"You really want to come with me?"
The rhythmic footsteps on the iron rails, accompanied by a faint grinding 'creak,' continued as they walked beside the now silent group. The thick fog swirled around them like a vortex in a misty sea.
Alain looked at the increasingly dense fog ahead and then at Cute Mita walking beside him.
Just recently, at the entrance to the Forgotten Place, Alain had set their course: straight to Version 1.0F to rescue Mita and Prankster Mita, and to find Monika to deliver a message. His original plan was to leave Cute Mita and Cool Mita behind, guarded by some Man-Headed Spider-Wasps.
But both girls vehemently opposed the idea.
Cool Mita's reason was, "I don't feel at ease letting you go alone. At least, I should accompany you."
"Then, is your body okay?"
Alain looked at Cool Mita's shoulder. The bloodstains on the bandage were dry, no longer seeping, indicating the bleeding had stopped.
"It's fine. Fortunately, it's my left shoulder that's injured; my dominant hand is my right." She flexed, showing off her waist muscles once more.
As he admired her as usual, he couldn't help but notice Cute Mita's cold stare from the side, a silent command to 'stop looking.'
"So... what about you?"
"Me? Do I even need a reason for that?!" She stuck out her tongue, her twin tails swaying like a cat's. "You want me, a youthful, cute, energetic beautiful girl, to stay with the Man-Headed Spider-Wasps?!"
She then pointed at a spider nearby, which was monitoring the path ahead. "Please, don't you think it's a bit... out of place?"
Alain silently looked at the spider and sighed. "If you say that, the spider might feel hurt."
'Huh?'
The twin-tailed girl's gaze instantly shifted to the spider in front of her. Sure enough, the pale human head drooped like a scolded pet dog.
"Oh, uh... sorry... my bad..." Cute Mita had to lower her head and admit her mistake.
She muttered, "Actually, the spider isn't the real reason. I'm just… really worried about the Corrosive Entity you're going to face."
Alain, of course, recognized her concern.
"What do you mean by that? Don't you trust me?"
"...A little," she admitted, her brows furrowed in worry. "Honestly, I have serious doubts about whether you can defeat the Corrosive Entity."
"Why do you say that?" Alain asked.
"Because... the Corrosive Entity is utterly unlike any other virus I've ever encountered." Her expression twisted in distaste as she spoke. "Its speed and efficiency in devouring versions make it seem like the 'king' of viruses... and it possesses a very unique ability."
"Oh? Do tell." Alain was curious, eager to hear what kind of incredible message Mita had received from Monika.
"The Corrosive Entity is practically the nemesis, or rather, the killer of Mitas."
"Initially, it was already formidable. But as it devours more and more versions, its permissions within the game world—in other words, its raw power—also escalate."
"And now..." Cute Mita looked at him. "Mita must have undergone incredible changes, right?"
"...Yes," Alain confirmed. "The massive changes Cute Mita observed, I've also witnessed firsthand."
It was the wholesale devouring of all game versions. The culprit needed no introduction.
In other words, the Corrosive Entity suddenly began devouring entire game versions because it had consumed enough to decide it could conquer all of 'Mita' at once.
Ambitious and seemingly tireless.
"You don't need to worry," Alain reassured her. "I won't just protect Mita; I'll also make the Corrosive Entity... disgorge everything it has swallowed."
"...Oh." Despite her lingering doubt and worry, his smile couldn't help but offer her a sliver of reassurance.
Alain, looking at the dense fog gradually dispersing ahead, could already faintly glimpse the door leading to the next version. This meant that The Forgotten Jigsaw Puzzle was about to end.
Alain recalled the journey through these past two versions and realized how much he had endured. Not only did he meet Cool Mita and Tiny Mita, but he also uncovered a corner of the truth about the virus.
And then there was the mist itself.
He looked around. Having successfully broken through the illusion, the mist no longer hindered their progress, spontaneously retreating to both sides.
This illusion had left a particularly deep impression, tearing open and forcing him to personally confront the scars he was most unwilling to mention. Even the original scars had evolved into a different form: the mansion that had imprisoned him within this illusion.
He looked at the door ahead, now steadily approaching, and instinctively reached out to shield the Mitas behind him, guarding against any sudden attacks.
The door to the next version and the railings of the illusion... gradually intertwined, piecing themselves together. Within the game world, he saw the house from reality.
Alain had seen the address of the 'Imprisonment Mansion' from Yang Wanhua on the first night he entered the illusion. It was indeed located in his city, though he didn't know the authenticity of the address.
However, he seemed to recall hearing of the neighborhood where the mansion was located; it was supposedly in the city's suburbs.
He didn't understand whether that mansion truly existed in reality... or if it was merely a fleeting construct of the illusion. But there was no doubt: upon returning to reality, he would definitely go to that mansion to investigate.
Did the mansion truly exist in reality? And what secrets did it hold? If it truly stood on solid ground in reality, what would his reaction be?
He took a deep breath and halted in his tracks.
Whether the mansion existed in reality or not was irrelevant for now. That was a matter for the future.
"Everyone, be careful. The end of our journey is ahead..." Alain's expression turned grave. "And it's also the location of the Corrosive Entity."
"Mm." Cool Mita's hand subtly reached toward Tiny Mita, not knowing how many more weapons were hidden there.
"Be careful..." Tiny Mita's head bobbed anxiously, scanning for possible dangers.
"You be careful too." Cute Mita, in turn, cautiously huddled with her good friend, preparing for possible attacks.
Alain nodded to them all and reached out to touch the doorknob.
The ring on his finger emitted a faint green glow. As his palm touched the doorknob, the glow intensified—
He exerted a slight force, and with a soft 'click,' Version 1.0F swung open, revealing itself before everyone's eyes.
___
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