Stelle entered the Simulated Universe in a peculiar way, with Silver Wolf hot on her heels via remote hacking.
After an exhilarating grand adventure…
Silver Wolf lost.
"Damn it, how'd you bring an [Eternity] curio in here?" Silver Wolf grumbled, unwilling to accept defeat.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Stelle, listening to Silver Wolf's endless complaints, was utterly confused.
After loading into the Simulated Universe, she followed Screwllum's instructions, trailing Silver Wolf the whole way.
She'd initially thought she was playing the role of her companion Kafka, with Silver Wolf as a past projection.
But… it turned out she was real!
"I must say, Miss Silver Wolf is a masterful performer. Misdirection is always the most effective tactic."
Screwllum appeared, walking to Stelle's side. "My apologies, Herta forbade me from revealing any information beforehand. She said in this plan, the key isn't wisdom—it's ignorance."
Stelle nodded vaguely. "Ohh… I get it…"
So, while two geniuses and a hacker were having a peak showdown, she was the only one completely clueless.
"But in my view, the most important thing is persistence and sincerity—something you've likely already seen in Mr. Leonard."
"So… what's this Eternity curio she's talking about?"
Stelle asked her final question.
"It's that baseball bat. Don't act like I'm invisible, you two—I'm not an NPC!" Silver Wolf crossed her arms, thoroughly defeated.
"I should've known. With Adrian as your babysitter… of course he'd give you his stuff."
"Stop being a riddler, I don't get it. What's this got to do with Adrian?"
"Ugh, fine, I'll tell you. Whenever something's tied to him, I can never win… damn that [Eternity]!" Silver Wolf cursed the Aeon of Eternity countless times in her head.
Stelle, slow to catch on, pulled out her baseball bat. "So, this bat's from Adrian?"
"Hm…" Screwllum examined the bat, sifting through relevant memories.
No mistake. A silver-haired elf had visited Screwstar before, holding this very baseball bat.
She claimed to be a priestess of the Eternity Church, visiting Screwstar to help inorganic lifeforms comprehend [Eternity]. Screwllum had engaged in an extensive discussion with her.
In the end, she took a member of the Screw Clan, saying she wanted to explore the mysteries of [Eternity] within inorganic life.
Oh, and she even tried to recruit Screwllum into the Eternity Church, spouting a bunch of bizarre phrases.
Screwllum couldn't keep up with her thought process. For the first time, the sovereign of Screwstar hit a wall in verbal communication.
Wasn't there a Synesthesia Beacon? Why couldn't it understand her?
Screwllum briefly suspected its language system was malfunctioning—until it met Adrian.
Who would've thought… the priestess was a chuunibyou elf girl.
This must be the difference between inorganic and organic life!
"Adrian's practically my long-lost righteous dad!"
Stelle swung the bat, even tapping Silver Wolf's head with it.
These past few days, especially during the Doomsday Beast fight, Stelle had felt its power—one swing nearly knocked the enemy senseless.
"Ha, from now on, I'm the Galaxy Baseball侠! Punishing evil and upholding justice, no hesitation! Hiyah!"
"Hey! That thing hurts when it hits!"
Silver Wolf dodged backward. She wasn't kidding—even though the Stelle in front of her was loaded virtual data, getting hit still caused real pain.
Stelle was even more thrilled. The Path of [Eternity] in the Simulated Universe was already strong, dealing percentage-based true damage to elite bosses… but she hadn't expected this bat to lock onto enemies from the void.
"Clashing with you again is both delightful and exhilarating. Herta said this cartridge could hook a big fish in the galaxy—and her judgment's always spot-on."
If they kept chatting, the topic would veer off, so Screwllum steered it back.
"So, all that talk about shutting down the universe and arguing with Herta was just an act? To lure me in?"
"It depends on your interpretation. Herta and I have always been blunt with each other—such sharp exchanges are common. Calling it entirely a performance wouldn't be accurate."
"So she often calls you a member of the Idiot Club?" Stelle got it again.
"Ahem. Most of the time, yes."
Screwllum answered every question. As Herta said, Stelle always managed to say something at critical moments to lighten the mood.
