novelraw Chapter 42: How to Exploit a Bug?
Chapter 42: How to Exploit a Bug?
[You bend down and apply the “Healing Holy Water” to the metal mechanism on the elevator floor.]
[The thick, slippery liquid makes the rusted mechanism gleam with a slick shine. It has been rejuvenated, and will no longer jam unexpectedly.]
Lin Xun grinned—just saved a useful item!
Successfully taught this game a lesson!
[But the expected clatter of gears never came. Puzzled, you glance down at the mechanism beneath your feet.]
[Do you wish to decipher the mechanism’s workings to activate the elevator?]
Huh? The game was still being difficult?
Now it wanted him to crack the mechanism?
But what the game didn’t know was—he had the Engineer shell!
For a high-tech expert like the Engineer, deciphering an ancient elevator mechanism was like a PhD student solving elementary school math.Without hesitation, Lin Xun pressed “Yes.”
[As an Engineer, you study the mechanism carefully and easily identify the core issue— it just needs a bit of external force to function properly.]
[Do you wish to apply external force to the mechanism?]
External force?
The Engineer shell was Level 32. In terms of strength, it might even outmatch the Paladin of Discipline.
Just a bit of force? You think that’s going to stop me?
He clicked “Yes.”
[You ball your fist and punch the elevator floor with all your strength. The wooden platform creaks, but the mechanism doesn’t activate.]
[Do you wish to apply more external force to the mechanism?]
[Stubborn Apostle, you stand up and stomp hard on the wooden floor.]
[With a loud crack, the entire elevator floor shatters beneath you. The space under your feet vanishes, and you fall into the abyss…]
A full minute passed before the game text resumed.
[You have died!]
“Are you f*ing kidding me?!”
Lin Xun’s outburst echoed throughout the run-down apartment building.
[The feeble wandering soul is reborn in a tunnel of the sewer…]
Lin Xun nearly suffered cardiac arrest from the frustration this cursed game caused.
He had wanted to teach the game a lesson—only to find out that he was the clown all along.
Hands shaking, he lit a cigarette. It took quite a while to calm down.
At this point, the blacksmith, the Yellow-Robed Bishop, and the Engineer shells had all died in increasingly bizarre ways.
Only the Paladin of Discipline remained.
Originally, Lin Xun had planned to use the resurrection item on the Paladin—have it jump into the abyss and join the rest of the “family.”
But suddenly, a thought struck him—“Forgotten Abyss of the Fading Afterglow” just sounded like a massive area to explore.
What if the Paladin resurrected after falling, but the allotted time was too short to get through it?
Clearly, the game’s intention with the resurrection item was to give players only a limited time to grab a small portion of the treasure, because the abyss was just that rewarding.
To see a treasure trove but only be allowed to take a handful? Painful.
“Isn’t there a way to get everything?”
Lin Xun rubbed his chin, thinking for a long time…
Then suddenly—Eureka! His Thousand Faces, Ten Thousand Forms soul talent!
Even if other players could somehow reach this hidden abyss by Chapter 323…
All they’d be able to do is pick one shell, use the resurrection item, and grab a portion of the reward.
But him?
He was different.
His soul talent gave him multiple shells to use!
After resurrection, he could immediately possess another shell and continue exploring—bug abuse mode engaged!
He could comb through the entire hidden area and claim every single reward!
Lin Xun wasn’t about to settle for a fraction of the loot.
Kids make choices—adults say, “I want it all.”
With that, Lin Xun put down his phone, deciding to reshape both the Engineer and Yellow-Robed Bishop shells before doing the death jump bug exploit.
He glanced at the time—it was 1 PM. Still five hours until dinner with the girl in white.
He opened his laptop, launched his Writer Assistant app, and began the daily challenge: 4,000 words…
A long while later, it was already 5 PM.
Staring at the screen with only 2,000 words written, Lin Xun sighed helplessly.
Maybe it was the lack of a female coworker watching (supervising) from behind, but he just wasn’t in the zone today. His writer’s block was relentless—squeezing out even one chapter had been a struggle.
Seeing it was about time, he left his apartment.
He hailed a cab downstairs and headed for the city center mall.
Even though Lu Caiyi had told him that the massive donation of over a thousand Spirit was a gift, Lin Xun felt it wasn’t right to accept it for nothing.
He planned to pick out a small gift at the mall to return the favor. Besides, his wallet was pretty full right now—he still had 50,000 in bonus money from the organization.
At the mall, he spent a good while at the counters before finally selecting a bottle of perfume for women. Light and pure with a youthful scent—perfect for the girl in white.
Gift in hand, he called another cab and headed to the agreed-upon open-air restaurant.
—
Team Leader Wang of the Armed Division set down his files and massaged his temples, trying to relieve the pressure on his overloaded brain.
“Yiyi, that little rascal—said she had personal matters and ran off instead of helping me with paperwork. Tch.”
Though Lu Caiyi was twelve years younger than him, Wang Zhong treated her like a beloved niece, pampering the girl from the bottom of his heart.
She was obedient, kind-hearted, and exceptionally gifted—though her personality was a bit too soft, and needed some toughening up.
Wang Zhong even considered grooming Lu Caiyi as his successor for the Armed Division leadership.
Once he neared retirement, he planned to recommend her to the organization…
Glancing at the office clock, he saw it was almost time for his scheduled drinking session with an old war buddy.
He quickly dropped the files, got up, and drove to the location.
—
When Lin Xun arrived, he spotted the girl already standing outside the restaurant.
Lu Caiyi wore a white floral dress, her youthful and delicate face giving off the air of a first love straight out of school. But her voluptuous figure clashed with that impression, creating a jarring yet striking contrast.
Such a stunning sight at the entrance turned the heads of passersby again and again.
Lin Xun quickly approached. “Have you been waiting long?”
Lu Caiyi smiled softly. “Not at all, I just got here.”
Then she followed him through the restaurant doors.
This place wasn’t your typical night market setup with tents and outdoor tables.
It was an indoor restaurant—orderly tables laid out in a large open hall without private rooms, more like a casual restaurant than a traditional stall.
Cool air from the A/C greeted them, and the hall was already bustling. The aroma of all kinds of dishes filled the room.
Lin Xun led the girl in white to an empty table.
He handed her the menu brought by the server. “Order whatever you want—don’t hold back. Just got my bonus and it’s burning a hole in my wallet.”
Lu Caiyi whispered a quiet thanks and hesitated over the menu for a long time before only picking two dishes.
Lin Xun shook his head and took the menu from her. After confirming she had no dietary restrictions, he rapidly ordered several signature dishes.
The waiter then asked if they wanted beer.
Beer and stir-fry were the classic pairing in places like this.
But Lin Xun’s purpose today was just to treat the girl to dinner as an apology—nothing more.
Still, since it was an apology, he figured he should punish himself with a few drinks.
He asked, “I’ll grab two bottles. You want one?”
The girl lowered her head—her expression unreadable—but her small red ears were visible, and her voice was shy and quiet. “How about… two cases?”
…???
Lin Xun was stunned.
He had only planned to drink two bottles as a symbolic apology.
Sure, the Spirit was valuable, but did she have to punish him like this?!