Long-term salvation

A certain existence closed the [door], closing the tiniest hole in the digestive system of that chaotic existence.

Only the dark yellow digestive fluid remains in place, but not much will be left... Following the maze-like tunnel system and holes, these fluids pour into the depths of the inner world. Perhaps in some areas, they will form a horrible place where flesh and blood are digested and monsters are born, but here, it will no longer be a problem.

The height of the digestive fluid dropped rapidly, and soon it dropped from reaching Rhodes' neck to only the level of his ankles.

A faint roar similar to the monster's angry roar could be heard from before, but Rhodes enjoyed listening to the despair and unwillingness contained in it.

"Huh... let's get out of here quickly," Abigail leaned forward, resting her hands on Rhodes' head, and said tiredly, "The crack in the other world will close soon. It will be troublesome if we can't get out."

"Okay, let's go back and pick up General Hammer and the others."

Rhodes nodded and took a few steps back. After finding that the ground was still solid enough, an idea came to his mind -

He exchanged it for an M1A1 Abrams tank.

Chapter 72: Escape through the Tunnel (1/2)

Ever since the dark yellow liquid rushed over and everyone climbed onto the subway train and watched Rhodes and the other two leave, General Hammer felt that he had lost his sense of time. The foul smell and the vague headache made the passage of time seem particularly long.

The general numbly pulled the trigger, knocking down the monsters that floated along the liquid and then stood up. Over and over again, he could hear Krauser scratching the roof of the subway train with a dagger. The scratching sound drilled into his ears, making him feel irritated. He couldn't help but turn his head and shout:

"Klauser, stop what you're doing!"

"...What?" Klauser was half-kneeling, his rifle aimed at the half-melted monsters trying to climb onto the subway, his face full of confusion. "General?"

"No, it's nothing. Continue your mission, Captain."

Realizing he wasn't feeling well, General Hammer closed his eyes and placed his hand on the artery in his neck, feeling the pulsation. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, and tenacity returned to this battle-hardened general.

Suppressing the urge to remove his gas mask and jump into the liquid below, General Hammer stood up and checked the soldiers' conditions one by one. Everyone had hallucinations and auditory hallucinations to varying degrees, but the overall situation was still good. There were no wounds that might weaken their combat effectiveness... The most seriously injured among them was Krauser, who had fought with the subway driver.

Glancing at the time, General Hammer realized that only forty minutes had passed, yet it felt like hours had passed in this dark area. After checking with the other soldiers to confirm his watch was working correctly, the general returned to his starting position, alert for any possible attack.

As time passed, the bullets became fewer and fewer.

Some noisy whispers spread among the soldiers, and some doubts and hesitations grew in their hearts.

The monsters' snickering echoed in the darkness, causing confusion and annoyance.

But these sounds did not last long. A purple light surged from the depths of the darkness, and an invisible shock wave instantly swept across all living things there.

General Hammer felt that at this moment, his heart was about to jump out of his throat!

When he regained consciousness, he heard the monsters' painful and desperate roars. They were screaming non-stop. Those close to the subway train, visible to the human soldiers, were frantically scooping up the receding dark yellow liquid, as if this could bring them back the blessings that had already vanished.

This sudden scene made General Hammer and the soldiers look at each other in confusion. They took this opportunity to check their weapons and change magazines.

Everything seemed to be getting better. The stench that had filled his nose and mind was instantly dispelled, and his headache and discomfort naturally eased considerably. Within seconds, a voice familiar to General Hammer rang out from the darkness:

The sound of gas turbines!

The tracks crushed the skeletons that had been there for who knows how many years, crushed the monsters that had not yet taken shape or were melting into the dirty soil, and knocked away the wreckage of buildings that blocked the way.

The M1A1 tank rushed out of the darkness, turning its turret and pointing the 120mm smoothbore gun at the rear end of the subway train. After a slight pause, the power of steel and gunpowder was unleashed unscrupulously—the orange flame at the muzzle flashed by, and the next second, a storm and explosions spread, mixed with metal fragments and monster meat.

