As the world of Punklorde twisted, that αWolf—so utterly out of place within the vast universe—appeared.
The skies of Punklorde flashed with countless terrifying serpentine bolts of lightning, the earth began to quake violently, and volcanoes erupted in succession!
A natural disaster was sweeping across the entirety of Punklorde!
And all of this was because αWolf belonged to the future, not to this space-time. The entire universe was rejecting her existence.
Of course, this instinctive rejection from the universe was now being forcefully resisted by the future Aeon of Finality—Terminus.
"You are...?"
Silver Wolf stared blankly at the gray-black figure before her—herself, yet darkened and radiating overwhelming pressure—and her eyes widened involuntarily.
"I am the αWolf of Punklorde—the power that you yearn to obtain, the strength that stands at the very peak of the Path of Elation."
After saying this, αWolf raised a hand and revealed a cartridge. "This is the Invincible Player Cartridge, level 999. If you want it, come and take it yourself."
"Of course, if that's still too hard to understand, then think of me as your future self—the invincible player who trampled the IPC beneath her feet, recruited the Tavern, and defeated the Fourth Seat of the Genius Society!"
After saying that, αWolf let out a mocking laugh. "But judging by your current state—only level eighty... your level is far too low. As you are now, you stand no chance against me."
"Whether I stand a chance or not—we'll know after we fight."
As Silver Wolf spoke, her gaze locked firmly onto αWolf.
In truth, the moment she discovered and observed αWolf, she realized that her level experience points were skyrocketing. Or rather, she was resonating with her future self.
LV: 81.
LV: 85.
LV: 95.
LV: 101.
In just a few breaths, Silver Wolf shattered Punklorde's level cap and broke into the realm of a legendary hacker.
She stepped forward and used Aether Editing.
Yet in αWolf's eyes, Silver Wolf's Aether Editing technique was unbearably crude—like that of an elementary school student. In fact, even worse than one.
"Watch carefully. This is how Aether Editing is used."
The instant those words left her mouth, Silver Wolf was instantly killed. She couldn't even last the time it took to blink before αWolf used Aether Editing to reduce her to ash—more precisely, not even ash remained.
However, Terminus of Finality would never allow the Stellaron Hunter Silver Wolf to die. Thus, the great hand of Finality that was still exerting force reversed her space-time, granting Silver Wolf a second life.
The battle continued.
Battle! Defeat!
Battle! Defeat!
...
Within an extremely short span of time, the two fought frantically—though in truth, it was mostly Silver Wolf being brutally beaten and instantly killed.
Yet as time passed, Silver Wolf's resonance with her future self deepened, and her level rose higher and higher.
Level 200.
Level 300.
Level 350.
After reaching this level, Silver Wolf was still instantly killed in her clashes with her future self. And after each death, her level no longer increased.
At that moment, αWolf spoke again. "Resonance has its limits. You've already reached yours. No matter how many more times we fight, you will never defeat me."
After resurrecting, Silver Wolf gritted her teeth. "This game... isn't over yet."
"Stubborn. This is the four hundred and twenty-ninth time. So—how do you want to die this time?"
With a teleport, αWolf appeared directly in front of Silver Wolf, grabbed her face with one hand, and slammed her viciously into the ground. At the same time, she turned her head toward Kafka.
"Kafka, does the Elio behind you really think she can accomplish what even I cannot?"
"Elio says she has that possibility."
"Heh."
αWolf let out a cold laugh.
At that very moment, Silver Wolf—being ground into the dirt—suddenly stopped moving.
Then, space-time reversed once more.
Silver Wolf stepped into the cycle again and said seriously to αWolf, "Again."
It was then that Kafka's voice rang out. "You don't have much time left. Terminus's divine power is about to run out."
Hearing this, the ears atop αWolf's head twitched slightly. She looked at Silver Wolf and said calmly, "It seems you won't have the chance to obtain the Invincible Player's power. And without that power, you'll never break your upper limit, let alone surpass me."
"So give up. If you give up, you can still live. Otherwise, you'll continue to experience death in my hands—again and again."
After saying that, αWolf stepped forward once more. In the blink of an eye, she severed Silver Wolf's arm, causing her face to contort in pain as blood poured forth.
The next instant, αWolf delivered a vicious kick. It struck Silver Wolf in the abdomen, sending her flying more than ten meters away. She rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.
"I'll say it again—give up," αWolf said coldly, staring at Silver Wolf struggling on the ground.
