Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 138: Ch136. Home, sweet home

Chapter 138: Ch136. Home, sweet home

The scream would not leave his throat.

Miles clutched his chest the moment the [Echo] ended. The Queen’s fury, her refusal, her punishment, the memory of the horror’s words nestling around his – her – mind, it lingered within him like poison.

Her memories did not just play out in his mind. They were carved into him, haunting the spaces between each heartbeat.

He staggered backward in the dark ruins of the shattered throne room, the remains of the Queen’s wraith and her [Card Soldiers] were long gone, dissolved into nothing, but something still lingered in there. A cold presence, invisible yet sharp as broken glass.

He coughed once, twice, then finally dropped to his knees.

"What in the major fuck even was that?" He whispered. His voice sounded distant, as though he was hearing it from underwater.

The [Echo] had felt like a prison, or worse.

Like a revelation.

He tried to steady his breath, staring blankly at the glowing lines that still hovered in the air:

[World Quest’s Hidden Piece (001/365 – Ascension Fragment)]

[Category: Mythical Fragment]

[Fragment Description: Through stories untold, the gods seek those strong and brave enough to walk the path, to inherit stories already written, for only one champion may rise up to the challenge.]

It pulsed once, acknowledging its presence in his inventory as Miles closed his eyes.

He had come here to challenge the Queen’s wraith and level up to become strong enough to challenge the horror that resided in the underground gallery that, for now, only existed in Shinji’s memories.

But now?

"Now, I don’t even fucking know anymore." He muttered.

His hands were trembling. Whether from exhaustion, adrenaline, or the leftover resonance of the [Echo], he couldn’t tell. But the thought would not leave his head.

If he was carrying the first [Hidden Piece], then what was the creature inside that gallery guarding?

He had done far more than what he had been assigned to do.

The Horizon, the god of War and Progress, The [Hidden Piece]...

He had more questions now than ever, and mostly no answers at all. But maybe it was time to stop chasing shadows in a place that warped everything.

"Maybe I spent longer than I should’ve here... I guess it’s time to go home." He reached into his inventory, and the [Wonderland’s Key] materialized itself from golden sparks, his fingers brushing against the cold, strange metal of the key.

It pulsed once, just like the [Fragment], as if it, too, was waiting.

His lips parted.

"Yeah..." He muttered under his breath. "It’s time to go home and find wherever the hell that thing is hiding."

In that moment, Miles did not care if there were gods to fight or whatever. He had found something real. Something horrifying.

And that alone was worth something, even though it was worth only more damn questions.

The key shimmered between his fingers as he held it high, as though placing it inside an invisible keyhole. Then, reality twisted like liquid chrome around it, bending in on itself.

And with a click that echoed like thunder in the hollow ruins, a jagged tear opened in the air before him.

A portal.

Before dismissing the [Wonderland’s Top Hat] and the [Wonderland’s Mantle], Miles stepped into it and vanished from Wonderland.

***

The moment Miles stepped through the portal, the scent hit him.

Smoke. Blood. Burned metal.

He emerged onto a hilltop – no, not a hilltop.

It was the ruins of a corporate building. The sky above was stormy and streaked with red and dark purple.

And below, chaos raged.

Dozens of players locked in brutal combat against swarms of monsters – from [Goblins] to [Fallen Puppets], and even more that Miles never even heard of.

Hulking creatures with dripping jaws and impossibly twisted limbs, monsters that looked like Revenants but were not, others that seemed impossibly like [Card Soldiers] but without the metal plates covering their decaying bodies. And [Undead Ghouls].

Countless [Undead Ghouls] among many other abominations.

Players shouted commands, hurled fireballs, and charged with greatswords, spears, and war hammers. Shields clashed. Spells erupted. Blood flew.

And amidst it all, guild flags flapping in the wind, players bearing the guilds crests in their armors, robes, and even in their weapons.

It was war.

Miles stepped forward, and everything stopped.

A bright, blinking message slammed into view as soon as the pop-up window appeared before him. But this one was just like the previous system messages he used to receive before the Horizon – black background, ghostly blue letters glowing through the lines of text.

[Warning! Interface Conflict Detected!]

[You are not a Player]

[Incorrect data detected!]

Then, the system window shifted back to his new one.

[WARNING! A Bounty Has Been Placed On Your Head By: Unknown Entity.]

[All monsters will now target you on sight, and players will get an high amount of EXP, along with an exclusive reward upon killing you.]

He blinked a couple of times.

"... What?"

Below, a handful of players turned around, as if looking for someone. Then, the monsters turned too. Every head. Every jaw. Every blade and eye and claw suddenly turned skyward.

At him.

"... You have to be fucking kidding me." Miles’ jaw dropped, and the stampede began.

After that, Miles could hear nothing but the shrieks and roars of the monsters charging towards him, but many players below asked many questions, while the monsters passed by them like they meant nothing.

And all the questions were similar in tone and meaning.

"Is that the guy we need to kill?"

Miles did not move at first, still staring in disbelief as the field turned to madness.

Even players who had been mid-fight dropped their skirmishes to turn toward the hill. And after a few moments, a spear screamed past his ear.

Miles snapped to action, rolling sideways as a fireball exploded behind him. Dirt rained down, and a second later, a hammer crushed the spot where he had stood.

He gritted his teeth, summoned the [Harbinger’s Scythe], and spun it into his grip.

"Of course..." He growled, his eyes scanning the encroaching chaos. "Of course there’s gotta be a bounty."

The system pinged again.

[New Objective: Survive. Escape if possible.]

’Oh, thanks for the clarification!’ Miles grunted, as dozens of players, monsters, constructs, and god-knew-what-else now barreled toward him, every last one with murder in their eyes.