Long-term salvation

But could he really be the Messiah, or just another madman launching a crusade or an inquisition?

Demons always like to use holiness to disguise themselves, deceive the world, and seize souls.

"You can observe him first, then make a decision, Gabriel," Father Lankester said, walking towards Hill Manor. He already saw three figures waiting at the door. Hesitating any further would seem rude to them. "Just like the Foundation's directors did, after two years of observation, even the most cunning demon will be exposed in the face of the power of time."

"You're right, old friend."

The two priests walked one after the other, the early spring breeze passing through their fingers that looked a little thin due to age, taking away the warmth in their palms and the sweat caused by tension... It always takes a little courage to walk towards an unknown future.

Fortunately, there were no magical or strange illusions along the way, and no one suddenly rushed out to crucify the two priests. Rhodes, standing in front of Hill Villa, did not lift up his clothes, say that he was "the second son of God" and then turn around to start establishing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Rhodes, a handsome young man, stood before the priests. He was neatly dressed without any outrageous or surprising attire, and had a proper smile on his face. When they first met, the two priests felt that the man in front of them was extremely "ordinary", just like a normal human being. Only his deep blue eyes held the same scrutiny as that of Jesus suffering on the cross.

But if you look at him more carefully, you can sense another meaning from him:

only.

It is "THE ONE" that is unique in the world and cannot be replicated by any means.

The two priests even suspected that after Rhodes' blood left his body, it would soon turn into a mortal object like the holy blood, and would never give those with ulterior motives the opportunity to take advantage of it.

In addition, the girl next to him who is wearing a nun's uniform but has an angel halo on her head is even more difficult to look away.

Looking at the halo above Mary's head, and the holiness and ethereality faintly revealed from it, Father Gabriel took a deep breath and greeted her with proper courtesy:

"In the name of God, we finally meet, Mr. Rhodes, and this lovely little sister. I have heard so many stories about you from Lankester. So many lives have been saved by you. This is the luck of the innocent."

"With your help," Rhodes calmly shook hands with the two priests and said meaningfully, "I can save more lives."

The two priests responded with a smile but did not give a direct answer.

Sensing the two's thoughts, Dr. Hannibal patted Rhodes' shoulder and said calmly:

"Let's go inside and talk."

"But I can't provide you with the delicious meal you had last time, Dr. Hannibal. Marian's cooking skills are still a little bit behind."

"Oh! That's not a problem. 'Rome wasn't built in a day,'" Dr. Hannibal smiled. "After all, I learned my craft bit by bit, and only after eating a lot of failed products did I develop it."

Rhodes: “…”

Could you please not do this so suddenly?!

Rhodes suddenly felt a little worried about these two priests. He hoped that one day they would not go against the Foundation's wishes and be served on the table by Dr. Hannibal, cooked with wine.

①Father Gabriel Amos is from the horror movie "The Pope's Exorcist". He is a real person and his detailed introduction can be found in Chapter 75.

②Father Lankester Merlyn comes from the classic horror film "The Exorcist", which pioneered the exorcism genre in 1973.

Chapter 132: So, What About God? (3K)

As soon as the two priests followed Rhodes into Hill Villa, they saw a group of people standing in different places looking at them, from white-haired old women to elegantly dressed ladies to workers in work clothes... They stared at the newcomers quietly, as if they were looking at two corpses, which made the two priests shudder.

"Okay, everyone, go back. Don't come out and scare people in broad daylight," Rhodes waved his hand to let the ghosts leave, but then he remembered something and said with a smile:

"These two priests aren't here to do things like 'purification' or 'exorcism'. You should keep the manor quiet for a bit - I don't want to see the ghost of a priest reciting prayers at night."

With that, the ghosts turned and left without a word, merging into the shadows and walls. Even the chilliness of Hill House dissipated a little, allowing the sunlight outside to shine in and cast a shadow on the two nervous priests.

Just looking at the expressions on their faces, the warm sunlight didn't seem to be of much use. Instead, it was reminding them not to step into it.

