Long-term salvation

Already lost, Rhodes thought.

But he would never admit that he had ever given up for a moment.

"...Who gave you this idea?" Rhodes responded unhappily. Under these repeated blows, he didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he quickly changed the subject. "Muji or Noah? Wait, Yang, what are you laughing at? You were involved, weren't you? No one is allowed to escape!"

Looking at Rhodes chasing after the others, Marian exhaled slowly and suddenly felt a little regretful that D had not returned yet - she still needed some time to deal with Umbrella's affairs. But then again, who was that silver-haired girl with long adobe hair?

Shaking her head, getting rid of these thoughts, Marianne turned and walked towards the kitchen:

The commander said he wanted to eat Italian food.

Chapter 208 Daily Life: Burning Moonlight

Rhode walked around Hill Manor. He had only been away for less than two weeks, but now he felt a little unfamiliar. It wasn't exactly unfamiliar, but Hill Manor's reaction was a bit intense:

The darkness of Hill Manor flowed through the walls, emitting a sharp explosion the moment Rhode stepped inside, then cowered and pleaded like a newly hatched chick. It instinctively feared the power, but the blazing sun-like light swept through it with that gaze, dispelling the darkness and igniting greed and malice to devour itself.

With a slight shift in his thoughts, Rhode put aside his usual resistance to Hill Manor. He immediately felt the manor's gratitude in return, or rather... obedience, complete obedience. The manor no longer tried to plunder the emotional energy of its residents or visitors, but instead wholeheartedly accepted Rhode's gift - it would soon discover that this was the right choice.

Rhodes was very satisfied with the result. He put his hands behind his back and strolled around the villa, enjoying the few private moments before dinner.

At dusk, Hill Manor, which had not yet been lit, seemed dark and quiet. When the last rays of sunset struggled to peek in through the corridor window, the heavy black shadows of the furniture and decorations gathered on the walls of the room and corridor, and slowly and silently descended to the floor until they were completely connected to the darkness of the night.

Walking through the corridor of the townhouse, Rhodes stepped on the slightly hard, thick, dark red carpet and moved forward in the dim light cast by the setting sun.

Just as he passed by a room, he was pulled into it by a hand stretched out from the door - it was Nayako.

The silver-haired girl had her usual wicked smile on her face. She closed the door and pushed Rhodes onto the small sofa in the room.

The room was fully furnished and tidy, but it hadn't yet taken on the color of its inhabitants, nor had it been cluttered with books, documents, records, and more personal belongings like other rooms. Nayako hadn't asked for anything in particular here... or rather, she was about to start asking for anything.

"Do you remember the first promise we made?" Nayako smiled sweetly, "A kiss at a time and place that I decided."

"I thought you would be..."

"No, no, no, I will do it, I will definitely do it, one thousand percent! But not now, in front of those girls who are not familiar with me yet... Why would I cause you trouble? I am enough for your trouble."

Nayako suppressed her smile and knelt on Rhodes, her white and tender legs exposed without reservation. The hem of her skirt just barely covered her private parts, and one could vaguely catch a glimpse of the black with lace edges.

The girl put her hands around Rhodes' neck, pressed her face against his, and whispered in his ear:

"This is our first official kiss, and I won't let anyone know. Right here and now—keep your promise, human, and kiss me."

The warm breath beat and swirled in Rhodes' ears, squeezing into his ear canal like a tentacle, entwining the cochlea, drilling into the skull, gently stirring the man's brain tissue, interrupting his thinking, his rejection, and his resistance countless times.

Rhodes tilted his head slightly, trying to escape the warmth. He twisted his body, trying to break free from the chaos.

To keep my promise...but in the way I want.

Rhodes, who had sobered up a little, raised his eyebrows slightly, and a fork appeared in his palm. The thing only touched the body of the evil god's offspring, causing her to scream and subconsciously want to jump out - this was exactly what Rhodes wanted. He retracted the fork, turned around and pressed the shrinking silver-haired girl onto the sofa.

