"Brother, my stamina bar is almost empty. I'm so hungry..."
For the umpteenth time, the Hell Instance boss let out a final, mournful cry and collapsed. Thalia mechanically picked up the items it dropped, her initial thrill of discovery long gone, replaced by a deep, gnawing fatigue. She rubbed her stomach, her brow furrowed in distress. Vincent also rubbed his stomach, feeling the same empty sensation, and glanced at his panel. His stamina was down to a precarious 20 points.
Even though their bodies had become energy-based, they still needed to eat. However, the energy their new forms consumed couldn't be replenished with ordinary food. Their bodies required the specialized instance food dropped by monsters, like the bright red, pre-cut rabbit meat they had just harvested. While many restaurants in the Base City catered to Professionals, it was far more efficient to consume the food on-site. The bowl of noodles they had eaten that morning had been a meaningless gesture, a habit from their old lives that provided no real sustenance.
Each time they entered the Hell Instance, a high-intensity combat zone, they consumed a significant amount of stamina—about 10 points per run. They had been farming for hours, entering and exiting, their bodies pushing to their limits. If their stamina dropped to zero, their bodies would begin to consume their health points to function. And if their health dropped to zero, they would die. The threat was a constant, low-level hum of danger that they had managed to keep at bay. But now, they were running on fumes.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Let's go home." Vincent said, his voice laced with the same exhaustion.
Thalia's eyes lit up with profound relief, and she nodded so quickly her hair bounced. Today had been a monumental harvest for them. After consecutively breaking three instance records, they had been tirelessly farming the Hell Instance. As a dungeon second only to the Abyss Instance, its drop rate was exceptional. They had collected an incredible number of items: from various rabbit pelts and rare ingredients to fine-grade equipment and even a rare Excellent-grade item.
But the most significant gain was the gold. While their later runs weren't for speed, the sheer volume of monsters and bosses provided a staggering income of nearly a thousand gold coins per run. This was an efficiency that would have been unimaginable just a few days ago. Previously, earning a single gold coin would have taken over a month of grueling work in the Base City. Now, they were earning a thousand in less than half an hour. The difference was like night and day.
Beyond their external gains, they had also leveled up, now at level 3 and nearing level 4. The experience from the Hell Instance was immense, and the high-class coefficient of their Epic Professionals meant every single level-up provided a significant leap in their attributes. For an ordinary Professional, reaching level 10 could take a month or more, but for them, it would only take a few more days of focused grinding. Vincent would level up even faster due to his Daily Settlement skill, which gave him Thalia's entire day's experience as a bonus. This level of satisfaction and success was overwhelming.
They immediately chose to exit the instance, eager for a break. The physical exertion was immense, but the mental strain of constant vigilance and planning was even greater. Even an energy-based body, it seemed, still needed rest and sleep.
The moment they exited the instance portal, Vincent and Thalia were hit with a wave of uncomfortable silence. The large crowd at the entrance was frozen, their usual clamor replaced by an eerie stillness. Every single person was staring in one direction, a unified gaze of apprehension and tension. Instinctively, the siblings turned their heads, just in time to hear a sharp, commanding voice cut through the air.
"...Lulufu, are you Centaur Clan, planning to break the Three-Clan Agreement?"
The words startled the siblings, and they saw a tense standoff in the very center of Rabbit Town. A large force of Centaur Clan members—dozens of them, tall and imposing—were facing off against a group of human Professionals. At the head of the Centaurs stood the bald, white-furred Centaur strongman, his sinister eyes fixed on the man opposite him. That man, a middle-aged human in brilliant, form-fitting silver-white heavy armor, stood his ground, his gaze indifferent and cold. The humans with him all wore the same emblem on their chests, clearly a unified group. Vincent quickly recognized it as the official symbol of a powerful human organization. He saw the emblem often in Iron Fang City, but he had never known what specific department it represented.
He couldn't understand what was happening. Why were the human official Professionals in a standoff with the Centaur Clan?
As if to answer his question, Vincent overheard the low, hushed whispers of other Professionals nearby. They were keeping their distance but watching with grave expressions. "...Damn it, something really did happen," one whispered. "Humans produced two Epic Professionals, and it's barely been a day! The Centaur Clan actually brought people to block them!"
"These horse-f***ers..." another growled, his voice thick with fury.
"Luckily, Boss and Hill are just codenames," a third said, relief in their tone. "And so much time has passed; maybe they've already left Rabbit Paradise."
"I hope so..." came the strained reply.
