: Hell is in America

The plane landed and taxied to a stop.

The hatch opened.

A humid, hot wind blew in, carrying the salty taste of the sea.

Qiao Ye stood up and followed Zhou Zhiguo downstairs.

The base is very large.

Several transport planes were parked on both sides of the runway, with no markings on their fuselages.

Everywhere you look, there are people in uniforms, hurrying around.

Zhou Zhiguo led him through several rows of barracks, finally stopping in front of a door.

"This is it."

He pushed open the door.

Inside was a small conference room, where four men were already seated.

They all looked perfectly normal.

"Let me introduce you," Zhou Zhiguo said.

"Aramaki Ichiro, a third-tier professional, [Sword Master]."

"Ivan Petrov, Tier 3, [Ice Fist Master]"

"Luca Morini, Tier 3, [Battlefield Medic]"

"Marcus Wade, Tier 3, [Mechanic]".

They are all third-tier professionals.

Ten years into Earth's extraordinary awakening, the highest-ranking professionals are only at the fifth rank.

Third-tier professionals are already the backbone of the industry.

"This is Qiao Ye," Zhou Zhiguo introduced.

Oh?

As soon as he said that, everyone cast different glances at him.

Curiosity, scrutiny, appreciation...

But there was no malice intended.

"Child, come and sit here!"

[Ice Fist Master] Petrov raised his hand, gesturing for Qiao Ye to sit next to him.

"We heard that you were willing to enter the fog right after awakening your profession to save your father? Good boy! No matter how dangerous it is in the fog, we will protect you!"

Petrov was a burly Russian man with a bald head and a big beard, and he spoke Chinese with a heavy accent.

Qiao Ye almost didn't understand what he was saying.

"Petrov, don't scare him!"

"This is what Morini, the field medic, said."

"He's still a child, about the same age as my son."

Swordsman Aramaki Ichiro and Mechanic Wade remained silent, but their gazes were both fixed on Qiao Ye.

He sized up the young man.

Just as Zhou Zhiguo was about to say something, the door was pushed open.

Everyone looked towards the doorway.

A blonde woman walked in.

She was wearing a black uniform from the Allied Forces, with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms. The uniform appeared to have been altered, perfectly outlining her waistline.

Her features were delicate, her eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and she had a slightly languid air about her.

She looks to be in her early twenties.

She was definitely the most beautiful woman Qiao Ye had ever seen.

"You've arrived?"

Zhou Zhiguo was taken aback at first, then introduced himself to everyone—

"This is Sienna Valentine, a fourth-tier professional, a Shapeshifter, who has already completed one job change."

"She is your team leader for this operation."

Sienna Valentine.

Qiao Ye clearly noticed that the other three professionals present tensed up when this name was mentioned.

Clearly, they all knew this person's identity and strength.

Only Aramaki Ichiro's expression remained one of surprise and uncertainty.

"I'm sorry to bother you!"

Aramaki Ichiro suddenly raised his hand, his voice tense.

"I've just emerged from seclusion and am not very familiar with the outside world. Miss Valentine, may I ask what your relationship was with Blake Valentine, the President of the United States ten years ago?"

Sienna glanced at Ichiro Aramaki.

Just one glance.

Then she looked away, as if she hadn't heard anything, and continued walking inside.

There was no response at all.

But it was precisely this attitude that made Ichiro Aramaki even more convinced of his judgment.

That's just right!

Only Americans who wear the Stars and Stripes would show such contempt for the Japanese!

Sienna glanced at the people in the conference room, her gaze lingering on the faces of the others for less than a second.

Finally, it fell on Qiao Ye.

Then it just stayed there.

Just as Qiao Ye was wondering if she had some kind of problem with him, she spoke up.

He speaks extremely fluent Chinese.

"You're Qiao Ye?"

"it's me."

"Stretch out your hand."

"what?"

Qiao Ye didn't understand what this meant, so he reached out his hand.

Then--

A candy appeared in his palm.

Wrapped in gold candy wrappers.