"It's so formal, but you still have to play tricks?" Rhodes kissed her.

"I just think……"

"Shut up."

Again and again, the kiss lasted longer and longer, the girl's lips were hot and wet, as if she was sharing the fruit given by the snake.

The cold night wind lingered outside the mansion's windows, trying to squeeze in and blow away the lingering atmosphere - but what good would that do? Only when the bright lights shone on the forest trees, and the diffused light reflected back drove away the darkness, did Rhodes let Nayako go. Or rather, Nayako let Rhodes go.

The two men stared at each other, their chests rising and falling in almost unison, their eyes filled with stubborn false resistance.

"Next time," Rhodes reached out and wiped the red marks on his lips, "next time, don't play tricks on me, no matter what you do...especially when facing me."

"Is this a request, or a command? Is this from a lover, or from a master?"

"That will depend on you," Rod flicked the girl's forehead with his finger, watching her cheeks puff up in pain, he smiled and said, "but I can tell you for sure that I don't hate you."

"Not hating, not liking, not staying away, not rejecting, what an insatiable man... What's the difference between you and those scammers who roam around in bars," the girl muttered, but then she turned her head away and said unhappily:

"Get out of my room now! I'd have to be crazy to like you."

"Are not the children of Nyarlathotep always mad?"

Rhode smiled, grabbed Nyako, held her in his arms, left the room, and put her down outside the kitchen - this seemed to be exactly what Nyako wanted - he almost couldn't put her down, so he had to take out the fork to threaten her before the silver-haired girl surrendered.

Dinner was simple. The main dishes were Milanese-style steak, Tuscan bread and vegetable soup. The dessert was crispy and sweet fried cheese rolls. The rich creamy sweetness was very popular with the girls.

Although Rhodes felt a little disappointed that D was not there, nothing special happened during the dinner. After all, everyone had their own things to do after dinner. The girls who came back from Europe had to rest, and those who had been staying in Hill Villa had to organize plans and documents for future development, or do something they liked.

Rhodes also relaxed. After dinner, he returned to his room alone, took out a bottle of rum from the cabinet, and took out two small cups.

Sitting on the sofa, he poured wine into two glasses. The wine swirled in the glasses, reflecting the bright light and the figure of the person sitting there alone.

Rod stretched out his legs and crossed them, picked up a book and started reading, waiting quietly.

The light in the room was bright, but soon dimmed into the dim twilight of sunset, allowing the moonlight of the clear moonlit night to enter this place.

Faint footsteps were heard, filled with anxiety and anticipation.

"You came so early. I thought you would wait until everyone else fell asleep," Rhodes said without raising his head. He tried to make out the words on the pages in the dim light. It was a travel novel, mediocre and could only be used as a pastime in one's spare time. Now, it was of no use.

The book was gently plucked from his hands. Rod raised his head, and was embraced in a soft, warm embrace. A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, but if he searched closely, he couldn't confirm its existence. It was as if this smell, this embrace, were just a dream, a siren singing a heavenly love song.

The thin white silk dress tightly wrapped around the trembling body, and hazy words leaked from her cherry lips with each breath:

"It's very late."

Marianne forced herself to speak clearly, but it was in vain. Every subtle touch from the man would cause her to gasp softly, igniting the desire within her body. And what about him? He simply admired her reaction, his beastly gaze sweeping across her exposed and uncovered skin, biting at it bit by bit, causing pain that didn't exist.

She suddenly felt a little scared and wanted to escape - but she couldn't escape, her body and soul had been labeled as belonging to one person - she was a weapon, a tool, or a dancer who seduced the king into falling. Thinking of this, she gladly accepted her fate.

The wine felt a little cool on her skin, but the heat that followed overshadowed the coolness.

The man's hands reached in, caressed her wantonly, then withdrew to hold her hands down, imprisoning her there.

"Please... please draw the curtains."

"why?"

"The moonlight...scorching..."

