Jackson piloted his XF-305 triplane fighter back to base. He entered the hangar and saw Avril stepping down from her aircraft.

The four ground crew members in the hangar ignored Avril. Jackson was puzzled. "Avril, why are my crew members not reacting to you?"

"Hehe, they can’t see me!" Avril said casually.

Jackson was stunned. Not because she said they couldn’t see her, but because her beauty left him speechless.

He used to think Kai was the most beautiful girl. But now, he had to admit Avril was breathtaking. Her long golden waves fell to her waist. Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled like stars. Her figure was perfect, and her skin looked like flawless porcelain. Every word for beauty fit her.

Jackson stared at her, lost in thought. Avril noticed his expression. Instead of getting annoyed, she felt happy.

She believed Jackson was like her. They both had that strange energy sphere. They were the same kind!

"Hehe, do I look nice?" Avril twirled in front of him playfully. A few strands of her golden hair brushed against his face, carrying a faint, sweet scent.

Jackson snapped back to reality. He looked at Avril and thought, "This is a virtual world. Avatars can be adjusted. Reality and the virtual world are different. Avril is a super hacker. She could make her appearance perfect."

"You’re truly beautiful. You are the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen," Jackson said.

"Of course! I am the most beautiful!" Avril said proudly.

She waved her hand, and her triplane fighter shrank into a model, landing in her palm.

Jackson's eyes widened. If he didn’t know this was a virtual world, he would have thought she was using magic.

"Here, this is for you!" Avril handed him the aircraft model. "It’s just a program. With it, you can enter the game 'Eagle of the Empire' without an ID. The server won’t detect you. You can attack any faction you want."

"Whoa! Isn’t this a legendary hacker toolset? It lets people log into servers without being noticed!" Jackson was now sure Avril was a super hacker.

They arrived at Jackson’s small white house. Avril pointed at the golden tetrahedral energy sphere on the ceiling. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

Jackson shrugged. "I don’t know. It’s been here since I first arrived."

Avril thought, "As I expected! My energy sphere has been in my castle’s hall since I built it."

Avril stared at Jackson with her big sapphire eyes. She looked like she was about to share a secret. She said, "I have an energy sphere too. It looks just like yours. Do you want to see it?"

Jackson hesitated. He wanted to log out soon. If he returned to Camp 7 too late, Sergeant Huffman would punish him. As a temporary squad leader, he had to set an example.

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He had an ambition—to become an official squad leader. In the Cabas Empire’s space paratroopers, squad leaders were usually military academy graduates. But regular soldiers with outstanding performance or special skills could be promoted. That would make him a professional soldier. He would have a chance to climb ranks and get resources. Then he could find a way back to Earth.

This was Jackson’s goal. He knew it was nearly impossible. But if he gave up, he would be nothing more than a drifting nobody.

"Hehe, let’s go!" Avril grabbed Jackson’s hand without hesitation.

Jackson felt her soft, warm hand pulling him outside. Before he could think too much, he quickly reminded her, "Avril, it’s dangerous outside! The chaotic space burns souls."

"Hehe, that’s true for others, but not for me! I can move freely in chaos," Avril said.

Avril might be stunning, but her grip left Jackson no chance to resist.

She led Jackson into the green-symbol-filled chaotic space. A spherical shield surrounded them, protecting them from the harmful environment.

"Hehe, see? No need to worry now!" Avril said proudly.

Jackson had nothing to say. He didn’t understand the world of a super hacker.

They flew through the endless chaotic space. After a while, Avril said, "This is too slow. Let’s use another method. You might feel a little dizzy."

Jackson’s vision went dark. When he opened his eyes, he was stunned by what he saw.

A vast green prairie stretched endlessly, dotted with small hills covered in orange shrubs. A few unknown creatures played in the grass. White flying horses soared through the sky. Above, the chaotic space was faintly visible.

"Squeak! Squeak!" Jackson felt something climbing his pants. He looked down and saw a pink rabbit with purple eyes tugging at his leg with tiny paws.

He playfully tried to scare it away. "Shoo!"

The little rabbit instantly turned into a pink streak of light and disappeared at an unbelievable speed.

"I created all of this," Avril said proudly. "Come on, let’s go to the castle."

On a hill in the grasslands, a towering castle stood tall.

Surrounded by rock gardens and lush trees, the castle had a curved triangular shape. Its proportions were perfect. The pink and white color scheme, with a dreamy blue dome, gave it a slight Baroque touch. It was breathtaking.

They entered Avril’s favorite hall. The room had everything—luxurious pink sofas, the best holographic movie equipment, walls adorned with famous cosmic paintings, expensive handcrafted carpets from Bosher Star, and art books scattered everywhere.

"Avril, is this your virtual home? How much did this cost?" Jackson asked in amazement.

In the virtual world, the more luxurious a home, the higher the cost. Avril’s place was practically a small city. The price must be astronomical.

"Hehe, it’s free! If you want, I can upgrade your small house," Avril said.

"No, forget it!" Jackson refused.

If it was free, he suspected Avril had used hacking techniques. If the Empire’s communications department found out, it would be a crime. His military career would be over.

Besides, Jackson didn’t care about virtual homes.

"Hmm, okay!" Avril was a little disappointed.

"Look, my energy sphere." She pointed at the golden icosahedral energy sphere on the ceiling.

Jackson saw that it looked like the one in his house—golden, with data flowing inside. The only difference was the shape.

"Does every virtual home have an energy sphere?" Jackson asked.

"No! Only you and I have them. No one else!" Avril answered firmly.

Jackson didn’t think much of it and joked, "That means we’re destined to meet!"

"Hehe, of course! That’s why I came to find you. Let’s watch cartoons!" Avril eagerly pulled Jackson to sit beside her.

Jackson thought, "She’s a super hacker, optimized her looks to perfection. I’ll keep her company for a bit. Maybe it’s worth befriending her."

The cartoon was about a boy and a girl fighting an evil force in the universe. Avril was engrossed. Jackson found it dull.

He sighed, "I don’t understand hackers. How can she enjoy cartoons at her age?"

"Do you like battleship strategy games?" Avril asked.

Jackson thought for a moment. "I haven’t played them, but I probably would. They train strategic thinking. But I heard there aren’t any good ones. If a company made a great battleship strategy game, it would make a fortune."

"Hey! Let’s start a company together! We’ll make one!" Avril said excitedly.

Jackson was speechless. "She’s brilliant but completely impulsive!"