Little Silver Wolf knew that today was likely the final day. Even if it wasn't, it was only a matter of a day or two.
Her big sister wouldn't keep lingering on this tiny planet just for her sake.
"When are you leaving, Sis?"
Looking at the young girl's expression, which seemed on the verge of crumbling, 'Silver Wolf' reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Don't want me to go?"
Little Silver Wolf hesitated for a moment before nodding, but then quickly shook her head.
"I don't. But I don't want to make things difficult for you, either."
Silver Wolf was such a good kid when she was little, Bai Ming thought to herself, not for the first time.
Smart, sensible, and independent without being rebellious—aside from her natural deadpan expression, she was a top-tier child.
Bai Ming glanced at her own interface:
--+--
[Roleplay System]
[Name: Bai Ming (Silver Wolf)]
[Lifespan: ∞ + 2 Days (Roleplaying)]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta, Acheron, Celenova, Jingliu, Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Hertatomb, Lord Ravager - Jingliu, Young Herta, Robin, Artoria, Cipher, Georios, Cyrene · Fuli (Charge: 25.1%), General of the Yuque · Qingque (Charge: 40.2%), Silver Wolf (In-Progress)]
[Draws Available: 14 (15.2%)]
--+--
Aside from those first few days of obvious emotional turbulence, Little Silver Wolf had been providing a steady, continuous stream of Emotional Points over the last twenty days or so.
However, because she had been keeping a low profile lately, that steady income was inevitably starting to taper off.
Still, the overall haul was quite respectable—her draw count had increased by two.
As for her roleplay duration, the panel said two days, but in reality, she only had about a day and a half left.
It really was almost over.
She wondered if Little Silver Wolf would still consider her an older sister once the Silver Wolf character card was gone.
"Parting is only temporary. Once you've made up your mind to conquer Punklorde, come find me."
"Can I go now?" Little Silver Wolf suddenly asked.
"Why the rush?"
"Because I feel like Punklorde doesn't really pose a threat to me anymore. Besides, everyone online is calling me and Cipher the 'New Legends.' They've even set their sights on the Aether Editing technique you taught me."
What Little Silver Wolf said was the truth.
In the wake of the final chaos, all of Punklorde had been thrown into an absolute uproar within just a few minutes.
Whether it was the god-like skill required to erect massive sculptures in the physical world as if walking through an uninhabited land, or the sheer force needed to withstand the onslaught of countless hackers in the digital realm—the 'thieves' who had split into two groups had truly showcased the individual caliber of every member in their trio.
So, even as a group, some busybodies online had already begun referring to them as the new legends of Punklorde.
Silver Wolf, being a local, was naturally the hottest topic of discussion.
The other two were from Amphoreus and were bound to leave after this stint. But as for whether Silver Wolf would stay or go, people were still guessing.
Many hackers were ranting online, feeling that Silver Wolf, as a local, had the nerve to help outsiders suppress them.
They demanded she make a public apology on the Punklorde network and release the upgraded Aether Editing technical details for free.
Of course, there were also hackers who felt these guys were just using morality as a shield to pull petty tricks. It was frankly shameless.
But even the hackers sticking up for Silver Wolf didn't hide their curiosity regarding the upgraded Aether Editing.
It was only human nature, after all. It was like a lecher seeing a world-class beauty, or a fisherman seeing a monster in the river.
In short, Little Silver Wolf felt there was no benefit to staying here—only the annoyance of being constantly hounded by those adults. She might as well just leave.
Though it would make her "Starter Village" completion feel a bit less than perfect.
But things had already come to this.
She couldn't actually release the upgraded Aether Editing just to cultivate a bunch of rivals and increase her own difficulty level.
Silver Wolf didn't mind a challenge, but Aether Editing Pro was a technique her sister had specifically designed for her—a gift meant only for her.
She would never hand it over. No one was taking it!
"Well, you technically could leave with us, but if you leave now, your 'Starter Village' quest won't be complete."
"If you put it that way, then it's your fault, Sis... the Aether Editing tech in my hands is definitely a bit overpowered. What's the point of staying here just to stomp on noobs?"
Little Silver Wolf looked up at her.
'Silver Wolf' chuckled and shook her head. "Isn't there still one massive problem left unsolved?"
"What problem?"
Little Silver Wolf tilted her head, looking confused. If she were talking about a few top-tier hackers she hadn't faced yet, sure, they existed, but they hardly qualified as a 'problem.'
"The spectacle you lot just built on Punklorde, of course. If you don't tear it down, it might escalate the conflict between the two worlds later on."
"I built it, and now I have to tear it down?" Little Silver Wolf was baffled. She had participated in the design; tearing it down should be as easy as breathing.
But 'Silver Wolf' gave a mysterious smile. "You weren't the only one who built it. Why don't you go take a look for yourself?"
"..."
The corner of Little Silver Wolf's mouth twitched as she suddenly realized something.
When they retreated earlier, she hadn't done it herself. She had watched the defensive line being strengthened in a way she couldn't yet comprehend, and then her sister had fished her out.
If that defensive line hadn't been deactivated...
Then right now, she would likely be stuck on the outside, just like all the other hackers.
Thinking of this, Little Silver Wolf puffed out her cheeks and glared up at 'Silver Wolf.'
( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ )
Her eyes launched a silent accusation.
But this time, 'Silver Wolf' remained unmoved.
She reached out, rubbed the girl's head again, and said, "This is the graduation thesis I'm leaving you as your teacher. Break through that defense, then dismantle that statue. Only then will your starter mission be officially over."
"Urgh..."
Little Silver Wolf knew her mastery of Aether Editing Pro wasn't actually that high.
Her ability to win against so many hackers was purely due to the sheer technical superiority of the software.
So, while it felt like her sister was just making up an excuse to make her stay, the reasoning was perfectly sound. So sound, in fact, that she couldn't argue back.
Bartholos, who had been eavesdropping nearby, hopped over with a chuckle and patted Little Silver Wolf's head with a tentacle.
"Hehe, work hard, kiddo. Once you've graduated, this Great One will take you to Amphoreus to play. I'll show you what real prestige looks like!"
"..."
Silver Wolf glanced at the zero-threat-level "In-Training Koromon" Bartholos. It was hard to imagine a round fur-ball having any kind of "prestige."
"Hey! What's with that look, brat?! Back in the day, I was the Great Trickery Titan, a demigod who once completed the Path of Flame-Chasing! This look is just a disguise to make people lower their guard!"
Bartholos was deeply wounded by that silent stare.
While it cherished the chance it had been given to become stronger, it was extremely dissatisfied with its current image.
Forget being compared to the Great Trickery Titan of old; even compared to its previous form, it had zero intimidation factor.
And so, the zero-intimidation former Trickery Titan was easily suppressed by the active Trickery Titan. Cipher grabbed it by the head with one hand, cutting off its incessant babbling.
"Alright, now that things have settled down, it's about time I headed back to Amphoreus to report. Little one, I'll be waiting for you to come visit."
Cipher pulled out a cat-themed coin and gave it a light toss. The coin traced an arc through the air and landed right in Little Silver Wolf's palm.
Little Silver Wolf carefully tucked the coin away and nodded at Cipher. "I'll be there."
"Ehehe, I'll be looking forward to it then. Bye-bye~!"
Cipher waved with a smile, then winked at 'Silver Wolf.'
With the faint sound of bells, Cipher vanished before them, taking Bartholos with her.
'Silver Wolf' knew that Cipher and Bartholos had already left Punklorde via the network cables.
As for Little Silver Wolf... she actually had more to say. She just didn't expect the woman to bolt so fast.
"They left so quickly..."
"You'll get used to it. They're Phantom Thieves, after all—always coming and going like the wind."
"What about you, Sis? Will you leave suddenly, too?"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to say a proper goodbye."
Having received a definitive answer, the expression on Little Silver Wolf's face brightened significantly.
She called over her Bunny (Project Bunny) and sat down right next to 'Silver Wolf.'
"By the way, Little Silver Wolf, do you only have this nickname? No legal name to speak of?"
"No. Why?"
Silver Wolf looked up at her sister. Actually, she probably had a proper name, right?
But Little Silver Wolf wasn't even ten years old yet. She had lived in the fast-food restaurant for as long as she could remember. To her, 'Silver Wolf' was her name.
As for a birth name?
Sorry, she really couldn't remember. One shouldn't expect too much from the memory of a child whose brain isn't even fully developed.
"Well... I was just thinking that Silver Wolf is a nickname after all. How about I give you a name?"
Bai Ming had her own little schemes, but she genuinely suspected Silver Wolf's real name was likely Bronya. She had a lot of faith in the consistency of names and faces for counterparts in this world.
Silver Wolf's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?! You're going to give me a name?"
"Why not? My name is Bai Ming, so I'll give you one of those words for a surname. As for the given name, let's go with Bronya. Bronya Bai, or Bronya Ming? Which one sounds better?"
"Can't I be called Bronya Bai Ming?"
Little Silver Wolf was a bit greedy; she wanted the whole thing.
"Are you sure? Using my full name as a surname... don't you think that's a bit weird?"
"Not at all. I love it. It's like we're connected through the name. Is that okay?"
Little Silver Wolf stared at 'Silver Wolf' with those adorable eyes.
If she were older, it might have been easier to resist, but at this age, the cuteness was a bit too much to handle.
"...Call yourself whatever you like, then. Bronya Bai Ming it is."
"Yay!"
Little Silver Wolf threw her arms open happily, dove into her sister's embrace, and planted a big kiss right on 'Silver Wolf's' cheek.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL