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

“Mr. Rhodes, what are you looking at?” I asked.

Mr. Rhodes said absentmindedly, "I'm looking for a madman, Marcus. A truly madman with a clear mind!"

Chapter 424 The War of the Worlds (Thirteen)

"You've told me so much, but what reason do I have to believe you unconditionally?"

"It doesn't matter."

"What makes you so confident that such a risky plan can be successfully executed?"

"I don't care."

"If you don't care, why bother coming to me?"

"You've got it wrong. It's not that I found you, it's that you found yourself."

"Me? No, I just want to find my family."

"I know what you're thinking, but you may not understand what I'm thinking."

"Oh? And what are you thinking about?"

"I want to go home."

…………

Amidst the raging winds and monstrous waves, layers upon layers of seawater cascaded down from the heights back into the deep seabed, roaring among the reefs and silt, and emitting a piercing howl towards the unreachable mountains.

In this terrifying environment, everyone present heard a strange murmur, seemingly chanting an ancient and mysterious prayer, amidst the turbulent and unpredictable atmosphere.

As the tide receded, the inhuman-looking unidentified entity slowly rose from the sea, stretching out its tattered and broken back wings. Five asymmetrical tentacles on both sides suddenly extended from the sea, stirring the surface of the water like churning the sea and splitting mountains, howling in a non-rhythmic dream.

Beneath the terrifying shadow, the water washes over a huge, solitary rock standing proudly alone. An ancient city, hidden deep beneath the sea, seems to be slowly rising from the bottom of the ocean!

These vile creatures, dwelling in absolute silence and vast desolation, listen to the utter stillness, gaze upon only mud, and the silent world and monotonous scenery terrify me to the point of wanting to vomit.

The sheer size of the city allowed me to clearly see the rough carvings and inscriptions on the surface of the massive stones from a great distance. These inscriptions did not belong to any hieroglyphic system I knew, nor had I ever seen them in any books; most of the characters used simple symbolic symbols to represent marine life such as fish, eels, octopuses, crustaceans, mollusks, and whales, while a few hieroglyphs represented aquatic animals that were clearly unknown to the modern world, though I had seen their decaying forms on the mudflats that rose from the sea.

The sun was burning brightly in the sky, but to me, the cruel, cloudless sky was pitch black, just like a reflection of the dark swamp in my eyes.

Regarding this decaying city, I can only think of one hypothesis that can explain my current situation: after an unprecedented volcanic eruption, a piece of seabed was lifted to the surface and became land, which had been hidden in the unfathomable depths of the ocean for countless millions of years.

Judging from the city's unimaginable size, it was certainly not a place for human habitation. It was too vast and too bizarre; the creatures depicted in the stone pillar murals, aside from their webbed hands and feet, astonishingly thick lips, bulging, lifeless eyes, and other unpleasant features, generally possessed distorted human silhouettes.

A phantom appeared before my eyes, as if I saw a group of ugly creatures far older than human history, even predating the return of mammals to the ocean and the arrival of amphibians on land, carving their idols and totems in the chaotic seawater—unlike the ancient people who carved totems and idols based on their own images and wild imaginations, these creatures only needed to open their eyes wide, which had no eyelids and could not close, and tremblingly carve the images of the sleeping gods beside them…

"The sunken city has risen... The stars have moved to their rightful places... 'Deepsea Cataclysm' is about to awaken from its slumber... The ultimate gate has been opened... The indescribable footsteps are about to emerge from the abyss of the universe..."

A hissing sound came from the walkie-talkie, this time the sound was extremely clear, as if the signal source was transmitting from not far away from us.

Mr. Rhodes, like a child awakened from a fright, frantically pounded on the surface of the phosphorescent star crystal, as if desperately wanting to shatter the barrier that protected him.

“Professor Rhodes, what’s wrong?” Kate Winsrop asked.

Rod stared wide-eyed at the distant waves and shouted at the top of his lungs, "He's over there! Over there!"

Amidst the chaotic waves, a dilapidated sailboat has quietly approached the embodiment of 'Deepsea Cataclysm'.

It was entirely green, and its body was enormous, appearing as tall as a mountain. The unmanned vessel, on the other hand, looked like a long-abandoned piece of junk, drifting counter-clockwise on a swirling eddy. With the anchor of reality acting as a stabilizer, rotten parts of the hull were being peeled away every second, raising concerns that the wrecked ship might crumble into a pile of non-recyclable marine debris at any moment.

