"This is beyond absurd..."
Tartaglia clicked his tongue in disbelief, looking back and forth between his weapons and the undisturbed barrier. "Enemies cannot touch them, cannot even afflict them with a negative status, yet they can strike out without the slightest restraint? That is literally standing upon an unbreakable foundation of absolute victory."
Ryen chuckled, looking over at Ningguang and the others who were still absorbing the shift. "That is the reality of Creative Mode. Immortal, indestructible, immune to all arts. No entity, no living creature, no force in existence can inflict damage upon you here. Even if an atomic warhead detonated in the center of Redstone City, not a hair on your head would be singed."
He held up a finger, emphasizing his words. "Within the territory of Redstone City, monsters will not attack you. Remember that: they simply will not initiate aggression. Even if you pummel them endlessly, they can only stand there and watch you strike them without ever retaliating. All conceptual bindings, all negative afflictions, including erosion and karmic miasma from Teyvat, cease to exist while you are in Creative Mode. Negative effects cannot touch you, yet positive enhancements are never suppressed. To put it simply, you have become the darlings of this world, bathed in its absolute favor."
Ryen swept his gaze across the room. "To attempt to harm a favored child within Redstone City is to wage war against the entire world itself. When you consider the sheer scale of this realm, its boundless expanse stretching into infinity, you begin to grasp how insurmountable that planetary blessing truly is. The power of Creative Mode defies simple description. If forced to summarize, it is as I said moments ago: immortal, untouchable, standing outside the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Under the watchful eye of this world, within Redstone City, you will exist forever in your most pristine state."
The gathering fell into a heavy, reverent silence.
When Ryen had activated Creative Mode for himself in the past, he had treated it casually, making them assume the state was merely a convenient utility. Now they realized their initial assumptions had been far too naive. Ryen considered it trivial only because he was the sovereign of the world itself. For anyone else, stepping into such power was a life-altering ascension.
Creative Mode was merely a single facet of a server administrator's authority. Furthermore, a server administrator held the power to grant Creative Mode to others within their designated zone.
Remembering Ryen's prior explanation of this rule, the eyes of the gathered leaders burned with eager anticipation, turning their gazes toward Zhongli, Ningguang, and Guizhong.
"Creative Mode also grants various supplementary privileges, such as unrestricted flight, though those are minor details by comparison," Ryen added with a casual wave of his hand. "However, take special note of one detail: when Creative Mode is active, breaking any block requires only a single strike. Every block behaves this way, Bedrock included. So move carefully through Redstone City and mind where you swing your tools, lest you accidentally punch a hole straight through the Bedrock floor."
Zhongli, Ningguang, and Guizhong noticed the eager looks across the room and did not hesitate. With a shared mental directive, they extended the mantle of Creative Mode to everyone present.
Such authority would have been granted eventually regardless. The figures gathered here were the paramount leaders of their respective nations, and granting them creative authority would vastly streamline municipal management and civic planning.
Gasps of astonishment immediately rippled through the hall as several figures began testing their newfound capabilities. Yet because everyone now possessed the same invulnerable state, striking one another produced no tangible impact, lacking the dramatic weight of Tartaglia's earlier assault against Zhongli. After testing the waters and familiarizing themselves with the floating sensation, their initial agitation gradually subsided. Creative authority was extraordinary, but when shared universally within the room, it ceased to be an object of singular obsession. Experiencing the state firsthand was nonetheless an invaluable lesson.
"Do not get so carried away playing with Creative Mode in Redstone City that you forget its limitations," Ryen cautioned with an amused grin. "This state is strictly bound to the perimeter of Redstone City. The moment you step outside its borders, you return to ordinary mortals. Do not lose your head and try hugging an active missile out in the field."
The group nodded in unison, acknowledging the warning.
"This sensation makes it feel as though we have become the favored children of Mother World," Lumine remarked with a playful giggle.
Ryen raised an eyebrow, leaning close to her ear to murmur in a low voice, "Mother World? If I am the master of this realm, does that not make me Father World?"
Lumine rolled her eyes with an exasperated smirk, nudging him lightly. "As if you haven't made me call you that during our private nights often enough."
"True enough," Ryen chuckled, shaking his head. Only Lumine could deliver such bold remarks with complete composure.
Standing nearby, Ningguang turned to Keqing with a curious expression. "Do you possess any additional administrative interfaces?"
Keqing blinked, tilting her head. "Such as? Total immunity to damage and absolute freedom from status ailments, is that not enough?"
Ningguang's brow knit slightly as she exchanged a glance with Guizhong. It appeared that their administrator-tier Creative Mode differed fundamentally from the baseline version granted to the others.
After a brief pause, Ningguang asked, "Can you not see the shifting streams of code floating before your vision?"
"Code?"
Ganyu and the other companions straightened instantly. While the wider group was unfamiliar with the term, those closest to Ryen knew that his personal reward for this milestone involved global-scale code modification. Did Ningguang and the administrators possess access to that same code?
To prevent unnecessary confusion, Ryen smiled and waved his hand. "Those scripts are not a feature of standard Creative Mode. They are the exclusive authority granted to you as server administrators."
Ningguang let out a soft breath, understanding dawning across her features.
Jean looked over with genuine curiosity. "Ryen, what exactly is this code?"
Ryen rubbed his chin, looking back at Ningguang. "As for the nature of code, it is best if Ningguang explains her direct perception."
All eyes turned toward the Tianquan. After a moment of contemplation, Ningguang spoke softly. "I cannot fully define what this code is from a technical standpoint. It is profoundly abstract. Whenever my gaze rests upon an object, an intricate string of strange glyphs manifests in my thoughts. My intuition informs me that by executing these lines, I can fundamentally rewrite the properties of whatever I perceive."