Darkness engulfed the room, leaving only heavy breathing.

Chapter 209 Daily Life and Black Stone (3K)

early morning.

Rhode opened the window, letting the cool breeze in. The curtains lifted slightly, causing light and shadows to sway on the messy clothes on the floor. In the distance, Arkham Forest was shrouded in mist, and occasionally there was the sound of birdsong. Perhaps because Hill House no longer attempted to expand into the forest, this ancient forest now had some real life.

He turned around and saw Marianne poking her head out from under the quilt:

In the first and most beautiful light of the morning, she was looking at him with clear eyes.

"If you don't want to be watched, you'd better get up quickly," Rhodes reminded him. He stretched, then pulled the chair in front of the desk over and sat down, crossed his legs, and folded his hands on his knees. "What are you waiting for?"

"Please, please don't look at me like that..."

"I do not want."

"Um..."

Nikki's cheeks flushed suddenly. She hesitated, carefully reaching out to take the clothes - mainly the clothes brought by Rhodes, her long skirt had long been turned into pieces - and quickly put them in the quilt, hiding her beautiful figure in the ill-fitting clothes.

When Marianne finally dared to get out of bed, she angrily complained to Rod:

"You are so mean!"

"Yes, that's why you love me."

"!"

Marian was shocked by Rhodes' shameless remarks. She bumped her head against his chest and hurried out of the room. But before she could take a step, she was pulled back by the man.

Only after kissing her soft lips until they turned red did Rhodes let her escape in panic.

Looking at the back with amusement, Rhodes washed up and left the room, ready to have some breakfast.

Walking through the now brighter corridor of Hill Villa, Rhodes could smell the aroma of meat coming from outside after just a few steps. This made him go to the window and look out.

Abigail and Nayako were building a fire on the lawn near the mansion. They had gathered oval stones from somewhere and arranged them in a circle, with some burning coals and dry branches inside. Nearby were Alizarin and Little Red Riding Hood, but the others seemed uninterested in joining in the small gathering.

The flames flickered in the breeze, driving away the chill of the early morning.

Thinking of this, Rhode flipped over and jumped out of the window, landing lightly on the ground, squeezing into the girls' party and snatching the meat skewer from Nayako's hand. Just as he was about to take a bite, Rhode realized something was wrong. The sweet and salty taste was cloying, the sour and spicy taste was pungent, and there wasn't even any meat here - this bastard had actually squeezed a meat skewer out of mustard and dried tofu!

"yue."

"Haha, I knew you'd snatch it from me!" Nayako slapped her thigh with laughter, quacking like a duck. "What a pity! I was planning to trick Abigail."

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still here!" Abigail slammed the table and stood up angrily. She snatched the skewers from Rhodes' hand and stuffed them directly into Nayako's mouth, making the latter's cute little face turn red instantly.

"Meow?!"

Ignoring the two descendants of the evil god who were already rolling in a ball and fighting, Rhode took the water handed to him by Bai Zi, rinsed his mouth, and then took Pickman, who was concentrating on waiting for the barbecue, to wipe his mouth. After receiving a few claw marks on his face, he slowly said:

"I thought you would eat inside the house."

"Because you've taken over the best cook here," Little Red Riding Hood said quietly as she fiddled with a poor, gutted pigeon, plucking the scattered feathers from its legs, chopping off its claws, and finally coating it with a layer of brown sauce. "Jan prepared breakfast for us. She said she'd bring us some mashed potatoes and some breadcrumbs for dipping in the parsley sauce."

"Is that so... Where are Noah and the others?"

"I'm sorting out the materials, but Mary went to the chapel early. She said she wanted to clean it."

"It sounds like everyone has something to do. I have some free time now."

Rhodes stretched his neck, reached out and took a skewer of raw meat from the basin, stuck it into the soil in front of him, and let the flames roast the marinated chicken wantonly, making a wonderful sizzling sound in the crackling sound of the burning branches.

