Weird Game: I brought an old version bug

The mineral crystal beast's lair was larger than I had imagined.

This is a circular underground space, estimated to be over fifty meters in diameter, with its dome inlaid with minerals that emit a pale blue light.

The light shone down from above, bathing the entire space in a cool blue hue.

Tiny crystalline particles float in the air, drifting slowly like dust, and a slight stinging sensation can be felt with each breath.

The mineral crystal beast was lying in the very center of the arena.

It looks like a small mountain.

Its body is made of translucent crystals with countless fine cracks inside, through which flows a dark orange light—like magma, or like blood.

On its chest is a core the size of a fist, which glows and dims with its breathing.

The strategy guide provided by the system in "Crazy Warriors" focuses on this core aspect.

But Shigure said that was wrong.

"Listen up, everyone." Jiang Chen crouched behind a boulder and lowered his voice, "We only have one chance to try and fail."

Kuangzhan Tianxia and his four teammates were also squatting nearby.

The two teams together have ten people—but three of them are low on health.

The healer only has enough mana to cast three or four skills.

"Tell me your proposal first," said Mad Warrior.

Jiang Chen looked at Qingzhu.

"How wide is the range of the sound wave oscillation?" he asked.

"About ten meters in diameter," Qingzhu said. "It lasts for two seconds. Cooling down takes fifteen seconds."

"Is two seconds enough to output the output?"

"Enough for a burst of damage." Northern Wolf patted his shield.

"But that's on the premise that the mineral crystal beast actually goes into a state of paralysis."

All eyes were on Shigure.

Shiyu stood at the edge of the crowd, gripping the bow, her knuckles turning white from the force.

She felt the weight of those gazes.

"I..." she began, her voice low.

"I remember its weak point is three inches below the throat."

The crystal is thinnest at that location.

If you use sound to make it freeze.

The crystals in that area will shatter during the tremors—and then it can be penetrated.

She explained it in great detail.

It was so detailed it was like reciting a travel guide.

But the question is—is this guide outdated?

"How confident are you?" asked Mad Warrior World.

Shigure remained silent for a few seconds.

"Sixty percent," she said.

"Sixty percent..." Mad Warrior World gritted his teeth.

"Even 60% is better than the fake strategy guide given by the system."

"Then let's fight like this." Jiang Chen stood up. "Qingzhu goes first, sonic vibration."

Shiyu aimed his first arrow at the area below the throat.

During the period of stun, San Dao, Beifang Yelang, and I unleashed burst damage.

"Berserk Warriors, your men are responsible for cover—if the sonic attack is ineffective, you must withstand the BOSS's first counterattack."

"Understood." Mad Warrior World nodded.

Everyone is in position.

Jiang Chen crouched behind a rock illuminated by blue ore, watching the breathing rhythm of the mineral crystal beast.

With each breath, its core lights up once, in a steady rhythm, like a well-functioning machine.

However, the operating logic of a machine can be broken.

He raised his hand, making a countdown gesture.

three.

two.

One.

The bamboo staff glowed with a blinding blue light.

She took a deep breath and slammed her staff into the ground—a visible ripple spread out from the tip of the staff.

hum-

The air is vibrating.

The crystal particles floating in the air scattered and flew around like startled flying insects.

Ripples spread outwards along the ground, crashing into the mineral crystal beast with the green bamboo at the center—in that instant, time seemed to stretch out.

The mineral crystal beast's body shuddered violently.

Its core in its chest flickered violently twice—as if trying to determine the source of the fluctuation—and then went dark.

Its body froze in place like a machine that had lost power.

The limbs were stiff, the crystalline torso remained motionless, and even the flowing dark orange light had stopped.

Successful.

Shigure's memory is correct.

But Jiang Chen had no time to be happy.

"Hit him!" he roared.

Shigure's bowstring has been drawn.

Without hesitation, she fired an arrow, the arrow whistling sharply as it traced a straight line through the air, precisely striking the mineral crystal beast three inches below its throat.

The moment the arrow tip struck the crystal, a fine crack appeared on the surface of that area.

Just as Shigure said—the sound waves made the crystals in that area brittle.

"Focus fire!" The Northern Wolf was the first to charge forward.

The shield was swung in a wide arc and smashed into the crack.

The three-edged dagger followed closely behind, cutting into the crack along its direction.

Jiang Chen also rushed forward—he had no weapon, but he picked up a sharp piece of ore from the ground and smashed it hard into the crack.

a bit.

Two times.

Three times.

The crack is widening.

The mineral crystal beast's body began to tremble violently—not as a struggle, but more as a systemic disorder.

Its core in its chest was flashing wildly, with the frequency of alternating light and dark being abnormally fast.

Then everyone saw a pop-up window.

[Hidden Hint: Rule Rift Has Been Triggered]

[Data conflict detected between two versions - the old version's weakness "three inches below the throat" and the new version's weakness "chest core" are both active simultaneously]

The target status has been locked as "data conflict".

[Stiffness duration extended to 15 seconds]

[Reward: Rule Fragment x1]

"Holy crap..." Mad Warrior World stared blankly at the pop-up window.

"This game even has this kind of thing?"

Jiang Chen didn't have time to be stunned.

"15 seconds! Full power!"

Ten people rushed towards the mineral crystal beast at the same time.

