The words from the Centaur Clan were steeped in mockery. On Veridian, the vast majority of dungeon records were held by other races, making humans feel like guests in their own home. It was a constant, stinging humiliation. In that moment, the faces of the human Professionals were a picture of simmering resentment, a grim and uncomfortable silence hanging in the air.
A young Mage, his shoulders squared in defiance, could no longer contain his frustration. "Their names haven't even appeared yet! How can you be so certain they're your clan?" he challenged, his voice tight with frustration. "What if it's really a human team and you end up embarrassing yourselves?"
A thunderous, mocking laugh erupted from the Centaur next to Quita. "Hahahaha! Do you humans even believe that yourselves?"
The laughter made the humans grit their teeth in quiet fury, but they had no words to offer in response. The entrance to the Tier 0 Rabbit Paradise Dungeon was a familiar sight for the students and locals of Iron Tooth City. They knew that their most powerful Professionals typically came from the city's prestigious schools, and they also knew that recently, not a single student had awakened a powerful Profession capable of such a feat. It was an unspoken, collective understanding that no team from the entire city could possibly break a Difficult Dungeon speedrun record. The math simply didn't work out.
Yet the record was broken.
So, if not a human team, then who else could it be?
Grim-faced and defeated, the human Professionals stood in silence, unable to offer any kind of rebuttal. The Centaurs, seeing their victory, laughed even more wildly, their powerful bodies shaking with mirth. They basked openly in the pleasure of their superiority, a daily ritual of suppressing the hope of the human race.
Just then, a shout pierced through the tense silence. "They're out!"
All eyes—both human and Centaur—shot up to the glowing panel above the dungeon entrance. The screen flickered, and a new line of bold, definitive text appeared for the world to see.
[Clearance Team: Paradise. Clearance Members: Boss, Hill]
A wave of confusion rippled through the crowd. "Boss? Hill?" The names were simple, modern, and clearly codenames. Was this a strategic move by a Centaur team to mock them further? The uncertainty left everyone puzzled. The question of race, human or Centaur, hung heavy in the air.
But just as they were mulling over the cryptic names, someone else noticed the crucial detail. "Wait a minute… they cleared it with two people!" The voice was loud, filled with shock, and the crowd collectively realized the truth.
"Holy crap, it's true!" The sound of gasps and incredulous whispers swept through the square. "Two people cleared a Difficult Dungeon? And they broke the speedrun record?"
The sheer audacity of the feat was almost unbelievable. Everyone present had experienced the brutal reality of a Difficult Dungeon. They were aptly named; a full, five-person team of experienced Professionals would find it a near-impossible challenge. The monsters boasted exceptionally high HP, attacks, defense, and speed—a single mistake could result in a total party wipe. Many low-level Professionals could barely survive a few waves before being forced to retreat. And yet, this anonymous team of two had not only conquered it but had done so with unprecedented speed.
"It can't be Kamulu and Prier," a Centaur said, breaking the collective stupor. "They may be ExcellentProfessionals, but they just awakened. The possibility of them clearing a Difficult Dungeon with two people is not high." His gaze, like that of his peers, lingered on the two-person team. "I know who it is! It's Quinn and Samor!"
A wave of murmurs and excited nods spread through the Centaur group. The name seemed to be the perfect answer. "Yes! It must be them!" they agreed, their faces brightening with renewed confidence. "Those two brothers are always together, and they don't like to team up with others. They awakened two months ago and are almost Level 10 now."
"One of them is a tank, the other a ranged archer," a Centaur with a gleaming breastplate announced to the surrounding human crowd. He puffed out his chest, as if personally responsible for their success. "If they teamed up, it is indeed possible to break the Difficult Dungeon record! It has to be them!" The Centaurs laughed louder than before, their previous mockery now replaced with an almost religious certainty. "Seriously, without a sound, two people teamed up and broke the Difficult Dungeon record. That sounds like those guys' style."
It was a subtle, condescending form of showboating—'Look at our endless supply of talent. We have a new team for every record broken.' The human Professionals' faces, which had momentarily lit up with hope, soured once more. The Centaur clan seemed to have a new, endless supply of rising stars, while humans had none. In the last six months, Iron Fang City hadn't produced a single Excellent Professional.
But just as the Centaurs' confidence reached a fever pitch, a female PriestProfessional stepped forward, her calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the chaos. "Are you so sure they're from your clan?" she asked, her voice clear and strong. "Look at the team name above 'Paradise.' That name sounds exactly like the style of our Emberlyn Professionals."
She pointed to the codenames. "And 'Boss' and 'Hill'? Those are full of modern, Emberlyn style. When did your Centaur Clan start using names like that?"
Her words hit like a bolt of lightning. The human Professionals were stunned, and they quickly looked up at the screen once more. Their eyes widened as they re-examined the glowing text.
She was right! 'Paradise,' 'Boss,' 'Hill.' They all sounded like something a human would come up with. The previous record-breaking team from the Centaur Clan, the Holy Light Canyon Knights, had a name that was clearly from their homeworld, a sign of pride in their heritage. Other Centaur teams had equally distinct names like Block Blade Squad or Ramsey's Wolf Team. Their naming conventions were vastly different from the casual, modern names used by humans on Veridian. The human Professionals had been holding back a bellyful of frustration, and this tiny detail ignited a desperate hope.
A Centaur scoffed, though his expression had shifted. "Who says that using those words means they're human? Can you humans even produce two Excellent Professionals at the same time? Do you yourselves believe it?"
For a time, the area in front of the dungeon became a tense arena of debate. Humans argued with a fervent, long-suppressed hope, while Centaurs, their confidence shaken but not broken, insisted it was impossible for humans to have achieved such a feat.
…
Vincent and Thalia were completely oblivious to the fierce debate happening outside. In their isolated pocket of the dungeon, they were busy tallying their spoils. Most importantly, after receiving the speedrun reward, a blinding white light erupted from their bodies, and a feeling of immense, invigorating power coursed through their veins.
[Your level has increased.]
They both gasped, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at their respective panels. The numbers were staggering.
Thalia: [Fixed Attribute Points +10, Free Attribute Points +10]
Vincent: [Fixed Attribute Points +20, Free Attribute Points +20]
"Brother, my... my points," Thalia whispered, her voice filled with awe. Her body felt lighter, more powerful than ever. A rush of adrenaline and pure joy coursed through her.
Vincent's mind was reeling. He had expected to level up, but not like this. A normal Professional at their level would only receive 5 points per level. He had received four times that amount, and Thalia had received double. The gap between them and ordinary Professionals wasn't just in their awakened professions; it was in the fundamental mechanics of their leveling. Each fixed point was a permanent boost to their core stats, and the free points were a strategic boon. This meant their growth would be exponential, widening the gap with every passing day.
But the notifications weren't over. Another line of text appeared on his panel, a line that made his heart leap.
[Your employee 'Thalia' has leveled up and can be settled tonight to share the income obtained by this employee.]
Vincent's breath hitched. He had thought being a Boss meant only hiring and managing. But "share the income"? It meant his profession was a symbiotic machine; he would directly benefit from his employees' hard work. This was the true core of his profession. He wasn't just a leader; he was an investor, a manager, and a beneficiary, all rolled into one. His plans, which he had so carefully laid out, were now irrelevant. The potential of his Boss's profession was far, far greater than he had ever imagined.