[LOCATION: THE VOID BNB] [TIME: 02:00 AM]
The post-raid adrenaline had worn off, replaced by the satisfying crunch of learning new skills.
We sat on the velvet couches in our bright pink, untextured living room. Miller was reading the [Taunt] skill book, grunting as red aura flared around him. Sarah was levitating a pizza box, giggling as she mastered [Basic Telekinesis].
Dave was polishing 'The Negotiator' with a pepperoni napkin.
"I'm telling you," Dave said, aiming at the ceiling. "I could take The Warden. One shot between the eyes. BAM."
"You're Level 10, Dave," I said, scrolling through the city surveillance feed on the giant TV. "The Warden is Level 25. If you shot him, he'd probably just sneeze and blow you through a wall."
"He's right," Miller closed his book. The book dissolved into light, absorbed into his stats. "We got lucky at the outpost. Brutus was arrogant. A real pro won't let you monologue."
KNOCK. KNOCK.
The sound came from the 'front door'—the swirling gray vortex that led back to the sewer.
We all froze.
Nobody knew where this place was. It didn't have coordinates.
"Did you order more pizza?" Sarah whispered.
"No," I stood up, my [Debugger's Specs] flashing red. "Get ready."
The vortex swirled. A boot stepped through.
It wasn't a delivery guy.
It was a man in black leather armor, hooded, with two curved daggers strapped to his waist.
I recognized him immediately. The Assassin from the Central Park Zoo. The one I bluffed about the server crash.
[PLAYER DETECTED: VANE] [CLASS: ASSASSIN] [LEVEL: 22]
Level 22.
Vane stepped into the Void BnB. He paused, looking around at the luxury furniture floating on the gray grid, the untextured pink walls, and the giant TV showing The Warden's face.
He pulled down his hood. He was smiling, but it wasn't a nice smile.
"Cute place," Vane said, his voice smooth like velvet over gravel. "Very... minimalist. Hard to track a room that doesn't exist. Took me three days to find the mana signature of your portal."
"Vane," I said, keeping my voice steady. "How's the farming at the Zoo?"
"Terrible," Vane flipped a dagger into his hand. "After you 'fixed' the lag, the penguin boss stopped spawning. You ruined my grind, Admin."
He emphasized the word 'Admin'. He knew.
"It was a memory leak," I lied. "I did the server a favor."
"I don't care about the server," Vane vanished.
STEALTH ACTIVATED.
He didn't just turn invisible; he erased his presence. My [Source View] couldn't lock onto him. He had high-tier anti-detection gear.
"Circle up!" Miller roared, raising his Screaming Shield.
We put our backs to each other.
SWISH.
A dagger flew out of nowhere. It knocked 'The Negotiator' right out of Dave's hand.
"My gun!" Dave yelped, diving for it.
"Don't break formation!" Miller yelled.
Too late. Vane materialized behind Dave. He didn't stab him. He kicked him in the spine.
[PARALYZED]
Dave face-planted onto the grid floor.
Sarah raised her staff to cast Gravity, but Vane was already moving. He threw a handful of dust into her face.
[SILENCED]
Sarah choked, unable to speak the incantations.
Vane appeared in front of Miller. Miller raised his shield to block, but Vane was faster. He stepped on the shield, used it as a springboard, and vaulted over Miller's head.
He landed directly in front of me.
He grabbed the front of my hoodie and slammed me against the untextured pink wall. The dagger was at my throat.
"Level 10," Vane sneered, checking my stats. "Pathetic. You rely on tricks. Glitches. But in a real fight? You're just fodder."
He was right. I couldn't react fast enough to delete his gear. His agility was too high. The System's "Aim Assist" for melee classes meant he couldn't miss at this range.
"The Warden pays five million," Vane whispered. "But I think I'll keep you for myself. A pocket Admin could be very useful."
I couldn't move. I couldn't fight.
But my hands were free. And my console was open in my mind.
Think, Jax. You can't beat his stats. You have to beat the System.
Vane was using system-assisted targeting. The game was helping him aim. How do I break that?
I looked at the party interface.
Currently: [PARTY: JAX, MILLER, SARAH, DAVE]
I had an idea. A terrible, griefing idea.
"You want to be useful?" Vane pressed the dagger closer, drawing a drop of blood. "Start by spawning me a Legendary dagger. Now."
"Okay," I croaked. "But I have to add you to the group permissions first. To transfer the item."
Vane raised an eyebrow. "Fine. But try anything funny, and you lose an eye."
I opened the console.
> [ACTION: FORCE_INVITE_TO_PARTY] > [TARGET: VANE]
A notification popped up in Vane's vision.
[YOU HAVE JOINED THE PARTY: "THE TRASH-TIER ADMINS"]
Vane blinked. "What kind of stupid name is—"
"Now," I grinned, my teeth stained with blood. "Let's adjust the settings."
> [PARTY SETTINGS: OPEN] > [TOGGLE: FRIENDLY_FIRE] > [SETTING: ON (REFLECT DAMAGE)]
Vane didn't see that menu. He just saw me grinning.
"Enough stalling," Vane snarled. He pulled back the dagger to stab me in the shoulder—a warning shot.
The System recognized the action. Vane was targeting a Party Member.
The Aim Assist disengaged.
STAB.
Vane thrust the dagger. It should have buried itself in my shoulder.
Instead, a bright red "X" appeared over my body.
[SYSTEM ALERT: FRIENDLY FIRE IS ACTIVE!] [DAMAGE REFLECTED.]
SHUNK.
Vane gasped. He staggered back, dropping me.
A deep dagger wound had spontaneously appeared in his own shoulder. Blood poured out over his black leather armor.
[-450 HP]
"What..." Vane stared at his own wound in horror. "I... I didn't stab myself."
"Did you?" I slid down the wall, gasping for air. "The System thinks you did. Stop hitting yourself, Vane."
Vane roared in confusion. He spun around, looking for a target. He saw Miller charging at him.
Vane threw his second dagger at Miller.
It hit Miller's chest.
SHUNK.
Vane screamed as a matching dagger wound appeared in his own chest.
[-450 HP]
He collapsed to his knees, coughing blood. He was yellow-bar already.
"The game..." Vane wheezed, looking at his trembling hands. "The game is broken. I'm attacking you... why am I taking damage?"
"Because we're friends now," I said, walking over to him. I picked up his dropped dagger. "And friends don't stab friends. It's rude."
Vane looked up at me with pure terror. He wasn't afraid of my strength. He was afraid because the rules he had mastered for twenty-two levels suddenly didn't apply.
"Who are you?" he whispered.
I adjusted my glasses.
"I told you," I said. "I'm the Admin."
I looked at Miller, who was standing over the paralyzed Dave.
"Miller," I said. "Tie him up. Use the velvet bedsheets. We have a prisoner."