Long-term salvation

"As you wish, Commander."

"Wait," Rhode recalled the beautiful figure just now, "pay attention to Asuka Iki's condition. I think I saw her just now, and I'm not mistaken. If she's fallen asleep, then continue working normally and wait for her to wake up naturally... The response to this emergency will be decided by the two of you."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone and returning to the car, Rhodes met Sawai Soichiro's curious gaze. As the car started again, the latter asked:

"That boy, is he special?"

"As special as you trustees."

"Well, parallel universes do exist," Sawai said, looking delighted. "So, there must be a universe where human civilization survived the disasters of the other world—of course, it's also possible that the other world doesn't exist, which is good news."

"Maybe it will be worse."

"Right."

The car left the noisy city, and the surrounding scenery changed from high-rise buildings to single-family houses densely arranged like scales. Soon, these houses with at most two floors became sparse, and traces of nature reappeared and filled the gaps between human cities.

More than two hours later, Rhodes and Sawai arrived in the northern part of Gunma Prefecture on the map. Most of the people living here now are hotel owners and local farmers. Scattered villages are distributed along the river, like needles piercing the vast forest.

Fortunately, Gunma Prefecture's financial situation is still good, and even the roads in the mountains are well maintained. Rod did not feel any obvious bumps along the way.

The car finally stopped in a mountain village. After Zejing negotiated the parking fee with the residents there, he walked back and said to Rhodes:

"It's settled. Now let's go up the mountain and try to get back before dark."

"it is good."

Rod stood beside the car and looked out at the forest not far away. There was still some snow on it, and a light mist of frost lingered. Even at noon, the whole world seemed to be divided into two halves. The human village and the dark forest were clearly divided by the river, and only a stone bridge connected them.

He lit a cigarette, but after taking a few puffs, he threw the butt on the ground and walked towards the forest.

Chapter 97: True Crimson Butterfly

Hiking in the season when the cold winter has not yet completely retreated is not a good choice, but Rod still got a hiking pole prepared by Soichiro Sawai. He put on shoe covers with nails on the soles of his shoes and tied the rope tighter.

"According to legend, Kaigami Village has been engulfed by 'darkness,' or miasma, completely vanishing from the forest. And over the past few decades, villagers have periodically disappeared in the mountains and forests," Sawai exhaled softly. He felt the temperature drop around him after entering the forest. "But recently, the government sent a geological surveyor, a young man named Kaminami Masumi, to explore the reservoir. He soon disappeared there... and his girlfriend, who came looking for him, also vanished in the mountains and forests."

"The fog here is not normal," Rhodes looked around and saw a figure hiding behind a tree. After noticing Rhodes's gaze, the figure disappeared in a panic.

After sighing helplessly in his heart, Rhodes reached out and picked up a little snow, and observed it under the weak sunlight cast through the layers of dead branches - the snow was normal, and the system did not give any reaction, including the All-Seeing Eye.

Rhodes looked around, and the silent forest gave him a creepy feeling:

The almost incessant cold wind blew with a shrill whistle, weaving through the standing trees. The cracked and wrinkled bark wrapped around the trunks resembled the faces of aging humans. The thin, weak brown bushes curled up, allowing the snow and frost to imprison them there, waiting to see the two humans who had dared to enter this place repeat their mistakes.

Frost and fog were spreading among the trees. The way we came was no longer visible. There were only two sets of footprints extending down the mountain.

[Side Quest: Twelve Trials: Zero: True Crimson Butterfly]

Mission Description: Go to Minamigami Village, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, resolve the backworld incident, and seal off the backworld rift.

Seeing the task prompt pop up from the system, Rhode turned around with some fragmented memories flooding into his mind, looked at Sawai Soichiro, and said calmly:

"You should go down the mountain, Director Sawai Soichiro."

"...It's dangerous?" Sawai raised an eyebrow. He was a little confused by Rhode's sudden change of address, but he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. "What kind of monster will attack us?"

"I'm now certain that there's a rift to the otherworld within Kaishin Village. I need to go there and close it, and I probably won't be able to take care of you by then."

"Sigh," Sawai shook his head, reached into his backpack, pulled out a handheld DV, and handed it to Rhodes, instructing him, "Record as much as you can. It would be even better if you could bring back some data. Besides that, is there anything else I can do?"

"How powerful is your friend? Can he seal off this forest until I return?"

Hearing Rod's words, Zejing smiled. He patted the former's arm and said with a smile:

"Fighters have their own stage, and supporters have their own stage. I already told him that even if the bureaucrats are slow to process, the permission to temporarily close the forest will be granted today."

This man in front of me is indeed reliable! Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief. He hugged Sawai and said,

"You are more important than you think, but you can wait at the bottom of the mountain for a while. Perhaps I will come out with some survivors."

"I understand. Go ahead, Rhodes. I'll be waiting for your triumphant return at the foot of the mountain. By the way, I heard Irons say that you want to organize a team. How about naming it 'Victory Team'?"

"Shouldn't it be called Global Unlimited Task Squad (GUTS)?"

"Oh, that's a good name!"

"You better leave quickly!"

