The actual duration of the invasion into Planet Screwllum sped up, or rather, it was stretched thin.
Mostly, it was because Screwllum himself simply allowed two outside hackers to have a grand showdown within the Screwllum network.
One could only say that his reputation as a gentleman was far from a joke. It was truly difficult not to feel a sense of fondness when interacting with a man like Screwllum.
That being said, Screwllum had no intention of holding back during their later exchanges.
Naturally, the operation to invade Planet Screwllum ended in failure. Silverwing didn't know how Screwllum would evaluate her, a newcomer hunter.
Once the mission concluded, Silverwing's consciousness returned to her body. Just as she turned her head, Jingliu handed her a cup of tea.
"Thank you."
Silverwing offered her thanks, stretched languidly, and took the cup to sip slowly.
Through today's encounter, she had gained a rough grasp of Screwllum's strength. He was formidable—even more so than she had initially anticipated.
Silverwing glanced around but didn't see Kafka. "Where's Kafka?"
"She just left for a mission. I'll have to head out for one in a little while, too." Jingliu smiled as she sat down beside Silverwing.
The Stellaron Hunters were becoming increasingly lively these days.
It started with just herself, then Kafka joined, and now Silverwing. According to Elio, one or two more companions would be joining the crew. She wondered what kind of people they would be.
Silverwing nodded slightly at the news. "Is this mission a hassle?"
"It's alright. This one involves the Interastral Peace Corporation, so it'll take some time. I'll need your help with the cleanup phase."
As she spoke, Jingliu handed over a script. This script wasn't long either; it basically required Silverwing to help her with a million-level evacuation after she was finished, and perhaps cause a bit of chaos along the way.
The life of a Stellaron Hunter was truly a busy one. Silverwing swallowed the last drop of tea and sighed helplessly. While these scattered scripts weren't difficult, they felt a bit trivial.
Plus, occasionally encountering specific requirements timed down to the second was a real headache.
--+--
On the other side.
Kiana waited for the docking message from Himeko and immediately set off to find the Astral Express.
As for Silver Wolf, she was, of course, still staying on the Space Station. Even this network invasion had been conducted using the Space Station's lines.
Although the Simulated Universe didn't provide direct help, it didn't go out of its way to stop her either.
Since Bai Ming hadn't stepped in, the Simulated Universe merely asked Silver Wolf a few questions and recorded many of her personality traits.
Then, it readily provided the Space Station's hardware, indirectly assisting her.
Of course, even with the station's equipment, Silver Wolf's invasion still failed. After all, the gap in ability was right there.
And now...
"Dammit! Hypocrite! Mean! I'm so mad!!!"
Silver Wolf sat in her chair with her arms crossed, her legs shaking incessantly as she turned beet red with rage.
Especially when she thought of that person's final words and the retort she hadn't even finished before being kicked out.
It felt like a breath of air stuck stubbornly in her throat, unable to be spat out. It was enough to make her lungs burst.
Just then, the voice of the Simulated Universe rang out beside her:
"According to the simulation analysis, the opponent was not being a hypocrite, but rather conducting a tutorial match. As for that final provocation... it seemed more like teasing. After all, you are currently throwing a tantrum."
"I am NOT throwing a tantrum!!!"
Silver Wolf snapped instantly, looking up and baring her teeth at the ceiling. The Simulated Universe didn't push the point; after all, Silver Wolf's stubbornness had long been factored into its calculations.
"Using the simulation results as a reference, the Stellaron Hunter, Silverwing, demonstrated an Aether Editing level of approximately 150, far exceeding your current level."
Since the Simulated Universe had helped Silver Wolf with this invasion—and because it belonged to her sister—Silver Wolf had taught it Aether Editing.
Although the Simulated Universe didn't have game cartridges and couldn't manifest the reality-warping aspects of Aether Editing, hacking skills alone were no trouble for it.
Hearing this, the flushed Silver Wolf stopped her shaking legs, furrowed her brows, and gritted her teeth.
"How is that possible? Aether Editing Pro was created by my sister specifically for me. Besides her, how could there be a user stronger than me? And it's not like she could have gotten a cartridge that allows for infinite leveling up, right??"
The "mountain of mess" code that was Aether Editing still stood tall on Punklorde.
The shift in perception from an initial disgrace to a holy land for hackers had happened in just a few years, primarily due to the power of Aether Editing Pro.
Under the same level, the Pro version could kick the original version aside like a stray dog. That was the power of the upgraded Aether Editing.
Everyone wanted to learn this terrifying ability. But aside from Silver Wolf, who had received personal instruction from Bai Ming, no one had been able to fully master the upgraded version yet.
By Silver Wolf's estimate, unless another genius hacker was born, no one would master it for at least a hundred years.
But now, not only was there someone who did, but they also looked just like her and were even stronger. Was that even logical?
"It does not fit common logic. The difficulty of Aether Editing is not something an average person can master," the Simulated Universe judged.
"I speculate that it may be related to Madam Bai Ming. After all, the only one who possesses Aether Editing Pro and is stronger than you, Silver Wolf, is Madam Bai Ming."
Silver Wolf could have imagined such a simple answer herself. However, compared to the truth, her suspicions slid in a different direction:
"Could it be—Sister has another Bronya out there besides me?!"
Once this thought took root, it spread through her mind like wildfire. The more Silver Wolf thought about it, the more she felt this was likely the case.
Sister had rejected the Stellaron Hunters' invitation so smoothly back then. Maybe she had introduced the other Bronya to them, which is why they backed off so readily!
It's all connected! Everything is connected!
Then, Silver Wolf felt like her world was ending.
Was she no longer the only younger sister? Moreover, the other Bronya was not only taller and more developed, but also stronger.
And while she was being a selfish brat to her sister, that other person was helping her sister solve problems. The contrast was immediate and painful.
The Simulated Universe added a final blow:
"The probability of this conclusion being true is high. If so, you are no longer Madam Bai Ming's only sister."
Silver Wolf couldn't hold it together anymore. She threw herself onto the floor, clutching her head and rolling around in a fit.
"Argh!! Dammit! That home-wrecker!! Cheater!! I can grow up eventually too!!!"
"Strictly speaking, you are merely Madam Bai Ming's sister, and your role is more akin to an adopted daughter. Therefore, the term 'home-wrecker' is inaccurate, and the other party is not cheating."
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening—!!"
Being stabbed repeatedly by the Simulated Universe's logic had truly broken Silver Wolf's defenses. This time, she really was crying and making a scene.
--+--
Meanwhile.
Standing outside the door, Bai Ming scratched her head awkwardly.
She had originally intended to check on Silver Wolf and offer some comfort. But now that Silver Wolf was inside throwing a fit, she wondered if it was a bad time to go in...
"Is Madam Bai Ming not going in? I believe Bronya would be happy."
"...Are you sure she won't have steam coming out of her head from shame first?" Bai Ming responded helplessly to the Simulated Universe's question.
As a recently born genius, the Simulated Universe was very curious.
It often caught people on the Space Station off guard with all sorts of questions. The Simulated Universe seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking again:
"Perhaps so. But I believe Bronya needs Madam Bai Ming's comfort right now."
In the Simulated Universe's calculations, Silver Wolf would definitely not bring this up herself. If she finished her tantrum today, she would likely bury the matter deep in her heart.
If Bai Ming didn't appear now, even if she brought it up later, Silver Wolf probably wouldn't admit to it. While it might not lead to serious consequences, going in now was clearly the better choice.
As the culprit behind it all, Bai Ming rubbed her face awkwardly. Then, she pushed open the door to Silver Wolf's room.
The moment she opened the door, the previously faint noise became vivid. Even though she was the cause, seeing Silver Wolf crying and rolling around made Bai Ming struggle to hold back a laugh.
"Ahem..."
She cleared her throat to suppress the upward curve of her lips, which also caught Silver Wolf's attention.
Silver Wolf, who happened to be lying on her back, saw a pair of pure white legs suddenly appear beside her. Looking up, she realized her sister had found her.
"Ah-wah—?!"
Startled, Silver Wolf scrambled up, nearly ducking under Bai Ming's skirt in the process. Bai Ming helplessly reached out and pinched Silver Wolf's flushed cheek.
"Why are you acting so frantic?"
"..."
Silver Wolf opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.
She didn't think for a second that her sister wouldn't know about her invasion of Planet Screwllum. But she didn't know how to voice her thoughts.
She couldn't exactly ask, "Do you have another 'good little sister' out there?" Even Silver Wolf realized how wrong that sounded.
While Silver Wolf hesitated, Bai Ming's small hand moved slightly, shifting from pinching her cheek to stroking her head. Then, she said with a smile:
"Are you thinking about Silverwing?"
"Mmm..."
Silver Wolf puffed out her cheeks. She didn't say it, but she admitted it.
"She has a connection to me. I can't reveal the details to you because of Elio's requirements. But I promise you, you are my only sister, and currently the most skilled user of Aether Editing Pro."
Hearing this, Silver Wolf's face instantly lit up with joy.
In truth, Silver Wolf didn't care if Bai Ming had actually adopted another Bronya. From beginning to end, all she cared about was Bai Ming's affection. As for who that "Big Bronya" was... Silver Wolf didn't care.
Since Bai Ming had put it that way, the other person definitely wasn't a normal human and likely had some very special origin. They weren't even in the same league.
Thus, a fierce fighting spirit ignited in Silver Wolf's eyes.
"Then, Sister, I can defeat her, right?"
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL