Did Boss Pei make some minor modifications to the game content?

Li Yada was a bit surprised.

In her opinion, Boss Pei rarely personally modified game content.

If he wanted changes, he would usually just say a few words to Lü Mingliang, who would then implement the specific modifications.

But why did Boss Pei make these changes himself this time?

Did he not trust her?

Li Yada thought about it and realized there was no reason for that—if Boss Pei didn’t trust her, how could he possibly have made her the lead designer?

With slight confusion, Li Yada returned to her workstation and examined the game modifications.

The changes weren’t extensive, but they primarily focused on one weapon.

The monk’s staff, originally just a filler item, now had an enhanced version with a glowing effect, plus a special acquisition method for this weapon.

Li Yada carefully examined this weapon called “Salvation.”

From its attributes, it was an early-game weapon that was somewhat overpowered, with damage that exceeded the model.

But the horizontal swing speed of the normal attack remained unchanged, with long wind-up and recovery animations, making it not easy to master.

Of course, when designing this weapon, like the other two-handed heavy weapons, it had a jump attack feature that could speed up attacks through certain operations.

In other words, if a skilled player obtained this weapon, they could significantly reduce the difficulty of early combat.

At the same time, this weapon had major limitations—using it to play content other than the Six Realms of Reincarnation ending offered no obvious advantages compared to other weapons, and by the second playthrough, the weapon was essentially useless.

Li Yada was puzzled.

Why would Boss Pei specifically create such a weapon?

Was it because Boss Pei himself couldn’t progress, so he inserted a backdoor for himself?

No, that didn’t make sense.

If Boss Pei felt the game was too difficult, why not just lower the difficulty?

Moreover, as a designer, Boss Pei didn’t necessarily need to complete the game.

So this possibility could be ruled out first—there must be another reason.

Could this action have some deeper meaning?

Li Yada thought carefully. The current game difficulty was indeed too hard for average players—getting touched twice by common enemies at the beginning would kill the player, meaning most players would have to achieve flawless play.

Although healing items could be obtained quickly, compared to the amount of damage taken, these items still seemed somewhat inadequate.

Ultimately, the game demanded a high level of player skill.

So, was Boss Pei’s weapon a kind of newbie benefit? Allowing less skilled players to at least complete the game and unlock one ending after obtaining this weapon?

Or was this just an expression of Boss Pei’s mercy?

That was certainly possible.

But… why hide it so deeply?

Li Yada noticed that the old monk who would drop the staff had his attributes severely nerfed by Boss Pei, making him weaker than common monsters.

And his location was around the town—any player who could reach this area would likely have already suffered greatly and killed numerous monsters, with no reason to lose to him.

Even if they accidentally failed, they couldn’t possibly fail six consecutive times, could they?

Unless deliberately dying, it was hard to imagine what kind of player would die six times to this old monk.

Moreover, killing this old monk would yield the regular monk’s staff and prayer beads—a collectible weapon plus a powerful early-game consumable item reward that most players couldn’t refuse.

In short, the “Salvation” weapon was buried too deep—probably 99.99% of players would never trigger it!

If this weapon was Boss Pei’s show of mercy to some players, why hide it in a place where the vast majority of players would never find it?

Li Yada fell into deep thought.

According to Senior Bao Xu’s saying, wherever there is unreasonableness, there must be a deeper meaning.

Now, the setup for this weapon was certainly unreasonable!

“Why does the old monk become an interactive NPC only after dying six times, on the seventh visit?”

“Does this number have some significance?”

Li Yada searched on Baidu and found some information.

Although many explanations weren’t unified, and Li Yada couldn’t determine which interpretation Boss Pei had adopted, she could roughly see the meaning behind this number.

Of course, Li Yada didn’t understand profound Buddhist teachings, nor did Baidu, nor would the players. Specific meanings would be interpreted more superficially, making them easier for players to accept.

Both “seven” and “nine” were important numbers in Buddhism. For example, the concept of “nine-grade lotus throne” showed that “nine” symbolized great perfection.

“Seven” had more meanings—it also represented completeness, but some theories suggested that “seven” represented minor completeness.

Furthermore, it was said that when Buddha was born, he walked immediately after touching the ground, taking seven steps. The first six steps represented the six realms, while the seventh step represented enlightenment, so “seven” was also used to express transcendence.

“Does dying seven times represent completeness? That’s probably not it.”

“Strictly speaking, it should be dying six times.”

“So… the first six deaths represent the six realms of reincarnation, and the seventh represents enlightenment?”

“And that’s why this weapon can only be used to complete the Six Realms of Reincarnation ending?”

Combining her previous speculations, Li Yada believed this was the most reasonable inference.

Dying six times represented the six realms of reincarnation, meaning the Six Realms of Reincarnation path was opened early for players. The seventh encounter with the old monk to obtain “Salvation” formally set them on this ending path.

Not only could they jump directly from the Yellow Springs Road to the Six Realms of Reincarnation to challenge the boss, but the weapon was also specifically designed for this ending.

Predictably, players would have two reactions.

First, after obtaining “Salvation,” some would become complacent, relying on the weapon’s high damage for less intense battles, happily completing the Six Realms of Reincarnation ending.

Second, some would willingly abandon the “Salvation” weapon, using their skills to pursue other true endings.

Considering the original design, the Six Realms of Reincarnation ending was a false ending—the protagonist believed they had escaped this desperate world, but in reality, they had merely entered the same cycle again.

Using “Salvation” to complete this ending would make it even more ironic!

Players who chose “Salvation” represented an escapist mindset, unwilling to face greater challenges, only looking out for themselves.

Abandoning “Salvation,” picking up ordinary weapons, facing stronger enemies, and more difficult challenges—that was the true path to liberation from suffering!

Realizing this, Li Yada was struck with admiration.

Thinking about it now, though the original design wasn’t bad, it ultimately lacked some depth.

According to the original design, this ruined temple and old monk were merely extras—whether players challenged them or not had no impact on later content.

The Six Realms of Reincarnation ending didn’t offer a significantly different game experience compared to other endings.

But after Boss Pei’s modifications, everything changed.

The addition of the overpowered “Salvation” weapon directly presented all players with a dilemma: remain in their comfort zone and complete a false ending to deceive themselves, or step out of their comfort zone, suffering while seeking the truth of this world?

This approach gave players a deeper understanding of the different endings and provided a stronger sense of immersion and engagement!