Chương 2: Chapter 2: Silver Wolf: If It's Not Off, Is It On?
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In the quiet depths of night, within an old arcade.
Su Jinyan set down the game joystick, took a sip of Nuclear Cola, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
There was still a long time until midnight. Since he had some idle moments, why not spend them playing games with his goofy online friends?
He was currently engaged in a retro game called "Boune," featuring two horizontal lines and a single dot—the simplest form of a paddle game.
While clearing levels in this vintage arcade game was quite easy, achieving record-breaking high scores in "Boune" wasn't as straightforward.
The game tested players' reaction times and their ability to control rhythm.
On the arcade screen, "Born" was calculating the final scores for both players.
The outcome seemed obvious; Su Jinyan's score should have been significantly higher than that of his opponent, a renowned gaming master.
Wait—
As he saw the unexpectedly high score on the screen, Su Jinyan couldn't help but rub his eyes, suspecting there might be something wrong with them.
[Caution in Speech: Something's not right. I clearly remember you making more than one mistake, so how is your final game score higher than mine?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Rookie, do you really think what you see is all there is?]
[Admit defeat gracefully, as agreed. The loser has to call the winner 'Dad,' hurry up.]
Su Jinyan felt increasingly uneasy, severely suspecting his opponent had cheated, yet he lacked direct evidence.
[Caution in Speech: Tsk, did you cheat or not?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Hmph, trying to wriggle out of it? As I mentioned earlier on the forums, breaking records in this game comes easily to me.]
[Indeed, the less skilled you are, the louder you boast. What, are you refusing to accept defeat?]
[Jinyan hesitated, unsure how to respond.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Hurry up, hurry, hurry - my patience is limited.]
Su Jinyan stared unconvinced at the arcade screen, unable to comprehend what had happened.
This can't be right. Could it truly be that I'm just overconfident and lacking skill?
[Ding~]
The system's timely notification chimed.
[Did you know? Your opponent is infamously known as a member of the "Stellaron Hunters."]
[Simultaneously, she is a master hacker, treating the universe as a massive immersive simulation game where she revels in playing.]
[She possesses Ether Editing capabilities, allowing her to modify real-world data, and is the unseen emperor revered by countless hackers—the Silver Wolf.]
[By the way, Silver Wolf has a bounty of 5.1 billion Credits with the Interastral Peace Corporation. Any informant providing leads can claim a reward of 100 million Credits.]
Su Jinyan was stunned. Wait, you're actually a legendary gaming prodigy?
On the other side, Silver Wolf continued typing, seemingly worried he might renege on his bet.
After a moment of contemplation, Su Jinyan slowly typed out:
[Caution in Speech: Dad, I was wrong.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Good boy.]
In a room filled with girlish ambiance, pink and blue lights intermingled on the screen like urban neon signs.
The young girl's plump lips wrapped around a straw as she sipped her chilled cola, eyes contentedly squinted in enjoyment, even causing her snow-white toes to curl in delight.
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Seeing that you're quite trustworthy, let's be friends from now on. Want to join me for a game of "Plague Outbreak"?]
After typing this message, Silver Wolf swiftly created a game lobby and sent an invitation to the netizen.
She was confident that her exceptional skills had impressed him, ensuring he wouldn't decline her invite.
[System Prompt: Your game invitation has been declined.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: ?]
[Caution in Speech: No thanks, I have an interview tomorrow and can't afford to stay up gaming.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Interview? Aren't you pretty wealthy already? Why do you need a job?]
A hint of confusion appeared on Silver Wolf's fair face, her pale legs restlessly swaying.
Just earlier that morning, she had infiltrated his account.
With over five hundred million credits clearly in his account, why did he still need to find work?
Initially, Silver Wolf had planned that if Jinyan dared to renege on their bet, he would threaten him with, "You wouldn't want me to donate your credits to charity, right?"
However, unexpectedly, Jinyan genuinely accepted the outcome of their wager.
[Caution in Speech: Hm? Do we know each other? How do you know I'm quite wealthy?]
Tch, not realizing this slip-up, Silver Wolf inadvertently revealed too much. He pursed his lips and swiftly typed on the keyboard.
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: I guessed it.]
[At this late hour, those without money should be diligently working overtime to earn more. Who'd have the mood to play games?]
[Caution in Speech: That's really hurtful. Going by what you said, does that mean you're extremely rich then?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: I'm not lacking in funds; for me, money is just a number.]
As he typed, Silver Wolf casually took a screenshot of his credit balance and sent it over.
[Caution in Speech: Is this image not forged?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Why are you so quick to doubt others?]
[Caution in Speech: Send me 50 credits, and I'll believe you.]
Silver Wolf wrinkled his small nose slightly and, after performing some quick actions, replied, "Check your credit point account."
