Riri's alarm went off at 5:15 AM.
She silenced it before the second chime, already awake. She pulled up her Status screen in the pre-dawn darkness.
[Riri Lee - Level 14 | Class: Beast Tamer (Unique - SSS)][HP: 596/596 | MP: 1,020/1,020 | Stamina: 378/378][Status Effects: None]
Nothing. Clean across the board.
But Samael didn't strike her as someone who made unfounded claims. If he said the Queen had recognized her specifically, he'd observed something concrete.
She dismissed the screen and rolled out of bed. The penthouse was dark except for city lights filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows. Loki raised his head from the foot of her bed, amber eyes tracking her movement. Vesper materialized on the dresser, already awake despite never seeming to actually sleep. Vermillion's six butterflies rested on the windowsill, wings folded, the collective consciousness dormant but present through the bond.
"Morning," Riri said quietly.
Loki's tail thumped once against expensive sheets. Vesper's ears swiveled forward. Vermillion pulsed acknowledgment without opening their wings.
Forty-five minutes before she needed to leave.
The shower was quick, five minutes of hot water that did nothing to settle the restless energy under her skin. She dressed in the Shadow-Weave set, the torn shoulder from yesterday's larva strike already self-repaired by the fabric's enchantment. The Queen's Chitin Plate went on over it, settling across her torso with comfortable weight.
Riri checked her inventory while braiding her hair back. Three Greater Health Potions. Two Mana Potions. The respirator Samael had given her, kept despite having enough credits to buy ten replacements.
The Rat Fang Dagger had finally broken during the Queen fight, durability hitting zero mid-combat. She'd replaced it with a Basic Iron Blade from the System Shop.
[Basic Iron Blade | Attack: +18 | Durability: 50/50]
A downgrade from the Rat Fang's bleed effect, but serviceable. She strapped it to her thigh, tested the draw. Smooth.
System #2's interface bloomed in her vision.
[Good morning, Host! New Daily Quest available!][Quest: Speed Demon - Collapsed Mine Edition][Objective: Clear Collapsed Mine (Rank E) with S-Rank rating in under 40 minutes][Reward: S-Tier Weapon Coupon x1, Luxury Lottery Ticket x1][Accept? Y/N]
An S-Tier Weapon Coupon meant premium Shop inventory. Another Luxury Lottery Ticket meant another guaranteed SSS-Rank pull.
She pressed YES.
[Quest Accepted! Timer will begin upon dungeon entry. Good luck, Host! ♡]
Forty minutes. With Samael's Combat Power, it might be doable.
5:47 AM.
Riri pulled on her boots and headed for the elevator. Loki padded beside her, Vesper perched on her shoulder, Vermillion trailing in loose formation.
The lobby was empty, automated systems handling all functions during off-hours. Outside, the city was still dark. Streetlights cast orange pools across empty sidewalks. The air smelled like rain that hadn't fallen yet.
Collapsed Mine was three miles northeast. She pushed the pace.
Her boots ate pavement in long strides, breath steady, Loki loping beside her with ease. Vesper shadow-stepped ahead periodically, scouting the route. Vermillion kept pace overhead, six bodies moving in perfect synchronization.
The industrial sector emerged from the darkness, warehouses and factory complexes that had been repurposed as dungeon staging areas. Collapsed Mine's entrance was marked by a chain-link fence surrounding an old quarry pit, the golden barrier stretched across its mouth.
5:52 AM.
A figure stood beside the barrier.
Tall. Dark tactical gear. Perfectly still.
Samael turned as she approached. His gaze tracked her pace, then dropped to check the time in his interface.
"You're early," he said.
"So are you."
His attention moved to her companions. Loki first, assessing the wolf's size and posture. Then Vesper. Then Vermillion circling overhead.
"Your swarm recovered."
"Fully." Riri gestured to the barrier. "Ready?"
"Objectives?"
She hesitated. Telling him about the Daily Quest meant revealing System #2's advantages. But if they were forming a partnership based on efficiency, he'd need to know the time constraint.
"I have a quest. S-Rank clear in under forty minutes."
"Reward?"
"S-Tier Weapon Coupon and Luxury Lottery Ticket."
"Acceptable motivation." He turned toward the barrier. "Standard route is fifty-two minutes for coordinated two-Player teams. We'll need to cut twelve minutes."
"How?"
"Skip optional encounters. Use your companions for crowd control while I handle boss mechanics." He pulled up his interface, studying something she couldn't see. "The final boulder sequence requires simultaneous weight plate activation. I'll take north plate, you take south. Timing window is three seconds."
"That's tight."
"Your Agility is sufficient." His gaze dropped to her stat display, visible through party interface. "You can cross the thirty-foot gap in under two seconds."
He'd been paying attention. Closely.
"What about the golem patrols?" Riri asked.
"I'll eliminate priority targets. Your swarm drains stragglers. The wolf tanks if necessary, but optimal strategy avoids prolonged engagement." His tone stayed clinical, factual. "Questions?"
"Just one." She met his eyes. "Why does an S-Tier weapon matter to you? Your Combat Power is already at twelve thousand."
"It doesn't. But your clear time matters."
"Why?"
His jaw tightened fractionally. "Efficiency."
The barrier pulsed, ready for entry. 5:56 AM.
"Timer starts when we enter," Riri said. "Forty minutes from activation."
Samael nodded once and stepped toward the golden light.
Riri followed. The barrier accepted them both, warmth washing over her skin as they crossed the threshold, and then the quarry's cold hit all at once.
[Entering: Collapsed Mine (Training Dungeon - Rank E)][Party Size: 2 | Recommended Level: 3-6][Daily Quest Timer: ACTIVATED][Time Remaining: 40:00]