Long-term salvation

"At this very moment, the Savior has already come, and the sins of the world can be redeemed; the true vine has sprouted, and the world will reap its fruit. Holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts! Holy, holy, is the King of Kings!"

Seeing the knight approaching slowly, the ghouls gritted their teeth in fear and panic. They slowly retreated, planning to retreat first - even if they could win, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses - in this case, they would gather more of their fellow tribe members!

However, new heavy footsteps were heard from behind the ghouls:

It was another Covenant Knight, but his armor was gray and he held no shield.

This knight, known as the "Grey Knight," made his covenant with the Ashes of Burnt Offerings. The hand that wasn't holding the sword clutched a chain that passed through the empty eye sockets of the ghoul's ugly head, stringing together eight similar heads. (Chapter 266)

The mutant heads engraved with the laurel crown and skull emblem made dull sounds as they collided with each other, rubbed against the ground, and slowly flowed their brains.

"How...how is this possible?! How can you...?" The ghouls stood back to back in despair and fear, in the last ray of shadow in the street, while the slowly but unstoppable dawn sunlight came from all directions, constantly squeezing the possibility of their existence. "There are so many of us..."

"We must keep the 'leader,'" the Grey Knight said. His voice was similar to that of the Covenant Knight, filled with the same hatred and indifference. "The Intelligence Department believes he may be connected to the 'Ibris Organization' and needs to be tortured."

"Yes, in the name of the Covenant."

The two knights simultaneously gripped their swords and walked towards the screaming ghouls.

Their desperate faces were reflected on the blades.

"...This bishop piece is more useful than I thought. Never mind, let's leave it at that for now. Now, we're down to the final few moves. Do you want to surrender? Refuse to surrender? Then continue."

The Savior of Mankind said this, looking away from the Bishop chess piece and pushing the other chess pieces forward.

Chapter 382 Codename Thunder: North America

The Savior of mankind took up the pawn chess piece, put it down and promoted it to a knight:

above the ground.

Neon waterfalls cascaded down from the rooftops of skyscrapers, melting into flowing spots of light in the night with the endless stream of golden car lights - young men and women walking out of the midnight theater happily discussed the content of the movie they had just watched, and as they passed by the shop windows, they reached out and blew kisses to the clothing models inside.

Under the ground.

The concrete arteries called sewers are clogged with the remnants of urban metabolism. The tails of several fat rats sweep through the black and yellow sewage, gnawing on the nearly intact food floating in the undercurrent - combat boots splashed with dirt step through the damp corridor, and the night vision goggles on the soldiers' heads use fluorescent light to outline a bizarre world.

"The enemy has deployed psychics capable of using supernatural powers! Yes, we can confirm!"

The combat team of the Army Without Borders was rapidly retreating along the sewers. Only four people were left, one of whom was injured, and the other two had been killed in the previous battle. After being caught off guard, the enemy immediately invested in modified soldiers purchased from ATC and clairvoyants injected with high concentrations of [Anshining] at all costs, turning a quickly concluded battle into a fierce exchange of fire. The intelligence was not perfect, but fortunately, the attackers had already activated the corresponding response plan.

But now, this combat team must retreat first, as the weapons they carry are not enough to deal with emergencies... However, the clairvoyant who has already become crazy does not seem to intend to let them go.

"Let's hold him off. Number 5, go ahead and scout the way to make sure there are no problems with the evacuation route."

No. 1, the captain, said this as he huddled in a narrow corner of the sewer, his feet in the dirty and smelly sewage, and threw a flash bomb in the direction he came from.

Explosions and glare erupted in the tunnel, and tiny streams of light shot out from the sewage outlet, blending in with the beautiful neon lights outside. But the darkness returned the next second, filling every crack and hole.

The sound of wading drifted faintly, as if something was struggling to walk and slide through the current, accompanied by foolish hoarse cries. The harsh noise of nails scraping against the wall grew closer, louder, and more eerie, as if the owner of that thing was transforming into some strange being.

"Tsk, this unlucky guy's brain has been made stupid by the drugs."

Number 1 muttered to himself in disgust. He reached out and patted Number 3 beside him, wanting to know the severity of the latter's injuries. But the soldier just covered his neck. After feeling the warm and wet feeling, he whispered in his increasingly blurred vision:

"One step ahead."

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, No. 1 said in the communication channel:

"ONE KIA... Number 6, prepare suppressive fire."

