Long-term salvation

The foul-smelling sewage solidified into a bluish-black oil film in the cement ditch. The surrounding lights reflected broken yellow spots on the surface of the oil film, which was then crushed by Sergeant Iliapa Mendes.

The experienced soldier held the front end of the silencer of the MP5SD submachine gun with his palm with one hand and placed his other hand on the trigger ring, carefully observing the front - in the world of the monocular night vision goggles, the lights of a car were particularly dazzling - the car was parked under a large building, and two men were leaning against the car smoking.

The flickering light of the cigarette butt can be seen clearly even without night vision goggles.

There were three people serving as sentries on the roof of the building, and two people guarding the roadblock on the other side of the street... Strange noises were faintly heard from inside the building, which sounded like human but were mixed with women's desperate screams. Within just a few tens of seconds, a man carrying a lot of black plastic bags walked out of the building. Like the previous people, he was carrying weapons.

"...Yes, they're still feeding that monster human entrails," Sergeant Iliapa Mendez gritted his teeth, squeezing out these words. "The agents' intelligence is correct. Under the cover of a bribed drug trafficking organization, the [Organization] is attempting to 'tame' an otherworldly monster... Yes, First Assault Team understands. Prepare to deploy."

As soon as the words fell, several dull knocking sounds were heard in the communication channel——

The two men guarding the roadblock immediately collapsed on the dirty plastic chairs. The radio next to them was still playing Portuguese lyrical songs, but the radio casing with the football team emblem on it was already splashed with blood.

The next second, two heavy Humvees suddenly accelerated from the corner of the street. The triangle cones in front of the car violently knocked away the roadblock, and the remote-controlled weapon station equipped with M2 heavy machine guns opened fire continuously, cutting the car and the three militants next to it into two!

The still twitching body was immediately run over by the Hummer's wheels, and the car, which had been shattered into pieces, was also knocked away and crashed into the nearby building in flames.

This sudden change startled the enemies inside the building. When they were unable to contact the sentries on the rooftop, they realized that a well-trained special forces unit was breaking into the building. Without any hesitation, these technicians from the Organization immediately released the monsters from the other world:

"The Ozodek scanner has been activated. The enemy is using otherworldly artifacts to resist!"

Sergeant Iliapa Mendes shouted loudly on the communication channel. He saw three one-eyed monsters with electric collars around their necks and backs like crocodile skin rushing out of the building, and the huge mouths on their abdomens used to devour prey were emitting a strong stench of corpses.

The monsters are more than two meters tall when standing on two feet, and their skin and hair can even easily resist ordinary 9mm or 5.56mm bullets!

"Damn it, these things look like Mapinguari! Anti-armor forces, move forward, and the rest of you, provide suppressive fire. Let's throw these monsters to hell!"

A monster jumped onto the body of a Hummer and tore apart the remote-controlled weapon station that was firing continuously. The metal parts were like soft clay in its hands. The next second, it jumped away before the heavy machine gun of the Hummer next to it fired, and jumped on the roofs of the surrounding buildings.

"Disperse the personnel and concentrate the firepower! Buy the last bit of time... This damn slum is too narrow!"

The sergeant heard the lieutenant's shouts on the communication channel. He was hovering above in a helicopter marked as the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department, constantly observing and directing the battle in the slums.

Just as Sergeant Mendes was reloading, a monster suddenly pounced towards him - but in mid-air, it was knocked back into the building by a heavy steel punch, raising clouds of dust!

An M6S AS mech retracted its arm, raised its cannon, and aimed it at the damaged part of the building, spewing destruction! The blazing torrent of metal instantly ignited the monster's fur, melted its skin, and pulverized its foul organs into a warm pulp!

"For God's sake, Tacape No. 1, I thought you guys were stuck in the alley and couldn't get through!"

"We almost didn't make it through. The truck got stuck, and we had to jump all the way through with the help of the agents... Next time we'll try to deploy a transport plane inside Brazil."

The pilot of the mecha said this in the communication channel, with some irritation in his voice, and this irritation immediately turned into the cold light of an anti-tank dagger - another M6S mecha appeared from the side, using firepower to force a monster away, causing it to collide with the sharp blade swung by Takape No. 1!

Dodging the rotten blood scattered by the monster, Sergeant Mendes took a few breaths and said helplessly:

"Brazil isn't like Africa. The government won't easily allow us to build a military base within its borders, and a base capable of landing and taking off large transport aircraft isn't so easy to hide... I heard the higher-ups are planning to nominate that congressman named 'Lula da Silva' as president."

