HPDBC Chapter 36: Ch34. Back in the game
Chapter 36: Ch34. Back in the game
Chapter 36: Ch34. Back in the game
Miles' eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as the voice echoed through his mind. It was unmistakable – smooth and playful, yet laced with a sinister undertone that sent a chill down his spine.
"What's wrong?" Diego got down from the table, his voice laced with concern. He placed a hand on Miles' shoulder, but Miles didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed, distant, staring at something neither Diego nor anyone else could see.
"Did you really think that your bold words back in Wonderland were enough for you to get rid of me and conquer the scythe's power?" The Hatter's manic laughter echoed through Miles' mind. "Poor thing... I'm stronger than this, you know?"
The Hatter's voice slithered like a worm through Miles' mind, making him shiver inwardly. After a couple of seconds, though, he shook his head violently, trying to focus on what was going on outside.
"It's... nothing." He muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. "Cheshire. Tell him the story."
"Oh, so we're playing the ignoring game, now?" The Hatter smirked in Miles' mind, the feeling eerily similar to that of Cheshire's, when he was inside his inventory. But at the same time, heinous and disgusting. "No problem. I'll just leave you be, for now. But keep that in mind... You're not free of me." The wraith's laughter echoed through Miles' mind like it was an empty chamber, fading little by little.
"Are you sure you're okay, my boy?" Cheshire tilted its head.
"Just tell him the story, please." Miles sighed. "From when I found you in the cave, all the way to when the Rabbit was... Defeated."
"Oh, are we deflecting now, my boy? How quaint." Cheshire's ever-present grin took on a mischievous edge. "Well, that's fine by me."
Cheshire let out a soft chuckle, floating lazily through the air before curling itself around the back of the couch. Its glowing yellow eyes fixed on Diego, who looked back with a mix of skepticism, unease, and concern.
"Well, little one, since our dear boy here seems so insistent, I suppose it's story time." Cheshire purred, stretching luxuriously, its elongated body twisting in unnatural ways before settling. "Allow me to illuminate the tale of our adventure in Wonderland. But I warn you, it's not for the faint of heart."
"I'm listening." Diego crossed his arms, leaning back against the map table again.
Cheshire's grin widened as the room seemed to darken, the shadows creeping closer as its voice took on an almost hypnotic quality.
"It began, as all great stories do, with a choice," Cheshire began. "Miles found himself in a cave, drawn to an artifact that pulsed with otherworldly energy, a shard of Wonderland's fractured history – me. And when he touched it, I became able to protect him from the soul-eroding properties that a nasty fellow had cast on him."
"Soul-eroding? Like a curse?" Diego raised an eyebrow.@@@@
"Oh, not quite. Though I suppose it might feel that way," Cheshire said, its glowing eyes flicking toward Miles, who remained silent. "He fought the origin of the soul-corroding power and freed the White Rabbit, who had been trapped in that dangerous cave for decades. And from that point on, began the chase that let Miles to Wonderland."
"Hm..." Miles scratched his chin. "These things helped me boost my level two-fold while wearing them, so they're quite helpful."
"Yeah, but they're not helpful at all if every time you wear them off, they suck your experience points and get you back to the starting line..." Diego grumbled.
"You're definitely right." Miles retorted, after a few moments of silence, his lips a thin straight line. "I think I was starting to become arrogant and too depending on items that I know too little about... But Goddamnit, that's going to be tough."
"I got your back." Diego smiled, walking toward Miles. "And I'm sure Cheshire does, too... Right?" He looked suspiciously at the ethereal cat.
"I'm with you until our deal is done." Cheshire chuckled and nodded, purring as it stretched and clawed lazily at the couch.
"Well..." Miles sighed. "I guess I can still use the [Harbinger's Scythe], since I haven't lost the Mad Hatter's gear, though, but... Can I ask you to keep this all a secret, Dee?"
"Sure, but why?" Diego frowned.
"Something tells me that there's more to Wonderland and the Mad Hatter's issue than just this weird curse that is his voice in my head and him draining my experience points... So I want to level up a bit, grow stronger, and only then I'll decide what to do with whatever information I find out."
After a few seconds of consideration, Diego nodded.
"Deal. So, it means that you're back in the game, then?"
"Yeah, I'm back in the game..." Miles nodded, a grin twisting his lips upward as he looked into his inventory, [Wonderland's Key] glowing faintly. "We need to rest now. Tomorrow, we find a nice farming spot, and then we go for it."
"Nice farming spot?" Diego tapped his foot to the floor. "You know those were already monopolized by the guilds, right?"
"Oh, don't worry about it." Miles' grin widened. "I have a plan and a... A theory that I want to test out."
Before anyone of them could say anything else, though, Diego's frown deepened, and he reached for his pocket, taking a small smartphone from it.
"What the hell...?"
"What is it?" Miles tilted his head, his voice laced with concern and curiosity.
"I don't think we will have time to search for a farming spot." Diego's voice was filled with uncertainty. "The two guilds are summoning all the players in the city for a meeting tomorrow morning, downtown."