Long-term salvation

Even though it is something that will be thrown away, if it is not even looked at, isn’t it a waste?

"Waste... is shameful and must be punished."

Rapunzel said so, she quickly convinced herself, and then slowly opened the book...

Chapter 423: Captain Price's Visit

Captain John Price, the field commander of Task Force 141, came here for the first time, to the town of Arkham.

Although the United States military is currently divesting itself of the influence of Atlas, the latter has already infiltrated the military system like a parasitic vine over the past few decades. Even if both sides have this intention, it will still take several years.

After all, no politician in a high position would casually announce decoupling and then have to admit defeat two days later, becoming a laughing stock of the whole world... probably not, right?

Although Price felt that there should be no such stupid politicians, he did not trust those guys' brains - the captain sincerely hoped that Britain would not suddenly announce its intention to leave the EU (the European Union was officially established in November 1993) one day and then regret it - but at least now those Cold War elites were still alive and trembling with fear to add bricks and tiles to the cause of imperialism, so it seemed that nothing would go wrong.

Political matters are naturally taken care of by bureaucrats and politicians. For Captain Price, who is just a private, he really cannot do without the finely crafted custom-made firearms produced by Atlas. They are simply the soldiers' dream lover!

Of course, the touching price is enough to live up to the name.

Fortunately, General Sheffield, the commander-in-chief, was not stingy and would not let his elite troops take out loans to buy guns.

Standing in the bright sunshine that shone into the small town of Arkham, Captain Price reached out and pressed the brim of his hunter hat, saying helplessly:

"To be honest, I really don't want to come here. If I get discovered, it will be a big disaster."

"The commander of a top-secret special forces unit went off-duty to have secret contact with the top brass of Atlas Corporation... or something like that."

The ghost "Simon Riley" wearing a mask shrugged his shoulders. He was pushing Soap "John McTavish" in a wheelchair forward, ready to follow Captain Price directly to the town's mental hospital - Arkham Asylum, what a good name - the ghost complained in his heart, he didn't have much hope for this trip, after all, who would encounter those horrible and strange things?

"And by the way, he threw his team members to those heartless scientific research lunatics," Price added. Although he said the strange words in a joking manner, the worry between his eyebrows was so much that it was about to overflow.

Reaching out and patting Soap's shoulder, Price checked the latter's body, who was still in a trance. After confirming that the situation did not continue to deteriorate, he continued along the streets of Arkham Town.

At this moment, the summer sun is shining on the streets of Arkham Town, reflecting tiny spots of light through the lush branches and leaves of the trees on the roadside.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street. After all, even the houses on both sides of the road were trembling slightly in the heat wave. The climbing roses on the cast iron fence were drooping their heads, and the edges of the petals were burnt brown, like scorched meat scorched by the sun.

A wealthy town, enthusiastic residents, a large number of expensive board game pieces and the suckers who bought the pieces... This was Price's first impression of Arkham. He did some research before coming here.

But after walking a few streets, Price and Ghost's eyes twitched slightly. They saw a group of soldiers passing by in military uniforms - allegedly armed personnel from the "Blackwater International Defense Company" founded by General Hammer - but in fact, the two were sure that these people were definitely active-duty special forces members!

The vigorous young men were casting wary glances at him. If it weren't for the soap on the wheelchair still drooling, they might have come forward to interrogate him.

"Hey, Colonel Faulkner, could it be that he's tricked us into coming here to chop us up?" Ghost looked around suspiciously, his eyes sweeping over the cameras that occasionally turned to look and then quickly moved away after being discovered. He asked nervously, "And that Mr. Rhodes... Captain Price, are you sure he can cure soap?"

"Probably... No, I firmly believe it."

Price recalled the scene he had witnessed at Crawford Manor, and his doubts and hesitations vanished. If it weren't for his loyalty to his country and his insistence on military honor, the captain would have long ago taken his pots and pans and gone to work under Colonel Faulkner.

Putting aside those messy thoughts, Price walked fearlessly, letting those eyes fall on him... The fierce sunlight was more unbearable than the vigilant eyes. Fortunately, they did not run around like headless flies for too long.

With a sharp sound of brakes, a Hummer stopped beside Price and his two companions.

Colonel Allen Faulkner (Chapter 178), who was sitting in the passenger seat, rolled down the window. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he was about to laugh when he saw Soap in a wheelchair.

The soldier turned his head with a confused look on his face and gave a hollow silly smile.

After a few seconds of silence, the colonel tilted his head back and said:

"Get in the car. I'll take you directly to Arkham Asylum. Rhodes will also meet you there."

Colonel Faulkner, the main commander of the Army Without Borders, had recently returned from Africa and was planning to rest for a while before taking the new recruits with him.

