Chapter 5: Reward Distribution

"Looks like the trouble's been handled." Zhong Yan turned to look at the trio from Cunning Hares, who were still reeling from the shock of witnessing his overwhelming power.

The moment his gaze landed on them, all three tensed up instinctively. Thankfully, he didn't show any signs of hostility, and they were able to breathe a bit easier.

"Miss Nicole," Zhong Yan said calmly, "as agreed, once you retrieve the payment from the Investigation Association, we'll divide the funds eighty-twenty. That was the original deal."

Before the operation began, Zhong Yan had made this agreement with Nicole: he would receive 80% of the reward, and Cunning Hares would receive the remaining 20%.

Honestly, while that division seemed highly unbalanced on paper, it was quite generous considering that Cunning Hares hadn't actually contributed to the fight.

After all, the bounty for eliminating a giant Ethereal issued by the Investigation Association was a whopping 30 million Denny.

Their 20% cut—6 million Denny—was already several months' worth of earnings for them. If they couldn't be satisfied with that, they really had no one to blame for running a deficit month after month.

"Eighty-twenty, huh... Uchiha, don't you think that's a bit unfair?" Nicole, after thinking things through, questioned their original arrangement. "I mean, the three of us almost died in there because you were late. Doesn't that warrant a little adjustment?"

She held up five fingers with a grin. "How about a fifty-fifty split?"

Fifty-fifty—15 million Denny. That was equivalent to a year, or even several years', worth of income for the Cunning Hares.

With a leader bold enough to propose that, it was no wonder their organization had one of the highest complaint rates on the entire Stringer Network. No serious faction wanted to deal with them.

"I refuse." Zhong Yan rejected the proposal without a moment's hesitation. "If any of you had injuries or signs of Ethereal corruption, I might've considered it. But it's clear you're just physically tired—nothing more."

At his words, Nicole instantly turned toward Anby, who responded with perfect comedic timing. She dropped to the ground dramatically and groaned, "Ugh, I feel so awful... I'm being corrupted by Ether! I'm turning into a monster... awooo... awooo..."

Zhong Yan: "..."

"That might fool an idiot," he muttered, rubbing his temples, "but do you really take me for one?"

Nicole offered an embarrassed chuckle. She had forgotten that Anby was terrible at acting—her over-the-top delivery made it painfully obvious she was faking it.

Still, Zhong Yan didn't completely shut down the idea. As a player, he had a genuine fondness for Cunning Hares—or rather, a soft spot for Anby.

After a brief pause, he relented slightly. "Seventy-thirty. Not a Denny more."

"Deal!" Nicole agreed immediately, her eyes lighting up.

Even an extra 10%—3 million Denny—was an excellent bonus. If the legendary Hollow Raider himself was willing to throw them a bone, they'd be fools not to take it.

"By the way," Nicole suddenly asked, "have you really never considered working with Cunning Hares on a deeper level?"

Before they'd teamed up, Zhong Yan had made it clear—no matter the outcome, this was a one-time collaboration. Once complete, they'd part ways with no future contact.

That had always been his rule.

The reason was simple: if he formed a long-term alliance with any group or individual, they'd inevitably draw the attention of the authorities. And if that happened, his identity could be exposed.

To preserve his mystique—and prevent anyone from uncovering his background—Zhong Yan always kept his distance.

It was also for their protection. Given how often he made enemies, it wouldn't be surprising if someone tried to hurt those close to him for revenge.

Day-to-day interactions were fine. He could maintain those under his public persona of Zhong Yan.

So, when the moment passed, he firmly declined Nicole's offer. "That won't be necessary. And before you think about that, you should probably figure out how you're going to explain how you killed a giant Ethereal to the Association."

The Hollow Investigation Association was well aware of Cunning Hares's strength. For them to suddenly take on a high-level mission and complete it flawlessly? That would raise a lot of red flags.

If they couldn't explain it properly, the Association might launch a deeper investigation. If a connection to Uchiha was discovered, not only would they lose the reward—they could be arrested for aiding a wanted Hollow Raider.

Fortunately, Nicole had the connections—and the charisma—to handle that kind of trouble. If she didn't, Zhong Yan never would've risked working with them in the first place.

"As expected of the Legendary Hollow Raider," Nicole murmured, her tone laced with awe. "You're exactly as the rumors say."

This mysterious figure had even managed to evade the full might of New Eridu's security forces. Compared to that, Cunning Hares was nothing.

Having completed the mission and secured their payment, they'd already achieved more than they could've hoped for. Pushing their luck further would only annoy him.

After a moment's thought, Nicole nodded. "Alright then. We'll meet at the designated spot for the Denny exchange. I'll have someone handle the laundering."

Zhong Yan gave a slight nod, said nothing more, and in the blink of an eye, his right eye shimmered—then a vortex opened, swallowing him whole as he vanished from sight.

Not long after his departure, the Investigation Association arrived, conducting a brief interview with Nicole and her crew.

Thanks to her connections and silver tongue, she managed to fabricate a convincing account of the Ethereal's defeat.

And with that, the full 30 million Denny reward landed safely in her hands.

The collaboration between Cunning Hares and Uchiha had come to a smooth and successful end.