There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"Shocked? I understand your shock."

Mr. Rod was probably having a craving for cigarettes. He searched his entire body and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, but only managed to take out one soaking wet cigarette. Helplessly, he could only throw it into his mouth and chew the tobacco.

"Two weeks ago, when that man who looked exactly like me stood in front of me, I was just as surprised as you were. But thankfully, he was a living person and was able to convey some absurd messages to me."

He said the world was about to face a devastating crisis, and I had to go back to the source of the trouble.

"I asked him who he was, and he said he was also Rod."

"I am from another world."

Chapter 406 Nighold's Whispers

In the frigid environment, it seemed as if even the surrounding air was freezing, and the breath of the two people in the room turned into white mist, spraying into the boundless night. I stared at the corpse on the ground, and finally, I saw a hint of unfamiliarity in the surrounding mountains and trees.

With the help of those two old bastards, I returned to the town I had left long ago. Due to the town's extreme weather and the series of blows that followed, I was never able to quietly observe my surroundings, nor did I compare everything I saw with the scenes in my memory.

Now that everything has been revealed, those details that I had subconsciously overlooked have finally slowly come to light.

Actually, the mountains, trees, and rivers here are all slightly different from what I remember. If I had checked my secret base before coming down the mountain, or if the Mineral Town Ranch hadn't been destroyed, I would have noticed the anomaly immediately, instead of limiting my sense of the anomaly to Rhodes, the first person to appear.

“Mr. Rhodes, I’m actually quite looking forward to it too. I’m curious what it would be like to be able to talk to myself.”

Mr. Rhodes waved his hand: “It’s a very boring thing for two similar people to talk. After a brief process of doubt and persuasion, the rest is like talking to oneself. Two people in parallel worlds are like different people who grew up in extremely similar environments. Although there are slight differences in personality and habits, they are highly consistent in their later experiences and emotions.”

I gave a wry smile: "I still can't believe that I actually traveled to a parallel world and even witnessed 'myself's' death..."

Mr. Rhodes patted my shoulder and explained, “Then you need to get used to it a bit more. After I told you about the anomaly here, my parallel world self seemed even more nervous and worried than I was. It’s clear that my life in that other world wasn’t going too well either.”

I explained considerately, "Actually, in my world, Mr. Rhodes, you have been working tirelessly for over a decade to help Lady Lilia with her illness, and even Poppy has hardly seen you."

A hint of melancholy flashed in Mr. Rhodes' eyes, and his tone held a touch of realization: "No wonder he wouldn't say more... Even Lilia from that world couldn't escape the fate of being implicated by me..."

A connection? Does Lady Lilia in this world also suffer from some strange illness?

"Mr. Rhodes, what exactly happened in Mineral Town? Could you tell me in detail?"

“…Mineral Town? Is that what you call it there…” Mr. Rhodes nodded silently and continued, “Actually, the town you’re standing in is called Happiness Town. Isn’t that a rather ironic name? Because the town’s original inhabitants were a group of unfortunate sailors who were abandoned on a desert island.”

In my world, Mineral Town was founded by old miners like Old Yorkson. In this parallel world, it was founded by a group of sailors? Legend has it that different aspects of an object in a parallel world, though appearing differently, may actually be from the same prototype world.

I took out a parchment notebook from my pocket and handed it to Mr. Rhodes. "Are you referring to the story recorded in this nautical logbook?"

Mr. Rhodes nodded. “After years of research, I believe that this nameless captain must have accidentally discovered the sleeping place of an indescribable entity during one of his voyages. Under some mysterious influence, he accumulated great wealth by sacrificing the lives of his sailors over a long period of time.”

"The island where Happiness Town is located was his essential transit point for supplies and fresh water replenishment back then. Unfortunately, his actions subtly awakened an indescribable, lurking nightmare. The mere surfacing malice caused a terrifying change, beginning to spread something unclean..."

"The captain never realized that he was the source of the uncleanliness. The more he tried to get rid of it, the more terrifying it spread to more people."