"You might feel nervous if you're exploring in the fog for the first time."

Sienna smiled.

She had a beautiful smile, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

"But don't worry, we will protect you with our lives."

……

The meeting began quickly.

Zhou Zhiguo went through the entire plan:

The dense fog itself has the ability to distort space, so the choice of entrance is not important.

As long as you're heading in the right direction, you can travel thousands of kilometers in just a few seconds.

They decided to fly directly from their base in Guam to a temporary outpost in the San Francisco Bay Area of ​​California.

Qiao Ye's task is to sense his father's location and provide navigation.

The others were responsible for combat and logistics.

"Navigating through the fog depends entirely on you." Sienna looked at Qiao Ye. "Are you confident?"

Qiao Ye nodded.

He can now clearly sense his father's direction, no matter how it changes.

Right here in New Orleans, at Jackson Square!

The meeting ended, and they immediately took action.

The team boarded another transport plane and flew to the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

This is the California coastline, where the coalition forces have built high walls and fortifications.

The air was thick with mist, and in the distance stood that gray-white wall.

They got off the plane and changed into protective suits—

The suit is made of nanomaterials and features a built-in communicator in the helmet, as well as an oxygen mask.

"Final check of the equipment."

"Into the fog!"

……

Cross that line, and the world changes instantly.

My field of vision narrowed to less than a meter, and all I could see was a gray and white world, with the ground beneath my feet indistinct.

A buzzing interference sound came from the communicator.

"Maintain formation," Sienna said calmly.

Qiao Ye closed his eyes and sensed his father's location, which was in the southeast.

"Go this way," he pointed.

Space is distorted, and positions are constantly changing.

But the blood ties between him and his father acted as an anchor, locking him in his direction.

They are always on the right path.

The sense of time is extremely blurred in the fog.

How long did they walk?

Maybe an hour, maybe half a day.

"We're almost through," Qiao Ye suddenly said.

He felt the thick fog thinning and light appearing ahead.

The team sped up.

Finally, they broke through the thick fog.

The view suddenly opened up—but not as brightly as I had imagined.

Is this America?

Qiao Ye rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

They were standing on an abandoned highway with a crooked road sign that read "I-10 East → New Orleans".

But everything around me felt wrong.

The sky was blood red, the clouds resembled boiling lava, and occasionally lightning flashed.

On the ground, the highway cracked open with huge fissures, from which strange plants grew.

The city skyline was completely distorted, and tall buildings were tilted.

Some were broken in half, and some were stuck upside down in the ground.

Ten years have passed, and this is the first time that humans outside the dense fog have seen what it looks like inside.

It felt like stepping into another world.

"Is this what America is like now?" Petrov muttered under his breath. "It's hell!"

"etc--"

Aramaki Ichiro had just opened his mouth when his voice abruptly stopped.

Everyone stopped.

The air suddenly became heavy.

It was as if something was watching them.

The gaze wasn't coming from any particular direction, but rather pressing in from all sides, making one want to kneel down.

Qiao Ye raised his head.

Not far from them, there was an old church.

Spires, stained glass, Gothic arches.

A woman stood at the church entrance.

Do not!

Not standing.

It's floating!

Her feet were three inches off the ground, suspended in mid-air.

She was wearing a black nun's habit, covering her from head to toe.

But that face—

It has no facial features.

There was only a pale, waxy dough.

A black halo floated above her head.

Like charred thorns.

He held a huge scarlet cross in his hand, like a long spear.

Qiao Ye's [Demon Hunter Knowledge] was flashing wildly, with messages almost bursting through his vision—

【Name: The Faceless Nun】

【grade:???】

[Prototype: Founder of the Order of the Pietà]

[Description: The leader of an underground cult in 19th-century Europe was burned at the stake for the atrocities committed against seventy-three orphans. Her body was stolen and ended up in America. After a dense fog descends, she awakens in her tomb, carrying the souls of those children.]

[Weakness: ??? (Unlockable at LV2)]