"Who said I'm giving up? Who wins and who loses isn't decided yet."
With that, Silver Wolf snapped her fingers. This snap was a high-tier Aether Editing technique.
—Command: Cut.
A blade of Aether data, swift as lightning, sliced across αWolf's arm and severed it instantly.
Silver Wolf raised her hand and caught the flying arm.
Seeing this, a trace of surprise flashed through αWolf's eyes.
"Not only did your level experience resonate, but you've also obtained my advanced Aether Editing application equations?"
"There's more than that. After fighting this long, I've fully realized that, fundamentally, we're the same person."
Holding αWolf's severed arm, Silver Wolf staggered to her feet, breathing heavily.
"Originally, we never should have met. Because of an Aeon, we were given this chance to meet—and it gave me the possibility to take the power from you. And you just said it yourself—if I want it, I should come and take it. So now, I'll take it myself!"
The instant her words fell, Silver Wolf attached αWolf's severed arm to her own.
In that moment, her level began to skyrocket wildly—from 350 to 450, and even higher.
At this instant, Silver Wolf possessed a portion of the Invincible Player's power. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she looked at αWolf.
"Again."
"Hmph."
αWolf snorted coldly and charged forward, this time employing even more advanced Aether Editing techniques.
The battle grew even more intense. The battlefield was no longer confined to the junkyard. It surged into the cosmos, engulfing the entire Punklorde star system.
The Herta watched the war between the two wolves beyond the sky with her own eyes. Then, in her heart, she delivered her evaluation.
This is nothing more than a pure teaching match.
The αWolf summoned from the future by Terminus, though she struck Silver Wolf with killing intent every time, knew that this was the only way for Silver Wolf to learn everything as quickly as possible... After all, the duration of Finality's power was limited. Once time was up, αWolf would have to leave. She absolutely could not remain.
The reason she had to leave was simple. It was not because Terminus's power would run dry, but because the moment of Finality had not yet arrived. Within the universe, other Aeons still existed—such as HooH, the Aeon of Equilibrium. That one would never stand by and watch αWolf, summoned by Terminus, continue to exist within this universe...
If Terminus insisted on continuously interfering with the universe, then HooH—who had fused with the cosmos itself—would inevitably emerge and wage war against Terminus.
The war of the Aeons would begin ahead of time, and many of Terminus's arrangements would be thrown into disarray.
...
"So, would you call this a teaching match?" Herta asked Herman inwardly.
"It absolutely is," Herman replied with a sigh. "An invincible player at level 999—the very pinnacle of Elation's Emanators—is invincible in the literal sense. Even if she simply stood there, Silver Wolf shouldn't have been able to injure her at all. Yet Silver Wolf managed to wound her. That alone proves αWolf was holding back—and severely at that."
Herta drew her conclusion. "In that case, Silver Wolf will obtain αWolf's power—the strength at the very peak of Elation."
"Most likely," Herman agreed.
Herta narrowed her eyes slightly. "When that happens, will her power surpass Polka Kakamond—the Lord of Silence?"
"Most likely," Herman said after a brief pause. "After all, αWolf herself said that in the future, she replaced the master of Device IX and became its new ruler."
He continued, "Of course, Silver Wolf isn't the only one who could surpass Polka Kakamond. If you devote yourself to research, you could as well. In fact, if you chose to join the Stellaron Hunters and obtained the power of Rubert III, you would gain the strength of Irontomb—a power specifically meant to counter Pathstriders of Erudition."
"At that point, you would also possess the power to kill Polka Kakamond."
"I'll pass," Herta replied. "Compared to joining the Stellaron Hunters, I prefer to rely on my own research. Only what I develop myself feels real—truly satisfying."
After saying that, Herta lifted her head to look at the sky again. She immediately saw αWolf once more suppressing Silver Wolf—and unleashing a stellar-level attack!
Boom!
Countless beams of light cannons condensed from across the cosmos!
They slammed down onto Silver Wolf, instantly blasting both her and one of the planets within the Punklorde star system into nothingness.
"It seems giving you one arm wasn't enough. This battle is mine," αWolf declared.
"Isn't it a bit early to celebrate?"
The next moment, Silver Wolf returned once more and swung her fist at αWolf.
"It's not over yet. Aether Editing—UB0097!"
A massive Aether Editing fist materialized behind Silver Wolf and smashed toward αWolf. αWolf responded with the exact same technique.
The battle continued, and Silver Wolf learned more and more techniques from αWolf.
