Long-term salvation

"Commander! The monsters ahead are blocking our way. Should we open fire?!"

“…Fire!”

The machine gun fire instantly melted the monsters in the entire corridor, and the lights throughout the hospital flickered. Even if the swollen-faced nurses heard the explosion of the machine gun and rushed over wielding scalpels or other sharp objects, it would be of no use:

Steel and fire exploded in their bodies, tearing their flesh and breaking their tendons. Corrupted, foul-smelling dark blood splashed out and mixed with the dust on the ground, turning into dirty mud.

Rod and Marian took turns shooting as they advanced, while Ruth gripped the dagger tightly in her hand and followed them quickly.

"Hurry through! Don't let the monsters block our path!" Rhode shouted. He saw the hospital gates appear before him, but the monsters on both sides were increasing in number. Not only were there swollen-faced nurses drawn to the scene, but also black, human-faced beetles were emerging from the hospital walls, wriggling like pupae in a beehive.

"Marian, how much ammunition do you have left?"

A few bursts of fire knocked down the swollen-faced nurse who was blocking the way. Rhodes bent down to avoid the scalpel swinging from the side. He pulled out the grenade ring and threw it backwards while changing the magazine of the rifle in his hand.

"Less than fifty rounds left, Commander, you need to restock my ammunition!"

The heat from the exploding grenade blew Nikki's hair up. Marian answered while calmly firing from her machine gun. Occasionally, she would use the barrel of her gun to pound the horrified faces of nurses who blocked her path, causing them to crash into the metal gurney, prompting other nurses to attack them. Blood splattered everywhere, further excite- ing the surrounding monsters.

Refilling Nikki's ammunition... Rhode opened the system interface and saw that it only took 3 World Pollution Points to refill Marian's ammunition, but it would take 200 points to fully repair her body, and 1000 points to revive her. The only question now was whether the same number would apply to the other Nikkis.

Rod clearly remembered that there were still many mass-produced Nikkis in NIKKE. If the cost was worthwhile, it would be a good idea to form a mass-produced Nikki team.

After restocking his ammunition, Rhode kicked open the hospital door. Ashes like heavy snow and the roars of monsters poured into the hall at that moment.

The entire Silent Hill was completely shrouded in fog. Standing at the hospital gate and looking out, one could only vaguely see the outlines of the houses across the street. Even so, they became distorted and fragmented, like toy blocks randomly piled up by a baby.

The streets were filled with all the monsters Rhode and his companions had encountered before, from the armless man to the gray child, or even the real nightmares shaped by the trauma of those lost and tragically killed in Silent Hill. They swayed in the drifting ashes, following the scent of the living, screaming as they moved.

Rhodes sighed and looked up at the sky... After Alessa touched the rift in the other world under Silent Hill, the Ash Snow seemed to have grown even bigger.

It's clear that Silent Hill is changing.

The purest chaotic darkness transcends time and dimension, gushing out from the mines that once supported the town's prosperity. Combined with the restless emotions that permeate the place and have never dissipated, the fog becomes thicker and more deadly. Alesha's hatred makes it all come alive. Perhaps in a few decades, the entire Silent Hill will be torn from the real world and completely become a part of the other world.

The tide is rising

Rhodes must end the hatred and bring judgment before all this happens.

The road to the church was not difficult to walk on, even though the street was full of monsters, but Rhodes and the other two had to walk along one side of the street, even to the point of tying themselves up with nylon ropes.

Ashes fell like snowflakes, blinding Rhode, who was walking in the front. Fortunately, his all-seeing eye remained remarkably stable in this environment. Because of this, he was able to clear a path for the two behind him to move forward.

The only bright color in this mist of ash was the instantaneous ignition of muzzle flashes.

After flicking off the ashes on his shoulder, Rhodes raised his gun and fired several shots at the swaying figure in front of him on the left. As the latter fell to the ground, black corrosive liquid sprayed out, which melted the potholes in the asphalt road and added some eerie hissing sounds to the ghostly howls echoing in the fog.

It was an armless man, and its kind were all too common along the way. Rhodes had even seen some spiders that looked like plastic models in the ash mist. These horrible creatures had multiple plastic limbs and were much more flexible than most monsters in Silent Hill.

The Mannequin Spider was encountered by the three of them when they passed by a twisted complex of buildings that grew wildly upwards like plants, overlapping each other to form an intricate maze. Unlike other places, it rained here.

The rain, made up of the remains of plastic mannequins, made crackling sounds as it fell to the ground.

With the help of these sounds as cover, the model spiders pounced on Rhodes and his companions... but that was all. Their combat effectiveness was not strong, and bullets could easily penetrate them and shatter their plastic limbs.

In reality, Rhode was curious: could bullets really harm those creatures from the otherworld? If physical bodies could, could spirits? Or was it because the bullets were produced by the system that they could cause damage?

This is a serious issue, and Rod may need to have a good talk with Irons and the directors of the Cogito Foundation.

But right now, there's something more important to do - there's a poor girl waiting for her trial to begin.

"How much longer do we have to go?"

