Katelyn had seemed solely focused on fending off his assaults. When had she managed to penetrate his defenses?

The bystanders took a full three seconds to process the sudden turnaround. It turned out that it wasn’t a mistake on Katelyn’s part. Perhaps her earlier setbacks weren’t due to inferior skills, but a calculated ruse—a mere distraction! For original chapters go to find?novel.net

By leading her opponent to believe he was on the verge of victory, she had lured him into a false sense of security. Such psychological tactics were common in competitive scenarios. Caught in the thrill of apparent success, few maintain the rationality needed to fully grasp the evolving situation.

001 had fallen into this trap, and Katelyn seized the opening he had provided. A serene smile played across her lips. Now, she would easily uncover the identity of the elusive puppet master behind the scenes.

Vincent watched the unfolding events with a slight smile. Despite the online spectators’ mixed reactions, he never doubted Katelyn’s victory. Even as the situation appeared dire, his confidence in her remained unshaken.

Jaxen exhaled a sigh of relief, a smug expression crossing his face. “I knew it. How could my master possibly lose?”

Following the announcement of the results, the skeptics fell silent, their doubts replaced by accolades. Katelyn had topped the international hacker rankings for seven years straight, and her legend endured even through three years of retirement.

Clearly, none could rival her pace or prowess. Even if 001 currently held the top spot globally, it seemed insignificant. After all, Katelyn had stepped back from the spotlight not out of necessity, but by choice. She could reclaim her position whenever she desired.

001 was still reeling, struggling to grasp the reality of the situation. “How did this happen? When did you breach my defenses?” His voice betrayed his frustration.

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Seven layers. His firewall had seven layers, and yet Katelyn had breached each one unnoticed. He hadn’t even realized when she made her move. Katelyn’s execution was so swift that he had no opportunity to rectify it.

Speaking calmly, Katelyn said, “From the start, I had already penetrated the first layer.” For her, the number of layers was irrelevant. It was the robustness of each layer that mattered, and once she identified a weak spot, the result was inevitable.

001 was still in disbelief. His pride, once sharp and unyielding, was fractured anew, echoing the past. He struggled with the fact that despite years of honing his skills, aiming to surpass Katelyn, the harsh reality was that his skills were still lacking. Previously, it had taken Katelyn three days to defeat him; now, she had dismantled his defenses in merely thirty minutes. Just how formidable was Katelyn’s expertise?

Katelyn paused her explanations, allowing 001 some time to process the loss, and then she withdrew from the duel. Admittedly, 001 was the most formidable opponent she had encountered yet. However, his hubris was his downfall.

“Now it’s time to uphold your end of the bargain. Share everything you know,” Katelyn said.

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