Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 128: Ch126. By two days...

Chapter 128: Ch126. By two days...

The mechanical wastelands stretched endlessly before them, an ever-shifting graveyard of rusted metal, half-buried ruins, and skeletal remains of constructs long past their prime. The neon glow of Luna Sea had long faded behind them, swallowed by the horizon.

Now, only the hum of the wind against steel and the distant crackle of unstable energy fields kept them company.

Kurt adjusted the straps of his newly reinforced coat as he walked, occasionally kicking away loose scraps of metal from their path.

"Two days of this..." He muttered, shaking his head. "Gotta say, not the worst place I’ve had to trek through, but it sure isn’t the nicest."

"Better than the Maw, at least. No whispers trying to drive us insane." Miles walked beside him, his eyes scanning the terrain ahead.

"Yeah, just the occasional rogue construct or Revenant looking to rip our faces off. Much more relaxing." Kurt grinned, stepping over a collapsed support beam.

They moved in relative silence for a while, the only sounds being their footsteps crunching over the metallic debris. Miles remained focused, his grip tightening occasionally on his scythe, sensing the strange pull of time lingering in the weapon after his fight with the Master of Luna Sea.

It was an eerie feeling, like the blade itself was shifting between moments, flickering at the edge of perception. He pushed the thought aside for now.

As they continued their journey, Kurt let out a low whistle.

"So, kid, do you remember what I said about the Last Verse?"

"Yeah. It’s supposed to hold the Story’s Oracle at the top, and the climb is supposed to be... Difficult." Miles frowned slightly.

"Difficult..." Kurt chuckled. "Yeah, that’s putting it lightly. But if even half of the rumors are true, we’re in for one hell of a time."

"You told me what you know about it, but..." Miles felt a shiver run down his spine. "What kind of rumors?"

Kurt stretched his arms behind his head.

"Well, first off, nobody actually knows how old the spire is. Some say it’s been there since the beginning of the Horizon. Others think it wasn’t always here. That it appears when someone ’worthy’ is ready to leave. But here’s the fun part... Every time someone climbs it, it’s said that the path is different."

"Different how?" Miles narrowed his eyes.

"The structure shifts. Rooms rearrange. The challenges inside change. Some people say it adapts to the person climbing it, testing them in ways only they can understand. Others claim the spire itself is alive, rewriting the story of those who enter. And, of course, no one knows exactly what the Oracle really is. Some think it’s an actual being, others say it’s just a voice, an echo of something greater. Either way, it doesn’t just hand out answers... You have to earn them."

Miles took in the information silently. If the spire really changed for every climber, then there was no way to prepare for what lay ahead. That thought sat uneasily in his chest.

"But... If the spire only appears when someone worthy is ready to leave... Then where do the rumors come from?"

"Even a rumor is an answer in a way." Kurt shrugged, clapping a hand on Miles’ shoulder. "Don’t look so grim. Worst case scenario, we die horribly, and our names get added to the list of idiots who thought they could crack the Last Verse."

"Reassuring." Miles sighed.

"Hey, I do my best."

***

Their journey was not without its dangers. As the first day dragged on, they encountered several wandering Revenants. The first attack came suddenly.

One of the monstrosities lunged from behind the wreckage of a fallen transport rig, its jagged claws swiping at Kurt. He dodged in time, rolling to the side as Miles lashed out with his scythe. The blade hummed, carving through the air with unnatural speed, catching the creature’s arm and severing it in a burst of sparks and dark ichor.

The Revenant shrieked but did not falter. Its remaining arm lashed out, forcing Miles back. Kurt sprang into action, his newly reinforced coat absorbing a glancing blow as he drove a dagger into the creature’s exposed flank.

It staggered, giving Miles the opening that he needed. His scythe blurred, slicing through the Revenant’s core. Time itself seemed to shudder around the impact, and the creature crumbled, its form dissolving into dust and rust.

"Not bad!" Kurt huffed, flipping his dagger. "But let’s try to avoid getting jumped next time, yeah?"

"I’ll be sure to ask them to attack more politely." Miles gave him a dry look.

The second and third skirmishes were just as brutal. Each time, the Revenants attacked with a mindless, unrelenting fury. Some were small, fast-moving wraiths, while others were towering juggernauts of steel and sinew. But Miles and Kurt moved with practiced efficiency, adapting to each fight with brutal precision after so many harsh training sessions and fierce trials.

By the time night fell, they had set up camp within the ruins of an old outpost. The skeletal remains of long-abandoned machinery surrounded them, and the distant glow of malfunctioning drones flickered like fireflies in the dark.

Miles sat down while Kurt leaned back against a broken console, arms crossed behind his head as the blue fire crackled, and the smell of sizzling meat filled the air.

"So, be honest, kid. You nervous?"

"About what?" Miles glanced at him.

"The climb. The Oracle. Whatever answers you’re hoping to find." Kurt smirked.

Miles hesitated. He had been pushing those thoughts aside, focusing on the journey, the fights, but now, with nothing but silence and flickering lights around them, the weight of it all pressed against him.

"Yeah..." He admitted finally. "I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t."

"Good. Means you’re still human. Just don’t let it freeze you up when the time comes. Whatever that tower throws at us, we’ll deal with it. One way or another." Kurt gave a slow nod.

"Yeah. One way or another." Miles exhaled, letting the tension settle.

***

The second day of their journey was worse. By midday, they crested a rusted ridge and found themselves staring down at the base of the Last Verse.

The spire loomed in the distance, its towering form stretching impossibly high into the storm-choked sky. But that was not what made them stop in their tracks.

Between them and the tower was a vast, roiling mass of Revenants.

Hundreds of them. Maybe more.

They moved in chaotic patterns, a seething tide of metal and flesh in twisted forms, their glowing eyes flickering like dying embers. Some were little more than shambling husks, while others carried the unmistakable aura of stronger, more intact warriors. Fallen souls who had retained enough will to be truly dangerous.

"Well. That’s unfortunate." Kurt let out a low whistle.

"How the hell are we supposed to get through that?" Miles tensed, gripping his scythe.

"We could fight our way through." Kurt rubbed his chin.

"Against that? Are you insane?" Miles stared at him.

"Mildly. But it’s an option." Kurt shrugged. "Or we could find another way in. The spire has got to have more than one entrance."

"Then we need a plan." Miles exhaled sharply.

But before they could think of anything else to prepare for their incursion...

The tide of Revenants stopped moving, and they split into two masses of monsters, opening a straight path towards the spire.

"Great." Miles shuddered. "Either they respect us, or we’re walking into a trap."