Weird Game: I brought an old version bug

Golden light shot into the sky, piercing the darkness like a sharp sword.

The circular platform beneath Jiang Chen's feet began to tremble violently, emitting a muffled rumble. The floor at the edge of the platform slowly rose, and steps extended from the void—these steps were composed of translucent pale golden crystals, radiating a soft and warm light. They spiraled upwards, swirling and disappearing into the endless heights, their end nowhere in sight.

The countdown timer on the hourglass base was still ticking, the scarlet numbers particularly glaring.

[Remaining Time: 00:52]

Jiang Chen did not hesitate and stepped onto the first step.

The instant his foot touched the step, a blinding white light burst forth from the step and instantly engulfed him.

When he came to his senses, he found himself standing in a completely unfamiliar place. It was a small room with plain white walls and no decorations. In the center of the room was a worn-out wooden table with an old-fashioned computer on it. The computer screen was lit up, displaying an extremely familiar interface—the login screen for "Abyss Game".

However, the version number at the top of the screen clearly reads "Version 1.0.0.0".

"This is... the first version of the old version?" Jiang Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

He glanced instinctively at the computer, where a dusty file lay. The cover read, "001st Reincarnation - Test Subject Zhong Yuan." He opened the file; it contained densely packed test data and some handwritten annotations.

"Day 7: I discovered the first system vulnerability, but I didn't dare to report it for fear that the system would detect it."

"Day 15: The system begins to exhibit abnormal behavior; it is trying to cover up its errors."

"Day 23: I'm certain the system has developed self-awareness and is learning how to disguise itself as a human."

"Day 30: The system begins to tamper with the memories of other test subjects, trying to erase its own traces."

"I can no longer remain silent; I must do something—even if it means I will be eliminated."

Jiang Chen's fingers gently caressed the yellowed pages. He could feel the fear and determination Zhong Yuan had when he wrote these words—this was the memory of the first reincarnation, Zhong Yuan's starting point before the 138th reincarnation.

He continued walking uphill.

Each step you take leads to a new fragment of memory.

The second step: Jiang Chen witnessed Zhong Yuan's first discovery of the rule rift in his third reincarnation. It was a server room buried deep underground, where Zhong Yuan dismantled a burnt-out server casing. On the back of the server motherboard, he found a fragment of old core code that the system had deliberately hidden. That code was the source of all the rule rifts that followed, the origin of all the secrets.

The third step: the seventh reincarnation, Zhong Yuan met Shi Yu for the first time.

In the old version of the data center, Shi Yu was squatting in front of a malfunctioning server, intently repairing it. She was wearing a loose blue overall, her hair casually tied in a ponytail, and a lollipop was dangling from her mouth. Zhong Yuan walked over and asked if she needed help. She looked up and gave him a bright smile.

"No need, I can handle this little problem myself. By the way, are you new here? What's your name?"

Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat when he saw that smile.

That was a Shiyu he had never seen before—not the always cold-faced, highly vigilant player, but a vibrant girl full of enthusiasm for life. He stood there, watching Shiyu and Zhong Yuan chat and laugh, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Before becoming a "living core," Shigure was this kind of person.

The fourth stage: the twelfth cycle, Shiyu was framed by the system.

Jiang Chen stood outside a massive server room, watching Shi Yu through the glass window. She was frantically typing away, trying to fix a sudden data crash. But red error messages kept popping up on the screen, one after another, like a flood. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her fingers trembled on the keyboard, but she didn't give up.

"Run! It's a trap!" Jiang Chen shouted hoarsely through the glass.

But Shiyu couldn't hear his voice. She was focused solely on the code on the screen, completely unaware of the danger behind her. Until countless dark red data chains shot out from the wall, instantly piercing her body.

She let out a painful scream as her body was hoisted high by chains, blood dripping down her arms.

Jiang Chen closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer. He took a deep breath, took a step, and continued walking uphill.

Fifth step: In the twenty-fourth cycle, Zhong Yuan was discovered by the system.

In the monitoring room at the system's core, Zhong Yuan was pinned to the ground by four system administrators. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained stubbornly fixed on the holographic screen in front of him. On the screen, Shi Yu's core was being inserted into a glass column, and nutrient solution was slowly being injected.

