"Am I interrupting?"
The deep, modulated voice sent a shockwave of fear through the room.
The woman's eyes snapped open and imdiately landed on the 6'4" helted giant figure standing in the mirror's reflection.
She scread.
She shoved Grayson off her and scrambled to grab her blouse before bolting for the exit without a second glance.
Grayson, however, was frozen in place.
His eyes were wide as he gaped at Aleman in the mirror.
"W-What the hell—"
His words were cut off as Aleman grabbed a fistful of his hair and slamd his face into the mirror.
~CRACK~
Shards of glass spidered outward from the impact.
Blood sared the surface.
Grayson let out a muffled grunt as he tried to push himself away, but Aleman kept him firmly in place.
"You know…" the calm in Aleman's voice made it much more terrifying. "I was there when you tried to rape Rachel."
Grayson's entire body stiffened.
Aleman pressed his head harder against the fractured glass.
"So if I were you, I'd drop the lawsuits and forget about all her debts."
Grayson struggled to breathe as blood dripped down his forehead. "Y-You… You can't do this… I'll—"
"You'll what?" Aleman's grip tightened.
Grayson let out a painful wheeze.
"I'll take this to the police!" Grayson choked out. "You think I don't know who you are? You're that freak from AM Coven! Do you think you can just waltz into my company and get away with this?!"
Aleman's voice dropped into a deadly whisper as he leaned down.
"I think you fail to understand sothing, Grayson."
The temperature in the room seed to drop.
"The police won't be able to save you."
Grayson swallowed hard.
"I can make you disappear."
The way Aleman said it was so casual, so certain.
It wasn't a threat.
It was a promise.
Grayson's legs shook violently. "L-Look, we can talk about this—"
Aleman sighed. "I was hoping you'd say that."
He suddenly yanked Grayson back and flipped him around—then drove a knee into his stomach.
*"GUH—!"
Grayson collapsed onto the floor, coughing and gagging.
Aleman crouched down beside him.
"Next ti," he murmured, "I won't stop at just your face."
Grayson's breath hitched.
Aleman's gloved fingers reached down—
And gripped Grayson's crotch.
Grayson froze.
"I will cut them off.
The sheer terror in Grayson's eyes was indescribable.
"I will make sure you never get to take advantage of another woman ever again."
Grayson couldn't even breathe.
"Do we understand each other?"
A frantic nod. "Y-Yes! Yes! I'll drop everything! Just—Just please don't!"
Aleman lingered for a mont longer before letting go.
He stood to his full height.
And then, in the blink of an eye—
He vanished.
Perfect Veil shrouded his existence once more and like a ghost, he was gone.
The bathroom was deathly silent.
Grayson remained on the floor with his hands clutching his bloodied face.
His whole body trembled uncontrollably.
His breathing turned heavy as his mind spun from what just happened.
Aleman was a monster.
A monster that nobody could stop.
For the first ti in his life—
Grayson felt true, unshakable fear.
...
...
Two days passed in the blink of an eye and August had spent this ti grinding relentlessly.
His daggers had slashed, his spells had detonated, and his mount had raced across the dangerous landscapes of Enders Light.
Now, at level 45, he finally closed his status panel with a satisfied smirk.
Ezran, Boris, and Lilo had almost reached level 50 while Gregarious was still lagging behind at level 27. Considering the fact that he started Enders Light much later than them, he couldn't be blad.
The tournant was now officially set to begin in two days—which ant it would comnce in just one real-world day.
"Alright, that's enough for now," August voiced while stretching his arms above his head. "Tournant prep is done. Let's get ready to crush."
Boris smirked. "Speak for yourself, Lord Aleman. So of us need that last push to level 50 before we log out."
Lilo groaned while flicking open her own stat nu. "Ugh, you guys go on ahead. I'll be playing all night."
Greg laughed. "I'd love to stay and grind too, but unfortunately, I have a real-world body that needs food. Also, my back hurts from all this virtual movent."
August chuckled. "Alright then, I'll see you guys when the tournant starts. Don't die before then."
[ Logging Out... ]
August opened his eyes as the gaming pod unsealed.
He stretched his stiff limbs while blinking at the soft glow of his apartnt lights.
One day left in the real world until the tournant.
