Weird Game: I brought an old version bug

Just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Chen advanced to level five.

In the early hours of the morning, he defeated six waves of gray wolves in a row, and his experience bar increased significantly. When he landed the final blow, the system popped up an upgrade notification—and he also unlocked a new skill along the way.

The system announcements exploded.

[Instance Announcement: The new instance "Forgotten Mines" is now open]

Recommended level: 5 and above

Recommended team size: 5-person squad

[Instance Time Limit: 60 minutes]

[Dungeon Objective: Defeat the "Mutant Crystal Beast" deep within the mine]

[Special Warning: Methane gas is present in some areas of the mine; please do not use fire-based skills.]

Recommended Route: Route A (Main Passage, dense monster population but clear path)

Jiang Chen read the announcement four times.

Shi Yu's words from last night kept replaying in my mind: "There's something that doesn't make sense when you put these two pieces of information together."

Route A passes through an abandoned blasting area. In this area, which was blasted with explosives, a large amount of gunpowder residue remains, making it impossible for methane to accumulate.

The system says "Fire skills are prohibited," but the real danger isn't the skills themselves, but that any spark could ignite the gunpowder.

Route B is marked as a "high-risk collapse zone," but the system says there is "no gas risk."

What's sealed inside might be more dangerous than gas.

However, the system did not say "Route B is dangerous," it only said "It is not recommended to take this route."

Jiang Chen thought about it and felt that this matter might not necessarily be "deliberately guided".

More likely, after the system version was updated, some of the old version data corresponding to Route B was lost during archiving, resulting in an incomplete risk assessment of Route B by the new version of the system.

It only knew that the area was in a collapse zone and was high-risk, but it didn't know the specific reasons for the high risk, so it simply marked it as "not recommended to go there".

This isn't necessarily the system playing tricks. It's more likely that the system itself doesn't know what's underneath that road.

Jiang Chen opened the panel and glanced at his status.

[Player: Jiang Chen]

[Rank: Lv.5]

[HP: 140/140]

[Mana Points: 70/70]

Stamina: 130/130

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

Free attribute points: 10

[Skills: Scouting (Lv.1), Combat Awareness (Lv.1)]

[Cooldown: 45 seconds | Cost: 15 Spirit Points]

[Equipment: Beginner Cloth Armor (White), Stone Hammer (White, Crafted)]

[Backpack: Rabbit Fur x4, Gray Wolf Fur x3, Copper Coins x110, Rule Fragment (Unnamed) x1]

Combat Awareness is a new skill that is unlocked when you reach level 5 at midnight.

The passive effect is the ability to vaguely sense the location and number of enemies around you, without needing to see with your eyes; it's like having a built-in radar in your brain.

The distance isn't far, but with reconnaissance skills, it's just right.

He hasn't added any of the ten free attribute points yet; he'll save them for later.

"morning."

Jiang Chen looked up. Shi Yu was already standing in front of him, ten minutes earlier than the agreed time.

She switched to the best bow available in the beginner village—a birchwood bow with a taut bowstring and a quiver full of iron-tipped arrows.

【Shigure Lv.6 | HP: 320/320】

[Skills: Precision Shooting (Lv.2), Eagle Eye (Lv.1), Quick Reload (Lv.1)]

"You stayed up all night?"

"Yeah, I can't sleep." Shi Yu nodded. "You've leveled up to level 5?"

"I found it around midnight, and I also unlocked a new skill along the way."

Shi Yu glanced at him, said nothing, but there was a hint of approval in her eyes.

It's not the kind of recognition that says "you did the right thing," but more like "you're definitely not the kind of rookie who messes things up."

The two walked towards the dungeon entrance.

The mine entrance is located north of the starting village, a 15-minute walk away. The entire route is filled with players, all heading in the same direction in small groups.

Jiang Chen glanced at the world chat channel. Most players were between level 2 and 4, and level 5 was already considered a high-level player. Shi Yu's level 6 was top-tier even in the entire newbie village.

He opened the recruitment channel and sent a message:

[Team Recruitment: Forgotten Mine, 2 people already, 3 more needed. Route B is risky, only those brave enough will participate.]

