Hide leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Claire.

’Special Investigator,’ he thought, the pieces rapidly falling into place. It explained why she had access to Area 17’s restricted medical wing, and why she was currently standing at the head of a table filled with elite Exterminators. The Geo Ford Captain title had just been a convenient, temporary cover for a federal watchdog.

"Right," Claire continued, her tone brisk and professional. She gestured to the woman with the tablet sitting to her left. "Let’s move clockwise. State your name, rank, and role."

The woman sighed, finally setting her holographic tablet down. She looked like she hadn’t slept in three days. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she wore a simple white lab coat over a standard NEA uniform.

"Evelyn," she said, her voice dry and slightly hoarse. "I am a Major. Chief Tactical Analyst and Tamer class. I don’t fight okay, I will only tell you how not to die."

Claire nodded and gestured to the large, quiet man sitting next to Evelyn.

"Garret," the man rumbled. His voice was incredibly deep, vibrating in his massive chest. He was built like a reinforced concrete bunker, wearing a sleeveless combat vest that showed off thick, corded muscle. "Major and Warrior class."

’Who would have thought you were a warrior...’ Hide commented inwards.

"You already know me," Rol muttered, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. He didn’t look at Hide. "I am Rol. Well, for most part I am an assassin."

"And I’m Elara!" the red-haired girl chirped, practically vibrating in her seat. She adjusted her oversized glasses and beamed at the table. "I am a mage... and there is no need to say that I am also a Major."

Hide sat perfectly still.

He did the math in his head. Four Majors. Why the hell was he in a team with these alites? They were the cream of the crop, veterans who had likely cleared dozens of three and four-star gates.

And then there was him. He sighed.

Claire turned her red eyes toward Hide. "Your turn."

The entire table shifted their attention to the end of the table. Even Evelyn paused her typing to look at the teenager sitting there with a cold expression.

"Hide Volter," Hide said flatly. "An Independent Operator."

"And his rank?" Garret asked, his deep voice carrying a note of genuine curiosity.

"F-Rank," Hide replied.

The silence that followed was absolute.

Garret blinked, his massive brow furrowing. Evelyn’s fingers froze over her tablet. Elara tilted her head, her bright smile faltering slightly into an expression of profound confusion. Even Rol, who already knew, winced slightly at how absurd it sounded out loud.

"I’m sorry, did you say eighteen?" Evelyn asked. "You awakened... what, a few weeks ago? And you’re an F-Rank? Why is a newly awakened F-Rank an Independent Operator and why the hell is he sitting at a strategy table for an international tournament team?"

"Because," Claire interrupted smoothly, "the 3rd Commander personally drafted him. Hide’s official registry might say F-Rank, but his combat metrics have been classified. You will treat him as an equal member of this squad. Is that understood?"

Garret grunted his assent. Evelyn sighed and went back to typing. Elara’s smile returned, brighter than ever.

"Cool!" Elara said. "A mystery rookie!"

’What’s with these expressions?’ Hide winced.

"Now that we know who we are," Claire said, clapping her hands together once to draw their attention back to the center of the table. "Let’s talk about why we’re here. This special team has been formed to represent the NEA, and by extension the nation, at the global level in the World Exterminator Ranking Tournament. The event begins in exactly two months."

Claire tapped the table, and a holographic projection of a massive, sprawling continent flickered to life above the oak surface.

"This year, the tournament is being hosted in Ufrifa," Claire announced. "The second-largest country in the world, and home to some of the most concentrated and volatile mana zones on the planet."

She pointed to the golden envelopes resting in front of them.

"The envelopes in front of you contain your official diplomatic tournament passes," Claire explained. "They will allow you entry into Ufrifa’s borders. We will be flying out together, a few days prior to the opening ceremony, on my private jet."

Rol paused. "Wait. Private jet? Like... a chartered NEA flight?"

"No," Claire said flatly. "My private jet. I own it."

The table stared at her.

"Captain," Evelyn said slowly, "how rich are you exactly?"

Hide leaned forward slightly, curious. "How much is your salary?"

Claire’s lips twitched, revealing a flash of smug satisfaction.

"Ten million credits," Claire answered simply. "Per month."

The table went completely, utterly silent.

Hide stared at her. Ten million credits.

He had killed a Lesser Calamity lord to earn a fraction of a fraction of that amount. The sheer scale of wealth at the upper echelons of the Exterminator world was staggering.

"Moving on," Claire said briskly, waving her hand to dismiss the stunned silence. The holographic map of Ufrifa vanished, replaced by a complex bracket system.

"In two months, we need to learn how to act as a cohesive unit," Claire instructed. "This tournament isn’t just about individual duels. There are three team-based rounds in the preliminary and semi-final stages. How you perform as a team will heavily impact your overall evaluation for the final solo rankings. I will not have my squad embarrassed on global television because you don’t know how to cover each other’s blind spots."

Claire pressed a button on a small remote, and the hologram shifted again, displaying a topographical map of a dense, urban grid.

"Which is why your training starts tonight," Claire said. "Hide, Elara, Evelyn. You three are up first."

"Where are we going?" Elara asked cheerfully, hopping up from her chair.

"Grid 12," Claire replied. "A loop gate opened there forty minutes ago. It comes under the Jurisdiction of the NEA, and I have specially stopped the Response team to enter. You three are going to clear it. Consider it a trust-building exercise."

"..."

An hour later, the sleek, heavily armored NEA transport van pulled to a halt at the edge of Grid 12.

The area had been completely evacuated. Yellow federal barricades lined the empty streets. It was already dark and the lights from the buildings illuminated the area pretty well.

At the center of the intersection, a swirling, bruised-purple portal hovered three feet off the ground, bleeding a faint, metallic mist into the air.

Hide, Elara, and Evelyn stood in front of the gate.

Hide had his hands in his pockets. Elara was stretching her legs, humming a pop song. Evelyn was holding a tablet, with a communication device secured in her ear.

"Alright," Evelyn said, her voice tight with focus as she read the data streaming from the NEA technical team. "Intel confirms this is a Three-Star Loop Gate. The mana density is stable, but high."

Evelyn looked up from her tablet, her eyes shifting to Hide and Elara.

"The gatekeeper is confirmed to be, at most, a D-Rank Calamity Beast," Evelyn reported. "Should be straightforward. Elara, you will back up Hide while he fights on close-quarters. I will provide you both with the information and clear few beasts with my tamed Shikigami."

"Got it, boss!" Elara saluted cheerfully.

Hide didn’t say anything. He just stared at the swirling purple portal.

’A Three-Star gate, ’Hide thought, feeling the faint, hungry pulse of his Dark Abyssal Core reacting to the mana leaking from the portal. ’This is going to be a lot of experience points. And a new Phantom troupe If I can have a few minutes of alone time.’

"Alright, team," Evelyn said, sliding her tablet into a secure holster on her hip. "Let’s go."

Together, the three of them stepped forward, vanishing into the purple mist.