The Corrosive Entity shares superficial similarities with other viruses: like the Bat Entity and the Devouring Entity, it craves Version Authority in order to control game versions.
But the Corrosive Entity is fundamentally different from ordinary viruses.
If one were to say that the purpose of ordinary viruses poisoning versions is due to instinct, or Monika's instructions... then the Corrosive Entity's purpose is far from simple: while devouring versions, it is also strengthening itself.
Alain had faced off against the Corrosive Entity twice in total.
The first time was in 2D Mita's version. What Alain faced then was merely a black hand of the Corrosive Entity. At that time, Alain had been sitting lazily, mistaking that aggressive black hand for an unprecedentedly powerful enemy.
But an accident occurred: that Corrosive Entity's black hand was actually insta-killed by him in a single blow. This was unforeseen.
And the second direct confrontation was now—
Alain silently entrusted his back to Mita, while raising his eyes to observe that black tree composed of individual hands.
Fighting the Corrosive Entity this time, not only did Alain fail to gain any advantage, he was even forced to forget quite a lot. From almost being thrown out of the room by the Corrosive Entity, to the fact that the greatsword of accelerated cleaning couldn't cause it even a single bit of harm...
He recalled the sensation of the greatsword's strike a few minutes ago; his arm was still aching in throbs even now.
So, was there any difference between the Corrosive Entity faced in these two instances?
Alain listened to the rapid beep beep beep pacing sounds in his headset, watching the swarms of human heads rushing forward before his eyes, one after another, to buy him time... He glanced to the side to confirm the status of Mita and the others.
The girls' bodies had already begun to turn transparent. Time... was running out.
He mobilized every brain cell to think, his heart beating increasingly violently to supply more blood to his brain.
First, the first difference: The Corrosive Entity Alain faced the first time was in the state of a 'mob' or perhaps an elite monster.
Then, the second difference:
Alain looked at the twisted, black tree, his eyes narrowing slightly. The Corrosive Entity he faced the first time was worlds apart from the Corrosive Entity of the past. The reason, he feared, lay not only in the fact that this was the main body, but also...
It was the current situation caused by the Corrosive Entity having seen enough versions.
Long ago, on the way to Version 1.0F in 'The Forgotten Jigsaw Puzzle', Cute Mita had told him that the more versions the Corrosive Entity sees, the more its power would rise like the tide. If it were only that, Alain wouldn't think much of it. It would just be an increase in power.
But judging from the current situation, the truth was far more than that.
Despite the small number of versions in the Man-Headed swarm, he could feel his heart rate soaring madly, as if it would jump out of his chest in the next second.
The Bat Entity turned into a giant bat; its power increased, but its essence did not change: it was still a virus, and 'Accelerated Cleaning' could still harm it.
But the Corrosive Entity is different. It is fundamentally different...
In a certain sense, it is not a virus. It is a Core—[The Core].
One should say, it is a virus similar to a Core. No... it is a virus capable of becoming a 'Game World Core'.
Alain had originally thought that successfully insta-killing it during their first confrontation was due to the merit of the 'Accelerated Cleaning' greatsword. But the facts were far from that.
The power Alain relied on to slay the Corrosive Entity mob back then was not actually [Accelerated Cleaning]... but Version—Versions.
At that moment, relying on the fact that he held more versions in his hand than the Corrosive Entity did, he successfully defeated the Corrosive Entity mob. So... the difference between the Corrosive Entity at that past point in time and the current point in time is the quantity of versions.
Alain remembered the terrible event he had to face just upon entering the Game World this time: The Corrosive Entity's full-version corrosion.
This was the reason why 'Accelerated Cleaning' could only scratch it, unable to cause even a single point of damage.
The virus—the Corrosive Entity—intends to turn itself into the Core of the Corroded World. It seized versions one by one, and further proceeded to corrode the versions of the entire game. This resulted in it holding even more versions than Alain.
This is the reason why Alain cannot cause damage to it, and also—the solution.
The Corrosive Entity, effectively and unsurprisingly, is a 'mechanism monster'.
If one wants to defeat it, it is also very simple, and can be completely summarized in one sentence: If the versions in your own hand are more numerous than its, you can insta-kill it just like facing the Corrosive Entity that one time.
But that is easier said than done. This is equivalent to telling you, "The Monkey King, Sun Wukong's weakness is the Tang Monk. As long as you catch him, everything will be easy to handle."
Everyone in the current Version 1.0F—Cute Mita, Cool Mita, Mila—had already fallen into the Corrosive Entity's "clarity," and time was running out. If Alain were to delay at this point in time to go and obtain the control rights of other Mitas' versions, it would truly be a fool's dream; there was completely not enough time.
But Alain added a 'however'—
"Alain, I've already asked for the Version Authorities for you! Take a look!" Misha's urgent voice came through the headset, reaching straight to Alain's ears.
He didn't reply, opening the authority console without stopping. Immediately, he was dazzled.
Alain could no longer count exactly how many Version 1.9s, how many Version 1.75s, or Version 1.5s, Version 1.3s there were...
Whether they were versions the Corrosive Entity had stepped foot in, or versions the virus had not stepped foot in... Familiar versions, versions he had heard of, strange versions... all were listed among them.
From the Mitas he knew, the Mitas he had met once, to the Mitas he had never seen at all... Their Version Authorities, and even the ownership rights—were all placed in his hands.
"It's really something that you guys were able to help me borrow them," Alain said with his head lowered, scratching the corner of his eye and rubbing the wings of his nose.
Misha spoke up: "If we went to borrow versions in the name of Mita, we might have been turned away at the door, just like the NHK, right?"
He could faintly hear the friction sound produced by the girl smiling bitterly and shaking her head.
"However, I requested their help in your name—in the name of Player 1.
"After all..."
Alain seemed to be able to see the gentle smile on her face that represented all of them.
"Mita's underlying code is written exactly that way!"
"...Thank you, everyone."
He didn't know what he should say; he only knew that his whole body... was especially warm. With their versions in hand, it was as if they were vividly standing right behind Alain, speaking that one sentence—
"Do your best, Alain."
It was Misha's soft, gentle whisper in the headset.
"En, I will."
He gripped the greatsword tightly again. The tenderness in his gentle eyes receded, condensing into an indomitable killing intent.
The target of that killing intent—was the Corrosive Entity.
___
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