In the dark, dense forest, moonlight cut through the canopy. A three-meter-tall Irritable Rabbit roared, charging wildly. To ordinary people, it was a deadly beast, powerful and fast. Despite being a common monster, its Level 9 attributes meant that a squad of new combat professionals would struggle to take it down.
Closer, closer!
It smelled the enticing scent of newly-awakened professionals. Killing these two would likely push it to Level 10, allowing it to advance from a common Irritable Rabbit into an Elite one. A hint of anticipation flickered in its agitated eyes. Monsters, to some extent, possessed intelligence; they were just more irritable and ferocious, driven by a mission to kill all living things.
The two targets had stopped not far away. The ferocity in its eyes intensified. It let out a sharp cry, lunging forward to tear them apart.
But in a single moment, one of its targets suddenly vanished. The Irritable Rabbit was bewildered. Before it could react, a brilliant blade of light flashed behind it, striking fiercely.
A shocking amount of damage instantly appeared: -1355!
The Irritable Rabbit's health bar, which had just appeared, dropped a huge chunk, almost one-shotting it. The monster's roar abruptly ceased. It was stunned.
A visible look of fear appeared on its face, and it turned to run. It was trying to escape?
Thalia snapped back to reality. Not bothering to question the terrifying damage, she moved her feet, instantly catching up to the fleeing beast, and another brilliant blade light flashed.
597!
Another terrifying number appeared. The Irritable Rabbit slammed into the ground with a thud, dead.
Thalia landed, a little dazed, as she looked at the dagger in her hand.
"Are you hurt?" Vincent's voice brought her back to reality.
She looked up, shaking her head. "I'm fine… But brother, did you see that?" Her eyes were bright with excitement. "That damage! My attack power is only 695, but I did over 1300 damage in one hit. The numbers don't make sense."
"Your passive skill," Vincent reminded her.
Thalia paused, quickly checking her panel. Night Walker (Passive):While walking in the night, all attributes are increased by fifty percent. A hint of realization dawned on her.
"But even with a fifty percent increase, it shouldn't have been that high."
"What about backstab damage?"
Thalia quickly looked at the description: [Backstab Lv1: When attacking an enemy from behind, damage is increased by 30%...]
Only then did she fully understand.
Her eyes lit up. "Brother, how… how did you do this?" she finally asked. The Farmer profession and the Shadow Assassin were completely different. All this had happened because she pressed a handprint on a piece of paper for him. How could she not be curious?
"Let's talk about it when we get back," Vincent said with a smile. "It's not safe here. There might be other monsters wandering around."
Thalia glanced at the dim surroundings. This place used to be terrifying, but now, after instantly killing a Level 9 monster in two strikes, it didn't feel scary anymore. Her eyes sparkling, she brandished her dagger. "It's fine! I'm incredibly strong now. I can protect you!"
Vincent chuckled, patting her head. "I know you're the best. But let's go home first." He walked over and propped up the motorcycle.
Thalia didn't press further, still staring blankly into space as she scrolled through her panel.
Vincent tinkered with the old motorcycle, but no matter how many times he tried to start it, there was no response. It was too old. They had scraped together money to salvage this barely functional one from the junkyard before, but after the fall, it was completely written off.
"We'll have to walk back," Vincent said helplessly.
Thalia withdrew her gaze from the panel and nodded, turning to look at the Irritable Rabbit's corpse. Faint specks of light were already rising from its body.
"Too bad it didn't drop anything."
"Dungeon monsters from normal dungeons have an inherently low drop rate," Vincent said, glancing at it.
Vincent had been in this world for two years, and even without school, he had gathered some common knowledge. He knew that Dungeon Monsters like the Irritable Rabbit didn't just stay in Dungeons. When a Dungeon wasn't perfectly cleared for a long time, its monsters would "refresh" in the real world. Their bodies would disappear when killed, only to reappear later. This was why there were more and more monsters in the world.
A "perfect clear" meant getting through an Abyss-level Dungeon (Dungeon levels: Normal, Hard, Hell, and Abyss), a feat so difficult that only teams of excellent-grade professionals with top-tier gear could hope to achieve it. Once a Dungeon was perfectly cleared, its monsters would no longer refresh in the real world. This was the only way to make the world safe for ordinary people. He remembered that Thalia's parents had died this way—unlucky enough to encounter a monster's refresh point.
Dungeons were both a blessing and a curse. They were essential for professionals to level up and find loot, but their existence made everyday life a constant gamble. Vincent's gaze drifted to his panel. Company Reputation, it seems, can be obtained through Dungeons… A surge of excitement went through him.