This is exactly what Rhodes wants.

"For God's sake, Mr. Rhodes," Father Lankester suppressed his pounding heart, took out a pill from the bottle from his pocket, and took a heart attack pill. After taking a few breaths, he slowly complained, "You should tell us in advance next time... Although Gabriel and I don't mind serving God now, it's too embarrassing to go there in this way."

"It's okay, Father. If you die in Hill Manor, you will just remain here as a ghost and will never reach God."

"Then this problem is indeed more serious!"

After briefly introducing the peculiarities and history of Hill Manor, Rhodes led the two priests and Dr. Hannibal into the reception room.

The living room was about the size of two bedrooms put together, and was covered with dark carpet. Bright sunlight streamed in through the gauze curtains, casting a layer of ripple-like shadows on the sofa and other furniture.

The fire in the fireplace had already been lit, with occasional crackling sounds. Neatly chopped firewood was stacked in a wooden frame next to it, with a long black iron hook sticking out of it, still carrying ashes that had not yet fallen off.

After everyone was seated, Mary got up to fill the kettle with water and placed it on the fireplace, ready to make a few cups of coffee for Rod and the guests.

While waiting for coffee, Father Gabriel straightened his collar, exchanged glances with Father Lankester, and then carefully considered his tone before speaking to Rhodes:

"If possible, I would like to accompany you as you deal with the events of the Otherworld... just as the Foundation's directors do."

"If there's an incident requiring 'exorcism,' I'll seek your help. After all, many times, priests and Bibles aren't needed. What's needed are flames, swords, and automatic rifles."

As Rhodes spoke, he reached out and took the coffee from Mary. He held the cup in his palm, feeling the heat and slight pain from the scalding liquid seeping through the cup. He blew on the coffee a few times, placed the cup on the coffee table in front of him, and continued:

"I think I understand what you mean by 'you'. So since Dr. Hannibal is here, representing the Foundation's Board of Directors, I'll state my point directly. I don't like any form of religion, especially religious organizations that act in the name of God."

"Don't try to change my mind, Fathers. The Church's historical actions are essentially no different from those of cults. Of course, this won't affect our cooperation. After all, the actions of the Church or other religious organizations recognized by the mainstream public haven't had any significant consequences for human civilization."

If human civilization is threatened by this, then religious organizations represented by the Roman Catholic Church will also be my enemies.

Rhode's meaning was obvious, but he immediately relaxed his serious expression and said to the two helpless priests with a smile:

"I don't dislike it to the point of hatred, I just don't like it. And the secret records you two sent me a few days ago did answer some of my questions, such as the method of birth of creatures in the other world—"

To this day, Rhodes can still recall the pain the system prompted him to feel. It seemed that the more it involved the basic knowledge of this world, the more torturous it was. At that moment, he almost lost consciousness due to the sudden severe pain!

Fortunately, this feeling only lasted for a few seconds before disappearing without a trace. Only the sweat on his back and the knowledge of the other world churning in his mind reminded him of what had just happened.

After secretly cursing the system, Rhode carefully considered his words, suppressed his smile, and slowly pulled out the knowledge in his mind:

"Most religious demons and djinns (Jinn, the Islamic term for supernatural beings) are born from human thought. Over the past two thousand years, countless human imaginations, expectations, and even negative emotions have shaped them in the otherworld. However, some have been 'observed' by humans and given names... These monsters are often complex in appearance and possess varying degrees of intelligence, but they all harbor extreme cruelty and malice towards humans."

"The only good news is that they are not that easy to come into the real world, and they are not necessarily as powerful as they are in story books."

"But, it's hard to say what will happen in the future, right?" Father Lankester murmured. He held the cup, and the rich, fragrant coffee inside could hardly distract the priest for a moment. He said worriedly, "You once said that the 'otherworld tide' is rising, and one day it will flood the beach below our feet."

"This is what we must do now, Father. Save ourselves and human civilization before it becomes irreversible."

