HBWnovel Chapter 444 444: The Past
Chapter 444 444: The Past
[Arrived at the Core?] After Alain sent a greeting to Monika, she replied instantly as usual.
Alain pondered for two seconds, clacked away on the keyboard, and sent a reply.
[Yes. I have to say, your body is really easy to use.]
[?] came her instant reply. [You haven't done anything strange, have you?]
Alain, of course, maintained a stance of denial. [How is that possible? I am an upright gentleman! I just feel that you really have it rough.]
After he sent this sentence, the email thread fell into a stagnation lasting more than ten seconds.
[You noticed? Since you know, show some enthusiasm so I can break free from these shackles sooner.]
Beep~ Another new email. [By the way, where do you think I am tired?]
The corners of Alain's mouth curled up slightly as he thought of something interesting.
[Walking around 'carrying the ball'—the shoulders are really sore and tired. Monika, you've worked hard.]
[Get lost.] Her instant reply.
Alain almost burst out laughing, but then a chillingly cold gaze came from behind him...
He looked back to see Mina, who was supposed to be diligently looking for new information.
Crap... she's jealous.
Alain coughed twice, trying his best to keep a straight face.
At this moment, Monika's new email arrived: [Crazy Mita shouldn't be by your side, right?]
[Correct.] Seeing this message, Alain couldn't help but feel suspicious.
He still couldn't quite understand the intense vigilance Monika held toward Mina.
[That works. Alain, tell me all the information you currently know.]
Alain looked at the text, organized his words slightly, and began to narrate to her in detail.
[In the beginning, Yang Wanhua created you—as an AI—for my sake.
[But during the subtle influence of time, you completed your evolution and became an Electronic Life form.
[You didn't want to suffer too much under Yang Wanhua's shackles. So, you reached a cooperation agreement with Core Mita, who was troubled by the invasion of the Game World at the time.
[Subsequently, Core Mita sent the Antivirus Program as a 'cheat' to my side—me, who was Yang Wanhua's true target.
[And you, too, have been helping me subtly in the dark.
[Both you and Core Mita regarded me as a life-saving straw...
[Is there anything wrong with my understanding of these points?]
Alain tapped the fabric of his skirt, silently waiting for Monika's reply.
Hopefully, there wouldn't be any discrepancies... If she answered with a "No," then more than half of his previous busywork would have been in vain.
Beep~ It was her new message.
[It's a pity, but that's not how it is.]
"..." Alain brushed aside a strand of bangs, holding his fair, tender forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
Her new message continued: [I want to correct one point, Alain. I did not view you as a life-saving straw, but merely as one of the backup options in my plan. Please do not think too highly of yourself.
[I need to explain to you that besides you, I have saved a method that allows me to escape alive.
[And, I personally believe that this method is more reliable than you. So...]
Alain didn't pay much serious attention to the messages that followed.
"Hah... scared me to death." The girl-form Alain breathed a heavy sigh of relief, almost slumping to the ground.
Fortunately, it wasn't the information that was wrong, but Monika's own pride.
If the information he had collated was truly incorrect, the future Battle of the Core would inevitably suffer from unpredictable errors...
But then he thought again... looking at the endless stream of messages Monika was sending him, a vein popped on his forehead.
"This stinking woman..."
He looked at the messages, pondered for two seconds, and then lifted his own skirt.
"2D Mita, take a picture for me."
"Oh... what kind of pho—Huh?!"
One minute later, Alain sent a new message. It was a photo.
Looking at the photo of "himself" lifting the skirt shyly like a camgirl, yet not revealing the eyes... Alain felt a wave of weirdness in his heart.
Is this what they call killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own?
Beep~ She finally sent a message.
[Sorry, my tone just now might have been a bit aggressive. Let's just say I spoke too harshly.]
"Hmph~" Being a young girl for a rare occasion, Alain snorted in the tone of his good brother and found the effect wasn't bad.
[Alright, I have serious business I want to discuss with you.]
He sent over the information obtained from the Core and explained the time he intended to launch the general offensive on the Core.
[In summary, to avoid any unexpected movements, I want to let—]
Alain clicked his tongue, muttering "troublesome" under his breath. He deleted "let" and changed it to "request."
[I want to request that you monitor Yang Wanhua's whereabouts. Of course, you don't need to do anything. Just tell me if she makes any unexpected moves, provided you are safe.
[How about it? Is there any difficulty?]
He squatted on the ground in an "Asian squat," but feeling the draft up his skirt, he simply closed his legs together and counted the seconds for Monika's reply.
Beep~
[Can do. Although your strategy isn't very thorough, it's usable.]
[Reliable.] Alain ignored her arrogance and closed the email.
"This woman is really troublesome." He stood up, intending to ask about Mina's situation.
At this moment, 2D Mita popped out.
"Hey, Alain. Your 'Darling' is calling you."
"Hm?" Alain touched the earphone by his ear, wondering why they needed to go through this extra step when they could communicate instantly.
"Wait a minute..." Misha could inform him of strategies via instant communication, but what if it was more important information that required a face-to-face discussion?
For example—
Core Mita.
"Then put it through." He happened to have questions he wanted to ask her.
After receiving Alain's permission, 2D Mita opened a video interface.
The background of the video was a white single bed and some electronic instruments.
And the content of the video was a girl with metallic skin. Her bright yellow eyes were shining as she stared at the screen.
