I Can Extract Game Items

In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the vast dark ocean, an island loomed like a forgotten nightmare.

Deep within its dense jungle, a battered and bloodied Derrick sat chained to a rusted post.

His breath was shaky and his body bruised, but his eyes still held fire.

Fox stepped into view with her demon mask catching the glow of the moon.

She crouched beside Derrick before tracing a finger over a fresh wound on his cheek.

"Your friend is coming, you know."

Derrick chuckled hoarsely.

"Yeah? Then you're all fucked."

Fox smirked beneath her mask.

"Oh, Derrick… you have no idea."

---

The moment Aleman's boots touched the damp earth, he knew he was outnumbered.

They came from every direction, armed and waiting. Two dozen figures clad in black, masked, and carrying high-tech weaponry.

Some held plasma rifles, others sharp katanas and curved blades that shimmered under the pale moonlight.

The night air was thick with tension.

"Take everything off him," barked one of the men while stepping forward.

Aleman remained still.

A burly man reached for his belt and extracted his phone, watch, and other minor accessories—but the moment they tried to remove his helmet, something unexpected happened.

A sharp electric pulse zapped the hands of the man trying to pry it open.

"Shit! It's locked!" the man cursed while shaking his burned fingers.

The others hesitated.

A silence fell over the group before one of them finally spoke.

"Leave it. Let's go."

With guns trained on him, they marched him toward the inner quarters of the island.

---

Inside a sparsely lit underground base, Aleman was led into what appeared to be a makeshift meeting hall.

The walls were lined with holographic screens displaying security feeds, maps, and tactical layouts.

A massive circular table sat in the center, with two figures waiting for him.

Fox and Drakos.

Fox stood with her arms folded while Drakos, on the other hand, leaned against the wall with his massive arms crossed over his chest, exuding raw intimidation. His eyes gleamed with a subtle golden hue—unnatural and inhuman.

"Aleman, you're really a hard man to get a hold of…" Fox's voiced in amusement, but beneath it, a bitter edge lurked.

Aleman's stance remained calm and composed.

"Maybe I just enjoy making your life difficult."

Fox's lips eyes narrowed. "You certainly have a habit of doing so."

Her eyes darkened as she circled around him.

"You embarrassed me, Aleman."

Her voice turned ice-cold.

"I barely escaped when you handed my teammates over to the authorities."

She tapped her fingers against the table while exhaling sharply.

"The humiliation… the disgrace. Do you have any idea what that did to my reputation?"

Aleman said nothing.

Fox suddenly slammed her hand onto the table causing the sound to echo through the room.

"I should kill you for that!"

Aleman's helmet tilted slightly.

"And yet, you haven't."

Fox's eyes burned with silent fury but then she regained her composure.

"You're right. I haven't. Because, unfortunately, the higher-ups of Oni still see you as valuable. Even after all the trouble you've caused."

Drakos finally pushed off the wall and strode toward Aleman, shadowing him with his large frame.

"We need to have a conversation, Aleman," he voiced in a deep, gravelly tone.

"Where's Derrick?" Aleman questioned with a cold tone.

Fox's nails drummed against the table as she chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry about him. He's… still alive. For now. But that depends entirely on you."

"Let him go," Aleman demanded.

Drakos let out a low, mocking laugh.

"You're not really in a position to be making demands."

Fox leaned forward. "You're going to listen very carefully, Aleman. If you refuse to cooperate, Derrick dies."

"If he dies, then you lose your leverage," Aleman voiced with a tone as hard as steel.

A tense silence filled the room.

Fox studied him.

"You really don't scare easily, do you?"

Aleman's voice was calm and unwavering.

"I don't work with terrorists."

"You don't have a choice," Fox stated.

The doors behind them slammed open— and two masked guards dragged Derrick in.

Aleman's heart clenched.

Derrick looked beaten and battered with bruises covering his face and arms.

His breathing was labored but his eyes still held defiance.

Fox stepped toward Derrick and dragged a knife along the side of his face.

"Derrick is quite loyal, you know," she mused. "No matter what we did, he refused to reveal your identity."

"Let him go," Aleman slowly rose to his feet.

Drakos suddenly moved.

In a blink, he appeared beside Derrick with his hand hovering inches from Derrick's chest.

A glowing energy enveloped his palm, radiating sheer destructive force.

