"Hold the extractor at a forty-five-degree angle—not steeper, not shallower," instructed Excavation Master Jorrin, watching Alexander's technique with a critical eye. "Apply steady pressure until you feel the first yer give way, then immediately reduce by half. Too much force and you'll shatter the entire specimen."

  Alexander adjusted his grip on the tool, feeling the subtle vibration as the specialized extractor bit into the amber. The morning sun cast long shadows across the excavation site as the team gathered for their formal training in amber mining techniques.

  Jorrin was a weathered man with amber dust permanently embedded in the creases of his hands. His eyes, a startling amber color themselves, missed nothing as he supervised their work.

  "Not bad for a first attempt," he acknowledged as Alexander successfully freed a small portion of amber containing what appeared to be an ancient leaf. "Most newcomers fracture their first dozen specimens before getting it right."

  Elijah was next, approaching a medium-sized deposit with cautious hands. When his fingers touched the amber surface, something unexpected happened—the specimen seemed to brighten from within, the preserved insect becoming more clearly visible.

  Jorrin stared. "That's... unusual. Try another one."

  Elijah moved to a different specimen, and again, the amber responded to his touch, internal details sharpening as if coming into focus.

  "In fifteen years of instruction, I've never seen amber respond that way," Jorrin said, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

  "Maybe it likes me," Elijah said with a slight smile, though Alexander recognized his brother was deflecting attention from yet another unexpined ability.

  Riva approached her assigned deposit with typical directness. Her first attempt was too forceful, creating a spiderweb of cracks across the surface.

  "Gentler," Jorrin advised. "Think of it as precision combat, not brute force."

  Riva nodded, adjusting her approach. On her second attempt, she managed a clean extraction, her combat-trained muscles providing the perfect combination of strength and control once properly calibrated.

  "Now you," Jorrin said, turning to Lyra with obvious skepticism. Her small frame didn't suggest the strength typically needed for extraction work.

  Lyra examined the tools in the standard kit, then set them aside. Instead, she retrieved several items from her inventory and quickly assembled what looked like a modified extraction device with a more eborate pressure distribution system.

  "What are you doing?" Jorrin asked, frowning. "The standard tools are—"

  "Inefficient for specimens with internal stress fractures," Lyra finished for him, positioning her device over a particurly complex amber deposit that Jorrin hadn't even assigned to them yet. "This should allow for more controlled vibration dispersion."

  Before Jorrin could protest, Lyra activated her device. The amber separated cleanly from the surrounding matrix, revealing a perfectly preserved cluster of ancient flowers with not even a microscopic crack.

  Jorrin's mouth opened, then closed. "Where did you learn that technique?"

  "It's just basic engineering principles," Lyra said with a shrug, though Alexander noticed a momentary flicker of confusion in her eyes, as if she herself wasn't entirely sure how she knew.

  By midday, Alexander had developed a rotation system that maximized their team's efficiency. Elijah would identify and initially touch specimens, using his strange resonance ability to reveal their internal structures. Riva would handle the rger, more physically demanding extractions. Lyra would tackle the most delicate specimens with her modified tools, and Alexander would coordinate their efforts while maintaining their inventory and cssification system.

  "Css Three amber has the highest enhancement potential," Alexander expined as they organized their growing collection. "According to the Game's cssification guide, the darker the color, the more powerful the preservation properties."

  Young apprentice miners began to gather around their work area, watching with undisguised curiosity as the team extracted specimens at a rate that surpassed even veteran miners.

  "How are you doing that?" one of them asked Lyra as she delicately removed a perfect specimen containing a small lizard. "We've been trying to extract that piece for days without shattering it."

  "Vibration control is key," she expined, demonstrating a modification to the standard extractor. "See how I've added this dampening coil? It redistributes force across the entire contact surface instead of concentrating it at a single point."

  Alexander exchanged a gnce with Elijah as they listened. The technical specificity of Lyra's expnation went well beyond improvised survival skills. This was advanced engineering knowledge—the kind taught in Privileged-css technical academies, not something typically avaible in Unaligned territories.

  During a water break, Riva was characteristically direct. "Where'd you learn all this tech stuff anyway, Lyra? Doesn't seem like something you'd pick up in Sector 17."

  Lyra took a long drink before answering. "You learn to make do with what you have when resources are limited. Improvisation becomes second nature."

  The answer was pusible but vague. Alexander noted how she avoided specifics while sounding perfectly reasonable—a skill in itself.

  By te afternoon, a group of more experienced pyers had taken notice of their operation. Their leader, a tall woman with the hardened look of someone who had survived multiple floors, approached Alexander.

  "Your extraction efficiency is impressive for newcomers," she said without preamble. "We have information about prime excavation sites in the eastern quadrant. Would be interested in a knowledge exchange?"

  Alexander considered the offer. "What specifically are you looking for?"

  "Your tool modifications," she replied, nodding toward Lyra's workstation. "We've never seen that approach before."

  A trade was negotiated—location data for technique sharing. As Lyra demonstrated her methods to the rival team, Alexander updated their map with the new information.

  Elijah joined him, speaking quietly. "Her tools shouldn't exist, Alex. Not with the materials avaible on this floor."

  "I know," Alexander replied in an equally low voice. "But without her, we wouldn't be progressing at this rate. Whatever her story is, she's chosen to help us."

  "I'm not questioning her loyalty," Elijah crified. "I'm just wondering what else we don't know."

  Their conversation was interrupted as Jorrin approached with an official-looking data crystal.

  "In twenty years of training new excavation teams, I've never awarded master certification on the first day," he said gruffly. "But your methods are... exceptional. This grants you access to the premium excavation zones deeper in the quarry."

  Alexander accepted the crystal, feeling a surge of satisfaction. Despite the questions surrounding Lyra, their team was functioning better than ever since his decision to stand against Marcus on Floor 12. That choice had shifted something fundamental in their dynamic—they weren't just following him because of his name anymore.

  As evening approached, they gathered to test the enhancement properties of their collected specimens. Lyra had prepared a small amber fusion station from materials in her inventory, carefully heating a Css Three specimen until it became malleable.

  "The resin bonds with equipment at a molecur level," she expined, applying the amber to the edge of Riva's bde. The weapon absorbed the material, the metal taking on a subtle amber sheen. "It should increase durability without sacrificing flexibility."

  Riva tested the modified weapon against a testing block, her eyebrows rising in appreciation as the bde cut through with noticeably less resistance.

  "We should prioritize weapon enhancements first, then defensive gear," Alexander suggested, already mentally calcuting the optimal distribution of their amber resources. "If we maintain this extraction rate, we can have everyone fully upgraded before tackling the preservation maze."

  As the team prepared for their second night on Floor 13, Alexander couldn't help reflecting on how quickly they'd mastered what should have been challenging new mechanics. Between Elijah's strange resonance with the amber, Riva's perfectly applied strength, and Lyra's inexplicable technical knowledge, they were operating at a level that attracted attention—both positive and potentially problematic.

  The question of Lyra's background remained unanswered, but for now, Alexander was content to focus on their progress. Whatever mysteries surrounded her, she was an integral part of their team now, and that was what mattered most.