Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 645 - 628: Time Loan and Dislocated Competition

Chapter 645: Chapter 628: Time Loan and Dislocated Competition

Chen Tingquan felt something was off the more he thought about it.

"The actual combat scores are clearly suspicious!

"Damn, how did I not think of this?

"These jerks really know how to compete. If they love competition so much, why don’t they take the Qingbei exam at the county high school? Damn!"

For the Body Refining Score, everyone was almost on the same level, and Chen Tingquan wasn’t too far behind.

But it was the actual combat score that was different.

Chen Tingquan still remembered that at noon, many outstanding disciples’ actual combat scores were around 30 points, not too far from his own.

As long as he played seriously, he could achieve about the same score even without spending money.

But now, even the lowest-ranked outstanding disciples had actual combat scores of over 35 points.

Many players, whose Body Refining Scores were lower than Chen Tingquan’s, must have slacked off during the cultivation process and not optimized their training interval. Yet, with higher actual combat scores, they achieved better rankings.

How did they do it?

Chen Tingquan had figured it out: it’s the spells and magical treasures!

The combat system in this game was limited. Body Refinement determined the overall values of the character. From Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment to Core Formation, each major realm boost, and even each minor realm boost, showed comprehensive attribute differences.

But during actual combat, many other factors could affect combat power, like spells and magical treasures.

When Instructor Ding was AFK, various magical treasures were orbiting around him, automatically seeking enemies and killing all the surrounding monsters without him needing to do anything.

Chen Tingquan’s mana value allowed him to use some spells and magical treasures since he had previously used Nine Dragon Elixir gift pack to increase his mana value for the flying sword.

But he didn’t buy any magical treasures due to his poverty, and didn’t want to get into more cultivation loans.

This created a huge gap in his actual combat.

"This game is a scam!

"Mouse, did you buy any magical treasures? Go buy them quickly! Or all our efforts will be wasted!"

Chen Tingquan hurriedly shared his lessons with Li Wenhao.

Li Wenhao, too, was on high alert. His long wait time had turned into an advantage since he could use this time to purchase magical treasures.

After ten minutes, Li Wenhao returned with a hovering small umbrella next to him.

"I can’t believe this thing costs more than a flying sword!" Li Wenhao complained.

Chen Tingquan comforted him, "It’s fine, expensive is fine. You bought the flying sword, and your mana value is ample. Not buying magical treasures would be a huge disadvantage. We three brothers must at least make it to outstanding disciples, or we’d just become inferiors."

A while later, it was Li Wenhao’s turn for the test.

Their Body Refining Scores were about the same.

But for the actual combat score, the impact of the magical treasure was immediate.

Li Wenhao’s small umbrella circled around him, blocking some remote attacks and periodically charging up to counterattack, significantly enhancing his combat power.

[Body Refining Score: 41 points]

[Actual Combat Score: 42 points]

[Total Score: 83 points]

[Test completed, please leave the test area.]

Chen Tingquan quickly checked the leaderboard and saw that Li Wenhao had made it to the middle rank of outstanding disciples.

To reach outstanding disciples, it seemed a score of around 90 points was needed.

And the test’s intensity would dynamically adjust. If more people scored above 90 over time, the test would be adjusted to widen the gap further.

"Damn, how did this competition get out of control!

"Although we can choose not to compete, it’s hard to hold back!"

Chen Tingquan also wanted to buy a magical treasure. Even though he knew he would need to take on loans, not buying one meant he would stay as an ordinary disciple forever.

Also, if everyone else was competing hard, he would be eliminated. What was the point of playing then?

So, even knowing it was competitive, Chen Tingquan had no choice.

"Hey, where did Liang Chun go? Why isn’t he back yet?

"When he gets back, let’s tell him he needs to buy magical treasures even if it means taking loans," Li Wenhao turned to look in Liang Chun’s direction.

After watching for a while, they saw Liang Chun returning on a flying sword.

Then he flew straight to the test area.

"Huh?"

Both Chen Tingquan and Li Wenhao were puzzled. What was going on?

The test was about to end in less than 5 minutes, and Liang Chun hadn’t taken a number?

But indeed, he made it to the test area and completed the test unobstructed.

[Body Refining Score: 47 points]

[Actual Combat Score: 43 points]

[Total Score: 90 points]

[Test completed, please leave the test area.]

