Chapter 195: The Gamer of Punklorde
A few days later, the main briefing room of the starship was awash in the cool, blue light of a holographic projector. Kafka stood at its center, elegantly gesturing to the display.
"Our next objective," she announced, her voice smooth and captivating, "is a recruitment mission. Our target is the legendary hacker known only as 'Silver Wolf'."
Firefly, standing with disciplined posture, frowned. "A hacker? Kafka, our current network security is more than sufficient. Why do we need to..."
"She isn't a hacker, dear," Kafka interrupted gently, a small smile playing on her lips. "She is the hacker. Three days ago, she single-handedly breached the Interstellar Peace Corporation's main server and didn't just steal data—she deleted their entire customer database for the last fiscal quarter. The IPC is in chaos, and they've classified her as a universal-level threat."
You stood to the side, observing. Blade was in the corner, sharpening his fractured sword, utterly indifferent to the conversation.
"Elio's script is clear," Kafka continued. "She is vital to our future. And she is currently trapped on Punklorde."
[Inorin's Note: Punklorde is a planet famous for being a haven for hackers. Its planetary network, the 'Aether-Verse,' is a digital world that has almost merged with reality.]
On the projector, a planet materialized. It was an ugly, beautiful mess of steel and neon, a world that had completely surrendered to technology.
"Target: Punklorde," Kafka said. "A planet covered in cybernetic graffiti, glitched advertisements, and acid rain. Our goal is not to engage the IPC, who are currently blockading the planet. We are to go in, extract Silver Wolf, and leave. This operation needs to be low-key."
[Inorin's Note: The Interstellar Peace Corporation (IPC) is one of the largest and most powerful factions in the galaxy, a mega-corporation that follows the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth. They control galactic trade and finance.]
Elio, the black cat, hopped onto the console table, his golden eyes fixed on the holographic display. A single red dot flashed on the planet's surface. It was Silver Wolf's location—surrounded by a sea of IPC signatures, yet still moving.
The spaceship descended silently, its advanced cloaking systems weaving through the orbital debris. It landed softly at the edge of Punklorde's scrap heap, an endless, rain-slicked mountain range of discarded technology.
The hatch hissed open, releasing a cloud of steam into the cold, damp air, which smelled of ozone and wet garbage.
"Split up," Kafka ordered as the team disembarked. "Blade, you're responsible for the outer guards. Create a distraction if necessary, but keep it... elegant."
Blade merely grunted, his form melting into the shadows and the neon-drenched rain.
"Firefly, provide support from the shadows. Air superiority, but only if I call for it."
Firefly nodded, her expression serious. She gave you a quick, professional glance, then activated her suit's stealth, vanishing in a shimmer of light.
"Orion…" Kafka turned to you, her wine-red eyes glinting. "You come with me. You're the welcome wagon."
The black cat leaped from the console inside the ship and landed perfectly on your shoulder, his claws digging in just slightly. "I'll go with you," Elio's childish voice resonated in your mind. "It's my custom to personally welcome every newcomer."
Neon City was a sensory overload. Holographic advertisements glitched and tore through the perpetual, smoggy twilight. Rain sizzled on the hot metal streets. You and Kafka moved through the crowds, your steps silent and unseen. IPC "Peacemaker" mechs patrolled every corner, their red scanners cutting through the steam.
You arrived at the base of the data tower. It was the tallest structure, a needle of black glass and humming servers piercing the clouds. Countless drones hovered in the air, weaving an impenetrable net of red scanning lights. On the ground, IPC employees were fully armed, surrounding the tower.
"She's at the top," Kafka murmured. She didn't bother with the heavily guarded main entrance, instead leading you to a grimy service lift. A single guard stood there. Kafka merely looked at him, smiled, and said, "You need to take a break."
The guard's eyes went vacant. "I... need to take a break," he repeated, before slumping against the wall, asleep on his feet. Kafka pressed the button for the roof.
The elevator doors opened to the roar of high-altitude wind.
And at the top of the tower—a petite figure sat leisurely on the edge, her legs dangling a thousand meters above the city. Silver-gray hair, pulled into a messy ponytail, fluttered in the night wind.
She was completely unfazed, biting on a lollipop as she held an old, antique handheld game console.
"Seriously..." she muttered to the screen, her fingers mashing the buttons. "I just deleted a database. It's not like I crashed the market... yet. Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss? This boss mechanic is just cheap."
