NovelGoldChapter 116 The Ultimate Showdown
75
+20 Free Coins
Baylon-the other half of the legendary duo from the computer science department, known alongside Leroy as
the “Stonebridge Legends.”
A true tech purist, Baylon barely spoke more than necessary. He avoided social interaction whenever he could,
immersing himself wholly in his studies.
He once led a team to victory in a global collegiate programming showdown, and his skill level was practically
unfathomable.
Thanks to his top-tier technical ability, Baylon had been courted by several major tech firms- including sof
the industry's biggest names.
It was rumored that the most influential tech company in the entire Stonebridge region had already made him an
offer: a guaranteed job as soon as he graduated. That alone said everything about the level of respect he
commanded in the field.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt
Now, here he was, standing among the audience—no doubt having just witnessed the match between Leroy and
Sloane.
With long strides, Baylon stepped onto the stage, brushing past Leroy. Leroy turned his head slightly and said
under his breath, “I'm really looking forward to your match.”
Without slowing down, Baylon reached the front of the stage. “Sloane, your performance just now was
incredible,” he said. “Watching from the audience got my blood pumping. As your senior, I'll shamelessly ask for
the honor of challenging you myself.”
Sloane raised a brow. This version of Baylon was completely different from the one she'd seen at Mr. Samson's.
And it seemed like he was intentionally keeping his distance from her. She had no idea what his angle was.
Still, despite her doubts, she kept her usual confident smile, “You're too kind, Baylon. It's an honor forto
learn by competing with someone as skilled as you.”
Baylon gave a slight smile. “Then let’s begin. | hope you'll give it your all, Sloane-let’'s make this match a good
one.”
Professor Molly stepped up again, face stern, and made the announcement. “Given the exceptional caliber of
both competitors, this match will be conducted in Capture the Flag format.”
“Sloane will take on the role of attacker. Baylon will be the defender. Sloane must attempt to breach the
simulated target network constructed by Baylon within 360 minutes. No premade
1/2
8:03 Thu, Sep 4 N
Chapter 116 The Ultimate Showdown
75
+20 Free Coins
CTF frameworks or off-the-shelf attack/defense libraries may be used-everything must be self-developed.”
The match began. Baylon quickly laid out the network structure, fine-tuned the firewalls, locked down the ports,
built strict access control lists, optimized his intrusion detection systems, and wrote scripts to monitor traffic.
Meanwhile, Sloane leaned on her solid technical foundation and sharp instincts to swiftly code a port scanner,
scanning the target system and building a complete topological map.
Next, she deployed her own vulnerability detection scripts to check for common exploits like SQL injection and
buffer overflow-her technique clean and precise.
As soon as she found potential vulnerabilities, she analyzed the defense mechanisms and cleverly used proxies
and encrypted tunnels to hide her traffic.
The audience was completely drawn in by the intense, high-stakes atmosphere. Everyone stared at the screens,
not even daring to blink, afraid they’d miss a critical move.
The comment stream surged like a tidal wave, filled with reactions and debate.
“Baylon has serious defensive experience-this won't be easy for Sloane!”
“Sloane's pulled off so many miracles before. I'm betting she breaks through again!”
“This attack-and-defense match is insane. This really is the ultimate showdown. Can't wait to see the result!”
Tticked by under a blanket of tension. At the 300-minute mark, Baylon had completed the full hardening and
optimization of his defense system.
No wonder he’d led a team to victory in the global collegiate competition-his strength was undeniable.
But Sloane was now in her final push. Her keen attention to detail and quick adaptability with cutting-edge
techniques allowed her to keep refining her strategy, making her attacks stealthier and more effective.
2/2
8:04 Thu, Sep 4 N
0oa(7s),
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
