Long-term salvation

Keeping this feeling in mind, Will then saw Rhodes - that generous adult, to be honest, he felt that this person was not much older than them - this young man was walking quickly to meet two girls walking from the opposite direction, as if they were the people he was looking for.

"...Looks like I don't need to go to the supermarket, boys." Rhodes looked up at the two girls in front of him who were looking at him with a smile. After helping them take the large bags in their hands, he whispered, "Noah, you need to be careful to hide your aura. That boy named Will seemed to have seen it."

"I'll be more careful next time," Noah said softly. Her cheeks were slightly flushed by the cold wind. Then, a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Do you want to smell it?"

"what?"

"New perfume. After I helped a lady find her pet, she gave me a small bottle of her homemade rose perfume... So, want to smell it?"

Noah's words made Marian open her eyes wide, and she tilted her neck slightly as if mechanically to look at her friend who had become familiar with her. She felt that the latter at this moment was as scary as a cute and helpless little animal that suddenly opened its hungry blood-red eyes.

"Ahem—don't say such misleading things outside," Rhodes coughed a few times in a pretentious manner. He turned around and said loudly to the children who all looked at him with a bit of a scumbag look in their eyes, "Okay, boys, I'm going back now. You should go home quickly too... Brother Michael, oh, sorry, your name is Mike. Anyway, don't forget what I said!"

"All it took was some lubrication, new brake pads and brake levers, and three shouts of 'Thank you, Mr. Rod, for your sponsorship,'" Mike laughed. "I remember that clearly, Mr. Rod."

Rhodes put two fingers together between his eyebrows and gestured to the boys. They laughed and returned the same gesture.

After saying goodbye to the boys, Rod took Noah and Marian back to their residence along the same road they came from. He looked down at the large plastic bag in his hand that was full of seasonal vegetables, meat and many snacks.

"Wait, I remember Little Red Riding Hood also wanted potato chips."

"I've already bought them. In fact, she mentioned it many times before we left," Marian held up her plastic bag, which was much smaller than the ones in Rod's hand. "I brought her original flavor and French onion flavor, as well as desserts and candies for Yuka and Abi-chan."

Looking more closely, Rhodes saw a lot of snacks in the large plastic bag. He even saw colorful dried fruits and a small bag of broken cookies.

There was not much to do on the way back. Rod told the girls how he met the four boys, saying that he felt a little familiar and perhaps they would see each other again in the future. Marian was a good listener, and Noah would occasionally ask about some small details.

Rhode slowly strolled back to his residence. Just as he reached the door, before he could let the girls behind him go forward to open the door, the main door of the house was suddenly opened from the inside.

Yuuka placed her hands on her hips, a serious and stubborn expression on her cute face, a bit messy from a hastily washed face.

"Sensei! I told you to be thrifty with your money. Don't forget there are so many of us, and we have to prepare for the operation, and we only have $30,000 a month. And yet, in just a few days, we've already bought so many snacks, game cartridges, and board games!"

Abigail and Little Red Riding Hood were standing behind Yuka, both of them with embarrassed expressions after being caught.

"Yuuka, here are some desserts you like."

"You actually want to bribe me?!"

"Wait, wait, I'm holding something..."

Rod was dragged into the house by Yuxiang by his scarf, which made Noah behind him chuckle and follow him in. Marian, who was the last one to come, looked back at the streets of Arkham Town before slowly closing the door.

The quiet and peaceful town of Arkham seems to have not changed at all due to the arrival of a few outsiders.

At least not yet.

Chapter 36 Gomez’s Invitation (2/2)

A new day in the small town of Arkham was no different from any other day, except that as the temperature temporarily rose, the dirty snow and ice on the streets gradually melted away, and the turbid water flowed into the sewers, leaving only the lawns and the corners near the sidewalks with accumulated snow.

After waking up, Rhodes stretched out in bed, smacked his lips, and when he felt a little dry, he slowly got up, put on his clothes, and went downstairs to pour himself a glass of water.

"Sensei! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Yuuka."

