Long-term salvation

Everyone looked over there. Ghosts, ghosts who had died in Hill Manor, slowly appeared. They came here just to prove their existence—following Rhodes' orders and proving it to the Crane family.

Frost crawled onto the table and the food placed there, dimming the candles in the candlesticks like fireflies darting through the bushes. The heavy air clung to the legs of ordinary people, cold and muddy, like stepping into the mud of a winter swamp.

The Crane children screamed, leaping from their chairs to hug their parents or shouting in fear at Rhodes for answers. The energy of the otherworld was so vibrant that even Hugh Crane could clearly see the abominations. He grabbed his knife and shielded his wife and children behind him.

Hill Manor absorbed these negative emotions with great pleasure, and the ghosts began to slowly approach, inducing the strange visions that had appeared in the mansion one by one. For a moment, the entire restaurant became chaotic.

"Go back."

Rhodes' voice suddenly rang out, carrying a chill in it, causing the Crane family to subconsciously look over.

"Stay in Arkham," Rhodes said, sitting motionless in the main seat, seemingly unaware of the changes around him. He waved his hand, and the frost dissipated, causing the ghosts to retreat in fear. "I will build a university dedicated to dealing with supernatural phenomena and conducting occult research. As for you, Mr. and Ms. Crane, I believe you have noticed something unusual about yourselves and your children."

"They need to be taught how to face the horrors of the other world. They need to learn how to protect themselves. Open your arms and let the chicks fly from the nest, even in the face of fierce winds and heavy rain!"

"..."

Olivia didn't say anything, but she could feel the sweat and slight trembling in her husband's clenched palms. Perhaps she felt the same way about him, too? Doubt, fear, worry... but they all had to be faced, both for them and for the children.

After a few minutes of silence, Hugh Crane closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then said:

"We'll stay in Arkham, but we won't be living anywhere near Hill House."

"I've already said it, but I need to repeat it again, 'This is the right decision,' Mr. Crane."

Chapter 90: The Coming One After Another (1/2)

Unlike the children, who were excited yet a little terrified, the two adults in the Crane family were filled with worry. Besides packing their belongings that night and sending the children to sleep in a large house, they mostly discussed follow-up matters with Rhode.

Rhode didn't waste time talking to them. He arranged everything from temporary housing until they built their own house to their five children's potential college tuition and jobs.

What the Cogito Foundation lacks the least is scholars and PhDs. They are more than willing to take on students with qualifications related to the other world - that way there will be someone to inherit their knowledge and research, and they can also directly get a job at Atlas Corporation, or at the very least, go to Aperture Technology, as long as they can get along with those singing and dancing psychopaths.

The idea of ​​all five children going to college, without having to worry about tuition, was enough to attract the Cranes. The average tuition for college in the United States is over $13000 (around $8000 for public universities) and continues to rise. By the time their children grow up, they'll almost certainly be taking out student loans!

The two adults suffered from the pain of loans in their early years, and they naturally didn't want their children to follow the same path... In that case, there is no problem.

Each of the Crane family tossed and turned in their own thoughts until dawn.

When they woke up from their sleep, they saw all kinds of vehicles parked outside Hill Villa, most of which had the Atlas Corporation logo printed on them, and a few had the Aperture Technology ring printed on them.

The Cranes walked downstairs and saw a dozen heavily armed security guards patrolling. One of them took them to the restaurant where the two groups were facing off.

It was still the same long table they had used for dinner last night, and Rhode was still sitting at the main seat, but the people sitting on both sides had changed a lot.

On the left was Aperture Technologies' former CEO, Calvin Johnson, his arms folded across his chest, a look of obvious disdain and displeasure on his face. Secretary Caroline stood behind her boss, clutching a thick stack of documents and looking nervously at the person across from her.

To his right stood Jonathan Irons, CEO of Atlas Corporation. His face was composed, and he gripped the handle of his teacup, slowly sipping his slightly scalding black tea. General Hammer sat beside him, whispering to Randolph Carter, who was clearly not paying attention. Instead, he stared intently at the Hill Manor ghost that had emerged from nowhere.

"You two have been silent for over ten minutes," Rhode said awkwardly. But upon noticing the Cranes, he immediately stood up and introduced them. "These are the Cranes I mentioned to you. Their child possesses exceptional talent, and I hope you can provide him with guidance and protection."

