Long-term salvation

"And this lady, where did she come from?" Carter looked at Abigail, his hand already on his rifle, but the pendant on the girl's chest quickly caught his attention. "Wait, that's my key!"

Upon hearing this, Abigail covered the key with her small hand and took a half step back cautiously:

"Whoever has it in their hands owns it."

Carter: "..."

"Yes, yes, she's still a child, just forgive her," Rhodes echoed. He looked around and made sure the abnormal phenomena around him had subsided before waving to Marian and Yuka, introducing them to Abigail. Only Carter's face was still full of confusion. He stared at Rhodes for a long time before saying helplessly:

"I will report what happened here to the other directors."

"Of course, Director Carter."

Rhode shrugged and led the girls outside. Although the matter had come to an end, it was still best to check the hospital first, especially Dr. Richard's office and other places... Besides, this was a fairly large town hospital, so there must be a shower area. It was fine for him, but it would be better for the girls to wash up quickly.

"Marian, Yuka," Rod said, "Take Abigail and find a place to take a shower. If that doesn't work, go to the bathroom and find a basin. You can use the bedsheets or quilt as a washcloth. Director Carter and I will go find something else. Remember to be safe."

"Commander, you..."

"I'm fine, and I need to contact Ains to send a rescue team." Rhodes waved his hand, signaling the girls to leave first. Then he looked at Carter, who looked exhausted, and asked:

"Director Carter?"

Carter nodded slightly in response. He took one last look at the morgue before following Rhode's lead out. On the way, he suddenly remembered Daniel and the others who had escaped the hospital earlier, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I don't know if the two officers managed to escape with the survivors. I hope the heavy snow won't hinder their survival."

"They'll get away," Rhodes said, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. He shook the pack, noticing that the cigarettes were soaked in blood and now emitted a faint stench of decay. "Tsk...don't forget we've already agreed with Atlas' security personnel to contact them every four hours. I reckon they'll run into Officer Daniel and his crew along the way. We've basically wiped out all the cultists outside the hospital. Even if there are any that slipped through, they're no match for two rifles and a shotgun."

After crumpling up the cigarette box in his hand and throwing it into a passing trash can, Rod took Carter slowly to the first-floor lobby. He found the number of Dr. Richard's office at the nurse's desk, Room 109.

When the two arrived at the office and pushed open the door, the first thing they saw was a messy desk with open books and beige copy papers scattered on it. Some of them were scattered on the ground, with dark red bloodstains on them.

With the help of his all-seeing eye, Rhode pried open the middle drawer of his desk and pulled out a metal box filled with photos. A closer look revealed not only the pregnant woman Maggie, but also the curly-haired man James, Officer Daniel and his wife... all of whom were likely residents of Salem.

"Rod, these books are in Arabic."

Carter stood in front of the desk, picked up one of the books, flipped through a few pages, and said softly. He turned one of the pages, rubbed it with his fingers, and frowned:

"And the material... sheepskin? I hope it's not what I thought it was. Otherwise, I'm going to have nightmares tonight."

"It's parchment. To be more specific, the language on it is written in Perso-Arabic letters, with some Dari words in it," Rhodes said without looking up. "Director Carter, you can look to your left. There's a picture frame on the bookshelf over there."

"Just call me Carter. 'Director Carter' sounds like the perfunctory way you'd respond if you woke up in the morning and saw your mom made a meal you didn't like. I think after going through all this, our relationship should be better than before."

Carter kept talking, looking in the direction Rhodes had just mentioned - there was indeed a photo frame with a group photo of some doctors. They were standing on the barren desert ground, with fatigue and satisfaction after saving the injured on their faces - in the center was Dr. Richard, who was a little younger than he is now, his smile was filled with the joy of saving others' lives.

"Doctors Without Borders," Carter whispered, reading the faded letters. "February 1980, Afghanistan."

"It seems like Dr. Richard discovered something in Afghanistan, or was taught something. The latter is more likely, perhaps saving someone as a token of gratitude. Otherwise, I don't think Dr. Richard would have the leisure to study ancient Arabic and various modern Arabic branches."

Rhodes unfolded the parchment he found in the iron box. It was about the size of half an A4 paper, and written on it were horrible and abominable sacrificial sorceries and spells for summoning and communicating with evil giants (Jinn, the general term for supernatural beings in Islam) in ancient Aramaic.

Rhodes stood up. He did not continue to investigate. The information provided by the All-Seeing Eye was limited and the system did not give any audible prompts - this might not be something important, or it might be that the time has not come yet.

"Afghanistan... isn't a place the Foundation can infiltrate and conduct reconnaissance right now. The Soviets suffered losses there and withdrew their troops in February 1989. I wonder which stupid nation will be the next to fail there."

