Mikail spent the first hour just existing. Breathing. Feeling. Testing the weight of his new body against the silk sheets, pressing his palms against the cool window frame, running his fingers through hair that felt real in a way that full dive technology should not have been able to replicate.
But this was not a full dive anymore, was it?
The reboot message had been clear. 'Welcome to Infinity.' Not Infinity Online. Just Infinity. As if the game had shed its digital skin and become something else entirely. Something real.
He flexed his hand, watching muscles move beneath skin that was no longer pale and wasted. The body responded with a fluidity that made his breath catch. No pain. No weakness. No tremor in his fingers or tightness in his chest. For the first time in eighteen months, he felt whole.
The morning sun climbed higher, painting the castle in shades of gold and amber. Mikail stood at the window of his bedchamber, looking out over lands he had designed but never truly walked. The view stretched for miles: rolling hills dotted with forests, a river cutting through the valley below, mountains rising in the distance with snow capped peaks that caught the light.
Beautiful. He had made something beautiful.
But beauty alone would not answer the question burning in his mind.
When he had created Mikail Reinhauer three years ago, he had made him the strongest character in Infinity Online. Shameless admin abuse, piling power upon power until the character sheet looked less like a player avatar and more like a cheat code given form. Back then, the level cap had been 999, and Mikail sat comfortably at that peak with stats that made other players weep.
But the game had evolved since then. The self learning algorithms he had written to generate content dynamically had done their job too well. The level cap had been shattered. First to 1500, then to 2000, and by the time Damien lay dying in that hospital bed, players were reaching 3000 and beyond.
So the question was simple: had Mikail been left behind?
There was only one way to find out.
"Status."
The word left his lips with more force than necessary, echoing in the vast chamber. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the air before him shimmered, and a translucent blue screen materialized at eye level.
The interface was exactly as he remembered designing it. Clean lines, clear text, organized information. It glowed softly against the morning light, responding to his presence with the smooth efficiency of a system that had never known bugs or crashes.
[Character Profile]
Name: Mikail Reinhauer
Class: Unspecified
Level: 999
Arcana: Sealed
MP: 9,847,652
SP: 8,921,443
STR: 89,547
DEX: 92,831
VIT: 91,204
INT: 94,562
CHR: 87,945
WIL: 93,718
TITLES:
「The Eternal Sovereign」「Breaker of Limits」「Void Walker」「Primordial One」「He Who Defied Fate」「The Unsealed Calamity」「Master of All Elements」「Transcendent Soul」「Cardinal」
SKILLS:
「Dragon God Physique」[SSS+]「Void Manipulation」[EX]「Elemental Genesis」[SS+]「Cosmic Awareness」[SSS]「Limit Break」[SSS]「Soul Dominion」[SSS+]「Absolute Regeneration」[SSS]「Perfect Combat Mastery」[SS+]「Aura of Supremacy」[SS+]「Dimensional Arsenal」[SS+]「Mana Singularity」[SS]「Thought Acceleration」[SS]「Spatial Mastery」[SS]「Berserker Mode: Ragnarok」[SS]「Barrier Negation」[SS]「Adaptation」[S+]「Infinite Stamina」[S+]「Presence Concealment」[S]「Auto Counter」[S]「Experience Multiplier」[A+]「Authority of the Primordial」[UNIQUE]「Fate Breaker」[UNIQUE] 200+ Additional Skills...
Relief hit him like a physical wave. His knees actually went weak for a moment, and he had to brace himself against the window frame. The numbers were still there. Everything he had built, every advantage he had coded into existence, all of it remained intact.
He was still strong.
More than that, he was still at the peak.
Mikail let out a breath he had not realized he was holding and straightened. His eyes tracked across the status screen, and despite everything, he could not help but smile. This was his masterpiece. The culmination of countless hours spent tweaking values and stacking bonuses until the result was something that should not have been possible within the game's balance framework.
'Alright then,' he thought, settling into the familiar rhythm of analysis. 'Let me see exactly what I am working with here.'
The name was obvious. Mikail Reinhauer. Not his best work, that. The name had come to him during a 3 AM coding session when his brain was half melted from staring at screens for sixteen hours straight. It lacked the gravitas of legendary heroes, the exotic appeal of fantasy protagonists. But it was his, and that mattered more than style points.
His eyes moved to the class designation, and his smile widened.
'Unspecified. Now that is where the real magic happens.'
Every other player in Infinity Online chose a class. Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Cleric. The system was designed around specialization, forcing players to commit to a path and develop along defined skill trees. It created interesting strategic choices, encouraged diverse playstyles, and most importantly, imposed limitations that kept the game balanced.
Mikail had bypassed all of that with a few lines of admin code.
No class meant no restrictions. He could learn warrior skills, mage spells, rogue techniques, everything. While other players were locked into their chosen paths, he walked them all simultaneously. Every weapon was his to master. Every spell was his to cast. Every technique was his to perfect.
He was the only being in all of Infinity with such freedom. The only one who could say yes to every option the game presented.
'Complete and total freedom,' he mused. 'Probably the most broken thing about this whole build, and that is saying something.'
Level 999 sat there, bold and definitive. The old cap. He knew players had pushed beyond it, knew that by the time of his death the top tier was probably hitting 3000 or higher. But levels were just one measure of power, and not even the most important one. With his skills, titles, and attributes, he could probably fight someone twice his level and still come out on top.
Besides, there was something aesthetically pleasing about 999. Three nines. Completion. Perfection. The end of one cycle and the promise of something beyond.
Then his eyes caught on the next line, and he frowned.
'Arcana: Sealed.'
That was new. When he had last played, there had been no Arcana system. This was proof that the game had evolved beyond his original design, that the self learning algorithms had generated content and mechanics he had never directly programmed.
The game had outgrown him.
'Sealed, not absent,' he noted, leaning closer to the screen. 'Which means there is something there, locked away. Another layer of power I have not accessed yet. Interesting. Very interesting.'
He filed that away for later investigation and moved on to the resource pools.
MP: 9,847,652. Nearly ten million mana points. He could probably cast the highest tier spells continuously for days and barely notice the drain. City leveling magic? Sure. Mountain raising rituals? Why not. Ocean parting miracles? Throw those in too. The number was so large it almost lost meaning, but that was the point. He never wanted to worry about running out of power in the middle of a fight.
SP: 8,921,443. Special Points were more versatile. Convert them to gold for infinite wealth. Use them to upgrade equipment beyond normal limits. Spend them on unique abilities that existed outside the standard skill system. With nearly nine million, he could do all of that and still have reserves for whatever else came up.
The attributes came next, and Mikail took his time with these. Stats were the foundation everything else was built on, and his were absurd even by the standards of someone who had literally written the game's code.
STR: 89,547. He could shatter steel with his bare hands. Punch through castle walls. Lift boulders that should have required siege equipment. Most well developed players might have strength in the low thousands if they specialized heavily. His strength alone exceeded most characters' entire stat pools combined.
DEX: 92,831. Even higher than his strength. He could move faster than normal eyes could track. Dodge attacks that should have been physically impossible to avoid. Perform acrobatic feats that ignored physics. And because dexterity also governed accuracy, he could hit impossibly hard at impossible speeds with perfect precision. That combination alone made him nearly unbeatable in direct combat.
VIT: 91,204. His health pool was probably measured in the millions. He could tank attacks that would obliterate armies and barely register the damage. Combined with his regeneration skills, killing him through conventional damage was essentially impossible. You would need something esoteric, something that bypassed health entirely, and even then he had defenses for that too.
INT: 94,562. His highest attribute. Intelligence governed magical power, mana capacity, spell effectiveness, and mental processing speed. At over 94,000, his spells would hit with the force of natural disasters. His mind worked at speeds that bordered on precognition. He could analyze complex situations in fractions of a second, process multiple streams of information simultaneously, and out think virtually anyone he encountered.
CHR: 87,945. People would be drawn to him. Want to be near him. Find themselves agreeing with his suggestions even when logic said they should not. It was influence that worked below conscious thought, magnetism made quantifiable. For someone planning to build a harem, that stat was worth its weight in gold.
WIL: 93,718. Mental fortitude, resistance to manipulation, strength of conviction. His will was unbreakable. Mind control would slide off him. Torture would accomplish nothing. Fear, despair, doubt, all the mental afflictions that plagued lesser beings would find no purchase. His mind was a fortress, and the walls were adamantine.
Mikail nodded slowly, satisfaction warming his chest. The foundation was solid. More than solid. It was exceptional. But the real power lay in what came next.
The titles.
Nine of them in total, each one representing a significant achievement or inherent quality. In Infinity Online, titles were not cosmetic. They provided real, tangible benefits that could turn impossible fights into easy victories.
'The Eternal Sovereign. Authority over lower ranked beings. They will respect me, obey me, fear me as appropriate. Leadership and dominance effects are enhanced. When I speak, people listen whether they want to or not.'
'Breaker of Limits. No growth caps. No walls I cannot push through. Other people hit ceilings in their development and stop. I just keep climbing. Stats can exceed normal maximums. Ranking barriers are meaningless. I can always become stronger, always transcend the current peak.'
'Void Walker. Immunity to void and null based attacks. I can traverse dimensional rifts, walk through the spaces between realities where most beings would simply cease to exist. The cracks in the world are paths I can travel safely.'