"What he's trying to avoid is something he can't escape at all. The existence of the deep sea is like Nighogd, the poisonous dragon gnawing at the World Tree, constantly trying to shake the foundations of this world and set foot on land again!"

"In the end, his crew was replaced by many grotesque non-human creatures, and the sailing ship that once sailed through the waves became a grave that buried him in the deep sea. The last group of abandoned crew members and their descendants, for reasons unknown, chose to live and multiply on this island, and have continued to do so to this day."

This story sounds strikingly similar to the "ultimate catastrophe" unleashed by Old Yorkson's mining operations. The same carelessness, the same spread of memes, the same strange phenomena, all culminating in an irreversible crisis.

The difference is that one problem arises on the mountain, and the other arises at the bottom of the sea.

"You and the priest studied the diary, were you trying to find the place where some being in the deep sea slumbers?" I asked.

Mr. Rhodes nodded: “Only by finding the source of the problem can the deep-seated crisis be completely eliminated. Unfortunately, I tried everything, but I still couldn’t achieve my goal. The priest is a special envoy of the Church of the Lord of Light, claiming to have come to resist evil on divine orders, but judging from his actions, the ‘Lord of Light’ he speaks of and the ‘Deep Sea Cataclysm’ are pretty much the same thing…”

Okay, this world no longer has the Church of the Holy Spirit suppressing twisted points everywhere, but instead has the Church of the King of Light, which has a stronger presence.

Mr. Rhodes continued, “But under such a crisis of collapse, I can only cooperate with the priest first. Now the beings in the deep sea have gradually awakened, but they are blocked outside the island by a force and have not been able to break onto the land. They can only be slowly weakened and invaded by torrential rain and lightning.”

“I saw a vision on the beach, and I also saw a huge ship. Didn’t the priest say before that this ship was coming to take the residents away from their suffering?” I asked.

Mr. Rhodes scoffed: “That’s where our disagreement lies. He believes the island’s barely surviving is due to the existence of the Church of the King of Light, the power of the true God descending upon this land. And that ghost ship came to take away the descendants of the current crew—the cursed bloodline of these inhabitants has begun to transform. As long as they are returned to the sea, the ‘Deepsea Cataclysm’ can be temporarily appeased and put back into slumber.”

I don't believe in such a simplistic idea either. If abandoning those who cannot be saved could bring peace and stability, satisfying the terrifying beings slumbering in the deep sea, then such a thing would have happened ten thousand times over, and the captain back then wouldn't have needed to go mad.

"Mr. Rhodes, what are your thoughts?"

“I believe there is something on this island that it fears. The collapse of this place began because of the disappearance of these feared things. Therefore, this thing is definitely not the Lord of Light that the priest spoke of!”

Mr. Rod said with certainty: "When the first wave of impact arrived, the mudslides hit the ranch area first, while other places were unharmed. So the possibility must lie in these three destroyed ranches."

"By combining this with a closer look at the list of the dead, we can see that what 'Deepsea Cataclysm' fears must be related to Lilia and you!"

Chapter 407 Investigator

Your reasoning itself is quite strange!

“Mr. Rhodes, it is puzzling in itself that you say the threat is Lady Lilia. And if you say I can threaten the behemoths in the deep sea... I don’t think this dead body on the ground could have been anything special when it was alive.”

I covered my face and looked at the corpse on the ground, saying shamefully.

Although I'm reluctant to admit it, in this parallel world, I look like an ordinary weakling who would be wiped out by a mudslide.

If I am myself, the colonizer system's cheat codes are functioning normally, and the memories in my mind span both lifetimes, then there might be a tiny bit of threat.

But the weakling in front of me...

“That’s what I thought at first too.” Mr. Rhodes planted the crowbar in the ground and examined the soil. “I’ve been thinking about what you and Lilia have in common, learning about you, this new resident, from Poppy, and spending a lot of time searching for the body, which caused the investigation to stall and wasted a lot of energy.”

"I never paid any attention to the priest's vague pronouncements. It wasn't until I saw you and confirmed that you came from a place called 'Mineral Town' that I realized 'Deepsea Cataclysm' wasn't afraid of Marcus, the resident of the town, but of you, Marcus from a parallel world!"

"It wanted to destroy you, but couldn't distinguish the same person in different worlds, so it mistakenly killed the poor soul lying on the ground beforehand. Lilia's disappearance was just a result of its carelessness—it probably knew that Lilia wouldn't be easily destroyed, but it only needed to get rid of the interfering factors..."

I let out a deep breath, and the information I had suddenly combined with the memories in my mind, making me realize that things were not simple.

Old Man Hook and Old Man Yorkson had warned me that Lady Lilia's secrets were more terrifying than I imagined, and they warned me never to get involved, so I dared not ask any further questions.

My journey was like that of an illegal immigrant trying to smuggle myself into the country. The two old men were smugglers, responsible for finding a way to transport me to the destination and hand me over to the transport ship, the "Final Disaster." The destination was like the customs of the target country, and the smuggling had to be completed without their knowledge.

But during this process, an immigration official known as the "King of Light" learned in advance that I was going to be smuggled out and informed his henchman, a priest...

This feels like I've been scammed by a smuggler! The promised smuggling to Iberia turned into Libya. And this Libyan immigration official, "The King of Light," probably took bribes to facilitate this journey.

Otherwise, can someone explain to me why the Lord of Light knew in advance that I would appear?

"Mr. Rhodes, do you have any other ideas? Even if I can resist some external interference, I still can't deal with a tsunami disaster. Don't have too high expectations of me!"

Mr. Rhodes smiled and said, “Don’t panic. The insignificance of humanity in the face of the endless universe, the fear and powerlessness when common sense is overturned, often erupt when human nature faces various shocks and choices. But I have faced more and more desperate things. As long as you remember to stay rational and ignite your courage, you will have the opportunity to fight back against all odds.”

As Mr. Rod spoke, the cold rain outside relentlessly lashed his face, and the trees around him swayed wildly in the wind, with withered branches and fallen leaves flying everywhere, resembling a ghostly underworld where demons danced wildly, tearing at his remaining rationality with a powerful sensory impact.

But his expression was so resolute, his tone so calm, and coupled with the long crowbar beside him and the mysterious patterns on the old bronze ring, one could only imagine that he must have many friends around him...

"Mr. Rod, may I ask what kind of work you do?" I finally asked after thinking for a long time.

The tall Mr. Rhodes explained, “I’ve been searching for clues about Lilia’s antidote all these years, and I haven’t had a formal job for a long time. But for the sake of convenience, I contacted a professor at the university and he reserved my position as a historical investigator at the college.”

...This sounds a bit unsettling. Is this really alright? Should I find a different teammate?

Suddenly, the grass and trees around Mr. Rhodes began to sway rapidly, as if some creature were moving through them. This shaking was completely different from the direction of the wind, making it particularly noticeable.

A dark shadow suddenly leaped out of the bushes, transforming into a gust of foul wind as it rushed towards Mr. Rhodes, who was closest to it. In a brief observation, the pale, swollen skin, the scaly back, the vaguely human-like features of the face, the deformed and grotesque fish head, and the huge, bulging eyes that never closed, unmistakably revealed that this was a half-dead, half-deep monster transformed from a resident of the town!

"Mr. Rhodes, be careful!"

I quickly alerted Mr. Rhodes, who had his back to the bushes, but another monster also pounced out of the bushes and headed straight for me.

The monster was about the same height as an ordinary person, and because of its decay and mutation, it was missing many parts. As a result, when we first fought, I felt that this monster's combat power was far less than that of the Deep One that Doranco had transformed into.

"Bah!"

Even without the help of the colonizer system, relying on my combat instincts, I can instantly find a way to deal with it. I quickly swing the scythe in my hand, block the monster's pounce, and then swiftly slash at its arm, cutting the monster's claw in two.