"Then let's wait and see - you guys deal with the monsters outside, commandos, follow me!"

Amid the sergeant's roar, the soldiers jumped over the foul-smelling corpses of monsters, leaped over the burning human flesh, and responded to the drug dealers who were still resisting with a hail of bullets.

When the soldiers kicked open the door at the deepest part of the room, the scene they saw made them shudder with fear!

A dozen dying men and women were hung here with meat hooks piercing their collarbones like pigs in a dirty slaughterhouse. They had lost consciousness, but there were blood vessels under their bodies connected to the floor... connected to the clean and bright modern laboratory.

The laboratory was in a mess, and the side door was ajar. It was obvious that the people who were here before had already escaped through the secret passage.

"...Even though you saved one chess piece, the other will still be captured. The balance of victory is tilting towards me."

The savior of mankind said this, looking at the chessboard, and after having some more thoughts in his mind, he picked up a new chess piece again.

Chapter 380 Codename Thunder: Southeast Asia (4/4)

The savior of mankind picked up the knight chess piece and put it down:

The sun hovered almost vertically above the equator, enveloping the entire airport in a visible heat wave that distorted the outline of the surrounding barbed wire fence.

This small island was purchased by Aperture Technology in the name of a shell company. After the infrastructure and airport on the island were completed, it was handed over to the Army Without Borders for use as a transit base.

Now, the weeds on both sides of the island's only concrete runway are trembling slightly as two F-15E fighter jets start their engines:

"Falcon-1/Falcon-2, prepare for takeoff."

"Pixy/Micah received."

Two top pilots from the world of Ace Combat and their respective weapons control officers in the back seats, who are also their trainees, are preparing to take off to attack a freighter passing through the Lesser Sunda Islands.

According to intelligence, the freighter was carrying otherworldly materials collected by the [Organization] in Southeast Asia, and was planning to send them to the latter's secret research facility in the Indonesian archipelago. The Army Without Borders did not intend to send anyone to personally recover these evil black magic items, but instead planned to blow up the freighter along with the research facility!

Because of this, when the F-15E fighter jet climbed at a forty-five-degree angle and the wing vortex shattered the mirage on the sea level, the fleet belonging to Atlas Corporation was also slowly approaching the island with the enemy research facilities... The moment the fighter jets arrived, the coordinated attack would begin.

"We will arrive at our destination soon, and then two F16C fighter jets will take off. They will be waiting for an opportunity to join the battle after receiving aerial refueling."

Pixy spoke aloud on the communication channel. He gripped the joystick tightly, making the fighter plane fly at an ultra-low altitude. This was an extremely dangerous operation, but for this winged fairy, it was as easy as breathing. He glanced at the altitude number and continued:

"It's basically certain that the enemy possesses air-to-surface radar. Although its power isn't very high, it's enough to detect us as we begin our climb to attack."

"I thought you'd be flying that superior fighter into battle," the weapons control officer in the back seat said. He turned his head to look out at the endless sea beside him. A touch of awe rose in his heart at the dazzling shimmering waves. "Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

"We don't need to use those to deal with these little Karamis," Pixy said calmly. "Rather, it's just that Mr. Michael and I are too bored to participate in this operation."

"…I'm not old now, Pixy."

"Sorry, sorry, I always forget."

Pixy replied insincerely, licking his lips to calm his heart, which was pounding with excitement. He then put on his oxygen mask and spoke seriously on another communication channel:

"Data access to 'Atlas - Southeast Asia Fleet'. We will enter the attack starting point in area K03, heading 267, currently 200 nautical miles away... We will launch the attack at 10 nautical miles. Please reply if you receive this."

"Atlas-Southeast Asia Fleet, we will launch cruise missiles in five minutes."

Hearing this reply, Pixy's mouth curled up slightly, and he immediately raised the fuselage of the fighter plane and began to climb.

When the medium-sized freighter just docked at the island port, the radar operator of the research facility saw several spots of light flashing on the screen!

bang bang dong!

The radar operator's heartbeat, like a death knell, suddenly exploded in his ears, and an inexplicable fear instantly gripped him. But just as he was about to turn and shout to the others, an AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile had already struck the radar antenna, completely destroying it!

The next second, several cruise missiles accurately hit the research facilities hidden in the island forest, destroying buildings, setting trees on fire, and burying the crime.

