*Chapter 26: Smug Little Brat Silver Wolf is Resisting ! (Part 2 )*

Her left arm shot up horizontally in front of her. This wasn't an ordinary block. The moment her arm lifted, her fingertips had already silently traced through the void.

Aether Editing activated !

Pale purple pixel blocks materialized out of thin air in front of Silver Wolf's forearm, instantly solidifying into an irregular polygonal energy shield shimmering with unstable data-like luster. The shield wasn't large, barely enough to cover her vital abdominal area. Its edges constantly shed fine pixel fragments, clearly an emergency defense hastily constructed in this chaotic environment.

Just as the ominous edge of the pitch-black tachi swung by Jiang Liang was about to touch the pale purple energy shield hastily constructed by Silver Wolf's Aether Editing, a strange event occurred.

It wasn't the explosion or dispersion typically caused by a violent collision of energies, nor the crisp sound of a sturdy blade splitting a fragile barrier. Instead, it was a chilling sound.

Crack !

Like some starving beast gnawing on bone, the pitch-black blade seemed to possess life, opening an invisible mouth and taking a vicious bite out of the Aether Editing energy shield Silver Wolf had conjured.

The pale purple energy shield, like a cookie with a chunk bitten off, abruptly displayed a clearly visible gap with irregular, teeth-mark-like edges. The energy around the gap flickered erratically with arcs of electricity, emitting a whimpering static, as if its data structure was undergoing an incomprehensible erosion. Shattered purple pixel blocks drifted down like tiny snowflakes before quickly annihilating in mid-air.

Poof !

The energy shield shattered instantly. The remaining purple light specks dissipated like fireflies in the distorted air. Left unprotected, Silver Wolf had no time to react, only feeling an overwhelming force accompanied by the residual shockwave of the blade strike her body.

"Uwah !"

Silver Wolf let out a short cry of surprise. Her petite body flew backward uncontrollably, like being sideswiped by a high-speed train.

Her flying silver ponytail swept across the virtual ground, which was constantly peeling and distorting due to data collapse, kicking up a cloud of fine purple pixel dust. The hem of her shorts flew up with her violent movement, momentarily revealing fair, firm skin, but she had no time to care about that now. Her feet stumbled and slid several meters across the distorted ground before she barely managed to regain her balance.

The impact on her back and hips made her vision blur, and a sweet taste rose in her throat, almost making her cough.

What happened? ! Aether Editing was directly nullified? This can't be ! Is it this sword, or this space itself?
What the hell is this thing? ! This sword can actually just... eat my Aether Editing? ! Are you kidding me? ! This isn't logical ! This is basically cheating !
Are you playing a hacked version of this fighting game? !

Silver Wolf's heart pounded wildly from shock and adrenaline. Her hacking skills, which she prided herself on and which were almost always successful, had been countered in this Simulated Universe by what looked like a cold weapon, in such an absurd way.

Thinking doesn't stop time.

The blade followed like a shadow, forcing Silver Wolf to once again use Aether Editing to recreate the pale purple energy shield.

CLANG !

A harsh screech of metal on metal mixed with the explosive sound of shattering data erupted.

The pitch-black tachi struck heavily against the pale purple energy shield. The moment the blade made contact, the hastily constructed shield hissed like ice dropped into boiling butter, unable to bear the load. The purple light flickered violently, cracks spreading across its surface like a spiderweb.

This time, it didn't even 'eat' it. The energy shield lasted less than half a second before completely collapsing with a crisp crack, turning into a sky full of scattered purple light specks.

Unimpeded, the blade continued its momentum. Although most of the force had been spent, the sharp edge still grazed past.

Even though the energy shield had dissipated, the previous massive impact force still slammed hard into her left arm. An overwhelming brute force struck her, making Silver Wolf feel as if she'd been hit head-on by a speeding train. She let out a muffled grunt. Despite the buffer, a violent numbness shot through her left arm, feeling as if her very bones were vibrating.

Damn it ! This guy's strength and speed are totally monstrous !

Although she successfully avoided being cut in half, this swift and precise strike still sent a chill through her heart.

A strand of silver hair, severed by the sharp sword qi, drifted down lazily. A stinging pain flared on her chin. Although it didn't cause a substantial wound, the imminent threat of death and the feeling of the blade grazing her skin made her breath catch sharply.

So fast... and this sword is definitely weird !

The moment Silver Wolf landed from her retreat, she steadied herself with one hand on the ground. Once stable, her left arm hung slightly limp. She gave it a gentle shake, trying to alleviate the bone-deep numbness. Her other hand instinctively covered the slash on her waist as she increased the distance between them. Her previously playful and confident eyes were now filled with gravity. She stared intently at Jiang Liang and the pitch-black tachi in his hand that posed such a strong threat, her brain rapidly analyzing every detail of the brief exchange.

Doesn't seem like a normal physical attack... The way the energy shield shattered just now was more like its data structure being directly destroyed, devoured... What is the origin of this sword?

Silver Wolf stared fixedly at the figure that had stopped before her, her expression completely changed.
Since when did Herta's Simulated Universe have something like this? !

"Can we go back to how we were when we first met? Can we reconcile? Actually, I used to be your comrade..." Silver Wolf coughed twice. She didn't hear a response but saw Stelle, whose hair had turned white at some point, shake her head, muttering something.

Right now...
You're not kidding, right?

Knowing reconciliation was impossible, Silver Wolf saw the person opposite her raise one finger, then retract it.
Take me out in one round?

As Silver Wolf opened her mouth again, Jiang Liang moved once more.

It wasn't a swift, direct slash like the last time, but a more stable, oppressive advance. The ground beneath his feet cracked silently as his entire figure seemed to blur into a pitch-black afterimage, closing the distance again at astonishing speed.

This time, the pitch-black tachi in his hand wasn't immediately swung. The tip still pointed diagonally towards the ground, but the dark light flowing on the blade seemed even richer. An invisible, heavy pressure spread out as he approached, seeming to suppress even the chaotic data streams around them, making their flow sluggish.

No, it's not an illusion.
The surrounding data, usually easy to read, really feels like it's solidified, trapping me.

The moment Silver Wolf lowered her center of gravity, the pitch-black figure closing in seemed to have perfectly predicted her reaction.

The ominous tachi didn't pause for a moment. Following the momentum of his advance, it swept upwards in an extremely sharp arc. The blade edge tore through the chaotic data streams, targeting her chin and chest, which were relatively exposed due to her lowered stance.

This strike was fast, vicious, and aimed at an incredibly cunning angle, completely sealing off any escape routes to the sides.