After dealing with the half-deep diver monster in front of me, I hurried to help Mr. Rhodes. He had been standing with his back to the bushes, and if he had been caught off guard and ambushed, he would have been in much greater danger than I was.

When I finally understood the situation, my worries instantly disappeared.

As soon as I finished dealing with the half-deep diver, Mr. Rhodes used his crowbar to mercilessly smash the half-deep diver's deformed fish head, and also broke its two leg bones, while remaining completely unharmed himself.

Seeing that I was looking at him, Mr. Rhodes nodded slightly and said, "Marcus, I have already fought against the monsters that Dart transformed into on the ship, and I know their weaknesses very well. Don't worry, although they were originally old neighbors, they have fallen into monsters in this twisted place, and I will not show them any mercy."

...This isn't a matter of being soft-hearted. You were ruthless and precise. Are you sure you're a historical investigator and not a killer? How come you're so skilled at killing people with a crowbar?!

Mr. Rhodes probably guessed what I was thinking and added, "I sometimes encounter supernatural things, so it's reasonable for me to always carry a crowbar for self-defense, right?"

"……Correct."

"So, since I've used the crowbar for self-defense so many times, it's become quite convenient to use, which makes perfect sense, right?"

"...If you're right, then you're right. I wouldn't dare to disagree."

Chapter 408 King of Nuclear Radiation

As he spoke, Mr. Rod swung his crowbar and knocked over a suddenly appearing zombie Deep One. The monster's head, like a rotten watermelon, shattered, sending out a large spray of filthy, foul-smelling solid-liquid mixture that splattered onto the ground, leaving greasy specks.

Compared to Mr. Rhodes's sweeping and powerful fighting style, my approach leans towards the precise combat style inherent in the Colonizer System. I use the scythe blades of my arm armor to slash at the monsters, removing their dangerous attack points, and then kick them into a deep ditch, leaving them missing arms and legs, writhing and tumbling in a chaotic mess.

"Marcus, fight your way out as quickly as possible. Our position has been exposed; if we go any further, we'll be in trouble."

Mr. Rhodes used a crowbar to pierce the Deep One's eye socket and emerge from the back of its head. During this time, he used his shoulder to block the Deep One's bites and punched it in the jaw, knocking the monster to the ground.

I stared intently at the monsters on the ground and noticed that the wounds on their bodies seemed to be forming a thin film, and the active flesh and blood began to writhe underground, slowly healing as if they were alive.

"Mr. Rhodes, something's wrong. I can understand that these monsters can heal themselves, but why are their appearances changing?"

Where the membrane forms, the grayish-white, swollen limbs begin to glow with greenish-grayish-white skin colors, and even radiate a luster unique to living people.

Two more monsters appeared from the wild and joined the attack. Mr. Rhodes was caught off guard while dodging, but taking advantage of his height, he lifted the clumsy zombie Deep One up and slammed it into a tree behind him to break free.

"Focus your attention! Be prepared to break out at any moment!"

The command rang out instantly, but he added an explanation of the situation: "This small island has become the front line of the war against that indescribable being in the deep sea, breaking through the seal! As a result, the mutated genes in the blood of the town's residents are now uncontrollably erupting and transforming, turning them into the cold monsters lurking within their bodies!"

Suddenly, a monster rose from the ground and opened its mouth to bite me. I raised my left hand, used my arm guard to block for a moment, and then turned to the other side, pushing the monster to the other side.

But as soon as I pushed it, I knew it wouldn't work.

I pushed the monster, and it crashed straight into the corpse of "me" in the parallel world, its mouth wide open, probably enough to bite off half of the corpse's head in one bite.

Even if it's a parallel universe version of me, it's still me!

I can't just sit by and watch my own body become mutilated!

In a moment of desperation, I leaned forward and grabbed the monster's shoulder, while pinching its left leg with my other hand. I lifted the entire monster high above my head, shouted, and with a burst of strength, tore the monster in half from its waist. Unidentified offal from its belly spilled all over the ground!

Mr. Rhodes was stunned when he saw me tearing the zombie apart with my bare hands!