Weird Game: I brought an old version bug

[WARNING: Unauthorized data access detected]

[Source: Legacy Archives from Old Versions, No. 000]

[Status: Encrypted - Attempting to decrypt...]

Before Jiang Chen could finish reading the message, a low growl came from behind him.

He rolled to the side with a jolt, and a huge gray claw grazed his back as he slammed into the ground, sending dirt flying.

"Hold!"

He got up and ran without looking back.

Just three seconds ago, he was playing games in his rented room. He had just finished selecting a hero in a ranked match when the screen suddenly went black.

Jiang Chen paused for a moment, then patted the monitor, but there was no response.

The keyboard lights went out, and the game sound effects in the headphones abruptly stopped.

The entire room was as quiet as if it had been muted.

He was about to restart his computer when the screen suddenly distorted.

It wasn't that the monitor was broken; his vision was distorted. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on an unfamiliar grassland.

A semi-transparent blue panel popped up in front of him, and he glanced at it.

A gray monster, bigger than a Tibetan mastiff, sprang out of the bushes and pounced on him without saying a word.

[You have entered a high-risk area: the outer perimeter of the mutated gray wolf's den]

Recommended level: 10 or above

Current player level: Lv.1

Jiang Chen felt like his lungs were about to explode from running.

As a game tester, his usual amount of exercise is walking from his workstation to the water dispenser. Now he's being asked to race against a monster?

He didn't even have time to figure out which way to go, and just ran wildly towards the open grassland.

The gray wolf was hot on his heels; he could hear its heavy, rough breathing, which had a foul, fishy smell.

"Is there a beginner's tutorial? Is there a protection mechanism? Is there...?"

Before he finished speaking, a golden halo suddenly appeared ten meters in front of him.

Without a second thought, Jiang Chen rushed forward.

The gray wolf abruptly stopped outside the circle of light, letting out a reluctant howl. It paced back and forth at the edge of the circle a couple of times before turning and walking away.

Jiang Chen braced himself on his knees, panting heavily.

You have entered a safe zone: Beginner Village/Protected Area

He took half a minute to catch his breath, then straightened up and looked around.

Dozens of people stood scattered across the grassland, their expressions ranging from bewilderment to panic.

Some people were squatting on the ground crying, some were frantically poking at the panel in front of them, and some had already started running away into the distance.

In the distance was a dilapidated wooden house, with an old NPC standing at the door, a yellow exclamation mark floating above his head.

The world channel exploded.

[World] Player 9527: What's going on?! How did I end up on the grass?!

[World] Donuts Aren't Sweet: Me too!! I just came out of the shower!!

[World] Storm Warrior: Don't panic, it's probably a promotional event. Everyone, look for the exit button.

[World] What can I do to you?: Hahahaha, these special effects are so realistic! I love them!

Less than thirty seconds after the last message was sent, everyone saw a new system announcement.

[System Announcement: Player "爷傲奈我何" has died]

[Cause of death: Left the beginner protection zone and was attacked and killed by a mutated wild rabbit]

The world channel went silent instantly.

Jiang Chen's pupils contracted slightly. He was dead—not disconnected, not forcibly logged out, he was really dead. The system announcement used the word "death."

He glanced outside the circle of light and saw several gray monsters, three times the size of normal rabbits, munching on something with their fur stained with dark red liquid.

The person who was laughing just moments ago is now a corpse.

Panic spread like wildfire; some screamed, some collapsed to the ground and wept uncontrollably, and some frantically clicked on the panel trying to find the exit button.

A middle-aged man in pajamas rushed to the edge of the aperture and shouted outside:

"Let me out! I don't want to play anymore! I don't want to..."

A mutated hare raised its head, pushed off with its hind legs, and instantly appeared in front of him. Its sharp incisors pierced directly through his calf. The middle-aged man's scream made everyone take a step back.

Jiang Chen did not back down.

He quickly scanned his surroundings. The starting village—though the system didn't call it that—was, according to common game knowledge, the area surrounded by the golden halo was the safe zone.

There was a dilapidated wooden house at the border, and an old NPC stood at the door with a yellow exclamation mark floating above his head.

To the left of the wooden house are several areas enclosed by stakes and ropes. One area has several stakes and pebbles scattered on the ground; another area has several straw targets and a worn-out longbow next to it, resembling a training ground.

Several players had already gathered around; some were trying to lift the rubble on the ground, while others were fiddling with the bow.

The safe zone isn't very large, but there's more you can do than you might imagine.

It has quests, NPCs, monsters, a level system, and training facilities.

This is not a prank; this is a real game world.

Moreover—they cannot be resurrected.

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He started as a game tester. In the three years since graduation, he has worked for several companies, but his job has never changed: to find all the bugs in various games before they are released.

The work was tedious, repetitive, and the pay was low, but he developed a professional habit: when he saw any system information, his first reaction was not to believe it, but to look for loopholes.

He opened his panel, ready to examine it closely.

[Player: Jiang Chen]

[Rank: Lv.1]

[HP: 100/100]

[Mana Points: 50/50]

Stamina: 100/100

[Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 10, Constitution 10, Spirit 10]

[Skills: None]

[Equipment: None]

Backpack: Empty

It's a standard beginner's whiteboard, nothing special.

