Long-term salvation

Just as Rhode had initially anticipated, twenty-three people fully passed the test and were qualified to join the anti-inner world combat team. Some of the remaining people performed well, but ultimately chose to give up resistance and succumb to despair... If they were willing to continue serving under Rhode, they could still get a good job.

"This is the real world, gentlemen," Rhode said solemnly as he walked to the center of the crowd. He didn't embrace the awed gazes, but instead spoke seriously. "I won't force you to stay, nor will I question your choice later. I just hope you can consider this: at the moment human civilization collapses, even the most peaceful daily life will be drowned by the tsunami of the other world, becoming an unknown echo."

"Now, it's the same as before. Make your choice: stay or leave."

In the end, nineteen people chose to withdraw completely, and six were willing to work in other companies under Rhodes' name. Those who withdrew simply came here to earn more money to improve their lives, so it was understandable that they wanted to leave.

In response, Rhodes did not make any sarcastic remarks, but took out a silver metal rod from his shirt pocket.

"Those who wish to stay, please turn around. The rest of you, please look at this—yes, I will erase your memories, just of this night."

"Let me stand there too."

Price took a deep breath. He didn't turn around, but stood with those who were eliminated. However, he was immediately pulled away by Hinata. Looking at the puzzled look in her eyes, the girl with beautiful purple eyes explained softly:

"You are special, Captain Price. You are someone who can be Sensei's friend. You can be told the truth."

"But I am still a captain in the SAS and out of duty and loyalty, I must report to my country."

"Regarding this matter……"

A flash of bright light and a sound like that of an ancient camera interrupted their conversation. Then, Price heard Rhodes say:

"Welcome everyone to Crawford Manor for the British veterans' gathering. The gathering is over. You will receive a gift of 5000 pounds within a few days to a week after returning home. Thank you for your support and understanding. You may now leave through the manor gate. Thank you."

Price turned his head and saw those who had been eliminated walking towards the door in a trance. Even if their memories were erased, they would still have nightmares in the next few days, but in some ways, these people could be considered lucky.

There is no need to face the real nightmare before the end of the era.

The veterans who were willing to stay weren't in great shape, but Abigail and Nayako had only temporarily constructed an illusion, so they only needed to rest for a dozen minutes to recover. Of course, nightmares were inevitable.

"No one will believe you now, Captain Price, but they certainly will in the future. You need to take up arms and prepare for battle, just as you did in the vision just now."

Rhodes stuffed the memory eraser back into his pocket, walked up to Price, and looked into his persistent eyes.

"Just like no one would believe a word from James Bond - you know him, right? Top MI6 agent."

"I've worked with... before," Price's facial muscles twitched slightly, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories. "Have you had contact with him?"

"He's probably still lying in some ravine waiting to be rescued. Never mind, it's not important." Rhode shook his head. "If you don't want to join me, I won't force you. But as a future partner, please allow me to give you a warning."

"Be careful of those monsters when you're on a mission?"

"No, it's General Herschel Sheffield. You'll understand later, but I hope that moment won't happen."

Chapter 183: Converging Shadows (3/3)

Beware of General Herschel Sheffield, your future superior? What the hell is he talking about?!

"Mysterious, like one of those gypsy shamans."

Price didn't get an answer, so he could only sit by and watch the mercenaries come up one by one to sign the contract. He sighed, lowered his voice, turned to Colonel Faulkner who came over and sat next to him, and said:

"So, today you're just going to come and see me, shatter my worldview, and then throw me out?"

"Didn't you hear?" The old colonel shook his head. "Rod—oh, he should be called 'Boss' now. He hopes that you can form a more professional team for Great Britain or NATO countries after the disaster in the other world... Damn it, do you think you're the only one whose worldview has been shattered?"

Colonel Faulkner said this and nodded in the direction of Laura and the old butler Winston. The two were staring at each other. They had not spoken much since the illusion ended two hours ago, and it was obvious that they had not reached an agreement.

Sighing, the old colonel turned his head and looked at the girls surrounding Rhode, especially the blonde and the silver-haired girl with long, alopecia. Just by revealing their true form a little, they had already made his heart flutter. What a tiring job! Is something like "fighting alongside the enemy is really exciting" really fun?!