Rhode greeted the girl who was sorting the books scattered in the living room. The girl's face was flushed, and it seemed that she had been out and about for a while. Looking at her bright smile, Rhode, who had just finished a sleep call with Asuka Iki, felt a little guilty for no reason. He quickly adjusted his mindset, reached out and touched the girl's head, and said with a smile:

"I've finished reading the timeline and major events you compiled. For the next few days, you can rest more or watch Little Red Riding Hood and prevent her from making any more pizza order calls."

“I ate all the pizza I ordered, nothing was wasted!”

There was a faint sound of wind, and Rod turned around suddenly and grabbed the orange thrown by Little Red Riding Hood.

"Then leave a piece for me!" Rhodes peeled the orange and handed half to Abigail who was strolling in the house. The girl bit off half of it and her whole face immediately shrank into a ball.

"Oh sorry, Abigail, I didn't know this stuff could be so sour."

Rhode looked around, feeling a bit bewildered, and grabbed a handful of candy from the small bamboo basket on the platform next to the stairs and stuffed it into Abigail's hand. The girl tore off a piece and put it in her mouth, only to find that it was plum and lemon flavored...

After Abigail delivered a vicious headbutt to Rod's abdomen, she hurried to the bathroom to rinse her mouth.

Little Red Riding Hood, who discovered that she had accidentally injured her allies, quickly disappeared into the sofa. She slowly walked into the kitchen to help Marian cook. Rod's first Nikki seemed to have found her new track. She now reads various cooking books all day long and even exchanges experiences with housewives in the town.

"Marianne, what's for breakfast today?"

Rhodes walked past the pile of books on the floor and headed towards the kitchen. He could already smell the aroma of food. After hearing his words, Marian, wearing an apron, tilted her head slightly, wiped a little sauce from the corner of her lips, and responded with a smile:

"Buttered bacon sandwiches, steamed asparagus, and a salad with shredded onions and broad beans. I learned the salad dressing from Mrs. Beatrice on Seventh Street. She's Italian... I can also make you spaghetti with meatballs and sausage tonight. I don't know why the meat sauce is called 'Clemenza'."

Hearing this, Rhodes spread his hands and bowed to Marian like a servant welcoming the queen, causing the girl to turn around blushing and not daring to look back.

"Where's Noah?" After teasing Nikki, Rhode was in a good mood. He patted Little Red Riding Hood's shoulder while she was chopping onions and asked:

"Didn't she tell me we were going to clean the snow off the roof together? Right after breakfast."

"I don't know, but it's definitely not in her bedroom."

"She's in the garage. She said she was looking for a ladder."

Abigail came out of the bathroom and spoke quickly. She ran into the kitchen and gave Rod another headbutt on the back before running to get a glass of water and drinking it. By the way, she was fed by Marian.

"It's the same if we wait until after breakfast."

"Maybe she wants to keep it all to herself," Little Red Riding Hood said without a word.

"what?"

"No, it's nothing."

Just as he was about to say something else, Rhodes heard the sound of a car braking outside. Noah also ran in from the side door and said to the people in the living room and kitchen:

"There were two cars parked on the street outside the door, a large RV and a classic car."

"Oh, okay. Also, Noah, wipe your face," Rod said, picking up a handkerchief and stuffing it into the silver-haired girl's hand. "Your face is covered in dust... It looks like we'll have to wait a little longer to clean the roof after breakfast."

"I can only wait, even though waiting is hell. I don't blame you for enjoying yourself, whether it is good or evil."

"Don't use Shakespeare's poems as answers to others, okay?" Rhodes helplessly stretched out his finger and pointed at Noah's forehead. With a little force, the girl fell back on the sofa. Yuxiang poked her head out from the armrest of the sofa, reached out and covered her best friend's face, rubbing it expressionlessly.

Ignoring the girls who were fighting, Rhodes put on his all-seeing eye mask, walked to the entrance and opened the door.

Not only was the cold air blowing in his face, but also the smell of cigarettes he hadn't smelled in a while. Gomez Adams, the foundation's director, was smoking a cigar and was about to greet Rhodes with a smile when he was pushed out the door. Rhodes also came out wearing a coat.

[Gomez Alonso Adams (United States of North America, occult scholar, director of the Cogito Foundation)]

【Origin: The Addams Family】

Description: Spanish-born, the current head of the Adams family, he is a refined aristocrat with a touch of nervousness and a sly sense of humor. He enjoys smoking cigars and often speaks some Spanish or Latin. Besides investing in his own properties, he also works as an appraiser for major auction houses. He is very wealthy.

【Attitude: Trust/Expectation/Delight】

Oh, the Adams Family, a few fragmented memories of them surfaced in Rod's mind. Of course, this did not stop him from taking out his cigarette case:

"Can I borrow a light, Director Gomez?"

"...Want a cigar?"

"That's not necessary. I prefer Red Apple cigarettes or Marlboro."

Rod took out his cigarette case, picked up a cigarette and put the head of his cigar against Gomez's. After taking a few puffs, he closed his eyes and felt the pain of nicotine killing his lung cells with satisfaction.

After the two men smoked for a while, Rhodes noticed the bald, fat man standing in front of the black Cadillac V8 Town Sedan. His eyes were surrounded by dark circles and his skin was as pale as a corpse, but he had a sincere and innocent smile on his face.

"Hostia! My bad!" Gomez smacked his head in frustration, then took Rod's hand and proudly introduced him:

"My brother, Fester Adams! He just came back to me last year—it's a really tortuous story, but thankfully, everything went smoothly... Not so smoothly either. My family and I were even kicked out of the old house. Fortunately, I returned before those despicable people caused more damage!"

"Oh hahaha, Gomez, you're showing off again," Fester, wearing a thick black coat, rushed over like a well-fed North American black bear preparing for hibernation. He hugged his brother tightly, then placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly to Rhode. "Fester, Fester Adams, Gomez and I are here to give you this RV."

Hearing this, Rhodes looked at the long RV, which was modified by Atlas from a Peterbilt 379 truck. The whole vehicle was matte black with only some dark red flame patterns extending from the front to the rear, giving it a very dark style.

"Including the folding beds, there's enough space for ten people!" Gomez explained enthusiastically. "It's equipped with satellite phones, radios, personal computers, air conditioning, and a backup generator... And you know what's best? It's got bulletproof lining on both sides!"

Seeing the middle-aged man in front of him and the huge RV that had already aroused the admiration of the neighbors, Rhodes raised his eyebrows and asked:

"So, what are you planning to do?"

"How about staying at my house for a week?"

Rhodes: "...I have changed my mind about your foundation's director, Director Gomez, but have you had breakfast? If not, come in and have some."

"Oh! My pleasure."

Chapter 37 Daily Life: Departure (1/2)

"Wow, you know what? When we were little, I strangled him until he lost consciousness and had to be on a ventilator!"

Sitting at the dining table, Fester Adams was telling stories that were hard to tell whether true or false, while Abigail, who was sitting next to him, had her eyes shining as she listened, as if this strange and cruel little story was just to her taste.

"Not only that, I even sawed open Gomez's head while he was asleep and took his brain out! It was like a quail egg on this plate, rolling around on the ground."

The girls looked at each other, but ultimately dismissed it as amusing nonsense.

"Oh, Rod, you see, my brother is always so funny. If the timing wasn't inappropriate, I would definitely tell you how I knocked out his four permanent teeth," Gomez smiled proudly. He had tucked a corner of a clean white handkerchief into his collar and was slowly eating the breakfast on the plate in front of him with his knife and fork. "I have to say, Mrs. Marianne, your cooking skills are really good."

Nikki's face flushed suddenly, and Rhodes even thought he heard the engine inside her body screaming.

"Ahem, it's Miss Marian," Rod said quickly. He placed a pile of fried carrot balls in the center of the table in front of Gomez. "Eat yours. After dinner, help me move the books to the RV."

"You... okay, okay, close your mouth and flies won't get in." Gomez, who was instantly stared at by several people, realized he had made a mistake and quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry, ladies, my wife is not here, otherwise she would never let me say such a disrespectful thing."

This little awkwardness soon dissipated. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, while the girls were clearing the plates, Rhodes poured two small glasses of rye whiskey for Gomez and Fester. After pouring a little for himself, he sat down and continued,

"To be honest, your proposal does surprise me. Even if it were me, I wouldn't let someone with 'unknown dangers' live in my house when I already have a family."

"You are neither 'unknown' nor 'dangerous,'" Gomez said, taking a sip from his wine cup. "Carter thinks highly of you, and we've also seen the videos and records. In just this short period of time, you've already saved a mother and daughter, as well as six ordinary people who escaped from the cult's sacrifice. Greetings, savior."

Gomez raised his glass to Rhodes, then drank the wine in one gulp. Even his brother Fester put away his smile and raised his glass to Rhodes solemnly.

It was a nice compliment, Rhodes thought...but he did feel happy about it, so he smiled back.

"I'm planning to drive directly from here to my old house in Westfield, New Jersey. It's only two days and one night. Fester and I will stay in hotels in the towns we pass through, and you can stay in the RV or rent a hotel together. How about that?"

After hearing what Gomez said, Rod thought for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and opened the system interface, but the system did not give any new prompts.

"How is it?" Gomez asked again. He looked at Rod, who was already a little tempted, and smiled. "I have prepared rooms for you. Just think about it: a bedroom with golden curved spider webs, a screaming skull clock, a pleasant organ version of a funeral march, and poisonous snakes in the swamps surrounding the old house. What a wonderful adventure! Carter loved it there, but he rejected my invitation too quickly. Of course, I must introduce you to my most precious treasures (similar to my wife, of course) - my children! You can't imagine how sweet and considerate they are."

Is this some kind of gothic funeral parlor?! It's almost like that, after all, Gomez's wife, Morticia (a Mortician undertaker), is just that kind of person. The Addams family is quite peculiar, neither understood nor loved by the world, but they're definitely not crazy, and every family member loves each other, creating a quirky yet heartwarming atmosphere.

"I'm looking forward to it, Director Gomez." Rod smiled as he thought of the two eccentric but resilient children in the movie. "Shall we set off now?"

"of course can!"

Since he had made the decision, Rhode did not delay any longer and returned to his room with the girls to pack their things.

In fact, according to Rhodes' idea, he planned to buy a house in the town of Arkham and live there permanently. During the inspection in the past few days, he took a fancy to the big house where Randolph Carter once lived, the old house formerly known as "Hill Manor".

Perhaps once Rod bought the place, Carter would be able to come back and live there more often. According to what he occasionally revealed, the director missed his childhood very much. At least many of the ghost stories in his current works were inspired by this time.

This Arkham is truly a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery...

Rhodes sighed and returned to his bedroom. He sorted out the things he could use, dragged out two suitcases from under the bed, and put these things and his usual clothes in them. Then, he opened the window and shouted to Gomez, who was standing next to the classic car:

"Director Gomez, are there any mattresses prepared in the RV?"

"Of course! But you might want to get some more clothes hooks, since girls will definitely have more clothes."

"grateful."

After closing the window, Rhode quickly packed his things, carried two suitcases downstairs, and picked up Abigail's suitcase as well. Although this little girl had some strange abilities, she was no different from ordinary girls in her daily life... Rhode always felt that this was not her final form, but her cute appearance was also good now.

"Abigail, what did you put in the box?"

"Clothes, bears, pajamas, and an M9 pistol with two full magazines. I didn't put the grenades because there wasn't enough space, so I gave them to Marian." Abigail paused and added, "I wanted a pink grip, and the pistol was a bit too big for my palm."

"Okay, next time I'll get some weapons with less recoil," Rhodes nodded, pleased that the girl was willing to protect herself. "Like maybe a women's revolver or a PPK pistol, or maybe even have Atlas customize a weapon for you."

"I like Noah's weapons."

Noah's pistol should be a SIG P320 pistol equipped with a FLUX kit (there are also many other names such as M1911A1, but P320 is chosen here), named "Secretary's Vote". From this, it seems that Abigail prefers smaller submachine guns.

Carrying the suitcase out, Rhodes just walked to the door of the RV when he heard Yuxiang scream:

"hand!"

"Do you need my help?" Rod got into the car with the box, but saw Yuka looking at the thing on the driver's seat in surprise - it was indeed a hand, a human hand, it was called "Thing", and it was Gomez's childhood playmate and old friend.