Long-term salvation

Countless thoughts crowded into her mind. Julia, harassed by worries and anxieties, quickly caught up with Lucas and asked in a low voice:

"What's going on here? And all that... is everything you said true, Lucas? I know there are some strange things in this world - I've seen those scary antlers!"

The word "antlers" made Lucas' body tremble, but the boy suppressed the fear in his heart and spoke calmly:

"Will Miss Julia work here?"

"……Yes I will."

When Julia said this for the second time, she was already sitting in an office at Miskatonic University's affiliated school, signing her name on a confidentiality agreement.

"Ms. Julia Meadows, you will serve as a teacher at Miskatonic University, teaching those children who have experienced the events of the Otherworld and possess 'clairvoyance'. You will cultivate in them a love for human civilization and life, and guide them onto a normal and correct path in life—enabling them to become the sword, shield, and cornerstone of human civilization in the future."

"Of course, all of this is for the future of humanity. When they reach adulthood, they will have the opportunity to choose whether to blend into the lives of ordinary people or become heroes who go against the tide."

"In the name of Lord Rhodes, they are allowed this 'freedom'."

Chapter 166: Kojito Foundation Board Meeting: Beginning (3K)

194-454 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

From the outside, this old house located on the side of the street is no different from the buildings on both sides. It is ordinary, with beige horizontal bricks stacked layer by layer and covered with dark green eaves tiles. In the drizzle, it exudes an uncomfortable gloom and weirdness.

A taxi stopped in front of the house, and a man in a black coat hurriedly got out. He knocked on the door a few times and was then welcomed in. Several gun muzzles pointed at the man's back moved away and continued to remain silent in the shadows, waiting for the end.

"Why the hell does it rain so much in Rhode Island?"

"You should listen to the weather forecast on the radio more often, or subscribe to the 'Weekly Weather' channel offered by Atlas."

"...I hate that damn channel because it's expensive," Randolph Carter, director of the Cogito Foundation, took off his coat, shook off the raindrops on it, and casually tossed it with a long-bristled brush, then opened the wardrobe at the door and prepared to hang it in.

"Why are there so many clothes in here? Rod, is there any other place I can dry my clothes?"

"You can hang it in the living room, next to the fireplace, just a little further away."

Rhodes, wearing an eye mask, shrugged and handed Randolph a cup of hot cocoa. Randolph blew on it a few times and took a sip. The slightly hot, sweet liquid slid down his esophagus into his stomach, engaging his brain and making his mouth sigh with satisfaction.

"Phew... I'm a lot warmer now. Is everyone else here?"

"You're the only one missing. I don't understand why you're the last one to arrive even though you live closest to me."

"This is such an unfounded accusation! You told me to arrive at nine in the morning, but look carefully, dear Rod, it's only eight forty-five now!" Randolph retorted angrily. He walked into the house muttering and snatched the teapot full of hot cocoa from Rod's hand.

Seeing Randolph like this, Rod smiled and followed him.

The interior decoration of this Victorian-style building is not as old as it looks from the outside. Thick dark red carpets are laid on the refinished floor to mask the footsteps of visitors - which is quite helpful for the killer to complete his work. The thick curtains in the house have been drawn, completely blocking out the light and prying eyes from the outside, and the lights and candles have been turned on. Obviously, no one will bother with the problem of lighting.

Rhodes walked into the reception room and saw that all the directors of the Cogito Foundation had arrived and taken their seats. He then closed the door and sat down in his seat.

The reception room, which is also the hall of the house, is connected by a straight line between the fireplace and the door. There are single sofas and wooden chairs on both sides. There is a small table next to each seat, on which are placed some documents, snacks liked by the participants, and paper and pens.

"I thought the council meeting would be held in a more formal place, not like here... Oh, thank you, Mary, please pour a cup for Mr. Randolph Carter as well." Rhodes took a sip of black tea and then continued slowly, "It's a bit casual - I feel like I'm attending a Gothic culture salon."

"This is tradition. The first secret meeting of the Inner World was held here in June 1951. At that time, I was just a recorder accompanying the elders... Time flies."

