Long-term salvation

"Then we should head towards the center, towards the tallest buildings. Even great gods would prefer to reside in magnificent palaces and sleep in gorgeous mausoleums. From this point of view, so-called gods are merely more powerful beings."

As Qianye spoke, she saw Rhodes carrying Abigail on his back. The blonde girl, with her chin resting on the man's shoulder, had a serious and slightly smug look on her face... Shaking her head in amusement, Qianye followed them and continued in a leisurely tone:

"Rod, you have to be prepared. You are the core of the plan."

"of course."

Rhodes replied in a low voice as he walked up the steps covered with moss and slippery puddles. Nayako was standing at the fork in the road ahead, waving at them.

A few raindrops fell on Rhodes' body. He looked up and saw that the rain clouds were slowly descending and the wind was gradually picking up.

Although this ancient ruin is "soaked" in the sea and often attacked by storms, it is abnormally without any signs of fish or aquatic life. There are only the remains of dead barnacles deeply engraved between the cracks and crevices.

Seawater began to rain from the sky, causing the tiny eyes inside the mouth of the barnacle, which were big enough to kill a person with trypophobia, to open, as if a tiny octopus was living inside and observing the outside world.

In just a few minutes, a violent storm hit Rhodes and his group. The cold, salty rain soaked their clothes, bringing bursts of chill.

When this discomfort reached its peak, Rhodes, who had walked up the last step, saw a stone gate suddenly appear in front of him. The stone gate was huge enough for the Alicorn to enter. It was engraved into the mountain made of thick dark green boulders and appeared in front of him abruptly without any signs or sounds.

After checking his equipment and the pollution points of the other world for the last time, Rhode exhaled slowly and said to Abigail on his back:

"Open the door and let us in."

Chapter 369: The Spear Piercing the Dream (2/3)

[Pollution points in the other world increased by 500]

【Body repair begins】

[The other world...]

【Points...】

【…】

The air was no longer a flowing wind, but a gelatinous obstruction; darkness was no longer an untouchable concept, but more like a turbid current formed by the collective wriggling of countless microorganisms; all around was silent, but now that the perception of the passage of time had disappeared, the faint sound of heartbeats gradually seeped into tiny whispers:

At first, it was a thousand voices arguing in different languages ​​from a distant place. The sound grew louder and louder, converging into a thick, viscous hum of the deep sea that poured into Rhode's ears. His eardrums shattered, and a little blood oozed out, but this still couldn't stop the sound from echoing in his mind and every organ in his body!

The internal organs rub against each other, collide and tear each other, causing extreme pain.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Rhodes struggled to stand up from the sea surface which was as calm as dead water. Slight ripples spread out infinitely and far from him.

A few phosphorescent lights lit up in the deep fog ahead, like glowing jellyfish in the deep sea.

The next second, the swirling sea fog was torn open by an indescribable object that materialized, creating a crack and a fissure. The first thing to appear was an octopus head as huge as a mountain. The sea water mixed with mucus washed over the scales on the dark green skin, and slowly flowed along the turbid eyes embedded in the ugly face, pouring down like a waterfall.

When those eyes blinked, each one reflected the images of countless intelligent beings screaming in nightmare. Even at this moment, humans on Earth were trapped in nightmares, seeing huge and strange creatures vaguely emerging from the sea mist, and a thin human figure standing like Don Quixote.

"So, what have you thought about my proposal?" Rhode asked. He looked around but didn't see Abigail and the others... It would take a little more time, a little longer. "Your life is nearly eternal, yet you're still obsessed with a mere ten thousand years."

"Why should I consider the proposal of an inferior race?" Cthulhu's voice came faintly, as if waking from a dream or mumbling in a deep sleep, "especially when they come to my door?"

"Because you have no choice."

"Insanity!"

The indescribable god's voice was deep, hoarse, yet carried a deafening roar. The diametrically opposed tones exploded around Rhode, and the tsunami stirred up by the sound waves rushed towards the only human being in the area without hesitation...

The sea was split apart in an instant!

The blazing golden flames cut off the waves precipitated by supernatural power, and the salty and fishy steam boiled upwards, mixing with the turbid air and making strange hissing sounds - sounds that definitely did not belong to the dreamland of the gods!

This seemed to be some kind of signal. The screams of the three descendants of the Outer Gods when they arrived immediately shattered the vague sea fog in this illusory dream, completely exposing the sea, darkness and the Old One named "Lord of Snail Annihilation" to the outsiders!

"..."

Rhode lowered his sword and listened to the system prompt sound. At this moment, only this sound could make him feel that he was "real".

The moment he realized this, most of the pain in Rhodes' mind disappeared instantly, and he also found a strange feeling deep in his soul... It seemed that it was a creation that had been prepared long ago, waiting for him to discover it personally.

After taking a deep breath, the savior of humanity, standing between the three descendants of the God, raised his eyes and met those angry, cloudy eyes, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised:

"Cthulhu, I'm here to negotiate terms."

