Long-term salvation

"See? This is my power," Inui Seijiro said with a smile, "Come to my side, Chiba Atsuko, just like my useless student. As for you..."

The old man looked at Rhodes, his face showing some confusion:

"I'm just curious about who you are. You're a completely unattached person, yet you've come all the way from the United States with a clear purpose—Asuka Jing Muji, that experimental subject, a very precious experimental subject—if possible, I'd like to start DCmini's dream control experiment later. Of course, the results are pretty good right now."

"Where is Hayaseura Takuhiko?" Rhodes asked.

"Oh! My partner is enjoying his dream world," the old man said with a smile on his face. "Although he failed to get those gangs to capture the experimental subjects, at least he provided enough funds for my plan... I will let him die of old age in his dreams. Not a bad ending, isn't it?"

Inui Seijiro raised his hand, and the heavy armor on Rod's body suddenly disappeared, turning into the stealth suit he wore when he came to the research institute. The heads of the serial killers also fell to the ground, rolling around, making miserable cries for mercy but no one paid any attention.

"The fact that you've made it here has proven your worth," Inui Seijiro extended his hand to Rhodes. His gradually younger face was adorned with a sickening arrogance, the traces of time fading as his physical body shed its physical form. "Come, stand by my side like Atsuko did, and become my messenger of the gospel—ascend the Stairway to God and become the God of Dreams for all mankind!"

After listening quietly, Rhode sighed, walked up to Inui Seijiro, and kicked him out! The glass of the floor-to-ceiling window shattered, and the various sized glass fragments reflected a crystal brilliance under the false sunlight.

Inui Seijiro's body froze in mid-air, with a hint of disdain on his face.

The next second, his body suddenly swelled up, and countless dark shadows condensed from human negative emotions poured into it, making it stand like the corpse of an old and hateful giant in the city!

Every movement of the aging shadow giant toppled surrounding buildings, cracked roads and the ground, and raised clouds of dust, which were then carried away by strong winds like a sandstorm. Countless phantoms of humanity dissipated in this earth-shattering calamity, leaving only faint wails and screams echoing—at that moment, some would awaken from their nightmares, only to fall back into them the moment they lay down again.

Nightmares torment the human spirit, stirring their emotions and unleashing strands of otherworldly energy. These energies converge, transforming into an unstoppable torrent that pours into Inui Seijiro's body, healing his desires and poisoning his soul.

"You truly foolish mortal," the shadow giant said with a sneer on his aged face. "Since you are so ungrateful, then become my nourishment! Let me see how you managed to stand here!"

"Ms. Chiba Atsuko, can you handle that big-headed idiot on your own?" Rhodes stretched his neck. He stood in front of the broken glass, letting the cold wind from the high-rise blow his hair. "I have a big battle to participate in... You can't ask me to change to a smaller one this time, right?"

"..." Chiba Atsuko sighed helplessly. She reminded, "Don't forget your imagination!"

"That's the only thing you don't have to worry about."

Rhode stepped forward, and the roar of human wisdom resounded throughout the city. The mountain-like machinery cast a large shadow, and every advance of the giant steel foot caused a weak earthquake.

The magic machine is out!

Chapter 115: Waking Up from a Nightmare (3.6K)

Tall buildings and even the entire city were shaking due to the collision between the giants. The Titan God Machine took heavy and slow steps and knocked the aging giant in front of it away. Several heavy missiles then flew away with billowing smoke and exploded on the wrinkled skin transformed by the dark shadow, blasting out clouds of milky white smoke.

The dream world then changed due to the anger of the old giant. Wild winds, rainstorms and heavy snow appeared at the same time. The earth cracked and lava spewed out from those ugly cracks. The whole world almost turned into a real purgatory!

The next moment, the dream transformed into a desolate desert. The remnants of human civilization loomed in the sea of ​​sand. Desolation filled every inch of space. Only the tall building remained, and only the aging giant and the Titan machine continued to blast each other. Like the click of a shutter, the dream shifted again. A fierce wind whipped up a raging sea, and the huge waves twisted under the dim light of countless lighthouses...

In one dream after another, the extremely active energy is attracting the attention of the inner world:

Hundreds of thousands, or even more, of negative emotions generated by humans during nightmares gathered here, almost turning this place into a new area of ​​the afterlife [Shallow Dungeon of Confusion], or even worse - falling into a deeper afterlife - Inui Seijiro, Hayaseura Takuhiko, and the possible forces behind them, are like ignorant children playing with matches in a confined space filled with gasoline barrels!

