Critter

Critter is a pragmatic and calculating operator who specializes in cyberwarfare and systems manipulation rather than direct combat.

He tends to stay behind the front lines, orchestrating events from a safe distance while others carry out the physical risks.

He shows a strong instinct for self-preservation, always thinking about escape plans and ways to bargain for his life.

Despite this, he is genuinely unnerved by things he cannot control or understand, such as PoH’s eerie disappearance.

Position Under Gabriel Miller

Critter works directly under Gabriel Miller as a hacker and systems specialist.

While Gabriel and others dive into the Underworld (UW), Critter remains in the real world, monitoring their status and the progress of the mission.

He keeps track of Gabriel’s condition while Gabriel is logged into UW as the Dark God Vector.

Critter’s role is crucial in coordinating the flow of time and incoming forces between the virtual and real worlds.

Manipulation of Time and Systems

During the operation, Critter adjusts the Fluct Light Acceleration (FLA) factor to lower the time dilation inside the Underworld.

By doing this, he synchronizes the passage of time between the Underworld and the real world to better coordinate their plans.

Once the time ratio is under control, Critter executes a large-scale plan to deploy external forces.

He arranges for VRMMO players from the United States, China, and South Korea to be drawn into the Underworld as military reinforcements, then takes command of these “soldiers” from his position in the real world.

Switch from Capture to Destruction

The original mission objective is to secure Alice Zuberg and extract her from the Underworld.

Critter supports this goal by managing systems and resources to aid Gabriel’s advance toward Alice.

However, after Gabriel Miller is killed inside the Underworld and the attempt to retrieve Alice fails, Critter reassesses the situation.

Recognizing that the main objective is lost and that their operation is compromised, he changes the mission from capturing Alice to destroying her and the entire infrastructure that could preserve her.

Reactor Sabotage and Escape

To ensure that Alice and the Underworld data cannot be recovered, Critter decides to sabotage the “Ocean Turtle,” the massive ocean-based research facility that houses the Underworld servers.

He sets the facility’s nuclear reactor on a path toward meltdown, aiming to destroy the hardware, data, and any remaining evidence.

After initiating the reactor’s runaway state, Critter focuses on his own survival and escape.

He flees the Ocean Turtle and eventually manages to return to his home country, having abandoned the original plan entirely.

Back in his home country, Critter prepares various methods to plead for his life and reduce the consequences of his involvement.

He clearly expects potential elimination as a means of silencing those who know too much about the operation.

While Critter is fearful of being disposed of by his own side, he is even more disturbed by what happens to PoH.

PoH does not simply die or get arrested in a straightforward way; instead, he vanishes in an uncanny, unsettling manner that deeply frightens Critter and leaves a lasting psychological scar.