Vincent and Thalia emerged from the Instance portal in a flicker of blue light and immediately dissolved into the dense flow of the crowd. They used the chaotic atmosphere to their advantage, their senses keenly tuned to the environment.
It did not take long for them to spot the growing flashpoint: the tense, escalating standoff between the grim Centaur Clan sentinels and the dozen or so armed human Combat Affairs Department Professionals.
Thalia leaned close to Vincent's ear, her voice a low, urgent murmur. "Brother, the officials are here. It's getting serious. The Centaurs look ready to explode. What's the move now?"
Vincent offered a slight, almost imperceptible nod. He had anticipated the officials' presence; they were there to manage the crisis he had intentionally created. He observed the locked gazes and the aggressive posturing from a distance, and his brow furrowed with concern. The confrontation was sharper than he had intended.
His goal in coming to Long Reach City was two-fold: solidify the team's public identity and force the Centaur Clan to overextend their search. However, he had no desire to see mass bloodshed among low-level human Professionals caught in the crossfire of a strategic maneuver. That outcome was unacceptable.
This unexpected complication meant his original plan—to immediately move to the next Tier 0 Instance and repeat the record break—was now too risky.
After a moment of rapid internal calculation, he made his decision. "We are leaving immediately," he stated quietly. "I will handle the information cleanup. I have a way to speak without showing our faces."
Thalia's eyes widened, recognizing the strategic pivot. She nodded sharply. The two shared one last, intense look at the powder keg brewing near the Instance entrance, then smoothly slipped away from the main gathering. Once they were clear of the most congested area, Vincent signaled, and both activated their stealth abilities, vanishing completely from the visible spectrum.
The combatants had vanished, yet the Centaur Clan and the Combat Affairs Department continued their deadly staring contest, unaware that their prize had already slipped away.
Amidst the official group, a junior mage whispered, his voice strained. "Should we start moving the Tier 0 Professionals out? Clear the scene before the main Centaur force arrives? We need to prevent needless losses."
A teammate immediately agreed. "A tactical withdrawal for the civilians is the only logical choice. Reinforcements will take time. We must minimize sacrifices."
"Absolutely not!" a young warrior named Lei, the field team leader, cut in, his voice sharp and absolute. "Think! If we organize a mass dispersal now, we create a visible gap. What if Boss and Hill are still inside the Instance? When they exit, they will appear in a nearly empty square, instantly exposed to the Centaur sentinels."
The others fell silent, their previous suggestion now looking reckless. The exposure of the two Epic Professionals was the ultimate failure.
"But the danger is imminent," the junior mage argued, gesturing nervously toward the Centaurs. "If their reinforcements arrive, we could see a repeat of Rabbit Town. We cannot protect everyone."
"We cannot risk their lives," Lei insisted, his expression unyielding. "The importance of two Epic Professionals outweighs the immediate risk to the Tier 0s. They are the cornerstones of humanity's future. We wait. We rely on the noise and chaos of the crowd to provide cover." The official Professionals ultimately maintained their position, electing to preserve the tactical cover of the crowd rather than risk exposing their most valuable assets.
Paradoxically, the solution Lei had rejected began to happen organically. Whispers of fear turned into collective action among the crowd of Tier 0 Professionals.
"The Centaur Clan is mobilizing because of those two heroes. This is a Tier 3 problem," a Human Professional announced loudly. "We are only Tier 0. Let's not be martyrs."
"He's right. People died pointlessly at Rabbit Town," his companion agreed, pulling his backpack higher on his shoulders. "We are only making things harder for the officials by staying. Let's pull out, now."
Soon, the crowd began to thin dramatically. Tier 0 Professionals spontaneously abandoned their leveling plans, heading away from the imminent danger.
"Report!" Lei, the young warrior leader, noticed the mass exodus. "Did we give the order to disperse? I specifically forbade it!"
The mage and the other combatant shook their heads simultaneously. "We gave no order, Boss. This is voluntary."
Lei dispatched a runner to gather information, and the runner returned swiftly. "They are leaving because they saw our standoff with the Centaurs. They know the Centaur reinforcements are coming and they are terrified of a replay of the Rabbit Town conflict."
Lei's face tightened. The explanation was logical; the panic was understandable. Yet, a cold knot of suspicion remained in his gut. The speed of the exodus felt too fast, too organized.
"Do we change our posture, Boss?"
Lei took a deep, steadying breath. "No. We hold the line. We can only proceed on the assumption that Boss and Hill used the chaos to leave. Our Director and the heavy hitters are incoming. We must wait. Continue confronting the Centaurs. Do not let them advance one more step toward the Instance exit."
Simultaneously, a short distance away from the volatile town, Vincent and Thalia remained in deep stealth, completely invisible to the eye.
Vincent slowly craned his neck, a subtle, almost imperceptible scan passing over the constant stream of Tier 0 Professionals still moving toward the Gloomy Jungle. His gaze swept over individuals, groups, and entire teams.
Thalia stood perfectly still, trusting her Brother's strange mission. She knew he was using his passive, specialized skill.
Across the holographic interface that only Vincent could see, the system repeatedly delivered a crushing verdict:
[Target's potential is not Epic; recruitment is not recommended.]
[Target's potential is not Epic; recruitment is not recommended.]
[Target's potential is not Epic; recruitment is not recommended.]
The text was relentless, streaming past like a ticker tape of rejection. Vincent sighed inwardly, the weight of his solitary search heavy on him. He had scanned hundreds of Professionals since their last discovery, but targets with Epic potential remained infuriatingly rare. Every single person he had targeted with Investigate Target on their journey had proven inadequate for his master plan.
Just as he was about to give up on the immediate area, he noticed a crucial interaction. Two teams, obviously acquaintances, crossed paths on the access road.
"Why are you heading back? Not leveling up today?" one team leader asked.
"Don't even start," the returning leader replied, agitation clear in his voice. "Those two heroes from Iron Fang City came to the Gloomy Jungle. The Centaur Clan is deploying. It will be a war zone soon. We are getting out before the fighting starts."
"The two from Iron Fang City? You mean the Epic Professionals? Did they really come here?"
"Yes. They just broke the Hell Instance speedrun record again. The Centaurs are going crazy."
"They broke the record again?" The newly arrived team gasped in awe.
"It's not worth the risk today. We are heading back to Long Reach City." The newly arrived team agreed instantly. Vincent watched as they turned around, abandoning their Instance run.
Vincent observed the growing wave of outbound Professionals and frowned. His record break had achieved its primary goal of drawing the Centaur's attention, but the secondary effect was causing mass panic and depopulation of the Tier 0 Instances, which was disruptive.
He needed to clean up the strategic mess he had created. He needed to get the Human officials out of danger, and he needed the Centaurs to continue hunting shadows.
"I must intervene," Vincent mused to himself. He needed reliable messengers. "I have to take a risk."
He turned to Thalia. "Thalia, stay here in deep stealth. Maintain your focus and do not move."
"Brother, where are you going? You're not going back to the chaos, are you?" Thalia immediately asked, worry clouding her expression.
"Do not worry. I will be back in less than five minutes." Vincent offered no further explanation. He reactivated his stealth, relying on its Tier 1 perfection, and moved rapidly back toward the town.
Thalia watched his faint outline vanish. She remained rooted to the spot, torn between following him and obeying his direct order. Ultimately, she stayed.
Moments later, she witnessed a strange event: three separate Professional teams that were just beginning to retreat suddenly froze in their tracks. Their faces went through a rapid cycle of astonishment, profound shock, and finally, excited realization. They nodded emphatically, then turned and sprinted back into the heart of the town.
Vincent returned almost as quickly as he had left. He reappeared beside Thalia in a shimmer of light.
"We move, now."
"Brother, did you break stealth? Did those teams see you?" Thalia whispered, her voice laced with anxiety.
Vincent shook his head. "I remained fully in stealth. I simply had them pass a message to the officials. Come, let's go. We have a Centaur army to annoy." Thalia was stunned, but her loyalty and curiosity drove her to follow immediately. A message? What message could be so powerful?
In Gloomy Jungle Town, the exodus of Tier 0 Professionals continued, but a small, determined torrent of human enthusiasm surged against the flow.
The three teams that Vincent had encountered burst into the central area, their eyes alight with purpose. They spotted the Combat Affairs Department personnel and converged on them instantly.
Lei and his team were conferring over their comms when the sudden rush of young Professionals arrived. A female mage in the group looked up, surprised by their excitement. "Students, is there a problem?" she asked, her voice calm.
A young woman at the front, her face shining with pride, announced loudly: "We have a message for the Combat Affairs Department! It's from Boss!"
The casual mention of the codename sent a shockwave through the officials. Lei's jaw instantly tightened. "The one from Paradise? The Boss?" he demanded quietly.
The girl nodded rapidly. "Yes! He asked us to relay three things, exactly. Listen carefully."
She paused for dramatic effect, then delivered the crucial message: "First, he is a Paradise member, codenamed 'Boss.' He and his companion, 'Hill,' are deeply grateful for the protection the Combat Affairs Department is providing."
"Second," a young man jumped in, reciting the words as if they were a sacred oath: "He understands the Centaur Clan's malice. He will take care of himself and asks the Combat Affairs Departmentnot to provide him with specific, dedicated protection in the future. He states your deliberate actions disrupt his larger strategic plans."
"And finally," the girl finished, eyes wide with the dramatic weight of the words, "He and his companion have already left the Gloomy Jungle in stealth. He promises he will soon do something else to intensely anger the Centaur Clan, and he asks you to withdraw immediately to avoid being implicated in his next move."
The sheer audacity and confidence of the message silenced the entire official team.