Hide didn’t hesitate. He tapped the ’Accept’ button on his communicator and turned away, stepping smoothly out of Kaelen’s reach.

"I have to take this," Hide said flatly, already walking toward the massive glass doors of the facility’s exit.

Kaelen stood there, his hand still suspended in the air, watching the rookie walk away without a second glance. The Third Ranker of the Silver Vanguard let out a short, incredulous laugh, shaking his head.

’Well,’ he thought, ’at least the kid has a spine.’

A few yards away, partially hidden behind a thick structural pillar, Silas slid down against the metal surface until he was sitting on the floor. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, his pristine demeanor entirely shattered.

"Why the hell am I so unlucky?" Silas muttered to himself, his voice muffled by his hands. He had planned to approach Hide for a glowing review that would secure his promotion.

Instead, he had just witnessed an F-Rank nearly cripple a C-Rank Captain, only to be intercepted by two of the most powerful corporate executives in the building.

He wasn’t getting a review. He was going to end up in a federal incident report.

Hide stepped out of the climate-controlled dome and into the crisp evening air of Area 5. He pressed the communicator to his ear.

"Hello?"

For a second, there was only a soft crackle of static.

Then, a female voice spoke. It was light, melodic, and entirely unfamiliar.

"Oh my," the voice purred playfully, lowering into a dramatic, breathy whisper. "Is this the big, strong Independent Operator? I’ve been watching you from afar, you know. I just love a man who knows how to handle a massive sword."

Hide stopped walking. He blinked twice.

The voice sounded vaguely familiar beneath the exaggerated sultry tone, but he couldn’t place it.

"Who is this?" Hide asked, his voice deadpan.

"Just a girl who wants to show you a good time," the voice continued, laying the cheekiness on thick. "Why don’t you come over? We can turn the lights down, lock the door, and—"

"I’m hanging up," Hide said.

"Wait, wait, no!" the voice squeaked, the sultry act breaking instantly into a panicked pitch. "Sorry! I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist. But seriously, you have a very nice—"

Click.

Hide tapped the screen, cutting the call immediately.

"What a weird girl," Hide muttered, slipping the communicator back into his pocket.

He was tired, and had almost had no tolerance to pranks right now, he still had to figure out how to level up Zenith efficiently.

Three seconds later, the communicator chimed again.

Hide sighed, pulling it out. It was the same unknown number.

He answered it.

"I’m hanging up again."

"Don’t you dare hang up on me, Hide Volter!" the voice shouted through the speaker, entirely abandoning the prank. It was sharp and very annoyed. "It’s Claire!"

"..."

Hide was silent for a long moment, staring out at the bustling streets in front of him.

"Claire who?"

He heard a very deep, very strained breath through the speaker.

"Captain Claire," she said slowly, enunciating every syllable as if speaking to a difficult child. "Of the Geo Ford Extermination Agency? The one who interrogated you? Remember?"

Hide’s eyes widened slightly.

The memory clicked into place. The black body-tight suit, the sharp red eyes, the faint white scars along her neck. The woman who had questioned him alongside that overly friendly nurse while he was strapped to a hospital bed.

"Right. The Captain," Hide said, his tone shifting back to neutral. "How did you get this number? It’s new."

"I work for the most powerful agencies in the country, Hide. It’s my job to know things," Claire replied, her voice regaining its professional edge. "Listen to me. You need to come to my location immediately. I have something important to show you. Ugh... I will have to explain a lot to you."

Hide’s grip on the communicator tightened slightly. What the hell was she talking about?

"Just get here," Claire said quietly. "I’m sending you the coordinates now. Don’t take too long."

The line went dead. A second later, a location pin dropped into his messages.

Hide was left frozen, he had a mountain of questions to ask her, well that would also be done when he reached the said location.

But he still felt a little disappointed. He had hoped the one to call him was that joker.

Since that night, the masked bastard hadn’t shown up once. There had been no contact, no messages. It made Hide furious. He had awakened his class, and joined the NEA under a provisional contract, all to find the actual reason for his mother’s murder.

He was more of less sure that, ’Murder’ was the right word.

Now that he had Zenith, that goal felt entirely possible. He just needed to find the target.

Hide set his anger aside for the moment. He walked to the curb and flagged down one of the automated sleek black taxis.

The ride took barely ten minutes, weaving through the pristine, heavily guarded streets of Area 5’s inner ring. The buildings grew larger, and the ambient mana in the air felt artificially purified.

The taxi slowed to a halt, the doors sliding open automatically.

Hide stepped out onto the polished cobblestone pavement.

He looked up at the address Claire had sent him. She had called it a hotel room.

Standing in front of it, Hide could say nothing.

It wasn’t a hotel. It was a sprawling, gated luxury villa, surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens and high, wrought-iron fences.

The architecture was modern, sleek, and reeked of unimaginable wealth. Two massive stone gargoyles sat on either side of the entrance, their eyes glowing with faint magical energy.

’Why is someone, merely a Captain staying here?’ Hide thought, his eyes scanning the perimeter.’ Even if Geo Ford pays well, this is billionaire territory.’

He took a step toward the heavy iron gates, trying to figure out if there was an intercom or a biometric scanner.

Before he could reach the gate, a voice called out from the shadows of the street behind him.

"So. You are Hide Volter, huh?"

Hide froze.

The voice was light, casual, and carried absolutely no killing intent. That was the terrifying part. Hide hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.

’Someone bypassed my detection completely,’ Hide thought, his mind racing.

Hide turned his head slowly.

The moment his chin crossed his shoulder, the cold, razor-sharp edge of a combat knife pressed directly against his throat.