood of these wounded soldiers splattered across a large area around them, and a few drops even splashed onto the faces of Horn and the others, causing these experienced and righteous commandos to fall into a daze.

"Then, this battlefield will be taken over by a more powerful army. You weaklings of Victoria, you have never learned the true cruelty of war."

At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon's body slowly appeared before the commandos, and he seemed to still retain the "know-it-all" attitude of his "Humphrey" character, speaking calmly:

"War is a hell where the enemy is cruel, and you must be even crueler than them. If you are not prepared to become a demon of hell, you will only be slaughtered without any value."

"Every soldier is merely a killing machine on the battlefield, deserving no pity, because your enemy will show you no pity."

Chapter 101: The Victoria Battlefield Gradually Turning into a Hell on Earth

The intervention of the Sarkaz was a major surprise to the Victorian garrison, which was holding its ground in the various Mobile City of Victoria, as well as the Victoria defenders of the Ursus and Leithania legions.

In particular, these Sarkaz were genuinely there to help them fight the enemy, and their identities were clearly stated: they had received a joint invitation from the eight dukes and were there as "officially certified mercenaries" to help them win the war.

However, the strong addition of the Sarkaz brought not only great help to the Victoria garrison and the civilian self-defense force, but also enormous pressure.

"We will not comment too much on the Victoria Legion's fighting style, but since the Grand Duke has invited us to support and take over the defense of the various Mobile City in Victoria, then please cooperate with our Sarkaz operations."

"While some of what I'm about to say may be unpleasant, our Sarkaz mercenaries are far more experienced than any of you in urban warfare, teamwork, and individual combat."

"Therefore, let our Sarkaz mercenaries lead the attack, with those of you more familiar with the local terrain providing support. This will allow us to more effectively counter the Ursus Army Group's offensive. What do you think?"

After the Bloodborne Archon lifted the siege of Doren County, several thousand Sarkaz mercenaries poured into the Doren County as if it were empty. At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon also met the acting battalion commander of the infantry battalion, Horn, the deputy battalion commander, Bagpipe, and Saileach, the leader of the Self-Rescue Army who had been leading the civilians' resistance in Doren County.

"... Since they are reinforcements sent by His Excellency the Duke, we are naturally willing to cooperate with your actions."

After some discussion, the three commanders-in-chief finally spoke with Horn and Bloodborne Archon. However, Horn remained wary of Bloodborne Archon —she felt that the Sarkaz's bloodlust was excessively strong.

Horn had known about the "Bloodfiend"—a race notorious even among the Sarkaz —from the beginning. Now that they were allies, and with Victoria facing a life-or-death situation, Horn had to admit that such allies would be very helpful in the battles to come.

"We will assign a portion of our people to each Sarkaz squad. They will guide you through the local area and provide you with some guidance for planning."

"Very good." The Bloodborne Archon nodded in satisfaction, and after a moment of silence, continued:

"Since we are now united against a common enemy, and the main offensive has been temporarily handed over to the Sarkaz Legion, I hope everyone will abide by our Sarkaz combat principles for the sake of better coordination."

"Battle principles?" the Horn couldn't help but ask. The Bloodborne Archon nodded and replied calmly:

"This is to ensure everyone can better cooperate with us Sarkaz mercenaries and avoid unnecessary casualties caused by your mistakes."

"First, show no mercy to the enemy; that is cruelty to your own people. If you are determined to eliminate them, eliminate all enemies as quickly as possible. I don't need to elaborate on this, do I?"

As the Bloodborne Archon spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the Horn. Clearly, the Bloodfiend King held the Horn's brief display of pity in utter contempt.

Horn naturally understood Bloodborne Archon's meaning. Although she did not agree with Bloodborne Archon's actions, she still compromised in the face of the greater goal of protecting Victoria.

"Secondly, when necessary, wounding an enemy puts more pressure on them in war than killing one." The Bloodborne Archon continued to impart his war experience to the young Victoria soldier:

"If you don't want this war to drag on for years, you should think about how to cripple the enemy's logistics—especially since the Ursus Army Group's biggest weakness is its logistical situation."

"Learn from our Sarkaz mercenaries, slowly but surely. Wounding them, causing irreversible damage, turning them into cripples is more meaningful than killing them."

"Third... as I told you before, you must be more ruthless than the enemy in order to suppress them. Your goal is to hold them back until they can no longer bear the logistical burden, until your main force arrives. That will be victory."

"Therefore, you must spare no expense and use any means necessary, abandoning your compassion and humanity, and treating the cries of your enemies as the howls of livestock. Only then is there any possibility of victory in this war. Do you understand?"

The Bloodborne Archon's words echoed in the minds of these young Victoria soldiers, but this time, the Horn did not answer, only silently nodding to its comrades.

Although these young Victoria soldiers disagreed with some aspects of the "Sarkaz war code" as described by the Bloodborne Archon, they were now prepared to become demons of hell in order to protect Victoria.

They are no longer innocent children. In order to lead everyone to victory, countless enemies have died at their hands, and it's only a matter of time before they become even more ruthless...

Horn and the others bid farewell to the Bloodborne Archon and began to rationally allocate their forces. Meanwhile, a Sarkaz guard couldn't help but ask the Bloodborne Archon:

"My lord, I do not understand. Why do you rely on the strength of these Victoria when you could have acted on your own? With your power, you could have quickly thwarted the Ursus Army Group's offensive."

"--Because what the general desires is not my victory, but the victory of the Sarkaz."

The Bloodborne Archon seemed to be in a good mood, or perhaps he was finding it increasingly difficult to shake his love of "giving advice," as he spoke to the Sarkaz guard beside him:

"I ask you, if I, alone, had dismantled the Ursus Army Group's offensive as the Bloodfiend Lord, how would you, as one of those dukes and Victoria soldiers, view me?"