"..."
Truth be told, Silverwing didn't actually want to kill her.
She'd planned on finding another way to retrieve the cartridge, even if this Silver Wolf wasn't the Silver Wolf she knew.
But looking at those eyes—eyes filled with a resolve to die, eyes that had utterly cast everything aside—Silverwing gave a slight nod and raised her palm.
She didn't know what was going through Silver Wolf LV999's head right now.
But Silver Wolf must have long since grown sick of this feeling—of being able to see the heights above but being unable to reach them no matter how hard she tried.
And so, this Silver Wolf from the future couldn't wait to be killed, to have her power stripped away.
She wanted to exist as an electronic ghost, dwelling within a cartridge to witness the future Elio had promised.
Faced with that, Silverwing really had no choice but to grant her wish.
She lifted her hand.
Black armor began to coalesce over her arm, and the power manifesting there made Silver Wolf's pupils shrink. It was the exact same power as her own.
As the arm took shape, Silver Wolf realized she couldn't even sense the power of a Path. Damn it, how was she replicating her power like this?
The copying didn't stop there.
From her hands to her tail, her headpiece, and the light wings behind her back—every ounce of Silver Wolf LV999's power was being fully manifested right before her eyes in a way she couldn't comprehend.
As the manifestation finished, a burst of energy, identical to her own, erupted.
Silver Wolf let out a sneer. "That's it? if this is as far as you go, you're going to leave me very disappointed."
Though Silver Wolf was internally marveling at this strange structural power, she remained stubborn and sharp-tongued on the surface.
Besides, if her opponent really chose to use her own power against her, Silver Wolf didn't think for a second that she would lose.
"Don't be in such a hurry."
Silverwing flashed a smile at Silver Wolf. She had just used the abilities of the Herrscher of Reason to manifest the LV999 power as she understood it.
Clearly, this power system—entirely separate from the Paths—had made Silver Wolf realize something was off.
However, Silver Wolf soon lost the luxury of worrying about what felt "off."
The "LV999" hovering beside Silverwing suddenly began to flicker erratically. The aura, which had seemed matched with her own, began to churn and skyrocket.
The "999" digits reset to zero one after another. Then, behind the level indicator, a fourth digit appeared out of thin air.
'LV1000'!
BOOM—!!!
In an instant, as that ultimate level limit was shattered, the domain of the gods was revealed to Silver Wolf without reservation.
An invisible pressure, carrying the unique majesty of an Aeon, swept toward Silver Wolf like a frantic tide of Imaginary Energy.
Even though it was technically only a one-level difference, the terrifying pressure was so immense that Silver Wolf nearly couldn't keep her feet.
Struggling somewhat pathetically to support her body, Silver Wolf gritted her teeth and forced a smile, staring at Silverwing as she slowly drifted toward her.
"Heh... Hahaha!!! To think the form I've fantasized about countless times would actually appear before me like this."
It was only now that Silver Wolf finally understood one thing. The person in front of her hadn't been bragging when she said she would protect the Silver Wolf of this era for a lifetime.
Because she was an existence that had crossed the limit she herself never could—she had reached the domain of the gods!!!
Silver Wolf covered her face with her hand and let out a wild, unbridled laugh under that soul-crushing pressure.
"Great, this is just great!! Elio! I have to thank you for the ending you gave me! I thought I'd be waiting forever, but here it is, right in front of me!!"
Silver Wolf laughed maniacally as she thanked Elio. She had expected a long wait, perhaps until the gods themselves fell.
Yet, the moment she arrived, she witnessed this.
She saw that LV999 could indeed be broken. She saw that level cap, which had been stuck at three digits for countless years, actually reach four.
Watching Silverwing approach step by step, Silver Wolf gave a predatory grin and forced her fist upward with great effort. With the last of her strength, she threw a punch at Silverwing's chest!
Only this time, before her fist could land, another familiar palm pierced through her own chest.
Silver Wolf could clearly feel herself dying bit by bit. At the very end of her life, she looked at Silverwing, her tone becoming calm:
"To think that brat got to meet you... I'm actually... pretty jealous..."
As her voice trailed off, everything belonging to Silver Wolf LV999 was guided by the power of Finality, surging into the cartridge held by Silverwing.
That was Silver Wolf's power, but it also represented her will.
If the Silver Wolf of today had been the one to take this power instead of Silverwing, every use of the cartridge would have come with massive risks.
This power was only a step away from being an Aeon.
Moreover, it wasn't like the Path Equations where power is controlled indirectly; using this recklessly would cause a violent shock to one's self-awareness.
The consequence was a risk of distorting one's personality or even causing the consciousness to wither away entirely.
Looking at the unique cartridge now in her hand, Silverwing turned and glared at Elio again.
"You actually intended for Bronya to use something this dangerous!"
