Chapter 82: Official updates urgently halted.

The day after the Lord of the Abyss went mining, the game officials issued an announcement.

It wasn't a gold announcement, nor a red one; it was a grey announcement, something never seen before.

Players across the entire server stared at that drab, grey announcement for a long time before they realized what kind of mood the officials were trying to convey.

"Dear players, because the core BOSS of the Abyss version, the Lord of the Abyss, has signed a lifetime contract with the player Ye the Wicked, the originally planned content for the subsequent three versions cannot proceed as scheduled.

After an emergency assessment, subsequent updates for the Abyss version are suspended effective immediately.

Players who have purchased the Abyss Pass will receive a full refund within three working days."

The entire server was silent for about the time it takes for three heartbeats.

Then, the world channel started scrolling like a pot exploding.

"Wocao Wuqing, the version is paused?

I've been playing online games for six years and this is the first time I've seen officials halt updates because a BOSS got poached."

"Brick-Moving Expert expresses understanding. The Lord of the Abyss has already gone mining; the BOSSes in subsequent versions are probably too scared to even come out."

"Data Emperor analyzed the official version roadmap. The Lord of the Abyss is the core source of output for the next three versions. Now that he has become Ye the Wicked's exclusive material supplier, the officials really can't update anymore."

"Invincible Sword God put it bluntly: it's not that they can't update, it's that they don't dare to. If they update and Brother Ye goes to poach it again, it's better not to update at all."

Lin Ye sat by the third-floor window of the Unscrupulous Business Center, watching the messages on the world channel, holding the tea Fatty Wang had just brewed.

Fatty Wang stood beside him, holding a tablet, which displayed a private message sent from the official backend.

"Brother, GM Xiao Zhou says he'll be here immediately."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than GM Xiao Zhou appeared at the top of the stairs.

He was wearing a plaid shirt as wrinkled as pickled vegetables, his eyes were as dark as if he'd been punched twice, and he was carrying a silver case stamped with the game official logo.

He walked up to Lin Ye, placed the case on the table, and opened it.

Inside the case, three items were neatly arranged.

A certificate of Unlimited Material Privilege stamped with the official seal, a key to a custom-made reality game pod, and a black VIP card.

"Brother Ye, this is a small token of the officials' appreciation.

Unlimited Material Privilege allows for unlimited collection of all common and rare materials from the main city's official warehouse.

The custom game pod is worth millions and can achieve seamless connection between the game and reality.

And this black card is a lifetime VIP, allowing free access to all paid content across the entire server."

Lin Ye glanced at the case but didn't reach out.

"You already gave this to me last time."

GM Xiao Zhou's face twitched.

They had indeed given it last time, along with an exclusive title and the Unlimited Material Privilege.

But that was before the Lord of the Abyss signed the contract.

Now that the Lord of the Abyss had become Lin Ye's exclusive material supplier, the subsequent three versions were effectively scrapped, and the officials were truly anxious.

"Brother Ye, last time is last time, and this time is this time.

The officials mean to ask if you could please not poach the Lord of the Abyss's materials so cleanly.

Leave a little bit each week for us to do version events, so that the subsequent versions can at least have a glimmer of hope."

Lin Ye picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"The contract with the Lord of the Abyss is for ten artifacts and one thousand crystals per week.

It didn't have enough in stock, so it already went mining yesterday.

How much do you want me to leave?"

Xiao Zhou held out one hand, spreading all five fingers.

"Five artifacts, five hundred crystals."

Lin Ye put down his teacup.

"Three artifacts, three hundred crystals.

That's the number I discussed with your planning team yesterday.

Not one more."

Xiao Zhou's face fell.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Lin Ye added another sentence.

"And these three hundred crystals can't be given for free.

You have to trade them for Test Server access."

Xiao Zhou's face completely collapsed.

The Test Server—the incident where Lin Ye poached the BOSSes of eight versions in the Test Server was still fresh in his memory.

The planning department had almost collectively resigned, the art director had just shut down his computer and gone home, and the programming director was still seeing a psychiatrist to this day.

And now, Lin Ye wanted Test Server access again.

"Brother Ye, you really can't poach the Test Server anymore.

After you finished poaching it last time, the planning department spent two months rebuilding the version framework.

If you poach it again, our entire planning department will have to quit collectively."

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair.

"Who said I was going to poach the Test Server BOSSes?

I want Test Server access to look at your version roadmap.

The Lord of the Abyss is my person, and its material output is under my control.

If your subsequent versions need Abyss materials, you have to coordinate your requirements with me first.

I'll only know what to leave you each week after I see the version roadmap."

Xiao Zhou was stunned for a moment.

It wasn't because Lin Ye wanted access, but because what Lin Ye said seemed to make some sense.

The Lord of the Abyss's material output was under Lin Ye's control, and the officials had to coordinate with Lin Ye if they wanted to use the materials.

The logic was sound, but he still felt something was off.

Xiao Zhou didn't dare to make the decision, so he took out his phone to call his superior.

The leader on the other end of the line was silent for a long time, then said one sentence.

Xiao Zhou hung up the phone and looked at Lin Ye with a complicated expression.

"The leader said it's okay.

Access to the Test Server version roadmap will be granted to you, but you must sign an agreement."

Lin Ye tilted his chin to signal him to continue.

Xiao Zhou took another document out of the case; it was a formal agreement stamped with the official seal.

"The agreement contains one clause.

When you are viewing the version roadmap on the Test Server, you must not actively attack unreleased test BOSSes.

You must not apply debuffs to test BOSSes.

You must not extract the origin energy of test BOSSes.

You must not take Test Server items out of the Test Server.

You must not crack the hidden dungeons of the Test Server."

Lin Ye took the agreement and glanced at it.

"That's five clauses."

Xiao Zhou's face flushed slightly.

"The leader added them temporarily.

He said the lesson from last time was too painful, so it's better to take precautions."

Lin Ye picked up a pen and signed the agreement.

Xiao Zhou let out a long sigh of relief and pushed the silver case toward Lin Ye.

"Then the Test Server access is now activated for you.

The version roadmap folder is on the console to the right of the Test Server entrance; you'll see it once you go in."

Lin Ye stood up.

"Let's go."

Xiao Zhou was stunned.

"Where to?"

"The Test Server. Right now."

Xiao Zhou's face fell again.

He had just finished signing the agreement, and Lin Ye wanted to go to the Test Server immediately, which made him feel anxious.

But he didn't dare to stop him, nor could he.

Lin Ye took Su Qinghan and Fatty Wang into the Test Server entrance.

Xiao Zhou followed at the very back, clutching the newly signed agreement in his hand as if it were a life-saving straw.

The Test Server was still the same as before.

Grey sky, grey ground, grey unfinished buildings.

But the map was a circle larger than when he last visited.

A new console had been added to the right of the entrance, and a folder icon hovered above it, with a few small words labeled below the icon: Version 3.2 to 5.0 Roadmap, Abyss Council expansion to Star Core Alliance expansion.

Lin Ye reached out and clicked on the folder.

A holographic projection expanded instantly, and dense version roadmap charts filled the air above the entire console.

Design drafts for the hidden Speaker of the Abyss Council expansion, numerical models for the Vanguard Commander of the Star Core Alliance expansion, and skill mechanisms for the Void Behemoth of the Interstellar expansion.

Every BOSS was marked with its Abyss material consumption.

Lin Ye's gaze stopped on the last line.

Lord of the Abyss Origin Fragments, estimated consumption: ten per week.

He turned his head to look at Xiao Zhou.

"Your original plan was to poach ten Origin Fragments from the Lord of the Abyss every week?"

Cold sweat broke out on Xiao Zhou's forehead.

"That was the original plan, the original plan.

Now that the Lord of the Abyss is your person, we wouldn't dare."

Lin Ye closed the folder.

"Change the roadmap.

Reduce the Abyss material consumption by half across the board.

Use materials produced by the Test Server to make up for the shortfall.

The materials the Lord of the Abyss hands over each week are for me to upgrade the abyss decay set; I have none to spare for you to squander."

Xiao Zhou nodded frantically, taking out a small notebook to jot it down.

Lin Ye turned and walked out of the Test Server, with Su Qinghan following beside him, asking in a low voice.

"Are you really not going to poach the Test Server BOSSes?"

Lin Ye didn't stop walking.

"Not today. Let's wait until they finish changing the roadmap."

Su Qinghan couldn't help but laugh.

This person said he wouldn't poach today, but his eyes had already swept over those few new light orbs deep in the Test Server several times.

Xiao Zhou followed behind, watching Lin Ye's back, feeling that the agreement just signed wouldn't last a few days.

He took out his phone and sent a message to the leader.

"Leader, the agreement is signed. But I don't think it will last more than a week."

The leader replied in a second.

"If it lasts three days, we win."