Long-term salvation

Walking into a newly opened small restaurant, Rod bought some pies and potato pancakes. The latter, in particular, had a unique flavor thanks to the thin layer of sour cream. But for the two of them walking through the winter streets of Kiev, the piping hot and slightly crispy pancakes were the best enjoyment.

The girl held the potato pancake wrapped in newspaper in her hands and took a light bite. She then cried out in pain as if she was burned. She had no choice but to quickly take the warm tea that Rhodes handed her. This tea contained some black tea leaves and dried fruit slices, and tasted slightly sweet and bitter, which was very much to Rhodes' taste.

"It's obviously not a cat's tongue, but it can still get burned?" Rhode laughed. He pretended to try to avoid the wolf girl's embarrassing attack. "Looks like this thing can't be eaten by Mary."

"But it is really hot... Sensei, Ukrainian soldier."

Following the girl's instructions, Rhodes looked toward the street ahead, and immediately saw a group of vehicles with the Ukrainian Army emblem printed on them parked there. Several soldiers in uniform were standing by the vehicles, talking, their faces filled with the frustration of life's demands.

"Lieutenant Deget Yariv, we know this is difficult to bring up, but the payment of allowances after the reorganization is incredibly slow, especially for the newly reorganized troops. Many people haven't received their allowances yet. They were held back by bureaucracy before independence, and they're still being held back after independence. Isn't independence in vain?"

"But I'm not a logistics guy, so there's no point in telling me this," the man called the lieutenant sighed. He smoked his cigarette until it was butt-less, distressed. "I've already secured a law and order maintenance assignment. That way, the individual subsidies will come in faster...if they're even going to give them out."

After a pause, the lieutenant added:

"At least it was sent in the past."

Looking at the Ukrainian soldiers, Rhodes vaguely felt that one of them looked familiar:

Degtyarev, combined with his identity as a Ukrainian soldier...could it be Alexander Degtyarev?

Thinking of this, Rhode quickly took out the all-seeing eye mask and put it on. After a brief look, he obtained the other party's information:

Lieutenant Deget Yariv is indeed the protagonist of "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat". In the game, he is an agent of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and is sent by the government to enter the Chernobyl blockade zone to investigate the reasons for the failure of the military operation.

As for now, he seems to be just an ordinary low-ranking officer, and has not yet become the hardcore ruthless man who goes in and out of the blockade area frequently.

"!"

Lieutenant Deget Yariv felt a strange feeling in his heart and turned his head, but he only saw people coming and going.

Before the other soldiers noticed, Rhodes withdrew his gaze, and a bad premonition in his heart - the current Chernobyl is the same as in the original game, which is fine, but if it is related to the other world - nuclear radiation, artifacts, supernatural storms, C consciousness (common consciousness) and the like, just thinking about it makes people feel a headache.

Not to mention it becoming like the "Metro" series. I really don't know how they imagined such a world... But if you think about it carefully, it is quite normal. After all, the Slavs are already in the "wasteland after the collapse of civilization."

"Let's deal with the current situation first." Rhode took Bai Zi in his arms and walked around the soldiers, merging into the gradually increasing number of people going to work like an ordinary couple. "Perhaps we can also ask about the situation in Chernobyl. However, the system has not responded yet, so I guess nothing has happened."

If something goes wrong, the middle and lower reaches of the Dnieper River will be doomed...

After encountering this incident, Rhode no longer had the idea of ​​walking slowly with Bai Zi. They quickened their pace, passing through the streets and alleys, passing through the five-story prefabricated apartment buildings with balcony railings covered with ice armor, and looked at the frozen nylon ropes that froze the floral bed sheets in a surrender-like position.

This is by no means a beautiful sight worth reminiscing about, not to mention that the elderly people sitting behind the windows have a slightly dead and confused look on their faces.

After walking for ten minutes, Rhodes and Baizi entered through the side door of the Kyiv City Clinical Hospital, trying their best to avoid appearing in the surveillance range of the camera.