Director Argos Panoptes XVI (original), who was born in Greece, spoke calmly. He was an old man with white hair and beard, and his speech was filled with a thick Balkan accent.

As the internal data manager of the Cogito Foundation, the Argos Panoptos family operates a giant library called "Castle of Argos" on the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece. The library houses a large number of ancient books, the most important of which are records, books and mystical materials related to the other world, including Nikola Tesla's manuscripts on the other world research.

The Argos Panoptos family owns private libraries, museums, and archaeological sites around the world, as well as the assets that support the former. Of course, most importantly, they have a mercenary force called the "Relic Guardians" dedicated to protecting these ancient and precious relics.

"Yeah, time... I have some bad news for you all."

Irons, who was sitting on Rhode's left, sighed deeply. Facing the puzzled looks of the others, he slowly said:

"Dr. Indiana Jones passed away two days ago."

This news made the directors of the Cogito Foundation sigh helplessly. Most of them had heard the stories of this outstanding adventurer and archaeologist to some extent. Some had even attended his lectures at the University of Chicago. Now, hearing such sad news suddenly, they could not help but feel sad.

"...As someone born in 1899, he's lived for over ninety years, long enough," Argos Panoptos XVI shook his head. He was the oldest among the attendees, even older than Perseus. "I still remember his heroic figure when he swung his whip. What a regrettable tragedy—death treats all mortals equally; even the gods cannot save their beloved mortals from certain death. So, what about the information the doctor preserved?"

"It has been recovered. I will send it to you through the Shire logistics company."

Hearing the name Irons mentioned, Rhodes turned to the casually dressed Frenchman. The middle-aged man, Charles Jean Plessis (original), was stroking his stubble. He smiled back when he noticed Rhodes's gaze. He had served in the French Army and was the founder of the Plessis Logistics Company. The company was currently run by his eldest son, D'Artagnan Jean Plessis, who himself was involved in work related to the Foundation and the otherworld.

Charles is humorous, sociable, and loves any extreme sports related to speed, including but not limited to driving a modified taxi to trick French traffic police, using a wingsuit to catch up with a bat-like creature from the other world in the canyon and shoot it down.

"Now, there's another question about Dr. Indiana Jones," Irons said. He picked up the documents on the small round table next to the sofa, flipped through them, and then said, "Please turn to page 47. On it are the doctor's unfinished adventure notes and some relics that need to be confirmed... Although he has always maintained contact with the Foundation, he has eventually become one of us... So, who will go to these places in person?"

"The Argos Panoptos family is currently excavating the Gorgon ruins on a small island in the Aegean Sea. They don't have the time or energy. Furthermore, those Greeks who call themselves Turks are showing off their power there. I need more energy to ensure that the excavation of the ruins is not disturbed."

"I can, but it'll take a while."

Director Alan Grant, an archaeologist and paleontologist with a touch of irritability who loves dinosaurs but hates children, shrugged:

"Mr. John Hammond, CEO of InGen, invited me to visit him sometime soon... Well, you know, if you accept a sponsorship, you have to give them face."

"What? Atlas Corporation gives you $600,000 a year to conduct paleontological research!"

"This is a sponsorship for the dinosaur fossil excavation site in Montana. I can't use your money for these things—Oh, Alan, you should focus on studying the creatures of the other world and put your dinosaurs aside for now... Rub your face, Irons, your facial muscles are all stiff—for the sake of God or some other nonsense, I also have a personal hobby and a life!"

"Your hobby should be to serve human civilization!"

"It's just one of my hobbies. I have many hobbies."

"you--"

"Alright, you two, before you roll up your sleeves and start fighting, listen to me. I can squeeze in some time."

Dr. Kristol Armitage (original) stood up helplessly to stop the quarrel between the two. He patted Allen's shoulder, nodded to Rhodes, and continued:

"I can directly oversee the South American investigation. After all, my ancestors are Indians from Patagonia. I can also investigate Rhode's request for an investigation into the origin of 'Anshining'. But again, I'll need some time."

