Jason was momentarily confused before realizing Shen Wufei was referring to the "second personality." He asked, "What do you mean? Aren't you the same person? And besides, would he help us? He wants to dissect me!"
"He's stronger than me." Shen Wufei stared blankly at the floor.
"Stronger? Your abilities should be identical. He's just… more ruthless."
Shen Wufei shook his head. "No—it's more complicated. I can't explain, but he's definitely superior. If we're at death's door, you might as well try begging him. At least he'll try to save me… to save himself."
"Fair enough…" Jason chuckled. "Hope we don't reach that point."
Shen Wufei asked, "How many points do you have now?"
"About three thousand."
"Too low. Your priority should be washing your Divine Marrow."
"I know! If not for marking this city, I'd have done it already."
Shen Wufei gave him a weary look. "Then whose fault is that?"
Jason hesitated, reminded this city was stolen. "Circumstances forced us. Anyway, it was worth it. I—" He paused, suddenly remembering something.
Shen Wufei's piercing gaze made it impossible to lie. Jason sighed. "Fine. Since you're staying, I'll trust you. Keep this secret." He'd always dealt plainly—trust earned trust. Shen Wufei, despite their perilous situation, chose to stay. This loyalty mattered.
"Of course." Shen Wufei's eyes lit up.
Jason cleared his throat and explained the game bug he'd discovered.
Shen Wufei nearly jumped from his seat. "Seriously? No one else can access it?"
Jason nodded. "At least the other three tried—they failed."
Shen Wufei twisted his fingers, muttering, "How is this possible? So, your understanding of Paolü's attack patterns… came from this bug?"
"Yes. And many other monsters."
"No wonder…" Shen Wufei blushed. "I've watched you for ages. A Level 6 player without a washed Divine Marrow matching Level 8s? I've never seen anything like it."
Jason shrugged. "Level 8? Maybe not. But I've beaten Level 7s. Just one or two gaps—no big deal."
"This isn't the newbie zone," Shen Wufei said sternly. "A Level 6 vs. Level 7 there is like athlete vs. average Joe. But same level? No Divine Marrow is like fighting barehanded versus wielding a gun!"
Jason frowned. "Is it that game-changing? I don't see the hype."
"That's your edge." Shen Wufei sighed. "Ever think about why?"
Jason considered his teammates: Sherry (strategist over combat), Shen Wufei (reliant on bugs), Zou Yidao (too strong), and Bai Er (mysterious gap). He asked eagerly, "If I wash my Divine Marrow…"
"It'll change everything." Shen Wufei's voice dropped. "You'll climb ranks faster. Fewer dare to provoke you."
Jason's blood heated. "I'll raid the Void again today. With five of us, we can farm higher-tier monsters."
"Good. I'll need to monitor your brainwaves."
"What is this bug? Sounds like a system trash bin."
"No." Shen Wufei leaned forward. "It's the game's virtual system."
"The… what?"
"Games run on servers. You know what servers are?"
"Yes."
"Most games use single-server architecture—all programs run on one framework. But this game? It's multi-server, distributed computing. Like The Matrix—multiple servers handling different zones: maps, gear, NPCs. To simulate reality, they'd need impossible tech. This game's code is beyond human imagination."
Jason rubbed his temples. "You said you'd explain simply…"
Shen Wufei deflated. "Imagine a fruit platter with 100 unique fruits. Single-server uses 100 bowls—each holding one fruit. Multi-server? Each bowl holds all 100 fruits, but arranged so no two fruits touch unless programmed. The permutations? 2^100. And this game has millions of variables."
"Ah, I get it." Jason felt his IQ dropping. "So the bug…"
"The Void is the game's virtual system. What you see there—abandoned items, glitched monsters—are 'instances' deleted from active memory but still stored on servers. Like an unsold item in a store—it's gone from shelves but exists in the warehouse."
Zou Yidao exhaled smoke. "So he sees leftovers from server cleanup."
"Exactly. If you become a city Lord, you gain admin privileges—access to deleted data."
Jason grinned. "Worth every point."
"Can we hack the virtual system?"
"Viruses are easy, but they won't crash the mainframe. To infect the real system? Risky. We'd need precision—and plausible deniability." Shen Wufei sighed. "For now, create harmless micro-viruses. Every system has exploits. Exploit them, and we gain leverage."
Sherry lit up. "This could boost our point efficiency!" She owed her survival to Jason's bug-exploits.
"Later. First, save your life." Shen Wufei stood. "You're the key. The One."
Jason scoffed. "Stop the messiah complex."
"No, I'm serious." Shen Wufei's voice hardened. "I've played this game for years. This is the first time I believe escape is possible. You're the anomaly. The bug's existence proves it. Whether you're the chosen one or just lucky, you're central to this system's code. And the system… protects its core."
Jason smirked. "I'm not dying. Not for some plot twist."
Shen Wufei led the way outside, snow swirling around his frail frame. "Come. I've built something… to keep us alive."