However, before continuing, they first went around to the security room, controlled the two security guards inside, and placed the [Shiting Box] on the monitoring equipment. Ten seconds later, the entire monitoring system was reset and overwritten! A slight burning smell wafted through the entire server.

After using a memory eraser to erase the memories of the two unfortunate individuals, Rhode and Bai Zi followed the signage down the path, bypassing the idle patrolling security guards and busy medical staff. There were many patients in the hospital, but for those suffering from their own or their family's illnesses, two outsiders would obviously not attract their attention.

As soon as they walked into the corridor leading to the morgue, Rhodes and Bai Zi ran into a young man head-on.

The young man in a hospital nurse's uniform was pushing a crude metal bed, apparently to place a corpse. But Rhodes could see that he didn't like this job, and it was obviously not because of the close contact with corpses.

"What are you two doing here?" The young man had the usual Slavic melancholy look on his face, but now it was tinged with suspicion. "No one is allowed in here unless they're family members... Do you have a doctor's note? If not, don't get yourself into trouble!"

"We're just here to confirm one thing," Rhodes said expressionlessly. He took out a stack of US dollars and stuffed it into the young man's pocket. "I know your name... um... Strelok. What a nice name. Wait, your name is Strelok?!"

The young man frowned when he was suddenly called by the silver-haired man with an eyepatch in front of him. He subconsciously retreated and put his body in a alert posture - as a veteran of the Soviet army, he still kept many habits from his time in the army - this was a good thing, and he would be grateful for it in the future.

But for Rhodes, he just wanted to buy a lottery ticket:

What kind of luck is this today?! I've run into two protagonists from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series in less than an hour. Who's next? Scar (the protagonist of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky)?

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Rhode made up his mind, took out another stack of US dollars from his pocket, and forcefully stuffed it into Strelock's hand, saying seriously:

"You are hired by me, and I cannot refuse you. I need a guide to find a corpse."

Strelock instinctively felt that this was not a good job. He wanted to refuse, but the US dollars in his hand were too thick.

Quickly stuffing the US dollars into his pocket, Strelock nodded, turned the cart in the direction of the cart, and said:

"Don't tell me your name. I don't want to know it. I'm only responsible for leading you and I don't know what you are going to do."

"Smart decision," Rhodes nodded with satisfaction. He immediately decided to lure this guy into the Army Without Borders. "You seem very professional. Um... a scout from the former Soviet Army?"

"Just an unlucky guy who failed to join the GRU. A nobody, not worth mentioning."

Strelock obviously didn't want to talk more about this topic. He pushed the simple metal bed and said as he walked:

"If a body is unclaimed, it's usually placed in the deepest part of the morgue cold storage. These days, if it's claimed too late, there might be some missing body parts... If it's a seriously ill patient who's been left unattended, it's even more tragic—they'll lose some things when they're still alive."

"As expected."

Rhode nodded slightly, but Bai Zi, who was walking beside him, reached out and tugged at his sleeve, saying calmly:

"Sensei, 'Death' has become active, and we are walking into a trap."

"But if you don't step into the trap, you won't get the bait," Rhodes replied with a smile. He turned to look at the somewhat confused Strelock, "Do you still remember how to use the AK74 rifle?"

"?"

Chapter 306: Corpse on Fire (5/20)

The corridor leading to the morgue ended at a double iron door, the hinges rusted like dried black tears.

The door handle was in the typical Soviet-era cast iron cross shape, with a slight mist condensing on it, reflecting a cloudy cold light under the illumination of the corridor ceiling light. But when living people approached, the mist froze into a thin layer of ice, and when the young man, who was already a little frightened, twisted his body, it made a faint cracking sound, as if a human bone was being broken.

Rhodes watched Strelock slowly open the door. The latter hesitated for a few seconds and then continued to open the door completely.

The moment the door was opened, thick cold air carrying a metallic smell hit me in the face, which soon turned into a damp, musty smell and the pungent smell of formaldehyde, forming a clear dividing line between the inner and outer corridors.

The dividing line between life and death.

