I Can Extract Game Items

Rachel narrowed her eyes playfully. "You really aren't going to drink that, huh?"

Aleman tilted his head slightly. "Unfortunately, no. Helmets tend to get in the way of drinking tea."

She scoffed. "You do know how ridiculous this is, right? Sitting in my living room, all serious and composed, drinking nothing, eating nothing, and just chatting like some secret agent?"

Aleman chuckled while leaning back slightly. "I prefer to think of it as maintaining an air of mystery."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're so damn extra."

Despite her words, she couldn't deny the thrill she felt.

Everything about him screamed "untouchable"—from his perfectly maintained composure to his eerily calm yet confident demeanor.

Most guys in her life had always been either too arrogant, too timid, or just plain unbearable. Yet, Aleman was different.

And that intrigued her.

She sighed and placed her mug down on the table. "Well, since you refuse to drink my tea, I guess that means you're about to leave?"

Aleman nodded. "Yeah. I should head out. It's late."

Rachel pouted playfully. "Hmph. I was starting to enjoy having you around."

Aleman smirked under his helmet but simply stood up. "Come to AM Coven tomorrow. We can continue our conversation there."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "You want me to come see you?"

Aleman shrugged. "It's a business invitation."

"Hah. Sure it is."

She stood up as well and walked him to the door. For a moment, they stood there without saying anything.

Then, before she even realized what she was doing—Rachel stepped forward and hugged him.

Aleman stiffened slightly, caught off guard.

Her arms wrapped around his torso, and for a second, she thought he might pull away. But instead, he remained still. Warm. Firm.

His scent hit her instantly.

It was intoxicating.

A mixture of something clean and crisp, like fresh cedarwood, blended with a subtle spice that lingered in a way that sent a slight shiver down her spine.

Rachel's face flushed red.

'Damn it… Why does he smell so good?'

She quickly pulled away and cleared her throat to mask the sudden heat creeping up her neck. "Uh… well, don't be a stranger, alright?"

Aleman nodded. "See you tomorrow, Rachel."

And with that, he turned and walked out the door, leaving her standing there with her heart pounding—and his scent still clinging to her clothes.

She exhaled deeply before placing a hand on her chest. "Damn it, Rachel. Get a grip."

...

...

(( HOURS LATER ))

The night sky of Enders Light stretched endlessly above as August (Aleman) stood in Tagharium's central square, watching players scatter in different directions, either preparing for quests, selling wares, or discussing the upcoming tournament.

His party had gathered nearby which was a familiar sight by now:

Boris, the grumpy Berserker

Ezran, the shy but sharp-witted Mage

Gregarious, the self-proclaimed warrior poet with his signature energy

Lilo (Rachel Valentine), the always lively Ranger, was noticeably happier than usual tonight

They had all logged in with a plan in mind tonight: taming a beast mount.

As they walked through Tagharium's streets, Boris suddenly nudged Lilo.

"Alright, spill it," he said. "You've been all smiles since you logged in. What happened? Find a hidden treasure? Kill a boss? Get a secret buff?"

Lilo grinned and stretched her arms dramatically. "Nope! None of that. I made a new friend today."

Ezran raised a brow. "A new friend? That's what has you so bubbly?"

"Well, yeah," Lilo smirked. "He's kind, mysterious, and super cool. And guess what? He shares the same name as Aleman!"

A brief silence followed.

August let out a chuckle from the sidelines. "Aleman, huh? What a coincidence."

Gregarious gasped dramatically. "Wait… wait a second! Don't tell me... Aleman is a real person in the real world too?!"

Lilo rolled her eyes. "Obviously, dummy. You think I meant someone from the game?"

"You never know! Maybe an NPC named Aleman suddenly spawned, offering free loot!" Gregarious waved his arms. "I was hoping for a legendary questline!"

Ezran shook his head. "So this Aleman... what's he like?"

Lilo smirked. "Mysterious. Strong. Saved me from a really bad situation today."

Boris crossed his arms. "Hold up, saved you? You got into trouble?"

Lilo quickly waved it off. "It is handled. But he stepped in, so I owe him one."

Gregarious snapped his fingers. "So wait—what if this Aleman and that Aleman are actually the same guy?"

