Long-term salvation

Mortars, armored vehicles, tanks, attack helicopters, fighter jets?

What a joke!

At the command of the Trinity Commander, the two trucks that had been on standby outside immediately rushed along the road. Even though the drivers were discovered and shot dead, the vehicles had already used their final inertia to crash into the gate of Crawford Manor and break through the ordinary iron fence. One on the left and one on the right, they blocked part of the fire range in front of the mansion, allowing the scattered mercenaries to catch their breath and crawl back to a safer location.

Several grenades exploded among the bushes and puddles, splashing mud onto the faces of the fanatical religious maniacs, tearing their skin with fragments, and peeling off the flesh and bones underneath - they were not afraid of life or death, and even dared to fight back, but this was only using their own lives to attract the defenders' firepower and attention.

But it's meaningless!

Amidst the blinding glare of the flares, a LAV-25 armored vehicle smashed through the flimsy aluminum door of the garage and charged forward with a terrifying roar of its engine! Its machine guns opened fire, instantly igniting the two trucks. A fiery orange-red flame shot skyward, completely engulfing the Trinity mercenaries hiding behind it!

This was far from over. The armored vehicles broke through the fence and drove onto the road outside. With the help of night vision goggles, they quickly locked onto the remaining trucks in the distance. The attackers were so arrogant that they hardly took any measures to hide. Tracer high-explosive incendiary bombs weaved a straight line of fire in the rainy night, sending the fools who stayed around the trucks into a vortex of death!

Broken limbs and arms fell from the sky along with raindrops, making strange crackling sounds when they landed in the puddles on the ground.

After destroying the truck, the armored vehicle immediately began to patrol around Crawford Manor, searching for any remaining enemies hiding outside, and also alerting for possible enemy reinforcements - perhaps using machine guns to shoot down those idiots standing in the outer corridors.

At this moment, the battle was far from over. The Holy Trinity team from other directions had entered the mansion and started exchanging fire with the defenders inside.

Everyone, please be advised! At least twenty individuals have broken into the residence. All indoor combat teams must maintain open communications.

In this spacious corridor, every sight was filled with precious or imaginative works of art - paintings, sculptures, porcelain and earthenware jars were placed in order at almost perfect distances, and the walls on both sides were hung with ivory silk embroidered with patterns in gold thread - and then they were torn apart by gunfire and grenade explosions. The most hateful malice of mankind unscrupulously humiliated the beautiful creations of mankind, bringing death and blood here.

The dark red hand-woven Afghan carpet was laid on the thick hardwood floor, which was carefully maintained every day to be spotless and clean. Now it was being ruthlessly trampled and rubbed by dozens of combat boots, stained by human blood and smelly body fluids, turning into a sticky, slippery and dirty mess. Fortunately, the flames ignited it and freed it from this insult.

The flowers that had just been picked fell to the ground and shattered along with the porcelain vase. The scattered petals were swallowed up by the flames bit by bit, turning into charred charcoal with a burnt smell, and completely became part of the gunpowder smoke.

What a waste of resources.

The heavy machine gun and grenade launcher teams begin to move, while the general-purpose machine gun team moves indoors. Soldiers carrying night vision goggles head underground to attempt to activate and protect the backup generator.

Rhode finished speaking on the communication channel, checked his rifle and magazine one last time, and walked out of the room. But before leaving the room, he hesitated for a moment and switched to another communication channel:

"Mary, Hina, replace the Frigga tranquilizer rounds and focus on close combat, blocking key points where the enemy might retreat. Nayako, eliminate the remaining enemies outside, including the corpses and traces of battle. As for Abigail... I need your help with a few small things, such as raising the energy level of the otherworld in the mansion. Oh, of course, it doesn't need to be too high, just enough to allow Mary and Hina's auras to appear."

This wave might be able to directly destroy the Holy Trinity, Rhodes thought, and decided to leave a few survivors.

"Understood!" x4

Walking out of the room, Rhodes noticed Price standing across from him, holding an M4 rifle, looking like he had been waiting for a long time. At this, Rhodes just chuckled and jokingly said:

"Still want to gather intelligence on me, Captain Price?"

"You can erase my memory later," Price pursed his lips. He'd seen the man's incredible abilities before him—a rifle, for one, but how had he managed to conjure up an armored vehicle?! A superpower? Appearing, retrieving, as if he held power over iron and fire, a mighty power of steel!

I must learn more, and do more for the country and for humanity...

"That's a real headache, Captain—you can hunt for yourself, but I can assure you that the final act of the drama will be absolutely satisfying."

Chapter 185: Say My Name! (3K)

Price ran alone down the corridor, so fast that even his shadow couldn't keep up.