"...Should I go in with you?" Strelock began to regret his greed. He swallowed and said cautiously, "I can return the money to you."

"When the infinite unknown opens before you, will you retreat?" Rhodes asked calmly. "You are clearly frustrated and tormented by this dull life, but when the opportunity to escape it all appears before you, you choose to retreat. Of course, you can leave. If you are not satisfied with the amount of money, I can add more."

"...No, that's enough. I'm going in. You sound like a damn charlatan."

"You'll regret this decision," Rhodes said, patting the young man's shoulder with a smile and walking deeper into the morgue cold storage. "You'll also be glad for it."

Strelock pursed his lips and reached out to wrap his clothes - the temperature in the morgue cold storage was very low. If you caught a cold or got sick because of it, don't expect the hospital to reimburse you for the medicine.

The corridor here is much more dilapidated than the one outside. Twelve explosion-proof lamps are hung on iron chains from the ceiling. Although they are all working, they only emit some weak light, casting a distorted halo in the lampshade covered with condensation droplets.

The corridor walls were covered in white tiles from the 1960s, with dark yellow stains accumulated over the years in the cracks, like a giant pathology slide. A few strands of grayish-white hair were stuck between the iron bars of the gutters on either side, trembling gently in the slowly flowing seepage water... No one thought to explore the origins of these things.

This place seems to be overcrowded, but everyone comes.

"Winter is too cold, and with so much going on, many elderly people can't make it through this time."

Strelock explained to Rhodes, his face expressionless, as if he had seen enough:

"It would be better if the heating could be turned on normally, but the government has neither the money nor the willingness to pay for the vast majority of residents, so the heating plants that were bought out by unknown businessmen stopped heating the 'Khrushchev Buildings' that hadn't paid."

"It looks like the chaos will continue for a while, but I'm hopeful things will get better for them."

"Thank you for your kind words, my unknown friend—look, up ahead is the cold storage where unclaimed bodies are stored. I estimate it will take you half an hour to search through it. There are also many drunkards who have frozen to death on the street."

As Strelock spoke, he immediately saw the girl approach the stainless steel corpse cabinets lined up along the wall, as if she was sniffing gently - but there was only formaldehyde and a faint stench of corpses, what else could there be?

The surface of the body cabinet was covered with scratches, and the numbered paint on the cabinet door handle had long since peeled off, replaced by numbers scribbled in marker.

Finally, the girl stopped in front of the corpse cabinet marked "13" and slowly opened it.

"..."

Rhode's fingers slid across the tortured corpse, finally stopping at the face that had lost its nose. He took out the [Box of Shiting] and said to Alona inside:

"Alona, ​​for the record, Agent 750516-8208 has died."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Wait, there's one more thing." Rhode removed his fingers and flipped the corpse's arm over and over again, shattering the bones inside. "And a note: [The BOSS of the Army Without Borders has achieved revenge]."

That hasn't happened yet, but Rod will make sure it happens.

Rhodes didn't care whether the agent betrayed others before his death - the fact that the Perseus agents were able to be evacuated smoothly already explained the outcome - but Rhodes knew very well that under such torture, and even under evil spells that might be related to the other world, submission was human nature and normal.

However, there are always people who can transcend those established possibilities, and we often call such people "heroes."

"Baizi," Rhodes turned his head and asked the wolf girl who was staring at the other corpse cabinets, "Did you find anything?"

"The smell of death, the smell of someone dying. That being had contact with this deceased agent for a while. Um... it was a very unpleasant contact. But because of this, I can track that smell - his death was not in vain."

"Very good, then we..."

"Wait! Wait!" Strelock raised his hands and stepped back subconsciously, his face full of confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? I understand the agents, but this Army Without Borders, this dying man, and that girl's strange behavior—Sukha! You might as well just shoot me! I want to blow my messed up head off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an AK74 rifle appeared in Strelock's hand, which was thrown by Rhodes.

Strelock: "...I was actually joking."

"I really hope your sense of humor can be used in the right way," Rhode replied unhappily. He then produced a chest mount and a bulletproof vest out of thin air and threw them at Strelock in front of his astonished gaze. "Put them on quickly. We're about to start fighting."

"fighting?"

"Ah yes, haven't you heard of 'Corpsefire'?"

Rhodes responded with nonsense, but his hand was covering the face of the eyeless Agent Perseus. Golden flames immediately engulfed the entire corpse, and the fire danced on the edge of the face of the savior of mankind, casting a shadow over it for a long time. The flames went out, leaving only ashes.

[Pollution points in the other world increased by 1]

"Actually, I'm pretty pissed right now too and need to let off some steam."

[Pollution points in the other world increased by 1]

Ignoring the shock of Strelock next to him, Rhodes watched as the stainless steel corpse cabinets embedded in the wall began to vibrate, accompanied by strange dragging and growling sounds coming from the corridor outside, as if a group of wriggling corpses were approaching.

In fact, it is true.

The corpses awakened by the evil spell pushed open the corpse cabinets, or simply stood up slowly from the beds they were lying on. Their empty eyes were full of desire for the breath of living things, and their bodies, which had become stiff due to freezing, moved comically.

From deep within the ventilation duct came the eerie creaking of a metal duct collapsing and twisting. From the breach came not cold air but ashes mixed with ice. These particles formed swirling vortices in the air, transforming into a faint gray mist.

"Get back!"

Waving his hand to dispel the fog that blocked his view, Rhode turned around and kicked the slowly opening corpse cabinet, severing the arm that was sticking out from inside! To be more precise, it was crushed!

Looking at the arm still wriggling on the ground, Strelock took a deep breath, pulled the bolt, and said with a sad face:

"This is different from what I imagined."

"Then what do you think you are?" Rhodes raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the still-trembling corpse cabinets. "You think I'm from the CIA or the KGB? Imagination! Your imagination is too poor, Mr. Strelock. If that's the case, I'll dock your salary."

"I didn't say I wanted to work for you!"

"Do you think you can get away?"

The chandeliers outside the corridor began to go out one by one, and darkness filled the entire space like asphalt, but after a breath, it was illuminated by a scarlet glow - this light began to emanate from the mouths and noses of all the corpses, and each corpse cabinet became an independent light source, like twinkling bleeding stars.

The vibration of the ventilation ducts composed a requiem, while the friction of the stainless steel body cabinet slides set the rhythm for this symphony of death.

[Sudden Encounter Mission: Tide of Corpses]

Rhodes lit a cigarette for himself, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled the smoke:

"Do not pray for easylives, my friends. Pray to be stronger men."

Chapter 307: Fight till Dawn! (6/20)

The whistling sound of gunfire echoed continuously in the morgue, and when the bullets pierced the cast iron door, dark red rusty water gushed out of the hole like venous blood.

"Sokaburi! Where did the blood come from... No, the water?!"

Strelock screamed in shock, but the way he held the rifle did not change at all, his eyes were full of excitement - his wildly beating heart was more convincing than his expression or words - he was not a man who was content with being ordinary, but he had not realized it yet.

At this moment, the ice water pouring in from the thin iron door was rapidly filling the entire morgue, causing the corpses in the cabinets to become more active, but they were quickly knocked back one by one by the wolf girl like playing whack-a-mole.

Standing in the cold, blood-red rusty water, Strelock's face turned pale from the cold. He struggled to wade over and stood beside Rhodes, shivering and shouting:

“We have to get out!”

"Obviously. Besides, it's an illusion."

The flaming sword in Rhode's hand flashed, and the rusty water that almost rose to the knees of the three people disappeared without a trace. Only the chill lingered for a long time, and only the groups of corpses surged in like a tide - and then were smashed on the reef!

An AA-12 automatic shotgun with a 32-round detachable drum magazine! The roaring bullets blasted through the fragile iron door, smashing and shredding the stiffened limbs behind it, leaving radiating layers of minced meat on the opposite corridor wall. The stench of blood suddenly overwhelmed the pungent formalin, transforming the entire space into a bizarre slaughterhouse!