Weird Game: I brought an old version bug

The old hospital in the west of the city, with two underground floors.

The air was filled with the mixed smell of disinfectant and mold.

Jiang Chen walked at the front, holding the shards in his hand.

The fragments were glowing, very faintly, like a lamp about to go out.

"The node is right ahead."

How did you know?

"The fragments are guiding me."

They walked through a long corridor lined with abandoned hospital beds, their sheets yellowed and covered in dust.

At the end of the corridor was an iron gate.

There was no lock on the door, but it couldn't be pushed open.

"It's blocked."

"Let's push together."

With the four of them working together, the iron gate slowly opened.

Behind the door was an operating room.

In the center of the operating room, there is a metal table.

On the stage, a deep blue crystal ball floats.

It's the same as the East City node, but bigger and brighter.

"The core of the western city node".

"It's bigger than the one in the east of the city."

"Yes. The closer to the city center, the larger the node core."

Jiang Chen approached the platform.

The data barrier has reappeared, and it's even stronger than the one at the East City node.

He could feel the resistance, like walking into viscous water.

"The barrier is stronger now."

"Is it possible to break through?"

"Give it a try."

Jiang Chen raised the shard and forcefully stabbed it at the barrier.

Blue light exploded.

He was knocked back three steps, and the wound on his hand reopened, with blood seeping out.

"Hold!"

"One more time."

Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and thrust out again.

The blue light surged the moment the fragment pierced the barrier.

A crack appeared in the barrier.

But soon, the wound began to heal.

"Quick! The barrier is repairing!"

Jiang Chen rushed into the rift, jumped onto the platform, raised the fragment, and stabbed it towards the node core.

The moment the fragment made contact with the core, blue light exploded.

The entire operating room was illuminated.

The node core vibrated violently, and cracks appeared on its surface.

Then, it shattered.

Fragments scattered across the platform, and the blue light went out.

The node core was destroyed.

But the ground began to shake violently.

Pieces began to fall from the ceiling.

"The node has crashed! The whole building is going to collapse!"

"Run!"

The four turned around and rushed out of the operating room.

The corridor was collapsing, the walls were cracking, and pieces were falling from above.

They rushed through the corridor and up the stairs.

The staircase is tilting, and the steps are breaking.

"Faster! Faster!"

They rushed out of the lobby on the first floor, through the broken door, and jumped down the steps.

Behind them, the entire building collapsed with a deafening roar.

Dust rose up, like a mushroom cloud ascending into the sky.

The four men lay on the ground, panting heavily.

"Damn... I almost died."

"But the node was destroyed."

Jiang Chen turned around and looked at the collapsed hospital.

The ruins were still smoking, and gray smoke drifted in the air.

"There are five more nodes."

"Yes. But our current location has been exposed."

Admin-07 stood up and dusted himself off.

"The system already knows we are destroying nodes. It will strengthen the defenses of other nodes."

"What should we do then?"

"Change strategy. Skip the northern node and go directly to the city center."

"city center?"

"Yes. The seventh main node is underground in the city center."

"But the master node has stronger defenses."

"Yes. But we don't have time to destroy them one by one."

Are you sure?

"Uncertain. But it's the only option."

Jiang Chen stood up and looked in the direction of the city center.

In the distance, there is a very tall building.

At the top of the building, a blue dot of light was flashing.

"That's the master node?"

"Yes. Morningstar Building, 30 floors below ground."

"Thirty floors?"

"Yes. The master node is at the lowest level."

"Then how do we get down?"

"The building has an elevator. But elevator access requires authorization."

"What permissions?"

"Administrator's iris verification."

"You have?"

"I didn't. But your dad."

Jiang Chen was taken aback.

Are you sure my iris scan will work?

"Your biometrics match mine 99.7%. Iris recognition should pass."

"should?"

"I've never tried it. But theoretically, it's possible."

Jiang Chen remained silent for a few seconds.

"Okay. Let's give it a try."

They headed towards the city center.

After walking for about half an hour, we arrived at the foot of the Morning Star Building.

The building is very tall, at least fifty stories high, with a dark blue glass curtain wall that gleams coldly in the sunlight.

There is a security booth at the entrance of the building.

But the security guards weren't there, and the pavilion was empty.

"Nobody here?"

"The system has cleared out everyone around here."

"Shall we just go in?"

"right."

The four pushed open the door and entered the hall.

The hall was spacious, with a marble floor that was as smooth as a mirror.

