Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 134: Ch132. Departed

Chapter 134: Ch132. Departed

The Spire trembled. Shadows curled around Miles, the echoes of the past still whispering in his ears. He could feel the weight of the revelation pressing into his bones, the cold truth settling deep inside him. The Hatter had not been a savior.

He had been ruin, a force of destruction that did not know how to stop, even though, deep inside him, there was a slumbering part that wished for him to do so.

And now, he was stirring.

Alice raised a hand, her fingers dancing through the air like a conductor weaving an unseen melody. The space between them shimmered, and Miles felt his body twist, not in pain, but in a sensation far stranger. Something inside him was uncoiling, being drawn out, like a string pulled from a tangled web.

The shadows deepened around him, and a figure took shape from them.

The Hatter stood there, separated from Miles after what felt like an eternity of him living with that being inside his mind. His coat still bore the color of old blood, his golden eyes glinting with something unreadable. And yet, he no longer felt like a looming specter within Miles’ mind.

He was himself, whole, and apart.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. And after a few moments of impossible silence, the Hatter tilted his head, his stitched grin widening.

"Well, dear boy... Our little arrangement, does it still stand?"

Miles inhaled sharply, his hands curling into fists. There was hesitation, yes, but also certainty beneath it.

He had seen what the Hatter had done, what he had been. And yet, he had also walked his path, step by step, making it his own.

Miles knew what caused Wonderland’s ruin and the Hatter’s downfall.

And he was going to make sure the culprit paid dearly for ruining that many lives, including Miles’ own.

"Yeah." He said finally. "It does."

"I thought you’d say that." The Hatter let out a soft, knowing chuckle.

Then, turning to Alice, he spread his arms wide.

"And what about you... My... Dear Alice?" He paused for a moment, a slight tint of worry coloring his glance. "Do you still have room in your little tower for one more ghost?"

"You always did like to ask questions you already knew the answer to." Alice regarded him for a long moment.

"Indulge me." The Hatter’s grin did not falter.

There was a pause. Then, Alice sighed, and a small smile crossed her lips.

"Stay. If that is what you wish."

Something in the Hatter’s stance eased. He turned back to Miles, and for the first time, his expression carried something softer, something almost human.

"Then, it’s decided. I’m staying. And you..."

He took a step forward, pressing a gloved hand against Miles’ chest.

"You are the Harbinger now, like I said before. The first one to ever acquire my first aspect without causing death and suffering to others... The scythe is yours, the mask is yours, and the power is yours. But power alone means nothing. Learn from my mistakes. Use it better than I ever did, and acquire my [Ender] aspect. Make it yours where I failed to make it truly mine."

"I will." Miles swallowed hard.

Alice raised her hand once more, but this time, the power she wove was not meant to separate.

"Then, let this be your next step. A gift for the road ahead."

A pulse of energy surged through Miles, sinking into his very core, like a struck of lightning but not painful, and he felt something inside him shift, open.

Then, there was a voice – the Hatter’s voice, but different – followed by a holographic pop-up window appearing in front of him.

[System Awakening]

The words burned into his mind, clear and undeniable, a rush of information flooding him.

[Name: Miles Thorn]

[Affiliation: Wonderland]

[Level: 60]

[Classpect: Harbinger of The End; Earth’s Mad Hatter]

[Attributes: Ender’s Essence; Shadow of The End]

[Skills: Weapons Proficiency (Scythe) – Level: MAX; Resilience – Level: MAX; Focus – Level MAX; Fast forward – Level: 02]

[Strength: 67]

[Agility: 62]

[Dexterity: 63]

[Perception: 69(+5)]

[Intelligence: 74(+5)]

[Inventory: Scorching Rune; Harbinger’s Scythe (Timeless); Ether Teapot; Desert Rain; Wonderland’s Key; Wonderland’s top hat; Wonderland’s mantle; Ender’s mask; Revenant’s bone (x13); Revenant’s fang (x24); Revenant’s plate (x5); Crown’s thorn (x1); Overgear]

[Synergy: Wonderland Madness (Tame); God Hunter]

[Echo: Blood Pact; Clue; Torture; Kodokuna sakura no yama]

Miles finally was able to look at everything he had – everything he was – once again. And not just that, but he was able to see that the [Mad Hatter’s Hat] and the [Harbinger’s Scythe] had changed. For the scythe, it was probably because he had infused it with the [Clockwork Rabbit]’s core and essence, but as for the Hatter’s gear...

