Long-term salvation

"!"

Slightly tilting his sword, Rhode used the cross-shaped guard to block the incoming blade. If this had been a real sword fight, without the guard, he would have likely lost half his hand by now. He stepped back half a step, gathering power with his right leg, and pushed forward! Using a little strength, Rhode swung his sword to extinguish Honglian's intention of following up with a slash.

Sparks exploded in the damp and cold air as the sword and knife blades touched, cracking with each collision.

The length of the swords of both sides is similar, but Rhodes' strength and speed are stronger than before. Every time he gains new power, his basic physical fitness is invisibly strengthened... The only problem is that Rhodes is still just a flesh and blood body. He will feel tired, and his combat effectiveness will be affected by pain. His skull is not hard enough to withstand bullets.

Nikki on the other side didn't have such concerns. As a member of the "Goddess Troops," the strongest customized Nikki, Honglian even seemed at ease. However, other normal Nikkis, like Marian and the others, were no longer able to compete with Rhode in close combat. They might inflict a few wounds, but Rhode would definitely be the victor. Of course, ranged combat was another matter, as there were too many variables. Nikki, using divine cadmium metal, was also more "sturdy" than Rhode's current body.

But then again, Rhode still looked forward to the system rewards after each crossing of [Apocalypse]. Perhaps he could obtain better armor when traveling to other dungeon worlds. The stealth suit that could camouflage itself with the surrounding environment was still usable, but the benefits it provided were much worse... He still needed to get some nano-biochemical suits, Thor's hammer armor, and the like in the future.

After a few simple sword fights, Rhode took a few steps back, away from Honglian who was gradually becoming more and more excited, and said with some helplessness:

"If you want to use more force, I'll also prepare to warm up carefully. If we keep playing like this, the blade will definitely break after one of our collisions."

"From what you say, you seem to be willing to surrender," Honglian said calmly. She raised her long sword and slashed her fingers across the gap. "But... this isn't a fight of life and death, so stopping the war right away won't hurt."

"... Hoo," Rhode licked his lips. His right hand gripped the longsword tightly, and his left hand flicked across the already cracked blade. Golden flames flashed, reshaping the blade. "This is a provocation I can't ignore... Honglian, take out your weapon. We can go there later today."

Nikki's lips lit up in a cheerful smile.

"Ahem, you two, how about letting me be the referee?" New Jersey walked between Rhodes and Honglian, holding a golden coin between her two fingers. "Now is break time. You both need to adjust your condition to the best of your ability. If things get out of control, I will intervene directly."

"Very good." / "Agree."

New Jersey's lips curled up slightly at this response. She coughed pretentiously, and after receiving the gestures from Rhode and Honglian, she casually flicked the coin upwards.

The crisp metallic sound swirled in the humid air along with the golden light, but before the gold coin could land, it was blown away again by the strong wind. The sword blade covered with golden patterns suddenly collided with the crimson blade, the sharp blades biting each other, blue eyes connected with red eyes, with high fighting spirit and the purest desire to win. Rhodes retreated half a step, and he raised his eyebrows when he didn't get the upper hand in the power confrontation, and leaned sideways to support Honglian's shoulder.

While colliding and causing Rhodes' body center of gravity to shift, Honglian held the long sword in both hands and twisted his body to slash!

"This is beyond my expectations." Rhode suddenly took another step back. He leaned back and let the blade brush past his nose. "But the soldiers of the Army Without Borders don't have your skills, Honglian."

"They should have lessons to teach them."

Honglian turned around, turned the long sword upside down, and slashed it diagonally forward, colliding with Rhodes's downward sword, emitting bright sparks.

"You only need to keep honing your skills in battle, and you will improve day by day and become a master of your craft."

"No... I mean," Rhode gritted his teeth, his eyes quickly scanning the blades coming from the front, either retreating to avoid or raising his sword to block. As the sword fight progressed, Honglian seemed to have figured out the rhythm of Rhode's sword swings, making her attacks more difficult. After a crack appeared on his chest, Rhode found a suitable opportunity to force Nikki back, then said helplessly:

"The enemies the warriors face are not just humans."

"Our enemies are not human either," Nikki said, her lips curling upwards with a charm rarely seen on other days. "Commander, you should keep this in mind."

"That's true..."

Things like Letcher have nothing to do with humans, but are quite similar to some creatures from the other world.

Rhode breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing he couldn't drag it out any longer, he stood up straight and returned to the Ochs stance with both hands holding the sword. At the same time, he saw that Nikki across from him had sheathed her sword, holding the scabbard in her left hand while her right hand rested lightly on the hilt - both sides were ready to use their strongest blow to win in the next round.

Just as the two were preparing for the third round, Bai Zi, who was sitting on the small bench, suddenly spoke up:

"Sensei, someone's approaching... It's Grandpa Hammer."

Well, the anxious old man came to the door.

Rhodes shook his head and spread his hands towards Nikki in front of him. The latter obediently put away her long sword and stood beside him.

The girls nearby, sensing they were about to discuss serious matters, scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only Rhode and Honglian standing outside. After whispering a few words to Honglian, Rhode walked towards the main gate of Hill Villa.

PS: [Recommend a good battle video, B station: BV12W411B7vA]

Chapter 527 General Hammer's Concerns

As soon as he reached the gate, Rhodes saw General Hammer jump out of a jeep. He was still wearing his camouflage uniform, his face full of regret and complaints.

"I shouldn't have stayed! Those young staff officers did a great job—I just sat in the command center under Arkham for two months smoking cigars and doing nothing!"

"...Why are you, a special forces officer, participating in a large-scale battle?"

"You're talking as if special forces aren't used in large-scale battles," the old man glared at Rhode, but his expression immediately relaxed. He stepped forward and hugged Rhode, saying with deep emotion, "It's good to be back, it's good to be back... This time, no one will withhold the soldiers' pensions."

"Only a despicable idiot would do that."

"I'm so glad that our thoughts are the same at this moment, Rod."

After cursing the Pentagon a few times, General Hammer walked into the mansion accompanied by Rhodes.

Since he didn't like the ghosts in Hill Manor, he seldom came here. He would only drive here reluctantly when there was a meeting or when Rhodes invited him. Due to the fame of Hill Manor, the orderly who came with General Hammer would rather squat in the car and wait than go in and be tortured by all kinds of strange sights.

"I've read the basic report of the battle, but the videos and photos taken from the frontline operations still need some time to be cleaned before they can be sent to me. Alas, why would they be needed before?"

The general sighed. When he came here, he brought a large map with him. Now he folded it up and tucked it under his arm. It was covered with densely packed combat symbols.

"Forgive me, Rhodes. I was really too impatient... Although there haven't been any major otherworldly disasters in North America recently, there have been many overt and covert attempts, especially after the Mogadishu nuclear explosion. I even had several friends in the military call and ask about it."

Walking in the cold corridor of Hill Villa, General Hammer lowered his voice and said to Rhodes seriously:

"We can't stay in the United States forever, but there are indeed many resources here, whether it's students from Miskatonic University or soldiers for the Army Without Borders. You have to think of a way."

"That's what we're doing now, General."

As Rhodes spoke, he led General Hammer to his study - there was no one in the study at the moment, and as usual, it was filled with various documents and books - moving away the debris blocking the way, Rhodes pulled out a whiteboard from the small cabinet, wrote the names of Arkham Town and Miskatonic University, then drew a circle around the entire town and wrote "Aperture Technology" outside the circle.

After doing all this, Rhodes said to General Hammer who was sitting on the sofa:

"I plan to wait until Aperture Technologies' 'teleportation portal' technology is perfected, then establish teleportation nodes around the borders of Arkham. If things change, we can simply relocate the entire town, including the university and training base. Of course, this will take a long time, and there are many advantages to staying in the United States. We will do our best to delay the day when the two sides fall out."

"...Doesn't their technology require lunar rock powder?"

"Atlas is currently developing the appropriate aerospace technology, which will take quite a while," Rhodes shrugged, his face feigning indifference. "NASA refused to transfer the lunar landing technology and data, forcing us to start from scratch. However, rocket technology isn't a big problem."

After hearing Rhodes' words, General Hammer leaned back on the soft sofa cushions and shook his head helplessly:

"As a United States citizen, I doubt whether anyone ever landed on the moon... but Aperture Technologies was able to obtain moon rocks, so it must be true."

"Maybe someone went up there but didn't come back."

"Sigh... never mind, let's not talk about this." General Hammer spread out the map he brought with him. He quietly glanced at the terrain of Mogadishu, then, as if remembering something, said, "Wait, how are you going to buy enough time before all this is completed? This won't be done in a year or two!"

"Revolving door! Political donations! Military-industrial complex—well, the last one is already here. In short, although we have been doing it before, we plan to strengthen it in the future." Rhodes gave a thumbs up and smiled without any smile.

"Ians and the other directors have already begun lobbying. They've also set up a military consulting firm, an economic and political consulting firm, and are just supporting these guys... As long as they can influence the United States' attention by 'next year', the millions of dollars spent will be well spent."

"Next year?" General Hammer was startled, then thought of the recent Mogadishu incident. "What else could happen next year?"

"Next year—the Sablin and Perseus organizations have basically spread themselves out and are now garnering the support of sufficient military and political forces. This requires caution, as the Russian oligarchs still have external support," Rhodes said calmly. "But when the time comes, they'll take action, regardless of whether that drunkard is causing trouble or not."

As Rhode spoke, he lowered his eyes and looked at the dazed General Hammer. After a long silence, the latter sighed and said:

"Now that I think about it, the collapse of the Soviet Union wouldn't be a good thing for the United States... Just go for it, and I'll help you find a solution in the military. At least for many United States soldiers, dealing with the Soviets is better than dealing with Irons."

"Yes, this is our chance, our chance to buy enough time—there might be another chance later, in 2001, or even earlier—but who can say for sure about fate? Don't worry about it, old man."

Rhodes reached out and patted General Hammer's shoulder. He was about to say something comforting when the latter slapped him hard on the back of his head.

"I'm not against it, and I'm not some anti-Red lunatic. What should I worry about?"

There were a few more muffled sounds, and General Hammer met Rhode's somewhat dazed look and said unhappily:

"It's better for the United States to be torn into pieces in your hands than to be ruled by some blonde dragon or diaper-wearing idiot, right? Besides, it's a good thing for the United States to have an opponent... You keep worrying about nothing all the time. Why don't you have more children with your little lovers so that I, Irons and the others can have peace of mind - I'm still waiting to be the godfather!"

Rhodes: “…”

Just as Rhodes was about to retort, there was a knock on the study door. It was Honglian, who came with tea.

Seeing the beautiful Nikki and the long sword at her waist, General Hammer immediately retreated tactically. He was silent for a few seconds and then asked:

"This should be the swordsmanship instructor you found for the soldiers, right?"

"In theory, yes."

"... Let's make it clear in advance that my godson/goddaughter must learn to shoot! This is a tradition of the United States!"

Chapter 528: Freshmen at Miskatonic University

When Coco and Casper, the two heirs of the Hecmedia Group, stood in front of Miskatonic University, they didn't feel any different from an ordinary university... But if they looked more closely, they noticed something strange and uncomfortable:

Behind the tall school gate stands a series of magnificent Victorian buildings, with their towering spires piercing the cloudless blue sky, like pairs of human hands reaching out beyond the planet.

The intricate Gothic stone carvings on the building's exterior depicted mysterious stars, strange clouds, and sprawling thorns, casting unusually deep shadows under the glaring sunlight. This was not a natural product of light and shadow, but rather a cover meticulously cut out of black velvet and forcefully pasted onto the wall.

What are you hiding?

In the eyes of the two children, the entire university was slowly spinning and twisting, covered with an indescribable colorful layer, but the next second, everything returned to its original state.

"It's really different here. Be careful, Caspar."

Koko subconsciously grabbed her brother's arm, but the latter's expression was not much better:

After receiving two business cards from Rhode in the Indian Ocean, the Hekmedia siblings were captivated by the mysterious Miskatonic University. After a few days of preparation, they briefly greeted their ruthless father and quickly packed their bags to leave—before being captured and taken to a mansion somewhere in Europe.

It was not until after the nuclear explosion in Mogadishu that the two were tacitly allowed to leave.

By the way, my living expenses and pocket money were also cut off.

Now, Coco and Casper had to use the money they had saved before and "work" to earn money to support their own bodyguard team and daily life - considering their intelligence, this was not a difficult task, and there were also many scholarships from the University of Michigan, and rewards for assisting professors in "experiments" and "field work".

"...I suddenly feel a little regretful," Koko whispered. She reached out and patted Casper's shoulder, saying unhappily, "I told you not to go to Arkham Town's commercial street a long time ago. Now look what happened. Brick and the others have also been arrested and taken to register."

“It’s only a matter of time.”

Caspar sighed and tried to shift his gaze towards the buildings inside the university, as if trying to adapt to life here in advance.

"Better early than late... Let's just wait now. I think someone will come to pick us up."

Just as the car that picked up the two of them was slowly driving away and the brother and sister were standing at the university gate with their bags, accepting the guards' gazes, a tour bus commonly seen in scenic spots came speeding from the campus, drifting to a stop in front of the two of them with a harsh brake sound.

"Casper Hecmedia, and Coco Hecmedia?"

The young man driving the car, Lucas Weaver (from chapters 160, 354, etc.), raised an eyebrow at the two men. He had just finished training with Mobile Task Force Red Right Hand and hurried over after a quick shower and change of clothes. According to Rhodes' instructions, the two people who came to Miskatonic University today were both powerful psychics!

Although he didn't know why Mr. Rhodes always met some strange people, the boy still tried his best to complete the former's orders.

"Let's get on," Lucas said, and he and Casper began to load the luggage onto the tour bus. "I heard from Mr. Rhodes that you seem to be the children of some shipping tycoon. You should be able to adapt to dormitory life... You are still young, so you will definitely need roommates."

"Or in other words, monitor?"

Koko asked back with interest. She had sensed Lucas's "inhumanity" the moment she saw him - but this feeling was more like the cruelty, bloodiness, and pure hunger that had been accidentally contaminated by living with a beast that fed on raw flesh and blood day and night - but if you put this aside, you could also feel the traces of professional military training from him... The children of the Hekmedia family knew the meaning of this trace too well.

"That's great if you're willing to think so. It saves me a lot of time explaining myself," Lucas said with a shy smile, a hint of resistance and indifference. "But you don't need to worry about it. Mr. Rhodes must have considered it for a reason if he allowed you to come. I trust his judgment."

After saying that, Lucas drove towards the university dormitory building without caring about the expressions of the two people behind him. Students with strong psychics would live separately to prevent them from being linked together and causing trouble one day. Apart from that, they were no different from other students, except that younger people would receive some extra benefits in life.

For the Hekmedia siblings, standing at the university gate and entering it were two completely different feelings:

Students from the University of Michigan were walking in groups of two or three along the marble paths, chatting and laughing, brimming with the youthful energy of youth, a scene no different from any other university campus in autumn. They talked about last night's game, upcoming midterm exams, and weekend party plans, their laughter ringing out in the overly quiet air.

At this moment, the students were walking briskly through the strange shadows of the trees, as if unaware of the sticky darkness beneath their feet, and even more oblivious to the occasional indescribable gazes that emerged from the empty eye sockets of the stone carvings on the buildings beside them.

The entire campus is like a bizarre stage play, with actors walking around, speaking according to predetermined lines and moving forward according to predetermined movements, completely oblivious to the collapsed stage props around them... This is Miskatonic University, a place of supernatural dimensions and indescribable things!

Walking among the buildings and the crowd, Koko felt as if she had also been infected by madness - from the initial fear and panic to the current anticipation and eagerness to try, her chest was filled with curiosity, and she even began to imagine what else she would encounter in the future.

Would it be like the "angel," "demon," or "death" I saw that day in the Indian Ocean? Would I see that blazing golden sun again?

As she was thinking, Koko noticed that the tour bus was slowing down and stopping. But just as the bus stopped, Caspar, who was sitting next to her, suddenly grabbed her hand and whispered:

"Don't look up."

too late.

When the young man named Lucas said, "Madam Qianye, are you here at the university to retrieve some ancient books and materials?", Koko had already looked in the direction of the voice.

It was a beautiful face, a human face.

But this was just a disguise. That gentle face began to violently twist and dissolve in Koko's vision—something was frantically wriggling beneath the fair skin, like countless tentacles burrowing beneath the skin. Her soft cherry-colored lips were silently parting, tearing from the corners of her mouth to her ears, revealing the depths of her mouth—not a human throat, but a viscous, wriggling abyss of darkness.

In the abyss, densely packed, narrow and upright yellow pupils like sheep's eyes suddenly opened!

Koko almost screamed - she was already screaming, but the sound was erased by some invisible force, making her seem like she was performing a pantomime... Now, the girl has also become an actor on the stage of "Miskatonic University", a new actor.

"Hush—new kid."

Qianye raised a finger to her lips and chuckled. The sound was gentle and soothing, but it seemed like a needle piercing through the noisy voices and rustling leaves around her, and clearly penetrated into Koko's ears, into the eardrum and the deepest part of her brain!

"Rhode always likes to pick up little ones from outside...it's not a problem to have a few," Qianye patted the smirking Lucas and said with a chuckle, "Go ahead and do your thing. I just want to go to the museum to look for Professor Armitage. If you have time, come to Hill Manor for dinner and bring your friends along."

"Uh... that's not necessary, ma'am. Let's go first."

Lucas quickly refused, then started the car and drove away under Qianye's amused gaze.

After Qianye's figure completely disappeared, Koko and Casper asked in a horrified tone: