Kai sat on a rock overlooking a fog-covered canyon, his cloak flapping in the wind. The system still listed him as a "Level 1 Novice," but his real stats—modified behind the scenes—were strong enough to solo raid bosses.
Still, he had one weakness.
> He technically hadn't leveled up.
Every fight, every mission, every kill had been edited, skipped, or deleted outright. His EXP bar sat at 3%.
"Okay," he sighed. "Time to actually play the game."
He pulled out a glowing quest scroll—something he'd found during the Varkross Raid.
> [Secret Mission: Ghostfields of Rhendar]
Area: Off-map, Unmarked
Rewards: EXP x10, Hidden Titles, Access to Unique Equipment
Even in Eternova's forums, the Ghostfields were barely mentioned—whispers from closed beta testers and mad explorers who never returned.
Kai grinned. "Sounds perfect."
---
Location: Ghostfields of Rhendar
The land was quiet. Bone-white trees stretched across the pale soil. Glowing blue wolves stalked the shadows, and invisible whispers rode the cold air.
> [You have entered a Secret Zone. Enemy Levels: 50–80+]
EXP Bonus Active: +1000%
Kai cracked his knuckles. "Let's grind."
But rather than fight the monsters directly, he used his cheat class more... creatively.
> Codewalker Skill: AI Confusion (Area-Level)
→ Monsters now perceive each other as enemies.
→ Passive XP Gain Activated
Dozens of wolves turned on each other in confusion, while Kai just sat on a rock and watched the chaos.
> +900 EXP
+2,400 EXP
+7,000 EXP
Within minutes, his real level jumped from 1 to 30… then 47… then 62.
But just as he was about to stand, shadows emerged from the woods behind him.
---
Black Sun Strikes Again
> [Lv. 93] Scarnox – Black Sun Lieutenant
[Lv. 91] RazeBlade
[Lv. 92] Dot_X
[Lv. 88] Grimchaser
They wore spiked obsidian armor and bore the unmistakable blood-red guild insignia. Their weapons gleamed with PvP buffs.
"Look who we found," Scarnox grinned. "The so-called 'lucky Novice.' You're not so hidden out here, are you?"
Kai sighed and stood. "I was hoping to get a few more levels in before you found me."
RazeBlade laughed. "You're alone. Aria's not here to save you this time."
Kai rolled his eyes.
> Activate: Enemy AI Modifier – Aggression Level 150%
→ Effect: All hostile mobs in Ghostfields will now target Black Sun players within radius
Suddenly, the wolves stopped fighting each other. Their glowing eyes turned toward the intruders.
Dot_X paled. "Uh… did we trigger a world event?"
Dozens of spectral wolves howled and charged.
"RUN!"
They tried to teleport—but the zone was under Kai's hidden control.
> Teleport Block: Active
Cooldown Override: Off
He sat back down and watched.
Five minutes later, the system chimed.
> Black Sun Guild Members Defeated.
Loot Acquired: PvP Rings, Obsidian Shards, and one ridiculous hat.
Kai snorted, putting on the hat: a crimson fedora with glowing runes. "Stylish."
---
On the Way Back – A Potion Seller's Struggle
As Kai approached the nearest player town—Whiteshade—he passed a tiny, nearly empty marketplace. There, in a corner booth under a ragged canopy, sat a small, skinny player character.
> [Lv. 17] Pipkin – Class: Herbalist (Common)
The boy had a chipped wooden table with barely 5 bottles arranged on it. His prices were dirt-cheap.
> "Basic Healing Potion – 4 copper"
"Mana Bottle (Weak) – 3 copper"
"Stamina Brew – 1 copper"
Kai paused. "Why so cheap?"
Pipkin looked up, embarrassed. "Nobody buys from me. My class is trash. And I keep getting attacked when I go into gathering zones. It's hard to make ends meet."
Kai studied the boy's inventory. The potions were... decent. They just didn't sparkle or have flashy names.
"Where's your guild?" Kai asked.
Pipkin shook his head. "Got kicked out. They said I was dead weight."
Kai sat down across from him. "Ever want to be more than a potion peddler?"
Pipkin blinked. "Every day."
Kai opened the invisible Codewalker interface and tapped quietly.
> [Edit Player Class: Pipkin]
→ New Class: "Mystic Brewer" (Hidden Alchemist Archetype)
→ Passive: All potions crafted gain +150% effectiveness, renamed with random fantasy tags
→ Active Skill: "Flaskstorm" – Throws 3 explosive potions in a cone
→ Stealth Modifier: False UI still shows "Herbalist" to others
> "You didn't hear this from me," Kai said, grinning. "Try making one now."
Pipkin hesitated, then brewed a standard healing potion.
It shimmered with gold light.
> Item Created: Elixir of the Sun's Blessing (Restores full HP + regeneration over time)
Pipkin gasped. "I didn't even do anything special!"
Kai stood, winking. "Then maybe you were always special. You just needed someone to see it."
He turned to walk away—but then paused.
"I might need a potion supplier soon. Think you can handle demand?"
Pipkin stood proudly. "You got it, boss!"
---
Back in the Capital: Rumors Begin Again
> Server Forum Post:
"Potion seller 'Pipkin' suddenly selling mid-level raid elixirs for pennies—bug or exploit?"
> PvP Player Whisper:
"Did Black Sun just lose another squad to wild mobs? Rumor says 'Kai' was there again."
> Guild Leader Message – Crimson Eclipse:
"Track him. Don't confront. Just watch."
> System Note (Hidden):
Administrator Access Log: 0 anomalies detected.
Player [Kai] class: Novice.
Status: Clean.