"Oh," Juniper said with a faint smile, then plopped back into her chair.


    Hattie couldn''t hold back a chuckle and shot her a thumbs-up. Byron had been burned by Juniper so many times now; surely he wouldn''t dare to provoke her so carelessly again. She wasn''t called a Goddess for nothing.


    Later, in Tucker''s office, he was putting the final touches on the program for thepetition. To prevent the code from being maliciously altered, submissions weren''t sent online. Instead, contestants presented their work in person on the day of the event. Thepetition was scheduled for the weekend in Moralia Country, which meant Tucker needed to start arranging his travel ns soon.


    Juniper, bored out of her mind, sat nearby ying a game on her phone. She had finished all her work, but the old professor was too rigid to let her leave before ss was officially over.


    As she yed, her phone buzzed with a new message.


    Lue: [Registration for World Hacker Competition is open. It''s next weekend.]


    Juniper: [So soon?]


    Lue: [Yep. And your arch-nemesis registered this year too.]


    Her rival, known only as ''S,'' had shot to the top of the trending topics the moment his registration was confirmed. The fact that the founder of Cybeic Shadows was personally stepping in to restore his honor was causing quite a stir in the industry.


    Lue: [Juniper, this is a golden opportunity.]


    Next weekend? Juniper thought for a moment, then replied: [Sign me up.]


    Lue: [It''s obvious the leader of Sigma Network ising after you. He''s just waiting for you to register.]


    Juniper: [The feeling''s mutual.]


    The leader of Sigma Network had always been a thorn in her side. The sooner she could remove it, the better. Then she wouldn''t have to worry about him threatening the people she cared about.


    Lue: [Don''t worry. We have enough time to prepare this time. We won''t let that bastard get away.]


    Juniper: [Sounds good.]


    She put down her phone and turned to Tucker with a serious expression. "Professor Tucker."


    "What is it?" Tucker nced at her and quickly swept his snacks into a drawer, locking it. That look in her eyes never meant anything good.


    Juniper smirked. "Next week, for thepetition abroad... mind if I tag along?"


    "You want toe with me?" Tucker was baffled. "What for? It''s not a vacation, you know."


    "To broaden my horizons, of course," Juniper said, tapping her cheek with a look of utmost sincerity. "Besides, if any problemse up, I could offer some advice, right?"


    "But..." Tucker hesitated, looking at her earnest expression.


    "I''ll pay for your flight and hotel," Juniper whispered. "That way, you can pocket the money from the reimbursement as your own little private stash. Think of all the snacks you could buy with that."


    "Deal!" Tucker, who had been wavering, agreed instantly. "You said it. No take- backs."


    "I said it," Juniper confirmed, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.


    Perfect. Thepetition was a


    great excuse. Otherwise, she''d have a hard time exining her absence Shanley. This trip to Morata Country should finally allow her to deal with the leader of Sigma Network once and for all.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Shanley had just received intelligence that ''Specter'' of Subterra Vanguard was participating in hackerpetition. The time: Rext


    weekend. The location: an ind


    adjacent to Moralia Country.


    The old bastard was finally showing his face. This time, he wouldn''t let him escape.