Inside the Titan Machine, Rhodes frowned. He found that the giant transformed by Inui Seijiro in front of him was madly absorbing the negative emotions that humans had when they entered the nightmare, such as fear, hatred, sadness, despair... The darkness strengthened the power of the aging giant, making it more violent and twisted, and even the wisdom and mind of the human being began to dissolve.

From this it can be seen that even if left alone, Inui Seijiro will not have a good ending.

But before that, Rhodes needed to ensure that he would not be killed - after all, the Titan Machine was only based on his own imagination and memory, and was far from the real energy of the huge inner world... It was time to think about how to escape.

However, before Rhodes could figure out what was going on, the dream world changed again, from a tropical rainforest to a giant palace engraved with countless white masks.

An invisible shock wave swept over, causing the ground to undulate like waves, and even the masks collided with each other, making countless crisp collision sounds.

Rhode raised his eyes, and a new logo appeared on the all-seeing eye mask - a familiar name appeared on it:

John Walker, Hayaseura Takuhiko.

"Tsk, one thing after another! What the hell is this bastard doing here?!" Rhode complained, manipulating the Titan Divine Machine to cross his arms, ready to forcibly take on the charging aging giant. "Forget it, let's figure out how to get out of here first."

at the same time.

The pungent smell of sulfur and loud noises poured in from the broken floor-to-ceiling windows. The hot wind made the corners of Chiba Atsuko's clothes sway, but her mind was no longer on this.

"Atsuko," Koyamauchi Morio said affectionately, with a sick smile on his face, "You know how I feel. I was incompetent in the past, but it's different now—I'm a genius!"

Ignoring the man's affection, Chiba Atsuko's face darkened. Unease danced in her chest like a thousand rats gnawing at her heart. After taking a few deep breaths to relax herself, she asked:

"Where is Tokita? His talent will surely be noticed by the chairman... and Inui Seijiro, so where is he?"

Facing the question, Koyamauchi Morio still had a sickly smile on his face. This startled Chiba Atsuko. She recalled the words the person in front of her had said a few minutes ago, and a certain ominous premonition rose in her heart:

"Your head..."

"How do you know that?" Koyamauchi Morio laughed. He used both hands to forcefully peel back the skin on his forehead, revealing his flesh-colored, fat brain. "Look, Tokita is right here. Now I have a genius brain too!"

Chiba Atsuko suddenly opened her eyes wide... So that's how it is, so disgusting and pathetic.

She took a deep breath, but before she could change her form, the entire building shook violently, causing the two of them to stumble and fall to the ground.

The aging giant slammed the Titan into the tall building, instantly shattering all the floor-to-ceiling windows. Thick smoke billowed from outside, obscuring everyone's view. The next second, a violent explosion, accompanied by a dazzling flash, spread from one side of the tall building to the surrounding area. The flames shot up into the sky, threatening to ignite the clouds!

"This is what happens when you challenge Inui Seijiro-sensei! You are no match for the one who is about to ascend to godhood. Give up those worldly feelings, Atsuko, and stand by me, by our side!"

Standing amidst the thick smoke, Koyamauchi Morio laughed heartily, a hint of darkness creeping beneath his skin. Alienated by jealousy and inferiority, the man waved his hands, causing the yellow-black smoke to swirl around him, searching for Chiba Atsuko.

A figure slowly emerged from the thick smoke, causing Morio Koyama to smile and approach. However, by the time he saw who it was, it was too late.

Rhode, dressed in a stealth suit, came running at him, wielding a combat dagger. Before Koyamauchi Morio could react, he had already slit his throat! Dark shadows crawled out of the wound, landing on the ground and transforming into geckos and spiders. They quickly crawled out of the tall building and merged into the body of the aging giant outside.

Koyamauchi Morio's body shrank rapidly, his skin stretched tightly over his muscular tissue, which resembled dried bacon. Combined with his massive head, he looked like a bamboo pole with a round ball on top. Only his two prominent eyeballs still trembled, their gaze filled with fear.

"Chiba Atsuko! Come here quickly, see if you can help me evacuate this stupid dream world!"

Rhode shouted, but received only a faint response. Amidst the thick smoke, John Walker, also known as Hayaseura Takuhiko, emerged, holding Chiba Atsuko hostage. His dark red eyes held curiosity and composure, as if the collapsing building and the roaring, thrashing aging giant outside didn't exist.

"Well... young man, at least you were very young in my dream, but anyway, it's nice to finally meet you."

As Hayaseura Takuhiko spoke, the white-haired old man, dressed in an elegant suit and a brown hat, pierced Chiba Atsuko's throat with his fingers, piercing through skin, flesh, and bones, and curling upwards. It seemed that with just a slight squeeze, he could crush her brain.

"You seem to have disrupted the organization's plans many times."

"Then you'd better get used to it."

Rhodes pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Hayaseura Takuhiko's head. "There will be many more things like this in the future, but with all due respect, are you from the Mobius Foundation? Consider this a way to satisfy the curiosity of a dying man like me."

Hearing Rhode's words, Hayaseura Takuhiko's lips curled up slightly. He subdued his arrogance, trying not to let such a small detail cause him to lose his temper. He scoffed in response and turned his head to look at the aging giant outside the building. Inui Seijiro's face was no longer visible, leaving only endless distortion and longing.

"What an ignorant person, isn't he?" Hayaseura Takuhiko said with a smile, "You have nothing, yet you dream of ruling the world and human civilization."

"What's the difference between what you did and what he did?"

"Of course not, young man," Hayaseura Takuhiko said frankly. He hid his face behind Chiba Atsuko's head, preventing Rhodes from shooting her directly with his pistol. "It's just that we are smarter and more cautious. We know how to use the pigs of the mortal world—just like Inui Seijiro. Give him money and a little push, and his desires will consume him."

"Those who cannot control their desires are not qualified to walk with us."

Rhodes raised his feet and walked, and the two of them circled around Morio Koyamauchi, who had collapsed on the ground, both sides looking for opportunities.

The high-rise building's tilt angle became larger and larger. The load-bearing columns and the bottom walls, which had been severely damaged many times and burned by flames, could no longer bear the weight from above, not to mention the old giant next to it who had begun to run wild.

"What a shame! I originally wanted to take that clever pig away, but the fools got there first, and even his brain ended up in the head of a mediocre person. So I had no choice but to venture into this dangerous place to retrieve Miss Chiba Atsuko's consciousness and take her away."

Hayaseura Takuhiko shrugged and said with a smile:

"It's almost time, bye."

After saying that, Hayaseura Takuhiko's body immediately turned into red and gray pixels, and so did Chiba Atsuko - before Rhodes pounced on them, they completely disappeared in this dream world!

"What the hell?! How did this guy do that?!"

Having come up empty-handed, Rhode frowned, feeling even more frustrated and anxious. Just as he was worrying about how to escape this deep dream, he felt something pulling at his trouser leg.

It was Morio Koyamauchi, who was almost turned into a mummy. He made a hoarse sound in his throat and his eyes were full of pleading.

"Oh yeah, and you too, I almost forgot."

Rhodes squatted down and knocked Morio Koyama unconscious with a punch, then prepared to carefully cut off the fat brain with a dagger... Honestly, this scene was quite difficult, but fortunately, the brain itself was quite sensible and directly grew some thick and bloated flesh legs, clinging tightly to Rhodes' arms.

Rhodes: “…”

Holy shit, I almost pulled out a gun and blew his brains out, and what is this?

The brain-eating monster in DND?

"DC mini! DC mini is shutting down, we have to get out!" The voice that came out of nowhere in my head was Tokita Hirosaku's voice, the voice of a true genius, "Someone has implanted a backdoor program into DC mini! Go save Atsuko!"

"That's easy to say, but how are we going to get out?"

"Dreams jump from one dream to another, from the deepest dream to the shallowest dream! It's like traveling through a black hole in the universe!"

Deepest dream?

Rhode placed Tokita Hirosaku's brain on his shoulders, grabbed the ground, and climbed up the exterior of the crumbling high-rise building.

There, the aging giant transformed by Inui Seijiro was dissolving and collapsing inward. Dark shadows swirled like a vortex, and in the middle was an unpredictable abyss. It seemed to be Rhode's illusion, as he seemed to see a pure white light in the most inconspicuous place in the abyss.

Should I jump? But that was never a question worth hesitating about.

Rhodes jumped down.