Carter sighed and shook his head as he looked at the framed photo. He couldn't fathom how Dr. Richard could become such a cruel cult leader. He could only say that his blind love for his daughter overshadowed everything else. After a few seconds of silence, Carter sighed:

"Alas, what this world lacks the most is people who go to extremes."

"Yes, yes," Rhodes replied expressionlessly. "There is at least one in your foundation, and there will be more and more in the future."

Dr. Hannibal? He's the definition of extreme, but he's not someone who goes to extremes.

After gathering together the documents and books that the All-Seeing Eye had scanned for important information, Rhode pulled out an FPLIF backpack from the storage box. He then took out the other backpacks that had been stacked together to save space, just like in Escape from Tarkov, and stuffed everything he had gathered into it.

"Come on, Mr. Carter, let's go meet up with Marian and the others. I also want to wash off the dirt on my body."

"Just call him by his name, Rod," Carter followed reluctantly. But before leaving, he pulled down the photo frame on the bookshelf so that Dr. Richard in the photo couldn't see what was happening in front of him. "What should we do with this hospital? Should we let Irons buy it and use it as a research base?"

"No, burn it, burn it completely, leaving no trace."

Chapter 30: The Void World: Fire

After following Rhodes around the hospital for a brief tour, Carter finally gave up. He dragged a chair from the nurses' station in the lobby and wrapped himself in a blanket from a nearby ward, having taken off his coat. And just like that, Carter gradually fell asleep and began to have a very smooth nightmare.

Rhodes wanted to laugh when he saw this, but he also found a chair to sit down, closed his eyes and waited for the Atlas security personnel to arrive.

A few minutes later, familiar footsteps came from afar, accompanied by the sound of shaking water.

Feeling a slight heat, Rhodes opened his eyes, reached out for the hot towel that was about to wipe his face, and said with a slight smile:

"I can do it myself."

"Did I wake you?" Yuka stuck out her tongue. She took a few steps back and watched Rod wipe the dirt and blood off his face with a hot towel. "Sister Marian is inspecting the hospital, but Abby-chan is here."

Just as Yuxiang said, Abigail was standing timidly not far from Rhodes. After noticing Rhodes's gaze, she whispered:

"My father asked me to assist you. Once the Silver Key has accumulated enough energy, it will take you through the Silver Key Gate."

"I see," Rhodes nodded in agreement. He glanced at the blanket Abigail was wearing, and a look of apology appeared on his face. "Sorry, we should meet somewhere more appropriate."

"really……"

"really?"

"You are indeed a gentle person," Abigail clutched the hem of her skirt with both hands, and looked at Yuuka, who was washing the towel in hot water, with a bit of trepidation and envy. "And you and I are 'the same', which makes me feel much more at ease."

Same… Rhode raised his brows, a new understanding dawning on him. But just as he had said to Dr. Hannibal before, he didn't dwell on the issue too much. Instead, he stood up, stretched, and walked towards the hospital gate.

Atlas security personnel have arrived, and the lights of several trucks and jeeps dispel the surrounding darkness, bringing a reassuring force.

It was late at night, but the storm seemed to have passed, leaving only a light flurry of snow and the usual cold.

Rhodes needed to warn the security personnel before they entered. To increase his persuasiveness, he also woke up Carter, who was snoring next to him.

"Mr. Randolph Carter, wake up! Cthulhu is coming!"

"--Hurry up and call the fishing boat over!!!" Carter suddenly woke up, then rubbed his eyebrows and said to Rhodes, who was grinning, with a little embarrassment, "I must have been talking in my sleep just now. Please forget it, Rhodes--Oh! Have the security personnel from Atlas Company arrived?"

Not only did the Atlas Company personnel arrive with them, but Officer Daniel also arrived. His earlier stab wound had been treated, and perhaps because he saw that the hospital had not turned into a den of evil, the diligent officer's face also showed a lot of redness.

"Thank God you're still alive!"

"Of course we're alive, Officer Daniel. It seems Mr. Colt took good care of you."

Rhodes shrugged. After hearing the former's words, Officer Daniel's facial features softened. He hugged Rhodes regardless of the stench and blood on his body, and thanked him sincerely but with a bit of embarrassment:

"We encountered a blizzard shortly after setting out, and our car broke down on the road. Several cultists also tried to attack us in the snow and wind, but thankfully no one was injured, and the snow quickly receded. The weapons and ammunition you donated were a huge help! Thank you so much, uh... sorry, I still don't know your name."

"Rod, my name."