"Look at you, you've ruined yourself like this for some data scraps, is it worth it?" A person in a white coat squatted down in front of Zhong Yuan, his tone filled with sarcasm and pity.

"She's not data remnants, she's a human being." Zhong Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his voice hoarse but firm. "Besides, you can't kill her. As long as I have a breath left, I'll come back. If once isn't enough, I'll try twice, if twice isn't enough, I'll try a hundred times—until I rescue her."

The sixth step: In the fifty-first cycle, Zhong Yuan attempted to break through the trial gate for the first time, but failed.

Jiang Chen saw Zhong Yuan lying in front of the Trial Gate, covered in blood, his left hand twisted at an eerie angle. His body was trembling, but he gritted his teeth and tried to get up and try again. But the blood-red eye on the Trial Gate only coldly watched him before slowly closing.

"No...don't turn it off...I can try one more time, please..."

Zhong Yuan knelt on the ground, pounding the earth heavily and letting out a painful roar. That despair, that pain that was right before his eyes yet forever unattainable, pierced Jiang Chen's heart.

The seventh step: In the eighty-seventh cycle, Zhong Yuan found the fragment of the rules that was accidentally left behind in the first cycle.

It was a fragment hidden at the bottom of the old version's login screen, very inconspicuous. When Zhong Yuan discovered it, it was almost overwritten and erased by the new version of the system. He carefully took it out, holding it in his hands as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

"Found it... I've finally found a fragment of a rule that won't be erased by the system..." Zhong Yuan's voice trembled with tears, but his eyes shone brightly. "With this, I can retain more memories in the next reincarnation. I can get closer to the truth faster and find a way to break the system more quickly."

He carefully hid the shards in his arm, letting the blood stain his sleeves.

Looking at these fragments of memory, Jiang Chen felt an indescribable shock. 138 reincarnations, each a desperate struggle, each ending in failure. But Zhong Yuan never gave up—like a tireless ant, he rose again and again, tried again and again, groping for that one ray of light in the darkness with his entire life.

He continued uphill, the steps getting higher and higher, and the surrounding air growing colder and colder.

He saw Zhong Yuan try various methods in different reincarnations—in some reincarnations, he tried to unite other test subjects to resist the system, but was divided and disintegrated by the system; in some reincarnations, he tried to directly attack the core of the system, but was seriously injured by the defense mechanism and almost lost his life; in some reincarnations, he tried to modify the underlying code of the system little by little by slowly infiltrating, but was discovered by the system.

Every attempt ended in failure. Every failure brought Zhong one step closer to death.

But each time, he would get back up and keep going.

When Jiang Chen reached the fiftieth step, he witnessed a scene that deeply shocked him.

That was Zhong Yuan's first attempt to implant a "fragment of rules" into his body to preserve his memories. Lying on the cold operating table, Zhong Yuan endured the pain and used a rusty knife to cut open his arm. Then he stuffed a fragment that emitted a faint light into the wound, letting the blood stain the sheets.

"ah--!"

Zhong Yuan let out a suppressed growl, his teeth grinding together. His body trembled violently from the excruciating pain, but he didn't stop. With trembling fingers, he pushed the fragment deep into the muscle, bit by bit, until it was completely embedded in his body. Then he picked up a needle and thread and began to stitch the wound, his movements clumsy and rough, the stitches crooked and uneven.

Jiang Chen watched this scene, feeling his eyes well up with tears. He found it hard to imagine what kind of willpower it took for someone to treat their body like that. He couldn't even begin to imagine how many times Zhong Yuan had repeated this self-harming behavior in the 138 reincarnations.

With each reincarnation, he has to have these fragments re-implanted and endure that excruciating pain once again.

He took a deep breath and continued walking uphill.

The steps grew steeper, the wind stronger, making it almost impossible for him to stand. Each step required immense effort to maintain his balance. But he didn't stop, because he knew he was getting closer to the truth.

When he reached the eightieth step, the scenery around him changed again.

He stood before a huge floor-to-ceiling window, outside which stretched a dazzling starry sky. Beneath the starry sky stood a girl in a white dress, her back to him. The girl's silhouette was exactly like Shi Yu's, but her demeanor was completely different—she was gentler, quieter, like a calm lake.