After watching Sawai Soichiro's figure disappear in the frost, Rhode reached out and took out his cigarette case, took out a cigarette from it, put it in his mouth, and said helplessly:

"Come out, why are you hiding?"

[Pollution points in the other world increased by 1]

Asuka Ikiki emerged from behind a tree, walking barefoot on the thin snow, leaving no footprints. The girl wore a thin white dress, the hem of which swayed in the cold wind, but her face showed no sign of pain from the cold—as if she were dreaming a dream that was both real and illusory.

The girl lowered her eyes and did not see any rebuke or anger on Rhodes' face, which made her feel a little relieved.

"In the inner world, don't venture out of your usual area," Rhode said with dead eyes. He reached out and rubbed his hair, helplessly saying, "And the fact that you're here means you're already within the boundaries of the [Spiritual Prison]. Of course, it could also be deeper. It's very dangerous!"

"I now……"

"Forget it, just follow me first," Rhodes said, looking even more helpless. "I can't possibly lock you up in that ward forever. Come on, you need to learn some ways to protect yourself. I'll teach you."

“Okay,” the girl smiled, blooming like a spring flower among the withered trees.

Rhodes took out a pistol from the storage space but put it back, took out a dagger and a flare gun, and explained:

"You've never used a pistol before, and you're so frail. I'm worried you might hurt yourself. Take this dagger and flare gun first. It'll be easier for me to find you in this place where it's easy to get lost. Wait... can you touch me in your current state?"

The next second, Rhodes felt the familiar warmth, sweetness and softness.

"Well, it looks like you can definitely touch me," Rhodes reached out and flicked the girl's forehead. He didn't mind such a touch at all - he just hoped that other girls wouldn't line up to kiss his mouth until it was swollen because of this.

"Let's go, we've wasted enough time."

"Ah."

The two walked one after the other. The girl reached out and grabbed his chest hanging, walking like a ghost.

After walking like this for about half an hour, Rhode looked up and saw that the surrounding frost and fog had spread, completely blocking the road in front and behind him. Not only that, even the footprints he had left had disappeared without a trace, as if he had suddenly appeared here.

[Pollution points in the other world increased by 1]

A dark red torii gate stood at the end of the mountain road, old, dilapidated, and broken, as if it had been there for decades. If you listened carefully, you could hear faint cries in front of the torii gate.

But there was no one there, only snow that had hardly melted... No, Rhodes saw a red butterfly fly lightly into the torii and disappear without a trace.

Without hesitation, Rhodes walked towards the torii gate. Following behind him, Asuka Iki pursed his lips and carefully looked at the surrounding environment.

The moment he passed through the torii gate, Rhodes saw the whole world change:

Night falls, winter is gone, and only the terrifying silence fills every crevice.

[Diving]

Shrouded in eternal darkness, the Kamishima Village exudes an ominous despair. The villagers bound here have long since turned into vengeful spirits, repeating their deeds in vain, and turning those ignorant and lost people into part of the village, waiting for the start of the sacrifice in reincarnation.

[You are in the shallow level of the confused dungeon]

"Welcome to Kaishin Village," Rhodes whispered.

Chapter 98 Mio Amakura

"Huh...sister..."

Amakura Mio was frantically dodging the pursuit of a group of vengeful ghosts of villagers. The cute girl pressed herself against the wall, her chest rising and falling slightly, and she slowed down her breathing to calm her heart, which was beating wildly with fear and worry.

The girl and her sister Tiancang Jian just wanted to come and see the mountains and forests of their hometown today - the government is planning to build a reservoir here, and the forests and scenery that once carried the memories of the two sisters will obviously be submerged.

They knew that a disappearance had occurred here recently, and they had decided not to go deep into the forest... But the elder sister Tiancang Jian was attracted by a red butterfly that would never appear at this time, and stumbled into the depths of the forest.

When Amagura Mio was young, she accidentally slipped off a cliff while chasing Mio and broke her leg. Even today, she has difficulty moving, which makes Mio always feel guilty towards her sister. Because of this, after seeing her sister walking deeper into the forest, Amagura Mio immediately followed.

One in front and one behind, the two came to Kaishin Village and were separated in the attack of the vengeful spirits.

Only after a dozen villagers holding torches slowly left did Amakura Mio relax. She squatted on the ground, holding the projector tightly in her hand - it was with this thing that the girl was able to repel the evil spirit and escape.

"What should I do now?" Amakura Mio whispered to herself. As an ordinary girl, she had no idea how to face the desperate situation before her. "Sister..."

The belief that she would find her sister supported the girl to stand up. She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her palms, sniffed, took a firm step, and then she was knocked to the ground by the sudden blast!

“Eh hey hey???!”

The girl got up and saw a Hummer passing by from the other end of the street. The wide body of the car knocked the bamboo fences erected on both sides of the road into the air. The broken and shriveled bamboo strips fell like snow, mixing with the flying soil, and actually raised billowing dust clouds like a sandstorm!

A Hummer blaring death metal roared past, leaving only a string of girls' screams in the air:

"Mr. Rhodes, how do I use this thing—"

"Use your momentum!"

The heavy machine guns roared, their muzzles aiming randomly. Bright golden streaks of fire sent dust billowing through the buildings of Kaishin Village. The next second, a rocket whistled sharply as it slammed into a thatched hut at the end of the street, sending flames shooting skyward!

The hot air blew up the girl's hair and froze her expression on her face.

Tiancang Mio: “…”

"No, that must have been my imagination," the girl numbly dusted herself off and mechanically walked in the intended direction. "How could a Hummer appear in a village like this that looks like a horror story... Ahahaha, it must have been my imagination."

The girl turned around and saw a group of vengeful ghosts of villagers staggering towards her, obviously attracted by the noise just now.

Cursing silently in her heart, Amakura Mio turned and ran. She didn't want to face so many vengeful spirits. But fate didn't want her to have such an easy time... Of course, it might also have wanted her to have it even easier. The Hummer backed up, the window rolled down, and a man wearing an eyepatch leaned out. He looked at the girl and asked loudly:

"Want a ride?"

"Yes! お愿いします!"

Mio Amakura fell into the open door of the Hummer almost like a lion pouncing on its prey. She pulled the door shut before she dared to breathe slowly, but a Kevlar helmet was immediately stuffed into her hand.

"Put it on," said the girl in a white dress with a shy smile on her face. She also had one on her head, which looked quite funny. "Otherwise, you might hit your head easily."

"what?"

The Hummer started suddenly, causing the two girls to roll into a ball - Amakura Mio was hit on the head by Asukai Kiji's helmet, and her whole face turned red due to the dull pain on her forehead. Although she wanted to throw the helmet in her hand away, the girl still put it on obediently and tightened the strap.

The car lights shattered the darkness that filled the village, and the lampposts pierced the distance like sharp swords, to the limit of the light. But after the footsteps of this steel beast left, the darkness soaked in despair would come back, and hundreds and thousands of souls filled with pain walked out of it, wandering in every street and every house.

"Hold on tight, we have to keep going!"

Rhodes shouted loudly while driving. He had driven on these relatively wide streets several times, but he could not completely drive away the resentful spirits wandering here - they would be shattered by the high-yield physical blows, but would soon gather together again and continue to repeat their work in their previous life.

Live ammunition weapons have been proven to be ineffective against enemies without a solid system. Ordinary bullets can hardly cause fatal damage to them. It takes roughly two 30-round magazines of rifle bullets to disperse them, but the armor-piercing incendiary bullets of the .50 heavy machine gun are more effective.

Even with the revolver rewarded by the system, it would take at least two shots to kill an ordinary ghost.

What was truly useful here was the incendiary rocket launcher Rhode had exchanged for. As the blazing flames erupted, the vengeful spirits displayed clear resistance and fear. They shrank away from the flames and approached Rhode from other directions... Perhaps he could try electromagnetic or other energy-based weapons later.

"Tsk, at this point, the system won't even give me a blueprint for making bullets that can kill vengeful spirits?!"

Seeing the gathering of vengeful spirits in the rearview mirror, Rhode frowned and turned the steering wheel to the right, steering the Hummer into an alley of similar width. He then stepped on the brakes and turned back to the two girls in the back seat.

"Let's get out of the car and go through the machine gun position. The doors on either side can't be opened," Rhodes said as he unbuckled his seat belt. He reached out and tapped Amagura Mio, who was staring at him in a daze, and said unhappily, "Come back to your senses, Miss Amagura Mio."

"You know my name?"

"Let's talk about it after we get off the car."

The Humvee was no longer suitable for the increasingly narrow paths, especially as it headed deeper into the village. It would have been fine if the village could have been razed to the ground, but the dark forces from the rifts in the otherworld had already begun repairing the damage. Like maggots spitting out rotten meat, the damaged buildings and roads gradually grew back, a terrifying sight.

The time of Kaigami Village has been completely frozen on the night the festival began, and it has been repeated countless times in the following decades:

The existence of Kaigami Village was a tragedy from the very beginning. In order to suppress the "Gate of the Underworld·Hollow", the village would regularly hold the "Red Gift Festival", that is, during the sacrifice, the elder twin would strangle the other to gain powerful strength to suppress the dark power (miasma) in the "Hollow". Failure would lead to a disaster called "Great Payback".

At the same time, the order of seniority of twins in Minamigami Village is opposite to that in modern times. The one born first is the younger one (that is, the younger brother or sister) because they believe that younger twins are weaker than the older one, so the gods choose to let them be born first so that they can perceive the world in advance.

However, with the failure of the ritual in 1930, Kaigami Village completely became a dead zone, and the miasma instantly engulfed everything in the village, whether it was buildings or life.

"That's basically it. If we want to escape from here, we must try to complete the sacrifice or escape through the tunnel," Rhodes said, patting the two girls on the head and knocking their helmets against them. "You can throw away the helmets later. It's up to you to decide."

After briefly explaining the past of Kaigami Village to the two girls, Rhode led them over the wall and into an old house whose owner was unknown. During this short break, he took out some water and MRE rations and handed them to the two girls, comforting them:

"Eat something, we have a long way to go."

"Ah."