"Wait, everyone, I have a question."

Father Gabriel frowned, a more terrible suspicion dragging him into the abyss. He put down the cup, looked into Rhodes' eyes, and asked word by word:

"What about God?"

Does He really exist? Was God also born from human thought? Is He, like other monsters from the other world, filled with malice towards humanity?

There are too many, from grand to small, from simple to complicated, too many questions are crowding in Father Gabriel's heart. Unlike his good friend Lankester, he is the chief exorcist of the Vatican who often deals with the Pope and cardinals!

Knowing so many sins and secrets had not shaken the priest, but now he only felt that his faith was being tested.

"First of all, I can't say that all creatures from the other world harbor malicious intent towards humans, but just touching them is enough to cause a person's spirit to collapse, scream, and then die, or they might consume their flesh and soul as a meal—much like the predatory relationship between animals and insects in nature. It's hard to say that the monsters from the other world are 'malicious' in this sense."

Looking at the priest's expression, Rhodes comforted him. He pondered for a few seconds, then continued to explain:

"It's difficult to define the existence of God, or the one true God of the Abrahamic religions, and it's also difficult to define good and evil in human terms. After all, inferring a great being from countless versions of biblical stories is inherently imprecise."

"Actually, there are beings with benevolent intentions towards humanity. They're what the Foundation's directors often refer to as 'unknown benevolent beings.' Haha, maybe God is—"

A sharp pain suddenly rose in Rhode's head, causing him to close his mouth subconsciously, and the second half of his sentence turned into a violent cough caused by choking on saliva.

Dr. Hannibal, who was sitting next to them and acting as a recorder, was startled. He quickly patted Rhodes on the back and asked Mary to bring some water and tissues. While everyone was in a panic, no one noticed that the last paragraph on the paper where Dr. Hannibal recorded the conversation had been erased by an invisible force.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just choked on my saliva." Rhode waved his hand, letting the worried little nun sit back in her seat. He straightened up, slowed his breathing, and said helplessly, "Sorry to make you laugh."

"No... Let's get back to the topic. What did you mean by 'unknown benevolent existence'?"

"Nothing," Rhode said calmly. "I'm just saying there might be unknown benevolent beings in the other world. It's just that the probability is so low, so low that we don't need to consider it specifically."

The unknown benevolent entity that the directors of the Cogito Foundation often talked about - the system - had just silenced him, without any prompting, too directly.

Because of what?

While answering the priests' questions, Rhodes pondered for a moment, connecting them to God (the only God). Some of his questions were answered, but many new doubts remained:

If the system was truly God, it wouldn't have interrupted Rhodes' joke so rudely and directly. If it wasn't, it wouldn't have reacted at all.

What would be the reason?

God... maybe he really does exist, and his authority and power have been taken away. Or perhaps, from its inception, this thought has been guided and monitored, like a fruit tree growing wildly in the wilderness but being spotted early on, carefully watered, and awaiting the moment it blooms and bears fruit:

Now, the fruit is obviously in hand and dyed into different colors according to one's preferences.

Rhodes raised his head and saw his reflection in the eyes of the two priests.

"Mr. Rhodes?"

"No, nothing. What do you two think of my Global Occult Coalition initiative?"

"That's a good suggestion. I will persuade the Pope to allow the Holy See to join. I also look forward to the day when you travel to Europe and to Rome."

"I'm looking forward to it, too, Father."

Chapter 133 Welcome to Aperture Technology!

The conversation with the two priests was quite pleasant until Rhodes suggested that they organize a crusade against the other world under the framework of the Global Occult Alliance, for example, naming it the "Trench Crusade".

Father Gabriel immediately retorted, "Reality isn't like movies or fantasy novels!" Perhaps they felt the impact was negative. After all, the Roman Catholic Church was in decline, and its influence on the world was less than it once was. And what about the current state of the Crusaders' main opponents in history...

