Arc 1The First Village Wager

Qin Feng used Endless Extraction to grow stronger, defeat controlled beasts, and trade roasted meat and equipment while climbing the rankings. When Novice Village No. 911 was forced into a race against Novice Village No. 137 to produce a level-5 powerhouse, Qin Feng reached level 4 and headed for the level-5 beast zone.

  • Qin Feng awakened the SSS-rank Endless Extraction talent, secretly extracted Wang Qiang’s Strength Berserk ability, and began hunting beasts and collecting talents from corpses.
  • Qin Feng killed a Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake, ate a Red Python Fruit, and evolved Vision Enhancement into Vision Super Enhancement with Eye of True Sight.
  • Qin Feng defeated a Silverback Gray Wolf, reached level 2, and obtained a Black Iron Treasure Chest and a Blood Wolf War Blade.
  • Qin Feng fought a bewitched Venomous Ten-Ring Snake and the controlled beasts guarding a dried corpse, then killed them and advanced to level 1 Judge.
  • Qin Feng extracted talents and attributes, gathered spirit herbs, reached level 3, and traded roasted meat for beast corpses and equipment while raising his combat power.
  • The Heavenly Dao forced Novice Village No. 911 and Novice Village No. 137 into a wager to see which village could produce a level-5 powerhouse first, with Edward claiming he would lead Novice Village No. 137.
  • Qin Feng left the cave, crossed the level 2 and level 3 beast zones, killed a level 4 Lightning Marten, reached level 4, and hurried toward the level 5 beast zone.
Chapters 1–25 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 1Awakening! An SSS-rank talent

Qin Feng was transported to Novice Village No. 911 and learned that Blue Star’s people had entered the dangerous Heavens' Slaughter World. After the Heavenly Dao announced that talents would awaken, Qin Feng gained the unique SSS-rank ability Endless Extraction.

  • A voice announced that able-bodied people aged 15–50 would descend into the Heavens' Slaughter World, and Qin Feng was transported from his apartment into a novice cabin.
  • Qin Feng checked his status and found that his Energy was 28, far higher than the values people reported in the chat channel.
  • Qin Feng learned from the chat that most people had 1-star combat power and that their attributes affected their combat assessments.
  • The Heavenly Dao announced that everyone’s innate abilities would awaken based on their attributes and nature, with talents ranked from F to SSS.
  • A beam of light awakened Qin Feng’s SSS-rank innate ability, Endless Extraction.

Ch. 2An instant kill! Everyone was shocked!

Qin Feng discovered that Endless Extraction could upgrade his rusty Beginner Short Blade into a Fine Steel Blade, then entered the beginner village as the seven-day trial began. The crowd gathered at the village barrier, where Wang Qiang ventured outside and was immediately killed by a level 1 Bloodfang Rabbit.

  • Qin Feng learned that his SSS-rank talent was exceptionally rare and kept it secret while the Heavenly Dao announced the seven-day level 10 trial.
  • Qin Feng used Endless Extraction on his Beginner Short Blade, removing rust and upgrading it to a Fine Steel Blade before reaching its extraction limit.
  • Qin Feng joined the crowd in the village square, where the newcomers hesitated to cross the protective barrier into the dangerous world outside.
  • Wang Qiang shattered a boulder, revealed his D-rank Strength Berserk talent, and volunteered to lead the way out of the village.
  • Wang Qiang crossed the barrier and was killed by a level 1 Bloodfang Rabbit, shocking everyone in the square.

Ch. 3A surprise! One gain after another!

After the other villagers left to hunt, Qin Feng used Endless Extraction on Wang Qiang and a Bloodfang Rabbit, gaining a strength talent and attribute points. He upgraded a rusty saber and followed the most-traveled route to search for more corpses.

  • After Wang Qiang's death, the villagers formed teams and left the village to hunt ferocious beasts, while Qin Feng stayed behind.
  • Qin Feng went outside, found Wang Qiang's corpse, and extracted the D-rank Strength Berserk talent, which tripled his strength.
  • Qin Feng found the dead Bloodfang Rabbit and extracted two strength attribute points, then learned he could only extract from targets below level 20 once.
  • Qin Feng returned to Wang Qiang's corpse, extracted the rust and impurities from a beginner short saber, and upgraded it into a fine steel saber.
  • Qin Feng chose the route with the most footprints and followed the teams in search of more corpses.