But on the deck of this dilapidated sailboat, which was spinning wildly on the edge of human sanity and extremely close to the nightmare that had descended upon humanity, a figure was gripping the rudder tightly, using his two strong arms to control the direction of the sailboat as it cut through the waves, letting out an astonishing roar amidst the terrifying waves.

The ghost ship seemed to have long been transformed into a living entity, possessing its own consciousness and fiercely resisting the hostage-taking by the intruders. However, the figure, emanating a triple-layered halo illuminating the darkness, stood unwavering at the bow, gripping the helm tightly.

Even from a great distance, we could sense an unwavering resolve emanating from this stubborn black dot, a resolve that even the collapse of heaven and earth could not shake. Though not made of flesh and blood, it possessed an astonishing toughness; though teetering on the brink of madness, it unleashed a rationality beyond human limits. Nothing I have said is an exaggeration, for I suspect that the ship's helmsman, through long trials, had shed human weakness, sublimating into a spiritual light that transcended the limits of life, resolutely and decisively burning itself to illuminate every step it took.

“Mr. Rhodes, who is that? Why is he on the ghost ship?” I asked.

Mr. Rhodes said hoarsely, “I know why his plan is so crazy and so radical… Ordinary plans and strategies conceal their true purpose, avoiding revealing their primary objective in order to achieve their goals. But his plan doesn’t have that option at all… He makes no attempt to conceal his primary objective because he doesn’t need to be cunning or worry about his actions being predictable…”

"What do you mean? I'm confused." I asked.

Mr. Rhodes suddenly raised his head, his eyes gradually calming down. "He told me long ago... but I didn't believe him... From the first moment we met until we parted on the ship, he made it very clear... He, like you, just wanted to go home!"

"Going home?!" The word shot through my body like an electric current, triggering memories in my brain. "Like me? Could he be...?"

Mr. Rhodes nodded slowly: "He is Rhodes... just like you... I never expected that he would uncover the truth from the smallest clues and board that ghost ship..."

Chapter 425 The War of the World (XIV)

As they spoke, the controlled deep-sea ghost ship had already quietly approached the incarnation of "Deepsea Cataclysm" and crashed into its fat, scaled body.

The indescribable being was violently thrown into the waves. Its soft head extended countless tentacles, seemingly trying to grab the wrecked sailboat from the opposite direction. Its chest limbs, covered with soft, claw-like appendages, also angrily slammed against the hull.

But the dilapidated three-masted sailing ship charged forward relentlessly. Then, an explosion like an airbag bursting rang out, and a pool of viscous filth, resembling a sliced ​​sunfish, appeared on the surface of the sea. A stench filled the air, as if a thousand graves had been opened simultaneously. In an instant, the ship was completely enveloped in a cloud of pungent green smoke, and then only the stern, billowing with foul foam, could be seen. The ancient city beneath the whirlpool was slowly swallowed by the water and disappeared completely from our sight…

“Mr. Rhodes, you mean Mr. Rhodes, who came from the same world as me, was on that ship and even carried out a suicide attack?!” I looked at Mr. Rhodes in shock.

Kate Winslop seemed to have caught a clue in our conversation and exclaimed in surprise, "Professor, could it be that the person who found me that night wasn't you... but someone from a parallel universe? Does that mean the parallel universe theory is valid? Does that mean our initial conjecture was..."

Mr. Rhodes was startled by these words and exchanged a glance with Kate Winslop. Suddenly, both of them turned ashen-faced.

"What do you two mean by those expressions?" I was the only one in the room who was completely in the dark, and this feeling was anything but pleasant.

But Mr. Rhodes gritted his teeth and said to Kate Winslop, “This is not the time to think about that. The other world’s version of me has shattered the avatar of ‘Deepsea Horizon’ and used a plan to let you steal the anchor of reality. The board of directors must be furious and will send more people here! His plan to draw attention here is complete…”

Suddenly, the radio crackled to life again. "Rhodes, you are suspected of stealing an Alpha-class classified weapon, performing a ritual to summon an Outer God, and seriously violating the discipline of the University of Michigan's investigation! Sixteen investigators are coming to arrest you! Do not resist, or we may kill you and Kate Winslop on the spot!"

This time, the walkie-talkie sound was exceptionally clear. Sure enough, five minutes later, three wooden propeller planes flew in from a distance, getting closer and closer.

I angrily picked up the walkie-talkie and said into the microphone, "You want to arrest Lu Xun, what does that have to do with Zhou Shuren... No, no, look around, the world is about to be destroyed! If we hadn't fought so hard to hold on until now, this monster would have turned this place to ashes long ago! Are you on our side or on the other side?!"