Ruth covered her mouth and nose with her hands, squinting her eyes and looking forward. Not only was she tied up with ropes, but she was also holding onto Rhodes' chest mount as before. "It seems like we've been walking for dozens of minutes!"

"Soon, ma'am," Rhodes looked up at the road sign, the destination was within reach.

To Rhode's surprise, the rest of the journey wasn't difficult. The monsters had almost vanished, and the trouble posed by those scattered monsters was far less than the risk of getting lost. When the three of them arrived outside the Silent Hill Church, Rhode noticed a tall, muscular figure standing at the foot of the stairs amidst the ash.

The Pyramid Head was dragging a machete, as if he had been waiting here for a long time.

Alesha had also waited too long.

"If you're really in a hurry, you should lead the way for us," Rhodes complained to Pyramid Head as he passed by him, but the latter just made an indistinct roar under the triangular helmet. At his feet lay some Silent Hill monsters that were gradually turning into ashes.

Walking up the stairs, Rhodes arrived in front of the church gate. He stretched out his hand and stroked the gate. The system prompt sound indicating the increase in the number of pollution points in the inner world also increased rapidly in time.

In the Silent Hill movie, Christabella, the leader of the Silent Hill Church (Brotherhood), organized the bullying and abuse of Alessa, and eventually persuaded her mother Dalia to sacrifice her daughter on the altar.

After the Silent Hill fire, she took the surviving believers to hide in the church and claimed that they were protected by faith. Now it seems that it was just luck that they found some unique stones and wood to build this church... Perhaps the research on bullets can start from this direction?

Well, Rhode thought, let's talk about these things later. The cult leader's good luck should end here -

"Get ready, ladies! Cover your ears and keep your eyes open!"

Rhode turned and quickly walked down the stairs. He pulled out the remaining M72A3-LAW rocket launcher from the storage space, aimed, pressed the trigger on the outer barrel, and the rocket flew out of the tube! This weapon, originally used to attack armored vehicles, went straight through the church door, tearing an ugly hole in the center.

Throwing the launch tube aside, Rhodes jumped onto the stairs, took a few steps to the door and kicked it open.

Facing the terrified men and women in the church, as well as Christabella standing in front of the stake, Rhodes glanced at Sharon da Silva, the girl tied to the stake. After confirming that she was safe, he smiled and said to the church members:

"It's about time!"

This was not a funny joke, at least not for the followers of the Silent Hill Church. When the man stood in front of the blown-open gate, and when the two gates turned into broken wooden boards and drooped weakly, they truly realized that they were no longer protected.

Someone's screams pierced through this last false sense of security, and the believers fled in terror, but it was all in vain.

Ruth walked slowly into the church, her skin showing black veins, Alesha's hatred surging wildly. But for Ruth, she had more important things to do:

"Sharon!"

"mom!"

"...You!" Christabella didn't run like the others. Perhaps she knew her fate the moment the church door was blown open, but at least now, false courage was supporting her and she shouted to Ruth:

"You witch! Beneath the innocent face of your demonic daughter lies the stench of sin! Only by purifying her can—"

Ruth's reaction was direct. She knocked the scum down with one punch, spat at him and said disdainfully:

"Shut up, bitch!"

Looking at Christabella who had collapsed on the ground, Ruth's heart was filled with anger and murderous intent, but she was very clear about her current mission:

"It's not your turn to talk about my daughter... Besides, someone really wants to meet you."

With that, Ruth slashed a wound in her palm with a dagger, and darkness flowed out. It gathered in the center of the church floor and sank, but the paint on the floor gradually rose up, like human skin peeled off along the sinews. Beneath the floor was a dark and gloomy metal factory. Metal railings and fences moved aside to the sides, and a hospital bed slowly rose from the depths of hell!

Alessa, after more than ten years, appeared in front of Christabella again.

"Alessa!"

Rhode shouted, standing between the two people who were staring at each other. He untied Sharon's ropes and hurried over to prevent Alesha from tearing up the only clue.

"Don't forget the agreement between us." Rhodes looked at Alessa. He saw the poor girl's face clearly for the first time. "Otherwise, I will kill this woman before you do. The satisfaction of revenge will never fill your chest again."

"...three minutes," Alesha's voice was hoarse, like gravel rubbing against glass.

"enough."

Rhodes picked Christabella up from the ground and asked expressionlessly:

"Who's supporting the church in Silent Hill? Who placed the monitoring equipment in that mine?"

"No... Goddess... I... I don't..."

"Alessa," Rhodes called out the girl's name. He didn't turn around, but stared directly at the cult leader who was gasping for breath with his cold blue eyes. "Alessa, have you ever mended clothes? First, you need an embroidery needle—"

An irregular iron wire slowly rose up, following the guidance of Rhodes' finger and pressing against Christabella's index finger.

"Spin, penetrate," Rhode's voice was steady and calm, as if he didn't hear the man's screams. "From one point to another, repeat this way."

Christabella, with the wire piercing her body horizontally, twisted in pain. Ten minutes ago, she was happy to have found Sharon (Alessa) from Dalia, but now, she was just a pig to be slaughtered!

"Tell me, who's supporting you? My patience is limited, but Alesha definitely has it."

"It's them...it's..." Christabella squeezed out these words from between her teeth, but as the wire continued to twist, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and uttered the last word of the sentence:

"Mobius!!!"

Rhodes frowned.

Could it be Mobius? Did it really exist? This was definitely not good news.

"Please... please... the account book!" Christabella screamed, her middle and ring fingers pierced by wire. Alessa seemed to enjoy this job and was very skilled at it. The cult leader begged Rhodes with tears streaming down her face, revealing everything she knew.

"The account books! And the records of transactions, they're all in the church! Let me live, and I'll tell you where they are!"

"Alessa!"

The wire suddenly pierced through the remaining fingers, not just the fingers, but all ten toes as well! The wires bypassed Christabella's vital organs and arteries, overlapping and hanging her in the air like a cross.

"In...in the secret compartment...in my room...the key is in my...pocket! Let me die! Let me die!"

Rod ignored her and just whistled as he took an exquisitely crafted key from Christabella's pocket.

Ignoring the screams behind him, Rhodes went up the stairs on the right side of the church hall and led Marian, Ruth and Sharon into the depths of the church.

He was too busy to listen to the wails of a cult leader.

However, as mentioned before, Alesha has time and patience.

Chapter 12 Silent Hill: Sunrise (4K)

The church covers a large area, and although the interior decoration is old and damaged, it still gives you a glimpse of what the Silent Hill Church looked like in its heyday. But now, human blood has cast an ominous hue on it - the followers of the Silent Hill Church are fleeing in all directions, and Alessa will obviously not let them go.

Although escaping from the church would only allow for temporary survival, staying inside would mean facing the most horrific torture:

Irregularly shaped iron wires grew and spread under the wallpaper, forming patterns like blood vessels. The bodies of several believers were slowly being pulled into the wall. The expressions of fear on their faces before death were frozen, appearing particularly hideous in the dim light and shadow.

This scene made Ruth, who was passing by, quickly cover her daughter's eyes with her hands, and Marian's face also looked not good.

"You'll see more of this in the future."

Sensing that something was wrong in the atmosphere, Rhodes told Marian that he didn't need to comfort Ruth, as the latter would hardly have anything to do with the inner world in the future. If she was really caught in the vortex again, it would not affect the overall situation. But Nikki had to fight and live with him.

"Or do you think my behavior is not right?"

"No, they deserve it, Commander," Marian exhaled slowly, the firmness in her character regaining the upper hand. "I just feel a little uncomfortable seeing humans being slaughtered in front of me. This kind of judgment should be made by humans... I am wavering. Please punish me."

"There's no need to punish you, and Alessa is just a human, just a little stronger," Rhodes shrugged, put his index finger and thumb together and gestured to Nikki, while continuing to move deeper into the corridor.

Stepping over a miserable corpse, Rhodes opened Christabella's private room. The creaking sound of the door as it turned was heard along with his voice:

"If you single out the behavior of these scumbags and compare it to the monsters in the other world, you might even find the monsters more lovable—after all, they just want to kill you or eat you, and maybe torture you, but humans are much more complicated."

Nikki looked at Rhodes' back, somewhat confused, but she still followed him into the room.

"I have collected your teachings and will keep them in my heart."

"Don't worry," Rhode said casually, reaching out and opening drawers one by one to see if there were any intelligence clues he needed. "I will protect you Nikkis. After all, I am a 'commander'."

"……Um."

Nikki's reply was as soft as a mosquito's. Ruth, who had seen the interaction between the two, looked helplessly at Rod, who was rummaging through boxes and drawers, obviously not taking the matter to heart.

Ruth rolled her eyes and began to ask in a low voice about her daughter's condition. Sharon was fine. Although she had been beaten, there were no bruises on her skin or any damage to her internal organs.

"I'm fine, Mom."

Sharon spoke calmly, her gaze passing over Nikki and her mother's arms to Rhode. Rhode was startled, the dread of being stared at by some nightmare monster rising from the depths of his soul to his head. He subconsciously turned and met Sharon's eyes.

The girl looked normal, except for the ash color of Silent Hill in the depths of her eyes.

Rhode raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't say anything. Instead, he continued searching. With the help of the All-Seeing Eye, he and Marian moved the heavy wooden desk, squatted down, and reached out to feel around on the dusty wall.

After feeling a slight difference, Rhodes used a dagger to remove the wallpaper. Behind it, the outline of a safe suddenly appeared. He then opened it with the key he took from Christabella. The safe was filled with yellowed papers and old account books. The cover logo of one of the documents was the most eye-catching:

Three stars, small, medium and large, are arranged from top to bottom, and there is a nail-like object on the right that is nailed into the largest star.

...is the logo of Mobius Corporation.

"commander?"

"No, nothing," Rhode shook his head, took out all the documents, and found a bag in the room to put them in. The information inside needed to be handed over to Irons, who would definitely be able to handle it. But for Rhode, the most useful thing was the logo on the cover of the document.

Mobius Corporation, the hidden entity behind The Evil Within, has a mysterious origin. According to the game, the organization has existed for over a century, boasting unimaginable wealth, a vast network of spies, and connections... but its primary goal, once again, is world domination.