The Forgotten Supreme

[Astralis: Genesis - Anomaly Extermination]

The Reality Stabilizer hovered before him, spectral chains writhing like living serpents. Its white eyes pulsed with a cold, mechanical glow, scanning him for deletion.

Ethan gripped the rusted sword in his hand, his heart hammering.

He had never been so aware of his own existence before. Every fiber of his being screamed that he shouldn't be here. That he wasn't supposed to exist.

And yet—

[System Override - New Rule Acquired]

[Concept Authority: The Right to Exist - Partially Unlocked]

The moment he had taken the Forgotten Knight's sword, something inside him had changed. The game had acknowledged him.

But that wasn't enough.

The Reality Stabilizer raised its arm—chains surging toward him. Fast.

Ethan barely dodged as they ripped through the air, slicing a deep gouge into the ground where he had stood.

One hit. One hit and I'm done.

He couldn't afford to play defensively. He had to fight back.

[A Broken System - No Player Benefits]

A normal player would have abilities, attack boosts, or even a dodge skill. Ethan had none of that. His body felt real, but it wasn't enhanced.

And yet…

When he gripped the sword, a strange knowledge flowed into his mind.

[Inherited Memory - Forgotten Swordsmanship (Fragmented)]

The rusted blade felt lighter in his hands. As if it remembered how to fight, even if he didn't.

[First Strike]

The Reality Stabilizer attacked again—chains sweeping toward him.

Ethan didn't think. He moved.

Step forward. Twist. Slash.

The sword cut through the air, slicing into the chains. Sparks flew. The impact sent a painful jolt through his arms, but the attack connected.

The stabilizer flinched, its body flickering for a brief moment.

[Authority Clash Detected]

[Concept Authority: The Right to Exist vs. System Directive: Erasure]

Ethan's eyes widened. I can hurt it.

[The First Kill]

His body acted on instinct. He lunged forward, ignoring the sharp pain in his muscles. The stabilizer whipped another chain at him, but this time—

Ethan didn't dodge.

He stepped into it.

The attack scraped past his shoulder, but he closed the distance before it could retract.

Now.

He drove the rusted sword straight through its chest.

The world seemed to pause.

[Concept Authority Clash - Calculating…]

A sudden shockwave of golden light burst from the impact. The stabilizer convulsed, its body unraveling like a corrupted program. The chains disintegrated into pixels, and the stabilizer let out an unearthly screech.

Then—it shattered.

[Anomaly Eliminated - But Not by the System]

[ERROR: Unregistered Entity Has Claimed Authority]

Ethan staggered back, breathing heavily.

He had won.

[A New Rule Acquired]

[Concept Authority Absorbed]

[Partial Authority of "Existence Stabilization" Acquired]

A warmth spread through Ethan's body. The golden glyphs beneath his skin pulsed brighter, and for the first time since entering the game, he felt… stable.

The world no longer rejected him.

He checked his status.

[Status Updated]

Name: Ethan Cross

Class: The Forgotten Supreme (ERROR - Unstable)

Level: N/A

HP: 150/150 (+50 Increase)

MP: 100/100 (+50 Increase)

Authority: 1 (Lowest Tier - Stabilized)

For the first time, there was a number under "Authority."

He clenched his fists. He could feel it. A subtle connection to the game world, like a thread that hadn't been there before.

He had taken his first step toward rewriting reality.

But then—

[Something is Watching]

The air around him shifted.

A deep, unseen force rippled through the fog.

[Hidden System Executing…]

[Observation Mode Activated]

Ethan's blood ran cold.

Someone—or something—was watching him.

He wasn't alone anymore.