The two most famous hacker organizations in the world were Subterra Vanguard''s Binary Oracle and Sigma Network''s Cybeic Shadows. In previous World Hacker Competitions, only members had participated. No one expected that this time, the two leaders themselves would enter the fray.
"Cybeic Shadows has lost to Binary Oracle for three years straight. If the leader of Sigma Network didn''t show up himself, his reputation would be in shreds."
"But Binary Oracle isn''t taking this lightly either. Look, Specter has also appeared!"
"A summit showdown between the two giants. We probably won''t see a scene like this ever again."
"Who do you think will win?"
"ce your bets!"
The remaining people in the hall were mostly high-profile figures who hade to watch. A little gambling on the side was just for fun.
"I''m betting on Binary Oracle. They''ve been champions for three years running. Their strength is undeniable."
"Cybeic Shadows ising in strong. The Sigma Network leader''s skills might not be any less than Specter''s. I''m putting my money on Cybeic Shadows."
"I''ll bet on Binary Oracle..."
"I''m buying Cybeic Shadows..."
As the first bets were ced, other wealthy individuals began to pourrge sums of money into the pot.
In the private room, Lue sat beside Juniper, snacking on pistachios while watching thepetition. "Juniper, your arch-nemesis is online," she said, her voice filled with excitement.
Juniper nced up and saw arge ''S'' avatar appear on the screen, logging in right after hers.
"That old bastard." The mere sight of the Sigma Network''s leader made Lue grind her teeth, cracking the pistachio shells with extra force. "Does he really think showing up in person will be enough to avenge Sigma Network''s shame? He might just make it worse."
A faint smile touched Juniper''s lips at Lue''sment.
The countdown began. Fifty hackers started their assault, attacking each other''s systems. Those with weaker defenses were quickly breached and eliminated.
Ten minutes in, only half the contestants remained.
the
But most of the attention was focused on Specter and the leader of Sigma Network. From the very beginning, they had targeted each other with clear intent. Other hackers tried to take advantage of chaos to challenge the two titans, but within two minutes, all who attempted it were utterly crushed. And this was while Specter and the Sigma Network leader were simultaneously attacking each other and fending off others.
Twenty minutester, only five hackers were left. Specter and the leader of Sigma Network were still locked in their duel, and no one dared to approach them. The
battlefield split into two groups: a three-way battle and a two-way duel.
The three-way fight was especially fierce. After all, they were well aware of the skitt gap between themselves and the two legends. Competing with them for the championship was suicide. So, defeating the other two to im third ce in the World Hacker Competition was a glory in itself.
In the heat of the moment, the three hackers fought so intensely they looked ready to smash their keyboards. Their opponents not only broke into their systems but also
nted viruses. After a brutal skirmish, two of the hackers were eliminated by a contestant named "Kage," their systemspletely crashed and theirputers riddled with incurable viruses. They had not only failed to secure a rank but had also lost their machines-a double loss.
Kage, the third-ce winner, scratched his short, textured hair and leaned closer to
the screen to watch the fiery battle between Specter and the leader of Sigma Network, his brow furrowed in thought. *Damn... which one am I supposed to attack first?*
"Are you hesitating?" his assistant asked, confused.
"Yeah," Kage nodded.
"Are you for real?" The assistant nearly burst outughing. "Between Specter and the leader of Sigma Network, who do you honestly think you can beat? You''re acting like you have a choice."
"Oh, right." Realization dawned on Kage. He scratched his head sheepishly and grinned. "Okay then, I''ll challenge Specter. I''m a big fan."