Adam stared at the message about the 'exception notice', the one that said his change went beyond his skill level but was allowed because he was an admin. A wide, happy smile slowly spread across his face. He had felt worried just moments ago, thinking his try at changing the system had failed when the red warning popped up.
"I thought my attempt had failed," he muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly, but the corners of his lips kept turning upward into a big grin. "But this... this is perfect." It wasn't just a successful change; it was a successful change that proved his Administrator class could break the rules and even ignore some limits of his skill, at least for simple system changes.
The blue window in front of him, the glowing interface, seemed to pulse slightly, almost like it was acknowledging his thoughts or finishing something. Then, another notification popped up onto the screen, adding more good news.
[Congratulations! You have successfully modified the system]
Whenever your experience meets the requirements for leveling up, a consent message will now prompt you before proceeding.
Adam's grin grew even wider, splitting his face with pure satisfaction, as his eyes quickly read the new text. He had done it. He had figured out how to use his unique class and skill, even at Level 1, to exploit, to take advantage of, a loophole, a hidden weakness or way around the game's normal, rigid rules.
It was something he knew deep down no ordinary player, not even the most expert gamer in his past life, could have ever thought of, much less actually done. They didn't have an Administrator class or Reality Manipulation.
Making that change had been a risk, a gamble. He had worried about it moments ago, especially when the error message popped up. But it had paid off beautifully.
If the system had simply said "no" and blocked his modification request, he would have been stuck following the game's standard rules, leveling up automatically whenever he gained enough experience points, just like every single other player. Now, he was in control. He held the reins, the steering wheel, of his own progress.
He could choose when to level up, allowing him to gain massive amounts of experience points without actually increasing his level, keeping his outer appearance low-level while his hidden power grew.
"This gives me such a huge, huge advantage," Adam thought, feeling the power of this control already. He flexed his fingers slightly, the action filled with his excitement and anticipation.
"I'll be able to get far ahead of everyone, way past them, before they even realize what's happening, before they understand how far I've pulled ahead." While others would be stuck leveling one step at a time, revealing their growth, he could level up whenever he chose, perhaps unleashing all his stored experience and power in one sudden burst when he was ready.
With this new sense of confidence radiating from him, making him feel strong and capable, Adam whispered to himself, almost like starting a secret mission, "Okay. Time for phase two of my plan." Phase one was confirming his identity, his class, and his skill, and gaining control of his leveling. Phase two? Something much bolder.
But even with his big success, a small flicker of doubt, a tiny bit of worry, crossed Adam's face for just a moment. The error message he'd seen before was a reminder that his power wasn't unlimited, and that using it could get attention.
"What if the system rejects this one?" he wondered, the thought making his heart beat a little faster. The uncertainty was still there, gnawing lightly at the edge of his strong confidence. The change he wanted to make now was much bigger than just changing a personal system setting.
But then, almost as if he was forcing himself to silence those doubts, he straightened his posture. His back went straighter, his shoulders pulled back. His resolve, his firm determination, hardened, becoming stronger. He wasn't going to back down because of a little worry. "It's worth a try," he said aloud, his voice firm and steady this time. He had to push the limits to understand them, and he needed this next step to achieve his goals.
Steeling himself, making himself feel strong and ready, Adam raised his hand slightly, a simple gesture, and commanded, speaking the words clearly, "Reality Manipulation: Activate." He was ready to use his last daily charge of the skill.
The familiar soft blue glow of the system interface appeared before him again, shimmering faintly in the dim forest light. On the screen, the confirmation text showed up:
Reality Manipulation skill activated.
His eyes, already gleaming with determination, lit up even more. A mixture of awe, a deep feeling of respect for the power, and fierce determination filled him. He had known this skill was powerful from the moment he saw the name
"Reality Manipulation," but only now, after changing the system setting and seeing the error followed by the exception, was he beginning to truly grasp its incredible, world-bending potential. This wasn't just a player skill; it was a tool of creation and alteration.
"This skill..." he whispered, his voice quiet and filled with a deep feeling of reverence, like he was talking about something holy. "It's more powerful than I imagined. It can change the rules themselves."
A new interface popped up immediately after his thought, replacing the activation message. This one seemed clearer and more responsive, reacting instantly. It showed:
System active. Reality Manipulation mode enabled.