He leaped over the fallen and shattered statue, and determined the enemy's position by the light of the burning tapestry. After a few short bursts of fire, a black object collapsed to the ground without a sound.

The captain cautiously fired a few more shots at the thing, then breathed a sigh of relief. The indoor combat was still a bit chaotic. The newly recruited soldiers of the Army Without Borders had not yet conducted joint training, which made it very likely that they would accidentally shoot. But fortunately, the boss's female companions... The female companions were very capable, and they almost controlled the entire mansion in their hands, guiding the soldiers' battles as if they had X-ray vision.

It would be great if I could have this ability in the future, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about the enemy’s intelligence.

With this thought, Price leaned against the wall at the corner of the corridor, pulled out the dagger, and stabbed it to his side. Warm blood splashed on his hand, making him frown slightly. He shook it hard to get rid of the blood, then inserted the dagger back into its place.

The next second, fierce gunfire covered his position, hitting the wall, tearing the wallpaper, and sending brick and concrete fragments flying everywhere, adding some annoying shrieks to the sound of rain in the stormy night.

"This is really troublesome." Price twisted his neck, pulled out the grenade hanging on his chest, and threw it with his backhand. "I don't like such a warm hospitality."

A slightly panicked voice was heard, and was immediately drowned out by the sound of the explosion.

A violent explosion struck Constantine's side, and the spreading smoke and dust blocked the sight of both sides of the firefight, causing this narrow but complex area to fall into silence temporarily. Only the sound of rain outside the mansion and the dull gunshots coming from the corridor came one after another.

Constantine leaned against the wall and gasped for breath. As the commander of the Holy Trinity, he only had five mercenaries left by his side at this moment. All of them were injured and exhausted. The only good news was that he only had about one third of the ammunition left.

Not long after entering the mansion, they encountered a fierce fire ambush - general-purpose machine guns and rifles mounted at corners and behind sculptures spewed out deathly fire, and the flames jumped onto the attackers' faces, causing broken shadows to dance on the walls.

The Trinity mercenaries soon realized they had been separated. Go upstairs? Every staircase might hide a burly man with a shotgun, ready to fire a couple of shots and then toss a grenade. The damned little thing bounced up the stairs and exploded, sending shockwaves and metal fragments randomly mashing internal organs like soup with a spoon.

The ambushers retreated before the counterattack arrived. They did not leave any booby traps, but under the guidance of someone familiar with the place - perhaps Lara Croft, who grew up in the manor, or perhaps the old butler - they were able to move like rats between every secret passage and mechanism room, flexibly attacking the fools who dared to set foot here.

Constantine threw a smoke bomb, blocking the defenders' line of sight, and then quickly ran along the corridor with five Trinity mercenaries. They lowered their monocular night vision goggles and used this product of human wisdom to fight the darkness.

"This is Zero, calling the other teams."

[This is Team 3... We're... fighting... Oh my god! What the hell is he?!]

The sound was cut off in an instant, leaving only the noisy sound of electricity and painful gasps. In the end, these noises completely disappeared with the muffled sound of broken bones.

Suppressing his anger and resentment, Constantine clutched his G36 assault rifle and continued to call out to the rest of the squad. Continuing to fight was pointless; they had to retreat. But how could they escape this perilous place? There was an armored vehicle waiting outside!

[This is... a nun? She... no... this is impossible!]

[…Halo! There’s an angel’s halo above her head!]

[Those are the devil's bat wings... Lord, please have mercy on me...]

[…We were attacked…That man…He came towards you!]

What the hell?! What the hell are we fighting?!

Before Constantine could figure out what was going on, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, sensing something. The six people behind him also stopped, raising their assault rifles and warily surveying their surroundings.

The seven people were in a small museum in a corner of the mansion. The dinosaur fossils hanging from the ceiling were looking at the ignorant monkeys with empty eyes. The cold wind of the rainy night blew in through the gaps in the windows and the broken glass, shuttling back and forth between the hideous and ancient fossil skeletons, bringing a chilling chill.

The sound of slow and steady footsteps came from the depths of darkness. The sound was so unique, like the crackling sound of heavy rain hitting the glass, piercing through Constantine's heart.

It's really arrogant, but he has the right to do so because he is... Why do I think so?

The commander of the Holy Trinity exhaled slowly, frowning as he tried to dispel the strange thoughts that were slowly invading his brain. However, he saw the world in front of him begin to distort. The darkness that clung to the walls and every archaeological relic placed here condensed into a ball and slowly fell down like sticky swamp mud, making footsteps when it landed on the ground.