Looking at the angry Alan Grant, Rod touched his chin, wondering whether "Jurassic Park" could continue or whether it would be a sequel to "Jurassic World". However, this was not a big problem, especially compared to the other world.

The directors of the council discussed the matter and laid out their plans for the next few months, only to discover that almost no one had enough time and energy to deal with it—as for Rhodes himself, he had even less time.

Suddenly, a distending pain erupted in Rhode's skull. It was only a slight sensation at first, but within a few breaths, it became unbearable, as if his brain were swelling! The next second, the knowledge poured in from the system was like an icy spike, mercilessly piercing it and turning his thoughts and memories into a mess of fragments.

Darkness was creeping out of the shadows of the room, creeping into Rod's body, moving beneath his skin and tingling every nerve. The intense pain forced his voice back into his throat, turning it into a faint, unnoticed whisper.

When Rhode regained consciousness, he discovered he had already finished the tea in his cup, his back drenched in sweat, while the directors were still discussing trivial matters. Feeling a little irritated, Rhode tapped the beautiful porcelain teacup with a spoon a few times, the crisp sound drawing everyone's attention to him.

Then, Rhodes exhaled slowly and said helplessly:

"Don't tell me you don't even have a few trustworthy people—you still don't realize the urgency of the situation. What we need is efficiency! [The Tide of the Otherworld is Rising], and previously unopenable ruins, inaccessible areas, and unknown languages ​​will all appear in this world! Do you think a dozen or so directors, perhaps with a few more attendants, are enough to investigate? Far from it! Even if we die of exhaustion, it's not enough!"

"Then let me tell you another reality."

"The tides of the other world have risen before."

Chapter 167: Rising Tide (3K)

"First, based on my description, the investigations conducted after the Foundation's establishment, and the excavation of ancient documents, we can define the tidal forces of the Otherworld. First, it's a 'natural phenomenon' based on the internal laws of the Otherworld. It's somewhat ironic that in a supernatural world, such a stable phenomenon would occur, affecting entire regions and even reality, but that's not important."

Rhodes stood up and walked past all the directors with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over each of their faces. There were some familiar to him and some unfamiliar to him, but they were all people who stood at the pinnacle of human wisdom.

"What's important is that when the tide rises, a far greater number of otherworldly creations and rifts will appear, and their effectiveness will increase with the rise of the tide. The opposite is true when the tide recedes. At the same time, this will have a significant impact on intelligent life, accelerating the development of intelligent civilization and raising their overall intelligence... This is hard to call a good thing, considering how adept we are at destroying ourselves."

"Now, let's get back to the topic." Rhode bent down, picked up the kettle by the fireplace, and handed it to Hinai, who served as a clerk and waiter nearby, motioning for her to refill the tea for the directors. "The tides in the other world have risen before. There's at least one documented case of this—a devastating flood."

"At some point on this planet, nearly every nation and tribe had flood legends. While these were most widespread in Eurasia and North America, archaeological discoveries and explorations of unknown regions have revealed flood legends on every continent, bringing the total number of known flood legends to around 270... This was the final aftermath of the first rising tide of the Otherworld, or its end."

The directors of the Cogito Foundation looked at each other, their brows furrowed as they looked down at the sketches written on paper. Their minds were frantically digging through the knowledge they had learned, trying to connect this incident with the other world.

After a few seconds of silence, Argos Panoptos XVI spoke:

"Records of the Great Flood are mostly found in myths and religious texts, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact date. If we must calculate, it would be between 7000 and 12000 BC. Some scholars also believe that the legendary Atlantis and the ancient city of Dwarka in India were both destroyed by a flood around 9000 years ago."

"I'm willing to believe what Rhode says. We can't determine the exact year of the first tidal wave or its duration based on DNA," Director Alan Grant pursed his lips, tossed his notes aside, and smoothed his hair. "But what is certain is that early human civilization suffered a severe blow during that period."

"Then, based on the frequency of appearances of creatures from the other world, this tide rise should have occurred around World War I?"

