'Silver Wolf' watched as the girl clearly wanted to ask for her help, yet still insisted on playing hard to get.
With a playful smile, she beckoned Cipher over with a hook of her finger.
As the curious girl leaned in, Silver Wolf reached out and pinched her pair of feline ears.
"Still trying to keep secrets from me? Speak it out, or don't blame me when I turn you into a kitty and spend the whole day petting you."
"No... I surrender, meow!"
Cipher threw her hands up in honest defeat.
Cipher had already thoroughly inspected Bartholos's condition.
The fact that he had undergone a massive devolution while retaining all his data and abilities was nothing short of miraculous.
In the digital world, Digimon evolved by absorbing data. Usually, once a certain threshold was met, evolution happened naturally—like water overflowing once a basin is full.
But now, Bartholos was like a massive tank's worth of water somehow being crammed into a tiny glass.
Neither Cipher nor Bartholos could wrap their heads around how it was done, so they ultimately chalked it up to the inscrutable power of an Aeon.
Cipher figured if she actually got turned into a cat, she'd likely receive the same treatment. The problem was, she didn't want to be a cat!
Being pampered by 'Silver Wolf' was one thing—she was the Savior, after all, and having a Savior or an Aeon pet you wasn't the worst fate.
The real issue was if she had to return to Amphoreus in cat form.
She didn't even want to imagine what the seamstress would do to her.
So, Cipher dutifully confessed her wicked little plan.
"Actually, I just want to snatch all the Aether Cartridges from those punks who dared to move against me. Then, I'll use their cartridges to build a spectacle in Punklorde that they could never hope to crack. I've already got the design ready—I'm going to model it after Bartholos."
"..."
Well, well, Silver Wolf thought. She really plans on rubbing their noses in it. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Having an outsider steal a massive hoard of Aether Cartridges and then construct an Amphoreus-style monument out of them? Those cartridges and their former owners would be etched into the history books as a permanent mark of shame.
"You've certainly got guts."
"He-he~"
Cipher winked at 'Silver Wolf.'
"I mean, I've got you backing me up... Besides, those hackers knew perfectly well that Amphoreus is your turf, yet they still tried to target us. They need to be taught a lesson!"
"The idea is great, but whether you're teaching them a lesson or getting yourself caught is a toss-up."
Even though 'Silver Wolf' had boosted Cipher's power, the girl was planning to take on an entire world single-handedly.
Especially since this particular thief didn't plan on using brute force, but intended to crush them using their own hacking methods. That raised the difficulty level significantly.
"Hehe~ Don't you worry. Once I've finished the design, you can give it the final 'Divine Certification.' I guarantee this monument will become a galaxy-wide sensation."
"..."
One had to admit, Cipher really lived up to her reputation as a thief. The girl had some serious nerve. Facing a world full of enemies, she didn't show a hint of panic.
"Well, good luck then. I won't be staying here for very long."
"You got it! Mission accepted. I'm off!"
With another wink, Cipher vanished from the basement once more.
Their conversation hadn't been hidden from the shop manager or little Silver Wolf at all.
To Cipher, standing next to the Savior was the safest place in the universe; there was zero chance of the information leaking.
As for 'Silver Wolf,' she could feel the manager's mood shifting toward blatant curiosity after hearing the plan.
It seemed the manager didn't care at all about Cipher making a mockery of Punklorde's hackers; in fact, she seemed delighted by the prospect.
However, just as 'Silver Wolf' was about to strike up a chat with the manager, little Silver Wolf dropped her game console and ran over.
The young girl stared up at her, eyes wide and a bit shy, but she summoned her courage to speak.
"Are you going back soon? If I make a wish in the future... will you still appear?"
'Silver Wolf' reached out and pinched the little girl's cheek.
"Call me 'Big Sister.' I'm not leaving just yet, but I won't be staying forever. As for wishing... wait until you get a second chance to wish. That's much harder than the first time."
"..."
Little Silver Wolf pouted but remained silent.
Yesterday, she hadn't cared much about this sister who appeared out of nowhere. But last night—though her memory was a bit fuzzy—the feeling of safety was something she found herself craving.
She was starting to loathe the idea of this strange sister leaving.
She wished this sister could stay with her in this fast-food joint forever.
Little Silver Wolf had been fantasizing about such a future, which was why she kept stealing glances at 'Silver Wolf.'
But unfortunately, her fantasy didn't last long before Cipher's arrival brought the bad news.
The girl realized that this sister who climbed out of the Originium wouldn't be like a fairy companion in a game, staying by the protagonist's side until the credits rolled.
Forget the ending—she wouldn't even be there to finish the prologue.
Little Silver Wolf was not happy.
( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ )
Her small brain began to whir at high speed. It was unclear what kind of logical leap she made, but after a long silence, she suddenly spoke up.
"I want to learn Aether Editing. Can you teach me, Sis?"
"Why the sudden interest? Giving up on games?"
While Aether Editing was essentially a way to play with reality itself, the introductory phase was far more grueling than any game.
'Silver Wolf' had planned to introduce her to it eventually, but she hadn't expected the girl to ask for formal lessons so soon.
Faced with the question, little Silver Wolf bit her lip, refusing to explain her reasoning.
Compared to her firmness with Cipher, 'Silver Wolf' was far more patient with the child. Especially since this was the stubborn, "says the opposite of what she feels" Silver Wolf.
She didn't force the girl to talk.
"I don't mind teaching you, but the owner is your guardian. You need her permission first."
With that, 'Silver Wolf' looked over at the manager, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines.
The owner, who thought she was just a spectator, pointed to herself in surprise.
She was involved in this?
Truthfully, she didn't much care what decisions Silver Wolf made. Running this shop was busy enough; she didn't have the energy to micromanage a kid.
As long as the girl grew up in one piece, that was a win in her book.
--+--
Silver Wolf easily secured the manager's consent.
And so, she naturally began her studies in Aether Editing under 'Silver Wolf.'
On the surface, this technology looked like a feat of scientific divinity, but at its core, it was the power of a Path.
From another perspective, using such a rigorous programming method to drive the power of Elation—wasn't that just an attempt to parse the greatness of the Path?
Then again, 'Silver Wolf' herself used "Elation Equations" to command that power. If anything, she was a walking, talking, super-upgraded version of Aether Editing.
Since she already relied on Path Equations to exert her influence, 'Silver Wolf' didn't just master the essence of Aether Editing instantly—she found the current methods so crude that she subconsciously gave them a bit of an "optimization."
The version she taught Silver Wolf was this upgraded Pro version.
At first, 'Silver Wolf' worried it might be too difficult. She debated teaching the original first and then the upgrade later.
But she soon realized that little Silver Wolf truly was the future's greatest genius hacker, handpicked by Elio.
That talent was no joke.
Despite her young age, she managed to get a basic handle on this upgraded Aether Editing within a mere half-day.
Project Bunny served as her Aether Cartridge.
Once Silver Wolf fully mastered the "Pro" version, such physical aids would become optional, but for now, the cartridge's functionality was vital.
Having used Aether Editing to rewrite reality for the first time, Silver Wolf was absolutely beaming with excitement.
She began to treat Aether Editing like a high-difficulty game, determined to clear every stage.
'Silver Wolf' acknowledged her passion but remained skeptical about her goal of mastering the Pro version in such a short time.
Little Silver Wolf clearly wasn't one to back down.
She poured almost all her energy into her studies. She even seemed distracted while helping out at the fast-food shop.
Luckily, Project Bunny was there to keep an eye on her, otherwise she might have caused a few accidents.
The adorable part was that despite her hard work, she never missed her bedtime.
Like clockwork, she would crawl into 'Silver Wolf's' arms every night, muttering about Aether Editing until she drifted off to sleep.
While things remained peaceful inside the shop, the world outside was getting rowdier by the day.
Cipher's actions became increasingly bold. Now that her origins and identity were exposed, she began to openly provoke all of Punklorde.
One day she'd build a massive sculpture of a World-Ending Titan in the Oasis Zone; the next, she'd turn some corporate headquarters into a public bathhouse.
Her style was pure chaos—arrogant and utterly spiteful.
More and more hackers joined the fray, seeing it as a battle for Punklorde's dignity.
But so far, every single one of them had returned in crushing defeat.
Simultaneously, the name of 'Hacker Zagreus' began to echo throughout the streets of Punklorde.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL