America, near the former Washington, D.C.
The Sentinel Alliance headquarters, formed by merging and renovating several military bases and surrounding towns.
The helicopter carrying Lilith's group of three landed on the base's helipad.
They then followed an officer who had been waiting for a long time, passing through twenty-meter-high city walls and layers of security checks to enter the Sentinel Alliance base.
Inside and outside the walls, the streets were clean, and the buildings were mostly practical and sturdy in style. Both the size of the base and the surrounding architectural complexes were more luxurious than those of Apocalypse.
The population of the Sentinel Alliance was even more massive, as could be seen at least from the clusters of buildings and the flow of people around them.
It was conservatively estimated to have a population in the tens of millions.
Most pedestrians were in a hurry, busy with their own tasks.
Controlling most of America's wealth, creating a base that could accommodate ten million people was not a difficult task for the American government.
Following the officer into a reception hall, an envoy approached. His gaze was first drawn to Fenrir's imposing physique, and he subconsciously assumed him to be the leader, greeting him with a respectful smile.
"Distinguished guests, welcome to the Sentinel Alliance. Please follow me."
Fenrir paused, his lips twitching imperceptibly.
Brother, if you want to get me killed, just say so. Can't you see my leader is walking in the middle and ahead of me!
Fenrir said nothing and silently took a step back. Hawk Eye also stepped back, making their leader more prominent and revealing Lilith's cute figure to prove who the actual leader of the team was.
At the very least, they couldn't steal the leader's spotlight.
The actions of Fenrir and Hawk Eye caused the envoy's smile to freeze for a fraction of a second as his gaze fell upon Lilith.
Dressed in a black and red Gothic military uniform with silver hair and red eyes, her small face under the brim of her hat was exquisite yet cold. She was both cute and adorable, but her entire being exuded an aura that warned others to keep their distance.
It seemed she was intentionally, deliberately projecting her aura.
If not for her height, her cute appearance would have been hard to ignore even next to Fenrir's tall figure.
However, given Fenrir's height of 2.3 meters, combined with his domineering gait and an aura that suggested he might tear the place down, it was indeed easy for those who didn't know better to mistake him for the leader of a Factions.
Nevertheless, for this little girl to be positioned between two powerhouses, her identity was obvious.
As a carefully selected diplomat, the envoy reacted quickly; his brain processed the situation in an instant, and his embarrassment vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
He immediately adjusted his posture, kneeling on one knee with the same respect—even more solemn now—and bowed slightly in a standard knightly salute.
He was just short of kissing Lilith's small hand.
After finishing, the envoy stood up and said respectfully.
"My apologies, Miss. Please follow me."
Although the envoy appeared calm on the surface, his heart was already in turmoil.
The higher-ups didn't mention that the leader of Apocalypse looked so cute. If not for my quick wits, I would have offended an SSS-Rank Hunter with an SSS-Level Talent.
Based on Forti's arrogance and eccentricity, none of those SSS-Rank Hunter with an SSS-Level Talent were easy to get along with.
A specialized bulletproof presidential car drove the three into the core area, finally stopping in front of a magnificent white architectural complex.
The Sentinel Alliance called this place the Federal Assembly Hall, but its design inevitably brought to mind a certain white palace that symbolized power in the old era.
On the plaza in front of the building, two squads of well-equipped and fierce-looking soldiers stood at attention; every single one of them was an S-Rank Hunters with an S-Level Talent. Many politicians and high-ranking officials were also waiting there.
At the very front, ten SS-Rank Hunters with an SS-Level Talent stood solemnly with extraordinary auras, though they were still far inferior compared to Fenrir.
Such a grand display not only highlighted the importance of this meeting but also carried a hint of flexing their muscles.
Lilith stepped out of the car, her crimson eyes sweeping over the white palace before her, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her mouth.
She hadn't expected to enter this place in such a manner one day.
Entering the palace, they arrived at a circular conference hall with a high vaulted ceiling.
Many people were already seated around the long table, mostly old-era politicians and military generals, along with a few powerful Hunter.
As Lilith was guided by the envoy toward the reserved seat of honor, almost all eyes were focused on her.
Curiosity, scrutiny, investigation, evaluation, and deeply hidden shock.
An SSS-Rank Hunter, the leader of Apocalypse, was a cute little girl who looked only seven or eight years old?
Although there was already a precedent with Dr. Edman's rejuvenation, seeing it with their own eyes still carried a massive impact.
Many began to speculate in their hearts about Lilith's talent and primary attributes.
According to Dr. Edman, the stronger the Spirit power, the more pronounced the rejuvenation in those with Spirit talents.
Therefore, those humans who looked very young and didn't appear to be eighteen were the most dangerous.
Forti was already seated on the other side of the long table; seeing Lilith appear, he immediately stood up and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
His actions further confirmed Lilith's identity, causing the shock in those gazes to quickly transform into awe.
The meeting began, presided over by a gray-haired former admiral with sharp eyes.
The agenda quickly focused on the strange artifacts and the trip to the Japan.
"According to our intelligence network's cross-verification, the exact time window for the strange artifacts to descend upon Tokyo is in approximately ten days."
"Our side has decided to dispatch three Ford-class aircraft carrier strike groups to the Western Pacific, to be stationed in designated areas outside Tokyo Bay."
A naval general's voice revealed an unprecedented domineering tone and the arrogance unique to America.
"This move is intended to demonstrate our strength and determination, intimidate potential competitors, and provide an absolutely secure mobile platform and rear support for Your Excellency Lilith and our participating personnel."
Lilith listened quietly, her red eyes under the hat brim calm and rippleless.
Dispatching carriers? Intimidation? She felt no waves in her heart, only a bit of amusement.
After the arrival of the Main God Game, global industrial production nearly ground to a halt. The maintenance of precision weapons, ammunition resupply, and the loss of qualified operators were all huge problems.
How much of the old era's Intimidation power these carriers could still retain remained an unknown factor.
America's move seemed more like a habit of maintaining its former hegemonic posture, or rather, a psychological tactic to flex its muscles both internally and externally.
If modern weapon systems could truly function as they used to, with America's style of operation, it would likely be a blockade rather than just a deployment, giving other Factions no chance to land on the island and compete.
During the meeting, someone also tentatively asked about the third SSS-Rank Hunter on the hunter leaderboard, whose nationality was listed as American but who had not publicly appeared in any known Factions.
Many turned their eyes to Lilith. The reason they had agreed to the hegemonic contract for Apocalypse to join the Sentinel Alliance...
...was primarily because, besides the fact that this person from Apocalypse was ranked first on the hunter leaderboard and was the strongest in the world...
...they also suspected that another SSS-Level Talent Hunter was also in Apocalypse.
After all, if Apocalypse could hide Lilith, an SSS-Rank Hunter with an SSS-Level Talent, they could hide a second one.
Everyone looked at Lilith, seemingly wanting confirmation from her as to whether that individual was related to Apocalypse.
Listening to Fenrir's translation, Lilith simply spread her small hands, her crisp and childish voice ringing out.
"I'm actually quite curious too. I thought it would be your side's secret trump card. It seems this SSS-Rank Hunter has no intention of joining any Factions or showing their face."
Listening to Lilith's native tongue, the meeting continued in a slightly subtle atmosphere, finalizing the general itinerary, contact methods, and a preliminary cooperation framework.
Once the meeting ended, everyone walked out of the white palace, prepared to head to Tokyo in the Japan.
They would arrive at the Japan within ten days and then use the remaining time to make the necessary preparations...