Dr. Timothy Flyte, a foundation director born in England and formerly teaching at Oxford University, was ostracized by his colleagues because of his talent and eccentric research direction. He tapped his pen on his notebook and hesitantly expressed his thoughts:

"We compared Tesla's research manuscripts, the Foundation's history, and various other materials we've found. We can see that those otherworldly events and the technological explosion of human civilization all occurred after that period."

"Possibly even earlier, Doctor," Rhodes shook his head. "Between 1300 and 1700 AD, all sorts of legends and ghost rumors emerged endlessly, and humanity was plunged into widespread slaughter, from the witch trials in Europe, the Black Death, various wars, to the famine in East Asia at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty's massacre. But after humanity entered the First Industrial Revolution, the influence of the tides temporarily subsided."

"Subside?"

"Yes, it's subsiding. But it's important to note that this 'influence' is only temporarily subsiding. It can be said that the fluctuations in the energy of the other world have reached a trough."

As Rod spoke, he reached out to take the new black tea handed to him by Hinai, but he did not drink it. Instead, he dragged a small table over, placed the teacup on it, and tapped it gently with a teaspoon.

Ripples appeared on the surface of the tea, and some splashed out as Rhodes exerted more force.

"Do you understand? This is like the rising tide, time and again, rising higher and higher until it becomes an unstoppable tsunami." Rhodes knocked harder until the teacup shattered, and the bright red tea flowed down the edge of the table. "Remember the shell-shaped meteorite contaminated with the energy of the Otherworld that the Army Without Borders recovered during the Otherworld Incident 'Stork (Bird)'? We can now assume that the creature's 'teacup' has been broken."

"Right now, the wave is rushing from the trough to the crest. Therefore, [the tide of the other world is rising] is not just empty talk, nor is it a warning to future humans. It is a real threat that lies before us."

Rhodes threw the teaspoon onto the table and followed Mary in picking up the broken pieces of the teacup onto the rag. Returning to his seat, he took a deep breath and calmly said his final words:

"The period between 1900 and 1990 AD also saw widespread killing, famine, and disease. Therefore, I believe the rising tide during this period was not the third tidal wave, but rather the aftermath of the early stages of the second tidal wave, which had not yet reached its peak."

"When the first tide rose, the human population was in the millions. By 1300 AD, when the second tide began, the human population had exceeded 3 million. And now, in 1990, the human population is about to exceed 53 billion. Don't forget what I said before, the emotions of intelligent life can affect the inner world."

There was silence.

Rhodes looked at every director of the Cogito Foundation. Their faces were extremely ugly and their brows were furrowed, but no one shouted loudly in despair, let alone roared hysterically - they were thinking, thinking about how to untie this hellish knot!

The reception room seemed a bit crowded with more than a dozen people crammed into it, so everyone's words could be heard by everyone else. But now, the only sound was the swish of ballpoint pens gliding across white paper. The fire in the fireplace burned quietly, unshaken by the sorrow of the people in the room... When these people merged into the embrace of the great Mother Earth, even millions of years later, there would still be creatures to light it.

"Are you desperate?" Rhodes asked with a smile.

"That time is far from over yet—so," Irons put his hand on his worried brow, trying to smooth it out, but it was a futile effort. "We need to vigorously develop aerospace technology, migrate to outer space, disperse the flame of human civilization, and reduce the density of human groups. But this takes time and resources."

"Stabilizing the emotions of a large number of people is also a method. In other words, we need to reduce the occurrence of serious disasters such as famine, war, and plague... Tsk... Why don't we rule the world?"

"Humanity once had this opportunity," Perseus shrugged. He seemed quite calm, perhaps due to the unique Russian character. "It was just abandoned."

"We do not discuss this, Observer Perseus."

"If we think more darkly, we can even inflict a [Psychic Seal] to erase human emotions," Rhode added, crossing his legs. After receiving reproachful glances from the directors, he quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Don't forget we still have our enemy—that [Organization], which includes Mobius, ATC, Umbrella, and other powerful [Organizations]. I can imagine what they want to do with the other world."

This news made the directors even more confused, so they had to turn their attention to Irons, the most powerful figure in the foundation. However, facing the inquiries from his colleagues and friends, the latter could only smile helplessly.

