[Stat-based progression + fusion beasts + synthesis + evolution + players arrive]
A mysterious mini-program in his gaming pod sends Lin Yang, a hardcore player of Origin, into the game before its official launch. He transmigrates as an NPC with his status panel, and after narrowly escaping danger, happens upon a mysterious gem. To his surprise, it fuses with his panel and grants him the ability to combine creatures and create new species!
Drawing on years of memories from his previous life as a gamer, he gets ahead of the curve, manipulating events from behind the scenes and reaping the rewards from players. He can call the shots with a single hand. What are players, anyway? Just a bunch of leeks working for me!
Years later...
The players, driven to despair: “You lousy devs! It's bad enough that the boss is absurdly overpowered, but why are all the pets it summons so busted too?”
Lin Yang: “As a boss, isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to be just a tiny bit stronger than you?”
