A red taxi drove through the less poputed streets of Red Oak City. Behind the wheel sat a middle-aged man, close to tears. The sparse hair on his head threateo fall out at any moment.

  The car took various turns, trying to lose those pursuing it. But they remaiubborn. Whehe car tried to slow down, they would close the distance, almost toug.

  In the bck vehicle behind sat two burly men, one of them pying around with an ominous bposite bow.

  The driver was frightened out of his mind, almost dying form a heart attack. Liam wore a grim face as well, discussing with his bodyguard.

  “What do they want? Are they only threatening us?”

  “I’m not sure. But I ’t imagihat they would dare to take a. Withiy the army serves as a deterrence.”

  Liam took a deep breath. After his ret experience he didn’t know if those words held true.

  Rag his brairied to e up with anything he could do. Eventually he only thought about asking for help.

  Taking out his phone he quickly wrote a message to Silver Bde. But a moment ter his stomach sank. A notification on his phoold him that the message didn’t get through.

  Liam’s bodyguard’s face paled at the same time. He spoke with a heavy voice:

  “I couldn’t inform the pany.”

  “I ’t get any message out either. Who has the means to jam nal?”

  “I’m not sure…”

  Liam looked at the back mirror with worried eyes.

  Naturally he suspected Star Gazer behind all this, but there was no way to prove it. And even if there was it didn’t help him in the current situation.

  At this moment the man in the car behind them suddenly waved his arrow around. The trembling driver mustered his ce to speak up:

  “Th… they want us… to tur.”

  “Let’s do it. We shouldn’t provoke them unnecessarily.”

  The driver iffly before turning his steering wheel. The same se repeated a few times. Driving acc to the pursuers’ instrus, the taxi quickly entered some shadier parts of the city.

  Liam gnced outside, mumbling in a pressured tone:

  “The lower city…”

  Soon, they reached an area filled with colorful lights. Nightclubs, os, and bars advertised their services apanied by loud music.

  Even early in the m people could be seen ing and goiually the car behind sighe taxi to park in front of a block-shaped building covered in purple neon lights.

  A sign read Pink Cave, which was obviously the name of a nightclub.

  Suddenly a burly man holding a knife appeared o the car. With a gri the window with the handle. Everyone ihe car flinched from the sound.

  “Get out, you guys! We prepared a nice wele for you!”

  Liam and his bodyguard g each other. Seeing multiple armed men lingering around the club, they could do nothing but ply.

  Although both of them were pyers, the highest level right now was only level 20. A single martial artist of the third stage like Silva could suppress them with one hand.

  Under several mog gazes the three people in the car stepped out.

  “Hehe, wele, wele. e with me.”

  The man with the knife spoke happily, leading the three people towards the building. Staring at the kidnapper, Liam got a weird feeling, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

  A rude palm nded on his back, shoving him forward. Another voice spoke mogly, elig ughter from his colleagues:

  “Hurry up! We don’t have all day!”

  Subsequently the three men were led towards a side door. Entering ay stairway, they went up two floors before arriving in a hallway decorated with purple carpet, void of people.

  Without giving Liam and the others time to look around their kidnappers shoved them through a rge heart-shaped door.

  They entered a pink room, taining a few cushioned armchairs surrounding a small stage with a metallic pole.

  “Haha, do you like our surprise?”, mocked the kidnapper.

  “Get fortable! You won’t leave soon.”

  The me with a loud ugh. As soon as the door closed, a click could be heard. Liam’s bodyguard tried to open it, but it was futile.

  Outside the room the two kidnappers who led Liam scoffed at the shaking door.

  “What use is there in trying? Do you really think we would give you such a ce?”

  “Haha, why even struggle? Aren’t we already niough, providing a private booth like this?”

  As the two men were ughing, muffled steps could be heard. They looked towards the side seeing a thin woman with burn marks on her skin approag.

  “Eve!”

  The men straighteheir bodies, showing obvious respect. Their hands reached for their faces, taking off the masks they had been wearing.

  “Mhm. Good job. Now, don’t let uests get bored. They should stay here for as long as possible. Boss Serin promised generous rewards this time.”

  “Of course, Eve. We won’t disappoint you.”

  Eve her two subordinates before leaving tently. She was quite happy about the job this time. After all, their t wasn’t the only one feeling pressured by Bleary Mirage.

  Ihe room, Liam sat on an armchair, sing his prison.

  “I ’t find anything.”

  “Will we die here? You! You got me into this!”

  Liam g the driver who was huddled in a er, his eyes shaking crazily.

  “Don’t get worked up. If they would’ve wao kill us, they would’ve already done so,”

  “Right. They must have another purpose.”

  At this moment, loud music suddenly started pying, shaking the entire room. Loud banging noises could be heard from outside.

  “What, what’s this? Make it stop!”

  The driver shivered in horror.

  Liam frowned heavily, gritting his teeth.

  “It seems they really want to keep me out of the game.”

  “What a sinister method…”, ehe bodyguard.

  Every pyer khat it was important to find a quiet pce when pying. Outside stimulus would be amplified multiple times in the game. It would disturb the eaking it more difficult to move.

  If the strain got too big it might even damage the brain. Luckily at this point the sole would automatically disect the pyer, prioritizing their safety.

  “Do you think your friends do without you?”

  Liam remained silent for a moment while a fident smile formed on his face. Suddenly a voice appeared in his head.

  [Pyer Liam, receive your challenge.]

  [Defeat at least one dungeon boss within the welve hours.]

  [Rewards will be based on degree of pletion.]

  It seems you kly what I was thinking, C!

  “Just let me know when someone es to get us out.”, said Liam.

  His bodyguard stared at him strangely:

  “What do you pn on doing?”

  “I have a game to py.”

  “No! That’s way too dangerous!”

  “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

  Do you think I never pyed in a nightclub?

  Liam scoffed inwardly at the people who kidnapped him. Did they really think a bit of music could distract him?

  In his old life he had pyed under way worse ditions. And he was by far not the only one.

  Just then a small light on the sole lit up. Liam khat it was time. Without hesitation he logged into the game.

  When his visiourned Liam found himself in Svebrial. He immediately checked in on his friends, fearing that some of them might have been kidnapped as well.

  Luckily, everyone was there. They quickly gathered around the teleportation ptform.

  Although Liam tried not to show anything, not wanting to distract his friends, Silver Bde felt a strange sensation looking at him. Her sixth sense was tingling.

  After some pestering Liam relutly revealed what had happened.

  “You were kidnapped?!”

  Everyone shouted in unison, shock all over their faces. Without saying anything more Silver Bde directly left the game, mobilizing all the help she could get.

  Wheurned, her face was still filled with worry.

  “Mirage, it’s alright. We scout the dungeon without you. Let’s wait until you are safe.”

  “Wouldn’t we give them exactly what they want, though?”

  “Who cares? Your health is at risk here!!!”

  Silver Bde gritted her teeth, her eyes almost spewing fire. Liam was taken aback by her intense rea.

  The young man subsciously reached out with his hand, holding Silver Bde’s shoulder. He spoke while looking deep into her eyes:

  “Thank you! Really! But you trust me, this bit of music is nothing. The best way to pay them back is to clear the dungeon before them.”

  Liam could feel Silver Bde’s body shiveriually she took a deep breath and calmed down. With a slight jerk of her shoulder, Liam’s hand slipped off.

  “I guess it’s your life. You decide.”

  The others watched silently, feeling the plicated atmosphere. A moment ter Radiant Shield couldn’t stand the silence, speaking carefully:

  “I feel like what happee wasn’t the only attempt to sabotage us.”