However, this was not something Rhode needed to worry about. He was currently heading to Aperture Technology's underground headquarters in an abandoned salt mine in Michigan. This trip was both a tour and a financial audit, and for this reason:

"Sensei, your scarf is crooked."

Hayase Yuuka reached out to straighten Rhodes' scarf. The tip of her nose, kissed by the early spring breeze, was slightly red, and her face was filled with an expression of uncontrollable joy.

"I really don't know why Mr. Carvin Johnson set up his headquarters so deep underground. It's not very convenient to transport personnel and supplies."

"Men always need a secret underground base," Rhodes shrugged. "At least that's what Mr. Kavan told me... Yeah, I know. He has some mental issues."

"I hope nothing goes wrong on this trip. The last time we acted together, we were fighting corpses and monsters in the hospital."

The girl complained quietly, but despite that, she was still happy to be able to travel alone with Rhodes.

When the helicopter that Rhodes and Yuka were riding in landed on the helipad above the Aperture Technology headquarters, the heavy door leading to the underground slowly opened in front of them. Aperture Technology did not rely entirely on elevators to transport supplies, as they were too inefficient and inconvenient for transporting large equipment. Instead, various small and medium-sized elevators were everywhere.

According to Carvin Johnson's plan, he even planned to build a subway to Detroit!

However, this is not a big problem. After all, Aperture Technology has already built a dry dock in its underground headquarters and is preparing to build a ship for teleportation experiments (the Aurora). It has only been temporarily shelved in this world line due to funding issues.

After the gate opened, a bright tunnel was revealed, which was large enough to accommodate several heavy trucks driving side by side. There should be very few vehicles passing through here, but at this moment, a group of researchers in pure white work clothes were standing on both sides of the road, clapping and holding banners. There were even two early prototype Laborers waving colorful flags!

"Welcome our new BOSS!"

"No overtime! More vacation time!"

"When will you give us a raise?"

"Aperture Xing, King Rhodes!"

Rhodes: “…”

Why is there an Asian person here?!

As if he didn't hear his subordinates' calls for salary increases and vacations, the skinny Calvin Johnson reached out and patted the convertible next to him, a modified four-seater Mercedes-Benz SSK. The silver body reflected a beautiful luster under the tunnel lights, making it difficult to look away.

Rod was sure that Mercedes-Benz didn't know about this. After all, Calvin Johnson obviously didn't care what others thought, especially those who he considered mediocre.

But the situation now is like this... Calvin Johnson is wearing a white work suit, tall and thin, like a psychiatrist with a harsh face, but he is the most seriously ill among the psychopaths in Aperture Technology.

"Rod! And this Miss Angel, come, get in the car!"

Calvin Johnson seemed very happy. He invited Rod and Yuka to get in the car, and then he personally drove the SSK along the tunnel to the underground part:

"I've wanted to let you visit my underground castle for a long time. Wait—it seems to be yours now, but that's not important! I must thank you. The manufacturing blueprints and various technologies you brought are taking root here, and it's only a matter of time before we reap the rewards!"

“Maybe you have many problems, but I will never doubt your abilities.”

Including the ability to make trouble.

Although he added the second half of his words in his heart, Rhode's praise was sincere, causing a slightly smug smile to appear on Kevin's lips. However, this smile quickly disappeared into anger, and Kevin complained rather angrily:

"That guy, Irons, refused to share the Inner World artifacts and related research data with Aperture Science. His language was vulgar and rude! So even if he's a good leader, he can't glimpse the truth and the future. Rhodes, you have to make him compromise... Don't look at me like I'm a fool. I know what's important... At least Caroline knows, and she'll handle it all."

Listening to Calvin's nagging complaints, Rhode turned his head and cast his gaze towards the Aperture Technology underground headquarters, which had already revealed a corner.

Soft artificial sunlight shines on a wide variety of ornamental plants, which is the only green in this artificial world composed of white walls and various metal frame structures. Hundreds of laboratories of different sizes and types are separated by corridors and movable walls, and this is only what can be seen on the first floor, the underground part.