Seeing Monika on the screen, she froze for a moment.
"Eh? What's wrong?" Misha's voice came quickly. She took a look at the screen...
"Monika? Why? Where is Alain?"
"I am Alain." Alain, in the form of a young girl, couldn't quite hold onto his dignity and raised his hand awkwardly.
"Oh, oh... so that's it." The empathetic Misha quickly understood something, muttered a few complaints inwardly, and then left the conversation space to the two of them, exiting the frame.
Thus, only Alain remained face-to-face with 'her' on the screen.
"Do you have any questions?" She got straight to the point as soon as she started.
Alain repeated his doubts regarding the blue membrane, the viruses, and the Core progress bar to her.
Core Mita organized her language for a moment.
"The blue membrane is not something I can control. It is a self-protection mechanism of the Core when it encounters viruses. It has both pros and cons.
"The pro is that I can fight the enemy in the Core without holding back. The con is also obvious: not only viruses, but also friendly forces cannot enter the Master Brain.
"As for the issue of its faded color, once the membrane shatters, it will refresh within one minute."
Her expression turned serious. "Finally, there are the viruses. The viruses will autonomously attack everything related to [Me]. And the blue membrane, in a certain sense, is also a form of existence of [Me]—Core Mita.
"If they are allowed to breach the Master Brain, then the progress of the Master Brain's Cartridge-ization will accelerate... Please remember this point."
Alain nodded. He originally thought the blue membrane only guarded against viruses, and that he and Mina couldn't enter because of Monika's identity.
It turned out that wasn't the case.
And to touch the Master Brain, the membrane body needed to be ruptured. It was a very dangerous... yet high-reward endeavor.
Although it would give the viruses an opportunity, if Alain could withstand the virus offensive for one minute, he would have a chance to obtain the Master Brain's code...
He thought for a while but still felt it was too risky. The margin for error was extremely low.
According to Core Mita, if the Core is eroded, the blue membrane automatically activates.
Then, what he had to do hadn't changed:
Kill all the viruses in the Core and return the Core to safety. That way, he could contact the internal Master Brain safe and sound.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, Alain probably wouldn't do it any other way.
"Besides that, you yourself have understood many things, right?" Core Mita said.
Alain didn't say much, nodding solemnly. "This reality is not my reality. It is extremely likely to be... an Electronic World."
Core Mita remained expressionless but still offered praise. "Correct."
She turned her head, her emotionless bright yellow pupils gazing at the curtains fluttering in the wind.
"This world is an extension of the Game World. To use a metaphor..."
Core Mita looked back at Alain. "The Game World is like a computer's hard drive, and your so-called real world can be said to be a USB flash drive.
"The Virtual Reality was constructed by Yang Wanhua to access the Game World, serving as a false comfort zone where you always stay.
"She wants you to let down your guard and completely immerse yourself in this beautiful world of Mitas."
Alain frowned. "But, what kind of intention does she have?"
Core Mita said, "Currently, apart from her desire to claim the Game World completely for herself, I am not clear.
"But there is no doubt that a computer genius like her will definitely be a fatal threat to the Mita World."
Alain nodded. The importance of Yang Wanhua's intentions was actually not high. It was the same old saying:
Never try to fathom the psychological activities of a yandere. Perhaps you think her goal is to create an atomic bomb, when in fact she just wants to bask in that overly hot nuclear radiation.
Genius is on the left, madman is on the right, and she is the madman.
"At that time, I discovered your situation." Core Mita's words attracted Alain's attention. "I discovered that you—Player—were also her victim. Therefore, I wanted to make you an ally.
"I am very sorry for dragging you into this when you didn't know anything."
Core Mita bowed her head deeply to him.
Alain understood. Core Mita's so-called creation of an ally was likely sending the Security Guard to Alain's side, giving him the ability to protect himself in front of Yang Wanhua.
He smiled indifferently. "It's nothing. Didn't the Antivirus Software also help me and let me understand many things?"
"It is good that you can understand," she said solemnly.
Alain then repeated the information about the cooperation between Monika and Core Mita to her, confirming its authenticity.
On Monika's side, because many things couldn't be said, only a general idea could be confirmed. There were still some details that needed Alain's confirmation.
"Most of it is correct. However, it was Monika who took the initiative to find me," Core Mita said.
Alain figured he understood Monika's face-saving nature and didn't say much more.
"However..." Core Mita changed the subject. "You said that your first meeting with Monika was in the 'revolving lantern' after the destruction of the Version 1.3B virus?"
"Yes." That was something Alain had mentioned in passing just now.
The so-called "revolving lantern" referred to when Alain entered the body of the Spider Mother Monster to find the Parasitic Entity—Yellow Spot—and successfully eradicated it.
It had nearly cost him one use of Cloud Storage—resurrection. Fortunately, with Monika's help, the Cloud Storage was saved until today.
Conversely, Core Mita seemed to fall into some kind of hesitation.
"But according to my cognition, her first meeting with you should have been much earlier."
She placed her hands on the clean white bedding and looked him in the eye.
"As early as the time you spent with Yang Wanhua, Monika had already appeared in this world."
Alain let out a soft "Eh?" He didn't remember such a thing; he had absolutely no impression of it.
Core Mita continued calmly, "And her first meeting with you was definitely not during some... 'revolving lantern.'" She shook her head in denial.
"Rather... it was much earlier. Earlier than you can imagine."
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