Her expression carried a subtle trace of awe and trepidation. "It feels like an authority capable of twisting the natural laws of the world, the divine mandate of creation itself."
Lifting her hand, Ningguang lightly tapped the surface of the heavy wooden conference table before her.
A stream of glowing script, visible only to Ryen, Guizhong, and Zhongli, rippled across her pupils.
In the span of a single heartbeat, the massive timber table transformed into solid, polished white concrete.
Muffled cries of astonishment echoed through the room. A vibrant spark of curiosity ignited in Ningguang's eyes as she rose to her feet, the glyphs dancing continuously across her vision.
Pigs, villagers, cattle, and sheep materialized out of thin air across the hall, followed by a cluster of green-skinned zombies.
The moment the undead appeared, their primitive instincts drove them to lunge toward the nearby villagers.
A brief wave of alarm rippled through the gathering, several reaching for their weapons before remembering their Creative Mode invulnerability. Relaxing their postures, Alhaitham even stepped directly into the path of an advancing zombie. The creature ignored him completely, circling around his shoulder to continue chasing the villagers. Refusing to take the slight, Alhaitham drew his blade and struck the monster across the chest. The zombie merely turned its head, gazing at him with a dull, vacant stare for a second before lumbering back toward the fleeing villagers.
The terrifying passive authority of Creative Mode was now clear to all. Yet Ningguang's subsequent demonstration proved even more shocking.
"What changes... is the fundamental law of this territory," Ningguang murmured, her brow furrowing slightly as she pointed a finger toward the advancing zombies.
A distinct glyph sequence flared in her eyes. The undead that had been relentlessly pursuing the villagers froze instantly in place, standing motionless like stone statues.
Ningguang did not pause her trial.
A moment later, the eyes of the villagers flared with a crimson light. Turning on their heels, the villagers charged forward, raining aggressive blows upon the motionless undead, sending the zombies into a panicked, frantic retreat across the tiles.
Watching the scene unfold, the gathering was visibly shaken.
"To rewrite even the foundational behaviors of natural existence..." Albedo murmured softly, his scholarly curiosity thoroughly piqued by the administrator interface.
With a simple wave of her hand, Ningguang erased the summoned entities from the hall before leading the group briskly out into the open courtyard of the mayoral estate.
Looking up into the sky, she paused in quiet contemplation before raising a hand toward the firmament.
Heavy storm clouds instantly swallowed the sun. Thunder rolled violently across the eastern district of the city, while the western skies remained clear and radiant. Torrential rain poured over the northern district, even as thick snowflakes drifted softly across the south.
With the mayoral manor serving as the dividing axis, the atmospheric conditions of Redstone City were fractured into four distinct, simultaneous seasons.
The Millelith garrison stationed along the avenues showed signs of brief confusion, but word from Keqing quickly reached their ranks, assuring them it was merely a controlled trial. The soldiers relaxed, looking up at the sky in quiet wonder.
"Controlling the heavens themselves..." Shenhe murmured, her gaze fixed upon the storm clouds with quiet awe.
Ningguang waved her sleeve once more, dispelling the fractured weather patterns. Closing her fingers gently, she focused her intent.
The sun, which had just climbed toward its midday peak, reversed its trajectory at blinding speed, retreating back toward the eastern horizon. A cool, pale moon ascended into the open sky.
Ningguang's eyes burned with brilliant light as the glyphs cascaded across her vision in rapid succession.
Before the eyes of the entire assembly, day and night cycled rapidly across the sky, trading places every few seconds in a dazzling, accelerated dance of celestial bodies.
After several cycles, Ningguang's complexion suddenly paled. Her footing faltered, her body swaying as exhaustion overtook her. Ryen moved instantly, catching her securely in his arms.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Ryen dispelled the celestial anomalies. The sun returned to its natural resting place high above, peaceful and steady as before.
"This..."
Jean, Lisa, and the others looked between the sky and Ningguang, a chill of awe running down their spines.
"To manipulate the passage of the sun, moon, and stars... is this the true authority of an administrator?" Jean asked softly.
Ryen nodded. "Within the bounded territory of Redstone City, yes."
He supported Ningguang as he led the group back inside the manor. Outside, the patrolling Millelith buzzed with excitement, having witnessed yet another historic spectacle before returning smoothly to their assigned duties.
Inside the manor, Ningguang leaned against Ryen's shoulder with her eyes closed, her breathing shallow as she recovered from the mental strain.
Keqing stepped forward, concern plain across her face. "Ryen, is Ningguang alright?"
Ryen offered a reassuring, slightly wry smile. "She is fine, merely suffering from heavy mental depletion. Becoming a server administrator grants authority, but executing commands that alter the fundamental fabric of reality carries a profound cognitive burden. Even within a defined sector, manually forcing the essential laws of the cosmos exerts severe pressure upon the mind."
He stroked Ningguang's hair gently. "Minor scripts are manageable, such as altering the behavioral relationship between zombies and villagers. But Ningguang just attempted ultimate-tier commands: accelerating celestial cycles, fracturing localized weather systems, and forcing perpetual day and night. Those massive parameters are meant to be rewritten collectively by all three administrators working in unison. Attempting to force such cosmic alterations alone naturally exacts a heavy toll on one's stamina. She will be fine after resting."
Ryen turned his gaze toward Zhongli and Guizhong, speaking in a measured tone. "This is precisely why three administrators were appointed. Standard adjustments can be handled individually, but whenever you touch fundamental world laws or ultimate-tier command scripts, all three of you must execute them together. Rewriting reality will not cost your lives, but pushing those limits alone can easily exhaust your mental fortitude. When enacting major structural changes in the future, coordinating your authority is the safest and most effective approach."