Cthulhu: “…”

In the vision of the Old Ones sleeping here, the body of that inferior race had transformed into a young star. Like the only star in this star system, it burned brightly, unscrupulously proclaiming its existence. And beside it... were the descendants of the Three Pillars, the will and gaze extending from them:

The lack of a true face meant nothing to the Great Old One. All He saw were shadows—the first shadow presented a thousand faces, yet within it lay a twisting darkness that laughed madly; the second shadow was a shrinking ball of starlight, each fragment extending a thread into the infinitely far distance; the third shadow was a black cloud woven from countless tentacles, each end of which hung a screaming mouth.

The powerful Outer Gods watched, evaluated, and waited, observing the growth of this young star, assessing his future achievements, and waiting for the end of this test.

So... do you want to negotiate this condition? Sleeping for another ten thousand years is just a blink of an eye compared to my own long life.

"Do not."

Cthulhu refused indifferently.

The eternally sleeping god waved his hand, stirring up huge waves—the twisting of darkness was curbed, the twinkling of stars was frozen, and the shrill screams were silenced—a huge and grotesque creature stood up in the re-gathering sea mist, and it moved its thick and ugly legs and slowly moved forward.

"That's a shame," Rhode said, raising his sword, shielding half his face with it. Golden flames filled his eyes. The next second, the flames dimmed, but Rhode wasn't alarmed. "Then... let's begin, ladies!"

Everything around him collapsed, and fragments of dreams fell one after another. The [Dream Gate] opened by Abigail slowly unfolded behind Cthulhu. The edge of the abyss swirled like a whirlpool, and the other two descendants of the evil god were constantly "blocking" and "pushing back" the Old One:

It's not a physical collision, but more like a squeezing of some concepts.

This is a battle in the dream world.

"Rod, come help!" Nayako shouted. She tried her best to maintain her human appearance, but the area where her feet touched the sea surface had turned into a creeping darkness. "What are you waiting for?!"

"..." Abigail didn't say anything. She noticed the abnormality but could only try her best to maintain the existence of the [Dream Gate].

"There's something wrong with Rhodes," Qianye leaped back, avoiding the sudden surge. Her gaze fell on Rhodes, and she vaguely sensed something strange—something new, something born from the golden flames, was slowly growing.

The sound of thunder was faintly heard...

In this dead and silent dream world!

The golden flames shrank back into the long sword, the sword body shortened and the hilt gradually lengthened. In just a breath of time, the long sword turned into a spear.

This spear, ornate yet simple, sharp yet dull and rusty, has appeared in every myth and legend of human civilization's past, and it will be forgotten in the stories passed down orally in the future. But at least, it changes according to the thoughts and intentions of its wielder, ultimately becoming a fixed golden spear blade.

“That… what is that thing?” Cthulhu finally spoke. He stopped moving forward, stood still, and even considered retreating, though the thought only lasted a moment. “What is that thing in your hand?”

He couldn't see it! But the weapon definitely existed!

"The Dionysian Spear? Gungir? Lance of Longinus? Whatever."

Rhode shrugged, holding his spear in reverse, he pulled his right leg back, tilted his body slightly, and pointed the spear tip directly at the massive body of the Old One.

"One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out (John 19:34)... In short, it is a weapon, a human 'weapon,' used to kill."

The merciful Savior has been killed, and in his place is the Lord of Hosts who has picked up the spear!

[Additional loadout of Iron and Fire Powers - Deduction of pollution points from the other world begins]

【Concept Attachment】

【? ? ? ? ? ? 】

"Why are you still being so secretive? It's probably just a special attack on some specific targets... Wait, why did it consume so many points?!"

Ten times the points of the Flaming Sword began to be consumed crazily, forcing Rhode to not delay even a second.

Rhodes threw his spear at the Old Ones, and humans threw their spears at the indescribable gods!

Will be in!

The air erupted with the crisp sound of shattering glass, and the spear transformed into a blazing white meteor that streaked across the sea fog! In an instant, the eternally dark sky was torn apart by thousands of lightning bolts. Rhodes's azure eyes reflected the beautiful luster of liquid gold in the dazzling thunderstorm.

Through!

The blood of the gods was spilled once again after hundreds of millions and tens of millions of years, blood droplets slowly rolling in the sea mist, revealing everyone's unexpected surprise - Cthulhu was pierced through the chest! The spear pierced through his chest, pulling out a long, straight blood-red line that stretched into the darkness.

If Cthulhu was not a powerful Old One, but a follower or a weaker lesser god, he might even die on the spot!

The flash of lightning reflected in the eyes of the three descendants of the evil god, as well as the eyes of the three pillars behind them, causing these Outer Gods, who could not be understood or even glimpsed by mortals, to cry out in surprise! Even the power possessed by the user holding this spear was far from enough to harm their existence, but... "death"... this possibility was finally no longer "zero".

In reality, this wasn't death, but rather a return to the core of primordial chaos, becoming one of the blind and foolish—how was this any different from death?! Now, a new question arises: if this shattered yet perfectly pieced-together soul grows strong enough to harm ████, and throws the spear at that moment... what will happen to the entire universe then?

Yog-Sothoth wanted to know.

Nyarlathotep wanted to try.

Shub-Niggurath wanted more.