The future plan has to change again.
"Brother?" Thalia's voice broke his concentration.
He snapped back to reality, smiling softly. "Let's go. Let's go home first."
They started their long walk back in silence. An hour later, they arrived at their sixty-square-meter house. It had bare walls, a dilapidated sofa, and a corner piled with what looked like trash.
Vincent was pouring a glass of water, drinking it down in gulps, while Thalia, who had held back the entire way, finally couldn't resist. "Brother, can you tell me what's going on now? My Profession…"
She was too concerned about her profession suddenly changing from a Farmer to an Epic Assassin.
Vincent finished his water, let out a long, comfortable sigh, and smiled at her. "Can't you tell?"
Thalia gasped. "Is it really because of your…"
"Shhh." Vincent made a shushing gesture. The soundproofing wasn't great. He glanced around and listened intently.
Thalia quickly covered her mouth. A moment later, she lowered her voice. "It's too incredible… What kind of profession are you?" Changing a profession, especially transforming a life professional directly into an Epic combat professional, was unheard of. It completely defied common sense.
Vincent chuckled softly. "Boss."
"Boss?" Thalia looked puzzled.
"My profession is called Boss."
"A Professional… Boss?" Thalia still looked bewildered. "What kind of weird profession is that?"
Vincent simply smiled and briefly introduced his profession to her.
After Vincent's brief introduction, Thalia was completely shocked. "Brother, your profession is too terrifying. How can there be such a thing?" She still found it hard to accept.
"Remember to keep it a secret," Vincent said, chuckling softly.
Thalia's expression turned serious, and she nodded earnestly. "I know the importance of it."
Vincent was relieved. Though young, Thalia was reliable. As orphans, they had seen enough darkness to understand the wickedness of human hearts. His ability to change others' professions was terrifying. While it sounded like something to be sought after, they knew it would bring endless trouble if the news got out. The world was full of danger, and a "genius" with unlimited potential was just that—potential, until it was realized. Vincent didn't plan to expose his profession before he grew stronger.
"But from what you said, the more employees you have, the stronger you become," Thalia said, a hint of worry in her voice. "That'll be hard to keep a secret, won't it?"
Vincent had been pondering the same thing. He smiled. "I'll think about it carefully. I'll find a way. We're tired today, so let's leave it at that. Tomorrow, we'll go into a dungeon."
At the mention of a dungeon, Thalia's eyes lit up. She instantly remembered the thrill of instantly killing the Irritable Rabbit; that feeling was quite addictive.
"Okay, then, Brother, I'm going to sleep."
"Good night."
"Good night."
The two wished each other good night and returned to their rooms.
Back in his room, Vincent couldn't sleep. He was still staring at his panel, analyzing his new profession. It seemed his coefficients were changing based on his employees' professions. Thalia's MP bar had been replaced by an energy bar, but his own MP bar still existed, proving that the coefficients for mana and spirit hadn't been influenced yet.
Vincent performed a mental calculation. For an Epic professional, the lowest sub-attribute coefficient was 4—almost the same as an ordinary professional's main attribute. The main attribute amplification coefficient was an astounding 20.
He could easily prove it using Thalia's stats: Her attack power was 695. With 30 Agility, a coefficient of 20 meant 30 x 20 = 600. Her 10 Strength and 10 Constitution, with a coefficient of 4, added 40 each. Add the 15 base attack from her level, and it was exactly 695. The formula held true for him as well.
This was just one employee. If he had more, and other coefficients were also increased… Vincent secretly clicked his tongue. He couldn't even imagine how strong he'd become.
At midnight, a "ding-dong" notification startled him. He saw a line of text:
[Starting yesterday's income settlement now]
[You recruited one new employee today. The employee's Professional and their skills have been instantly shared with you. No separate settlement will be made this time.]
[Your employee 'Thalia' killed 1 dungeon monster yesterday, gaining 102 experience points.]
[Total income yesterday: 102 experience points]
[Enterprise Reputation: 0]
[Income Rating: F]
[Comment: Please continue to work hard, motivate employees, and create more value for the enterprise (Boss)!]
The panel updated again: [Experience points + 102]. Vincent's eyes lit up. He knew professionals needed 10,000 experience points to reach Level 1, and a single monster usually only gave around 100 points. It could take months to reach Level 10. But he could share his employees' income. If he had a hundred employees… Vincent's eyes flickered intensely. He finally understood why his profession was called Boss.
He tossed and turned in bed, falling into a happy dilemma. He had to find a way to get more employees, but how could he hide himself while recruiting them?