The brilliant gold text of the updated system interface refused to fade from my vision. It hovered at the very edge of my consciousness. It was a constant reminder of my new status in the Grand Reality. I was no longer the apex predator. I was simply a very large fish swimming in a very small pond, completely ignorant of the endless ocean outside.
I stood upon the highest peak of the First Universal Empire. The night air was cool and perfectly still. I looked down at the glowing grid of my created multiverse. Billions of universes pulsed with vibrant light. They were organized perfectly. They operated exactly according to the gamified laws I had coded into their foundational reality.
But as I stared at them with my newly expanded perception, I realized a terrifying truth. They were not just realms of existence. They were batteries.
