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As he waited, August couldn\'t shake his growing concern for Derrick. His friend\'s unexplained absence for two consecutive days was unlike him, and a nagging feeling told August that something was off.

Just then, he overheard one of the supervisors grumbling near the front of the room. "Where the hell is that Derrick guy? Missing two days without a single word—do people just think they can come and go as they please?"

Another supervisor chimed in, clearly annoyed. "This is a factory, not a free-for-all. Might as well let him go if he\'s going to start slacking off."

August felt a spark of anger rise within him. Before he knew it, he stepped forward, addressing the supervisor directly. "With all due respect, sir, Derrick has never done this before. He\'s been one of the most reliable workers here. Something\'s probably come up, and I\'m sure he\'ll explain as soon as he can."

The supervisor, a stocky man with a permanent scowl, gave August a hard look. "Well, he\'d better have a damn good reason. We\'re not running a charity here. You\'d do well to get your friend in line."

August forced a polite nod, though irritation simmered beneath the surface. "I\'ll check in on him, sir. Thank you for understanding."

The supervisor gave a dismissive grunt, waving him off. "Fine, fine. Just make sure he shows up tomorrow—or he might not have a job to return to."

August bit back a retort as he collected his pay. He left the factory, grateful to finally be out of the supervisor\'s presence. Pulling out his phone as soon as he stepped outside, he immediately dialed Derrick\'s number.

The phone rang several times and he waited patiently for an answer.

When it eventually went to voicemail, he sighed and tried again. And again. No answer.

After his tenth attempt, he let out a frustrated breath, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

...

The walk home felt longer than usual as he thought about possible reasons for Derrick\'s absence.

\'He can\'t be in trouble, right?\' August could only hope.

He never really kept friends in his previous world but Derrick was actually a very likeable dude. He stood up for August a number of times in the past and even offered part of his pay whenever August was having difficulties taking care of Sophia\'s school fees.

He really was a stand-up guy.

As soon as he reached his apartment, August took out his phone and tried again. Once more, there was nothing but the automated voicemail.

He set his phone on the table, pacing the small space as thoughts tumbled through his mind.

Derrick had always been the responsible one, someone who took his job seriously, especially given his situation with Tara and their upcoming baby. Missing work for two days without a word was completely out of character.

Late in the evening, he picked up his phone again, dialing Derrick\'s number with the hope that this time, there\'d be an answer.

But once more, only the steady tone of unanswered rings filled his ear, ending with the voicemail message he\'d heard far too many times that day.

~ "Hey it\'s Derrick, I can\'t come to the phone right now. Do leave a message." ~

August set the phone down with a frustrated sigh, muttering to himself, "Looks like I\'ll have to visit to find out what\'s going on."

Determined, he decided he\'d visit Derrick in person if he didn\'t show up at the factory tomorrow.

Glancing at his phone again, he reminded himself of his upcoming meeting with the buyer for the Toxic Daggers scheduled for tomorrow evening.

His schedule was tight, but he\'d make time. Derrick was his only friend in this world, and he had to make sure he was alright.

As the night settled outside his window, August prepared himself for a full night of gaming, eager to put his real-world worries aside.

With a deep breath, he logged into Enders Light, feeling the familiar rush as the world around him transformed into the digital realm he\'d come to know so well.

His avatar, Aleman, materialized in front of the bustling TG Adventurers Guild, where he saw his in-game friends—Lilo, Boris, and Ezran—waiting for him.

Lilo spotted him first, waving excitedly as he approached. "Aleman! Glad you could make it," she grinned while giving him a friendly salute.

"Wouldn\'t miss it for the world," August replied with a faint smile.

He was genuinely glad to see them; they had only grinded together twice and he wanted to increase that number to get a feeling of what it was like to be in a party.

"Man, what a day," Boris groaned, stretching as though he could shake off the fatigue that still clung to him even here in the game.

"Work is no joke. My arms are sore just thinking about it."

Lilo nodded with a look of sympathy in her eyes. "Tell me about it. Worked a double shift, and all I could think about was getting back here to blow off some steam."

Ezran smirked, folding his arms as he looked at the two of them. "Guess I can\'t relate. College might be rough, but at least I\'m not breaking my back all day."

August chuckled, giving Ezran a playful nudge. "I remember college. It\'s no walk in the park either."

Lilo snorted, nudging Ezran. "College boy thinks he\'s got it rough. Just wait until you have to pay your own rent."

Ezran laughed, throwing up his hands in mock defense. "Hey, I\'m just here for the free grind therapy session. You can lecture me about life skills later."

They shared a round of laughter, easing away the stress they carried from their daily lives.

August took a deep breath, feeling the troubles of his real-world concerns lift, even if just for a moment.

The game offered them an escape, a place to focus on the thrill of battle and the reward of leveling up without the burdens of real-world responsibilities.

"Alright," Boris said, rolling his shoulders and gripping his sword with renewed energy. "Let\'s put the daily grind behind us and dive into some monster hunting."

Lilo nodded eagerly. "I\'m ready. Let\'s hit something hard."

August grinned. "So, what\'s the plan? Where are we grinding tonight?"

Boris pulled up the map, his finger tracing over a region on the outskirts of Tagharuim Kingdom. "I was thinking we\'d head over to the Forgotten Ruins. The monsters there scale with group size, so it\'s perfect for a team like us. Plus, I heard the loot is pretty good if we make it through a full clear."

Ezran raised an eyebrow. "Forgotten Ruins, huh? I\'ve heard that place can get intense at night. Monsters hit harder, but the loot doubles."

Lilo clapped her hands together, clearly excited. "Sounds perfect. Let\'s get some of that loot and maybe level up while we\'re at it!"

August nodded at the thought of a challenging grind. "Alright, let\'s go tear up some monsters."

They all agreed, sharing a quick round of encouragement before they set off.

The group\'s journey led them away from the usual forests and open fields, taking them to a place called the Forgotten Ruins.

It was a place of crumbling stone pillars, ancient statues, and eerie, glowing glyphs etched into the walls. A faint whisper echoed throughout the ruins that sent a chill through the bones of players.

August gripped his custom Mage staff in one hand and his Enhanced Dagger in the other, ready to wield both magic and physical force with his dual-class setup.

As they stepped further inside, a system notification popped up:

---

[System Notification]

- Welcome to the Forgotten Ruins

- Level Range: 25-35

- Monsters Scale by Group Size

- Bonus Loot Drops: Increased 50%

---

Ezran looked around, taking in the eerie beauty of their surroundings. "This place is... hauntingly beautiful. And a bit unnerving."

Boris, the group\'s Knight, adjusted his grip on his shield and sword as his armor gleamed faintly in the ruins\' spectral light. "Let\'s not get distracted. These monsters are no joke, but if we focus, we can make it through."

Lilo, the group\'s Ranger, notched an arrow into her magical bow while her eyes scanned the shadows. "Let\'s get some EXP!"

Dark shapes began to emerge from the shadows. Hulking figures of stone and glowing eyes locked onto the group.

---

[System Notification]

- You have encountered: Stonebound Sentinels (Level 26)

- Group Scaling Activated: Monsters are 50% Stronger

---

Ezran gazed upon the figures and whistled. "Stonebound Sentinels. These guys are known for high defense."

August grinned while raising his staff as magical power crackled around it. "Then let\'s make them regret stepping in our path."

The Sentinels charged, swinging their massive arms with deadly force. Boris stepped forward, raising his shield to absorb the impact.

[ System Notification: Boris uses Shield Wall - Damage Reduced by 40% for 10 seconds ]