In the early morning, the surroundings of Chu Feng's villa in New York were silent; not even the early risers who liked to jog had ventured out yet.
Chu Feng, who had just safely returned from Washington, showed no trace of exhaustion on his face; instead, there was an indescribable sense of relief.
After this, the Federal Government would likely remain quiet for some time. Therefore, only one hidden rat remained: the Holy Advent Society!
The bait had been set; now it was just a matter of seeing when they would take it.
Standing at the entrance of his villa, a hint of anticipation flickered in Chu Feng's eyes as he thought about this.
He took out his keys and unlocked the door. Just as Chu Feng's hand touched the doorknob, a crisp CRACK! suddenly echoed from deep within him.
"What?"
As if sensing something, Chu Feng turned sharply to look at the distant sky.
The once-blue sky had, at some unknown time, been tinged with a pale red.
Within that pale red sky, several cracks like shattered glass began to appear one after another.
With his vision far surpassing that of an ordinary person, Chu Feng could clearly see deep within those cracks. An intense, almost indivisible crimson lurked there, flickering in and out of view.
Simultaneously, as the anomalies appeared in the sky, the Bizarre aura in the atmosphere began to multiply at an incredible rate.
In just a short time, the concentration of this Bizarre aura had more than tripled.
Feeling the changes around him, Chu Feng slowly withdrew his hand and looked at the sky, murmuring to himself, "The Bizarre resurgence... it's moving into the second stage! How has Hell arrived so swiftly this time?"
Too fast. The second stage had come far too quickly!
Chu Feng remembered clearly: in his previous life, the second stage of the Bizarre resurgence should have been at least three months away.
How could it be so much earlier?
A conjecture formed in Chu Feng's mind: he feared this was all related to him.
After preventing the descent of Hell Creatures so many times, have I inadvertently quickened the full resurgence of the Bizarre?
A sudden gloom that arose in his heart caused Chu Feng's expression to darken considerably.
With the second stage of the Bizarre resurgence underway, the Devil's arrival from Hell is probably drawing near!
Now not in the mood to rest at home, Chu Feng immediately turned and walked to his car.
Amidst the roar of the car's engine, a black SUV shot out of the villa.
The celestial anomaly crowded the streets of New York with countless puzzled citizens, and the police were unable to manage the situation.
But as time passed, the pale red sky gradually returned to normal, and even the cracks that were initially faintly visible also quietly vanished.
"What the hell was that?"
"It's gone! Was it a once-in-a-millennium astronomical phenomenon?"
"Probably the Military testing some new high-tech weapon again!"
"..."
"The Apocalypse has arrived! The Apocalypse is here! Believe in the Lord and be saved from disaster!"
Among the numerous discussions, the voice of a suspected Cult member would occasionally be heard.
But soon, the owner of the voice was taken away by the New York Police Department.
Having dealt with several Cult incidents, the New York Police Department maintained a zero-tolerance stance towards Cult members. They preferred to arrest incorrectly rather than let anyone slip through.
With the disappearance of the strange phenomena in the sky, the crowd that had taken to the streets also gradually dispersed.
After all, the workday had just begun. The boss certainly wouldn't waive docking pay for tardiness because of some strange phenomena in the sky.
Meanwhile, in corners unnoticed by humanity, something was being nurtured by the surging Bizarre aura. Countless newly born and rapidly growing Bizarre creatures had already fixed their greedy gazes on the fresh human flesh and blood around them.
As the first cry of terror echoed within the city, the first war between humans and Bizarre creatures officially began in New York.
SCREECH!
Amid a harsh screeching of brakes, an off-road vehicle came to a halt directly in front of the office building.
It was just the time to arrive for work, and the personnel inside the office were fairly prompt.
Chu Feng, who hurried out of the car, went straight into the high-level meeting room of the office.
Already on the drive there, he had notified all the higher-ups of the office to gather in the meeting room.
...
After a meeting that lasted nearly an hour, the office's higher-ups left the meeting room with solemn expressions and hurried steps.
Taran went to hold a meeting with his subordinate Exorcists, Amita headed straight for the New York Police Department, and Lin Qiu went to contact the New York City Government and the New York State Government...
As for Chu Feng, he had exchanged most of the office's funds for various essential supplies.
After all, with the second phase of the Bizarre resurgence beginning, it wouldn't be long before the US Dollar lost its value.
Chu Feng, fearing the system might change by then, seized the moment to spend the US Dollars—which were destined to become worthless paper—before worrying about anything else.
New York could definitely be considered Chu Feng's stronghold, so he had to ensure that things here wouldn't descend into chaos.
The equipment storehouse in the office basement was opened, and countless Exorcism tools were distributed.
At the same time, the entire police force of the New York Police Department had been deployed.
The New York State National Guard's long-concealed Exorcism troops also commenced action immediately upon the State Government's orders.
Due to Chu Feng's presence, the efficiency of the entire New York State Government had reached its peak.
While other states had yet to comprehend what was happening, New York State had already begun its war against the Bizarre that very day.
Countless newly born Bizarre creatures, their strength yet to develop, were turned to ash by human Exorcism weapons.
For a time, the entirety of New York State echoed with continuous gunfire. Streets teemed with humans wielding Exorcism weapons, searching for Bizarre creatures.
The Federal Government, having received this news, immediately contacted the New York State Government to try to understand what was happening.
"Bizarre? War?"
The information received from the New York State Government left everyone in the White House exchanging glances, their eyes filled with skepticism.
However, photos from military satellites and various pieces of evidence from intelligence departments fully confirmed that the New York State Government's report was factual.
"Wait! If the Bizarre resurgence has happened in New York State, what about the other states?"
In the office, a staffer suddenly widened his eyes and looked at everyone, his voice trembling.
"Fuck!"
Seated at the head of the table, Baite slammed his fist on the table in anger.
He had never imagined encountering such an event with only a few months left in his term. This effectively dashed his hopes of re-election.
But the work at hand couldn't be neglected. He had to urge the staffers in the meeting room to devise a solution as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Baite himself immediately convened an emergency high-level meeting.
While the Federal Government was still busy with various emergency meetings, America's other states finally noticed the countless Bizarre creatures that had suddenly appeared.
By then, the Exorcism troops that the states had been secretly harboring could no longer remain hidden.
In just two days, the Federal Government was shocked to discover something. Before they could even agree on a solution, all the states were already fiercely battling the Bizarre!
"Do these bastards want to declare independence?"
Inside the White House, Baite again furiously smashed the glass ornaments on his desk.