The footsteps got closer and louder, until a man's voice rang out:

"Constantine? What a nice name, but unfortunately, you made a wrong choice."

Without hesitation, Constantine raised his gun and fired in the direction of the sound, but the opponent was faster - the bullet shot out from the barrel of the revolver, shattering the entire G36 rifle, turning it into twisted and broken garbage, but this was far from the end:

The weapons of the five Trinity mercenaries surrounding Constantine were instantly knocked down. As their arms twitched and ached from the impact, the nearly overlapping gunshots reached their ears. How many seconds? Not even a single second!

"who are you?"

Constantine didn't plead for mercy, nor waver. He drew his dagger and looked at the figure slowly descending the stairs. The person had concealed themselves in darkness and shadow. The faint light and fleeting lightning outside the mansion showed them to be just one person. A man. With a pair of deep blue eyes. A pair of eyes that held majesty and scrutiny.

"I'm very disappointed in you," the man said. "You are guilty. You use the name of Christ to do the evil deeds of Satan, and you use the doctrine of righteousness to cover up your vicious behavior. Look and listen! I'm coming to judge your sins!"

"What nonsense!"

"Then argue with me, Constantine—with your blood, your pain, and the false marks on your palms!"

The man walked down the stairs, put away the iron and fire in his hands, and then knocked down the mercenaries who rushed up with extraordinary speed, time and time again, accurately, swiftly and mercilessly. The attackers shouted loudly, as if to vent the fear in their hearts... Of course they were afraid!

Just where that man was coming from, a nun with a golden flower halo on her head was whispering the words of rebuke from Jehovah, filled with the noble sorrow and resentment of the Virgin Mary.

Opposite that person, a demon with a black triple ring on his head was watching indifferently, as if waiting for the moment to snatch the soul of the dead and feast on it.

The man's followers stood behind the railing on the second floor, one after another, casting glances of pity and expectation, as if they were watching a beast about to be killed by the Roman tyrant.

"My stigmata are not false," Constantine roared, his heart pumping blood into his brain, instantly dispelling those strange and hazy thoughts. He removed his gloves, letting the wound on his palm, still gleaming with blood, touch the cold hilt of the knife. "You must pay for this, heretic!"

The dagger gleamed with light from the lightning outside the window and the lingering flames, leaving a bright mark in the thick darkness. Constantine's physical fitness had long surpassed that of ordinary people, but he was just a frail child in front of that man. The wrist of his right hand holding the dagger was gripped tightly with such force that Constantine almost thought his grip would be crushed.

Constantine immediately felt his neck being grabbed. The man slowly lifted his body and said indifferently:

"Your sister took advantage of your slumber to carve ugly, false marks on your hands. She deceived you, used you, and controlled you, and you willingly followed her lead, discarding true justice and responsibility. The Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? No, your Holy Trinity is ambition, sin, and blasphemy!"

The man threw Constantine to the ground not far away, then bent down and threw the mercenaries who were struggling and rolling on the ground to Constantine's side. Then, he walked slowly towards him in Constantine's fearful gaze.

"Tell me, Constantine, has the Holy Trinity made a pact with those evildoers?"

"I...I can't..."

"Tell me, is the Vatican involved in this, or is it providing you with resources?"

"That's not... mine..."

"That's enough, Constantine! Stop trying to fool me with false words! I'm not here for your lies this time. Look me in the eyes, sinner!"

The man lifted Constantine's collar and made him kneel down. He then reached out and pressed his hand to his forehead, which was covered in cold sweat from the pain and confusion, and forced him to look into those azure eyes.

"Say my name..."

"I, I don't know... I don't have the qualifications..."

"You know, and you're qualified, because I love all living beings, and I love this sleepy world that still needs to be saved," the man said indifferently. "Don't hesitate, follow your heart, so that this farce on a stormy night can come to an end. Now—Say My Name!"

“The Lord!!!”

Chapter 186 Finishing Work

When the lights of Crawford Manor came on again, everything was over.

The downpour gradually subsided, but the rain had washed away the blood-stained mud, allowing the filthy water to flow down the drains into the rivers and seas, leaving no one to care. The flames from the wrecked truck were also doused by the rain, and even the dark black smoke was blown away, leaving only the faint heat and scorching smell of the wreckage lingering for a long time.

The mansion was in shambles and disarray. Soldiers moved in groups of two or three, searching for any remaining enemies or dismantling pre-set traps to prevent future incidents. Of all the people, only the old butler, Winston, felt deeply saddened, yet also relieved. He couldn't imagine that if the Trinity mercenaries had arrived a day earlier or later, Laura and Croft Manor wouldn't have gotten away with it so easily.

