Chapter 65: Prodigy
The swirling, bruised-purple portal of Zone 14 rippled violently, and Hide stepped out.
The transition from the humid, rotting swamp back into the sterile, climate-controlled air of Facility 1 was jarring. Hide took a slow breath, adjusting his posture.
His clothes were damp, and Night Singer was safely tucked away in his inventory, leaving him empty-handed.
He looked toward the control console.
Silas, his designated Helper, was staring at him. The young man’s pristine composure had entirely evaporated. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were darting erratically between Hide and the holographic tablet in his hands.
"Is the exit procedure complete?" Hide asked, his voice calm.
Silas jumped slightly, his fingers scrambling over the tablet. "I... yes. Yes, Operator Volter. The gate is resetting now." He swallowed hard, his eyes still wide. "Sir... you..."
Hide raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"
"The timer," Silas blurted out, turning the tablet so Hide could see the screen.
NEW RECORD — 2★ LOOP GATE (Zone 14)
HIDE VOLTER — 9 MIN 12 SEC
"The previous record for a solo clear of Zone 14 was sixteen minutes and forty seconds," Silas said, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "You just cut it nearly in half. And you’re registered as an F-Rank."
Hide glanced at the timer, his expression unchanged. "The vipers were slow."
He didn’t mention that Zenith had practically carpet-bombed the swamp while he took a leisurely stroll.
"Slow..." Silas repeated weakly. He looked at Hide, a sudden realization dawning in his eyes.
’This guy is a monster,’ Silas thought frantically. ’He’s either a concealed high-ranker or an anomaly. Maddox personally authorized his Operator status. If I can get a positive review from him, it’ll go straight to the upper management. My quarterly evaluation is next week.’
Silas straightened his posture, frantically rebuilding his professional veneer. "Operator Volter, your performance was exemplary. If you require further access or assistance scheduling higher-tier zones, please allow me to be your designated contact."
"Noted," Hide said simply, walking past him.
He wasn’t the only one who had noticed the timer.
The elevated walkways crisscrossing above the stasis fields were not just for instructors. They were heavily frequented by recruiters and executives from the country’s top private Extermination Agencies, always on the prowl for new talent.
On the third-floor observation deck, a man in a sharp emerald-green suit leaned against the glass railing. He was the Vice Master of the Green Dragon Extermination Agency, one of the top five private factions in the country.
He had been casually monitoring a group of their new D-Rank recruits in Zone 10.
But his eyes were locked entirely on the boy who had just walked out of Zone 14.
The Vice Master’s eyes narrowed, a faint pulse of mana flaring in his pupils. He possessed a rare sensory skill, allowing him to perceive the density and nature of mana within a living body.
When he looked at Hide, he didn’t see an F-Rank.
He saw a walking abyss.
The boy’s internal mana pathways were saturated with a dark, heavy energy that was almost suffocating to look at. It was so dense, so corrupted, that it defied logic. A human body should have ruptured holding even a fraction of that dark mana. Yet, the boy walked with perfect balance, his core refining the energy effortlessly.
"Incredible," the Vice master murmured.
He tapped the communicator on his wrist. "Sarah."
"Yes, Vice Master?" his secretary’s voice replied instantly.
"The boy who just exited Zone 14. He’s wearing an NEA Independent Operator badge, but he looks no older than eighteen. I want his full background. Registry, recent dungeon clears, bloodline, everything. Have it on my desk in an hour."
"Understood, sir."
On the opposite side of the dome, near the armory, another set of eyes was fixed on Hide.
He was a lean, heavily scarred man with a massive broadsword strapped to his back—the Third-Ranking Exterminator of the Silver Vanguard, the second-largest private agency in the nation. He had watched the timer tick down on the main observation board.
He licked his lips, a predatory grin stretching across his scarred face. "Nine minutes. An F-Rank clears a Two-Star swamp in nine minutes." He chuckled. "Looks like someone slipped through the cracks. Let’s go see how much he costs."
Hide was completely unaware of the political machinery shifting into gear above him. He was already doing the math in his head, calculating how many times he needed to run the gate to push Zenith to Level 10 before the day ended.
He headed toward the central lobby to log his exit.
He didn’t make it.
"Hey. Watch where you’re walking, kid."
Hide stopped.
A shadow fell over him. Standing directly in his path was a massive man, easily six-and-a-half feet tall, with arms as thick as tree trunks. He was wearing heavily customized, expensive C-Rank armor, the metal gleaming arrogantly under the facility lights. Behind him stood three other Exterminators, wearing matching insignias and sneering.
"You blind?" the large man demanded, crossing his arms over his massive chest.
One of the lackeys behind him scoffed. "Give him a break, boss. He’s just an F-Rank. Probably still shaking from seeing a goblin."
The lackey stepped forward, puffing his chest out. "You’re looking at Marcus Vance. C-Rank Exterminator and captain of the Ironhorn squad. Show some respect and move out of the way."
Marcus looked down at Hide, his eyes lazily scanning the boy’s cheap jacket and the F-Rank registry visibly pinging on the lobby’s nearby sensor board. He let out a loud, mocking laugh.
"Huh?" Marcus sneered, his voice booming across the quiet lobby, drawing the attention of dozens of nearby Exterminators and staff. "All that fuss I heard just now on the observation deck was over an F-Rank? What a disappointment. I thought an actual prodigy had showed up."
Marcus took a step forward, deliberately invading Hide’s personal space, trying to use his massive frame to intimidate him.
"Listen here, kid. You might have found some neat little trick to speedrun a low-level gate, but don’t let it go to your head. In the real world, F-Ranks carry the bags."
Hide looked up at him.
His expression hadn’t changed. He didn’t look angry or intimidated. He looked exactly the same as he had when he was looking at the goddamned gate keeper.
"Are you done?" Hide asked quietly.