However, before they even reached Rabbit Town, Vincent and Thalia were forced to a sudden stop.
Several kilometers from the town, they observed clear traces of the Centaur Clan presence, mixed with a contingent of human Professionals. All the humans were official personnel, and the two sides stood in a silent standoff. The atmosphere wasn't hostile, but it was suffocatingly tense.
Nearby, a group of Rank 0 Professionals who were also heading toward Rabbit Town were being intercepted by one of the official humans.
"Students, for your safety, you must divert immediately. Do not approach Rabbit Town. Go to Undead Mountain instead."
Vincent immediately recognized the official as Yuna, the female fighter he had interacted with during the battle. Seeing her safe and actively working brought him a measure of relief.
The Rank 0 students nodded quickly, though one girl asked Yuna in a hushed tone, "Sister, has Rabbit Town... been taken by the Centaur Clan?"
A look of weary helplessness crossed Yuna's face. "The official response team is currently locked in negotiations with the Centaur contingent. This area is restricted. You must wait for instructions from your teachers."
Thalia whispered, indignation coloring her voice. "Brother, they won't give up! They're still looking for us."
Vincent observed the distant Centaurs and gently shook his head. "They are definitely looking for us, but this is a strategic move, too. The Rabbit Instance was a shared resource. Now, using the war as cover, they want to monopolize it."
He paused, considering the implications. The importance of Instances as strategic leveling and resource hubs couldn't be overstated. While the resources were technically infinite, denying a rival race access was a powerful form of competitive advantage.
Rabbit Instance had been a place of tacit coexistence, but the Centaurs were now using their recent victory over the Iron Fang City forces to unilaterally claim it as a Centaur Clan's monopolized instance.
The human official forces, despite quickly calling in aid from two Base Cities, were clearly on the defensive. They had suffered casualties and lacked the initiative to forcibly reclaim the Instance, leaving them to this awkward negotiation over what the Centaurs had already occupied.
"Damn it! If I weren't only Rank 0, I'd definitely teach them a lesson," Thalia mumbled, frustrated by their impotence.
Vincent glanced back. "Let's go." Pushing forward was foolish. The Centaurs had concentrated their strength at Rabbit Instance to finalize the monopolization. Despite their skills as assassins, they were severely outranked and outmatched. For now, they were just Rank 0 nobodies who couldn't alter the political situation.
Thalia, though reluctant, followed. "Brother, where are we going? Undead Mountain?"
Undead Mountain was the only other Rank 0 Instance near Iron Fang City. Vincent shook his head. "No."
"No? Where else can we go? We certainly can't enter a Rank 1 Instance yet," she asked, puzzled.
"We're going further afield." Vincent's eyes narrowed, reflecting his cold calculation.
He knew the Centaurs would anticipate this. If the Centaurs were pushing humans out of Rabbit Instance, they would almost certainly have agents waiting at Undead Mountain, the only alternative, to seek revenge or cause further harassment. The Centaur whose kin Vincent killed had sworn vengeance. They knew they were hunting two Rank 0 Professionals.
They couldn't go to Undead Mountain. Vincent had no intention of walking into another trap, forcing the officials to bail him out again.
Being forced to run and constantly having my movements dictated is unacceptable.
Vincent narrowed his eyes, formulating a new idea. He pulled out his phone and quickly typed a message. The circumstances had changed drastically, meaning the task he had assigned to his second employee had to be immediately rearranged. He couldn't risk sending Lyra to break a record at Undead Mountain only for her to walk straight into a Centaur ambush.
Lyra, now Agent Frost, was already on her way to Undead Mountain when she received the message from [Boss].
"Rabbit Instance is occupied, and the Centaur Clan has likely set traps at Undead Mountain. Do not attempt a record run. When you enter the Instance, just note the current speed-run time. Focus on leveling up safely. Wait for my next message."
Lyra paused, then typed a simple reply: "Okay." The immediate pivot in her mission only emphasized the serious reality of her new life. She looked at the dazzling Frost Prison Mage panel, an uncharacteristic hint of anticipation flickering in her eyes. She was eager to test the true strength of her Epic Professional class.
"Brother, where are we headed, then?" Thalia repeated as Vincent finished his revised instructions to Lyra.
Vincent checked his map again. "We're going to the nearest alternative Base City that has a Rank 0 Instance. That's Long Reach City."
"The Instance there? What's the plan?"
Vincent's eyes hardened with determination. "The Centaurs tried to push us out of Iron Fang City and block our access to Undead Mountain. We won't be cornered. We will go to Long Reach City and break all three records at their local Instance."
Thalia grinned, rubbing her hands together with renewed excitement. "Revenge! Excellent!"
They wasted no time, heading immediately for Long Reach City, which was close enough that its official Professionals had assisted during the recent Centaur attack. In less than an hour, they reached the Rank 0 Instance town there.
The Instance was the Gloomy Jungle, and the town was accordingly named Gloomy Town.
As they entered, the environment felt familiar, full of party requests and noisy Professionals. But Vincent quickly spotted the tell-tale signs of trouble: Centaur Clan members were loitering around the town, not near the entrance, but observing the general flow of traffic. It wasn't an obvious ambush, but a clear sign of broader surveillance and disruption.
He also noted several human officials and professionals discreetly positioned around the area. He deduced that the human officials had anticipated the Centaurs' expansive strategy and were providing security for their own Professionals.
Vincent let out a soft breath. The landscape had changed. He had planned to keep a low profile, but the Centaurs' actions demanded a strong, public counter-attack. He led Thalia directly toward the Gloomy Jungle entrance.