Vincent and Thalia heard every word. Thalia's eyes widened in startled realization, and she turned to Vincent. "Brother?" she whispered, her voice laced with fear.
Vincent's brows furrowed. He hadn't expected the fallout from their records to be so immediate and so severe. The two races were in a tense confrontation, all because of him and Thalia. What surprised him even more was that the human officials had arrived so quickly and seemed so determined to protect whoever "Boss" and "Hill" were. It wasn't what he had imagined at all.
Just as Vincent was processing the information, the standoff escalated.
"This is a public instance," Lulufu sneered, his voice a low rumble. "If you humans are allowed to come, why aren't we Centaur Clan allowed? Humans, aren't you being a bit overbearing?"
The silver-armored man, Silas, answered in an even, indifferent tone. "Entering instances is at will, but what do you mean by constantly intercepting and forcing our human Professionals to team up with you? Otherwise not allowing them to leave?"
"What, does the agreement state that the Centaur Clan isn't allowed to team up with you humans?" Lulufu scoffed, his eyes glinting with malicious amusement. "Teaming up with you is showing you respect."
"No need," Silas replied, his voice a wall of indifference.
"Then that's not up to you to decide."
"Is that so?" Silas's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous flicker in their depths. "Then I'd like to see what you can do if we don't team up with you."
Lulufu's sneer widened into a cruel grin. "Is that so? Then I'll state it here: if you want to leave, you must first team up with me. Otherwise, no human will leave Rabbit Town today."
As his words fell, a deep, rumbling sound echoed from the town's entrances and exits. Hundreds of Centaur Clan Professionals appeared, seemingly out of thin air, forming a suffocating blockade. They stood tall and intimidating, their faces twisted into sneers as they looked down on the now-trapped human Professionals. Many of the humans' faces paled as they realized the full scale of the Centaurs' plan.
Vincent's gaze deepened, and a hint of cold malice appeared in his eyes. He had completely underestimated the Centaur Clan. To find him and Thalia, they had risked causing a massive political incident and trapped hundreds of human Professionals. It was more than just a search; it was an act of brutal dominance. This was more than trouble; this was a war in the making.
The silver-armored man's gaze was as cold as steel. "Is this a numbers game?"
"What if it is?" Lulufu scoffed, his chest puffing out in arrogant dominance.
"It's nothing," Silas replied. And as he spoke, something shifted. Out of the shadows of the surrounding buildings and side streets, a silent legion of human Professionals emerged. They moved with coordinated precision, surrounding the Centaurs, their gazes cold and filled with a stark, murderous intent. A wave of alarm rippled through the Centaur Clan members, their confident sneers replaced by looks of confusion.
Lulufu's expression darkened, but before he could react, Silas spoke again, his voice still indifferent, but now with a chilling undertone. "When it comes to numbers, my Emberlyn Kingdom has never feared anyone." He paused, his gaze boring into Lulufu's. "You came to hunt our geniuses? You're probably overthinking it."
Silas didn't wait for a response. He turned his head toward the instance portal, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as if searching for a needle in a haystack. But when he spoke, his voice carried to every single person in Rabbit Town, a low, resonant baritone filled with purpose.
"I don't know if our Boss and Hill are among you. It is best if they are not," he said, the words a quiet command. "If they are, when the fight breaks out, just escape on your own. Afterward, do not contact me or any official personnel. Remain vigilant towards everyone, including me... continue to hide."
The words were a bitter truth. "In the future, please act as discreetly and carefully as possible. I apologize. Due to certain reasons, we cannot provide you with a safe environment to grow. This is a dereliction of our duty." He paused, his voice softening, a note of genuine sadness entering his tone. "But please believe me, this is not our intention."
He then raised his voice, now addressing the entire crowd of human Professionals in the town. "I implore all of you to leave together shortly, to provide cover for our human geniuses and protect their path back." His back straightened, and he bowed slightly to the stunned humans, a gesture of profound respect. "I, Silas, thank you all here."
With his duty done, he turned back to the now-grim-faced Lulufu, the cold glint in his eyes sharpening into a deadly gleam. "You horse-f***ers. Our human Professionals are leaving now. Whoever blocks us... dies. If you don't believe me, try it." In that instant, he unleashed his full might, a torrent of crushing pressure that slammed into Lulufu. In response, the official human Professionals with emblems on their bodies all picked up their weapons, various lights, and auras emanating from them. They were ready.
The Centaur Clan members froze in place, a hundred-strong force of arrogant aggression brought to a grinding halt by the sheer will of one man and the silent, deadly resolve of his followers.