The colonel just hoped that these two would not reveal their true identities in the future... Oh, that silver-haired girl was performing a ball-throwing show with her tentacles for the mercenaries, increasing the number from three to ten, causing the group of idiots watching to cheer enthusiastically.

After all, they were still young people, ignorant of the immensity of the world and the difficulties of the future, and they were attracted by the ambition of defending human civilization. The old colonel would never admit that he had been moved for a moment.

After years of living in the army and witnessing the ugly deeds done for the sake of national interests, the colonel had become a mercenary and nihilistic person. He told himself many times that he loved money because he needed it due to his wife's illness, but with his wife's death, all this became meaningless.

It’s different now. I can try to do something meaningful.

"...I don't trust these young men. They were once my subordinates and friends," Colonel Faulkner said to Price. He lit a cigar, letting the anxiety of lying dissolve into the smoke. Then he smiled and said, "Besides, he really paid a lot of money."

Price forced a smile and fell into deep thought, even the idea of ​​coming here for a vacation and enjoying himself became extremely bitter.

For the Queen's sake, I'm just a soldier! I can only deal with terrorists and prevent a world war. What else can I do?

Unlike the melancholic Price, Rhode was now cheerfully accepting the contracts handed over by the mercenaries, answering their more pressing questions—training intensity, future development, enemy types, and the availability of weapons and equipment. Actually, the last question was the one that needed the least answering:

After Rhodes told them that most of their future weapons would be provided by Atlas, the British soldiers immediately grinned, feeling lucky that they would no longer need to use that damn L85A1!

After answering the last person's question, Rhodes sat down and stretched. After glancing at Laura who had begun to persuade the old housekeeper, he took the warm coffee handed to him by Mary.

"Thank you, Mary, you look very nice today."

The girl was wearing the clothes she had bought while shopping earlier, exuding a youthful vibe that was different from the sacred nun's uniform. After hearing Rhode's words, she smiled softly and whispered:

"That's all I can do for you. Hinata is great with paperwork, and Abi-chan and Nyako both have their own unique powers."

"You can pray for me, Mary, for the victory that is sure to come, day and night."

Rhode put down the cup and reached out to brush the girl's cat ears, causing her cute face to turn red with embarrassment.

"Sensei! There are so many people watching now!"

"It's okay to touch my head," Rod said rascally. He leaned his head over and whispered to Mary, "So, tonight, you and Hinai..."

"There are those who covet greed all day long, while the righteous give without stint—covetousness is a sin, an unpardonable sin!"

The little nun stood up suddenly, and her head collided with Rod's forehead, causing the latter to stagger. But that wasn't the end! Mary leaned forward, grabbed Rod's tie and pulled him back, whispering viciously:

"Has Sensei overestimated his own strength?"

"...I'm sorry, I was wrong." Rhodes clasped his hands together and apologized sincerely, "Please forgive me, great and noble Sister Mary."

"Humph!"

Mary sat back in her chair, deliberately turning her head away, but Rhode wasn't about to give up. He held Mary close to him and whispered sweet nothings into her blood-red ears. The soldiers who noticed the situation also started to boo her, but no one dared to make dirty jokes. They had just seen the halo above the girl's head in the vision! This was an angel!

As for Rhodes... they admired the man who dared to embrace the two offspring of the evil god, and at the same time expressed sympathy for his future love life.

After the initial precautions and briefing, Rhode didn't plan to delay any further. Instead, he discussed with Laura that the mercenaries could stay at Croft Manor for the night. They would then charter a plane to Arkham, United States, tomorrow to begin training. This was also to prevent any leaks. With Price still around, some semblance of security was necessary. Furthermore, the British government certainly didn't want to see dozens of veterans gathered together for an extended period.

What do you want? Mrs. Thatcher hasn't even left office yet! You want to be trampled by war, right?

Just as Rhode was walking towards the butler Winston's resentful gaze, Nayako suddenly ran over from somewhere, grabbed Rhode's hand, and said seriously:

"Rod, someone is approaching, a lot of people."

A lot of people?

Rhode was startled, then looked at Price and Colonel Faulkner, who immediately raised their hands and shook their heads. Retracting his gaze, Rhode frowned and quickly walked to the window to look out.

Although Crawford Manor was brightly lit, the darkness outside the manor obscured the view from inside the mansion... After all, it was just an old manor, not an elaborate fortress. However, darkness was not a problem for Rhodes, especially when he was wearing the all-seeing eye patch:

Holy Trinity.