Ch. 4Picking up the Scraps! Another Pleasant Surprise!

After Li Yue and Zhou Cheng were killed by a Gnawing Giant Rat, Qin Feng followed the trail to the battlefield and found their corpses beside the wounded beast. He killed the rat, gained energy and agility, and approached the woman's corpse to extract her talent.

  • Qin Feng changed course after the Heavenly Dao announced Li Yue's death, then continued toward the area after Zhou Cheng was also reported killed by a Gnawing Giant Rat.
  • Qin Feng found Li Yue and Zhou Cheng's mutilated corpses in a bloodied depression beside a badly wounded Gnawing Giant Rat.
  • Qin Feng attacked the rat with his two steel sabers and killed it despite its powerful counterattack.
  • Qin Feng gained 30 energy points and extracted 2 agility attribute points from the rat.
  • Qin Feng walked toward the woman's corpse to try to extract her talent.

Ch. 5Two stars! Combat power increased!

Qin Feng extracted new talents from corpses and used his enhanced senses to gather resources across the Beginner Plains. After hours of extracting stats and gaining Vision Enhancement, his combat power assessment reached two stars.

  • Qin Feng extracted Speed Enhancement from a woman's corpse and Sense of Smell Enhancement from a chef's corpse, then collected weapons and other resources.
  • Qin Feng overheard an injured group returning for a giant rat he had already killed, so he slipped away before they arrived.
  • Qin Feng continued searching the plains, extracted two strength points from a bloodfang rabbit, and learned that he could extract from each type of level 1 beast only three times.
  • Qin Feng found more beast and human corpses, gaining stats and Vision Enhancement as he searched for three hours.
  • Qin Feng checked his status and saw that his combat power assessment had risen to two stars.

Ch. 6Spirit fruit! A surprising discovery!

Qin Feng killed a Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake guarding a Red Python Fruit and extracted a talent from the corpse it had swallowed. His Vision Enhancement evolved into Vision Super Enhancement, awakening Eye of True Sight, which revealed the fruit’s effects as he approached it.

  • Qin Feng followed a musky scent to a grove and found a Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake guarding a red spirit fruit.
  • The snake detected Qin Feng, but he dodged its attacks and killed it with a strike to its vital point, gaining 40 energy points.
  • Qin Feng extracted two energy attribute points from the snake, then cut open its belly and found a human corpse inside.
  • Qin Feng extracted Vision Enhancement from the corpse, evolving his talent into Vision Super Enhancement and awakening Eye of True Sight.
  • Qin Feng used Eye of True Sight to identify the spirit fruit as a Red Python Fruit that could strengthen constitution and improve poison resistance, then walked toward it.

Ch. 7Enhancement! Combat power rose again!

Qin Feng consumed a Red Python Fruit and extracted spirit grass essence, raising his constitution and reaching the 2-star combat power limit. He followed a giant snake’s trail to a fight and found seven people attacking a Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake.

  • Qin Feng ate the Red Python Fruit, gaining 8 constitution points and 100 poison resistance.
  • Qin Feng used Endless Extraction on the withering Red Python Grass, then consumed its essence and gained 2 constitution points.
  • Qin Feng checked his attributes and saw his combat power rating had reached the 2-star limit.
  • Qin Feng followed giant snake tracks toward distant fighting, hoping to find another Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake corpse.
  • Qin Feng hid near the fight and saw seven humans attacking a Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake.

Ch. 8Secret Delight! Winning Across Levels!

Qin Feng watched Lei Jue and his team defeat a Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake, learning how beast drops and team energy rewards worked. Lei Jue reached level 2, but Qin Feng discovered that his own level 1 attributes and combat strength were far greater, leaving him confident in his advantage.

  • Qin Feng watched Lei Jue use Lightning Manipulation while six teammates attacked the Venomous Nine-Ringed Snake, and identified the beast’s drop rate with the Eye of True Sight.
  • Lei Jue and his teammates killed the snake, and the Heavenly Dao distributed its energy among them according to their contributions.
  • Lei Jue leveled up to level 2 after receiving his share of the energy, surprising Qin Feng and the others.
  • Qin Feng inspected Lei Jue’s level 2 attributes and concluded that his own level 1 strength surpassed Lei Jue’s by a wide margin.

