Xiang Nan unexpectedly took a few days off, preparing for the upcoming round of trials.
Sure enough, at noon the next day, when twenty-four hours had passed, the new "Extinction Game" began.
[Ding! The second round of the Extinction Game has officially started. All players, please prepare!]
"Hmm?"
In his private dorm room, Xiang Nan picked up on something. He clearly remembered how the system had announced the first round when he'd first arrived in this world: it said all players should prepare. This time, it specifically said players in this round should do so—more precise wording.
That indicated that different rounds gave different messages to different groups of players.
But the start time, at least for the first and second rounds, was the same.
[Ding! Please proceed at once to the designated area.]
"The nature of the missions has changed," Xiang Nan thought as he left his room.
The first round had been a random mission, while now, in the second round, it seemed more like a directive—plus there was no time limit shown.
The screen indicated a location: Kotaki City, right next to the military base he was stationed at.
He needed to head into the city.
Instead of leaving right away, Xiang Nan went to his superior's office.
"You want to assemble an armed squad?" The commanding officer looked surprised when Xiang Nan told him what he needed.
"Ten men will do," Xiang Nan said calmly from across the desk, wearing his new black trench coat.
"What for?" the officer asked, confused.
"For killing," Xiang Nan replied casually after a moment's thought.
"…"
The officer fell silent.
"That's not guaranteed, though," Xiang Nan added lightly. "Might just be a quick trip out. But there's a possibility it'll come to that."
The burly, mustached man across from him twirled his whiskers thoughtfully. "Got enemies you need taken care of?"
"Not right now," Xiang Nan shook his head.
The officer misunderstood and smirked. "If you really do need to kill someone, just say so. No need to go by yourself—I can arrange it."
His tone was surprisingly indulgent, carrying a hint of menace. It was almost more mafia-like than military.
Xiang Nan wasn't surprised by this reaction. He'd long noticed that the Padokia Republic's army—compared to his former life—wasn't strict or methodical. And in this Hunter x Hunter world, morality and rule of law were rather weak. This was a place steeped in chaos; "order" was just a convenient facade.
"No need. Just going out for some fresh air," Xiang Nan said, flicking the tail of his coat as he stood.
As he walked away, his commanding officer gave a final reminder with a trace of conscience, "Have your fun, but try not to go overboard."
The door shut behind Xiang Nan without a response.
…
Half an hour later, a military SUV carrying a newly formed squad roared out of the camp, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Besides Xiang Nan, the team consisted of top soldiers pulled in from various units—some had even faced Xiang Nan in the combat tournament. Over the past few months, they'd gotten closer, often asking Xiang Nan for tips.
Among them, the one sticking closest to Xiang Nan was Garo. Since losing to Xiang Nan in the ring, Garo had been training under him, challenging him every few days. Thus far, he'd lost fifteen times straight, never lasting longer than a minute.
"A personal mission?" Garo, acting as second-in-command, asked, looking at Xiang Nan in puzzlement.
"Think of it as your evaluation," Xiang Nan said calmly, resting with his eyes closed. "A word of warning: there could be casualties."
Based on the difficulty of the first mission, the second round of this Extinction Game wouldn't be any easier. Without his previous life's experience, Xiang Nan might have already been eliminated. Though the soldiers in this vehicle were strong, they remained "normal" by the world's standards. Facing other players or superhuman forces, they might not have the upper hand—especially with the mission details still unknown.
"Oh?" Instead of fear, some of the soldiers showed excitement at the mention of possible fatalities. Their mental toughness far exceeded that of ordinary folk.
"Mysterious," someone said cheerfully. "Sounds interesting."
"We'll move on my order," Xiang Nan said. Although Kotaki City was close to the base, the mountainous terrain in between took them two hours to navigate. Upon arrival, they parked in a public garage in the city. Xiang Nan had them wait, expecting further instructions from the system.
He waited until dusk; then the voice finally chimed in:
[Ding! Both players have entered. The battle begins!]
Xiang Nan opened his eyes. The system screen showed a familiar red dot. Both players? In an instant, he understood. The opponent was another "transmigrator," a fellow system user. This trial was straightforward: a head-to-head kill match. Only one of them could survive. No time limit.
"Since I can see them, it means they can see me, too," Xiang Nan thought, watching the dot on screen. This was a fight "in the open." The label on the red dot read Extinction 1, same as his own. That meant the opponent had also passed Round One.
A moment later, the red dot started moving rapidly, heading straight for Xiang Nan.
"Straightforward," he muttered. "Probably taking a taxi?"
Judging by the timing, the other player had to have traveled from somewhere else, not a local. That gave Xiang Nan a slight advantage, being on home turf.
"In under six hours since the round began, even if they took an airship, they're likely still within the Padokia Republic," Xiang Nan reasoned. "So it's not entirely random—probably matches players by region."
If they cleared the first round, they definitely weren't a pushover.
"Move out!" Xiang Nan's voice broke the silence in the SUV. The troops instantly snapped to attention, eyes going cold.
"A target's appeared. The mission is to kill. They already know our location, so get your weapons, scout and secure the area, and hide. We'll fight right here. The only intel we have is the distance and timing of their approach," Xiang Nan rattled off. "Garo, notify the city authorities to lock down the area. The rest of you find good ambush points."
"One more thing: don't underestimate this enemy. Their ability is unknown, but they might—maybe—be stronger than me."
The soldiers tensed up, ready to begin.
"Go!"