As Silver Wolf basked in her newfound clarity, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th gathered around her.
Pei Guang: "So you're calling this one a loss? What's next on your list?"
Silver Wolf: "I've set up nine hidden markers throughout the space station. Each marker comes with a puzzle and a battle. Once you solve each one, you'll unlock a rare spray-painting program I made."
Pei Guang's eyes lit up: "What? Did you say rare rewards?"
Seeing his excitement, Silver Wolf nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! You can install it on your phone or camera, and it'll give you all kinds of cool effects when you take pictures. It's a limited edition, too. Sounds exciting?"
Pei Guang's expression grew serious. "Oh? I didn't expect you to prepare such a generous mission reward."
Silver Wolf's grin widened. "That's right! There are also treasure chests and a ton of credit rewards along the way."
Stelle perked up at this. "Wait, tons of credits?!"
Pei Guang, however, stopped her. "No, no. The credits don't matter. What's important is the photo effect! That's an amazing mission reward!"
March 7th beamed. "And it's made by Silver Wolf, so it must be one of a kind, right?"
Silver Wolf confirmed, "Absolutely. It's one of a kind, with my personal mark on it. A rare NPC reward item. Plus, there are handcrafted trinkets I made—super rare."
Pei Guang couldn't contain his joy. "Silver Wolf, you're the best! You've even prepared all these things before joining our team. How do we start your game?"
Silver Wolf's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I just have one question for you—are you looking forward to the game I've set up?"
Pei Guang pondered for a moment. "Honestly, I'm very curious. I'm guessing it'll be a mix of puzzles and battles? I expect thrilling combat, tricky puzzles, and those limited rewards... In any game, that would definitely be a top-tier event."
Silver Wolf asked excitedly, "You really are looking forward to it?"
Pei Guang nodded, "Definitely. Win or lose, I genuinely want to try the game you've put together."
Silver Wolf beamed with excitement, "Alright then!!!"
In that moment of calm, a sudden burst of inspiration hit Silver Wolf. She realized many things and made a decision—a decision that might just get her into trouble!
Silver Wolf turned to Herta, her eyes sparkling with both excitement and resolve: "Herta! I'm forfeiting all the remaining matches!"
Herta blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Silver Wolf quickly connected to the network and made a public announcement: "In the hacking duel, I was utterly defeated and my will shattered. From this moment on, I concede defeat!"
The room fell into stunned silence. Pei Guang scratched his ear and looked over at Stelle. "What did she just say?"
Stelle: "She said she's surrendering…"
March 7th nodded in agreement, "Yep, she said she's giving up."
After a moment of mental lag, Pei Guang finally turned to Silver Wolf. "What about the final game? I mean, you can surrender, sure, but the last game…"
Silver Wolf jumped up cheerfully, "Canceled~"
She got right in Pei Guang's face, watching his expression freeze with disappointment. In that instant, she finally understood why Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th had looked so thrilled when she was struggling with their games.
Silver Wolf smirked, "I love that look—the one where you can't get what you really want. Ha! You enjoyed watching me struggle? Well, now it's your turn to feel the frustration!"
After realizing how much fun they had watching her fail, Silver Wolf was irked. Sure, she'd enjoyed the games, but now, knowing that Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th had been so gleeful the whole time… well, it just rubbed her the wrong way.
Seeing how eagerly Pei Guang anticipated the game she had set up, hoping to earn the rewards she'd promised, Silver Wolf made a bold decision. She canceled the game and, in one swift move, disabled all the hidden markers she'd placed around the space station. Even if Pei Guang found them, they wouldn't trigger the puzzles, battles, or rewards.
In that moment, Silver Wolf felt like a true genius! She had experienced the joy of Pei Guang's games, faced him in an intense battle, and then, when it came time for him to enjoy her game, she canceled it, denying him that pleasure entirely.
Pei Guang and Stelle stood frozen in silence. Even March 7th, who had been eagerly awaiting the next game, was struck by Silver Wolf's deviousness.
"You… you're so cruel…" March 7th muttered.
Silver Wolf grinned, "No, not at all! I just realized I couldn't win against you all. We've already had our fun, so let's end on a happy note. The game's over~ No more matches, no more rewards~"
Silver Wolf gleefully skipped around, clearly proud of her handiwork.
Herta, watching from the sidelines, asked, "Aren't you worried he might delete your account?"
Silver Wolf stood tall and defiant. "If he deletes it, so be it! I'll be upset, sure, but in exchange for making the entire galaxy's gamblers suffer and seeing him crave something he can't have? It's worth it! Hmph, by the time the next game comes around, he'll probably win easily, and the gamblers can bet happily again. But if I just let him enjoy this game, my fun is gone. So, instead, I'll strike first—make him suffer, make the gamblers suffer, and enjoy this fleeting moment of my own satisfaction. Who knows? He might even remember me for the rest of his life. These accounts? They're a small price to pay."
Even though she said it was worth it, the thought of losing her carefully maintained accounts still pained Silver Wolf a bit. But seeing Pei Guang and Stelle's hollow expressions—totally worth it! Sure, she could always rebuild, or even buy a new account to start fresh. But making a player like Pei Guang feel defeated? That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that would be remembered throughout the galaxy. Someday, when Pei Guang became a legendary figure, this story of outsmarting him might be immortalized in her homeland's textbooks.
After all, it's rare to make an invincible player feel so powerless. Bosses across countless games had tried and failed, but she, as an NPC and elite mob, had managed to do it!
Herta smiled, "Let me ask again, just to be sure: Are you certain you're forfeiting? If you are, I'll go ahead and announce the result."
Silver Wolf spread her hands wide, "I'm sure. No more matches."
Herta grinned, "Alright, the result is officially recorded!"
The moment Herta sent out the announcement, the galaxy exploded with chatter.
People were stunned—not just the average viewers but even those who had been subtly influencing the stakes behind the scenes. It had all happened so fast, so unexpectedly, and in such a… delightful way?
No one saw it coming. In a match where Silver Wolf had been winning decisively, and when everyone thought she had let Pei Guang win one round out of mercy, she had, in fact, completely surrendered in the hacking duel?
If anyone else had posted this, no one would have believed it. But with Herta's official stamp on the result, the entire galaxy was taken aback. The time between Silver Wolf's first loss and her surrender had been less than fifteen minutes. And now? She was giving up entirely?
What did Silver Wolf think about all this? For her, this was a trade—sacrificing her 76 rare accounts to enjoy watching the entire galaxy's reaction. It was a chance to achieve something that would make her a legend back home, something no player could pass up.
After all, being a Stellaron Hunter was one thing, but to have the entire galaxy cursing her name, not because of the Stellaron Hunters, but because of her actions? That was priceless.
As for Pei Guang, this would undoubtedly be a memory as bitter as gall. He had been set up, anticipating a thrilling game and exciting rewards, only to be left empty-handed.
And that, to Silver Wolf, was worth everything.
As the saying goes, "Smiles never disappear; they just move around." And right now, seeing Pei Guang's expression, Silver Wolf was absolutely thrilled.
Sure, she lost the game, but she had thoroughly enjoyed the process! The new games, watching the player struggle, and imagining the pain of the gamblers who had bet on her—all of it was just too satisfying. Not to mention the possible increase in her bounty after all this? That thought alone made Silver Wolf even happier.