Three days of dungeon grinding had pushed them both to the Prep Phase level cap.
Riri stood in her penthouse at 5:30 AM, the city still dark outside her windows, and pulled up her Status screen.
[Riri Lee - Level 20 | Class: Beast Tamer (Unique - SSS)][HP: 844/844 | MP: 1,680/1,680 | Stamina: 546/546][Combat Power: 14,293][Strength: 62 | Agility: 247 (+8 Vesper) | Constitution: 73][Intelligence: 156 | Wisdom: 47 (+12 Vermillion) | Charisma: 178 | Luck: 25]
Level 20. Maximum progression for Training Dungeons. The System wouldn't award experience from E-Rank content anymore. Everything from here until Mandatory Missions started would be about gear optimization and credit farming.
Her companions had grown with her.
[Loki - Level 15 - ELITE | HP: 1,180/1,180 | Combat Power: 3,847][Vesper - Level 12 | HP: 380/380 | Combat Power: 1,564][Vermillion - Swarm Collective - Level 14-15 | HP: 1,680/1,680 | Combat Power: 2,891]
Combined, they added over eight thousand Combat Power to her total. Loki's Pack Coordination stacked with her Beast Tamer bonuses for devastating burst damage. Vesper's Shadow Meld let the fox scout boss rooms without triggering encounters. Vermillion's HP Transfer had saved them from using consumables in six separate close calls.
Nineteen dungeons cleared with Samael. All S-Rank. Zero deaths.
Riri dismissed her Status screen and turned her attention to the rewards she'd been saving.
The Luxury Lottery Ticket from three days ago sat in her inventory, untouched. She'd been waiting until she hit level cap.
And the S-Tier Weapon Coupon from the same quest.
She pulled out the Luxury Lottery Ticket first. The golden card shimmered in her palm. She tore it in half.
Golden light exploded upward, forming the massive wheel. System #2's interface manifested beside it, vibrating with excitement.
[LUXURY LOTTERY ACTIVATED!]
The wheel spun. Sections blurred past—SSS-Rank weapons, reality-bending skills, legendary armor sets. It slowed gradually, ticking through options. Then stopped.
[SSS-RANK: SYSTEM CREDIT JACKPOT][CONGRATULATIONS! You have won: 1,000,000 System Credits!][Current Total Credits: 1,059,634]
[OH MY GOSH HOST! Do you know how rare the Credit Jackpot is?! You can buy ANYTHING! ♡]
Riri dismissed the notification and pulled out the S-Tier Weapon Coupon.
The System Shop materialized, premium catalog glowing. She filtered by weapon type: Daggers.
[Crimson Fang - S-Tier Dagger][Attack: +67 | Durability: 500/500][Special: Hemorrhage - Inflicts 50 Bleed damage per second for 3 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.][Special: Blood-Bound - Returns to wielder's hand if thrown. Cooldown: 1 second.]
Perfect.
[Crimson Fang obtained]
The dagger materialized in her hand. Longer blade than her previous weapons, curved slightly, edge sharp enough that looking at it felt dangerous. The metal was dark red, almost black, with veins of brighter crimson running through it like captured blood.
She gave it an experimental spin. The weight was perfect.
Level 20. Max gear. Over a million credits. Three companions at peak Prep Phase strength.
Red Cult Altar's entrance was marked by a circle of standing stones in the warehouse district's eastern edge. The Gate pulsed between them, sickly purple light instead of the usual gold.
[Red Cult Altar - Training Dungeon - Rank D][Recommended Level: 15-20][Warning: Undead enemy types. Life Drain mechanics present.]
Riri arrived at 6:20 AM. The standing stones were empty. No tall figure in dark tactical gear.
She was actually first for once.
Loki settled beside her. Vesper perched on her shoulder. Vermillion circled overhead.
Footsteps approached from the south. Multiple sets. Heavy boots. Loud conversation.
Four men emerged from between warehouses, all carrying gear that looked expensive but poorly maintained. Their System numbers floated above their heads, all in the seven-digit range.
They spotted Riri and stopped. Their gazes tracked from her face down to her companions, then back up to the golden "2" above her head.
One of them, tall and broad-shouldered with a battle axe, whistled low. "Well, well. System #2. Didn't think we'd run into royalty this morning."
His tone carried an edge.
Loki's hackles rose. A low growl rumbled from his throat.
"Pretty thing like you shouldn't be standing around alone in the warehouse district," another one said. Shorter, wiry, daggers at his belt. His gaze lingered too long on her face. "Dangerous area."
"I'm fine," Riri said flatly. "Thanks for the concern."
"Are you though?" Battle-axe guy stepped closer. "Because it looks like you're waiting for someone. Maybe we could keep you company."
Vesper's eyes went from obsidian to something darker. The fox's lips pulled back from needle-sharp teeth.
Vermillion's collective consciousness pulsed through the bond. Not concern. Homicidal intent. The six butterflies' wings began glowing faint crimson.