The M1A1 tank rotated its turret, turned the corner lightly, and stopped next to the subway train.

The hatch was opened from the inside, and Abigail, wearing a tank cap, crawled out. She patted the hatch hard and asked loudly:

"Can any of you drive a tank?"

"Everyone can drive, little miss."

Seeing the funny look of the girl who had to keep standing up because of the large tank hat she was wearing, the gloom in General Hammer's heart receded a lot. After taking off his gas mask, he looked around and saw relaxation and relief on the faces of his subordinates who had also taken off their gas masks.

Not long after, Rhodes also came out from inside. He waved to General Hammer and shouted with a smile:

"I know you guys are definitely looking for a ride... You guys get in the tank, I'll be outside, and drive straight through the tunnel—drive fast, or we might not be able to get out! Throw away any long-barreled weapons, and just come in with your pistols!"

No one wants to walk on the dark yellow liquid that is enough to melt monsters. A tall tank is the best means of transportation. Anyway, it can be recycled later, so it is not a waste.

Five strong men would have been a bit cramped inside a four-man M1A1 tank, not to mention the need to manage the guns. For this reason, General Hammer stood up and leaned halfway outside, making it easier to operate the heavy machine gun.

Abigail sat at the edge of the loader's side. Black Cat Pickman lay beside the machine gun, yawning a few times before purring. Rhode stood behind the girl, holding the hatch with his hand while holding his revolver, alert for possible attacks—some monsters were still alive, in agony, eager to tear Rhode and his companions into pieces.

The M1A1 tank was driving along the subway tracks, its headlights dispelling the darkness ahead, but the driver soon discovered that several tunnels were intersecting with each other, and the tracks extended to different forks, with no idea where they led.

Rustling sounds came from several tunnels, but these sounds were quickly drowned out by a few shots from the tanks. Following Rhodes's guidance, General Hammer fired steadily at the tunnel forks. Dozens of bullet casings clanged onto the tank armor, making people feel inexplicably happy.

“What are we facing?”

General Hammer suddenly asked Rhodes, who was looking sideways into the darkness behind him. He fired a few shots, then heard the gunshots and the monster's roar. Then Rhodes turned around and said,

"In the other world, I ask questions even though I know the answer."

"No, I mean..."

"Don't ask a question no one else can explain clearly, General." Rhodes nodded his head, his face showing a helplessness that General Hammer had never seen before. "You'll get the same answer if you ask Irons—humans know very little about the other world, but some fools want to seize uncontrollable power from it."

"Think about it, General. If we hadn't stopped this today, how many more people would have been sent into the mouths of these monsters by some stupid cult or some mysterious organization? And what about these monsters? They were born from the most insignificant part of some existence. They might have been alienated humans... but that doesn't matter!"

Rhodes looked into the general's eyes and said seriously:

"The end of the world is more than just talk—not to mention that in the future, humanity's enemy may be humanity itself."

"I need your help, General. I need the help of many, many people."

General Hammer's lips trembled. He wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

Suddenly, the general felt the flow of air. He turned his neck stiffly and saw that the dark yellow liquid on both sides of the tank had changed from enough to touch a person's ankles to small puddles on the road after the rain. After driving a little further, even these small puddles disappeared.

A ray of light appeared in the distance.

Chapter 73: Midnight Cannibal Train: Suspension (2/2)

The tank drove steadily, leaving behind all the faint sounds coming from the tunnel. The scattered hateful gazes also disappeared, retreating back into the darkness unwillingly, and tasting the taste of hunger in the almost eternal time to come.

All of this no longer concerned Rhode and the others. The M1A1 tanks charged into the light. Like a bubble bursting, a normal tunnel with almost no curves instantly appeared before them. The chill of a New York winter wind poured into the tunnel from the subway entrance, sending shivers down everyone's spine. The soldiers were immediately overwhelmed by the joy of having survived, and even General Hammer breathed a sigh of relief, completely relaxed.