"In that case, when will the existence of the other world be revealed to the public?"

Dr. Peng Jiamu asked aloud. As the representative of the Aurora Republic, he ran a trembling finger over the word "massacre," wiping away the ink. Closing his eyes, he took a few breaths, calmed himself, opened his eyes, and said:

"We can't hide it forever, especially with the rapid development of communication technology. Phone calls, text messages, live TV broadcasts, video calls, and so on. This is a trend we can't stop. And if any contamination from the other world spreads through these means, what should we do? We have to be on guard."

"From now on, control public opinion, lower the Iron Curtain—with the help of countries around the world, even the United Nations, to delay as long as possible. If nothing can be done, then to the public, we need to portray ourselves as heroes fighting monsters, fearless warriors, mysterious and wise scholars, and endless sacrifices—and that is what we are doing, isn't it?"

"Not only that, we must not allow ourselves to be the ones to detonate the existence of the other world. Instead, we must prepare behind the scenes and wait quietly. Once the other world is exposed, we will immediately follow suit and seize the chaos to claim the title of righteousness."

Rhode spread his hands with a smile on his face, which made the directors feel less worried. But then, Irons gave a serious reminder:

"Nations around the world must now know, to some degree, about events in the Otherworld, and may have recovered some artifacts from it... They're in competition with us, and future conflict is inevitable. Actually, I'm more worried about the United States—I've probed successive CIA and FBI directors, even the president, and I've discovered they're completely unaware of the existence of the Otherworld! It seems like a coalition of giant corporations is intercepting all of this and keeping these secrets for themselves!"

"Well..." Randolph Carter said weakly, "We have some credit for this, right?"

"Please shut up, Director Randolph Carter. No one thinks you're dumb!"

"OK OK."

"In that case, Director Sawai," Rhodes looked at Sawai Soichiro, who had been silent since the beginning. The latter was feeling sad and worried because the universe was also full of other worlds. After hearing Rhodes' voice, he looked up at him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Please become the Secretary-General of the United Nations!"

Sawai Soichiro: "...?"

Chapter 168 The Storm is Coming (5.5K)

[[I will explain in advance that I will not go into details to prevent the book from being bombed. Intermittent posts will also be strictly controlled.]]

"No, no, no, why are you bringing up such a thing all of a sudden?"

Sawai Soichiro said helplessly. He saw astonishment on the faces of his colleagues, but it soon turned into a funny smile without any malice. It was obvious that this incident was very interesting to them - and it also opened the minds of some people.

"This is a good proposal, and we need official and visible support."

Dr. Hannibal thought for a moment and agreed. He quickly wrote the following three words on his notebook: (Cogito Foundation - United Nations - Countries of the World) and connected them to form a triangle. In the middle of the triangle, he wrote Rhodes' name, and from this name, extended the following words: (Atlas Corporation - Aperture Technologies - Army Without Borders). After a few seconds of silent observation, he continued:

"Although the United Nations is merely a forum for the superpowers to argue, it still possesses sufficient power and influence, especially in major events like those in the Underworld that inevitably involve humanity worldwide... We need more help, even if it's only in a formal sense... Perhaps in the future, humanity can truly unite."

"Formal assistance is also important. After all, we live in a civilized world, and this is an unavoidable part." Gomez Adams reached out and twirled his beard. He was still wearing the same attire as when he met Rhodes, except that he had changed into a dark red checkered shirt underneath. "Don't forget history! Our battle will be written into an epic in the future - oh my god, just thinking about that makes me feel a lot better!"

"Then go for it, Sawai. We'll mobilize our resources to support you. Even if you can't become Secretary-General, you can still become an influential figure within the United Nations," Irons said. He tore off a piece of paper to record his thoughts on the matter, then folded it and put it in his pocket. "As for the rest, I'll have Atlas Corporation take action."

More discussions and refinement of the corresponding plans took nearly two hours. The elderly Argos Panoptos XVI and Perseus even fell asleep for half an hour in the middle. When they woke up, they saw that the ground was covered with waste paper balls and the stacked notebooks were full of notes.