The world at forty thousand feet was incredibly peaceful.

Hide sat in a plush, white leather seat, his elbow resting against the armrest as he stared out the window of Claire’s private jet. Below them, an endless, glittering expanse of deep blue water stretched across the horizon, entirely unbroken.

Hide pressed his hand against the cold glass. He had lived most of his life in Area 17, surrounded by smog, concrete, and the constant threat of Calamity beasts.

He had never left his home country of Varisus, located deep in the Southern Continent. Varisus was a perpetually cold land, entirely blanketed in grey clouds and biting winds throughout the year.

Seeing the ocean for the first time—seeing the sheer, unfathomable scale of the world outside the borders of his small, cold life—sent a profound shiver down his spine. The planet was so much bigger than he had ever imagined. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Mesmerizing, isn’t it?"

Hide blinked, pulling his gaze away from the window. Sitting across the aisle, polishing his massive iron gauntlets, was Gideon. The guy too had left the country for the first time and was excited, but being professional he kept himself in check.

"It indeed is." Hide replied.

Next to the giant warrior, Sora was sitting straight with her eyes closed. Her ears covered by a headphone and her communicator clutched in her hands. She was nervous, well all of them were.

Over the last grueling five-week time following the Four-Star volcanic island incident, their dynamic had shifted entirely. They had survived Maddox’s hellish training regimen together.

And with Garret gone, and Elara choosing a different path, Sora and Gideon had officially stepped up to fill the gaps in the vanguard.

It was all Maddox’s little plan. He trained them exactly for his own benefits.

Hide leaned back in his seat, a faint smile touching his lips as he thought about the chaotic events of the past month.

He had officially established his own independent Exterminator Agency. His original plan had been to somehow ask Claire into acting as the figurehead Leader, but things had taken a surprising turn.

Elara, deeply affected by Garret’s death and realizing she wasn’t cut out for the bloodbath of the international frontlines, had officially resigned from the NEA. She had volunteered to stay behind and manage Hide’s new agency. It was the perfect fit. With Elara pulling the administrative strings, Hide had managed to recruit a solid foundation: Ryan, Toma, Fuu, and Kai had all officially signed on.

Hide had built his own home base. His own fortress.

But right now, he had a tournament to win.

’Class State,’ Hide commanded mentally.

The familiar translucent blue screen materialized in his vision.

[Universal Adaptation System]

Host: Hide Volter

Age - 18

Level: 41

Exp: 2110 / 8600

Class: ∞

Class Rank: D

Evolve - Level 41/50`

Physical Attributes

Strength: 32

Agility: 32

Endurance: 32

Vitality: 31

Mental Attributes

Perception: 31

Willpower: 32

Non-Allocated Points: 125

Active Skills – Abyssal Scale Carapace (A), Abyssal Flame (B), Mana Blast (A), Abyssal Frost (B), Damage Inversion (B), Weightless (B), Mana Press (A), Abyssal Healing (S), Abyssal Stride (A), Abyssal Torrent (B)

Passive Skills – Dermal Reinforcement (F), Predator’s Respite (B), Unshaken Will (B), Toxin Resistance (C), Virus Immunity (C), True Sight (C), Dark Abyssal Core (S), Phase Shatter (B), Lightening Resistance (C), Thermal resistance (C), Fish Breath (C), Enhanced Mana Sense (B)

[Inventory]

[Daily Quests]

[Virtual Adaptation Space]

[Store]

System Messages:

[0 Unread Notifications]

--

Hide’s blue eyes scanned the dense list of abilities, a quiet satisfaction settling in his chest.

He stared at the number at the top. Level 41. He had grinded relentlessly over the last five weeks, completely emptying gates and pushing hard, leveling up was getting hard now.

But apart from that... he was only nine levels away. At Level 50, his Class Rank would finally evolve to C-Rank, unlocking the next tier of the System Store.

At Level 50, he could finally purchase the S-Rank Cleansing Elixir and cure Risa’s mana poisoning.

His eyes then fell on his attributes. He had avoided increasing them for almost 2 months and he had gained 125 non allocated points, and now was the time to use them.

’Allocate points,’ Hide commanded internally.

He didn’t want to create massive disparities in his stats, but his combat style relied heavily on overwhelming kinetic force and blinding speed.

’26 to Strength. 28 to Agility. 17 to Endurance. 17 to Vitality. 17 to Perception and 18 to Willpower.’

[Processing Allocation...]

The changes hit him instantly. His muscles physically tightened beneath his clothes, the raw, explosive power of a massive strength upgrade knitting his muscle fibers denser than steel. His vision abruptly dilated, the world slowing down by a microscopic fraction as his perception expanded, processing the visual and audio data of the transport vehicle with terrifying clarity.

[Stat Update Complete]

Strength: 32 → 60

Agility: 32 → 60

Endurance: 32 → 49

Vitality: 31 → 48

Perception: 31 → 48

Willpower: 32 → 50

"Alright, listen up," Claire’s authoritative voice cut through the cabin, snapping Hide out of his thoughts.

The newly ascended S-Rank Major walked down the aisle, her pristine white military coat draped over her shoulders. Rol, the veteran assassin, stepped out from the shadows of the back cabin, standing silently behind her.

"We begin our descent into the Western Continent in twenty minutes," Claire announced, pulling up a holographic map on her tablet. "Our destination is Ufrifa. It is the second largest country in the world, and unlike the freezing winters of Varisus, Ufrifa is essentially a massive, blazing desert basin. Hydrate now, because the heat is going to hit you like a physical wall."

"Its going to be sweaty, isn’t it." Sora asked, removing her headphones. "That would be to our disadvantage."

Claire shrugged. "That doesn’t matter, there would be exterminators from all over the world. Also, a reminder that the World Exterminator Ranking Tournament lasts for exactly one month," Claire explained, her red eyes sweeping over the four of them. "Our squad consists of just the five of us: Me, Rol, Hide, Sora, and Gideon. The numbers are allowed up to seven member."

"Wait, we’re short two people?" Gideon frowned. "Where are we supposed to find elite Exterminators in a foreign country?"

"Listen to what she said kid," Rol muttered dryly, crossing his arms. "Even if seven are allowed, its not mandatory."

"Fasten your seatbelts," the pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom. "We are beginning our descent into Ufrifa."

Hide looked out the window as the jet banked sharply. The deep blue ocean gave way to a sprawling, endless expanse of golden sand and towering, sun-baked canyons.

Built directly into the center of the desert was a colossal, hyper-futuristic mega-city that practically vibrated with energy.

Ten minutes later, the jet touched down on a pristine, heavily guarded military tarmac.

The moment the cabin doors hissed open, the promised heat rushed inside. It was suffocatingly hot, the dry air instantly pulling the moisture from Hide’s lungs. He unzipped his blue jacket, his boots hitting the sun-scorched pavement.

Standing on the tarmac, waiting for them amidst a phalanx of heavily armored troops, was a solitary figure.

He was an older man, his skin deeply tanned by the brutal western sun, wearing the dark, lightweight combat uniform of a supreme executive. A massive, curved scimitar rested lazily against his shoulder, and the sheer density of the mana radiating from his body was enough to warp the heat waves in the air.

The man approached Claire with a smile and shook her hand. Then he bowed down a little and said in a raspy voice.

"I the second commander of Ufrifa National Exterminator Agency, Welcomes you all to the dazzling gem of the western continent, Ufrifa."

[End of Volume 2]