"Do you really want to test if you can get to him faster than my fist can pierce his heart?" Drakos murmured.

Aleman froze.

Drakos's smirk widened.

"Thought so."

Fox folded her arms.

"Now that we have your full attention… let's talk business."

"What do you want?" Aleman questioned with a furious tone.

"We want you to serve the Oni," Fox circled him while speaking.

Aleman's muscles coiled with restrained rage.

"And if I refuse?"

Drakos chuckled darkly.

"Then your friend here dies."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Aleman's fingers curled into fist. This was quite the precarious situation and he had to tread gently since it involved the life of someone else.

"We're not asking for much, Aleman. Just a small favor."

Aleman didn't move.

"What favor?"

Fox's smirk widened.

"We need you to log into Enders Light."

Aleman's fingers twitched slightly.

"And do what?"

Drakos heavy boots thudded against the floor as he stepped closer.

"You'll be meeting with our operatives in the game."

Aleman's heartbeat slowed.

"Your operatives?"

Fox nodded while tilting her head.

"Yes. They have a very important item for you."

She reached into a small leather pouch on the table and pulled out a tiny metallic device.

She tossed it toward Aleman, who caught it effortlessly.

"That's your access key to our private gaming pods here on the island," Fox explained.

Aleman's grip on the device tightened.

"You want me to extract something from the game into reality."

Fox clapped her hands together while grinning under her mask.

"Smart man!"

Drakos chuckled darkly.

"A very specific item. One that's—let's just say—not meant to exist outside the game."

Aleman's mind raced.

If Oni wanted something that powerful, then whatever this item was—it wasn't just some regular piece of gear.

It was something dangerous.

Aleman's voice remained calm.

"And I really can't refuse... And just do something else instead?"

Drakos took a casual step forward while cracking his knuckles.

"You can but then we start sending pieces of Derrick back to his wife."

Aleman's blood boiled.

Fox sighed dramatically before stepping between them.

"Relax, Drakos. We don't need to break anything yet."

She turned back to Aleman.

"All you have to do is log in, meet our operatives, get the item, and extract it. Do that, and Derrick walks free."

Aleman exhaled slowly through his nose with his eyes locked on Fox's.

"And what happens after that?"

Fox's smirk widened.

"Then we see how useful you really are."

---

Escorted by armed guards, Aleman was led through the Oni's underground base to a separate chamber—one lined with high-end VRMMORPG gaming pods.

They weren't just regular pods.

They were the high-tier, top-of-the-line models, similar to the one he had purchased recently.

Fox motioned toward one of the open pods.

"Step in."

Aleman hesitated for only a moment before finally stepping forward.

As soon as he lay inside, the pod's smooth interface activated, and a familiar voice echoed inside.

[ Synchronizing… Logging into Enders Light… ]

His vision faded.

Then—

He was in Tagharium once again.

---

Aleman materialized in the middle of a dimly lit alleyway.

He immediately checked his interface.

[ Player Status: Aleman ]

[ Level: 45 ]

[ Location: Undisclosed Alleyway, Tagharium ]

His surroundings were eerily quiet.

A few players wandered the streets nearby, but he had no idea who he was supposed to meet.

Then, a message popped up.

[ Party Request: ??? has invited you to join a temporary party. Accept? ]

Aleman narrowed his eyes.

He didn't recognize the name, but this was clearly the contact.

He pressed accept.

Immediately, three figures materialized before him, cloaked in dark, enchanted gear.

Their names flickered into view above their heads.

—Blood Viper [Lvl 50]

—Shade Fang [Lvl 49]

—Raven Night [Lvl 52]

Aleman crossed his arms.

"You must be the ones I'm supposed to meet."

Blood Viper, the tallest of the three, nodded.

"Aleman. We were told to expect you."

Shade Fang snickered.

"Never thought I'd be standing in the same party as the so-called 'Miracle Man.'"

Aleman ignored the remark.

"Let's get to the point. Where's the item?"

Raven Night stepped forward while holding out his hand.

A dark red orb flickered into existence.

It pulsed with an ominous glow, swirling with a strange, unstable energy.

As soon as Aleman looked at it, a system notification appeared.

[ Warning! You are being presented with a Forbidden Item: "Heart of the Abyss." ]

[ Heart of the Abyss Description: (Locked)]