"Brother?" Thalia's confused voice finally broke through his concentration.
Vincent came back to his senses, his hand raised in a gesture to wait. His eyes were still fixed on the holographic panel, taking in the details of the young woman he had just scanned.
Name: Lyra Winter Profession: Restoration Mage Level: Tier 0, Level 7 HP: 330 MP: 750 STA: 67 Attack: 21 Magic: 97 Defense: 23 Magic Resistance: 23 Strength: 5, Agility: 3, Constitution: 23, Spirit: 14
Character Biography: She was originally from Lian Base City. When she was thirteen, her older sister awakened an Epic Professional, but this was unexpectedly discovered by the human rebel organization, the 'God's Advent Sect', leading to them being hunted. Her sister took her and fled for their lives, eventually arriving at Tieya Base City. The God's Advent Sect pursued them, and her sister, to protect her, led the pursuers away. Her fate remains unknown. She now lives in... her heart filled with hatred for the God's Advent Sect...
Vincent's expression, usually calm, was now one of profound surprise. He hadn't expected this gentle-faced young lady to harbor such a painful and dangerous past. He narrowed his eyes, the name God's Advent Sect a cold stone in his mind. He knew of them. They were the rats, the traitors. In the war against the myriad races, while many humans had fought to the death, these cowards had chosen to betray their own kind. They revered the invading races as gods, believing their arrival was a form of divine intervention, a 'grace' that humans should submit to. To them, dying at the hands of these so-called gods was also a form of salvation.
Because they were human, they were hard to track, hiding in plain sight. They caused almost as much damage as the invading races. The reason Vincent had chosen to hide his own Epic Professional was precisely because of them. Lyra's sister's tragic story was a chilling mirror, proving his concerns were not groundless. What if there were members of the God's Advent Sect right here in Tieya Base City, in this very crowd?
"Brother?" Thalia spoke again, her voice softer this time, but laced with a hint of concern as she saw him lost in thought.
Vincent snapped out of his reverie and looked at her. Thalia, with a curious gaze, looked toward Lyra. "Is it... that big sister?" she whispered.
Vincent gave a gentle nod.
"So, what are you going to do?" she asked, her voice a curious hum.
Vincent thought for a moment. Her biography contained her address, so he wasn't afraid of losing her. The real challenge was figuring out how to get her to sign a contract while keeping his own identity a secret. Her past seemed to make her a perfect candidate, but he couldn't be too careful. A few ideas began to form, but none of them were solid.
After a moment, he shook his head. "Never mind. Let's go into the Instance first. This matter... We'll discuss it later."
He no longer hesitated, clicking on the Abyss Instance on the panel. A series of bold, red text appeared, a stark contrast to the usual friendly prompts.
Do you choose to enter 'Rabbit Paradise · Abyss'?
Warning! This Instance is extremely difficult. Once entered, you cannot leave the Instance without completing it! Please choose carefully!
Your team is not full, and the average level has not reached 10. Do you want to start the challenge?
Vincent froze. The red warning text sent a jolt of alarm through him. If he didn't clear it, he couldn't leave? In other words, if they couldn't beat the dungeon, they would die. His brow furrowed.
Thalia had also seen the warning, and her face became solemn. "Brother?" she asked, her tone hesitant.
Vincent exhaled slowly. The adventurer in him wanted to try, but the pragmatist in him refused. He chose to refuse. "Let's go to other Instances to level up first." The Abyss Instance was said to be even more difficult than the Hell Instance. If they could have exited at any time, he might have tried it. But facing a no-exit scenario with only two Tier 0, Level 1 Professionals was pure folly. They could wait, grind for a few days in the Hell Instance, and get a massive jump in their attributes. There was no need to put their lives on the line out of temporary curiosity. An Epic Professional was not invincible. Even a Legendary one could fall.
Thalia nodded in immediate agreement. That red warning looked terrifying.
Vincent re-selected the Hell Instance, and with a flash of white light, the siblings disappeared, ready to grind for equipment and levels.
While Vincent and Thalia were grinding for equipment and levels in the Hell Instance, a storm was brewing in the outside world.
In an office high above Tieya Base City, a middle-aged man sat behind a large mahogany desk. He had been hunched over some papers, but now his head snapped up.
"What did you say?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Suspected of being two Epic Professionals?"
Standing before him were the flat-headed young man and his handsome companion. The two of them nodded, their expressions grave. Silas Blackwell put down his pen, his frown deepening into a tight knot. His focused, serious demeanor commanded attention. "Tell me the details. Every last one of them."
The handsome youth meticulously recounted the events of the day, from the initial verbal clash with the Centaurs to the public display of the new records. Silas listened intently, his fingers drumming a quiet rhythm on his desk. When the youth concluded, Silas's brows furrowed deeply.
"...Two people cleared the Hell Instance in under 22 minutes. Only two Epic Professionals could achieve that kind of impossible speed," the handsome youth concluded, his voice heavy.
Silas was silent for a long time. "So, the Centaur Clan also knows?"
"They know, and they left immediately... presumably to inform the powerful members of their clan," the youth replied. "Boss... we need to prepare early. In recent years, Epic Professionals... have become increasingly rare."
A cold glint flashed in Silas's eyes, an almost imperceptible sign of his fury. The flat-headed youth gritted his teeth, his own eyes dark with hatred. "It's all because of those rats from the God's Advent Sect," he spat. "I want to pull them out of their gutters one by one, skin them, pull out their tendons, and let them bake in the sun!"
"Traitorous rats," Silas muttered, his voice cold as ice. After a short period of contemplation, he rose decisively from his chair. "We don't know exactly what's going on, but the Centaur Clan will definitely act soon. We must go to Rabbit Paradise first." He turned to the two youths, his command ringing with authority. "Notify all teams. I want every single one of them to converge on Rabbit Paradise immediately."
"Yes, Boss!" The two youths' eyes lit up with excitement and purpose. They snapped to a salute and hurried out. Shortly after, the entire office building sprang into action, a beehive of coordinated movement and purpose.
At the very same time, not far from Tieya Base City, a massive city with an ancient, peculiar architectural style, bustled with activity. The streets were wide and open, designed not for wheeled vehicles, but for the wild, unfettered gallop of four-legged creatures. The houses were low and wide, built to accommodate their unique frames. It was a city of the Centaur Clan, a place with tall, imposing city gates where a proclamation, written in both Human and Centaur languages, warned of 'Humans Forbidden Entry.'
In the depths of the city, within a vast, open-air mansion, a large number of Centaur Clan members were emerging, their movements filled with a furious purpose. Leading them was a monstrous figure: a bald Centaur with a powerfully built upper body rippling with bulging muscles. His horse-like lower body was pure white, with fur that gleamed like polished silk. This was Lord Lulufu, a figure of great power among his kind.
"Lord Lulufu!" A chorus of shouts erupted from his followers. "Lord Lulufu!"
The white-furred Centaur held his head high, his gaze filled with a cold, cruel pride. "A human Epic Professional? Broke the record I set?" His face contorted into a ferocious grin, a cruel, bloodthirsty smile spreading across his features. "Excellent! Eradicating human geniuses is what I love most! Everyone, follow me!"
With a thunderous roar, their four hooves began to gallop wildly, a mighty, unified force that shook the very ground. They sped like a stampede of war, a symbol of brute force and arrogance, hurtling towards the outside of the city and the small, human town of Rabbit Paradise.