Ezran snorted. "Come on, what are the odds of that?"

All eyes turned to August.

He merely laughed while shaking his head. "Guess we'll find out one day."

The others groaned in frustration.

"Oh, come on!" Lilo pouted. "You're not even going to deny it? Was it you? Or was it a different Aleman?"

August waved them off. "We have a mount to tame, don't we?"

They sighed but let it go—for now.

Despite their best efforts the past couple of days, their attempts to tame a beast mount had been failing miserably.

Tonight was no different.

After another failed attempt, Boris exhaled. "I don't get it. I thought it was supposed to be as simple as fighting the beast down to submission."

"Maybe we need special gear?" Lilo wondered.

Ezran scratched his chin. "Or maybe… we need to ask someone who's actually done it."

That's when August spotted him.

A player standing near the edge of the square with his name glowing in gold letters—GaleStorm, the First Beast Tamer.

The player whose name had appeared in the World Notification days ago.

"That's our guy." August motioned to the others and made his way toward GaleStorm who was currently surrounded by players begging for advice.

As they approached, GaleStorm folded his arms while smirking. "Everyone wants to know how I did it, huh?"

A nearby player tried his luck. "Just give us a tip, man!"

GaleStorm grinned. "Sure. What are you offering?"

Silence.

The players grumbled and walked away, knowing they had nothing valuable enough to trade for the information.

But August smirked beneath his hood.

"What if I told you I could send you a game item… in real life?"

The group froze.

"What?!"

Even Boris, Lilo, Ezran, and Gregarious turned to stare at August.

GaleStorm's eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing."

August took out an item from his inventory—a Space Storage Ring—

"I could have this sent to you in real life..." August said smoothly.

GaleStorm's expression shifted. "Alright… you've got my attention."

After they discussed the logistics of sending the item to GaleStorm's designated real-world location, the player finally revealed his secret.

"You can't just beat the beast into submission and expect it to roll over and accept you." He smirked. "You have to break its will. Dominate it. Show it that its life is in your hands."

"What the hell does that even mean?" Gregarious asked.

GaleStorm leaned in slightly. "Beat it down until it's almost dead… then heal it back up. Again and again. Show it that its survival depends on you. If you do that enough times, its instincts will override its resistance, and it'll submit."

Ezran blinked. "Wait… so we… torture it?"

GaleStorm chuckled. "You call it torture. I call it taming."

[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: You have learned a new method to tame beasts. Do you wish to add this information to your Beast Lore? ]

➡ YES / NO

August tapped YES.

Boris stretched his shoulders. "Alright, then. Looks like we've been doing this all wrong."

Lilo cracked her cute knuckles. "Guess it's time to beat some sense into these wild beasts, then."

Gregarious grinned. "I like the sound of this method already."

August chuckled. "Alright, everyone. Let's put this to the test."

...

...

Minutes later, the group stood at the edge of a vast canyon with the sky above painted in hues of orange as the in-game sun began its slow descent.

Before them lay a wide grassland filled with all kinds of beasts that roamed in herds or alone, waiting to be subdued.

August cracked his knuckles while glancing over at the others. "Alright, we all know the plan. We find something powerful, beat it to a pulp, heal it, and repeat the process until we break its will."

Boris stretched his arms with a smirk plastered across his face. "Sounds like a twisted dating strategy."

Ezran rolled his eyes. "If that's how you get dates, Boris, that explains why you're single." Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire

Lilo giggled. "Honestly, though. This feels weirdly cruel."

Gregarious, as always, was the most enthusiastic. "Bah! Tis the way of warriors! We must conquer before we tame! The beast shall learn to love its master through the pain of battle!"

August shook his head in amusement. "Let's just find something worthy."

They ventured into the grasslands, carefully scanning for a powerful beast to tame. After an hour of scouting, they stumbled upon a colossal horned beast with dark brown fur, piercing crimson eyes, and four powerful legs that looked like they could tear through stone.

<< System Notification: [Wild Hellhorn Charger – Level 52] spotted. >>

Lilo whistled. "Damn. That thing looks dangerous."

Ezran raised an eyebrow. "You're sure you want that one, August?"

August grinned. "I wanted a dragon but I'll settle for this for now."