The shrieking blast of the explosion slashed through the glass like the Grim Reaper's scythe, sending the shattered fragments gleaming like stars in the sunlight. The resulting shockwave unleashed its brutal force within the enclosed building, shredding the desks and chairs in the rooms, along with human bodies, and then covering the walls, some cracked and some intact.

Those members of the Organization who died directly in the cruise missile strike were lucky enough not to be killed by the ensuing fire or the toxic gases leaking from the laboratory. However, those fools who still planned to resist would never be so lucky.

A few missiles or feeble anti-aircraft fire were launched, but they were quickly dodged by the attackers, who responded with several laser-guided bombs.

As the blast overturned anti-aircraft gun emplacements and anti-aircraft missile installations, concrete debris and twisted metal parts mixed in the air into deadly shotgun shells, piercing the flesh of guards hundreds of meters away, taking their lives or severing their limbs and causing them to die in painful struggle.

Wrapped in the shrill roar of engines, two F-15E fighter jets leaped out of the billowing smoke one after another, their gray wings reflecting a cold metallic luster.

"That freighter is fleeing the port," Pixy said, turning her fighter plane sideways and looking up to observe the strikes on the ground. "Micah, how many bombs do you have left? I've used all of mine."

"Me too... Wait, Pixy, do you see those things on the island? They look like snakes." Michael's excellent eyesight allowed him to clearly see the monsters wriggling below. "They're about the same length as an adult man... but they have two arms. Snake people?"

"Whatever it is, we can't let them live. Let's get those two F16Cs in there too. Hopefully they've got napalm or some other high-explosive bomb."

Pixy said so, twisting the joystick and the fighter plane flew in a nearly perfect arc, re-entering the attack starting point.

"As for the freighter, someone will take care of it."

Indeed, after the freighter left the port, the crew on board had no time to breathe a sigh of relief before they saw a fleet appearing not far ahead - a fleet consisting of two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and two Perry-class frigates moving left and right, and the warships' guns slowly turned and aimed.

At the moment of firing, time seemed to stand still, and only began to flow slowly when the first fireball exploded on the freighter.

Two Mk45-127mm naval guns and two Oto Melara 76mm naval guns fired dozens of shells in one minute. The high-explosive shells tore open the metal outer layer of the freighter, forcing the burning oil to rush through the cracks in the deck and swallow the crew members who had no time to escape.

The steel plate curled slightly under the influence of the scorching heat, and the warm sea water near the equator rushed into the gap frantically, like a giant's hands binding it tightly and dragging it into the deep sea!

As a result, several Southeast Asian black magic items transported by the freighter, along with the hired black magic practitioners, were buried at the bottom of the sea - these evil and hateful people who practiced evil magic wanted to curse but could not find anyone to curse, so they could only die with resentment... Some of them were connected with the creatures of the other world and would suffer an even more miserable fate.

After completing the attack, the Atlas fleet will record the coordinates of the freighter's sinking location to facilitate intelligence agents to mark those who want to find the freighter.

"...Eat another one, it looks like I'm on the way to victory. Hmm? Still a little short? Then let's continue, time is not pressing."

Thus said the Savior of Mankind, he looked with satisfaction at his opponent's sparsely marked chessboard, and then picked up a new piece.

Chapter 381 Codename Thunder: Levant

The Savior of mankind took up the bishop chess piece and put it down:

The salty mist of the Mediterranean Sea overflows the breakwater, shrouding the still-ruined port city of Beirut in a gray veil - the Lebanese civil war is over, and people are slowly and firmly rebuilding the city - the night is receding, handing over this ancient city to dawn.

A flock of pigeons flew over the churches and mosques, temporarily blocking the ugly bullet holes in the ancient buildings that looked like hollowed-out cheese.

At the turn of night and dawn, a man murdered a woman.

The man suddenly appeared from the shadows, pulled out a sharp dagger made of human leg bones and stabbed it into the poor woman's back from behind, piercing the liver and slowly stirring it... The screams were suppressed by the rough and scarred palms, and finally turned into a painful gasp.

Dragging the corpse into the ruins of a deserted alley, the man happily licked the warm blood on the dagger a few times, then began to cut open the belly, bending down to gnaw on the soft heart and lungs, making a grunting sound like a pig eating happily.

Suddenly, the man heard a sound.

It was a slightly heavy sound of footsteps.

