I Can Extract Game Items

Health potions weren't just game items anymore. Their ability to instantly close wounds and heal the injured could revolutionize healthcare, especially in emergency situations.

August leaned forward as the faint glow of his interface reflected in his intense gaze.

'Hospitals and clinics... perhaps I should try Faith Specialist Hospital first? Once results are shown from consuming the health potions, it will spread far and wide,' August decided internally.

He continued scrolling through his inventory, noting other items that could have real-world applications. Mana Crystals might be of interest to researchers or tech developers. Aether Ore was rare and could fetch an exorbitant price from collectors. August made mental notes of the most promising items as he plotted his next moves.

With his decision made, he closed the inventory and stood up, brushing off dust from his dark combat robes.

The wind had picked up, and in the distance, the faint outline of Tagharium's city gates shimmered under the magical barrier that protected the kingdom. He pulled his hood tighter over his head while heading forward.

....

...

A dimly lit enclosed space in the real world reeked of damp earth and stale air.

Shadows danced across the stone walls, cast by flickering light bulbs mounted in wrought iron sconces. In the center of the room sat a throne-like chair, hewn from black stone and adorned with carvings of twisted figures.

On it sat the Cardinal, one of the district superiors of the Oni terrorist group. His face was half-covered by an intricately designed mask, revealing only a single piercing eye filled with disdain. His other hand idly peeled a blood-red fruit with a small, glinting blade causing juice to drip onto the floor.

Before him knelt Drakos, Orlma, and Lyriss but in their real world forms. Their heads were bowed low and their expressions seemed tense.

The oppressive silence in the room was broken only by the soft squelch of the fruit being peeled and Drakos's trembling voice.

"I—It wasn't my fault, Cardinal," Drakos stammered. "The solo player… he—he was too strong. He killed me—again. I couldn't—"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The Cardinal raised a hand, silencing him instantly. His voice was calm, but it carried a sharp edge that made the three players shudder.

"Drakos," he began with an almost mocking tone. "You are a level 50 player. A veteran of countless battles. And yet, you lost not just to one 'solo player' but also to a group of low-level nobodies. Do you understand how… incompetent you look right now?"

Drakos lowered his head even further causing his forehead to touch the cold, damp floor. "I… I apologize, Cardinal. Please, give me another chance. I—"

"You apologize?" the Cardinal interrupted with a hardened tone. "Do you think an apology can undo the humiliation you've brought upon this district? You failed to secure the Fruit of Sin, and you allowed the world to know of our presence. Apologies are useless."

He turned his sharp gaze to Orlma and Lyriss, who knelt beside Drakos. Orlma's hands were clenched tightly with a pale but composed face. Lyriss, however, couldn't help but flinch when his attention shifted to her.

"And you," the Cardinal continued, pointing the blade in Lyriss's direction, "a trained assassin in the real world, defeated by some… wannabe assassin."

Lyriss dared to speak back but her voice was clearly strained. "Cardinal, his name is Aleman. He was—he was skilled, far more skilled than we anticipated. His—"

The Cardinal's blade left his hand before she could finish. The sharp weapon spun through the air and buried itself in her left shoulder with a sickening squelch.

"Ugh," Lyriss gasped in pain as blood drizzled out and stained her dark outfit.

She bit her lip to stifle a scream.

"Did I ask for his name?" the Cardinal's voice was low but dangerous. "Do not pollute my ears with excuses or the names of useless people."

Lyriss, trembling and clutching her bleeding shoulder, kept her head down, not daring to pull the blade out. Drakos and Orlma exchanged brief, worried glances but said nothing.

The Cardinal took a bite of the fruit in his hand causing the juice to dribble down his chin. The room was silent except for the sound of his chewing. Then, without warning, he dropped the half-eaten fruit to the ground and rose to his feet.

His tall, lean frame cast an imposing shadow across the room as he stepped forward. His boots clicked ominously against the stone floor the further he walked.

Drakos instinctively bent lower to pick up the discarded fruit.

Fwwhii~

The Cardinal's boot connected with his face before his fingers could touch it, sending him sprawling backward. Blood sprayed from Drakos's nose as he groaned in pain, clutching his face.

"You disgust me," the Cardinal spat with a venomous tone. "I trusted you to deliver, Drakos. You were given power, resources, opportunities. And this is how you repay me? With failure?"

He advanced on the fallen Drakos with slow steps that echoed ominously across the chamber. Drakos tried to scramble back, but the Cardinal reached him in an instant. His boot came down again, this time on Drakos's ribs, eliciting a sickening crack.

"Please! Cardinal!" Drakos gasped as blood dripped from his mouth. "Give me—give me one more—"

The Cardinal ignored his pleas, grabbing Drakos by the collar and hoisting him off the ground as though he weighed nothing.

His masked face was inches from Drakos's bloodied one as he spoke with a tone of contempt.

"I hate incompetence more than anything. If you didn't still have some use to me, I'd end your miserable existence right now."

With that, he activated a strange ability. His fist glowed faintly as a dark aura surrounded it. In the next moment, he punched Drakos in the chest, sending him flying across the room.

Drakos slammed into the stone wall with enough force to crack the surface, then crumpled to the ground in a heap. His breathing was shallow as his body turned into a mangled mess of blood and broken bones.

The Cardinal dusted off his hands and turned his attention back to Orlma and Lyriss. "You two are just as pathetic. If you wish to avoid ending up like him, I suggest you find the Fruit of Sin."

Orlma nodded stiffly with a pale but resolute look. Lyriss, still bleeding, managed to grit out a pained, "Yes, Cardinal."

The Cardinal took a deep breath as his cold gaze swept over the three of them. "You will not fail me again. If you do, I promise you, the punishment will be far worse than this."

He turned and strode back to his throne-like chair, picking up another fruit from a bowl beside him. As he resumed peeling it with the same nonchalance as before, the three players dragged themselves out of the room, battered and humiliated but determined not to fail a second time.

...

...

Within a room downtown, a young man stood before a glass.

The only illumination in the surroundings was coming from the pale glow of the city lights seeping through the wide window.

This young man had long white hair cascading over his shoulders, shimmering faintly like moonlight.

His nearly slit-like eyes carried an intensity that hinted at an unrelenting determination. In his hands was a black mask, designed to resemble the visage of a phantom. The static crackle of a police radio on the desk behind him interrupted the silence.

"We have a 10-31, robbery in progress. Suspects confirmed to be supernatural players. Repeat, supernatural players involved."

Kyle tightened his grip on the mask as his jaw clenched.

The report was a call to action, one he couldn't ignore. He pulled the window open, revealing the skyline of the city, with its glistening towers and the constant movement of life below.

As he placed one foot on the window frame, a voice stopped him.

"Kyle… are you going out to risk your life again?" The voice was calm but carried an undertone of deep concern.