This is an ancient religious military organization, full of crazy fanatics, trying to control the fate of the entire human race by using supernatural ancient relics and eliminate those they consider blasphemers and heretical civilizations. These guys are quite powerful in the setting of "Tomb Raider", for example, they have been passed down for thousands of years and even have a Vatican cardinal as their leader - but in this world, it is a different story. Like Mobius Corporation, they do not have the strong power they had in the original timeline.

After all, there were too many messes on this planet, and the Holy Trinity was no match for those forces that destroyed the world at will, especially when they immediately weakened after just losing their leader (Note ①).

But... their religious attributes seemed to be something that could be utilized, Rhodes thought, but now there were more important things to do.

"The fully armed Holy Trinity. So the target is Richard Crawford's research data? Tsk, I forgot to ask about Laura's family situation."

Rhode pursed his lips to prevent himself from laughing. It was truly a blessing in disguise. It was a shame that Task Force 141 hadn't assembled yet, and Price was the only one here. He turned to the Army Without Borders reserve soldiers who were staring at each other in bewilderment and said,

"Everyone, we have a small problem. A group of religious lunatics want to enter the manor and search for Miss Laura's father's belongings. They come with guns. Don't expect them to have a good chat with us, and don't even think about calling the police. There's no chance."

"...We have no weapons," Colonel Faulkner spread out his hands.

"This is not a problem."

As Rhodes spoke, he clapped his hands, and dozens of plastic and wooden boxes of various sizes appeared out of thin air, making dull sounds when they hit the ground.

Ignoring the astonished gazes, Rhode reached out and opened the box, letting the rich smell of gun oil crowd out the lingering aroma of food.

From M16A2 rifles, M67 grenades, M249 general-purpose machine guns to bulletproof vests, or M72 rocket launchers and M2 heavy machine guns, these killing weapons that are purely used to take other people's lives are quietly stored in boxes, reflecting the cold chill under the lights of the banquet hall.

"Do the work first, then ask why—Oh, and does anyone know how to drive a tank? An M1A1 tank... No? Okay, a LAV armored vehicle will do, as long as you know how to operate the machine gun."

Note ①: From the game plot of "Tomb Raider: Shadow"

Chapter 184: Firefight on a Rainy Night (3.5K)

Night is the true home of all dark things, especially on this gloomy and cold rainy night.

Dusk and drizzle arrived together, making the tall trees and statues at Crawford Manor seem shapeless, distorted by the light and shadow cast by the lamps. Only when you get close enough can you see their true appearance. From a distance, all you can see is the ancient mansion surrounded by these strange objects, standing silently there, unmoved by the increasingly fierce wind and rain.

Amidst the howling wind, the street lights in the distance went out one by one. The tall, straight but extremely slender lampposts were reflected palely in the occasional flashes of lightning, like endless gallows.

From here, darkness crawled along the road like a beast thirsty for blood, providing cover for those cruel and ruthless killers - a force of fifty people, plus several trucks that were on standby early, enough to control everyone inside and empty the entire Crawford Manor.

The people of the Holy Trinity knew that a party was being held at Crawford Manor today. Some of the attendees had left, while others were still there. But what could they do? They were just guests. Kill them and then disguise it as a fire. Let all the sin and despair be buried in the stormy night, and no one would know about it.

In the name of God, this is a necessary evil!

The moment lightning struck the church spire in the distant town, the entire Crawford Manor was completely cut off from power. The darkness that had been lingering in the corners and empty rooms was immediately released, merging with the darkness outside the manor, full of malicious anticipation for the inevitable human slaughter.

"I hate rain and night."

Colonel Faulkner threw the half-smoked cigar in his mouth to the ground and stomped it out. He didn't want to be noticed because of the fire.

【Attention everyone.】

The voice of the boy came from the communication headset - he should be called "BOSS", and he should respect his boss and employer more in the future - this young man performed the same skill of creating something out of nothing as Jesus did, but the latter brought loaves and fishes, while he brought rifles and grenades.

Thinking of this, the old colonel laughed and felt helpless about his own stupid idea.

[Soldiers carrying night vision goggles will be given priority for shooting. After two minutes of suppressive fire, relocate. Pay attention to protective gear. I didn't bring many night vision goggles this time.]