He was about to close the window when he turned to the next page and saw something.

At the very bottom of the panel, there is a line of text in a very light color.

It's much lighter than other text, as if it's covered by a semi-transparent veil, and you can't even notice it if you don't look closely.

[Legendary data from the old version - some parts are readable]

[Currently accessible module: Monster Encyclopedia (Old Version) · Lv.1]

[Status: Encrypted - Some data is corrupted]

Jiang Chen's fingers paused.

Old version? What old version? Didn't this game just launch?

He nodded subconsciously.

[Old Version Monster Encyclopedia - Lv.1]

[Mutant Wild Rabbit]

[Level: 3]

[Weakness: Fire (Fear level 80%)]

[Note: This data was collected from an older version and may have been adjusted in the current version.]

Jiang Chen stared at the message for five seconds.

Then he looked up at the mutated hare outside the circle of light.

The monster information provided by the system didn't mention anything about being afraid of flames.

He glanced at the player next to him again; the pale text was not present on that player's panel.

In other words, only he has it.

"Why?" Jiang Chen muttered to himself, "Because I'm a tester? Or because..."

He didn't dwell on it. Now wasn't the time to get to the bottom of things; he had to survive first.

He closed the control panel and walked towards the old NPC at the door of the wooden house.

The old man was wearing a tattered leather armor, and his face was etched with deep wrinkles. When he saw Jiang Chen approaching, he grinned.

"Young man, are you new here?"

Jiang Chen nodded.

"Those rabbits outside are not to be trifled with."

The old man pointed to the grassland in the distance.

"But if you want a weapon, I can do you a small favor. See that campfire over there? Take apart the torch, tie stones to sticks, and you'll have a decent makeshift weapon."

Jiang Chen followed his finger and looked over. Next to the wooden house was a bonfire burning, with several thick pieces of firewood piled together, the flames crackling.

He walked over, squatted down, and tried it. The firewood hadn't been burning for very long; although the surface was charred, the inside was still hard.

He snapped the firewood in two with force; one end was charred black from burning, while the other end remained hard and woody.

The old man handed him a hemp rope.

"It's better to have this stone tied to your body than to be empty-handed."

Jiang Chen took the rope and the stone, and quickly tied the stone to one end of the firewood.

A rough stone hammer.

He didn't rush out.

He crouched down at the edge of the beginner's protected area and carefully observed the mutated wild rabbits outside.

The wild rabbits' activity range is roughly within 50 meters outside the protected area, and they will not actively approach the light circle.

Their attack methods are simple: they bite with their incisors and stomp with their hind legs. They are very fast but not very agile in turning.

When a wild rabbit is gnawing on a carcass, its attention is highly focused, and its perception of its surroundings is significantly reduced.

and--

When the firelight shines on them, the mutated hares will unconsciously take a few steps back, only approaching again when the firelight dims.

It's exactly the same as described in the old version of the encyclopedia.

Jiang Chen stood up, picked up the other burning piece of firewood he had dismantled, and used it as a torch. With the torch in his left hand and the stone hammer in his right, he stepped out of the golden halo.

The surrounding players all watched him. A young man wearing a T-shirt and slippers, holding a torch in his left hand and a wooden stick with stones tied to it in his right, walked step by step toward the giant rabbit on the grassland.

The first mutated hare noticed him. Its ears perked up and its hind legs bent slightly—a sign of an impending attack.

Jiang Chen simply raised the torch and pushed it forward.

The hare suddenly took two steps back, its eyes fixed on the flickering flames, showing obvious hesitation.

Right now.

Jiang Chen strode forward and swung the stone hammer in a wide arc, smashing it down.

The hammer struck the hare squarely on the head. The hare let out a sharp scream, its body twitched a few times, and then lay still.

[Slayed: Mutant Rabbit (Lv.3)]

Experience points gained: +15

[Dropped Item: Rabbit Fur x1]

Clean and neat.

The surrounding players were stunned. Some of them realized what was happening and started dismantling the campfire to make torches.

But most people remained rooted to the spot, or broke down crying and screaming.

Jiang Chen bent down and picked up the fallen fur; it felt rough to the touch and was still warm.

[Wild Rabbit Fur x1 (White Quality)]

[Use: Can be sold to NPCs for 5 copper coins]

They can also be sold for money.

He stuffed the pelts into his backpack and continued hunting. Torches cleared the way, stone hammers finished off the remaining prey, one after another.

He discovered that after using torches to drive away the hares, if he attacked from the side, the hares' turning speed couldn't keep up with his pace.

This is the value of older versions of data; while others are still figuring out the rules, he already knows the answer.

[Slayed: Mutant Rabbit (Lv.3)]

Experience points gained: +15

[Dropped Item: Rabbit Fur x1]

[Slayed: Mutant Rabbit (Lv.3)]

Experience points gained: +15

Dropped Items: None

[Slayed: Mutant Rabbit (Lv.3)]

Experience points gained: +15

[Dropped Item: Rabbit Teeth x2]

Seven, eight, nine—

[Slayed: Mutant Rabbit (Lv.3)]

Experience points gained: +15

[Dropped Item: Rabbit Fur x1]

Jiang Chen's breathing became rapid. Not from exhaustion, but from excitement.

