Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 118: Ch116. One’s trash...

Chapter 118: Ch116. One’s trash...

The silence was broken only by the fire that crackled between them, its blue flames casting warped shadows on the rusted walls.

The eerie quietness that stretched after Kurt’s question was thick, filled only by the occasional pop of burning embers and the distant, unsettling hum of The Horizon. Miles exhaled, leaning back on the cold metal floor, his mind churning through the weight of the conversation.

Was he really just trying to get back to his world? Or was it just the Hatter’s doing that forced him to face the Horizon’s final challenge? And if so, why?

The White Rabbit’s cryptic words haunted him.

You might even find the truth about yourself.

"I need to know." Miles finally said, his voice quieter than he intended. "I need to know what the Hatter is really after. It is he who wants to reach The Last Verse. And I need to know why. What does he think he’ll find there?"

He tapped his foot against the ground, a nervous habit he thought he had shaken.

"And if he needs me to get there, then that means there’s something about it that I need to understand, so that I can understand how I fit in all... This." He circled a finger in the air, as to signify the entirety of The Horizon.

But not just The Horizon. His world too.

Maybe even Kurt’s world. Only the gods knew.

Kurt watched him, his silver eye gleaming in the firelight.

"Not a bad answer." He admitted. "Better than just ’I want to go home.’" He tossed a scrap of bone into the flames, watching it blacken and curl. "You’re thinking bigger. That’s good. Because if you’re serious about getting to The Last Verse, you’re going to need more than just guts, luck, and a shitty excuse of a motivation."

Miles nodded, the gears in his mind clicking into place.

He thought of his inventory, his memory tugging at the bits and pieces of information. His poor collection of odd trinkets that he had earned from his most frightening battles.

But he did not know what to do with any of it, so for now, it was junk.

But then, a strange idea hit him.

"Wait... If I can summon the [Harbinger’s Scythe] and the [Ether Teacup], then maybe..." He focused on the feeling he had when summoning his scythe, and it appeared in his hands, materializing from black sparks.

"What’re you doing?" Kurt tilted his head.

"Just something I think I should’ve done long ago." Kurt focused some more, and the [Ether Teapot] materialized from colorful sparks.

And after a few more moments of deep – really deep – concentration, there were a small myriad of trinkets, items, and even some other things he did not know how they got in his inventory.

There was the [Scorching Rune], which made Miles think ’How the hell did I never think of using this beauty?’, but now it was basically trash, coming to think of the power level of his current enemies.

There were the three items he had earned from the fight against the Clockwork Rabbit – two of the [Clockwork Rabbit]’s cogs, a [Core], and even the [Essence] of the mechanical version of the White Rabbit...

Looking at them made Miles feel a pang in his stomach.

"I actually liked him, annoying as he was..." His lips curled downward.

But the memories did not last long enough for him to dwell too much on them. Looking at the rest of his stuff, Miles’ eyes went wide as he saw bones, crystals, hides, and even teeth scattered around him.

Things he had probably taken from fallen Revenants as he fought them, making him realize that it was not just their force that he had taken with himself after each battle.

"I’m going to Luna Sea first." Miles said, breaking the silence.

"Changing your route?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"I need to see if the crafters there can do something with any of this..." Miles explained, gesturing toward the items. "If I’m heading to The Last Verse, I need to be as prepared as possible, and you said that Luna Sea’s got people who can make weapons, artifacts, and gear out of just about anything, right?"

"Yeah," Kurt admitted, scratching at the scar on his chin. "But they don’t work for free. And they don’t work for just anyone."

"Then I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse." Miles smirked.

Kurt let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"Oh, this I gotta see." He leaned forward, his grin full of amusement. "You, strutting into a town full of half-mad engineers and eldritch blacksmiths, trying to barter with god-knows-what scrap? That’s entertainment waiting to happen."

"You coming with me?" Miles shook his head but couldn’t help the small grin that tugged at his lips.

Kurt stretched his arms behind his head, clearly pretending to think it over.

"Well, I could just let you get scammed and turned into some experimental flesh-gear hybrid... But, nah. You’d probably just find a way to survive and make me look like an asshole." He kicked a loose bolt into the fire. "So yeah. I’ll come along. But if you get on the bad side of the wrong crafter, I’m just going to watch."

"Appreciate the vote of confidence." Miles chuckled.

There were metals pulsing with faint energy, shards of crystalline circuits that still hummed with residual power, even a few Revenant cores he had no idea how to use.

’Yeah... Maybe not all of it is garbage.’ He smirked.

Kurt’s gaze flicked to the [Clockwork Rabbit’s Gear].

"What is that, anyway...?" He squinted. "That there—" he pointed the [Gears], the [Core] and the [Essence]. "That looks like a Bloodforged Relic."

"Bloodforged?" Miles raised his brow.

Kurt leaned back, rubbing his jaw.

"Yeah. They come from Revenants that weren’t fully gone when they were killed. Meaning, something of their willpower, or maybe even their soul, got trapped in the remains." His expression darkened slightly. "Most people don’t like messing with them. Too unpredictable. But the right hands? They could turn it into something really powerful. Really dangerous."

Miles tilted his head.

"You’re telling me that it came from a Revenant?" His eyes were wide, his voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah, why?" It took a second for Kurt to understand the words underlying Miles’ question, but when he did, his silver eye gleamed with curiosity. "Wait, where did you get it?"

Miles took a few seconds to answer, the silence weighing over them again, dark and foreboding.

"Wonderland..."

"Then Luna Sea is definitely the right stop before The Last Verse." Kurt retorted, trying to look composed, but Miles had noticed his sudden shift, and he was puzzled by Kurt’s words too.

There was something about his question that made Miles feel uneasy. Something like an undertone that made him question how much Kurt did really know about Wonderland.

But it was a question for another time, because now, the day was coming to an end, and the last time Miles had questions, he did not have a pleasant rest, so...

Yeah, no existential questions this late at night.

"How far is it from here?" Miles asked, a mix of eagerness and concern in his voice.

"About a two-day walk, if we don’t get sidetracked." Kurt rose to his feet, approaching the fire. "But knowing this place, something’s bound to go wrong."

"Of course, it will." Miles scoffed.

"That’s the spirit." Kurt grinned, but his grin was hesitant.

Kurt put off the fire, and they got ready to sleep.

The next day was bound to be full of surprised, but Miles was certain of one thing.

The more answers he seemed to get, the more questions tagged along, and he was not sure any of them were going to be any pleasant.