Since Lilo, Boris, and Ezran were all official mbers of Phoenix Celestial, they could afford to stay plugged into the ga for the tournant's entire duration.
But August?
His mid-grade gaming pod wouldn't allow him to stay logged in for such long periods without health complications.
"Looks like it's ti to upgrade," he muttered while cracking his neck.
Without wasting ti he grabbed his phone and pulled up Celestial Tech Plaza's catalog.
If he was going to stay in ga throughout the duration of the tournant, he needed the best gear money could buy.
And today, he was getting exactly that.
...
...
August adjusted the cuffs of his black jacket as he stepped into Celestial Tech Plaza, the premier location for cutting-edge gaming technology.
This place had futuristic aesthetics just like AM Coven— smooth tallic walls, holographic signboards, and display cases filled with the most advanced VRMMORPG gaming pods, neuro-link interfaces, and haptic feedback enhancents.
The original August had visited this place before, but never the upper sections.
That part was strictly for the elite.
But today…
He was walking straight toward it.
As he ascended the platinum-coated escalator, whispers drifted around him.
"Who let that guy up here?"
"Isn't that the section reserved for top guild mbers and executives?"
"Doesn't look like he belongs."
August ignored the remarks.
He was used to underestimation.
His attire was casual, his presence unassuming even though he had good facial looks... Fortunately, his wallet spoke volus.
A saleswoman, clad in a stylish green uniform, approached with a polite yet asured smile.
"Good afternoon, sir," she greeted. "You've entered the VIP lounge. May I assist you in finding sothing specific?"
August glanced at the impressive display of high-grade VR pods, each enclosed in shimring glass cases.
These weren't the standard-grade models people used for casual play.
These were the best of the best.
Titan-class Pods.
Top-of-the-line imrsion. Instant neural synchronization. Zero lag. Nutritional benefits.
The kind of pod that could keep a player in Enders Light for weeks without health risks.
"Yeah, I'm looking for a high-tier pod," August said while scanning the selection.
Before the saleswoman could respond, a voice cut in from behind.
"Are you lost, buddy?"
August turned and saw a man in his mid-twenties, dressed in an extravagant white suit, flanked by two others.
The speaker had perfectly styled blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and an arrogant smirk.
He carried himself like soone who was used to being at the top.
"This isn't the section for casuals. You might want to head back downstairs."
His two companions chuckled.
August sighed internally. 'Not this again.'
"I'm exactly where I need to be," August replied smoothly while stepping past them to examine one of the highest-tier pods.
[ Aegis Titan X-9000 ]
Price: $1,500,000
The best money could buy.
The saleswoman hesitated for a mont. It was rare to see soone who wasn't an industry giant or a professional guild player inquiring about this model.
Blond Suit scoffed. "You've got good taste, but let's be real—you can't afford that."
August tapped on the holographic purchase panel.
The system asked for confirmation.
[ Purchase Aegis Titan X-9000 - $1,500,000? ]
He confird by placing his black credit card on its surface.
[ Transaction complete. ]
A robotic voice echoed:
[ Thank you for your purchase! Your order will be delivered within the hour. ]
The entire VIP section went silent.
Blond Suit's smugness evaporated instantly.
"Wha—"
His companions stared at August in disbelief.
Even the saleswoman looked stunned.
It wasn't every day soone casually dropped $1.5 million without blinking.
August turned toward Blond Suit and tilted his head slightly.
"You were saying?"
Blond Suit's face reddened slightly in embarrassnt.
One of his friends whispered, "Damn… dude just got humbled."
Blond Suit drew closer to August with a more respectful expression.
"I'm Xyron in Enders Li..."
"I don't care," August cut him off.
Without waiting for any further awkward stamring, August simply walked past them, heading toward the exit.
---
As August exited the Celestial Tech Plaza, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
[ Incoming Call: Tara ]
Tara?
Derrick's wife?
He answered with a slight frown. "Tara? Everything okay?"
Her voice ca through, shaky and anxious.
"August… Derrick hasn't co ho in two days."
August's entire body went still.
Two days?
Derrick wasn't the type to just disappear.
He never stayed away from ho without at least checking in. Not especially when Tara could deliver any given day.
Sothing wasn't right.
"Did you call his phone?"
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