[Side Quest: Twelve Trials: Midnight Cannibal Train (Completed)]

【Transaction Completed】

【Task rewards begin to be distributed】

[Pollution points in the other world have been collected]

【Character exchange voucher has been received】

[Ozodek Scanner Manufacturing Blueprint has been collected]

[Equipment·Odrodek Scanner·Exchange function is now open]

Rhodes counted the pollution points in the inner world, his face filled with uncontrollable joy - this trip was very fruitful. The system rewards plus scattered points totaled more than 10,000, enough to activate battle groups in other countries within NATO.

What surprised Rhode even more was the availability of the "Odrodek Scanner" itself and its manufacturing blueprints. This device, from Death Stranding, is a multifunctional scanning device in the game. When the user is connected to the Bridgebaby via the umbilical cord, it can detect invisible BTs (Beached Things) from another world. In this world, the system has transformed it into a device that connects to the user's mind, scanning and detecting the energy activity and creations of the other world.

This is a huge improvement to the combat capabilities of ordinary human soldiers, helping them detect enemies and dangers that cannot be seen by the naked eye or ordinary detection equipment.

Right now, there are some suitable weapons and armor missing.

Rhodes, who was imagining his future plans, looked at the light that was getting closer and closer in front of him, but the smile on his face gradually faded. As the distance shortened and he could gradually see what was in front of him clearly, he frowned.

"Should we just keep driving along the tracks until we get to the platform?" General Hammer wondered loudly. "If we get hit by the subway, we'll be doomed! Besides... being seen wouldn't be a good thing either."

"Obviously not," Rhodes took the tank cap from Abigail's head and ordered through the throat transmitter: "Slow down and turn the turret according to my instructions."

"Rod, what are you doing?!"

General Hammer was shocked. Today's series of events had exhausted the veteran, and he was really confused about the situation.

"The first rule of being my subordinate is that you can question my decisions afterward, or even blow my head off," Rhode said flatly, his gaze fixed on the platform that had just appeared ahead and the people waiting there. "But beforehand, you must obey my orders unconditionally."

"Hey, I haven't—"

"fire!"

The power of the 120mm smoothbore cannon firing in a narrow space far outweighed that of the open field. When the shells struck the corridor, a violent gust of wind was unleashed, sweeping away broken bricks and concrete blocks. These debris, normally only worthy of being footsteps, had now become weapons of slaughter.

The upper bodies of the cleaners who were waiting at the platform to "deal with the remnants" suddenly burst into a cloud of blood mist, and broken limbs and arms flew down, crackling and hitting the tank and several people outside the tank.

General Hammer, who had not yet recovered from the tinnitus and mild concussion, shook his head and saw that Rhodes had picked up an M4 rifle and started shooting at the people on the platform. They were wearing white work clothes and looked more like butchers in a slaughterhouse than cleaners.

The collapsed corridor completely blocked the cleaners' possibility of escaping. Perhaps some of them could climb up the slope, but they would definitely not be able to escape Rhodes' shooting.

The soldiers climbed out of the tank. Like General Hammer, they were puzzled by the scene before them. But soon, a ring was thrown into General Hammer's hand - the same ring on the finger of the butcher who was killed by Rhodes at the beginning.

"Any questions now?" Rhodes asked without turning his head.

"……there is none left."

Abigail jumped onto the platform early, found a slightly cleaner bench, moved the severed hand away, and rubbed the seat with Pickman before sitting down leisurely. She was then attacked by the angry cat.

Half a minute later, General Hammer, who had recovered a little, jumped onto the platform with the help of the soldiers. He saw Rhodes stepping on the wound of a cleaner who was hit in the shoulder. As the latter exerted a little force, the seemingly ordinary man let out a painful howl. There were corpses all around the two of them.

While reloading his rifle, Rhodes said to the soldiers:

"Clean up the battlefield, leaving no one alive. Gather all the documents you can. Have someone guard the freight elevator; we'll be taking it up in a bit."

The soldiers nodded and subconsciously obeyed Rhodes' orders. When the driver left the M1A1 tank, the tank quickly disappeared in the latter's regretful eyes.

"Who provided you with cover?" Rhodes asked, his feet moving harder as he asked. "Who called you collaborators? Who are 'those people'?"

