At first, the people of Punklorde were still buzzing about the recent "Great Defeat."
Even those who weren't hackers kept an eye on the scene; after all, if you really think about it, how could Punklorde not be considered a world of Elation?
In any case, while the entirety of Punklorde was keeping a low profile following the hackers' crushing loss, no one expected what came next.
A massive statue rose from the ground out of thin air, right in the middle of the Oasis Zone's most bustling street.
Those pampered power players, who usually looked down on everyone from their high perches, could only watch as Aether Cartridges fluttered through the sky like falling leaves, clicking into the giant structure one by one.
They had no idea who was behind it.
They wanted to step in and stop it, but they found themselves utterly powerless.
Meanwhile, within the digital world...
As each cartridge was embedded into the physical statue, the chaotic data within them transformed into exaggerated torrents of information, surging wildly through the virtual realm.
In a sense, the statue in the real world functioned as a gargantuan server. It read the data from the cartridges and fed it directly into the simulated world.
Under Bartholos's hand, these unrelated bits of data from countless different cartridges were stitched together.
Bartholos had zero intention of organizing any of it; in fact, they deliberately chose the most error-riddled, nonsensical arrangements possible.
It was the ultimate "mountain of sh*t" code—the kind designed specifically to make a hacker's blood boil the moment they laid eyes on it.
"Does it really have to be like this?"
As a hacker herself, little Silver Wolf looked at the mess.
It was devoid of any aesthetic sense, a hodgepodge of code so intentionally bad it bordered on clumsy. A look of pure disgust flitted across her face.
"Hehe! See? Even a pro hacker like you hates it," Bartholos chuckled.
"Imagine how those guys we robbed are going to feel when they see their data being used like this. They'll be even more livid, and that's exactly the effect I'm going for."
"...That's enough," Silver Wolf muttered, rolling her eyes. "I'm still a Punklorder, you know."
After spending time together, she had come to realize the true nature of the creature before her: Bartholos was just plain mean-spirited.
Not necessarily evil, but if you couldn't keep them in check, they'd make your life a living nightmare.
Bartholos curled their lip. "Fine, fine, have it your way. Since you're the brat the Big Boss lady took a liking to, I guess I'll be a little 'gentler' with those hackers."
Despite the nasty personality, Bartholos was an expert at reading the room.
Since Silver Wolf had spoken up, they knew when to quit while they were ahead, actively tweaking the "mountain of sh*t" code to make it slightly less offensive.
Watching the way Bartholos toyed with the data, Silver Wolf felt a familiar sense of awe. It wasn't the first time she'd seen it, but she always found herself thinking that Digimon were simply born to be hackers.
While humans needed a terminal as a medium, these beings were data. They ate it, they lived by it, and they evolved through it.
Naturally, humans were a step behind.
I heard Big Sister created this race herself, Silver Wolf thought, adding another silent compliment to her mental list.
Yep, Big Sister really is the greatest in the whole world.
Finally finishing her mental preparations, she began to give shape to the mountain of messy code.
"Project Bunny 19C—engage!"
That was the line her sister had given her. She'd even mentioned that she'd styled Silver Wolf's hair into twin-tail drills specifically for this moment.
Silver Wolf's job today was to ensure that anyone attempting to observe or analyze this digital disaster—no matter how hard they poked at the pile—would only ever see one thing: the image of the Phantom Thief, and the message they left behind.
It was Bartholos's wicked idea.
This was Silver Wolf's first time "carving flowers onto a pile of sh*t." If it weren't for her sister, she would rather jump off the highest mountain in Punklorde than do something so beneath her.
Of course, while shaping the mess, Cipher and Bartholos were also constructing a defensive line to ward off the hackers trying to break in.
Sure, the locals had been beaten into submission earlier, but the commotion they were making today was just too big to ignore.
Especially in the real world—that thousand-meter-tall statue had been erected so quickly by Cipher that the image of the Phantom Thief and that provocative message were now exposed for all to see.
Yet, that wasn't even the part that made people the angriest.
Punklorde's hackers weren't sore losers; a loss was a loss.
At worst, they'd just tear the thing down later, treat it as a profound defeat, and use the shame to fuel their next breakthrough.
What truly made them see red—what made them toss their fear to the wind—was the sheer volume of Aether Cartridges embedded in that giant statue!
At first, the hackers didn't realize it. They thought the cartridges were just models or blanks.
But soon, those who had been robbed noticed something was wrong.
Those cartridges were their second lives, their second hearts. As they drew closer to the statue, they realized with a shock that their missing souls were pinned right there on the structure.
In other words, the Phantom Thief of Amphoreus had used their Aether Cartridges as mere building blocks for a damn sculpture!
The hackers whose cartridges were stolen felt the world go dark. Some of the more fragile ones fainted on the spot from pure rage.
But the nightmare wasn't over.
The cartridges weren't just physically stuck there. In the virtual world, hackers soon detected the "mountain of sh*t" code rapidly expanding and multiplying.
When they saw that the information within this digital mess mirrored the physical statue outside, a terrible realization dawned on them.
"This code... it isn't made from the data inside our cartridges, is it?"
"..."
"..."
"No! Anything but that!!"
"Report! New info—the data source is definitely that statue!"
"My cartridge!! My life!!"
"Damn you! I'll blow you to bits!!"
After a brief, stunned silence, the confirmation of their fears sent the hackers into a frenzy. Driven mad by rage, they launched a final, desperate charge against the digital mountain.
Most of the attackers were those who had lost their cartridges, while the survivors were generally more restrained. However, many joined the swarm regardless.
They could see that the trio of thieves had split up—one was occupied with the physical construction in the real world. That meant the thieves' strength was divided, down by at least a third!
If they didn't strike now, they never would.
And so, at the final hour, the hackers of Punklorde began their "Final Dance."
This put immense pressure on Silver Wolf.
Usually, following Cipher's lead, they dealt with large-scale ambushes using agile movement and ghostly tactics to gain the upper hand. But today, because they were building a "wonder of the world," they couldn't hit and run.
They had to hold the fort and tank the damage until completion.
This kind of direct, high-pressure defense was a first for Silver Wolf.
Fortunately, Bartholos was there.
Even though they called Cipher "Big Boss," it didn't mean they were significantly weaker. Bartholos was a crafty one; with their assistance, Silver Wolf managed to hold the line, though she was exhausted.
But she couldn't hold forever. There were too many enemies, and as the tide seemed to turn in Punklorde's favor, even more opportunists jumped into the fray. The defensive line began to crumble.
If given just a little more time, the hackers might have actually broken through.
Unfortunately for them, Cipher didn't give them that time.
In the real world, every single stolen Aether Cartridge had been fitted into the sculpture.
Simultaneously, the massive amounts of data within them had been blended together and fed into the virtual world, completing the digital masterpiece.
Knowing the battle in the data world must be reaching a fever pitch, Cipher didn't waste a second. She clapped her hands, rang her bell, and bolted toward the fast-food joint where 'Silver Wolf' was waiting.
"It's done! Just one last step to go!"
Cipher skidded to a halt beside 'Silver Wolf,' her eyes wide and blinking rapidly as she stared at her.
"I know. You don't have to get so close," 'Silver Wolf' said with a sigh, sitting up from her lounge chair and opening her eyes just as Cipher's face nearly collided with hers.
She was well aware of the situation. The physical statue was complete, and the people in the Oasis Zone hadn't dared to approach it yet.
In the digital world, Silver Wolf and Bartholos were holding the line, and it looked like they could last a bit longer.
She was tempted to see where little Silver Wolf's limits were. But then again, the girl wasn't even ten years old yet—she should be playing and learning, not undergoing high-stress endurance training.
Let's just end this, she thought.
Rather than using her powers of Elation directly, 'Silver Wolf' activated her upgraded Aether Editing Pro. She directed the edit toward the statue that existed across both the physical and virtual realms.
Flashy data-stream effects manifested out of thin air in reality.
Like a waterfall descending from the clouds, the light crashed into the statue, wrapping it in a protective layer. Simultaneously, more data surged through the statue's terminal and into the virtual world.
The crumbling defensive line instantly became an impregnable fortress.
Layers of protection materialized over the mountain of code.
Before Silver Wolf and Bartholos could even react, a force swept them up, pulling them away from the hackers' attacks and whisking them back to the fast-food shop's basement in an instant.
"Gahahaha! This Great One is destined to leave a name that will go down in history!" Bartholos cackled the moment they returned.
"You mean a name that will live in infamy," Cipher corrected them bluntly. "You'd better watch your back when you're out on your own from now on, or you'll end up on a wanted poster."
It was a safe bet that Bartholos's name would be appearing on the IPC's Most Wanted list by tomorrow.
As for little Silver Wolf... she wasn't in the mood to celebrate.
Instead, she ran to 'Silver Wolf's' side, her eyes full of reluctance.
Now that the mission was over, it meant her dear sister would soon be leaving.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL