I Can Extract Game Items

"My pod can't keep me in game longer than this without risking my health," August revealed.

This caught everyone's attention, and even Drask, who had been examining a rare axe they had looted, looked up. "What do you mean by 'pushing the limits'? Aren't gaming pods supposed to sustain you?"

"Depends on the grade," August replied while scratching the back of his head. "Mine's mid-grade. I can stay in for about 36 hours before it starts affecting my body in the real world. It's been over two days now."

Aria's eyes widened. "You've been logged in for this long on a mid-grade pod? Are you insane?"

August shrugged, trying to downplay the seriousness of it. "It's fine. I've done it before—just not for this long."

Torin rolled his eyes. "Typical solo player behavior. You're trying to keep up with us guild players, but you're gonna end up killing yourself."

Drask let out a hearty laugh, though it was tinged with concern. "Guess we guildies are spoiled, huh? High-grade pods all around. I haven't even thought about logging out since we started this dungeon run."

"Yeah," Viora chimed in softly, adjusting her cleric robes. "Our pods feed our bodies and keep us hydrated while we're logged in. Even our physical vitals are monitored. It's how guilds can keep their members grinding for days on end without worrying about health."

August's smirk was faint. "Luxury perks of being in a guild, I guess. Not everyone can afford that."

Aria folded her arms, clearly thinking. "Alright, let's talk solutions. How much longer can you stay logged in?"

"Not long," August admitted. "I'm already getting system warnings to log out. I need at least two to six hours of rest in the real world to recover."

"Two to six hours in the real world?" Torin's brow furrowed. "That's four to eight hours here. We'll lose a lot of time."

"And time isn't something we have," Gareth added. "Other parties are probably already catching up. The fruit of sin isn't going to wait for us."

Drask grunted in agreement. "It's not just about the fruit. If we delay, someone else might get to the Swordking's legacy before us. There's too much at stake here."

Aria let out a frustrated sigh while fiddling with her hair. Her expression softened slightly as she looked at August. "I get it. You've been pushing yourself hard. But this puts us in a tight spot."

"I know," August responded. "Look, I don't want to hold you all back. You can keep going without me."

"No," Aria said firmly, cutting him off. "We're a team. We stick together."

Torin threw up his hands. "Well, that's great in theory, but what are we supposed to do? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs while he takes a nap in the real world?"

Viora spoke up quietly. "It's not just about loyalty, Torin. If we keep pushing forward without him, we'll lose one of our key members. Aleman has been pulling his weight, even exceeding expectations. We need him."

Drask nodded. "She's right. He saved my ass back there more than once."

Aria looked at the group and voiced with a resolute tone. "We've made it this far together. I'm not leaving anyone behind. If Aleman needs to log out and rest, then we all log out."

There was a moment of silence as her words sank in. Torin looked like he wanted to argue but eventually let out a huff. "Fine. But this better not cost us the dungeon."

"It won't," Aria assured him. "We'll log out for two hours real-world time. That's four hours here. It's a risk, but it's better than pushing forward shorthanded."

August was taken aback. "You'd all log out for me? I didn't mean for—"

"Stop," Aria interrupted, giving him a pointed look. "You're part of this party now, whether you like it or not. We don't leave our own behind."

Drask grinned. "Yeah, you're stuck with us, buddy."

August couldn't help but smile. These guys weren't so bad after all.

Fortunately, they'd all appear back on this same floor if they logged out from here.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The group was gathered in a dimly lit corner of the dungeon, preparing to log out when Torin suddenly paused. His brow furrowed, and he looked at the others.

"Wait," his voice broke the silence. "What if we didn't have to log out for so long? What if we could get him into the guild temporarily so he could use one of Phoenix Celestial's gaming pods?"

The suggestion caught everyone off guard. Aria, who had been finalizing her inventory check, glanced up in thought. "That's... not a bad idea," she admitted. "But there's a problem. What if Aleman lives too far away from the guild's physical location? It would take too long for him to get there."

Torin shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to ask, right?"

Aria hesitated, then turned to August. "Alright, where are you located in the real world?"

August blinked, surprised by the question. "Uh... Quincy City. Why?"

Aria exchanged a look with the others and then explained. "The main Phoenix Celestial guild base happens to be in Quincy City wen district. If you're close enough to get there, we could temporarily grant you access to one of our high-grade gaming pods. That way, you wouldn't have to rest for so long in the real world, and we could keep moving forward as a team."

"Wen district?" August's eyes widened. "That's just about thirty minutes from my house."

"You're kidding," Torin said, crossing his arms. "You're actually close to the guild?"

August nodded. "Yeah, I could make it there. No problem."

Drask let out a low whistle. "Well, that solves one issue. The question now is, can we get him access? You know how strict the guild is about non-members entering the base."

Aria tapped her chin, thinking. "Normally, non-members aren't allowed. But we're on a critical run in the Swordking Dungeon. If I explain the situation to our superior, I'm sure I can get approval for a temporary pass."

Viora chimed in softly, "And he's proven himself trustworthy. It's not like he's just some random player."

Aria nodded in agreement. "Alright, it's worth a shot. Aleman, can you head to the guild base as soon as you log out? I'll alert our superiors and explain everything."