I Can Extract Game Items-Chapter 221: Mentoring

Author’s Note: Do Not Unlock Yet.

--------------

And then Aleman added one final item:

> **Mentor’s Grace Token — Bound to Derrick**

Derrick frowned. "What’s this?"

"You level faster when you’re near me," August explained. "So grinding will be easy."

Derrick’s eyes widened.

"That’s cheating!"

"No," August corrected with a smirk.

"That’s friendship."

---

### **The Adventure Begins**

Aleman motioned toward the village gate.

"Let’s start your first quest. We’ll grind to level 3 before lunch. By evening, you’ll hit level 10 and unlock the main world."

"Seriously??" Derrick gasped.

"Yep," Aleman said. "You’re learning from the best."

He started walking forward.

Derrick jogged behind him.

"Hey Aleman?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks. For everything. For helping me. For not giving up on me."

Aleman paused — just for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"That’s what brothers do."

Derrick swallowed hard, then grinned.

"Alright then. Teach me how to be a badass."

"Oh, I will," Aleman grinned. "By the time we’re done, even the Oni will think twice before touching you."

Derrick laughed.

And together, mentor and apprentice walked toward the shimmering world of forests, monsters, and magic—

A journey that would change Derrick’s life forever.

---ss

A week passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. Between the lines of code and magic that made up Enders Light, Derrick was slowly carving his own path. And during those days, in the real world, AM Coven quietly thrived as usual — except that one of its core employees was missing, buried neck-deep in a new life.

August didn’t blame him.

A newbie had a mountain to climb.

And Derrick had more reason than anyone to get strong — fast.

---

A Week of Dual Lives

On the seventh morning, August sat on his couch in a relaxed slump, scrolling through mission boards on his tablet while glancing at his pod occasionally. Derrick was still inside his own pod at home, pushing through the leveling grind like a man possessed. Every day, August logged in to guide him, carrying him through dungeons, escort quests, hidden missions, and rare monster hunts.

Derrick was improving. Slowly, awkwardly, but definitely improving.

Even so, he had a lot of catching up to do.

The world of Enders Light wasn’t forgiving. Newbies were always fragile, always overwhelmed, always one mistake away from being swarmed by horned forest boars or wiped out in some beginner dungeon with too much confidence. But Derrick had something many didn’t:

Aleman as a mentor.

Everywhere Aleman went, people whispered.

He was a rising star.

A player who just dominated the tournament without belonging to any guild.

A player who refused offers from giants and forged his own path.

And since the tournament, the whispers only got louder.

When word got out that Aleman was an independent, guild recruiters went feral. They sent friend requests. Messages. Bribes. Invitations. Threats disguised as politeness. Promises disguised as opportunity.

August ignored 95% of them.

The other 5% he rejected politely.

His focus remained on one thing:

Grinding.

Getting stronger.

Exploring unknown areas and increasing both his Assassin and Magic skill branches.

And secretly...

Keeping an ear out.

For anything.

Any mention.

Any rumor.

About legendary fruits.

Or the Elven Kingdom Sylvalis.

Or any political movement tied to the strange event that had displaced him in time.

So far?

Nothing.

And silence was more worrying than noise.

---

Juggling Two Worlds

Despite all of this, August didn’t let his responsibilities in AM Coven slip. With Derrick gone, he handled most of the work himself with the rest of the staff. And when he wasn’t running the business, he was diving into the game to level, train, and explore.

But the real world wasn’t patient.

Real problems don’t wait for the grind to end.

And soon, he’d have to step outside Aleman’s shadow and deal with a threat larger than any boss fight.

Because today — as soon as AM Coven closed — he had a meeting.

One he couldn’t skip.

One he definitely couldn’t ignore.

---

Closing Time

The final customer left and the chime of the door faded out. August switched the OPEN sign to CLOSED and exhaled softly. His day had been long — balancing work, texting Derrick tips, and mentally preparing for what came next.

He walked to the back office and grabbed his outfit.

Business attire.

Tailored.

Black.

Sharp.

Authority radiating from every seam.

He fixed the collar, straightened the sleeves, and finally picked up the distinct helmet — the one he wore during every meeting with the supers or the Agency. It was part safety, part disguise, but at this point, it was almost iconic.

Clad fully, he looked like someone no one wanted to cross.

AM Coven emptied out one by one as the staff clocked out. The lights dimmed to half brightness, the hum of AC lowered to its nighttime setting, and the shop fell into a tense silence.

Until the front door opened with a distinct, deliberate push.

Detective Wright walked in.

But he wasn’t alone.

---

Arrival of the Team

Four figures followed behind him, their steps synchronized and professional.

August recognized two of them instantly.

The supers from the island.

They had been part of the rescue operation to retrieve Derrick—

and he owed them for that.

But the other two?

He didn’t know them.

Which meant they were either new to the team, or more likely—

High clearance operatives added for this mission specifically.

Wright stopped several feet away from August. Even without seeing the detective’s face beneath his own professional mask, August could tell the man looked relieved.

"August," Wright began, voice firm but appreciative, "thank you for agreeing to meet."

"I said I would," August replied, leaning casually against a table. His helmet disguised any facial expression, but his tone remained calm.

The detective gestured to the people behind him. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"You already know Agent Linton and Officer Morales."

The two supers from the island nodded respectfully.

"And these," Wright continued, "are Specialist Haru and Specialist Kellan. They’ll complete the strike team."

Haru, a slim analytical-type with glasses too sharp for someone in field work, bowed politely.

Kellan, a tall brick-house of a man, simply nodded once with a heavy, intimidating presence.

August took the moment to size them up.

Efficient.

Disciplined.

Capable.

Good.

They would need capability for what was coming.