Their moves began to converge. They fought using identical skills:
Funky Munch Bean!
Big Flipping Sword!
Kaboom Eggsplosion!
As the battle grew increasingly intense, Silver Wolf suddenly detected a fleeting opening in her opponent's defense. Without hesitation, she seized the opportunity, tore off αWolf's other arm, and said, "Hand it over."
As her words fell, she attached the arm to herself. Her level skyrocketed again, and her strength rose accordingly!
"Don't get cocky."
At the same time, αWolf unleashed power far greater than before.
On the surface of Punklorde, Herta watched everything unfold and couldn't help but comment, "As expected of a teaching match. Punklorde's αWolf is truly going easy. Every time Silver Wolf levels up, αWolf releases even greater power in response."
"Their battle is already affecting the rotation of the Punklorde star system—more precisely, it has reached Emanator-level standards."
Herman agreed. "Very soon, Silver Wolf will obtain the complete Invincible Player Aether Cartridge and become Silver Wolf LV:999—standing at the very peak of Elation."
As Herta and Herman discussed inwardly, events unfolded exactly as they had predicted.
The final outcome of the twin wolves' battle in the cosmos was this—Silver Wolf stripped αWolf of her wolf tail, cloak, clothes, shoes, hat, game console... everything.
Silver Wolf floated in the air, gripping the head of the already battered αWolf in one hand. In the posture of a victor, she spoke slowly.
"When was the last time you lost?"
"I don't remember. Keep winning like I did. I'll always be watching you."
As her words fell, αWolf's body dissolved into a burst of light and vanished. Almost at the same moment, immeasurable radiance unfurled behind Silver Wolf—limitless, dazzling wings of light spread outward!
Thus, Silver Wolf LV:999 was born.
The pinnacle power of Elation's Emanators was now under her control. At this moment, she felt omnipotent—capable of anything.
Clearing the entire universe as though it were a game would be no problem.
Even Herta, whom she once regarded as the final boss, now seemed insignificant.
A mere level 420—just a low-level newbie.
At that thought, Silver Wolf LV.999 felt a surge of satisfaction and couldn't help but hum lightly.
However, in the very next instant, her body convulsed. It felt as though it were being torn apart—ripped open in agony. She couldn't stop herself from letting out a painful wolf's howl.
"Aaaah..."
The radiant wings behind her shattered completely in an instant.
At the same time, the level displayed above her head began to plummet at terrifying speed—from Silver Wolf LV:999 all the way down to Silver Wolf LV:300.
Although this level was far higher than her previous 80—far beyond Punklorde's level cap, enough to be called legendary hacker tier—
in terms of sensation, it was incomparably distant from the overwhelming feeling of LV:999 she had just experienced.
At that moment, Kafka stepped in front of her and picked up Silver Wolf LV.999's cartridge.
"You still can't properly wield the power of this cartridge. I'll keep it safe for now."
Silver Wolf said nothing. She was still trapped in pain.
Yet at that very moment, the Soul Gem she carried began to glow. And αWolf's voice resounded once more.
"My power should be kept by me."
"No," Kafka replied instinctively—then frowned. "Silver Wolf, did you just say something?"
"I—I didn't!" Silver Wolf froze, then turned her gaze toward the Soul Gem on her body. "The other me... you're still here?!"
"I told you—I'll always be watching you."
"Huh?"
Silver Wolf was shaken to the core.
Finality had twisted time and causality, pulling someone from the future—yet that person could remain in the present world long-term? Was this the power of Terminus—the Aeon of Finality?!!
What Silver Wolf did not know was that Kafka, standing before her, was equally shocked.
The future αWolf was still present in this timeline's reality!
How was that possible?!
Terminus's interference had clearly ceased the moment Silver Wolf obtained the Invincible Player cartridge and became Silver Wolf LV.999!
After thinking this through, Kafka closed her eyes and sensed once more, confirming that the great hand of Finality had indeed withdrawn.
Then why was αWolf still here?!
Kafka's heart was filled with doubt. The hand reaching to take back the cartridge froze in midair.
Inside the Soul Gem, αWolf flickered violently and spoke again.
"What? Not willing to return it to me?"
"That's not it," Kafka replied calmly. "I'm simply surprised that you still exist in this world. I need to contact Elio."
With that, Kafka took out her phone and contacted Elio at the Stellaron Hunters' headquarters.
The black cat read the message, lifted his little paw, and sent back a reply:
???