Paradise?
The name struck Lyra like a physical shockwave. It was more than familiar; it was the most sensational, explosive term in Iron Fang City. Yesterday, it had sprung from nowhere into legend. Today, her entire social circle, every group chat, every street corner conversation was dominated by these two words.
The reason was simple: Paradise Boss and Hill.
That team name—the moniker chosen by the two shadowy Epic Professionals who had shattered speedrun records and then shattered the Centaur Clan defenses—was 'Paradise'! It was an understatement to call it the hottest topic; it was the defining news. Hundreds of Professionals had clashed and died in the resulting war, a direct consequence of this mysterious duo.
Speculations raged: Was Paradise a revolutionary civilian Professional guild? A secretive organization of elites? Or merely a name tossed out by two whimsical demigods?
Up until now, Lyra had dismissed the spectacle as something completely removed from her mundane, stagnant life. Yet, here it was. The letter delivered in her sister's name, through a clandestine messenger, was now undeniably linked to the most powerful and enigmatic enterprise in the region.
Lyra stared at the name, her mind reeling. Could her sister—the missing Epic Professional—be involved with this new, powerful group? Is this how she's finally reaching out?
She forced herself to shake off the hopeful distraction. She needed concrete information, not speculation. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she unfolded the contents of the exquisitely crafted invitation.
As Lyra read the contents, her initial confusion rapidly spiraled into sheer astonishment.
"Dear Ms. Lyra, hello. We are pleased to inform you that our company has received the resume submitted for you by your sister. After careful evaluation, we believe you possess the potential required to join our company, and we sincerely invite you to participate in the interview prepared by our company."
The opening paragraph struck the deepest chord: "Your sister… potential required to join our company."
Lyra was a Rank 0 Priest who couldn't advance. Her sister, the Epic Professional, had not only contacted someone but had essentially vouched for her. The validation against her self-loathing—that she possessed the potential for this powerful, secretive group—was overwhelming.
"Interview Time: 12:00 AM, June 7th, Year 37 of the Dimensional Calendar (Estimated time 60 ~ 90 minutes)"
"Location: Our company's interview venue"
"Interview Preparation: Please select an uninhabited place by yourself at 12:00 AM on June 7th. (Please ensure there are no other people nearby; thank you for your cooperation.)"
The final details were bizarrely secretive. An interview at midnight, requiring isolation, and promising transport to an unspecified "company's interview venue." This was not an HR meeting; this was a black-op recruitment. The scent of danger—and her sister's risky situation—was palpable.
And then, the closing signature:
"Interviewer: 'Paradise' Paradise Boss"
Lyra's jaw dropped. Paradise Boss! The name that had just become infamous for killing a high-ranking Centaur Clan figure. The legendary, powerful, masked genius.
Her mind spun with terrifying possibilities. Her sister, somehow alive and involved with the most powerful person in the city. The validation of her potential. The promise of an exit from her stagnant life.
She reread the invitation three times, her eyes scanning the precise, formal language, confirming every impossible detail. She was utterly dazed. The questions were irrelevant now. Whether it was a trap or a chance, it was a direct summons from the one power that might know her sister's fate. She was going.
"Should be able to trick her, right?"
Vincent confirmed the strategy to himself, a dry, pragmatic assessment. The entire premise was, admittedly, a sham. He didn't know Lyra's sister, and the only "resume" received was the one generated by his Boss skill, which revealed her deepest vulnerabilities.
He felt no moral burden. His enterprise, Paradise, consisted of only himself and Thalia. He desperately needed more employees to leverage the power of the Interview Location and the massive reputation point rewards. Given how rarely the system flagged candidates with Epic Professional potential, his options were extremely limited.
"I had no other choice," he reasoned, pacing the emptiness of his room before heading out. "Lying to grant someone god-tier power is not a crime. It is a necessary administrative evil."
The reward—a guaranteed Tier 3 Epic employee, capable of wiping out dozens of high-tier enemies upon awakening—vastly outweighed the minor deception. If he could publicize the true nature of his contracts, the queue of aspiring Professionals would stretch across the globe. He was a benefactor, not a fraud, merely one who must operate in absolute secrecy.
"The second employee is essentially settled," he thought, the weight of the recruitment challenge temporarily lifted. "Now, the search for the third begins."
He dedicated the entire day to searching, choosing to forego his usual Dungeon runs. He believed a natural, random encounter with another potential Epic candidate was the safest route for now.