The small microphone icon on the screen started blinking steadily. It was waiting. Waiting for his input. Waiting for his command. Waiting for him to tell it what piece of reality, or in this case, what part of the game's mechanics, he wanted to manipulate, to change or create.
Adam spoke again, his voice calm, not rushed, but carrying a clear tone of command, like someone giving an order that must be followed. "Listen, system," he began, addressing the interface directly.
"I want to create a new skill." This was a huge request, something unimaginable for a player. He didn't want to learn a skill; he wanted to create one out of nothing, defining what it did. "I'll call it 'Mark and Attack.'" The name came to him quickly, simple and descriptive of what he wanted it to do.
For a moment, the interface flickered slightly, like it was thinking hard, processing this very unusual request to create something new. It seemed to be trying to understand the complex command. Then, a new prompt appeared on the screen:
Define skill parameters.
Adam exhaled, letting out a long breath. His mind immediately started racing, going over every detail of the skill he wanted to make. He knew he had to explain his idea with precision, using exact words.
This wasn't like describing something to a friend; this was describing something to the game's core system, telling it how to build a new part of itself. Every single word he chose mattered, shaping the function and limits of the skill he was about to bring into existence.
Defining the Skill:Mark
Adam's voice was steady now, his tone measured and careful as he began explaining the first part of his new skill. Each word was chosen precisely, trying to avoid any confusion or unwanted results. "The first phase," he explained to the system, "is the mark." He described how he wanted this phase to work.
"It will allow me to place a glowing red mark on any target simply by looking at them, using the power of my gaze, my eyes." This meant he wouldn't need to use his hands or aim a weapon; he could just look and mark.
He paused briefly, closing his eyes for a second, visualizing exactly what he wanted the glowing red mark to look like in his mind. It needed to be clear and easy to see on a target. His tone grew more assertive, more confident, as he added a crucial instruction about the mark's effect and security.
"This mark should only be removable by my command," he stated firmly. No one else should be able to get rid of it. "No one else should have the power to erase it—not the target who has the mark on them, not other players, nobody else at all." It needed to be a persistent, visible tag that only he controlled.
The system's interface shimmered again as he spoke, automatically recording his instructions in real time, showing the words he spoke appearing on the screen.
Each word seemed to carry real weight, actually bending the system's code, shaping the creation of the skill based on his will. Moments later, after a very short processing delay, a soft chime sounded from the interface, a sound like a small bell. A notification appeared confirming that part was understood:
Mark parameters accepted. Target-locking mechanism enabled.
Adam smirked again, feeling his confidence growing even stronger. The system had understood the first part perfectly. "Perfect," he muttered under his breath, happy with the result. "Now, onto the next phase. The attack part."
Defining the Skill:Attack
Without stopping, without missing a beat, Adam refocused all his attention on the glowing interface. Another window popped up, already ready for the next part of his instructions. The microphone icon was glowing steadily, waiting for him to speak the next command, the details of the attack phase.
"The second phase is the attack," Adam began, his voice steady and calm but underneath that, there was a clear feeling of anticipation. This was the core of the skill, the part that would deal damage.
He paused for a moment again, carefully arranging his thoughts, structuring the next sentence in his mind to be as clear as possible for the system.
"Once a target is marked," he stated, linking the two phases together, "I can command any object around me – be it a knife, a sword, a simple stone, a branch, or anything else I choose – to attack the marked target." This was the power he wanted: to turn ordinary things into controlled projectiles.
As the words left his mouth, Adam felt a rush of exhilaration, a thrilling excitement. He was literally creating a unique game mechanic, something completely unprecedented, something that could significantly tip the scales, shift the balance of power, completely in his favor against other players or monsters. This skill would make him incredibly dangerous in any environment.
"The object," he continued, his voice becoming more animated now, more energetic as he described the attack's behavior, "will relentlessly follow the target until it hits them. Once the attack is complete, after the object hits its target, the mark will disappear automatically or remain on the target." The relentless tracking was key; it meant his attack wouldn't miss unless the target somehow became unreachable.
The system interface pulsed visually as it processed this new input. It seemed to take a little longer this time than the 'mark' part, as though the complexity of creating the 'attack' mechanism and integrating the tracking required more processing effort from the system. Finally, after a few tense seconds, another notification appeared, confirming the second phase was understood:
Attack parameters accepted. Tracking mechanism integrated.