My private message rang four or five times, and the responses were all pretty much the same.

Some people say he's gone mad, others say he's tired of living.

Someone asked, "What are the advantages of Route B?" Jiang Chen replied honestly, "I don't know, but at least you won't step into a gas trap." After a few seconds of silence, the other person replied, "Then you go ahead and scout ahead. Let me know when you get there."

After waiting for almost ten minutes, a person with the ID "Northern Wild Wolf" directly clicked to apply to join the team.

Player "Northern Wolf" joins the team | Warrior Tag - Lv.4

[HP: 480/480 | Skills: Shield Bash (Lv.1), Iron Wall (Lv.1)]

Jiang Chen glanced at his class profile—"Warrior (Not Updated)," in the same format as Shi Yu.

It seems the system evaluated him while he was doing the quest last night, confirming his "Warrior" label. He has two Lv.4 skills, unlocked according to his level.

"Look at the recruitment post I made. Are you sure Route B is feasible?"

"I'm not sure, but the system's recommended route A is problematic."

"What's the problem?"

"Route A passes through an abandoned blasting area, and the system says that there is methane gas in that area."

However, gunpowder powder remains in the blasting zone, and gunpowder and gas cannot coexist.

The system says "Fire-based skills are prohibited," but the real danger isn't the skills themselves, but anything that could ignite gunpowder—torches, friction, or even high temperatures.

The Northern Wolf grinned. "Alright, let's go then."

A few minutes later, a girl with the ID "Qingzhu" applied to join the team.

Player "Qingzhu" joins the party | Mage Tag - Lv.5

Health: 260/260 | Mana: 420/420

[Skills: Ice Cone (Lv.2), Fireball (Lv.1), Sonic Wave (Lv.1)]

The mage (not updated) has three skills at level 5, which perfectly match the pattern of unlocking skills through leveling up.

Jiang Chen noticed that although everyone's skill UI looked completely different, the unlocking pace was exactly the same.

A thought flashed through his mind: what if the underlying skill code is the same, but the UI rendering is different?

He had no evidence, but he planted the seed.

"Are you really going to take Route B?" Qingzhu asked as soon as she came in. "Many teams say that Route A is the normal route."

"They only leave when something is wrong," Shi Yu said calmly.

Qingzhu glanced at her, noticed Shiyu's level, and her eyes changed slightly—level 6, a figure standing at the top of the newbie village.

"You're at level 6?"

Shiyu did not answer.

I waited for almost ten minutes for the last spot. Most players just swiped away as soon as they saw the words "Take Route B".

Jiang Chen was preparing to lower his requirements; he didn't care what profession it was, as long as someone came.

An assassin with the ID "Three Knives" clicked the application button.

Player "Three Knives" joins the team | Assassin Tag - Lv.5

【生命值：300/300|技能：背刺（Lv.2）、潜行（Lv.1）、听风（Lv.1）】

Assassin (not updated), Lv.5, three skills.

Jiang Chen quickly glanced at the team panel. There were four people, four different class labels, all in an unupdated state, and all had their skills unlocked according to their level.

But he noticed a detail: everyone had the exact same number of skills and the same unlock level.

If the professions are really different, why is the unlocking pace completely the same?

"Go to hell?"

"Let's go."

"OK."

That's all. San Dao didn't like to talk. After joining the team, he stood at the edge of the group, his hat pulled low, like a quiet shadow.

Jiang Chen glanced at the team panel.

Jiang Chen (Lv.5·Reconnaissance/Combat Perception).

Shigure (Lv.6·Archer tag).

Northern Wild Wolf (Lv.4·Warrior Tag).

Green Bamboo (Lv.5·Mage Tag).

Three-Sword (Lv.5·Assassin's Label).

His rank isn't the lowest, but the captain is a guy who just leveled up to level five, so he's still quite formidable.

"Set off."

Jiang Chen stepped into the dungeon entrance.

Suddenly, everything went dark. The next second, they found themselves standing in a dimly lit mine tunnel.