Ch. 9Shocking! A powerful lone wolf!

Qin Feng rejected Lei Jue’s invitation to join his group, extracted energy from a giant snake, and left the Beginner Plains in search of new beasts. After finding the snake he had killed, Lei Jue’s group concluded that a powerful lone fighter had slain it in one strike and suspected Qin Feng.

  • Old Wang told Lei Jue’s group that Chen Jun had been swallowed by a venomous nine-ring snake, and Lei Jue led them toward the grove to avenge him.
  • Liu Yan detected Qin Feng hiding in the bushes, and Lei Jue invited him to join the group after asking to see his attributes and talent.
  • Qin Feng refused the invitation and left, then returned to extract two energy attribute points from the snake’s corpse.
  • Qin Feng headed toward the edge of the Beginner Plains to find new ferocious beasts.
  • Qi Jie examined the snake Qin Feng had killed and judged that one person had slain it with a single strike, leading Liu Yan and the others to suspect Qin Feng.

Ch. 10Treasure chests! Ranking rewards!

After the Heavenly Dao opened the rankings and announced level-10 treasure chest rewards, Qin Feng decided to accelerate his leveling and pursue first place. Near the edge of the Beginner Plains, he encountered a powerful mutated wolf and prepared to test his strength against it.

  • Lei Jue and the others suspected Qin Feng was unusually strong when the Heavenly Dao announced that someone had reached level 3 and opened the rankings channel.
  • Qin Feng checked the leaderboard and found himself in forty-seventh place at level 1, while Liu Xuan was first at level 3.
  • The Heavenly Dao announced treasure chest rewards for the first hundred people to reach level 10, prompting a leveling race in the chat channel.
  • Qin Feng resolved to claim first place and hurried toward the edge of the Beginner Plains.
  • Qin Feng encountered a level 1 mutated silverback gray wolf with peak four-star combat power and a high drop rate, then prepared to fight it.

Ch. 11Level up! Strength skyrockets!

Qin Feng killed the Silverback Gray Wolf by targeting its vulnerable waist, leveled up to level 2, and found a Black Iron Treasure Chest. The wolf pack was closing in as he celebrated his rewards.

  • The Silverback Gray Wolf attacked Qin Feng, but his saber strike stunned it without penetrating its hard head.
  • Qin Feng dodged the wolf’s attacks and wounded its waist, then pursued it after it howled for its companions.
  • Qin Feng caught and killed the wounded Silverback Gray Wolf before the other wolves arrived.
  • Qin Feng gained 100 energy points, reached level 2, and received increases to his attributes and five free attribute points.
  • A Black Iron Treasure Chest appeared beside the wolf’s corpse, delighting Qin Feng.

Ch. 12What a Rush! Incredible Luck!

Qin Feng opened a Black Iron Treasure Chest and obtained the tier-two Blood Wolf War Blade, then killed five grassland gray wolves and checked his growing attributes. He learned that his first kill of a level-one mutated ferocious beast had earned him reputation, while announcements of four beginners killed by a Tusked Boar silenced the chat.

  • Qin Feng opened the Black Iron Treasure Chest and obtained the tier-two Blood Wolf War Blade, then extracted 3 agility points from the silver-backed gray wolf.
  • Qin Feng killed five grassland gray wolves with the new saber and gained 150 energy points.
  • Qin Feng checked his attributes, saw that he had reached level 2 with 220 of 300 energy, and discovered he had 1 reputation point for the first kill of a level-one mutated ferocious beast.
  • Qin Feng read the chat as beginners praised him and Liu Yuan boasted about his ranking and ability to kill mutated beasts.
  • The Heavenly Dao announced that Chen Lin, Wei Bo, Wang Xiaoxiao, and level-two beginner Liu Yunchang had been killed by the level-one mutated ferocious beast Tusked Boar, leaving the chat silent.

Ch. 13Discovery! Hunting the Mutated Beast!

Qin Feng learned that he had risen to fifth in the rankings and set out to hunt the Fanged Wild Boar after hearing that it had killed four people. Meanwhile, Liu Xuan, Long Shan, and Wu Yong hurried to level up after noticing Qin Feng’s rapid rise, while Qin Feng reached the area where the boar had been seen and caught the scent of blood.