"I said I'm fine." Riri's hand drifted toward Crimson Fang's grip. "And my companions agree."
"Companions can be handled." Dagger-guy grinned. "We've got a Beast Tamer in our guild. Pets aren't as scary as people think."
Loki took one step forward, positioning himself between Riri and the four men.
Battle-axe raised his hands in mock surrender. "Easy there. We're just being friendly. No need for—"
"She told you to leave."
The voice came from behind the four men. Low. Cold. Textured like grinding stone.
All four went rigid.
Samael stepped into view from between the standing stones. His dark eyes were fixed on the four men with absolute zero warmth. The crimson "1" above his head pulsed like a warning light.
Combat Power: 18,947.
Battle-axe guy's face went pale. "We were just—"
"Leaving," Samael finished.
The four men looked at his Combat Power display, then at each other. They left. Fast. Nearly tripping over themselves.
Silence settled over the standing stones.
Riri let out a slow breath. "Thanks for the interference."
Samael's gaze shifted to her. The cold calculation softened fractionally. "They were a problem."
"My pets were about to test the respawn rule outside of a Dungeon Gate." She gestured to her companions. Loki's hackles were still raised. Vesper looked ready to shadow-step into someone's throat. Vermillion continued to glow with barely-restrained violence.
Something changed in Samael's expression. His jaw tightened, then loosened. The corner of his mouth twitched.
Then he huffed a laugh—quiet, almost silent, but genuine.
And smirked.
The expression transformed his face. Sharp angles became somehow more attractive, dark eyes catching light in ways that made her pulse kick up for reasons that had nothing to do with combat adrenaline.
That smirk was a weapon. A danger to all women and their panties.
"Your companions have good instincts," Samael said, apparently unaware he'd just caused critical damage to her composure. "The respawn rule is untested outside Gates. Would've been educational."
He was joking. System #1's host, the apex predator, was making jokes.
"Educational," Riri repeated, trying to get her brain back online. "Right."
His smirk lingered for another second before fading back to his usual neutral expression. But something had shifted. The cold distance he usually maintained had cracked slightly.
"Ready?" he asked, turning toward the Gate.
Riri nodded, not trusting her voice yet.
They stepped through the purple light together.
The dungeon's atmosphere hit her immediately. Cold, damp, wrong. The entrance tunnel was carved from black stone, walls covered in symbols that hurt to look at directly.
[Entering: Red Cult Altar (Training Dungeon - Rank D)][Warning: Undead creatures drain life force on contact]
"Two-player clear," Samael said, already moving forward. "Standard formation. Your companions handle adds, I manage priority targets."
"Got it."
But something was different. The usual clinical distance in his tone had softened. Not gone. Just less pronounced.
They moved through the first tunnel, Loki taking point, Vesper scouting ahead. Vermillion circled overhead.
Samael walked beside Riri. Not ahead leading. Not behind protecting. Beside.
And when they reached a narrow section, his hand touched her back—light pressure, guiding her through the gap before a pressure plate could trigger.
"Trap there," he said. "Step left."
She did. His hand stayed for half a second longer than necessary before withdrawing.
They cleared the first mob pack—skeletal warriors that crumbled under coordinated assault. Loki crushed bone. Vesper's claws found weak points. Vermillion drained the animating life force, leaving dust.
Samael eliminated the Elite at the pack's center with a single kinetic compression.
[Enemy Defeated: Skeletal Champion - Level 18 - ELITE]
"Your new dagger," he said, nodding toward Crimson Fang. "S-Tier?"
"From the weapon coupon. Bleed stacks five times."
"Efficient choice. The return function prevents disarming mechanics."
They moved deeper. Conversation came easier—tactical observations, companion positioning, optimal engagement ranges. Small touches continued. His hand on her shoulder when he needed her attention. Fingers brushing her arm when pointing out environmental hazards.
Nothing inappropriate. Just present. Comfortable.
At one point, Vesper shadow-stepped directly onto Samael's shoulder—something the fox had never done before. The small creature gave a sharp yip, almost playful, then disappeared before Samael could react.
He blinked, caught off-guard. "Your fox is—"
"Teasing you," Riri finished, unable to suppress a smile. "Vesper does that when he likes someone."
"He?"
"Gender-neutral until proven otherwise, but 'he' feels right."
Samael nodded slowly. His gaze tracked to where Vesper had reappeared on a nearby statue, obsidian eyes gleaming with what looked suspiciously like amusement.
Even Loki had stopped treating Samael like a potential threat. The massive wolf walked beside him without tension, occasionally glancing up as if checking that System #1's host was still positioned correctly.
And Vermillion—the swarm that had pulsed homicidal intent toward those four men—now circled both Riri and Samael in protective patterns. Guarding them equally.
They reached the altar chamber where the Cult Leader waited.
Samael's hand brushed her lower back one more time—steadying, reassuring, present.
The boss roared. Combat began.