The man looked up and saw the light of dawn—the sun's rays peeking out from the distant horizon, shining through the city buildings and ruins, passing by the cross on the top of the church—reflected on the knight's drawn sword.

The Knights of the Covenant stand here.

"The day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners." The knight plunged his sword into the ground, lowering his eyes slightly and praying softly, "The stars of heaven and their constellations shall not give their light; the sun shall be dark in his rise, and the moon shall not give her light (Isaiah 13:9/13:10)."

"...You're the one hunting us in the city, right?"

The man smiled cruelly and reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth - he received help from an Afghan scholar during the civil war, and learned the spell to alienate himself and reproduce his tribe in hunger and thirst, and survived by devouring corpses - the man has turned into a ghoul, carefully hunting in the city and carefully expanding his tribe.

But two months ago, a strange being was wandering in the city, tracking the tribe's traces and hunting its members... Now, that being is right in front of him.

Just before him, he stepped into a trap—four ghouls resembling men emerged from the shadows, some male and some female, but all gradually transformed into inhuman beings by the civil war and subsequent famine.

"Now, what are you supposed to do?"

The man opened his hand and stepped on the corpse's chest, breaking its ribs. A few drops of blood splattered onto the knight's shield, turning his eyes even colder. But the man, already transformed into a ghoul, didn't notice and continued speaking happily.

"You are only one person, and a weak human being. You don't have a body as strong as ours."

“I will punish the world for its wickedness, the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and bring down the pride of the powerful (Isaiah 13:11).”

The knight who had been reciting the Bible in a low voice remained unmoved. He simply lowered his mask, gripped his sword, and responded with one final word:

“Amen!!!”

"!"

When the sword's blade reflected the horror on the man's face, it realized that the knight's speed was much faster than that of an ordinary human—the servo motor of the mechanical exoskeleton made a slight hum, like the last note played by a church organ—the blade cut through the man's face without any hindrance, and the worm-like fleshy tentacles at the broken muscle kept twisting in disgust.

The human skin he had put on was already loose, making the man's expression look weird and hateful:

"Go! Kill him!"

The first ghoul to attack was shrouded in a rotting miasma, its wrinkled, gray-red skin visible through the cracks in its ordinary clothing. Its fangs and sharp teeth grew larger and larger within the knight's eyepiece tactical interface, but...

Nothing more.

The Covenant Knight spun to avoid the claws, and the sword cut into the inhumanly strong body in a straight trajectory. The black stone powder coated on the blade instantly suppressed and expelled the weak otherworldly energy contained in it, calming the chaos and allowing the supernatural to return to nature - all that was left was tougher flesh and blood.

The first attacker's waist was severed, and the knight had no time to execute him, so he had to raise his shield to withstand the attack of another ghoul. The claws tore several tiny scratches on the high-strength alloy, but the next second, the emblem of the Knights on the shield burst into a dazzling high-voltage electric current!

The disposable discharge device from Aperture Technology is enough to burn an adult man inside and out!

The bright arc of electricity struck the ghoul, causing it to howl in pain. Its flesh rolled up like burning parchment, and acrid white smoke mixed with decay and burning rose into the air.

The howling stopped abruptly!

The knight drew his sword indifferently and shook off the rotten blood.

It's not over yet! The Covenant Knight spun around and severed the neck of the first enemy to rise from the ground. He kicked the ugly head away, letting it roll slowly across the bricks of the city street, scattering a trail of foul-smelling rotting blood that attracted a few flies.

All this was over in just a few breaths!

"Monsters, ghouls, abominable and evil," the knight finally spoke words beyond the scriptures. His voice was low and hoarse, and the undisguised hatred and coldness in it frightened the remaining three ghouls. "In the name of God and Jesus, you will die here."

Three ghouls, recovering from their stupor, roared and attacked the Knight from different directions, only to be easily dodged. Day after day of arduous training, combined with the strength and speed granted by his mechanical exoskeleton, allowed the Knight to transcend the boundaries of mortal man, slaughtering his foes in melee combat—swords, fire, and thunder were perfectly effective against these monsters conjured from the power of the otherworld.

“…Knight,” the ghoul transformed from the man slowly retreated, shouting in a timid voice, “God and Jesus are not here! If they were, why didn’t they save those innocent people in the war?!”

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away (Old Testament - Job 1:21)”

The Covenant Knight remained unmoved. He calmly stepped forward and continued speaking with almost no emotion: