Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 54: Ch52. RE: [World Quest] (10) - Attribute

Chapter 54: Ch52. RE: [World Quest] (10) - Attribute

The world blurred.

Sarissa’s heart pounded erratically, her breaths short and shallow. Her vision twisted, distorted by the sheer velocity with which her body moved almost against her will. It felt like her entire being was going to be ripped to shreds if she did not come up with a plan soon.

The battlefield had become a streaking smear of colors, shadows, and flickering embers. Her arms flailed unnaturally fast, her legs barely keeping up with the momentum forced upon her. Every movement she made was a fraction of a second too fast, a misstep waiting to happen.

Miles had changed the rules again, and now, her own body was betraying her.

Having to adapt to being a split-second slower was one thing, but feeling her own body moving practically against her will, as though every thought that she made had become absolute fate, twisting her body and making her heart pound like a machine gun?

It was something else, entirely.

Sarissa tried to slow herself, to counteract the unnatural acceleration, but every attempt only made things worse. The speed made her attacks reckless, wild, sloppy. She could barely control her thoughts, let alone her movements. And Miles...

Miles was still moving normally. Still fluid. Still precise.

Still in control.

Sarissa’s mind screamed at her to focus, but even that scream felt like coming before she could even think of it. If she lost herself now, she was as good as dead. Miles was testing her limits, stretching them to the breaking point, and she needed to adapt, fast.

’Think. THINK!!!’ She twisted her wrist, trying to summon her flames, but even the fire reacted strangely, bursting from her fingertips before she moved them, chaotic waves that dispersed too quickly, too hastily.

The air pressure against her skin was unbearable as if the sheer force of her unnatural speed was crushing her from the outside in. She clenched her jaw, forcing her body to work with the acceleration rather than against it. Everything was pure, brutal, and absolute chaos, but...

She had adapted to his time-slowing before. She could do this too.

’I have to...’ The thought came before she even had the feeling.

Sarissa took a deep breath, trying to recalibrate her movements. Instead of resisting the speed, she needed to anticipate it. Predict where she would be a second before she actually moved. Her mind had to catch up with her body.

’Wait-’ Her eyes went wide as the idea blinked in her head before realization dawned on her.

If everything she thought, every choice she made, became absolute fate because of Miles’ strange fast-forward skill, then she could...

’Yeah, let’s try it!’ She pushed forward, deliberately shifting her weight, allowing the acceleration to propel her forward rather than make her stumble, thinking of where she wanted to go before moving.

The moment she felt Miles moving, she thought ahead, making her body move one, two steps ahead, adjusting her grip, swinging before he even moved.

Her blade came within an inch of his ribs.

"Oh?" Miles’ mask turned toward her.

His scythe flicked up, intercepting her strike at the last possible moment. The impact sent out a shockwave, splitting the ground beneath them, the rain hissing against the sheer heat radiating from her body. But Sarissa wasn’t done.

Before her blade shot upward, she twisted mid-air, letting the speed take her where it wanted, but allowing her thoughts to redirect her movements beforehand.

Her foot slammed into Miles’ side with the momentum gained by the collision of her blade against his.

And for the first time since their battle began, he staggered.

Sarissa’s mind locked onto that moment of weakness, and she pressed the attack, flames roaring to life around her arms. She adjusted before Miles could manipulate her time again, predicting his influence over her body before it could take hold. He had been nudging her movements. Now, she was nudging them first.

Her sword carved through the air, flames trailing like ribbons of destruction, forcing Miles onto the defensive. He was still faster, still stronger, but for the first time, she wasn’t a step behind.

"Not bad," Miles mused, his scythe spinning between his fingers. "I was starting to think you wouldn’t get there."

Sarissa didn’t respond. She was too focused. Too alive in the fight. Every inch of her body screamed from the sheer pressure of the acceleration, but she had control now. Just barely.

It was still raw, still dangerous, but it was enough.

For now.

"But what will you do... If I take kick it up a notch?" Miles’ mask tilted.

Sarissa’s gut twisted. "You-"

The air cracked.

A sudden, crushing force slammed into her, twisting the world around her into a dizzying mess of colors. Her breath hitched, her balance shattering...

And then, everything went still.

Dead. Silent.

No wind. No rain. No movement.

Sarissa blinked, her body frozen mid-motion. She could see her own flames still flickering in the air, but they weren’t moving.

"You sure as hell catch on quick, Sarissa. But I don’t need to just slow down or speed up your time." Miles stood across from her, scythe resting against his shoulder.

He lifted a hand.

"I can stop it."

Sarissa’s lungs burned, her heart pounding wildly, yet slower than ever, but her body wouldn’t move.

"It’s funny, isn’t it? No matter how much stronger you get, no matter how much power you amass... You’re still just a player." Miles stepped toward her, his movements slow, deliberate, as if savoring the moment.

His scythe rose.

"Still bound by the rules of the world."

Sarissa screamed in her mind.

’Move. MOVE.’

But nothing happened.

"FUCKING MOVE!" The scream lashed out from her throat as she watched Miles’ blade descend toward her throat.

Then, something shattered.

A deafening crack split the air, and suddenly, the world lurched forward again.

Sarissa’s body caught up all at once, her limbs jerking violently as time resumed its flow. The sudden momentum sent her stumbling back, barely managing to dodge the killing blow. Her vision blurred, her entire body reeling from the aftershock.

"...Interesting." Miles stopped mid-motion, watching her with something akin to curiosity.

Sarissa didn’t understand what had just happened, but she wasn’t dead. That was all that mattered.

Panting heavily, bruises, cuts and deep gashes painting her freckled skin in red, she lifted her gaze to Miles, her fists clenching. Something had broken his hold over her. Something deep inside her had pushed back against his control. She didn’t know what it was yet, but she could feel it burning inside her chest.

A new notification blinked at the edge of her vision.

[An Attribute is blossoming within your soul]

Her breath caught. An Attribute?

"Well now. That’s unexpected." Miles’ mask smiled wider.

Sarissa didn’t have time to question it. She lunged forward with a savage grin on her face as she heard the system’s voice in her head, her blade igniting once more.

[Attribute: Treasure’s Nature]

[Attribute Description: As an outcast being, an existence that did not belong neither home, nor Wonderland, the Treasure’s very nature is to question everything. Henceforth, denying and defying all logic, mundane or otherworldly]

This fight was just getting started.