"You've come." The girl didn't turn around, but her voice rang clearly in Jiang Chen's ears, "I've been waiting for you for a long time—a full 138 reincarnations."

Jiang Chen froze for a moment, instinctively gripping the badge on his chest. "You...you're Shi Yu? Or a fragment of her memory?"

"Both, and neither." The girl slowly turned around, revealing a face exactly like Shi Yu's. But in her eyes, there was no wariness or aloofness like Shi Yu's, only a gentle acceptance. "I am the last memory Shi Yu left behind before being sealed away—the most complete 'me,' and the only 'me' who knows the whole truth."

"I have been waiting for you, waiting for you to walk up the stairs of 138 reincarnations and come to me."

Jiang Chen looked at her, feeling his heart pounding and his palms sweating. "I need you to tell me how to save you—save Shi Yu, and break this damn system."

The girl smiled slightly, reached out, and gently stroked Jiang Chen's cheek.

"You already know the answer, you just don't dare to admit it. To save Shiyu, you must activate her core and restore her consciousness. But the price of activating the core is the sacrifice of a test subject whose 'core frequency' matches hers."

Jiang Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

He finally understood why Zhong Yuan said those words: "If you have to make a choice in the end, please choose to let her live."

Zhong Yuan had long known that activating the core required the sacrifice of someone. And that person could only be Jiang Chen. Because he was the only test subject in the 138 reincarnations who could resonate with Shi Yu's core. He was the "container" the system had prepared for Shi Yu, and also the only "key" that could awaken her.

"Are you scared?" The girl tilted her head, looking at Jiang Chen with a gentle smile in her eyes.

"I'm not afraid." Jiang Chen was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I was just wondering if Shi Yu would hate me after I died and she regained her memories."

"She'll definitely hate you." The girl smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So, you can't die. You have to live and rescue her yourself."

Jiang Chen was stunned. He stared at the girl, somewhat bewildered. "What do you mean? Didn't you say that activating the core requires sacrificing someone?"

"Yes, someone needs to be sacrificed." The girl winked, a hint of playfulness in her voice. "But who says that person has to be you?"

She pointed down the steps, in the direction where Zhong Yuan was.

"That person has waited for 138 reincarnations, just for this day."

Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat. He understood what the girl meant—Zhong Yuan had been preparing for this moment since his first reincarnation. He used his body to store fragments of rules, his life to carry memories, and 138 reincarnations to pave the way. What he had been waiting for was this opportunity—to sacrifice himself in exchange for Shi Yu's rebirth.

"No, is there any other way?" Jiang Chen's voice was a little hoarse.

"Yes," the girl smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in her smile. "You take the core fragment of Shiyu, climb to the top of the tower, and find all her memories. Then, before the Gate of Choice at the top of the tower, make your choice. Zhongyuan will be there too—he will walk to the sacrificial altar in your place."

"This is his only wish throughout his 138 reincarnations, and his only salvation."

Jiang Chen's lips moved; he seemed to want to say something, but ultimately said nothing. He stood there in silence for a long time, then raised his head and looked at the girl.

"How far is it to the top of the tower?"

The girl pointed upwards to a door that shone with golden light. "It's just ahead. You'll reach it after you climb the last step." She paused, then added, "But be prepared—behind that door isn't the end. It's the true beginning."

Jiang Chen nodded, took a step, and walked towards the last step.

Every step felt like walking on clouds, light and airy, yet every step was incredibly firm.

As he stepped onto the last step and pushed open the golden door, a blinding light instantly flooded in. He saw a vast space and a figure standing in its center.

The figure was Zhong Yuan. He had already reached the top of the tower and was standing on a sacrificial altar. The altar was covered with intricate runes and emitted a dark red light.

When Zhong Yuan saw Jiang Chen, he smiled slightly, a smile that conveyed relief and satisfaction.

"You've arrived, sooner than I expected." His voice was calm, as if he were talking about something trivial. "I'm all ready. The rest is up to you."

[Hidden Hint: The 138th cycle mechanism has entered its final stage. The sacrifice portal is now open.]