Long-term salvation

Yuka slowly opened her eyes, but did not see the person she wanted to see. She yawned in disappointment, and just as she stood up, she was pushed back to her original position - it was Noah. She was pushed on top of him, with shyness and a flush on her face - the whole room seemed extremely dim, even the curtains were drawn, and only the faint moonlight came in through the gaps.

A figure, the figure that he had been thinking about day and night, was slowly approaching.

"We still have a lot of time tonight," Rod watched Noah holding Yuuka's hand, who was struggling with shyness. He sat on the edge of the bed, and brushed the girl's hair with his fingers. "You must get a good rest, Yuuka."

"Wait, wait... I... uh... um..."

Chapter 231 Wolf Walks Los Angeles

Many stories happened under the cover of night, in the cold rain

It was as if darkness was showing mercy, burying both good and evil, justice and sin, without distinction. Just like the countless living beings living here, no matter whether they were poor or rich in their lifetime, they all lay in the cold earth, covered by the slightly damp soil - even in the extremely prosperous Los Angeles.

Some people choose to live a simple life before they die, while others choose to do some "small jobs" that are not allowed by law and are not visible to the public under the cover of darkness. Perhaps the excitement of traveling between life and death is what they are looking for.

Los Angeles is close to the suburban area and the old city.

The former prosperity and bustle of traffic are long gone. Most of the people living here now are ordinary office workers and working-class families. It is far from the luxury of the city center, but it is safer than those dilapidated neighborhoods where many races live together... relatively safe.

The roar of the engine resounded throughout the fairly wide street, and the rolling sound waves made the glass of the buildings on both sides tremble, as if it would shatter in the next second, causing many residents to open their windows and shout and curse. The various strange curses with thick accents sounded even a little funny.

The sound came from far away, and two sports cars, one red and one yellow, sped past on the deserted road.

Two underground racing drivers are competing for tonight's championship. The winner will not only get a prize, but also win his opponent's car... The prize money is secondary, but it is a great humiliation to have your beloved car won by your competitor.

Just as the two racers were weaving through the streets with their superb driving skills, they suddenly saw in the rearview mirror a girl wearing a strange headgear riding a road bike, catching up with them at a speed that ordinary people could never achieve - running level with the two racing sports cars!

Although this was in a city with complicated traffic conditions, my God, it was a bicycle!

A road bicycle actually caught up with the two sports cars from behind, even during the straight-line acceleration phase!

“WTF?!!!!”

The drivers of the red and yellow sports cars rolled down their windows and saw shock in each other's eyes, but the girl speeding towards them was real.

Not only that, there were three or four long black bags tied to the front and back of the girl's bicycle. For some reason, the back black bag had a crack, and the green US dollar bills were peeking out from it. Occasionally, a few of them flew out and floated in the night sky of Los Angeles. I wonder which lucky guy will pick them up.

More car lights shone over, and it was the black cars and vans chasing from behind, now firing in turns with various weapons. The bullets made strange clanging sounds as they hit the sports car and the road, splashing fleeting sparks.

"

Fvck! Fvck! Fvck! These guys are the biggest gang in Los Angeles! "

The driver of the red sports car shouted angrily to his opponent across from the girl on the bicycle:

"If you want to continue, then go ahead. I won't risk my life with you... Wait, don't come near me!!"

The girl didn't seem to want to give up the two attention-grabbing targets so early. She swung her bicycle left and right, getting close to one of the bicycles from time to time, even when the latter started to turn and speed up - she didn't dare to slow down. Who knew if those drug-addicted gangsters would kill her!

"Run apart, run apart!" the driver of the yellow sports car shouted. He lowered his head and swung the steering wheel left and right amidst the constant barrage of bullets. "I'll run right, you run left!"

"Do you want to listen to what stupid shit you're saying? Wait, it's the police, we're saved!"

"Fvck! We're going to get caught too, idiot!"

"……what."

At this moment, not only the gangsters, but even the Los Angeles police joined the chase. The two sides immediately started shooting at each other the moment they came into contact. Pistols, rifles, shotguns and even some homemade explosives were used in turn. The orange muzzle flames and the flashing red and blue police lights blended together, weaving into a bizarre fire.

The noise of news helicopters streaked across the city, and the light of searchlights illuminated both the path and the shadows.

Everyone was roaring, screaming, and cursing, but the girl in the center of the storm stood still as a mountain, as if she had no idea that she was the source of all this chaos.

Maybe she knows.

But she doesn't care.

As they turned a dark street without street lights, the girl disappeared—along with the hundreds of thousands of dollars she had stolen—leaving only a group of people who had long been dominated by anger and rage, still confronting each other in the increasingly chaotic street.

In the dim street, under a steel fire escape staircase.

