People are scared in America, my uncle is Dante

Maine, outer defense line.

The trenches were filled with smoke and screams.

"boom!"

The main battle tank's shells blasted onto the high ground, turning several monsters that tried to cross the defensive line into mincemeat.

Blood mixed with dirt rained down on the soldiers' helmets.

"Maintain suppressive fire!"

"Medic, drag the wounded away!"

A frontline commander roared.

The adjutant beside him said, "At this rate of progress, we should reach the Black Mountain base in two days at most!"

Although the number of casualties among the troops continues to rise, the overall front is steadily advancing.

Just as the commander was preparing to launch a new attack, the ground began to shake without warning.

"Thump!"

The water in the mud pit rippled, reflecting a colossal object that blotted out the sky.

The soldiers in the trenches stared blankly at their heads, their rifles falling to the ground instinctively.

"Fuck! What the hell have those damn scientists come up with?!"

A private's legs went weak, and he cursed angrily.

Beside him, a young soldier, his face covered in mud, clutched the cross to his chest tightly, his voice trembling with tears.

"Mom... after this battle, I'm going back to my hometown to get married..."

Just when everyone thought the battle would be changed by this behemoth, a sudden change occurred.

The white fog that had enveloped the entire state of Maine suddenly dissipated.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone once more on the ravaged battlefield.

On the battlefield, a soldier in a panic slipped and fell to the ground. A hound monster seized the opportunity and pounced on him.

Saliva dripped onto the soldier's face. He closed his eyes in despair, awaiting death.

one second.

two seconds.

A few seconds passed, but the pain of being bitten on the skin did not come.

The soldier's Adam's apple bobbed, and he mustered his courage to slightly open one eye.

The monster pressing down on them remained motionless, its mouth agape.

A few seconds later, a gentle breeze blew by, and the monster was scattered like sand.

The soldier looked bewildered. He struggled to his feet and looked around.

The battlefield, which was once filled with the constant roar of gunfire, has fallen silent.

All the monsters seemed to have been paused.

Whether it was the insects in mid-air or the hunting dogs charging on the ground, they all became stiff under the sunlight and eventually turned into a patch of black sand.

In the distance, the colossal creature that inspired despair remained completely silent.

Its massive body crumbled inch by inch and collapsed with a deafening roar.

The soldiers, guns in hand, stood up in a daze, exchanging bewildered glances, a sense of shock and disbelief passing between them.

On the high ground behind the defensive line.

The supervising officer put down his tactical binoculars and turned to the doctor in the white coat beside him: "Dr. Smith, what... what exactly is going on?"

Dr. Smith looked at the tablet in his hand, then looked up at the monsters that had disappeared, and pushed up his glasses.

"These monsters and the fog have a symbiotic relationship."

"They are like humans and oxygen; once separated, they die quickly."

"The dissipation of the fog indicates that the source has been cut off."

"Someone has arrived at the Black Mesa base and closed the spatial rift."

"The spatial rift has been closed?!"

The officer was shocked and retorted, "Wasn't Black Mountain Base completely captured a long time ago? How could anyone possibly still be alive in that hellish place?"

"It can even... reach the lowest level and shut down the device?!"

Dr. Smith looked at the distant mountains and gave a meaningful smile:

"Sir, never judge the world by common sense."

"Then... can the rift still be opened?"

The officer, recalling the orders he had received, asked hesitantly.

"Of course, since it can be opened, it means that the spatial node is weak."

Dr. Smith paused, then continued, "Moreover, this isn't the only weak spatial node like this."

……

Outside the Montenegro base.

Suren stood on the earthen slope halfway up the mountain, squinting slightly as he faced the morning sunlight.

He looked at the white mist dissipating in the forest below the mountain and said:

"The fog has dissipated; these monsters are probably dead by now."

"Let's go back."

Amanda stared intently at Suren, her lips moving.

She had witnessed this man slaying monsters, and her eyes held a mixture of awe and complex emotions.

In the end, she said nothing and silently nodded.

On the contrary, the old lady on the side held up an assault rifle with one hand, still not satisfied.

She leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement: "Young man, I swear, our teamwork just now was absolutely perfect."

"How about we form a team? We can hire mercenaries and absolutely crush those guys."

"..."

Suren's lips twitched slightly.

He touched his nose and politely declined:

"Madam, mercenaries don't get health insurance. If you retire, I can't afford your pension."

After saying that, he turned to look at Andre: "Let's go back to Los Santos."

"The military is probably arriving soon. You don't want to get caught by them, do you?"

Before leaving, they destroyed all the surveillance equipment in the facility.

If the military doesn't conduct a thorough investigation, they most likely won't discover them.

……

On the return journey, the opposite lane was almost completely covered by the military's armored torrent.

Main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers roared past, while helicopters flew in formation overhead from time to time.

Andrei gripped the steering wheel, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The lingering fear of escaping death and the ecstatic joy of holding a shocking secret danced back and forth on his face.

Clancy, however, was unusually silent, his head bowed, the camera clutched tightly to his chest.

Suren took in their expressions without saying anything.

One day later at noon, in downtown Los Santos.

The jeep came to a stop on the side of the street, and Suren got out.

Just as Andrei was about to start the vehicle, a hand pressed down on him.

Suren's eyes shone brightly: "Wanting to get rich is human nature."

"But if I get into any trouble, I'll come to you personally and have a chat."

Andrei's body trembled, and he nodded repeatedly.

Suren watched the vehicles merge into the main road and then ignored them.

He wasn't afraid of these videotapes being exposed, because no television station dared to accept them.

The online platform probably wouldn't even pass the review.

Suren took Alessa for a stroll around the city and stopped by to visit Constantine, but unfortunately he had already been discharged from the hospital, so they had to return to the office first.

Carrying a pizza she'd bought on the way, Suren ate her sundae and strolled leisurely toward the office.

He paused slightly when he saw the firm.

The office door was ajar.

Suren swallowed the sundae in her mouth, raising an eyebrow slightly.

The thugs in this neighborhood are lucky if they don't come looking for you; they'd never actually come looking for you.

Besides, what is there to steal in this shabby office, apart from a few pieces of furniture?

He kicked the door open.