The voice on the walkie-talkie was unusually stubborn: "We haven't seen any trace of an Alpha-level Outer God, only some leaked reality-distorting energy. You must go back to face judgment!"

I dread these damn teammates who come out at crucial moments to accuse us of messing things up. The "Deepsea Cataclysm" was just smashed into a thick, putrid fog by Mr. Rhodes, and these guys come out to cause trouble! I even started praying that the deep-sea gel would reassemble like a cloud, giving these people a profound lesson.

That said, why would such a terrifying-looking creature break upon impact? Is it just naturally weak to ships?

Mr. Rhodes' voice came through: "You can take me back if you want, I'll admit to all the charges. But now is not the time to consider that..."

Mr. Rhodes gazed worriedly at the sea churning with thick green fog. There was no sign of monsters, nor any trace of the wrecked ship: "Beneath the ocean, which we cannot see, an ancient city that once slumbered on the seabed has slowly risen. A nightmare, the epitome of terror, its colossal and horrifying form, born from the dark stars, was created countless centuries ago..."

A cold, unapproachable voice immediately came through the walkie-talkie: "Your boastful claims have been rejected by the school board. The joint investigation has clearly shown that your sources are contradictory, and the timeline is completely inconsistent… You're fabricating this sensational news simply to restart your dangerous weapons manufacturing program…"

Kate Winslop retorted, "That's because another Professor Rhodes was investigating these things simultaneously..."

Mr. Rhodes cut her off: “Enough, Kate Winslop. Such excuses are pointless, and I will take responsibility for these things. But I want the school board to understand that ‘Deepwater Horizon’ has awakened, and if no one stops it, the terrifying underwater city will gradually unleash its power, and unspeakable entities will creep beneath the mantle, just as nearly happened billions of years ago, and completely devour this planet!”

The voice on the walkie-talkie was full of distrust, continuing to emphasize, "Give up, Rhodes. Your horror story can end here."

I keenly caught a glimpse of something and suddenly asked, "Mr. Rhodes, what do you mean by billions of years ago? Did something like this happen many years ago?"

Mr. Rhodes said solemnly, “The University of Michigan’s library contains all kinds of archaeological remains and historical books unearthed from all over the world. We can be sure that the ‘Deepwater Explosion’ landed on the primitive Earth full of life billions of years ago, causing a huge wave of terror. The cold wave almost destroyed the world, but it was sealed by several other unknown entities, leaving behind a devastated Earth. That period was probably in the late Ordovician period.”

"Damn, is this how the Ordovician extinction event happened?!" I had a look of utter disbelief on my face, and after a long pause, I said, "Fine, that's what I wanted to say... The catastrophic change just now has caused a severe tsunami and green fog pollution. Even the surrounding disaster broadcasts have reported it. How could the University of Michigan still pretend that none of this happened and be so focused on bringing you back?"

An aged voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie, saying with a hint of appreciation, "Your analysis is quite correct, but you've guessed one thing wrong—the school board's stupidity is beyond your imagination. The orders we received were really just to capture Rhodes and bring back the lost anchor of reality."

“Professor Henry Armitage! What brings you here in person!” Mr. Rhodes said in surprise, his words filled with joy.

Kate Winslop also looked shocked, as if she had seen God descend upon her.

The old man's voice remained slow, yet it was filled with a calm and composed demeanor: "Because a fellow who called himself Rod and looked just like you came to me and asked me to help him complete a far-fetched plan."

“The plan… could it be that he really wants to…” Mr. Rhodes stammered.

"May the truth protect us... After all, besides me, who else could bring out the unorthodox trioctahedron without anyone noticing?"

Chapter 426 The War of the World (XV)

Wooden biplanes slowly approached, one of which landed precariously on the top of Mads Mountain, while the other two flew past us and disappeared on the other side of the mountain.

An elderly man with gray hair pushed away the hand of the young man beside him, jumped off the plane with great agility, and set foot on this land.

"Rhodes, I never imagined I would face the gods again at this age," the old man said with a smile, looking at Mr. Rhodes inside the crystal wall.

While I was still completely confused, Kate Winslop, who had short hair, was already looking nervous and stammering as she spoke, "You...hello! Respected Professor Henry Armitage!"

"What's going on? Is this old man someone important?" I quietly asked the woman next to me, but she rudely elbowed me in the waist.