A smile of satisfaction curled his lips upward as he let out a sigh of relief.

Then, in his hand, something cold and solid materialized from white sparks.

[Horizon’s Key]

Alice stepped closer.

"This will allow you to cross between your world and the Horizon at will. You are not done here, Miles. The trials you and your fellow players will face... They are not bound to just one realm. So... It will come in handy."

Miles closed his fingers around the artifact, its weight reassuring. He didn’t fully understand what awaited him, but he understood one thing.

"At least I’m not going to have to depend on something else to get back here to fulfill my promise to you..." Miles smirked, looking at the Hatter, who smirked back.

Which was a little bit unsettling, but Miles suppressed a shudder and just sighed.

The Spire, once oppressive and endless, now felt... Different. Not lighter, not kinder, but clearer. Like he had walked through the deepest shadow and come out on the other side, not unscathed, but standing.

He turned away, walking towards the exit. Even though he did not know how he knew he was going toward the exit.

But before he could take the first step, the Hatter’s voice resounded behind him.

"You have a gentle smile."

"What?" Miles stopped, frozen in place.

And the spire’s exit swallowed him to the outside.

Confused by the Hatter’s words, he could not help but huff a laugh, feeling that, indeed, something about him felt different.

And as the spire pushed him gently towards the outside, the memories of the Horizon flickered through his mind.

Kurt, saving his life in the most Kurt way possible as they first met. The strange structure where they hid and trained, the endless dangers of the Maw, the encounter with the god of war and progress, the Revenants...

Every moment had led him here. Every step had built to this.

He stepped beyond the Spire’s threshold, and the Revenants that had barred Kurt’s way now moved aside as if their purpose had been fulfilled, as if they had never truly cared about Kurt at all.

And there he was.

Kurt, leaning against a broken pillar, arms crossed, an exasperated look on his face.

"Took you long enough! Thought I was going to have to storm that creepy tower myself."

"Like you could’ve." Miles huffed a laugh.

"Fair point." Kurt smirked.

"How long was I in there?" Miles asked, a slight note of worry finding purchase in his voice.

"Three days, but you’re alive and kicking, to which I’m very, very surprised."

They laughed, and for a moment, they simply stood there. But then, Miles exhaled, a resigned sigh escaping his lips.

"I’m leaving."

"For good?" Kurt’s smirk faltered.

"No, not for good. But for now. I have... Things to sort out back in Wonderland, before I go home."

Kurt was silent for a long time. Then, he nodded, his expression unreadable.

"Right. Well, guess I’ll have to hold down the fort while you’re off playing hero."

"Try not to die." Miles chuckled.

"Same to you." Kurt scoffed.

No more words needed to be said. Miles held the [Horizon’s Key] tightly. He felt its power stir, the pull between realms reaching him, tapping between stories.

A strong breeze blew out of nowhere, and before anything happened, Miles heard Kurt’s voice.

"There’s something wrong with your face, kid."

’What in the major fuck...?’ Miles shook his head. "What?"

"You’re ugly as a Revenant." Kurt laughed. "Nice to finally see your face, Miles."

"Asshole..." Miles shook his head, chuckling, and then the gate opened, like a white rift between worlds, shedding a light over the Horizon’s jagged plains that it had never seen before, and with one last look at it, Miles stepped forward, and vanished.

The road ahead was uncertain, and the trials were far from over. But this time, he would face them with open eyes.

And this time, he would not be the Hatter’s shadow.

He would be himself.