As the only leveling spot in Spawnpoint 9527, Flowerfield was undoubtedly the best place for new players just entering the game. But at this moment, the plains were almost empty. After all, it wasn't easy surviving this game. The monsters in Doomsday were absurdly strong. Even a low-level Level 1 Slime could easily send an unprepared player back to the grave. It had been barely two hours since the private beta launch kicked off, yet countless players had already died in Flowerfield. Those who survived were either true experts or wealthy players who had spent a small fortune on basic equipment at the start of the game. Even so, leveling up was painfully slow, and no one had reached Level 2 yet. At the edge of Flowerfield, Aiden and Merrick advanced steadily without a break.After all, this was just the outskirts, where monsters ranged from Level 1 to 3. Experience points gained from killing these monsters were minimal, and Aiden's real goal lay in the central area of Flowerfield. Level 10 monsters typically lingered around there, which would earn them far more experience points. However, killing them would be way tougher. Fortunately, with a divine-level Sorcerer at his side, Aiden could safely ignore the danger. "Wait a moment." Aiden suddenly halted. "What is it?" Merrick asked calmly. "I see an old enemy." Aiden noticed something far ahead. A goblin with a massive spiked club was chasing two players as they screamed in panic. Aiden found it all too familiar. This green-skinned menace had made his life miserable.Not long after entering the game, the Level 5 Goblin Warrior had chased Aiden for over ten minutes with its spiked club in hand, only stopping when they were at the central hub. It had been a harrowing experience. Aiden wouldn't have gotten revenge if they hadn't crossed paths, but as fate had its way, Aiden spotted the blasted thing right on the road. It was time to teach it a lesson. Aiden pointed at the creature. "I want that Level 5 Goblin Warrior gone." "No problem." Merrick's expression remained calm. With a flick of his hand, he cast a water orb. 'Points deducted: 1,354,089' Instantly, a terrifying number appeared above the goblin's head before it exploded into dust and vanished into thin air. "What was that?" The two players, who had been running for their lives from the goblin warrior, froze completely at the sight before them.Caught off guard, the words slipped out of their mouths. What had happened? "I'm not seeing things, am I, Brody?" The player with the broken axe and baggy shorts went by the nickname 'Rusty Junior'. He stared in Aiden's direction as he stuttered, "That seemed more like someone's phone number!" He had done damage in seven digits! "I don't think it's a glitch…" Brody, the other player who went by the nickname 'Buff Brody', was in disbelief after witnessing this. The two just stared at each other, dumbfounded. They resisted the urge to report the other party for fraud! At this point, both Brody and Rusty were seasoned veterans of the MMO scene, their gaming skills beyond question. Over the past ten years, they had played at least fifteen different online games, studied them deeply, and were recognized as small-name experts in the community. This time, they'd been immediately drawn in by Doomsday's stunning graphics. Brody, having made a small name for himself in the industry, dropped 100,000 dollars on the game. He had equipped himself and Rusty with basic starter gear, ready to dominate the game. However, the challenges in Doomsday were absurd, and even veteran players found it difficult to complete. Killing a Level 1 Slime required precise coordination and patience, and it took them over an hour just to clear ten. And then, as if mocking them, a Level 5 Elite Goblin Warrior appeared out of nowhere on the outskirts, swinging a massive spiked club. It sent one lone wolf player straight back to the grave and forced the two friends to flee, trapped with no escape. They were already resigned to dying and returning to the central hub, realizing this game was cruel by design.In an instant, an old man appeared and dealt over 1.3 million damage points in a single strike. They immediately assumed the other party was cheating. "That was insane!" Rusty sniffled and wiped the tears from his face, thinking of how he and Brody had spent all their effort barely scratching ten slime creatures. It was crushing. Meanwhile, this other player only had to wave a hand, and these monsters turned into dust. Seeing him walk around the battlefield like a god, that was how the game should be. "He's definitely cheating! I'll be sure to report him! Come on, you should do it too!" Brody's excitement boiled over, for he hated cheaters more than anything. Seeing the stark contrast between their own miserable struggles and this display, he was furious and determined to take action. "I don't think he's cheating, Brody." Rusty stayed calmer, analyzing the situation."The game is only in its private beta launch. Where would a cheat even come from? It's probably some test data. Even so, they wouldn't make it so painfully obvious." "So what does that mean?" Brody asked, agreeing with this theory. Rusty glanced in Aiden's direction and got excited. "Look at that old man's robe—it's pretty fancy. He's probably a high-level NPC. That guy might have just picked up a special quest or something." "That makes sense," Brody said, realizing something. In the MMOs they'd played before, there were often different mechanisms to gain powerful allies. "It's not cheating, then! It's just part of the game." "I knew it! There's no way slime creatures are this hard to beat. The developers wouldn't be that sadistic! There has to be a proper way to get through the early game besides grinding blindly. I bet this guy's already figured out the trick." Brody slapped his thigh in excitement. "I'm a genius!"Rusty nodded seriously. "Exactly. Why don't we go ask him? It's no fun getting chased around all day." "Let's go!" The two of them started walking toward Aiden without hesitation. Who wouldn't want an advantage like that instead of grinding endlessly, after all? "Hey, buddy." Brody greeted Aiden warmly. "Where did you get those helpers? They're insane for inflicting over a million points in damage! Pray tell." Aiden glanced at him and turned away, not in the mood to talk. Merrick, however, looked at the two and smiled. "I come from the Hall of Supremes. If you're interested, you can head over there." Merrick wasn't particularly friendly in nature, though.Having met a walking treasure chest like Aiden, Merrick simply assumed these players were loaded. Who would want to pass up free money? He was already earning billions just by killing goblins for a day. His friends in the Hall would certainly thank him for that! "The Hall of Supremes, eh?" Hearing this, Brody was instantly thrilled. Eureka! I knew this game had some hidden mechanics!