Blades, arrows, magic, shield bashes—all attacks were directed at that crack.

The warrior, who had been fighting fiercely, swung his greatsword and cleaved it into the crack, sending sparks flying.

His two damage dealers followed up with last hits, each striking the same spot.

Green Bamboo's staff lit up again, and an ice spike patched the edge of the crack. The alternating hot and cold caused the crack to spread faster. The Northern Wolf's shield bashes grew heavier with each strike, denting the edges of the shield.

The three daggers pierced the same spot repeatedly, like a sewing machine, each time going an inch deeper.

Jiang Chen had no weapon, but he noticed a fragment of the mining beast lying on the ground.

He picked it up, held it in his hand and used it as a chisel, then smashed it hard into the center of the crack.

a bit.

The crack widened by one ring.

Two times.

Dark orange light burst forth from the crack.

Three times.

After enduring more than ten seconds of concentrated fire, the crystal body of the mineral beast finally began to collapse from the crack below its throat.

Cracks spread across its body like a spider web, and dark orange light burst forth from the cracks—then, its body shattered.

boom.

The enormous crystalline body collapsed to the ground, shattering into thousands of glowing fragments.

The flash of light lasted for about five seconds, and then everything returned to calm.

Everyone collapsed to the ground, panting.

[Instance Announcement: Boss "Mutant Mineral Crystal Beast" has been defeated]

[Time taken to clear the checkpoint: 42 minutes]

[Time Remaining: 18 minutes]

[Settlement in progress...]

"I passed..." Mad Warrior lay on the ground, looking at the blue ore above his head. "I actually passed..."

"You mean the 'surprisingly' you were talking about?" Northern Wolf chuckled. "Our captain said from the beginning that we'd take Route B, but you didn't believe him."

Mad Warriors remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he sat up and looked at Jiang Chen.

"Brother, I take back what I said before: 'If you want to die, don't drag others down with you.'"

He extended his hand. "You're a reliable captain."

Jiang Chen grasped his hand without saying anything polite.

"The dungeon run is complete," he said. "Let's see what we got."

Everyone opens the system panel simultaneously.

[Instance Settlement]

[Basic Experience: +5000]

[Equipment Drops: Crystal Ore Bracers (Blue) x1, Crystal Shards (Material) x50]

[Special Reward: Rule Fragment - Unnamed x1 (Bound to: Jiang Chen)]

"Rule fragments?" Mad Warrior World frowned. "What are these things?"

Jiang Chen looked at the glowing fragment in his backpack. There were no words on it, only a constantly changing wavy pattern.

It looks like blank code with no content written to it.

[Tip: Rule fragments can be used to customize and rewrite the attributes of a skill.]

Jiang Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

Customize and rewrite skills.

In this game, skills are fixed—a mage's fireball is a fireball, and a warrior's shield bash is a shield bash.

But now a fragment tells him:

You can rewrite a skill yourself.

He began to understand the rules of the game.

The system provides a framework.

A crack in the rules is a loophole.

Rule fragments represent modification permissions.

And those footsteps deep within Area A...

They might be people left over from the previous version.

He closed the panel and looked at Shiyu.

Shi Yu squatted on the ground, holding a shard of the shattered mineral crystal beast in her hand.

I looked at it over and over again.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Chen walked over.

Shi Yu raised her head.

Her expression was strange—not happy, not relaxed. It was a kind of absent-mindedness.

"I..." she began.

"When the mineral crystal beast shattered just now..."

A picture flashed through my mind.

"What scene?"

Shiyu held the crystal fragment tightly in her palm.

"I saw a city."

"A city underground."

"There are many people... many buildings... and the glowing crystals in that hub just now—there are many of them, hanging from the ceiling to be used as suns."

She looked at Jiang Chen, her eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.

I think—

"I might live there."

Old Dawn City. Jiang Chen silently repeated these three words in his heart.

He remembered what was on the information board.

[Access Point: Old Dawn City, Third Administrative District, Reserved Interface]

That's not the city in the game.

That's where the players lived in the previous version.

And the rain comes from there.

"The dungeon is almost over," Jiang Chen said. "Let's get out of here first."

Shi Yu nodded and stood up.

The team started heading towards the dungeon exit.

The team from "Mad Warriors Under Heaven" walked ahead, excitedly discussing the battle they had just fought.

San Dao walked at the back of the group, still silent.

Northern Wolf and Green Bamboo are discussing the details of the BOSS battle.

Jiang Chen and Shi Yu walked in the middle of the group.

"Jiang Chen," Shi Yu suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"That fragment of the rule..."

Shiyu's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of being overheard, "Where do you plan to use it?"

Jiang Chen thought for a moment.

"I haven't decided yet."

"But I have a feeling—"

"This thing will allow us to go further in this game."

Shi Yu did not respond.

But she nodded.

A glowing light appeared at the entrance to the dungeon ahead of the group.

That was the pale white halo unique to the portal, like a thin curtain of water suspended in the air.

The first player to exit the instance let out a cheer.

Then came the second, and the third.

Jiang Chen was the last one to walk.

Before he stepped out of the portal,

He glanced back at the mine shaft behind him.

Everything in the instance is slowly dissipating—the blue ore, the murals, the numbered entrances.

But they won't really disappear.

he knows.

Those things are deep underground, waiting for the next person to take Route B.