"Atlas will take care of that."

"Aperture Technology... Wait, Rhodes," Carl raised his eyebrows and pointed at Irons in front of him and said, "You didn't tell me that you were still related to this guy - a thief! The guy who stole Aperture Technology's technology - you are actually related to him!"

"Have you taken your medicine today?" Irons asked expressionlessly.

"No, oh yeah, I haven't taken my medicine today, Caroline!"

After swallowing a few pills, Karl coughed a few times, frowned, and continued:

"Rod, as the CEO of Aperture Technology, you should focus on defeating all your competitors instead of condescending to cooperate with those guys."

"The CEO of Aperture Technologies?" Irons sneered. "In the future, Rhodes will control everything in Atlas, and that naturally includes 'your' Aperture Technologies."

Hearing this, Kevin opened his eyes wide and moved his lips slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Ains, who said in a bad tone:

"If you dare to say 'Rod is my illegitimate son, and I can't give birth to such a handsome illegitimate child,' I will break your legs today, and immediately."

"...Caroline, move the order of the mercury shower curtain sent to this guy up one, no, two."

"Okay, sir."

"..."

Feeling himself trapped in the Shura field between the two old men, Rhode silently covered his face with his hands. He let out a long sigh and said to the wooden Crane couple:

"That's the thing. Just get regular physical exams, and Atlas will take care of the rest. We won't interfere with the future development of the Crane children, but you must be careful not to spread your knowledge of the other world around. "

The Cranes had been hit hard by a series of blows. Whether it was Aperture Technologies, which they had heard of when they were young, or Atlas Corporation, which was now extremely powerful in the United States and even in the world, it was a scene they had never imagined before - the founders of these two companies were sitting here, at the same table with them!

Maybe they were skeptical of Rhode's words before because of the money, but now, they had no other thoughts at all.

"Director Randolph Carter, let the Cranes take you around the current Hill House. Perhaps you can find some childhood memories among the old junk."

Rhodes called back Randolph, who was daydreaming. After hearing that his childhood home had been bought back, Randolph rushed back excitedly and was warmly welcomed by the ghosts the moment he entered the door. After receiving the blessing of Hill Manor, the ghosts often appeared not only at night but also in dark weather, and occasionally helped with housework.

However, if Rhodes did not immediately give Hill Villa enough pollution points from the other world, the ghosts would immediately become the villa's accomplices in plundering "food"... This was the deal between Rhodes and Hill Villa. He would allow and maintain the villa's continued existence, and the villa would need to obey his orders.

After sending off the bewildered Crane couple and Randolph, Rhodes looked at the two men in front of him who were still on edge, and said helplessly:

"If you want to continue playing the staring game, you can go ahead. I need to talk to General Hammer about what's going to happen next."

"No, that's it." Irons glanced at Rhodes, obviously very angry that Rhodes acquired Aperture Technology without informing him, but... Irons sighed in his heart and continued with a stern face:

"I've taken a quick look at the mechanical blueprints you submitted—the Ozodek scanner, and that... Labor? The multi-legged engineering robot?"

Labor, an engineering robot from the Patlabor series, is a reward for a system side quest, and the rest is just a bunch of insignificant pollution points. After all, neither quest is too difficult, more like a prelude to the subsequent quests.

"Multi-legged robots, nothing new," Carl shook his head, as if lamenting Irons's ignorance. "Rod, you should pay more attention to Aperture Technology's Sentinel Turret. It has two powerful machine guns and can also function as a baby-raising device!"

Rhodes: "...I'll consider it."

"One more thing, Rhodes," Irons suddenly remembered one of the purposes of this trip and handed a letter to Rhodes. When Rhodes opened it, he found that it was a bilingual letter in Japanese and English. Then Irons began to explain:

"One of the Foundation's directors, Dr. Soichiro Sawai, hopes you can help resolve the incident in Japan's otherworldly world. He's preparing to meet you at Hill Villa."

"No, no need. I'll go to Japan as soon as possible and stop him from causing any more trouble." Rhodes raised his hand to signal Irons to stop talking. He turned to look at Carvin Johnson and said, "I need to use the name of Aperture Technology to expand my business overseas. Compared to Atlas, you won't get much attention, but you won't be able to hide it for a few years. Both you and I must seize this opportunity."

