After Alain left Version 1.15, he arrived in a place that looked like an ordinary Mita's room. In the center of the room, a Failed Creation sat slumped over.
His trip to the game world this time had been rushed, so he hadn't had time to prepare a weapon. So right now, Alain was moving forward empty-handed.
He looked at the motionless puppet, then deliberately averted his gaze. Sure enough, the distinct clatter of moving joints immediately followed.
Alain wasn't panicked. Back in Version 1.15, he had heard from Tiny Mita about the characteristics of ordinary Failed Creations:
They are especially sensitive to one's gaze. If you aren't looking at them, they will move toward their target.
The puppet's approach from behind was well within his expectations.
He turned his head. As expected, the Failed Creation was now close by, its hand nearly touching his back.
But Alain wasn't alarmed. A smile played on his lips as he—caressed the Failed Creation's hand.
That was it... Mitas were his thing, but could these creatures that failed to become Mitas not become a new type of thing for him? All it took was a little effort on his part.
He was a man who had been through thick and thin, after all.
Looking at the Failed Creation's slender body, he could clearly identify its gender as 'female.' Alain was thoughtful, and his long-dormant professional habit prompted him to say,
"So cute."
Click
[10%→15%]
He could clearly see the child's small forearm, frozen in mid-air, tremble.
Just as I thought...
The fundamental nature of a 'Mita' doesn't change.
To say that Failed Creations would hurt people was less accurate than saying they craved the attention of a player or a Mita.
Labeled as failures from the moment they were created...
Alain's enemies were not the game or the products of the game world, but the viruses that threatened this world, and 'that woman.' Based on this premise, any Mita could be his ally. The Failed Creations were no exception.
He would unite with every Mita he could and become wings for them all.
"Can you lead me forward?"
Alain smiled as he straightened the Failed Creation's body, then took its hand and looked toward the next door.
As long as his gaze was upon it, the Failed Creation did not attack again. Instead, it led him, step by step, towards the door.
It couldn't speak, and Alain said nothing either. Under its escort, the subsequent Failed Creations did not attack.
Soon, they reached a door. It stopped walking, indicating 'this is the place.'
"Thank you."
Alain patted its head to show his gratitude.
The Failed Creation nodded, its deep eyes looking at his face, its thoughts unreadable.
But in the end, it chose to depart in silence, disappearing through a doorway.
Alain watched the door she left through, a sentimental look in his eyes.
[15%→25%] [You have successfully obtained an opportunity to use the Safety Guard in this mission]
The Safety Guard panel popped up. He sighed and turned to face the door behind him.
Click
He opened the door, and what greeted him was another ordinary Mita's room, seemingly unchanged.
Furniture, pink wallpaper, bright lights, though it was dark outside the window. A 'Mita' stood in the room.
But Alain was absolutely certain that this was the 'strange room' Short-Haired Mita had mentioned.
Because...
The room was upside down.
As if a normal version had been flipped 180 degrees. The floor was on the ceiling, and the ceiling was on the floor.
The furniture stood on his ceiling, defying the laws of gravity.
And that 'Mita' was also walking upside down, though her appearance was particularly strange.
She was entirely black from head to toe, her clothes and facial features visible only as a silhouette.
If it weren't for Alain, a master of the Mita domain, being able to intuitively judge that such a figure could only belong to a Mita, he would have thought it was another clone created by 'that woman' in league with the Modified Entity.
"Can't find it, can't find it, can't find it..."
Having lost her color, she seemed to have also lost her focus, blindly fumbling with her surroundings and wailing in despair.
"What are you looking for? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"!"
Her hearing didn't seem to be lost. The moment Alain's words fell, she turned her head blankly, looking around as if searching for him.
"Your... voice, are you a player?"
"Yes." He walked directly underneath her, looking up at the 'girl.' "What did you lose?"
"Mmm..."
She hugged her arms, squatting on the 'floor' of the ceiling.
"I... I lost my own colors, forgot my own version. Even my former identity, is lost somewhere...
"I've been all alone, searching for them here for so long, but I've never found an answer."
Alain observed her. This one was like a 'ghost'... he might as well call her [Ghostly Mita] for now.
According to Ghostly Mita, she must have lost her version number and 'character texture,' which was why her entire body had turned black.
"What's going on with your version? Why is it upside down?"
"Upside... hmm? I don't know, I don't know anything... When I lost what was important to me, I lost all knowledge of everything."
In her despair, she still retained a Mita's fundamental instinct:
"Player, please leave this place. I don't know why, but I feel... this place is very dangerous. You shouldn't have come."
"Are you worried about me?"
"...How lame."
It seemed she didn't mind a bit of banter.
"Well, now."
This Mita had spunk; she was just his type.
She hung her head, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Alain looked at her helplessly. "Alright, I get it. Tell me everything you know."
"Okay."
He listened carefully to Ghostly Mita's account.
Regarding the character texture, she had searched this version countless times to no avail, so it certainly wasn't here.
As for the version authority... it seemed much of it was lost along with the character texture. Alain speculated this was the reason the version was upside down.
Viruses and the like... she had no memory of them.
Regarding the version's current state, she said it could hold on for a little while longer with what little authority it had left.
However... listening to her lifeless tone of voice, Alain understood that Ghostly Mita probably couldn't last much longer. This version was likely...
She had also gone to a subsequent version—Sleepy Mita's version—to check, but aside from the sound of peaceful slumber, Version 1.15, where Sleepy Mita resided, hadn't changed one bit.
"Did you ask Sleepy Mita?" Alain mused.
"No... she was sleeping too soundly. I couldn't wake her no matter how I tried."
Ghostly Mita was troubled.
"Okay. I'll keep an eye out for your colors on my way."
"...Thank you. Please make your safety the top priority."
"I will."
Having gathered information from Ghostly Mita, Alain prepared to set off.
In the meantime... he opened the Safety Guard panel. Looking at the red icon, he smiled faintly,
"Just as I thought."
The Intranet Firewall was lit up.
______
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