I Can Extract Game Items

As August logged into Enders Light, he was immediately greeted by his friends, Lilo, Boris, and Ezran, who were already gathered near the entrance of the Cave of Shadows.

They all exchanged quick greetings, each of them in high spirits.

Lilo grinned while speaking. "You're finally here! Ready to dive in?"

"More than ready," August replied with a smirk. "Let's make it count."

Together, the group ventured deeper into the cave, battling clusters of Shadow Wolves and Dark Vipers. The creatures came in waves, their glowing eyes piercing through the dark caverns as they lunged at the team.

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[System Notification: You have encountered Shadow Wolves (Level 24)]

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Boris immediately raised his shield, stepping to the front to block the first wave of attacks. "Alright, everyone, stay close!"

Lilo aimed her bow and fired a glowing arrow that struck one of the wolves squarely in the chest, causing it to stagger.

[System Notification: Lilo uses Piercing Arrow - Shadow Wolf HP -700]

Ezran stood a little behind them, chanting quickly as he cast a spell. Bolts of fire shot from his fingertips, igniting several wolves in his line of sight.

[System Notification: Ezran casts Fire Bolt - Shadow Wolf HP -900]

August, with his dual assassin-mage setup, activated his Dash ability, speeding behind one of the wolves and landing a swift strike with his dagger.

[System Notification: Aleman uses Hidden Strike - Shadow Wolf HP -800]

The wolves, weakened but relentless, counter-attacked. One lunged at Boris, only to be blocked by his shield, while Lilo shot another arrow that landed right between the creature's eyes, taking it down.

The group moved in sync, taking down each wave of enemies methodically. They had fallen into a comfortable rhythm, taking turns defending and attacking, and with each fight, they grew stronger as a team.

Suddenly, a global system notification echoed through the air, bringing them all to a halt.

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[World Notification: Congratulations to Phoenix Celestial Guild! They are the first guild to own an estate in Enders Light! All members of Phoenix Celestial have been awarded a 10% XP boost and exclusive in-game benefits.]

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"Wow!" Lilo exclaimed, lowering her bow momentarily. "That's huge! An estate? And all those boosts? That'll give them a major edge."

August turned to her with a look of curiosity. "Why haven't you joined them yet, Lilo? You're always talking about Phoenix Celestial."

Lilo sighed, shrugging. "I'd love to, but they have insane criteria. You need a certain level, specific skills, and real-life evaluations. They only take the best players with the right personality types, physical fitness, and who knows what else."

Ezran laughed, glancing over at August. "So in other words, they're super picky. Not everyone can be Phoenix material, eh, Lilo?"

Lilo playfully rolled her eyes, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "Hey, one day, I'll make it in. You'll see."

Boris chuckled, motioning for them to focus back on the fight as another group of Shadow Wolves appeared. "Come on, let's make sure we survive this cave before you start planning guild domination."

The banter continued as they battled through the rest of the wolves.

By the end, Ezran's level had jumped to 26, and Boris finally hit level 25. Lilo was already level 25 initially so she had no issues. Only August remained at level 24.

Ezran glanced over at him, looking slightly concerned. "Hey, August, we were planning on hitting that new dungeon next—the one in the Ravaged Plains. But, uh… you need to be at least level 25 to get in."

August looked down at his stats. The gap wasn't something he could breach so quickly.

It wasn't just about skill or strategy—others could spend all day in the game, leveling up without a care, while he had to manage the real-world demands of his factory job.

Not to mention that time in here was slower. The days he spent out in the real world, could amount to a week in here, giving others who had no jobs a significant edge.

He took a deep breath and gave them a reassuring smile. "You guys go ahead. Don't miss the chance for those first-clear rewards. I'll catch up soon enough."

Lilo frowned in dissatisfaction. "Are you sure? We can always wait until next time."

August shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about me. I'll just keep grinding here and try to catch up. I'd hate for you all to miss out."

Continue your adventure at empire

After a moment of hesitation, Boris gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder. "Alright, but don't push yourself too hard. We'll meet up again soon."

"Yeah!" Lilo added, grinning. "We'll be back, and by then, you'd better be ready to take on even tougher bosses with us."