Torches were stuck every few meters overhead, casting flickering shadows on the walls. The air was filled with a damp, earthy smell, mixed with a faint metallic scent.

The mine tunnel splits into two paths ten meters ahead.

A wooden sign stands on the left: [Route A → Main Passage (Recommended)]

A wooden sign stands on the right: [Route B → High-risk collapse zone, do not enter]

Several teams had already entered Route A, and the sounds of fighting and laughter could be heard from the passage. Someone was shouting, "This way, this way! The system's recommended route is definitely the right one!"

"Let's go." The Northern Wolf, carrying his shield, prepared to head towards Route A.

Shiyu did not move.

"Let's go."

The Northern Wolf turned around: "Girl, Route B is marked 'High Risk'..."

"I know," Shigure said calmly, "but I don't know why—I know that Route B is the safest."

"How did you know?" Qingzhu asked. "Have you been here before?"

Shigure fell silent.

The two seconds of silence created a subtle atmosphere.

Northern Wolf frowned, Qingzhu's eyes changed from doubt to wariness, and even Sandao, who had been silent all along, raised his head and looked at Shiyu.

"I..." Shigure began, her voice hesitant, "I don't know. But I know B is right."

All eyes were on Jiang Chen.

He is the captain.

Jiang Chen glanced at the dark entrance to Route B, where the torches couldn't reach; the entrance looked like an open mouth.

He glanced at Shiyu again. She stood firmly, not in a "let me try" posture, but because she genuinely believed that was the right path.

"Let's go," he said. "If anything happens, it's on me."

Qingzhu opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

The Northern Wolf glanced at Jiang Chen for two seconds, then slung the shield back over his shoulder.

"Okay, you're the captain. If you lead us the wrong way, I'll be the first to run."

Shiyu was the first to enter Route B.

San Dao followed behind, his footsteps silent.

Qingzhu and the Northern Wild Wolf exchanged a glance and followed.

Jiang Chen walked at the back and looked up at the wooden sign for Route B.

The words above seemed a little fainter in the firelight than when I had looked at them before.

It's like a place that's been repeatedly erased and rewritten.

The passage on Route B is wider than I expected, enough for three or four people to walk side by side. The rock face is also much smoother than on Route A, unlike a natural mine tunnel.

There were some strange marks on the walls on both sides. They weren't words or patterns, but rather looked like they had been scratched by someone's fingernail.

After walking about fifty meters, Jiang Chen suddenly stopped.

There's a monster ahead.

San Dao also stopped, his ears twitching slightly: "Three, fifty meters away, at the bend."

Jiang Chen activated his reconnaissance skill and glanced ahead at the passage.

【Cave Bat (Lv.6)】

[HP: 180/180]

[Weakness: Fire (Fear level 60%)]

[Note: They live in groups, and their attacks inflict a brief blinding effect.]

"Level 6 bats, three of them, afraid of fire," Jiang Chen reported the data. "I'll clear the way, Shi Yu will deal ranged damage, Northern Wild Wolf will take aggro after I mark them, and Qingzhu and Sandao will supplement the damage."

"You, a level 5 scout, are commanding us?" Qingzhu raised an eyebrow, but there was no malice in her tone; rather, it was curiosity.

Do you have a better solution?

No one spoke.

"Then do as I say."

Jiang Chen walked at the front, holding a torch.

As you round the bend, three bats the size of millstones hang upside down on the rock face, their wings folded to their sides, their dark red eyes half-open and half-closed.

The moment the firelight shone on them, all three bats opened their eyes at the same time and let out a sharp cry.

[Affected by "ultrasonic attack", hit rate decreases by 15% for 5 seconds]

Jiang Chen felt a sharp pain in his ear, but he did not back down.

The torch was suddenly thrust at the nearest bat, which was forced back by the flames, spread its wings and let out a hiss.

An arrow shot out from behind Jiang Chen, piercing precisely at the base of the bat's wing, drawing out a string of blood droplets.

The bat fell in pain and rolled twice on the ground.

[Slay: Mine Bat (Lv.6)]

Experience points gained: +30

[Dropped Item: Bat Wings x1]

The second bat swooped down, and the Northern Wolf's shield struck it from the side with a dull thud.