Chen Tingquan’s eyes widened: "What the hell?

"Did you cheat?!"

He opened the leaderboard in shock but did not see Liang Chun’s ID.

"What’s going on, did the game bug out?" Li Wenhao was also baffled.

In the next instant, Liang Chun’s character did acquire a title, but it was different from what they expected.

[Ten-Year Outstanding Disciple: 90 points]

Chen Tingquan stared blankly at the leaderboard, switched to the ten-year disciples’ tab, and saw Liang Chun right there. Though he was ranked tenth among outstanding disciples, he had indeed made it.

"Quick, let’s go."

Liang Chun immediately flew away on his flying sword, with Chen Tingquan and Li Wenhao following closely.

Clearly, Liang Chun had used some special means, not wanting others to see it.

The three found a secluded spot at the mountain foot, and Li Wenhao eagerly asked his questions.

"Hey, how did you do it? How did you become a ten-year disciple and an outstanding one at that!

"How did your combat power increase so much in such a short time?

"Did you spend a lot more?"

Liang Chun had a jumpstart but didn’t spend much afterward. Though he had more starting resources than Li Wenhao and Chen Tingquan, it shouldn’t create such a huge gap.

Moreover, they were all one-year disciples, so how did he become a ten-year disciple? It made no sense.

Since they were brothers, Liang Chun didn’t hide it and directly revealed the truth.

"It’s simple. I took a Time Loan."

Chen Tingquan’s eyes widened: "Time Loan? From the Time Wheel Zen Sect? You went to the Time Wheel Zen Sect?"

Liang Chun nodded: "Yeah."

Chen Tingquan and Li Wenhao understood immediately. Everything made sense now!

Earlier in the plot and in the introduction to the six major sects, they already knew about the existence of the Time Wheel Zen Sect.

This sect had a special benefit – a system called ’Time Loan’, which could shorten cultivation time, greatly enhance training efficiency, and also provided a large number of spirit stones.

But the cost was doubled future time debts.

Chen Tingquan had heard about this sect from Alchemist Qian. But the Time Loan sounded like a scam! Wasn’t it just selling one’s lifespan? Borrowing some time now but needing to double it back later? Even with some spirit stones, it wasn’t worth it.

In the game, the lifespan of the characters was also precious.

Take the promotion mechanism of the Henggang Sect: at regular intervals, there would be screening and elimination.

One-year disciples were those with less than a year of cultivation. If they didn’t reach Qi Refining Third Level after a year, they’d be eliminated.

Ten-year disciples had a ten-year cultivation limit. If they didn’t reach Foundation Establishment by then, they’d also be eliminated.

Being eliminated meant losing even the small sect’s benefits, likely turning the account into a mess, which was unacceptable.

Moreover, different realms had different longevity. If a character’s lifespan ran out, they’d lose their body and need to reincarnate to start cultivation anew.

Li Wenhao was shocked: "Does this mean you’ve already reached Qi Refining Third Level?"

Liang Chun nodded: "Of course. If I weren’t at Qi Refining Third Level, how could I get this score? And if I hadn’t reached Qi Refining Third Level, the sect would have eliminated me, and I wouldn’t be here for the test."

Chen Tingquan finally understood: "I give up. The Time Loan can be used this way? You really are a genius!"

Liang Chun chuckled: "As a game designer, exploiting loopholes is basic skill."

With that, Liang Chun’s tactic became entirely clear.

He had been thinking: why were there three leaderboards? One-year disciples, ten-year disciples, hundred-year disciples.

The game had just launched, and all players were one-year disciples.

Ten-year disciples and hundred-year disciples positions would definitely be taken by NPCs.

The game’s time flow was fixed, based on a 7:1 ratio. It would take over a year for players to transition from one-year disciples to ten-year disciples.

It was preposterous, given that the game’s operational status after a year was uncertain.

Even if Nitiandang aimed at long-term operation, the game’s popularity would definitely dip significantly after a year.

During that time, would all players only be one-year disciples?

Such division of one-year, ten-year, and hundred-year seemed absurd.

As an independent game developer, Liang Chun was sensitive to these rules, immediately recognizing a chance for misaligned competition.

The key to the misaligned competition: the Time Loan.

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