Mike grinned widely as the Thornback Golem let out a deep rumbling noise, the ground shaking slightly beneath its weight.The Golem raised its massive spiked arms, preparing for battle, but just as Mike was about to charge in, the ground cracked open and several smaller, spiked creatures burst out from the earth. Their jagged limbs scraped against the rocks as they skittered around the Golem, clearly under its control.
Mike's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Oh, this is just perfect."
Mike stood frozen after using his Primitive Bite skill to take down the first Thornback Minion.
---
[System Notification]
Defeated Thornback Minion (Lv. 1)
+20 Evolution Points
---
His eyes widened as he stared at the notification, realization dawning on him. "Wait… the minions count as Evolution Points?" A grin slowly spread across his face. "This is the best day of my life."
Before he could celebrate further, another wave of minions crawled out of the ground. Mike's grin turned into an almost feral smirk. "Oh, this is too good. You mean I can farm this guy for free? The system is basically handing me points!"
He quickly tore through the second wave, each kill adding more points to his tally.
---
[System Notification]
Defeated Thornback Minion (Lv. 1)
+20 Evolution Points
Defeated Thornback Minion (Lv. 1)
+20 Evolution Points
---
By the time the third wave of minions arrived, Mike was laughing like a madman. "HAHAHA! I've cracked the code! Infinite farm! I'm gonna be rich!"
But just as he prepared to take down another batch of minions, the Thornback Golem suddenly stopped moving. Its hulking body swayed as if struggling to stand.
Mike tilted his head, a bit confused. "Wait… what's wrong with you? You can't be tired already!"
The Golem let out a low, pained groan. It looked like it was trying to lift its massive arm but couldn't quite manage it. Instead, it gave Mike a half-hearted, almost apologetic look.
Mike blinked. "Oh… you poor thing. You're out of energy, aren't you?"
The Golem's giant, sorrowful eyes slowly shifted to the ground, where the earth beneath it seemed to sag under its weight. It let out another groan, this time sounding more like a defeated sigh than a battle cry.
Mike scratched his head, feeling a hint of guilt. "Aw man, you look like you're about to pass out. Don't worry, buddy. I'll fix you up."
The Golem gave a small, resigned nod, its shoulders slumping as it tried—unsuccessfully—to summon more minions. It looked almost... embarrassed.
"Oh no, no, no," Mike said, waving his claws frantically. "You're supposed to keep summoning! Don't run out of energy now!"
He quickly opened the in-game shop, scrolling through items. His eyes landed on a mana potion.
---
[Shop Item: Mana Restoration Potion
Restores 40% of the target's mana.
Price: 100 points**
---
Mike grinned like a lunatic. "Perfect. I'm investing in my farm!"
He purchased the potion without hesitation and marched up to the struggling Golem. "Alright, buddy, drink up. We're not done here yet." With a quick flick of his claws, he tossed the potion into the Golem's mouth.
The creature's eyes brightened momentarily as its mana surged back to full, but it gave Mike an almost pitiful glance, like a tired worker being forced back into the grind.
"Now," Mike said, stepping back with glee, "Summon those minions, big guy!"
The Golem, clearly exhausted but unwilling to let Mike down, reluctantly slammed the ground. A small wave of minions crawled out. Mike's laughter echoed through the forest as he tore through the new batch.
---
[System Notification]
Current Evolution Points: 1,800.59
---
"This is amazing!" Mike cackled, practically dancing around the battlefield. "I'm swimming in points! I'm unstoppable! This is the dream!"
The Thornback Golem, its movements now sluggish and weary, let out a weak, mournful groan. It glanced at Mike, looking like a tired parent still trying to entertain a hyperactive child. It dragged its feet toward Mike as if it was about to collapse, but Mike, too absorbed in his own joy, didn't notice its exhaustion.
"Don't you die on me now," Mike said, chuckling as he shoved yet another mana potion into the creature's mouth. "We've got work to do!"
The Golem, once again revived, summoned another wave of minions, though it seemed to slump even further afterward, clearly on the brink of collapse. Mike eagerly tore into them, his laughter ringing through the trees like a victory cry.
But just as he finished the latest batch, the sky above him seemed to darken. A cold chill ran down his spine as a notification appeared.
---
[System Notification]
Bug Detected: Unauthorized Farming Exploit
Warning: Exploit Detected. Fixing Issue.
---
Mike froze, his claws halfway through a minion. "Wait, what? No, no, no! Don't fix it! I'm having fun!"
Another notification appeared, and this time, it felt personal.
---
[System Notification]
Bug Fix Activated. Evolution Points from Minions Disabled.
---
"Noooo!" Mike shouted, dropping to his knees. "Why would you do this to me? I was living the dream!"
The Golem, now free from Mike's relentless farming, stumbled toward him. It gave a sorrowful look, as though it had been put through a gauntlet. "I… tried…" it seemed to say with its tired gaze.
Mike, still seething with frustration, glared at the creature. "This is your fault! If you'd just kept summoning without running out of mana, we wouldn't be here!"
The Golem raised its spiked arm to attack, but it was too slow and weak to do much damage. Mike, rolling his eyes, lunged forward and finished it off in one swipe.
---
[System Notification]
Defeated Thornback Golem (Lv. 4)
+100 Evolution Points
---
Mike sighed heavily, staring at his final tally.
---
[Current Evolution Points: 1,900.59]
---
"Well," he muttered, crossing his arms, "I guess it's still a good haul. But I could've been a king!"
Eli, who had been watching the entire ordeal from a tree, burst out laughing. "You're ridiculous, Mr. Monster!"
Mike shot him a glare but couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, kid. Let's just move on before the system decides to nerf me even more."
And with that, Mike trudged off into the forest, muttering about broken systems and missed opportunities while Eli giggled behind him.