[Shield Bash hits, dealing 45 damage | Stuns target for 1.5 seconds]

Qingzhu's Ice Spike Technique followed closely behind; blue ice crystals drew an arc in the air and pierced through the bat's body.

[Slay: Mine Bat (Lv.6)]

Experience points gained: +30

The third one wanted to escape, but San Dao had already circled around to the side, and the dagger pierced the bat's neck from behind, cleanly and swiftly.

[Backstab hit, deals 110 damage (critical hit)]

[Slay: Mine Bat (Lv.6)]

Experience points gained: +30

Three bats, all dealt with in less than two minutes.

Jiang Chen glanced at his experience bar—he had gone from Lv.5 to Lv.6, about one-tenth of his experience had been gained.

The three bats gave me 90 experience points, and with the gray wolves I farmed in the early morning, I'm still far from leveling up.

The Northern Wolf whistled, "Your scouting skill can spot weaknesses, it's so useful. With that ability, clearing dungeons is like having a cheat code."

Jiang Chen didn't reply. His ability to spot weaknesses wasn't due to his reconnaissance skills themselves, but rather a bonus from the old version of the monster encyclopedia.

A regular player's scouting skill can only see names and levels, but his can see things beyond the system's default information.

This is the value of bugs in older versions.

They continued walking. The passage turned ahead and then began to slope downwards.

The slope wasn't steep, but every step led deeper into the valley. The air temperature dropped, and the breath turned into white mist.

"This path is leading us deeper and deeper." Qingzhu shrank her neck. "Shouldn't the dungeon boss be deep inside the mine? Route A leads directly to the Crystal Beast's lair, but Route B goes such a long detour. Won't we make it too late?"

"The dungeon has a 60-minute time limit, and we walked for about fifteen minutes," Jiang Chen said. "If Route B is just a longer route, the system won't specifically mark it as 'not recommended.' The reason it's not recommended is because Route B leads to something unrelated to fighting the boss."

"What does it lead to?"

"I don't know. But Shigure does."

Shiyu walked at the front, her steps steady, as if she were walking in her own neighborhood, without needing to think about direction at all.

"This road..." she suddenly began, "is just like the one I remember."

"In your memory?" Qingzhu asked warily, "Did you come here or not?"

Shi Yu didn't answer. She walked faster and faster.

After walking for about five more minutes, the passage suddenly narrowed.

The rock wall narrowed inwards, reducing the space from four people walking side by side to only two people able to pass sideways.

Shigure's speed slowed down.

She stood where the passage narrowed, looked at the rock wall on the left, then at the one on the right, and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Chen asked.

Shi Yu remained silent for a long time.

"The road has narrowed."

She turned her head and looked at Jiang Chen, her eyes filled with an emotion he had never seen before. Not fear, not confusion.

It's unease.

"Last time I came," she said in a low voice, "this road is wide enough for four people to walk side by side."

The air was still for a few seconds.

The Northern Wolf spoke slowly: "You said 'when I came last time'—"

"I have no idea."

Shi Yu interrupted him.

"I don't know why I said that."

She took a deep breath. "But I have a very clear picture in my mind—this passage used to be wide enough for four people to walk through. Now... it's narrowed."

"When did you come here 'before'?" Qingzhu's voice trembled slightly.

Shiyu didn't answer. Because she herself didn't know the answer.

Jiang Chen stood in the narrow passage, the torchlight casting interplay of light and shadow on his face.

He watched Shi Yu's retreating figure, his mind racing.

She said she'd been here before. But the system won't allow players to enter before the instance opens. Unless the "last time" she's referring to isn't in this version.

Jiang Chen did not ask any further questions.

"Keep going," he said.

Shi Yu glanced at him and nodded.

She slipped through the narrow passage, the others following behind one by one.

As San Dao passed by Jiang Chen, he lowered his voice and said:

"Something's not right with your teammate."

Jiang Chen did not answer.

But he knew in his heart that Shiyu was not acting strangely.

She's probably the most compatible person in this game.

The problem is that she herself hasn't figured this out yet.