"You're the CEO, so these matters are naturally yours to decide," Carl said, unconcerned. "I need to focus on the research and development of the teleportation device. This time I'm just paying a courtesy visit... Oh, and Aperture Technology also needs the Ododek scanner. We might be conducting experiments related to the other world."

After hearing this, Irons was about to say something, but after noticing Rhodes's eyes, he pursed his lips and said no more.

After arranging things here, Rhodes looked at General Hammer, who came with his subordinates who had left the army and seemed to be ready.

"General, time is running out. How about we conduct a confrontation drill against creatures from the otherworld today?"

"It's impossible."

Chapter 91: Confrontation Drill (2/2)

The first group of soldiers accompanying General Hammer totaled 12, including the five who had previously participated in the otherworld incident with Rhode. The familiar face of Krauser was also among them, but his arm was still in a sling, and it looked like he would need some time to recover.

In reality, there were more than just these willing to leave the military. However, after General Hammer's retirement applications were quickly approved, it was best for these soldiers to leave in batches. Otherwise, not only would their retirements be delayed, but they would also be vulnerable to bureaucratic trouble. According to General Hammer, over thirty more would arrive within the next six months.

The number of people is a bit small, but if some mercenaries responsible for the outer blockade are added, it will be enough in the early stage.

After the Cranes packed up and left, Rod called the soldiers to assemble. However, Irons, Calvin and Randolph Carter all wanted to stay and take a look.

When the 12 soldiers, including Krauser, gathered in the hall, Rhodes, wearing a blindfold, stood in the middle of the main staircase, just able to take in everyone's expressions - generally speaking, most of them were suspicious, but that was fine. Rhodes liked to break down the barriers of doubt and then stuff the facts into their mouths.

Rhodes walked down the stairs, and the girls came out from the corridors on both sides of the stairs and stood behind him like wings.

"First, welcome everyone to Hill Villa," Rhodes said without further ado. "Second, I believe General Hammer has already told you what you will face next... I know that besides the five who fought with me, everyone else will definitely have many doubts - this is why we are standing here today."

As he spoke, Rhode looked around at the girls and asked:

“Who’s interested in being my commentary material?”

The girls who had already discussed this with Rhodes looked at each other. Finally, Mary, who looked the most harmless, came out. She was still wearing the nun's uniform, and her holy and lovely face made the soldiers smile.

"A little nun." / "She looks just as cute as my sister." / "My daughter is only a little shorter than her." / "Wait, haven't you divorced your wife?" / "Divorce won't stop me from visiting my daughter!"

Rhodes smiled more and pointed out a soldier in the front. The soldier was wearing weapons and equipment provided by Atlas Company and looked fully armed and murderous.

"Shoot," Rod said calmly, tapping the girl's forehead with his finger. "Use your pistol or rifle and shoot here."

"What?" The soldier shook his head. "Sir, I—"

"Come on, Krauser, get out of the way."

"Yes, Boss."

Krauser, with his arm in a sling, pushed through the crowd. He exchanged glances with Rod, then pulled out the soldier's pistol and shot Mary in the forehead without hesitation!

The bullet hit the girl's forehead, bounced off, flew diagonally upwards, and embedded deeply into the ceiling.

soldiers:"……"

"Hmm... I don't feel anything. The power of the aura seems to have increased." Mary rubbed her forehead with her hand. She stepped back with a smile. "You can continue, Sensei."

"Any questions now?" Rhodes raised his eyebrows.

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. The soldier whose pistol had been taken took it back, removed the magazine and bullets from the gun, carefully counted and inspected them, and passed them to others for inspection. Then, with a trembling voice, he said:

"You...wait, are you all cyborgs or some kind of superheroes? Even Batman can't catch a bullet with his forehead!"

"Actually, it depends on which version of Batman it is... ahem, anyway," Rhodes said with a smile as he stepped forward and patted the bewildered soldier. "No matter which lady it is, you have to be respectful to them, because they can literally tear you in half."

"Now, let me explain the two main parts of the backworld creature confrontation drill. First, these lovely girls will be your opponents. You can form groups based on your habits and experience, but the number of people should not exceed five. As for a large-scale confrontation with all members... we won't be rehearsing it today."

"Then there's the second part, which involves sleeping in this villa for a night," Rhodes' tone dropped, a look of artificial menace on his face, "or in other words, 'surviving.'"

"So what do you do?"

A soldier asked. He had heard General Hammer say that the young man in front of him was special and powerful. Although he was skeptical, the fact that so many "girls" could gather around him was enough to prove his "abnormality."

"Of course I'm with you," Rhodes said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'll join your team and fight against these girls. But at night, I'll go back to my bedroom and sleep, and you'll have to practice on your own."

Thus, the first experimental drill began five minutes later and concluded within two. Without Rhode's participation, the soldiers were found and knocked down one by one by Marian's fists. Ordinary bullets were completely ineffective against her, and even the ceramic bulletproof plates worn by the soldiers were shattered by her white, tender fists!

Two minutes, and that was when Marian showed some mercy. She only heard faint footsteps, then bolted away… without even firing a machine gun. Perhaps Nikki would have struggled against the monsters of the otherworld, with their varying abilities and states, but taking on these real-world foes in complex terrain was a breeze.

This result did not surprise Ains and the others who were watching the drill. However, Carl, who was seeing this for the first time, was very interested in androids like Nikki... For some reason, he didn't care much about Yuka and the others who had halos on their heads.

What Ains and the others were more concerned about was how far the confrontation drills could go after Rhodes joined.

After summarizing their experience, the second round of practice began ten minutes later. However, this time, Rhode's participation significantly increased the intensity of the confrontation.

The girls seemed very interested in testing Rhode's skills, especially Little Red Riding Hood, who was always looking for chaos. Because of this, the soldiers who fought on the battlefield soon witnessed scenes that could only appear in comics: "punching through walls," "rifles and machine guns appearing and disappearing out of thin air," and "fights and kicks so fast that they were invisible."

Fortunately, Hill Villa was able to repair itself after consuming Rhodes's inner world pollution points, otherwise he would have to invite the Cranes back.

After several rounds of confrontation drills, Rhode rubbed his painful face and turned to the assembled soldiers and said:

"Now, do you have any questions?"

“BOSS，我有问题。那些怪物……哦哦哦，我不是在说你们！你们都是可爱美丽又善良的女士！”有个说话不过脑子的蠢蛋盯上一眼后便立刻道歉噤声，虽然不会真的被撕成两半，但他可不想在未来的对抗演练里挨比其他人更多的揍

"I mean, those otherworldly monsters—that word is really hard to pronounce. Are the monsters there as powerful as you beautiful ladies?"

"Not necessarily," Rhode sighed and stretched his body. He had been severely punished for the girls' personal revenge. "There are many types, but they can be roughly divided into three categories: physical and intangible. The last category, although intangible, is specially classified due to its special nature. It is called 'concept'. I sincerely hope I don't encounter it again."

Rhode looked at the soldiers who had been hit hard, suppressed his smile, and said seriously:

"You may encounter something more terrifying than death. If you want to quit now, I will arrange for you to work as security guards at Atlas Corporation, so that you can live out your life in peace."

The soldiers looked at each other and burst into laughter. Finally, Klauser spoke on their behalf, with a proud smile on his face:

"Like the General, we were all drawn here by your vision of saving human civilization. How could we possibly back down because of such a blow?"

"Good! Very energetic!"

Rhodes was moved by their high morale. He clapped his hands, and the doors and windows of Hill Villa were closed by an invisible force. The curtains were drawn, making the interior of the entire building extremely dark.

The creepy whispers that could be heard faintly made the soldiers' hearts sink.

"In that case, let's begin the second part of the drill ahead of time. Ghosts of Hill Manor, please entertain my soldiers!"

After that, Rhodes took the girls out of Hill Villa and prepared to go outside to meet up with Ains and his group who were watching the surveillance video.

Rhodes had no interest in listening to the screams of a group of men.

Chapter 92: Across the Pacific

It usually takes more than ten or even twenty hours to fly from the east coast of the United States to Japan, but for Rhodes, this journey was by no means a torture - Irons generously lent his private plane to Rhodes and did not say when it would be returned.

Rhodes guessed that Irons was trying to find out his whereabouts in a roundabout way, and that the acquisition of Aperture Technology probably stimulated him... Although the flow of Rhodes' funds had been traced, Director Gomez Adams' figure was everywhere in it, which forced Irons to carefully consider the thoughts of his old friend and colleague.