"Damn it, this is so unfair! All three of us were in line, and you were the only one who squeezed in?" The Carter Chief rubbed his kicked butt, showing an expression even more aggrieved than Dou E, looking utterly frustrated. "See, I told you this has nothing to do with internet speed. The Boss uses the same network cable as us, and he still got in!"

"The Boss, what are you trying to do? Mutated skill, that's just too insane, do you have to be this overpowered?" Dylan suddenly stared blankly at Brian Carter's screen.

Sammy was silent for a few seconds, then said, "The Boss, mutated skills are a bottomless pit. Be careful or you'll end up screwing yourself over so badly you won't even be able to cry. I sincerely hope you'll think twice before acting."

In Magic Fantasy, mutated skills, also known as self-created skills, are formed when players make some improvements based on the system's default skills, creating a new skill that may have additional attributes.

Just as Sammy said, most players think mutated skills in Magic Fantasy are a trap and not as practical as the system's default skills. For example, a thief's basic Backstab has a default damage of 10, but after mutation, the player's Backstab only does 8-9 damage, which is just heartbreaking. Since the open beta, 90% of players have fallen into this pit, though of course, 10% have quietly struck it rich.

Mutated skills are divided into seven grades: S, A, B, C, D, E, and F. A C-grade mutated skill is equivalent to the system's default skill, D-grade is 10% less effective than the system skill, E-grade is 20% less, F-grade is 30% less... Most mutated skills players come up with are of the D, E, or F types.

Not long ago, there was a player who was bursting with confidence and mutated three skills after changing class, only to end up with a tragic triple F. All three skills had their attributes reduced by 30%, which was like crippling half his abilities at his own expense. In the end, that player deleted his character and started over, tears streaming down his face.

Of course, a few players have gotten awesome mutated skills: B-grade skills get a 10% boost, A-grade 20%, S-grade 30%... Forget the legendary S-grade skills—even players with B-grade skills are already super cool and flashy, able to attract attention just by standing on the street like a frog luring in green tea girls.

"Isn't gaming all about having fun?"

Brian Carter said casually, his fingers busy on the keyboard.

Sammy was taken aback, looking thoughtful.

All along, he had been pursuing a professional, high-end path, holding himself to very high standards. Because of this, he became overly concerned about gains and losses, losing sight of his original intention. On second thought, none of them relied on gaming to make a living. As long as they're happy, enjoying a fun gaming experience, why be so hard on themselves?

Next, the sound of frantic typing echoed from the keyboard, and the three roommates behind Brian Carter all held their breath.

The process of creating a mutated skill is actually pretty old-school, just like in the classic arcade game King of Fighters, where you use combinations of ↑↓←→ arrow keys to pull off powerful special moves. Of course, in this 3D game Magic Fantasy, you can also use the WSAD keys to create mutated skills.

The key is, how do you create a mutated skill above C-grade?

There are all kinds of theories on the forums. Some say you need extremely complex key combinations, like WWASSDDW + Enter. Some people have gotten B-grade skills this way, while others ended up with F-grade skills. Others claim the skills you get are fixed, like WADS then Enter, but in reality, that's not scientific—using the exact same key combo, different players have gotten different skill grades.

In the end, people came to one conclusion: mutated skills are like buying a lottery ticket—it's all about luck.

To avoid falling into a pit, many players have given up on mutated skills and just use the system's default C-grade skills, which aren't bad.

Seeing Brian Carter furiously mashing the keyboard, the three roommates were so nervous they could barely breathe.

If it were just a day ago, the three brothers wouldn't have had much hope for Brian Carter in the game. But times have changed—after witnessing Brian Carter's miraculous three consecutive 93-point trials today, the three of them subconsciously had hope for him.

Because there's hope, there's anticipation, nervousness, and anxiety.

None of them saw exactly which keys Brian Carter pressed; judging by the sound, he must have mashed at least ten times.

The moment Brian Carter's right hand hit the Enter key, the three buddies' hearts almost jumped out of their chests.

Whether it's a donkey or a horse, the next second will tell.

Half a second later, all three roommates were dumbfounded.

On Brian Carter's computer screen, a blinding red system message appeared.

"Server First: Mutated Divine Skill!"

"Player Mr·浪 is exceptionally gifted, his magical talent has shocked the world, and he has obtained an S-grade mutated skill: Ultimate Skill · Blood-colored Light! Special rewards: 1 free skill point, 100 reputation, 100 copper coins, 100 continent reputation, 100 increased friendliness with the Barbarian faction..."

Chapter 007: The Real Highlight

The glaring red system announcement not only scared the crap out of the three buddies in Room 301, but also freaked out many players in the game.

Time: 2:03 PM, just three minutes after the Nirvana Rebirth server in Telecom Zone 2 opened!

"An illusion, this must be an illusion!"

"This can't be real, there's no way this is real!"

"Damn, an S-grade divine skill appeared just three minutes after the server opened—could it be a GM's alt account?"

"Holy crap, this is like a cow flying a plane—it's off the charts!"

"God-tier player, definitely a god-tier player!"

"That makes sense, it must be some pro player coming to dominate the new server again!"