"I must admit, Miss Silver Wolf is a remarkably talented hacker. She calculates everything, leaving room for variables and contingencies."
"Perhaps the only variable in her plan was my sudden visit to the space station—along with the devastating news of the Simulated Universe's potential shutdown and your self-defense weapon. That threw her strategy into disarray."
"And so, you now understand the full picture," Screwllum clarified for Stelle.
Silver Wolf remained relaxed, not panicking in the slightest. "No, no, no, you're missing the most crucial point."
"I wasn't taking a reckless gamble—I was itching for the challenge, got it? Screwllum, do you know how excited I was the moment you showed up?"
…
Outside the Simulated Universe, watching Herta lock onto those 76 accounts, Adrian sighed helplessly.
Kids can't beat two adults, after all.
To stop Silver Wolf from throwing a tantrum, Adrian arrived at a Stellaron Hunter hideout, taking in the neon-drenched city and facing the purple-haired beauty before him.
"Hey~ The babysitter's here to see the employer," he said jokingly.
Kafka was picking out a favorite leather coat. Seeing Adrian appear out of nowhere, she quickly composed herself.
"Do all Aeons like showing up without a sound?"
"Not really. THEY usually don't show up at all. I'm just the idle one."
After Adrian explained what was about to happen, Kafka sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Poor kid. What's your plan?"
Kafka hadn't expected Silver Wolf to dare provoke both Herta and Screwllum, two geniuses.
She couldn't fathom a hacker's mindset.
"What else? Help her boost that bounty. By the way, why's it just you two here? Where's the Cosmic Knight and the Brooding Boy?"
Silver Wolf was inside, playing a match against Screwllum, while he and Kafka chatted outside.
"Interesting nicknames." Kafka chuckled. "They're off buying ingredients. After these next couple of days… we're heading out for the next [script]."
"The last supper, huh? Nice."
"Thanks to a certain Aeon, the script's all glitched up."
"Haha. I won't meddle too much with the [script], or your leader wouldn't stay silent."
"Just participating… and you can already disrupt the script's details. As expected of an Aeon."
"Even if the script's a mess, rounded up or down, it's like it wasn't written at all. But… for things not in the script, aren't you free to improvise?"
"Indeed. Anything Elio doesn't write in the script is inconsequential."
"Let's talk about Stelle's situation…"
Bang!
Before he could finish, a loud crash came from inside the room.
Then, Silver Wolf stormed out, eyes teary with frustration.
She looked up, about to vent to Kafka, when she saw Adrian standing there.
"Make sure to cheer her up~"
Kafka left with a smile. Adrian was better at handling kids than she was.
Adrian leaned against the railing. "How'd the match go?"
"Gone. All gone. Not a single thing left…"
"Too much, just too much!" Silver Wolf's voice carried a sob as she stared at the five bold words on her phone screen.
[Account Banned]
"Games are fun in a kid's eyes, but for adults, they're not the only way to solve problems." Adrian handed her a milk tea.
"Turn your frustration into appetite. Something sweet can help ease the mood. Crying and fussing hurts the body."
"I'm not a kid, and I'm not crying or fussing."
Silver Wolf forced the words out, scrolling through her chat history with Adrian. The overwhelming sense of defeat crushed her, leaving an indescribable ache.
She admitted she was broken. Taking the milk tea from Adrian, she sipped it a few times, her mood slightly easing.
"Thanks."
"Too early to thank me. Besides, you and I don't need those kinds of words."
Adrian extended his hand. "It's been a while since I took you to sneak past and fight a boss. Wanna join the team?"
As his voice faded, her thoughts drifted like soft feathers, memories flooding back like a tide.
She played the joystick, day after day.
A fast-food joint with just one employee, an arcade converted from a basement, a few outdated gaming machines.
She had no legal name, no ID number, only a nickname given by the lady running the place.
She had no friends either—until he showed up, turning the solo game called [Basement] into a two-player one.
His skills were top-notch; she'd never beaten him.
But he often took her to sneak through to the final stage, facing the ultimate boss.
That day, the girl learned the concept of [speedrunning].
"Ready for a thrilling [Pier Point Grand Adventure]?" he asked.
"Yeah!"