"The funding... the slaughterhouse manager knows!" The cleaner screamed in pain. "I don't know... I don't know anything more! Someone in the NYPD and the FBI helped cover it up... I really don't know who it was!"

"lie!"

"There are still people who want to go in and investigate! But they have all been sacrificed!"

Hearing this, Rhodes loosened his foot and looked at the man's body soaked in blood. He said gently:

"who?"

"I...I don't know...Don't step on it! It's just some rumors...There was a very wealthy force that wanted to cooperate with us, but they were rejected! There was a conflict a long time ago!"

The cleaner shifted his body, trying to escape from Rhodes' combat boots. He gasped for breath, feeling cold from blood loss. Of course, the weather was really cold, especially at this time when the sun had not yet fully emerged.

"But they chose to sneak in...into the Great Land...hahahaha...and no one could come out from there. We mocked them! Time and time again, year after year!"

Looking at the man laughing at his feet, Rhodes raised his gun and shot him in the head. His brain mixed with blood flowed between the cracks of the floor tiles.

"Which wealthy powerhouse is interested in the other world? It's so hard to guess..." Rhodes bent down to pick up the ring from the pool of blood, holding it under the light and examining it carefully, muttering to himself, "Are you right, Mobius? Of course, you're not the only one being taken advantage of in this world."

Putting the ring into his pocket, Rhodes turned to the others and said:

"Let's get out of here, everyone. Leave the rest to Atlas. It's time to get their agents moving so they don't hang around my place all day."

Chapter 74 Slaughterhouse

After taking the freight elevator up, Rhode and his group encountered no significant resistance. It was more like there were no people here at all. It was not yet 6 a.m., and it was still dark outside, but it was no longer dim. Some homeless people or street sweepers had already appeared on the street, and a snowplow with its orange lights flashing rumbled through the middle of the road.

Outside was a large slaughterhouse. The unaware workers had not yet come to work. Only the old lamps in the corridor cast a weak and cold light.

"Work in pairs and search for any signs of life. If you find any, restrain them and knock them unconscious," Rhode said as he sent a positioning signal. But then he noticed the fatigue on the others' faces and changed his tone. "Take these bullets. They're loaded with a powerful anesthetic... But don't force it. We'll just have to wait until Atlas' quick response team arrives."

After distributing a pistol magazine of Frigga bullets to each soldier, Rhodes briefly explained the working principle and then said to Krauser:

"You stay here and protect Abigail—I mean, protect the information we just collected at the subway station. Wait at the factory entrance. Don't be so stubborn, Lieutenant. The experience gained from solving incidents in the other world is invaluable, and you absolutely cannot die in a battle in the real world due to exhaustion and injuries."

"I……"

"Follow orders," General Hammer patted Krauser's shoulder with a relaxed smile on his face. "This is New York. I'm sure many of Irons' men are waiting for news from Rhodes."

"Ok."

Krauser looked at Rhodes, met his deep blue eyes, and said seriously:

"I will obey your orders, Boss."

BOSS? Not THE BOSS, nor BIG BOSS.

Rod liked the name.

"Then go ahead and execute it, everyone. As I said before, don't force it." Rhodes smiled a little more. He waved at the soldiers and pulled General Hammer away. "I'll be in the same group with your general. Let's discuss your future treatment."

After saying that, Rhode winked at Abigail, who was fixing her hair. The latter gave him a thumbs-up. Fortunately, it wasn't the middle finger that was about to move, otherwise Rhode would have to talk to the other girls about Abigail's education. It must be that Little Red Riding Hood who taught her bad things! Go back and find a reason to teach her a lesson!

Rhode pondered these various matters as he led General Hammer upstairs. The slaughterhouse was quite large, but it only had three floors. The manager's office was on the second floor, and the corridor outside was no different from the others; it was deserted, as if no one had ever been there.

"It looks like everyone who knew about this died in the subway station," General Hammer poked his head out and looked around carefully. "I thought they'd put some... monsters here, you know, like the ones we just encountered."