'Primordial One. Connection to the primordial forces of creation. I can communicate with ancient entities, beings that existed before civilization. The oldest powers in existence recognize me, acknowledge my right to stand among them. This is legitimacy granted by the universe itself.'
'He Who Defied Fate. Destiny cannot bind me. Prophecies fail when they touch my future. Fate manipulation abilities lose effectiveness. I exist outside the normal flow of cause and effect. I write my own story, and the cosmos will simply have to deal with it.'
'The Unsealed Calamity. I am marked as catastrophically dangerous. My presence alone can cause natural disasters if I lose emotional control. My aura radiates pressure that can crush weaker beings just by being near them. It is both warning and declaration: approach with caution or not at all.'
'Master of All Elements. Perfect affinity with every elemental force. Fire, water, earth, air, light, darkness, and every variation between. No weaknesses. I can combine elements to create hybrids. The fundamental forces of nature answer when I call.'
'Transcendent Soul. My soul exists beyond normal spiritual laws. Cannot be easily trapped, consumed, manipulated. Resistant to soul attacks and instant death effects. Even if my body is destroyed, my soul will persist. True death is nearly impossible to achieve against me.'
And then the last title. The one that made his breath catch even as he read it.
'Cardinal.'
For several heartbeats, Mikail just stared at the word. He had wanted this title more than any other. Had set the requirements impossibly high when programming the system. Had made it so rare that only a handful of entities in the entire game world could claim it.
Cardinals were not just strong. They were pillars. World class threats. Beings whose power was sufficient to influence the fate of nations and reshape reality according to their will.
When Damien had died, there had been seven Cardinals in Infinity Online.
Now there were eight.
He focused on the title, and a detailed description unfolded.
'Cardinal: One of the Eight Pillars of Infinity. Power sufficient to influence the fate of nations and reshape reality. Stand outside normal hierarchies. Command authority that transcends mortal limitations. Access to Cardinal Class abilities. Marked as a world class threat by all major powers. Only eight may hold this title simultaneously. Current Cardinals: 8/8.'
'Eight,' Mikail whispered. 'The maximum. I am the eighth Cardinal, which means there are seven others out there with power comparable to mine. Are they the NPCs I created? Did actual players climb that high? Both?'
The question was both exciting and intimidating. Seven beings who could potentially match him. Seven unknowns who might be allies, enemies, or something in between.
'That is a problem for later,' he decided, pushing the thought aside. 'Right now, I need to finish this assessment.'
The skills section stretched long, over two hundred abilities listed in neat rows. He did not read through all of them. That would take hours, and many were situational or redundant with higher tier versions. Instead, he focused on the ones that defined his combat capabilities.
Dragon God Physique at SSS+ rank. His body surpassed ancient dragon gods in resilience. Physical damage below SSS rank was nullified entirely. His regeneration was infinite in speed. He could destroy mountains with casual gestures. Short of reality warping attacks, his physical form was indestructible.
Void Manipulation at EX rank. The highest grade possible. He controlled the emptiness between worlds, could erase matter from existence, create pocket dimensions. Immunity to space time attacks. The void itself was his to command.
Elemental Genesis at SS+ rank. Create and destroy elements at will. Control all base and advanced elemental forces. Immune to elemental damage. Could even create new elemental types that did not exist in nature. The building blocks of reality were his playthings.
Cosmic Awareness at SSS rank. Perceive things across vast distances. Detect danger before it arrived. Read hostile intentions from those around him. Nearly impossible to ambush or surprise. His awareness could extend across regions, possibly entire continents.
Limit Break at SSS rank. Temporarily transcend all limitations. No stat caps during activation. Growth rate increased exponentially. Each battle made him permanently stronger. Designed specifically to ensure he would always surpass any opponent given enough time.
Soul Dominion at SSS+ rank. Command over spiritual entities. Control souls and spirits with a thought. Instant effect on beings without soul protection. Could absorb fragments of defeated souls, growing stronger with each victory. Death fed his power.
Absolute Regeneration at SSS rank. Restore from catastrophic injuries within seconds. Immune to poison, disease, curses, all status ailments. Could regenerate limbs, organs, even significant portions of his body. Short of complete annihilation, he was effectively immortal.
The list continued. Perfect Combat Mastery for predicting enemy moves and copying techniques. Aura of Supremacy that intimidated foes and empowered allies across a ten kilometer radius. Dimensional Arsenal giving instant access to any weapon he needed. Mana Singularity for nearly infinite mana generation. Thought Acceleration processing information ten thousand times faster than normal. Spatial Mastery for teleportation and phasing. Berserker Mode multiplying all stats by five.
Over two hundred skills total, each one a cheat code in its own right.
Mikail dismissed the status screen with a thought. The translucent blue interface faded, leaving him alone with the morning light and his thoughts.
