Chapter 2Spatial Magic

The four men wouldn't look at me. Some stared at the marble tiles, others clutched their wounds and whined, but none dared to meet my eyes.

"Look, Val... we are in pretty bad shape. Medical supplies are going to cost us a fortune..."

One of them, a bulky guy nicknamed Jax, mumbled, his voice shrinking like a coward.

"Stop right there." I tapped the holographic screen on my wrist.

"You signed a soul contract before I went in. Two hundred Credit deposit, eight hundred upon delivery. Pay up. Stop wasting my time."

"Oh please, Val! We were all dragged into this nightmare game from the real world. Why do you have to push them to the brink?"

Daisy bit her lip again, keeping her arms wide as if protecting them from a dragon. Her big, doe eyes were full of judgment.

"It is hard enough out here. How about this? I will make the call for them. They will each give you a five hundred Credit tip. You hardly used any energy opening that door anyway. Just treat it as your good deed for the week."

The surrounding crowd nodded vigorously, murmuring about how Daisy's compromise was perfectly reasonable.

I actually laughed out loud.

"You will make the call for them? Who made you queen of the slums? It is incredibly easy to be a saint when you are spending someone else's money."

I locked eyes with Daisy, my voice dropping to absolute zero.

"I have heard of paying debts with gratitude. I have never heard of demanding the rescuer eat the cost of energy and lifelines. What, is my life not worth anything? Does my mana just fall from the sky?"

"Valerie, watch your mouth!" Gideon intervened, his face darkening to play the hero.

"Daisy is looking out for the community. Don't burn your bridges. We are all stuck in this game together. You do not want to make enemies out of everyone."

"Enemies?"

I let out a sharp sneer. I raised my hand and clenched my fingers violently in the empty air.

A sickening tearing sound echoed through the Hub. A jagged, pitch-black rift ripped open right behind me.

A howling, freezing gale blasted out from the void, carrying the blood-curdling screeches of the abyssal horrors lurking on the other side.

It was the exact SSS-Tier death zone they had just escaped from.

The color instantly drained from the faces of the four survivors on the floor. They scrambled backward in sheer terror.

"Don't want to pay the balance? No problem." I pointed at the swirling vortex of destruction.

"Your two hundred deposit only covered the trip from the boss room to this exact spot. Since the balance is too steep, I will offer premium customer service and put you right back where I found you."

"You wouldn't dare!" Daisy shrieked, tears instantly spilling down her cheeks on command. "How can you be so barbaric!"

"Barbaric?" I took a step forward, my amber eyes drilling into hers.

"Sweetheart, isn't your free rescue alliance supposed to be top tier? I really don't mind throwing you in there with them. You can give everyone a live demonstration of how a free extraction works."

The violent winds from the rift whipped Daisy's pristine dress around. Staring into a void that looked ready to devour the world, all the blood vanished from her face.

Without her shielding them, the four men completely lost their nerve.

"I'll transfer it! I'm paying right now!"

"Val, don't do it! Please close the door!"

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

Four crisp chimes rang out from my system interface.

Seeing the additional three thousand two hundred Credits hit my account, I clapped my hands together. The terrifying rift snapped shut in an instant.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

I raised an eyebrow, not bothering to waste another glance at the pathetic lot, and turned toward the VIP lounge area.

The trust was gone. This business was dead.

I had saved up more than enough anyway. It was time to wash my hands of this mess and enjoy a very early retirement.

But before my boot could even cross the threshold of the lounge, the system bracelet clamped to my wrist began vibrating violently.

A blood-red notification forced its way onto my retina display.

[Alert: Player 'Valerie' has triggered the Weekly Mandatory Raid requirement. The System is now matching you with a party...]

I frowned.

I was planning to just breeze through a low-tier zone for this week's quota. Why the hell was it forcing a match?

A split second later, the roster of my new teammates materialized.

Slot one: Daisy.

Followed immediately by Gideon, and the four cheapskates who had just tried to scam me out of my fee.

Before I could even process the absurdity, the teleportation array beneath my boots exploded into a blinding crimson light.