"Isn't this greasy to eat in the morning?" Rod said, reaching out to take a pigeon leg handed to him by Little Red Riding Hood. The little thing was roasted until it was charred. Although there was not much meat, it tasted very good. "Oh, give me another can of beer."

"Drinking in the morning is not a good habit, is it?" Little Red Riding Hood retorted with a vacant look.

Ignoring the two people's bickering, Bai Zi concentrated on roasting his own lamb and a few unknown small fish.

The girl carefully picked up the grilled fish with a fork and put it on her small plate. She scraped out the fish meat bit by bit with a knife, sprinkled some salt on it, and then rolled it up with Egyptian flatbread called "Ash Baladi". She slowly put it into her mouth and chewed it, her eyebrows then curved into a satisfied arc.

When Nayako and Abigail finally finished their routine commotion and returned to their seats, Yang also came out with a large dinner plate. When she saw Rhode, she raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled a little:

"I thought you would dawdle until noon."

"I don't need that much sleep, and my body has recovered very well. I'm even a little stronger than before the injury."

Rod stood up and helped Nikki take the food from the plate - there was not only mashed potatoes and bread, but also a small casserole with what seemed to be seafood soup, and several small bowls and spoons were neatly placed beside it.

"Yeah, and neither does Marianne," Yang said meaningfully.

The whole world seemed to be silent for a moment, with only the crackling sound of flames hitting the branches.

Rhodes: "...Ahem, let's eat first."

Rhodes scooped up some mussels and fish from the still boiling casserole and drank the soup slowly. Just as he was thinking about what else to do today, he heard Yang say:

"There's something I need to tell you."

"We can discuss this in a more formal place, but since you insist," Rhodes glanced at Nikki, who had a serious expression, and felt a sense of foreboding. "Tell me, Yang, what could it be?"

"Iraq has already attacked Kuwait, and the Gulf War is about to begin... a month and a half earlier than you indicated," Nikki said calmly. She picked up a branch and poked the red-hot coals, causing black smoke and red sparks to dance. "That's not a problem, but the US military has rejected Atlas's direct involvement this time. Of course, they're still buying weapons and ammunition—which is already a bad sign."

"Indeed," Rhodes rubbed his brow with his hand and said with a hint of annoyance, "What about other things?"

"It's still about this matter... Mr. Irons hopes that you can visit Atlas Corporation's headquarters before it completely leaves the United States."

Irons?

Rhodes thought for a moment and felt that this was indeed a good opportunity. Although the current Atlas Corporation did not have high-tech vehicles like those in the original game, as a world-leading arms manufacturer with various black technologies, it might be able to come up with some interesting things.

The only problem is that I only have about 3500 points of pollution in the other world left:

Although I got a lot for defeating the monster, I also spent a lot of points on repairing my body and the weapons and equipment rewarded by the system. The reward was only the exchange for [Black Stone], 1000 points for 10 grams, which was extremely expensive!

Although the system has marked that this thing is naturally occurring and can also be artificially synthesized, I am now confused about where to find it and how to make it.

With this thought, Rhode took the black stone out of the storage space, immediately attracting the attention of Nayako and Abigail. They took it in their hands and examined it carefully. The stone was dark on the outside, with a hint of dark red on the inside. It was hard and required more professional equipment to cut. The stone weighed about 400 grams, but it could not be exchanged for pollution points in the other world. But more importantly, in the simple introduction of the All-Seeing Eye Patch:

[Black Stone] has the powerful effect of shielding, stabilizing and suppressing supernatural forces, or to use a more vivid word, "supernatural lead". At the same time, under certain circumstances, it also has the characteristic of reversely strengthening the energy of the other world.

"This kind of stone... we call it 'Warpstone' or 'Wyrd Stone'. Some civilizations also call it 'Foul Stone'. It can be found in many places, of course, within the entire universe."

Nayako reached out and took the black stone in her hand. After carefully examining it, she said to Rhodes: