Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 182: Ch180. Stranger in a strange land

Chapter 182: Ch180. Stranger in a strange land

The morning after the battle in the [Chamber of Whispers] came strangely uneventful.

The forest was still, but the sound of singing birds and chirping insects returned slowly, timid, as though the land itself hadn’t decided if it was truly safe again.

Sunlight spilled between the tall pines of the Schwarzwald range, glinting off the dew-covered leaves and half-buried roots like tears of joy after a long night of deep despair.

Miles stood outside the dungeon, staring at the cold entrance. The fight was over, and Agg’Rath was gone, but the image of her unraveling story being consumed by the egg lingered in his mind.

Dee was the reason he had started his journey across the world, to find whatever remnants of the unique Dungeon Bosses that were still there, so that the egg could feed on as many powerful stories as possible.

But Miles couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine every time Dee’s egg fed on those... Things.

As Miles rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he stared at his egg, pulsing with life, still wrapped in the opalescent silk, and caressed it.

’Is it really safe for you to be munching on those nasty things, Dee?’ Miles frowned, yawning.

Rolf leaned against a tree nearby, his arms folded and silent for once, if one could ignore how he snored like a truck going full-throttle. He hadn’t said much since they emerged. Not about the fight, not about the glyphs, not about the thing Miles had called Dee.

Now, he simply slept without a care in the world, like a big blonde bear that forgot to get inside his cave before hibernation.

But before Miles could think of anything to throw at Rolf, so that he would stop snoring, something shimmered near Miles’ shoulder.

A violent storm of grayish, dark-blue sparks that pulled from Miles soul.

And with a soft chime of a thousand fireflies being released from a pot, a feline shape appeared, lounging in the air mid-flip before landing with a theatrical flourish on Miles’ backpack.

Rolf grunted and snored some more, turning to his side and mumbling something like a sneeze – "Achtung" or something like that – before falling back into whatever deep pits of slumber he had drowned.

Cheshire looked from Miles to the burly man, and then back at Miles, who simply frowned and nodded, tilting his head.

"Took you long enough to think, my boy..." Cheshire purred, flying straight towards Rolf’s strong mid-section, and bouncing right off.

Rolf tensed, one eye half-open and his fist half-raised, until Miles waved him off.

"Relax. He’s with me."

Cheshire stretched, his grin wide and crescent-bright, but there was something strange behind it.

"Good morning, gentlemen. Apologies for the dramatic entrance, but news doesn’t always wait for polite timing." He twirled once and landed on Miles’ shoulder, his expression darkening. "Sarissa’s back."

"Where?" Miles froze.

"In Mara’s Forge." Cheshire said. "I don’t know the details, but she’s in pretty bad shape. And I don’t mean it like in when you said that The Horizon wouldn’t be easy. She’s... Nearly dying."

A thousand things flickered behind Miles’ eyes, and he swore under his breath while Rolf stared at Cheshire, trying to poke him with one of his sausage-thick index fingers.

"She your girlfriend?" Rolf straightened, watching him carefully.

"No." Miles shook his head vehemently. "But it’s... Uh... Complicated." Miles growled without blinking.

"I can’t help you with a direct portal." Rolf said, before Miles could even ask. "But there’s a guild in my hometown, Karlsruhe. West side of the river. Old church turned portal hub. They specialize in travel and teleportation." He paused. "If you go there, ask for the guild named Himmelsstieg. They might help you if you have the coin."

"Thanks." Miles nodded, grateful.

"Don’t thank me yet." Rolf grunted. "Just be careful. There’s another Fragment bearer in Karlsruhe, and he’s not like me. Cold, ruthless. She leads the Turmweg Guild, and doesn’t take kindly to outsiders sniffing around."

"Name?" Miles’ grip tightened on his gear as it summoned from countless colorful sparks.

"Gretel."

"I’ll keep my head low." Miles nodded.

"Low might not be enough. But good luck." Rolf chuckled humorlessly as he waved Miles goodbye.

***

The road to Karlsruhe was winding, but Miles moved quickly. He avoided the main roads when he could, skipping towns and fast-walking through thick woods. Cheshire remained visible most of the time, quiet and watchful.

"She’s going to make it, but her condition is very unstable." Cheshire said, perched atop a passing branch as Miles ducked under it.

"Mara wouldn’t let her die."

"She might not have had a choice, you know how dangerous the Horizon is." Cheshire jumped on Miles’ shoulder. "But the strange thing is... She didn’t come back on her own volition."

Miles didn’t respond, but he let Cheshire’s words sink in.

He reached the outskirts of Karlsruhe by nightfall. It was a fortified city, the outer walls laced with sigil-lights and arcane barriers. Where other towns had guards, Karlsruhe had watchers, mages in polished armor standing like statues at each checkpoint.

Miles entered through the side gate, cloaking himself underneath his shadow to avoid drawing attention. He kept his scythe in his inventory and walked like a courier, calm and quick.

The old church was easy to spot. It was a massive cathedral at the town’s western edge, its spires split and converted into arcane conduits. Runes ran down the sides like veins of power.

The main doors were open, with blue light spilling from within.

But before he could get within twenty meters of the entrance, he felt it. A subtle pulse of magic, then a second. And then, figures emerged.

Six of them, all hooded. Each one carried weapons subtly drawn. Not in open threat, but with the ease of people who used them often. The lead figure stepped forward, a tall man with a red insignia stitched across his chest.

"You’re not registered."

"I’m here to request a portal from Himmelsstieg." Miles stopped.

"No record of such request has been filed in the last week." The man tilted his head.

"I didn’t send word ahead." Miles felt his heart thumping in his chest.

"That much is obvious."

Miles’ grip tightened slightly.

"Turn around." The man said. "You’re trespassing."

"I’m not looking for trouble." Miles said calmly.

"And we’re not looking for foreigners." The leader said, almost interrupting Miles.

From the side, two more figures moved, flanking him. A sigil flared above the church’s entrance, and Miles felt something tighten around his limbs.

A gravity bind, advanced, but subtle. He didn’t resist.

"We’re taking you in for questioning." The lead figure said. "Any resistance will be seen as hostile action."

"Well. So much for the back door approach." Cheshire whispered near his ear, invisible again.

Miles didn’t say anything, allowing them to bind his arms. And as they marched him into the cathedral, the stone doors closed behind them with the sound of judgment.