Adam's eyes gleamed with pure satisfaction and excitement. Both parts of the skill were accepted! "This is even better than I hoped," he said, his voice barely loud enough to hear, a soft whisper, but the excitement bubbling up inside him was unmistakable, powerful. He had just created a personalized attack skill just by asking the system.
Finalizing the Skill...
Adam leaned closer to the glowing interface, his mind already racing with all the ways he could use this "Mark and Attack" skill. The possibilities seemed endless. "Is the skill ready now?" he asked, his tone sharp and impatient, eager to start using his new creation immediately.
The system responded right away, but its reply wasn't the simple "Yes" Adam expected. A red warning window, the color that always meant trouble, suddenly appeared.
Skill status: Partially complete.
High energy consumption detected.
Warning: Overuse may cause exhaustion.
Frustration, sharp and immediate, flashed across Adam's face. His jaw tightened. Limitations again! He absolutely hated being told he couldn't do something, especially with a skill as cool as this. High energy consumption? Exhaustion? It wasn't ready? But as quickly as the frustration arose, he pushed it down, setting it aside. He wasn't going to accept "partially complete" or warnings.
"I don't care about the risks," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument, his resolve stronger than his fear of consequences. "Complete the skill. Finish it. Do it now." He used his administrative authority, his unique position, to override the system's hesitation.
The system seemed to pause for just a split second, a moment of virtual hesitation, like it was thinking about the consequences of following such a demanding command that came with a warning. Then, with a faint, final chime, a new notification appeared. This was the final confirmation.
Skill successfully created: Mark and Attack.
And finally, the complete, official description of the new skill materialized, showing up before Adam's eyes:
[You can mark any living or non-living object using your gaze. Once marked, any object you command will attack the target with precision, tracking it until the task is completed]
Adam read the final description carefully. It was exactly what he wanted. His heart was pounding hard with exhilaration, with the thrill of creation and the power he now held.
He could almost feel the power of this new skill flowing through his virtual veins, the amazing possibilities of what he had just created unfurling rapidly in his mind. He could use a stone, a leaf, a broken stick, and turn it into a guided weapon just by looking and commanding.
A clear, victorious smile spread across his face, staying there this time. He had not only come back but was actively changing the game's rules to suit him. He whispered to himself, his voice filled with triumph and a fierce readiness, "Alright. Let the game truly begin." This wasn't just playing anymore; this was manipulating the very foundation of the game.
Adam's gaze stayed on the glowing interface for just a moment longer, taking in the reality of his new creation. Then, with a simple swipe of his hand across the air where the window floated, he closed it. The blue light vanished. Around him, the dense forest was silent again, the sounds of the system gone.
The tall trees still loomed overhead, their dark forms reaching towards the sky. Their leaves made a faint rustling sound in the cool breeze that blew through the woods. The air smelled strongly of damp earth, the rich smell of the forest floor. And faintly, softly, the sound of crickets chirping provided a gentle, almost rhythmic background noise.
But Adam didn't really pay attention to the peaceful, natural beauty of his surroundings anymore. His mind was too busy, consumed by thoughts of what he would do next, how he would use his new skill, where he would go to train and get stronger. He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of energy, a ripple of the power of his new skill and class, move through his body.
"This skill…" he thought again, his blue eyes narrowing in focus. "It's not just a tool to help me. It's a weapon. A powerful weapon. And I'll make sure it becomes the most feared weapon in this game, in this new reality." He would make players, monsters, even the game system itself fear AlphaBoss and his ability to turn anything into a deadly projectile.
The forest seemed to hold its breath around him, becoming even quieter, as though the very trees and bushes could sense the importance, the gravity, of the moment. Adam stood there, his sleek black outfit helping him blend with the deep shadows cast by the trees. His presence felt stronger now, radiating an almost palpable intensity, a feeling of hidden power and dangerous potential.
For the first time, truly for the very first time since he woke up in his old room, he felt like he wasn't just a player rejoining a game. He was something more. He was actively rewriting its very rules, molding the game to fit his needs and desires.
And as the soft moonlight filtered through the leaves high above, casting broken, dappled patterns of light and shadow on the forest ground around him, Adam's journey took a monumental leap forward.
He was no longer just correcting his past mistakes; he was building a completely new future. The creation of the "Mark and Attack" skill was just the first major step. The true adventure, the reshaping of his destiny and perhaps the world, had just begun.