[Floating up]

Billions of dream fragments flashed like a kaleidoscope. The colors were extremely brilliant but mixed into dirty colors like mud. The overly dazzling light made Rhodes close his eyes tightly. He held the brain in his arms to prevent Tokita Hirosaku's spirit from suffering irreversible damage.

[Floating up]

Then, a cacophony of sounds filled Rhode's ears: the cries and sobs of humans, the screams of animals, the cold metallic clatter of mechanical creations, and even the thunderous roars of nature. Countless sounds overlapped, ultimately transforming into the painful cries of intelligent life, directed at itself and the world beyond.

Heavy pressure surged from all directions, making Rhodes feel like he was in the deep sea. He looked up and saw a beam of pure white light quietly falling.

Rhodes subconsciously swam his legs and swam towards the beam of light.

[End of Floating]

Just like rushing out of the sea, Rhode suddenly opened his eyes, and the cold tiles on his face reminded him——

You are in the real world

[Side Quest: Nightmare Echo]

Mission Description: Eliminate hostile personnel within the research institute, recover and secure DC mini data.

Several faint footsteps were heard, the sound of combat boots.

Rhodes pursed his lips, got up from the ground, took out the M4 rifle from the storage space, and put on the silencer.

Chapter 116 Indoor Melee (3K)

The entire institute has lost power, and darkness fills every corner. Only the green light of the emergency escape light casts a dim light on the researchers sleeping in the corridor.

It would take these unfortunate innocents at least a month to recover from their drowsy state. If the dream state lasted any longer, there was a possibility of them becoming vegetative or even dying. In this respect, they were still lucky.

Silence filled the corridor, with only the sound of the door opening, which was fleeting but loud enough to be heard by anyone who was paying attention.

Wearing a stealth suit from Metal Gear Solid 4, Rhodes slowly walked to the corner of the corridor and half-knelt against the wall. He held his M4 rifle, the muzzle slightly lowered, and listened quietly:

The sound of combat boots treading on the floor was incredibly faint, even quieter than the footsteps of General Hammer's soldiers, experts in infiltration warfare. And yet, on this floor alone, there were six footsteps. There were no tactical flashlights, no lasers, only the cold, slowly approaching killing intent.

The main purpose of the visitors was to recover and inspect data, not to kill - dozens of people being shot would definitely cause vigilance and anger within Japan, which would obviously be detrimental to their subsequent evacuation operations. After all, Japan is a government with above-standard internal control capabilities.

Letting some thoughts flash through Rhodes' mind, he reached out and grasped the flash grenade hanging on his chest, gently pulled off the pull ring, silently calculated the enemy's movement speed, and then threw it backhanded!

Flashes of light and noise suddenly dispelled the darkness and silence, stained the entire corridor with a layer of pale light and shadow. Just as Rhodes was about to lean out, the wall at the corner was covered by a burst of rapid gunfire, and a round, fist-sized black shadow was also thrown towards him.

It's an offensive grenade.

"FVCK!"

Rhode suddenly stood up, huddled up, and ran back the way he came! The explosion that followed made him stumble and fall to the ground in a mess, even his neck was scratched by the shrill shrapnel!

If it weren't for the stealth suit's excellent bulletproof effect and Rhode's strong physical fitness, his back would probably be covered in bruises (not really). But it was okay, at least the body could remain intact.

Rhode climbed out of the scattered smoke and building debris, and quickly moved without looking back. After turning a corner, he immediately turned back and aimed his rifle at the direction of the enemy. Enduring the slight pain in his body, he slowed his breathing and listened quietly to the enemy's footsteps:

There was no sound, and no enemy appeared in the thermal imaging field of view provided by the All-Seeing Eye mask.

Obviously, Rhode's flash bomb was not in vain, and it had a significant negative impact on the enemies, but -

After sensing the incoming attacker's ill-intentioned projectiles, they were able to quickly deploy suppressive fire and return grenades in the direction of the attack, relying on their last memory before their vision was taken away... What the hell is this elite soldier?!

Does the Mobius Foundation have elite Navy SEALs? Could it be that Irons is sending the Atlas elite to silence him because he's been slandering him with the other directors?

Rhodes took a few deep breaths, waited for a few seconds and saw no enemy chasing him, then continued to move.

Rhode trotted lightly down the corridor, rhythmically pressing the radio plugged into his chest. Intermittent electrical noise and Nikki's voice followed through his earphones.

"commander?"