The Sand Wolf Baizi took a few breaths. Such acceleration was indeed a bit exhausting... Next time he really needed to get a motorcycle. He would ask Little Red Riding Hood for one then.

After resting for a while, Bai Zi disassembled and folded his bicycle, counted the spoils of the past few days, and with a slightly satisfied smile, he put all these things into a large backpack.

The backpack was camouflaged in color and was much larger than the girl's body. One would even think that it could fit the girl inside. However, she simply carried it effortlessly, carefully bypassing the roadblocks and Los Angeles police officers, and walked towards her residence.

After about ten minutes, Bai Zi walked into a slightly run-down apartment. She was currently searching for the remaining pages of the Necronomicon. Although they had already confirmed they were in this neighborhood, the exact location still required some time to discover.

Going up the stairs, Bai Zi moved her ears and didn't hear any strange noises, which made her feel relieved. But when the girl reached the door of her rented room, she was shocked to find that the door lock had been opened:

The door had already been opened a tiny, almost imperceptible crack, through which a figure could be vaguely seen passing. The familiar smell of cigarettes drifted from inside.

Bai Zi narrowed her eyes slightly, set her backpack down, and pulled out her beloved rifle, the "WHITE FANG 465." Taking a few deep breaths, the girl gently pushed open the door and slowly walked in, her footsteps soundless, like a wolf preparing to ambush its prey.

An outsider was sitting on the sofa in the room, even turning on the TV. He was enjoying the girl's snacks while watching the news reports, such as the gossip about a certain celebrity, a fire somewhere that burned down an entire block, or... tonight's battle between police and criminals.

The wolf girl pursed her lips, walked slowly, and put the muzzle of the gun to the back of the head of the intruder.

"Get up and turn around," Bai Zi said calmly, "Let me see your face."

"I guess there's no need to be so serious. I just ate some of your snacks."

Rhodes raised his hands helplessly. He slowly stood up from the sofa and turned around, but the girl still did not put down the gun.

The breeze blew up the curtains, circling between the two of them before drifting into the other rooms.

"Baizi, you..."

"Take it off."

The girl said concisely.

"W-what?"

"Clothes, all your clothes," Bai Zi pointed the gun up and down, his face expressionless, as if he was deciding what to eat tonight, "shirt, pants, and underwear, take them off now."

Rhodes: “???”

Just as Rhodes was about to say something else, a strong earthquake swept over!

Amidst this violent tremor, Bai Zi's wolf ears suddenly stood up, as if sensing some strange aura.

[Side Quest: Triangulation: Evil Dead - Rise]

Mission Description: Travel to Los Angeles, resolve the otherworldly incident, and recover the remaining pages of the Necronomicon.

Chapter 232: Evil Dead: Rise

Fifteen minutes ago.

Ellie, a tattoo artist, is returning tiredly to her apartment. She has been struggling to raise her three children since her husband left, and her sister Beth has recently come to live with her.

Despite being unreliable and unable to comfort her sister when she was most vulnerable, Ellie still accepted her... What else could she do? Was she going to watch her loved one live on the streets?

After all, it's just one more mouth to feed.

Ellie raised her head and looked at the fourteen-story building - Mond Apartments - which was an apartment building converted from an old bank. It was in disrepair and might be demolished in a year or two, and the family would have to find another place to live.

The prosperity of the city has nothing to do with the residents of Mond Apartments. They are accompanied only by old walls, rickety elevators, and creaking hallway floors. When night falls, only the inhabited floors of the apartment building have electric lights, which are used to illuminate the way home for those weary residents.

The light wasn't bright, but it was more than enough to illuminate the keyhole.

As soon as she entered the building, Ellie saw her three children playing and coming down the stairs. When they saw their mother, they waved and shouted with a smile:

"My aunt said we're having pizza tonight! Let's go get some together, the one closest to the apartment."

“Pizza!” the youngest girl yelled.

"No, it's dangerous outside."

After seeing the children, Ellie's mouth curled up slightly, but she still said seriously:

"The city isn't very safe tonight. I saw a lot of police cars driving by on my way back. It looks like there was some gang fight going on not far from here!"

"...then we can order from the pay phone on the first floor," said Danny, the eldest son. He patted his youngest sister, Kassie, on the head and added, "Then we can wait in the underground parking lot. What do you think of this idea, Bridget?"

"I think so," nodded Bridget, the middle child. "It's just a little boring. Playing house with Cathy is boring enough as it is."

"Hey, that one isn't boring!"

"Okay, okay, but you are not allowed to leave the apartment under any circumstances, especially not tonight, right now!"

Ellie warned them again, but the children only responded with laughter, leaving the mother with no choice but to shake her head and sigh as she walked into the elevator.