Price sat on the steps smoking sadly. The rifle beside him had the safety off and the magazine removed. Even the chest mount on his body was thrown aside, as if he was getting rid of a trouble.

The heroic captain watched as the soldiers dragged the corpse to the mansion's front hall, and then some tentacles crawled out from the shadows and dragged the corpse into an unknown space, leaving only the creepy chewing sound faintly audible.

"Ah, there you are, Captain Price," Rhodes strolled over with a gloating smile on his face. "Have you figured out how to write the report when you get back?"

"I'm not going to write."

Price exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes melancholy:

"No one would believe me even if I wrote it, and I would even be suspected of being mentally ill. But having said that, I still hope to get an answer."

Price put out his cigarette, stood up, turned around and looked into Rhodes' eyes, and asked seriously and earnestly:

"Who are you? Don't tell me you are really..."

"Did you see the ugly look on those people's faces? Don't believe in religion, it will bring you misfortune." Rhodes suppressed his smile and glanced at the soldiers who were whispering to each other. He saw Colonel Faulkner asking each one if they were injured. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly spoke:

"Religion is a slow-acting poison, a double-edged sword with thorns wrapped around its hilt. If there were a button that, by pressing it, could completely wipe out religion from this world, I would press it without hesitation. This has nothing to do with my identity, origin, or essence. Remember my words, Captain Price, this is what you need to know when facing the other world—"

“I think, therefore I am (Cogito).”

"Look up at the sky, Captain Price, and see those rain clouds rolling in the lights. Are you looking at 'clouds' or 'winged black panthers'? It doesn't matter. What matters is that your thinking at this moment is anchored in human wisdom. This alone establishes your existence as a 'human being.'"

"...I'm not a scholar, but I kind of understand what you mean," Price sighed. "If your description is true, then the future of human civilization is truly bleak. This is a war with no end in sight."

"The tides of the other world are merely a natural phenomenon. Despite the difficulties, there are many ways to overcome the disaster. We are not without time and resources, and we still have a great chance," Rhodes said calmly. "The most pressing concern right now is that humanity's enemy will become humanity itself."

Rhodes looked at his palm. He knew the past, present and future of Constantine, the commander of the Holy Trinity and Laura's future enemy. Because of this, Rhodes was filled with disgust for the teachings of the Holy Trinity.

In some ways, Trinity is more disgusting than Mobius and Umbrella. At least the latter is trying to usurp the authority of God and become the supreme being that rules over mankind... These religious lunatics don't even have the courage to look God in the eye. Are they so afraid of turning into pillars of salt?

"I don't comment on religious matters, but I think your last sentence makes a lot of sense. I've also thought about what I might do if I really lost my job. Maybe start a tobacco plantation in South America?"

Price shook his head, sighed, and wanted to say something else, but Colonel Faulkner, who had organized the soldiers to carry out the task of cleaning the manor and the house, walked over to the two men and asked them to look at him.

After reaching out to take the cigarette handed to him by Rhodes, the old colonel coughed a few times and said helplessly:

"Is it really appropriate to let those people go? Religious lunatics are the ones we should be most vigilant against—OK, OK, no matter who you are, this kind of behavior is like using the Pope's pointed hat as a cushion... Actually, I'd like to be more vulgar, but since I'm not sure if you have any bullshit rules like 'fines for swearing', I can only be more straightforward."

"Your words are not good at all!"

Luo Demu replied with his eyes wide open. He raised his hand to disperse the smoke lingering between the three of them. Without saying much, he simply explained:

"The Holy Trinity's power isn't enough to threaten us, and they've already given me enough intelligence to say that releasing the survivors would disrupt their internal situation. Will they attack the Army Without Borders directly? That would be ideal, as that way I could use fighter jets and tanks."

Constantine told Rhodes that long ago, the Holy Trinity had collaborated with certain forces to search the rainforests of Central and South America, and had taken away a certain plant. However, due to the Holy Trinity's teachings and hatred of the plant, they severed their cooperative relationship with those forces, and conflicts of varying degrees ensued.

This kind of plant... Rhodes already knew a little about it, and what he had to do now was to find a way to get a sample of it.

"Oh yes, you have a good relationship with Atlas Corporation and Aperture Technologies. Does that mean we can get air support in the future?"

"Maybe there will be ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs."

"Haha, you really know how to joke."

Ignoring Captain Price, who looked suspicious and hesitant, Rhodes took a deep puff of his cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and said to Colonel Faulkner:

"I'm leaving for Paris, France tomorrow, by boat. You'll take my private plane to Massachusetts, United States, where someone will meet you. As for the situation in the UK... when you gathered the personnel, you roughly stated it would take at least a month, right?"