[After the fire suppression ends, flares will be fired at a rate of one every two minutes. Pay attention to the alternation of light and dark. The enemy is closing in on the mansion from different directions. Be prepared for indoor combat and protect your lives. You don't need to die in a place like this yet.]

It took several minutes to get everyone equipped, check their weapons, and assign tasks, but this was enough time for the enemy to approach the manor house.

Colonel Faulkner thought so, he recalled the general structure of the mansion, put himself into the enemy commander's thinking - where to attack? No, no, no, they are not here to attack, but to capture people and evacuate supplies, and this is the advantage of the defenders.

First, soldiers wearing night vision goggles use general-purpose machine guns to shoot enemies who have not had time to react. Then, they use ferocious M2 heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenade launchers to clear out the enemies and their bunkers and continue to suppress them. Finally, they organize several close combat teams to block every key position, and through efficient communication and close cooperation, they eliminate the enemies that enter the mansion one by one.

Of course, a reserve team is also needed.

The colonel glanced at Abigail, who was sitting on the sofa playing with a cat, and then looked away before she looked back... Somehow, the colonel suddenly felt less resistant to these girls who were definitely not human inside, and more at ease.

The colonel heard the sound of subtle footsteps and saw the manor's steward approaching cautiously. He was bent over and moved as nimbly as a mountain cat, but this was not the most important thing. It was the weapon in his hand:

A Lee-Enfield rifle, No.4 Mk I.

"There's no use for this old stuff here."

The old colonel said with a smile, reaching out to pat the M16A2 rifle hanging on the gun belt around his neck, making the gun body snap. However, he also had a Webley revolver on his waist.

"Old things can only be used with old things."

The old butler forced a smile, half-crouched opposite the colonel, and reached out to pull at the bulletproof vest on his body - this was put on by Laura herself. Unfortunately, the eldest girl in the Crawford family didn't know how to wear it, so the old butler had to find a secluded place to make adjustments himself.

"I haven't been to the battlefield for a long time," the old butler complained, "that young boy is really causing trouble."

"Hey, hey, hey, watch your words, he's my boss."

As Colonel Faulkner said this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He smiled at the old butler opposite him. The next second, when the outside was as bright as day, the two men suddenly stood up, stood on both sides of the window, and opened fire at the stunned figure!

Bullets poured down like a violent storm!

Balls of blood mist exploded in the rain, and the dense rain of bullets tore through the attackers' loose formations in a dazzling unnatural light, causing their shrill screams to merge with the whistling wind and dazzling thunder.

In the soft soil of the manor gardens and green plants, everything was flowing and dissolving; on the muddy, damp and greasy earth, a death swamp with blood-red whirlpools was already floating, causing the dead, the wounded and the living to slowly sink into it, struggling in a metallic storm composed of iron and fire.

A British .303 rifle bullet pierced through the rain, spun in the light of the flare, cunningly hiding its scream in the roar of thunder, and penetrated above the left eye of a Trinity mercenary - the bullet penetrated the skull and shattered it into nearly a hundred pieces, exploded from the back of his head, smashed his brain to pieces, and the red and white blood plasma that burst out sprayed on his companions behind him. Then, another bullet took away the dying man, whose reaction was only paused for half a second!

"I'm really old," the old butler retracted his body and reloaded his rifle. "When I was young, I could fire at a burst rate of 30 rounds per minute. Now, with the reload, I can only fire 15 rounds."

"It's quite good to be able to perform at this level on a rainy night," the old colonel shrugged. He picked up the bazooka at his feet and pulled the trigger on a Trinity mercenary hiding behind a statue of a great equestrian, turning him into a mixture of flesh and rock. "My eyesight isn't very good, so I can only shoot at the idiots who expose their bodies."

"Damn you, old soldier! Don't fire a bazooka indoors! And that statue has been passed down through two generations of the Crawford family!"

The attackers reacted quickly. The moment the first person fell and the gunshots rang out, they rushed to the nearest cover and hid their flesh and blood bodies behind huge tree trunks and statues. But they soon found that they were actually under crossfire from heavy machine guns!

Two tongues of fire of varying heights shot out from the first and second floors of the mansion, breaking through the bushes, smashing statues and fences, and dragging out the flesh and blood inside one by one, a ruthless and cruel execution in this crazy and strange rainy night!

Automatic rifles, grenades, rocket launchers, and heavy machine guns have been used one after another, so what's next?