Adam stared at the glowing blue window. The words on the screen confirmed his new skill "Mark and Attack" was ready. A powerful sense of triumph filled him. He had done the impossible.
He had commanded the core system of the game to create a new ability and it had obeyed. He was controlling the very rules that millions of players would soon live by. It felt too easy too much like a cheat. But before he could fully relish his achievement a new message appeared in bold red letters.
Warning Skill Creation at this level is not permitted.
Adam's brow furrowed. His pride vanished replaced by a growing unease. Not permitted? Then why was the skill created? Before he could ponder this another window popped up.
Error The game system has no record of an Administrative Class. This warning is being bypassed.
Adam's lips parted in shock. His heart pounded against his ribs. The game had no record of his class. It meant his Administrator class was entirely outside the game's established rules a piece of code that was not supposed to exist for a player. More notifications began to appear one after another overwhelming him.
Congratulations! Your skill Mark and Attack has been successfully created.
An abnormal class has been detected. Adjustments are being made to the game system.
Patch 201 is being released to address game system changes.
Adam's sense of reality wavered. His class was abnormal. Adjustments were being made to the entire game system because of his existence. The world was changing its core rules just to accommodate him. The final message was the most concerning.
The Administrative Class has been registered into the game system. Certain bypass abilities have been restricted.
A deep frown settled on his face. This was a big deal. The game's core program had updated itself to recognize his class. But it had also placed limits on his "bypass abilities" the very powers that allowed him to bend the rules. "So they're rebalancing the system because of me," he thought. The AI controlling the game was trying to put him back in a box. It seemed his use of Administrator power had set off alarms deep within the game's code.
He took a deep breath pushing the worry away. "It doesn't matter," he muttered regaining his composure. "I got what I needed." Even with the system adjustments he had secured a major game-changing advantage. The Mark and Attack skill was his a unique ability no one else possessed. And he still had his Administrator Class even with some restrictions. As long as he played smart he could still leverage his unique position.
Another blue window appeared a final notification.
Reality Manipulation has been fully utilized. This skill is now on cooldown.
A countdown timer showed he had to wait nearly 24 hours to use it again. "Right," he thought. "No more big manipulations today." He had used both daily charges once to change his leveling system and once to create his new skill. He dismissed the windows with a flick of his wrist then called up his status window for a final check.
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Name AlphaBoss
Species Human
Class Administrator
Level 1
Experience 0/100
HP 100/100
MP 100/100
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Physical Stats
Stamina 5
Endurance 5
Intelligence 5
Strength 5
Agility 5
Luck 3
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Skills
Reality Manipulation (Level 1)
Mark and Attack (Level-Max)
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Everything looked right. His new skill was there. At the bottom of the window a special note confirmed his other change.
When AlphaBoss meets the experience requirements for a level upgrade system consent will be required to proceed.
A smirk crossed his lips. The system was trying to control him but it was too late. He had already created a skill beyond normal limits and he still possessed his knowledge of the future. "My plan worked perfectly," he murmured. "Now nothing can stop me."
He rose from the ground and brushed the dirt from his black outfit. The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy casting scattered golden rays across the forest floor. The air was cool and clean. It's time he thought. Time to gather experience points.
He ventured deeper into the forest. The path grew more rugged. Twisted roots and sharp rocks made the terrain difficult. The towering trees grew closer forming a dense green labyrinth. After walking for some time he froze. He heard a faint rhythmic slashing sound up ahead followed by an unpleasant squelch. He crept forward silently using the trees and bushes for cover.
Peering from behind a thick tree he spotted a small clearing. A lone player was locked in battle with a group of small wobbly slimes. A name floated above the player's head BlockHead. He wielded a simple iron sword the basic starting weapon. With a swift swing BlockHead sliced the first slime in half. It burst into a shower of bright light particles. He pivoted and dispatched the second one just as quickly. Only one slime remained. With a confident thrust he stabbed the final creature in its core. It too disintegrated leaving behind a small red crystal.
BlockHead raised his arms in triumph. "Man these graphics are amazing!" he said aloud his voice echoing slightly. "Just 30 more slimes and I'll level up!"
Adam remained hidden observing the scene. So this is how players grind experience points right now he thought. He watched BlockHead pick up the red crystal and store it in his inventory. For a moment Adam considered revealing himself but he hesitated. No. Not yet. It was too soon. He had too many secrets to protect. He needed to watch and learn first.
If I want to level up efficiently I need to understand the best way to farm experience points in this new version. Was this slow grinding the fastest method? Or were there other ways he knew from the future that would be more effective now? Watching other players would give him the edge he needed.
Hidden in the shadows his blue eyes gleamed with quiet determination. He had his power and had made his first move. Now he would observe the game's early reality. The next phase of his journey was about to begin. He was ready to watch learn and wait for the perfect moment to unleash his true strength.