No. 6, who was hiding opposite the sewer corridor, raised his thumb in response. He was full of anger and clenched the general-purpose machine gun in his hand, with his finger on the trigger, quietly waiting for the captain to give orders.

"attack!"

The two men leaned out almost at the same time, and bullets from rifles and general-purpose machine guns poured out like a rainstorm. The flickering muzzle flames illuminated the entire sewer, and the shadows of the debris floating in the sewage were imprinted on the wall... But where was the thing in the middle?

Where is the enemy?

A fishy wind blew past the two of them. When they turned around, a tall and thin shadow jumped out from the entrance of the corridor. It looked like a spider, but its human limbs became slender and covered with hard hair, its abdomen bulged unnaturally, and its head was already twisted and deformed!

The supernatural power from another dimension was raging in the body of the alienated visionary. It would only take a few dozen minutes to dismember it from the inside, taking away its tragic life. But before that, the alienated monster was more than enough to kill everyone in the combat team.

Pulling out the electric dagger and pistol, No. 1 barely avoided the attack of the mutated psychic, and his sharp claws left several ugly scratches on the concrete wall above the man's head.

"Are you kidding me?! You damn monster!" No. 1 roared and stabbed out with a dagger. Electric arcs were jumping on the sharp blade, but the monster easily dodged the close-range attack and was even able to avoid the fire of a general-purpose machine gun in a narrow corridor!

Gunfire roared and lightning flashed.

Just as No. 1 and No. 3 of the combat team were thinking about how to join the enemy, the alienated clairvoyant, which had become even more twisted, suddenly stopped. It carefully and slowly retreated to the entrance of the sewer corridor, and stuck its head out from there, looking at the two people who were on high alert and slowly retreating... behind them.

Four new signals were connected to the combat team's internal communication channel, and a calm voice said:

"This is Mobile Task Force Zeta-9 'Mole Rats'. We will be taking over the battle here. Your companions will arrive soon with follow-up reinforcements, and we will continue our advance."

Evolved from the former Vulture Squad of the Army Without Borders, Mobile Task Force Mole is a team that excels at investigating and exploring otherworldly events occurring underground or in enclosed areas. They also perform combat and containment work in narrow and complex terrains such as tunnels (Chapters 157 and 163).

No. 1 and No. 3 of the combat team stared at the newcomers in amazement. These mobile task force members, whose entire bodies were almost covered in armor, were strolling forward leisurely, as if they didn't notice the cold malice!

Mobile Task Force member "Mole No. 2" walked slowly forward holding a heavy shield. His body was stronger than the others, even more so after using the mechanical exoskeleton. The [Blackstone Resonance Field Generator] installed on top of the shield could continuously suppress the energy of the other world!

"Activate the Black Stone Resonance Stand."

"Inject anti-mental pollution medicine."

"Activate the Odraudek scanner."

"Attitude system self-check complete, suppression operation begins!"

Mole No. 2, holding a shield, then stepped forward. Armor-piercing and incendiary bullets flew past his body from both sides. The whistling sound of the bullets tearing through the air echoed continuously in the dim sewer, turning into a roar like thunder. With no space to dodge on either side, the twisted and alienated clairvoyant leaped to the top of the tunnel, and an invisible impact rushed out from his cracked face!

However, the impact that was enough to overturn a car was greatly weakened or even eliminated after it came into contact with the black stone resonance field. Only the sewage surging like waves could prove that it had released its power.

"Keep pushing forward, keep suppressing."

The moles of the Mobile Task Force pulled the triggers slowly, from single shots to continuous fire, from far to near, from darkness to light - they turned on the high-frequency flashlights on their left chests, and the ultra-high lumen brightness of the light stimulated the monsters to howl in annoyance, but these well-trained soldiers were able to minimize the impact with special eye masks!

Unable to bear it any longer, the monster lunged at the moles, but its stance weakened it mid-flight and it fell into the sewage, its body riddled with bullets! But it wasn't over yet!

The monster's body was pulled out of the water by a mole. The humming sound of the mechanical exoskeleton suddenly became louder, and the arm threw the monster against the wall. The next second, a round object as big as an adult's palm was attached to its chest - the circular device lit up a scarlet ring light, and then, a directional explosion!

In an instant, the monster's entire chest was shattered, leaving only its head, connected to a small section of its shoulders and neck, and its already ruptured lower body, which slowly slid to the ground. Dirty blood merged into the filthy sewage, flowing down the sewer towards the sea.

"The signal strength of the Odjodek scanner has changed. The energy response from the other world has weakened... Prepare to recover the remaining creations from the other world. You two will remain on guard until follow-up personnel arrive."

"Huh? Ah... Yes, we understand!"

Looking at the four figures who continued to walk deeper into the sewer, No. 1 and No. 3 of the combat team looked at each other, and then took the monster heads and corpses that had been piled up.

After watching for a few seconds, No. 1 turned his head and saw the light of a tactical flashlight flickering in the sewer in the other direction. He sighed sadly at the death of his companion, and a little eagerness rose in his heart:

"This is the Mobile Task Force."

"... Check (General)."

The Savior of mankind said this, and he smiled.

Chapter 383: Thunder Stops and Rain Falls

"It looks like I'm winning."

Rhodes wanted to pick up the chess piece, but Marian on the opposite side shamelessly snatched the queen chess piece from his hand, preventing the final blow from coming.

After seeing Nikki playing this coquettish little trick, Rhode could only shrug his shoulders and said helplessly:

"How can you not afford to lose?"

"I must ensure victory in every battle with you," Marianne shook her head, her face filled with mock seriousness. She reached out to gather the chess pieces and placed them in the chess box beside her. "We're almost at our destination... Some combat reports have just been sent in."

"How's the situation?" Rhodes noticed Nikki had stood up to retrieve some documents. Nikki quickly read through them and then put them aside. It was clearly not a particularly urgent matter. "I hope to hear some good news."

"Of course it's good news of victory, Commander. Anything sent this quickly must have been a swiftly resolved battle."

Nikki said so, but then she raised her eyes and looked at Rhodes:

"But not all actions will be successful, and we will also encounter failures."

"I'm not a volatile person who can't accept defeat. I just hope they won't suffer too much loss. After all, it's not easy to train a well-trained and sensible soldier, and the enemy won't have so many concerns."

Rhodes shrugged, stood up and began to put on his equipment. Just like the other soldiers, he would also join the battle, and one of the most difficult ones, namely attacking the secret research facility jointly established by the three giants of the [Organization]. The intelligence department of the Army Without Borders discovered that many human smuggling routes from overseas ended here, and even the "consumption rate" was astonishingly fast!

Because of this, Rhodes not only brought Marian, ten mass-produced Nikkis and the most elite troops of the Army Without Borders, but also brought the recovered and regrouped [Mobile Task Force Nine-Tailed Fox], ready to completely suppress and destroy this place.

"The only problem now is that we don't have enough strength." Rhodes, wearing a stealth suit and a chest mount, put his revolver and dagger on his waist. As he spoke, he reached out to take the rifle handed to him by Marian. "If the entire United States were under our control, it would be much easier."

"Will Atlas Corporation also become a world power in the future you foresee?"

"That will take some time...Marianne, my Marianne, even I would like to take a shortcut."

Rhode sighed, then slung his rifle around his neck with a sling and made a face, causing Nikki to chuckle. After checking the magazine and the loaded bullets, Rhode said slowly:

"As Mr. Geroge Zeppelin famously said, 'The shortest shortcut is the long way around, and the long way around is my shortest shortcut.' I will also diligently take that difficult path, rather than putting human civilization at risk like these scumbags..."

"Gero Zeppelin? Who is this? Commander, you are speaking strange words that we cannot understand."

Facing Nikki's puzzled look, Rhode laughed and patted her head, then pushed open the back door of the truck.

Heavy rain is blowing!

Late at night, the rain cast a murky orange glow in the dim light, like millions of poisoned steel needles piercing the drowsy earth. The meadows on either side of the road undulated like a black ocean in the torrential downpour, while the wet grass blades clung tightly to the base of the fence, like some strange insect feeding on rusted metal.

The convoy stopped at the edge of the forest on the outskirts of the city, outside the security range of the secret research facility, and from here one could even see the searchlight poles faintly through the rain.

"It's raining so hard, using helicopters or fighter jets isn't going to be a good idea." Rhode wiped his face with his hands, but the rain was so strong he could barely open his eyes. Stretching slightly, he turned to look at the approaching captain of Mobile Task Force Nine-Tailed Fox and asked, "How are your preparations going?"

"According to your plan, we will follow the other troops in... Is it really okay for you to sneak in alone?"

"A frontal attack is too disadvantageous, and I really need you to help me divert the enemy's attention." Rhode continued to stretch his body, stretching his arms and doing some chest exercises. "I will sneak with you first, and then leave Marian and some armored units behind. The rest will proceed according to the plan we made earlier."

Now that the order had been given, the soldiers of the Army Without Borders would no longer have any doubts - nearly two hundred soldiers blended into the dark forest like ink, letting the noise of rain hitting branches and leaves mask the sound of their footsteps. Perhaps only after the rain stopped and the sky cleared, would anyone notice these slightly messy series of footprints converging in one direction.

The torrential rain never stopped, like cold blood flowing from the cut arteries of a dead giant.

Rhodes walked at the front of the team. He used his all-seeing eye mask to find the monitoring equipment and alarm devices installed in the forest. Although these things became almost inoperable in the heavy rain, for safety reasons, the technical experts in the attacking team would deal with them.

After advancing slowly for nearly half an hour, Rhode finally spotted a complex of buildings nestled within the forest, enclosed by barbed wire and a high wall. The searchlights' light shifted sharply, creating a clear, bright band surrounding the research facility, isolating it from the outside. The guards posted at several outposts far outnumbered those at an average military base.

"Has the enemy received the information that they are under attack?" Rhode raised his eyebrows slightly. "Or is the alert level here really that high?"

"I'm sorry, Boss. Our intelligence agents didn't succeed in infiltrating the research facility and were nearly discovered," Major Richard Wilfong, a member of the United States Marine Corps and the overall commander, said apologetically. "But we've found several main and secondary passages and set up ambushes. If the enemy wants to send reinforcements, they'll definitely be blocked—unless they dare to use helicopters in this level of torrential rain and strong winds."

"There's no need to apologize for this, Major. Just do your duty."

Rhode closed the communication and raised his hand to leave a pile of weapons and vehicles, including main battle tanks, for the attacking soldiers. Then, he activated the camouflage function of his stealth suit, blending himself into the earth, and wandered through the dead leaves and weeds.

In such a downpour, who would pay attention to a snake?

In this way, Rhodes easily avoided the gaps left by the intersecting searchlight lights and moved towards the main body of the research facility.

"……Um?"

As he got closer to these large research facilities, Rhodes frowned. He could sense a strange aura... The atmosphere here was heavy.

Rhodes' heart sank, and he had a bad feeling.

Chapter 384 Facilities 1-22

Rhodes stooped and crept in the muddy darkness, passing through the beams of light from three searchlights. The raindrops thrown behind him were like broken cotton threads falling continuously when swept by the light, weaving a slight mist on the flat mud ground.

It took Rhodes five or six minutes to reach the outside of the iron fence. He first crouched down to avoid the searchlight's light and then suddenly jumped up - with his strong physical fitness and stealth suit, he easily jumped over the three-meter-high wall, twisting in the air like an acrobat in a circus, and flying through the shadows between the light beams!

After landing lightly and rolling forward, Rhodes leaned against the outer wall of the research facility building and exhaled slowly, taking out the M4 rifle equipped with a silencer from the storage space.

"I have successfully entered..."

Rhodes whispered in the communication channel. He raised his head and carefully scanned the surrounding environment. The main body of the entire secret research facility consisted of two oval buildings in front and back, all grayish white. The black painted "Facility 1-22" font revealed a faint sense of death. The area of ​​the underground part was definitely not smaller than the ground area.

At this moment, the buildings above ground were still bustling with activity, from researchers to soldiers to handymen who had been rigorously screened for work. These individuals, serving the Organization, chatted with one another, some serious, some calm, as they walked through the brightly lit corridors, seemingly observing nothing unusual.

After keeping these situations in mind, Rhodes walked along the shadow of the wall, avoiding the surveillance cameras, opened the window from the corner of the building, and quietly disappeared inside.

The flames flashed by, and Rhodes evaporated the water on his body and the rain that had fallen off. Then he walked briskly along the corridor. According to the plan, after Rhodes sent out the prepared signal, the external power supply cables of the facility would be cut off by the Army Without Borders personnel, and before the other party activated the backup generator, Rhodes would connect the [Shiting Box] to its internal data network.

Although there wasn't much Alona could do, and she couldn't break through the heavily defended firewall, she was more than capable of opening a few doors... Sure enough, this kind of thing still needed Prana to do.

Gathering his thoughts, Rhodes dodged several researchers in white research suits and heard them talking about the mental disorders of testers who had recently conducted experimental activities. The conversation soon turned to complaints about salary and benefits and the order to increase the alert level.