He could feel his body adapting to the rhythm of the battle, his hand holding the stone hammer becoming more and more steady, and each swing more precise than the last.

The tenth one.

The stone hammer fell, and the hare collapsed.

[Mission Completed: Kill 10 Mutant Rabbits]

[Rewards: Experience +200, Copper Coins +50, Beginner Cloth Armor x1]

Congratulations! You have upgraded to Lv.2

Health Points: 100 → 120

[Mana Points: 50 → 60]

Stamina: 100 → 115

[Gained 5 free attribute points]

A golden light rose from Jiang Chen's body, and a warm current spread from his chest to his limbs.

It felt like drinking a big gulp of hot soup, which made my whole body feel relaxed, relieved most of my fatigue, and gave me a lot more strength.

He opened the panel and glanced at his attributes. He had 5 free attribute points, which could be allocated to four attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Spirit.

He thought about it and didn't rush to add points. His intuition as a game tester told him that adding points randomly before understanding the overall mechanics of the game was like digging a hole for himself.

He was about to close the panel when he caught a notification out of the corner of his eye that he had previously ignored.

Between the task completion reward and upgrade notification, there is a line of inconspicuous gray text, like an automatically generated log.

The golden light from the upgrade was so dazzling that he hadn't noticed it at all.

[Job Assessment Complete: Based on your behavior data from your first battle, the system has generated a job tag for you. Please see the "Job" section of the panel for details.]

A professional assessment? Jiang Chen frowned.

He clicked on the "Occupation" section and glanced at it—[Unassigned (Pending Confirmation)].

Below is a line of smaller print explaining:

Based on your behavior data from your first battle, the system has matched you with a UI display scheme (class label). You can choose to confirm the label, or you can choose not to confirm it for now. The system will update the matching once you reach level 10.

He thought about it for a moment and didn't rush to confirm.

The job label is just a UI display style and does not affect actual performance, but he has not fully understood the underlying logic of the system yet, so he is not in a hurry to choose one.

He thought about it for a moment and didn't rush to confirm.

The career assessment was based on the data from hunting rabbits. At the time, he used a torch and a stone hammer, so the system would most likely assign him a warrior or melee-type path.

However, he hasn't figured out the game's combat system yet. If he later discovers that ranged attacks are more suitable, confirming it now might actually limit him. He can reassess before level 10; there's no rush.

He closed the panel and was about to return to the safe zone when another unexpected message popped up on the panel.

[Hidden Hint: Rule rifts have been recorded]

[Trigger Condition: Discover a monster's weakness that is not explicitly stated by the system (fear of fire)]

[Reward: Rule Fragment x1]

[Rule Fragment Effect: Can be used during skill enhancement]

Add the "Ignore Environmental Restrictions" attribute to a skill.

[Note: Discovering rule rifts will affect the game's progress; please choose whether to share this information carefully.]

Jiang Chen stared at the message, his mind racing.

The old version of the encyclopedia said "Fear of Fire 80%". The system did not explicitly state this information, but he knew it in advance through the old version's data.

The system recorded this so-called "rule crack" as "hidden information" and even gave a reward for it.

He had encountered a similar situation when he was doing game testing before. After a game went through several iterations, the data of the old version was not completely deleted, but was archived to a storage layer that the new version does not actively access.

The new version of the system won't actively show you this old data, but it's still there, waiting to be unearthed.

This isn't called "the system is playing tricks," it's called "the version update didn't completely remove everything."

The problem is that this game judges "discovering old data" as "triggering a rule rift" and even gives a reward for it.

This shows that the information gap caused by version iterations is not only a technical problem in this game, but also a mechanism that can be exploited.

In other words, the amount of data remaining from the old version may be much more than he imagined.

He turned off the panel and glanced at the sun on the horizon. There were less than forty minutes until sunset.

The light on the grassland began to dim, and a thin layer of mist began to appear in the distant areas that were not illuminated by the campfire.

Something seemed to be moving in the fog, much larger than the mutated hare.

Jiang Chen quickly walked back to the safe zone.

What he didn't notice was that at the moment he turned around, a pair of eyes were watching him from the second-floor window of the beginner village cabin.

Those aren't the old NPC's eyes.

Those were the eyes of a young woman. She leaned against the window frame, holding a bow in her hand, watching Jiang Chen kill the mutated rabbits one by one with a torch and a stone hammer.

Her expression was calm, but there was a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Using torches to hunt rabbits..."

She muttered to herself.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

She paused, her brows furrowing slightly.

"No, that's not right. When I came here last time... there was no campfire in the starting village."

She glanced down at her control panel.

At the very bottom of her panel, there was also a line of text.

But it's different from Jiang Chen's.

What she wrote on that line was—

[Old version player identity - currently linked]

[The last survivor with ID 000]

Welcome back, Shigure.