"...Again with this?" Elio gave a cat-like sigh. "She's your person now, you should have a little more faith in Bronya. Even if she can't master it yet, she's definitely capable of maintaining her sense of self."
"Hmph..."
Silverwing pursed her lips. She knew Elio would ensure Silver Wolf's safety. After all, in the original story, the internal relationships of the Stellaron Hunters were quite harmonious, much like the Astral Express.
Elio wouldn't hurt her in the end. But that was beside the point. As Silver Wolf's older sister, she still worried about her sister touching power that carried such immense risk.
"Alright, time to head back..."
Elio stretched and glanced at the planet, half of which had been smashed away.
The reason only half was destroyed wasn't because they couldn't break the whole thing, but because the Stellaron Hunters' base was parked right behind them.
A fight is a fight, but you can't go tearing down your own house.
In fact, aside from the protected half-planet and the base, the entire star system had been twisted beyond recognition, completely collapsed. And that was only because Silverwing had neutralized nearly all of Silver Wolf LV999's power.
The mere scraps of energy that had leaked out were enough to lay waste to a solar system. It was proof enough of how volatile that power was.
But Elio didn't take the cartridge. Silverwing could handle the power, and unlike the whimsical Silver Wolf, Silverwing was mature; she knew her limits.
Thus, Elio didn't care if the cartridge stayed with her. And since Silverwing had joined as a hacker but lacked an official Aether Cartridge, this served as a perfect substitute.
Following Elio, Silverwing met Kafka and Jingliu waiting by the hatch. Kafka reached out to scoop up Elio, then looked at Silverwing with a smile.
"I thought you'd end up taking her back by force."
Though it sounded far-fetched, it wasn't impossible. Kafka had expected Silverwing to make that choice. But Silverwing shook her head.
"She wouldn't have liked that choice, so I won't force it. Besides, she'll always have another chance."
Inside the cartridge, Silver Wolf's consciousness had been preserved. Though she had lost everything, it gave her a chance to start over. Perhaps she might even cross that final step one day.
Jingliu waited for Kafka to finish before speaking up. "I made some snacks. Before we head out for the mission, let's eat together and rest a bit."
Jingliu was very happy to be in the same organization as Silverwing. Even if she wasn't the original body, but merely a persona, Jingliu was satisfied.
"Thanks, Jingliu. Your snacks are getting better and better."
"I'm glad you like them."
Silverwing followed Kafka and Jingliu back into the base. By now, the Stellaron Hunters were only missing Firefly and our protagonist, the Trailblazer.
But Firefly didn't even go by that name yet, and it was unclear if an Iron Cavalry of Glamoth would still join.
According to Elio, everyone who joined was special in their own right; they weren't just picked at random.
Jingliu wasn't originally supposed to be part of it, but because of Silverwing's interference, she became someone special. As for a replacement for Firefly, Elio really hadn't found anyone yet.
If no one turned up, the spot would just stay vacant for now. Even with one less person, they had gained an even more unique existence, so it was a net gain.
Back in the lounge, the three women and the cat sat down. While enjoying their snacks, they began to discuss the upcoming mission.
Silverwing felt a bit of novelty at the idea of infiltrating Planet Screwllum and facing off against Screwllum himself. She wondered if Screwllum would notice the holes in her "mask."
Also, she was curious to see just how much stronger Screwllum had become after being evolved by a portion of the Erudition Equation.
"Can I use the power of this cartridge for this mission?" Silverwing asked, wanting to test out this new power. She mostly wanted to play around with Silver Wolf's combat style, but Elio rejected her flatly.
"No, meow. You saw how that power distorts reality. I've got enough headaches as it is; don't add to my workload, meow."
"Fine, then."
"Also, don't use too little power, but don't use too much either. Don't leave Screwllum with an impression that's too deep or too shallow."
"...Speak English!" Silverwing snapped at Elio's nitpicky demands, reaching out to grab him by the scruff of his neck.
"The new version of Aether Editing, around LV150 level. Screwllum has grown much stronger lately; LV99 just won't cut it anymore."
Saying this, Elio turned to look at Silverwing. Screwllum's sudden spike in strength was inextricably linked to her. Not that it was a problem; it was actually a good thing.
"That's more like it." Silverwing gave the cat a sideways glance—he clearly had a baseline in mind, yet he insisted on being a riddle-monger. She let go of Elio and took a sip of her tea.
According to Elio's script, she wasn't supposed to win this fight, which meant Screwllum's level was still above 150.
Compared to the original, the modified Aether Editing's most prominent feature was the hacking technique; in terms of raw stats—meaning Imaginary Energy output—it hadn't increased by much.
This LV150, compared to the original version, meant hacking capabilities that could rival the 400 or 500 range.
As expected of Screwllum; his cyber-security was truly top-tier.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL