Long-term salvation

Everything in the inner world dissolved and reorganized into a more bizarre existence during this process, and in the second half of the entire ascent, the chaos took on a clearer form - unlike the first time, Rhodes now knew that he had crossed the boundary between the middle and shallow layers and was infinitely approaching the Limbo, the absurd world composed of the dreams of intelligent life.

[Floating up]

You are in Limbo

As if passing through a soft door curtain, the gauze-like touch slid through Rhodes' hand, but the next second, the gauze turned into a real thing - the girl's hand - Rhodes turned his head and saw Asuka Jingmuji's face. That cute face was filled with some anger and stubbornness, as well as faint traces of tears.

Tears are slowly rising, twinkling like stars in the dark and chaotic dream world.

Rhodes looked from above and the girl looked from below, their faces reflected in the azure and emerald green.

"That's... I didn't expect that," Rhodes smiled with relief, feeling the power and warmth coming from his palm. "Have you memorized my soul characteristics? Your abilities have increased again, Muji."

"A golden sun is easy to remember, and with the help of Sister Qianye and Nayako, let's go home quickly!"

"Okay, okay, my lady."

His hand was released, and Rhodes made a face at the girl, but he immediately regretted it. The angry girl turned into a hawk, pecking at Rhodes' head as he began to float again, forcing him to hold his head and apologize repeatedly. Fortunately, his ascent speed quickly resumed, and he quickly left in the light.

[Floating up]

The light receded and darkness came.

【Task rewards begin to be distributed】

[Pollution points in the other world have been collected]

[Character exchange coupons have been collected x2]

[Character exchange voucher has been collected (carrier required)]

Rhode fell into a dark and cold cave, his back struck by gravel, causing him to groan. After catching his breath, Rhode climbed up from the ground. As soon as he looked up, he was thrown into a soft embrace.

"red lotus?"

"Nothing is eternal, everything changes; only change remains constant, an eternal truth... Honglian is here to greet you, Commander Rhodes."

Red Lotus - Shadow, Nikki from the Goddess Corps period took a half step back with a tense face, and drew her long sword. The blood-red blade slightly illuminated the surrounding darkness, and also vaguely revealed Nikki's beautiful figure.

This girl is specialized in close combat. Although she is a mass-produced type, because she has undergone high-intensity customization, Honglian (Shadow)'s physical ability far exceeds that of the mass-produced type Nikki, and she is known as a swordsmanship genius. She also became a member of the Goddess Corps... As for becoming a drunkard in the future, that is another matter.

"I've heard Commander Rhodes's swordsmanship is powerful enough to slay demons and destroy gods. If I have some free time someday, I'll definitely learn from him."

"There will be a chance, Honglian."

Rod stretched his body a few times and looked around, but he didn't see Marian or anyone else. Apart from that...

"I remember the system gave me three character exchange coupons... huh?"

Rhodes realized something and quickly took out the [Box of Shiting]. He saw a cute white-haired girl with an expressionless face standing next to the blue-haired girl on the screen - Prana.

The girl's original name was ARONA. She was the resident system manager and main control OS in the [Box of Shiting]. She had exactly the same abilities and appearance as Alona, ​​but they formed a subtle opposition in many places.

Now, both girls are holding a similar-looking gun-shaped umbrella.

"Sensei, I will be assisting you together with Senior Alona," the girl said softly, the red halo above her head swaying from side to side with her movements. "One more thing, according to the [information], you will receive a one-time [Mission Exchange Card] that allows you to travel to other worlds to complete missions."

"...The system did mention it in the mission rewards."

Rhodes lowered his head and watched Alona and Prana hold up the card together. It looked like a credit card, the kind that tricks you into spending money and then doesn't give you anything.

Wait, another character exchange voucher... Rhode looked through the system prompts:

[Character exchange voucher has been collected (carrier required)]

That's fine, then. Next time, I'll find a chance to plunder Irons's or some other unfortunate ship—buy the other Iowa-class battleships, or even the Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Kirov? A modernized version would be even better. Or maybe explore the ocean floor and see if I can salvage a sunken ship... But it seems the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-72), the successor to the Laffey, hasn't been launched yet.

But it would be better to have an aircraft carrier.

Besides the three-chapter character exchange vouchers and the generous 30,000 otherworld pollution points reward, the most important thing for Rhodes was the weapon upgrade. The revolver in his hand was no longer able to cope with the increasingly powerful otherworldly enemies, and the revolver also had significant limitations in dealing with the complex combat situations in the real world.

For this reason, the system has unlocked the [Conversion] function, allowing revolvers to be converted into other firearms. The converted weapons must be unlocked through missions, and then exchanged and replenished with pollution points in the other world.

There's everything from the Super Shotgun (Doom), to the Bolter, the Plasma Pistol, the Incendiary, and the M6 ​​Spartan Laser (Halo), along with some more outlandish gadgets, but it's all mostly ranged weapons.

The current rewards are "Azure Rose" and "Ebony & Ivory", which are the weapons of two silver-haired people in a certain True Ace Combat game... Rhodes also has silver hair, so there's no problem.

A subtle departure from the Devil May Cry series, Rod can imbue the Azure Rose with golden flames instead of magic, firing more powerful psychic bullets. Their larger caliber provides superior penetration, maximizing damage to otherworldly enemies. Ebony and Ivory bullets are less effective, but Ebony is designed for long-range precision, while Ivory is for close-range rapid-fire. Both real-world rounds offer greater versatility—at least, they can be equipped with laser sights, silencers, and scopes, much like a modern custom M1911 pistol.

After transforming his revolver into "Ebony & Ivory" and putting it on his waist, Rhode glanced at the dim surroundings. After taking a few deep breaths of the turbid air in the cave, he said to Nikki, who was standing beside him:

"Let's get out of here now... I hope it's not some messed up place out there. I don't want to be hiking in the desert for days."

"If you are in danger, I will get you out."

"Thank you in advance for your help, Honglian, but it's best if you don't need it," Rhodes said, taking out a flashlight from the storage space. "Let's go, let's get out of here—I can already feel the flowing wind."

Move forward in the light, through the dark cave, and reach the cave entrance blocked by rocks.

A faint moonlight streamed in through the cracks in the rocks.

Pushing aside the huge rock blocking the cave entrance, Rhodes walked out of the cave and stood under the starry sky.

【Points Deduction】

【Start resurrection program】

【completed】

Without saying anything more, Rhode opened his arms and eagerly embraced the beauty falling from the sky.

"Welcome back, Marianne."

"I'm back, Commander."

Nikki responded with a sweet smile.

Chapter 518 Please Give Me Some Fish and Bread (3K)

He is not here, but has risen! Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again. — Luke 24:6-7

On autumn nights, the stars twinkle, but dawn is about to come.

Northwest of the Old City of Jerusalem, Christian Quarter.

The old priest woke up from his sleep. He stood up and looked out the window. He could only vaguely see a pure white cross of light in the gray night sky, and then it disappeared.

Is someone playing a prank with the searchlight?

"..." The old priest put on a blanket to keep warm, fumbled in the bedside drawer, and pulled out an old-fashioned flashlight. He pushed the switch a few times, but there was no response. "Damn...batteries..."

Throwing the thing back angrily, the old priest fumbled in the drawer again, found the grinding wheel for lighter and lit the candle on the bedside - the candlelight immediately illuminated the dim bedroom, which was narrow, old but cleaned cleanly, and the eyes of the statue of Christ on the bedside swayed in the candlelight - putting on his slippers, the old man walked downstairs with the fire in his hand.

The old priest didn't know why he did this. It might be on a whim, or maybe he was angry about being teased and went out to scold those young people who had no sense of reverence.

In short, he needed to go downstairs.

Carefully walking down the stone stairs and passing through the stone corridor, the old priest protected the candlelight with his hands, and couldn't help but sigh about the future fate of this small church:

This place is a little far from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus is said to be buried, and this is also the biggest problem - tourists seldom come here, and Christians who come here for pilgrimage will never come to a small church to pray. They like magnificent palaces and cathedrals, and gorgeous and dazzling statues... Alas, what will happen here when I am taken away?

What would happen if no one cleaned the holy images in the church?

"That's something only God knows," the old priest sighed. He placed the candlestick on the windowsill and bent down with difficulty to pull out the weeds growing from the cracks in the stone. "That's something only God knows. I just have to accept all of this arrangement."

But even so, the old priest was filled with sorrow, and his usual sorrow was even tinged with the hesitation and doubts he had only experienced in his youth:

Does God really exist?

Questioned when young, accepted when middle-aged, got used to it when old - in the passing time, the old man has thrown away too many questions and answers, but now, he hopes that God really exists - that way, those sinners filled with ambition will fall into hell, and those despicable people who are dressed in the cloak of victims and pointing fingers from the false moral high ground will fall into hell.

How dare anyone make Jerusalem their capital?

Picking up the candlestick again, the old priest walked into the church downstairs, put his hands on the old and hard benches, and slowly sat down with the help of time. After taking a breath, he raised his head and looked at the statue of Christ in front of him in the swaying candlelight.

"May... God bless world peace... Those fanatical Zionists have clashed with Muslims again... Damn it... We've lived in peace for so many years... Even Hitler wasn't this cruel..."

The old priest mumbled to himself, occasionally throwing in a Latin curse word, and finally ended this impromptu prayer with an "Amen".

The air was filled with the mixed scent of old wood, aged wax, some dried herbs, and a slight smell of stove fire, and the interior of the church was reassuringly narrow.

Just as the old priest was enjoying the silence, there was a knock on the door.

The three knocks on the door were dull, clear but not impatient, with just the right intensity, which made the old priest feel a sense of goodwill out of the blue.

Tightening his robe, the old priest picked up the candlestick, walked slowly to the door and opened it:

Outside were three strangers wearing hooded cloaks, a handsome silver-haired man and two beautiful women.

The visitors' clothing was obscured by their cloaks, and the crudely crafted cloak was covered in dust, obscuring the old priest's view. But what was the point in worrying so much? The most valuable items in this church were probably the dried meat hanging in the kitchen—if the visitors were cats, they would indeed be worth snatching.

"can I help you?"

"We're lost travelers, tired and hungry. We hope you'll take us in for the night and leave tomorrow morning... Maybe we're friends looking for us. Anyway, we won't cause you any trouble," the man said, a gentle apology on his face. "We saw the candlelight flickering in the church window, so we took the liberty of visiting."

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have shown hospitality have entertained angels without realizing it. (Hebrews 13:2)”

The old priest smiled, made way, and gestured for permission:

"Come in, children, but be forewarned, I don't have any delicacies here."

“Please give me some fish and bread.”

The man said this, took off his cloak, and glanced at the image of Jesus in the depths of the church, a hint of sneer and sigh on his lips. But then, as if remembering something, he turned to the old priest who had closed the church door and turned on the lights in the church with the help of the dim candlelight and said:

"Thank you for your help. You can call me 'Rod'."

The lights came on, and the light appeared, allowing the old priest to see the face of the person who came clearly.

"...Lord?"

"No, Rod," Rod smiled. He took out some US dollars from his pocket and stuffed them into the old priest's hand, preventing the latter from taking them back. "Here, I haven't had any proper food in those three days. Now I'm starving... Marian, help this old man and let us have some sinful midnight snack. And Honglian... relax, there are no enemies here."

"Okay."/"Chengzhi."

Marian walked slowly, but Honglian did not relax. Instead, he still stood beside Rhodes in his cloak, like a loyal warrior.

Seeing her like this, Rhodes did not say anything to dissuade her, but sat on the bench and waited quietly.

Ten minutes later, Marianne and the old priest came over with food.

Light brown hummus was served in a stoneware bowl, topped with hummus sauce mixed with extra virgin olive oil, and adorned with plump pomegranate seeds like rubies, sprinkled with green parsley. There were also several slightly charred, puffed-up pita breads, small plates of pickled olives, dried figs, and dates, and four large wooden cups filled with boiled water.

"We don't have fish, but we have plenty of bread," the old priest smiled. "You gave me too much money. I have to give more to feel at ease... Some dried fruit, just for your teeth. It's a pity that my raisins and wine have been eaten and drunk, so I can't treat you with the 'seven fruits of the promised land'."

"I have some ideas about this matter," Rhodes said, taking out a bottle of wine from the storage space under his cloak beside him. "Let's celebrate our finding a temporary place to stay. Please, Father, let us taste this."

That bottle of wine—where did it come from?!

The old priest thought that he was not so senile as to be confused. He saw with his own eyes that the young man took off his cloak, shook it, and folded it neatly before placing it on the empty bench!

Magic? No... The old priest subconsciously and firmly rejected this possibility.

"What are you worried about?" Rhodes asked with a smile, "This is a good bottle of wine."

"Then I will respectfully obey your command."

The old priest was slightly startled, his expression relaxed, and after whispering a prayer, he picked up the spoon like the three uninvited guests and slowly ate the ordinary but filling food.

No one spoke during the meal, only the sound of chewing could be heard.

"Speaking of which, are you travelers?" the old priest asked softly after putting down his spoon. His eyes swept across Rhodes' waist, where he saw two gun holsters. "Where are you from?"

"Far away, yet so close. I walked out of the cave and returned by following the path of the human world."

Hearing this answer, the old priest smiled and said no more.

When the few people finished their meal, the light of dawn shone through the faded tinted windows above the church, making people subconsciously feel that the light of the incandescent lamp was no longer needed. However, when the old priest turned off the light, the church seemed a little dim again.

Just as the old priest was hesitating whether to open the light or the door again, there was a new knock on the door.