?Chapter 1339:


    Even though Freya and Frederick were built for defense and couldn’t go on the offensive, she had one trick left. She could keep expanding the firewall. If the enemy refused to engage, they’d eventually be boxed in.


    As long as her system was programmed to strike back automatically whenever an intruder crossed the boundary, they would lose.


    Technically, her system’s counterattack didn’t count as an offensive move from her side.<fn329c> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find[f]ovel</fn329c>


    Time kept ticking.


    While Freya and Frederick worked with practiced precision, Marlon, Michael, and the others hovered close by, holding their breath.


    Even if they lost, no one would dare question Freya’s skills. The other team was just too sneaky.


    The techs from the other team had nned to stall the match entirely. But before long, they realized Freya and Frederick were tightening the firewall and shrinking their safe zone.


    “We’re really just gonna stay put?”


    “We should be fine. Even if we’re inside their system, as long as we don’t move, they can’t touch us.”


    “Fair enough.”


    So, they stayed frozen.


    But instead of safety, they were met with a brutal auto-strike from Freya’s defense program. They had misjudged how hidden they were—andpletely underestimated Freya’s brilliance.


    Just over twenty minutester, the second round was done.


    Freya and Frederick had won.


    “All done.” Freya lifted her hands off the keyboard and turned toward them.


    Everyone stared in stunned silence.


    Marlon and the others hadn’t even registered it yet.


    Your next story is here g?lnσνels


    “We won?” they asked nkly.


    “Yeah,” Freya replied with a nod.


    “You sure?” Marlon asked again, still skeptical.


    Freya gave another quiet nod.


    Marlon didn’t know what to say. Just a few minutes ago, he’d been scrambling in his head, trying to figure out what to do if Ellis actually got transferred to the other team. But before he could even form a backup n, Freya and Frederick had wrapped up the match.


    “Go get some rest,” Ellis said with a faint smile. He’d known all along that Freya wouldn’t let him be traded away. “We will reward you soon.”


    “Alright,” Freya agreed without missing a beat.


    She and her teammates left without a backward nce. Whatever mess lingered between the two teams wasn’t her problem. That was for Marlon and Ellis to sort out.


    Watching them disappear, Ellis turned to the person next to him. “Freya and Frederick still managed to win for you, even after the other team tried to y dirty. You’re seriously not nning to reward them?”


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