Compared to the astonished Three Pillars, the Great Old One named Cthulhu was utterly horrified. His corpulent body retreated, stepping onto the edge of the abyssal vortex of the [Dream Gate], and reaching out to cover his pierced chest.

"What the hell is that?!"

Cthulhu felt that the power in his body had completely shrunk, as if at this moment he had been stripped of the gathered supernatural energy, becoming even weaker and more painful, and even bringing a trace of fear of death to him!

Fortunately, this inferior race before him... this strange human named "Rhode" before him wasn't yet strong enough to completely deprive him of his power. But the future? Ten thousand years from now, this kid before him might very well grow to a point where he couldn't contend!

"I must, I must get rid of you here."

The Great Old One stood firm with his massive body. He keenly noticed that the other party seemed unable to throw a new spear, even though the spear had returned to his hand.

The shattered dream world trembles under the instigation of the ancient gods, and sea fog and huge waves sweep in again!

But the three descendants of the evil god were well prepared, and even received help from their father and mother - all the strength gathered at this moment, and finally turned into a gentle "push".

The injured Cthulhu was pushed back into the vortex with just the right amount of force. He suddenly opened his eyes wide, filled with disbelief and a hint of despair.

Just like last time, the shadows of the Three Pillar Gods appeared here again, but the look they cast was filled with a hint of ridicule and feigned pity.

Cthulhu roared helplessly and fell into the abyss.

But before that, He cut off His own arm and threw it towards Rhodes!

Chapter 370: Shattering the Shadow of the Indescribable God! (3/3)

"It's so cold."

When Rhodes realized that he had been thrown out the door, he was lying in the storm, letting the salty rain hit his body, slowly seeping through his clothes and bringing a biting chill.

Suddenly, the chill disappeared without a trace, and the body became warm.

"...Where did they go?"

Rhodes reached out and touched the black cat Pickman squatting on his chest. The cute cat blinked and meowed.

"Sorry, Pickman, I actually don't understand what you were yelling about... Hey, don't bite my nose!" Rhodes struggled to stand up. Even lifting his fingers would cause a slight pain. "I was just joking. Don't take it so seriously."

As soon as he finished speaking, Rhode saw Nayako hurriedly running out of the giant stone gate, with Qianye following closely behind, carrying the now dead Abigail on his back. Aside from the daughter of Yog-Sothoth, whose eyes were already glazed over, the expressions of the remaining two descendants of the evil god were definitely not good.

Nayako rushed over, carrying Rhodes horizontally on her shoulders. Ignoring his complaints and protests, she shouted:

"Have New Jersey ready to pick us up, and have the Alicorn's electromagnetic cannon... Rhodes, where's your nuclear bomb? Take it out and use it!"

"What the hell? A nuclear bomb exploding here is like exposing our future secret base." Rhode struggled a bit, but when he found he couldn't break free, he just let it go. "What the hell is going on? I feel terrible after throwing the spear. I need to use it a few more times like I did with the flaming sword."

"Can it be used now?"

"Oh, not now."

Rhode muttered something, then realized what had happened. He turned his head hard to look in the direction of the stone gate:

Inside the door was pitch black, as if the darkness were a tangible substance, billowing out of this mausoleum, this prison, like thick smoke, followed by the unbearable stench of rotting fish and shrimp...

In just a few seconds, the huge body appeared in Rhodes' field of vision. The gelatinous green body squeezed out of the dark green giant stone gate and came to the real world with madness and rage - this was not a dream world, but an illusion created by a part of the flesh of an indescribable god, which was more real than dreams and more unreal than reality.

The shadowy figure of Cthulhu emerged from the massive stone gate, its body growing larger with each step, and each stride crumbling the rocks and buildings beneath its feet. Dust and fog rose in the air, soaked by the rain, transforming into filthy sewage that flowed downhill and into the sea.

The inhuman roar echoed beneath the rain clouds, making the howling of the storm even more terrifying.

"So, ladies... ladies, do you have any good ideas?" Rhode's waist was hurting from being pressed by Nayako's shoulders, but Nayako was far from tall enough to lift him up or even carry him on her back. "If that doesn't work, I'll try again."

"Can you throw it on your own without assistance?"

Qianye asked calmly, her brows furrowed slightly as she gracefully leaped across the jagged rocks like a deer, easily dodging falling pillars and monuments. Then, before Rhode could ask, the beautiful, mature girl explained:

"That thing...it seems we can't, and dare not, touch it. Of course, if things really become extremely critical, those risks can naturally be ignored."

"Can the phantom of the god behind us be attacked by physical means?"

"Of course you can! Even if it's 'us', it's just that we're incomprehensible to mortals, not that we can't be hurt. Your power is enough to hurt the Old Ones... not to mention that this is just a phantom created by a piece of flesh," Nayako shouted loudly, her ahoge tightly wrapped around Rhode's waist to prevent him from falling. "So, let New Jersey take action quickly, we're all very tired now!"

Hearing this, Rhode looked around and saw a cliff sloping upwards in front of him on the right. Then he asked the black cat Pickman, who was squatting above Nayako's head:

"Pickman, can you open a portal for us to the New Jersey's hull? Just enough for us to jump through."

"Meow meow meow."