A priest in North America, what the hell is the Demon Gate system?

"Father?" Nia noticed his distraction.

"It's alright," Li Ang said, his voice steady.

"The sun is a bit strong."

At that moment, the music in the square stopped abruptly.

Mayor Joel stepped onto the makeshift stage, microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Fellow residents of Uldum!"

The crowd gradually quieted down.

"Today, on this sacred day, we gather here to remember those brave men who gave their lives for our freedom!"

Mayor Joel's voice was loud and clear, with the inflammatory tone typical of politicians, and he used simple, uncomplex words.

"They came from this land, from our communities, from our families! They defended the honor of the Stars and Stripes with their blood! They defended the universal values ​​of America!"

"We also hope that more talented individuals will join our glorious army and embrace the honor of battle!"

"If you love America, America will love you back!"

Scattered applause broke out from the crowd.

"But we still face challenges today!" the mayor said, waving his arms.

"The forces that seek to disrupt our way of life, the voices that want to weaken our great nation, are everywhere! But we say—no way! We will continue to grow and respond with action to those who only offer empty words and refuse to work with us!"

The applause grew louder.

"A global economic collapse is imminent. For all those who want to escape those wastelands and find a better life, America is the beacon of hope! It is the President who has led us to victory! Let us unite closely by the President's side! Let us return to that golden age! MAGA!!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the left side of the audience, with chants of "MAGA!!" echoing throughout the room.

On the other side, there was little reaction, and even a hint of disdain in their eyes.

"This is America's core, right? I remember Pennsylvania is a swing state?" Li Ang thought to himself.

Pastor Salak stepped forward at the opportune moment, took the microphone, and said: "Now, let us pray. Dear Lord, bless this country, bless our army, bless our president, and let his wisdom guide us towards a brighter future..."

Li Ang listened to the standard Protestant prayers, but his gaze wandered among the crowd.

Who emitted the energy that the notebook mentioned?

"We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!" Pastor Salak concluded his prayer.

"Amen!" the crowd responded in unison.

"It's definitely different from Catholicism. Here, everything ends with the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the Trinity. It's obvious that the mayor is also an evangelical, and Protestantism has a greater sphere of influence in this town," Li Ang commented quietly.

[Ding! Sect stronghold competition assessment triggered!]

Even though they all belong to the same sect, the development of each stronghold is different, and the sect has an obligation to make the strongholds compete and be assessed.

[Mission Requirement: Gain an advantage in incense offerings over the enemy's stronghold]

[Task Time Limit: 60 days]

[Quest Reward: One protective magic item]

"I'm a supporter of evangelicals, really?"

Looking at the impassioned pastor and mayor on the stage, Li Ang couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.

Mayor Joel took back the microphone, his face beaming: "Now, I declare—the Uldum Memorial Day Parade officially begins!"

The rousing American patriotic music roared in, and the first float slowly drove into the square.

That was the town's fire station's float—an old-fashioned fire truck decorated in red, white, and blue. Several firefighters in neat uniforms stood on it, waving to the crowd. The children screamed excitedly and chased after the float.

Next came the school's float, the float sponsored by local businesses, the Veterans Association's float...

Li Ang and Nia stood on the outskirts of the crowd, watching. The sun was getting stronger and stronger. Li Ang loosened his collar and felt his back starting to sweat.

Nia's black leather shoes and socks obviously absorbed heat, so she quietly tiptoed, exposing the sole of her foot to the air to feel the coolness of the air.

The movement was so subtle that almost no one noticed.

Of course, Li Ang's divine sense caught it; it wasn't intentional, it just happened to sweep across it while searching for suspicious individuals.

Really!

"Father, would you like something to drink?" Nia suddenly asked, turning her head and pointing to the side: "They sell iced lemonade over there."

Li Ang looked in the direction she pointed. There was a row of stalls along the edge of the square, selling hot dogs, hamburgers, and cotton candy. Only one stall was deserted, with a sign that read "Uldum Rescue".

On the stall was a large, transparent bucket filled with lemonade, while on the table was a large plate of delicate pastries, yellowish-green in color, as if mixed with some kind of vegetable.

"What's that?" Li Ang raised an eyebrow.

"A kind of... traditional snack," Nia tilted her head and thought for a moment, "It's a specialty of this town. It's said that when William Payne was stranded here, the Lenappe Indians saved him and made this snack for him so he could live again."

"It's made with a local wild vegetable and coarse flour, without any added sugar or oil. I heard it from the choir children."

"No wonder there's no line." Li Ang stroked his chin. For Lao Mei, whose taste buds had been ruined by years of high-oil and high-sugar food, this kind of thing probably didn't even taste as good as "Oli Gei".

"It's really not that tasty," Nia honestly admitted, "but it's a local specialty, and it's put out every year. Most of the buyers are tourists."

Li Ang was about to speak when he suddenly stopped.

His gaze locked onto the edge of the crowd, where a figure was swaying forward.

He was a tall man, his face obscured by a dirty hoodie. Despite it being the end of May, he was still wearing a thick down jacket, basketball shorts, and mismatched shoes.

The exposed hands and calves revealed that the person was Black.

He walked strangely, with one shoulder higher than the other and dragging his feet, as if he had difficulty walking, or as if he were... a zombie.

The man bypassed the crowd, showing no reaction to the lively scene around him.

He walked straight to the snack stall, where the owner was busy tidying up the shelves and didn't notice him.

The next second, the man suddenly reached out, grabbed a whole plate of Uldum Rescue from the stall, and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

It's not eating, it's stuffing.

He forced the entire pastry down his throat, his actions so brutal they resembled not human eating, but rather the instinct to survive.

Crumbs of pastry fell from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't care, and just kept stuffing himself with a second, a third...

The stall owner finally realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Damn! What are you doing?!"

The man ignored him, and with a slight movement of his hand, he pulled his hood up, revealing half of his face.

Li Ang's pupils suddenly contracted.

The face was clearly that of a Black person, yet it had an unnatural grayish-white color, sunken eye sockets, and chapped, peeling lips.

What made Li Ang's scalp tingle the most was the man's eyes—the pupils were unfocused and dilated, but the whites of his eyes were covered with fine blood vessels, almost dyeing the entire eyeball a dark red.

Li Ang's divine sense subconsciously swept over the area.

The feedback I received... was very quiet.

Literally quiet, without a heartbeat, breathing, or body temperature, just like a dead person!

"Nia," Li Ang said softly, his hand already on the "Holy Judgment" in the inner pocket.

"What's wrong, Father?" Nia followed his gaze and saw the man, her body trembling involuntarily.