Time crawled by. Vincent walked the markets, the parks, the training fields, but the streets were overwhelmingly populated by ordinary citizens. Professionals, even those at Rank 0, spent most of their time in the Dungeons. He returned home weary, empty-handed.
"Epic Professional potential is not easily found among the general population," he admitted. The system's selectivity was both a blessing and a curse.
His strategic focus shifted. "I need to visit high-traffic Professional areas. Dungeon entrances and Professional Guilds are the best choices."
The highest Dungeon near Iron Fang City was a Tier 2 location, attracting all serious local Professionals seeking to grind their levels and reputation. It was a riskier environment, but the concentration of talent would make the search more efficient. He needed to be bolder, and he needed that Tier 3 Epic power to shield his growing enterprise from the mounting external threats.
"Brother, you're back?"Vincent heard Thalia's voice as he closed the door, shaking off his thoughts about recruitment strategy.
"Yes, I'm back. How was today? Was the orphanage alright?"
Thalia emerged from her room, smiling brightly. "Everything is fine. I dropped off a big load of supplies—about three gold coins worth. Auntie Director fussed about me wasting money, but I could tell she was very happy. She asked about you, too."
Vincent grinned. "Tell her I said hello. Next time, I'll go with you." The routine and stability of their life were precious, a counterpoint to the chaos he embraced outside.
Thalia nodded. "Okay. Are you hungry? I can make us dinner."
"Alright,"Vincent agreed. Though his Profession stamina meant he didn't need to eat, the habit of sharing a meal was important.
Soon, the small kitchen was filled with the savory smell of freshly cooked rabbit meat—Dungeon produce was reliably delicious.
"Brother, are we going back to the Dungeon tomorrow?"Thalia asked during the meal.
Vincent nodded. "Yes, we are."
His day of wandering the streets hadn't been a complete waste. He had gathered critical, overheard intelligence: his actions the day before had killed a "very important figure" of the Centaur Clan, and now a powerful Centaur leader had openly sworn vengeance against Paradise Boss and Hill.
"Let them watch,"Vincent thought, dismissing the threat. Pausing their leveling and earning because of an enemy's vow was unthinkable. Corporate reputation was the foundation of his power, and it demanded consistent Dungeon runs.
"I need to work harder. My rank is too low, and my employee count is too small."
He even felt a thrill thinking about the possibility of stirring up more trouble; more danger, more notoriety, more reputation. The power described in the interview scene descriptions was worth any risk.
After dinner, Vincent wrapped up his conversation with Thalia, reminding her to rest for their Dungeon trip the next day. He returned to his small, cramped room and waited, the anticipation building steadily as the minutes ticked toward midnight.
Finally, the digital clock display flipped: 11:58 PM.
A surge of excitement hit him. The signing of the second employee—the first true recruit to Paradise—was moments away. With a practiced mental command, Vincent activated his skill and vanished, reappearing instantly in the sleek, silent expanse of the Modern Office.
He positioned himself at the head of the colossal conference table, donning the tailored black suit and the unsettling pure white smiling mask. He was the CEO, the anchor of this powerful, impossible realm.
Meanwhile, in her locked room in the Star Luck Building, Lyra was a wreck of nerves and chaotic thoughts. Midnight. The time was almost here. Was the mysterious Paradise Boss coming? Was this all a grand, terrible mistake, or a hidden message from her sister? Every clock tick amplified her anxiety.
The minute hand finally pointed definitively to twelve.
12:00 AM.
The jet-black invitation flared with a faint, pulsing golden light, a brilliant counterpoint to the darkness of her room. The light grew, quickly enveloping her entirely. She had just enough time to gasp before a massive, dizzying force seized her. The sensation was violently familiar yet terrifyingly absolute—it was the pure systemic force of an instantaneous teleport, far more severe than the gentle transition into a standard Dungeon Instance.
She was compressed, twisted through space, then suddenly released.
She stumbled onto a floor of highly polished marble, gasping for breath, her ears ringing. Her eyes struggled to adjust. She was no longer in her dusty room. She was in a space saturated with bright, warm light, surrounded by towering, crystal-blue floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed a glittering, futuristic metropolis she had never seen. The air was sterile, cold, and utterly silent.
Before she could register the impossible architecture, a gentle, composed voice sounded directly in front of her, cutting through the silence. The voice carried a soft, unsettling resonance, as if speaking from behind a permanent, professional smile.
"Hello, Ms. Lyra, welcome to the interview specially prepared for you by Paradise. I am your interviewer for this interview, code name 'Paradise Boss'."