The elevator was not a small space, and the inner walls were surrounded by brown wooden boards, which were covered with a glossy color left over from years of accumulation. Some graffiti and unwiped vomit could be seen in the corners - it was obvious that the cleaning staff of this apartment building just wiped it casually, as if they had completed this low-paid and heavy job.

After walking through the corridor and saying hello to the neighbors, Ellie returned to her home after checking on the timid cat. As soon as she opened the door, she saw her sister Beth poking her head out of the room and said with a smile:

"I asked the three of them to go get some pizza and they'll be back soon."

"Yes, yes, I've seen them," Ellie spread her hands and walked tiredly to the sofa to lie down, "but I didn't let them go out. I waited on the first floor for the pizza delivery man..."

The earth is shaking!

A powerful earthquake suddenly struck, and the entire apartment trembled in the fury of nature. Dust billowed down, choking the two people inside and making them cough uncontrollably. But unlike Beth, who was a little dazed, Ellie screamed and struggled to run to the door amid the shaking—her three children were still on the first floor!

Fortunately, the magnitude of the earthquake was not high and it did not last long. The shaking stopped after only a dozen seconds.

Ellie stood up and opened the door, only to find the hallway in disarray and gloom. The window at the far end was completely shattered, and the cold night wind, mixed with the dampness of rain, poured in, chilling her to the bone. The only good news was that the wall wasn't cracked, and the entire building's load-bearing walls were safe for now—but the electricity was unreliable, and the phone line had been cut as well, so she could only wait for repairs tomorrow.

Not only Ellie, but also the neighbors on the same floor came out of their homes, looking around in panic, and nervously discussing the earthquake that had just occurred and the possibility of aftershocks.

"Hey, Ellie! You and your kids, don't take the elevator!" the neighbor uncle warned, shaking the plastic box of cat food, making a rattling sound. "Oh, and if you see that cat, remember to tell me. It must have run into the ventilation duct out of fear because of the earthquake just now."

"I know, I'll start now—"

The ding-ding sound of the elevator going up made the anxious Ellie walk quickly. Half a minute later, the elevator door slowly opened and three frightened children walked out.

Ellie didn't hesitate, she went up to them and hugged them in her arms, saying with worry and relief:

“Never take the elevator after an earthquake!”

“Bridget dropped her pizza,” whispered Cathy, the youngest, “but it seems edible.”

"I'm glad you're all okay," Ellie hugged the children in her arms and kissed their foreheads one by one. "Who cares about pizza? Let's go, let's go home and have something to eat tonight..."

The delighted mother did not notice that her eldest son was carefully grabbing something and bringing it back home.

Just after the earthquake, Danny discovered a crack in the ground of the underground parking lot, which seemed to be the vault of an old bank. Wanting to relieve his mother's burden in supporting the family, the boy, despite the advice of his two sisters, insisted on going in and searching carefully to see if he could find anything valuable.

Finally, when the two girls watched the boy return with concern, they only saw him holding a strange book wrapped in linen and a few vinyl records. Everything that happened after that was normal - meeting up with his family, taking the elevator upstairs, and meeting his worried mother.

The boy did not tell his mother about his trip to the old underground vault, but instead returned to his room with the things in a daze.

In the room, the boy tried to open the book but was accidentally scratched. A few drops of blood fell on the cover made of unknown material and were then "absorbed" into it. The sharp teeth on the edge of the book slowly opened... Taking a deep breath, the boy Danny looked at his sister Bridget who came to check, then picked up the vinyl record and put it on the record player.

Press the play button.

The devilish sound suddenly arises!

+++++++

"Is this right here?"

Rhodes raised his head and looked at Mond Apartment, which looked like an upright coffin, old, gloomy and with a dark atmosphere - just like Hill House - but the darkness here was more crazy and vicious, it was thirsting for more blood, more pain, more... torture.

"Yes, it's from the underground part here," Bai Zi nodded, a hint of sadness on her cute face, "but the aura of the undead has spread throughout the entire apartment, and I can't sense a more specific location."

"It's okay, let's go underground first, maybe we can find something."

"Okay, Sensei."

Chapter 233: Ghost Playing with People? (3K)

Rod walked into Mond's apartment.

The moment he stepped into this place, he felt like he was walking into a dark and cramped cave - this is not to say that there was no light in the apartment building. On the contrary, the light was quite bright, allowing him to stand at the door and see to the end of the corridor. Even the house numbers on the rooms on both sides were clearly visible.

But all this made people feel inconsistent. The door number was slightly tilted, the lights were flickering, the originally smooth carpet was irregularly wrinkled, and there were scattered clean sundries on the ground, but the part next to it covered with dirty liquid and dust was neatly arranged.