Author's Note: Do Not Unlock Yet.
------------
Aleman stood rigidly in the dimly lit room, his mind calculating every possible way out of this ss.
Fox leaned against the long tal table, smirking at his silence.
Drakos, arms crossed, observed from a distance like a predator waiting to pounce.
The air was thick with tension, the weight of Derrick's life hanging in the balance.
Fox finally spoke, her tone mocking yet sharp.
"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 pushed off the wall, his heavy boots thudding against the floor as he stepped closer.
"You'll be eting with our operatives in the ga."
Aleman's heartbeat slowed.
"Your operatives?"
Fox nodded, 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 tallic 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 to extract sothing from the ga into reality."
Fox clapped her hands together, grinning.
"Smart man!"
Drakos chuckled darkly.
"A very specific item. One that's—let's just say—not ant to exist outside the ga."
Aleman's mind raced.
If Oni wanted sothing that powerful, then whatever this item was—it wasn't just so regular piece of gear.
It was sothing dangerous.
Aleman's voice remained calm.
"And if I refuse?"
Drakos took a casual step forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Then we start sending pieces of Derrick back to his wife."
Aleman's blood boiled.
Fox sighed dramatically, 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, et our operatives, get the item, and extract it. Do that, and Derrick walks free."
Aleman exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes locked on Fox's.
"And what happens after that?"
Fox's smirk widened.
"Then we see how useful you really are."
---
Logging In
Escorted by ard 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 mont 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.
---
eting the Oni Operatives
Aleman materialized in the middle of a dimly lit alleyway.
He imdiately 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 et.
Then, a ssage popped up.
[ Party Request: ??? has invited you to join a temporary party. Accept? ]
Aleman narrowed his eyes.
He didn't recognize the na, but this was clearly the contact.
He pressed accept.
Imdiately, three figures materialized before him, cloaked in dark, enchanted gear.
Their nas 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 et."
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 sa 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, 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." ]
[ This item is not ant to exist outside the ga world. Attempting to extract may lead to unknown consequences. Proceed with caution. ]
Aleman's jaw tightened.
This wasn't just any item.
This was an Abyssal Artifact—a relic of legendary-tier, rumored to be tied to the darkest forces in Enders Light.
And Oni wanted it in the real world.
Aleman's fingers itched to reject it, but Derrick's life was at stake.
Slowly, he reached forward.
His fingers grazed the orb—
[ Do you wish to Extract this item into Reality? Yes / No ]
He hesitated.
His mind raced.
Then—
He selected Yes.
A bright flash of crimson light erupted as the orb vanished from his hand.
And in the real world, inside that underground island base—
A dark object materialized.
---
The Aftermath
Aleman opened his eyes.
The VR pod hissed open, and he sat up.
Fox and Drakos were already waiting.
Drakos held the dark red orb in his palm, studying it with an unnerving fascination.
Fox's eyes glimred with satisfaction.
"Well, well."
She turned to Aleman, clapping her hands slowly.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Aleman didn't respond.
Fox smirked, stepping closer.
"See? I told you we could work well together."
She gestured toward one of the guards.
"Release Derrick."
Aleman exhaled.
He had bought Derrick's freedom… for now.
But at what cost?
Because whatever Oni wanted with the "Heart of the Abyss"…
It couldn't be good.
------sss
Betrayal and Arrival
Fox smirked as she motioned towards a nearby monitor, the screen flickering to life.
The grainy CCTV feed showed Derrick stumbling out of a blacked-out van, barely able to keep his balance.
His face was bruised, his clothes torn and dirtied, but he was alive.
The cara panned out, showing a city street, far from the remote island.
Aleman's fists unclenched slightly, but his guard remained up.
Drakos clapped mockingly.
"See? We keep our word. Derrick is free."
Aleman's jaw remained tight.
Fox stepped closer, her gloved fingers tracing the rim of her mask.
"But you? Not so much."
Before Aleman could react, four Oni enforcers lunged at him, clamping cold tallic shackles onto his wrists and ankles.
A sudden, intense surge of power shot through his body, paralyzing his abilities.
The familiar connection he had with Phantom Blitz, Thunder Spear, and Perfect Veil vanished.
Aleman grimaced.
"You think shackles will keep in check?"
Fox chuckled, her voice laced with mocking amusent.
"These aren't just any shackles, Aleman. These are suppression cuffs—military-grade tech infused with anti-mana inhibitors."
Drakos leaned in, his scarred lips curling into a grin.
"You're ours now. Until we're sure you've embraced your new 'family.'"
Aleman took a deep breath, his heartbeat steady.
"You're making a mistake."
Fox's amusent deepened.
"Oh? And why's that?"
Aleman's lips curled into a dangerous smirk.
"Because I always plan ahead."
---
The Tracker Activates
Less than five minutes later, a loud alarm suddenly blared through the island base.
Fox's smile faded.
"What the—"
Drakos snapped his head around, his eyes narrowing.
Aleman watched them with cold amusent.
The lights in the room dimd, the entire Oni command center flashing with red warning lights.
A panicked voice crackled through the overhead speakers.
"Unknown choppers detected! Unidentified aircrafts approaching at high speed!"
Fox's expression darkened.
She turned sharply to Aleman.
"What did you do?"
Aleman rolled his shoulders, feeling the cold weight of the shackles against his skin.
"Nothing much. Just left a little gift for you."
Drakos grabbed him by the collar, his grip like iron.
"Explain!"
Aleman chuckled, completely unfazed.
"You thought you were being clever, taking away my gear. But you forgot that when I extracted your precious artifact..."
Fox's eyes widened in realization.
"You—"
"I placed a tracker inside."
Drakos cursed, slamming Aleman against the wall.
"You set us up?!"
"No, you set yourselves up."
Outside, the distant whirl of helicopter blades grew louder.
Through the small reinforced window, bright spotlights suddenly illuminated the island, cutting through the dense tropical foliage.
Fox spun towards one of the radio operators in the room.
"Who is it?! What kind of choppers are those?!"
The radio crackled, a panicked technician responding.
"They're… governnt-sanctioned operatives! Unknown division! Their gear is military-grade!"
Fox snapped her head back towards Aleman, who stood there, watching with satisfaction.
"You called the feds on us?"
Aleman shrugged.
"Not the feds. But let's just say… a very concerned detective has been tracking my movents."
Drakos gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! Deploy counterasures! Get every unit ready for engagent! We are under attack!"
---
The Assault Begins
Outside, figures in high-tech armored suits descended from the choppers, their boots slamming against the island terrain.
They moved with precise formation, wielding energy rifles and enhanced lee weapons.
Each of them had the sa insignia—a stylized eagle with a lightning bolt through it.
It was a division beyond the standard police force.
Among them, leading the charge, was Detective Wright.
His eyes were sharp as steel, his stance unshaken.
He raised a gaphone to his lips.
"This is a governnt-sanctioned operation! ONI mbers, stand down imdiately! You are surrounded!"
Drakos turned to Fox.
"We need to get the artifact off this island. Now."
Fox nodded, signaling her n.
"Secure the artifact. And—"
She turned towards the Oni enforcers guarding Aleman.
"Kill him."
Aleman smirked.
"Well, that escalated quickly."
---sss
Detective Wright.
His eyes were sharp as steel, his stance unshaken.
He raised a gaphone to his lips.
"This is a governnt-sanctioned operation! ONI mbers, stand down imdiately! You are surrounded!"
Drakos turned to Fox.
"We need to get the artifact off this island. Now."
Fox nodded, signaling her n.
"Secure the artifact. And—"
She turned towards the Oni enforcers guarding Aleman.
Detective Wright.
His eyes were sharp as steel, his stance unshaken.
He raised a gaphone to his lips.
"This is a governnt-sanctioned operation! ONI mbers, stand down imdiately! You are surrounded!"
Drakos turned to Fox.
"We need to get the artifact off this island. Now."
Fox nodded, signaling her n.
"Secure the artifact. And—"
She turned towards the Oni enforcers guarding Aleman.
Detective Wright.
His eyes were sharp as steel, his stance unshaken.
He raised a gaphone to his lips.
"This is a governnt-sanctioned operation! ONI mbers, stand down imdiately! You are surrounded!"
Drakos turned to Fox.
"We need to get the artifact off this island. Now."
Fox nodded, signaling her n.
"Secure the artifact. And—"
She turned towards the Oni enforcers guarding Aleman.
Reviews
All reviews (0)