After the security system dealt with the hackers, there was once again peace and quiet in the Computer Department but it didn’t last long. Iris Long’s security system suddenly started acting weird. Then a pop-up message appeared on all of the department’s computer screens.
“Initiating Power Flood….”
The staff members were alarmed.
“What’s happening?! Is there another attack?”
“Is this a virus? Did we get breached?”
“What the heck is a power flood?!”
They attempted to control the situation but to no avail. They had no idea at all of what was happening.
The department head was about to alert Headmaster Dupont of the situation when another message popped up on their screens.
“Please don’t be alarmed. I mean no harm. I just want to borrow power from Cross Academy. Please let the headmaster know that I’ll compensate the academy at a later date. Thanks. Sincerely, Drakon.”
Everyone in the unit knew Drakon. After all, the surveillance and security system that they had been using since last year had been designed by her. Even though not all of them knew that she was the disciple of the legendary hacker, Fantom, everyone in the department admired and respected her skills especially the department head.
“So it’s you,” the department head sighed while shaking his head. He might sound annoyed but the small, amused curl of his mouth showed that he was already accepting the current situation.
Then the lights started flickering.
“Whoa! Ghost?!”
“Mama!”
“Shut up. It’s just Drakon.”
“Drakon is a ghost?!”
“I want my Mama! Too scary!”
“Hahaha! Your mama will beat you up for acting like a grown-ass chicken.”
Laughter filled the room even as the lights continued flickering like a scene out of a horror movie. Now that they knew who was causing the anomaly, all of them relaxed and took the opportunity to entertain themselves with what was happening.
The department head joined them, chuckling but murmured, “Not a ghost, a phantom.”
Nobody heard his soft voice amidst the laughter, however.
He looked up at the flickering lights and began to understand a bit of what power flood meant. “You greedy child. The headmaster, that wily old man, will surely attempt to squeeze you dry when he demands the compensation you promised. Just like what happened last year. Tsk tsk.”
He was talking about what happened last year when Iris had to fulfill ten hacking jobs for the academy as punishment for fighting with Amanpio Kileksy on campus grounds. During that time, Amanpio insulted Jin Liwei in front of Iris, causing her to lose her temper and hit the inventor. It caused a ruckus, prompting the strict headmaster, Professor Erwan Dupont, to punish both Iris and Amanpio.
Amanpio had his monthly funds slashed to one-fourth than usual while Iris had to accept ten hacking requests from the academy. She had no choice but to fulfill all ten—nothing more, nothing less—without pay whether she liked it or not. The majority of the jobs were complicated but she still completed all of them without any complaints.
The Computer Department was in charge of hacking-related tasks for the academy so the department head was aware of Iris’ punishment. In fact, the jobs given to her actually originated from him.
He selected some of the most difficult tasks for Iris, not so much because the Computer Department was busy with other tasks and needed an extra hand but mainly because he wanted to estimate the extent of her skills. And she didn’t disappoint.
She was indeed the legendary Fantom’s disciple.
Absolutely brilliant, talented and skilled.
However, just like with Fantom, he still couldn’t determine the true limit of Drakon’s abilities.
“Perhaps Fantom and Drakon have no limits,” he murmured.
The lights stopped flickering when the academy’s own private electrical grid poured more power to refill the energy that was quickly being sucked out. The grid’s system was powerful and automatic, ensuring a continuous supply of electricity throughout the entire Cross Academy’s properties in the Swiss Alps.
There was a saying among everyone at the academy that even if the rest of the world was thrown in a blackout, Cross Academy would always have light due to its hi-tech yet sustainable electrical grid system. There was nothing like it in the world. An alumni developed it exclusively for Cross Academy decades ago. Of course, the academy continued to modernize the grid since then.
And right now, this one-of-a-kind electrical grid was being sucked out of an enormous amount of power. If it were any other culprit, the academy would never take this lying down. But the culprit this time was none other than Cross Academy’s own student, Iris Long, a.k.a. Drakon.
They couldn’t possibly call her a thief when she asked for permission, could they?
No, that wasn’t accurate. She didn’t exactly “ask” for permission but “informed” them instead while she was already redirecting what looked like an astronomical amount of power.
The department head was currently talking with Professor Dupont on the phone. Long story short, the headmaster instructed him and the entire Computer Department to allow Iris Long to do whatever she wanted this time. In fact, he even told them to be ready to assist her if she needed any help.
“Miss Long has spent the least amount of academy funds and resources among the enrolled students so far this year,” Professor Erwan Dupont said. “Letting her use this much power should not be a problem. Our academy can afford it.” Then he added, “But we’ll still accept her offer of compensation.”
The department head agreed, but deep inside, he was sighing at the headmaster’s nonchalance. Seeing the rate of the academy’s power being drained, he estimated that it should be an equivalent of a developed country like America’s power consumption in a whole week, perhaps more.
Imagine a week of power being spent in mere minutes.
Even a country like America wouldn’t be able to handle this kind of fast and intense power drainage. A normal electrical grid would surely collapse. Fortunately, Cross Academy didn’t have this problem. Like what Professor Dupont said, the academy could afford it.
After the phone call with the headmaster, the department head instructed the others to analyze how the power flood worked before they asked Iris Long for clarification. Excitement filled them as they went to work learning from Drakon’s performance, the hotshot hacker who was younger than all of them.