  • Qin Feng checked the rankings and discovered he had climbed to fifth after killing more Grassland Gray Wolves.
  • Lei Jue mocked Liu Yuan in the chat, and Liu Yuan left without replying.
  • A survivor reported that the Fanged Wild Boar had killed Liu Yunchang and three teammates, then revealed its location south of the novice village.
  • Qin Feng headed toward the Fanged Wild Boar, hoping to gain energy and extract talents from the victims’ corpses.
  • Liu Xuan, Long Shan, and Wu Yong saw Qin Feng’s rise in the rankings and hurried off to kill more beasts.
  • Qin Feng reached the vicinity of the boar’s reported location and picked up a faint scent of blood.

Ch. 14A shocking turn! Four ferocious beasts!

Qin Feng extracted talents and attributes from three corpses, then followed the trail of Liu Yunchang’s body to a cave. Four bewitched, controlled mutated beasts emerged and surrounded him, leaving him facing a dangerous battle.

  • Qin Feng extracted agility points from a woman’s corpse, then gained and failed to evolve a second F-rank Sense of Smell Enhancement from a middle-aged man’s corpse.
  • Qin Feng extracted E-rank Constitution Enhancement from a muscular man’s corpse, completing his talents across all four attributes.
  • Qin Feng searched for Liu Yunchang’s corpse and followed the blood trail left by the Tusked Boar to a cave.
  • A five-star mutated Venomous Ten-Ring Snake charged out of the cave, and Qin Feng discovered it was bewitched and controlled.
  • A mutated Saber-Toothed Rabbit, Black Rat, and Tusked Boar emerged from the cave, all controlled and at five-star combat power, surrounding Qin Feng with the snake.

Ch. 15A bloody battle against four beasts! Another level up!

Qin Feng fought four controlled mutated beasts, killed the venomous ten-ringed snake despite its poisonous mist and his injuries, and advanced to level 3. His level-up healed his wounds and restored his vision, and he found a black iron treasure chest beside the snake’s corpse.

  • The venomous ten-ringed snake covered Qin Feng in poisonous mist, damaging his skin and vision as the other three beasts attacked.
  • Qin Feng blocked the saber-toothed rabbit and mutated black rat, but the tusked boar slammed him into the ground and injured him.
  • Qin Feng evaded the snake’s bite and severed its head with his saber, causing the tusked boar, saber-toothed rabbit, and mutated black rat to flee into the cave.
  • Qin Feng gained enough energy from killing the snake to reach level 3, and the level-up healed his injuries and restored his vision.
  • Qin Feng found a black iron treasure chest that had dropped from the snake’s corpse.

Ch. 16A Major Discovery, a Hidden World!

Qin Feng gained a storage ring, extracted energy points from the giant snake, and prepared to hunt the remaining mutated beasts. Inside the cave, he discovered a hidden valley filled with spirit herbs, two human corpses, and a desiccated figure guarded by the beasts.

  • Qin Feng stored his blades and the snake's venom glands in his new ring, then coated his saber tip with poison.
  • Qin Feng entered the cave and found a glowing doorway leading into an alternate space.
  • Qin Feng discovered more than forty tier 1 spirit herbs in the valley and learned that the rankings channel was unavailable there.
  • Qin Feng recognized one corpse as Liu Yunchang and used the Eye of True Sight to learn that the other man came from Novice Village No. 496.
  • The three mutated beasts moved aside to reveal a desiccated corpse with a hole through its chest, which they appeared to be guarding.

Ch. 17A bitter battle! Slaying the mummy!

Qin Feng fought the mummy and its three mutated beasts, resisting the mummy’s mental attacks and using venom to weaken the beasts. He killed the mummy with a saber strike, destroying its remnant spirit.

  • The mummy used mental control to make Qin Feng vulnerable to the tusked boar, mutated black rat, and saber-toothed rabbit, but Qin Feng broke free and wounded the rat.
  • The mummy struck Qin Feng with Telekinetic Spike, and the two beasts knocked him down, but he quickly recovered and raised his spirit stat by 10 points.
  • Qin Feng fought the mummy and its beasts, but repeated mental attacks disrupted his strikes and left him at a disadvantage.
  • Qin Feng’s snake venom began weakening all three beasts, allowing him to break through their defenses despite the mummy’s mental attack.
  • Qin Feng reached the mummy and cleaved it in two, causing its remnant spirit to shatter.