“Watch your words… Professor Henry Armitage is the most senior professor at Miskatonic University, and also the librarian. He was instrumental in saving the world from the brink of destruction during the Dunwich Incident…”

Kate Winslop seemed to want to introduce her further, but as I watched the sprightly elder in black-rimmed glasses and a sharp suit walk towards me, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine, as if the figure before me had suddenly become mysterious and unpredictable.

Professor Henry Armitage smiled at me and began, "Young man, Rhodes seems to value your abilities highly. I've heard you can even come back from the dead. I wonder if you'd be interested in studying at Miskatonic University and hearing some of my life experience..."

"No way! Listening to life experiences is one thing, but I feel like there are strange numbers popping up above my head!" A chill ran down my spine, and my intuition told me that if I agreed to his suggestion so easily, I would regret it the next second.

However, Professor Henry Armitage did not give up and continued, “Forgive my rudeness, young man. I am quite old and feel that I may reach the end at any moment, so I cannot help but pass on the shallow experience of my mediocre life to talented young people. The mystic and poet Algernon Blackwood once wrote a poem that goes like this…”

"As long as he doesn't recite poetry, everything is fine!" I quickly stopped the vigorous elder from taking any more dangerous actions. Good heavens, if he were to open his mouth and recite a single line of poetry, I might not survive him!

So I immediately put on a humble and eager-to-learn expression, and said with an embarrassed smile, "Professor, I was just joking. Miskatonic University is a sacred place of knowledge that I have long admired! I will enroll whenever you tell me to!"

Mr. Rhodes gave me a strange look and asked in a low voice, "I've known you for so long, but I've never noticed any thirst for knowledge in you..."

I quickly waved my hand and said, "Mr. Rhodes, you misunderstand. The warlike and rude Vikings have a famous saying: If Odin fails, try Christ. As long as I don't need to be extended... ah, I mean, as long as I can improve myself, what does it matter if I learn more knowledge!"

Professor Henry Armitage nodded in satisfaction, his black-rimmed glasses reflecting a blinding light as he looked at Mr. Rhodes.

“Professor Henry Armitage, you don’t need to get involved in this mess,” Mr. Rhodes said helplessly.

Professor Henry Armitage glanced down at his wrinkled hands and said sadly, "Rhodes, I spent my whole life secluded in the Orn Library, living in isolation like those obscure books and their knowledge. But it wasn't until I encountered Wilbur's situation that I realized where my destiny lay..."

Mr. Rhodes looked down at him: "Professor, that horrific event is a taboo, and everything that happened in between was accidental. Are you worried that it will happen again?"

Professor Henry Armitage shook his head: “My mind is still in good health, and my memory has not declined. I can even eat the equivalent of two graduate students’ meals. But the dark knowledge in my mind keeps murmuring, pouring the crazy knowledge of the universe into my brain. I don’t believe anyone else but you can restrain themselves and study the collection with caution.”

I asked directly, "Professor, isn't Mr. Rhodes' plan considered a dangerous and radical move?"

Professor Henry Armitage glanced at me cautiously, and after exchanging a look with Rhodes, he whispered, “Young man, the school board’s goals aren’t necessarily as simple as they seem. Their cautious decisions stem from a balance of power and their fear of the unknown. When I opened those cursed books, I knew that this unnatural and dangerous force would be humanity’s last resort to protect itself…”

Mr. Rhodes seemed to keenly sense the unspoken meaning and asked vaguely, "Professor Henry Armitage, have you come here simply because of a plan that seems like a fantasy?"

Professor Henry Armitage looked at Mr. Rhodes meaningfully until the figure behind his phosphorescent star crystal trembled violently before slowly saying, "I once thought that as long as we maintained virtue and reason, we could overcome these evil and chaotic nightmares. However, these past few years of research have made me deeply aware of the malice lurking behind them. Our miracle back then was merely a preordained destiny, and this fate cannot always be on humanity's side. We need almost infinite opportunities to seize a glimmer of hope for the future..."

The vigorous elder took a deep breath for a while to calm his turbulent emotions before calling over a male teaching assistant who had just gotten off the plane, saying, "Bring my collection over here."

The thin man stepped off the plane with a face as pale with terror, like someone who had been on a roller coaster for an hour and was afraid of heights. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck, soaking through his silk shirt—it was obvious to anyone that he was afraid of the ordinary old box in his hand.

“Calvin Marin, don’t be nervous, just bring the box over. The process of pursuing knowledge is more important than the result of acquiring it, isn’t it?” Professor Henry Armitage took the box from his hands without any fear and let the poor man, who was covered in cold sweat, go.