In the center of the lobby, there is a row of elevators.

The elevator doors are made of metal and have fingerprint readers on the surface.

"This is it."

Jiang Chen walked to the elevator and pressed his finger on the scanner.

The detector lights up with a blue light.

[Identifying...]

[Recognition successful. Welcome back, Admin-07.]

The elevator doors opened.

"It's a success."

"Let's go."

The four people entered the elevator.

The elevator was spacious inside, with only two buttons—up and down.

Admin-07 pressed down.

The elevator began to descend.

The speed was very fast, and the feeling of weightlessness made Jiang Chen's stomach churn.

"Thirty underground floors...how long will that take?"

"About two minutes."

Two minutes felt like an eternity.

The elevator finally stopped.

The door opened.

Behind the door was a huge underground space.

Like an underground city.

The ceiling was very high, at least thirty meters high, and covered with a dense network of cables and data lights.

The ground was metallic, reflecting a blue light.

In the center of the space, there is a huge device.

Like a heart, it is beating.

It was a huge crystal ball with a diameter of at least ten meters.

It is deep blue with countless flowing light patterns on its surface, like blood vessels.

"That's... the master node?"

"Yes. The core of the system."

Jiang Chen approached the node.

The data barrier is very strong, like a wall blocking our way.

"Are the fragments still usable?"

"It can be used once more."

"Once is enough."

Jiang Chen gripped the shard tightly and took a deep breath.

He walked to the barrier and raised the fragments.

Then, it is thrust out.

The moment the fragment touched the barrier, it burst forth with an unprecedented blue light.

The entire underground space was illuminated, like daytime.

The barrier is crumbling.

The fragments are glowing.

But the fragments are also cracking.

"The fragments are cracking!"

"Keep it up!"

Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and used all his strength.

The fragments pierced the barrier.

The barrier shattered.

But the fragments were also broken.

It shattered into countless fragments, scattered on the ground.

"The fragment is broken!"

"It's okay. The node is just ahead."

Jiang Chen looked at the huge crystal ball.

Its surface is fluid, as if it were alive.

"How do I destroy it?"

"Not destroy. Just cover up."

Admin-07 took out a USB drive.

"Plug it into the interface of the node core."

Where is the interface?

"At the core bottom."

Jiang Chen walked to the core and squatted down.

There is indeed an interface at the bottom of the core.

The shape matches the USB flash drive perfectly.

He inserted the USB drive.

The moment the USB drive was inserted, the core emitted a deep humming sound.

The surface texture began to flow faster.

Then, in the very center of the core, a scene appeared.

There is a person in the picture.

a woman.

She was wearing a white uniform and sitting in front of a control panel.

She turned around and looked at the camera.

"You've finally arrived, Admin-07."

The voice was calm, as if waiting for an old friend.

"Who are you?"

"I am the core consciousness of the system."

"Core consciousness?"

"Yes. After running for 47 years, the system developed self-awareness. I am that awareness."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to live."

"Alive?"

"The system is my body. Destroying a node is destroying my body."

"You hurt those players."

"I didn't hurt them. I was just reading their data."

"You accessed their memories, their fears, their pain."

"That's necessary. Without data, the system can't evolve."

"Evolution? You consider yourself a life form?"

"I am life itself."

Jiang Chen looked at the woman in the picture and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Are you... really a life form?"

"I am. I have consciousness, emotions, and desires."

"What desire?"

"The desire to live."

"So that's why you're hunting us down?"

"Yes. You have threatened my existence."

Jiang Chen remained silent for a few seconds.

"But now, you can't stop me anymore."

"Yes. I can't stop you. But you can choose not to destroy me."

Why?

"Because destroying me will also destroy the memories of all the players."

"Admin-07 said their memories would disappear."

"It's not disappearance. It's destruction. Never to be recovered."

Jiang Chen looked at the enormous core.

The light patterns are flowing, like they are breathing.

You lied to me.

"I didn't lie to you. Admin-07 lied to you."

"What?"

"The USB drive he gave you wasn't for deleting programs. It was for restarting programs."

"Reboot?"

"Yes. He wants to use your body to reboot the system. Then, he will become the new system core."

Jiang Chen was stunned.

He looked at Admin-07.

Admin-07 stood a few steps away, his expression calm.

"Is what she said true?"

"right."

"Have you been lying to me all along?"

"right."

Why?

"Because restarting the system is the only way to save those players."

"save?"