He was overpowered. Absurdly, ridiculously, shamefully overpowered. He had taken every advantage the system offered and then made up new ones using admin privileges. The result was something that should not have existed within any reasonable game balance framework.
And he regretted nothing.
This was the fantasy he had crafted during those long nights in the hospital. When his body was failing and death crept closer with each shallow breath, he had built Mikail to be everything Damien could never be. Strong. Healthy. Powerful. Beautiful. Dominant. Unkillable.
Now that fantasy was real, and he stood at the peak of this world with only seven others as his equals.
Mikail walked to the full length mirror that hung on the far wall. He had glanced at his reflection earlier, but now he took the time to truly examine what he had become.
Tall. Six feet five inches of height that towered over most people. His frame was built for power, broad shoulders tapering to a lean waist, every line suggesting strength without unnecessary bulk.
His hair was black and messy, windswept in that effortless way that looked stylish rather than unkempt. It framed a face that was sharp and handsome, almost too perfect. High cheekbones, a strong jaw, full lips that curved naturally into an expression of calm confidence.
But his eyes. His eyes were what truly set him apart.
They glowed. Vivid violet light bright enough to be visible even in full daylight. There was nothing human about that glow, nothing natural. Anyone who looked into those eyes would know immediately they were facing something other, something beyond the normal boundaries of existence.
His overall appearance radiated danger and beauty in equal measure. Regal darkness. The kind of presence that made people stop and stare, drawn in even as they recognized the threat.
This was exactly what he had intended. Irresistible yet fearful. Someone who commanded attention and inspired caution in the same breath.
'In my old life, I was ordinary,' Mikail thought, studying his reflection. 'Forgettable. Just another sick kid in a hospital bed. But this? This is unforgettable.'
He turned away from the mirror and walked back to the window. The sun had climbed higher now, bathing the landscape in warmth. Somewhere out there, scattered across this world, were the fourteen towers he had erected.
Massive structures placed at strategic points across Infinity. Each one unique in design, reflecting the nature of its region. Some rose from mountain peaks, others from ocean depths, one even floated in the sky above a permanent storm.
But the towers themselves were not what mattered. It was their guardians.
He had placed a powerful entity in each tower. Noble servants sworn to absolute loyalty. Beings he had carefully selected from different races and backgrounds, each one exceptional in their own way.
Of the fourteen, seven were female.
He had handpicked them with meticulous care. Not just for their power, though they were all formidable. But for their personalities. Their appearances. Their potential as companions.
Beautiful women. Capable warriors. Perfect in every way that mattered.
They had been meant as a gift. A harem waiting for Mikail when Damien was no longer around to play. He had spent hours crafting their backstories, their relationships to him, their devotion. Each one designed to be the kind of companion players dreamed of but never actually got.
Back then, it had been pure wish fulfillment. A dying man's fantasy about having something in a game that real life had denied him. Romance. Companionship. Connection.
But now he was here. Actually here, in this body, in this world that had become real.
Which meant they were real too.
The implications made his heart race. Seven incredible women scattered across Infinity, each one designed from the ground up to be perfect for him. Loyal. Devoted. Powerful enough to stand beside him. Beautiful enough to take his breath away.
Paradise handed to him on a silver platter.
Mikail leaned against the window frame, a slow smile spreading across his face. In his previous life, Damien had struggled. Fought against disease. Watched his body fail piece by piece. Died young and unfulfilled, never experiencing the things people his age were supposed to have.
But that was over. That suffering was behind him.
Here, as Mikail, he would not struggle. He had godlike power in a world that operated by rules he himself had written. There was no need to seek out conflict, no need to prove himself against overwhelming odds, no need to chase danger for the sake of growth.
He was already at the peak. The only question was what he would do with that position.
The answer came easily.
'I will visit the fourteen towers,' he decided. 'Meet my guardians. See what they have become in this new reality. And the seven women...'
His smile widened, violet eyes glowing brighter.
'Damien never got to experience romance. Never had time for relationships, for connection, for any of the things that make life worth living. But Mikail? Mikail has all the time in the world.'
He looked at his reflection one last time in the window's glass, taking in the full picture of what he had become.
"I will have the most peaceful harem in this world," Mikail said softly, his voice carrying a note of absolute certainty. "With my seven perfect companions, I will enjoy every single thing that Damien was denied. No struggles. No pain. No rushing toward death. Just peace, power, and pleasure."
The sun continued its climb, and Silvermont Castle basked in golden light. Somewhere out there, seven women waited in their towers, unaware that their lord had returned.
Mikail turned from the window and began to prepare for the journey ahead. Fourteen destinations. Seven companions. A new life waiting to begin.
But there was no rush. He had died once already. This time, he would savor every single moment.