They exchanged a few more words of encouragement, and with a wave, the trio departed, leaving August alone in the shadowy depths of the cave.

---

As they left, August thought about his current progress.

Logging in only at night, balancing work, and maintaining his life with Sophia were holding him back from advancing at the same pace as others.

He was quick in advancing from level 11 to 24 but while he was advancing, others were not staying stagnant.

It had already been confirmed at this point that the highest leveled player was around 50 - 55. And he was many places behind.

"If I really want to keep up, I'll need more time in the game. But that means leaving the factory work behind… for good."

The thought lingered as he resumed his grind alone.

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[System Notification: You have encountered Shadow Wraiths (Level 26)]

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Undeterred, August summoned his Ethereal Storm, watching as a fierce storm of energy formed above him.

Bolts of energy and intense winds rained down upon the wraiths as they staggered under its assault.

[System Notification: Aleman casts Ethereal Storm - Shadow Wraiths HP -2000 each]

- Effect: Slow - Reduces movement speed by 40%

With their speed reduced, the wraiths attempted to strike back, but August quickly countered with a swift combination of his dagger and fire spells, darting between them swiftly.

[System Notification: Aleman uses Hidden Strike - Shadow Wraith HP -700]

...

...

In the real world, a college party was in full swing.

Loud music thumped through the large, dimly lit house. Colorful LED lights flickered in sync with the beat, illuminating groups of students dancing, laughing, and chatting.

Solo cups and bottles littered the tables, and the air buzzed with energy as the crowd flowed from room to room.

Victor stood near the center of it all, surrounded by his friends, who were animatedly cheering and laughing.

His friend, Dean, a tall guy with a loud laugh, was holding one of the Toxic Daggers, flipping it around with a sense of awe and caution.

"Yo, Dean, easy with that thing!" Victor called over the music, grinning as he watched. "It's the real deal, straight from Enders Light."

Dean glanced back at Victor, smirking. "You're telling me this isn't just some prop? Because it sure feels real." He spun the dagger around, showing off its green-tinged, serrated blade under the party lights.

A few onlookers gasped and leaned in, wide-eyed as Dean held it up.

One of Victor's friends, Zara, pulled out her phone and started recording. "This has to go live. No one's gonna believe this without proof!"

Victor laughed, a bit proud, as Zara set up a livestream. Within moments, hundreds of viewers began flooding in, and the comment section started going wild.

"Check it out, everyone!" Victor said, pointing to the Toxic Daggers on camera. These aren't your average knives. These beauties came straight from Enders Light!"

The chat erupted, comments flying up in disbelief.

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[User123]: No way! That can't be real! [GamerPro_5]: How'd you get that out of the game??

[ViralVentures]: Yo, we need more angles! Show us the glow!

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Victor's friends leaned into the camera, laughing as they watched the comments roll in.

"Alright, alright, calm down!" Dean teased, pretending to accidentally slice his finger, then holding up his hand with mock horror.

"Look at that glow, people! Straight toxic energy!" he shouted, emphasizing the faint, sickly green hue of the blade.

Victor took over, turning the camera back to himself. "Not gonna lie, folks, these are the real deal. No filters, no fakes. Enders Light in real life. Pretty insane, right?"

The partygoers around them joined in, shouting and waving at the camera, adding to the chaotic atmosphere. Zara laughed, flipping the camera back to Dean, who was attempting a dramatic pose with the dagger.

More comments poured in, and the view count skyrocketed. The chat was exploding with fans and skeptics alike.

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[EnderFan101]: This is history, people!

[ShadowBlade87]: Dude, I'd pay anything to hold that dagger just once! I could even sell my kidney!

[GameMastery_Zone]: Where did you get it? Who's the seller??

---

Victor grinned, savoring his moment in the spotlight. "I know what you're thinking—how'd I score one of these? Let's just say, it's all about knowing the right people," he said with a wink, hinting at his connection with Aleman, though he left the details vague.

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In an unknown dark location, a pair of eyes peered at a smartphone. The smartphone displayed the live stream of Victor's party and the eyes could keenly view the toxic daggers on display.

"Looks like he sold yet another... Aleman..."