Chapter 101: How Many Silver Wolves Do You Need?

"how's it going people I am back am just finished my project"Back to the story

Stelle reached out her hand towards Silver Wolf's projection.

Her hand passed right through the projection, causing it to distort slightly. When Stelle withdrew her hand, the projection returned to normal.

"Too bad, the projection is still a bit blurry. I'm really curious about what she actually looks like…" Stelle murmured to herself.

Gu Tang took out a hammer and a wrench. "Easy, I'll just make the projection clearer."

With that, he started to tinker with the projection.

*Clang! Clang! Boom! Boom!*

"It's coming," Stelle whispered.

"It's coming," Svarog whispered as well.

Clearly, both of them knew Gu Tang's peculiarities.

"Phew… done. Since we've got important business right now, I didn't spend too much time on it," Gu Tang wiped the sweat off his forehead.

He wasn't lying; it only took him about 50 seconds from start to finish.

But the result was still impressive.

Now, Silver Wolf's body was lying quietly on the ground.

Yes, not a projection, but an actual body.

"Uh, this…" Stelle stepped forward, leaning in to observe closely.

She reached out and touched it.

Silver Wolf's skin was delicate and smooth, warm to the touch, with a pleasant texture.

Stelle checked for breathing and confirmed it was normal.

After some examination, Stelle concluded that this was indeed a physical body of Silver Wolf, but it lacked consciousness.

"Hmm, consider it a gift," Gu Tang picked up Silver Wolf and tossed her into Stelle's arms.

"?" Stelle looked at the Silver Wolf in her arms, feeling a bit at a loss.

"Alright, let's keep moving. There should be more projections of Silver Wolf ahead," Gu Tang took the lead, striding forward.

The two of them continued their journey through the pixelated game world.

Several waves of monsters appeared.

But they were all easily dispatched by Gu Tang. After all, each of his strikes was like a meteor falling from the sky; no matter how many monsters there were, none could withstand his blow.

The score above them quickly reached 902568, nearing the maximum.

Perhaps realizing that numbers were no longer an issue, a lone elite enemy appeared ahead.

He seemed like a tall man, dressed in a black trench coat, with his face obscured by a hood.

"Hmm… this guy's no pushover…" Stelle nodded with a serious expression.

Despite the pixelated style, Stelle could feel the dangerous aura emanating from the man.

*Whoosh!*

A sharp sound cut through the air.

In an instant, the man in the trench coat was in front of Gu Tang, drawing two sharp curved blades.

*Slash! Slash!*

The curved blades traced cold arcs, slashing at Gu Tang's body.

*Clang! Clang!*

Sparks flew, accompanied by the harsh sound of metal clashing.

As expected, Gu Tang remained unscathed.

Now, it was his turn to strike back—

Gu Tang raised his right hand high, clenching it into a fist.

The man in the trench coat, showing his elite status, reacted instantly, rolling to the side.

His rolling motion was so smooth and natural, it probably had invincibility frames.

After the roll, when the man stood up, he found Gu Tang still holding his fist high.

So he rolled again in the opposite direction, just as fluidly, just as naturally.

When he stood up again, he saw Gu Tang still holding his fist high.

Roll again!

The curved blades in his hands did not hinder his rolling at all.

When he finished rolling this time and stood up—

Gu Tang's fist slammed down.

*Boom!*

It hit the mark.

With a loud crash, a shockwave and fierce wind spread out, and the man in the trench coat was shattered into pieces, scattered by the wind.

"What was all that rolling for…" Stelle muttered, exasperated.

"It seems that in games, memorizing the boss's attack pattern is more important than reacting," Svarog commented.

As they continued, another projection of Silver Wolf appeared.

"Hold on a moment, I'll advance the simulated universe's process, so we can hear what she said at the time," Svarog said.

Soon, a cool, slightly immature female voice echoed around them.

"First of all, I wasn't obsessed. The story on that cartridge is as common as a textbook in Punklord; it's nothing special, I've never been interested in such well-known stuff."

"Secondly, that's not just any game disc; it's an Aether Cartridge— with this cartridge, you can even know what flavor the fourth mixed popcorn he ate at the movie premiere was. It's that amazing."

"Lastly, let me emphasize again, I wasn't obsessed. I only said all this to explain just how amazing it is, got it, Kafka?"

Gu Tang looked at Silver Wolf's projection and sighed, "What a stubborn girl."

Stelle scratched her head, "Kafka… that name sounds familiar."

Svarog added, "It seems she was speaking to a companion, Kafka, who is also a member of the Stellaron Hunters. If Miss Stelle is interested, I can provide some intel. But for now, let's focus on Silver Wolf."

Gu Tang pulled out his tools again and began modifying Silver Wolf's projection.

Soon, a second Silver Wolf appeared.

Stelle could only hold one in her arms and carry the other on her shoulder.

…

…

"We've reached the end," Svarog said.

"Finally…" Stelle breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, she was carrying three Silver Wolves, while Gu Tang had two.

Reaching the end meant no more Silver Wolves, which was good news.

After passing through a dense forest, what appeared before them was a white fountain.

Even though it was in the wild, this man-made structure was quite jarring, but it had the unmistakable feel of a save point from that era.

The Aether Cartridge floated above the fountain.

Despite all the hype from Svarog and Silver Wolf earlier, to Stelle, it looked just like an ordinary game cartridge.

"Hmm, the Aether Cartridge is right here, intact," Gu Tang nodded.

"It is for now, but that may soon change," Svarog's tone was calm. "I believe she did hack into Herta's office, but she didn't stay long. After all, even the best hacker can't find a specific target in a short time when faced with a simulated universe as vast as the stars—unless…"

A pale blue stream of data converged, and Silver Wolf appeared before them.

Not a projection, but the real person.

"Unless, there was a suitable guide," she finished Svarog's sentence.

Stelle frowned, "Are you telling me… you've been following us?"

"Well, you catch on quick," Silver Wolf smiled at Stelle, one hand on her hip.

"Although Silver Wolf didn't complete her objective, she left a backdoor in the office, intending to hack in remotely while Miss Stelle was in the simulated universe, and somehow join us," Svarog revealed his theory.

Gu Tang looked at Silver Wolf, crossing his arms, his expression stoic. "You originally had enough time to complete your plan, but you didn't expect Svarog to suddenly visit the space station."

Stelle had a moment of realization, clapping her hands together, "And with that, came the news that the simulated universe would be shut down, meaning now is the last chance to take the cartridge. Silver Wolf had to follow us in."

"Miss Stelle is indeed the one Herta has her eyes on; you quickly grasped the full picture," Svarog praised.

Silver Wolf smiled, "So, all that about shutting down the universe and your argument with Herta, it was all a setup? Just to lure me in?"

"That depends on how you interpret it," even when facing an adversary, Svarog maintained his politeness.

Stelle looked at Silver Wolf, puzzled, "Why are you so calm? Aren't you completely outmaneuvered?"

"Calm? No… I'm itching for action!" Silver Wolf grinned with excitement. "It's been so long since I've had the thrill of facing an evenly matched opponent."

Seeing Silver Wolf's smile, Stelle felt she was beginning to understand what kind of person she was.

During their journey here, Svarog had briefed her on the hackers from Punklord.

Those who could alter reality, the Aether hackers, viewed the universe and life as a grand game, pursuing the endgame of existence.

Whether for victory or joy, they left their mark wherever they went, using one pattern after another to connect the long journey and write down the game of life.

"You really do fit that mold… treating everything as a game to enjoy, Punklord hacker…" Stelle remarked.

Silver Wolf nodded, seemingly satisfied with Stelle's assessment. "Exactly, reality is a game— but if you can't enjoy it, what's the point of the game? And today, I'm going to enjoy this game to the fullest… The unresolved match will finally be settled, and there will only be one winner!"

Clearly, Silver Wolf still harbored a grudge from her previous encounter with Svarog.

But unfortunately, not every time reality could be turned into a game.

Stelle lifted one of the Silver Wolf bodies she was holding, placing her hand on the waistband of Silver Wolf's hot pants. "If you dare to act out, I'll pull your pants down and strip you of your dignity."

The smile vanished from Silver Wolf's face in an instant. "Wait, calm down, let's talk this through…"