Would You Like To Extract Item?

The sight of the disassembled fridge left August stunned.

Despite his initial frustration, a slow realization began to dawn on him.

Did his new ability have something to do with the fridge coming apart?

As much as he wanted to think so, he didn't have the time to figure it out. Work awaited...

August went on to prepare to head to the factory for his morning shift.

--

As August arrived at the factory, he noticed Derrick waiting for him near the entrance with a familiar grin on his face. "Morning, August. Ready for another day of fun?"

August chuckled, feeling a sense of normalcy. "Always, Derrick. Always."

They made their way inside, clocked in, and began their shift. The usual vibrations of machinery and the clang of metal filled the air.

August couldn't help but notice the way one particular colleague, Greg, seemed to be avoiding him. Sure they had a scuffle days earlier but hadn't he told August he'd deal with him?

August leaned over to Derrick with a tone of curiosity; "What's up with Greg? He looks like he's seen a ghost."

Derrick's grin widened. "Oh, that. I had a little chat with him. Told him to stay away from you after what happened last time."

August raised an eyebrow. "You know about that? That wasn't necessary, Derrick."

Derrick shrugged. "Maybe not, but I wasn't about to let him mess with my buddy. Besides, he needed to learn a lesson about being nice and polite."

August felt a warm sense of gratitude. "Thanks, Derrick. I appreciate it."

The morning passed in a blur of activity. August found himself filled with an unusual amount of energy.

Tasks that normally left him exhausted seemed effortless. He lifted heavy crates, operated machinery, and completed his duties without breaking a sweat.

His movements were precise and efficient, and he didn't need any help from Derrick with a single task.

Whispers and murmurs followed him as he moved through the factory. "What's with pretty boy today?" one worker muttered. "He hasn't even taken a break," another pointed out.

Even Derrick seemed amazed. "Man, you're on fire today," he said during lunch. They sat together in the break room, surrounded by the noise of other workers chatting and eating. "What's your secret? New workout routine?"

August laughed, shrugging it off. "Just feeling good, I guess. Maybe I finally got a good night's sleep."

But deep down, August knew it had to be something more. The Fruit of Corruption had to be responsible for this newfound energy, even if he hadn't discovered the exact nature of his ability yet.

As the afternoon wore on, the hours flew by. August moved from one task to the next with ease. He hefted heavy barrels onto shelves, maneuvered machinery with precision, and tackled assignments that usually required teamwork all by himself. Sweat glistened on the brows of his coworkers, but August remained remarkably composed.

At one point, Derrick watched in amazement as August single-handedly lifted a massive crate that usually required two people. "You're a beast today," Derrick said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know what you're doing, but keep it up."

August smiled, feeling a swell of pride. "Thanks, Derrick. I'll do my best."

--

After the shift ended, August and the other workers, including Derrick, headed to the factory bathrooms to take their baths. The small, utilitarian bathroom cubicles were a familiar part of their routine, providing a brief respite after a long day of hard labor.

As August stepped into one of the cubicles, his mind was still racing with thoughts of the recent ordeals.

The Fruit of Corruption, his strange energy levels at work, and the mysterious ability he seemed to possess all swirled in his head.

Lost in thought, he turned on the shower and absentmindedly reached out to touch the faucet.

His fingers emitted a purplish glow as they made contact with the metal. The glow spread rapidly across the faucet and then to the entire shower system.

It wasn't until the shower began to come apart, piece by piece, that August realized something was happening. The tiles on the wall cracked open, the showerhead detached, and the pipes disassembled themselves in a seemingly orchestrated manner.

August stared in disbelief as the shower dislodged before his eyes. His heart pounded in his chest, and he took a step back, trying to process what he was seeing.

The tiles fell to the floor, the showerhead and faucet components clattered down, and water spurted from the exposed pipes before stopping altogether. The small cubicle was now a chaotic mess of parts and debris.

"What's happening?" August muttered with a voice barely above a whisper.

He reached out to touch the disassembled parts, hoping to reverse the process, but nothing happened. The pieces remained scattered, defying any attempt to reassemble them with his hands.

Then, something even more shocking happened. A game-like system interface appeared before him, hovering in mid-air just like it did in Enders Light.

←←←←←←←←

Name: Aleman

Level: 13

Title(s): Nil

Class: Assassin

EXP: 11,000/30,000

HP: 2000/2000

Gold: 200

Skills: Shadow Dance, Hidden Strike, Slash, Dash, Dual Wielding

Inventory: Basic Dagger, Leather Armor, Healing Potion x4, Uncommon Toxic Dagger, Danting Pendant, Runic Sword

←←←←←←←←

The familiar sight of his game stats was now present in reality. The panel displayed various sections, but most of them were greyed out, including his EXP and other attributes.

However, his inventory was fully visible, showcasing an array of weapons and potions.

August's eyes widened in astonishment. "How is this possible?" he thought.

He reached out to touch the panel, and his fingers passed through it as if it were made of light. He could see detailed descriptions of the items in his inventory, including their stats and uses. This was exactly like the interface in the game, but how was it possible here, in the real world?

The noise from the disassembling shower had caught Derrick's attention. "Hey, August! You okay in there?" he called from outside the cubicle.

August quickly tried to compose himself, but his heart was still racing. "Uh, yeah! Just a little... plumbing issue," he replied, his voice shaky.

He glanced around the cubicle. The disassembled parts of the shower were still scattered around him. Panic set in as he realized he couldn't reverse what he had done. The parts remained stubbornly disassembled, and the mess was unmistakable.

"I need to get out of here," he thought. "I can't explain this."

With his mind racing, August stepped out of the cubicle, careful to avoid the scattered debris.

He quickly dressed and made his way out of the bathroom, avoiding eye contact with Derrick and the other workers.

He felt their curious glances but kept his head down, determined to leave without raising any more suspicion.

Derrick called out again with concern evident in his voice. "August, what's going on? You look pale."

August forced a weak smile, trying to mask his anxiety. "I'm fine, Derrick. Just feeling a bit off. I'll catch up with you later."

Without waiting for a response, August hurried out of the factory. The cool evening air hit him as he stepped outside.

He walked quickly, almost jogging, desperate to get home and away from the prying eyes and questions.

As he made his way through the familiar streets, the events replayed in his mind. The purple glow, the disassembly, the game interface—none of it made sense.

What exactly was his new ability?

When he finally reached his apartment, he let out a sigh of relief. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, feeling the relative safety of his home.

Sophia was already back from school, sitting at the kitchen table with her homework spread out before her. She looked up and smiled as he entered.

"Hey, August. How was work?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.

"It was... interesting," August replied, trying to keep his tone light. He ruffled her hair as he walked by, but his mind was still preoccupied with the day's events.

Her eyes blinked with even more curiosity upon taking note of August's expression but before she could ask, he headed to his room.

August needed some time alone to process everything. As he sat on the edge of his bed, the weight of his new reality began to settle in. He had gained a supernatural ability, but it seemed complicated.

August closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. "I need to figure this out," he thought out loud.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on thinking about the interface that had appeared earlier.

To his astonishment, it materialized once more before his eyes, exactly as it had in the bathroom.

←←←←←←←←

Name: Aleman

Level: 13

Title(s): Nil

Class: Assassin

EXP: 11,000/30,000

HP: 2000/2000

Gold: 200

Skills: Shadow Dance, Hidden Strike, Slash, Dash, Dual Wielding

Inventory:Basic Dagger, Leather Armor, Healing Potion x4, Uncommon Toxic Dagger, Danting Pendant, Runic Sword

←←←←←←←←

August stared at the interface as his heart pounded in thrill. Everything except the inventory was greyed out, rendering his stats and skills inaccessible. The only interactive part was his inventory.

He hesitantly reached out and touched a particular item in his inventory—his Basic Dagger. As his finger made contact, a system notification appeared before him:

<[Would You Like To Extract Item: Basic Dagger ]>

<[ YES ]> <[ NO ]>