Hold your breath. Tread lightly.
Silver Wolf rarely felt the thrill of familiarity in the Simulated Universe.
It was like a game, a pre-programmed one—monsters attacking with predictable patterns, their movements fluid but lacking the unpredictability of real life. Though their actions were smooth enough to deceive, there remained a telltale rigidity, a mechanical stiffness in the way they moved.
It was a strange sensation, like stepping into a world where the laws of reality were bent into something almost too perfect, too controlled. The challenge had caught Silver Wolf's interest in a way she hadn't felt for a long time.
The game was a playground, a puzzle that demanded both mind and skill to conquer. She made quick work of the smaller monsters, the Pawns of Destruction, easily sweeping them aside as she advanced along the path. Her primary goal was to obtain a rare item, but that didn't mean she minded taking her time. The vast expanse of the Simulated Universe, with its endless data spread out like the stars themselves, was not something even she could unravel in a short span of time. There was no rush. Instead, she would indulge herself in the game, lead her enemies—Screwllum, and the others—into traps, and uncover the secrets that lay hidden in this strange digital domain.
A perfect plan, truly.
Just as she was ready to enjoy the challenge, something unexpected happened.
A figure, one all too familiar, appeared before her.
"K-Kafka?"
The name slipped from Silver Wolf's lips almost without thought. Her brow furrowed for the briefest moment before it relaxed into a smirk.
"I didn't expect they kept your data... Well, guess I'll treat this as a personal challenge."
Her hands rubbed together eagerly, excitement flickering across her face. She turned to face the woman with that infuriatingly gentle smile, her eyes gleaming with determination.
A hand cannon materialized in an instant, her right arm raised to take aim. She fired a blazing laser at Kafka without hesitation.
Kafka's reaction was instantaneous, a graceful backward roll that effortlessly evaded the blast. In one smooth motion, she pulled two revolvers from her waist.
Silver Wolf chuckled.
"Pfft... Did they really have to get the data this wrong? They mistook Kafka's weapon for a pistol... when I clearly remember it being a—"
Her sarcastic laughter caught in her throat as she stared in disbelief. The revolvers erupted in a storm of gunfire, their rate of fire a terrifying storm of destruction.
The bullets rained down in a hail of metallic death, the force of each shot like the roar of a machine gun.
Instinctively, Silver Wolf dove behind the nearest bunker, cursing under her breath.
"What the hell? This game setting makes no sense!"
[Beautiful American-made M1917 Smith & Wesson, boy!]
A strange prompt box appeared before her eyes, and something inside Silver Wolf clicked. Her competitive nature, her insatiable desire to win, flared up with a sudden intensity.
"You messed with me first," she muttered, the words like venom on her tongue.
Without hesitation, she summoned a translucent display frame before her, fingers flying across it as she quickly tapped in her commands.
"Listen: Don't rush this," Kafka's soft voice drifted into the air, laced with the kind of calm that made Silver Wolf's heart skip a beat. Her body suddenly stiffened, and for the briefest moment, her hands faltered, her movements slowing.
She tried to rise, to face her adversary, but it was as though time itself had betrayed her. Her body, frozen mid-motion, struggled to move as though trapped in a slow-motion nightmare.
"Good times always come to an end... it's time to say goodbye."
The words were as sweet as they were cruel, and as Kafka's hand swung a long, gleaming knife down, Silver Wolf's world blurred to black.
But her consciousness remained anchored in the Simulated Universe. Before her eyes, a large red word appeared:
[LOSE]
"..."
Silver Wolf seethed with frustration.
When had she ever been defeated like this? No matter the difficulty, she always found a way to win. This was just a game—a Simulated Universe, for crying out loud.
"Again!" she growled, pushing herself to her feet, her resolve hardening like iron. She raised her hand cannon once more, glaring at Kafka, who remained as calm and unruffled as ever.
The cycle repeated, over and over.
"Good times always come to an end..."
"..."
"I don't believe this. Again!"
"Wonderful time..."
And again...
"Ha! Look at her," Herta snickered from the sidelines, her hands covering her mouth as she watched the spectacle unfold in the Simulated Universe. "The hacker from Stellaron Hunter, trapped in her own game. It's almost like she's trying to make the whole world her playground. As long as she's interested, she'll dive in without hesitation. And when she gets sucked in... she becomes a part of the game itself, toying with others, relishing the sweet taste of loss after each defeat."
Screwllum watched intently, his mind working furiously.
"We'll analyze her weaknesses and deficiencies. That way, Felicity can modify the parameters and instructions accordingly, adjusting the challenge in real time."
"In other words, she's up against an impossible opponent," Screwllum mused, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and pity. "For someone like Silver Wolf, a gaming genius, to face an opponent she can't defeat... that sense of helplessness must be maddening."
Herta's lips twisted into a sly grin.
"Hmph, what's the point if it just annoys her? For people like us, real problems only push us to explore deeper. That little brat will learn soon enough."
She shrugged with a playful smirk. "Just wait. I'll show her that Madam Herta is not someone to be trifled with."
"I'll be watching," Screwllum responded cheerfully, clearly intrigued by the unfolding drama.
Meanwhile, back in the Simulated Universe, Silver Wolf's frustration was reaching its boiling point. She had been defeated so many times she could feel her anger sizzling beneath the surface.
"Why is it flying up and hitting me with some ridiculous four-hit combo? And sometimes it even throws in a control combo!? This monster is broken! This has to be a bug!"
"If you're bad, just practice more. If you can't take the heat, then don't play," Kafka replied, her gentle voice still the same, but the words coming from her lips now had a bite.
Silver Wolf was about to retort, but before she could, a strange sensation washed over her. Kafka's movements were becoming unnaturally precise, as though the fight had been reset.
Something wasn't right. A sudden, sharp realization struck her.
Kafka's attacks were no longer just strategic. They were methodical—almost... too perfect.
Then, with a flash of emerald light, Kafka's form shimmered. The green glow engulfed her entirely. And when it faded, Kafka stood at the center of a newly bloomed flower, her eyes glowing a piercing green, like gemstones.
[Phase 2, kid.]
In an instant, Kafka vanished, her presence now a blur of movement. In the blink of an eye, she was behind Silver Wolf, her hand raised high.
With shocking speed, Kafka's hand came down with a sharp slap against Silver Wolf's backside.
"Ack--!!!"
Silver Wolf's world exploded in a mix of shock, anger, and disbelief. She had never been so thoroughly outplayed.
--+--