It was for this reason that after the colonel received Price's message that he "wanted to conduct a mental examination", he gladly invited the latter to come - but he did not expect that the person in trouble would be Soap, and judging from his appearance and the severity of the situation, it was obviously related to the other world.

Without wasting any time, Price and the others quickly boarded the vehicle. After feeling the cool air inside, even the strongest warriors couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction.

"Big mistake, we should have driven here, but unfortunately we are all British and it is not convenient to rent a car here."

"Humph, I told you you're following the wrong boss," Colonel Faulkner snorted, his words filled with disdain for the stingy NATO military. "You sell so much munitions every year, and yet you can't even cure the mental pollution of a single soldier."

"Are you sure it's mental pollution?"

"Did he get hit on the back of the head with a stick?"

"That's not the case."

"That's all?" Colonel Faulkner curled his lips. He leaned back in the car seat, staring out the window at the rapidly receding town. He said unhappily, "Tell me where your last mission took place. No city, just a region will do."

"……Iraq."

"Tsk, it looks like you've run into the Ibris organization. They've been a bit restless lately. Speaking of which, I remember the CIA often funds those terrorists, didn't they? Didn't they pass on any intelligence to you?"

"...We're going to rescue captured CIA agents."

Hearing this, Colonel Faulkner laughed three times, causing Price and the other man behind him to look up helplessly and begin to study the pattern on the roof. Fortunately, the veteran did not continue to laugh. Instead, he sighed and said with a tired voice:

"All the good soldiers have fallen into the hands of their own people... We're here, get off the bus."

"it is good."

Price opened the car door, and just as his feet touched the ground, he heard Rhodes's teasing voice:

"I thought it would be Mr. James Bond coming with you, Captain Price."

"Bond does have this plan, and it was he who recommended me here. However... MI6's top agents haven't been having a very good time lately," Price said, his lips curling up slightly. He quickly stepped forward to shake hands with Rhodes, who was standing at the entrance of Arkham Asylum. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rhodes."

Feeling the warmth coming back from his palm, the captain relaxed a little for some reason, and even started joking:

"That guy recently got a new partner, who's not very smart. I feel really sad for him."

"That partner who could give 007 a headache—isn't that guy called Johnny English?" Rod asked with a smile. "His codename is Mr. Bean or something like that."

"...Are you really not a prophet?" Price responded with a surprised look, "Or have you infiltrated MI6?"

"...Let's not talk about your attempt to get information from me."

Taking a deep breath, Rhode subconsciously retreated tactically and said earnestly:

"Anyway, let us observe three seconds of silence for Mr. James Bond. May God bless him - I'll ask God later if he's willing."

"???"

Chapter 424: Treatment of Soap

After a brief greeting with Colonel Faulkner, Rhodes led Price and the others into Arkham Asylum. The main building remained the same as before, with doctors and nurses diligently performing their duties, and patients who occasionally walked out with ease and comfort on their faces. Many of those who knew Rhodes would even raise their hands to greet him.

But if you walk through the main building and into the intensive care unit further back, you'll see a completely different scene:

"The patient in Ward 6 is refusing to take his medicine again!"

"Quack! That's snow!"

"Don't stop... Stop that guy! The patients in Ward 15 have escaped en masse. They're hallucinating again!"

"When did you come in? Yes, I love you too."

"Anshining Anshining Anshining Anshining..."

Those admitted to Arkham Asylum are not just mentally polluted soldiers of the Army Without Borders, but also fools who have overdosed on Amino Acid, ordinary people who have encountered events in the other world, and students or professors from the neighboring Miskatonic University who have gone astray - their conditions are relatively mild due to strict protective measures, and they will be discharged soon... but in the foreseeable future, they will return many times and become one of those groups of mental patients.

As the situation seemed to be getting out of control, a doctor could only shout:

"Go and invite Miss Aomori Miya!"

"I've been there for a long time... She's here!"

Captain Price was still trying to break free from a mentally ill patient as the girl holding a blast shield whizzed past him in a strong wind.

The next second, the captain saw the crowd in front of him flying like bowling balls, and then falling to the ground in pieces - the burly male nurses nearby immediately rushed forward, pinned down the running patients, tied them up, and carried them back to their respective wards.

In just two minutes, the entire corridor was completely cleared, leaving only a girl with blue hair and green eyes standing there holding a shield, saying calmly:

"Now, everyone return to your respective wards and wait for the nurses and doctors to arrive. Otherwise, I will have to personally perform 'first aid' on you!"

The ward door, which had originally been left ajar, was immediately closed. The uniform movements almost made people feel that they had rehearsed it in advance... if being suppressed dozens of times could be considered a rehearsal.

After scanning the area and confirming that there were no troublemakers, Cang Sen Meiya sighed, turned to look at Rhodes and the others, and said helplessly:

"Sensei, since you're here, you should help."

"I think Meiya is capable enough on her own. There's no need for me to take over," Rhodes shrugged. He pointed at Price and Soap, who was still daydreaming, and continued, "This is Captain Price. He's brought his men here for mental pollution treatment. Please prepare a quiet ward for us, one with STEM equipment."

"Okay, does Muji know about this?"

"Of course, she's already prepared at Hill House."

Rhode nodded slightly. Taking advantage of the opportunity when the girl turned around to lead the way, he explained to Price and Ghost, who were still a little confused beside him:

"I took a quick look at this unfortunate child's condition. His soul must be lost in the other world... But I have to warn you, there's no guarantee we'll be able to find him, and even if we do, there's no guarantee he'll be back to normal—has it been more than thirteen days?"

"Exceeded," Price gritted his teeth, a hint of regret welling up in his heart. "We initially thought it was a head injury, the effects of chemical weapons, or excessive mental stress, but all the tests were normal."

"Don't blame yourself so much, Captain. Many symptoms of otherworldly influence can be diagnosed, but his is different."

As Rhodes said this, he saw Meimi walking in front of him opening the door of a ward. The area inside the ward was not small. In the center was a large device integrated with a recliner. Dozens of bundled cables extended from the device and drilled into the wall of the room like long snakes.

In addition, there are several ordinary seats, with several DC-mini 2.0 versions hanging on the seat surfaces. This is the latest masterpiece from Chiba Atsuko and Tokita Hirosaku (Chapter 111).

"Anyway, let's try it first." Rhodes gestured to Price and Ghost to carry the soap to the recliner. He reached out and picked up a DC-mini and put it on his head. "But before that... Captain Price, the price for me to personally perform this treatment is not low. How do you want to pay for this treatment?"

"Task Force 141's operational records and intelligence in Iraq, as well as the names of key personnel involved in the CIA's liaisons with certain forces in Africa—this can only be 'paid' after Soap is successfully cured."

Captain Price spoke quickly, looking like he had already thought about what he would give before coming here.

Hearing this, Rhodes thought for a moment and added:

"I also need the NATO military's response to your incident, as well as general intelligence about the other world. Even hearsay information is fine."

Rhodes didn't believe that after a special forces unit of the level of Task Force 141 encountered a supernatural incident, the people within NATO would remain indifferent.

However, to Rhode's surprise, Captain Price's facial expression quickly became tangled. He spread his hands and looked like he was about to faint.

"Bond told me all the intelligence about the other world and supernatural phenomena from Task Force 141, but we've never received any official intelligence support on this matter. The report we submitted this time seems to have fallen on deaf ears... Otherwise, why would I take such a big risk and seek your help?"

"...I understand." Rhode's eyes twitched slightly. Wearing the all-seeing eye patch, he could clearly see that the other party was not lying, but this was the difficult part:

Forget about the UK, it's perfectly normal for these troublemakers to hold back, but why didn't even the US military issue it? Without even a hint?

Could it be that all the information about the inner world was intercepted, cleaned up, and then forwarded out...where could it be sent to?

Rhodes looked at Price suspiciously, but the latter was speechless.

"You also need to enter, because through your shared memories, we can achieve more accurate positioning."

After taking the situation into consideration, Rhode didn't waste any more time. Instead, he tossed a DC-mini to Price and Ghost, briefly explaining how to use it, and then said,

"This will save a lot of time, and if you follow me in, your safety will be much higher. The world is changing, Captain Price, and this ghost brother, you, as human warriors, should not die in the gutter. Even as possible competitors or enemies, of course, allies is a good word."

"...Your honesty surprises me," Price sighed. "I really hope we won't become enemies in the future."

"You might even become my subordinates, Captain Price."

Hearing this, Captain Price, remembering the identity of the person before him, forced a smile. Uneasy feelings suddenly rose in his heart, and he stopped talking. Instead, he looked at the rather troubled ghost and asked:

"Do you have any other questions?"

"No... do we have to wear this thing and sit on the electric chair?" The ghost pointed at the chair in front of him. The several large light bulbs behind it looked strange. "And don't I have to stay outside?"

The ghost whispered the rest of his words to Price, but then he saw Aomori Miya standing in the corner of the room. The shield she held had been replaced with a heavy boarding shield, and she looked like she was about to charge the heavy machine gun position. He put away all his doubts and vigilance, and said seriously:

"I am ready!"

"I hope so." Rhodes nodded slightly. He put on the DC-mini and warned one last time, "Don't stray too far from me. Don't trust anyone in there except me... not even yourselves."

After saying that, Rhodes closed his eyes and entered the dream world.

Sinking

【Blurred Zone: Limbo】