I Can Extract Game Items

"Victor… What the hell are you involved in?" August muttered as his fingers tapped against the desk rhythmically.

Sophia's voice broke his thoughts. "August? You're zoning out again. What's wrong?"

August glanced over his shoulder to see Sophia standing by the door with a curious look on her face. Her green hair was slightly messy. "It's nothing serious, Soph. Just work-related stuff."

Sophia frowned. "Work-related? You're in full-on brooding mode." She walked closer and peeked over his shoulder at his phone. "What is that? A voicemail? Who's Victor?"

August sighed while brushing her off gently. "Someone I did some business with. Seems like he's in trouble."

"Business? You mean Enders stuff?" Sophia's eyes narrowed suspiciously, crossing her arms. "You're not getting dragged into anything dangerous, are you?"

August waved a hand nonchalantly. "No, of course not. Don't worry about it." His tone was dismissive, but his mind was already racing.

Sophia huffed. "Fine. But if you're sneaking off to some shady place..."

August chuckled faintly. "Sophia, I'm the least shady person you know." He stood up before walking over to his window to stare out at the dim evening light that blanketed the city.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Just be careful," Sophia said suspiciously before turning around to leave.

---

August sat back at his desk again, debating his next move.

"Do I call him back?" he asked aloud, as if the walls would give him an answer.

On one hand, Victor had been pestering him to meet so he could purchase another Enders item. His desperation then had seemed odd, but August brushed it off.

Now, with the voicemail's ominous tone, it was clear there was something much deeper going on.

Finally, August grabbed his phone and dialed the number that called him earlier. It rang three times before a shaky voice answered.

"_Aleman?!_"

August's grip on the phone tightened at the sound of Victor's voice. It was hoarse, panicked. "Victor, what the hell is going on? I got your message. What's all this about?"

"You finally called back—listen, listen to me!" Victor's words were spilling out fast with heavy breaths that seemed as if he'd been running. "They're going to kill me, man! They're serious this time! You need to help me!"

August frowned. "Slow down. Who's going to kill you? Where the hell are you?"

Victor's voice cracked. "The Oni! The bad players with supernatural abilities! I don't know where I am; they blindfolded me and dragged me here. They wanted me to set up a meeting with you, and—"

"Wait." August cut him off with a sharp tone. "You're telling me they are holding you hostage because of me?"

"Yes!" Victor practically wailed. "They want to get to you for some reason and they used me due to our past business transaction... And if you don't show up… they'll kill me! You've got to meet them! Please—please help me!"

August's blood ran cold, but he forced himself to stay calm. He leaned back in his chair, trying to process the chaos. "Victor, you should've never involved me in this shit," he said with a low voice. "Why the hell did you tell them about me?"

"I didn't tell them about you... They already knew you. It looks like they've been after you for a while..." Victor was sobbing now. "They are going to kill me! Please, Aleman, you're the only one who can help me…"

August pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. The Oni. That name alone sent a shiver through him. They weren't just players in Enders Light—they were an organized, ruthless group in reality who mostly possessed supernatural abilities.

"Victor," August said coldly. "Where are they expecting me to meet them?"

"I don't know the exact place," Victor whimpered with a weak voice. "But they said they'd call you. They want you to come to them. Please, man, don't leave me here. I swear, I'll do anything—just don't let me die!"

August's eyes turned cold. "Fine. If they call me, I'll deal with it."

"Thank you. Thank you, Aleman. Please…"

August hung up without another word, tossing his phone onto the desk.

The situation was quite serious but he wasn't entirely willing to put himself in harm's way over Victor. He thought about ways he could help but also silently decided that if he had to choose between himself and Victor he certainly would choose himself.

But thinking about it now, a rising anger surged within August's chest.

'If this can happen to Victor then it can happen to any of my customers... The existence of the Oni threatens my business. I must do something about it.'

---

August sat back at his desk, staring at the dim glow of his computer screen.

'The Oni are after me.'

Victor was caught in their web, and it was all because of him.

August's hand hovered over his helmet. He needed to plan, and he needed to act. The Oni were dangerous, but he didn't create an entire business enterprise worth hundreds of millions by being gentle.

In the right situation, he could be dangerous too... Extremely dangerous...

"Time to play this game my way."

...

...

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The scene outside Faith Specialist Hospital was pure chaos. Cars were parked haphazardly along the road, blocking every lane, with crowds of people swarming toward the entrance.

Some were holding up photos of their loved ones, others were crying, shouting, or begging the guards. The hospital's security team stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the entrance, refusing to let any more people through.

"Please! You don't understand, my mother is dying!" a man yelled before shoving a piece of paper in one of the guard's faces.

"I'm sorry, sir," the guard said firmly. "No one is allowed in unless you have a valid appointment or a patient already admitted."

A woman cradled a sick child in her arms. "Just let us speak to the man! He can save my baby!"

The guards stood their ground, even as tensions escalated. Derrick stood a distance away with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his worn jacket. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene. 'This isn't good…'

He pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the elbows and shoulders bumping into him. As he approached the guards, they braced themselves, assuming he was just another desperate soul.

"Hey, I'm not here to cause trouble," Derrick started while holding his hands up. "My wife is admitted here. Tara Derrickson? Room 217."

One of the guards exchanged glances with his colleague before checking a list on his tablet. After a moment, the guard gave a curt nod. "Go in, but don't cause any issues."

Derrick exhaled a sigh of relief as the gates parted for him. Once inside, the chaos of the hospital lobby was even worse. The sounds of crying children, anxious shouting, and ringing phones echoed off the walls. Doctors and nurses rushed past in frustration while security personnel tried to calm the shouting patients.

"Where is he?! Where's the man from the video?!" a man yelled while slamming his fist against the reception desk.

"I told you, sir, we don't have any information about him," the receptionist's voice cracked under pressure as she replied.

"He saved that man's life! He can save my brother, too!"

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Merry Christmas Everyone. Wishing you all a lovely Christmas. Would be nice to get a castle as a Christmas present. An author can only dream.

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