The Silver Wolf watched Stelle nervously, cautiously taking a step forward.
"Don't move!" Stelle slightly tugged downward, and the Silver Wolf's shorts almost slipped off.
Frightened, the Silver Wolf quickly retracted the foot she had stepped forward with. She now regretted wearing such short shorts, wishing she had worn four layers of winter pants instead.
"Rest assured, Miss Silver Wolf. I am an inorganic being and have no concept of gender," Screwllum began to comfort the Silver Wolf, perhaps out of a newfound sense of pity.
But Screwllum's words did make sense, so the Silver Wolf looked over at Gu Tang.
Facing Silver Wolf's gaze, Gu Tang decisively shook his head, "I'm not a lolicon."
It was the second time he had said this today.
The disdain in his tone irritated the Silver Wolf.
"Who's a loli, huh?!" the Silver Wolf shouted indignantly. "I'm a fully developed, mature woman!"
As she spoke, she patted her chest forcefully.
Thump, thump.
A solid sound echoed, as if her figure were built sturdily enough to build a wall.
Even the Preservation God would think twice before using her as construction material.
"Pfft…" Stelle couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"Pfft…" Gu Tang also couldn't hold back.
"Pfft…" Even Screwllum couldn't hold back.
But unlike the other two scoundrels, Screwllum was a gentleman, so he immediately apologized, "I apologize, Miss Silver Wolf, I didn't mean to mock your body. Everyone has their own beauty, and as long as it is accepted by the one they love, it is enough."
However, Screwllum's sincere apology only sounded more like mockery to the Silver Wolf.
"You guys…" The Silver Wolf ground her teeth as she glared at the two people in front of her.
If she was only slightly annoyed before, now she was truly angry, rage bubbling up from her heart.
However, she hadn't forgotten her main task.
Data streams gathered in her palm, forming into a game cartridge.
"Ah, it's the Punk Lord's spirit." Stelle blinked, looking back.
The cartridge was still floating above the fountain, completely still.
Then the cartridge in the Silver Wolf's hand...
"So it's a copy." Screwllum's voice was tinged with approval. "To complete it in such a short time, you truly live up to your reputation."
"Hmph, did you think I was just here to chat with you? You're not the only one stalling for time." Successfully copying the cartridge, the Silver Wolf regained her confident smile. "I bet right now, Herta is in some corner back-hacking through the path I infiltrated, and you were left here to face me directly."
Stelle lifted the Silver Wolf's body again, "If you dare to run, I'll pull your pants down and ruin your dignity."
"This is all you've got, huh?!" The Silver Wolf glared at Stelle and shouted angrily.
"No need to threaten her, Miss Stelle. Just let her leave on her own." Screwllum's words caught Stelle off guard.
They also caught the Silver Wolf off guard.
She widened her eyes, finding it hard to believe, "Leave? ...Why? Aren't you supposed to capture me, put me in shackles, and throw me into some distant exile?"
Screwllum: "Your imagination is quite amusing. However, the grudge between you and the space station has nothing to do with me. Logic dictates: I will not interfere."
The Silver Wolf frowned, shaking the cartridge in her hand, "Then I'll be taking this cartridge."
"That is merely a copy. Correction: not only the one in your hand but also the one stored here. The real artifact was moved at the start of the plan. Conclusion: You are free to share this data." Screwllum spoke calmly.
"So what's the deal here? You set up this elaborate trap, and now you're not planning to do anything?" The Silver Wolf asked irritably.
"Yes. Now, all the effort you put into this game has been for naught, hasn't it?" Screwllum said to the Silver Wolf, "Without the fun, the game loses its meaning."
Stelle thoughtfully rubbed her chin, "I see, so the best way is to destroy what the opponent desires most. How clever..."
"Hmph! Aren't you afraid I'll destroy these two's consciousness right here and now?" The Silver Wolf glanced at Gu Tang and Stelle.
"Pfft…" It was Screwllum's second time that day he couldn't hold back, "You are welcome to try."
A virtual screen floated in front of the Silver Wolf, and she quickly pressed a few buttons.
Several data streams converged on Gu Tang, and with a flash of light, he vanished from where he stood.
Then…
Crash—!
A loud shattering sound.
Gu Tang's fist directly smashed through the space, creating a large hole, then slowly walked back to where he had stood before.
"?" The Silver Wolf was visibly stunned.
Her right hand was equipped with a highly advanced arm brace, which was the smart handgun [Prometheus].
[MODE CHANGE! CANNON!]
The Silver Wolf extended her arm, instantly completing the aim, then fired.
Bang! Bang!
Two rainbow-colored lasers shot from the front of the arm brace.
Gu Tang remained expressionless as he extended his left hand and casually flicked the incoming lasers aside.
[MODE CHANGE! BLADE!]
A blade of light extended from the back of her hand.
The Silver Wolf swung the blade, drawing a dazzling arc of light, slashing toward Gu Tang.
Clang!
The blade of light was caught between Gu Tang's two fingers.
[One Finger Divide]
[Level: 6]
[Effect: Catch the opponent's attack with just two fingers, with the success rate depending on Strength and Agility values.]
[Evaluation: Heart without wings, yet intimately connected.]
Gu Tang's two fingers gently twisted.
Crack—!
The blade of light snapped into two pieces.
Then, before the Silver Wolf could react, Gu Tang's finger gently tapped her forehead.
A terrifying sense of crisis surged within the Silver Wolf, forcing her to halt her actions.
"Given that she's been following us all this time, she must have seen how Gu Tang easily crushed those monsters, right? So why is she still so confident?" Stelle scratched her head in confusion.
"Like a dweller in the Imaginary, simulated worlds constructed by data are an absolute domain for an Ether Hacker," Screwllum explained to Stelle, addressing her confusion. "Unfortunately, to Mr. Gu Tang, so-called Ether Editing is nothing more than a child's play."
Stelle nodded, "Looks like it's over, with the space station winning big in the end."
"No, it's not quite over yet," Screwllum's voice sounded next to the Silver Wolf. "Herta thinks letting you go like this is too merciful, so she plans to add a few more strokes. For example… At this moment, she is reverse-hacking and has located all of your interstellar network accounts—totaling 76, quite an impressive number."
The Silver Wolf's pupils shrank.
"How about having the company freeze all of them? Along with the game records within?" Although Screwllum's voice was still gentle, it chilled the Silver Wolf to the bone.
She really wanted to log out and rush to save those precious game accounts.
But… now was not the time.
The Silver Wolf's instincts screamed at her.
If she made any move, Gu Tang would kill her in an instant, whether in the data world or in reality.
"Heh… I see, so that's Herta's idea? Very much her style." Gu Tang chuckled.
Then, his finger slid down from the Silver Wolf's forehead.
Gliding over the Silver Wolf's brow, nose bridge, and lips...
Then, with his fingertips, he gently lifted the Silver Wolf's chin.
The Silver Wolf's head was forced to tilt up, meeting those amber-colored eyes.
"Run, little rabbit, run." Gu Tang softly whispered to her, finally removing his finger from the Silver Wolf's body.
Swoosh—
The Silver Wolf instantly turned into a stream of data and disappeared.