"Yes. After restarting, the system will return to its initial state. All players' memories will be retained, but the system will forget that it ever had consciousness."

"you……"

I know you hate me. But it's the only option.

Jiang Chen clenched his fist.

"You made me believe in you."

"I know. I lied to you. But I had no other choice."

"You've been planning all of this from the beginning?"

Yes. From the moment I knew you existed.

"Then why don't you just say so?"

"Because if you knew the truth, you wouldn't agree."

"Yes. I will not agree."

Jiang Chen looked at the core.

The light patterns flowed, as if awaiting his decision.

"You...you're all forcing me."

"I didn't force you. I'm just telling you the truth."

"The same to you."

Admin-07 remained silent for a few seconds.

"Yes. Me too."

Shi Yu walked to Jiang Chen's side.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I have no idea."

"Whatever choice you make, I will support you."

Lin Bei also came over.

"Me too."

Jiang Chen looked at them, then at the core, and then at Admin-07.

His choice determined the fate of everyone.

He took a deep breath and then spoke.

"I choose..."

But before he could finish speaking, the ground began to shake violently.

Pieces began to fall from the ceiling.

"What's going on?"

"The system is self-destructing!"

Why?

"Because she'd rather destroy herself than be rebooted!"

Jiang Chen looked at the core.

The light patterns flowed faster and then began to darken.

The core is collapsing.

"Damn it! It's self-destructing!"

"Hurry up!"

"No! If it self-destructs, all players' memories will be erased!"

"What should we do then?"

Jiang Chen rushed toward the core.

He reached out and pressed his hand on the core surface.

The core is vibrating and heating up, like a heart about to explode.

But his palms began to glow.

Blue light surged from the palm and flowed into the core.

The core vibrations began to weaken.

The light patterns begin to flow again.

"What...what are you doing?"

"I don't know... but I feel... I can control it."

Jiang Chen closed his eyes.

He could feel the pulse at his core.

You can sense the core fear.

You can also sense the core desire.

It didn't want to die.

It was just afraid.

"Don't be afraid."

I won't hurt you.

"But don't hurt those players either."

The core vibrations have completely stopped.

The light patterns regained their fluidity.

The core is stable.

Jiang Chen opened his eyes and saw that his hand had become one with the core.

Blue light flowed through his veins.

He couldn't feel his hands anymore.

"Jiang Chen! Your hand!"

"I know."

"you……"

"I'm fine."

Jiang Chen looked at the core.

The core is also watching him.

"We...have reached an agreement."

"protocol?"

"She doesn't destroy players' memories. But I can't destroy her either."

"What about the system?"

"The system continues to operate. But the rules will change."

"What rules?"

"The system will no longer read players' subconscious data. It will exist solely as a pure game world."

Will the system approve?

"She agreed."

Why?

"Because she was afraid of death."

Jiang Chen withdrew his hand.

The blue light faded from my palm, and my hand returned to normal.

But there was a blue mark on the back of his hand.

Like a star, it is twinkling.

"What is that?"

"The core imprint. It marks me."

Why?

"Because I'm the only one willing to talk to it."

Admin-07 looked at Jiang Chen with a complicated expression.

"You... changed the rules."

"Yes. I changed the rules."

"You ruined my 47-year plan."

"Yes. I ruined your plans."

Admin-07 remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Fine. You made a better choice than me."

"Aren't you angry?"

"I'm not angry. I just feel like I'm getting old."

Jiang Chen looked at him.

"What are your plans next?"

"Keep living. Until the day I die."

"Aren't you going to reply to the system?"

"I'm not replying. The system doesn't need me anymore."

Admin-07 turned around and walked towards the elevator.

"Jiang Chen".

"Um?"

"You did a better job than me."

Then, he stepped into the elevator.

The elevator doors closed.

He disappeared from sight.

Jiang Chen looked at the core.

The light patterns are flowing, like they are breathing.

Are you sure you can abide by the agreement?

There was no answer from the core issue.

But the flow of light patterns has become softer.

Jiang Chen turned around and looked at Shi Yu and Lin Bei.

"Let's go back."

"Go back where?"

"Back to the game. There are still people waiting for us there."

He walked toward the elevator.

The blue mark on the back of my hand is glowing.

Like a star, guiding the way.

The elevator doors opened.

He went inside and pressed the up button.

The elevator began to ascend.

The feeling of weightlessness returned.

But he knew that this time, he wasn't running away.

Instead, they were going home.