Ch. 18An overflowing harvest

After killing the dried corpse and three mutant beasts, Qin Feng became a level 1 Judge, gained a tier 3 Beast Taming Technique, and strengthened his talents through extraction. He ended the chapter preparing to gather the spirit herbs filling the valley.

  • Qin Feng killed the dried corpse and the three mutant beasts, earning energy and judgment points and advancing to level 1 Judge.
  • Qin Feng received four stat increases, raising his combat assessment to 6 stars, and picked up a Skill Divine Seal for the tier 3 Beast Taming Technique.
  • Qin Feng extracted the D-rank Mind Enhancement talent from the dried corpse and fused with the seal to learn Beast Taming Technique.
  • Qin Feng found no Beast Taming Pills or recipe and reasoned that awakening talents for taste, touch, and hearing would grant Six Senses Interconnection.
  • Qin Feng extracted attribute points from the mutant beasts, gained D-rank Flame Manipulation from Liu Yunchang, and upgraded his speed talent to D-rank by extracting the white man's talent.
  • Qin Feng headed toward the spirit herbs in the valley to continue collecting his gains.

Ch. 19A Surge in Strength, the Uncrowned King!

Qin Feng harvested spirit herbs in the valley, raising his attributes and combat power before checking the chat channel. Though others believed his ranking was falling because his name had turned gray, he knew his progress would update when he left the alternate space, and he remained ahead of Liu Xuan.

  • Qin Feng extracted and consumed essence from edible spirit herbs, gathered twenty-three poisonous herbs, and raised his combat power to 8 stars.
  • Qin Feng saw that the rankings channel was unavailable in the alternate space and checked the chat channel instead.
  • Liu Yuan announced that he had reached Level 3 and reclaimed ninth place, while others wondered why Qin Feng's name had turned gray and his rank was dropping.
  • Wu Yong reassured the chat that Qin Feng was alive and said he was leveling alongside Liu Xuan and Long Shan.
  • Wu Yong revealed that Liu Xuan had reached Level 3 (370/600), and Qin Feng compared that progress with his own Level 3 (540/600).

Ch. 20An unexpected reward

Qin Feng discovered that eating cooked meat rapidly restored stamina and earned reputation for being the first to uncover the method. After the hyperspace trading channel opened, he became its first user by offering roasted meat for a level 2 ferocious beast corpse.

  • Qin Feng rested by a campfire and read the chat channel, where other participants discussed their exhaustion and the need to rest.
  • Qin Feng ate roasted wild boar meat and received notifications that each serving restored his stamina.
  • Qin Feng ate enough meat to recover fully, and the Heavenly Dao awarded him 1 reputation point for discovering that roasted meat restored stamina.
  • The Heavenly Dao announced that only cooked food and hot water rapidly restored stamina, then opened the hyperspace trading channel.
  • Qin Feng listed three jin of roasted meat in exchange for a level 2 ferocious beast corpse and earned another reputation point for being the first to use the trading channel.

Ch. 21Booming Business, Bountiful Gains!

Qin Feng traded roasted meat for level 2 ferocious beast corpses and novice short sabers, then extracted attributes from the corpses he received. After one hour of booming trade, he had acquired twenty-one beast corpses and four sabers and began extracting from the corpses in bulk.

  • Qin Feng extracted 2 agility points from Liu Xuan’s Fierce-Fanged Lynx corpse, then extracted 2 constitution points and 2 energy points from corpses traded by Long Shan and Wu Yong.
  • Qin Feng ignored Liu Yuan’s request for roasted meat, while Lei Jue traded a Wild Savage Bull corpse for a portion.
  • Wu Yong praised Qin Feng’s roasted meat in the chat, prompting others to seek level 2 beast corpses to trade.
  • Qin Feng announced that roasted meat was limited and offered six jin of it for each novice short saber.
  • Qin Feng traded for twenty-one level 2 ferocious beast corpses and four novice short sabers in one hour, then began extracting attributes from the corpses.

Ch. 22Even a Lighter Could Be Traded for a Spirit Fruit

After reaching a 9-star combat power assessment, Qin Feng stopped buying level 2 beast corpses and traded a lighter for a tier 1 spirit fruit. He gained nine spirit points from the fruit and began selling his newly refurbished Fine Steel Blades.

  • Qin Feng finished extracting the level 2 beast corpses, raised his combat power assessment to 9 stars, and changed his offer to ten pounds of roasted meat for one level 3 beast corpse.
  • Qin Feng announced that he would no longer buy level 2 beast corpses, then offered a lighter in exchange for tier 1 spirit herbs, a spirit fruit, or tier 1 equipment.
  • Qin Feng refurbished beginner daggers into tier 1 Fine Steel Blades while waiting for a trade.
  • Liu Yuan traded a tier 1 Essence Condensation Fruit for Qin Feng's lighter, and Qin Feng ate it to gain nine spirit attribute points.
  • Qin Feng announced that he was selling Fine Steel Blades and buying beginner daggers for roasted meat.

Ch. 23Emergency Challenge, Resource Wager!

Qin Feng traded steel blades for powerful beast corpses and equipment, then prepared to leave for the level-6 beast area. A forced resource wager between Novice Village No. 137 and Novice Village No. 911 began, leaving Village No. 911 anxious and pinning its hopes on Liu Xuan.

  • Qin Feng offered steel blades in exchange for level-4 or level-5 ferocious beast corpses and listed thirteen blades for trade.
  • Liu Xuan traded a tier-1 Strength Bracelet for one of Qin Feng's steel blades, and Qin Feng equipped it, raising his strength by seven.
  • Qin Feng prepared to head out with his Blood Wolf War Blade when the Heavenly Dao announced that Novice Village No. 137 had forced a resource wager with Novice Village No. 911.
  • The Heavenly Dao set the wager's stakes: the losing village would lose half its resources and 20 stat points per person, while the winning village would double its resources and gain 20 stat points per person.
  • The Heavenly Dao declared that the first village to produce a level-5 powerhouse would win, with an additional reward for the first person to reach level 5.
  • Villagers in Novice Village No. 911 panicked and looked to Liu Xuan, whom they believed was closest to level 5.

Ch. 24The Blood Clan! A provocation in the night!

Qin Feng entered Novice Village No. 137’s chat after the Heavenly Dao linked the villages’ channels ahead of the resource wager. Edward revealed that he was a Blood Clan baron who expected nightfall to help him win, while Novice Village No. 137’s villagers celebrated his confidence.

  • The Heavenly Dao disabled both villages’ ranking channels and linked their chats as it began the ten-minute countdown to the wager.
  • Qin Feng entered Novice Village No. 137’s chat and learned its villagers were from Lighthouse Country, while Novice Village No. 911’s were from Dragon Nation.
  • Edward appeared in the channel, called himself a noble member of the Blood Clan, and said he was level 4 at 370/1200 experience.
  • Edward said he expected to reach level 5 quickly by hunting at night, when he could fight level 4 ferocious beasts alone.
  • Edward explained that he had chosen Novice Village No. 911 because its number held special significance for Lighthouse Country, and promised to share his leveling progress.
  • Most villagers in Novice Village No. 137 praised Edward and cheered for victory, despite one villager objecting to his challenge as undemocratic.

Ch. 25A race against time, another level up!

As the resource wager began, Qin Feng raced through the darkness toward stronger beasts while Liu Xuan rallied Novice Village No. 911 to help him catch up with Edward. Qin Feng killed a level 4 Lightning Marten, reached level 4, and continued toward the level 5 beast zone.

  • Liu Xuan asked Novice Village No. 911 residents to help him find beasts, and Long Shan and Wu Yong later agreed to take him into the level 3 beast zone.
  • Qin Feng left the cave after the wager began and used the unlocked maps to set a route toward the level 6 beast territory.
  • Edward welcomed the maps that would help him find level 4 beasts, while Liu Xuan sent level 2 players to scout the level 3 zone in groups of ten.
  • Qin Feng crossed the level 2 and level 3 beast zones and killed a level 4 Lightning Marten, gaining enough energy to reach level 4.
  • Qin Feng extracted the Lightning Marten's corpse for 2 agility points and hurried toward the level 5 beast zone.
Arc 1 of 2
Arc 1 of 2