The officer led Adlet away from the guild's main hall without another word.
They passed through a narrow side corridor, the noise of negotiations and casual conversations fading with every step. The walls here were thicker, darker—stone reinforced with age and authority. Torches burned lower, their light steady but restrained, as if even flame knew to behave in this part of the building.
Adlet followed in silence.
His thoughts raced, but his expression remained composed. Whatever this was, reacting too quickly would be a mistake.
The officer stopped before a heavy wooden door reinforced with metal bands. He opened it, stepped aside, and gestured for Adlet to enter.
Inside, the air felt different.
The office was large, but not lavish. A broad desk dominated the room, stacked with reports, sealed scrolls, and a few stone markers engraved with names and symbols Adlet didn't recognize. Behind it, shelves were filled with records rather than trophies. This was not a place of pride—it was a place of responsibility.
The officer closed the door behind them.
"Sit," he said.
Adlet did.
For a moment, the man simply studied him. Not like someone judging strength—but like someone measuring consequences.
Then he spoke.
"You've officially entered the Top Ten of the Extermination Ranking."
The words landed heavier than Adlet expected.
For a heartbeat, his breath caught.
He had known it was possible. He had felt it coming. But hearing it said aloud—confirmed, undeniable—sent a surge through his chest that he barely managed to suppress.
His fingers tightened against his knee.
"I see," he said, forcing his voice steady.
The officer didn't miss the tension in his posture.
"Don't bother hiding it," he continued calmly. "Excitement is expected. Most Protectors don't ever reach this point."
Adlet nodded once.
Inside, his thoughts burned.
Top Ten.
That meant access. That meant recognition. That meant the next stage.
The Sand Graveyard.
The officer leaned back slightly.
"But understand this," he added. "You didn't climb into the Top Ten because you surpassed someone."
Adlet's gaze sharpened.
"One of them died."
The silence that followed was thick.
Adlet didn't speak right away.
"…I see," he repeated, more quietly this time.
The officer folded his hands.
"This is why I called you here personally," he said. "The Sand Graveyard is not an extension of the desert you've been operating in. It's not simply harsher terrain or stronger Apexes."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"It's where mistakes end careers. And where hesitation ends lives."
Adlet met his gaze without flinching.
"I understand the risks," he said. "That's why I came here."
The officer studied him for a moment longer, then nodded.
"Good," he said. "Because from this point onward, you no longer choose missions from the board."
Adlet blinked. "I don't?"
"No," the officer replied. "Top Ten extermination missions are handled directly through this office. Fewer targets. Higher stakes. Less margin for delay."
He gestured toward the desk.
"You won't always have the luxury of preference. Sometimes, there will be only one mission available. Sometimes, you'll be sent because no one else can be spared."
Adlet straightened.
"That's fine," he said without hesitation. "I'm ready to take my first mission."
The officer regarded him, then reached for a sealed report.
"Convenient timing," he said. "We've just received confirmation of a new target."
He slid the document across the desk.
"Fortress Elephant. Rank 4."
Adlet's eyes narrowed slightly as he read.
"Confirmed sightings place it near the center of the Sand Graveyard," the officer continued. "No established territory markers. No predictable routes."
Adlet looked up.
"How do I track it?" he asked. "I don't know the area."
The officer exhaled slowly.
"That," he replied, "is a problem you'll have to get used to."
Adlet didn't protest.
"The Sand Graveyard doesn't offer clean trails or helpful witnesses," the man went on. "You'll be hunting in shifting terrain, under constant strain. The advantage, in this case, is that the target won't be subtle."
He allowed himself a thin smile.
"A creature that size doesn't hide. You'll find it—if you survive long enough."
Adlet nodded.
"That's enough," he said. "I'll handle it."
The officer stood.
"Very well," he replied. "Prepare thoroughly. Once you cross into the Graveyard, there will be no support. No reinforcements."
He paused at the door.
"And Adlet," he added, glancing back. "Don't forget—your presence in the Top Ten will not go unnoticed. By Apexes… or by people."
Adlet inclined his head.
"I wouldn't expect anything else."
He left the office.
Back in the guild hall, the noise returned all at once—but it felt distant, irrelevant. His attention was drawn immediately to the far wall.
The Extermination Ranking.
Now, his name was there.
He stepped closer.
Extermination Ranking
Soren Horus
2. Nina Dryad
3. Linoa Neraid
4. Gewin Dryad
5. Rowen Horus
6. Gabon Neraid
7. Luc
8. Gillan Horus
9. Zadir
10. Adlet
His gaze lingered.
Gillan had climbed again.
So had Linoa.
They weren't slowing down.
Adlet exhaled slowly.
Most of the names belonged to great families—Horus, Dryad, Neraid. Bloodlines that dominated the upper layers of Protector society.
And then there was him.
No house. No lineage.
Just a name.
"I'll catch up," he murmured.
Not with reckless ambition—but with certainty.
This was no longer about proving he belonged.
It was about surviving long enough to take the top.
Adlet turned away from the board.
Preparation came next.
He spent the next hours gathering supplies—far more than he'd needed for previous missions. Multiple waterskins. Preserved rations. Cloth wraps to shield against heat and abrasion. He adjusted his pack until the weight felt balanced rather than burdensome.
When he finally stepped beyond Savar's sandstone walls, the change was immediate.
The dunes began almost at once.
Sand stretched outward in rolling waves, pale and endless, swallowing the horizon. The further he walked, the less vegetation remained—until even the stubborn shrubs vanished, leaving only exposed stone and drifting grit.
The heat pressed down relentlessly.
Not sharp.
Not sudden.
Just constant.
Adlet moved forward anyway.
Each step carried him farther from familiarity, deeper into a region that had no interest in his survival.
The Sand Graveyard awaited.
And somewhere within it…
A fortress was moving.