The Exorcism Began in America.

After forcing the timid middle-aged couple out of the car, James drove directly away from the task point.

In the car, he casually flipped through the next commission letter.

Having confirmed the mission's location, he glanced at the map, then immediately yanked the steering wheel hard, turning the car around to head in another direction.

「Next stop, Washington.」

「...」

"Hey, Monte! Marcus and the others are already dead! If we don't do something, you're likely to be next!"

"That's right, Monte, you have to believe us!"

"Believe you? Have I ever not trusted you?" Monte retorted, his voice thick with sarcasm as he held a chainsaw, ready to start work.

"Do you remember what you promised when I was about to confess to Li Mi?"

"We..."

Seeing their embarrassed expressions, Monte scoffed and casually placed the chainsaw on the bed of the pickup. "Then let me remind you!"

"The very next day! The moment I walked into school, a bunch of assholes loudly mocked me—the clown who'd overestimated himself!"

"Oh, the ugly duckling falls for the white swan! Isn't it hilarious! Huh?!" Monte's eyes turned icy as he took two steps forward, his voice filled with rage.

"In just one day, I became the laughingstock of the entire school! Were you two happy? Say something, will you?"

His furious questions left the two flustered and backing away.

"Monte, we... we're so sorry!"

Ignoring their apologies, Monte clenched his fists, fighting the urge to punch them. He pointed into the distance and roared, "Enough, Staven! I will never—never!—believe a word you say again! Get out!"

At Monte's tirade, Kelly, the woman with Staven, also grew enraged, her tone laced with a subtle threat. "Monte, calm down. Don't forget, you were on that bus too. Your name is also on that thing's list!"

"Shut up, Kelly! You're still the same. Bichi! I should never have saved you!"

"You!"

The infuriated Kelly raised her hand to slap Monte but was quickly stopped by her companion, Staven.

"Staven, why are you stopping me?" Kelly struggled fiercely, trying to break free from Staven's grip.

"Shut it, Kelly! Look over there."

After Staven's quiet reminder, Kelly glanced to the side. Her heart lurched, and her struggles ceased.

A few burly men, clearly Monte's workmates, stood not far away.

Sensing the hostility in their eyes, Kelly, who had been ready to make a scene, instantly calmed down.

"Let's go. If he wants to die, we'll let him!" Kelly shot Monte's indifferent face a venomous glare and stormed off toward their car by the roadside.

"Uh... Monte, I still want to say, I'm really sorry about what happened before!" Seeing Kelly get into the car, Staven hastily added, before quickly following her.

A middle-aged man climbed down from the pickup, patted the chainsaw in the truck bed, and teased, "Kid, I thought you were going to use this to split those two bastards in half!"

"Uncle Emons, lay off the booze. Time to work!" Monte snatched the liquor bottle from the older man's hand, tossed it into the pickup bed, then grabbed the chainsaw and prepared to work.

Watching the bottle roll around in the truck bed, Emons chuckled and shook his head. "This kid..." he muttered, then turned to grab his tools and followed Monte.

Their job today was to fell a large tree in front of a nearby house.

The tree, towering over twenty meters, was destined to fall today.

"What do we do? That idiot won't believe us! According to the seating order, I'm next!" Kelly, sitting in the car, was subconsciously shredding a tissue, her agitation palpable.

"Don't be afraid!" Staven got into the car, cradled Kelly's head, and soothed her softly.

"I'm going to die, Steven! How can I not be afraid? Think of something, quick!" Kelly shoved his hand away, yelling in despair.

"Er..." Staven looked at his pushed-away hand, his eyes narrowing.

"There has to be a way. I'm thinking, I'm thinking..."

Time ticked by. The car was dead silent, the silence broken only by the occasional whine of a chainsaw from outside.

Kelly, who had been holding her head in silence, suddenly spoke. "Staven, according to the seating order, you're after me, right?"

The moment Kelly finished speaking, Staven looked up, his face alight with excitement. "Quiet! I've got it!"

"What is it?" Hearing the good news, Kelly instantly forgot what she had been about to say.

"According to the order, Monte is after us," Staven said, glancing at Kelly, who was listening intently. A strange glint flickered in his eyes. "When that thing comes, if you get close to Monte... make him take your place..."

Upon hearing this plan, Kelly's eyes immediately lit up.

"Since he doesn't want to help us proactively, we'll just have to force him to be passive!"

While the two in the car were reveling in their plan, not far away, Uncle Emons had just pulled his chainsaw from the cut in the massive tree.

"Careful! It's coming down! Everybody, back!" Drawing on years of experience, Emons, having judged the tree was about to fall, loudly warned the nearby workers.

Time ticked by, but the tree remained stubbornly upright for a long while.

"Emons, did you overdo it in bed last night or what?"

"That can't be right. Emons never makes a mistake..."

"What's happening?"

Sensing his coworkers' doubt, Uncle Emons scratched his head, momentarily perplexed.

Just as he was about to step forward for another cut, a fierce gust of wind suddenly blew up.

The violent wind, thick with dust, leaves, and debris, actually made the burly Uncle Emons stagger.

"Watch the tree! COUGH... COUGH COUGH..." A sense of foreboding struck Emons, and he immediately shouted a warning to his coworkers to prevent any accidents.

Amidst the fierce wind, a sharp, distinct CRACK! echoed in the ears of the nearby workers.

Everyone grabbed onto something heavy nearby, their eyes straining to see which way the tree would fall.

One second, two seconds...

The towering tree, over twenty meters tall, finally tilted—slowly at first, then rapidly—and came crashing down.

As everyone had anticipated, its fall deviated by a large angle.

"Monte, get out of there!"

Monte was directly in the path of the falling tree. Hearing Uncle Emons's loud warning, he realized the danger and instantly let go of the nearby lamppost. He tumbled and scrambled desperately to the side, trying to get clear.