Beep, beep, beep—
Her high-tech phone vibrated. She glanced down at it, then back at her game. "Oh? They finally arrived. 3.4 seconds late. Sloppy."
Without looking up, she tapped a single icon on her phone.
The entire city died.
Every holographic ad, every street light, every IPC scanner, every single drone in the sky—all went dark. The cacophony of the city was replaced by an echoing, profound silence, broken only by the sound of panicked shouts from the ground far below.
"What's going on?!"
"System crashed! All networks are down!"
"Captain, there's a man in the lobby... he's... he's blocking our people from entering the tower! We need backup!!"
Taking advantage of the sudden, total chaos, you and Kafka stepped out onto the rooftop.
"Yo," Silver Wolf said, not turning her head, her fingers still mashing buttons on her game. "Stellaron Hunters. You arrived faster than I expected, but still late."
Kafka took a few steps forward, her heels clicking on the metal. "Nice to meet you, Miss Silver Wolf. We are here to invite you."
"Invite?" Silver Wolf jumped off the railing, finally pausing her game. She was even smaller up close, a child playing dress-up in a high-stakes war. "Let me think... Join you, and then cause trouble together? What are the conditions? What's the pay? Health benefits? Dental?"
"No conditions," you spoke up, stepping past Kafka. "Free to join, free to leave. We aren't the IPC."
Silver Wolf's bright eyes shifted to you, intrigued. "No conditions? That's a terrible business model. What's the catch?"
"Only..." You reached into your coat and pulled out a rectangular object. "A sign-on bonus. I heard you like games."
Silver Wolf's eyes instantly lit up. She dropped her other, high-tech handheld, letting it clatter to the rooftop.
"This is... is that a GBA SP?! AGS-101 model? The backlit one?!" She practically pounced, snatching it from your hand.
[Inorin's Note: The GBA (Game Boy Advance) is an "ancient" handheld game console from long before the Star Rail era, considered a priceless antique by collectors.]
"And it's the color version! Oh my god, this thing is an antique! Where did you even find—Wait, there's a cartridge in here too?"
She pulled out the small plastic cartridge, and her entire body froze. Her jaw dropped.
"Po-Pokemon?! FireRed Version?!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with pure, unfiltered joy.
"This... this is a legendary ancient game! The Kanto remakes! I've only ever played this on a trashy emulator! An original, physical cartridge! The feel of the D-pad!"
She was babbling excitedly, hugging the small device to her chest as if it were a holy relic.
Watching her, you scratched your head. "Actually, it's nothing, I just found it in a second-hand market on..."
"I'M IN!" Silver Wolf suddenly announced loudly, cutting you off.
Kafka, who had been watching this entire exchange with a look of utter, refined bewilderment, just blinked.
"Eh?" you said.
"I said I'm joining the Stellaron Hunters!" She hugged the game console tightly, her eyes sparkling. "A group that can give me this must be a good group! Your dental plan can suck for all I care!"
Kafka: "..."
You: "..."
Elio, from your shoulder, merely licked his paw. "What a simple, logical reason."
"Wow! A talking cat!" Silver Wolf only then seemed to notice the black cat on your shoulder. "He's so cute! Can I pet him?"
"...Whatever."
And so, under the heavy encirclement of the IPC, the Stellaron Hunters easily completed their recruitment.
The retreat was unusually smooth. While the IPC was still trying to reboot their systems from Silver Wolf's "greeting," she simply tapped on her phone.
"Okay, main security grid is in a 15-minute diagnostic loop, the service elevator is waiting, and I've sent the entire IPC blockade on a wild goose chase to the sub-basement server farm. Let's bounce."
On the way back to the ship, Silver Wolf was already huddled in a corner, her new GBA plugged in and charging, mumbling to herself.
"Charmander is so cute... Should I evolve it into Charmeleon? No, it won't be as cute... Ah! It's a Pidgey! Gotta catch it! Where are my Pokéballs..."
Firefly, her helmet retracted, sidled up to you, her expression one of complete bafflement.
She whispered, "Orion... are you sure she's the legendary super-hacker who crippled the IPC?"
You looked at Silver Wolf, who was now blowing into the cartridge slot out of habit. "Probably... right? Her style is just... a little different from what I had imagined."