Skeptical yet curious, Su Jinyan opened his account only to be startled by the sudden addition of one billion credits.
[Caution in Speech: ?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Convinced now?]
The response this time was swift, indicating the sender's apparent excitement.
[Caution in Speech: Yifu, how did you know my credit point account? You're incredibly generous.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Treat yourself better; I applied for a credit loan on your behalf.]
[Caution in Speech: !??]
The corners of Silver Wolf's lips curved upwards as he casually reverted the modified data back to its original state.
[Caution in Speech: Ah? Wait, it can still be reversed? Who exactly are you?]
In just a matter of seconds, the guy on the other end had experienced dramatic highs and lows, clearly shaken quite deeply.
Pushing up his goggles, Silver Wolf cheerfully responded:
"What's so surprising about that? If I could transfer them over, naturally, I can reverse it too."
"As for who I am..."
"My nickname is already quite obvious, don't you think?"
"Or have I become so obscure that no one knows me anymore?"
[Caution in Speech: Boss, there's a bounty of 5.1 billion credits on you from the Interastral Peace Corporation. You might not lack credits, but I certainly do.]
[How about this? Pretend I've captured you, and then I'll deliver you to the Interastral Peace Corporation. We can split the credits 30-70.]
[Afterward, you escape, I recapture you; you escape again, I recapture you once more; we repeat until we bankrupt the Interastral Peace Corporation, what say you?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Do you think it's like grinding for gold in a game? Let's stop wasting time with these useless ideas. Want to play a round instead?]
Su Jinyan glanced at the time on his phone before replying, "No, let's discuss it another time when the opportunity arises. I genuinely have interviews tomorrow."
"Have you heard of Xianzhou Luofu? Barring any surprises, I'll be joining the Divination Commission as a diviner—a civil servant with full benefits."
"In the future, if you get a chance, come to the Divination Commission for a consultation; I'll give you a discount."
Resting his chin in his hand, Silver Wolf blew a bubble gum pop with a puff. "Boring."
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: Would you actually give a discount if I visit?]
[Caution in Speech: Absolutely, I'll ensure you get a discount on your leg divinations.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: ?]
[Caution in Speech: Just kidding! You're always welcome for a warm reception when you visit. But with your skills, aren't you worried about finding gaming companions who can keep up?]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: What's the fun in that? They all deny losing despite being clearly outmatched—boring indeed.]
[Caution in Speech: Heh, feeling a bit tired now. Gonna take a shower and we can chat later.]
[Punklorde's Silver Wolf: ???]
Generally speaking, when an online friend says they're going to bed, it doesn't necessarily mean they actually intend to sleep.
Who goes to bed so early at such a young age? Obviously, they have their own tasks to attend to.
Su Jinyan certainly hadn't forgotten about the Simulated Universe. At midnight tonight, he would finally be able to enter and explore its mysteries.
With only ten minutes left until midnight, there was just enough time for him to walk home.
As soon as he pushed open his front door, system notifications flooded in.
[Prologue]
[At Herta Space Station, intricate instruments lie dormant.]
[To unravel the secrets of the 'Aeon,' four members of the Genius Society jointly initiated this project.]
[Using the amassed intelligence as a carrier, we enable the Galaxy to be recreated in code form.]
[It is named—Simulated Universe.]
[By activating it, a virtual world instantly takes shape, with enemies, allies, and countless digitized entities awaiting your next move.]
[Through its connection with fate paths, even virtual Aeons will cast their gazes upon it.]
[Have they ever considered this question: Are all the elements within the Simulated Universe truly false?]
[Please select the method by which you wish to explore the Simulated Universe.]
[Option 1: Pursue extreme realism and high rewards by directly entering the Simulated Universe. Any injuries or death experienced within the simulation will fully reflect onto your physical body in reality.]
[Option 2: Create a soul projection within the Simulated Universe for lower rewards.]
[In case of death within the Simulated Universe, re-projection will only be possible after waiting one week, with no harm to your physical body.]
After brief consideration, Su Jinyan chose Option 2.
[Aware of the potential risks of injury or death, you shamelessly opted for a shortcut to enter the Simulated Universe, creating a soul projection instead.]
[Let me examine your soul...]
[Hmm, although your soul is exceptionally weak, it's quite intriguing. No worries, small can be charming too, you know.]
Why does this entity speak with such an eerie tone?
Su Jinyan's face darkened, pondering how to retort, when suddenly his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Time ticked away, and gradually, Su Jinyan began regaining awareness.
His body felt incredibly light, as if floating on clouds, experiencing a sensation more delightful than ever before.
However, just then, a sudden intense feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed him, accompanied by the familiar whispered voice:
[Chapter of Abundance: Act One]
Upon opening his eyes, Su Jinyan was utterly stunned by the scene before him.
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