Rhodes responded with a smile, but he immediately noticed that Officer Daniel was hesitant to speak after thanking him, so he whispered:

"Except for a few of us outsiders, the others stranded in the hospital were not so lucky. The culprit has been arrested."

"...Alas, he shouldn't have ended up like this." Officer Daniel said nothing more. He simply extended his right hand sadly and shook Rhodes's. He looked back at the convoy outside with the Atlas logo and said helplessly, "They needed a guide, so I volunteered to come. I kind of regret not staying. I should have."

"There's no need to be ashamed of this, Officer Daniel. You've done well enough," Rhodes said, patting his shoulder with a smile. "Not everyone would dare to fight the cultists with us in a blizzard."

"Mr. Rhodes!"

Derrick, the captain leading the Atlas Company personnel, ran over after conversing with Carter. He saluted Rhodes and then said seriously:

"Mr. Irons has instructed us to obey your orders and those of Director Carter, especially after seeing 'certain things'."

Hearing this, Rhodes turned around and carefully looked at the Atlas soldier in front of him. Derek, like Gideon and others, came from the world of "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" and sacrificed his life to protect his companions in the operation to hunt Hades in the original world... Overall, he was a reliable person, and it seemed that Irons had told him some facts about the other world.

"There are no enemies in the hospital that require force, but everyone needs to wear gas masks and burn any flesh you can find. Finally, start the fire from the underground area and make sure the entire hospital is burned down," Rhode instructed. His eyes swept over the Atlas soldiers and agents who were filing in. They all had a hint of trepidation on their faces, but no one was afraid. "It would be best if Atlas Corporation were to contract for the hospital's reconstruction. And you all need to control your speech."

"You don't have to worry about this. Atlas will hire the survivors with appropriate treatment and regulate their speech."

Derek said this, first glancing at Officer Daniel, who had already consciously walked away, then turning his head and giving orders using the intercom in his left shoulder bag, relaying Rhodes's orders. After doing this, Derek pulled out a gas mask from his waist bag, put it on, and said to Rhodes:

"You can use the satellite phone in your car to contact Mr. Irons, but the snow is still blowing and the signal will be disrupted. It's best to return to the nearest town, Arkham, to make the call. Also, a biohazard-grade cleaning vehicle is stationed here; you can go and clean yourself off."

"Thank you."

Rhodes nodded in thanks, and Derek, wearing a gas mask, saluted him again before rushing into the depths of the hospital with the others.

An excellent and loyal soldier, but unfortunately this loyalty was not for Rhodes.

After thinking about the time and future plans, Rhodes raised his hand and waved the girls to leave. He had been unable to bear the smell on his body for a long time and it was time to take a good shower.

More than ten minutes later, when Rhodes walked out of the cleaning truck wrapped in a thick blanket, he saw that the entire first floor of the hospital was on fire. Several Atlas soldiers were still firing incendiary rockets at higher floors or using flamethrowers to clear dry trees near the hospital.

A slight explosion pierced the thick smoke, barely drowning out the now-silent wind. The flames melted the surrounding snow, clearing away the decay along with it. A blazing heat, unlike that from hot water or a heater, crawled across the dry ground, casting a dancing light and shadow on Rhode's face.

Fire is still mankind's most powerful weapon against darkness, both in ancient and modern times.

But then... what about underwater? What about in space? What about places where you can't light a flame?

Rhodes thought about it and felt a headache. He could only hope that the system was powerful enough for the time being.

“Commander!”/“Sensei!”/“…”

Rod turned around, stretched his arms out from under the blanket, and waved to the girls:

"How about we go live in Arkham for a while?"

Chapter 31 Towards Arkham Town

Leaving Atlas' security personnel behind to clean up the mess, Rhodes and his companions boarded two wide-body jeeps and drove towards the town of Arkham.

A narrow path had been cleared along the state highway, a light snowfall accumulating on it, then being crushed into a dark brown, dirty slush by the occasional passing vehicle. There were no streetlights along this stretch of road, and only the shadowy shadows of the trees, illuminated by the headlights, flashed by quickly. Even the faint glimmer of light from the snow could not dispel the lingering darkness.

Although the snow continued to fall, the whistling wind had stopped, and it seemed that everything was getting better.

“…It’s still snowing.”

Rhode withdrew his gaze from the car and turned back to look at the girls huddled together in the back seat. They were covered in plush blankets, and their long, slumbering breathing was particularly loud in the silent car. Even Marian, who didn't need much sleep, was taking a nap with her eyes closed, completely unaware of Rhode's gaze.

Due to the limited space in the car, Carter chose to take another jeep with his backpack full of information. However, he could lie down and enjoy the entire back seat to himself... Rhodes could fully imagine what kind of emotion the foundation director would express when he lay down.

"You might as well get some sleep. At this rate, it'll take us over half an hour to reach Arkham," the Atlas Corps soldier driving the car, named Torres, also from the world of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, whispered. "If you need a satellite call, I can help you raise the external antenna."

"No thanks."

Rhode replied gently. In his hand, he held a classic Stanley thermos, filled with slightly scalding hot cocoa. The sweet, rich flavor and warmth were enough to dispel the bitter cold. After taking a sip, Rhode even felt that this thing was enough to revive a frozen zombie.

Since he had nothing to do, Rhode didn't plan to contact Ains immediately. He opened the system interface and counted his recent gains.

My backworld points have already exceeded 8000, enough to redeem a new United States battle group, or to earn another 2000 points through a system quest to open a new NATO nation. Of course, I still have two unused character exchange coupons.

After thinking for a moment, Rhodes decided to choose the 82nd Airborne Division as the new battle group. This division not only has a variety of helicopters including the CH-47C Chinook, fighter jets such as F15C, F16C, A10A, and F111, but also LAV armored vehicles in the reconnaissance column. It can be regarded as a better supplement to the existing 3rd Armored Division battle group.

After all, Rhodes would be operating in the city and its surrounding areas for the next period of time, and it was impossible for him to drive a tank on the streets. Armored vehicles were not only more flexible but also less likely to stir up public opinion. As for infantry weapons... the extra grenade launcher looked great, but it was still not as good as directly exploding the gold coins of Ains and Atlas.

The system hadn't yet opened up exchange for naval equipment, and the current battle group combinations, similar to those in WARNO, were limited, not as convenient as card grouping in Wargame: Red Dragon. Because of this, Rhode could only hope for future system updates, just like the last time he met Asuki Asuki.

It didn't take too much time to count the harvest and unlock the new battle group. Just as Rhodes was about to lean back in his chair to rest, the satellite phone in his hand showed that a number was connected - it must be Ains. Rhodes estimated that after receiving the message from the Atlas Company personnel, Ains and the other directors would have to wake up from their sleep or work, waiting for a reply from Rhodes or Carter.

Carter was obviously unreliable, so Irons called Rhodes.

After signaling Derek to raise the satellite dish, Rod connected it and then answered the call while sipping hot cocoa:

"It's me, Rod."

"...Is Carter still asleep?" Irons' voice came. The signal wasn't very good, but the call quality gradually improved as they approached the residential area and the snow and wind subsided. "When he wakes up, remember to tell him to write a report for the Foundation as soon as possible—don't write it like an adventure story. I've told him many times!"

"It's hard to change a person's writing habits," Rhodes said slowly. "Just like when someone gets used to writing Warhammer fanfiction, all they can think about is the Canned Big Guy and the Yellow-skinned Golden Toilet."

"What the hell is Warhammer? Forget it. You should stay in Arkham Town for a while. I'll have Atlas agents arrange food and lodging for you. It's a pity that Carter has already moved out of there, and the old house has been sold for a long time." Irons' voice was tired, and he looked like he had been pulled out of bed. He pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Carter will meet me in New York after he wakes up. He will speak at the board meeting."

"Can I go and sit in on the class?" Rhodes asked knowingly.

There was a burst of silent electrical noise from the satellite phone. After more than ten seconds, Irons spoke with a hint of helplessness:

"I actually gave your idea some serious thought... Well, it definitely won't work this time, but I will put your request on the agenda for discussion in the board of directors."

"In that case, I have nothing more to say. Is there anything else?" Rod yawned and saw from the rearview mirror that Abigail had woken up and was now looking around cautiously, like a little hamster that had just arrived at a new nest.

The girl moved her nose and smelled the sweet smell in the air. Seeing this, Rhodes smiled and handed her the thermos.

"No, it's just that a director from the Foundation needs to personally confirm your situation. We didn't expect you to directly encounter the otherworldly incident," Irons complained on the phone. "Also, Carter should have responded to the directors as soon as the incident was over. You know, we are scattered across different continents, and there will always be people awake - instead of waiting for the Atlas security personnel to encounter survivors and then hurriedly wake me up from my sleep."

Rhodes smiled and was about to hang up the phone, but then he remembered an important question:

"Wait, Mr. Irons, have you ever heard of the United States' Black Mesa base, or the Black Mesa research facility?"

"No, not really. I know about a lot of secret military research projects, some of which Atlas Corporation is involved in, but Black Mesa? I haven't heard of it."

"That's good," Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief. "That facility is located in the New Mexico desert. It was converted from an abandoned interstate ballistic missile base. It's used for research..."